What We Did In Colorado

The day after we arrived in Colorado was a slow-paced day as we waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. My sister, who lives in Colorado, was returning from a trip to Ireland, and my Grandmother, Aunt, and Uncle from Washington were driving in. Except for my grandmother and Aunt and Uncle who drove, the rest of us were originally going to be staying at the same resort in two different condos. My sisters, cousins, and me with the kids in one, and my parents, my dad's brother and his wife, and my mom's brother in the other. When my sister got there a few hours ahead of us, she found out that the condo we were supposed to get was under construction, and so we were moved to a different place about a mile down the road. Not super convenient since I was relying on my parents to drive me and the kids around (they always had to come pick us up just to come over, and I couldn't just give my mom the baby monitor to watch them in the mornings so I could run.)

At the "young people" condo, I was in the master bedroom with the kids and my sister, Heather. It was pretty big, and had a king size bed, which was convenient since almost every night, all four of us ended up in the bed (plus my sister is pregnant, so really there were 5 of us!) The last three mornings, I got up and ran up and down part of the main road, and even saw a big bull elk right outside our condo on the last morning. The views of the snow capped mountains were amazing!

We threw Heather a surprise family baby shower on Friday evening, and part of it involved a game of guessing everyone's baby picture. Becky and I had printed everyone's pictures and strung them up around the room for people to guess who was who. It was fun hearing people's guesses, and my dad even mixed up my sisters' baby pictures. In true Perrault fashion, we feasted on spaghetti (our Christmas Eve tradition), and ate yummy cake for dessert.

On Saturday we drove around Rocky Mountain National Park and took in the beautiful views! We walked on a little trail completely covered in packed down snow to get some amazing views of the mountains and a lake. We drove up higher and higher to take it all in, and got to a point where snow was piled up on either side of the road. Afterwards, we drove to Boulder to wander around and grab dinner.

Sunday was my brother's college graduation at the basketball arena on the Colorado State campus in Fort Collins. Jonah was content until just after the ceremony began, so I ended up standing outside of the main part and attempted to keep a cranky toddler occupied. Every now and then we walked in, and at one point retrieved Noelle to keep her busy. Thankfully, I was able to peek in and watch my brother walk across the stage. We're all so proud of him, and we continued the celebration by going out to a late lunch with everyone. I could tell my grandma loved being there with all her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids, and even though Noelle and Jonah were not the best behaved on the trip, I'm so thankful to my parents for helping to get them out there!

First Plane Ride

For the past two months or so we've been talking up our exciting plans to head to Colorado for my brother's graduation. We told the littles about how they were going with mommy and Nana on an airplane for the first time, bought them headphones so they could watch movies on the plane, and got them excited about seeing all the extended family that would be there. Noelle was definitely excited and has been asking for the past month or so if we would be leaving for Colorado the next day. And when we woke up early last Thursday morning to head to the airport, they were excited enough to cooperate with getting dressed and out the door!

Luke dropped my mom, the kids, and me off at the front, and thankfully a really nice guy helped carry a carseat to the curbside check-in so that we could wrangle the kids and luggage without Luke having to step away from the car. After a smooth check-in, we headed inside and thankfully were able to get through security quickly. The kids seemed interested in watching everything around them, and did not get impatient with having to stand in line.

Once we found our gate, I walked around with the kids, exploring the moving walkway and watching the planes out on the tarmac. Jonah especially was enthralled by all of it! I'm pretty sure he could spend an entire day at an airport watching airplanes come and go.

Since we were flying Southwest, we hoped to be able to board early enough to get a row of three seats with an aisle seat for my mom on the other side. Thankfully after the A people boarded, families were able to board and we found seats all in a row towards the back of the plane. Noelle and Jonah watched out the window and pointed out the moving luggage carts and other activities down below. Once it was time for takeoff, I handed out Frozen fruit snacks (or Anna snacks as we call them) to hopefully keep them both occupied, and chewing so that they wouldn't get plugged ears.

The flight itself went pretty much as I expected- Noelle was kept happy (for the most part) by watching movies, and Jonah screeched/screamed on and off because he couldn't just get up and walk around.  At one point, a very kind flight attendant came over and offered to walk him up and down the aisle. He very willingly went over to her and they made a few trips up and back to stretch his legs. I felt bad for those around us, and I'm pretty sure Jonah was the worst behaved child on the plane, but I also know it could have been much worse!

Once we arrived in Denver, we gathered our luggage and the carseats, found some lunch, and then spent some time wandering around and waiting for my dad to arrive, who was coming directly from a business trip. We had so much stuff, but we got it all to the rental car without too much trouble, and then the kids both took a nice little nap on the drive from Denver to Estes Park. The drive there was full of beautiful views, and we got to our condos in time to get settled before joining the rest of the extended family who had already arrived!

Jonah checking out the front of the plane!

A Day with Thomas!

For Jonah's birthday, my sister bought us tickets to go to the Thomas the Train event at the B&O Railroad museum in Baltimore. Technically kids under the age of 2 were free, so we were able to get away with tickets for Noelle and me, and my mom came as well. I was little bit worried about getting into Baltimore before 10:00, but we hit no traffic and got there in plenty of time to look around before our ride on Thomas.

When Jonah first saw the Thomas engine hooked up to the train, his face was a mix of disbelief and excitement- like how could there be a life-size Thomas! We were scheduled for the first ride of the day, so soon after we got there, we headed over to wait in line to board the train. It was about a 30 minute ride, and while the views of Baltimore were not picturesque, it was exciting for the kids to be on their first train ride. A conductor came around and punched our tickets, and then as we were getting off the train, he handed out little certificates awarding the kids as official Junior Engineers.

After the train ride there was still SO much to do. We looked through the museum, they both rode on the carousel, and Noelle rode on another fair ride. We did the jump house, miniature train ride, they both got train tattoos, and made noodle necklaces. After eating over-priced food, we wandered around inside the roundhouse of the museum looking at all the old trains, and then played with the train tables for a bit.

It was a very full five hours, and both Noelle and Jonah did great! They both keep talking about how they want to do it again and bring daddy with us. It also happened to be my mom's birthday that day, so it was fun having her with us, even if it meant celebrating her birthday with a bunch of toddlers and trains. That's some Nana love there!

Life Lately

Life has been busy and full, and the warm weather has made my heart happy! Playing outside for long periods of time makes for a happier mama, new experiences, and longer naps! Now to work on Noelle not complaining about how "hot" it is...

Two weeks ago, I took the kids over to a local park where we were able to walk through a tunnel and around a path where there's a little "waterfall". They loved throwing sticks into the water and watching them drift down the little stream. On our walk back to the car, we stopped in the park to walk over a little bridge and throw more sticks into water. There's just something so wonderful about being outside in nature!

A local church had a little "spring break" festival in one of our downtown parks last weekend, and the weather was perfect for it. Noelle and I wandered down to meet Heather and Jason while Jonah was taking his nap. Noelle was so excited about the pony ride and jumping in the bounce house. We also got yummy hot dogs and cookies, but the biggest highlight was probably getting a unicorn painted on her face. After she saw herself in the mirror, she said "Don't I look fabulous, mommy?"

We've had MOPS meetings, play dates, Uncle Max and Aunt Ruth came for a brief visit, and outside play time with our neighbors. I ran the Clyde's 10K last weekend that I've been wanting to run for the last few years! It was fun, and there was delicious post-race food, which I was able to grab before heading home to go to church with Luke and the kids. On the drive to the race, I heard the Jamie Grace song "You Lead", and the lyrics 'I know what you got for me is more than I can see'. In this season of God's plan not matching up with my plan, I'm learning to trust that He has something so much bigger planned!

I went in for some more blood work yesterday as we track my cycle, and fainted soon after the blood draw was over. I think it was because the nurse had to stick me twice and it was really painful. Thankfully I was surrounded by nurses and was still seated when I passed out! We'll see what the doctor wants to do next in terms of treatment, and keep on praying that God would show us what's next!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jonah!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my favorite little boy! (Two days late!)

I know every mother says it, but how has time gone by so quickly? You are definitely not a baby anymore, and run around just like a big boy. You are saying SO much and communicating so well with us. You repeat so many things, and keep us laughing with your silly antics. You say "again, again" when you want to replay a song in the car, and as soon as daddy gets home from work, you say "play star wars" to get daddy to go play his Star Wars game so you can watch. And "Anna snacks" (Frozen fruit snacks) are your most favorite!

You'll try most any foods, and you definitely seem to have a sweet tooth like your mama. Lunch and dinner are usually chicken nuggets, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese, cheese, or turkey. Or you like to just eat whatever mom and dad are eating, as long as it's right off our plates! You love candy, and if given the chance, will tear into whatever chocolate you can find (ahem, Easter Egg hunts this year!)

You and your sister fight with each other a lot- as soon as one of you picks up a toy, the other immediately wants it. But the two of you also have such sweet moments when Noelle will "read" you a book, or you'll hold hands when we're walking around. I hope that you two continue to build a relationship and friendship that lasts well into adulthood. Believe me, siblings are some of the best friends you'll ever have!

I cannot believe how big you are- fitting into 24 month and 2T clothes (for the most part), and size 4 diapers. I'm pretty sure you're within a pound of weighing what Noelle weighed at age 3! You sleep really well for the most part, taking a two-ish hour nap most afternoons, and sleeping from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for the night. Your crib is always full of books, stuffed animals, and I think four blankets at the moment. Thankfully those books help keep you entertained before and after nap time.

On the days that Noelle is in school, we spend our time playing trains, going outside when it's nice, grocery shopping, or you help me clean. You always want to do things on your own, which can make things take twice as long as they should, but I know you're learning and becoming your own little person. You love playing at the library, picking up rocks, digging in the dirt, throwing balls, chalk, bubbles, and playing in the nursery at church and MOPS. You are so active, but will sometimes sit still for a book. You love copying your sister and wearing princess dresses and high heels- and it's hilarious watching you clomp around in them.

For your birthday this year, we started with donuts for breakfast and family movie time watching The Good Dinosaur. We grilled burgers for lunch with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Lyd. After your nap, you and mommy had some one-on-one time for a walk in the sunshine to the waterfall. For dinner Nana, Grandpa, and Aunt Heather came to share pizza and the ice cream cake Aunt Heather made for you.

We are SO thankful for you, and pray that you come to know Jesus, who loves you more than anyone on earth ever can. We pray that we can be examples of Jesus to you, and that as you grow, you will be an example of Jesus to those around you.

We love you, Jonah!

A Last Minute Race and the Dentist

About two weeks ago we got an email from some out of town friends letting our small group know they were going to be in D.C. for a conference, and wanted to meet us all for lunch that Saturday. They mentioned that they needed to get a 17 mile run done for their marathon training, and hoped some of our runner friends would join them. One of our runner friends replied that she was running a half marathon Saturday morning and invited them, and anyone else who wanted, to join her. Even though the longest I have run in awhile is 7 miles, I briefly thought about doing the race just because it would be fun to go to a race with friends! But decided I was most definitely not in half marathon shape. When Luke was saying good-bye before heading off to work that morning, he asked me if I was going to run the race, and I told him I had thought about it, but knew I wasn't in that kind of shape. He told me he knew I could do it, and that was all the encouragement I needed to sign up for it later on that day. I was most definitely nervous that I would end up walking a lot of it, but figured it would at least be fun to hang out with friends.

picture by Jess!

The race was the Oldfields Half Marathon, and it supported Back on My Feet, a non-profit that benefits homeless individuals. The race started at Oldfields School and ran along a flat crushed gravel trail. I met up with my friends and we drove out together, getting there in time to grab our race packets, wait in the potty lines, and the other three ran a little warm-up while I hung out under the trees to stay dry from the drizzle. As we were walking to the start line, one of my friends and I figured that we were aiming to run the same pace, and decided to stick together until one of us felt like going faster or slower. We ended up staying together until the last little bit, and it's probably the only way I finished! I am so thankful for her! We ran at what felt like a comfortable pace and talked almost the whole time catching up on life. Since it was an out and back, we were able to see that her husband was in the top three and our other friend was first female. We ended up running an 8:15 pace, and other than one sore hamstring, I avoided being in pain the next day!

Last week was my 31st birthday, and to me it stung a bit more than turning 30. I am now IN my 30's, which just seems to much older (and my body seeming to fall apart doesn't help!) We had a MOPS meeting that morning, Noelle had a dentist appointment in the afternoon, and then I had a leadership meeting for my other MOPS group in the evening. The MOPS girls surprised me with a cake, fruit, and a card, and it was a fun little to-do embracing the MOPS theme of celebrating lavishly!

When I had told Noelle a few weeks prior that she had a dentist appointment coming up, she was actually excited about it. Some nights before bed, she would say "When I wake up, what day will it be?" I would tell her, and then she would ask if we were going to the dentist that day. And then on the morning that we were going, she came downstairs all excited that it was THE day! Once we got there and it was time to sit in the chair, she started to freak out a little bit, but the dental hygienist turned on My Little Pony for her, and all was good. She sat there in her little sunglasses totally enthralled while her teeth got cleaned. Jonah, on the other hand, was climbing on and off my lap, up into the chair with Noelle, and pointing to everything. Thankfully Noelle is still a part of the No Cavity Club (much to our surprise)!

Praying for Wisdom

Last Friday Luke and I had our first appointment with the fertility doctor. Before going, we completed some questionnaires, and I spent time contacting our insurance company to find out what, if anything, is covered. Thankfully we have pretty good insurance, but we will still be paying out of pocket for some things, and based on what the doctor told us, we're trying to figure out how far down that road we want to go. I at least want to do the initial testing to find out if there are any easy fixes that may help us.

After the doctor reviewed the questionnaires we'd completed, and asked us a few more questions, he basically told me that it was most likely that my body was not ovulating because I do not weigh enough. Along with getting the initial blood tests and ultrasounds done, he wants me to work on gaining weight and working out less. It was pretty much the same thing my GYN told me- except she basically straight up asked me if I have an eating disorder. While I do run pretty much every day, it's more for sanity's sake than for the calorie burn, but I do appreciate that too!

Since our appointment with the fertility doctor, I've been focusing on recipes that include healthy fats (so far mostly avocado). And right after our appointment, Luke and I went out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my birthday while my mom still had the kids. My brain was already in gaining weight mode and so I picked the California Guacamole Salad- so much avocado and it was delicious! (And Luke and I "shared" a piece of chocolate tuxedo cream cheesecake!) Along with adding more healthy fats to my diet (I already consume so much peanut butter, and use coconut oil and olive oil when cooking), my plan is to run no more than four days a week, and walk and/or do 21 day fix workouts on other days. I'm really hoping that doing less strenuous exercise will help with getting my cycle back!

I got my initial blood work done on Monday, so I guess I'll hear the results once the doctor gets them back. I go in to the fertility office twice this week for more blood work and ultrasounds in order to assess where I am in my cycle. Once we have the information, we can hopefully figure out a course of action.

I've been able to share this with some girls in my MOPS group, and with some friends at church, and two of them have also been through the overwhelming feelings and emotions of infertility and being treated through the clinic we're using. Both have told me that I can come to them with any questions or if I need a shoulder to cry on, and I am so thankful for that!

Luke and I are unsure about how far in to this we want to go because if it really is just a matter of me gaining weight/working out less, then we should be able to do that on our own. Or I might be better off paying a nutritionist than the infertility doctor. BUT in the case that it is more than that, I want to do the initial testing. Friends and family who have dealt with infertility have encouraged us to at least go that far. I am a tad skeptical about my weight being the sole issue since up until six months ago, I weighed more than my pre-pregnancy weight with Jonah, and had my one and only spontaneous period after I lost that "extra"weight. But the doctor said that it's possible my body's threshold has changed, and now I need more weight in order for everything to function as it should.

I've been doing a lot of praying that God will give us clear answers on what to do. Maybe we're done, and my desire for another baby will go away, Or maybe God is just saying wait- and He has a plan for something else down the road. I don't know yet, but I do trust that He knows best.

And in the meantime, I'll mourn the fact that my "baby" is almost two!