Spring has begun and baby E will be here soon!!

Happy April!! We hope this note finds you all well and ready for spring! Today was a beautiful day. Spring has begun!! Only three more weeks until our little one's due date. Being off my feet has been a blessing and my appointments have been going really well. So, baby E will come when ready!! I sure do wish I knew when this would be! :)



Here are some photos from Easter. My parents were able to come for the weekend and help out with house projects. Here is a picture of my Dad, Tim and Chris working on the laundry room! I am greatful for this since I have a feeling I will be spending more time here after baby is born. Sally, Tim and the kiddos also came for the day. This is how these three cuties showed up at our house...two bunnies and a flower!! It was a wonderful Easter!




















Last weekend, we were able to spend some time with some close friends and their little ones!! Here are a few pictures of Court and Kel's little one...Brinnon! She is so sweet and stylin' in her winter hat. Mikko also fell in love with her as he anxiously waited for her to drop the toy so it could become his. He actually was very patient and gentle with her.
Here is little Avery and Brinnon in a sea of books! They are so sweet together!!
















The little one's room! It has been so much fun nesting and getting ready for this little person to enter our world! Here are a few pictures of the baby's room...a work in progress. It was so much fun to paint the tree with birds. We have a bird/nature theme going on...so fun! I could just spend hours in this room imagining what is to come!





The belly cast! Here is a cast of my belly(and boobs!!)! Thank you Courtney for helping with this creation! What an amazing time that I will treasure forever. Pregnancy is beautiful!!

34 weeks and growing!

"Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be." ~Carrie Fisher

Here we are at 33 weeks! I was talking to my friend Courtney about how all of a sudden when you become pregnant you start to live your life in weeks. She informed me that this is how it is after baby is born too! It's so true...weeks become precious! Right now, I feel each day is precious. I was put on bed rest last week and when things like this happen, you really start to feel that each day this baby is growing inside is truly a miracle! All is well, just needed to slow down. Our midwife said, "you need to be on the couch and become a fatty!" I have to say, being away from work is a whole new world. I feel I can actually focus on baby now and take care of this little one. We've been doing lots of bonding...each time I feel movement, which is quite often, I am reminded of this amazing time and that I truly need to treasure it! Chris and I are preparing for birth...taking amazing classes...talking with wonderful, supportive people...and just really taking it all in! We are aware that there is so much we cannot prepare for...but, it sure has been fun to anticipate this little one entering our lives. We cannot wait to meet him/her!

Pictures to share...

Hello Everyone! We hope this message finds you all well and healthy! Here are a few pictures of some fun happenings in our life...






First, Mikko and Marla fell in love! Okay, not really...but we do think they snuggle like this during the day when we are gone. We've witnessed Mikko cleaning Marla's fur. She just takes it all in until he gets too close...and then she starts boxing him. We've been wondering how they will do when we bring our little one home...well, that will be a whole blog entry I'm sure!




Another fun happening was a baby shower!



Cousins to be! Baby Ekern and Baby Berndt are only a few weeks apart! We are very excited to have cousins so close in age!!





Many thanks to Mom and Sal for planning such a wonderful day!!










One of our favorite things to do is go for walks in the arb with our good friends Amanda and Avery! Avery will be a year on April 19th! He is growing and changing so much.
















I have to say I was very excited to turn 30! It is a year to feel blessed...becoming a mother!! Here is a picture of my mother and my sister...who is also an amazing mother! We were all able to celebrate together!




















And of course, here are my boys...the men of my life! Chris and Mikko snuggling!!



Hugs to you all!!!

bAbY eKeRn...

"It's the state of being pregnant, as if you're weaving a house for your child out of your own body, and it takes all your energy, all your attention." ~Hilma Wolitzer

Here's baby Ekern at 27 weeks! We are ending trimester two and beginning trimester three!! I remember in the first trimester thinking this stage seemed so far away...and here it is. I have to say that every stage of pregnancy has been amazing in it's own way. The second trimester has been the best...feeling so good, full of energy (until about 7pm..:)) and just really healthy! Growing a baby has been the healthiest part of my life...the most amazing journey. I love this little one inside so incredibly much.

"It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into." ~Terri Guillemets

Baby E on a Ski...

Santa Patty gave us a new camera for Christmas! We are so very excited to share some pictures we have been taking!!

It has been a wonderful winter for cross-country skiing! We finally have a snowy winter where we can play outside... We are fortunate to have these amazing trails, the Carleton Arboretum, about 2 minutes away from our house!! Mikko absolutely loves to run free in the woods (and jump and lick everyone he sees)... and baby Ekern loves to ski!!!

A few weekends ago, we went to one of our favorite places...DULUTH...to see our good friends Courtney, Kel and Baby Brinnon!

Just take a look at this beautiful little girl.

Chris and I are both in love with her. She is about 6 months old and at a really fun stage where she just smiles and smiles! It is truly wonderful and inspiring to see our friends as parents!

Mikko also fell in love...with Eddie!! (Court and Kel's dog)

Baby Ekern is doing really well. We have so much to share and will send more belly pictures in our next blog. I have really enjoyed pregnancy...I truly LOVE IT!

Happy New Year!!

Mikko and Marla (Marla ready to attack!)

Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were filled with love and laughter and good food! We were able to spend most of the holiday in Detroit Lakes with family and friends...so much fun!

Here's a picture of Ian, Gracie, Ang and Will (Sal and Tim's kiddos) in a winter wonderland at Mom and Dad's! It was so fun to spend time with the little ones...they sure do keep the Christmas spirit alive!

The trees were so beautiful for many of the days we were home!

Baby Ekern is doing really well...

as you can see from the picture,

we are almost 24 weeks along!! hee hee

Sending our love and hugs...we will keep in touch and send more photos!! (of the real growing belly!:)

bAbY hEaRtBeAt AnD bAbY kIcKs!

Hello Everyone! We hope this message finds you all well...
It has been awhile since our last blog entry and so much has happened!

Baby bean at 18 weeks!

We have been able to see our little one a few times now. The first time we were able to see our little bean was amazing...we felt that this was for real and not just a dream we were having! Our little bean literally looked like a kidney bean with a little flicker...the heartbeat!!

"A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time."-- Author Unknown

And then....
Our Kidney Bean has Arms and Legs!! Our second ultrasound was a huge surprise...this little bean transformed into a little person, with arms and legs! Chris and I just stared at the screen as this little person bounced all over, moving it's teeny tiny arms and legs and then...WAVED AT US! Well, we would like to believe that it was a wave. We had so much fun watching this amazing event that Chris asked if we could take the ultrasound machine home with us! hee hee...

“It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into.”~ Terri Guillemets

And now...
Baby is 19 weeks old and I can feel little flutters, or baby movements, inside. I just LOVE IT!!!! Every moment of this journey has been and continues to be amazing!! We are so blessed that baby is doing well with lots of healthy growth inside!!
We are thinking of you all and we will keep in touch!!
Love and Hugs...The Ekern family