Peter makes the local News!

We saw this today posted on a Northwoods news website, featuring the pond hockey tournament that Peter played in last weekend.  If you click on the picture above, it will bring you to the website and Peter is in the white helmet shown playing goalie during warmups at 0:15 in the clip.  Then his good friend's dad (Andrew Elsen) was interviewed shortly after, who flew out from Montana to watch the tournament.  You can see Peter skating in the background of that interview.

David came to visit!

David, Peter's oldest brother, came to visit us this past weekend. He had researched Denver and things to do and made out an itinerary for us. He flew in Friday morning and after touring Buckley AFB and getting lunch there we drove to the mountains and spent the day there. It was beautiful! We took a scenic driving tour, went to a state park and sighted several elk and a fox.
David was awake by 6:20am Saturday morning and ready to go. The plans for Saturday? Museums. We went to the Wings Over the Rockies museum first, and Peter was captivated by the airplanes, simulators and cockpits that you could see and go inside. And I would agree, it was very cool. Next up, lunch at Subway and D was already thinking of where we should go for dinner. Then we went to the Nature and Science museum and toured all of their exhibits. We walked a lot that day and did a lot and David asked if we could have a low-key day on Sunday.

Sunday, David's last day with us, we went to church and visited the public library by our house. After we had lunch at IHOP of pancakes, we took a short walk and came home for Sunday afternoon naps and packing. We were able to stay and hang out with David until he boarded the plane back home. So we enjoyed every minute till the very end. It was fun having you here brother!

Our Northwoods Vacation

Yes, the time of year had arrived for the annual pond hockey tournament in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Each year Peter and his college friends get together for the three-day event that is sponsored by Labat Blue, a beer company from Canada. Going to the games chanting their team name and pounding their sticks on the ground while wearing orange and blue Wheaton hockey jerseys, they are the proud Prohibitionists.

The guys play two games a day and pick up hockey in between matches. Then we all get together at Grandma and Grandpa Elsens for dinner and to watch the video and pictures that Dan and Meredith took that day. Like I said, this happens every year. It is so fun to see Peter with his college friends and spend time hanging out with them. John and Dan Elsen really bring out a different side of Peter - one that is louder, more aggressive, and pretends that they are an Olympic skier or an Indian dancing around a fire among other things. Needless to say, it is a lot of fun. And for me, it just wouldn't be the same without Meredith there, my cheering and donut making friend.

While we were in Wisconsin I was also able to escape the pond hockey madness and spend time with other dear friends. Including long talks with Elizabeth, Dianna and Anne. And spending the day with the Kerns watching Ryan wrestle and talking with Denise. Sunday gave us time to do our traditional New Year's dinner of lomo al trapo with the Kerns and Peter and Ryan were off to play in the Sunday night hockey that happens after youth group. So many things had the feeling of 'just like old times'.  But also strange to think that we moved only a few months ago.

From Wisconsin we drove down to Wheaton and had Valentine's dinner with Dan, Meredith, Mike and Krissy. We heard Mike and Krissy's engagement story and just talked and talked, laughing so hard throughout the dinner. The next day the three guys all went to Los for lunch while Meredith and I had a SAGA date. Then we met up with some Colombian friends in the city and had a great time with them and came back to have late night tea with Mike and Krissy. It was a full and wonderful week, one that Peter said he wished it could have lasted a few more days. I agree. It just couldn't have been sweeter or more meaningful.

We have been so blessed with friendships.

I (Pete) felt the baby move!

This is Pete (guest blogger) and I had a really neat experience last night.  I was next to Angela, who is about 19 weeks right now, and she got real quiet for a moment.  Then she grabbed by hand, moved it over to her stomach, and said, Feel right here.  So I put my hand there, which I'd done before with no success, and after a few moments she said, There, did you feel that?  Nope.  But about 10 seconds later, I felt a tiny thump thump.  Did you feel that?  Yes!  I finally felt the baby move.  It was awesome.  Our first interaction.  I can't wait to feel it again.

ultrasound pictures

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound, I'm a little short of 19 weeks but we are leaving for Peter's pond hockey tournament on the 10th and then my doctor is on vacation after that. 

We were so excited to see the baby again, remembering how fun it was to watch them moving all over the place at 10.5 weeks. I have been feeling them move around every day now for the last several days. So this morning as I was lying in bed and becoming more and more awake, I wondered if the baby was awake too. My hands were much warmer than my stomach so I put my hands on my swollen stomach and after a couple seconds felt a little, bump, bump, bump! Yep, our little one was awake too. And excited to go to see the doctor that reminds us so much of Aunt B! (really Betsy, I wish you could meet my doctor because she reminds us so much of you!)

So I have to admit Johnny, I was half hoping that they were going to tell us that we were expecting twins when we went today. (Even though I know I'd be much larger right now if I were). But there really is only one baby. One baby that weighs 9 ounces and who's head is 5mm in diameter now. We could see all their little bones and what looked like dark hair on top of their head. We have a shot of their face and profile and another of their little foot. See any family resemblance yet? We decided not to find out their gender, so we will all have a big surprise in a few more months. Take our survey to tell us if you think it will be a boy or a girl http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S8T9KD8. The good news, yellow happens to be the favorite color of their dad and I love the ducky things for little babies. And there will be plenty of time to buy blue/pink things as needed. So bring on all your guesses. Peter has dreamed that we had a girl twice now and a boy once. The boy was born at 11:48pm and one of the girls' was talking after 3 weeks. :-D

And as excited as Peter and I were to see the baby moving around on the ultrasound, they happened to be sleeping. Funny, I never imagine that they would happen to be sleeping during the important event where we could see them. But they were, arm over their head, asleep...in the same position I woke up in this morning. The technician kept pressing on my stomach to get them to wake up and change positions, but they slept on, I wonder where those genes came from? There nap time might be the 3-4 hour of the afternoon because they weredefinitely sleeping at not at 9pm tonight because there was some more bouncing around after I had some hot chocolate tonight. But it is now 11:20pm and I'm not asleep yet because all I can think about is the ultrasound images from this afternoon. 

Fun to share this with you guys! We're excited to meet this little one! DONT FORGET TO TAKE THE SURVEY and see the results of what everyone thinks after you vote!  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S8T9KD8 (by the way it only accepts one vote per computer)

18 weeks

I was 18 weeks yesterday, 4.5 months. It's amazing how fast time is going by and how large my stomach is getting! I feel like I've grown every morning that I wake up and see this little stomach poking out. I've been able to feel the baby move a few times, more recently. But the very first time was 3 weeks ago when I was 15 weeks. I was lying still trying t fall asleep and thinking about the day. When I felt a light movement against my stomach on the inside. It was something different than I had ever felt before. "There is a mystery and wonder bound up in feeling that first movement." Peter hasn't yet been able to feel them move, but hopefully soon he will. It is such an amazing thing that a little life is growing.
Peter has had three very detailed dreams now of our baby. Twice we have had a girl and once a boy. In one dream they were talking after three weeks and I told him that was normal. He could remember the time they were born and what they looked like. It's so fun to hear these! And I on the other hand have not had a single dream about the baby...maybe in a few more weeks.