Settling in

Ahh - 12 weeks off! How nice to be able to spend that much time getting to know your new little baby and enjoying the time with your previous baby. With Emma still in daycare, I get time to bond with Evan PLUS time to catch up on stuff around the house. Slowly my house is getting back into shape and it is nice. Last week was too busy to really do anything and my house showed it! Piles of mail, toys, books, etc. So, I am trying to get small stuff done each day so I don't over due it, while trying to get caught up on sleep.

Evan is fabulous. His sleeping patterns haven't really been established yet - although I like how today is going so far! He slept pretty well at night and got up around 9:30. Went back down for a nap at noon and is still sleeping. I have been a bit worried as he is still really, really sleepy - but today he seems to be a bit more awake.

Emma is doing great also - although she is not really sure how she likes her little brother. She enjoys giving him kisses and always wants to look at him and hold him, however, when yesterday she had a fit when I had to feed him and is showing other signs of jealousy. I feel bad for the poor kid and am hoping this phase only lasts a short time. She has regressed in other areas, such as potty training, but I am told this is normal. Frustrating for Tim and I, but normal. Tim and I have been very good I think at keeping her involved and at spending one-on-one time with her, but I know some behavioral changes had to be expected. Part of it is that she doesn't understand the boundaries with Evan. It is nice she wants to share her toys, but she can't put them on his head. She can't be dancing right next to Evan, as she is not that steady yet. It is an uphill battle and I am hoping we are almost to the top!

Yesterday Kristen took some pictures of Evan in her studio - so I will hopefully have those to share soon. He did okay for them, although had to have his NUK for a lot of them. We would take a few with his NUK in and then quickly take it out and take pictures before he would get too upset. I am sure we got a few cute ones, because he is the cutest baby - well, tied with Emma when she was little :-)

I am doing pretty good - adjusting also. Adjusting to less sleep, the demands of a newborn and a stubborn & spirited two year old. I did a stupid thing yesterday and tried on my pre-maternity clothes. What the hell I was thinking, I don't know. Did I think all the weight I gained was lost yet?? Apparently I was hoping I did :-) So, I am now trying to focus on my diet and trying to get outside to start walking and working out slowly. It is nice that the weather has been beautiful so we can go out. Emma really enjoyed going for a walk yesterday in the double stroller with Evan in the back.

We enjoyed last week with Tim being off and went to the cabin on Friday and Saturday. Since most of Tim's family is up there on the weekends, we thought it would be a great way for everyone to meet little Evan.
Here is Evan really enjoying the cabin! He did go down to the dock for some fishing with his daddy and big sister. Unfortunately it was a pretty wet weekend up there so we really didn't get a lot of pictures of his first trip there. But that is okay, we have plenty of time for cabin pictures. Now whenever I get the camera out to take pictures of Evan, Emma jumps right in front of the camera with a smile and a big cheese!

We gave Evan his first bath the other night. Needless to say, he didn't like it. Here he is relaxing and thanking God that it is over.

Tim rocking his two little ones. Emma insisted that she rock with both Daddy and Evan.

That's it - will try to update the pictures from Kristen soon - maybe tonight I can go over there and put them on my computer!

Pictures

Evan Michael Heuer


Evan and Mom


The proud big sister


The new family


Grandpa Brunner (also where Evan got his middle name from)

The birth story...

Finally, I have a few minutes to update things. Sorry it has taken me so long, but I think you all understand that it has been crazy around here! I will put the birth story here - and for all of you that are not the least bit interested in that, pictures on another post!

So - where should I pick up? Probably right after the weird kidney thing on Friday. I was really uncomfortable and really hoping the baby would come this past weekend. Mom & Dad decided to come up and help with Emma on Saturday - which was very welcome as walking, well, pretty much doing anything hurt. So, Emma spent a lot of the day on Saturday with Nana, Papa and the neighbors so I could lay on the couch and watch movies or try to get some sleep. (I saw The Waitress with Keri Russell and really enjoyed it!) They went to the little local parade and got some candy and an American Flag which she LOVES waving around!

That night around 5 pm, it was just Tim and I at the house as the rest of the family was playing in the neighbors backyard when my water broke. YEAH! I was so happy that the little guy was on his way to the world. After calling the hospital and being told to come in about an hour from now, we went to the neighbors to have a quick supper then made it to the Women's Center at the hospital. They got me strapped up to the contraction and baby heart monitor and did some checks. Well, much to my dismay, my water had NOT broken. Apparently (and I will not go into much detail on this!) there are others things that can happen which can make it seem like the water has broke, but it doesn't. Crap! This news pretty much made me start crying as I was so ready for the little guy to arrive. However, the nurse arrived with some good news. After my pleading and begging, the doctor agreed that I could come back the next morning for an induction if things didn't happen on their own - THANK GOD! The contraction monitor was picking up even contractions - although not very strong -so everyone was hoping that things would progress this evening. I was still only 2 cm dilated, but now about 50% effaced. I was given morphine for the kidney pain and something else to help me relax and sleep through the night to get me ready for the big day tomorrow.
I got home around 9pm and was already feeling pretty woozy from the drugs and went to bed. Around 10pm (and still not asleep, damn drugs!) I started to feel contractions. Once again - THANK GOODNESS! The contractions kept on getting stronger and stronger and finally around 4am they were around 3-4 minutes apart so we called the hospital and headed in. It was nice that my parents were staying with us, as Tim and I just woke them up to put the monitor in their room and headed to the hospital.
At the hospital, I got hooked up to everything AGAIN (the third time in 3 days) and it was determined that I was 7 to 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced - so almost ready to go. The contractions were getting really strong, but I was planning on doing everything naturally so I was breathing through them okay. The doctor broke my water and everyone assumed the baby would be born within an hour or two, which would be by 8:30 - I was incredibly excited!
Well, by around 8:30, my body was not progressing and the contractions had slowed to 5 minutes apart. I decided at that point since I was so exhausted to have an intrathecal or something like that - which was something like an epidural - but was a shot that would last 2-3 hours at most. Plus, with that mixture, they gave me an IV with some Pitocin to start my contractions back up again. Finally, I was able to rest a bit and the contractions once again picked up to where they should have been.
Finally around 10am, my body had finally progressed to where I could start pushing. The drugs were AMAZING! Really weird but amazing. I was able to rest for the final hour, which is definitely the hardest for contractions, and couldn't feel a thing. It was really weird! I don't regret that decision at all. It only took about 3 pushes for the little one to arrive and then such joy. There is nothing like it in the world. He was very loud right away, but then settled down and started looking around at the new world he was in. The doctor and nurses gave us about an hour alone with Evan and with each other to enjoy the moment. It was perfect.
Stats: Evan Michael Heuer - born at 10:35 am - 8 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long. Reddish/blond hair and perfect in every way!

(yeah, not really proofreading either. Both kids are sleeping and I am hoping to join them soon!)

My birthday!

Yeah! It is my birthday! Not much going on today really. Tim, Emma, and Evan surprised me with a nice digital picture frame this morning. Evan maybe gave me the best gift of all - sleep! He finally slept last night in his bassinet. He went to bed around 8pm, then woke up at midnight and 3am to feed. Plus, he slept inbetween, it was so nice! Emma also slept in until 7am, so it was very nice.

No real plans for today - I may try to sneak away sometime this weekend for some alone time and shopping :-) I think we are going to have a steak supper this evening. I am hoping to go grocery shopping to pick up a piece of cheese cake and maybe the ingredients for a cheesy garlicy artichoke dip -yum!

Welcome Evan Michael!

Finally! My little man has arrived! Thank you everyone for the sweet words and congratulations! It has been a whirlwind the past few days and while we are so glad to be back home, we are all a bit out of sorts due to lack of sleep and jealousy over the arrival of the new one (on Emma's part).

I promise I will type up more tomorrow. Both Tim and I are doing some one-on-one times with Emma tomorrow so hopefully I should have time to type out the whole ordeal when it is just Evan and I here. Evan is actually sleeping now, in his cradle, so I really need to get to bed and try to catch up. But for now, all is good, all are tired - but I wouldn't ask for anything to be different. What blessings I have! Plus - tomorrow is my birthday :-)

A trip to the hospital and a sock pocket.

I thought (and hoped) that I was having contractions this afternoon. Actually, I was having weird side pain that at times was really painful, but I felt tightness in my belly, so I was hoping they were contractions. So, I called up Tim at his golf outing, called the neighbors and was hoping to have some good news. I made an appointment at the hospital to check it out and, well, 4.5 hours later, came back home.

Turns out, after a non-stress test for the baby (where they monitor contractions and the baby's heartbeat), blood tests and other tests for me, internal exams, an ultrasound, AND 4.5 hours later (have I mentioned that?!) I have an inflamed or irritated part of a kidney that is causing the pain. I guess it can happen late in pregnancy when the uterus gets bigger and really the only thing that will stop it is delivering the baby. They said I should drink lots of water, take tylenol, and take baths if I want, but really, the only thing that will cure it is the delivery. Great -even more incentive for us to meet the baby sooner rather than later :-)

The ultrasound was really neat. They ordered it to check out my kidneys, placenta, and amniotic fluid, but the tech was really nice and showed us a lot of the baby also. Yup, it IS a boy! But he was moving around so much, it was really cool. The tech made the comment that she had never seen a baby that was this far along move that much. His little tongue was constantly out to suck his thumb or lick his hands, it was really neat. You could see him kick around in there and shift to move, it was really cool. We didn't get any good pictures as he was always on the go, but I figure we will meet him soon anyway.

So, I did NOT get to spend time with my aunt and cousins that came up which was a bummer, but am glad I went to rule out any infections or anything like that. I am feeling a bit better now, but have taken some tylenol and have been drinking water since we got home.

A huge thanks to my family across the street and the visitors for watching our little one. I got a good report! Funny thing though, as we are coming down our stairs for her to read stories, she reaches down for her socks and pulls out a sugar packet! I (obviously) am a bit confused and ask her where she got that. "Uncle Craig put it there - in my little sock pocket :-)" So, thank you Craig! I made sure to check her other "sock pocket" for any other hidden goodies!

Still waiting...

Nothing yet - although I am still very optimistic that baby will be here before I have to go to work on Monday. My midwife's appointment went well. My body is still progressing, so I opted out of any "help" from Tallison as I would still like the little one to come naturally if possible. BUT, with that being said, next week I believe I will change my mind!

How about this weather lately? Haven't we had gorgeous fall days?! I absolutely love it. Our windows are open and Emma and I have been outside enjoying it as much as we can.

Speaking of the little one - she is good. Every day she asks about her baby brother and when he will be here. I wish I had a definite answer for her, but of course, I do not. She seems pretty excited to meet him and loves playing with his toys. Although - she looks very sheepish when I catch her doing that :-) I have told her many times that they are for the baby, but I am sure it is hard for a 2 year old to resist. Her latest thing? "Just kidding Mama!" She will be singing a song or playing and will say something very random. Then, she will look at me and say "Just kidding Mama!" and laugh and laugh! Pretty cute.

Family is coming up this evening to play with the girls and go out for dinner (without the girls!) so I am looking forward to that. I am thinking something with some spice so maybe the little one will come out. Hell, I am hoping anything I do will help the little one come out :-)

So - how about the Republican National Convention? Pretty good I thought. I did not watch a lot of the speeches, just Palin and McCain, and I was very impressed by Palin. Still not sure if she is right for the job, but that feeling stands for Obama also. Neither of them have a lot of experience, but I do like that Palin grew up in a down-to-earth home. She isn't from a family of politicians or from a family with a lot of money, so I feel I can relate to her a bit more than some of the others. It will be a very interesting race and hopefully the right person is elected. I plan on doing a lot of research to see who I think will be best. But, I have to admit, I did love the camera shot of Palin's little girl licking her hand and combing her brother's hair. That tugged at the 'ole heart strings a bit.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Early vibes - I need the early vibes!

4 more days to go people - only 4 more days! I need everyone to start thinking "Early baby Heuer - come early!" I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow morning so we will see if anything more has progressed. I know this is me being a dork, but I plan on doing some exercises tonight that Tallison (the new midwife) told me to do that could help. There is definitely more discomfort with each day, so please - think EARLY! Plus, I am getting sick of work - haha!

We are finally getting healthier in our house. Tim had to pick Emma up from daycare yesterday, basically right after he dropped her off, as she had a fever. The ever only occurred during the day yesterday, but she definitely wasn't acting herself. Today she is feeling better, but is still not quite herself. Same with Me too - I am feeling a lot better and am getting caught up on sleep, but my nose is still draining a bit. YUCK.

Not much new to update on. We have no plans for the weekend as I am hoping I will be in the hospital! Tim has a golf outing on Friday that he would really like to attend, but I am once again hoping that he will not be able too. Looking forward to season opener - GO PACK!

When life hands you lemons...

you complain on your blog! Haha.

Well - 6 days to go until baby - or earlier or later, I guess, depending on what the little one wants. If you would have asked me yesterday morning, I would say "Anytime baby, anytime baby." Now, ask me today and my response is much different. "Give me a few more days to recover."

Yup - although I am uncomfortable from the pregnancy I am now dealing with a cold - a pretty bad cold at that and I know that it would be hard to be ready emotionally and physically to deliver the baby - at least without the comforts of medication (or so I have been told)! We were at the cabin for a short time this weekend and Emma developed a cold. so, one night she didn't sleep that well, which means Tim and I didn't sleep well. Now, I have a cold. I was up a lot last night with a runny nose and sneezing. No good - I am far behind on my sleep. So, I am hoping the baby gives me a few days to get some sleep and let the cold run its course so I can be ready for the delivery.

Today we are laying low. Well, I am. Emma is still suffering a bit from the cold and is whiny. I want to be whiny, but know that Tim won't listen :-) Tim, lucky dog, has nothing. I am jealous. It always seems like I am the one that catches stuff from the little one in daycare.

Anyway, I have Emma set up on the couch watching Dora and I may lay down as well. I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!

more computer problems

Well, it has been 2 weeks of computer problems - HOPEFULLY they are all fixed! This week we discovered that our modem was not working, so we had to have it replaced. We got the new one yesterday, initialized it today and here we go again. So contrary to some people's hopes - the lack of posts was not due to the birth of my boy. I wish it was :-) But not yet.

I did have a doctor appointment yesterday and finally things are starting to get ready for the baby. YEAH! So all the uncomfortable cramps and braxton hicks are starting to do something! Fern should be back from vacatin this weekend, so hopefully she will be the one to deliver the baby.

We are heading to the cabin for this afternoon and tomorrow, then will enjoy two days at home before the next work week - if I go back that is!

Think early baby thoughts and good wishes - hopefully soon we will be posting pics of our new addition!

Have a great Holiday weekend!

Finally - back online - THANK YOU!

First - a HUGE thank you to my brother in-law Craig for fixing our computer. We aquired a virus Wednesday night and I have been unable to really do anything on it since. I really appreciate the time and effort that you put in so I can look up Hollywood gossip, football info, and share crazy stories about my daugher online!

So, yes, back up and running! The first thing I do?? Check up on all the blogs that I read (man - I LOVE Google Reader!) Then I look at my work email to see what happened Thursday and Friday while I was out. I can't help it, I need to check to see what happened, if there were problems, if they were my fault, etc. My right hand lady was out all last week, leaving my trainee Darcy at the wheel on Thursday and Friday. I was very happy as I only had 90 emails for 2 days. I am pretty sure Tim thought I was crazy. However, when it is bad, I tend to get about 120 emails in a day. On good days only about 40-50. SO - to only have 90 for two days, that is pretty good! So, that made me happy.

We had a great Saturday and I wanted to update. Emma has been really good. Besides the fact that she wants to change outfits about 4 times a day (she will come down the stairs, after I think she is getting a toy, wearing a new outfit and proudly exclaiming "Look Mama - I so pretty!") AND has started to acquire a bit of an attitude sometimes "No - Mama - come here NOW!" she has been really good. She is getting much better at not needing to be carried all the time and is good at understanding when I need to sit for a few minutes so we read stories instead of dancing around.
Today we planted trees.


Tim had grown some maples in pots and we transplanted them this afternoon. What a lovely day to be outside! We opened up the house and enjoyed the weather. While, not so good for my allergies, wonderful for the coolness in the air. I love fall - I know we are not there quite yet, but soon! No more hot streaks HOPEFULLY! Kristen and I went for a walk tonight and we were wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt! LOVE IT!

Anyway, I digress - we planted trees - 10 trees Tim had to inform me :-) Emma found her shovel, her watering can and was in her element outside helping Daddy. She would help him carry rocks to the back and throw them in a pile, carry the trees, dig the dirt, and help him drive the lawnmower - or so she thought :-) I helped a bit, but mostly walked back and forth from the house to where they were working to get things... i.e. camera, then new batteries for my camera, then water bottle, use bathroom, etc.... so much fun being 9 months pregnant and a little one constantly kicking and making me uncomfortable. Anyway, both Tim and Emma enjoyed being outside and working together. While it usually takes about double the time to get something down when Emma helps, it is so much fun having her along and teaching her how to do things. Such a little sponge and always amazes me what she remembers. The next picture I think is hilarious because she looks as though she is so exhausted and was working so hard. Which, maybe she was, but she honestly, she dawdled a lot too. Most of the time she was watering everything BUT the trees,singing or humming to herself, pretending to drive the lawnmower, or just watching Dad.

Last night Tim and I enjoyed a night to ourselves as we hired a babysitter so we could go out one more time before junior comes. We just went out to eat, but it was very nice to get out and have a nice relaxing meal. We went to Phil's in Stillwater, which is one of our favorite places, and enjoyed Gyro's, steaks, and NOT keeping Emma constantly busy with snacks, books, and colors. While I was getting ready for my date with her Daddy, Emma decided she had to get ready for her date with Jessie, the baby-sitter. This included, Yes, a new outfit and make-up, just like Mommy was doing. For her date, she picked out a purple flowered tank top, pink skirt with red hearts, purple polka-dot leggings (which are a staple now in her everyday wardrobe) and socks. Then, she helped me pick out an outfit (which as I assume you know, required a few changes by me) and helped me put on make-up. She is quite the helper.

Tomorrow Tim has a golf outing and I am heading to the parents to attend the church's Fall Festival. It should be fun for Emma to play some of the kiddie games and win prizes. She had a lot of fun last year picking up ducks and suckers for different token values and playing the fish pond where she just hangs on to a pole and they clip a toy to the end of it. It will be nice to get out of the house a little bit and watch Emma have fun.

No new progress with baby #2. I saw the midwife on Thursday and nothing had really changed - Ugh. But, like I told my sister tonight, I am not really feeling that the little guy will come early. I am thinking late - much to my chagrin. I even mentioned to Tim that depending on how I am feeling, maybe we should go to the cabin for a day next weekend. That way Emma can play in the lake once more time and we can enjoy maybe the last weekend of summer up there. But, we will see. I am having more cramps and Braxton hicks lately - but that doesn't really mean too much either. But, think good EARLY thoughts for me - haha!

Frustrations...

I knew that Emma would do some regressions with her potty training after the baby was born. Well, I heard she most likely would. The problem is that she is doing them about 2 weeks early! She was doing so good, now all of a sudden she is having accidents. But the kicker is that she is only doing them at home - not at Theresa's. She is doing fabulous at Theresa's - she is just being stubborn at home. So, she has had to sit in the naughty corner a few times. I know they say you are not supposed to discipline kids about potty training if they have accidents, but she knows what she is doing, so I figure why not? If we were at the store, or outside or something like that, I would maybe consider it an accident. BUT, when I am asking her all the time if she needs to go OR when she is playing in her room right by her bathroom, I don't think that it is an accident. I kind of blame myself as the past few days she has been wearing pull-up's and I don't think she watches it as much in those. But today, I decided to go back to the undies and what do I get? Messes. So, I know I need to be consistent. Anyway, it is driving me crazy. Not sure what to do, other than keep her in the undies and keep working on it.


Emma has taken on a new interest lately in soccer. There is a Dora the Explorer episode where Dora plays soccer with her cousin Daisy and shows off her super soccer kick. So now, Emma has to play soccer and be Dora, I am Daisy, and she does her super soccer kick. She actually isn't that bad at kicking it for a 2 year old. Tonight I taught her about passing and set up a little goal for her to kick it in. She had a lot of fun. When Tim came home, he was teaching her about how to be the goalie. Starting out a little young I know, but I LOVE that she is somewhat interested in sports. I am hoping she will be athletic and have an interest in playing something when she is older!

She has also taken a special interest in picking out her clothes. Tim called me at work one morning to tell me how Emma was (yes, he does this every morning :-) and had to tell me about her outfit. She had on a pink Dora shirt, blue shorts, purple polka dot leggings, blue socks and blue Ariel sandels. He said it was so cute, obviously not matching, but very cute. She was very proud of herself for picking it out. Well, this is what she picked out yesterday to wear AND put it on herself. Doesn't she look proud? I couldn't resist taking a picture.

We had a great weekend! Saturday Tim, Emma, and I ran errands and just hung out at home. It was nice to relax here and not have an agenda for anything. We got ice cream in the afternoon and stopped by the neighbors to pick up the cradle for the little one whenever he decides to show up - which I hope is soon. 2.5 more weeks to go! I have all the people in the office commenting "Ah - are you still here?" "Man - you like tired." "Oh - I think the baby has dropped!" "I bet you are ready for that baby!" Yeah - get sick of the comments. There is something about pregnant woman that people can't resist making comments. I understand, but after awhile it gets old.

Sunday was the picnic at the park with my sisters, parents, nieces/nephew and aunt & uncle. Everyone had a great time! The weather was beautiful, the food was really good, and the kids had so much fun playing! I had a nice time swimming for awhile also while Emma wanted to hang out with Tim.

What a good looking group - don't you think. Plus, one more on the way soon.... in 19 days... or hopefully less :-)

Thank goodness for the drugs.

What a beautiful day outside! Actually, most of the days we have been having are beautiful. Great temps, nice and cool in the evening and lots of sun for doing stuff outside. Our family picnic has been postponed until tomorrow so Dad can join us as he is in the middle of haying right now. Tomorrow at the Park Reserve should be a lot of fun - playing in sand, splashing in water, and grilling cheddar brats! YUM!

However, along with the late summer/early fall beautiful weather comes my hayfever and it has decided to peak today. Thank goodness for having some allergy pills that finally work. As my family and some friends know, I am a fall allergy sufferer and even after trips to the allergist and 4+ years of allergy shots, I STILL have hayfever. It drives me crazy. Top that with being 9 months pregnant and chasing after a 2 year old, it is the perfect combination for some crabby days! When I was younger I remember taking pill after pill and hoping something would work. Maybe those shots paid off a little bit as I can now take Zyrtec (which is pregnancy approved) along with my nose spray and have relief.

This past week has been pretty good. Work, as I have mentioned before, has been slowing down for me. AND - we have hired my friend Natalie from my Land O' Lakes days to do a job share with me. That will help immensely when I return after maternity leave! so that is fabulous.

On Thursday Emma had a GREAT day as she got to meet her idol - Dora the Explorer. We went to the Mall of America and she did so well all day, it was so nice! She sat in her stoller well and didn't complain about wanting to get up. She was patient when waiting in line for Dora and sat and ate her pizza and breadstick very well in the food court; I was very proud of her. While we were waiting for Dora, we did some shopping. We bought her a Dora poster for her bedroom and some new Princess sunglasses. She was disappointed she couldn't go on any of the big rides at the MOA as she didn't have a chaperone (they do not allow pregnant woman to go on them). But, she settled for the little grocery store carousels that sit like 3 people and go around for about 30 seconds. She did that twice and seemed pretty content. (Notice she had to wear her pretty Dora dress for the big day.)

Finally, the time came to meet Dora. We were second in line for the "meet & greet" and Emma could barely contain herself waiting. "Mama - where Dora?" "Mommy - when will Dora come?" "Mama - how many more minutes?" Finally, she arrived, but without Boots which I think Emma was a bit disappointed about. But, I pointed out, that who would be stopping Swiper in Dora's absence if Boots came along? That seemed to make some sense to the little one. She was a bit tentative at first, but did walk up to her right away and gave her a hug. Here are a few more pics from the big event.



I am so glad that Emma and I did this. She still talks about meeting Dora and had to stay there and watch Dora for about 15 minutes after our turn was up. I really think she was just in awe of her. After that, she went back to the gift store and I let her pick out a toy for being such a good girl. She picked out little Mermaid Dora and Boots Beanie Babies. I brought along some of her birthday money for the occasion and she loves playing with those two. It was a very good trip.

Last night my family had a memorial service for my Uncle Warren who passed away last Monday. He fought a 6 year battle with cancer and died the way he wanted too- at home with friends and family around him. The memorial service was very nice, very low key like he would have wanted and really was a celebration of his life. It was so nice to hear stories about him (and my Mom!) that I have never heard and see some of my Mom's friends and people she grew up with. Of course whenever someone passes, you feel the guilt of "Why didn't I do more? Why didn't I call and visit more?" and those why questions that don't really get answered. I know they are pointless, but really hope to not take people for granted and my days for granted as one really does not know how long they have upon this earth. I am so thankful that I knew him and that he is in a better place. It was a long battle and I know that it was tiring and draining for everyone involved and his passing was a blessing. But still, it is very sad and always in the back of my mind.

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday also. Baby is still doing good, but not showing any signs of coming early or anything. Which, as much as I would love, is okay with me. Yes, I have been more cranky lately. Yes, I have been more tired and concerned about the tiny bit of swelling I am seeing, However, I know that the longer he stays in there the better - so I am fine with him taking his time. Fern did say that she could try to move things along at my next visit if I wanted, however, both Tim and I agreed with Emma and with this one that we will let nature take its course. If I am overdue, that is different, but for right now, he can take 3 more weeks to greet us and meet the family.

Today we are just hanging around the house, doing errands, and stuff like that. Kristen is taking some pregnancy pictures this afternoon - hopefully we will get some cute ones with Emma, but we will see if she cooperates. I plan on finishing the baby's quilt after I get done with this posting, and walking on the treadmill. I am going to make a good attempt at walking on the treadmill every night/day until junior comes. Tim, Em, and I have been good at walking outside, but now, it is a bit warm. So, I will do it in the comfort of my own home with the TV on and in better temps.

I think that is all for now. Everyone enjoy your weekend!

Fun in the sun

Thank goodness tomorrow is Wednesday - or - my Friday! My last day of work for the week. Work has been really good actually. Very quiet - which is nice. It helps that we hired someone to help out while I am on maternity leave, as right now I don't have a lot to do. I LOVE IT! A nice way to calm down and de-stress before the new one arrives.

This past weekend was fabulous. Tim, Emma, and I went to the cabin to enjoy the last weekend there before the end of summer and before the new baby arrives. The next few weekends we will be staying closer to home - just in case! What is the baby count down too - like 26 days? Crazy!

We really just relaxed the whole time. Emma played really well in the water, went for jet-ski rides and even started driving the jet-ski. Scary I know.... I usually let her put her hands on the handlebars, but this past weekend, she decided she had graduated to driving it. I always go pretty slow with her on it, but this past weekend her thumb would slowly sneak on the throttle and off we went! Granted, I don't know if she actually knew what she was doing, but it was pretty funny. She loves steering the jet-ski also and loves looking for the "Big Waves!" She will turn the jet-ski one way, then the other way to find the waves and then laugh if we get splashed.

She also got a lot more involved with swimming, which I loved! I decided in 16 years her and I will do a triathlon! She started out the weekend by being on her little kick board and going back and forth from me to the beach. Then, I showed her how I swim and she wanted to try. I give her an A for effort, but I know that she is a bit too little for swimming. Then, I showed her how I plug my nose and dunk my head under the water, which she thought was hilarious! She said she wanted to try, and would plug her nose, count to three and then jump - but not go under water. I did have her under the water once, which I can't say she overly enjoyed, but she didn't cry either.

The weather was fabulous, we ate very well (which is why we call the cabin the fat house) and contemplated calling in sick to work on Monday :-) Although both Tim and I knew we couldn't do that either.

The one thing I thought was funny was when Tim told me about Emma in the bathtub Sunday night. She was teaching her water Cabbage Patch Kid doll Armani (or Ani was we call her) how to swim. She would stand her up and say "Okay Ani, plug nose. Now 1 -2 - 3!" and then dunk her under the water. So, obviously she got a lot out of our lessons!

It is so much fun, they are such big sponges right now! It is fun to teach them something new.

The levels we go....

I just scared my daughter into taking a nap in her big girl bed. Okay, maybe scared is a harsh word, but she did her little song & dance before nap. Which, is unusual, because she normally goes down for her nap with no problem. ANYWAY, she was at the top of the stairs, just laying there and not wanting a nap. So I go up there, ask her to go to her bed and she says no. So, fine, nap at the top of the stairs. Then a few minutes later I hear her go to her room and I am curious as to what she is doing. Well, when I check on her again, she is now covered up with her princess blanket. Enough is enough I think and tell her that she needs to go into her room so if I start vacuuming it won't scare her. (She HATES it when I vacuum.) She looks at me alarmed - "you are going to vacuum Mama?" "I might and if I do, it would be better if you were in your room. I know you don't like it when I vacuum." She promptly goes to her room, lays down and covers up. She asks me one more time about my intentions about vacuuming and I say, "Well, as long as you are in your room, you won't hear the vacuum and will stay asleep." Then rolls over and sucks her thumb. Now, mind you, I have no intentions of vacuuming. I actually intend on reading my book "The Jane Austen Book Club" and napping myself. I am so exhausted right now that I feel I could fall asleep typing. So, I will take a nap, then bake a cake. I should clean, but just am not up for it today. So there - the levels we go to get our little ones to sleep in their beds. Am I ashamed? No, not really. I COULD have vacuumed, but she doesn't need to know that!

I had my doctors appointment today and baby Heuer is doing great. Everything is progressing as it should and my body is starting to show a few signs that it is getting ready to go. Not yet - not in a few days, just where it should be for a woman who is now 36 weeks pregnant! So, that is good. We are heading up to the cabin tonight for the last time before Junior makes his appearance and I am really looking forward to that. I am bringing a book my digital scrapbooking stuff, and some yummy food - like cake! I figure Tim owes me a lot of watching Emma time, so I am hoping to get some scrapbook pages down this weekend. But, I rarely do when I am there - I just spend the time outside.

On a sidenote - one of my friends told me they are calling ole' #4 from the Packers "Jet Favre" I think that is kind of funny, sad but funny. Tim thinks this whole soap opera is hilarious and laughs when I cringe at seeing Brett Favre at the press conference with the Jets. Once again, it just doesn't seem real.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pictures

FIRST - how about this whole Brett Favre thing? Brett as Jet? I don't think so. I don't like it one bit. Not that I was all that happy with his change of mind. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a fabulous player, but I think this whole retirement then not retirement thing is smearing his name. It will be hard to watch the Packers this year without him - especially with Aaron Rogers. Don't know how I feel about that guy yet.... anyway, I should move on to a happier topic.

PICTURES!

Here is Emma dancing around in her silk pajama's from China. Tim said they toured a silk factory in Shanghai and couldn't resist these for Emma. They are a bit big - but very nice and cute I think. She likes them. Although, we have them safely up now until they fit a little better.

Emma and happy Daddy. Both were very happy to see each other and I think Emma is still a bit worried that he is going away again. She will keep checking in with me about Daddy's whereabouts. I told her we were going to the cabin this weekend and she said, "Daddy come with?" and her asking if Daddy is at work, what Daddy doing, etc. She always has to make sure she knows where he is.

Emma and Kyra riding the Dizzy Dinosaur ride at the fair. She did really well on all the rides. I think she went on about 5 total. But she will tell you that the Ferris Wheel was her favorite.

The merry-go-round. I sat and ate ice cream with Kaylee while Kristen took Emma on the merry-go-round. That ride went on for quite a while, but they all seemed to enjoy it.

And finally....
Miss Stubborn
We were walking around the yard the other day and told Emma it was either time to go in for a bath or go for a quick lawnmower ride. Well, she didn't think so. She wanted to Ping (or Swing, as most people call it). We said, no and repeated the options again and she once again insisted on Pinging. So, Tim and I headed towards the house and were hoping she would follow. A minute or so later when she didn't follow, we turned around and looked back and couldn't find her. But, when we looked at the swing we saw this... She was sitting there, sucking her thumb, and waiting for someone to push her. She probably sat there for about 10 minutes - sometimes calling for me or Tim, but basically just waiting for someone to come. I went in the house and Tim got the lawnmower and eventually pushed her. Yup, he caved.

That's all.

Miscellaneous stuff

(First, let me apologize, I tried to upload pictures, but keep getting an error. So -I guess I will post pictures later)

It was so nice to have a night back to normal. Tim came home after work, we made supper, him and Em went to the garden and I did dishes - back to normal. I love it. Although, the start of the day didn't go so well. I AGAIN did not sleep. Which, Kristen told me that when she was pregnant with Kaylee, she had some insomnia. Man, I hope that is not me. So, I looked up insomnia and pregnancy and discover that 78% of woman suffer some insomnia during pregnancy. So, before bed tonight, I will take a nice hot shower, finish my book club book (Swimming to Antarctica)and wind down. Hopefully that helps.

Emma had a rough morning at daycare again! Apparently, she didn't want Tim to go and was a pretty sad and unhappy camper for Theresa for about an hour after he left. She did have fun eventually, but that was after she refused to eat breakfast, didn't want to watch Cinderella, and was just being sad all over. No good. I guess it will take her a few days to get used to things again. This is making me feel really good that Tim and I decided to continue Emma in daycare when I am on maternity leave. She really needs her schedule and I think it would be hard on everyone if she was off of it for 12 weeks. Hopefully she is better soon.

So, like I mentioned yesterday, Tim is back home! He had some fun stories to share and some fun gifts! Emma made out like a bandit. She got a little tea set, some silk pajama's, Princess stickers for her room, a purse, hair clips, and the thing she was very excited about?? Microwave popcorn. We sent some with Tim in his care package and he didn't eat it. She found it in his bag and was so excited about the popcorn! "Daddy brought popcorn! Yummy popcorn!" He got me a very pretty long strand of pearls, pearl earrings, a purse, some cute bracelets, and a little note pad. He did a pretty good job - I was impressed.

Emma loved going to the airport to pick him up. Unfortunately with all the increased security, we could not go in the airport - just the baggage area. But, we stopped at a spot right by the airport so she could see planes take off - she liked that a lot!

On Saturday we went to the Washington County Fair with the neighbors. They were very kind to take Emma on the rides as I couldn't because of the pregnancy. Or, as Emma says about everything now, "Mama can't because she too big!" Gee... thanks Emma... like I need a reminder from a 2 year old. She was been pretty funny lately. Her expressions and her language have really expanded lately (for good and bad) and Tim mentioned how much better she is talking. Better in some instances, not in others. I forget that she is constanly listening, even when I don't think she is. For instance, the other day I am sitting at a stop light behind someone, minding my business and probably humming along to a song. What does Emma say? "Go Guy! Why you not going? Go Guy!" So apparently, I was mad at some point with a guy in front of me who was not going fast enough through a light. And of course, Emma had to pick up on it. Tonight, Kristen dropped off some carseats for her girls as Emma and I are picking them up from daycare this week. The girls were in the wagon ready to go back home when Emma looks sad and says, "Hey - I have no friends to play with now." She got really upset this past week when 2 deer were in our garden eating the green beans. I was yelling out the window trying to scare them away and I hear her yell (while she is sitting on the potty) "Mama - what happening?" Then all of a sudden, she is running into my bedroom, bare buns at all to see what is going on. Then, she starts yelling out the window too. "Go deer - no eat Daddy's garden. Go Bambi - those Daddy's! Run deer - NO!" She yelled for about 3 minutes as the deer stared at us and cocked their heads to figure out what was going on. The list goes on and on. It is fun to watch her develop, but then not so fun as she insists on other things that can't happen at the moment, like getting a piece of gum, having a certain snack, or something like that. Sometimes, she will just not let it go. I do not give in, because I know that will only make it worse, but still, it is hard.

That's it for now - I need to start my winding down. Here's wishing that I sleep better tonight. Hopefully pictures soon! Stupid blogger - maybe these are the problems that led people to switch to a different site.

Finally- back to normal

Yeah - my husband is home! Emma is basically jumping off the walls because her Daddy is home. His flight and travels were good and from the moment she saw him, she hasn't wanted him out of her sights. Even when she was sitting in the stroller and he was lagging behind with me, she kept asking "Hey - where my Daddy go?" So yes, she and I are very happy.

I have a bunch of pictures to post and more stories from our weekend, but I am exhausted. I have a cold and have not been getting much sleep.

Any way, I have to go. More tomorrow

A hard week

4 more days until my husband comes home and man, I cannot wait. It has been a long 6 days - hopefully the next four will go faster. Emma has had a hard time, I guess I didn't really think it would affect her this much, but I think it is. In the mornings the past two days, she seems happy and excited to go to Theresa's. But then, halfway there she starts crying and saying "Turn Round Mama! No Tesa's - go home!" What a way to make a Mom feel guilty. I question my decision to work part-time as it is and with that, it just makes it worse. She does fine when Tim drops her off, I just think she is confused and missing him and possibly thinking that if I leave, maybe I won't come back too? Not sure - maybe I am reading too much into it, but let's put it this way, the past two mornings have NOT been fun and have left 2 people in tears. I am glad I am home with her the next four, because I couldn't take another one. I seriously thought about calling in both days. However, I called Theresa's while at work and she is fine. Tuesday she refused to take off her shoes - not sure what comfort strategy that was for - but she would not take off her shoes for anything! That reminded me of when she first started daycare and refused to take off her coat for the first 2 to 3 weeks. At least she has come along way since then.

For the most part, other than the mornings, Emma has been great. She keeps asking where Tim is and when he is coming home and get's really excited when my cell phone rings now or I get the buzz meaning a text message came in, just in case it is Tim. She told Kristen the whole way to the store tonight that Daddy is "Para Para away" and "At school in CHINA." Big emphasis on the CHINA! The next days should be pretty busy, so before you know it, we will be at the airport bringing him home.

We have been emailing and texting briefly and he has called twice. It sounds as though things are good. The encouraging thing is that he has mentioned a few times that he has been shopping! Yeah me! I think he repeats in every message that it is hot and humid there. Yeah buddy - here too and try being pregnant besides!! :-)

Emma accomplished something new yesterday - pedaling her bike! I was so excited! She wanted her Big Bike as she calls it and starting pedaling! What a big girl!
I honestly couldn't believe it. Normally in the past, I always had to push her or she would push it herself, but never pedal. So, that is our big news this week.

She also discovered a comfortable new chair for reading. Although, I was not all that convinced it would work. She kept pushing those paper towels and readjusting until they were just perfect. Finally, she settled in to read. Which, she has been reading so many books lately. She almost prefers that to playing sometimes. I think it is great - except when she wants to read the same book 4 times in a row. That, I cannot take. I buy her books all the time... garage sales, book sales, ebay sometimes, and why she wants to read a science book (which is way above her head at the moment) I have no idea. I have started making up new Dora stories where Emma is in the adventure with Dora and Boots and she really likes that. Those are usually reserved for when she is on the potty. No accidents - 4 days and counting! This weekend will be interesting when we are away from the house. I am a bit nervous about that. Do I put on a pull-up over her undies just in case? Not sure how to tackle that one.

Tonight, the little one was NOT wanting to go to bed. I lay her down, she gets back up (so, yes, she is in her big girl bed). I lay her down, she gets back up AND climbs into my bed, find her movie player and is attempting to watch the movie when I bust her. So, I lay her down and tell her the next time she gets out of bed she is going in her crib. Yes, we still have the crib up. It is in her room and Tim thought we should keep it up while he is gone for situations again. I go downstairs to wash dishes and she sneaks up behind me and laughs. So, I put her in her crib. "MAMA! NO MAMA! BIG GIRL BED - NO CRIB!" Over and over for 5 minutes. I go in there and lay her in her bed AGAIN and she rolls over and haven't heard a peep from her since. I know, I probably should have left her in the crib, but it is on the lowest setting and she can almost climb out, so I am a bit nervous about that.

Baby #2 is good - 5.5 weeks to go. He is hiccuping now - AGAIN :-) Fern said that will mean he is a good eater. She said that babies that are hiccuping a lot in utero are either sucking on their thumb or on their lower lip and that is a good sign for nursing. I have never heard that one before, but we will see if it is true. I kind of wish I had an appointment this week. It really doesn't matter, but I wish I would see if my body has started getting ready for the baby at all.

Well, I should probably get to bed. Who knows how early the little one will be up. She was up and in my bed around 2am and slept until 6am. I woke up to "Mama - Get up! It is daytime!" I am hoping that does not happen tonight.

The start of another week

I know - real catchy title, eh? I tried to be creative and well, nothing was coming to me. Emma was up at 5 am AGAIN this morning, so I am still suffering from not enough sleep. I am begining to think, especially with a new one on the way, that I may never catch up.

Tim is gone. His flight left on Friday at 8am and he has arrived safely in Shanghai. We have been sharing text messages and have had one phone call and all is good. He said Shanghai is really hot, really humid and dirty. They have done a day of sight-seeing and are now starting out on their project. I know the week will go by fast, but I miss him a lot. Emma too, she keeps making small comments about where Daddy is and will look up if she sees a car goes by and then says "no, not Daddy." At least my family has been good about keeping me entertained! I am thinking that Tim had a talking with them as I went over to Kristen's all day on Friday and was at the cabin with Mom & Dad this weekend. That was nice. Our house is too quiet when a member of the family is gone.

I just had my 34 week appointment with the midwife, Fern. Everything is going well with the little one. He is measuring the way he should be, the heart rate is starting to drop, he is in the right position - now we just have a few more weeks for the little guy to gain some fat on his skinny little body and he will be here! The books say he is about 4.75 - 5.5 pounds and about 17 inches long. Since everything is looking and I am doing good, I won't go in until my 36th week and then will go every week after that. I am looking forward to the 36th appointment as that is when they will check to see if my body is starting to progress at all. I remember with Emma at the 35th appointment, I was already 2 centimeters dilated and about 75% effaced. That really freaked me out. She still waiting about 4 weeks to make her appearance though!

I guess I should probably get ready for bed. The one nice thing about Tim being gone is that I have to bring Emma to daycare, which means instead of getting up at 5:15, I can get up around 6:15! YEAH! Sleeping in!! If Emma let's me...

Have a great week everyone!