The Grand Finale....Isabelle Faith Gacnik

Well, she's here. Ms. Isabelle Faith Gacnik made her bold debut almost 4 weeks early and it's nothing short of a miracle the way everything played out. After a day of Braxton hicks, I spoke with the dr. and went to the hospital for some monitoring. About 45 min. after we arrived, I thought my water broke. In reality, I experienced a placenta abruption...the tearing of the placenta from the uterus...this sparked an emergency C-section (truly she was delivered in about 5 min). Isabelle was taken immediately to NICU and I was worked on and then moved to ICU. The abruption caused a series of challenges including the loss of about 3/5 of my blood volume. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. We are all very thankful to both be here. We both came home from the hospital 7 days after her birth. I like to say she took the line, "grand finale baby" to the extreme and could have made a less dramatic entrance. ha! Overall, she is a very laid back baby. Sleeps 3-3.5 hours between feedings, eats, burps, fills her pants, and then repeats the cycle. Her siblings are in awe of her and literally fought over holding her early on. They sure love "testing" her toys. She was born a premie at 8 lb. 6 oz.....correct, tipping the scales for NICU babies. She's now at 9 lb. 1 oz and doing great. We all say someone was looking out for us that day and during our time in the hospital. I was never so impressed by hospital staff or the skills and calmness medical personnel have to act under pressure. Without further delay, here are a few pics....

No shortage of love....

...Miss Amy turned 2 (TWO) on Saturday. She her birth, we always said, "There is no shortage of love for this little lady," and gosh, there is truth in that statement. Her siblings adore her, as do we. She keeps us on our toes and is not going to be held back by anything. If the big kids go up the stairs, she will follow. If someone jumps off the couch (which isn't allowed), she will try. So, for this little one's birthday, she didn't want anything except Yogi Bear. Yes, Yogi Bear. Not princesses, Mickey, etc....just Yogi. Who knew camping once at a Yogi Bear campground would be so "cool" in her mind. Thankfully, a neighbor has a catering business, so we swapped clothes Luke had outgrown for a Yogi Bear Cake. I'll let you be the judge, but I think it turned out pretty darn awesome. Miss Amy was beyond excited!!!! Life is good.

Adventures in 2016....

There are so many updates, but where to start.  I guess we should jump right to the FUN update.  #4 arrives early December. I also refer jokingly to this one as the grand finale.  It's a little girl who appears to be healthy thus far, so we hope it all continues this way.  The kids are pretty excited. Luke was banking on a brother, Maddie and Amy really want a sister.  Who would have guessed I would have 3 girls?!  Rather funny for a tom boy like me.  Anyway, Luke can still have a bunk bed at some point....that was his motivation for wanting a brother anyway, ha. 

Camping adventures

And so it begins, the season of camping is upon us.  The kids were beyond excited.  Everyone did greasy, even Moose....which was a massive surprise, but a welcome one.   

Jellystone definitely was fun for the kids and exhausting for the parents.   

Meet Moose!

Safe to say our buddy is adjusting just fine.  And the kids love him as you can tell.   Moose is a white lab and comes from my ancestors homestead in ND. It was a great experience seeing the land where my grandmother grew up and meeting relatives.  Looking forward to all the adventures with Moose.....aside from him eating a bib, and a mole in the backyard.  

Look who's riding....

.....a 2-wheeler!!!  Luke took off on his bike in March and hasn't looked back. Honestly, the 4 year old has no interest in going slow.  I now push Amy in the jogger while Luke and Maddie ride.  It's a step up in the workout since I'm at a sprint to keep up.   Keep going little man, you have a need to speed 

Life....for some it passes all too quickly

2016 was supposed to be a great year and thus far, it's been one heck of a roller coaster. A few weeks ago we hosted an amazing family for a long weekend. Freddy, Janelle, Logan, Landon and Hayden made the trek to MN to visit. I am beyond appreciative for the time we spent together and let's be honest, cuddling their 6 week old daughter was all it took to make my year. We enjoyed a weekend of laughter, visiting the zoo, playing outside and just hanging out. That's really how it worked. When we got together we really could relax, and just be ourselves. We joked that sometimes it was easier to visit each other than many others. You see, we both have young children and they are now of age to play together. It's perfect. Two days after our visit, Freddy departed for an international recruitment trip. None of us knew what was coming. No one, including Freddy, could have predicted his fatal car accident in Honduras. That phone call Tuesday night stopped me on a dime. I heard Janelle's voicemail and I knew something bad happened. When she answered, all I remember was Accident....Freddy...he didn't make it...he died. This isn't how the story is supposed to go. This isn't fair. There is a 5, 2.5 year old and now 7 week old at home waiting for their dad to walk back in that door with his standard greeting, "hey, hey, hey, Hola!" Then, swing them around like monkeys and be the crazy, silly dad that he was. So, here I sit trying to understand how best to offer support when I have no answers. Text messages, etc. offering support seem so limiting. I'm heading to Janelle's on Wednesday-Sunday and then back the following weekend to help as much as possible. If nothing else, be a shoulder to cry on for her. This is big, this sucks. Let's face the truth, this changes everything. But, I know Janelle and I know she is stronger than she thinks possible. All women are. I don't expect her to do this on her own. I expect the global network of Freddy's to step up and be there for her as well and they will. They have already put $20,000+ into a Gofundme page to assist with expenses. That's amazing. That is truth. That speaks volumes to the person Freddy was and his lasting impact. Freddy and I had a deal, really a competition regarding who could finish their doctorate first. He was well on his way. He was finished with coursework and all that separated him from that lovely PhD was a dissertation. I was going to owe Freddy a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue. We actually joked about it during his visit. Well Freddy, I'm on my way and I promise you I will finish. I'm calling you out in that damn dissertation because this one will be for you buddy. You were one hell of guy Freddy. You were a kick ass husband to Janelle, Daddy to 3 precious kiddos and friend to all. You never knew a stranger. I hope you are resting in peace and enjoying a bit of glory right now and maybe, just maybe....a glass of Johnny Walker Blue.

Determined

A little spunk and determination never hurt....until you get stuck.  

Introducing....

Moose, Yogi, Phil, Valpo, Morrison, Sherpa, who knows really.....

The deal was I pick the dog, Jeremy picks the name.....with the help of the kids.   

So, the runt of the litter is currently referred to as Moose.   

He joins the family in May and is coming from the farm my great grandfather settled in North Dakota after coming over from Germany.  Pretty cool, huh?! 

Determined

A little spunk and determination never hurt....until you get stuck.  

Rain in January...

Who knew it would/could rain in January...in Minnesota.   For the first time in 4 years it warmed up in January.  It's very suspicious weather really, but I'll take it.  To celebrate, we went to the St Paul Winter Festival.  First stop, the parade.  All was well until it started to rain. That's right, it rained.  So after 46 min of fun, I bribed the kids with ice cream and we left.  The kids still had fun, but it sure got cold when it started to rain. Mr weather man was off by 8 hours on his rain prediction.  Oh well, we had fun.   (Maddie was thrilled she got to bring a friend) 

Loving it up

We took the kids out for a fun adventure and they loved it.  Skiing!  Maddie did great and didn't miss a beat for her first time out this year.  Luke rocked it with no fear and his first time on skis.  It was a blast for all of us.  Amy had her own personal babysitter and napped the entire time, priceless. 

The big kids also explored ice skating.  I was shocked at the fun they had. Granted, it was a great day for our adventure with temps in the low 30s.  It was the first time we had the experience to make fresh tracks in the ice.  What fun!

It was an adventure we hope to do again soon 

Funk

Sometimes you find yourself in a funk for no apparent reason. I would love to blame it on the MN winters, buts it's been mild this far.  One of the top 3 most mild!   But anyway, the reality of life is balance is hard when you throw 3 kids into two working outside the home married parents.  There is no time.  You think there is but things slip.  You try to do the best job maintaining your sanity, but trust me, even that seems to fly out the window 

As a kid, I used to think the fun started when we went to bed. I was sure my parents stayed up late, kicked their feet up, watched tv, etc.   the reality is this, kids go to bed and parents play catch up to all the things that need attending to; laundry, house cleaning, meal prep for lunches, etc.  

Dates?   The only dates we see are of schedule changes, school delayed starts, daycare updates and work calendars.   Someday, there will be 1:1 adult time.  

R&R is a reality.....maybe when you retire.  Until then, we shall work to keep our chin above water.  

That is my January 5 reflection point. 

Christmas

Christmas was different this year. We have a really simple logic to gift giving. The everyone exchanges a gift with each other.  So, each person receives 4 gifts total.   Santa puts a few things in the stocking and then leaves 1 unwrapped item.  Simplicity is the theme.  

This year Jeremy and I put a ton of thought an effort into making something that could last a long time and provide hours of entertainment.  A climbing wall in the basement.  We did it all...from starting with 4x8 sheets of wood to paint to installing grips and hooking it to the wall.  

Let me just say the kids have had more fun than I could have hoped for.  I was like a kid waiting to give it to them.  They love it!!!

The adventure in mom travels.

I've learned a few things after my travel adventures this fall. 

1.  It's not as glamorous traveling for work.  You never really explore the city to the fullest potential.  I traveled for work to NYC, Coeur'd'alene, New Orleabs and Chicago this fall.  Not one trip went as planned and really it's quite funny; between sleeping overnight in an airport, to 5 hour delays, I now consider myself an airport expert.   

2. You miss your family when away and amazingly you don't sleep as well.  One would think uninterrupted sleep would be glorious, but my body is programmed to be woken up on a regular basis so it doesn't correlate to beauty rest 

3. Young kids are convinced you are stuck in the phone during face time and get mad that you can't get out.  Ok, this one is just funny 

That's all.  Just a few reflection points 

Oh yes, the best line after arriving home from a trip...."I know the house looks a little crazy, but it didn't burn down."   True, true.   Honestly, I can't complain when I have a husband that supports my career and holds down the fort when I have to travel 

...and then it was Nov

Where did the fall go? Truly, I was just sending Maddie off to school and now it's November! Wow, the saying, "don't blink" is so true. Updates that are fun and report worthy. It has been a beautiful fall (although I'm writing that as I now has snow in the forecast this week). But it was a great fall. We spent every minute outside soaking up the warmer-than-average weather. We offered to close down Jeremy's family cabin, so everyone could avoid a lengthy trip. I must admit, we did fail on our first attempt. We arrived up north with the best of intentions, but then realized the mosquitos were gone, the fishing was great and the weather was amazing! We played all weekend and agreed we'd return a few weeks later. It is still a questionable decision, because when we returned a few weeks later it was COLD...literally 33 degrees, 30+ mph winds, and we had the close it all down before the pipes froze. If you ask the kids about the highlights from the trip, they would tell you casting off the dock of course was the best. We worked hard, the kids helped and we got it done. It really is beautiful up north at that time of year, so well worth the trips. Amy turned 1! Yes, our little one is a running everywhere. She started moving and grooving around 9 or 10 months and has never looked back. She is such a fun little spirit and keeps us all on our toes. If you expect her to stay in one spot with a toy, you are sorely wrong. She tries to keep up with her brother and sister....who still absolutely adore her and truly are her guardians. Maddie had the opportunity to take a girl's trip with me. We made a quick trip to CO to visit a friend who lost her father after a battle with cancer. We had a great weekend reconnecting and she sure loved hiking the mountains. She reported to Jeremy and I that when she grows up she isn't going to live in MN, we can, but she's going to live in CO. (kid, there is no way Jeremy and I will live in the tropical tundra of MN in retirement - HA) Luke is all boy and we honestly love it. He looks out for his sisters and knows how to "push their buttons" as well. But honestly, he is the gentleman at a young age. He would live outside if we let him and LOVES baseball. I don't want to guess how many pitches he hit this summer. I have no doubt when snow melts the training wheels will be off his bike. Bailey....well, she's our 4-legged friend and travels everywhere with us, so she's spoiled. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?! Jeremy and I....we prep coffee each night to keep us with the crew and are loving life. Yes, a random update and I'm sure there is more, but time to catch a flight home from a conference. Julie