Christmas 2011

 For Christmas this year, we spent Christmas Eve with Eldon's Family.  As is tradition, the kiddos made "spud nuts".  They are homemade donuts that taste just like Krispy Kreme donuts only better!  This kiddos love to put the frosting on!         

 Eldon was testing out our new camera for Christmas.  So here is our cute puppy Zeus!!!  He is a very happy puppy, who smiles all the time, but not for the camera.  He was not so thrilled with his puzzle toy on Christmas.  He couldnt figure it out.  A few days later, he was a pro and gets every treat out of the puzzle every time!

 Our niece Shelly may hurt me for posting a pic of her just out of bed without any make up on (even though she is gorgeous anyway) but I couldnt resist because of her face.  She was so stinkin excited for this gift.... it was a Justin Beiber singing toothbrush.  Ive never seen anyone so excited for a toothbrush for Christmas, but she was in Heaven! hahaha!


 My Christmas morning was awesome!  Watched my lovely niece and nephew open their gifts while enjoying a very relaxing massage in this chair!  Lets just say that I was greatly coveting this chair.  Zeus enjoyed the view of the gifts from the safety of mommy's lap in the chair too.

Our little nephews helped to bring the Christmas spirit to the morning.  They were very cute opening gifts.  Our nephew Dax is 2.  He really liked the gifts but wasnt too sure about the wrapping paper.  This little boy is all BOY!  He got a gift of a toy car.  One button made the car make noises from the "radio".  He made the funniest frowny face.  He didnt like it at all.  The next button made a "vroom vroom" noise.  Man, did his face light up to hear the car noises!  So cute!  And just because he is adorable, I included a picture of our newest little nephew Ryker.  We think he looks alot like Eldon.  So cute!  It was a very Merry Christmas!  We were grateful to spend it with our family.

With our Gratitude

 To our Dear Friends and Family;

First, we must apologize for the delay in this letter.  While our gratitude is abundant for the love, support, and generosity of those around us, we still find it very difficult to bring ourselves to finish projects related to our sweet babies.  Second, we must give a huge THANK YOU to our family, friends, and co-workers, whose generosity has allowed the memory of our sweet little boys to help and uplift so many others.

It is so amazing to us how quickly time goes by.  It seems like just yesterday we were entangled in the stress and sorrow of the loss of Ethan and Tommy and yet, it has already been two years!  During the past two years we have become ever so grateful for the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father who leads and guides our lives.  We have come to learn that while we do not know the meaning of all things, (especially related to this loss); we do know and feel our Heavenly Father’s love helping us through each day.  Just as with their 1^st birthday, it was very important to us to make Ethan and Tommy’s birthday a memorable one full of love and celebration for the joy they brought to our lives.  December 3^rd was actually a very dreary one.  It was raining off and on frequently throughout the day and we were incredibly concerned that the weather would ruin our plans at the cemetery.  Thankfully, the clouds parted from the exact minute we entered the cemetery to the exact minute we drove away and not a single drop of rain fell.  It was a sweet thought to think that the Heaven’s could pause for just a short time to allow us to honor our sweet little boys on their birthday and “send our love to Heaven” with a balloon release.  Following the balloon release, friends and family joined us back at our home for a birthday dinner.  It truly is so comforting to be surrounded by those we love during difficult days. We are very grateful for those who were there in person and were able to share in this special day and for those that were there in spirit and thought as well.

As part of the tradition for Ethan and Tommy’s birthday, we prepared bereavement boxes, similar to the gifts Stefani received during her time in the hospital.  These boxes were created through the love, time and talents of our sweet friends along with the generosity of so many who gave the needed items to fill the bereavement boxes.  These boxes were donated to the hospital that took such good care of Ethan and Tommy and will be distributed to other women and families who will suffer the tragic loss of a child.  We desperately wish gifts like these boxes were not necessary, and that there wasn’t a need, but unfortunately there is.  We are again, so grateful for the blessing to be able to take such a difficult trial in our lives and turn it around into an opportunity to help others who will experience our grief and know our pain. 

We know with a doubt that we have been beyond blessed during our struggles and trials, and with this specific one, this fact has been abundantly clear.  Words cannot accurately express our gratitude for the love and support we have felt and continue to feel on a regular basis.  We are grateful for the role each of you play in our lives and for your help in ensuring that Ethan and Tommy’s memory will be preserved and will help to make a difference to others.

Thank you for all that you do for us and our sweet little boys! All our love!

Eldon and Stefani Larson

Happy 2nd Birthday Ethan and Tommy

 It is crazy how quickly time goes by.  It seems like only yesterday that we were wrapped up in the heartache of losing the boys, and now we are remembering what would have been their second birthday.  It is our tradition to have a gathering of our friends and family to remember the love our sweet babies brought into our lives.   This year it was pouring rain.  I was so worried that our plans for the cemetery would be ruined by the rain.  It stormed off and on all day.  The entire drive to the cemetery it was sprinkling.  The second we pulled into the cemetery grounds, the rain stopped.  It was still cold, but thankfully, it wasnt wet.

 We were surprised and honored by the many people who showed up to show their love and remember Ethan and Tommy.  There were quite a bit more people than we expected which was a wonderful surprise!!

I love to see the balloons fly.  Sending our love to our sweet babies in Heaven.  Amazingly, the rain stayed away until the very minute that we drove away from the cemetery.  Our sweet babies held off the rain so they could have their balloon release.  It was very special and it touched my heart greatly!  Ethan and Tommy, we love and miss you so very much!  You have brought so much love to our hearts and to our family.  Just your memory makes us strive to be better people each and every day.  We are grateful for the lessons we learned from being your parents and strive to make you proud of us.  We love you babies!!  Families are Forever!

Remembering our Sweet Boys and Making it Count

It is amazing to me how fast time flies by! It has almost been 2 years since we lost our sweet little twin boys, Ethan and Tommy. Because the anniversary of thier death is fast approaching, we will once again celebrate the love their brought to our life and remember them. We have decided on 3 small things and would like to invite our family and friends to participate if they so desire. We are very open about the loss of our babies and like to be surrounded by our loved ones during difficult times and would like to allow others to remember with us. It means so much to us to have the support of our loved ones during a difficult time!

1. While I was in the hospital delivering our precious babies, the bereavement program at the hospital provided us with an abundance of gifts and momentos to take home and remember the boys. This was done through generous donations to the program in an effort to prevent any woman/family who was not going to be taking their baby home from feeling empty handed. When women go to the hospital and deliver a heathy baby, not only do they get to take home a beautiful child, but they are generally overwhelmed with the out pouring of love and gifts from family, friends and even the hospital. When a mother does not give birth to a healthy child, whether because of miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, this out pouring is not always present and she also has to endure the heartache of leaving the hospital without her baby. During the next two weeks, we will be collecting items to make a donation in Ethan and Tommy's name to the bereavement program of the Banner Desert hospital. We realize that times are tough right now for many people, so if you are not able to participate in this, we understand. Even if we are only able to help one mother, that is one more that will feel that she is not alone and that someone cared for her, as other's cared for me during our difficult delivery. Any dontations of items or money to purchase items would be greatly appreciated. We will be making the donation on during the weekend following December 3rd. Items being collected include the following:

• boxes (such as photo boxes, gift boxes, etc.) 
• journals 
• pens/pencils 
• candles 
• picture frames 
• photo albums 
• disposable cameras 
• small scrapbooks (that pictures and names and details can be added later) 
• small stuffed animals 
• small recieving blankets 
• Beanies/hats 
• booties/socks 
• poems 
• music 
• bath/relaxation products 
• lotions 
• baby lotion 
• kleenex 
• hair bows/headbands (for baby girls) 
• Any other baby memento/trinket 
• baby jewlrey

**Many of the babies may not be full term, so item sizes can vary from new born/infant to premie and even smaller.**

2. On Saturday, December 3rd, our boys' birthday, we will be doing a balloon release at their grave site. The boys are buried at the City of Mesa Cemetary in Mesa. We will be meeting at the cemetery at 3:30pm and once everyone has arrived we will "send our love to heaven" to the boys by releasing balloons. Everyone is encouraged to bring a balloon with either a message to the boys or a goal or improvement you will try to work on for the next year in their honor.

3. Following the balloon release, everyone is invited back to our home for dinner to celebrate our eternal family. Please RSVP for this part so i know how much food to have to feed everyone.

We hope that everyone is doing well and that you know of our love and gratitude for each of you. Our friends and family have been a huge part of healing during this difficult trial in our lives and we are grateful for each part you have played.

Love
Eldon and Stefani

Baby Update

Baby Xander Update

Gestational Age: 28+ weeks

Measuring: Right on Target!!

Approx Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz.

Status: Healthy, growing and quite flexible!! (as displayed from the pics below)

 Bump Watch:

Here is big brother Austin showing how big the belly is and the love they have for baby Xander!  Carolyn says he loves to give her strawberry kisses (you know blowing on her belly) and will kiss her belly or pat it and say "hi buddy" frequently. 

The newest photos are beyond adorable and I am so ecstatic to have them!  He is already super cute and I am beyond in love.  Carolyn said he is perfect and growing well.  He apparently kept his feet up by his head during the entire ultrasound, so we will see how bendy he is when he gets out.  Eldon is pretty glad for this fact as he is definitely not flexible in the least! 

The latest news besides his inevitable cuteness, is that Carolyn has decided to come to Arizona to deliver this sweet bundle of joy.  We are so incredibly grateful for her selflessness and willingness to sacrifice her comfort to ensure his safety and to make the first few weeks of his life more comfortable.  We are truly blessed to have been picked by her.  I couldnt imagine an adoption being more smooth or more "meant to be".  We are getting so very excited to welcome them both into our home!  February is coming so quickly, but not soon enough.  We will keep you posted as we get information, but in the mean time we are just grateful to begin the third trimester safely.  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and keep all fingers, toes and eyes crossed for continued health, safety, and success!

Moonlight Madness

 This year for the ward trunk or treat, we went dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad Wolverine!  We thought it was pretty funny!  And Eldon looked beyond amazing!  And it only took him 2 weeks to grow out his beard to look like that!  The best part was that Eldon's little girlfriend (Rylee) showed up dressed as little red riding hood as well, so everyone teased that he traded me in for a younger model.  Ha!  She was adorable!  So were some of our friends from the ward.  I was pretty impressed with the costumes and creativity of the ward.  It was a great night and so much fun!

 Captain Jax Sparrow and the Minions!  hehe

Terje was the cutest little pirate princess.  And to the right are two of my lovely young women.  They helped pass out the candy for our car.  Made my job easier!~

 I thought this family was awesome all dressed up as the toy story crew!

 We inherited some children for the evening since their parents were out at a football game.  So for the night, this was the Larson family photo!

And because we can... the Larson Family Funny Foto!

Our sweet pumpkins

It was only appropriate that our pumpkins be a pirate (for me hehehe) and the scariest thing imaginable for Eldon...the red ring of death!  Just had to share, cuz it was funny and I think we did pretty good!

A Walk to Remember

This year was the 19th annual Walk to Remember at the hospital where we delivered the boys.  They put on this walk each year to remember the footsteps of sweet babies lost to still birth and miscarriage that they never got to take.  This year, the walk was very lonely.  Unfortunately most of our loved ones were not able to join us.  While we appreciate that everyone has very busy lives, it was still difficult not to be surrounded by our normal support group.  We do appreciate their love and sentiments from long distance though, but definitely missed their faces that day.  We are very grateful for sweet Natalie and her family for joining us on the walk.  She has only met us once, and her family had never met us before, but they were sweet enough to be there to support us during a difficult walk.  We had cute family shirts made to support "Team Larson".  Hopefully in the future, there will be more shirts at the walk, because if I have to say so myself.  They are quite cute!

 It is an unfortunate sight that there are hundreds that are there to walk.  We are grateful for all those who remember the babies and their families who have suffered such a great loss, but it is terribly tragic to realize how many understand the pain we feel.  For all those mothers and fathers and family members and friends of precious angels in Heaven, we are sorry and our hearts go out to you.  We will always remember our sweet little boys. Not a day goes by that we do not miss them dearly.  To Ethan and Tommy, we love you so very much and we will always remember the great joy you brought to our lives and how your memory continues to change our hearts and our lives.  All our love, Mom and Dad.

Time flies when you are having fun

At least that is what we are hoping as we anxiously await the arrival of our sweet little boy.  We have been having a lot of fun lately out on the town with some sweet friends.   Thought we would share a bit of what we have been up to.  First my work had spare tickets to a Diamondbacks game.  We were able to get like 30 tickets, so we were able to bring a bunch of our family and friends to enjoy the nosebleeds with us!  We were having so much fun that I didnt even take any pictures :(  but our cousins took some cute pics of their kiddos having fun with us!  (Of course, because we are so much fun! hehe) Go Diamondbacks!  P.S. we won which made it even better!!!

About two weeks later my sweet friend Jenny and Hubby had amazing tickets to an ASU Game.  Since Eldon had never been during his student years at ASU, and the tickets were pretty awesome (with dinner included) we couldnt pass it up.  Sorry to my fellow classmates since we passed up my 10 year high school reunion to go to the game instead, but we had a great time!  P.S. ASU won that game too!!!! Guess we are good luck!  Go Devils!

 Arizona's weather has been a bit strange this year.  It has been unusually hot, but for about one week, it got chilli (as a teaser before it got warmer again).  For that one week, it actually felt like fall, so we decided to celebrate fall at the local farm.  It was alot of fun.  They had a corn maze, yummy chilli and cornbread, cute picture ops, go carts, and lots of opportunities to crack jokes with our good friends.

Baby Update

Baby X Update

Gestational Age: 18+ weeks

Measuring: Right on Target :D

Status: Healthy and Growing!

Baby Bump Watch

Latest happenings:
During Carolyn's last check up, not all the news was good,, unfortunately.  It was discovered through some blood work that Carolyn was showing results for an antigen called Anti-Kell. Its similar to the Rh factor in how the mothers body detects a foreign substance in the baby and attacks the baby's red blood cells.  This can be incredibly dangerous for the baby and in severe cases can be fatal.  Unlike the Rh factor, however is that there is no preventative measure to take like a shot.  It is incredibly rare and there are only treatments of blood transfusions in utero to assist the affected baby.  After everything we have already been through in our desire to have a family, this was the last thing we wanted to hear.  We asked some of our dear friends and family members to remember this sweet baby in their prayers and fasting.  While we prayed and patiently waited, Carolyn went to see a specialist and our sweet little baby was thoroughly checked.  There are specific checks that can be done to monitor the baby and see if he is affected.  During this appointment, it was determined that so far, he is perfectly healthy and measuring right on target.  More tests were done on the birth father to determine if he was the cause of this, and his tests showed negative meaning, this antigen resulted from a blood transfusion Carolyn had about a year ago.  This was actually exactly the news we wanted to hear, as it would mean the chances of this sweet baby being affected were lessened from this cause.  At this point, because baby X is doing well,  he will just be regularly monitored to ensure that he does not show any signs of being affected, but so far, he is doing great and hopefully will continue to do so!  It is absolutely the best result we could ask for.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for answering prayers and protecting this sweet little baby.  I am also so incredibly grateful to Carolyn, first for being honest with us, even when it wasnt good news.  That is so important to me.  Second, for being willing to do what was necessary, tests, monitoring, etc to help to save this baby.  That is so important to me as well.  We still have quite a journey Im a sure, even if it is just waiting for February to get here. hehehe.  We ask that you continue to pray for our wonderful birth parents, and especially for our sweet baby boy, Xander, that he will have the strength to grow strong and to be safe and healthy!  Thank you to everyone for your love, for your support, and for your prayers.  We know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all us, we just hope that his plan includes us bringing this sweet baby home.

Baby X....He's a boy!!!

Even though I was thinking pink, our sweet little baby had something else in mind.  He is all boy and wasnt afraid to make that known in his last little photo shoot.  We are grateful for our little exhibitionist, and are just happy to know the gender so the few things I can plan for, can be started! YEAH!!  We hope you enjoy these beautiful photos as much as we did!  And to keep with his nick name of baby X, and a middle name for his birth father, our sweet little one will be named....

Xander James Larson. 

Profile

He is sucking his thumb, so cute

Silhouette

love this, sucking his thumb and grabbing his ear

Thumbs Up, all is well!

So shy and sleeepy

Too many pictures.lol

100% no doubt

Perfect little feet

These last ones are our favorites.  Our birth mom has the best sense of humor and sent these ones special... In this order, it shows the little one's sense of humor (which we learned with his last little joke).  This one is better....

 Baby X says... "That's right.... Im a man!"

"Hahahahahahahah, just kidding! That was my cord, hahahahaha!" As he slaps his knee in laughter.

"But.... I am a boy :D"

He he, i love it and am so excited to see his little personality in person!  February needs to hurry up and get here soon!!