Easter 2008

It was really nice to have a day with family. Adam and I work on Sundays so we haven't had a Sunday together in about a month. It used to be I was the only one and I worked after church, but Adam had to start working on Sundays when his store changed hours. It really stinks, but his job is the big one and we just suck it up for now. Plus, there's always church on Saturday night, though it's not the same.

Anyway, we had a nice Easter. Adam came home from church and took a nap because he had worked in Windham until 10:30 the night before. Ryan refused to take a nap mostly because he wanted to keep playing with his cousin Madison (she only takes half hour naps) and we let him. He ended up staying up until 9:30 last night so I imagine he'll have a really big nap today. I played cards with the rest of the family and had a great time.

By the end of lunch, I was the only one of our three to still have on my Easter clothes. Ryan threw up at lunch. Apparently he doesn't like cranberry sauce, even though he asked for it. He has this horrible habbit of throwing up after ingesting the second bite of something he hates instead of saying he doesn't want anymore. We've learned to deal with it, but it's still frustrating. Adam had already taken off his nice clothes in order to nap. So Easter pictures weren't as lovely as I had wished.

Ryan got more toys than I care to count. Easter was like Christmas almost. I'm just glad he didn't get candy.

And here's a bonus picture of the pregnant lady.

The joys of maternity shopping

Shopping for maternity clothing can be a challenge, especially if you aren't tall and thin. When I was pregnant with Ryan I managed to wear the same size pants for most of my pregnancy. Not so this time. The way this baby has taken up residence in me requires larger waistbands. Anyway, I was on the hunt for pants to go with this really cute shirt I wore the Easter I was prego with Ry.

We went to the mall to the maternity store and tried on just about every pair of pants in the store. Either the waist was perfect and they were tight in the legs or the waist was too big and the leg part was fine. I was rather frustrated, though the clerk was rather helpful in getting me all sizes and all styles of pants. I'm sure she was anxious to make a sale. We were the only ones in the store.

This particular maternity store doesn't have doors on the changing rooms...just curtains. Ryan decided it would be fun to push the stroller in and out of the room through the curtain while I tried on numerous pairs of pants. The clerk was again wonderful in helping keep him occupied and giving him books and other little toys with which he could play.

When I couldn't find a pair of pants (and we'd already looked at other stores) I started trying on dresses. This is when I got a little frustrated with the clerk. Every dress, no matter how much it looked like a muumuu on me was "perfect" or "looks great on you!" I also tried on every dress in the store, even ones she had to get from the back that were new.

I got to the last dress and was surprised that I actually liked it and thought I looked beautifully pregnant in it. We bought it and got the heck out of the mall. I was exhausted. Ryan was bored. I'm glad I have something to wear for Easter and to an April wedding.

But pregnancy shopping is so tough. It's worse than non-pregnancy shopping because the stores are limited. And it's only more furstrating while someone lies to you. I hope I don't have to do any more maternity shopping...ever.

Fun weekend

We had a really fun weekend with our friends Vince and Kris. I'm only sad the weekend had to end and that I am exhausted from all the things that we did together. We'd planned this weekend for over a month and it was well worth it.

We went to Palm Sunday services with them and then to an Easter Egg Hunt for Ryan. He loved the hunt, but hated the bunny, which he called a cat.

He loved their cats and played with them non-stop the entire weekend. I think the cats were happy to see us leave.

And what would this post be without a pregnancy photo? Yes, the belly is HUGE. I am exhausted and already ready for this baby to arrive. Too many more weeks (approx. 12 of them)! There are more photos on facebook for those of you who have that.

Grammy

My best friend's grandmother died this week. I found out through facebook. I know it's kind of a weird way to find out that someone's realtive has died, but I suppose in a world of ever changing technology, it's not that odd.

I'm really sad I'm so far away and can only offer words of comfort rather than actually be there to hug and help. BF had been living with and taking care of her grandmother for quite some time now and I can't imagine how even more difficult that makes the situation.

I have good memories of Grammy. She used to pick us up from school on Fridays when we were let out earlier than the other days of the week. We used to be embarassed to be seen in her car because she drove so. slow. She drove with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.

We spent summer days with Grammy teaching us how to crochet. I never quite understood any of it until many years later. Grammy made good food on these days too. I'm sure she always made good food, but these were the only times I was actually with her to find out.

Grammy took a long time to get dressed and often was mismatched. We thought it was funny and would roll around laughing about it later. Grammy was always interested in our lives. It's sad to know she's gone.

It really stinks to be so far away from someone you know could use some extra love, too.

Pretty feet

For Valentine's Day Adam decided to get me a pedicure. We had to figure out how this would work since I'm always with Ryan. He enlisted the help of Ryan's godparents who reccomended he set me up at a place called Not So Plain Janes in Manchester and then they'd watch Ryan for us. We had to set things up for one of Adam's days off that didn't fall on a day when I also worked.

We planned it all out probably a month in advance and set out Tuesday night for Manchester. Ryan was thrilled to see the cats and his godparents, of course. I'd been looking forward to the pedicure and couldn't wait for Wednesday.

After a big breakfast we all set out and had pastries at Lala's Pastry shop in Manchester and then I was escorted to my pedicure appointment. The place was wonderful. The room was in a private part of the salon/spa and the treatement was wonderful. I felt like a queen. My feet also feel wonderful and look pretty! After all the loving my feet recieved I was taken to a relaxation room to wait for Adam to pick me up. It was delightful.

Then we had a late lunch/early dinner at Rovers, which serves Irish pub food. If you know anything about the husband you will know he has to order buffalo wings with every meal we eat out. The menu had five options so we ordered jerk wings and Vin and Kris ordered spicy teriyaki wings. Both we delicious, for which I am really thankful. My dinner of Finn's Stirfry was not so good, but I was too full from the salad and wings to really care.

We ended the evening with Ryan getting a chance to play more with the cats. I had photos, but seem to have left my camera in Manchester. It's okay since we're going back for Palm Sunday and an Easter egg hunt for Ryan.

Big Baby = Girl?

I thought my six-month-check-up would be quick and pretty straight forward. What was I thinking? I mean nothing about this pregnancy has been "normal" and it seems like every visit lands me for another test or ultrasound. Why would this month be any different?

Let's start with weight gain. Apparently you can attempt to eat healthy and watch what you put in to the body and discover you've put on five pounds in one month and that you almost weigh what you did when you had your last baby. My doctor's office has this HUGE scale they weigh everyone on and I call it the cow scale. I hate the cow scale and generally don't look, but for some reason I looked this week and was shocked by the numbers on the little digital screen.

Needless to say, we had that talk. The one where the doc says weight gain has a direct correlation to the size of baby. I'm not fully on board with this tought simply because two my my friends both had a 60 pound weight gain for their pregnancies. One delivered a six pounder and the other a 10 pounder.

I agreed that my weight gain was more than I wanted it to be. I know I can't lose weight while pregnant and that we'll just be careful. And she slipped in that my GD test was a close pass and I may have to take that one again. I jokingly said I would as long as I get to drink the orange drink this time.

We moved on to the heartbeat. Ryan thought that was pretty cool.

Lastly, we did the fundal height measurement. I was measuring two to three weeks ahead. While I think they have my due date off by a week (based on my careful calculations) I don't think I'm almost a month ahead. Of course, this is what sent me to the hospital a few hours later with Adam and Ryan in tow for yet another ultrasound. I've lost count of how many I've had this pregnancy.

Baby is cute, but apparently big, weighing in at 2.2 pounds putting baby in the 71st percentile. That puts me a week ahead of my due date, according to the tech. Of course, the tech couldn't tell us anything else. Someone else gets to read her report and tell our doctor whatever it is that needs telling. I have photos on a CD this time, but have no idea how to export them. I wish I could. At one point baby had its eyes open and Adam, the lover of all things eyes, was glad to see baby has a developed iris and pupil. =-)

Anyway, it seems like all my friends who have had or are having girls have measured large in terms of fundal height. Does that mean this baby will be a girl? The jury's still out.

Random

Here are a few random things that don't quite make up an entire post.

* I had my blood glucose test on Friday. Instead of the orange soda like stuff I had the one that was supposed to taste like Sprite, but just tasted like artificial sweetener. I’ll know the results this coming week when I go for my six-month check-up.

* Friends of my mother-in-law gave us a double stroller. Yay for double stroller!

* My mum sent a book with lots of activities for Ryan and I to try. There was a new toy for Easter in the package, too.

* I like my job, but I hate it when people get mad at me for things I cannot control. This week, a lady had her check denied. Usually most people just pay with a credit card. She said her check shouldn’t be denied because there was money in the bank (like we haven’t heard that before). I explained that there was a check that bounced for $35 at our store and I couldn’t take her check. She got upset and dug herself into a deeper hole when she said the check wasn’t her check, it was her husband’s (it was one of those starters with nothing at the top). I explained that the check had to be her own check that meant I definitely could not take the check. She wanted to know what she should do with her stuff and I explained I could suspend the transaction for a few hours and she’d be able to come back to our service desk and pay for her items with another form of tender. She stormed off. Came back an hour later demanding to know where the items she intended to purchase were. And did I mention the guy behind her wanted to know what was taking so long. And the person behind them handed me wet money. And a few customers after that a lady hands me money that looks like someone crumpled it and tossed it into the trash. Come on people!

* My day off was approved for Palm Sunday. We’re going to visit Ryan’s Godparents in Manchester. We rarely get to see them and we're really looking forward to this opportunity. A few days before that Adam’s taking me to get a pedicure, manicure and foot massage. This is my Valentine’s Day gift. We just had to plan for the right day (he’s been working a lot).

* I finished my Michael Connelly book in two naptimes. I’m now reading two books… “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult and “Odd Thomas” by Dean Koontz… only because Adam said “Odd Thomas” is really good and we have to return it to the library soon.

* Facebook is fun because I can post videos of Ryan for my parents and others to see.

* I’m hungry. I’ll go look for a snack.

Out and about

Ryan and I spent the afternoon out of the house. It was really nice to get out, even if the first part of it was at a doctor's office. I had my podiatrist visit today. I have been diagnosed over-pronation which is an issue with with plantar fascia, or the heel and arch of my foot. I get to wear pretty orthotics in my shoes. We get to hope that this goes away after pregnancy, but there's a chance, like my hyperthyroidism, it'll hang around.

After that visit we spent daddy's lunch hour with him and had a drink at Dunkin Donuts. We also saw Ryan's great aunt and looked at pictures of Ryan's cousin, who is just so cute. We also walked around WM, visited the shoe store to get my orthotics and put money in the bank.

Ryan loved being in the car, pointing out other cars as we drove along. At 24 weeks prego, I can no longer carry him around like I used to, so he got a lot of exercise from the car to each store or place we visited.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the day I go to my breastfeeding refresher class, but we're expecting a snow storm. I just wanted to go for new tips since I had such a hard time getting Ryan to latch on and ended up giving up breastfeeding and went to pumping for three months before going to formula. There's another class in March, so I'm not worried, plus I've read just about every breastfeeding book I can get my hands on thanks to the library.

Speaking of books, I picked up a book today by Michael Connelly, my favorite author. It's a Harry Bosh book and I couldn't find it in the library because it's only available in paperback. Thank you WM for filling my need for a good book to read. I can't wait for Ryan to go to bed so I can start into it (Adam's working late tonight).

Yay for a day of different things to do!

So far behind

I am really behind on scrapbooking these days. I have half of 2006, plus all of 2007 to put into albums. The task seems so huge, but I know I need to tackle it.

Yesterday I sorted the photos. Most of them were already in order, but I also discovered there were a few missing that I need to print. Today, I've managed to put four pages together... just photos, no journaling. The key is finding time to put a few photos down each day because I'd love to have it all done before LM II arrives.

I really love to scrapbook, but I miss the time I spent with Sarah doing this very hobby. The guys did their thing and we did ours. Now we live miles apart. I haven't found a group of people my age to scrapbook with just yet. Each time I hook up with a consultant in Maine I discover all her clinets are in their 50s. It's more fun when you can scrapbook with people the same age or close to the same age. I'm sure that's part of the reason I'm so far behind. Invites for crops show up in my inbox and I just discard them. Not to mention, each crop has a fee, which really hasn't be affordable in the past year.

But things are looking up in that department. Our house is rented (yay) and tax and bonus season are upon us!

And on another note, we've joinned the world of cell phones (again). We both had pay-as-you go plans until I became a stay-at-home mum. Adam then kept his plan (that was after I washed his old phone) but we're finding that his job keeps him travelling and we could use more minutes for those occasions. Our Vonage also doesn't work so well with our current internet connection so we've opted for a family plan. It gives Adam peace of mind too. I can go places with Ryan and he's assured I have a way of getting in touch with him in case I go into labor (hopefully quite a few more weeks away).

So I'm catching up on scrapbooking and the world of technology.

I'm in one of those moods

I made an attempt at posting a video here, but every time I try it takes forever and then tells me it can't be saved. I've tried posting the shortest one and it doesn't work either so I just give up. It was a cute video of Ryan playing with bubble wrap. Mainly he tried to avoid it and when he did step on it he screamed with delight and giggled. It was really cute.

Ryan had a particularly difficult day with the pacifier. He cried a lot on two occasions before finally going for his nap at 2:30. If you use a pacifier with your baby, don't make the mistake we made. Get rid of it between 9 and 12 months. 21 months... well now almost 22 months... is just way too late.

I haven't been in the best of moods. Baby two is busy kicking and has been since very early this morning. Sleeping is starting to become more difficult mainly because it's hard to find just the right way to be in bed and be comfortable. With Ryan I woke up each night at 2 and went back to bed at 4. At least it hasn't been that bad yet.

In addition to lack of sleep, I fear I may have an ear infection. I'm not too happy about this development.

To add to my moodiness I wish spring were here. I'm so sick of winter and being indoors. I think Ryan would love to be outside were it not nine degrees and snowing. It'd be good for both of us. Since I can't be at home in the Bahamas, I'm just longing for it and trying to come up with new things to do with Ryan so he isn't bored. An endless supply of new, age appropriate toys and games would be so welcome. I'll take any suggestions!

For now I'll take my grr-y self upstairs to clean up our lunch mess.

The five-month check-up

Ryan and I ventured out today for my five-month check-up. I would have preferred to stay indoors and not clean off a truck and then drive in the snow on slippery roads to the doctor's office, but I went anyway.

On Monday, we had the 20 week ultra sound... a week late. Doc says baby is not too big and not too small, ovarian cyst is gone and oh btw my placenta is no longer covering my cervix. She'd forgotten to mention this little tid bit until today. She mentioned she thinks she withheld the info on me because this pregnancy hasn't really been a picnic and she didn't want me to worry. While I'm glad she considered my mental health, I kind of wish I had know about this whole thing.

In another fun pregnancy twist I get to visit a poditrist in the next few weeks. My left foot feels like someone stabbed me there. It hurts when I sit and hurts worse when I walk. Worst of all it KILLS when I have to stand up for hours on end at my part-time job. It just so happens some women have feet problems during pregnancy.

And in just a few weeks I get to take that wonderful Glucose test. I didn't mind it so much with Ryan and I hope I feel the same way this time around.

In an update on the binky thing, Ryan is doing really well. It takes more than a hour to get him to nap in the afternoons, but he isn't screaming like he was a few days ago. I know by the end of the month he'll be fine with the napping and giving us trouble at bedtime. We all went out yesterday and purchased the movie Cars for him. It's his favorite and I've watched it so many times now I could probably recite the movie. Oh well.

Getting rid of binky

We're in the process of trying to get rid of Ryan's pacifier habit. We tried at about 15 months and I failed. I say I failed because I give in when he cries and give him the pacifier. At 12 months I figured getting rid of a bottle and a binky would be too much for him to handle at once. I put off the binky thing. Then at 15 months he did about two days of napping without it and then I couldn't take the crying anymore and gave in to him having binky.

At 21 months Ryan is now asking for binky when we don't give it to him at nap time. He still has it at bedtime. I joke that Adam should have taken a week off of work to help with this, but I know it's silly and that really the timing for him to get off work is just not right at this point.

So Ryan is currently one room away crying in his crib because it's now past nap time and binky is hidden away until 8 p.m.

Sometimes I wish we had never given him a pacifier, but his need for sucking was really great. If we hadn't given him one he'd have been drinking lots of formula or sucking his thumb. Plus it gave Adam comfort to know that they think pacifier users have a reduced risk of SIDS.

So now I wonder how to soothe Ryan who is not only crying for binky but for his beloved Paws who he threw up on this morning and is currently in the washing machine.

Oh the joys of motherhood =-)

Cute Ryan Photos

We all took a nap last Sunday. This is what I woke up to. Aren't they cute?

He plays hard, but knows when to take a real break.

He has learned how to blow bubbles. It's really fun to watch.

And he thinks he can play the same games daddy plays. We posed him for this photo.

An update on Ryan

We went to the doctor yesterday to find out how Ryan's bloodwork turned out and to see if he gained more weight. The bloodwork was fine and he's gained two pounds! Yay! I know it's not much, but it puts him back in the 5th percentile, which is so much better than below that mark. We're happy with that result. We go back in four months for his 24 month check up and we're praying he keeps gaining. We really don't want to go back to the hematologist.

Homesick

I've been feeling homesick lately... for two places. I know it's weird, but it's true.

The first bit of homesick feeling started on Saturday when I talked with mum. As she talked about dinner I had that urge to be at the dining room table eating fish, peas 'n rice and cole slaw and enjoying my family's company. I'd also like a game of dominos... not the mexican train one, but real dominos and a game of spades to be played after the dinner. I'm homesick for the sunshine and the beach and for so many friends, who, over the years, have become like family.

I usually get these feelings around Christmastime. Who doesn't want to be with their family and their traditions around the holidays? I miss different things at Christmas in the Bahamas, though. I miss going to bed at night and hearing faint sounds of Junkanoo music playing in some nearby shack where the costumes are being prepared. I miss the smell of cookies baking the way only mum can make. I miss many a church event, too.

In addition to missing home, I've had a longing for Illinois. Mainly, I long for dear friends still there and some who aren't just because of the closeness we had while at GC. We just don't have the same sort of friends here that we had there and ones I had made here who I thought were just right also moved away. I miss dinners with these friends and guys playing card games. I miss us playing Pit and Dutch Blitz. If you've never played either, you should. Both games are really fun.

I also miss my old job in Illinois. I loved working at the LU. People there were like family. It wasn't like the weird place I worked here where people were out for their own success. It was truly a family that wanted the entire paper to succeed. Mind you, I'm not sure I'd want to go back to work now that I've been at home with Ry for almost two. Working at WM doesn't really count since I only work there two days a week.

I also miss things like the St. Louis Zoo, the Science Museum, Ted Drews, the arch and its museum, Cards baseball and the many concerts we saw at the Kiel Center. Life felt full there and that's what I truly miss.

Of course, it' s the firendships I miss most. We have friends here, but it's not quite the same. I miss those real deep conversations about faith and the other ones about politics that didn't matter what you thought because we all thought differently and that was okay. You weren't weird for whatever it was you were thinking. We were just accepted.

Some day we'll have that togetherness again. I sure feel far away from others as they have babies and search for new jobs and new avenues in life. I wish we never had to leave, but I do enjoy Maine. I've grown to like it here also. Sometimes I just miss the midwest.

More medical updates

Ryan and I had doctor visits today. Since his last visit after the ER fever incident, he's lost two pounds. So he's put on less than a pound in a month. Funny thing is, he's eating better than ever before. In two weeks we go back for another evaluation and before that we have more blood work to get done. I'm not looking forward to it. I just don't see anything wrong with the kid. He looks normal to me.

I'm measuring right at 17 weeks, which is good. Let's not discuss pounds gained by this mommy. Let's just say it's kind of mean to put a pregnant lady on the scale right after lunch.

After about 15 minutes of trying to find Little McGee II's heartbeat, we ended up being sent to the hospital for yet another ultra sound. And baby is fine. He/She just had their back/butt to us so the heartbeat was hard to find. We found it and it was a wonderful 146 beats per minute. The ultra sound tech almost told us what we were having. Glad we stopped that in its tracks. I prefer just prefer not to know.

On a completly different note, if we didn't have car insurance that deer run-in would have cost us more than $3,000 to fix. Thank you insurance! We only owe $250.

The antler

Adam took an unusually long time getting home from work last night. His first stop was the pharmacy, where they had to sort out new rules about my prescription for my thyroid. It used to be that I could get a one month and five day supply, but now I can only get a one month supply. Really, it's not a big deal to me. We both work in a place where we can pick up my prescription whenever. It took the pharmancy 45 minutes to figure this all out.

Then Adam headed home. For you Mainers, he was just about to cross the Arundel and Kennebunk town lines when a deer ran into the passenger side of our car.

Back in the day I remember Adam telling me how a similar thing happened to Adam G. It seemed funny then.

Anyway, the deer managed to put two large dents into the passenger side of the car and completly wipe out the side-view mirror. So, Adam got out of the car to pick up the mirror. While he was doing so, a guy in a truck stopped, not to find out how he was doing, rather to pick up the antler the deer left behind before limping off into the... well it's not really woods... brush? Too shocked for words at the time, Adam wishes he'd said something like, "Hey that's mine since he hit me!" Oh well.

I'm really glad we don't have a high deductible and that this whole thing will be fixed soon. I'm also glad I wasn't driving. And I'm really glad the car is still driveable.

Hyper

Well, my thyroid is anyway. My blood tests revealed that my thyroid is working overtime to not produce its hormones. So, more meds for me (and for those of you wondering, they're perfectly safe to take during pregnancy. Ryan turned out just fine). Hopefully, I'll feel rested soon and I hope that my one day a week morning sickness will go away too.

Finally!

I've finally finished Ryan's scrapbook. It's the one that documents his first year of life. It was supposed to be done in time for his first birthday, but I was very much behind. I'm just glad it's done before LM 2 will arrive. Now to work on scrapbooking 2007! Like I said, I am really behind. Adam has promised to help, so we'll see if that actually comes about.

Ryan and I have doctor's appointments next week. Me for my four month check up and Ryan for a follow up on his lack of weight gain over the past half year. Since we started the PediaSure he's gained five pounds according to our scale. There is hope!

As for me, I am plain tired. I so don't remember being this tired at this stage of pregnancy with Ryan. I still go to bed with him and nap with him just as if this were my first trimester. However, the morning sickness is mainly once a week sickness, which I can totally handle. But headaches have started to appear, oh, about every three days. It really stinks. I bumped into my doctor after my bloodwork on Tuesday and she kindly told me some women suffer from migranes during pregnancy. I think I'd rather the morning sickness. She and I plan to discuss this more next week.

I've already had some serious headaches early on in this pregnancy, but the drug I was taking isn't approved for long term use in pregnancy. So it's back to Tylenol. I also had horrible headaches with Ryan, but it was just days before delivery and Tylenol with codine was wonderful.

As with my last pregnancy, I am huge for four months. I haven't gained any more weight since the day my doctor told me I'd gained 14 pounds in the first trimester. I think those pounds were due to the need to eat in order to not throw up. As long as I was full the puking stopped. Now that I'm not sick I don't need to eat ALL THE TIME.

Ryan is starting to get the idea that mommy will have a baby. He points to my stomach when we ask where is baby? If you ask if he wants a sister, most times he shakes his head "no."

Oh and we think we've narrowed down the boy names. Yay! We still have our girl name from last time.

Now just to wait for June!

Happy 2008

I'm late in posting Christmas photos, but they're finally here. We drove home yesterday from Vin and Kris' home in New Hampshire in a snow storm. I wasn't happy (knowing about the storm ahead of time I tried to vito Adam's rule, which didn't work) but we arrived home safely. Yay! My knuckles were white and I'm sure my blood pressure was twice what it should have been, but we're okay and ready to enjoy 2008.




The Family photo.

Ryan loves his new "car."
He isn't too sure of the new sled, but I'm sure he'll like it after a few more tries.

He discovered he can feed a baby. He also knows there's a baby in mummy's tummy, though I think he thinks it's a joke.

Merry Christmas

Here's Ry's Christmas photo. If you didn't get one in the mail, don't be offended... we just got too busy to send lots of them out. Merry Christmas to you all.

He's on the mend

And we're so thankful. He even gained a pound even though he was sick. Ryan's been a bit crabby today, but he's at least playing and his fever is so slight I'm feeling way better.

Yay!

Ryan goes to the ER

He's fine now, but it was scary at first. The kid was fine yesterday, but when I put him down for a nap I noticed he was a little warm. He woke up screaming, had a fever of 101.8 and wouldn't eat.

The the throwing up started. It wasn't pretty, but he'd only had one sippy cup of milk and a mini blueberry muffin all day.

Then he was vomiting clear stomach liquid and choking. I called Adam. Then I called the doctor.

And so began our seven hour stay in the ER where Ry's temp spiked to 103.2, they poked him three times before getting blood and starting an IV (he wasn't happy) and discovered that maybe he just has a GI infection.

There's nothing worse than having your kid in the ER and not being able to be in the room to comfort them when they need you. I don't do needles. When I get IVs or blood drawn I have a system that works for me, but if I had to hold him down like Adam did last night I'd been sobbing and most likely pass out.

They put a little cast like thing on his arm to keep him from getting the IV out. He tried to get it out before crying himself to sleep.

We got home at 1:30 this morning.

Good news is he's had all the blood work done and all came back with good results, well except for the thyroid one which we don't have back yet.

We saw the doctor today and she's happy that he's better. He's laughed a little today. Adam stayed home with us for most of the day, but is at work now.

I just wish little kids never had to get sick.

Of cookies and snow

Here are a few photos of Ryan in his big brother t-shirt with cookies and the in the snow. I promised a photo of LM2 in the womb... we need to find the scanner. It's packed and I'm just not sure where it could be.


Ryan loves baking cookies. He is skilled with the rolling pin.
Who knows what happened to the cookie cutter?
Getting ready to go out in the snow Friday.
Both dada and Ryan all ready.

And the two playing in the snow, which Ryan thought was fun with dada. And there's more snow predicted for Sunday. Afterall, it is Maine.

Medical Update

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. My cyst has decreased 45 more percent since my last ultra sound almost four weeks ago. Yay! No surgery! *doing happy dance*

We even brought home photos of LM2 who has a big head just like his/her brother did! We were in the room and Adam looks at me and says, "I have bad news for you. This kid likes touching his head too." It's kind of funny now, but it wasn't when Ryan was born. He came out with his hand on his head and Adam was telling me he thinks this kid will be the same. As long as he/she is healthy, I will eventually forgive them for coming out that way, if that should happen.

Ry also had a well baby check up today. He's still 21 pounds. He's been 21 pounds for a LONG time now. He eats just fine, though if there's something on his plate he loves like meat, pasta or bread, he'll eat more of that than say vegetables. He has to go for fasting blood work (poor kid) soon. They're checking for a lot of things mainly diabetes and thyroid problems (we knew there'd be a chance he'd develop a thyroid problem because of mine and me taking drugs while pregnant). For now we'll start him on PediaSure to see if that will help him gain weight. And no juice. The doctor said he may be filling up on that, which I doubt. Most days he only drinks two to four ounces of it, but we'll do what she says.

We also think he has a UTI, which isn't going to be fun to actually diagnose. Tonight we have to adhere a cup with a bad attached to it for him to pee in while sleeping and then bring that to the dr's office. This kid is going to hate us!

Anyway, thanks again. Photo of LM2 and some of Ryan to follow this week.

The day before the big test

I feel like it's the day before a really big exam... one you just cannot fail. Tomorrow morning is my thrid ultra sound of this pregnancy. The results will determine whether I need surgery while pregnant or if life will continue as normal. There are days when I feel very positive about this experience. I feel like the reduction of the cyst by 20 percent in two weeks (between weeks 7 and 9) mean the cyst will be gone and no surgery will be needed. Then there are the days when I have a complete meltdown because I really can't imagine surgery while pregnant. Well, I cannot imagine surgery period.

Today I am nervous. I cannot prepare as if this were an exam. It's more like a pop quiz. I'll show up and the results will be what they will be. I'm still nervous. It's going to take a long time for 9:30 tomorrow morning to get here.

For now I wait and hope to pass this test.

Did I mention...

that Kyle and Sarah visited in November? Well they did and it was great. Here's a photo of us together. Sarah's due in May for their first baby. I already have a small baby belly. The morning sickness has not yet left, which is so disappointing. I was having a really good week and then this morning things were bad possibly because I went to be hungry... not good.

The man in the bedroom and other stories

There was a man in our bedroom last night. I don't expect anyone to believe me especially after the last time I saw a man on the couch and he was just a sweatshirt and guitar case (see my post from May).

But there was a man standing at the door to our bedroom last night. Adam's convinced it's the new headache medicine my doc gave me. It's a narcotic. It can cause hallucinations. That's his theory. It could be right.

My mother-in-law, however, believes in spirits. I don't mean wine and spirits, though I'm sure she likes those too. I mean the ones that visit you. Once she claims to have seen angels guarding her room while her husband was away on business. My father-in-law has seen a lady in a blue dress walk in our living room. My grandmother used to tell us that my grandfather would come and sit on the bed and talk to her after he had died.

I didn't hold a conversation with the man in the doorway, instead I tried to call for help. Hello, there was a strange person standing in our doorway. I don't know if I believe in spirits the way these other people in my life do, but there was something in that doorway, real or imagined last night and it freaked me out.

In other stories, I am anxiously awaiting my ultrasound next week. I just want to know if I'm having surgery while pregnant or if the cyst has disappeared. It's exciting that this will be my third ultrasound and that we get to see baby again. There have been a lot of people who've sent encouraging messages about this whole situation. I've needed those. Thank you.

And one last pregnancy thing. I'm hungry all. the. time. Someone help me please! I was not this hungry with Ryan. I'm sure that had something to do with being miserably sick until seven months. This time, while sick, I'm not nearly as miserable as with Ry. Having my thyroid under control probably has something to do with this. I refuse to gain one more pound in the two weeks remaining in my first trimester!

Ryan bakes more cookies

This was the finished product. Notice the very green cookie. He worked on that one for a long time.

He's eating and working at the same time!

The post I've been wanting to write

As the title suggests, I've been waiting to write this for awhile, but I've had to wait for the right timing.

McGee's three will become McGee's four in June 2008... we are expecting again!

I feel I should be more excited, but this pregnancy hasn't been any fun so far. The excitement ended the day after the pregnancy test was positive in the Babies R Us bathroom. (I couldn't bring the test here for the in-laws to see it!) The happiness ended because of a yeast infection. Just not nice.

Then there was morning sickness at week five! Week FIVE people. GRRRR! I went to work and quickly came home. Went to the doctor who wanted me to go to the hospital, but I managed to hold that water in until the parking lot! We got our prescription and it's been better, but not the best.

Then there was the UTI. Can things just stop going wrong down there? Please? Pretty Please?!

Oh no. That would be too easy. Pregnancy always has to be complicated for me. Last time it was my thyroid which made my pregnancy high risk because it's easy to miscarry. We made it though. This time, thyroid problems do the same thing, so I had an ultra sound at seven weeks. Baby's heart rate was fine and things seemed fine.

But the doctor and the ultra sound tech had a conversation in whispers... and I wondered, but she said nothing. Well, until this week when she informs me I need another ultra sound because, "you have a really large ovarian cyst that can cause complications in later months."

Okay don't panic because doc says this can be taken care of early and early is better than too late.

Ultra sound number two lands me in an office with a specialist who explains that during the first trimester most women develop a smaller version of the cyst that I have because it keeps the pregnancy viable until the eighth week when the placenta takes over. The problems is that mine is still the size of a baseball at week nine.

So now we wait until week 13 when we do a third ultra sound. If the cyst has gone away, no need for surgery. If it's still there I get to have surgery while pregnant. Fun, huh? And in the meantime if I feel like I might be miscarrying, I.E. in a lot of pain, get to the ER because it's something to do with the cyst!

So begins the life of Little McGee II. While we're feeling excited about giving Ryan a brother or sister (and we aren't finding out the gender until he or she enters the world...much to my sister-in-laws frustration) we're nervous about the whole cyst thing.

Ryan has no idea about baby, though he puts his head on my stomach and listens sometimes. I think he mostly hears gas or other tummy rumblings. Speaking of tummy rumblings, I've been more hungry this pregnancy than the last. More hungry is not good when you are also not keeping food in most mornings and sometimes in the evenings.

And this, btw, was the secret that my dear friend Sarah leaked to co-workers of Adam's. We didn't want family finding out through them and had planned to wait to tell my in-laws last this time (my parents first since they visit this weekend) but that ruined that plan. Oh well =-)

Now to tell my parents tonight. Maybe I'll take photos and post them here later this week.

Ryan goes trick-or-treating




Ryan went trick-or-treating last night, thanks to a borrowed costume from our neighbours. He really enjoyed getting the treats. He went at Squirt from Finding Nemo. Dada helped him knock on doors, though he is really good at it himself. It was fun and he was just so cute. This is my second attempt of this post. The first one ended badly when Ryan pressed some button that made it all go away!

And then it got around...

Last night we had a lovely dinner with our friends Marie and Mike. It was really nice to see them and their new apartment.

Then we got home.

And there was a message on our answering machine from Adam's newest employee (who is so wonderful) that revealed that someone told another employee something that was supposed to be a secret.

I know I had only told one person. ONE person. And somehow this bit of information had leaked out to one of my husband's employees who was gossipy enough to share with new employee boy who thought we should be aware of such a situation.

I was so mad, but I didn't believe my trusted friend, Sarah C., would not keep a secret. Then dear old husband reminded me that her mother had been nearby when I told said secret and probably missed the part where I said, "but this is just between us, okay."

A little investigation today and we find that it was most likely Sarah C.'s mother-dear.

But still... can't people mind their own business? I'm still in fear that the secret has been told to millions!

USS Albacore

We took a field trip this weekend to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth New Hampshire. The sub was a test ship from 1953 to 1972 and was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. We had fun and are glad we decided to go.

Fall Photo



So many photos of Ryan... I picked this one to share since it's nice and fall-like. He loved this day. We went to Punkin Fiddle and saw lots of animals... he called them all dogs, but hey, it was fun!

Baby Rhyme Time

Ryan went to his first Baby Rhyme Time today. At first he held on for dear life and didn't want to do any of the songs or anything. Then we did some rhymes that involved being bounced on my knee and tickled in the tummy and hew as very much into it then.

The toys came out later and he was very much delighted. Only thing is, being an only child so far, Ryan just walked around and stole toys from other babies, even when he already had a toy. It was kind of funny, but at the same time we'd love for him to learn to share.

And he didn't want to leave, mostly because of the toys.

I am glad we went, even if it took a half hour to get there!

Ear infection and Strep

My ear hurt so bad on Sunday that we went to the urgent care place in Wells. Not only do I have an ear infection, I also have strep. I swear if I get in a 50 foot radius of someone with strep, I get it! My ear hurt so bad that I didn't notice the pain in my throat. My ear still hurts today, but at least I only have one prescription for both ailments.

We moved yesterday too. It's nice to finally be done, but I hated every minute of the move. Ryan is outside with his grandmother laughing right now, so he's happy, and that's good.

Now just to find where we packed everything =-)

My ear hurts and we're moving

This week I've been really tired. Ryan keeps waking up for the day at 5:30 a.m. - not good. Some how it was okay when he was ity bity, but now it's just not fun. This morning he climbed over me, grabbed my hand and took me to the fridge for his milk. He drank it in our bed and then went back to sleep. I am still awake. I think I have an ear infection. It REALLY hurts. It's also Saturday, which means I'll have to wait till Monday to see the doctor. Sigh.

We're also in the process of our big move to the in-law's basement apartment.... well that's what it will be once the living room and bathroom are done. Right now, it's just two bedrooms. We were supposed to move Thursday, but there were some finishing things to do and yesterday I worked 9-6. We're going to move our stuff tomorrow after church.

I know this move will be good for us in terms of getting out of debt from when the newspaper job when south, but I'm not ready for it. I like our house. I don't want to rent it out to strangers (no one wants to buy it, apparently).

Then I read Kathleen's post and thought, maybe my attitude needs to shift from one of grumpiness, negativity, and complaining (and thinking that this won't work out) to one of peace and of 'the hope of the glory of God.'"

In separate news, my friend, Sarah "six months" (so nicknamed because she didn't know she was pregnant with baby number dos until she was six months pregnant) is expecting baby number three. This time, she's just 12 weeks along. We're really excited for them. They're great parents to Trevor and Madison.

In other news, I had wicked cute photos of Ryan to post, but the usb cord that connects from my camer to the computer is not working. Sorry.

Must go take asprin for ear. Will write more after the move.

K-12

I got this idea from my friend Gillie

It's a really neat way to remember life a long time ago... at least it seems like a long time ago.

Kindergarten: My teacher's name was Miss Courtney and she had this puppet that came out on rainy days.

First Grade: Mrs. Cooper was my teacher and I remember my cousin Gina and this boy, Pete sitting at the back of the class. We also wrote really small in this grade. I remember she liked small, neat handwriting.

Second Grade: I had an awesome teacher, Miss Jenkins who married high school P.E. teacher Mr. Fretz. Anyway, I discovered some of my favorite books in her class during reading hour. They are, James and the Giant Peach, Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Also, we did a play and I had the role of the teacher.

Third Grade: Mrs. Malcolm was my teacher. She had a paddle named Big Ben. You never wanted to get hit with Big Ben for being bad in class. I also remember this kid Arthur wet his pants a lot.

Fourth Grade: I had Mr. Tatum for a teacher. He was from Texas and loved to talk about it. I mostly remember spelling bees where he would call out a word and two people would be at the chalkboard. First to spell it right got their team points. Katrina and I used to be paired against each other. We were the fastest.

Fifth Grade: This was a fun year. Nashika came to our school that year. She was cool. Jaton, Nashika and I were really good friends the next two years. Mrs. Hannah had a sleep-over for all the girls and several pool parties for our entire class. Such fun!

Sixth Grade: Jr. Girls Softball Championship lost. Class trip to Orlando. Awesome.

Seventh Grade: I remember a lot about the seventh grade. I could write a book. The thing that stands out most is that there were a lot of teachers "from away" (as they say in Maine). I had to get used to Jamaican, British and several other accents. Miss Neita was a crazy teacher. It was the first year I met Tom Barkley, my math teacher and friend. This was my second year playing Jr. Girls Softball.

Eighth Grade: Hatchet...that book about a boy that gets stranded on an island.... we read the same chapter over and over in Miss Burrows (aka Rummy) class because the woman could not remember anything! We were convinced she was drinking...hence the nickname. She also saved a special seat at the front of the class for the Holy Spirit.

Ninth Grade: Bahamas Junior Certificate Examinations. Miss Button was my Math teacher. She was awesome. This was also the best year in terms of friends from church. We had an awesome group that always hung out together. Good times.

Tenth Grade: Miss Smith was one of my homeroom teachers. I'm not sure if it was this year or the year before, but at some point she painted her VW Beetle (the old school one) like a purple zebra. Senior Girls Softball Team wins championships. I was the catcher.

Eleventh Grade: Long evenings with Jaton and Mr. Brown working on yearbook.

Twelfth Grade: Softball team sucked this year, but I played anyway. I also remember our coursework for BGCSEs (another national exam) where I made a vest and school bag. The two pieces ended up touring the Bahamas.

More Photos


So this was one of three dolphins we saw while boating. The first day I just thought it was a shark, but that it was still cool. We circled around and it came up for air again. I tired to get photos that day, but no luck. The second day there were two. I managed to get a photo of the baby one.


One of the big crabs we caught.


Ryan learns to drive.

Abaco

Our trip to Abaco was wonderful. Adam got lots of rest, which he really needed since he works so hard. His rest included finishing the HP books 5 and 6. He is on to the Deathly Hallows now!

My mum watched Ryan each morning so that I could go fishing with the guys. I really love to fish so this was just wonderful. On Thursday and Friday we caught a lot of fish. Thursday was my lucky day as I pulled in 75 percent of our catch. Oh what fun!

It seems the days went by too fast and we did so much. We have LOTS Of photos. I'll try to post a few here, but they are already up on facebook for those who use that internet tool.


The three of us in the water. We swam just about every night. So relaxing.


My favorite photo from this trip. Ryan explores the water by himself. Then runs to dada because he has sand in his shoes =-)

Another fav of my little boy.

More photos tomorrow.

Trip

We're visiting my parents this weekend (a nice gift from them). Packing stresses me. I've been packing since Monday... I do this before I travel. I'm still worried we will leave something we need for Ryan or something really important like bras or something. Other than that I am really looking forward to the time with my family, days spent exploring the island with Ryan and resting!

Look for photos next Monday.

Counting my blessings

Today I recieved a great surprise in the mail. Dear friends of ours sent is a gift card. It's enough to cover our groceries for almost a month. I cried when I finally figured out what it was. At first I thought there was a mix up at home office, but then it all became very clear.

In addition to this wonderful blessing, I recieved a long e-mail from a long lost friend. His words were very uplifting in a time when things aren't so great. He suggested I count my blessings. He reminded me that while our situation right now seems bleak I have a loving husband, a handsome son, great friends and family and we aren't living on the street!

I counted a few more blessings. Our repairs to the bathroom didn't cost us a lot. My in-laws brought us a pot roast for dinner on Sunday along with lots of goodies that actually helped us make it through the week in terms of lunch food. We are going to visiting my family this weekend.

This list could go on for a long time, but making it lifted my spirits. Yay!

Facebook

So when I started a blog I figured that would be it for me. It's not every day I get to post and I often have to think about what to write or where I stored those photos so I can put them here.

Then an old friend, Scott, invited me to join facebook. At first I was just going to delete the e-mail. I mean I already have a blog that I have a hard time keeping up with and I stink at writing email to friends. Why sign myself up for more failure?

Then I decided to poke around.

And I signed up.

Now I'm addicted.

Did I mention it was just yesterday that I signed up?

Let me tell you what I love about it.

You can find people you haven't heard from in ages... like high school ages. It's really nice to see what people are doing these days. I'd only kept in touch with one high school friend and now I get to see what's happening in so many other lives. People are getting married, having kids, building houses. And you can just post one line-ers on their facebook page... nothing complicated like a long e-mail. You can just say, "hi."

It's easy. Fill in some blanks, add some photos... piece of cake.

I also played a cool game or two.

I just like the site... check it out sometime.

The Peabodys and a butterfly

Here are a few photos from when Marc and Robin visited this past week. I was horrible at taking photos... and we went places together... like Shaines (Sarah, there's a huge sign outside that says "Open Year Round." No need to worry about November) and to Old Orchard Beach... and I have just two photos. I think it's safe to say their most memorable moment of the trip was when Ryan threw up all over the backseat of the car... just kidding! It was great to see them. Reunion in Greenville next year all Greenville-ites from our years there? Anyway there's also a photo of a butterfly that frequents my garden.

Essay Contest

How winning this contest would impact/change my life? (www.metrocast.net/~winmyhouse)

Our friends are in the same situation as we are in terms of owning a house they’d like to sell in order to get a fresh start on life. The only differences are that their house cost way more and they have two children and one on the way.

Last year they tried to sell their home the conventional way. This year, they’ve opted to try something new. They’re holding an essay contest. Write a 250-word essay or less about how winning their wonderful home could change your life and pay an entry fee of $100. If 3,000 people enter they pay off their mortgage and the best writer gets the house.

I told my mom about their creativity and she suggested we enter the contest (she’d give us the $100). Her reasoning is that we have nothing to lose and maybe this is God’s way of helping us out.

Thing is, I don’t know what to write. They want witty writing. They want good grammar and punctuation. They want something so good it would beat out 3,000 other people’s reasons for a house. They don’t want an essay full of clichés, which is what I feel I could give them (maybe that could be witty?).

I’ve started an essay about ten times already (essay deadline: Nov. 30), but I cannot commit to any one of those beginnings. For example: “Winning 28 Park Street would give my family a new lease on life and allow us to spend more time together raising our family the way we feel is right.” That just seems too boring. They want catchy.

So this is our story in the best way I know how to write it.

A young man has always had one dream: to have a family and be the sole provider for his wife and children. While attempting to achieve this dream in the overtaxed and underpaid state of Maine that young man has instead worked so many hours to barely get by that he doesn’t get to spend time with his family. With ever-increasing debt the young man realizes that his dream may never be fulfilled the way he had hoped.

That young man is my husband, Adam, and winning the house at 28 Park Street would make his only dream of providing for his family on his income alone a reality. In addition, it would allow him to spend time with the family he loves so much. Instead of working 12-hour shifts to pay off debt, Adam could work nine hours a day and spend evenings and weekends with his family.

Adam would not miss out on silly events like seeing his son run around the house with a little red cape on his back screaming, “subah man!” Adam and I would get to spend quality time together instead of sleepily telling each other important things about the day as we go to bed at night. Debt would be paid off so we wouldn’t be going to live with our parents in their basement with our one year old. We’d have our independence, we’d have our family and a longtime dream would be fulfilled.

Too redundant? Got any suggestions?

We have time to re-write it. We just want to win!

FAUCET UPDATE

A quick update to the pouring faucet incident. The part cost $35... it's fixed... well mostly. It still leaks a little, but we think we have it figured out. Adam's dad is coming to help us on Sunday. He was supposed to come this eveing, but that didn't work out. Plus our friends Marc and Robin are visiting and we've been spending late evenings with them. For now, the water isn't gushing and the basement is again dry! And $35 is do-able, though still not in the budget. I guess we should count our blessings!

LEAKING FAUCET

Ever have one of those nights that just makes the whole week stink? Well that was last night.

We had a leak in the bathroom faucet. It wasn't so bad a few weeks ago then last night it was just bad. So, Adam said tightening a screw would help. Oh no! It did not help. The water just started POURING out. Then we shut off the valve to the bathroom and the water started pouring in our basement. After 15 minutes we finally discover the well hidden valve that turns off the water from outside. GRRR! We really have no spare cash to fix said mess, but let's face it... we need to shower, do dishes... all that stuff.

So at 9:30 last night Adam's dad came to help us see if it was a simple fix. No such luck. Today we go to purchase parts with no money to spare. I swear we have the worst luck with this stuff. A month ago it was our car that we absolutly need to fix, but didn't have $800 to fix it with, but had to anyway.

Our house is on the market, but has only seen one couple who aren't ready to buy just yet. The money situation stinks right now. Adam works SO MUCH. I work, but ony days he doesn't work because we can't put Ry in day care nor can we afford another car. It just sucks. We just want a fresh start and it's not happening.

Now to go help fix the mess that happened last night!

RYAN LEARNS TO BAKE

On rainy days I wonder what to do with Ry. He loves to be outside so these days are difficult if they cannot be broken up with time at the park or in the yard. Today was one of those days. He was being so good until about 3 p.m. I decided to let him learn to bake. I watched his every move, of course. He helped put the flour in the bowl, put the cookies on the cookie sheet and begged to take them off when they were done, but that was my job! He loved standing on the chair next to me (we've done this before when I've had to cook or wash dishes and he wants to see what's going on)and thought it was cool to move the cookies into one large cluster on the sheet. We really had fun.

In addition to baking, he's learned how to put shoes on and so he brought Adam's shoes to me and put his little feet inside and sat around for a little while just looking at the shoes.

Enjoy the photos!


Wearing dad's shoes.


I like putting the cookies on the cookie sheet.


I'm so strong I can pick this up and give it to mum to put in the oven.


Ryan waits for the cookies to get out of the oven. (He was not allowed to take them off the cookie sheet... he had to watch mum do that job.)

On motherhood and Harry Potter

Warning: random ramblings about being mommy and Harry Potter

A long time ago I made a post about being a mommy It was May 24... about a week after my doctor gave Ryan to Adam and said, "This is your son; he's yours for a lifetime." Being a mommy then was hard. I had no clue about what lack of sleep can do to a person or how difficult breastfeeding can be if you have no support from family or friends.

A year later I can say that there are still days when being a mommy is tough. Like this week for example... Ryan decides to scream in church (once) and we promptly took him out. The guy behind us says, "Geez it's about time!" This is the time in mommyhood when you want to punch someone, but can't because you're in church. Then Monday, he was a whinny boy. Just whined the whole day. I know he wanted to go outside, but it was raining and no matter what cool game or activity I came up with, he just wanted to be "owsie." Then Tuesday he was an angel. He got to go outside. The rain had stopped. Yay! Today he wanted to climb the stairs at Aunt Vanessa's house without anyone watching him and he didn't want to go to bed. And the kid never listens when I say no, but listens to daddy.

While there are days that are tough and make me want to pull my hair out, I wouldn't want to trade them for anything. He's so precious when he takes his two little hands and holds my face and gives me really wet kisses, over and over and over again. He laughs after every kiss. And I love it when he comes over when I'm reading a magazine and gently closes it to remind me I'm supposed to be playing with him instead (not that I've forgotten, I just thought I could sneak in some reading really quickly). I love it when he runs to the door when Adam gets home and claps his hands and squeels with delight. He's my sweet baby. A treasure sent from heaven.

Sister-in-law is experiencing the new mommy blues like I did. It wasn't easy, but we made it through. Her circumstances are different, but it's still tough. Babies don't come with instructions and they are all so different. What may work for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. This too shall come to pass and she will look back and laugh at thinking how complicated baby seems now. I do. I laugh thinking that I cried becasue Adam went to work and I was left "alone." I confessed this to my doctor at our two week check up and at six weeks she confessed that she was afraid I was in for some serious post-partum depression. We can laugh at it now, but back then it wasn't funny.

I've said it a million times, but I wouldn't trade being mommy for anything else. I love watching Ryan grow and learn. I especially love when he calls socks "shoes!" and tries to put them on our feet. I love when he's so brave and runs across the bridge at the park all by himself.

So this has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I did finish book seven. I won't give anything away, but I will say I loved it. Adam had theories about Snape and he was right. And there was a theme running through them all, which I cannot discuss now, but at some later date. I think J.K. Rowling has grown as a writer and that her work has been clever. It'd be nice if she created another world for us to escape to sometime, but if not, maybe there will be other writers who write original things (not additions to Harry Potter or copycats!) that will be just as clever and continue to get children and adults alike reading.

She's here!

Here are two wonderful photos. One of Madison Lucy born Sunday, July 15 at 9:30 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and 18 inches long. I am a proud aunt who hasn't seen her neice yet... Adam took these photos... I was at work yesterday afternoon when he visited.

Also here's one of my handsome Ryan playing in a drawer that I was cleaning out. He's hugging his buddy Paws.

Another baby update

Sister-in-law will be induced today. She was having contractions last night and they watched her all night and decided to induce today. They think she'll have baby sometime late tonight or very early tomorrow morning.

Sister-in-law's father is still in hospital. The stroke did most of the damage on the right side of the brain. So he's loosing speach, memory and balance. He's starting some therapy today and they are also watching him because he has been having seizures.

Thanks again for the prayers. I'll post photos of Madison when she arrives.

Update

Seems like sister-in-law and baby are okay. She had an appointment with the doctor today.

As for her dad, the news is still sketchy. It seems as if the stroke could have been fairly bad, so continue to pray for him.

Prayer Request

Hello all...

My sister-in-law is 37 weeks pregnant and found out that her amniotic fluid is low, which is not good for baby. In addition, she found out today that her father had a stroke on Saturday. Apparently they were keeping the information from her so as not to worry her. She's a wreck now, as I can only imagine. Her parents live in New York so she's hoping for the OK from her doc to travel. Her name is Vanessa and her dad's name is Frank. I'll update when I know more.

Thanks again. It's so nice to have a wonderful extended family in Christ.

A 7/7/07 Wedding

We attending a wedding yesterday. Here are the two best photos. It was a nice wedding, but the long drive has me tired today.



Chris and Sarah


Ryan and Dada at the table waiting for our food.

More photos



Playing dress up with dada's tie.



Dada and Ryan sleeping together on Sunday.


What a mosquito bite under the eye can look like.