SCID Moms

Yesterday I went to lunch with some of the neatest ladies I know!  SCID is very rare but there happens to be quite a few affected families here in Utah.  I met most of these women (either in person or through social media) while Eli was in the hospital.  Lisy's daughter had a room right next door to us and Toni, who wasn't able to make it to lunch yesterday, was just down the hall with her son.  I can't tell you how helpful and comforting it was to have those two amazing families to lean on while Eli was in the hospital.  I'm sure I picked their brains more than they would have liked!  Sweet Sienna lost her second son, John, to SCID a year ago this month.  She is the best mom and will be so good to her future kids.  Jill and Deni are SCID veterans and trail blazed the way for the rest of us to have a much better experience.  They are magnificent.  I hadn't met Courtney until yesterday but she is amazing just like all the others.  She is one of the most faithful people I have ever met and I can tell she's a wonderful mom to her 4 kids.  If you couldn't tell, I love these ladies so much!  We have a connection that is unmatched by anything and I am so grateful for their love and support in my life. 

Jill, Me, Sienna, Courtney, Deni, Lisy

Deni, one of the most thoughtful people I've met, brought balloons so we could do a balloon release in honor of Eli and John, who've both been gone about a year.  Eli had a ton of shoes and John loved frogs so she tied these adorable shoes and frogs to the end so we could each write a little message to them.  How sweet is she??  I loved it! 

 It was so fun to see all of you!  Many thanks to Lisy for getting us together!  Let's not wait too long before we do it again!

Mother's Day

I had such a wonderful day yesterday and I hope all of you moms did as well!  My husband and family took great care of me and made it such a special day.  I always have a tough time figuring out what to do for my parents on holidays because they can buy whatever they need/want.  I decided my mom and I would have fun getting a pedicure together (my treat, of course) so I made us an appointment at her favorite nail place with her favorite nail friend.  We had lots of fun!

I'm not sure which magazine she was reading...

Sunday morning/afternoon was great!  Before church Logan surprised me with a new camera bag I've wanted forever but haven't had the guts to splurge on and after church he made a delicious lunch.  That boy is quite the chef when he wants to be!  We made a visit to the cemetery which is always my favorite thing to do.  There's such a special peace that fills my heart when I'm there.  We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and talking about how blessed we feel that Eli chose us to be his parents.

We went to my parents' for a delicious dinner prepared by my dad and had such a great time hanging out with everyone.  I love these ladies so much!

Staci and Krystal are both expecting this Summer and I can't wait to meet their baby boys!

My sister-in-laws are some of my best friends and I feel so fortunate to have them in my life.  They are the greatest examples of the mother I strive to be and I hope they know how much I love them!  Here's a picture of all 4 of us together.  We sure miss you, Cheryl!

Those of you that I'm Facebook friends with may have already seen my post about my mom but I need to document how much she means to me on my blog as well.  I was trying to think of a word yesterday that describes my mom but I was having a hard time because SO many great words describe my mom.  In the end I settled on CAPTIVATING.  The definition of captivating is "capable of attracting and holding interest; charming".  That describes my mom to a T.  My mom has a wealth of knowledge to share with everyone she meets and I often find it hard to believe I'm lucky enough to be her daughter.  My mom has an endless amount of qualities I could talk about but the thing I admire the most is her knowledge and love of the gospel.  The one thing I have known my entire life is that my mom loves the Lord and has a testimony that's as strong as anyone's.  Thank you, mom, for sharing your love and dedication to the gospel with me--it is the greatest gift you have given me.  I love you!

Like everyone else, the thing I cherish most about Mother's Day is the sweet reminder that I have been given that great calling.  I dreamt of having the title of "mom" since I can remember and it's even more wonderful than I could have imagined.

 
Only a mother can understand the love I have for this little angel and I still can't believe he's mine.  Some of our dear friends lost their little girl a couple weeks ago and my friend's husband wrote the sweetest words on their blog yesterday.  Quinn and Kristi, I hope you don't mind that I share them here.  In a post to Kristi, Quinn said: "I would give anything to get our little girl back so I will do everything to get back to her."  Those are my thoughts exactly.  Whatever it takes in this life to ensure I get to be with Eli again, I will do it.  I'm so grateful I have his sweet spirit and memories giving me strength to continue on each day.

Happy Mother's Day to each one of you!

Nurses' Week

In the past I'm sure I heard about National Nurses' Week but I've never thought much of it.  I've always appreciated nurses and everything they do for so many people but I never had a personal reason to pay much attention to this week.  Boy is that different now!  I vividly remember Nurses Week last year.  (Random fact: I'm 99% sure one of their gifts was a computer bag or something.  I'm not sure why that stuck with me.) It would be very remiss of me not to give a quick thank you to the many nurses that affected our lives in such a positive way.

Even though we were in the hospital for a long time there were quite a few nurses that we only had once or twice yet they were still so wonderful to us and I remember them well.  For those of you that have never stayed in a hospital for an extended period of time, a nurse can easily make or break your day.   There were very few occasions that the latter happened to us the entire time we were there and let's be honest, I was a crazy mom who probably caused most of those problems anyway.  To those nurses that we had a couple times but we haven't seen since, please know how much we appreciate everything you did for us and still do every single day!

Because we had such a long stay and didn't allow visitors, many nurses became like family to us.  Often times the only reason I made it through the day was because we had such a wonderful nurse taking care of us.  Down in the PICU Eli had a primary care nurse that took care of him every shift she worked.  Simply put: she was a Godsend.  From a medical standpoint, she was the only person that new Eli better than me and Logan and I loved that.  It was such a comfort having her walk through the door each morning knowing we were in such good hands.  The weeks she worked 3 shifts in a row were a miracle but then 4 days off felt like an eternity!  She may or may not have heard me complain about that one too many times.  Thank you, my friend, for being so wonderful to us.  Miss you like crazy!

I realize the nurses I'm talking about probably don't read this blog or even know it exists but it makes me feel better knowing those things are in writing. There will never be a Nurses' Week that goes by that my heart doesn't go out to the nurses that worked tirelessly on my little family' s behalf.  I will forever feel in their debt!

I've shared this picture before but it's too good not share again.  This can give you a small glimpse into how wonderful the nurses and staff and PCH truly are.

 

On another note...I couldn't help but share this picture of our beautiful nephew Stir Fry!  2 1/2 months old and cuter than ever!

Easter

What a wonderful weekend!  Easter has always been a favorite holiday of mine because of the warm weather, bright colors and adorable kids in their Easter outfits.  However, given that this was the first Easter we celebrated without our little bunny, I have to admit that I looked at things with an entirely different perspective.  As always, I loved the baskets and egg hunts but I had never spent so much time genuinely reflecting on the atonement and what it truly means for each one of us.  It's often said that we go through trials because we have something to learn and boy did I (and still do!) have a lot to learn. 

I have absolutely loved the church's Easter campaign 'Because of Him'.  I'm sure just about everyone has watched the short video at least once, but if you haven't, you can watch it HERE.  I promise it will be worth your time.  Because of our Savior, Logan and I will get to be with Eli again and raise him as the baby he once was.  We won't miss out on the experiences that were cut short in this life and that brings us such peace and happiness.  

As for yesterday, we had a wonderful time with both of our families!  We attended our new ward for the first time and met some wonderful people already.  I'm excited to get more involved!  After church we ran over to Logan's parents' for a quick brunch and then to their ward to hear them speak.  Well done, Keith and DeAnne!  After listening to Logan's parents we went home and exchanged baskets with each other.  I'm pretty sure Logan forgot the Easter Bunny was supposed to come because it looked like I had been visited by Santa Clause!  I was absolutely spoiled.  I hope you enjoyed your basket full of candy, dear!  Dinner was spent with my family and we had a great time!  The grand kids looked adorable and had a blast with the Easter egg hunt and crafts.  Many thanks to my parents for making yesterday so special!

Love this boy

Aren't they the cutest?!
Klara (6) Amelia (almost 2) Ben (4) Mady (8)

Checking for money!

Slightly blurry but SO excited!

Sweet Lil

 

He was more excited about the "treasure chest" egg than the money--Haha

As some of you may recall, I recently flew to New York and made a road trip back to Salt Lake.  A dear friend of mine lives near Albany and is going to school at BYU-I.  I jumped all over the opportunity to accompany her and her mom on their journey out West.  Most people thought I was crazy for going but we had a great time!  What's better than spending three straight days with two fantastic people?!  The only downside: They were stuck with me that long.  Where are the pictures, you're wondering?  I didn't take one.  Not a single picture.  I was enjoying myself way too much to worry about taking pictures.  I'm sure you can imagine the beautiful scenery we had as we drove through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and into Utah... ;)  We actually had plans to stop and do some sight seeing throughout the trip but were unfortunately met by some nasty weather so we ended up having to drive straight through.  I'm sure I'll get another chance to check out everything we missed along the way.  Many thanks to Rachel and her parents for such a fun trip!

Finals start for Logan this week and finish up on the 30th.  He will then have a week and a half off before the Summer semester begins on the 12th.  We will definitely get as much playing in as possible during those 10 days to make up for his lack of a break.  We've spent the last couple weeks making all sorts of changes to our new little home and love what's been done so far!  As soon as we get the painting finished next week we'll be able to decorate and then I'll post pictures :)

We hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Moving

After nearly 3 years, Logan and I have moved for the first time!  We are very excited about the adventures ahead but sad because of what we will leave behind.  My sweet grandpa, who lives in the Holladay area, allows the grandkids to live in his basement and we in turn help him take care of his house and yard.  We can't wait!

As Logan and I anticipated this move, we discussed all of the good yet difficult things that will come with it.  Most importantly: We have LOVED where we are living!  We truly couldn't have asked for a better newlywed home.  Our landlady has been a dear neighbor and friend and took such good care of us when we needed it most.  We have felt so spoiled by our circumstances and couldn't have asked for anything more!

Just as important: The ward we have been in has been nothing short of a miracle.  Everyone from the sweet nursery kids on up have had a greater impact on us than they will ever know.  We were welcomed with open arms since day one, we were treated like everyone's family members during our days in the hospital and we have received the support we've needed since then without having to ask for it.  Both Logan and I have developed many friendships in this ward and I know we will cherish them forever.  There's no doubt in my mind we were supposed to be surrounded by this ward family and we will feel forever in their debt for everything that has been done on our behalf.  Please, please, please continue to invite us to baby blessings, farewells, homecomings and any other exciting events!  We will miss all of you so much!

Other random things we have been so grateful for and will undoubtedly miss: Living 90 seconds away from both of our families (especially when I had to haul all of our laundry to my parents' every week!), living in the same stake we were both raised in (it's SO weird to imagine being somewhere else!), living 5 minutes away from my work, and this sounds so lame but living minutes from a freeway entrance in any direction!

Going from our above-ground mother-in-law apartment with tons of natural light and vaulted ceilings to a basement with basically no natural light will be quite a change but well worth it, I'm sure!  We have heard wonderful things about the ward (my parents' dear friend is the bishop), Logan will have a short drive to work, we will live closer to some great friends and we will have a bit more space.  Above all else: It will be something different and different is what we need!

With all of that begin said, we couldn't be more thrilled for this opportunity to start a new chapter of our lives.  We definitely aren't closing the book, we have learned too many wonderful things and grown way too much to want to do that, but we are ready to take what we've learned with us and continue on.  When we moved into our first place as a newly wed couple, we had all of our dreams planned out.  It is difficult knowing we once had Eli's nursery all set up in our old apartment and realizing it won't be coming with us but we know he will be.  We feel him with us more than I ever imagined possible and I can't describe the amount of strength it gives to us.

Farewell, Crown Pointe!  Thanks for the memories!

The Twin Cities

I have always had a special place in my heart for Minnesota because my grandma was born there and I have quite a few relatives that still live there but my true love for the Twin Cities developed once Paul and Cheryl moved out there.  I have lost count of the number of times I've visited but each time I go it's as good as the last.  My absolute favorite time to be in MN is during the Fall--it is gorgeous!  My least favorite time to be there?  You guessed it!  Winter!  I hope we never have to live somewhere that is so cold for so long.  Opening the door for a mere few seconds makes the whole house freezing and walking outside only happened for me when it was an absolute must.  Thank goodness our primary purpose for the trip was to see that new little baby so we could just stay cuddled up by the fire most days!

I brought my good camera and for some reason never took it out of its case the entire time I was there.  I was too into all of my boys!  The only pictures I have were taken with my phone so forgive the poor quality.

Happy 1 month baby Stir Fry!

Sterling LOVES Will!  My mom calls Will the baby whisperer and it couldn't be more fitting.  Aside from his mom, Will has the easiest time calming Sterling down when he walks around with him like this :)

Lovin Frozen just like everybody else!

Love this boy!  None of these pictures show it but his eyes are quite blue!

We have a thumb sucker already!

 Aside from kissing on the boys as much as I could, we had a busy week full of fun!  My Aunt Deb (who is technically my mom's cousin) was able to come over for a visit and it was so good to see her!  She has been so wonderful to us the past year and donated much of what ended up on Eli's tree.  Love you, Deb!

Adam turned 4 the day before I got there and Tanner's 8th birthday is this week so they had a combined birthday party.  Around Christmas time the boys entered a drawing at Home Depot for a private party and they recently got a call saying they had won!  Home Depot has a craft/project event for kids every Saturday but this was their very own party.  We were so impressed with the setup and how well they took care of us we asked how much it would cost to do something like this again.  We were told they don't offer private parties as a rule so you just have to be fortunate enough to win.  The kids had a great time building, opening presents and eating cake.

Cooper, T, Alex and Max

Reagan, Lucas, Adam and Elizabeth (If only I could say those names in Adam's accent it would be 10x better!)

I have to give a quick shout out to my Tan Man!  To those of you that are lucky enough to know him: he is doing so well!  He has made SO much progress in every way!  Socially and academically he is leaps and bounds ahead of where he has been, it was so fun to see.  Thank goodness for the fantastic Minnesota school system!

Paul and Cheryl hired a babysitter one night which allowed the 4 of us to go out to dinner and enjoy a few kid free hours.  I unfortunately didn't take a single picture but I promise we had a wonderful time!  Our final evening was spent with some dear friends who recently joined the church and have become like parents to Paul and Cheryl and grandparents to their boys.  It was so good to see you, Jan and Duane!

Our trip went way too fast and I miss all of you already!  I'm already counting down the days until I get to visit again!

IVF & Baby Sterling

First things first:  My apologies to those of you that read the title of my last post and thought it was a pregnancy announcement from me and Logan.  That was definitely not my intention!  Another baby for us is so far off my radar right now that it didn't even cross my mind when I wrote that but afterwards many people told me that's what they thought it was about.  I love using this blog as a journal and am so grateful for the support we receive through it but I would never do something like that just to get more people to read what I write.  I'll be much more careful in the future!

With that being said, I'll share a quick IVF update so everyone has a better idea of where we truly are in that journey.  We received the happy news just last week that our insurance has approved the pre-authorization request for coverage of the PGD portion of IVF.  This will take care of a large chunk of the overall cost so we are very pleased!  Now that we have the okay from our insurance company, in the next couple weeks we will be sending the lab what they need to get the probes made for the test--our blood, Eli's blood (stored at PCH), and our parents' saliva.  Sending the lab all of that will allow them to create the most accurate test possible.  The test will take a couple months to create but it will be a great feeling knowing it's ready so that when we are ready to begin a cycle the test will be ready to go as well.  We are slowly but surely getting there!

On February 20th Paul and Cheryl welcomed boy #5 to their family!  It has been so crappy living away from them during all of the excitement.  I have never been more grateful for FaceTime!  Sterling Elijah, named after my grandpa and brother and of course our little Eli, is a healthy, big boy!  He was 9lb 2oz when he was born and has already surpassed his birth weight.  At his first doctor appointment he was in the 98th percential for height, 90th for weight and 90th in head circumfrence.  My mom and I are going to visit in a couple weeks and I can't wait!  I'm sure he'll be huge by the time we see him, especially compared to the 5 pound peanuts our family is used to lately.  Welcome to the Rowley clan, baby Sterling!

 

Logan has Spring Break next week which I am very excited for!  We don't have any big plans and he'll probably just end up working a lot more but it means that warmer weather is on its way!  Yahoo!