Minnesota Trip

We recently took a trip back to Minnesota. Marc is from Minnesota and all his family lives there. This trip was a big deal for us because it was the first time we have been back since I was pregnant with Abby. She had never met Marc's brother, Tony, and his family. He has three kids, so we were excited for her to meet her cousins. She also got to meet her great grandma Bryand for the first time.

Abby had her very first airplane ride on the way there. She had a great time at the airport while we were waiting for our flight. We took lots of escalator and elevator rides. She did so great on the plane. I brought a big "bag of tricks" to entertain her and I didn't even need 90% of it. She just colored for most of the flight. She never once tried to get out of her seat (other than to sit on my lap to see out the window). The flight went GREAT and then she got to meet Uncle Tony and her cousin Tony Jr. when they picked us up from the airport. She was a little confused by the fact that there were two Tonys. I tried to explain that one was Uncle Tony and the other was just Tony. For the rest of the trip she called cousin Tony "Justony". It was cute.

Here are some pics from the airport and airplane....

After arriving, we headed Marc's Mom and Dad's house, where we would be staying. Marc grew up in that house and Abby slept in his room while we were there. We then headed out to eat and Abby got to meet Aunt Heidi (Tony's wife) and her other cousins, Taylor and Cory. After eating we went to a great little park where Cory had football practice. Abby was soooooo excited to be able to play outside at a park again. She played for a long time with Grandma and Taylor. I soooo enjoyed all the nice green grass and trees! I just LOVE all the grass and big trees in Minnesota.

I won't bore you with the details of everyday we were there, but we did do some fun things, so I will share those with you. There is an awesome park and zoo in Minnesota that is FREE! It was fun because Abby is finally at the age where she is starting to enjoy looking at the animals more.

Here are some pics from Como Zoo....

Auntie Heidi bought Abby and Taylor new shirts while we were there. Such cute matching cousins! Thanks Heidi!
Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Tony, Cory, Abby and Taylor

We took a day to rest the next day and then headed to Valley Fair, a great amusement park in Minnesota. We had tons of fun and there was so much stuff for Abby to do, which was a nice bonus because I really wasn't sure what to expect. Once she went on her first kiddie ride, she didn't want to stop. I think she went on more rides than anyone else. The Minnesota State Fair was going on while we were there, so Valley Fair was not very busy. It was great because we didn't have to wait in very many lines. A BIG thanks to Grandma who took Abby on rides so that Marc and I could enjoy some big people rides!

This was one of Abby's favorite ridesThis was her other favorite!Looking at the hot air balloon ride we were about to go on
Here we go! Abby not looking too sure about what is about to happen!Grandma, Me, and Abby (who was not a fan at all)


Here's one of "Justony", Grandpa, and Marc...

The rest of the days we pretty much spent just hanging out with family. We enjoyed a great day at Marc's Grandma's house. It was very cool for Abby to meet her Great Grandma. We got to enjoy some her her fabulous cooking. I had the best Mexican feast ever! Homemade tortillas are the best.

Here is a picture of 4 generations of Bryands.

We enjoyed 8 days in Minnesota. The first few days were great because the weather was so nice. Then it got hot and humid. I was hoping we could escape the heat the whole time we were there, but it didn't quite work out that way. We still enjoyed a lot of time outside though, which was so nice. I know I already said it, but I seriously love all the grass and big green trees. If it weren't for the winters, Minnesota would be perfect! Can you tell I have lived in the desert all my life and am tired of it?
Abby did pretty well on our trip. She was very 2 and clingy while we were there, making some days hard, but I suppose it could have been much worse. She didn't have a nap for 5 days in a row, which certainly didn't help anything. I guess I was just hoping for a little more of a break with so much family around willing to help. Abby just had different ideas. She wanted all mommy all the time. She has been going through a separation anxiety phase all over again. I know, I know...I will look back someday fondly on the days when she wanted to hang out with me.

Enjoying the weather and grass in the back yard

Taylor and I

Grandpa and Grandma with all their grand kids

Thanks for reading. Posted lots more pictures from our trip on facebook :)

Birthday Baking

Marc's 38th birthday was Saturday. We decided to just have a relaxing day spending time together as a family. We started the day off with a big breakfast made with love :). Pretty much the only time I cook a good breakfast is on special occasions. Of course Abby and I had to make Marc a cake. We enjoy baking together and he enjoys eating it! It was nice day.

Here are some pictures of Abby helping to make the cake (and eat the batter)....

The finished product.....

We added on 32 months for Abby since she shares the 14th as her b-day also (in December)..

Got a nice picture of Daddy and Abby with the cake.....

Then this happened......

The look on her face says it all....



Oh well, time to blow out the candles!!!

Enjoying the result of all her hard work...

Another Sad Loss

Last month we went through another very sad loss. We lost another baby in a miscarriage. The time leading up to the miscarriage was without a doubt the most stressful 10 weeks I have had. I was so worried from the moment I got the positive on the home pregnancy test. I really tried to think positive, but there was always that nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong again. My first ultra sound was when I should have been 6 weeks and 6 days along. My heart sank right away as I watched the screen and saw nothing but a gestational sac and yolk sac. No heart beat, which you can usually find around 6 weeks. The Dr. basically told me to prepare for another miscarriage and that it didn't look good. He was expecting my hcg hormone levels to start dropping, so I went in every 2 days after that ultra sound to give blood. Then I nervously waited the incredibly long 24 hours each time to get the results. My numbers continued to go up each time and I suddenly had a little hope that maybe the baby was just a slow starter and maybe we were going to be okay. 12 days after the first ultra sound, with my hcg levels still rising, I went in for ultra sound number 2. By this point I had really started to feel sick from the pregnancy. I was incredibly nauseous and tired, so I was hopeful that this was a good sign. I had to remind myself to breath as I lay on the table waiting for the ultra sound. She started the ultra sound and there it was, the most beautiful thing - a baby with a heart beating 140 beats per minute. I cried out of joy. I was only measuring 7 weeks and should have been 8 1/2, but the Dr. said that was okay and nothing to worry about. I was so happy to have beat the odds. I left that appointment feeling so happy, but still had that nagging feeling that things were not right. I went in a week later for another ultra sound. This time was not a happy one. The baby had grown and was measuring 8 weeks, but no heartbeat. A week later, when my body still had not miscarried on its own, I had a D&C. It was hard to go through another D&C, but I felt relieved to get relief from the sickness. It was hard to be so sick for 5 weeks with nothing to show.
It has been a difficult time for us. I think the loss was harder this time in some ways, yet easier in others. It was easier in the respect that I wasn't necessarily blindsided this time. With the first miscarriage I wasn't expecting it at all and was caught so off guard. This time I was almost expecting it just because of the feeling I had that something just wasn't right. However, this miscarriage was much more difficult to deal with because now we are facing the real possibility that we may not have any more children. After one miscarriage, the Drs will tell you that there was probably just something chromosomally wrong with the baby, and your body knows. In my eyes, they can't say that anymore after two in a row. It is now much more likely that there is something wrong that is preventing me from carrying a baby to term. It could be anything from hormone deficiency to a clotting disorder. With each miscarriage, your risk of having another goes up. The horrible part is that the insurance companies will not pay for any sort of testing to try to find the problem until you have had 3 consecutive miscarriages. It is very hard to think about going through all of this a third time.
Despite all of it, I really do still believe that all of this is part of God's plan for us. I may never know why, but I have to trust my belief that everything happens for a reason. It is very sad for me to think about not having any more children, but I am so thankful for the miracle I do have in Abby. She could have been a total miracle and I didn't even know it. I am so blessed to have her will always be so grateful. She really is my heart. I would love to give her a sibling, but if that doesn't happen I have to focus on how VERY lucky I am to have her and my two angels in heaven.

No More Sleep Sack

When I finally stopped swaddling Abby, I started putting her in a sleep sack for naps and at night. I figured I would just use them until she didn't want it anymore. I liked it because I never had to worry about her kicking off blankets and getting cold. Another perk was that she didn't like to stand in it so I never worried about her climbing out of her crib. (She has been tall enough to do so since she was 1) I never expected her to stay in it until she was 2 1/2!
Well, the day before yesterday she started taking it off in her crib. I went back in her room on Monday night after I put her in bed (saw on the video monitor that she had taken if off already)and asked her if she wanted it. She just said "no more sleep sack Mommy, take it out". Before that she has never even tried to take it off and never showed any objection to having it on. It is so weird to look at the video monitor and see her legs. I think she is going through a little bit of an adjustment to not having it because it is taking her longer to fall asleep. Hopefully she will get used to it. Of course she doesn't keep a blanket on....
She still isn't standing in her crib though. In fact, when she wakes up she usually doesn't even sit up. She just rolls around and talks to herself. She is such a good girl. We will see if she ever starts attempting to climb out of her crib... I really don't think she will because it is just not her personality. Hopefully she will stay put for another few months. I don't really want to make the switch to a bed until she is closer to 3. Ohhhhhh my, my baby is growing up. boohoo!

Abby's 2 Year Stats

Abby's growth has not slowed down at all! At her 2 year check up she weighed in at 34 lbs (98th percentile) and she was 38 inches tall (off the charts, just above 100th percentile). The Dr. said she is the size of a 4 year old! Yikes. I think she is definitely going to be taller than me if she doesn't slow down at some point. Hopefully she will be able to use her height to her advantage....

Abby's Birthday

Abby was lucky enough to have 2 celebrations for her birthday this year. On Monday, her actual birthday, we had some of our friends over from her playgroup for a pajama party. It was lots of fun and so cute to see all the kids still in their PJs. I am so lucky to have found this group of amazing moms and kids. Both Abby and I have made some great friends and we love having them over to play.

Waiting for her friends....

Enjoying being allowed to have a juice box (a rare treat)

Checking out her cupcake

Abby's friend, Ava, looking so cute in her PJs

One of Abby's boyfriends, Isaiah, enjoying a cupcake and some pumpkin bread

It wasn't easy, but we got 10 kids between the ages of 1 and 3 in one picture! As you can see, none of them were very happy about it!

Abby was pooped after everyone left, but not too tired to play with one of her favorite gifts! (Thanks Sarah and Isaiah!)

Later that day

End of the day with another favorite from Mommy and Daddy

Abby's Birthday Party

I cannot believe that my baby is 2 already! She had an awesome birthday and lots of excitement. The Saturday before her birthday we had a small little party with family and some friends. I didn't see much of her during the party. She was so excited to have so many friends over and she stayed in the backyard where all the kids were playing on the swingset and in the sand. We all had so much fun!

Here are some pictures of friends/family that helped celebrate!

Abby's cousins....Sammie and Christopher

Sarah, Matt & Summer

Ashley, Alene & Jeremy

Abby hangin' tough with her 2 boyfriends, Jax and Isaiah

Abby and Jen

Marne and Kingston

Abby with her Grammie! Not sure what the face was all about.....maybe saying cheese isn't such a good idea! lol!