This is one of the photos taken during our maternity photo shoot.  I was almost 29 weeks when this was taken.  We used this for our Christmas cards.  More to come soon...

October 15 has been designated as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day (visit www.october15th.com for more information).  The idea is to light a candle from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. (in your time zone) to create a continuous "wave of light" in memory of babies that we ourselves or others have lost.  I plan on lighting 6 candles tonight: one for my precious Francis, one for my sister-in-law's daughter Maria Elizabeth, and one for each of my 3 siblings Dana, Philip and Hannah.  The 6th candle is for all other babies in my and my husband's families and those lost by friends.  I have been keeping a memory box for Francis with ultrasound photos, sympathy cards, and other mementos, so I typed up a sheet for tonight that I'll add to the box.  Thank you for helping me remember these and other precious babies today!

October 15, 2009

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day

In Loving Memory of our Precious Babies

We lost you before we met you, but we love you just the same.

Francis Lindner

Maria Elizabeth Carlson

Dana Rohlik

Philip Rohlik

Hannah Rohlik

And all babies from the Rohlik, Boerboom, Lindner, Powers, and friends' families that wait for us in heaven.  When God calls us home, we’ll all be together again.

A candle was lit for each of you from seven o’clock to eight o’clock p.m. as we joined in prayer and remembrance with others around the world, who have also lost precious children, to form a continuous wave of light in your honor.

Our little Miracle Baby's kicks are getting stronger by the day.  My husband and I were able to feel those precious kicks from the outside for the first time on Friday (9/25/09).  I stayed home from work on Friday because I wasn't feeling well (runny/stuffy nose, headache, etc.) so I was very inactive for the majority of the day and the baby seems to be most active when I'm still.  I felt the kicks/punches/wiggles much stronger than I had in past days, so I gently rested my hand on my belly to see if I could feel the movement from the outside.  I was pleasantly surprised to feel those strong little jolts against my hand!  Later, when my husband came home I placed his hand on my belly so he could feel, too.  It was a special moment to share that with him and wonderful for him to be able to experience what I've been feeling on the inside for the past two weeks.

In other news, my husband got a new job.  He starts tomorrow!  Praise God!  We've been praying for something to come along.  The timing is perfect as his benefits (namely, health insurance) will kick in in 90 days, meaning we'll be covered beginning in January, which lines up perfectly if I end up leaving my full-time job when the baby comes.

20-week ultrasound is on Wednesday!  I'll update afterwards. 

**Edit:  I might as well chronicle the not-so-good along with the good...  I had quite a scare yesterday afternoon: I fell down the stairs.  I've walked up and down the stairs at our house thousands of times without falling, so who knows why I fell yesterday, but I did.  My feet just slipped out from under me and I fell right on my butt.  I shudder to think what could have happened if I had fallen forward...but, thankfully there was no serious damage done.  I'm sore today, in the obvious area, and my arm also hurts.  I must have strained a muscle trying to catch myself.  Oh well, as my 3-year-old niece told me, "You'll live."  And so I will.

Speaking of my niece, I was talking to her on the phone a couple weeks ago and she said the cutest thing, "Did you get your baby yet?"  We babysat her this weekend and she kept talking about the baby saying things like, "Your baby's not ready to be born yet" and "When your baby's born and she can't eat yet, only a bottle, and I come to visit, I'll watch you feed her."  She also keeps mentioning that the baby can use her potty chair because she doesn't need it anymore.  She and my 2-year-old nephew are both convinced the baby is a girl.  I have a hunch they might be right, but my husband is holding out for a boy.  Neither of us really care one way or the other, but it's fun to speculate.