Emotion - It's NOT funny!

If you even laughed at this, then you better look behind you and make sure there isn't a pregnant woman holding a bat or the newspaper ready to swing at you!

So I've been a little emotional this week. Good thing for Tom that he is on 2nd shift. Theo and the cats are wonderful companions. They listen and don't talk back. All I want to do is make my dinner and eat it, too. But it seems everyone else just has to call me at the worst time. And you know me, I'm not one to let the phone ring. I have to pick it up. I can't stand it. I also can't stand waiting an hour just to make pancakes for dinner.... So a little emotional, but at least I do get to eat... eventually and then the acid reflux acts up, again. When I saw this cartoon on babygaga.com I thought it was perfect for a post!

Ok friends, you CAN call me. I just am going to do better at finishing my dinner first, THEN tend to the phone. :)

Love -n- Hugs,
Roxanne

head turns -- birth stories -- classes

Head Turns. So it seems baby and I are starting to make some heads turn. As I make the long walk from my desk - across the factory - to the bathroom, I've begun to notice people looking at me in a different way... Some stare, some smile, but most just look at the obvious baby bump protruding from my abdomen. I think I may be waddling just a tad, too. My back sure does hurt, I can tell you that. Sometimes my walk is a little more frisk and fast-paced than other times (hmm, I wonder why, baby...?), but none-the-less, they are watching. Kinda creepy.

Birth Stories. Yesterday I had the pleasure of talking with a women as I helped label boards for the factory. There were three women and one man/boy all interested in asking me baby questions. Of course the one women who has two boys of her own was the one who chose to tell me everything I ever needed to know about her births...not that I was asking. I just smiled, nodded, and tried to look interested as the man/boy warned this woman to not scare me with her stories. I was hoping, a little, that she would oblige by his advise, but she went on as if she never heard him. I guess women, in general, simply enjoy telling everyone about our own experiences. I'm sure someday I will do the same, but I really hope to avoid from doing so with a total stranger. I'm no expert - they're no expert - I have no PhD - they have no PhD. I much prefer to heed the advice and enjoy stories from my own trusted family and friends - people I know. Should any of my loyal handful of readers feel the urge to share your stories with me, I love you and welcome you to do so.

Classes. Tom and I are now signed up for three baby classes before baby arrives. The first class is Sunday, October 5th -- CPR. This is a very important subject to learn. The last thing I want to happen is see my precious baby's face turn blue and not know what to do. I should ask my mother and mother-in-law to sign up as well since this class is open to families and they will be watching my precious when I go back to work. The second class is Mon. Nov 10th -- Breastfeeding. Yes, the dad's are encouraged to come to this class. We will learn lots about boobs we never knew, and the lactation consultants will teach us something to do before birth to prepare the ducts. Ooo joy! The third and final class is the Birth Preparation. Since this class is otherwise a 1 night a week for 4 weeks class, and Tom works 2nd shift, we are taking on the 1-day Saturday express class on Nov. 15th. This class also includes a tour of the birth center; however, since we could not get in the class at the hospital we will be delivering, Theda Clark, we are taking this class at AMC. We have no interest in touring their birth center, so I called my friend who is a baby nurse at Theda and she will be giving us a personal tour this Sunday! Yes, THIS Sunday! I'm really looking forward to this tour!!

New Widget - Black Box

This thing is really cool!! I found directions for it and learned how it works as I was visiting Debra's blog Georgia Rectors.

If you scroll down my blog, you will see a widget to the right. It looks like a black box on a satin sheet and it says "Decide". Click it and it gives you two options. You decide which one you prefer. Once it completes, it takes you to a corresponding blog. How fun! Leave a little comment to tell that blogger how you found him or her. It's neat to see the different options the little black box gives you each time to try it out and each time it has taken me to a new blog.

For directions to add to your blog, click here.

Give it a try! :)

Word Verification on your Blog

I was checking in with Debra of Georgia Rectors and got a great tip about blogs. She's very savvy in that department, along with beading, scrapping, photography, grandma'ing, etc... check out her blog post from Sunday, September 21st called "A Word about Word Verification".

I followed the directions she laid out in her post to turn OFF my word verification that I didn't even know was turned on! It just makes leaving a comments on a friend's blog so much easier to not have to read that mumbo jumbo screwey numbers and letters!

Thanks for reading and checking your settings!!

Roxanne :)

New Furniture!

Our new sectional couch and storage ottoman were delivered on Saturday!! Yeah!!!!!!!!! And we are SO pleased with it. I spent 2 uninterrupted hours enjoying the new couch with Theodore and that cats on Saturday afternoon while Tom was at his nephew Eric Schwandt's football game.

The side table also ordered from Sofa Mart isn't in quite yet, probably next week. I'm not worried one bit -- I know it will be delivered. Tom's dream chair from WG&R is still on schedule to deliver the first week in November. For now, here are some pictures of us enjoying the new couch!

Tom and Theo taking an afternoon nap.

I caught Sylvester mid-yawn, and of course Theo has to make his appearance in front of the camera!

Happily Comfortable,

The Schwandt's :)

3 babies in 1 day

There's something to say about the excitement that surrounds babies being born. I have really enjoyed my pregnancy because I also get to share the experience with my girlfriends! Although, it wasn't as enjoyable for me in the very beginning before I found out I was pregnant... considering my personal circumstances of not being able to get pregnant when everyone else was... it was difficult to accept, but yet I was still genuinly happy for my friends.

So yesterday, Thursday, September 18th, THREE of my five pregnant girlfriends all had their babies. While in different cities, it was a rush of joy and excitement for me to hear of each one and know that they are all healthy (as well as the moms, dads and siblings).

My friend Pahla and her husband Joe of Appleton welcomed a baby girl.
Olivia Ann, 6 lbs. 9 oz., 19.5" long

My friend Sarah and her husband Adam of St. Cloud, MN welcomed a baby girl.
Margaret ("Maggie") Agnes, 6 lbs. 11 oz., 19" long

My friend Tina and her husband of Green Bay welcomed a baby boy.
Nicholas Edward, 8 lbs. 4 oz., 20" long.

So that covers 3 of 5 friends. It will be a race to the end for myself and Jamie who is due only 3 days before me. Lastly, Toni is due 1 month after me. Looks like it's gonna be a great Christmas full of baby-surprise!!!! Actually, Jamie knows she is having a girl, and I know I am having a boy, I just don't know what Toni is having. They are keeping it a secret until the baby is born. That would rip me apart - I would be the worst secret keeper, so it's a good thing she didn't tell me! :)

All this excitment of Oliva, Maggie, and Nicholas being born has really got me anxious to meet our little bundle of loving joy. I'm ready to get the baby's room cleaned out, carpets shampoo'd, and baby furniture moved in. Tom has even mentioned how "cool" it's going to be to have a little one scampering about the house. I know our little guy and our loving dog, Theodore, will be best friends and I'm looking forward to watching that relationship develop.

this is an expression that I ordered from my Uppercase Living party. I can't wait to put it up in the baby's room!!

Well, I've got some time yet before our little boy arrives, so I best be off to bed for a restful night (of the few I have left) because there is more excitement which lies ahead tomorrow....

Tomorrow, Saturday, my new Sectional couch and ottoman will arrive!!!! YEAH!!! The side table will come in another week or so, and Tom's dream chair will come the first week in November. I'm just SO looking forward to plopping on my new couch and not moving for at least an hour, maybe two..... I'll share pics of it later after I peel my pregnant rear end off the couch... IF that's even possible... LOL :)


*HUGS*
Roxanne

26 Weeks Update

I can't believe how fast time has gone. Since the day we found out we had conceived on our own, without the use of fertility drugs, it seems to have flown by. The first 10 weeks were the longest where each day felt like pins-n-needles hoping and praying this new life growing inside me would be strong and survive. And here we are now... 6 1/2 months pregnant, a viable pregnancy, a human life moving around inside of me. I love to feel him move; I love to know that he is there; I love that I am never alone. First I will share with you what pampers.com says is going on this week, then I will share my most recent Dr visit and Glucose test results from this week.

Practice breaths. This week, your baby's nostrils are starting to open up, which gives him the chance to practice breathing using his muscles and lungs. There's no air to take in, of course, so instead he "inhales" and "exhales" amniotic fluid. By the time he's born, he'll be a pro.

What a sucker! Your baby is also flexing some of his feeding muscles— his lips and mouth. His sucking reflex is so strong that if his hand floats by his face, he'll suck on his thumb or fingers. Ultrasounds often show babies in utero sucking their thumbs. In fact, some babies are born with sucking blisters on their fingers, thumbs, lips, or hands. Sucking is just one of the 70-plus reflexes your baby will have when he's born.

Up for grabs. "Grasping something—like my umbilical cord—is my newest trick." Grasping is another of those many reflexes. If you hold out your finger to a newborn, you'll be amazed by the strength of his clutch. Your baby is practicing his killer grip right now. His favorite pull toy is his umbilical cord, which he likes to yank and tug. Don't worry; the cord is up to the challenge.

Face Time. More facial features are evident by this stage, including lips, eyelids, and prominent nose and chin. The external ear is more developed and is assuming a position higher on the head.

Isn't that SO precious!! I can only imagine the little facial expressions our boy is making. I hope he doesn't think I'm looney for talking to the dog the way I do ;)

So my Dr appt on Tuesday went good. I gained another 2 pounds (8 in total) and am doing good in that department. Dr. Kaldas measured me and I measure in at 31 centimeters. I asked if that is normal and he says, "Well, it's at the top of the range right now. If you measure the same next month, we'll be at the top yet, but if more, then I want to order an ultrasound and see just how big he is." Dr. Kaldas believes he is a big boy, and I certainly agree. Both Tom and I were almost 9 pounds at birth, so I wouldn't be one bit surprised if our little miracle is growing to be a big boy as well. I just hope I will be able to walk without falling over in the next few months...! And my glucose test -- I passed it with flying colors! My body can effectively metabolise sugar, so guess what that means?? YES! I can eat my candy and love it too! I told Dr. Kaldas about my little obsession with sweet candy and he affirmed that it is perfectly normal and OK as long as I maintain my weight like I have. I'm so relieved because who else is going to eat all the pixie stix, nerds, smarties, and pop rocks I just bought at Wal-Mart??? Oh yea, that's for trick-or-treaters... Right, I bought Halloween candy already. It was all on sale, and how could I pass it up?! Initially, I had hid it in the pantry downstairs to keep Tom out of it, but I've busted in it twice so far... and thinking about it again right now... Hmmmmmm.

So here are a few pictures Tom took of me this past weekend. I had loaded them in my new Photoshop Elements, made some edits, and saved them, but I must have done something wrong cuz they didn't save or they would transfer on my jump drive from my laptop to my desktop. I don't know. I've got some tutorials to go thru so I can learn how to use the program.

We'll have to try some new pics in another few weeks. My sister (the photographer) will be coming home for my shower at the end of October, so I'll have to take advantage of her then, and maybe we can get some good pics of me and Tom and Theo, too! :)

Until next time, *HUGS* to all!!!

Roxanne

25 weeks update

As I complete week #25 of my pregnancy, here is what's going on:

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutagaba, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. (so true!) Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth. (oh no!!)

source: baby center

furniture pics

These are pics from Sofa Mart's website... but you get the picture. hehee:) I'm so funny!

The only difference in my special order is I couldn't get the chaise lounge. It wouldn't fit on either end for my little living room. So imagine that (left-facing) side the exact same as the right-facing side, but with one extra seat in there. Imagine 3 cushions on the left, then the corner cushion, and 2 cushions on the right... all the same size, so I'll be able to easily flip and rotate them every few months, along with the back pillows too.

I'm pretty sure this is the leather storage the ottoman I got. seems so much bigger in the picture.

That's all I could find for pics online. I can't wait to get my sectional couch in 2-3 weeks!!!

My little early riser & a Furniture Update!

EARLY RISER:

So it seems I can't lay around in bed past 7:30am on the weekends any longer. What the heck? The baby had been kicking me to get up since 6am both Saturday and this morning, and growling my tummy in hungar since 7am. So while my dog and husband lounge in bed zonked away, I get up, eat some cereal, and do the only thing fun to do this darn early in the morning.... I MAKE A FLYER! (for my pampered chef biz). I just love playing with my newfound most-favorite Microsoft program...Publisher! It's so awesome! So far I've made a Holiday Extravaganza flyer for an Expo I am working with another girl to set up. That flyer isn't completed yet, but I wonder if I can post a pic of it on here... I will try...

COOL! It worked!

Anyhow, I think my little early riser is preparing me for the big time. The big time mornings of actually getting up early to his little screaming voice begging for some cuddling, loving and, of course, food! :) That's ok, he's totally worth it! And it seems these mornings, while he's tucked away growing inside me, I get to accomplish some tasks I couldn't last night cuz I went to bed at 9pm on a weekend! ha! Am I getting old, or what?!

FURNITURE update:

Yesterday, Saturday, my mom picked me up at 11am and we got some very much needed errands done, had some lunch, ran into a friend I've been thinking about, and started shopping for furniture. Tom and my dad stayed back at the house and watched the Wisconsin Badger (football) game. Now that I think about it, I don't remember if I asked if they won or not? oh well. We do like the Badgers and I know Tom enjoys watching college ball better than the NFL because of all the terrible rules in the NFL. (It's a guy thing) What made me so happy was that Tom spent so much time with my dad. It was so nice of him and those two carted around like a pair, with dad agreeing to everything Tom said about this and that, and Mom and I letting those two off the hook once we found Tom's perfect chair! :) Anyways, back up a bit... Mom and I first stopped at Furniture Row in Appleton, Sofa Mart. As we sat on a comfortably, cute, very modern sofa, the sales guy approached us and we took on his help. With my very small living room, it's difficult to find a sectional sofa arrangement that A) I like, and B) will fit. He brought us around the corner to what he thought would work since it can be special ordered with the pieces that fit. As we measured (girl style... with picture frames, an acrylic sign holder, and our sharp eyes) to see if we could work out a configuration that would fit, I began to fall in love with this sectional. I was really hoping I could work in a chaise lounge on one end, but my crampped living room just wouldn't allow it. Darn! So I settled for the next best thing... a leather storage ottoman, rectangle shape, as to not take up too much valuable floor space. That way, I have a couple options... to sit on the sofa, to lounge on the sofa, and to sit with my feet up on the ottoman! We also found the perfect side table for the one end that would accomidate a narrow table. It has a nice deep drawer to hide fun things in, too. So, let's check off the list.... Sectional? check!; Ottoman? check!; side table? check!. Now on to Tom's dream chair.

The guys arrived at Sofa Mart and Tom began to take the rocker recliners for a test drive. He found one that was a contendor, but after what happend to us, we're needy, so we went to check out Van Vreede's. They were offering a free TV with purchases, and they always have catchy commercials on tv, so we wanted to check them out. WOW, that store was a HUGE dissappointment! The had crappy selection, not well constructed chairs, and the sales guy p'd me off by his comment about how I am compromising my sectional preferance for loose-back pillows because of my dog. Ugh, no I am not, you jerk, I love that my dog likes to find a snuggly spot on my couch to watch out the window for me to come home! So we left that store with a huge lump in our throats. Or at least, I did! On to WG&R across the street.

This is where Tom found his dream chair! After puroosing the millions of rocker recliners, finding some with interesting features, and even finding his exact old chair we had sold, Tom finally decided on a chair made by BEST. After all, it was the best chair he'd sat in. He even reclined back as mom, dad and I walked around the corner to check out a sectional (just in case). Dad walked away and came back to tell us Tom was sleeping!! Sure enough, I came to find him sunk into his new favorite chair, hat pulled over his eyes, and mouth open. So that was it, THE chair! We let the guys off the hook so they could get back home and do whatever guy-stuff.

Mom and I ordered the chair and headed back to Sofa Mart to order my sectional, ottoman and side table. After a long day consisting of about 8 stores (including mom and my earlier errands) and 7 hours of shopping, we were beat! But it was a GREAT day, a FUN day, and I'm so excited to get my sectional in about 2-3 weeks!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, yah, like for real this time!!! Unfortunately Tom's chair won't be in for about 6 weeks, but yet it WILL be here!!!!!!

As soon as furniture starts coming in, I'll take pictures. Here's a current picture of our living room featuring Tom's old black glider, and two borrowed gliders from my parents. And of course, Theo had to get his head in the shot!

That little blue thingy on the floor behind Tom's chair is one of Theo's favorite toys. It's one of those long dog things from PetsMart. He loves the shake the heck outta that toy! Cute dam dog! :)

Scammed!

EDITED AT BOTTOM, 9/4

It's official, we have been scammed by a going out of business sale. I can't believe it. I can't believe we got had by this jerk-off. I am beyond mad, beyond p'd off, beyond everything imaginable sane about this. I can't believe people do this to innocent consumers! Here's what happened:

In getting ready for baby, we realized our furniture, how wonderful it is and how much we loved it (yes, past tense), there just isn't any room in our living room to accomidate baby stuff like a bouncy, a swing, maybe some toys, etc... so one afternoon as we were leaving Sam's Club in Appleton, we saw Bassett Furniture Direct was having a going out of business sale. We thought, what the heck, let's check it out, maybe we'll find a good deal for a small sectional to fit in the corner of our living room. Of course, we happened across the most perfect sectional and also found Tom his dream recliner, rocker, glider, swivel chair. The sectional was fabulous! It had an amazing pull-out bed for overnight guests, and it was going to fit perfectly in our very small living room, whilst giving us room for a swing, etc baby stuff! Yeah, so we placed the order and were told 3-8 weeks for delivery. They weren't selling floor models, plus the sectional we needed the pull-out bed on the left facing side instead of the right so it would fit, and I didn't like the fabric Tom's dream chair was in, so I picked a nice chocolately color to complement the light mocca sectional. The sale was made on June 9th.

What is today's date? Oh yeah, it's September 3rd, almost 4th. It has been nearly 13 weeks and we do not have our furniture!!! At 9 weeks out, I started calling the store, but only to get a recorded message stating "...if you placed a furniture order, we will call you when it comes in.... for other inquiries, please contact us at sales at bfd wisconsin dot com..." Now, I didn't know if it was sales at bfdwi or bfdwisconsin or bfd-wi or what the heck, so I emailed all the options many times.... I informed them I was going to contact the BBB and a lawyer due to no delivery and lack of communication from them. I proceded to call Bassett Corporate office, but they couldn't help me because I the furniture we bought is made by Klaussner, not Bassett manufactured. How the heck was I supposed to know Bassett only sold Bassett manufactured furniture?!?!!! UGH! So I called another Bassett store to see what they could help me with. That is when I learned each store is franchised, so they are not affiliated with one another. Also, I learned that when that owner went "out of business", he actually sold his store and assets to a 3rd party liquidator who proceeds to bring in other furniture and sell that along with the store's floor models. No wonder we couldn't buy floor models of what we had picked out (even IF it corresponded to our living room and fabric tastes). Yeah, so $3,040.80 later - WE HAVE BEEN SCAMMED! That nice lady at Bassett in Schaumburg advised me to contact the BBB.

That is what I did, I submitted a claim to the BBB on August 22nd. The confirmation email states Bassett has until September 5th to respond to my complaint/claim. At this point, I don't want the dam furniture, I just want my money back so I can go spend it at a place I trust, like WG&R. As it is right now, I have no couch to sit my 6 month pregnant butt on, no couch to lounge my 6 month pregnant back on, and no couch for my 5 year old doggie to sit on to watch out the window! Ok, I'm more important than the dog, but you get my point. Yep, we sold our current furniture because we were worried about what we were going to do with all this furniture when ours finally came in. Tom's chair sold right away. Then the couch, loveseat, coffee table and end tables sold about 3 wks ago. So two weekends ago, Tom and his buddy Darren went to my parents house to pick up two glider chairs so we had something to sit on in the living room. Tom had brought in his black glider swivler chair (the ol' ShopKo special) back when his rocker recliner sold father's day weekend. The only good thing about all this is I had a chance to steam clean the carpets, which was nice to not have to move huge furniture around.

On with the drama.... My mom calls me tonight on my way home from work telling me that there is going to be a story about Bassett furniture's going out of business sale. So I rushed out of Wally's world and on to my in-laws to pick up the dog and catch the story. Sure enough! SCAMMED! The Post-Crescent also had the story in the newspaper today. According to this report, at least 25 people have put in claims to the BBB, the newschannel tried contacting the owner and even went to his last known address only to find nothing. Sure, he got his money from selling to the liquidator and took off, skipped town! A-hole! Man, am I ever beyond p'd about this. I can't believe we got scammed!! How would you feel if this happened to you?
And you know my real dilema is.... I've got to get furniture in this house before the baby comes. I certainly don't want to live 24/7 in my bed cuz it's the only comfy place to plop down after giving birth, to do feedings, to do anything. Anyways, we do have a claim in with the credit card company. Good thing it was charged! The credit card company is pursuing Bassett for failure to deliver paid goods. They have 30 days to investigate. After that 30 days, we should get our credit back so we can go buy/order new furniture.

Lesson Learned. And please, I hope you learn something from this too. NEVER BUY FROM A GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE unless you can take the goods home with you then and there!!

EDITED TO ADD TO NEW FINDINGS, 9/4:
We are getting temporary credit back on the credit card, so this Saturday we are going to WG&R Furniture to find and order a new couch/sectional, Tom's dream chair, and an end table (unless the couch we find has an ottoman). I also called the BBB this morning and since the owner has not been tracked down by the state yet, there is nothing BBB can do, especially since the business is closed. None the less, I am putting in a claim to the State Consumer Protection agency who works with the State Disctrict Attorney. This case has turned to legal legislation, so it's serious business. I just hope they track down that owner and he gets put in jail, along with the 3rd party liquidator he hired since they are not returning phone calls or answering the phone at all. Crazy! I can't believe we are invovled with this. At least we are getting credit back so we can order new furniture.

bunnies update

Last night at about 7:30 I took Theo out for a potty, but I saw Mamma bunny before he did, so I convinced him to get back in the house. With him out of harms way, I watched Mamma bunny eat some grass, then hop-hop-hippity-hop over to her nest. She wiggled over her babies and I could see little movements from under her. They must have been very hungary!

I took Theo out front to make his potties, then we came in the house and propped ourselves up on the pillows of the spare bed still in the baby's room and watched Mamma bunny feed her babies and bathe them. As the sun set, it got more difficult to see her, but she was there on her nest for a good 30 minutes. Theo was very well behaved, watching thru the window very quietly. It was so cute!!

Around 8:45 I took Theo out for "L.P." (last potty) and Mamma was still hanging around the yard!! He chased her from the back of the back as she scurried under the fence and out of sight. Then as soon as we got cuddled in bed, the storm rolled in with wind and rain. I said to Theo that it was a good thing we got inside from potties in time and that Mamma bunny got to feed her babies and put them to nite-nite before the storm came in. He made his little snuggled sound and closed his eyes. What a sweet dog!

bunnies and surgery update

Yes, people I am alive, I am here!! I haven't been able to blog in a while, and you'll soon find out why...

Firstly, an update on BUNNIES. They're back!! One of the babies from early this spring had her own babies about a week ago in the middle of our backyard, but close to the house... right in Theo's path to go find a potty spot. We've been watching the bunnies over the past week. They are SO cute. I'm not all that happy about the nest being dug in our yard... I would think the flower bed would be much more comfortable, but oh well. Let nature take her course. Saturday afternoon as I was reading my book, enjoying the fresh air coming thru the windows, I heard this shrieking sound. I ran to the back beadroom (baby's room) window and saw two crows! One supervising, and one tourmenting. I yelled "CROW!" and they flew away as the little bunny they tried to capture scurried back to his/her siblings in the nest. Poor thing!! What were we to do? Anyways, as Tom took Theo out for a potty on Sunday afternoon, he saw three crows! Oh no!! As he yelled at them, one flew away with a baby bunny in his mouth. ohhhhh!!!! That horrible, nasty, mean ol' crow! UGH - Make me SO mad I wanted to cry. I know if I had seen it, I would have cried for sure. Tom took off on his bike to see if he could find where the crow went with the bunny. He couldn't find it. When he got back, he put out the metal tiki torches in a triangle around the nest and we tied plastic bags to them to help deter the nasty, mean, old crows. So far, so good. Last night we saw one of the bunnies starting to make his/her way from the nest. I think they'll all leave sometime this week.

Next subject: Surgery
I had surgery last Thursday to remove a ganglian cyst from my left wrist. I've been dealing with this nasty cyst returning and retreating for at least the past year and a half. It got really bad last December that I couldn't even type, and forget about opening doors... even cupboard doors. The first Dr I went to tried to asperate it (use a needle to suck out the fluid), but that only made it worse. In March, I had an MRI done on it because the X-ray didn't tell them enough as to placement, etc... I had to sign a sheet saying I wasn't pregnant. Funny that I got preggo only weeks later! Good thing the MRI was done when it was!! RELIEF! I wasn't all too happy with that Dr's plan, so I went to the Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Appleton to a specialist. He was very kind, and showed me the MRI pictures and explained to me how we could get rid of the nasty ol' buggar. Since the cyst had retreated away for the most part, we couldn't do anything quite yet (this appt was in April before I knew baby boy schwandt was growing from 1 cell to 2 cells to 4 cells and so on). Dr. Olvey said to call as soon as I felt the cyst coming back. So when I felt it aggrivating me in June, I called right away. I explained my new health condition and had to get approval from my OB Dr. Kaldas, who said 2nd trimester= No problem! We could have gotten the surgery taken care of earlier in my 2nd trimester, only if my darn health insurance would have covered me at Dr. Olvey's office, but they would only cover me at the actual hospital. Either way, it would be the same outpatient procedure. dam insurance! So I patiently waited until Aug 28th. So here I am, typing with mostly my right hand, using backspace quite a bit.... It is feeling much better today, although I don't have full use of my hand yet. I have brace and such on, have to cover it with a plastic bag to shower. I had some shower help this weekend which was nice, but I still can't snap on my own dam bra! I'm a very independant person, and I like to do things when I want, how I want, etc... It's not so much fun for me to feel so useless. Tom has done great helping out and doing the things I can't for me. I've also got a whole new appreciation for people that only have one arm. And I'm glad to get this done before the baby comes, cuz there is no way I could possibly deal with being helpless and not being able to fully care for and hug my darling baby child.

Needless to say, this weekend was quite interesting with being tied up with the wrist post-surgery. It was nice to sleep in and have a long weekend. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that while my surgery was on Thursday, I attempted to work on Friday. I made it until 11am and just couldn't take anymore pain without vicadin. (Yes, it is safe, my OB prescribed it for me.)
The actual surgery was quite interesting, too. I never had surgery before, but with this one they do a bier block with local anisthetic, so I was awake and alert the whole time. I have to remember that anisthetic's name so I can request him when I come to have the baby. He was very nice, and made me feel very comfortable. He had said when he puts in the anisthetic that it will make my hand/arm feel very warm, then my nerves will go to sleep. OH MY! It felt so warm, I thought the veins were on fire and, seriously, it felt like blood was pouring out of my fingertips. It was the wierdest thing!!! The surgery only took about 30 mins to complete, and baby schwandt squirmed around the whole time. It was nice to feel him moving yet, but I still asked him to settle and take a nap while we had surgery together.

The rest of the weekend was good. Once I got home Friday, took the drugs and slept for 3 hrs, I was feeling more up to doing things. Mostly things I couldn't do on my own, but yet still tried. I'm doing fine now on a little Tylenol Extra Strength. We went to the in-laws for a cookout yesterday. It was fun, and nice to not have it at my house to clean up after everything for a change. I love entertaining, but not in this condition...I was happy to be an attendee :) I hope you all had a good labor day weekend! We need more 3-day weekends, don't ya say!?