Where will the road lead....

OR

I submitted applications today for residency training in Duluth or Salt Lake City. Both locations have immense beauty, great friends and family, and excellent pharmacy training. We will see where the road will lead for the growing Stenehjem family.

Great Grandma To Be

My grandma, Bernice Tompte is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our child. I think she is more excited than our parents combined. She has professed our child is going to be a boy and we should name him Andrew...so the sex is determined, but I am not sure on the name.

Healthy Hooters Party

A Sherie-Nelson-One-of-a-Kind-Boob-Cake: $30.

A Kami-Norland-Boobalicious-Jello-Speciality: $25

David bobbing for raspberries: Priceless.

Lil' Billy Goat's First Mug shots

Picture 1: Profile - look at his little hands! Do you see his cute little nose? (gets that from his papa!)

We had our ultrasound today. The little stinker was moving the ENTIRE time. Honestly, did not sit still for one single second. Kicking feet, wiggling butt, constantly shaking his head back and forth, moving his arms up and down trying to feel his face and to find his mouth. He did get his hand in his mouth at one point and then he got the hiccups - OMG it was SO FREAKIN' CUTE! (The ultrasound lady was very very impressed with his motor skills ... what can we say - starting to brag already I know ... but she was also getting a bit frustrated because we were there for well over an hour and the stinker wouldn't sit still - hard to get photos - definitely a product of his father).

Picture 2: Profile - he FINALLY cooperated for a mili-second and turned his face towards us

Picture 3: Feet - wow - look at those long skinny buggers! His legs are crossed in this picture. We knew his feet wouldn't be his best feature and that is evident already (definitely doesn't take after his Tia Sarah in that category!)

Picture 4: Mouth wide open - the ultrasound lady had to take a photo of this because it was so freakin adorable - his mouth was going the whole time and we even were able to see a big yawn!!!! Looks a bit like a monkey in this photo :) We love monkeys!

We didn't find out the sex but I am so 100% convinced that it is a boy. If it is a girl I'll be so shocked that I'll end up having an aneurysm. -Kate

Relief

As many of you may know, Kate found a lump on her breast about a month ago. She had a biopsy performed immediately and it ultimately took the Mayo Clinic to determine the lump was probably not cancer, but it needed to go anyways. The surgery was a complete success, besides the surgery resident botching the incision. And the final pathology was completely benign--a huge relief after almost a month of waiting. Both Kate and I are extremely thankful for all the support, well wishes, and prayers during this trying time. Our hearts go out to those who do not receive such good news.

Chubbers at Chimney Rock

Rachel and I spent a week together in Asheville, NC. Here we are at Chimney Rock where the 'Last of the Mohicans' was filmed :) Kate

The billie goat is a kickin!

Sorry for the long delay in posting...this is my first rodeo.

Kate has felt the first flutters of life in her belly and it was only fitting we were in the liquor store the first time she felt the little bugger cruising around. (No - Kate wasn't drinking, we were heading to a dinner party at Kami and Paul's and I had to get some beer and wine - after all, I am drinking for three now ...) Kate is completely terrified that this is an omen letting us know that our child will be 100% like dad :) I don't know why that would make her nervous. Honestly, what could possibly be better?!

As you can see I broke my radius while biking. It was a pretty nasty crash and I was lucky to sustain only bruised ribs and a minor fracture....I am sure if I had a better bike with more suspension everything would have been fine (Kate is sitting here shaking her head and telling me I need to graduate and get a job first - lol).

The photo above was taken on a hike to Bean and Bear lake on the Superior hiking trail with Eddie and Sarah. Eddie and Sarah unfortunately delayed their trip to Ecuador while Eddie recovered from gallbladder/appendix surgery that went bad. Post-op, Ed's appendix stump leaked and formed a 4x6 cm infectious abscess. Eddie realized things were not right while in Duluth two days before their intended departure day to Ecuador and we ended up dragging him to the ER and he ended up staying in the hospital for 5 days.

Instead of a nice loft in Quito he was able to spend a few miserable days in Duluth's finest and two weeks on intravenous antibiotics. It was a rough road, but all is well now and Eddie and Sarah are planning on leaving to Ecuador in mid-October.

Lil' Stenehjem

Kate's pregnant! In this photo she had just entered the second trimester and is starting to show. The lil' Norwegian Billy Goat - or Nanny Goat - is scheduled to enter this wonderful wild world on or about February 21st, 2009. Kate had a rough first trimester with "all day" sickness and being pretty tuckered out, but now she is feeling great and enjoying being pregnant. Our life is about to be turned upside down in the best possible way. We are super excited and can't wait to see what our little Stenehjem is going to be like.