Friday, December 30, 2011

...and baby makes FIVE!!!

Our little angel


Big sister!

Big Brother was singing Christmas songs for us!


Tinky was pouting and refused to pose for pictures ;-)

Wyatt LOVES to hold baby Clay!


Could he be any cuter!?

Friday, December 23, 2011

It's A BOY!

Clay James Janke arrived Monday, December 19th at 9:27 PM.  He weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and was 19 inches long and is absolutely perfect.  His hair was fire red when we first laid eyes on him!!!  ...and has now turned to more of a strawberry blonde.

Clay had a very uneventful entrance into the world and was born less than 3 hours after we arrived at the hospital.  The NICU team was present during delivery and did a quick assessment of our sweet baby boy before proud mom and dad got to cuddle him.  He checked out great but the staff felt more comfortable having him in the NICU due to his heart condition and to be able to more closely monitor any other issues that babies with Down Syndrome are prone to having.

He has had a few hiccups along the way - low blood sugar, high white blood cell count, trouble maintaining body temperature, etc. but he is an excellent nurser which is making him stronger every day and he should get to go home soon!

Clay has his own little room at the NICU, complete with his name on the door and a handmade quilt from a local organization that makes them for all the NICU babies.  The staff here has been taking excellent care of Clay...and me, his nightly slumber party companion.  I am sure the goodies Luke brings the nurses everyday isn't hurting either!

Wyatt and Hazel came up to visit while I was still a patient and Wyatt was able to go see Clay in the NICU.  He loved touching him and said he likes his name but he still likes "Roar", his name choice, better.  Hazel thought the wood floors and curtain in my room were a perfect stage and spent her visit dancing and entertaining us.  "Bebe" (baby) has become one of her new favorite words.

Clay's AV septal defect (holes in his heart) is still present and looks the same as his early echocardiogram.  It is not causing any current health issues and we still expect his surgery to be in the next couple of months - whenever those issues do start to arise.

Luke and I are so grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from our friends and family.  Clay is so blessed to have all of you thinking about and praying for him.  He has absolutely stole our hearts and will yours, too!




*I will update with more pictures when I get my card reader from home!*

Sunday, December 18, 2011

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

'Tis the season for multiple Christmas card picture attempts, wish lists, shiny dresses, LOTS of Santa talk, parties, and....a new baby!  I want to thank everyone who has reached out to or is thinking of us during these next few weeks.  We are truly blessed ;-)

  Baby Janke is due to arrive on the 31st and is doing great - measuring right on track and has good movement and heart tones at my weekly stress tests.  I am feeling great (although VERY pregnant!) and for the first time am NOT really hoping for a baby a week or so early!  Things are much easier with two and I am still getting 7 hours of sleep at night!  We are anxious to meet our new addition and introduce him or her to all our friends and family.  May all of your Christmas's be as bright as ours.

Love, 
Leah, Luke, Wyatt, & Hazel



Monday, November 28, 2011

Meet Sprinkle

We have jumped on the Elf on a Shelf bandwagon this year - and I am loving it so far!  

Wyatt named our Elf Sprinkle.  After going to Pottery Barn Kids storytime and reading the book at home, Wyatt understands that Sprinkle was sent to our house to help watch over Wyatt & Hazel.  He reports back to Santa, at the North Pole, every night to tell him if they were naughty or nice and what is on their wishlists.  Each day, when he returns, he finds a new spot to be on the look-out.   

Wyatt loves looking for him every morning and asking me what toys Sprinkle might have made for him the night before.  I am loving that we have entered the stage of successful bribery and threats ;-)




Sunday, November 27, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, this year may have brought some troubling times but we are feeling very blessed to have SOO much to be thankful for - especially our great friends and family!  

Wyatt loved telling us what he was thankful for every morning and it pretty consistently stayed the same - his bed!  This week I am thankful for the Elf on a Shelf and his magical powers!

I hope everyone else is feeling as blessed as we do this Thanksgiving season! 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

November already and off to a busy start!!!

Aunt Nickie came to visit and we celebrated our Thanksgiving in Sioux City!









My mom & sisters even surprised me with a little baby shower - SO sweet!


....and we celebrated sister's 32nd Birthday! 


Luckily the flu didn't hit until we got back home!  We had so much fun being in Sioux City, together as a family - we missed you Morgan!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Zoo Spooktacular

We went trick or treating at the Zoo with Grandma Chris, Calla, Aly, and Lily tonight!  Dragon Wyatt had a blast!  Cupcake Hazel was a little overwhelmed but we welcomed the rare event of her wanting to be in the stroller!





There were HUGE bats out in the Jungle!

Wyatt was very excited that he could see the baby in mama's tummy!



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New At Our House....

ROAR!!!!

We have a new family member!  A Beta fish named Roar.  This is also the name Wyatt has given to the new baby.



Construction Zone

Construction is under way upstairs!  We are finally finishing our old bedroom (it was left unfinished after the 2009 remodel).  The new room upstairs will be Hazel's bedroom and we are making our old master bathroom accessible from the hallway so Wyatt can use it too - kinda Jack & Jill style.  Thanks to Pinterest my creative juices are flowing!  Here are some ideas for Hazel's room -

Love this!

I like the 3D wall graphic...and the grey walls.

Her furniture will be white and we are thinking grey and aqua for the walls...with pops of pink of course!

Nursery


For the "new" nursery I am going to try to copy this - (maybe with more pretty colors for a girl ;-))



Fall is in the Air

Another Trip to Vala's!  Grandma & Papa Tiedeman made their first trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch with us and we all had a blast!