have you ever noticed how purposeful we can be with our time when we know that there is only a little bit of it left? i would venture to guess that we military families understand this better than most people. when you know that a loved one will be deploying soon, you make the most of every moment. things like facebook or shopping or watching pointless shows on tv just don't have the same appeal as say, doing laundry with your loved one and packing their bags with them, or cooking dinner together or going for a walk as a family.
moms, we also understand the value of time pretty well. the minute you get that little one down for a nap, you know your clock is ticking. every second counts, and if you haven't prioritized in advance it is so easy to get off track and distracted (at least it's easy for me to do it). it is so disappointing to hear my son* waking up from his nap and realize that i've wasted an entire naptime reading nonsense on the internet and have accomplished nothing.
i'm trying to make a concerted effort to be more purposeful with my time now. it certainly isn't easy, because i will be the first to admit that i am the queen of distraction, but i have memorized these verses to help me stay on track: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:15-17. making the most of every opportunity... i love that phrase. here's my challenge to you: be purposeful this week and see if you notice a difference in your life somehow, whether in your relationships with family, or in your performance at work, etc. and then let me know about it.
*i don't exactly like calling my son "lucky baby." it just doesn't fit him... we have a nickname for him that starts with the letter Z, so i think he's just going to be Z on my blog from now on. and no, his real name does not start with the letter Z.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
baby story time
i realize it has been over a year since i posted anything here, but i have a reason! our son. he has to be the busiest boy ever born, and he doesn't need much sleep. thankfully, i don't need much sleep either, but that leaves me with precious little time to take care of necessities while he is sleeping, and blogging obviously hasn't fallen under the necessary category.
however, i have a little extra time on my hands due to LH's current assignment and so i think i'll try to write a little more if for no reason than to keep myself amused. first and foremost, it's time for me to finally tell the story of lucky baby's birth.
i don't think i've ever met a woman who hasn't enjoyed sharing her labor and delivery story. let me start mine by saying that i truly hope God allows me to repeat pregnancy and the whole birthing experience one day, because i cannot wait to do it again. to me, there always seemed to be a sort of dread among women when it came to the all so important point between pregnancy and motherhood: childbirth. i too, felt that way, but deep down inside, i believed that God wouldn't want us to dread something that he created, something that leads to such joy afterwards. a friend loaned a book to me called supernatural childbirth, in which the author laid out God's promises concerning pregnancy and delivery. i immediately began praying for my delivery, and also for our developing baby. even though satan wants to steal our joy, our God is so much bigger and more powerful than he is.
for weeks leading up to lucky baby's birth, i had been having the usual braxton hicks contractions. on this particular sunday, however, i woke up at 4:30am and thought that this would be a perfect day to have our baby, even though it was a week before my due date. i began praying and talking to God before i got out of bed, and then i remember sneezing. after the sneeze, something was definitely different about my contractions. around 5:30 or so, i rolled my enormous body out of bed and realized that i was leaving footprints... definitely a good sign! rather than wake up lucky hubby from his deep sleep, i began cleaning the kitchen, getting bozeman's stuff ready to go to a friend's house, and anything else that i felt needed to be done around the house. at one point, LH woke up and asked if we needed to go to the hospital, but i declined.
finally, around 9:30, we called labor and delivery and since there had been no "gush" of water, they wanted me to wait another hour to see if my water really had broken. LH and i took bozeman for a mile walk and then ended up at the hospital around 11'ish. i'm a little fuzzy on the actual times, but LH could tell you exactly. anyhow, by then my contractions were 5 minutes apart, but the doc on call said that i was only dilated 1 and 1/2 cm. he wanted me to go on pitocin since my water had in fact broken (or begun leaking), but i believed that God was going to give me a fast and easy delivery and didn't want the pitocin. try telling that to a doctor who isn't your normal doc. the nurses were great and held off on the pitocin until the doc pretty much made them start the drug and just like i had prayed, everything went super fast after that.
i played solitaire, texted friends, and ate the ice chips and popsicles LH kept bringing to me and before i knew it, i was telling him to get the nurses because i was actually trying not to push. it still amazes me how God designed our bodies to do this wonderful thing so naturally... i mean, no one has to tell you to push or what to do if you don't have fear to hold you back. anyhow, LH was the most amazing birth coach and i totally didn't listen to the doctor or nurses on how long to push because, like i said, i could feel exactly how my body was working and how hard i needed to push and when.
i have to interject here and say that i kind of had a one-up on other first time mom's because years ago, i had the wonderful privilege of being by a friend's side when she gave birth. i truly believe every mom should witness a birth firsthand before going through it herself.
okay, so, the pitocin was started around 1:30 or so and the doc turned up the dosage once, and then lucky baby was born at 4:03pm. i have to give big thanks to God for answering so many prayers i offered up about this birth. i was able to deliver without any pain meds, no episiotomy and NO tearing! even 17 months later, i'm still in awe of God's design for the whole thing. yes, it was painful at times, but it certainly was bearable and immediately after lucky baby was born, and we discovered that he was a boy, i knew that i couldn't wait to do it all over again. what a privilege!
however, i have a little extra time on my hands due to LH's current assignment and so i think i'll try to write a little more if for no reason than to keep myself amused. first and foremost, it's time for me to finally tell the story of lucky baby's birth.
i don't think i've ever met a woman who hasn't enjoyed sharing her labor and delivery story. let me start mine by saying that i truly hope God allows me to repeat pregnancy and the whole birthing experience one day, because i cannot wait to do it again. to me, there always seemed to be a sort of dread among women when it came to the all so important point between pregnancy and motherhood: childbirth. i too, felt that way, but deep down inside, i believed that God wouldn't want us to dread something that he created, something that leads to such joy afterwards. a friend loaned a book to me called supernatural childbirth, in which the author laid out God's promises concerning pregnancy and delivery. i immediately began praying for my delivery, and also for our developing baby. even though satan wants to steal our joy, our God is so much bigger and more powerful than he is.
for weeks leading up to lucky baby's birth, i had been having the usual braxton hicks contractions. on this particular sunday, however, i woke up at 4:30am and thought that this would be a perfect day to have our baby, even though it was a week before my due date. i began praying and talking to God before i got out of bed, and then i remember sneezing. after the sneeze, something was definitely different about my contractions. around 5:30 or so, i rolled my enormous body out of bed and realized that i was leaving footprints... definitely a good sign! rather than wake up lucky hubby from his deep sleep, i began cleaning the kitchen, getting bozeman's stuff ready to go to a friend's house, and anything else that i felt needed to be done around the house. at one point, LH woke up and asked if we needed to go to the hospital, but i declined.
finally, around 9:30, we called labor and delivery and since there had been no "gush" of water, they wanted me to wait another hour to see if my water really had broken. LH and i took bozeman for a mile walk and then ended up at the hospital around 11'ish. i'm a little fuzzy on the actual times, but LH could tell you exactly. anyhow, by then my contractions were 5 minutes apart, but the doc on call said that i was only dilated 1 and 1/2 cm. he wanted me to go on pitocin since my water had in fact broken (or begun leaking), but i believed that God was going to give me a fast and easy delivery and didn't want the pitocin. try telling that to a doctor who isn't your normal doc. the nurses were great and held off on the pitocin until the doc pretty much made them start the drug and just like i had prayed, everything went super fast after that.
i played solitaire, texted friends, and ate the ice chips and popsicles LH kept bringing to me and before i knew it, i was telling him to get the nurses because i was actually trying not to push. it still amazes me how God designed our bodies to do this wonderful thing so naturally... i mean, no one has to tell you to push or what to do if you don't have fear to hold you back. anyhow, LH was the most amazing birth coach and i totally didn't listen to the doctor or nurses on how long to push because, like i said, i could feel exactly how my body was working and how hard i needed to push and when.
i have to interject here and say that i kind of had a one-up on other first time mom's because years ago, i had the wonderful privilege of being by a friend's side when she gave birth. i truly believe every mom should witness a birth firsthand before going through it herself.
okay, so, the pitocin was started around 1:30 or so and the doc turned up the dosage once, and then lucky baby was born at 4:03pm. i have to give big thanks to God for answering so many prayers i offered up about this birth. i was able to deliver without any pain meds, no episiotomy and NO tearing! even 17 months later, i'm still in awe of God's design for the whole thing. yes, it was painful at times, but it certainly was bearable and immediately after lucky baby was born, and we discovered that he was a boy, i knew that i couldn't wait to do it all over again. what a privilege!
Monday, March 16, 2009
it's a boy!
just thought i'd let you all know that our little one arrived safe and sound last sunday. my water broke at 5:30 in the morning and after cleaning the kitchen floor, the dog's dishes, taking a long shower and going for a walk with LH and bozeman, we headed to the hospital where lucky baby was born that afternoon. i'll post more later about our great labor and delivery experience as well as how much fun it is being a mom and watching LH be the amazing dad that he is.
Friday, December 5, 2008
just when you think you've got it all figured out...
for months, i visualized exactly how our thanksgiving was going to go this year, from the sparkling clean kitchen floor to the ironed guest sheets to the perfect dinner conversations centered around my perfectly arranged table. a week before everyone was supposed to arrive, i made their welcome goody bags and the place cards for the thanksgiving dinner table, made sure all of the guest towels were fluffy, i swept, swiffered and cleaned all of our hardwood floors, reworked my menu and cooking plans for the gazillionth time and went running a few times. that week, i also made another trip to the grocery store, made dinner for a family at LH's office who had a new baby, and hosted some friends for dinner.
i guess i did a little too much, because i started spotting that weekend. this being the third time that i had experienced bleeding during this pregnancy, i honestly wasn't too worried. every other time, i've gone in and they've completely checked me out with plenty of ultrasounds and everything else you can think of, and the only thing they ever told me was that the baby was perfectly healthy, the placenta was just where it needed to be, and my cervix looked just like they wanted it to look. they really never had an explanation for the bleeding. however, since this spotting lasted a couple of days and our guests were due to arrive the next day, LH and i decided to call my doctor and let her check me out once again. same story this time with everything where it should be and the baby looking exactly like he/she should (although it's getting really hard not to find out the baby's gender with all of these opportunities to do just that), only this time, my doctor told me that she really wanted me to take it easy and be careful not to overdo it. this was definitely not something i wanted to hear right before i was about to entertain 7 extra people in my house over the next 5 days. LH assured me that he would help out and everything would go just great.
well, there were dirty dishes in the sink and dog hair on the floor when everyone arrived, but i learned that i had to live with it. LH delivered on his promise and was unbelievable all week long. rather than let me stand on my feet in the kitchen and cook for everyone, LH made me sit on a bar stool and direct everyone who was working in the kitchen. as difficult as it was for me to just sit there, i had a blast watching everyone work together. my mom, my MIL, LH, my brother, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend all helped in the kitchen at least once during the week. on tuesday night, i had planned to make a southern cornbread salad and fish tacos. LH, my MIL and my brother did all of the chopping, slicing and dicing for everything in that dinner and it was absolutely delish. my brother even did some research on the internet and taught us all the proper way to slice a mango for the mango salsa that tops the fish tacos (a recipe i think i need to share with everyone here). our thanksgiving dinner was prepared the exact same way, with everyone pitching in. my mom made her famous stuffing, my MIL made her famous homemade dinner rolls, my brother in law made the salad, and the list goes on and on. i could not have planned it any better if i had actually wanted all that help. i think everyone appreciated the meal so much more because they helped, too. it also helped me get used to accepting help for when the baby gets here. usually, i'm the kind of person that likes to do it all myself and let everyone else enjoy it, but after last week, i have learned that it's okay to ask for help and you don't have to feel guilty about accepting it. of course, i'm making sure i send out plenty of heartfelt thank you cards to everyone involved so they don't shy away from coming to visit again =)
i guess i did a little too much, because i started spotting that weekend. this being the third time that i had experienced bleeding during this pregnancy, i honestly wasn't too worried. every other time, i've gone in and they've completely checked me out with plenty of ultrasounds and everything else you can think of, and the only thing they ever told me was that the baby was perfectly healthy, the placenta was just where it needed to be, and my cervix looked just like they wanted it to look. they really never had an explanation for the bleeding. however, since this spotting lasted a couple of days and our guests were due to arrive the next day, LH and i decided to call my doctor and let her check me out once again. same story this time with everything where it should be and the baby looking exactly like he/she should (although it's getting really hard not to find out the baby's gender with all of these opportunities to do just that), only this time, my doctor told me that she really wanted me to take it easy and be careful not to overdo it. this was definitely not something i wanted to hear right before i was about to entertain 7 extra people in my house over the next 5 days. LH assured me that he would help out and everything would go just great.
well, there were dirty dishes in the sink and dog hair on the floor when everyone arrived, but i learned that i had to live with it. LH delivered on his promise and was unbelievable all week long. rather than let me stand on my feet in the kitchen and cook for everyone, LH made me sit on a bar stool and direct everyone who was working in the kitchen. as difficult as it was for me to just sit there, i had a blast watching everyone work together. my mom, my MIL, LH, my brother, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend all helped in the kitchen at least once during the week. on tuesday night, i had planned to make a southern cornbread salad and fish tacos. LH, my MIL and my brother did all of the chopping, slicing and dicing for everything in that dinner and it was absolutely delish. my brother even did some research on the internet and taught us all the proper way to slice a mango for the mango salsa that tops the fish tacos (a recipe i think i need to share with everyone here). our thanksgiving dinner was prepared the exact same way, with everyone pitching in. my mom made her famous stuffing, my MIL made her famous homemade dinner rolls, my brother in law made the salad, and the list goes on and on. i could not have planned it any better if i had actually wanted all that help. i think everyone appreciated the meal so much more because they helped, too. it also helped me get used to accepting help for when the baby gets here. usually, i'm the kind of person that likes to do it all myself and let everyone else enjoy it, but after last week, i have learned that it's okay to ask for help and you don't have to feel guilty about accepting it. of course, i'm making sure i send out plenty of heartfelt thank you cards to everyone involved so they don't shy away from coming to visit again =)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
my babies
bozeman has most definitely been my baby since we got him over two years ago. i don't think he's going to mind one bit sharing the attention with the new baby, though, because he absolutely loves having extra people in the house. i'll tell all about our exciting thanksgiving week later, but for now i thought i would just post a picture of me with my babies - bozeman and my baby bump =)
Friday, November 21, 2008
pregnant running
i'm still running while pregnant, albeit much slower and for much shorter distances. occasionally, a group of high school boys will drive by on their way to school and honk at me. it always makes me laugh because they usually honk while still coming up behind me and then i get to watch them look twice when they realize that 1) i'm at least 10 years older than they are and 2) i'm pregnant.
for the most part, i'm still able to wear all of my regular running shorts and pants. shirts, however, are a different story. you'll notice in this picture that i'm wearing two shirts. the bottom shirt is an extra large t-shirt that i bought on clearance at old navy. because it is an extra large, the neck and shoulders are way too big, but the length is perfect, so i just top it off with another shirt that actually fits on top, but not on bottom. with the two combined, i have the perfect running shirt =) i suppose i could just buy some maternity running clothes, but as much as i love this running skirt, i'm too cheap to shell out the money for it. besides, it's kind of fun to have the challenge of creating new outfits out of the old pre-pregnancy clothes.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
there's a twenty pound bird in my freezer
i don't think i've mentioned yet that we are doing thanksgiving at our house this year. LH's family and my family are all coming into town, minus my sister-in-law and her gang who just have to far to go and too many kids to tote all the way out to us. some people might get freaked out by having so much family in their house at once, but i'm stoked. i've been planning the menus and table decorations and every little bit for months now.
yesterday, i went to the commissary to get everything but the produce for our thanksgiving week. i was officially THAT lady walking around with the shopping cart stuffed as full as it could possibly get. after every aisle, i would pull my cart over to the side and try to rearrange everything so it would fit in there better. i'm sure everyone was looking at me and thinking, "oh that poor girl. her husband must be at home watching her ten children while she does the grocery shopping." my pregnant belly and high heel shoes probably didn't help the situation at all, especially when i practically had to get a running start to get the cart moving.
as silly as it sounds, i had a lot of fun putting all of the groceries away. i love organizing things... any excuse to rearrange the refrigerator or pantry makes me happy. i even had to use the top shelf in pantry that i usually reserve just for extra foil, baggies and paper plates. if i have time and think about it later, i'll take a picture and post it on here. has anyone else done their thanksgiving shopping yet? are any of you entertaining this year?
yesterday, i went to the commissary to get everything but the produce for our thanksgiving week. i was officially THAT lady walking around with the shopping cart stuffed as full as it could possibly get. after every aisle, i would pull my cart over to the side and try to rearrange everything so it would fit in there better. i'm sure everyone was looking at me and thinking, "oh that poor girl. her husband must be at home watching her ten children while she does the grocery shopping." my pregnant belly and high heel shoes probably didn't help the situation at all, especially when i practically had to get a running start to get the cart moving.
as silly as it sounds, i had a lot of fun putting all of the groceries away. i love organizing things... any excuse to rearrange the refrigerator or pantry makes me happy. i even had to use the top shelf in pantry that i usually reserve just for extra foil, baggies and paper plates. if i have time and think about it later, i'll take a picture and post it on here. has anyone else done their thanksgiving shopping yet? are any of you entertaining this year?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
mustard toast
people keep asking me if i've had any weird cravings during the pregnancy and i keep answering "no." however, LH heard me answering the question a few weeks ago when my mom asked, and he corrected me. apparently, i have a thing for mustard now. i made baked potatoes with our dinner one night and proceeded to cover mine with yellow mustard. it tasted way better than my usual sour cream topping and added a nice little kick. while eating lunch with a friend a week ago, i had tons of mustard with my french fries (i never liked ketchup anyway). and then to top it off, this week i made a super yummy lunch for myself: toast with grainy dijon mustard and a few slices of hard boiled egg on top. i thought it tasted absolutely delish and might even pass for a gourmet egg salad sandwich, but LH didn't quite agree.
i've also been eating a good bit of cereal lately, although at odd hours of the day... and night. i think our baby goes through a growth spurt about every 3 or 4 weeks, because at those times, i tend to find myself waking up at 3 in the morning with a very rumbly tummy. one bowl of cereal usually won't do it, either... i have to eat two bowls and have a glass of water before my belly is satisfied. it's amazing how fast my tummy will feel full and then how fast it will drain and be hungry again within a 30 minute period. this week, we went out for a hibachi dinner with some good friends and i ate quite a bit of steak, veggies and fried rice. not thirty minutes after getting home, i was hungry again and hit the cabinet for some cereal.
my tummy is rumbling right now with all of this talk about food. i'll leave you with a recent belly shot. i'm not good at remembering to have LH take a picture when he is home, so i usually resort to my lovely mac's built in camera. you've probably noticed the wonderful green color that graces the walls of our office. right now, it is the last room on our list to be painted, so you'll just have to suffer through the agony like we do every day.
i've also been eating a good bit of cereal lately, although at odd hours of the day... and night. i think our baby goes through a growth spurt about every 3 or 4 weeks, because at those times, i tend to find myself waking up at 3 in the morning with a very rumbly tummy. one bowl of cereal usually won't do it, either... i have to eat two bowls and have a glass of water before my belly is satisfied. it's amazing how fast my tummy will feel full and then how fast it will drain and be hungry again within a 30 minute period. this week, we went out for a hibachi dinner with some good friends and i ate quite a bit of steak, veggies and fried rice. not thirty minutes after getting home, i was hungry again and hit the cabinet for some cereal.
my tummy is rumbling right now with all of this talk about food. i'll leave you with a recent belly shot. i'm not good at remembering to have LH take a picture when he is home, so i usually resort to my lovely mac's built in camera. you've probably noticed the wonderful green color that graces the walls of our office. right now, it is the last room on our list to be painted, so you'll just have to suffer through the agony like we do every day.
Monday, October 20, 2008
baby brain
i'm blaming my blogging absence on baby brain =) it's so hard to believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by and i have to say that LH and i are thoroughly enjoying every little bit. i feel like i have so much to learn, not just about baby, but things i want to teach baby one day, and i'm also trying to make it a point to spend extra time with LH before the baby comes. we have also been ridding the house of anything that we don't use or find necessary, because we know that we are about to be adding quite a bit of baby stuff.
as far as the actual pregnancy goes, i could never have dreamt that it would be this good. the only time i even felt remotely sick was when my body decided that it no longer like bananas, although i tried them the other day and they are okay again. i've needed more sleep than pre-pregnancy, but nothing crazy. i have the most amazing husband who i respect so much; he has taken the time from his busy schedule to go to every regular checkup with me thus far. he is going to be the best daddy ever. i'm convinced that the baby already looks like him, too. when i saw this picture printed from the ultrasound, it made me smile, because it looks just like LH's profile from one of his baby pictures. silly, i know, but i really can see the resemblance.
another "side effect" of this pregnancy has been that i've become a little bit more private with my life, other than with friends and family, of course. i guess because i'm not only "eating for two" but living for two, i feel very protective of this growing baby that constantly lets me know he/she is in there by kicking and rolling and bumping me. i love it. oh, and we decided not to find out whether we are having a girl or a boy. there are so few surprises in life now, and i think this is going to be such a cool surprise to wait for. plus, it will help me get through the labor when i have such a desire to know whether it is a boy or a girl!
anyhow, that's a little update on our lives right now. i'm still here, just enjoying being pregnant and trying to make the most of my time. unfortunately, that means i don't always take the time to sit down and blog much. just know that no news is good news =) feel free to email me if curiosity is getting the better of you. my email is visible to everyone in my profile.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
retainers are sort of like paint brushes
in eighth grade, my family moved almost a thousand miles across the country for my dad's job. i wasn't exactly happy about being uprooted and torn away from the friends that i had grown up with and had planned on going to high school with, but i didn't have much of a choice. thankfully, there was a group of girls in the eighth grade who welcomed me into their group with open arms. they let me sit with them at lunch, invited me to sleep overs and even helped me sign up at the dance school where a few of them took classes. i was extremely grateful for their friendship, so when one of them accidentally threw her retainer away one day, i jumped at the chance to show my loyalty by helping her dig through giant lunchroom trash cans in search of her glittery, pink retainer.
even though the lunch ladies provided us with plastic gloves, digging through soggy pizza crusts and tater tots soaked in leftover chocolate milk was just about one of the most disgusting things that i had ever done in my life up to that point. i didn't care, though, because my friend and i were laughing and gagging together and that's what friends did. after going through about three trash cans, we finally found her retainer. she wrapped it up in a napkin and put it in her book bag where it would stay until she could completely sanitize it at home. if it had been me, i would have just begged my parents for a new one...
anyhow, this past saturday, a friend came over to our house and did the unthinkable. she picked up a paintbrush and a roller and finished painting one of our front rooms for us. i haven't been able to stand the smell of paint since becoming pregnant and the "red room" had become a sort of mental block for LH and i. for whatever reason, neither one of us had been able to take the 30-45 minutes needed to finish cutting-in above the doorway and rolling a second coat over what was already painted. our friend knew about this problem, and had offered numerous times to come over and help. i finally picked up the phone on saturday morning and sheepishly asked if she would come over and help us finish the room. not only did she say yes, but she came over within an hour and had a smile on her face! she told us that she loves to paint, but i honestly thought that she was all talk. well, she proved me wrong. while i worked on cleaning the kitchen and LH mowed the grass, she finished painting our red room and we yelled back and forth across the house to each other. it was great. now, our red room is put back together and LH has even said that it is his favorite room in the house. all we needed was the help of a good friend. thanks, N =)
God has totally blessed us with some amazing friends in the city that we live in right now. realizing that a friend would get sweaty and dirty just to help us out made me want to go out and help another friend somehow. so that's my challenge to you guys today: don't just be a friend to someone, show your friendship to them in a helpful way.
even though the lunch ladies provided us with plastic gloves, digging through soggy pizza crusts and tater tots soaked in leftover chocolate milk was just about one of the most disgusting things that i had ever done in my life up to that point. i didn't care, though, because my friend and i were laughing and gagging together and that's what friends did. after going through about three trash cans, we finally found her retainer. she wrapped it up in a napkin and put it in her book bag where it would stay until she could completely sanitize it at home. if it had been me, i would have just begged my parents for a new one...
anyhow, this past saturday, a friend came over to our house and did the unthinkable. she picked up a paintbrush and a roller and finished painting one of our front rooms for us. i haven't been able to stand the smell of paint since becoming pregnant and the "red room" had become a sort of mental block for LH and i. for whatever reason, neither one of us had been able to take the 30-45 minutes needed to finish cutting-in above the doorway and rolling a second coat over what was already painted. our friend knew about this problem, and had offered numerous times to come over and help. i finally picked up the phone on saturday morning and sheepishly asked if she would come over and help us finish the room. not only did she say yes, but she came over within an hour and had a smile on her face! she told us that she loves to paint, but i honestly thought that she was all talk. well, she proved me wrong. while i worked on cleaning the kitchen and LH mowed the grass, she finished painting our red room and we yelled back and forth across the house to each other. it was great. now, our red room is put back together and LH has even said that it is his favorite room in the house. all we needed was the help of a good friend. thanks, N =)
God has totally blessed us with some amazing friends in the city that we live in right now. realizing that a friend would get sweaty and dirty just to help us out made me want to go out and help another friend somehow. so that's my challenge to you guys today: don't just be a friend to someone, show your friendship to them in a helpful way.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
the best compliment ever and one fun bachelorette party
after a half dozen loads of laundry and one giant shopping trip to the commissary for some groceries, i am finally back to the blog. bozeman and i are so happy to be back with LH, but i think that bozeman is definitely missing the company of my parents and their dog... and their giant, fenced-in back yard.
during my time at my parents' house, my mom and i made a trip to visit my brother at school. i got to check out his teeny, tiny dorm room with the horrible fluorescent lighting, i saw his fraternity house and i even checked out the girls' bathrooms in his dorm. hey, i had to go really bad, and i couldn't resist seeing if they were clean or not. i had totally forgotten what it was like to go to the bathroom with dozens of flyers plastered on the walls around you. kind of distracting, if you ask me. although i did get kinda grossed out by the reminder to "flush it down whether it was yellow, red or brown." i guess college-aged girls still need reminders like that? i don't know...
while we were there, my mom and i took my brother out for dinner. at one point, our mom got up to use the "facilities" and i started telling my bro some of the weird things about being pregnant and how much my body was already changing even though i'm only 13 weeks. my mom caught the tale end of the conversation and said, "isn't it weird hearing your sister talk about stuff like that?" this was the highlight of my day: without even thinking twice, my brother said, "i've never thought that anything [LW] said was weird!" i told him it was because i brainwashed him when he was little and he had to throw in a smart remark about me throwing him off of the tractor when he was two. oops.
the next morning, i headed out to my friend's bachelorette party. would you believe that we went white water rafting and then tubing? i was planning on playing it safe and skipping the white water part, but once i realized that it was a part of the river that i had been down three times before and that our guide was not only a fellow bridesmaid from the wedding, but had also been guiding the river for 11 years and was an EMT, my comfort level rose considerably. she convinced me to go with them by promising to keep me and the baby safe, and she delivered on her promise. we had SO much fun. the bachelorette had a special helmet complete with a veil and a tiny bride and groom on top with a sign that said, "kiss me while you still can". her paddle even had her name and "bachelorette" written on it. suffice it to say, she received plenty of attention the entire trip down the river. i can't even count how many times people took her picture!
once we finished rafting, we headed back to the cabin so i could stuff my face and then we loaded up the cars again to go tubing down the "lazy" river, complete with a floating cooler filled with alcoholic drinks for them and non-alcoholic drinks for me. i laughed so hard during most of that trip, because a few certain people, who will remain unnamed, kept getting stuck in trees and on rocks because they couldn't paddle well enough. back at the cabin, i fell asleep while playing some of the typical bachelorette party games. they were kind enough to wake me up when the bachelorette was opening the lingerie present that i bought for her and then to send me to bed.
we all left feeling like it was one of the most fun weekends that we had had in a really long time, and promised to get together next year to do it again. i'll just have to get LH to agree to watch the baby... =)
during my time at my parents' house, my mom and i made a trip to visit my brother at school. i got to check out his teeny, tiny dorm room with the horrible fluorescent lighting, i saw his fraternity house and i even checked out the girls' bathrooms in his dorm. hey, i had to go really bad, and i couldn't resist seeing if they were clean or not. i had totally forgotten what it was like to go to the bathroom with dozens of flyers plastered on the walls around you. kind of distracting, if you ask me. although i did get kinda grossed out by the reminder to "flush it down whether it was yellow, red or brown." i guess college-aged girls still need reminders like that? i don't know...
while we were there, my mom and i took my brother out for dinner. at one point, our mom got up to use the "facilities" and i started telling my bro some of the weird things about being pregnant and how much my body was already changing even though i'm only 13 weeks. my mom caught the tale end of the conversation and said, "isn't it weird hearing your sister talk about stuff like that?" this was the highlight of my day: without even thinking twice, my brother said, "i've never thought that anything [LW] said was weird!" i told him it was because i brainwashed him when he was little and he had to throw in a smart remark about me throwing him off of the tractor when he was two. oops.
the next morning, i headed out to my friend's bachelorette party. would you believe that we went white water rafting and then tubing? i was planning on playing it safe and skipping the white water part, but once i realized that it was a part of the river that i had been down three times before and that our guide was not only a fellow bridesmaid from the wedding, but had also been guiding the river for 11 years and was an EMT, my comfort level rose considerably. she convinced me to go with them by promising to keep me and the baby safe, and she delivered on her promise. we had SO much fun. the bachelorette had a special helmet complete with a veil and a tiny bride and groom on top with a sign that said, "kiss me while you still can". her paddle even had her name and "bachelorette" written on it. suffice it to say, she received plenty of attention the entire trip down the river. i can't even count how many times people took her picture!
once we finished rafting, we headed back to the cabin so i could stuff my face and then we loaded up the cars again to go tubing down the "lazy" river, complete with a floating cooler filled with alcoholic drinks for them and non-alcoholic drinks for me. i laughed so hard during most of that trip, because a few certain people, who will remain unnamed, kept getting stuck in trees and on rocks because they couldn't paddle well enough. back at the cabin, i fell asleep while playing some of the typical bachelorette party games. they were kind enough to wake me up when the bachelorette was opening the lingerie present that i bought for her and then to send me to bed.
we all left feeling like it was one of the most fun weekends that we had had in a really long time, and promised to get together next year to do it again. i'll just have to get LH to agree to watch the baby... =)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
i have gas! lots of gas!
that is a line from cars and every time LH and i hear it, we crack up laughing. we are all big burpers in our house, and that includes bozeman. it is so funny, because bozeman has somehow learned to come to LH when he needs to burp. LH has this magical touch that somehow helps bozeman burp so much faster than if i try to help him. since we've been away from LH this week, bozeman has been a little bit lost. today, after my mom and i got back from eating some amazing thai food, i was sitting on the floor next to bozeman when i burped. not one second later, bozeman looked at me and burped, too. i guess hearing me burp triggers his burping mechanism... or else it was just a coincidence.
anyhow, LH obviously has the magic touch. there have been times that i will have this huge burp lurking beneath the surface that just doesn't want to escape, so LH will rub my back or something. no kidding, i burp just as easily as bozeman does. i don't know what it is. honestly, i think LH balances out my type-a personality and somehow my whole body just relaxes when i'm near him.
i'm hoping that LH's magical touch works on the baby, too. my plan is to feed the baby and then hand him/her over to LH every time so he can do the burping. think that will work out well? other than the whole LH having to go to work every day thing...
anyhow, LH obviously has the magic touch. there have been times that i will have this huge burp lurking beneath the surface that just doesn't want to escape, so LH will rub my back or something. no kidding, i burp just as easily as bozeman does. i don't know what it is. honestly, i think LH balances out my type-a personality and somehow my whole body just relaxes when i'm near him.
i'm hoping that LH's magical touch works on the baby, too. my plan is to feed the baby and then hand him/her over to LH every time so he can do the burping. think that will work out well? other than the whole LH having to go to work every day thing...
political opinion time
i think i've mentioned before that LH and i don't have cable in our house. on top of not wanting to deal with yet another bundling debacle, we would both get sucked into tv shows when other things could be getting done. we do watch a ton of movies, though, so maybe we don't save much time anyhow.
anyhow, since i've been at my parents' house this week, i have to admit that i have been glued to the tv. yesterday, i watched every little bit of commentary possible about sarah palin. she is my new hero. i have been so impressed with everything i hear and read about her and after watching her speech last night, i'm even more convinced that she should be the next VP. her personality is so strong and she is so incredibly tough, yet she is also very easy to like and relate to at the same time. her addition to the presidential ticket totally sold me on voting for mccain.
anyhow, since i've been at my parents' house this week, i have to admit that i have been glued to the tv. yesterday, i watched every little bit of commentary possible about sarah palin. she is my new hero. i have been so impressed with everything i hear and read about her and after watching her speech last night, i'm even more convinced that she should be the next VP. her personality is so strong and she is so incredibly tough, yet she is also very easy to like and relate to at the same time. her addition to the presidential ticket totally sold me on voting for mccain.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
great news
we finally have a renter for our condo! he paid the deposit and rent and moved in all in one week. LH and i are so excited to finally have some of that stress off of our chests.
other news in our house: LH and i are spending about five days apart and it stinks! he had to travel for work last weekend and i decided to go along with him. but, rather than drive all the way back to our home afterwards, i ended up hanging out at my parents' house for the week because a good friend from college is having her bachelorette party this weekend. bozeman is loving my parents' back yard and i'm spending some quality time with friends that i haven't seen in awhile, but i am already missing LH so much. he said that it is quiet in the house without us around and i'm kinda worried about whether or not he is eating enough. i guess he did survive as a bachelor for many years before i came along, so he'll be okay...
would you believe that i'm having a baby shower already next weekend? neither do i. there are five of us in our young marrieds group at church who are pregnant right now, and in order to fit everyone in, we are having a group baby shower this month. crazy, huh? and on that note, i must leave you to go eat some more food. baby's gotta eat, you know.
other news in our house: LH and i are spending about five days apart and it stinks! he had to travel for work last weekend and i decided to go along with him. but, rather than drive all the way back to our home afterwards, i ended up hanging out at my parents' house for the week because a good friend from college is having her bachelorette party this weekend. bozeman is loving my parents' back yard and i'm spending some quality time with friends that i haven't seen in awhile, but i am already missing LH so much. he said that it is quiet in the house without us around and i'm kinda worried about whether or not he is eating enough. i guess he did survive as a bachelor for many years before i came along, so he'll be okay...
would you believe that i'm having a baby shower already next weekend? neither do i. there are five of us in our young marrieds group at church who are pregnant right now, and in order to fit everyone in, we are having a group baby shower this month. crazy, huh? and on that note, i must leave you to go eat some more food. baby's gotta eat, you know.
Friday, August 29, 2008
unwelcome shower guests
my brother just started his freshman year of college at a very large university. it is totally different than the college experience that i had, but i bet one thing is similar: dorm showers. i came to college prepared with the shower shoes, a robe and little shower bucket to carry all of my soaps, shampoos and razor in, but i didn't come prepared for the hair in the shower. being a blonde, i guess i never had to confront the fact that i do lose hair in the shower and it might get on the walls or floor of the shower. my hair simply blended in or disappeared against our shower walls at home. in college, however, there were other people who used the showers besides me, and they weren't all blondes. i remember walking into the shower one of those first mornings and seeing long, dark hair on the walls of the shower. my gag reflexes kicked in as i quickly exited and searched for a safer shower. finding a hair-free shower eventually became a daily ritual for me, and i would try to wake up earlier than the other girls on my hall, just to get there right after our sweet cleaning lady left. i still can't seeing hair in a shower that isn't mine or LH's. something about it just really makes me gag.
something else i can't stand seeing in the shower is a spider. or any sort of bug, for that matter. when i was about 17, i was home alone and getting ready to shower when i noticed a really nasty, spiny looking bug in my shower. not one to let something like that survive and perhaps even escape the confines of the shower, i quickly found some bug spray with which to kill it. not only did it not kill it, that thing fought me and i thought it might climb out of the shower. i ran down to the garage and found a spray can of something that i wasn't really sure of, but it looked deadly enough to kill the monster lurking in my shower. back upstairs, i discovered that the mystery can did, in fact, deliver and kill the bug. it also spray painted the shower silver. oops!
just a few days ago, i discovered a better shower bug killer that washes away: my husband's shampoo =) i tell you what, this stuff really does the trick and kills the yuckiest of spiders:
so tell me, how do you kill the bugs in your shower?
something else i can't stand seeing in the shower is a spider. or any sort of bug, for that matter. when i was about 17, i was home alone and getting ready to shower when i noticed a really nasty, spiny looking bug in my shower. not one to let something like that survive and perhaps even escape the confines of the shower, i quickly found some bug spray with which to kill it. not only did it not kill it, that thing fought me and i thought it might climb out of the shower. i ran down to the garage and found a spray can of something that i wasn't really sure of, but it looked deadly enough to kill the monster lurking in my shower. back upstairs, i discovered that the mystery can did, in fact, deliver and kill the bug. it also spray painted the shower silver. oops!
just a few days ago, i discovered a better shower bug killer that washes away: my husband's shampoo =) i tell you what, this stuff really does the trick and kills the yuckiest of spiders:
so tell me, how do you kill the bugs in your shower?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
having a baby the military way
as soon as we found out that we were pregnant, we went to the military hospital to switch my health care from "standard" to "prime." basically, this means that instead of paying a co-pay and choosing my own doctors, i decided to see military doctors and let the military pay for everything. LH and i decided that this was the best choice for us at this time because we have heard nothing but good reviews of the hospital and doctors here and also because hey, why not take advantage and use the resources that are provided for us? how often do you get to have a baby and come out with a hospital bill of $5.00 which was only charged because your hubby ate a meal with you?
i was given the opportunity to request a female doctor and much to my relief, actually ended up with one. she is probably around the same age as LH and me and just had her first baby last year. luckily, we really hit it off and i'm already looking forward to my next visit. seeing my doctor in uniform wasn't nearly as weird as i expected it to be, and i've been treated just as well by the nurses and staff as i was at civilian doctor's offices that i've been to in the past. the more i hear and see, the more i like it.
i've also decided to take advantage of some free one-on-one parenting classes that the military provides. at first, i was a little skeptical when a friend recommended it. i mean, i am an avid reader and have friends that are moms and all, so why do i need the military to help me raise my child? are they going to try and brainwash me? well, after my first visit by the representative today, i'm hooked. the lady that will be working with me is so laid back and showed me all of the books and materials that they provide for us, as well as the classes that are offered on base. i especially like the new dad's class that lets the dads wear pregnant bellies filled with water while they try to climb a flight of stairs and get in and out of a bed. they also get to practice holding newborn babies. oh, and women are not allowed in the class. anyhow, i'm totally taking advantage of the free resources that are available. for all the quirkiness involved in being "married to the military," there are so many privileges and benefits and i'm making it my goal to use them as much as possible.
i was given the opportunity to request a female doctor and much to my relief, actually ended up with one. she is probably around the same age as LH and me and just had her first baby last year. luckily, we really hit it off and i'm already looking forward to my next visit. seeing my doctor in uniform wasn't nearly as weird as i expected it to be, and i've been treated just as well by the nurses and staff as i was at civilian doctor's offices that i've been to in the past. the more i hear and see, the more i like it.
i've also decided to take advantage of some free one-on-one parenting classes that the military provides. at first, i was a little skeptical when a friend recommended it. i mean, i am an avid reader and have friends that are moms and all, so why do i need the military to help me raise my child? are they going to try and brainwash me? well, after my first visit by the representative today, i'm hooked. the lady that will be working with me is so laid back and showed me all of the books and materials that they provide for us, as well as the classes that are offered on base. i especially like the new dad's class that lets the dads wear pregnant bellies filled with water while they try to climb a flight of stairs and get in and out of a bed. they also get to practice holding newborn babies. oh, and women are not allowed in the class. anyhow, i'm totally taking advantage of the free resources that are available. for all the quirkiness involved in being "married to the military," there are so many privileges and benefits and i'm making it my goal to use them as much as possible.
Monday, August 25, 2008
you are what you eat
i meant to thank you all for your well wishes after i announced our pregnancy. it was exciting to see comments from new and anonymous readers; i love checking out new blogs and reading what you all have to say! i obviously have quite a few mommy readers out there, so please, tell me how on earth i am supposed to handle being so hungry during this pregnancy!
i've always been one of those "eat to live" type people and unfortunately, i'm notorious for forgetting to not only eat, but also to feed my adorable husband. pre-pregnancy, it would be about 7:00 at night before LH would turn to look at me with a somewhat bashful, "are we going to eat sometime soon?" then i would realize that not only had i not started making dinner, but i had not thawed any meat from the freezer or planned anything. those are the nights that we usually have pasta or grilled cheese sandwiches.
now that i'm pregant, however, LH is in heaven. there is no way that i'm missing any meals now, because this baby likes to eat! my problem seems to be that i just don't know what to eat. seriously, this whole problem of being hungry but not wanting anything in particular seems so weird to me. i'll be starving and just rummaging through the pantry and refrigerator trying to find something that is healthy and actually sounds good. yesterday, we had some yummy turkey burgers with toasted cheesy buns for lunch and then i was hungry 20 minutes later, so i had a nutri-grain bar. i also had some vanilla yogurt and some caramel ice cream as a snack after we went for a run at the local track. oh, and don't forget the chocolate chip pancakes that we had for dinner! i'm trying to drink tons of water with everything, just to make sure i'm not mistaking the hunger for thirst, but so far that hasn't seemed to be a problem. this is craziness, i tell you!
all this talking about food has my stomach growling again. please excuse me while i go stare into the depths of our refrigerator for the third time this morning.
i've always been one of those "eat to live" type people and unfortunately, i'm notorious for forgetting to not only eat, but also to feed my adorable husband. pre-pregnancy, it would be about 7:00 at night before LH would turn to look at me with a somewhat bashful, "are we going to eat sometime soon?" then i would realize that not only had i not started making dinner, but i had not thawed any meat from the freezer or planned anything. those are the nights that we usually have pasta or grilled cheese sandwiches.
now that i'm pregant, however, LH is in heaven. there is no way that i'm missing any meals now, because this baby likes to eat! my problem seems to be that i just don't know what to eat. seriously, this whole problem of being hungry but not wanting anything in particular seems so weird to me. i'll be starving and just rummaging through the pantry and refrigerator trying to find something that is healthy and actually sounds good. yesterday, we had some yummy turkey burgers with toasted cheesy buns for lunch and then i was hungry 20 minutes later, so i had a nutri-grain bar. i also had some vanilla yogurt and some caramel ice cream as a snack after we went for a run at the local track. oh, and don't forget the chocolate chip pancakes that we had for dinner! i'm trying to drink tons of water with everything, just to make sure i'm not mistaking the hunger for thirst, but so far that hasn't seemed to be a problem. this is craziness, i tell you!
all this talking about food has my stomach growling again. please excuse me while i go stare into the depths of our refrigerator for the third time this morning.
mama always knows
i happen to be very picky and cheap when it comes to style. it's my mom's fault, really. she taught me that it is better to spend more for quality now because it will last much longer than clothing that might be cheaper in the short run. same idea as my expensive haircut theory - the cost per wear is much less. my mom also taught me that you don't have to pay full price for the more expensive, quality clothes and shoes. she is better than anyone i know when it comes to finding a bargain, and she passed on some of her skills to me.
it's because of that drive to find the perfect bargain and our lack of "fun money" (thanks to two house payments and one income), that i've been making do with these shoes.
in all honesty, i could get by with the shoes in these pictures just fine throughout my entire pregnancy. the only problems with the shoes in the first picture are that they all have heels over 3 inches high. i love heels, but i'm pretty sure that it won't be in my best interest to wear them 100% of the time while my body is changing shape and weight.
the second picture features the flat shoes in my wardrobe. the first is an adorable pair of jeweled flip flops that always bring plenty of compliments every time i wear them. they also have no support and are super slick on the bottom, which always leads to at least one episode of me looking like i've stepped on a banana peel every time i wear them. my running shoes are just that. i don't want to wear them down by wearing them when i'm not running or working out because they are more expensive to replace than a pair of flip flops and it's extremely rare to find a good sale on the exact style and size of running shoes that i need. the last pair of flip flops in this picture are cute, black, foamy tevas that i bought last summer. they look great with shorts and with sundresses. the only problem with these shoes is that i've worn them so much that they look ragged, and bozeman also happens to love them as much as i do. he carries them around the house in his mouth and the foamy material just can't stand up to his teeth, so i have the world's first pair of bozeman-personalized-tevas.
okay, so back to the whole purpose of this post. i've been looking for a supportive pair of flat shoes that are versatile, good quality and cheap. so far, no luck. until thursday of last week, that is. my mom called me on thursday morning and asked if i was busy. since scrubbing the inside of my crock pot does not really qualify as busy, i said no, and she asked if i could do something for her. she asked me to check out dillard's online shoe sale and pick out two pairs of shoes that i wanted. let me just say that my mom had no idea that i happened to be on the hunt for shoes or that i even needed them. even though i am 28 years old, my mom still has that mother's intuition. it probably didn't hurt that i had prayed and asked God for help.*
after over an hour of searching on the website and narrowing down my choices, i emailed my mom with the links to two pairs of shoes that i wanted. the first pair was just a replacement of my black tevas and they were on sale for $7.00. the second was a cute pair of merrell flip flops that totally had the supportive and non-slippery soles that i had been looking for. after seeing my selection, my mom called me and said that those two pairs didn't add up to much and asked if there was another pair that i might want. wow... not one to turn down an offer like that, i found another pair of merrell sandals that, while they had a funky looking fabric on them, were also supportive and perfect for walking the dog in the rain. so, not only did my mom place an order for three new pairs of shoes for me, but they also arrived on saturday! who doesn't love a surprise like that? here are my new shoes on my gigantic, size 11 feet:
*and yes, i do pray for much less selfish things, too. i'm just not against asking God to fulfill all of my needs. i love these verses that remind us not to worry about this sort of thing: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
it's because of that drive to find the perfect bargain and our lack of "fun money" (thanks to two house payments and one income), that i've been making do with these shoes.
in all honesty, i could get by with the shoes in these pictures just fine throughout my entire pregnancy. the only problems with the shoes in the first picture are that they all have heels over 3 inches high. i love heels, but i'm pretty sure that it won't be in my best interest to wear them 100% of the time while my body is changing shape and weight.
the second picture features the flat shoes in my wardrobe. the first is an adorable pair of jeweled flip flops that always bring plenty of compliments every time i wear them. they also have no support and are super slick on the bottom, which always leads to at least one episode of me looking like i've stepped on a banana peel every time i wear them. my running shoes are just that. i don't want to wear them down by wearing them when i'm not running or working out because they are more expensive to replace than a pair of flip flops and it's extremely rare to find a good sale on the exact style and size of running shoes that i need. the last pair of flip flops in this picture are cute, black, foamy tevas that i bought last summer. they look great with shorts and with sundresses. the only problem with these shoes is that i've worn them so much that they look ragged, and bozeman also happens to love them as much as i do. he carries them around the house in his mouth and the foamy material just can't stand up to his teeth, so i have the world's first pair of bozeman-personalized-tevas.
okay, so back to the whole purpose of this post. i've been looking for a supportive pair of flat shoes that are versatile, good quality and cheap. so far, no luck. until thursday of last week, that is. my mom called me on thursday morning and asked if i was busy. since scrubbing the inside of my crock pot does not really qualify as busy, i said no, and she asked if i could do something for her. she asked me to check out dillard's online shoe sale and pick out two pairs of shoes that i wanted. let me just say that my mom had no idea that i happened to be on the hunt for shoes or that i even needed them. even though i am 28 years old, my mom still has that mother's intuition. it probably didn't hurt that i had prayed and asked God for help.*
after over an hour of searching on the website and narrowing down my choices, i emailed my mom with the links to two pairs of shoes that i wanted. the first pair was just a replacement of my black tevas and they were on sale for $7.00. the second was a cute pair of merrell flip flops that totally had the supportive and non-slippery soles that i had been looking for. after seeing my selection, my mom called me and said that those two pairs didn't add up to much and asked if there was another pair that i might want. wow... not one to turn down an offer like that, i found another pair of merrell sandals that, while they had a funky looking fabric on them, were also supportive and perfect for walking the dog in the rain. so, not only did my mom place an order for three new pairs of shoes for me, but they also arrived on saturday! who doesn't love a surprise like that? here are my new shoes on my gigantic, size 11 feet:
*and yes, i do pray for much less selfish things, too. i'm just not against asking God to fulfill all of my needs. i love these verses that remind us not to worry about this sort of thing: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
still waiting on that explanation i promised?
here is the picture of our new tractor. it doesn't look very new in this picture because it's all dusty, but believe me - it is new and it can mow really fast. LH is so good that he can actually mow our grass at 7mph. i need to get a video.
and are you the least bit curious about this picture that i shared with you earlier this week?
would you believe that both pictures have the SAME explanation? in case you are still wondering, maybe this picture will help you out a bit:
that's right... we're pregnant! woohoo! LH was a little worried about letting me mow the grass for three sweaty hours while also trying to grow a baby, so he took over the duties. less than a week later, the in-laws let us know that they wanted to help us out and they bought a riding lawnmower for our anniversary/baby present. do i have the greatest in-laws, or what?
as far as the mac & cheese goes, it sounded really good when i bought it and when i ate it, but i haven't wanted it since then. same story for the salt & vinegar chips and the shockers candy. i have really had a great pregnancy so far, without any morning sickness, but i have had some definite food aversions and the food cravings come on so suddenly it is ridiculous. i've also discovered that if i'm hungry, i have about 15 minutes to eat something before i get so hungry that i can't think about anything but food. we had a bit of a scare two weeks ago and i had to stop exercising, but as of this week's doctor's appointment, i have permission to start working out and running again, so hopefully i can continue to feed the baby's hunger without also getting flabby. i know the weight gain will happen eventually, and i'm not worried about that, but i would like to keep my muscles in shape for labor & delivery and then the recovery that follows.
whew, there is so much to talk about now that i've let the cat out of the bag. oh, and since my due date is march 16th, the day before st. patrick's day, i think we can all agree that this baby should be nicknamed lucky baby.
and are you the least bit curious about this picture that i shared with you earlier this week?
would you believe that both pictures have the SAME explanation? in case you are still wondering, maybe this picture will help you out a bit:
that's right... we're pregnant! woohoo! LH was a little worried about letting me mow the grass for three sweaty hours while also trying to grow a baby, so he took over the duties. less than a week later, the in-laws let us know that they wanted to help us out and they bought a riding lawnmower for our anniversary/baby present. do i have the greatest in-laws, or what?
as far as the mac & cheese goes, it sounded really good when i bought it and when i ate it, but i haven't wanted it since then. same story for the salt & vinegar chips and the shockers candy. i have really had a great pregnancy so far, without any morning sickness, but i have had some definite food aversions and the food cravings come on so suddenly it is ridiculous. i've also discovered that if i'm hungry, i have about 15 minutes to eat something before i get so hungry that i can't think about anything but food. we had a bit of a scare two weeks ago and i had to stop exercising, but as of this week's doctor's appointment, i have permission to start working out and running again, so hopefully i can continue to feed the baby's hunger without also getting flabby. i know the weight gain will happen eventually, and i'm not worried about that, but i would like to keep my muscles in shape for labor & delivery and then the recovery that follows.
whew, there is so much to talk about now that i've let the cat out of the bag. oh, and since my due date is march 16th, the day before st. patrick's day, i think we can all agree that this baby should be nicknamed lucky baby.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
weekend food and what i need
every saturday, with very few exceptions, i make buttermilk pancakes from scratch for LH. it's easy and is something that totally makes his day, so i'm more than happy to do it. when he was little, his friends actually used to call him "maples" because he liked maple syrup so much. i think they were on to something, because whenever LH eats pancakes and syrup, he smells like maple syrup for the entire day!
i think i've mentioned before that bozeman is quite a social butterfly. so much so, in fact, that he sometimes has problems eating when we aren't watching. saturday, LH and i were trying to get bozeman to eat his food while we were eating breakfast and it just wasn't happening. LH ended up putting bozeman's toy squirrel next to the food bowl and told bozeman that his squirrel was eating his food and he better get some before it was all gone. it turned out that bozeman doesn't mind sharing his food.
and this is what happens when it's 2:00pm and you haven't eaten lunch yet and then talk to a friend on the phone about the macaroni and cheese that she just ate. i had to run out to the store right away and buy not just one box, but three boxes of macaroni and cheese. i also threw in a bag of my favorite potato chips and my favorite candy for good measure.
and finally, i couldn't resist adding this part. amy and k did this on their blogs recently and i thought it was hilarious, so here we go. these are the top then things that "i need" according to google:
1. LW needs a kid (doesn't bozeman count?)
2. LW needs a bit of help to get up on the bed (maybe on our ginormous guest bed, but certainly not in our bed)
3. LW needs a housewife like me (i can't even count how many times i said this when i had a "real" full time job)
4. LW needs help with her baby, y'all (um...)
5. LW needs to come home (my mom must have put this one out there so i would come visit)
6. LW needs coffee show (some coffee does sound really good right now, especially with some milk in it)
7. LW needs facebook (i've already got it)
8. LW needs your help! (sure... anyone want to send some free money my way?)
9. LW needs kelly's backing (i don't have any friends named kelly, but i'll take her support, whoever she is)
10. LW needs a china destination (ooh! i'd really LOVE to go to china. anyone have some extra olympics tickets that they want to give me?)
if you try the google search on your own blog, link to it from my comments so everyone else can get a good laugh out of it =)
i think i've mentioned before that bozeman is quite a social butterfly. so much so, in fact, that he sometimes has problems eating when we aren't watching. saturday, LH and i were trying to get bozeman to eat his food while we were eating breakfast and it just wasn't happening. LH ended up putting bozeman's toy squirrel next to the food bowl and told bozeman that his squirrel was eating his food and he better get some before it was all gone. it turned out that bozeman doesn't mind sharing his food.
and this is what happens when it's 2:00pm and you haven't eaten lunch yet and then talk to a friend on the phone about the macaroni and cheese that she just ate. i had to run out to the store right away and buy not just one box, but three boxes of macaroni and cheese. i also threw in a bag of my favorite potato chips and my favorite candy for good measure.
and finally, i couldn't resist adding this part. amy and k did this on their blogs recently and i thought it was hilarious, so here we go. these are the top then things that "i need" according to google:
1. LW needs a kid (doesn't bozeman count?)
2. LW needs a bit of help to get up on the bed (maybe on our ginormous guest bed, but certainly not in our bed)
3. LW needs a housewife like me (i can't even count how many times i said this when i had a "real" full time job)
4. LW needs help with her baby, y'all (um...)
5. LW needs to come home (my mom must have put this one out there so i would come visit)
6. LW needs coffee show (some coffee does sound really good right now, especially with some milk in it)
7. LW needs facebook (i've already got it)
8. LW needs your help! (sure... anyone want to send some free money my way?)
9. LW needs kelly's backing (i don't have any friends named kelly, but i'll take her support, whoever she is)
10. LW needs a china destination (ooh! i'd really LOVE to go to china. anyone have some extra olympics tickets that they want to give me?)
if you try the google search on your own blog, link to it from my comments so everyone else can get a good laugh out of it =)
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