Counting Down the Last Days of the Second Trimester

Today, we are 26 weeks, 2 days. Who can believe that we are facing the final week of our second trimester? Holy cats!! That means that as of Saturday, I (Katie) will officially be in the last trimester of my first pregnancy ... I can't believe it!! Time has flown by! We have just three short months until our due date and still many things to get done.

The good news is is that we no longer have a masterusery. We actually have a master bedroom and a nursery room. Now, the official wall is not in place, since the electrician is coming today, tomorrow and Wednesday to run electric. Right now, it is studs and plywood -- but there are two distinct rooms. By the end of next week, we should have the entire wall completed. Yeah! Tim has been working soooo hard on the house and has been doing a fabulous job (as you can well imagine). Starting this Friday, he is off of work for a week-long vacation, so he plans on getting tons done in the next week. This will be the last major amount of time he has to work on it before Baby Liby comes ... after this, it will all be weekends. His hope is to have both rooms ready to be painted by the time next week comes to an end. While he might not hit that goal, he is getting closer and closer to it, which feels great. He is wonderful! We have more pictures to add so I hope to get those up soon.

Grampy Fred is still in the hospital. :( He has an external fixature on, and is expected to have surgery this Friday if everything continues to go well. They took the bandaging off of the fixature this morning, and my mom got to see it ... she says it isn't too bad. It still makes me a bit queasy thinking of those pins coming out of my dad's leg! He has been pretty drugged up to fight the pain, so it has been a bit difficult to connect with him. The other day, he was trying to feed himself while he was sleeping ... it was pretty funny! :) Hopefully, he will be able to stay at the hospital until his next surgery. Unfortunately, it is looking more like he is going to have to be transferred to a nursing home until his surgery. We are praying that doesn't happen, but if he does have to be transferred, we have a spot waiting for us in a very good nursing home, so that is a blessing.

In other big news, we started our registry this weekend. It was so fun to start. We had a much more enjoyable time with this than we did for our wedding. Wedding registering was so hectic and stressful, with so many decisions to be made and an appropriate blending of tastes to be had. With this, we had many decisions to make, but it seemed much easier and more fun. I had to laugh at Tim. We were walking into Babies R' Us, and he said, "I think that we will be done with this in an hour." I cracked up! He had no idea how many things a baby can use! :) Three hours and 15 minutes later, we were leaving because the store was closing -- not because we were done. In fact, we only got through about 65% of the store, so we have a bit more to do. But, we have officially started. It feels good because we have our theme, furniture, the registry started and a good start on picking out a chair for the nursery. After that, we are pretty much set.



I have pictures of us registering that I will have to add later since I left my camera at home (oops!). Hope you all are well.

Thank you so much for the love, support and prayers we have received in regards to my dad's leg. We have been very blessed!

Love,
Katie

Another Fourth of July ... Another Broken Bone (Well, Two)

Wow! What a weekend. Grandy Rose, Grampy Fred, Uncle Jeff and Auntie Anne and I (Katie) went to Missouri for the super fun family Fourth of July gathering (Tim stayed home to work on the house). We rarely miss this event since we get to see so much family at one time ... and let's face it, the Noonan's are a blast!! There is a campground at Mark Twain Lake that most everyone goes to ... fun place for most -- for Grampy Fred, it is a dangerous place! Last Fourth of July, when Grampy Fred was there, he fractured his right foot. When he was there in September for his and Grandy's surprise 30th Anniversary party, he tripped on a campfire ring (it was dark and there was no fire in this ring) and came out of that pretty bruised. This year ... well, this year it got much worse!

On Saturday, most of the family decided to go to the water park that is connected with the campgrounds. The day started out very promising with a dip in the Wave Pool. For the second ride of choice, many of the guys got in line to go on a three-story water slide that has a pretty steep angle to it, goes underground and shoots you into a pool of water. You know, the key to water slides is the pool of water at the end that slows you down. The problem with this slide: there was only 3 - 5" of water in the pool. Given Grampy Fred's height and weight, this didn't do much to slow him down as he shot down the slide ... actually, what slowed him down was the concrete wall at the end of the pool ... ouch! Given that his feet were crossed at the ankles, his right leg took the brunt of the force, causing his tibia and fibula bones to break. He has seven breaks between the two bones. Immediately, and through God's provisions, my dad was surrounded by a trauma nurse, a paramedic (my cousin, Mike) and a nurse (my cousin, Kelly). With their help, we made the decision to travel 40 miles to the hospital in Quincy, Illinois. There was a closer hospital, but Mike didn't think they would be able to handle my dad's case.

I wasn't at the water park, so Auntie Anne and Uncle Jeff rushed back to the campgrounds to get me. My heart about stopped when I heard that my dad was in an ambulance on the way to the emergency room because he broke his leg. We got to the hospital and learned that night that there were seven breaks in his bones (we originally thought two to five) and that he needed surgery to install something called and external fixature (I think that is how it is spelled). Basically, it consists of pins that are drilled through the foot and connected with rods outside of his legs. It is bulky and gnarly.

While the hospital staff in Quincy was fabulous, the big decision then was, do we stay in Illinois, or try to get him back home. We decided that given the extensive surgery, and the extensive post-operation care he will need, it would be best to get him home. On Monday, were rented a second vehicle, took the seats out of Jeff's van, put and air mattress in, put Grampy on the air mattress and made the long journey home. Actually, given the number of stops and the distance traveled, we made very good time arriving at Bronson Hospital (where Baby Liby will be born) at about 9:30 p.m. Grampy was pretty drugged up on pain-killers so the trip was fairly smooth for him with little pain.

This morning, he went though his first of potentially two surgeries, and had an external fixature put in. Baring no complications/infections, he will have a second surgery next week to actually repair the break as today's surgery was more to stabilize the leg, giving the skin a chance to heal and stop swelling. I am uploading X-rays of the break to the blog (look at the previous post) ... it looks pretty nasty.

Right now, we are so thankful for many things ... that the injury wasn't worse (it could have been); that we have had fabulous doctors (both in Quincy and at Bronson; that the nurses in Quincy were wonderful and very accommodating; that the car rental guy in Quincy was very helpful; that the trip home went smoothly; that family was around for this whole thing (the Noonan's are one supportive bunch); that God worked many small details so long ago to make this process much smoother ... just to name a few.

The things we are praying for ... of course, a quick and painless healing for Grampy (they are estimating three to four months before he can put weight on that foot again); doctor's wisdom; peace and patience for Grandy, my sisters, brother-in-laws, Tim and me; patience and clarity for my dad; a faster healing then the doctors are predicting ... God can work miracles, and He created the bones that are broken ... He can definitely heal them, too!

Please join us in thankfulness and prayer ... God is good. He has a plan for us all in this, and He will take care of my dad ...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to bring you harm; plans to give you a hope and future." Jeremiah 29:11 (my memorized paraphrase :) ) When God said this to the Israelites, He was doing so while they were in slavery and bondage to the Babylonians. He was telling them that He saw them, still loved them and was waiting to care for them. It feels a lot like my dad is going to be in bondage this summer ... a slave to his leg ... already many summer plans have been changed or put into question. It looks like my Dad has been harmed (well, he has) and while the Israelites were physically harmed in their slavery, God still knew their future and the good things in their future. God is still here, watching over my dad, loving him and healing him with each passing day ... it feels good to know that ...

Katie

X-rays posted below ...

The Breaks

Here are the breaks ... in all of their painful glory ...

Front View:

Back View:

Side-Right View:

Side-Left View:

24 Weeks, 2 Days ... Wow!

Boy! Time is flying ... Tim and I computed the weeks out the other day and were just blown away with the fact that the final trimester starts in just a few weeks ... wow!

We still have much to do with the house, but are progressing. Tim has been working very hard. We are getting closer to the point where we can actually have help with the house. We are actually putting the studs back into the room tonight, so the wall is going back up -- this means we won't have a masterusery! We will have two separate rooms ... yeah!!

I cannot believe we are this close to the third trimester; time sure does fly. I was reading my Pregnancy, Week-by-Week book last night and they showed a picture of what baby looks like in the womb. Let me just say, Baby sure does not have a lot of room to move ... I cannot imagine what it is going to be like in the next months as Baby Liby grows and grows. The upside to Baby running out of room is that I feel him/her move so much more. (S)He remains pretty quite through most of the days, but is very active in the mornings and night. Tim has been feeling Baby move pretty consistently, but oftentimes, when he puts his hand on my tummy, Baby quits moving (giggle!). I am pretty sure that as the weeks progress, he won't have any problems feeling Baby move -- and seeing Baby move!!

We went to the doctors last week for a check-up. Baby's heartbeat was 166 bpm. We go again next month, and then after that we start the bi-weekly visits ... I am just amazed at how fast the time is going. Our appointment was with Linda, again ... she is just fabulous! She really takes the time to let you connect with your baby, and to answer any questions. I never feel rushed in her presence. I truly appreciate her!

I realized that as of right now, I am not super anxious about meeting baby (don't get me wrong, I am super excited about it, but I am not at a point where I just think all about who Baby is, what (s)he will look like, etc.). Maybe that "I can't wait" feeling will come, but as of now, I am very content with how time is progressing ... perhaps it is because we have so much to do that I want time to move as slowly as possible.

Love,
Katie

Update, Update, Update

Okay, All. Here is the promised updated belly picture ... this was taken yesterday, at 23 weeks, 1 day. Compare it to the previous blogs to see how big my belly has gotten over the past few weeks. Sometimes I think that my stomach is HUGE, and then reality hits and I realize that my stomach is not even close to how big it is going to get ... whoa!!

I am updating the survey ... don't forget to vote! The new question ... do you think Baby Liby will be a boy or a girl ...

Construction Update: Tim was able to work in the mastursery yesterday. He actually has the wall being supported by the chains. This is FABULOUS!! Now we have two weeks of lifting the floor, which will be done just in time for the electrician to come, then we can get the wall put back in (yeah!!!) and begin moving forward. Once the wall is in, we are going to start calling on all of you who have volunteered to help so be prepared! :)

My scanner is finally fixed, so I am updating the ultrasound picture today, too. If you haven't seen the actual video from the ultrasound, don't forget to scroll down and check it out (just click on the video to make it play).

As always, we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read your comments so feel free to leave some.

Happy Monday to you (you know, "Happy Monday" sounds like an oxymoron to me, but I hope you have a great day, anyway).

Love,
Katie

Freak Out Moment ...

22 Weeks, 6 Days ...

So, had a small freak out moment last night ... it was when I was laying in bed, feeling Baby Liby move, around 11:00 last night. This time, however, instead of feeling baby move in just one area -- which is how it has been in the past -- I felt baby moving all over my stomach. I felt the Baby moving up high, down low and in between ... it was crazy! While I was very excited -- even waking Tim up to tell him -- this got me thinking about how big Baby Liby is right now (not that I know specifics, (s)he just feels big), and how big Tim was when he was born (something huge like 10 pounds) and, well, sleep was hard to find after I went down that path ... breathe, Katie, just breathe ... :)

My self-talk to get out of this train of thought is something along the line of, "millions of woman have done this successfully, you can, too, Katie ..." sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. There are just so many unknowns. I know that labors can be different per child, but I think that as we look to have more children, there will be much less anxiety since I will have gone through one labor already, and I can have some idea of what to expect. There is just no explaining to a person who has never gone through it. I have heard all sorts of stories, but until I am there, it won't be real to me.

We ordered our nursery furniture last weekend. A picture of
the crib is posted. We are getting white since the trim in the nursery room will be painted white. We ordered the crib, a 6-drawer dresser and a nightstand. We probably won't get them until September, but they are ordered ... which means that one thing can be checked off of the list ... whew! :)

By way of a masterusery project update, Tim has been working on reconstructing the windows -- this will allow us to easily open and close them, and he is replacing the glass in them. This project, like all others, is a tedious one. We haven't moved far on getting the wall put back in because he had to have some special steel braces created ... no lie, I am continually amazed at my husband, and how smart he is!

That is all for now. Hope you all are doing well.

Love,
Katie

"I Felt the Baby Move ... I Think ..." and Other Random Thoughts

21 weeks, 5 days and counting ...

So, Baby Liby is moving with more intensity, now ... which is very calming for me (Katie). The only bummer is that Tim hadn't been able to feel baby move ... up until Tuesday night ... he thinks. :) He felt something, but then he said that he didn't know if it was my breathing that he felt.

Actually, in his sleepiness right before we went to bed on Wednesday, he was able to feel the baby move a couple of times, but it was very light. It is so strange how you can feel the baby move inside of you, but by the time it reaches the outside of your stomach, it is hardly noticable. We sat in bed again last night with his hand on my tummy and he was able to feel something light again. I am pretty sure it is our baby moving around because when he noticed something, I felt baby move inside (and I was trying to hold my breath to take that out of the equation ... not easily done since I have been pregnant). :)

I can't wait for him to be able to feel baby move more often ... it will be so fun!! The other day he asked me what it felt like when the baby moves inside. It is so hard to answer that because it truly feels unlike anything I have ever experienced. Even here, in an element of writing, I still cannot quite put the words to it. I do have to say that men really miss out on it though ... it is one of the neatest things I have ever felt. I just love when I am sitting there and baby just starts moving all around ... it feels so ... peaceful.

Those of you who know my passions know that I have a passion for football (yes, even the Detroit Lions are my team of choice, I am still able to have a passion for the sport -- hard to believe most seasons). I would LOVE to have a son that plays football. Well, I am beginning to wonder if I have a punter in the works. The other night, Tim and I were talking on the phone, I was laying on the couch, and all of the sudden, Baby Liby took a whack at my bladder. Up until this point, I really didn't have to go to the bathroom. After his/her fifth kick, I had to promptly get off of the phone and go to the bathroom -- that was the strangest thing! I was there, talking to Tim about nothing in particular, and then I can't get a word out edgewise between the kicks. It was soooo funny! We couldn't help but laugh all about it. I do hope that baby does not make a habit of this, though. It could have been much worse if my bladder was full! :)

Our dear friends, Jason and Kelly Haak just had their first baby a month ago ... a son. He is so adorable! It was surreal observing Kel in labor and then holding the tiny newborn, thinking the whole time that in a few short months, Tim and I would be holding our son/daughter. In my past observations of friends in preganancy/labor.early parenthood, we have been so far from having a baby that I could really seperate that in my mind -- not so the case, recently. Holding him was a real moment of "yikes!" and "wow!" all at the same time.

In some moments, I cannot wait for that day to arrive. In other moments, when I think of all the things we need to get done, how running to the store will not be a simple venture any longer, the late night feedings, etc., I am very pleased to have 19 - 21 weeks until baby comes (I work under the assumption that Baby Liby may arrive up to two weeks late, so I won't be as disappointed if my due date comes and goes before baby comes!).

Well, I guess that is all for now. Sorry that I haven't "blogged" in a bit ... my goal is at least weekly, but I slacked in the past few weeks. Since it seems that my tummy has grown exponentially larger the past few days, I will take an updated picture this weekend and upload, so watch for that!

God is so good to us!

Love,
Katie