The Scrapbook Conspiracy

Labor Day Fun

2009-09-08T18:24:00.002-05:00

Ben & I made french toast for breakfast. Eating it was even better than making it.

Watching Over Us

2009-08-25T19:23:00.004-05:00

Here's an interesting thing about my neighborhood: you can't swing a cat without hitting a cop. Not that I would ever propose or condone hitting a cop, with a cat or otherwise. But in a two-block area, there are no less than seven officers. Earlier this summer, the neighbor behind me and the neighbor across the street added us to the soldiers and families that they pray for. Consider that: These officers, who go out every day and protect us, are praying for the soldiers overseas.

Life is Full of Little Surprises

2009-07-27T10:53:00.002-05:00

One week ago, Minda rescued a beagle puppy from a trip to Animal Control. She was pretty sure where the pup had originated, and managed to explain to the extremely kind officer that she could get the puppy back home. By the next day, a little more of her story was revealed and it was clear that she needed a new home. Around the time that Dave and I were discussing the possibility bringing her home either on a foster or permanent basis, another couple stepped in and decided that they wanted to keep her. But of course that wasn't the end of the story, was it? Within 48 hours, they decided that although she is very sweet, she wasn't a good fit for their family situation. So last Wednesday, I got the phone call saying she needed a new home yet again.

Since we were going to Duluth this weekend, they agreed to keep her until we got back. So last night, Almondine Shultz came home!

Nihao!

2009-07-23T16:56:00.004-05:00

Ben and I have been thrilled with our very special guest from China, Amelia. (That's her English name.) She, 19 students and one other teacher, arrived on the 14th, and will be here until August 3rd. Ben and Amelia are absolutely nuts about each other.

This weekend we're heading up to Duluth to see Lake Superior. Stay tuned...

Twins Game

2009-07-07T15:49:00.004-05:00

Sunday, my parents, Dave's parents, Pete & Kitty, Ben & I took the train to the Twins Game. I had free tickets for Armed Forces Appreciation Day, plus I had a time set up to video conference with Dave. Well... there was a bit of a mix-up with the tickets. But we got to see the Twins win, and we got to talk to Dave, and that's what's important.

When we got home, the neighbors were having a party. Their music was pretty loud. I had to play soft music in Ben's room to get him settled down. I slept with earplugs, and after a long, busy weekend, I slept very well.

In the morning I checked on Ben, and this is what I saw:

I guess he decided to make his own earplugs.

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-07T15:08:00.003-05:00

What a busy holiday weekend! Friday night, Minda & Andrew came over, and we had fondue. We ate far too much good food! But we went for a walk between dinner and dessert, so I'm absolutely sure we burned off all of the calories.

Saturday, my parents, Ben and I went to Sandy's, where we did a little shopping, installed a TV onto her office wall, grilled some brats and watched a movie. Ben was an absolute angel all day.

Camping Weekend

2009-06-15T16:32:00.002-05:00

Ben's first time camping! We rode with Grandma & Grandpa up to Stony Oaks. Scott, Christy and their family were already there, and Amy, Jay, and their kids came on Saturday. We had freshly caught walleye for dinner Friday night, thanks to Scott. It was nice to enjoy some fresh air, a little sun, and occasionally a little quiet!

First Drive-In Movie

2009-06-11T09:07:00.002-05:00

Ben's, and mine!

Tuesday night, Ben & I met Scott, Minda & Andrew at the Cottage View Drive In and we saw "UP". Of course the trouble with a drive-in is the movies start pretty late for little boys, so I don't think Ben saw much of the movie. But it was a little cool, so it was a good night for footed jammies and snuggling up with a blanket.

We loved "UP", by the way.

What's on the Menu

2009-06-08T16:05:00.003-05:00

Between bottles, Ben eats fruits, veggies, and cereal three times a day. I will also give him some small table foods like chicken soup noodles and pita bread. Today after Ben's nap his dinner consisted of canned peaches, raisins and noodles. He does really well with feeding himself all three. Missy hangs pretty close by in case there is any droppage. Today I cleaned him up, sat him on the floor, and he promptly opened his mouth and showed Missy that he had saved a raisin to share with her. Luckily, I was fast enough to thwart their plan. Poor dog will have to stick with the un-chewed, dropped raisins if I can help it.

Monkeys!

2009-06-07T21:55:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I decided to jump in and redo the upstairs bathroom. It had burgundy towels and rugs, and Japanese fans and a Japanese doll sculpture... Not really quite right for a little boy.

So I painted the walls YELLOW, and added a few accessories. I painted a picture for the wall. I still want to frame some photos of my monkey-boy, but it's looking really good for now.

Ben seems to like it, but maybe he's just happy to get at his toothbrush when I bring him in there.

Two Weeks, Really?

2009-05-10T20:52:00.002-05:00

I've hovered over the keys, ready to do a blog post a couple of times. But a weird computing quirk causes me to not be able to keep my email open and log into blogger at the same time. So for some reason that hurdle is enough to keep me out of the blogging loop.

Anyway.

Ben is growing leaps and bounds, too fast, really. I was watching a movie the other night that had a new baby in it, and it really hit me that my baby isn't one of those little tiny burritos anymore. I miss it. But he does so many amazing things now, and there's no going back...

I'm getting some personal stuff straightened out, and that should help with the day-to-day running of the household. I have felt so off balance from juggling everything. Next weekend, weather permitting, a friend is going to come over and do some work on the landscaping. I need to get the sprinklers turned back on for the season, but it just hasn't happened yet. Dave had a line on some people to mow the grass, but I'm not sure where we're at with that.

Otherwise... I still hate shopping and cooking for one. What a pain. I might see about doing Let's Dish in June just so that I have easy things in the freezer ready to go.

Happy Mothers Day.

Shhh....

2009-04-23T11:16:00.003-05:00

In The Simpsons episode "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes", Homer gets a computer and creates a web page full of animated gif and wav files. He proudly shows off his page and says,

"You'd think it'd be annoying, but it's not!"

It turns out I feel like that about a lot of web pages and blogs that have the cute little music players. Yes, I'm in the minority. Yes, I'm an old stick in the mud. Yes, I can, and do, avoid the music by hitting pause or the mute button on my computer. Still I wonder why these little pieces of technological noise pollution are so popular. What if it was quiet?

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:11-12 (New International Version)

In Pursuit of Stromboli Perfection

2009-04-19T09:20:00.004-05:00

Last night my parents came up for dinner, and I'd say I made the most overall successful stromboli to date. I think photos and maybe even the recipe will be coming soon.

Ben has decided his break has been long enough, so it's time for tooth #5 to start coming. I bet it's all of the talk of eating stromboli that has his teeth racing to the surface.

Dave is now in Iraq, and I do have an address for him for those who might want it. He sent gifts from Iceland for Ben and I: He gave me a pretty and very comfy sweater, and sent Ben a stuffed animal. I really need to take photos of his menagerie while they're still in good shape.

Oh, and sweet darling boy has been letting me scrapbook while he plays. I think I've done about a dozen pages for his album in the last 72 hours. Turns out that when you have a thousand pictures of an adorable kid, the pages aren't too hard to do.

Six Month Status Report

2009-04-14T18:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, after several days of pain and crabbiness, two more teeth finally broke through. Where are your teeth, Ben?

Instead of being the top front teeth, it's a top front and the one to the side of it, so he's a bit off center for now. But for now, he is so very much happier. Happier, at least, until it's time for the next teeth.

What, more teeth??

I'm going to be able to cut back my hours a bit starting next week. My hats off to all of the single moms out there who work full time or more and keep everything running. I'm looking forward to being able to get to the Y a little easier, take Ben to the park when the weather's nice, and just keep up with the house.

Holy Stromboli

2009-04-10T19:21:00.004-05:00

At lunchtime, Minda helped me roll out the dough for stromboli take 2. It was sooo good. It helped to get the dough rolled out thin enough, and to have less Parmesan cheese. I might be ready to try it out on my Dad.

Of course I realized after the fact that it probably wasn't the right choice for Good Friday. D'oh!

And, how could I talk about Mr. Bananaman without a photo?

Now He Wants a Motorcycle.

2009-04-10T16:52:00.002-05:00

Chie sent this to Ben, and even though it's marked "12 Months", it fits him NOW. And it's so stinkin' cute. Right now he's working on his top front teeth, and it hasn't helped his mood the last few days. He's sitting in his high chair next to me, smacking on a banana in a self-feeder. Banana juice is running down his naked little chest and tummy, so it's lucky it's bath night!

I love this...

2009-04-08T20:50:00.002-05:00

Stromboli, take one!

2009-04-08T20:37:00.004-05:00

Ok, I can't remember if I mentioned it previously, but when we were in Florida, we had the most delicious stromboli, and it inspired me to come home and perfect a recipe.
Tonight, I made one, using a combination of a couple of recipes, and my memory of the one we had in Florida. It turned out yummy! The cheese was 2 mozzarella, 2 provolone 1 parmesan, and it needed less parmesan, maybe more mozzarella. I made the dough in the bread maker, and I didn't do a very good job of rolling it out evenly. So the crust came out thick on the edges and too thin in the middle. I'm going to have to try a different kind of sausage next time, too.
I should have taken a picture before I started eatin' on it...

T'aint Funny, McGee....

2009-04-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

Enough is enough already!

On a brighter note, Minda threw out a scrapping challenge on her blog yesterday to scrap a favorite hymn. My favorite is an uncommon Swedish hymn, "O Let Your Soul Now Be Filled With Gladness". I think it's one of my Dad's favorites too. It speaks to me because it talks of more than just "God loves you so be happy, happy, happy!". It reminds me that "when dark assails from every side, still yours the promise... that you are purchased as you are." The message is pretty deep and fairly dark for a peppy little Swedish melody.

Who can tell me who said, "T'aint funny, McGee"?

Bye bye, Charter Internet

2009-03-31T10:48:00.003-05:00

Frontier is coming to my house to install DSL in one week. Woo hoo. Once I set up my appointment, I called Charter.

Would you believe the "disconnect services" line had the most polite and intelligent customer service rep I've ever spoken to from Charter? There's some irony there, I'm sure of it.

She asked me if I had had problems with the service. I told her. Man, did I tell her. I was extremely polite, composed, and thorough. She offered to give me a free month ($50) if I didn't disconnect. I said no thank you.

DSL may or may not be slower, that remains to be seen. But at least I might be able to reclaim one more piece of my sanity by never dealing with Charter Internet support again.

Camperdown Elm Tree

2009-03-29T10:22:00.004-05:00

(coffee, internet, sleeping boy... check check check)

There was a sign in front of this freaky tree in Port Gamble which read:

State Champion Camperdown Elm
It was in 1640 that the "Earl of Camperdown" in Dundee Scotland noticed a branch growing on the floor of his elm forest. He grafted it to a Scotch Elm tree and it took hold producing the first Camperdown Elm. The Scotch Elm is the only root mass the Camperdown Elm will grow on. The tree is a mutant and cannot self produce. Every Camperdown Elm tree in the world is part of the original and they must be grafted to a Scotch Elm to get started. When the graft starts to grow, the Scotch Elm branches are cut off, leaving only Camperdown Elm. This magnificent tree depends on humankind to keep it alive as a species.
This Camperdown Elm is the new state champion. This tree was planted in 1875. It measures 20 ft. in height with a 26 ft. crown and a 7 ft. circumference.

Proof: Humans love a freakshow.

Washington Weekend (part 1)

2009-03-28T12:21:00.006-05:00

I have internet. I have coffee. I have a sleeping baby. I am thrice blessed. And so, Washington.

While I was in Florida, Dave called and asked if he got a 4-day pass if I could come out to Washington (state) to see him. I said I would love to. So we got reservations made, made arrangements for Ben to stay with Shultz's for a few days and Grandma & Grandpa Nelson for a few days, Missy to stay with Shultz's, and eight days after getting home from Florida, I was back on a plane to Seattle.

I arrived, I picked up the rental car and I drove to Ft Lewis, about 45 minutes south of the airport. We had lunch and hung around post until his Chief Warrant 2 promotion ceremony. I got to put the new rank onto his uniform. That was very neat. I wish that I had been able to get his hat back on a little better though.

Once leave started, we headed to Poulsbo to The Green Cat Guest House. What a beautiful place. I can't say enough good things about the property and Ken, one of the owners. We absolutely loved it there. I would have loved to stay there longer, and see more of Poulsbo. Hopefully some day we can go back.

I still have internet, and I still have coffee... but my other blessing is awake and ready for some attention. More later...

Rant Over! Time to Catch Up...

2009-03-28T12:12:00.002-05:00

The only thing Irish about this boy is his hometown's school mascot. But Happy St. Patty's day anyway! At five months, he now loves to sleep on his tummy- more precisely, he loves to sleep on his face. He's getting much more steady when he's sitting up. And he loves books, music and listening to people talking.

Scum Sucking Bottom Feeders.

2009-03-28T10:42:00.003-05:00

Well, my intention was for my next blog post to be about my trip to Seattle. But we interrupt that fantastically happy post with a rant about your friend and mine, the cable company.

I hate them. $^%!$*& Charter. Did you know that JD Power ranked customer support across ALL companies, and all three major cable companies fell into the top ten WORST? More evil than lawyers, more evil than insurance companies. Their customer (dis)service? If they were Aetna employees, they'd be fired before the ink was dry on their timecard.

I can't even remember how many times I've called technical support in the last 72 hours. Each time I had unique, but painfully bad, and incorrect service. It turns out that they have a support center in Mexico City. It turns out that English skills are not a priority. After being given incorrect information for the third time, I asked for a supervisor. This supervisor told me that she had the most technical knowledge of anyone at Charter. But there might have been a language barrier. She might have meant to say she was a middle management drone who could read a script more carefully than the people under her.

So, I called the City Cable Coordinator because I was told that's where I would file a complaint. It turns out that internet falls under the jurisdiction of the FCC. So if I don't like it, I've gotta take it to the Feds. Interesting. I had a very nice talk with the Apple Valley Coordinator, a very friendly and chatty man who agreed that it would be more fun to have my internal organs pulled out by rusty hooks than to try to get internet technical support. Another interesting fact? Cable companies DO NOT have any kind of non compete agreement. What they do have, thanks to our friends at the FCC, is a setup where all of their lines are their solo property. So for another cable company to come in, they would have to run all new underground lines side by side with the existing company's. Very expensive, so it really doesn't happen. This practice is not legal for the phone company, so why does the cable company get this deal? Good question.

I was told that either my modem was broken or my lines were bad, both of which absolutely could not be fixed without an onsite technician. I was given an appointment time for a technician to come to my house next Thursday (my internet would be down for a week, so much for working!) Then I was told they set me up with an appointment yesterday, but that turned out to have been a lie (shock). I now have a confirmed, set in stone appointment for today between 2 and 4 pm.

So imagine my surprise when I went into my office this morning and saw my modem was working.

Cable company, heal thyself.

Sunny Sunday Walk

2009-03-15T18:18:00.003-05:00

In Florida, we walked every day. I want to keep up with that habit. So today I loaded Ben into the stroller, and took Missy for a walk. I have to check the distance of the short loop, it's somewhere between 1 and 1.5 miles.

A fun time was had by all.

2009-03-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

We had a very uneventful flight home from Ft Myers yesterday. The weather was predicted to be all sorts of nasty in Minnesota, but when we arrived it was above freezing and misting. So there was time for my parents to get home and for me to pick up Missy before the winter storm arrived.

While we were in Florida, we went to outlet malls and thrift stores, a preseason Twins game (they won!) went to see the manatees, went to a flea market, went to Walmart too many times (push the blue button to get your receipt), went to cousin Patty's, went to Rib City and Skip One and Vincenzo's and Icabods, went on a lot of walks, fixed things, did sudoku puzzles, swam in the pool, read, and took naps. The trip was splendid and exactly what I needed.

Benjamin now rolls front to back and back to front at will, and has decided that sleeping on his side or tummy is the way to go. He also started figuring out his pre-crawling skills. He spent a lot of time with Grandma & Grandpa, and loved to touch the little waterfall in the pool, just like Grandpa.

Now I need to upload photos to get them printed, and think about putting some food in my refrigerator!

Just Hangin' Around Florida

2009-03-04T09:03:00.002-06:00

We had been searching thrift stores for a Johnny Jump Up, and yesterday at a children's consignment shop, we found two! It's a good place for Ben to sit and play, and it will fit in my suitcase for the trip home.

Ahhh....

2009-02-27T12:01:00.003-06:00

After an extra-long time in the airplane yesterday evening, waking up in Florida this morning certainly was nice!

February...

2009-02-26T08:42:00.004-06:00

This last week (actually, the last month) has just flown by in a blur. So I just need to take a bit, catch my breath, and write down the things that have happened so that I don't forget.

Dave came home from Georgia on Feb 1. He finished WO school and earned distinguished honor grad. He went back to work for two weeks, and then got ready to deploy. He left yesterday for Ft. Lewis in Washington. He'll be heading back to Iraq in a few weeks.

I've been working overtime, and scrapbooking when I get the chance. Had a lot of ups and downs this month.

Ben has been growing and constantly changing. Now that his first two teeth are in, he's back to his giggly, happy self. He loves being fed rice cereal and veggies. Sweet potatoes got rave reviews, but green beans gave him an all-over body shudder. (he kept eating them, though). He rolls over both directions regularly, and would rather stand (with help of course) than sit. He acts like he wants to learn to run any day now. I am constantly amazed by him.

Today, Ben and I are leaving for Ft Myers, Florida with my Mom & Dad, to go and spend some time with Aunt Sandy. Well, if the weather here cooperates, anyway. They're forcasting a winter storm to start any time now, and our flight is scheduled to leave in five hours.

Before Dave left, Minda took a few pictures of us. Here are a few favorites.

Watch Me Grow

2009-02-17T17:47:00.002-06:00

10/14/2008
Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz
Length: 20 1/2 in
10/17/2008
Weight: 7 lbs 4 oz
Length: 20 1/2 in
10/23/2008
Weight: 7 lbs 11 oz
Length: 20 1/2 in
12/16/2008
Weight: 10 lbs 11 oz
Length: 22 3/4 in
2/17/2009
Weight: 12 lbs 8 oz
Length: 25 in

In my brain I always substitute "the pediatrician" with "the vet". Whoops. I've just been a pet owner much, much longer! Anyway, Ben's vet wants to see him gain a little more weight, but I don't know what to do, the kid just exercises too much!

Maybe table scraps?

Welcome Baby Klara Therese

2009-02-14T20:06:00.004-06:00

Kevin, Carrie, Julia and Eva welcomed baby Klara into their family yesterday morning. She is a beautiful girl! Ben needs to wait a few months for her to catch up and then he'll have a fantastic playmate.

Four Months Old

2009-02-14T10:23:00.001-06:00

No Way!

2009-02-06T20:44:00.003-06:00

Ben's been drooling and chewing more than usual. Then, about a week ago, we noticed that a spot in his gumline was a little swollen. And he's been a smidge crankier, but not bad. Last night, I realized I could see it, and today, it's broken through. But it turns out it's really hard to catch a photo of that first little tooth.

Big Day!

2009-01-27T17:27:00.002-06:00

So Much to Say, So Little... Sleep

2009-01-15T10:27:00.003-06:00

Ben got a wee bit overstimulated yesterday, and I paid for it last night. He has discovered a new thing: Anger. Hey, at least he learned to laugh first, right?
Anyway, I wanted to update the ol' blog and I thought I had plenty to say, but now that I'm here, I'm not feeling too eloquent.

So here's Ben! Minda took a whole mess of 3-month pictures of him yesterday. I think he's thinking, "Hello baby, did somebody put you on your tummy too? Mean lady."

See what I mean? Blech. I need more sleep...

Four Generations

2009-01-01T21:28:00.005-06:00

We had our last Christmas celebration of the season by going to my aunt & uncle's farm. My grandpa didn't feel like going out, so my Mom, Brother, Ben & I went to go visit him. He'll be 91 next month. And, just as a bonus, I got a good picture of my brother and I.

First Laugh

2008-12-31T08:17:00.002-06:00

Ben & I went to Minda's to scrapbook last night, and we each worked on a layout. Benjamin worked on a new skill:

C'mere

2008-12-27T08:40:00.001-06:00

I'm making you something for Christmas...

Child of God

2008-12-21T20:45:00.005-06:00

We had Benjamin's Baptism this morning. He was a trooper. Now comes the fun of sorting through all of the beautiful photos that were taken...

So glad that Dave's flight finally made it last night!

Watch Me Grow

2008-12-17T07:41:00.003-06:00

Two Months Old

2008-12-14T21:38:00.005-06:00

My eyes are brown. Dave's eyes are brown. So, based on dominant vs. recessive genes, our babe's eyes are...
Becoming more blue every day.
I think he looks a little like his half-brother (who has brown eyes) and a little bit like my brother, Pete (brown eyes). Where did this kid come from, anyway? I have no idea. It's really too bad that he's not mine because I'm crazy in love with him.

Finally...Caught on Film

2008-12-13T10:29:00.003-06:00

He's been rewarding everybody with big smiles for a few weeks now, but would quickly stop once a camera appeared. This morning, dressed in his first pair of denim overalls, he was nothing but grins!

Back to Work!

2008-12-09T06:34:00.003-06:00

After 9 weeks off, today I'm back to work... 10 hour days, 3 days a week this month. I started this morning by calling the helpdesk and having them help me reset my password so I could log on... Even if I could remember what it was, it would have expired by now, anyway! I have 600 emails in my inbox... 10 weeks of policy updates to read... Better get my coffee and get busy!

Oh!! I went downstairs to get some coffee, and I saw that not only had someone from the Rosemount Armory stopped and shoveled the driveway, he was across the street helping the neighbor finish his. God bless him!

Ben's First Roadtrip!

2008-11-29T17:57:00.003-06:00

My parents, Benjamin and I left on Friday (11/21) afternoon. We drove about 5 hours the first night, and stopped in Portage, WI. Ben did well, only getting fussy in the evening when we were all ready to quit for the night anyway.

Saturday morning, after a stop at Cracker Barrel for pancakes, we got on the road again. We drove south through the length of Illinois, and stopped our second night in Paducah, KY. The highlight of my day was a stop at Bob Evans for supper. No, I take that back. The highlight was the big grins that my boy started giving me on a regular basis.

Sunday morning we left Kentucky and headed through Tennessee, and into Georgia. We were passing through Nashville just in time to get briefly caught in the traffic from the Titans football game. Finally, about 1200 miles later, we arrived in Augusta and met Dave at the motel where my parents were staying. After they were settled in, and we were all fed, we went to Dave's apartment, where Ben and I stayed.

Monday morning, Ben and I went to Fort Gordon with Dave, so that I could get a new ID card. Once that was done, I went back to my parent's motel room. Our big adventures on Monday included a trip to WalMart, and then TV and naps for everybody. But it felt good to not have to drive.

Tuesday, while Dave was in class, we decided to go to the Waffle House for pecan waffles, and then we thought we'd go and walk along the Riverwalk. Do you think I could find a website that gave driving directions to get to the Riverwalk area? Nope. So, armed with a general idea of where we needed to go, and the map from the phone book, we headed out. After a few wrong turns and unplanned trips to South Carolina, we made it to the Riverwalk. It was a little windy and chilly, so I made sure that Ben was as snug in the front pack as I could. We walked 1.8 miles, and also walked through the cemetery at St Paul's church. After that, we realized we were fairly close to the farmer's market, so we decided to find it and see about buying pecans. Well, it was not in South Carolina, no matter how many times we went there by mistake, so eventually we got turned around and on the right road, and found the market. Between my mom and I, we bought about 30 lbs of shelled and unshelled pecans. (Mmmm... I can hardly wait to start Christmas baking now!) We also checked out a few thrift stores in the area before heading back to the motel for... tv and naps.

Wednesday, my parents packed up at the motel, and I packed up at the apartment, and we headed to Fort Gordon so that Dave could show off Ben, and then have lunch together in the mess hall. It turned out that they were serving Thanksgiving dinner, and it was very good. But, no naps for any of us after our turkey, because Dave went back to class, and we drove the four hours to North Myrtle Beach, SC. Dave had found us a deal on a 3-bedroom condo, right on the beach. We relaxed and rested, and Dave was able to join us several hours later.

Thanksgiving Thursday! Even though there are Waffle Houses on every block in Augusta, we looked and couldn't find one. So we went to another pancake house, and had a lovely breakfast. We bundled Benjamin into the front pack, and took a three mile walk along the beach. We ate a quick but yummy supper, and then went to The Alabama Theater to see their Christmas show. It was really fun, the singers and dancers were very talented. Ben liked the lights and did really well through the show.

Friday, we headed an hour up the road to Wilmington, NC to see the battleship North Carolina. We spent most of the day there, and then headed back to North Myrtle Beach for ice cream. Then Grandma & Grandpa babysat so that Dave & I could go out for dinner together.

Today we went to Dixie Stampede, and then stopped at Bass Pro Shops on our way back to the condo. And tonight Ben took a nap on Grandma's lap while Dave & I visited the hot tub.

Tomorrow we'll say goodbye to Dave and start our trip home. It's been really fun and of course gone much too fast. When I look at my photos from the trip, it seems to me that I have a picture of the sunrise and a picture of the ship, and about 300 pictures of Benjamin. Oh well, he was one of my favorite things to see every day, anyway.

Greetings from South Carolina!

2008-11-29T09:35:00.006-06:00

In a little while, we're off to go walk around for a while and then go to The Dixie Stampede. I'll write more details about the trip later, but here are a few pictures of that boy...

What's a "Vacation"?

2008-11-20T08:21:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow Ben, my parents and I are leaving to drive down to Georgia to see Dave. We figure it will take two days, give or take, a lot depending on the boy. We'll spend a few days in Augusta while Dave has classes, and then we're heading to Myrtle Beach for a few days. I'm so excited, but have quite a list of things to do before we leave!

Miss-adjusted

2008-11-11T18:44:00.004-06:00

Quite a few people have asked how Missy has been since Benjamin arrived. And she's adjusted well. When she came home from Dave's brother's, she ran upstairs where I was nursing the baby, and she smelled him and licked the top of his head. One other time, she licked his face... but we're working on teaching her to NOT do that. I think she sees him as a part of me.

Rats! No photos...

2008-11-09T21:08:00.004-06:00

This weekend, Benjamin and I were out and about... and the camera was with me, but I didn't take any photos! Bad mommy.

But my brilliant boy... last night, he slept SIX hours, ate, and then slept another FOUR hour stretch before he ate again. We'll see how tonight goes!

Survivor Week 7

2008-11-09T21:00:00.003-06:00

This week, I decided to dig into some of my "vintage" photos, and as soon as I found this one, I knew I had found the perfect photo for the poem I had picked. So this page is dedicated to(and starring) my cousin Laurie!

This week is about Vintage Scrapbooking! Yes. We are following some guidelines that were mainstream when your grandmothers kept scrapbooks.

Your layout instructions for this week:

* create a frame or border. many vintage postcards were created with fanciful decorated borders.
* vintage written sentiments were often poetry. your journaling should be a poem, yours or someone elses.
* alter your page with paint, ink, rubber stamping by using Tim Holtz's November tutorial found HERE.

Survivor Weeks 5 & 6

2008-11-05T19:48:00.003-06:00

Week 5:
* create a layout, of any size
* mat your photos on white cardstock
* your pictures should be arranged like you got them from a photobooth
* they should tell a story
* fall is in the air so use leaves on your layout-fake, real, chipboard or stamped
* paint on your page
* journal in your own handwriting & use numbers

Week 6:
* your title of your layout MUST be the name of a piece of Pink Paislee's paper.
* your picture must be larger than 4x6, no smaller pics.
* take a piece of flowered patterned paper, cut out the flower/flowers and use them on a layout.
* show us your family.

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

2008-11-05T19:28:00.002-06:00

Benjamin is three weeks old already! And I'm sure that someday he and I will sleep longer than three hours at a stretch, right?

At this moment in time, he sleeps around three hours, and then I feed and change him, and he goes back to sleep for another three hours... if I'm lucky. Some nights, like last night, he wakes up after an hour or an hour and a half. Not so much fun. But it's just a matter of time until his tummy grows and he will sleep more, so I'm hanging in there.

What I love most? He's very snuggly. Oh, and the yawn. His yawn is priceless.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T14:37:00.002-05:00

New Kid in Town

2008-10-30T15:39:00.002-05:00

Benjamin's already old news... He has a new cousin, Tayla James, who was born yesterday. She was 6 lbs 14 oz, and she and mom are doing great!

The Story of Benjamin - part three

2008-10-28T18:23:00.002-05:00

So we waited, and waited. Then the nurse came in and said that she was still having trouble getting a good read on my contractions monitor. They checked my progress again, and I was only at 7 centimeters. It had been several hours since I had made any progress. My blood pressure was still very high, and Ben's heart rate was starting to decline. Dawn, the nurse, was very sensitive and cautiously told me that it was time to think about other options. I knew that she meant a c-section and I said, let's do it.

They prepared me for surgery, and gave Minda scrubs so that she could accompany me and take pictures of Ben. A short time later, they took me to the OR. The room was cool and bright. I met the anesthesiologist, and the CRNA. I liked them a lot, I felt very secure with them taking care of me. We talked about the music on the radio, about golf, and about Kim Jong Il. They increased my epidural so that I didn't have any pain.

The thing I hadn't expected from a C-section is how long it took. I mean, I'm very glad that the doctor was not rushing, but it felt to me like it took forever before I heard one gurgling cry... then a pause, again, so very long... and then another gurgling cry, and then I heard the healthy cry of my boy.

They cleaned him up a bit and wrapped him up, and then brought him to me so that I could see him, and touch him with my free hand. He was absolutely amazing. He went back up to my labor & delivery room, and they finished my surgery. Then they took me back to my room, to finally hold my baby.

The Story of Benjamin - part two

2008-10-27T19:14:00.003-05:00

We made our way to Fairview Ridges Hospital, and before long, I was in the labor & delivery room. I met my first shift nurse, Connie, and she got me hooked up to the monitors. Then she took my blood pressure... and it was quite high. She had me lay on my left side, and when she took it again, it was a little better, but still high. Up until this point of the pregnancy, I had never had problems with my blood pressure. So I didn't know exactly what to think about it. When the nurse was out of the room, and I felt another contraction starting, I decided I would be more comfortable sitting up. She came back and explained that I MUST stay on my left side. She dimmed the lights, and before long, started an IV of fluids and a small amount of pitocin. They broke my water, and discovered that there was meconium staining, so that would be something that they would need to watch. (Non medical speak: he pooed in the pool) At that point, I was dilated between 3 and 4 centimeters.

Laboring on my side was miserable. There was nothing that I could do with my body to work through the pain, other than to breathe. So I did my best to work with it mentally as much as I could, and it was so wonderful to have Minda and Raina there, rubbing my back, and constantly encouraging me.

I hadn't wanted to stay in bed, so I hadn't wanted an IV, and I hadn't wanted an epidural for that reason, plus I was concerned that I'd have a reaction to the medication. But I talked to the anesthesiologist, and since things were not going the way I had hoped, I decided I wanted an epidural. Whew! Loved that. I was still stuck on my side, but at least I didn't feel the pain of the contractions. They checked me again sometime around this point, and I was 6 centimeters.

Minda & I hadn't watched Dancing with the Stars from the night before, and Raina had never seen DWTS, so we watched it online on Minda's laptop, while we waited for things to get going. Any time now...

To be continued...

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 4

2008-10-26T12:07:00.001-05:00

Week four is over, and I did get it done... I just didn't post it here!

For this challenge you are to create a layout inspired by a CD or record cover. Your layout must look similar to your inspiration. You must include a pic of your CD cover or record cover AND since Baby Heil was born on the 14th (also my birthday) you also must include a list of 14 things that you like.

The Story of Benjamin - part one

2008-10-26T11:51:00.003-05:00

Ben is napping, it's snowing, for pity's sake, and so after more than a week of intending to write down the birth story, I'm finally getting around to it.

First off, at my appointment on Monday, when I was 40 weeks and 5 days, it was decided that I would be induced on Wednesday, October 15. So with that decision made, I made plans for what I would accomplish on Tuesday, and Dave bought plane tickets for Wednesday morning.

Naturally, Ben had other plans. Tuesday morning, I woke up around 3:00 and was having contractions. I had "practice" contractions for several days, so I didn't think much of it, and eventually dozed off for a little bit. They woke me up again after 5:00, and shortly after, I decided I wanted to get up and move around. I washed the dishes, and then tried to watch a tv show, but I couldn't focus on it. Still, I wasn't completely sure if this was it. Finally around 8:00, I started making phone calls.

Raina and Minda came, and we played Phase 10. I'm quite sure I lost but I don't know who won. About the same time we finished the game, I was ready to go to the hospital.

To be continued...

Yawn!

2008-10-22T12:08:00.004-05:00

I owe several people phone calls, and several others emails... but my baby is napping and my bed is calling me...

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2008-10-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

Introducing Benjamin Gary

2008-10-15T15:26:00.004-05:00

October 14, 10:54 pm
7 lbs, 12 oz, 20 1/2 inches long.

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 3

2008-10-10T19:28:00.003-05:00

This week's challenge is to:
- Use the sketch below
- Use the title "Everyday Life" and layer it
- Use a single month calendar with wings on it
- Use pictures and journaling about that month
- The lower right hand corner of your calendar should say 2008

I read the challenge after it came out yesterday, and I flat out HATED it. There is too much structure, I didn't like the title... yes, pretty much, hate at first sight. I thought, ok, kid, you need to come now because I don't want to do this challenge. And then, I at least came up with an idea using some beautiful pictures I had seen of someone else's family on someone else's blog... And a layout grew from there. Ahem, if you own these pictures, and you notice one tiny tiny piece of revisionist history, please don't bust me...

And so I present...

Get Out....

2008-10-08T20:23:00.002-05:00

I'm ready for this baby now. Missy & I went for a mile and a half walk this morning, and since then, I'm feeling pretty achy. But so far, no hints as to when he's coming...

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 2

2008-10-02T20:50:00.002-05:00

This week's challenge is to:

* use the word Journey on your layout
* use a chipboard alpha that has been painted and has different sizes
* use NAKED chipboard embellishments
* your layout must contain some pink

I decided I wanted to use an old (old old) photo that I hadn't used before. This was taken in Norway and I believe given to my grandmother when she visited 30ish years ago. The only clue to her exact identity was written on the back: "Marg og ku" (Marg and cow)

We Made It!

2008-10-01T09:21:00.002-05:00

October 1st... that was my goal. I wanted to be able to work today. From here, whatever. You see, on the 1st of the month, I earn 18 1/2 hours of vacation time, as long as I'm not out on leave. With that secured, I can now relax... although I am still hoping that he decides to arrive late in the day on the 8th or the 9th.

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 1

2008-09-27T08:28:00.002-05:00

Just because I'm crazy, I signed up to play a game on TallyScrapper that lasts the duration of the Survivor TV show. We'll see how it goes! Really, creating one page per week is not really that much of a committment... yes, I'm saying that now...

Anyway, this week's challenge had all kinds of funky requirements:
* must be 12x12
* must have a stitched edge
* must have a paper pieced tree
* include an owl, bird, hedgehog or deer
* have 2 photocorners
* journal on a cloud
* 3 photos
* and title it Life Is Beautiful

But is it contagious?

2008-09-21T20:50:00.004-05:00

I've come down with a severe case of PREGNANT. Luckily, there's a complete cure.... but the side effects last a lifetime.

Whine, whine, whine! I'm big and my head aches and the braxton-hicks are kicking my butt...

Minnesota Renaissance Festival

2008-09-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

I wasn't sure if I would make it this year, but I did go to the Renaissance Festival today with Dave's older brother and his family. We got there about 9:30, in an effort to beat some of the heat (80 degrees today!) and the crowds. That was smart. Since the last few weekends the weather has been crummy, it's like all of Minnesota came out today to enjoy a last taste of summer before cold sets in. By 1:00, it was packed, so we wrapped it up and left around 2:00. While we were there, we enjoyed the performers, the food, and a few of the shops. For years I've wanted to get a Christmas ornament from the glass blowers; this year I finally did.

And now, bed!

An Eclipse?

2008-09-19T09:37:00.002-05:00

This was actually last week, I was taking a few quick pictures of some scrap layouts... I knew I didn't have the right lighting to get a good photo, but these were going in the mail so I thought, what the heck. First photo, forgot to turn the flash off. Second shot, flash off, arms tucked close to the body to hold the camera still, don't bother checking the viewfinder to see I've got more belly than page...

Copying Minda...

2008-09-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

What Lisa Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.

You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.

You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I Bought a Boat

2008-09-14T15:00:00.002-05:00

I was looking at Craig's List, and I saw this boat and it was too cute and too cheap to pass up! The only trouble is that it was in South Minneapolis (very close to Nancy's, actually) and it took a little bit of navigating to get around the construction.... Getting home was easy though, once I figured out what streets are still open.

It's solid wood, and needs a little TLC of sanding and touch-up paint. Right now it's in my living room, because it's too heavy for me to get it anywhere else :)

More PTA than SLA, but...

2008-09-08T15:37:00.003-05:00

Five Weeks, so they say...

2008-09-03T15:46:00.002-05:00

My due date is in five weeks. Things are going well, I'm feeling pretty good except for the typical aches and pains. He squirms around a lot and to my mind has very bony hips and knees. I have an appointment next Monday, and from that point on, it all remains to be seen. I'm hoping to be able to work until October 2, and then take time off after that. Will he cooperate?

Who's a Pretty Bird?

2008-08-27T07:57:00.002-05:00

My brother's cockatiel, Phreddie, doesn't have self-esteem problems.

High Hopes

2008-08-24T12:44:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a fun day. I woke up with an urge to get out and do something. It was a perfect day for it. So I went to Scott & Minda's, where we went for a walk together, and then after Scott left for work, we went to Centennial Lakes and walked around and took photos. So fun. In the evening, I took a bubble bath and relaxed.

Today I had high hopes that I would be able to get a number of things accomplished around the house. So far, I washed the dishes, but now I'm in bed with an ice pack on my back. So, pooh. I'm hoping a nap will help both my back and my outlook.

It's Baby Season...

2008-08-22T19:53:00.003-05:00

Here they all come...

Jenny, someone I've worked with since I started at Aetna 12 years ago, welcomed baby Danielle this morning... J, my telework buddy, and his wife, Renee, will welcome baby #3 by C-section next Wednesday... Stacy & Chris have about three weeks more to go until little Cody is expected...

Theoretically, it's my turn after that... in about six weeks... and then Chris & Jamie's baby girl around three weeks after that.

Why, why am I not making baby congrats cards right now?

As Promised

2008-08-12T16:19:00.001-05:00

Photos from the shower, courtesy of Minda!

Baby Shower!

2008-08-10T07:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Minda & Carrie threw a baby shower for us at Origami in Minnetonka. It was really fun. Of course I liked the food. I think almost everybody else found something they liked too. We had a good time, a delicious dessert, and we received many wonderful, thoughtful gifts.

But ONE gift did actually steal my heart. Tami made it and sent it from New Hampshire. I absolutely love everything about it and I know the baby will too. Isn't it awesome?

More pictures to come...

Tawny Scrawny Lion Soup

2008-08-07T18:23:00.004-05:00

Remember this book? The lion learns that he can be happy, sleek and fat by eating carrot soup. Tonight, for supper, in a successful attempt to avoid the grocery store, I made carrot & zucchini soup. Why carrots & zucchini? Because that's what I had. I've had carrot soup before and it was a nice pretty color. Mixing in the zucchini, the color isn't quite as attractive, but it turned out really quite yummy. I did have one near accident with the blender and boiling hot soup... an immersion blender is definitely on my wish list. Here's how it went:

Carrots, Zucchini, & 1 small Onion, finely chopped to make about 6 cups total.
4 C water or chicken stock
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter, just for fun
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme

In a large soup pot, bring above to a boil, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes.
Let cool slightly, and then puree in a blender. (Make very sure the lid is on securely. Really.)

When serving, I stirred in a tablespoon of sour cream, and then used salt & pepper to taste.

Makes 6-8 cups of soup.

I've had something similar as a summer soup that was served cool. But today I have a cold and a little fever so I wanted nice warm comfort food.

Every Girl Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed Man

2008-08-05T08:22:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I received two big bags of hand-me-down baby clothes, all sized 3-6 months or less. So last night I washed and sorted clothes, and I carefully sorted out things that I didn't really like, things that were unisex but looked a little girly, or things that were stained and stretched. This kid has plenty of itty bitty clothes, trust me. Think I'm kidding, or misunderstand how many outfits a child can wear in a day? Here's an example: This child has more than 35 "day" outfits (sized 3-6 months or less). Seriously. Stop the madness.

I was happy to find this in the bag:

Especially for Dave and Keitaro!

Lawzy, we got to have a doctor!

2008-08-03T19:01:00.004-05:00

I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.
--Prissy, Gone With the Wind

Well, that's not completely true, since I went to childbirth preparation classes this weekend. I learned a lot of good information, and a lot of things that I have to think more about. Today we were practicing our swaddling and diapering skills on dolls. I picked an asian-featured one who turned out to be a girl. Sigh... I can dream, can't I?

After a crazy, busy week, Dave loaded up his truck and a U-Haul trailer and left for Georgia on Friday afternoon. He arrived in Augusta this afternoon. His next time home will be to see the baby...

Shiny!

2008-07-28T16:22:00.003-05:00

Dave got home Friday night, and Saturday morning we got right to work looking for a new vehicle. We found a 2003 Ford Explorer and I love it...

Prayers - Keep 'Em Coming

2008-07-25T06:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning, Stacy's husband was in a motorcycle accident. She sent out this message last night:

Be in prayer for Chris. He was in a motorcycle accident this morning. Wasn't wearing his helmet so he's banged up really bad. Took the doc almost 2 hours to get his face stitched up. His right leg is broken. They'll have to do surgery in the next day or so. He'll be in the hospital for a few more days and then he'll have a long road ahead for recovery with his leg. Doc is saying about 8 weeks before he'll be able to use it properly with full recovery estimated at 6 months. My prayer is that they'll do another scan and be amazed at how well his leg is healing and they won't have to do surgery at all.

Thanks to everybody who already has been praying for Chris & Stacy.

Hospital Tour

2008-07-22T12:27:00.004-05:00

Last night Fairview Ridges had an information session and tour. The tour and the speakers were interesting, and it was also interesting to see other pregnant ladies. I think most of them were due in August & September, and my October belly looked pretty small in comparison. Anyway, the nurses that I met were all very nice and informative. Then we went on the tour. Everything was nice, both the labor & delivery rooms and the postpartum rooms. But, the rooms are small. And that brought into very real terms the issue of visitors. There are just two chairs and the bed, and I think any more than 4 people would be really claustrophobic. So I'm going to have to think about how to discourage visitors without hurting feelings...

Another Sunday

2008-07-20T11:10:00.002-05:00

The week hasn't exactly flown by, but here it is, Sunday again. Last Sunday I had a bit of a meltdown, but all in all now, a week later, things are looking better. I mean, the things at the root of the meltdown are better, and that's good because this week has it's own collection of meltdown-inducing challenges. Ha.

I let myself get a little dehydrated this week, and that wasn't so good. I'm still feeling lethargic and am struggling to drink enough water. Not sure what's up with that.

My van became ill this week, and I took it in and found out the transmission needs to be replaced. I'm waiting to get a few more estimates before we make a decision on that.

And then there's a family situation that I'm trying to work through...

Nearly Neighbors

2008-07-13T13:31:00.004-05:00

I'm so glad that my Aunt Sandy is back in the Twin Cities again. (for half of the year, anyway!) My cousin and I have been trying to get together for a couple of months now, and we finally found a date that not only worked for us, but also worked for Sandy. So we met for lunch at Jake's in Eagan. I had a fantastic time and I'm hoping that we can make a habit of it.

Preferred by 4 out of 5 Polar Bears

2008-07-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

Here's another marketing idea that kinda went off in a wrong direction. Now with more baby seals!

Minnesota Military Appreciation Fund

2008-07-11T08:35:00.002-05:00

Do you know about the Minnesota Military Appreciation Fund?

After the Storm

2008-07-11T08:31:00.004-05:00

Two things... The neighbor that has this swingset also runs a daycare. How sturdy was this thing to begin with? And last night, while the parents surveyed the yard, their kids were playing on the thing. I think I'll pass on checking into them as a daycare option...

Camera-Shy

2008-07-06T20:24:00.003-05:00

This weekend was filled with some fantastic times, and so many opportunities to take great photos. And most of the time my camera was... in my bag. Friday, Saturday, Sunday... I was satisfied to let others take the pictures. Or in the case of going out for dinner, we had no pictures. (Hello, camera phones take mediocre pictures, but they're better than nothing!) I think when I am around other people with cameras, I become passive. I think, I'll just get a copy of their pictures, and that's either good enough, or often times better than what I'd take.

But then I think about last fall in New England, and all of the pictures that were taken during that trip. At the same time, at the same event, we all had different points of view, and different "voices". That's something I need to remember-- to let my voice be heard... and to pull out my camera and unabashedly take those photos!

Now... who wants to email me some photos from this weekend?

Chuck a Duck? (aka WHY can't I remember I have a camera phone??)

2008-07-01T21:24:00.004-05:00

No takers on the chuck a duck reference? Nobody? Or is that why the ASPCA truck is sitting outside my house, doing surveillance? (kidding...)

Well, here's the story anyway. So suffer.

Yesterday, I was leaving the parking lot of the library/county offices, and as I was about to pull out into the street, a mama duck and a half a dozen tiny fuzzy ducklings crossed the driveway in front of me.

awww....just picture them, a la "Make Way for Ducklings"...

The mama duck jumped up over the curb and onto the grass. The very tall curb. The baby ducks, presented with what was essentially a concrete wall twice their height, milled around the gutter trying to figure out where the heck their mama went.

I think, although I do naturally have a soft spot for animals, that it's these darn pregnancy hormones that caused me to be completely compelled by these ducks. All of the babies were clear of my path. But I couldn't drive off without seeing for myself that each one had made it up onto the grass. Luckily, nobody was behind me, as I sat in the driveway (like a crazy person) and watched them struggle to figure it out. Finally, one brave duckling managed to jump/flap/scramble his way up the curb. And that gave the others hope... so one by one, the others figured it out...
You know already, don't you? One of 'em couldn't make it. Poor little thing was hopping and flapping and crashing back down that inch and a half, and panting and looking pathetic, all the while peeping and making pathetic noises, while the Mama meanwhile is quacking away... She turned back to see where her straggler is, and naturally, all the other babies start making like they're going to jump down and back into the driveway.

I had no choice. Again, hormone-compelled, I put my car into park and got out... I carefully approached the duckling, scooped him up and tossed him (he landed face first, I regretted that) into the grass. He got up and joined the family, as I ran back to my car... finally another car was behind me, probably wondering what kind of nutjob I was.

The pregnant kind, sir. The pregnant kind.

Nursery Tree

2008-07-01T09:24:00.002-05:00

This is how it goes... Yesterday morning, I saw something similar in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. Yesterday afternoon, I made it at Minda's. And last night, I hung it on the wall. Well, I have to take it down, attach the owl a little more permanently, and put some clear coat over the whole thing, but...

Darn cute, isn't it? I had to see it on the wall.

Oh and yesterday, I (gently) tossed a baby duck. Good day.

Just for Tami...

2008-06-28T21:22:00.003-05:00

25 1/2 weeks. Shoot, there was another picture that had more of a profile shot. I might have to track that one down tomorrow.

Doula Doula Doula Doula...

2008-06-28T07:48:00.003-05:00

Up until probably six months ago, I hadn't heard of a doula. My first introduction, oddly enough, was on Gilmore Girls reruns, where Luke's loopy, hippie sister had a doula for her home birth, and decided to name her daughter Doula. Weird. Sounds too granola for me.

And now, I want one.

I'm not going to try to describe what they do, especially when I can just link you over to this cool website.

I talked to one yesterday over the phone, and she told me about classes that I can go to, to meet and interview doulas. She also told me about Operation Special Delivery, which, when I found it on the internet, it brought tears to my eyes.

I don't think I qualify for free doula services, since Dave is at a pre-deployment training, but I contacted them anyway and explained our situation. We'll see what they say. Otherwise, I'll have to start panhandling for spare change.

*************UPDATE!****************

Before I had even finished this post, I had an email response from Operation Special Delivery that we DO qualify for free doula services. Praise the Lord!

I'm Getting Taller.

2008-06-26T11:51:00.003-05:00

I've decided that must be it. Because suddenly, I'm noticing, I can't see my feet as well as I could before. And I spilled something on the floor, bent down to clean it up, and gosh, the floor was further away than it used to be.

(The fact that I can no longer look down and see what color underwear I'm wearing, well, that's a personal problem.)

Or perhaps my nearly 42-inch belly has something to do with it. Just maybe. This week has marked the beginning of the "uncomfortable" stage. It's not too bad at all yet, but I can tell where it's heading. (Wait... not to say that morning sickness was a "comfortable" stage...)

The babe has a distinct preference for kicking my right side. He's particularly active in the evening, and usually snoozes while I'm working.

Just Like a Real Dog

2008-06-24T14:16:00.002-05:00

She's a pretty girl. She likes to be outside... in small doses, and on her terms. And then she wants to go back inside. She doesn't want to be wet, she doesn't want to get dirty. But every once in a while...

she forgets...

and she lays in the grass like a real dog.

What Type of Fruit are You?

2008-06-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

You Are an Orange

You have a zest for life, especially for anything colorful, wild, or dramatic.

You have a unique take on the world, and you're not afraid to be a little funky.

You are a bit reserved toward people who don't know you well.

You have a thick skin, which can protect you from anything that goes wrong in your life.

Once someone does get to know you, they totally get and appreciate you.

Your friends see you as a bright person with a refreshing take on life.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

24 Seconds of Fuzzy Cuteness

2008-06-20T06:53:00.004-05:00

Squirrel Update: Around Memorial Day, Little Guy's instincts kicked in and he realized that my mom was NOT a mama squirrel. But until then, he was awfully fond of the food & attention he received.

He's Off...

2008-06-19T08:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Dave got his orders, and after a whirlwind night of packing, dinner out, and pre-training test taking, I finally was able to fall into restless sleep a little after 1:00... and woke up at 3:50 to get ready to take him to the airport. He flew out on a 6:00 flight to Ft. Rucker, AL.

He'll be home from July 25-31, and then he's off to Ft. Gordon, GA, for more training until the deployment.

It's finally here, and it's a little like getting a bad medical diagnosis... The knowing and going through it is scary and sad and awful, but the waiting and wondering was already painful, so now it can just be faced.

Scrapping's out, Crochet is in.

2008-06-18T16:17:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago, I decided I would make a baby sweater to go with the babe's baptismal gown. So I found a simple pattern, and yarn, and set to work. I thought it would be a handy thing to do last weekend while traveling to and from family reunions. Good plan... one problem... I finished it last Thursday, two days BEFORE traveling. Oh well. (And that was with getting the body 2/3rds done, realizing I had made an error waaaay back at the beginning, unraveling it and starting over.) I still need to get buttons, but I've got a few months. I had no idea how fast it was going to go. Maybe I should take orders?!

The Nest

2008-06-13T07:47:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was hit by the nesting bug. In a few short hours, I moved a queen-sized bed from the room upstairs to the room downstairs (Dave helped, thank you very much!), brought all of the parts of the crib upstairs, put it together, and made the bed. (The last bit was done during commercial breaks in the show we were watching downstairs... can you say manic?)

So the room is really coming together. I have a changing table, and a dresser (I still need to sand and repaint that...)

Oh, and since a few had expressed concern, we have a baby swing. I bought it from the same person who I got the changing table from. (and a bouncer and a baby gym, all for $53...) I took it apart because it was taking up too much space, but it looks like this:

So, we're getting there, and I have spent right around $300 total so far. As I get things, I write down what I have, and if it's borrowed, who it goes back to. My sweet husband worries that I will have bought everything the baby will need, and there will be nothing for family to give as gifts. Sweet, silly boy. He underestimates how much STUFF that babies need.

Well, here's the list so far:

baby gates (2)
baby gym
bath tub
bathing suit 3-6 month
bibs (12 early solids size)
blanket
bouncer seat
breast pump
bumper pad
car seat head support
car seat, infant (2 bases)
changing table
cotton hats (5)
cradle
crib
crib mattress
crib sheets (1)
diaper rash ointment
diaper wipes
diapers (size n=29, size 1=173)
exersaucer
disposable spoons (3)
front carrier
gowns (2)
hooded towel (1)
jacket 0-3 month (1)
jacket 6-9 month (2)
long sleeve onesies & snap tees, 0-3 month (5)
long sleeve onesies & snap tees, 3-6 month (7)
long sleeve onesies & snap tees, 6-9 month (5)
long sleeve onesies & snap tees, 9-12 month (1)
long sleeve onesies & snap tees, 12 month (4)
mobile
nursing bras
nursing support pillow
outlet covers
pacifiers (2, avent)
pack & play (2)
pants & overalls, 0-3 month (4)
pants & overalls, 3-6 month (3)
pants & overalls, 6-9 month (6)
pants & overalls, 12 month (2)
quilt (1)
receiving blankets (5)
robe (1)
rompers, 0-3 month (3)
rompers, 3-6 month (2)
rompers, 6-9 month (3)
rompers, 12 month (1)
short sleeve onesies & snap tees, 0-3 month (13)
short sleeve onesies & snap tees, 3-6 month (12)
short sleeve onesies & snap tees, 6-9 month (6)
side snap undershirts, newborn size (6)
short sleeve onesies & snap tees, 12 month (2)
sleep sack (3)
sleepers 0-3 month (14)
sleepers 3-6 month (7)
sleepers 6-9 month (4)
sleepers 9-12 month (1)
sleepers/pjs 12 month (5)
sleeveless onesie 0-3 month (4)
snowsuit, 0-3 month (1)
snowsuit, 3-6 month (1)
socks m (9)
socks xs (8)
sun hats (2)
sweater 0-3 month (1)
sweaters 3-6 month (4)
swing
two-piece outfits 0-3 month (2)
two-piece outfits 3-6 month (3)
two-piece outfits 6-9 month (7)
warm hat

The Scrapbook Conspiracy

Labor Day Fun

Watching Over Us

Life is Full of Little Surprises

Nihao!

Twins Game

Fourth of July Weekend

Camping Weekend

First Drive-In Movie

What's on the Menu

Monkeys!

Two Weeks, Really?

Shhh....

In Pursuit of Stromboli Perfection

Six Month Status Report

Holy Stromboli

Now He Wants a Motorcycle.

I love this...

Stromboli, take one!

T'aint Funny, McGee....

Bye bye, Charter Internet

Camperdown Elm Tree

Washington Weekend (part 1)

Rant Over! Time to Catch Up...

Scum Sucking Bottom Feeders.

Sunny Sunday Walk

A fun time was had by all.

Just Hangin' Around Florida

Ahhh....

February...

Watch Me Grow

Welcome Baby Klara Therese

Four Months Old

No Way!

Big Day!

So Much to Say, So Little... Sleep

Four Generations

First Laugh

C'mere

Child of God

Watch Me Grow

Two Months Old

Finally...Caught on Film

Back to Work!

Ben's First Roadtrip!

Greetings from South Carolina!

What's a "Vacation"?

Miss-adjusted

Rats! No photos...

Survivor Week 7

Survivor Weeks 5 & 6

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Happy Halloween!

New Kid in Town

The Story of Benjamin - part three

The Story of Benjamin - part two

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 4

The Story of Benjamin - part one

*Yawn!*

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Introducing Benjamin Gary

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 3

Get Out....

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 2

We Made It!

TallyScrapper Survivor Game: Week 1

But is it contagious?

Minnesota Renaissance Festival

An Eclipse?

Copying Minda...

I Bought a Boat

More PTA than SLA, but...

Five Weeks, so they say...

Who's a Pretty Bird?

High Hopes

It's Baby Season...

As Promised

Baby Shower!

Tawny Scrawny Lion Soup

Every Girl Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed Man

Yawn!