I wasn't going to post about this, but I know most of you are keeping track and will pray. At my last OB appointment, my doc noticed something on my ultrasound pics in Thomas's brain. So we did another quick ultrasound and it was still there. So on Wednesday morning we are going to a bigger hospital with more specialized euipment and to meet with a perinatologist (baby brain doc) to see if we can find out what's going on. It may be nothing, but the very idea of somehting being wrong has me all worked up. So please pray for us if you think about it. I'll update when I know more.

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Well Jonah played in his first ever baseball game last night. He hit the very first pitch that was thrown and made it to second! Sorry, can't help but be a little proud! Here are some highlights....


Here he is right after he hit the ball


On base, waiting for the signal to run from Coach


Playing second base



Drying off with his teamates after it downpoured!

All in all a fairly bland weekend....now isn't that an exciting way to begin a post? Aren't you inspired to keep reading?? :)

My leg is continuing to heal. I cannot WAIT to get the stitches out! They told me I couldn't get them wet...no first they said I couldn't shower for ten days. I looked at them and said, "Um yeah right!" So finally last night, I begged Matt to help me. Picture this.....Matt wraps a big black garbage bag around my leg up to my knee. Then he puts around the bag a towel to catch any water. Now I must balance my ever increasing pregnant body on my right foot while dangling the left one out the shower door while trying to wash myself. It was nearly comical. I was dying to just stand under the hot water. So suffice to say, when these suckers come out on Friday I am taking one heck of a shower!!! Now in re-reading the above story I am, in no way, trying to get you to picture me naked. That would just be wrong for so many reasons. But you have to admit that seeing a rather large pregnant woman balancing on one foot while the other leg is covered in trash bag and hanging out of the shower door could be rather comical. Right?

An update from "Crutchie" as my kids have lovingly nicknamed me....although I have ditched the crutches...too big of a pain!

I'm doing ok. It sure is frustrating to not be 100%. The baby (who was my biggest concern in all of this) seems to have handled the stress of surgery well. He's rolling and flopping to beat the band. My incision (which doesn't look so bad) hurts a little since taking off the bandages, but nothing I can't handle. I am struggling with a tension headache again, going on day 3. This makes my recovery even slower. I go back a week from today to get the stitches and staples out. I did have to go back to the hospital yesterday because my leg was cramping horribly and they were worried that I may have a blood clot. So back I went....I swear I don't want to see that place again till Thomas is crowning! All in all, God has been good in taking care of Thomas and I as well as the rest of my crew who have been farmed out the better part of the week. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and words of encouragement...I knew I could count on you guys for that!

Well time to hobble down and do some laundry, I've been informed that my sick days are used up! lol.

Yesterday was fairly boring so I decided to spice it up a bit.

The kids had broken a frame a few days ago. Well I started picking up the house and I put all the glass into a garbage bag. I was going to take it right out to the curb as the garbage men were coming up the street, but I ran to do something else first. I came around the corner and slammed my leg into the bag, totally forgetting that it had glass in it. Well there was a rather large piece that had broken through the bag. It was this piece that went right into my leg. I gasped and quick sat down, thinking I had just sliced my leg open. Then it started to bleed. And holy cow did it bleed. Emma was horrified, standing there watching it. "Emma, get mommy the phone....Emma, get the phone!" I quickly called my dad who, thank the Lord, works at the church which is right behind my house. He ran over, called my mom for backup and whisked me to the ER. I did x-rays and the whole nine yards to find out there was a rather large piece of glass embedded in my leg. So they numbed me and the ER doc tried to get it out. No luck. So, to my horror, she casually says, "Ok, well we're going to send you to the surgeons." Ok, back up! SURGERY?!?!?!?!? Suffice to say, I had surgery on my leg last night. I've never had surgery. It was horrifying. They had to do a pain block on my leg which is one of the most painful things I've ever had done. I'd rather give birth! So in they went and found it, it was right next to my bone! SO the doc dug it out stitched me up, gave me crutches and sent me home. I arrived at the ER at 1:30 PM and got home at 10:30 last night. Ugh. I slept, well tried to sleep, in the recliner last night. The pain block wore off at about 5 AM and man, does it hurt! I guess I never thought about it hurting like that. Although they gave me a tetanus shot which hurts almost as much as my foot! Here's what my foot looks like currently....






And here's the piece of glass they dug out of my leg.....ugh. So note to self: DO NOT PUT GLASS IN A PLASTIC BAG!

I sat here this morning and railed against the fact that many blogs have not been updated. What is wrong with these people, I said to myself. Then I went back to my blog and realized that the last time I had updated it was last Wednesday. So forgive my frustration....like you all don't have lives of your own.

So yesterday was Mother's Day. May I just say for the record that I hate Mother's Day. I think something that absolutely should be done, ie. honoring our moms, has been turned into this huge "obligation" that we "have to honor mom because the calendar says we should." Ick. So I have decided that I will gather my siblings and choose one random day this summer and make it our tribute to Mom day. Moms need honoring and recognition.....but it should be genuine and not forced. Ugh.

Ok off the soap box, in honor of Mother's Day here are some pics from our recent Mother/Daughter banquet...


Me and two of my three girls




Four generations of women, my grandma, my mom, me, and my girls

OK some of you have been asking, I'll never know why, but ok. Here it is a picture of my belly, YES WITH MY SHIRT ON. Do you really think I would post my bare stomach on here, not for a million dollars. I am five months pregnant today. Yes, five months. I know it looks like 9 months, but some of us are more wonderfully endowed :)






Moving on, nothing much else to report....Saturday, Matt's sister is coming for the day to watch kids and Matt and I get to spend almost the whole day together. we haven't been out alone together in.....oh my word...ages. We're going to a wedding as well which will be fun.

And in other big news, we are house hunting. We've decided to see if we are ready to take the huge step and be home owners. This is HUGE for us. It all started when a house across the street from my parents went up for sale. How fun would that be???? Anyway, keep us in your thoughts as we pray and try and figure out what to do :)

Alright, this is my blog right? And there have been times in the past when controversy has begun here. But I must write about something that is just fascinating to me. Indulge my pregnant emotions for a bit....

I just finished reading The DaVinci Code. Now, this book is not new and I've been intending to read it forever. But with the movie due out next week and all the debate about it, I decided it was time. I read it in 4 hours. Then our church decided to spend the next four Sunday nights discussing the truth about the book and how we can speak to unbelievers about it. Ok, I LOVED this book. Now hear me, I loved it AS A WORK OF FICTION. I am NOT saying that I agree with the suppositions he makes or any of that. But it is one of the best books I have read in a LONG time. It is masterfully written and full of the stuff that I LOVE in a book; twists, turns, shockingness (my own word) and a happy ending. But more than that, I just cannot get over the fact that it presents such a clear opportunity to share my faith. The book calls some very real beliefs into question. Could Jesus have been married? Does his bloodline still exist, etc. I think the movie will be a blockbuster which every preson and their brother will see it.....again, what an opportunity. What an opening to share what I believe about Jesus.

*deep breath* alright, let's hear it....what do y'all think?

Ode to Bob

Bob the Cat Kurtz 2005-2006

Bob passed away Friday, May 5, 2006 with his family surrounding him. At least Me and molli. I was hysterical all day and not sure I could handle taking him to the vet, but I made it. We brought him home in a box and buried him in the backyard. Emma and Molli covered his little grave with flowers. I've decided there is something different about losing a pet as opposed to a human. I mean, I miss always miss my grandpa and I will grieve for him at different random times. While today was excruciating, tomorrow I know the pain will have eased and we'll go on. I wish it could be like that with people we love, but I guess the difference is that we spend a lifetime with people. But I'll miss Bob, he was my cuddle friend. Larry has been wandering around all afternoon, meowing, looking for Bob. Breaks my heart. But this is part of life I suppose. Thanks for all the thoughts and advice.

Moving on....not that I'm not still entirely stoked about the baby being a boy..but life does continue :)

Jonah had his first baseball practice last night. I was riddled with anxiety all afternoon about it. "What if the other kids have been playing since they were in diapers??" "will he catch on?" "Will he be able to hit the ball with the bat??" All those motherly things that you worry about. But he did great. He is very evenly matched with the other kids on his team, thank the Lord! I wasn't too impressed with the coach who showed up 20 minutes late, but one of the dads stepped in to help and he really took to helping Jonah. It was great. He had a blast and can't wait to go back.

An now for a Bob the cat update.....I really don't know what to do. The vet said he "thinks" that Bob has some nerve damage and that's why his back legs aren't working. Unfortunately, it means that he cannot empty his bladder either. So I have been hiking it to the vet TWICE a day for the last week so the vet can squeeze his bladder. I am so tired of it. And the vet cannot give me any real answers. He says things like, "He may recover, or maybe not." So I am so lost. I cannot keep going to the vet twice a day. Yet I love this cat, and I don't want him to die. But now he's pooping and spraying pee all over the house.....I just don't know what to do. Anyone have any suggestions for me?

I woke up this morning, early. I could hear the rain outside and I just laid there. I began to mentally pray....."Lord, first of all, I just want this baby to be healthy....and Lord, you know my heart's desire. But I will be so glad with whatever you decide."

I was a wreck for the rest of the morning....then I had to drink a quart of water and sit there for AN HOUR!!!!!! Torture, plain and simple. My heart started pounding as I climbed onto the table....





Then I saw this face and I fell in love and I knew, no matter what the sex..I was happy. I exhaled as she ticked off everything that was normal...and then...





Introducing Thomas Michael Kurtz......our baby boy!!!

Needless to say, we are ecstatic. Jonah was speechless, except for four words, "I have a brother." Enough said.