Maybe a Little TOO Good

I'm the king of ink stains. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, maybe it's because I'm careless. Regardless, I get ink on everything. Usually it's only my hands but every now and then I see little blue stains on my sweatshirt sleeves or my jeans.

The other night I discovered a fresh stain on the back of my jeans just above the ankle. Yes, on the back. I don't have an explanation for this one. It could have happened on the train on my way home from school, but I can't be sure.

A tried and true method for removing stains of nearly any kind from nearly any fabric is Fels-Naptha soap. It's good. Really good. Maybe too good. I used it on my latest ink blurp and while it didn't do much for the ink, go figure, it stripped the blue from my blue jeans. Here's proof.

Ever wonder why the instructions on stain removers tell you to "test it in an inconspicuous spot for colorfastness?" Well, now you know why. What's crazy is these jeans are more than a year old and have been washed numerous times. That's some seriously heavy duty stain removing soap! I still have to work out that ink. Anyone have suggestions?

Week 26 Portraits

Shooting week 26 portraits was a funny experience. First off, we didn’t get to it on the weekend like our calendar said. The weekend was just so hectic that it came down to laundry or photos, and I don’t know about you, but clean socks and pants for the week comes before photos.

We finally got to shooting on Monday night and we didn’t even get fully set up before the power went out. The image above is an outtake from when we were still adjusting lighting and a few other things. Out of nowhere the lights go out and I thought I blew a fuse, but then we looked out the window and our entire neighborhood was out. Thankfully it was only for about an hour because the temperature was somewhere around 2 degrees that night.

So this is the photo we’ve got from week 26. I like it and Monica thinks she looks big. We’re just now hitting the third trimester so I don’t know if we’ve seen big yet! Noah has been moving around like crazy. We both can really tell a difference in his behavior versus Ethan’s at this same time last year. It’s so reassuring to feel and see Noah moving so much. With Ethan there would be long spans of time that we wouldn’t see or feel him, or maybe just a shutter here or there. Not with Noah. He’s throwing elbows and doing high-kicks all day long!

Next week we have our second level 2 ultrasound just to see how things are going and to make sure everything is on track. We are getting so excited to see him again. We’re hoping they’ll do a few 3D grabs so we can get a glimpse of our little boy like last time, but no promises.

Lastly, many of you know our very good friends Obi and Ashley. Well, they are also expecting—they’re exactly eight weeks behind us. Today they found out they’re having another boy! Congratulations Obi and Ashley!

Milestones

This past Thursday we crossed into our third trimester—happy 26 weeks Noah! It’s amazing to think that almost exactly one year ago (January 21, 2008) we were having our second level two ultrasound which confirmed that Ethan did indeed have Trisomy 18. What a different experience that was compared to where we’re at now. We are able to see several positive differences in this pregnancy which is reassuring.

Noah is kicking, moving and stretching like crazy. It’s so cool to feel him and see him moving from the outside. (I can’t imagine what it feels like inside!) Every once in a while when we’re at work I’ll look over at Monica and see her clothes moving over her belly. Noah’s definitely getting stronger, too. Every now and then he gives mama a stiff kick or jab that surprises her. He also keeps her up at night--he thinks 10 p.m. is playtime.

I’ve started reading books to Noah and last night’s was Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, by Mélanie Watt. I know it’s not about me, but I love that book. Pretty much any book with a squirrel is going to be high on my list, but in this one the squirrel is OCD. That puts it at the top. Last night Noah moved and kicked while I read and kept on squirming after I was done. We didn’t have time for another book though, mama needs her sleep.

Where are the portraits?
We haven’t officially done portraits since week 15. Shame on us! With Ethan we did portraits every few weeks, but things have been so busy lately that it constantly gets pushed down the priority list. Between trying to finish up my thesis and Monica doing her Stampin’ Up! stuff, free time is really scarce.

The only way to make sure we’ll do it is by putting it on the calendar, so guess what? We’ve scheduled a shoot this weekend and we’re going to make it happen, I promise. I’ll post an image or two as soon as we’re done.

Here are a few photos to hold you over. Monica had on her baker’s hat the other day and whipped up some tasty cookies and cupcakes!

Baby Registry

As we eagerly anticipate Noah's arrival in 114 days (or somewhere about that time) we have begun to think about the nursery, our registry and, best of all, holding our son. He has been pretty active and awake at 3:30 each morning this week. We have another doctor appointment next week and then another ultrasound on the 12th of February. I am looking forward to see how much Noah is growing—and not just me.

Because I know there are many moms and even dads who read our blog, I wanted to survey each of you to help us as we prepare our registry. Of course there are many guides and checklists to tell us what we should be registering for, but perhaps they have overlooked something. What is the one thing you could not have lived without during the first couple years of your child's life? Was there something you registered for that you never even took out of the box? What item would you recommend splurging on, and what would you advise us not to invest in?

So Long 2008

Is there a better way to celebrate the passing of a year like 2008? We had enough candy for a dozen movies, but we only managed to watch two and, thankfully, we hardly made a dent in the candy bowl. Truthfully, I’m surprised that we were awake when the new year began.

As we ring in 2009, Monica and I have a lot to reflect on and a lot to be thankful for. In the past year we endured some of the most difficult times of our lives. We lost a brother and a son within three weeks of each other. And as many of you know, the weeks and months following were thick with sorrow and questions. Trials, indeed.

Despite our trials, I will still remember 2008 as a good year because through all we endured our faith has been strengthened, our spiritual walk with Christ has matured and our marriage roots have deepened. There is so much to be thankful for, not the least of which are our new jobs working for a Christian publisher.

Over and over we’ve seen how God’s timing is perfect, how he answers prayers and how he uses our struggles for good. Several times we saw what others might mistake as coincidence, but we knew it was the direct hand of God working in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

In Hebrews 11:1 it says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” For humans, faith is one of the most difficult convictions to face because it is full of the unknown. For us, we know now that faith means putting everything in God’s hands because there is no other choice. It means trusting that His plans will be better than ours every time.

Lastly, when reading the Bible and looking for answers to why God allows bad things happen, I came upon 2 Corinthians 1:3-6. It says:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

Monica and I have had several opportunities to minister to others who have faced similarly difficult times. And while 2008 was a very difficult year, I’m honored that we can serve our God in this way for years to come.

Here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2009.

In Him,

Ryan and Monica

It's a ...

It is with bundles of joy and excitement that we announce that we expecting another baby boy. Noah Joseph Klos is due to arrive May 3, 2009. Today we got to meet him via Level 2 and 3D ultrasounds. Noah is 19 weeks and 6 days old and weighs 11 ounces. His heartbeat was 166 (160's is the norm for babies). The maternal fetal medicine doctor gave him two thumbs up.

The 3D photo cracks me up with his hand holding his chin. The doctor and technician had a hard time getting a photo without his hands in his face. He better get used the camera! We had to bribe him with a chocolate shake. Oh wait, that was for Mom too.

What's Your Guess?

Tomorrow the speculating is over—we'll officially find out if Monica's carrying a little boy or a little girl. Either way, we can't wait to start bonding more intimately with our baby.

Let us know what you think we're having in the comments. Also, fill us in on what makes you think so! We'll share the news as soon as we know.