Updates

Well, I wanted to post pictures and video but I just haven't had the time these days. Matt continues to do a lot better and he's at least on the right track. He is still pretty tired and sore from the surgery but day by day things look better. We're still waiting to hear when he'll be able to start rehab. I think it will be good for him to start exercising a little bit. I think getting out of the house and having something to do will be great for his mental health as well as physical.

So I am due in 2 1/2 months! The thought of childbirth doesn't excite me a whole lot and I even think I had a mini anxiety attack thinking of it this morning. BUT I have no choice, I have to do it! And if I survived Katie's birth, i'm sure this one will be cake.

Katie continues to crawl, stand and be quite the energetic kid. She is just all over the place. The thought of chasing her around AND taking care of a newborn is a pretty scary and overwhelming thing to think about. I really don't know what i'm going to do. The thought of being up around the clock again AND take care of Katie scares the crap out of me. Anyone want to move in and be my helper for 8 weeks? I don't pay well but you will be rewarded with being able to spend time with the kids!!! Matt will be back to work at that point so it will be me, heavily medicated, trying to survive...

All in all, things continue to get better for us. I can't complain, Matt does everything he can and is starting to be able to do more. I think Nathan is trying to break free from my belly today! His kicks and jabs are quite painful.

Also, the attached pictures of me are from yesterday. I got an awesome haircut that I really love. The pictures do absolutely no justice!!!!

Merry Christmas?????

Well, Katie's first Christmas wasn't exactly the day that I had planned. We were going to just be getting home from my dad and step mom's house in Indianapolis and spend the day just vegging out with the kids and my family. That all changed for us when on December 23rd Matt had a heart attack. Fortunately, if it did have to happen it at least happened when all the family was around and we were able to get him to emergency quickly. He started to complain that he was getting a chest cold which quickly elevated to laying on the floor grasping at his chest. I just got re certified for CPR but God help me, I didn't want to have to use it on an actual human being. From the emergency room he was transferred to St. Vincent Heart Hospital. God was watching over us because it is one of the top rated hospitals in the country. Our three day stay in Indy turned into almost 2 weeks as Matt had to have quintuple bypass surgery.

We are now home and he is getting better. Our lives right now center around doctor visits, getting medications right and me buying out the healthy heart cookbooks on Amazon. Matt is tired but he is healing. My Christmas present this year was bringing him home!

Katie also picked the same week to start crawling. And when I say crawling I mean it!! She is everywhere, non-stop go go go. She can stand herself up on pretty much anything and won't go to sleep without a fight. I really hope the novelty of standing in her crib wears off soon because I am tired!!!! Matt can't pick her up and it hurts him to hold her so i've been doing quite a bit of everything until he gets better. He still tries to do a lot so I spend a lot of time yelling at him too :-).

I have video of Katie crawling and standing but i'll have to post it later. Seems my time at the computer is a little less these days.

Il Neige!!

I have been taking lots more pictures of Katie now that we are getting close to Christmas! Today I took more pictures in front of the tree and also outside for her first snow.




I also bought her something new today. I just HAD to buy her Zwieback toast but have been having a hard time finding it. Well, Meijer's had it today so she got a new treat. These things are messy!!!

Almost that time!!!!

Since we got about 7" of snow overnight we decided today would be a great day to put up the tree!! Of course we had to take some pictures and video of Katie so I thought I would share. Nothing big happening for us today, Katie is doing great and everyone is happy!!!

What they don't tell you...

So here I find myself pregnant again (really, I need to figure out what causes it!!!) and now I like to think of myself as kind of an "expert" on the whole thing. I know people have had way more children than I ever will, i'm certainly not a Mrs. Duggar by any means. BUT, having "been there and done that" at least once, I like to think I know one or two things about this whole ordeal we call "pregnancy". I periodically get updates on friends of a friend who are pregnant with their first. One of my best friends currently has 6 pregnant friends, all due around the same time. I get to hear about some of their ailments and sometimes I chuckle because it only gets worse!! So here's my list of things people don't tell you about pregnancy and childbirth - and don't tell you for good reason:

1. Your nose will be stuffed up throughout most of the pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing you can do about this except learn to breathe through your mouth.
2. The waking up at 3 and 4 and 5 and not being able to sleep is NOT conditioning you for waking up with a newborn. There is nothing on this planet that can prepare you for only getting two hours of sleep at a time, 24 hours a day, for at LEAST 2 months straight. NOTHING.
3. Later in pregnancy (and earlier in your second pregnancy) you will pee your pants every single time you sneeze, cough or laugh. This does NOT go away after the baby is born. If anything it gets worse. And I have to say that with multiple pregnancies you may as well kiss "normal" function of your bladder good bye.
4. While giving birth you will poop and pee on the table. And as much as this horrifies you, you and the nurse cleaning it up will probably be the only ones who know this is happening. For some reason this is completely normal and no one else in the room really seems to care or notice.
5. While giving birth you will most likely push out the largest hemorrhoid ever recorded in history. This will not easily go away and will scare you away from the bathroom for months. Get a prescription, it will help. Also, you will probably eat stool softener like they are Pez. They will be your friend.
6. Later in pregnancy, buy slip on shoes. I give props to anyone who can still tie a shoe at 8 months pregnant.
7. You can write out the most detailed birthing plan, practice breathing, get your focus pictures ready, birthing balls packed, music picked out and just know how everything is going to transpire once you get to the hospital. Throw all of these things away, you won't be needing them. Nature will decide how things go and no matter how prepared you think you may be, you're NOT. I can promise you it won't go as planned.
8. Don't poo poo an epidural or pain meds. Some people can do it but most can't. And if you are induced you may as well have them hook up the epidural at the same time the Pitocin starts. This is the worst pain you will ever feel and i'm sorry but those stupid birthing classes are to just trick you into thinking there is a "natural" way around the pain. HAHAHAHA!!!!!
9. Speaking of pain meds...be prepared for the epidural to NOT WORK. Then you can really be mad at the birthing classes and breathing techniques that don't work.
10. I'm still waiting for the "magical moment" when I hold my baby and the memory of the pain just disappears.
11. I'm sure there are many more things I could go into but i'll stop. Just remember that how bad the pain gets and how awful things may be, it really is a short time and you will get through it.

It's a...!!!

BOY!!!!

So much for a Natalie. Guess we're going to have a Nathan! I'm not sure if we have officially picked that name out but we both actually like it so it has to be in the running.

Ultrasound went really well. The baby is growing exactly as he should be, measuring right on, everything is functioning properly and he looks great. They have 3D capabilities so I have some pictures of his face. But they don't look too great yet since the baby is still a skeleton with skin. I personally think he looks like Katie in the 3D pics but Matt thinks i'm crazy.

So..........now we need boy stuff!!!

Let's try this again!!!

I don't think the link to the video worked last time so here goes again!!!