Things to Share

It's only made it's way back to me once so I think I've held in the secret pretty good. I've wanted to tell some friends in person, but the timing has been off so I'm sorry this isn't an "in person" news drop.

Baby Walchli II will be arriving in August.

This pregnancy took us totally by suprise. I went to the doctor for one thing and came out knowing something totally different. Here's the story:
I haven't been able to hear out of my left ear for a few months (an after-effect of a bad cold). After putting it off forever I decided to go see the doctor to have it checked out. She looked in my ears, asked a few questions and said I should make an appointment with an ENT since she couldn't see anything wrong with my ear. She did want to write up a presciption for a steriod and antibiotic so she asked if I was nursing or pregnant (I had Luke with me so I guess those are legit questions) and I said no. I was thinking to myself Luke is a little old to be nursing, but some mothers do still I've heard. Second, Chris and I had already had the talk the week before and he wanted to wait longer to have another child....like 2012. But, I rephrased my answer to..."Well, I don't think I'm pregnant. We aren't trying right now anyway." Next question from the doctor, "When was your last period?" (I know I'm getting graphic), and I proceeded to tell her it should have started the day before, but it has been a day late a time or two. To be on the safe side, she wanted to check. So, I took the prenancy test with the knowledge that it won't be positive and I'll get my drugs and maybe this ear thing will clear up finally. Yeah...I was so wrong. She comes back in with a smile and tells me that she won't be prescribing me anything today because the test was positive. WHAT?! Not expecting that answer. I'm in shock...I even started to cry and then the doctor starts tearing up and then she says, "Merry Christmas". After I pulled myself together, Luke and I left the doctors office with my ear still plugged. How could this be (I'm on the pill)? What am I going to tell Chris...will he be upset? What are we going to do with Luke and a new baby while I'm working? So many questions and what am I gonna do!
Chris wasn't upset when I told him. He was shocked just like me, but that's wore off and we couldn't be more excited. I did get myself a home pregnancy test just to make double-y sure. I guess, the Lord feels that we are ready and can handle this new addition to our family. We're just gonna roll with it. We'll cross the bridge of "what's gonna happen when I have to go back to work" when we get there. I know the Lord will bless us and everything will be alright. That's the thing that worries me the most, but I'm going to have faith and know that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I've got quite a ways to go and lots can happen.

P.S. I am at 10 weeks AND my ear unplugged by itself the week before last.

Christmas 2010 - Part 2

Sweetly borrowed my mom's camera that captured our little family's Christmas morning moments. Sorry, no pictures of me. I don't look so great when I first wake up.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care until they were filled with presents galore. I got a watch in mine.

Chris was helping Luke discover what Santa brought him in his stocking.

Chris holding up the calendar and movie Luke got. He loves his cars and he sure liked the pictures in the calendar.

We had bought this for Luke earlier in the year for Christmas and then he told Santa he wanted a train. We did by a Thomas set, however, when Chris and I tried to set it up Christmas eve it was missing a bunch of tracks so it was not the gift Santa brought. Luke didn't seem too disappointed with this because the truck is electronic. The next week we exchanged the Thomas set for a smaller one and he really loves it.

By mid-morning he was on quite the sugar high, but he sure enjoyed Christmas this year.

Christmas 2010 - Part 1

Christmas eve is spent at my parents house. The whole family comes over - all six kids with spouses and children. We were missing my older brother's wife, but the count was still 21. It's a houseful. Dad always makes clam chowder and prime rib. I think this year the clam chowder was the best he's ever made.

Pictures of the evening:

The youngest grandchildren : Hunter and Luke with Kairin and Connor (no, they aren't the oldest)

For something different and because all the grandkids are mostly older we did had a white elephant gift exchange. There were some really outrageous gifts. No one took a picture of mine, an authentic thingy for something I'm too embarassed to write about.

My dad's gift.

A fun feathery mask.

My adorable sisters.

Sometime during the evening I misplaced my camera so I didn't take get any the gift opening. I should have taken pictures of the name plaques I made for my brother and sisters before I wrapped them, but I did not. They turned out really awesome and I was so excited about them. I'll have a picture up of one of them next week so I have them for my posterity.

Before we left I borrowed my mom's camera for Christmas morning, but she took it home after they came over for dinner before I had a chance to download them to my computer. I did get a new camera for Christmas, but I don't want to post anything out of order. I'll have everything else up before the weekend is over.

Hope everyone had a wonder Christmas and a Happy New Year!