Cadence's birth story, part 1

i am completely ecstatic for my pal Kacie from Sense to Save, because she had her baby! She had him 4 days ago, which means i've been crying off an on for the last 4 days. i get, erm, a bit emotional with new babies, especially when it's my really good friends (albeit long-distance) who have them. Congrats Kacie, Shane, and baby Johnny!

Anyway, i'm inspired to write out Cadence's birth story. So here goes.


She was very easy to conceive. i'm one of those super-lucky fertile people. i don't take it for granted. Anyway, Kris and i thought, "Let's try for a baby!" So we did. A few days later, i was ovulating. Turns out i didn't need to buy the super-jumbo ovulation kit, even if 11 tests were only $3 more than 4 tests.

Two weeks later? Positive pregnancy test.

That week was really crappy. Except for the positive pregnancy test, of course. But within an hour, my dog died and my car died. Remember? It was really sad. Being hormonal didn't help much, either.

But the pregnancy progressed nicely. i was a little bit more sick, and quite a bit more tired, but blamed it on running after a toddler, though hoping against hope it was a girl.

And she was!

So that was good news. And then things kept going on. i was sure she was going to be late, like David.

Don't tell anyone, but about 2 weeks before i was due, i did some of those things you're not supposed to that are supposed to spur on labor. i drank a glass of wine every couple of days. i took raspberry leaf tea. i took blue cohosh. These are supposed to soften your cervix and stuff, and mine was already soft.

35.5 week checkup-37.5 week checkup: 1 1/2 cm dilated, 50% effaced

Raspberry leaf tea, blue cohosh week.


38.5 week checkup: 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced!

It was awesome! Except it didn't let my hopes get up too high. i tried not to, anyway. My Dr. had been stripping my membranes for a couple weeks, but usually that is supposed to work within a few hours if it's going to work, right? It didn't.

39.5 week checkup? Didn't happen!!

Back up 4 days.

October 5, Sunday night. My dad went to the hospital with horrible tummy pains. Turns out he had an obstructed bowel. Poor guy! He was in the hospital till Wednesday. Thankfully, they were able to use meds and diet to get it to go back to normal, and not surgery.

October 6, Monday night. Found out some sad family news about a couple separating. That was sad and unexpected.

October 8, Wednesday. My van got broken into: my GPS and 60 GB ipod were stolen. That pretty much sucked. i have missed each of them every day since it happened.

October 9, Thursday. 8:37 AM. Our power went out. Kris forgot to pay the bill. Here's a word-for-word reprint of my texts to him that morning.

8:37 AM: Our power just went out. i wonder what's up.
8:42 AM: i think my water is breaking.

That, my friends, is what happened leading up to her delivery. The weeks surrounding our discovery of her and of her birth were shrouded in bad news, but my little angel sitting next to me, in her little "Santa's little reindeer" sleeper made all the bad events seem brighter in the light of her beautiful new life.

To be continued.

Pictures

Hey ya'll. It's been a while since i've posted any pictures, so i thought i'd change that.
Pardon the blurry ones, the red eyes, and the lack of croppage. It is difficult to put out quality pictures when you have my lack of talent, my camera, and subjects who will not sit still! Anyway, i think they're still cute. :)

 

i love this one. He's so happy. Doesn't he look old there?

 

teensy toes!

 

She looks as though she's smiling there.

 

She is smiling there, but of course i took it on my cell, so i can't make it full size. This is the first smile picture ever taken of her!

 

David sleeping on his couch.

 

Completely ignoring the comfortable "big boy bed" he's got going on right next to it. 

We ended up moving the couch out of his room finally.

  

She's got some HUGE eyes. She gets that from me and my mom.

  

i'm making vanilla extract as gifts this year.

 

Just chillin' after eating spaghetti. 

 

...Must....eat....goldfish....crackers....NOW!

Anyway, these are my offspring. Aren't they adorable?

Alcohol abuse

Kris bought me a bottle of wine last night. i put it in the freezer so it would chill fast, because it had been a rough day with the kids.

i instead went to bed.

Liquor doesn't freeze, right?

Because wine popsicles would probably not be acceptable for breakfast, would mimosa slushes be ok? They've got orange juice in them!

Really, though, i'm hoping the wine doesn't taste like crap after it melts, because in my house, white wine holds a sacred place, and i hate to see it wasted.

Update

Hi! How are you all? Did you know that doubling the amount of children you have makes you more than doubly busy? i didn't know that till recently:)

Anyway, you may be asking, what's going on? Well, here we go.

Cadence got baptized at the end of October. She was 17 days old at the time, which is a bit early, but the pastor we wanted was unavailable in November, and the next time she was available was the end of December. So we had an early baptism. i'm pretty sure it still counted though. :) It was beautiful, and Cadence wore a dress that several other girls in Kris' family have worn, going back 3 generations. She was absolutely angelic in it, and thankfully slept through the baptism. She didn't make a peep! i don't have any pictures from it yet, because i didn't take any pictures. i'll have to ask family members to burn me a cd, and then i'll put them on here. She really was the sweetest thing.

David is talking a tiny bit more. He now says mama, dada, up, zap "zzaaa!", byebye, hi "eye", ball "ba", and baseball "baba". He also calls cellphones "bye", which i think is adorable. We keep trying to teach him they are phones, but he sees a phone, points to it, and says "bye!"

On that note, he uses all things as a phone. He particularly enjoys two people talking on whatever toy happens to be lying around. If one of us is unable to talk on the phone with him, he grabs one, starts jabbering, and walks around the house, looks out the window, etc. Just like i do when i'm on the phone.

On Thanksgiving morning, i heard him playing with his toys in his bedroom. i hadn't gotten him up for the day yet. So, yes, he learned to climb out of his crib. We got a toddler bed for him last summer, and we need to replace a bolt on it, then it's time for him to be in his Big Boy Bed. He slept on a twin bed at my parent's house the other day just like normal, so i think he'll be ok without his crib. It just came as a surprise to me: i definitely did not have the capacity to deal with that on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was awesome! Kris spent a week getting the basement ready. We have two bedrooms down there (we use them as a music room and office) that were bright purple and schoolbus yellow, due to the kids living here before we moved in. Now one of them is no longer yellow, but a beautiful calm gray, with white trim instead of the hideous 70's dark brown. That music room has Kris' drums finally all set up as well, and it's a very relaxing and inspiring room for us to play our instruments in.

We have a closet under our basement stairs that backs up to our laundry room. There were no walls between them, only the washer and dryer and the beams, so Kris found used drywall and made a wall. He painted the closet, installed a light in it, and reorganized all of it, and threw out a bunch of stuff the previous owners had left. We still have 2 weeks worth of trash to throw out in our garage, but our closet is much more neat and has a ton of storage space!

But you know how whenever you make major changes in your house, it ends up being a lot of unexpected trips to the hardware store and a lot more time than you anticipate? The night before Thanksigiving, i got 3 hours of sleep, and Kris didn't even go to bed. Totally worth it, though.

We smoked a huge turkey and made a smaller one the regular way. Our smoked turkey was AWESOME. We call it "Turbacon", and it was my idea:) Kris put sliced apples and garlic and wine in the skin. He then wrapped and stuffed the whole thing with bacon. (i don't like to eat bacon, but love the flavor it adds to things.) We used hickory chips soaked in apple cider and more wine. It was incredible.

i made these parmesan and mozzarella mashed potatoes, and they were insanely good. Definitely no gravy required. i also made white wine sangria which turned out great. Sangria goes down very easily, which made some of my guests have a better time than normal:) i think there were 5? people who were drinking it throughout the day, and there were 3 liters of wine and a half bottle of brandy in the batch. So, needless to say, good fun was had by all. There were 13 people total at Thanksgiving and it was a smashing success.

Cadence is going to play Baby Jesus at my church's Christmas pageant! i'm SO excited. i think she might be the cutest Jesus since...well, you know!

She has started to smile a bit more, and sometimes i swear she laughs. She also cries a lot more. Not enough to where i'd say she's sick, or has acid reflux or anything, but for like the first 6 weeks of her life she never really cried ever, and i guess i got spoiled. So she cries more, and HATES the car, and cries all throughout many drives i take. David isn't a huge fan of the car, but he does enjoy taking his cues from his sister. i gotta tell ya: when you've got two kids crying at the same time, it's amazing how your mind remembers that bottle of rum in your freezer. Her neck is getting stronger, too. Pretty soon she'll hold it up by herself, which will make her a lot easier to carry around.

She still fits in her newborn clothes, which makes me really happy. David hardly ever fit in his: i think they fit him about 2 weeks or so. She is 7.5 weeks now. She did go up a diaper size though. Those newborn diapers were not effective any more.

She slept through the night twice last week, which was just a tease. She tends to sleep from about 11 PM-4:30 AM now, and then she'll usually sleep again till 8 or so. Except today, where she just hates everyone and everything, especially sleep.

Speaking of that, she's crying (shocker) so i'll go be a good mommy and attend to her.

We have a winner!

Hey, remember when i had a giveaway?

My friend Sarah Chia won!

i really appreciated all of your ideas on making my life smell less, so i'm going to copy the tips into this post. They are tremendously helpful! The italics are mine.

From QuiteContrary1977:

For your stinking house: Get a jar of cinnamon from a dollar store, and toss a tablespoon in some water. Let it simmer on the stove. All the time. People still asked "What's that smell?" But in a good way!
For your stinky self: Get your own baby wipes! To that stack of wipes,add lemon juice,water and some squirt of your fave perfume. Pull out and wipe neck when you neeed freshening up!

From Nikki:

I've found that baking soda takes the smell out of anything. It amazing! You could sprinkle some in the diaper genie to absorb the smell. Every now and then I sprinkle it all over the carpet in my house and let it sit for a few minutes before I vacuum. I've even heard of people adding it to their laundry :)

From Jes:

Before switching to cloth diapers we had a diaper champ, I used to spray it with bleach water and rinse it out every time I changed the bag. Now with the diaper pail for the cloth diapers I sprinkle baking soda in the bottom, or I will drip some lavender oil on a paper towel and put it in the bottom. but I always, ALWAYS put it outside to air out for a few hours every couple days. that really makes a difference.

From Katie:

--New baby smell--every time you change her diaper, wipe with a diaper wipe under her chin to get the fold gunk off her neck.
--Breastfeeding smell--now is a sour milk smell, or a yeasty smell? If it's sour milk smell, change pads more frequently (and bras)--and after you've pumped or whatever you're doing right now--give your nipples air time so they dry off...if it's yeasty smelling you may have thrush...and you'll need to boil your bras and breastpads (if they're the washable kind)...and possibly take antibiotics. Are you trying to supplement your formula with breastmilk or are you trying to dry up--I've got tips for both of those as well!
--Formula smell...yeah...there's really nothing you can do about that..
--Toddler smell--save the diapers that are too small for Cadence--or donate them to a women's shelter--it's so not worth a huge load of laundry (or the hassle of changing clothes with every poopy diaper)--just switch up to the next size--it kills me when I have to do it too...but it's so worth it! Also, examine his diet--is it different from before he had a little sister or the same--that could say something about why he's pooping so much!
--New baby's smelly clothes--have a "dirty wet clothes" plastic tub--and once a day have your hubby throw it in the laundry (so it doesn't sit too long)--or if you're up for it--throw it in yourself once a day.
--I'm still working on this mildewy smell in my own clothes--I've experimented with tea tree oil and vinegar and combinations of other "natural" things...and I gotta say--laundry soap and add oxyclean really does the trick! For extremely smelly laundry, soak it first in the laundry soap/oxyclean combo, then when that's done wash it a second time...should do the trick. Also, add a second dryer sheet (if you're into those kinds of things--I AM) in the dryer and make sure they are SUPER dry (I always do a second dryer cycle on towels that got too moldy smelling)...
--Stomach flu--I'm glad you're better!
--Postpartum smell--well...I'll leave that alone! :)
--Diaper genie--ADD YOUR OLD DRYER SHEETS to the bottom of the pail--and sprinkle baking soda in it--OR douse it in vanilla and then after it sits for a while, wash it with bleach really good...
--House--enlist family or friends who love you very much to come help you...(i'll help if you want it!)... Borrow or rent a steam vacuum cleaner and get the couch (We own one so you can borrow ours or I can do it for you) and remember it's OK if your house isn't perfect--it's better to take care of your kids, yourself, and your hubby rather than a perfectly clean house! I guarantee you my house has been worse!


From Sarah Chia:

For mildew, my neighbor swears by the Shout/Oxyclean combo bottle they sell. It's a two-sided thing.

I haven't tried it yet, but she's pretty pumped about its results.


From Kristine:

I remember my mom saying something about using vinegar in your dishwasher. Sorry, I don't know.

P.S. Kristine, i think you're supposed to run an empty load with vinegar in your rinse liquid spot. i tried it and it seemed to help! love jessica

P.P.S. Everyone should check out Kristine's other helpful tips. If you go here, she's got awesome ideas for making your life easier.


Mama Belle said:

The only thing I know of is bleach, Febreze, and B&BW candles & air fresheners. Probably all not good for the baby. Not a lot of help, I know.

You know, sometimes air fresheners are the only thing that work, especially when you've got people coming over and don't have time to bleach the diaper genie. Lord knows i believe in them, which is why i'm giving one away!


Thanks everyone for your awesome advice! Miss Sarah, i will be emailing you to get your lovely air freshener out.

A giveaway

First, a lengthy explanation:

i've been going around blogging for like 1.5 years now. You all have been extremely wonderful encouragements and faithful friends to me through all of my life's events. So lately, i've been trying to come up with a nice but also affordable giveaway to show you all how much i appreciate you.

Here's a tangent:

My life is smelly. Really. i just had a baby (4 weeks ago today, my water broke right about now) and i forgot about how much life smells after a baby. Here's a breakdown for those of you who may not know. These are in no particular order.

• You've got your new baby smell. i'm not talking about that "Oh, she smells like a new baby!" smell, i mean the baby that spits up 2x/daily and poos much more often. These are not particularly pleasant smells.The spit up also tends to hang out in the folds of her neck and that's gross.
  
• You've got your breastfeeding smell. i don't know about you, but when i breastfeed, it produces this...odor. i don't know. It's totally weird. i think, actually, the baby is supposed to smell it and get hungry? Not sure. But with breast pads and the milk and everything, there is just a smell.
• You've got your formula smell. i stopped breastfeeding like two weeks ago after my baby wasn't gaining weight, and i was getting too stressed out. The downside? The aforementioned spit up and poos of my child are quite a bit smellier. Yick.
• You've got your toddler smells. Mine has randomly starting pooing about 3-4 times daily since Cadence was born. No idea why. He used to be a 1 poo a day kind of kid. So now he smells a lot more often. And he needs to go into the next size of diapers, but i don't want to waste the old ones. So i'm having to change his clothes almost every time he poos now, because his diapers are too small, leaving smelly clothes.
• You've got your new baby's smelly clothes.
• You've got the mildewy smell from accidentally leaving all these extra clothes in the washer too long.
• i got the stomach flu. i won't go there, but trust me, i'm glad to be feeling better and have cleaned my bathroom!
• Another "i won't go there" bullet point: the post partum smell. 
  
• The diaper genie. There are so many extra diapers, but less time to empty the pail. It's very stinky, especially when i resort to tossing the diapers in any garbage can but my kitchen. (P.S. Does anyone know how to make diaper genies not stink? Even when mine is empty, it smells to high heaven! It is not dirty, either.)
• The house. i haven't cleaned my house in ages. It's gross. And for some reason, my couch is wet? My is my couch wet? So smell may be coming from there. i need to clean out my refrigerator. i know there's some food in there that would help things if it were thrown. i've got diapers in my bedroom and bathroom garbages. i've got stinky clothes around. 

So you see, my life stinks. :) One of my bestest real life pals, Liz, brought me a really good smelling body wash and lotion kit, complete with loofah, after Cadence was born. So at least i don't smell. (When i get to shower.) But i'm tired of being greeted with ugly smells every time i walk into a room. i have found i tend to buy air fresheners after i have babies. i bought a new one yesterday, the Airwick Freshmatic.You know, the one that automatically sprays? And i totally love it! Outside of it freaking me out every 9 minutes when it sprays, (i've always been a little jumpy though) it is wonderful, and it has made my open floor plan living room, kitchen, hall, and entry smell like holiday spice. i also like it because it takes batteries, doesn't burn a flame, and doesn't plug into anything. With a toddler, i can't really have anything plugged into sockets that looks fun to play with. It's a really great air freshener for me, so i decided to give one to you!

There were two different scents at the store to choose from, vanilla or the holiday spice one. i went for the spice, because even though i don't usually love that one, i find most fake vanilla scents to be a bit nauseating. And it's a very nice smell. So that's what the winner of this giveaway will get.

How to win:
leave a comment, and a tip for getting the smell out of some aspect of my life, ie my towels that won't stop smelling, my stinky dishwasher, my diaper genie, etc. Here's where it gets fun for me, because i don't know how many people read this blog. So it would be fun to see some people come out of the woodwork a little bit. If you're new and just stopping by, feel free to enter. i'd just encourage you to maybe check out my "about me" page, and if you like me, subscribe. i'm looking to expand my blog a bit, and would like to know more of you!

So anyway, i will be picking the entry from the random number generator next Thursday, Nov 13.

(i'm so sorry, but i will only be shipping inside the US. i know that sucks. i'm sorry.)

Good luck! i look forward to this!

Halloween 2008

We had a very nice Halloween. Kris had me paper mache half his head and face, and he used the mold and liquid latex to make his mask. He is Two-Face, from the Batman series, who i'd never heard of until seeing the Dark Knight. i guess true Batman fans have known about Two-Face forever.
We got David's costume last year right after Halloween for $4. It was awesome, because i saw the same one on sale again this year for $16. Now that i think about it, i should go buy next year's costumes before they're gone.
i got Cadence's outfit at Once Upon a Child a few months ago for $8. It was an one sized infant outfit. i wish i'd gotten her one that was A. softer and B. sized according to months. That lamb hat was way too big for her! She was pretty uncomfortable in that outfit, as the "wool" was kinda scratchy to her newborn sensibilities and the whole costume very uncomfortable in her car seat.
The day before Halloween, i dressed up the kids in their costumes and we went to the OB/GYN and my mom's work to show everyone how cute my offspring are. Friday night we visited lots of grandparents, and we also made a trip to Outback where Kris works.
We had the opportunity that night to go bowling with the Coen brothers, but because of Halloween stuff we couldn't go. :( However, on Thursday night the movie is having its wrap party, where i'll be able to partake of free food and adult beverages with the Coen brothers, Richard Kind, Adam Arkin, and all the rest of the cast and crew members from the movie. Kris will miss this movie. He's had a lot of fun with it, and it feeds him really well. For instance, lunch the other day for him? Craft services came over and was basically like "Mr. Gensmer, would you like lobster or prime rib or both?" He'll be home quite a bit more until January when he'll get his ambulance job, so that will be very nice. i miss him a lot. He's been working a ton. The day after i had Cadence, he worked from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM on the movie, while i was sitting there alone in the hospital with the new baby. November and December should help make up for that:)

Also, Kris is on imdb.com! Here's his profile. i'm married to someone famous!

i hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday- 10.29.08 Sleepy girl

Works for Me Wednesday

This is my first time doing WWFM, but i'm always inspired by my friend Kristine who does this, and for once, i came up with something i'm proud of and think is really clever.

At this point, i've been using my breastpump a lot. i hate sitting there holding the cups, but i didn't want to pay $23 for a bra like this

to avoid the hand cramps.

So, i took an old bra that i never wear and cut holes in it. i feel stupid for not thinking of it before! But it works just as well, and it repurposes an old unused thing instead of bringing another new thing into my life.

It works for me!

Find more stuff that works for others at Rocks In My Drier


*Image taken from Babycenter.com

Feeling a little down

This is a breastfeeding post. i'm just putting that out there. If you're squicked out by reading about breastfeeding, don't continue reading please.


Cadence was 8 lbs. 5 oz when she was born. When she left the hospital, she was 7 lbs. 15 oz. At her 5 day checkup, she was 7 lbs. 13 oz. 7 day? 7 lbs. 11 oz. The Dr. had me see a lactation consultant, who said i was doing well and to supplement with formula for one day, but was satisfied with my production. We saw the Dr. again today, and Cadence had only gained one ounce since Thursday, and she's supposed to gain an ounce a day.

The Dr. tried feeding her a bottle, to see how she eats. It turns out, Cadence is what the Dr. calls "A Chewer". She'll suck swallow, suck swallow, and then release the latch. Then she chews a few times and will suck swallow again. So even if i've been making enough, my breasts don't give her enough milk because she's not sucking correctly for them to function properly. Her skin is getting dry and she's dehydrating before our very eyes, poor thing.

So now i've got to pump and feed her with a bottle, to train her to eat properly as well as monitor the amount she's eating. Hopefully she'll learn to eat better with the bottle and we'll be able to go back to the breast, but the Dr. was very bleak and said "chewers" don't tend to ever learn to breastfeed correctly.

Before i had her, i told myself i would breastfeed as long as it wasn't a hassle and we were both enjoying it. Well, not enjoying it. Wanna know a secret? i don't really like breastfeeding. i've never seen it as a real bonding experience. But as long as it was going well, i was prepared to keep doing it, because i think it is better than formula, though i really don't have anything against formula. It solved David's acid reflux problem right away and he's hardly ever been sick, either.

So anyway, i said i'd do it as long as it was easy. It has been 11 days and it's already not easy. i can't imagine that i'll have the ability to pump 8 times/ day for who knows how long until she may or may not be able to breastfeed again.

i've got a great pump, and i'll try it for a while. Please pray she learns how to eat, most importantly, so we don't have to worry about her shriveling up into nothing, and secondly, that she will learn how to breastfeed so we don't have to worry about any of this anymore.

i just feel...like a bad mom or something. i almost cried in the doctor's office. i know it's not my fault and that it happens, but knowing that for the last 11 days my sweet angel hasn't been getting nearly enough calories to sustain her makes me feel awful.

:(

Sweet baby Cadence

 

7 days ago, i was in labor with my beautiful angel. The days that have passed have been this incredible blur: this flurry of euphoria and amazement i can't even explain. She was 8 lbs., 5 oz., almost 1 1/2 pounds less than David was. So, as a result, her birth has not been nearly as hard to recover from physically as David's was. It's allowed me to enjoy both kids, and revel in the newness of life without being marred by the shadow of incredible pain. 

How's David taking all this? Wonderfully! He is very gentle with his sister, and was the first to meet her in the hospital. He was up on my bed with Cadence and i, and she started crying. He handed her his blanket. i could have cried, it was so sweet. That little move made me know having two will be ok. He doesn't appear to be very jealous of her, at least not yet. Whenever he sees her, he points and laughs happily. He brings me her blankets and her pacifier, tries to stick his sippy cup in her mouth, and mostly leaves her alone besides that. Whenever i feed her, however, he does not like her to be covered, which i do if men are over. It's very sweet, like he doesn't want her to lose any air while she's eating. He's fascinated by breastfeeding. He probably doesn't remember it, because i started him on formula at about 2.5 months. So he likes to watch me feed her. My mom said at some point, he will probably start breastfeeding his bear.

She is so sweet. She hardly cries, and has had a perfectly round head since birth. i've never seen a newborn without a bit of a cone head, but her head is so round, it's reminiscent of a cabbage patch doll. On the back of her head, she has a swirl of hair in a perfect circle. i call it her tornado. Her complexion is also perfect. i'll write more about this when i write out her birth story, but i think because i only had to push 4 times, the delivery was not hard on her. Thus: no cone head or weird patchy red spots or broken blood vessels. She has my nose, and the teeniest little legs and VERY long fingers. She will be an incredible cello player, not to mention pianist. She likes pacifiers, which David never did. She also seems to be ok with sleeping in her bassinet, as long as she's on the boppy pillow. She loves sleeping on it-like a little queen. 

i've really wanted to let you all know about her, but i've been busy and sleepy this week. i will let you know more, but i seem to have gotten the cold that everyone has, so i'm going to go take a nap while both kiddos are sleeping. i REALLY appreciate all your support and comments.

Also, a huge thanks to Liz from a Blonde Moment for blogging my labor and delivery times here as well as on her blog. She and her husband also watched David while i was in labor, and i am just so glad to have such great friends to call when i need a huge favor like that! And thanks to Jes from Beauty in Chaos, Mitch from Shot in the Dark, and Kacie from Sense to Save for blogging their congrats to me. i love all of you lovely readers, and am so glad to be able to share my life with you. 

Cadence Rae

Cadence Rae is here, born 9:23 pm!  She is 8 lbs and 5 oz; 20 inches long; and 14.25 inches around the head!  Mom, Baby, Dad, and big brother are all well!  However, I am sure once Cadence learns to crawl, big brother will be less well.

And now we return to our regularly scheduled blogging...

Liz from A Blonde Moment

We interrupt this blog…

To bring you a 39.5 week appointment test. Had there been an actual 39.5 week appointment, you would not be asked to stay tuned for further details. Stay tuned for further details.




Liz from A Blonde Moment

i've been tagged!

So my pals Jes and MIP both tagged me in the 7 random things about me blog virus that's going around:) So here's 7 random things about me!

1. i purposefully concentrate on speaking in a non-regional dialect. For instance, i take great pains to say "for" and not "fer" which is very common around here. There are other ones. Kris, in particular, makes fun of the way i say "bag" because i pronounce the a like hat, not like hate. But i hate the idea that people might think i'm from MN, simply by the way i talk, as the Midwestern accent is very ugly to me.i try not to say anything with a long "O", because i can't help my accent with that one.

2. i think the human gestational period is way too long. i think 6 months would be ideal. 9.5 months is FAR too long to go without roller coasters or hot tubs, not to mention a truly good night's sleep.

3. i'm a terrible artist. Really, really, awful. i'd like to take a drawing class or something someday, to develop basic drawing skills beyond stick figures.

4. Along those lines, my handwriting is also terrible. It didn't use to be so bad, but since i stopped going to school, i hand write things probably once every couple months. So it has gotten messy and unreadable, and it hurts when i write much more than a greeting card. Not sure what to do about that, other than write more by hand.

5. The first songs we've played on the belly for both babies is "Freebird". The second is Miles Davis' "So What."

6. i can't eat most seafood, due to very bad fish experiences when i was little. i can eat tuna salad and clam chowder, but that's pretty much it.

7. i'm addicted to chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast. It's delicious. i'm never hungry in the morning, but i regret it if i don't get some calories in me, so Instant breakfast is a wonderful invention. i'm pretty sure it was inspired by God.

So there you go. Most of my bloggy friends have done this. There are others who haven't, and i'd tag you, but really i've gotta take a nap. Sorry. Please do this if you haven't been tagged: i love reading these things!

PS No baby yet. And i'm resigned to the fact she'll be in there forever. i've got my 39.5 week appointment tomorrow afternoon, where hopefully the Dr. will schedule something so the baby doesn't get too big.

38.5 weeks

So i had my 38 week checkup this afternoon. i've spent all week doing all the stuff they say to do to go into labor, and i kept not going into labor. i was really afraid i'd go in and my dr. would say "You're 1 1/2 cm dilated, 50% effaced" like he had the last three weeks.

i'm 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced! Isn't that exciting? So i guess, even though i didn't go into labor, all the methods i was using were at least doing something. And i was thinking about it: sometimes it takes hours of hard labor to get to 3 cm, and i got there without feeling it really at all!

So anyway, i don't want to get my hopes up too high, but it's looking good for my going into labor, and soon. Cross your fingers!

Here's a picture of me taken last week. Have a great night everyone!

Mama Belle

There's this awesome lady i know. Her name is Mama Belle, from The Bayou Belles and Their Beau, and it's her birthday today!!! She's one of my bestest bloggy friends, and her Beau asked if i could highlight the fact that she's a total worship star. Seriously. this lady rocks! Check out this video!


This sweet video was taken at her church. Isn't she a great singer?

Do you know why i like her?

• She's hot
• She's a great mom
• She's a great wife
• She's got a great sense of style
• She is a wonderful friend to me, as evidenced by her always encouraging comments in my posts
  

So, happy birthday, Mama Belle! You are one awesome lady, and i'm proud to be your friend!

Wanna hear more about Mama Belle? Check out her other birthday posts around the blogosphere:

Jackie @ Moments and Memories
Wendi @ Miraculous Chaos
Jodie @ The Sky is Only Dark Between the Stars
Sarah @ Life in the Parsonage
Rachel @ A Future Pastors Wife
Amy @ Permission to Peruse
Julie @ Blessed with Five

What do you moms think?

Hello. i was talking with my mom yesterday, and she mentioned that after my 6-week well-baby checkup,she didn't take me back to the Dr. unless i was sick.She also took me for my vaccines at the public health clinic, which is evidently much cheaper.

!!!!!

i didn't know you didn't have to take your kid to the doctor all the time. i've faithfully been taking David all the times they said, even if he wasn't sick and i wasn't worried about him. We pay 20% of our health bills after the deductible, so if we could avoid some of the well-child checkups, and only pay for his occasional vaccines much less expensively than at the doctor, we'd save quite a bit of money. (i think we paid about $600 for him to see the doctor his first year of life.)

It was comforting, taking him to the Dr.and getting him weighed and getting his "percentiles". The Dr.would tell us when we could give him solid foods, and when we could start him on milk, etc. The thing is, did i really need her to tell us those things? This information is easily available online and in books. Was it worth the $80/visit to have a Dr. tell us those things?

i will definitely take Cadence to the Dr. until she's for sure settled in with at least a couple good weigh-ins, a good eating routine, and all those things you worry about with the new babies. But when we're all comfortable, it might be nice to avoid the less necessary checkups, if she isn't sick.

i know David well enough to know when something is wrong, so i feel confident that my kids wouldn't be suffering from some disease because i failed to take them to their well checkup.

What do you all think? Should i continue to take them to the Dr. for well checkups, or should i save the money, and only take them when they're sick or need vaccinations? The medical bills will only get worse with two kids: i just don't want to waste money, but also don't want to be irresponsible with my kids' health in the name of frugality.

What do you think?

Little Manster

You know, it's been an awfully long time since i posted about my favorite little guy. i feel kind of guilty about it now that i think about it! But here's what's going on with him:

• He is 19.5 months old
• He says "Up" along with "Ba" (ball) and can make cow and doggie noises
• He fake coughs whenever he hears anyone cough, an adorable quirk that will soon get old
• When given a napkin, he will wipe off his mouth and hands, and then the area in front of him. He seems to enjoy cleaning, and will turn his sippy cup upside-down onto a surface just to clean it up. 
• He loves animals, and opens and closes his hands whenever he sees one, no matter on tv, in person, or in books. Anything fuzzy merits a smile and opening and closing his hands.
• On that note, he is very gentle with my parent's cat. He LOVES her. And she, despite pretending to be annoyed with him, doesn't often leave the room when he's there. i think she likes the attention.
• He points at my stomach when i ask him where the baby is
• He points at his nose and his eyes when i ask him where they are. We're working on mouth and ears. It's been a slow process.
• He fell at the Dr.'s office the other day, right on his forehead on a shiny hard floor, poor guy. We iced it, but he had a lump there for a couple days. The next day, he bumped his chin against the side of my parent's deck, and has a big scab there, which thankfully he does not pick at. Considering my husband and brother's track records, it was pretty much hereditary for David to be accident-prone.
  
• He gives kisses about 75% of the time you ask for them. Even cuter, sometimes he'll come up to Kris and i, purse his lips for a kiss from me, then move right over to his dad for the same thing. He then resumes normal activity. i LOVE that!
• He loves cucumbers and green beans. In fact, today at an Asian buffet, he rejected the onion rings and cheesy tater tots, and instead ate garlicky green beans the whole meal.
• He is getting very naughty. i suspect he's becoming aware that something's happening or about to change. He'll start doing something, and i'll say "No David" and he will look me in the eye and do whatever it is, anyway. Then he runs away, knowing i won't chase him. Ugh. It's normal, though, right? 
• He is sleeping about 11 hours at night and will nap (if he falls asleep) about 3 hours during one nap a day. 
• He has a strong attachment to his certain blanket still, and also is attached to a blue stuffed bear, which he enjoys "feeding" with a spoon and a cup. Pretty cute! i think we'll be using that as "David's baby" once Miss Cadence comes home.

So those are the recent developments in my boy's life. He's really the sweetest thing, and i'm very proud of him. i'm sure he'll make an awesome big brother!

Oops, i forgot!

i did forget to tell you all how my 36 week (and 4 days) checkup went: i'm 1.5 cm dilated, and 50% effaced. Does that sound familiar to you? Oh, it's because that's the exact same place i was at last week. So all the contractions i've been having, the dull aches in my back, the insane nesting i've been having: all for naught. No progression this week, and once again, it seems i have gotten my hopes up prematurely. i have a feeling it will be a very long next 4 1/2 weeks, guys.  The swollen ankles and the hours i can't sleep from about 4-6 AM? Icing on the cake that is the end of pregnancy. Except, of course, this pregnancy won't end.

On the other hand, my nesting at least has helped me accomplish some things!

Waiting for me in the freezer:

• Lasagna casserole, known around here as "garbage lasagna"
• Chicken, broccoli & potato casserole
• Cheesy chicken & rice casserole
• Chicken, bacon and ricotta stuffed shells
• Bacon mac 'n cheese 
• Cooked ground beef
• 4 pork chops for easy crockpot cooking
• Ground turkey (for burgers i will prepare when i get some dill)

So that's good! We'll have plenty to eat after Cadence is born. i can't believe i prepped all that food in one afternoon though. It's all labeled and sitting in my freezer. It's been there 3 days, and i've already had some difficulty resisting the temptation to eat it.

i have been making lists up the wazoo, and am making my way through them, including a big one: cleaning our living room carpet. We have hideously dirty carpet. It was once beige i think, but the people that sold us this house had 9 kids, so most of it turned a delightfully ugly gray. My brother was kind enough to come over with a carpet shampooer this morning, and he worked and worked and got the carpet almost beige again! It still has very ugly spots, and some blue paint from when we painted a while ago, but it looks much better, and satisfies my nesting need to have the carpet looking as good as it ever will.

i still have a ton of stuff to do, but it looks like i've got some time. Oh well.

Comment some love for me, friends. i need it. i feel a little down. :(

A laugh for you all

Hello. Our Miss Cadence is still gestating. Because of this, i'm not feeling very bloggy, nor is my brain working well enough to write posts of any value.

So here is a picture i took (on my phone, sorry bad quality) when i was flipping channels a few months ago. i came across this lady on Judge David Young, and she makes excellent choices when it comes to button placement. Isn't it fantastic? God bless 'er, this picture makes me laugh every time!

No baby yet

Don't worry. Haven't had a baby yet. i have not been very bloggy lately, either. Well, i read blogs, but i mostly just read them and nap and take care of David.

Today i prepared a ton of meals that are all happily labeled in the freezer. i think they total about 35 servings of food, give or take. And the kitchen is now clean. Gotta love nesting!

It is 10 PM. i'm totally beat. See ya later everyone!

i'll blog about what i cooked later.

A New Hope

This post is written with an extreme amount of careful excitement.
i have been having a lot of contractions lately. Yesterday, they were regular and painful. They went away after i laid down for a bit, but they must have been doing something, because at my 35 1/2 week checkup today, i was 1 1/2 cm. dilated and 50% effaced! Little Miss' head is down, and her bottom is up, exactly where it should be. i am in good shape. The Dr. likes how my pelvic bones are widening out. This means two very good things:

1. There is a good chance i will actually go into labor this time, and not have to get induced at 41 weeks.
2. There is a good chance i will go into labor soon, and most likely we both will be fine. 

***************The squeamish should not read the following sentence*************************
i also lost my mucus plug the other day.
***************Resume reading, you squeamish ones*************************************

The Dr. wants Kris and i to refrain from marital activities for a while. He wants the baby to stay in at least another week.

In other good news, Dr. said that i should take Zantac for my heartburn, God bless him. i have been having it really badly lately. He said i should take one at 8 AM and another at 8 PM and my heartburn will get 100% better. So that's yay, because my trusty Tums hadn't been working that well lately. In fact, i drank a glass of water last night and got heartburn. So hopefully this will help, and i'll be able to resume normal activities.

Want to know some irony, though? Kris and i had been abstaining from marital activities, because my heartburn always flared up at opportune moments. Now the heartburn is gone, and we're not supposed to celebrate:) i'm ok with it though. Really. i feel bad for Kris, but i'm doing alright.

You know, my mom reads this blog. Sorry, mom. i should have made a separate "Mom don't read this" paragraph for the previous information.

i've got Cadence's little tiny clothes in the dryer right now. i wasn't going to pack anything for another couple weeks, because once i pack, then it seems like forever. But i realized that she really could come at any time now. And now this is becoming like a normal pregnancy, with actual contractions and everything! In fact, i'm having one right now. Honestly, it just feels so good to know that they're doing something that i don't mind them one bit! (Yet.)  i will pack a suitcase tomorrow for me, and one for David, for wherever he stays while i'm in the hospital and the few days after the birth.

i'm really excited. i'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. i know there is a chance she won't come at all, and i'll have to be induced in 5 1/2 long weeks. But i think since i'm so much more active this pregnancy, and with having contractions and everything, i think i won't have to worry about that 41st week.

Have a wonderful night, everyone. i am so glad to know you and that i'm able to share my life with people who care. i really appreciate you all, and i pray for you all.

Pregnancy update

i felt like i should tell you all something, so you'll be prepared when the time comes.

i am gestating an octopus. When i had my 20 week ultrasound, she looked like just a normal baby, but it is becoming increasingly clear that she is morphing into an octopus, as i am feeling jabs from at least 6 different directions simultaneously.

How will i prepare for this? Well, i'm considering donating her to the zoo, to get free memberships for life. Or otherwise i will have a lot of altering to do on her clothes. Still trying to figure out how to fit 8 limbs in the car seat.

5 1/2 weeks left, folks. And i'm becoming less and less confident, but more and more impatient to become a mom of two.

My bones are very stiff and sore from sleeping in one position all night. i have also started to take Tums at 10 PM, and that seems to ward off the heartburn i normally get at about 10:30. i've been waking up with headaches, which doesn't make much sense as i'm extremely well hydrated, but it's nothing too bad.

My new OB is pretty cool. He can hear me, and cares about how things are going. He even read my chart before he came in and seemed to retain the information as long as the visit lasted,which is already better than my last two OBs. My only beef with him is that he doesn't think having a giant baby is a big enough deal to induce early. i talked to him about how long it took to heal, and how things still aren't completely right from having a baby with a 15" head the last time, and he just said "We'll see where you're at at about 39 weeks with an ultrasound, and we'll do some 'vigourous' exams to try to bring on labor. When you're at 40 weeks, we'll weigh your options." So it sounds like i'll be going to at least 41 weeks this time. Oh well. It happens. Maybe he'll stitch me up better than my last doctor. Or maybe my body will be used to having watermelon babies.

i'm just really certain that i won't go into labor. i just don't go into labor. My body evidently is quite good enough for babies to hang out in for....ever.

However, i'd like to extend a hearty cheer for Baby Caylee, my pal Jes' daughter. She came at a very healthy 37 weeks. Yay!!

i will be 35 weeks on Sunday. i'm hoping Cadence will take her lead from Caylee and actually want to come out. i mean, how great would it be to go into labor? i'd save money on pitocin and other labor-inducing costs, and i could turn to Kris (as per my dreams) and say something like "Kris, it's time." And he'd get up (because we would be in bed in the middle of the night) and fumble around and forget to put on pants and would put his wallet in the cupboard and a granola bar in his pocket. Can you tell i watch too much tv?

It's time to go take a nap. i'll start adding more sleeves to the baby girl outfits later this afternoon.

Ba!

Oh yes, guess what? Last week was a very important one for David.

We were at Walmart, and he pointed at something and said "Ba". i looked where he pointed and it was one of those huge bins of bouncy balls!

i wish it had been me who taught him that. Not that we haven't worked on it, but the night before it happened, my mother-in-law spent a good portion of the night trying to teach him to say ball. And the next day, he did. Oh well, sometimes you need to learn from different places, right?

Anyway, i feel like i can really say with confidence that his first word (finally, at the age of 18 months) is "Ba(ll)".

Yay!

On to the Gettysburg address!

Makin' the Switch

Hey! My pal Jes asked for the story of a facebook status i had a week or so ago, mentioning i'm switching OB/GYNs. i completely forgot to blog about it!

So remember how my doctor is really old? Man, he's old. And he can't always hear me, i think, because sometimes he doesn't respond when i say things to him. This is also the doctor who, when i was having bleeding during the 7th week of pregnancy, said something like "Next week, if the baby is still alive, we'll give you an ultrasound." He hasn't improved much since then. He tends to forget when i'm due, and asks me the same questions every visit.

i'm no dummy. i know for me, being a low-risk pregnancy, the nurses are quite a bit more important that the doctor. But my last doctor was not super great, either. Remember, the one who said "If I'd known your baby was going to be 9 lbs. 9 oz., I'd have given you a C-Section?" (Incidentally, that doctor has been on a rather suspicious "medical leave" since right after David was born. He's not coming back to the clinic anytime soon.)

i just decided a couple weeks ago that i wanted a really good doctor, that i liked a lot. One who would remember stuff about me, like that i already have one kid, and one who is friendly and would really talk to me about how i want a late ultrasound so i don't have a huge baby, and would discuss the pros and cons of episiotomies, etc., instead of saying something like "We'll talk about it when it gets to be time."

So i talked to my nurse at my last appointment, and she said she totally understands my wanting to switch, and she said this one guy, Dr. Noonan, was a great doctor, and she'd recommend him to her daughter if she were pregnant. That's very promising.

Plus, Dr. Noonan is there on Thursdays, and i go to Bloomington on Thursdays anyway. It will be much better than making the 20 minute trip more often than necessary, especially with every trip in the van becoming more and more of an event with both David and i getting bigger. :) Also, his nurse is my nurse from my David pregnancy, and i LOVE her.

So, i'm switching. i've got my first appt. with this fellow on Thursday afternoon. i can't wait!

Hey everyone!

i thought i'd update you about a rather busy week i've been having.

On Tuesday, David and i went to my old friend's house, who has 5 kids under 7. He had a blast! They are all awesome kids, but i realized i'm not cut out to have that many. Please remind me of this in like a year when i am whining and saying "i kinda want another baby"!

Tuesday evening, Kris and i and a bunch of people from his old work went to the Twins game, and we had all-you-can-eat tickets. So we got as many hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, peanuts, and sodas as we could consume! Kris went a little crazy, and his poor tummy hurt the next day. The good news, though, is that the Twins killed the A's that night: 13-2. It was really fun! It was a really long game, but that's because we kept scoring runs:)

On Wednesday, it was Kris' and my anniversary. He worked during the day. David was being really irritable, and nothing seemed to help: not food, or juice, or Tylenol, or naps, or even his blanket. i was getting really frustrated, but he didn't have a temperature or runny nose or cough or anything, so i decided to take him to Eden Prairie mall to walk around for a while, to distract him. When i was putting him in the van to leave, i noticed a little bit of a rash behind his ear. It wasn't on his face, and it was very light, so we went to the mall. When we arrived, the rash had grown and was all over his neck and was starting to get on his face and was getting darker. i was alarmed at how quickly it was spreading, so i didn't even get him out of the van, and drove him to urgent care.

We got there, and i when we got into the office, i looked under his shirt, and the poor buddy was covered in these tiny spots, all over his body! i was really worried it was chicken pox, but it turns out, it's roseola. Evidently, it's just a very mild herpes virus, and kids under 2 are the only ones to get it, because most over that age have antibodies to it. There isn't even a treatment for it, just the obligatory "lots of fluids" treatment that they always tell you to use. He's already a lot better.

Because it's not bad at all, he stayed over at Kris' parents house that night, while Kris and i went to Wildfire, a steak, chops, and seafood restaurant for our anniversary dinner. It was delicious! It was also really nice to go to an adult-type restaurant. We haven't been anywhere that fancy since we were dating, so it was very nice to sit at a table and eat our food and just relax. We didn't even talk much, just sat. It was wonderful!! It was also a very nice way to relax after the worrisome day i had.

Today my mom and i are hanging out. We're going to pick up some Leann Chin's Chinese food, and eat at her house while David naps. Then we're going to a huge church garage sale, where we hope to stock up on some cheap goods. Sadly, we can't swing going to the State Fair this year, which is tradition, but we will still have fun.

Oh, Kris' job is going really well. He's working from 7:30 AM-6:30 PM, and has full internet access and the ability to read or watch movies or do anything he wants, as long as he stays available in case anyone needs a bandaid. So far he's given out two bandaids this week:) He's very bored, but it's nice that he's able to entertain himself. Also, he's been getting home a little before 7 every night, so we're actually able to see each other and eat dinner together in the evenings. It's wonderful! i like this new job and schedule. When he gets his first paycheck, it will be even better!

Have a wonderful weekend, ya'll!

Wordless Wednesday- 2 years ago today....

Ah, timing

So remember yesterday when i was telling you about Kris wants to get a job at this place called Allina which hasn't had openings for two years?

As i was typing that yesterday evening, he was working at Outback. He hadn't been scheduled, but his friend gave Kris his shift. So Kris was working, and saw a guy at a table wearing an Allina hat. So Kris asked that table's server what the man was drinking, and brought refills of diet Coke to the table.

Kris started canoodling a bit. He is nothing if not an excellent networker. So he goes over and says something like "I see you're wearing an Allina hat...I've been trying to get a job with you guys since I got my EMT 2 years ago!" The guy said something about how they keep meaning to hire people but stuff always keeps coming up, but they are actually hiring end of December-early January. (A little bit after the movie is over, perfect timing!)

Then Kris was talking to them about working for Rescue Resources, and who he knows in the medical field. Around here, the emergency medical field is a super small world, and everyone knows everyone. So they were chatting about everyone they knew in common, and things like that.

Kris had to go check on a table, and the Allina guy said "I'm the head of hiring. So how about you email me, give me your information, and I'll put you in my personal file, and when we hire again, your name will be bumped directly up to interiewing." The guy gave Kris his card, and so when the movie's over, Kris will most likely be getting the job where he wants, which will help pay for school and will be the exact position in the exact place he's dreamed of working since he decided to go into the field!!

Seriously. This week keeps getting better and better.

And i got to hold a very very sweet 7-week-old girl tonight, and am pretty much in heaven. Here she is with her beautiful mama two weeks ago at her baptism.

Guess what?

Kris is quitting his job at Canterbury. This may seem silly, because he just got it recently. However, there is a very good reason for quitting.

His dad owns a rescue company, who provides on-site medics for all sorts of private projects, as some public. For instance, they provided medics for the rebuilding of the 35W bridge.

The rescue company got hired to be medics for the new Coen brothers movie that will be filming in MN. It is in construction now, and will be filming probably through the middle of November. Kris, as an EMT,  is employed by Rescue Resources, and will be able to work full time with the movie, even some overtime.

The pay? 2.5x what he makes at Canterbury. !!!!!! He will be working the movie 4.5 days/nights a week, and at Outback 2.5 days, in order to keep enough hours for our health insurance. So, he went to Canterbury and said "Sorry guys". Canterbury is sad to lose him, but they understand. The thing about this movie is that the overtime he works has a small window of 1.5x pay, and then double pay after a certain amount of hours. So the overtime he will work can end up being 5x what he makes at Canterbury now!

This is a total answer to prayer. When he got this job at Canterbury, we knew we were in a bind financially, but with how long we've stayed stuck in it, we were much worse off than we thought. This whole movie thing will much more speedily get us back on track. We'll also hopefully be able to do things like get new tires for him and some glasses for me. Maybe we'll be able to answer our phone again! (And maybe the internet will not get turned off as much and maybe our cars will always have insurance from now on!) 

According to our calculations, Kris will need to work about 9 days of movie to make as much as our mortgage payment is. This is a huge step up from the 25 days of Canterbury it took to do the same thing. Plus, having him work that much, but be able to pay our mortgage quickly means we'll be able to pay our other bills so much faster, and we'll be able to pay way more than minimums on credit cards and all our other things.

The movie will also be a long enough time for him to find another job to do afterwards. Hopefully by then there will be an opening at Allina, an ambulance type company that he really wants to work at, but hasn't had openings in like 2 years. Once he gets that job, they will put money towards his continuing education, and will basically pay for him to go from EMT to paramedic.

This is really good, ya'll. Our financial situation has just gone from depressing yet sort of hopeful, to "wow, things are just about to get so much better".

God keeps doing things for us to remind us that He's there, and working in our lives, and wants us to succeed. But this is one of the biggest things He's done, and we're really grateful.

Wordless Wednesday-30 weeks

Leading worship

This is part two of this post.

So leading worship went really well. i mean *really* well.

First, i got there early and practiced. When the team showed up, we completely talked through the whole service: which tags we were taking, how many verses we were doing, which verses to start harmonies on, etc. The talk-through really helped. We practiced, and even though we were a minimalist band, and only had female singers, the ensemble was really good.

When the service started, i managed to count off really good tempos and keep them. We did the first two songs, which went really well. The third song was a little bit more rough because we weren't able to practice that one before the service. But it went ok. The last song went well. Remember how i wasn't sure how well i'd do singing and playing that one? i just didn't sing. It wasn't a big deal. It was more important to keep the music underneath going. i forgot to cue the singers in to the first verse, but no one noticed, and i just played a couple extra intro measures. They came in just fine, and said it was not stressful at all to jump in.

Also, i was not sure if i should say things to introduce any of the songs, so i didn't. However, for the third song, people were sitting down already, and i didn't want them to think it was just special music, so i said "Please sing with us" and they did and it worked out.

People responded really warmly, and i know that i got some of what my boss calls "heebie-jeebies" from a good worship time. It couldn't have gone better, and i blame God. It's nice He showed me that i could decently fill on leading worship, or even better, i feel confident that if doing something like that full-time as a career were something He calls me to, i could do it. Hopefully i'll be able to keep doing things like this, to hone the skill.

i just feel really grateful.

Tomorrow!

Ok, tomorrow is a big day, ya'll.

My boss (the worship leader and main guitarist at church) is on vacation. He had this lady, Becky, who also plays guitar and sings, be the worship leader this week. She had a family emergency come up. So on Thursday, i found out i am going to be the leader.

This is making me pretty nervous. i have sung and played before, but i've only sung background parts, not been the main singer as well as piano player. Plus, when i sing and play, my piano skills are not quite as complex, and i rely much more heavily on the guitarists to keep the music going. There will be no guitarists tomorrow.

It will be me singing and playing, 4 other women singers, a bass player, and a drummer i hardly ever play with. That will be the whole band. i will be the only person there tomorrow who was there for the rehearsal on Tuesday. The crew is getting there at 8:30, and we will have about 45 min to practice and get warmed up and figure out how many verses of which songs we're doing, and what tags, etc.

It's one thing for me to be singing and playing, but it's another for me to be in charge of counting off the rhythm, starting the song, singing well and being the main musician, and making sure everyone is on the same page. The leader has to be in constant communication with the band and singers, in case someone gets lost, or we need to change the tempo or whatever. i've just never done this before. And i won't call my boss or anything to ask millions of questions because he's on vacation, but i'm struggling, because i don't know if i should say stuff, like "Sing with us" or anything. My boss does that, but i'm not sure it's my place. But i don't want to not do it and have everyone expect it and feel awkward.

Here are my goals:

• Be a vessel. i want to merely reflect worship to God and help others get there. i don't want to get in His way.
• Have a really good pre-service rehearsal, where everyone will feel comfortable with the music and the parts, and go strongly and reverently into the service.
  
• Keep a steady beat, no matter how nervous i am. i also want to make sure the tempos are good for everyone singing.
• Keep a strong piano part going. Since there will be no one else playing the base chords or anything, it's really up to me to keep the harmonic instrumentation going. 
• Encourage good ensemble with the band and singers. i also don't want any drama, or people to think that i'm taking over or being a jerk because i'm asserting my temporary authority, even though i'm a good 15 years younger than everyone else. 
• Be an encouragement to my boss, so he knows i'm trustworthy and that the whole place won't fall apart while he's gone.
• Figure out if this whole leading worship gig is what i want. Till now, i've just been the piano player. i've been struggling with knowing what i will want later. i know i will want more responsibility in church music someday, but i didn't know if it entailed being the vocal worship leader or not. Tomorrow, maybe i'll find out if that's what i want.

If i'd known a little more ahead of time, i probably would have been more nervous, but maybe would have been more prepared. i'm going in early to warm up and practice singing and playing. The last song, especially, is super hard to play and sing because the piano part is pretty complicated.

Also, Kris can't be there. For the first time this whole summer, he is working on Sunday morning, even though he's kept every other Sunday open. He calls it "Family Day". So the one Sunday he can't be there is the one i really wish he could be at. 

i've never really been a leader before, and i've suddenly realizing how much stuff i'll have to keep track of all morning. Please pray that it goes well, and i'll be able to stay focused, and that i'll be a worship leader, not a worship distractor. :)

Mouse update

The mouse is no longer with us. Around 11:15 PM on Wednesday, i heard some squeaking. It was not David. My parents gave us some sticky traps and the mouse was stupid enough to get caught on it. i felt kinda bad for the poor thing: its butt was stuck and it was furiously trying to get off the trap, but to no avail. Luckily, Kris got home about 20 minutes later, and relieved the mouse of its misery. So that's the end of the mouse, "Mr. Bojangles" as Kris keeps calling it.

We have another trap set up, just in case there are more mice running around, but i'm pretty sure the mouse we caught is the same as the one i saw. Hopefully that will be the last of them.

We bought some fogger stuff for the bugs in our house. i guess we have to cover everything in the house, activate the foggers, and leave for at least two hours, and that will kill the bugs we have. It seems like a lot of work to me, and the idea of having that toxic stuff in the house really freaks me out, but Kris thinks it's necessary. i've been looking online to figure out what type of bug it is, but can't find it, and am mostly getting itchy looking at pictures of bugs all day. If we knew where they were coming from, we'd just put a bug trap there, but we have no idea of the source of the scourge. i love owning a house.

Anyway, the mouse is gone, and i'm going barefoot again and am not afraid to go in the basement. Mission accomplished!

EEK!!!

Ya'll, there is a MOUSE in my house!!! A mouse!!! i came home tonight, and it was there to greet me in my entryway. And then i freaked out and it ran downstairs. i did not follow.

i put David to bed, and then i went to the living room and watched the entry, and the mouse was back up there! And it went in the front hall closet!!!

Is it bad that i called my parents first, before Kris?

Anyway, i got online to freak out on facebook, like an good 23-year-old, and i swore i felt like the mouse was crawling on me. Nope. Not a mouse. But one of these bugs that i keep seeing around here. CRAWLING ON ME. These bugs are little pieces of Hades, crawling on me tonight of all nights.

AHHHH!!! Mice aren't supposed to live in people's houses anymore. You buy them at the pet store and keep them in a cage. The 1950's with the housewife with the broom on top of the chair thing is supposed to be over by now.

Why does Kris have to work so late?! He won't be home till midnight at least. *Shudder*.

What if it crawls on my bed while i'm sleeping? What if there is a mouse in my blankets, and i get in bed and they scurry on me? Those long tails: those are the GROSSEST things about mice. Or maybe how fast and quiet and sneaky they are. What if i wake up and find a dead mouse under my pillow, like my friend Veronica? (Seriously, you MUST click that link and read the story.)

Wish me luck, and wish that danged mouse very bad karma, please! And the bugs! Why are there bugs and mice in my house?

****CLARIFICATION*****
5:21 AM-i was packing Kris' lunch this morning and he said "Say hi to Mr. Bojangles for me!" i just wanted to let you know, this mouse does not have a name. Just because mouse rhymes with house does not mean "Mouse in my house" is in any way funny or good. This is not a cute mouse. This is a tiny, scurrying piece of evil that lives in my front hall closet. It is not long for this world.

Friday Five 8.1.08

It's been a long time since i've done one of those, so here we go! If you want to join, go here!

1. Of television programs that aired before you were born, what’s your favorite? "Welcome Back, Kotter". If nothing else, i love the theme song.
   
2. What person of historical significance was from your neighborhood or city? Not sure if he was "from" where i grew up, but Kent Hrbek (a famous MN Twin) lived/lives in the city where i grew up.
   
3. What’s a story that’s often been told about someone in your family in the years before you came along? The summer before my mom left for college, she worked on her family farm, like super full-time. She worked her butt off the whole summer, and her "pay" was a transistor radio, or something like that. It was a big deal, i guess. Maybe the equivalent of getting an IPod touch after a summer of work?
   
4. Which of previous generations’ dumb mistakes (in deed or thought) baffles you the most? Um, when people thought jazz was "the devil's music".
   
5. What aspect of life in the good old days would you love to see a return to? Victorian style dressing. Think the clothes Samantha the American Girl would have worn. i would LOVE to go back to the beautiful dresses, restrictive corsets and all!
   

Tip on thrifting

i have been wanting an ice cream maker for a long time. Not just any ice cream maker, but the electric type that doesn't require ice or rock salt. i have almost purchased several, but i keep putting it off in the hopes i find one at a thrift store.

My friend Devin and i went to an awesome thrift store near her a few weeks ago, and imagine my delight when i found an ice cream maker! For like $6, plus the store had a 25% off sale. So for just a little over $4, i happily went home with my new old ice cream maker.

After washing it, i went online to find directions for use, because of course there was no manual. i froze the container just like it said, put in the ingredients, and plugged it in. Something seemed wrong. Turns out, there was no mixing paddle. You kinda need that. i hunted and scoured the interwebs for a replacement part, and it is nowhere to be found. i contacted the manufacturer and the part is no longer available. Of course.

i do this all the time. i bought a blender at a garage sale for $1 that had no rubber stopper on the bottom, so it leaked all over. Because it was the best blender i've ever used, i ended up paying $6 online for a small rubber disk.

Last year, i bought a food processor at Target, a display model, "As is". i was excited because it was only $25 instead of $50. i noticed there was no blade, but i figured i'd just buy one on ebay. Nope. None on ebay. i had to order one from the manufacturer, which was $14.99 plus $9.99 shipping. It was missing a food pusher thing that comes in the box, but i didn't order that, because it was $10 more. So for the same amount of money a new one would have cost, i got less food processor goodness.

So anyway, if you buy opened small appliances, make sure all the pieces are in there. It has cost me quite a bit of time and money to learn that lesson! i'm not sure if i'm never going to buy opened appliances again, but i'm not going to get so excited about a great deal that i will forget about functionality.