Wordless Wednesday: My baby is 2 today!

Happy birthday my sweet baby girl!

One week later

Now, I don't live in a box without TV or news, but I find that when tragic events occur, as often do, that I do better not to watch all of the news about it. For instance, I heard about what happened at VA Tech and saw that the gunman sent a package to the media and all of that, but I didn't leave the news on constantly. I didn't want to dwell on that. It does something to me.

However, I think that for most of us, it brings up important questions. And it should. I found a post at Everyday Mommy that stirred up my fears and concerns and pretty much said what I wish I could say if I could say it so eloquently.

What bothers me is that some people (even Christians) choose to believe things that are not scripturally based. I know that when things like this happen, I have a special bookmark to a page written by Dr. David Reid. You can go to Devotions for Growing Christians to read about the ever looming questions that surround these tragedies from a biblically based standpoint.

Go now. I'll wait for you to read it and come back and comment.

See you then.

Movie Review: The Lake House

The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)

I know this isn't the most recently released movie, but I just noticed that it has been on HBO and I TiVo'ed it. My husband and I watched it last night.


I give it 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed the movie. You just don't get better chemistry than Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. I even enjoyed them in Speed. I wonder what it's like to work with an actor years later in such a different role. But, I digress.


I think this movie might fall into the category of "Chick Flick", but my husband didn't mind watching. It is a love story between two people that takes place between them 2 years apart, but simultaneously. (Does that make sense?) The movie is a bit confusing at first and sometimes during the movie, but I felt that the story was, while far reaching, believable. I also felt like there was much left out that I wanted to know. Of course, this would have made the movie about 4 hours long, and nobody wants to know that much detail about anything.


Anyway, I recommend it if you haven't seen it. If you have seen it, I'd like to know your opinion.

Peace on Earth - In Color

Introducing my brand new niece. Isn't she beautiful?

I am always amazed by babies. For 9 months, you plan, anticipate, imagine, wonder, hope, and anxiously await this bundle of joy. And then, the big day comes. You get to see this brand new person, face to face. 10 fingers and 10 toes. Beautiful. Wondrous. Simply amazing.

I saw my sister-in-law and brother-in-law just before they went to the hospital. They were just two people. Little do they know what they are in for.

In my case, I went into labor at home 4 days before my due date. I was having some contractions when I woke up and when they were still coming after I got up and had a shower, I knew that it was the day. Instead of my husband doing what he had planned for the day and me going to my doctor's appointment by myself, I told him that I thought he should drive me. I finished packing and we left a little earlier than we would have for my appointment.

My husband thought we weren't in a hurry or anything, so he drove all over creation on the way. When the doctor said that I could go home and wait for the contractions to get a little closer, I said, "NO WAY!" It took forever for us to get there and I wasn't about to go through that again. So he sent us on our way to the hospital.

After getting settled in the room, my husband said that he was going to get something to eat. While he was gone, the nurse walked out of the room and my water broke. I couldn't find the call bell. I could not believe the amount of water that was all over the bed. All over my bed!

When the doctor put my epidural in, I was in mid-contraction, and I know I was a bit twisted, regardless of trying to stay straight. All of the medicine went down one leg and not as much the other. I dialated from 5cm to 10cm in 6 minutes. I got a little nauseated.

By this time, I was calling my husband on his cell phone. "Where are you?", I asked as if I was sitting around watching TV. You are not going to believe this, but he didn't go to the hospital cafeteria. He didn't go to a nearby restaurant. No, he went across town to eat sushi, of all things.

When he finally got back, I decided that I wouldn't kill him. Especially since I only had one partially good leg anyway and I thought he might be good to keep around for a little help taking the baby home.

I started pushing and 2 hours later, they handed me my son. Any memories of being completely miserable while pregnant or in labor completely vanished in that perfect little baby's face. I was in love instantly. It was a truly amazing, life transforming day.

The next day, I was a crying mess. All alone with my baby in my hospital room, I cried and thanked God for this incredible miracle. But that moment was cut short by the anesthesiologist who botched my epidural coming back and asking if I was doing alright and if I had any back pain. When she left, there was a constant parade of people from the hospital coming in and out. So many things to do. Birth certificate. Photos. Lactation consultant. Nurse. Sitz bath and that glorious light. Visitors. Family.

On the way home 48 hours later, I sobbed "We're a fahahammmiiillllyyyy!" My husband thought I had gone off the deep end. I wasn't sad. I was as happy as I have ever been in my entire life. And I couldn't stop crying. In fact, my emotions are still not back like they were before I had him.

It has been almost 4 years since that day. I have a whole other story for my baby girl. It's been almost 2 years since that day. My memories and day to day activities are priceless. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything in the whole world even on those days when I think I can't answer another question, or wipe another runny nose, or discipline ever again. I know I'm not alone in my feelings about that. That is one of the best thing about reading mommy blogs, and having friends to compare notes with. We all have some of the same frustrations and joys and challenges.

Sometimes, I think about Mary raising Jesus. Did He ask her 101 questions every 5 minutes when he was 3? Did she realize what an amazing responsibility and privilege she had been given? What about us? Do we realize what an amazing responsibility and privilege we have been given?

I can't wait to hear from my sister-in-law as her baby gets older. I know that she is going to be a great mom. She certainly has a beautiful baby. And she has so much to look forward to and enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday :Where are my pictures?

So, I haven't posted in a long time and it's Wordless Wednesday and I have such a great picture and story to go along with it, but I cant see any of my pictures on my blog. They are all a red "X" inside of a box. What's up with that? Can anyone else see my previous and current (above) pictures? Or is it red "X" day? How do I get my pictures back?

So, I'll tell you about the photo above, if anyone can see it. Last night we went to this little circus here in our little town. They had brown bears that did some tricks, a monkey that was probably as old as Methuselah, several snakes and some people who did some circus performances. One of the performances was a girl who balanced a long sword on the tip of a shorter sword that she was holding in her teeth. At some point, the long sword fell and hit her right in the cheek! She kept going like nothing had happened, except for the blood (!) that she kept wiping away from her cheek. She lit a torch on another sword, balanced it on her sword in her teeth and climbed up a ladder, posed for a moment and climbed down just in time to get a white towel from the "Ring-mistress" or "announcer-lady" and to rush off behind the curtain. Our friends who were sitting right in front of us never saw a thing.

I was worried about her. I wondered if they have a circus medic? Did she have to go to our local Emergency Room? Did she need stitches? A tetnus shot?

I told my husband, (who was busy trying to keep our nearly 2 year old from climbing down the bleachers at the time) "That sword just hit that girl in the face. Look at that! She keeps wiping blood off of her face! Do you see that?!!!?" My husband's compassionate paramedic response: "What do you want me to do about it?"

Well, just to keep you posted, I think we are just now beginning to get out of the sinus fog that we have been in. My teeth hurt, my head aches and today, one of the docs I work with suggested Mucinex. I have never really considered it. To be honest, I didn't know what it was. I will say though, that it seems to have made me feel a great deal better this afternoon. He also said that we probably have an infection, but that our bodies are taking care of it. Antibiotics might shorten it's course, but we probably don't need them.

I hate taking antibiotics. Mostly because I don't like to remember to take them, but also because there is always a risk of getting rid of the "good" bacteria in some places. You girls know what I'm talking about, yes? If you do, you probably don't like taking antibiotics either.

So, I know it's Wordless Wednesday, but its been so long since I wrote anything that I couldn't resist. Hope nobody minds too much.

I've missed (your name here)!

I have missed posting. Has anyone missed me?

Well, we have been sick sick sick sick sick.

First, it was the vomiting and diarrhea. Good thing I deep cleaned in the bathroom. My son and I had it at the same time. He didn't know he was going to throw up the first time. He didn't even know what it was. As he was getting dressed into clean pj's I threw up and he was standing at the doorway to the bathroom cheering me on, "Good job, Mommy!" My hubby was working and so I had to be the patient and the mommy. By the time he got home, (8 hours after I called to ask him to come home) most of the fun and games were over. I can honestly say that Sprite never tasted so good as it did that night.

As a bonus, my baby girl (almost 2 now) and I got some nasty cold or sinus infection. I'm not sure which one. Tomorrow, I am going to work at the hospital and will pick some unsuspecting doctor's brain about this and see if we should be on some antibiotics and call the pediatrician.

My baby is having some temper tantrums, but I think it's because she just doesn't feel good. I know the feeling. I have a headache that feels like someone took an axe and wedged it into my frontal lobe. I guess she does too. This is one of the worst things about being a parent. I feel so helpless.

Well, hopefully, by next week we'll all feel better. And hopefully, I'll be able to post more this week.

Wordless Wednesday: Siamese Flower.

Pretty cool, huh?

To Doctor or Not to Doctor: A response

I found a post while I was lurking on reading some blogs today. It was called "To Doctor Or Not To Doctor". It is amazing to me that I am a registered nurse (with almost 10 years in the ER) and my husband is a paramedic and we have over 30 years of experience between the two of us.

I have a little secret. We are total idiots when it comes to our children.

Very early one morning when my son was about 24 months, he spiked a fever and threw up some clear liquid. Since we happened to be near the doctor's office, I had my husband take him to the doctor. Guess what? They said that there was no treatment for that, except for (cue the dramatic music) Tylenol.

When my son was 6 months old, he had an allergic reaction to the first formula he ever had. He got a rash all over his head and had some very mild respiratory problems. While I was running all over the house yelling, "Call the doctor! Call 911! Call the ER!" my husband was on serious STOP mode. He was calling the ambulance station to find out what truck would be coming and where they were. Finally, my child vomited the tiny amount of formula he had ingested and his breathing cleared up. We talked to the doctor in the ER and he asked if we had given him any Benadryl. Benadryl? That would have been just too obvious.

My son got some junk in his eyes and I decided that it was pink eye. I even posted about it. They called in a prescription and we gave him some drops, but I'm afraid that what he had was just sinus congestion, not the dreaded "pink eye" that I had imagined.

How many more examples? Probably a bunch, but I can say that I know for sure that there are more to come.

Our pediatrician knows that and expects that. I'm sure they all do. I'll bet none of them are the doctor of their own children. After all, when they are home, they are Mommy or Daddy too, not Doctor Mommy or Doctor Daddy. I once knew a pediatrician who said that when her first baby developed diaper rash, she called one of her colleagues at 11 pm just to check to see if she was doing the right things.

So, in response to the question "to doctor, or not to doctor", I say the answer is YES to both. When in doubt, at least call.

Tackle it Tuesday: Good Intentions

Well, today I had planned to post my first "Tackle It Tuesday" and it was going to be complete with pictures of our flowers that we planted over the last couple of days. I was really excited to post my first Tackle, because it's such a good one.

Anyway, last night as I was getting some of the pictures ready to post, I hear my baby girl crying. My husband mutes the TV and says, "Do you hear that?" (Which means, "Go see what's wrong with her.")

S0, I discover that she has thrown up. It's green beans. She may never eat them again. I wouldn't either.

That's not all, though. This was not a one time activity. She threw up all. night. long. It was so pitiful.

By about 5 this morning, she had lasted about an hour without throwing up so I put her in her crib and tucked myself into the glider in her room.

At 6, I had a crick in my neck so bad that I thought I would never be able to turn my head again. She was sleeping pretty well, so I got in my bed.

At 8, my son came in and said, "Good morning, Mommy and Daddy!" He was fresh as a daisy. That makes one of us.

Anyway, it seems that she has that terrible vomiting/diarrhea bug. I called the pediatrician's office just to make sure that they couldn't give her something to make it go away. They can't. It may spread to the rest of us. Oh, goody.

So, for my first (unofficial) Tackle It Tuesday, I deep cleaned our bathrooms. Because if we know we're probably going to be seeing alot of the bathroom (and particularly the toilet) very close up, very soon, isn't it better to see it clean?

Family Easter Week Activities

As a Christian, this is a very important week, as it is called Holy Week in most Christian denominations. Even though I grew up in church, I don't remember any events or activities for this week as a child. I only remember knowing that it was Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I am establishing different traditions with my children and have been trying to incorporate daily scripture and lessons into our routines and story times.

One of my internet resources is Christianity Today. You can find an entire week's worth of family activities to do here.

We actually started talking about Palm Sunday last week when our Bible verse at AWANA was "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Of course, yesterday at Sunday School, they reinforced the lesson. Hopefully, some seeds are being planted. We shall see.

As for the "Easter Bunny", I haven't really decided what to do about that. I am not a big fan of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or things like that. We did do the Easter Egg hunt at church, but really only because I thought it would be a fun day for all (which it was). Where did the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs come from anyway?

Any ideas/thoughts/opinions?