The Circus is in Town! April 22-23, 2006

This weekend was a busy one for Todd and I. Todd kept really busy working on the landscaping. He planted several bushes, and finished the edging so that rock can be put down soon. Our yard is really coming along, he works really hard, but he loves doing it!

While Todd was working away I went to the circus with Melody, Steve, Cody, Talon, Lily, Misty, Tiffani and Lexi. We all had lots of fun! It was so cute to watch Lily especially as she got so excited and just was in awe of everything she saw. My favorite parts where the Lion/Tigers, the elephants and the motorcycles in the cage (5 in the cage at once! Yikes!) We all had lots of fun!!





On Sunday Todd and I got to babysit Keeley while the Strom's and Dahmen's went to the Circus. We went for a long walk with Keeley, then keeley and Amy took a nap, and then spent the rest of the time outside playing in the yard watching Todd work away! I really enjoyed spending time with my Godchild, and it was good for Todd to get a little taste of what it will be like to have a baby in the house.

We made it!!!

We made it to our 12 week appointment!!!

When I first found out I was pregnant I immediately made an appointment with the obgyn that I had hoped to get into - and we were lucky she did have an opening for a new patient! Our first appointment with the doctor was supposed to be on Thursday April 20th. Of course, because of the problems we had with the SCH we have seen our doctor several times before this appointment.

The appointment went great, we heard the heart beat for the first time, it was awesome!!! Everything is looking good! We had to do lots of paper work and some blood work, and we spoke with the genetic counselor, it was a long morning but everything went smoothly. Our doctor is awesome, we really feel blessed to have her as our doctor (check her out on the Sioux Valley OBGYN page http://www.obgynltd.org/staff/index.php?id=&entryid=7 ). She even took the time to make sure Todd got to see what was all happening, and to talk with him! The best news to me was, things are going so well that in the next week or two I will be able to go off the partial bed rest I was on...I will still have to be careful, but not to the extreme point I was before! Yeah!

After our appointment Todd and I went to Spezia's for lunch to celebrate! We had taken the day off work a long time ago, to celebrate making it to the 12 week mark! The rest of the afternoon we spent at home (I took a 2 hour nap!) and just hung out.

Last night I brought special cupcakes to the church group I go to at Oak Hills Church, the cupcakes had little bottles and pacifiers on them, it didn't take long for everyone to figure out what I was trying to tell them! Half the cupcakes where pink and half where blue, each person took the color that they thought I was having (boy or girl) according to the cupcake count - I am having a boy! lol We will have to see if they where right!

Thanks again to all of our family and friends for their prayers and support- we couldn't do it without you!

EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

This Easter Todd and I had a big announcement for our friends and family. We made up Easter baskets for our family with this poem inside one of the eggs...

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
This Happy Easter we have some news to share with you!
The Newest Married Anawski's are excited to say...
November 9th, 2006 is our babies expected arrival day!

Love,
Todd, Amy & Baby Anawski

Yes!! It's true - we are having a baby!!! We are right now 11 weeks along! It's been a rough ride for us though. We found out in early March I was pregnant, which was a big suprise to us - considering I was on the pill! (the 99.9% factor is the only answer from the doctor!) Todd and I had just discussed and started planning a date for when we where going to start trying for a baby the week before we found out - I guess God had plans for us we didn't know about!

At 5 weeks - I started bleeding....rushed to the doctor and found out I had a Subchorionic Hematoma...This is the medical definition of a Subchorionic Hematoma/Hemmorage


A subchorionic hematoma "SCH"(also known as subchorionic bleeding) is a space of fluid collection, presumably blood, between the gestational sac, usually the placenta, and the uterine wall. A subchorionic hematoma is a diagnosis made on ultrasound during pregnancy and is usually found either when a sonogram is done for vaginal bleeding in pregnancy or during a routine ultrasound examination. Small subchorionic hematomas in early pregnancy may not be significant, and most women with this finding will go on and deliver a healthy baby. Larger hematomas are more likely to be detected later in pregnancy, and may be associated with a poorer outcome, such as late abortion or preterm delivery. The reason for a subchorionic hematoma is usually unclear. It has been shown not only in patients with threatened miscarriage, but also in patients with bleeding disorders, patients with the presence of auto-antibodies, as well as patients receiving anti- coagulants, or those after a severe trauma. When a subchorionic hematoma is found on ultrasound, women are often told to stay on bed rest.

The subchorionic Hematoma we had was significantly sized - enough so that I had to be on moderate bed rest, and several times had to go in for ultrasounds to check on everything. Everytime we went in - Todd and I sighed a breath of relief when we found the baby was ok and the heartbeat was still there....

SCH's will either cause a miscarriage, or will take care of themselves and disolve, or will continue on through the pregnancy and be a constant threat to the baby. On Monday April 10th I started bleeding and was rushed into the doctors for an ultrasound, at this point we expected the worse....but the news was GREAT! We found out the baby was doing great - heartbeat was great, and even better we found out the SCH had dissolved, they did the ultrasound twice to verify it and it came back both times the same - they couldn't find it anymore!! We where very excited. We still have a risk the blood could clot more, but once we hit the 12 week to 15 week mark with no sign of it we are pretty much in the clear! I am still on modified bed rest (meaning I can work, and such, but no physical activies, exercise, and I have to rest immediatly when tired!) until the 12-15 week mark, but that is ok!

We hope you are all as excited as we are - and I will keep you all updated on how things are going! Below is the latest ultrasound pic...

Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, 2006

This weekend was a fun and busy one for Todd and I! Todd spent every minute of nice weather outside working on the deck and working on the landscaping! He is really doing an awesome job, the landscaping is coming out GREAT! Stop on by anytime to check it out - he loves to show off his progress!

On Saturday - My Mom came into town, and Justin, Todd Mom and I went to dinner at Applebees and then did some shopping, it was fun to spend time all together!




 

Friday April 14, 2006

Friday we celebrated Tiffani's 27tth Birthday (April 13th) with Tiffani, Rob and lots of Tiffani's friends at Pizza Ranch! We all had fun playing the games and eating pizza. Then we all went bowling at the bowling alley in Brandon. It was fun listening to the music and watching everyone bowl!


 

Monday April 10, 2006

Monday was Pat Anawski's Birthday! The family all got together at Terri & Reed's house for a spaghetti dinner and of course cake and ice cream!




 

The Sioux Falls!

As most of you know - Last week we had a ton of rainfall! On Thursday night it rained from 9:00PM to 9:00AM - we had flooding all over Sioux Falls. On Friday Todd an I went to the Falls to see the water levels - it was amazing. They where raging really hard, and they where really high! Check out some of our pictures from the Falls!




 

Our Babies!

Some pictures of our Babies - Bobby & Chance. The have been loving the warm weather, because the windows are open in the house! They spend the day just napping in the sunshine!

Monday April 10, 2006

This weekend was a fun and busy one! On Saturday we had Mom & Dave come up to visit - and Todd, Dave and Jeff spent the afternoon/night playing Risk and causing other mischief! Mom & I went to the movie Cheaper by the Dozen 2 - which was good! We enjoyed the first one, and the second one was just as funny. We did some other dinking around and shopping, and then picked up Lily & Melody for dinner at Cracker barrel. It was lots of fun! I love spending time with my Mom!

Sunday Todd and I spend the day working on projects around the house, Todd has been finishing staining our deck, and working on the landscaping, and he spent a lot of time outside on Sunday.

Debbie, Melody, Cody and Lily stopped by for a little bit, which was nice, Debbie got to see our house for the first time!

Todd and I grilled some yummy chicken, potatoes and corn on the cob for dinner, and then vegged out the rest of the night! It was a great weekend!!!

Monday April 3, 2006

It' s Monday..again! This weekend was a fun weekend. Saturday I visited Robin, and got to spend some time helping her organize her garage, and just chatting! Saturday night was Alexia's 5th Birthday party at Mark & Becky's. Even though the weather was gloomy it was still lots of fun to play with all the kids outside, and to see everyone. Lexi had a blast, and so did we!

Saturday Todd and I also went to several stores tryin to find the perfect grill for us...And after lots of looking, we purchased a grill! We are excited, and can't wait to have everyone over for some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill!

Sunday it rained all day, so Todd and I went to church and then came home and napped, and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning! I have to give a big shout-out to my lovely husband for helping out with all the cleaning - he really helped on Sunday, dusting, and helping move boxes and such - he was super hubby on Sunday for sure!!!

That is about all for us - it was a rainy, gloomy weekend, so it was kind of low key, but today I am happy to report the sun is shining!!!

Friday March 31st 2006

Hello Everyone!!! It is Friday - whoo-hoo!!! Not much has happened this week with us.... Wednesday morning Todd was on a plane to Kansas City for a business meeting, and he returned Thursday night. He said the weather was nice, and the meetings where good. He was exhausted when he came home last night, but today he had the day off, and when I left for work he was still sleeping - so I am sure he will be ready for the weekend.

Yesterday while Todd was away I got to spend the day with my Mom! We visited Melody, Lily and Talon a bit (see Lily's new 19 month picture below - she is getting so big!) Then we did some shopping, and then went to Cracker barrel for dinner to visit Justin who works there also. It was lots of fun, since Mom has moved to Egan I haven't seen her as much as I did before, so it was nice to just have some girl time together!!!!

That is all for now! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Good News

Hello all! Some Good News on the Anawski front....Last night I got a phone call from my Dad's nursing home. They let me know that his new regiment of pain medicine has really been helping him feel well. Infact, yesterday he ate all three meals, and was in his chair and out of bed Sunday & Monday. They are going to try this new nutritional supplement drink, that has been known to really help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, and if that works, we might see some improvement in my Dad's health instead of seeing a downward spiral. We are not getting too hopeful, as we still as always want what's best for him, but we are really praying hard everynight that this might work. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, as I truly believe that is what got us this far!

Other than that not too much happening. This weekend Todd and I spent a lot of time relaxing, and catching up on sleep! Last night I made lasagna for dinner, and we invited the Strom's over. That was fun, I can't believe how big Keeley is getting!! Babies grow up so fast! And Kinsey is reading really well, even getting the big words. And of course Carson was cute as ever as usual.

Thanks again for always keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Todd and I have been through a lot, but it only makes us stronger. We know we couldn't do it without all of our friends and family!

Monday

It is Monday! I think the snooze button gets hit the most this day of the week! I am dragging pretty good today, it's hard to get focused on Mondays.

Todd and I had a good weekend. We went to the three dollar theatre and saw the movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" on Friday night - Todd thought it was funnier than I did - but it was good just to get out of the house, and of course the popcorn was yummy!

Saturday we visited Mom, Dave and the Kids at the hotel, they seemed to be having lots of fun! Saturday night Tiffani and I tried out the new "Paint-it-yourself" ceramic studio in Sioux Falls. 41st street next to the new scrapbooking store. I did a bowl, and Tiffani did a vase. It was lots of fun, and we are excited to see how are pieced turned out, we pick them up on Thursday!

Sunday was our usual day of rest! Reading the paper, running errands, cleaning house, bumming around. I also spent some time visiting my Dad. He seems to be doing ok, hanging in there, he was in a lot of pain on Sunday, and was pretty sleepy from the medications, but it was still nice to see him.

That's all I got for now, it's another week of excitement for the Anawski's, we will keep you updated!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Well it's the day of green, we all rummage through our closets looking for that one article of clothing that is green or has green in it! This is the only day when you will see GREEN in all its glory! Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you Irish folk, and all of you who claim to be Irish on this day too!

This week has been challenging and exhausting for Todd and I. We want to thank all of our friends and family for their thoughts and prayers, and ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers.

Good news this week for Mom & Dave, they made an offer on a house in Egan, and after a counter-offer from the seller, they have accepted! They will be moving sometime in March if everything goes as planned. They will have a big yard, and a lot more room than they have in the basement they live in now, so we are excited for them.

Thoughts and prayers.

"Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong...Sometimes it's letting go." - Unknown


Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through a very difficult time. Yesterday the decision was made to start Hospice care with my Dad. He has had many years filled with lots of pain, and we are letting him know that is ok to stop fighting. He will still be at Southridge Nursing home, and Sioux Valley Hospice care will come to him.

The first meeting was yesterday, and within hours they had changed Dad's pain medicine to be more effective, made his room more comfortable, and changed other things in his daily care that will help take away more pain.

although this hurts, we are trying really hard to remember how much pain he is in every day. It is truly in Gods hands now.

For those of you who do not know exactly what hospice care is, this is the definition of hospice care: Care rendered either on an inpatient basis or in the home setting for a terminally ill patient. Often referred to as "palliative" or "supportive" care, hospice care emphasizes the management of pain and discomfort and the emotional support of the patient and family.

Thank you for being ther for us during this hard time...

It is still WINTER in South Dakota!!!

Well, it happened like it does every year....We just start getting excited for spring, and Mother Nature gives us a heaping helping of snow in March. It was cold, windy and snowy all day and night on Sunday. Todd spent his fair share of shoveling and snow blowing yesterday, and looks forward to more tonight!

We can't complain too much though, our winter as been really mild this year, and lets face it - it is WINTER in South Dakota! We just have to keep telling ourselves Spring is just around the corner!

Happy Birthday Matthew

This weekend we celebrated Matthew's Birthday in Egan. We had lots of fun, and I think he did too! For all of you who don't know who Matthew is...Matthew is Dave's (My mom's "special friend" lol) youngest child. Dave has three children from a previous marriage, Joshua, Cassandra (KC) and Matthew.

TGIF!

It's Friday!!!!! Not much happening with the Anawski's this week, both Todd and I where busy with work this week, and spent our evenings relaxing.
This weekend we get to spend Saturday visiting my Mom & Dave and on Sunday we are having dinner with Pat & Tom, so we will be having a fun filled family weekend!! Be sure to keep posted...on all the excitment!

Monday..Monday!

Well..it is Monday...again! What can I say? Todd and I had a great weekend.

On Saturday my Mom and I went to a baby shower, which was lots of fun! Then we met up with the boys and a group of us went out to Famous Daves for dimmer (yummy!) After that - I picked up Lily to spend some quality time with her while My Mom, Dave, Steve and Melody went out for a little bit. Lily and I visited Robin, which is one of Lily's favorite places to visit - she loves playing with all the animals!!!

On Sunday I did some shopping with Tiffani, and then Sunday night Todd and I went to the Stampede game (they won 4 to 1!!) with a bunch of families from the church group that I attend.

All in all it was a great weekend, that like always went by way to fast!!!

Tuesdays with Amy and Todd

It's Tuesday! I know, not too exciting like a Friday. But Todd and I had a good day - Todd spent his day in Pierre for a work meeting, and I got to have lunch with my good friend Betsy (shout out to Betsy, who reads my blog!!) Betsy and I had lunch at Kristina's downtown and it was yummy, and the company was even better!

That's all I have for now! Happy Tuesday to everyone!!