Playoff Birth

On August 29th the St. Louis Cardinals were 9.5 games out of the wild card and 10.5 out of the NL Central lead. Most fans, including myself, had given up playoff hopes. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the Cardinals but they were playing flat and things looked hopeless.

On August 29th I was scheduled for a CT scan of my sinuses to determine if surgery was in my future. But here's the thing. You can't have a CT if your pregnant. And there was a chance I was. It was about as slim as the Cardinals' playoff chances but it was there.

I didn't have the CT and I headed home to take the test. At the same time the Cardinals started putting themselves to the test. And they passed. They promptly swept the Brewers and then 2 series later swept the Braves. And just as suddenly as the Cardinals were back in the playoff hunt, we found out we were going to be parents.

Over the next 4 weeks we wanted to burst at the seams with the news but also wanted to have at least one doctors appointment before we spilled the beans. So our baby grew and so did the Cardinals playoff chances.

On the day of our first appointment with the doctor, the Cardinals went into their game with the only 1 game back of the Braves. And the Cardinals lost, but it seemed overshadowed by the great moment in our lives. The doctor had confirmed everything the "stick" had four weeks ago.

Two days later the Cardinals made it in the playoffs and the most unbelievable year of my life continued. As we began to tell family and friends about our happy news, we knew that we were blessed to be a part of such a strong network of family and friends.

A lot of people say that the best day of their life was their wedding day. And for me this is true, so far. But a very close second has to be the day I saw my baby for the first time. The day of our first ultrasound was also Game 5 of the NLDS. And although it might seem weird to most people to integrate this pregnancy so much with the Cardinals, I can't think of it separately at this point. I saw my baby for the first time on the same day my favorite player, Chris Carpenter, pitched the game of his life and propelled my Cardinals into the NLCS. It has to be one of the best moments I can remember.

Well in case you don't already know, as I know you all do from my incessant posting and tweeting, the Cardinals did go on the win the World Series and I like to think it's because they have a new little fan.

I was 14 weeks yesterday and have successfully made it into my second trimester. I am due May 7th. And that is the Monday after Derby here in Louisville, which, I have to say, makes me a little nervous. But this little guy/girl has already brought me so much luck it would seem appropriate for them to make their arrival on such a lucky day in Louisville.

Here's our 10 week ultrasound:

Ironman

A couple weekends ago I had the chance to work the Ironman Louisville finish line. It was such a great experience and think it's something that everyone should do. I got the chance through one of my fellow athletic trainers, Kevin Brown, and al so glad that I did it. I was at the finish line for about 5 hours and watched all sorts of people cross the finish line. It was a much more emotional experience than I thought it would be. As everyone finisher crossed the finish line the announcer would read their name, age, hometown and I know it made everyone feel very special. The best part was that whenever there was a special story, (survived breast cancer, lost 150lbs, etc) the announcer would also tell that story, if he knew it. He also made a special note whenever a member of our armed forces or a fireman or policeman made it across the finish. There were many moments that nearly brought me to tears even though I only knew one person that crossed the finish line. It was very special to get o watch one of my husband's good friends from high school, Tony Rudd, cross the line and complete such an amazing feat. Just weeks before we were celebrating my marriage and now we were celebrating him. Such a neat thing. 

My job at the finish line was to catch people as they crossed and help if a further medical condition presented itself. We were very lucky during my five hours there and didn't see anything that we weren't expecting. Many exhausted people but all happy (well except one, haha, clearly a pro not happy with his time.) We were thanked by families, participants and fans. It was so nice to feel so wanted and needed. I know that many athletic trainers will agree that we often go unthanked, not this day. 

This is not an event where you have to have a medical background to volunteer either. There were "escorts" at the finish line that gave the athletes their medal and escorted through the finish line row. If you want to have a great experience, I highly suggest doing this. It was so rewarding. 

Overall it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I look forward to doing it again. I would, however, like to take a moment to remember the man that died in the water that day. It reminds us how difficult it truly is and mass you appreciate everyone that finished and put their bodies through the ups and downs. 

-Kate

Fantasy Football

It's that time of year again. Time to find your spot in the couch, get your favorite cold beverage in hand and get your jerseys on! That's right...THE NFL IS BACK! And around the Meyer household that means fantasy football is back too. This will be the 3rd year that Nick and I have been a part of a league. We've gained and lost members over the past 3 seasons and now have 10 members, including: my dad (Mike), my brother (Jimmy), our brother-in-law (Mark), and friends (Rachael, Brian, Colin, Jason and Matt). Not to brag, but I won last year and the year before Nick brought home the trophy. So the pressure is on the Meyer household.

The first week pits myself against my brother and Nick against our friend from Louisville, Jason. Behind my quarterback, Drew Brees, I look to bring home the trophy two years in a row! Let's see if anyone can stop The Meyers!

Go Rams and Go Bengals!

NKOTBSB

For just one night I got to be 16 again.

Over a decade ago I went to my very first concert. It was the Backstreet Boys. I remember the lights and dancing and confetti. It was amazing. 12 years later...they were still amazing. Add in New Kids on the Block? And I was in heaven. I don't know how many people said "You're actually going to that?" And all I could think was "You're just mad you're actually NOT going." We bought the tickets back in January and had to wait all this time to go. I even got married in between buying the tickets and going to the concert. But the night finally came.

Last night I walked into the Yum! Center (which is VERY nice btw) with high expectations. Reviews had been coming in from across the nation, and they were good. Just the night before NKOTBSB was in St. Louis and my Facebook feed was full of excited fans and rave reviews. I only hoped AJ, Nick, Brian, Howie, Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Danny, and Jonathan could live up to the hype. Did they ever.

From the opening act to the last curtain the show lasted THREE hours. The first opening act was Midnight Red. A new boy band from California. They were pretty good! We will see if they get big. Being on this tour can't hurt. They sounded like the boy bands I remember from high school and wouldn't have been big then but there isn't a whole lot out there right now like them. The hard part is that teeny boppers aren't at the NKOTBSB concerts to see them and get interested. Here's a couple pictures from them:

Next came Matthew Morrison from Glee. He was VERY good and has a GREAT voice. He was a fun show and perfect opener for NKOTBSB. He has a talent but I think he will forever be Mr. Schuester from Glee and may only make it big on broadway. I'd be surprised if he was ever very popular in the mainstream. But he would be GREAT on broadway and I'd see a show with him. I have to admit though, the whole time I felt like I was watching Mr. Schu. Its very hard to separate the two of them, since they appear to be such similar people. A few pictures of him:

Then it was finally time! We were very excited because we thought we still had to sit through Jordin Sparks, but we didn't. This curtain dropped down and started flashing pictures of all the guys:

And then it dropped and there the 9 of them were standing on a raised platform that dropped into the stage.

At this point I was screaming like a 12 year old girl. For the next 2 hours they sang, danced, entertained, excited and put on an amazing show. I was not disappointed one bit. It was everything I expected and more. They knew what people wanted to see and gave it to us. They sang all the songs people wanted to hear and did all the dances people wanted to see. It was nice that they didn't try to do too much together as well. NKOTB would sing a song and then BSB would and then they would slow it down and each would do 2-3. They didn't try to mash their songs together or sing each other's songs, and was a good choice. There were pyrotechnics and lights and confetti but that stuff didn't overshadow the guys. It was just enough of everything. The bands were the show and that's how it should have been.

The strangest this about the night was the behavior of Nick Carter. I don't know if I just don't remember how crazy he was or if he was drunk or if he is just a mockery of himself. He was ALL over the place. There isn't really a better way to describe it than to say he seemed drunk. Just very strange dance moves and actions all night. Who knows what was going on, but it was entertaining.

One of the best parts about the show was the stage. There was the main stage but then a walkway out to a smaller circular stage that turned out to be a platform.

So although we had seats to the side of the main stage, it didn't matter. The bands were constantly right in front of us. I know you all have been to concerts with similar setups that weren't utilized. Last night it was and very well.

Overall I have NO complaints. I got my money's worth and more and would see the show again. Here's a few pictures of the guys throughout the night. I took nearly 100 so it was hard to choose. Enjoy!

From Inside the Box

This past Sunday Nick and I were lucky enough to be able to watch the Cardinals and Reds game from the GE box at Great American Ballpark. We were able to bring along our good friends Tim and Stephanie Schneemann:

They are another Reds/Cardinals mixed marriage. Tim is from Dayton, OH and Stephanie and I grew up in St. Louis together.

Although the Cardinals lost, it was a great time. We got down early enough for batting practice and caught the end of the Reds groups.

This was our view:

There was plenty of food and drinks to go around and it was a perfect day to be able to head back indoors for some AC.

Here's some more pictures of the room:

The buffet that included Skyline coneys and Montgomery Inn ribs

Extra seating in the room with the fully stocked bar behind it. 

The fully stocked bar I mentioned, and there was a mini-fridge packed with beer below this.

And the AMAZING dessert cart that came around in the 4th inning. I had a peanut butter chocolate cake and Nick got a dessert shot (and got to take home the shot glass) and Jelly-Bellies in a souvenir mini-helmet. All soooo good.

Overall so fun and we hope to do it again!

So you're an athletic trainer...what's that?

One of the first questions when you meet a new person is "So, what do you do?" and most people's answers don't need explaining. Doctor, teacher, accountant, etc...not so much for me. Usually people just nod their head and say "oh, that's cool," or "really, oh" and carry on without really knowing what I do or thinking what I do has to do with personal training or being a school nurse. Even my own grandmother once said, "I picture you in the gym with a towel around your neck." So, with the official start of football practice less than 10 days away, I thought this would be a great time to fill people in on what I do for a living.  

I am an athletic trainer. I start the explanation by telling people I am somewhat of a combination of an EMT, physical therapist and personal trainer. My skills range from injury prevention, evaluation and rehabilitation to CPR and first aid to planning conditioning sessions. I am able to treat chronic, acute and emergency injuries. This means I can help you if its been hurting for awhile (long term knee pain like tendonitis,) if it just happened (an ankle sprain) or if it is very serious (a broken arm). I am taught how to properly rehabilitate injuries and return athletes to play after injury or surgery but my job doesn't always mean treating the injury myself but referring on to the best person to treat it (calling 911 or referring to and orthopedic.) I also help with injury prevention by helping fit equipment like shoulder pads or fitting someone for a brace. Injury prevention also means monitoring the weather to prevent heat illness or lightning injuries. I can help the coaches develop conditioning programs for both in season and out of season. This list could go on and on to include things such as nutritionist, therapist, mom, but I think I've given you a pretty good idea of what I, and other athletic trainers, do. 

My job is at a high school through a physical therapy clinic. I spend every afternoon/evening at the high school attending all practices and games that every team has. Twice a week I am in the physical therapy clinic helping with injury rehabilitation in that setting. I love my job because I never know what each day will bring and that is because my job requires me to fill so many different roles. I am always teaching the high school athletes (and sometimes coaches) about hydration, nutrition and their injuries. Some days go on without incident and some days I am calling an ambulance. Sometimes I am simply an ear for a student having a bad day, week, month or season. I give advice on many things, even when not asked, and learn many things from my athletes as well. There was a time when I thought that I would never want to work in high school, but now I love it and look forward to spending many years in this setting. 

During the summer my role changes a little and I am in the clinic more often and also have the chance to co-direct a high school sports medicine camp. We have done it for two years now and had a lot of success. We spend the week teaching the campers about what we do and try to make it as hands on as possible. We tape and teach about rehabilitation along with teaching basic evaluation skills. We also like to get doctors and physical therapists from the area involved. It has been a really fun week the past two summers and I also look forward to doing that for a long while. 

Currently they are working on a new gym and athletic facility at my high school. This is very exciting and should bring me many more opportunities. Right now I am not able to do as much rehabilitation at my high school as I would like due to lack of space, but with a new athletic training room hopefully that will change. 

I hope this gave you a little insight into what I do and I look forward to telling you more about my teams and the new gym! Thanks for reading! 

-Kate Meyer

Fireworks!

It may be 4th of July but in the Meyer household it's a much more important day. Yes, that's right folks, time for another Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals series. A few short years ago this was not a rivalry, at all. Every few weeks the Cardinals and Reds would play, the Cardinals would usually win, and we could go on about our business. Until August of last year. Now most of you reading this know what happened, but for those of you that don't, a quick recap:

1. Cincinnati Reds' 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips calls the St. Louis Cardinals "little bitches" right before the Cardinals played in Cincinnati. For his full quotes: click here

2. Brandon Phillips taps St. Louis Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina on the shinguard with his bat to say hello during his first at bat and this starts a huge bench clearing fight with many punches thrown and even some kicks from Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Johnny Cueto. Cueto had cleats on and connected with the back of St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter and backup catcher Jason LaRue's face. We happened to be at that game and here are some pictures from that game:

Over the last year things have not cooled off. Insults have continued to come from both teams and that leaves us where we are today, a house divided. It would be a lie to say things have not been tense during the Cardinals/Reds series over the past year. Especially last fall when it was obvious how badly the Cardinals needed to win and they just weren't. Kate always gets upset when the Cardinals don't make the playoffs, but for it to be the Reds last year was the nail in the coffin, along with all the bandwagon fans. Bandwagon fans are her biggest pet-peeve and they came out from everywhere for the Reds. This sealed her hatred for the Reds and although she wanted to, she just couldn't cheer for them in the playoffs. She now understood how Nick felt year after year watching the Cardinals make the playoffs and not being able to cheer for them no matter how badly he wanted to for Kate.

Both of us truly love our teams and that means taking sides. The insults have flown (always directed at the teams and not each other) and wagers placed (always friendly.) So as we gear up for another series on this 4th of July holiday lets remember what's really important: Albert Pujols coming off the DL in time for the next series. ;)

Nick and Kate Meyer

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hello Everyone!

After the wedding we decided that we wanted to start a blog so that our family and friends all over the country could keep up with our new adventures as husband and wife.

Once again we wanted to thank everyone for making our wedding such an amazing day and one we will never forget. The pictures can be seen here: ie images We are so happy with them and with our amazing photographer Beckie Guillot-Beinke. If you have any pictures of your own to share Kate set up a Snapfish room for everyone to share pictures. You just need a Snapfish account to upload and view pictures. Its really easy! Here's the link: Nick and Kate Wedding

Finally, before we sign off from the first post. There was one thing we didn't get to share with everyone on the wedding day. In the months leading up to the wedding Kate worked very hard on a slideshow that was meant to be seen during cocktail hour. Well things happen and it got lost in the shuffle but we wanted to share it with you now:

Hope you enjoy it! Check back soon for updates.

-Nick and Kate Meyer