Christmas

Merry Christmas!  

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  It was a very nice Christmas and it was great to spend it with the whole Braham fam and Oma.  We missed the cousins this year and hope to spend the holidays with them next year.   

I planned on making crepes for Christmas breakfast, but Craig bought the wrong kind of flour (unbleached) and the mix was the wrong consistency so we had pancakes and sausage instead.  Afterwards we opened presents and listened to Christmas music.  

Julia got three stackable gold rings, lots of clothes, PJs, robe, Spring Awakening tickets, Kate Spade necklace, jewelry, Michael Kors purse and Christmas ornaments.  Ethan got money, rollerblades, clothes, travel mug, shower head, Bose headphones and Christmas ornaments.  Grayson got a play kitchen, pretend shopping cart and canned food, Dyson vacuum that actually turns and makes noises like a real Dyson, lots of books, new Pottery Barn Camel Ombre Fur Anywhere Chair, several toys and Christmas ornaments.  We got Oma a new mirror, Christmas ornaments, a new iPhone case and a David Yurman bracelet.  Craig and I did our big gifts to each other (watch and bracelet, earrings and necklace) for our birthdays, anniversary and Christmas.  We also got the new kindles and Oma got us a new point and shoot Sony camera and covers for our kindles.  Oma also got the kids a Christmas advent calendar that plays music and lights up and an indoor snowball fight game, which everyone loved.  We hung out all day, ate appetizers, watched Elf and had Dutch style pork tenderloin, new potatoes and garlic spinach for dinner.   

Positive Pregnancy Test

We have some exciting news to share...

We are PREGNANT!  

Pregnancy Story:

December 25, 2014

After Grayson I had 3 cycles and we got pregnant on our own in August, but sadly had a miscarriage in September at 7 weeks.  At first my hcg levels were good, but when we got to the first ultrasound there was a gestational sac, but no baby.  They had me come back a week later and there was no progress so I had to have a D&C.  On one hand I was so excited that it happened all on our own without IVF, but of course so devastated that is was another miscarriage, my 6th one.  I know everything happens for a reason and I would soon understand why.  After the D&C I had one cycle and then got pregnant on our own again in December.  I had night sweats 4-5 nights in a row and had a feeling I might be pregnant, but thought there was no way possible.  I woke up Christmas morning and took a pregnancy test and it was negative at first.  I waited a little while, but only saw one line so I threw the test away.  I went back to sleep for about 15 minutes and then had a strange feeling so I got the test out of the trash can and it was POSITIVE!  It was a very faint line so I still didn't believe it.  I went downstairs and shared the amazing news with Craig and my mom.  They were so excited and couldn't believe it either.  That was the BEST Christmas present ever.  

December 26, 2014

The next day I took another test and there was still a very faint line so I had Craig go to the store to get a digital pregnancy test.  The test came back pregnant right away so we were thrilled.  

December 27, 2014

I took the third test from the box of original ones and it was positive right away.  

December 29, 2014

I went to my doctor's office and my hcg level was 382.  If the number is above 5 you are pregnant and this number should double every 48-72 hours.

December 31, 2014

My hcg was 953 and they were very happy with this number so I do not need to come back until the ultrasound on Friday, January 16th.

January 6, 2014

Terrible moodiness. :)

January 10, 2014

We went to Sarah and Stu's engagement party in Plainfield and had a great time.  On our way there I had some pain and remembered exactly what is was from my first pregnancy.  It was my uterus stretching, which is a good sign.  

Here are the positive pregnancy tests:

ZooLights

We went on Christmas Eve Eve to ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo.  They do a great job decorating the zoo with the most amazing light displays.  They also had a light show with fun Christmas music. We saw tigers and monkeys, but didn't get a chance to see the rest of the animals.  They had some baby monkeys that were so cute.  It was so fun watching Grayson experience all of this...love seeing things through his eyes.  He had a great time and so did the rest of us.