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