Ups & Downs

So with times as unstable as they are at times we have seen it first hand in our family. Over the last couple months we have experienced the joys of Mia being a part of our family and the fun we have with Abby and Parker. Jill and I feel really blessed for the many good experiences we have. Unfortunately with the economic times we have being given some new trials and opportunities. At this time my company has had to do significant cut backs. We used to say that they had already cut employees down to the marrow so we thought we were safe but now they are chopping off some limbs. Unfortunately I happen to be one of the limbs. With the construction field being very unstable we're weighing out all of our options to find the best course to pursue. I can't say that it's been fun to lose my job, this is the first time I've ever experienced something like this in my life. However, we are finding that where one door closes another is sure to open. We're not sure what that door is right now but we'll figure it out. Even at this time we are very thankful that I had a good job as long as I did. We are grateful this is not as big of a trial as what others might face. It's an experience for sure, we'll just see where life takes us.

Getting some Kicks

This year we wanted to get Abby involved in some activities. When she was confronted with the choice between soccer and ballet, I am proud to say that we are spending our Saturday mornings on the soccer field. So far she is just learning to run around with her team, but occasionally she kicks the ball and heads in the right direction. Originally she was the only girl on a team of 11 but then another little girl joined so she's not alone, although she is the only one that wears pink shorts. It's fun to see her have so much enthusiasm about an activity. For my sake, I hope soccer sticks so we can stay out of the ballet studio.

Sleepy Mia

So Mia had her first experience with a photographer this weekend. Jill as really trying to get a picture of her when she was awake, but from the time they left the house until the pictures were taken, Mia decided that she was more content just sleeping. I wish she would do the same thing at night!

Here's a few more sleepy moments

Get me out of here...

Waiting to go home...

Finally!

The Whole Story

So this week was really exciting to have Mia join us. Jill was due last Thursday and we were anxiously waiting Mia's arrival. My mom came out from Chicago on Tuesday because Jill's doctor gave her the impression that she was going to have the baby before her Wednesday appointment. Jill asked my mom to join us for the birth and so we didn't want her to miss it... Well... She didn't.

Jill told her doctor that if she didn't have the baby before her appointment that she wanted to be induced so my mom could be there. Her doctor said the hospital was full on Wednesday and they were just waiting for a bed to open up. Well we never got the call so Jill followed up on Thursday with the hospital and her doctor's office but was told that they were just waiting to hear from the doctor. Again nothing, finally at 10:00 that night they called and said that they were scheduling her for an induction Monday morning... (FRUSTRATING).

After we were told to wait until Monday we tried everything possible to get the baby out naturally. I don't think Jill has ever walked as much as she did in the next couple days. On Friday she felt some action so we went to the hospital to see if it was coming or at least close enough that they would keep her in the hospital. Again, no luck, oh well it just wasn't happening that night.

We went about the next couple of days and finally on Sunday Jill felt more contractions so we waited for them to get closer then we went in that evening. We got there around 8:30 and they checked her and she wasn't ready. We sat around for a couple hours waiting and finally around 10:30 they felt she was far enough along that they would admit her to the hospital.

We walked around for a while until the room was ready. Finally around 11:30 we got settled and then they tried to do the IV to get the drugs flowing. The first nurse messed up twice so they had another nurse come in and try. By this time it was around 11:45 and Jill was begging for an epidural, the nurse ordered it and we were just waiting for the anesthesiologist down the hall. It sounded like it was going to be a bit so I headed to the visitor bathroom down at the other end of the wing. A couple minutes later I was walking back and a nurse stopped and asked if I was Jon Peterson, I was told that Jill was about to have the baby and I needed to hurry if I didn't want to miss it.

I got back to the room which was full of nurses... NO DOCTOR... They were trying to stop the baby from coming until a doctor came. Finally the ER doc showed up and within a minute or so the nurse delivered our baby. Since it happened so fast there were no drugs but a whole lot of screams. I think drugs would have helped all parties involved.

It was so fast that it was over before we knew it (Jill would beg to differ based on the amount of pain). So Jill's doctor was off that weekend and the on call doctor missed it and we had the nicest nurse end up taking care of her under the ER doctor's supervision. It was fun and exciting, at least from my standpoint.

So for Mia, she was stubborn to come into this world and join us but as soon as she was ready she made sure that everyone dropped everything to pay attention to her! We are so thankful for her and that she is healthy and here. We really feel complete with her here.

MIA!

So the time finally came for Mia to join us. There's a pretty good background but for now I'll just post some pictures of our newest little bundle of joy!

February Pictures

We love having Jon's work so close to us now. We're about a 7 minute drive. The kids love going there to play at his "new park". I love that we get it all to ourselves since the community is still in it's beginning stages and the sand is brand new, which means there aren't any surprises in it! Jon has a "toy" gets to drive around the community when he's there-- he let the kids drive it too- they go crazy!
We've also been taking him dinner at night because he's been working late with so many layoffs. Our favorites at his office are the white board and the photocopy machine--the kids love photocopying their hands! I remember growing up and photocopying our faces at dad's work... I haven't given my kids that idea yet. Maybe that has something to do with my siblings and I ALL wearing glasses by the end of high school!

Above are the awesome ladies I get to work with in Young Women. They are always on the ball and are great examples of going the extra mile with their callings. Below are all the BEAUTIFUL young women dressed up for the Etiquette Dinner by the Young Men... It was a night full of chivalry!

Abby and I had "special times" at her preschool last week. I dropped Parker off at a friend's house, and spent the morning at Preschool with Abby. She thought it was the coolest thing that I was there with her and kept acting a little sillier than usual, according to Mrs. Whitmer. That weeks they learned "Q" for queen and "K" for King.

Parker found Jon's huge mud boots and had a lot of fun trying to walk in them... They're actually longer than his legs, so he didn't make it very far!

Chelsea came for a much anticipated visit-- we got to have her all to ourselves for 6 whole days! And the really nice thing is that we just hung out and relaxed most of the time. Jon was great at letting up slip away to dinner and a movie. And Chelsea (if you know her at all) was great at spoiling us to death-- new clothes for the kids, toys for the kids, fresh flowers on my counter, mopping my kitchen floor, letting me sleep in, changing Parker's poopy diapers even when he absolutely insists that he's not poopy, treating me to lunch & dinner, wiping off my ceiling fans, organizing the baby's room, taking the kids to the park so I could do nothing in the house, giving baths, putting the kids to bed (my least favorite thing to do besides the kitchen floor).
Chelsea-
I <3>

My cute neighbors threw me a Baby Shower!
It was so much fun and I just loved it! I feel very spoiled though =)
We've decided to name the baby Mia, so the ever-talented Alicia made these awesome wall letters for the nursery. I told her she needs to quit teaching and go into business!

Op! This would be Chelsea again-- getting Parker extra handsome for church, and playing hide-and-go-seek with the kids for literally hours! They will still tell you right where they are hiding if you rhetorically ask while you're the seeker--it's pretty funny.

January Pictures...