The Frick Family

10 Year High School Reunion

2008-09-10T12:44:00.005-06:00

This blog is actually about me...not Lincoln...wow there is still a ME! HA.

I graduated from Douglas County High School 10 years ago. I debated for quite a while about whether or not to attend my class reunion. I am so glad that I did. My old friend Meaghan Burke and I went together and we met Stacy there. I have been friends with both of them since elementary school. I met Meaghan at her parents house off of Happy Canyon road. They have lived in that house the whole time I have known her and it looks exactly the same inside and out. It was so nice to look around and see that nothing had changed. I got to talk with her mom for a while which was really nice. Meaghan's little sister Erin is recently engaged so I got to hear all about that excitement. I also got to talk to her mom about grandpa passing away this year. I grew up being close to Meaghan's grandpa. He was the sweetest man ever. He would show up to all of our volleyball games with a red rose for her and every once in a while one for me too. He always gave the best hugs. Meaghan and I headed to Castle Rock. The Reunion was a happy hour on the back patio of the Pegasus restaurant. Our class president Shannon O'Neill planned it. We graduated with about 365 people and I would say there were probably 100 people there. There were some people who looked exactly the same, a few that I wouldn't have recognized if they hadn't come up to me and I have to admit there were a few that I wouldn't have even known went to our high school. My friend Brook was there with her fiance Sam and she told us that she is pregnant. Brook and I have been friends since middle school and we were college roommates. All in all it was a really fun time getting to hear what everyone was up to. People came from out of state to be there. The happy hour closed down at 11pm and then a few of us went to a local bar down the street. Meaghan and I headed home around 1:30am. I had a long drive home and we were leaving for Nebraska the next morning.

I busted out my year book before the Reunion just for fun and I cried when I read what Stacy had written "Just think of graduating as opening the next chapter in our friendship. We still have kids to raise at the same time so they can be the best of friends and play barbies all night and fight over dumb things." Of course Lincoln and Connor probably won't play barbies together but they are going to grow up being the best of friends.

Me, Shelley, Stacy and Brook

Meaghan, Shelley, Shelly's husband, her 3rd boy and Amanda

6 Months Old

2008-09-08T21:20:00.005-06:00

I always thought that time went by fast but now that I have a baby I think it goes by really really fast. Lincoln is 6 months old today. He is changing so much every day. He had a Dr appt today and he weighed in at 16lbs 8oz 40th percentile, he is 26 1/2 inches long 50th percentile and his head was 17 1/4 inches which is in the 50% percentile. The Dr said that he looked great. He smiled the whole time we were there and he charmed all of the ladies in the office. He had to have one immunization and then he got the flu shot. He got a shot in each leg. Yuck. He screamed but as soon as they were done he was fine. He is eating solid foods now. So far he has had yellow squash and carrots. I am making the baby food and it is really fun and easy. He is still nursing and eating cereal along with his veggies. He loves to be upside down and he laughs out loud a lot. He is a super happy and healthy baby. I am always telling him what a good baby he is and if he was older I would buy him ice cream. He is starting to get some teeth on the bottom. The Dr said that he felt bumps but it could still be several months before they arrive. He is rolling over like a champ now and he sits up pretty well on his own. He loves to stand with help. He has started sleeping on his tummy and his side which is super cute. We put him to bed on his back and then when we check on him he has moved to his side or his tummy. He is sleeping from 7pm to 7am and he takes two 2 hour naps a day. I a still loving being home with him every day. He is just so much fun and he keeps me entertained. As you can see in the pictures he was still happy even after seeing the Dr and getting two shots.

Lincoln's Third Camping Trip

2008-08-26T08:33:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we went camping in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was Lincoln's third camping trip this summer, but this was the first time for "real" camping meaning sleeping in a tent. Our group of friends headed up Friday night but we decided to wait and head up Saturday morning after Lincoln had eaten. We arrived at the camp site around 9:30 am Saturday morning. It was a beautiful drive up through Estes Park. The camp site was beautiful. When the reservation was made we were told that we could have two tents per site so we just reserved 2 sites. When the group got there they realized that was not the case. The tent pads were really small and there was only one per site. Greg and Ginger, Ebeth and Jason found a way to put both of their tents on one pad and then Carl and Denise put theirs on another one. We decided just to share a tent with Carl and Denise because the one they brought was huge. We were able to fit our king size double decker blow up mattress (I know....I know...but we have a baby) and also his pack in play in the tent along with Carl and Denise's blow up mattress. We had a fun day of cards and talking. It rained for a little while so we went to our tents but it didn't last long. Eli took Lincoln on a couple of walks in the back pack and of course he had his camera out taking lots of great pictures. We put Lincoln to bed at 7 and he went down pretty easily but then he continued to wake up about every hour. When we went to bed we brought him into bed with us to keep him warm but he just couldn't sleep. He would wake up out of a dead sleep crying. His nose was so stuffed up and we could tell he was miserable. We also felt terrible because we were sharing a tent with Carl and Denise. At 3am we gave up and drove home. When we got home we all went straight to bed. On Sunday morning when I went to get Lincoln out of bed his face was covered in snot and he just looked terrible. He caught his first cold. He has been coughing, sneezing and his nose is still running. Poor little guy. Eli had to drive back up to the campground on Sunday morning to pack up all of our stuff and then drive back home. Once Eli finally got home we all spent a lazy Sunday at home watching movies.

Goodbye Uncle Anthony

2008-07-31T18:34:00.007-06:00

My brother is moving to Decatur Illinois to coach and be the marketing director for Millican University. It is a great opportunity for him and we pray that eventually it will bring him back to Colorado to coach for UNC or CSU. We picked him up from the airport on Saturday afternoon and he spent some time visiting friends throughout the week. We met him for dinner at CB & Potts on Wednesday night with his friend Kristen and then he came back home with us. We spent all day Wednesday together getting him ready for his move. Eli made a fabulous dinner of steaks, potatoes and salad on Thursday night. We enjoyed the evening with Anth and Kristen and then Lincoln and I took him to the airport this morning. We have been able to see him a lot since Lincoln was born so it is going to be hard to have him so far away. Thank goodness for technology. I keep a blog, Facebook, My Space and we send videos over you tube so he will be able to see and hear all about Lincoln while he is away.
Uncle Anthony giving his first bottle. Look at the love between them.

I think he looks like a Kerr here

What good looking boys

My shirtless boys

Swim Date with the Alfords

2008-07-27T18:28:00.000-06:00

We spent a wonderful Sunday with the Alfords. We joined them for Church Sunday morning and then headed over to their house in Reunion. They made us a wonderful lunch of chicken Caesar salad, pizza and an amazing peach dessert. After lunch we went to the Reunion pool. It was Lincoln's first time at the pool. He is just really mellow when he is in the water. It is a really great pool with a slide. Hayden can go down the slide now so we had fun watching him. The pool was great for Lincoln. It had a really nice area for babies. We all enjoyed some time in the sun and watching the kids play. Thanks Alfords for a wonderful day.

Four Wonderful Years

2008-07-26T08:41:00.003-06:00

Eli and I celebrated four years of marriage on June 26th. My parents came out for the weekend to watch Lincoln. It was our first time leaving him with someone else. We left on Saturday morning around 10am and headed to Estes Park. We spent the day shopping and enjoying the warm day. We had lunch at a neat restaurant that overlooked the town. We stopped by a really neat wine and cheese store and had them make us a beautiful meat and cheese tray. We picked out some wine and headed to our B and B to check in. The Bed and Breakfast was beautiful. We spent some time in the hammock on the property and in the hot tub that sits under a gazebo. Instead of going back into town for dinner we enjoyed our meat and cheese tray and wine on the patio. It was such a wonderful relaxing time. We spent some time telling each other what we love and admire about one another. It was a great time for us to reconnect after the busyness of adding our new family member. We headed home around 10 on Sunday morning. Mom and Dad said that Lincoln did great. It meant so much to me that they drove out to be his first babysitters.

The POD

2008-07-26T08:08:00.004-06:00

When I lived at the Cairns house we were put into prayer groups of three and they were called PODS. I was blessed enough to be in a group with Jenny and Kari. We met periodically in one anothers rooms and shared prayer requests. It was such a special time to share our hearts and know that the others would be praying for us. Jenny lives in Colorado Springs with her husband John and their little boy Christian. They have another baby boy on the way. We met in Castle Rock for dinner on June 20th. We had a great time talking and reminiscing. We closed the restaurant down. I didn't get Lincoln home and into bed until 1am, but it was well worth it. We met in Castle Rock again for dinner on the 22nd of this month as a late birthday celebration for Kari. Our friend Johanna from the Cairns house joined us as well. We closed the restaurant down again. Thank God for great Christian friends.

Play Dates

2008-07-19T12:15:00.006-06:00

Lincoln had a fun week full of play dates. On Tuesday my friend Angie and her little boy Trey came over. It is always great to talk with Angie because she is a Baby Wise mommy too and her pediatrician is the author so she is always very helpful with answering my questions. On Thursday the mommy's from our Church had a play date at Caren's house down in Parker. I don't know how many we had total but it was more than a house full. We got a good picture of all of the babies together. Stacy and Connor came over on Friday to keep us company while we had a garage sale. It is amazing how much difference there is between 4 and 8 months. It is fun to watch Connor and see where Lincoln is going to be very soon.

The University Church of Christ Babies

Trey and Lincoln

Connor and Lincoln

Fun with Friends

2008-07-12T20:51:00.000-06:00

We had our friends Greg and Ginger over for lunch on Saturday the 12th.

And then we went over to our friends Ken and Heathers new house for dinner. The Farwells were there as well with baby Lila.

Lincoln at Four Months

2008-07-08T21:21:00.000-06:00

Lincoln is growling like crazy and changing every day. He had his four month appointment on the 8th. He had to get 4 more shots and another oral vaccine. He cried but as soon as I picked him up he was fine again. He is 26 inches long which is the 90th percentile. Hopefully he will be tall and handsome like his daddy. He was 14 pounds even and his head was 41.5 cm. The Dr said that he looked great. He finally decided to roll over on the 14th. I have been practicing with him because both of his buddies from my work were rolling over at about 3 1/2 months. He was laying on our bed on his back and he rolled to his stomach. They say that babies roll from front to back first but not our son. When Eli got home he put him on his tummy on our bed and sure enough he rolled from front to back. He decided to do both in one day. He has not rolled over since, either way. I think he was trying to get me to stop worrying about him and he hates tummy time, so I guess he figured once he rolled over for me he wouldn't' have to practice anymore.

Fourth of July-Hartwell Family Reunion

2008-07-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

My mom's side of the family gets together every 4th of July for a reunion in Nebraska. My mom's mom was born on the 4th of July so we always get together to celebrate Granny Ladies birthday. It is such a great tradition. I think I have only missed two of them in my 28 years. One time I was in Ukraine and the other I was on my honeymoon, so they were valid excuses!
My mom is one of 8 kids and 5 of the 8 were there for the reunion. My uncle Buddy the oldest passed away a long time ago and my uncle Chad lives in North Carolina and wasn't able to make it and my uncle Dell was not able to make the trip. We missed you guys! We decided to have the reunion at Red Willow lake this year. It was a great idea because there was lots for everyone to do. Most of us camped for the weekend so we got to spend a lot of time together and there was a pot luck on Saturday so all of us could be in one place at one time. We did a lot of boating, wakeboarding, tubing and played corn hole and washers. We ate and talked a lot. Aunt Jacquetta had a drawing for a big granny sun hat. She also put a poster board together of pictures of granny lady at the lake. Some of the grand kids wrote their favorite memories on the board. It was cute to see what some of the little ones remembered about granny. Bubby wrote on there that Jacquetta sent him over to granny's one time to get a band aid and her hearing was so bad that she sent him home with a bag of candy. I remember one time Danny and I were riding in the car with granny and she ran right through a stop sign. We both closed our eyes and told her that she had just run a stop sign and she said don't worry everyone knows it's the granny mobile and they get out of the way! She was so fun to ride in the car with. Every time she would turn a corner she would say "WEE!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANNY AND AMERICA!

Little Eli

2008-06-25T16:47:00.009-06:00

Melissa and Lincoln

Norma and Eli

Baby Eli

Eli at 3 months old

People are continually asking us who we think Lincoln looks like and as adults you can't really tell which one of us he looks like, but when you see Eli's baby pictures he looks like a little Eli. I think he has my chin and my eyes but the rest is all Eli. He even has the same hair that Eli had except Lincolns flops to the right and Eli's went to the left. We tell Lincoln often to enjoy his hair while he has it.

Lincoln's First Camping Trip

2008-06-15T11:43:00.001-06:00

We headed back to Nebraska for Fathers day weekend. The Howell reunion is always over fathers day weekend so we were able to go to that this year. The Howell's are my grandma's family. We headed out to Cambridge lake on Friday night. Mom and Dad had set up their pop up camper for us to use. We had four spots right next to each other. Mom, Dad and Grandma were in Grandma's camper, Marlyn, Rod and Tonya were in their camper and then Bill, Deb, Nicole, Rhett, Sara and Brody were all in their camper. Ryan and Kendee also joined us. Mom, Dad, Eli, Lincoln and I took the boat out for a nice night ride around the lake. We all spent the evening around the camp fire.
On Friday night Eli and I headed off to the pop up with the two dogs and Lincoln. Eli crawled into bed on the one side and the two dogs got up in the bed on the other side and I put Lincoln in his pac n play in the middle of the camper. I laid Lincoln down gently hoping that he would sleep through the night and then I crawled into bed. Well as soon as I crawled in next to Eli the whole camper tipped to the one side and Eli and I hit the ground. The pop up is a bit like a teeter totter and with all of the weight on one side it caused the camper to tip. After the shock had passed I crawled out of the bed, or should I say up and out of the bed since we were now on the bottom side of the teeter totter and ran to Lincoln's pac n play. His eyes were wide open. He wasn't crying but he was definitely awake. He had only rolled slightly in his pac n play because he was in the exact center of the camper. My dad came running over and once he found out we were all ok he bust up laughing. Eli had to muffle his face with a pillow because he was laughing so hard. My dad though that we would have to sleep on different sides of the camper to even out the weight, but then my mom came over and asked if he had put the hitch down. He smiled and said he had forgotten. That is what levels the hitch side with the tire side on a pop up. So that made Eli and I feel a little less fat. We got the camper all leveled out and went back to bed. Lincoln was of course still wide awake so we took him to bed with us.
We spent Saturday on the boat and attended the reunion. The actual reunion was at a camp pavilion near the lake. Everyone brought a dish to share. I haven't been around my grandma's family a whole lot so it was nice to see her brothers and sisters again. I could tell how much she enjoyed it. They brought out a bunch of old pictures and had a good time reminiscing.
Saturday night was a much more peaceful night in the camper. Lincoln slept through the night in his pac n play and the camper stayed level. We went back out on the boat Sunday and did some swimming. Mom stayed behind to watch Lincoln so I could swim. We packed up camp Sunday afternoon and then headed back to Colorado after stopping at mom and dad's for a quick shower. It was a great weekend full of family and fun. Lincoln is a great camper. He loved staring up at the trees and he really liked being on the boat. His grandpa is super excited to take him fishing when he gets bigger.

Got Milk?

2008-06-10T15:39:00.003-06:00

So before I start complaining I want to start by thanking God for our miraculous bodies. A women's body truly is miraculous in every way. We can grow another person inside of us. We can not only grow another person but we can sustain it's life inside and outside of the womb. Our body is all that baby needs for the full 40 weeks and it lives solely off of the umbilical cord and then once they are born our body can sustain them solely off of breast milk. I think the fact that our breast can make milk and feed our babies is amazing, but I also think it is a huge responsibility. Our babies depend entirely on us for survival. Lincoln has had nothing but breast milk in his 12 weeks of life. Granted sometimes Eli feeds him a bottle but even when he feeds him it is still milk that came from my breasts. It is amazing how personal we take comments about our milk. Eli grabbed a bottle out of the refrigerator the other night and he made a comment that there was only 4 and half ounces in the bottle and that he thought we were going to start giving him 5oz. I immediately got defensive and said, "Unless you can produce milk from your breasts then I guess that is all there is." Yes I said that. To him he was just asking a question, but to me he was insulting my ability to be a good mother and provide for my child. I am constantly wondering if I am making enough milk or how long I will be able to breast feed. I feel guilty if I drink too much coffee and not enough water. I feel guilty if I have a drink later than the 2 hour window before pumping. It is just a huge responsibility and it becomes overwhelming at times. We are constantly in demand. I can only be away from him for a total of 2 and half hours. I was talking to a close girlfriend of mine the other day who has a baby the same age as Lincoln and she made me feel a little less crazy. She was laying in bed the other morning while her baby cried and she was tyring to get him to go another half hour so they could keep their morning schedule and she could get to work on time. Her husband rolled over and asked her if she was really going to make the baby wait a half an hour to eat. She was totally hurt by this because to her it meant that her husband thought she was torturing their baby by making him wait a half hour to eat. Every time someone looks at you and says I think the baby is hungry you immediately get defensive and say no he's not! People of course do not say that to hurt me or to question my ability as a mother but that is how I take it. And from what I have heard so do most other mothers. I want to conclude by thanking our Heavenly Father for my milk!

Three Months Old

2008-06-08T09:41:00.000-06:00

Our baby Lincoln is three months old. Wow how time flies. He is more amazing every day. I just can't get enough of him. I literally stare at him all day long and probably kiss him way more than any little boy would like to be kissed by his mom. I have to get the kisses in now before he is too "cool" to let his mommy kiss him. He has started "talking" a lot more and he still smiles a lot. I have tried laying him on his tummy to practice rolling over but he is not a fan of tummy time. He is still not a big fan of naps. I have learned that I have to let him fall asleep on his own. If I lay him down in his crib or pac n play for a nap he will just scream. He will literally cry for 45 mins. Now I just allow him to fall asleep in his bouncy seat or on our bed. He sleeps really well if he just moves into his nap after he is done playing. He is still wearing his size 1 diapers during the day and size 2 at night to help him sleep longer. I think we could move him up to a size 2 for the day as well. He has some chubby little legs. I am still feeding him every 3 hours but he has been sleeping through his 3am feeding pretty consistently now. He goes to bed around 9:30 and sleeps until around 6:30. This sleeping through the night thing is great! Eli is still giving him a bottle of pumped milk at 9. He is eating 6oz now so it is hard for me to keep up with him. I am also trying to pump extra so we can do an overnight trip for our anniversary. Our 4 year anniversary is on the 26th and my mom is going to come out so we can do dinner and stay at a bed and breakfast. Grandma will be his first ever babysitter!

We took him to Wash Park after Church for his birthday and then out to lunch at our favorite Mexican Restaurant La Fogata. We took lots of pictures at the park. It was a walk down memory lane for us because 4 years ago this month we were getting married there and now here we are walking through the park with our son. God is Great!

Check out the rest of the pictures at this link.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67914&l=c9023&id=1018812840

Mommy Time

2008-06-04T07:51:00.003-06:00

I have had a lot of mommy time lately which has been nice. On Friday night Kari hosted a clothing swap party at her apartment. Each girl was to bring at least 5 items from her closet that she doesn't wear anymore. It could be clothes, purses, jewelry just anything that you thought someone else might like. It was a great way to clean out your closet and bring a few new things home. It was a nice ladies night out for me. On Saturday Lincoln and I went to a baby shower for our friend Kim. Kim and Matt had a baby girl named Lila Ann Farwell in April. They didn't find out the sex of the baby until the birth so they had the baby shower after she was born. Sunday we went to Church and then headed to Wash Park to take pictures in the flower garden but the flowers weren't in yet. On Monday night I had some more mommy time. I play on a our women's church softball team on Monday nights. Tuesday night I had yet another night out. I met some girl friends downtown to see Sex and the City. I was very excited to finally see it. It was good. I was shocked at some of the graphic scenes though because I have only ever watched the TBS reruns and they are not nearly as graphic as the true HBO ones. I am so lucky to have a husband that wants me to go out and have some me time. It is great to leave and know that Lincoln is in great hands with his daddy.

Here are some cute pictures from the weekend.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67813&l=2758c&id=1018812840

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-27T20:26:00.007-06:00

We had a really nice holiday weekend. I drove down to Castle Rock on Friday to pick up my brothers dogs from Anna's parents house, so he could visit with them over the weekend. I had a nice visit with Ken and Judy. They had some presents for Lincoln and were really excited to meet him. Anthony, Mom and Dad arrived Friday night. We spent the evening in the garage listening to the Rockies game. Saturday morning Dad, Anth, Eli and Shawn went golfing. Mom, Lincoln and I did some grocery shopping and got things ready for the BBQ. Liz and Gabe arrived around noon for us to meet Parker, born March 11th. We got to spend some time with them before everyone else arrived. Everyone else started showing up around 2. We had a really great turn out. Carl and Denise were there until around 10pm and the guys stayed up until after midnight. I went to bed around 10 because Lincoln has not been sleeping well at all. Sunday morning we went to Church. Jerry Selby did Lincolns dedication at Church. The congregation prayed for him and for Eli and I. After Church we did our last shopping trip to the Sports Authority before I lost my discount. We were all very tired when we got back home so we laid around and watched a movie. Monday morning we went to Mimi's Cafe for brunch and then mom, dad and Anth headed home. It was a great weekend full of family and friends.
Jerry Selby, Me, Lincoln and Eli at his dedication

Uncle Anthony and Lincoln

Dad, Mom and Brother

Lincoln (March 8th) Parker (March 11th)

Play Dates

2008-05-27T20:11:00.005-06:00

Little Lincoln is so popular already! He has had several play dates. The girls from work that were pregnant at the same time as me came over for a visit on the 14th. Jennifer had Graham on March 11th and Brie had Logan on March 13th. Tawnya also brought her little boy Remington who is 7 months old. It was nice to talk to other new moms and see how different the boys are.

Lincoln, Graham and Logan

Lincoln had another play date on the 21st with Trey. Trey was born exactly one month before Lincoln. His mom Angie and I were in birthing class together. Eli and I hit it off with she and her husband Casey. They live near us in Frederick. We spent the day together talking about being Baby Wise. Angie was a professional photographer before she became a pharmaceutical rep. She took a bunch of cute pictures of the boys. She is one of those girls that you feel like you have known forever. They have a scale so I was able to weigh Lincoln before his 3pm feeding and then after to see how much he had eaten. He ate 3.85 oz and weighed 12lbs 3oz with his clothes on.

Lincoln (March 8th) and Trey (February 8th)

First time at the Zoo and a Fair

2008-05-18T08:38:00.000-06:00

We had a really busy and fun weekend. On Friday Lincoln had his first trip to the zoo. I met Stacy, Deb, Kelly and the kids there around 11. We got our tickets and then found a nice grassy shaded area to feed the kids. We laughed and said that we basically paid $12 to go to the park because we were there for about an hour and a half before we actually started walking around the zoo. Stacy and I's boys are too young to really enjoy the zoo, but we enjoyed the nice weather and just being outside. I don't remember the last time I have been to the zoo. On Saturday we went to the Erie fair with Chris, Libby and the boys. We sat on the patio and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant there. I ran into an old friend from high school at the Fair. We went and found some shade so I could feed Lincoln and there was another couple and their baby sitting there. The lady looked up at me and said "Melissa Kerr." She recognized my voice. It was Lauren Wiens that I ran track with. She has a 9 month old daughter. They live in Erie so we exchanged phone numbers. We came home and took a nice cold family shower and then put in a movie. Sunday morning we woke up to a bunch of hot air balloons surrounding our house. Eli of course ran outside with his camera. We went to Church and then headed down town to the "Glass House." Eli's boss Mike owns a condo on the 23rd floor of this amazing building called the glass house. He wanted Eli to take pictures so he can rent it out for the presidential convention. It actually made me dizzy to look out. We went to Rock Bottom for lunch and then headed home to do some yard work. I am so happy that the nice weather is here. Everyone in the neighborhood is out and about. We had a few people walk by on Sunday and say "Did you guys have a baby?"
All of this fun stuff and I don't have any pictures to share from the zoo or the fair.

My First Mothers Day

2008-05-14T07:59:00.006-06:00

We spent mothers day weekend in Nebraska. My cousin Kristin graduated from high school on mothers day so we went back to be part of that. We arrived on Saturday morning and spent the day with my parents. Saturday night we met family at the Rocket for pizza. Lincoln had a rough time at the Rocket because it was so loud and I think he was worn out from the traveling. Sunday morning we got the house ready for Kristin's graduation party. We took a walk over to my aunt Marlyn's so we could get a 4 generation picture taken with my grandma. We left Lincoln and dad there to visit while we went to graduation. Dad had called dibs on babysitting Lincoln during the ceremony. It was really hot out and we didn't think he needed all of that sun. He got to spend some quality time with his grandpa, aunt Marlyn and great grandma. After graduation we had a party at mom and dads for her. It was great to spend mothers day with my mom. We got each of the grandma's aquamarine earrings which is Lincoln's birth stone for mothers day. They both loved them. I got a beautiful card from my parents and one from Eli. I had a ring designed for mothers day but it's not in yet. I will be sure to post a picture of it when I get it.
Great Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Me

He is wearing his "I love Mommy" shirt

Me and my boys

She did it! Kristin and her Grandma

Two Months old

2008-05-08T18:53:00.000-06:00

Lincoln had his two month Dr's visit today. He is 23 inches long (50th percentile) 11lbs 5oz (50th percentile), so he gained right at an ounce a day since his weigh in in NE, and his head is 39cm (25th percentile). He is doing great! He had to have two shots in each leg and then one immunization that he drank. He screamed! He is doing all of the things that a two month old baby should be doing. He is following us with his eyes, smiling, cooing and sleeping pretty well.

He is continuing on with his 3am wake up time. It varies anywhere from 1 to 2 or 3am but for the most part he falls asleep around 10 and wakes around 3, so a steady 5 hours still. The Baby Wise book says that they should start sleeping a solid 7 or 8 hours between weeks 7 and 9. He is not there yet, but I have a feeling we are on the right track.

I have been continually praying that God would give me the strength and the reassurance to continue with Baby Wise. It is not easy at times but I know it will pay off in the long run. I can already see the positive results from it. It is so fun to see how God goes about reassuring us when we need it. My friend Liz who was a bridesmaid in my wedding had baby Parker 3 days after Lincoln was born and when we were talking she told me about a book she was using called "Baby Wise." A few weeks later I was talking to a girl at work who also had a baby boy Graham three days after Lincoln and she was also using Baby Wise. I asked her where she heard of it and she said from another girl at work who was using it for her daughter who is now 2 and having great success with it. That other girl heard about it because her pediatrician is one of the authors! And then today a girl from our birthing class called me and she had her son exactly one month before Lincoln was born. We were talking about pediatricians and I asked her who she was taking her son to. She said that she was making the drive to Lafayette to see Dr. Bucknam. She said it was a bit of a drive but he was the author of this book she was following called Baby Wise. I laughed out loud and told her that I knew what book she was talking about! It is so great to have so many other new moms to talk to about the book. It was just such reassurance for me. I know that there is no exact "right" way to raise a baby and I truly believe that all parents need to do whatever works best for them and do whatever they think is best for their children but for me this was the reassurance I needed from our ever faithful Father to continue doing what I am doing!

Eli and I were watching an E special last night on Rock Star wives. They were talking about all of their luxuries..diamonds, trips, parties and on and on. They of course talked about how they never see their husbands because they are on the road all of the time but they thought it was well worth all of the material blessings they had. I looked over at my husband and told him that I was the luckiest women ever. I have a loving husband who works hard and comes home to me every night and I also have an amazing son. I honestly could not be happier than I am right now.

Changes

2008-05-01T13:46:00.003-06:00

Every day in our little sons life is so precious because he is constantly changing. I pause several times a day to thank God that I am able to stay home with my son. I am so greatful to my husband and how hard he works so I can stay home with him. Lincoln is now in size 1 diapers. No more of those tiny tiny newborn diapers. They were leaving red marks around his chubby little thighs. We weighed him at my moms office on the 23rd and he weighed 10lbs 7.5oz. They say they should gain about an ounce a day and he gained exactly one pound since his 1month on the 8th, so he gained exactly one ounce a day.
He has been smiling a lot. At first he would just mimic smiles if you got really close to him, but now he smiles all on his own. We were walking through Target yesterday and he was just smiling away. He started doing something new yesterday. I was playing with him on my lap and sticking my tongue out at him. He started to mimic me and stick his tongue out too. So cute! He is also starting to coo back when you talk to him.

Lincoln's First Road Trip

2008-05-01T10:45:00.004-06:00

Lincoln and I left for Grandma and Grandpa's house on Wednesday the 23rd. We got on the road around 10 after his 9am feeding. I drove until noon and then pulled over to feed him and change his diaper. He was a great traveler. I didn't hear a peep out of him the whole way there. When we got into town we went straight to the hospital since most of my family works there! We surprised mom and she had fun showing him off to all of her friends. We walked down to dad's office to surprise him but Lincoln was super hungry so he was screaming. I borrowed an exam room to feed him and then he was ready to be a social butterfly again. We spent a quiet evening at home with grandma and grandpa.
On Thursday we went back to the hospital to visit my aunt Marlyn who works the front desk. We dropped by to see grandma and grandpa again too and aunt Jacquetta who works in billing. We went to lunch with grandma and then headed over to great grandma's house. I really enjoyed watching my grandma with him. So far she has all great grandsons, no girls. My cousin Rhett has a son, My cousin Reed has a son and my cousin Sheleigha has two boys. Dad walked over after work for a visit and then we headed back to their house.
Mom took Friday off to spend with us. We had a lazy morning around the house. Mom spent the day going through pictures trying to find the ones of Anthony and I in the parachute dress. No luck yet. She found ones of Glenna, Buddy and Kristin so far. We met Glenna and Kristin for lunch and then headed to Wal-Mart to get goodies for our Bunco night. We went back to the automotive department to visit Mike Roth. He is a good friend of my parents and he married Eli and I. We had to show off Lincoln to him. On our way out of Wal-Mart we saw my mom's brother Gary. I just love small towns! He stopped us and said he was going to pick up my cousin Steph and they would come over for a visit. Gary, Steph, and her daughter Kaylee Belle (our God daughter) and her son Kayden came over to visit. Friday night was Bunco night. I was so excited to teach everyone how to play. When people started arriving they had baby gifts in their hands. I joked with them and said it's just Bunco you didn't have to bring a baby gift. Well to my surprise when my aunt Jacquetta sent the invitations for Bunco she put on there that they should surprise me with a baby shower. They had a super cute cake for me, that said "Welcome to our Family Tree Lincoln." The funny thing is that afternoon Jacquetta dropped off some food for our bunco party and when she left Kaylee Belle came up to me and told me that she had a secret. She whispered in my ear that they had a birthday cake for me. I was confused because my birthday is in December! Mom told me that Jacquetta had baked a cake and they had told Kaylee it was for me. We had a great time talking, eating and playing Bunco. Tammy and Chase went home with all of the money and the prize.
Saturday was a super lazy day with grandma and grandpa. They took Lincoln for me in the morning and I went back to bed for a few hours. We spent the day watching a movie and just relaxing. My cousin Michelle and her boyfriend surprised me with a visit. They came into town just to meet Lincoln. Kristin came over that evening to get ready for her prom. I helped her with her eye makeup and getting into her dress. Glenna and Kristin's brothers came over that night and we took some nice pictures of all of them before she headed off to the dance.
Sunday we went to church with grandma and grandpa. Their congregation is made up of about 30 people and they all were so excited to meet Lincoln. Dad held him through almost the whole service. He got a little fussy while my dad was serving the Lord's supper so I held him in the back, but as soon as my dad was done serving he said that I should hand Lincoln over to grandpa. I knew my dad was excited about becoming a grandpa but I had no idea how much he would love holding Lincoln. He is always waiting on me to finish feeding him so he can have him back. He loves watching him and making him smile. He is super excited to take him fishing on their boat. It is going to be so fun watching him grow up and getting excited to go back to Nebraska so he can hang out with grandpa and go fishing. Carter (our God son's) first birthday party was at 4 on Sunday. It was so great to see everyone. A lot of our family was there so they got to meet Lincoln. I tried not to let him steel Carters thunder!
We headed back home on Monday morning around 10 after Lincoln ate. We had to drop by the hospital to pick up a present my aunt Marlyn had left for us. My dad met me in the parking lot. He opened up the back door to say goodbye to Lincoln one more time. I told him that he couldn't make us cry and that we would be back for Mothers day weekend. I found out later that he bragged to my mom that he got to see Lincoln last and that he smiled at him! We made it home safe and sound. He did great on the way back too. We pulled over in Yuma again so he could eat and get a fresh diaper. Daddy was super excited to have us home.

Just a few fun Pictures

2008-04-23T08:27:00.006-06:00

I thought he was sleeping

Just doing some laundry

The puppies

Loungin on a Saturday Morning

Sleep

2008-04-21T11:09:00.004-06:00

Lincoln is slowly sleeping longer and longer at night. I use to feed him at 9pm and then he would wake again at midnight for a feeding. Starting last week he began sleeping through the midnight feeding and waking around 2am. A few nights he has slept until 3am and on Tuesday night he slept through the night until 5am. It was amazing! I did wake up very disoriented when I heard him crying and looked at the clock to see that it was 5am. I couldn't remember if I had already fed him or not. It is crazy how your mind works or doesn't work when you are awakened in the middle of the night. He has only slept through the night that one time, but the 2 or 3am is a nice treat. I go to bed around 10 so that gives me a solid chunk of sleep. Eli gives him a bottle at 9 and then puts him to bed after that. He does a great job of putting himself to sleep. He usually goes right back down after I feed him at 2 and then wakes again at 6 or 6:30 for another feeding. He is doing pretty good with his naps during the day. It is so funny to me that when are young you are suppose to sleep and you don't want to and then when you are older you really want to and no one will let you.

Parachute Dress

2008-04-20T19:33:00.004-06:00

My mom's mom (granny lady) made a dress out of my grandpa's parachute from World War II. She made it for their first born, my aunt Glenna. Each of the kids have had their picture taken in it, boy's and girls. Here is Lincoln in the parachute dress. I put his Harley onesie on underneath so he still felt like a man! As you can see by his expression he was not thrilled about wearing a dress. He just really loves his grandma and wanted to please her. I really wish that my granny lady could have seen him in it. We miss you granny lady, but we know you are watching him from Heaven.

Sunday brunch with Aunt Kari

2008-04-20T16:28:00.000-06:00

We met Aunt Kari for lunch after Church at the Wash Park Grill. They have a fabulous Sunday brunch buffet. We enjoyed a long visit. Lincoln slept through the whole lunch but he woke up just long enough to get a picture take with his aunt Kari.

Ladies Tea and Dinner with Friends

2008-04-19T11:16:00.008-06:00

I took Lincoln to the annual tea at Church. I was asked to host a table again this year. I decorated the table but my friend Amy hosted so I could tend to Lincoln. I was going to leave him home with Eli for the day but it would have lasted through two feedings so I decided it was just easier to take him and step away to feed him. He had a rough day though so it made the tea a little less enjoyable than I had hoped. He blew through two diapers and ruined his adorable outfit before the tea even started. He slept through most of the tea as long as he was being held. We had to rush to clean up the table and head home because we were having dinner guests.

Nick, Kara and their little guy Logan came over for dinner. Eli made a gourmet meal of fajitas and margaritas. We had a great time talking and laughing. Logan is 20 months old and has a full vocabulary. He calls his pacifier a geek. Logan had a very hard time with Nick holding Lincoln. He was crying big tears and saying "daddy...daddy." Kara is pregnant with their second so it is good that Logan is in a daddy phase. We put the boys to bed around 9:30 and hung out until they headed home at 11:30. They brought Logans pac and play and he went right down in our guest room. Eli and I admired them for just bringing his pj's, pac and play and going with the flow.

More Visitors

2008-04-12T11:01:00.003-06:00

The Shaw family and Patty came over to meet Lincoln. We had a nice long visit and enjoyed watching Emma with the baby. Emma just turned two but she did a great job holding him. It is so amazing to me how instinctual it is for little girls to love and want to hold babies.

Growing Strong

2008-04-08T16:15:00.006-06:00

Lincoln is one month old today. Wow how time flies! He is growing just as he should be. The Dr checked him out and did a weight check. He said that he is progressing well and to keep doing what I am doing. I told him that I thought he might be fighting off a flu bug because I had a touch of it over the weekend. I wasn't sure if it was the flu or food poisoning but I threw up for two days along with a fever and cold chills. He has been sleeping longer than normal at night, which is great for me but concerns me a little and he is hard to console which is not like him. He has had a few diarrhea diapers. I took his temp this morning and it was 97.3 so he seems to be fine. The Dr said that breast milk was the best thing for him and that he would be able to fight it off in just a few days.

Lincoln is definitely a Frick. He was fussy on the way to the Dr and when we first got there but as soon as I stripped him down for his weigh in he was as happy as can be. He loves to be naked!

Birth 7lbs 9oz
left the hospital 7lbs 7oz
2 day old Dr. Appt 7lbs 4.5oz
5 day old weigh in 7lbs 7oz
16 days old at nursing class 8lbs 7.2oz
One month at Dr 9lbs 7oz, 22 inches long and a 37cm head circumference

The Dr gave me all of the percentages but he didn't write them down and I can't remember them.

4-23-08 Weigh in at Grandma's office 10lbs 7.5 oz
5-8-08 Weigh in at 2month appointment 11lbs 5oz

Mia and Papa meet Lincoln

2008-04-04T14:10:00.002-06:00

Eli's parents arrived at our house on Saturday March 29th at around 1pm. They drove 26 hours straight through from Navarre Florida to meet their grandson. They were overjoyed to say the least to finally hold him in their arms. They of course came baring gifts for Lincoln and for Eli and I. It was a very nice visit. We spent most of our time at home just enjoying each other. We watched some movies, went on some walks, did a little shopping and made lumpias (a type of egg roll.) On Tuesday Eli had to go into the office to do payroll so David went to the Rocky Mountain news to visit his old coworkers and Norma and I went down to Castle Rock to visit an old friend of hers that she worked with at Rock Ridge Elementary. We also stopped by the outlet mall. Ryan, Emily and the kids came over for dinner on Wednesday night. We had a video conference call with Evan. Technology is so cool. We were all able to talk and see one another. Even little Lola who is only 2 years old understood that she was talking into the camera to Evan who was on the other end.
Lincoln loved having them here. He was catered to 24/7. Someone was always talking to him, holding him and playing with him. Norma is a natural teacher and loves child development so she had a lot of fun watching him focus in on things. She had him focusing on her hand for a solid 10 minutes and he began to mimic her hand movements with his own hand. It was amazing! Mia was able to give Lincoln his very first bottle. The books said to wait until he was 3 to 4 weeks old before introducing a bottle, to make sure that they get breast feeding down first. We gave him a bottle every night for his 9pm feeding. There visit was at the perfect time so they could enjoy giving him his first bottle.
I was very pampered while they were here as well. I was fighting off a cold when they first arrived and with their help I was able to go back to bed in the morning and take naps. I was able to fight off the cold quickly with the extra rest. My house was always clean and the laundry was always done. It was like having a maid, nanny and chef all in one couple! Eli got a little break as well because David enjoys cooking which is where Eli gets his joy of cooking from.

They headed back to Florida on Saturday morning around 10am. It was a very hard goodbye because we don't' know when we will see them again. Eli and I try to make a trip to Florida once a year, but we are not sure when we will make it out there. Money is going to be a little bit tighter now that we are living on one income. We heard from them on Sunday when they arrived home. They made the drive straight through again. The trip cost them $313.00 total in gas in their diesel VW bug. Plane tickets right now are $1,000 a piece because it is spring break there.

Thank you Mia and Pape for driving all that way to see us and for the lovely gifts and pampering. We love you very much and miss you tons!

The Theories on Parenting

2008-03-28T18:47:00.000-06:00

Stacy, Kelly and Deb came up to see Lincoln on Good Friday. Deb brought him a stuffed bunny for Easter. We had a really nice visit. Kelly and Stacy shared a lot with me about a book called, "On Becoming Baby Wise." They have both adopted this parenting style for their children and have had great success with it. I had never heard of it but after they shared with me how much it has helped them get a routine going with their kids I decided to check it out. I picked up the book the next day and spent Saturday and Sunday reading it. The book focuses on what is called PDF, Parent Directed Feedings. It instructs new moms to feed every 3 hours and watch the babies cues to see when they are hungry. There are theories out there that tell you to watch the clock only and then others that tell you to feed them whenever they root or seem hungry. This theory instructs the new mother to combine the two. It also teaches to have the baby feed, wake and then sleep. If you feed the baby every 3 hours for about a half hour at a time then there are 2 1/2 hours in between, so for half of that they are awake and then they take a nap. It is hard to keep an infant awake for an hour but this theory teaches that if you implement this pattern they should be sleeping through the night by 7 or 8 weeks. I have been trying to implement this with Lincoln. It is very, very hard to lay him down for a nap and walk away. The author says that an infant can cry up to 20 minutes without harm. I can't imagine letting him cry for 20 minutes. I have been able to go for about 12 so far!

As a mother today I feel like you have to choose a parenting style to follow. It is almost like a cult! You are either a Baby Wise mom or a Happiest kid on the block follower or.....There are just so many books out there and so many different opinions on how children should be raised starting from the day they are born. I have mentioned to a few other moms that I am using the Baby Wise theories and they just give me a look and then proceed to tell me what book and what Dr they are following. It is very stressful to me. I have other moms that tell me to throw all of that out the window and just do what I think is right. There are certain theories I know I can weed out, so at least I have that figured out. There is a parenting style called Attached parenting and they believe that you should never put your baby down. You should carry them at all times. I know for sure this is not for me. Believe me it is hard to put Lincoln down but I also know that he needs to stretch sometimes and I need to have my hands free to do things.

Stacy and I went down to Kelly's house in Castle Rock for a play date on Friday the 28th. I asked them lots of questions about the Baby Wise book. They were a lot of help and they were very reassuring to me that I was doing a good job with Lincoln and that it is normal to be stressed out in the beginning. I feel very blessed to have Stacy and Kelly in my life. I do not have any sisters of my own but I consider them my sisters.

I have only had a week to try the Baby Wise theory and I am going to let it go when Lincoln's Mia and Papa are here because I really want them to enjoy every minute of him while they are here. I want them to be able to hold him as much as they want! I will have to work on getting back on track after they head back to Florida.

It is amazing how fast time goes. I feel like I am so behind already when it comes to implementing these theories. I hadn't heard of the book before he was born so I didn't try the schedule until his 3rd week of life and his Mia and Papa are coming next week, so really he has only had one week of Baby Wise parenting.

I just pray every day that God will give me the wisdom I need to be the best mother I can be to Lincoln. I know that babies have been around forever and that they turned out just fine before all of these theories, so I am trying to trust my instincts and know that God is in control!

Lincoln's First Easter

2008-03-23T17:56:00.001-06:00

Lincoln celebrated his first Holiday at 15 days old. We bought him a little onesie and pant outfit that said "Babies First Easter." He looked super cute, of course. We took him to church for the first time on Easter Sunday. Eli had a great time showing him off to everyone. We got the same comment from everyone, "Look at all that hair!" It was a neat experience taking him back to the nursery to nurse during service and seeing the other moms in there.
When we got home from church we went down the street to Darren and Kelly's for Easter dinner. They had Libby, Chris, Caleb, Cyler, Bob and Lisa over. We had a nice time eating a great meal and playing corn hole outside. It was a lot of fun seeing Caleb and Cyler with Lincoln. It is going to be so much fun having them live right next door to eachother and watching them grow up with one another.

And of course here are some more picture links

http://picasaweb.google.com/elifrick/EasterMarch23rd2008

http://picasaweb.google.com/elifrick/LincolnS2ndWeek

Visitors

2008-03-18T18:21:00.000-06:00

Lincoln has had lots of visitors since his arrival. Stacy and Shawn came to see him at the hospital and well as Ryan, Emily and their kids.

Kari came up on Monday the 10th. We had a nice dinner and visit together. Ebeth and Jason came up on Friday the 14th. My dad was back by then so they got to meet him. We had dinner together and enjoyed a long visit. My parents couldn't stop talking about what a natural Jason was with Lincoln and how much they are praying that God will bless them with a baby soon.

Our young marrieds group provides meals for the family every other day for 2 weeks after the baby is born. It is a really neat ministry.
Caren and her little boy Ryan came up on Monday the 17th, Maggie and Amy along with all 4 of their kids came up on Wednesday. Sheila and Johnathan came up on Friday. Ebeth and Jason had the meal on Sunday, but since it was Easter they just brought it to Church for us. Brandy and her daughter Ellery came up on Tuesday. Our Thursday meal was made by Maggie and then Sokie was going to come up on Saturday but we cancelled because Eli's parents had just made it in for their visit from Florida.
Thank you everyone for all of the great food and for driving up to Wyoming to meet Lincoln.

Lincoln's First Week

2008-03-16T08:53:00.002-06:00

Lincoln is one week old already. I can't believe that last Saturday I was bringing him into the world. Uncle Anthony headed back to Grand Junction on Monday and my dad headed back to Nebraska. My mom stayed for the whole week. Lincoln had his first Dr's appointment on Tuesday. He weighed in at 7lbs 4.5 oz. He left the hospital at 7lbs 7oz, so he lost some weight which is normal. The Dr said that he looked good. He said that he was a little jaundice, a level 10 but they do not get concerned until they are at an 18. All and all the Dr said that he looked great.

Here are some more pictures to look at.
http://picasaweb.google.com/elifrick/LincolnSFirstWeek

We also made a few outings this week. On Wednesday we took him for a walk around the neighborhood. We went to the grocery store on Thursday and on Friday we took him back to the Dr to do a weight check. He weighed in at 7lbs 7oz so he was back to the weight he left the hospital. The Dr checked his jaundice level and said the he was not concerned. From the Dr we headed over to Eli's work to show him off. After that we went to Ruby Tuesday for lunch and to Babies R us. We took him out to dinner on Saturday night to Carraba's for my mom's birthday dinner. It is a big chore to get him all packed up and to make sure we are only gone 3 hours at a time because he eats every three hours.

He has established some what of a pattern in the evenings. I feed him around 9 and then I go to bed while he and Eli hang out. I sleep from 9 until around 11 and then feed him again. From then on he wakes up about every three hours. He has been going back down to sleep between feedings so I am able to get about 2 hours at a time. I feed him at 3 am and he usually sleeps until around 7 or 8. That is when I get a decent amount of sleep. They are allowed one 5 hour period of time without eating. He has had plenty of wet and poopy diapers, so he seams to be doing just fine with his feedings.

He is still super cute and I love him more every day! It is definitely hard and extremely emotional. Our lives are different in every sense of the word. I can't imagine our lives without him but it is the hardest thing I have ever experienced from delivery to taking them home. A life depends on us and that is such an amazing experience but very stressful.

My parents are leaving today so I am very emotional and a little nervous about doing it on our own.

He's Here

2008-03-10T11:04:00.005-06:00

Lincoln David Hadley Frick joined the world on Saturday March 8th at 10:18 am. He was 7lbs 9oz and 20 1/4 inches long. As you can see in the pictures he is just perfect! (Just copy and past the below URL in to see his pictures)

http://picasaweb.google.com/elifrick/LincolnSBirthday

My water broke on Friday night at 9pm while we were watching Dateline. We called the Dr and he said to head into the hospital. We arrived around 9:45 and they checked us in. I was 3cm dilated. They hooked me up to the IV, fetal monitor and a heart rate monitor for me. After they got their numbers they allowed me to walk around the halls for a while and try to get labor to begin. I had contractions but they weren't very close together. They told me that I could have until 6am to see if I would go into active labor on my own and if not they would start me on pitocin. My parents arrived at 2am from Nebraska. We visited with them for a while and then I tried to get some sleep. It is impossible to sleep in the hospital especially when you know you are about to have a baby. At 4am I got up and walked some more, but no labor. The nurse came in at 6am and said that she wanted to start me on the pitocin. I asked if I could have another half hour to walk around and see what would happen. She gave me until 6:30 but still no labor. They put me back in bed and hooked me up to the pitocin. The contractions came hard and fast at about 7am. I spent most of the contractions standing up because it was easier to deal with the pain. I used the fit ball for a little while but ended up standing up. I had a lot of back labor which was very painful. Mom, Dad and Eli were in the room while I was in labor. We had the news on and I just took one contraction at a time. I have to admit it was more painful than I thought it would be. Everyone tells you that it will be...God himself tells us that it will be, but you just never know how much until you go through it yourself. I was in active labor from 7am until she checked me at 9:45 and I was 8cm. I had a few more contractions and then she came back and checked me at 10:05 and I was complete at 10cm. It was time to push! Eli held one leg and Kim my nurse held the other and the pushing began. I had three good pushes and out he came. He gave a good cry and they suctioned him out. They handed him to me and I just cried and gave a big sigh of relief. I had a little bit of tearing so they stitched me up, but nothing out of the ordinary.

The whole process was absolutely amazing..Painful but amazing. I had such a great experience. My nurse was the perfect fit for me. She was very firm but supportive. She never offered me pain killers. She really respected my desire to do it naturally and offered ways to manage the contractions. The Dr came in to check on me shortly after the delivery and told me that my delivery would have normally resulted in a C-section due to how long it was between my water breaking and actual labor. They worry about infection after your water breaks. He was very impressed and complimentary of how well I handled the process. I am just so pleased that I was able to deliver vaginally and without pain meds. It was just the perfect experience.

Dr. Appt #14 39 weeks Pregnant

2008-03-06T10:28:00.002-07:00

We had a Dr. appointment this morning and I am 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. Dr. Hoch said that was a lot of progress from last week so the contractions I have been having have been doing their job. She is still expecting Lincoln to make his appearance some time next week. I asked her how long past the due date she would let me go and she said it just depends on how my dilation is progressing. She said she prefers not to induce with a first baby. Eli and I are fine with that because we would prefer to have him come on his own. I may be singing a different tune if he doesn't come next week! It looks like I may have two weeks at home all to myself. I am still feeling good, just anxious!

Guess the Day, Weight and Length of Lincoln

2008-03-02T14:28:00.004-07:00

We had dinner with some friends a few weeks back and they each pitched in a dollar to place a bet.
Please feel free to post a comment on this entry with your guess and I will update the blog with your entry.

His official due date is March 11th and that is all the information that we have.

Name/ Day/ Weight/ Length

Gretchen Shaw 3/5 7lbs 2oz 21"
Eli (Dad) 3/13 8lbs 3oz 19"
Jerimy Shaw 3/7 8lbs 8oz 23"
Carl Frey 3/2 7lbs 6oz 19"
Patty Bullington 3/11 7lbs 7oz 20 1/2"
Denelle Previd 3/9 7lbs 4oz 20"
Tammy (Grandma) 3/14 7lbs 11oz 19.5"
Norma (Mia) 3/9 7lbs 6oz 19.5"

Leap Day was my Last Day

2008-02-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Suzanne, Meredith, Me, Dena and Kari
2-28-08

I will miss seeing you girls every day! Thanks for my goodbye lunch!

I had my last day of work today. It was very surreal. I got to work around 11 because of my Dr's appointment and then we had lunch with our Salomon vendor. After lunch we walked around Aspen Grove shopping center and headed back to the office around 1. I wrapped up a little bit of work and then walked around to say my goodbyes. Almost everyone was already gone or in a meeting so I wasn't able to say goodbye to very many people. I know that I will see them all still so I wasn't too worried about saying goodbye. I left the office around 3:30 and headed down to Highlands Ranch. I treated myself to a pedicure and got my hair cut. I figured I should get that done before Lincoln comes and I am home bound for a while. If Lincoln doesn't come until his due date, March 11th I will have a week at home all to myself. I plan to do some sleeping, reading and nesting! A bunch of my girlfriends that are mothers told me to take really long showers because those will soon be a thing of the past.

Dr Appt. #13 2-29-08 38 Weeks Pregnant

2008-02-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was able to see Dr Hoch at this visit but I waited for quite a while in the room. Don't you just love sitting naked in those cold rooms waiting for the Dr! I get to do it once a week now. Dr Long had her baby on Thursday so they are down one Dr. Lincoln is still head down and I am still at 1cm dilation. The Dr said that if she had to guess she would say that he is coming the week of his due date. She said that everything is tracking right on schedule for him to come at 40 weeks. I have had a few contractions and she said that my uterus was trying to push him down and get him ready. I would love to have him out of my ribs! I think he is going to be a long baby. I won't let them give me an estimate of his weight because I don't want to worry about that. I have heard so many horror stories about how off they are on their projections and then it just causes the women to worry. I figure I have to push him out whether he is 6 pounds or 10!

I am very anxious to see my son for the first time and I would love to carry him in my arms rather than in my ribs!

37 Weeks Pregnant

2008-02-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Eli and I went down to the studio to take some updated pregnancy photos. I have to say I was not as "into" it as I was last time. I am feeling very big and uncomfortable. I know that I will be glad later that he made me do them.

Dr. Appt #12 2-22-08

2008-02-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I saw Dr Long-the pregnant Dr this time. Dr Hoch was running late again. They checked my blood pressure, Lincoln's heart rate and everything was good. She checked to make sure he was still head down and he is. She did my first dilation test and she said that I was 1cm dilated. Very exciting!

Lincoln's Nursery

2008-02-16T18:01:00.009-07:00

My mom came out last weekend to help me finish up Lincoln's nursery. We sorted through all of the gifts he received from the three baby showers. We washed and put away all of his clothes and blankets. I was so amazed at how many clothes he already has. We had a few more large items to pick up so we went to Babies R Us and spent all of my gift cards.

Eli spent the weekend putting his pack and play, swing, stroller, and bouncer seat together.

Thanks mom for all of your help. You are so amazing! You achieve more in one weekend then most people do in a week! I love you so much.

Dr. Appt #11 2-14-08 36 weeks Pregnant

2008-02-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

I got to see Dr. Hoch again, imagine that seeing the same Dr two appointments in a row! Lincoln's heart rate is good and it was an overall good check up. I had the bacteria B test done and they should have the results by my next visit. She checked for dilation and I am not dilated yet. She thought she felt his head but she did an ultrasound to be sure. Praise God he is head down and ready to go. She said that he should stay that way from here on out so that is exciting!

Dr. Appt # 10 35 Weeks Pregnant 2-6-08

2008-02-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

I had a Dr.'s appointment this morning. I finally got to meet Dr. Hoch the non pregnant female Dr of the practice. She was very nice. It was a short and sweet appointment. Lincoln's heart beat is good and he is head down, so that is good news. I am going to go weekly from here on out. She said that they would measure my cervix next time to see if I am dialated at all. It is all very real with only 5 weeks to go.

Church Baby Shower

2008-01-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Ladies at Church had a baby shower for me on Sunday afternoon. They did a jungle theme complete with a rope full of swinging jungle animals and a jungle themed diaper cake. The table was set up beautifully with a cake, mints, nuts and punch. The guests played Bingo while I opened presents. Lincoln was blessed with a lot of nice presents. Thank you to all of my amazing hostesses for all of your hard work and thank you to everyone who was able to make it to the shower.

Eli and I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing congregation and we are so looking forward to raising Lincoln in this Church.

Prince Charming is On His Way

2008-01-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

I had the most beautiful baby shower on Saturday January 26th. My dear friends Stacy Pepple, Kelly Purdy, Deb Krull and Kari Shrader put the whole event together for Lincoln and I. It was absolutely beautiful. It was at the club house at Kari's apartment complex. The whole room was decorated in a prince theme to mirror the invitation. They thought of everything. The cake was in the shape of a crown with a baby on top. There were golden goblets to drink from, treasure boxes full of candy as parting gifts and crowns throughout the room. The food was amazing. 35 people were able to make it and help me celebrate my little prince. The gifts were such a blessing. We played a few games, ate cake and opened lots of gifts.

Thank you again Ladies for coming and making me feel so special and loved. A huge thank you to my beautiful hostesses for all of the time, effort and expense you put in to this amazing baby shower. I love you all!

The Prince Cake

Stacy and I

Kari and I

My mom, Aunt Jacquetta, Aunt Glenna

Jenny, Gretchen, Me, Dena, Amanda, Kari, Ginger

The Girls trying to get my belly measurement

Brook and I

Jenny, Me, Kari

Grandma and the beautiful fisherman quilt she made

Dr Appt # 9 33 Weeks Pregnant

2008-01-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

I had an appointment at 3:15 today and they finally brought me back at 4. The nurse listened to Lincoln's heartbeat, which is still strong and checked my blood pressure. I was planning to meet Dr. Hoch at this appointment which is the other female Dr in this practice but after waiting for about 15 mins the nurse came back in and asked me if I would be willing to see Dr. Naake because Dr Hoch was running really behind. I laughed out loud and then said sure. I figured at this point why not! I think God is teaching me to be flexible and laid back through all this Dr stuff to prepare me for delivery! Dr Naake was a nice man and he told me that whoever was on call was going to be the Dr that would deliver me so I might as well meet all of them. All in all things are still good. My next appointment is Feb 6th which will be 35 weeks and then I will go weekly from there on.

I am feeling huge and uncomfortable but I love feeling Lincoln make full turns in my stomach. Eli watched him moving around the other night while I laid on the couch. He is already amazing me!

Dad's Knee Surgery

2008-01-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

My dad has has about 9 ankle surgeries in his lifetime. I say about because we have all lost count. He broke his ankle at work when I was 9 and has had several surgeries since then trying to fix it. They finally went in and fused the whole ankle together to try and relieve the pain. His ankle doesn't move up and down or left and right. He has incurred a lot of other ailments because of his ankle. He had to over rely on his good leg to support the bad one and in turn has injured his knee. They told him that he is too young to have a knee replacement because they are only good for 10 years and he is only 50. He would have to get another one by the time he was 60. They thought the best option was to get it scoped. I talked to my mom after his surgery and she said that the Dr's sounded optimistic. My dad is having a hard time believing that this will relieve his pain because he has had so many let downs in the past with surgery. Please be praying for him and for the relief of pain. He is going to be laid up for 2 weeks, so please pray that he can keep his spirits up and that this surgery will be beneficial.

My dad has endured a lot of hardship in his 50 years. His body is far older than it should be. Please pray that he can have pain relief and be able to be an active grandpa for Lincoln!

Baby Room Painting Day

2008-01-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time picking out bedding for a baby boy. All of the boy stuff is "themes." They have sports, jungle and sail boats but nothing neutral. They have lots of patterns and solid colors for girls but not for boys. I finally decided on a jungle theme and was pretty excited about it but then I got a Babies R us magazine in the mail and they had a square pattern bedding set made up of greens and browns. I fell in love with it. I went online to see if anyone had bought any of the jungle stuff off of my registry yet and they hadn't so I switched it to the "Mod Box" set. Kari came over on Saturday the 12th to help us paint and hang out. We painted the top part of the wall a mint green and the bottom part a chocolate brown. Eli put up a beautiful chair rail in between the two colors even with the door handle. We painted the chair rail white. It looks so great! I put a link to the bedding set below so you can see it.

We bought his crib from a friend of a lady that I work with. She only wanted $100 for it and then we bought him a matching changing table, dresser combo unit and an armoire. The room looks really cute. I have two baby showers the weekend of the 26th so I am sure that we will get lots of great stuff to put in his room.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2908525

Dr. Appt #8 1-10-2008

2008-01-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I had my first appointment with the new practice at 31 weeks pregnant. I was suppose to see the Dr at 30 weeks but I cancelled my appointment with the old Dr and the new one couldn't get me in until 31 weeks. I had to transfer to the Thornton branch of the Women's Health Group from the Lafayette branch because of my insurance. The Dr's at the Lafayette location only deliver at Good Samaritan Hospital and they no longer take my insurance. I will finish out the remainder of my pregnancy seeing the 4 Dr's and 1 midwife at the Thornton branch and deliver our son at North Suburban Hospital. My first appt was with a female, Dr. Long. She came into the room and she was barely pregnant enough that I thought it was ok to ask her when she was due, well funny thing...she told me that she was going to have her baby before I had mine so she wouldn't' be able to deliver me but that it was nice to meet me! She is due at the end of Feb with her third baby. I commented that I thought you were suppose to get bigger with each pregnancy and she said this was the biggest she had ever been! She looked about 4 months along. She said that she works out every day and eats well! Of course she does!

Anyway I will see one of the other Dr's for my next appointment and whoever is on call will deliver baby Lincoln.

I'm Normal! No comments please!

2008-01-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

I called the Dr again today because I still hadn't heard from them. I was suppose to get my glucose results on Thursday. I called them Thursday, Friday and then again today. They kept telling me that the Dr had to sign them before they could give me the results. I finally got a hold of them today and they told me that the results were normal! Praise God. Thank you for all of your prayers. I see my new Dr for the first time this Thursday. I am excited to meet her. We start our birthing classes on Tuesday from 6-9 pm. We will go every Tueday night in January. He is due 9 weeks from now! How crazy is that!

Liz's Baby Shower

2008-01-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Liz had her baby shower on Sunday January 6th. It was a lot of fun seeing all of the cute baby boy stuff. She is due March 6th, so we are about a week apart. They are going to name their baby Parker Evan. The girls thought it was pretty neat that we were both naming our boys after cities. I made sure they knew that we weren't naming our baby Lincoln because I am from Nebraska! Liz and Gabe chose Parker because that is where they met and Mt. Evans is where they went on their first date. I thought that was so clever!

My Day as a Pin Cushion

2008-01-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

I had my 4 hour glucose test yesterday. I finally arrived at the Quest blood lab around 8:15. My appointment was at 8, but it took me forever to find the place. When I got there and signed in the lady informed me that they were considered out of network for my insurance. I just laughed and asked if there were other places to get my blood work done and she said that there were lots of them. I asked her why my Dr would have sent me to them knowing what my insurance is. It did not surprise me considering I have not had the greatest experiences with my OB office thus far. She told me that I could call one of the other places and try to drop in. I just decided to stay there and get it over with. I was already dreading being pricked 4 times and spending half a day at a blood draw lab and I was frazzled from getting lost, so I just told her to go ahead and take my blood!
They made the first "puncture" yes it was more of a puncture than a prick....at 8:15 and then I had to take the nasty syrupy orange drink. This time around I had to drink the whole thing within 5 minutes instead of just half like I did on the first glucose test. I sat there for an hour and then they punctured me again at 9:15, then 10:15 and then again at 11:15. I was hoping they would just put the needle in once and then attache the tubes multiple times but they said that they can't leave it in and they would have to go in 4 times. My arms are bruised and very sad!
The ladies were very nice and they put a movie in the little TV for me because I wasn't allowed to leave. The highlight of the day was getting to see the movie "The stepford wives" which if you have seen you know the day must have been bad if that was the highlight!
I had been fasting since 8 the night before so when I was done at 11:30 I stopped to get some food and then headed into work. I am suppose to get my results today but I have yet to hear from the Dr. I am praying that they will come back negative for gestational diabetes.

I will let you know!

Bringing in 2008

2008-01-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Diane (our old neighbor from when we lived in Denver) and her kids came over to help us bring in the new year. They arrived around 6 and we had some yummy appetizers and then a big steak and asparagus dinner. After dinner we played Balderdash and that was a blast! It is a great game if you have never played. The definitions Eli and Diane came up with were extremely amusing...most of them not appropriate for typing on my blog! I made it until 1:30. I was so proud of myself. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share. We did break out our new video camera to take some footage but no still pictures.

Happy New Year Everyone. I pray that God blesses you all in amazing ways in 2008!

Christmas Day 2007

2007-12-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

There are no little kids in our family, well at least none that are out of the womb yet, so we didn't need to get up super early to greet Santa on Christmas morning. We exchanged gifts while sipping on our coffee. We were all blessed with very nice gifts. Mom and Dad got us a video camera and Eli had it rolling as soon as it came out of the box, so we have Christmas footage. We all got ready and then headed to the Annex at mom and dads Church. Mom's family got there around 1 for lunch. We had a small group again this year but it was great to see those that could make it. We had a wonderful lunch and then we played a game of dominoes.

The Downey Boys and Us.

Christmas Eve 2007

2007-12-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

My Dad and I

Dad, Scott, Ryan, Deb, Grandma, Marlyn

Eli, my brother Anthony and I headed back to Nebraska on Saturday December 22nd. We arrived at mom and dads house early evening and then headed down to the local pizza place for dinner. Some of my cousins and their kids met us there.
Sunday morning we all went to Church together and then had a lazy day at the house.
Monday, Christmas Eve we headed to the local super Wal-Mart to do some grocery shopping. We called my sister in law, Anna to get her special green chili recipe and then attempted to find all of the needed ingredients at Wal-Mart. It proved to be quite the task. The salsa isle contained nothing stronger then medium! We did our best to find comparable ingredients. My brother and I managed to make a pretty tasty green chili for dinner. My dad's family arrived around 5 and we had dinner around 6. We had a good turn out this year. We were missing a few people but all in all it was a big group. All 5 of grandma's kids were there so she was happy.
After dinner the little kids opened their presents. Tonya bought them all megaphones so that made for a fun night. Lincoln received his first Christmas present from his great grandma. She bought him a white Christmas teddy bear and he got a stuffed animal horse from my Aunt Deb and Uncle Bill. It was so sweet of them to think of him this Christmas. When the kids were done opening their presents we started our traditional gift exchange game. This year we decided to do a camping theme. We each opened the gift that we brought one at a time and then we started with the first person to see if they wanted to steel someone elses present. If you wanted to steel another persons gift they were able to ask you a question about themselves and if you answered it correctly you could steel their gift from them. It was a fun way to learn new things about one another. My uncle Scott learned that his sister Deb did not get married in 1980....She found that pretty funny considering her youngest child was born in 1979!

Dr Appt #7 12-17-07 28 Weeks Pregnant

2007-12-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

7 months! Are you kidding me?! It feels like yesterday that I peed on the stick...well sticks..I did take 4 of them remember!

I had to take the glucose test. I drank the yucky sugary orange drink and then I wasn't suppose to eat or drink anything until they drew my blood. I got to the Dr office and they weighed me, like they always do, I peed in a cup, like I always do, and then they drew my blood. We listened to Lincoln's heart beat. Strong and good. I told her where she could find his heart because I knew his foot was in my rib. I had felt it there all day long. When I left they told me no news was good news....well, I got news. They called the next day and told me that my level was 141. The sheet said that anything over 140 was considered high, the nurse told me 130 or above and then the Dr told me 135...so regardless I was above all three levels. I have to go to the Qwest lab in Englewood on Janaury 2nd for the three hour glucose test. They draw my blood a total of 4 times and I get to fast for 12 hours before they do it! Fun. Fun. They had birthday cake at work for me and I passed so that I would pass my glucose test. Well geez I should have had a big ol piece. The Dr said that I most likely do not have gestational diabetes but I have to take this 3 hour test to make sure.

Come to find out the cold that I have...the third one of my pregnancy, could have elevated my glucose level. I am on antibiotics now and should hopefully be better by the next test and can pass with flying colors!

My 28th Birthday

2007-12-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

We received our anxiously awaited packages from Eli's parents. They send us a big box every year filled with our birthday and Christmas presents. We received the package on the 13th. Eli and I sat down and opened our gifts one at a time. The theme this year was "things that make your life easier." Norma is a very thoughtful gift giver and we loved everything they got us.

After we were done opening all of our gifts Eli told me that there was more upstairs for me. He told me to go into the nursery. I walked in the room and there was a gorgeous wooden rocking chair in the corner of the room with a card taped to it. The card said "Mommy" on the outside in sloppy handwriting. I opened the card and it was a Pooh and Piglet card that read "Pooh loves Piglet. Piglet Loves Pooh. And guess what Mommy? I love you! Happy Birthday." Eli added an extra special message from Lincoln. It read, "Mommy. Happy Birthday!!! This is your first present from me. There will be many more. Please use this to rock me to sleep. P.S. I am like daddy and can't sit still that's why I got you a rocking chair." Love Lincoln.
I couldn't help but cry. It touched me so much! My husband is such a softy! He also got me a card from him!

My birthday was a nice one filled with breakfast and decorations at work and gifts from friends. We had an off site Nike meeting and we were able to head home at 2 when we finished. I came home snuggled on the couch and watched "Polar Express." After that we got ready to head to Jason's graduation party.

Jason's Surprise Graduation Party

2007-12-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Graduate

Eli Lovin on Kari

Gretchen,Me,Ebeth

Jason received his Bachelors Degree! Yeah! Ebeth threw Jason a graduation party at a bar on Broadway. We all showed up at 7pm and he got there around 7:30. He was truly surprised to see all of us there. Ebeth also surprised him with a beer kit and we all gave him gifts to add to the beer making. Little did he know another surprise was awaiting him at home. His parents came in for a visit. They were waiting at the house for him when they got home on Friday night. They were able to attend the ceremony and visit for the weekend. Jason was extremely grateful to everyone and especially to Ebeth for putting it all together.

We love you Jason and we are so proud of you!

It was also my 28th birthday so I got to see my friends and be the DD for my husband!

Christi's Ornament Exchange

2007-12-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to make it to Christi's annual ornament exchange. My ornament was the joke of the party because it was 3 years old, but when unwrapped it was still super cute! I have had to miss the party every year since I have been invited, but this year despite the weather I was going no matter what. I bought my ornament and wrapped it the first year I was invited and have kept it in hopes of sharing it ever since. I was blessed with Linda Dismang's ornament. It is a beautiful red glass icicle shaped one. The party was full of lots of great food and fun. There were a lot of pregnant bellies there me, Caren, Christi, Susan and Maggie!

Martini's and Mistletoe

2007-12-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

We went to Patty's Annual Martini's and Mistletoe Party. The weather was bad and we thought about staying home but we just couldn't miss this party. It is always a lot of fun. She hires a bartender and makes lots of great food.

Front Row Left: Jerimy, Gretchen, Denelle

Middle Row Left: Jason, Carl, Me, Ebeth

Back Row: Eli and Patty

Melissa's New Do and the Belly

2007-12-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

I decided that I wanted to treat myself to some pampering for my 28th birthday present. I got my hair cut and eyebrows waxed today. I went for the Jenny McCarthy look. I am getting a pre-natal massage, mani and pedi on Saturday! I can't wait for some pampering. I have never needed a massage so badly in my whole life!

Photo Shoot 25 weeks Pregnant

2007-12-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our friends Pete and Lynn from Church leased a studio downtown, fixed it up and turned it into a photo studio. They have given Eli and I a key to use the studio as a side business. We are going to pay them the sitting fee that we charge in return for use of the studio. I volunteered to be Eli's model so he could practice with the lighting and get use to the studio. He has his first photo shoot booked for the 19th of December. He is super excited as photography has been a passion of his for a long time. He has sold several of his pictures over the last year and has recently invested in a new upgraded digital camera. We are super excited to see how God will provide extra income through this endeavor to live as a one income family here soon! Here is a link to the pregnancy photo's that Eli took of me.

http://picasaweb.google.com/elifrick/PregnancyPhotoShoot02?authkey=t_Gyac54W3w

Parade of Lights

2007-11-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Kari, Carl, Abby, Shiloh, Eli and myself met at the Paramount Cafe down town for dinner and then walked a few blocks down to the Parade of Lights. It was so beautiful. It really puts you in the Christmas mood. It was super cold but well worth it. After the parade ended we went to Starbucks to treat ourselves to their yummy Holiday drinks and then we walked around downtown enjoying all of the lights.

Liz, Melissa and their Sons.

2007-11-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

We met our friends Liz and Gabe for breakfast this morning at Mim's cafe. They were in town from Steamboat to have Thanksgiving with her parents. Liz is due a week before me with a baby boy. It was really great to see them and talk to them about the excitement of bringing little baby boys into our lives.

CU VS. NE

2007-11-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Colorado University verses Nebraska University at Folsom Field. Kickoff was at 10 am and the temperature was a high of 25! It was my first Nebraska game and not exactly the outcome I had hoped for, but it was fun. We went with our friends Ebeth, Jason and Jamie. Jamie is from Omaha so he was routing for the Huskers with us. Ebeth and Jason were routing for the dirty hippies! It was a great time had by all. It was Eli and Ebeth's first time at a college football game.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

We hosted our second annual Orphan Thanksgiving and we had a great turn out. We had a total of 14 people for dinner. Our neighbors Chris, Libby their two little boys Caleb and Cyler, Libby's parents Bev and Bob from Nebraska, our neighbors Kelly and Darren, our friends Ebeth and Jason, my cousin Raeth and his girlfriend Jessie, my other cousin Rhett and his wife Sara and Eli and I. Everyone came over around noon and we just hung out and played games.

Eli fryed a turkey and everyone brought their favorite Thanksgiving foods. We had tons of really great food. We ate appetizers at our house during the day and then served dinner around 5 over and Chris and Libby's house. We ended the evening around 8:30. It was a great time with friends and family.

Thanks again everyone for all of the yummy food and great company!

6 months! Dr appt #6 11-19-07

2007-11-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

We had another Dr appt today. We have reached the 6 month mark. Everything looks good and I am gaining weight daily! I have gained a total of 18 pounds, 6 in the last month, which the Dr says is right on track and I am measuring right at 24 weeks. Our due date is still set at March 11th and we are cruising along. The Dr did tell me to be careful with all of the Holiday indulgences because 6 pounds a month would not be healthy!

The only time you have ever wanted to be kicked.

2007-11-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

My son finally kicked me and I was so happy I cried! It was Thursday November 8th. There is another girl at work that is due the same week as me and that very morning she asked me if I had felt him kick. I sadly sad no. She had been feeling her little boy kick for a few weeks by that point. I was sad and a little concerned that I hadn't felt him kick yet, and sure enough later that day while sitting at my desk he kicked me! My little Lincoln knew how much I needed that kick to ease my mind and my heart. I was so thrilled. He has been kicking all day every day since then. It is such a neat feeling and a constant reassurance that he is in there alive and well. They are growing stronger by the day. Eli was able to feel it too.

22 Weeks and WOW what a difference

2007-11-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 22 weeks pregnant. The difference between 18 and 22 weeks is amazing! I still haven't felt our little guy move but I am looking forward to it. My friend Libby took me to Babies R Us to register today. It sure seemed real when I had to pick out pacifiers and strollers and everything else baby!

Lincoln's $1,000 Photo Shoot 10-26-07

2007-10-26T18:20:00.000-06:00

After our 20 week ultrasound we were advised to see a specialist based on some concerns the Dr had. We were able to get into the specialist that Friday which was a huge blessing. They usually book out 4-6 weeks. We saw the specialist and he reassured us that our son was going to be just fine. Without going into too much detail the markers that they saw on our ultrasound were markers for down syndrome and they wanted to get a second opinion. The specialist did another ultrasound and did not see any of the other markers for Downs and felt that our son was going to be born healthy. Praise God. It was a long week for Eli and I but all in all it turned out that we got some more pictures of our son and we got to spend the weekend with my mom. We had a lot of people praying for Lincoln and God's hand was on him.

Here is his $1,000 photo shoot. Yep, that is what one ultrasound cost at the specialist.

Connor James Pepple joins the World!

2007-10-25T20:04:00.000-06:00

My best friend Stacy delivered her baby boy today! He was born at 2:27 pm and was 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long. I just got home from the hospital and mom and baby are both doing well. Stacy ended up having to have a C-section because the cord was wrapped around Connor's neck. She is recovering well and is beaming with pride. Connor is super cute and healthy in every way. Stacy and I have been friends since we were 9 years old. We are two months apart in age and now we are going to have sons that are 6 months apart.

Praise God for his new creation!

Here is our Son for the World to See!

2007-10-22T20:53:00.000-06:00

A little Eli Emil or a little Melissa Ann???

2007-10-22T20:44:00.000-06:00

We thought we would give you a glimpse of what baby Frick will look like. Eli at 8 months old and Melissa at 9 months.

GO ROCKIES!

2007-10-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

My parents came out this past weekend for the Rockies game. We went on Sunday night and froze our butts off but it sure was fun. I wish we would have taken a picture. We had our ski gear on with rain gear on top. I wasn't able to get a hot chocolate until the 6th innning because they kept selling out of them.

My mom and I did a lot of shopping! She only has a super Wal-Mart in McCook so she shoppes me ragged when she is out here. We went to a baby shower on Saturday afternoon for my friend Maggie that is having twin boys. My mom really enjoyed meeting everyone and it made her feel at peace knowing that I have all of those great women from Church to help me through the pregnancy and when the baby is born.

Speaking of the baby...I am almost at the half way point. I am 19 weeks along. We go in on Monday at 3 to find out the sex of the baby. Be sure to check the blog on Monday night or Tuesday morning for the big announcement. So far my friend Brie from work that is due a week before me is having a boy and my friend Liz from college who is due a week before me as well is having a boy. Eli and I still have no feelings one way or another on what our baby is. We will truly be shocked either way.

I am still feeling good and getting bigger by the day. Eli smiles at me every night when I walk in the door and says, I think you have grown! I am doing the treadmill about twice a week right now. I would like to be doing more, but you have to start somewhere!

18 weeks and going strong!

2007-10-07T19:23:00.001-06:00

October 7th, 2008-Welcoming Fall in Colorado

2007-10-07T19:18:00.000-06:00

We just got home from Church and thought we would take some updated Pictures of the Frick Family. For all who have been asking, yes I am showing!

Dr. Appointment #4 10-1-07 17 weeks Pregnant

2007-10-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

I had another Dr.'s appointment yesterday and Eli was able to come. They asked the normal questions and we listened to the heart beat. It was such a blessing to hear the babies heart beating. We have had a few ladies in our congregation miscarry recently and it just set our minds at ease to hear that our baby is still doing well. They didn't measure the heart rate this time, but the Dr said she thought it was fast, around 155. That kind of threw Eli and I off because every other time it has been in the 170's so we were thinking it was a girl.

The "SEX" appointment is on the 22nd at 3pm. We can't wait to find out what we are having. Eli and I are both leaning toward thinking it is a girl at this point, but we may be surprised. My mom is still determined that it is a girl, although she did have a baby boy dream the other night.

I have started rubbing my belly and feeling pregnant! I thank God multiple times a day for our little miracle and I just can't stop smiling!

Love you all!

Frick's Place

2007-09-24T21:40:00.001-06:00

Hello from the Frick Family,

Eli, Melissa, Sadie (our 4 year old chocolate lab), and Lucias (our 3 year old Rottweiler) and baby due to arrive in March. We live in Dacono Colorado.

First Trip to see Mia and Papa in Florida 9-6-07/9-11-07

2007-09-13T12:23:00.000-06:00

Eli and I just got back from a trip to Florida to see his family. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. I am finally over my cold and I feel well rested. Eli's parents Norma and David have decided that they would like to be called Mia and Papa by the baby!

We spent some time at the beach and at their pool. Eli was finally able to take his dad out for sushi which David did enjoy. They also spent a day golfing at Gator Creek and they did see some gators.

Norma took me on a shopping spree for maternity clothes. We had a great time. I even tried on one of the dresses with the little strap on belly. She introduced the baby to everyone with such pride and excitement by patting my belly!

We met Margarets son Devlin for the first time and he is a cutie! We were able to have a night out with Margaret and Evan while Norma and David watched Devlin.

We flew back in on September 11th and the flight was just fine. We had just called Eli's parents to let them know that we arrived safely and then we got in a car accident. We are fine and the car is only slightly dinged up but it was a pretty major accident for the other car. All 4 people were taken in the ambulance to the hospital. A man pulled out in front of their car and hit them and then as they were spinning they hit us and they ended up in a ditch and were pretty banged up and disoriented. We had to stay around to give a police report and get the mans insurance info to get our car fixed, but praise God all of the Fricks are fine.

Dr. Appointment #3 9-4-07

2007-09-13T12:19:00.000-06:00

This was a simple appointment. The Dr listened to the baby's heart beat and it sounded strong! All is well. They did not measure the rate of the heart beat this time....but it sure sounded fast!

I had my first and hopefully my only cold while pregnant. It was a doozy and let me tell you Tylenol does nothing for a sinus headache and I can't say that Sudafed helps a whole lot either.
I asked the Dr if there were any other drugs I could take and she just laughed and said,"only what is on the list," ie: Tylenol and Sudafed!

Dr. Appointment #2 8-7-07

2007-09-13T12:16:00.000-06:00

This one was much more fun!

We had another ultrasound-1st one from the Dr, but the second one for us since Kim did one for us back in NE. The heart beat was still fast about 175 (my mom is sure this means it's a girl, but then again she said it was a girl from the day I told her I was pregnant!) The baby looks great and I still feel great.

First Ultrasound 8-3-07

2007-09-13T12:05:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,
Another update on Baby Frick. I am sure that some of you don't want the play by plays…but you're going to get them anyway! HA.
We had our first ultrasound on Friday. My mom's friend did one for me while we were back in Nebraska this weekend. The baby looks good. Based on the crown to rump measurement we are right at 8 weeks so starting 9 weeks today. The baby had a strong heart beat at 171 bpm. It was so fast and so amazing to hear! Yes, I cried! The baby kept moving around. I don't think it liked the wand being in it's space! There are only 2 chambers to the heart right now so the heart beat just went back and forth between the two. It was amazing!
For all of you who know how much I was "doubting" being pregnant. I finally believe it! I saw the little peanut and heard it's heart beat. They say that the chances of miscarriage go way down once you have heard a heart beat, so praise God.

God is sooooo good and his creation is so amazing!

Please keep Eli and I and baby Frick in your prayers!

First Dr. Appointment 7-25-07

2007-09-13T11:53:00.000-06:00

Eli and I had our first Dr appointment yesterday. It was pretty anticlimactic. We were hoping to have our first ultrasound but the Dr wanted to wait until 9 weeks. They did an exam and took some blood and then we mainly just talked about health history and then any questions that I had.
I asked her if they did a pregnancy test of the urine sample and she laughed and said no, we expect that you know that before you come in. I told her that I had a positive home pregnancy test…and Eli chimed in and told her that I took 4 and they were all positive! She just laughed at me!
We have an ultrasound scheduled in 2 weeks, but my Aunt Deb is going to do one for me when I go back to NE the first weekend in August. I just need some proof that there really is a baby in there!
I feel great so far. No sickness just tired. Please keep us in your prayers though.
The Dr. said that I was ahead of the game being on the prenatal vitamins for a year and starting the DHA supplements-Thanks Stacy!
I really liked the Dr and the nurse did a great job with my blood draw-Thanks for the recommendation Libby.
Love you all.