Day 40 - 40 Days of Blogging

Well - I made it...40 blog posts! Might not have been EACH and EVERY day, but I got 'er done! And I'm really excited because it was a GREAT challenge for me! And a great reminder why I take the time to do this blog-thing! It's such a great way to keep track of our memories. I've had so many people tell me that they have gone back to some of our older blog posts and read about our journey...and I have too! It's so fun to have this journal to see where we were 4 or 5 years ago, compared to where we are today! And there is no doubt that it's only by God's doing!

Sitting in church today, I was actually brought to tears thinking about how amazing this day is. Resurrection day...Jesus is ALIVE and he's ALIVE in my life! I'm so blessed to know Jesus and to know what Jesus did for me and for my husband and my children...and for YOU! Thinking about what Jesus did on the cross for ME, I can get pretty emotional and pretty pumped up at the same time. He loves ME that much. God loves ME that much. Thank you - thank you, Jesus!

Happy Easter from our family to yours! :)

Day 35 - 40 Days of Blogging

On the 13th, Ellie turned 19 months and I turn 31! Eeek...we are getting sooo old! ;) 

Little known fact about our family...The girls are born on the 13th of the month (Ellie: Sept 13th & Mommy: April 13th) and the boys are born on the 16th of the month (Zay: Dec 16th & Daddy: March 16th).

Day 32 - 40 Days of Blogging

Got a little new 'do' today!! :) 

Day 30 - 40 Days of Blogging

So happy to remember that 9 years ago this guy asked me to marry him. Man...what a great memory. And yep, I'm still so in love with him. Mushy, I know...but I thank God daily that I get to spend my days with him...even when he's grumpy or I'm tired or the kids don't listen - it's an amazing little life we've created together and I just love it. Just like I love him. 

On another note...the kids and I spent some time outside today! For me, it was still a little chilly, but the kids LOVED it! 

Haha...I totally RAN some sprints in our back yard while the kids were playing in the sandbox. Remember how I was cold...thought it would help me warm up! And it did! I felt like I was back in track, running 'accelerations' on the football field! And the neighbors? Yeah, they think I'm nuts.

Only my kid would be wearing a stocking hat (because I'm always worried about ear infections with Zay) but then also kick his shoes off! 

She is somewhere in between being a 'rough-n-tough' little girl and being a 'girly-girl'...she has moments of both!

Day 24 - 40 Days of Blogging

Today I was asked to speak to a University of Iowa Public Health class on the importance of newborn screenings and promote awareness for PKU. After the class I was able to tour the State Hygienic Lab and I learned soooo much...maybe even more than I wanted to know concerning the realities of public health! Very thankful for the experience to meet those working to keep Iowans healthy...Our State Hygienic Labs really are top notch...and its a blessing to live in Iowa!! :)

Thanks to the TA for snapping this pic!

The State Hygienic Lab...lots of important things happen here!!! 

Day 17 - 40 Days of Blogging

Last Friday night, we had Jaymi & Erin over...and on Sunday we had Jill and Jennifer over with their families! That's 4 high school friends over to our house within 3 days! Amazing considering I just don't see that many high school friends that often! Lots of fun catching up with all these great ladies! :)

And then we were talking about back in our cheerleading days...we almost did a full extension...or basket toss...haha, maybe not! But it was funny to think back to those days when I was a flyer and they were the best 'bases' a girl could ask for! ;)

Day 4 - 40 Days of Blogging

Exercise.

Now here is a post for ya...2014 seems to be the year that I might actually consistently exercise for the ENTIRE year. Well, maybe I shouldn't get that excited about it, but so far so good this year! It's only been about, ummm, maybe...4 years or so since I can say I've worked out consistently. That might be an exaggeration, but not by much. ;)

For some reason, it takes me a while...a LONG while to get back into the whole exercise thing after I have babies. It's probably something to do with a little thing called sleep. I need it. And when I don't get it...well the idea of doing anything beyond the necessary daily tasks is a bit overwhelming.

Zay didn't consistently sleep through the night for TWO years...(he had many health problems that didn't help this cause), and Ellie was a bit better, as she started sleeping all night around 4 months, and was doing it consistently by 6 months. Yay!

So...now that I get to sleep, I feel like I can wake up and get a workout in...most days! I don't think I would be nearly as excited about this if it weren't for my extremely dedicated husband! I call him "trainer Shane", because if I need to know anything about working out - he's my guy. He researches a lot about fitness and then practices what he preaches! Good motivation!

Here are a few of my favorite workouts...I really like body weight workouts. Something to get my heart going, give me variety, and maybe even make me feel a bit sore the next day to prove I did work hard! ;) I'm not really competitive...as in, not at all, I just want to feel accomplished with my workouts. And these workouts are just modified ideas from blogs, instagram feeds and facebook pages I follow. I am NOT a trainer, so these workouts could be horrible, but they seem to work for me. And I do try to switch things up every so often, too! :)

This Moment

With a lot of BIG events coming up in our near future I thought we should get some pictures taken this last weekend before all the craziness starts! 

Zay, Family, Maternity...all of the above! 

Seeing these pictures makes me love this moment in our lives...Zay is such an energetic little boy, with big amounts of sweetness shining through his contagious smile! He can wear out his prego mama in a hurry, but we are living up these last few weeks before his world changes in a big way...along with ours! I'm overjoyed for him to become a big brother to our sweet little girl. I know they will adore each other, and Shane and I will be beyond happy having two little ones in our family! 

The next step in our lives is coming fast and I'm just plain thrilled...maybe a little nervous too! :) I'm sure I will look back on these pictures and think about how fast life changes! God has blessed us abundantly! 

Enjoy the pics! 

FAMILY

ZAY

MATERNITY

ZAY & DADDY

(My boys picking a flower for mama...such sweetness)

This morning's adventure...

Well we had what we thought was going to be our final ultrasound of this little girl's pregnancy, however I guess not...

It actually turned out to be quite an entertaining morning!

Our appointment was first thing in the morning, so we thought we'd be 'in and out' in no time. And I decided that Zay could just come along with us again, rather than lining up someone to watch him.

We did fairly well getting out of the house on time (Why is it that for nearly 2 years we used to all be out of the house by 7am, diaper bag packed, lunches made & packed, and each family member looking presentable...but now when we need to go somewhere that early it's an ordeal to make sure everyone and everything is ready?)

Anyway, thankfully Shane remembers that a bridge on our way to IC is out of commission starting today. No worries, Shane knows a way to get around it...ah hem - a Level B road! No worries though...we haven't had rain here in months, so he knew it was fine! However, we were able to recognize as we were turning off our 'secondary path' that the bridge that was 'not passable' was NOT being worked on like the sign stated...not very nice of them to trick us!

We finally get to UofI, get checked in and then our least favorite ultrasound technician calls us back. I guess after you've gone for so many, you start to develop your favorite techs and not-so-much-your-favorite techs. It was ok though, she was actually very pleasant today!

She gets to work looking at baby girl's cord, etc. She explains that for the most part everything looks good, and there was just one spot where there was the intermittent absence of flow. She said that she didn't think it was a big deal though, because it was good everywhere else she checked. After looking and measuring fluids, etc, she gives us a quick peak at our little girl's hair that was standing straight up! Shane asked if she could transfer that into color-mode, to see if her hair was red like Zay's! :)

Then comes the waiting...I guess the doctor's were busy and backed up because we had to wait 45 minutes for them. And as we are sitting there, all of the sudden I start feeling really light headed. I finally look at Shane and tell him that I'm going to be sick! I haven't been feeling the greatest the past few days, and I think I might be one of the lucky ones that has morning sickness return in the 3rd trimester...yay.

So, Shane pulls the trash can over next to me...and then Zay immediately starts yelling "Pee-Pee...Pee-Pee...Pee-Pee". He has to go...NOW! Shane's trying to figure out if he's safe to leave me (I have a bad history of passing out right before I throw up, so he's usually concerned if I get that sick). I tell him to go ahead and take Zay. They come back into the room and Zay is running circles around me...as if the room isn't already spinning! And I'm just mortified thinking about the doctors coming in and finding me with my head in the trash!

So...Shane gets Zay settled down. But immediately Zay assumes his 'pooping-position' and does his second order of business for the day. (Remember...for some reason un-be-knownst to me, he feels he should still poop in his pull-up/diaper, even though he pees perfectly in the toilet!) So back to the potty they go to clean up that mess, while I'm going back and forth from head over the trash, to sweating bullets, to drastic chills...just praying that we can get our act together before the doctors barge in to take a look at our sweet little girl!

Thankfully, we did get it all under control. I started feeling better. Shane had Zay cleaned up. The room surprisingly didn't smell. We were in good shape, well in the best shape we could be in assuming the series of events that had just taken place!

So, the team of docs come in, tell us that little girl is looking good today, but they would suggest we come back for another growth check in 2 weeks. (This was a different doctor than the one that read our ultrasound last time...so I guess, different doctors=different opinions). I still feel at ease that our little girl is fine and will be fine, but I'm not going to argue with the doctor's about wanting to keep an eye on her! I would much rather have them watch her closely, given our history of different concerns!

After meeting with them, I go see my regular OB, and she asks me how I'm feeling. I tell her about my little episode in the ultrasound room, the fact that I haven't been feeling the greatest the past few days, and having lots of braxton hicks. She decides she better check me, just to be sure nothing is progressing. (My poor husband...he is entertaining our 2 year old, still worried about his wife tossing her cookies, passing out, or both! All while trying to remain calm at the fact that he has a meeting back at the office in less than 1/2 hour...) Thankfully...our little girl cooperated and she is low with her head down, but not rushing us into labor! I was only dilated a very tiny bit, if at all. Phew!

And just to put a cherry on top of our already over-flowing series of situations.....Shane gets pulled over as we are leaving UofI! I was following him, and felt so bad! They had put out a temporary stop sign in a construction area and Shane saw it at the last minute, and stopped but Mr. Police Officer didn't think it was a complete stop. (No ticket, so that's good news!)

All-in-all......Zay and I made it home. Shane made it to work. And I'm so happy that looking back this is comical rather than discouraging. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and the predicaments you end up in! I honestly couldn't have been happier to have gone through the craziness of the day with anyone other than my husband, my son, and the baby girl inside me! :)

A great day!

Last Sunday, Shane got up early with Zay and let me sleep in. When I came downstairs and looked out our window, this is what I saw...the cutest boy ever bringing a "Happy Mother's Day" balloon to me! What a great day!

What a Wife (and Mom)

I have to tell you something. My wife is absolutely amazing. The last couple of months have been pretty hectic around the Austerman household. I helped plan Love Cedar Valley for our church, which meant weekly meetings, and many late nights spent emailing and organizing things. Jackee also was involved in some of the planning, when she wasn't taking care of Isaiah. I also am taking my first class to get my Master's right now, and travel to Chicago for work once a month. On top of all of this, I have been trying to work out just about every night (if I want Zay to be healthy, I better be healthy myself!!!). Jackee enables me to do all of this, and supports me. She takes all of this busyness in stride, which is such a blessing to me.

To most, this would seem quite normal, if one parent is busy the other one just kind of picks up the slack. Unfortunately parenting Zay isn't quite like parenting most kids. The extra time to cook his food is quite astonishing. In addition to the PKU, Zay has also been dealing with ear infections and at different times breathing problems from his Asthma. Jackee is such an amazing mom, and is the rock of our family.

The last two nights she has been even more extraordinary. On Tuesday morning Zay woke up at 5:00, which up until the last two weeks was his normal time to get up. Before I was really comprehending that Zay was crying, Jackee was already up and taking care of him. Fortunately, Zay went back down at about 5:45, and then Jackee climbed back into bed for 45 minutes. I barely moved through any of this. Then last night, Zay was so tired from being outside, that he was a bear. He went to bed after fussing non-stop at 6:30. He woke back up at 9:30. I tried to calm him down, but Zay definitely wanted his mommy. Jackee got up to help me take care of him. I also stayed up for a while, and then I tried to lay him down, and he had no part of that. I was extremely frustrated as I could not get him to calm down, eventually resolving to try to let him cry it out. Jackee ended up rescuing him, and didn't get to put him down until 11:45, while I slept. What a wife and mom!

She is continuously amazing me. Whether she is looking up new recipes for Zay, taking an extra minute at work to let me know that she loves me, or enabling me to volunteer at church, she is always making me feel loved. Jackee is a full time employee, a full time mom, a full time home maker, and a full time wife. Somehow with all of this she is also finding time to read some great Christian books, and pushing our family forward in our faith walk. Even with all of her love and care for our family, there are still times Jackee will ask me if she is a good mom; her humbleness is so honest. Right now Jackee is laying next to me sleeping. I pray that when she takes a moment to rest tomorrow as she is vacuuming, dusting, picking up the kitchen, sweeping the floors, doing laundry, making food for Zay, and raking the front yard she will read this and realize how much Zay and I appreciate her. Zay and I love you Hun, and I think you are the best Wife and Mom a husband and son could have!!!!

Lent

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

In years past Shane and I have challenged ourselves to give things up and sacrifice some of the pleasures of life during the Lent season. Not because we have to, but because we think it is good to experience a little sacrifice. Just a microscopic, teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy comparison of what Jesus sacrificed for us…his life. As one saying I read yesterday said…”Lent is about saying "no" to some things so we can say "yes" to others.”

I’ve challenged myself in many different ways in the past. I think I started out a long time ago giving up ice cream (this was a big deal for me). Then I advanced on to giving up all sweets (this is a REALLY big challenge for me!). Traditionally in high school, I gave up pop, mainly because it was also around the start of track season, and I wanted to be somewhat healthier to get in shape…I suppose this makes it sound like it wasn’t even a sacrifice, but believe me it was! Anyway, the list goes on…

This year I thought I’d try to give up something a little different. Non-food related. So…I’m giving up TV! Yep, no TV for me for more than 40 days! I think this is going to be a real challenge for me. I don’t watch a TON of TV, but there is no doubt I will miss my frequently watched shows…top of the list - Wheel of Fortune! Yep, I know I’m a nerd and my husband constantly asks me why I am not a “Wheel Watcher” yet! One of these days you will probably see my name flash across the screen for being a wheel watcher! :) I'm also really going to miss our DVR’ed shows that we catch up on every so often. And I’ll miss just sitting down and ‘zoning out’.

Yep, I do believe this will be hard one for me! I suppose that is the point! I think it will be a great reality check. It is good to challenge myself in this way – it gives me a great idea of how much of a grip the world has on me!

Someone else pointed out to me, that many times sacrifice is great, because it makes you realize and appreciate all of the blessings in your life...even the small ones like sweets and TV! Isn't it true we consider them "small" until we take them away!

guest post by me, Shane...

my wife thought i should spend some time making a post on our 'family blog'...she told me to write 26 things about myself that the everyday blog reader might not know...

1. I am 26 years old, thus 26 things (1 down 25 to go, thanks wifey!!!!)

2. I voluntarily encouraged one of my in-laws to move in with me, and that was after his fiance already lived with us. (I am a glutton for punishment).

3. The Vanilla Oreos are so much better.

4. I am the luckiest man in the world, I married up.

5. I have an Ipad (due to my wife), and I love it.

6. If I had my way, I would have a concrete backyard.

7. I met and proposed to Jackee in the same room on the UNI Campus, inside the Curris Business Building.

8. I like phones, like a lot.

9. I pretty much am addicted to technology

10. I like google products, some of you know this about me.

11. I have not owned a gaming system since I got married (due to my wife). The things a man will do for love.

12. Jackee will not allow my original comment for number 12 to be posted on this "family" blog.

13. I like to learn and read.

14. I am a better man than I was 6 years ago (due to my wife).

15. When I was little I had a horrible speech problem, it was so bad my brother used to dial Hooked on Phonics and have me talk regularly as a prank. "Hoofed on bonics rorked fur me. Yem sum good stuf"

16. I am not a violent person...except....(deleted by Jackee)

17. I am a Momma's Boy.

18. I broke my arm when I was 7 really bad, like three bones and a dislocated shoulder. It happened at 4, my brother picked me up from the babysitter at 8, he ate a pizza, had a car break down, and I finally got to the hospital at like midnight.

19. My brothers have been two of the best mentors in my life, they are 9 and 15 years older than me.

20. I love playing, watching, and teaching basketball.

21. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.

22. I haven't had a pop since 2002 (not due to my wife, she has never seen me drink pop). It is true, I am a recovering popaholic.

23. One of the hardest things for me to get over since Zay has PKU is that I will never be able to grill a steak and have a beer with him!!!!

24. I am one of those crazy dog loving people.

25. I have learned that I love going for runs, but I am going on nearly 8 months of having an injury that stops me from going much farther than 1 mile.

26. Jesus is my bff, like seriously forever.

Now my wife has to do this!!!!! 27 for her, she robbed the craddle (due to me).

Wine & Dark Hair

This past weekend we went to Summerset Winery in Indianola, Iowa for a Murder Mystery Dinner. We had a great time catching up with our friends Erin & Aaron. And the wine was tasty as well!! Here are a few pics!

Also, here is a picture of my new hair - no more highlights!

The 4 of us.

Erin & Jackee