Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!!!
I have always been a huge fan of Christmas! It gets to the point where Nathan will become the grinch just to counteract my excitement. I love to drive around and look at the lights that people put on their houses, put up my decorations on November first, try new recipes to bring on platters to the neighbours, wrap presents that I began buying in July, etc. It gets me so excited that I hardly sleep the night before a family gathering! And I love it!
This year my excitement is even greater then it has ever been! Not because of all the wonderful gifts that I am given, but because I have such a precious gift that God is trusting me and Nathan with. Owen gets to celebrate his first Christmas! We had our first family gathering today and I felt pure joy watching him get excited about his gifts. I know that this is not the reason that we celebrate this holiday, but I understand now why parents spend so much money on their children. It is exciting! This year Nathan and I are also planning a little family celebration of our own which we have never done before. We will be spending time as a family, not just a couple! I am thrilled!
God has blessed us greatly this year and I don't have words great enough to thank Him. We would love to celebrate with Mason as well, but know that he is having a much greater celebration then us! We will begin tradtions this year with Owen that will hopefully continue throughout the coming years.
God bless you greatly this year and enjoy this next week of celebration!!!

Prayer Request

Hello!
It has been a long time since I have posted. This is just because life is going great! Owen is wonderful and we are just living life.
This Sunday is Mother's Day and I have been asked by my church to share my journey into motherhood, along with two other women. I am very nervous about this because I will be sharing at two services, but excited at the same time because I will get to share Mason, my unnamed child, and Owen again with many friends, acquaintances, and strangers. I ask for your prayers on this day since it will be an emotional time for me. I want my children to be proud to call me their mother!
Thanks and many blessing to you!
-Crystal

He Has Arrived!!!

I should have made this post much sooner, but I have been really busy. Nathan and I are so incredibly excited to announce the birth of our son, Owen Bentley Rachul!!! He was born on January 19th at 3:09 am! He is perfect in every way and is the absolute cutest boy in the whole world! (I may be a little biased.) We are so in love with this little bundle and can't help but exclaim how cute he is every day!

Owen Weighed 6 pounds and 9 ounces and was 20 inches long. I began having contractions at three-thirty am on January 18th and so we went into the hospital at six. I was sent back home at nine since nothing seemed to be progressing. In fact I was told by the doctor that it could be another week until baby arrived. I was determined that this child was coming sooner so I went for lunch with my mother, sister, and niece and then I went and walked every aisle of Walmart. This is where my contractions got stronger and every time I got one, it seemed that I would meet up with a friend. Just so everyone understands, no one was aware that I was in labour so it was difficult to hide this during my discussions in the store. When I got home I called the hospital to see if I should come back. I was encouraged to and so Nathan and I made the trip back to the hospital at five in the afternoon. When I got there the nurse checked my progress and found that things were slowly happening so I was given the choice to stay or leave. I chose to stay since I wasn't willing to come back a third time that day. At ten in the evening I got my epidural (best thing ever!) and at midnight I had dilated to eight centimeters. At one I began pushing and at nine minutes after three Owen entered this world screaming at the top of his lungs. This was the best sound that I have ever heard! Nathan immediately exclaimed that he was a boy and that he needed a dirtbike! I told him the dirtbike could wait and cried in relief at Owen's beauty.

As soon as everything was cleaned up we called our parents. Nathan began his conversation at four in the morning by asking our parents how they were and if they would like to go out for coffee. Then he shared our exciting news and a few hours later we were visiting with family and friends.

In the last week we have seen so many changes in Owen. He has grown so much already and is developing his personality. We are beginning to develop a routine and are falling more in love with him every day. He looked just like Mason when he was born. He has many of Nathan's facial features and my fingers and legs. He loves to eat and always wants to help us hold his bottle. We are so very blessed and are enjoying every moment with him. God has given us a gift that we are very honoured to take care of!

37 Week Maternity Shots

30 Weeks!!!

Hello everyone!

It seems like it's been a long time since I have posted. This is because my pregnancy has been going wonderfully! I have been gaining weight consistantly and my doctor has been very happy with the way things have been going. I have been having appointments every two weeks and hearing the baby's heartbeat so regularly has really put my mind and heart at ease. Baby has also been moving a lot and has been having the hiccups multiple times a day. I am so thankful for this reassurance that there is life inside of me! I am still at work and see no reason thus far to not continue my teaching until the day that this baby comes. People think that I am joking when I say this, but I want to be able to spend as much of my year off with baby as possible.

Today I had my 30 week ultrasound in Winnipeg. I always get excited to see baby but nervous at the same time. There are always those thoughts that something will be wrong. Marie was my technician again and she is just so wonderful! She immediately pointed out everything on the baby and reassured us that there is nothing wrong with this child that she is aware of. the brain is developing perfectly as well as the body. Baby enjoys having its feet in its face and has the longest fingers. It is already developing chubby cheeks just like its father! He says that every baby has these but I think this is genetic for this baby :). Baby is already weighing about 3 pounds which is about the size that Mason was when he was born. Marie kept saying that baby was smiling at her and that she needs a picture when he/she is born since I will probably be delivering in Winkler. I assured her that she would be receiving one since we will be proudly showing baby off to anyone and everyone!

I asked Marie what the chances were for this baby if it happened to be born today. She told me that there is over 90% chance of survival and a normal life. I think that us having living children has now become a reality! Nathan and I thank you all so much for your prayers. God is awesome and this is definitely proof! I hope that my next post will be with a child in our arms!

-Crystal

20 Weeks!

Hi!

According to ultrasound measurements I was 20 weeks along yesterday. Wow! Halfway already!!! Where has all of that time gone?!! At 17 weeks I started to feel baby kick. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world! I just pause what I am doing now when I begin to feel him or her. Nathan has even felt the kicks in the last week. We are just so excited!
I can't even begin to tell you all how much your prayers have meant to us! We have felt them for so long and know that this is not a journey that we are taking on our own. All of you are sharing it with us!
Today was my big ultrasound. The one where the tech and doctor look over the baby's complete anatomy to determine whether or not there are any developmental problems. We had it done in Winnipeg at Fetal Assessment (Health Science Centre). The tech was Marie; the same person who has done our other ultrasounds. I'm sure that she has many women that she encounters daily, but she remembers us and asks questions about personal things to make us feel important to her. We love that because the building just seems so impersonal. Anyway, Our ultrasound went extremely well! Everything on baby is developing perfectly. There is no omphalocele or diaphragmatic hernia. The lungs are developing well and the stomach is where it should be. Baby is moving a lot and Marie keeps saying that he/she definitely has momma's long legs! He/she also has lots to say so Nathan is convinced that it must be a girl and that he will have even more to listen to in the future! :) Once Marie was done with all of the measurements she had Dr. Reed come take a look just to make sure that she didn't miss anything. He was the doctor that did all of Mason's ultrasounds so we got to see another familiar face. He also didn't find anything wrong. After the ultrasound Marie said that there is no need for another ultrasound because of baby's development but offered to give us another one at 30 weeks just to continue reassurance. So we will be seeing baby again in 10 weeks!
God is so good and we are being so blessed! He is obviously listening to all of you!!! I guess we will be expecting a healthy bundle around January 19th!

God Is In Control

I have been feeling great!
This last Monday I was exactly 13 weeks along and I was feeling like having a baking day. I had the bun dough rising and was beginning to make banana muffins. I felt the need to go to the bathroom and realised that I was bleeding heavily. I panicked and cried out to God about how I could again be losing a baby. I decided to go to emergency and called Nathan to meet me there. Once I got there I was sent to the trauma room to wait for a blood test and ultrasound. I had a wonderful doctor who told me that my eight week ultrasound might be a positive thing to hold onto. Miscarriages happen way before the bleeding usually starts. She also said that heavy, bright red bleeding is not a good sign and that if a D & C is needed that I may have to wait until the next day. I was so distraught! I couldn't believe that this was really happening. I felt that this was probably God telling us that children are not in our future.
About 2 hours later I was scheduled for an ultrasound. I was wheeled into the room and came face to face with the same tech that I always have. She looked at me with the saddest expression ever and told me that it was too early to see me. I agreed. I lay down on the bed and she placed the paddle on my belly. Immediately she whispered, "I see a heartbeat!" I started crying and saying God is good. She also got teary eyed and continued to check the baby. It was measuring at exactly 13 weeks which is perfect and was bouncing around. There is a sack of blood beside the uterus that just bleeding out now. Apparently this is common and nothing to worry about. I was so relieved and excited that I smiled all the way back to the trauma room and said with excitement to Nathan that it is still alive.




Yesterday I had my first ultrasound and Fetal Assessment in Winnipeg. I was really nervous for this appointment because I knew that the doctor would probably be able to see if there are any major defects. As it turns out, everything seems to be developing perfectly! The heartbeat is great and baby is moving like crazy! He/she even waved to us. Little show off! :)
The tech showed me that the belly is forming beautifully and that there is no bump in the umbilical cord, which means that there is no omphalocele.



She also measured the heart from the head and it is exactly where is should be. If there was a diaphragmatic hernia then the heart would be pushed to the side because of the stomach being in the chest. We just keep having good ultrasounds!!! I just pray that this continues. Our next ultrasound is in 7 weeks where they will do a thorough check of everything to make sure that development is perfect. I continue to pray for a protective hand on this baby and for peace that God is in control. Nathan and I have felt all of your prays and thank-you for continuing to think of us. Please keep them coming! We can hardly wait until January!!!!!