Saturday, October 24, 2009

China Part 1

I am starting a series of posts about our summer trip to China. I know it's a little late but I want to record our experience, let you all know what we did this summer, and document the baby's 1st overseas trip :) So, I'm going to split this up into a couple of posts and there will be lots of pictures. And maybe if I can "steal" the video I'll post that too.

So, sit back and enjoy the trip 1/2 way around the world.

The trip began on July 1, 2009 we flew from Wichita, to Detroit, to Shanghai, China. We arrived in Shanghai the night of July 2, 2009. Kyle's birthday is July 2nd, so I think he had the shortest birthday ever (about 3 hours)! What a way to spend your 29th birthday, poor guy.

Kyle & Me after the long flight

The most memorable moment of the flight was at the end. When we landed in China after a 13 hour flight we were instructed to remain in our seats because we had to be screened for the swine flu. We remained on the tarmac for about an hour as 2 people in full hazmat gear tested the temperature of the 500 people on the plane. It was comical and scary all at the same time. I mean it was a bit ridiculous, just because you have a fever does not mean you have swine flu. However, it was nerve wracking because it you had a fever you, your row, and the 2 rows in front and behind you would be quarantined for 7 days! Praise the Lord no one on the plane was quarantined! How amazing is it that no one on the 500 seat plane had a temperature!

The Hazmat Team taking their job very seriously.

Sorry the pictures are grainy, lighting wasn't very good in the airplane...and we weren't really supposed to be taking pictures, but I had to sneak one...I mean it was a once in a lifetime experience :)

To be continued, the fun has just begun...

Sterling 28 Kansas Wesleyan 18

We won again! The game was a little more exciting than it should have been, but when your starting quarterback, 2 linebackers, a defensive back, etc. are all sidelined with an injury you don't know what you're going to get. And despite the adversity the guys pulled together and got a win on homecoming!

The first play of the game Sterling kicked off and KW fumbled the ball and the Warriors got it and scored. This was the exact same thing that happened in last week's game. So, that was a great sign, but then things got interesting we were down 7-10 at half, but in the 3rd quarter we moved ahead and were able to retain the lead. Yay for a happy team and a happy husband!
Me & my adorable husband

Ali hugging the baby
Jodi, a.k.a. Mom, entertaining Culley

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Nervous?

Disclaimer: my apologies if this doesn't make sense, just something I've been mulling over lately. If you don't want to hear my incoherent ramblings you might want to stop here.

I'm 27 weeks along (exactly 3 months until the due date!) and one of the most common questions people ask is "Are you nervous?"

I always think, should I be nervous? Why do they keep asking that?

To be quite honest I'm not nervous and that makes me nervous. You see I am a Type A person that likes to have things planned. However, planning has seemingly been thrown out the window for this stage of my life. I have yet to read a baby book, start decorating the nursery, write a birth plan, go to birthing classes, find day care, etc. The list could go on and on.

I always hear you can't plan anything with a baby...so maybe my lack of planning is a blessing. If I had a plan that wasn't working I would probably become frustrated...so maybe it's best if I just don't have a plan.

Luckily, someone does have a plan and at this point I'll just try and rest in the fact that He knows best! In fact, I'm feeling very blessed to have this peace (hopefully it continues once the baby arrives :) I'm quite happy to be oblivious to all the stuff I "should" be doing.

One thing I have been planning is a little art project for the nursery and here's a sneak peek:

Amy Butler, August Fields Collection, Fresh Start in Tangerine
I love this fabric...do you think it's too girly for a boy's nursery?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I just have to tell someone...

We recently learned that one of our favorite couples is having a baby! Remember this post about 2 of my favorite guys? Now they are going to have babies in the same year. We couldn't be more excited! The kids are destined to be friends (in all reality they probably won't have a choice, their dad's will make them be friends :) Congratulations Blake & Casey! We are so excited for you. So, when are you moving closer to Sterling?
Here we are at Blake & Casey's wedding in July 2007.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sterling 47 Tabor 21

It was a bittersweet day...Sterling won big! Tabor lost big.

The Warriors played well all the way around. The other team didn't score until our 2nd and 3rd team was in. Right after half-time it was 34-0, so it was a good confidence booster for Sterling. However, Kyle's brother, Jake was a coach on the other sideline. If you couldn't tell from the score, he did not have a great time at the game. Sheila, Kyle and Jake's mom, was at the game and it was torture for her. She hates having 2 sons on opposing teams. She feels so conflicted and can't cheer for either team :) Needless to say I did not have that conflict...Go Warriors.

Overall it's been a weekend full of fun. On Friday, several of Kyle's family members came to watch Sterling play Tabor in volleyball. Jake's wife, Audra, plays for Tabor. So, we cheered on the Bluejays and they won. Then Sheila and Breckyn, Kyle's cousin, spent the night. On Saturday we put on our Susie Homemaker hats and baked the morning away. I think I've filled my cooking quota for the rest of the year (cookies, trifle, corn bread, cheese muffins, and tacos)! Then we went to the game. And this evening we had a get together with our Bible study from church. The guys watched football and the girls chatted. All in all it was a fun-filled day, but I'm exhausted.

Unfortunately, I only remembered to take pictures at the game (I'm going to have to get better at this picture taking thing).

Audra (sister-in-law) & Sheila (mother-in-law)
Papa, Tache, & Me
Brayton (Kyle's cousin) who plays for Sterling
Breckyn (Kyle's cousin) & Me

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Baby Stash

We have already been blessed with several items for Baby Schenk!

On a side note: I think we're going to call him Dewey until he is born. I'm not sure why, but Kyle thought of it, and I don't really pretend to understand how his mind works. I'll just go with it.

Anyway, here's some of Dewey's stuff that I'm sure he can't wait to use :)

Burp clothes made by mommy, his first "dress" shirt, khaki shorts and a hat for our beach vacation next summer, a lullaby cd to soothe him, baby blankets, a neck support, the cutest socks/shoes ever, and his first football (it applauds every time you catch it, which is funny because if he has hands like his daddy it may be the only time he gets applauded for catching the ball :) Thanks to Grandma & Great Tache for most of the baby supplies!
And here's his wardrobe...can you tell it's a boy? So far all of his clothes are brown and blue and have something to do with football. I think we may need to diversify his wardrobe before he makes his appearance.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Things I do to purposely annoy Kristen for fun...

  1. Sing to Kristen a really catchy song before she goes to bed. Reason: she gets it stuck in her head and can't go to sleep.
  2. Lay on her pillow. Reason: she's little paranoid about her pillow.
  3. Jump into bed before her so she has to turn out the lights. Then I steal her pillow. Reason: It's really funny because she really hates other people touching her pillow.
  4. Jump out of the car and run to the bathroom when Kristen has clearly stated how bad she has to go. Reason: obvious reasons.
  5. Crack my thumb joints. Reason: it makes her nauseous.
  6. When she asks me to do something from another room I respond with gibberish so she can't understand me and has to come into the same room. Reason: my own amusement and sometimes I get out of work.
Posted by the most amazing wife's husband,
Kyle

My radiant wife and I in the DR, May 2007.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sterling 6 Friends 30

It was a cold and dreary day and Sterling suffered another tough loss. So, not too much to report, except my toes are finally thawed out and the Warriors will be back next week looking for a win.

Here's the only picture I got today. Culley was such a trooper. Despite the frigid temperatures she sat through the whole game with no fussing. She even took a nap in 30 degree weather! Anyway, here's a picture of her all bundled. She couldn't even move (it was so adorable).

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Sterling 0 McPherson 21

Another tough loss against a good team. I won't go into details (they aren't pretty. If you want details you can click on the Sterling link.

It was a beautiful day. Here are the pics that were captured. Sorry, not very many because the mood was pretty melancholy after the game.
Dad & Me
The real stars of the show today...they were more entertaining than the game :)
Anna, Aly, Caleb, and Jake
Culley Jo

Sunday, October 4, 2009

24 weeks

How far along: 24 weeks & 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: 8 lb. but I wasn't weighed this week due to the canceled Dr. appointment
Maternity clothes: Pants yes, shirts no (but they are getting shorter)
Sleep: Great unless there are crickets outside the window
Best moment this week: Seeing the baby on the ultrasound
Movement: Yes, he's getting pretty strong
Food cravings: spaghetti and french bread...maybe I'll make some tomorrow
Belly button in or out: in, but it's getting a little more shallow
What I miss: being able to sleep through the night without getting up to go to the bathroom
What I'm looking forward to: making some baby crafts in the near future
Milestones: people can finally tell I'm pregnancy and not just gaining weight

Update: Praise the Lord! I finally spoke to a nurse @ 4:00 pm on Friday (nearly 48 hours after the ultrasound) and she said the Dr. still had not looked at the images, but the ultrasound tech. did not see anything alarming...so we are cautiously optimistic. We should hear the definitive results on Monday.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Frustrated...

We were scheduled to have our "heart" ultrasound today. Now that he is 24 weeks the doctor should be able to determine if there really is a 2nd hole in his heart. So after waiting a month Kyle and I went to the ultrasound and patiently waited for the tech to finish. We knew from last time she wouldn't say anything and we had to wait for the doctor. It was fun to see the baby again, but mainly we just wanted to see the doctor to find out the results. After 15 minutes of waiting for the doctor we were notified that she was in an emergency c-section and had 3 other deliveries today...so we had to reschedule the appointment and wait for a phone call about the ultrasound. After anxiously waiting all day I called the doctor's office right before they closed to see if the doctor had a chance to review the images. She never came into the office. They informed me the earliest I might hear is tomorrow afternoon. :(

I am extremely disappointed to say the least. I held it together at the doctor's office, but then I lost it. I waited so patiently all month and as most people can attest patience is not my strong suite. I tried not to worry and just pray and trust God in this situation. I know He has a plan and I tried to rest in that fact. So, in my mind I knew I just had to make it to October 1st...then when we finally reached that date I still don't have an answer. The baby is growing right on pace and even if he has some special needs I know we as a family will be fine. I'm not really worrying about the situation because I know God can heal and if that is not His will He will take care of the baby, me, and Kyle. BUT, it's so hard to be patient now that I know the answer is right there they just won't tell us!

Okay, enough of my venting. I just really want to know! But on the bright side we got to see Baby Schenk today and he is definitely getting bigger. He was hiding from the camera and all curled up in a ball, but the tech was able to take measurements and he is growing right on target except his legs are actually one week ahead in growth (maybe he'll be tall). Today he weighed in at 1 lb. 7 oz.

Autumn Decor

Fall is my FAVORITE season! I love the football, candy corn w/ peanuts, crunchy red and orange leaves, cool weather, oh and the football. I also love fall decorations...in fact fall is the only season I decorate for. This year with the baby on the way I might not have a chance to decorate for Christmas (because who wants to put those decorations away when you're nine months pregnant), so I had fun with the fall decor. Here's a sampling.