Dear Sweet Jack,

You are now 14-Months Old (technically, 14 months and 1 week by the time I was able to get this done).  With each passing day, your personality is growing.  This past month has definitely had its challenges.  You have tended a little more towards the overly-sensitive, and your dad and I are working at being consistent with how we respond to these moments.  However, the above photo really does epitomize the past month for you, and we wanted to remember that.

Your favorite past times are still wandering around the house exploring everything you can get your hands on, playing with your toys, and reading your books.  We have had to choose carefully which books we take to church with us, because you become quite animated with a few of them when you “read” them.

Therapy is continuing and going very well.  You have finally started doing your pincer grasp some, and there is an occasional clapping of the hands with both hands turned over and connecting the way they should.  We love seeing the progress you are making.  Your most exciting accomplishment, though, is that you are finally starting to stand from the middle of the floor.  Before now, you have always had to use the wall or a raised object to get to a standing position, but we have been working on upper body strength, and it is definitely paying off. We have a couple of weighted balls that you spend a good bit of time picking up and throwing down.  Before you know it, you will have big, huge biceps.

Our other big accomplishment of the month is that your chewing is improving, and you are handling a much wider range of foods.  Your main likes are eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled), toast (the yucky kind and your dad’s homemade bread), beans (a good variety), sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers, almond milk yogurt, almond milk (you drink this like it is going to be taken from you), cornbread,  and brown rice.  I know the list probably won’t seem very interesting to you in years to come, but you have come a LONG way with being able to handle food, and I want to remember where we are now.

Your paci is still very near and dear to your heart, and I know it will be a battle to give it up, but right now, I am content with letting you have it.  We can tell when you are needing some comfort.  We hear you just furiously sucking away at the paci. It makes us laugh a little bit.  Okay, more than a little bit.

As you continue to grow over the next month, we are curious to see what the next month holds.  I’m sure there will be more drama, but I also know there will be lots of laughs and smiles and sweet boy giggles.

We love you.  Happy 14-Months!

Happy 13 Months, Sweet Jack!

Another month has passed, and you have continued to grow and change with each passing day.  You are still an independent spirit, and that is super evident as you explore all over the house.  Many days we just shut all of the doors and let you go from one end of the house to the other (with some destruction in your pathway).  In fact, we will soon have to reconfigure our gates to close off certain areas (like the fireplace), because your awareness level has raised substantially.  You also love to follow your daddy around and play in the kitchen cabinets.

A favorite activity of yours is still reading.  When you are having a rough evening (which happens when you don’t get your nap out), we can just sit down with a big pile of books, and that will generally keep you content until bed time.  Other times, you will just sit there and read your books by yourself.  I love watching you flip through books.

While there has been lots of good this month, and you are a healthy boy, we have had a little bit of setback with regards to your OT.  You were able to be discharged from PT, and we were hoping that OT would follow, but because your fine motor pathways have not shown progress, we have had to resume OT (after a month break).  The plan is to work on the muscle asymmetry between the right and left side of your upper body, your arm weakness, bilateral motion, and the ever elusive pincer grasp.  Your dad and I know that it will all come with time and work (we love your occupational therapist–she is tremendous), and your Mamaw and Papaw even join in on the “therapy help.”

While you are not saying a whole lot word-wise, you love to babble and talk in “Jack language.”  You do clearly say “mama” and “dada,” and you will wave “hi” and “bye” as well as prompt us to cheer for you (with your hand clap) whenever you feel you have done something exceptionally well.  All in all, you seem to understand language well, and you do understand the word “no” and seem to obey most of the time with that one.

Your newest trick is the fake coughing.  If we do it, you just laugh and laugh, and then you will generally do your own fake cough, and it makes us laugh just as hard.

You now have 8 teeth, although, we can’t always see them because of the paci (you LOVE your paci).  We discovered that you have been exploring with those teeth, too, when we saw chunks of yellow foam missing from the foam owl your Aunt Colleen gave you.  That is now sitting up on your dresser to be admired and not played with.

As I seem to say every month, your dad and I feel so blessed to be your parents, and we cannot wait to see what the next month holds in store.

We love you!

#1 – …to say thank you to everyone for your kind words, prayers, expressions of love, etc.  We really appreciate it.

#2 – …to let you know that we are doing okay.  We were fortunate (is fortunate really the right word?) to know pretty early that the pregnancy wasn’t progressing like it should have been.  That gave us a good bit of time to process and grieve prior to the emergency room visit.

Thank you again for all of your love and support through our difficult time.

Hmm…let’s see what’s in here.

The boy is loving the gifts.

He really enjoys the birthday cards, too.

A new robot onesie for when it gets warm.

Trying to figure out the mega blocks wagon.

Visiting with his great-grandmother (Nana).

The cake.

Trying to get the obligatory picture with the cake.

Why is everyone singing at me?

Very unsure of what is before him.

A little bit in the mouth to see if it is good.

Not digging it.

After mommy breaks off a chunk and sticks it in his mouth…the reaction.

Would rather just smear it around the high chair tray.

It was a fun family birthday party, but I was really surprised that he really didn’t want to have anything to do with eating his cake.  He finished out the evening eating vegetables and applesauce rather than cake.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Happy 12 Months.  Your dad and I cannot believe that you are already a year old.  Where did the time go?  It seems like just yesterday that we were heading up to the delivery room.  I know I have said it before, but I think it deserves to be said again.  Your daddy and I feel so incredibly blessed to be your parents.  Every day brings new challenges and experiences, but we wouldn’t change it for the world.

The 12-Month (1 Year) mark has you walking…A LOT.  You try to walk everywhere.  There is still a good bit of falling down, but you only resort to crawling if you have fallen, and there isn’t a place to pull yourself back up.  This means you are constantly on the go.  You love to stay in motion, and it is funny to watch you go.

You also have really increased your independent play.  You have always enjoyed playing with your toys, but now you are mimicking some of the different actions we do with your toys (e.g. phone to your ear, animals down the slide, books in the shopping cart).  You also have many favorite actions/activities you like to do with us.  You are forever grabbing our barefoot toes like you are tickling them (something we do to you often).  You also come up to us and start bopping up and down so that we will play “ride ‘em horsey” with you.

One of your other favorite activities is reading books.  You love to pull out different books to read.  Currently you have a number of favorite books, and typically, you are just more concerned with reading than which book it is.

This month has also seen an increase in meltdowns.  You have mastered the art of crumpling on the floor when you are upset about something.  It can be a little trying at times, but your dad and I are working to be consistent with our responses to these meltdowns, and we know they are just a stage (and there will be many more stages).

Your reaction to your birthday cake (your birthday will be a whole different post) was really interesting.  You wanted nothing to do with either the icing or the cake.  I even tried putting a little in your mouth to see whether or not that would entice you, but you weren’t having it.  You ended up finishing the night eating veggies and applesauce while the rest of us ate cake.

The day after your birthday, we did away with your bottles cold turkey.  You have handled it pretty well, and your drinking from your sippy cups and your straw cups are going pretty well.

As far as stats…

• Height – 28 1/2 inches (10%)
• Weight – 20 lbs 5 oz (10 to 25%) – We are just thrilled to break the 20lb mark.
• Head Circumference – 18 1/2 inches (50 to 75%)

You still have 7 teeth (we are still waiting on the other bottom tooth).  You are still sporting 9-month clothes.  However, we did just move you up to size 4 diapers (woohoo…you are definitely growing well), and we bought you size 3 shoes (we figured since you were walking, we should probably encourage shoe-wearing).

It has been an amazing month and an amazing first year.  I can’t wait to see what the next year holds.

We love you!

A new year often brings about reflection, and with the way this year ended, there has been quite a bit of reflection.

I have gone back and forth about whether or not to record (and/or publish) this latest development in our fertility journey, because quite simply, it has been really painful.  There have been many tears shed, and there will probably be more.

But here I go…

On Sunday morning, I had to go to the Emergency Room due to severe abdominal pain.  We had already known for a little over a week that I had an ectopic pregnancy, but we were hoping that the preferred treatment of methotrexate would be all that was needed to “right” the situation.  Unfortunately, we found out Sunday morning that the methotrexate was not working.

Fortunately, my obgyn was on-call, and when I arrived at the ER and after all the tests were run, we were able to visit with her about the situation.  She was worried about my fallopian tube rupturing due to the continued growth of the ectopic pregnancy.  So, she did surgery (laparoscopically) to remove the ectopic pregnancy.  However, in the midst of doing this, she discovered that my left fallopian tube too damaged, and she wasn’t able to get the bleeding to stop without removing it.

We knew this was a possibility, but we also knew she would do all she could to make this surgery as minimal as possible.

I have had to take it easy the last few days (although I haven’t felt like moving much), and as we have come out of the haze of this latest development, we have continued reflecting on where this leaves us and where we are headed from here.

Me being the planner that I am wishes for our sake that we had some definitive answers, but what we thought we knew (in the weeks between discovering the non-viability and the actual ectopic diagnosis), has changed somewhat.  And the decisions we thought we had made (when faced with our actual results) didn’t stand so firmly in our minds.

So, we now do three things…

1.  We step back and talk about our options.

2.  We explore all possible avenues and what each of those avenues mean.

3.  We pray.

In the midst of that, I know we will find our answers.  In the meantime, we have a precious boy that fills our hearts with joy and laughter, and he is the best little boy I could ever ask for.

**Below are all the previous “Fertility Journey” posts that I typed up as we went along, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to post them.  They are part of this story, though.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

(12/20/12)

Tomorrow is the sonogram.  Tomorrow will give us some answers.

This whole week as I have taken my nightly progesterone shots, I have done a mental countdown of the number of shots left.  Tonight should be the last one.  There is something both happy and sad in knowing that.  Happy because these shots have turned into a miserable nightly occurrence forming welts and large knots all over my “bum area.”  Sad because of what stopping the progesterone shots truly indicates.  It means this “pregnancy” is over.

The husband and I have done quite a bit of reflection over this past week.  We have dissected the emotions that are filling our hearts, and we have reached some conclusions.  Most importantly, though, we have done that together.  There is still some healing to occur, but hopefully after seeing the doctor tomorrow, we can continue to make peace with this whole journey.

What a Way to Spend Christmas Eve

(12/24/12)

Today was my second sonogram.  I got to see a picture of the pregnancy camped out in my left fallopian tube, and while I appreciate the doctor double-checking and making sure that this was indeed not a viable pregnancy, that was a hard picture to look at.

I also received two shots of methotrexate today.  This medication is supposed to dissolve all of the embryonic cells (i.e. end the pregnancy), and the doctor said it is 90% successful.  So, I will have my hcg levels tested today, and then I will go back in on Friday and Monday to be tested again to make sure everything is starting to decrease.  My RE will then follow my count back down to 0.

Processing this was not how I had planned to spend Christmas Eve.  It was definitely hard, but the wonderful husband and the sweet boy helped take my mind off things.  We just focused on all of the holiday season around us.

(11/29/12)

Yesterday was the beginning of end…the official end.  In one week from tomorrow, the husband and I will know a little more clearly what our future holds.

Yesterday was the embryo transfer.  I hadn’t heard an update on how our embryos were growing since Monday, and so I was a little anxious.  When the embryologist came in and explained their growth progress, I became significantly anxious.  They had not continued to grow well.  So, while we were hoping for 3 great embryos to implant, we ended up with 1 good one (BCC) and 2 average ones (both DCC).

This doesn’t mean that we won’t have success, it just means that our success rate is even lower.

Aren’t the little embryo babies cute?  These are the 3 embryos they implanted.  The top one is the BCC and the other two are DCC in quality.

Once the transfer was finished, I came home and was placed on bed rest.  This is probably the one time that “laying around” didn’t feel like an ideal luxury.

The other piece of information that we were waiting on was whether or not we had anything to freeze.  With Jack’s IVF, we didn’t.  While we really weren’t planning on doing IVF again, we had decided that if we had anything to freeze, we would.  That would allow us to do a frozen embryo transfer at some point.

I got the call just a short while ago, the 4th egg that started out as a “quality” egg had not continued growing and would not be a viable cryopreservation.

So, we are officially at the beginning of the end.  Once the bloodwork comes back next Friday, we will know if we will be a family of 3 (with an amazing Jack) or a family of more than 3.  We will know if I can start tagging items for the next JBF sale.  We will know if we need to plan on getting a new car, because ours is just so small.  We will know if we can start funneling the appropriate money into one or more than one college fund.  We will know if one day I will need to try and hunt down additional stocking holders to match our current set.

There is so much we will know, but most importantly, the ups and downs of infertility will no longer envelope our lives.  We will have peace.

Testing out the Trigger

(12/3/12)

If you have undergone any sort of infertility treatment, you probably know what the phrase “testing out the trigger” means.  On Saturday morning, I woke up to POAS and discover that I had finally tested out my trigger shot.  What this now means is that any positive results on a HPT are more than likely accurate.

What this also means is that I will continue to POAS for the next 4 mornings.  I still feel like I am handling all of this okay overall, but I do feel myself cracking just a little bit.

Also, and more as an aside, I dug back out all of the paperwork from Jack’s IVF, and discovered that the two embryos they implanted for his IVF for both of average quality overall.  That makes me feel a little better about the three embryos implanted in this round.  However, I keep trying to remind myself that it is still a long shot, and honestly, if I knew then what I know now, I probably would have been a complete and total wreck.  The husband and I talked about how naively ignorant we seemed to be in the last go-around, and that was definitely for the better.

It’s One of “Those” Days

(12/4/12)

It’s one of “those” days.  A day where I am feeling very emotional about this whole process.  A day where I am certain it did not work, because I am feeling crampy.  A day where it is hard for me to think about all of the expectant mothers that I work with in my church work and realize that I won’t get to be that expectant mother again.  A day where I am just weary.

I know that I am blessed.  I have a sweet baby boy who is 11-months old today.  He is the best thing to ever happen to us.  However, when you have loads of synthetic hormones being injected nightly into your body, sometimes its a little harder to see the blessings.

Such a Roller Coaster

(12/11/12)

I have held off writing this post, because the past few days have been just a roller coaster of emotions.

On Thursday (12/6) morning and Friday (12/7) morning, this is what I saw…

And then I headed into the doctor’s office later that morning for my beta test (hcg bloodwork).  They asked if I had tested and what the results were, and I got my preliminary congratulations.

Then about 3:45pm on Friday afternoon, I received a call from the doctor.  My hcg levels were in the equivocal range.  That means that I wasn’t “not pregnant”, but I also wasn’t “pregnant”.  (Yes, you can be kind of pregnant.)  That started a wave of tears and emotions.  The doctor said that due to my numbers, there was a strong possibility that this was either an ectopic pregnancy or not a viable pregnancy, and that we needed to do another test to have a better idea of what was going on.  Since we were coming up onto the weekend, we would wait and test again on Tuesday (the tests need to be done in 48-hour increments so that they can tell if your numbers doubled).

It was a miserable weekend, but it was a weekend filled with prayer.  I prayed and prayed and prayed, because ultimately, God was the only person who could make this “kind of pregnancy” into an actual pregnancy.

Monday morning, I told Greg that I was just not going to be able to wait another day.  I was letting myself be overcome by the stress of it all.  So, I headed towards my RE’s office, and as they opened I gave them a call.  After crying some on the phone (my RE really does have the best nurses ever), they told me to come on in and get a test, and that while we wouldn’t get a good incremental test, we could see more of what was happening.

Late yesterday afternoon, I received the results of my blood test.  My hcg had already almost quadrupled (it was one point shy).  In other words, my hcg on Monday was where they were needing it to be by Tuesday.  So, the nurse said that she was cautiously pleased, but that we needed to do another blood test on Wednesday to make sure everything is continuing to progress appropriately.

So, while I would like to utter the words “I am pregnant” to someone, we still have a long road ahead of us.  My next goal, though, is to make it to tomorrow and pray that I still have good results.

Still Waiting

(12/13/12)

We are a week into this “pregnancy test extravaganza” and I am still waiting (and hoping) to officially have this pregnancy declared as viable.  It is has been extremely stressful, and this morning the husband uttered the phrase, “This is all just too much.”  All I wanted to do was cry.  I currently feel very guilty.  Guilty that I can’t keep my mind focused for long periods of time to get tasks accomplished efficiently.  Guilty that my husband is not only stressed out by all of these results, but also having to handle the stress that I feel.  Just lots and lots of guilt.

All of this to say that we are still waiting and still struggling.  I head to the doctor’s again in the morning for another bloodtest.

The results thus far (more for my records than interest to you)…

• Beta #1 (12/7/12) – HCG is 23 – started in Equivocal range (meaning not pregnant and not not pregnant)
• Beta #2 (12/10/12) – HCG is 91 – quadrupled in 3 days
• Beta #3 (12/12/12) – HCG is 147 – didn’t double in 48 hours or reach the minus 10% of doubling
• Beta #4 is scheduled for tomorrow (12/14/12).

I need to get my mind back to a place of realizing that this is all out of my hands.  It is either going to be a successful pregnancy or it isn’t.  We are either going to end up a family of 3 or a family of 4.  The only thing I can proactively do is pray.  Pray for peace and comfort as we wait for another test and another set of results.  Pray for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  Pray for God to grant us the peace to accept His will and whatever outcome we are presented with.

It’s Not Good

(12/15/12)

Yesterday was not a good day.  The hcg results were not good.  Let’s be honest, they were not even close to good.  My hcg was at 181.

The doctor wants me to come in next Friday for a sonogram.  He wants to locate the sac and see what he can figure out.  The feeling right now is that the pregnancy is ectopic, but we’ll know more on Friday.

I will admit that I cried a lot yesterday.  I even cried myself to sleep, but I woke up this morning and have slowly started coming out of the daze of disappointment.

It will all be okay.  We knew this was a strong possibility.

(10/10/12)

Well, we are approximately 14 days/2 weeks/336 hours away from the start of our next and final IVF cycle.  And do you know what?  I am at peace.

I am not suggesting that I won’t be upset (or maybe even devastated) if the IVF cycle doesn’t work, but I know that this is it.  I know that in approximately 14 days, I will start my last round of birth control pills (yes, isn’t it ironic that people trying to get pregnant start off first with birth control pills), and about 14 days after that, I will start my stims, and about 14 days after that, I will go in for an egg retrieval, and 5 days after that I will go in hopefully for an embryo transfer, and 9 days after that, I will find out if it worked.

Yes, it is all about dates and timing and waiting and wondering, and it is very stressful, but I feel a little more relaxed, because this is the last time we will do this.  It isn’t a “let’s see if this works,” and if it doesn’t, then “let’s see if this works again.”  The seemingly never-ending ups and downs will be done.

The husband and I had a long conversation about this the other day.  I told him how I was feeling…I told him that I was at peace.  He said he felt the same way, because even though we would love to have another child, we were given a tremendous blessing in Jack, and we are so thankful to have him.  He is our very special gift.

T-7(ish) and Counting

(10/18/12)

Have you figured it out?  Have you noticed the amount of “counting” that occurs in the midst of fertility treatments.  Today is another counting day, because it struck me this morning as I was laying in bed between “snooze buttons” that we are approximately 7 days away from the start of our next and final IVF experience.

We are ready to get started.  We are ready to see where this journey will take us.

Over the past month, both the husband and I have been having weekly acupuncture (scientifically shown to improve results and something I did pre-Jack) and taking the appropriate vitamins as well as drinking this NASTY-tasting super food shake.  Seriously, it tastes like you are drinking the clippings from your lawn mower bag.  We could probably save a bit of money if we just baggied up the grass after each lawn mowing.

All of this is in an effort to have a successful cycle.

It struck me yesterday, though, that even in all of this effort to get our bodies prepped and working correctly, my pants are starting to feel a little tight.  Apparently, a move towards a healthier body has not curbed my stress-eating.

So, if you see me with french fries in my hand, tell me to put them down and walk away, because I can take too much more expansion.  The bloating from the stims alone may leave me with only 3 outfits to choose from.

Waiting

(10/25/12)

Well, today should have been the start of the IVF cycle, but “something” hasn’t shown up. So we are in a holding pattern.  I did break down and take a pregnancy test this morning just to make sure (of course, I still have about 47 of them left that I bought from Dollar Tree and they have to be used up somehow).  No, I am not pregnant, but I am ready to get this show on the road.

Here We Go!

(10/30/12)

We started our next and last IVF cycle yesterday.  I can definitely tell that there are some funny hormones in my body.  I feel a bit sorry for the husband.  I know that I am not the most pleasant when in the midst of this cycle.

Anyway, the plan is to take birth control pills through November 7th, and then I will go into my RE office’s on the 8th for an EOC sonogram.  We will start stims on the 11th, and egg retrieval should be sometime the week of November 20.

Again, I know that information is not necessarily important to anyone else but me, but there is so much that I try to remember from last time, and I grow frustrated when I can’t remember.  So, I am recording it here.

The husband also had his “fish” analysis today.  After 6 weeks of acupuncture, vitamins, decreased caffeine, etc., his numbers looked really good.  Better than they ever have.  So, he is going to keep doing all of that until the egg retrieval.

I also told the guys in the office today in our ministry staff meeting.  Nothing like saying the acronym IVF to a group of men.  I at least held off using the words ovary and va—-.  I mean really, how do you tell a group of guys that you are starting an IVF cycle when you already have a 10-month old because of premature ovarian failure?  I feel like I need to give more explanation, but that explanation makes me want to cry.  So, I went with health issues.

We’ll just keep taking it one day at a time.

Clothes, Tears, and BCPs

(11/4/12)

Come on, say it with me, “Clothes, Tears, and Birth Control Pills.”  It has kind of a jingly rhyme to it.  If only everything in the fertility world was quite so peppy.

Three days left of the BCP–woohoo.  The husband would say the same thing.  I have NOT been easy to live with.  There have been way too many tears.

Also, we had to break down and buy me a handful of dresses, because the bloating was getting so bad that pants were not a good piece of clothing.  However, I do have a sweet husband who went shopping with Jack and me so that I could get 4 dresses.  There is a good chance that those are the only pieces of clothing that I will be wearing over the next 35 days.

Sweet Jack has really done a good job lately of reminding me how blessed that we are to be his parents.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, we would love another child, but if this cycle doesn’t work, we are incredibly blessed to have sweet Jack.

General Update

(11/9/12)

Well, yesterday was my baseline sonogram for the start of this IVF cycle.  I also ordered my meds (the BIG ones) and then picked them up yesterday.  My house now looks like a class one pharmacy.

I was a little worried that we would have to stop this cycle because the boy and I got a nasty stomach bug at the start of this week, but I was able to take and keep down my BCP each day.  So, it is all still on.

We will start the follistim (150 IU) and menopur (2 units) shots on Sunday evening.  We will do 4 days of those shots before going back for another sonogram.  At that point, the doctor will adjust my medications based on how everything is growing.  From there, I will have sonograms and bloodwork about every 2 days until the decision is made to trigger for the egg retrieval.

Just some pieces of information that we talked about with the doctor yesterday that I want to note for memory’s sake:

• Greg’s numbers are good that we may not have to ICSI.  I was sure I still wanted to do this regardless of numbers, but after visiting with the doctor and discussing the pros and cons, we have decided to make it a “that day” decision.
• Because of my age, more than likely we will be implanting 3 embryos.  If there are 2 that are a great blastocyst quality, then we will just do 2, but otherwise, the plan is 3.
• If we have embryos left over after the ET, we have decided to freeze them (cryopreservation) for a FET later on.  This wasn’t even an issue last time.  When we got to the hospital for the ET last time, there were only 2 left, and those two were implanted.

I’m guessing the next time you will hear from me is once my belly has started bruising from the shots…ouch!

Three Ways to Tell

(11/15/12)

After last night, I have decided there are three ways to tell that you are officially all-consumed, smack-dab in the middle of the fertility world.

1.  You are receiving regular compliments on how nice you look when in reality the reason for the niceness is that you had to buy new dresses to fit your ever-swelling, drug-ladened body.

2.  You have to duck into your office in between work and a meeting to mix and inject the necessary hormones.

3.  You ask a person at church if they can give you a shot in your bottom next week. (To be fair, this person is a nurse who has also traveled the fertility road, your husband has class until 10pm on Wednesday nights, meds have to be given on a schedule, and you can’t reach your own bottom to give yourself a shot.)

Well, I had a sonogram this morning to check follicle progress.  There are currently 8 follicles growing well on my right ovary and 6 growing well on my left ovary.  So, I will continue with 150 IU of Follistim and 2 units of Menopur tonight and tomorrow, and then tomorrow evening I will also had in a shot of Ganirelix.  Then, I’ll have another sonogram on Saturday.  We are hoping and praying that everything continues like it is.

We Have a “Go” Date

(11/20/12)

I had yet another doctor’s appointment this morning (and one yesterday and another one tomorrow).  After yesterday’s appointment, we were fully expecting to trigger this evening which would mean a Thanksgiving Egg Retrieval (how ironic it would be to “hunt eggs” on Thanksgiving).

However, after today’s appointment, there are some good size eggs, but there are quite a few that are still considered mid-size.  To give me the best chance at success, they really would like to catch a few of those eggs.  So, they are putting me off one more day.

By tomorrow evening, I will have been given or self-injected 26 shots.  5 of those shots is a medication that we discovered I am allergic to.  So, I have also had to take Benadryl to counteract the reaction.  My last few nights have really taken on a “drunk” quality because of the Benadryl.

So, the egg retrieval will be on Friday morning and the embryo transfer will either be Monday or Wednesday.  We are hoping for Wednesday, because that indicates a better embryo quality.  Somewhere along that point, I will also start my PIO (progesterone in oil) shots.  Those go in my bottom.  My bottom is going to be S.O.R.E.

Emotionally, we are making it okay.  The husband and I just keep focusing on the blessing that is Jack, and that regardless of what happens, we have given it all we’ve got.

The Hormones Are Raging

(11/20/12)

I know two posts in one day is a little unusual, but it has been that kind of day.  The hormones are raging, and the meltdowns that have been generated due to said hormones are probably driving the husband crazy.

Some of my current meltdown moments…

• I didn’t buy my child a Thanksgiving shirt when they first came out, because I didn’t want to pay full price, and now it is impossible to find one in his size.
• Because of the “Thanksgiving Shirt Debacle,” I have started looking at Christmas onesies for the boy.  Why are so many of the boy clothes rather tacky.  For example, I truly do not want my child wearing a shirt for their first Christmas that says, “Why do I need Santa when I have Grandma.”  Yes, I realize it is just a little boys shirt, but I’m not a fan of the materialism genre.
• Now that we know the egg retrieval is going to be on Friday, my brain has been obsessing over whether it will be a 3-day or 5-day transfer and what that means…and when I say obsessing, I truly mean obsessing.  This sort of overwhelming thought makes me want to burst into tears every 20 minutes or so.
• While I am trying to play it all cool and everything with regards to the outcome of this IVF, the worries have hit me hard.  What if the husband’s sample isn’t good?  What if they decide not to ICSI because the sample is good, and then nothing fertilizes because they didn’t ICSI?  What if a good number of eggs fertilize, but then do not hatch?  What if they decide to do a 3-day transfer and pick the wrong eggs?  I could go on and on.  Quite simply, my worrying is in full force.

My plan is to really try to bury myself in work tomorrow after my doctor’s appointment so that my mind will stay off of the procedure, and then I am hoping that the fun of being around family for Thanksgiving will keep my mind occupied on Thursday.

Black Friday

(11/23/12)

Today was Black Friday.  It was also egg retrieval day.  I did ask the ARTS center if I could get a black friday kind of deal on the procedures.  I told them I didn’t mind camping out in a tent all night if that would help.

We had to be there by 7:00am, and they immediately got started on me.  We were given a multitude of instructions, and then I was asked to change into a gown .

The nurse got an IV started and then rolled me back to the procedure room.  I was placed under general anesthesia, and let me tell you that I am HIGHLY susceptible to anesthesia.  I think I was out in about 30 seconds from when they administered the first medication.

On the whole, the procedure went very well.  They retrieved 20 eggs, and based on the sonogram I had on Wednesday, about 10-12 of those should have been mature.  We will know more information tomorrow about the maturity of the eggs and the fertilization of them.  The embryologist came and visited with us this morning, and explained how he would handle the decision to ICSI or not and “rescue fertilization.”

I’m pretty uncomfortable in general, but I’ve been able to just lay around today and stay in bed a good portion of the time.  I guess now we are just waiting to talk to the embryologist tomorrow to see where we go from here.

Tomorrow Is the Big Day

(11/27/12)

Late Saturday morning, we got a call from the embryologist telling us that they did not have to ICSI, and that 11 eggs had fertilized.  We were beyond thrilled with that number (with Jack, only 3 fertilized).  However, there was still a good bit of waiting to do and hurdles to overcome.  The plan was for the RE and embryologist to make a decision Monday morning (after they checked continued growth) on whether or not we would do the embryo transfer on Monday or Wednesday.

Early yesterday morning, the embryologist called me to give me the results of the growth.  4 eggs were a grade 1 quality (that is the highest); 1 was a grade 2; 4 were a grade 3, and 2 were a grade 5.  Again, we were pleased with the current results.  However, due to my medical history and a handful of other factors, the RE and embryologist made the decision to do the embryo transfer on Wednesday (which is considered a Day 5 transfer).

So, I will go in tomorrow and then be on bed rest for 2 days.  There are still many things that could go wrong, and the IVF just simply might not work.  However, the husband and I still feel at peace with the fact that we are doing everything we can, and whatever happens is what happens.

(8/30/02)

Yes, this is pretty indicative of my life.

It’s Thursday, August 30, 2012, and today is the day that we enter back into the world of fertility treatments.

I went and picked up my medications yesterday, and I head to the doctor later today for my “start of this round” ultrasound.

While I have learned to be reasonably open about our fertility struggles in the past, I have kept the start of this new journey fairly quiet.  For my own peace of mind and ability to handle any disappointments along the way, I think that is how I need to approach this…at least for the time being.

Maybe one day I will hit “publish” on each of these upcoming fertility posts, or maybe I will only scroll back through and read them privately as I need to reflect on the journey.  Regardless of the outcome, I hope to learn something from all of this.

In the meantime, I will leave you with a text exchange between a friend and me last night…

Yes, it is definitely worth it.

If You Stick It, It Bleeds

(9/2/12)

Well, I am on Day 3 of my nightly injections.  I have one more day of injections before I go back into the RE (reproductive endocrinologist) to have an ultrasound to check on my follicles.  At that point, the RE will determine what to do next (more injections, more waiting, more injections and more waiting), and we’ll go from there.

I have the world’s worst memory…truly, I do.  Just ask the husband.  There are many times that he will remind me of something that we talked about the day before, and I have no recollection of it.  In my first go around with the fertility treatments, I somewhat remember what I did (a little of this and a little of that and then the big one…IVF), but I cannot rattle off my details like so many RE patients.

Therefore, so that I have it for my records, this cycle consists of follistim, ovidrel, and progesterone.  Starting on CD3, I am doing 3 days of 150IU and a 4th day of 100IU.  After my ultrasound, the RE will determine if I need to continue injections.  Okay, I know that info is not important for anyone else but me, but I wanted to have it written down in one place.

As we have gotten started on this cycle (yes, I know the husband is not actually being injected with hormones, but he has to put up with a wife who is, and that might be much worse), 3 things have struck me…

1.  If you stick a needle in me, I bleed.  My injection sights are sore.

2.  I have a great deal of guilt associated with these fertility treatments.  Guilt about how the shots and hormones make me feel (nauseated with a bad headache) and how that impacts the husband.  Guilt about having to work so hard and spend a fairly substantial amount of money just to be able to get pregnant.  The list could go on and on, but you get the picture.

3.  I have mastered giving myself a shot which makes me very proud (I realize how wrong that sounds).  I couldn’t do it with the IVF cycle, but with this one, I had to.  So, hand me a needle, and I will inject away.

1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little Follicles

(9/4/12)

Well today was my first “follicle check” on this cycle of drugs.  I was a little disappointed in the results.  While I have quite a few follicles that are visible, only one (even after being pumped with drugs) is growing to the extent that the doctor thinks it might be a viable one to catch.

So, I continue with the injections (100 IU tonight and tomorrow night), and then I will go back in on Thursday for another ultrasound.  At that point, the doctor will decide to trigger or have me come back the next day to check again.  Regardless, it looks like we will have the IUI on either Saturday or Sunday.

 And the Obsession Begins

(9/5/12)

Here is a little trip into the mind of a woman undergoing fertility treatments.  About every other thought today revolved around this current cycle.

Current obsessive questions that are running through my mind…

1.  Why is my body only producing one viable follicle?

2.  Why won’t this follistim headache go away?

3.  What if the doctors are wrong and my body ovulates before the trigger shot?

4.  What if the one “mature” follicle is actually a fake (this was determined to be a problem throughout the IVF process)?

5.  Is it time yet to take my evening shot yet?  (It isn’t, but I keep looking at the clock regardless.)

And so as you can see, the obsession begins and continues and continues.  Such is the mind of the infertile female.

Confession

(9/8/12)

Guess what I bought today?

14 Pregnancy Tests from Dollar Tree.

Guess how much I spent?

$14.

Now as absurd as that confession sounds, it really does make sense (at least in my mind).  In an effort to keep myself from “going crazy” (although one might argue that with the purchase of 14 pregnancy tests I might already be there), I am going to test out my trigger shot (Ovidrel…which is an HCG).  This will allow be to administer a pregnancy test for results around the appropriate time without worrying about the leftover HCG.

Confessing all of this, does make me feel a little better, though.

 TWW

(9/10/12)

I wrote an abbreviation (technically an acronym) down the other morning at the Mother’s Prayer Breakfast.  One of the ladies remarked that she hadn’t realized that what I wrote down was an accepted abbreviation for what we were talking about.  Such is the land of infertility.  It is replete with acronyms–FET, TTC, IUI, IVF, EWCM, FSH, BFP, BFN, POAS, PIO, and I could continue for quite awhile.  In fact, I am fairly certain that I could write an entire sentence only using acronyms.

Thus, today’s title post…TWW…two week wait.  Yes, folks, that is where we currently are.  We are in the midst of the TWW.

Today was my IUI.  The stats going into it today were not as good as we had hoped.  The doctor had hoped that my stim dosage would create 3-4 viable follicles that would deposit eggs.  I only got 1.  The pre-wash and post-wash numbers were also not just wonderful, but they were at least a little better than I expected.

So, I go into the next two weeks just having to wait and be patient (definitely not my strong suit).  The husband and I had already decided on our “next step” if this procedure isn’t sucessful, and the doctor and I took a few minutes to visit about that (can I tell you how much I do NOT want to move onto the “next step).

Overall, I am feeling a little discouraged in how negative I am feeling about our chances of this working.  I have decided, though, that it is a defense mechanism that will allow me to not be quite as devastated if this cycle doesn’t work.  Regardless, I am going to spend time over the next two weeks in prayer for peace and comfort no matter what the outcome is.

Let the POAS begin.

How’s That for Uncertainty

(9/12/12)

Well, I went in yesterday for a sonogram to see if my large right follicle had collapsed (meaning that it ovulated after the trigger shot).  While the sonographer was at work, I noticed this sonogram was taking a lot longer than it really should have.  And with it not being the most “delicate” position to be in, I couldn’t really relax.

Once he finished up, he went over the results with me–pictures and all.  He doesn’t really know if my right follicle ovulated, because 3 non-mature follicles overtook it.  So, there is no way to know if it collapsed.  He thinks there is a good chance that it did, but can’t say for sure.

However, he did see that one of my left follicles collapsed (ovulated).  As far as we know, though, I did not have any mature eggs on my left side.  He did tell me that there is a line of thinking that says a follicle won’t ovulate unless an egg is mature.  So, here’s to hoping that is true.

What this means is that I had either 0, 1, or 2 eggs floating around for the IUI.  How’s that for uncertainty?

Contingency Plan

(9/19/12)

So, I start off by asking this question.

Is it counter-productive to already have a contingency plan in place for when this cycle is not successful?

Yes, the husband and I are having to view it that way (for the sake of our separate and combined sanity).  It is a when and not an if.  It is a “we need to plan” type time in our lives.  Otherwise, when the little test on Monday comes up negative, then we (especially me) will struggle mightily with those results.

So, no, it isn’t a lack of faith or a glass half empty mentality.  It is a coping mechanism.  We know that our percentage chance of the IUI working is incredibly low, but we needed to dip our toe back into the infertility pool in a way that we felt comfortable and was reasonably non-invasive.

Once we did that, the husband and I both easily came to a consensus on our contingency plan.  We needed an “if A+B=C, then X.”  We now have that.

I’m not saying that Monday won’t be hard, but maybe it will be a little less hard…a little less emotional…a little less glass half empty.

 Meltdown Moment

(9/23/12)

Well, it is the day before I go to the doctor to take the “am I pregnant or not” test.  Let’s be honest, though, I have been using the early pregnancy test since the box suggested it was time, and each time I get the “not pregnant” window.

I knew this cycle was not likely to work, but I really didn’t expect it to hit me this hard.  And this morning was a meltdown moment…a “we spent $XXXX on this cycle and we’re not even pregnant” moment…a “this is way harder than I remembered” moment.

Needless to say, I will be okay.  I will go in in the morning for the official test, and then I will sit down with the doctor and double check that our contingency plan is still the best option for us.  As hard as it will be to tell answer “no” when the nurse asks me if the pregnancy test I am supposed to use in the morning is positive, it is a necessary evil before we are able to move on.

In the meantime, I am going to try to relax and abandon the meltdown moment for the time being.

What We Already Knew

(9/24/12)

I went to the doctor today for the bloodwork.  I melted down after I had been asked 3 times by 3 different people at the doctor’s office if my pregnancy test this morning at home was positive or negative (it was negative, and they were just doing their job).

Results came back a little after 1pm.  My hcg was less than 1 and my progesterone was 7.1.  The doctor said to stop all meds until the next cycle.

This is officially a failed cycle.

It was a hard day, but my sweet husband stopped by my work after class today and did what he does so well–make me feel like it will all be okay.

And truly, it will.  We have Jack.  That doesn’t mean we aren’t moving onto the next step and trying again.  But we have Jack, and he is a blessing, and he makes it all okay.

So, the plan is to take off this coming cycle (it fits better in our schedule plus ARTs will be closed for cleaning and maintenance when we would need it, so we couldn’t do this cycle anyway) and then with the next cycle do a round of IVF.

 Still Sad

(9/26/12)

Well, it’s Wednesday, and I am still struggling with the results of Monday.  I’ve taken to hiding out in my office and burying myself in work so that I can try to keep my mind off of things or at least avoid people with my tear stained face.

I hope tomorrow is better.  If it isn’t, at least my productivity at work is exceptional.

We Have Come up with a Plan

(10/1/12)

Disclaimer:  This isn’t a true infertility post, but it has definitely been influenced by all of the fertility issues.  So, I have included it in this grouping.

Well, it is the first of October, and I have made it past the failed cycle and started to feel okay (i.e. less sad), and approximately 23 days from now, we will begin our IVF cycle.

While the cycle sadness has started leaving me, I have really been struggling with work and how that affects my time with our sweet boy.  I love my job, and I feel very blessed to get to do this for a living.  However, I don’t get to see my sweet boy as much as I would like, and therefore, I feel like I am missing out on all that he is doing.

The other night I burst into tears, because when I excitedly told the husband what Jack had just done for the first time, he told me that Jack had actually been doing it all day.  (I just hadn’t been there to see it.)

So, couple cycle sadness with mommy sadness and work stress, and you have a very teary mother.  Yesterday, the husband and I talked about what we could do, how I could feel like I wasn’t missing out on my child’s life, ways for me to spend more time with Jack, and we have come up with a plan (actually, the husband came up with the plan, and it is really good.)

And today, I woke up quite a bit happier, because we have a plan.

Below is the pictorial representation of this event.

First, Jack was eating.

Then, he was chewing on a toy.

Look, there’s the husband’s head.

Jack is now playing with his seahorse.

Now for a blurry picture of the husband.

Let’s try the cap on Jack.

As you can tell, it was a momentous occasion for Greg.

Happy 11 Months to our sweet boy.  Like last month, we are a few days late posting your newsletter, but I hope you’ll forgive us.

You are continuing to grow and move and change every day.  You are chewing on EVERYTHING, so I feel like you have another tooth trying to come through, but there are still no signs of it.

You are standing by yourself even more and will often play with a toy while just standing there.  There is a hint of a step without holding onto anything starting to occur, but only if we leave the remote control lying within your reach.

Our big 11-month tasks revolve around your soy and dairy challenge.  We completed and failed your soy challenge this past week, and in a few days, we will try your dairy challenge.  Your GI doctor was thrilled with your growth and development.  You are still in 9-month clothes, size 3 diapers, and size 2 shoes (although you still really do not wear shoes).

You have had to experience some very stern “no’s” lately, and you did not react favorably to those.  You looked at us with such a hurt face and then cried and then checked to see if we had changed our minds (we didn’t).  I have to admit that it was a little hard not to laugh at your expressions.

Tomorrow is your first really big event to attend.  Your daddy is graduating from college, and you are going to get dressed up and watch him walk across the stage.  I’m really glad you get to watch your daddy with his accomplishment.  He is such a great role model for you, and I hope you grow up to be just like him.

You are a huge blessing in our lives, and we are reminded everyday in all of the little things you do how special you are to us.

We love you!

• I had a spot removed from my back today.  The husband wanted me to video them performing their “surgery.”  I will admit I was kind of curious what it looked like, but I couldn’t figure out how to get a good video of my back while laying on my tummy.
• I did ask them if I could see the “chunk” in the specimen dish before they sent it off.
• There is a good chance that I have eaten about 9 rolls of Smarties today.  They were left in my office from an activity last Wednesday night.
• I love Siri way too much.  I have all but stopped typing anything on my phone.
• I have been listening to the same song all day as I have worked at my computer. It’s junior high all over again.
• My legs needed to be shaved this morning, but I decided that the opaque tights I was planning to wear would hide that fact.
• I’m really embarrassed that I just admitted that last one to you guys.

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Well, since the stomach virus of last week, our house has been inhabited by Crabby Jack.  Needless to say, this has also made for a Crabby Mommy.  I know he is still trying to feel better, but crabbiness abounds which means I am having to work on my “calm spirit.”

Speaking of crabbiness, the husband and I were so desperate for Jack to get a good nap on Sunday afternoon in between morning service and Life Group that we drove around for an hour and a half so that he could sleep.  Yep, that is $17.83 in gas plus $5.43 in tolls, and although that was money well spent, I’m thinking I may have to start docking his piggy bank.

The above picture is before his GI doctor’s appointment yesterday.  I was so excited for her to get to see Jack.  He had his official weight and height check, and he is now 28 1/2 inches long and weighs 18lbs and 0.4 ounces (just under 18lbs 1oz).

All in all she was very pleased with how he is doing.  There are still some feeding issues we need to master, but she is going to give us until the 11 month mark for those.  At that point, if he is still struggling then we will go back to the feeding therapist.

Also, at the 11-month mark, we will do a soy challenge and then a milk challenge to see if he has grown out of his allergies.

Since Jack has gotten bigger and stronger, he is loving his Johnny Jump Up, but as you can tell, even amidst the funny, Crabby Jack is still here.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Happy 10 Months!  Actually you turned 10-Months Old last Sunday, but our house (meaning you and me) were hit with a nasty stomach bug, and we have just now gotten around to taking your 10-Month  picture and doing your newsletter.

That stomach bug was bad for both of us, and you and I just laid on the couch for days.  I will admit that I really enjoyed getting to snuggle with you so much.  You literally would just lay there on me and not move.  That is so unusual for you these days.  Fortunately, we had Daddy and Mawmaw to take care of us, and now that you are back to feeling better, there is no snuggling going on.

You are continuing to pick up speed with your moving.  You enjoy cruising the entire perimeter of your play area and spend a good bit of time going up and down the couch.  Your daddy also took the stoppers off your walker and you like going throughout the house in it now.  Occasionally you will let go of whatever you are holding onto, and for a brief second or two, you are standing on your own.  I know it will still be awhile before you walk, but it is tremendous watching you figure all of this out.

We are working on waving “hi” and “bye.”  You will occasionally do it, but generally, your fingers are pointing towards you when you wave which means you are telling yourself “hi” and “bye.”

You are continuing to grow well.  We have a doctor’s appointment with your GI doctor this week, and I can’t wait for her to see you and see how much you have grown.  I am also looking forward to the weight check.  You are still struggling with the chunkier food (you try to swallow it whole rather than chew it), but we will just keep working on it.  You do enjoy eating, though, and sometimes will bang your hand on the high chair tray to let us know that it is time for more food.

Toothwise, you officially have 7 teeth–your 4 top teeth (although, one of your top front teeth is just barely poking through) and 3 bottom ones.  Nothing else looks to be coming in anytime soon.

Clothingwise, you are still in 9 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and size 2 shoes (although, we have only worn shoes once).  You are not really a fan of shoes, but the day we wore them, you kept them on the whole time.

Your hair is definitely turning blond and getting so thick and a little scraggly.  We are getting your first official haircut this week.  We won’t trim much, but the sides and back are looking a little mullet-esque, and they really need to be taken care of.

Your personality is continuing to blossom, and it is fun to watch you start showing preferences for things.  For example, you love looking at your Bible storybook and your “Wheels on the Bus” book.  You will pass up all other books around you and pick up those two.  We just love that you seem to really enjoy books in general.  You also love your Fisher Price Little People “Harvest Hayride” set.  You will search for the farmer and stick him in your mouth or hit him against other toys for a good little bit.  Since we have mastered hitting two objects together, that has become another favorite.  We hit and hit and hit a big variety of objects together, and you love it.

Your daddy and I are amazed each day that we were chosen to be your parents.  You are an amazing little boy, and we love you very much!

This edition of the Wednesday Confessions is brought to you by the letter “B” (for Boo) and the number 7 (just because I like that number).

• This is Jack’s first Halloween, and he is celebrating it with his grandparents, because the husband has class until 10pm and I have work.  It makes me a bit sad.  I did make my dad promise to take LOTS of pictures, though.
• I’m hoping my child comes home with lots of skittles.  That will make me feel better.
• I have to fly to Lubbock tomorrow to interview interns.  I am flying Southwest.  So, I set my alarm for the 24-hour mark so that I can have the best check-in number.  I’m a little competitive.
• Both breakfast and lunch yesterday consisted of a peanut butter sandwich.  Today’s lunch would have been the same except we have leftovers from dinner that need to be eaten.
• Right now, I am drinking out of a pink plastic “Solo” cup that I got out of the workroom, because it makes me happy.
• There is an over-sized floppy cowboy hat sitting in my office right now (like the ones you “win” at Six Flags), and I really want to take my picture in that hat and post it on the church website as my staff photo.
• I’m thinking that since changing my staff picture probably wouldn’t go over too well, I might just wear the large hat during church tonight.

I think the embarrassment of that last one is enough for today.  Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Anyway…

For this Wednesday’s confessions, I leave you with this…

• I would rather eat mashed potatoes than any other food on the earth (if you saw any of my pregnancy posts, this is not a surprise to you).
• My second favorite food is Fruity Pebbles.  I can polish off a box much quicker than the one ever should (this is why we rarely buy it).
• Speaking of cereal, in college I ate Corn Pops for two weeks straight to collect enough box tops to get a “Making of Star Wars” video tape (yes, it was the time of VHS).
• One Christmas, my cousins and I snuck a bunch of grapefruits outside (that had been a Christmas gift to our families by a great aunt and uncle) and proceeded to use them for target practice with the rifle.
• I like to stop at McDonalds each morning for a bowl of oatmeal.  Yes, I realize that I can make it much cheaper at home, but I still stop anyway.
• I am a grammar police.  I absolutely dislike bad grammar or mistakes in any writing.  However, I am too lazy to reread my own blog posts, so I am sure they are riddled with mistakes.
• I’m just downright sleepy.  I need a good two days of sleep, but I am not sure where I will find that.  So, in the meantime I have turned back to Diet Coke to get me through the day.  Yes, I know caffeine is bad for me.  Yes, I know aspartame is bad for me.  No, right now I do not care.

And there you have it, my Wednesday Confessions on Thursday with a Diet Coke by my side.

Here are my Wednesday Confessions…

* I refuse to wear clothes more than once before washing them (this drives the husband crazy).  However, I will easily go 3 days in between washing my hair.

* Now that I have missed two of the boy’s teeth coming in, I feel an unnatural obsession with doing regular “teeth checks.”  This means I have to hold down a flailing child and lift his upper lip (like on a horse) as he tries to get away from me.  He does NOT like this.  I still do it, though, almost every night.

* I am also a little unnaturally obsessed with boogers around my child’s nose and will tend to pick at anything I see.

* Before the boy was sleeping through the night, if I was exceptionally tired or crabby when he’d cry out, I would be extra boisterous while getting out of bed so that the husband was also awakened.

* I really like smocked outfits on little boys.  The husband really does not.  I have had to curtail the number of smocked outfits our little boy owns.

* The husband cooks virtually all of our meals.  I am REALLY not a good cook.

* Some nights after Jack goes to bed, I have been catching up on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”  I’m currently on Season 3.  The next show in my queue is “Felicity.”

Dear Jack,

Happy 9 Months to you!  I think this past month has been your biggest month of growth and change, and each day I look at you, you look more like a little boy and less like a baby.

We had your 9-month doctor’s appointment yesterday, and you are officially back on and moving along the growth curve.  You are 17lbs and 5.5 oz on the pediatrician’s scale and 16 lbs 15.5 oz on the GI doctor’s scale.  So, we’ll just split the difference and say you are in the low 17lbs.  We are thrilled to have reached this milestone.  You are back in the 5-10% on weight.  You are 27 1/4 inches tall (10-25%) and your head is in the 25% as near as they can tell (you refused to lay anywhere near still for this measurement).

While your personality has been obviously developing and peaking through over the last few months, it is very evident now.

You are very independent and want to make your own choices–like for example, whether or not to look at the camera.  The hindering of the choice making has led to more than one tantrum.

When something is your own choice, you are very happy to do it, and you generally remain a pretty happy baby.

You love to laugh.  Your daddy can still make you laugh more than anyone else, and you and he will just sit together and laugh and laugh and laugh.  It really warms my heart to see the relationship that the two of you have.  It is so special.  You are definitely your daddy’s boy.

Our biggest accomplishment over this month is the mastering of the “Big 3.”  You are officially, pulling up to a standing position, going from laying down to sitting up, and crawling.  We have been working so hard on these things with your OT and PT, and when we went for yesterday’s appointment, they were as thrilled as we were.  Mrs. Liesl and Mrs. Ren have really helped you come a long way, and we feel blessed to have them as your therapists.

You currently have 3 teeth (the 2 lower ones and one of your canines), and we have begun the task of getting you used to brushing your teeth.  You love chewing on the toothbrush, and it makes your giggle when we brush your gums.  In addition to the 3 teeth you have, your other canine is getting ready to poke through, and it looks like the gum area around your front teeth are getting ready to show some teeth.

Your eating has continued to improve.  However, we are struggling with table food.  You LOVE LOVE LOVE puffs, and you will handle little bites of banana, but everything else brings on a very different reaction.  We’ll get there, but in the meantime, there has been some gagging involved in mealtimes.

You are definitely all boy.  In fact, taking your 9-month pictures just about killed your dad and me.  You kept trying to dive out of your chair, or stand in it, or climb over it.  I have a feeling that now that you have really figured out your movement, the calm little boy has turned into a mover and a shaker.

As we continue into the next month and watch you continue to grow, your daddy and I thank God every day for the wonderful gift that you are to us.  Our lives are never boring and are generally coated in spit-up, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We love you!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

I have apparently resorted to in all-time low.  In my “mommydom” world, I am wearing black shoes with brown pants and a brown sweater.

…Oh, and did I mention that my black shoes are flip flops?

Yep, not only do I not own brown shoes that fit my feet, I was not actually planning on getting any, because I have diapers and wipes and baby stuff that have taken up a few extra line items in our budget.

So, What Not to Wear watchers, please feel free to nominate me, because as I continue to travel into this world of food-stained clothing and comfortable shoes, I am not anticipating that it will get any better.

Okay, so the top picture has nothing to do with “The Wild Wild West” post, but it is a cute picture from Jack’s OT session this past week.  He got to work on the big ball.

Anyway, this past weekend, the family loaded up and headed out to Lubbock so that Jack could meet his great-grandparents (my dad’s parents).  Obviously, on the way to Lubbock, one must stop in Abilene.  Here, Jack is enjoying lunch at Taco Casa.

Once we arrived in Lubbock, Jack was able to meet everyone.  It was at this point that I realized I forgot my good camera.  Therefore, you are going to have to put up with slightly blurry iPhone pictures from the rest of this post, because I have a child that doesn’t like to sit still.

This is Jack with his Granny.

Jack and Granddaddy–I love this picture, because they were taking a moment to visit with each other.

Every trip out to the farm requires that you check out the bowl.  The bowl is where Granny put anything small she would find after we would visit.  Then on your next visit, you would check it out and claim your items.  The bowl currently holds an “I Love Band” pencil, a pencil topper, 7 puzzle pieces, and a broken wind-up kangaroo.  Jack had his eye on the kangaroo.

Out on the farm, Jack and his PawPaw took lots of pictures.  Here they are in one of the tractors.

And of course, he had to pose on the wheel of the tractor.  No, we did not let go.

Out amidst the cotton…Next time we come, he is going to be put to work.  With him being so low to the ground, picking cotton should be easy.

3 Generations…I kind of wish Granddaddy had been out there with us so that we could get 4.

All in all, it was a good trip.  I will say, though, the boy is very similar to his mother in ability to travel–meaning, not very good.  We did have a number of meltdown moments that required stops along the side of the road or at semi-solvent Subways.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Happy 8 Months!  I’m sorry that I am a few days late with this post, but busy-ness has gotten the best of us.

You turned 8 Months this past Tuesday, which was also your first day of preschool.  Technically, you are attending the nursery class one day a week while Mawmaw teaches her music class.  You and the other babies get to go to music class, and she said that you guys just love it.

You have made so many developmental growths over this past month.  Your arm use is getting so much better, and you are sitting up on our own.  Your OT and PT are amazed by the amount of progress you are making, and your daddy and I are equally amazed.

You have also began getting up on all fours in preparation for crawling.  While there are still some kinks to work out, you have developed your own style of forward motion that really looks a lot like “The Worm”.  Yes, we do encourage 80′s break dancing in our house.

You also now have two bottom teeth (as is evidenced by the supreme amount of drool that regularly pours from your mouth).  Your eating has also picked up, and during most meal times, you sit there with your mouth open like a little bird.  You are still eating your high calorie formula, but along with that is 3 4-ounce jars of baby food each day.  You also love “drinking” from a glass or sippy cup.  You haven’t really mastered it, but you are insistent that we pull one out with each meal.

You are continuing to gain weight, and we are officially “growing appropriately.”  You are just over 16 lbs (around 16lbs 2 oz) and 27-inches long.

You are a funny little boy with a personality to match.  One day I put you down for a nap, and while I hadn’t placed you in bed with a paci in your mouth, there were two pacis in your crib.  Over the baby monitor, I kept hearing this loud knocking noise, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.  So, I snuck back in your room and saw that you had found both pacis.  One was in your mouth, and the other one was being raked back and forth across your crib bars as if your were protesting your time in “jail.”

You also have a stubborn streak (which according to your Mawmaw comes from me).  You will not do something if you do not initiate it yourself.  This holds true in therapy (and therefore, there is lots of crying with your PT) and at home.  Your daddy and I often have to work hard at not laughing at your stubborness, and we have even had to begin to use the word “no” and offer gentle correction when you throw a little fit.

Despite the stubborn streak, you are still a very happy baby who loves to laugh, and we love listening to you laugh (your daddy is easily the best at making that happen).

This month has brought also brought your first sickness with a stuffy nose, congested cough, and fever.  This means it has also brought your daddy and me up close and personal with the thermometer that doesn’t go under your arm or in your mouth.  That was a learning experience.

These first 8 months have gone by so quickly.  We love being your parents, and you bring so much joy to our lives.  We can’t wait to see what the next month brings.

We love you!

Well, it is fall in Texas (or at least the months indicate that it is fall, the weather still hasn’t caught on).  With fall in Texas comes Friday Night Football.

Jack caught his first football game (Dallas Christian Chargers vs Homeschool Association).

Here are the highlight pictures…

(Jack in his Chargers t-shirt)

(Watching Brittany cheer)

(Wearing Daddy’s hat when it got too hot.)

As a side note, please note the lady with bright red hair behind Jack.  He spent the better part of the second half of the game trying to grab ahold of her hair.  She did not find that very amusing.

Well, the husband and I have experienced our first “sick kid” time, and while he is still croupy, coughy, and crabby, he is infinitely better.

Throughout this “sick kid” ordeal, I have grown exponentially in my parenting knowledge.

These are the things I have discovered…

1.  I apparently now find it acceptable to wipe away snot, boogers, nose guck from my child’s face with my bare hands.

2.  If the boy vomits the entire contents of his stomach while riding in the car, the car seat will indeed catch it all.  However, the car seat will then require power washing to rid it of the sour formula smell.

3.  A little prayer should probably be said before trying to insert a nasal aspirator into your thrashing child’s nose.  Otherwise, injuries might occur.

4.  Likewise, inserting the thermometer into the “other end” is not any better.

5.  After a child begins sleeping through the night, if he has a short spell of sickness wherein he does not sleep through the night, it about kills his momma.

6.  That amount of tiredness makes me perfectly willing to place every single paci we own into his crib in the hopes that he will find one in the middle of the night and go back to sleep.

Happy 7-Months to our sweet sweet boy!

This last month has flown by.  I think it is because I have been so busy with work, but you have tagged right along with me, and you have been a real champ in doing so.

In fact, you have now been to your 4th camp in your short life (2 in utero and 2 out), and you seemed to do really well.  We just loaded you in the big BOB stroller and rolled you from place to place.  It also helped that there were a number of people who were willing to love on you and hold you.  By the time you are ready to go to camp, you will be a pro.

You are continuing to grow well, and that makes your daddy and me very happy.  At our last weight check (less than a week ago) you weighed in at 15lbs and 2oz.  We love looking at the rolls developing on your thighs.  Along with the weight gain comes added strength.  You are rolling all over the place, and your ability to raise yourself up on your arms has gotten significantly better.  You have gotten started on your OT and PT and your grandparents (Mawmaw and Pawpaw) have joined in at doing your exercises with you.

In figuring out how much you can move, you are starting to discover your knees, and while you can’t get up on your arms and knees, you have started scooting on your face and knees.  We really think you will be crawling in the next month or two.

You have also become very adept at putting your paci in your own mouth.  When you feel like you are getting a little fussy, you’ll just reach down and start working it towards your mouth.  It may take a few tries, but you usually get it.

You have also (just yesterday) had your first tooth poke through.  It is a bottom one, and it is cute (although only the very top of it can be seen).  Because of the teething, everything goes into your mouth–your toys, your hands, my hands–everything you come in contact with.

Foodwise, you are eating a variety of foods.  We have discovered another potential allergy area, but other than that, you do well with your fruits and veggies.  We still can’t get you to eat on the cereal (the texture of it seems to bother you), but when we pull out those prunes, it is yum yum time.  You also take regular sips (and when I say sips, I mean dribbling of water down the chin) from a little dixie cup (with our help), and you can get your sippy cup in your mouth, but you can’t quite figure out how to make it work.

You are still a very laid back little boy who loves to laugh and play, and the only times you really get fussy are if you are tired or hungry.  When we strap you into the Bjorn and head out to run errands, you just look around and take in everything.  This alertness has made the Olympic season very interesting to you.  You have watched some of it with us, and it seems like swimming and diving seem to capture your attention the most.

Your dad and I are truly amazed at all that you have started doing over the last month and how much you have grown.  We also can’t believe that you have now been a part of our family for 7 months.  We feel incredibly blessed to be your parents and can’t wait to see what the next month holds.

We love you, Jack Jack!

Dear Sweet Jack,

I absolutely cannot believe that you are 6-months old already.  It just boggles my mind.  It feels like just yesterday that you were born.

Each day with you is a new experience, and it is all quite fun.  Your personality has really been shining through.  You are still as laid back as you have ever been, but you love to laugh, and your daddy is the best at making you laugh.

You went to camp at Oklahoma Christian with me this past month, and while daddy had to stay home for summer school, you and he would Face Time.  It was so fun to watch you two interact via webcam.  He would talk to you, and you would just laugh and smile.  Even if you had been cranky just minutes before (which seemed to happen a bit at camp), seeing daddy on Face Time would just make your face light up.

You are continuing to reach more with your hands, and while you still have some catching up to do, its fun to watch you just sit and play with your toys in your walker.  Speaking of your hands, you have discovered both your feet and my hair.  You love grabbing hold of your feet and sticking them in your mouth, and you also love grabbing hold of my hair.  You have figured out that if you grab ahold of my hair with both hands, you can pull me close enough to give me a BIG, SLOPPY kiss.  So, we sometimes play a game where I kiss, kiss, kiss on your cheek, and then you sloppy kiss on mine in return.

While health-wise you never get sick, we are still struggling with this weight issue (you are currently below the 2nd percentile at 13lbs and 7 oz; since we are doing stats, you are 25 1/2-inches long, and your head is 43 cm), and the doctor isn’t as much concerned with your weight as the fact that you keep dropping in growth.  You are currently on mega-calorie formula, a little “normal” solid food, and mega-calorie special puree.  We are pumping those calories into you, and the goal is to gain 10-ounces in a total of two weeks.  We go back for a weight check in a little over a week, and we are hoping and praying for some good old fashioned baby rolls.

All of these weight issues has led to some gross motor delays, but we will soon begin work with an OT and PT, and we are hoping that soon you will be to the point where you can sit up.

We recently had your assessment at Our Children’s House, and after your work with the OT, you were just pooped.  I had to snap this picture of you, though, because it was just so cute and sweet.  You still love to snuggle with me, and I hope that is not going to end any time soon.

We still cannot decide what color your hair is or is going to be.  It has enough red to it that you look like a strawberry blond, but not red enough that you are a true redhead.  Regardless of the color, you are still a cutie.

Happy 6-Months, sweet boy.  You are a blessing our lives, and we are glad to be our parents.  I can’t wait to see what the next month brings.

We love you.

Dear Sweet Jack Jack,

You are now 5 Months Old.  (Although, I have to admit that I am a few days late getting this posted.)  As cliche as it sounds, and as often as I am sure I say it, I just can’t believe that you are already 5 Months Old.  Where has the time gone?  You are an amazing little boy, and your daddy and I love being your parents.

As you have reached the 5-Month mark, you are talking more and more.  We love just sitting and talking to you, and you keep us laughing at all that you coo to us.  We even had to shush you recently in church, because you had decided to “participate” in church.  You are also growing more and more alert, and I love just watching you take in the world.

You are finally starting to use your arms more, and you even have a few favorite toys.  You are grasping at your fish rattle and the little connecting links.  You also love your ball that has all the holes in it.  You get a good grasp of it and just shake it back and forth.  Sometimes, that shaking results in you whacking yourself in the face with it, but you keep playing nevertheless.  You have also discovered the joy of putting your hands in your mouth, and your dad and I often look over to see you with both hands crammed in as far as they will go.

Strangely enough, one of my favorite times with you is when I am changing your diapers.  When I first get you out of bed in the morning, you just look at me and smile as we put a fresh diaper on you.  It is the most wonderful smile I have ever seen.  Then, in the evening as we are getting ready for bed, I change your diapers and put you in your pajamas, and you just give me the biggest smile.  It makes my heart happy.

You have also mastered the art of rolling over, although, you generally only choose to do it whenever we put you on your tummy.  However, lately you have started turning over from your back to your tummy, and then you figure out that you have put your own self in tummy time, and you get a little mad.

One of the neatest things about watching you grow is how much your daddy works to teach you.  My two favorite are blowing raspberries and the cabbage patch.  (Yes, your dad loves making you cabbage patch.)

I can’t wait to see what the next month has in store for us.  Happy 5-Month Birthday!

Yes, the above picture is proof that I was having fun with my child as he slept one afternoon.

Well, our sweet boy turned 5 months on Monday, and I held off doing his newsletter, because we had a doctor’s appointment today with Jack’s GI doctor, and I was hoping to proudly proclaim amidst his five-month stats that our boy had finally broken the 13-pound mark.  Alas, it isn’t to be.

All in all, it was a discouraging appointment.  The very short version is that we are still “there.”  We had hoped that with the discovery of the milk protein allergy and the knowledge that his small intestines was finally healing that we would be on our way.  However, we have managed to only gain just a little over 1 ounce in two weeks.  So, we will keep searching for answers.  Our GI doctor has gotten us started on our next step, and hopefully we will see Jack thrive.

In the meantime, we will continue to simply enjoy our sweet sweet boy.

We got out Jack’s Johnny Jump Up (say that 5 times fast).  He just kept spinning himself around.  He hasn’t quite mastered the art of jumping.

Hopefully, next time you see him, he will be a jumping machine.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  I have been intending to post for a few days, but I just kept starting little mini-posts.  In an effort to actually get something posted, I have decided to combine all of these into a single submission.

Well, this is one of the reasons that I have only been able to come up with little mini-posts.  Summer is almost upon us, and it is easily my busiest time of the year.  I love all that I get to do, but there have been a few days that my brain has been a bit scattered at all that still needs to be done.  On the day pictured above, I was working from 6 “to do” lists.  By the end of the day, I was able to whittle that list down to an 8 1/2 x 14 inch piece of paper, two-columned, and 10 pt font.  Ah, the small successes.  At least I have my bright colored post-it notes to keep me cheerful.

The boy’s GI doctor has asked us to try to get Jack sleeping on his tummy more (to help with some of his issues).  This is the child that does NOT like tummy time at all.  As you can tell, we have been slowly having some success with that.  He and his owl lovie were tuckered out and decided to finally take a nap.

We also were finally given the green light to try solids (woohoo!).  This was our first attempt.

As you can see, it was going “well.”

And yes, I might have stuck my finger in his mouth a few times to get him to suck down some of the food in his mouth (please no judgment).  Any guesses on Jack’s first food?

Yes, this is what you get for today’s post…a “list-like” week-in-review.  I apologize for the lack of espousing in this blog post, but I still have a load of laundry in the washer that needs to be dried and hung up, only one clean bottle, and a pile of hangers on my bed that separates me from a night of slumber.  So, I have decided to “bullet-point” this blog post in a manner of speaking.

1.  We’ve had some rough days this week.

2.  Jack made it through his Upper GI Endoscopy like a champ.  Now we are waiting on test results.

3.  Rolling over finally occurred.  Tummy time is still kind of hard for him to do, but he stuck with it and his smile speaks for itself.

4.  Jack and his daddy (a.k.a. the husband) made this a WONDERFUL Mother’s Day.  My sweet little owl gave me a sweet little owl necklace.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Happy 4 Months!  You have reached another milestone, and it is so fun to see how you are changing every day.

You are growing more and more alert of the things around you, and it is entertaining to your daddy and me just watching you watching everything else.  When we sit down in church, you look all around at the different people, the stain glass windows, and the big screens (I’ve decided you “think” they are giant televisions).

We’ve continued to have our ups and downs this month with your health, but have made some discoveries and think you are on the right track.  As of this past Monday, you still weigh in at a “hefty” 12-lbs and 2-oz (which is what you have weighed for the 4 weeks prior to that…ugh), but you are now 24 1/2-inches long.  You have two wonderful doctors working with you, and we are hoping and praying that when we go in on Monday for your official 4-month visit, that you will have reached their goal (we have been praying this week for a chubby tummy), otherwise, we will have to move onto some testing (again, ugh).

One of your favorite activities is putting your hand in your mouth.  Any chance you get, in goes that hand.  You also take your paci pretty well.  I think it is just an oral fixation, and so you have become pretty slobbery, but we just wipe your mouth and back in that hand goes.

Your talking and interacting has also picked up quite a bit, and you are starting to talk to other people and not just your daddy and me.  We have so much fun listening to you and talking with you.  While MaMa has heard you full belly laugh a few times,  I have only gotten to hear it once, but it was funny.  I’m hoping this next month brings more of that.

Overall, you are still a pretty laid-back boy, and that is what people comment on the most.  I have been known to strap you into the Baby Bjorn carrier and conduct a meeting with you hanging from me.  You also are pretty good at letting other people hold you.  The only time we really hear fussing from you (knock on wood) is when you either don’t feel good, you need a diaper change, you are hungry, or you are tired.

We are just really enjoying being your parents, and we can’t wait to see what the next month brings.

We love you!

So this is the boy’s new favorite pose.  Seriously, you pull out a camera, and back either one or both of those arms go.  I think he wants everyone to see his “chill” side.

Here we are the next day, waiting to head off to church.

Anyway, back to the point of this post.  On Saturday, the boy and I were having a lazy day as the husband worked on some end-of-the-semester papers.  I noticed a stack of hats on our dining room table laundry station as I was folding clothes that had just come out of the dryer.  Therefore, I decided it was time to subject the boy to a hat day (of course, I took pictures).

And now for your viewing enjoyment…

As you might guess, the boy was not as thrilled with this “dress up” time quite as much as I was, but he remained a good sport.

Also, in case you wanted to see the boy looking a little more street.

The boy has had a rough week.

This means the boy’s parents have also had a rough week.

I know, I know…he looks all cute and asleep in these pictures, but these moments have been a little few and far between.

One of the “side effects” of this rough week has been the inability to get sleep without being held.  So, we have held and we have rocked and we have held some more.

Today after church, Jack was not feeling well and the pitiful crying was fading in and out like the tornado warning alarm siren.  I had already pulled out the vacuum cleaner in the hopes of getting at least a good basic once-over of all the carpet in our house, but he wasn’t having any of it.  So, I did what every good mother would do…I stuck on the Baby Bjorn carrier and strapped him to me and proceeded to vacuum.

About two rooms in, I looked down and noticed that the boy was asleep…fast asleep…amidst all the jerking back and forth as I vigorously vacuumed…he was asleep.

Who knew?

We had already discovered (based on the tip of a family member) that the sound of a vacuum cleaner would lull him to sleep, but never had we experienced this type of vacuum-related phenomenon.

If this week is anything like last week, my house may end up substantially cleaner.  That might actually be part of his master plan to get more holding time.

The boy is a crafty fellow.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Happy 3 Months.  We are just amazed at how time has flown.  I know it is cliched to say, but it really does feel like just yesterday that you were born.

It is incredibly fun to watch you develop.  You have discovered your hands, and you absolutely love putting them in your mouth.  In fact, there are many times that you try to get both hands in your mouth at one time.  When that happens, you usually end up gagging yourself.  You also have become a world champion drooler.  Your mouth is constantly dripping, and while I can’t imagine that you are already starting to teeth, the amount of slobber makes me wonder.

You love to talk to most anyone who will sit and visit with you, and if you are in a good mood, you will just smile and talk for long periods of time.

It also amazes me just how happy you are during diaper changes.  That is usually when we get the biggest grin out of you.  I think it stems from the fact that you want to be clean and dry.  You are still in size 1 diapers, but I think your belly will soon force us up into the next size.

Tummy time is a source of contention in our house.  You hate it with a passion, and so we struggle in that area, but we just keep doing it with you.  I know eventually we’ll be able to place you on your stomach and there won’t be a loud cry from you, but so far, that is not the case.

In your 3 short months, you have had the opportunity to wait out a tornado warning (sirens and everything) in the bathtub with your Mamaw.  Once she got both of you settled in the tub, you went to sleep and stayed that way until the all clear.

3 Months also marks a few other milestones (not just natural disasters).  You have discovered what it is like to be a child of someone who works in Children’s Ministry. After the Spring EGGstravaganza, we just laid you on the floor (you are the speck on the far end of the room) while we finished cleaning up, and you were completely fine.

You have also started attending Bible class.  Now, while I was not a good mommy and missed out getting a picture of you your very first time in Bible class, I did think to get one of you your first time trying to sit in the Bible class chairs.  Admittedly, you are still a little small and lacking in the body control department, but some carefully placed pillows kept you from tipping over quickly.

Plus, you weren’t completely certain what to think of the older kids, but I think you noticed that there were plenty of girls to keep your eye on.

All in all, it has been a fun and very interesting 3 months.  Your dad and I can’t wait to watch you continue to grow and change.

We love you!

P.S. Outtakes/other favorite shots from the 3-month “picture session.”

#1 – It’s pretty hard to type out a blog post at 4:30am with a baby in your arms.  I probably shouldn’t have decided that now was the best time to try not swaddling Jack and then to do so cold turkey.

#2 – I wish they still had online grocery shopping.  I could be much more efficient if offered the opportunity to grocery shop when I get up for these early morning feedings and then can’t go back to sleep.  Do you think the husband would mind if I attempted to do that via Amazon.  Powdered milk and dried peach slices can totally make up the staple of our pantry.

#3 – Every first time mom’s google search engine should be deactivated.  Truly, no new mom should be able to google any baby-related question.  After having done so myself, I have “discovered” that Karo Syrup is a good “cure” for baby acne.  Common sense tells me that this may not really be the case.

#4 – I must keep multiple changes of clothes for myself and my child up at my office. When the child has to come with me to work occasionally and chooses that day to both have a blowout diaper and later wet through his clothes while laying against me, we will need more clothes than what we came with.

#5 – If your child is handed your iPhone with a cool new baby app that was free, there is a good chance that the app, when opened, has advertisements on the free page for things to purchase and baby will purchase some of those items in the course of playing with the app.

Well, after 3 days of supreme fussiness, Jack can now be moderately proclaimed fussyless (which I realize by typical suffix terminology would mean without fussiness, but in my world of spit-up and bottle brushes it is going to mean less fussy).

In fact, he did enough better today that we survived this morning’s plethora of events and were even able to grab a quick lunch out today via gift card (and I do heart me a gift card).  However, lunch was where we reached our limit, and the boy’s good humor began to evaporate from there.

After we took a nap today, though, Jack had a burst of energy and he and I had a nice conversation.  One caveat, you must ignore my high-pitched sugary voice.  It is not the voice I ever imagined myself using.  However, I also never dreamt that I would have an in-depth conversation about baby poop (i.e. how is it coming out, color change, etc.) over lunch.  Chalk both of those up to motherhood or lack of sleep or both.

Anyway, here is Jack telling you what he thinks. You might have to turn the volume up to hear him some.

So, I know this video will not be interesting to anyone but my family and close friends, but I wanted to post it for posterity.

Jack has had a fussy last few days…a VERY fussy last few days. Today has seen the husband and I executing a very special series of maneuvers to keep relative calmness in our household.

Enter the owl mobile.

This precious mobile was made for Jack by a wonderful lady at church, and our intention was to hang it from the ceiling in his bedroom. Well, let’s be honest, in the overwhelmedness of new parenthood, it has remained suspended from the chandelier above the dining room table. Anyway, in an attempt to try to distract and calm the boy, the husband grabbed the owl mobile, and the rest is evidenced by the film.

This mobile may remain above our dining room table for the time being.

Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband!

First, our sweet boy turned 2 months on Sunday.  However, we didn’t have his 2-month stats until Tuesday (and let me tell you how fun that appointment was).  Actually, notice the look on Jack’s face.  That says it all.

The first picture is from his 2-month appointment, and the second picture is from his first pediatrician’s appointment when he was 6 days old.

Two-Month Old Stats:

• Height:  23-inches (50%)
• Weight:  11 lbs and 1/2 of an ounce (25-50%) – I feel that probably if his diaper hadn’t of been there, it would have been an even 11lbs.  
• Head Circumference:  15 3/4-inches (50%)

As my life evolves into this thing called motherhood, I have noticed some mildly disturbing tendencies.

First off, I struggle to find a topic of conversation that does not revolve around the boy (example 1–this blog).  I’m not sure if it is the combination of hormones running through my body that dictates my lack of mental diversity, but it is a little disconcerting.  The other day, I had to go to Oklahoma for a camp meeting with a car full of my Children’s Ministry peeps, and while I made a conscious effort to engage in non-Jack conversation, every time I opened my mouth, it was epic fail.

Now, please do not get me wrong, I love my sweet boy, and I love getting to talk to others about him.  However, I am an educated woman who used to be able to carry on semi-relevant conversations, and now when someone asks me what my views on the upcoming presidential election year are, I respond with an explanation of Jack’s latest pooping schedule.

Secondly, I have started doing the “mom spit clean-up” thing.  You know what I am talking about.  It’s where a mom uses her own spittle to clean the face of her child.  Yes, I do that, and it has become habit enough in this short time that I almost did it to the husband the other day.  Fortunately, I stopped just short.  I think that would have taken a good bit of the magic out of our marriage.

I know there are other things that I catch myself doing all in the name of motherdom, but right now, I just want to share more pictures of our sweet boy with you.

Jack was hanging out with me at work the other day.  His tummy was really bothering him, and I desperately needed to get some work done.  So, in the words of Tim Gunn, we “made it work.”

Yes, this is my niece reenacting the opening scene from The Lion King.  Had we not been in the parking lot of a restaurant, she probably would have added some song and dance to her “presentation”.

Dear Sweet Jack,

Your daddy and I can’t believe that you are already 2 months old.  The time just seems to be flying by.  Everyday seems to bring new changes in your growth and development.

You are becoming so much more alert.  You love staring at your daddy or me, and you’ve even started talking a little bit to us, and it is a lot of fun watching your personality develop.  You face is so expressive, and your favorite expression is the “furrowed brow”.  You are also getting better about holding your head up.

Over this past month, I started putting your newborn clothes away, and when the last piece was finally packed away, my heart hurt a little, because it means that you really are growing up.  We also moved you to your crib this past month.  That was a hard transition for me, but I think you sleep so much better there than you did in your pack and play.

Much to my chagrin, your favorite toy seems to be the turtle that lights up and plays songs.  It is an incredibly annoying toy, but you love it.  It can capture your attention when you are upset, and you love the music it plays.  So, only for you sweet boy, I put new batteries in it.

Your hair is keeping us guessing.  In natural light, it has a red cast to it, but other times it looks more brown.  You are getting the balding line across the back of your head from where you have laid down and rubbed your head.  Below that is the mullet-like fringe that you were born with.  It is still there.  We may have to invest in an 80′s outfit for you so that you can appropriately rock the mullet.

As sad as it is to see you growing up so quickly, I can’t wait to see what the next month has in store for you.  Your daddy and I love you, sweet boy.

So, I present to you “pictures from a bath” (a.k.a. “embarrassing photos to one day include in a rehearsal dinner slide show”).

Jack has discovered the mirror.

Waiting for the fun to begin.

Getting soaped up.

No matter how many times we set him in the bath sling correctly, Jack seems to prefer the “hammock approach” to his bath.

All clean.

Shortly after the bath was finished and the clothes were on, the spitting up began.  We are now on outfit number 3 of the day, and it is only 11:15am (#1 – pajamas, #2 – outfit post bath, #3 – outfit post bath post stinky spit-up).

Just a note: Picture #1 is the first outfit of the day, and picture #2 is the third. I’m not entirely certain that there won’t be a fourth or fifth wardrobe change before the night is over.

Now onto the post…

I do not mean to imply by the title of this post that I did not realize that stuff could indeed come out of both ends of a baby.  I have known that this is a possibility for a very long time.  However, the husband and I have not had the pleasure of experiencing this to its fullest measure until this evening.

As some of you know, we have been struggling with reflux/gas issues that are getting the best of us.  So, the doctor put Jack on a specialized formula.  (You know the kind I am talking about…the extra stinky, make you want to hurl kind.)

Fast-forward to this evening, and dear sweet Jack has just finished his 6:30pm feeding.  ”Traditional diaper sounds” accompanied by a rumbling bottom indicated that he was ready for a diaper change.   As I walked him into his room to take care of business, I noticed a trifecta of smells traveling with us–the smell of the diaper, the smell of the fresh spit-up on his clothes, and the smell out his breath.  It was NOT PLEASANT.

As I laid him on his changing table and began to undress him for the diaper change, my hand came into contact with grossness.  Total.  Ultimate.  Grossness.  Yes, folks, we had a blowout.  The clean-up was going to require a significant number of wet wipes, so the husband got a small trash bag for us.

As the diaper change continued, additional stomach contents exited his mouth.  So, not only was I trying to keep the poop off the changing table, I was trying to keep his head out of the fresh spit-up.  It was funny in a vitametavegemin kind of way.

At one particular moment, I noticed there were 3 potential exits all laying exposed, and I asked Jack to please please please not get any additional matter on me.

Don’t let his adorable little face fool you.  He is a sweet little bevy of bodily excretions.

One more note:  The second picture up at the top is shortly after the aforementioned diaper change.  That would explain the look of comfort and relief on his face.

For the past month, I come home everyday, and I think to myself, “Hmm, I really should update the blog.”  However, it seems to remain just a thought, and all those thoughts of documentation have to take a backseat to the sweet baby boy who now lives at my house (which really is perfectly okay with me).

Therefore, since I do have not had time to share my life with you guys much over the past month, I will take this opportunity to do so in the form of pictures (everyone loves a good picture book).

This is the drying rack that sits out on our counter and most likely won’t get moved for many months.  Can you tell the boy likes to eat?

No, the picture is not crooked.  If you look on the bottom right hand side of the crib, you will notice that it is propped on three 2×4′s.  Our sweet boy has had significant issues with reflux, and very understanding friends at church who dealt with the same thing with their child loaned us their 2×4′s.  For anyone wondering, these create a 30-degree angle which is the sleeping angle recommended for those with reflux.

Who knew a baby required so much stuff?  Well, I “knew” they did, but I think somewhere in the back of my mind I just figured that the people who lived with baby items strewn about their house were being maybe a bit inefficient (yes, please feel free to mock and chastise me).  I now understand the necessity of having a swing, a bouncy chair, a baby gym, a boppy, and a bumbo all in one room of your house.  I am embracing the chaos that has become my living room.

I’m tempted to offer a prize to anyone who can guess what is under this pile of laundry.  Yes, it is our dining room table, and it has been that way since I came home from the hospital.  Now generally the laundry on the table is folded, but it still sits there.  The husband asked me the other day what I was going to do about the table when we hosted life group at our house in a couple of weeks.  My response was that I would probably stack it on our bed and then when everyone leaves I would move it back to the table (I tell you, it is a baby-dressing system).  In fact, I may even ask everyone to grab a pile of clothes and help move them back to the table before they leave.

Did you notice what was hanging from the chandelier?  It is the most darling owl mobile!  It was a gift from a wonderful lady at church, and it makes me smile just looking at it.  Since we haven’t gotten it hung above Jack’s bed just yet, he and I stop and look at it and play with it each day.

Well, Jack has started to stir, and so I must abandon this post for now.  I may come back and edit it later, or I may just post it as is.

P.S.  Notice the pretty pink bumbo that Jack is sitting in in the top picture.  We do not mind borrowing pink baby items from sweet friends.  Our boy is comfortable with his feminine side.

Dear Jack,

Happy 1 Month Birthday to our sweet and wonderful boy.  This month has flown by.  I can hardly believe that just over 4 weeks ago, you were surprising your daddy and me with an early arrival.  I keep thinking back to the day you were born, and how when you were placed on my chest, I felt such a sense of nervousness about being entrusted with such a sweet baby boy, but then a calm washed over me, because I knew that God had made you especially for us, and that you were the sweet baby boy we were meant to have.

We have told and retold the story of your birth, because it took us so by surprise, and yet, it was perfectly indicative of you and your personality.  The whole time you were in utero, you kind of did your own thing (much to my dismay at times).   Now, as you grow up, I pray that that characteristic will remain strong in you, and that you grow up to be an independent and free-thinking person.

This first month has definitely not been easy.  While you really are a good-natured boy (you hardly ever fuss), we have struggled with feeding issues of the projectile nature.  We worked and worked and worked and have finally gotten that under control, and you are eating well and definitely getting bigger.  I love how your cute little belly is growing.  You’re still in your newborn clothes, but I am not sure how much longer that will last.

Your latest test for us is that of sleeping.  You have decided that night is day and day is night, and that makes for a sleepy momma.  Like all things, though, we are trying to figure out a way to work through it, and sometimes I remind you that while some of the little sounds you make are very cute, they are not as cute at 2am when we are trying to get you back to sleep.

I absolutely love the time I get to spend feeding and rocking you.  You make such sweet and expressive faces, and each one melts my heart.  We have also started listening to the radio together (and maybe doing a little dancing around the living room), and it amazes me how enthralled you become with the music.  Our current “favorite” song is Israel Kamakawiwo`ole’s Over the Rainbow.  I know there will be a day that you grow out of letting me hold you and sing to you, but I hope that it is a long way off.

We have practiced getting out some over the last two weeks in an effort to try to make our entrance into the rest of the world, and tomorrow will be your first trip to church.  I won’t lie, I am a little more than nervous.  I know the likelihood that we will make it to the building on time is fairly non-existent, but I am coming to terms with that.  However, I am a little worried about your gas.  Yes, your gas.  The decibel level of the gas you produce (from both ends no less) will more than likely be over-powering in a church setting.  Your feeding-time burps are HUGE, and lately, those burps have been occurring at non-feeding-times too.  So, if nothing else, I know that you will make every experience at church an interesting one.

As you continue to grow, I can’t wait to see what the next month has in store for us.  Jack, your daddy and I love you so very much, and we are amazed and blessed to have you as our son.  Happy 1 Month Old Birthday.

—————–

As an aside…

***First off, I must admit that I stole this idea from my friend Katie.  I have loved reading her newsletters to her daughter and wanted to do the same thing for Jack.

***Secondly, for those of you who have met Jack and commented on just how calm and non-fussy he is, I wanted to show you proof of his “cry-ability”.  So, I give you…The Crying Faces of Jack.

Jack and I have had a rough past few days (read “I” have had a rough last few days).  So, my dad came over today to help watch Jack while the husband was at school so that I could rest and hopefully regroup for a potentially sleepless night (Jack’s having trouble sleeping at night but absolutely NO trouble sleeping during the day).

In the process of trying to keep the baby awake, my dad…

• …gave Jack a bath to which I had to remind him that Jack was not a turkey, so lifting him by the leg to wash his body was probably not the best idea.
• …watched a little Bait Car with Jack.  I will have to say that show is probably not one we will make a regular habit of watching.
• …walked around and around and around the house talking about motorcycles, basketball, orange monkeys, etc.

It was a very “interesting” day, but I did manage to get a nap or two throughout the day, and Jack is still in one piece.  So, I will be thankful.

Good evening, blog world.  Well, I am currently sitting in our recliner with a baby monitor strapped to my shirt (I’m not really sure why I have felt the need to strap it to myself rather than just set it on the end table) waiting for our 7:30pm feeding.  While waiting, I was itching to update the blog.  However, I am not certain that my current updates of feeding, changing diapers, and sleeping would really entertain my 2 readers.

Therefore, I have decided to post two of the countdown blogs that I had pre-written to pass the time while waiting for our original January 10th due date (of course, this was before our sweet Jack decided to make his arrival a bit earlier).

Enjoy!

Today’s countdown revolves around food:  5 Pregnancy-Induced Food Combinations or Drinks.

5.  Mashed Potatoes and Fruity Pebbles - No, I don’t eat these mixed together, but I have eaten them in the same meal on numerous occasions.

4.  Mashed Potatoes and Chocolate Milk - Again, you see my affinity for the potatoes that have been mashed.  This is another common food combination that the husband has fixed for me quite a few times.

3.  Large Ice Water from Sonic - Now, this has been a staple of my diet for a long time, but since being pregnant, I have grown to crave the wonderment that is a Sonic Ice Water.

2.  Cereal - Yep, any type of cereal floats my boat right now.  I have purchased and consumed more cereal that any normal human being over the course of the last 9 months.  There is a reason the husband must go grocery shopping with me and especially must accompany me down the cereal aisle.  Otherwise, our weekly grocery budget would be spent on a combination of Cheerios, Fruity Pebbles, Raisin Bran, and Frosted Mini-Wheats.

1.  Mashed Potatoes and “Chicken” Nuggets - You knew there had to be another mashed potato mention in here.  One of my latest favorite mashed potato meals revolves around potatoes and the Boca Soy “Chicken” Nuggets.  I know there is some eye rolling going on, but I say don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.  They are yummy, and really I just eat them to get a little protein before I go onto my potatoes.

Today’s countdown is:  4 Things I Am Looking Forward to Once Baby Arrives

4.  Getting to ride roller coasters. - Yes, I am serious.  I took the 4th and 5th graders to Six Flags at the end of the summer, and I was really a bit bummed that I wasn’t able to ride any of the rides with them.  So, strangely enough, I am looking forward to that.

3.  Wearing cute shoes. - Oh, how I miss my cute shoes.  I have been relegated to the land of ugly, sensible shoes because of the loaf-looking appendages attached to my legs.

2.  Getting a soda from Sonic without feeling guilty. - I know that I do not drink too many sodas from Sonic right now (usually just a small one every few days).  However, I feel like the carhops judge me as they bring me out my soda.  I can just hear them running down the list of the ill-effects of caffeine in their minds.

1.  Having our sweet baby here with us. - Of course, he is number 1 on this list.

**(Added on 1-22-12) I would like to add an edited realization to the #4 countdown.  Apparently, your foot grows/expands/protrudes to new lengths when pregnant, and while the swelling in my feet/body has substantially subsided, my cute shoes have remained too small.  How does this happen?  So, I am currently still relegated to wearing my ugly pregnancy shoes…ugh!

Our sweet Jack is 2 weeks old (well, technically today he is 2 weeks and 3 days…I’m a little late with this post).

We are adjusting to life well (albeit with a lot of tiredness) and enjoying him tremendously.  He is a good-natured boy and is already showing some personality.  He is a snuggler and enjoys being held.  He doesn’t cry unless he is hungry, you are changing his diaper, or you are putting socks on his feet.  He seems to have an issue with socks.

Birth Stats:

• Born on 1/4/12 at 5:11pm
• Weight – 7 pounds, 14 ounces
• Height – 19 3/4 inches

2-Week Stats:

• Weight – 7 pounds, 13 ounces
• Height – 20 1/2 inches

Well, I know this is a few days late, but this is our sweet Jack at 1 week old.  Doesn’t he look thrilled to be participating in this photo session?

This is Jack mid-sneeze.  Can I tell you how much I love the full body sneeze?

Okay, now onto the post.  As I was laying in bed last night trying to go back to sleep in between feedings, a few things struck me about my life now post-pregnancy.  Here are a few of those observations.

1.  My sense of modesty has decreased greatly.  I seem to have no problem receiving guests while still wearing my pajamas.

2.  My new perfume of choice is Ode du Spit Up, and I am okay with that.

3.  My obsessive tendency towards vacuuming and household cleanliness has taken a backseat to naptime.

4.  It takes 3 times as long to get ready to leave the house than it used to, and we have to bring 5 times as much stuff with us when we do leave.

5.  The squirt factor…I am having to learn how to navigate the “squirt factor” that comes from changing the diapers of a baby boy, and I think I am finally figuring it out.

…Jack Elton Schroeder.

Yep, our sweet baby boy is here, and to say that we are completely smitten is an understatement.

I know those of you reading the countdown lists are relieved bummed about only reading a couple of lists, but he decided to arrive sooner than expected.  With the countdown having been halted, I thought I would force upon you share the events that surrounded the birth of Jack.

We had a doctor’s appointment this past Wednesday.  As we were getting ready to leave for the appointment, Greg jokingly asked me if I thought we should bring the bags with us.  We both laughed at that thought, because while we knew there was a chance depending on my progress that she would move up the delivery date from the following Tuesday, the likelihood of me going in to labor that day was slim.

At the doctor’s appointment, she did her check and asked if we were ready to have a baby that day.  I was 5 cm dilated and my water had broken in a very trickle-like fashion (unbeknownst to me).  So, she sent us right upstairs to labor and delivery.  My doctor’s appointment was at 2:45pm; we saw the doctor at about 3:15pm; and we had a baby at 5:11pm.  Talk about fast-moving.  We called my mother who was going to be in the room to take pictures, and told her she might want to hurry, gave my dad a list of luggage items to bring to the hospital, and headed upstairs.  It was a c-section (which we knew it would be), but the boy who turned from breech to head down at the very last minute had decided to turn once more and was laying sideways across my belly.  All of this just goes to show how strong-willed it looks like our boy is going to be.

All in all, the delivery and everything went well, and the husband, Jack, and I are recovering/acclimating well.  Here are some pictures from the delivery (no, I did not include any of the “gooey” pictures, although I do have some, and either my mother or the husband would be more than happy to describe to whole scene for you; apparently, the curtain didn’t really block their view of the c-section).

Disclaimer:  I am now a new momma, so there will probably be (as there are here) an abundance of pictures.

Jack shortly after birth.

Getting checked out.

First time I was able to see and “hold” Jack.  He melted my heart with those eyes.

Daddy and Son.

Jack chillin’ at the hospital.

Getting ready to go home.

Jack chillin’ at home.

My new favorite picture–Jack and his daddy hangin’ out.

Now, before I begin this post, let me say that it is all in good fun.  If you have been guilty of uttering one of these phrases to me, I really have laughed good-naturedly about it (unless you are the checkout lady at Dollar Tree).

With that being said, for today’s countdown, we are looking at:  6 Things You Really Shouldn’t Say to a Pregnant Lady.

6.  I can’t imagine your stomach getting any bigger. – Said by the husband to me about 3 months ago.  Little did he understand just how much more growing the baby would do.

5.  Have you not had the baby yet? – No, please notice the large protuberance coming from my belly.  Baby is still there.

4.  These last few weeks will just fly by.  They are so enjoyable. – While, yes, I am enjoying the excitement leading up to the birth of our sweet baby, the inability to sleep, breathe, move, etc. doesn’t necessarily promote a quicker passage of time.

3.  Birth is a beautiful thing. – With this one, I wish people would clarify their statement.  The birth of a child (bringing a new life into this world) is a beautiful thing.  The actual act of giving birth clearly crosses over into a less-than-beautiful realm.  This, in fact, falls under the category of things people don’t tell you before you have a baby.  With the number of books and videos that I have studied, there have been numerous occasions that I have uttered the phrase, “Eeewwww…really?” with regards to giving birth.

2.  But we just ate a few hours ago. – This one was said to me by my father (in reference to our late-ish lunch) when I mentioned that yes, I was ready for dinner the other night that my parents and the husband and I were out and about.

1.  You look like you are ready to pop/Are you sure you aren’t having twins? – Yes, I am know that I am bordering on whale-like.  In fact, had my due date fallen a little closer to Halloween, I was considering going as Shamu, but alas, I am just regular old pregnant.  If I know the person well, I will explain that baby boy is a big baby, and I have excess fluid that is causing even more swelling of the belly.  However, if it is the checkout lady at Dollar Tree, then I just nod and smile and try to get out of there as quickly as possible.  

In honor of the 7 (at most) remaining days until we meet this sweet boy, I have decided to attempt a countdown each day.

First off, I am not guaranteeing quality with this countdown.  I am currently struggling to even remember where I park my car each night (BTW, I park it in our garage, but for some reason that throws me in the mornings), so my general cognizant qualities are seriously questionable right now.  Secondly, I am not guaranteeing that this list will get finished.  I’m somewhat hoping that when I go into the doctor tomorrow, she is going to tell me that due to a few medical issues that I have been having, she wants to go ahead and get things going.  If not, then at least on Tuesday, January 10, we will have our sweet baby boy.

Today’s Countdown:  7 Things You Should Never Do/Attempt While in Your Last Few Weeks of Pregnancy

7.  Don’t watch semi-sad movies such as War House.  The family and I went to see the play turned movie on New Year’s Eve, and I spent the entire second half of the movie sobbing (and I do mean sobbing).  The lack of Kleenex on my person might have required me to wipe my eyes and nose on the inner portion of my knit jacket.  No, I am not proud of that fact, but what is a weeping mess of hormones to do?

6.  Don’t be the one who does the grocery shopping.  Nothing that is good-for-you sounds good to eat.  Therefore, you are reduced to choosing mashed potatoes and Fruity Pebbles as the basis for your nutritional intake.  Yes, I have eaten this combination (separately) quite a few times (please, no judgment).

5.  Do not use Walmart as your “walk around to help induce contractions” hotspot, because when you have to stop in the middle of the aisle to pause for a successful contraction, you either end up getting rear-ended by a cart maniac who desperately needed to look at the pinto beans or you stop behind someone who could easily make the “People of Walmart” website and you get a blinding eyeful.

4.  Do not attempt to sit down on the floor to complete a task.  Two things will happen.  First, you will crash to the floor as you try to go from a squatting position to a seated position, and secondly, you probably won’t be able to get back up without bringing a crane into your living room to lift you.

3.  Do not wear a dress (even with opaque tights) to church.  You will not be able to see the hem of it to determine whether or not it is pulled down appropriately (e.g. caught by static cling, tucked into your tights, etc.), and there is a good chance that you will leave the bathroom with an exposed backside until some nice older lady gently pulls your dress down.  And let’s face it people, a backside is still a backside even when covered with opaque tights.

2.  Don’t sit at the front of the church building during worship service.  My biggest fear is that my water will break during services, and I will have to squish my way down the aisle.  Now, recognizing that as a pretty significant fear has not changed my actions.  So, I apologize now if you have to witness this event.

1.  Do not write Name Game Clue Blog when you are sleepy, as noted by the deleted clue below and then the changed one, I can’t come up with anything non-obvious without the appropriate faculties.  I had a handful of people contact me immediately with at least 1 correct answer of their two guesses.

So, chalk it up to another thing that “nobody tells you” before you get pregnant, but seriously, where does all of this snoring come from?

Yes, folks, I have started the delicate, lady-like sleep habit of snoring.  I attribute it to a variety of things, but I think we all know where it comes from…pregnancy.  Except for the occasional cold-induced snore, I have generally not been a snorer, and the husband is thankful for that.

However, over the past few weeks, I have developed a frightfully high decibel snore that apparently could wake the dead.  In fact, I regularly wake myself up with this snore.  Bless the husband’s heart, he has tried with all his might to put up with this pregnancy symptom to no avail.  Therefore, tonight we tried a new solution…ear plugs.

Now these just aren’t your regular old ear plugs.  These are bright orange ear plugs from the ammunition section at Wal-mart (come on, you know you are jealous).  We got the husband some heavy duty ear plugs to counteract my heavy duty snoring.

I’ll let you know how they work out.  In the mean time, I am giving the husband a head start on evading my nasal vocalization exercises and letting him fall asleep first while I sit wrapped in my Snuggie typing out this blog post.

On another topic (the name game), I know it is time for me to offer up another clue, but I will be honest and say that my brain is too tired to come up with the type of obscure clues that I have been offering.

Therefore, before I offer up the next clue, let me please remind you that if you have a guess, you need to either email, private message, or text me.  That way, no one will be swayed by your guess.  I will admit, though, that while visiting with someone the other day, this person offered up a guess and was pretty close to the right answer.

Name Game Clue #3 - 

• First Name:  Sorry, folks, I had to pull this clue, and I will need to come up with another one.  I made this one way too easy.  One should never write a “clue blog” when sleepy.
• Middle Name:  Name can be found in a popular movie of a major PETA supporter.

First off, not that you are just dying to see a picture of my protruding belly, but the husband made the point to me a week or so ago that the shirt I had been taking my pictures in doesn’t really show the enormity of the belly.

So, with our 37 week mark being hit today, it was time for another picture (BTW, with the striped shirt, I am trying to go for a little bit of an optical illusion as far as hiding the true size of the belly…kind of a reverse 3D effect).

Now, onto Clue #2 on the Baby Name Game.

• First Name:  24 or 30–the competition still reigns
• Middle Name:  A character in one of my favorite novels

Hello, all, and Merry Christmas!  I hope all have had a wonderful holiday.  Due to the impending birth of Habakkuk, we have been limited to our general home area for the holidays.  This has given us a little time to concoct a “baby name game” since we will be meeting this little guy in 2 weeks and 2 days (if not earlier).

**Also, just a disclaimer…we did not name our child after any of these people we are referencing in the “name game”.

So, here are the rules…

1.  We will give you hints for the baby’s first and middle names over the next 2 weeks.  Yes, they might be a little obscure (because where is the fun in making it easy).

2.  If you have a guess, please please please DO NOT post it on Facebook or as a comment.  Send me a text, email, or private message with your guess.

3.  Depending on how close you are, I may or may not confirm positively or negatively on your guess.  If nothing else, you will know in 2 weeks and 2 days, and I will explain the clues.

Happy playing!

Day 1 Clue:

• First name – “Happy Ever After” helped discover this creative person
• Middle name – Durham, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia

First off, the above baby hammock has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I thought it was pretty cool, so I had to share.  No, we will not be using one of these in the Schroeder house, but imagine how comfy and swingy Baby Jowade (no, that is not the name we are going with, but it was suggested by a well-intentioned relative) would be in that thing.

Now onto the post…

Taxes…Can I tell you how much I hate working on taxes.  Unfortunately, Uncle Sam says it is a must.  So, I have taken a vacation day today and have surrounded myself with tax paperwork.  Obviously, I am not working so successfully on them as I am currently typing a blog post, but shouldn’t it count for something that I at least have the intention of working on them?

Hair Trauma…Okay, this is a topic I take very seriously, and I know some of you are with me on this.  Bad Hair can ruin your day/week/month/year.

Recently, I got my hair cut.  Now, before I bemoan the experience, I must take some responsibility in the matter and admit that I did not go to my normal haircut person.  She was out of town, and I was so impatient for a cut that I chose was forced to go to someone else.  This lady apparently misunderstood my instructions and proceeded to hack away at my head.  Once she was finished hacking, she put a gallon and a half of product in my hair.  So, I exited the shop looking much like a wet stray dog (people, it was B.A.D.).

I was traumatized.  Truly, what a way to make an overly swollen, 36 weeks pregnant, waddling lady feel better about herself than cutting her hair unevenly and slicking it down against her head.  So, I did what any hormonal woman would do, I started crying and headed straight home to hopefully “fix” the problem.   After spending some time (and 2 bottles of shampoo) washing my hair and pulling out my own Hobby Lobby crafting scissors (I did at least pull out the plain ones rather than the scalloped edge scissors), my hair is in workable shape, and baby and I are recovering from the trauma (yes, I know he felt the trauma, too).

Stinker…So, Stinker is the new name that has been bestowed on baby.  No, it is not for the reason you think.  Rather, baby has decided to exert his independence.  For those familiar with the birthing arena, you know that the percentage of breech babies who turn at/after 36 weeks is about 2%.  Guess whose breech baby chose to turn?  Yep, it was Stinker (this name was given by my obgyn).  Now, even with that new development (which we are happy about) there are still some medical issues that are making it necessary for us to have baby via c-section (and ultimately, our goal is to get him here safely), but we are pleased to announce that in 2 weeks and 5 days, we will get to meet our sweet baby boy.

We are also pleased to announce that while his head is still ginormous (94%), his body growth has slowed (at 36 weeks, he weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz), so we must remove the moniker of Gigantor which will please one of his grandmothers to no end (she was a little indignant each time we referred to him as such).

**I must also mention that one of our administrative assistants in the office feels certain that he will be here on December 29 and the other feels like he will arrive at 12:02 am on January 1–just late enough to not get him on this year’s taxes or insurance deductible and just late enough to not be the first baby of the new year.  I’m thinking with all the guesses going on, I need to set up an office pool (cause nothing says “church work” like a gambling pool).

We all have them…

True confessions.

Things that we are a little embarrassed to admit, but probably should be owned up to for the sake of humility (and maybe some laughter).

True Confession #1:  As many of you know, I tend more towards the “cheap”.  I do not like to spend money unless truly necessary.  Therefore, the husband and I rarely go out to eat, go to the movies, etc. unless we have a coupon or a gift card.  Yesterday was an exception.  We had had a long weekend and had to be up at the building early and stay through 2nd service.  So, we decided to order pizza for lunch (carryout, of course, because that saves a $2 delivery charge).  We ordered the pizza before we left church and stopped to pick it up on the way home.  Hunger was over-taking me on the ride home, so I popped open that box of regular crust, extra sauce, no cheese, pineapple pizza and began to eat.  An extra sauce pizza is probably not the best thing to eat on a bumpy, stoplight-filled ride home.  I kept dropping sauce and pineapple on my belly, but that didn’t deter me.  I would have taken a picture of my shirt smeared with sauce, but that would have been too embarrassing. One has to have some dignity.

True Confession #2:  Yes, this one involves food again (my excuse is that I am pregnant, and so my world is currently revolving around “all things baby” and food).  For this confession, you must know 3 things.  #1) The husband and I switched cars this morning.  He is on semester break, and so he took my car so that he could clean it out and get it ready for baby.  #2) More often than not, when I stop to get my large Sonic Ice Water on the way to work each morning, I also order a small tater tots.  #3) Since I have been pregnant, I sneeze most every morning as I am finishing up breakfast.  It doesn’t matter what or how much I am eating.  I sneeze generally right before my last bite or two.  It’s a little freaky.  So, onto the confession…combine the husband’s car with the tater tots and the sneeze, and by now, you might have guessed that I sneezed tater tots onto the husband’s steering wheel this morning.  In my defense, I wasn’t able to catch the “spray” fast enough, because I had one hand on the wheel and one hand on the tator tots.  I did, however, pull over at the gas station, get some extra paper towels and clean it up.

Whew…I am feeling better already.  Confession IS good for the soul.

Well, the rocket ship might not be the most appropriate picture for the post, but quite frankly, we are in countdown mode.  Baby Mehuman, Einstein, Gigantor, Stiches, Snook-ems, Scutfarkus, Big Tex, Boy will be here in less than 4 weeks (yes, the list of names that we refer to him by in public has grown exponentially).  We are very excited, however, I must admit a bit of anxiety that has arisen due to the upcoming birth.

I find it that it stirs a good bit of nervousness within me to realize that in 3+weeks, the hospital is going to freely send home a small child with the husband and I under the assumption that we are completely capable of caring for said child.  I think that is a little wild and crazy on their part.  I realize that I grew up around babies and generally do not fear them, but then again, no one has ever handed me one before on a permanent basis without an instruction manual and with the caveat that any mistakes you make will quite potentially push this child into a lifelong need for therapy.

I do recognize the irony of my fearfulness (take that, Alanis Morrissette).  I grew up taking care of kids…I work with kids for a living…I am now developing an irrational fear of my own child…hmm…perhaps now might be the time to reevaluate my life choices.

I want to assure anyone reading this that this truly is, for the most part is, kind of is meant in a tongue and cheek manner lest you grow legitimately concerned regarding the “deer in the headlights” look plastered on my face.  The husband and I are looking forward to this sweet baby and developing a close, personal friendship with our Starbucks barista.

Hello, and Happy December, everyone.  Well, here I am at 34+ weeks.  As I have mentioned before, part of my mission with our impending arrival is to do a better job of documenting moments and occurrences since that is definitely not a strength of mine.

Anyway, as I was getting ready this morning, I decided it was time to take another picture.  (Please note that I do indeed own more than 1 maternity top.  I have just tried to take my picture in the same top each time so that it is a more definite comparison.)

Picture has been snapped, labeled, and saved, and now onto the topic at hand…the blog post.

When one becomes pregnant, there are a plethora of books available with helpful information regarding pregnancy.  These books range from the medically informative to simple layman’s terms, and I will admit that I have a pretty good stack of them on my nightstand.

However (and this is a pretty big “however”), I have discovered that there are a number of things that “they” don’t tell you when you are learning all-things-baby.  In fact, it is almost a rite of passage to have to discover these things on your own, and then when you get up the nerve to mention it to a close friend or family member (just to make sure that you and baby are indeed normal), you realize that this is a fairly common occurrence.

Before I go on, let me reiterate what a blessing the husband and I feel this baby is, and so my complaining observations do not obscure that fact.  They are simply things that I want to let the rest of the world in on so that maybe one day a pregnant woman might not be surprised.

1.  The further in pregnancy that you progress, the more difficult it becomes to bend any body part.  For example, you might be reduced to asking your husband to put your shoes and socks on your body for you, or perhaps remove your 3 month old nail polish from your toe nails.

2.  Insomnia is ever present during pregnancy, and thus, you will learn that other than reruns of “The Nanny” or all 20 seasons of “Law and Order”, there is not much on television at 2:45am.

3.  Your stomach will eventually make it impossible to get close enough to the bathroom sink to brush your teeth without slinging toothpaste on yourself.  My advice…invest in a bathroom apron.  Same concept as a kitchen apron, but much more useful as otherwise you will double your laundry as you must change tops every morning after you brush your teeth.

4.  Everyone knows about the pregnant waddle.  It is easily identifiable and is surely imminent.  What you don’t know about said waddle is that it becomes so pronounced in the middle of the night, that as you are heading back and forth to the bathroom, you will more than likely whack your head on the door frame at least twice a week.

5.  Maternity clothing stores know they will always be in business.  As long as woman have babies, they will need specialized clothing to fit over their specialized ever-changing body.  With that being said, scroll up to the top of this post and notice my top.  Then, scroll down and look at the picture below.  Now back up, and back down.  Have you figured out what the issue is?  Yes, I own two different outfits made out of the same material.  The top picture is a top, and the bottom picture is a dress (this is a picture from the sweet shower that a couple of my Houston friends threw me, but that is a story for another post).  Both purchased at the same maternity store (apparently, the store got an extra good deal on these bolts of fabric).  In fact, this maternity store also has a third outfit (also a dress) made out of the same material.  One of the new moms at church owns that dress.  Now I recognize the lameness of owning 2 of the 3 outfits, but sometimes when you are pregnant, you are desperate.

6.  Lastly, you are more than likely going to have to abandon your cute shoes (and for a self-professed shoe fanatic, this has been the hardest one for me).  Your feet will swell to loaf-like proportions, but all you can do is embrace the “ugly” shoes.  I will admit that there are days I stand in my closet staring at all my cute shoes. They look so lonely just sitting there.

Pregnancy and the blessing of a baby truly is a wonderful thing.  However, after my discoveries throughout this pregnancy, I have decided to make it my mission to educate the general female population on what they don’t tell you.

Isn’t he precious?  That is our sweet baby boy.  At last Thursday’s appointment, he was being more than a little uncooperative, but fortunately our ultrasound technician was patient and worked until she was able to get a picture of him (and a 3D one at that).

Then, at today’s doctor’s appointment with the maternal fetal specialist doctor, we discovered just how much of a linebacker that I seem to be growing.  He is still our sweet boy, but now we are hoping that perhaps he will make a living in the NFL and support the husband and me and our overzealous mashed potato habit.

Just a side note, we found out at today’s appointment that baby boy has hair.  (Anyone want to take a guess who he gets that from?)

Yesterday, some very sweet ladies at church threw Baby Snook-ems Einstein Mehuman Boy and me a shower.  It was wonderful and so incredibly thoughtful.  Now, I do not have all of the pictures yet, but here are a few that I thought you might like to Ooh and Aah over.

The theme (and the theme of our nursery) is owls, and one of the talented ladies (the one whose daughter painted our nursery) did the decorations.

And she decorated the cupcakes…

And she built these cute little trees…

Another one of the ladies found these darling napkins (and there is a part of me that wants to wallpaper a room in my house with them, because they are just so adorable).

These are the dear sweet hostesses.  As a side note, apparently, I have forgotten how to stand in a ladylike manner while pregnant.  Either that or my feet were rebelling the choice of real shoes rather than flip flops.  Either way, I apologize for the dumpy stance.

Now at this shower, I got so many wonderful gifts (truly, the husband and I are incredibly blessed).  However, there are two gifts that I feel compelled to share with the bloggersphere.

The first is a gift from the hostesses.  It is Baby’s own little lounge chair with footstool.  Isn’t it perfect?  Can’t you just imagine Baby and the husband kicking back with remotes in hand watching whatever football game is on television?

The other was sent from my grandmother in Lubbock.  The card on the gift read this…

Of course my interest was piqued.  When I opened up the little box, here is what I saw…

…it was the silver fork and spoon that was given to my grandmother as a baby gift when my dad was born.  So, to say it was old is a bit of an understatement.  (To be honest, I wasn’t entirely certain that a process for forging metals had been invented when my father was born.)

All in all, though, it really was a special day.  I am grateful for all who were able to attend, and the husband and I look forward to breaking in each and every item with various forms of baby projectile.

The husband is sweetly passing out candy (and by passing out, I mean handing very liberal amounts to each approaching child in the hopes of calling it a night) while I am sitting here typing a blog post.

Anyway, I do hope everyone is having a wonderful Halloween thus far.  I know next year I will probably have thousands of pictures of a sweet baby boy in a cute Halloween costume adorning this blog, but for now you will have to look at pictures of owls.

Owls????

Yes, have I mentioned that I am a fan of owls?  They are just such a happy and smart creature.  So, the husband and I decided on an owl theme for the nursery.

(Please excuse the quality of the following pictures.  They were snapped quickly with an iPhone.)

Isn’t it darling?  We had a wonderfully talented lady (lady sounds like an old person, this was one of our young marrieds) from church come and do this for us.

And just because the owl is positively perfect, I think we need a close-up of him.

Look at how expressive his eyes are.  It came out better than I could have ever imagined.

Baby boy is going to love it!

I heart all things pumpkin.  Truly, this is not just a mild fondness for pumpkin, it is an all-out love of ALL. THINGS. PUMPKIN.

I’m not sure where this obsession love of pumpkin comes from, but regardless of its origins, I know that come October-November, I can enjoy my pumpkin-inity without fear of persecution.  I will admit, though, I have started taking a more commercial approach to this pumpkin-love and have opened up pumpkin season the moment September hits, and I gladly carry it through December January February.  A vegetable so versatile deserves more than 2 meager months of celebration.

So, in honor of the pumpkin, I present to you some of my favorite pumpkin recipes.  (I have toyed with the idea of having my own pumpkin day in which I only make foods containing pumpkin.  However, the husband is not quite as fond of the orange gourd as I am.)

Nothing can start your day off right quite like a Pumpkin Smoothie.  It’s delicious, nutritious, and refreshing.  Plus, it can double as breakfast or dessert.

If it is a little too cold for a smoothie (although, in Texas it is rarely too cold for a smoothie), maybe enjoy some nice warm Pumpkin Pancakes.

Once lunchtime rolls around, there is nothing quite as good as a warm bowl of Ginger Sage Butternut Squash PUMPKIN Soup and then some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Now on the muffins, I wish I had a recipe link for you, but alas, it was a recipe told to me by a friend, and it is wonderful!  So, because I am feeling all pumpkin-y, I will share that recipe with you now.  Get 1 box of spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling), and 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Mix them all together and bake them in muffin tins.  I kidd you not.  That is ALL you do.  They are one of my favorite things in the whole world.  Usually, when I eat one, I break out into pumpkin song and dance.

After an afternoon of digesting wonderful pumpkin dishes, I know you can’t help wonder what could possibly top the other dishes, but in the world of pumpkin, all pumpkin dishes are equal.  So, it is more a matter of maintaining rather than topping.  Therefore, for dinner would be Pumpkin Ravioli and Pumpkin Pie.  While the Pumpkin Ravioli is not a traditional dish, it is yummy and filling, and what pumpkin day would be complete without Pumpkin Pie.

While I have yet to try out this whole Pumpkin Day idea, it makes me happy just to dream about it.

(Just over 26 weeks)

Well, folks, here it is.  One of the few “belly shots” that I might actually take.  (Far away friends who have been harassing asking me for one, this is for you.)  I am not a fan of pictures.  Let me rephrase that.  I am not a fan of MY picture being taken.  In fact, at my old congregation, I had an agreement with a couple of ladies who would regularly take pictures for children’s events that revolved around making sure I wasn’t in a picture or cropping me out if I showed up in one.

Needless to say, this was a little painful to do.  However, since I really am working at trying to record some events in this baby’s life (albeit young life), I decided there needed to be a belly shot for posterity’s sake.  I must ask you, though, to ignore the tired, droopy eyes and flat hair.  It was  a little hard to get up this morning and get myself going.

Since I have posted a belly pic, I think I shall also post a “funny” belly story.  You see, the husband was watching the baby practice his karate kicks last night as I was laying in bed reading.

This careful studying of the tummy area elicited the following statement…

“I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I really can’t imagine your stomach getting any bigger than it already is.”

Now, to be fair, I completely understood what he was trying to say.  However, it was maybe not the best choice of words for a pregnant lady who has 3 months left to go.

I can’t hold him too much at fault, though.  He is a pretty good husband.  Do you see the bottle of spray cleaner in the background of the picture?  That was from him cleaning the bathroom.

Yes, this is another pregnancy post.  Since I am not great at remembering things nor am I great at documenting things, I thought I would take a moment to note some things I have discovered since being pregnant.

1.  Not quite relevant to the topic of things I have discovered, but since they are so cute, I have to share.  I found these cute little boy slippers, and while the husband is not nearly as excited by them as I am, I have assured him that they are darling and yet very manly.

Now…back onto the topic at hand.

2.  I have discovered (IHD)…that if the husband posts a relatively normal name on facebook proclaiming that as baby’s name, my mother will believe his post.  That then means I must catch her before she monograms anything and explain that that is not actually the baby’s name.

3.  IHD…that even when I pull a little extra distance away from the drive-in stall at Sonic so that I can hop out and throw trash away, I still can’t fit through the opening.  My spatial reasoning skills need some improvement.

4.  IHD…that it is infinitely more interesting to stare at my tummy as it moves and hops rather than watch television.

5.  IHD…that our baby boy is going to be a little mischievous.  He likes to spend a good bit of time kicking and hopping up and down on my bladder.  (Is it possible to put a baby who is still in-utero in time out?)

6.  IHD…that I cannot form coherent sentences to save my life.  Just ask the 4th graders from Wednesday night’s Bible class.  Our game involved picking up a thingy and placing it on another thingy.

7.  IHD…that my food tastes can change 15 times over a 5 minute time span.  The other evening I could not figure out what I wanted for dinner.  So, I asked the husband if he would go to the store and get me something.  My first request was Fruity Pebbles.  My second request was Strawberry Shortcake.  My third request was that he eat his dinner while I decide.  After he finished his dinner, the smell of that dinner made neither Fruity Pebbles nor Strawberry Shortcake an appealing option.

I know there are many more things that I have discovered.  However, since mentioning the Fruity Pebbles, I am now craving some, and therefore I am off to the store to pick some up.

Since the arrival of the pregnancy, I have noticed my inability to do/remember certain things has increased exponentially.

After another such incident today of something I had forgotten to do, I decided this “time in my life” deserved its own blog post.

Things I have lost the ability to do/remember…

1. Turn the thermostat up when I leave the house.  The husband keeps reminding me ever so nicely that the reason the electric bill is so high revolves around me leaving it running ALL DAY LONG when we leave the house.
2. Take my car keys with me to my car…not once…not twice…but three times this week (yes, we are only on day 3 of the work week).
3. Remember what needs to be done at work to get my job done.  Hence the plethora of post-it notes (see above picture).
4. Pay our alarm monitoring bill.  Had to jump out of bed last night after I was all snuggled in to place it on TOP of my purse (where I couldn’t possibly miss it), since it had set on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks completely and totally forgotten.

First off, no I am not serious…although Habakkuk is starting to grow on me.  Secondly, we have decided to keep baby boy’s name to ourselves until his arrival to ward off any commentary that may occur over his moniker.

Tonight as I was scanning in ultrasound picture to save , I found the earliest picture we have of baby boy and compared it to the most recent.  My reaction was one of awe and amazement.  Can you believe it?

Can you believe this…

…has turned into this precious boy?

To say the husband and I are just in awe of our soon-to-be-son is an understatement.  We are thrilled!  And while I am not really a “keepsake” kind of person, I’d like to try to do a reasonable job of document our son’s journey.  So, you will have to just bear with me. There is a fairly good chance that you will be inundated with more pictures and stories over the coming weeks, months, and years.

For anyone interested (probably only family), here is a video that the husband took at my perinatalogist appointment this past week.  Ignore our conversation going on in the background.  At around the 4 minute mark, you will see baby boy bring his knee up to his chin and then yawn.  Apparently, his exercise routine is quite tiring.

Yes, so this is indeed what my office looks like in the summer.  In fact, ask any other Children’s Ministry Director, and there is a good chance that their office looks pretty similar.  Between the different camps and activities and service projects and trips to Hawaiian Falls (which I might or might not have had ringside seats to fecal matter being cleaned out of), the life of those working in Children’s Ministry is just hectic (or at least that is my excuse for the current state of my office).

Can I admit that I am a little embarrassed that this mess doesn’t even count all the Science Camp shopping I did this morning?  No, I dumped placed all of that in one of the workrooms to be dealt with tomorrow.

You know, if this picture were a little clearer, it might make a good “I Spy” picture.  In fact, I am contemplating offering a prize to anyone who can name 10 items you see in the picture and what it was or will be used for.

So, here is the best picture we have so far of baby.  I thought I would share it with you.  It amazes us how much like a baby that looks.  Being able to see the arms and skinny, long legs (although baby definitely did not get either long or skinny legs from me), and the formation of the face has just been a total amazement to us.  And we feel incredibly blessed.

(This next section I wrote weeks ago, but wasn’t sure if I really wanted to share it.  Ultimately, I decided to share this story not just to have a record of it for myself, but because of a sweet friend who was so willing to share her story with Greg and me and how it helped us.)

This pregnancy (as I know most are) has been a labor of love and determination.  It has also been a labor of medical intervention.  You see, the husband and I knew we wanted to start a family right away (because I am not as youthful as I once was).  Unfortunately, because of some precipitating medical factors, things did not happen as we hoped.  And what started out as a couple trying to have a baby soon involved a medical staff to hopefully help with that.

I went through a variety of cycles, a variety of drugs (the husband can tell you which ones he preferred me on based on my mood changes), and lots of appointments.  Each month became a little bit harder as we would find out that the procedure for the month had not worked.  Each month, there were more tears (especially as I would let our friends who were our prayer warriors know the results), and each month my sweet, sweet husband would assure me that it would all be okay, and that God had a plan for us, and we would just have to be patient.

Finally, we reached a crucial point in our run of IUI’s.  We were at a very low chance of success through IUI, and my body was growing more and more weary of the continual process.  So, after much consideration and prayer, we decided to move to the next step–IVF.  We knew it only carried a 35% success rate for me, but that was so much higher than my chances any other way.

Before moving forward, though, I needed to talk to someone who had been through this.  I knew what the doctors said and what the books and articles said, but I wanted to talk with someone who had been through the same thing.  Someone who could really tell me what each step of the process was like and how it affected them.  That’s where my sweet friend came in.  At the time, I didn’t know this girl.  She was just a friend of one of my good friends.  This friend put us in contact with each other, and while I was able to read her story (she had posted part of her journey with IVF on her blog), I was also able to talk with her and ask her so many questions.  Being able to do this really reassured the husband and I that this was the choice for us.  I also feel thankful every day that she felt comfortable enough to share her story to help someone.

While I haven’t gone into too many TMI details here in this post (and that is on purpose), I feel the same way.  All the husband and I have been through truly has been a journey.  There has been some ups (finding out we finally were pregnant) and some downs (nightly injections in the parking lot of a Taco Bell somewhere between Houston and Dallas…BTW the husband had to give me 32 shots in less than a two week period), but if our story can be of help to others, then I am more than willing to share it.  We have been so incredibly blessed through this process by our group of friends who were praying with us, our families, and a wonderful team of doctors who used their God-given skills/knowledge to help us get pregnant.

We are definitely a blessed family of three.

The new job is going well.  It’s a wonderful church with wonderful people, and the husband and I are excited to be here, but new jobs are busy (I realize that that is not breaking news), and so that has taken up some of my usual blogging time.  Truly, though, I am not complaining, because we feel very blessed to be here.

So, the title of the post is A Happy Post, and so I feel as if I should share why this post is filled with particular joy.  The husband and I are expecting a baby.  Now, I know most of you have heard the news, but for those that haven’t, I felt as if I should trumpet it a bit more.  So, here it goes…BABY BABY BABY.

I will try to be better about updating the blog, but between the job and the tiredness, I am not making any promises.  Till next time, though, have a wonderful 4th of July.

Picture 1 – The House: Please excuse all the weeds in the flower beds.  Those will be taken care of shortly and perhaps replaced with some lovely brown mulch.

Picture 2 – The Master Bedroom: I know there is nothing fascinating about this room, but I had to include it because I want you to notice the extra space.  The husband and I have previously been the residents of a VERY small master bedroom, and so to be able to walk through the room without getting bruises from running into the furniture is oh so wonderful.

Picture 3 – The Living Room

Picture 4 – The Living Room (View 2): And now you can see a few piles that still need to be put away.  There’s a good chance that they will still be there come Christmas time.

Picture 5 – The Dining Area

Picture 6 – Part of the Kitchen: I had to include this picture because there are lovely appliances in this shot.  Yes, we are not a house with appliances–woohoo!

Picture 7 – The “Schroeder”: One of my sweet, sweet friends made this “Schroeder” for us, and while she chastised us for having too long of a name, I think it fits perfectly on the mantle.

There is so so much to catch you up on.  I’ll be honest, as I start this post, I don’t know that I really have the energy (this time change has caught up with me).  So, I will just give you little tidbits.

1.  Don’t you just love my new blog header?  A wonderfully talented middle schooler at my church did it for me.  Isn’t it darling?  Don’t you also love how she put me in a denim jacket?  I do “heart” a good denim jacket.

2.  I am getting ready to say goodbye to the church I have called home for almost 4-years.  It is a hard transition, because this place has truly been a blessing.  I feel comfort, though, in knowing that they are in very capable hands with Amanda.

3.  With a big move comes a new house, and oh. my. goodness. a plethora of snafus.  From stolen appliances to the closing we never thought would happen, we are finally proud new home openers.

4.  I love having a friend who takes GREAT pictures.  I sent her an email earlier this week asking for “wall art”.  Our new house will be the prettiest of all the prettys.

5.  The husband and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday.  Everyday, I reflect on how blessed I am to have him as my husband and best friend.  He has to put up with a LOT of “girl” moments, and he does so very wonderfully.

6.  I’m trying to find a home for the flamingo.  Don’t know that it will survive a trip back to Dallas.

7.  As we continue to pack things up, I am consistently amazed at how much “stuff” we have.  If balcony sales were en vogue, we would so have one of those.

8.  The husband spent last week painting our beautiful textured walls that need more than one coat of paint.  Hence, my father is painting on those same walls all this week.

I have discovered my new favorite song, and let me tell you, this song is so darling that I would even have another wedding just to use it at said wedding.  (However, before I continue, let me clarify that I would still marry the husband at this new wedding.  All of those details like who I marry would stay exactly the same as they are now.  I would just throw this new song into the mix.)

Anyway, it is called All the Pennies, and it is by Mindy Gledhill.  I have attached a youtube video with the music so that you can hear for yourself just how perfect this song would be at my other wedding.

Okay, as if that song isn’t cute enough.  Here is another one of her songs that I “heart”. 

Now, if you listened to both songs, you probably have a smile on your face, and so I will leave you with a “You’re Welcome” for helping to put you in such a good mood today.

So, the husband and I are in the Dallas area celebrating Christmas with my family.  In the midst of all of the celebrating and fun, a chain of events happened to remind us of my mother’s foray into the texting world. 

When she first got her Iphone, she began to send texts and emails to my niece and myself that readily integrated texting slang.  Some of it was incredibly accurate.  However, one in particular was perhaps a little off base. 

Here are some examples of the texts she sent…

“Your grandmother has fallen and broken her hip.  LOL.”

“Our house caught fire, and we lost everything.  LOL.”

“The dog got hurt and had to go to the emergency vet.  It doesn’t look good.  LOL.”

After numerous depressing messages of this kind with a dichotomous ending, my niece and I finally asked my mother what she thought “LOL” meant.  Her response was WAY DIFFERENT than it’s actual “laugh out loud” meaning.

She is still bravely venturing into the texting world, but LOL will never mean the same thing again.

Well, nothing says “Merry Christmas” like bad clip art and gradeschool photo editing.  The husband and I just simply did not have time to get a Christmas Card done this year, and while I was also hoping to follow up last year’s Christmas Countdown with a new and exciting one, that too fell by the wayside.

So, as we get ready to celebrate this holiday, let me wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the husband and myself. 

The one redeeming quality to this year’s Christmas card is that next year’s cannot possibly be any worse. 

So, the husband and I spent some time playing on google maps yesterday (yes, we have a bit of nerdiness in us).  I had never seen the “street view” feature before, and once the husband showed it to me, I was hooked.  We looked up every relative’s house on both sides of the family.  It was a blast.

When I finally clicked on street view at my grandmother’s house, I saw her car in the driveway, and I thought about giving her a call and asking her to go outside and wave at me.  (Nobody burst my bubble and tell me that these aren’t real time pictures…in my reality, they are.)

So, Nana, I just want you to know that I can see you.

Yesterday morning I decided to try something that I have read all about–making my own baking soda shampoo.  It seemed like a really great idea, and I was thrilled with the idea of saving lots of money on shampoo and conditioner.  Plus, I know a number of people who do this quite successfully.

So, I mixed up a batch with the proper ratio of baking soda to water and jumped in the shower to get ready for work.  Everything seemed to be going well until I began washing the “shampoo” out of my hair.  I was having trouble getting my fingers through my hair to make sure all of the concoction was gone.  You know that “squeaky clean” feeling that sometimes remains after you rinse the shampoo out of your hair?  Well, multiple that times 1,000,000.  My hair was as squeaky as humanly possible.  It was so squeaky that I could even run my fingers through my hair without getting them caught and pulling out little chunks of hair.

Once the panic subsided, I decided to rewash my hair with actual shampoo and slather lots of conditioner on it.  It started to feel a little better, but still not completely devoid of the straw-esque feeling. 

I’m thinking it might be days or weeks before my normal hair texture returns.

Onto another topic…Do you see the gift in the picture below? 

The husband was being helpful and wrapping a gift for his older brother and the brother’s wife.  Now, the husband is not known for his wrapping skills.  However, when I walked through the living room and saw it, I was really pretty impressed with the job he had done.  Then I got a little closer to the gift. 

Do you notice anything a little unusual about the gift.  Perhaps the “gift tag” written in Sharpie?  When I asked the husband about it, he just said that once he started writing, he couldn’t stop (it’s the power of writing with a Sharpie). 

Also, thank you to the husband for letting me take pictures of the gift and post this (I did ask him if it would be okay).

So, I don’t really have the time (or any good stories) to post on the blog right now.  Therefore, I bring you good tidings of joy and laughter through a story that I completely stole from my friend Katie. 

Behold, The Greatest Story Never Told.

So, I am completely and totally in love.  I only wish I had thought to bring home the nice camera rather than having to use my Iphone to display the object of my affection.

You see, the husband and I do lots of homemade cooking, and my “old school” KitchenAid (which pre-dated married life) just wasn’t cutting it.  So, for Christmas, we asked for the monster of all stand mixers…the 14 cupper.  You heard me correctly, I can mix 14 cups of flour at one time in this mixer.  It has a beautiful 575-watt power which makes my heart flutter every time I think about it.

We got home late Friday night, and we have already managed to make four loaves of bread in it–which either speaks to an unhealthy love of bread or an unhealthy love of our mixer…either way, did I mention that I am smitten.  

Happy Post-Thanksgiving!  Hopefully, you have made it to the other side of your turkey and football induced coma.  After having experienced 2 Thanksgivings myself, I feel a little slower getting back to reality.

So, I have always been a fan of Black Friday.  It’s where I was finally able to get my Dyson (from Santa Claus) a few years ago, and so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Anyway, this year the husband and I had an item that we were asking for for Christmas, and while we figured we might have to brave Black Friday to get it at a good price, we ended up being very lucky and finding it a couple of days before Thanksgiving (there’s a good chance I will post a picture and do a whole blog devoted to this item) for a great price.

However, as the Black Friday circulars came out, I noticed that one particular discount store had an item for sale that I really could use for church.  And, it was a fantastic price.  The difference in this item and traditional Black Friday shopping was that it went on sale at midnight.

So, at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving evening, the husband and I left the warmth of my parents’ house, and journeyed to Wally World.  Had we realized all that was going to be involved in this particular shopping excursion, we would have just stayed home. 

We quickly located the merchandise that I was searching for, and I noticed that people had already torn into the wrapping and started taking some of the item even though it was not yet midnight.  (Here’s where I must take a quick moment to explain that this discount store did not have the best plan for starting their sale at midnight.  You see, palates of the “Midnight Merchandise” were sitting in the middle of the aisles wrapped in what looked to be saran wrap.  Now, what typical Black Friday psycho is going to let a little plastic wrap stop them from getting what they wanted early?)  The husband and I talked about the predicament that we appeared to be in and decided that since the merchandise was marked with a sign that it was not on sale until midnight that we were not going to take any until midnight.  Now, there were policeman and store workers walking around trying to enforce this, but the mobs of people were still managing to get around that. 

So, I formulated a plan.  I planted myself squarely in front of the display of items that I was hoping to get and worked with another couple of ladies to “guard” the display.  Occassionally, people would try to reach around me and grab one, but I would then just say very loudly (in my best teacher voice), “I’m sorry.  Those are not for sale until midnight.  You can’t take that yet.  Please put it back.” 

Now, whether or not I sounded official, it seemed to work, and at about 5 minutes to midnight when a fight broke out just down the aisle, the Walmart worker standing near us gave us the go ahead to get our items, and I headed on my merry way to find the husband.

You see, I have the best husband in the world, because not only did he brave this discount store in the middle of the night with me, he positioned himself at the other display of this item so as to try to help my chances.

And after a mere hour and a half in the checkout line, we were able to finally head home.

What I really want to do is share another yummy food discovery with you guys in the blog world, but considering that I have recently written on food and on having to buy new jeans (perhaps because my old ones didn’t fit), I think I will move on to a new topic.

New Topic…

I someone smart.  Scratch that.  I need someone cheap and smart.  Okay, that’s not exactly right either.  I need someone free and smart.  I need someone who can tell me how to make my blog look incredibly cute and festive in only 3 or 4 steps (because I do not fall into the “smart” category).

As much as I love the WordPress blog-abilities, it’s cuteness factor isn’t incredibly high.  And I am not really able willing to pay someone to make it cute.  So, if you have any tips, ideas, or brains, and don’t mind being free, I would worship the ground you walk on.  Or, I might post your picture as my blog header for the next few months out of gratitude.

And then it hit me.

BAM (yes, I felt the need to insert a little Emeril into this post).

The husband and I had been looking through old pictures of mine recently, and I was dreaming about moments from those pictures and/or the qualities of those moments.

So, guess what?  You are also going to be subjected to to have the pleasure of viewing a few of those pictures.

This first picture is of my mother and her older sister.  It came to mind because today is my mother’s birthday, and I heart looking at old black and white photos.  Plus this is an expression I have seen my mother make often, and it amazes me that from child to adult, she still looks so much like the same person.

This second picture is of some of my cousins, my grandparents, and 4 of my great-grandparents.  I was very fortunate to know 6 of my 8 great-grandparents.

The third pictures speaks for itself.  Although, I don’t know if there is any explanation for traipsing around a farm in a dress with a purse.

Next, we have “The Day My Mother’s Legs Were Crushed”.  Yes, apparently both my niece and I decided that we needed to sit in my mother’s lap at the same time.

The next picture is one of the American Embassy in Moscow.  I was in Russian when the terror of 9/11 hit the United States.  When we were finally allowed out into the city (we were on lockdown after it first happened), the sight of all of these flowers laying outside the embassy was quite moving.

And lest anyone think my wedding wasn’t a “moment in time” that sticks with me, I’ll include one of those photos (because the husband and I looked really cute that day and because that is a moment that will ALWAYS be important to me).

The world stops (or so it seems) when I have to shop for a new pair of jeans.  And I had recently reached that point.  I needed a new pair of jeans.  For those who have endured the horror of shopping for a pair of well-fitting jeans, you know that one doesn’t just decide on a whim that one needs new jeans.  It is a painstaking decision-making process, because it requires a huge committment just to accomplish the task.  And it is one that I agonized over for hours and hours.

However, the husband is new to the whole female jean shopping experience.  He is a boy, and all he has to know when he goes looking a pair of denim trousers are 2 numbers.  It might take him all of 5 minutes (6 if decided to ponder wash and color) to pick out and purchase a new pair o’ jeans.

So, the first day I went to look, he gladly came with me.  I gathered 15 pairs up in my arms (actually, I handed them to him to carry…hey, jeans are heavy).  I took them into the dressing room and found him a seat on a nice comfy couch.  2 hours later, I still did not have a pair that fit just right, and he was looking a little weary.

Then, we went on to a second store, and it was almost like the experience we had at the first store.  It was the shampoo of shopping (lather, rinse, repeat…gather, try on, repeat).  And by this point, I was in a BAD mood.  I was crabby from the inability to find a simple pair of pants that fit me correctly.  I tried on straight legs, bootcut legs, slim legs, full in the hips and thighs, straight through the hips and thighs, regular length, petite length, and gobs of others.  It was miserable, and the husband came up with two conclusions from this shopping trip.

1. There are way more types of jeans than he ever could have imagined.
2. And he DOES NOT want to go jean shopping with me ever again.

Fortunately, I was able to spend some time yesterday searching for that perfect pair of jeans, and the husband did NOT have to accompany me.  Let me just say that I hope to not have to repeat one of these trips for a really long time.

So, I have this friend who knows everything.  Seriously, I am not saying that in a sarcastic way AT ALL.  She knows everything…or at least the tips/ideas/concepts that I need to know.

We share similar food “issues”, and so she is often sending me great recipes to try out, and they are yummy.

We share similar taste in clothes, and so she is always bringing me clothes that no longer fit her (she is currently shrinking, but I am not…ugh) when she comes to town.  (BTW, those are the clothes that everyone compliments.  Nobody tells me that I look cute when I wear my own clothes.  They only remark on my level of cuteness when I am wearing something that she has given me.  I feel like I should be offended, but I’m not because I heart all the free and darling clothes.)

She has even started a blog in which she shares her vast repertoire of tips.  Last night, the husband and I tried one of those tips.  The home was in DESPERATE need of a good cleaning, and so we were both working to get it swept and vacuumed and mopped and dusted.  However, because we live in Houston and because November started out 89 degrees and humid, we have a mildew problem in our shower.  I told him that I remembered reading her tip on how to eradicate mildew, and so we decided to try it.  It totally worked and made me so happy that I channeled George Michael (in his Wham days) singing Wake Me Up Before You Go Go and dancing around the house (I might have even been sporting some blue and white shorts with a pink sweatshirt).  

Regardless of how dorky I may have looked, my mildew is now GONE!  I am sporting a few extra bruises, though, because when I “jumped into the crowd”, there was no one there to catch me.

Have you heard?  November is Embellish Month!  I know, I know…you have no idea what I am talking about, and you are probably questioning my sanity at this moment, but just give me a chance to explain, and I think you will be just as excited as I am.

One of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE BLOGS is Grosgrain (that is her cute little ribbon row header at the top of my post).  Every time I click over to this blog to read, I feel like my sewing skills improve (all of you who have first-hand knowledge of my sewing skills can stop laughing right now). 

Therefore, imagine my excitement, when she announces a few days ago that November is Embellish Month (get it…embellishment…embellish month…I love a good play on words).  Anyway, she is going to be doing tutorials on how to update cardigans and shirts, etc. with all of the cool embellishments that you don’t tend to find on clothes if your main “department store” is Wally-world.  I might actually feel “fashionable”.

So, I am very excited.  The husband is very excited, too (maybe, excited is too strong of a word, but I am forcing making sure he shares in my joy of all things embellished).   

In other news, I have discovered the world’s BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. Although, I guess it is not really “news” since I have told every single person I have come in contact with since I first made them.  (Does it concern anyone that one of my recent posts also covered the topic of food…not once, but twice?  Maybe I should work on that.)  Oh well…maybe when the husband brings dinner up later on, he will have whipped up another batch of those yummy cookies.  A girl can dream.

Since it is so clean, though, I decided to document this moment with pictures.  (Please excuse the quality of the pictures.  When I was cleaning, I put the camera away, and now I am too lazy to pull it back out.)

The first picture is of my bookshelves.  Please notice how neatly all of the books are put away.  In the top of the picture, you can also see my plastic tub of recylable ink cartridges.  I have a whole “Office Max system” down.  I daresay I have earned more MaxPerks than anyone of the face of the earth.

This second picture shows probably the messiest part of my office still, but there is really nowhere to put these items.  The plastic tubs on the left have the “Points Prizes”, and the box in the bottom center of the picture has some items in it that I have NEVER figured out what to do with.  It will probably remain there for another 2 or 3 years.

In this next picture, you see my lovely paper-mached, pink flamingo.  It was a gift from my niece, and she knows how much I love anything ugly.  So, I gladly accepted it and have made it a table topper.  Notice right behind it is a stack of pictures.  Those pictures have been laying in that same spot just waiting to be hung on the wall since I moved into my office 3 1/2 years ago.

I hope you have enjoyed your little tour of my office space.  Take in the pictures now, because there is a good chance that by tomorrow, piles will start forming once again.

Recently, the husband and I have been trying to variety of new recipes so that we can broaden our typical meal plan to include more than just spaghetti and “refried” beans (although I heart refried beans and could write a whole post dedicated to them).

Tonight, we made Sloppy Joes.  Actually, we made my equivalent of Sloppy Joes–which, of course, means NO MEAT.  So, we made us some Sloppy Joes with lentils.  Yep, and it was YUMMY.  All of you who turn your nose up at a good bean or two should really reconsider.  Our Sloppy Len-Joes topped a very scrumptious homemade cornbread.  That definitely has to be added to the rotation of foods.  So, now we have THREE WHOLE MEALS.  Woohoo.

Speaking of food, I have recently discovered a brownie mix that is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!  It is so fantastic that I want to buy it in bulk and eat it morning, noon, and night (maybe that is why my jeans are currently a little tight).    Anyway, I was looking for it in the store a month or so ago, and they were out.  So, I began looking at each brand on the shelf to find one that fit in with my food issues.  And here is what I found…

Here is the box of brownie mix I picked up (yes, I blacked out the brand name).

And notice the ingredients in this mix.  Pay extra close attention to the one that is circled.  

Can I just say a great big ol’ EEEWWWWWWWWW.  I eat lots of unusual things, but there isn’t a single thing about beef fat in brownie mix that is appealing.

The creative genuis is HERE.

The outstanding peruser is HERE.

I am, however, the person who understood how absolutely wonderful this idea was and decided that it would both feed my list making obsession and make a nice decorative statement in my house.

With that being said, I will now unveil my work.

Aren’t they darling.  They are my new dry-erase boards.  I have one for my (or the husband’s) “To Do List”, one for our “Grocery List”, and one for our meal planning list.  AND AND AND (as if the cuteness factor alone isn’t overwhelming), they were super-cheap to make.  Those are $2 frames and $0.50 scrapbooking paper.  Yep, for a whopping $7.50 plus tax, I was able to create all manners of cuteness and organization.  Plus, there is a wall in our house screaming for some sort of HGTV makeover, and I think this qualifies.

With all of that being said, if you are one of my relatives, there is a good chance this is what you are getting for Christmas.  So, you might start practicing your “surprised” face.

I’m thinking my next project needs to be THIS.

It is no secret that growing up I desperately wanted my father and I to have our own home improvement television show where I would be the star and he would be the pretty sidekick.  I don’t know if it was all of those hours watching the various PBS home improvement shows (yes, we did not have cable), but “handiwork” has always held a great fascination for me.

Recently, the husband and I have been talking about how we need a new bed, because the mattress we were sleeping on is about 10-years old.  It is full of lumps and bumps and major potholes, and the both of us have had about 2 weeks of very rough sleep.  So, the subject came back up this weekend.

The decision was made to indeed purchase a new bed, and while we are currently sleeping on a full-size bed, we decided that we would go ahead and purchase a queen-size mattress so as not to have to replace our bed anytime soon.

(**Just an aside:  I had only opened 1 package of the full-size sheets we received on our wedding registry.  So, woohoo for the wedding registry exchange-ability of Target.)

Saturday afternoon, we headed out to IKEA (yes, I still happily purchase furniture at IKEA; do not judge me), and selected the world’s most WONDERFUL mattress (it was the same mattress I slept on in twin bed form for a number of years) and bed frame.

As anyone who has purchased from IKEA (or other discount-like stores) knows, all furniture must be put together by the purchaser.  So, guess what I spent Sunday afternoon doing?  Yep, putting together a queen-size bed frame.  The husband had to work, and so it was left up to me and the spirit of Bob Vila to tackle this bed frame.

After a minor incident involving a Phillips head screwdriver and my carpet, the bed was complete.

Today, I am overly-sore (in the process of the summer and my attempt to lift heavy pressed-board furniture pieces, I have discovered that I am getting old), and I have a few more bruises than normal, but boy, did I sleep good last night.

I’m thinking for my next project, I may tackle a barn for my livestock.  (No, I have no livestock, but doesn’t that sound like just the thing Bob might decide to do?)

As the summer comes to an end, my daily schedule becomes much more “normal”, and hopefully, somewhere in that normalcy resides the time to regularly update the blog. 

In the meantime, here is a recap of the events of the summer.

1.  Work (kids activities, camps, Family VBS):  All-in-all, lots of fun was had, but I am pooped.  Apparently, I am getting older, and as I increase in years, the tiredness level increases, too.

2.  Netflix/Hulu:  These two entities have been well-worth their money.  The husband and I have not actually turned on our television but maybe 4 times all summer.  Instead, we enjoyed computer-generated entertainment.

3.  Car:  After having gone almost 7-years with very few repairs needing to be made on my car, the car has now decided to rebel and has spent more time with the repairman that I care for.

4.  Marriage:  All is going well.  In fact, we are celebrating our 5-month mark today (yes, it is on Friday the 13th).  I am still perplexed by the number of “so how is married life” questions that I get on a daily basis, because is there any chance someone is going to respond in the negative (i.e. “it stinks”) when posed that question?

5.  Food Challenge:  If you haven’t figured it out by the lack of updates, I totally, utterly, and completely failed the food challenge.  As things got busier, the ability to make everything from scratch fell by the wayside. 

So, there is my summer recap.  My hope is to come up with something vastly more interesting to post about next time.

Seriously, can I really be this bad of a directional navigator?  I mean there must be some sort of common sense in my brain that allows me to figure out where I am going, but for some reason, I can’t seem to find it.

Earlier today, I embarked on a journey to pick up some tickets.  You see, tonight our local outdoor theater has the Shakespeare Festival going on and the husband and I are planning on going.  They are doing Much Ado About Nothing.

This is the perfect outing for us, because #1 – both the husband and I enjoy a good play, and #2 - the tickets are free (and really, the whole “free thing” really is the primary reason).

So, I set out this morning to get the tickets, and I decided to use the navigational feature on my Iphone that I discovered yesterday morning.  Well, as I arrived at the ”pinpoint” on my navigational system, I looked around for the theater but simply could not find it.  I drove up and down and back and forth, and then repeated the whole process again. 

It was at this point that I thought to look at the address that my Iphone was leading me to.  (Sidebar:  The husband and I made a trip downtown yesterday morning because he needed to take care of something at the university.  We used the navigational system for that trip.)  Back to the story:  It seems that when I made the decision to use my “pinpoint thingy” to pick up the tickets, I forgot that I needed to type in the new address, so it led me to the university where we had been the previous morning, while I needed a location that was about 5 miles to the west.

So, I typed in the C.O.R.R.E.C.T. location, took a swig of water to calm my frustrations, and began to make my way westward.

Needless to say, a trip that should have taken me 35 minutes at the most (roundtrip) took closer to 2 hours.  On the plus side, I now have seen a bit more of the city.

Well, since having made homemade tortillas, I have now entered into the world of tortilla snobbery.  So, the husband and I were having “mexican-esque” food tonight for dinner, and I decided it would be a good time to document the tortilla making.  (I promise it is easy.  If I can make them, then so can you.)

I thought about giving you a witty play-by-play of the action, but there wasn’t much too it. 

• Step 1 – mix masa harina and water. 
• Step 2 – roll into little balls. 
• Step 3 - flatten out. 
• Step 4 – cook. 
• Step 5 – eat. 

Step 5 is obviously my favorite of all the steps.  Anyway, enjoy the pictures below. 

**As an aside, the food experiment is going well.  Some days I do better than others at staying all natural, but there is one thing that I am noticing.  When I eat something with preservatives, I can totally taste them, and it is NOT a good taste.  Today is Day 8 of the food experiment.  Sometime in the next week, I’ll try to do a more thorough update.

This copied and pasted directly from my friend Dustin Bartee’s blog.  I have no creative claim to it other than the ability to copy and paste.

Enjoy.

********

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I always had a suspicion…

So, this past Sunday in our Young Pros Bible Class, we were closing out a study on Jesus refilling our lives, with the particular focus that week being on eschatology, which is the study of the end times. And in the course of class prep, I felt compelled to share this via Mark Atteberry, who’s a superb Christian author/leader. (hey, if Donald Miller is a fan of this guy, so am I)

Some people have actually spent time identifying Barney, the purple dinosaur, as the Antichrist. What? You didn’t know Barney is the Antichrist? Then you need to read Revelation 13:18, which clearly says that the beast’s number is 666, and also happens to be Barney’s number. If you have any doubts of this, just work your way through the following steps and be enlightened:

Given: Barney is a cute purple dinosaur

Prove: Barney is really the Antichrist in disguise

1. Start with the given: CUTE PURPLE DINOSAUR

2. Change all the U’s to V’s (which is proper Latin anyway): CVTE PVRPLE DINOSAVR

3. Extract all Roman numerals in the phrase: CVVLDIV

4. Convert these into Arabic values: 100 5 5 50 500 1 5

5. Add all the numbers: 666

So now let your greatest fears be realized.

********

Today, as we made our way through a well-known discount store, we began loading up our carts (yes, we each had a cart) with a little of this and a little of that, and a WHOLE BUNCH of one or two things, and I decided that we really should document this trip.

So, enjoy the following pictures.

(If you look on the bottom of the cart of this first picture, you will see 32 1-pound boxes of cornstarch.  We actually need 96, but this was all they had.  Hopefully, I can post pictures/video of what we are doing with 96 pounds of cornstarch.)

(And after she L.A.U.G.H.E.D. at me for figuring out how much rice we need by the tablespoon–btw, that bag holds 202 tablespoons of rice–she graciously posed for a picture with the offending bag.)

(Last but not least is our receipt.  Isn’t it a sight to behold?)

********

Also, I will give a quick update on my food experiment (Days 1 & 2).

Breakfast and dinner yesterday were EASY.  For breakfast, I drank one of my vegetable protein drinks, and for dinner, the husband and I ate homemade whole wheat pancakes.  I am not a big fan of syrup, so I just ate mine straight off the griddle.  They were super yummy.

Lunch was a bit harder.  Because I had very little time between when I left the church building and needed to be back up there, we made the decision to run by Taco Bell (cheap and fast) to grab lunch.  So, I technically didn’t even make it past Day 1 before I  succumbed to preservatives, but in my mind, because I am admitting it to all of you, it doesn’t count.

Then today was easy because I was able to plan ahead.  Breakfast was the protein shake.  Lunch was raw veggies, hummus, peanut butter (from freshly ground peanuts), and strawberries.  Then, dinner was homemade corn tortillas, raw veggies, and a peach for dessert.

Now, I realize that this experiment is probably not as interesting to everyone else as it is to me, but it really has made me think about what food options we have and how that impacts health, and the correlation between poor health and those who fall into a lower socio-economic status.  Plus, the thing that struck me about yesterday was that because we were having to rush around, and because we did not want to spend much money, we were pushed more towards a not-so-healthy option.

So, I have been a little under the weather this week which meant a couple of days huddled in bed or on the couch. 

While laying on the couch one of the days, I began watching a show on preservatives in food and processed foods and how that is affecting children in America.  It was pretty interesting and got me to thinking–how difficult would it be to go 30 days and not eat anything processed or with preservatives in it.

So, I have decided to do a food experiment, and see if I can go 30 days without processed food or preservatives (or food that contains ingredients that I can’t identify).  My initial intent is to try to blog about it each day, but I am not always the best at updating my blog, and really, how interesting can “Day 23 – beans” be?  So, I will try to just keep you updated.

I was telling someone about this last night, and her first reaction was to let me know that doing this means no Oreos, no Diet Coke, and no Peter Pan Peanut Butter.  Eeeew, I hadn’t thought about that.  Oh well, I am going to push my canister of Oreos aside and go for it.

Therefore, this morning I headed to the grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends to begin this experiment.  One of the items on my list was fruit popsicles.  Those frozen treats are one of my favorite snacks (and I usually get the all-natural, all-fruit kind), but I could not find a single brand that were truly all-natural.  Ugh, this is going to be more difficult than I expected. 

So, we shall see how this goes. 

I do have to offer up a couple of caveats, though.  All soymilk (and real milk for that matter) is fortified and preserved and vitamined-up, and it is a necessary staple of my diet, so it will remain.  Also, there is a vegetable protein drink that I try to drink each day, and it has vitamins, etc. added to it.  Those two things have to remain, but my plan is to cut Oreos and Diet Coke and Peter Pan Peanut Butter (I purchased some freshly ground real peanut butter to take its place) and see if I can do everything a little more all-natural.

There are some chickpeas calling my name.

Also, your choice to bring back The Facts of Life have reconnected me to my good friends–Blair, Jo, Natalie, and funny Tootie (bless her heart for such an awful name).

And don’t get me started on your network television shows.  When I miss an episode of Chuck, you have one ready for me the very next day, and I only have to sit through 14 Clinique age spots commercials even though I keep answering “no” to the “does this commercial apply to you” questionnaire.

Hulu, you have added a little sparkle to my life.  If you were to choose to re-air Freaks and Geeks the sparkle would be more on the level of sheer bedazzling, but I will not complain.

So, I leave you with the words of the immortal Bette Midler (if a singer is still alive, can they be considered “immortal”).  You, Hulu, are the wind beneath my wings.

When my parents moved out of the house I grew up in, I threw away most everything from my high school career–yearbooks, homecoming mums, newspaper clippings, photo albums, letterman’s jacket–literally everything.  And while I did decide to save a couple of things, those items are stored “lovingly” in a plastic container under my bed.

I just have never been one to want to hold onto things.

Fast forward to the whole marriage-thing, and I am now finding myself faced with this unusual feeling.  It is one of sentiment (or at least that is what I think it is).  I kind of want to have a wedding album to commemorate the day.

So, about a month ago, I went to a craft store to purchase the appropriate “necessities” to create my wedding scrapbook–I bought an album, a package of pink paper, and adhesive.

Then, I started putting the pictures on each page one afternoon, and 4 pages in, I was hit with a realization–this album looks like it was put together by a 1st grader.  There are 4 pictures on each page and NOTHING else.  No pretty little accents.  No artistic writing.  No themed paper.  Just pictures stuck somewhat crookedly on a paper.

That album and all the pictures still waiting to go in it have now been sitting on the kitchen table for a month, and before too much longer, they are bound to go either in a plastic storage container (because nothing says “lifelong special memory” like a sterlite 10-gallon container) or in the trash (yes, I am serious).

So, I asked a friend the other day if she wanted to put together my wedding album.  I think she thought I was joking.  (I wasn’t.)

Maybe the scrapbooking fairy will show up at my house one night while I am sleeping and create a magical, memory book that I won’t be embarrassed to show to the general population, or maybe there really isn’t anything wrong with a wedding portrait anchored in place by large mounds of scotch tape.

Let me preface this post by saying that I have NEVER purchased a new television, and this is actually a fact I am quite proud of.  All of my tv’s have come via the  “hand me down” system, and that has been just fine with me.  I don’t need anything fancy, nor do I truly care whether or not the picture I am viewing is in High Definition.  I just want a television that will allow me to watch an episode or two of my favorite programs.

Last Sunday, though, my non-television-buying-streak came to an abrupt halt when my television exploded.  I’ll grant you that “exploded” might be a bit of an overstatement, but the husband (who was home and witnessed the whole thing) informed me that the picture went black, the television squealed, and then smoke came out of the back.  In other words, it was dead.

Now, since it might have been considered rude to put a message on facebook asking if anyone had a tv they wanted to give us, we decided to purchase a new tv.  In anticipation of said tv, husband rolled the old tv (using a furniture dolly) out to the dumpster last night. 

New tv arrived today, and I am now a little concerned.  You see, we decided to go for a nicer television but that meant we needed to get a smaller one (got to watch those nickels and dimes).  However, we might have gone too small, because I was able to carry the new tv and a large load of grocery bags through the parking garage, down the long hallway, and into the house with no problem or fear that I might drop something at any moment, and I don’t think that is normal. 

Maybe I should now take the time to move the couch closer to the tv cabinet so we won’t strain our eyes.