A Person's a Person No Matter How Small

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."

Jeremiah 1:5

Yesterday was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. We were blessed to hear an update from one of the Directors of Life Network, a pregnancy crisis center that our church supports. This organization is incredible. They rescue babies by coming alongside the mothers, not by preaching to them. They provide counseling, baby necessities and ongoing support and parenting education for parents beyond the birth. I was able to attend their annual Gala and was so blessed and inspired by the stories that were shared by the parents themselves. God is using this organization to do mighty work!! At Christmas we received a Christmas card from Life Network containing the names of all of the babies who were celebrating their first Christmas that year because their mom came to organization and chose LIFE. Praise the Lord!! I love this organization so much and would encourage anyone to visit the website and consider supporting them. http://www.elifenetwork.com/

One exciting way to get involved with supporting Life Network is by donating formula, diapers and other items to their Lifesteps Baby Boutique. This baby boutique provides infant necessities for moms within their programs. What a blessing! February 23 they are hosting a diaper drive to help replenish their supply. Consider grabbing a pack while you're at the store (or if you're like me and you have to visit the diaper aisle weekly anyway, grab an extra pack :-P) and let's support some local moms who chose life. All the details for the drive are on the Life Network website.

Sanctity of Life week held new meaning for me this year. My whole life I've known about abortion, but never as it pertains to me...until last year. When I was pregnant with Kaden he had a few markers appear on his 18 week ultrasound that my OB said could be indicative of Down Syndrome or a serious heart condition. That was all we would know until his follow up. It could be nothing, or it could be life altering. For 4 agonizingly long weeks, we had to consider the possibility that our family was going to be very different than we had pictured. Raising a child with special needs was never something that had even crossed our minds. We chose not to dwell on that possibilities. We educated ourselves so we could be prepared if the followup confirmed a disability, but we knew that no matter what happened, there was only one choice to be made: life. From the moment of conception until natural death, life and death is only in the hands of the Lord. End of story for us. However, my OB felt the need to repeatedly inform me (I even got a "reminder call") that I would have to schedule my ultrasound before a certain number of weeks so that I could terminate the pregnancy if that's what we chose. I was dumbfounded. Abortion had never been something that had been discussed in regards to ME. I couldn't even fathom killing a child simply because he wasn't perfect? How is that ok?! I was half-way through my pregnancy and I had just seen his little body, his brain and his heartbeat on the ultrasound. Yes, we were facing the possibility that he may not be perfect by man's definition of the word, but He was still a sacred human being being knit together by our Heavenly Father...and my Heavenly Father never makes a mistake!!

I praise God every day that Kaden's follow up ultrasound eliminated any fear of a disability, and even though it was a scary 4 weeks, I am thankful for it because it tested my faith and made me even stronger in my pro-life belief. A child is not a choice.

Kaden's 22 week follow up ultrasound. Look at that sweet face, his adorable nose and his little fingers. He still holds his arm over his face for comfort. Can you believe at this stage of his development, I was asked if I would be terminating?!

Braxton's 13 week ultrasound. Look at how perfectly he was already being formed by his Heavenly Father.

Braxton's 13 week 4D ultrasound. I was amazed when I saw this and even though he looked a little bit like an alien, I was madly in love. :-)

Celebrate the sanctity of human life. As Dr. Seuss so eloquently penned, "A person's a person no matter how small."

Happy New Year 2012

Lest anyone feel deeply offended that they didn't receive a Christmas picture and letter from us this year - don't be. We didn't get them out to anyone. It was on my eternal list of things to do and it just didn't happen. And once I missed the New Years Letter window of opportunity, a MLK Jr Day or Presidents Day Letter and picture seemed ... well... odd ... and a Valentines Day letter and picture was nixed by the fact that all the cards were pink and the boys didn't go for that. So I decided it would be easier to post our family update letter and favorite family pictures on the blog. :-)

I do have some plans for this little blog of ours over the next few months. Nothing elaborate or life changing for readers by any means, but a fun little theme for those who are interested. Stay tuned for more details.

So without further ado, here is the "2011 Bergen family Christmas/New Years/MLK Jr. Day/Presidents Day/Valentines Day Update Letter."

Happy New Year from the Bergens!

In June, we marked the one-year anniversary of our move to Colorado Springs. The first year was rough as we made the huge transition, but God’s faithfulness never fails and He has blessed us with a life better than we could have imagined. We are absolutely in love with life in Colorado! We have joined a loving, nurturing church; made wonderful, likeminded friends; and gotten involved in several activities. Not to mention, we spent a lot of time enjoying the majestic beauty of our state! The only thing that would make life out here better would be if we could convince all of our KS family and friends to move out here with us. J

Of course, the biggest and most exciting event of 2011 was welcoming Kaden Henry to our family. He was born April 28 at 2:44am. He came a week early, weighed 7lbs 4oz, measured 20 inches long and had a head full of brown hair. I (Laura) was grateful for a very fast and easy birth. He was born less than an hour after we arrived at the hospital and continues to surprise us by how quickly he moves through the infant milestones in his little life. His mobile skills are developing at an “alarmingly” fast rate and he constantly keeps us on our toes! Braxton and Kaden have such a close bond and Kaden brings out a nurturing side of Braxton. He is very protective and caring toward his little brother and loves to entertain him. They play together constantly and naptime usually turns into party time.

Our other big event of 2011 was purchasing our first home here in Colorado Springs in August. We were all so so so happy to be able to move out of our tiny apartment. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful two-story home on the east side of the Springs. The boys have a playroom and a nice yard, I have a huge walk in closet, Justin has a pool table in the unfinished basement and we have a view of the mountains from our master bedroom. It is perfect for us and well worth the wait. We still own our home in Valley Center, KS, and were finally able to rent it in April. Our plan is to hopefully continue renting it until the housing market turns around and we can sell it quickly.

In September, our family took a trip to the Creation Museum outside of Cincinnati, OH. The trip was in honor of Justin’s late grandfather, Henry Bergen and almost the entire Bergen extended family also made the trip. The Creation Museum was an amazing and powerful experience and we highly recommend it…however, next time we visit, we will be flying, not driving for two days.

Justin is living his Colorado dream. Whenever the weather is nice (and by nice, I simply mean not blizzarding or in the negative degrees), he does something outside nearly every weekend. He hiked two of the “14-ers” this year, Pikes Peak and Mt. Elbert. Rock climbing is still his activity of choice and he has gotten good enough to lead several hard routes. Scary for the wife, but I’m glad he’s enjoying it – and I’m very glad he’s safety conscious. Justin took us camping as a family three times this summer. We had so much fun. He takes care of most of the cooking and other camping chores so it’s a fun, relaxing time for all of us. In addition to our family camps, he took Braxton camping three times this summer. Braxton absolutely loves his one-on-one time with his daddy. Great memories! Justin is still working full time as a Quality Assurance Engineer at Fluke Networks. He is enjoying his job, has great coworkers, and awesome company parties (seriously. They are the best)! He is also beginning to do some iPhone App development on the side and has some exciting apps in the work. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as they are available for purchase.

I’m staying very busy with my role as a wife and stay-at-home mom. With two little boys two and under, life is certainly never dull. J My primary responsibility are within the home, loving and caring for my family, but this year I was also given the chance to become involved with two of my other passions, dance and theater. Within three months of living in Co Springs, I was offered the opportunity to choreograph our church’s production of “The Music Man.” What an amazing experience! The show began production in February and we had performances the month of June (yes, I was very pregnant or had a newborn while choreographing). I had a great group of dancers to work with and made so many new friends, plus I even got to dance one performance! In October, I worked with Sand Creek High School choreographing their production of “Once Upon A Mattress.” I had never worked in the public school system before and while it was challenging, it is a mission field that I feel strongly called to. I’m thankful God gave me that opportunity! As 2012 begins, I’m anticipating starting ballet classes again to help me improve my technique and I’m also excited to be teaching two tap classes this spring through Forestgate Community Theater. I'm so thankful that God has opened doors for me to continue pursuing my passions. Other highlights of my year were camping as a family, learning to rock climb (a huge feat for me as I am terrified of heights), decorating our new home, and attending the birth of my “niece” Avi’Ella Rae.

Braxton’s Favorites of 2011

Age: 2 years old

Every week I look forward to: Toddler Time at the library and then out to lunch with one of his best buddies, Brennen.

I love playing with: Duplos, toy trucks

My favorite foods are: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Apples, String cheese and Pancakes

I love watching: Veggie Tales, Bob the Builder, Elmo’s World or Thomas the Train

At the zoo, I like to watch: Giraffes as long as they don’t get too close, Elephants, Fish

I always sing: The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Row Row Your Boat, Jingle Bells

My favorite books: “Brown Bear”, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Big Red Barn,” “Barnyard Dance,” “Storybook Bible,” (he carries is around asking “can we pwease read God’s Word?),

My favorite thing to do outside: Camping! He went 6 times this summer!

My favorite babysitters: “Uncle” Trevor, “Auntie” Em Uncle Stephen

I’m scared of: The Chick-fil-a Cow (terrified is a more accurate description), Big dogs

My worst sickness: Roseola (February), Stomach flu (November and December)

My Birthday Party theme: Elmo. Elmo hats, Elmo cake, and a special Elmo shirt

My best buddies: Kaden, Brennen, Hadley and Leila, Uncle Johnny, Uncle John, Silas

The silliest thing I do: Spinning around in a circle until I am so dizzy I can't stand (again and again and again!)

My Halloween Costume was: Winnie the Pooh

My biggest accomplishment: Moving to a toddler bed, Counting to 10, Recognizing almost all the alphabet letters,

My Favorite 2011 Memory: Becoming the world’s best big brother

Goals for 2012: Potty Training!!!

Kaden’s Favorites of 2011

Age: 8 months old

Every week I look forward to: Discovering and mastering a new trick, and Toddler Time with Braxton and mommy

I love playing with: Mommy, Daddy, Braxton, Sophie the Giraffe teether, Duplos, Exersaucer toys, and balls

My favorite foods are: Applesauce, Pears, Sweet Potatoes and Bananas. Anything besides peas.

I love watching: Braxton jump and pretend to fall down.

At the zoo, I like to watch: Fish and Monkeys

I always sing: Nothing yet

My favorite books: “Touch and Feel Farm,” “Mirror Me,” “That’s Not My Tractor”

My favorite thing to do outside: Camping! He went 3 times this summer. Swinging and going down the slide at the park.

My favorite babysitters: Grandma!! “Uncle” Trevor, “Auntie” Em, “Auntie” SheriLynne

I’m scared of: Nothing!!! Literally…

My worst sickness: Croup (November)

My Birthday Party Theme: Welcome to the World, or Lightening McQueen (his delivery was 2 hours and 40 minutes total)

My best buddies: Braxton, Avi’Ella and Zoe

The Silliest Thing I do: Wrinkle up my nose when smiling

My Halloween Costume was: Tigger

My biggest accomplishment: Being born J, Sitting up, Crawling, Pulling up, Being the sweetest, happiest baby in the world

My Favorite 2011 Memory: Becoming the world’s best little brother.

Goals for 2012: Sleep through the night.

We are looking forward to what 2012 has in store for our family. Great is HIS Faithfulness.

Love, The Bergens

Justin, Laura, Braxton & Kaden

All photos taken by Amber Rue with Jade Street Photography. http://jadestreetphotography.com/