38 Weeks

Nothing too exciting is happening with Baby Girl Stryker. I went for my 38 week OB appt. and it looks like she is pretty comfy in Mommy's tummy. She is still head down and weighs some where between 6 and 7 lbs. We are hopeful that she will stay in there until my due date (Aug. 8) to let Louie heal.

Last Sunday, our 6th anniversary, Louie somehow managed to really mess up his right ankle (his "good" ankle). I took him from the soccer field to the ER where he got some x-rays and spent some time discussing things with some of his ortho buddies that were working that day. He did not break anything, but did manage to tear some ligaments and the swelling was obscene. He spoke to one of the foot and ankle consultants who wanted to do an ultrasound of his ankle to see if he needed surgery. They weren't able to see Louie until Thursday so, until then Louie gave work his best shot. He has not been able to put any weight on that ankle, is wearing a big boot for stability, and is using crutches. He can't drive because it's his right foot so he has been very dependent on his very pregnant wife. We are just glad that this occurred before she got here. Louie realized that he was not going to be of any help in the OR after his first case on Wed. and decided that he needed to stay off his ankle and focus on healing and getting the swelling down, so he took two vacation days Thurs. and Fri. and is hopeful to be back on his feet, literally, on Monday. The ultrasound showed good news. The important ligaments were still intact so, he does not need surgery. He thinks he'll be in the boot for another two weeks.

Louie has been a very good patient with his foot elevated and on ice for the past two days and will continue through Sunday. I've enjoyed having some time with him and so have the dogs.

Here's a picture of Striper getting some cuddle time with Daddy. She climbed up in his lap without any prompting from him. She's turning into more of a cuddle-bug than Trout. :)

I have been busy taking care of Louie and continuing to get ready for the arrival of our daughter. I got the car seats installed properly and packed the baby's bag for the hospital. I still need to pack mine but am not feeling too pressed for time. I have also started on a couple of craft projects that have kept me busy. I completed the wall art for the nursery. I used the 6 fabrics for the quilt as the background for some "picture frames" I made. They are pictured in the slide show below. I have also made some cute burp cloths... I'm feeling very domestic. :)

We are also very excited to share the news that our friends Rusty and Kerri had their little boy last night via c-section. Wilkes Christian was born July 24th and weighs 7 lbs 7.5 oz and is 21 inches long. Mom and Baby are both doing well. Congrats Hoermann Family!!

I will end this post with a little experiment that developed through Louie and I having a little too much time on our hands since he's been laid up. We have a little ongoing contest to see which dog is the smartest between Trout and Striper. Here are the results:

July 2009

July has been an exciting month so far. We started with fireworks, continued working on the nursery, had a visit from Louie's parents, a Rochester baby shower, and we're only half way through the month.
Louie's parents, Garvin and Carol came up the 8th-14th to help around the house and that they did!! Carol was in a sewing frenzy with new curtains for the nursery, a swing cover, and a boppy (nursing pillow) cover. Garvin was busy around the house with assembling the pack-n-play, replacing curtain rods, hanging mirrors and art, and paint touch-ups. We also managed to fit in a Honker's baseball game, a trip downtown to Thursdays on First (vendors, crafts, and food), two of Louie's soccer games, church, brunch, a baby shower, and a lot of errands. The poor Stryker's will need a vacation from their vacation. All of their help, love, and support is much appreciated!
Below is a slide show of all the July events. I also added a few pictures of the nursery. It still needs some art that I will hang behind the crib, our changing pad, and the quilt my mom is making. I can't wait to see it!!
There are also some not so flattering pictures of my belly at 34 weeks. My next doctor's appt. is tomorrow, Thursday. At this appt. we should get our last sonogram, check to see if I am dilated at all, and pre-register for the hospital visit. I will be 37 weeks on Saturday, which is considered full term. Yipee!
I have been feeling okay but my size is starting to be truly uncomfortable. I sleep with about 5 pillows all around me to give me some extra support and our little girls is moving so much it is difficult to sleep through the night. I guess this is God's way of preparing me for when she arrives.
My mom is planning on coming up to help for a bit when she first gets here and I'm sure my dad and hopefully sister will come up as well. I'm not sure yet when Andrew and Victoria will be able to make the trip. My step-mom, Leigh Ann will also be coming up to help after my mom leaves, so that should be really great! My brother and his wife are coming from Germany on Aug. 18th for a visit. Hopefully our little one will be here by then.
So... that's the latest. Enjoy the pictures and I will post again soon.
Love, Catherine and Louie