Easter Update

Hello! We have had a great couple weeks...still holding out hope that someday, spring will decide to show up. :)

Above are some pics of various Easter celebrations that we got to take part on it. Connor had an Easter Egg Hunt at school on a BEAUTIFUL Wednesday morning. The Easter Bunny visited our house, and the kids hurried in the cold Sunday weather to find all their goodies (Connor FINALLY got his roller skates!). We also had a visit from the Easter Bunny at Grandpa and Grandma Lori's house, where thankfully, it was a bit warmer...with enough candy for 10 or 12 kiddos!! Brandon and I are still enjoying the remnants of that celebration...

Lots has been happening in our house...

After a great deal of discussion and deliberation, I decided to resign my position with the MinuteClinic. I hadn't really even gotten started on my own there yet...but felt that this was a case of the right opportunity at the wrong time. In between balancing my responsibilities here at home, at William Jewell, and with my Grandpa, there just isn't room for another job right now. It was a tough realization for someone who prides herself on keeping all the balls in the air, but also a powerful lesson in prioritization...and let me tell you that my family will win out every time. There will be plenty of Nurse Practitioner opportunities on down the road...when family is healthy and kids are a bit older...I am realizing how quickly time with my children at home is going to pass by.

Speaking of Grandpa, things have been a bit hectic. I attended a family meeting with therapists and the case manager at The Sweet Life, and they are going to continue working with him for the time being. The primary frustration tends to be the fact that his progress isn't consistent...while he will have really GOOD days, he also has really BAD days...which can, at times, make it difficult to justify continuing to work with him, because in order for Medicare to continue to pay, continued, consistent, progress must be documented (I am learning a lot about Medicare!). The kids and I are going down to visit twice a week and then we go as a family on Sundays for a few hours. We so greatly appreciate all of your prayers for him and ask that you'd keep them coming!

And, speaking of time at home with my children passing quickly, we attended kindergarten round-up with Connor last night. Oh, boy. He will be an Alexander Doniphan "Dolphin" as of next fall. They showed a video of "A Typical Day in Kindergarten" with this beautiful song playing in the background and that was all she wrote for this Momma. I was relieved that when the lights came back up, I wasn't the only one with a tear-stained face. We were impressed with the school, got to meet all the kindergarten teachers (we'll find out which teacher Connor will have later in the summer), and liked the Principal, too. Connor spent some time in one of the classrooms and did well. He still isn't entirely sure about this whole kindergarten thing, but it was a good introduction. I can hardly believe that we are at this point in our lives. I feel so blessed to have enjoyed the last 6 years with him at home, and know that this will be a great experience for him, too.

Kylee is doing well and growing leaps and bounds almost daily, it seems. We are currently engaged in the potty wars (why I call it a war, I don't know, since we ALL know that the parents won't win!). We continue to admire her confidence and decisiveness...she's finally big enough to keep up with the other neighborhood kids, so it's fun to watch her run and explore with them.

In Baby #3 news, I am almost 20 weeks along and doing well. We have our sonogram on Monday afternoon and have decided to find out the sex of the baby (all of you who know us well are not a big surprised by our decision...we know, we know...it was fun to imagine being spontaneous people for at least a few months). ;) The kids are coming with us and are excited to know if there's a brother or a sister in Mommy's tummy, and Mommy and Daddy are anxious to see if this little one is healthy (and honestly, excited about answering the gender question, too). :)

Thanks for reading!

Big News for The Carlson Crew

Good Morning!

Look closely at these pictures, and you will see that Kylee's shirt states that she's going to be a BIG SISTER!

That's right, folks, we are excited to announce that Baby Carlson #3 is on the way...due August 17th. I am 13 weeks along and doing well. I have battled the typical first-trimester stuff, which has added an interesting dimension to a busy work schedule and trying to navigate all of this with Grandpa, but I am now at the point where I am having more good days than bad days, which is great.

We had deliberated for months about having a third child...me being more comfortable with the idea than Brandon. I think that a large part of my desire to have a third comes from my frame of reference...coming from a family of three kiddos myself. My sister, the middle child in our family, assures me that the only reason I think having three kids is cool is because I was the oldest of my brood. :)

We thought, prayed, discussed, discussed some more, and this summer, both came to the conclusion (independently, actually), that we were brave enough to be outnumbered. :)

We feel amazingly blessed. I had a sonogram last week and it was incredible to see a perfectly formed little person floating around inside my belly. Following the sonogram, we told the kids what was about to happen. Both seemed fairly okay with the idea, which was a relief. I think Kylee was way more excited about her new shirt. Connor said he was "too nervous" to have his picture taken in his big brother shirt, so that's why there are no pictures of him in this post.

The question many folks have asked us as we've shared our news is "Are you going to find out what you're having?". Our answer, right now, is "no". But, who knows? When we're sitting there right next to the sonogram screen in a couple months, our resistance to finding out may dwindle (I, in general, don't like surprises, so this will be interesting). However, given that we really have no preference either way, it makes sense to spice it up a bit this way.

Let the adventure begin.