Ben turns 3

Nana and G-Pa (my parents) came to visit for Ben's birthday. Ben was very excited to drive to the airport to go get them. We almost didn't make it because my car started to give me trouble again. But we were able to get them and then I took my car back to the shop and got a rental so that we could still go places. 

 The boys have been loving their time with Nana and G-pa. Lots of reading, playing, tickling and hugs! Also lots of potty training cheering! My boys love to read. I've been very grateful to have others around to read to them for a change. They read the same books over and over and it drives me nuts sometimes! Sine being sick the last 2 weeks it has been hard to read and I haven't been doing it, so they are making up for it with their Nana and G-pa! The weather has been nice, so we have also had lots of outside play time. 

 Ben asked for a Percy and Thomas birthday (which I was pleased about because I was able to reuse the leftover party supplies from his birthday last year)! I tried to add more green decorations to convince him that it was a "Percy Birthday". He wore the party hat almost all day, it was adorable. Ben has been asking for 'chocolate Percy cake' for a couple weeks. He was disappointed that Percy wasn't on the cake, Thomas was. But then he got to play with the Thomas train and eat the chocolate cake and all was well. I wish I had a picture of opening presents. Now that he's 3, he knows how to do presents and he just ripped them all open faster than we could even look at them. There was paper and stuff just everywhere. It was chaos! We also had family face timing on both of our phones. He got a lot of clothes and shoes, which he wasn't thrilled about (but I was!). His big present was a bike, which we thought he would be excited about, but he wont even try it. He is not your typical 'boy', he's kind of a chicken, but I am grateful, easier for me! Micah on the other hand would have been on that bike in an instant if he could! Ben also got a bubble mower, which is safer and he really enjoys!

On Saturday we went to Ben's favorite place, the Colorado Railroad Museum. Our friends came with us and Ben got to show his friend his all the trains. It was a beautiful day! While our friends and family on the east coast were in snowsuits, we were all in shorts and t-shirts! We had a hot dog and cupcake picnic at the museum, our first picnic of the season. It was such a fun time. When we got home we were all exhausted and took great naps!

Ben had a wonderful birthday weekend! We are so happy to have Nana and G-pa here. And the weather we have been having is such a blessing. My car was fixed by Friday and has been running fine. Please pray that it does not give us any more trouble! Ben has been without diapers for a week now. It has been very trying, and Ben has had his ups and downs all week, but we are determined. Please pray that Ben would stop fighting it and would be willing to use the potty. 

I had an OB appointment this week and was informed that starting in mid April, because she is at a much higher risk of still birth, I will need to be seen twice a week to monitor fetal distress. I knew that we were going to have a lot of appointments but, twice a week, minimum, oh my. I am going to just have to start taking the boys with me and figuring out how to entertain them while being strapped to the monitors. There is also a chance that each of these appointments will be $50 and not counted in our out of pocket max, since that is how all of my other appointments have been. So even though our annual out of pocket max seems manageable, all of these co-pays are going to add up to a whole other amount that we were not expecting. Just pray that this is not the case and insurance does not charge us all of these co-pays. Keep Maelyn in your prayers. As she gets bigger her chance of surviving through surgeries increases, but I guess her risk of still birth also increases. And as we get closer to her due date I get more scared. I feel like she is safe in there and once she is born all of this stuff is going to start happening that is out of my control. I start thinking about having my baby girl and feeling excited, but then reality hits where I remind myself that it isn't going to be like having a normal newborn. We are still praying for a complete miracle, that God would transform her heart, grow her right ventricle, and she would be born healthy.