Sugar Attack Part 3

I have kind of been dreading this next installment: the dangers of sugar. Part of me wants and needs to know exactly how bad this stuff is for me but the other part of me would like to just keep enjoying it and not worry about its destructive effects. Also, I don't want to come across completely doom and gloom. I think, though, that if I'm going to effectively fight this war against sugar, I have to be totally honest with myself about what it is that I'm fighting against. So here goes, a roundup of information detailing how sugar affects our systems:
depresses the immune system
leads to cardiovascular disease, asthma, mood swings, personality changes, mental illness, nervous disorders, gallstones, arthritis
obesity
tooth decay
digestive diseases
toxemia during pregnancy
eczema
blood clots and strokes
cancer
messes up the mineral balance in the body
anxiety
premature aging
alcoholism
weakens eyesight
yeast infections
hemorrhoids
appendicitis
varicose veins
osteoporosis
food allergies
interferes with absorption of protein
kidney stones
liver damage
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Oy. I cannot go on. If you need to know more about this stuff, you can check the references on this site: http://www.mercola.com/article/sugar/dangers_of_sugar.htm or just google dangers of sugar and you'll find a vast array of scary stuff.

Let all of Heaven Rejoice!

We went to the batting cages tonight for Graham's team's practice. I even got in there and hit some balls, can you believe that? Also Caris saw a little girl about her age who's the sister of a boy on Graham's team and wondered if she would like to play. I reminded her of a little girl who had come and asked her if she'd like to play when we were at a playground near the beach, and then guess what? Caris walked right over there and asked if this little girl would like to play! I was so proud of her. My big boys are so shy so watching Caris' relatively outgoing self amazes me.

After practice Alif took the big boys to go watch our niece's championship baseball game, and Caris, Canaan & I headed over to pick up some dinner. On our way Caris asked why God only had one son and no daughters. I told her that He has lots of daughters and that I am one of them, and that if she loves God then she can be one too. She's been asking questions about this for months but tonight she pressed on. We talked again about what it means to be a Christian: that we love God, that we know that the only way we can live with him forever in Heaven is to believe that his son Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. That he rose again and lives in Heaven. That we want to obey God and do what he asks us to do. She understood it all and when I asked her if she would like to pray about this she said she would. She repeated after me and afterward I told her that she is now God's daughter! I said, "You know what, honey? The Bible tells us that when we become a Christian, like you just did, that all of heaven has a big, big party!" She said, "They must know I'm about to turn five!" LOL I said, "No, they are just very excited that you love God. And you know what else? You have the holy spirit living inside of you now, and he promises to never, ever leave you no matter what!" She said, in all of her childlike wisdom, "We should see if Malachi and Graham want that too." :*) I assured her they already had prayed like she had and told her how important it is that she tells people around her how much Jesus loves them so that they can know him too.

I am so blessed! I am so happy for her!!

Sugar Attack Part 2

Though it may seem obvious, I wrote out a list of the benefits of cutting way back on my sugar intake:
weight loss
reduced health risks
more energy
fewer (or no?) panic attacks
better mood
better immune system
healthier kids
pride in my diet
money saved
more stamina
better breastmilk
avoid binging

What reasons do you have for reducing your sugar intake?

Summer Lovin'

A year or so ago, my friend Susan recommended Egermeier's Bible Story Book. I went online and bought an antique version from eBay and as soon as it arrived, I started reading it to the kids. We all enjoyed it, but the pages were so brittle that I didn't want to handle it too much.

Then my Mom brought over this new version of the same book! HOORAY! It has all the same stories and illustrations but is nice and sturdy.

As our school year winds down, I'm thinking of what we'll do over the summer. Awana will officially be over for the summer as of tomorrow night, and of all our studies, Bible is my top priority with the kids. Egermeier's came to mind, and so I gave each child a notebook and a fresh box of crayons. We wrote the title of the first story and its Scriptural reference at the top of the first page, and as I read the kids colored along in their notebook. By the end of summer they'll each have an illustrated Bible story book that they created on their own, and hopefully the multi-sensory approach will help cement the stories (and the meanings behind them!) in their hearts and minds.

Graham's review: "How did you come up with such a great idea??"

Sugar Attack Part 1

Ta-daaaa! Our first installment of Inside Out will focus on that sweet, awful stuff that has plagued me for years: sugar. I can't get enough of it, and as time goes on you will see how serious I am about that.

My parents fed us a healthy diet. My Mom cooked well-rounded meals pretty much every night, and we ate at the table as a family. We had ice cream after our dinner sometimes (almost always with wheat germ on top) and once in a while they'd let us ride our bikes over to 7-11 and pick out a candy. We rarely ate fast food, though we did go out to pizza lots of Fridays with our neighbors, and I was allowed to drink root beer on those occasions. What I'm saying is that we weren't fed a bunch of junk, but we weren't stringently denied sweets, either.

When I went to high school there was much freedom of food choice at lunchtime. Freshmen & sophomores were required to stay on campus for lunch, but there were lots of options in the cafeteria. Do you think that Lynette & I stayed in the cafeteria and ate salads or sandwiches? Would that we had, but we instead chose each day: one soda, one bag of chips, two candy bars. We took them in to the gym and laughed hysterically as we ate our nutritious lunch. I'm sorry, Mom. Once in a while we would get on a health kick and get taco salads from the cafeteria. Ok, that makes even me laugh to think about it. Even funnier though, we would eat outside and as soon as our tight little tummies felt full we'd pile dirt on so that we wouldn't keep eating just for the pure yumminess of it. Hey, at least we had some self-control. Let's not forget the times that we would also get donuts from the gym during zero period and also the times we would scrounge for change and then rollerblade over to Circle K for as much candy as we could afford.

After high school I was a mature college student and employee. I got my own apartment and lived on Corn Pops. I was thin as can be and the owner of the restaurant where I worked would pinch my side and say, "you too skinny, take home some calamari from mama. Go eat, gain weight." A couple years went by and I got a real job at a desk. My coworker Barb & I would go out to lunch and eat reasonable things like sandwiches and side salads. About once a week we'd load up on candy and gum or get a big chocolatey dessert. Not too horribly bad, I guess.

Then I got married and had kids and became a stay at home mom, and the kitchen was (is) available all day every day. Oh, my friends, it's gotten really bad. I have gained over 70 pounds since I met my sweet husband. I binge on sugary stuff like candy, fruit snacks, cereal and when I am eating stuff like this, I just seem to have no stop mechanism. I don't get full or tired of the sweetness of it all. Embarrassingly enough, I will now admit to you what I ate yesterday. It was a particularly horrible day. The kids and I went to Target and I loaded up on snacks. I was embarrassed even buying this stuff! We came home and I ate: one pint of dulce de leche ice cream, almost a whole package of swedish fish, several packets of fruit snacks, four pop tarts and a handful of gummi bears. It took me a few hours to consume all of that and of course I wasn't hungry the rest of the day. So basically, I ate nothing but sugar and a little wedge of watermelon all day. This is so not ok.

Now you have it. My history of sugar consumption. Tell me where you stand - are you a health nut and never, ever, ever eat refined sugar? Do you eat well most of the time and allow yourself treats? (How often and what type?) Do you eat sweets every day? Do you consume large quantities like I do?

Meet Fiona

Malachi got a Webkinz (Webkin?) for his Birthday, and of course I helped him get it all set up. I helped a lot. Not because he needed the help, because he's a total computer whiz, but because Webkinz? Super fun.

A couple weeks ago Alif & I were working in the nursery at church and my friends Kim & Kristi were talking about Webkinz. They asked if I ever play and I laughingly admitted that I'd been playing with Malachi's. "Oh, no!", Kim said, "You have to get your OWN!" Kristi added, "He'll mess it all up." It turns out that these two awesome Mommies play Webkinz like, all the time. Kristi's all, "are you going to the Extravaganza?" Whaaaaat? She told me all about it and we did indeed to to the Webkinz Extravaganza - Friday AND Saturday. We left Friday with Fiona for me and Saturday we adopted Stripey the black & white cat for Caris, Max the cocker spaniel for Graham, and Painter the leopard for Malachi.

So ok, I totally wish I could show you my Webkinz room but I can't. But if you want to add me as your Webkinz friend, my Webkinz name is HisKids37. Make sure you comment or e-mail and tell me who you are though so I know who's contacting me. I can't be getting all crazy out there in Webkinz world.

Be warned, if you're intrigued by Webkinz and think you might want to join the underground world of Webkinz Mommies, it can suck HOURS out of your day. Seriously.

Inside Out

A few nights ago Alif was out and the kids were in bed, so I was alone with my thoughts, which is pretty unusual around here. I sat down with a clean piece of binder paper and a pen and thought it would be a nice time to write out some areas of self-improvement that I'd like to work on. I thought I'd come up with about 4-6 general areas. Half an hour and Supernanny in the background later, I had more than filled up that sheet of binder paper. I was surprisingly not depressed about this. I pictured my PBPGINFWMY pin (please be patient; God is not finished with me yet) and said to myself, I said self (I know you hate me for saying that), "This is a job for my God." I also thought that it's no wonder God keeps us on this Earth for more than a few years. He's got a lot of work to do on hearts like mine!

ANYway. About 6-8 self-improvement ideas in, I realized that there is no way I can make these changes on my own. I need help. I need advice. I need support or at least commiseration. That is where you come in!

Introducing . . . . INSIDE OUT! Inside Out will focus on areas of improvement. Notice I've dropped the "self"? This is work for a big God, not for a puny gal like me. I've tried and tried and failed and failed. I need God to make these changes inside my heart, and because of his promise to me in Philippians 1:6 I know that He will not fail. He will not give up.

Come along with me, won't you? Let's focus on some areas that we struggle in and see just what our big, faithful God can really do! In the next day or two I'll reveal our first focus area. 'Til then! ::muah::

God With Us

Alif's parents own a couple of time-shares, so they sometimes get opportunities to preview other time-shares to see if they'd like to buy in to them. They invited us along on their most recent trip so we could celebrate Alif's 34th Birthday in style. We stayed at a beautiful resort at Avila Beach. As soon as I heard about this trip I got a little nervous. Avila Beach is right next door to Shell Beach, where my Grandparents lived. I hadn't been over there in quite a while - my last trip was to help clear out the house after we had moved them both to nursing homes in town. Even then it was a time of grieving. I have so many cherished memories of this quaint little beach town.

A lot has happened since that last trip. Both of my Grandparents have passed on. Their old house was torn down and a new one built in its place. How could I face driving through Shell Beach, seeing this new house, knowing my Grandparents are really really GONE?

The drive over was both soothing and painful. The familiarity of it was like a punch in the gut, over and over, but also comforting. I told Alif as we drove, "I would like to take a photographic trip over here, where I can stop any time something strikes me. It wouldn't be about the beach and everything, it would just be a way to document this trip, this place." He, in all of his emotionally sensitive splendor, said, "I'll let you do that." I thought, "Pbbt!" but then - hey, maybe I will. Maybe Mom and Megan and I could take a little photographic trip over here, stay in the Apple Farm like we always wanted to, and then compile our efforts into a big Shutterfly photobook to treasure. (Mom? Megan? Want to?)

As we got closer Alif asked where I'd like to go first. I said I didn't know but ultimately it came down to me. I said I'd like to go to Shell Beach, dreading it even as I said it. How it hurt to see the Shell Beach exit, the Welcome to Shell Beach sign, all the familiar businesses and streets. Tears trickled down as I saw that the city has built a cool new playground at one end. It's changed! It's not exactly the same as the last time I was here! By the time we reached my Grandparents' old street, the tears were streaming down. Mom was right, though - I was pleasantly surprised at the new house built on their lot. It looks like an upgraded version of what used to stand in its place. There was a young woman gardening in the front yard and a young man standing in the driveway, chatting with his neighbor. They're really, really gone. They no longer walk these streets, arm in arm.

Alif asked where I'd like to park for beach access and I said, "this is so much harder than you might think. Let's please just go down to that new park." I pulled myself together and the kids had a lovely time and thought the new park was awesome. After that we left Shell Beach, thankfully, and headed into Avila. I took the kids swimming in the hotel pool, and then we had dinner on the pier in Avila at a nice, unfamiliar restaurant. When we got back to the hotel I took Malachi into the bedroom and hugged him. He was being so attitude-ish. I told him that we all have bad days sometimes, and is there something he would like to talk about? He said no and looked grumpy. I told him, "You know what, honey? On the way in here today, I had to have a nice, long cry in the car. It was so overwhelming to me to drive in to a place so familiar to me and to know that my Grandparents are gone now. I really miss them." Wow, was I shocked when he started bawling. I haven't seen him cry that hard in a long, long time. I asked if he was missing them too and he nodded. I held him there for a long time and then asked if he'd like some time to be alone. He said he would. I was so sad for him feeling that way, but so grateful too that he DOES carry a strong memory of them, of this place that mean so much to me.

The next morning we went out to the beach and like the soft waves pouring in, my grief set in again. Visions of my Grandparents walking along the street, the stores they used to frequent, the restaurants. Having a familiar, loving place to visit when we went to the beach. Everything we did, everything anyone said, evoked some memory very precious to me. Alif asked if I'd like to take a nap with him and I thought of that big oak bed upstairs, those white curtains we pesky cousins once dropped out onto the grass and stained green, the view onto their backyard from the upstairs window, plants calling to be watered, an old water pump waiting for little hands to work it again. Oh, Lord, how can it all be gone? This is unbearable! I miss them too much!

That afternoon we drove in to San Luis to visit the mission there and gather information for Malachi's 4th-grade mission project. I dreaded seeing some little shop where my Grandma loved to look at fabrics or something but didn't and felt very thankful. My last memories of the San Luis farmer's market were just of Alif & I. It was a nice afternoon, feeling somewhat emotionally steady and really enjoying the mission and the information we received there.

Then we took one last trip down to the beach. I walked slowly with Canaan as he chased the seagulls and picked up treasures of driftwood, seaweed or rocks. Alif & Fred walked along behind the big kids as they darted in and out of the water, climbed rocks, stashed their own little treasures into a big blue grocery bag. Canaan sat and I sat next to him, combing through the sand like I did as a little girl, looking for polished little bits of white shells. The wave came over me again: They're really not here, Lord. They're really with you, and I'm glad they are but this hole is so BIG. I can't stand it, Lord, I can't stand it. I can't face that they're gone from this place. In that moment, with my kids around me and my husband strong and sure, and the sun setting, birds soaring overhead, waves crashing in higher now, smooth stones glistening, God spoke clearly to my heart:
God with us
so close to us
God with us
Emmanuel
I sang that refrain over and over, this time like a soothing, calming wave over my heart. My Grandparents aren't my security. Their home wasn't my security either. Even my own parents, husband, children aren't my security. God is my safe place, and he is with me wherever I go, whatever path my feet may travel, whatever place I call home. I know that mourning my Grandparents will take time, but I am so thankful that I can choose to live in the security that God is with me.

Work

Before I had children I worked in an office. Well, I had lots of little jobs before I had kids, but the one I had just before I had my first son was in an office. It was a clear-cut job: I got up early in the morning, showered, dressed, rushed out the door and fought with the 8:00 traffic to get to my desk by 8:00, or hopefully a few minutes before. I had an inbox and various files; I had computer documents to fill in and phone calls to make. I faxed some things and mailed others. I took a one-hour lunch break and at 5:00 I cleaned up my desk and went home.

Then I had kids. I stopped working outside the home and each day was more full of joy than it ever had been at the office, but it was also a jumbled, confusing, non-structured pile of days. I figured I'd approach life like I had when I worked and just make sure I was ready for each day bright and early. Any mother knows that isn't as simple as it sounds.

Four kids, a home business, homeschooling and internet access have really complicated matters. I'm doing good to be dressed and ready for the day at any point during my day. If I'm ready first thing it's a huge accomplishment. If my home is clean and dinner cooked, I've really mastered the day. If it's a mess and we eat take-out - well, at least we've eaten something and have clothes to wear. And speaking of, let's not even get into the laundry situation.

What's my point here? We moms are all in this together. We all struggle to get it all done and frankly, I don't know a single one who does. It's a busy time of life and perfection isn't a realistic goal.

However. Did you know that my name means "industrious"? It does. I've always felt completely unworthy of having that meaning attached to my name. I'm so not industrious. I have always had problems with time management. In fact, I remember having two books when I was a little girl about time and money management. They absolutely intrigued me. Making schedules and budgets - ooooh, so fun! Doing them though? Not so much.

Which brings me to the point. I think. I am reading through Genesis right now and boy did I see some things in a fresh light! Let's go to Genesis 2 and look at a few verses that you've read a bunch of times. We're in a place where we're learning about creation.

5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground

WOAH, NELLIE! I am seeing two things here. First, the systems of earth weren't ready to support plant life yet, and second, there wasn't anyone to work it. How many of God's blessings am I missing out on in my life because I'm not ready and I'm not willing to work? A major theme at my Grandma's funeral on Monday was her hospitality. My Grandma was just amazing at it. Every one of us grandkids has such good memories of being in her home - our friends were just as welcome as we were, and they opened their lovely home to us hundreds of times over the years. Being hospitable is a big goal of mine, but am I doing my part? My home isn't ready. I always have to do substantial cleaning before we have a party. Maybe if I'd work the way God has called me to, His gifts could play out in a bigger way in my life (and thus create a ministry that I am currently unable to carry out!).

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Ok, we skipped a few verses so maybe we're thinking that this is after they ate the apple and got in trouble and now they have to work. Mmm, no. Because after they got busted, they had to leave the Garden of Eden. Here's the thing: they were put in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. It was their purpose in life! When it really boils down, isn't that my purpose too? To take care of my husband, my children, my home, the people God places in my life? Right now, my work isn't in an office, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be taking it seriously. How effective a mother am I if I'm still in pajamas at noon? Should a friend call at 10 and ask if we'd like to go to the park, the answer is no because I'm not ready.

Let's go back a little bit, to 2:3b

he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

My husband works hard all day, and then he comes home and works hard. He does not eat the bread of idleness. At night though, when the work is done and it's time to relax, he relaxes hard. He sits quietly and watches a movie or talks with me and then he crawls into bed and falls asleep in less than a minute. He does not, like me, need to lie in bed reading until he cannot read any more. He isn't anxious or jittery, he's tired. He's genuinely tired from working hard all day long. I think that these two thoughts are very closely related. If I spend my day working hard, two things happen: I complete my tasks, which relieves anxiety, and I'm physically weary. Working hard + tasks completed = real rest.

Lift Up Your Hearts is getting a face lift! The make-over is in progress, so check back soon for the final product!

Too busy

WOW. Elisabeth Elliot's devotionals often give me something new to think about, but today's actually made me say WOW.

One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.

It's her day

My much-beloved Grandma went home to be with Jesus today. We Christians use that phrase a lot when we talk about other believers' deaths, and it's a comfort to us to know that our loved ones are in Heaven. Today though, this is the first time that my joy for a loved one being with Jesus has really outweighed my grief. Don't get me wrong, I've cried so much today. A couple hours after I got the news I got in the shower and had a good, long, cleansing cry.

"Go to sleep little pumpkin, and tuck in your toes
When you wake in the mornin' you will turn to a rose

Go to sleepy little baby
Go to sleepy little baby
When you wake
You'll patty-patty-cake
And ride a shiny little pony"

I will miss her so much. She was the kind of Grandma every child wants to have. She was such an example.

She was an example of a Godly woman. My Grandma loved Jesus with all of her heart, soul, mind and strength. Everything she did was about serving Him, honoring Him, loving Him. Even in the little things, like finding a good parking spot: "Thank you, Lord!"

She knew how to be hospitable. My Grandma had us (and so many others) in her beautiful home at every opportunity. There was never any need to knock. We'd pull up, walk in and call, "Yoo hoo!" (just like she did when they came to our house!) and she was always ready. There was gum in the candy dish. Mixed juices in the morning, each cup already poured and waiting on the table. Fresh oranges from the tree in the yard. Watering cans that little hands could easily handle. A basket of toys in the closet. Walks down the street to Shell Beach, naps upstairs with the white curtains blowing in the beachy breeze, meals around the big oak table, cuckoo clock chiming out the hours, bounce-bounce-bouncing up and down when she tucked us in at night, her soft, strong hands on our chests. And when it was time to go, she and Grandpa standing arm in arm on the front porch, waving 'till we couldn't see each other any more. "Let the phone ring twice when you get home."

Grandma was a most excellent wife. I never heard a single negative comment about my Grandpa come from her mouth. She supported him and loved him and kept personal matters private.

She showed us how to have FUN! We have a long legacy of laughers in my family. I don't know how far back it goes, but my great-grandma Gonny was a laugher and my Grandma even more so. We're not just talking about subdued giggles here - my Grandma could really LAUGH. Tears streaming down her face, full-blown laughing. I'm glad to say that trait has carried through the generations just fine.

Grandma was a peace-maker. She knew how to keep us kids in control and any time two people started gettin' snippy, she'd say, "Now, now." And somehow that was enough.

Grandma taught us how to give. From a very young age, Grandpa and Grandma took us kids on vacations with them, kept us at their house for a week or so, drove over and over to see our recitals, graduations, Birthday parties, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving. They loved to be with us, and the feeling was mutual. Grandma was the family glue.

There's never been a Grandma more loved. I will miss her so, so much, but I rest in comfort knowing that she's with our Savior. I love you, Grandma.

Percentiles

I'm not one to get hung up on growth percentiles, but I do think it's fun to run them every so often for kicks. I marvel at how different my kids are, and this is just one more (albeit small) way to see how unique God made them. Here's where they fall in the lineup today:

Malachi:
At 10 years:

your child is 67.5 pounds, and that is
at the 39th percentile for weight.

your child is 54.75 inches, and that is
at the 51st percentile for height.

Graham:
At 8 years and 4 months:

your child is 58.5 pounds, and that is
at the 49th percentile for weight.

your child is 54 inches, and that is
at the 88th percentile for height.

Caris:
At 4 years and 10 months:

your child is 45.5 pounds, and that is
at the 84th percentile for weight.

your child is 46.5 inches, and that is
at greater than the 97th percentile for height.

Canaan:
At 14 months:

your child is 27.5 pounds, and that is
at the 88th percentile for weight.

your child is 31 inches, and that is
at the 54th percentile for height.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I've always wanted to try making tortillas and have heard it's easy, but I just have never given it a go. Last week I finally decided to just go for it. It really was easy! Here you go, check it out and try making your own!

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients. Add in vegetable shortening and mix in well with a fork. Add water and stir, then knead (about 2 minutes), to make a dough. It shouldn't be sticky, so if it is then add a little more flour.

Divide into twelve little balls, cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

On a well-floured surface, roll into a circle, nice and thin.
Plop onto a nice hot griddle. Wait just until bubbles form (it's quick, just a few seconds!) and then flip over for a few more to finish 'er up.
Enjoy with mounds of butter, then run three miles to burn off all the fat and calories. Like I always do when I eat something like this. That's why I'm so incredibly trim & fit. Yeah.

Easter Pictures

I made all the kids smile for me in the front yard before we headed off to church for the day. I'm not all that keen on posed pictures but I didn't have that much time to follow the kids around the house catching good candids. Graham is without glasses because his were accidentally crunched in the midst of a brotherly fight. I hope they are fixable.

Speaking of brothers, here's mine, Jerod, making Canaan laugh his cute little head off.

Malachi did not enjoy the forced photo-taking but he's sure handsome anyway!

Aww, here they all are! Aren't they lovely?

Here's Mr. Little and Tiny in his handsome big-boy Easter outfit!

Canaan was a funny boy with this pencil in his mouth while we rode around in the car. And isn't his car seat cover the cutest?

Caris actually posed herself in this darling, girly way. I made her dress and was thrilled for her to have a dress that was long enough without having an enormous bodice. She picked the fabric all by herself. I wasn't sure how cute it would be but even after the first few seams were done I fell in love with it.

My peeps

We went for a walk today with the Coxes, our dearest and nearest friends. We had a nice time, though it was warm and Lynette and I definitely spent too much time chatting at the end so that the kids became restless and started to bicker. I can't remember how, but somehow the phrase "peeps" came up. As we separated ways, Graham asked, "what are peeps?" I said, "they can be those marshmallow-ey treats you got for Easter, but in this case it is short for 'my people' - my peeps! You guys are my peeps! C'mon peeps, let's walk home!" In that very silly moment, I was so endeared to my peeps! They're MY PEEPS! They'll ALWAYS be my peeps! Don't worry, I literally never use that phrase. But for some reason, it made me feel closer to them today. Gosh, I love those children beyond comprehension. I'm so thankful that they're mine!

Are you speedy?

I took this test 3x and this was my best score. This could get addictive!

83 words

Speedtest

Homecooking. ROFL

April 13, 2099
Reunited Press

After much heated debate on the house floor, legislation was passed
today to allow a growing number of families to cook meals for their
families in their homes. The children must have annual physical
examinations to assure proper growth and weight gain. Attempts to
require weekly meal plans and monthly kitchen inspections were voted down.

A spokesperson from the National Association of Nutritionists (NANs)
condemns this decision. "These children are being denied the rich
socialization and diversity that is an essential part of the eating
process. Without the proper nutritional background, it is impossible
for the average person to feed their own children. We, as child
advocates, see this as a step backwards and speak out for the sake of
the children who cannot speak for themselves."

Homecooking parents say the benefits of eating at home include
increased family unity and the ability to tailor a diet to a
particular need. Elizabeth Crocker, a home cook, states, "We started
cooking and eating at home when we realized that my son had a severe
allergy to eggs. The public kitchens required him to take numerous
medications that had serious side effects in order to counteract his
allergy. We found that eliminating eggs was a simpler method and our
son has thrived since we began doing so."

After this experience, the Crockers decided to home cook for all of
their children, and converted their media room into a kitchen.
Elizabeth says, "We have experienced so much closeness as we have
explored recipes and spent time cooking together and eating together.
We have a dining circle with other families where we sometimes share
ideas and meals together."

The Crocker children have done well physically under their mother's
care, weighing in at optimum weights for their ages and having health
records far above average. It should be noted that Mrs. Crocker, while
not a professional nutritionist, has a family history rich with
nutritionists and home economists. "Surely the success of the Crocker
children is due to the background of their mother," responded the
spokesman from NANs. "The results they have achieved should not be
viewed as normative." Mrs. Crocker counters that her background was
actually a hindrance to the nutritional principles she follows. "Our
paternal great-grandmother was a home economist, but she prepared most
meal from pre-made mixes. In our homecooking we try not to duplicate
public-kitchen meals, but to tailor our meals to the needs and
preferences of our children."

In a related issue, legislation is in committee that would provide
oversight for the emerging homecooking movement. Says the Home Eating
Legal Defense Association (HELDA): "We want to provide umbrella
kitchens to aid parents in the complicated tasks of feeding their
children. Many families lack the expertise of the Crocker family, yet
desire to eat at home. As we have seen, the umbrella kitchens meet the
needs of all concerned. We are happy to provide this service."

Home Eating a Threat to Public Kitchens?
State Allows Growing Trend of Eating At Home
by Angela Paul
Copyright © Angela Paul, April 13, 1999

April 13, 2099
Reunited Press

Thanks, Amanda!

We had co-op at Amanda's house on Saturday and planted quite a bit. I got inspired to stop the half-hearted researching and just start planting! Here's what we've planted so far:
Cantaloupe
Early Girl Tomatoes
Ace Tomatoes (Malachi's pick)
Roma Tomatoes
Celebrity Tomatoes
A pink Azalea

and ready to plant are
Pumpkins
Watermelons

For now . . . we'll see what we find to plant next week!

Canaan, 14 months

Length 30 3/4" = between percentile 50 and 75
Weight 27 lbs = between percentile 75 and 90
He will be walking along and suddenly do a little penguin dance like on Happy Feet. It's the cutest thing ever!
This boy can THROW! When he rears that little right arm back, watch out!
Stops to gaze at trees when he spies them through a window, especially if they're swaying in the spring breeze.
When he's trying to get something and can't and I say, "it's stuck!", he grunts and tries harder.
He loves to go outside! When the door opens he runs gleefully. Oh yeah - he runs!
3/31 Got his first eye tooth - the top left one.
4/3 Second eye tooth

Virtual Collage

I joined this site called sparkpeople.com and it has tons of great tools for weight loss and healthy living. You can track your calories, exercise, water intake, keep a blog, post on message boards - they write up a diet plan for you, etc. One of the motivational tools they ask you to do is to make a collage of some things that motivate you to lose weight. Here are some of mine, not in order LOL:

Have more self esteem/confidence

Feel more confident when speaking in front of a group

Prove to myself that I can do it

Feel more like myself

By VBS (in June), feel more fit, active, in control

Be stronger

Be more active with my kids (these are not my kids LOL)

Be fit in case of another pregnancy

Be healthy enough to be active with my grandkids

Have more energy

Enjoy more active hobbies with my husband

Have thinner thighs

Look and feel fit

Like how I look naked

Enjoy wearing fashions that I love

Photo Essay

Alif & I apparently are big goofballs since we both look a little crazy here. We were about to serve Canaan his chocolately and rose-decorated birthday cake.

Cute pic of Grandma P. and Canaan at his Birthday party. It was a cupcake theme and you can see two of them peeking at you in the bottom of the pic there. Thanks Lynette for frosting them for me!!

We were hanging around last night in the living room and Canaan laid on his back very still. A few minutes later he rolled over and went to sleep, right there on the living room floor. I had to take a quick pic before I carried him up to his bed.

One day we tried making a meatloaf without a loaf pan, because I couldn't find one. Isn't it pretty? Caris asked me to take a picture of her with it because we were having such a good laugh about how it looked. Luckily it looked a lot more attractive sliced up and tasted even better. Don't worry Mom, I'm not bringing meatloaf for dinner tonight.

Sometimes we stick his little hair up just for fun. Don't you love the Pedipeds Grandma B. got him for his Birthday? He does too. He brings them to me and asks me to put them on.

Canaan really, really likes his big brother. Malachi's almost like a third parent to Canaan. They're very close, and Canaan will go to Malachi for comfort instead of me sometimes.

On Canaan's Birthday I climbed into the tub with him and had Malachi take a picture of us. This is where it all began! He was born in this very tub one year ago today (2/4). Doesn't he look thrilled to be reminiscing with me?

I love him.

10 years ago today, Alif & I were married. We had fallen in love nearly four years prior and finally the right time had come. I can't exactly figure out my feelings today. I'm amazed that ten whole years have gone by so quickly. I feel kind of like I do when my kids have a birthday - in awe, excited, wistful and even a little depressed. Like I said, I can't figure this out. It could be that I'm tired because I was literally up half the night with a sick baby. While I was awake, in fact, I was composing a blog in my head about my husband. Oh, I love him. I love him so much I have butterflies in my stomach thinking of it. Maybe I could stop worrying about my lack of excellent writing skills and just say what I want to say without wondering if anyone will enjoy it.

When Alif & I met we were so young. I was 19, he was 20. We'd both experienced a lot out of life already and I think we both knew almost immediately that we were meant to be together. We spent every spare moment together. We laughed, oh how we laughed! He brought me little romantic gifts. He met my parents, and my Dad pinched his butt and my Mom said he looked like one of the New Kids on the Block.

In 1995 I had a moderately bad car accident. Alif became a nurse overnight and along with my Mom, he tended to my every need. He painted my toenails, took me where I needed to go, even convinced me to go on outings in a wheelchair. He was so tender and sweet. I think this is when I really fell in love with him. Really knew, I mean, that I didn't just enjoy him, I really really loved him.

The years went by and we continued to fall further in love. We grew and changed and stuck together. We had hard times and good ones.

One Valentine's Day, I think in about 1997, Alif orchestrated the most romantic Valentine's I could imagine. He invited me over for dinner, and when I arrived I was amazed to see how he'd transformed his home into a Valentine dream come true. There were flowers everywhere, a special little table set up in the study with china and fancy napkins and candles and gifts. He'd done this funny, cute thread craft that made a heart on cardboard with strings. He'd cooked a fantastic meal and served me like I was a queen. I couldn't believe it - I was sure he was going to propose and I sat nervously through the whole meal. We finished eating and he slid a small black box across the table. I maybe even had tears in my eyes as I nervously opened it . . . to find a small, gold, engraved clock. I cried. He sat anxiously, wondering if I liked the gift - was I crying tears of joy or what was going on? Somehow I told him that I'd thought it was a ring and he comforted me. It didn't help. We ended up in a huge, outrageous fight. Ha! Yeah, it's actually funny looking back on it. (Though I won't bore you with it here, his eventual proposal was truly romantic and a dream come true.)

So time went on and it was time to get married, and we did. And we had a baby. Then another one. We hit hard times. Alif was going to school and working, both full time. I was alone with my two precious sons almost all the time, and I was lonely for my husband and exhausted with the workload of raising two toddlers by myself. We hit crisis. We fell apart at the seams, and it took a lot of hard work to get back to a place where we felt solid as a couple again. God is merciful and good, and we did.

I got pregnant again, and it was such an answer to prayer - not just having another baby but what that signified in our marriage. We were totally back on track and in love and so incredibly thankful for God's grace on our marriage. We named our daughter Caris, Greek for Grace.

Last year our fourth blessing came along and in some only-God-can-do-this way, I think in the last year of our marriage I have fallen more in love with Alif than ever before. I so respect who he is as a man. He works hard, really hard and never complains about it. He supports me as a teacher, mother and friend. He STILL makes me laugh literally every day. He says kind things. He calls me several times a day just to see how our day is going or to tell me some little thing that happened while he was out. He lays on the living room floor and watches movies on his laptop while I watch TV. He loves our kids, oh my GOSH he loves those kids.

So last night. Canaan woke up whining right at the time Alif came to bed. I was so tired, I just waited for Alif to go get him. He sat at the edge of the bed and I could tell he was listening to see if Canaan was going to settle in or keep crying. As soon as the whining turned to a cry he went and got him. He brought him into the bed and lined him up perfectly to nurse. Poor baby couldn't nurse because his nose was stuffy. Alif reached over and pulled the baby close to him. He slipped his hand up under baby's pajama top and stroked him softly. Canaan stopped whining, soothed by Daddy's touch. Eventually Daddy's touch didn't work any more and I spent the rest of the night trying to nurse him, carrying him around so he could be upright, dozing . . . when we all woke up in the morning Daddy rubbed baby's back and said, "Poor Mommy." I said, "Poor baby." He said, "Happy 10-year Anniversary."

I know it's corny but I'm just totally overwhelmed with how much I love that man. We both have our faults, and sometimes I want to make his head into a waffle, but I love him dearly. He is such a gift to me.

He's called several times today, just to see what I am doing and how my day is going and to say "I love you". I love you too, I really really do.

Are you Patriotic?

I am, and I really enjoyed these little girls' rendition of our National Anthem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKCVS57j284

Don't bother the baby

Canaan & I are both sick today. We're not terribly sick. Canaan's whiny and grouchy and I'm mostly just tired. I have spent a good part of the morning tending to little mister's needs and yet he cries. Or whines. Well yay . . . he just found a whole bunch of little books all over the living room floor and he is ON A MISSION! He's walking into the living room, picking up one or two, walking back to the kitchen and depositing them into my kitchen drawer. He's made at least 10 trips so far. Hooray for a project for baby!!

Moms of Many Exercise Challenge

How true Becca is when she says that we need to be fit to care for our little blessings, and to prepare our bodies for any future blessings the Lord should bestow. I am guilty of letting my body go in a huge way (pun intended) and I really do need to get crackin'. I certainly don't want to keep gaining more and more weight! Click the button above for more information.

It does all come back around, then.

One day in December I went upstairs to use my tiny little bathroom. There's nothing special about it except that it's Alif's & mine alone, and I guess that alone makes it pretty remarkable to me. This day though, something seemed a little "off". I first noticed that the floor looked a little strange. I looked closer and it actually looked dirty. What in the world, I thought - why would there be dirt all over my floor?
I was perplexed, I'll admit it. Then my eyes wandered up to the counter, where things looked a little . . . irridiscent. Is this sounding familiar at all, mother dear? All of a sudden I had a flashback to when I was about seven and had an irresistable urge to pulverize my Mom's irridiscent blue eyeshadow. And I did. And my poor mother went in to her bathroom and found irridiscent blue powder all over the place. My stomach sank. Say it isn't so. Who would pulverize my makeup?
I opened the medicine cabinet slowly and with a certain level of dread, and my fears were confirmed. Someone had pulverized. Someone had pulverized my pretty blush . . .
and also my own irridiscent blue eyeshadow. My favorite! Oh my!
I didn't even want to open up my Pink Chocolate lipstick. I was already imagining the worst. I did, though, and oh, glory! It was unharmed!
I wonder if someday Caris' (ahem, did that give away the culprit?) own precious blonde daughter will smash HER makeup to bits?

Canaan, 13 months

LOVES playing telephone. Toy phones, real phones, q-tips, his hand, a block - anything can be a phone. He holds it up to his ear, says hello ("eOOOO") and smiles and jabbers on. Then he'll throw it at me and wait in anticipation for me to say, "Hello? Oh HI! Oh ok, would you like to speak to Canaan (he smiles very big now)? Ok, here he is!" and the game starts all over again. If I'm not available he'll walk around happily talking to his telephone friend.

Calls his nurses "mum-mum", which I think is a perfect combination of Mommy and yummy. I realized tonight that it's because I would always say, "Do you want your nursie Mama?"

I love Canaan's kisses and I love when he nurses. He's too cute how he walks swinging one arm in an exaggerated fashion, and how he's just learned to hang on things. I see him hanging on the table, the couch, anything that will hold his chunky self. I love when he says his little words and the way he brings me his Pedipeds and asks me to put them on (by holding them out and saying, "uuuuhhhh? uhhhhh?") I looooove when he wakes between us in the morning and we have time alone with him, just Daddy, baby and me. I love that he's a total charmer and smiles at & talks to people when we're out.

7 1/2 A Medium Ash Blonde

My Mom & I have had a tradition for a few years now of getting our hair done together. Well, Mom's hair looks amazing at every moment with no haircuts or dyes necessary, because she's wearing a wig. I just can't bring myself to go to our hairdresser without my Mom! However, my ugly roots were really starting to show and I figured I'd better do something and fast. I chose a L'Oreal haircolor at Target today and hoped it would work. Meaning, I hoped it would make my hair a nice shade of dark blonde and not something hideous. IT WORKED! I LOVE how it looks, and for under $8, well, hooray! My hair literally feels silkier, smoother and nicer after coloring it. I straightened it with my trusty Chi and it actually looks nice! Hooray for cheap hair color!!

Errands with Kids

I generally really like running errands with my kids. It gives us concentrated time together and it's when they say some funny, sweet, profound things. Two of my kids have accepted Jesus in the car, and Caris came very, very close in the car the other day.

Today there was a song that goes, "la-de-da, la-dee-daa". Caris said, "what does la-dee-da mean?" I told her it's just a fun way to use our voices to praise the Lord and she paused, then said, "Oh, I know what it means, it means Merry Christmas." It took me a minute, but then I realized she was hearing "feliz navidad". LOL

As we walked in to Target Graham asked, "People always say, "are they all yours?" I totally LOL and said, "why do you think they say that?" He said, "because we have so many kids." ROFL BTW I really don't hear that very often, but someone had asked just that morning. It kind of cracks me up because we only have four kids. I mean, if I walked in with 8 then I guess I'd expect to hear that but four? That's not that many kids.

Family Load

"Family load" is an infamous phrase in my family, and not in a good way. As a matter of fact, if my mother reads this blog she is going to call my phone no matter the hour. She may even slip into a mild depression and feel that she has failed as a mother. Laundry is that serious to us.

I have struggled with keeping the laundry washed, folded and most of all, put away. It obviously is a job that just never ends, and with six people in my home, one of whom wears enough clothes each day to suit most men (oops, did that give him away?) for a week, I stand no chance. I've tried pretty much every laundry method I've heard about and still I have the biggest piles of laundry ever, all over my house.

A couple weeks ago I read about a lady who does her family's laundry one person's at a time. She just gathers the hamper from their room, throws it all in and ta-daaa, it's done. My nose crinkled. How could she? Jeans with blouses? Socks with pillowcases? Underwear with . . . well, anything else? No. Not happening.

Meanwhile, my talented, amazing, hard-working husband announced that the time has come! He's officially building me a laundry room to beat all laundry rooms! Ohhh, I have to tell you, this makes me smile. Right now it's about midway finished - the walls are up and drywalled. Yet to come: cabinets, black and white checked floor, shelving for all of my boxes of fabric and holiday items, a counter where I can fold and sew . . . it's going to be absolutely wonderful!!

Only one problem: do I want mountains of laundry in my gorgeous new laundry room? No I do not! Do I want laundry piling up in our bedrooms, bathroom and hallway? Most certainly I do not. Something has to give.

I sauntered casually in to my new laundry room. I looked around and no one was watching. I turned on the washer, cold water . . . added half a scoop of Purex laundry detergent. Ooh, a little rush! I was about to do something terribly naughty. Then reckless abandon: I grabbed a plaid button-up shirt and threw it in. Then another. Then a pair of red socks (I know, Mom, you can hardly bear to read this) and (ohhhhhhh nooooo, *I* can hardly bear it!) a pair of jeans. I fill that washer, all with Alif's clothes. I cannot and will not bring myself to combine his colors with his whites, but the colors are all becoming acquainted in a radical new way. A bit later, I threw all the shirts, socks and soccer shorts into the dryer and hung the jeans. A bit later still, I folded up all of Alif's clothes straight out of the dryer, into ONE PILE! I asked a boy to take them to the closet and woahhhhhhh Nellie, Alif had A BUNCH of clean clothes!

That was it. I was addicted. I've been washing family loads for over a week now. There are certain lines I will not cross - as mentioned, whites and colors never shall mix in my washer. Jeans won't mingle with delicates. New red shirts will have to fly solo. But as for the rest, it's reckless abandon (and folded and put-away laundry) all the way, baby.

Practical Advice from God

We use A Reason for Handwriting and love it. Each week the boys' writing lessons center around a verse. They practice writing letters and words from the verse and at week's end they write the verse on a pretty border sheet in their best writing, color it, and mail it off to someone they love.

This week's verse in Graham's book is, "It is hard to stop a quarrel once it begins, so don't let it start. Proverbs 17:14." All week I've been thinking how nice it is that his verse is something so truly practical for children to learn. The first time we read it Graham said, "does a quarrel live at the bottom of the ocean?" I said no, that a quarrel is an argument. I couldn't figure out what he was referring to. Well, yesterday he asked, "why DOES God not want the quarrel to grow?" I said, "Because, honey, once we start to argue sometimes it just gets bigger and meaner. It's better to just not quarrel at all." He looked truly perplexed, and all of a sudden I realized that he was asking why God does not want the CORAL to grow. ROFL! All week I thought we were doing some really great virtue training and all week Graham was trying to figure out God's gardening tips. (Or would that be husbandry tips? Are coral actually creatures? LOL)

Canaan's Pregnancy Story

Just so I can say that I warned you, this post is totally TMI. It didn't seem like it when I posted it to the due in January 2007 board because well, when you're trying to conceive a baby, nothing feels like TMI. LOL Anyway, it was fun to look back and see this today, the day my baby turned a year old!

Hi! I recognize some of you already, and shh! I haven't told most of the online community yet. LOL Here's my basic timeline:
April 1-4 regular period
April 28 TINY pink spotting, one wipe's worth
May 17-24 very light, mostly brown but some red, and definitely more than spotting, "period"
May 28 Thought I'd go ahead and start temping again and was really surprised to have a definitely post-o temp!
May 29 Another high temp. Tested and got a positive - 3x.
May 30 Another positive test
Today 2 more positive tests

So - lots of positive tests, temps high, but not really symptoms I could *definitely* say are due to pregnancy. I go in to see my OB tomorrow afternoon, and we'll see exactly what's going on then. In the meantime, any thoughts? I have 2 boys, ages 6 and 8, and a daughter who's 3. Oh - I weaned my daughter at the end of April.

Emily
Happy 3rd Birthday, Caris!
Love, Clifford the Big Red Dog



6/1/06

Well, the doctor (NP actually) said my uterus is enlarged & soft, indicative of an early pregnancy. She sent me for bloodwork which will tell them my hcg levels and date the pregnancy, and I have an ultrasound on the 16th. I'm a little frustrated to not have a more definitive answer, but I guess tomorrow we'll know more. I just wanna be able to blab!!



6/6/06

Great news! I had my u/s this morning and boy is that baby tiny, but s/he's there!! Everything looks absolutely great! We could see the heart beating -what a beautiful sight! Of course I broke into happy and relieved tears the second she said, "there's your tiny baby!" Wow!! So - I'm 6 weeks along and due January 31, 2007! Praise the Lord!!



Has anyone had spotting after a transvaginal u/s? I had mine done at 8:30 this morning (almost 12 hours ago) and (watch out, tmi) after a bm this afternoon I had a bit of pink spotting. Next time I peed, a lesser amount of pink spotting, and this last time, an even smaller amount but two tiny clots also. This pregnancy is BY FAR my most stressful!!!



6/9/06

Ok, I spotted twice after that stupid transvaginal u/s, and tiny amounts in between, but it has stopped! THANK GOD! This pregnancy has been so emotional so far. What a roller coaster! Praying for a VERY uneventful and peaceful pregnancy from here on out!



6/12/06

In all of my other pregnancies, nausea has been my main symptom, with other little things here & there. This time I don't have much nausea, thank God, but I am so tired I can barely stand it. Granted, I'll take exhaustion over nausea any day, but wow, this is insane. Yesterday I slept from 1-5 in the afternoon and still felt awful all evening. Then I slept from about 11-7. Felt fine most of the morning until 12 or so, and now I am just POOPED!!! WOW!

6/21/06
I had my first visit with my ob today (had an u/s before, and saw the NP, but this was my first visit with the actual dr). My bp was good, lost 7 pounds in the last 2 weeks (no surprise with all the nausea). He'll listen for the heartbeat next visit in 4 weeks. Nothing big, just a normal 8-week visit. :-)

7/6/06
We are meeting with a midwife on Monday to discuss a home birth. I really want to do it, my husband really doesn't. I don't know if he can be convinced or not. If not then I will hire our Bradley teacher as my doula for the hospital. Really good book recommendation that ALL expecting mothers should read, just to at least be educated: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon.

7/11/06
I am having such a discouraged day today, I just want to cry! I keep reminding myself that my morning sickness is nowhere NEAR as bad as it was with my youngest, and I am so thankful for that. But then there's a BIG part of me that is just so blue. I have three children, and this is SUMMER, and there's so much I'd like to be doing with them, but instead I am laying around feeling sick, or laying around even when I feel ok because if I do too much (like Oh No, I might want to fold some laundry!) then I pay for it later. I think a big part of my problem today is that I only slept 3 hours last night, and that's just not good. Maybe after a nice afternoon nap I'll feel a little better. Moan, moan, moan!!

7/13/06
To all of those who are dealing or have dealt with morning sickness (all day), how are you feeding your families? We manage fine for breakfast, lunch and snacks, but dinner has been fast food for 3 solid weeks. Yesterday I remembered the crock pot, and made a delicious chicken dinner in the crockpot when I was feeling ok in the morning. Today I started chile verde in it. A friend also suggested frozen foods from the grocery store (like the Stouffers Lasagnas), which I never buy but would be a lot healthier and cheaper than fast food. Dh doesn't really have the opportunity to cook because he works and then comes home to take the boys to their sporting events, which happen almost every night (next week baseball ends, thank God!) So pass on your great tips!

7/14/06
Ok so this isn't THAT exciting but my constant struggle right now is finding a drink that satisfies my thirst but doesn't taste awful or leave a bad taste in my mouth. Iced tea! Iced tea is doing the trick!!
But what I'm *really* excited about is that we did it! We ditched the OB and signed on with the midwife! We are officially planning a home birth! I can't believe it! My first appointment with her is July 24th. Hooray, hooray, HOORAY! I dreaded calling my OB's office to cancel my appointments but they were cheerful and nice about it. Hooray again!

7/20/06
I called my insurance this morning because I wasn't clear on how our coverage worked with maternity. I had one BIG surprise when I called. I thought I had to pay 30% of everything. Well, I do - AFTER our $5,000 deductible. And let's not forget, I deliver at the end of January, so that's actually TWO $5,000 deductibles. HOLY COW! If we go with the midwife our total fee is $1900. If we don't, it looks like I will definitely have to go on Medi-Cal for pregnancy only, because I love this baby but $10,000? WOW.

7/24/06
Well, I thought we'd made a final decision to go with the midwife/homebirth, but then I agreed to go meet this doctor that my doula recommends. I figure that I need a gyn at least, so I may as well meet him. Well, he did a full annual-type exam AND an u/s right there in the exam room! Baby looked great, moving all around and a nice heartbeat. The doctor IS very kind and . . . how to say - non-condescending, which I really like. The office is like a day spa. Very nice. Now my decision is harder. :-P

7/27/06
Well, I thought I might have misheard the doctor at my last visit, but I didn't. He's going to do my main u/s at my next visit on August 16th. I'll only be 16 weeks, but they use the u/s machine with 3D & all so I hope we can tell the gender. If not I'll pay to have another one done around 20 weeks.

8/9/06
I guess whoever scheduled my ultrasound was confused, and I don't have it on the 16th after all. I thought 16 weeks seemed awfully early for the routine ultrasound! I guess it'll probably be like a month later than I thought. :-P

8/14/06
I saw my doctor today for my 15-week checkup. Everything was great! Heartbeat was loud & strong, blood pressure good, lost 4 pounds, everything's just right on track. We scheduled my ultrasound for 8/28. YAY!

Unabashed Mommy Rambling

One of Graham's best friends is Ellie. They're kind of more like siblings than friends, actually. Anyway, one day Ellie was visiting and admired the lava lamp Graham got as a Christmas gift. That was a couple weeks ago and ever since Graham's been asking me to take him to Target so he could buy her one. He had $12 left on a Target gift card, and last week he got $20 for recycling cans and bottles. Finally last night I took him to Target - just he & I. He even agreed to hold hands. He bought her a cool sparkly lava lamp that he said she would really like. This morning he asked when we can give it to her and he said, "I know that when Ellie gets a gift she laughs a lot and says 'awesome'!" I told him that God loves a cheerful giver and that I love how generous he is. He's like this on a regular basis. Very heart-warming!

Alif came home for a minute while the kids & I were doing schoolwork this morning, and asked Graham if he was feeling better. Apparently I slept through the 4 am puke-fest! Ack! Alif said he heard noise downstairs so he came down and Graham had thrown up, and Malachi was getting him some water. How nice is that? By the way, Graham's fine but next time we have a little Superbowl junk-food fest I will need to monitor the junk intake a little more closely. :-X

Canaan, 52 weeks

FIFTY TWO WEEKS! My BABY will be ONE tomorrow! Oh me, oh my!
~Walks most of the time. I love how he walks as though he has boards strapped to the outsides of each leg.
~Says, "ow" (usually when he hits my face - nice.) and "num-num!" (when he's eating or would like to eat/nurse)
~He was yelling and playing a lot when I put him down for a nap today and when I went in he was wearing only his shirt and one sock. The other sock, pants and diaper were all flung to the floor.