"Where have you been?"

I have heard that a lot lately. I managed to throw out 4 posts in a few weeks hoping to make up for my absence. My broken foot has put a damper on our summer so in my defense I haven't had a lot to blog about.

I am a private person when it comes to personal matters, even the happy kind. I figured as time went on I would update with pictures that would give away our big news but that's beginning to look unlikely so I'm just going to throw it out there....I'm pregnant!

That means we got Molly in early March, our offer on the house was excepted a few weeks later and by closing we discovered we were expecting! Two weeks after we moved in to our new home I broke my foot and two weeks before I was relieved of my boot (X-rays looked good, yay!) I was put on bed rest. Whew! Did you get all of that? 

"To blog or not to blog," I asked myself. I know that most people don't want to read something that is going to leave them feeling bad and I cannot STAND the thought of people feeling sorry for me but many of you already know that we are expecting so I decided to come out with it. After all, the whole purpose of Stier Clear is to let everyone know what's going on in our lives. 

At our 20 week appointment the baby looked perfect! Pat and I excitedly watched as they scanned every inch of our little one, leaving the ultrasound thanking God for our healthy baby. A few minutes later the doctor came in and delivered the bad news - bed rest. Long story short, I am now 25 weeks and my battle with preterm labor continues. Everyday is a celebration and every week brings relief.

I am counting my blessings and spending all of my time keeping this little guy/girl comfy! This whole process took longer than expected but I consider us lucky that it happened after just a year. I enjoyed the first 5 months of pregnancy, feeling fabulous and carefree. We have so much to be thankful for with the support of our family and friends making the top of the list! Thank you so much for all of your calls, texts, visits, thoughts and most of all prayers....keep 'em coming!!

For the Mommy-to-be

For months now we have been thinking about how we were going to celebrate the upcoming birth of baby Denver. It didn't take long to decide that the only appropriate theme would be candy. Haley has always been a lover of fruity, chewy confections and since Denver came into the picture her sweet tooth has been in overdrive.

I enjoy any excuse to celebrate and throwing a party in honor of a very deserving friend makes it all the better! Before we went into party mode we enjoyed a relaxing Friday night of girl talk to make the celebration complete.

The shower was perfect! "Haley's Sweet Shoppe"

Surprise cake!!

                                                  

The excitement is mounting as we count down the days. Haley, you are going to be an amazing Mom. I will be here for you whenever you need me. I might not be equipped with personal experience but my arms, ears and heart are always open. Tell Ashley she might have a run for her money when it comes to the title of Favorite Aunt :) I plan to love, spoil and be around my newest nephew as much as possible.  I love you!!

Molly, Molly, Molly

AKA Stinker, PeePee/Poopy Pants, Goofball and Crazy. The once small, almost perfect puppy is now taller than Maggie and nowhere close to perfection but boy do we love her. She is constant entertainment!

 

 When we moved she went from a slightly timid, potty trained puppy to a 50% potty trained, loud, energetic teenager. We have finally established that no matter how much extra space we have in the house, we go to the bathroom OUTSIDE! We are still working on the excited dribble when someone enters the house but it is slowly getting better.

Then:

 

Now: 

Quiz: Who's Who???

Answer: Molly is on the left, Maggie on the right

From a distance Maggie and Molly still look like twins but there is no comparison in the face. We said from the beginning that Molly had more of a square muzzle and as she grows her under bite is becoming more pronounced.

After some research I am confident that she is a hound/boxer mix. When reading about the boxer breed I found the following:

"They pass gas, give wet kisses, jump up to greet you and snore too. Boxers are a very friendly and affectionate breed! They are referred to as an “in-your-face” breed. They are “shadows,” often following you from room to room...They crawl in your lap, jump up on you and love to give sloppy wet kisses."

Check, check, check that's Molly alright (minus the slobbering). And she is extremely vocal. I love it and hate it at the same time. When she lays down on the floor in front of me and makes Chewbacca like noises I can't help but laugh. On the other hand when she sees something outside or she is outside and decides she wants to come in her insistent, high-pitched barking drives me up the wall!

Maggie isn't a big fan of the barking either! 

 

For every one person she meets that likes her, there are 2 that don't but hey, you can't win over everybody. Her sad puppy dog eyes, bubbly personality and willingness to cuddle with me all-the-time beats out any of her flaws. After only 5 months she has found her place in our hearts. We can't imagine life without her!

A Baby Fiesta

This weekend we celebrated the upcoming arrival of Ryan and Haley's bundle of joy. The months have flow by so quickly, I can't believe baby Denver is almost ready for his big debut!

The beautiful Mommy-to-be

And the excited Aunt(s)-to-be

The Mexican fiesta theme was a huge hit. Some people took it to a whole 'nother level.

 

 

 

Everyone was excited to get a whack at the piñata. Ryan was the first in line. Blindfold, turn three times and WHACK - he hit it! 

 

 

I am so excited for the changes that are about to occur in the Stier family. I look forward to spending lots of holidays, weekends and quality time with Denver. I love that I am close enough to see him as much as I want and watch him grow. I can't wait for him to get here!!

 

*Foot update: I got the cast off on Wednesday, Yay! But now I am in a boot 3 times the size and I still have to use crutches, Boo! (I expressed my hopes of being able to walk without them and the nurse said, "Not with your kinda break honey!") I go back in 3 weeks for another x-ray but I have a feeling the boot will be an accessory of mine for a while, thank goodness for maxi dresses! :)

 



Making Progress

Wednesday I saw the orthopedist to go over the results of my MRI. He delivered the good news that surgery wouldn't be necessary! The MRI showed that the cuboid bone was "crushed" and there is a crack in the ankle joint. The doctor thinks that everything will heal fine but warned me of the possible need for surgery in the future as well as arthritis. He put me in a cast for another 4-6 weeks. I am hoping when I go back in 2 weeks they will give me a walking cast but for now "no weight" so crutches it is. I am getting around the house in a wheel chair so I am more self sufficient. I have managed to do a few loads of laundry, change the sheets and sweep the floors! I am going back to work on Monday, crossing my fingers that my foot won't hate me at the end of the day.

On another note, progress was made around the house this weekend as well. Friday evening Pat started putting up our fence. Not having one is a constant battle with our outdoorsy dogs and with my condition I won't be able to walk them while he is out of town this week. We are lucky to have generous friends that were willing to help out. Pat managed to tip the dingo 15 minutes after they started but with a little help from a chain and a truck that problem was solved. 

Saturday morning the crew arrived early and with one lesson already learned it was smooth sailing. They were on a roll until they dug what would be the last hole straight into a water line, the water shot 15 feet in the air! They took it better than I thought they would, largely in part that Brent was here and he is a plumber. So once again Brent came to the rescue. Today brought a much smaller group of volunteers, just one, Gavin. They worked all day but they got it done. It looks great, the dogs love it and Pat and I can rest easy knowing they are safe.