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| Looking Elsewhere |
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| April's busy |
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| Kylie's tonsils |
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| Nostril views |
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| April busy |
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| Timer set wrong |
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| Back of Andrew's head |
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| Amy talking to the kids |
Friday, December 17, 2010
Family Picture Outtakes
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Christmas Letter 2010
I just finished the first draft of my Christmas letter for this year.
Who am I kidding, I've pretty much only got time for a first draft.
Anyway, here's the final draft of my Christmas letter for this year (unless I change something).
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
2010 has just flown by. Our family is doing well and we’ve grown by one more this year. Jessica Beth Stone was born on the 14th of August and is doing great.
Jared is still working with the Boy Scouts and is also in the Sunday School Presidency. He started working as the financial director for a new company at the beginning of the year. The company is called Ludaxx, (I know what it sounds like but it has nothing to do with that) they make health supplements. With his busy schedule and long hours we don’t get to see a lot of him but he tries to make time at home count and April and Andrew look forward to bedtime stories with him at night.
Amy is very happy to have made it through another pregnancy and baby with no serious complications. She is adjusting to life with five kids and trying to get a good schedule going to keep everyone organized and the house in good enough order that most of the shoes can be found most of the time. Amy is still working in the Nursery so Jessica gets to attend with April and Andrew every week. She is also on the Family History Committee, the Ward Website Administrator, and a Stake Extraction/Indexing worker. She enjoys being in a neighborhood book club and is always looking for good books to recommend. She is a bit addicted to Farmville and facebook and is trying to cut back on both.
Krista turned 10 in August. She likes fifth grade and helps to read to the first graders. She does very well in school and was thrilled to find out that Krispy Kreme gives out free donuts for every A because she can almost get a half dozen all to herself. She loves dance and is doing well in ballet and Irish. She has adjusted to life with braces although she has had to give up her favorite carmel treats. She is taking piano and does well at it especially when she remembers to practice. She likes jewelry and accessories and made her very own bead watch after one of our neighbors showed us how.
Kylie turned 7 in September. First grade keeps her busy and she has learned a lot. She is a math whiz and likes to work with numbers. She is above grade level in her reading and loves Junie B. Jones books (I can see why as she’s a little bit Junie herself). She loves that Krista reads out loud to her for a few minutes before they go to bed and has expanded her taste in books through this nightly ritual. Kylie is also taking ballet and Irish and asked to be moved up a level this year so she could have more of a challenge. Kylie likes cooking and helps make treats and easy recipes, she would like to be able to make things herself but isn’t allowed to use the oven yet.
April turned 3 in April and is very proud of the fact that she is now 3 AND A HALF. She started taking dance classes this fall and was so excited to be one of the big girls. April’s world is full of pretend people, places, and things. I love this age full of pretend treats and imaginary friends. She has a three year olds eclectic fashion sense but her real passion is shoes. She hates to wear simple sneakers and is always trying to get me to wear fancy shoes too. April likes to sing, enjoys Nursery, loves Craisins and goldfish crackers, and is a super big sister for Andrew and Jessica.
Andrew turned 2 with a vengeance in November. His answer to every question now is NO and its funny to watch him do a double take when the answer should have been yes; as in “do you want a cookie?”, “No! (pause) Yes!”. Andrew is addicted to Dora and Elmo. His mom restricts TV for kids under 2 and Andrew seems to be trying to make up for the depravation by watching the same movie over and over again and throwing tantrums if it gets turned off. Keeping him busy and away from TV is a full-time challenge. He loves the park and the playground at the mall. He follows April around all day and they come up with creative ways to drive their mom nuts like dumping out bags of flour and sugar and unplugging various appliances just to watch them quit suddenly.
Jessica is a very happy baby. She was born very pale and listless but after an IV and a bit of attention she perked right up and turned into a very cranky person for her first few weeks. We were all getting a bit worried and frustrated with her constant upset but Amy thought it might be reflux like Krista had as a newborn and asked the pediatrician for a prescription. Within 24 hours Jessica was a new person. She now smiles at us all the time and babbles and waves her fists cheerfully at her siblings. She sleeps and eats pretty well and is easy going about all the attention and love that her siblings can dole out.
We have had a good year and are grateful to have been blessed so abundantly. We pray that our friends, family, and country will be happy, in good health, and full of the blessings of God and liberty in the coming year.
Who am I kidding, I've pretty much only got time for a first draft.
Anyway, here's the final draft of my Christmas letter for this year (unless I change something).
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
2010 has just flown by. Our family is doing well and we’ve grown by one more this year. Jessica Beth Stone was born on the 14th of August and is doing great.
Jared is still working with the Boy Scouts and is also in the Sunday School Presidency. He started working as the financial director for a new company at the beginning of the year. The company is called Ludaxx, (I know what it sounds like but it has nothing to do with that) they make health supplements. With his busy schedule and long hours we don’t get to see a lot of him but he tries to make time at home count and April and Andrew look forward to bedtime stories with him at night.
Amy is very happy to have made it through another pregnancy and baby with no serious complications. She is adjusting to life with five kids and trying to get a good schedule going to keep everyone organized and the house in good enough order that most of the shoes can be found most of the time. Amy is still working in the Nursery so Jessica gets to attend with April and Andrew every week. She is also on the Family History Committee, the Ward Website Administrator, and a Stake Extraction/Indexing worker. She enjoys being in a neighborhood book club and is always looking for good books to recommend. She is a bit addicted to Farmville and facebook and is trying to cut back on both.
Krista turned 10 in August. She likes fifth grade and helps to read to the first graders. She does very well in school and was thrilled to find out that Krispy Kreme gives out free donuts for every A because she can almost get a half dozen all to herself. She loves dance and is doing well in ballet and Irish. She has adjusted to life with braces although she has had to give up her favorite carmel treats. She is taking piano and does well at it especially when she remembers to practice. She likes jewelry and accessories and made her very own bead watch after one of our neighbors showed us how.
Kylie turned 7 in September. First grade keeps her busy and she has learned a lot. She is a math whiz and likes to work with numbers. She is above grade level in her reading and loves Junie B. Jones books (I can see why as she’s a little bit Junie herself). She loves that Krista reads out loud to her for a few minutes before they go to bed and has expanded her taste in books through this nightly ritual. Kylie is also taking ballet and Irish and asked to be moved up a level this year so she could have more of a challenge. Kylie likes cooking and helps make treats and easy recipes, she would like to be able to make things herself but isn’t allowed to use the oven yet.
April turned 3 in April and is very proud of the fact that she is now 3 AND A HALF. She started taking dance classes this fall and was so excited to be one of the big girls. April’s world is full of pretend people, places, and things. I love this age full of pretend treats and imaginary friends. She has a three year olds eclectic fashion sense but her real passion is shoes. She hates to wear simple sneakers and is always trying to get me to wear fancy shoes too. April likes to sing, enjoys Nursery, loves Craisins and goldfish crackers, and is a super big sister for Andrew and Jessica.
Andrew turned 2 with a vengeance in November. His answer to every question now is NO and its funny to watch him do a double take when the answer should have been yes; as in “do you want a cookie?”, “No! (pause) Yes!”. Andrew is addicted to Dora and Elmo. His mom restricts TV for kids under 2 and Andrew seems to be trying to make up for the depravation by watching the same movie over and over again and throwing tantrums if it gets turned off. Keeping him busy and away from TV is a full-time challenge. He loves the park and the playground at the mall. He follows April around all day and they come up with creative ways to drive their mom nuts like dumping out bags of flour and sugar and unplugging various appliances just to watch them quit suddenly.
Jessica is a very happy baby. She was born very pale and listless but after an IV and a bit of attention she perked right up and turned into a very cranky person for her first few weeks. We were all getting a bit worried and frustrated with her constant upset but Amy thought it might be reflux like Krista had as a newborn and asked the pediatrician for a prescription. Within 24 hours Jessica was a new person. She now smiles at us all the time and babbles and waves her fists cheerfully at her siblings. She sleeps and eats pretty well and is easy going about all the attention and love that her siblings can dole out.
We have had a good year and are grateful to have been blessed so abundantly. We pray that our friends, family, and country will be happy, in good health, and full of the blessings of God and liberty in the coming year.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Jessica
Took these the 19th of November.
Kylie wanted her to wear the hat.
I was amazed Jessica liked the hat.
Pretty Flowers
Jared brought me these.
No particular reason.
They're pretty.
Isn't that nice.
I don't know what kind they are.
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Fast Card Game
April- Mom, do you want to play a game with me?
Me - Sure.
April - (spreading out go fish cards on the table)
Okay, these are the cards, if you take a card you lose points, if you get points, you win.
(Picks up a handful of cards)
I win!
Me - (laughing)
Good job.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Invictus
Jared and I decided to get a movie last night. Invictus was in the redbox at the gas station and we both wanted to watch it. Jared brought it home. We fed and bathed the kids. We got the kids into bed and I went in to tuck the little ones in and read them a story. Jared went down to the family room to start the movie. I fell asleep while telling stories. Jared fell asleep while starting the movie. A few hours later I went down and turned off the lights and TV in the basement. Once again date night was a lost cause. Maybe we'll try again tonight.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Counting Crackers
I got out a package of crackers and gave April and Andrew each a few to keep them busy. I put the remaining crackers on the counter and went into the baby's room to take care of her. A few minutes later I hear the sound of many crackers spilling across the kitchen floor.
Me: Did you spill the crackers? Do you need me to come help clean them up?
April: No, they did not spill, we are just counting them!
Made me laugh.
Me: Did you spill the crackers? Do you need me to come help clean them up?
April: No, they did not spill, we are just counting them!
Made me laugh.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
April's 3rd Birthday Pictures
Yes, her birthday was in April.
I've got another page or two in the works.
If you ever want to come over and go through my scrapbooks it's a happy hobby of mine.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The 170's!
I made it down to the high 170's!
This is excellent.
I am very happy with myself.
Close to 220 in the last few weeks of pregnancy in early August so that's about 40lbs-ish of loss.
It's taken me about six weeks to lose the most recent two pounds so it's slow going now.
I'll get back to 160 probably in the Spring.
I was 150 in high school and in great shape so I'm happy with 160 after five kids and fifteen years since high school.
I owe a lot of my success to a very supportive bunch of ladies I met in an online weight loss support group for Christian moms. We face a lot of the same challenges with our lives and lifestyles so it's great to have them to talk to and to be able to cheer each other on.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Curry Chicken
A few weeks ago my husband had curry chicken at a restaurant near his office. He came home and told me how much he liked it and asked if I could make it for him. I told him I had no clue how to make curry chicken but I had curry and chicken so if he could find a recipe online that looked like what he ate I would be happy to try making it.
My husband works for a company owned by a Chinese couple and my husband told the wife that he was looking for a recipe for curry chicken. She brought him a box a few days later that contained bricks of curry stuff and told him how you cook them. This was a lovely gesture on her part and my husband was excited to try it. One slight difficulty, the box had instructions all in Japanese. So my husband tried it and liked it well enough. I didn't love it or hate it but the spicy taste and the onions involved made it a dish I have to be careful of while breastfeeding our new baby. I just wasn't thrilled with it enough to want to eat it again. None of the kids liked it. Since my husband said it didn't taste like what he had at the restaurant we decided maybe the lack of English instructions had somehow foiled his attempt at curry chicken.
I googled the only words I could read "ankee chicken" and google said "Was I looking for Yankee Chicken" ummmm... no.
So next I googled Japanese style curry chicken, lo and behold, on YouTube there was a lady using the box just like my husband had used and there were SUBTITLES! for the instructions she was giving as to how to make the dish. Hers was pork though, not chicken. Then I found a lady speaking English and cooking curry chicken just the same way my husband cooked it. I watched both videos, my husband cooked it the way it was supposed to be cooked.
Since the kids won't eat it and I was only okay with it we have decided it just isn't something we will be making again. Maybe we can find the recipe for the chicken dish my husband had in the restaurant another day.
Here are the links to the videos in case you want to try it. I still have an unopened package of the curry stuff if you're interested.
Here's the lady with the subtitles, watch the end of the video to see the little kid react to the dish the same way my kids did.
Here's the lady speaking English, her food looks just like what my husband made and she assures us that her family likes it so maybe yours will too.
I found it very funny that the kid's reaction in that first video needs no translation.
My husband works for a company owned by a Chinese couple and my husband told the wife that he was looking for a recipe for curry chicken. She brought him a box a few days later that contained bricks of curry stuff and told him how you cook them. This was a lovely gesture on her part and my husband was excited to try it. One slight difficulty, the box had instructions all in Japanese. So my husband tried it and liked it well enough. I didn't love it or hate it but the spicy taste and the onions involved made it a dish I have to be careful of while breastfeeding our new baby. I just wasn't thrilled with it enough to want to eat it again. None of the kids liked it. Since my husband said it didn't taste like what he had at the restaurant we decided maybe the lack of English instructions had somehow foiled his attempt at curry chicken.
I googled the only words I could read "ankee chicken" and google said "Was I looking for Yankee Chicken" ummmm... no.
So next I googled Japanese style curry chicken, lo and behold, on YouTube there was a lady using the box just like my husband had used and there were SUBTITLES! for the instructions she was giving as to how to make the dish. Hers was pork though, not chicken. Then I found a lady speaking English and cooking curry chicken just the same way my husband cooked it. I watched both videos, my husband cooked it the way it was supposed to be cooked.
Since the kids won't eat it and I was only okay with it we have decided it just isn't something we will be making again. Maybe we can find the recipe for the chicken dish my husband had in the restaurant another day.
Here are the links to the videos in case you want to try it. I still have an unopened package of the curry stuff if you're interested.
Here's the lady with the subtitles, watch the end of the video to see the little kid react to the dish the same way my kids did.
Here's the lady speaking English, her food looks just like what my husband made and she assures us that her family likes it so maybe yours will too.
I found it very funny that the kid's reaction in that first video needs no translation.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Costco Card Stand
Brilliant!
Saw a guy do this when I was in line in Costco.
Take the divider bar thing that you put between your groceries and the ones for the person ahead of you. Put it upside down on the conveyor belt. Stand your Costco card in the upside down divider bar. It works like a business card holder and then you can get the stuff out of your cart and onto the conveyor belt without having to stop and dig out your card when it gets to be your turn. Makes the Costco checkout thing just a bit faster and on a Saturday afternoon that makes a big difference.
Saw a guy do this when I was in line in Costco.
Take the divider bar thing that you put between your groceries and the ones for the person ahead of you. Put it upside down on the conveyor belt. Stand your Costco card in the upside down divider bar. It works like a business card holder and then you can get the stuff out of your cart and onto the conveyor belt without having to stop and dig out your card when it gets to be your turn. Makes the Costco checkout thing just a bit faster and on a Saturday afternoon that makes a big difference.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Cute Sweater - Second Generation
I wore this when I was this size.
I have small fuzzy memories of this small fuzzy sweater.
The Birthday Cake
Here is the Elmo cake that I did for Andrew's birthday party yesterday. He loved it.
Andrew: Elmo cake! MY Elmo cake! Got EYE-balls.
Yeah, the happy face says it all. A lovely success. He wanted one of the eyeballs for his piece. I love that it turned out so well. I'm going to keep looking for those form cake pans, they're just so much fun to do!
Andrew: Elmo cake! MY Elmo cake! Got EYE-balls.
The Sisters
Here are some cute pictures of the girls that I took while we were out at the park on Andrew's birthday.
Krista
Kylie
April
Jessica
Krista
Kylie
April
JessicaAndrew's Birthday
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| Under the sun lamps just a few days old. This is one of my favorite pictures of Andrew when he was brand new. It seems like such a long time ago or possibly just last week... They grow up so fast! |
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| Ready for the park, just need shoes. |
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| The swings are his favorite. |
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| Trying out the tunnel. |
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| Just like the big kids. |
I was so glad the weather turned out nice for the afternoon so we could go to the park on Andrew's birthday. It was great to get out in the fresh air and sunshine. Andrew loves the park!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Walking in front of reflective surfaces
I went to Target the other day and walked in front of the large windows to the front office in the front of the store and saw how I look from behind and beside. I don't have any full-length mirrors around my house. I was not thrilled with the view. I am going to have to do something about this.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Venting and Complaining
Can I have a do-over on today, please?
Round 1: First off it started at around 4am, not a good time to start the day. Took a while to get the baby back to sleep and by then I couldn't sleep because my brain was in one of those holding pattern things it does where I can't shut off the hamster wheel. Subject of crazy brain circles? - teething tablets. Yeah, Andrew is teething and it's frustrating because he is just cranky and miserable. So my brother told me to try teething tablets and this morning at about 4:45 I looked them up on the internet. First thing I see is a recall alert for Hyland teething tablets and I know he mentioned that name so suddenly I'm trying to figure out if I should call him and tell him not to feed them to my nephew anymore. I talk myself out of this because I'm pretty sure he would be cranky to be up that early (I know I was) and nothing could be done about the pills anyway. Also, I don't want to make him think I'm judging his parenting because I think they are doing fine but I'm sure I would end up coming across all "you're poisoning your child" so I just posted the link to the recall to their page, my page, and the page of another friend who also said Hyland was the way to go. Then I tried to go back to bed but mostly tossed and turned until 7:30 when I was awakened by my husband who was frustrated because our 7 year-old wouldn't get up and was going to be late for school and also because he couldn't find his shoes. I tried to calm him down and did the whole "where did you last see them" thing with him because he does tend to just kick them off someplace. The shoes were found behind the couch with a bunch of other stuff the same 7 year-old had stuffed back there instead of cleaning the room. sigh. Husband calmed down some and took 7 year-old to school. Have to deal with her later.
Round 2: Husband returns to finish getting ready for work and cheerfully informs me he will have to work this weekend. I bite my tongue on cranky remarks and remind him that it's his sons birthday today and this weekend would be a good time to have a party or something. Also, I ask him if he ever got a cake mix (I've asked him to do this a few times over the last week). No, he wasn't really thinking of the birthday, never did get a cake mix, and is still planning on working this weekend. He leaves for a quick trip to the store to get a cake mix. Comes back, drops off cake mix, leaves for work. April is okay with TV, Andrew and Jessica are still sleeping, I have vague hopes of going to sleep for just a few minutes. Baby starts to cry and phone rings, buddy of Jared's couldn't find Jared's cell number, can I give it to him. Yeah. Crying baby wakes up big brother and the day has really begun.
Round 3: Deal with diapers and food. Baby is cranky and Andrew is cranky. Get things settled down and go to check my e-mail. Find angry message from person not to be named about me sending a reminder to vote that somehow offended this person. Crap. The reminder was simple hope you vote and had a smiley face at the end. A SMILEY FACE!! How is that offensive? I checked the message I sent just in case I had spelled something wrong and put in a swear word accidentally or something. Nope. So I should have waited 24 hours to respond or something but I was already like 5 hours into my day at 9am and I wrote back that I wasn't questioning this persons life or intelligence and had sent the same reminder to A LOT of people. So I'm hoping this person is just having one of those days, I certainly am, and will be fine again next time I see them. Deal with some of the mess, start some laundry, feel beginnings of a headache and it's not even 10am.
Round 4: Sister-in-law writes to inform me that while they did say they were going to buy the Hyland brand of teething tablets they found out about the recall and bought Little Teethers (after consulting the pharmacist) instead. I missed that part. Now I feel like an idiot but I'm even more glad I didn't call before 5 to tell them not to poison their child. Spend a few minutes calling myself an idiot and questioning whether I should ever use the internet again because apparently I have problems. 20 minutes of research on the internet lead me to believe I am indeed an idiot because I can't figure out the pros and cons on the safety of the teething tablets. Medical jargon confuses me. People say they're great, but I'm undecided. Headache continues. I give up.
Round 5: Suddenly realize that if husband isn't going to be home on Saturday I have to get Andrew's pictures taken today (you will never be able to follow the logic on this one so don't try) so I call the studio and get an appointment for 5:30 this evening. Only available time is during dinner time for Andrew. Politely take appointment while kicking myself for not making two appointments and then cancelling one because this kind of thing happens all the time around here with husband's schedule and punctuality issues.
Round 6: Baby refuses to take morning nap.
Round 7: Lunch is very late and kids are cranky. I am hitting the edge of what I can handle. I type blog entry to vent it all out. Now I have to get back to work, I still have to be the mom.
Round 1: First off it started at around 4am, not a good time to start the day. Took a while to get the baby back to sleep and by then I couldn't sleep because my brain was in one of those holding pattern things it does where I can't shut off the hamster wheel. Subject of crazy brain circles? - teething tablets. Yeah, Andrew is teething and it's frustrating because he is just cranky and miserable. So my brother told me to try teething tablets and this morning at about 4:45 I looked them up on the internet. First thing I see is a recall alert for Hyland teething tablets and I know he mentioned that name so suddenly I'm trying to figure out if I should call him and tell him not to feed them to my nephew anymore. I talk myself out of this because I'm pretty sure he would be cranky to be up that early (I know I was) and nothing could be done about the pills anyway. Also, I don't want to make him think I'm judging his parenting because I think they are doing fine but I'm sure I would end up coming across all "you're poisoning your child" so I just posted the link to the recall to their page, my page, and the page of another friend who also said Hyland was the way to go. Then I tried to go back to bed but mostly tossed and turned until 7:30 when I was awakened by my husband who was frustrated because our 7 year-old wouldn't get up and was going to be late for school and also because he couldn't find his shoes. I tried to calm him down and did the whole "where did you last see them" thing with him because he does tend to just kick them off someplace. The shoes were found behind the couch with a bunch of other stuff the same 7 year-old had stuffed back there instead of cleaning the room. sigh. Husband calmed down some and took 7 year-old to school. Have to deal with her later.
Round 2: Husband returns to finish getting ready for work and cheerfully informs me he will have to work this weekend. I bite my tongue on cranky remarks and remind him that it's his sons birthday today and this weekend would be a good time to have a party or something. Also, I ask him if he ever got a cake mix (I've asked him to do this a few times over the last week). No, he wasn't really thinking of the birthday, never did get a cake mix, and is still planning on working this weekend. He leaves for a quick trip to the store to get a cake mix. Comes back, drops off cake mix, leaves for work. April is okay with TV, Andrew and Jessica are still sleeping, I have vague hopes of going to sleep for just a few minutes. Baby starts to cry and phone rings, buddy of Jared's couldn't find Jared's cell number, can I give it to him. Yeah. Crying baby wakes up big brother and the day has really begun.
Round 3: Deal with diapers and food. Baby is cranky and Andrew is cranky. Get things settled down and go to check my e-mail. Find angry message from person not to be named about me sending a reminder to vote that somehow offended this person. Crap. The reminder was simple hope you vote and had a smiley face at the end. A SMILEY FACE!! How is that offensive? I checked the message I sent just in case I had spelled something wrong and put in a swear word accidentally or something. Nope. So I should have waited 24 hours to respond or something but I was already like 5 hours into my day at 9am and I wrote back that I wasn't questioning this persons life or intelligence and had sent the same reminder to A LOT of people. So I'm hoping this person is just having one of those days, I certainly am, and will be fine again next time I see them. Deal with some of the mess, start some laundry, feel beginnings of a headache and it's not even 10am.
Round 4: Sister-in-law writes to inform me that while they did say they were going to buy the Hyland brand of teething tablets they found out about the recall and bought Little Teethers (after consulting the pharmacist) instead. I missed that part. Now I feel like an idiot but I'm even more glad I didn't call before 5 to tell them not to poison their child. Spend a few minutes calling myself an idiot and questioning whether I should ever use the internet again because apparently I have problems. 20 minutes of research on the internet lead me to believe I am indeed an idiot because I can't figure out the pros and cons on the safety of the teething tablets. Medical jargon confuses me. People say they're great, but I'm undecided. Headache continues. I give up.
Round 5: Suddenly realize that if husband isn't going to be home on Saturday I have to get Andrew's pictures taken today (you will never be able to follow the logic on this one so don't try) so I call the studio and get an appointment for 5:30 this evening. Only available time is during dinner time for Andrew. Politely take appointment while kicking myself for not making two appointments and then cancelling one because this kind of thing happens all the time around here with husband's schedule and punctuality issues.
Round 6: Baby refuses to take morning nap.
Round 7: Lunch is very late and kids are cranky. I am hitting the edge of what I can handle. I type blog entry to vent it all out. Now I have to get back to work, I still have to be the mom.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Halloween
More costume pictures.
So cool.
We went to the Toys R Us thing and I have to recommend it, well organized and fun for the kids.
I love that in all the pictures the guy took for us April is entranced by Geoffrey.
A pretty good pic of me and my spider.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Halloween Costumes
Krista and Kylie.
Krista is the Tooth Fairy.
Kylie is Medusa, she picked it herself, she wanted the Uma Therman one from Percy Jackson.
April and Andrew.
April wanted to be a PINK witch.
Andrew got to wear the frog costume this year.
Going on close to 20 years of frog costume wearers in my family.
Jessica is the spider, I am the web.
Kind of hard to see my strings.
I'll try to get a better pic.
Thanks to:
Lois - The snakes and the hair piece for medusa.
Mom - The entire frog suit.
Lynn - The bodice for the witch.
Jared - The spider leg socks.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Scrapbook Page
Here's the other page of the ultrasounds I did.
The colors didn't scan quite right but it's mostly there.
As you can see, it's the later ultrasound so it's more gender specific than the last one.
Jessica is indeed a girl.
Scrapbook Page
Kylie and I worked on this one together.
I'm behind in my scrapbooking so it's ultrasounds from January 2010.
Motivation
I've hit that phase right after the postpartum has mostly ebbed where I'm just kind of low on energy and motivation. I'm not sure if it's something to do with hormones, iron deficiency, some kind of vitamin imbalance from not getting out much, sleep cycle issues, or a cocktail of all of them enough to cause paralysis of the will power. It's the phase where I just don't feel like getting up in the morning. I literally wait for the baby to start crying before I drag myself out and every day I think to myself that if I had gotten out of bed when I woke up I could have exercised, gotten some housework done, maybe had a shower. I give myself guilt over not getting going fast enough so the rest of the day seems to be rushed with me trying to catch up to the kids and the house that are ahead of me in the avalanche of life.
Some things I do to try and "fix" this are; taking vitamins, riding the exercise bicycle, working at some of my hobbies like scrapbooking and journal writing, setting goals, making lists, giving myself pep talks, praying, reading scriptures, and playing music I like. These usually do it for me but during this down phase they just don't have the same zip and it seems like so much more work than enjoyment to get to them. I am not sure if it's still part of the depression because one of the signs of depression is lack of interest in what you usually enjoy but this is less a lack of interest as a lack of time to get to them and hence a discouragement over that. In other words, I'm just so busy with the new baby and the work of life in general that I don't have time for me so I get discouraged and don't take time for me. Vicious cycle? Sort of.
I would much rather have this phase than the deep sadness and random crying jags with horrible fear of death or harming my kids phase that is what it is for about eight weeks after I have the baby. There's no fighting that phase. This phase has light and hope and moments of happiness in it that create a kind of balance if I can keep from becoming guilt ridden and discouraged. People that have never gone through real depression think this is what depression is but the real stuff, well, it's so... I don't know, there aren't words.
Some things I do to try and "fix" this are; taking vitamins, riding the exercise bicycle, working at some of my hobbies like scrapbooking and journal writing, setting goals, making lists, giving myself pep talks, praying, reading scriptures, and playing music I like. These usually do it for me but during this down phase they just don't have the same zip and it seems like so much more work than enjoyment to get to them. I am not sure if it's still part of the depression because one of the signs of depression is lack of interest in what you usually enjoy but this is less a lack of interest as a lack of time to get to them and hence a discouragement over that. In other words, I'm just so busy with the new baby and the work of life in general that I don't have time for me so I get discouraged and don't take time for me. Vicious cycle? Sort of.
I would much rather have this phase than the deep sadness and random crying jags with horrible fear of death or harming my kids phase that is what it is for about eight weeks after I have the baby. There's no fighting that phase. This phase has light and hope and moments of happiness in it that create a kind of balance if I can keep from becoming guilt ridden and discouraged. People that have never gone through real depression think this is what depression is but the real stuff, well, it's so... I don't know, there aren't words.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Snow
Usually there is "warning snow", a few days of snow that falls and does not actually make big puffy drifts on the ground but rather melts and goes away. Not this time. Big puffy inches of snow overnight. Durn.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Brown Desk
I have a desk. It's a brown desk with one small drawer. Husband and I bought it back in the early days of marriage for a whopping $15 at a thrift store. We have both used the desk often. We are tall people and the brown desk is a bit short for us. The single drawer is at just the right height to hit our knees if we move our legs under the desk.
Recently my parents reorganized a few rooms in their house. They offered me a computer desk for the irresistible price of "free if you haul it away". It is a nicer desk than my brown desk. It has no drawers but it has more shelves. It is gray/grey.
So, what to do with the knee-bruising brown desk? I moved the brown desk over a few feet, transferred all the computer stuff to the gray/grey desk, moved the brown desk into my kids playroom, moved the brown desk into the hallway, moved the brown desk into my brother's room (currently in China, brother, not desk or room) and now I can shut the door and not see the brown desk. My brother will be unhappy when he returns to find the desk taking up most of his room.
Anyone want a used brown desk?
Recently my parents reorganized a few rooms in their house. They offered me a computer desk for the irresistible price of "free if you haul it away". It is a nicer desk than my brown desk. It has no drawers but it has more shelves. It is gray/grey.
So, what to do with the knee-bruising brown desk? I moved the brown desk over a few feet, transferred all the computer stuff to the gray/grey desk, moved the brown desk into my kids playroom, moved the brown desk into the hallway, moved the brown desk into my brother's room (currently in China, brother, not desk or room) and now I can shut the door and not see the brown desk. My brother will be unhappy when he returns to find the desk taking up most of his room.
Anyone want a used brown desk?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Poem - The Question
This is from The Book of Virtues on Google books:
The Question
Were the whole world good as you –
–not an atom better
Were it just as pure and true,
Just as pure and true as you;
Just as strong in faith and works;
Just as free from crafty quirks;
All extortion, all deceit;
Schemes its neighbors to defeat;
Schemes its neighbors to defraud;
Schemes some culprit to applaud-
would this world be better?
If the whole world followed you––
followed to the letter–
Would it be a nobler world,
All deceit and falsehood hurled
From it altogether;
Malice, selfishness, and lust,
Banished from beneath the crust,
Covering human hearts from view–
Tell me, if the world followed you––
Would this world be better?
I had a bit of this poem memorized from somewhere "If the world followed you, followed to the letter, tell me, if it followed you, would the world be better?" I wanted to add it to my facebook page as my current favorite quote. Not knowing the author, I did a bit of googling and found that it's from a longer poem and no author is listed. Now I'd love to know who wrote it but in the mean time I just think it's a good poem to live by.
The Question
Were the whole world good as you –
–not an atom better
Were it just as pure and true,
Just as pure and true as you;
Just as strong in faith and works;
Just as free from crafty quirks;
All extortion, all deceit;
Schemes its neighbors to defeat;
Schemes its neighbors to defraud;
Schemes some culprit to applaud-
would this world be better?
If the whole world followed you––
followed to the letter–
Would it be a nobler world,
All deceit and falsehood hurled
From it altogether;
Malice, selfishness, and lust,
Banished from beneath the crust,
Covering human hearts from view–
Tell me, if the world followed you––
Would this world be better?
I had a bit of this poem memorized from somewhere "If the world followed you, followed to the letter, tell me, if it followed you, would the world be better?" I wanted to add it to my facebook page as my current favorite quote. Not knowing the author, I did a bit of googling and found that it's from a longer poem and no author is listed. Now I'd love to know who wrote it but in the mean time I just think it's a good poem to live by.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Kylie's Shower Thermometer
I put Kylie in the shower yesterday evening and as she was standing there telling me if the water was still too cold she was all bent over and had her behind stuck out in the spray of water.
Me - Is that good? Warm enough?
Kylie - Yes, just right. I can tell because I have a thermometer in my butt.
Me - (trying not to laugh) A thermometer in your butt?
Kylie - When my butt feels the water is warm the rest of me can get in too. (she backs in under the spray)
Me - (leaving the bathroom laughing)
Me - Is that good? Warm enough?
Kylie - Yes, just right. I can tell because I have a thermometer in my butt.
Me - (trying not to laugh) A thermometer in your butt?
Kylie - When my butt feels the water is warm the rest of me can get in too. (she backs in under the spray)
Me - (leaving the bathroom laughing)
Addicted to farmville
Jared and I started playing farmville on facebook together as something fun to do as a couple. I was too pregnant and sick to enjoy going out and we needed a date activity we could do with the kids around. We were excited to find something we both enjoyed because most of the time our hobbies don't really thrill each other.
Now I am an addict.
I wonder if any of my trees need harvesting...
Now I am an addict.
I wonder if any of my trees need harvesting...
Friday, September 24, 2010
Young Family Dental in Orem?
The following is taken from my facebook page 24 Sep 2010, I hope it helps others with the same question.
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Anyone have experience with Young Family Dental here in Orem? They're one of the options on our new dental insurance. We really like Jepson Dental in Provo but they don't do the new insurance and won't add it (we checked).
Susan Lewis - I love these people!! Very good at what they do!
Reenie Jobes - I dont know about them now but they sure werent too good when I was assisting years ago.......very mean dr- to staff and not too kind to patients. They have new dr working for them all the time, just have to find the dr that you like I guess. I would ask the staff who they would prefer. What about Legacy dental in Orem, they run their office like Young and I know the dr there, he is great!!!
Kelly Lunt Gardner - I had a HUGE problem with them with Rylie. Ill come talk to you later, but they seriously traumatized her.
April Wetzel Berlin - Amy, I heard James Call on 800 S in Orem is really good. And Alan Ingersoll as well.
Reenie Jobes - i love my dentist up in SL......but long drive......to me it is worth it though............great dentist is hard to find!!!
Mindy Horning Harmon - I go to to North Orem Dental. I have only had great experiences with them. Dr. Pincock is amazing and I would highly recommend him and his staff. I don't know anything good or bad about Young Family Dental. Good luck!
Linda Lunt - Eric and Jared both had their wisdom teeth done there. It was OK for adults maybe but not kids.
Katie Fothergill Romrell - I had a terrible experience there a couple of years ago. The Dr. Never said a word to me, and complained the whole time about another patient being a wimp (that person was in the next chair and just a kid).. He was not gentle at all, very rude!
Jeffrey L. Jensen - Are they the ones on State St. on the top of the hill just before you head down the hill into Provo? On the west side of State?
Marie Christensen Payne - We did not have good luck there, the dentist got Emily so worked up that she threw up on him. Not greatest people skills.
Amy Bauman Stone- Wow! Okay, definitely not Young Family Dental then. One horror story wouldn't have suprised me but half a dozen says they have ISSUES. Thanks for all the responses here and other ways.
Judy Erickson Jensen - bruce howell is an awesome dentist for kids. everything there is kid-sized and dr. howell is very kind and gentle. Alli absolutely loves it!!!!
Kristin Stone Campbell - DO NOT go to Young family dental!!! They are horrible. I went there a few times for a cleaning and a couple cavities because they took medicaid. They are very rude and the dentist complained to the assistant the whole time that she was doing everything wrong. I felt so bad for the assistant. Then when I got a cavity filled he started drilling before it was numb and didn't seem to care he just wanted to get it done as fast as possible and get me out of there! I will never go back!
Kristin Stone Campbell - Try Dr. Mauseth at Family Legacy Dental on 8th north next to Macey's. They are awesome and my kids love them! They are very good with kids!
Michelle Green Sim - Im with Kristin Young Family Dental is HORRIBLE. Mia and I both left crying. (pathetic but true) We go to Family Legacy Dental too. They seem to work with lots of insurance. Dr "Moss" is amazing with the kids and so are the hygienists. Joe and I have had work done there too and it's been great.
---------------
Anyone have experience with Young Family Dental here in Orem? They're one of the options on our new dental insurance. We really like Jepson Dental in Provo but they don't do the new insurance and won't add it (we checked).
Susan Lewis - I love these people!! Very good at what they do!
Reenie Jobes - I dont know about them now but they sure werent too good when I was assisting years ago.......very mean dr- to staff and not too kind to patients. They have new dr working for them all the time, just have to find the dr that you like I guess. I would ask the staff who they would prefer. What about Legacy dental in Orem, they run their office like Young and I know the dr there, he is great!!!
Kelly Lunt Gardner - I had a HUGE problem with them with Rylie. Ill come talk to you later, but they seriously traumatized her.
April Wetzel Berlin - Amy, I heard James Call on 800 S in Orem is really good. And Alan Ingersoll as well.
Reenie Jobes - i love my dentist up in SL......but long drive......to me it is worth it though............great dentist is hard to find!!!
Mindy Horning Harmon - I go to to North Orem Dental. I have only had great experiences with them. Dr. Pincock is amazing and I would highly recommend him and his staff. I don't know anything good or bad about Young Family Dental. Good luck!
Linda Lunt - Eric and Jared both had their wisdom teeth done there. It was OK for adults maybe but not kids.
Katie Fothergill Romrell - I had a terrible experience there a couple of years ago. The Dr. Never said a word to me, and complained the whole time about another patient being a wimp (that person was in the next chair and just a kid).. He was not gentle at all, very rude!
Jeffrey L. Jensen - Are they the ones on State St. on the top of the hill just before you head down the hill into Provo? On the west side of State?
Marie Christensen Payne - We did not have good luck there, the dentist got Emily so worked up that she threw up on him. Not greatest people skills.
Amy Bauman Stone- Wow! Okay, definitely not Young Family Dental then. One horror story wouldn't have suprised me but half a dozen says they have ISSUES. Thanks for all the responses here and other ways.
Judy Erickson Jensen - bruce howell is an awesome dentist for kids. everything there is kid-sized and dr. howell is very kind and gentle. Alli absolutely loves it!!!!
Kristin Stone Campbell - DO NOT go to Young family dental!!! They are horrible. I went there a few times for a cleaning and a couple cavities because they took medicaid. They are very rude and the dentist complained to the assistant the whole time that she was doing everything wrong. I felt so bad for the assistant. Then when I got a cavity filled he started drilling before it was numb and didn't seem to care he just wanted to get it done as fast as possible and get me out of there! I will never go back!
Kristin Stone Campbell - Try Dr. Mauseth at Family Legacy Dental on 8th north next to Macey's. They are awesome and my kids love them! They are very good with kids!
Michelle Green Sim - Im with Kristin Young Family Dental is HORRIBLE. Mia and I both left crying. (pathetic but true) We go to Family Legacy Dental too. They seem to work with lots of insurance. Dr "Moss" is amazing with the kids and so are the hygienists. Joe and I have had work done there too and it's been great.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Because 36 is too many...
There's a joke about Mormon women having to stop having children at 35 because 36 is too many.
It's kind of funny and whatnot but it's also a serious subject that's been on my mind lately.
I have five children. For a Mormon family that's a nice size but not remarkable. I know a woman with twelve who is expecting again and she is definitely remarkable in the sense that people talk about her with a kind of awe and disbelief. People who don't have our beliefs of the importance of family and the place that children and motherhood have in our eternal perspective react to my five kids with the same feeling I get when I think of that woman on TV with her dozen and a half. I've got no clue how she manages. No matter how many kids you have they are a huge responsibility, require tons of sacrifice, and are a blessing and a trial all rolled into one.
I have a few close family members and friends struggling with issues of not being able to have children for a variety of reasons. I feel a little guilty talking to them about the kids I have and I feel even more guilty talking to them about choosing whether I want to have kids or not because they don't get a choice and it seems so unfair.
I love my kids. Some were planned, others were surprises. I've only got one boy and he'd love to have a brother. I've got four girls and they all help and mother the younger ones as soon as we get someone new. I'm only thirty-two and could have more babies but my husband is about six years older than I am and he's getting pretty close to forty. I don't want to still have teenagers when we hit retirement age and mission opportunities come around.
Children are a gift; so when do I take my name off the registry?
It's kind of funny and whatnot but it's also a serious subject that's been on my mind lately.
I have five children. For a Mormon family that's a nice size but not remarkable. I know a woman with twelve who is expecting again and she is definitely remarkable in the sense that people talk about her with a kind of awe and disbelief. People who don't have our beliefs of the importance of family and the place that children and motherhood have in our eternal perspective react to my five kids with the same feeling I get when I think of that woman on TV with her dozen and a half. I've got no clue how she manages. No matter how many kids you have they are a huge responsibility, require tons of sacrifice, and are a blessing and a trial all rolled into one.
I have a few close family members and friends struggling with issues of not being able to have children for a variety of reasons. I feel a little guilty talking to them about the kids I have and I feel even more guilty talking to them about choosing whether I want to have kids or not because they don't get a choice and it seems so unfair.
I love my kids. Some were planned, others were surprises. I've only got one boy and he'd love to have a brother. I've got four girls and they all help and mother the younger ones as soon as we get someone new. I'm only thirty-two and could have more babies but my husband is about six years older than I am and he's getting pretty close to forty. I don't want to still have teenagers when we hit retirement age and mission opportunities come around.
Children are a gift; so when do I take my name off the registry?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Wilton Cake Pan Instructions
I like to buy those Wilton Cake Pan forms at DI or other charity stores like that but the pans rarely come with instructions when you buy them that way. The instructions are almost worth the extra $15-$20 to buy the pans at a craft store because getting the colors on in the right order really does make a difference. I was looking online for the instructions to a great Winnie The Pooh pan I found at Savers and found this site:
http://www.slice-heaven.com/store/show/FREE%20PAN%20INSTRUCTION
It's got other great stuff as well but it has LOTS of the instructions for those fun cake pans.
Get a cheap cake mix, a couple of cans of cheap frosting, some food coloring and some sturdy ziplock bags to use as decorating stuff and you can really go to town for bake sales, birthday parties, and just fun with the kids.
http://www.slice-heaven.com/store/show/FREE%20PAN%20INSTRUCTION
It's got other great stuff as well but it has LOTS of the instructions for those fun cake pans.
Get a cheap cake mix, a couple of cans of cheap frosting, some food coloring and some sturdy ziplock bags to use as decorating stuff and you can really go to town for bake sales, birthday parties, and just fun with the kids.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Lemon Upside-down Pie
I had a nice relaxing birthday at home.
The only glitch was that my lemon pie (I like this better than cake ;o) ) suffered a horrible fate on the way home from the store when Jared braked suddenly and the improperly restrained pie fell off the seat and landed upside down in a smooshed mess in the lid of the pie box.
The up-side of this accident was that since the pie was no longer "sliceable" I was unable to measure out a correct portion and had to eat as much as I wanted straight out of the container with a fork. Also, since it wasn't pretty, the kids didn't really think it looked good and I was left with plenty for myself. Happy Birthday to me!Monday, August 23, 2010
Rubberbanding The Broom
BRILLIANT!
I was watching this infomercial about some new mop and they pointed out the "fancy" feature at the end of the handle where it was coated with some kind of rubbery stuff so that you could lean it against any wall or cabinet and it wouldn't tip over. I thought to myself "why didn't I think of that!" and immediately went to put a couple of rubberbands around the end of my broom so it won't tip over when I stop to get out the dustpan or to move a couple of chairs out of the way. It works great! So this is my random happy household improvement idea of today.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday the 13th
When I was little my mom would tell us stories about my grandfather and Friday the 13th. He wouldn't go out or go to work or do things on a Friday the 13th. I think it was sort of a combination Irish thing and being a miner. Both the Irish and men who work in mines for a living tend to be a bit superstitious.
So, in tribute to my grandfather, I wore my four leaf clover today and told my husband it's not a good day to have the baby even though I am beyond ready.
Good luck today :o)
Fingernails
For those of you who know me well you will know what an accomplishment this is. I've been a nail-biter for as long as I can remember and have tried to quit countless times. Here are my fingernails actually grown out right now.Lindsay (H.) S. was my inspiration this time around. We both have anxiety issues that we deal with in different ways. She once gave me a manicure back in the day and I appreciated so much that she was so nice about it even though my nails were a horror. She's been going through a really bad time right now and I think about her a lot. She's handling things with grace and cheerfulness and I decided I would give myself a firm kick in the behind and do something constructive kinda in her honor.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Today Is My Due Date
My kids keep asking me what time today we are having the baby, after all, it is my due date.
Friends and family are calling me just to see if I am still home.
I am feeling very pregnant and not feeling much in the way of contractions.
All these things add up to a certain level of frustrated anticipation.
I would like to call for a modification of the "due date", something like the "due date spectrum" or the "due date range" in which you get more like a 14 day window of dates from the earliest date your doctor will induce you to the latest your doctor will let you go before inducing you. Not that I want to be induced, that's just crummy, but that it gives a better feeling for when you are possibly going to have that baby. Pregnant women could then give out the range of dates and mentally feel less stress over the one day you are supposed to have that baby.
Yeah, well, it's a random idea because I just want to bean the next person who says "You haven't had that baby yet!?" In the same tone of voice they would use to ask/accuse you of a multitude of sins and failings. Thank you to the people who just ask how I'm doing and move on to other subjects, I can't get away from the whole pregnant thing, distractions are appreciated.
Friends and family are calling me just to see if I am still home.
I am feeling very pregnant and not feeling much in the way of contractions.
All these things add up to a certain level of frustrated anticipation.
I would like to call for a modification of the "due date", something like the "due date spectrum" or the "due date range" in which you get more like a 14 day window of dates from the earliest date your doctor will induce you to the latest your doctor will let you go before inducing you. Not that I want to be induced, that's just crummy, but that it gives a better feeling for when you are possibly going to have that baby. Pregnant women could then give out the range of dates and mentally feel less stress over the one day you are supposed to have that baby.
Yeah, well, it's a random idea because I just want to bean the next person who says "You haven't had that baby yet!?" In the same tone of voice they would use to ask/accuse you of a multitude of sins and failings. Thank you to the people who just ask how I'm doing and move on to other subjects, I can't get away from the whole pregnant thing, distractions are appreciated.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Home Birth Opinions
I have a few friends who are serious home birth people. I also have a mother-in-law who had her babies at home by choice. I'm going to be honest here and say that I kind of think this is nuts. Having had four babies I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to an opinion on the subject but I do not believe I have the "right" opinion on it as having a baby is a pretty crummy experience and if it makes them happy then good for them.
I have had to change my opinion of home birthing in a few ways lately and since I've been thinking about it some I thought I'd blog about it.
I have a degree in history and with the research I've done I have a pretty good idea of how many women and children died during birth back in the day. I thought this had something to do with hospitals and the availability of hospital care for delivery. After reading a few medical studies published in reputable journals of medicine I've found out a few things. There are actually three factors that are much more important to the positive outcome of a delivery; trained persons assisting, antibiotics being available, and limits on interference in labor.
I thought this was really interesting.
One study showed that trained midwives at home births had statistics just as good as doctors in a hospital, even in the last few decades and their numbers during the era of putting women in labor to sleep were much better than hospital numbers. They have records for midwives in Europe back a hundred or so years that clearly showed that it was the training that made the most difference. The antibiotics part was clear with the statistics as well, as soon as they were available the mortality rates dropped sharply and as they became available in other countries they made a big difference there. The non-interference thing was kind of proving a negative as one of the studies showed that the not so smart idea of putting mothers to sleep and then using forceps for the delivery caused higher rates for complications and mortality but some of this was from anesthesia so I didn't get a clear picture of how that related. They could prove that during the same time women who gave birth at home with a trained person assisting did a heck of a lot better in the process.
It does still concern me that of the women who have their babies at home that I am personally acquainted with, the majority have children with problems like learning disabilities or autism, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with damage to his brain from being deprived of oxygen during birth but since I (gratefully) wasn't there I don't know if having hospital facilities available would have changed this. The others I don't know if it's related and hospital babies have autism too so it's mostly just a strange and disturbing coincidence I guess, but it still concerns me.
If nothing else, having a baby is messy and if I did it at home I'm pretty sure I'd end up having to clean up afterwards.
I have had to change my opinion of home birthing in a few ways lately and since I've been thinking about it some I thought I'd blog about it.
I have a degree in history and with the research I've done I have a pretty good idea of how many women and children died during birth back in the day. I thought this had something to do with hospitals and the availability of hospital care for delivery. After reading a few medical studies published in reputable journals of medicine I've found out a few things. There are actually three factors that are much more important to the positive outcome of a delivery; trained persons assisting, antibiotics being available, and limits on interference in labor.
I thought this was really interesting.
One study showed that trained midwives at home births had statistics just as good as doctors in a hospital, even in the last few decades and their numbers during the era of putting women in labor to sleep were much better than hospital numbers. They have records for midwives in Europe back a hundred or so years that clearly showed that it was the training that made the most difference. The antibiotics part was clear with the statistics as well, as soon as they were available the mortality rates dropped sharply and as they became available in other countries they made a big difference there. The non-interference thing was kind of proving a negative as one of the studies showed that the not so smart idea of putting mothers to sleep and then using forceps for the delivery caused higher rates for complications and mortality but some of this was from anesthesia so I didn't get a clear picture of how that related. They could prove that during the same time women who gave birth at home with a trained person assisting did a heck of a lot better in the process.
It does still concern me that of the women who have their babies at home that I am personally acquainted with, the majority have children with problems like learning disabilities or autism, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with damage to his brain from being deprived of oxygen during birth but since I (gratefully) wasn't there I don't know if having hospital facilities available would have changed this. The others I don't know if it's related and hospital babies have autism too so it's mostly just a strange and disturbing coincidence I guess, but it still concerns me.
If nothing else, having a baby is messy and if I did it at home I'm pretty sure I'd end up having to clean up afterwards.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Throwing a pity party.
I am in such a bad mood.
I am 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and the heat wave is getting to me.
My family has tons of things I need to do for them but when I ask for help they are too busy. I've quit asking for help as the guilt and stress are becoming overwhelming.
I feel crummy all the time. Eating makes me feel sick and gives me terrible heartburn. Not eating makes me sick and gives me terrible nausea. Nothing sounds good.
I've got this crazy notion going (I'm trying to talk myself out of it) that all the people in my family who have informed me, or just demonstrated rather blatantly, that I have offended them deeply over 'whatever' lately are just coming up with excuses as to why they are going to be unavailable to help me out any in the next few weeks.
I've never had anyone come help me for more than an hour or two when I had a baby so I guess it's not super necessary but it hurts my feelings that family members went to help my sister-in-law with her first baby for over a week and had a "we will drop everything to help her" attitude that I tried my best to enthusiastically support.
I'm not myself right now. I guess you can chalk it up to hormones, exhaustion, etc.
I am 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and the heat wave is getting to me.
My family has tons of things I need to do for them but when I ask for help they are too busy. I've quit asking for help as the guilt and stress are becoming overwhelming.
I feel crummy all the time. Eating makes me feel sick and gives me terrible heartburn. Not eating makes me sick and gives me terrible nausea. Nothing sounds good.
I've got this crazy notion going (I'm trying to talk myself out of it) that all the people in my family who have informed me, or just demonstrated rather blatantly, that I have offended them deeply over 'whatever' lately are just coming up with excuses as to why they are going to be unavailable to help me out any in the next few weeks.
I've never had anyone come help me for more than an hour or two when I had a baby so I guess it's not super necessary but it hurts my feelings that family members went to help my sister-in-law with her first baby for over a week and had a "we will drop everything to help her" attitude that I tried my best to enthusiastically support.
I'm not myself right now. I guess you can chalk it up to hormones, exhaustion, etc.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Whooping Cough
I just read a news byte on Yahoo! informing me of an outbreak of Whooping Cough also known as Pertussis that has become a serious epidemic in California and has spread through Texas. It's most dangerous and even deadly to infants, one of which I am about to have. This has made my very pregnant self a bit paranoid and rather cranky. Whooping Cough is one of the nasty diseases that can kill kids and yet there are still people out there who refuse to vaccinate their children for it. I have some mixed feelings on blanket vaccinations and I did not participate in the H1N1 vaccine push. We only get the flu vaccine in the years when I'm pregnant or when our Pediatrician (who I respect very much for his 30+ years of experience dealing with healthy and sick kids) has strongly encouraged it. If I remember right, that means Krista, my almost 10 year old, has had a flu vaccine twice in her life and I've had it 4 times. The flu is crummy but if you're in pretty good health and take a few precautions it's not deadly. Also, even with the vaccine you can get the flu and spread the flu so in my mind it's kind of "optional". Vaccines like Chicken Pox I go for because it wasn't around when I was a kid and I still have scars from that thrilling two week experience, also I have guilt for having been the one to give the Chicken Pox to my entire Kindergarten class after picking it up somewhere else. The vaccines for diseases that kill you slowly and in nasty ways are pretty much mandatory in my mind. Look what they did with Polio. My grandfather had it and barely survived and it left him with serious health problems for the rest of his life. Now it's pretty much wiped out. To me, that says a lot. I don't want my baby to end up with Whooping Cough because it's still being spread by those who refuse to vaccinate against it. Well, enough of that soapbox for one evening.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Simple Mothers Day Card for Nursery
For any of you that don't know Nursery, it's the kids ages 18 months to 3 years old who get to have a class together for two hours during meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons or LDS Church). We get asked to take turns helping with the little people and doing a short lesson, some singing, a snack, playtime, and little activity things.
Since we're big on families Nursery can be quite the group, especially here in Utah. I personally get a kick out of working in there but I know some find it overwhelming.
Anyway, I did the Mothers Day activity for the kids this year and thought I would share how it turned out. I've got two kids in the Nursery right now so I got to keep two of the cards we made. These are half sheets of paper but a full size works better if doing a poem and the prints.
Step 1- Pre-print cards (I used a poem about footprints a few years back and that was way cute but handprints are easier).
Step 2- Get materials all set up in a corner so crowd control is easier. You need pre-printed cards on card stock, a clipboard, a non-toxic stamp pad/ink pad, a LOT of baby wipes, a pen for signatures.
Step 3- Demonstrate what you're going to do by rubbing your own hand or a willing participants hand lightly over the stamp pad and then having them "high five" the card stuck to the clipboard. Quickly set aside the card and scrub the ink off the hand with the baby wipe. Then have them sign the card putting a translation next to the signature as needed. Put finished cards on display out of reach.
Most kids will then just go for the idea. Work with the reluctant few or grab their dad out of his class for just a minute to encourage them. Include a piece of candy or a flower or something and you've got a great little gift from a little person. If all goes well, consider the footprint card for Fathers Day ;o) .
Since we're big on families Nursery can be quite the group, especially here in Utah. I personally get a kick out of working in there but I know some find it overwhelming.
Anyway, I did the Mothers Day activity for the kids this year and thought I would share how it turned out. I've got two kids in the Nursery right now so I got to keep two of the cards we made. These are half sheets of paper but a full size works better if doing a poem and the prints.
Step 1- Pre-print cards (I used a poem about footprints a few years back and that was way cute but handprints are easier).
Step 2- Get materials all set up in a corner so crowd control is easier. You need pre-printed cards on card stock, a clipboard, a non-toxic stamp pad/ink pad, a LOT of baby wipes, a pen for signatures.
Step 3- Demonstrate what you're going to do by rubbing your own hand or a willing participants hand lightly over the stamp pad and then having them "high five" the card stuck to the clipboard. Quickly set aside the card and scrub the ink off the hand with the baby wipe. Then have them sign the card putting a translation next to the signature as needed. Put finished cards on display out of reach.
Most kids will then just go for the idea. Work with the reluctant few or grab their dad out of his class for just a minute to encourage them. Include a piece of candy or a flower or something and you've got a great little gift from a little person. If all goes well, consider the footprint card for Fathers Day ;o) .
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
No pajama goal
Well, I made it to yesterday with the goal to get up and get myself presentable first thing in the morning. I even put on lipstick and eye-liner every day. That's pretty big for me because I don't wear makeup most of the time. I actually kind of enjoyed having the goal and doing pretty well at it but the part where I go into the closet and select something from the over-size shirts and panel pants for pregnancy was a bit of a downer.
Yesterday I was just too miserable to make it out of the pj's. By the time I went to bed last night I had heartburn so bad I felt like a dull spoon was digging into my chest. I tried naps, snacks, TUMS, and just waiting it out but the tummy problems of the morning just got worse all day. So, I didn't make it into real clothes until late afternoon when I had to take Kylie to dance class. No makeup.
Today I got up, got dressed, and got going but since I didn't get a single thing done around the house yesterday I was confronted with the depressing amount of housework that can pile up in a single day around here. I'd like to hire someone to come in once or twice a week and help me out (one of my under-employed siblings or a teenager on the block) but having anyone see this mess is so embarrassing and I'm too far gone to do the crazy-clean-before-company-arrives thing at this point. SIGH
Yesterday I was just too miserable to make it out of the pj's. By the time I went to bed last night I had heartburn so bad I felt like a dull spoon was digging into my chest. I tried naps, snacks, TUMS, and just waiting it out but the tummy problems of the morning just got worse all day. So, I didn't make it into real clothes until late afternoon when I had to take Kylie to dance class. No makeup.
Today I got up, got dressed, and got going but since I didn't get a single thing done around the house yesterday I was confronted with the depressing amount of housework that can pile up in a single day around here. I'd like to hire someone to come in once or twice a week and help me out (one of my under-employed siblings or a teenager on the block) but having anyone see this mess is so embarrassing and I'm too far gone to do the crazy-clean-before-company-arrives thing at this point. SIGH
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sorry about the pajamas
I find myself still in my pajamas later and later every day. I got to 4 pm today (time to drive Kylie to dance class) before changing. This is becoming something of a problem and I'm having some serious guilt. I've got lots of good reasons, the pajamas just fit my distorted pregnant figure better being the main one but it's kind of making me feel all frumpy.
The problem starts in the morning when I have a good chance of waking up feeling crummy and often nauseous. I grab some breakfast, take care of any immediate kid issues (their breakfast, clean diapers, etc.) then I tend to curl up in a ball on the couch or the bed for a little while while the kids watch something on TV and I wait for my stomach to settle. Pajamas are nicely conducive to curling and settling.
With all the kids awake it is almost dangerous to get in the shower for even the 10 minutes I have learned to live with. There will be faintly heard shrieking over the sound of the water and I don't dare shut the door all the way or it's just asking for trouble, kind of a Murphy's Law thing. So no shower, no real reason to change clothes...
I get some housework done, chase the kids, then it's time to fix lunch. With my belly sticking out in this awkward shelf there's like a 80% chance I'm going to spill something down my front. So I don't want to be wearing the good maternity blouses because I hate buying maternity clothes. Pajama top with some slight staining seems like a much less bothersome laundry issue than expensive maternity tops made of fabric that always seems to stain more easily and then show stains so much more prominently across stretchy belly fabric...
After lunch I can drive Kylie to kindergarten without being seen outside of the car so I sometimes don't bother changing out of the pj's for that one either. Nap time for Andrew and April comes next and that's about when I can sneak in a shower, handle a few things and sometimes even take a bit of a nap myself. More and more often I just can't get up the energy to do more than flop down and watch Sesame Street with April until we both pass out on the couch and then I wake up to the sound of the school age people returning and demanding snacks, help with homework, and the usual other stuff.
It's getting kind of pathetic. I don't really have a reason to get dressed until just before Jared comes home. It's kind of nice to know I still at least want to be out of my pajamas for my husband but it's also discouraging in that on the days when I have really been miserable, sick, tired, and uncomfortable all day to the point where I didn't bother getting out of the pj's he doesn't notice.
So yeah, frumpy mom is settling in more and more. I've never been a big primper and high-maintenance type but when even the jeans are too much effort I know I'm on the wrong end of a slippery slope. I'm starting to need one of those "mommy makeovers" they give to the women like me.
The problem starts in the morning when I have a good chance of waking up feeling crummy and often nauseous. I grab some breakfast, take care of any immediate kid issues (their breakfast, clean diapers, etc.) then I tend to curl up in a ball on the couch or the bed for a little while while the kids watch something on TV and I wait for my stomach to settle. Pajamas are nicely conducive to curling and settling.
With all the kids awake it is almost dangerous to get in the shower for even the 10 minutes I have learned to live with. There will be faintly heard shrieking over the sound of the water and I don't dare shut the door all the way or it's just asking for trouble, kind of a Murphy's Law thing. So no shower, no real reason to change clothes...
I get some housework done, chase the kids, then it's time to fix lunch. With my belly sticking out in this awkward shelf there's like a 80% chance I'm going to spill something down my front. So I don't want to be wearing the good maternity blouses because I hate buying maternity clothes. Pajama top with some slight staining seems like a much less bothersome laundry issue than expensive maternity tops made of fabric that always seems to stain more easily and then show stains so much more prominently across stretchy belly fabric...
After lunch I can drive Kylie to kindergarten without being seen outside of the car so I sometimes don't bother changing out of the pj's for that one either. Nap time for Andrew and April comes next and that's about when I can sneak in a shower, handle a few things and sometimes even take a bit of a nap myself. More and more often I just can't get up the energy to do more than flop down and watch Sesame Street with April until we both pass out on the couch and then I wake up to the sound of the school age people returning and demanding snacks, help with homework, and the usual other stuff.
It's getting kind of pathetic. I don't really have a reason to get dressed until just before Jared comes home. It's kind of nice to know I still at least want to be out of my pajamas for my husband but it's also discouraging in that on the days when I have really been miserable, sick, tired, and uncomfortable all day to the point where I didn't bother getting out of the pj's he doesn't notice.
So yeah, frumpy mom is settling in more and more. I've never been a big primper and high-maintenance type but when even the jeans are too much effort I know I'm on the wrong end of a slippery slope. I'm starting to need one of those "mommy makeovers" they give to the women like me.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mothers Day
Here we are. Andrew on my lap, April in the blue shirt, Kylie in the pink shirt, Krista in the white shirt. We played outside for a while in the afternoon while Jared made dinner for my mom and I and the rest of the family. It was a pretty good day. I got flowers and chocolate and a couple of nice cards.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Banana Bread
Cream together:
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
Beat in:
4 eggs
Add:
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 mashed up bananas
1 cup nuts (optional)
Pour into greased loaf pans filling as many as it takes half way up the side. Bake at 350 for 50 min or until golden brown on top and a clean knife stuck into the center comes out without banana goo on it.
Just made two loaves and the whole house smells so nice. My kids love this stuff and it's the same recipe my mom made for our family so it's got comfort food appeal written all over it. I've seen my sister use applesauce for part or all of the shortening and it comes out pretty good but I don't know the conversion for it. Oh, just a note, those are 6 normal size bananas, if you put in 6 Costco size bananas it makes a mess of banana pudding/bread.
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
Beat in:
4 eggs
Add:
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 mashed up bananas
1 cup nuts (optional)
Pour into greased loaf pans filling as many as it takes half way up the side. Bake at 350 for 50 min or until golden brown on top and a clean knife stuck into the center comes out without banana goo on it.
Just made two loaves and the whole house smells so nice. My kids love this stuff and it's the same recipe my mom made for our family so it's got comfort food appeal written all over it. I've seen my sister use applesauce for part or all of the shortening and it comes out pretty good but I don't know the conversion for it. Oh, just a note, those are 6 normal size bananas, if you put in 6 Costco size bananas it makes a mess of banana pudding/bread.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Ham and potato casserole - write down what you did
My mom has this thing where she makes lots of recipes with little alterations or completely from her imagination and if it turns out well we laugh and say "You should write down what you did!" but we don't usually get it written down and the next time it doesn't turn out quite the same.
So last night I made a casserole that the family all liked. Only problem, I used a recipe from a cookbook as a guideline and threw in substitutes where I didn't have the right ingredients and then threw in a few things from the back of the refrigerator just to use them up.
So it went something like this:
7 medium potatoes, peeled, diced, boiled for abt. 25 min or until tender
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cup (approx.) left over frozen hash browns maybe a tiny bit freezer burnt, thawed out
1/2 cup mayonnaise because I was out of sour cream
1 Tblsp of the Costco dried onion flakes because raw onion always makes me feel ill when I'm pregnant
2 big handfuls of grated cheese, I'm guessing that makes a cup and a half to two cups or so? with my kids the more cheesy the better
2 cups (approx.) of diced ham left from Sunday dinner so only slightly aged
I put everything but the boiling potatoes into a bowl and stirred until well blended, then I drained the potatoes and put them in a 9x12 baking dish then poured the mixture on top and kind of mashed/stirred it together. I looked for the potato chips or corn flakes to sprinkle on top but since the kids had finished off both of them I gave up and put the pan in the oven just like that for 25 minutes at 350.
Everyone said it was really good. Andrew ate it with both hands (he eats everything that way though so I'm not sure it's a good indicator).
Jared asked how I grated all that potato into it, I rolled my eyes over that one. I'm not sure if he knew we had hash browns or they would probably have been eaten already.
So last night I made a casserole that the family all liked. Only problem, I used a recipe from a cookbook as a guideline and threw in substitutes where I didn't have the right ingredients and then threw in a few things from the back of the refrigerator just to use them up.
So it went something like this:
7 medium potatoes, peeled, diced, boiled for abt. 25 min or until tender
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cup (approx.) left over frozen hash browns maybe a tiny bit freezer burnt, thawed out
1/2 cup mayonnaise because I was out of sour cream
1 Tblsp of the Costco dried onion flakes because raw onion always makes me feel ill when I'm pregnant
2 big handfuls of grated cheese, I'm guessing that makes a cup and a half to two cups or so? with my kids the more cheesy the better
2 cups (approx.) of diced ham left from Sunday dinner so only slightly aged
I put everything but the boiling potatoes into a bowl and stirred until well blended, then I drained the potatoes and put them in a 9x12 baking dish then poured the mixture on top and kind of mashed/stirred it together. I looked for the potato chips or corn flakes to sprinkle on top but since the kids had finished off both of them I gave up and put the pan in the oven just like that for 25 minutes at 350.
Everyone said it was really good. Andrew ate it with both hands (he eats everything that way though so I'm not sure it's a good indicator).
Jared asked how I grated all that potato into it, I rolled my eyes over that one. I'm not sure if he knew we had hash browns or they would probably have been eaten already.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Andrew's summer haircut
I helped Jared give Andrew a haircut just before we put him to bed this evening. So far we have just been trimming his hair here and there. My sister Lois has done the most trimming for us because she has a steady hand an a pretty good eye. This time Jared and I decided we would go for the full buzz all over type cut and try to shorten and even the whole mess up. Andrew has sort of wispy hair still but it's filling in enough that it looks shaggy if it gets too long.
We got out the clippers, trapped Andrew on the counter, and went to work. Poor Andrew did not enjoy the experience at all. Jared did a pretty good job under the circumstances and I held Andrew's hands so he couldn't slap at the clippers and hurt himself. We used the 1 inch attachment to stay way on the safe side and the clippers don't make too much noise, just a kind of soft buzz, but something about the thing being run over his head set Andrew off big time. He was so mad and upset by the time we were done. I intended to take pictures but I had my hands too full of angry, crying, squirming toddler.
He looks pretty good, a lot different, but good. With practice I'm sure Jared and I will do okay with the occasional cut and we'll send him to the barber with dad when he's a little bigger.
We got out the clippers, trapped Andrew on the counter, and went to work. Poor Andrew did not enjoy the experience at all. Jared did a pretty good job under the circumstances and I held Andrew's hands so he couldn't slap at the clippers and hurt himself. We used the 1 inch attachment to stay way on the safe side and the clippers don't make too much noise, just a kind of soft buzz, but something about the thing being run over his head set Andrew off big time. He was so mad and upset by the time we were done. I intended to take pictures but I had my hands too full of angry, crying, squirming toddler.
He looks pretty good, a lot different, but good. With practice I'm sure Jared and I will do okay with the occasional cut and we'll send him to the barber with dad when he's a little bigger.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
More spring in my yard
The lilac bush is blooming!
It may seem like a small thing but it makes me happy even if I am allergic to the bush. I like the way it looks but between the kids and the dogs next door this bush tends to struggle. It rarely blooms like this and I'm not sure what the magic combination of sunlight, water, and attention/leaving it along really should be. I was just thrilled it bloomed like this so Kylie and I took pictures while we worked on the yard yesterday. The other kids took a load of stuff to the green waste dump with Jared.
The tulips look pretty good again this year. Here's an open one to update the pictures from a few days ago of the ones that hadn't opened yet. We just have red ones. I would kind of like to have a few other colors eventually. I like the pale purple ones but they would clash a bit with the red maybe? So yellow and white or whatever I can find in the next few years.
Kylie helping me weed the tulip beds. She found a few bugs and that made her nervous and then Jared came out with the weed whacker and between the creepy crawlies and the noise she fled the scene.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Spring in my yard
The daffodil that's the new corner picture is one of the few that came up this year. I used to have a lot more of them but I think maybe the bulbs have given out. I don't know how long they are supposed to last or if they reproduce somehow and these are actually new ones.
I get just a couple of hyacinths among the tullips. April is particularly excited about the "blue flowers" and wanted to make sure we got a picture of one of them posted here. Now she's wandered off to watch Clifford.
These are blossoms on my pear tree. The tree produces amazing tasty pears and I bottle some every other year or so because one tree makes so much fruit we don't eat it fast enough to put up that many jars every year. We end up giving away fruit to friends and neighbors. Good stuff.
Here are some of the tulips. We've got quite a few, all of them are red. They are just getting ready to open. The brown stick things around them are the ornamental grape vine that we have been trying to kill for a couple of years now. No matter how much we chop off, cover up, dig out, or just think really mean thoughts at, it comes back huge every year. It's got roots that go under the fence and into the neighbors yard (they don't think much of the vines either) and so taking out the fence is the only way to get to them. Cost prohibitive, sigh.
We also found a hollow egg. I don't know what kind. Small and rather oblong. My camera needs to charge before I get a shot of the egg so I'll just leave it at this for now.
Even though I'm going to have to pull these before they start spreading seeds, the dandelions are kind of a favorite of mine because they're the ones the kids bring to me. They're so very cheerful even if they do sort of make a nuisance of themselves.
I get just a couple of hyacinths among the tullips. April is particularly excited about the "blue flowers" and wanted to make sure we got a picture of one of them posted here. Now she's wandered off to watch Clifford.
These are blossoms on my pear tree. The tree produces amazing tasty pears and I bottle some every other year or so because one tree makes so much fruit we don't eat it fast enough to put up that many jars every year. We end up giving away fruit to friends and neighbors. Good stuff.Here are some of the tulips. We've got quite a few, all of them are red. They are just getting ready to open. The brown stick things around them are the ornamental grape vine that we have been trying to kill for a couple of years now. No matter how much we chop off, cover up, dig out, or just think really mean thoughts at, it comes back huge every year. It's got roots that go under the fence and into the neighbors yard (they don't think much of the vines either) and so taking out the fence is the only way to get to them. Cost prohibitive, sigh.
We also found a hollow egg. I don't know what kind. Small and rather oblong. My camera needs to charge before I get a shot of the egg so I'll just leave it at this for now.
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