We are not just at term but we are now solidly in the 3 weeks that are considered term. And...no indication this baby is coming any time soon. Despite efforts, this baby seems to be in this pregnancy for the long haul. At my massage on Friday (don't get too jealous, these massages are for my neck and they are pretty much torture, despite sounding like a relaxing event), I encouraged the massage therapist to use any possible acupressure points to stimulate labor. Still pregnant. This morning, I ate pineapple (exactly how this was supposed to help, I'm not sure). Still pregnant. I had a foot massage during my pedicure this afternoon. Still pregnant. I even took a trip to labor and delivery this weekend because I had the third migraine of this pregnancy that results in a loss of eyesight. I was secretly hoping that the doctors would decide to just keep me but no luck. Still pregnant and not in labor and delivery.
Despite how I may sound, I really, truly am so grateful that we will be bringing home a full-term baby at some point in the next few weeks (with no NICU stay, God willing). This possibility was pretty much not considered a possibility by anyone, so we have God to owe for this little miracle. I am so excited to meet this baby and I am truly in awe of the grace that God has put into our lives.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Jack Update
My blog-friend, Emily, is very good about writing posts chronicling things her kids are doing. I'm going to steal her idea because I've been saving up a bunch of things Jack has recently been up to and meaning to record them.
Jack is now 20 months old! I'm not sure how much he weighs right now (somewhere around 24-25 lbs) but he is definitely more and more a toddler and less and less a baby. That makes me sad but we've also been having so much fun with his emerging personality.
--Jack LOVES Elmo. I may have mentioned in previous posts that he will not pay attention to any TV shows but recently, he's become a big fan of Elmo. He points to the TV and says his version of "Elmo." Originally, we were just DVR-ing Sesame Street episodes but he wants us to fast forward through any part not exclusively starring Elmo so we recently went and bought some Elmo's World videos.
--For Halloween, Jack is going to be Elmo. This was not by plan...his parents were a little slow in planning and acquiring a costume this year and went out at the last minute last weekend and basically wound up with Elmo. At least it's appropriate for his current tastes! Pictures to come!
--Talking! He is saying more and more words. He likes to say "night night" and the other day, was trying to give Bailey (the dog) a big hug when she was lying on the ottoman. She wasn't having any of it and moved to another couch. He followed her and laid his head on her and said "night night." One of my other favorites is when he will imitate and say "green beans."
--Lately, Jack has been very into cuddling with his mommy. This is a relatively new development from a kid who has always wanted to go right into his bed at bedtime. I've been enjoying some cuddly moments in the rocker before bed with him.
--He's learning animal sounds. Basically, he only does a dinosaur growl but it is so cute. He puts his hands up near his face like little claws and growls. He will also point to the farm where there are cows on our way to daycare every day and say "moo." However, he says this whether there are cows out there or not so I'm not sure whether he thinks the field says moo or the cow. :-)
--He likes to point to wedding pictures of me and Jared and point out "Mama and Daddy." He also points to pictures of himself and says "baby."
--The other day, Jared stayed home from work so our morning routine was a little different. When I loaded him up for daycare, he started crying and saying "MamaDada" and it was the first time I heard him voice a preference for staying home with us. I think he thought it was a weekend. It warmed my heart that he wanted to be with us but also shot pangs of guilt through me that I wasn't staying home with him!
--If I ask him where the baby is, he will pat my tummy.
--He is OBSESSED with the computer. He knows how to turn on Jared's computer monitor so there is no tricking him into thinking the computer is "off" anymore. He has also learned how to climb onto the barstools in the kitchen, which gives me and Jared a great deal of heartburn. He does, however, look pretty cute sitting at the counter like a big boy.
--We've been working on time-outs lately. Unfortunately, we've spent a good amount of time in time-out during this process. Sometimes he will deliberately do something he knows will land him there and will happily trot off to time out, almost like he wanted to go. Other times, he is less than thrilled to sit there. But, he seems to understand it is a punishment.
I love this little boy and I'm getting to the place in my pregnancy where I am so excited to meet my new little baby but also struggling with being sad about Jack growing up and how I will handle two kids. I can't imagine I could possibly love someone as much as I love Jack!
Jack is now 20 months old! I'm not sure how much he weighs right now (somewhere around 24-25 lbs) but he is definitely more and more a toddler and less and less a baby. That makes me sad but we've also been having so much fun with his emerging personality.
--Jack LOVES Elmo. I may have mentioned in previous posts that he will not pay attention to any TV shows but recently, he's become a big fan of Elmo. He points to the TV and says his version of "Elmo." Originally, we were just DVR-ing Sesame Street episodes but he wants us to fast forward through any part not exclusively starring Elmo so we recently went and bought some Elmo's World videos.
--For Halloween, Jack is going to be Elmo. This was not by plan...his parents were a little slow in planning and acquiring a costume this year and went out at the last minute last weekend and basically wound up with Elmo. At least it's appropriate for his current tastes! Pictures to come!
--Talking! He is saying more and more words. He likes to say "night night" and the other day, was trying to give Bailey (the dog) a big hug when she was lying on the ottoman. She wasn't having any of it and moved to another couch. He followed her and laid his head on her and said "night night." One of my other favorites is when he will imitate and say "green beans."
--Lately, Jack has been very into cuddling with his mommy. This is a relatively new development from a kid who has always wanted to go right into his bed at bedtime. I've been enjoying some cuddly moments in the rocker before bed with him.
--He's learning animal sounds. Basically, he only does a dinosaur growl but it is so cute. He puts his hands up near his face like little claws and growls. He will also point to the farm where there are cows on our way to daycare every day and say "moo." However, he says this whether there are cows out there or not so I'm not sure whether he thinks the field says moo or the cow. :-)
--He likes to point to wedding pictures of me and Jared and point out "Mama and Daddy." He also points to pictures of himself and says "baby."
--The other day, Jared stayed home from work so our morning routine was a little different. When I loaded him up for daycare, he started crying and saying "MamaDada" and it was the first time I heard him voice a preference for staying home with us. I think he thought it was a weekend. It warmed my heart that he wanted to be with us but also shot pangs of guilt through me that I wasn't staying home with him!
--If I ask him where the baby is, he will pat my tummy.
--He is OBSESSED with the computer. He knows how to turn on Jared's computer monitor so there is no tricking him into thinking the computer is "off" anymore. He has also learned how to climb onto the barstools in the kitchen, which gives me and Jared a great deal of heartburn. He does, however, look pretty cute sitting at the counter like a big boy.
--We've been working on time-outs lately. Unfortunately, we've spent a good amount of time in time-out during this process. Sometimes he will deliberately do something he knows will land him there and will happily trot off to time out, almost like he wanted to go. Other times, he is less than thrilled to sit there. But, he seems to understand it is a punishment.
I love this little boy and I'm getting to the place in my pregnancy where I am so excited to meet my new little baby but also struggling with being sad about Jack growing up and how I will handle two kids. I can't imagine I could possibly love someone as much as I love Jack!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Contentment
36 weeks pregnant! I NEVER thought we'd make it this far in a pregnancy, so I am absolutely thrilled. It's looking more and more likely that we will have a full-term baby and, even if Baby Charlie was born tomorrow, we would likely get to bring him right home. Now, instead of worrying about a protracted hosptial stay, I'm getting more worried about what it will be like to be vaulted into instant baby-dom. When you have a baby in the hospital, one of the silver linings is that you do get a little time to catch up on your sleep before they send you home with a baby. :-)
I've been DVR-ing old ER episodes. I was actually never a big ER watcher; I liked the show but never watched it consistently enough to keep up on the story lines. A couple months back, I found that a channel was starting the series from the first episode, so I've been recording them. I was watching the episode in which Dr. Greene dies the other night. It starts with him writing a list of all the things he wanted to do in his lifetime and ends with his last days in Hawaii with his wife and two daughters. It got me thinking about what things would go on that list for me. I realized pretty quickly that the things that I have always truly dreamed of doing--I've already achieved. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't things that I would like to do if given the chance but I'm pretty fulfilled. In a nutshell, my whole life, I wanted to be a wife and mother. My marriage and my son pretty much fill me up. Of course, I dream of all the things I would like to see my children do and think of how Jared and I will be when we are grandparents, etc. but the fact that I am a wife and a mother--well, it's enough for me.
As I type this, I'm watching my husband bathe my little boy. And, I'm happy to say, it's all I need.
I've been DVR-ing old ER episodes. I was actually never a big ER watcher; I liked the show but never watched it consistently enough to keep up on the story lines. A couple months back, I found that a channel was starting the series from the first episode, so I've been recording them. I was watching the episode in which Dr. Greene dies the other night. It starts with him writing a list of all the things he wanted to do in his lifetime and ends with his last days in Hawaii with his wife and two daughters. It got me thinking about what things would go on that list for me. I realized pretty quickly that the things that I have always truly dreamed of doing--I've already achieved. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't things that I would like to do if given the chance but I'm pretty fulfilled. In a nutshell, my whole life, I wanted to be a wife and mother. My marriage and my son pretty much fill me up. Of course, I dream of all the things I would like to see my children do and think of how Jared and I will be when we are grandparents, etc. but the fact that I am a wife and a mother--well, it's enough for me.
As I type this, I'm watching my husband bathe my little boy. And, I'm happy to say, it's all I need.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Catching my Breath...
I wonder if I will ever become a regular blogger. I frequently have lofty plans for blogging but execution eludes me...
Anyway, I returned last week from a month-long visit to Southern California for work. This was the longest trip I've had to do since I started telecommuting but it went well. Not so much fun being away from my husband (and Jack, for part of the time) and I got a taste of what shared custody must feel like for divorced parents. For the first two weeks of the month, Jack stayed home with Jared (thought I did make a weekend appearance between the weeks) and then Jared flew him down and he stayed the last two weeks with me in San Diego. We are blessed with a remarkably adaptable little boy who pretty seamlessly integrated between the two places--no major adjustments to two different childcare situations, houses, etc.
Well, I for one am thrilled that Fall is on its way in. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the changing leaves, the cool air, pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving... I bought a fall wreath for my door and have been eagerly waiting for Labor Day to pass so I could start putting out my fall decorations.
However, with Fall approaching, so are a lot of changes for us. Pregnancy-wise, things are plugging along. I can't believe we are only 4 weeks away from the time that Jack was born--and only 3 weeks away from the time my water broke. I feel like we've done pretty much no preparations for this baby--a very different feeling from when Jack was born. Jared and I are taking a little trip this weekend to do some baby shopping. I'm trying not to focus too much on whether this baby will come early or not; I'm prepared for it to happen but I'm also concerned that if he doesn't come early, the last 6 weeks will be torture if I'm expecting it too much. I'm learning that pregnancy is not so easy on my joints. With Jack, I had just horrible back/hip/joint pain. This time, I've been plagued for the past 4 weeks by a bulging disc in my neck, which is causing severe pain in my left shoulder and into my arm. My father assures me that this will go away when the baby is born...that is making the next 10 weeks seem VERY, VERY long and daunting.
I am taking my last trip to Southern California before the baby is born for a few days next week. Then, my mother and I are driving to Washington to see my grandmother who, sadly, suffered a stroke a few months ago. I am eager to see her and I am sad that this may be one of the last times. After that--it's just a waiting game for the baby to be born!
Okay, onto the fun stuff...
Flip! For my birthday, I received a Flip HD video camera. I, despite being married to a man who makes his career in technology, would not call myself particularly technologically advanced. I claim ignorance in how to use our "real" video camera--plus it never seems to be charged and I have no idea how to upload or edit the raw footage. The Flip is cell-phone sized, has great video quality, is easy to use and automatically uploads your content when plugged into a USB port in the computer. Last weekend, I played around with the camera and software and created this little movie. (Please forgive the cutting off of heads, I'm still getting used to where the aim the camera.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brAM-V2qzk4
Baby Charlie! For those who don't know, we have decided on a name for this little one. His full name (and we're sticking to the two middle name concept) will be Charles Matthew Robert. We will call him Charlie. Although we are lucky to get lots and lots of ultrasounds, including lots of 3D ultrasounds (well, depending on how you look at it--we have to have a lot of problems to get all these scans!), I took my nieces and nephews to a 3D ultrasound place to show them the baby. Here are a few pictures of our little guy.
Anyway, I returned last week from a month-long visit to Southern California for work. This was the longest trip I've had to do since I started telecommuting but it went well. Not so much fun being away from my husband (and Jack, for part of the time) and I got a taste of what shared custody must feel like for divorced parents. For the first two weeks of the month, Jack stayed home with Jared (thought I did make a weekend appearance between the weeks) and then Jared flew him down and he stayed the last two weeks with me in San Diego. We are blessed with a remarkably adaptable little boy who pretty seamlessly integrated between the two places--no major adjustments to two different childcare situations, houses, etc.
Well, I for one am thrilled that Fall is on its way in. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the changing leaves, the cool air, pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving... I bought a fall wreath for my door and have been eagerly waiting for Labor Day to pass so I could start putting out my fall decorations.
However, with Fall approaching, so are a lot of changes for us. Pregnancy-wise, things are plugging along. I can't believe we are only 4 weeks away from the time that Jack was born--and only 3 weeks away from the time my water broke. I feel like we've done pretty much no preparations for this baby--a very different feeling from when Jack was born. Jared and I are taking a little trip this weekend to do some baby shopping. I'm trying not to focus too much on whether this baby will come early or not; I'm prepared for it to happen but I'm also concerned that if he doesn't come early, the last 6 weeks will be torture if I'm expecting it too much. I'm learning that pregnancy is not so easy on my joints. With Jack, I had just horrible back/hip/joint pain. This time, I've been plagued for the past 4 weeks by a bulging disc in my neck, which is causing severe pain in my left shoulder and into my arm. My father assures me that this will go away when the baby is born...that is making the next 10 weeks seem VERY, VERY long and daunting.
I am taking my last trip to Southern California before the baby is born for a few days next week. Then, my mother and I are driving to Washington to see my grandmother who, sadly, suffered a stroke a few months ago. I am eager to see her and I am sad that this may be one of the last times. After that--it's just a waiting game for the baby to be born!
Okay, onto the fun stuff...
Flip! For my birthday, I received a Flip HD video camera. I, despite being married to a man who makes his career in technology, would not call myself particularly technologically advanced. I claim ignorance in how to use our "real" video camera--plus it never seems to be charged and I have no idea how to upload or edit the raw footage. The Flip is cell-phone sized, has great video quality, is easy to use and automatically uploads your content when plugged into a USB port in the computer. Last weekend, I played around with the camera and software and created this little movie. (Please forgive the cutting off of heads, I'm still getting used to where the aim the camera.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brAM-V2qzk4
Baby Charlie! For those who don't know, we have decided on a name for this little one. His full name (and we're sticking to the two middle name concept) will be Charles Matthew Robert. We will call him Charlie. Although we are lucky to get lots and lots of ultrasounds, including lots of 3D ultrasounds (well, depending on how you look at it--we have to have a lot of problems to get all these scans!), I took my nieces and nephews to a 3D ultrasound place to show them the baby. Here are a few pictures of our little guy.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Little Monkey...
...this is what my parents found this morning after leaving the laundry room door open for a few minutes...
Too funny! Reminds me why we have these on our washer and dryer at home:
Too funny! Reminds me why we have these on our washer and dryer at home:
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Like Father, Like Son
Wow--two posts in two days! A record for me! I don't want to forget this, though...
Now that Jack is getting older, we are seeing more and more of his personality shining through. Mostly, I see Jared. If you know my husband, you know how fastidious he is about nearly everything. He is clean, orderly, irons (yes, even Jack's clothing), and likes things in their place all of the time. It seems that we have bred a child with the same tendencies.
Jack is a cautious, watchful kid. He observes things before jumping in there and we see this in the ways he imitates us. He, is however, also a stickler for things being done properly and in the "right" order. For example, when I pick him up from daycare, if I stop and chat for a minute, he gets incredibly anxious until we open the door and he can see the car waiting. He knows I come, we get in the car and we go. Interrupt that flow and he doesn't like it so much.
Lately, he has been fetching his diapers and immediately following a diaper change, he will promptly bring his diaper to the trashcan, dispose of it, make sure the lid to the can is closed and then come back for his box of wipes, bring it to the bathroom, and gesture for help to put it back into the cabinet where we keep them (it's a high cabinet).
At mealtimes, after we put him in his highchair, he immediately, reaches for his bib and gives it to us to put on him. When he is done, he makes the sign for "all done" and we wipe him down. He takes off his bib and takes the paper towel and cleans his tray and wipes his mouth. It's pretty funny and he does it like clockwork.
He's very good about cleaning up his toys (not to say he doesn't make messes!) but he is pretty good about knowing where things go and putting them there.
His latest involves the potty. Lately, he has been gesturing to sit on the potty. He is nowhere near being ready for potty training (given the fact he can't say any words!) but we indulge it since I figure if he is showing interest, I should try to acclimate him. So, I put him on the potty where he sits for a moment, reaches for a square of toilet paper, does some approximation of wiping, puts it in the toilet, flushes, puts the toilet seat down (I may be one of the few women with a husband who is very good abou this!), and then gestures for me to hold him up to the sink so he can wash his hands. Mind you, this is all from watching. We haven't made any effort to teach him any of this!
He just cracks me up! I never realized how much some of these traits are just a part of who someone is! Of course, I will take a neat and tidy child any day but it does make me wonder what we are in for with #2...
Now that Jack is getting older, we are seeing more and more of his personality shining through. Mostly, I see Jared. If you know my husband, you know how fastidious he is about nearly everything. He is clean, orderly, irons (yes, even Jack's clothing), and likes things in their place all of the time. It seems that we have bred a child with the same tendencies.
Jack is a cautious, watchful kid. He observes things before jumping in there and we see this in the ways he imitates us. He, is however, also a stickler for things being done properly and in the "right" order. For example, when I pick him up from daycare, if I stop and chat for a minute, he gets incredibly anxious until we open the door and he can see the car waiting. He knows I come, we get in the car and we go. Interrupt that flow and he doesn't like it so much.
Lately, he has been fetching his diapers and immediately following a diaper change, he will promptly bring his diaper to the trashcan, dispose of it, make sure the lid to the can is closed and then come back for his box of wipes, bring it to the bathroom, and gesture for help to put it back into the cabinet where we keep them (it's a high cabinet).
At mealtimes, after we put him in his highchair, he immediately, reaches for his bib and gives it to us to put on him. When he is done, he makes the sign for "all done" and we wipe him down. He takes off his bib and takes the paper towel and cleans his tray and wipes his mouth. It's pretty funny and he does it like clockwork.
He's very good about cleaning up his toys (not to say he doesn't make messes!) but he is pretty good about knowing where things go and putting them there.
His latest involves the potty. Lately, he has been gesturing to sit on the potty. He is nowhere near being ready for potty training (given the fact he can't say any words!) but we indulge it since I figure if he is showing interest, I should try to acclimate him. So, I put him on the potty where he sits for a moment, reaches for a square of toilet paper, does some approximation of wiping, puts it in the toilet, flushes, puts the toilet seat down (I may be one of the few women with a husband who is very good abou this!), and then gestures for me to hold him up to the sink so he can wash his hands. Mind you, this is all from watching. We haven't made any effort to teach him any of this!
He just cracks me up! I never realized how much some of these traits are just a part of who someone is! Of course, I will take a neat and tidy child any day but it does make me wonder what we are in for with #2...
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Home Again...
...at least for a short stay. I'm in San Diego for the month of August, Jared is manning the house (including Jack) by himself for the first two weeks and Jack will join me for the second two weeks. First week down and all went well. Back for a quick weekend visit; got in last night late and will leave again tomorrow late afternoon.
Some updates from around here:
Jack started speech therapy and we are very happy with the clinic we chose to go with at the University of Oregon. They are employing a method called the Pre-linguistic Milieu Teaching approach, which apparently uses signs to build the foundation for language development. Jack is catching on to the signs pretty quickly. He reliably uses "all done," "more," and "drink" after two weeks. We have ten target signs to work on during this little August break and he will start up again next month.
Jack has also decided to start biting this past week. We are hoping this is a short phase but I was horrified when he bit two different children two days in a row last week. One silver lining: the first girl he bit (and the most dramatic of the two bites) was apparently a terrible biter herself around this age so at least the parents were sympathetic.
Work is going well for both Jared and I. At a mid-year work event recently, Jared was given the "Immediate Impact" award for contributions he's made since starting. Work for me has been busy but all in a good way.
The pregnancy is going well so far. Most of the same complications as with Jack but this time around, they don't seem as dramatic as they did then. Maybe because we know what to expect and it's not new news? We did settle on a name for this little one: Charles Matthew Robert (we're sticking with the two middle name thing we did with Jack). We'll call him Charlie. He is a VERY active baby! Much, much more so than Jack was. It's hard to believe we are already 25 weeks through this pregnancy! When I get back at the end of August, we plan to attack all things baby to get ready.
We planted a little vegetable garden this year...first year Jared and I have ever done any gardening (I will admit to some help from our gardener!). We are growing zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, winter squash, tomatoes (three varieties), strawberries, bell peppers and a lemon cucumber. So far, the plants have all been doing well. The strawberries have been yielding fruit, as has the cherry tomato plant, but unfortunately, the dogs have eaten all of the ripe tomatoes and strawberries. This has not made me a happy dog owner. We do, however, have two cucumbers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, one lemon cucumber growing and we picked our first zucchini today!
Some updates from around here:
Jack started speech therapy and we are very happy with the clinic we chose to go with at the University of Oregon. They are employing a method called the Pre-linguistic Milieu Teaching approach, which apparently uses signs to build the foundation for language development. Jack is catching on to the signs pretty quickly. He reliably uses "all done," "more," and "drink" after two weeks. We have ten target signs to work on during this little August break and he will start up again next month.
Jack has also decided to start biting this past week. We are hoping this is a short phase but I was horrified when he bit two different children two days in a row last week. One silver lining: the first girl he bit (and the most dramatic of the two bites) was apparently a terrible biter herself around this age so at least the parents were sympathetic.
Work is going well for both Jared and I. At a mid-year work event recently, Jared was given the "Immediate Impact" award for contributions he's made since starting. Work for me has been busy but all in a good way.
The pregnancy is going well so far. Most of the same complications as with Jack but this time around, they don't seem as dramatic as they did then. Maybe because we know what to expect and it's not new news? We did settle on a name for this little one: Charles Matthew Robert (we're sticking with the two middle name thing we did with Jack). We'll call him Charlie. He is a VERY active baby! Much, much more so than Jack was. It's hard to believe we are already 25 weeks through this pregnancy! When I get back at the end of August, we plan to attack all things baby to get ready.
We planted a little vegetable garden this year...first year Jared and I have ever done any gardening (I will admit to some help from our gardener!). We are growing zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, winter squash, tomatoes (three varieties), strawberries, bell peppers and a lemon cucumber. So far, the plants have all been doing well. The strawberries have been yielding fruit, as has the cherry tomato plant, but unfortunately, the dogs have eaten all of the ripe tomatoes and strawberries. This has not made me a happy dog owner. We do, however, have two cucumbers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, one lemon cucumber growing and we picked our first zucchini today!
Monday, July 27, 2009
HOT!!!
Here is the forecast for the next 5 days...
99° F | 61° F
101° F | 61° F
103° F | 58° F
94° F | 56° F
85° F | 54° F
Seriously??? I thought moving to the rainy Northwest meant leaving some of that heat behind! I'll be in California for the month of August, so I guess I'm trading same for same. At least it's not humid here, I'll take some comfort in that.
Not much going on around here. Warning ahead: a small pity party.
I've been struggling with our move a little more lately. Especially as this baby's birth approaches. I can't believe we're already half way (well, more than halfway there). We still don't have a church. We left behind the church I've been going to since I was 18 years old, where I taught religious education, the church and priest that have seen me through all of the most significant events of my life: meeting Jared, marriage preparation, my wedding, the birth of my son, his baptism. We had a community there; people knew us when we showed up every Sunday, missed us if we didn't come. We haven't found anything even approximating that here. Our first problem has been finding a church that has a nursery. Seriously--most of the churches here don't seem to have nurseries, which I totally do not understand. Do people with small children just not go to church here????
More than the church issue, we don't have any friends. None. No girlfriends I can call up to have lunch with, no one to do meet for coffee or to swap babysitting or have a couples' date with. How did those of you who have been through this moving do it? How do you meet people? I miss my friends desperately. I feel like I just survive here until the weeks I get to go "home" and can see friends and family. This particular issue is giving me the most worry with the baby on the way. Since we also have no family up here, who are we going to call when my water breaks or I'm in labor? Who will stay with Jack? Our occasional weekend babysitter has a "real" job so certainly she can't come if the baby decides to make his appearance mid-week. I'm also really sad that there won't be anyone to come see my baby when he is born. I know our parents will come but we don't live in the most easily-accessible area and life makes it hard for our friends and other family to figure out a way and time to come up here.
Don't get me wrong, I don't regret this move. It was the right decision for Jared's career, for our family, and to help us create opportunities down the road. It's been a good learning and growing experience in our marriage--I now know that my family and home are wherever Jared and Jack are. I guess I just didn't count on it being so hard, either.
I'm trying to focus on the fact that "home" isn't the way it was when we left either--our best friends moved to Texas shortly after we left. Things aren't the same. And, I know that people--especially military families--do this kind of thing all the time. I'm just feeling today like the "adventure" is over and the reality isn't quite as rosy as it seemed when first got here.
99° F | 61° F
101° F | 61° F
103° F | 58° F
94° F | 56° F
85° F | 54° F
Seriously??? I thought moving to the rainy Northwest meant leaving some of that heat behind! I'll be in California for the month of August, so I guess I'm trading same for same. At least it's not humid here, I'll take some comfort in that.
Not much going on around here. Warning ahead: a small pity party.
I've been struggling with our move a little more lately. Especially as this baby's birth approaches. I can't believe we're already half way (well, more than halfway there). We still don't have a church. We left behind the church I've been going to since I was 18 years old, where I taught religious education, the church and priest that have seen me through all of the most significant events of my life: meeting Jared, marriage preparation, my wedding, the birth of my son, his baptism. We had a community there; people knew us when we showed up every Sunday, missed us if we didn't come. We haven't found anything even approximating that here. Our first problem has been finding a church that has a nursery. Seriously--most of the churches here don't seem to have nurseries, which I totally do not understand. Do people with small children just not go to church here????
More than the church issue, we don't have any friends. None. No girlfriends I can call up to have lunch with, no one to do meet for coffee or to swap babysitting or have a couples' date with. How did those of you who have been through this moving do it? How do you meet people? I miss my friends desperately. I feel like I just survive here until the weeks I get to go "home" and can see friends and family. This particular issue is giving me the most worry with the baby on the way. Since we also have no family up here, who are we going to call when my water breaks or I'm in labor? Who will stay with Jack? Our occasional weekend babysitter has a "real" job so certainly she can't come if the baby decides to make his appearance mid-week. I'm also really sad that there won't be anyone to come see my baby when he is born. I know our parents will come but we don't live in the most easily-accessible area and life makes it hard for our friends and other family to figure out a way and time to come up here.
Don't get me wrong, I don't regret this move. It was the right decision for Jared's career, for our family, and to help us create opportunities down the road. It's been a good learning and growing experience in our marriage--I now know that my family and home are wherever Jared and Jack are. I guess I just didn't count on it being so hard, either.
I'm trying to focus on the fact that "home" isn't the way it was when we left either--our best friends moved to Texas shortly after we left. Things aren't the same. And, I know that people--especially military families--do this kind of thing all the time. I'm just feeling today like the "adventure" is over and the reality isn't quite as rosy as it seemed when first got here.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Petting Zoo!
A quick post before I hop on a plane back to San Diego...Jack and I just returned less than a week ago from a two week visit out there but work calls...
While we were out there, we met my in-laws for a morning at a petting zoo in Orange County. As Jack has gotten bigger, it's become apparent that he is not a "kamikaze" kind of little boy. He is cautious and takes him time scoping things out before jumping in. So...the petting zoo was no exception. We started in the goat pen, where they had some very, very cute baby goats. The goats were, however, a little agressive for the starting point. So, we made a quick exit to the bunny and guinea pig pen. After a bit of time, Jack warmed up to the idea of feeding them and by the end of the visit, had deteriorated into Jack trying to pick up the guinea pigs by their fur. They were good sports about the whole thing, fortunately. Here are some highlights from the trip.
Jack with his Grampy:
Jack feeding a bunny:
Here's Jack eating the carrot meant for the bunny...
Jack really liked the Llama...me, not so much when I saw the size of its teeth. My mother later reminded me that llamas spit (fortunately, that didn't happen):
Finally, at the end of the visit, here is Jack feeding the animals from his snack trap.
It was a fun day, we had a nice time seeing Jack's Grammie and Grampy, and we're looking forward to going back sometime when Jared can come. I'll post pictures from the 4th of July soon!
While we were out there, we met my in-laws for a morning at a petting zoo in Orange County. As Jack has gotten bigger, it's become apparent that he is not a "kamikaze" kind of little boy. He is cautious and takes him time scoping things out before jumping in. So...the petting zoo was no exception. We started in the goat pen, where they had some very, very cute baby goats. The goats were, however, a little agressive for the starting point. So, we made a quick exit to the bunny and guinea pig pen. After a bit of time, Jack warmed up to the idea of feeding them and by the end of the visit, had deteriorated into Jack trying to pick up the guinea pigs by their fur. They were good sports about the whole thing, fortunately. Here are some highlights from the trip.
Jack with his Grampy:
Jack feeding a bunny:
Here's Jack eating the carrot meant for the bunny...
Jack really liked the Llama...me, not so much when I saw the size of its teeth. My mother later reminded me that llamas spit (fortunately, that didn't happen):
Finally, at the end of the visit, here is Jack feeding the animals from his snack trap.
It was a fun day, we had a nice time seeing Jack's Grammie and Grampy, and we're looking forward to going back sometime when Jared can come. I'll post pictures from the 4th of July soon!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Growing Like a Weed
Gosh, the days are flying by! I can't believe I am already 17 weeks pregnant, which for me may mean I am already more than halfway through the pregnancy! This baby is VERY active...much more so than Jack was. I felt him moving at a much earlier stage and I feel him pretty frequently!
Yesterday, we had a checkup for Jack. Just a normal well-baby checkup but I thought this was as good a time as any to write down a few things about my baby boy and what he is up to these days.
Starting with cold stats--he is in the 50th percentile for height and somewhere between the 25th and 30th for weight. He is 31 inches long and 23 lbs at 16 months. Quite an accomplishment for a kid who wasn't even on the charts at birth and hovered near the 4th percentile for a large portion of his first year. That means he has grown 500% (in weight) since birth!
Still no talking. :-( But, Jack is becoming more and more independent and we are really starting to see his personality develop. He is silly, he loves to make this "cheesy" smile for us (he wrinkles up his nose and shows all his teeth). Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get it on camera yet. He LOVES phones--of all kinds, but he isn't tricked by fake phones. He holds it up to his ear, "talks" into it and then will try to hold it up to your ear. He loves to be chased, especially after his bath when we are trying to get him in pajamas. He's become very affectionate and gives me big hugs. There is nothing that warms my heart more than him falling into my arms for a hug. He has started bringing me books to read to him. He likes to dance. We have this little LeapFrog magnetic puzzle thing on the refrigerator and if you press the frog, it plays silly banjo music. He likes to press it and does this silly little dance all around. He's a great mimic--you show him anything once and he'll have it down. For example, he watched me using the Doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat and now, whenever he sees it, he'll grab it and run it along his tummy.
Yesterday, we had a checkup for Jack. Just a normal well-baby checkup but I thought this was as good a time as any to write down a few things about my baby boy and what he is up to these days.
Starting with cold stats--he is in the 50th percentile for height and somewhere between the 25th and 30th for weight. He is 31 inches long and 23 lbs at 16 months. Quite an accomplishment for a kid who wasn't even on the charts at birth and hovered near the 4th percentile for a large portion of his first year. That means he has grown 500% (in weight) since birth!
Still no talking. :-( But, Jack is becoming more and more independent and we are really starting to see his personality develop. He is silly, he loves to make this "cheesy" smile for us (he wrinkles up his nose and shows all his teeth). Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get it on camera yet. He LOVES phones--of all kinds, but he isn't tricked by fake phones. He holds it up to his ear, "talks" into it and then will try to hold it up to your ear. He loves to be chased, especially after his bath when we are trying to get him in pajamas. He's become very affectionate and gives me big hugs. There is nothing that warms my heart more than him falling into my arms for a hug. He has started bringing me books to read to him. He likes to dance. We have this little LeapFrog magnetic puzzle thing on the refrigerator and if you press the frog, it plays silly banjo music. He likes to press it and does this silly little dance all around. He's a great mimic--you show him anything once and he'll have it down. For example, he watched me using the Doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat and now, whenever he sees it, he'll grab it and run it along his tummy.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Bad Mommy
Preface to this post: I am blessed by a baby who goes to bed around 6 pm each night and goes easily. No complicated bedtime routine, no fussing. We bring him upstairs, lie him down awake, turn on his seahorse and off to sleep he goes.
I officially feel like the world's worst mommy. Last night, Jack was in a rare state. I picked him up from daycare and he was throwing a fit about not being able to play with a broom. The fit continued when I strapped him into the car. By the time we got home, he was mostly calm but as soon as I got him out, he got mad again because he wanted to play outside and we were headed inside. Fortunately, Jared was home early yesterday so I promptly handed my screaming toddler to my husband. :-) It didn't end there...there were tears through dinner and bath and at this point, we were slightly concerned because he just wasn't acting like him. We took his temp. We gave him teething tablets and some Tylenol. All to no avail. Finally, we decided he needed to go to bed. The first attempt did not work out. He came back downstairs, played nicely for about 3 minutes and then was inconsolable again. After all this, we decided he really, really needed to go to bed and he would just have to cry it out. Cry it out he did--really, it only lasted about 15-20 mins. Later, I went to check on him. He was sleeping peacefully. This morning, I noticed his face and hair were somewhat crusty and felt guilty thinking it must have been mucus from all the crying.
Well, this evening, I went upstairs to get him a towel for bathtime and for some reason, pulled the blanket out of his crib. And realized it was covered in vomit. My poor guy had thrown up last night (likely the cause for all of his fussing last night) and we let him sleep covered and lying in his vomit. I feel so terrible. Next time, I will try to problem solve a little more.
On an unrelated note, my best friend's daughter (and my namesake!), Katy, is having surgery on Thursday to have tubes put in her ears. Although a relatively minor surgery, it's always scary to have your baby put under anesthesia. Please keep them in your prayers, for Jennifer and Robby's peace of mind, that the surgery goes easily and that it is successful in helping keep these chronic ear infections Katy's been having at bay.
I officially feel like the world's worst mommy. Last night, Jack was in a rare state. I picked him up from daycare and he was throwing a fit about not being able to play with a broom. The fit continued when I strapped him into the car. By the time we got home, he was mostly calm but as soon as I got him out, he got mad again because he wanted to play outside and we were headed inside. Fortunately, Jared was home early yesterday so I promptly handed my screaming toddler to my husband. :-) It didn't end there...there were tears through dinner and bath and at this point, we were slightly concerned because he just wasn't acting like him. We took his temp. We gave him teething tablets and some Tylenol. All to no avail. Finally, we decided he needed to go to bed. The first attempt did not work out. He came back downstairs, played nicely for about 3 minutes and then was inconsolable again. After all this, we decided he really, really needed to go to bed and he would just have to cry it out. Cry it out he did--really, it only lasted about 15-20 mins. Later, I went to check on him. He was sleeping peacefully. This morning, I noticed his face and hair were somewhat crusty and felt guilty thinking it must have been mucus from all the crying.
Well, this evening, I went upstairs to get him a towel for bathtime and for some reason, pulled the blanket out of his crib. And realized it was covered in vomit. My poor guy had thrown up last night (likely the cause for all of his fussing last night) and we let him sleep covered and lying in his vomit. I feel so terrible. Next time, I will try to problem solve a little more.
On an unrelated note, my best friend's daughter (and my namesake!), Katy, is having surgery on Thursday to have tubes put in her ears. Although a relatively minor surgery, it's always scary to have your baby put under anesthesia. Please keep them in your prayers, for Jennifer and Robby's peace of mind, that the surgery goes easily and that it is successful in helping keep these chronic ear infections Katy's been having at bay.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
First Haircut
Sniff, sniff. My baby now has enough hair to have a haircut. Last weekend, when we were in San Diego, I brought him to a place that specializes in kids haircuts (figured we would have less chance of losing parts of ears or having large holes in his hair!). They clipped away and the result is very cute. He behaved himslef for the most part until the end, when he wanted very badly to get out of the chair! They gave us a lock of his hair and a certificate commemorating his first haircut.
Congratulations James and Stefani!
Ok, a week late...but better than never...
Last weekend, we had the privilege of attending the wedding of some close friends of ours, James and Stefani. Jared was the best man and he did a smashing job, if I do say so myself. :-) The wedding was beautiful. It had been a gray and rainy day all day and, as I drove up from San Diego through on- and off-again rain, I worried about this outdoor wedding. As soon as I pulled off the exit to the wedding location, the sun broke out and stayed! It was a beautiful afternoon from there on out. Stefani looked stunning and everything went off without a hitch.
Best wishes to both you! Thank you for including us in your special day!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
This and That
I don't have a ton to post about but I am really trying to be better about keeping up on my blog. So...a few things...
Jack took his first big tumble as a "wobbler" the other day. He now proudly has scratches and bruises on his forehead to show for it. The funny part is that this fall apparently happened as he was trying to push the bigger kids out of the way so he could be the first one to get outside at daycare. My little bruiser. :-)
We have been pretty successful in giving up the bottles. I was lucky and daycare was willing to take on the brunt of the conversion to sippy cups. Started last week and at the beginning of the week, Jack would throw the sippy cup in anger and basically boycotted drinking from it. There was a lot of vocalization accompanying the throwing as well. When I would give him a bottle at bedtime (I was a little too intimidated by all of this to do it 100% cold turkey so we kept the nighttime bottle), he would act as though I had just done the nicest thing for him that I could possibly do. By the end of the week, he was pretty much okay with the cup. No meltdowns over the weekend about the bottle and we are now working on the nighttime bottle, which hasn't really been a problem. My sister always claims that any change with kids is a max one week of torture and then it's all over. This does, indeed, seem to be true.
After months and months of attempting to read books to Jack (I LOVE books) and he having ZERO interest in reading books and me being concerned I would have a child who never wanted to read, Jack has really gotten into books. These two books are our favorites. The first one, On the Night You Were Born, I bought for Jack when he was in the NICU. To be honest, I was very intimidated by all of the wires, cords, lack of privacy and this tiny little baby--I was having a hard time bonding. I didn't know how to talk to him without feeling silly (to be fair, it is REALLY, REALLY hard in such a public, open place to have any private bonding to your baby) and a little like I was talking to an inanimate object. My answer to this was to buy a few books and read to him. I figured it would help me overcome my discomfort. It did and I love that this book is now Jack's favorite. It is such a sweet book, with wonderful illustrations, with a sweet message, based on the verse "You are fearfully and wonderfully made". The second book is by the same author and Jack received it as a gift from his cousins for his first birthday. I highly recommend both of these books to any mommies out there.
Finally, I got an unexpected Mother's Day gift in the mail today from Pajamagram. If you've never heard of them before, check them out! They are my favorite pj's and they make great gifts. They come in a pretty hatbox with a door hanger and sachet. Thanks to my ever-generous and thoughtful in-laws. They are visiting this weekend and we are very excited. We are planning our first trip to the coast.
Jack took his first big tumble as a "wobbler" the other day. He now proudly has scratches and bruises on his forehead to show for it. The funny part is that this fall apparently happened as he was trying to push the bigger kids out of the way so he could be the first one to get outside at daycare. My little bruiser. :-)
We have been pretty successful in giving up the bottles. I was lucky and daycare was willing to take on the brunt of the conversion to sippy cups. Started last week and at the beginning of the week, Jack would throw the sippy cup in anger and basically boycotted drinking from it. There was a lot of vocalization accompanying the throwing as well. When I would give him a bottle at bedtime (I was a little too intimidated by all of this to do it 100% cold turkey so we kept the nighttime bottle), he would act as though I had just done the nicest thing for him that I could possibly do. By the end of the week, he was pretty much okay with the cup. No meltdowns over the weekend about the bottle and we are now working on the nighttime bottle, which hasn't really been a problem. My sister always claims that any change with kids is a max one week of torture and then it's all over. This does, indeed, seem to be true.
After months and months of attempting to read books to Jack (I LOVE books) and he having ZERO interest in reading books and me being concerned I would have a child who never wanted to read, Jack has really gotten into books. These two books are our favorites. The first one, On the Night You Were Born, I bought for Jack when he was in the NICU. To be honest, I was very intimidated by all of the wires, cords, lack of privacy and this tiny little baby--I was having a hard time bonding. I didn't know how to talk to him without feeling silly (to be fair, it is REALLY, REALLY hard in such a public, open place to have any private bonding to your baby) and a little like I was talking to an inanimate object. My answer to this was to buy a few books and read to him. I figured it would help me overcome my discomfort. It did and I love that this book is now Jack's favorite. It is such a sweet book, with wonderful illustrations, with a sweet message, based on the verse "You are fearfully and wonderfully made". The second book is by the same author and Jack received it as a gift from his cousins for his first birthday. I highly recommend both of these books to any mommies out there.
Finally, I got an unexpected Mother's Day gift in the mail today from Pajamagram. If you've never heard of them before, check them out! They are my favorite pj's and they make great gifts. They come in a pretty hatbox with a door hanger and sachet. Thanks to my ever-generous and thoughtful in-laws. They are visiting this weekend and we are very excited. We are planning our first trip to the coast.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day 2009
My second Mother's Day and the second time around is sweeter than the last. It's hard to believe that one year ago, Jack was still a newborn and this year, he is an active, walking toddler and we have #2 on the way!
My Mother's Day started yesterday with the arrival of these beautiful flowers from my parents. They are the perfect accoutrement to the table that sits between our two rockers on the porch. I love that my parents remember their children on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day every year. Even before I was a mommy, my mother once gave me a letter she sent my grandparents shortly after I was born. It's one of my favorite, most treasured "possessions."
Jack gave me this fun little frame he "made" at daycare with a sweet picture of him in it. Not sure how they got him to sit still so nicely for this picture. I love it--so does he (he keeps trying to kiss the picture).
Finally, Jack surprised me (with a little help from his daddy) with a beautiful new jewelry box. I love it!
We spent the weekend puttering around town. We have been having the downstairs painted and unfortunately, it has been somewhat of a nightmare. Long story short, they started on Monday, were supposed to be done mid-day Wednesday and were still here yesterday. Oh--and they are coming back tomorrow because they are STILL NOT DONE. Our entire downstairs is torn apart so we really can't have Jack down there at all. So, we spent the weekend shopping for some new decorative things since we went in a whole new direction with the colors. Jack was a good boy during all of the shopping and, as a result, he got a play kitchen today on one of our errands. :-)
Speaking of redecorating, if you are anything like me and love looking at model homes and peeking at how other people decorate their homes, check out
On a final note, as an added Mother's Day bonus, I got to peek at our baby this morning. Not for the reasons I would have liked, but got a look nonetheless. I had made it this far (12 weeks) none of the problems we had in the first trimester with Jack that probably resulted in his premature birth. Unfortunately, last night, I started having the same problems and so we took a trip to the doctor this morning. They did an ultrasound to check on the baby. First, I should mention that this began as the world's worst ultrasound. Seriously. The woman brought me in without saying a whole lot. For 20 minutes, she was scanning me without saying one word. NOT.ONE.WORD. Didn't show me the screen, didn't say a word. As you can imagine, I was convinced in my head that things must be terribly wrong for her to just be scanning away without saying anything to me. I could tell she was diligently taking measurements and she was very serious. Finally, she turns the screen toward me and turns into a totally different person. She very excitedly shows me fingers, toes, the head, the brain, the face, arms, legs...well, you get the picture. She tells me that the baby is VERY active, which was making it hard for her to take measurements, which is why it took so long. The baby is fine but, unfortunately, we are seeing the same issues in my uterus that we had the last time around. *Sigh* We were hoping this wouldn't be the case this time around but it is what it is. The baby is hanging in there and we will just hope and pray things continue to go as well as they have been. It's a good reminder of who is really in control and I'm trusting Him.
My Mother's Day started yesterday with the arrival of these beautiful flowers from my parents. They are the perfect accoutrement to the table that sits between our two rockers on the porch. I love that my parents remember their children on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day every year. Even before I was a mommy, my mother once gave me a letter she sent my grandparents shortly after I was born. It's one of my favorite, most treasured "possessions."
Jack gave me this fun little frame he "made" at daycare with a sweet picture of him in it. Not sure how they got him to sit still so nicely for this picture. I love it--so does he (he keeps trying to kiss the picture).
Finally, Jack surprised me (with a little help from his daddy) with a beautiful new jewelry box. I love it!
We spent the weekend puttering around town. We have been having the downstairs painted and unfortunately, it has been somewhat of a nightmare. Long story short, they started on Monday, were supposed to be done mid-day Wednesday and were still here yesterday. Oh--and they are coming back tomorrow because they are STILL NOT DONE. Our entire downstairs is torn apart so we really can't have Jack down there at all. So, we spent the weekend shopping for some new decorative things since we went in a whole new direction with the colors. Jack was a good boy during all of the shopping and, as a result, he got a play kitchen today on one of our errands. :-)
Speaking of redecorating, if you are anything like me and love looking at model homes and peeking at how other people decorate their homes, check out
Kelly's Korner. She is hosting a fun, weekly "home tour" and literally has hundreds of links to pictures of other people's homes. This week was living rooms and last week was kitchens. Definitely satisfies the "peeping tom" in me. ;-)
On a final note, as an added Mother's Day bonus, I got to peek at our baby this morning. Not for the reasons I would have liked, but got a look nonetheless. I had made it this far (12 weeks) none of the problems we had in the first trimester with Jack that probably resulted in his premature birth. Unfortunately, last night, I started having the same problems and so we took a trip to the doctor this morning. They did an ultrasound to check on the baby. First, I should mention that this began as the world's worst ultrasound. Seriously. The woman brought me in without saying a whole lot. For 20 minutes, she was scanning me without saying one word. NOT.ONE.WORD. Didn't show me the screen, didn't say a word. As you can imagine, I was convinced in my head that things must be terribly wrong for her to just be scanning away without saying anything to me. I could tell she was diligently taking measurements and she was very serious. Finally, she turns the screen toward me and turns into a totally different person. She very excitedly shows me fingers, toes, the head, the brain, the face, arms, legs...well, you get the picture. She tells me that the baby is VERY active, which was making it hard for her to take measurements, which is why it took so long. The baby is fine but, unfortunately, we are seeing the same issues in my uterus that we had the last time around. *Sigh* We were hoping this wouldn't be the case this time around but it is what it is. The baby is hanging in there and we will just hope and pray things continue to go as well as they have been. It's a good reminder of who is really in control and I'm trusting Him.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Ultrasound Pictures!
*Update* Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, I need to figure out how to edit the picture.
We had an ultrasound this morning for the nuchal screen (a screening for trisomy disorders). Based on the ultrasound results, everything looks great. We will find out on the blood work in about a week. At our nuchal screen with Jack (at 12 weeks), we were lucky enough to find out that he was a boy so we had our fingers crossed they would be able to tell us the gender of this baby too!
Well...we saw a growing little baby, little hands and feet and lots of movement. According to the ultrasound tech, who claims she is pretty good at telling gender at this point, the baby looks "more female than male." It's still pretty early though and I feel like it's a boy (but, seriously, my feelings on pregnancy have never panned out to anything real), so we'll see...
Well, without further ado...introducing our newest member of the family...
We had an ultrasound this morning for the nuchal screen (a screening for trisomy disorders). Based on the ultrasound results, everything looks great. We will find out on the blood work in about a week. At our nuchal screen with Jack (at 12 weeks), we were lucky enough to find out that he was a boy so we had our fingers crossed they would be able to tell us the gender of this baby too!
Well...we saw a growing little baby, little hands and feet and lots of movement. According to the ultrasound tech, who claims she is pretty good at telling gender at this point, the baby looks "more female than male." It's still pretty early though and I feel like it's a boy (but, seriously, my feelings on pregnancy have never panned out to anything real), so we'll see...
Well, without further ado...introducing our newest member of the family...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Of Serendipity and Stethescopes
Jack and I just got back from our week in San Diego. The first half of the week was HOT! I was completely unprepared for 90 degree plus weather--I had to use it as an opportunity to buy Jack some warm weather clothes. :-)
It was a week full of doctor's appointments, beginning with an ultrasound where I got to see our growing little baby waving it's bitty little arms around. That was reassuring and heart-warming. I am, however, ready to start feeling better. But, I am not complaining (well, too much!) as I am keenly aware how lucky I am to be carrying this baby!
Jack had his 1-year adjusted development assessment. He is 14 months actual now and we were eager for the appointment in hopes that he would be discharged from the high-risk infant clinic and further evaluations. The good news is that he tested at 12 mos for gross and fine motor skills and cognitive development. This is in line with his adjusted age. The disappointing news is that he tested at 9 mos for expressive language (talking) and 6 mos (!) for receptive language (understanding words). The delay was not altogether surprising to us as we knew he wasn't demonstrating an understanding of almost any words or simple commands (e.g., "where's the ball?"). But...I wasn't altogether prepared to hear 6 mos. The long and short of it is that this qualifies Jack for Early Intervention services, including speech therapy. Since we did the assessment in California, they are coordinating services for us in Oregon.
On our flight back from San Diego, we were in an aisle seat and sitting across from a woman who was entertaining Jack by playing nursery games with him. He was quite taken with her, flirting and smiling and giggling. She helped keep his attention and spirits up--and fussing to a minimum. Towards the end of the flight, I asked her what she did for a living and it turns out that she is the director of the early intervention program in our town that Jack has been referred to! It was quite serendipitous and, after we got off the plane, she introduced me to the woman who will be his teacher (they were traveling to a conference together).
On a funny note, yesterday, I went to pick Jack up from daycare. He is now walking nearly 100% of the time. Well, he came to the door with a stethescope around his neck, the same way a doctor wears it (slung around the back of his neck). I laughed and the teacher told me that he had been wearing it all day and knows how to use it appropriately. She said that after he "checks" out his "patients" (stuffed animals), he slings it back over his neck and has worn it like that all day. She was puzzled as to how he would know how to wear it like that since none of the older kids do. In my estimation, he has either spent too much time at doctors' offices or he is striving to follow in his Bampa's footsteps (given his affinity for my father, I am putting my money on the latter...). :-)
It was a week full of doctor's appointments, beginning with an ultrasound where I got to see our growing little baby waving it's bitty little arms around. That was reassuring and heart-warming. I am, however, ready to start feeling better. But, I am not complaining (well, too much!) as I am keenly aware how lucky I am to be carrying this baby!
Jack had his 1-year adjusted development assessment. He is 14 months actual now and we were eager for the appointment in hopes that he would be discharged from the high-risk infant clinic and further evaluations. The good news is that he tested at 12 mos for gross and fine motor skills and cognitive development. This is in line with his adjusted age. The disappointing news is that he tested at 9 mos for expressive language (talking) and 6 mos (!) for receptive language (understanding words). The delay was not altogether surprising to us as we knew he wasn't demonstrating an understanding of almost any words or simple commands (e.g., "where's the ball?"). But...I wasn't altogether prepared to hear 6 mos. The long and short of it is that this qualifies Jack for Early Intervention services, including speech therapy. Since we did the assessment in California, they are coordinating services for us in Oregon.
On our flight back from San Diego, we were in an aisle seat and sitting across from a woman who was entertaining Jack by playing nursery games with him. He was quite taken with her, flirting and smiling and giggling. She helped keep his attention and spirits up--and fussing to a minimum. Towards the end of the flight, I asked her what she did for a living and it turns out that she is the director of the early intervention program in our town that Jack has been referred to! It was quite serendipitous and, after we got off the plane, she introduced me to the woman who will be his teacher (they were traveling to a conference together).
On a funny note, yesterday, I went to pick Jack up from daycare. He is now walking nearly 100% of the time. Well, he came to the door with a stethescope around his neck, the same way a doctor wears it (slung around the back of his neck). I laughed and the teacher told me that he had been wearing it all day and knows how to use it appropriately. She said that after he "checks" out his "patients" (stuffed animals), he slings it back over his neck and has worn it like that all day. She was puzzled as to how he would know how to wear it like that since none of the older kids do. In my estimation, he has either spent too much time at doctors' offices or he is striving to follow in his Bampa's footsteps (given his affinity for my father, I am putting my money on the latter...). :-)
Monday, April 20, 2009
We're Growing!
I've been waiting to post our family news for a couple of weeks now but since we've had recent encouraging appointments, we're going public.
We're pregnant with baby #2! Jack will soon be a big brother! Given the amount of complications we had with Jack, we're cautiously optimistic for the outcome of this pregnancy. So far, we've had a pretty good start to things...and one of the biggest differences is the peace I have about the current situation. I have a peace that whatever is coming our way is meant to be and we will weather any storms that may come. (I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of TWO babies under the age of two!) Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we make it through the rest of the first trimester and beyond.
In other news, I am distributing Stellan's bracelets again. Visit MckMama's blog to buy yours in support of Stellan! He is having his ablation surgery tomorrow.
We're pregnant with baby #2! Jack will soon be a big brother! Given the amount of complications we had with Jack, we're cautiously optimistic for the outcome of this pregnancy. So far, we've had a pretty good start to things...and one of the biggest differences is the peace I have about the current situation. I have a peace that whatever is coming our way is meant to be and we will weather any storms that may come. (I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of TWO babies under the age of two!) Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we make it through the rest of the first trimester and beyond.
In other news, I am distributing Stellan's bracelets again. Visit MckMama's blog to buy yours in support of Stellan! He is having his ablation surgery tomorrow.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Today I...
I am taking the invitation to be tagged from this blog I read.
Today I...
Ate: 1 plain bagel and cream cheese, 2 peanut butter cups, and a bowl of noodles.
Felt: Content
Listened: to Nicol Sponberg's Resurrection. I love this song--and very fitting for Good Friday.
Watched: Nothing yet!
Loved: My sister's recent blog post. My niece cracks me up--I love her spelling and pictures. I equally loved the video my childhood friend Brigid posted on Facebook. Her husband is a Navy SEAL in Iraq right now, she works for the Padres and her little 3 yo son got to yell "Play Ball" to start a recent Pad's game after a video message from his daddy in Iraq.
Hoped: that my husband would come home early tonight and handle dinner and bathtime. He did!
Wished: that I could see the house my best friend just bought in Texas. To anyone from Texas reading this...I've VERY RELUCTANTLY handed my best friend over to your state. But, I'm glad she got her first house. :-)
Enjoyed: Listening to my son try to say "tickle, tickle, tickle" in his carseat today.
Wondered: When my son will start talking!!!
Drank: Orange Juice
Wanted: to have the time to get to Children's Place to get Jack's Easter outfit. Tomorrow, I guess...
Looked: Stellan's bracelets...still looking...
Tag! You're it.
Leave me a message if you take the tag.
On a closing note--after almost 4 weeks in the PICU, baby Stellan's heart has finally responded to a medicine regimen. He's moving on down to the step-down unit. Did I not say that Easter is a time for miracles????
Today I...
Ate: 1 plain bagel and cream cheese, 2 peanut butter cups, and a bowl of noodles.
Felt: Content
Listened: to Nicol Sponberg's Resurrection. I love this song--and very fitting for Good Friday.
Watched: Nothing yet!
Loved: My sister's recent blog post. My niece cracks me up--I love her spelling and pictures. I equally loved the video my childhood friend Brigid posted on Facebook. Her husband is a Navy SEAL in Iraq right now, she works for the Padres and her little 3 yo son got to yell "Play Ball" to start a recent Pad's game after a video message from his daddy in Iraq.
Hoped: that my husband would come home early tonight and handle dinner and bathtime. He did!
Wished: that I could see the house my best friend just bought in Texas. To anyone from Texas reading this...I've VERY RELUCTANTLY handed my best friend over to your state. But, I'm glad she got her first house. :-)
Enjoyed: Listening to my son try to say "tickle, tickle, tickle" in his carseat today.
Wondered: When my son will start talking!!!
Drank: Orange Juice
Wanted: to have the time to get to Children's Place to get Jack's Easter outfit. Tomorrow, I guess...
Looked: Stellan's bracelets...still looking...
Tag! You're it.
Leave me a message if you take the tag.
On a closing note--after almost 4 weeks in the PICU, baby Stellan's heart has finally responded to a medicine regimen. He's moving on down to the step-down unit. Did I not say that Easter is a time for miracles????
Monday, April 6, 2009
Slow Living
My whole life (or at least since I read Little House on the Prairie), I've had dreams of a front porch with rockers. Well, this weekend, my dream came true! Our new house has a front porch and one of the things I love the most about the neighborhood we bought in is that everyone is always in their front yards. Kids run around together through the cul-de-sac and the parents hang out in the front yards. This weekend, we went to the new Lowe's in our area and used the coupons they sent us to buy two porch rockers and a little table. The weather this weekend (71 degrees!!!) further added to my visions of enjoying coffee on my front porch while rocking. We also FINALLY have a spot to hang up the beautiful windchime we received from Jared's sister and husband as a wedding present. It plays Amazing Grace (I had no idea windchimes could actually play a song!). It will hang on the porch, as well. They had a little child's rocker but it only came in white and we bought black rockers. Maybe when Jack gets a bit older, we;ll try to find a matching one for him (he did have a great time rocking on it in the store!).
Monday, March 30, 2009
Spring!
Easter is coming! I love Easter--I love everything it is about. It is such a time of hope, of re-birth, of redemption. I've never loved Easter as much as I did after last year. After one of the rainier weeks since we've been here in Oregon, we had a beautiful day today. It started out cold, with frost on the ground when Jack and I left this morning, but turned into a just beautiful spring day. There are a lot of flowering trees in full blossom here; we don't really have trees like that in San Diego and it is just spectacular. After I picked Jack up, we went to Target to get him diapers and I wound up buying stuff for his Easter basket. What do you get for a 1 yr-old's basket??? They had some cute stuff and I finally settled on a Mr. Potato Head in a bunny costume, some eggs filled with Little People Easter characters, a little flip board book, and a little book about the story of Easter. I will post pictures of his basket after Easter.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, baby Stellan has been on my mind. As I read the updates and as I bought all of Jack's Easter basket fillings, I was reminded of where we were last year. We were traveling daily between home and the hospital, alternately hoping Jack would be cleared to come home and being absolutely terrified of bringing a baby home that would regularly "forget" to breathe. We were struggling with the ups and downs of being told he would come home, then told he wouldn't...changing care plans, etc., etc. And then, two days before Easter, we came to the hospital and they told us Jack would be going home with us...THAT DAY!!!! We were so excited--but cautious (we had gotten halfway through the paperwork once before and Jack had had a bradycardic episode during the process and wound up staying three more weeks). Looking back on that time, it's hard to imagine we were the same parents and Jack was the same baby he is today. We spent that Easter weekend, which was full of everything Easter promises--renewed beginnings, renewed life, reveling in the blessings that had been heaped on us and exploring our new, tiny son. He was, and still is, the best gift God ever gave me and it was so fitting that he came home at Easter. I am grateful for the lessons Jack has taught me over the last year and for the privilege of being his mommy.
Here's a picture from his first Easter, I'm looking forward to many more to come! I'm praying that the people whose blogs I read who are struggling with illness in their families or with their children know the peace and renewal of Easter this season, as we did.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Prayer Request
I've blogged about MckMama when she was pregnant with her baby, Stellan. Long story short, when she was pregnant, her baby went into heart block, including severe tachycardia, and it appeared there was little hope of him surviving. Miraculously, he made it through and was born without a trace of the heart problems he experienced in the womb. Now about 3-4 months old, he caught a cold and received a nebulizer treatment that inexplicably pushed him back into tachycardia. He's going on a few days of his heart rate in the 200s and things aren't looking great. All attempts to convert his heart have failed so far. MckMama and her brood need your prayers. Please join us in praying for Stellan's healing or visit her blog.
Blogger's Block
Not that I have ever been particularly diligent about updating my blog but I feel fairly negligent these days...I just have nothing much to write about. I also have no pictures to post (well, not entirely true, I'm just too lazy to pull them off the camera!). Anyway, here are a few things going on in our life (does anyone know how to make bullet points in Blogger????):
--My dear friend, M, had her second baby last Monday. I was lucky enough to be in San Diego when Baby T was born. He, unfortunately, spent a couple of days in the NICU but I was able to see and hold him before I left. He's out and home now--and 100% sweet, cute and cuddly!
--Jack is starting to walk. He'll take a few steps, mostly in the company of other wobblers, and is not likely to repeat his performances for his parents, causing them much aggravation. :-)
--We had Jack's 1-yr appointment two weeks ago Friday. I am happy to report that he has sprouted up to the 50th percentile in height, though still hovering between 20-25th for weight. He may have a heart murmur (first we've heard about this!) so we have an ECG on Friday to determine the extent of it. We're hoping it's nothing serious!
--Our friends, Jenn and Robby, made the decision to move to Texas in late November. Jenn went first with the girls to live with her parents while she hunted for a job. Robby stayed behind to continue working, with the plan to follow Jenn out when she found a job. He actually found something first and so he moved out there in February! Now, she is waiting to hear back on an interview she recently had and they've made an offer on a house, contingent on her job offer. So, we're praying she gets the job and they can move into their beautiful new house! We miss them a great deal!
--I'm starting to feel the loneliness of moving somewhere I don't have friends. I miss mine dearly and I'm trying to join some activities so I can meet people. It's tough as a working mommy to find things on the weekends and balance that with family time!
--It's apparently whale season! Here in OR, we had a (sadly, dead) whale beach and found out that OR has a history with dead, beached whales. In the 70s, the same thing happened and, oddly, someone had the bright idea to blow the whale up as a means to dispose of it. That plan did not execute well and this time they buried the whale. Meanwhile, when I was in San Diego, there was a whale in the bay (which almost never happens) and I got to go out on my parent's new boat and we were able to see the whale breach and blow several times! It was pretty amazing.
--Finally, I have given up pumping! I'm shocked that I made it to my original, lofty goal of one year--actually I made it to 13 months of exclusive pumping! It's been a *painful* process of weaning but I'm almost through it!
--My dear friend, M, had her second baby last Monday. I was lucky enough to be in San Diego when Baby T was born. He, unfortunately, spent a couple of days in the NICU but I was able to see and hold him before I left. He's out and home now--and 100% sweet, cute and cuddly!
--Jack is starting to walk. He'll take a few steps, mostly in the company of other wobblers, and is not likely to repeat his performances for his parents, causing them much aggravation. :-)
--We had Jack's 1-yr appointment two weeks ago Friday. I am happy to report that he has sprouted up to the 50th percentile in height, though still hovering between 20-25th for weight. He may have a heart murmur (first we've heard about this!) so we have an ECG on Friday to determine the extent of it. We're hoping it's nothing serious!
--Our friends, Jenn and Robby, made the decision to move to Texas in late November. Jenn went first with the girls to live with her parents while she hunted for a job. Robby stayed behind to continue working, with the plan to follow Jenn out when she found a job. He actually found something first and so he moved out there in February! Now, she is waiting to hear back on an interview she recently had and they've made an offer on a house, contingent on her job offer. So, we're praying she gets the job and they can move into their beautiful new house! We miss them a great deal!
--I'm starting to feel the loneliness of moving somewhere I don't have friends. I miss mine dearly and I'm trying to join some activities so I can meet people. It's tough as a working mommy to find things on the weekends and balance that with family time!
--It's apparently whale season! Here in OR, we had a (sadly, dead) whale beach and found out that OR has a history with dead, beached whales. In the 70s, the same thing happened and, oddly, someone had the bright idea to blow the whale up as a means to dispose of it. That plan did not execute well and this time they buried the whale. Meanwhile, when I was in San Diego, there was a whale in the bay (which almost never happens) and I got to go out on my parent's new boat and we were able to see the whale breach and blow several times! It was pretty amazing.
--Finally, I have given up pumping! I'm shocked that I made it to my original, lofty goal of one year--actually I made it to 13 months of exclusive pumping! It's been a *painful* process of weaning but I'm almost through it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Playmates
Sorry for the terrible quality--I only had my phone to record this video. Two of Jack's favorite pasttimes: playing with the dogs (unless there is food involved, they run for the hills when they see him coming) and the newly discovered snack trap.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...
I am in California on a whirlwind overnight trip. I left Jack at home--missing him terribly but have to say I had forgotten how easy a plane ride is sans baby. :-) Since I had some mental time to myself, I was thinking about the things I miss since moving away. Here is my list (in no particular order)...
1. Golden Spoon (especially trips with my friend Michelle)
2. California Pizza Kitchen
3. Henry's Market
4. Soup Plantation (I know this isn't just in California but we don't have one where we live!)
5. Baby Gap
6. Babies R Us (and Kiddie Kandids)
7. Crate and Barrel
8. Pottery Barn Kids
9. My family
10. My friends
The bright spot is that I get to come back and visit these places/people once a month!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday
Today marks the beginning of Lent. I'm not giving anything up this year--instead, I'm going to work on my biggest spiritual struggle--contentment. Contentment in good times and in bad times. Additionally, I (well, Jared and I) plan to spend the next 40 days studying the book, Sacred Marriage. The book is not a marriage self-help book but takes the approach that the goal of marriage is holiness, not happiness. Before we got married, Jared and I attended an Engaged Encounter weekend, which was one of the most humbling and life/relationship changing experiences of our lives. Engaged Encounter also operated on the premise that the goal of marriage is not happiness, but unity. (This is not to say that the goal of marriage should be to be unhappy--but that, if one expects marriage to be the answer to happiness, they will be sorely disappointed. It's an unrealistic goal.) Jared and I embrace this concept for our own marriage but we've found, in the day-to-day stresses of life, it's so easy to forget that marriage takes work. Hard work. I want to take the next 40 days to refocus my relationship with God...seek contentment in my life as it is, without needing anything more and, through this, to reaffirm my marriage.
I'll end this with these great words that I intend to try to make a daily devotion over the next 40 days...
If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God,
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
I'll end this with these great words that I intend to try to make a daily devotion over the next 40 days...
If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God,
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
We had a wonderful V-Day! It was one of the first Valentine's Days that has not been de-railed in some way or another. Last year, as we were literally walking out the door to go to dinner, my water broke unexpectedly and that Valentine's Day began a week-long hospital stay as we tried to keep Jack in as long as possible! Another year, we had little nieces staying over as my older sister went into labor and my nephew spent the night in the hospital after breaking his arm! Those are two of the more memorable V-Day hiccups but every year, there is something.
I digress...on Thursday night, we flew out to Arizona for a long-overdue trip to visit Jared's brother, sister-in-law and adorable 3 nieces. We had such a wonderful trip--a yummy, yummy decadent dinner on Friday at a Tuscan restaurant, softball games on Saturday morning/afternoon (you should see these petite little girls tearing up the field!), a early birthday celebration for Jack on Saturday evening...lots of catching up and relaxing. It was a great weekend. On Sunday, Jared flew home and on Monday, Jack and I made our way to San Diego for our week in town with my family. We had anothere birthday party for him last night--I will post pictures later. It was a wonderful evening. Exactly what I would have wanted for his first birthday party.
Meanwhile, I'm basking in a most perfect Valentine's Day--I'm so blessed by the two best sweethearts in the world.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thanks, Hyland!
Jack is cutting 5 teeth right now--and this is, by far, what I would consider one of the more difficult parenting times of the past year. My happy, giggly, low-maintenance, super-sleeper baby has been replaced by a whiny, clingy, awake-every-hour, emotionally unstable nightmare. Even when I am holding him, he is constantly emitting a low-frequency whine, which is worse than fingernails on chalkboard. We can't set him down or walk away (even within his visual field) without him being reduced to a puddle of tears. He can seriously go from happy and engaged in an activity to a complete mess in a matter of seconds lest we even appear to be paying attention to anything but him. We have tried everything--Tylenol, infant Motrin, Orajel, teethers, teething cookies, fingers (ouch--I've been bitten HARD a couple of times!), etc., etc. Yesterday afternoon, on my whit's end, Jack and I took a trip to Albertson's and picked up some Hyland's Teething Tablets. I wasn't convinced these would do anything--they don't have any numbing agents and it isn't entirely clear how they work. But, they do. Within about 15 minutes of taking the tablets, our boy was back again. We got the first several hour stretches of sleep we've had in a while. So, thanks, Hyland's. You've made this mama happy.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
New Header
I've long been envious of those people who have fancy, cool blog headers. I'm just not creative like that. But...I had an incredibly creative gal design my new header--and I love it. Additional changes may be forthcoming in the form of pictures. The same gal has designed an awesome Valentine's Day card for us, which I would post but I don't want to ruin the surprise of sending them out! Hop over to her site if you are in need of invitations, announcements, or blog headers!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Past, Present and Future
I read this on one of my favorite blogs...thought it was fun and if it makes me cooler, than I'm all for it. :-)
Where were you January 22nd....
5 years ago- 25 yo, had just lost my job at the company where I met my future husband, and was feeling quite bereft. Little did I know, that job loss would open the doors to the rest of my career and move my relationship with my husband along nicely.
10 years ago- In college, since Jan. 22, 2009 was a Friday, I was most likely contemplating my weekend plans and possibly attending class.
15 years ago- Sophomore in high school, I was just beginning my descent into a wicked case of teen angst. Probably fighting with my mother, plotting against my mother and lamenting over all the ways I was convinced she was ruining my life. For the record, lest this sound like I have a terrible relationship with my mother, it was confined to a few years of highschool.
20 years ago- I was 10 yo, sharing a room with my older sister, who was soon to graduate high school and leave me for Yale. I'm sure I was tormenting her in a million ways--such as using her prom dresses for doll outfits, etc. I was, also, quite enamoured with with her teenage coolness.
Where are ya going?
5 years from now- Jack will be almost 6--in kindergarten. Wow! Perhaps he will have a sibling. Jared will be working on his MBA and I will probably still be working for a bank.
10 years from now- Jack will be solidly in elementary school, joined by the possible sibling, and since our careers are still so much in flux, maybe we will be living somewhere else, me still in risk management, Jared in IT management--maybe further along.
15 years from now- Jack in high school, me probably getting back all of the anxiety I doled out to my parents, Jared and I both still plugging away at our careers.
20 years from now- Probably still paying for college educations, kids becoming adults, still working in respective careers.
25 years from now- Maybe looking toward retirement? Possible weddings for our children. Possibly still paying for college educations (likely, actually). :-)
Where were you January 22nd....
5 years ago- 25 yo, had just lost my job at the company where I met my future husband, and was feeling quite bereft. Little did I know, that job loss would open the doors to the rest of my career and move my relationship with my husband along nicely.
10 years ago- In college, since Jan. 22, 2009 was a Friday, I was most likely contemplating my weekend plans and possibly attending class.
15 years ago- Sophomore in high school, I was just beginning my descent into a wicked case of teen angst. Probably fighting with my mother, plotting against my mother and lamenting over all the ways I was convinced she was ruining my life. For the record, lest this sound like I have a terrible relationship with my mother, it was confined to a few years of highschool.
20 years ago- I was 10 yo, sharing a room with my older sister, who was soon to graduate high school and leave me for Yale. I'm sure I was tormenting her in a million ways--such as using her prom dresses for doll outfits, etc. I was, also, quite enamoured with with her teenage coolness.
Where are ya going?
5 years from now- Jack will be almost 6--in kindergarten. Wow! Perhaps he will have a sibling. Jared will be working on his MBA and I will probably still be working for a bank.
10 years from now- Jack will be solidly in elementary school, joined by the possible sibling, and since our careers are still so much in flux, maybe we will be living somewhere else, me still in risk management, Jared in IT management--maybe further along.
15 years from now- Jack in high school, me probably getting back all of the anxiety I doled out to my parents, Jared and I both still plugging away at our careers.
20 years from now- Probably still paying for college educations, kids becoming adults, still working in respective careers.
25 years from now- Maybe looking toward retirement? Possible weddings for our children. Possibly still paying for college educations (likely, actually). :-)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
On the Hunt...
Perhaps the most frustrating, scary parts about working motherhood (well, working parenthood) is finding childcare. In San Diego, we managed to find possibly the best daycare 15 houses away from ours and on the first interview we ever had. It helped that Jared had gone to school with the woman's grown boys, but still...we knew we were lucky, I don't know that we knew how lucky. I dropped my preemie baby boy there when for the first time when he was just about 5 mos old and I never, ever worried once. We miss her terribly.
When we moved up here, we naturally assumed that a home-based daycare would be our best option, based on our experience in San Diego. We found the woman Jack has been going to up here pretty quickly upon moving and, although we know she loves our son and she is a warm, caring woman, it's just not the perfect fit for us. So...off we went in search of new daycare.
Wow--what an experience this has been. I started last week, visiting a woman who lives pretty close to us--another home-based daycare. I really, really liked her but the house was small, dingy, had piles of unwashed dishes in the sink and, as Jared put it, he didn't want to hang out there. So...not sure if we want to leave our son to hang out there, day in and day out.
Friday comes and I am armed with ads for three providers. Two are home-based, one is a Montessori school that has an infant/toddler room. I set off in my brand-new, less than a month-old minivan (this will become relevant shortly). As I pull up to the first place, I start to feel the glimmers of first hope. The house is nice and through the window, I can see the woman is well put together (you wouldn't believe the number of ads I've read where there were misspellings, grammatical errors, etc.--so this was looking good), looks like a normal person. So far, so good. She starts off with a tour of her house, which is clean and nice. Big backyard with lots of play equipment and complete with a chicken coop and baby chicks. (Note: although this looks great for kiddos, I kept my distance given my intense fear of the avian variety.) Then we sit down. First, her two children are ill-behaved. The entire time. She does not do a great job of disciplining or redirecting them. The TV is on the whole time--now, it is the Disney movie, Cars, so I could probably get past that but the provider spends her entire time watching the TV, not looking at me, while she talks. Then, she inquires about my son's eating habits...asking whether he likes to eat, "you know, corndogs?" Corndogs?!?! My son is 10 mos old!!!! Did she really just ask that??? (Aside from age inappropriateness...is this their regular diet?) Now, she doesn't ask me about any other foods, just corndogs. A few minutes later, one of the other children she watches, an 18-mo old girl, shows up. She seats her on the loveseat with her as we continue our conversation. Her 4 year-old then asks for help using the potty. She gets up to help her use the potty and asks me if Jack is good about staying sitting on the couch unattended. Seriously????? We end our conversation when she tells me that her full time rate is $250/week. This is ASTRONOMICALLY EXPENSIVE for an unregistered, home-based day care. We could go to the cadillac of all childcare centers and not pay that much. Sheesh.
Okay--on to the next place. This ad looks good. There are pictures of a bright, sunny yellow room, set up like a nursery school, happy children laughing as they work on an art project. Pictures of the play area show new, nice play equipment. I soon learn her pictures were strategically taken and left out A LOT. My first impression as I drove up the driveway (an long, L-shaped driveway, which will become important soon), was a porch bench that was chained (yes, chained...padlock and all) to the side of the house. No porch. Now, the pictures were not all deceiving...the front room, used for daycare, was bright and sunny and set up nicely for a preschool. However--again, dishes piled in the sink in the kitchen, and breakfast dishes with half-eaten food are still sitting out on the counter where the kids ate breakfast. It's 11:30 am. The breakfast included tater tots. Not exactly the breakfast of the champions. Now...seriously, I would never go to a job interview in jeans. When you have a scheduled visit from a prospective new customer, is it really too hard to make sure the house is clean??? Doesn't give me great hope for what the regular state of these places are. After our interview ends, I head out to my car and begin the process of backing up down this L-shaped driveway. I am focusing intently on navigating out until I hear a big crunch. That's right, I have completely side-swiped the daycare owner's car. I sheepishly make my way back into that bright, sunny room and begin the process of calling insurance. The woman is very gracious and fairly non-plussed by this turn of events. I, on the other hand, am completely embarassed and sheepish, considering I had sat there not ten minutes earlier explaining that I really wasn't comfortable having daycare transporting my child in a car anywhere. Then I proceed to crash into thier car.
After the insurance information is exchanged, I hightail my way out of there, call my best friend in tears and tell her I don't think I want to live here anymore. She talks me down from my ledge (but gives a shameless plug for moving to Texas if I really think I can't make it here) but I determine that home-based daycare is not the best route for us in this town.
Back to square one. Took my now-damaged brand new car and make my way to the Montessori, trying to recover some dignity and feeling like this is my last hope. I am broken down at this point, folks. The Montessori was great. They can take my son. Unfortunately, they will be closing the infant/toddler program in September and we will be back without childcare. Arrrrgh...
They did, however, refer me to Kindercare. I visited there--loved it, but wasn't ready to commit. We saw another big-center daycare this morning and liked that one even better. It's quite a drive, though--so we're going to evaluate a few more options. Hopefully, we will find the right thing.
In closing, I'm leaving you with a picture of my damaged car. :-(
When we moved up here, we naturally assumed that a home-based daycare would be our best option, based on our experience in San Diego. We found the woman Jack has been going to up here pretty quickly upon moving and, although we know she loves our son and she is a warm, caring woman, it's just not the perfect fit for us. So...off we went in search of new daycare.
Wow--what an experience this has been. I started last week, visiting a woman who lives pretty close to us--another home-based daycare. I really, really liked her but the house was small, dingy, had piles of unwashed dishes in the sink and, as Jared put it, he didn't want to hang out there. So...not sure if we want to leave our son to hang out there, day in and day out.
Friday comes and I am armed with ads for three providers. Two are home-based, one is a Montessori school that has an infant/toddler room. I set off in my brand-new, less than a month-old minivan (this will become relevant shortly). As I pull up to the first place, I start to feel the glimmers of first hope. The house is nice and through the window, I can see the woman is well put together (you wouldn't believe the number of ads I've read where there were misspellings, grammatical errors, etc.--so this was looking good), looks like a normal person. So far, so good. She starts off with a tour of her house, which is clean and nice. Big backyard with lots of play equipment and complete with a chicken coop and baby chicks. (Note: although this looks great for kiddos, I kept my distance given my intense fear of the avian variety.) Then we sit down. First, her two children are ill-behaved. The entire time. She does not do a great job of disciplining or redirecting them. The TV is on the whole time--now, it is the Disney movie, Cars, so I could probably get past that but the provider spends her entire time watching the TV, not looking at me, while she talks. Then, she inquires about my son's eating habits...asking whether he likes to eat, "you know, corndogs?" Corndogs?!?! My son is 10 mos old!!!! Did she really just ask that??? (Aside from age inappropriateness...is this their regular diet?) Now, she doesn't ask me about any other foods, just corndogs. A few minutes later, one of the other children she watches, an 18-mo old girl, shows up. She seats her on the loveseat with her as we continue our conversation. Her 4 year-old then asks for help using the potty. She gets up to help her use the potty and asks me if Jack is good about staying sitting on the couch unattended. Seriously????? We end our conversation when she tells me that her full time rate is $250/week. This is ASTRONOMICALLY EXPENSIVE for an unregistered, home-based day care. We could go to the cadillac of all childcare centers and not pay that much. Sheesh.
Okay--on to the next place. This ad looks good. There are pictures of a bright, sunny yellow room, set up like a nursery school, happy children laughing as they work on an art project. Pictures of the play area show new, nice play equipment. I soon learn her pictures were strategically taken and left out A LOT. My first impression as I drove up the driveway (an long, L-shaped driveway, which will become important soon), was a porch bench that was chained (yes, chained...padlock and all) to the side of the house. No porch. Now, the pictures were not all deceiving...the front room, used for daycare, was bright and sunny and set up nicely for a preschool. However--again, dishes piled in the sink in the kitchen, and breakfast dishes with half-eaten food are still sitting out on the counter where the kids ate breakfast. It's 11:30 am. The breakfast included tater tots. Not exactly the breakfast of the champions. Now...seriously, I would never go to a job interview in jeans. When you have a scheduled visit from a prospective new customer, is it really too hard to make sure the house is clean??? Doesn't give me great hope for what the regular state of these places are. After our interview ends, I head out to my car and begin the process of backing up down this L-shaped driveway. I am focusing intently on navigating out until I hear a big crunch. That's right, I have completely side-swiped the daycare owner's car. I sheepishly make my way back into that bright, sunny room and begin the process of calling insurance. The woman is very gracious and fairly non-plussed by this turn of events. I, on the other hand, am completely embarassed and sheepish, considering I had sat there not ten minutes earlier explaining that I really wasn't comfortable having daycare transporting my child in a car anywhere. Then I proceed to crash into thier car.
After the insurance information is exchanged, I hightail my way out of there, call my best friend in tears and tell her I don't think I want to live here anymore. She talks me down from my ledge (but gives a shameless plug for moving to Texas if I really think I can't make it here) but I determine that home-based daycare is not the best route for us in this town.
Back to square one. Took my now-damaged brand new car and make my way to the Montessori, trying to recover some dignity and feeling like this is my last hope. I am broken down at this point, folks. The Montessori was great. They can take my son. Unfortunately, they will be closing the infant/toddler program in September and we will be back without childcare. Arrrrgh...
They did, however, refer me to Kindercare. I visited there--loved it, but wasn't ready to commit. We saw another big-center daycare this morning and liked that one even better. It's quite a drive, though--so we're going to evaluate a few more options. Hopefully, we will find the right thing.
In closing, I'm leaving you with a picture of my damaged car. :-(
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