A Farewell to the Appendix

After a mostly sleepless night of stomach pain, Jonathan checked into the emergency room on Tuesday morning.  The doctors soon diagnosed him with appendicitis, and that night he underwent an operation to have his infected, bulging appendix removed.  Luckily, this is a common, relatively simple operation, accomplished thru three or four slits cut in the lower abdomen.

With the best of company at his side (i.e., Jenelle and Annika), Jonathan recuperated in the hospital Wednesday morning and afternoon, and then was sent home.  He’ll take it easy for the rest of the week, and then return to his daily activities, confident that he’ll never have appendicitis again.

Our Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks

Earlier this week, the cruise ship Explorer, which took Jenelle and Jonathan to Antarctica, sunk after hitting ice and taking on water.  You can see pictures of the disaster here, while the Explorer can be seen in happier days here (safely navigating the ice).

There were no casualties, but after feeling so safe on our cruise, it’s strange to think that the ship is now at the bottom of the sea.

More Firsts for Annika

As Annika prepares to experience her first Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to let you know some of the other exciting firsts she’s been experiencing.  For her first Halloween, she dressed up as a beautiful butterfly.  Jenelle made Annika’s costume herself, and though Jenelle did not think of herself as a seamstress in the past, she’s encouraged by the success of the butterfly costume.  The family costumes were rounded out by Jenelle the Bumblebee and Jonathan the Flower.

Annika the ButterflyVance Family Halloween

In early November, the family took a drive through the fall scenery of the Columbia River Gorge, where Annika saw her first waterfall, the 242-foot Wahkeenah Falls.  She was obviously very excited and looks forward to seeing many waterfalls in the future.

Jenelle and Annika at Wahkeenah FallsJonathan and Annika at Wahkeenah Falls