Chloe is here...

Chloe was born today at 7:47pm. She weighed 8lbs and 6 oz. 20.5 inches long. She is doing great as is Ashley.

Update

Just waiting and waiting. Epidural in, dilated to 5cm. Feeling good. Ashley is thoroughly enjoying the cable tv (Style and HGTV).

One Year Ago

One year ago Katie was playing with blocks.

Katie Playing (part II)

Video of Katie playing on a trampoline.

Katie Playing

A couple of weekends ago, Katie and Ashley went with Beth and Tyler to a children's playhouse. Here are some photos of the time.

What's up on Wednesday?

Wednesday will mark 41 weeks of pregnancy. Since we're still aiming for a VBAC, our OB has recommended that we be induced on Wednesday to increase of VBAC chances.

So on Wednesday...check-in at Waukesha Memorial at 7AM.

Step One: Begin cervical-ripening serum. Hope labor will happen.
Step Two: Begin low dose of pitocin. Hope labor will happen.
Step Three: Discuss real possibility of c-section.

In the mean time...Katie and I stroll around the cul-de-sac, do speed-walks at Pick N Save and Target, keep active around the house, and try not to eat too many chocolate chip fudge cookies.

Daddy has an owie

Tonight I smashed my toe in the garage door while playing with Katie. I'm ok. As I was fixing my owie, Katie decided she also had an owie and took off her socks and fixed her wounds as well as mine.

Happy St. Patricks Day

Katie enjoying a tasty Shamrock shake.

He has a way with words

Last night, Bryan and I were talking about our upcoming delievery. I expressed my hopefulness of having our baby by VBAC instead of cesarean, which happened with Katie.

In his typical, blunt manner, Bryan said, "I think they'll have to dig this one out, too."

A Weekend at Lake Geneva

A couple of weekends ago, we jumped in our minivan and headed to Lake Geneva resort for an AmFam-sponsored, work-filled weekend for Ashley and a fun weekend for Bryan and Katie.

Katie and Gianna loved the waterpark. And Bryan loved spending time with the girls! If you disregard the insane Saturday night when 1) our roommate went the ER for a potential heart attack and 2) when Katie screamed and cried from 1am-3am...we had a nice retreat!

(Luckily, Curt only had a case of isolated pnemonia. However, the inept ER workers had to run 2 EKGs because the first one didn't work. Hopefully they don't charge Curt for both of them!).

You have got to be kidding...

My jaw dropped when I read this story over lunch today. A brief summary; a New Jersey woman already weighs 600 pounds and wants to weigh 1000 POUNDS! She makes money to pay for her $750 a week grocery bill by posting video and pictures on her website where people pay to watch her increase in weight. She also sees no problem with this and doesn't think she is hurting herself or her two kids.

Since I still believe in the freedoms we have as Americans she truly has a right to do this. Where I get mad is when her health fails and she gets state assisted medical aid or disability payments. I feel that since she made the choice to become obese, then she should forfeit any assistance from taxpayer money. But in the end I have that horrible feeling that she is already on Medicaid or will make a claim about this in the future leaving us taxpayers to foot the bill.

Click here to read story.

A Mop, a Broom and Me

We're eagerly awaiting the arrival of Girl #2. Even though I've drastically cut back on my work hours (to about 3-4 hours per week), I'm tired all the time. It seems like there's a constant "to-do" list lurking around the kitchen or the computers.

At least I've taken care of food and snacks for the next week. In the past few days, I've made homemade granola, brownies, peanut-butter bars, spinich dip, and avacado dip.

Katie has become quite obsessed with fruit. One day at lunch last week, she had a banana, an apple and an orange! So yesterday, I made a quick pit stop at Aldi's to get 8 lbs of oranges, 3 lbs of bananas, and a pineapple. Between the three of us, this should last through the weekend.

Today I washed 3 loads of laundry and finished cleaning downstairs (which I started on Thursday). It seems that mopping the kitchen floor is the least motivating task! Hopefully when Bryan gets home, I can find about 20 minutes to quickly vacuum the upstairs and clean the upstairs bathroom. Then we'll be done until our maid gets here! (Can't wait to see you, mom!).

Projects still to do:
Clean upstairs
Pack hospital bag
Re-arrange furniture in Katie's new room
Chop carrots for lunches
Fold clothes

Oh my!

Cooking Duck

Katie has become quite the gourmet. She enjoys "cooking" her rubber ducky in the microwave.

5 Misc. Around-the-House Pictures

1. Snuggie and Katie


2. Yummy yogurt


3. A cul-de-sac walk (and it was a warm day - about 40 degrees!)


4. Foot in the book box


5. Eating raspberries - courtsey of a patient who owns a grocery store

Putting on Shoes

Today I asked Katie to put on her shoes. Here's what transpired.

Step One: Climbed in the laundry basket


Step Two: Got out of the basket and picked up shoes


Step Three: Sat on the laundry basket and tried putting on her shoes.