Yesterday morning we (myself, Madeleine and the kitty cat) were hanging out in Madeleine's room. One of her favorite activities is chasing the cat (or "tee tat" as she calls her) around her room. The cat is not so thrilled with this activity, but she takes it all in stride. Anyway, she was crawling around after her saying "Hello, Tee Tat!" "Hellooooo Tee Tat!!" over and over. It was really cute :)
THEN, she decided to be really naughty. She crawled over to the night light, touched it, and said "no no!" She knows she's not supposed to touch it and that I'll say "no no!" This doesn't seem to faze her. So she kept touching it, saying "no no!" and looking at me and smiling. I was able to be firm for a few minutes and keep telling her no. But THEN, she decided she was going to touch the space heater. So she was standing precariously between the night light and the space heater, touching both of them and looking back at me and laughing! I tried REALLY hard, but I could not help but laugh - she was so naughty! She knew exactly what she was doing. Of course, my laughing only made things worse. Finally I had to distract her with something else, which is what I should have done in the first place.
I was telling my mom about it on the phone, and she said that I absolutely can't laugh! I told her that was impossible and then she proved that herself today at lunch, when Madeleine was throwing food on the floor and saying "No no!" and laughing. Mom tried really hard not to laugh, but she lost that battle and my naughty little girl can only get worse with this kind of parenting!!
And then the shoes. the 6 - 12 month pedipeds and robeez are just about too small for her, and the 12-18 month size looks like they would fit giant babies. Her feet are SO narrow too, so that doesn't help anything. I am going to try the Target brand that Angela suggested (thanks!), and if that doesn't work, I guess she'll just have to wear her robeez she wears every day until she absolutely grows out of them. I have a feeling she's going to be hard to fit. Her feet are long and narrow, and she is tall and skinny. She's in the weight range for some 3-6 month clothes, but almost in the height range for 18 months. 12 months works pretty well if she has a cloth diaper on. If she has a disposable the pants just fall right off of her. Oh well, it is not that bad of a problem to have!
Speaking of problems though, if you drove by Kohls today and heard alternate crying and laughing spells coming from the dressing room, that was me trying on bathing suits.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Our breakfast
Today I did something that I've never done.. cooked pancakes and let Madeleine eat breakfast in her jammies! It was great, we didn't even finish until 9:30! We are usually out the door by 8am. I actually made Banana Pancakes - milk and egg free - and they were absolutely delicious. We made so many that we called my mom - Grandma - and asked her to come eat with us and she did!
It was a big hit!
Ooh, Mama gave me a whole one?!
Delicious!
I'm ready for number two, Mom!
In case you're interested:
It was a big hit!
Ooh, Mama gave me a whole one?!
Delicious!
I'm ready for number two, Mom!
In case you're interested:Banana Pecan Pancakes (without the pecans)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used some wheat flour in there)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 well mashed ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup soy milk plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar - mix and let sit for a few minutes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (I omitted this)
Mix dry ingredients together. In seperate bowl, mash bananas well and mix with soy milk, vanilla and oil until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix but do not overmix. A few lumps are ok. Fold in pecans, if using.
Cook like regular pancakes and serve with sliced banana and maple syrup. YUM!! This recipe made about 15 small pancakes. This is definitely going to be in the regular rotation of recipes!
The rest of the day was great too. We went shoe shopping again and tried on pedipeds and robeez in the next size up from what she's in now. They were both HUGE on her. I think we're going to have to wait a month or so to buy her shoes, and see if she's walking by then before I make this decision. We went to Starbucks and had lunch there. She took a great nap and I made her some healthy carrot cranberry muffins, which she loved. I made a delicious dinner of meatloaf, baked sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli with garlic, and had it ready when Ken got home - yay! Madeleine absolutely loved dinner. I guess beef is the only meat she likes so far!
Off to watch American Idol! Good night! And try those pancakes tomorrow - they are SO GOOD!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Roadtrip!
This weekend we went down to visit some friends in Louisville. We had such a great time! They are so thoughtful - they bought fresh flowers for our room, and had water, gum and candy in a bowl by our bed. They also put their OWN very nice pillows on our bed - they were seriously the best pillows I've ever slept on :)They took us to a park for a bike ride and Ken and I realized JUST how out of shape we are!! We need to work on that. Then they cooked us a delicious meal of steak, baked potatoes and salad - with some great wine.
The church we went to on Sunday was so beautiful, and the brunch restaurant was delicious too. I only wish we could have stayed longer (and that Madeleine would have slept a little better!)
Thank you so much again for a GREAT weekend!
Today was just fantastic. I got a ton of stuff done around the house, went shopping for shoes for Madeleine, and took 2 great walks on the Monon trail. It was a beautiful day so I kept the windows open all day. I am loving this vacation so far.
Speaking of shoes, does anyone have any favorites for a one year old? I went to Stride Rite and they tried to tell me she needed these "walker" shoes with a huge rubber piece on the toes so she could still crawl. She tried them on and couldn't even stand up in them, they seemed so cumbersome on her. So then the guy (who was like 12 - why wasn't he in school?) said that MAYBE she wasn't ready for those. Um, yeah. She wears Robeez all the time, but she is outgrowing them. She doesn't walk yet, crawls everywhere, but is standing up and cruising, so I know it will be soon. I also had a pair of Pedipeds that she's outgrown. I like those too. I want to get her a pair that she can wear pretty much every day all spring and summer, and she'll probably be learning to walk in these next months. These shoes are so expensive so I want one that will last for a while. Any suggestions?
Friday, April 04, 2008
Last day of work for a week!
I'm so happy that we'll be on vacation next week. I'll get to play "stay at home mom" again. I don't have a lot of plans other than sleeping in, bringing her in bed with me in the morning and then eating breakfast together in our pajamas, instead of rushing to get dressed and out the door. I plan on playing on the floor a lot with her. It's supposed to be in the 60's all week so I'm sure we'll go outside for a walk every day we can. I plan on having delicious and healthy meals on the table when Ken comes home, so we can eat together as a family. I plan on catching up completely with the laundry, doing some deep cleaning, and maybe even tackling a few extra projects. For one thing I have a little sundress all cut out and ready to sew, but I have never made anything like this so I'm scared to try to sew it! But it was pretty inexpensive fabric so it's ok if I mess up. If I do really well, maybe I'll make her another one with some better fabric? Who knows? The sky's the limit :)
Another project I want to tackle is to start cleaning out my craft room. I could probably drop off several huge bags to Goodwill just from that room alone. I also need to go through Madeleine's clothes and see what she needs for spring and summer.
I know a lot of these may sound like boring, mundane chores, but I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to them!!! And I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to spend all this time with Madeleine, just her and I. She is just the most fun kid I've ever met, and I am happy to have this opportunity to slow down and just enjoy her.
Another project I want to tackle is to start cleaning out my craft room. I could probably drop off several huge bags to Goodwill just from that room alone. I also need to go through Madeleine's clothes and see what she needs for spring and summer.
I know a lot of these may sound like boring, mundane chores, but I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to them!!! And I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to spend all this time with Madeleine, just her and I. She is just the most fun kid I've ever met, and I am happy to have this opportunity to slow down and just enjoy her.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Tagged!
By one of my favorite blog moms, Mum2Twelve! (She is studying to be a midwife (right?) and I am SO flying her up here next time I need her services!!)
Rules of the meme:
1. Post these rules of the game first.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the tagger goes to the blogs of those who have been tagged & leaves a comment letting new players know they’ve been tagged. The tagger asks them to find the meme and instructions back at his/her blog.
What I was doing 10 years ago:
10 years ago I was almost done with my first year of college at Ball State University. I was trying to figure out my roommate situation, if I would stay in the dorm for one more year, or if I would get an apartment or house with some friends. I decided to stay in the dorm for one more year, which was a good choice, since I had a BLAST my sophomore year. I was also really upset because I was one credit shy of getting a really good parking pass on campus and realized I still had to park at the stadium for one more semester. (Don't worry though, there are ALWAYS ways around these things.... :)
Five things on my To Do List today:
Oh my life is much different today than it was 10 years ago when I didn't have a care in the world. If you're in college and reading this, ENJOY IT!!!
1. Get up, pack breakfasts, lunches, diapers, get Madeleine ready and get to work by 8am.
2. Get Ava fed, dressed and out the door by 9am (their housekeeper comes today.)
3. Clean the kitchen, sweep and mop the floor.
4. Do at least 2 loads of laundry. Should probably do at least 3.
5. Get the kids up from their naps by 3:10, change diapers, get them in the car and pick up Grace from school. Drop her off at piano at 3:30, run through Starbucks drive through (really there's no point in loading and unloading 2 kids in 1/2 hour), and pick her up at 4:00.
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Three of my bad habits:
1. STARBUCKS
2. Laziness
3. Procrastination
Five places I have lived:
1. Kokomo, INY
2. Anderson, IN
3. Noblesville, IN
4. Thousand Oaks, CA
5. Muncie, IN
(Wow that's a depressing list!)
Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Bagel girl at Chesapeake Bagel Bakery
2. Babysitter for TONS of kids over the years.
3. Lifeguard (that was my favorite)
4. Youth Programs Director at El Centro Hispano
5. Abstinence Educator for inner city kids in Indy
Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
Heather, Lifehopes, Pa Beck, Ma Beck, and All You Who Hope
Rules of the meme:
1. Post these rules of the game first.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the tagger goes to the blogs of those who have been tagged & leaves a comment letting new players know they’ve been tagged. The tagger asks them to find the meme and instructions back at his/her blog.
What I was doing 10 years ago:
10 years ago I was almost done with my first year of college at Ball State University. I was trying to figure out my roommate situation, if I would stay in the dorm for one more year, or if I would get an apartment or house with some friends. I decided to stay in the dorm for one more year, which was a good choice, since I had a BLAST my sophomore year. I was also really upset because I was one credit shy of getting a really good parking pass on campus and realized I still had to park at the stadium for one more semester. (Don't worry though, there are ALWAYS ways around these things.... :)
Five things on my To Do List today:
Oh my life is much different today than it was 10 years ago when I didn't have a care in the world. If you're in college and reading this, ENJOY IT!!!
1. Get up, pack breakfasts, lunches, diapers, get Madeleine ready and get to work by 8am.
2. Get Ava fed, dressed and out the door by 9am (their housekeeper comes today.)
3. Clean the kitchen, sweep and mop the floor.
4. Do at least 2 loads of laundry. Should probably do at least 3.
5. Get the kids up from their naps by 3:10, change diapers, get them in the car and pick up Grace from school. Drop her off at piano at 3:30, run through Starbucks drive through (really there's no point in loading and unloading 2 kids in 1/2 hour), and pick her up at 4:00.
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Be a full time stay at home mom!!!
2. Take a trip, and let Ken pick wherever he wanted to go.
3. Pay off all my family and friends debt.
4. Give a ton of money to the Missionaries of the Cross in Tijuana.
5. Give a ton of money to our church and various other causes we believe in.
Three of my bad habits:
1. STARBUCKS
2. Laziness
3. Procrastination
Five places I have lived:
1. Kokomo, INY
2. Anderson, IN
3. Noblesville, IN
4. Thousand Oaks, CA
5. Muncie, IN
(Wow that's a depressing list!)
Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Bagel girl at Chesapeake Bagel Bakery
2. Babysitter for TONS of kids over the years.
3. Lifeguard (that was my favorite)
4. Youth Programs Director at El Centro Hispano
5. Abstinence Educator for inner city kids in Indy
Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
Heather, Lifehopes, Pa Beck, Ma Beck, and All You Who Hope
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Remembering John Paul the Great
Pope John Paul II was the Pope for my entire life. The Sunday after he died they hung a huge picture of him up by the altar, and it looked like he was waving goodbye. I was so sad. Actually, I cried so hard during mass that my good friend Jenny had to tell me to get ahold of myself! But like the young people said, we were like orphans that night. I feel priviliged to have lived through his papacy, and I will forever remember him and teach my children about him. I got to see him in person 3 times while in Rome in 1995, and his Eucharistic procession is one of my greatest memories. I got within 10 feet of him. Thousands of people gathered around him, but his eyes were fixed on Jesus in the Eucharist the entire time. Lord, help us to follow his example and keep our eyes fixed on You!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Awful awful awful
Yesterday, right when I was getting ready to leave work, I was putting in a Barney DVD for Ava when I heard a huge crash. I looked behind me and Madeleine had pulled herself up on the huge, heavy, metal fireplace screen and it crashed right down on top of her. The poor thing was pinned underneath it. I pulled it off her before she even had a chance to cry, but then she screamed and screamed, and had a huge bump on the side of her head and a big bruise all down the side of her face. I was SO scared. We tried to put ice on it but she wouldn't let us, and just kept screaming. Then she finally calmed down and laid her head on my shoulder, which she never does unless she's really scared. I was able to hold it together until we got home, but as soon as we walked in I started crying. It was just SO scary. I called my friend who is a doctor and he said to just watch for changes in behavior. But she was fine last night - I gave her tylenol and she ate a big dinner and played on the floor like usual. I checked on her several times last night and this morning she still has a big bruise but it looks better than yesterday, and she is acting normal.
I just can't stand when things happen to her and she gets hurt. I want to protect her from everything like that, but I just can't. But Ken says that she will learn that she WILL get hurt sometimes, but she'll get through it. But will I get through it?! I definitely think it was worse for me than for her. I better learn to hold it together though, because I'll have to be there for her when she gets hurt throughout her life - hurt feelings, skinned knees, broken hearts. But I just can't stand to see my baby get hurt.
I just can't stand when things happen to her and she gets hurt. I want to protect her from everything like that, but I just can't. But Ken says that she will learn that she WILL get hurt sometimes, but she'll get through it. But will I get through it?! I definitely think it was worse for me than for her. I better learn to hold it together though, because I'll have to be there for her when she gets hurt throughout her life - hurt feelings, skinned knees, broken hearts. But I just can't stand to see my baby get hurt.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Yogurt! Yogurt!!
Sorry, only my roommates from St. Francis will know what that title means :)
But anyway, Madeleine had yogurt yesterday! And she LOVED it. I have been drinking milk, eating delicious ice cream, etc for 2 weeks and she's had no reaction, so I bought some Yo Baby and fed it to her before mass yesterday afternoon. So far she's had no rash or anything..
And drumroll please.......
SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! And I mean 7:45pm to 7:30am! I could NOT believe it. Of course I kept waking up to check on her, because I was worried about her reaction to the yogurt, and also I kept thinking, "What the heck is going on?!" But she did it! Now I know she CAN do it - let's hope she keeps this up. It was great.
Of course she got up twice after I got home from Sarah's bachelorette party on Saturday night - well Sunday morning :) It was really the first time I've left her at night, except once with my mom when we went to hear Ken's band play, but she threw up all over her crib so I had to come home. This time, I put her to bed at 7:30 and she didn't get up at all, so Ken had an easy night.
And by the way, the party was really fun and it was nice to get out kid free. We went to PF Changs and then a sketchy bar called Nippers. They had karaoke and it was QUITE the place for people watching, let me tell ya!
Next week is spring break and the kids are going to Florida so I get the WHOLE WEEK OFF! I'm so excited :)
But anyway, Madeleine had yogurt yesterday! And she LOVED it. I have been drinking milk, eating delicious ice cream, etc for 2 weeks and she's had no reaction, so I bought some Yo Baby and fed it to her before mass yesterday afternoon. So far she's had no rash or anything..
And drumroll please.......
SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! And I mean 7:45pm to 7:30am! I could NOT believe it. Of course I kept waking up to check on her, because I was worried about her reaction to the yogurt, and also I kept thinking, "What the heck is going on?!" But she did it! Now I know she CAN do it - let's hope she keeps this up. It was great.
Of course she got up twice after I got home from Sarah's bachelorette party on Saturday night - well Sunday morning :) It was really the first time I've left her at night, except once with my mom when we went to hear Ken's band play, but she threw up all over her crib so I had to come home. This time, I put her to bed at 7:30 and she didn't get up at all, so Ken had an easy night.
And by the way, the party was really fun and it was nice to get out kid free. We went to PF Changs and then a sketchy bar called Nippers. They had karaoke and it was QUITE the place for people watching, let me tell ya!
Next week is spring break and the kids are going to Florida so I get the WHOLE WEEK OFF! I'm so excited :)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
My kid needs to grow some hair
If she can brush her hair with a LINTBRUSH! :)
Actually, I finally cut her bangs yesterday! They've been hanging in her eyes for months. She looks SO cute - it made a big difference! And she has such cute little curls in the back.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ok so I missed it by two days
But March 26th was the 8th anniversary of our first date. 8TH!!! Good LORD we're getting old. Of course I had just turned 20 when we met, and he was almost 28. Mom told me she hoped he was the one because each of my previous boyfriends had been getting older and older, and Mom said she didn't think she could go any older than this!
We actually met on New Years Eve '99. So we'd been talking for a few months, when I broke up with my boyfriend and decided to go out on a date with Ken. Was that a good decision or what?!
We went to the Indiana Repertory Theater downtown and saw Shakespeare's Othello. Great play, great date, great first kiss. (Kissing on the first date?! I know! I never did that!) What can I say, he was the one :)
How did I know he was the one? Well, for one thing, I told him on the first date that I wanted 10 kids. And he wasn't TOO scared. At least he didn't show it, and he kept calling me!
A year and a half later, he asked me to marry him. But that's a story for another day.
By the way, I wasn't kidding about the 10 kids! Love you Ken!
We actually met on New Years Eve '99. So we'd been talking for a few months, when I broke up with my boyfriend and decided to go out on a date with Ken. Was that a good decision or what?!
We went to the Indiana Repertory Theater downtown and saw Shakespeare's Othello. Great play, great date, great first kiss. (Kissing on the first date?! I know! I never did that!) What can I say, he was the one :)
How did I know he was the one? Well, for one thing, I told him on the first date that I wanted 10 kids. And he wasn't TOO scared. At least he didn't show it, and he kept calling me!
A year and a half later, he asked me to marry him. But that's a story for another day.
By the way, I wasn't kidding about the 10 kids! Love you Ken!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys?
This is something else I remember from childhood that I snagged from Grandma and Grandpa's house before my cousins could get it! Madeleine LOVED it this evening! I'm going to remember this to bring to our beach trip - it kept her busy for at least 30 minutes!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Easter Message
This is from the CEO at Ken's company. I used to babysit for their kids - and they are some of the sweetest, most helpful and loving kids I've ever met. I'd love to have a family like them someday.
How great is this?!
Easter Message from Bryan
March 22, 2008
This week we observe the Christian Holy week leading us to Easter Sunday and the celebration
of the risen Christ. For me and for my family, this is the most special holiday celebration of the
liturgical year, even more so than Christmas.
Each year Maria and I look for a virtue for Lent to try and get our kids focused on something to
unite them with the suffering of Jesus on the cross. This year we selected Mercy as the virtue.
As has become a sort of tradition with our older children, we watch the Passion of the Christ, and
while there is so much to be taken away from the director’s portrayal of Jesus’ suffering and
death; we were moved especially this year by the scene where Mary comes to Christ on the way
of the cross. While not scriptural based, the writers have Jesus saying to Mary “Look Mother,
how I make all things new”. How ironic that scene appears. Here is Jesus, tortured, coved in
blood, horribly disfigured and yet this was the Plan to make “all things new” again. To fix what
had gone horribly wrong since the first sin.
When we discuss the virtue of mercy with our kids they immediately explain that showing mercy to someone is to forgive them for whatever wrong they have done to you. Perhaps to most mercy and forgiveness are one in the same; yet it seems to me like mercy has to precede forgiveness.
If we do not have a merciful disposition then forgiveness becomes more akin forgetfulness;
meaning we lack the specific intension to release or erase the wrongful act committed against us,
instead we just chose not to dwell on it. Yet it is important to be merciful and to forgive others
even if the transgressor is not sorry for their having harmed us in the first place. Hanging on to
that wrong, even if forgotten for a short while, will eventually be remembered and eat away at us and do us emotional and spiritual harm. It is from these emotions that more sin is perpetuated; for example vengeance; the need to feel as if we are getting even. How many times do you see an NFL player get called for unsportsmanship conduct when he is retaliating against a guy who shoved him? Yet it’s the second guy the referee sees and calls the penalty on. We certainly see this in our children as they try and get even with one another. It drives Maria and me crazy. Why is this lesson so hard for us to figure out?
Why was it that Jesus, the son of God, had to suffer so much in order to redeem us of our
iniquities? I’ve heard and read many differing “scholarly” opinions about the purpose behind the
Passion, but I think it boils down to balance. Think of the scale Lady Justice holds; there was just
so much sin in the world, the only way to balance it out was with the weight of the cross and
Jesus’ supernatural suffering. And what a merciful God we have to take that weight upon Himself to pay that ransom for our eternal lives: to balance the scale.
This abundant mercy lives on in the Church today through the sacrament of reconciliation. We
can balance the scales of our own sin through confession, the act of contrition and penance. It is
the perfection of God plan to recognize that we sin by our own darkened nature and accordingly
we will need a way to make ourselves “new” again. Not that the act of forgiveness makes the sin
stay away. We live under constant attack from evil. We invite it into our homes in the form of
cable TV and the internet. We live with danger from addictive behaviors such as gambling, drugs
and alcohol and sex. Elliot Spitzer’s downfall can attest that all people are subject to temptation
and in our own arrogance we feel we can control the addiction when it is the addiction that
controls us; with ruinous consequences.
The recent debate about race in the presidential campaign is another current event in the news
that shows the need for mercy in order to receive the grace of healing. The media sound bites of
Reverend Wright’s comments about the division of color in America offers an example of why we
need to get past the history of hate in this country. Can anyone honesty deny there have been
terrible offenses against black American’s and many other ethnic minorities in this country? Of
course not, but when we dwell on the hate we become mired in it and unable to move past it
towards a brighter future. Instead the hate consumes us and holds us hostage to a bitter
existence. But once again forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness. We can not forget or
erase the past. The long-standing policy of segregation and discrimination that pervaded this
country for decades must be remembered so that we may never again repeat these offenses.
But with forgiveness comes healing and with healing the ability move forward.
How great is this?!
Easter Message from Bryan
March 22, 2008
This week we observe the Christian Holy week leading us to Easter Sunday and the celebration
of the risen Christ. For me and for my family, this is the most special holiday celebration of the
liturgical year, even more so than Christmas.
Each year Maria and I look for a virtue for Lent to try and get our kids focused on something to
unite them with the suffering of Jesus on the cross. This year we selected Mercy as the virtue.
As has become a sort of tradition with our older children, we watch the Passion of the Christ, and
while there is so much to be taken away from the director’s portrayal of Jesus’ suffering and
death; we were moved especially this year by the scene where Mary comes to Christ on the way
of the cross. While not scriptural based, the writers have Jesus saying to Mary “Look Mother,
how I make all things new”. How ironic that scene appears. Here is Jesus, tortured, coved in
blood, horribly disfigured and yet this was the Plan to make “all things new” again. To fix what
had gone horribly wrong since the first sin.
When we discuss the virtue of mercy with our kids they immediately explain that showing mercy to someone is to forgive them for whatever wrong they have done to you. Perhaps to most mercy and forgiveness are one in the same; yet it seems to me like mercy has to precede forgiveness.
If we do not have a merciful disposition then forgiveness becomes more akin forgetfulness;
meaning we lack the specific intension to release or erase the wrongful act committed against us,
instead we just chose not to dwell on it. Yet it is important to be merciful and to forgive others
even if the transgressor is not sorry for their having harmed us in the first place. Hanging on to
that wrong, even if forgotten for a short while, will eventually be remembered and eat away at us and do us emotional and spiritual harm. It is from these emotions that more sin is perpetuated; for example vengeance; the need to feel as if we are getting even. How many times do you see an NFL player get called for unsportsmanship conduct when he is retaliating against a guy who shoved him? Yet it’s the second guy the referee sees and calls the penalty on. We certainly see this in our children as they try and get even with one another. It drives Maria and me crazy. Why is this lesson so hard for us to figure out?
Why was it that Jesus, the son of God, had to suffer so much in order to redeem us of our
iniquities? I’ve heard and read many differing “scholarly” opinions about the purpose behind the
Passion, but I think it boils down to balance. Think of the scale Lady Justice holds; there was just
so much sin in the world, the only way to balance it out was with the weight of the cross and
Jesus’ supernatural suffering. And what a merciful God we have to take that weight upon Himself to pay that ransom for our eternal lives: to balance the scale.
This abundant mercy lives on in the Church today through the sacrament of reconciliation. We
can balance the scales of our own sin through confession, the act of contrition and penance. It is
the perfection of God plan to recognize that we sin by our own darkened nature and accordingly
we will need a way to make ourselves “new” again. Not that the act of forgiveness makes the sin
stay away. We live under constant attack from evil. We invite it into our homes in the form of
cable TV and the internet. We live with danger from addictive behaviors such as gambling, drugs
and alcohol and sex. Elliot Spitzer’s downfall can attest that all people are subject to temptation
and in our own arrogance we feel we can control the addiction when it is the addiction that
controls us; with ruinous consequences.
The recent debate about race in the presidential campaign is another current event in the news
that shows the need for mercy in order to receive the grace of healing. The media sound bites of
Reverend Wright’s comments about the division of color in America offers an example of why we
need to get past the history of hate in this country. Can anyone honesty deny there have been
terrible offenses against black American’s and many other ethnic minorities in this country? Of
course not, but when we dwell on the hate we become mired in it and unable to move past it
towards a brighter future. Instead the hate consumes us and holds us hostage to a bitter
existence. But once again forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness. We can not forget or
erase the past. The long-standing policy of segregation and discrimination that pervaded this
country for decades must be remembered so that we may never again repeat these offenses.
But with forgiveness comes healing and with healing the ability move forward.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Store up your treasures in heaven
This weekend, my parents moved my grandparents from an assisted living home into a nursing home. Grandma is 88 and Grandpa is 90, and they can't take care of themselves anymore.
About 5 years ago, they moved from their house into assisted living. At that time, the family went through their house and took some special things that they couldn't take with them. It was kind of weird, looking through their things and deciding what we wanted, especially while they were sitting right there. And although Grandma was sad to move, she was happy that her special possessions were staying in the family. I got her set of good china, her silver, and some "milk" glasses that were her grandmother's. I also got her huge collection of cookbooks, which I use quite frequently. She told me that she had collected them over the years, and would spend nights poring through them, searching for new recipes to try. Some of them were her mother's. Grandma was an exceptional cook, and her very favorite day of the year was Christmas Eve. That day, she would have the entire family over, cook an amazing Christmas dinner, and spoil us with presents.
When they moved into assisted living, somehow we knew it would never be the same. They went downhill very quickly after that. Dad and my uncle decided that they would have to take their car away. We never had another Christmas Eve at Grandma's house - it was always at someone else's house. Grandma started losing her memory, and Grandpa's sight and hearing got worse and worse.
In the past several months, it became clear to everyone that they could not live there and take care of themselves anymore. Grandpa is very depressed, laying in bed all day. Grandma has absolutely no short term memory, for example, she thinks she has just taken a shower when in fact it's been several weeks. They tried to send nurses and people to help them, but they refused the help.
So on Good Friday, my mom, dad, uncle, aunt, and a few cousins went over there to tell them they were moving, and move them the same day. Grandma asked over and over where they were moving, why they were moving, what did they do wrong. Mom kept telling her that they did nothing wrong, but Grandpa needed nurses and they were going to a place that had nurses, and that she needed to go with him to help him. Mom said this conversation went on for over an hour and a half, with Grandma just repeating the same questions and mom repeating the same answers. During this time, some other family members brought their two comfortable chairs and a rug to the new place. When they finally actually drove to the new place, Grandma immediately forgot they had been in the car, and just thought they were in a different room. But everyone made their room as comfortable and homey as possible, hanging their favorite pictures and bringing some of their clothes. They actually seem pretty happy in their new home. They were able to stay together, and Grandma is able to still get her newspaper and coffee, which she loves.
We went to visit them on Saturday. Grandma absolutely loves Madeleine, even though she doesn't remember that I have her between visits. She just kept saying how beautiful she is, how much she loves her dimples and her eyes, and commenting on her cute shoes. I made her laugh and Grandma loved that. We sat on Grandpa's bed, and although he can't see her, he touched her and she said a few words for him (including Papa, which is her word for the Pope, but he doesn't have to know that!) I told him that she has his blue eyes, and about the same amount of hair and the same amount of teeth! He got a huge smile on his face and said, "Aw, now you're just making fun of us!" He loved her and said she was a good baby.
This move and going through their things was much different than before. Grandma had stashed hundreds and hundreds of packages of cookies, crackers, and lollipops away in her dresser drawers. We were sure she was saving them for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, but as soon as she put them someplace, she forgot about them. There were 5 trashbags taken out the first day. One really sad thing was we had to choose their clothes that they will be buried in. Grandma's is a dress that she wore to all our weddings, and Grandpa's is his best suit. We also found pictures of them from just a few years ago. They looked so happy and so much younger. They were even a little "pleasingly plump." Now they are so thin and frail.
On Saturday, I went over to their old place as well, because mom wanted me to choose a few things that I wanted. Earlier in his life, Grandpa had been a very skilled woodworker, and I got a few of his pieces. They are really amazing. I also got a few of Grandma's most favorite "knick knacks" for lack of a better word. Mom found 4 hand embroidered pillowcases that we guessed had been a wedding gift. They were still in the original box and had never been used. The skill level on these are just incredible. They are absolutely beautiful and whoever gave them to Grandpa and Grandma took a very long time to make them.
One thing I remember about them is how they would always play games with us. Every time we spent the night over there we'd run to the game drawer and pull out Old Maid, Crazy 8s, Po Kee No, dominoes, Trouble, or any other number of games. They'd spend the entire evening playing games with us. So I snagged a few of the original games :) All the cousins wanted some of the games, since those were some of our greatest memories. I also got Grandma's most prized piece of furniture, her "secretary" as she called it. It's a wooden hutch which she always displayed her glass things, and it has a fold out desk and 3 drawers on the bottom. Grandma kept all her stamps and letter writing supplies in there, and also her magnifying glasses. My brother and I were fascinated with these things and would go around the house looking at everything "up close" through them. Grandpa would also take us bug hunting in the yard and we'd look at THEM up close as well! (They lived on a farm, and I was a tomboy :) I found the magnifying glasses so I took them as well.
We found around 40 decks of cards, thousands of pictures and letters, programs from all of our weddings, every card that she'd ever been given, tons and tons of clothes (I've never seen so much polyester!), and just more THINGS than I ever thought could fit in a three room apartment. Most of the things were packed away and never used or noticed. Mom told me when she was going through their stuff on the first day, she was thinking that at the end of our lives, we end up with just a few things, the bare necessities. We don't need anything else. Our family ends up going through everything, and while we have a few special things we can take away, we don't need to hold onto material possessions that we think we'll use "someday." Someday might never come.
It made me think that I have so much junk around my house. I am not using so much of it. Maybe someone else could use it. I'm going to get rid of a lot of stuff. I need to simplify my life. I need to give things away.
And, I want to really use the special things. Who cares if something gets broken? It's just a thing. Of course, sometimes things have good memories attached to them. I can remember them and enjoy them more if I actually USE them, instead of just saving them for "special occasions."
We ate our dinner on Grandma's good china tonight.
About 5 years ago, they moved from their house into assisted living. At that time, the family went through their house and took some special things that they couldn't take with them. It was kind of weird, looking through their things and deciding what we wanted, especially while they were sitting right there. And although Grandma was sad to move, she was happy that her special possessions were staying in the family. I got her set of good china, her silver, and some "milk" glasses that were her grandmother's. I also got her huge collection of cookbooks, which I use quite frequently. She told me that she had collected them over the years, and would spend nights poring through them, searching for new recipes to try. Some of them were her mother's. Grandma was an exceptional cook, and her very favorite day of the year was Christmas Eve. That day, she would have the entire family over, cook an amazing Christmas dinner, and spoil us with presents.
When they moved into assisted living, somehow we knew it would never be the same. They went downhill very quickly after that. Dad and my uncle decided that they would have to take their car away. We never had another Christmas Eve at Grandma's house - it was always at someone else's house. Grandma started losing her memory, and Grandpa's sight and hearing got worse and worse.
In the past several months, it became clear to everyone that they could not live there and take care of themselves anymore. Grandpa is very depressed, laying in bed all day. Grandma has absolutely no short term memory, for example, she thinks she has just taken a shower when in fact it's been several weeks. They tried to send nurses and people to help them, but they refused the help.
So on Good Friday, my mom, dad, uncle, aunt, and a few cousins went over there to tell them they were moving, and move them the same day. Grandma asked over and over where they were moving, why they were moving, what did they do wrong. Mom kept telling her that they did nothing wrong, but Grandpa needed nurses and they were going to a place that had nurses, and that she needed to go with him to help him. Mom said this conversation went on for over an hour and a half, with Grandma just repeating the same questions and mom repeating the same answers. During this time, some other family members brought their two comfortable chairs and a rug to the new place. When they finally actually drove to the new place, Grandma immediately forgot they had been in the car, and just thought they were in a different room. But everyone made their room as comfortable and homey as possible, hanging their favorite pictures and bringing some of their clothes. They actually seem pretty happy in their new home. They were able to stay together, and Grandma is able to still get her newspaper and coffee, which she loves.
We went to visit them on Saturday. Grandma absolutely loves Madeleine, even though she doesn't remember that I have her between visits. She just kept saying how beautiful she is, how much she loves her dimples and her eyes, and commenting on her cute shoes. I made her laugh and Grandma loved that. We sat on Grandpa's bed, and although he can't see her, he touched her and she said a few words for him (including Papa, which is her word for the Pope, but he doesn't have to know that!) I told him that she has his blue eyes, and about the same amount of hair and the same amount of teeth! He got a huge smile on his face and said, "Aw, now you're just making fun of us!" He loved her and said she was a good baby.
This move and going through their things was much different than before. Grandma had stashed hundreds and hundreds of packages of cookies, crackers, and lollipops away in her dresser drawers. We were sure she was saving them for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, but as soon as she put them someplace, she forgot about them. There were 5 trashbags taken out the first day. One really sad thing was we had to choose their clothes that they will be buried in. Grandma's is a dress that she wore to all our weddings, and Grandpa's is his best suit. We also found pictures of them from just a few years ago. They looked so happy and so much younger. They were even a little "pleasingly plump." Now they are so thin and frail.
On Saturday, I went over to their old place as well, because mom wanted me to choose a few things that I wanted. Earlier in his life, Grandpa had been a very skilled woodworker, and I got a few of his pieces. They are really amazing. I also got a few of Grandma's most favorite "knick knacks" for lack of a better word. Mom found 4 hand embroidered pillowcases that we guessed had been a wedding gift. They were still in the original box and had never been used. The skill level on these are just incredible. They are absolutely beautiful and whoever gave them to Grandpa and Grandma took a very long time to make them.
One thing I remember about them is how they would always play games with us. Every time we spent the night over there we'd run to the game drawer and pull out Old Maid, Crazy 8s, Po Kee No, dominoes, Trouble, or any other number of games. They'd spend the entire evening playing games with us. So I snagged a few of the original games :) All the cousins wanted some of the games, since those were some of our greatest memories. I also got Grandma's most prized piece of furniture, her "secretary" as she called it. It's a wooden hutch which she always displayed her glass things, and it has a fold out desk and 3 drawers on the bottom. Grandma kept all her stamps and letter writing supplies in there, and also her magnifying glasses. My brother and I were fascinated with these things and would go around the house looking at everything "up close" through them. Grandpa would also take us bug hunting in the yard and we'd look at THEM up close as well! (They lived on a farm, and I was a tomboy :) I found the magnifying glasses so I took them as well.
We found around 40 decks of cards, thousands of pictures and letters, programs from all of our weddings, every card that she'd ever been given, tons and tons of clothes (I've never seen so much polyester!), and just more THINGS than I ever thought could fit in a three room apartment. Most of the things were packed away and never used or noticed. Mom told me when she was going through their stuff on the first day, she was thinking that at the end of our lives, we end up with just a few things, the bare necessities. We don't need anything else. Our family ends up going through everything, and while we have a few special things we can take away, we don't need to hold onto material possessions that we think we'll use "someday." Someday might never come.
It made me think that I have so much junk around my house. I am not using so much of it. Maybe someone else could use it. I'm going to get rid of a lot of stuff. I need to simplify my life. I need to give things away.
And, I want to really use the special things. Who cares if something gets broken? It's just a thing. Of course, sometimes things have good memories attached to them. I can remember them and enjoy them more if I actually USE them, instead of just saving them for "special occasions."
We ate our dinner on Grandma's good china tonight.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!!!
Beautiful Easter dress.
My little flower
I love my baby SO much!!
Godparents Jeff and Donna.
Alleluia!!!
Last Easter was very special to us, as it was her Baptism Day. I can't believe how much she's grown since then. And I can't believe how I love her more and more every single day! I'm just so thankful for her - my greatest blessing.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Good Friday
I had the day off today. It was so great. I was hoping to get to sleep in today, since I've had to wake her up every single day at 7:45 since the time change. But no, today she decided she was going to get up at 7:00! But it was ok. We had a nice relaxing breakfast of bananas and steel cut oats with soy milk, read some books and played on the floor. I did some laundry. Then we ran some errands together - went to the post office, the bank, the grocery store, and to feed my mom's dog. She was a wonderful companion! Then we came home and ate lunch together, and she took a 2 1/2 hour nap! I decided that instead of relaxing, getting on the computer, or watching tv while she slept, for Good Friday I would clean the house until she woke up. I did a lot of jobs that I'd been putting off, and finished up all the laundry in the house. The downstairs at least looks great! (I didn't get to the upstairs yet - except M's room.) Then a good friend called so I ended up talking to her for a while until Madeleine woke up.
Then an old friend from high school called me - she was in town for Easter. We haven't really seen each other since then, since she lives in Florida now. She has a little girl one month older than Madeleine. We ended up meeting at Barnes and Nobles for a little playdate.
I feel kind of bad that I had such a great day on Good Friday :) But these are the kind of days that give me a taste of what it will be like to be a stay at home mom someday. My house is clean and feels peaceful since it's not cluttered. I got lots of good quality time with Madeleine, and some time for myself too. I got to catch up with some friends, and then spend some time with my husband in the evening. Wow, what a life.
Then an old friend from high school called me - she was in town for Easter. We haven't really seen each other since then, since she lives in Florida now. She has a little girl one month older than Madeleine. We ended up meeting at Barnes and Nobles for a little playdate.
I feel kind of bad that I had such a great day on Good Friday :) But these are the kind of days that give me a taste of what it will be like to be a stay at home mom someday. My house is clean and feels peaceful since it's not cluttered. I got lots of good quality time with Madeleine, and some time for myself too. I got to catch up with some friends, and then spend some time with my husband in the evening. Wow, what a life.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Keeping all these things in my heart
Madeleine LOVES Jesus. We have a holy water font just inside our front door that Fr. Dan brought us back from Rome for a wedding gift. It has the holy family and it was even blessed by Pope John Paul the Great. Every single time we come down the stairs, she gets SO excited. She says "JESUS!" and points to Him, then Joseph, then Mary. We also have this Jim Shore angel with the Nativity on our mantel. Ken said I should take it down because it's too "Christmasy." I disagreed, and left it up! Today we were walking by the mantel, and she squealed "JESUS!" and pointed straight to the tiny baby Jesus on the angel. We also have a crucifix and a little fontanini statue of Jesus and she pointed to all of them.
If she's called to be a Sister, I'd be thrilled. If she's called to be a wife, I'd be thrilled. Anything else, I'll be thrilled as long as she always loves Jesus :)
Thank you!
Thanks everyone for all your great suggestions!
Has anyone tried a bathing suit like this or this?
I am worried about her getting a sunburn. And what is everyone's favorite sunscreen? I have some California Baby sunscreen that I bought last fall for 75% off (sorry, I'm not paying $17.95 for 3 ounces of sunscreen, especially when I'll be slathering her every 1/2 hour or so!)
Ideas to get her to keep her sunglasses and hat on? I know mom is getting her some of these. She's not a big fan of hats!
I can't WAIT - she is going to be so cute :)
Has anyone tried a bathing suit like this or this?
I am worried about her getting a sunburn. And what is everyone's favorite sunscreen? I have some California Baby sunscreen that I bought last fall for 75% off (sorry, I'm not paying $17.95 for 3 ounces of sunscreen, especially when I'll be slathering her every 1/2 hour or so!)
Ideas to get her to keep her sunglasses and hat on? I know mom is getting her some of these. She's not a big fan of hats!
I can't WAIT - she is going to be so cute :)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Need Advice
Ok all you experienced moms out there.
We're going to the beach! (not until May, but I have to start preparing now!)
Any advice on travelling with a one year old?
I need advice on:
What to bring, flying with a kid (we've done this a few times but she is mobile now!), going to the beach, keeping her in the shade, sunglasses, swimsuit, what to pack, naps, eating healthy food, etc...
Thanks in advance!!!
We're going to the beach! (not until May, but I have to start preparing now!)
Any advice on travelling with a one year old?
I need advice on:
What to bring, flying with a kid (we've done this a few times but she is mobile now!), going to the beach, keeping her in the shade, sunglasses, swimsuit, what to pack, naps, eating healthy food, etc...
Thanks in advance!!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Well, this is good
I had awesome delicious pizza on Saturday and some wonderful baked potato soup (made with milk) yesterday, and so far NO REACTION! No rash, no fussiness, nothing. I was actually worse off than her :)
Maybe we'll get some yogurt and try it with her. But there's really not a good time for us to plan for her to not feel well. My parents are moving my grandparents into a nursing home this weekend - Friday and Saturday, and of course Sunday is Easter. And Grace has Friday, Monday and Tuesday off school. Maybe we'll have to wait until the weekend after Easter....
Maybe we'll get some yogurt and try it with her. But there's really not a good time for us to plan for her to not feel well. My parents are moving my grandparents into a nursing home this weekend - Friday and Saturday, and of course Sunday is Easter. And Grace has Friday, Monday and Tuesday off school. Maybe we'll have to wait until the weekend after Easter....
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Did you notice my new look?!
It was done for me by Hilary and I just LOVE it!!
Madeleine had her one year old pictures taken today - and they came out great. I can't wait to get them back. She behaved pretty well - she usually doesn't like to get her picture taken :)
I had PIZZA!!! A personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut with sausage and mushrooms. Oh it was heaven. Let's hope she is ok.
The big news of the day is that she FINALLY has her top two teeth! It took over a year to grow those :)
For Kathryn or whoever else might be interested,
Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large celery stalk, diced
One 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Seasonings- I used salt and pepper, and some spicy salt free stuff we had
1/4 cup mayo
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a nonstick baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add onion and saute until translucent. Add carrot and celery, saute until tender (I also added some minced garlic here.)
Combine veggie mixture with other ingredients in food processor. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped, but don't puree.
Drop by heaping 1/4 cupfuls on baking sheet and flatten gently. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after 20.
It said it made 8 servings but I only got 5 out of it and had to cook it a bit longer. And I didn't have a lemon (surprisingly) so I added a little Worcestershire sauce. Delicious!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Madeleine had her one year old pictures taken today - and they came out great. I can't wait to get them back. She behaved pretty well - she usually doesn't like to get her picture taken :)
I had PIZZA!!! A personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut with sausage and mushrooms. Oh it was heaven. Let's hope she is ok.
The big news of the day is that she FINALLY has her top two teeth! It took over a year to grow those :)
For Kathryn or whoever else might be interested,
Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large celery stalk, diced
One 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Seasonings- I used salt and pepper, and some spicy salt free stuff we had
1/4 cup mayo
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a nonstick baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add onion and saute until translucent. Add carrot and celery, saute until tender (I also added some minced garlic here.)
Combine veggie mixture with other ingredients in food processor. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped, but don't puree.
Drop by heaping 1/4 cupfuls on baking sheet and flatten gently. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after 20.
It said it made 8 servings but I only got 5 out of it and had to cook it a bit longer. And I didn't have a lemon (surprisingly) so I added a little Worcestershire sauce. Delicious!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday, March 14, 2008
I Chickened Out
When I remembered she has her pictures tomorrow, I decided to wait to try the pizza. I have a hard enough time trying to get her to take a decent picture when she is feeling well. But don't worry! We had a great meal - I made chickpea burgers (YUM! - have an open mind, people!) and served them open faced on a toasted slice of whole wheat bread with lettuce, mustard and chipotle ketchup. In addition, we had a side of fresh green beans sauteed in olive oil with garlic, onions, and salt and pepper, and a side of fresh canteloupe sprinkled with just a little salt. Not pizza, but it got rave reviews from both the husband and the kid :)
After dinner we took a little walk over to the playground. Luckily she's a little peanut and I can still carry her in her wrap - because she loves it! She had a great time walking, seeing all the dogs and squirrels, and swinging on the swings. Then when we got home she took a nice warm bath (since she smeared sweet potatoes and broccoli in her hair today), and now she is sleeping. Hopefully for a while!! And I've had to wake her up every day this week so maybe she'll let us sleep in tomorrow? Please? Oh well, if not, we can hit the 8am mass and confession. So it's a win win situation :)
Since it's St Patrick's Day tomorrow, we might eat meat and maybe get the Royal Feast pizza from Pizza King - which is my all time favorite!
After dinner we took a little walk over to the playground. Luckily she's a little peanut and I can still carry her in her wrap - because she loves it! She had a great time walking, seeing all the dogs and squirrels, and swinging on the swings. Then when we got home she took a nice warm bath (since she smeared sweet potatoes and broccoli in her hair today), and now she is sleeping. Hopefully for a while!! And I've had to wake her up every day this week so maybe she'll let us sleep in tomorrow? Please? Oh well, if not, we can hit the 8am mass and confession. So it's a win win situation :)
Since it's St Patrick's Day tomorrow, we might eat meat and maybe get the Royal Feast pizza from Pizza King - which is my all time favorite!Excited
And a little nervous.
Since I have not had pizza in almost a year, I'm very excited - especially since I think we're getting the veggie lovers from Pizza Hut. However... I'm nervous to find out of Madeleine is still allergic. I really hope not! And if she is, I really hope she doesn't have a bad reaction. I am probably only going to eat one piece. Not to mention her doctor said I should be careful eating dairy again, since I probably don't have the enzyme needed to digest it anymore (apparently if you don't use it, you lose it!) He said I could have some stomach cramping the first few times. So yes, excited and NERVOUS! Oh gosh I just remembered her one year pictures are supposed to be tomorrow... maybe I should hold off!! Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
One year stats
We went to her one year old well baby visit yesterday. She's doing well, other than the virus she's had - it seems to be at the tail end now. She weighed in at a hefty 17.7 lbs, and has fallen into the 5th percentile for weight. She is also 29.5 inches - 50th to 75th percentile for height.
I was a little shocked when the nurse told me she was in the 5th percentile. But her doctor was not worried at all about it. He said that after 9 months the weight gain levels off, especially if they're moving around a lot. I also told him that she hadn't eaten much for about 3 days. He said that between 9 and 15 months is when they start to see what their body type will be like as they get older. He said he'd rather see a baby in the 5th percentile than the 105th percentile, and that she'll probably just be a thin kid. Well that is good! Then I started thinking about it - I was really skinny up until I got married (Ken's just too good of a cook!) Ken was a skinny kid, my brother was a skinny kid, both my parents were thin as children. (Everyone else still is, except apparently me. See last post.) So she gets it honestly. If the doc is not worried then I am not either.
I asked about her milk allergy. He said that kids are really good at outgrowing that. So he suggested that I try something with dairy and see how she reacts. I am so excited! What will I have after all these months? Pizza? A bowl of ice cream? Lasagna? A perfectly toasted everything bagel with cream cheese? Ooh I'm getting excited just thinking about it! So I am going to do that when I'm sure she's totally over this virus (which he said was probably Roseola since she had a rash yesterday - you were right Brenda!) Maybe this weekend? Ken is hoping for pizza - he hasn't had any either! Anyway, if she does ok when I have dairy, he said to try a little yogurt with her, and if she's ok with that, she can have cheese. So pray for her - I'd love it if she had outgrown this and I didn't have to worry so much about what everyone eats!
What else? He said we should keep the carseat facing backwards as long as we could, and we could even keep her in the infant seat as long as she is in the range and her head is one inch below the top. She's getting a little heavy to carry around in that thing though - I think I'm going to switch her within the next few weeks - hopefully we're out of the freezing weather.
He asked if she was saying one or two words - and didn't believe me when I said I thought she could say 20 - 30 words! But, ever the show off, she had to prove him wrong. She said mama, dada, ball, doll, kitty cat (tee tat), hello, thank you and good girl for him. He was very impressed! She's a genius I tell you :)
I was a little shocked when the nurse told me she was in the 5th percentile. But her doctor was not worried at all about it. He said that after 9 months the weight gain levels off, especially if they're moving around a lot. I also told him that she hadn't eaten much for about 3 days. He said that between 9 and 15 months is when they start to see what their body type will be like as they get older. He said he'd rather see a baby in the 5th percentile than the 105th percentile, and that she'll probably just be a thin kid. Well that is good! Then I started thinking about it - I was really skinny up until I got married (Ken's just too good of a cook!) Ken was a skinny kid, my brother was a skinny kid, both my parents were thin as children. (Everyone else still is, except apparently me. See last post.) So she gets it honestly. If the doc is not worried then I am not either.
I asked about her milk allergy. He said that kids are really good at outgrowing that. So he suggested that I try something with dairy and see how she reacts. I am so excited! What will I have after all these months? Pizza? A bowl of ice cream? Lasagna? A perfectly toasted everything bagel with cream cheese? Ooh I'm getting excited just thinking about it! So I am going to do that when I'm sure she's totally over this virus (which he said was probably Roseola since she had a rash yesterday - you were right Brenda!) Maybe this weekend? Ken is hoping for pizza - he hasn't had any either! Anyway, if she does ok when I have dairy, he said to try a little yogurt with her, and if she's ok with that, she can have cheese. So pray for her - I'd love it if she had outgrown this and I didn't have to worry so much about what everyone eats!
What else? He said we should keep the carseat facing backwards as long as we could, and we could even keep her in the infant seat as long as she is in the range and her head is one inch below the top. She's getting a little heavy to carry around in that thing though - I think I'm going to switch her within the next few weeks - hopefully we're out of the freezing weather.
He asked if she was saying one or two words - and didn't believe me when I said I thought she could say 20 - 30 words! But, ever the show off, she had to prove him wrong. She said mama, dada, ball, doll, kitty cat (tee tat), hello, thank you and good girl for him. He was very impressed! She's a genius I tell you :)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I can't believe I'm actually going to write this...
Oh yes, I feel just GREAT about myself today. Just now when I was pulling up my shirt to nurse Madeleine, she tried to latch on to my, well you know, muffin top. There I said it.
Yes my self esteem and body image are THROUGH THE ROOF.
You put that roll there, you know, Kid.
Yes my self esteem and body image are THROUGH THE ROOF.
You put that roll there, you know, Kid.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Curly Top
This is what she looks like straight out of the bath. Can you tell she has been sick for 3 days? Poor little pale thing. Yes, I finally did get to give her a bath, after I found out that they weren't coming till after 6. I think it made her feel much better. She even played on the floor for a while afterwards(and only tried to knock over the space heaters a few times...)
They heater guys are here right now (at 8:15pm) so things are finally looking up. I am ready to be warm again after 3 days!!
I'm looking forward to Madeleine's one year old doctor appointment tomorrow. I really want to ask about her allergies, and what kind of milk (rice, soy) I can give her. I think he's going to recommend that we go to an allergist, so that will be good - I will be able to find out what she's allergic to, and how allergic she is.
She is doing better now, I think. She ate some baby food plums, bananas and oatmeal (the whole jar) plus some cheerios and a little bit of avocado. I tried to entice her to drink some out of a sippy cup by adding a little juice to her water - she was not impressed. Thanks for reading about our saga - hopefully my posts will be a little more happy and upbeat from now on!
*FINAL (I hope) update* We have heat!!! It is 9pm and the guy just left. It's starting to warm up in here. Thank God!
Just call me Bessie
I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to what I've been doing every hour DAY AND NIGHT for three days straight. How much sleep does a person have to lose before being declared legally insane?
It's now 12:45 and I'm taking an unpaid day from work. Madeleine still had a 101.5 fever this morning. She basically hasn't eaten anything for 3 days (well, except see above.) I finally got her to eat some applesauce (basically forcing her) and now she is sleeping again. I know she must be feeling bad because she's been really cuddly - even laying her head on my shoulder. I can count on one hand the times she has done that in her life. She always has to know what is going on around her, nosy little thing.
The heater people were supposed to be here between 8 - 10. Do you think they've been here? No. It's actually ok in here now that the sun is shining in the windows and I have the space heaters going. Yes, I've called. Twice.
I suppose I should get some cleaning done while she's sleeping - maybe eat something myself. I think I'm dehydrated too (see first paragraph.) Thank God Mom brought me an iced soy chai from Starbucks this morning. Caffeine is my friend.
*Update* NOW the heater people call and say they won't be here until between 6 and 10 tonight. Do they realize that I've been sitting in a chair 12 inches from the space heater with a feverish baby ALL DAY LONG? Could we go to Grandma's house to get warm? No, we could not. Could I even give her a soothing warm bath with a space heater in the bathroom? NO, I COULD NOT because I was waiting and waiting for these people to show up. Seriously. Could they possibly be any less courteous? I mean, they tell me they'll be here between 8 and 10 am, so I get up and put the poor baby in her crib instead of laying with her in bed so I could take a shower. If they would have come sometime around then, even a few hours later, well, fine. If they come 12 HOURS LATER, NOT FINE. I think Ken is going to ban me from calling these people any more because he says that in order to get them to pay as much as possible, I have to be "nice." My mother always said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." I'm off to "not say anything at all."
It's now 12:45 and I'm taking an unpaid day from work. Madeleine still had a 101.5 fever this morning. She basically hasn't eaten anything for 3 days (well, except see above.) I finally got her to eat some applesauce (basically forcing her) and now she is sleeping again. I know she must be feeling bad because she's been really cuddly - even laying her head on my shoulder. I can count on one hand the times she has done that in her life. She always has to know what is going on around her, nosy little thing.
The heater people were supposed to be here between 8 - 10. Do you think they've been here? No. It's actually ok in here now that the sun is shining in the windows and I have the space heaters going. Yes, I've called. Twice.
I suppose I should get some cleaning done while she's sleeping - maybe eat something myself. I think I'm dehydrated too (see first paragraph.) Thank God Mom brought me an iced soy chai from Starbucks this morning. Caffeine is my friend.
*Update* NOW the heater people call and say they won't be here until between 6 and 10 tonight. Do they realize that I've been sitting in a chair 12 inches from the space heater with a feverish baby ALL DAY LONG? Could we go to Grandma's house to get warm? No, we could not. Could I even give her a soothing warm bath with a space heater in the bathroom? NO, I COULD NOT because I was waiting and waiting for these people to show up. Seriously. Could they possibly be any less courteous? I mean, they tell me they'll be here between 8 and 10 am, so I get up and put the poor baby in her crib instead of laying with her in bed so I could take a shower. If they would have come sometime around then, even a few hours later, well, fine. If they come 12 HOURS LATER, NOT FINE. I think Ken is going to ban me from calling these people any more because he says that in order to get them to pay as much as possible, I have to be "nice." My mother always said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." I'm off to "not say anything at all."
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Sunday
It's still freezing in here.
Madeleine still has had a high fever all day. And she's been very fussy. I am most likely not going to work tomorrow, and I've already used all my paid sick days for the year.
We spent most of the day at my mom's and dad's house where they have heat.
We collected a few extra space heaters for the night from some friends.
Unfortunately, when we plug two of them in at once, it makes the power go out, so one is going to have to do.
Last night was not as bad as I thought. We put the one space heater we have in Madeleine's room, closed all the other doors upstairs except for our room, and dressed really warm.
Of course, today it's colder in here. It was 45 degrees outside and I wanted to open the windows to let the heat in.
The guy is coming tomorrow to put a new blower motor in - and the Quality Air people are paying for a good portion of it, plus taking $50 off our bill for the "inconvenience" of staying in a non heated house in the middle of winter with a sick baby for two nights. They were nice about it though - and really the blower probably was on it's last legs.
We think Dave Ramsay needs to recommend more than a $1000 emergency fund.
Madeleine still has had a high fever all day. And she's been very fussy. I am most likely not going to work tomorrow, and I've already used all my paid sick days for the year.
We spent most of the day at my mom's and dad's house where they have heat.
We collected a few extra space heaters for the night from some friends.
Unfortunately, when we plug two of them in at once, it makes the power go out, so one is going to have to do.
Last night was not as bad as I thought. We put the one space heater we have in Madeleine's room, closed all the other doors upstairs except for our room, and dressed really warm.
Of course, today it's colder in here. It was 45 degrees outside and I wanted to open the windows to let the heat in.
The guy is coming tomorrow to put a new blower motor in - and the Quality Air people are paying for a good portion of it, plus taking $50 off our bill for the "inconvenience" of staying in a non heated house in the middle of winter with a sick baby for two nights. They were nice about it though - and really the blower probably was on it's last legs.
We think Dave Ramsay needs to recommend more than a $1000 emergency fund.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
You know the Seinfeld episode
Where the valet with B.O. parks Jerry's car and they can't get the smell out? At the end, Jerry sees a bum outside his building and throws the keys in the open window. The guy gets in to take the car, and the smell is so bad he gets out.
That's what happened in our house today. Thanks again, Quality Air people! They had to come back because our heater won't kick on (and you know the high temp is 19 today and we're home with a sick baby.) The people they sent out smelled SO BAD. When they first entered the house, the smell of cigarettes almost knocked me over, until I smelled the B.O. OH MY. I had to take Madeleine upstairs and I could still smell it. Ken had to take some tylenol because it gave him a headache. And Madeleine had a few toys on the floor and one guy kept stepping on them with his disgusting shoes. I wanted to say, "Could you please NOT step on my kid's toys with your filthy shoes?!" Seriously, how hard is it to step around them? But I refrained and I'm going to disinfect them. Now they're gone, of course they didn't fix the heater, and we're sitting here with all the windows open freezing to death. It's worth it though to get rid of this smell. Now an electrician has to come out in a few hours. Plus they charged us $200 for a warranty that is supposed to be free. Ken's going to get that taken off our bill.
So when the guy got here yesterday, he made a big deal over the kids and said that his wife was pregnant. When I called today to tell her our heater wasn't working, I told her congratulations. She acted like she did not know what I was talking about and changed the subject really quickly. I cannot TELL you how mad I was when I thought he lied to me. So I asked the guys who came out here if she was pregnant. One didn't know, one said he thought so. So I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, this has not been the best experience. Yesterday they took a bunch of stuff out of the closet and just left it laying everywhere too, in addition to tracking in who knows what all over my floor.
Sorry if this post sounds a little judgmental. I just think people should show a little common courtesy and respect. Especially if I'm paying them 900 dollars for one hour of work.
*Update* It is now almost 8pm and the heat has been off for several hours. I'm am freezing and very very upset with these people. It's a good thing that we have a space heater for Madeleine's room. Ken says that if they don't show up soon we're going to a hotel and sending them the bill. Hmmm, how about this one?
Ok they just called and said that they're having problems with the electrician they were going to send out. Ken said we were going to a hotel if they don't come soon and the guy said he would take care of it. BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PACK UP MY SICK BABY, ALL HER STUFF AND THE PACK AND PLAY AND TAKE HER TO A HOTEL!!! SHE IS ALREADY ASLEEP IN HER CRIB!
*Second update* Now it is 10pm. The electrician was here and could NOT fix the heater. It's completely broken from the 12 year old smokers who were here banging around in there. He said it's going to be 500 bucks to fix it. Well I am NOT paying for it. The heat was working perfectly well before all this. It's now 64 degrees in here, and Madeleine is sleeping in her crib with the space heater in her room. Ken and I are both wearing fleece head to toe and getting ready for a LONG cold night. I better not say this week couldn't get any worse....
That's what happened in our house today. Thanks again, Quality Air people! They had to come back because our heater won't kick on (and you know the high temp is 19 today and we're home with a sick baby.) The people they sent out smelled SO BAD. When they first entered the house, the smell of cigarettes almost knocked me over, until I smelled the B.O. OH MY. I had to take Madeleine upstairs and I could still smell it. Ken had to take some tylenol because it gave him a headache. And Madeleine had a few toys on the floor and one guy kept stepping on them with his disgusting shoes. I wanted to say, "Could you please NOT step on my kid's toys with your filthy shoes?!" Seriously, how hard is it to step around them? But I refrained and I'm going to disinfect them. Now they're gone, of course they didn't fix the heater, and we're sitting here with all the windows open freezing to death. It's worth it though to get rid of this smell. Now an electrician has to come out in a few hours. Plus they charged us $200 for a warranty that is supposed to be free. Ken's going to get that taken off our bill.
So when the guy got here yesterday, he made a big deal over the kids and said that his wife was pregnant. When I called today to tell her our heater wasn't working, I told her congratulations. She acted like she did not know what I was talking about and changed the subject really quickly. I cannot TELL you how mad I was when I thought he lied to me. So I asked the guys who came out here if she was pregnant. One didn't know, one said he thought so. So I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, this has not been the best experience. Yesterday they took a bunch of stuff out of the closet and just left it laying everywhere too, in addition to tracking in who knows what all over my floor.
Sorry if this post sounds a little judgmental. I just think people should show a little common courtesy and respect. Especially if I'm paying them 900 dollars for one hour of work.
*Update* It is now almost 8pm and the heat has been off for several hours. I'm am freezing and very very upset with these people. It's a good thing that we have a space heater for Madeleine's room. Ken says that if they don't show up soon we're going to a hotel and sending them the bill. Hmmm, how about this one?
Ok they just called and said that they're having problems with the electrician they were going to send out. Ken said we were going to a hotel if they don't come soon and the guy said he would take care of it. BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PACK UP MY SICK BABY, ALL HER STUFF AND THE PACK AND PLAY AND TAKE HER TO A HOTEL!!! SHE IS ALREADY ASLEEP IN HER CRIB!
*Second update* Now it is 10pm. The electrician was here and could NOT fix the heater. It's completely broken from the 12 year old smokers who were here banging around in there. He said it's going to be 500 bucks to fix it. Well I am NOT paying for it. The heat was working perfectly well before all this. It's now 64 degrees in here, and Madeleine is sleeping in her crib with the space heater in her room. Ken and I are both wearing fleece head to toe and getting ready for a LONG cold night. I better not say this week couldn't get any worse....
Baby update
So I decided to keep her appointment at her doctor's office this morning, because after our 3 hour wait last night the doc who hobbled in looked like he was about 90 years old, and I had doubts whether he could see and hear. Before he came in, the nurse said, "Oh, you're going to love Dr. K. He was a pediatrician for MANY years before he started doing this." She wasn't kidding! She did ok last night, woke up several times but I just kept giving her tylenol and motrin and nursing her back to sleep. This morning she still had a 100 degree fever. The doctor at her regular pediatrician's office did a flu test on her which involved sticking a swab up her nose - she did NOT appreciate that one bit. It was negative, and since her well baby visit is on Tuesday, she just said give her fluids and nurse her a lot and have her regular ped check her then.
Ok, so I tell this doc about our doc last night and who he is. She looked totally shocked and said that she had called that Med Check about 8 years ago and told them she really thought he should retire, since she had had a conversation with him and could tell he had no idea about any of the "new" drugs (like ones that have been around for 30 years.) She said the people over there felt sorry for him because he wanted to work but they had told her they were going to stop giving him hours because "he's been 80 for 10 years." OK.
Oh well. The good news is that she does not have an ear infection or the flu, and doesn't have to be on antibiotics. We're pretty lucky she's never really had to be on meds in this whole first year.
One thing though - she only weighed 17 lbs 12 oz with all her clothes - jeans, sweater, shoes and big diaper. That means she has only gained 10 lbs in a year. Is that ok? Is she a scrawny little thing? She eats a LOT. I hope she hasn't fallen off the growth chart or anything.
Ok, so I tell this doc about our doc last night and who he is. She looked totally shocked and said that she had called that Med Check about 8 years ago and told them she really thought he should retire, since she had had a conversation with him and could tell he had no idea about any of the "new" drugs (like ones that have been around for 30 years.) She said the people over there felt sorry for him because he wanted to work but they had told her they were going to stop giving him hours because "he's been 80 for 10 years." OK.
Oh well. The good news is that she does not have an ear infection or the flu, and doesn't have to be on antibiotics. We're pretty lucky she's never really had to be on meds in this whole first year.
One thing though - she only weighed 17 lbs 12 oz with all her clothes - jeans, sweater, shoes and big diaper. That means she has only gained 10 lbs in a year. Is that ok? Is she a scrawny little thing? She eats a LOT. I hope she hasn't fallen off the growth chart or anything.
Friday, March 07, 2008
What. A. Week.
I'm always glad it's Friday, but today I'm especially glad it's Friday. Here's just a sample of what happened this week.
So I take the cat to the vet. She's high maintenence, like my kid. She has allergies that require shots about once/month. The vet said that maybe if we get our ventilation system cleaned, that would help the cat's allergies. We get an ad in the mail for duct cleaning for $39. They came today, inspected our system, and said the whole thing was completely infested with black toxic mold. 900 bucks later, our air better be as pure as the driven snow, of which we're supposed to get 6 inches tonight. Good LORD.
Then, Madeleine's been a little fussy all day, and I thought it was because she was getting 3 top teeth all at once. (The kid still only has her two bottom teeth!) We got back to the kids' house and I thought she felt a little warm. I took her temperature - 102.7 degrees. So I immediately called the doctor, even though it's 4:15 on a Friday and the office closes at 4:30. Of course they can't get her in, so I took her to Med Check. By the time we got there, her fever was over 103. THREE HOURS LATER, she has an unexplained fever and I need to give her tylenol, Motrin, and fluids. THANK YOU. Plus there was a guy in the waiting room saying he got blown up by a bomb in Iraq. Plus we had to entertain a baby for 2 hours in a tiny waiting room. Thank God Mom met me over there. Madeleine loves her Grandma, that's for sure.
Now Ken just told me that our heater is not kicking on and he thinks the Quality Air people did something to it. Speaking of Quality air people, every time they went out to the driveway they smoked a cigarette. And they tracked in so much crap that I had to mop the floor three times. And they used all my paper towels cleaning the coils.
I thought we had gotten Madeleine to sleep but she's woken up crying several times already. Poor little thing.
Pray for us! Speaking of praying, we're starting our novena to St. Joseph tonight for several special intentions. They moved his feast day to the 15th, apparently. We'd be happy to share the love - if anyone has an intention they want us to pray for, email me or leave a comment.
Have a great weekend!
So I take the cat to the vet. She's high maintenence, like my kid. She has allergies that require shots about once/month. The vet said that maybe if we get our ventilation system cleaned, that would help the cat's allergies. We get an ad in the mail for duct cleaning for $39. They came today, inspected our system, and said the whole thing was completely infested with black toxic mold. 900 bucks later, our air better be as pure as the driven snow, of which we're supposed to get 6 inches tonight. Good LORD.
Then, Madeleine's been a little fussy all day, and I thought it was because she was getting 3 top teeth all at once. (The kid still only has her two bottom teeth!) We got back to the kids' house and I thought she felt a little warm. I took her temperature - 102.7 degrees. So I immediately called the doctor, even though it's 4:15 on a Friday and the office closes at 4:30. Of course they can't get her in, so I took her to Med Check. By the time we got there, her fever was over 103. THREE HOURS LATER, she has an unexplained fever and I need to give her tylenol, Motrin, and fluids. THANK YOU. Plus there was a guy in the waiting room saying he got blown up by a bomb in Iraq. Plus we had to entertain a baby for 2 hours in a tiny waiting room. Thank God Mom met me over there. Madeleine loves her Grandma, that's for sure.
Now Ken just told me that our heater is not kicking on and he thinks the Quality Air people did something to it. Speaking of Quality air people, every time they went out to the driveway they smoked a cigarette. And they tracked in so much crap that I had to mop the floor three times. And they used all my paper towels cleaning the coils.
I thought we had gotten Madeleine to sleep but she's woken up crying several times already. Poor little thing.
Pray for us! Speaking of praying, we're starting our novena to St. Joseph tonight for several special intentions. They moved his feast day to the 15th, apparently. We'd be happy to share the love - if anyone has an intention they want us to pray for, email me or leave a comment.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Hello
Notice the huge pile of books on the floor. That is her favorite thing to do - pull all those books off the shelf and then crawl around in them. And also when she fell at the end, she was fine. She didn't even cry.
Oh good
So far today, she's still my baby :) I know that because she woke up three times last night and needed me to get back to sleep!
Tomorrow we might move her into her big girl carseat though - we'll see how much she weighs at the doctor. Any guesses?
She has some new tricks and the CUTEST new word. I'll try to post a video later.
Tomorrow we might move her into her big girl carseat though - we'll see how much she weighs at the doctor. Any guesses?
She has some new tricks and the CUTEST new word. I'll try to post a video later.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
On this day last year...
I had my last 8+ hour sleep.
I went to mass for the last time without a baby.
I went to sleep for the last time without worrying about when someone else would wake up.
I was so big I could barely get in and out of bed, let alone get my shoes tied.
I wrote my last blog post with her on the inside.
I felt her kicking me for the last time from the inside.
I had my bag packed, her bag packed, Ken's bag packed, and my list of intentions for the contractions all ready to go.
Ken and I went on our last Barnes and Nobles date without her.
I wondered for the 1000th time WHEN this kid was going to get here?
We had no idea how our lives would change the very next day, or how much love our hearts could hold.
I went to mass for the last time without a baby.
I went to sleep for the last time without worrying about when someone else would wake up.
I was so big I could barely get in and out of bed, let alone get my shoes tied.
I wrote my last blog post with her on the inside.
I felt her kicking me for the last time from the inside.
I had my bag packed, her bag packed, Ken's bag packed, and my list of intentions for the contractions all ready to go.
Ken and I went on our last Barnes and Nobles date without her.
I wondered for the 1000th time WHEN this kid was going to get here?
We had no idea how our lives would change the very next day, or how much love our hearts could hold.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Cake!!!!
Mom, why am I the only one at this party naked?! And why is everyone looking at me?
Well this looks interesting...
Hey, this isn't bad!
Oh my gosh this is the best thing I've EVER EATEN!!
Thanks for cleaning me off in the sink, Grandma! I couldn't help myself!
First Birthday Party!
We had a great first birthday party! Madeleine was a perfect angel the whole time. She went to everyone, had a great time with the little kids that were there, and loved opening her presents. I was so proud of her! Don't worry, the post you're all waiting for is coming!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Just what we needed
Thank God for the blog. If I didn't have it, we wouldn't have met some great new friends. They invited us to this beautiful cabin a few hours south of here last night. We kind of wavered back and forth whether we should go - was it worth it to pack up all our stuff, leave after work and not get there till late, and keep Madeleine up way past her bedtime? YES, it definitely was. We had such a great time. We left around 5:30, stopped at Dennys around 7, fed and changed Madeleine into her jammies, and she fell asleep for the last hour of the trip. Of course, when we got there, she was wide awake for a few hours! She was fascinated by a deer head on the wall, and kept pointing to it and saying "Doe!" I think we might have to get one, Ken :)
We brought some cards and board games and didn't end up playing any of them. D and P were so much fun to talk to! Ken made us some great beverages, and we just had some great adult conversation and stayed up till 1am. (Both of those things are way different from normal for us! - and just what we needed!!)
The cabin was really great - and the grounds had beautiful rolling hills, lots of horses, cows and deer. We took a drive this morning to try not to wake them up (we are used to getting up at 7am every morning, but we wanted them to be able to sleep in!)
When we got back, they made the best breakfast for us that I've EVER had! We had blueberry pancakes, poached eggs, english muffins, bacon, sausage, muffins and fruit. WOW! It was all so delicious. They were even thoughtful enough to make the pancakes with soy milk so Madeleine and I could have them. I haven't had pancakes in a LONG time. I had such a great time and was sad to leave! Thanks so much again for inviting us! I'm glad we were spontaneous and decided to go :) I hope we get to see you again soon.
On the way home, Madeleine slept for the first hour and a half, and then we decided to stop at a little diner. She was thrilled with the food, - after her healthy lunch, we let her have a few fries, pickles and baked beans. It is her birthday week, after all :) Speaking of her birthday week, her party is tomorrow! I made the frosting for the cupcakes and frosted them when we got home. We gave her a little taste too - I think she'll enjoy her cupcake tomorrow for sure!
We brought some cards and board games and didn't end up playing any of them. D and P were so much fun to talk to! Ken made us some great beverages, and we just had some great adult conversation and stayed up till 1am. (Both of those things are way different from normal for us! - and just what we needed!!)
The cabin was really great - and the grounds had beautiful rolling hills, lots of horses, cows and deer. We took a drive this morning to try not to wake them up (we are used to getting up at 7am every morning, but we wanted them to be able to sleep in!)
When we got back, they made the best breakfast for us that I've EVER had! We had blueberry pancakes, poached eggs, english muffins, bacon, sausage, muffins and fruit. WOW! It was all so delicious. They were even thoughtful enough to make the pancakes with soy milk so Madeleine and I could have them. I haven't had pancakes in a LONG time. I had such a great time and was sad to leave! Thanks so much again for inviting us! I'm glad we were spontaneous and decided to go :) I hope we get to see you again soon.
On the way home, Madeleine slept for the first hour and a half, and then we decided to stop at a little diner. She was thrilled with the food, - after her healthy lunch, we let her have a few fries, pickles and baked beans. It is her birthday week, after all :) Speaking of her birthday week, her party is tomorrow! I made the frosting for the cupcakes and frosted them when we got home. We gave her a little taste too - I think she'll enjoy her cupcake tomorrow for sure!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
What a difference a year makes!
Today Mom, Ava, Madeleine and I went to the mall to try to find a 1st birthday dress for her party on Sunday. (She can also wear it for Easter and Sarah and Chris's wedding.) We didn't get anything for the kids because it was all summer stuff - sun dresses and a bunch of sleeveless stuff. That's not going to work for these three events. I found some great deals for myself at Macys - a shirt to wear for the party for $12, and two pairs of leather boots - black and brown - for $7 each! How could I pass that up?
Anyway, we had a great time shopping and eating lunch at the mall (and have you noticed that the 4 of us hang out a LOT?!)
But I was thinking back to what I was doing a year ago. I was HUGELY pregnant, and had been told by my OB to expect to go early because I had been dilated for several weeks. (No such luck, the kid only came 2 hours and 10 minutes before her due date!) I worked up to the Friday before I had her (on a Monday.) I was definitely ready to have her ANY TIME. I absolutely could not wait to meet her and have her on the outside instead of the inside!
Here's what I was doing on the 26th the 27th and the 28th of February last year.
I had absolutely no idea what to expect back then - about labor and delivery, about life with a baby, about what she would be like, or about what I would be like as a mother. I really had no idea that she'd be the sweetest, cutest, most lovable baby that was ever born :) But I can honestly say this has been, by far, the best year of my life. And since she gets more fun every day, I can't even imagine how great this year will be.
Anyway, we had a great time shopping and eating lunch at the mall (and have you noticed that the 4 of us hang out a LOT?!)
But I was thinking back to what I was doing a year ago. I was HUGELY pregnant, and had been told by my OB to expect to go early because I had been dilated for several weeks. (No such luck, the kid only came 2 hours and 10 minutes before her due date!) I worked up to the Friday before I had her (on a Monday.) I was definitely ready to have her ANY TIME. I absolutely could not wait to meet her and have her on the outside instead of the inside!
Here's what I was doing on the 26th the 27th and the 28th of February last year.
I had absolutely no idea what to expect back then - about labor and delivery, about life with a baby, about what she would be like, or about what I would be like as a mother. I really had no idea that she'd be the sweetest, cutest, most lovable baby that was ever born :) But I can honestly say this has been, by far, the best year of my life. And since she gets more fun every day, I can't even imagine how great this year will be.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Perfect birthday gift (I hope!)
Today Mom, Ava, Madeleine and I went shopping for a first birthday present. I was thinking I'd get her a doll, since she really seems to get excited when she sees them. (Not as excited as she gets when she sees a ball, however!) So we went to a toy store down the street, which has more interesting and "classic" toys. I wanted to get her something really special, since I'm only getting her one thing. Well, we went to the doll section, and she was not impressed with any of them. With each one I held up, she just took one look and looked away. She was more interested in the little doll house with the little kitty cat figurines than the dolls. So we decided to just walk around the store and see what she liked. A very pushy, I mean helpful saleslady followed us around and told us what one year olds usually like. She was kind of interested in a few things - the little farm with the animals, and a few tub toys, and of course every ball that we passed. Then we saw it... and the "Halleluiah Chorus" started playing in the background.
Yes, it was the Rody. As soon as she saw it, her face lit up and she started bouncing around in her stroller. Mom took her out and put her on it, and it was love at first bounce. She held onto it's ears and bounced like she'd been waiting for this her whole life. After a while, Mom tried to pick her up and put her back in her stroller, but she held on with her hands and legs for dear life. I knew I had to get it for her. They even blew it up for me so it is all set for her birthday next Wednesday. Her party is this Sunday, but we'll wait until her actual birthday to give her this present. I hope she really enjoys it!
Yes, it was the Rody. As soon as she saw it, her face lit up and she started bouncing around in her stroller. Mom took her out and put her on it, and it was love at first bounce. She held onto it's ears and bounced like she'd been waiting for this her whole life. After a while, Mom tried to pick her up and put her back in her stroller, but she held on with her hands and legs for dear life. I knew I had to get it for her. They even blew it up for me so it is all set for her birthday next Wednesday. Her party is this Sunday, but we'll wait until her actual birthday to give her this present. I hope she really enjoys it!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Blog Awards
Kathryn over at Little Men gave me this blog award and wrote something REALLY NICE about me! Thanks Kathryn!
So I want to give these awards to a few of my online friends. Cathy over at Ward Wide Web is always a good person to talk to, and her blog is VERY entertaining. She also helped me get over feeling sad about Madeleine turning one. :) Brenda from The Ones With The Baby pretty much goes through the same things with her daughter that we are going through over here. So we can share ideas or just talk about how we have no idea what we should do! Ouiz always gives me great advice too - about getting kids to sleep, big family life, etc. She is great! And I love Lifehopes because we have so much in common - I feel like most of her posts I could have written myself just a few short years ago - Plus she (and her husband) are really fun people! (And by the way, Ken wanted to move Madeleine's birthday party so we could go skiing with you next weekend!)
So I want to give these awards to a few of my online friends. Cathy over at Ward Wide Web is always a good person to talk to, and her blog is VERY entertaining. She also helped me get over feeling sad about Madeleine turning one. :) Brenda from The Ones With The Baby pretty much goes through the same things with her daughter that we are going through over here. So we can share ideas or just talk about how we have no idea what we should do! Ouiz always gives me great advice too - about getting kids to sleep, big family life, etc. She is great! And I love Lifehopes because we have so much in common - I feel like most of her posts I could have written myself just a few short years ago - Plus she (and her husband) are really fun people! (And by the way, Ken wanted to move Madeleine's birthday party so we could go skiing with you next weekend!)Friday, February 22, 2008
Police line up
Actually these are my favorite old childhood bears that my mom just found. I did not like dolls, so I played with these bears ALL the time. They were my absolute favorite toys. I'm so glad that my mom found them so Madeleine can have them! They are well loved, but I'm sure she'll appreciate them someday :)Thursday, February 21, 2008
You know how you feel
When you think someone is surely going to find you dead on the bathroom floor? That's pretty much how I felt all day yesterday. This flu thing is just SO FUN. And I had Madeleine and Ava at my house most of the day. Thank God my mom came over for a little while - she fed them both lunch and played with them for about an hour. Then Ava's mom came to get her around 3, and Madeleine slept till 4 - unusual but very much appreciated! Ava has it now - so I am here at work for the morning and her mom is coming home in the afternoon. I feel a little better, but just very weak from not eating yesterday and everything else!
I do feel somewhat rested, since I went to bed at 7:15 last night and only had to wake up twice with Madeleine. Speaking of waking up twice... she is almost 1. SURELY she'll sleep through the night soon. Right?
I do feel somewhat rested, since I went to bed at 7:15 last night and only had to wake up twice with Madeleine. Speaking of waking up twice... she is almost 1. SURELY she'll sleep through the night soon. Right?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sick
Poor little baby. She's been a mess today. Ava came over this morning around 8, and then Madeleine started having some BAD diapers. Let me just say this was a time that I am SO glad we use cloth diapers - if we used disposables it would have been everywhere. Cloth diapers contain SO much better! I called Ava's mom because I don't want her to get it. She came and picked her up about an hour and a half later. The rest of the day, she didn't sleep at all, just wanted me to hold her, but she was really squirmy. I could tell she didn't feel well at all. And she didn't have a wet diaper for about 9 hours... so I was a little worried. We finally got her to drink some Pedialyte (Ken had to pretend to drink it first and then she took a drink!) Luckily she went to bed pretty easily tonight - last night she had a terrible time going down. Every time I laid her down she would wake up screaming a few minutes later. I ended up laying down with her until she fell asleep. By then I was just exhausted too. I'm pretty much still exhausted but I have American Idol to look forward to tonight! :)
Please God let this girl have a good sleep tonight!
Please God let this girl have a good sleep tonight!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Weekend Highlights
Friday night we went to Destination Jesus, where Ken was playing in the band. We had the usual 800 high schoolers, and the usual great music. I held Madeleine in the sling and she was dancing and clapping to the music! She also waved to everyone and was quite the little charmer. Destination Jesus has always been very special to me, and I've had some great experiences there.
Saturday was GREAT!! I got to meet Lifehopes and her husband - they are SO much fun! I wish they lived closer! They came up to see Immaculee Ilibagiza speak at our church (and to meet us, of course :) She was really inspiring, and I definitely think everyone should read her book. Then I left Madeleine for the very first time at night with my mom and went to hear Ken play at the Rathskeller. D and P (from Lifehopes) came with us and also Heather, who I had not seen in a while! We were having a great time when I got a call that Madeleine was throwing up. Mom said I had better come home. By the time I had got home, she had thrown up several more times. We ended up using all of her crib sheets and pajamas, and then I finally put her in bed with me. She slept from 2:30 to 7:00, woke up happy and nursed. I thought she was fine, but then after her morning nap she threw up all over her crib again. She acted fine after that so I decided to go to the Destination Jesus Sunday mass. Well, she threw up again there and when we got home she had a fever. Poor little thing! Basically I have just held her all day. Ken's feeding her some dry toast and pedialyte now, and she seems to be interested, so maybe she's feeling better - I hope!
D and P, we had a great time with you this weekend and hope you come back soon!
Can you believe all this fun stuff and NOT ONE PICTURE??? Sad.
Saturday was GREAT!! I got to meet Lifehopes and her husband - they are SO much fun! I wish they lived closer! They came up to see Immaculee Ilibagiza speak at our church (and to meet us, of course :) She was really inspiring, and I definitely think everyone should read her book. Then I left Madeleine for the very first time at night with my mom and went to hear Ken play at the Rathskeller. D and P (from Lifehopes) came with us and also Heather, who I had not seen in a while! We were having a great time when I got a call that Madeleine was throwing up. Mom said I had better come home. By the time I had got home, she had thrown up several more times. We ended up using all of her crib sheets and pajamas, and then I finally put her in bed with me. She slept from 2:30 to 7:00, woke up happy and nursed. I thought she was fine, but then after her morning nap she threw up all over her crib again. She acted fine after that so I decided to go to the Destination Jesus Sunday mass. Well, she threw up again there and when we got home she had a fever. Poor little thing! Basically I have just held her all day. Ken's feeding her some dry toast and pedialyte now, and she seems to be interested, so maybe she's feeling better - I hope!
D and P, we had a great time with you this weekend and hope you come back soon!
Can you believe all this fun stuff and NOT ONE PICTURE??? Sad.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
This was Madeleine's Valentine's present. I think it was 2 bucks well spent!
Happy Valentine's Day!
(Notice how I'm slaving away in the kitchen, while Ken is having fun :)
Just kidding - he was sick this week and I was happy to cook again - he's really taken over cooking since Madeleine has been born! Thanks Ken!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Guess what Ava's doing?
Hint: Apparently, Baby "Sean" needed some "moke." I don't know WHERE she gets this.... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)