Thursday, January 31, 2008

Quick Update

Nothing remarkably new on Marilyn. THey brought in a lung specialist to see if she is ready to be taken off the ventilator. But she is still unresponsive.

In other news...Dan and I made our first baby purchase. We found a very cute (and reasonably priced) crib on craigslist. It's just a plain wooden crib, but I really like it. It did not come with a mattress, so we'll still have to get that. I keep searching craigslist for more great baby finds. :)

I have also bought my first maternity clothes. I found a few pants on eBay, some tops on clearance at Old Navy, and a pair of jeans at Goodwill. I also bought 3 belly bands so I can wear my jeans a little longer. Hopefully that will be all the maternity clothes I'll need to get through - except a couple of pairs of shorts and a nightgown/robe for the hospital.

When I was at Goodwill I couldn't resist and ended up walking through the baby section and bought a 3month pale blue baby sleeper, and some 12 month denim coveralls. They were so cute, and for $1 a piece I figured I couldn't go too wrong. And no - we still don't know the sex of the baby. I just got blue because it was cute.

Until later...

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

No News - Good News?

I don't have much to report as far as Marilyn. She is still in ICU, still on a ventilator and still has seven IVs running into her.

The good news is she seems to have beaten the infection, her dialysis is going very well, her ostomy bag seems functional, and her blood pressure has remained stable.

The biggest concern is she is still unresponsive. She been that way for a week now. There doesn't seem to be a physical reason for it, so the doctor is hopeful she is some sort of self-induced protective shock/coma state.

So we wait.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Not Going Well

My cousin (Marilyn's middle child) called and told me things are not looking good. She's sedated for now, and has a massive infection she is fighting. Something about the blood vessels in her bowels are too thin and weak to survive which means her intestines will start to die? I'm not exactly sure - my cousin was pretty upset and not entirely coherent.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Still Need Prayers

Aunt Marilyn had surgery early this morning. They told us yesterday they couldn't operate because she wouldn't survive. This morning they said they had no choice - if they didn't operate she would be dead in hours.

She pulled through the surgery, and her blood pressure has risen and stabilized. She is still hallucinating though (calling out and talking with my long-deceased grandma) and is completely unresponsive.

This would be the downside of living 2500 miles away. I want to be there with her.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Need Prayers


Many of you know my Aunt Marilyn. She's been another mom to me and is the wisest, most wonderful woman I know.

She's very ill right now. She was admitted to the hospital last night and from what my uncle is saying, she's not doing very well. She's in the ICU and is "out of it" and unable to communicate.

Please say a prayer for her speedy recovery. I'm not ready to loose another mom.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Invitations Away

Hot off the presses, the invites are currently winging their way to your home! (Well most of them - there are a few stray addresses we are still trying to compile!)

Friday, January 18, 2008

The Rings



Tonight we picked up our rings! They turned out amazing, and I absolutely love mine. This is the engagement ring only - you'll have to wait to see the final ring until after the wedding. I personally like it even better when the wedding bands are in place, but Dan adores the simplicity of the single stone. I really love that we were able to use the stone from my mom's ring. It seems so fitting.

Sorry - you'll have to wait to see Dan's until the wedding :)

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Wedding! Get Your Red Hot Wedding Here!

And by here, I really mean HERE. The location we're going with is about 100 miles east of Seattle in Leavenworth. Leavenworth itself is a great destination for all sorts of family fun and outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and rafting. Founded over a hundred years ago, Leavenworth decided about 40 years back that they should actually be a Bavarian village, and went about forcing everyone to adorn their buildings to match. According to wikipedia, they're also home to the world's largest nut cracker collection. Suffice it to say, you can't throw an apple there without hitting something fun. Oh, and they grow apples there so there's lots of ammo.

The event itself will be just outside of Leavenworth in Plain, which is home to places like a Plain Laundry and a Plain church. Clever folk. I guess part of the Anti-Bavarian backlash. Plain is home to the Featherwinds Inn and Lodge which is a nice place to stay on its own. At least some portion of the wedding party can be housed in the main inn, with another 60 beds available throughout their complex - including a bed and breakfast (adults only) and some family-friendly lodge-style houses. All told, we should be able to get reasonable prices for whomever wishes to bunk there. Since the wedding is midday Saturday we're inviting people to stay with us at Featherwinds Friday night and Saturday night while exploring the area as time permits. The wedding begins at 4:00 PM, and we'll enjoy some light food and merriment thereafter. With the on-site lodges we can continue the snacks and drinks until whenever.

March should be a fairly cool (but not cold- upper 40s, lower 50s) time with some residual snow covering but without any new snow falling. It's not quite rafting season, but you could probably find somewhere to paddle or float, and I think there will still be snow to trample upon at Lake Wenatchee. http://www.leavenworth.org/events/march.html might list more things to do.

Due to the short notice and long distance, we're going to have the reception in St. Louis the following month at the Clemens farm in Illinois, which has also been transformed into a Bavarian village. (Editor's Note: Karen says that sounds dumb, so don't be fooled.) Our fun will begin at 5pm and will include as much food and combustible items as we can manage. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for the full effect.

Please email us with questions!

Formal invitations will be sent within the next week, so please be patient as we get a handle on our guest lists. In general, we want everyone to make it to the reception and will try to cram in as many people as we can practically handle for the ceremony. We know getting out here may be difficult so that way no one has to miss out on the celebration.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Wedding Details:
March 15th, 4PM
Featherwinds Inn, Leavenworth, WA

Reception Details:
April 12th, 5PM
Clemens Farm, Edwardsville, IL

Ride the SLUT

Yes, they really did want to call it the SLUT, and we've each taken our turn with her. Hemant and Kai provided a fun diversionary afternoon while we all took in the fabulous Seattle summer preview. Which is to say it was sunny and really very pleasant. Anyhow, feel free to ride her... everyone else has.

Friday, January 11, 2008

August 14

That is d-day for Baby Peanut arrival. I had my first OB visit on Wednesday, and everything is progressing great! (It was also Dan's first ever OB visit - which is another tale unto itself!) I am officially 9 weeks along.

At your first appointment they go over everything with you - we were there for almost three hours. We met with a nurse to go over my genetic and social history, then Dan's. The various tests (chromosomal abnormalities, cystic fibrosis, etc) were explained to us, and the time frames we have to decide if we want these tests. You also have a standard pelvic exam - quite the eye opening experience for most men!

We met with my doctor and went over the birthing practices of the clinic (which we really liked), and discussed any questions or concerns we had. Dr. Pray also went over some concerns she has - namely my high blood pressure and a bicornuate uterus. I have to undergo more careful monitoring than a low risk pregnancy, but with luck everything should go as planned. The biggest risk we face is a pre-term baby.

Dr. Pray told me no more salt to try to lower my BP - so Dan has turned into the salt nazi. :) I do adore that man. They didn't do the standard blood draw at my appointment because I need an additional test first. I'll have that done next week, then get the blood work done.

The highlight of the visit was the ultrasound. We actually got to see our baby for the first time. It was the single most amazing thing I have ever seen. This perfect little person with a head, two arms, two tiny legs, and a heart that was beating. I laughed at one point and Peanut threw out his/her arms and wiggled around. We have a picture, but it's really hard to see anything. It is so much clearer when you are watching the video feed of the baby moving.

Peanut's sex won't be clear for another few months, but we really don't want to know. Of course, with all the extra monitoring I have to undergo, there is a good chance we'll find out by accident.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Not Much New

Dan and I are both home and settling back into our daily routine. We even (almost) have our luggage put away!

It was wonderful to see everyone again. I really miss the camaraderie STL offers. It felt so good to just hang out and laugh with friends. And of course, Bryan and Cheryl were kind enough to provide an AWESOME party to make sure we all had a reason to get together.

Of course, I don't miss the lousy air quality. Today is the first day I am starting to feel human again after getting both a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection while visiting. Being pregnant = no meds, so this has not been fun.

That's it for now. Back to regularly scheduled postings as I start to feel more and more human.