January 4, 2009

• Better late than never... Christmas pictures

  We have so many pictures from our Christmas trip to Chicago.  I'll try not to bore you with too many.  It was a good time for us to be with family.  It was hard for me especially to have to come home.  It was also a difficult Christmas, as you can imagine.  I still feel a bit stuck, like life is going on around me and I'm not quite part of it.  It was very difficult to see everyone all happy and joyful when I felt so sad inside.  Barely anyone spoke of the "big elephant in the room" which was partially by my request, but even that was difficult.  It is hard because I want people to acknowledge our loss, it hurts so bad when people act like this is no big deal, but it's also hard to hear some comments people make.  Alright, so I'm already boring you... here are the pictures.

  We spent one of our days at a place called JumpZone which had a giant room filed with those giant air-filled bounce houses and slides. 
  
  My crazy kid.                                                            My once timid baby is becoming so brave.

  Two days before Christmas we met my mom's whole family and had a huge family picture taken for my grandma.  We then had present time at grandma's house.
  
  
   I am including this one because this kid has the best facial expressions.  She makes me laugh...
  
  Ben and Lorelei with Grandpa.  Those two have so much fun together.

  We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. 

  This was the giant tree in the main rotunda.  All around were many smaller trees decorated as they are in countries all over the world.  When we were kids, my parents took us to this museum every year to see those trees.  It was fun to take my kids, too.
  

  My parents bought a Wii.  (Yes, you read that right, my parents did.  Don't laugh my grandparents in South Carolina have one, too.)  Anyway, we had fun playing it a lot.  Josh and I want one now, but we're waiting until we know his job is a bit more secure.  There's already been one layoff at his plant, and more are supposed to come.  Start flying again, people...
   
  Josh took this lovely picture of me plaing Wii bowling (at my brother's house).  See that 212 score, that was me. I'm never going real bowling again.

  On Christmas Day we spent with my parents and Jim, Hannah and the boys. The girls got capes with their initials on it from Uncle Jim and Aunt Hannah.  The boys each have one, too, but we never got a group cape picture.
  Ainsley was excited to get her much-wanted princesses.
  
  An attempt to get a picture of all four kids together...

  And this is where the gender difference is realized...
   
  The boys playing with their new "workbench."
  
  And the girls playing with the princesses.

  Also on our Chicago agenda:   A trip to the Brookfield Zoo.   Yes, in December, in Chicago.  The zoo is open at night during the holidays and all lit up for the occasion, too. 
  
  Jim and Hannah have passes so we were able to go for free so it was worth it to just for a little while, or until we got too cold.
  
  Lorelei, Ben and Luke all in the same stroller...
  
  And our friend the rhinoceros.

  Once we finally made it home, we had Christmas with Josh's parents and another set of nephews.  But I was so tired by that point, the camera never even made it out of the bag.

  This past Monday we finally had Christmas with just us four. 
  Ainsley was very excited about all these ponies.
  
  And more pony stuff... of course.

  And the big gift...
                             I was able to get the Rose Petal Cottage for a GREAT deal on Amazon. 
  Saying hello...
  
  The inside...

  They have been playing in it constantly since they opened it. 

  Keep me in your prayers tomorrow.  I have another doctor's appointment.  I never saw the doctor last week when I went.  I only saw the ultrasound tech.  As for that appointment, it was awful and good all at the same time.  I had to see my empty uterus, but I had to see my empty uterus.  There was some concern that I would have to have ANOTHER d&c.  Thankfully, I do not.  Tomorrow will be my official post-surgery check up.  I am looking forward to it and dreading it both.  It will be good to find out it if everything is as it should be and my body is healing as it should.  But it is still hard to keep going back to the doctor knowing it is not for a pre-natal check.  It's hard to see all those pregnant ladies in the waiting room... you get the idea.  I also have so many questions for the doctor... about some issues I've been having health-wise (headaches, extreme tiredness, etc.) and also about the baby.   I am desperate for as many answers as he can possibly give me.  The fluke of nature answer just won't suffice again.  There are too many things that happened exactly the same way with both of the babies I lost that I HAVE to explore them.  The pathology results are not back yet.  They warned me that it may take awhile with the holidays. 

  Alright, this is way too long.  But I wanted to get all the pictures in one post.  You really are a great bloggy friend if you made it through all of that.

  • 4:13 pm
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