Friday

Was amazing...

We went to the second ultrasound... and I hate to say it, the first was a little disappointing. I was prepared for another anti-climatic moment again.

On the screen, there was a little, tiny human. So, so very tiny, but it looked like a baby. It even waved its arms! It was so amazing to me - it was hard to beleive. When it waved its arms, I remember blinking and thinking that I made it up in my head. Michael saw it too, so I know we weren't both seeing things. I really wasn't expecting magic.

Patio Dreaming

A month or two away from having a patio...

and I can not stop thinking about sitting out there, with Michael, eating dinner and enjoying the fire pit.

I love this fire pit:

It is sold out at overstock - but I am going to keep on the hunt. This one is so cute though - it reminds me of a little spaceship.

These chairs:

Around this table:

Oh what a happy patio it would be... with this rug...

Dad's Day

Happy Father's Day...

There are three fathers in my life... and I am lucky to know each one.

The first is my daddy.  He took me everywhere and anywhere he could with him.  I helped him in construction, car repair and anything else I wanted to try.  Stubborn with a temper - as he has learned tact and forgiveness over his life, he softened my temper and gave this stubborn redheaded daughter of his a backbone that is strong and flexible.  He also taught me to appreciate the things about myself that are different and be okay with differences in others.  The lesson that hard work can take you pretty far, not working hard will rarely take you anywhere - but even these rules have a chance at being broken - your safest bet is to work hard and work smart.  Most of all - enjoy the time when you are not working the most.

The second is my husbands dad, Gary.  He has accepted me lovingly and with open arms into his family.  He is one of the hardest working and dedicated men I know.  He wants little for himself and worries about everyone else.  He loves to make others laugh and can't get enough of the slap stick comedy movies.  He has taken care of my husband so well and is the majority of the reason I think that Michael has worked so hard to be where he is today.

Then  there is the father-to-be in my life - Michael.  Seeing him with our little one is something I cannot wait to see.  Seeing Michael grow and change as this little life is put in our watchful care.  Watching him play tickle monster, seeing him laugh and smile, finding them napping together on the couch, seeing the tiny hand in his loving one... makes me so happy.  I know there will be times where we both are sleep deprived, and clueless on what to do next.  There is no one else who I would rather be overwhelmed with than Michael - so the rest of the 95% of the time is going to be amazing.

Happy Fathers' Day to you all.

Some of my finds

These are from over a month ago...

First, the most adorable planter ever. I love the owl and the fact that it all white, so even though it is slightly kitchy, it is completely clean and modern in style. I call him hoot. (I have a tendency to give almost all inanimate objects moods, emotions and some are lucky to get a name also.) He was $7.

Hoot resides on a 3 foot turned piece of wood - Michael calls it my table leg - which was found a few years ago at the "Worlds Longest Yard Sale" - check it out - it is the first weekend in August every year.

That same day I also found these 70's prints by K. Chin that I loved from the moment I saw them. I bought them and hid them in my car with the hopes of a nursery to hang them in soon. It happened faster than I thought - and I can't wait to find the perfect frames. They are all 12" X 9" so I might have to have them made... none the less at $5 a piece - I can splurge on some frames.

Then, last night I went one of my VERY favorite thrift stores. It was right around the corner from our first apartment. Most of the early decorations, dishes and many outfits came from there. I was feeling nostalgic and not feeling sick - so I made the trip over there before I went home last night. I found a gem...

It is in great condition. The vinyl has a tiny tear in the seat and another small one on the back. I am playing around with the idea of recovering it in some new vinyl. You can't see it in the picture, because it was soaking - but it even had the original strap from the seat to the tray. It was $9.99. Baby won't need it for over a year - but I couldn't pass it up.

Last Weekend

A little late but...

Better than never. In the evening I have had little, strike that, NO drive to accomplish much of anything. Last Saturday, Mike and I met Cristy, Jon and Lauren here:

This a annual event that Cristy and I have gone to together or wished we could be at and talked about. Lauren danced with the band:

She was so adorable. At the end of each song she clapped, jumped and shouted. It was a great day to spend with friends.

The evening was can be summed up by these photos:

Roaring fire with marshmallows...

Dinner and friends on a patio...

Warm toes (and glasses of wine for those other than me)

Thanks Jesse and Cari for the evening.

OOOHH

I have been shopping on Etsy...

And I purchased these amazing letterpress sheets from simplesong designs:

I am going to MAKE myself use them. I cannot wait for them to arrive. Should make things like what to clean, pay, buy a whole lot more fun and interesting.

Simplesong also has custom calling cards and other great letterpress stationary. I also love these custom note cards. Once I choose what to put on them... I will be back for purchase two!

From Friday

Things were not as far along as we thought. So I get to go back a week from Friday for a second ultra sound.

But here are the first pictures of Little Bixler.

New Place

We will be getting a new place...

For our new face! Michael went today and talked to our leasing office about getting a larger apartment. We had been under discussions for a while about buying, staying or upgrading. With things up in the air with where Michael will end up for fellowship, we decided not to buy. It was tempting. We miss our house... "our" place.

But, on the to upgrade... we will be moving in September or October to a 2 bedroom unit with hardwood floors and a washer and dyer in the unit!

No more quarters required! I cannot wait. I really miss throwing a load in the washer and then being able to wait a few hours to move it to the dryer. In our complex, if you are even 10 minutes late on getting your things it will be lumped on one of the folding tables. I always feel like I am bing chastized when our laudary is on the folding table. It reminds me of getting your desk dumped when you were in grade school. Yes, I was one of those messy kids.

Another triumph, is not having to stop at the car wash to get questers on the way home. Sad, but true, our complex does not have a change machine.

Best part of all... a room for baby that we can decorate, enjoy and share half of its closet!

Happy Friday!

Ultra sound today... and I was so excited last night. Michael and I even did some online window shopping for the nursery. He still doesn't like my chair but he is now calling it "alright" instead of ugly.

Then this morning I hear that the first ultra sound is internal! That is not the was it is in all the movies! Now why doesn't the Doctor mention this? You think that would be an important bite of information for a patient who wanted to visit the office prior to her first appointment - just to get familiar with the office and the staff.

I have a raging dislike for all things health related - doctors, nurses, dentists, hospitals, tests, needles, waiting rooms, trays with tools on them... you name it and I would rather be without it. What to I go and do... I marry a doctor! Granted when I met Michael, we were in middle school, but none the less - I am sleeping with the enemy.

Both Michael and Cristy parlay this internal ultrasound information on me - "oh, you didn't know... well maybe your office is different..." My best friends in the whole world are so much alike - they even tried to console me today with the same phrases without hearing eachother.

I guess this will not be the last little surprise I am going to get... maybe this is just preparation for all the others. Wait until my first ER visit for stitched or broken bone... oh boy oh boy (or girl)!

Orange and Green

Knowing that we will not know...

We have decided on orange and green for the baby's room.  So how excited was I when Down and Out Chic posted about this color scheme and one of my favorite movies all in one post.  

Loving this picture she had for a child's room:

Polka - dots to boot! I was going to get a white rocker - but I think it has to be orange now.  Michael thinks the bottom is unattractive, but I am getting pretty much what I really beg for these days.

I REALLY want a bright colored crib bedding.  I am having the hardest time finding what is in my head in reality.  I need to get my sewing  machine fixed... in a hurry.

This Weekend

My fathers birthday was Saturday...

5:00 p.m. Saturday

We had cake and sang.  It was very nice.  Mom was laughing and glad to be getting over her recent cold.  Michael was on call, so I headed home around 9:00 - full of cake and talk of Friday.

11:00 p.m.  

Dad called.  He was taking mom to the hospital - she was having trouble breathing.  I left the house as fast as I could.  Thinking the whole time that she was fine.

11:30 p.m. 

Dad called again, crying (dad never cries).  He took her to the fire station instead of the hospital himself.  The were working on her and told him to call family.  I was about 45 minutes from the hospital.  I started really speeding at this point and talking to my mom in my head.  "Stay strong mom... "

12:00 p.m.

I pulled in to the emergency room, and dad was waiting out front for me.  He hugged me and said they had her on a ventilator but couldn't get her heart rate or blood pressure under control.  The doctor told him "We are doing everything we can to save her."  She was fine this afternoon...

1:00 a.m. Sunday

Michael gets there - they let him leave work.  I was so glad to have him there.  I didn't want to cry in front of dad, he was falling to pieces and needed me.  I met Michael in the parking lot and cried for a long time.  We went back in just in time to meet with the doctor.  They think she had a heart attack.  Her lungs were full of fluid and that is why she couldn't breath.  We got to go back and see her.  All of us (which is breaking rules at the hospital - a bad sign).  She was laying on the table, a machine breathing for her, tubes everywhere and her right arm was hanging off the bed.  We went and talked to her and held her hand.  Dad is kissing her forehead and cheeks.   We sit and wait for the doctors.  

3:00 a.m. 

The do an ultrasound of her heart, in the room.  The sedative they have given her starts to wear off, and she is struggling to sit up, gagging on the tube in her throat and tears are streaming down her face.  We talk to her and Michael pushed her down onto the table.  The front of my shirt is soaked.  This can't be happening.

5:00 a.m.

She is finally stable and going to the ICU.  We aren't allowed to visit her until later - so we reluctantly head home.  We get home at 6:00 and I fretfully slept until 9:00.  Talked to dad - there was no heart attack.  She has and infection in her blood, signs of bronchitis and a heart defect no one ever knew about.  All of that together - somehow almost killed her.  Mom is now doing well and they are talking about taking her of the ventilator today.

Today

As of right now, mom is on a normal cardiac floor.  Off the ventilator, up and walking around, talking and hugging us all.  They are running more test to see what they need to do to fix her heart.  If the condition in her heart was untreated, the cardiologist said that she would have had a fatal heart attack one day with no warning.  They are battling the infection and winning.  

I am so glad my mom is still here with us, and that my little one will get to meet this amazing lady soon.  I feel very blessed to get reminded of the things that matter the most.  I am so lucky to have my mom and family.  

Pheewww

It has been a rough couple of days...

One of my loves in this world - food - has lost its appeal, good will, and fun.  I wake up in the morning and, before I move from bed, my stomach is flipping and flopping.  It reminded me of a fish on the dock - until the thought of fish made it even worse.

Wednesday night, Michael even picked up my favorite Chinese take-out.

 Image: Columbusneon

I don't eat Mark Pi's very often - all the salt, oil and sugars, but i was so looking forward to it.  Then, once the delicous, steaming plate was infront of me, the only thing that I could eat was the broth from the hot & sour soup.  

I made myself have a bite of the soup only after I took a bite of the main meal.  I barely ate my beloved Mongolian Beef.  It was sad to see it go to waste... so sad.  

Our first ultrasound is next Friday.  I can not wait.  

My Cristy just called, and she is bringing me soup from Panera.  I am so lucky.

Back from Mini-Vacation

With surprises...

First surprise... my pillow cover from Persnickety Home Designs arrived and was there to welcome me on my first day back to work.

It was a great way to start a Monday - a perfectly packaged pillow cover that is as darling as it could be.  As soon as I get a pillow to fill it, I will show the final result.

Then, there was also this surprise...

After almost a year... we can't be more excited!

I debated all day about posting this, so early and everything.  Since my family doesn't read this, and those who do are new acquaintances... I went for it.

This blog was to be my life as it happens.  So no fear, and here we go!

We are telling our parents on Wednesday.  My mom is going to be so excited, and dad is going to be so broke.  When my mom gets excited, she shops and who doesn't love to shop for babies?  I almost ran out tonight - just to get something, anything to make it more tangible and touchable.  Oh my Oh my...