Prenatal Yoga. Something I never thought I’d do. Not only did I not understand exactly what yoga was, but I couldn’t imagine myself in tight fitting clothes, putting myself in awkward positions, with a big baby belly hanging and swinging around. However, last night I went to my first night of prenatal yoga and it was nothing like I imagined!
It was the most worthwhile two hours that I have spent doing something good for myself since getting pregnant. The first hour the instructor had all of us pregnant moms sit in a circle and talk! We had a topic of discussion, which last night was how our minds relate to what is going on to our bodies and how we feel about being pregnant, getting bigger, and all the different changes that happen during pregnancy. It was not only nice to be able to express what I was feeling, but it was helpful to hear what all the other moms were thinking and feeling. There were about 20 of us there, so there were several that I could relate to and several that I couldn’t. It was a great eye-opener for me to see how different every pregnancy is.
After a much needed bathroom break, we started the second hour of prenatal yoga, which didn’t seem like it was going to be too intense, but honestly, it was one of the hardest workouts I’ve had!!! Putting myself into those positions wasn’t the hard part, either, it was having to hold myself in those positions that was hard! I woke up so sore this morning.
Not only is this prenatal yoga going to be a good, physically, for my body, but I think that it will be a good time for me to bond with Skogen without anyone else around distracting me. One of my favorite parts was the last ten minutes, or so, when we were able to lay down in complete silence, just relaxing. I haven’t been that relaxed in years. It was so good to have that break. I felt so refreshed when I got home.
Erik had stayed with Maida while I was gone, despite the fact that he hadn't been to sleep at all the night before because he was up studying for his first test of the year, which he took yesterday too! I don't think he got too sleepy trying to keep up with her - she kept him busy! The bee sting probably helped... Maida asked Erik if they could go play outside, so Erik grabbed his hat to put on and there was bee in it! He had no idea until *BING* it stung him right on the top of the head! Poor guy! His head and neck were still sore when he woke up this morning. (... this story kind of reminded me of a story I've heard numerous times about when he was a little kid and went to put on his winter boot and there was a dead MOUSE in it!!! YUCK!... he has the worst luck!) Maida had a great time with Erik last night and wasn't even excited to see me come home! However, I did teach her some pretty sweet yoga poses (pictures to come!).
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Our Blessings
Erik & Kara
Even though we met as babies and grew up as family friends, we didn't date each other until the end of college. Nine short months after "becoming official" we got married on August 28, 2004. We had a beautiful barefoot wedding on the beach in northern Minnesota, with lots of our friends and family in attendance. Now, after moving almost every year since we got married, we have officially decided that it's not time to settle, yet. After returning from six months of medical mission work in Zimbabwe, at Nhowe Mission, we are living as ski bums in our 45 foot RV motorcoach!
Maida Raine
Our princess was born on May 3, 2007 by an emergency c-section and has been the center of our universe ever since! She weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce, was 21 inches long, and has somehow, over night, turned into a very intelligent ten-year-old. After a life-threatening appendicitis last year, Maida has made a full recovery and we're thankful for God's provision through it all. Her bubbly personality and confidence follows her everywhere and she truly makes every thing better with her presence. Maida enjoys dance, acting, and has already written several books (one that's well on its way to publication)! She has a passion for animals, learning, and song writing, as well.
Skogen Roux
Even though a VBAC was the original plan, our BIG boy Skogie-Bear was born two weeks early on January 14, 2009 by C-section. He weighed a whopping 9 pounds 5.6 ounces and was 20 inches long. Skogen is a sweet, loving boy with a great amount of confidence. Nothing holds him back from having a good time. Skogen spends most of his time dreaming of skiing and when there is snow on the ground, he expects to be skiing 100% of the time! In the meantime, he plays soccer, tennis, t-ball, basketball, and gymnastics. Skogen has a huge heart for Africa and loved his time in Zimbabwe!
Klaasen Burke
Klaasen was born on July 27, 2010 by scheduled c-section after plans of a VBAC were changed when his due date was reached and he was still nice and cozy inside! He outweighed his brother's birth weight at 9 pounds 6.6 ounces and was 21 ½ inches long. One of Klaasen’s earliest achievements in life was being one of the largest babies anyone had ever seen with a weight of 20 pounds at two months and 30 pounds at six months! But as seven years have now passed, he has slimmed down and is now quite average in weight and height for his age. Klaasen was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder a year ago. This was expected and a shock all at the same time. We make sure to tell him every day that autism is his super power and there is nothing he can't do. We're fairly new to navigating this world of having a "special needs" child, but we're enjoying the successes as Klaasen continually amazes us along the way. Klaasen is creative, inventive, and always keeping us laughing. Klaasen enjoyed his time in Zimbabwe, making more friends than he's ever dreamed of having. He would like to go back as soon as he can.
Torsten S
Torsten was born in 2012, on the only day in August Kara didn’t want him to come – our anniversary! A planned fourth c-section was scheduled on August 31st, but God had other plans, and a spontaneous labor on August 28th fulfilled Kara’s dreams of being able to labor one more time. After an afternoon of laboring at home and a successful c-section, more prayers were answered as Kara was able to hold Torsten skin-to-skin and even breastfeed while still in the operating room minutes after birth (two things that she never got to experience with any of the other births). Torsten was our smallest boy, weighing 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 ¼ inches long. At five years old now, Torsten is a very feisty little guy, never slowing down for a second! He keeps up with his older siblings quite well and perhaps will eventually be a better skier than them all, as he has been keeping up with the family on skis since he was 18 months old! Torsten loves playing with cars, playdough, enjoys Bible class, and prefers skiing black diamonds more than anything else in the world.
Barkley!
Barkley! joined our family in September of 2005. We never found out what kind of dog he was, but when someone asked, we just simply replied, "He's a rottweiler-pitbull-boxer-lab,"(unless it was a rental application, then he was a "lab mix"). He was everything we could have wished for in a dog. We lost him to cancer in 2016. Our hearts broke as we let him go and we are convinced that we'll never completely fill his role in our family again. He was a playmate, protector, the third parent, and confidant. We will always wish that we had more time with him.
Camber Cameille
We rescued Camber shortly after Barkley passed away. Not knowing what kind of dog she was or what size to expect, we excitedly welcomed her into our home. She took a six month vacation to Nanna's house in Oklahoma while we were in Zimbabwe and it's been fun to have her home. Now fully grown, she is a dainty little lady, the happiest when she's with the kids.
Simba Zino
Among all of our gifts we brought back from Zimbabwe, Simba is probably our favorite. Simba Zino means "strong and powerful fang" in Shona, which will be very appropriate for him since he will eventually weigh around 200 pounds. Simba's breed is a South African Boerboel, which we don't have in the United States, and they are known in Africa for protecting the farms there from cheetahs, lions, and hyenas! Even though he's already very large, he's a gentle giant. He's an amazing companion and we're excited to watch him grow, grow, grow!
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