2.27.2011

connections

So. I have connections. 
I know this guy who does fetal echos on pregnant women to see how the baby's heart is working. He's pretty smart and I kinda like him, too. When he asked if I wanted to let him practice echoing I was like.... yes please!
What better way to spend a cold and dreary Saturday afternoon than looking at your baby with your husband!? And of course (most importantly to patrick) making sure B's heart is doing all of the right things. Let me tell you - I had NO idea what he was looking at, measuring, twisting the ultrasound probe around for, all I know is he's real smart and seemed to know what he was looking at. B has intestines, a liver, a black hole for a tummy, all 4 heart chambers, mitral and tricuspid valves (all of which I could see and figure out - but all straight forward) and a lot of other things that the doctor saw - and B was VERY squirmy.

My doctor for the day.


 So I look down and he has a glove on. I said "Do you think I am diseased!?" It was just because he didn't want the ultrasound gel on him.


I had my very own view of B - I took these with my phone from far away - not the best quality.


It's a leg! B is sticking it straight up


Ok. So this is the umbilical cord in the yellow box (next picture). Yes, it's vital for a baby to be connected to an umbilical cord. But I have a story as to why I am totally grossed out by them. 
A baby that was born at home had some complications and was brought to the ER by EMS. I was in the trauma room along with the other nurses, doctors, etc. Well this baby's umbilical cord was cut but it was real long. I mean reeeaaaal long. And gross. Real gross. My facial expression said everything I was thinking. One of my friends was like, "melanie, it's okay..." because I started getting all nervous about it, and then panic set in when I realized that there was one of those inside of me and that yes, in fact, one day I was actually going to birth this baby - umbilical cord and all - and this memory would come flooding back into my mind when I saw it flopping around. I started asking if she thought they would wrap the baby up before they handed it over so I wouldn't have to see that long creepy thing, or if it would already be cut short, and on and on with questions. 
I am still not over it. Example: I was walking Eloise and saw a stick that was all twisted and bumpy looking on the ground and immediately felt like I was experiencing post traumatic stress disorder due to flash backs of that day.


Moving on...

head, belly, knee and a hand 



B has a brain! Let's hope it's like B's dad!




See the heart?


Heart again


This ones kinda creepy. I keep thinking of someone crawling out of a grave. Don't ask me why. I just do.
hand and then on the bottom is a foot


Thanks Dr Broderick for 3 hours of fun watching B move all around :)

2.17.2011

Happy Birthday Patrick!

Happy Birthday Patrick!!
Sunday we celebrated Pat's 32nd Birthday with pizza, beer and some of our favorite people here in STL.  I didn't take any pictures while we had friends over but we had a full house and a really good time.



I ordered him a cookie cake with a soccer ball - and still wish I would've gotten the one with a dinosaur that said "hope you're birthday is dino-mite!"...maybe next year.
What I will be doing next year and every.single.year. after - is a cake full of candles for each year Patrick has been alive, plus one to grow on.
You see, we were shopping and I was getting a few birthday party items, including some candles. I wanted to get 32 + 1 to grow on. Pat said "that's ridiculous...blah blah blah...wax dripping everywhere...hard to light them all...blah blah blah" So guess what I did!? I got 32+1 candles juuusst for him. And told him because he made a big deal about how silly the idea was that I will now do it for him fooooorreeevvvveerrrr. What a sweet wifey :)

What neither of us realized was they were trick candles. So maybe 33 candles that continue to burn and spark aren't the best idea for a small condo or a smoke detector. Before we set it off I ran the cake back into the kitchen and we threw the candles into the sink...  hence the fact we do not have a lovely picture of the fire ball cake or Pat blowing out his candles :(



Everyone enjoyed the cake - as you can see - and look who enjoyed it 2 days later!!!








Yes. Eloise did. I was showering, the cake box was full of icing (no actual cake) and some left over sea salt caramels that I had made Patrick for Valentine's day. I had set it on top of the trash can to take out. And she found it! 
I heard rustling and peeked around the corner. She immediately dropped the box she was dragging into the den for some more snacking. Her facial expression said it all - she was caught and in trouble. I told her to 'stay' and ran and grabbed the camera. Then found a green icing trail, put the box away, cleaned up and went back to getting ready. Then rrrrrip, rrrippp. !?!?!  In the sunroom, I found the rest of the treasures! Empty aluminum foil, that was once full of caramel and the rest of the cake box!

Needless to say, Eloise woke us up (well really Pat) at 1:30 AM to 'go potty'.........
lesson learned??? we sure hope so.

run to the store

A few weeks ago we needed to run to the store for one measly egg. So Patrick did...he ran to the store. 


And returned with dryer sheets and a dozen eggs...


And they came back all in one piece!!  

beautiful...



We got a new camera. Eloise wanted to show you how beautiful she is...