13 weeks

This is what I look like at 13 weeks.



Not a huge belly, but people who know me, know I don't gain weight in the stomach area, so I do feel pregnant. Many of my pants aren't fitting anymore and right now I am switching between a black pair of pants and black and khaki capris. I apologize to my coworkers who have to see me in the same pants each and every week.

Today I had my blood draw and I was so happy that it only took one time to find my vein. I have horrible veins for drawing blood. They are small and wiggly. I think the nurses get nervous whenever I come in for a blood draw.

I'm looking forward to Jazz on the Green tonight. First one I've gone to in a couple of years. I always love the music and the socializing. Let's hope the heat stays away.

Charlie

My boss, Charlie Wieser, died this past Sunday from complications from the stroke he suffered about a week and a half ago. We got the news in our office yesterday morning when we came to work and it made for a horrible Monday. We all knew he was bad, but we had hoped he would recover enough so we could see him once again.

He suffered so much in his 58 years. About 11 years ago he suffered kidney failure due to Wagner's Disease, an autoimmune disease, and he had a kidney transplant. Then not long after that, his first wife died of breast cancer. Then this past October, the kidney he received became cancerous and he had it removed, thus receiving dialysis nearly daily since then. During that time he also suffered from pneumonia and hyrnias. This stroke was the last straw.

I know Charlie's in heaven, especially from all the suffering he experienced her on earth, which makes me very happy. He really was so sweet, funny and a wonderful boss (the only one I've had).



I've made a list of the top 20 things I'll miss or remember most about Charlie.

1. How he hired me on the spot when I came in to meet him for the first time.
2. His laugh and ornery sense of humor.
3. How he let me photograph his wedding and asked me to stay for the reception.
4. How he called me Lisa Marie because he knew that wasn’t my middle name.
5. He liked to sit at my desk and talk about movies and music, even when he knew I was working.
6. How he was so understanding and compassionate when I had personal situations to deal with.
7. He liked to comment about the photos at my desk.
8. He was encouraging and positive even when critiquing my work.
9. He came to my 30th birthday party.
10. How he liked to take me to lunch once in awhile and always made me get dessert.
11. How he would stop by my desk and ask how I was feeling.
12. He gave me the old work camera when we went digital.
13. He had such a strong faith.
14. His laid back approach to our office.
15. His tangents.
16. How he made us talk about our favorite Christmas movies and songs every year at the Christmas outing.
17. His huge heart.
18. His computer illiteracy.
19. How he let me sit with him at the nursing home.
20. His acceptance of people.

His rosary is tonight and the funeral is tomorrow so it's going to be a rough couple of days, but we'll move on knowing he's no longer suffering. I'm just lucky I got to be his friend for nearly 9 years.

13 Going on 30

I just love the movie 13 Going on 30. I'm listening to it right now on listentoamovie.com as I enter mindless information for a story for the Catholic Voice. The clothes, the soundtrack and the acting an storyline are just awesome. :)

When my friends and I - Lisa Brandon, Angie Larson, Vicky Munoz and Kristi Mikkelson - turned 30 a few years back, we wanted to honor the move with shirts. So we made sweet t-shirts.



Yesterday I got a fantastic letter from Kiara. She's in the Douglas County Youth Center in Omaha for truancy (she was a runaway since April - for the 3rd time) and I haven't seen her since last October. We have kept in touch off and on through myspace though, even while she was missing. Anyway, she wrote me the most incredibly sincere, apologetic and reflective letter and it made me cry. I love her so much and I'm so happy to see she is starting to look at her life and the direction it's taking in a different way. I always hoped she would. So I hope one day we'll be able to hang out again as Big Sister/Little Sister.



Also, my boss really needs prayers. Charlie has been fighting one illness after another since last October. First it was kidney cancer (in the only kidney he had), then it's been dialysis every day, pneumonia and hyrnias. The lastest is a stroke. It happened last Thursday evening and he's been paralyzed on one side and unable to speak. I am so, so worried about him, so please keep him in your prayers.

Last Friday, the weather was perfect for the Eric Church concert at Stir Concert Cove at Harrah's Casino. Jason and I went with our friend Sue and a couple of her friends. The concert rocked and we just had a blast.





Jason worked Saturday until about 4 p.m. (he'd worked more than 60 hours already), so went and got a haircut - layers and longer bangs.



Jason flew to Tampa Sunday afternoon and came back last night around 11:30 p.m. It was so good to see him! Baby missed him, too. :)

Tonight I pick up my friend's dog, Truman. We're caring for him while my friend and her husband are away. We LOVE having Truman stay with us.

Fun 4th Weekend

I know the work week has started up again, but I keep thinking of all the fun I had over the 4th of July weekend. Lots of time with family, which was wonderful.

I took the day off Friday and spent the afternoon with my parents. They came to Omaha for the Bank of the West concert at Memorial Park. We got to the park around 3 p.m. and were able to stake out a place closer to the stage because we had chairs and not a blanket. We set our three chairs up in between a few blankets and were set. The concert (Kansas/Styx/Foreigner) didn't start until 6 p.m. and the heat was strong, so I took our blanket and sat in the shade for several hours. I made sure I drank lots of water.

We had a fun time at the concert and I had a great time with my parents. Jason was working late and was exhausted so he didn't come. I couldn't believe how many people were there - 80,000 - and how crowded everyone was in our area. I hated to leave my spot for the bathroom because I knew it would take me forever to get back.

The fireworks display was amazing. I don't think I've seen such a spectacular show in years. So glad I went.

I went to Lincoln with Mom and Dad that night and spent the night at their house. I hadn't done that in probably 2 years. When I woke up, Dad made breakfast for me and we sat on the patio and ate. Then Mom joined us and we walked around their backyard and looked at all their plants and flowers, trees and bushes. I just love their backyard ... and I love being home. I'm completely at peace when I'm there.

Saturday night was Uncle Rob's birthday/4th of July party and Jason drove to Lincoln for that (he worked all day). It was great fun to see my cousins, Erin and Brett and Nate and Lauren, who don't live in Nebraska, and to see family friends. My uncle has had this party ever since I can remember. When we were growing up, it was a pool party. Then when he married, it became a party at his house with up to 200 people. This year, there weren't as many people, but still it was fun.

Jason didn't have to work on Sunday, so he and I went to Mass together and had breakfast. I headed to my aunt and uncle's cabin in Fremont and he stayed home to relax. All of my siblings and cousins were there and we just ate and hung out. I am blessed to have such a close family. I love spending time with my family and cousins.

Monday, Jason had to work, so I spent the day at home. I baked banana bread and made BBQ ribs for dinner.

Baby news: I'm 10 weeks along and the nausea I experienced for so many weeks seems to have subsided. I still deal with fatigue, but that's not a big deal. Jason and I are so extremely excited and grateful to God for this blessing of a baby.

Though he/she is barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, the baby has now completed the most critical portion of hi/her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his/her body rapidly grow and mature.

The baby is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including the kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside the womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: The baby's limbs can bend now. His/her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart, and his/her feet may be long enough to meet in front of his/her body. The outline of the baby's spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. The baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his/her developing brain and sits very high on the head, which measures half the length of the baby's body. From crown to rump, he/she is about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, the baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.