arianna makes neal place dress up regularly.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Max and Great Grandma
i took max to meet my grandma this past weekend. she's 96 years old. it's such a blessing to me that she's been able to meet all my children. such joy.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
meet Max
Max Steven Nikkel born March 31, 2011. 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19 inches long.
He is perfect in every way and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. All are adjusting well.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
pictures
enjoying the playroom at the hospital 
taking a rest.... 
watching a movie. soemthing we did A LOT of 
he LOVED the train set. it was kind of hard for him since his IV was in his right hand, but it didn't seem to stop him 
he is crying in this picture because he was frustrated that the trains wouldn't stay together. that's when we knew he was starting to feel betteronce again, thanks for all the prayers. we are all doing MUCH better!!!!
Friday, March 11, 2011
miracle
This could be a bit random and mis-matched, but I promise, I’ll try to have it make sense.
This last week was one of the longest of my life. It started normally and I was doing fine. Until Wednesday. On Tuesday, I had an ultra sound to measure the size of this 3rd baby. Totally normal procedure for someone with gestational diabetes. On Wednesday at about 2:30, I finally checked my cell phone and saw that I had missed 4 phone calls…all from my doctor. When I called back she said that there was some abnormalities with the baby’s heart and I needed to see a specialist. The next day. The same day that Neal was schedule for surgery. In fact, the two appointments were at the same time. I asked my doctor if there was any way to move it and she said no, you can’t miss this appointment. There was a sense of urgency. I went into panic mode. I was terrified. I was terrified for my son – about to have surgery without his mommy there. I was terrified for my unborn child. The ‘what ifs’ terrifying.
That night, I went on facebook and sent messages to my friends. Pleading for prayers. Begging.
I tried to sleep on Wednesday night but it was fleeting. It was hopeless. Instead, I went downstairs and took out my Bible. I prayed, I begged, I pleaded. I sobbed the tears only a mother could cry. My heart was in a million pieces. My brain was running with all the possibilities…the darkest of possibilities. I was literally in my knees in prayer.
The next morning at 5am before we loaded Neal into the car, Jason and I prayed. As we loaded Neal into the car I felt a sense of peace. An indescribable peace. A peace that can only come from God.
Neal handled the morning well. He charmed the nurses and doctors…as I knew he would do. My parents came and sat with us as I watched the clock. As each minute passed, I knew I was one minute closer to having to cross the street to the fetal heart specialist (her office is across the street from the hospital). I had to leave before Neal was taken away…it was the hardest thing I could ever do. I made Jason stay with him. I didn’t want Neal to be scared. I didn’t want him to feel left.
I walked into the fetal heart office and once again, peace. I walked back to the room to get the ultra sound done and there was peace. Calm.
After about 15 minutes, Jason came racing in. Neal was in surgery and he was now with me. My parents were in the waiting room…just in case.
Our ultra sound lasted about 35 minutes. They took picture after picture of our sweet baby’s heart. We could hear it beating. Such a sweet sound. Still, peace.
A few minutes after the ultra sound tech was done, the heart doctor walked in the room. She looked at us and said the most amazing words, ‘looks good’. When Jason pressed her and asked why the heart looked so enlarged on Tuesday’s ultra sound why was it so different today? The doctor responded…’I’m not sure’.
I know why. It was a miracle. The heart was enlarged on Tuesday. I begged with God, pleaded with Him. There were people storming the gates of Heaven for us. There were so many people praying for us.
God performed a miracle. Why He picked us to heal our child, I don’t know. What I do know is I am forever grateful. I am humbled. I am blessed.
Thank you to all the people who prayed for us.
This last week was one of the longest of my life. It started normally and I was doing fine. Until Wednesday. On Tuesday, I had an ultra sound to measure the size of this 3rd baby. Totally normal procedure for someone with gestational diabetes. On Wednesday at about 2:30, I finally checked my cell phone and saw that I had missed 4 phone calls…all from my doctor. When I called back she said that there was some abnormalities with the baby’s heart and I needed to see a specialist. The next day. The same day that Neal was schedule for surgery. In fact, the two appointments were at the same time. I asked my doctor if there was any way to move it and she said no, you can’t miss this appointment. There was a sense of urgency. I went into panic mode. I was terrified. I was terrified for my son – about to have surgery without his mommy there. I was terrified for my unborn child. The ‘what ifs’ terrifying.
That night, I went on facebook and sent messages to my friends. Pleading for prayers. Begging.
I tried to sleep on Wednesday night but it was fleeting. It was hopeless. Instead, I went downstairs and took out my Bible. I prayed, I begged, I pleaded. I sobbed the tears only a mother could cry. My heart was in a million pieces. My brain was running with all the possibilities…the darkest of possibilities. I was literally in my knees in prayer.
The next morning at 5am before we loaded Neal into the car, Jason and I prayed. As we loaded Neal into the car I felt a sense of peace. An indescribable peace. A peace that can only come from God.
Neal handled the morning well. He charmed the nurses and doctors…as I knew he would do. My parents came and sat with us as I watched the clock. As each minute passed, I knew I was one minute closer to having to cross the street to the fetal heart specialist (her office is across the street from the hospital). I had to leave before Neal was taken away…it was the hardest thing I could ever do. I made Jason stay with him. I didn’t want Neal to be scared. I didn’t want him to feel left.
I walked into the fetal heart office and once again, peace. I walked back to the room to get the ultra sound done and there was peace. Calm.
After about 15 minutes, Jason came racing in. Neal was in surgery and he was now with me. My parents were in the waiting room…just in case.
Our ultra sound lasted about 35 minutes. They took picture after picture of our sweet baby’s heart. We could hear it beating. Such a sweet sound. Still, peace.
A few minutes after the ultra sound tech was done, the heart doctor walked in the room. She looked at us and said the most amazing words, ‘looks good’. When Jason pressed her and asked why the heart looked so enlarged on Tuesday’s ultra sound why was it so different today? The doctor responded…’I’m not sure’.
I know why. It was a miracle. The heart was enlarged on Tuesday. I begged with God, pleaded with Him. There were people storming the gates of Heaven for us. There were so many people praying for us.
God performed a miracle. Why He picked us to heal our child, I don’t know. What I do know is I am forever grateful. I am humbled. I am blessed.
Thank you to all the people who prayed for us.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
special persons..
arianna is special persons at preschool this week. these are the pictures she picked to share with her class.
these have all been posted before, i just wanted to remember what pictures she picked. she is so excited. i'll be sure to post how it went. she's most excited because she gets to be first in line at school. so funny.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
random
i saw this on a different blog and thought it was fun. i really want to be a better 'blogger' this year. here's hoping...
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I don’t think anything…that leads me to believe that I live a very safe, sheltered life. I should branch out in 2011…
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't set any, because I knew I wouldn't keep them. However, I always say this is the year I will become more organized and keep my house clean and cook for my family at least 5 nights a week and lose weight. None of those things really ever happen.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No…but I’m pregnant. Again.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle.
5. What countries did you visit?
None
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More patience. More time. More empathy.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 20 – positive pregnancy test. Nov. 21 – day my dad told me he had cancer. December 27 – Arianna turned 4..when did she get so old? December 30 – my baby turned 2.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know. Making it through another year with my sanity in tack?!
9. What was your biggest failure?
I wanted to spend more personal time with God. I didn’t do that.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
not anything major.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
a TV for my bedroom. Don’t tell my husband.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
a family from the school district I teach in. They came to our school on Veterans Day to talk about the son they lost in Iraq. What that sacrifice meant and what it means to honor a veteran. Beyond moving.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mean people. People who are ignorant.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Monthly bills and shopping.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
positive pregnancy test
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
I have no idea. Probably something from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat since it was the show I directed this fall.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter (due to pregnancy…I’m blaming it all on the baby), richer (at least less in debt)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasted time
20. How did you spend Christmas?
with family, eating…a lot
21. Did you fall in love with 2010?
only more in love with the people around me
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Probably Greys Anatomy or Private Practice or Glee
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone. There are plenty of people who annoy me – like people who go under the speed limit in the left lane – but those people will always annoy me. I guess no one annoyed more in 2010 than what they normally do.
24. What was the best book you read?
Same Kind of Different As Me
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Glee
26. What did you want and get?
A nook
27. What did you want and not get?
I don’t really know. A new camera lens?
28. What was your favorite film of 2010?
This is really embarrassing to admit, but I don’t think I saw any films in 2010 that were worth remembering…
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. I have no idea what I did, but I know I worked.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less stress and less worry.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
Leggings and tunics
32. What kept you sane?
My family (most of the time, sometimes they were what made me insane though) otherwise my good girlfriends
33. Who did you miss?
my girlfriends. I don’t see them often enough
34. Who was the best new person you met?
I don’t know. Probably people from my church.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Your house will always be dirty, your children won’t always be little.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
