NOAH

Where 9 months equals 40 weeks

Noah's Online Photo Album

32 Weeks

at the pool

Noah and Daddy

28 June 2006

23 November 2006

Happy Thanksgiving! Noah and I went had our Turkey Dinner at the fire department as usual. Dinner was great, and we met a new family that moved here recently.

Noah is 5 months old and rolling over when he feels like it. Although he prefers not to! He is lagging a tiny bit behind from our trip home. There was so much running around and visiting that he didn't get as much tummy time, but he's doing great! We are looking at houses in Colorado for the move....expensive. I asked some people who are from the area and everyone has told me that we will have a hard time finding anything decent for under $300,000. And apparently Denver has the 3rd worst traffic in the nation. I just read today that Britney Spears is looking to buy a new home, and she's willing to spend almost $30,000,000! Maybe she will be willing to buy me a home while she's at it? LOL, if only it were that easy. I want a yard for the dog and the baby, a fireplace, and a nice neighborhood. Tim wants a two car garage and somewhere to putz around with his tools. We want an office/library, and a roomy kitchen. Of course we need extra room for all of our junk/hobbies, play area, and guests. It adds up quickly. We'll never get everything we want, and everytime we find a listing that seems right it turns out to have a major defect, like an awful neighborhood.

On a completely different note, I want to own my own business one day. There are a lot of things I would like to do. Danika, being the wicked one that she is, suggested a Revenge For Hire agency. LOL, as entertaining as it sounds I don't think its a legally sound venture.

17th November, 2006

Its been awhile since I updated anything here. A lot has happened since August, obviously. Noah is almost 5 months old now, and getting so big! Last sunday we flew back into frankfurt from a three week trip home. It was wonderful to see everyone, and we all had a great time. Noah was thoroughly spoiled by everyone's generosity and gift giving! And of course I can't count the number of times someone told us how cute he was. We know he's adorable but like any doting parents we never get tired of hear it! The only low point was our flight back to germany. Apparently in our last days home someone that had contact with Noah had also touched something that had congunctivistis on it and now my little boy has pink eye in both eyes! It first started to be noticable at the airport, but I didn't think much of it at the time because he has plugged tear ducts and that causes his eyes to tear and gum up sometimes. But by the time we boarded the plane it was getting obvious that it was more than his plugged tear ducts acting up. The doctor prescribed medication and it is clearing up. I just hope that I don't get it!

An acquaintence is trying to gather up answers to baby related questions for a baby shower family feud game. Click on the link below to take the really short survey and help her out!

Baby Feud Questionaire at zoomerang.com

27 August 2006

Noah's 2 month checkup is on the 30th of this month. He gets shots, oh no! The past few days he has been more fussy than usual, in fact he is crying right now. Its such a sad little cry! We've had pediatric vitamins to give him since his 2 week checkup but he can't keep them down so I have all but stopped giving them to him until his appointment.

20 August 2006

Classes are supposed to start tomorrow, but the class I was scheduled to take was cancelled and now I have to go in tomorrow and try to get another class in its place. Most classes will be full by now and there is only one class this term that applies to my degree that I can take other than the class that was cancelled. Bummer.

Noah is sleeping much better at night, but still not through the night consistently. He is growing like a weed, and so much more active now. He is starting to look more like his own person, and less like Tim. We still don't know who's eye color he will have, but if it keeps getting lighter he'll have Tim's eyes.

I have my 8 week appointment on the 25th, and Noah's 8 week shots on the 30th. Poor baby, nobody likes shots.

Its been a while since I've updated the page, I know. Noah keeps me pretty busy and when I am not taking care of him I'm sleeping. I keep hearing reminders about birth announcements. I know we need to get them out. I have been working on it. I found exactly what I want to do with them, now its just a matter of figuring out how to make them the way I want and getting them printed up and mailed out. Patience please.

5 August 2006

Noah is 5 1/2 weeks already, and is definitely on stateside time! He thinks bedtime is 7am. Last night he woke up an hour after I put him down and refused to sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time until almost 8 this morning. I laid in bed holding him, since it was the only thing that would keep him from screaming, from 1:30am until 6am when Tim tried to put him in his crib in the other room so I could sleep. That lasted a whole 5 minutes until I couldn't take his crying any more. He is a sweet and wonderful baby but he is only happy if I am holding him. If he expects to see his first birthday he had better let me sleep once in a while :-)

Noah has his 2 month appointment on the 30th of this month. He will start his shots then. I'm really not looking forward to that day. He had his hearing test on the 3rd, and passed with flying colors. I explained to them about my brother's hearing problems as a toddler and they told me to keep an eye on it because that could still happen. It has finally cooled off here, but the rain is a little depressing. I love thunder storms but since the 4th of July Axe has been a little neurotic around loud noises. Poor baby. He has been a bit calmer since then as well and I jokingly told Tim that Axe probably had a minor heart attack on the 4th and thats why he is so much calmer now. I thought his poor heart was going to burst from the stress!

Its time for me to get a haircut again. Darn hair just grows too fast. I'm used to getting a trim every once in a while since most of my life I had extra long hair, but now that it is short it seems to need a trim every other week. Its been almost two months and I am probably starting to look a little straggly. But I have an excellent excuse. Of course its easy to get a haircut, it'll take more effort to lose the baby weight. My checkup is at the end of the month and if my stitches have healed by then I'll get the go ahead to start working out again.

After Noah's hearing appointment I ran into our birthing instructor at the hospital. She got to see Noah and I told her about his delivery. She is a labor and delivery nurse there and was really upset by what I told her. She wants me to fill out one of their comment questionairs. Her opinion was that, yes everything turned out ok for us but it very easily could have ended tragically. I tend to agree with her but I still feel bad about complaining since there were some wonderful people there too.

We are building an online photo album at shutterfly.com. Right now it has athe last two months photos and more are being added. Also, it has a feature where you can upload pictures. There is no size limit so files don't have to be minimized. You can also order prints or whatnot.

24 July 2006

It has been in the high 90's here nearly every day now for a while and this country still does not believe in a/c. What in the world is wrong with them? It isn't a third world nation. Some of the Germans were saying that it never used to get so hot here, but since the 1990's the summer temp has just gone up.

Noah is growing and growing but the heat definitely does not agree with him. I'm more concerned about the temp. possibly leading to a febrile seizure more than anything. I had a fever a couple days ago and I didn't want to hold him because I didn't want him tp get sick, or for him to get any hotter by being against me. Breastfeeding is ....going. Well, poorly, I suppose thats all up for interpretation. He nurses now, which he never could before, but he still cannot latch on correctly and I've felt few things more painful in my life. We've started having to give him formula again to supplement since he wants more than he can get and I can give, and I can really use those breaks.

He was up ALL night, wouldn't shut his eyes. I'm so envious of how every time its Tim's night to watch him he sleeps all night long...yet on my nights its up all night. Sleep sounds so good. I haven't slept in 8 months almost.

I've been working on Thank Yous and Birth Announcements. I tried to keep all the gifts and cards sorted and in one place so that it would be easy to send out thank yous but lately its been impossible to keep anything in one place for long! And Tim's obsessive need to "organize" is nerve wracking :-) He feels compelled to "pick things up" but then neither one of us can find anything when he does that. I suppose at the time it makes perfect sense to him to put things where he does and organize them in that order, but after teh fact he can't remember where anything went! Men. Its wonderful that the house looks great, but if we can't find anything.....

Noah has his hearing test on the 3rd of August. HOpefully Tim's blaring of the radio and tv hasn't damaged his hearing yet. I keep telling him that if he would just turn it down his ears would adjust. I turn the tv down during commercials so I can hear it better during the show. COmmericals are almost always much louder than the program you are watching and your ears get used to the higher volume and then you have to turn the show up. So frustrating. I still have to schedule Noah's 2 month appointment. That is when he starts his shots. Its going to be a bad day.

17 July 2006

I know, I know its been a while since the page was updated. Things have been busy around here. Noah is finally starting to nurse, but still gets bottles a couple times a day. He's a little iffy about the nursing idea. Sometimes he latches right now and other times he gets frustrated or lazy and won't cooperate, but over all things are getting better in that area. He had his 2 week check up last wednesday and he weighed 7lbs and 4oz. And was 20 1/4 inches long. He's doing good for being 3 weeks early. His little legs aren't quite so skinny anymore, and he is getting cute little cheeks. He has actually slept through the night a couple of times, and then there have been a few nights where he refused to sleep at all. mainly, he just wants to be held and cuddled. In fact right now he is in his cradle whimpering because I'm not holding him. He is thoroughly spoiled rotten already. As for me things have gotten a little better. My stitches have healed somewhat and I can get around more now. I still have trouble sitting up straight because of my back but its gotten a little better. Now if only I could get a full night's sleep things would be great!

5 July 2006

Well we are never taking the dog to a fireworks show again! I wanted to leave him at home but Tim can't stand to not take Axe so he went. Everything was fine until the fireworks started. Poor Axe, I thought he was going to have a stress induced heart attack or stroke! Tim tried taking him inside the fest tent but the noise still had Axe going nuts and nothing we did could calm him down. Tim couldn't even pick him up and carry him he was so frantic. Our dog is the gentlest animal I know but I even thought he had reached his breaking point and was going to bite Tim. Tim took him back to the car and Axe fought so hard to get loose and run that he wore all of his claws down to the nerves and bled everywhere. He was pulling so hard we were worried that he might have broken his trachea! Tim couldn't even get a pulse on him it was so high and his respirations were over 50 a minute. And that was after the fireworks had stopped!! We brought him home and put him in bed so he could calm down. He seems fine this morning other than his poor feet.

Noah is doing well. He slept all through the night the other night when it was Tim's turn. Of course last night when itwas my turn to take care of him he wanted to eat every 30 minutes, and you couldn't keep a clean diaper on him for much longer than that! I didn't get to sleep until after 9am!!! Now he is out like a light of course. His dirty clothes made it into the washer today. Tim wants to have a 1 Week Old birthday party for him. Hey, as long as there is cake involved I'm there :-)

I was able to get Noah to nurse for a couple minutes today without him getting panicky and frustrated. A couple minutes is better than nothing. He is just so little!

2 July 2006



As most of you already know, Noah Timothy Tichawa was born on the 28th of June at 9:00am. I've been a little slow at updating the website, but I have a great excuse!



My water broke at about 7:45pm on the 27th, and the contractions started immediately. I took a shower and Tim got something to eat and we headed to the hospital. Noah was born after a busy 13 hours in between! I'll just give you the highlights for the sake of brevity. Doctor Jackson was on call that night. They gave me an epidural, and it stopped my contractions. It also completley deadened my right leg and partially deadened my left leg so that I had to have Tim and the nurse help me move since I couldn't move my legs. So then they opened up a bag of Petocin on my IV and waited to see what would happen. The external monitor was not picking up any contractions so they kept bumping the petocin dose up. After a while I realized that my stomach was rock hard and had been that way for a while. We called the nurse in and told her that I most definetely was having contractions and the machine wasn't picking them up. She felt my stomach and immediately cut the petocin dose in half. The petocin was causing titanic contractions, and they can put a baby in distress. The monitor kept losing Noah's heart rate, and my blood pressure was going too low. Everytime they would pick his heart rate up again by moving the external monitor they noticed that it was decelerating from his usual 140-160 to a frighteningly low 60-110 range. Everytime they would reposition me his heart rate would go back up, and then start to come down again. It progressively started staying lower and lower until the high was 120 instead of 160. They put me on oxygen and turned off the petocin. And then we waited. Because of his heart rate they had put Noah on an internal monitor, but unfortunately that kept coming undone and they would have to go in and re-attach it. My epidural started to wear off and the left side of my back felt like someone had driven a knife into it. They couldn't turn me onto my side to ease the pressure because of Noah's heart rate. The nurses didn't want to give me another epidural because of the problems it had caused earlier. Pushing started and the anesthesiologist was called to give me a bolus dose for the pain since it was strong enough to cause my body to start slowing down and weakening contractions. The bolus never took effect and we kept on through the pushing stage. I felt like my back was being drilled into and my body ripped apart :-) Noah was almost crowning and everyone decided to "take a break" since it was shift change time and they all had a staff meeting to go to. There is a point where your body just can't stop and will keep pushing on its own. I was at that point. Tim and I were in there for an hour and a half while almost everyone was gone, doing whatever it is that they do. The new nurse came in and had me switch positions so I was sitting and not putting excess pressure on my back. We asked who the morning shift Doctor was and they said that it would be Dr. Hester. Tim and I were relieved since we had hoped that we would be able to avoid having Dr. Meade deliver since we had not felt comfortable with him as my OB provider and had requested a switch to a different Dr. Five minutes later the door opens and In walks Dr. Meade, saying that he is going to be delivery our baby this morning. And then he looks up and recognizes us and says.."Oh, we've met before." Tim's face was priceless. Dr. Meade turned around and walked out. They called for the morning anesthesiologist and he came down after hew as done with whatever case he had earlier. Apparently he had been briefed at the staff meeting on the problems we had had earlier and was hesitant to give my anything for the pain. So he stood in the corner and watched me scream for a good 15 minutes, then told the nurse to call him in 15 minutes if I was still in that much pain. After a half hour they finally paged him to come back and he gave me a shot of a narcotic to ease the pain since the routine drugs weren't doing anything for my back. The pain medication numbed my back but not much else. Noah was born soon after. As his head was starting to come out the nurses opened the door and started yelling for Dr. Meade, since technically he is supposed to be the one delivering the baby. He walks in and asks if he is too late. Nope, not yet. So he gets ready to catch and out pops Noah's head. Then his body tumbles out, shot out is more like it. All I can see is one end of the baby going up, and then the other end of the baby going up, and so on. Dr. Meade couldn't get a grip on him because of the gloves do he tossed Noah up onto my stomach since I was had the hospital gown on and Noah would "stick" to it. All I knew was that this dark purple thing had just come flying at me. I eventually realized it was a baby :-) Dr. Meade clamped the cord off and asked Tim if he wanted to cut the cord. Tim cut the cord and Dr. Meade literally yanked the scissors out of his hand like Tim couldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors. Then they delivered the placenta. After that they started massaging my abdomen and asked me to push so they could make sure that there wasn't any internal bleeding or placenta left. I pushed and all of a sudden I felt my blood pressure start dropping, and heard what sounded like running water hitting the floor. I looked at Dr. Meade and the nurse and they both yelled at me to stop pushing. Apparently I had a small tear that unknown to them was right on top of an artery so when they had me push the pressure caused the tiny tear to open and lengthen which of course is what caused the sudden blood loss. Dr. Meade started yelling orders at his techs, and the next thing I know Tim is running back and forth with the baby in one arm and an IV bag in the other, hanging the IV, hitting buttons and doing this and that. It wasn't until it was all over that Dr. Meade even realized that it was Tim that had been carrying out his orders. He looked at Tim and went "Where do you work?" They took my blood pressure and it was about 70/30. This started several hours of them trying to raise my blood pressure and keep it there. At one point I had three bags running into my at one time. I had so much fluid in me that I barely recognized myself in the mirror. After a few more bouts with my low blood pressure and blood sugar they wheeled me up to Mother and Baby Ward, where we stayed until Friday morning. Which also happened to be Tim's promotion ceremony, that Noah and I obviously missed. So thats about it. Now I am off to change another diaper and wait for Tim to get home. He took Axe to his first dog show today and Tim just called to let me know that Axe took 2nd place in his age group, competing against much more experienced dogs that have done very well in the past. Apparently Axe now has his very own trophy.

Update: The first thing that I thought when I saw Noah was that he looks Just Like Tim. From the ultrasound I joked that hte poor kid would have his father's nose and forehead. Now we know for sure. Noah has his father's mouth, nose, eyes, eyelashes, and forehead. Yet somehow our baby has a head full of dark hair and what looks like possibly green eyes. I guess we will have to wait and see. Newborn hair falls out rather quickly and is replaced by the "real" hair so we might still have a little blonde boy. The eyes could take 6 months to fully develop. Tim says that Noah has his looks and my temperament...not sure what that is supposed to mean :-)

27 June 2006



So last night was by far the worst contractions to date. Again, they started during early evening, weren't bad at all other than a nagging backache, and slowly progressed to painful belly contractions. Managed to fall asleep, only to wake up 30 minutes later because the contractions were coming 3 minutes apart and lasting over a minute each and hurt like you wouldn't believe (unless you've done this before ;-) I couldn't breath and the bedroom suddenly felt like an oven even though it was probably in the 60's, so I went out into the living room and laid on the couch trying to find a comfortable position. Axe apparently got worried about me and insisted on curling up next to me on the couch, even though getting him off the bed...ever...is nearly impossible. He has developed a habit of curling up against Noah and not budging. Its cute but when I am having contractions the lightest touch against my stomach is utterly painful and the dog pushing against me doesn't always go over very well. My back started to hurt more and more and the contractions were moving from my lower abdomen to my back, until it felt like I was slowly having weights lowered onto my back with the pain wrapping around to the front. I decided to wait to wake Tim up, even though my contractions were definitely strong enough to have them keep me in Labor & Delivery this time, because I was just TOO TIRED and out of it to even think about about getting dressed and going anywhere. I took a hot shower to help ease the backpain and tried to curl up on the couch again but my back just hurt too much so I grabbed my pillows and headed for bed. Tim woke up and asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital but I told him no, I really wanted to try to sleep. After a while I must have fallen asleep because I woke up a few hours later and was back to my "regular" contractions...irritating and uncomfortable but not painful. Aaarg!!! Next time I am so going to L&D and they are either going to give me something to help me sleep, ease the pain, or they are getting this child out of me! Going to try taking a walk today, if my body will let me. Hopefully Noah will drop more and I'll dilate that little bit more I need for them to take me seriously. I think I might have a tiny leak but if I do it is so small right now that its pretty inconsequential. If only I could be part of the lucky 10% that has their water break spontaniously and then the hospital wouldn't be able to send me home regardless of contractions or dilation. Hm. Noah...could you poke around a little and spring a good sized leak for mommy? Speaking of Noah, he was back to being hyper-active yesterday. He didn't stop moving all day. Now of course he is being too quiet again. Hopefully that means he is diligently working on dropping more and coming out.



Tim bought the parts for the Tahoe and put it all back together again yesterday. So now I can stop worrying about not having a car to bring Noah home from the hospital in. If only he would get here soon! I made the mistake of catching my reflection this morning and my profile is a frightening thing. Luckily Noah never decided to play up under my ribs that much, but I don't even want to contemplate what the diameter of my midsection is.

26 June 2006



I finally got a couple hours of sleep this morning and I'm not quite as crazy from sleep deprivation now :-) The contractions eased up around 3am, but are slowly building back up. Right now I am making waffles and Tim is home, ever the optimist, hoping that Noah might actually decide to come out today. I wish.

Update: I was just about to send Tim back to work since this pot is obviously never going to boil with him watching, when he made the same decision. So he is on his way back to work and I'm doing laundry. Boring. I feel like I have a vise around my lower abdomen :-) Noah! I know you are in there!

25 June 2006






Well, here is my update. I've been having "real" contractions for 3 days and I'm still here at home and pregnant. I've made barely any progress. The contractions are consistent throughout the day but come in waves of excrutiatingly painful ones and bearable ones. My body seems to have reached its own plateau for now and is refusing to DO anything productive other than make me miserable and keep me curled up in bed. The hospital here won't keep you or do anything to help progress labor unless you are in textbook "active labor" which is dilated greater than 4 centimeters with contractions at a minimum of 3 minutes apart, that are so strong that you can't talk through them. Well, gee. I may not be dilated to a 4 but I spent a good deal of today curled up crying, with white knuckles, because it hurt so bad yet when I called Labor & Delivery to see about coming in the nurse basically told me that I shouldn't bother because she hadn't "heard" me have a contraction during the 2 minutes I was talking to her. So apparently they don't care that I'd reached a 3, was 50% effaced three days ago when they checked me, have been having consistent contractions anywhere from 1 minute to 5 minutes apart for THREE DAYS, and had bloody show yesterday morning followed by a day and a half of the most painful contractions I've had to date. Nope, apparently I need to be screaming hyserically when I call or I can't come in. My contractions are reaching all across my back and I can't stand up straight...forget about walking. My lower back where my back injury is has been killing me, and when I get especially strong contractions in my back I can feel pain shooting down the back of my left leg. I haven't slept in days. Contractions are the worst at night. Laying in bed just makes them seem more painful because I'm just laying there waiting for them. And of course Tim keeps refusing to take me to the hospital to get checked because he "doesn't want to sit there forever with nothing to do." So I asked him when I'm allowed to go to the hospital and he told me "When you are screaming." Apparently he doesn't think I need to go until I'm pushing the baby out. In reality he secretly wants to deliver the baby himself and will keep putting off going to the hospital in hopes that I'll end up so progressed that there just won't be time to get to the hospital and oh darn, he'll have to do an emergency home birth. Forget the fact that my back is a serious concern. I've wanted to kill him all day. His whole philosophy is to ignore me, or make jokes about it, and then tell me that it really wasn't that bad. Really? I didn't know that he was having contractions too! If I don't get some serious sleep soon I am going to lose my mind.

23 June 2006

Well tonight was exciting. Baby Noah has been REALLY quiet since yesterday so we decided to go in to Labor & Delivery to have him monitored for a little while. Thankfully he started moving, for the first time today, while we were there hooked up to the machine. They said his heart rate looks excellent and the lack of movement is him just getting ready to come out sometime soon. Then they did an internal exam and the nurse goes "Wow, you're really low!" Turns out I am almost 3 centimeters dilated, 50% effaced and all that good stuff. Then she says, well Dr. Higgins is the Doc on call tonight so if you come in again he'll be the one delivering your baby. Tonight? They plan on seeing me again sometime this week. Not bad. I have my bag packed. Ready to go. Looking forward to an epidural.

22 June 2006

The cradle and crib bedding finally arrived! Tim and I spent last night putting everything together. Hopefully now Noah won't take too much longer to make up his mind about his birthday.

21 June 2006

Just wanted to say think you to everyone who has been kind enough to send gifts for Noah. Things have been so busy lately and I have not been able to send out thank you cards to everyone yet, but I just wanted everyone to know that their thoughts and well wishes are greatly appreciated. Now if anyone wants to send diapers *wink wink*

21 June 2006

Aarg, new stretch marks!

I was doing so well, darnit. At least they are low on the belly and shouldn't show once I can wear regular clothes again.

I have my next appointment on the 30th. I'll be 37/38 weeks. If you go by my due date of the 16th of July I would be 37 weeks and 5 days. If you go by the original and bumped up date of the 11th of July then that makes it 38 weeks 3 days. Either way its that many days closer to being done. Being able to walk again, mmm, sounds like fun. Of course Noah is laying sideways again today. Why he can't stay that way when they check his position.....Oh well.

20th June 2006


I had my 36 week check-up yesterday, which turned into my 37 week check-up. The new Dr is bumping my due date back up to the original one of July 11th, instead of the 16th. But I'm not getting too excited since I could still go past both dates. Lets hope not. There isn't a whole lot to tell from yesterday. My appointment was for 3:20, and they ask you to show up 15 minutes early. I was there at 3:00. I sat in the waiting room until 4:20. A tech finally ame and took me to an exam room and took my weight, blood pressure, etc. That took all of 5 minutes. Then I sat and waited for the Dr. until after 5:00. He finally made it in, measured me, checked Noah's posiiton, which is a whole other story right now, and went over the basics then sent me on my way. Over all, other then waiting FOREVER, it was a pretty quick appointment but I didn't feel rushed. Noah was laying sideways the entire time I was waiting for the Dr. When I laid back for the measurments, Noah turned head down, and stayed that way while the Dr checked his position. As soon as the Dr had me sit up Noah went right backto being sideways and stayed that way for the rest of the night. This kid is trying to frustrate me. I tried to tell the Dr that Noah is constantly changing positions and its unlikely if not impossible that he will stay head down any time soon. I got the look that most First Time Mom's get when they insist that they know something. LOL. He thoguht it was funny when I told him that Noah is constantly changing positions, since most babies pick one and stick with it about now. But no, MY child has to go and be an individual. It isn't uncomfortable and I really have no problems from Noah flip flopping all the time, but I do worry about the possibility of him tangling his cord as he gets a little bigger. He rolls all around in there. As long as he doesn't start practicing his boy scout knots on his umbilical cord we'll be just fine.

In the last photo, the one at the pool, my stomach looks a lot smaller than it is. Noah is huge! The water really helps redistribute the pressure from the belly. We still haven't made it to the pool again yet. Something always comes up, usually its getting Tim out of work before bedtime. Now that he is doing the computer thing at work, along with his regular job, he is constantly being bombarded with "I need this" "My e-mail isn't working" "How come..." "Hey, we need you to go fix the computers at..." Hopefully today he will be home "early" since he his giving our neighbor a ride. Lets hope.

The Tahoe is really making me mad. Its supposed to be the camaro that is always breaking down, but no, apparently the Tahoe was feeling a bit left out. Lets see, we have to replace all four roters, all four break pads, the rear brake shoes, and the air conditioner is completely out of commission. Considering that we are taking the baby home from the hospital in the Tahoe, it had better be fixed soon or I'm strangling my husband and using his life insurance to buy a new car. We've had a number of people show interest in the camaro, but Tim hasn't been very prompt about following up on any of it, since he really loves the car from hades. And he needs to sew the convertible top again. We were talking about the next car purchase and I told him that we are buying a new car with a warranty. He said that he will NEVER buy a new car and that he is the warranty. I laughed at him. So we agreed that I get my car and he can pick our next house. Of course "my car" is a distant reality. Right now I just want to sell the camaro. Tim keeps saying that he wants to get a boat when we go back to the states if we are by water. I told him he already has a boat, the camaro is just another hole he is sinking money into, LOL. Besides I don't like my hsuband very much when he is on water crafts. Lets see, there was the jet ski incident in FL, where I was thrown off 5 times, sprained my ankle and cracked my head hard enough that I might have had a concussion. Then there was the speed boat in SC with the other fire fighters. I thought we were all going to flip over and die. Then the canoe trip in SC, where Tim spend the entire afternoon trying to flip us over...but I have great balance we were the only canoe, out of like 30+ people to not tip over. Then there was Egypt, where I discovered how awful sea sickness really is. I never throw up, but I think its worst that way, no sense of relief. It was so bad that I couldn't even get my gear on. The boat crew had to come and shove me into my wetsuit, and get all my gear on and toss me in the water since I couldn't even stand on my own, and I could barely breath. I know it sounds like the opposite of what you think you should do, but really getting in the water is the only way you will feel better. Once I was 5 feet under the surface I felt perfectly fine, like nothing had happened. Its so still and the water is cooling, and of course you have perfect airflow. And I love the fish so that is a good distraction. Tim is completley useless when it comes to making you feel better unless you are gushing blood :-) He doesn't have any problems with water so he isn't too sympathetic. I'm thinking that unless its a row boat I'm staying at home.

The weather is getting hot here. We have fans on and the windows open. Looked into getting a portable a/c but they are pretty much useless and ridiculously expensive. My flowers are growing again.

16 June 2006


Almost 36 weeks! Its getting close now. I am so bored :-) I have cabin fever. I can't walk without my legs and feet aching and contractions coming on strong so I am stuck inside...sitting most of the day. So boring! Tim and I are going to go play Bingo tonight. LOL, I am so tired of going to the movies or out to dinner. I want to play games. And Tim has really good luck so we might even win something! Every time recently that I have taught him a game that I know, and that I am good at BTW, he ends up kicking my behind.

Noah is all crooked again. He just can't stay up/down for long. And he really doesn't seem to like the camaro. Everytime we drive somewhere and Tim gets the RPM's up to 3 or higher Noah gets up to the highest part of my uterus and lays sideways, bracing himself by pushing out on either side. It hurts. Cute, but painful. I have my Dr. appointment on the 19th. Hopefully they'll do another exam and tell me if I have dialated any more. The only problem is if I do go into labor and Noah decides he wants to be transverse, as usual. Thats an emergency c-section and they usually don't let spouses in the OR for those. Personally, I wouldn't mind having a c-section. There is just too many "we won't know until we get to that point..." questions about my back. The idea of going through labor and then not being able to walk really isn't appealing. They don't even know how long I would be unable to walk if that did happen, I'm assuming until the vertebrae was put back in place. And this leg is driving me nuts! Now I just have constant phantom sensations on the same spot that had the problems a couple weeks ago. And I still have some decreased sensation in that area. It feels like spiders scurrying across my thigh, and it tickles/itches but of course nothing is there and scratching at it doesnt do any good.

The contractions are waking me up throughout the night. Oddly, they hurt the most when I am sleeping. After the second or third time they wake me up I usually get up and have a bowl of cereal and watch late night tv, then go back to bed. I can usually get an hour of sleep after that, and then the contractions start up again. I am so glad that I am near the end. Of course as soon as Noah is here I am going to be begging for him to stop crying and go to sleep.

We took Axe to the vet. He has medication for his ear, which he really doesn't like much, and medication for his other infection in his reproductive tract. He really hates that medication :-) His ear has cleared up so fast! I was so happy to see it. It had gotten really bad out of the blue, most likely originally from the irritation from the tick bite. His ear does not seem to be bothering him nearly as much lately and he has stopped frantically shaking his head around.

12 June 2006

Had another night time trip to labor and delivery on Saturday night/sunday morning. I had 18 contractions in 50 minutes so they decided that I should come on in. The monitor wasn't picking up the contractions at all in the beginning but after moving it around a couple times it started to pick some of them up. So this time I didn't feel quite so silly sitting up there in L&D like last time when I got there and didn't have a single contraction for 2 hours until they took the monitor off. They gave me to glasses of water and checked my cervix twice to make sure that the contractions weren't drastically changing my cervix. I was 1 cm dialated both times, and they eventually sent us home at 3am with orders to drink more water. If I drink any more water it will start pouring out of my ears! I seriously cannot drink any more water than I am, the darn cup is permanently installed in my hand and my stomach isfull to the top with hydrating fuids. If they tell me that I am dehydrated one more time I am going to put my own IV in and end the debate. Hello, your body naturally dehadrates itself toward the end of your pregnancy, thats one of the phases of prelabor that can happen weeks before you give birth. If my body wants to start now there is very little I can do about it since it will just continue to push the fluids out, regardless of how much I drink. I've been having stronger contractions, more frequently and they wake me up throughout the night. I am 35 weeks now and Noah should be big enough to handle an early birthday so I am not too terribly worried about any of it...except the fact that he still spends alot of time transverse which means a c-section if I go into labor and he is like that.

We finally went to the pool yesterday. It was really nice. Well, walking around seeing all the european "supermodel" girls in their little itty bitty swimming suits wasn't the highlight of my day but oh well. Tim and I took our downstairs neighbors, and my friend Diana and her baby. SO it was two new moms, two newborns, one 2 year old, two husbands, and one very pregnant lady ;-) It was really nice to be in the water but at the same time let me tell you its rather unsettling at first to try to move through the water when you have a huge pregnant belly! The best way I can describe it is to say it felt like I had an inflated beach ball attached to my midsection and everytime I moved the darn ball tried to bouy itself to the surface. I felt like I was bouncing through the water with every step. Tim got a lot of color, I naturally got as little as humanly possible since I apparently fail to produce melanin like a normal human being :-) But my shoulders are red from riding in the camaro with the top down the other day. Oh, and my nose too! So I am white and red, throw a little blue on me and its the 4th of July.

My bulbs started coming up! And I can see where a lot of the seeds are trying to grow but this weather isn't very kind to seedlings.

Axe has something wrong with his ear and we are going to have to take him to a German vet because the vet on base is booked solid until July, which is waiting too long. I am pretty sure it is an infection related to a tick bite he had. A lot of the swelling where the tick was attached as gone down, but his whole mid ear area is swollen and smells. Not good. My poor puppy. It seems to be bothering him a lot. Hopefully it will be something easy to take care of with an antibiotic and maybe some drops. I just really hope it isn't anything serious.

It is getting hotter and hotter here. Really missing air conditioning about now. Both the cars need work done, but the tahoe is currently out of commission until the parts get here later this week. Not much fun. I think Tim and I are going to play some bingo. It would be something fun to do, we could get out of the house, and its different from our usual. The soccer world cup is driving everyone nuts around here. Traffic is supposed to be impossible.

You Are 35 Weeks Pregnant



Hello, Kathryn!



Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and weighs over 5 pounds. In fact, most of her development is complete. From here on, she's mostly concentrating on fattening up. You don't have a lot of room to grow either, your uterus is now about 15 times its normal size.

7 June 2006



The sun is out again and it has been getting hotter here. The package from my grandmother came last week, and I now have the baby blanket I have been waiting almost 24 years for! Its mine, darnit, just ask Grandma! It looks great and I can't wait to have it out. I started filling in the baby book. It has a spot for autographs from friends and family but I suppose that will have to wait until we are back in the states again.



My flowers haven't come up yet, but they will. I am forever optimistic. Axe is bored and wants to play outside all the time. We let him cuddle on the couch with us last night while we were watching a movie. He curled up and didn't move. Tim is taking him to a dog show with our breeders the first weekend of July. I am staying home, since driving two hours there just didn't sound like much fun to me. We were going to go up and stay the weekend but with how I have been feeling I just didn't want to take a trip away from the hospital this far along. The last thing I need is to go into labor hours away from LRMC and either have to drive back or go to a German hospital. German dr's are not big fans of pain medication and you have to relaly fight with them to get pain relievers. With my back that just doesn't seem like such a good idea.



I am swollen and tired all the time. My ring does not fit half the time and my pants are too tight. Normal pregnancy fluid retention is bad enough but Tim is always trying to feed me food that comes from a box which of course is extremely high in sodium, fats, and preservatives. He isn't much of a fan of fruits and veggies, unless they come on a pizza. Right now we are working on portion control. One pizza does not equal one serving. I remember learning about nutrition in school, was I the only one?



We were driving to LRMC the other evening and we passed the spot of my infamous accident which was 16 1/2 months ago and Tim says, "Hey, the guardrail is bent from where the car hit you." Do road crews ever fix those things? I guess not very often. I still have a lot of problems from the accident, and it has affected the pregnancy which is upsetting. It makes me angry that the woman that stopped to help me was most likely blamed for what happened. Sure, she wasn't suppose to stop where she did but what ever happened to being a good samaritan? Where should she have stopped? That was where I was stranded, as inconvienently placed as I was. The person who should have been held responsible was the woman that slammed her car into the car of the woman who was pulled over to help me. I don't know what she was doing, if she was talking on her phone, playing with the radio, or just really tired, but dozens of other cars that had passed by us had seen us, slowed down, and turned on their brights without any problems and then out of the blue that one car came flying down the ramp and hit the rear end of the other vehicle squarely. In my opinoin from what I remember and how things looked, if the car hadn't been there the woman would have run right into he guard rail because the first car was pulled as far off the road as possible and right next to the guard rail. For the second car to hit it square in the back, she would have had to have been nearly touching the guard rail. It doesn't bother me to drive past the spot anymore. Half the time I don't even think about it. I just wonder if my back will ever be the same.

You are 34 weeks pregnant



How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers, which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born, are filling her out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is still maturing and her lungs are well developed by now. If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies this age can survive outside the womb, and most have no major long-term problems related to prematurity.




How your life's changing: You may be feeling a little fatigued lately, and that's perfectly understandable. Let yourself slow down and save some energy for labor day. If you have to spend a lot of time on your feet, try wearing a maternity belt that supports your abdomen and helps redistribute some of the weight. And if you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, which may cause a temporary (but rapid) drop in your blood pressure and make you feel dizzy when you get up.

31 May 2006

After talking with our birthing class instructor, who is a nurse in Labor & Delivery here, about the problems I have been having with Dr. Meade, I took her advise and requested a change of providers. The OB nurse called me back today and gave me my new appointment, June 19th (same day as last one was scheduled for with Dr. Meade) at 1520 with Dr. Higgins. All my labs came back fine from my last appointment, thats a relief. The last thing I need right now would be another infection, since that would almost definetely send me into preterm labor.

Things have been hectic out here lately, in a quiet sort of way. Just lots of little things to do and errands to run. Tim just found out that there was a problem with his retraining package, not his fault at all some idiot didn't bother to tell him he needed extra paperwork that wasn't listed until last night and the paperwork takes a week to be processed. The retraining boards for this month met today. He's sure he isn't going to get any of the spots he wanted. Its irritating that he went above and beyond to get things done and give himself a competitive edge, and someone else screwed it all up for him. But who knows, maybe it will all work out anyway.

I finally finished my financial aid information and got it turned in this morning. Oh, Oprah's on! Have I mentioned that I really want to be on Oprah? Hey, everyone needs an aspiration.

Noah's seems to have switched his favorite position, so now whenever he moves it feels like my stomach is growling from hunger. It is the oddest thing!-) If he goes back to his transverse position before my next appointment they might decide to schedule me for a c section. We have birthing class tonight. I need to remember to take food to share with the group. I was going to bake something but then I decided it was just so much easier to buy a bag of cookies. Speaking of cookies....I am so hungry right now. And its not just Noah. Today's been really busy and I haven't been able to snack very much so my stomach wants to know what the deal is. I've always been more of a muncher than a feaster.

I hope everyone is doing well and having a good late spring! We are still planning on coming back this fall to Chicago to visit and have Noah baptized but tis so hard trying to time these things. We are still hoping for the end of October and beginning of November. It will definitely be after October 14th, since classes won't end until around then.

Oh my gosh, this kid feels so big. His head is down low and I swear his butt is coming right up to the bottom of my ribs so everytime I move he gets irritated because I'm bending him. He is only happy if I am leaning backward. Oh I give up, now I have no idea how he is laying but it makes no sense at all! Darnit I think he's sideways again. He just can't make up his mind and its driving me nuts! All this rolling and turning is utterly distracting.

28 May 2006

Tim worked shift last night. I had just dropped off to sleep when my phone buzzed with a text message from him sometime after 2am. Of course once I was awake I could not fall back asleep no matter what I did. I eventually turned the tv on and laid there. I don't even know what was on the tv, not that it was important. It was just something to distract me from the fact that I was miserably overtired. The next thing I know, its 6am. I'd been laying in the same position too long and everything ached so I went to turn more onto my side. And that was the big mistake today. I moved my leg and the next thing I know my thigh feels like it is on fire. The closest thing I can relate it to is when your skin is so very cold that it feels like it is burning when it comes in contact with anything warm. The pain only lasted a little while but my thigh still feels "off." It reminds me of after my car accident when my legs were pinned between the car and the guard rail for that split second, and for weeks afterward how even taking a shower or bath was awful because the water running over my skin felt like fire. It has to be nerve related. Everything I've read today seems to point to pressure on teh nerve that runs over the hip and down the pelvis to the leg. After it happened this morning I was going to have Tim take me to the hospital when he got off work. He was supposed to be at home a little after 7:30am but he thought I would still be sleeping and decided to stay after and get some work done. I fell asleep waiting for him to come home and by the time he got back my leg was fine except for a little loss of sensation where I felt the burning pain.

Noah has been rolling around and kicking me. He has a favorite spot where he'll push out and hold it there. My God that hurts! I swear I have internal bruising by now :-) I finally finished planting those flowers I had. Tim even came out and helped me, he went all gung-ho and decided to use a shovel to churn the dirt, instead of the hand tool I was using that was working just fine. It was a beautiful day, but hotter than I would have liked. I hope tomorrow is bright and sunny. Tim owes me a day at the park. We are going to take Axe to go play and get some exercise.

Birthing class is this wednesday. It is session four, and there is going to be cake! LOL, I really like cake. We are going to be going over possible intervention type situations like forceps and vaccuums. Our birthing instructor thinks that food might help people relax when she pulls the big back of shiny metal implements out. Tim is already wrangling her into teaching the emergency birth section of his EMT class this June. All he does is network, and to think he didn't want to go in the first place.

23 May 2006



I had my 32 week appointment today. Dr. Meade was not there so I was seen by another OB. She was quick, efficient, and friendly. Turns out I am officially anemic, but my blood count is only slightly lowered. Dr. Meade failed once again to get back to me on the results of my lab work so his replacement was kind enough to let me know. She also prescribed a low dose iron supplement for me to try. I explained to her my history with vitamins and supplements and we decided to try one pill a day with dinner, which should be the least aggravating for me. If the iron pills make me sick then I get to go on a high iron diet instead. No big deal. As long as they aren't forcing liver down my throat I can cope :-) My glucose test came back fine so no gestational diabetes to worry about, but that was a given considering that I tend to run low, never high. The package from my mother came in the mail today. She sent me maternity stockings and my legs feel sooooo much better. The relief was instantanious. Still haven't planted the flowers. It keeps raining and getting cold on the days I can take the time to drag everything out there. Oh, almost forgot to mention that everything with Noah is good, but he is measuring at 34 weeks...so he's a big baby. Of course he could slow down and come out right on target for size, or he could keep up this pace and be ginormous. I was hoping for a "small" baby, you know little and new born like, fat chance of that! Its looking like he's going to be a big boy.

You're 32 Weeks Pregnant!
Hello Kathryn

How your baby's growing: By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.

How your life's changing: Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you'll lose when giving birth.) You're also gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too.

As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs.

18 May 2006



Tim is working 24 hour shifts a couple of times this week which means I am by myself most of the time. It wouldn't be that bad if I could sleep. He is supposed to be working A shift days when they need him but for some reason he got called in to work B shift days. It doesn't help that he doesn't have e-mail access at the fire station they put him at so he is irritated because he can't get his work done for the EMT program that is starting soon. I don't see the point in calling him in to cover for someone when it means that he won't be able to get his work done. Is that counter productive or what?



I can see how many people have viewed the website. Somedays its 0, and other times I've seen the number as high as almost 200.



I almost planted my now infamous flowers yesterday. I actually got out there and started working on the soil. And then I had to come in and relax. Of course it rained after that. Today was just not the right day either. Maybe tomorrow. I watched Oprah today, the show with Queen Rania and Sara McLachlan and the president of Liberia. Sara McLachlan's new music video "World on Fire" made me cry. Of course I cry at the drop of a hat these days but it was moving none the less. You can watch it at www.worldonfire.ca just remember not to type .com out of habit. She is Canadian after all :-)



I have been having a really good couple of days with my back. i realized that I have pretty much put myself on modified bed rest and it seems to have helped out unbelievably with my back pain and my legs. I have to take it easy because of all the contractions, just walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water will bring them on. It can be so frustrating to go hours with the sensation of a vise squeezing my stomach. By the time I get the contractions to ease up and stop I am so sore! Noah has been very quiet today and that always bugs me. He had two good periods of activity so thats reassuring. But he is much more quiet than usual, even at his regular times when he is usually bouncing around.



Everyone says that swimming is great for pregnancy. It is supposed to help ease all sorts of discomforts. I'm like No, I need to be about 15, 20 feet under water following all the pretty fish around. Of course pregnant women are absolutely banned from scuba diving. But it does feel so good for the joints. The weightlessness is blissful. So is dark chocolate :-)



Noah's favorite position is laying transverse, or sideways, but he is turning head down more often. Contractions make him cranky, he doesn't like being squished and squeezed all the time. Of course he might be more comfortable if he didn't insist on laying sideways and taking up the most room possible.



Axe is sad because we haven't been able to go up to the soft ball field and play this week. I guess there is some sort of high school soccer competition going on and the field is filled with loud hormonal teens from sun-up to sun-down. We need to scedule a vet appointment for him. He needs a check-up and I think he has a UTI. Poor puppy.

16 May 2006





So we've hit the 31 week mark already. At 37 weeks he'll be full term, and at 40 weeks he'll hit his due date. Any bets on when he'll actually show up? Tim thinks he'll be here around 36 weeks. I'd believe it. Noah keeps trying to convince me that he wants to be born "NOW!" but luckily he's stayed safe and sound right where I can keep an eye on him. These contractions are driving me nuts though! By the time this is over, I'll have the strongest uterus in the world. I am still keeping daily logs of my contractions and plugging them into excel to make graphs. I carry them around with me so if anything were to happen I would have them with me just in case. I'm sore and cranky and last night I threw the packing tape at Tim :-)




It seems like there is still so much to do. For some reason the day seems to go by so quickly when you are unable to sleep through the night, and spend the mornings half comatose in bed :-) The last few days have been very nice here, and I might actually get my flowers planted.




Our fish have Ich. Well, one fish has Ich but it is so contagious that the others will get it if they haven't already. I bought the medication for their aquarium so they should be better in no time. Hopefully. Tim loves fish and he gets a little obsessive about his water plants. He thinks the Ich medication is hurting the plants so he is a little bent out of shape. Um, its either the fish or the plants, which one do you want more?




We are going to birthing class tomorrow. I called and spoke with the woman who is teaching it and explained that we were there last week and no one else was. I was polite. I've cooled off a bit since last week. Turns out she was on leave and no one could cover for her. Everyone who's name was on the sign-up list got an e-mail notifying them about the cancelation. Too bad everyone kept insisting that I didn't need to give them my name and contact info to sign up for the class. I have a feeling some people in Labor & Delivery will be getting a talking to. I was pissed, having been through such a long and stressful day only to drive all the way there and find a dark and locked room.




Tim called me today to tell me that someone offered him $8,000 for the car. If the guy can get the financing he can have the damn car! Even if everything was fixed on her she wouldn't be worth that much. Don't get me wrong, in some deep dark part of my heart I might even like the car...but she is a royal pain in the ass and if she hadn't broken down last year I never would have been hit by that car. So I'm a little bitter. Besides, $8,000 would be really nice to pay off some debt. I really want a Prius eventually when we get back to the states. I've wanted one since they first came out and toyota keeps improving on it. Gas is so expensive and for the average Joe, (like me), its getting more and more difficult to validate the financial costs of relying on a car for daily use. I had to put gas in the Tahoe today (I know, why complain about gas and then admit to owning an SUV? Trust me, it wasn't my choice), and it cost me about $60.00 and we are not even paying the national average yet! That gas may only last a couple of days depending on where we Need to go, and how often we need to go. Its not even about leisure use. Its not like we are just driving around for the heck of it. Seriously, the cost of owning a vehicle now can be ridiculous. The Tahoe cost us about $28,000 plus insurance and maintenance and interest and everything else. Now it is due for new tires. Tim says that I am his little Tree Hugger and its true. I hate SUVs. I feel guilty when we don't recycle. I NEVER litter. I would love to have a vehicle that was more environmentally friendly and less costly on a daily basis. The toyota Prius may not have the "balls" that Tim's camaro does but I can deal with slower acceleration, and the increased fuel efficiency isn't bad either! Of course I'd have to get the package that comes with the side impact air bags that raises the safety rating, and the back-up camera. I'd really love the model that comes with the GPS system and the nice cd player but its like $4,000 more!




I've been watching the news lately and I see that McCain is courting the right wingers more and more. He once declared his views on Jerry Falwell, and they were something along the lines of "fanatic" but now he seems to be doing the Washington Shuffle and shaking hands and giving speeches and pressing flesh with his once nemesis. All in the name of voters I suppose. Will everyone please stand for something, and stick with it? Sure, I understand the lure of switching sides. I mean, I was the kid that would cheer on the Cowboys until the other team started to win and then I would cheer the front runner on as loud as I could. I wanted my team to be the winning team. But I was four. I out grew it. Apparently in Washington there are just some things that politicians and everyone else will never outgrow. Though I must say that Obama has impressed me with his presentation and public speaking ability. He always seems prepared, calm, cool, and collected. I appreciate his able to convey his message and maintain his position. Now if only he can stick with his platform and remain scandal free, Obama for President anyone?




I don't remember what I was supposed to do today. Oh, yes I do! I was supposed to start compiling a meal plan. Oy. I suppose I should go find some recipes now, or I'll never hear the end of it later.




I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week! Get some sun but stay cool. Feel free to leave a note on the message board. We love hearing from everyone!

You're 31 Weeks Pregnant
Hello, Kathryn!

Your baby weighs just over 3 pounds and is a bit more than 16 inches long. She's probably moving more than ever before, too, so you may even have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and rolls keep you up at night. If you're having this problem, comfort yourself with the knowledge that your baby is active and healthy. You may also start to feel your uterus contract every now and then as your body gears up for delivery day. These Braxton Hicks contractions aren't the real thing, but if you get more than four contractions in an hour, give your doctor or midwife a call to make sure it's not preterm labor.

12 May 2006



Tim is home. I asked him to make dinner the other night. We ended up eating MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat for you regular folks). He does know how to cook, I've seen it.



The weather is getting hotter here. Between Tim and the dog our bed just doesn't seem as big as it used to be. One of them has to go.



We were supposed to start our birthing class this week. It was scheduled for wednesday night from 7 to 9pm. Needless to say it was a really hectic day. Tim was coming home that day and I had to pick him up and finish cleaning the house and run other errands. Of course his group was delayed so I sat in the car for two hours waiting for his bus to show up. We finally got home and Tim laid down to take a nap. He was exhausted and it took me almost two hours to get him awake and ready to go to class. As usual we were rushing to get there on time. For some reason every time we go to LRMC (Landstuhl Regional Medical Center) we end up getting there with less than a minute to spare. Traffic was a little busy and I was cranky. We got through the gate, found the perfect parking spot right by the closest door to where the class was. Tim and I passed through security in record time and were doing so well that we stopped in the shoppette to buy snacks. Of course I couldn't find a single thing that I wanted, out of all the aisles of snacks. We made it to the classroom right before seven only to find it dark and locked. I'd been about pushed to my limit and I felt the primal urge to throw my water bottle at the wall. Don't worry, I didn't. I behaved myself. I breathed deeply. Tim and I made our way back to the car, he was walking and I was stomping along. Its not so much that the class wasn't going on, it was the fact that I've spent the last two months trying to sign up for it and getting the run around from all the nurses that do not know anything about it. I finally got someone to tell me when and where. I double checked and then checked again. Sure enough, I show up and nothing is happening. I wouldn't be that worried about it right now but I'd rather be prepared just in case I do end up not going to 40 weeks. I'll be 31 weeks this Sunday. The class is 4 weeks long.



Barry Manilow is on the Today show. I'm not a fanilow. My apologies to those of you who like him, but I can't help but find him a bit creepy. I love Elvis.



Did anyone see the People magazine's 100 most beautiful people issue? What do you think of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt being voted the most beautiful family? They didn't carry the issue out here but I saw the pictures of them in the desert on tv clips. I thought the pictures were breath taking. They showed a clip of the Ann Curry interview and Angelina Jolie just seemed to be glowing. I really like it when the media takes a break from reports on who's in rehab and who's partying it up in LA to show something positive like a very pregnant celebrity laughing and looking happy.



Tim and I want to come back in late October to Chicago with Noah. I'm dreading the flight. Its bad enough when its just me but this time we will have a newborn to tote around. First class just looks better and better everytime :-) Hm, now how can I get free first class tickets?

9 May 2006



I didn't crawl out of bed until almost noon today. Of course if I would stop waking up at 4am and not being able to go back to sleep for more than 30 seconds at a time I might not be so tired. They say that pregnant women are more likely to experience restless leg syndrome than the average person. I seem to be suffering from restless body syndrome :-) For those of you that know what restless leg syndrome is, just imagine if it was your whole body! If you can remember being a small child and being Really over tired and completely unreasonable...thats how I feel at 4am. Reasoning and logic and patience goes out the window. LOL, on the upside, at least I am not sleep walking! I can't even imagine being 8 months pregnant and sleep walking, how hilarious. I run into enough door jams and coffee tables when I am awake! I used to sleep walk all the time as a kid. Now it only happens if I am taking certain pain medications or I'm exhausted and stressed. I still remember being, like, six and waking up in the bathroom or on the stairs. I think my personal favorite was the time I woke up on the back porch. At least I never went far :-) Of course if you give certain people the chance (Arielle) they love to torment me by telling stories about my talking in my sleep. Naturally, I fully blame my mother. Its a long standing tradition on my mother's side of the family. You wouldn't believe how many times she would carry on perfectly coherent conversations with me, once even going so far as to tell me that I had to go do something at her work for her that she forgot, with detailed instructions too! It was always a battle to find out if she was really awake or if she was sleeping, she would argue until she was blue in the face that she was awake and meant every word that she said-but she wasn't. Grandma can sympathize with me. How Arielle made it through 16+ years of sleep overs without ever realizing that I talk in my sleep I'll never know. Of course that girl is dead to the world 5 minutes after her head hits the pillow so maybe that had something to do with it. I still remember how embarassing it was the first time she realized I had talked in my sleep! We were "camping" with her family at her Grandparent's "cabin" and she starts talking about some story I was telling her the night before...and I just sat there staring at her like she was crazy. I had no idea what in the world she was talking about! Apparently I was telling her about some really strange dream I had had. We both cracked up after we realized what had really happened. She was slightly concerned about my sanity until she realized that I was asleep the whole time!! I can't help but laugh now that I am thinking about it. Of course that is the same week that we slept soundly through a heck of a storm. Her dad took us out the next day when we got up to show us where the tornadoes had ripped through the woods! It was crazy.



Its been a crazy week. No wonder my sleep is so out of wack. On the 1st Tim had to go to training. I don't pick him up until the 10th. Axe is depressed because it was this exact time last year that Tim deployed. Poor puppy, he must think that Daddy leaves every time the snow goes away! He is going to be very excited when I bring Tim home. Most people don't notice Braxton Hicks contractions until about 6 months, but I've had noticable once since I was about 8 weeks. Its normal to have them that early and a lot of people do, they just don't notice. But I also have some uterine irritability, which means that I have contractions when I do normal, non stressful, activities like walking, standing up, and going to the bathroom. ITs not a big deal at all except that all the infections I've had raise my risk of preterm labor. So I keep an eye on how many contractions I have. Anyway, a couple days ago I had an especially active contraction day which I wouldn't have worried about except that every now and then one would be rather painful and they didn't ease up with walking or a warm bath, all the helpful advice they give you to tell if they are "the real thing." So I started counting how many an hour I was having. They want you to call Labor & Delivery if you have four or more contractions in an hour. I'd been having between 3 and 5 contractions an hour since I woke up that morning, and by afternoon I was getting some painful ones every now and then. I wasn't doing anything physical, just playing cards at the neighbors that afternoon. During the evening I started having 6 or more an hour. Still wasn't worried. It had happened before. Just my overactive uterus getting ready for July. But by 1am, when I was getting more than 10 an hour back to back I decided I should suck it up and call Labor and Delievery and be prepare to go in and have them tell me everything was fine. At least I would get a good night's sleep then. So I called at 1:30am. Sure enough they told me to come on in so they could hook me up. I should really listen to myself more often because the night before I had noticed that I was running low on gas and thought that it would just be so ironic if I ended up needing to go to the hospital in the middle of the night and didn't have nough gas to get there. So there I was, at 1:30am, getting dressed to go to the gas station. And I thought, "You know, I'm going to keep having these contractions right up until I walk into Labor and Delivery and then I won't have any and they will all think I am paranoid and pat my head and send me home." So there I am pumping gas and having contractions. Waiting in line to pay and having contractions. Walking back to the car and having contractions. Then I get in the car and nothing all the way to the hospital. Great, I think. How typical. I mean, I was the kid that had constant ear infections until the Doctor told me that if I had another one they would have to put tubes in my ears and then I didn't have another ear infection for years. I get onto base and drive down to the ER door where they have reserved parking for pregnant women. And then I see that they have the entrance to the drive blocked off becasue they are doing construction. Of course there is not enough room to turn around so I had to drive backward up the hill to the other parking lot. I finally find a parking spot and make my way to the ER, which is the closest entry to Labor and Delivery. I had another contraction on the way to Labor and Delivery. I'm thinking maybe I will keep having contractions and they won't think I'm nuts. I walk in, they show me my room, have me change into the lovely hospital issue "robe" and hook me up. I laid there hooked up to that machine for two hours and all it registered was one very small blip. No real contractions. Nothing. So they come in to release me, and the doctor is explaining that they think I just had an especially bad braxton hicks episode. No sooner do they start to unhook me than I start to have a contraction. Aarg! From the time they took the monitors off, I dressed, and walked out to my car I had 5 contractions. Then I had them all the way home. I knew that was going to happen. But they ahd done all the labs and checked my cervix so there was no way I actually was in labor and no point in my asking to be hooked up again just to prove that I really did have contractions earlier. I didn't get home until 4am and all I wanted to do was sleep. I had snuck out of the house because I didn't want to wake Axe up. He was still sleeping in the same spot. But 30 minutes after I got back the people upstairs started getting ready for work and I guess they woke Axe up when they went into the hallway because my poor half asleep puppy bolted up and started barking his head off in the general direction of the hallway. Usually I can calm him down but not when he is still asleep and freaking out. By this point I was beyond overtired and cranky. After a couple minutes of trying to calm him down and nothing was working I totally lost my patience and started yelling at him to shut up. All the windows were open and we must have woken the entire building up! They probably refer to our apartment as the one with the insane dog and the crazy screaming lady. I was finally able to go to sleep after 5am. I tried sending Tim text messages asking him to call me when he got a chance, and if he had his phone. I wasn't sure if he had been able to take his phone with him that day. He sent me a message back that afternoon saying he would call later. When I eventually got a hold of him I told him about the night before, and that everything was fine and there was no reason to worry. LOL, right I should have known what was coming. I got my ear chewed off! I should have called him before I called the hospital and he would have come home and taken me. It doesn't matter that everything was fine, or that he had told me earlier that night that he had to be up at 4am (the same time I was getting home) and was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Boy, was I in big trouble. So now I am under orders to call him and wake him up if ANYTHING happens and he will come home. Ok, I understand him being upset. I would have been upset too, but I was being practical. I had all his contact information with me when I went to the hospital and if anything had happened I would have called. But it wasn't serious and everything was fine and he got to sleep a couple hours before he had to go work in the sun all day. So for everyone reading this...I've already been reprimanded, I'll call him if anything happens no matter how little, and yes, everything really is fine. There is no reason to worry. He stressed me out more than the contractions did. But I will admit that it would have been nice to have had someone here that could vouch that I wasn't imagining the whole thing. The last thing I need is the hospital thinking I'm just another paranoid pregnant lady. They get a lot of those. The hospital staff kept asking me what the contractions had been like and if they had felt liket he little one that the machine picked up. I was like, no they were a lot stronger and some of them hurt like hell and you could have bounced a quarter off of my stomach it was so hard. And of course they always want to know if you've had any lower back pain or pressure. Um, yeah I have but I was hit by a car so that is normal for me. So now I keep a nice little log book of contractions. I broke the day into half hour increments. One slash mark for every contraction. Oooo, the Ice Cream Man is outside! he is Tim's greatest weakness. Well, he is at least up there with McDonalds.



So this week has been busy and I can't wait to pick Tim up tomorrow. We have a birthing class at 7pm so hopefully they will finish everything up in time for us to get there. Its part of a four session class. You are supposed to bring a pillow and something to drink. I hope the emphasis isn't on having a natural birth because it won't do me much good. With my back I would have to be completely nuts to even think about no pain medication.

You are 30 Weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



Your baby opens and shuts his eyes, and researchers believe he can actually see now, though no one knows exactly how much he can make out. You may be feeling a little tired, a little clumsy, and a little anxious - but hopefully you're wonderfully excited too! If you haven't already, start thinking about what kind of pain medication - if any - you want to have during labor. All labor drugs have pros and cons, and it can take time to sort through them all. Call your hospital or birth center to see whether you can pre-register. Getting some of the paperwork done now will be a big help come delivery time.

3 May 2006

I've been drinking Gatorade, gross but efficient. And I've been eating ice. Staying hydrated is more difficult than it appears :-) Tim keeps telling me that I am going to ruin my teeth by chewing on ice. I keep ignoring him. I found a box full of ribbons the other day that I hadn't seen in years. There were red, blue, black, and yellow ribbons. Its been really quiet out here. Spring is underway and summer won't be far behind. I should probably get my bulbs planted. I'm a little slow lately. My back has been bothering me mostly at night which is alright because then I can get things done during the day. I know that I am going to forget to pick up the drycleaning on monday. Our downstairs neighbors, Amber and Russel, had their baby girl yesterday. Everyone is having babies, don't drink the water.

You're 27 Weeks Pregnant



Hello, Kathryn!


Your baby's brain is developing billions of neurons (important for later learning) at an amazing rate, no wonder her head is getting bigger now! To meet her nutritional demands which peak this trimester you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, and iron. Her bones, in particular, are soaking up lots of calcium now, so drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, like cheese or enriched orange juice). And get enough fiber in your diet to help prevent constipation, which can lead to hemorrhoids, a common occurrence in late pregnancy. Even if your belly button was an "innie" before, it may become an "outie" now.

1 May 2006



Happy May Day!



My last entry was cut short, I actually had a lot more to say but I was booted from the computer :-) Some people seem to think that checking their e-mail is the only way to keep the world revolving around the sun. And then I was just too darn lazy to go back to finish it later.



There are plenty of upbeat and cheerful topics to talk about related to impending motherhood, but seriously what is the fun in that? If I can't gripe and moan on my own website than I'd certainly go mad. As anyone who has been following my blog can attest, I can and do complain a lot. And it almost always makes me feel 65% better :-) So sit back, relax, and embrace your own inner crankiness.



I have eight to eleven weeks left, thats assuming that Noah is on time. At the most there are 13 weeks remaining to this crazy ride we call pregnancy. If I had the great misfortune to achieve the deeply uncoveted 13th week the hospital has the good sense to insist on inducing the little bugger out into the big bright world. God I hope it doesn't come to that. At times I pity my husband, I would have suffocated me in my sleep by now :-) Don't think that he is more patient or understanding than me, because he is not. He is just much better at turning off his ears and ignoring whatever might be found irritating. Whereas I am much more empathetic and cannot help but seem to insist on sharing other people's misery. Completly uncontrollable. My eyes will start to tear up if I see someone with an irritated eye.



Oprah had the best quote the other day. She was talking about people asking her the secret to her success. Do you know what her response was? (You would if you looked at the homepage). She said that she had to find a way to make a living being herself. I thought that was such a true statement. Happiness can be the key to sucess and if you detest what you do for a living than you most likely will never truly succeed at it. Now, my only question is "How can I make a living at making a difference?"



**Complaint Alert** My circulation is awful! Seriously, what 23 year old is unable to walk by early afternoon? Everything is so swollen and achy, and tender as if it were bruised. Besides the numb/tingly/weak legs, and poor circulation now I'm slowly suffocating to death. My diaphram just doesn't have enough room to do its job. The other night (the 3rd in a row) I was still up at 2am sitting on the side of the bed because if I laid down I wouldn't be able to breath. Yesterday Tim and I were at the post office getting the mail and when he came back to the car I must have sounded as if I was hyperventilating. You know how you feel when you're holding your breath or trying to breath slower and your body starts fighting you for air? He tried to be sympathetic and asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital. It was a nice gesture but I told him that if I showed up at the hospital they would all laugh at me. They would tell me that there is nothing wrong with me, other than being pregnant. Then they would shake their heads and send me home.



He keeps trying to tell me that he wouldn't mind if we had another one right away. Another one being a baby. The man is lucky he is still walking. I was about ready to kill him. The sad thing is that he was serious. How about this? I'll have this one and if he really wants another, well than he can have it. He wants another baby? The first one isn't even here yet! Of course I'm pretty sure he will change his tune as soon as the real deal is here in living color. He claims he'll change diapers, but he won't even take the dog out half the time. Men are strange creatures.



(I don't want stretch marks I don't want stretch marks I don't want stretch marks I don't want stretch marks I don't want stretch marks)



I've started doing a lot of arts and crafts lately. Its better than cleaning. (Of course Tim would disagree). I seem to have too much free time and I wanted something to keep me occupied. I did some maternity photography for a friend and the pictures turned out really good, especially considering that the background was a sheet hung up in my dining room and the only lighting we had was from the window across the room, and a table lamp. Today I started decorating a cheap plain scrapbook cover to make it a pregnancy scrap book. Its not for me. I just saw it in my mind when I was walking past the pitifully small craft supply section that we have here. I think I might make more and see if I can sell them at the "flea markets" they have here on base every freaking week. I bought a book of baby crafts that was on sale and it has some really simple and neat ideas in it. Its just nearly impossible to actually get craft supplies out here. Their inventory changes all the time and supply is iffy at best. I couldn't even find buttons today. Beads? Dream on. But they did have that new ink-jet fabric where you can use your printer. Its not the iron-on transfer crap. I hate those.

28 April 2006

I had my 28 week check up yesterday. Everybody seems healthy. Apparently I've gained too much weight recently but the funny thing is that I can still wear my regular pants as long as they are cut low enough to accomodate the belly. I just refuse to wear them because I am always feeling like I am flashing people.

26 April 2006

I'm carrying this baby "all around" as it has been put. It is really a compliment if someone tells you that you still have nice arms? What are they saying about the rest of you? LOL, I'm taking it all in stride...including the less than eloquent compliments. I no longer have a waist and I am alright with that. I might even convince myself to put a swimming suit on if I had one that I could fit into. I figured out that I have gained about 25 lbs so far, according to our bathroom scale which is not always the most accurate contraption. That gives me 10 lbs to stay within the suggested weight gain. Of course most women exceed the recommended weight gain. The hospital staff always tells me that I am doing really well. It would be better if I could be more active but my back throws a wrench into that plan. And of course its a daily battle to eat healthy in this house. If my husband had his way we would be spending our anniversary at McDonalds. But I sneak the healthy stuff in now and then when he least expects it. His pants are starting to become too big. I've been telling him for a week now that I am going to start making him ride his bike to work. Its a five minute bike ride, quite literally. Better 5 minutes on a bike than 2 minutes in the car. Although I thought I was going to seriously maim him yesterday. He had the gall to ask me if I weighed as much as him now! Seriously, how in the world could he have thought I weigh as much as him? He must be living in lala land. I'm not that big! My mother broke the news to me the other day that I am the shortest one in the family now, not including Grandma. Darn you Emily and Will! All I ever wanted was to be tall, and here I am tipping my head up to see eye to eye with my (much) younger siblings. Well, Will should be right about my height but Em is definitely taller than me. I'm not exactly short either, coming in at right under 5'8. If only I was 5'10 :-)

21 April 2006

I tried moving some pictures around and for some reason they seem to have degraded a lot. Not sure why the quality came out so poor. I'm 7 1/2 months now, and simple things such as breathing are becoming increasingly difficult. My belly itches and there really is no comfortable position. Its not even summer yet. Tim seems to think its funny to crack jokes about my increasing weight, pretty soon the man is going to get a shiner. Now, don't get me wrong. When I say something about my increasing size he is perfectly reassuring. Its just when he wants to be funny that he somehow deludes himself into believing that joking about a pregnant woman's increasing size should be funny to everyone. Um, for some reason I just don't see the humor in the joke. Men. They never know when to keep their mouth shut for their own well being.

Noah has been stretching out, most likely he is doing the same thing that I did to my mother. I now understand why she didn't think it was so cute. If he would just remove his feet from my lungs, that would be great. Anybody else feel like they are slowly suffocating to death?

The weather has been nice here recently. Axe and I went out to the softball field yesterday and he ran around while I read my book. I am going to try to take him out agian this afternoon. I just don't know what times the teams come to practice but they are there every day. I'd like to avoid being ticketed for not having my dog on a leash. I'm sorry but who in their right minds things its ok to keep a dog inside or tied-up all day? Would you do that to a child? Dalmations were bred to run, and they need to run. Besides, Axe's natural curiousity needs an outlet other than the fish tank and the garbage. He has a very active mind and gets bored all too easily.

Noah is waking up for his afternoon tumbling session. Everyone assumes that he will be a little blue eyed tow head. But from a genetic standpoint its possible that the poor child could be born a red head. Sure, this would greatly please my mother and grandmother, but I think that it can be very difficult for a boy to be red headed. Red is a difficult color to pull off. Tim has red hairs on his face, but mostly he is a dark blonde. I am naturally light blonde, and we both have blue eyes. My mother's eyes are green which means that I could easily, and most likely, be carrying the more dominant green gene. Noah could possibly we born with red hair and green eyes. At least I can rest assured that he will be fair skinned regardless. Tim might be able to develop a nice tan but underneath it, he is pale just like me. For some reason I just seem genetically incapable of "tanning," and I use the term loosly. I look like a hospital shut-in ;-) When I was in High School I thought I would give tanning a try, since the essential Vitamin D is created through exposure to sunlight and many doctors are quite literally prescribing limited doses of exposure to tanning for their patients. It boosts your mood and can improve your energy. Of course, I'm utterly paranoid about skin cancer and skin damage. But vanity won out for a short time at least. I can pull out photos from my senior year in high school, a time when I was tanning maybe 5 days a week, and my skin is creamy white. I don't tan. But I did become very proficient with sunless tanner. I personally prefer the new spray ons versus the older lotions and creams. Just my beauty suggestion for the week. I mainly use a sunscreen/face lotion combination to avoid unnecessary skin damage and burning (yes I burn, even though I can't tan. I sure do turn a nice shade of red). I can quite honestly say that I have not been able to find a foundation light enough for my natural skin tone. Ridiculous. I bought a new concealer, the lightest shade the company makes, and it looks like a dark splotch on my face. Maybe that is why my mother always insisted that I turned green or gray when I was sick. I just couldn't be any paler :-P

Today is cleaning day for me. Its time to de-doghair the house. I swear that dog hair gets everywhere. If I didn't know better I would think that he was getting into my closet and rolling around on my clothes. Speaking of clothes, I need to remember to order maternity hose to help with my circulation. I'm supposed to be wearing then every day, but that is a little difficult to do when the store doesn't carry them in stock. If I don't write things down I will never remember them. Baby brain.

17 April 2006



The stray facility called today to let me know that they have two dogs that we might be interested in. I'll have to talk to Tim about it when he gets home from his class. He is a little anti-another-dog right now. I am too, just because I do the majority of dog work around here and I'm almost 7 months pregnant....but Axe is so depressed and sad lately. He really does need a friend to play with and no one in our building has one that he could socialize with. Tim and I have been talking about waiting until fall to get another dog, maybe a puppy. I really don't want a puppy but it would probably work out the best for Axe. But that still doesn't change the fact that he needs friends now. The dog lays on the bed all day. That just isn't normal. Poor Axie.



Noah kept me stressed for the last couple days. He refused to move more than once or twice a day and that was just flutters. Normally he is very active. Every time I was going to call Labor and Delivery, since that is what they want you to do whenever there is a change in fetal movement, something would come up. Finally yesterday he was back to his hyperactive mexican jumping bean self. I'm just easily concerned because of all of my infections, which raise the risk of complications and preterm labor. I'd much rather call labor & delivery and sound overly worried and irrational than sit here and convince myself that everything is fine and then have something go wrong.



Tim was in another cleaning mood last night, where he would have stayed up all night cleaning if I had let him. Sure, the kitchen looks great....but sometimes you just have to catch a little shut eye. I slept until 11:30 today, which is not normal for me anymore, despite what certain people might tell you. Noah likes starting his daily tumbling routine around 10pm, OR whenever I go to bed after that. He will keep me up for a while, usually not more than two hours, or until 1:30ish in the morning. Then he wakes me up promptly at 4am, only to let me fall asleep until about 6am when I lay there watching the clock waiting for the alarm to go off. Tim leaves for work around 7 or 7:30. About 8:30 or 9 Axe decides its time for me to get up. So basically I've been awake since 4am, with a couple minutes here and there. And of course Tim wants to know why I am always so tired!?! Silly man. He gave me an easter basket, but that was because I told him I was giving him one.....and then I was never able to get all the pieces for it! So I had a nice little easter basket and Tim was empty handed. He'll get it...just not sure when. I think there has been maybe two easter's during my life when I didnt have an easter basket. Even when grandma was out of town she would still make an easter basket before she left and hide it somewhere in the attic or the back of a closet and call me easter morning to tell me where it was. Actually, I can't really remember once when I didn't have an easter basket! Poor Tim.

You're 27 weeks pregnant
Hello, Kathryn!

Your baby's growing steadily as she prepares for her grand entrance. This week she weighs almost 2 pounds and measures about 14 1/2 inches from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. She's acting more like a newborn now, opening and closing her eyes, sleeping and waking at regular intervals, and maybe sucking a finger. She may also be hiccupping, which you'll notice as little rhythmic sensations in your belly. You may start to get leg cramps, especially when you're lying in bed at night. Stretching your calf and flexing your foot should bring some relief.

13 April 2006

Diana had her baby yesterday. I went to visit today, and they are both doing really well. My back ached the whole time and made me think of how in three months it will all be over. Tim and I are both anxious to meet our little guy. I have no idea what I am going to do with a little Tim running around! Everyone keeps telling me that boys are "so much easier than girls!" These people have obviously never met my husband :-) I love the man dearly but he drives me nuts. I just keep reminding myself that Noah's DNA is only 50% Tim's, and that he is also 50% me. It should be a nice balance, but the poor kid will still have an attention span the size of a pea.

We had a second dog for a day and a half. And then we took her back. To be honest, Axe loved her and I loved her and Tim loved her. She just didn't love Axe. Riley wanted to be the favorite, and if we did not already have a dog she would have been perfect. She was so loving and playful and friendly, we all bonded with her right away. But she kept bouncing between playing with Axe and trying to rip his head open. Just wasn't going to work out. I really hope that she finds a good home, any family would love her.

The weather over here is cold and gray. The sun refuses to shine for more than 10 minutes at a time. Its dreary and I am tired with it. I keep getting sharp pains and of course being the hypochondriach that I am, I spend way too much time worrying over every little thing. I bought flower bulbsa nd seeds to plant out front, but I am waiting until a warm day comes to go out and play in the dirt. I think being outside will make me feel a lot better. Being cooped up inside isn't good for anyone. Although I am appreciating my time at home more and more now, since I wouldn't have been able to work anyway with my back and legs. Its funny how people usually don't miss something until it is gone or they can no longer do it. I suddenly miss riding a bike. I've wanted to go for a bike ride for the past two weeks.

11 April 2006

I am all stuffy and I have a sore neck. I'm a grump today.

10 April 2006 evening

Well today started out nice and sunny but turned into a cold day. My legs haven't bothered me too much for a couple of days now, but my back is aching. Its silly that I am 6 1/2 months pregnant, no one would notice if my coat is on, and I can barely walk. I waddle. Like a duck. Given, it hurts a great deal to move lately because of my back injury and how it affects my legs, but pregnancy also changes your pelvis and how your hip joints rotate. The hormones also relax your joints. It all adds up to a funny sight I am sure, except that I am the one waddling along :-) And you can forget about running. More like hopping foot to foot.

We just got back from looking at another dog, an American Bulldog named Riley. Axe loved her. We have been looking for a brother or sister for him for awhile. They are bringing her over tomorrow so we will see how it goes. She seemed very sweet though and Axe had a good time.

Axe has his head resting on my knee, he is wiped out. Some parade in Chicago is on the news right now. the marching band was playing too loud to understand what the reporter was saying so I have no idea what the parade was for. Tim put the movie Cocktail on last night and Noah decided he was going to dance along to the music that plays throughout the movie. It was cute at first, until he started kicking me in the ribs. That was not so cute.



10 April 2006



The weather is increasingly beautiful here. It sprinkled this morning but otherwise has been decent outside. I have two Dr appointments at the end of this month, one should be my gestational diabetes check at week 28, but Dr. Meade was none too specific about what they were for. He also took two weeks to let me know that I have another infection. More antibiotics, no big deal.



Our computers have been acting out lately, but everything seems to be working fine today. As soon as my nail polish dries I have to go run errands, including checking at the post office to see if we have any packages. Emily's birthday is coming up and I still have to mail her birthday card and present. I sent Adam his birthday card two weeks ago at least and it still hasn't gotten there. Military mail can be rather frustrating.



Uh oh, Axe is crying at the door. Somebody has to go potty again.

You are 26 weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



The network of nerves in your baby's ears is more sensitive than before & he may now be able to hear your partner's voice as well as yours as you chat with each other. You may start to get more backaches, too, now that you're carrying so much weight up front. Are you in the midst of childbirth classes, a room redo, and other preparations now? Just make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest.

6 April 2006

Yesterday was so cold here! Today was a little better but it is supposed to snow tomorrow. I can't believe it, well actually I can but I choose not to.

Noah has been hiccuping a lot lately. Either that or he spends his time rolling around. This morning the little bugger took his foot and pushed out on my stomach, and then kept it there. It felt like my abdomen was slowly tearing apart. Apparently he is starting to feel a little cramped and wanted some space.

4 April 2006

For those of you who have never had the privilege of experiencing a German summer, here is an educational tidbit. Germans do not believe in Air-Conditioners. At all. Good luck trying to find a building that is air conditioned. Some stores will sell air conditioners, but they are all "free standing" models that sit on the floor and require a hose being piped to the outside. Why is this important? Because I am due in late summer and I'm already overheating. I have a feeling that I am going to be spending a lot of time at the grocery store in the frozen foods section. It is against housing rules to install an air conditioner onbase, apparently the money people don't appreciate the spike on the energy meters. Well, I don't appreciate slowly baking to death either.

Noah is awake, which is unusual considering that it is 8:10am here and he usually naps until the afternoon. Feels like he has hiccups. We are going to run errands and then finish Diana and Shane's pictures. I need a nap.

You're 25 Weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is around 13 and a half inches long. She has more hair on her head, and if you could see it you'd know what color and texture it is. Your 'do may be fuller, too, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Some women notice more or darker body hair as well. It'll return to normal after you deliver. You're getting bigger by the minute, but that's no reason to stop exercising -; just modify your routine as your body changes.









You're 24 Weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



At just over a pound and almost a foot long, your baby is long and lean. And your uterus is growing along with him -; it's now about the size of a soccer ball. His His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon, and his brain is growing rapidly.









You're 23 Weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



Feeling pretty good? Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed now, your baby can feel you dance. Those dainty fetal movements have progressed to karate kicks. You may even be able to see your baby squirm underneath your clothing. You may notice throughout your pregnancy that some symptoms subside while others surface. These days, for example, you may find that any tension headaches you'd been getting are a thing of the past, but your feet may start to swell soon. (Time to get out your roomiest, most comfy shoes or invest in a new pair.)









You're 22 Weeks Pregnant

Hello, Kathryn!



Your baby's beginning to look more like a newborn now, with more distinct lips, eyelids, and eyebrows. He's even developing tiny teeth buds beneath the gum line. Your stomach may become a hand magnet -; people will touch it without asking permission. It's okay to say no. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that all women grow; and show; at different rates. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's development is on track.

















29 March 2006







My 24 week appointment was yesterday. I met with Dr. Meade, my new provider. He seemed fine, if a little withdrawn. They took 4 more vials of blood among other things. One of those was to redo the CF Screen since the lab seems to have misplaced the original. He confirmed that everything seems fine so far. I should find out in a couple days if I tested positive for another infection. Hoping it comes back negative considering last time it took 3 rounds of antibiotics to kick it and they were talking about hospitalizing me. Dr. Meade reissued my standing orders to call Labor & Delivery if I have any signs of a possible kidney infection, et al. They are more concerned because I have a history of infections and that I tend to be A symptomatic until the infection starts to spread. I'm sure everything will be fine though. If nothing else I'll just end up going into the hospital for a couple hours while they hook me up to an IV and fill me with fluids and antibiotics. Can't be that bad. But as of right now I am all healthy and happy.







Tim came home for lunch and he and the dog woke the baby up. Noah typically wakes up whenever I am settling down for the night, and then sleeps most of the day. Axe's barking woke him up, and then he got mad that I was laying on my side on the couch and kicked me until I sat up. Spoiled already.







Does anyone else think that the ultrasound has a strong resemblance to Tim's forehead and nose? Poor baby.

27 March 2006

It is 2am Monday morning. Noah must have hiccups or something because I am definitely not going to be sleeping for a while. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs did not bother me at all today, but than again I didn't do a great deal of sitting or standing for long periods.

The weather was beautiful and ugly today. It was so lovely this morning, with the sun shining down and warming the earth...and then grey clouds and rain took over. It didn't even have the decency to really rain, but just kept sending little droplets down here and there while verything was dim and murky. But then out came the sun later in the afternoon and saved the day! It warmed up to at least 65 degrees. Axe loved driving around with his window down and his head sticking out. It is one of his favorite pastimes but always makes me nervous because you never know who might move a little bit too far into your lane.

Tim couldn't sleep last night and stayed up until 4am cleaning the already pretty neat house...I woke up to something utterly unnatural and beautiful. You wouldn't believe that people lived in the house I saw this morning. He wants it to stay that way, which makes sense, since he is compulsively neat 65% of the time. The other 35% is what makes his deepest wish impossible. If he would just stop leaving his uniform and socks in the middle of the living room he would be a much happier man.

We still haven't had any luck finding a brother or sister for Axe. He is still moping around the house, acting all depressed and unloved. That dog is so spoiled he wouldn't know what to do if he had to fend for himself with a normal family. Dog classes will probably resume next saturday. He needs them. Don't get me wrong, he is loving and intelligent and can listen very well. Its the times when he chooses not to listen, or half-listen that makes him need dog class so much more. Take, for example, our routine of playing on the softball field. When I call for him to come, he knows that he is supposed to come over to me, yet all too often (read: almost every single time) he decides that just running in my general direction is good enough. He will run half way to me and then go back to what he was doing, or run toward me, loop around me, and head on back. Things have been getting better though. I've started spanking him. Yes, I am spanking my dog. And it works. Axe is used to Tim playing the angry parent role when he is bad. He gives a couple minutes of remorseful behavior and lots of kisses begging for forgiveness and play. When Axe thinks that he has made me angry he goes and hides under the dining room table or shakes in his chair with this look of pure anguish. It can take much longer for him to recover from me yelling than Tim yelling. I love him and feed him and act as the mediator between him and Tim. He sees me as a push-over and his own personal nurturer. He hates seeing me upset. He thinks that I won't love him anymore. And I am shamefully using that to my advantage. I love my dog.








25 March 2006



Sciatic Nerve. Herniated Disk. Hyper Extended Pelvis. What does this mean? It means that I have not one but three separate reasons for my back and legs to ache daily. Do I have good luck or what? My left leg has been "numb" all day, and numb really doesn't mean numb because you can most definitely feel it. Its like this weird tingling pain. My stomach looked like something out of Alien earlier. Noah was doing his gymnastics thing and you could see feet shooting out. Crazy kid. I've already got my hands full with him.



It was so sunny this morning

23 March 2006

Noah seems to have his schedule down. Sleep all day and roll around at night while practicing for the junior tumbling championships. We have a gold medalist here folks.



22 March 2006

Next Dr. Appointment is the 28th. We have to go and meet our new provider since Major Yates PCSed. I'm not really looking forward to going over everything again. 6 days to go. Axe is driving me bonkers, he is walking in circles around the coffee table. Poor dog.

21 March 2006

Fashion week is on tv right now. I feel bad for our little boy, he is going to be wearing a lot of button up shirts, polos, and pull-overs. I just can't handle dressing my child up in sweats and cartoons every day. Its great for once in a while but not all the time. Teach the child some taste while you still can! Sweats are great for finger painting and playing outside. Noah is going to be doing a lot of arts and crafts, its either that or Tim will have the poor little guy out there under the car trying to get him to say "v8." God help me!

I still don't have my next doctor's appointment scheduled, which is supposed to be this week. My midwife is going back to the states and I haven't been able to get an appointment scheduled. Frustrating.

There are belly pictures floating around somewhere, I just have no idea where they are right now. And besides, they are not that great. But now that I am really starting to look pregnant there will be more pictures. Promise.

10 March 2006

We had the ultrasound last Tuesday and we are having a boy! The ultrasound was so clear that Tim and I both could tell that he was a boy before the technician said anything. We have all the pictures scanned, and I am putting some of them up here to share with everyone. Noah is getting more and more active...but its at night! From mid-afternoon on he starts moving around, kicking, punching, banging his head and doing something that sent shooting pains down the left side of my uterus for 5 hours last night. He's already a little trouble maker. 18ish weeks to go, maybe less if he stays big for his age. He was supposed to weight 12oz, but he weighed in at 15oz. I called yesterday and found out that my provider is pcsing, and going back to the states. I have no idea who they are going to assign me to now.

Tim has discovered that he can play with the baby. It pretty much consists of him pushing and poking at my belly and feeling Noah moving around. Its all fun and games until Noah gets pissed and starts hitting back, which HURTS! Tim thinks its hilarious, I didn't think it was quite so funny.

Noah's Profile

He already has his daddy's nose

Head to Foot

He isn't a fan of curling up all nice and small

7 March 2006

We had the ultrasound this morning, and it is definitely a boy. Noah Timothy Tichawa. If the ultrasound is right he already has Tim's nose, poor kid. Due date is still 16/17 July. He was quiet but active during the ultrasound, covering up his face and scratching his head. He keeps his arms close to his body but his legs go everywhere. We brought home 10 pictures of various body parts and those should be loaded up here soon. Thank goodness there is only one in there! I don't know what I would do with two mini-Tims running around at the same time. The next doctor's appointment should be in about two weeks, but I am going to be calling this week to find out the results of my lab work and the CF screen that has taken forever to get back. Any results from the ultrasound will be gone over at the appointment two weeks from now. Everything should be fine. Axe is eating something so its time to sign off for now.

3 March 2006

Tim and I are going down to Garmisch. He's going skiing and I'm practicing my hot cocoa sipping skills. It has been snowing so hard here today that everything is shut down. I was scheduled to work 2:30 til 6pm, at which time I was going to give me two weeks notice. And then I found out that I didn't have to come in to work because of the weather. So I'll be giving my notice on Monday it seems.

Baby is doing good. She (or he) has been batting around at my insides yesterday and today. Just wants to remind me that they are still there. I obviously look pregnant now, but clothes still cover it up a lot. Seeing my profile is always a little surprising.

My back is sore most of the time now. I need to start wearing some belly support, but there is nothing at the store here and buying online always seems such a low priority that it keeps getting pushed back.