Exciting News!

We are so excited to announce that we are having a baby! Isabelle is going to be a big sister! Baby Tracy is due December 15th. We just can't get away from the December birthdays.

This news came as quite a surprise to us, but we are completely thrilled. I thought I had just been sick for over a month because I was so worried about my brother. Turns out there were multiple reasons for my feeling so gross for so long! I am eleven weeks along, so I'm hoping that I'll start feeling better soon.

We aren't finding out what we're having, just like we did with Isabelle. It was so much fun being surprised when she was born! This really bothers a lot of people, even strangers, which I think is part of the reason we do it!

When we told Isabelle there was a baby in Mommy's tummy, she just looked at me and said "ohhhhhh!" We asked her if it would be a brother or a sister, and she said sister, so we'll just have to wait and see. We don't care either way, of course. James would be thrilled with all girls. We're just happy everything is going well with the baby, and we are so excited!

Catch Up

First, an update on my big brother.. Nick is doing really well since his liver transplant. He's had some ups and downs with the typical issues liver patients have after surgery- problems with their kidneys and pancreas. He was on dialysis for a while, and his doctor says his kidneys are doing very well. He was moved into the intermediate ICU for a while and is now totally out of the ICU now. I'm taking Isabelle to see him today and she's so excited. She says "I want to hug Nick." She's been to the hospital with us numerous times, but this will be her first time seeing him there. Luckily, his girls got to see him last week, finally, and he was thrilled and so were they. Nick is slowly gaining some strength back, but it will take a while. He does lots of physical therapy and has now been given the go-ahead to eat whatever he wants to. Hopefully now he'll just find something that tastes good to him. Nick has been so blessed. He is such a strong person. I know he thinks that he isn't getting back to normal quickly enough, but I think he's doing incredibly well. After all, two weeks ago he was in a coma, and now he's talking normally and doing some walking. I think it's awesome!

Before Nick went to the hospital, I actually made two slideshows of our trip to Hawaii. I know it was quite a while ago now, but I figured I might as well post them since I went to all the trouble of making them.

And, also, an update on my Isabelle. She is so funny lately. She was a bit of a troublemaker last week, but is doing much better this week. She has said such funny things though. If we put her in her crib for time out, she puts her leg over the edge and yells, "I'm gonna jump!" How does a two year old know how to threaten her parents?! A couple of weeks ago we were watching "Dancing With the Stars" and she wanted to dance with James. So they were dancing, then she stopped and looked at him and said, "take your shirt off Daddy!" She noticed how the men on the show were dressed and thought Daddy should be like them. It's funny how observant they are. Isabelle has also become a bit weird about the word "nipples". I guess I shouldn't have taught her the word, but she was in the tub with her cousin Brielle, and they wondered what they were, so I told them. Now she sings about them with her baby, and the other night she saw a little boy with his shirt off and said, "look Mommy, the little baby has nipples, oh!" Also, when we were driving the other day she said to James, "Daddy, you have nipples." What do you do? Guess she'd have learned sooner or later.

She is such a busy little bee lately. She loves unloading all of her toys the minute I clean up the playroom. She likes painting. She loves playing outside and going on bike rides with Daddy. She loves popsicles. She is a stinkin' cute two year old with an attitude who makes me laugh all day! I love her to pieces!

Temple Square
What do you do when your child goes running through the tulips?

Six of seven grandkids

Isabelle and Brielle

My cutie pie


Outside Fun
Isabelle in front of our tulips

Helping Daddy mow the lawn

Helping with the cleaning

Having fun on the swings

Update

I just wanted to post a quick update about Nick. He's doing very well! We went to see him tonight and I was shocked at how good he looked. He was alert and talkative! He even talked basketball with James! He is still in the ICU, but will probably be moving to a different floor in the next couple of days.

Tonight was the first time I left Nick's room not feeling sick. I have been so, so worried about him, of course, that I just haven't felt well at all for the past two weeks. But tonight, I was thrilled because it was like we actually had our Nick back! What a miracle he is!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, and to all of those who have donated either blood or money for Nick. It has been greatly appreciated by the entire family. I know that he is doing so well because of all of the prayers in his behalf. I know he has a long road to recovery, but I am amazed at how quickly he is coming along. I truly feel the happiest tonight that I've felt in quite a while!

A Liver for Nick!

About a minute after I posted my entry about Nick, my mom called to tell me that they have a liver for Nick! It will be about seven or eight hours before they take him to surgery. Please keep praying for him!

Nick...

This is my brother Nick and his beautiful family. For the past few months Nick has been getting sicker and sicker. He has been to numerous doctors, but none could make a clear diagnosis of what was wrong. They all knew that it seemed to be his liver causing problems, but the doctors all seemed to be baffled by his condition. He has lost about thirty pounds over the last four months, along with his appetite and all of his energy.

Last Saturday night, he was admitted to the University of Utah Hospital. It has been the longest week ever of our family's lives. I couldn't believe how downhill Nick went overnight. They continued to do tests to find out the problem, but were still unsure. On Wednesday, he had a liver biopsy. A few hours after the procedure, his liver started bleeding from a small puncture wound made during the test. Since it is his liver that isn't functioning, his blood is extremely thin and he went down fast. Luckily his team of doctors were outside and he was rushed to the ICU. Later that night he had surgery to close up the wound. The doctor came out and told us that everything had gone well and he would be out to get Rachael (Nick's wife) in just a little while. James and I left the hospital at about 2:30 am because we thought everything was fine.

At about 5:20 am we got a call from my sister- the worst phone call I have ever had. She told me to come to the hospital immediately because Nick was not going to make it. I have never been so scared or upset in my life. Nick is my big brother, one of my heroes. The doctors had said that his blood pressure had dropped so low that they couldn't record it, and they were afraid he hadn't gotten any blood or oxygen to his brain for x amount of time. I rushed to the hospital with my sister and her husband. It took forever to get there. When we went in to see Nick, he was unrecognizable. When I had seen him the night before, he looked like a pancake, so thin with the ventilator breathing for him. Now he was enormously swollen from all of the blood products he'd been given. He had been in an induced coma, now he was in his own. As bad as things looked, we weren't about to give up hope.

My brother-in-law's grandma is President Monson's cousin. She had called the prophet the night before to ask that the First Presidency pray for Nick at their 11 o'clock meeting the next day. When my sister-in-law and parents were told that Nick wouldn't make it, my dad called and asked that she call him to see if he could say a prayer for Nick sooner. President Monson asked how old he was. "31." He responded, "that's too young." It was right around this time, I feel, that the doctor came in and started talking to Nick, asking him to open his eyes, squeeze his hand, wiggle his toes. Nick responded- a very good sign! He has continued to respond since then. We all know in our hearts that Nick is going to make it and be healthy again. He is a fighter and he is needed on this earth. He has continued to improve little by little, and last night he was put on the transplant list to get a new liver.

Nick is status one for a liver transplant. He will be getting a new liver within the next few days. Although I am frightened, I feel that this is really the only and best option, as do all of the doctors fighting for him. His surgery will be between 6 and 16 hours long. He has lots and lots of people praying for him, but he could always use more. Hopefully, he will be able to bounce back fairly quickly because he is a young, strong guy. I truly feel that he is a miracle!

Nick has a beautiful wife Rachael, and two beautiful little girls. Emma is five and Brielle is two. They are the light of his life. He is a wonderful husband and father. I have admired Rachael so much during this time. I can't believe how strong she has been. She has been by Nick's side encouraging him. She is such a wonderful person. James and I have always admired Nick and Rachael's relationship and tried to be more like them. They have been married for almost nine years now. They are such a happy couple. The most important thing I think that they have taught me is a quote or rule they use in their marriage, "criticize in private, praise in public." I think this is something that can keep our marriages strong. Nick is a very involved father. He adores his girls. All of the kids in our family have been missing Nick since he's gotten sick. He is the one who plays with them and keeps them laughing. Isabelle adores him. Nick is such a great brother. I have truly always thought of him as one of my heroes. He is so loving and so much fun. He is the glue that holds our family together. He is the laughter and the one who keeps things calm and mellow. Without him, there would be too much drama- there's three girls and him! I don't know a person who doesn't like Nick. It's impossible not to like him! I am so grateful to have him as my brother!

We are all so thankful for the support and prayers of everyone who knows Nick and even those who don't. They have kept us all going and have kept Nick fighting. Please continue to keep Nick and his family in your prayers. If you can, please go to Ogden Regional Medical Center and donate blood in Nicholas Parrish's name. Tell them he is at the University of Utah Hospital. He has depleted the hospital's supply, and he will get credit for all of those donations, no matter what blood type. This will help him and Rachael because they won't have to pay for as much blood. Also, today we are setting up an account in his name at America First Credit Union. I'm sure you can imagine the costs of being in the ICU for so long, as well as the cost of a liver transplant. Nick is also the breadwinner in his family and will not be returning to work for quite a while. Any little bit you could give would help. It will be under the Nick Parrish Liver Transplant Fund. Please spread the word to anyone you know.

Nick is such a wonderful person! We are so blessed to have him in our lives! Thank you for all the love you have all shown. We hope to get Nick better ASAP! We love you Nick, Rachael, Emma, and Brielle!

The link to Rachael's blog is on the side of my blog.