Welcome Henley Cate!

Henley Cate Seltz
May 27th at 5:52 a.m.
6lbs 4 oz
19 3/4 inches

the moment we have been waiting for....

My hero and role-model is engaged! To someone from Minnesota! It's only a matter of time before I run into her and become her new BFF!

ailments etc.

What an eventful week! I am done working (well, mostly) due to my SI injury which is painful but manageable, especially now that I don't have to try keep up with the demands of regular working life. Lots of laying on my ice pack and resting which helps! Jake is turning into a woman as he officially has Couvade Syndrome which is characterized by a man having higher levels of estrogen due to being around a pregnant women. He has way more cravings than I do, has gained weight, and has a thumb/wrist injury commonly found in pregnant women. Send tampons.

On a lighter note, we also met with my dad's surgeon to discuss his treatment plan and tomorrow we meet with the oncologist to plan for 6 weeks of chemo and radiation prior to Whipple surgery. After the onc appointment, he is going to have minor surgery to place a stent in bile duct to keep it open until the bigger surgery. His mood is positive and he is feeling good which is great. Thank you to everyone for your prayers, support, and offers of help. Most of the time I am coping well but then suddenly feel so sad that he the must go through all of this and scared of what the future holds. Life is hard like that.

Oh yeah, I may have a baby any day. Or not. We'll see. They think she is about 6lbs, so a little on the small side and very low. I will have an ultrasound on Tuesday just to make sure she is doing okay and growing well! Bought the Bio Oil, thank you stretch marks (not pictured, on other muffin top).

holding steady at 157 lbs at 39 weeks

Congrats Juan, Alisha & Mason!

Mariana Alease Ramirez

Born 8:52 am Wednesday, May 18th.
6 lbs 5 oz
18 inches long

My Dad

The Palbicki Beaks at Casey's Senior recital

My dad, Bill, was just diagnosed with Stage I pancreatic cancer. I was with him last Wednesday when we got the terrible news after an endoscopy. He has a 1-2 cm tumor on his pancreatic bile duct which is also wrapped 180 degrees around a vein. He had been in for a battery of tests (blood, ultrasound, CT, CT with contrast) after having some nausea and high liver enzymes, but we never expected to hear this.

On Monday, Dad, Linda & I met with Dr. Vickers at University of Minnestoa Medical Center who recommended 6 weeks of chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor away from the vein followed by a complicated surgery known as a Whipple procedure to remove the head of the pancreas along with the gallbladder and part of the intestines. There may be more chemo after surgery as well.

My dad is feeling pretty good most days, although he has some jaundice & itching due to the bile duct issue, but he will get a stent soon to help with that. His spirits are high, as usual, and we are all eager to get started on treatment next week, we are just waiting on an appointment with an oncologist as Masonic Cancer Clinic.

Needless to say, this is very scary and sad for all. Dad's Grandpa Jack had it, as did his brother Rick so that is evidence of a hereditary component which means Casey & I need to see a geneticist to discuss our risks and prevention strategies. Coincidentally, my Grandma Audrey also had it (although we were not blood related as she was my stepgrandma).

Please pray for for peace and healing for my dad! We love you, Dad!

Nori & Papa Bill on his 59th birthday last month

on ice

Sorry I have been such a whiner, but you must admit I am so good at it! I am officially on short-term disability for the next week or two until my back settles down. They say I have sacroiliac joint inflammation due to the relaxin hormone released during pregnancy. Basically, the joint between my left hip bone and my tailbone is really loose, inflamed, and painful.

Signs and Symptoms of SI Joint Pain

Women with sacroiliac joint problems describe a sharp, stabbing pain felt in the lower back or hip during weight bearing activities. It may feel like one leg suddenly "goes out" when walking and makes it impossible to go on without limping. CHECK!

Activities that cause sharp back pain include:

• climbing stairs CHECK!
• rolling over in bed CHECK!
• walking CHECK!
• getting up from a sitting position CHECK!
• sitting down from a standing position CHECK!
• jogging or running (even for just a few seconds,) N/A
• getting into and out of the car CHECK!
  

So now you know. Send organic raspberries!

Geek or jock?

Nudie Bootie Book Club

My girl is a bookworm! We inherited over 100 children's books from one of Jake's coworkers so she has an endless supply of Dr. Seuss and Berenstain Bears books, among others. While we usually read for 20-30 minutes at night before bed, she continues on reading to herself until she falls asleep. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, she grabs a book. First thing in the morning, she reads until we get up. By now she knows all the stories by heart so the pictures get her though, page by page. We recently started with the Laural Ingalls Wilder Little House On The Prairie chapter books. She has the Little House picture books and she knows the characters which help her follow along in the chapter books. So far we have learned about how Pa smokes venison with hickory chips, butchers a pig, makes bullets, cleans and oils his gun as well as how Ma churns butter and colors it yellow by boiling a carrot in milk. All wholesome stuff. Nori likes to pretend she is Laura, Jake is Pa, I am Ma, and Dorothy is Laura's "good old bulldog Jack". We get into quite a few interesting scenarios as pioneers on the prairie using our imaginations!

Building a "pogo stick"

To round out the brainic side, we worked in some sunshine and sports today. I limped (literally every step I take on my left side feels like a hot knife piercing into my lower back/ buttocks, thank you sciatica) around the park with her as we watched Daddy play tennis. Later, Nori got a lesson on the court from Agassi's biggest fan.

insert tennis slang here