The Adventures of Two Moore Babies

Weight Gain

2012-01-21T14:36:00.000-06:00

is a good thing, in the Tiny Toddler's case.

She's still in some 12 mo clothes (and a few 18 month) and, since her pants tend to just fall off (even with the adjustable waistbands cinched all the way up), she's wearing a lot of dresses with tights, but...

BUT! We went to the pediatrician this morning to check out an excess of snot and she's gained a little over a pound and a half in the last two months and...

AND! She's broken 20 pounds - her official (fully clothed) weight was 20 pounds, 7 ounces.

I'll take it. This is the second two month stretch in a row that she's gained over a pound and a half. At this rate, we might make it back onto the growth charts by her birthday. :)

I'm sure you've seen this making the rounds

2012-01-19T09:28:00.000-06:00

but just in case... Here's the link to the whole post about not Carpe-ing the Diem, and below is the part that I found myself first nodding in agreement, then wanting to go find a toddler and sniff her head...

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.

Like when I actually stop what I'm doing and really look at Tish. I notice how perfectly smooth and brownish her skin is. I notice the perfect curves of her teeny elf mouth and her asianish brown eyes, and I breathe in her soft Tishy smell. In these moments, I see that her mouth is moving but I can't hear her because all I can think is -- This is the first time I've really seen Tish all day, and my God -- she is so beautiful. Kairos.

Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos.

In Case You Were Wondering

2012-01-16T08:23:00.000-06:00

this happened.

We were a little bit optomistic with our compensation hopes (it's still totally fair, it'll just take a little bit longer to reach some financial goals), but my husband recieved (and accepted) his offer letter last week and it's effective today.

Random

2012-01-11T11:41:00.000-06:00

Mostly because I don't want to forget this.

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In the car the other morning, my 3YO asked for "the magic see" song. When I was confused, she elaborated: "on the singing music. with the clapping".

After frantically inserting and ejecting every CD I had in the car, listening to the first few bars of each song to jog my memory, I got the right song, and maybe three bars in, she exclaimed "That IT! The Magic See SONG!" It turns out, on a CD of VBS music from 3 years ago (I don't even know when she heard it), the 4th song has a line in the middle about "majesty". And there is clapping at the end.

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My 3YO prays chatty prayers while running and jumping and fidgeting and playing hand games. She has no patience for recited prayers, other than the Lord's Prayer at bedtime (which she asks for over and over and again and again. I bet we pray the Lord's Prayer 15 times in a row every night.). She prays for the kitten that she saw and for those kids that the firemen were going to save "yesterday"* and for all the people that love her and for the caterpillar and for the weatherman to say that it will be sunny tomorrow and thank you, God, for bubbles and cousins and chocolate chip cookies.
My 20MO sits stone still, with her hands folded, until the last two or three words of the prayer (or Creed or whatever), then raises her big blue eyes and solomnly says "A-mem".

*by "yesterday", she means pretty much any time in the past. It might have been 5 minutes ago or 5 months ago. There's really no telling.

Glimpses

2011-11-21T13:12:00.000-06:00

The year-and-a-half-ish since my younger daughter was born have been a difficult time in my marriage. I think that we've both been overwhelmed at trying to balance our various responsibilities - to each other, to ourselves, to our daughters, to our employers, blah blah blah. From the Thick Of It, we thought we were doing fine. Only we weren't. And the biggest victim was our marriage.

About a year ago, I started seeing cracks. About six months ago, those cracks were canyons. By mid-summer, we were in counseling. By Labor Day, we were seperated. My husband came home in October; he came home because he knew that our daughters needed him, and he knew that We didn't stand a chance if we weren't living together. He was very careful to tell me that he wasn't back because he had fallen back in love with me, but that he was there to make his best effort. It was our last ditch hail mary pass to try to avoid divorce.

Did I just see what I thought I saw?

In the last two weeks, I've started catching glimpses of my Husband - the one that was happy to be home, the one that was happy to see me, and the sightings started getting more frequent.

Yesterday, he put his wedding ring back on.

I think we might just make it, after all.

Why yes, there you are.

Got Ees Good, Part (I've Lost Count)

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

My younger daughter had her cardiologist follow-up yesterday.

When she was a month old, her pediatrician heard what he thought was a heart murmur, and sent us (her) for an EKG and a chest x-ray. Then, he sent us (her, again) pediatric cardiologist in a sort-of nearby big city. There, she had another EKG and an Echocardiogram, and the cardiologist discovered that her left pulmonary artery was kinked. He said, at the time, that he expected for it to work itself out and that his main concern was that she would build up scar tissue around the kink and need surgery, and that he wanted to check her out in about a year.

Yesterday, we (she) repeated the EKG and Echocardiogram.

They were all clear. Perfect. The good doctor said that there is no evidence of kinks, restricted blood flow, or scar tissue. And - here's the best part - he released my perfect daughter from his care and said he hopes to never see us again unless it's in the grocery store aisle.

Also, as a happy side note, my tiny girl has gained a pound and a half in the last slightly-more-than-two months.

Also in Happy News, my friend Mali had a beautiful baby girl yesterday. Please continue to remember Mali and Piper in your prayers.

Prayers

2011-10-12T09:05:00.000-05:00

Please keep my friend, Mali, and her baby girl in your prayers. Her blog is linked over there on the sidebar and she updates daily.

Promises

2011-09-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage - from the Book of Common Prayer (1979)

At the time appointed, the persons to be married, with their witnesses, assemble in the church or some other appropriate place.

During their entrance, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.

Then the Celebrant, facing the people and the persons to be married, with the woman to the right and the man to the left, addresses the congregation and says

Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.

The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.

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Into this holy union N. N. and N. N. now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.

Then the Celebrant says to the persons to be married

I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, and in accordance with God's Word, you do now confess it.

The Declaration of Consent

The Celebrant says to the woman

N., will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

The Woman answers

I will.

The Celebrant says to the man

N., will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

The Man answers

I will.

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The Celebrant then addresses the congregation, saying

Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?

People We will.

If there is to be a presentation or a giving in marriage, it takes place at this time. See page 437.

A hymn, psalm, or anthem may follow.

The Ministry of the Word

The Celebrant then says to the people The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Let us pray.
O gracious and everliving God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Page 436

Then one or more of the following passages from Holy Scripture is read. If there is to be a Communion, a passage from the Gospel always concludes the Readings.

Genesis 1:26-28 (Male and female he created them)
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24 (A man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh)
Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7 (Many waters cannot quench love)
Tobit 8:5b-8 ( New English Bible ) (That she and I may grow old together)
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love is patient and kind)
Ephesians 3:14-19 (The Father from whom ever family is named)
Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 (Walk in love, as Christ loved us)
Colossians 3:12-17 (Love which binds everything together in harmony)
1 John 4:7-16 (Let us love one another for love is of God)

Between the Readings, a Psalm, hymn, or anthem may be sing or said. Appropriate Psalms are 67, 127, and 128.

When a passage from the Gospel is to be read, all stand, and the Deacon or Minister appointed says The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to ______.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Matthew 5:1-10 (The Beatitudes)
Matthew 5:13-16 (You are the light...Let your light so shine)
Matthew 7:21,24-29 (Like a wise man who built his house upon the rock)
Mark 10:6-9,13-16 (They are no longer two but one)
John 15:9-12 (Love one another as I have loved you)

After the Gospel, the Reader says The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

A homily or other response to the Readings may follow.

Page 427

The Marriage

The Man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes his right hand in hers, and says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

They loose their hands.

The Priest may ask God's blessing on a ring or rings as follows

Bless, O Lord, this ring to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The giver places the ring on the ring-finger of the other's hand and says

N., I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ( or in the Name of God).

Page 428

Then the Celebrant joins the right hands of husband and wife and says

Now that N. and N. have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

People Amen.

The Prayers

All standing, the Celebrant says

Let us pray together in the words our Savior taught us.

People and Celebrant Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

If Communion is to follow, the Lord's Prayer may be omitted here.

Page 429

The Deacon or other person appointed reads the following prayers, to which the People respond, saying, Amen.

If there is not to be a Communion, one or more of the prayers may be omitted.

Let us pray.
Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony. Amen.
Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy. Amen.
Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life. Amen.
Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other's forgiveness and yours. Amen.
Make their life together a sign of Christ's love to this sinful and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair. Amen.
[[Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to love you, and to serve you. Amen. ]]
Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may reach out in love and concern for others. Amen.

Page 430

Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed. Amen.
Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your Son, and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity, now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing of the Marriage

The people remain standing. The husband and wife kneel, and the Priest says one of the following prayers

Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy Spirit, your out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Page 431

or this
O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The husband and wife still kneeling, the Priest adds this blessing

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.

The Peace

The Celebrant may say to the people The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And also with you.

The newly married couple then greet each other, after which greetings may be exchanged throughout the congregation.

When Communion is not to follow, the wedding party leaves the church. A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.

Page 432

At the Eucharist

The liturgy then continues with the Offertory, at which the newly married couple may present the offerings of bread and wine.

Preface of Marriage

At the Communion, it is appropriate that the newly married couple receive Communion first, after the ministers.

In place of the usual postcommunion prayer, the following is said

O God, the giver of all that is true and lovely and gracious: We give you thanks for binding us together in these holy mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that by your Holy Spirit, N. and N., now joined in Holy Matrimony, may become one in heart and soul, live in fidelity and peace, and obtain those eternal joys prepared for all who love you; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As the wedding party leaves the church, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.

Page 433

My husband and I were married in the Episcopal church that I grew up in, using this ceremony. Here's the thing. Lots of people go to weddings. It's a fun party, right? I know that we printed out the ceremony, including the verses that we chose, and the appropiate responses from the witnesses. I'm pretty sure that most of our guests read along and responded as written.

Did you see this part?

The Celebrant then addresses the congregation, saying
Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?
People We will.

We all pretty much know the vows that the new husband and new wife make. Some people even change them around (or write entirely new ones) to skirt around things that are "too hard" or "not liberated enough". But what about the one that the guests make to do all in [their] power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?

Do people really do that? In my experience, the vast majority of people think that "being a good friend" means encouraging their "friend" to do whatever will make them happy. Right now. Even if it's selfish and not in the best interest of the friend's family and loved ones or upholding their marriage.

There's a 50% divorce rate. It's okay, it's normal. People change. On to the next one, on to the next chance at "happiness". Things get tough? It's okay, that's no way to live. Move on out, see your kids when you can, write a check to their mom each month, and you'll be considered a "good enough dad". OR, kick that loser out. He doesn't have any right to hold you accountable to anything, He's not your parent, he can't tell you what to do! Take the kids, you're the mother, they'll be just fine seeing him every other weekend... Don't go compromising or putting anyone else first (especially your spouse!). You sure don't want to be seen as a doormat. Stand up for yourself! If you don't look out for yourself, who will?

A person who is determined to work on her marriage shouldn't be seen as especially admirable or particularly strong. She should be normal. She should be supported by her friends and bolstered up when things go from rough to really difficult. She should be encouraged when things seem nearly hopeless. But she shouldn't be wierd. Her friends should not be handing her business cards for their own divorce lawyers or offering advice that worked for them in their own divorces. They should not be encouraging her to gather evidence or get down to the courthouse asap to get custody, alimony, and child support orders in - to make sure that she'll be "okay". A person who has left his marriage should not be encouraged or celebrated. He should be counseled and lovingly reminded of his vows. He should be supported by his friends to make every attempt to work things out with his wife, not pushed into the arms of whatever lonely woman is available. A man that goes back to his wife should not be seen as weak, spineless, or "whipped". A marriage that has been rescued is something to celebrate, and, way too often, it's just not.

Sigh. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

I'm That Mom

2011-08-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

I know that every mom anywhere thinks that her Snowflake is the Smartest Ever, or, at least, the Most Clever Ever Kid to Walk The Earth.

My husband's aunt is on the Board of Directors at the local Lutheran School. She called this morning because it came to her attention over the weekend that they have 5 kids enrolled in the Pre-K program. One of those kids is 3 years old. She wanted to know if I was interested in seeing if we could get my older daughter in on that action.

My older daughter will turn 3 in 13 days.

In the state of Oklahoma, children must be 5 years old on September 1 to enter Kindergarten. My kid will be almost 6 when she's legally allowed to start her (outside the home) school career in this state. My kid takes after her parents and is smarter than the average bear (in my very humble opinion). I remember being bored in school. My husband remembers being bored in school. My husband and I were also among the younger students in our class. We have talked about the situation and decided to put her in some sort of preschool, then do either Lutheran Private or public school Kindy and re-evaluate as we go through the early grades. I don't know that I'm cut out to homeschool, and my hope is that the very small classes at the Lutheran school would give her the flexibility to read up (or science up, or math up, or whatever) with higher grades if she's not being challenged in her "appropiate" grade.

We do have the option to "try it out", and to try it out on a M-W-F schedule. (The Pre-K program is officially M-F, 8:15-3, and does include nap/rest time.)

So... am I crazy for considering this? Is it nuts to put my 3 year old in a class designed for kids up to two years older than she is? Am I setting her up to fail? Am I That Mom? What am I not thinking of here?

A Very Small Worry

2011-08-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

Long story short, my younger daughter was very happily hanging out in the upper half of the growth charts through her four month well baby check. At her six month check, she'd started sliding (41% - height, 32% - weight). No worries, her sister did the same thing. But by her nine month check, she'd slid to -1% height and 11% - weight. Still okay. At her twelve month check, she was at 3% - height and 7% - weight. Our pediatrician asked for a 15 month well baby visit to check her growth.

In the last nine months, my fifteen-month-old has grown 3 inches and gained 3 lbs., 4 ozs, which puts her in the 8% - height and -1% - weight. She's been wearing the same clothes for well over half her life.

We've done bloodwork. We've done more bloodwork. We have still more bloodwork scheduled for next week.

So far, they've found a high number of atypical lymphocites, which points to the probability of a long term viral something, and slightly elevated tsh, which could mean a thyroid something. We're re-running the CBC to check the lymphocytes and doing a thyroid panel next week.
Other than that, her chemistries are normal. Her platelets are fine. Her iron is fine. They did a respiratory study, which came back fine. The front-runners in the viral arena are CMV and Epstein-Barr Virus - she tested negative for both of them.

The Pediatrician doesn't think it's related to her heart at all. He listed off 5 or 6 things that we would have seen that we haven't, so....

I'm loading her up with Pediasure, avacados, and butter/whipped cream/olive oil every chance I get. What say you, blog readers?

When those Smith Girls decide to start getting on with it...

2011-08-11T15:09:00.000-05:00

... They get on with it.
4 weddings in 5 years (2003-2008) brought us from being "The Smith Girls" to the "Smith-Laumooretskers".

Starting with the First Addition (July, 2007) and including the Latest Addition, born at 1:41 this afternoon, there are now 6 Laumooretsker Offspring.

My oldest niece was 14 months old when my older daughter was born. My older daughter was 14 months old when my oldest nephew was born. My oldest nephew was 5 months old when my younger daughter was born. My younger daughter was 13 1/2 months old when my youngest nephew was born. My youngest nephew is 7 weeks old today, and my youngest niece is hours old.

We've got a Plan. It includes taking over the world.

I totally should have known that a Google Image Search for "lots of kids" would bring up mostly images of one particular very large, debt-free family from Arkansas and a certain kinda-creepy guy with multiple wives that got ~~ran~~ encouraged to move out of Utah...

What Do You Say?

2011-07-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

My friend, James, was diagnosed a few years ago, as a young man, with a rare type of "old people" cancer. He had a wife and three small children that he loved very much. In one of our talks, he said that he was able to keep on keeping on because he had Faith. He knew that God was taking care of him, that God has a Plan, and that His plan was better than James's.

James said that he was so grateful that he had Faith, because he didn't know how someone who didn't Believe could manage to keep from curling up in a ball and just giving up.

This thought was echoed by my friend, Stacie, when her infant son was diagnosed with a very rare, nearly always fatal kind of cancer. Faith was what kept her going, gave her the strength to fight, and comforted her when Cash lost his earthly battle, but won the Heavenly one.

Last week, my husband's coworker, who was also the Branch Manager's 23-year-old son, died in a horrific accident on the job. The responding Highway Patrol officers identified the vehicle by running the tags on the trailer that he was pulling and came back to my husband's workplace to ask the person in charge who would have been in possession of the truck and trailer, and hopefully, get next of kin information. Obviously, if they had known that they were speaking to Jacob's next of kin, their delivery would have been a bit different.

My husband had to step into his mentor's shoes to handle filing insurance claims, workman's comp paperwork, notifying the appropiate brass at Corporate, pulling in crews from all over the region to keep their small store running, and also comforting the man that has come closest to filling the father role that my "father"-in-law voluntarily left vacant. Thing is, Rick, (my husband's boss) isn't a Believer.

What does one say to a non-believer that is in the middle of a horrific, tragic storm? All of the comforting things that my Wonderful Husband could come up with were things that his friend doesn't believe. They brought no comfort. They brought no understanding. They brought no peace. All that was left was "We're here for you. We love you. We know that your heart is breaking, and we think that it sucks, too."

Jacob's parents are a mess. They're going through the motions, and both of them have dead eyes. Rick is clinging to his wife, my husband and the other guy that he's mentored "since [they] were pups". The memorial service was yesterday, and it was a fill-in-the-blank memorial service. Prayers - check. Pictures - check. Stranger relating stories that he got third hand from whatever family and friends he could corner - check. Maybe we should throw in a song - check. It ended with an announcement that the family was thankful to everyone for coming, but that they were not prepared to greet anyone at this time, so they would be exiting first and then the rest of us would be dismissed.

They're curling up into their own little balls, and the people that love them are forced to stand on the sidelines and find something to do with our hands.

Where I'm From

2011-07-14T17:14:00.002-05:00

I am from macaroni and cheese, from the bag and the block, ooey and gooey in a huge pot, from books and vegetable gardens and looking up the answers to your own questions in the Encyclopedia Brittanica that takes up the entire bottom shelf of the bookcase and diagramming sentances at the kitchen table after dinner "for fun".

I am from the small green house with the cris-cross porch railings and white trim. The second one in from the corner, on a half-acre lot, divided by a fence overtaken by trumpet and honeysuckle vines.

I am from the shadow of a grain elevator, the strawberry patches, the fancy iris beds, the medium sized town in the middle of nowhere, a few miles from my great-grandparents' homestead, but two states away from either of my parents' hometowns.

I am from Fourth of July Family Reunions and debating everything from politics to theology to sports, from spunky Smiths and strong featured Stephensons and sturdy Roarks and determined McCartys.

I am from long, rich lives and bullheadedness and family values and dressing up for church on Sunday. I'm from work hard to support your family, and life's much better if you're able to laugh at yourself, and from love the people that love you, and from family is not always determined by bloodlines, and from we're so very proud of you.

From respect but don't be afraid to question authority and Grandma cheats at Canasta. I am from having a soft heart for abandoned puppies, hurt rabbits, fallen birds nests, and sad children. I am from a widow that remained faithful to her husband until she died, even though he preceeded her in death by a half century and from lovebirds who held hands on the couch while they watched the news, then M*A*S*H, and ate shebert after 57 years. I am from plain gold bands and crepe paper skin and blue eyes that twinkle.

I am from Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics whose children met and married and raised their children in an Episcopal Church. I am from Sunday School in the basement and Holy Eucharist every Sunday and from Preachers and Deacons and Choir Directors and Lay Ministers. I am from incense at Christmas and Easter and processions and falling asleep in the polished wooden pew and waking up to see the crucifix on the beam overhead. I am from Amazing Grace and This Little Light of Mine and What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
I'm from Oklahoma and Missouri and far South Texas and the shadows of Sandia Crest in New Mexico and from jello salads and fresh vegetables and whipped cream and butter instead of Cool Whip or margerine.

From Arch and Belle as newlyweds with a black iron bed in the covered wagon, the aunt that changed the spelling of her name because her new husband thought it would look more balanced, the same aunt that changed the spelling back after her husband died 50-something years later, and the grandmother that had one chest of drawers full of linens and another chest of drawers full of costume jewelry - all neatly sorted and contained in rubber-banded checkbook boxes. I'm from having dollars and tissues in pockets - of your sweaters, your jackets, your pocketbook and from washing out your ZipLocks to reuse them and from saving the pink, blue, and yellow styrofoam trays in neat stacks because you never know when they'll come in handy. I'm from not wasting leftovers and cassaroles and making every dollar stretch.

I am from headstones in the far corner of the IOOF Cemetary near a highway not far from here, from grave markers of a country family cemetary no bigger than my yard, and the one white marker with the very best view out of 39,000 in the Santa Fe National Cemetary.

*I have pictures in mind that will be added ... at some point. ;) And, I stole the idea from here, but she got it from here, and it was originally here.

Exhibit B.

2011-05-01T20:00:00.002-05:00

My Babies are Growing Up.

2011-04-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

I offer as evidence:

The Toddler has gone from pronouncing "horse" as "sol" to actually saying "horse"
Pick-ups are no longer "hick-pups" and are now "pick-ups"
I'm planning a birthday party for this weekend. For the baby that was born just last week.

Marriage.

2011-03-30T08:42:00.001-05:00

It’s about being a team, it’s about making each other the best that we can be, it’s about being better together than either of us are apart.

It’s about building each other up, in public and in private, to each other and to the world, and assuming the best about each other.

It’s about working hard to figure out what works for you and your spouse and your family without regard for what anyone outside your marriage thinks.

It’s about having someone on your side, someone who is not afraid to hold you accountable to/motivate you to achieve your shared goals.

It’s about two people sharing responsibility for maintaining the fences that surround and protect their relationship.

It’s about putting your spouse’s wellbeing first, ahead of anyone else’s - including your own, always. It's about trusting your spouse to do the same for you.

It’s about saving the best of yourself to give to your spouse, and expecting the best of your spouse in return.

It’s about the freedom to share hurts in confidence and the ability to help each other to heal.

It's about prayer. And faith. And love.

It’s about presenting a united front to the world, regardless of private struggles.

It’s about saying “This is my Beloved. S/he is everything that is good for me. I chose her/him, and always will.”

It’s about you and me, baby, against the world.

7 short years ago. And I love him more today than I did then.

Carseats (again)

2011-03-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the girls were talking about carseats. Then, tonight, my sister posted a link to this on FB. Just something to think about.

This was last summer - the Toddler was 19 1/2 months, and the Baby was a few weeks old. They're still in this set up, but the Toddler is, obvi, a bit more leggy, and the Baby is ready for something with a little bit less recline. :) I'm going to borrow the Toddler's seat from my husband's truck for now, while I save up for the seat that I really want her to have. I'll try to take a new picture this weekend.

Church Ladies

2011-03-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

are awesome.
Last night, I needed to go to church. It was an almost physical ache. So, even though service started at 6:30 and my girls were ready for bed when I picked them up at 6, and my husband was working out of town, so I was on my own, and I had forgotten to grap a couple of clean shirts for them, I took my two children and we went to church, assuming that someone would come running to my aid.
And run they did.
I didn't even get across the parking lot before someone was holding a door open for us. Someone else was standing inside, arms out, to take whichever child would come to her. Someone else handed me a couple of plates of spaghetti, and someone else brought me one highchair and offered another. Yet another person plopped two cups of lemonade down in front of me. When the toddler finished eating and started getting antsy, some older girls appeared out of nowhere and asked if she'd like to go play in the nursery.
At church time, we were invited to sit in the pew with one family. Thankfully, while both girls were clingy/needy, neither of them needed Mama at the exact same time, and the congregants in the surrounding pews were more than happy to play pass-the-babies.
This Mama got fed. And my babies got fed. And, our seats in front of the smaller organ were prime time for my music loving kids - they stood facing backwards in the pew and danced, which made the organist smile.

And by the time we got home, both girls peacefully went to bed, one at a time, with sweet smiles on their faces, and slept all night.

That, friends, is what it's all about.

Because You Probably Deserve That Ticket Anyway

2011-03-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook this morning. I think it's a pretty good point. Besides, if you* are speeding, you probably deserve to get pulled over anyway and so does that dude that you're "warning".

As I was driving home from Cheyenne today, I got to thinking of something. I'm headed down highway 287 somewhere east of Vernon and west of Wichita Falls. I come around a corner and notice a state trooper in the median. Luckily, he wasn't facing toward me otherwise I probably would have gotten a ticket. About a mile or so down the road, I noticed the car behind me flashing his lights at the oncoming traffic to warn them of the trooper.

It was at this point when I started to think a little bit. I must admit that I'm guilty of warning other commuters of a speed trap that awaits them. I'm sure a lot of us are guilty of this. But what I got to thinking of is something my dad once told me. He told me that it isn't uncommon for a simple traffic stop to turn into a million-dollar drug bust. I'm sure the little stretch of highway 287 that I rode down today is quite common for drug runs. This is probably why I always see multiple troopers each time I'm on it.

So the next time you think about warning others that there's a speed trap ahead of them, you might think twice about it. One of those cars that you're warning just might be headed to your home town loaded down with next month's supply of drugs that just might make it into your child's hands.

*general "you", of course.

Book, Recommended

2011-03-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

I bought this book for the Toddler for Christmas. I like it. A lot. So does she.

We also got this one for the Noob. It's also awesome, but Wherever You Are is the one that we've been reading as a bedtime story lately, so it's the one that I love the most right now.

Dear Long Lost Friend Mz aka Kelly

2011-03-12T08:32:00.001-06:00

If you decide to do your blog, please send me an invite. If you don't decide to do your blog, please send me an email. Or find me on Facebook. Or something. I miss you, and wonder how your latest project is coming.
Kthxbai.

Winner Winner

2011-03-11T21:12:00.002-06:00

Chicken Dinner! Thanks, Bree and Julie!

Look Out For Bikers

2011-03-11T12:35:00.001-06:00

5 years ago, in my hometown, a lady in a minivan turned left in front of a man on a motorcycle. She didn't see him. He left 12 feet of skid marks on the road and hit the front quarter panel of her van. The EMTs said that he died instantly of massive internal injuries.

That man was 36 year old Tony Trammell. He was bigger than life. He was an adoring father. His world revolved around his son. He was a friend to anyone he ever met, and many people considered him to be the best friend they'd ever had. He loved being outdoors. He loved being active. He loved his Ducati motorcycle, which was a gift for Valentine's Day 2002. He lived for making people laugh - at him, at themselves, at whatever could possibly be made laughable. If somehow, someone didn't like him immediately upon meeting him, he made it his mission to win that person over. He rarely failed and usually, those were the people that became his biggest fans.

Tony had been riding motorcycles for his entire life. His bike was like an extension of his body. I felt safer on the back of his bike than I did/do in most people's cars. If any biker could have avoided or lessened the impact of that accident, it would have been Tony.

Tony is buried in the corner of a small family country cemetary about an hour from our hometown. The funeral procession was led by a parade of motorcycles and was over 6 miles long. His son, Anthony, had a son of his own last fall, and is raising his own little family in the house that he lived in with his dad and, for a while, me.

Please, keep an extra eye out, not just for other cars on the road, but for motorcycles. And bicycles. And pedestrians. And small, darting dogs. Look twice, then look again.

Is it wrong

2011-03-08T15:53:00.000-06:00

that Lent is my favorite Liturgical season?
It is.

It ~~gives me the chance~~ encourages me to focus on my fallen nature and repent. Since repentance involves striving to do better, not only do I get the reward of forgiveness, I (hopefully) come out a better person on the other side. Besides - Lent ends with Easter. And Easter is my very favorite holiday.

Forgiveness

2011-03-07T20:48:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, I was wronged by someone. I don't know if it was done maliciously or mistakenly, but I was l i v i d. And I thought ugly thoughts about her for three days. I doubted the World. I doubted myself. I doubted her. And I became the ugliness. The wrong isn't important, and the why isn't important. What is important is that it was taking over my head and my heart.

So I forgave her. I offered it with my whole heart and I meant it. She didn't accept it. In fact, she attempted to "retaliate". To forgiveness. Right. But you know what's really really cool? It doesn't matter. I'm not angry and I don't feel ugly inside any more.

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you." Matthew 6:14

Update: 3/10: I spent Wednesday morning being smacked in the face with the fact that I was not a totally innocent party in the doing of wrongs. And I probably didn't give enough credit to the person that wronged me as far as her non-acceptance of my forgiveness. I think it was just a much bigger deal to me than it was to her. Or something.

My daughter is two and a half.

2011-03-04T20:33:00.000-06:00

And I am a little bit more in love with her and a little bit more exausted every single day. That is all.

Life Is Really Really Good.

2011-03-03T16:02:00.000-06:00

My friend Stacie said once that "If you look for the bad, you can find bad stuff to complain about all day long. But if you look for the good, you can find good stuff all day long, too. I am choosing to look for the good." She said this while we were sitting in the waiting room at OU Children's Hospital, because her infant son was having surgery to put a shunt in his head after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in his abdomen and brain.

You know what? I've got it pretty damn good. I bet you do, too.

I have a husband that loves me and is working hard at THREE jobs to provide for me and our children. He does it without complaint, and with a joyful heart because he is able to do it.
I have two beautiful, smart, hilarious girls that are so very loved and secure. They are healthy and happy and giggle all.the.time.
I have a good job - better than most - and it challenges me. If all goes according to plan, I won't have to work forever, but I do right now, and if I have to spend my weekdays away from my children, at least it's not at a place that I hate.
My girls have loads of people that adore them, not the least of which are Tommy and Betty (aka Papa and Bibi). Tommy and Betty love and care for them while I'm at work, and I couldn't ask for more cooperative caregivers. They are my partners and Betty's philosophy is that she is getting paid good money to do things the way that I would, if I were able to be there.

I am a sinner, and deserve none of this, but I am Forgiven, because I am a child of God.
My cup runs over.

Just because I can

2011-03-02T20:31:00.001-06:00

I'm posting this from my phone :)

Beautiful!

2011-03-02T09:35:00.000-06:00

This was waiting for me in the mail when I got home from Nebraska.

My friend, Bree, at Distant Pickles made it for me. And I think that "easy" must be a relative term. :)

New Phones

2011-03-01T09:45:00.001-06:00

For our Valentine's Day/Anniversary/Birthday/Mother's Day/Father's Day presents to each other, the Wonderful Husband and I are getting new cell phones.
He's getting this one:

And I am debating between one like his and this one:

I'm super excited. We're switching from the local provider that my husband has been with for 15 years to at&t, and will be paying the same amount as we were before (possibly even as much as 10% LESS), only we'll have sleek new modern phones that can do everything but make us breakfast. Upfront cost will be about $100, which is where the super combined present thing comes in.

Update: I got the HTC Inspire. It's sleek and awesome, but Holy Learning Curve, Batman!

Question

2011-02-28T16:18:00.002-06:00

My toddler has started hitting. Mostly, it's out of frustration if she isn't capable of doing something that she wants or if her sister is "getting in the way" (the Toddler will sort of swat at the Noob) or if she's told that she can't do something that she wants.

We have been telling her that "we don't hit people that we love", but it's having less of an effect. Time outs, followed by an apology to the offended, are the next "resort", and last night was the first time ever that she flat out refused to apologize: "I don't WANT to. I NOT sorry."

While I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily against spanking at all costs, I think that it could send a dangerous message, particularly to little girls, and I don't really want to go there.

That said, I don't know what else to do. Ideas?

Updated: I've skimmed these two links, and will read them for realz (you know, when I can actually concentrate on them!) later. Meantime, here you go.
Children and Aggression
Managing Your Toddler
one more... barely skimmed: Obedience

Speaking of Saving Money...

2011-02-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

My dear friend, the Fabric Donkey, is searching the Interwebz far and wide and giving you the scoop on all the best fabric deals. She's mostly working in quilting cotton right now, but, holy cow, there are some deals to be had.

My other dear friends at Distant Pickles are having a giveaway, and just wrapped up another quilt along. Go check them out.

How I Survive (financially) With Two Kids In Diapers

2011-02-26T14:09:00.001-06:00

I have two little kids. My Toddler is 2 1/2 and very slowly potty training. My Noob is almost 10 months old and ... not potty training. Diapers are expensive.

When the Toddler was in-utero, I wanted to try cloth diapering. I also wanted to teach her sign language and breastfeed. I knew that I would have to return to work after my maternity leave, so I sort of picked my priorities and took into consideration the comfort levels of my babysitter and husband, and cloth diapering fell by the wayside. Then my sister decided to cloth diaper her son, born in the winter of 2009, and I was able to live vicariously through her and let her figure out a system for me. She chose to use prefolds and covers.

Prefolds and covers are probably the most economical way to go about cloth diapering. I use prefolds from Green Mountain Diaper Company, mostly because they're what my sister used and because they're what was recommended to me. I'm sure that there are less expensive options that are just as great. I have a friend that uses Little Lions diapers and loves them. They're a little bit less expensive, and she says that the quality is just as good.

When my Noob was a very small baby, my sister sent me a dozen GMD Orange Edge prefolds, a dozen GMD Yellow Edge Prefolds, and a GMD "Workhorse" Fitted. She also sent a couple of small Bummi covers. I purchased a couple Thirsties covers, and 3 Snappi fasteners and I was set to begin my adventure. I CD on nights and weekends, and a dozen diapers easily gets me 2+ (weekend) days between washes.

The Orange Edged diapers are sized for newborns. They fit from about 5-10 lbs. I think I used my orange edged pfs until the Noob was closer to 13 lbs, so it's all kind of relative.

The Yellow Edged diapers are sized for babies from 10-15 lbs, according to GMD's website. The Noob is 16.5 or so and still has plenty of room to fasten hers.

The "Workhorse" fitted diaper is probably my very favorite diaper, but I didn't buy any more because I kept thinking that the Noob was going to outgrow this size any time now. I'm buying a few in the next size, though. They're more trim and easier to get onto a wiggly baby because there is absolutely no folding involved. Just position and fasten.

Red Edged diapers are sized for babies from 15-29 lbs. My toddler is tipping the scales at 26 lbs, so I'm figuring this will be the last set that I will buy.

I've been using the same small diaper covers this whole time. Even if I had needed to purchase all of the diapers that we use, I would have spent $28 for the orange edged pfs, $33 for the yellow edged pfs, $9-$12 for each of the covers, and $8 for 3 Snappi fasteners.
Initial Investment: $117.
Next, I'll buy red edged pfs, and those will probably get me through potty training, if the Noob follows her older sister's growth curve. My list to purchase now is $36 for the red edged pfs, $7.40x4 for the red workhorse fitteds, $9.75 for a new set of Snappis (they do wear out), and $11.50x3 for some size Medium Thirsties covers.
Secondary Investment: $110-ish.
You could buy a wetbag, but I just use a plastic grocery bag looped over a doorknob. Since I do laundry every other day-ish, I haven't run into stink issues yet.

Best of all, since all of my prefolds are 100% cotton, I don't have a complicated laundry routine, like you'll have to come up with if you do microfiber or other types of diapers. I dump "solids" into the toilet, then, on laundry day, I run one rinse (with extra rinse) cycle, then one hot wash with Charlie's Soap, extra rinse, and then dry on medium. Easy Peasy.

Since the toddler is in disposable diapers when she's not feeling the potty training mojo and the Noob is in disposeable diapers at daycare, I just search out the best possible deals. Right now, I'm signed up for Amazon Mom (which gets me free 2-day shipping) and Subscribe and Save (which gives me an additional discount for scheduling automatic deliveries) and a few weeks ago, I got a 228 count case of Size 2 Luvs diapers and a 204 count case of Size 3 Luvs diapers for $49.06 TOTAL delivered to my door.

And, while I was there...

2011-02-25T21:55:00.000-06:00

This happened!

It's really totally handy to have the church in one's back yard and a Pastor on the payroll.

Fun In The Car

2011-02-25T21:47:00.002-06:00

Because Kansas is booooooooooooring, and I'd already ~~bothered~~ spent all of a certain Shrew's productive hours on the phone, I decided to entertain myself while I drove across the prairie.

Please excuse the very speck-y whateverthatthing'scalled. Yes, it's dirty, but so is my camera lens...

This picture is to illustrate my loaves-and-fishes style gas. Normally, I get about 230 miles to a full tank. I think I got to 255 before the needle moved off of the half marker, but that picture was blurry, so you'll just have to believe me.

Mulit-tasking. If you need an explination, it would probably make you blush.

After approximately 5 hours of driving straight North, I get to turn Left!

What do Christina Agulara, Air Supply, George Jones, Bon Jovi, and some newer teeney-bopper artists that I didn't recognise have in common? This radio station. It was easily the most eclectic station I have ever heard.

Destination: Small Town, Nebraska, where I had a lovely time with lots of lovely people.

Then, I drove home.

What was advertised as "winter weather" started off like this:

Then turned into this:

Then this:

Then, about 5 hours of this:

Which turned to freezing rain, then just rain, then, about the time I got to Oklahoma, it was dry and just cold and windy.

This picture is as I was coming up on my town.

Home again home again, jiggety jig.

So much for a post a day, every day...

2011-02-25T10:59:00.002-06:00

But I have a great excuse. Promise.

Cash Alan Caywood

2011-02-22T08:46:00.001-06:00

One of Stacie's dearest friends made this video of Cash. I've watched it about 6 times so far, and still wiping tears. Hug your babies, boys and girls, and thank God for every single second.

Because Moms Need Prayers

2011-02-21T16:46:00.001-06:00

If you can't find just the right words on your own (am I the only one that thinks that placentas must be made largely of the host's brain cells? I am? oh.) the good folks at Emmanuel Press have a little gift for you. They're ~~cheap~~ reasonably priced, so pick one up for that mother-to-be on your list. Heck, go nuts and buy a short stack for your church library.

Or, in the words of the lovely Rebekah Curtis (because she's a whole lot more elequent than I am), "In your time of trouble, God invites you to pray and be comforted. In your time of happiness, God invites you to pray, for He delights in your joy. And if you don’t know how you could ever tell God everything that is in your heart, dear mother, the Motherhood Prayers are for you."

I'm going to see this guy today.

2011-02-19T09:45:00.000-06:00

And I pushed back the start of my FPU class by a week so that I could. Wonder if I need to get a note?

Conversations With My Children

2011-02-18T21:08:00.001-06:00

(from the backseat, on our way home a few weeks ago)
Toddler: Mama! Dada home?
Me: No, Baby, Daddy's working.
Toddler: Dada count parts? (It was Inventory Week at my husband's job a month or so ago. Ever since then, he "counts parts" at his day job.)
Me: No, Baby, Daddy's at the farm tonight.
Toddler: Dada feed cows?
Me: Yup, Daddy's feeeding the cows.
Toddler: Cows saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
Me: The cows were sad, but now that Daddy's there to feed them, they'll be happy!
Toddler: Cows sad. Dada feed cows. Cows haha (happy). Dada feed cows HAMBURGERS!
Me: (giggle) Hamburgers, huh?
Toddler: Cows haha. Dada feed cows hamburgers and ICE CREAM!

Mmmmmmm. Cheeseburgers.

Things

2011-02-17T19:45:00.000-06:00

I have things going on. In no particular order:

My kids are gigantic. And, when the Toddler was this old, I was getting pregnant with the Noob. And, I'm at the magic weight - 143.5 lbs. Every time I hit 143.5 (going up or coming down), I get pregnant. Do with that what you will.
The Noob is trying to walk. And talk. And make friends near and far. She's pretty stingy with her smiles, but when she thinks you have earned one.... wowza! You wind up with the overwhelming desire to buy her a pony. Or something.
I'm leading a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class starting next weekend. I'm insanely excited about it.
My husband is the most awesome husband ever. The end.
I got "laterally moved" this morning at my job. The position is not considered a promotion (no extra pay - yet) but it involves more strategic planning and reporting and consists mostly of parts of a position that I had before maternity leave with the Toddler. It's also more visible and I'll be working with people that I like and respect. My current/former position is one of those monkey see/monkey do types, I'm bored out of my mind, and I don't think anyone would notice if I didn't show up for weeks on end.
I'm going to try to blog more. Hi!

One Year Ago, Today

2011-02-16T13:14:00.000-06:00

My friend held her baby boy while he took his last breath.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Moved

2010-12-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

Someone posted a video link on Facebook of "Mary Did You Know" about a month ago, and I stared at my computer moniter with tears streaming down my cheeks. I don't know why this year, but the song's not "speaking" to me, it's beating me over the head. Maybe because this Christmas, I am watching my first baby morph into her own little person - she's still some of me and some of my husband, all blended together, but she's her own person. It's amazing. It's miraculous. And this Christmas, I'm holding another baby - and have a better idea of what is ahead for us. It's overwhelming.

Merry Christmas, blog readers. Merry Christmas.

And Another Thing!

2010-12-22T20:27:00.000-06:00

Also alternatively titled: ILoveMyJobILoveMyJob

BG: I've been training to be back up for someone else's position, which includes learning the ins and outs of a bajillion reports. The first two gems came from the girl training me - and keep in mind, she's responsible for single-handedly compiling and generating stacks of reports with flawless accuracy. The third came from my indirect boss, who is supposed to be responsible for making sure that I don't get overloaded.

#1:
Her: Team #1 always has more revenue because there are like 10 times as many of them.
Me: Actually, it looks like there are 15 on Team #1 and 10 on Team #2. So it would be like 30% more... haha.
Her: Yeah, well, same difference.
Me: ...

#2: (In the Method of Procedure that she wrote for me to use as a guide while she's on vacation for the next two weeks)
"XXX never happens. But if it does, PERSON A will send you an email and will help you to correct it in DATABASE B. She should remember how, since she fixed it both times it happened last year."

#3:
Indirect Boss: We have these files that were saved incorrectly and I need you to fix them. It'll only take a minute.
Me: Great, how many are ther?
IB: I think there are about 100.
Me: That sounds pretty time intensive, where will it fall on the priority list?
IB: I fixed 3 of them and it took less than 10 minutes. Do you think you can have them done by the end of today?
Me: ... It's 4:15
IB: I know.

Something to think about...

2010-12-22T20:06:00.000-06:00

(alternative title: I don't think I'll be spanking my kids)

I ran across a Peaceful Parenting website the other day, and this gem was part of a discussion:

Legal definitions: Assault is an act that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent, harmful, or offensive contact. The act consists of a threat of harm accompanied by an apparent present ability to carry out the threat. Battery is harmful or offensive touching of another.

...so it's legally ok to spank a child, but not an adult that is fully capable of defending himself.

(paraphrased, because I can't find it again)

While I was looking for that to get the exact quote, I did find this story on a private board of a popular online parenting community:

"When I was about 20 years old, I met an old pastor's wife who told me that when she was young and had her first child, she didn't believe in striking children, although spanking kids with a switch pulled from a tree was standard punishment at the time.

One day when her son was four or five, he did something that she felt warranted a spanking - the first of his life. And she told him that he would have to go outside and find a switch for her to hit him with. The boy was gone a long time. And when he came back in, he was crying. He said to her, "Mama, I couldn't find a switch, but here's a rock that you can throw at me."

All of a sudden the mother understood how the situation felt from the child's point of view: that if my mother wants to hurt me, then it makes no difference what she does it with; she might as well do it with a stone. And the mother took the boy onto her lap and they both cried. Then she laid the rock on a shelf in the kitchen to remind herself forever: never violence.

And that is something I think everyone should keep in mind. Because violence begins in the nursery - one can raise children into violence."

The Tablecloth

2010-12-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

“The Tablecloth” - Author Unknown

A pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, reopened a church in suburban Brooklyn. Excitedly arriving in early October, they saw the opportunities to accomplish something good before them. When they first laid eyes upon the church, they found it to be very run down and in need of much work. They set a goal, though, to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest hit the area, lasting two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed a local business having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in.

One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she said, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. To his astonishment, he found that they were. These being the initials of the woman. She had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it, for the pastor told how he had just acquired the tablecloth.

The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighbourhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare at the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to the one that his wife had made many years ago in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

Sometimes small acts of service bring about miracles. May we all do something kind for someone unexpectedly for someone else this Christmas season.

Big Things

2010-12-01T19:58:00.001-06:00

...are on the horizon, just thiiiiiiis far away.

If they are what they appear to be, it will mean several incredible changes are in store for my family. We should know by the end of the month, and until then, I'm trying not to wring my hands and to remember that God's plans are better than I can imagine.

I Am The Face Of Miscarriage

2010-10-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is National Pregnancy/Infant Loss Awareness Day. I am remembering my first two babies today, tomorrow, and always. At least one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage and many more babies are stillborn or pass from SIDS. We remember all babies born straight to Heaven, whom we have carried but never met; those we have held but could not take home, and the ones that came home but didn't stay.

Covet this!

2010-10-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I posted about a recipe out of my grandma's cookbook .

Well, I ran across some more grandma cookbooks, in better shape, with none of the sentimental attachments. If anyone's interested, cough*gauntlets*cough, I could ship one or both out in something sort of resembling a hurry.

Both are 1950 editions, both in pristine condition. Betty wrote her name in them, in pencil, because I guess that's what you did in 1950 when you had a cookbook you were never going to use. ;)

Fabulocity

2010-09-28T08:48:00.001-05:00

When my youngest sister was getting married, I was about eleven months pregnant with Callie, and needed some bronze, gold, or brown pretty shoes to wear with my super pretty bridesmaid's dress. In the store, I drooled over a bronze strappy pair, but knew that I'd have to buy them two sizes bigger than my normal and they would look decidedly un-fabulous when my feettops swelled through the delicate straps. I bought a pair of more sensible muffin pan type shoes, but never forgot the bronze lovlies.

On Sunday, I went to the mall to exchange a pair of pants and Dillard's had their shoes out in the walkway, on clearance. The bronze lovelies were there, clearanced down to $14.99. One pair left, size 7 1/2. Yes, they're now on my unswollen feet.

pretend they're bronze, not silver, okay?

Struggle of Faith

2010-09-21T15:54:00.000-05:00

Because it's not exactly a crisis, yet. Or maybe it is.

Once upon a time, at a bible study long long ago, the subject of babies came up, as it usually will when various women of various ages come together. I think I mentioned that I was on the Pill, and someone asked if I believed that God had a Plan for me, and did I trust that it was better than mine. Then, she dared me to prove it. And my journey to CSPP began, though I didn't know what it was called at the time.

Fast Forward 5-ish years, 3 pregnancies, one miscarriage, and two bouncing babies later. My husband is concerned about what might happen in a few months when my cycles return. We have a financial plan - and it requires us cutting the household budget and funding a debt snowball by having me work full time for another couple of years. On his income, we can pay the necessities (house payment, utilities, food, etc) but not the medical bills, car payments, and other debt that we worked so hard at racking up until a few years ago. After a couple of years of working this plan (slowed considerably by our new and improved double daycare bill), I can stay home with the current two babies and whatever other ones come after that...

It seems that the "responsible" thing to do would involve a visit to the friendly neighborhood OB and thumbing our collective noses at God and his divine plan.

I feel torn between being a good, obedient, trusting child of God and a good, faithful, submissive wife to my husband.

(sigh) Pray for us, because we are poor, miserable sinners. Scum, actually.

A real live negotiation with a 2 year old

2010-09-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

Toddler: Mama. Book. Read.

Mama: Okay, go pick one out.

Toddler (holding up one pudgy little toddler finger): One!

Mama: Yes, baby, pick out one book.

Toddler (holding up both hands, fingers spread): FOUR!!!

Mama: (sigh)

My kid had a birthday

2010-09-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

and I'll blog about it later. :P

Some friends also came to visit.

and I'll blog about it later. :P

and some other stuff.

Katie's a Child of God, Too!

2010-08-08T14:39:00.001-05:00

Katie was baptised this morning!

Pastor Hall

My sister, Dora, and her husband, Mike (Godparents set #1)

Ron and Carolyn (Godparents set #2)

Linda and Robert Dale (Godparents set #3)

Wes and Robbie and the Traditional Baptism Family Picture. :)

Those guys sure do make some good looking kids!

And us.

A proposal

2010-08-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

My friend, Ashley, proposed to his long time girlfriend last night. He asked me to document the event. I could NOT have been more pleased. I've known Ashley almost my entire life, and when I say that I have 3 "past lives", Ashley has been an integral part of all three of them. And Brooke is pretty swell herself.

the lovely couple

I hope that they live happily ever after.

This Mama

2010-08-03T19:52:00.002-05:00

does not, in any way, deserve the beautiful children and wonderful husband that have been loaned to me to care for.

Ahem.

2010-07-31T12:25:00.000-05:00

To Whom It May Concern -

Yes, it is my goal to be the best mom I can be, and I will not apologize for it. I assume that your* goal is/was to be the best parent that you can be as well. I stand by most of the parenting decisions that my husband and I have made, but I do not think that yours are any less valid than mine, just because they are different.

Of course, if you think that there is something that I have overlooked or could do better, I invite you to share those thoughts with me. However, if your reasoning is that whatever I'm doing is "wierd" or "not what they did 20, 30 or whatever years ago" and you don't have any more concrete reasoning than that to back it up with. I'm probably going to disregard it. In fact, I reserve the right to disregard any suggestions/advice/whatever without further discussion with anyone, including you.

You* have/had your own children (or not) and are/were entitled to parent them the best way that you see fit. In turn, these two little girls are the Wonderful Husband's and mine, and we get to parent them the best way that we see fit. Which means - we outrank every single other person on the planet when it comes to Callie and Katie. Even you.

Love and kisses,
Me

*general you, of course, because this wouldn't be directed at any one person in particular, would it?

I feel...

2010-07-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

...snarktastic today. Just thought I'd share.

Going back to work

2010-07-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

sucks.

just smile and nod, - let's not repeat this, again, okay? The Wonderful Husband and I have got a Plan, and assuming God doesn't use us to demonstrate His sense of humor again, I'll be home soon enough.

On the plus side, pumping hasn't been a problem.

Moo.

My Week in Facebook Status Updates

2010-07-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

MooreMama thinks that I'll go and visit my friend that is two states away. Tomorrow. With an infant and a toddler, but otherwise by myself.

Monday 2:34 pm

MooreMama is on the road. This isn't so bad. :)

Tuesday 10:56 am

MooreMama just realised that I'm going to have to stop somewhere on this road trip. Maybe I should pray for protection from the creepies.

Tuesday 10:59 am

MooreMama 's babies want out of their carseats. I really should have stopped at that last travel stop and gotten them some lunch.

Tuesday 12:34 pm

MooreMama is thanking God for the gaggle of Mennonite women on a playdate at the McDonald's. I was debating whether to go thirsty, carry both babies back in to the other part of the resteraunt, or take my eyes off of the Toddler long enough to go... one of the Mennonite ladies saw my delima and offered to go get my drink for me. :)

Tuesday 1:40 pm

MooreMama is happy that her daughter took so well to the Gauntlet children and parents. And is even happier that the Toddler fell (almost) right asleep in a strange bed in a strange house.

Tuesday 8:22 pm

MooreMama enjoyed conversating with Mr. and Mrs. Gauntlets. :) And wishes that our towns were closer so it could be a more frequent happening.

Tuesday 11:31 pm

MooreMama is on her way to the park with my friend and her children. The Toddler is very much wishing that the train tracks would be beside the highway for the entire trip. "Train! Train!"

Wednesday 8:07 am

MooreMama really likes those Gauntlets. Toddler agrees. She wanted to go home with them. "Bye, bye, Mama!"

Wednesday 10:48 am

MooreMama 's girls were both asleep befor we got to the Interstate. :)

Wednesday 11:06 am

MooreMama 's girls think that this trip should be ending about now. And whoever designed the travel station restroom with the hand dryers right next to the baby changing station was obviously not the mother of small children.

Wednesday 4:49 pm

MooreMama and her girls are home, safe and sound and hungry and tired and happy.

Wednesday 6:33 pm

MooreMama 's girls are making up for the disruption of their schedules. The Toddler is on her second very long nap of the day and the Newbie has been nursing every two hours and sleeping most of the time in between.

Thursday 4:16 pm

Just for Sue. :)

2010-06-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

My precious little girls on Tuesday night. :)

The one of Callie is a bit out of focus because, well, it was dark in her room. I can't believe the flash didn't wake her up, but I needed the photographic proof of how she was sleeping.

Monday

2010-06-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

sucked.*

First, I had a bad attitude, which meant that I was less than my usual lovable self, and Callie fed off of it, which meant that she was less than her usual lovable self. And since I was not very patient, and she was less than lovable, naps were a struggle. And she (happily) played very loudly. All day. Keeping her sister awake. Which made Katie less than lovable. And (loudly) cranky.

So, by dinnertime, we were all tired and cranky and short-fused.

But both girls went to bed easily, within a couple of minutes of each other. And then, I found this:

Courtesy of the owner of a red vehicle in the Ross parking lot who was apparently caught in that one super strong gust of wind on an otherwise windless day (in Oklahoma, I know) and was either so busy helping a elderly grandmother into the car that they didn't notice or were called away on a Very Important Emergency and forgot to leave their insurance information.

Then, my sewing machine needle broke. In 6 years of owning this machine, I have never broken a needle. I don't have any spares.

* It's just now Wednesday and I'm almost over the trauma. A road trip, some sewing, and two very cuddly, lovable girls have helped immensely.

How to clean the bathroom when you have a helpful toddler(s)

2010-06-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

1) Gather supplies. It's helpful if your cleaning products don't have harmful fumes, but we can see where it could be entertaining...

2) Fill the bathtub to an appropiate water level. If you toddler is anything like mine, she'll come running as soon as you turn the faucet. Put the toddler into the tub. Tell her that she can splash as much as she wants. :)

3) Clean the bathroom.

4) When the toddler is sufficiantly pruny, let her out.

5) Clean the bathtub.

6) While the toddler naps, indulge in the chocolate of your choice. You've earned it.

Katie

2010-06-11T15:04:00.003-05:00

is napping on a blanket in the middle of the floor. Every now and then, she smacks her lips and smiles. She makes my heart happy.

Got ees good.

2010-06-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

All dee time. (says an African Pastor via my friend Joy)

The pulmonary artery going from Katie's heart to her left lung is "kinked", sort of like a garden hose. And, like a garden hose, the kink is making the flow loud, but the important part is that all of the blood that is supposed to be going to the left lung is getting there. As she grows, she'll get more room in her chest cavity and it should allow the blood vessel to spread out a little and unkink. We go back in a year to check it out.

The answered prayer that I didn't even know I was praying? The cardiologist mentioned that when our pediatrition called him, they had JUST had a cancellation and we got that slot. Otherwise, the next available appointment would have been late August. Pretty sure I would have been a wreck for the rest of the summer if we would have had to wait that long.

Scratch that

2010-06-03T18:20:00.002-05:00

We have an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist and an echocardiagram tomorrow morning.

Miracle Gro

2010-06-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

Katie had her one month well baby check. As a refresher, she was 20 1/4 inches long and 7 lbs, .06 ozs at birth.

Her big sister, Callie, was 6 lbs, 11.8 ozs and 19 inches long at birth and at one month was 20 3/4 inches long and 9 lbs even at one month. Callie has slid down the lower half of the percentile charty dodad for her entire life. I think that she's currently at about 20%.

Yesterday, Katie tipped the scales at NINE POUNDS, 11 ozs. Then she nursed. And then the nurse asked if I wasnted to weigh her again and she was a smidge under ten pounds. And she's 22 inches long. This little growth spurt puts her in the 79th percentile for height and 61st for weight.

In Other News, she also has a heart murmur. Our pediatrician sent us straight to the hospital for an EKG and a chest xray. The EKG was normal and I haven't heard back about the chest xray. I don't actually know what they would have been looking for on an xray. I'm assuming that if there was anything glaring, they wouldn't have let us leave yesterday and/or we would have heard something by now. Right?

Ever wonder why your baking never turns out as well as your Grandma's?

2010-05-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

It's because she had all the best recipes.

fudge icing, sandwiched between butter cookies

recipe from the 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook

What is it about

2010-05-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

this book? I know that it's considered a classic, and that kids everywhere love it. My kid, in fact, brings it to me at least thirty-eleven times a day, and we pore over every single page. Is it horribly un-American that I really just don't love this book? That she has shelves full of books that I'd rather read, and that I groan on the inside most times that she picks THIS ONE? Can't we read the sweet Mommy Kisses one instead?

Rock Stars

2010-05-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

April 30, 2010

2010-05-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

... was the day that our sweet second daughter stole our hearts.

Katie Ann was born at 12:35 pm, was 7 lbs, .06 ozs, and is 20.25 inches long. Her birth was so different from her sister's, and after some precautions that necessated a trip to the nursery, she is nursing well and wiggling into her very own spot in our family.

Since it's a tradition, here's the outline of our day:

2:00 am - After tossing and turning and sweattung for the first half of the night, I give up on the hope of catching any sort of cool breezes through the open windows, get up, close the windows, and crank the a/c.

5:55 am - Apparently, we slept well. I still need to wash my hair, Wes needs to shower, too, we need breakfast, and we're supposed to be at the hospital at 7:00...

6:56 am - I stuff the last of my Braum's bacon, egg, and cheese bagel into my mouth and get out of the truck. We're ready to have a BABY!

7:15 am - We're checked in, walking the long way to our room. This time, there's not a soul to be seen, and we've got a lot of time to get all settled in and hooked up. I'm a little bit nervous about his induction. With Callie's, I thought I had won the induction lottery, but our conditions then were at least "favorable" (she was engaged, I was dialating and my cervix was effacing, plus, I'd already started leaking water the night before she was born). This time, when Dr K had checked on Tuesday, I was only dialated to a 1, not effacing, and Katie was still "floating". At this point, I'm pretty convinced that I'm in for a long, hard labor.

7:45 am - Dr K comes in to check on me and convinces me to let him break my water. He says it will help to speed things along. I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not. I'm 2-3 cm dialated, 50% effaced, and Katie's head is engaged! Dr K breaks my water, says "Oh, good, it's clear... oh, wait, no it's not." About that time, the nurse tells him that I also had protien in my urine. He looked at me and said "It's a damn good day to have a baby, Jess!" He's got some patients to see this morning, but will be back in a few hours.

9:00 am - contractions are about 2 minutes apart, and Katie's heartrate is dropping (and coming back up) with each one. We have to readjust the moniters because she's moving down. I'm 4 cm, 75% effaced.

9:30 am - concractions are starting to get more ... intense. I'm playing a game with myself. It's called "Let's re-evaluate the pain in 15 minutes". Because I'm going to get charged for the epidural by the time that it's in and I'm all about being thrifty. And because I didn't love not being able to feel my legs. And because I didn't love the catheder, either. And because I'm still convinced that it's going to be a very long day, remember?

10:30 am - asked for the epidural. It's going to take 30+ minutes for him to get here and by then, I'm pretty sure that I'll be glad to see him.

11:18 am - Asked the nurse if I can get up and go to the bathroom. (tricky, huh? This way, I can get out of bed, walk, and not worry about the moniters - because they're all unhooked!) In the bathroom, I asked if it would be okay if I poop. She says only if I promise not to push out a baby... It feels ... different, so I didn't push any more and apologized in advance for any messes I might make later. :) Oh, look! The epidural guy is here!
(at this point, I should have had the nurse check me BEFORE the epidural guy starts his thing. Remind me next time.)

11:56 am - The epidural is in. I might have not been able to not push 4 or 5 times in that 38 minutes. I'm also pretty sure that Wes was completely unprepared for how to help me through those contractions, but he did a great job and was only a little bit freaked out.

11:58 am - I'm complete, under orders to "not push", and the nurse is on the phone with Dr K. He'll be here in 5 minutes. The epidural will take about 15 minutes to kick in...

12:05 pm - It's okay if I push now. Pushing is a lot more effective and a lot easier if you can feel what you're doing.

12:15 pm - Dr K is there, putting on his own party dress, and they can see Katie's head. She's face up, like Callie was, but her hand is not above her head, or maybe it was and the nurse was able to put it down. The nurse did some other manuvering of my daughter, which felt about like it sounds like it would. Very very wierd. The epidural is starting to kick in, but at this point, I can still feel - it's just maybe taking the edge off.

12:25 pm - "her head is out that much" says Dr K, holding his fingers about an inch apart. I can feel it, and push it out more. He tells me to stop, because they need to suction her before I push her the rest of the way.

12:33 pm - (the nurse said 12:35, but I was looking at the stupid clock. It was 12:33) I felt my daughter's shoulders, then the rest of her, slide out. She cried a beautiful little bleat, and I could look down to see her. This time, they put her on my chest while they cleaned her off a little and I delivered the placenta, then Wes cut her cord and we stared at her, memorizing her face.

Praise God!

Baby!

2010-05-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

is here. Safe and sound, after an accidentally almost unmedicated 4-ish hour labor. :)

Short stats:
Katie Ann Moore
7 lbs, .06 ozs, 21.25 in.
4/30/10 @ 12:35 pm

Birthstory coming, but toddler + newborn = mama's hands FULL. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Life's pretty grand round these parts lately.

Friday.

2010-04-27T21:39:00.000-05:00

I won't post a picture of my feet, but trust me on their manatee-like state. BP is getting closer to my-almost-normal, which bought me a few days. Dr. Fabulous told me that he's not going to insist that I come in tomorrow, but that he'd like to have Ralphy out by the end of the week.

So, we go in on Friday. Pray for us?

This is what a 46 inch waistline looks like.

2010-04-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

38 weeks, 5 days

Another car seat article

2010-04-22T19:19:00.004-05:00

Rear-Facing or Forward-Facing–What To Do and When To Do It

Great, easy to understand, not too preachy article on carseat safety. :)

EDIT: Except that some of the comments are downright wrong. Got questions? Ask away.

What is this, Mama? Turn me back around!

For the record, C is almost 20 months old, 23-ish pounds, and 31 inches tall. Age and weight-wise, she's legal to turn front facing. If I were interested, I'd check the manual on her Marathon and see if she's tall enough, but I think she's right at the borderline.

My Plan? HA!

2010-04-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

OB visit yesterday. None of the progress that I want, only the progress that I don't want.

I'm mayyyybe one cm dialated, and he said I was 50% effaced, but it was after seeing the disappointment on my face, so I suspect that was a gimme.

On the flip side, my blood pressure is creeping up, the edema is rapidly spreading up my body, and I can't go on bedrest with a toddler. I get way more "rest" at work than I do at home.

Ugh. God's plan. It's better than mine, right? RIGHT?

In case you're interested...

2010-04-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure that Little Sister dropped on Tuesday evening and is now engaged. I felt something odd, and she's still wiggly, but is a couple of inches lower and not doing somersaults anymore.

Out of curiosity, yesterday, I wrote down contractions and length and they were pretty regularly 10-11 minutes apart and 2-3 minutes in length.

Husband thought I was going to go into labor last night because we had a cold front coming in and storms predicted for the whole weekend. As of yet, I have (obviously) not. Besides, I have a garage sale PLANNED for tomorrow. As long as it stops raining. :)

Progress

2010-04-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

not "I'm having a baby" progress... but "we're getting the house in order" progress. :)

We have a garage sale planned for this weekend (assuming, of course, that Ralphy stays put and it doesn't rain). If you're in the area, come by and buy my ~~crap~~ treasures. Once we get these treasures sold and space cleared out, we can get the computer/manly stuff out of Callie's Big Girl Room and her stuff moved in.

(getting ready for the garage sale also inspired me to clean out not just one or two closets, but ALL SIX, and the attic.)

If Ralphy decides not to cooperate, well, Wes can pull the cradle down from the attic and we can pick up some diapers on the way home from the hospital. :)

I'm not ready

2010-04-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

Contrary to all the free time that I SHOULD have (you know, not blogging and all), I have not done one thing to rearrange life for this Girl growing in my belly.
I'm full term TOMORROW.
I have the next 7 weekends booked up.
She's going to have to come during the week or something else is going to have to get shoved to the side.

Anyone want to come move my toddler from the nursery to the toddler room (currently the computer/TV/manly things room) and clean out a closet or 4 for me? Wash up a mess of pink and purple very small clothes? Research, buy, and prepare a few newborn diaper covers to go with my nifty slighly used newborn sized prefold cloth diapers? Bring the cradle down from teh attic, wipe off, and install appropiate sheets?

Avoid the rush. Sign up in the comment section. :)

Just a Question

2010-03-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

1) how old was your child (were your children) the first time they spent the night away from you?

2) what were the circumstances?

and 3) are you, as the Mama, really supposed to be able to relaaaax when all of your chickens are not in the nest, where they're supposed to be?

Just wondering.

Ashes to Ashes

2010-02-17T07:58:00.000-06:00

My mommy heart hurts for my friend, Stacie, but my faithful heart knows that, while the World may think that Cash lost his battle with Cancer yesterday, he actually won. His tiny body has been perfectly healed and we can rejoice that Cash Caywood is Home.

Nuts?

2010-01-13T21:07:00.000-06:00

because I'm thinking that quilting is so much fun... I'm not even finished with this one, but I'm really considering doing this one, too. I picked up this great layer cake on sale a couple of weeks ago and was wondering what to do with it, and I think this pinwheel quilt is beeyoooooooootiful!
p.s. i quilt: pinwheel sampler quilt along.

Turn Around My Son's Car Seat? Not Yet - Courant.com

2010-01-06T10:53:00.001-06:00

Turn Around My Son's Car Seat? Not Yet - Courant.com

Posted using ShareThis

C/P text from Stacie

2009-12-10T08:32:00.001-06:00

Hit your knees and praise God! The tumor is GONE. There is a little sliver, but it looks dead. His eyes are still a concern, so keep praying for them.

One more reason to clean...

2009-12-08T20:12:00.004-06:00

...is putting up holiday decorations!

Cash is in surgery now.

2009-12-08T08:37:00.005-06:00

Cash and his big sister, Haley.
I guess Stacie's warming up to those Sooners after all. :)

He went back a little before 7:30.

Please join me in praying for the Caywood family, Cash, and the surgical team.

10:32 am - the tumor is coming out great. The team is still working on the middle of it, but Cash is stable and doing great! Keep praying!

12:21 pm - They are closing up now. Stacie should be able to talk to the surgeon in about an hour.
2:01 pm - they're in the PICU. They will do an MRI tomorrow to see exactly how much of the tumor they got. The surgeon said that the middle of the tumor was "very dead". :)

The prayer is for there to be NO TUMOR tomorrow.

Cash Caywood, miracle boy

2009-12-04T10:20:00.008-06:00

I've touched on this situation here before, but not gone into much detail. I'm laying it out to you now because he's at a crucial part of his fight.

Cash is my friend, Stacie's, son. He's 6 weeks younger than Callie, born Nov 1, 2008.

When he was 9 months old, she took him to the ER because he was extremely lethargic and running a fever. The on-call Ped told her that he was severely anemic because of a viral infection and that his white blood cell count was low because his body was fighting it off. They discharged her from the hospital a couple of days later and she scheduled a follow up appt with her regular Dr on Tuesday.

When she was getting ready to bring him to town for his 330 appt, she changed his diaper and noticed a lump in his abdomen. At the appt, she asked about it and the Dr ordered an ultrasound, which revealed a "mass" on his kidney. They sent her to OU Children's in OKC, where they met with a team that evening. The MRI showed a large tumor, and they scheduled surgery for Thursday.

His initial diagnosis was Wilms Tumor. If a kid's going to get a pediatric cancer, Wilms is the type to have. It's highly curable and since standard protocol is to remove the kidney AND the tumor, it doesn't really come back.

They removed his left kidney and a baseball sized tumor. The surgeon remarked that it was the most vascular wilms tumor that he'd seen and commented that it was fairly aggressive which explained how quickly it had grown.

In the weeks to follow, they diagnosed Cash as actually having a mean cousin of the Wilms Tumor - he actually has Rhabdoid Tumors. There were spots on his lungs. And there was a quarter-sized tumor in his brain. Rhabdoid tumors are very rare, and it is even more rare to have Rhabdoid of the kidney AND Rhabdoid of the brain. They don't have a set protocol for patients that have both, but there is a team at Harvard that is developing chemo treatments for both. Until Cash, they hadn't done both.

For the last 3 1/2 months, Cash has been undergoing chemo, which has caused the spots on his lungs to commit cancer suicide and shrank the tumor in his brain to less than a dime size.

On Tuesday, they're going to operate and remove what's left of the tumor in his brain.

This little boy has beaten the odds - going from a 90% chance of survival to less than 20% to well over 50%, all in the span of a couple of months.

Please pray for him. Send happy vibes, hug your kids, throw your change in the little Ronald McDonald house bucket at McD's.

Specific prayer requests:
Dr. Gross (neurosurgeon) has asked us to pray for:
- her baby to sleep through the night the night before.
- God to guide her hands-that the tumor cooperates and comes out easy and doesn't stick to anything
- Cash's head will move correctly and she won't have problems getting his head into position to remove the tumor. (because his head is so small)

The surgery team:
- knowledge and guidance

Cash:
- fast and easy recovery
- little to no pain
- no problems during the surgery
- no problems after the surgery
- complete removal of the tumor

The rest of the Caywoods:
- understanding for Haylie
- patience for Jason and Stacie
- Peace for the family
- Calmness before and during the surgery

Stacie has a CaringBridge page: Cash Caywood.

* All pictures in this post are from the private collection of Stacie Caywood, and all rights are reserved.

My New Favorite Picture:

2009-11-29T19:51:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of the fabulous photographic eye of my cousin Chip.

My Husband Went Deer Hunting...

2009-11-21T13:11:00.003-06:00

and was much more sucessful than last year.

We won't be eating him (sorry, Gauntlets) because of the way that the Great Hunter shot him and the facts that he's old and has been fighting. But there are still two and a half weekends and two full weeks of deer rifle season left for the Great Hunter to get a nice tender doe.

Because I Must Be Bored

2009-11-19T18:46:00.003-06:00

Chasing a toddler, growing a newbie, working full time, and housewifing aren't taking up enough of my time. So I let my friends talk me into taking up quilting

Here are my Top Three choices.

We should know Ralphy's gender by the time the quilt along starts, but if not, I'll just have to make myself a quilt in a throw size out of these fabrics:

Or make this one for Ralphy (I think that I can make a crib sized quilt AND whip up some sort of bumper):
But, if Ralphy's a Ralphie, I could make her this one (I LOVE it and it would coordinate with Callie's stuff without being too matchy matchy):

oh, yeah, Halloween?

2009-11-10T18:49:00.002-06:00

We got a Halloween Outfit instead of an actual costume. Second year running, because I'm a neglectful mom like that. :)

Haley got one, too, but her mom loves her more than I love Callie - she got to change into a nifty clown costume and go trick or treating later.

Did either girl look at the camera for documentary pictures?

Well...... not at the same time. Callie hasn't learned her "Cheese!" face yet.

My Notmykid (and His Fiancee)

2009-11-04T18:24:00.006-06:00

Pictures taken by Moi. They make you want me to take yours, huh?

I love this kid. Actually, I love them both, but I'm particularly attached to the boy. :) I'm so proud of the sweet, considerate, caring person that he's grown up to be.

"BLOG!" you say?

2009-10-30T20:00:00.006-05:00

"NO!" I say! But I'll give you pictures. And a sort of story.

Last weekend, we had a caravan of sorts across the Great Midwest (aka the Very Boring Flatlands) to go and visit the "Lau" portion of the Laumooretskers. See, Sister Sarah is expecting, and no sister can be expecting without her sisters throwing her a Baby Shower. And, since Sister Sarah is the Queen of Surprises, we thought it might be fun to turn the tables on her a teeny tiny bit with a Surprise Sister Visit and a Surprise Baby Shower.

Callie *may* have helped herself to one or two of the presents.
She especially liked this newly crocheted green monkey, nicknamed "Kosher".

Ethan here is Sarah's friend Diana's little boy. Diana delivered Ethan in the room next door to where I was laboring with Callie. E is about an hour and a half older than C.

It really only took about 6 seconds to figure out the stairs.
Blanket and all. :)

Callie's first "linen napkin" restaurant. It was actually a place called Martinelli's in Salina, KS. If you're ever in the neighborhood, and want a family style Italian meal, I recommend it. (And they might have had real napkins, but the atmosphere was more like having the whole family around your aunt's table than it was fancy restaurant.)

Isn't she a helpful girl? She LOVES to put things in (and take things out of) the dryer.

That's about all I have. Gauntlets, does that count as a blog?

My daughter likes sushi...

2009-09-19T18:35:00.002-05:00

Well, California Rolls, to be specific. I love me some sticky rice. I love me some cucumber and avacado. I love me some nori (roasted seaweed). Roll it all up into a handy dandy portable(ish) self contained finger food and I am THERE. I'm glad that Callie likes them too.

This week...

2009-09-18T19:42:00.002-05:00

Cousin Haley came to stay with us while Avadelle and Brent went on a Grown Up Vacation. For the first ... half day ... two toddlers was about four times as hard as one, but then we got the routine all figured out and two toddlers became only about 1 1/2 times as hard as one. :) Uncle/Daddy Wes read Haley's favorite book (Counting Kisses, if you're wondering)
Two sweet girls in their matchy-matchies, playing with "the Door". "the Door" was Callie's birthday present from Mama and Daddy. It's awesome.

We (Haley) blew bubbles outside. Haley LOVES bubbles!

Callie picked flowers. :)

This was actually a couple weekends ago. Wes's cousin was a Homecoming candidate (and probably the only one EVER that really didn't want to win). She wants to be Band Queen instead and if she would have won Homecoming Queen, she wouldn't have been eligible.

Callie liked just about everything about the football game, except that it started right about bedtime. She was a great sport and loved the action on the field and danced when the band played.

Does this post really need captions?

2009-09-13T19:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Callie Moore!

One year ago...

2009-09-09T19:30:00.001-05:00

September 10, 2008

I gave birth to the most perfect baby on the planet.

I knew that my life would change, but I had no idea how much or how wonderful it would be or how the sacrifices and heartache and the everything would be so worth it.

I'm a MAMA. I have a daughter. My husband and I have a daughter. She looks sometimes incredibly like me, and other times incredibly like her daddy, but she is definately her own little incredible self. She is, at once, independant and confident, yet absolutely trusting. She is so smart and so calm and has perfect balance. (musta gotten that from her Daddy)

I can't believe that it's already been a year, and yet I can't believe that I've only known her for a year. It blows my mind to know that I am capable of loving someone as much as I love her. It blows my mind to know that she loves me, she trusts me with that unshakable baby trust.

Those Episcopalians came up with some Communion Rules...

2009-09-09T19:14:00.003-05:00

An electronic memo from my parents' priest, c/p below, for those Lutherans who are prone to pointing out the Episcopalians' lack of Communional Regulations:

I was finally able to track down the "rules" of Communion from John Denton in Memphis. As a Verger, he knows all. I will let you distribute this to the servers at your discretion. Now you won't be confused anymore
:D

From the Rector: Communion Rules Clarified
I have noticed with growing alarm a growing state of confusion surrounding the distribution of Communion. As someone with a keen interest in the correct and proper procedures, let me take a few moments and explain exactly how things are supposed to be done.

All baptized persons are welcome to receive Holy Communion as long as they believe in the Real Presence of Christ as Risen Lord, Rabbinic Authority, Holy Spirit Person, or Great Ethical Teacher.

If you prefer to receive Communion under the conventional species of bread (St. Mary's Convent, Wahoo, Nebraska) and wine (Ernest and Julio Gallo Classic Port, California, 1994) please stand or kneel with your hands by your sides at the rail.
If the nitrates in the Port induce nasal congestion, a light Chablis (Sutter Home, 1993) or Zinfandel (Paul Masson, April) is offered depending on availability. Please indicate this preference by placing your right hand behind your head.
Two non-alcoholic options are also offered. For red grape juice (Tucker's Berry Farms), place your left hand behind your head.
If you prefer a white, pasteurized grape juice product, kindly place both hands behind your head.
To express solidarity with oppressed farm workers in the grape industry, place both hands tightly over your mouth and hum La Marseillaise.
To receive an ordinary, unleavened Communion wafer kindly wink your right eye as the minister approaches.
For a certified, organic, whole-grain wafer, wink your left eye.
For low-salt, low-fat bread, close both eyes for the remainder of the service.
For gluten-free bread, blink both eyes rapidly while looking at the ceiling.
Children may receive a blessed animal cracker by showing the Minster that they can cross their eyes.
Parents who are concerned about the violence implied in eating animal-shaped foods may join a support session that willtry to lobby the Church for change. It meets in the Parish Hall on Tuesday evening after the Anthony DeMello reading group.
Unfortunately, we have had to discontinue the distribution of Blessed Gummy Bears to the children after Billy Watson's recent diagnosis of ADD. We are sure everyone understands how traumatic it would be for him to receive his toasted rice cake while all the other children were chewing their Gummy Bears.

Next, a word on consumption of the host.
If it is your custom and preference to have the Precious Body placed in your hand, please cup them together in front of you. If you are expressing a wine preference, the minister will allow ample time to change postures.
If you feel uncomfortable holding the Lord in your hands, simply assume the baby bird position as the minister approaches.
Be sure not to extend your neck so far that the acolyte cannot see your eyelids by which you will express your bread preference.

Finally, for those with airborne allergies, you should know that the Associate Rector wears large amounts of Royal Copenhagen given to him by his mother at Christmas. The Rector may or may not be wearing cologne, but her mother has been known to wash her cassock in scented laundry detergent and dry it with a Downy sheet in the machine. The Deacon is wearing all-cotton garments washed in pure organic soap and rinsed with mountain spring water. She is wearing no scented products and scrubs her hands with antibacterial soap approved for use in neonatal intensive care nurseries.

It is our commitment to see that the worship experience will be as meaningful, efficient and error-free as possible. In this vein, an electronic billboard will soon be installed over the altar outlining these instructions. Please note that traditional options flash in blue and organic food options flash in orange for easy reference.

If someone has any additional questions about worship, please join me for coffee in the Parish Hall where I will be beginning a 32-week series entitled "Identifying 13th-Century Monastic Communities Through Hair and Garment Analysis."

Cash updates...

2009-08-31T20:01:00.003-05:00

Miracles are afoot, and you couldn't pick a better family for them to be granted to. Stacie and I used to work together, and in January of 2005, she, I, and our other friend, Janna, "decided" that we'd all get pregnant and be pregnant buddies, and our kids could all grow up together. Haha. In January of 2008, Janna and I found out that we were indeed pregnant about a week apart. Stacie found out that she was pregnant six weeks later. Janna's daughter and my daughter were born five days apart, on September 10 and September 15th, and Stacie's son, Cash, was born on November 1st.

Copied and pasted from Stacie's Caring Bridge journal, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cashcaywood/ because I'm lazy. And stupid. If someone would tell me how to make the link all pretty, I'd appreciate it.

Thursday, August 27, 2009 2:01 PM, CDT

We took a pretty big hit yesterday. The tumor has spread to Cash's brain. UGH! We were immediately admitted back into the hospital and we have met with the neurosurgeons and another oncology doctor. Cash will have surgery Friday sometime to place a shunt in his head to release the fluid that is building up so we can start chemotherapy on Saturday. They think that the tumor is his brain started the same time as the tumor in the kidney, which happens in 30% of cases like this. With this piece of information, we may be changing our chemotherapy plan. There has been a study out of Dana Blanchard that shows that there is a more successful use of chemotherapy drugs that has a higher success rate than the one we were going to use. However, the doctors have to see if it can be used on children with both kidney and brain tumors. So believe it or not this is good news!
So now for the big reveal. Cash's cancer has a name, it is big, and ugly and we haven't shared it with anyone because we were trying to protect everyone. Cash has Rhabdoid tumors. Google it if you want, but I wouldn't suggest it. It's not pretty. If you read too much in to it, it will really get you down, so I would suggest just not looking it up. Rhabdoid's are really bad players, and don't play by the rules, and do their own thing. YUCK!
I sent Jason home last night to be with Haylie, she is really needing to be home and have some kind of schedule. Her and Jason will be back here on Friday for Cash's surgery and then my parents and sister will be here on Friday and stay the weekend. So, that is what I know today, remember to keep praying! - Stacie

Thursday, August 27, 2009 6:58 PM, CDT

It really amazes me how at home I feel here. No parent should ever feel at home on an oncology floor, but there is a comfort here. All the parents have the same look on their face and as you pass each other in the hall you just smile and nod at each other. Because you share a pain. You may have different paths but your children are on the same journey.
I did do a little bit of studying on the new treatment that is taking place at Harvard we are hoping to use here at Children's and it is giving us some hope. The outcomes are more favorable, although this is a tough cancer to fight. One of our oncologists is seeing if we can do this treatment plan since Cash has both Rhabdoid of the kidney and Rhabdoid of the brain. I even asked her if we still had to classify it as Rhabdoid of the kidney, since they took all the tumor out and she said yes. Grrr. But we are now the Rhabdoid Raiders! We hate Rhabdoid's and we want them gone. The attending neurologist also sounded very positive today when we were discussing the tumor in the brain and she said it is operable! SCORE! We just have to try to shrink it with chemo first and then try to remove it later if the chemo doesnt' make it all vanish (which would be awesome of course) She also stated it is much easier for her to remove little tumors than big tumors and that's what she wants to do. I started asking her questions about the cancer and she looked and me and said I don't know anything about cancer, I just know how to take the tumors out. So, I guess in a neurosurgeon, that's what you want to hear. Everyone I have talked to here says she is very aggressive and is a perfectionist. Good, I don't want someone operating on my son's brain that isn't a perfectionist. This is in by no means a cure. It is a treatment to achieve remission. As our oncologist put it "success is the only option" Rock on sister!
I have a feeling I am making an impression on the residents around here, and maybe not in the good way. They have started recognizing me in the hall. I have told them that I expect 110% of them and will accept nothing less. At least they know where I stand. I mean, I can't tell them how to do their job and I would never do that, but they need to know what I expect of them. Or maybe it is just that my son is so amazingly handsome they remember me because of him, which is Ok too :)
Cash's surgery is scheduled for 9:45 tomorrow and we get to come back to the 10th floor and then we start Chemo on Saturday. So the battle begins! Keep praying - Stacie

Friday, August 28, 2009 7:47 PM, CDT

OK, so AWESOME day today! The shunt placement went great, Cash is such a trooper. And then, our doctors came up with a treatment plan specific for Cash. They are combining the study from Harvard and the Regimin I and tweaking it just for Cash. So his chances for survival went from under 20% to over 50%! Praise God! Cash is already acting so much better since the placement of the shunt and it is relieving some of the pressure on his brain. We begin chemotherapy tomorrow and will do that for 4 days inpatient and then we go home and do one day of outpatient. Every 21 days we check back in to the hospital for 4 days of treatment. So now instead of 6months of chemo, we have 1 year of treatment. In six weeks we will come back to remove the tumor in the brain, and then we will begin radiation therapy of his abdomen and we will do the proton therapy of his brain. So we have a long road ahead of us but we have a map and a plan. Today was a victory! With this new treatment plan, Cash will be the first child treated at OU with this specific treatment of Rhabdoid of the kidney and brain. Go Rhabdoid Raiders!!!
So tonight, I'm leaving Jason in charge of Cash at the hospital so Haylie and I can spend the night at the hotel with Grandpa and Grandma and she gets to swim in the swimming pool! Big fun for the 5 year old!
Then tomorrow I will come back and keep up the cheerleading for the next 4 days.
So thank you to all of our crusaders, you all are awesome and we appreciate all of your prayers! Keep up the good work, and remember - keep praying! - Stacie

Monday, August 31, 2009 4:20 PM, CDT

We went to MRI at 12:00 and got back to our room at 3:00. This really isn't unusual since they went ahead and did another MRI of the brain, just to see the tumor in comparison to Wednesday. Nobody has said anything yet and normally if its bad they tell you the doctor is on the way over! It may be different since we are actually in the hospital now, but they said the doc knows we are back. In most cases like this if you don't hear anything for a long time, that's good. Cash missed his noon dose of Zofran so he had a little upset stomach and didn't really feel like eating, so once he got his meds we let them kick in and a slugged down 2 ounces like it was nothing! I will wait about another 15 minutes then offer him 2 more. He's pretty happy with his binky right now and he has started growling at the nurses when they come in to check his vitals. It's really funny. He has built up quite a fan base around here. We've had a couple of people come in saying they had heard all about "the cute baby on stem cell" which is the unit we are assigned to. Not that we are stem cell recipients, its just where they had a room available.
I heard an interesting story today about our oncologist. She is a very compassionate and positive physician. She was talking to one of her 11 year old patients one time about losing her hair and she told the girl that its hard and the girl said "how would you know?" So doc when home and shaved her head! She kept it that way for 3 months just so she would know what her patients have to go through. Wow!
I finally got Cash's clothes ordered. One says "If I have one more MRI, I'm going to stick to the refrigerator" and the other one says "If I have any more chemo, I'm going to glow in the dark". I'm hoping they will be delivered in time for me to get them washed so we can wear the chemo one to clinic on Friday. This baby has already had more surgeries, more MRI's, more CT scans and more ultrasounds than most adults. And we're just getting started!
Cash had a really good night last night, and I'm hoping for a repeat tonight. We will have to get prescriptions filled when we leave on Wednesday I have to give him injections every day to help his white count. Starting next week we go twice a week to get his levels checked and have to keep a real close eye on his platelet count because of the special combination of chemo drugs he is taking.
May try to get out of our room tonight and go to the play area here in stem cell. They have an infant toy similiar to one Cash has at home. I'm hoping he will tolerate it well enough to play. It's hard for me to take him on a walk by myself trying to hold on to him and "drive" an IV pole. I may just drag the toy in here since everyone else on the unit is too big for it. We'll see how the night goes.
keep praying ! - Stacie

I feel helpless

2009-08-20T19:25:00.002-05:00

My friend Stacie's son, Cash, does not have a Wilms Tumor, as they had hoped. It's something else - rare, and aggressive. They go next Tuesday for the first round of chemo and an MRI so that they can make sure it hasn't already spread to his brain.

I find myself wishing that God was like my Congressman and I could start a campaign to flood Him with letters, emails, and phone calls and MAKE Him do what I want. But God is BETTER than my Congressman. He is wiser, and has a Perfect Plan. I'm still praying with everything that I have.