A new beginning

Well, I hope this time of year finds everyone in a happy place, both literally and figuratively. As for me, it's a mixed bag, as always. But overall things are good.

I've been absent for a while due to being busy with a recent move. We just purchased our first home, and while it's small and humble, it has lots of character, and it's ours. The yard is enormous, and Jack even has his own room (finally!).



I'm glad I can give Jack the opportunity to grow up in a home of his own, and we can finally put down roots. I love being able to paint walls, plant flowers and veggies (once the snow is long gone), and establish a presence here in our new local neighborhood. Granted, we moved all of three blocks, and you'd think that would make it so much easier, right? Oh no! I think I'll be unpacking for months to come. It's frustrating not being able to decorate yet, or just relax and have everything done, but as everyone keeps saying, we have the rest of our lives to worry about that.

As for Jack, he's doing marvelously.



He is finally off of all his medications, and only takes a daily multivitamin. He's still quite delicate, and we must continue to worry about CLD, RSV shots, and a variety of other issues, but he's a very spunky and energetic little baby. Jack's been eating table food for a long time now, and is rapidly putting on weight after a long dry spell where he was stuck in the 15-lb range. Although he still has developmental (physical) delays and is still trying to crawl and master sitting up, he's sharp as a tack, and has a quirky sense of humor (with a goofy laugh to match). Jack continues to get various therapies, with more being added soon, but he is a strong and determined little soul.

Words cannot describe how much I love my little boy.



And yes, I'd love to have another soon, but we will have to meet with high risk doctors months before we even start trying. To say that I'm scared is an understatement. But we'll go in to it knowing what can happen, how to prevent it, and do our best.

Pete and I are doing well too. The economy has continued to affect us both in our careers, but we're making due. And as I keep pointing out to Pete, we were able to buy a house this year, despite everything, so that's saying something, right? We even got out for some mommy and daddy alone time recently at a coffee tour downtown (that's a rarity!). Here we are with my sibs and niece at the Intelligentsia coffee tour (Pete rarely smiles in photos). I still have some baby weight to lose, but once I unearth my treadmill and get back to exercising, I hope it'll start to melt away.



Anyhow, just wanted to pop in here and say hello, post some pix, etc. Hope you are all well, and I miss being a regular in blogland. But I know everyone is busy too, and you just have to take life as it comes.

Happy holidays!

Recent pix

Chris here...I'm not going to say for the millionth time that I'm going to be blogging again! And take pix! And make my own bread! And run a marathon! And...and...and...phew. Life is super, duper busy. Can you tell? I'm lucky to do much beyond care for my special baby, keep the house functioning (note that I did not say "clean"), and squeeze out the occasional freelance project (they're few and far between these days). And there is big news on the horizon that I will be sharing soon (I hope).

In the meantime, I managed to grab five pix of Jack (who else?) to share with you all. The kid is tiny, but he's growing like a weed these days! So without further delay, here's Jack-Jack:


With dada and Lamby (about two months ago)


With his beloved Mr. Duck during bath time


Rock on!


Hanging out with dada in bed


With grandma (this past weekend—photo courtesy of Nic)

I've got a ten pounder (plus) on my hands!

Mama and Jack (pic taken by Nicole)



I've been busy, busy, busy...but here are some pix for you of you-know-who.

I'm getting back into photography and exploring my artistic side, now that Jack is home and healthy (despite a recent cold) and the weather is so beautiful. I've posted some pix at vivid of recent Savanna trips, and I'm participating in Lens.Us.Together again. It feels good to pick up the camera again (and not just the iPhone all the time).

Hopefully I'll be posting regularly again as time allows...I hope you are all doing well too!


Watching the carousel with mama at Blackberry Farm


Dapper sailor


Bath time with grandma Claudette


Tiny tiger


With grandma Carol at Blackberry Farm (pic by Sam)


Shirt-hat


Hanging with dada and watching video games


Tiger Jack

:)

I'm glad I continue to see these everywhere I go. They remind me that I need to smile. I showed this to Pete the other day, and he said, "Ah, my wife, who sees smiley faces everywhere she goes."

How it all began

I thought I'd take a moment and fill you all in on what happened with Jack's early birth. I was absent from blogging for a while due to Jack's health issues and my own recovery, and it has only been recently that I've felt much like I used to (albeit with a big, pouchy belly) and have gotten back to my normal routine.

My pregnancy was normal up to the 20-week ultrasound. I was considered high risk due to AMA (Advanced Maternal Age) at 36, but I was otherwise healthy. Pete and I conceived within the first month of trying, and I never had severe morning sickness during my pregnancy. I was fatigued a lot, which I expected, and I tried to watch my weight, although I think I was on the higher end of weight gain for someone of my average size (a 40 lb gain after 6 months). My OB wasn't concerned, and things seemed to hum along at a nice pace. I took both a prenatal vitamin and omega-3 supplement religiously, and stayed away from such things as second hand smoke (Pete is a smoker), toxic fumes from paint and such, and the usual food no-no's for pregnant women.

Jack was measuring correctly at the 20-week ultrasound, seemed healthy, and no problems were found. Things seemed great, I felt great, and I was actually only worried that a) I'd have a big baby, since my mom's babies were all 9-10 lbs, or b) I'd have a small baby (4-5 lb) like my sister did, who mysteriously delivered both undersized babies at the 36-37 week mark. I never imagined what was about to occur.

At my 24-week checkup, it was found that my blood pressure was high, after having been low or normal for my whole pregnancy (and even before I got pregnant). For some reason, the nurse didn't pass this information along verbally to my OB, and I wasn't going to mention it since the nurse didn't, and my OB didn't see it in my chart (I know, dumb). But Pete did say something to my OB, and, rightly concerned, she retested me a few times. When it was determined that it was indeed high and not a fluke, my urine was tested (no protein) and I was sent to convenient care to have blood drawn. Those tests came back negative for preeclampsia, so I was scheduled for a follow up the next week, just to be safe.

At the follow up exam, I again had high blood pressure (which shocked me, since I felt fine) and was immediately told to report to the hospital for further testing. I was told it would probably last a day or two, and that I might have to go on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. The worst-case scenario at that time was that I'd be in the hospital on bed rest, so Pete and I were hoping I'd be sent home on bed rest. I packed my bags at home, tearfully said goodbye to my pets (thinking I'd be gone a few days and somewhat scared of what was happening), and headed over to the hospital.

Of course, I got to L & D and my blood pressure was fine. They also hooked up Jack to a fetal monitor (on my belly) just to see how he was doing. It was only supposed to be on for an hour or so, but it was left on a little bit longer, and just happened to pick up several heart rate dips. Concerned, the staff decided to keep me overnight for further monitoring. They said I'd probably go home in the morning, and that the heart rate dips were probably from Jack moving around or getting wrapped up in his cord. An ultrasound performed by an OB at the hospital looked okay. I was relieved and tried to get some sleep.

The next morning I woke up to a swarm of concerned doctors and nurses around my bed. They said Jack's heart rate dips had increased overnight, and that he was in distress in utero. A more detailed ultrasound was performed during which it was discovered that not only was he in distress, but that my amniotic fluid was low, Jack was not growing properly (measuring 22-23 weeks), and the placenta's reduced blood flow was failing to support Jack. If he was not delivered soon, we would be having a stillborn baby in a week or two.

Suddenly I was looking at having my baby any day, and I was terrified. I didn't even know whether babies could survive so young. Steroid shots and a magnesium drip were administered, and after a few days it was decided that Jack had to come out. Jack was born on Halloween at 12:54 p.m., after an emergency c-section, and he came out crying quite loudly for such a little guy, which was encouraging. He was promptly sent to the NICU, where he remains to this day, three months later.

I'm still not sure what happened. I tested negative for preeclampsia, and although I was found to have the MTHFR gene mutation, it wasn't a factor (I was tested for this). So, although we are going through this nightmare with Jack, Pete and I still talk about having another baby in the future (I am 36 and time's ticking). We are obviously terrified, and will have to have high risk counseling to figure out what happened with Jack and what to do with any subsequent pregnancies. We absolutely don't want to put another baby through this (or ourselves for that matter). Although that's not a concern at the moment, it's always in the back of my mind, and I do want answers to what happened with Jack.

Fast-forward to today...Jack is doing fairly well after having endured the usual onslaught of micropreemie issues—PDA, CLD, NEC, ROP, etc. There were times I didn't think he would make it (many times, in fact) and lived in dread for that sudden call from the NICU at any given moment (I still do, to be honest). I only recently started buying him clothes and such, since I was terrified I’d somehow jinx the outcome if I did/did not buy him things. Jack was on a ventilator/oscillator for the first month and a half of his life, then bubble CPAP, then a nasal cannula. Jack was off of oxygen for five days, but sadly has had to go back on it, although it's only room air that he's getting at a low flow. I'd been concerned about his blood oxygen levels slowing going down during the last several days since he's been off his cannula (from the high 90s as recently as Wednesday, to the low-mid 80s today), and they originally told me this is not unexpected and that he is still doing well in their eyes. But that did not stop me from worrying, however, as everything makes me worry these days. And sure enough, he's back on oxygen again.

Jack is still being fed by an NG tube (feeding tube in his nose), although he is learning to bottle and breast feed right now and is doing quite well at both. Jack is in stage 2, zone 3 of ROP (with Plus disease), but his eye doctor said that Jack's had no change for a few weeks now, which is encouraging, since he is leaving that "danger zone" gestationally for ROP complications. Hopefully this means his ROP will reverse itself and he won't need laser surgery, but I am still obviously very concerned and sick to my stomach every time his Friday eye exam rolls around.

What else? Besides having Chronic Lung Disease and suffering from a recent head cold (for three weeks now), Jack has issues with reflux. He is on Reglan to control the reflux, although it's only been a little more than a week since he's been on it. He desats and has bradys every time he spits up (low blood oxygen levels and heart rate dips), sometimes repeatedly, which is scary and frustrating. We have to keep him upright during bottle feeds, and reclined after each feeding of any kind.

Other recent developments are that his caffeine was just stopped yesterday, he's off Pulmicort as of last week, his diuretic is being phased out, he's on a formula fortifier to get him to gain weight (which he's been doing fantastically with for the last few weeks), he just moved to a crib on Wednesday (yay!), and he's receiving ongoing speech, physical, and occupational therapy. He has a strong right side preference, and is a little stinker about fighting the PTs' and nurses' efforts to turn him to the left. Pete and I have been doing exercises with him to work on his tone and flexibility, and although he has some tremors, they are typical for his age right now (so they are telling us) and are not of immediate concern.

Jack never had a brain bleed, but did have some fluid on his brain that was "at the far end of normal," according to one of his doctors. A recent ultrasound suggests this is no longer an issue, and an echocardiogram a few days ago has cleared Jack of any cardiac issues. His PDA closed with medication early on (thank God) and he hasn't really had any other heart issues since then.

I'm currently working to get Jack some SSI benefits, and I am always weeding through the usual red tape and paperwork of medical bills and insurance. So far, so good, although the mounting bills certainly don't help me rest well at night.

As of today, Jack's doctors are telling me he'll be home (most likely) in 2-3 weeks. We're discussing whether we'll be sent home with oxygen and feeding tubes, which is a scary prospect. I'm hoping he is able to wean himself off the oxygen and fully master the art of bottle and breast feeding before then. He's doing really well, and I certainly believe he can do both. But if he needs help, I'm here for him, and I'll do my best to take care of him.

I can't wait to have Jack home....

NICU Anxiety

(For some reason, Blogger isn't letting me upload photos today {I get a lot of HTML jibberish}, so this is one of the rare posts of mine without a photo.)

I'm stressing a bit right now, something that seems to hit me randomly as the weeks and months go on and on in the NICU. Today I went to the usual 11:00 feeding for Jack (he's learning to bottle feed), and a new nurse, Dani, was there with one of the regulars, Jane. Both are wonderful nurses and very sweet people, and greeted me with the usual smiles. I walked up to his crib, and Dani was performing a check on his lungs/heart/tummy with the stethoscope. She looked puzzled and asked Jane if she heard a murmur. I was surprised, since Jack's last echocardiogram was clean, and he's considered problem free in the cardiac department. Jane took a listen and confirmed the diagnosis of a murmur. I suddenly found myself crying, and ducked out of the way to get a kleenex. It happened so fast that they didn't even know I was crying, until I stepped back near the crib and they saw my face. Lots of consolation and soothing began, which made me cry even harder. Eventually I settled down, and was chatting and smiling with them, although I was still surprised at the sudden flow of tears, seemingly out of nowhere.

Then the speech therapist, Maha, came in, who works with Jack to teach him to feed. I sat down with Jack and started giving him a bottle. He was slow to start, and was not breathing well as he drank from the bottle. He started destatting quite a bit, and had some bradys (bradycardia, or heartrate dips), and again, the tears started flowing. The speech therapist didn't realize I was crying either, until I had to pass her the bottle so I could blow my nose and wipe my eyes. She was very nice and totally cool about my crying, but I was really embarrassed. The feeding continued, and I eventually got it together, as did Jack. We finished on a good note, with some loud burps from Jack and smiles too. But it was later passed along to one of Jack's doctors in the NICU that I had "showed anxiety" regarding his heart murmur. The doctor later stopped by to review Jack's day and listen to my concerns. I was a bit sheepish when he mentioned my "concern," but he was really nice about it, as everyone has been during the last 3+ months.

I'm not sure why I'm so embarrassed to cry while I'm there. I have no problem doing it in the car, or at home, or in front of Pete (he's really used to it by now). I'm sure I'm not the first person to cry in the NICU, and I'm definitely not the weepiest person ever. But for some reason I just have days where the anxiety is bubbling closer to the surface than it usually is, and I have a harder time controlling the emotions. I realized as I was driving home that I am under 24/7 stress, and have been for months now. That sort of stress and pressure will get to anyone, especially since it concerns my child, my baby, who has suffered since he was born (and even before that). I know he's doing really well right now, and his homecoming is on the horizon. Yet I still can't fully relax. Besides the constant stress of Jack's health on any given day (or even hour), there are the mounting medical bills (even with our good insurance), the reality that I'm still laid off and looking for work, with only occasional freelance jobs, the usual (growing) financial worries, worries about my own health and stamina, such things as staying in contact with friends and family, and of course the stress of daily life on top of all that.

I wish I could relax and let it all out, and feel free to cry at will. I've never been one of those people, and never will be, I think. I can distract myself from my own reality with thoughts about my upcoming baby shower and my registries, our furry children's antics (as annoying as they can be sometimes), my artistic pursuits, which have been put on hold for the last 3 months, and even basic things like going to a movie or playing with my new Wii. Pete is wonderful and supportive as always, but in a way, I'm burdened with the job of worrying for Jack. Pete does worry, don't get me wrong. But he is able to accept what is going on around him, and figures he won't waste time thinking about things until they're a real problem. He's also not involved with the daily care of Jack as much as I am, the medical bills, the social workers, the nurses and doctors (although he does visit Jack with me for several hours a day), and everything else going on behind the scenes. I am also still trying to get over what pregnancy and birth has done to my body, and am physically reminded on a continuous basis how traumatic Jack's birth and life has been for me so far, despite how wonderful and amazing he is.

Right now, my only consolation is to talk to others about it, blog about it, join micropreemie mom support groups, and to read about others' experiences, to know that I'm not alone, and to get questions and concerns answered. In the end, it's something I will continue to endure because I have received such a blessing and a gift in the form of my son.

Peter Fonda's coming to town!

This Saturday, Peter Fonda will be visiting the Hollywood Palms Theater in Naperville during a screening of "Easy Rider." Just like when Zuzu came to town, we'll get to meet him in person, get autographs, and listen to him talk a little about the movie before it begins. It should be fun and exciting.



Maybe Pete will be all crazy and do his Jack Nicholson impression for Mr. Fonda? It was such a hit last time when he did his best Jimmy Stewart and Mr. Potter imitations for Zuzu.

On the horizon...

My little peanut



He's getting so big. I bought some preemie outfits on clearance at Carter's last week, and they fit him quite well. Some of the onesies fit like a glove. I love this little outfit he has on, a striped onesie and some lion foot pants. So cute! And look how big our Jack-Jack is getting.



Pete and Jack have such a great relationship already. They love to nap together in the big lazy boy chair in Jack's room. Here it looks like they're having a discussion.



Anyhow, I am going to try to blog more regularly. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to check out other people's blogs, which I desperately miss. But I wanted to share with you all how things are going. People are concerned how Jack is doing, and I feel bad that I'm not updating as regularly as I could be.

I'm also debating how to chronicle Jack's life, and our life with Jack. I was thinking of starting a separate blog devoted to him, but I also pondered just continuing this one and posting here. I sure don't have time for extra writing, which would be required for a separate blog. But this blog has never been focused on any one thing in my life. I do think that I'd still want to talk about other things besides Jack though (perish the thought! lol). The furry children are all still here. My freelance work still continues to hum along, albeit slowly and sporadically. Pete and I still have our ups and downs (mostly ups). And of course, my love for shoes has not gone away since I became a mother, so there's always that. So I want to decide soon which way I go, because I really want to share my journey with you all as the mom of a micropreemie.

Anyhow, Jack is struggling with eating right now. He is almost 38 weeks gestationally (3+ months chronologically) and is falling behind on learning to bottle/breast feed due to a nagging head cold and bad reflux issues, which is common in preemies. And his chronic lung disease isn't going anywhere, sadly. They're possibly starting him on Reglan this week, to see if that helps the reflux. And bottle feeds are being started up again, after a week-long delay. I still haven't put him to breast yet, not even to nuzzle. All in good time, I suppose.

A fun thing on the horizon (besides planning for Jack to come home) is the planning of my baby shower. Yeah, I know, I'm doing it backwards by having the baby FIRST and THEN the baby shower, but that's life for ya. I'm excited to see how the party is being planned, and picking out stuff for my registry was a blast. I can't wait to be like other moms and push my baby around in a stroller, bathe him in a tub, tuck him into his crib, play with him, etc., all in my own home. I loved checking out the different travel systems and debating which one to choose. Lots of fun, but a bit overwhelming.

In the meantime, I'm behind on cleaning the floors in this house. I have to stay in mom-mode, as I call it, and I have a duty to keep this house as clean as possible for Jack's eventual homecoming. I'm off to vacuum with my Bissell Pet Hair Eraser and Featherweight vacuums. Good times, right?




Have a lovely Wednesday!

Baby Jack Update, 11-25-09

Baby Jack, 11-17-09


Baby Jack is hanging in there. He had a tough week or two, but for the last several days he's been doing much better, thank God. He is gaining weight and getting stronger by the day. Tomorrow he'll be 29 weeks old. Pete and I are very in love with our little baby boy.

I'm still healing, which has been a slow road process for me. I'm also fighting high blood pressure, for which I'm taking medication now. Otherwise I have good days and bad days, depending on how I'm doing physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Thank you for all your words of encouragement and support. I haven't been able to blog since having Baby Jack, but just know that I appreciate all the comments and letters.

Makin' groomki with ma

On Monday I got to hang out with my mom for the day, and she took the time to teach me how to make a Polish dish called groomki—I am sure I'm totally misspelling this, but I can't find the name anywhere online. Essentially, it's rice and hamburger mixed together, which is then rolled up in a cooked cabbage leaf and covered with tomato sauce. I ate that from time to time as a kid, and Pete had actually heard of it before.

So I figured I'd learn how to make it, and it was pretty easy to make. Of course, Pete doctored his with shredded cheese, Ragu, cayenne pepper, and any other number of ingredients. We both had a couple of the rolls, and the dogs were drooling over it—even Spanky, who wasn't feeling well that night. Next recipe to learn: ma's egg bread.

Memorial for Sandy

Today Pete and I are attending a memorial for Sandy, my aunt who passed away back in April. It's been a long time coming, and I'm sure it'll be an emotional event for everyone in the family.



I made a memorial board for her service (see above) that I think she would have liked. We don't have many pictures of her, so I figured I'd make it as nice and special as possible. I had leftover stuff from my wedding scrapbooking days (something I never finished), and it fit in perfectly with her memorial board.



We also have a communion picture (above) that was recently found in one of my grand aunt's trunks, who had passed away a few years ago. The picture is in excellent condition and stands up on its own, so I'm going to set it next to the board as part of the display.

As I mentioned, it's a long overdue service. But we all feel grateful that we can honor her in some way, and share our favorite memories of our beloved Sandy.

(So) happy together

I'm not sure why, but lately Pete and I have been in a really good place, as far as our relationship goes. We don't fight much, we have really interesting conversations, and we laugh and cuddle more than ever. Not that we were always fighting like cats and dogs before, but there just seems to be a sense of harmony that has settled over our home. Despite the extremely tight finances (uh, hello unemployment, furlough days, and tons of medical bills) and the usual bumpy road we travel called life, we've been pretty mellow and happy.

I think we are also both happy (and a bit scared) about Baby Jack coming, and are enjoying this strange journey together (where DID that belly come from???). I think Pete is settling into not only his role as a husband, but as a father and provider, and perhaps is enjoying it more and more. He is ready to take on his new roles, and seems to be so excited to make a difference in someone's life (Jack's).

So yeah, we're happy. It's a good place to be, and I hope it only gets better from here.

Out for a stroll

Pete, the dogs, and I went for a stroll on Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, and I hadn't been walking for a while (the last time was during our camping trip). I had a great time, although I really got tired about 2/3 of the way into the walk. Baby Jack was pressing on my bladder, I was tired, and my legs were itching like mad—ever get that weird itchiness? It happens to me after I shave sometimes, especially when I used to go running (not doing that now, lol!).

Anyhow, I think I was a bit whiny, and Pete felt bad because I was uncomfortable. (Him: "You're tired? Really?" Me: "Uh, yeah! I'm lugging around an extra 30 pounds here!") But it was cute because we ran into some of his friends, and he was proudly showing off my big belly and telling everyone how happy he was to have his son on the way. So it was worth any discomfort to me to be out in the sunshine with my hubby and dogs, enjoying the vivid colors and warm sun, and stretching my (achy) legs a bit.

Pumpkin pancakes...mmmm

If I'm lucky, I'll be dining on pumpkin pancakes this morning, depending on whether the restaurant Pete and I are going to (with my parents and Matt) still have them. I dined on them a few weeks ago when having breakfast with my mom, and whooo, they were good. Bigger than the ones in this picture, more like the size of dinner plates, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. My mom said they smelled good, and she hates pumpkin.

Anyhow, I know you can make them at home pretty easily. Just add pumpkin to your regular pancake mix and voila! Instant pumpkin pancakes. Of course, you can make them from scratch, and there are any number of recipes out there for just such a thing. Either way, they're wonderful and I highly recommend eating them.

Happy fall!

(Image from continentalmills.com)

Way to go, hubby!

Pete, recently featured in his company's first official newsletter. That's him in the lower left corner, standing with his boss, wearing safety glasses and grinning. But they spelled Pete's name wrong.



I'm so proud of Pete. Today he passed the second test needed to be certified for stainless steel welding (10 and 18 gauge). He has struggled a bit with these tests, but he aced this one today. It was great to see him come home, grinning ear to ear, and just so happy and relieved. He's still on cloud 9, hours later. He wants to take the galvanized steel tests next, but for now, he's a happy man. As he put it, "I have great a family and friends, a woman who loves me, a baby on the way, and I passed the test!"

Of course, then he strapped on his leathers and welding helmet, and I had trouble concentrating on the stew I was making. There is something really, really nice about him all decked out in his welding gear...that's all I'll say.

Put on your mom jeans

I have had trouble maintaining that sexy frame of mind as my belly, thighs, and bosom endlessly expands. And although Pete calls me Sexy Bear and thinks my new shape is cute, I just don't feel all that...sexy right now.



Well, let me tell you, while maternity pants help you to maintain a normal appearance, and they make you look as good as possible, they are not the prettiest thing in the world. Pete likes to tease me about my "mom jeans," even though I hadn't bought ANY maternity pants or jeans until today (I've been wearing large, low rise pants with drawstrings or elastic waist bands up til this point).



I take exception at my wardrobe being compared to those ultimate symbols of frumpiness, though. I do not see a tapered leg or pleated panel anywhere on these babies, a la the traditional model of the mom jean. My new pants (jeans and cords) are all about boot cuts and curve-hugging fit, and are as close to my old wardrobe as I'm gonna get, with my extra large booty and waddle-inducing belly.



Anyhow, I'm excited to be wearing something that isn't squeezing my waist or belly, that I don't have to wear a belly band with (Baby Jack doesn't seem to like it when I wear them), and that doesn't create that oh so attractive muffin top I've been sporting lately. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and wear whatcha gotta wear, whether they be mom jeans...or something completely different.

(Figurine from miund.wordpress.com)

That's why I love him

Pete and me at Fogo de Chão last year, where we had also dined on our first date.



Five years ago today, Pete and I met. It has been a wonderful time since, and through all our ups and downs, we've been very happy together.

Tonight we were sitting around the tv as we often do most nights, watching something on the Military Channel (his choice), covered in snoozing cats and dogs, and our bellies full of McDonald's cheeseburgers. Pete suddenly looked at me and said, "Hey! Let's both concentrate on this pencil here and see if we can make it move by telekenisis." He had an eager look on his face, and carefully set the pencil on top of one of his car books, ready to concentrate.

I started laughing, and said, "See? That's why I love you! Because a normal night for us is watching tv, surrounded by animals, and spending our free time trying to make a pencil move. This is our lives together." And I laughed some more.

Pete smiled and seemed startled by this, but very pleased, and we eventually went on to throwing our brain waves at the pencil (it wiggled, but that was all). Good times.

I'm happy to have known you these five good, long years, my love.

A nightly ritual

Me, Dollie, Spanky (by my belly), and Adora


This is how we end up every night, with me snuggling under a blanket and the dogs/cats piled around me, sleeping. The only one who didn't join us last night was Max, who was off prowling around in the basement somewhere, I'm sure. Sometimes we mix it up and they all lay on Pete, or we split them 50/50. It's hard to move with dogs and cats on you, but it's super cozy!

Long overdue update

Pete, me, dad, and ma sitting around the fire, eating dinner


Well, how are you all? I'm pretty good. I've been gone from the blogging scene for a while, so I thought I'd pop in. I don't know about any of you who have been pregnant or have kids, but it certainly seems to put a crimp in how much time I'm on the computer, especially with blogging. I miss it, but most days I'm unable to get around to posting anything, much less taking pix for my photography blog, vivid.

Anyhow, the project I mentioned in the previous post is STILL going on. Not to the same degree it was before, but there are revisions that still trickle in here and there. Today I actually have to change something back to the color it was before, even though a previous revision asked for the color change. It's kinda funny, but hey, at least I'm getting paid for it, eh?

And I was able to get back onto unemployment this morning, so that's a big relief. The guy said it shouldn't be a problem for future projects, which is good, because I think more might be coming down the pike (I hope).

Well, what have you all been up to? Busy? Not so much?

We went camping this weekend on our big annual family camping trip. It's our 8th year (I think), and it was quite different this year with all the babies and me being pregnant (and quite pregnant right now, in my mind, although it'll get worse, I know). Here's a shot of me on the beach in Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. Yikes! That's some baby belly!

That's my dad behind me, and Spanky at my feet.


We had a great time, and it did rain a little, but not too much. We hiked and went to town too, but I quickly realized how little stamina I have now that I'm pregnant.

Here's a group shot on the last day. I had a meltdown about 30 min. before this picture was taken because I had a severe migraine and bad allergies that would not stop, and Tylenol/caffeine was NOT making them go away. But as you can see, I was not the only weepy person in the group!

(From left to right, front row) Me, Hambone, Sam, Jane, Henry, ma, Jonneal, Tallulah, dad, Otto; (back row) Mani, Pete, Adora, Quinn


Anyhow, I am slowly feeling better, although I still don't feel 100% as of today.

Some GOOD news we got on Friday morning, before leaving for the trip: Little Baby Hoogestraat is a..............BOY!!! Yup, we are the proud future parents of little Peter Jack, a.k.a. Jack (we're calling him by his middle name, since he's a junior). Here's pix of him from the ultrasound on Friday.

Jack's profile


He was quite an active little boy, squirming and kicking all over the place. The tech and doctor were quite amused.

Frontal view of Skeletor—I mean Jack


Pete swore up and down since day one that it was going to be a girl, but I refused to call the baby anything but "it." Well, when the tech rolled the wand over his little bottom and said, "Yep, that's definitely a boy!", Pete's jaw dropped and he was speechless.

Yup...it's a boy!


I just started laughing because Pete was soooo sure, as were 90% of everyone else who was guessing. I must admit I was even a little surprised because of my "girl" symptoms, but I also had "boy" symptoms too—mild morning sickness, craving meat/dairy, etc. I think Pete bet Steve a 12-pack of beer that it'd be a girl. Well, Steve is ready to collect!

Jack likes to use these feet all the time on my insides, lol.


Anyhow, we are both thrilled and glad that we can start calling him by his name, buy him gender-specific clothes, etc.

Other than that, not much else going on. Dollie was sick for a while, but she seems to be getting better. Looks like her throat is raw, but they don't know why. Maybe she ate something she shouldn't have? I know she's fond of plants.

Our little goofball is doing a lot of this lately—sleeping.


I'm still unpacking from our trip, doing what I can while I have the energy. Mainly I'm trying to take it easy and rest, because I think I overdid it this weekend. I'm not used to being limited in what I can do (besides issues with Hooveritis), and I think I pushed myself a bit too hard. But you live and learn, and little Jack seems none the wiser of his mama not taking it easy. He's still kicking and rolling around in there as always!

Well, I hope all is well with you guys. I hope to start posting regularly again, and reading all my favorite blogs. I'll have to pick up the camera and start shooting again too. I hope my fatigue and headaches/backaches ease a bit to help me with this, but we'll see.

Have a happy Wednesday!