Sunday, January 22, 2006
We're Married!!!
Monday, January 23, 2006
We're off on the honeymoon! We had the most perfect, fantasticly incredible wedding!! (Dad's wedding speech is up on his website) Thank you so much to everyone that worked so hard to make sure everything was perfect. Rick and I couldn't be happier - we'll see you all when we get back!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006: Aukland
The trip from Philadelphia to LA was uneventful - we had some time to kill in LA so we had dinner and talked about the wedding. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie walked by with half the airport running after them screaming and snapping pictures with their cell phones. The two kids looked terrified. We started hearing some NZ accents waiting to board the plane - it was a long flight, but we both managed to sleep. We arrived after 24 hours of travel (to LA then NZ) and found our way to the hotel. Too early to check in, we walked around a bit and got out bearings. We checked in, showered and headed out into Aukland. We walked to the pier and ate lunch, then toured the Maritime Museum. A little shopping and back to the hotel to regroup for the evening and we both fell asleep - woke up at 11pm, ate a little and went back to bed - guess we were tired!!
Thursday, January 26, 2006: Aukland
Today we got up early and headed out in the car to explore. We found a northern beach and ate breakfast in town. On the way back we went to the Aukland Zoo - saw kiwis! A lot of the US's indigenous animals were on display, but there were a lot of animals that were exotic to us too. We went from there to Kelly Tarlton's Underwater Adventure - an awesome aquarium and penguin exhibit - all underground! Back to the hotel, we had dinner and walked up to the Sky Tower - considering Rick's fear of highs, he did great!! We blew some cash in the casino there and headed home, still tired!!
Friday, January 27, 2006: Aukland - ->Rotorua
We checked out of the hotel and headed south. It was a few hours' drive - Rick's doing well driving on the left. We stopped at Candyland, NZ's biggest candy store, as well as Mount Taupiri - the sacred burial ground of the Waikato tribes. Rick nearly ran us off the road when the discovered several places to fish and the trout hatchery. We went to Paradise Valley Springs - a nature reserve where you feed the animals - they even have lions! There were two cubs we could go in the enclosure with and pet. The path wound around through gorgeous woods along a stream. There were trout pools all over - they were huge!! On the grounds is also a 100+ year old natural spring that was known locally for its healing powers - the water was delicious and cold! We headed on to Rotorua and the hotel, took a swim and headed out locally for dinner. The food and wine here are phenomenal. There are natural geysers all over the town and it smells a little funny, but you get used to it. The weather is gorgeous. I'm having a little "the-wedding-is-over-already?!" blues, but Rick is being wonderful about it. We are both certainly tired when we go to bed at night!
Saturday, January 28, 2006: Rotorua
Rick was up bright and early to head out trout fishing. I took my time getting up and went out to wander the area and do some shopping. I sat out by the pool to wait for Rick to return. We went out, had Rick's new favorite, fish and chips, for lunch in town before heading out to where Rick went fishing earlier, through some stunning country. Then we were off to the Agrodome where we went Zorbing together, which was a blast! They basically put you in a giant inflatable hamster ball, add a little water, and shove you down a hill. Afterwards we drove up around the lakes and stopped at Hell's Gate, a geo-thermal park. We took the hour-long walk-about through bubbling mud pools - talk about stinky!! We decided to forgo the mudbaths and headed back to town where we got pizza "take away" from a place called Hell which was fantastic (www.hell.co.nz). We are both sunburned and Rick has twisted an ankle, so we took our food back to the hotel and had a little tv picnic. We've been getting to bed early - but beat!!
Sunday January 29, 2006: Rotorua - ->Taupo - ->Napier
Rick was up at 4:30 - still on US time and the drunk wedding guests in the parking lot were still making a lot of noise. He went out fishing and caught half a dozen or so. I got up and showered in time for his return and to checkout. We headed back to this morning's fishing spot so we could get a picture if Rick caught more - which he did! We then headed south to Taupo and had lunch in town. Kebabs are popular here, and delicious. There was a boat race on the lake, complete with helicopters buzzing all over, so we stayed and toured around there. It's a nice town, but doesn't seem quite as friendly. We took a wrong turn out of town and had to circle back before heading off finally to Napier. There are so many gorgeous spots here. We pulled off on the Waipunga River so Rick could fish more. I stayed in the car and soaked up the breeze and scenery while reading up on Napier. We headed on, got to the hotel and ate a quick dinner in the bar - and played a game of pool. We went back to the room and ran a jacuzzi bath - stupid me put bubbles in the water - Rick spent quite a while scooping up bubbles and running them to the shower to dump them off!
Monday, January 30, 2006: Napier
We got up and went to breakfast at a cafe. Drove around and walked through Napier - known for its Art Deco architecture. An earthquake and fire destroyed the town in 1931 and it was rebuilt in the style of the era. The events and time change are catching up with me, so we headed back to the hotel - Rick went sea fishing off the quay while I did some laundry and took a nap. We had a very nice dinner in the hotel restaurant (overlooking the bay) and hit the hay early.
Tuesday January 31, 2006: Napier - -> Wellington, via Waipawa - ->Napier
It started out as a nice day!! We checked out and headed south, stopping in Hastings for lunch. Rick bought another two day fishing license and we took our time and stopped along the way to fish. Our first stop, Waipawa, has a gravel-y stream area. We drove out along the cars parked on the dry banks and Rick fished for a while while I read. We went to leave and Rick drove the car onto an old buried bridge piling and stranded it. He thought we punctured the radiator becuase of the antifreeze pouring out. We alked back into town, found a phone and called Hertz. After a few hours, we got picked up by Mike the tow-truck driver and taken all the way back to Napier to get a new car - thank goodness Rick insisted we get the extra rental insurance - the car had to be pulled backwards off the piling, ripping off the front bumper and shredding the AC hosing. Finally we got on our way about 6:00, and headed for Wellington. It's a 4+ hour drive, the last of which was through high mountains on very curvy roads - Rick nearly jumped out of his skin. To top it off, his neck, arms and face all started to blister from the sun. No one told us about the ozone hole over NZ!!! Not our best day in NZ. We got to the hotel and collapsed into bed.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006: Wellington
We both slept in and took our time getting up and moving. We called Preslee to say hello then headed out; lunch and a brewery (Rick got fish and chips of course) and walked over to the Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa, which is 6 stories tall and free. They had everything!! Natural and cultural history, art, exhibitions, you name it! We walked around the city some more and decided we were both beat. We at a really fancy dinner in the hotel's restuarant and were both in pjs in the room by 7:30!!
Thursday, February 2, 2006: Wellington - ->Picton - >Christchurch
We were up bright and early to drop off the car and catch the shuttle to the ferry. There were a LOT of people! The ferry was about twice as big as the ferries in Seattle. We got breakfast and settled in for the crossing - there wasn't a lot of time we were on open water - most of the trip seemed to be through the South Island's northern-most outposts. We docked in Picton and walked over to the train depot. Picton is a beautiful little harbor town with pristine, clear water and parks, so we wlaked around, got ice cream (hokeypokey!) and basically killed about an hour relaxing. The train was a lot smaller than expected, but itw as a really nice ride through the upper South Island. We got food (I had Devonshire Tea!) and shared a bottle of wine. The train conductor was like a tour guide so we got to see and hear about all the things we were passing: salt flats, tunels, ocean (complete with sun-bathing sea lions), and of course sheep - all gorgeous! We pulled into Christchurch to find that only three of our five pieces of luggage made the transfer from ferry to train, and while we were filling out the paperwork to get the bags sent down on the next train, our pre-paid shuttle left without us! The train station was basically deserted at that point, but we found a taxi and spent NZ$55 to get to our hotel. The CFS started to catch up with me, so I was miserable and car sick from the taxi. The hotel turned out to be a resort where the NZ PGA was to be played later this month! There were streams and little lakes and the place was just gorgeous. We checked in, got to the room (with its lakeside deck), ordered room service and crashed out. It was a long day!!
Friday, February 3, 2006: Christchurch
Rick found the 'fishing guy' for the resort and borrowed a pole - since his was still in Picton at the ferry terminal. I was completely wiped out and spent the entire day in the hotel room napping, reading and sitting on our dock on the lake, watching Rick fish. I needed a down day!! I was frustrated, but Rick reminded me that I had been going straight for 6 weeks, probably more, at that time - which is true - and helped me feel better about feeling so crappy. We had a phenomenal dinner at the lodge and the cun came out, so we took a long walk around the grounds. I guess we didn't see all that much of Christchurch, but we were supposed to be relaxing, right?!
Saturday, February 4, 2006: Christchurch-->Queenstown
We checked out of the hotel, and they were nice enough to drive us to the downtown car rental place to pick up our car. We then ran by the train station and picked up our missing bags. Everything was right again and we hit the road. I felt horrible - Rick drove the entire day south while I dozed on and off in the car. He stopped to fish a few times. The further south we got the more mountains and streams we saw, and it was getting colder! We pulled into Queenstown and I was in love - it is a gorgeous little town in the most breathtaking setting - hills and wineries and a lake as blue-green as you can imagine. Snow capped mountains. It's a ski resort in winter, but there seemed to be a lot of construction going on, so we figured it was probably pretty touristy. This is the region I want to live! Rick said that was fine - he picked NZ to live, so I could pick the region. We'd have a house in the hills and a sheep or two. Immigration would let me in becuase of the nursing shortage, and Rick becuase of me. If we had kids here we'd always be allowed back in - hmm... The hotel was incredible, but I was still feeling crappy. We ate in the bar and headed to head, although Rick did manage to see a few rugby matches. It was the "Sevens" - a big rubgy tournament in Wellington - everyone dresses up and acts crazy!
Sunday, February 5, 2006: Queenstown
It was a perfect, sunny day! I slept in, and Rick was up fishing. I was definitely feeling better today. Rick came back and showered and we headed out into town. We took a gondola ride up the mountain (much to Rick's chagrin) to a gorgeous view of Queenstown. There we picked up helmets and got on a chair lift up to the luge site. We got in the little go-karts and sped off down the side of the mountain - Rick took off, but I was a little slower - it was so much fun!! We got lunch in the cafe on the mountain and took the gondola back down (once again much to Rick's chagrin). We explored the little town and did some shopping. The town is really nice and quaint, although quite touristy. We headed back to the hotel to change and regroup, then drove out to a suburb for dinner. Rick picked a local brewery with fantastic food - we ended up taking most of it back to the hotel with us. We relaxed by the fire in the lodge with a cocktail before crashing for the night.
Monday, February 6, 2006: Queenstown
It was our last day....I got up and for once Rick slept in! I headed down to the pool and spa for a while, and Rick woke up and joined me. It was chilly and the sun was strong so we didn't stay out too long. We took advantage of the beautiful day and drove around to a few places - the old Chinese gold miners' settlement, through the countryside and back through town. We did have lunch in town and watched the SuperBowl - it was Sunday at home, but Monday here! We have had such a wonderful trip, but we're both beat and ready to head home.
Tuesday, February 7, 2006: Queenstown - -> Aukland - ->LA - ->Philadelphia
We weren't scheduled to leave until 3:15, so we checked out of the hotel and spent the last few hours of our honeymoon in town, doing some last minute shopping and soaking up as much of NZ as we could. We checked in at the airport and waited for our plane - there were quite a few little "puddle jumper" propeller planes, and Rick was a little unhappy!! We flew from Queenstown to Aukland (about 2 1/2 hours) and went through customs. We had some time to kill so we blew the rest of our NA cash - I got a Schweppes Dry Lemonade - my favorite, that you can't get in the US! We also did a little duty-free shopping, including a bottle of Claddagh wine from NZ that we will share on our first anniversary. We boarded the gigantic plane for the US and left. :( The flight was a little turbulent, but we both managed to sleep and catch up on a few movies - the plan had our own little video screens for each seat - complete with video games! We went through immigration and customs in LA and headed for Philadelphia. Mom and Bob picked us up, and we headed for home.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
"Just when I thought I couldn't ever want for more, this ever-changing world pushes me through another door."
Yesterday, I said good-bye to Aurora. She was a part of my life since I was 16 - the day before she was born, her mom Aphrodite was "spooning" with me and Aurora spun around in her belly and kicked. She kicked hard enough that it woke me up through Aphrodite's belly! I thought it was just one of the kittens, but the next day we found out that there wasn't a litter - it was just Aurora! That pretty much set the stage for her - she was always special and unique. She was my baby - and she and Dad had a love-hate relationship. She spent some time at a breeder's house, but eventually came back home to stay. When I moved out on my own for the first time, there was a knock on my door the second day and Dad was there with Aurora, and she officially became mine. We went through a rough few years - with some horrible roommates, and some worse life circumstances, but together we got through it. She was gracious and loving when we welcomed Aphrodite into our home after Dad's accident. She was diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, and started on multiple daily shots - she even tolerated those well! She was never a cat that liked to be in you lap and held, but if she loved you she was never far from your side. She let you know when she accepted someone, which wasn't often. When Aphrodite got sick, I knew it was time to let her go when I found Aurora in the blocked off bathroom with her, licking and comforting her. Aurora was also the one that told me Rick was the one - from the day he first walked into the house, she absolutely loved him and wouldn't leave him alone. I never saw her love someone like she loved him - followed him around the house, sat in his lap and purred. That just wasn't like Aurora, so obviously she was happy with him. She started slowing down as she got older, but I didn't think I would have to say goodbye so soon. She'd been sick and on antibiotics, and when I went to bed Monday night she was fine and fiesty and annoyed with me for shoving antibiotics down her throat. I woke up Tuesday morning and found her sprawled on the floor in the living room, barely breathing and unconscious. The vet took care of her all day and asked me to transfer her to a 24-hour facility to keep caring for her. Mom drove and I held her the entire ride, and she wasn't conscious. I'd like to think she knew I was holding her - she had been agitated and calmed down once she was in my arms. The vets did some tests and determined she was no longer neurologically intact due to some brain insult, most likely a tumor. We could have worked her up and kept going, but I was never going to have my Roar back, and putting her through that was torture. I held her for a long time - she looked so small and helpless lying limp in my arms with her eyes shut and her tongue poking out of her mouth. She wasn't aware of anything, but I hope somehwere she knew I was talking to her and petting her and loving her. I knew, looking at her then, that it was her time. So, about 8:30 Aurora joined Aphrodite at the Rainbow Bridge where someday I'll see her again. I hope she understands that I was trying to help her. Today I'm pretty much devastated - looking at her empty bed and knowing I don't have to give her shots anymore just makes me cry. I know that time will help, but right now my heart is just broken in pieces.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
We're settling into life after the wedding! Rick left his job at the beginning of March, so we've both been home during the day. Rick's been out interviewing and hopefully will have something new pretty soon. In the mean time he's spending a couple of days each week driving for his Uncle Jack's delivery business. Hockey is finally winding down - woo hoo!! (Don't tell Rick I just said that!!) I'm looking into a few different opportunities for me - volunteering or another part time job. It's bad that I know the entire 7am-7pm lineup for NBC!! Other than that, we're all doing well. I've started going to yoga at the gym, and Rick's been getting out on his new motorcycle since the weather is warming up. I can't wait for it to get warm for good so I can get planting and get the outside of the house looking nice again!
Saturday April 15, 2006
Rick got a job! He starts next week at a financial services company in Wayne as a programmer. Yay!! We both also completed the PA Motorcycle Safety Course yesterday and we're both licensed motorcyclists. It's a free program through the state - there's two days in the classroom, and four days out on "the range" riding - they supply the bikes! You learn safety and defensive riding, and then with the bikes you start out with pointing out the horn on the bike and end up riding through serpentines and swerves! It's such a great course - I can't say enough good about it!! It was tough at first, but I came home from class #3 and said "that was fun!!". Once you stop being so scared and relax and ride, it's incredible. Rick has his new bike, and now that I've got the riding bug, I decided I need something to practice on, so today we brought home my 2006 Suzuki Boulevard S40. It's so pretty!! I've ridden it around the block and that's about it so far. Practice, practice, practice! For those of you wondering why in the world I would think about riding a bike, especially after what happened to Dad (and I've already heard from several of you), please know that I have taken all the safety precautions - I have one of the best helmets you can buy, and I have all the protective gear - jacket, gloves, and most of all, a well tuned and up-to-date, safe, motorcycle - not to mention the safety course. I am also not about to be riding in traffic or on highways. If there's is one thing I have learned from Dad's accident is that sitting there, being afraid and watching life pass you by is NO way to live. There is something to be said for being safe, and I'm doing that, but being paralized and afraid to live life to the fullest is no memorial to who my Dad used to be. He wouldn't have wanted that then, and I know for a fact he doesn't want that now. I know in my heart he would have been the first person to say "hey, cool!" and would be proud of me for enjoying life.
Wednesday May 17, 2006
So much for riding the motorcycle...at least for the next 7 months!! We're pregnant! I'm just about 8 1/2 weeks along and in full morning sickness - it should seriously be called all day sickness. This is nuts!! I haven't felt not nauseated in 3 weeks! I'm completely exhausted too - sleeping a lot. Everyone says this will pass...I hope so. It's a hell of a way to lose weight. I'm sure I'll be putting it all back on and then some soon, so I'm enjoying wearing some of my normal clothes while I still can! Everyone is really excited - and of course, Preslee and Rick are the most excited! We don't go to the doc for another three weeks, so no heartbeats yet - other than feeling sick, I don't feel all that different yet. I'm sure hearing the heartbeat and seeing the little bug on an ultrasound will make it real! In the meantime, Rick decided he wanted a bigger dog....so we've added 3 month old Darby to the brood. I am certainly at my limit with animals at the moment! We talked about breeds and decided on a boxer - we then contacted boxer rescues. Darby is actually a mix breed - her mom is a pure boxer, and they're assuming her dad was a mastiff given what she looks like. She's cute as anything and she's got giant paws - so she's going to be a big girl. Balu's having a little bit of jealousy, but we've been showing him extra love - he'll always be mommy's boy. Darby is missing an ear - they thought at the rescue it was a "birth accident" and was taken off by her mom, but when we took her to our vet, they pointed out that the cut is much too clean to be a bite. The current theory is that sometime in her first 3 weeks (the rescue picked them up then) someone decided she was a mastiff and needed her ears clipped. It looks like someone took a pair of scissors and snipped off her right ear. Since ear clips bleed A LOT, the vet thinks whoever did it got in over their heads and decided to stop there. (It also lends credence to not being a birth accident - she probably would have bled to death if someone didn't stop the bleeding) She's got all the cartilage and muscles, just missing the fleshy flap. It functions just fine, and is totally cosmetic. I think it gives her character! Anyway - the ear was why she was in the last two out of the litter of 11 pups to get adopted. She's a gentle sweetheart and is proving to be pretty smart! We've only had her two days, but so far so good! I've got a page set up for her, but no pictures yet....keep checking back soon!
Friday May 26, 2006
Thankfully the nausea is starting to subside!! I'm still pretty exhasted, and the new puppy isn't helping too much with that. She starts barking as soon as Rick leaves the house in the morning. She does calm down and settles in for a nap once I come downstairs and crash on the couch though. Balu's finally adjusting and starting to like Darby....he tried to run away every chance he got the first week. Now they're buds and playfight all the time. Darby is starting to be bigger than Balu already!!
Thursday June 1, 2006
Ok it seems like just yesterday that we were getting ready for the wedding, and here we are more than 4 months out and planning for a baby!! We don't even have the wedding album back from the photographer, and we're already moving on to the next big thing! Geez life moves fast when you're happy. I'm slowly feeling better day by day - although every few days I get hit with one of those days I can't get out of bed. The nausea is definitely improving, the appetite is coming back, and the fatigue is still there. I actually went to the grocery store today and was able to buy normal food - that's a huge step forward! I'm definitely moody - had a total meltdown last night, but thankfully I have a wonderful husband who is really supportive and tries so hard to be understanding. We have our first doctor appointment on Monday, so hopefully we'll have some baby pictures to post too! Darby is adjusting, as is Balu...the housebreaking is coming along, although it's not there yet. She's growing every day - I swear she's twice as big as she was when we got her. I'll have to take more pictures soon. She goes to the vet again next week so we'll see how much weight she's gained. She really is a sweet dog and I think once she's out of the puppy stuff and housebroken she's going to be fantastic - she's calm and smart.
Monday June 5, 2006
We have a heartbeat!! :) Today was the first doctor's appointment, and she changed my due date to Christmas Day. We heard the little heartbeat, and the doc said everything looks great! Somehow it's actually real now!!
Tuesday July 18, 2006
The bug started moving this week! It's like a little fish doing flip flops in there!! It's not so big yet, so it's not huge movement, but I can definitely feel it!! So exciting!
Darby's getting bigger by the day...I need to get some new pictures up of her. I managed to lock her and Balu in the running car last week - apparently the clicker doesn't work to unlock the car when it's running. It was too hot to leave them in the car without the AC so I left it running and ran into the post office....Rick had to come rescue me with the spare key. He thought it was hilarious. I was less than thrilled. Balu was actually shivering when I finally got back in the car!! Other than that, life has been pretty uneventful - which is good. The heatwave is keeping me on the first floor of the house, so the dogs and I are getting in a lot of quality time together. I worked this weekend, so I've been sleeping, but I suppose it's back to reality again....the house sure needs some TLC!
Wednesday July 26, 2006
Congratulations to Cat and John on the birth of Nathan - even if it is a month early!! Our little bug is learning to cha-cha in my belly - what an odd feeling!! I'm still going back and forth between feeling well and feeling horrible, but as long as I stay in the air conditioning, I can manage it. I go back to the doc next week for my next appointment and they'll schedule the ultrasound from there. I keep going back and forth between finding out the baby's gender or not. Other than that, not a lot has been going on - we're getting through the heat. I can't wait for fall. Actually I can't wait to go to Maine in a month - it'll be much cooler up there!!
Friday August 11, 2006
Summer is moving right along - I can't believe it's August already. We go to Maine in 2 weeks! Yay!! Our ultrasound is this coming Monday, and I think we've settled on not finding out the baby's gender. The kid is moving all over in there, and I swear it tried to head butt through my belly button today! I love feeling it move around in there, but I just wish it was big enough that someone could feel it from the outside - Rick has tried, but he hasn't felt anything yet. Soon enough I know... Thankfully the heat seems to have broken here - although the humidity is making me keep the AC on in the house. I sleep all sprawled out with no covers while Rick shivers under blankets. I guess that's just another joy of being pregnant, right?! I'm finally gaining some weight, although I'm still hovering right around/a little below my pre-pregnancy weight. The doc's aren't worried, so I'm not either. Less for me to take off after the baby's born! The nausea is soooo much better these days, although it does rear up every now and then. I've discovered that Jolly Ranchers work just as well as Preggie Pops to help, and they're a TON less expensive. All I can complain about really right now is sleep - I go through bouts of insomnia at night, and extreme fatigue during the day. But if that's all I can complain about, I'm happy - I was so miserable in the beginning of this pregnancy and feeling so guilty about it. Now it's starting to be fun! Who knows, maybe this kid won't be an only child (other than Preslee who I didn't give birth to) after all!!
Thursday September 7, 2006 - Preslee's first day of 5th grade!
We just got home from a fantastic 10 days in Maine. Preslee didn't start school until today, so she got to go with us - and she loved it. We all loved having her there too. Having a child around makes everything more fun! Maine is my happy place, so I'm hopefully re-charged for the year. Next year there'll be a baby with us!! We celebrated my last birthday before becoming a mom - went out to a really nice dinner and mom even got me a pregnancy massage (she got a massage too with me). It was niiiiiice. On another note, Rick finally felt the baby kicking around in my belly. The child sure likes to move around a lot - which is actually good since I would probably worry too much if it didn't. I had my 24 week checkup today and everything's measuring fine and I'm finally gaining some weight. Gee, do you think that had anything to do with Grandma feeling the "need to feed that baby" in Maine?! S'ok. Gaining weight on blueberry pancakes and lobster is NOT a bad thing! :)
Saturday September 30, 2006
Rick had his shoulder surgery yesterday and it all went better than expected! The MRI showed what they thought was a labrum and partial rotator cuff tear, but when they got into the shoulder they discovered no tears, but a lot of bone spurs and arthritis. So - they scraped it all out and he's not going to be immobilized like we expected. They put the pain pump in and he woke up fine from the anesthesia - yesterday he was feeling great! I think the pain pump shifted during the night becuase he's having a lot more pain today, but nothing some Vicodin, Advil and ice isn't helping. He's been a really good patient so far - but you can tell he's having a lot of pain. All that scraping around in there isn't fun! I was so stressed over the whole thing that I didn't sleep the night before, and came home and went to bed about 6:30 last night!! I didn't realize I was that stressed out, but I was I guess, considering I slept that much last night. On a bright note, we got the baby's room painted. Still needs a little touch-up, but the major stuff is done. I'm working on the little touches now - and once we pick the furniture and get that all in, we should be really good to go! I got the painting for the room matted and framed (I did a nice job I do have to say) so that's one more thing down. Hanging around the house taking care of Rick is giving me good opportunity to get stuff done around here. It's just little bits at a time - I can only stay on my feet so long before I get too tired and my legs start to swell up. The joys of pregnancy, right?!
Sunday October 1, 2006 - Happy Birthday Bob!
Today was Bob's birthday and we had a really nice dinner at mom's - me, Rick and Preslee, Mom, Bob and Maddie. I think everyone had a good time and the food was fantastic as always. Rick was high on pain killers, but he's having a harder time than we expected with the pain. The pain pump and bandages came out/off tonight, so now he's less bulky, but on less pain meds. We have to call the doc tomorrow anyway for a follow up appointment, so we'll talk to him then about the pain. Rick's really not a baby when it comes to pain - he's had stitches put in rink-side at hockey games and broken his nose, separated his shoulder, broken ribs, you name it and been ok - so you know this is really hurting. He's decided to sleep in the big chair in the living room tonight, because lying down makes the pain worse - poor thing. He's been a real trooper with all this, but it's obvious he's hurting. At least he can have the ice pump on and hopefully be a little more comfortable tonight. He's set up with the PlayStation and his new (used) games we picked up for him this week, so he'll be ok. I wish I could just make it go away for him - he's not used to needing so much help and you can tell he's just uncomfortable in all sorts of ways. In sickness and health, right? That's what I keep telling him, but he's stubborn. He feels better when I tell him he's going to get paybacks in December. Heck, he can pick up a few extra late night diaper changes if he feels that bad, right?! :)
Monday October 16, 2006
My wonderful in-laws threw me a surprise baby shower yesterday! It was great!! The decorations were beautiful, the cake was beautiful (pics on Baby G's page), and the food was fantastic (Phil's homemade macn'cheese..!!). We got almost all of our big stuff for the nursery, and Rick and I both came home so totally overwhelmed with everyone's generosity. The crib and dresser should be in this week, so we can really start putting the nursery together and I can get started washing all the baby clothes and putting them away. I'm so excited!!!
Rick's healing well - still having a lot of pain, but every day is a little better. They've upped the intensity for him in physical therapy so that's contributing to the pain, but his mobility has increased big-time too. We're hoping he'll be able to go back to work later this week or next week at the latest. The good news in all of this is that we've now spent two weeks straight pretty much on top of each other in the house, doing every day stuff, and we haven't wanted to kill each other. That's a good sign! :)
Thursday November 2, 2006
So I went for my weekly doctor's appointment this morning and got sent over to the hospital for monitoring. I've been swelling and my BP has been up - I've started seeing spots and now apparently I'm spilling protein. Yay. So - the baby's totally fine - the monitor strip looked great, but I'm not allowed to work anymore and I have to be on modified bed-rest. I'm frustrated....but we gotta do what's best for the baby, right?! I have a little more testing to do and follow up with the doc on Monday. Weekly non-stress tests and another ultrasound too. As long as I can keep myself down enough to stay where I am and not progress, the baby can stay where it is. I really don't want to deliver this kid too early - at least another month!! My lovely husband showed up at the hospital even when I told him he didn't need to be there and he's worried about me.
Saturday, November 4, 2006
So here's the scoop: They sent me over for monitoring from my doctor’s appointment on Thursday and they sent me home with a 24 hour urine. About 2am I started having major right upper quad pain that radiated to my shoulder and I think I panicked. I checked my BP and it was 175/105, I was nauseated and seeing stars so I called and they told me to come in. They were the other doctor’s group on call that night so they monitored me until morning when my doctor’s group came in. She said I only got one chance to go home so they admitted me and gave me steroid injections to mature the baby's lungs just as a precaution. BPs have been consistently 140s/90s with me left side lying (when they should be at their lowest), although they gave me 10 of ambien last night....and apparently checked me at like 4am (I have NO recollection of anyone being near me overnight) and it was like 105/70. I still feel drugged – they discharged me about noon and I came home and slept another 6 hours. So – I got up and took a shower and saw stars again so I’m back lying down. My goal is to get to December, mid-December if I'm lucky. Strict bedrest is only being allowed up the bathroom. I’m frustrated and I hate to be waited on, especially when there stuff to be done for the baby and Xmas, but everyone’s really pitching in to help out so I don’t have much of a choice! I'm all moved into Preslee's room so I'm on the same floor as the bathroom and Rick is being a trooper already. Thank you ahead of time to everyone who's pitching in - it is MUCH appreciated and pretty soon we'll all have Baby G here to make it all worth it!!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Wow. what a whirlwind. Thursday, after two days of increasing uncomfortableness and pain, I finally called the doctor's office to let them know about the pain I was in....I was relucatant becuase I had been sent home a week earlier with the same issues. This was just getting worse and worse, so they told me to head over to Labor and Delivery, and that most likely I'd be checked and sent home. I wasn't sure what was going on - figured it might be my gall bladder or something since they didn't think it was liver pain previously. We got there, they checked the baby, drew blood and we sat for a little while - very very uncomfortable and getting worse. The doctor came in and said "well, it's your liver and we need to talk about delivery". My response was "NOW?!" I started to panic - I was only 33 weeks. They did a quick ultrasound and started me on magnesium sulfate....everything started happening so quickly. I was scared to death becuase I was already having so much pain in my right side and shoulder that I couldn't imagine trying to go through labor on top of it - and I knew I was no where near starting to dilate. I was afraid we were in for a VERY long and rough ride. Apparently things were worse than I thought at that point becuase the doctor that is usually my OB/GYN came in and said we needed to do a c-section, and soon, meaning in the next hour. Mom and Rick had gone to get something to eat and came back with hard candy and stuff to they thought we could use for labor to find me being readied for surgery. Rick's eyes were huge and by then the mag sulfate had started to take effect and I was basically useless. Mom kept washing me down with a cool cloth. Before I knew it I was being seen by the anesthesiologist and a neonatalogist and then was taken off to the OR. The started the spinal and let me tell you it was the nicest thing anyone could have done for me - within seconds, the pain was gone and I was numb from the chest down. I turned around and there was Rick holding on to me (was was so out of it from the mag sulfate I couldn't even hold his hand) and then they started. I felt the pressure and felt them moving me around, and next thing you knew the doc said "it's a little boy!!" and I started to cry, and Rick did too. Apparently the doc also said something along the lines of "we should have known it was a boy - only a boy would cause all this trouble". :) I could see them working on the baby, and he did let out a few little cries. I kept asking if he was ok, and Rick kept saying yes. The rest of the night was a bit of a blur, but I know they did wheel me down to see the baby at some point, but I could barely see him and couldn't touch him. I spent the next 24 hours in L&D on the mag sulfate - completely looped out of it. They moved me up to the post partum floor about 10:30 at night on Friday and brought me by the NICU to see RJ and to touch him for the first time on the way. I cried myself to sleep - I felt no attachment to RJ at all and was so tired and loopy....but I woke up at 4am Saturday morning with the strongest urge to find RJ and feed him - all becuase I heard my neighbor's baby crying. It's been a busy few days, but RJ is thriving and has started gaining back some weight as of today. He's been breathing on his own since birth, and has not needed oxygen since shortly after. They took out his IVs yesterday and let him start maintaining his own temp today, which he's doing!! He is being a true miracle baby - he's sooo teeny tiny - looks bigger in the pictures than he is in person, but he's strong! We're hoping he'll be home in a few weeks. They say most babies go home between 35 and 38 weeks - he's 34 weeks today (if I was still pregnant). So - we've got a strong, stubborn fighter on our hands here, THANK GOD. I was discharged tonight and it's so good to be home. Balu was so excited and said hi then ran to the food bowl and chowed down - I don't think he ate while I was gone - he knew something was wrong when I left the house becuase he was with me as I was crying and pacing the living room waiting for Mom to pick me up - he knew I was sick. He keeps looking over at me tonight....I think he's glad I'm home. I think Rick is too - he is completely stressed out, but I know he's not letting it show. He's been absolutely incredible through all of this - I married an incredible man. You should see him with the baby too - he's so excited and so great with RJ... So - it's been a tough road, and we are very very lucky and blessed.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
RJ is turning out to be quite the little trooper!! He's almost back at his birth weight and eating like a champ - he's up to almost 2 oz a feeding (every 3 hours) and is waking up and VERY hungry for each feeding. He's pooping and peeing just as much - getting known as the baby in the NICU that needs his entire bed changed several times a day. He went through three outfits yesterday alone! But that's all good - it means he's growing strong. Breastfeeding still tires him out big time, but that's just becuase he's so small. He's maintaining his temp and oxygen totally fine, and hopefully tomorrow or Sunday he'll be moved out of the incubator into an open crib and we'll see how he does maintaining his temps. Once he does that ok, it's the car seat test (maintaining his oxygen while sitting in the car seat for an hour) and he's ready to come home. The neonatologist said today we're looking at a week, best case scenario. A week!! Wow. I can't wait to have him home, but I'm nervous about it too...Rick isn't as nervous, but he's been through it before.
As for me, I'm still healing...was doing pretty well until Balu jumped across my belly this morning. Talk about OW. I'm already cutting back on the pain meds, but I definitely still need them. We saw the nurse practitioner yesterday and she said I'm healing really really well. I get very tired - especially with all the trips up to the NICU. Mom and Rick have limited my visits to two a day - which I hate, but I know that's what I need right now. Rick continues to be absolutely incredible - I know he's stressed, and I wish there was something I could do for him to make it all up to him. Thank goodness he's a "glass half full" kind of person - he's had a really really rough few weeks and all he thinks about it is that I came through everything ok, and he's got a beautiful, healthy son. Me, I'm a little freaked by the whole life threatening illness thing, and I worry about RJ. I guess that's why Rick and I are good together - he balances me out. I know it's partially hormones right now, but every time I think about how wonderful he's been, I start crying.
My mom has been cooking like crazy and doing all the baby's laundry for us - she's been a HUGE HUGE help. My brother has too, and Sharon next door has been checking on me all the time. So - thank you thank you thank you to everyone that has been pitching in to help us out. It is MUCH appreciated!! Bob got to go with Rick last night to a feeding and hold RJ for the first time! Hopefully Rick's mom and sister will be up this weekend and get to do the same. Preslee is with us this weekend too, so she'll get to go hold her little brother for the first time too. Dad's been to see him through the glass but we haven't brought him into the NICU - the process of scrubbing in and all the monitors - we're afraid it might be overwhelming for him, so we're going to wait until RJ's home for Dad to hold him - but that will be soon!!!
Monday, November 20, 2006
So they're saying that its looking like RJ will be coming home Tuesday or Wednesday! We're scrambling around here trying to get ready, and of course, in true Murphy's Law style, I have come down with a bad cold. I was running a fever when I went to bed last night, so I don't know what that means for RJ coming home. I'm going to take it easy today and stick to home as much as I can - Rick's going to talk to the nurses in the NICU about what my being sick means for RJ. I really don't want to get him sick, especially since he's so small. I don't have a fever this morning, but my throat is killing me, as is my head. Hopefully this will be short lived. As nervous as I am, I want that little boy home....so hopefully I'm healthy enough very soon. In the meantime, all I can do is wear a mask around him and wash my hands constantly. At least when he's not home, he's not around me. He's out in an open crib, but he's got to do really well there for 48 hours - the nurses say they've had kids fail later than that, so it's still up in the air. So far he's doing well, but I've noticed he's a little more sleepy and not eating quite as well - but then again, he's been a little piggy, so coming back to "normal" in terms of eating isn't so bad. As long as he keeps gaining weight, we're good.
They moved RJ's crib closer to the door, so I brought Dad in to meet his grandson last night for the first time - he was so excited and nervous at the same time, but he did sooo well - all my fears were for nothing. He held RJ most of the time we were there - I got some great pictures, which I'll put up on RJ's page. RJ makes the funniest little faces when he's sleeping. I wondered out loud the other day about what he might be dreaming about, and one nurse said she thinks the babies in there talk with the angels. I'd like to think there are family members there looking after him - I mentioned my grandmother, Rick thought of his grandfather. Whomever it was, RJ was smiling away yesterday - we even got a little giggle out of him, sound asleep, which cracked both of us up big-time. Incredible how you can love someone so much that you just met...which actually feels really really good becuase I felt so unattached in the beginning, being so out of it on the medication and separated from him. If I feel this way now, I wonder how I'm going to feel when I finally do get him home and we see him more than a few hours a day!!
Monday, November 20, 2006 - 2nd entry
They're discharging RJ tomorrow!! They tried to send him home today, but I have come down with a cold AND a migraine. Since I was running a fever, we decided to hold off one more day - I don't want to jeopardize his health at all. I want him home, but I don't want him sick either. In the meantime, we've been scrambling to get the house ready for him....the nursery is 90% done and I feel a ton better about the state of the house. I'm hoping after a good night's sleep, I'll feel better physically and be ready for the little man to come home - he's not even 4lbs!!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Ok so I haven't written in a while....life with a newborn in the house takes a lot of energy!! RJ is home and doing really well. The dogs are great with him and he's learned to sleep right through their noise. He's sleeping in his crib and eating like crazy. He goes to the pediatrician tomorrow for his one month checkup. I'm betting he'll be close to 5 1/2 lbs...the kid is a chow hound!! It's so nice to have him here and to get to see all the little cute things he does and not have to put him back in a plastic crib and leave every few hours. The day he came home, we brought him home and settled in. Mom, Bob and Maddie came by and we toasted to RJ's birth and homecoming, and to Rick's birthday with a bottle of champagne. Mom broke down and cried - said she had been too scared and worried to cry before that, but now RJ was home and it was ok. She saw Bob holding him with me standing there and just lost it. Of course then we did too - it was really a special moment. Kindof made it all hit home what had happened. The first night home, I was still living in Preslee's room, and I stayed up all night watching him. I was afraid to put him in his crib, thinking I wouldn't hear him, so I kept him on the bed with me, but I couldn't sleep, afraid he'd figure out how to roll and fall off the bed, or I'd roll over on him or something. He slept like a log, but I sure didn't!! Since then, Darby has developed a taste for baby clothes, burp rags, breast pump parts and pacifiers. Thank goodness she hasn't developed a taste for dirty diapers yet. I can't believe he's been home three weeks already. Part of it seems like he's been here forever, and part of it seems recent. Life is starting to get back to normal - I'm back up in our bedroom - that was surreal becuase the last time I was living up here, I was pregnant and all was ok....sort of like nothing had happened, but then I remembered I'm not pregnant anymore. Still getting used to that one - I wasn't ready to not be pregnant anymore. They say that some women actually get PTSD from that kind of thing. I'm not bad at all - in fact I think I'm doing really well - but I'm still processing everything that happened. I don't want to dwell on the bad, becuase look at the incredible little boy we got out of the deal. He is incredible and beautiful and I don't know what I would do without him!!! I never said anything, but I was afraid of having a boy for a long time - that I wouldn't love him as much, or be as attached to him as I would be to a girl - but all that fear was for nothing. I love that little boy more than my own life!!
I got through the entire day without realizing that today was 9 years since the accident...in fact it was just about this time of night that I got the phone call from the ER. Part of me wants to just forget the anniversary, and part of me thinks it should be acknowledged. I think he's a walking miracle...I'd love to have my old dad back, but given the choice of Dad now or not at all, I'd take Dad now every time. To think how all of our lives have changed since that night...that he was able to walk me down the aisle, and to hold my child in his arms - I wish somehow I could go back in time and tell the me of 9 years ago that it was going to be ok...a different kind of ok, but ok, and a hell of a lot better than it was then.!
