The Nilsen Nest

Our Christmas 2011

2012-01-10T10:47:00.003-05:00

This Christmas was extra special, because it was our first as a family of 4. My favorite times were leading up to Christmas; all the preparing, making cookies, decorating, seeing lights, etc. We did these more this year than we ever have and it was so fun to see how excited Audrey was this year to help out and get involved. Steve calls her my mini me :) I love that I can share traditions that I had with my family with her and eventually Ezra. It's also been neat to talk with her about why we celebrate Christmas and I think she's really understanding the Gospel more clearly. One tradition Steve and I started 3 years ago was going to Starbucks Christmas morning. It's great to just be us in the busyness of the day, to carve out just a small chunk of time to be warm and cozy and to enjoy each other.

Looking back on 2011, we see how the Lord orchestrated so much all at once. We walked, confused at times, as to what He was doing but His personal care and love for us abounded. We are so thankful for the road blocks he put up and the doors that He opened. We're grateful for all the new relationships He's brought us and the old ones He's continuing to strengthen and grow, especially our marriage. What a compassionate and loving God we serve. We are so excited to see how He will work in us and through us this coming year! Blessings to you and yours in 2012!

Audrey couldn't open the boxes of ornaments fast enough! She decorated the majority of the tree herself.

The on lookers, E holding his first ornament from last year

Sneaky E trying to take a grab at all the prettiness

Cozy

1st Christmas cookie

Meticulous like her Mama

Proud baker

Little Christmas Gnome

Squeezable

Annual trip to Waxhaw with Steve's fam.

A crafting

We made paper ornaments

"It's snowing!"

Steve had surgery on his hand to remove a bone mass and cyst

Marshmallow snowman craft

Someone's drooling

Got one!

Ezra's first ever Christmas gift

cousins

Audrey's first Starbucks drink

After the Panther's Christmas Eve game

Stinker not wanting to sit still for a picture

Sibling love

1st Christmas to share together

3 generations

Far Far trying to get E to walk

My love

This was taken Christmas morning. We had to wake Audrey up, for the 4th year in a row.

E enjoying A's new kitchen aka new drum

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas poo

Chef Audrey

Loves all things princess

E's new blankie from Auntie

Barbie and Ken dance champs

Gift chaos

Groggy family Christmas picture (it's a must)

Find the baby

I am so blessed by these 3

The Nilsen men

Audrey enjoyed her muffin. A lot.

Too sweet

Love captured moments like these

My heart is full

Making delectable treats

Baby's 1st Christmas ornie from us

He approved

Double trouble

Racing into the new year

Family pictures

2012-01-09T14:18:00.000-05:00

We got our pictures taken late November in downtown Concord. A BIG thanks to our photographer Song Johns for perfectly capturing our little family.

Transitional Fall decor

2011-11-14T10:26:00.004-05:00

I found that I looked forward to Fall this year more than any other year before. There's just no beating Carolina weather! We've had a couple "colder weeks" that allowed us to bundle in our cute winter vests and scarves but now we're back to mid 60's which is nice for now too.

I had the opportunity to host a Fall themed baby shower/welcome party for some friends a couple weekends ago and I, of course, turned to Pinterest to conjure up some inspiration. I reused an idea that I found and used for my friend Natalie's baby shower this last Spring, a pennant banner made out of paint sample cards. This project is so easy and almost free besides the string and you really can't mess it up and you can choose any color combo to fit with your theme (Nat's shower was a bumblebee theme so I used yellows, grays and blacks). The Fall colored one added a bit of pizzazz to my fireplace so I decided to leave it up after the party.

In September, I gathered a few odds and ends and decided to do a little Fall layout on the fireplace. I had some gross brass candle sticks that I had gotten at the Good Will for $.49 a piece that I spray painted white. And I fell in love with burlap. So earthy and versatile. I wrapped it around some glass votives I had previously gotten at the dollar store. The candlelight through the burlap makes for a cozy glow. I even pinned a gold bow shaped broach on one. The two giant pine cones are all the way from California that Steve's dad brought back with him a couple years ago. I placed one on top of the chrome colored candle holder. I like the unexpectedness of it.

In October, I needed to add a bit more for Halloween. I'm not one for spiders, goblins and witches so I found a cheap pumpkin, printed out an N in the font I wanted, traced it on and colored it in with a permanent marker. The white pot I had but the pumpkin was too small so I put a box in the pot, covered it with raffia and stuck the pumpkin on top. I picked up the two tiny ones and places them on the wooded candle holders that I spray painted black. More GW finds. And the little old wagon I borrowed from my son's room.

Now that we are into November, I didn't want to skip over Thanksgiving and do away with all the other decor that I'd had up for just a few short weeks. Then I happened upon this Thanksgiving printout from Dear Lillie. Perfect to tie in and continue to build my theme! I originally thought it'd be cute hanging in front of the mirror but the circle and rectangle combo was bugging me so I opted to place it behind some of the candle sticks. Enjoying this little corner of Fall in our living room. Can't wait to come up with something for Christmas very soon!

September recap

2011-09-30T17:31:00.000-04:00

Here's September in a nutshell. New tricks, everyday fun, with little commentary. Audrey- 3.5, Ezra- 8 months. Enjoy!

Tea time for two

Too much suga' darlin'!

Gimme a light, woulda?

Hey doll, this is my poker face

Peek

BOO!

Pizza crust for the first time. Diggin it

This is his, "I'm going to be a future UFC fighter, what of it?" face

Sweet profile

What's this tasty treat?

Leafy no goody

Dinner's over...

Now for dessert!

Attempting the crawling stance but usually resorts to the army crawl/drag

Audrey had her friend Cohen over one day. They built a "cave" but I kept telling them they couldn't put hard stuff on it, only soft stuff. So they walked around the house shouting, "we need more POWER!" which meant more stuff to add to the cave. Notice they snuck in some pencils. Nice and safe to fall on.

Did you see her I heart hugs tee? She does love hugs.

Bath spikes

Sneakies

I go from here...

to here in less than a few seconds

How you like me now?!?!

I got skillz yo!

See all the pink spots on his forehead? That's from crawling and bumping his head into the coffee table repeatedly

Claps

He slid his bottom underneath the shoe storage

Typical morning faces: Drama Queen with her "Rapunzel" hair and Mr. Happy Go Lucky

Don't you just LOVE her?!

I'm sure it won't be long before he attempts to flip out

Morning cartoons with Cheerios all around

Sleeping while sitting

Preschooler

2011-09-12T14:29:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago Audrey and I started working on preschool at home. She's shown so much interest in wanting to learn and I feel like she was really ready to be challenged a bit. Playing with princesses all day isn't very difficult :) I found a wonderful blog that you can view here that I get our weekly or biweekly lessons from. She gives you a theme for each week, a list of library books for that theme, poems, songs and activities to do along with a shape, color and number to learn. We're starting slow and I'm being flexible with our schedule. The first week we did school Mon, Wed and Fri for about 45 minutes while E napped and then the next week we only squeezed in a little over an hour for the whole week. It was Labor Day and our week was just off. But I am aware things will come up and we'll adjust our time accordingly. And as many have told me, "It's ok! She's only 3!" Very true. But I do want to be diligent in working with her. We've already had so much fun together and I look forward to our time ahead! Below are a few things she's learned so far...

Here's her little bulletin board I made for her. The frame is from a picture that had been hanging over our bed that I didn't like anymore. I wrapped a thick piece of cardboard with fabric and done!

School station ready!

The princess is ready and excited to get started!

Can't believe my girl is this big already

Theme of the week: cows. Shape: square. Letter: A

I swear, she does this on her own

It's hard to see but she colored in the A's

My mom (Nanny) sent her a big box full of school supplies and her favorite thing by far were the two pairs of scissors. She didn't waste any time and cut up several pieces of construction paper

Trying out the new pens, one in every color

Using the paint program on the Galaxy Tab, I did the top A then I made 3 dots for her to connect to make the bottom A. She did it all on her own!

I did the top square, she did the bottom

After taking a shower one day, I came downstairs to see what she had been up to and she proudly showed me this. She had drawn two huge A's!

We found some A's on a cereal box and circled them

She lined up beans on the A

We attempted homemade play dough but it was unsuccessful. We'll just stick to the real stuff.

We even gave math a try

Adding with buttons. And one of the glories of doing school at home, you get to stay in your jammies!

The red ones apparently weren't pretty enough so we had to switch to gold and pink ones :)

Steve's mom (Gramma) gave Audrey a princess letter workbook, pencils and a lunch box to keep her supplies in. Here's her first attempt at tracing letters.

Can you feel the concentration?! And look at those eyelashes!!

What a great job she did!

Drawing squares

Matching objects with shapes. Concentrating tough :)

Love you Audrey Lane! We're so very proud of you!!!

Charlotte, we're here to stay...at least for now

2011-08-25T15:09:00.002-04:00

Ok folks, lots of you have been asking what the deal is with us; are we staying or are we going? (to Summerville, SC for the church plant). Well, it's kind of a long story. You ready?

Last Fall (2010) our church announced that they would be planting another church in Summerville, SC. Steve and I aren't usually on the same page initially with things but with this, we both immediately felt like we were being called to do this. Some people's first thought was, "Sweet! Who wouldn't want to live by the beach?!" But Steve nor I had ever been to Charleston, let alone anywhere in the area so we really didn't know what to expect. We took a "babymoon" in October before Ezra was born to check out the area and to also spend away time together. We felt a bit up in the air about the area, where we would maybe call home but knew we'd need a few more visits to get more familiar with the area. It definitely was much different than we expected. It's a very old area but with tons of recent growth so there's lots of new construction as well. So, we continued to pray through it, had Ezra in January, and then headed down again in March for a monthly church meeting. We met so many wonderful couples/families that were considering being a part of the church, found most of them on Facebook and started making friendships. We listed our house on March 15th of this year. We had the house up for sale last year, almost a year to the day. Long story short, I got pregnant, was very sick, we had two showings in 4 months and then took the house off. This time around we thought may be much different. The Lord didn't sell our house last year because it just wasn't the right time, right? Right now is the right time, right?! Ummmm, nope. We listed the house for almost $20K less than last year, made several improvements plus replacing tons of siding on the outside and we only had one showing in 4 months. Lord, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? We kept praying and waiting. And then it came. What came? A buyer for our home you ask? A new job for Steve in SC? No, none of the above. What came (or grew) was a mushroom in our bathroom. Our master bathroom, like almost in our bedroom. Upstairs. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaahhhhh. So Steve called a mold specialist and he said the mold was just contained in a very small area and had not spread since thankfully they had previously had vinyl flooring. Who puts wood floors in the bathroom anyhow?! He told us the mold is due to moisture, since our bathroom fan is located in a separate room with our toilet, it's not getting the ventilation it needs. So, what does all that mean? Well, we need to rip up the floor. And relocate the fan. And we feel like we need to get rid of the ginormous window we have in our shower. Another lovely surprise is that we have a baseball sized hole in our siding right under where the shower is. Whoever put the window in previous to us living here did not seal it properly so there's been leaking in the past. So we were referred to a contractor that's going to try and help us out. A window has been ordered and we're just going to go from there. It's not going to be a simple, "oh just patch up the hole" kind of a deal. One project is going to affect another and another so we're thinking a whole bathroom revamp is probably in order. Thankfully we did have a little money saved from our taxes this year that we were originally planning on using for closing costs when the house sold that we can use.

So, where does that leave us? Well, the house is off the market. We have to fix the bathroom. "Where are your hearts at?", some have asked. We are at peace that we feel the Lord has made Himself clear that we need to stick around these parts, at least for now. We still very much feel a calling to Summerville but maybe that's His plan for down the road, maybe not. What is the Lord doing exactly and why? We may never know but we do know this and have faith that His plans are THE VERY BEST plans:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

So Charlotte, you're stuck with us. We were excited to go but we're also excited to stay. Some of our family is here, our friends are here, our church, our home, familiar places to go, things to do, etc. We pray daily the Lord's will be done in our lives. We're looking forward to what lies ahead but also just enjoying where we are, today. Focusing on what's in front of us and not getting too ahead of ourselves. God gives us the perfect amount of grace for today. And we're resting in that.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Here's the bathroom, in all its glory

Big, bad tub and window

Mold corner (mushroom was removed immediately after discovery)

Above mold spot is cracked and patched tile

Bottom right corner of window. PROBLEM AREA

Toilet room

Hideous fluorescent light holder thingy, just another marvelous 80's breakthrough idea

Top right window, can you see the hole?

Here's a close-up. The siding is warped and cracked. And there's a hole. Will post progress on the bathroom once we're underway!

Another visit to VA

2011-08-24T15:12:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of August, we took a trip to Williamsburg, VA to visit Steve's dad and stepmom. It was our first trip to see them this summer and our first trip to the beach!! We were in Virginia Beach from late morning until mid afternoon that Saturday and the kids did swimmingly (literally)! Audrey, being a bit more cautious than the average Joe, enjoyed getting in the water a bit which has not happened previous years. The waves were good sized as well so she made sure she was holding someone's hand :) Ezra dipped his toes in the ocean for the first time. He was pretty neutral about the whole thing. He's a man of few words :) Update on him and the helmet situation soon.

On the way to Far Far and Grannie's. She didn't have a nap at home that day and we left late afternoon so she was done for.

Ready to get some sand between those toes

Sibling squeezes

I didn't know he was making this face until I saw the picture. He never cried but I guess he wasn't enjoying himself as much as I thought.

Toes in the Atlantic

What's so exciting about this ocean or whatever? Ain't no thang

They recently built a park on the beach, it was awesome and Audrey liked it too :)

Eyes for Far Far

First time on a big swing

Get me outta here, it's much too sunny!

It's better with Daddy

At one point, Steve put Ezra in their bean bag and realized it's a great seat for E! He's completely supported and can't get out but can still play. We were bummed he discovered this shortly before leaving instead of closer to our arrival but Audrey now has one in her closet (you can view that here) which we use for him every now and then.

The man of many expressions (7 months)

2011-08-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

Closet reading nook

2011-08-10T14:18:00.004-04:00

I've been reading this blog for the last couple weeks and they've caused me to become ~~discontent~~ inspired to give Audrey's closet a little face lift like they did here for their little girl. They most definitely have a much bigger closet to work with and a younger child (and quite possibly a larger allowance as well). But I took on the challenge, which also included having A try on just about everything in her closet to see what still fit, weed through what needed to be packed, what was too small and then unpack stuff for the Fall. We rearranged, sorted through and donated a bunch of stuff, picked up a bean bag and rug from Big Lots and here we have the finished product! She's so excited to have a special place to call her own, with a place for reading and playing with her babies. She loves it but I also think someone else does too. I did forget to take a before picture but just imagine something a bit more chaotic. :)

Morning snuggles

2011-07-20T16:36:00.003-04:00

5 months

2011-06-21T15:26:00.001-04:00

What a joy it is to have our children giggling together! Each day they interact more and more and it's so fun to watch! Ezra turned 5 months on the 13th. Not sure of his stats since he doesn't go in for one more month but I do know he's continuing to put on the pounds. I give him cereal every once in awhile but he's not super excited about it and seems content with just milk for the moment. He continues to sleep like a champ and is getting better at taking long, uninterrupted naps (if we're at home or the car is moving). He is content really anywhere but when we put him in his infant car seat, he tries to sit upright instead of relaxing at a slant. Guess that probably means he'll be sitting soon! He really is the most contented baby which makes outings so much easier. His big smiles light up the room. Even at his sleepy times, he's still pleasant. He's my easy-going buddy.

And just for future sake, I wanted to jot down some recent nicknames he's been granted lately:

Bud, Buddy, Budzies

Ri Ra (by my mom, Nanny)

Deeks or Deek a deek ( from a sound I made when tickling him and it just stuck)

We are also in the process of deciding if he needs a helmet due to head flatness. We're visiting a second craniology clinic tomorrow. Please pray for wisdom for us in making a decision that would be best for Ezra.

He wasn't quite 5 months here but I had to throw it in. First time at the pool.

He started sleeping on his side

And sometimes sleeps like this

And this

He loves the glow worm

And making crazy expressions when he's supposed to be eating

Here's the boys on Father's Day, Steve's 1st with both kids!

It was also E's day to get dedicated at church. Here he is, ready for his close up

and one with shoes too

Praying for our boy

sillies

so happy

then so serious. Doing push ups is no laughing matter.

Operation: Backyard oasis

2011-05-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

Most understated way to express Steve's relationship with bugs: HATE. He hates bugs. He will not sit outside more than two minutes if it's "buggy". Myself, on the other hand, will endure bugs to a normal degree just to get some fresh air and moderate time in the sun. It's been nice and cool lately but then yesterday, blast. It was 94. And the bugs have made their grand entrance and I'm pretty sure they're here to stay. At least until Septemberish. So, I needed a plan of attack. Literally. I headed to Home Depot last night and got some gear. I so wanted to make these but with canning jars but I knew I'd have to go to Walmart for those and I just didn't want to make that extra trip.
The above picture is of the supplies before I started. I found 4 cute little glass pails with metal handles made by Yankee Candle, which made making the candle holders almost too easy. Along with some tiki torches and bug citronela oil, wire, string, rice and a couple jars I already had, I set things up! I must say, we're diggin our little backyard oasis. It just makes me say awwwwww.

And I actually got him to sit outside with me!!! Success!!

Steve thought this picture was hilarious. Me with a lantern head.

THREE

2011-05-16T10:12:00.000-04:00

Our girl turned 3 on April 24th. We headed to Williamsburg, Virginia that weekend to Steve's dad's house to celebrate her birthday and Easter, which fell on the same day. We, of course, had to have lunch at Chuck E Cheese the day prior and had cake and icecream too! Then the following weekend, we had a Mexican fiesta at our house with some friends and family. We had so much fun!

I can not believe I've been a mom for over 3 years now. My heart can never grow big enough to hold all the love I have for my family and my kiddos.

Cinderella dress from Grannie and Far Far

Now that's a fun icecream truck!

Of course, she didn't want to blow out the candles

They were trick candles so they kept relighting themselves. Gave her a chance to warm up and give it a try herself

Cake with Far Far

Rain coat and hat from Grandpa Billy

Personalized Snow White blankie from Auntie Kath

Sweet Barbie van

Favorite jammies ever

Tacos in a bag

Gramma and the kids waiting for the guests to arrive

Make your own sombreros

Make your own treat necklace

Party peeps

Steve's aunts Linda and Maureen, his mom Sandi and Nana

Pin the tail on the donkey

Eli bringin in down

Had to take a drink break

This poodle purse is sweet

Hugs for Greta

Running back to open more presents

Happy 3rd birthday Audrey!! I can't tell you how blessed we are to have you! You put so much color into our lives!! Your energy is contagious! You're bright, compassionate, sensitive, goofy, imaginative and so expressive!! You're our tiny dancer, who spins and twirls and sings and is so full of life! Thank you for your kindness and gentleness to your little brother! I am so looking forward to you all growing up together! You're such an encourager and you have such a sweet heart towards others. I believe the Lord has given you the gift of compassion and you bless me and so many others with that! Thank you for being you! You make me such a proud mama! I love you Audrey Lane!

Scan update

2011-03-25T15:09:00.009-04:00

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray! Our heavenly Father has heard us and has been so merciful to us!!

Ezra's scan went as perfect as it could go. We arrived at CMC NorthEast about 20 minutes before we had to. Ezra had been sleeping in the car but once we got out and started walking, he woke up. A very kind woman that must have been the manager of the Radiology department went around the lobby and asked if anyone needed anything; drinks etc. She gave me a sympathetic look as I was trying to rock Ezra to sleep and she asked if that was what I was doing. She let us know we would be called soon and our buzzer would go off that we were holding, kinda like the ones they give you when you're waiting for a table at a restaurant. I asked if when we got in there how long it would be before his scan and if I should swaddle him while waiting. She said we would only be in there just a couple minutes and that I could do it now if I thought best. About a minute after we wrapped him up, he was out. The manager lady came and got us when it was our turn and said she didn't want to set off the buzzer in case it woke him up. She took us back to the room and there was a foam rectangle with a little baby shape cut out for us to put him in. We carefully placed him in there and then the tech laid a big heavy hospital blanket on top of him. The CT scan machine looked like a big O and the little bed slid through the hole and rested in the middle of it. A big disk spun around real fast, it sounded like a big fan. E must have felt right at home since he sleeps with a fan in his room. He slept through the whole thing! What an amazing answer to prayer!! The tech came in to tell us it would be another minute for the Radiologist to approve the scans to see if they were clear enough and then we were done! The whole process was less than 5 minutes!

Steve and I had to stand and make sure he stayed still. He looked so sad lying there by himself, but so peaceful. When the tech came back to tell us she was waiting on the Radiologist, she closed the door behind her but we could still see her through a window and she kept frowning at the computer. I told Steve I knew something was wrong, she kept looking at the scans like something was definitely wrong. I started to cry and Steve did his best to hold and comfort me. I knew that the outcome of this 5 minutes could change our little boy's life forever. When we were finished, I asked the tech how long it usually took to hear back about the scan results and she said usually 2-3 days but the earliest would be the next day. At 5:25PM that afternoon, a nurse from the pediatrician's office called. She told me they had the results!! I was completely caught off guard. She went on to say that Ezra was fine, that the bones in his head were not growing together but that he had an extra bone in his head. She said he wouldn't need a follow up appointment for this but that the doctor would just check up on him at his next well visit. I was in total shock. I got off the phone and broke down and cried. So much relief and joy!!!! After I gave it a couple hours to sink in, I realized I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered. So I called and left a message for the pediatrician to call me the next day. She did and cleared up a couple things for me. The extra bone in his head is called a Wormian Bone. About 10% of all Caucasians have it, 40% Indian decent and 80% Chinese. In some cases, there can be some side effects. It could cause learning disabilities or it can lead to Brittle bone disease which is a disease that makes bones very easy to break. His doctor said he's developing great and there shouldn't be a concern right now but she said she'll measure his head at his next check up, when he'll be 4 months, and make sure his head is growing normally. I asked how we'd be able to know if the bones decided to grow together if the Wormian Bone was on top of the others and she said the sutures (other bones) were wide open and the soft spot, which is underneath the Wormian bone, would close in normal time. Another answer to prayer!

God had a much better plan and outcome for this situation than I had ever envisioned. The first huge blessing was that we had the scan done without sedation. The second was the amazing results of the scan. There may be more related to this that may come up in the future. But God will give us grace for that when that time comes. I've personally learned so much more about God, his personal love for me, Steve and the kids through this process. He's kindly and gently reminded me that His grace is ALWAYS sufficient, minute by minute each day. And that He provides the perfect amount of grace for that day and that the next day isn't worth worrying about. He's strengthened my faith so much just in this last week. He used this trying time to bring me closer to Him and challenged me to rely on Him more than anything. My dad asked if I would feel the same if the outcome hadn't been as good and I said I would hope so. I think so. I know this isn't the first time we've had to trust Him with our child's life and it definitely won't be the last. And as one of my mother in law's reminded me, we've got a boy now. There's going to probably be lots of scrapes, bumps, bruises and broken bones in his future :) May the Lord protect him and may we look to Him for our ultimate protection.

Neck lifts

One of many faces

He poses like this almost every time he's picked up as if to say,

"I'm ready for my close up Mom!"

Can you see the little white tooth bud on the bottom??!!?! He's 2 1/2 MONTHS old!! Yikes.

And he's quite the talker. Love his little voice!

2 months

2011-03-19T21:56:00.016-04:00

3 band aids from his first set of shots

This last Tuesday, Ezra had his two month appointment. He overall looks great and is healthy and growing well.

Height: 23 3/4 (80%)

Weight: 13lb 6oz (87%)

Head: 15 1/4 (23%)

The doctor checked him over then gave me kind of an uncomfortable look and told me that he needed to go in for a CT scan. Of course I was stunned and asked why. She told me his soft spot was gone. I asked how small it was last month and she said it was the size of a finger tip. She continued to tell me that because the soft spot had closed, it either meant that the sutures (bones in his head that are supposed to take 18-24months to close) had prematurely closed or that they are overlapping. The best case scenario would be that they are overlapping, which could be caused by being tight in the womb and they will eventually move on their own. But it could mean that the bones are growing together and in that case, he'd need surgery. She mentioned she'd only seen this one time and it was in her last practice.

My initial reaction was, "I've gotta keep it together. I'm in the doctor's office. Audrey will worry if I start crying. It'll make things worse if I cry". But the second I got in the car, I called Steve, and I lost it. I couldn't talk for about 30 seconds. Fear consumed me. But he was so calm and tried to get all the details and told me everything was going to be fine. Earlier that morning before Ezra's appointment, Philippians 4:6-7 was in my head. My friend Natalie had shared that her kids got a worship CD called Seeds of Courage and the songs are bible verses put to music. So I checked out a couple songs online that day. Well, a week later was E's appt. And the Lord used those verses to prepare my heart to receive the news about his head.

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, with prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

So I went home and tried to inform everyone; sent out a big email, posted on Facebook and let our caregroup know so that everyone could start praying. And I don't want to say immediately, but soon after that afternoon, I was overwhelmed by a peace that could have only come from the Lord. I have not cried or gotten emotional since that day and I'm a very emotional person. And not because of a lack of emotion, but because I feel at peace, I'm no longer letting the situation take hold of me and let it consume me. I told myself I wouldn't Google anything on the condition, but I broke down and did anyway because I truly wanted to be informed and I feel like I am a bit now. I've looked at a few before and after surgery pictures which were horrible but the outcomes were wonderful. I won't go on and on about the condition, but if you want to research it, what he could possibly have is called craniosynistosis. If left untreated, the brain runs out of room since the bones are growing together too soon and doesn't allow it to grow horizontally like it should so it grows out more towards the back of the head, causing an oblong shape. This can cause severe swelling and pressure which can result in pain, ear, nose and eye problems and also severe brain malfunctions. But he is not in any pain now and is not experiencing any of the above, as far as we know.

It took 4 days to hear back from the doctor's office to let us know when the scan would be scheduled. The girl that called said that Ezra's pediatrician wants to try the scan without sedation which was what I was told would have to be done originally. What an amazing answer to prayer!! If they don't get a good scan due to him not staying still enough, we'll have to reschedule the scan for a later date. His appointment is scheduled for this coming Monday, the 21st at 1:25 PM at CMC Northeast. Steve had a great idea to bring his swaddle blanket, which he loves, and that will help out to keep him still in the scan. He usually naps most of the afternoon, so I'm hopeful that he'll be sleeping when we get there. Steve will be able to go with us which will be a huge comfort to me.

Please be praying that the scan would go well, that Ezra would lie still and they'd be able to get a clear scan the first time. Pray that what they find will not be the bones growing together and that he will not need surgery. Pray that if it's the Lord's will, He would heal Ezra of this. He is possible of anything and we trust that His plan for Ezra is the very best. So no matter the outcome, we know that ultimately Ezra is in His hands. And please pray that our hearts would continue to be at peace, that we would not be anxious and not allow the potential stress of this situation get to us. For protection from Satan's lies that whisper in our ears. That the Lord's will would be done and that we can rest in his sovereign plan for Ezra and for our family. I will give an update when we have one. Thank you!!

As for God, his way is perfect:

The LORD’s word is flawless;

he shields all who take refuge in him.

^{For who is God besides the LORD?}

And who is the Rock except our God?

^{It is God who arms me with strength}

and keeps my way secure.

Psalm 18:30-32

A long overdue update

2011-03-08T09:02:00.054-05:00

As most of you know, we are now a family of 4!! It's still so crazy sometimes to think I am a wife and also a mother of 2!! And here's just a brief summary of the birth:

Went in for a 7AM induction. Got put into a room without a computer so had to be moved, got my IV set up and Pitocin at 9. Epidural shortly there after. Water was broken at 10AM. I asked the nurse and Dr. when they estimated the birth, they both said anywhere from 3-7PM. I told them that I thought I could do better. And I did. I went from 4cm to 10 and ready to push in less than 3 hours. But that sounds too easy, right? Well, those 3 hours were pretty difficult, since he started up so high, he had a long way to go in such a short period of time. And even though I had an epidural, I felt the insane pressure of each contraction. The Dr. came in a little after noon and told me to try to push. After about 5-6 big pushes, Ezra Beckett Nilsen made his grand entrance into the world at 12:52PM! We were all very surprised at his girth, 9lb 3oz!! He was healthy and strong, lifting his head up the first time I held him. Some of you remember the mixed emotions I had about having a boy but God's plans are perfect and He knew exactly what we needed. And I wouldn't trade my boy for anything. He's such a sweet, animated, joyful little thing and my heart is overwhelmed by the love I have for him already.

There have been some adjustments with having two and each day looks different. I'm trying to put Ezra on some type of napping schedule but he doesn't really nap very well. He loves sleeping in his car seat most times but we've gone from him being swaddled and sleeping on his back, to tummy(which included lots of spitting up which resulted in him waking up quite often) and then back to swaddling and on his back. We're trying to not use the paci unless we have to. He spits it out more than it stays in anyway which means a lot of running up and down the stairs but it helps him to relax himself to sleep some of the time. He's been a wonderful sleeper at night the last couple weeks, only waking up once at about 3AM. He has always been and continues to be very easy going(even when he's supposed to be napping, he looks at his ceiling fan or mobile or toys in his crib instead of crying) but will grunt if he needs something :) He's been showing big, toothless smiles since about 5 weeks old. I LOVE going in to get him from his crib and him greeting me with one. It's the best! His 2 month appointment is next week so I'll try to share stats after that.

Some have asked how Audrey's doing with the new family member and she is doing so great! She's been such a huge help with things around the house. She puts her plate in the sink when she's done eating and puts her cup back in the fridge, she can get dressed by herself except for a little help with sleeves and socks, she puts her clothes in the hamper, she'll watch Ezra if I need to run upstairs and get something, etc. She's very independent and plays so well on her own which is very helpful when I need to feed the baby, take a shower, etc. And she's such a joy to be around(most of the time:) She's a typical 2 1/2 year old for sure but she is usually so cheerful, dancing around in her tutu and singing countless sporadic songs but her favorite is The Gospel Song which she knows all the words to. She's a nut and makes me laugh quite often. She has such a compassionate heart and picks up on my mood changes so quickly(yes, I have been known to be moody some days :) and is always concerned if she thinks I'm sad or upset.

With all that being said, we have had A LOT going on these days. Besides the adjustments and busyness that two kids bring, our usual weekly commitments and finding time for friends and family, we've also been working on getting the house ready to sell. Steve's been spending every available moment on the weekends fixing up the outside of the house along with the helps of lots of friends. Our plan is to get it up this weekend, which will be almost exactly one year from when we had it listed before. Spring is almost here, the trees and flowers are blooming and the weather is getting nicer! I know this year is going to fly by so quickly!! I'm so excited to see what our future will hold!! And now, please enjoy the insane amount of pictures :)

New big sister getting her first look at her baby brother

She was so excited to show him her little umbrella :)

Audrey leaning in to kiss his head

Broke out of the swaddle already

Cozy

Steve wishes he was the patient but is glad he didn't have to be the one to give birth :)

E next to his friend Coco who is 3 months older than him! Look how they compare in size!

This picture is so dear to me. I took it the last night we stayed at the hospital at about 2 in the morning right before I fed him. He looked so sweet and peaceful in the glow of the light.

Bundled and ready to go!

Getting ready to go home!!

Just after arriving home from the hospital.

Look at those cheeks!!

3 days old

3 generations of Nilsen men

First sponge bath

One of the very few Newborn outfits that fit him

Love from Sister

Such a proud big sister

Resting in the doll crib

Red broken blood vessels in both eyes, took over a month for them to disappear

The famous Derelict

Daddy takes a turn at feeding

Mohawk

Big sister takes a turn at feeding

Oh to be this cozy

One of my all time favorites

~LOVE~

Less than 2 weeks old and sleeping like a big boy

Sleeping in Audrey's doll sleeping bag

Little Moose

Our precious gift

10 days old, deep in thought

Streeeeeeeeeetch

Ready for my close up

So cute in the swaddle

First walk together, Valentine's Day

Snuggling with Daddy in his big boy jammies(3-6m) I think he was 4 weeks here!

First real bath

Holding onto his paci while he sleeps

Smiles at big sister

Big smiles from the big guy

First bath together

Update soon...

2011-03-01T15:04:00.009-05:00

I'm not gonna lie, I've been entirely not feeling bloggish lately but for the sake of memories I will be updating soon. I think. Here's a few recent pictures to hold you over until then.

Our little ballerina started ballet classes last Wednesday. She's found her niche!

Audrey and Greta having snacks at the park

His toes are just the cutest

Funny little sleep mouth

Ezra Beckett Nilsen

2011-01-16T17:04:00.005-05:00

We welcomed our baby boy Ezra Beckett Nilsen into the world this Thursday, January 13th at 12:52 PM!!! He weighed 9lb 3 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. Details and an update soon!!! I gotta go kiss those chubby cheeks!

Almosts

2011-01-03T14:58:00.003-05:00

As the year has ended and a new one has begun, it's made me anticipate all that this year will hold. And that makes me SO EXCITED! So, I decided to make a list of all the things that we are expecting and I'm gonna call it my "almosts" list:

1. It's almost our little boy's birthday!!! Due date is January 8th but we're ready for you anytime buddy!

2. We almost have a 3 year old. Yikes. This scares me and makes me sad and happy all at the same time. Audrey will be 3 the end of April but sometimes I think she's 2 going on 10 :)

3. We're almost ready to put our house up for sale again. As most of you know, we had it up for sale from March-August 2010 and we had 2 showings. We have prayed for months and feel led to go on the Sovereign Grace church plant in Summerville, SC. We're hoping to have the house ready to be put up for sale again in the next few weeks.

4. I'm almost 30!!! AWWWWWWWWWWWWW! How did the time go by so quickly? Some days I swear that I'm not a day over 23 :) My birthday is January 20th and we're trying desperately to find something fun to do while trying to stay realistic in knowing that a 2 week old may be in tow with us whatever we end up doing. Shoot us some ideas if you have any!

5. We're almost a family of 4! This is pretty much the same as #1 just worded differently :) Going from 3 to 4 doesn't seem like it would be that big of a change but I know that it will. Even though I know I will love little Ezra so so much, I will always have a special place in my heart for my first born. These last few weeks have been so special with Audrey and I know that my time will now have to be divided which will be challenging at times. But I cherish the time I have with her and I know without a doubt she's going to be the best big sister ever! The compassion and care she shows to her dolls, her friends and our family is so sweet to see and she's growing up to be such a little lady. I'm so glad I'll have live-in help :)

Those are the biggies for now. There's something refreshing about starting a new year and feeling as though you can have a new beginning and much to anticipate. 2010 was so packed full of fun and memories but I know that 2011 will definitely top it by far! I am so excited to see what the Lord has up His sleeve!! Happy New Year everyone!

Our boy's room: simple and sweet

2010-12-14T12:49:00.014-05:00

Several people have told me the second time around having a baby is much different than the first and it has been in so many ways. I feel like the time has gone so much faster because we've been busy with the little one we already have. And it's been helpful to be pregnant through the holidays which makes the time go extra fast. With that being said, the prep for Ezra's room has been totally different than when we did Audrey's room. I think hers was complete months before her birth. E's on the other hand was just finished yesterday, 3ish weeks before his arrival.

His room used to be our guest room. We very rarely had guests so we sold our queen guest bed to friends of ours. It had also become a holding zone for a lot of garage sale items up until a few months ago. Storage is limited in our house, to say the least, so the closet is the home for all of our Christmas decor, board games, Steve's suit jackets and my wedding dress. So we had to strategically shove all of Ezra's clothes and supplies in there as well. We just have to be careful not to sneeze or else it may all come tumbling out :) But I am pleased with the room. I was going for neutral and clean with having to buy as little as possible. Almost everything except for the shelf above the crib, his name, mobile, bedding and toy box was Audrey's. I hope he likes it!!

Under the crib is a metal bucket holding his toys and his sock dog by Jessica and little wagon from Nat. The yellow duck stuck in the corner is a humidifier. I definitely don't love the rug but we used to have it in the playroom and it "worked" in this room and allowed us not to have to buy another one.

Feeding corner

E hook with his ready-to-wear winter coat from Tiffy. I picked up the little blue stool that opens for storage at a yard sale this Fall. Little wagon from Nat.

View from the glider

His big boy toy box and baseball from Gramma and a homemade sock mockey with tie from our friend Crystal.

Poop station

I think he's well stocked for awhile, what do you think?

Audrey has a pink storage thingy just like this one and we love it so I had to get one for the boy too. It's great because it can hold stuff you just don't have room for and it all hides conveniently behind the door! Also hanging from the doorknob is the sweet diaper bag Steve scored at the Goodwill, retails for around $80 and we got it for $6!!

Halls are decked!

2010-12-02T15:24:00.020-05:00

Above is our sad mantel all plain and undecorated. I originally had garland and our stockings hanging in the middle but I always decorate it the same every year. I was inspired to get my rear into gear after looking at my friend Nat's mantel and then on to lots of other ideas here. I didn't do mine to enter and I was a few days late anyway, but either way, something needed to be done. I spent $7 total at the Dollar Tree plus used some things I already had.

Befores

Afters. That snowman does not belong and needs a new home. Still working on that...

The giant snowflake, moss in the vases, the small vase, gold ornaments, 2 black picture frames and the tall white candle, all dollar finds.

The white candle may be a Catholic prayer candle but I liked it anyway :)

I threw in a couple vintagey colored family pictures

And a couple wrapped gifts

Side glance

And the real reason for the season, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!

Our sadly mismatched stockings. I think I may get us all coordinating ones next year, including one for Baby E!

Never decorated the dining room before but gave it a shot

2nd attempt at a yarn wreath. I think I may tuck this project in my pocket to make for years to come.

Belly pictures, shower and Babymoon

2010-11-18T09:43:00.021-05:00

I have realized that I'm almost 33 weeks pregnant and I haven't posted one picture of me since being pregnant!! How true it is when people say round 2 is much different than round 1, I'm much busier this pregnancy because we have Audrey. Time is going by so quickly!! The weeks are flying by now, it's hard to keep track! The above picture is me and little E at 12 weeks (I think). I've been feeling pretty well but sleeping is getting to be a bit more uncomfortable which is to be expected. I remember bad back pain with Audrey but fortunately I haven't had that yet.

At the beginning of September, I had a baby shower for my friend Crystal and her baby girl Coco. It was a Korean theme and was lots of fun to do! In the middle of October, my friends Mary and Meghann had a shower for me and Ezra at my friend Anne's house. How blessed we were by the generosity of so many friends and family! We got a big Red Sox toy box from Gramma Sandi that Steve adores :) I posted a picture of Ezra's empty room, just putting some last minute touches on it and I'll post finished pictures in the next few weeks. At the end of October, Steve and I got away for a 3 day babymoon to Charleston, SC. I'd like to say it was relaxing but I probably walked more in those 3 days than I have in the last year! But it was good for me and such fun to have time just the two of us.

Only 7ish more weeks to go!! Thanksgiving is next week already and oh how many wonderful blessings I am thankful for, including our sweet baby boy who we can hardly wait to meet!

19 weeks

Watching TV with Audrey while she holds her brother :)

I think Crystal was around 30 weeks, I was 23

Sushi diaper cakes!

Ezra's empty room

Assembling the toy box

27 weeks, right before my shower

Shower peeps

Praying for Ezra

Cute wagons my friend Natalie got for E's room. She painted the wood one, so cute

Natalie also sewed these circles together as part of the decorations for the shower. I made a mobile out of them which I will include in the finished room pictures.

I adore this homemade pillow my friend Steph made for him!!!

So blessed!

29 weeks

At the Battery in Charleston

Entering the pier in Mt Pleasant

It was such a beautiful place with a great park, little shop, a long pier to look out at the boats and swings to relax in! I could have stayed there all day.

A quick update...

2010-10-08T10:32:00.015-04:00

I have been pretty absent-minded about taking pictures lately but here are a few from last week. We went and picked pumpkins with a bunch of friends.

To say we've been busy so far this Fall would be an understatement! The days, weeks and months are literally flying by and I just can't keep up. I'm attending two bibles studies each week which takes up half the day then the other half consists of naps, playing with princesses and barbies, dinner and bed. Getting together with friends and having play dates, going to the library and trying to get a head start on Christmas shopping are filling up the other days.

I am feeling so much better than early on but still have several pregnancy aches and pains that I did not have with Audrey. For those who don't know, we're having a BOY! And we've chosen a name, Ezra Beckett. I'm learning more and more about him every day. He moves more at specific times a day and boy does he move!! I think we've got a wild one on the way!! I can not describe how much I am anticipating his arrival and being able to see his sweet face! He will really be here before we know it. Once the holidays start rolling in, the time will go even faster. Some belly shots soon! Happy Fall Y'all!!

My little purple blossoms

2010-08-16T16:51:00.012-04:00

This beautiful, purple bush blossomed in our yard last month and I had to take advantage of it and take a few quick shots. They aren't the best but my little red head looks so cute next to purple, I couldn't resist. :)

2nd ultrasound

2010-08-05T08:33:00.010-04:00

I had another ultrasound this last Tuesday morning. The question of the moment has been, "What are you having?!" Well, Steve now knows but I do not.

I originally decided to wait because we had the house on the market and we were unsure where we would end up so I couldn't start preparing for the baby, which I would immediately want to do once I found out the sex of the baby. But we took the house off the market about 3 weeks ago and we're both at peace about staying. I love our house and even though it was a tough, emotional 4 months while the house was for sale, we know the process wasn't a mistake and both Steve and I grew so much and it also strengthened our marriage and our communication as well. We've enjoyed living with less these last several months so we've decided to sell most of the stuff we've had in storage. I'm so excited!! But our stuff is at Steve's sister's house and their neighborhood isn't having a yard sale until the Fall so we'll have to wait. We also have a queen sized bed that we need to get rid of that's in the future baby's room so even though we aren't moving anymore, I still wouldn't be able to start on the baby room. Sooooo, I've decided to wait until October to find out what we're having. A couple of my friends are giving me a shower so I'll find out at the shower. Steve's going to drop me off, give me a gift that will let me know what we're having so he can be there when I find out, then he'll leave so the gals can enjoy the festivities. I can't wait!!

Some people think I'm crazy and a lot of my friends are beyond anxious to find out what the baby is but I know that the Lord is going to do a work in my heart through this process. My natural tendency is to over plan, organize, situate and fuss about things when I get excited about them. Since I can't buy clothes, go to yard and consignment sales, look online for things, I need to be at peace about deciding to wait. I'm hoping this process will grow me in patience. I really thought Steve would be readable and I'd be able to read his face so easy or he'd slip and say "He" or "She" accidentally. That could possibly still happen but so far he's doing great! I misread his non-emotion as not being excited about the baby the other day and he said he's trying to be neutral and not show any emotion so he doesn't slip anything out. :)

I am now 17 weeks, 5 days. The baby looked healthy and weighed in at 7 oz., 10.1 cm long. The heart beat was at 150. It was so fun to see the baby again, see its long arms and legs. And the nose, so cute! (you can see it in the 2nd picture) I do have a prayer request for our little one. I am scheduled to go in for another ultrasound on the 18th of August. The ultrasound tech said the baby was still a bit young and she couldn't get a good enough look at all of the chambers of the heart like she needs to. The Dr. said it's nothing to worry about and to be excited I'll get to see the baby again and get more pictures. She did mention that the heart was one of the last things to be formed. Please pray the baby's heart continues to grow and develop normally and the tech will see a full, strong, well developed heart in a couple weeks. The life of this sweet child is in the Lord's hands and we're trusting Him as he forms and grows the baby in my womb.

Foot

Horsies, Jesus and Aurora

2010-07-16T09:43:00.002-04:00

Celebrating 4 years

2010-07-06T09:22:00.039-04:00

This last Tuesday, Steve and I headed out to Hilton Head Island, SC for our 4 year anniversary! Every year we make a point of going somewhere to celebrate our marriage and so far it's always been somewhere near the beach or water. I was so eagerly awaiting this trip, especially because I have been sick these last couple months. I knew it would be such a refreshing time and so fun to get so much time with Steve.

We were so blessed to be able to stay at the Westin Hotel. A sister of a guy that Steve works with works there so we were able to get the employee rate. We checked into our room and I immediately went to see what view we had from the balcony. I was disappointed to see a bunch of trees and a walking path, especially since there were 3 pools and the beach that could have potentially been our view. I asked Steve if he could call down to see if there were any other rooms available. So he went down to the front desk and mentioned it was our anniversary and the woman said she thought she had the perfect room. So we grabbed all our stuff and headed one more floor up. We were caught off guard when we approached our room and discovered there were double doors, The Heron Suite. A suite?! This can't be right!! Steve put in his key and our jaws dropped. WHAT AN AMAZING BLESSING! We had the most amazing room for the next 3 days. A full dining room, living room, separate bedroom, 3 balconies and 3 bathrooms!! We were blown away! And boy did we sleep well :)

We filled our days by relaxing by the beach and the pool, eating, shopping and walking around seeing the town. We had a blast! Thank you Steve for the last 4 years!! I can't wait to spend so many more with you!! You bless me in so many ways and I am so proud and happy to call you my husband!! The Lord has blessed me with the most perfect best friend to share this life with and I am so grateful for each day we have together! I love you!

The water fountain in front of the hotel

Hotel doors

Bathroom with baday (we were too scared to use it :)

Mother of all bathrooms

Steve took a hot tub bath one night and watched part of a movie (there was a TV in the bathroom too!)

Sauna that Steve sadly never got a chance to use

Our bed

Dining room/living room

View from the living room patio

Dinner at Skillets the first night

First trip to a Piggly Wiggly!!

View from the balcony, what a view to wake up to!

This is the most I've attempted to eat in months!! I only was able to eat about half :)

Relaxing by the beach

Me and Baby (12 weeks)

Notice the sign. Steve thought I took a picture of the guy's wedgie :)

Shops

He loves him some sorbet

Restaurants and shops surrounding Salty Dog Cafe

Lighthouse

Oof, 114 stairs in no air conditioning!!

But we made it to the top!! (golf course on the left)

Our anniversary dinner, Chinese food from Yummy House. I was so tired after walking all that day that I took a nap from 7-8PM and just didn't have the energy to get up and go for a fancy dinner. So my loving husband said we could eat it.

Their portions were insane. This is a picture of my sweet and sour chicken AFTER I was done eating. 39 pieces left!!

Pool #1

Pool #2

Pool #3

It was raining the last morning we were there but Steve couldn't leave without swimming one last time :) We had the best time!! Can't wait for our next getaway together!

Fountains

2010-06-14T12:35:00.014-04:00

I love when a so-so day turns into a wonderful day. That was Saturday. We had lots of unexpected fun! I didn't have much energy to really do anything but really needed to get out of the house. So we headed to Birkdale so Audrey (and Steve :) could play in the fountain. It was so fun to watch them together from my comfortable bench in the shade. A guy from Starbucks kept coming around and giving the kids small strawberry frappachinos. Audrey loved it! Then we stopped by Qdoba. I ran into one of my friends and her little girl and she told us kids eat free the month of June. I wasn't ready to stomach a big mexican lunch so Steve just got him and Audrey something to eat. I guess the owner and workers are Red Sox fans and since Steve used his Red Sox debit card, he got his meal half price. I did end up eating a bit of Audrey's lunch so for the 3 of us was $4! Pretty awesome! Small unexpected blessings! I love family days!

Our sweet miracle

2010-06-11T08:47:00.007-04:00

Side view

This is a view from the back. You can see the spine, a little head, arm and look at those long legs!!

Yesterday my heart grew even bigger after seeing my sweet baby in the ultrasound. It's just something you can't prepare for. The emotions are so overwhelming. I had a friend watch Audrey and Steve was able to come to the appointment with me.

The ultrasound tech said everything looks great! The baby is 9 weeks and 5 days old. The ultrasound was scheduled because I was unsure of the dates but I guessed I was exactly that much along :) The baby's heartbeat was 162 per minute. I was blown away by how much we were able to see in the pictures with the baby being only 4 centimeters long!! And we actually saw it move its arm!! Steve immediately said he thought it was a boy and the tech played along. She pointed out the head, arms, legs, feet then she said, "And there's the penis!" She caught Steve by surprise :) She said the baby was much too small to predict the sex this early on. So we will wait, I'm guessing my next ultrasound will be sometime in August!

And now for a praise report!! I am feeling so much better! Definitely not back to normal yet but I'm on my way! I haven't thrown up in 3 days which is huge!! I'm still not able to eat a whole lot at this point but I'm trying to slowly introduce food back into my diet. I have been flooded by encouragement and have felt such love and care from so many!! It's so wonderful to have so many friends and family praying to the Father on our behalf!! THANK YOU!!

Time

2010-06-05T17:20:00.002-04:00

Isn't time an unusual thing? When you want it to pass slowly, it always seems to go by much too quickly. But when you want time to speed up, it seems like torture watching the minutes tick by. That has been my life the last month or so. There have definitely been some times of relief but the majority of my days have been spent listening to the loud TICK TOCK of a dreadful, ominous clock in my head. The culprit? Morning sickness.

I found out May 6th that I was pregnant with baby Nilsen #2. I had been ridiculously over emotional that week and knew something may be up. So I was on the phone with my friend Crystal and being newly pregnant herself, had a bunch of pregnancy tests available and offered to run one by. I was in disbelief as I took the first test and the two little pink lines showed up in two seconds flat. Since she had brought two tests with her, I just had to take the second one to double confirm. I've never been one to chart or keep track of what my body was doing but on the other hand, we weren't preventing getting pregnant so it could be possible. So I took the second test. And the same result, just as quickly. Crystal was hysterical, jumping up and down in my kitchen hugging me! But I felt very strange. Caught off guard a bit. But after she left and I had time to let it all sink it, I was elated! I knew Steve would be home soon so I put the tests on the box and cleared everything off in the kitchen except for the box. He came in and there was nothing. Just silence. I peeked around the corner and he was wearing the biggest grin. If you know my husband, you know he's a smiley guy. But this smile, it was extra special. He was so proud. And he asked, "Are those yours?!" I confirmed. We got to spend time together that night by going out to dinner, then to Target to get prenatals :)

So all was well at 4 1/2 weeks pregnant but I gave it a couple weeks and the sickness came in like a bull. I didn't experience much morning sickness with Audrey. I do remember having a hard time brushing my teeth because of heightened gag reflexes but that was about it. I was also working full time out of the home so that was a big distraction as well. With a lull of about 5 days where I could eat small meals and actually get up and do normal things, the last 4 weeks have been spent on the couch. Some days I can eat crackers, some days cereal. Other days, I try to get adventurous and go for noodles or something more substantial but then sometimes my body doesn't agree with it.

It really has been a test. I wait until the very last moment to get up for I know I have a little girl in the other room that needs me to get her breakfast. As I sit here crying (yes, over emotional I am) I think back to the last month and how Audrey has been such a sweet, caring, loving and content two year old. She now refers to the couch as "Mama's couch bed". When I'm resting, she comes and kisses my head and makes sure I'm covered up. When I get up to get something to drink or go to the bathroom, she enthusiastically says, "Mama all done?" Some days I just don't have the energy to fix her lunch, the other day she had cheese and crackers and was pretty excited to have a snack lunch :) She really has been great. We've explained to her that I have a new baby in my tummy and even though I know she doesn't completely understand, I think she gets it a little. It's amazing at such a young age she already knows how to be a comfort.

Another amazing blessing to me has been my loving husband. He works 10 hour days and comes home to no dinner on the table most nights because I can't bear to smell anything cooking. He's been eating lots of Ramon and frozen pizza :) He has been so helpful with Audrey and with house duties that I've had to neglect. He's been grocery shopping and took Audrey to the library last week. You really have been so wonderful and I am so thankful for you, Steve! You're the best husband and baby daddy I could ever ask for :)

I think I'm about 9 weeks pregnant so I'm praying that there are only a few weeks left before I start feeling normal again. I know that a lot of women have it much worse that I do and I am very grateful that I am able to keep most of my food down. I know at this early on, it's not what I'm eating but that I'm eating something. This month has been long and hard to endure but I know that I'm feeling this way for a very good reason. I have a sweet, little life growing inside of me. What a blessing!! I have been tempted to get angry some days, frustrated at feeling this way and desperately hoping it would pass. But God has met me, has been giving me strength and endurance to run this race. Most days, I haven't had the energy or desire to read. But I've missed God's Word so much. I am looking forward to spending more time with the Lord soon. But these verses I've been clinging too and they continue to minister to my soul:

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope

Romans 5:3-4

I have an ultrasound this Thursday (June 10th) to get a precise due date. I am very much looking forward to that and to be able to see our new little sprout :)

Oh and for those of you who have been asking, no news on the house being up for sale. No showings in the last couple months. We dropped the price about a month ago and no action. Lots going on in our lives. Please keep us in your prayers.

2

2010-04-28T15:44:00.037-04:00

It's taken me almost a week to finish up this post and to be honest, I took a ridiculous amount of pictures and I can't upload them all so I decided to stop and just post it already:) Anyway, our little princess turned 2 on April 24th!! And she actually had two big celebrations. The weekend before we went to the Greenville Zoo with Steve's mom, sister and her fiance (possibly pictures to come) and the weekend of her birthday, Steve's dad and stepmom came and stayed with us.

We started the day off by getting Audrey a pink doughnut from Dunkin Donuts. We went home for a bit then headed to lunch at Chuck E Cheese. I didn't really know how she would do since we went in February to a friends' party and she hated all the rides. She found the phone that you can talk to Chuck E on and we couldn't pull her away, that's all she wanted to play with. So I just picked her up and put her on a ride, put a token in and it started to move. And she LOVED IT! It would have made for a long couple hours if I had to spend it watching her talk on the phone :) We ate some pizza, met Chuck E personally, then headed home. Big naps followed. We opened presents after that, grilled burgers and had cake. It was a fabulous day! Thanks Grannie and Far Far for making it so special!!

Audrey Lane, I can't even believe you are two already!! I remember the day you came into our lives and they've not been the same since. You bring so much joy to my heart and we thank God each and every day for blessing us with such a beautiful, funny, creative, smart little girl and we pray for many, many more years to come!! We love you sooooooo much!!

Waiting for her doughnut

Far Far trying to give her the doughnut and she decided she didn't want it. What a stinker.

Oh wait, now I want it

Wait, maybe not

I think she enjoyed it

Getting every last bite

Hello, Chuck E? Are you there?

The boys had fun too

Racing with Grannie

First ride I forced her on :)

Carousel

Cheesin with Chuck E

Cruisin with Stuart

Sunday drive

Hit those sharks!

Ducks with Daddy

High five from Chuck E

Party girls

Ohhh! A princess book!

It's an art easel from Grannie and Far Far!

Far Far got the fun job of assembling

Artist in the works

A loved little girl

Not sure what to think about the cake.

Sugar rush

She wasn't messing around

Who needs a fork?

Cinderellie

2010-04-23T19:06:00.002-04:00

Buds

2010-04-19T14:33:00.008-04:00

Compare

2010-04-12T13:51:00.008-04:00

Done with the den

2010-04-06T13:44:00.008-04:00

Our realtor advised us to paint our den to have a better flow from the kitchen to the den. It's actually supposed to be a formal dining room but we're not a very formal family :) We use it as a family room/computer room/play room. Honestly, I'm so tired of painting. But I knew it had to be done. So yesterday I conquered our final task on our to-do list and I have to say, it was worth it. The new paint, Celery Powder from Behr (courtesy of Meg and James, thanks guys!), looks great!! I especially like it at night; it has a very warm glow.

And the question of the day, every day is, "Have you had anymore showings?!" And no, we haven't. Maybe now that all of our projects are finally complete, a buyer will come :)

Oh and we're planning on selling the green arm chair and couch on Craig's List soon. Please let me know if anyone is interested! Make an offer! They aren't the prettiest but man are they comfy!

Before

During

After

In her shoes

2010-03-31T14:42:00.005-04:00

Improvements

2010-03-29T16:00:00.015-04:00

Do you remember this post? If you don't, read and then come back :) In February, (before we thought we would be selling the house) Steve decided we should scrape the popcorn off our ceiling. We had originally planned to use beadboard but a month later we discovered that the beadboard pieces came in dimensions that wouldn't fit our bathroom ceiling and we would have ended up with a bunch of seams. (I think that's why beadboard is primarily meant for walls) Anyway, a month later, we decide to put the house up for sale but the ceiling still needed to be dealt with. Our realtor advised us it was an easy fix but to leave it and we could sell "as is". I asked if there was anything I could do to try to fix it. He said to smooth over rough seams by using cement compound, letting it dry, then sanding it down so that it would be close to smooth. After that, get the brightest white flat ceiling paint I could find and paint. Well, I have to say I was very pleased with the results. The only regret I have is that we didn't do it sooner.

That same regret would be for the kitchen floor as well. If you've ever been to our house, our kitchen floor is not to be forgotten. Not "because it's so beautiful you can't help but remember it" kind of not forgotten. It's the "wow, do you realize that your kitchen floor is hideous?!" kind of not forgotten. It was on my list of the top 3 things I HAD to change immediately once we first moved in. Did I mention that was almost 4 years ago? Ehhhhh. Well, time slipped away and I think we learned to ignore the disgusting sticky tiles that were probably at least 10+ years old, which had slipped apart and the cracks were now filled with mysterious who knows what. So, after meeting with our realtor to see what had to be done to sell, we decided more sticky tile was the solution. Yes, I thought it was crazy at first too. But we got 18" tiles to cover the 12" tiles that were previously there. My sweet husband spent one ENTIRE weekend recovering the floor. It wouldn't seem like it would be much work but sticky tiles are very thick and very difficult to cut, especially around rounded edges and doorways. And he did a marv job.

We've been on the market for almost 2 weeks and we've only had one showing. We're praying and waiting and praying and praying and praying and waiting and getting impatient and praying some more. We don't know what God is doing but we're anxious to find out!

This is a before picture of the vanity in the upstairs bathroom, identical to the one in the Master bath

Purple prime

One door down, one to go

After popcorn but before paint. And one icky 80's light fixture

Completed ceiling!!

Completed vanity

New and improved Master bath

Oh hello there, most hideous floor in the world!

Steve in the midst of the mess

I've always thought it'd be convenient to have the stove next to the fridge, right?

Our kitchen was a wreck; no where to eat and no stove to cook it on. So we got Chinese take out and had a picnic in the living room.

Do you see why we couldn't cook or eat in there? Or maybe I just like Chinese take out.

New floor!!

My cozy "new" kitchen

I got a shout out

2010-03-23T15:43:00.003-04:00

I was featured on the Prudent Baby blog!! Pretty cool. Just saying.

Packin 'er up!

2010-03-23T15:00:00.006-04:00

As most of you know, we put our house on the market one week ago tomorrow. We thought it would be a piece of cake; pack a couple boxes, clean up a bit and we should be good. Ummmmmmm no. That's not exactly how it went. Two weeks ago, we met with our realtor about what needed to be done before putting the house up. He told us that we didn't have to have all the projects completed to have the house listed, but to do what we could and continue with the projects after the house was officially for sale. That was two Wednesdays ago. He came back the following Tuesday to have us sign the contract and we were well on our way with getting many of the things checked off our To-Do list, which of course included much more than packing "a couple boxes and cleaning up a bit". I've pretty much painted at least one area or touched something up in all of the rooms in the house. Steve's laid flooring, (will post pictures soon) installed new lights in the bathrooms, cleared out the stumps in the backyard and put new flower beds and mulch in the front to name a few. I ended up painting over our bathroom ceiling instead of doing the beadboard. (much easier, faster and cheaper) And we packed, packed and packed some more. I decluttered SO MUCH STUFF! We got a 5'x10' storage unit and packed it to the ceiling! We definitely didn't know we had so much stuff!! We talked a few days after loading the storage unit and besides knowing that our loveseat and oversized chair and ottoman were in there, we really couldn't remember what else was in there! Which got us to thinking, maybe we don't need that stuff at all! So we're contemplating having a yard sale when we end up where we're going to end up.
We are planning on staying in Charlotte, maybe more North, but hopefully closer to the church. We do have our eye on one specific house but have been given wise counsel to not look at it until our house is under contract so we don't fall in love with it. But that's too late. I already love it. So now we wait. And we pray. And we seek the Lord and trust that His will would be done, no matter the outcome. He knows our needs and knows the desires of our hearts and we will wait for His perfect timing. (please feel free to repeat these words back to me if I begin to get anxious or worried about the situation) We are excited for the future and whatever it will hold. We are full of faith and can't wait to see what the Lord will do!

Here's one of probably six piles that we brought to the storage unit

Pretty full!

All packed up! I have such a HANDSOME family!!

Cutest stool on the block

2010-03-04T22:27:00.009-05:00

I undertook another new project today, that's 2 this week!! I'm on a roll! Once again, I "stole" my idea from the lovely ladies at Prudent Baby. Audrey has yet to try it out, but I think she's going to brush her teeth extra long tomorrow :)

The stool was a Goodwill find (of course). I got it a few months ago for $.99! And I forgot to take a "before" picture (how dare I!) It was black with random drips of white with scratches all over. Do your best to imagine a not so cute but full of potential little stool.

I took it outside to spray paint it with Ballet Slipper

After a few coats of paint, I brought it in and sanded it to distress it a bit

I put a coat of Mod Podge down

Then went down a cut piece of scrapbook paper and about 5 more layers of Mod Podge and tada!

Hope it withstands (pun intended:) many a tooth brushing

This one's a continuation from the previous post. Audrey sporting her new hair clip.

Calling all girlie girls

2010-03-03T13:33:00.007-05:00

I found a fabulously cute project to undertake while Audrey was napping today. Actually, I have a final product and she's only been sleeping for 45 minutes!! I've been finding myself on the Prudent Baby blog quite often lately and have so many projects that I want to do in the very near future! And today I decided to make THIS. She gives such easy step by step directions!

I took a trip to Hobby Lobby this morning and got all the supplies for less than $8. Instead of buying a whole yard of fabric, I looked near the fabric where they have remnants. I got 5 different fabrics, about 2 feet each, ranging from $.49-$1. The button cover kit was the most expensive at $2.29 but it makes 6 buttons. Ribbon was $1 and I got a bag of 25 alligator clips for $4. (And I have enough fabric, ribbon and clips to make tons more or use for other projects!) I think it turned out pretty cute, don't you?! Oh and just so you know, the clip isn't for me, it's for Audrey. Remember, she's napping? :)

Our Valentine's

2010-02-17T13:35:00.012-05:00

Lots of treats were in store for us this Valentine's Day (and weekend) Just a few of our highlights; a package from Nanny, (my mom) heart muffins for breakfast, a "new" toddler bed for Audrey, and last but definitely not least, Steve got me a brand new table and bench that I've had my eye on for a long time!!

We started potty training Audrey 2 weeks ago (I'll try to do a post on that soon) and on that very first day I thought "Why stop there? Let's go all the way and get her a big girl bed!" And so we did. I searched 3 beds on Craig's List and the one we decided to look into belonged to some friends from church! Small world. Anyway, she LOVES it! She has fallen out once while sleeping but recovered quickly after being rescued from Mom and went back to bed. We're working on her staying in the bed until we get her out in the morning. Yesterday, I woke up to her trying to get in our room. Like I said, we're working on it :) But all in all, it's been a pretty smooth transition. And we thought we'd take it even one step more and removed her tray from her high chair. She now eats in her old high chair but has a placemat (thanks Auntie!) that she eats on. Now she can sit at the table with us! And that brings us to my new table. It's beautiful. It fits so much better than the round one did and it seats two extra people. I love the idea of having a bench! So cozy and family-y. And room for more little ones :) We have our old dining room table listed on Craig's List HERE and are keeping the chairs we had. Hope you all had a nice, love-filled Valentine's as well!

Valentine card from Nanny (old table in the background)

Pretty new dress from Nanny

Mama made me a heart muffin! I love muffins!

Steve had barely gotten it in the doorway of her room and she was so excited to lie down in it with all her friends

Big girl room

Smiling ear to ear about her new bed.

Look, no tray!

Isn't she lovely?!

Right at home

Popcorn, the kind without butter

2010-02-16T14:42:00.011-05:00

We were troopers. Well, mainly Steve. We got goggled and masked and took on the daunting task of scraping the popcorn off of our bathroom ceiling. WE WILL NOT EVER ATTEMPT IT AGAIN. I am comfortable in saying it was one of the worst ideas we've ever had. Steve did most of the scraping. We had heard that the popcorn needs to be moist to scrape. What we didn't realize was we needed a certain type of sprayer and instead used a water bottle sprayer. The scraper was digging into the ceiling and taking some of the dry wall off so Steve continued by just scraping the dry popcorn. And boy, did it make a hideous mess!! But he powered through and got in done in less than an hour.
We had planned on sanding the ceiling down and painting it, the very same afternoon. But since there were parts of dry wall that were ripped (and a huge clean up project ahead of us) we are planning on putting up white bead board sometime in the near future. After pictures to come!

Preproject: My face is a foreshadowing of what was to come

We had some pealing popcorn above the shower where is gets moist.

Steve got started there.

And the powder begins to fly

I. CAN'T. BREATHE.

Disappointed face.

Let the cleanup begin.

Happy LOVE Day!

2010-02-01T12:04:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching!! I ran across this today and thought it was cute so I'm going to share it! Click here for a fun, creative thing to do for your kids!

Videos from the last week or so

2010-01-12T13:40:00.005-05:00

Go Patriots! Her daddy sure is proud of her!

Abi from Sesame Street is apparently extremely funny :)

Steve and Audrey's dance party

Better late than never

2010-01-05T17:16:00.009-05:00

Better late than never right? The picture above was taken at Steve's mom's house in Rock Hill Christmas day. In the picture from left to right is: Ray, (Steve's stepdad) Sandi, (Steve's mom) Steve, Steve's sister's fiance Tim, Steve's sister Heidi, Steve's sister Amy and her husband Jeff. And since we ate in the afternoon, Audrey was napping. We went over Christmas Eve afternoon, went to a family friendly church service that night and then headed back to her house for a ham dinner. We drove home that night so we could have Christmas morning just the 3 of us.

Steve and I woke up at 6:30AM, acting live 5 year olds, too excited to sleep anymore. We knew if we woke up Audrey, she'd be grumpy for the whole morning so we decided to let her sleep til 8. We barged in her room promptly at 8 to tell her Merry Christmas! She was a bit confused until we started with the presents. We didn't want to go through the work of having a real fire since we'd be leaving later that day but we found a channel on TV that had a fireplace with a fire and Christmas music playing! Cheesy and wonderful and perfect! We had so much fun opening presents and spending time with one another. This was the first year that I didn't take many pictures. Kind of ironic because I got a new camera from Steve!! It's a Canon S90, I love it! But sometimes I get too into taking pictures so I decided I'd relax and enjoy myself and leave the camera til later. We started a new Christmas morning tradition and we went to Starbucks for breakfast! It was cozy and warm! Audrey got to get a vanilla milk for the first time which she loved and she danced around and around, saying hi to all the customers, while Steve and I enjoyed our coffee. What sweet moments. Then we headed home, got ready for the day, then headed back to Steve's mom's for the day. We opened presents that afternoon and had a roast dinner.
Everyone says it but Time isn't listening. It's going way too fast!!! The time never stops or slows down as much as we want it too. It seemed like Thanksgiving came then bing, bang, boom, here's 2010 already. I can hardly believe it. It seems each year goes a little bit faster than the last but each year that passes is by far my favorite. And that means our lives are so packed full of blessings! 2009 was such a wonderful year and I'm looking forward to all that this year will bring! (maybe baby Nilsen #2 perhaps?! We'll have to wait and see! Still praying about it:)

Audrey didn't want to eat Christmas dinner so she had a pickle instead :)

Having tea with Auntie Heidi

Audrey got new sunglasses from Gramma

This was the first picture taken of Christmas morning. Since we woke Audrey up before she was ready, she didn't particularly enjoy taking pictures so early. She started enjoying herself after she caught onto the gift opening. I love her.