Christmas 2011

Nolan's first Christmas was a ton of fun for all four of us - we got to spend time with family and friends, Santa came (!) and lots of new toys have found out house :) These past two weeks were packed full of events - including Wyatt turning seventeen months and Nolan moving into 6 month clothes. Our boys are getting so big and it was nice to focus on them and enjoy this stage during the holidays.

Although we had a great and memorable Christmas, it did come with some not so great news. Nick's dad, Mike, had an appointment with his doctors on the 22nd and they all decided that further treatment for his Pancreatic cancer was not in the best interest of Mike's health. The cancer has seemed to spread throughout the body and Mike is too weak to handle anymore chemo. In order to preserve his quality of life there will be no more doctor visits or treatments. It was hard to hear, but we are happy he will no longer have to endure painful treatments and that he will be home. Hospice is now coming to the house to administer pain medication which is also a good thing - we don't want Mike in anymore pain if possible. We appreciate everyone's thoughts, prayers and help during this trying time. Without all of you we would be much worse off and we take comfort in knowing we can lean on all of you for support.

As we approach the new year, we are wishing you all the very best and quality time with the ones you love.

Happy New Year,

Nick, Alicia, Wyatt and Nolan

Nolan is 2 months old!

We had Nolan's 2 month check up this week and were not at all surprised to find he was on the larger size for a baby his age :) His stats are as follows:

12 pounds, 9 ounces

22 inches (although the doctor agreed that probably wasn't right - he is longer)

BIG HEAD :)

He had to get 3 shots and drink a solution - his crying was heart wrenching but he was just fine once it was all over. I forget how horrible that is for the baby and the parents :(

As for all of us, we are hanging in there. It has been a tough couple weeks with Nick's dad, but we are happy he is home and hopeful he will be able to gain some weight and get his strength back. Nick has been off for a week or so - he had a long to do list and has knocked a lot of it out :) He has also had a chance to spend more time with his dad which is something he had been wanting to do. We are ready for the holiday's and are looking forward to spending time with family and friends. We were able to go out a couple times last week without the kiddos - we had the Paulson Christmas gathering, the Kuni Christmas event with the Yee's and a holiday play and dinner with the Fetrow's, Myers' and Richardson's and we got to see Savannah in The Nutcracker.

I came down with Mastitis (AGAIN!) last week and am still battling it. I am on the antibiotics and have the fever/chills under control, but still seem to have some clogged ducts. It is the pits having this in general, but especially during the holidays :( Hopefully I will be able to kick it pretty quickly and will be back to my normal, busy self :)

Luckily, both boys are doing great and are thriving...which we are so thankful for!

Happy Holiday's,
The Bales

Nolan is 7 weeks, Wyatt is 16 months

Our big boy is almost two months - how did that happen?! He is getting so big and so expressive, which is very fun. He is "talking" more and reaching for things a lot. We also get tons of smiles when he is awake and full :) He is eating every 2 to 3 hours which is making mom work hard! He is already in 3 to 6 month clothes...I can hardly keep anything in his drawers before it is time for the next size up! He is a very strong boy and LOVES to be walked around in his Bjorn - a life saver when he is fussy and wants to be held.

Big brother Wyatt is doing very well - he loves his brother and is becoming much more aware of him. He will randomly come over and give him loves or point him out. He is trying to say brother, which is more than most words we try to get him to say! He is at a very willful stage (16 months going on 30 years!) - it is teaching me patience and to take deep breaths :) I have even more appreciation for my parents these days...this part of parenting is very hard. Although he pushes buttons, he is also taking so much in and learning so many new things. It is so fun to watch him figure things out and enjoy learning new things. He is so much fun to watch and we love seeing his personality come out more and more each day.

We have been getting the boy cousins in Portland together more often and it is a blast watching them play together. Their favorite things are playing cars and running around the house chasing each other and screaming/giggling. An accident waiting to happen, but what can you do :)

Life with two boys is very chaotic, but we are having so much fun! They are such a joy and we have no idea what we did without them - they are pure entertainment :)

Love,

The Bales

Santa is here!

Well, it is officially Christmas season and we have been busy! We managed to get the tree, decorate the house, put up lights, meet Santa and wrap all our gifts this weekend :) Now we can relax and enjoy the season...or so we hope!

This past week has been a tough one - Nick's dad went into the hospital Tuesday night since he couldn't swallow food or drink and a week later is still there. We found out that there is a tumor on the outside of his esophagus that was making it hard to swallow, which in turn meant eating was a chore if even possible. They were able to put a stint in that will allow food and liquid to pass through (huge relief!). Unfortunately, this put Mike's treatment on hold until he can regain his strength. Although we are all disappointed, we are so glad we caught this now and can help Mike get stronger so he can continue his fight. A huge thank you to all of our friends and family who are thinking of Mike and willing him to good health. It means a tremendous amount to us and we are so very thankful.

As we continue into the holiday season we wish you all the best...

The Bales