"Glad You're Going To School"

As most of you know Derek hurt himself at work last Friday (9-12-08). He was at work using the table saw when a piece of wood kicked back and hit him in the stomach. That wasn't the part that hurt him though. Once the board hit him his hand grazed the blade on the saw.

I got a call from Derek's phone around 10:30 but it wasn't Derek. It was his boss John Beussink. My heart automatically went straight from my chest to my throat. He told me that Derek got hurt and they were on their way to St Francis Hospital. I dropped everything I was doing and left work. I got up there right around 11 since I'm all the way in Fruitland. I came in the door to see Lisa, Mona, Dale, and John Beussink in the waiting room, and Derek covered in blood and white as a ghost sitting in a wheel chair. Poor guy. John said he was going in and out of conscienceness on the way up there too. He let me see his hand and let me tell you it was NOT pretty. Proving the point that we can't go ANYWHERE without knowing at least one person, Mark Sprigg was the person who took care of Derek and cleaned him up, Dr Pancoast was the Dr that looked over him, and the nurse knew my mom from Bath & Body Works. As soon as they cleaned up Derek and got the nasty shop rags off his hand they wheeled him back into the waiting room so we could do 30 more minuets of filling out paperwork. YAY! Finally they wheeled him back into one of the rooms where they gave him a tetanus shot and an I.V. with some antibiotics and some MORPHINE! Derek was just happy to finally get some pain meds in his system since the initial shock was wearing off and the pain was setting in.

After about 20-30 minuets they wheeled him down the hall for x-rays to see if he hit the bone and how much damage he had REALLY done. After he got the x-rays they decided that he was going to need more than just a few stitches. He hadn't hit the bone but he had cut through the muscle, some tendons, and some nerves. The nerves are what they were really worried about so they drugged him up and sent us over to Dr Tobins office. As soon as we got to Dr Tobins office it was more paperwork.

After the paper work they looked at his hand and the x-rays and took him back to get him ready for surgery. We all got to go back and say something to him before he went into surgery and Dale's words were "Glad you're going to school." Which I was thinking the SAME THING! The surgery took about an hour or so and we had to wait about an hour after he woke up to take him home. He woke up at around 4 and was SO funny! He was so drunk from the anesthesia. I took him home, sat him on the couch, made him something to eat and gave him a bunch of water to help wake him up a little and get the anesthesia out of his system. I helped him back out of his work clothes that were COVERED in blood and got him into a t-shirt and pair of shorts. This is where he stayed pretty much all evening. They put him in a cloth splint that was down to the middle of his forearm and hard to do anything in but at least he still had his thumb. Thank God!

The Dr had to reattach his muscles back together, reattach his tendons with a pin, and reattach his nerves. They said he should have about 65% of the feeling back in his hand in about 6 months. It could be better it could be worse but they put everything back together the best they could. But again...at least he still has his thumb!

He went in yesterday (9-16-08) and got his bandages changed and got a new "user friendly" splint put on his hand that allows him to be able to move his wrist back and forth but not his thumb.

So, everything is good for now. We're still trying to unpack everything at the new house slowly but surely and my nesting has kicked in so at least the laundry is done and everything has been swept and wiped off. :)

I have another Dr apt this week on 9-18-08 where they again will check my cervix and hopefully put me on bed rest so my feet, ankles, and legs stop swelling as bad.

I'm 37 weeks as of yesterday and SO ready for my little guy to get here.

Moved In!!!

Saturday was the first night that Derek and I stayed the night in our new house. It felt so good to be in our own house and be able to sleep in our own bed. We had so much help moving stuff in and putting stuff away. First thing Saturday Mona and Bill helped Derek move boxes onto the truck. Then slowly but surely our friends and family came over to help. My friend Lauren came over first, her boyfriend and their friend from Australia named Jeff arrived just behind her. Dale, Lisa, Garrett, Marcus, Chris (Derek's co-worker) also showed up there shortly after to help. Every little bit helped since I couldn't do much of anything. They all loaded up the box truck that Derek borrowed from work and Lauren and I loaded up my little car with about as much as it could hold. Which was mostly baby stuff and stuff from our bedroom.

After all of the big stuff was loaded we headed for the NEW HOUSE! Our neighboring house is still on the market to be sold so we pulled the box truck in the driveway and unloaded everything into the back of the house which happens to have a sliding door. So everything went in pretty easy. Except, sadly, the big brown leather couch. Derek and the guys tried everything to get the couch in but it just wouldn't budge.

While the boys unloaded everything Lauren and I went with Lisa to Seimers. Derek and I had to buy a new washer and dryer. Lisa and Dale were nice enough to give us Mady and Erik's old dryer so all we had to do is get the dryer which saved us so much better.

After we got the washer and dryer Lauren and I scooted over to Cape to Casey's house and went to her Spa party and had a Beauty Control Party. I didn't much participate because my feet were swollen up to about 2 or 3 times their size. They looked pretty bad. Leslie the lady that does the spa parties rubbed my feet and it felt SO good. Not to mention it made the swelling go down a little bit.

After all of that Lauren and I picked up lunch and went back to the house where Derek, Alex and Jeff were "working." Which is kind of funny. When Lauren and I were walking up to the house I heard one of them say, "Their home. Look busy." So, yes, we caught on to them and no they didn't get away with it. It didn't help that the couch and chair was still warm from where they were sitting. Haha. Dumbies.

That night my mom, dad, sis, and Marcus came over and helped us put everything away while Derek, Alex, and Jeff went to Stooges (a little bar and grill) to go eat. After they got done eating they went bowling and had a few beers. While all of this is going on my mom (God bless her) picked up and straightened our ENTIRE house. I owe her BIG TIME!

Our deck is getting finished as well this Tuesday. They took out the old railing and the planter that was full of trash and now we have a regulation handrail. The only thing that is left is the steps that go from the bottom level to the top level. The guys that are doing our deck are also going to take these two nasty burn barrels out of the backyard AND take all the pieces from the plaything and haul them away. Those guys are the best! If you need anywork done call them. It's the Gabrial Brother. If you want a number call me or Derek and we can get it to you. They really are AWESOME!

Yesterday was a pretty un-eventful day. Lauren came over around 9:30 and woke Derek and I up. Her boyfriend Alex and Jeff (the Australian guy) came and picked up Derek and the three boys went to St. Louis for the day and watched a Cardinals game.

Lauren and I slept until about noon then woke up and took showers and went to Grandpa Bill and Grandma Mona's house and got some more clothes and a few more boxes that we didn't get the other day.

After we got done unloading the truck at the new house the boys were pretty much almost home. We had dinner at Alex's parents house and had hamburgers and fresh vegetables from the garden. MMMmmmmm. Derek pigged out to some of Alex's mom's homemade salsa so she sent us home with a jar full.

So, two nights down at the house and it's still sinking in that it's OUR house. I woke up this morning thinking "where the heck am I?"

Everyone is welcome to stop by and see the new house. Call me for directions. It's really easy to get to.

Thank you to everyone that helped out though this whole experience. Without you all we could not have done this. Thank you SO SO SO much!

yearbookyourself.com has pulled me in too.

Baby News and Moving In

So I'm at a little over 35 weeks as of today. How exciting! I went to the Dr yesterday and he checked my cervix and said I was dialated to 1cm. Which isn't much but it's something right? He also said that I could wind up going a week early. Other than that he said everything looks good. I have a dr. apt. every week now until Stratton gets here which means I have to get a pelvic exam every week now too. : (

Earlier this week Mona and I went shopping and got Stratton a dresser and a changing table. My friend Sarah Robinson came over and helped me put the dresser together and Bill helped me with the changing table. Everything looks so cute and matching. Derek and my dad put the crib that Beth gave us together last night. It looks so great with all the bedding in it.

So this weekend (weather permitting) we are moving in EVERYTHING!
Couches, clothes, dishes, EVERYTHING!

I'm going to miss staying with Bill and Mona but it will be nice to have our own place. The worst part is that I'm going to have to start cooking again. :( Derek is REALLY going to hate that.
Mona and Bill have been SO great to us. We owe them BIG TIME.

Other than that nothing else big is going on.

If anyone would like to help we are moving everything on Saturday.

Moving In.....Well Sorta.

Slowly but surely Derek and I are getting things put into the new house. We had a small get together with one of my friends and her boyfriend and one of their friends they met at camp. It started out great. The boys got the DVD holder together AND a bookshelf. At that point they probably should have stopped because it was like 2 in the morning. BUT, of course boys are hard headed and HAD to put the third piece together. Bad idea. We now have the most haggard looking t.v. stand in Southeast Missouri. But it's going down stairs so like they say "out of sight out of mind." Right?



Here are some pics from that night.



The start of a LONG night. Derek and Alex getting ready to tackle the book shelf.

This is Lauren and Andy their friend they met at camp this summer. He's from London and stuck in the U.S. for now because the airline he bought his ticket through went bankrupt. So he's here till he can get another ticket.

The first piece of furniture DONE! Don't ask why but they wanted to show the back of it because that's were most of the work went into it. Haha. Boys.

Second Project, The DVD shelf and a very messy living room.

Andy kept saying that this project was like war. You have the british kid yelling out directions and the american guys do all the work. And that's pretty much all he did all night was tell them what to do.

35 Weeks Pregnant and ready to go to bed.

The large trash pile that was left in our planter on our porch. We took out the planter and this was what was left over. There was even a turtle shell in there. Yuck.

Starting on the 3rd project that shouldn't have even been touched. This was taken at floor level because I was sleeping on the floor at this point. Needless to say I was sore when I woke up at 4:30 to go home!!!!

Our cute upstairs bathroom. The only room in the house that is pretty much done. It's really all I could do since there's no heavy lifting involved in this room. I think it tured out ok.