Plank Family

What Was I Like - Delaney at Dinner

2011-12-11T22:25:00.004-06:00

Delaney: What was I like when we would sit down to dinner.

Mom: Well, just like all other times of the day, you LOVE to talk, even if you don't have all the words. This video shows off your conversational skills. We think you are using mannerisms, songs, and topics of conversation you learn at school. We get a chance to see what your school day is like with displays like this.

Fall is Here

2011-11-15T15:16:00.002-06:00

Noviembre, Noviembre
Time to spend with family
Calabazas, pastel y pavo
Pumpkins, pie and turkey
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

This is one of the songs in Delaney's Spanish Class. She loves the last part which includes tickling someone while saying Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.

The end of October, early November brought us lot of family visits and fun. The girls got to see their Grandma Mary, Grandpa Keith, Grandma Joan and Great Aunt and Uncle: Sue and Bob. They both got to visit Eckerts Fun Farm for mom's birthday and they played with their cousins too. This is a busy time of year for our family. Here are some November pictures of the girls.

What was I like - Delaney's car rides

2011-10-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

Delaney: What was I like when we would ride in the car?

Mom: Starting at about the age of 2, you made short rides in the car very fun. You could see out the window much better and noticed everything around you. You started at about 18 months to be able to distinguish types of vehicles - cars, trucks (including pick up trucks), vans and buses. So when we would ride in the car you would point these out. You loved buses - especially school buses. If we were out in the morning you would see so many buses that you would start to count them or want to sing Wheels on the Bus. You weren fascinated with letters and look for STOP signs so you can point them out and spell them.

Today you surprised me a couple of times. As we got on the highway and started to go faster, you started to chant Go Car Go, Go Car Go. We saw one of the dancing balloons many car dealerships use to capture drivers attention and you pointed it out calling it a Wiggle Head.

What was I like? - Introduction

2011-10-21T22:19:00.004-05:00

I have often asked my mom what I was like when I was young. She could never give me the specifics I was looking for so I figured she must just have a bad memory. Now that a few years have passed and we are experiencing baby moments again with Adele, we realize that we don't remember everything we would like about when Delaney was younger. We think this will only get worse and want to be prepared for when she asks us "what was I like?"

So, I decided to start documenting moments worth noting here. They may not all be of interest to our visitors but I think that one day Delaney and Adele will enjoy looking back on them and "thumbing through the pages."

The Plank Girls' Bedrooms

2011-10-20T14:55:00.001-05:00

The girls' bedrooms are painted but not done yet. The first two pictures are of Delaney's room. The inspiration is from the book Zin Zin Zin Violin. This book is great teaching instruments and counting. Delaney loves the book and so do we. It features 10 instruments but we picked three: Clarinet, Violin and Trumpet. All the walls are painted in a similar pink color with faux painting swirls a bit darker on top. Ideally, I want to hang instruments on the other walls.

Adele's room is orange and yellow with colorful animals and letters. The inspiration for this room is a painting we used to have in Delaney's room at the old house. It isn't hung yet but it is very colorful and features a dog and goldfish. The artist, Charles Houska, has done a lot of work locally.

The mural artist is Christina Hummer: http://www.sweetdreammurals.com/

Adele Telling it Like it Is!

2011-10-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Adele loves the sound of her own voice.

ABC's

2011-09-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

Delaney is fascinated with letters these days. We will be walking or driving and all of a sudden she will start spelling out words she sees. She is putting together that the letters on an object spell an object like a stop sign but this isn't always true. She has a fork with the brand name Nuk. The letters NUK are on the fork. She spelled out N, U, K, and then said Fork. Makes me want to have items with the actual word on it everywhere like the cartoon Word World on PBS.

The other day we were in the car and she was sitting in a way that she could see the dashboard. I had the car on so the console had a bright D for Drive. I turned it off and she said, "No, I want D for Delaney back." Took me a minute but figured it out. Won't be long now before she is reading.

Adele Videos and Pictures

2011-09-18T14:22:00.001-05:00

Smiles smiles and smiles

2011-09-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

Adele is smiling a lot these days. Tonight at dinner, a big smile was on her face as she watched her sister sing and chat. The smiles and giggles have been hard to capture on video. I tried tonight but she saw a camera instead of me so stopped all the cute faces. We have a few cute shots that we hope to get online soon but in the meantime, here are more pictures of Adele from our friend Kate.

The Tall X

2011-08-24T22:31:00.000-05:00

Delaney has really enjoyed learning letters and numbers. Currently, we are working on our new address. Our house number starts with a 3 and she always skips it. Seems to skip 13 a lot too...hmmm, what does she have against three? She likes numbers though, we use them to motivate her all around the house. She likes letters too. One of her favorite songs is "Now I know My ABCs". In our many trips between the new house and old, we pass the Bevo Mill on Gravois. The other day she pointed it out to me as a "Tall X." It sure is fun to see the world through the eyes of a 2 year old.

New Baby, check! New House, check! What's next?

2011-08-17T10:35:00.000-05:00

On one of the hottest days of the year (100+), Greg and I moved from our humble 2 bedroom house on Lavern Place to a house twice it's size in Tower Grove South, a friendly neighborhood in the city of St. Louis. Thank goodness for movers. We were just shocked by how much stuff we have accumulated. The move was smooth but now, over two weeks later, we are still unpacking and organizing. Our dining room is empty waiting for new furniture and our family room still needs a couch. All in good time I guess.

Delaney loves all the extra space. She runs from room to room claiming "I'M RUNNING!" Her room is nice and big and has a big wall that will soon have a musically themed mural painted on it. Adele's room, although smaller, is still very nice and will will soon be filled with an animal theme.

Our neighborhood is called Tower Grove South. It is south of Tower Grove Park (imagine that!) This is where Greg and I were married. www.towergrovepark.org
There are two playgrounds, lots of green space, and a number of festivals and events through out the year. May through October there is also a great Farmers Market. They sell locally grown/raised fruit, vegetables, and meat. There is entertainment and a fountain that acts as a water park for the little ones. Wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning.

Our list of to do's for the house is long but we are eager to have it ready to show off. We will be ready for a housewarming party soon. In the meantime, check out these pictures of our beautiful girls.

What did you say?

2011-07-20T08:07:00.000-05:00

We are at the point with Delaney that we have to be very careful with what we say around her. She has an amazing ability to mimic us exactly. Greg had her saying "contradiction" the other day. She is so entertaining though with things that come out of her mouth. One of our favorites is strawberries. While she call blueberries "blueberries", strawberries are "strawbabies." We can't help but call them that as well.

While taking a bath the other day, she was fascinated with the water dripping out of the faucet after I shut it off. I told her they were drops. A few minutes later she said the faucet was "dropping." She then corrected herself and said, "no, not dropping, dripping." Huh? When did she learn dripping let alone how to change from dropping to dripping. Very cool.

Just like in the Movies

2011-06-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

Introducing Adele Therese Plank

Born Saturday, June 4 at 9:37 pm

Weight: 7 pounds, 10 ounces

Height: 20.5 inches

The baby "Boppy" was due May 29. Just like with Delaney, the due date came and went. It was no secret I was eager to have the baby, I just didn't think I would have it like I did. Mild contractions that I have been having the past two weeks started in the afternoon about 1:00. Nothing to get too excited about. Then, at dinner, stronger contractions were about 20 minutes apart. Again, nothing to get too excited about. Then about 7:15, they were all-of-a-sudden strong and 5 minutes apart. Dr. said to wait until this goes on for about an hour and then call. But only after about a half hour, they were stronger and 4 to 3 minutes apart so we headed for the hospital. This is when all you have to do is imagine all those cliche scenes in movies and TV shows of the wife screaming and panting, the husband speeding down the highway and running for the wheelchair, the water breaking in a most inconvenient place and the doctors/nurses saying, "I am sorry but it is too late for an epidural" ..... and you know what happened to us. It was seriously just like in the movies.

Later we learned that had it not been for the crooked positioning of her head, she would have been delivered in three pushes, less than 10 minutes but instead she was "vacuumed" out after 30 minutes of pain-filled labor. I like to think that those 30 minutes of pain were better than possibly delivering in the car. Madness all over, we had a beautiful baby girl and were looking to settle in for the night when the adventure continued. Shortly after going to the postpartum room, I began hemorrhaging blood without any explanation... so my pain-filled saga continued as doctors and nurses tried to determine the cause. In the process there were 3 failed IV attempts and 1 failed catheter attempt, a little swearing and A LOT of hand squeezing. Bleeding wasn't bad enough for major concern, just extra monitoring through the night until the doctor could explore in the morning. Finally.... sedation and pain relief. They discovered a laceration in the birth canal caused when delivering. A few extra stitches and finally a normal recovery could begin.

It appears the Plank girls enter the world in dramatic fashion. (See the post from July 5, 2009 "Delaney Clare Arrives June 23"). We are so blessed to have them both and wouldn't trade the Drama Queens for anything. May the adventure continue.

Delaney's Farm Dance

2011-02-08T09:58:00.001-06:00

Delaney has a toy on the fridge that is farm themed. She can match pieces to make animals but she prefers to play the music and dance instead. This video shows off her moves AND if you look close, you can also see wax stuck in her hair that resulted in her first (non-official) hair cut. How did she get wax in her hair? You will have to ask Dad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY7z0ZDYbNw

Wheels on the Bus

2011-01-04T21:37:00.000-06:00

Here is Delaney and Daddy singing Wheels on the Bus a while back. It is still her favorite song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEe4aUHNo7o

Fall is here...

2010-11-20T19:38:00.000-06:00

Despite only working part-time, I haven't made more time to keep this site updated. It seems to take us a while to move pictures from the camera to the the computer in order to post. I have decided to just post a bunch a photos with some descriptions so that you can see how our little girl is growing. Next post I hope to have some videos.

Feeding goats her goldfish at Halloween themed Grant's Farm.

Enjoying Pumpkinland at Theis Farm in Creve Coeur.

Halloween Bee

Playing with Daddy.

Watching Yo Gabba Gabba in her cheerleader stance with hands behind her back.

Sign up to cure breast cancer!

2010-09-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

How can we cure something if we don’t know what we’re curing? Plain and simple, the Army of Women hopes to STOP CANCER BEFORE IT STARTS. By enlisting ONE MILLION WOMEN to participate in breast cancer research, we will be able to finally take the research out of the lab and look at real women. This will enable us to finally find the CAUSES of breast cancer and ultimately figure out how to prevent it all together. BILLIONS of dollars have been spent on breast cancer research to date, but we still don’t know what CAUSES it. While many advances in treatment have been made, our goal is to eradicate it once and for all, by preventing it in the first place. We discovered that cervical cancer was caused by a virus, the HUMAN papillomavirus . The way we discovered the cause of cervical cancer was by studying WOMEN. With a lot less money, and in a lot less time, we now have a cure because we now know WHAT to cure. We need to follow the same path and move breast cancer beyond a cure.

Join today at www.armyofwomen.org

That's Logistics!

2010-09-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

UPS has a new commercial that explains logistics. I find this very cute and a great way to explain what Greg does at A-B. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKjm43_K-tY

Delaney's Photo Shoot

2010-09-23T10:31:00.000-05:00

I am very late in posting these, they were taken at the beginning of July. Again, Katie did a great job.

http://kgauthierphotography.myshowit.com/delaney1year/index.html

Matryoshka adventure

2010-09-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

I recently traveled to Belgium for business where I met my counterparts from Russia. They gave me a few gifts because I had helped them before the trip. Delaney had a chance to play with one of the gifts. There's much more video of her figuring it all out but here are some highlights.

Lazy Sunday morning for Delaney's first steps

2010-08-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

Greg and I had seen Delaney take one to three steps prior to the day filmed below, but never enough to really count as walking. On this particular Sunday in July we were relaxing in the morning - still in our PJs - and Delaney walked across the room. We grabbed the camera and posted a couple of the best. The third video also happened that morning. It isn't walking but still fun to watch.

Here is the first recorded steps with a little bit of the limp-leg crawl:

Here are few more steps to Daddy

And finally,

The Spinning Game

Vacation in May

2010-05-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

We traveled to the Outer Banks (Duck) North Carolina the first week of May. It was Delaney's second trip on a plane and her 6th state visited outside of Missouri. We had a good time. Mostly relaxed - which Greg and I needed desperately - and hung out in a rented beach house with baby and Grandma Joan.

We took a trip to the Virginia Aquarium. They had some great exhibits and we really enjoyed it. We drove to the lighthouse at Hatteras on a rainy, dreary day. We also hung out on the beach. Delaney was a regular beach bum even eating the sand and pointing out the birds. Water was too cold for swimming but the weather was great. Warm enough to relax on the beach.

April Visit

2010-05-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

My mom, sister, and brother-in-law came for a visit in March. We went out to eat, hung out with Delaney, and visited the Missouri Botanical Garden. Great visit!!

Delaney and Uncle Dave

Delaney and Grandma Joan

Chillin' at the Botanical Gardens

Delaney at 9 months

2010-04-02T19:04:00.000-05:00

My friend Kate does photography in her spare time. Over a couple of sessions, she captured Delaney just as we see her. Listen as you play the video to hear the inspiration behind Delaney's name.

http://kgauthierphotography.myshowit.com/delaney9months/index.html

Spring has Sprung!

2010-03-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring Everyone!!!

We have all come out of hibernation to greet the beautiful spring. Today, Delaney is 9 months old. She has her doctor checkup tomorrow and I am confident that he will find her healthy as she is definitely happy. Lately, her favorite activities include talking, standing, and looking in the mirror. On the talking - so far we have "ma-ma", "da-da", and what we think could be "cat." She loves the command and perspective she has while standing. She will do it as long as you let her. Below is video on the last favorite activity. This was taken in February.

Another short lived favorite was sticking out her tongue. Here she is demonstating this talent.

Clicks and Nods

2010-03-08T21:04:00.000-06:00

The cold months of the new year have turned us into near hermits but Delaney keeps it fun and interesting in the house. We are trying our best to capture the more interesting moments. The first video below is of her showing off her newly discovered clicks and nods. In addition to making movies, she likes to stand, talk, go to music class and play with her toys.

The second video showcases the return of the furrowed brow. Look back on earlier pictures to remind yourself how Delaney had quite the unhappy look. Then, she turned into Ms. Smiley with a happy grin for everyone. Lately, if you ask her a question she is not ready for or take her off guard, or even just peak her curiousity, that unhappy brow reveals itself.

Can't Help But Laugh

2010-01-14T18:32:00.000-06:00

Delaney is having a good time experimenting with her sounds. As you can see and hear, mom and dad can't help but laugh.

New Year

2010-01-01T20:18:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I don't really have any resolutions but if I did - one would be to post more pictures and movies. Delaney had a great Christmas and partied hard at her first New Year's party. Today, she took her first bath without the support of the "netting" and sat up all on her own. She splashed and played and seemed to love it so we grabbed the camera and got this video. Notice her great use of the prop and the song in the background. I think she might have a future in movies.

Halloween

2009-11-16T20:02:00.000-06:00

Delaney's first Halloween! I found this great costume that was perfect for her since she is our little Bird. She wore it to daycare on Friday the 30th and the evening of the 31st. She enjoyed seeing all the people out trick or treating and they seemed to enjoy her too.

On October 28th she had her 4 month check-up. She is 13.5 pounds (60%) and nearly 26 inches long (90%). Once again, she was a super trooper with her 4 shots. They didn't even notice any signs of pain at day care that day.

The end of October also brought visits from family. She got to see both Grandmas and her Great Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob. They all really enjoyed her smiles and squawks. She is a "chatty Kathy" lately.

Recent Photos

2009-10-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

Here are some recent photos

The Time of My Life

2009-10-01T11:46:00.001-05:00

As predicted, once I returned to work, the website wouldn't get updated as often. Since the last entry, Delaney has taken another road trip, started Day Care, and has begun chatting up a storm. Over Labor Day weekend, we drove to Ponca City, Oklahoma (home of Grandma Mary’s family) for the Butt Family reunion. The weather was wonderful and the trip smooth and it was great seeing everyone.

Delaney’s first day of Day Care was September 9. As we suspected, she did great. The teachers report that she is a good eater and sleeper. She loves sitting and watching the other kids play and also likes lying on the floor with toys above her. One day, when she first started chatting, I arrived to pick her up and she was lying on the floor in a change of clothes that were not hers (extra from Day Care) and making a bunch of noise. I had to look twice to confirm she was my child. She “talks” the most in the morning before we leave for the day. Her noises are very cute and funny making us laugh before we head to work. Good way to start the day.

I attached a picture most people have seen by now because it is our current favorite. Most evenings I pick out Delaney’s clothes for the next day. On this particular night, I picked out the shirt that has the most famous Patrick Swayze quote from Dirty Dancing. The next morning, after we dressed her in the shirt, we learned that Patrick Swayze passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. The timing was a little spooky.

2 Month Dr. Visit

2009-08-31T21:48:00.001-05:00

Delaney had her 2 month check up today. She is now 11 pounds, 8 ounces and 24 inches long. Today was the 4 shot day. I asked Greg to meet me at the appointment for emotional backup - more for me than Delaney I think. She did great. Cried a little with the first two shots and then a lot with the other two but she settled down after about 5 minutes and slept for quite a way. She was just a bit cranky the rest of the day.

The last 4 out of 5 nights she has slept through the night. First night it happened, she scared us a little but she is making up for the missed feeding during the day. She is also enjoying her hands a lot lately often sticking her fingers so far in her mouth she gags herself. We can see that she is gaining more control of her motions and moving more purposefully lately. Recently we started imitating activities like sticking our tongue to have her do it as well. We just hope she doesn't start sticking it out at strangers.

Delaney starts Day Care in about a week. We found a center about 5 minutes from our house. I visited twice, Greg once, and we like what we see. The teachers seem very experienced and to love their jobs. There is a great mix of kids and a very nice facility.

Another Road Trip

2009-08-26T22:15:00.000-05:00

Delaney went on another road trip - much shorter one this time. In the middle of August she and I drove north to Rockford and Wisconsin. She got to visit with Grandparents, Great Grandpa, her Aunt Sherri and Uncle Dave and many more. One day she was passed between several relatives with camera flashes going crazy - she did great. I attached a few of the pictures and a video of her and Great Grandpa John.

4 Generations

Grandpa Keith

Delaney and Eric (my second cousin)

Delaney and Great-Grandpa

Week of Firsts

2009-08-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

The week of 8/2/09 brought Delaney a bunch of firsts: zoo, road trip, and pool party.

Greg and I love the St. Louis Zoo and we hope Delaney will feel the same so we started her early. Last Sunday was a beautiful day and perfect for strolling in the zoo. Delaney slept most of the time but that is ok because we got pictures to document our trip.

Greg's grandfather, Leo Plank, passed away last Saturday so the family piled in a rented van and drove the 14 hours to Liberty, Pennsylvania. The crew included 6 adults, 1 pre-teen, and 2 infants. Both the trip there and back went very smooth. The babies slept the majority of the time. Although we rather not have traveled for Grandpa's funeral, it was nice to introduce the babies to the family. Below is a picture of Tommy "driving" the van.

Delaney also attended her first pool party this week. She had a swimsuit to take a dip but mom decided the water was too cold. She enjoyed hanging with the girls poolside.

5 weeks

2009-07-29T22:17:00.001-05:00

It is only Wednesday and Delaney has had a busy week. Monday she participated in her second girl's night and got her pictures taken. Tuesday she had a short but nice visit with Grandma Mary and took a trip to the doctor and to Target. Today, she visited a Day Care Center, went to lunch with the work girls who passed her around the table, and visited the Dentist with mom. She was great at every stop.

Good news at the one month Doctor check up. She is now 9 pounds and 6 ounces. She gained 26 ounces over 21 days. First two weeks were rough, she just wanted to sleep, but then it is as if a switch flipped and she turned into an eating and growing machine. Her slow start just continues the idea that she just wasn't ready to join the outside world... but she is definitely ready now, enjoying all her new experiences.

Both Greg and I have seen smiles this week. She can't do them on command yet but they are definitely more than "just gas." I thought I was going to melt the other day when she smiled at me, I smiled back, she smiled back and so on. It was the best feeling in the world. Hopefully, these smiles will show up in pictures and video soon.

We have been working on development activities during play time. The cats either want to join in or watch while we work with Delaney on the floor. I have attached videos of some of our time together.

4 weeks

2009-07-22T19:48:00.001-05:00

We have survived a month!!! Getting more sleep each day and starting to really enjoy our little girl who is growing so fast. She has moved into the bigger diaper and started to grow out of some of her clothes. Don't know her weight yet, Dr. Appt is next week. She loves staring into our eyes and can follow objects really well. She just also started pushing off with her legs when we lift her off the swing.

We have yet to establish a bed time routine that works well. That is probably the hardest part right now. Nearly every night for the last two weeks Ms. Delaney has been very cranky for a while between 6:00 and 8:00 at night. Usually she is just tired and wants to sleep but then eats at 9:00 and wants to stay awake. I need to work on her getting better quality naps during the day, this might help.

The cats are getting more used to her but can tell she is the cause of them getting less attention. Both of them love to hang out with us in her room. Rigby loves to sleep in her crib. At first, this freaked us out and we chased her out but then realized that it was a lost cause. We just now make sure the cats aren't in the room with her alone or stuck in there with the door closed.

The pictures below include Greg trying to get Delaney to sleep for the night. So cute! Then there is Delaney posing in her cute pink pants. I have more than one because I can't decide which one I like best. She makes the funniest faces. I also have the cats watching her from the stairs. Notice how Rigby (on the left) doesn't look happy. She has taken the loss of Greg's full attention pretty hard. Shilo just looks clueless like usual. The videos are of Delaney waking in the morning. She cracks me up with her noises and stretching routine. She definitely has her mom's lack of enthusiasm about waking in the morning.

3 week pics

2009-07-15T22:56:00.000-05:00

First bath

First bath

All Star Day in St. Louis

Delaney Clare Arrives 6/23/09

2009-07-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

The due date was June 14, but our little Kiwi wasn't interested in leaving the comfort and safety of the womb. We went into Missouri Baptist Hospital on Monday, June 22 and the pitocin induction started about 2:30. Greg and I settled in with some DVDs to watch which was a good thing since the painful contractions didn't start until about 9:00 that night. I wasn't really progressing on dilation and station so we wanted to go as long as possible without the epidural so I could continue to walk around and try to help progress things along. By about 10:30 I was ready for the drug and by 11:15 I was pain free.

Pain free - yes, worry free - no. About 9:00, one of the nurses came in and asked me to lie on my side for a while because the heart monitor wasn't picking up a regular heart beat. I did it and all was fine. I was up again moving around and a short time later they came back and informed us they wanted to break my water so they could insert an internal heart monitor to watch it more closely. Throughout the night, Greg and I tried to get some sleep and the heart rate continued to worry them. Around 5:00 a.m. they called my doctor and asked him to come in and make a decision on what to do next. By the time he arrived, I was on all fours in bed because this was the only position where they could get a steady heart rate. The baby had still not descended down so they flipped me around and ask me to start pushing. I went through one round of this when the doctor decided to take me in for a C-section.

Things had already started getting a little crazy in the room but it was then that it became a fuzzy whirlwind. We had been keeping a log of the night's activities. Greg entered a note that they made the C-section decision at 5:45 and Delaney was born at 6:01. Amazing how fast they worked. Greg watched as they weighed and measured her (more on this to come) and even got to cut part of the cord. Someone video taped it for him and I hope we can post this soon. We were back in our Labor room by 6:45 and started calling family immediately.

Our stay in the hospital lasted until Saturday. Seemed like forever but I am grateful for it because the nurses and staff offer so much great assistance and advice. Greg didn't want it to end so soon. We spent most of the day Friday working with a lactation consultant and made a ton of progress with Delaney. She had lost over 10% of her body weight which is a point of concern. Frankly, it stressed us out tremendously trying to feed her often enough to get her weight up. It wasn't until we went to the Pediatrician on Tuesday morning that we learned she had gained 5 oz and we didn't have to be so strict with her schedule. Tremendous relief. Oh, we also learned that she is 20 3/4" long, not 22" long as they told us in the hospital. We watched the nurses do it twice just to be sure. 22" is long for any baby but especially for us both being about 5'5" to 5'6" tall.

Now she is home and we are getting used to our new life. Grandma Joan has been here helping to cook and clean but she leaves soon and we will be on our home. Greg starts back at work tomorrow telecommuting from home but then heads to the Base on Thursday and Friday so I am eager to see how I do on my own. I have attached a few pictures but I am hoping for some video soon.

So close

2009-06-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

Only 2 more weeks (give or take). We are feeling prepared around the house but don't know how mentally prepared we are. Sleeping has become incredibly difficult these days. I have to move from side to side often to prevent the circulation being cut off in my arms and hands.. but to roll over takes a lot of work. No surprise that Greg spends some nights on the couch so he can get better sleep. Still doing my water aerobics as of last week, still feeling pretty good in the water any way.

I attached a couple pictures. Nursery isn't quite ready for a full photo shoot but I do have one of the crib with the bedding my mom bought us and the painting we bought by Charles Houska. We don't have all our decorations for the room yet but that is ok because we don't want to just fill it with anything. We would rather look out for special animal items when we are out and about. The other picture is of Greg installing the car seat base in my car. He made me laugh.

And it starts

2009-05-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

And it starts…… So I have been hearing all these stories about the trials and tribulations of pregnancy and I figured it would come in time… well it has arrived. My feet have been slowly getting a little bigger on busy days but last Friday they were almost unrecognizable. Yuck. When we’ve been out, Greg has been offering to drop me off and pick me up at the front doors and that was the first day I took him up on the offer. I had been hoping to last longer on the door service but with only 5 more weeks left, I might as well just give in. I have also had to stop wearing my wedding ring most days. Traded it out for a ring from my trip to Ireland.

The Braxton Hicks (pre-labor) contractions have been increasing. This week, I have had to teach two full, back-to-back days of classes. I got hooked up with good chairs so I was able to sit the majority of the time but it still wore me out. The second day included sharp back pain that has now turned to stiffness. Feels like Kiwi is growing every day and running out of room.

Tums have also become my friend. Need about 3 times a week. Cravings have started too. Really didn’t have much early on with the exception of baked potatoes (weird) but now I am craving sweets, any kind: chocolate, sugary, ice cream, cookies. You name it, I want it. I have slowed down quite a bit but I am still doing water aerobics and just finished up my pre-natal yoga class. Activity has really helped me keep stress down and hopefully manage my weight.

31+/- more days!

April Showers

2009-05-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

April brought lots of rain in St. Louis and two baby showers. My coworkers threw a surprise shower for me at a local restaurant on Tuesday, April 14 and the planned shower with friends and family was on Sunday, April 19 at Dave and Deborah O'Brien's house. Both were wonderful.

Many coworkers chipped in and together they gave us our car seat and stroller combo along with other goodies including a Cardinal's onesie. It was a great surprise and a huge load off of us. The Sunday shower was really nice as well and brought lots of goodies. Greg and I are feeling much more prepared for baby. Stay tuned for pictures of the nursery. It is almost ready.

Picture from the work shower:

Picture of the baby room as I go through all the good stuff:

Home Stretch

2009-04-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

Only 9 more weeks - more or less. Starting to get a bit nervous as the due date looms closer. I attached a picture of my favorite muppet Beaker. He symbolizes how I feel some days with my pregnancy brain, crazy work situation, and getting ready for baby. I would rather add an ultrasound picture but the ones we have been getting lately from the doctor's visits aren't too clear especially after scanning.

Since my last post Kiwi has been moving a bunch on a regular basis. We can't see hands or feet yet but baby isn't shy to explore his or her world. I am looking forward to the day that one of the cats is laying close and the baby gives a swift kick.

In late March we attended a childbirth class at Missouri Baptist Hospital. After all of our reading, about 50% or less was new information for us but I am glad we did it. Felt like a "rite of passage." We watched plenty of video of woman going through the pains of labor and trying to cope naturally. Greg couldn't help but laugh (a little too hard at times) as he imagined facing that with me. I haven't decided on the naturally part yet but I am sure that his coaching skills (and patience) will be put to the test. I think he will be a great coach. Next round of classes are in May. We are doing both a Breastfeeding class and Infant CPR. I think the more we both educate ourselves, the better we are with the unknown.

I am already looking forward to my time off of work. I am taking 12 weeks so I will end up returning some time close to Labor Day. I plan to take it easy in July but then go visiting family in August. I just know the time is going to fly.

Baby Bump in London

2009-03-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

We safely made our way to London and back in early March despite a broken foot and baby on board. My coworker calls it a "baby-moon", the last trip together before the baby is born. I am really glad we did it. London really isn't our ideal vacation as we usually like to be a bit more adventurous but it was perfect for us considering the timing.

Flying pregnant was a little bit different. The flight from STL to Chicago was smooth and no problems but Chicago to London was a bit tough. I can't sleep on a plane usually anyway, but this time was especially tough because I wanted rest so bad. Greg can sleep anywhere I think. I also got sick on the descent. My insides felt squished together and bloated and I couldn't help but "toss my cookies." No problems on the flight back though.

My foot slowed us down much more than being pregnant did. We did more than I thought we would though. I totally wore myself out on our first full day spending over 5 hours in the National Art Gallery. We couldn't help ourselves, there was so much good stuff: Gaugin, Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, and a special exhibit of Picasso. There was a bunch of pre-impressionism as well.

Food was nothing to get too excited about. Of course there was the pub food but we tried other things like Taiwanese, Thai, and Indian. I am not a fan of Indian food so we found a great Tapas Indian place that was perfect for me. That night I saved room for dessert at a Belgium waffle bar.

Our trip coincided with Six Nations Rubgy Championship. England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and France compete for the Grand Slam. We watched Ireland beat Wales on tv on Saturday then watched England embarrass France in a pub on Sunday. Neither of us really know how the game works but it was still fun.

Some of the other sites we saw included the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, the British Museum, Harrod's Department Store, Camden Locks Market, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. No late nights or crazy drinking in the pubs like on some of our other trips. We were in London during their St. Patrick's Day Parade and it was a beautiful day. The parade itself wasn't anything more than the Dogtown Parade in St. Louis but they did have a big concert in Trafalgar Square all afternoon.

Friday the 13th!

2009-02-17T16:01:00.000-06:00

Friday the 13th (of February) brought us quite a scare. Getting ready to leave in the morning for both work and a trip to Pennsylvania to visit the Plank Family, I picked up Rigby from the landing on the stairs so she wouldn't sneak out and then I headed down the remaining stairs to grab something. Not able to see, my left foot stepped on my right pant leg and I took a fast trip down the remaining 3 stairs. Rigby went flying and my legs came underneath me taking most of the fall. Based on the pain I was feeling, I thought my feet were severed at the ankles but in about 5 to 10 minutes I was up and walking with what felt like a sprain in my right foot.

We headed to work. I checked in with my OB office and all seemed fine. Baby was alive and kickin' and I showed no signs of distress. I had to teach a class that day so I walked around with an awkward limp for about 5 hours not thinking too much more about it. Finally, at about 2:00, it became impossible to walk on and swelled up to almost twice its size. I turned my class over to a coworker and headed to urgent care where I learned I had sprained it on both sides of the ankle and suffered an avulsion fracture. This was described to me as the ligament acting like a piece of tape holding bones together. On one side it tore a small piece of bone off, hence my earlier pain. The urgent care clinic was great in trying to get me out of there in time to head to the airport for our 7:00 flight. They rushed me through, taught me how to walk on crutches quickly and offered lots of good advice including not to put ANY weight on it until I saw an Orthopedic Surgeon. Walking out to the car on the crutches I decided it was best I not make the trip to PA with Greg. I was super sad about this but very scared I might fall again and hurt myself or the baby worse.

So I spent the weekend watching movies recovering at home and moving as little as possible. Lots of friends stopped by to bring treats or movies and keep me company. I saw a specialist on Monday afternoon who gave me the good news -
no surgery necessary. The sprains will heal with the help of an air cast (big ugly gray boot) and the little bone that came off will just stay there. I will be in the cast for a few weeks which is a pain but the way I see it, could have been a lot worse. I attached a picture of my ugly feet to compare size. This is before the bruising has started setting in. Very ugly.

20 Weeks

2009-01-26T21:17:00.000-06:00

We had our comprehensive ultrasound today where they do measurements and look for major organs. The Tech pointed out the arms, legs, face, kidneys, and bladder. We also got to see the heart beating and saw all 4 chambers doing what they should. Both the Tech and Doctor said everything looks good. She had us look away just in case we could spot the sex, but legs were closed so no big deal. I also felt the first kicking on the outside for the first time today. Just once though.

Baby Room

2009-01-09T23:05:00.000-06:00

Slowly starting to collect items for the baby's room. Since we only have two bedrooms, it will be the other one - also known as the Freddy Free Room. Walls are already light yellow so that works well. We want to do animals and primary/bright colors. I posted some pictures of a few of the decorations we have so far. The kitty we found on our trip to Costa Rica and we just picked up the sock puppet at the Stockholm Inn restaurant in Rockford. If you see other decorations or bedding that is similar, let us know. I would like to get a painting from a local artist, Charles Houska. Saw his work years ago and decided then I would come back some day for a child's room. I plan to stop by his gallery soon. Check out his style: http://www.houska.com/

14 Weeks

2008-12-19T13:02:00.000-06:00

Another visit to the doctor. Baby looks good. My doctor has a machine in his office so he does an Ultrasound at every visit. He also has the ability to use 4D. These pictures are typically not clear until the 20 and 30 week range but it is fun to see on the monitor. We saw the baby moving arms and legs. At one point, it looked like it kicked itself in the head. Pretty funny. Babies can't feel anything until at least 18 weeks so we figure that will stop soon. Baby's heart beat is 150 and the length is about 7.8 cm. I attached one of the 4D pictures.

12 Weeks

2008-12-14T15:02:00.001-06:00

10 Weeks

2008-12-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

At 10 weeks, we graduated to our regular doctor and got to see the baby wave. All was good at this visit. We sent this picture in a photo ornament to tell our family the good news.

Surprise!

2008-12-01T21:47:00.000-06:00

We couldn't have been happier to learn we were pregnant. Our journey of infertility was probably the hardest challenge we have faced but nothing makes it more worth it than a positive test and a heart beat. Enjoy our pictures at 8 weeks.