Daddy update and more

Dave's surgery went well but the outcome was much worse than we anticipated. I spoke with Dr Branch just minutes after surgery and he told me that not only had Dave completely torn one of the tendons in his rotator cuff off the bone, but also had a bone spur in his shoulder. Recovery went from 3 months to 6. I am due in 5 months and I am just scared to death of having to carry Emma around the last trimester. She's already over the recommended weight limit and getting bigger every day. I guess little girl is going to get a lot of practice climbing stairs!

The wait in the hospital felt like an eternity. It's times like those that you really remind you how much you love your husband. Two long hours passed, which felt like eons, as I waited in anticipation for the doctor to call me in to see Dave. He was pretty groggy from the anesthesia but within an hour we were headed home. The first two days were the worst, and after it all I have no clue how anyone can raise a family alone. Between cooking, cleaning, feeding, walking the dog and all the other mundane tasks I had it was plain chaos.

Dave did alright after surgery but the first weekend was rough. He ran out of his pain meds and they wouldn't fill the good stuff over the phone. He settled for a less potent pain killer and struggled through the weekend until we could meet with the doctor again Monday. He resorted to icing down his shoulder every 30 minutes for three days stright and managed to give himself a small case of frostbite. He's now doing much better and weening himself off the medications, which has been a long process. He's going to therapy three times a week until further notice but if you ask me he's doing much better than I thought. He's even testing his wife's patience by lifting things he's not supposed to lift. Men.

Here's a pic with daddy amd Emma just a few days after surgery:


We went to Fredericksburg for Easter this year... Emma loved the little plastic eggs and looked simply sute in her Easter dress.




We went to Fredericksburg again this past weekend and Emma got her first baby doll. She is so in love and I often find her kising her baby.



Poor girl is missing naps consistently these days because she's teething (molars) which makes for sour afternoons. If this video is any indication of how tired she is at the end of the day....



She was a little happier when we got home...

And one last one to make you smile...


I'm feeling pretty good these days. I'm less tired and have more energy to get things done. The bathroom is still a mess but my savior dad is coming to help in a few weeks. Yay for dad!

Here's the update for this week. I promise I'll have belly pictures soon!!!

16 week update:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Yeah for the avacado!!!!
Love to all!

Headed to Fredericksburg

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. The Simpson clan is headed down to Fredericksburg tonight until Monday morning for a little r&r, yummy Grananny cooking and birthday celebrations. We're celebrating Dave's, mine and Scott's birthdays. Maybe Emma will like cake now, hmmmm.

This post isn't just to wish a happy holiday, but more so to tell everyone that I have the most wonderful husband in the world. For my birthday he took me to Mike's American Grill in Springfield, while Barbara stayed late to watch Emma. Just after we ordered dinner he gave me my present. This was not just any present, it was the best birthday present I have ever gotten aside from my engagement ring. Actually, it's pretty darn close.

I opened the box, roughly the size of a shirt box, to find a bound book. I turned it over and immediately started crying. In fact, I'm welling up just thinking about it. My dear husband hired our friend Anas to design a coffee table book for me based on this blog, following my entire pregnancy with Emma. Together they spent three weeks gathering, copying and laying out this book that follows my blog from the first post to the post just after we brought Emma home. I still cannot believe that he thought to do something so touching, something that I will cherish the rest of my life. It's truly amazing and I wish I could share it with each and every one of you. Well, if you're a follower you know what the book says, but just to have it in my hands is more special than anyhting. I am so grateful to have a husband that knows enough about me to know that that gift was absolutely perfect and touched my heart. I am so blessed. I will post pictures of it later next week.

For Dave's birthday I got him Family Tree Maker software. He's been very interested in tracking his family tree lately and thought it would help keep it all in digital format. In fact, we've started it with not only his family but mine as well. I am so anxious to sit down with my grandparents and other relatives to fill it in - there's so much to learn and I know our children will appreciate it later in their lives. I never knew much about my ancestry and it's conforting knowing that I now have the tools to learn, as time allows, and create something for my family that I can pass down through generations. We hope to gather stories and pictures of relative long past so if you have anything that you think we'd find useful please let us know.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. Don't eat too many peeps!

The 12 week ultrasound

All went well with the ultrasound last week - baby Simpson 2 is right on track with a revised due date of October 8. This 12 week ultrasound is called a nuchal translucency, which tests the fold at the base of the neck for risk of down syndrome. All is clear with a measurement of 1.4. Anything above 3 is considered risky.

All the other measurements were great, and the heart beat was a steady 167, a bit higher than Emma's which was 158 at 12 weeks. If you believe the wives tales about heartbeat then this one's a girl, but everyone seems to think boy this time, including me. I'm not sure why - I guess because I am craving different things this time (salt and vinegar pototo chips - yum!!!). Of course, we're just happy it's a baby and regardless of it's gender we'll be ecstatic to meet him or her. Our next appointment with Dr Ferrier is on the 14th for our monthly follow up.

Here'sour little one at 12 weeks:

I'm feeling pretty good aside from having a hard time sleeping. Dave is dreading the anaconda pillow that's neatly stuffed under Emma's crib but I think it's going to see the light of day sooner rather than later. I just can't get comfortable. I think it mostly has to do with our 15 year old bed, but I do remember feeling this way with Emma too. Other than that I'm a little more nauseous this time around and actually made a b-line for the bathroom once. Cinammon toast did not like me that day. I'm still in my regular clothes although I have resorted to the stretchier pants and loose fitting shirts. I can't imagin it'll be too much longer before i give up trying to not look pregnant! Expandalbe waist line here I come!

Here's the BabyCenter weekly update:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Shrimp. It's a good name for a little 2" person don't you think?
The bathroom is coming along nicely, just not as fast as Dave and I anticipated. Between Emma naps, meals and bedtime it doesn't leave much time to work. The bathroom backs to Emma's room and any sounds wake her up, especially the wet saw. We're still showering with plastic covering the walls and the smell of mortar wafting the air. You're lucky if you don't walk out of the bathroom with plaster stuck between your toes. We're praying to be done by this weekend but it's going to make for a pretty hectic week over here. Dave's surgery is quickly approaching and after "s-day" on the 16th you can pretty much assume the bathroom is going to stay unfinished for a while if it's not done! Um dad????

I tried to snap some pics of Emma before she went down for her nap this morning but as you can tell she wasn't really in the mood. The camera bag was much more appealing than mom's squeaking noises to get her attention.




She's like..."moooooooommmmm, really????" But, just look at the outfit though... dahling!


Emma's sporting 8 teeth with quite a few brewing. And that hair... it's growing but barely. I simply can't wait to put it in ponytails although with her personality I'm sure they won't last long. I'm surprised she even keeps her clothes on! And shoes... man, the second she hits the car seat they're as good as gone!

Love to all!