So strong!

I am just amazed on a daily basis just how strong Logan is.  Ever since we brought him home, his neck has been super strong and gets stronger day by day.  But he also loves to stand up.  He'll be laying down and I will try to pull him up to a sitting position and he won't have it - he keeps his legs locked so he can stand.  Yesterday I was trying to measure his height, so I stood him up in the corner of his room and he stood there, with the support of the wall - it just amazes me.  Granted I have no other child of my own to compare his 'strength', but I think he's amazing.  Also, if he's asleep his arms are super limp - you can do whatever with his arms....however, when he is awake and I want to stretch his arms over his head, I have to straighten them out to the sides, then stretch them up - I can't stretch his arm straight up or I feel like they're going to snap..he's just my little tough guy.

Oooooh....I LOVE HIM!!!!!

Christmas Mountain - The Pool

After skiing, we came back, warmed up, played some games then went to the indoor pool.  At this time Logan was sleeping.  I brought his swim trunks along just in case he decided to wake up and got jealous of the other kids swimming around.  :)

Logan did wake up, so I decided to dip his toes in the water - just to see if he'd like it.  The water was warm - not bathtub warm, but warm nonetheless.  He didn't make a peep....he made a face, but not a peep.  So, I put on his swim trunks.  Oh, he did so well!  I put his legs in...then I sat him down in the water (we were in 6-inch water by the by).  He did so well.  Then I put him in a little water swing and again he did well there too.

The first dip...

Aw...look at that face.

Another dip...

Time to change into his dinosaur swim trunks!

And he's in & not phased at all!

He wasn't completely excited about riding on the frog.

In the swing...just chillin...

Christmas Mountain - Skiing

This past weekend we went to Christmas Mountain in Wisconsin Dells, WI with my whole family.  We caravan'd up on Friday afternoon and got all settled in.  Friday night we snacked and played games - Apples to Apples to be exact - great game.  :)

Saturday, despite the fact that the high was 5 degrees at 2pm, we went skiing/tubing.  John and I went skiing and my nephews, TJ & Michael and my niece, Alexis went tubing - they had a blast.  My Dad, Steven & James watched the kids tubing and my Mom, Dawn & Melissa stayed back at the cabin with Jakob, Isabella and Logan (in a couple years we will strap skis on him and bring him with us).

John and I both enjoy skiing - we did every 'run'.  There were a few funny moments - both involving me.  

Incident #1 - I fell for the first time - I think ever.  We went down a steep mountain and then there is a part that goes up a fairly steep incline.  John went first and made it look easy (which he later admitted that it was not so easy and he felt a little wobbly)....yeah well, I went down at rocket-speed and on my way up, I didn't lean forward so much...and went tumbling backwards!  Oh dear!  Okay, so there I was lying directly halfway on the steep part of the 'mountain'.  I laughed the entire time - partly cuz it was truly funny, partly because I was alone so it was kind of sad, partly because the ski lift was almost right above me and stopped for some other reason - so yes, I could feel everybody staring at me and laughing (although I didn't hear them laugh) - but just imagine for a moment if you will, a bright yellow and black blob flailing on the ground trying to get up -ah, so sad.  So, I tried getting up with my skiis still on - yeah, that was a joke.  Then I tried to take one ski off - success.  However I still had trouble standing up.  I was leaning on one pole, which I almost broke my wrist...  Then I took my other ski off and was able to stand.    The next trick came for me to figure out which way to go.  I couldn't get my skiis on at that point as I was about to careen down the hill.  So I could only go up.  I walked sideways up the small, but steep hill.  I tripped on my way up, but I got to the top, put my skiis on and continued to the bottom to greet John who was waiting for me - luckily due to my bright colored coat could see me getting up - slowly but surely.

Incident #2 - Almost directly after my fabulous fall, we rode the ski lift again.  I tried to zip up the very top of my coat as I could feel a draft from my scarf.  In doing this on the ski lift, holding my poles and my glove (as I had to take in off in order for my fingers to work), it grew tricky, but ah-ha, I got it!  However while I was much warmer, my hand was about to grow much colder...I had dropped my glove!  Luckily we hadn't gone too far up the hill and the glove was just off the path of the slope.  So we rode up and I quickly came down and stopped with perfection right by my glove.  Whew - cold ride down though!  My hand was very thankful to have the protection of my glove again.  Here are some pics of skiing:

Getting ready....

John cruising around the top of one of the 'runs'...

John coming around the bend ready to jump in the lift line...

John and I on the ski lift...

Space Bags

Goodness...I have a new love for Space Bags.  My friend Cassie has raved about them so I decided to give them a try....we don't have a basement and I was becoming bin-obsessed.  John told me to stop buying bins as we were running out of room in our attic.  Here is the space I saved:

Maternity Clothes of all kinds...BEFORE

AFTER

Everything stacked on top of the crate was in all 4 of those large bins...eeks!

Same stuff, different layout...

Spinning

So I still have *several* pounds to lose from being pregnant.  Knowing the summer is coming and I'll want to spend some days at my sister's pool I thought I better start doing something.  After all, it is difficult to go on walks when there is still 14 inches of snow on the ground (and not every person is great at clearing their sidewalks, especially crosswalks) and it is between -20 and 10 degrees for days on end.

That being said, I attended my first spinning class this morning at 5:30am (besides Saturday it is the only time they offer the class and I really wanted to try it).  For those of your who aren't familiar, Spinning is a stationary bicycling class to which you increase tension in the bike and spin your little heart out, stand up, sit down, sweat, drink and repeat.  My butt hurts from the seat which my friend Lisa warned me about.  My legs do feel the burn - the last few stairs in my house really make me feel the burn.  My arms hurt too, which I'm not sure is normal.  I probably used them whenever my legs felt they were going to give out on me when I was standing up.  Still, I took it easy on myself since it was my first class and I didn't know what to expect.  Next week I will try it again and perhaps push myself a bit harder.  

Hopefully soon enough those last *several* pounds will spin right off me!

Fun, new toys

Yesterday Logan was sporting an adorable dinosaur shirt (from Carrie) and his wrist & foot rattles.  In this pic below, he is staring up at his HUGE dog towering over him.  :)

Then he played with a kicking toy that Abbey gave us since her boys are past the 'kicking toy' stage.  Logan has a good time with it - even though he doesn't really understand that when he kicks it, different sounds start playing and the song changes.  :)  Whatever, he still has a good time with it.

Then last night I put together this amazingly super-fun exersaucer...while John sat with Logan on the couch.  ;)  I did a good job...well I guess we'll see when Logan starts jumping around in it!  We put him in it just to see how he looks in it, but he's still a little too little...another month and he'll love it!  :)

Logan's Mohawk

Haha.  This is what happened when I tried to help Logan's cradle cap.  I put Aquafor on it (a vaseline-like substance)...well then it got in his hair (which is inevitable) & it got messy.  As I plucked a few dry flakes away, the mohawk started forming...so I then had fun playing with his hair!  Ah yes, he doesn't make a peep.  :)

What size??

Yes, this my 10.5 week old baby boy in a 9 month outfit!!!

I saw this outfit (from Val) hanging in the closet and thought I'd see how it fit....wow, it fits very well!

It's funny, when Val gave us the outfit she gave a great tip - not to look at the 'months', but to look at the 'weight', which is printed on the tag.  I guess in our case it would also be helpful if they included the height on the tag as well!

New Pics

Here are some new pics I took today.

Happy New Year

(I believe this is my last catch up post)

For New Years Eve we went over to one of John's friend (& co-worker)'s house along with a couple of their other friends.  We had a very nice time.  They have a little girl that kept wanting to shower Logan with kisses - it was quite adorable.  :)

Logan will always have a great New Years Eve story to tell about his 1st new year (even though he can't remember it).....he peed in his ear!  Very tricky!  Right after the new year, we were getting ready to head home, so John went to change his diaper.  While changing it, Logan peed...got it all over their changing table, wall...and yes, in his ear.  Oh Logan...  While we were thankful they have a child so they would understand, they have a girl and girls don't have 'that kind' of range to pee.

Anyway we had a fun night.  We had the best new year yet since we were with our little guy.  We wish this next year is just as wonderful.  Happy New Year to you all!!!

I'm bummed, but thankful and hopeful

I am bummed...

My day started out great...then I got the mail.  We received a letter from Fertility Centers of Illinois (FCI).  It basically stated that the contract with FCI has been terminated as of Feb. 26, 2009.   They pre-filled out post cards to 'fight' Blue Cross Blue Shield - mine are already in the mail.

I am thankful...

I called BCBS and yes, the contract as of right now, with FCI, is terminated.  However, there are a couple of pieces of good news:

1) Our benefits remain the same (which is key as we have amazing fertility coverage - one of the best plans from what I've heard), we just have to go to another clinic/doctor.

2) We have had a success - Logan.  Throughout my mixed emotions of the day I am just so incredibly thankful that we have a beautiful little boy that we love dearly.  I imagined for a second how I would have felt had I received this letter last year at the same time.   At this time last year I was prepping my body for a frozen embryo transfer.....LOGAN!  I found out I was pregnant on Feb. 26, 2008.  This letter says coverage is up on Feb. 26th.  This probably would have meant that I wouldn't have been able to continue with that cycle and Logan wouldn't be here.  So this makes me so sad that this is affecting some people (actually somebody John works with) in that way - having to halt treatment, transfer to a new facility and start fresh.

I am hopeful.....

I called FCI and confirmed that as long as we pay for storage of our 5 remaining embryos (this was never covered by insurance so thankfully that wasn't messy) they will store them.   

BCBS is sending me (via snail mail) the list of other fertility clinics that I can go to (when we so choose to).  Initially when I get that list and decide where we will most likely want to go, I will call to see if we have to start from scratch or can start off with a frozen embryo transfer.  Hopefully the new clinics practices, methodologies and procedures are along the same line as FCI.  As I wrote to my insurance company...It is hard enough having to go through fertility treatment, but having to switch clinics is just unnecessary pain they are causing their members.

I am bummed that we have to switch clinics;

I am thankful that we already have Logan and our benefits stay the same;

I am hopeful that the new clinic will let us start from where we left off and give us no hassles so that Logan can have as many siblings as God blesses us with!

Logan's Baptism

Sunday, December 28th Logan was baptized.  It was a beautiful day.  We selected two sets of Godparents/Sponsors: Dawn & Steve (Paige's sister & bro-in-law) and Andy & Brittany (John's brother and sister-in-law).  They have all been a big part in our lives and we know that they will be a positive influence on our first son, Logan.

Dawn & Steve (& TJ & Michael) came over that morning to get Logan ready for his big day in the adorable outfit they bought him. 

Logan's Baptism outfit

Aunt Dawn &  Uncle Steve getting Logan dressed

I brushed his hair

Logan wore his sweater & hat that Aunt Claire knitted him - so cute!

We headed over to church and met the rest of the family there.  The service was very nice.  It was funny - John had joked just days prior that we should call the church and tell them not to try anything new.  This was the first time any of our family members would be attending our church and we wanted things to go the way the normally go.  Things did go a 'bit' differently, but all in all it was a very nice service.

The Godmother's

The Godfather's

Pastor, Logan, Parents, Godparents

John, Paige & Logan

Logan, Parents, Grandparents

After the service, we invited everybody back to our house for lunch.  We had lunch (catered from Moretti's - yum!), talked & ate some cake (my Mom made it and decorated it - she does a beautiful job).

The cake my Mom made

The Cousins

The Aunts

The Uncles

Hugs & Holds

Meghan & Logan

Michael & Logan

James, Melissa & Logan (remembering the days when they only had one child...) ;)

Grandpa B. & Logan

Grandma M. & Logan

Logan received some beautiful gifts...

Train up a child In the way he should go.  Proverbs 22:6

  We were exhausted, but it was a great day and Logan is now baptized.  God Bless Him!