A-Hoy!

Cupcake Treasure Map for the Luke and Jarom birthday song

Naughty Leprechauns

Sorry these pics aren't in order...blogger wouldn't allow me to move them all.

We made a trap to try and catch the naughty guys this year so they couldn't turn things green. This is where Kurt decided this one needed to go so they couldn't turn the toilet water green again.

Here's trap #2 - he put it at the top of the stairs

The leprechauns turned the boys beds around

The sneaky guys fell in, but they must have had some one help them out. They did drop a few golden jewels and left them behind...

Kurt thought their rope was pretty cool

He was nervous to see if we caught one

Here's Kurt's bed turned around - you can kinda see the trail of leprechaun dust they left

They turned the bath water green too

Kurt cannot believe it!!

And the toilets!!

"Gotcha"

Here they are following the trails of dust, trying to find the pot of gold

AND, they turned our furniture upside down

Back to the trails...

They found it!!

Leprechaun Loot for breakfast! Could it get any better?

For lunch I made mac'n'cheese and those naughty guys turned it green when I turned around!! Kurt did not like that one bit.

My rainbow cupcakes

Rainbow Jello Bowl

And my pot of "gold" :)

We also made the traditional corned beef and cabbage and soda bread. Kurt loved the corned beef, but not the cabbage, and Luke wouldn't touch any of it. It wasn't anything I'll crave, and it made my house STINKY, but I'll make it once a year.

Favorite Movie Spot

They really love watching movies together on the couch on the portable DVD. I think it's funny, but cute how squished up they get.

I was trying to catch the snow blowing off the ledge here, but I couldn't get to a spot that wasn't freezing or getting the camera soaking wet. You can kinda see small ones on that back drift.

With love

Feeling Blighted?

Did you ever think you could be pregnant with nothing? Well yes, you can. And I am - currently 15 weeks along with a placenta :) I've known since January 18th that my pregnancy was not viable and have been waiting for a natural miscarriage.

For those of you who are confused (like I still am), here are the definitions. Not that they help much...

A blighted ovum (also known as “anembryonic pregnancy”) happens when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop. Cells develop to form the pregnancy sac, but not the embryo itself. A blighted ovum usually occurs within the first trimester before a woman knows she is pregnant. A high level of chromosome abnormalities usually causes a woman’s body to naturally miscarry.

Approximate estimates indicate that 15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. Estimates vary little and approximate blighted ovums account for 45 to 55% of all miscarriages. A blighted ovum is usually the result of chromosomal problems. A woman’s body recognizes abnormal chromosomes in a fetus and naturally does not try to continue the pregnancy because the fetus will not develop into a normal, healthy baby. This can be caused by abnormal cell division, or poor quality sperm or egg.

So, there was never a baby? This is not true. An egg has been fertilized just as in every pregnancy. The baby just does not develop beyond implantation. If you've had a blighted ovum, you were no less pregnant than any other pregnant woman at that same stage and you have every right to mourn the baby that only shared your body for a couple weeks.

There is just so much we do not know about the blighted ovum. Although the blighted ovum is mentioned frequently in medical literature, not many research papers dedicated to understanding the blighted ovum can be found. Generally, a blighted ovum is considered a one-time event and fluke of nature. However, miscarriage is a risk in any pregnancy. Just because you've had one blighted ovum does not mean you will not miscarry again, but your risk is not heightened because of the blighted ovum.

Well, today was finally the day. One of my sisters said, "Yea! I'm so happy for you! but I'm so sad for you too." It was exactly how I feel today. I'm sooo glad it's finally over, but when I think of what I'm losing, it does make me sad. I'm sad that we will not have a new addition to our family. It's so easy to take for granted what a miracle pregnancy, and consequently a child, is. I am extremely lucky to have had 2 miracles - 2 beautiful, healthy, handsome boys.

Today I am grateful for them. I'm grateful for their hugs, kisses, snuggles and smiles, and even their fights, angry eyes and pouty faces. They are mine, and I love every piece of them.

Interview Day

When Brandon went to audition for grad schools last time around, I made him a special surprise treat for his trips. I thought a real job interview deserved an "egg"tra special treat too - something to make him smile, if even for a couple of seconds.

Gratefully his favorite candies were in stock. And it was amazing how many words start with the letters "ex" :)