Updating and Sharing a poem

So, today was my last day as an instructional aide with the dear Special Day Class at Schendel. I have grown so fond of those kids and I will miss them dearly. They presented me with a card, each student came up to me and thanked me for at least one thing I "did" for them and there was cake. My friend and co-worker played a large part in making this all happen and I am tremendously grateful. Then she had us over for dinner tonight. Connor had a great time playing with her son, Darrel enjoyed having some down time and talking with her husband and she and I had fun putting the finishing touches on dinner together. I loved it. It was an amazing evening! I had left work early because if it hadn't been my last day, I probably would have stayed home in bed all day. I am so glad I went in even though I only stayed until lunch. I came home and rested. I watched as Connor, Darrel and Nike played an exciting game of fetch. Then I took a short nap. We headed out together to pick up the newspapers and then delivered them to most of the delivery points in Delhi. The schools will get theirs early next week. And lastly we were off for a great evening with friends. Tomorrow we will visit with my sister-in-law and our niece(/cousin) Katelyn in the morning. We have a business meeting in the afternoon and then the St. George Crab Feed in the evening. I WILL take some time out to rest though. Instead of sharing music tonight, I have an interesting poem that was shared on one of the moms' boards that I've been a part of since I was expecting Connor. It's a sweet one and perfect for moms like me who are expecting #2. Enjoy!

Loving Two
I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship. Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: how could I ever love another child as I love you?

Then he is born, and I watch you. I watch the pain you feel at having to share me as you've never shared me before.

I hear you telling me in your own way, "Please love only me.? And I hear myself telling you in mine, "I can't,? knowing, in fact, that I never can again.

You cry. I cry with you. I almost see our new baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared. A relationship we can never quite have again.

But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty. I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying him—as though I am betraying you.

But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection.

More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine. The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.

But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just we two. There are new times – only now, we are three. I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other.

I watch how he adores you — as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of his new accomplishments. And I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you, I've given something to you. I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you. I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are, but equally strong. And my question is finally answered, to my amazement. Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you—only differently.

And although I realize that you may have to share my time, I now know you'll never share my love. There's enough of that for both of you – you each have your own supply.

I love you—-both. And I thank you both for blessing my life. —Author Unknown

Resting again...

Well, I knew I had overdone things yesterday. Today may or may not have been a result of my overdoing it. But, I did experience some more bleeding today. So, I went in to the doctor's office, they did a quick doppler check and we heard the baby's heartbeat, so the little bean seems to be doing ok still. Then they sent me home with orders to go to bed. And that's what I did. It's overwhelming and frustrating and scary. I've taken it very easy today. Tomorrow is my last day as an instructional aide and I will go in for at least part of the day. I will take things easy and I will come home and rest some more.

The newspaper is going to press a day late even though I pushed myself as hard as I did. But we are only running a day behind when we were easily closer to a week behind when the week started. So, the paper will be out sometime tomorrow.

Things are not quite as good as they could be overall, but I am thankful for the blessings in my life and I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your prayers for me, my health, the baby, Connor, Darrel and our overall situation are greatly appreciated. We just keep taking things one day at a time and praying for the best. Good things are yet to come this year. We start the journalism program next week. I start my daytime adult school teaching next week. I should start having more built-in rest time. We have a new blessing coming in August. I look forward to the good things still to come.

Casting Crowns has a song that has this as a chorus:
I will praise you in this storm and I will lift my voice
You are who you are, no matter where I am
Every tear I've cried, you hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm...

And Matt Redman has a good one too:
Oh no, you never let go, through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, you never let go, in every high and every low
Oh no, you never let go, Lord you never let go of me...

...Yes, I can see the light that is coming for the heart that holds on
and there will be an end to these troubles
but until that day comes
Still I will praise you, Still I will praise you...

Taking a break to update

I really have a few short minutes, if that, to update. This is layout week and has been an exceptionally crazy week at that. So much so that neither Darrel nor I saw much of Connor today. He spent the day at daycare and the evening with his grandma and Godmother. Darrel was hard at work wrapping up ads and getting the layout started. I tried to wrap up some stories and ads today (we don't normally extend the ad deadline like this and I don't think we'll do it again), but I also had to work during the day and go to the evening registration for the adult school tonight. I essentially lost a day because I had jury duty yesterday. And so, here we are, late on Wednesday night wrapping things up as best we can. I will likely do another story or two, then sleep and get up early to put the finishing touches on things which means the layout won't finish until first thing in the morning. I hope it doesn't set us back too much, but we both recognize that my health and the baby's health are most important right now. So, while not an ideal layout week, we are taking things in stride as best we can.

I had the Monday I had hoped to have and made it through with no more major bleeding episodes. I hope and pray I don't get caught off guard again. It just wasn't any fun at all. This morning started with a doctor's appointment during which the doppler was used to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It sounded good and the baby is obviously growing because the PA had to move the doppler higher up than she originally expected to hear the heartbeat. Even she was excited about my appointment today. That was pretty cool.

Two days left of my instructional aide job. I have my exit interview tomorrow. Adult School begins Monday at 9 a.m. I am getting really excited. We had a decent turn out for evening registration, so that was nice.

We'll be visiting my sister-in-law and niece on Saturday. I can't wait for that. We also have the crab feed for St. George Parish School on Saturday night. I think it's going to be a really nice weekend. But alas, we have to get to the weekend first. And so, I bid my dear readers goodnight.

Hoping for a better Monday

I am cautiously optimistic. I am officially 12 weeks which theoretically means that bleeding issues could very well be behind me for the most part. I am trying to remain optimistic and hope that tomorrow does not continue the trend of the previous two weeks. *Keeping my fingers crossed*

Tomorrow I will once again be back at work, but this will be the first day of my last week as an instructional aide. I am looking forward to the week ahead and to the new beginning which is yet to come a week from now. It will be a busy week, but I will try to take it as easy as I can. We are supposed to go to press this week. I need to wrap up a few things Monday and then begin my typing. I will take things one step at a time and I will certainly be praying through the week. We are also supposed to have a meeting to finalize things for the journalism program we are getting ready to start and there is the evening registration for the adult school.

We had a pretty nice day today. Connor and I visited a new church in Delhi partly for fun and partly for newspaper business. I still need to drive by and take some photos. Luckily, the church is right by my current work. This afternoon we attended service at St. Francis Episcopal Church and my parents drove down to go to church with us. Then we went to dinner. Overall it was enjoyable. Connor seems to be working on his canine teeth which has made things interesting. His appetite is somewhat inconsistent, he's fighting going to sleep until very late (he just went down for the night) and he is a little more obsessive about brushing his teeth (he especially likes brushing where his gums hurt). But, he was a happy boy today and enjoyed time with his family. He was really clingy with me off and on throughout the day. Interestingly, as clingy as he was with me today, he had no problem walking right out the door and toddling down the walkway at a Delhi business today. He had to work to get that door open too...just not as much as I would have expected.

The great Connor story of the weekend, though, comes from last night. Darrel was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Connor was making his rounds...playing, visiting me, "helping" daddy with dinner. At one point, he walked into the kitchen. I figured he was going to try to help some more. Darrel's back was turned so he didn't quite catch it until it was too late. Connor walked right up to Nike's (prounounced nee-kay...that's our beautiful seven-year-old Black Lab) water dish and promptly sat himself down in it. It was quite a silly sight to see, though it was much funnier after his clothes were changed and shoes dried. Our boy is quite the character. You can't help but love him!

And with that, I think for now our readers are updated.

Have a great week.

An update PLUS Connor's Top Three

I was back at work yesterday and today. Yesterday was a great day, minimal stress, the kids were SO excited to see me and I was back working with my groups. I loved it. Today was a little odd. I won't go into details here right now, but it was a bit stressful and overwhelming and I didn't know how things were going to go. But, I talked with the principal and the teacher and I think my last week will go ok. I will certainly be praying through the week next week. I have a jury summons for Tuesday and I am hoping I won't have to go. But, if I do, I will do my civic duty. I have a follow-up doctor's appointment on Wednesday just to check in and see how things are going. Friday will be my last day as an instructional aide. It's bitter sweet.

Connor has really enjoyed some dancing and such this week. I thought it would be fun to include his top three of the week. And so, here they are...

#3 "Wrap"

This is the video he opted to "chill" to this evening. He sat in his chair and listened, then came over to me and hugged me and wanted to sway with me. This was recorded a little over a year ago by a local band. Though the band is not currently together as seen here, two of the guys are now B.O.O.K. and will be playing at Magic Mountain in June. Connor just LOVES their music.



#2 "Stomp"
Connor first got hooked on this one right around the same time his fascination with sweeping was first developing, so it's perfect. Tonight, he went and got his broom and started doing his own version of the routine when he wanted me to put it on for him. He continued to do the routine (in his own way) right along with the performers. Broom tapping, foot stomping....he had SO much fun!



#1 O-Zone's Dragostea Din Tei (Numa Numa)
This is a HUGE hit in our house. If you're familiar with the Numa Numa Internet phenomenon, then you're familiar with this song. The first really fun version I saw was a bunch of Navy guys which was quite interesting. Connor is working on his "Numa Numa dance" and I think pretty soon we'll have to try to take some video of it. I hear Ellen is looking for baby's dancing, so we may have to submit it to her once we capture it. He's so fascinated by cameras, though, that we have to be sneaky in taking video when we want it.



Enjoy the weekend!

Taking it easy

I had an appointment yesterday with my regular doctor. He went through a lot of things with us and he brought in the doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It was a beautiful sound. Unexplained bleeding in the first trimester is typically "diagnosed" as "Threatened Miscarriage" and the suggestions made tend to be like the ones I received. This does not mean that a miscarriage is happening or will for sure happen. Bleeding, however, does slightly increase the "chances" of miscarriage. The doctor suggested I avoid over-exertion and said that I can pick up Connor some (but did suggest that Darrel continue to help me). I should avoid heavy lifting which he said is of closer to 50 pounds (or more) and I am still on pelvic rest. He said and I have read that seeing the baby and hearing the heartbeat are good indicators that things will be ok, but at this point we should be prepared for the pregnancy to go either way. Such bleeding typically subsides after the 12 week mark so hopefully we'll see an end to this very soon. I should be 12 weeks on Saturday. I went ahead and took today off of work to have one more day of rest at home. Things at my current job have been a bit stressful and so we figured another day off would be good. I will go in tomorrow and see how things are going and we'll go from there. I went ahead and made an appointment for next Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., first appointment of the day, so I can follow up with the PA and she should be able to have a listen with the doppler. If I experience any other bleeding episodes like I did this week and last, I have been advised to either go through the doctor's office like I did or to go back through the ER. That way they can take another look with ultrasound and check my bloodwork again just to see if there are any changes with me or the baby. I, of course, get frustrated because I am the type of person who wants clear answers. I want to know where the blood in coming from and what is causing it and no one can tell me that apparently. So, for now, I hold onto the good news that there does not seem to be a clear source or point of origin in or around the baby and that the baby is doing well. The heartbeat was good and strong again as we heard on the doppler yesterday. So, now we wait and see and pray. I guess this is why I try to take things one day at a time and a good lesson in trusting in God.

Update: A day at the ER

Well, today was...interesting. It's a holiday, so I was off from my education job. I was looking forward to making a few phone calls for the newspaper and taking it somewhat easy while spending time with Darrel and Connor. I made a manicure appointment for 8 a.m. thinking I would be home by the time Connor was ready to be up, after all, he'd had a huge weekend. Alas, he was awake before I left, but he was mostly happy and I got to spend a few minutes with him before heading out for my appointment. By a little after 9, my manicure was done and I was ready to head home. Darrel had called to see if I could pick up one thing from the store to go with our breakfast and since I was right by a store, I figured I could do that. I got out of the car and walked into the store. I was still near the entrance when I felt it...an all too familiar feeling. Yep, same thing I felt a week ago at almost the exact same time. I knew what it was right away. By the time I got back out to the car, I knew it was a little worse than a week ago though. And that frightened me a bit. I got home and immediately went to change my clothes, telling Darrel on my way through the hall that I was bleeding again. Of course, today had to be a holiday! Ugh!

We started working our ways through the numbers we have for where my doctor works hoping one would connect us to an exchange. Finally, one did. They tried paging my doctor and when he didn't call back right away, they advised me to go to the hospital. This was difficult for Darrel and me both. We figured we'd go ahead and go to the hospital closest to us for this. Darrel took Connor to his sister's and came home to pick me up and take me to the ER. It was a long day, full of tests. I had another ultrasound and baby once again looked great: HR 186 bpm, right on track for where I'm supposed to be in my pregnancy as far as size goes and showing off quite a bit doing some dancing, some somersaults and various other aerobic exercises. All of my bloodwork came back fine and a pelvic exam was normal (cervix is still closed as it should be). And so, I was sent home. In addition to the tests, they hooked me up to an IV for fluids, let me eat a sandwich and yellow jello and I got a little bit of a nap in as well. So, it was an interesting day. My sister-in-law will bring Connor home in a little while. Once I finish this post, I think I'll take a short nap. My mother-in-law is coming over here for dinner, so I'll have some good rest time, I think. Tomorrow I am supposed to check in with my doctor and we'll see what he has to say. I have to tell you, I am both relieved and frustrated. I want this baby to be ok, so I am obviously relieved. I am frustrated because I feel great and the baby looks good and yet I keep having this bleeding. It could very well be some sort of first trimester thing that will stop soon. I only have a week or two left until I reach my second trimester. I hope this settles down and things get back to "normal" soon. We'll see how things go from here. Many thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

A beautiful Sunday

What a glorious day today was and I am so thrilled to have a chance to share some of it with you. I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose beginning with the bigger picture may be best.

At a time when there is much talk of declining numbers in the attendance of Episcopal parishes, there is one amazing thing that stands out to me. The numbers at the parish we attend are actually increasing! For the past several Sundays, we have seen an average of 65-75 people at the 10 a.m. service alone! One of those Sundays, I was LEM (Lay Eucharistic Minister) and I was sitting next to the Deacon after he had received the count for Communion. 78! SEVENTY-EIGHT! He was overjoyed and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Together we looked out at the congregation and smiled. This deacon is very dear to our family and it was an honor and a pleasure to share in his joy that Sunday. So, there's a glimpse at the bigger picture. Now for a quick look at the smaller, family picture. A couple of Sundays ago, Bishop Lamb visited and after the service he talked about how Connor really seemed to "get" the Eucharist. It's one thing to notice it ourselves, but to hear from our Bishop about it really made it sink in in a new way. Connor has been working on the proper placement of his hands for Communion with a little help from mama, daddy and papa. Today, he did it with very little help and held his hands in place as he waited for the priest to bring the bread: the Body of Christ, Bread of Heaven. It was a glorious sight to see. At such a young age, some of these very real and very important things from our church and religious life are really sinking in and he does seem to "get" things differently than others I have seen in my life. I am so very proud to be Connor's mama and I am full of joy and thanksgiving for the simple fact that God blessed us with this amazing human being.

We had a wonderful evening yesterday with friends. I have not been able to stop thinking about how wonderful it was and how much we enjoyed it. All three of us had a marvelous time. We are so blessed to have such great "family." One highlight was watching Connor sit, then lay, then roll in a leaf pile. I love to see simple things bring him joy. I hope these are things he holds onto for a long time to come.

And so, dear friends, another week has passed. I am now 11 weeks. I'm still on "rest" and "no heavy lifting" orders. For now, it's probably for the best. I will have a follow-up call with the doctor's office on Tuesday, but I honestly don't expect those orders to be lifted quite yet. As difficult as it is, my body seems to need this for whatever reason. I do not yet seem to be "healed" or quite back to 100%, so for now, I follow the orders and make the most out of each day. I have already come up with what I think is a good idea for when I take mom to the St. George Crab Feed in a couple of weeks so that I won't have to actually do any lifting. Your continued prayers are appreciated. Many thanks! I wish you all a wonderful week ahead. And, I will keep you posted on me, baby and the rest of the family.

Yukon Delta villages need help

Some of you may have heard about this. Others of you may not have. I sent an e-mail to a few friends and family members already about this, but I wanted to post it here as well. This is going to be a lengthy post because I am going to include a lengthy e-mail message that was passed along to me through an online moms group. I have been a part of this online moms group since I was expecting Connor. We all have babies who were due in June 2007 and we have gone through just about everything in the way of motherhood together. We also share things with each other that may not be related to our babies. This is one such thing. One of the moms shared this e-mail that was sent to her by her best friend of 20+ years. Below I will include links to related news stories and then the e-mail from the mom's best friend. I know times are tough for many people right now, but perhaps you will feel called to help in some way...whether it's sending food or passing word along to others. Or, simply, praying. I think I've said enough. I will let the news stories and e-mail message speak for themselves.
http://thebristolbaytimes.com/news/story/4512
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/656185.html
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/657452.html

Hi everyone,

It’s not just Emmonak that is struggling it’s the entire Yukon Delta. I live in Nunam Iqua, a village that is 25 miles south of Emmonak. Not only are we faced with the same issues as Emmonak but also our crisis is harder because we no longer have a store here. Our trading post collapsed several months ago, so we have no place here to get groceries.

So not only are we struggling between choosing heating fuel or food but also we have to spend even MORE MONEY to buy gas to travel upriver to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get food. Which is very expensive when you have pay $7.20 a gallon for gas. It takes at least 6 gallons of gas just to travel by snowmachine to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get groceries. So that takes that much more money away from what we have to spend on heating fuel and food.

We try to reduce our heating fuel costs by using our wood stove but then are we really saving money? because we still have to spend money on gas to go and get wood for our wood stove.

Everyone, especially Governor Palin, needs to realize that it’s not just Emmonak residents that are suffering! We need help in all of the YK Delta villages!

OK, I complied a list of everyone here in Nunam Iqua. I spoke to all but one household here and Have a list of what is needed. I got permission for my Youth Center to receive/distribute any donations that come in. So they can be mailed to:

Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
c/o City of Nunam Iqua
101 Mudd Street
P.O. Box 26
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666

OR if you would like to send boxes directly to needy families I have a list of families including their family size and needs and their PO Box #’s you can email me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com if you would like a copy.

Here is a list of things that are desperately needed, since we have no store here in Nunam Iqua we are really struggling to get food and groceries here.

Here’s the list:

Diapers Sizes 1, 3, & 6
Similac Advanced Formula Powder
Canned Evaporated Milk
Dry Powdered Milk
Powdered Eggs
Crackers ( Sailor Boy Pilot Bread unsalted tops are the most used here)
Rice (minute rice)
Noodles
Peanut Butter
Honey
Jam
Juice
TOILET PAPPER (everyone is running out)
Flour
Sugar
Coffee
Cereal
Crisco
Coffee Creamer
Pancake Mix
Tea
Canned Vegetables
Dried Fruit
Instant Soups
Ramen Noodles
Cup a noodles

Just basic pantry staples. Even salt, pepper, etc.

OOH I just realized I forgot to put baby cereal and baby food on the list.

I would give you all some more information on the YK Delta.

It now costs $650 to fly from Emmonak to Anchorage round trip. For us to get to Emmonak from Nunam Iqua is an additional $150 so that’s $800 from Nunam to Anchorage and back.

Here in Nunam Iqua there are many families, myself included, who live in what could be described as shacks. Our house is 20′ x 30′ and is constructed out of plywood. It was built back in the 60’s and is very drafty and leaky LOL we use my 18 month old’s leftover diapers that are too small to catch the leaks when it’s raining or warms up. But we don’t have a choice, this is the only housing available, we rent it. It’s a choice between here or living with family and we would much rather have our own place, even tho it needs serious help.

Here in Nunam Iqua, we have no running water or sewer. They are currently building our water/sewer project and we hope to have running water/sewer this year or next. We are a honey bucket community, meaning we have 5 gallon buckets in our bathrooms with toilet seats on them.

Additionally, we have no roads here, no cars. We travel by snowmachine and 4-wheeler during the winter and by boat in the summer. We had a store here but it collapsed due to the rising energy costs.

We are currently paying $7.20 for a gallon of gas and $7.35 for a gallon of stove oil. The majority of homes here use stove oil for heat. Some of us have wood stoves to help keep the costs down.

We do have regular postal service here, depending on the ability of planes to make it in. The only way for supplies to arrive here is by plane or during the summer by barge. The majority of us live a subsistence lifestyle. Our major meat sources come from Fishing and Hunting. We also pick berries and wild greens during the summer/fall. We have nets under the ice on the river but the fish seem to be very slow coming this winter.

Oh yeah, Nunam Iqua is a village of about 200 people, located on the southern mouth of the Yukon. We got a brand new school this past summer so now our kids don’t have to brave the elements to make it to their classrooms and the gym to eat.

We currently have a City Office, a Tribal Office, the School, the Clinic, Laundrymat, Powerplant, Youth Center and Post Office available in Nunam.

I know this is going to sound funny but I am very grateful that it got cold again today. We had 36 degrees last night and were worried that it might start to affect the ice on the river and make it unsafe to travel but now we are back down to 9 degrees so no more worrying about the river.

The pike should start running soon so we will be able to take a 60 mile day trip by snowmachine to go catch pike and dry them assuming we can afford gas.

Ummm I don’t know what else to tell y’all but I thought I would give you an idea of what it’s like here in Nunam Iqua. We did have a very early freeze up this year and the last barge didn’t make it in. We are having temperatures ranging from
-25 degrees below zero to 30 above. Normally, we are consistently below zero this time of year.

Hope that gives y’all some information and answers some questions you might have about the YK Delta.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. We greatly appreciate it. Our weather is getting weird here, it got really hot here last night up to 36 degrees, if it keeps up we will be unable to travel upriver by snowmachine to get food, b/c the river will be unsafe to travel on.

Again if you have any questions or what more information please feel free to contact me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com

I know there have been references to scams so please feel free to look us up online. Nunam Iqua Program for Youth. I was featured on NAC, Native America Calling last year addressing underage drinking in the Bush. And we are listed with the State of AK as one of their grantees. So you can verify the mailing address and email address I provided.

Sincerely grateful,

Ann

Quick Day Three update

I didn't have a chance to post anything last night. Yesterday was Connor's daycare day which really helped force me into taking things especially easy. I took a big, long nap in the middle of the day which was really nice. I'm going back to work today even though it's the Friday before a three day weekend. I just think I should go back today. It probably wouldn't hurt to have one more day at home, but there are a lot of changes at work and I'm anxious to see how they are all working out. I'm not stressing over them, just curious more than anything.

Anyway...Connor got home yesterday evening and was pretty tired, so he took a little nap. He got up as we were working on dinner. (And by we, I mean mostly Darrel.) He was having a really hard time with me not being able to pick him up and there wasn't anything I could do to help him feel better at first. Eventually we found a place and set of circumstances that made him happy. He sat in his highchair eating pretzels while we working in the kitchen. Darrel and I had another night of reversed roles for the bedtime routine. He got Connor in jammies while I got the milk ready and did some clean-up from dinner. Then Connor sat with me while he had his milk and together Darrel and I put him to bed. He seemed to like that for the second night in a row, so that was a bit of a relief.

Well...it's time to get myself ready and head in to work. I hope everyone has a great day!

Day Two

Well, I think overall I did a little better today, but still not as well as I should have or could have, I suppose. Tomorrow is daycare day for Connor, so I'm going to go ahead and stay home one more day and try to get as much rest as I can. I'll return to work on Friday. I'd love to go back tomorrow, but i think this is the best decision I can make. I'll see how it helps. I will probably call and check in with the doctor's office on Monday as a follow-up. And we'll see what happens from there. Connor had a more difficult time as it was time to go to bed. But, we gave it a second try with me walking along behind him (daddy was carrying him) and he held onto my hand the whole way. Then we tucked him in and he fell fast asleep. I think one thing he really enjoyed was the slight modification to his bath time routine. Darrel took him and put him in the tub and came to get him after he got out (he stepped out holding my hands, so I didn't lift him). Then Darrel did his lotion and jammies. I think that was a huge success despite being a little different than usual. We're just making a few slight modifications to the routine and overall they seem to be working.

We had waffles and scrambled eggs for dinner. We need to find a good waffle recipe or a better mix, though. They weren't bad. In fact, I enjoyed the dinner immensely. We have now used two of the three parts of our 3-in-1. I love it!

There's really not much else to report. so, until next time...

Day One of "no heavy lifting"

I realize this order from the doctor's office actually started yesterday, but I count today as Day One because it was the first full day. It wasn't easy.

What do you do when your 19-month-old son looks at you, holds his hands in the air and asks you to pick him up and you can't?

Well, I opted for kneeling down to his level and giving him big hugs whenever I could. A couple of times, Darrel picked him up for me and held him while I snuggled with him, so it was kind of like I'd picked him up. He's adjusting to crawling up into my lap. Twice today he had snuggle time with me in a chair in the living room and once we had some play time on our bed...the whole family...tickles all around! It was nice.

I probably didn't take things as easy as I should have today. I'm going to go in to work for a meeting in the morning and then I'll probably come home and take another day. Hopefully that will help. It's difficult to be someone who is constantly on the go and forced to slow down, but I'm doing the best I can and I'm getting a lot of support from my family. So, that's good. I only have a little over two weeks left at my current elementary school job and I would really like to spend some time doing what I do...educating children. I miss "my" kids. At the beginning of February, I'll be teaching another adult school class and I am really looking forward to starting that. Hopefully the transition will go smoothly.

I think I'm going to make waffles for dinner tomorrow with the waffle iron part of the 3-in-1. It shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe I could take a chair into the kitchen to sit on while I'm mixing the batter. Otherwise, I'll ask Darrel to make them. That's been my craving that I've only insisted on having once so far...waffles, and that was two weeks ago. It's time for waffles!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I will update again soon.

A wild and crazy day...mama's on lockdown

Well, the day started off great. I woke up feeling pretty good, made my sandwich for breakfast, got dressed and headed out to work. I stopped at the district office to take care of a few business matters, picked up a cup of coffee and arrived at work. It was a day like any other day. Then, the shift began and it is a day I'd rather not re-live, but I am thankful for how things ended up when all was said and done.
If you're concerned about reading too much detail, skip this paragraph. I noticed a tinge when I went to the bathroom just before the kids would come in for reading. I didn't think too much of it, but told myself that if I noticed it again, I would immediately call the doctor. The next time I went to the bathroom, everything seemed to be back to normal, so I figured a call to the doctor could wait. Within five minutes of being back in the classroom, something felt very off and I rushed out. What I saw scared me. I was bleeding. I immediately called the doctor's office and talked to our dear PA Ann who had promised to take good care of me if I had any needs between doctor's appointments. She asked where I was (work is only about two minutes from the office) and said that she would have lab orders waiting for me when I got there. I gathered up my things and rushed right over. They had the lab orders ready AND had called and scheduled an ultrasound for me. It was SUCH a relief to have such amazing care in a timely manner.
I came home and snuggled with my family. We had a couple of hours of rest, relaxation and time together. I arranged for Connor to go to daycare for a couple of hours, called my mom to ask for prayers and by 1:20 we were on our way out. We dropped off Connor and headed first to the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech did all of the official stuff first, then she turned on the sound so we could hear something beautiful...the baby's heartbeat. I teared up with relief. She said it was 168 beats per minute...perfect! Then, she turned the monitor so I could see what she was seeing. There it was...an amazing picture of this beautiful baby forming right on track. The baby measured right at 10 weeks. The baby looks great! And, we have pictures.
We went to have the blood work done next. By 4:30, Ann was calling me back to report that she'd reviewed the ultrasound results and the baby looks great, so all is well. I am on rest and no lifting orders for at least a week. That means I have to take it as easy as I can. I will stay home tomorrow and see how things are going before making a decision for Wednesday.
We don't know what caused the bleeding, but taking these precautions is something that I must do. Joanie came over to our house for dinner so that we could stay in and I could keep resting. Connor and I will figure out fun ways to replace my picking him up, at least for now. Darrel is being amazing and making sure I'm taking it easy.
Continued prayers are, of course, appreciated. For now, I am thankful for the prayers we have received and for the baby being ok.
I'll get over the part about having to slow down some and take things easy.

A quick note

Our dinner last night turned out great. We grilled chicken on the new 3-in-1 and it was delicious! Darrel did a quick marinade and then grilled them up while I watched. The rice was done in the rice cooker and turned out well. And then I tried cheating a little bit on the veggies and I don't think I'll do that again. I had a coupon for Green Giant steamers. We tried the plain broccoli and Darrel and I weren't impressed. Of course, Connor loved it! Broccoli is one of his favorite vegetables, so I think it would be difficult to find a way he doesn't like it. So, at least he enjoyed it. He ate more than either Darrel or I did. So, it was a great use of a couple of our Christmas gifts. YAY! =) I can't wait to make waffles!

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. I have a big test for my teaching credential and I'm apparently a little nervous tonight. I'm on my way to bed, but I'm heading there about an hour or more later than I had originally expected. But, I am headed there as soon as I finish here.

Finally, if you'd like to play a fun little game, check this out:



Thank you everyone! Have a terrific weekend!

First attempt at updating

That didn't take long, did it?! heh

It's nearly the weekend, but Saturday is going to be a huge day for me. I'm going to take all three subtests of the multiple subject CSET. This is one of the things I need to do before I can get my credential. Well, I need to take it and pass it. Please keep me in your thoughts as it's going to be a long day. I'm going to make a couple of PB&J sandwiches (with my nana's homemade strawberry jam...yum!) and take a couple of string cheeses and a granola bar. My girlfriend and I are headed down to Fresno together and we'll be sure to have lunch as soon as we're done with the tests. I was a little nervous about needing extra brain food plus needing the extra calories anyway and NOT having ANY breaks! But, it sounds as though I can nibble a snack when I take a restroom break and PB&J will be a good kick-off to the morning.

Connor's been bossing Nike around a little bit this week (actually it started last night). He shakes his pointer finger at her and says "no, no, no..." It's cute for about a minute and then we kind of start to feel sorry for Nike. She's not even doing anything wrong. So, we tell Connor to tell Nike that she's a good girl. We'll see how the correction/behavior modification goes. Speaking of Connor, isn't he just the cutest thing ever?! =) He even made quite an impression on Bishop Lamb this past Sunday. It was great!



We are trying out our new 3-in-1 countertop grill tonight. We already have the rice going in the rice cooker we got from Uncle Dave and crew for Christmas. It looks delicious! I can't wait to eat. Speaking of which, I guess I should go so I can try to help out a bit. Afterall....it's the grill I wanted, I think I should at least watch to see how it works. =) Love it! Woo-hoo!

Welcome!

Ok, so I really had no idea what I wanted to call this blog when I decided I was going to set it up. I'm using it as a central area for updates. I've been blogging on my myspace for a couple of years and I will probably continue to do so. When we were expecting Connor, I started a special baby website and found that it was a little too easy to slip away and forget to post updates and such. This doesn't offer quite as much in the way of specific to baby and childhood stuff, but I think it's going to work. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. So, here we are....I'll begin with a couple of updates in the next couple of days. For now, WELCOME to Life in the Valley!