January:
I interviewed and was hired for a job in an oncology office.
We found out definitively that we were having a boy.
February:
Working, working, working.
We started birthing classes.
Dan's MRI showed a couple of questionable liver spots.
Lots of lessons in humility and trusting God to get through rough days.
I went into pre-term labor, but the doctor was able to stop contractions and keep the baby growing.
March:
Dan turned 26.
Baby shower #1.
Bought a car for the first time.
Due to issues at my new job, discussions began regarding Dan finding a new position that included health insurance OR me transitioning to another position.
April:
The baby popped out my rib, which pinched a nerve, which caused the doctor to put me on early maternity leave. This was easily one of the best blessings in disguise. My work situation had gotten so stressful that I was having contractions very consistently. I highly doubt I would have carried the pregnancy to term if I had continued working.
Baby showers #2 and #3.
May:
We set up the nursery. By "we", I mean Dan.
I watched a lot of Netflix and ate a lot of protein. There was a lot of cat-cuddling involved.
I went into labor May 21st...
Dan had a phone interview for a new job while I was at the hospital.
Abraham Theodore was born at 11:45am on May 22, 2013.
We took our son home on May 24th.
My mama stayed to help us for a week.
June:
Dr. Bob turned 60 and celebrated with all of his kids in one place, plus his first grandchild.
Dan interviewed for a job at Jim Elliot Christian High School (by flying to and from Lodi in the same day).
Dan was offered the job.
We started looking at houses from afar...in Lodi.
Abe went to his first wedding.
We started packing up the apartment.
July:
Dan had a splenic embolization at Stanford.
We put an offer on a house.
Abe got his first set of shots.
We finished packing up the apartment.
We said goodbye to Redeemer Church.
We moved to Lodi and stayed with Dan's parents until our house was ready.
August:
Dan started working at Jim Elliot Christian (JECHS), teaching math and Bible. He didn't know exactly what he was teaching until the week before school started. This made preparations difficult, to say the least.
We celebrated 5 years of marriage.
We moved into our new house!
Dan started coaching football.
Dan got sick and needed to have paracenteses #1 and #2.
September:
I turned 26.
We gained health insurance just in time for Abe to get croup.
Dan continued to have a swollen belly and general malaise. Appointments with our new Kaiser doctors followed. Dan met his new PCP, oncologist and gastroenterologist. He started several new meds.
Life was a little rough. Between football, curriculum development, teaching, homework and being sick, Dan was not as available as he wanted to be. I assumed primary baby and house care.
Abe started having tummy issues, which resulted in no dairy, eggs, chicken, fish, peanuts or soy for me.
October:
The Red Sox won the World Series.
Dan's brother Matt got married, which meant Abe went on his first airplane trip.
Abe celebrated his first Halloween.
November:
First trip to Apple Hill for Abe and me.
Football season over for Dan with a record of 4-6.
Dan had an endoscopy which showed that his liver problems had caused problems with his esophagus, requiring more medication.
Abe started eating some solid food.
My eating restrictions ended. Yay!
Abe's first Thanksgiving.
December:
Semester over for Dan.
Many, many parent and staff meetings.
Abe's first Christmas. We celebrated Christmas Eve in Lodi with Bob and Jamie, Christmas morning with just the 3 of us at home and Christmas day with my family in Santa Rosa.
We made it to today!
We are so very thankful for all of the blessings we have had this year. We just cannot imagine life without our little man (who is currently fighting sleep very loudly). Our first house is perfect for us and already feels like home. We love being closer to family, though still sorely miss our church family and Biola communities.
It has been difficult for our marriage at times, but commitment and loyalty have pulled us through. We are in love and working on loving each other out loud.
Dan's health is stable for now. He's taking a few meds to sustain his fluid levels, but is otherwise looking and feeling great.
As for 2014, we just don't know what it will hold. God-willing, it will include Abe's first birthday (steps, teeth, etc.) and an extended contract for Dan. Hopefully, Dan's health will improve to the point that he doesn't need so many meds. Also, we're hoping to see some miracles (Geoff Dykstra's healing, people coming to know Christ).
Will I started working again part-time? Possibly.
Will we continue growing our family? Whenever God wants and so blesses us.
Will we press forward in our spiritual growth and pull closer in our marriage? We absolutely hope so.
Happy New Year 2014!
(I honestly can't believe we're still awake!)
