Regan's Battle Scar

This past weekend, Regan took a tumble off the coffee table. We noticed the rest of the evening that she wasn't using her left arm at all and figured she must've sprained her wrist trying to break her fall. Then on Monday morning she was chasing Gigi's dog and tripped over a chair. She then stopped using her arm and hand altogether and so that evening we went to see the mean old doctor. After examining her, he decided that she needed to get her arm x-rayed and sent us over to the hospital. (That's another story for another day)

Yesterday afternoon, after calling the doctor's office repeatedly to get the results of the x-ray, the nurse finally called us back and told us that Regan's wrist was fractured and that we would need to see an orthopedic surgeon to have it set and put in a cast. After assuring me that she wouldn't have to have her arm amputated and that she would lead a normal life despite her injury, she said she would make an appointment with the ortho doctor and get us in for today. (That's another long story)

Finally, at one o'clock this afternoon (almost 3 days since she first fell) we got in to see the doctor. He told us she broke a bone in her arm that's right by her wrist, but it's not actually her wrist. Thankfully it didn't break all the way through, so he didn't have to set it. He showed us the x-ray but I couldn't really tell what he was talking about. He did want to put her in a cast, though, to prevent it from breaking clean through if she were to fall on it again before it healed.

Because the normal casts have to be cut away with a saw, he just put the hard plaster-like stuff up and down her arm, and then wrapped it in a couple of ace bandages. We go back in three weeks and he said that if it has healed enough, he'll make another cast that only goes up her forearm and not past her elbow.

Anyway, I told Eric that Regan can now claim something that neither of us can: she's broken a bone in her body! (Although stupid John Herman fractured my wrist in the 8th grade) I think hers is really just a fracture, but the doctor used the word "broke" right after saying fracture, so I'm still not sure which one it is.

Here are a few pictures of Regan's new cast, or "chast" as she says! :) She has done really well with is and only gets frustrated when she can't pick something up off the ground. All prayers are appreciated as she adjusts to this new addition to her wardrobe!

5 weeks and counting....

I can hardly believe that the baby is due just five weeks from yesterday! And since my doctor doesn't let anyone go beyond a week past their due date, that means in 6 weeks, we're going to have a baby!!!

Regan spent this past weekend with Nana and Papa in Elkhart, which gave Eric and I the whole weekend to get a lot of work done around the house to get ready for the baby. Of course, we didn't quite meet my list of "nesting expectations" but I don't think the baby will really care if the kitchen cabinets are relined or not! Here's Regan dancing around in a new outfit from Nana and Papa. It has a hat and she looks really cute with it on, but she wouldn't wear it for the camera.
Here's the butchering her bangs took before we left. I was afraid Mom would take her to the barber in Elkhart if I didn't at least cut her bangs, so I went against every instict and chopped them myself. And I definitely chopped them... they're so short and crooked!! I hope they have time to grow out a bit before the baby comes so that I can get her hair cut for real!!!

Here's Regan's new crib that we got from a friend at church. It changes into a toddler crib, which is why she's getting the new crib. But we don't think we could put her to bed and expect her to stay there, so it's still just a crib for now!

This is the baby's room/guest room. It was a lot of fun to go through the shed and pull out all of the baby stuff. I'd forgotten how cute it all is!

Another view from just inside the door.

And then standing in front of the changing table.

And then standing in front of the bathroom. Regan thinks it's really funny to climb through the fish thing beside the bed and then hide under the crib.

All in all, I think we got a lot done and are pretty much ready for Baby Rath #2 to make his or her appearance! And in case you're wondering, yes, I did cry as we drove away from Regan, but once we got home, I just kept myself busy cleaning and organizing so that I didn't have to think about her being gone! :)

When I picked Regan up from mdo on Tuesday, they asked me to sign an accident report. Apparently Regan was playing and had a hat on and walked right into the wall and "busted" her lip. (Sounds like something her cousin Aubrey would do, doesn't it!?) It really wasn't very swollen at all, but she must've bitten the inside of her lip because it bled. Anyway, here's a picture of her lip and since you probably can't tell, the right side of her lip is a little bit swollen.
Here she is playing with her baby and her new stroller that she got at Christmas. She really is such a good little mommy and likes to sit and rock her baby and pat her back and give her hugs and kisses. I just hope she does this good when the actual baby brother or sister comes into her life!!

Regan and Daddy watching t.v.

Regan has started "reading" books to herself. It's sooo cute to listen to her and try to figure out what she's saying.

Here she is today eating a snack and watching Praise Baby. If you'll notice, this picture is taken from ground level... if you've ever been 33 weeks pregnant and trying to crawl around on the floor on your belly, you will appreciate the effort it took to get such a great picture! :)

Today I was cleaning out the hall closet and found some bathtub crayons that I had bought at one point or another and forgotten about. Regan loves to write on anything, so these were especially fun for her during bathtime! She covered a good part of the bathtub with her artwork and even managed to color herself a bit.

And once we took the crayons away, she thought it would be fun to splash Momma and Daddy...

We had a doctor appointment yesterday and Baby Rath #2 is doing well and growing right on track. I go again in 2 weeks and then every week after that. It still doesn't seem possible to me that we're 7 weeks away from having our second child!!

Christmas in Tulsa

We had a very busy and blessed Christmas this year. We spent Christmas day (and a few days before) in Tulsa with the Rath clan and then traveled all over Oklahoma and Kansas to see my family. I'm going to try to post all the pictures in order of our travels, starting with Tulsa...

Here's sweet Regan waking up on Christmas morning. Look at those rosy little cheeks! She's wearing her new Christmas pajamas.
The Saturday before Christmas, Bill, Karen and the girls came over. We had a great time with them and Regan loved all the attention she got from Lindsey and Leah.
A picture of the Rath kids.
Our little pianist after the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Grammy and Grampa's church.
After the service, Richard had to stay in Claremore because they have an 11:00 service and Nancy had to go into downtown Tulsa to play a midnight mass gig, so we ate the traditional Rath pasta dish Christmas Eve dinner in the parlor at Grammy and Grampa's church. And according to Nancy, the tradition is pasta, not lasagna as Eric will tell you.
We started a new tradition this year. After we got home from the Candlelight service, we all opened one present which contained new pajamas. Here we are Christmas morning.

Christmas in Ponca

The day after Christmas, we headed to Ponca City to see my cousins, Marcia and Beth Ann. We haven't seen them for two years (they've never seen Regan!) and since they were both home for Christmas, we crashed their party for a night. It was so much fun to see them (and compare baby bumps with Beth Ann!) and we laughed a lot. Here's the whole gang right before we left.
Regan's new favorite game is "Ashes" which is better known as Ring Around the Rosie. It was nice having Aubrey and Kaitlin there to play with her!
Here are four of the gran-girls. Do you see the family resemblance!?
I got bored in the car....

Christmas in Elkhart

After leaving Ponca City, we headed for Elkhart. Rick and Brandi were following us and we had a good and uneventful trip, despite driving through about 45 minutes of blowing snow, which I didn't think was too bad but Eric informed me that's because I wasn't the one doing the driving!

Coincidentally, all the grandkids had matching pajamas this year. By this time in the day, the very last thing Kyle wanted to do was sit still long enough for a picture!
Last year Regan and Kyle showed up on Christmas Eve with the exact same pajamas on. This year their pajamas weren't exactly the same, but they were close enough! I don't think we'll be able to continue this tradition, though... unless Kyle wants to start wearing pink Barbie pajamas!
Kylie and Aubrey love to play the Nintendo in Nana and Papa's bedroom. Regan walked in there one day and found it unoccupied, so she decided to play on her own!
Regan and Daddy coloring in her new coloring book.
My cousin Tonya and her sweet baby girl, Kori, who is 6 weeks old.
Me and Regan in Mom and Dad's suburban which I nicknamed "The Beast". No one seems to think it's as funny as I do.
The night before we left, Sarah, Brandi and I took the grandkids up to see Great-Gran, who is my Dad's mom. She's in a nursing home and has Alzheimer's. When one of the nurses told her she had some cute grandkids, Grandma Peggy looked at Regan and said very dreamingly, "Like Barbie!"
Look at that precious profile!
Sunday afternoon, Regan threw a fit because she wanted to leave with Aunt Sarah and Aunt Brandi's families. It was mostly frustrating, but a little bit cute to watch her pout!
Here's a picture of the whole clan that was at Mom and Dad's. If you look real carefully, you can see Sarah's baby bump, which is home to my twin nieces who are coming in April!
We hope you all had a very blessed and happy Christmas and that your New Year is filled with the joy and peace that comes through our Savior, Christ Jesus!