Week 24/25: Still Incubating…

Sorry that I'm so late in getting out this update--I'm going to try and kill two weeks with one post. The good news is that Tommi (or "Inca," as her dad has nicknamed her--it's short for "Incubator") is doing well, and the baby is still cooking. Every week we can say that is a good week. We are also very happy to have Gracie back from her Aunt Lisa and Uncle Trevor's house. In the week that she was gone, she took swimming lessons, figured out that she likes black beans, adapted to a 8:30 - 9:00 bedtime (woohoo), and grew a couple of inches (or so it seems). Thanks Lisa!! All this while we enjoy the plethora of meals that my mom cooked us before she left. Hmmm…if everyone's willing to parent our child and cook our meals for us, maybe I should go on bedrest after Tommi's done… On second thought, maybe it's best that we stop being mooches as soon as possible.

Tommi has become an Ensign guru over the past few weeks, so I will leave you with a maxim of Elder Holland that she showed me a few days ago: "No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse." How true--whatever happens in life, you can always take a step back and quickly realize how blessed you are (which is usually followed by a feeling of guilt for ever complaining the first place).

God is Love--Rev Run*

Till Week 26…

*Copyright 2006 by Rev Run of Run DMC--Watch an episode of Run's House sometime. Funny stuff.

Week 23: Field Trip!

So, we finally decided to get some fresh air for Tommi and went on a field trip this Friday. We debated between going to the beach and Balboa Park, but ultimately decided to go to Scripps Hospital and see some doctors instead. What fun!

The doctors had good news to report--our little claustrophobe appears to have given up on his escape attempt for the time being and is resting comfortably in his own urine, I mean amniotic fluid (no wonder he wants to get out). Everything remains status quo, which is good news for us. Tommi's OB hesitated to applaud ourselves too much till we get past the 28-week danger zone, but that's only 4 1/2 weeks away. So we are holding our breath till then!

One great thing about this stage of development--you can now see the lens of the eye in the ultrasound pictures. Something about this small development makes him look so much more like a baby and so much less like Skeletor (a HeMan reference from the old days). Here's a picture of the little guy looking at us. It's amazing that through all of this, he sits in the womb unaffected and seeminly unaware of all that is going on around him.

Till Week 24...

Hurry Home

Dear Ms. Grace~

Today has been the longest day as I sit here in bed and wait the arrival of your cute, energetic self tonight. I am physically in the San Diego time zone, but mentally on Salt Lake time--if I do that it seems you are that much closer to getting on a plane to come home!! These rooms have been quiet and lonely during the day, then 6 o'clock rolls around and I hear Daddy's keys in the door and a cheerful, "Hello, my dear." ...The only thing missing is your echoes of "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" and the stories you tell about your adventures from the day. I can't wait to brush your teeth and read books to you or even just to hear cartoons on the tv and you laughing at them.

These words probably won't mean much until later years but I do want to say thank you for bearing the burden of bed rest along side your daddy and me. I am sure you are having fun with your travels, but being uprooted and put in others' time schedules and routines has to be an adjustment. You are by far the most well-adjusted child I have ever met.

I love you baby girl, hurry home to Mommy safely!!

An Itch to camp ...

I have been itching to go camping , these places looked fun enjoy:

http://www.duntonhotsprings.com/about-dunton.html

http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/bb/wall-tents.asp

http://www.theshadydell.com/

http://www.costanoa.com/site.php

Greetings from the Slammer

It's Tommi--I'm back!

I have been charged with a crime! The crime? "Incompetent cervix." The sentence? House arrest (or to be more specific, "bed rest" for 10 weeks possibly a few more weeks after that, gulp). Russ and I are hopeful that with good behavior from the ole' belly, I will get some privileges back--such as walking the grounds for 10 minutes a day or possibly kitchen duty to peel potatoes. I have never thought of myself as a menace to society... clearly, I stand corrected.



This situation has certainly been scary and serious, but I feel some light-heartedness is in order at this point. Of course, this doesn't take away from the importance and seriousness of the situation--there have been difficult choices and scenarios, like having to ship our 4-year-old off for a week at a time to have another mommy watch her. Grace brings so much life to my party, it is far too quiet in my home without her! However, the upside is that she is having a blast and doesn't even know we are not there. We are so grateful for the many people so willing to help us out.

With all that said, I am trying to keep a positive mindset. Thus, I present to you my top 10 list of "The Sunny Side of Bed Rest."

• I only have to shower every other day if I want.


• When my honey comes home and my hair isn't done, I don't have to make excuses.


• I get to catch up on all my books and then some.


• I am rereading all the Ensign conference editions from the past few years.


• House work ... what is that?


• I eat my breakfast in bed every morning. Yes girls, breakfast in bed every morning.


• The laundry fairy does all my laundry for me, thank you sweet heart. I promise when this is done to always have your laundry done and shirts ironed.


• A lot time for self-refelction, which is great for me. I appreciate my regular wifey/ mommy life even more now.


• A nice sabbatical from the world and all its technologies that make me want to go nuts at times.


• Nap time!

Will I be excited to have my privileges back? HECK YES! But while this bed rest thing lasts, instead of moaning and complaining, I think I will try embracing this experience and make the best of it. Any ideas that anyone has of things to do on bed rest are much appreciated!

I know Russ has said this a million times, but thank you to everyone for the prayers, concerns, thoughts, HELP and love through this. We are hopeful that this will turn out wonderfully.

Week 22: Home for the Holiday

A full week has passed since my last post, and I am happy to report that thus far, our little guy has stayed put in his mommy incubator. We were released from the hospital at the beginning of the week, and Tommi is now relaxing in her bed. It's a pretty comfortable bed, which is fortunate for TJ, because she will be spending the remainder of her pregnancy there (which we hope is at least another 10 weeks or so). The 4th of July is Tommi's favorite holiday, so we're crossing our fingers that we can see some fireworks from the bedroom window ... 'cause you know that with a pregnant wife on bed rest, there ain't gonna be no fireworks inside the bedroom, if you know what I'm sayin' (uncalled for, I know, but I couldn't resist).

OK, seriously now...

We've had several days now to ruminate on the questions I posed in the previous post. We are not naive enough to think that, in a week's time, we could learn all that God intended for us to learn from this experience. But Tommi pointed out a New Testament verse the other day that has embodied much of what we've seen over the past week: "... But we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope." (Rom. 5:3-4). We have certainly had some tribulation that has tested our patience, but that has also brought about some tremendous experiences of God's love and let hope take root. Two noteworthy examples:

• We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of family members and friends. Both our mothers immediately jumped in to help with Grace, and enough of our siblings and close friends in San Diego have offered to come to San Diego or have Gracie visit them that we already have the next 6 weeks mapped out! Even more importantly, we have been humbled and touched by the prayers of so many who care for us (many of whom have commented on this board). It's hard to describe the strength we have felt as a result of those prayers, but please know how appreciative we are for your supplications on our behalf.


• We have also been so grateful for the "tender mercies" of the Lord that we have witnessed recently. I had a very time-consuming transaction at work that was completed just hours before Tommi got the orders to go to the hospital, and gave me the freedom to focus on my family instead of stressing over work demands. And, just two weeks before all this went down, we moved to a quiet La Jolla apartment that is 3 miles from the hospital and close to the ocean, so Tommi can get some nice ocean breezes through the bedroom window. Speaking of the bedroom window, I've attached a picture of the view of the San Diego temple we wake up to each day. If you've got to spend the whole day in bed, it's not too bad of a sight, is it?

Well, I promise to post updates at least weekly from here on out. I know these last two posts have been a little intense, so I appreciate you indulging us. I anticipate that future posts will be much more lighthearted, but we would feel unappreciative if we didn't share some of the thoughts and feelings that have buoyed us up over the past two weeks.

Till Week 23...