Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Our Crazy Life
The last week and a half has been especially crazy for us - filled with some awesome highs and some frustrating lows. Thankfully, Chaz, Cate and I are all (mostly) happy, certainly healthy, and a bit wiser (we hope) given all of the week's events.
It all started last Monday when our water heater quit working. I called the repair person, who came out and basically left a note making fun of me because the pilot light had gone out. I had asked about the water all over the floor, and he said in his note that I had mis-installed our air conditioner drain hose (note that the water on the floor is not near the hose). He re-lit the pilot light and left. Over the next 24 hours, our pilot light goes out 5 more times (we keep relighting it ourselves). I resolve to call and argue with the repair people when we get home from vacation.
Tuesday, we head out early in the AM to Omaha for Cate's orthopedist appointment, which goes great (see my previous blog). We're so thrilled.
We then head back home to Lincoln where we pack up our car (who knew traveling with a kid required so much stuff) and we head out to vacation in Texas via Kansas. Tuesday evening we have the chance to have dinner with my husband's sister and her family (who are living in Alabama) since they are visiting Kansas for the week. It is fantastic to see them. We then continue our drive to Wichita for the night.
Wednesday we drive the rest of the way to Texas. Minus some moderate fussing, Cate travels like a champ, as long as one of us sits in the back seat. Unsurprising, perhaps, but she doesn't love staring at the back of the car seat for 10 hours a day (which she let us know by screaming), so one of us has to be back there for her to see. As soon as we figure this out, traveling became easier.
Thursday-Sunday we have a wonderful time visiting my parents in Texas. My sister also was home with her significant other, Sean, and it was really nice to meet him. My mom threw a small party for some of our old Church friends Saturday night, and it was especially nice for Cate to meet some of the people who were really important in my life when I was growing up. We also got to go to the mall, go bowling and go to Half Price Books (my favorite!) where we got Cate a number of books for storytime. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone.
Monday (of this week) we headed out for our return trip to Nebraska. The first leg of the trip went well, and we settled into our hotel in Wichita that evening only to get an unhappy call from Chaz's sister letting us know that Chaz's father has been hospitalized with Congestive Heart Failure. Obviously, Monday was a long evening as Chaz's sister kept him updated.
Tuesday (yesterday) we drove to Chaz's hometown in Kansas so that Chaz could see his father at the hospital (I didn't want to take Cate to the hospital, so she and I hung out with her Grandma Lorene). Thankfully, Chaz's dad seems to be doing well. The way I understand it, he will spend a few days in the hospital for observation as they drain the fluid from around his heart/lungs, and then he will be sent to a bigger hospital for more tests in a week or two. We may well be headed back to Kansas then...
Tuesday (yesterday) evening, then, we drove the rest of the way back to Nebraska. We had just finished hauling in all the junk from the car when Chaz went to grab something from the basement...which was flooded. 3 inches of standing water all over, and more pouring out from, you guessed it, the hot water heater. Turns out I was right, it was broken. I called the repair people, who had the gaul to ask if it was an emergency! They came out after I explained that yes, the pouring water was in fact not a "wait until the morning" sort of thing, and they shut off our water. Great.
Wednesday (today) they came back around 10am (despite promising to be here at 8am) and replaced our water heater. I am now spending all of Cate's nap times hauling stuff from the basement to be washed/dried or thrown away. Thankfully, Chaz did most of the hard work sorting and hauling heavy stuff out to the trash, so mostly I'm working on curtains and boxes of maternity clothes I had just moved down to the basement. Some of it can't be saved, but I think most of it can. In addition to this crazy, our coffee pot broke this morning, so this is all being done sans-caffeine!
Enough whining. Despite the less than stellar homecoming, we had a wonderful trip and can't wait to see both our Texas and Kansas families again. I am going to go grocery shopping after Cate's next feeding, so we will soon have food and a Coffee maker in the house, and life will begin to return to normal.
It all started last Monday when our water heater quit working. I called the repair person, who came out and basically left a note making fun of me because the pilot light had gone out. I had asked about the water all over the floor, and he said in his note that I had mis-installed our air conditioner drain hose (note that the water on the floor is not near the hose). He re-lit the pilot light and left. Over the next 24 hours, our pilot light goes out 5 more times (we keep relighting it ourselves). I resolve to call and argue with the repair people when we get home from vacation.
Tuesday, we head out early in the AM to Omaha for Cate's orthopedist appointment, which goes great (see my previous blog). We're so thrilled.
We then head back home to Lincoln where we pack up our car (who knew traveling with a kid required so much stuff) and we head out to vacation in Texas via Kansas. Tuesday evening we have the chance to have dinner with my husband's sister and her family (who are living in Alabama) since they are visiting Kansas for the week. It is fantastic to see them. We then continue our drive to Wichita for the night.
Wednesday we drive the rest of the way to Texas. Minus some moderate fussing, Cate travels like a champ, as long as one of us sits in the back seat. Unsurprising, perhaps, but she doesn't love staring at the back of the car seat for 10 hours a day (which she let us know by screaming), so one of us has to be back there for her to see. As soon as we figure this out, traveling became easier.
Thursday-Sunday we have a wonderful time visiting my parents in Texas. My sister also was home with her significant other, Sean, and it was really nice to meet him. My mom threw a small party for some of our old Church friends Saturday night, and it was especially nice for Cate to meet some of the people who were really important in my life when I was growing up. We also got to go to the mall, go bowling and go to Half Price Books (my favorite!) where we got Cate a number of books for storytime. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone.
Monday (of this week) we headed out for our return trip to Nebraska. The first leg of the trip went well, and we settled into our hotel in Wichita that evening only to get an unhappy call from Chaz's sister letting us know that Chaz's father has been hospitalized with Congestive Heart Failure. Obviously, Monday was a long evening as Chaz's sister kept him updated.
Tuesday (yesterday) we drove to Chaz's hometown in Kansas so that Chaz could see his father at the hospital (I didn't want to take Cate to the hospital, so she and I hung out with her Grandma Lorene). Thankfully, Chaz's dad seems to be doing well. The way I understand it, he will spend a few days in the hospital for observation as they drain the fluid from around his heart/lungs, and then he will be sent to a bigger hospital for more tests in a week or two. We may well be headed back to Kansas then...
Tuesday (yesterday) evening, then, we drove the rest of the way back to Nebraska. We had just finished hauling in all the junk from the car when Chaz went to grab something from the basement...which was flooded. 3 inches of standing water all over, and more pouring out from, you guessed it, the hot water heater. Turns out I was right, it was broken. I called the repair people, who had the gaul to ask if it was an emergency! They came out after I explained that yes, the pouring water was in fact not a "wait until the morning" sort of thing, and they shut off our water. Great.
Wednesday (today) they came back around 10am (despite promising to be here at 8am) and replaced our water heater. I am now spending all of Cate's nap times hauling stuff from the basement to be washed/dried or thrown away. Thankfully, Chaz did most of the hard work sorting and hauling heavy stuff out to the trash, so mostly I'm working on curtains and boxes of maternity clothes I had just moved down to the basement. Some of it can't be saved, but I think most of it can. In addition to this crazy, our coffee pot broke this morning, so this is all being done sans-caffeine!
Enough whining. Despite the less than stellar homecoming, we had a wonderful trip and can't wait to see both our Texas and Kansas families again. I am going to go grocery shopping after Cate's next feeding, so we will soon have food and a Coffee maker in the house, and life will begin to return to normal.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Good News
Just back from the meeting with Cate's orthopedic specialist. Her hips now look fine (yay, no brace!). After 3 weeks of Omaha trips, we don't have to see him again until she is 6 months old. Thank you to those of you who prayed for us/sent positive thoughts our way
Now we're headed to Kansas to visit Chaz's family (including meeting Catherine's cousin Simon and seeing the rest of his sister Pam's family). Then, we head tomorrow to Texas to see my family. Exciting days ahead...
Now we're headed to Kansas to visit Chaz's family (including meeting Catherine's cousin Simon and seeing the rest of his sister Pam's family). Then, we head tomorrow to Texas to see my family. Exciting days ahead...
Friday, July 16, 2010
6 weeks
So, I cannot believe that Catherine is already 6 weeks old (and really creeping closer to 7 weeks). She is getting huge!! In these photos she is awkwardly hunched over and very sleepy - but you get a good sense of how quickly she is growing. She is 10 lbs now! (Up from a birth weight of 7lbs 8oz)
She has been on the fussy side this week, but with heat indexes around 110 degrees, I can't blame her (since I'm fussy too!) Next week will be exciting. We are headed back to Omaha (yes, third time) to see the Orthopedist to hear what he thinks about the hip-sonograms she got last Tue. Then, we are headed out to Texas to visit my family for about a week. Driving those 700ish miles each direction with a (less than) 2 month old will be exciting, but we are sure looking forward to seeing everyone. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Long overdue update
So, I should have posted an update about a million times over the past few weeks, as Cate has had a lot going on in her life. Of course, that is exactly why I have not gotten any updates posted. A quick overview:
Cate at 4 weeks old: On June 27th, Cate was baptised at Word of Life Lutheran Church here in Lincoln. Both sets of grandparents, my sister Rachel, and Chaz's sister Della and her family were able to attend. Rachel and Cate's cousin Kirstin agreed to serve as Cate's godparents. We feel so blessed to have Cate welcomed so lovingly by our Lincoln church-home.
However, my sister Rachel did not leave. Hurricane Alex hit south Texas where she lives, closing the airport. So, Rachel stayed around an extra week.
Cate at 5 weeks old: Less than a week later, we headed out on Cate's first road trip to Concordia, KS. First, Cate had the chance to meet her "twin" cousin (Chaz's sister had a baby girl the same day we did). We too were thrilled to see the entire Clair family. Cate also had the chance to meet Great-Grandma Waneta Steimel. In these photos, Cate is in the white and red outfit and her "twin" cousin Maggie is in all red.
Then, we had the joy of having a blessing ceremony for both Cate and Maggie at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in KS. I am so glad that we were able to introduce Cate to both of her parent's religious traditions and we are so lucky that she has received so many prayers.
Finally, Cate (and my sister Rachel, who joined us in Kansas - still stranded due to Hurricane Alex, see above), got to enjoy their first experience shooting off fireworks for the Fourth of July with the Strait and Clair cousins. Despite a day-long rainstorm, the rain cleared long enough that evening for a beautiful show.
Cate at 6 weeks old: A few days after returning from Kansas, Chaz took off for Chicago, IL to attend Maggie's baptism (Cate and I weren't ready for the 10 hour car trip each way, so we stayed behind). We enjoyed a few crazy mommy/kiddo days (including an awesome visit from a group of my former speech-team students), and were so glad when Chaz came home.
Finally, yesterday Cate and I went to Children's hospital in Omaha to have Cate's hips sonogram ed for Hip Dysplasia (sp?) (or hip-dislocations). The radiologist said the balls of her hip joints were perfect, but that the sockets were a bit too shallow (normal = 60; Cate = 55). We go back to Omaha next Tue to meet with the orthopedist to decide what that means. On our trip, we got a chance to hang out with two of my favorite people, Abbie & Ryan Syrek, and Cate was thrilled to meet mommy's old friends.
Okay, today at 6.5 weeks she weighed 10 lbs at the mom's group I go to. Not an official weight, but it is a clear indication that she is growing like crazy!
I'll update more soon.
Cate at 4 weeks old: On June 27th, Cate was baptised at Word of Life Lutheran Church here in Lincoln. Both sets of grandparents, my sister Rachel, and Chaz's sister Della and her family were able to attend. Rachel and Cate's cousin Kirstin agreed to serve as Cate's godparents. We feel so blessed to have Cate welcomed so lovingly by our Lincoln church-home.
However, my sister Rachel did not leave. Hurricane Alex hit south Texas where she lives, closing the airport. So, Rachel stayed around an extra week.
Cate at 5 weeks old: Less than a week later, we headed out on Cate's first road trip to Concordia, KS. First, Cate had the chance to meet her "twin" cousin (Chaz's sister had a baby girl the same day we did). We too were thrilled to see the entire Clair family. Cate also had the chance to meet Great-Grandma Waneta Steimel. In these photos, Cate is in the white and red outfit and her "twin" cousin Maggie is in all red.
Then, we had the joy of having a blessing ceremony for both Cate and Maggie at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in KS. I am so glad that we were able to introduce Cate to both of her parent's religious traditions and we are so lucky that she has received so many prayers.
Finally, Cate (and my sister Rachel, who joined us in Kansas - still stranded due to Hurricane Alex, see above), got to enjoy their first experience shooting off fireworks for the Fourth of July with the Strait and Clair cousins. Despite a day-long rainstorm, the rain cleared long enough that evening for a beautiful show.
Cate at 6 weeks old: A few days after returning from Kansas, Chaz took off for Chicago, IL to attend Maggie's baptism (Cate and I weren't ready for the 10 hour car trip each way, so we stayed behind). We enjoyed a few crazy mommy/kiddo days (including an awesome visit from a group of my former speech-team students), and were so glad when Chaz came home.
Finally, yesterday Cate and I went to Children's hospital in Omaha to have Cate's hips sonogram ed for Hip Dysplasia (sp?) (or hip-dislocations). The radiologist said the balls of her hip joints were perfect, but that the sockets were a bit too shallow (normal = 60; Cate = 55). We go back to Omaha next Tue to meet with the orthopedist to decide what that means. On our trip, we got a chance to hang out with two of my favorite people, Abbie & Ryan Syrek, and Cate was thrilled to meet mommy's old friends.
Okay, today at 6.5 weeks she weighed 10 lbs at the mom's group I go to. Not an official weight, but it is a clear indication that she is growing like crazy!
I'll update more soon.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
More visitors!
Catherine is excited to have her Aunt Rachel in town. Rachel got into town around midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, and Catherine got to go with me to help pick her up. She clearly has been having fun with her Aunt...
Catherine's baptism is this weekend, so we have lots more visitors arriving tomorrow/Sunday morning, including both sets of grandparents and Chaz's sister Della and family. We look forward to celebrating with our loved ones (both near and far).
I can't believe how fast our little one is growing. Three and a half weeks already!
Catherine's baptism is this weekend, so we have lots more visitors arriving tomorrow/Sunday morning, including both sets of grandparents and Chaz's sister Della and family. We look forward to celebrating with our loved ones (both near and far).
I can't believe how fast our little one is growing. Three and a half weeks already!
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