so much to do so little time, to blog.

life has been kinda hectic lately. Months ago, we decided that aside from Super Bowl and Daytona 500 we wouldnt plan ANYTHING for the last month of the pregnancy. But as John Lennon tried to tell us, life is what happens when youre busy making other plans.

What has kept me so busy?

Saturday I threw a surprise Grandma Shower for my mother-in-law since Ellie will be her first grandbaby. It was a huge success. Grandma Connie was very surprised. We played some fun games and had some yummy snacks. Guests showered her with attention, celebration and love, oh and some gifts too. We were concerned with the guest of honor's ability to attend though, when the grandpa-to-be went into the hospital the night before. But my husband came to the rescue and convinced her that she didnt need to sit by grandpa's side for a few hours, she thought that the shower was a regular baby shower for me, and that id understand if she missed it or was late. She was very surprised and tickled pink at the idea that the party was for HER.

My father-in-law Mike has had issues with his health for a long time now. Never had a heart attack though, an arrhythmia, a stroke, half his foot amputated due to diabetes, got over pneumonia and strep/sepsis last November. He had some trouble breathing and back pain on Friday night the 28th and went in to get checked out. The DRs thought he was either at the beginning of a big heart attack or that he had already had several small ones. He was at the hospital in town for a couple days, had an issue with his medications and the doctor decided he probably needed an angiogram. There had been talk about a pacemaker or defibrillator at his doctor appointment about a week before all this happened. His insurance wanted him transfered to their medical center about an hour away. After the transfer he was doing well, just going through more testing. Then one of the medicines needed for some of the testing was caught in a blizzard back east, so they decided to do the angieogram instead. That happened yesterday early afternoon. The cardiologist says he has several extremely blocked pathways in his heart. one about 80% blocked another about 90% and another completely blocked. There was some concern that a big chunk of his heart was dead though and that was not the case, so it was actually one of those the good news is bad news kinda things. Coincidentally, the cardiologists meet weekly, on Thursday afternoons, about an hour after the angiogram was complete, so his Dr took his case to the conference to discuss his treatment plan. It was decided to do bypass surgery. Up to 5 ways. That will probably happen on Monday.

So Friday was getting ready for the Grandma Shower, then dog sat Annie since Connie and Big Mike were at the hospital. Its usually a chore to dog-sit her because she doesn't like when mom and dad aren't home, and its more work to let her out to pee, because our yard isn't fenced and we don't have a dog line set up like they do at their house, so we have to walk her out each time, and it has been sooo cold here lately, no snow thank goodness, just cold.

Saturday was the grandma shower and after we visited at the hospital.

Sunday was my actual baby shower. That day was beautiful, cold, but the sun was shining and I was in a great mood. This is what I saw when I went to let Annie out:

This is the view from our deck, yes we still have Christmas lights up, but to our defense, they've been there since the wedding, in October. Not sure how that is a defense....

Anyway, Annie and I enjoyed a lovely walk around the property enjoying the sunshine and encouraging Ellie to get off my hip so I could ride comfortably into town for my shower. The walk worked and Mikey's Aunt and Grandma picked me up for my shower.

My Shower was lovely, lots of guests were very generous. Had a really great time. Instead of regular snacks or a cake, we had ice cream sundaes, so yummy. The games were fun, the people were happy, the kids were well behaved. After the shower Connie and I went in to see Mike at the hospital.

Monday was spent recovering from the long weekend, I was so drained. After going to visit Mike in the morning, he was going to be transferred to the medical center in Portland an hour away, we went home and I napped. My amazing husband kept laundry going all day. Lately I have just been doing laundry on Sundays, during the football games that I don't care about, but didn't have time or energy to that weekend. After my naps, we went to get pizza and watched a few old school Disney movies. A much needed break from the busy weekend.

Tuesday, we spent the day in Portland with my sister, we needed to go to the Baby's R Us up in Portland to get a bassinet mattress and a few other things for Ellie, needed to get my birth certificate replaced (mine is in that darn file box, someplace within about 400 cubic feet of storage, replacing it was faster and easier, and I need it to change my name now that were married) and wanted to spend time with Mike.

Wednesday we had errands to run and a midwife appointment and I was feeling pretty icky all day, crampy achy, nauseous and light headed. We came home instead of finishing our errands we came home to rest. Stephen Kings The Langoliers helped me take a nap and I was feeling much better, still achy but a bubble bath helped that.

Yesterday we found out about the angiogram, so we went right up to the hospital in Portland instead of doing the rest of the errands we skipped Wednesday. Most of the day was spent waiting. After the angiogram, Mike had to lay flat for like 6 hours and rest, so we went and did some shopping and had dinner at Gustav's a really awesome German restaurant, it was happy hour and we got some great food at like half price. Win-win, then back to the hospital to visit with Mike. Eventually, he was able to get up, so we brought Annie in from the van and she loved visiting with her "daddy". A long drive home and I was spent, crampy and achy again. Laid down in bed, and despite the bathroom trips I haven't gotten up since. Mikey was really awesome, took care of me, got me a snack, water and then snuggled and rubbed me to make me feel better.

This morning, I decided not to do ANYTHING for a few hours, Ive been missing my blog and wasn't ready to get up yet. I decided I wasn't doing ANYTHING for 2 hours.

Mikey left to go pick up some buddies of his to help get the shop set up for a UFC showing tomorrow night, and Super Bowl on Sunday. People would understand if we decided to cancel either party, but Mike loves throwing the parties so much, he wouldn't let us, it was important to him, especially the Super Bowl. Even though he wont be there, to show both on our big screen so people have a fun place to enjoy them. Our "big screen" is estimated to be about 24' x 18 or 20 '. FEET. its nuts. The building we live in is half open space and half our apartment, business office and business storage. The open shop half has a balcony/mezzanine with couches, end tables and a counter, and a projector and sound system. Here is a pic of the balcony: The open part holds old couches, end tables, buffet tables, stack chairs, and a VW Bug.

This picture kinda gives you an idea of the space. Normally the couches face the screen, in theater rows, this was Christmas, we moved the couches in a big circle around the tree. They were moved forward facing again for the BCS football game, then back in a semi-circle in the corner for the Grandma Shower. Enter the buddies, they will get the couches forward facing again, set up more buffet tables for food (last year Super Bowl we had, i think, 8 buffet tables of potluck party food for over 100 people)

Here is a bad picture of the screen: (note the VW bug "Herbie" in the pic above and below for reference points)

That was a UFC fight months ago. We show the UFC fights about 1x a month.

Aside from moving couches, tables and chairs around, I also need to get our apartment cleaned up. People dont spend much time in the aparmtne when we throw parties downstairs, but people do help me carry food down and some Super Bowl guests still havent seen the loft finished, and Id like it to be presentable, I could totally use the "sorry my house is a wreck, life has been hectic, dad's in the hospital, Im pregnant, have been dog sitting" excuse and Im sure people would be fine with that, the loft isnt THAT bad. But Miss Ellie can come any time, and Id like to NOT have the loft get bad.

In about an hour, Im going to get outta bed and clean, make a grocery list for UFC and Super Bowl food. I also need to make space in the loft for Ellie's new dresser, because the buddies will be carrying it up today when theyre done with the couches.

Although I have been doing my daily small things, I have NOT done the home management binder (but I want to) or ANYTHING with photos.

when (or IF) i get some time, I will. The great thing about enjoying organization, is that it counts for "me" time and I can justify taking the time to do it, because "me" time makes me a better mom and wife.