Pee-Paw

Dear Connor and Caleb,

I am writing you this letter because a short time ago my Pee-Paw (your great-grandpa) passed away.  Pee-paw was a great man.  He had a big impact on me which will undoubtedly spill over into the both of you.  If you were to ask “what was the one quality about him that stood out above all the rest?”, most people would tell you it was his sense of humor.  I can’t argue with that.  However, I will tell you that the impact he had on me goes much deeper than that.  Pee-paw was a man you could look up too.  He was a caring man.  He was a loving man.  My Pee-paw demonstrated to me what it meant to work hard and support your family.  His doors were never locked because he wanted to be available at all times.  He loved it when someone would just drop in unexpectedly. 

Pee-paw also loved baseball.  More specifically he loved the Red Sox.  That may be a familiar thing for you two and that is because of Pee-paw.  From a young age, I loved baseball.  Pee-paw loved baseball too.  We had that in common.  When I was little, I did not have a favorite team so Pee-paw made sure I learned to love the Red Sox like him.  The Red Sox went 86 years without winning the World Series.  Pee-Paw waited almost that long to watch it happen.  I will never forget that night back in October of 2004 when the Sox finally won.  Although it was almost midnight and I was 1,000 miles away in Virginia, I knew I had to call Pee-paw to celebrate.  Sure enough he was awake and watching the end of game from his home here in Florida.  I called, he answered and just yelled, “Tim, can you believe it?”  It was so exciting.  He sounded as if he was the one who knocked in the game winning run. 

I like to think the greatest thing he taught me was to be a Red Sox fan but I was blessed enough to have learned so much more.  Pee-paw set a great example of how to be a loving person.  There wasn’t a single person that he encountered that he didn’t at least try to make smile.  He loved talking to, and encouraging everyone he came in contact with.  He loved kids and love teaching them about Jesus.  I couldn’t tell you how many people were blessed because they knew Pee-paw.  I was fortunate enough that he lived so close to where I work and live.  It was easy for me to head on over to his house on my lunch break and spend some quality time with him, especially during his last few weeks.  Most people change when they know their time is near but not Pee-paw.  He embraced reality and knew there was little he could do to change that.  During his final weeks, he kept up his sense of humor and encouraging attitude.  Losing someone you love is never easy but seeing him try to maintain his “normal” gave us a little peace and I know one day I will see him again.  Ultimately, I know I am blessed to be able to call him my grandpa.  He was a great man, he will be missed but the lessons he taught me will be lessons that I cherish and pass on to both of you.

I love you both very much,

Daddy

May I?

 May I tell you about our May so far? They say that March comes in like a lion but I feel that has been more true about May. The month started us off with me flying up to Lynchburg to visit Uncle Casey and help him to settle into his new house. It was an added bonus to get to see Aunt Hilary perform in Mary Poppins. The weekend was spent unpacking boxes, putting furniture together, and shopping. Trying to get everything one needs for a working home is no joke. I didn't feel like I did a good enough job and promptly told Grandma Glenda that she needs to go up do a better job than I did. There's something about having mom fix things that always works.

Sadly this past week Great Grandpa Hackett (Peepaw) passed away. He had been battling cancer for a while and his battle finally came to an end. I am so glad that Tim was able to visit with his grandfather during his lunchtime to spend some quality time with him over the past month or so. Connor even got to visit with Daddy a couple times and greatly enjoyed his time with his great grandfather. They got to talk about t-ball and Connor would just sit and tell him stories. This is the last picture we have of them together from one of their lunchtime visits. Peepaw left behind a great legacy and is the reason why Daddy has such a love of the Red Sox. Daddy loved his grandpa very much and there has always been a very special bond between the two of them. From their love of baseball to their love of aviation, Peepaw has always been one of Daddy's heroes. Peepaw also always made me feel loved, special, and cared for. My favorite would be when he would lean over to Daddy and tell him what a great job he had done. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in the lives of our boys. I know it already is.

Saturday was our big day to find out what this little baby growing inside of me is....I give you:

Caleb Guise Petersen

I was shocked considering how different this pregnancy has been, but I am so thrilled for Connor! A little brother is just what he needs and he is going to be the best big brother. God has a plan and I know that it is exactly what our family needs. I pray these two boys will love each other, respect each other, and be each other's best friend. That is what we will teach them and that is what we will model for them. Connor is already planning adventures from "chase" to "teaching him trucks" to "how to play tricks". That last one makes me nervous.....I'm sure it will be fine as long as I don't find frogs in my bed. It was a great revelation to make this Mother's Day even more special. He was so active during my sonogram that the technician was amazed. It has been interesting too because I'm already feeling movement from this little wiggle worm. Today marks my 16th week and I am just chugging along. I've had some migraines recently but I think some of it is stress related. I just have to take each day as it comes and I am so lucky that Daddy has so willingly taken over when I can't be home and keeps everything running smoothly. I don't know what I would do without him. This Friday I am chaperoning a trip to Universal, now that will be a test of endurance and coming back 4:30 Saturday morning will be interesting. I think I can, I think I can.

Spring-ish Things

April 15th I hit the 12 week mark. I was happily able to have my first doctor's appointment with the Dr that will be delivering baby ice skating. Sadly they did not do any sonograms, so I will greatly accept one at my next appointment in May. That seems forever away. I don't have much to show in the way of a bump but I think even since this picture my body has changed. People who didn't know at work are starting to guess, and yet I can walk past others and they have no clue. It's all very interesting. No bump but trying to find the clothes to wear in the morning is difficult because my old clothes don't fit and maternity clothes are too big. I'm just happy that I'm able to get to school somewhat presentable. 

A few weeks ago Connor and Daddy went backyard camping complete with s'moreos and tent. They had so much fun and Connor is still talking about it. He keeps asking to do it again. It was cut a little short when at 3:40am it started to rain cats and dogs and everyone went scurrying to get to higher ground. I remember bolting out of my nice comfy bed to help Tim get Connor inside with all the rest of the things that shouldn't/couldn't get wet that were inside the tent. I think this fun activity will happen again real soon!

 Easter weekend we decided to take a spur of the moment, why not, trip to Disney. We took off Friday morning, had lunch in Orlando, and made it to Magic Kingdom right after. It was so much fun because Aunt Heather met us there too. It was so sweet because Connor wanted to ride many rides with just her. We did get a huge rainstorm and just to our delight the park became a ghost town once the rain settled. We were able to walk on every ride after. It was a blast. We even convinced a very reluctant Connor to try another big boy ride, Splash Mountain. He wasn't sure at first, but I walked him through every dip, and then on the big drop we got to the bottom just as the fireworks started to boom over head. It was a magic moment and Connor loved it! He was hooting and hollering and high-fiving everyone because of how much he liked it. The picture during the big drop is classic, of course we bought it, and when asking him if he wanted to go on it again he said "no", but the point is he did it!!! And it was great!!

Saturday morning we booked reservations at Ohana for breakfast. This was a first for us, but we now know it is only just the beginning. It was AMAZING! To begin, I am obsessed with their dinner. I love all of it. The food is delicious. Now as far as the breakfast....just as good. We couldn't finish all of the delicious food, the sausage was by far my favorite, and Connor ate an entire Mickey Waffle. It was a win win for everyone, and getting to see the characters first thing is just a bonus. We headed to Animal Kingdom after that where Daddy and Connor did the safari twice, and then over to Hollywood Studios and home. I was a little toast to say the least.

Easter Sunday was a beautiful day. Tim and I worked in Club 252 for both services so we didn't dress up this year, but that didn't mean I forgot my buddy. I loved his little gingham JCrew shirt I found and bow tie. It seemed like the perfect Resurrection Celebration ensemble. We went to Grandma's for a delicious lunch, found eggs in the backyard, and dyed eggs. I'm not sure what Connor liked the best, but he definitely won the egg hunt, even surprising all of us by climbing the tree to retrieve eggs he could see. He found 40 total, and of course made the most money.

My favorite part of the day was nap time. I was exhausted from our trip and felt awful. Monday I ended up with a migraine, Tuesday found me vomiting with all day sickness, and a nice sinus cold crept in Wednesday that I still haven't been able to shake. It's been a tough week, but it makes the looming summer vacation even more tantalizing. Tim has been so wonderful coming up with great recipes and making dinner every night. I really don't know what I would do without him. He knows exactly when I have reached my limit and is so kind in letting me rest. Even when I feel terrible I still feel lucky!!!

Announcing Baby #2

Well we have officially announced the news! It is a little surreal actually being able to talk about it openly and get excited with loved ones. Everyone has been so supportive and wonderful upon hearing about Number 2. The response has been overwhelming. We are grateful, thankful, and blessed to have so many dear people in our lives!!!

Proud Big Brother right here! What a stud!

Woah!

February 25, 2014

After months and months of fertility treatments it has finally happened on its own. I cannot believe it. I'm still in complete and utter shock. Beginning in June I started the journey of trying to conceive baby number 2. I'm thankful and lucky that I have a wonderful fertility specialist, but after months of clomed, and shots, it wasn't working. At one point I released 3 follicles and not one of them fertilized. It was hard, and heart breaking, and we decided to take a break from the treatments after my October cycle was unsuccessful. At this point I had been going to the doctor once a week, sometimes three times a week, since July. I was tired, and wanted a break from all of the poking and prodding. The doctor suggested that our next step be IUI, and I asked to wait for summer vacation so I could be relaxed and ready. In the meantime I had downloaded apps on my phone to attempt to track my cycle, which is irregular because of my PCOS, and attempt to try it on our own until the summer. Through this whole journey I knew it would have to be in the Lord's timing. There was a reason it wasn't working, and I just needed to be patient and rest in the fact the God had a plan. Fast forward to February when something just wasn't right. I wasn't feeling well, I was having weird dreams, and I was extremely emotional (yes, even more than usual). I took one test and it came back negative, ok fine, on with the usual. Then 4 days later Tim prompted me to take another test. This time it came back positive. No there was no cute way to give the news to Tim, we've been on this road together, and we've shared the ups and downs along the way. I came racing out to where he was in the living room and he got up, grabbed me into a hug, and I just cried. I just kept thinking, "we did it!" 

I wasn't quite sure where to proceed from here. I had been seeing a specialist, and I know I'm a unique case so my first inclination was to call my fertility doctor. I talked to the person on the phone, they kept telling me congratulations, and I kept telling them "no, no, I'm not sure. One test was negative and now this is positive." They made me an appointment the very next day, Thursday Feb. 20, and praise the Lord everything was confirmed. I had an ultrasound, and already have my sweet baby's picture, and a blood test to verify that yes I'm pregnant. They sent it away also to monitor my levels and make sure they are going in the right direction. My doctor did prescribe me progesterone because my levels tend to drop in that area, so I'm back on track and ready ride this wild ride.

Tim and I drove to my mom's house immediately and I was able to talk on the phone to Connor who I got to go stand by the front door. As we walked in I handed him the "pictures" and told him to go take them to Grandma. First of all she was shocked to see us in the middle of the day, then as she grasped what was happening, we all cried some more together. What an answer to prayer. God is so good, and He provides in His own ways when He knows it's best for us. I'm still trying to take it all in. It's really happening.

We've already started to prep Big Brother Connor, and he is finally excited to have a sibling. He keeps saying little sister, which we attempt to explain to him might not be the case. But the fact that he's no longer saying "Just Connor" is a step in the right direction. He is going to be the best big brother any kid could ask for!

Heartbeat away

March 10, 2014
Connor is now lovingly referring to his new sibling as Baby Iceskating. I think the Olympics really had an impact on him. This past Thursday I had my weekly appointment and this time Grandma Glenda was able to be there. Aside from the perfect looking engagement ring we saw on the monitor we also got to see the baby's heartbeat. It was amazing to see the beautiful fluttering dot that was crystal clear on the screen. They gave me the official due date of October 28, which just so happens to be Great Grandma Harriet's birthday. I find that so special, and also so close to Grandpa Gary's birthday. What a precious little gift this baby is already.

I am extremely exhausted (all the time!!!) and I'm having trouble keeping everything organized. Two days from now is opening night of Into the Woods Jr. and I'm not sure I'm going to survive all of this stress. I'm missing meals, I'm not hydrating enough, and my sole focus is this show. I really wish I could slow down and enjoy this new part of my life, but I can't see past the next week. My heart starts to beat fast just thinking about it.

I've been craving all sorts of crazy things, and I'm hungry for everything I smell. I made Tim go out the other night to get slim jims....really? Yuck! I'm wanting sushi all the time, but don't worry all cooked. The hardest part is cutting back on the caffeine but after last time I'm not going to do it cold turkey, and the neurologist even said that one can of soda a day won't hurt anything.

I praise the Lord constantly that He has allowed this to happen, I just can't wait to finally enjoy it. We did get a special book for Connor about being a big brother, and it couldn't be more perfect. I think he's going to be a great big brother!

7 weeks

March 19, 2014

Connor is very excited!!! He was clearly talking and bouncing during this picture, but I think it's fun that he's in it. I hit the 8 week mark yesterday and this past Thursday had my 7 week appointment with Dr. Gelman. It's nice to be able to go in weekly to make sure everything is progressing as it should, and I love hearing their comments about how "picture perfect" each sonogram looks. They always have such nice things to say, and it makes me feel better to know that some of it looks even better than textbook sonograms. Plus it's pretty wonderful to have a sonogram picture of baby ice skating every week. They even switched the machine over to monitor the baby's heart rate and Grandma Glenda, Connor, and I all got to see that it's beating away. Very cool to say the least.

I have one more appointment with the specialist this Friday, and then my regular Obgyn will take over. So far I've had very little nausea, which was how it was with Connor. A few smells here and there have turned my stomach, typically dinner cooking which I find interesting because I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. It seems that every few hours my tummy is grumbling again and I have to eat everything in sight. I mean everything. My size two pants are starting to get tight and I think I'm just going to give in and live in the 4 world for a while. I know everything is going to progress much faster this time around so I'm going to take it day by day. Try my best not to eat every candy bar, bag of chips, and nutty bars I can get my hands on and love every minute. I am so glad I no longer have the stress of Into the Woods anymore!!!!!