Vegas Hockey Tournament

I thought I would add a 4th blog for today...

This past weekend, I traveled to Las Vegas for my first hockey tournament. I thought that no better place would be suited for me to lose my tournament virginity than Las Vegas! My only concern of the trip was that some people would have too much fun, and yes there is such a thing, and miss a game or two due to puking or just being MIA -- but what are the chances, right?

The first game was Friday morning at 9am, which is early in Vegas. Most of the guys showed up Thursday to get the party started early. On Friday morning we stumbled out of our rooms at Planet Hollywood down to the van. We were all there, minus one guy. Now, we just figured that Rob had too much to drink last night and just passed out; but our concerns increased since he wasn't answering his phone and his roommate said that he never returned last night. Regardless of the situation, we had to play in our first game. Unfortunately, we lost that game 4-3 in overtime. We returned to the hotel to eat lunch and to begin a search for Rob. Luckily, Rob strolled into his room around 12:30pm...

Rob got drunk the night before at Caesar's Palace and blacked out. Apparently, he was kidnapped, robbed, and dropped off in the desert 4 miles from our hotel. The cops woke him up at 9am and interrogated him like he was the criminal. The cops didn't even offer to give him a ride back so Rob, after getting roughed up, had to walk 4 miles back to the strip. Needless to say, Rob needed a nap before our next game!

The next game was at 4:45pm that same day and we rallied to win 3-2. That night we had a team meal at P.F. Chang's and then we all went our separate ways. Saturday we had a game at 4:30pm which was great since Andrew, Jim, and I (roommates) got up at 12:30pm. This game was important...we had to win to make it to the championship game the following day! We ended up winning that game 3-2. We were pumped. Some of us celebrated by having a fancy steak dinner that night. 

We woke up the next morning for our Championship Game -- we all made it to this game just fine. It was a battle, but we won 1-0. It was fun and a great experience. 

Here (above) is the room we rented specifically to store our equipment....Sorry, cleaning lady!

Here (below) is our sponsor, Barracuda Networks, van that carted us and our gear around Vegas.

30 weeks

I can't believe I'm 30 weeks!  Most days I still can't even believe I'm pregnant.  Things are going really well, I don't have too much to complain about.  I am craving a good margarita at a Mexican restaurant and a little better sleep, but other than that, I shouldn't complain.  I haven't had much back or sciatic pain, calf cramps, heartburn, swelling, acne, stretch marks or whatever else I'm forgetting yet...but I know I still have 10 weeks for all that to kick in.  I do feel pelvic pressure every time I walk though--I swear I'm carrying her really low...I have yet to feel her kick me in the ribs.  She seems to be growing only out and not up.  It took me awhile to get the weight gain going, but I seem to be steadily gaining a pound a week now, a total of 15 so far.  I'm having fun "playing" with Cali--she makes her presence known all the time now.  The other day I either saw her big head or her big butt protruding in a major way on one side of my stomach--the asymmetry was amazing to me!  The name Cali seems to be here to stay, we basically call her that now, so I guess we just need to decide on a middle name.  As for being mentally prepared, I'm not sure we're there yet, not that I think you ever really can be, but it's definitely becoming more real.  We're looking forward to our trip home to WI in a couple weeks for the shower and then our next ultrasound when we get back.  Can't wait to see what she looks like now!  

Girls Weekend

Since Celia and I both have birthdays mid-week this week, we decided why pick one of the weekends on either side, why not just celebrate during both weekends?--there are 2 of us anyway right?  Plus, this is only the 2nd year in the last 10 years that we've been in the same state for our birthdays, so we have a little making up to do!  :)  This past weekend was originally thought to be our "girls only celebration" as John was going to be in Vegas for a hockey tournament (I'll let him blog about that later) and Sean was going to be in Tahoe, but Sean's trip got canceled, so we "let" him join us for a few activities.  I drove down to Monterey on Saturday and the 3 of us had Thai for dinner (a treat I only get to have when my picky husband isn't around) and then saw a very small play about the Great Depression that evening (depressing, yes, but good).  

On Sunday, after a quick brunch, Celia and I went to have "Afternoon Tea" at this cute cottage, followed by a youth program performance of "Aladdin" (fun to sing along in our heads and reminisce about the days we would sing the songs into our perfume bottles), and then onto the spa for massages.  Sean then prepared dinner for us when we got home.  Now if that's not a perfect Girls Day, I don't know what is!  And the best part?--we get to do more celebrating next weekend--the boys are planning our adventures this time.

Winter Wonderland

Here are some of our favorite pics from our long weekend in Yosemite National Park.  We (or at least I) almost didn't go because the weather forecast predicted snow storms all weekend and stated traveling could be "hazardous to impossible".  But...it cleared up Saturday AM, so we decided to try it, and it was actually a beautiful weekend--a mixture of sun and huge heavy snowflakes.  We didn't want to miss it as this might be our last winter in CA and we had never seen Yosemite covered in snow!

The infamous Half Dome that we climbed last summer

Bridal veil falls

What you don't see in this picture is a tree branch right above John's head.  As he was trying to take a picture of Celia and I, a large snow mass fell on his head.  We thought it was funny :)

Celia and I very annoyed after standing in a parking lot for an hour waiting and waiting for the sun to set which was supposed to light up this TINY waterfall behind us a bright red color--something our boys just HAD to photograph.  It didn't happen.

Trying to entertain ourselves in that parking lot.  Celia's snowman was our mascot for the rest of the weekend--he slept outside our cabin.

The boys putting snow chains on the tires so we could make it up the mountain in the snow!  It's quite the ordeal.  John is mostly providing moral support if you can tell.  :)

The girls went snow-shoeing  while getting heavily snowed on

and stopped to make snow angels,

while the boys went skiing/snowboarding.

Here's Sean after one of his jumps didn't turn out so well :)

The lovely little heated cabins we stayed in

And a winter experience wouldn't be complete without...ice skating!  

To all those in WI, you're probably wondering why we would travel to the snow on purpose, but when you don't see it for a long time, it's nice!...but don't get me wrong, it's nice to leave when you're ready too!

29 weeks

Photo courtesy of Maxine Bauer

Rainy Day

Celia's brother, Brad, is visiting her this week from PA, so they came up for the must-see San Fran tour.  Unfortunately, it was a pretty ugly day.  The highlights this time? 

the Golden Gate bridge

Lombard Street (the "crookedest street") which we decided to walk to (steeply uphill) after a near-death experience when the car's tires started to smoke and refused to go any further, making for an emergency U-turn!--turns out their car tires didn't have any tread left on them!  Good thing we had snow chains for the snow in the Yosemite mountains!

a cable car ride and a quick lunch of Sourdough bread-bowl clam chowders at Pier 39

and the Broadway musical "Wicked"--which we were lucky enough to WIN $25 lottery tickets to!

John had to stay home to work on some homework--he's pretty overwhelmed this semester, but is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  He's done with his 3 year MBA endeavor mid May!--we're hoping baby Heltemes doesn't come early!   

We're waiting to get a few pictures from Celia and Sean, and then we'll post pictures from our Yosemite trip a couple weekends ago.

California Academy of Sciences

This past weekend was overcast, rainy, and a bit chilly. Our remedy was a tour of the California Academy of Sciences. This new-age museum is a scientific institution committed to research, educational outreach, and community involvement to improving the Earth and how we all live. 

The biggest attraction, the albino crocodile, was out on "medical leave"...apparently, his better-half bit him. Typical....

There are Philippine coral reef aquariums, indoor 3-story rainforest, a "living roof", live animal exhibits, and a really interesting digital Planetarium which shows a one-of-a-kind video about the Earth and space!

RENT

RENT...a broadway musical that I've always felt connected to, because I think seeing it was the first event in a series of events that changed the way I looked at life.  Why am i writing about this now?  Let's just say, John probably shouldn't have left me, the pregnant, hormonal, emotional woman, home alone with the DVD of the very last live show of RENT before it closed on Broadway.  For 3/4 of the "movie" I was not paying much attention, doing stuff around the house.. but sat down and really watched the last 20 minutes and then all the "extras".  My next mistake?--I then got out my journal from Up With People and read my entries from the last few days of the program--the days where we performed our show for the last time, and where our "cast family" said our goodbyes.  I saw the same pain on the actors faces in RENT as they sang their last song for the last time.  If you haven't seen the show, and I had to sum it up for you, or at least, what I took most from it, it would be the words "No Day But Today".  I saw this show in Madison when I was trying to decide if I should join Up With People or not, and it definitely helped solidify that decision.  Up With People was the next event in that series of events that changed my life, as it continued to teach me to live each day to the fullest.  Although my life has never been as crazy and busy as those 6 months with UWP, I feel like I have tried to continue to embrace those famous words as best as I can.  I feel blessed that I found someone to share my life with that believes in doing the same, and I can only hope that we can teach our daughter to embrace those words as well.  RENT closed it's curtains on September 7, 2008, the same day that I found out I was pregnant.  It always amazes me how chapters close and new ones open simultaneously.  Ahh...isn't reminiscing fun?  Ha.

Tuesday's ER Visit

Monday night, well, never ended. When I finally got into bed around 11:30pm on Monday night, Cheyenne got up to go the bathroom. I fell asleep almost immediately. At 11:45pm Cheyenne woke me up and asked me to call the doctor, she was nauseous and had "flu-like symptoms". The doctor told me to take her to the ER.

We were admitted to the ER around 12:15am. We then waited, waited, and waited some more until 3am to see the doctor. The doctor administered IV fluids in fear Cheyenne was dehydrated due to "flu-like symptoms" or Gastroenteritis. Good thing, because Cheyenne was dehydrated. The dehydration consequently caused premature contractions. Now, keep in mind Cheyenne is only 6-months pregnant so contractions are NOT good. At 4am, Cheyenne was transferred to the Labor and Delivery floor. There, she was administered more IV fluids and had some blood/urine analysis done. Cheyenne was also administered beta-mimetics to cease the premature contractions. The nurse kept Cheyenne there for observation until about 8am while ensuring the drug helped with the contractions and allowing her to re-hydrate. We were discharged at 9am after a brief meeting with another doctor.

After a quick stop at the store, we got home to finally get some much needed sleep!

Cheyenne and I will be home all day Tuesday and Wednesday. Cheyenne will be drinking plenty of fluids and resting while I keep her under constant observation and surveillance. The baby is healthy, has a strong heartbeat, and is continually moving in Chey's belly!

We hope not to see the Labor and Delivery floor again until May!

The Curious Face of Parker Heltemes

Last weekend I flew back home to Wisconsin to meet my nephew, Parker Steven Heltemes. 

Here are a few things I learned this weekend:

1. Grandparents love grandchildren (they basically fight over time spent with the baby).

2. Car seats with babies in them are heavier than I thought. 

3. Babies do not necessarily pose or smile on command during photo sessions.

I was able to spend time with Grandma Andrews and my Aunt Amy as well as quality time with my parents, Nick, Katie, and Parker. It was a great weekend and I implore all of you to become an aunt, uncle, or parent. I have successfully completed the uncle part, but I had little to do with that. I can check off the parent part in May. It might be a while before I am an aunt, but I will Google how to get it done. 

We are off to Yosemite! Snow....here we come.

So...we got back from the cruise, had a day of rest to unpack, do laundry, and try to get over my cold.  We went back to work on Tuesday, and on Thursday, my mom arrived.  Not so lucky for her, but very lucky for us, it rained the next day while John and I were at work.  When I came home for lunch, she had baked cookies and banana bread, had lunch on the table for me, and ingredients ready for dinner.  Wow!--either she decided to spoil me because she only sees me a few times a year, or she had just begun her weekend long mission to plump me (and the baby) up.  You decide.  :)  All I know is between the cruise, getting sick and not working out, and my mom, I gained 5 pounds in a little over 2 weeks.  See below for an updated belly shot!  :)

After I got home from work on Saturday, we were joined by Celia and Sean, and then later by my dad, who had been in Reno for a convention the previous few days.  We got to hear Celia and Sean's New Zealand stories and see pictures over dinner.  

On Sunday, we all drove into San Fran to an amazing viewpoint of the city and surrounding areas, and then made our way to a little town on the Bay just north of the City, Sausalito, where we had lunch and moseyed around the galleries there.

On Monday, John and I bundled up for my mom's favorite part of every CA visit...a day on the coast, where her and my dad thought it was quite warm, while John and I's bodies begged to differ.  :)  It was sunny and beautiful though.  That night, my parents finally got to see one of John's hockey games, something they always seemed to just miss on previous visits.  We eased them back into WI weather this way, because it's fricken freezing in there--note the winter garb and hot drinks!  

The following weekend John and I split up--he stayed in town to go to a going away party for a co-worker and a superbowl party with hockey friends.  I joined Celia and Sean in Monterey for a low key, hanging out weekend.

This weekend, I'm flying solo...John went home to WI to meet his new nephew.  I am holding down the fort trying to save my vacation for maternity leave.  Celia and Sean are visiting a cousin this weekend, so what will a girl do??...hmm...I think some girly movies are in my future, along with tackling a to-do list that is gaining on me!

Pregnancy photo (wk 25) courtesy of Maxine Bauer