Sorry it's been so long...

So sorry it has been so long since we last blogged. It's December 2011 now, and I am on bedrest for Preeclampsia again. My Blood Pressures are great, so they are just having me wait it out until my scheduled C-Section on 12/15. We are expecting our second baby girl, Skylar Faith Kleinhans, on Thursday, 12/15/2011. Trinity turned 1 year old in October, and we were lucky to have Craig's family out to Texas to celebrate with us. Since then, we have had a whirlwind of changes. We decided to move to California and be closer to Craig's family, after Thankgiving. So, Trinity and I have been out here now since, November 19th. Luckily, I found an OB Doc to take me on in the last month of pregnancy. I was surprised at how my Blood Pressures have returned to a normal range since we have been out here. They were high in Texas. While I miss my Mom's at Ibloom out in Katy, TX, I am very happy to be here in Visalia with Craig's family. It's so great to have them close and Trinity loves being with her grandparents, Auntie, and extended family. Well, since it is Christmas and New Years in a couple weeks, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year before our life gets a little more busy. :) Take care and keep in touch. Craig and I are both on Facebook, and can be reached on our cells and e-mail. Please contact us if you need our new address. Blessings to you and your families!
Heather :)
(Craig, Trinity, & Skylar Kleinhans)

Updated TGK Baby Site:

Life's been a little busy, but we wanted to pass on some info...

http://heatherandcraigbaby.ourbabychannel.com/ (Baby Site has been updated)

Trinity is now 5 1/2 months old and is doing well. She is very active and growing. Her last weight was 13 lbs 3 oz, at 5 months. I tried to measure her the other day, and I think she is around 25 1/2 inches long now. She is very wiggly, so it's hard to tell exactly. She is always in motion. We love her so much! We are enjoying being new parents and are getting used to life in Texas. Blessings to you all!

Craig, Heather, and Trinity

End of the Year Update for 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! December 2010

Wow! What a year! We’ve had some pretty big changes this year. In February we found out we were having a baby. In May, Heather graduated from Arizona State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science and a minor in Religious Studies. She went ahead and completed the requirements and got her Arizona Speech and Language Pathology Assistant License over the summer. In June, we moved to a rental home instead of staying in the apartment. Meanwhile, as Craig was searching for a new job, he was called to interview with PHI in Louisiana. They hired him to fly employees back and forth from the oil rigs in both Louisiana and Texas. He went to training in Louisiana, and started working there in August. He has been commuting to work from Arizona every other week since then. We were waiting until the baby was born before we moved that direction.

As Heather neared the end of her pregnancy, she was placed on bed-rest for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension, and Preeclampsia. She was supposed to get to the beginning of her 36th week of pregnancy to make sure the baby had reached a safer place in her development before they wanted to Induce Labor. She asked her doctor if it was ok to wait until Craig returned from work on Friday, October 8th, and he said that was fine. Well, Friday came, and the hospital called to tell us that they were under-staffed and wanted Heather to wait by the phone for a call to come in for Induction. So, we waited and they called in the morning on Saturday, October 9th. We got our stuff together and went in for Induction. After 36 hours of Induction, Heather had not progressed enough and had reached her maximum on the drugs they gave her to Induce Labor. So, we prepared for a C-Section. Once we were in there, the C-Section was quick and we were introduced to our little 5 lb 2 oz baby girl, Trinity Grace Kleinhans on October 11th, at 1:17AM. Heather was pretty shaky from all the medications and epidural, so they put her to sleep for a few hours after the C-Section. During that time, Craig was able to cut the umbilical cord, help give her the first bath, and witness all the tests, shots, etc. Once Heather was released from the Recovery Room, to return to her room, she was able to hold little Miss Trinity for the first time. Since Trinity was a preemie and they were concerned about her weight, we worked around the clock to feed her. This went on for a few more days, until Thursday, October 14th, when Craig flew back to work, and Heather and Trinity were released to go home.

Trinity’s weight went down (to 4 lb 12 oz by October 15th), more than the Pediatrician wanted, so we had to add a bottle after her normal breastfeeding. Luckily, Trinity didn’t seem to have any problems going back and forth from breastfeeding to the bottle. We were still working around the clock to feed her. Heather also developed some really high fevers the week following her release from the Hospital. She was admitted to stay over night again after her Doctor sent her to the ER. It ended up being a Kidney Infection. She was treated with I.V. Antibiotics and was able to return home. Trinity developed some reflux episodes that proved to be a little intense so, we have since put her on some medication for it. She is doing a lot better now, and the Pediatrician seems to think she will probably outgrow the Reflux issues around 4 months or so. We are praying that is the case. Trinity is doing well, and developing at a normal rate. As of her 2 month check-up, she weighed 8 lbs 6 oz, and she is finally on the growth charts, in the 5th percentile for length and weight. She is now starting to really work her neck muscles, holding her head up for longer periods of time. Trinity has already met both sets of Grandparents, as well as her Great Grandparents (Nana, and Papa), and her Auntie KK. She’s also had her first Thanksgiving and will soon have her first Christmas and New Years. Although, we are pretty sure she will not remember much of these “firsts”.

We should mention that Mr. Rascal seems to have really taken to Trinity. He loves her and is very protective of her. If you come near his baby, you’re in big trouble. J In fact, he will howl and bark at us if we don’t come to pick Trinity up fast enough, when she gets fussy or cries. It’s pretty funny.

Well, we are off to Texas now. We will be in Texas for Christmas. It will be so much nicer for Craig. He won’t have to fly all day to get to work. He will have to drive to work, and it will be much closer. He is pretty excited about that. Our new place is in Katy, Texas, which is west of Houston. If you would like our new address, just let us know. We will miss everyone, but we are excited to see what God has in store for us on this new adventure. Please keep in touch with us. You can reach us thru e-mail, Facebook, Skype, or our blog. We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! May God be with you and bless you!

With Love,

Craig, Heather, and Trinity Kleinhans
racer_3c@hotmail.com and mrs.hkleinhans@gmail.com

Waiting for Baby Trinity:

Well, tomorrow, I start my 35th week of pregnancy. Now we are just waiting to meet our little one. We are excited to meet this little blessing from God. Miss Trinity is due on 11/5/10, (however, I don't think that I will have her that day). Craig has started his new job flying in the Gulf Coast for PHI, and is loving it. We are planning to move that direction after Miss Trinity arrives. So many new and exciting changes in our lives this year. We are blessed and grateful for each new adventure. We hope and pray that all is well with you too. Take care. Until next time...God bless!
Heather (and Craig)

WeddingChannel

WeddingChannel

Keep updated on our baby website.

Long Time, No Blog:

So sorry it has been so long since I have been back to blog about what's going on in our lives. We've had a busy year. We spent Christmas 2009 in Washington with Heather's family. We found out we were expecting in February 2010. We are having a girl in November 2010! Praising God for miracles! Life is busy as we both work lots and try to prepare for the new addition to our lives. Hope to keep you more updated in the future. Let us know how you're doing. Take care and God bless!
The Kleinhans Family (in AZ)

Christmas 2009

Heather's Office Crew at the Christmas Party.

Rascal and Grandma Lauralee at Pismo Beach for Thanksgiving.

Craig and Heather eating Seafood for Thanksgiving, (Pismo, Beach, CA).

Craig, Heather, and Rascal at Pismo Beach, CA for Thanksgiving with the Kleinhans Family.

December 2009

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Can you believe it’s December and we are heading into a new year again? Wow! Well, it’s been a full year. Let’s see if we can give you a few highlights.

We were fortunate to have Craig’s cousin, Brett, stationed in the Sierra Vista, Arizona for a while. He was able to visit us on many occasions and we enjoyed having him close by. We were also able to visit with family several times this year. We met Craig’s family in Las Vegas for a business trip in May. Craig’s parents brought our dog, Rascal out to us in June. We love having Rascal here with us in Arizona. We celebrated our first Anniversary in June as well. We also met Craig’s family up at Shaver Lake, California in September. Heather’s parents were out in Arizona several times throughout the year, so we were able to see them several times too. Heather had surgery in October, and we are happy to report that she is doing well. We will have to wait and see if the surgery helps down the road. We met Craig’s family and Nana and Papa at Pismo Beach, California for (a seafood) Thanksgiving. Rascal went with us and didn’t care too much for the wet, cold beach. J We are flying to Washington to be with Heather’s family for Christmas, and we are planning to soak in some of the Northwest and eat some more great seafood. J Who knows? Maybe we will have a White Christmas after all. Rascal is going with us. He will be flying for the first time, so we’re hoping he does alright. As for work, Craig and I are still at the same jobs. Heather is still working at Horizon Pediatric Therapy and Craig is still with Quantum Helicopters. We are also enjoying the marriage ministry (Two-Ignite) at church ( http://www.mission68.org/ ).

We are really enjoying this Christmas season. What a wonderful time of year, when we can give to those in need, show love and support for those God’s blessed us with, and stop to thank God for sending His son to be the greatest gift of all, (John 3:16). It’s so great to soak in the sights and sounds of the season, but we always keep in mind the true reason for this season. We pray that you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Please feel free to keep in touch with us often. Our contact info is below.
racer_3c@hotmail.com (Craig)
mrs.hkleinhans@gmail.com (Heather)
(We’re both on Facebook)
http://craigheatherkleinhans.blogspot.com/
http://www.partylite.biz/heatherkleinhans
Sincerely,
Craig and Heather Kleinhans

Why do we celebrate Christmas?

Luke 2:1-7
The Birth of Jesus

1 -5About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
6 -7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus

18 -19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
20 -23While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
24 -25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

John 3:16

16For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

The Chronological History of the Christmas Tree
St. Boniface Story

Why do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry.
Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.
The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.

Christmas Wreaths

In ancient Rome, people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory. Some believe that this is where the hanging of wreaths on doors came from.
The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed light. Christians kept these popular traditions alive, and by the 16th century Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used these symbols to celebrate their Advent hope in Christ, the everlasting Light. From Germany the use of the Advent wreath spread to other parts of the Christian world. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens with a fifth candle in the middle. Three candles are violet and the fourth is rose, but four white candles or four violet candles can also be used. Each day at home, the candles are lighted, perhaps before the evening meal-- one candle the first week, and then another each succeeding week until December 25th. A short prayer may accompany the lighting of each candle. The last candle is the middle candle. The lighting of this candle takes place on Christmas Eve. It represents Jesus Christ being born.

Candy Canes

During the 17th century, craftsmen created white sticks of candy in the shape of shephreds' crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe.According to the National Confectioner's Association, in 1847 German immigrant August Imgard used the candy cane to decorate a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio. More than 50 years later, Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia supposedly made candy canes as treats for family, friends and local shopkeepers. McCormack's brother-in-law, Catholic priest Gregory Keller, invented a machine in the 1950s that automated the production of candy canes, thus eliminating the usual laborious process of creating the treats and the popularity of the candy cane grew.More recent explanations of the candy cane's symbolism hold that the color white represents Christ's purity, the red the blood he shed, and the presence of three red stripes the Holy Trinity. While factual evidence for these notions does not exist, they have become increasingly common and at times are even represented as fact. Regardless, the candy cane remains a favorite holiday treat and decoration.

12 Days of Christmas

It is said that the traditional Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written as a secret teaching tool to instruct children in the meaning of the Christian faith. From 1558 to 1829 Roman Catholics in England were, apparently, forbidden from openly practicing their religion. So, this carol was devised to get the message across without upsetting the Protestants. Here is the broken code, thanks to this contribution from Guyneitha.

Passage = Hidden definition

My true love=God

Me=The Christian

Partridge in a pear tree=Jesus

Two Turtle Doves=The old and new testaments

Three French hens=Faith, hope and love

Four calling birds=The four gospels

Five gold rings=The first five books of the Bible

Six geese a-laying=The six days of creation

Seven swans a-swimming=The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight maids a-milking=The beatitudes

Nine ladies dancing=The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten lords a-leaping=The ten commandments

Eleven pipers piping=The eleven faithful disciples

Twelve drummers drumming=The twelve points of the apostle creed