extraordinary ordinariness

Laborland Part 1

2011-02-16T15:09:00.005-06:00

All day yesterday I felt weird. I woke with a feeling that labor was about to start and sure enough, as the day rolled along contractions were an ever present fact. They didn't start getting real strong or regular until about 7:30. I was already in touch with my Doula, thinking something might happen so when I called she was ready to come over. She arrived sometime after 9pm and I was actively working (sweating, pacing, breathing).

After making sure bags were sufficiently packed, arrangements for kids were made, and the infant seat installed, we agreed that Rodney should get some rest since things weren't that difficult yet. Nancy (the Doula) and I passed the next five hours or so timing contractions (some were well over a minute long) chatting, sometimes snacking, and resting. We decided by 2 am that I should try to get some sleep before things really got hard. I decided I'd be able to sleep better in my bed as opposed to the couch, so I got Nancy a pillow and blankets and gave the couch over to her. After falling asleep easily, I slept for an hour maybe having one or two contractions while in bed. I got up and consulted with Nancy (who had been sweetly dozing) we decided that if I felt like it I should keep sleeping. So I did. Between 3:30 and 6am I felt very little contracting. Labor had stopped.

According to Nancy, this is not common but certainly not unheard of. Something similar happened to her during her first pregnancy. We could do some natural stuff to get things going, but she felt strongly that my body knew what it was doing and since we were in no rush (I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow) she felt that it'd be best to leave things alone. She reassured me that I had in fact been in labor (possibly knowing I'd have some self-doubt) and that since I had already worked for a good amount of time, things should go pretty quickly when it picked back up again.

I've felt a few "sweaty" contractions this morning, but mostly all is quiet. I'm trying to take advantage of the break and not obsess over when it'll start up again. What a lesson in patience and giving up control.

Still Here

2011-02-02T19:02:00.005-06:00

I've effectively let this blog go for nearly a year now.

For the past six months the thought of a post has been lingering in the back of my brain. Not even sure what that post would be exactly, just not fulling accepting the imminent slip of my blog-self into the cyber void.

Slip averted.

So as not to succomb to a recounting of ALL that has happened in the past 11 months, I vow to keep things current.

Currently:
I am nearing the due date of my third child.

Thursday marks my 36th week and I'm feeling quite large (and dare I say, most folks are very willing to comment on the largeness that is my midsection- much to my annoyance. Have they never seen a pregnant woman approaching her due date? Am I really that much bigger than every other 36 weeker? It gets old).

Despite this largeness (which is quite normal, thank-you-very-much), I would have to say that the last few weeks have been some of the best. This really has nothing to do with how I feel, but mostly the state of mind I find myself in. I am getting excited to meet this little girl as each week goes by and find myself welcoming braxton-hicks contractions, the need to rest, the nesting intinct, all as important ways to prepare both body and home for her arrival. Not because I'm impatient or wanting it to be over, but because I've decided that pregnancy is not a means to an end but a very mysterious and beautiful (albeit uncomfortable) process. My body is making a life people!

This is a shift for me for a couple of reason. Firstly, due to my high risk status worrying has been an ever present part of this pregnancy, especially as I approached 33 weeks (when my water broke with Eva). With each visit to my OB questions would arise and those questions were in fact encouraged. Would another premature labor be on the horizon? And now, since we've passed the 33 week mark and beyond, I feel like I can relax a bit and enjoy the anticipation of adding a life to this world.

Secondly, it's a shift because up until now being pregnant has sucked. I remember not being awfully comfortable with the other two, but this one's been different. The sheen is gone. No novelty here folks. Yes, there's a new life a-brewin', but does it have to be so sucky? Maybe I would still feel this way if I had to do it all over again, but whatever. The shift has happened. I'm embracing it. Sad that it took me 36 weeks to do so.

Turning Corners

2010-03-12T11:02:00.005-06:00

Lately, both kids have seemed to turn certain corners in their cognitive and emotional development. Even though they are at different stages this simultaneous emergence into a new stage has been interesting (and sometimes very funny) to observe.

Lets start with Will. It seems like every day he says something new that makes me marvel at what goes through his little brain. Today's comment was no different. Some background info is required. Whenever Will wants to do something that he can't sometimes we say "when you're bigger you can do that." Well, Will decided to turn this comment on it's head today. He was climbing onto some storage crates that we have stacked and ready to go to the basement and he said, "Mom! Look at me! Someday when you're little you can get up here with me!" Sometimes I could just squeeze him.

Eva is entering the beloved terrible twos stage. This whole week she has turned abruptly from a mild mannered, chill baby to babe-zilla. I hear frequent screams of frustration followed by grunts and cries that sometimes are accompanied with dramatic body-throwing and hand-slamming into to cabinet doors that are within reach. Yesterday she didn't get what she wanted so she proceeded to ram herself into the kitchen wall then turned and ran to the cabinet beneath the sink and rammed herself into that door, only to throw herself down in exhausted cries onto the floor. Poor thing (I admit I was secretly laughing, enjoying the show).

Speaking of shows, here's a good one. Eva decided that this toy was really something one should "ride."

The New West Side Story

2010-02-09T22:52:00.001-06:00

In light of my unplugging bit on the last post, I thought this was pretty funny. Enjoy!

Loose Ends and Updates

2010-02-06T15:46:00.003-06:00

Wow. I look back on my last post and think to myself, I could have explained to Kyle why that Michael Franti video brought back memories in just as many words as it took me to say that I would soon (I think my original intention was to write something a little longer). But now that it's been like 2 months I'm afraid it's lost relevance. Though that's true, I don't like having that little loose end just hanging there, so I'm going to tie it up and then proceed to updating.

Loose end (that I'm sure no one cares about now):

When we lived in Paraguay some of my best memories are of my travels to Brazil. We took a two week trip one time that brought us to Rio and a big island of the coast (called Ilha Grande which means Big Island in Portuguese) that is still to this day my most favorite vacation ever. I love the Brazilian culture and music and that video had several images of Rio. Someday I will go back.

On to the updates.

Since Christmas we've just been chillin' and that's I think mostly why I've gone off blogging and facebook. It's just been so nice to disconnect myself and have my only little retreat that I'm thinking this is my new way of life. I don't think it's avoidance behavior. The opposite actually. Not feeling the urge to update the masses (or maybe the 5 that really read this) has allowed me to focus more in general on living life as opposed to thinking about how it will sound in a blog post. I realize that there are many successful bloggers out there who do just that and I'm thankful for them when I sit down to read, but for me it's been healthy to 'unplug'.

I don't think I'll unplug totally, though. I'm just giving myself freedom from guilt and letting the frequency of posts be what it will be without apology.

Will:

He has become a full fledged member of the Terrible Twos as of these past few weeks. Someone told me that three is really when things get rough and with that b-day on the horizon, I'm bracing myself. Rodney and I used to sit in bed and say "He's so great, we're so lucky, this is awesome" or some version of those words (we actually still do this) but now we're saying things like "that was a hard day, what in the heck was he thinking? thank God he's in bed now." I find myself chasing him around more, picking up a limp, protesting child, putting him in more time outs and wishing I could give him away to the circus for just a few hours. But, the flip side is that he is learning so much that sometimes my head spins. The other day he sang "Sweet Baby James" by heart while rocking out on his electric guitar. I didn't even know he knew that song so well. Today he asked me "Mom, can I use this pencil?" My response: "Sure." Him: "You're not using it?" Me: "No. You can use it." Him: "Are you sure, Mama?" Me: "Yes, baby." How did he become a person so quickly?

Eva:

Also, becoming a person. She is now a toddler, walking everywhere and even practicing her soccer skills (she'll toddle after the ball saying "kih, kih" ("kick, kick."). She has taken to singing lots. In her repertoire are the following songs: Twinkle Twinkle, Dora the Explorer Theme song, The ABC song, the Clean Up song, and Old McDonald. Of course they're not perfectly clear, but you can tell what she's trying to sing. <side note: I'm looking at this list and thinking she needs a little Mozart or maybe some Aretha Franklin. But the elem music teacher in me realizes that there's a reason why we have nursery rhymes even if it's just the simplest way to teach tunes.> She is exploring her world and testing boundaries daily. She's gotten used to reaching out her hand to those things that's she's not suppose to touch and saying "no, no" and then walking away (good girl). One thing that does frustrate me about this little one is that she is a mama's girl. Which loosely means that whenever she's upset I'm the one she goes to and she likes to cling to me when she's in a funk (not her father). I get tired of this sometimes even though I could be flattered by it. Maybe it's just a glimpse into our future of super-awesome mother-daughter duo, but that's yet to be seen.

Rodney:

Still loves his job even after the first full semester. He says the students are still difficult but the school is so great that he's able to handle most anything. His neck has gotten a lot better and the neurosurgeon told him that he's not a candidate for surgery (for a while we thought he'd need it). Things are going well for him and we're thankful.

Me:

I came up with a game plan to tackle some musical/career goals that in the past were only lightly mentioned as possibilities. I'm planning a recital for the coming year, I'll be preparing to audition for Opera Theatre St. Louis for next season, and I just auditioned for Union Avenue Opera and have yet to hear back. I still have a lot of work to do since I am not in a formal opera training program, but I feel that studying with Carol gives me so much freedom to still be a full-time mom and yet have access to someone that has a lot of expertise concerning an opera career (not to mention an enormous amount of hope for me).

Explanation Coming

2009-12-12T13:59:00.003-06:00

In repsonse to Kyle's comment, I will compose a post to explain how Michael Franti's "Say Hey" takes me back to some wonderful times but not right now. After this weekend passes I will be one happy lady (not to mention a lot less busy) with time to write the post. Until then Kyle (and anyone else who's curious), know that's it's in the works.

Say Hey

2009-12-11T09:15:00.003-06:00

Heard this song on the radio last week and loved it. I then heard a interview with Michael Franti, the singer/songwriter on NPR about the song and the video. I checked it out this morning and was transported to another time and place. Brings back such memories...

AWOL

2009-12-10T08:54:00.006-06:00

I've decided that today is the day that I return to the land of blogging. My kitchen is a mess right now from breakfast, but hey something's gotta give. These days blogging is kinda low on the priority list, so I've decided to change priorities (at least for today).

First of all, can you believe that it's 12 degrees right now? What??? Yesterday I took the kids to run some errands and was almost blown over by the wind. Running from the car to the storefront was a bit like those prairie stories when people would get caught in winter storms and perished 20 feet from home. But, the good news is we made it and I'm alive to tell the story.

After Thanksgiving, Christmas-Concert-Craziness 2009 commenced and so far I've been successful at keeping atleast my nose above the water. Last week I was a soloist in The Bach Society's annual From the Garden Live broadcast on Classic 99 (most likely our last due to the sale of the station- booooo) and Tuesday I was interviewed for this segment on KSDK. A little bit of holiday 'cheese' for you. Seriously though, it was fun and I scored two free tickets to our Candelight Concert (sorry, I've already given them away!). This week I have rehearsals each night for Handel's Messiah with the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and Orchestra (performances Fri/Sat/Sun) and Sunday I have a double header between the Symphony and the Masterworks Chorale Christmas Concert (you've officially gotten your fill of onomatopoeia in this post). After this jammed packed week, that leaves the Candelight Concert next Tuesday and then it's bonvoyage for the Southern Regions to visit family for Christmas. All I want for Christmas this year is for December 22nd to arrive.

I missed my opportunity to post something for Eva's one year check-up so I'll make up for that now: weight 10th %, height 25th %, head 80th % (yowza- let's blame this one on Rodney). She's talking like crazy. She adds new words everyday (today she said 'Go Che', her first 2 word combo). Looks like head size is not the only thing in which she takes after her brother.

Not much to report with Will other than we're pretty sure he has asthma. Will's been in a big boy bed since Halloween and that's going really well. They sleep in the same room at night but Eva's in the pack 'n play for naps in our room still. It's a good arrangement.

I'll leave you with some amazing photos that my friend, Marisa took. She is a promising new photographer with a blossoming business and I am so excited for her. Please visit her website and check out her amazing holiday promotion. I LOVE these pictures...

To the Grandparents and Great Grandparents

2009-11-10T11:58:00.004-06:00

Video time.

The first is a capturing of Eva's first clear word (previously mentioned) taken the night she said it (that's why I sound so dorkily excited). For some reason I had her repeat it like 5 thousand times.

The second is of Will dancing due to his overwhelming emotional state in response to the timer going off for lunch. Translation: "Yay for the lunch." then "I'm all done."

One

2009-11-05T20:23:00.008-06:00

On Halloween, our baby girl turned one! I really can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday she was hooked up to tubes and machinery to monitor her delicate state, being born 6 weeks premature. Now she is completely healthy and thriving, matching her brother developmentally in nearly every way.

It's funny how now that she's reached the milestone of turning one, she's doing so many new things, almost as if to live up to her new age. For example, just last week she took eight consecutive steps (Gma and Gpa got to witness this on Skype- unfortunately Daddy was out of the room :(), she said her first distinguishable word last night in the bathtub ('go') and today she pointed for the first time. She also plays peek-a-boo on her initiation, claps and makes her voice mimic a "yay," clicks her tongue, and crinkles up her nose with a big cheesy smile when she's trying to be cute. She has 4 teeth with 2 more pushing through and is a tiny girl (she wore Will's first Halloween costume as a one year old- he was 5 months old). I love her more than words can express.

We had a great time celebrating Eva's birthday with our good friends Jess and Evie, who turned two the same day. Thanks to Susan and Brent, I didn't have to clean like a mad woman before the party! Thanks for hosting, guys =).

Check It

2009-10-29T22:32:00.002-05:00

Remember that one post a while back when I mentioned that I'd been staring at my calendar a lot? Well, a friend today wanted details thinking it was something more glamorous than the truth, so I've decided to explain lest anyone else out there is thinking that I'm pregnant or something.

I decided that a photo (albeit blurry) was the best way to explain. Basically I was bracing myself for this craziness:

Pink= voice lessons, Orange= Bach Society, and Yellow= Symphony Chorus. These past few days I've been able to come for air, just in time for Eva's birthday party and Halloween.

Novemeber will be a more "normal" month, even though I have a few Octoberlike bad-boys left before summer hits. Here's a shot of Turkey month:

December will got back to relative craziness, but nothing like October. October takes the cake, so to speak ;).

Sunday was the first day in almost a month that I got to spend time with my family with no agenda. Here's what we did with our time:

[Once again, sorry for the blurriness. I've discovered that the pictures show up on my computer fairly clear but then blur-up when posted on Blogger. Also, the last two photos were taken at dusk and I'm no expert photographer!]

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-09T14:32:00.006-05:00

Last year we didn't make it to the pumkin patch because our own little pumpkin, Eva was being born. So, this year we are happy that we made it because the day was absolutely beautiful. It was about 68 degrees and sunny, perfect weather to visit a little place called Stuckmeyer's Farm in Fenton. Nestled in the ozarks, it was a cute little place. There was a gigantic pumkin patch, picnic tables for lunch, hayrides, a petting zoo, a mini-corn maze, and a really cool wooden play-area. The best thing about it was the lack of people (I'm assuming because it was earlier in the day and a weekday).

They had a gigantic stash of Radio Flyer wagons for the patrons to cart children and pumkins. There was no charge for using these, as well as no charge for entrance. Score 2 for Stuckmeyer's.

The Great Pumkin Hunt

"How 'bout these?"

Dum Ditty Dum

She Ain't Heavy- She's got two pumkins...

So Fast

2009-09-30T15:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Will picked his nose and ate it. Last week, he held his blankie up to his body and declared "Mom, look at me. I'm a woman!" The other day, he picked up his fallen Little Tykes basektball goal and said to Eva, "I'll move it for you, sweetie pie." [parroting his father's pet name for Eva.] Today at the zoo he had full conversations with Caden Wayman (our godson and fellow 2 yr. old) about lunch and which animals were his favorites, and yesterday in the car he told me about a picture he had made on the computer with Mike and Kendra when they watched him the other day (he explained every detail and- I saw the picture, only he didn't know it- he explained it perfectly). How is it that he is growing up at breakneck speed? Can't I just slow things down a little bit?

To be honest, I don't really want to slow things down. It's fun seeing the developement take place. Also, it makes me laugh and laughing is good. But it sure is mind numbing to watch him turn into someone different (new and improved at times, other times, notsomuch) almost overnight. How did he pick up on that so fast? or Where in the world did he get that? are frequent thoughts jumbling around in my befuddled brain. And all my brain can say back is "C'mon, Gina. Keep up the pace. This is nothing- only the beginning." To which I reply "Alas brain, you are right." [note: I don't usually say 'alas' but I also don't really carry on complete dialogues with my brain, so just go with it.]

I have a feeling that this is going to be a recurring theme for some time to come. Maybe this is just what being a parent is like. The fact that something you made can become it's own independent creature, with it's own thoughts and feelings and personality is difficult to grapple with at times. But it's also one of the most exciting things I have yet to experience in my lifetime. And in the midst of dirty diapers, constant laundry, teething, and time-outs, that excitement is like a drug that I can't get enough of.

Fall Already

2009-09-23T14:59:00.013-05:00

I really can't believe that yesterday was the first day of fall. This summer flew by, let me tell you. I've been spending quite a bit of time gazing at my calendar these days (I'll go more into that later) and am shocked that it is almost October. In just a month it will be ONE YEAR since our little Eva decided that it was time to be born! WHAT?!?

Eva is growing like crazy and learning new things all the time. Physically her new tricks are clapping (a few weeks now) and waving (newly acquired). She is a happy girl. This past Sunday in church she laughed through the whole last part of the service at seemingly nothing. As I've mentioned before, she loves her brother and one of the fun things they get to do together is "jump." Will gets on the futon (the only piece of furniture where jumping is allowed) and Eva stands on the floor holding the edge and they go crazy. Recently, Rodney said the word "jump" and Eva started bouncing up and down on his lap. She is a good sleeper, taking two naps a day but also she's able to skip it or catch a quick one while we're out and still sleep later in the day.

Will is still a sweet natured boy, but is definitely testing limits lately. He's decided to see what will happen if he hits Eva (sometimes when he thinks we're not looking) and "tackling" has become his favorite pastime. "Mom, tackle me!" is one of his favorite phrases along with "I fumbled the ball!" as he throws himself to the floor [today he tripped and fell pretty hard and through tears said "I fumbled the ball!" I had to laugh as I held him.] We're spending more time in time-out, but it's really still managable. We're pretty lucky. Now, sleeping and eating are two different stories, but you've heard enough about that!

Pic of the Week

2009-08-28T15:34:00.005-05:00

I've been fruitlessly trying to post a super-cute video of Will and Eva playing and giggling together for the past 3 days now, so I'll just give up my dreams move on. Instead I will post a picture of sir William from last week.

The other day we were heading out for the morning and I let Will play in the back yard so I could finish getting us packed up. When I came outside I took a quick scan of the backyard expecting to see him playing with the ball he had when he first went out and was puzzled when I didn't see him. Then, I saw him.

Sitting in the chair. Reading a book that I didn't even realize he had brought outside with him. He even stayed a minute while I ran in to get the camera. Love it.

Her World...

2009-08-16T14:00:00.007-05:00

Having a crawler in the house again reminds me of just how precarious this stage of development can be. Atleast with toddlers the world is less about discovering every single shiny and potentially dangerous thing in their line of sight (and putting it in their mouths), but about balls and playing with the dog and books and toys. Also, toddlers can avoid getting hands and legs covered in dirt and crumby stuff when you don't have time to vacuum and sweep every 2 hours.

So it seems we are back into baby-proofing mode. Due to the fact that we moved downstairs after Will was past this stage, everyday it seems I have to find new ways to make this apartment a good place for a crawler. Take the dog's water and food dishes for example. When we lived upstairs the dog dishes were conveniently locked behind a baby gate in the pantry. Downstairs there is no pantry, so I find myself continuously putting them up high when Che is not using them. And let me tell you, when I forget Eva sure does make the most of that oversight.

Aside from the challenge of having a crawler in the house once again, It's been so cute to watch Eva discover her environment. She's especially interested in what her brother is doing. The absolute best thing is when Will and Eva start to laugh at one another, the very first signs of playing together. We've been trying to catch this on video with little luck. For now I'll post a video of them sharing a good laugh as their dad reads a book.

Projects Completed

2009-08-11T15:44:00.001-05:00

After 2 long months, the house projects involving the mold removal have been completed. Coupled with the awesome feeling of being back in our own home after a month away is the great feeling that comes with getting these projects behind us. Here are some photos of the completed areas and if you want to see some before shots (minus the basement) go here.

Project #1: This is just a small portion of our basement, but the section that holds our new organizing shelf. The new system along with the extensive cleaning that was done has made this area of our home a place I'm no longer scared of.

Project #2: We were approved for a 5 year forgiveable loan based on our income that is meant for environmental hazards in your home (and some other things) like mold, so we were able to apply that money towards contractors for this project. I decided to play around with color and am happy with the outcome.

Project #3: Kitchen ceiling. While the contractors worked on the bathroom, Rodney set to work at finishing the kitchen ceiling.

The only major project left is the sunroom. Months ago Rodney gutted the room and this summer he sprayed it with the same chemical solution that the other areas in the house got, but it's still in decontrucion mode and therefore unusable. The plan is to have it completely finished by next summer, but I am so so so overjoyed that these first 3 projects are completed that I can wait for the sunroom to be done. Rodney keeps saying that we're no longer poisoning the kids and I have to say that this is probably the best feeling of all.

Summer Fun

2009-07-23T13:48:00.008-05:00

Every summer since Rodney and I got married we have done some extensive road-tripping. Even after we started a family we continued the tradition with our biggest roadtrip ever. This year (minus one weekend away for me and a week for Rodney) we have needed to be home to work on our house. That being the case, we have still managed to figure out how to live out of suitcases for much of the summer.

This housesitting gig has probably been the biggest summer adventure for us, making it feel truly as if we are on vacation. The home we are staying at in Clayton is lovely and I've been spoiled in many ways. Even Will has had some spoiling being able to play with some pretty cool toys thanks to the three year old boy who lives here. One of his favorites is a legitimate, albeit child's sized, drumset. Rodney has schooled Will on the different names of each drum and cymbal and Will relishes in remembering them aloud whenever he plays. Even Rodney and I have taken turns playing. Here's a video of some awesome rock star action.

Besides pretending to be Ringo, we've been enjoying trips to the playground, Monkey Joe's, and all sorts of other shenanigans. Here are some of my favorite photos from the past few weeks. I would like to draw your attention to the underware around Will's neck in the first photo below. Crazy times.

Month In Review

2009-07-14T20:54:00.012-05:00

It's been almost a month since my last post, which means that lots has happened. I'll do a little trick my friend Evie does and highlight the important stuff:

-Rodney started his campaign to rid our house of mold, beginning in the basement

-Eva started sucking her thumb

-Eva started crawling

-Started housesitting in Clayton so that contractors can rennovate bathroom

-Gina debuts as the Soprano Young Artist for the Bach Society of St. Louis

-Eva gets her first teeth

-Rodney's parents and brother, Brett arrive for visit

-Cousin Yuri turns 2

-Baby Kye (cousin) is born

-Rodney goes to emergency room for a sore neck and arm, starts physical therapy for a pinched nerve

-Gina and Eva take a road trip to Michigan for a memorial service

-Rodney leaves for New Orleans with a group of students for Habitat for Humanity relief work

That brings us up to date. As you can see, it has been a busy month for our girl, Eva. This would explain some overall fussiness and honestly, who can blame her. So much development in such a little time for such a little person. It's funny how when they start crawling a whole new level of parenting begins. Here are some photos of the month closing with a video of Eva crawling.

Thumb Sucker

Stingrays w/ Uncle B

Yuri's B-day Party

Grandma and Grandpa Malone

Great Nonna, Eva (namesake)

3 Evas: Nonna Eva, Cousin Evamarie, Eva Sophia

The other day...

2009-06-19T21:40:00.005-05:00

I walked into the living room to see this.

Don't know when Will got the crazy notion that playing horsey with Eva would be a good idea, but she didn't seem to mind. Will has actually been paying much more attention to his little sister lately and will get real close to her and say "hey, sister" or "hi, Eva." Sometimes he'll spontaneously give her hugs and that is too cute, I tell ya. I realize that someday they may start squabbling, but I think at this rate they are on track to being pretty good friends. Or atleast good playmates.

Loud and Clear

2009-06-17T08:18:00.005-05:00

There are times I feel like God is trying to tell me something. Sometimes it's just something little. Sometimes it's huge. I'm not always really certain what it is he's trying to say or what I should do, but there are times I feel like I should atleast stop and listen. The other day I was in the grocery store and I smelled my sister's perfume. At that exact moment I heard Sting over the store's stereo system, my sister's favorite pop musician. What was God trying to say??? Probably nothing. But I decided on a prayer for Earon.

The two themes that I've noticed lately are death and living amidst chaos.

Death
On Friday the mother of my best friend growing up died of colon cancer, a battle she had been fighting for the past 3 or 4 years. She was only 55. She was a very important person to me growing up, a motherfigure and an example of love to all those around her. A year ago yesterday Rodney's good friend from high school, Phil passed away. Why does death have to be a part of life? What can death teach us? What is God trying to tell me about death?

Chaos
Two nights ago we had a totally unexpected visit from good friends who were just driving through St. Louis on their way home from vacation. Let me tell you, my house was ABSOLUTELY TRASHED. I was so embarrassed. Had they come just two hours later, after dinner and the kids' bedtime, I would have had mostly everything picked up and the house in relative order. But there was something very intimate about having these dear friends stop by in the middle of my chaos. God was trying to tell me this: don't be so concerned with appearances. Relax. Care about people, connections, relationships. Forget about trying to control your environment. Oh, and their house is probably just as messy (they have three kids).

So how do these two things connect, if at all? Maybe in that life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Or even the big stuff. [We have HUGE projects in our home this summer that Rodney is tackling mostly himself. The rest we have to pay for with money we don't have....Don't sweat it, life's too short. We have a big mold problem in the house and we just found out we have lead...Don't sweat. Trust.] Trust.

So for now, I'm trusting that everything will turn out fine and I'm trying to enjoy the little things in life because who knows what may happen to me or my loved ones. I'm trying to smile more, enjoy my kids more, say "yes" more (isn't there a Jim Carrey movie out about this???).

If you haven't seen the movie from the link I posted above, make sure you watch the clip. It makes me cry everytime. I often need this reminder of God's gracious love, waiting for me to return to his open arms, sins and all. Even when I might not be listening...

8 Years

2009-06-13T16:22:00.006-05:00

Next week is our 8th anniversary and in all honesty I've been too consumed with Birthdays and Baptisms to spend much thought on how we might celebrate. Well, last week Rodney declares to me, "Gina, don't make any plans for next weekend. We got a babysitter and we're going out to celebrate our anniversary. Oh, and think about what you wanna do 'cause she's staying overnight."

What more could a girl possibly think of to want? Good work, Rodney. Now to decide where to go and what to do. Due to lack of funds we had to dismiss the first few ideas that popped into my head (stay at a B&B or a hotel downtown, maybe see a show). Then I remembered. I used to camp. I used to bike. Rodney and I used to do this a lot together. Then I got pregnant and someone stole my bike. But, we could borrow someone's bike for the day and we could find a great place to camp that wasn't too far (oh, and I'm thankfully not pregnant right now). I didn't have to convince my outdoors loving husband that this was a good plan. The very instant the words "camping" and "biking" made their way out of my mouth he had the perfect place in mind. Pere Marquette State Park along the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The plan was to make it there by dinner and return before Will and Eva woke up from afternoon naps the next day. Done and done.

Victoria and Dan arrived at our house at 4pm. Victoria is a colleague of Rodney's and Dan is her boyfriend. They babysat the kids a few times on Thursdays during my voice lessons when Rodney had tutoring in the spring. They were so awesome to give up close to 24 hours of their summer freedom to enter the world of schedules, bottles, naps, and Play Doh. I didn't think I was very nervous about leaving the babes overnight until I started explaining our routine. I honestly couldn't shut up. I kept finding the most random things to tell them about that I had to remind myself that they too are adults and can figure out lots of stuff. Then we got in the car. Crap. I forgot to tell them about Che's eating schedule. And how to turn the monitor on. And that the fan in the dining room makes noises so don't use it. I have two words for you. Control freak.

But, we did it. We made it to the site, set up camp and had a great hotdog-and-s'mores dinner. At one point Rodney turned to me and said "Look at us. What have we got to do? No kids to worry about and no responsibilities. This is amazing." He was right. I couldn't believe that we had 6 whole years of this before the awesome job of child-rearing took over our lives.

I did have one thing to do, however. Pump. After our lovely camp meal, I started getting sleepy and knew this must be done before settling in for the night. I'll share the start of the ensuing conversation:

Me: "O.K. I'm gonna go pump before bed."
Rodney: "Alright. I'm just gonna sit and watch the fire for a little bit."
Me from the tent: "Crap. I forgot the pump attachment."

There was no way I could make it until two o'clock the next day without pumping. Can we just say uncomfortable? So, we started deliberating. Do we go home? Can you (sorry about the TMI) hand express? No. O.K. Rodney remembers seeing a Wal Mart on our way to the campground. We'll just go buy a hand pump and make do. Not something I was that pumped about (I do like a good pun, people) but we're having a good time, so I'll suck it up. I will say that I don't really understand why anyone would every buy a hand pump, but in this instance I was happy not to have to buy a whole new electric pump for just a night and a morning.

I made the best of this situation (not without some grumbling, I'm not gonna lie) and the rest of our trip was amazing. The bike ride was so much fun and we spent some inspiring moments beside the river discussing dreams for the next 8 years. After a tasty lunch of "hot fish" (there were several establishments in the "touristy" burg of Grafton advertising this delicacy) we made it home in the middle of naptime to a house intact and two very tired 20-somethings (Eva apparently was up from 4-5 am). I am ever thankful for Victoria and Dan's bravery and can think of no better way to celebrate marriage than in the stillness and beauty of bluffs and riverfronts.

Happy 8th year, baby.

Celebrations

2009-06-09T21:16:00.010-05:00

We were lucky enough to end the month of May with two very important events: Will's 2 year birthday party and Eva's Baptism. I worried that planning both for the same weekend would make me a crazy person, but much to my surprise I was able to maintain an appropriate level of sanity. And I had a really good time too. Thanks to Mike Dando for taking such great pictures of the weekend.

Backyard Birthday Bar-B-Q (or Bubble-Q if your into puns)

We had a wonderful time chasing bubbles, eating hamburgers and hotdogs, and trying to beat the heat. So many great friends and family were able to make it and Will seemed to really enjoy all the attention. I cannot believe that it has already been two years since this little guy entered our world.

Marked As Christ's Own

Shortly after Eva was born I was approached by a woman in my church who wanted to make her a christening gown. Her daughter had gone into pre-term labor about the same time I did only her granddaughter did not make it. She makes a hobby out of designing antique christening gowns and Eva's was the 4th one she had made. This gown is amazing. With imported fabrics from Europe and made with such love, there is little else we own that is worth more. On the back hem is embroidered: Sealed By the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Marked as Christ's Own Forever. Eva Sophia Malone, May 31 2009. It is a family heirloom that can be worn by all the female members for generations. As you can see from the photos below, there is quite a bit of room to embroider subsequent babies names and their bapstism dates.

Happy Birthday

2009-05-27T21:08:00.004-05:00

Today you are two and I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? It amazes me that I have you to love, care for, cuddle with, play with, and nurture. It is the joy and wonderment of my life that I get to watch you grow and grow until someday you'll be too big to hold.

Your dad and I say to each other almost everyday how lucky we are. We think you are going to be an amazing person. So kind, sweet, and fun. You even apologize to the fan when you bump it with your baseball bat. What two year-old does that? You are so cute when you want to share something with us. "Mama, look," "Daddy, watch," are currently two of your favorite phrases. You are so proud of yourself and so am I.

If the coming years are anything like the last two, then my heart will surely burst. Happy, happy birthday sweet little boy.

Love forever,

Mom.

Springalicious

2009-05-20T15:17:00.007-05:00

I know, I know. Everybody loves this time of year so why risk sounding redundant? Because spring is freakin' awesome and I have to enjoy it while it's here. St. Louis has an uncanny way of shooing spring into summer before you can say 'where's my frizz serum?'. Here are a few reasons why I can't get enough of Spring these days.

1. Honeysuckle
If you could only scratch and sniff this picture you would realize what amazing smells we've had wafting into our kitchen from the backyard for about 4 days now. We are lucky enough to have a massive honeysuckle vine all along the eastern perimeter of our yard. Not only does it smell like heaven, but it gives us a bit of privacy. Nice when I'm trying to not-so-discreetly breastfeed Eva on the back porch while letting Will run around the yard.

2. Walks in the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I realize that I am a little slow sometimes, but an entire morning at the Bot Gardens and no pictures of the flowers in bloom? Not so bright. Will, Eva and I had a lovely playdate with Heather and Eleanor at the Gardens today and we'll be going back as much as we can while it's nice. I did get a cute photo of Eva in her car seat though. I'll do better with scenery pics next time, I promise.

3. Celebrations: another year of life and a new life in Christ. Will's 2 yr. birthday party and Eva's baptism will be taking place on the same weekend in a little over a week. I am so looking forward to having family and friends in town and only wish my parents lived closer =(. We haven't decided yet what we're getting for Will, but Eva's baptism gift was getting her ears pierced. I didn't take a photo of her getting them done (seemed cruel- who wants a picture of their child getting a shot? which is essentially what it's like) but here is one after we got home. She really did awesome- only cried while they were doing it and was fine immediately after. Click on the photo to see the earings better.

Happy Spring, e'rybody!

Stuff

2009-05-13T14:58:00.007-05:00

So I have atleast 5 blog posts swimming around in my head and I will never get them written unless I just summarize these thoughts and reports now:

-Eva's 6 month check up went well, minus some number corrections: she is in the 10th% in height and weight and was last month as well but they told me 30th%. This makes much more sense. Eva is an itsy bitsy spider. She started solids last month, is rolling around like crazy, and is pushing herself up while on her tummy. Two mobile children, here we come.

-Will is in his bed crying hysterics after 2 times rocking and one more telling him it's time to go to sleep. He is clearly tired but simply refuses to sleep. He hates naps about 50% of the time. Wish I could change this.

-I've been running for the past two weeks and I can now leap tall buildings in a single bound. Not really, but that would be fun. The first few times were kinda hard (especially pushing the ox-cart that is my stroller/children) but it's getting easier and easier. I decided that something had to be done because my waistline was refusing to return to it's pre-child days despite nursing (I'd even take pre-Eva waist).

-Bach Society and Symphony Chorus seasons have now come to an end. It was my 6th season with BSSL (Bach Society of St. Louis) and my 1st with SLSC (St. Louis Symphony Chorus). I am definitely planning a seperate post for my thoughts on Symphony Chorus because it was an unparalleled experience for me. I wish I could put you all in my pocket during rehearsals and concerts so you could see. Please come to a concert. It's really for your own good.

-I need a day off. Many of you wonder why I let Rodney go camping and it's really a practical reason. It is my way of putting money in the bank. When I feel that I need a day all to me, I don't feel so bad for taking it. There was an article in Parenting Magazine this month urging moms to take a day and explaining how to actually do it. My perfect day would involve good friends, good food, a manicure/pedicure, maybe some shopping. Any other moms want to join? Now, if only it was REAL money in that "bank"...

My Little Sponge

2009-05-07T22:36:00.004-05:00

Well, it happened. Will is no longer the dog-like, non-understanding creature that he was for so long. Today he finished a song that apparently I've sung quite a bit in his short lifetime because he knew the next line (and I honestly can't remember the last time I sang it).

Me, getting crumbs off of Will's hands after dinner: "Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake."

Will: "Shake your bootie"

Thank you, Will for making my day.

Love, Mom.

Last Week in Review

2009-05-05T22:28:00.011-05:00

Last week was a busy one. And yet, lots of fun. Here's the shakedown/summary of the fun times.

Rodney Turns 30 On the 30th. Complete with an early pre-dawn breakfast, dinner with friends and fam at the Royale, and a "score" on the gift (I got him a Book of Common Prayer and Bible in one) it was a memorable golden birthday.

After our Pre-Dawn Breakfast

Yard Sale. We participated in the neighborhood wide yard sale on Saturday to unload some unwanted stuff. Glad we stayed open till the last minute cause we made most our money in the last 5 minutes. We didn't get rid of everything, but the money we did make we promptly spent it on Trivia Night a few hours later.

Anybody Wanna Buy a Plant Stand?

Trivia Night. Rodney's student service group, Project Badili held their 2nd anual trivia night to raise money for this year's service trip to New Orleans. Glad I'm not having a baby this year because he will NOT be allowed to travel while I'm pregnant in the future (you'll recall that Rodney was scheduled to travel to Africa with this group when my water broke 7 weeks early). Anyway, OUR TABLE WON 2ND PLACE!!! Being a geek is sometimes fun. Rodney and his co-workers did an amazing job. I had a really good time.

The Dream Team

Feverishly Working on Answers (Yes, this one's posed)

Zoo With Good Friends. Laura and I decided that Will and Emma (their youngest who is a month older than Will) should get married because then we could share grandkids. I like it. Emma Malone has a certain ring to it.

Will with Future Wife

Reason #567 that I'd rather be in Michigan for the summer

2009-04-28T09:43:00.004-05:00

Imagine my disgust when upon making breakfast, this nasty creature decided to crawl into my sink from the drain.

I just about threw up.

This is the time of year in St. Louis when these little guys rear their ugly heads if you live in an old house. And we do. I've been told that they eat other more harmful bugs, but come on. Aren't good things suppose to also look good?

Wonder of Wonder...

2009-04-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

Miracle of miracles: the girl slept from 8pm (no crying) to 5:30 am, ate, went back to sleep until 8:15, THEN, went down for nap 1 and ALL WITH NO CRYING!!! I love, love, love it. After a week of this schedule I think I could tackle all of my "should be doing" tasks in the day.

Gina's Should-Be-Doing-Daily Task List
1. Exercise
2. Take kids to park if nice
3. Vocalise/practice music
4. Plan/work on a good evening meal

Even if I added two of the four things to my daily tasks I will be happy.

What a difference a good night sleep makes.

Ferber Update

2009-04-22T08:20:00.007-05:00

Night 1 recap:
You'll recall that our first night of doing the Ferber method with Eva was not that wonderful: after taking 30 minutes to fall asleep (which was pretty good considering it was our first attempt at letting her cry) she woke a half hour later (not good), cried for an hour, slept for an hour, cried for an hour and repeated this process until 4:30 am at which point we fed her and she slept until 7am. *note: those who are unfamiliar with the method should know that you do not let them cry without checking on them at increasing intervals, assuring them of your presence and you of their safety and well-being (you can touch, talk to and sing to them, just no picking up and for no longer than 2 minutes). I do not advocate letting babies cry on their own without reassurance.

Day 1 (or day 2, whatever- you get it):
That following day I was a walking zombie and Eva was not happy either. She took 3 naps that lasted each no longer than 40 minutes (a change from her 1-2 hour napping norm) and that night at Bach Society rehearsal I had to really concentrate hard on what Dennis was saying because every time he talked or gave directions it felt like I was listening to a foreign language (I'm sure the people sitting next to me were thrilled with my lovely and accurate singing- note sarcasm).

Night 2, day 2:
Rodney informed me after I got back from rehearsal that she fell asleep in 20 minutes and he hadn't heard a thing from her since. She did not wake again until 2 am and it took her an hour to fall back to sleep. She slept from 3 to 5:45, got fed and slept till 8. You can imagine how much better we all felt yesterday. Her naps took on the same format, 3 of them lasting only 40 minutes, but each time no crying.

Night 3:
Eva slept great last night. It took her 15 minutes to fall asleep, she slept from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am, ate and went back to sleep until 7. She is now taking her first nap. I think it's safe to say that she is now sleeping on her own. No swaddle, no pacifier, no rocking (well a little bit as a part of the bedtime routine, but not to fall asleep). Thank you Ferber.

Trading S's: Giving up the Swaddle and Suck for Sleep Sack and Snuggly

Ferber

2009-04-20T12:34:00.003-05:00

We decided to bite the bullet and start Ferber just a few days earlier than planned. Originally we wanted to wait until Tuesday night because she's been fighting a cold, but it seems to have cleared up pretty much and we would like to sleep again (I'm sure it can't hurt Eva's overall wellness either to get good sleep).

How we did it- The Set Up:
It was a little tricky trying to figure out how to do this with Will and Eva sharing a room but this is what we came up with. Eva is going to be sleeping in the pack 'n play until Will is ready for a big boy bed (maybe sometime this summer?) so we set it up in their room (which has been Will's room up until now) with Eva alone in there until she's sleeping well. Will is in a borrowed pack 'n play in the living room for nighttime sleep and in our room for naps. We put him in the livingroom so he wouldn't be disturbed by us getting up frequently to reassure Eva of our presence during crying jags. Also, the dining room and living room can be closed off from the rest of the house by a door thereby giving him more quietude. Every sleeper has a fan too (it could be argued that this is an unecessary crutch that should be gotten rid of as well, but we are fan sleepers in this house and there's no reason in my mind that it shouldn't continue).

Ferber-Night 1, Day 1:
Will went down easily in the living room due to a skipped nap and a little later bedtime. Eva went down easily as well due to the same circumstances. Will stayed asleep through the night (phew) and Eva woke every single sleep cycle (just about every hour). During the day Eva has taken 2 short naps and is only happy during waking hours when being held. I am trying not to hold her too much as it is a.) exhausting and b.) not aiding in the forming of the self-soothing techniques that Ferber instills. Will went down for his nap but not without a fight. It's been a hard 16 hours.

I am looking forward to the positive report that I will be giving in a day or two. Until then, I'm trying to hang in there.

Nothin'. What's up with you?

2009-04-19T14:09:00.005-05:00

Time for updates. We'll start with the little people and then move on to the big people in the house.

Eva-
Sweet little Eva has decided that sleeping long stretches is not for her anymore. She was giving us 8-9 hours at night from about 3 months of age until last month. On her 5 month birthday she started waking every 3 to 4 hours again (not as bad as our little friend Claire, but still not great). We've chosen this week to do Ferber so we should be getting our Z's back (thank God) by Friday (she'll be 6 months old next week). Besides sleep, she is growing and learning lots about her environment. The biggest thing we've noticed lately is how much she's fascinated by her brother. She will watch Will intently as he plays and turns her head to follow him whenever he motors by. She also likes the exersaucer a lot and the activity mat (grabbing toys is fun) but still doesn't love being on her tummy, so I don't think she'll be an early crawler.

Go Cards

Watching internet TV and eating ice cream with Mom and Dad

Will-
I absolutely love this age. He will be turning two at the end of May and he's learning so much so fast. His favorite things are balls (everything is a "basseh ball") and he loves hearing his dad play the guitar (ta-tar) and the piano (pano). One funny little thing is that he's been calling Rodney and me (but mostly me) by our first names quite a bit lately. I try to ignore it until he says "mama" or I say "I'm mama" and then he stops, but it's kinda funny. He's talking more and more lately and trying out new phrases daily it seems. Some of his favorites are "there it is," "I see it," "time to eat," "have it, want it," "shoot it (the ball)," and "you do it." Sometimes when we leave someplace he'll name all the people he can think of that were there and then say "that was fun." If we're leaving the house he'll say "bye bye Che, little bit" which means "bye bye Che (our dog), see you in a little bit." The one that was cracking me up yesterday was while we were driving he said "moon, where are you?" He's also fascinated with bikes and even tried to sequester a little toddler's bike-type ride in the park a little while back (much to the potential friend's dismay).

Pumping

Rocker

Rodney-
He has accepted a job at Lift for Life Academy in Soulard for the fall. This is a humongous blessing due to the turmoil at his current school, Imagine College Prep. He is very excited about the change and would start teaching there tomorrow if he could. It also doesn't hurt that the school is right across the street from the Soulard Market (my husband is as white as it gets when it comes to farmers markets). He's also getting ready to teach a May term class at Greenville (in Godfrey, IL at an extention campus) that will last 3 weeks. The class is called Christian Ethics, which is a new one for him. He'll also be teaching a night class at SLU in the fall, so he's getting some college teaching experience under his belt.

Gina-
I just finished concert week with the symphony with two performances of Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust on Friday and Saturday. It was really amazing. We have one more performance left for the season which is Beethoven's 9th, and if it's anything like my first two concerts with this incredible group of musicians I should be in for some more greatness. I have a Bach Society concert on Sunday, the last of our season and we're performing Mozart's Vespers and Bach's Jesu Meine Freude at St. Xavier Church on SLU's campus. It should be a very good concert as well. Poor Rodney has been a little worn out becuase he's on single-daddy duty just about every night during concert weeks and to have two back to back should not be fun. But, he did secure a babysitter and was able to attend last night's performance at the symphony so he got a little "second wind" so to speak. I am truly blessed to be able to stay home with my kids and still pursue my musical career goals. Even though it can be tiring, it is extremely rewarding.

Holy Week

2009-04-13T15:12:00.009-05:00

And it was. In past years I've taken singing jobs at different churches during this week because it's pretty good money. But, since the family is growing I've decided to say no to such offers in order to spend time together. Boy, am I happy this decision was made. Instead of spending the week hoarse and otherwise physically done-for we played, rested, ate, and played some more. Now that's what I call *holy*

The week (or really extended weekend) was packed with goodness. The fun began with an awesome outing to a Cards game on Thursday. Yes it was cold, rainy and wet, but Rodney came home at 11:30 and we spent the rest of the day together which was quite the treat.

Then, I had completely forgotten that R had Good Friday off, making Thursday the unexpected beginning of a little much needed vacay. That night I requested a night out with M for some mommy pampering time (sans babes) and we headed to the mall. I came home to a happy hubby with chillins snuggly tucked-in. Could it get any better?

Yes. Friday we had a BBQ with Kendra, Mike and Jesse and Saturday we headed over to Mike and Kendra's for brunch along with a little egg dying and hunting. Will had way too much chocolate and stained hands by naptime. He was hilarious.

We were invited back to M and K's house for Easter Dinner on Sunday along with the Brower-Tolands, Jesse Walls, and Mike's collegue Kara (whom I sure Will had a little crush on). The food was delicious and the kids were amazing. Such a good time.

I didn't take many pictures on Easter Day (doof) so I'm scrounging

Mike and Eva

We are now all enjoying some solitude with kids a-nappin' and mom a-bloggin.' Just maybe I'll get to practice today. I've decided not to hold my breath, however.

Lost in Translation

2009-04-06T22:16:00.002-05:00

For those who know my son, you know that he is quite the communicator. He does have some words however, that do not sound much like the word it's intended to be and only those closest to him know what he's saying. Lately I've noticed he's trying to be more accurate with certain words and this through me for a loop the other day.

Will, approaches me and says with expression (he even used his hands): "Tightay?"

Me: "What?"

Will: "Tightay!?!!"

Me: "I'm sorry buddy, I still don't understand."

Will: "Sasa!"

Me: "Oh! Ricecake!!"

Will: "Oh! Sasa!!!"

So much for accuracy.

Mystery Revealed

2009-04-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Re: my last post- It was baby spit, Ya'll. Pretty gross, eh?

The Biggest Bird Ever

2009-03-29T09:08:00.007-05:00

Atleast that was my first thought when I saw this.

Then I realized that was no bird. The two following thoughts going through my head were "thank God" and then "nice shot, Eva."

2009-03-24T14:55:00.005-05:00

Last week was Rodney's spring break and we planned a trip to Michigan to visit my family (my dad had not seen Eva in person yet). It was our first official long car trip since Eva's birth and it was an overall success. We have learned from our summer travels with Will last year that driving through the night is the only way to do it and this time was no different.

We left Monday night after a great weekend with the whole Malone clan here in STL. Despite the fact that we had a fun weekend, it left us with no time to pack until the day of the trip. Our ETD (estimated time of departure) was 7pm and after a lot of scurrying we made it in the car with everyone in their places by 7:40.

We were a little nervous about Eva sleeping because, being the great little baby that she is, she slept almost the entire time we packed. But, she completely blew us away when she feel asleep without fussing about 15 minutes into the drive and stayed that way until midnight, at which time we gave her a bottle and she fell right back to sleep until 9 am. William took a little more coaxing, but we were ready to help the little man out. Soccer ball in hand, he quietly listened to his favorite cd on the IPod through the car stereo and was asleep by the second to last song. Wish we would have had something like this last summer (we spent hours during our huge road trip trying to get him to forget the fact that he was in his carseat and not his crib).

Excited for the Trip

Tight Quarters

Just Another Road Trip?

By driving through the night we made the trip in 7 1/2 hours, just 1/2 hour longer than a childless trip. Compare that to the 9 hours it took my sister and brother-in-law (+2 kids) with their day drive to STL this Christmas. Yeah, through the night is the way to go.

We arrived at my sister's house by about 3 am and got, well, some sleep. William awoke in the middle of the night and slept with us until daybreak, at which point the bright sun lit up the cozy basement (where our blow-up mattress was) and he could not resist playing with all of his cousins' toys. Rodney and I decided to let him play while we attempted to get some shut-eye and this worked until Will put a Barbi car on my head with the lousdest freakin' music blasting in my ear. So much for sleep recovery. *Sigh*

We had a great breakfast with Earon, Mia and Evan and headed to the aiport to pick up Papa and Nana around 11:30. We are such dorks for two reasons. 1. Earon and I both forgot our cameras to capture the reunion in the airport and 2. As we excitedly watched for my parents to get off the plane (they had one of the stair thingys that unloads people right onto the tarmac) we failed to see that they were also unloading from the back of the plane. We were all staring out of the window (waiting to go crazy with flailing arms when they got off) when mom and dad suddenly said from 2 feet away, "what are you guys looking at?" It was very anti-climatic and gave us lots to laugh about (poor Papa and Nana).

In Love

Papa and Eva

Birthday Meal (Nana's: March 23, Mine: March 4)

Getting Ready for Dance Class

Eva Meets Nonna Eva, Her Namesake

The rest of the week was wonderful. Will took a little while to warm up to his Papa and Nana, but by the end of the trip, he was asking to hold Nana's hand while we walked down the hallways at Marc's school (where he is a band director). This touched her more than anything. He also greeted them when they came back from having dinner with old friends one evening. "Hi," he said with his hand up in a wave. He did this to our neighbor the other day and to kids and people in the park yesterday. Looks like we may have an extrovert on our hands.

Rockin' Out on the Timpani

Proud Grandparents

Where's Evan?

The trip was so good, but I will have to say that it is nice to be home. Will did not sleep fantatastically and has been making up for it ever since we got back. Eva actually did sleep alright, but the interesting thing is that since we've been home, she's started to sleep even longer at night. Rodney and I commented on how we thought they appreciated being home and are thanking us by sleeping well. You're very welcome, children ;).

Ashes and Cheese

2009-03-12T00:18:00.001-05:00

You can barely see it, but it's there. Eva's first official reminder of her mortality. It may sound morose, but even babies came from dust and shall return there someday. I suppose at the least it's a reminder of the fragility of life and how in turn we are to cherish it, both in the form of adorable little babies and often-unlovable adults.

This year I am attempting to "take on" something(s) rather than give anything up, which if I did it would be coffee or sweets and who wants to do that? My goals are to be physically active and to spend more time practicing voice. I do feel like these two things are extremely important, so why you ask save them for Lent? Hmm, good question. I guess I'm only human (and shall return to dust- there's that morosity again. Good old Lent).

Eva had her 4 month check up last week and she's growing awesomely (Weight: 30th%, Length: 25th%, Head: 30th%). Rodney and I are both smitten with her and apparently Will is too (who can blame him??).

Speaking of William. Lately de's decided to correct me when he is sure I'm wrong about something. Here are some examples.

Me: "Hey Will, did you hear that plane?" (he loves listening for anything motorized that passes over or in front of him)

Will: "Nooo, das a tar." (translation: :"No, that's a car")

Me- pointing to pictures in a book that names everyday items: "Butter."

Will: "Nooo. Cheese!"

He does this atleast once a day and it takes a lot of effort not to continually correct him. I'll let him think what he wants (for now).

Busy Month

2009-02-26T21:30:00.005-06:00

The month of February has been quite the busy little month. So much has happened but I will try to do some summarizing to cover the important stuff. I started back full throttle with singing which has been very fulfilling, but is the main reason for the busyness. On Valentines Day weekend the symphony chorus performed Verdi's Requiem, a first for me. This was one of the most incredible musical experiences I have had to date. I loved it so much that it (in conjuction with the Bach Society, my voice lessons, and just thoughts I've been having) has got me thinking about maybe starting a music blog while maintaining this as my family blog. That way I can get some thoughts out without boring the heck out of those who just wanna see a cute picture from time to time. While I definitely see the benefits of doing this, who knows if I'll have the time. I can barely keep up with this blog at times! Stay tuned, however- you all will be the first notified if any such thing materializes.

William has had a persistent cough for a little over 4 months now and we finally got him into the allergist on Tuesday. Turns out he's allergic to mold, dust (dust mites), the dog slightly, and a few trees. He's now on Singulair and we have to do something about the sunroom (it has mold and mildew damage and is currently shut off from the rest of the house but still is a problem). The cough isn't horrible, but I'm glad we got it checked out because the doctor said the risk of asthma developing is present, not to mention the fact that any kind of long term coughing can cause scar tissue to show up in the lungs.

Besides all that Will is really becoming a little boy lately and everyday he wows us with something new that he's learned. He knows almost half of the alphabet, the numbers 1-10, and the other day he recognized his name written on a piece of paper. He's starting to read his favorite books along with us by saying the word that comes next when we pause at memorable spots. I seriously love watching him develop and I feel sad for Eva because I admit that it's not as exciting the second time around (I'm sure I'm not alone here).

Speaking of Eva, she is precious. Smiling, cooing, gurgling, and on the verge of laughing. She's a lot more prone to smiling than Will was at the same age, which is fun. I LOVE how soft and pink and dainty she is. I'm most definitely getting my girl fix with her and I'm aware that this will only increase as she gets older. The best thing about miss Eva is that SHE SLEEPS (not to mention breastfeeds fine and has an overall good disposition, but those are bonuses ;)). She sleeps great at night and even sleeps a good portion of the day. She is, however awake and fussy from about 7-10 every night, making bedtime hard when you're flying solo (like Rodney does on rehearsal and concert nights). I do realize that it won't be long before they're both on the same bedtime schedule and I'm looking forward to that for sure.

Rodney's having a rough time at work lately mostly due to the fact that his school is unravelling at the seams. Administrators are leaving and not being replaced and there are not enough security guards for the 700+ students. Fights are breaking out daily and there are absolutely no consequences for the students. I hesitate to wright this because I'm sure I'll get a worried phone call from my mother tormorrow, but the thing that's keeping Rodney's classes in relative order is that he is a good teacher and in general the kids like and respect him. It is a very bad situation though and he is looking for a new job. Not sure if this is something I should advertise on the internet, but the school is in such bad shape it shouldn't surprise anyone anyway (or so I hope). So keep us (especially Rodney as it can be pretty hard on is morale at times) in your thoughts and prayers.

No pictures tonight, I've already written too much and it will take forever to download them. I'll save it for another, not so lengthy post. So much for summarizing. I should never make such promises.

Cuz I Actually Have Time...

2009-01-30T22:12:00.003-06:00

And because the girl's been gettin' no love lately, I'm posting twice today. Here's a cute video of her crazy antics. Happy 3-month birthday, baby girl. You are capturing our hearts daily.

Obsessions

2009-01-30T21:34:00.004-06:00

Will's favorite animal is a horse. He loves them so much that whenever we turn PBS Kids on and he sees a cow (which for some crazy reason has been the case the past two days) he gets a concerned look on his face and asks "hoase?" He even started crying today when the cow was not a horse. Learning to handle disappointment is a hard lesson. Why he thinks a cow should be a horse is something I'm trying to figure out.

I think that this statue might be the source of the obsession.

Ever since the Will was old enough to roll around in the grass, Rodney has been taking him to Art Hill during my voice lessons. This is where he acquired his love for busses and horses (a bus rolls up to the steps of the art museum every few minutes). Now, everytime we pass a park he asks for his beloved horse. Hope this doesn't mean we're in for riding lessons and all that jazz in the not so distant future. That's a little too "country" for this city girl.

Rodney's favorite activity these days is sledding and every time even the slightest threat of snow is upon us his obsession is revealed. He definintely has more fun than Will even though it's under the auspices of entertaining the child.

(notice the negative one inch of snow)

I think these two belong together- "rolling" around on their beloved Art Hill.

I love this city. It makes my boys happy.

Our Walk in The Park

2009-01-26T16:46:00.006-06:00

Friday was one of those days that make you want to laugh hysterically or scream at the top of your lungs. I was able to keep it together but had the madness gone on much longer, something would have popped. Here's my tale.

I decided that we should all get out to enjoy the last of the mild temperatures before St. Louis unleashed its schizy behavior, plunging us back into wintry nastiness. So, we packed ourselves up, put the dog on the leash and walked to the park.

[Oh, BTW getting the stroller into the car for Thursday's zoo trip was pretty comical. After consulting the stroller manual I was able to collapse the thing and get it into the trunk, but not without lots of grunting, shoving, and a triumphant shout. It will be much easier next time.]

Our stroll was going wonderfully. I was enjoying the brisk air and I even remembered to grab my new ipod (Christmas gift), hoping for some inspiration to hike it up a notch in an attempt to shed some preggo weight. With one ear bud in and one out so I could hear any screams, cries or other types of jibber jabber, we were having fun. Until...

Will: "Whoa, whoa!" (translation: I see that your listening to your music thingy that I know has my all time favorite song on it with the lyrics "You me so happy, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa" and I want to listen to it!)

Me: "You wanna listen?"

Will: "Dissen."

I gave him the bud and he was quiet again. But not for long.

Will: "Whine, whine"

Me: "Don't you wanna listend to whoa, whoa?"

Will: "Whoa, Whoa!!"

I grabbed the ear bud and somehow it had skipped to Stevie Wonder (he'll learn to love it someday). I got it back to his fav, and we resumed walking. The next half-hour was not fun.

Eva started crying. We stopped. She did not want her paci. Luckily I remembered the sling so I pulled her out and wore her. Then Will started. Squirming. Whining. Crying. "Nunch" (lunch) "Sasa" (ricecake) "Dus" (ducks) "home." I changed his diaper, I put the music back in his ear, I asked him questions about the outdoors. Nothing worked. All this while trying to push the gigantic stroller with one hand and patting Eva on the back with the other. DIDN'T YOU LITTLE PEOPLE GET THE MEMO THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PLEASANT WALK IN THE PARK. Apparently not. Oh, and we couldn't have been further from home. Yeesh.

Thirty minutes later we arrived at our door in one piece, but not without asking Will to count everything in sight (his new thing- he just points and grunts several times) and lots of huffs and puffs from me. Luckily after we got home, babies got fed, kids and moms alike ate and ALL took a nap. Thank. God.

I was gonna post a few photos from our zoo outing, but Marisa beat me to it so head here if you wish. Thankfully that went much better.

The Tank

2009-01-22T09:07:00.003-06:00

Those of you who live int the St. Louis area (and are usually cooped up with small chillins) are most likely just as excited as I am about this 60 degree day we're about to have. I haven't been out during the day with the kids in almost two weeks, so WE ARE GOING TO THE ZOO. And for just such an occasion I have been saving my pennies since Eva's birth (with gift money and a few singing gigs) and have purchased an awesomely massive double jogger, or as Rodney calls it, a second car. My reply to his comments that it rivals his bike is "this is our bike." Needless to say, I am looking forward to breaking it in today. I am not looking forward to folding it up in all its enormity and putting it in the trunk, so you'll get a full report later. In the meantime, we're jazzed about taking our tank to the zoo with Marisa, Preston and Claire. Today feels like a holiday.

The End.

A Little of This, A Little of That

2009-01-18T10:41:00.005-06:00

Things are pretty quiet now after a fun and relaxing extended weekend with the grandparents. Jerry had a conference here in Stl and brought Nancy with him and they just left this morning. I am enjoying some solitude as the boys are off to church, so blogging seems natural.

Well, just as the words were written last week and my mouse clicked on "publish post" things got a little hairy. Eva decided that she would not be so "easy" and the day of my last post was a tiring one (how's that for irony?). She was up nearly all day and night leaving me to feel pretty ragged. But as we got into the weekend she slept pretty much non-stop. Phew. I will say that we're putting her in slings and bjorns a little more these days, but she still is not the colicky mess that Will was. I'm definitely tired, just not tired AND out of my mind.

We took Will in to see Dr. Schamndt this week for a cough that he's had for 3 months and it looks like it might be allergies. We'll see an allergist in February to confirm. We just visited with Ben Masena last night and heard about little Gianna having the same symptoms and it turns out that she's allergic to cats. Whatever it is, looks like we're gonna have to make some changes soon.

Eva had her 3 month (really 2 1/2 month) check up on Tuesday and it looks like she's doing some catching up. You'll remember that her percentiles were in the negetives last month. Well now she's at the 29th in weight (9 lbs. 11 oz.) and the 45th in head circumference (38.5 cm). She has decided to be short though at only 20 1/2 inches (<5th percentile). Guess she takes after her mother no matter what the obstacle.

I've been a slacker in the picture department lately, but here's a fun video of Will. Enjoy.

finished.

2009-01-08T11:03:00.004-06:00

o.k. now it's done. that was fun.

oops.

2009-01-08T10:31:00.001-06:00

Will published today's post before I was done with it, so stay tuned =).

2009-01-08T09:13:00.005-06:00

Cousin Bath w/Mia

Science Center w/ Cousin Evan and Uncle Marc

Sisters

Teeter totter fun (Eva is under the blanket ;))

City Museum

Cousin Yuri at the Zoo

Sarah Visits on New Years Eve
Paul Visits New Year's Eve too!

Christmas 2008

After a hectic (yet fun) holiday, we are now back to "normal" life around here. It's so funny how the defintition of normal changes from season to season in life. I suppose it has more to do with routine than anything else. Our new routine is being solidified day by day and I'm finding that the change from one to two has not been as intense as I imagined. Atleast not so far.

I've been wondering why this is the case and have come up with a few possible answers. I wonder if it's because the change from no kids to one, especially one that cried as much as Will (AND had so many troubles breastfeeding AND didn't sleep) is more of a drastic alteration of the norm as opposed to a little more of the same. Also- and this is probably the biggest reason- Eva is an easy baby. She eats great, sleeps great, and has very few fussy times. You know the phrase "God doesn't give you more than you can handle?" It definitely applies here. Another thought I had has to do with the age difference between Will and Eva. William is becoming more and more independant with each day but also new things don't seem to phase him. I'm sure this is mostly his personality, but I also think it's his age. He hasn't had too much time to be the center of attention. This is ulitimately why we had them so close together and it's paid off so far.

The absolute hardest part has been the inability to have outings during the day. Eva is still quaranteened from public places until the end of the month and it's been too cold to go outside (atleast when it's just the three of us- the week of Christmas was crazy warm and we had lots of people around).

Will's Idea of a Good Time these days

Christmas Soup

2008-12-24T13:18:00.004-06:00

Remember this post? Scary. Don't worry, I made sure the old-fashioned ladies and basting instruments were no where to be found. Besides, I think this kid requires a slightly bigger pot.

When You're Smilin'...

2008-12-19T12:55:00.003-06:00

...or laughing.

Numbers and Tears

2008-12-15T11:59:00.005-06:00

Eva's check-up went really well on Friday. She is 7 lbs. 11 oz. (5th percentile) and 19 1/2 inches long (<3rd percentile!). I was really interested to find out that they're comparing her to other full term infants her age although I guess it shouldn't really surprise me. Maybe it does because the percentiles they gave me when she was born were compared to other 34 weekers (80th in weight and 60th in height). I think it takes a year or two (?) for preemies to catch up to their full-term peers, so it will be fun to see how she measures up with each check-up. For now, she will be called "Lil' Eva."

Last night Rodney took Will to our church's anual Hanging of the Greens Party where Santa made an appearance. Eva and I stayed home and I'm actually kinda glad because my heart couldn't have handled these faces:

I wish we had a scanner because the picture they got of him shows a clearly upset little boy trying to be brave. It's precious.

Growing

2008-12-11T12:36:00.011-06:00

Eva is officially out of her preemie clothes! I truly can't believe it. Tomorrow we visit the pediatrician for the second time and we will find out the exact amount, but she is definitely growing. I look at the 5 sleepers that she lived in for the first 5 weeks of her life and think "wow, she's was so tiny." She is now looking and feeling more like a 6 day-old newborn rather than the 6 week-old that she is! This is the refrain that's been playing in my head all week: Well, we're movin' on up (movin' on up) to the next size.

Last week (on the coldest of all days) we got our Christmas tree. This year Will actually had a reaction to it which basically consisted of one emotion: fear. After a little while of running in the opposite direction and crying, we got the lights out, put the Christmas music on (a little Bing) and he started forgetting about the gigantic outdoor object being indoors (isn't his fear justified?). He then spent the next few hours saying "ligh" and took on the role of daddy's little helper.

May the force be with you all this Christmas season:

Will and Eva Updates

2008-12-03T14:21:00.013-06:00

I thought it'd be fun to start with some photo comparisons.

Will:

Eva:

3 week-old Will:

3 week-old Eva (I remembered that my very first blog post was titled "3 Weeks With Will" with the photo above and I wanted to do the same for Eva with the same exact pose, but of didn't get around to it. I managed to get the pictures below but they didn't turn out how I wanted):

(there's one in between these two where she's very unahppy- hence the pacifier)

Will's first bath:

Eva's fifth bath (the 2nd baby gets the shaft- unfortunately we didn't capture her first bath on camera):

Now for the updates.

Eva: She will be 5 weeks tomorrow and she is growing so fast already. When she was born she was so tiny and fragile that she felt more like a doll than a baby, but not anymore. She's starting to fill out and has more control over her body. A week ago Tuesday she was 5 lbs. 15 oz., so I'm sure she's over 6 lbs. now. She's eating great and wakes us every 3-3 1/2 hrs. at night. I've mastered the side lying position with breastfeeding, which makes me feel far less sleep deprived. I wasn't confident enough to try this with Will because he wasn't a great latcher early on and I was afraid I'd smother him. No such worries this time. Another difference between the two as newborns is that she doesn't cry half as much and really likes her pacifier (maybe this is why she doesn't cry as much?).

Will: He just had his 18 month check up on Monday and he's doing really well. My biggest concern with him is his appetite (I've mentioned before that he often asks for food all day long and would eat well beyond good portion sizes if we let him- not to mention that it takes him two seconds to clear his plate) and he actually went down in percentile with regards to weight so the doctor was not concerned. This was very good news because I was ready to call the endocrinologist if it continued to rise (it jumped from the 50th to the 75th between 9 and 12 months and rose even more at 15 months).

He has discovered the word "no" and it has replaced "bus" as his favorite word, although it's a close 2nd. I read a really good article here about toddler discipline strategies and there's a good section on responding to the word "no" (scroll down to the bottom). It's pretty interesting if you have a toddler. I've heard lots of people say that 18 months is when things got really interesting with their kids and now I see what they mean. Besides discovering his ability to decide things for himself, he's becoming pretty self-aware. Sometimes when we're talking about him he responds with looks or certain words even though we're not talking to him (I've started to monitor more closely what I say around him). He is a very smart and affectionate boy and it's been so much fun to watch him during this stage.

Here are some cute photos of the two of them I took the other day:

What I'm Thankful For

2008-12-03T09:02:00.009-06:00

I know it's a little overdue, but I wanted to be sure to express what I am thankful for this year. A dear one once told me that Thanksgiving was her favorite of all the holidays because she felt that thankfulness is the most important spiritual attidute. With that in mind, here's my list:

1. A healthy baby girl despite complications

2. A son who makes me smile everyday and who I can't seem to hug and kiss enough (he'll probably be that kid that says "MOM!" in a whiney voice because he's embarassed at my constant affection.)

3. A hardworking husband who challenges me to be better

4. A loving and supportive family

5. A home with everything I need

6. The opportunity to sing without needing to make money at it

7. That there is a loving and forgiving God, regardless of my lack of faith.

8. My health

9. My friends and mentors

Now for photos. Here are a few from our Thanksgiving visit with my mom and Rodney's dad last week. It was such a great week. Mom, we miss you so much already! Jerry, we're glad you're O.K. (he was in a car accident on his way home to S.C.).

Will and Nana at the Botanical Gardens

Grandpa and Eva

Thanksgiving Dinner

More to come with pictures and updates of the kiddos.

Introducing...

2008-11-15T09:48:00.013-06:00

Eva Sophia Malone was born on Halloween night at 8:18 pm, 4 lbs. 15 oz., 18 inches long.

She spent 10 days in special care with only one complication while she was there: she had an apnic episode where she stopped breathing for 15 seconds. This is a common thing in babies born at 34 weeks, but they wanted to keep her for at least 7 days beyond the episode to insure nothing else happened.

Nothing did, and after 8 days of driving up to the hospital every 3 hours to feed her, I was so relieved when we finally got to bring her home.

Nancy was an absolute Godsend, taking care of Will just about every waking minute AND helping us cook, clean, and get the house ready for Eva's discharge.

Michael was also such an awesome help, taking Will while I was in the hospital the week before she was born. Our church also stepped in, as I mentioned before. It's times like these that you truly understand how important the community is, both as a giver and a receiver.

Because of cold and flu/RSV season, Will was not allowed in the special care nursery (all siblings/children were prohibited) and didn't meet Eva until she was discharged from the hospital. We often wondered what was going through his head as I got my coat on and rushed out the door every 3 hours. He really showed no signs of understanding what was happening and even since she's been home, he's been the same little boy. He likes to pat Eva's head gently while she eats and put his head to hers in a mini hug. He is really sweet when it comes to babies and it's no different with Eva.

The most difficult part about coming home with a preterm baby is the fact that it's cold and flu season and due to her fragile immune system she is at high risk for getting sick. Because of this we have to avoid public places for at least 3 months and limit non-family visitors. No one is allowed in the house that has even the slightest signs of having a cold or being sick. It sounds anal, but in my doctor's words "You kinda have to be paranoid. The alternative is another extended stay in the hospital. " It's already affected plans for Thanksgiving as my sister and her family were planning on coming and they can't now because Mia (my niece) currently has a cold and gets them a lot this time of year. We had a visit with Dr. Schmandt on Thursday and we talked about the risks, with RSV being the biggest. She told us that toddlers are the most common carriers (especially those in daycare) and even then it's hard to know when they have it because the symptoms are the same as a cold. Dr. Schmandt recommended Eva to our insurance co. to get the RSV vaccination but she was denied because she has to meet more criteria- Ex: born at an even earlier week or have a sibling in daycare. She also told us that Will is a big risk (he just got over an ear and sinus infection) and we need to do our best to keep him healthy. That part is going to be hardest. Needless to say, we've been hand-sanitizing nazis.

Besides all of that paranoia, she's really doing amazingly well. We get home visits from a pediatric nurse twice a week for two weeks and we had the first visit on Wednesday. According to her Eva has just been sailing along. She was impressed with how well she did at birth and in the special care nursery, not needing a feeding tube or help with breathing. What also impressed her was how well she's been nursing. She's already gained weight (she's up to 5 lbs. 2 oz.) and grown a half of an inch.

We are truly blessed despite all the possibilities. We have a healthy baby girl, even though technically she wasn't due to make an appearance for another 6 weeks. I'm feeling great and am so relieved about the success of the VBAC.

Here's a little summary of the birth: After 5 days in ante-partum after my water broke I was induced at 34 weeks. I got an epidural remembering the pain of the contractions from Pitosin with Will's birth. I have no regrets about this because those contractions came so fast and frequent (I did feel them on a much lesser scale- they just felt like menstrual cramps) that I'm sure I would have ended up with the epidural anyway. After 10 hours of resting in bed, reading, listening to music, and even watching a little tv, the contractions got more intense and I started feeling a lot of pressure. Then it all happened so fast. Within 30 minutes the baby was born. I was scared that Dr. Turner wouldn't get there in time, but she did. My recovery has been worlds better and I definitely recommend a VBAC to any woman for their second child. Of course, I realize that it could have ended in C-section, but it's so worth the attempt.

Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement, prayers, and phone calls. What an amazing feeling to be surrounded by such love and support.

In The Hospital

2008-10-28T19:54:00.002-05:00

Many of you probably got the news, but my water broke last night around 5:30. I have been hospitalized and put on bedrest while they try to keep me pregnant until Friday. Marisa beat me to the chase and posted a pretty thorough description of what's going on, so I'll send you to her blog here so you can read about it.

We have gotten a flood of emails and phone calls with all of your concerns and well-wishes, and for that we are truly grateful. Our church is pulling together a dinner-delivery list and even a sign-up for babysitting if needed. What a blessing.

I am in fairly good spirits and am anxiously awaiting the birth of this little girl who apparently wants to be a little early on the scene. We pray for her health and our emotional stability as we approach the challenge. Thank you for being such an important part of that.

2008-10-24T14:49:00.003-05:00

Halloween PJs

You know that phrase "this too shall pass"? Well, as trite as it may sound it's good to keep in mind on the days that I feel like the world is crashing in (i.e. the day of my last post). Because, like my dad and I talked about on the phone the other day, things could always be much worse. I know this in my head, but thanks for listening and empathizing with me when it's hard to remember (or when verbally spewing out my emotions serves a cathartic purpose more than anything else).

One answer to prayer- Laura called me and reminded me that she has two girls with crates of girl clothes that they've outgrown. I'm all for sharing and passing-on, so this is a huge answer to clothing prayers.

The contractions have seemed to slow down and I've traded them for a slight cold. I'll take the cold. Rodney and Will have been passing it around and are more miserable than me (well, Rodney anyway). Rodney's looking forward to a relaxing weekend playing soccer (homecoming) and attempting to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night. I'm cheering him on in both respects.

Will's napping has seemed to improve this week. The only exception was on Sunday when Rodney was painting his room and we put him in the pack 'n play in our room. He was quiet for a good while after I put him down so I thought he was alseep, but then I went in to get something and found him playing with my music bag (it was on a surface he could reach). After picking up a few pieces of shredded music, I moved the pack 'n play further from anything he could potentially get a hold of and shut the door. Then, after about an hour of hearing him play on the monitor, Rodney went in to get him and found him pantless, diaperless, and half shirtless (one arm out). Needless to say, he wasn't really into napping on Sunday.

2008-10-20T12:13:00.002-05:00

I am currently in one of the most stressful times in my life.

I just started my eighth month of pregnancy and we moved into a house that needs so much work. My 16 month old needs constant activity and trips to the park are getting harder and harder (the back yard will soon have to become our "park"). I just started singing in another professional choir and have forgotten twice to go to rehearsals due to scatterbrained-absentmindedness that according to my pregnancy book is on the increase at 32 weeks. I have 5 nights in a row of Bach Society, with 2 concerts, 1 rehearsal and two recording sessions. It's a good thing I'm paid to be there. There's noone but me to clean the upstairs apartment to get it ready for Juanita and this one still needs lots of organization. Will needs winter clothes, Eva has no clothes and I'm on the verge of tears (all of this with Rodney's Africa trip in 2 weeks). This is a raw post, I know.

So, where is all this stress getting me? Apparently a visit to the hospital. I need to start by saying that everything is fine, but I definitely need to take it easy.

Some background information is needed: Last Monday at my OB check-up Dr. Turner asked if I was having contractions and I casually replied "yes." She asked about frequency and some other things and seemed concerned. I was not concerned (until she was) because I remember having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions with Will. After doing a cervical exam she determined that I was "thin" and that my cervix was at the midway point. She warned me that if I had an episode of 6 contractions in one hour that I needed to come in to the hospital. She debated whether or not I should come in the following week (instead of 2 weeks) but said that if anything happened between now and then just to come in. Fast forward to Friday night. I was singing in Alton with Bach Society and had consistent contractions throughout the concert and even well after I got home. I decided to eat, drink and sleep and go in to the hospital the next morning. They checked me and said that I'm definitely thin but not dilated, so they sent me home with some instructions to stay hydrated. I still need to speak with Dr. Turner, but it's definately shaken us up.

So, what now? After this week I don't need to go to Bach Society rehearsals because I'm not singing in the Christmas concert due to baby arrival. I've also decided that I MUST rest when Will is resting and pare down my commitments as much as possible. If this means sleeping in on Sundays and missing church, then I've decided not to feel guilty (as was the case this Sunday). I'm accepting/asking for more help from Rodney and trying not to get worked up over the "little things." I'm very grateful for the encouragement I've received from family and friends and look forward to having Nancy around in a few weeks and after that family to be around when the baby is born. I have to remind myself that I am not alone.

I said it was a raw post.

On a more positive note, Rodney was able to paint Will and Eva's room this weekend. This provided me with some tears of joy and a respite from my stress. Thank you, Rodney.

Two Posts for the Price of One

2008-10-06T12:37:00.008-05:00

Hopefully you will consider this post a deal and not a tedious way to get you all caught up.

Post 1: Moved-In
We are now officially moved in to the 1st floor apartment of our two-family flat and I am already enjoying the perks. Tasks such as laundry and grocery shopping at this stage of my pregnancy will no longer be as difficult as they once were. Something as simple as taking a walk with Will will be that much more convenient and letting the dog in and out is a cinch! In fact, as I write Che is contentedly sleeping on the back porch. He seems to be much happier when he can come and go outside whenever he wants.

Before I share photos, I want to thank some people: First of all, I need to thank my gracious brother-in-law Michael for taking an entire day off of work to paint for us. I am certain that I would be depressed having to stare at all of the unfinished walls of this place today, but now with two of the most important rooms finished (ceilings and all) it has made all the difference in the world. Thank you so much, Michael. Also, thanks to Michael, Scott and Kyle for helping us move. What a blessing it is to have such friends and family.

Now the pictures:

Living Room, Angle 1
(sorry about the blurriness)

Living Room, Angle 2

Dining Room

Kitchen and Will's forehead

Our Bedroom, complete with peeling walls

Will and Eva's Room, Angle 1
(we haven't gotten the bedroom window treatments in yet so the blankets are serving as black-out shades)

Will and Eva's Room, Angle 2

I feel pretty good about how things are coming together as far as overall organization. Now it's just the things that make a place feel like a home that I'm anxious about. Of course painting the rest of the house will make a huge difference, and then putting up wall hangings. The kitchen (ceiling) and the bathroom will most likely not get done before Thanksgiving and all I have to say is that I feel for Rodney as I know he's so overwhelmed with the task list.

Post 2: Other Notable News
Will is going through some interesting phases right now. The biggest is with napping. He's recently decided that he hates napping and for a couple of weeks would refuse to nap just about ever other day. We decided to do Ferber for naps so that he could be getting his sleep requirements and although it's definitely helped, we've still encountered rough spots. The other day he cried (after many visits from me) for over an hour in his crib and never napped. Thankfully, he's sleeping fine at night (probably from sheer exhaustion) although he is waking up earlier and earlier in the mornings. This morning he was up at 5:50. Ugh.

The other phase he's going through right now is stranger awareness. He's never actually gone through this this phase until now, so it's been interesting to observe. It's really not that bad, he just seems much slower to warm up than he ever has.

Oh, and food. Let's just say that there are days when Will constantly asks for food. I've determined that he does it when he's bored, which apparently is quite a bit. Rodney and I have discovered that he needs A LOT of stimulation and doesn't play alone for very long. Yesterday he whined nearly continuously during the day for food and I decided to add it to my "nah/no thanks" list ("no" is reserved for dangerous behaviors- either for himself or others). The "nah" worked yesterday and we'll see if it continues to work.

Will loves his books. This is one of the only things I can count on him doing on his own for a good 15 to 20 minutes. Making you proud, Grandma Nancy!

Right now his favorite word to say is "bus" and his favorite sound to make is a whinnying sound like a horse. Call them new fetishes. Sometimes William will neigh like a horse when he wakes up from a nap or do it repeatedly while riding in the back seat of the car. He also calls any large vehicle a "bus." Rodney and I spend a lot of time laughing these days.

The pregnancy seems to be going well and Eva is moving like crazy. A week or so ago she seemed to be moving constantly to the point of annoyance (imagine something pummeling your belly non-stop). I do get tired and sore when I overdo it, but as long as I rest during the day I feel much better. The nice thing about this pregnancy is that I actually have time during the day to do that (as long as Will naps, of course=)).

I am now singing with the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus which is pretty exciting, but have yet to attend a rehearsal. They are rehearsing for two different upcoming concerts, one of which I am not singing in because it's scheduled for the week of Eva's due date and I am not required to be at those rehearsals. I am really looking forward to singing with such a high quality ensemble. I'm sure there will be no end to what I learn.

I'll close with some photos of Will and I. Sorry you can't see the belly that well, I will try to get a good belly shot soon.

At Forest Park

Zen-Yoga Master

Quint-Bongo Boy - Making Uncle Marc proud!

Updates- mostly about the house for now

2008-09-24T11:20:00.009-05:00

It has been a very busy month around the Malone house. The most important thing that's been going on (besides FINALLY getting our internet restored after about 2 weeks- hence the length btw. posts) has been the renovation of the downstairs apartment and the renting of the upstairs.

For about 2 weeks we had a barrage of phone calls, thanks to Rodney's wonderful little blurb about the apartment on Craig's List. I was showing the apartment sometimes twice a day, which was exciting but also a bit tiring as the place was always on display, even during dinner time. We ended up signing up for the free property management program that our neighborhood assoc. runs which really is awesome. In addition to doing free background checks on potential tenants, they take care of the application process, which requires a non-refundable $30 fee for each person 18 or older applying to live in the unit. By the middle of the 2nd week of showing the place we got an applicant that was approved and we decided to accept. She came over Friday night to sign the lease and informed us that she wouldn't need to move in until the middle of October. This couldn't have been better news because we had planned on moving downstairs the very next day so that Rodney could paint the upstairs before she moved in. The reason we were both very happy to postpone this can only be understood by browsing the following pictures:

Where the drop ceiling used to be in the kitchen

That's the quarter-in. round we pulled up to finish the floors

Our plan (lest I have a heart attack) was to clean things up as much as we could and get to each project when we could, prioritizing things like floors and paint. I realize that most of the living world hires contractors, but we have chosen not to go into debt and live in a construction zone. It's definitely requiring tons of patience and faith on my part (and hard work and anxiety on Rodney's).

I'm a dork and didn't take true before and after pictures (Connie was a saint living in the place, indeed, but it didn't look exactly like this when she moved out). I do at least have some project-progression photos.

The minute Connie moved out Rodney pulled up the nasty carpet in the dining/liv. room and the equally nasty linoleum in the kitchen, hallway, 2nd bedroom, and sunroom. He then proceeded to rip out the drop ceiling in the kitchen and parts of other rooms. The next week or so was mostly dedicated to refinishing the hardwood floors, with the aid of a book from Lowe's (thanks to the Hustons), lots of advice from home depot workers, and David and Jeffrey Wood (former ACA/Paraguay students who now attend Greenville College).

Master Bedroom:
Phase-One floors

(Notice the particles in the air? I took these beginning-project photos quickly as I could hardly breathe.)

Master Bedroom:
Finished floors

(Yes, that is a kitchen cabinet in the bedroom.)

Living Room/Entry:
Phase-One Floors

Dining/Entry:
Finished Floors

Kitchen:
Ripped-Up Floors

Kitchen:
Almost Finished Linoleum

Sunroom:
Ripped-up Linoluem

Sunroom:
Almost Finished Linoluem

Updates on other aspects of our lives to follow some other day.

Black Eyes and the Fire Department

2008-09-05T14:36:00.008-05:00

For the most part I feel like I am a good parent. Over the past few weeks, however I have had more than one moment in which I question whether or not I am the best person to be in charge of such a fragile little being. Here is the evidence.

Example A1:

Two weeks ago while we were hanging out on the deck I reached over to put a shirt on Will and at that exact moment he tripped, fell and hit his eye on the the lower beam of the deck.

It was completely healed when just two days ago this happened:

Example A2:

He fell and hit his eye (note the same one) on Rodney's childhood bike (it's made of pure metal) while we were in the garage.

My little boy looks like he belongs on a hockey team.

Example B:

In between these two mishaps, about a week ago, Will got locked in the car while we were at Walgreens in the 85 degree heat. I decided to jump in the back and change his diaper before getting on the road and as I got out and shut the door all four locks engaged (with my keys and cell phone in the front seat). I ran into the store and proceeded to declare "I just locked my 15 month old in the car." They hurriedly called the police for me and and within minutes both they and the fire department arrived. The firemen assured me that if they could not get him out speedily that they would break the window. I thought, I sure hope they don't have to do that but if they do I really don't care because I just want my child out. Luckily it took them about 60 seconds and through tears I thanked them.

All I know is that this smile brightens my day and reminds me that the rewards of being a parent far outweigh the scary moments.

Thank God for that.

2008-08-21T19:58:00.004-05:00

These past few months have been pretty smooth sailing with the pregnancy, which has been good. However over the past week or so I've noticed some changes: moodiness and fatigue. The moodiness has mostly to do with the hormones I'm sure (although I bet if you asked Rodney to be candid he would say it's no different from non-pregnant Gina) but the fatigue is most assuredly due to the late night Olympics watching on prime time NBC. I am very depressed that Nastia, Shawn, and Michael are all done with their events because they kept me glued to my TV for the past few weeks. It's probably good that I don't find diving and beach volleyball quite as interesting because it gets me to bed earlier. I do have to say that it's been fun to watch the short distance runners, except their cockiness sometimes gets to me.

I think this little girl has been inpsired by the games because she has decided to do some tumbling of her own. Lately she hasn't stopped moving around. Today she was particularly active. This is definately the best part of being pregnant. Feeling that little life move around.

Will is getting funnier and funnier. Today he decided to try some overt manipulation by feigning being hurt when the dog took the ball from his hands. Then to sweeten the moment, he stuck his tongue out to show me where he recently bit it. Guess he enjoys sympathy. Tonight after dinner Rodney and I decided to both chase him around the house and tickle him at the same time and then run away from him. I swear he was going to have a heart attack he laughed so hard. He's also taken to enjoying a good pee in the bathtub. He stands up and lets it trickle into the water that then has to be drained. Let's just pray that he doesn't figure out that pooping can be equally relieving in the tub. G-ee-roosss.

Here's a photo from a recent visit to the botanical gardens. Gma and Gpa Malone, he finally fits into the birthday outfit you gave him!

Big Boy PJs

2008-08-11T13:21:00.003-05:00

Recently Will has been busting out of his PJs and it was necessary to buy him a new set. I was particulary excited about this wardrobe addition because he made the move from baby pajamas to big boy pajamas and he looks so cute in them. The first night we put them on I think we took 25 pictures. The second night this number was reduced to 22. Here are some of the better photos:

GQ Pose

Proudly Perched
A Little Night Music
These New Pajamas Give Me the Power to Read Upside Down
Q-ing

New fun game: Will sits in front of the fan in his room and drones "ahhhhhhhhhh" enjoying the distorted sound he hears. His dad taught him that one.

Thanks and Updates

2008-08-08T11:17:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who left comments on yesterday's post regarding "so big." Your comments were all very helpful and served to make me feel banded to the wider world of pregnant women.

On to some Will updates since he's gotten less talk lately. He's pretty funny these days. Rodney and I keep watching him learn new things with awe and spend a lot of time chuckling and laughing. Some cute things: 1.) He's started to repsond to our "uh-oh/nah/no thanks" with his own head shaking whenever he approaches the off-limits items (examples: open dishwasher, tv buttons, computer cord, and the velcro tabs on his cloth diapers which he loves to undo). 2.) He started asking for a "bah" (book) while he gets his diaper changed. A while ago I started giving him some favorite board books to look at on the changing table and it's proven to be his version of a magazine while he sits on the pot. Hilarious. 3.) Lately he's taken to chasing the animals around the house with squeals of delight. Much to our disappointment (he doesn't know the difference) the animals don't get the same rush. 4.) He takes great pleasure in pointing out "das" (dogs) and "duhs" (ducks) whenever he sees them. I think it will take some time before he distinguishes a duck from a goose, but close enough.

The other night Rodney and Will got into a game of "cell phone keep-away" and I caught some of it on video. Shortly after this was taken we hit the "nah" hard with the diaper tabs. You'll see why.

Tick Magnet and "So Big"

2008-08-07T10:28:00.002-05:00

Rodney recently went on a 2 day backpacking excursion with Che and returned with one extremely exhausted dog and HUNDREDS of tick bites. Yes, you read that correctly. He counted over one hundred tiny bites just on one foot. It's pretty nasty looking not to mention very uncomfortable, although it's starting to heal now. We took some photos just for documentation purposes, but I will not share them and gross most of you out in the process ;). Michael thinks he's cursed because each and every time he goes hiking he comes back with several tick bites while others on the same trip get little to none. We're trying to figure out how this is possible, but for now I think he will not go hiking for awhile (atleast not this summer).

Yesterday I had my monthly OB visit and things are looking/sounding great. Dr. Turner hooked up the doppler and we heard Eva's tiny little beating heart. She was really active while I was laying there and at one point she kicked the device while it was on my belly. After asking whether or not I was experiencing any soreness or pain (and responding my that tailbone and sciatic nerve hurt sometimes) Dr. T told me about a free study that Wash U is doing regarding chiropractic work on pregnant women and back pain. You have to be at least 24 weeks pregnant, but she encouraged me to look into it now because by the time I make the appt. and get in to see them I may be at 24 weeks. I am very interested in this study because I did have quite a bit of back and hip soreness with my first pregnancy in the later months. I would love to be more comfortable this time.

I have gotten a few comments from people I know that I'm looking "big" with a certain amount of surprise in their voices. This has been very discouraging to say the least. I'm not sure about you all, but I am self conscious enough about my body and comments like this do not add to any kind of positive self-image (pregnant or not). I decided to ask my OB about it since, heck maybe I am abnormally large or something. She responded with some wonderful words of affirmation. The first thing she said was "don't you know by now to ignore what people say?" She then proceeded to tell me that I'm measuring 21 cm at 21 weeks and that I've gained 11 pounds and I'm halfway through my pregnancy. She said these numbers are perfect and everything is quite normal. We then talked about how there should be books written for people about what not to say to pregnant women such as "Are you having twins?" or "Wow, you've still got 6 weeks left??" We discussed the fact that other women are mostly responsible for such comments and how people shouldn't say anything at all unless it's positive or complimentary. I completely agree. In the meantime if anyone has suggestions for polite responses that would be great, as I'm sure it's just the beginning.

Thinking Girly Thoughts

2008-07-27T16:16:00.003-05:00

Throughout this pregnancy when asked which I wanted, boy or girl, I enthusiastically replied "girl." As my friend Sarah puts it, we have enough testosterone in this house (Sarah's a very girly girl). And let's face it, girl clothes are WAY cuter. How is it that I've been blessed with my preference for the second time: IT'S A GIRL!!!

We couldn't be happier. Of course I've always said that another boy would be wonderful and absolutely no less loved, but hey it's true about that testosterone thing. So, we spent the day on Friday in a cloud of excitement and had many conversations about what it will be like to parent her. When we told Nancy and Jerry about it I was amused at Nancy's mild disbelief, as if to say "how could our boy-dominated family produce two girls out of three?" Guess those Malone boys have it in them afterall.

Now it's time to "think pink" and spend gobs of time drooling over girl racks while shopping. I forsee a source of marital frustration =).

Rodney was just as excited as I was when we learned we were having a girl. Some of his remarks were that boy competition won't be an issue and that he doesn't have to worry that he will love or relate to this child with any less gusto as it's a completely different entity. He did say that he was a bit nervous because he's been around boys all his life. I took this to mean that parenting a boy seemed way more natural because it had been modelled to him by his father. Girls are brand new territory.

Rodney and I are not ones to hide name choices, so I might as well share it now. Early in our marriage we decided to come up with names for our future children, one boy and one girl, and these names have stuck. William Paul was the boy name and the girl name was (is) Eva Sophia. Eva is my maternal grandmother's name and we also just think it's beautiful (Will is named after Rod's maternal grandfather). We're toying with the idea of lenghthening it to Evelyn or Evangeline but haven't decided on that one. If any of you have ideas on how else to lengthen the name please share.

Lost Camera, Haircut, New Diapers and Moving

2008-07-23T13:18:00.003-05:00

We are safely back from our trip and getting back into non-vacationing life. Overall, the trip was good. But after spending so much time living out of a suitcase, it is very good to be home. We've been spending lots of time organizing things around the house and taking care of projects set aside until now. It's nice to be in a "get things done" mode and to actually check those things off the list.

The title of the blog mentions four events that are worth talking about. The first is the fact that I lost our camera this week. I am very upset about this for obvious reasons but mostly because our financial state right now doesn't really allow for me to run out and replace the thing even though it's something very valued (atleast to me). The one silver lining is that my parents gave us their fairly new digital camcorder that they hardly used, so atleast we can get video.

Needless to say, I was not able to capture photos of Will's first haircut last night. His hair had been getting pretty crazy so this cut was long overdue. I have to report that I thought I'd be more emotional about this, but I really wasn't. I was just relieved that our boy didn't look like a sloppy mess anymore. This morning I had to do a double take. He's so cute and grown up looking now that I can imagine him as a toddler (even though he's pretty much a toddler now- hanging on to babydom perhaps?).

If you've been keeping up with Marisa's blog you've read that they made the switch to cloth diapers. We've decided to do the same for the obvious benefits and have been pretty happy so far. Each day we've had to figure out new solutions for little "issues" that arise, but it's mostly because like anything new it's taken some adjustment. Overall, we are happy and mostly really looking forward to the decrease in our diaper spending. Basically this means I have more money to spend at Target and we all know what that can lead to =).

Our tenant, Connie informed us the other night that she's buying a house and will be moving out in September. This doesn't come as a huge shock to us since she told us a few months back that she was interested in buying a house, but originally she told us that she wouldn't be moving for a couple of years. At first we were disappointed because Connie has been the perfect tenant. But now we're kind of excited becuase after discussing it we've decided to move into her unit. It needs some fixing up, mostly the floors and ceiling, but we're looking at it as an opportunity to do so instead of putting it off for some future date. I am looking forward to not having to climb so many stairs with two kids in tow AND doing laundry will be tons easier (especially considering the switch to cloth diapers). It looks like we will make the move by the first of October.

I'll close with a video of Will and my dad. My dad was sick with a pretty bad cold for most of our visit to Florida but he had a few good days when we first got there. He and Will hit it off and I told Rodney that it was fun watching them play together because it reminded me of my childhood.

17 Weeks

2008-07-03T08:27:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow will begin week 17 of my pregnancy. Where has the time gone? Now that the nausea is pretty much gone I'm not counting down the weeks like I did during that time. This, and the busy-ness of the past couple of weeks, brought me here rather rapidly I must say. In three weeks we will have the ultrasound to determine the sex and I'm really excited. According to my pregnancy book the baby is pretty much fully formed (just cooking now) and can hear sounds outside my belly. How amazing that a life can "become" so quickly.

One or two you of have asked to see belly pictures, so here are a couple (taken Tuesday).

I have a LONG list of things to do today before 2 pm (and blogging is not on it), so gotta run.

Whirlwind

2008-07-01T12:56:00.004-05:00

This is definitely an apt word to describe how things have felt these past few weeks. And since we have officially entered the "travel" portion of our summer, it will continue on this path for the next few weeks.

It started with the news of Phil's death, sending us on an emotional rollercoaster of grief, mourning, and laughter (in reminiscing) and continued with saying goodbye to both Rodney's childhood home and hometown. The physical aspect of long road trips has served to add an extra element to the "ride" (sticking with the rollercoaster analogy) indeed. We look forward to another even longer road trip on Thursday which will take us from St. Louis to Northern Michigan to Columbus Ohio onto Greenville South Carolina then to Florida and, finally, home. We brace ourselves for gas prices and frequent stops while looking forward to spending time with cherished family and friends.

We just returned from the second trip to McPherson in as many weeks and most likely our last for some time. This particular trip was for Phil's memorial service. We got back last night and are "picking up the pieces" only to turn around and (as mentioned above) leave for 2 1/2 more weeks. Phil's service was amazing. I think there were atleast 800 people there (I admit I'm bad with judging crowd numbers, but there were loads of people there) and the stories and tributes offered were so incredible I began to wonder whether or not Phil was a real person. He of course was, and it's evident that to many he was one of the best they knew. What a privelege to share in something so big as was his impact on those around him. We got a chance to talk to Esther a little after the service and watch Anna run around laughing and playing. Esther is incredibly strong and showed such a peace that made me marvel. Certainly much of this was due to the fact that she had already been through two services and one can only grieve publically so much. Once again, we will be praying for them and the Penner family.

In other news, Will is walking. About 4 or 5 days ago he decided that he'd rather spend more time on his feet than his knees and his wobbly waddle is so cute to watch. Here's a video taken last week:

Hopefully our travels won't keep me from posting atleast once while we're gone, but knowing my record I can't promise much. In the meantime, here's to summer travel and the continued whirlwind.

Remembering Phil Penner

2008-06-17T14:01:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we received a very tragic phone call informing us that one of Rodney's best friends, Phil had passed away. He was living in Indonesia and had contracted Dengue Fever which ended his life. When we heard the news we were crushed. Phil and Rodney had been friends since high school and remained close until he passed. He left a wife and a 3 year-old daughter behind and we couldn't grieve more for their loss.

I met Phil even before Rodney and I started dating because he would come to visit him (and their other mutual good friend, Dave) at Greenville. I remember my first impressions of him were that he was a cute, funny, and incredibly nice guy. He turned out to be one of the most loving people I knew and Rodney keeps referring to him as a saint. The individual that he worked with in Indonesia told his parents back in Kansas that Phil was one of the most godly men he had ever met. What a loss. Rodney was torn up all day yesterday and even came home from work early. He regeretted having to return today, but decided that he would wait to hear when the memorial service would be held in Kansas so he could take time off for that. From what we know, they will be having the funeral in Chicago (where he lived and met Esther before moving to Indonesia) in the next few days and then a memorial service in McPherson, KS towards the end of the week.

We are very sad about this and are going to miss Phil so much. Rodney said he would miss being able to learn from Phil the most. He informed me that he loved being able to ask him questions and even though they may not always agree, Phil would always teach Rodney something. I think Phil's life was a great lesson in how to be a loving person and a catalyst for God's will in the world. We offer prayers for Esther and Anna and his family in Kansas.

We will miss you dearly, Phil.

(P.S. The picture above of Phil, Rodney and I was taken Chicago O'Hare Airport in 2003 right before we left the country for Paraguay. This is a special memory for me since he was the last person we saw before we moved out of the country.)

Baseball and Busted Shoes

2008-06-16T08:39:00.006-05:00

On Saturday the three of us went to the Cardinals v. Phillies game as a birthday/father's day gift for Rodney. It was also Will's first pro baseball game, not that he'll remember it. It was a warm day (84) and hot in the sun, but it was pleasant in the shade. Luckily our seats ended up being in the shade and it turned out to be a really comfortable and relaxing way to pass the afternoon/early evening. Will didn't seem to care too much about the game (surprise) but cared more about the people in the stands. For the first few minutes after we arrived he stood on Rodney's lap and stared over his shoulder at the people in the stands. Then, as the game went on it became apparent that the only way we'd make it through the game was to give him (very slowly and steadily) snacks and drinks due to the fact that every time he saw someone around him eating their peanuts and hotdogs he'd start whinning. Other than this, he was a very good boy and we enjoyed ourselves so much.

Enjoying the Crowd

Where did all these people come from?

A funny thing happened on the way to the game. We decided to take the bus and metro to the game and ended up doing a lot of walking. I was not really smart about my footwear choice and wore a cheap pair of flipflops. Just as we got off the metro at the stadium my left shoe broke and I had to walk half barefoot into the stadium. It was a little embarrassing. We went straight into the Cardinals store when we got in and bought these hot little numbers:

Notice the blinged-out "Cardinals" written on the straps. Ha!

Well, the other bit if news I should share before signing off is the fact that Will is walking more and more. He will stand up, take several steps, then collapse to the floor, crawl a bit, then get up and do it again. I think the most steps he's taken at a time is about 10. He seems to have moments when he cares about "practicing" his walking during the day and then the rest of the time he crawls. It is so cool seeing him walk. And funny, too. Sometimes he'll take a step or too and then teeter on his legs like he's drunk. Sometimes it seems like his head is just to heavy for him to carry (97th percentile, folks). Both grandmas will get to see him walk the next time we visit! Yay!! I haven't gotten it on video yet, but when I do I will post it.

An Apple A Day

2008-06-11T21:32:00.004-05:00

Today my voracious little eater figured out how to eat a whole apple on his own! He just picked it up, started mouthing it and then, CHOMP. Bit in. Several times. Tonight we decided to pack up some food and have a little picnic at the Botanical Gardens and enjoy some free Wednesday night Jazz. Here are the photos of the little apple-eater that led up to the video below:

Rodney remarked that our kid will be sure to have a vast array of physical talents when he grows up. He has started taking more and more steps lately, although definately prefers crawling. I think the most steps he's taken in succession on his own is 4. It's so cute and I get so excited when he does it. It will be fun if he is walking by the time we visit my folks in Florida in July.

Pointing seems to be the big thing for this kid lately. For a while now he's been pointing to the ceiling fans (not sure why) and I decided to throw in a little "spice" and show him how the fan spins "round and round." So now he points to the fan and moves his arm rapidly in circles. Whenever he does this I say "round and round and round" and he seems to get a kick out of it. He doesn't try to say "round and round" though. Once again- physical talents.

It's incredible to see Will's personality develop as he gets older. He definately likes to be on the move and often gets bored of being at home, no matter how many toy or room changes. It's usually quite amazing to me when he sits contendedly entertaining himself. Today I decided to try putting different kinds of toys on the bathroom floor and closing him in there with me while I showered. He stood at the tub and looked in the shower for a little bit, then began entertaining himself with a basket of books. When he was quiet for a minute or two I peaked out and saw him "reading" a book. It was super cute. He proceeded to do this for the remainder of my shower.

No matter how fussy he gets at home, the minute we step outside for a walk he becomes the most laid back kid. I think he truly takes after his father with his affinity for the outdoors. We've been trying to teach him to be aware of the trees by pointing them out specifically when we walk. Once again, he doesn't try to say the word, but knows what they are when we ask him to point to them. It sounds as if he's completely non-verbal, but he really isn't. Lately he's taken to "babbling" by stringing together nonsense sounds that often seems like a foreign language. He definately says "Che Che" and "Sissi" and "Ma" and "Da." He seems to think I'm also "Na," which I joked is because he's heard Rodney call me "Gi-Na ." It will be so much fun when he actually begins to communicate verbally with us, but for now I'm content with the baby-babble!

Out Like a Lamb

2008-06-09T16:25:00.004-05:00

I know that spring is not technically over, but It feels so much like summer that I'm calling it that and I realize that I'm not alone here. What a great time of year. I know I mentioned that spring is my favorite time of year, but really I enjoy summer just as much. We've been trying to spend as much time outside as possible with frequent walks to the park and a few trips already to the pool.

Rodney and Will at the Tower Grove Park Fountain

Marisa mentioned in her most recent post that we've been searching for a pool, and I have found a couple through my friend Anna: Clayton Shaw Park Aquatic Center, and Anna's neighborhood pool. Anna's neighborhood pool allows her to bring guests for free, so Will and I joined her and Luca on Thursday for a dip. Will loved it. It was his first time in a pool and other than clinging to me, he was all smiles and giggles. Then on Friday we met up with a few other mom's/babies at the Shaw Park Aquatic Center wading pool. It is so neat. A massive wading pool that's perfect for babies and toddlers. You can also buy a non-resident pass that gives you 10 visits for $40- the cheapest I've found. We should enjoy this one I'm sure.

Well, spring started like lion for me in the nausea department and has finally gone out like a lamb. While I'm not 100% nausea free, I feel overall much better as of the past few weeks. I start my second trimester on Friday and I am so thankful that everything is going well. I had an ultrasound last Monday and got to see the baby swimming around, which was fun. On July 25th we have our 20 week ultrasound appointment to determine the sex. I have to say that I will be happy with a boy or a girl, but I do think we need some femininity in this household. I'm beginning to feel outnumbered! So, yes I'm rooting for a girl this time around.

As for William, we had his one year check up yesterday, and besides some uncomfortable shots in his arm (first time in this location) it was a great visit. You may recall that one of my biggest concerns was his weight. Well, Marisa's scale was off, thank goodness, and he weighed in at 24 lbs. putting him in the 75th percentile. His length is in the 45th percentile and head (get ready for this) is in the 97th!! Dr. Schmandt said, "that's big, but you have nothing to worry about." Yikes. Guess we have an orange-on-a-toothpick situation on our hands (hee hee)!

Another fun little happening that occurred over the past few weeks was Will's first camping trip. Rodney, Evie and Laura decided to take the Badili students on an end of the year overnight camping trip and Rodney begged to take Will. I told him that he had to talk to the nurse at the pediatricians office before they could go. My biggest concern was ticks. Well, after a great convo with the nurse confirming that it is in fact O.K. to take a 12 month old camping (you have to use lotion-type bug repellent and sunscreen with uva/uvb block) I agreed to let him go. I was to hang out with Sarah on Saturday before she left (moved) for Peoria, so I didn't plan on going. I was nervous about Will being "in the wild" all day and night, but mostly because I knew Rodney would let him roll around in the dirt and not clean him up. I just had to tell myself that Rodney loves Will and would never let any serious harm come to him. Out of sight out of mind had to be my motto with the rest. Sure enough, he did just fine and nothing horrible befell him. He even slept great that night in the tent. I think the worse part was that Rodney had to hold him most of the time and that wore him out of course.

Here's a cute photo of Will getting ready for his big camping debut:

Happy "summer" everyone!

"Look Ma, I'm One!"

2008-05-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

I've been trying all week to get this post finished due to computer problems, but better late than never I suppose. The big event in our live recently has been Will turning a year old. We truly cannot believe it's already been a year since he entered our lives (and changed everything- well almost=)). I thought it would be fun to take a look at what we we're doing this time last year and post some photos. I didn't have a blog until August of last year, so most of you haven't seen any of these pics. Even if you have, it's fun to take a walk down memory lane. One year ago (Monday) I was getting strapped onto monitors to prepare for Will's arrival.

After many hours of labor, I ended up having a c-section due to the fact that Will was turned sidewise (facing my hips) and wasn't coming out. I have to admit I was scared.

When I finally had him in my arms I ceased being scared and was totally overcome with love and intense emotion.

He was such a little peanut, 6 lbs. 7 oz. and 20 1/4 inces.

The days that followed were some of the most blissful I've experienced. We hadn't reached extreme sleep deprivation yet, and every morning we'd lay in bed together and I'd hold him close, smelling his beautiful baby smells and wishing the moment could last forever.

Now a year has passed, and he is a big boy (not only in age, but in size!). I was at Marisa's house this morning and we decided to weigh him: 26.5 lbs. according to her scale. We looked up the percentiles on the World Health Organization's growth charts and it said (gulp) 97th %. We have his one year check-up in a week and a half, and I'll have official numbers then.

The following are pictures from Will's birthday party which took place on Sunday. We rented a little pavilion in Tower Grove park and worried all morning about the rain that poured down until 1 or 2 pm. It was clear by 4:00, the time of the party, and despite mud on the ground it was a pleasant afternoon. We had lots of friends and family there and actually quite a few babies and kids, which was fun. Rodney and I are both very thankful for all the help that his family gave and give kudos to Jerry for grilling up some tasty chicken. It was all in all a very successful first birthday party. Happy Birthday William Paul!

The Red Devils Won, Uncle Paul!

2008-05-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

In Honor of Uncle Paul

2008-05-21T15:37:00.006-05:00

Paul, Will's godfather, is a raging Manchester United fan. This image of Paul on a trip to Iguazu Falls when he visited us in Paraguay will forever be etched into my memory (his goal was to send this photo in for a chance to be on the cover of United Magazine):

Well, today I promised Uncle Paul that Will would be decked out in his Man U kit in honor of him and the imortant Champions League final between Manchester and Chelsea taking place today. Paul gave this kit to Will on the day he was born and it finally fits him. Here is our "Champions League" photo shoot:

The shoes were from Javi and David and are slightly too big

"This shoe doesn't belong on my foot"

"Finally, freedom from the cleats"

"This is where it really goes"

"Go Manchester!"

Correction

2008-05-12T16:29:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Jen for leaving the comment and correcting my statistics. 0.5% chance for uterine rupture is correct, not 5%. My friend Kyle says that 5% is way too high and they wouldn't let women do it if these were the chances. I also appreciate Jen's description of how much easier her recovery was from the vaginal birth. I can only pray that this delivery ends this way. C-sections are brutal.

Mother's day was pretty uneventful, except for the RAGING nausea that punctuated- scratch that- overwhelmed my day. I was scheduled to be the worship leader at church (basically this means the right hand person to the priest during the eucharist and reading one of the scripture passages) and decided that I couldn't back out, so I managed to make it through. Then I rushed to the parish hall for something to eat and found a very healthy (read sarcasm here) donut and devoured it. That helped a little, but after talking to folks for a little while I had to get home fast. After a long nap, Marisa called and invited us to dine with her and Kyle at her Dad's house where he made a DELICIOUS turkey dinner for us and his family. It was a bonified Thanksgiving dinner, complete with homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, greenbean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce, and rolls. My only wish is that I wasn't feeling so sick so I could've truly overindulged.

When we got home we were met by Josh and Jenna Kenyon, Greenville grads who we actually met through St. John's. They left St. Louis for graduate school in Arkansas and we have missed them sorely. They've come back a few times to visit and it is always a great time. We wish they still lived here. They stayed with us last night because they had to catch a very early flight for a trip to Cental America (I'm so jealous). We spent the evening catching up and talking about their trip. It was such a nice time and I even forgot (somewhat) that I was feeling so ill.

Today, thank God, I am feeling better. I still feel a little sick, but not near as bad as yesterday. Maybe this sunshine helps. It definately can't hurt. Here's to one day at a time...

2008-05-07T11:22:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day in a while that I did not run to my bed the second Will went down for a nap. Lately, the only way I can function is to sleep while he sleeps. Of course this means that the usual things that I like to do while he's sleeping get put off (blogging, showers, cleaning, etc.). I end up taking my showers while Will is happily (hopefully) playing in his exersaucer immediately after he wakes up and has eaten. This is usually the only time he'll put up with being confined in his own house while he's awake.

I guess I'll continue with a little summary of what's been going on with me, besides the obvious, and then I'll move on to the obvious (little babe growing inside me). On Sunday night we ended our Bach Society season with a wonderful concert at the Cathedral Basilica. Some highlights include a magnificent mass by Steven Mager that was commissioned just for us and premiered Sunday night. The small orchestra was so good and I am now convinced that Steven is a genius. The other highlight (for me) was that I had a small (one verse) solo in our very last piece, a spiritual arrangement of "This Little Light of Mine". I've spent the better part of the last 2 1/2 weeks very nervous about it due to how the nausea has affected my singing, and I was so relieved when I felt pretty good Sunday night and the solo went very well. This is encouraging also because in 2 weeks I am auditioning for the soprano Young Artist award for the Bach Society and I believe I left a good impression on Dennis (our director). Carol has been encouraging me to do this for about a year now I finally feel like I'm ready. We'll see what happens.

As far as the pregnancy goes, things seem to be progressing fine. I had an OB visit on Monday and got a chance to talk to our new doctor (Dr. Turner) about a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and the benefits of trying for one. I changed OB's because Dr. Boedeker told me that they wouldn't let me go into labor next time and had I decided some months after Will was born that I wanted to try for a VBAC. I was already aware of the risks (less than 5% chance of rupturing at the c-section incision) and the main benefit (if you plan on having 3 or 4 kids, multiple c-sections can be hard on a woman's body). Dr. Turner is someone who supports VBACs and emphasized to me how she wants to let women labor but asks for her patients to trust her in the end if something else ends up needing to happen. I have no problem with this and I learned a lot just talking with her. We did talk about women who have planned c-sections and how they report a much easier time of recovery due to the fact that they did not have to labor for extended hours (in my case 30) and in her words: "They know when it's going to happen, so they get a good night's rest the night before, they come in and the procedure is done in 15 minutes. They go directly to their rooms start nursing and having a good 'ole time with their babies because they have lots of energy." Hearing this senario definately made me hesitate, but I was encouraged when she said that I should definately try for it and that I could change my mind at any time.

As for the nausea, it's definately still there but much better lately. There was about a week when I felt so ill all the time and a few days when I couldn't even get out of bed I felt so sick (luckily this was during a weekend and Rodney took care of Will). I am 8 1/2 weeks along and the nausea should be gone in a month. A month is a long time to feel sick, so I'm trying not to think about it. In Rodney's words I just need to take it one day at a time. He's right.

Last night I gave William his first pasta dinner in which he fed himself. I made ravioli for myself and decided to share it with him so I stripped him to his diaper, put on a bib and served him up some. Of course, everyone's got a photo of themselves covered with pasta, so here's Will's official "pasta pic":

It's not the best of the 3 or 4 I took, but I love his smile in this one.

I also got a video this morning of several "tricks" that he's been doing lately: this cuddle thing he does with random objects, making a kissing sound, and waving. He's also been pointing to things and making a clicking sound with his tongue (I try to get him to do this on the video without sucess). Maybe we'll catch those on another video.

Thanks to everyone who left well-wishes on comments on my last post. I appreciate all of your "congrats."

Excuses Excuses

2008-04-28T14:31:00.000-05:00

I have a very valid excuse for not posting in a while: I'm pregnant and have been fighting daily the urge to throw up. I do think that overall it's been better (so far) than the nausea I had while pregnant with Will, but the main difference is that I have him to take care of most days. Rodney has been so wonderful on the weekends, but that's nothing new.

Well, here are the details for those who are curious. I am about 8 weeks along and the due date is the second week of December. Will and his sibling will be 19 months apart, which is 2 months further apart than my sister and I are (and we've always been close). Rodney's grandmother just told us that Nancy and her two sisters were all 16 months apart! She said "we just did what we had to do." I am scared and excited at the same time.

This May we are celebrating two milestones in our lives. Will's 1st birthday and our 10th year as a couple. Rodney and I started dating in May of our freshman year at Greenville and dated for 3 years before marrying. So, in order to celebrate the latter milestone, we decided back in February to book a weekend at a bed and breakfast in Hermann, Missouri. Our plan was to leave Will with Jerry and Nancy for the weekend (if they wanted to and were available) and bike the Katy Trail while visiting some wineries. Lucky for us, Nancy and Jerry were available (and willing) and we booked the trip for this past weekend. Besides my nagging nausea (that kept me in bed a little more than usual and prompted us to abandon the bike idea) it was a great time. Here are some photos.

Second Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast was surrounded by 135 acres of farmland owned by the proprietors

view from the front porch

Down by the pond there was a barn full of animals

Our room- the smallest one in the bed and breakfast, but still very nice

Even though I felt sick, this was sooo good

View of Hermann

Blame It On The Rain

2008-04-10T11:12:00.002-05:00

Spring is absolutely my favorite time of year. The sun starts shining more, the temperature gets warmer, and everything starts to bloom. The park is full of blossoming trees right now: dogwoods, magnolia trees and other white-blossomed trees of which I don't know the name. In Michigan the only trees that blossom are the cherry trees (that I know of) and they were off the beaten path in the town where I grew up. Ever since coming to this area 10 years ago, I have revelled in these fragrant and blooming wonders at this time of year. The only thing that gets me a bit depressed is the seemingly endless stream of rainy days. The rain has been coming down non-stop since I woke up this morning. These days are always hard for me because I so badly want to get out and walk. Ah well, I guess I'll just have to remember that this rain is the earth's incredible way of rejuvenativing itself after a long winter hibernation and that when it finally does stop, everything will be much greener. I've heard that the Botanical Gardens are beautiful right now and Will and I definatley need to visit when the "cats and dogs" stop dropping from the sky.

A lot has happened in the past few weeks, although at the same time I feel like nothing has happened. One of the biggest things was the NSAL vocal competition, held on March 29th. I did not win anything, but it was such a helpful experience and I believe I will look back on it someday and even say it was formative. I spent a good while depressed about what the judges had to say, but after lots of reflection and several conversations with Carol I've gained some good insight. One of the most helpful things is that I have started thinking much more seriously about my singing and how to approach my vocal issues. One thing Carol has "schooled" me in is the incompetency of certain judges and the useless critism they sometimes give. She has encouraged me to sense when a judge is critizising only for self-serving or power-mongering reasons as opposed to helping shape and teach a singer. A goal for myself is to not only be aware of but to work on my areas of weakness so that the next time I do this I will be prepared to weed out the invalid critism and not be crushed by it. Also, auditioning is a skill just as difficult as singing and it's something you have to learn by doing it. I see it as educaional and something that will get honed the more I do it. I've heard story after story of world-famous singers losing competitions for years before they finally win something. I'm reading Renee Fleming's book right now and it's incredible to me how she didn't just win every single competition she was ever in. It took her years to get where she is now, and she is so freaking talented.

Anyway, enough on that diatribe (yeesh). Will is so much fun lately. He's been clapping for almoth a month now, which is super cute, and just recently he started doing "so big" by raising his arms up over his head. Here is a video:

We also have visited the swings at the park for the first time this week and I can't believe we haven't done this before. Another video:

It's crazy to me that in little over a month he will be 1. I'm starting to think of his birthday and getting some good ideas from others. We definately want to utilize this historic park (Tower Grove) and have it in one of the victorian style pavillions. No one can resist a bar-b-que in May!

Here are some cute photos that we've taken recently:

See-Saw at Tower Grove Park

Preston- The Other End of the See-Saw

$1.00 Burger-Tuesday at Bar Louie

Sworn Enemies Make a Futon Truce

How the Other Half Lives

2008-03-26T10:32:00.004-05:00

We are finally back to "normal" life around here. We have a new(er) washer, our pipes are fixed so we now have heat and hot water, our brakes are fixed on our car, and we made it to and from our spring break destinations without too much drama. It was so great visiting Paul and Erin in Chicago. I truly enjoy that city so much. I could definately live there if I had to. We were able to get to the Lincoln Park Zoo before we left for Michigan, and we spent gobs of time staring at the gorillas.

When we arrived in Michigan later that afternoon, my sister was recovering from the 24 hour flu that had hit her earlier in the day. Within a day my brother-in-law, Marc caught it and needless to say we used hand sanitizer every two seconds. Will seemed to stay healthy, except for the ride home when he proceeded to throw up all over himself in the car seat 3 times. It was so messy. Other than that he was in a good mood and actually slept a majority of the 7 hour trip. We made it home just in time to drop Will and Rodney off and for me to jump back in the car and drive to Bethel Lutheran where I was hired to sing at a Holy Thursday service. After singing in an 8 am sunrise service and an 11 am service on Easter Sunday, I took the rest of that day to recover from the craziness of the previous week and slept. It was glorious.

Below are some photos of our new nephew, Evan Michael along with Earon, Mia, Rodney and Will. Mia was so cute the whole time we were there. The last time we saw her she was only 18 months old and not really interacting with us much. Now she's 2 1/2 and the minute we walked in the door she was playing with us and hugging us and calling us "Uncle Rodney" and "Aunt Gina." It was so cute. One of the cutest things was in the morning when I woke up she was always sitting at the table eating breakfast and she would say "hi Gina" in her cute little toddler voice. I miss her already.

On Saturday I am singing in a vocal competition for the National Society of Arts and Letters. I have never heard of this organization before, but it was advertised through the Bach Society and Carol urged me to apply. There are six singers participating and the prizes are awarded to 1st-3rd place. In Marisa's words, I have a 50-50 shot in winning something! It's a little crazy because it wasn't advertised until the beginning of the month and we have to sing 5 songs from memory of differing styles and languages. I was freaking out about it a bit earlier in the week until my lesson yesterday. I decided that I will prepare as much as I can and then look at it as an educational experience. Whatever happens happens. In Carol's words "we're just gonna have you sing in a million of these." I am also looking forward to hearing Christine Brewer sing in Fidelio at Powell Hall on Friday night. A fellow singer has a free ticket for me and I'm pumped. I heard her sing once in college and she was magnificent. According to Carol, there are really four great singers alive in the world today and she's among them. Juan Diego Florez is another. If you've never heard of him I will post a video soon. He's amazing, and cute ;).

Just What I Needed

2008-03-15T00:17:00.001-05:00

This gave me the laugh I needed tonight. Enjoy.

Ellen and the Hawaiian chair

A Plague on Your Houses...

2008-03-14T19:44:00.006-05:00

Or maybe just mine. Atleast it feels that way. Let me start off by telling you about Will's 9 month well-baby check up, which was yesterday.

He's doing fine in growth: 50th percentile in both length and weight (length 28 in., weight 21 lbs.). I asked about the 2 bouts of gastrointeritis and the doctor said that it was just bad luck. Babies are constantly putting their hands on things and then into their mouths. Hand sanitizer is our new best friend. Nothing much more to report other than she had a look inside Will's mouth to check out his (8) teeth and she said that his first year molars are getting ready to come in. So, any of you experts out there with advice on what I can expect here would be much appreciated. Maybe there's really nothing to worry about, but I thought someone once told me these are painful ones.

Onto the plague. So, we had two days in a row in which it seemed that Will was finally better when all of the sudden yesterday he started coming down with a fever while we were at the doctor's office. He was up for about 45 minutes in the middle of the night last night unable to go back to sleep and burning up. He seems better today, which is good because we're supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon for Chicago and then on to Michigan for spring break. What is going on with this kid?

There's more: our washer finally died yesterday (with a full load inside) and as we attempted to fix it we noticed a gas smell. Laclede Gas came promptly and informed us that our pipes have several tiny holes in them and he shut off our gas. We've been without hot water since and won't have it until Tuesday. I of course have tons of laundry to do to before our trip and thankfully Connie is letting us use her units, but her dryer is out too. So, I'm off to the laundry mat...

...I'm back

Our car: the break pads and roters in the front are completely worn down. I took the car to Meinike today and dropped $270. We got that fixed just in time to trade vehicles with a friend of ours who has a truck so that Rodney and Michael could go and pick up a new washer from Belleville. And, I'm sitting here, having not showered and needing to do laundry and pack before I rush off to another live MET Opera broadcast in Chesterfield tomorrow morning only to jump in the car and head strait to Chicago. Ugh. What's that saying? When it rains it FLASHFLOODS.

I can't wait to get to Michigan.

Here's a photo. I'm titling it "What Happens When Dad Dresses Baby"

Sick Again

2008-03-07T10:16:00.003-06:00

You may remember from my post earlier in the week that Will recently got over a week long gatrointestinal virus resulting in very messy diarrhea. Well, I guess we just have really bad luck because he's got it again. The only difference this time is that he has a low grade fever. I couldn't feel worse for him. Last night he was perfectly fine, and then he had the largest diarrhea diaper and maybe an hour later he threw up. He was clearly not feeling well because he was ready for bed at 7:30. Then (as was the case frequently with the last bout) we were awakened by his cries at 1 am to find him soaked in diarrhea. Poor little guy. We had to change his diaper, clothes and sheets but instead of a new sleeper and new sheet I could only dress him in a onsie and sweat pants and lay down a blanket in his crib because our washer is not draining properly and I can't keep up with the laundry. I guess I should be more prepared this time to deal with these troubles since I just went through this. These are the moments when you truly earn your "badge of honor" as a parent. I suppose you get several when you have multiple children, all sick at the same time. Lord, prepare me now!

Here's a miserable little boy ready for a nap at 9 (2 hours earlier than normal).

Within minutes he was out.

He's now sleeping again. I know how he feels. When I'm not feeling well all I wanna do is sleep. I truly hope this doesn't last as long as before.

On a lighter note, my 30th birthday went really well. I got so many well wishes and was surrounded by several people I love. Who could ask for more? Rodney got us tickets to Madame Butterfly at Opera Theater Saint Louis in June and coordinated a little surprise cake gathering while Sarah took me out to dinner at Bar Louie. It was a great day. Thanks to all who sent me cards and birthday well-wishes. I'll close with a picture of a lovely pot of flowers that gave Anna me.

March 4th into my 30th (never to turn back)

2008-03-04T13:33:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking about this post all week. What in tarnation am I gonna write? Here are some thoughts I've had about this day:

From today forward I will be obliged to mark the 30-35 age box on all forms. I feel that this officially categorizes me as 1. lady 2. ma'am and 3. mom. Gone are the days of "that girl," "can I help you miss?" and the like. Perhaps no one recognizes the change but me (and everyone else who knows that I officially parted with my 20s as of today). Maybe those anonymous people in public have been thinking of me this way long before, who knows? Nevertheless, here it is. Today I turn 30 and I must come to terms with this.

Many of you have either just recently experienced this yourself or have atleast turned 30 at some point, so no doubt you can relate. However, despite these gloomy thoughts I do have a "silver lining" as is a habit of my personality. How 'bout some cliches to start with:

-"30 is the new 20!"
-Think about how richer and fuller my life is at 30 compared to 20
-Looking back on the past 10 years of my life, I've experienced so much and am thankful for it all
-Most all of the women I admire and look up to are atleast 30 or older
-I still have a lifetime to good living ahead of me

O.K. so that last one made it sound as if I feel like I'm facing a death sentence, but these are honestly things that I've thought about.

So, here's to turing thirty on the only date that's a command. Happy birthday to me...

Jiminy Christmas

2008-03-01T11:28:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Will and I met up with Preston and Marisa at Ted Drewes. While we were standing in line a guy looked down at Will in his stoller and said "What, 22 months?" My initial response was to laugh at the crazy man. Then I said, "9 months" and his response was (little kids: earmuffs) "Jesus Christ!" O.K., growing up this phrase used in such a context was definately a swear word. Please crazy guy, not in front of the kiddo! Try my favorite cheesy spinoff next time: "Jiminy Christmas."

Will is getting rather large these days. My favorite comment is: "Wow, he's gonna be bigger than you soon!" I just weighed him on our non-accurate scale and it said 22 pounds. We will unfortunately have to wait until March 13th to get the official 9 month weigh-in from the doctor. The interesting thing is that he just got over a week long gastro virus (with the main symptom being really messy diarrhea about 4 times a day) and he did not care much for solid foods while it lasted, but he still manages to look as beefy as ever. I especially notice it first thing in the morning when I'm coming out of my fog and my body hasn't quite "roused the troops" yet. Picking him up out of the crib and holding him in my jello-y arms is a difficult task before coffee. Thank God for Gerber Biter Biscuits. He mows on one of those in his high chair while I have my breakfast. Oh so messy and oh so helpful. They're like dog bones for babies. Genius.

Biter Biscuit Aftermath

We are also big fans of Gerber Puffs in this house. I usually can't leave home without a heavy supply of these bad boys. Toys only keep his attention for so long, but there's something transfixing about stuffing your face that allows for extended periods of concentration and contentedness. I think we can all attest to this phenomenon. Perhaps this is why Will seems so huge to me lately? Ha.

Singing With Dad: A Video Post

2008-02-26T08:11:00.003-06:00

Recently I've noticed that whenever I'm practicing/vocalizing Will makes this strange sustained sound that I've come to interpret as singing along. Here's a video of Rodney singing and playing the guitar to Will and towards the middle he decides to "sing" along.

What Dreams Mean

2008-02-22T10:53:00.002-06:00

The other night I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that Will and I were hanging out with some ladies who were cooking up a storm in a kitchen (perhaps it was a special dinner or something) when all of the sudden they started joking about cooking Will (remember I said it was weird). I laughed, because, hey it was a joke and I like jokes. But then they put my naked baby in a big pot and started BASTING him! I said "What the h!@$ are you doing?" and as I grabbed my son from their pot they proceeded to laugh at me, not in a scary Hanzel and Gretel sort of way, but more like a teasing mother-hen sort of way. Then they said, "Mothers these days! How times have changed."

Marisa and I had a good laugh when I told her about this weird dream. It got us thinking and talking about dreams and their mysterious nature. Isn't it interesting how we can have the strangest dreams and somehow not want to tell others about them? As I recounted the dream to Marisa there was this feeling inside of me almost like embarrassment. What is it about this sub/unconscious state that makes feel this way? We clearly have no control over the substance of our dreams and yet, we feel like others will judge them as if these are really thoughts we have.

I'm sure there is a wealth of information out there on the "science" of dreams and it would be really interesting to sit down with someone who has systematically researched all of the this, but I would be more interested in picking up one of those non-scientific books at Borders to "translate" the meaning of my dreams for me. Am I afraid that well-meaning ladies want to eat my baby? Was it a super dramatic representation of "issues" of modern parenting that parents of a generation ago see as overreacting (ex. giving your baby ONLY pureed Gerber baby food, constantly keeping your baby strapped into their carseats even if your feet from home, overfeeding/underfeeding, overbathing/underbathing- you get the picture).

Laura once told me that Geoffrey never dreams and it made me think about how Rodney rarely tells me about his dreams either. Marisa offered that Kyle is the same and said she heard or read somewhere that men are less likely to remember their dreams. I wondered if they are less likely to recount their dreams because of the vulnerable state that comes with telling others our crazy dreams (and the judgement thing I mentioned above). Maybe women can handle this vulnerable feeling more than men? Hmm.

I'd love to hear about your wackiest dreams- judgement free. Sometimes we just need a good laugh.

Owl or Lark?

2008-02-12T09:03:00.000-06:00

I have a love affair with coffee that spans several years. Ever since I can remember, my dad had to have a cup of coffee every morning. It was also a treat when he would pick up a gallon of coffee flavored Breyers ice cream (Mom, ever the health nut, often forbade ice cream in the house). So, the taste and smell of coffee has been something that has captured my senses for some time. But it wasn't until I was in college that it became a morning necessity for me.

Never more than a cupful, I began to need it's rousing effects within 15 minutes of waking. I sometimes worried about this morning routine because I knew about the dehydrating effects of coffee/caffeine on the vocal folds (not good for singers). But, I figured it was alright if I just drank loads of water, which I have always done as a singer anyway.

Not only does the taste of coffee rank high on my list of all time wonderful flavors, but it has also made mornings something I can handle. You see, for the longest time getting out of bed has been difficult and (before coffee) I would need a good hour before I felt like a normal person. When I married Rodney, I began to see this as a moral dillema because he would pop out of bed every morning well before 8 am (on a weekend) and I began to feel that my desire to sleep in (past 8 am) was seen as lazy (even though he would never say this). It wasn't until I began reading Ferber to help Will's sleep that I understood our differnces and exactly why I "needed" coffee in the morning.

Dr. Ferber separates us into two groups: owls and larks. Here's what he says about owls: "[these] are people who get energized at night. Their second wind is strong, and the late night is often the most pleasant time of their whole day. Owls feel most alert at that time; they can think clearly, study effectively, and play well. Staying up late is easy for them. But owls have a problem in the morning: waking up and starting the day, even after a full night's sleep, is painful and difficult, like climbing out of a deep hole (YES!!!). Owls don't like to get up, and they avoid early-morning activities whevever they can." This is definately me.

And here's Rodney: "For larks, the second wind is less forceful. As night falls, larks feel as if they are sliding into the same deep hole that owls wake up from each morning. Finding it unpleasant to stay up late, larks may pass up evening activities or leave them early. But they wake up without any trouble early in the morning, usually feeling great. They want to get right up and start doing things. For larks, morning is the best time of day and evening is the worst."

I can't tell you how many times Rodney has put on a pot of coffee at night just to remain awake for evening activities.

Dr. Ferber goes on to explain that not everyone necessarily falls into either of these categories. I often marvel at my mother-in-law's ability to stay up late AND get up early without (seemingly) difficulties.

So, there you have it. I am an owl and Rodney is a lark. This explains so much. Our families even fit nicely into these two categories, with little variation. So, is one better than the other? What do you think? Are you an owl or a lark by nature?

Here's a picture that I took of Rodney this past week. The exact time I took it was 8:30 pm. He went on to sleep just like this until 11:30 pm, when I came in to bed and I woke him and told him to get ready for bed. If I hadn't done that he would have slept this way all night. I can't tell you how many times this has happened since we've been married.

Cardboard's Not the Same as a Sled

2008-02-06T20:23:00.001-06:00

I am woefully behind in getting these pictures (and video) posted. When last week's snow storm gave Rodney a snow day he decided that he wanted to do what he's done the past 2 or 3 snow days: go sledding at Art Hill in Forest Park. I've done this with him on one of the occassions, and it is a blast. With Will I knew it would be a modified sledding experience, and I was really excited about "frolicking" with him in the new fallen snow. On our way to Forest Park we stopped by Target to by a sled and they were all sold out. Then, we tried Walmart and when Rodney sadly found none there either, he decided to purchase a folded up cardboard box he saw (for $3.50) on his way out of the store. Here's a video followed by photos showing you how much fun we had (sadly, the cardboard box did not deliver but we had fun anyway).

Mommy and Me

Daddy and Me

Cardboard's Not the Same

Successful Sledders

Trying

Snow Bunny

Art Hill

2008-01-31T16:03:00.000-06:00

I always love reading Marisa's posts when she does her product reviews, with the most recent being about informative books. I guess I'd like to do something similar with this post and write about a few things that have made me a better parent (or just stuff I REALLY like).

Book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw. If you've never read this children's book before you must do so. The first time I heard about it was when I was in jr. high or high school (I think it was written in the '80s). My friend's mom would talk about it, but I didn't read it myself until last year when I got it as a shower gift. It honestly makes me cry EVERY time I read it. It's about a mother who rocks and sings her baby boy to sleep every night and even creeps into his room as a grown man to sing to him. The book ends with the grown man holding his aging mother and singing to her. It's so touching. The woman who gave it to me said that she made up her own melody to go with the words to the lullaby and that she knew of groups of mothers that would get together and share their melodies to the well-loved words: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." Rodney's melody even differs from mine.

CD: Marlo Thomas and Friends: Free To Be You and Me. Laura bought this for Maddie when she was born and then appropriately bought it for me and Will as part of his baptism gift. It was produced in 1972 and features such names as Allen Alda (from M*A*S*H), Harry Belefonte, Mel Brooks, Carol Channing, Shirley Jones, and Dianna Ross. Marlo Thomas (don't know who she is outside of this recording) explains about wanting to read a bedtime story to her niece and getting saddened by the nature of her books. Saying that not only did the books put her to sleep at night, but they "put her mind to sleep" as well. She began looking through stores and found lots of books that "charmingly dictated who and what [boys and girls] must be, colorfully directing new minds away from their own uniqueness." Alternating between songs, stories and poems, and even comedic sketches, it breaks down typical gender stereotypes. Some titles are Parents are People, It's All Right to Cry, William's Doll, and When We Grow Up. One of my favorites it a comedic sketch featuring Marlo Thomas and Mel Brooks called Boy Meets Girl. In the sketch two babies just born try to decide whether or not they are a boy or a girl. It's so cute and hilarious. If you can get past the campy 1970s feel, it has a lot to offer. I think Stanford from Sex in The City even references it as a plea for gay people.

The Ultimate Diaper Bag by Pottery Barn Kids. Right after Will was born I unwisely bought a very cute but cheap diaper bag that ended up falling apart on me a few weeks ago. Coveting such beautiful bags as Petunia Picklebottom but knowing I couldn't afford them, I found this bag in the mall and decided it was a great middle-of-the-road (price-wise) choice. Marisa later told me that it got good reviews from her sources. The size is perfect- not too big and not too small- and it's got lots of great compartments. There are two insulated bottle holders on the outside of the bag and two magnets that keep the flap closed, so no messing with zippers. The material is also washable and very sturdy. I also love the shoulder grip on the strap.

Peanut Shell Sling. One of the best investments I've made as far as baby gear goes. It's use has been invaluable, lasting much longer than the bjorn (he's too big for that now, but we loved that too when he was smaller). The great thing about the sling is that you just put them in differently as they grow. It especially comes in handy when I have lots to carry to or from the car, allowing me to hold Will hands-free. It was also a lifesaver when I had to fly to Florida alone with Will.

A Little Down Time

2008-01-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

Recently Will has stopped having consistent morning naps, even though some days he still gets a little sleepy/fussy around 10 or 11. Instead of pushing him to nap when he doesn't seem to want one, I've decided to give him some "down time" in his crib. I put him in there with his blankie and turn the mobile on and he just chills. I just went in to check on him because he was babbling fussily, and when I got in there I saw that his mobile had turned off (it goes 15 min. at a time). Upon turning it on again he got the silliest little grin on his face and proceeded to stare at it adoringly. Cute!

Lately I have been trying to get Will to laugh because: #1. He doesn't do it often and #2. It makes my heart melt. The other night Rodney had him on his lap on the couch right before bed and had him giggling away. I tried to capture it on film and he stopped as soon as he saw the camera (of course). Then we unsucessfully tried to get a shot of his new teeth (sorry it's so dark):

I don't know why, but I LOVE taking pictures of Will while he sleeps. Maybe it's that vulnerable state that sleep induces. Whatever it is, I think it's so much fun to sneek into his room during his naps and snap a few shots (like the butt-sleeping shots from the other day). Yesterday I went in to wake him (crazy I know) because it was a late nap that had lasted a little too long. Here's the picture I took:

I think what got me the most were his hands: they're starting to look like boy hands instead of baby hands. I was a little disappointed after I took this shot, because as soon as the flash went off, he woke up (I quickly ducked down to avoid being seen because I wanted to keep this moment suspended in time). After he discovered me hiding, he shimmied over and gave me these faces through the crib slats:

I love it when he wakes from a nap happy.

Favorite Sleeping Position

2008-01-18T10:21:00.000-06:00

Mine is on my back. Well, atleast I start out that way and then I find myself on my side by morning. Falling asleep on my side was never very easy for me when I was pregnant. Rodney sleeps a lot on his stomach (he'd really have a hard time being pregnant! hee hee). Ever since we did sleep training with Will, he rolls over on his right side as we put him down in his crib and eventually makes his way onto his tummy in the night. The past two nights I've gone in to check on him before I go to bed and have caught him in this position:

It's kinda hard to see, but his butt is sticking straight up in the air. The best angle for this picture would have been from the side, but the crib slats prevented that so we have two aerial views. It's pretty cute.

Sleep has definately turned into something I can now expect to get. Just four months ago I would dream of such luxury! Now we do our routine, lay him in the crib at 8:30 and can pretty much expect not to hear from him until anywhere between 6-7 am. Wow.

On to to other things. One of the most interesting developmental milestones thus far for Will has been his newfound ability to crawl. Here's a video:

With this new freedom, he has taken to explore our home. At first, whenever we put him down, he would shimmy over to the wall and play with the baseboards (which he still does and you saw him do a little bit in the video above). But more recently I've found him playing with the doorstop behind the door in his room and then eventually in the corner behind the door. A few times he's yelped for help from this spot because he can't back his way out! He's also taken to crawling to any cord he sees so he can put it in his mouth. Scary. He also likes to crawl over to the fireplace grate and scratch it with his little fingers. I used to just put a fortress of couch pillows around it, but now he just climbs right over them to play with it. My sister used to have this huge connectable plastic gate thing in her living room where Mia would play without fear of getting into things. I used to think it was a little "control freaky" of my sister. Now, I completely understand why she did this and just might copy her clever idea. What child wouldn't love a giant play pen anyway?

As usual I will close with some photos. Some of Will, Che, and some of our new office/music room. I'm not sure why we didn't do this before as we weren't really using the sunroom for anything purposeful.

Happy Holidays

2008-01-09T09:27:00.000-06:00

Once again, our holiday vacation produced within me a strong desire to do absolutely NOTHING. Including blogging. I of course had tons of time and chose to either sleep, read, do a puzzle (with the rest of the Malone family), play with Will and Yuri and do a tiny bit of exercise. It was a wonderfully restful trip. Will and Yuri were both feeling under the weather and by New Years Day we decided to take Will in to the emergency room. The ER doctor told us it was bronchiolitis, but that his oxygen levels were very good (the main cause of concern). He told us that there isn't really any medication and that we just had to wait it out. So, we've been wiping snotty noses and listening to deep-chested coughs for a couple of weeks now. We were concerned about his discomfort with sleeping, so we did all the no-nos and he was up every 3-4 hours for the duration of our trip. He started showing signs of improving by the time we returned from Kansas and it took one night of "following the rules" and he was back on schedule. Also, VERY much more content during the day. Apparently, continuous sleep through the night is good for not only us, but Will too!

Here are some updates: Will's basically crawling, although not very deliberately. He's getting one tiny tooth on the top right and it looks like maybe his top two front teeth are trying to push through. Crazy! He babbles a lot too, mostly sticking with "da da da da." I'm sad to say that perhaps Rodney will be the first to be verbally acknowledged by our child. Sniff, sniff. It's so cute though, I don't really care what he's says first. We also graduated from the newborn/infant tub (on top of the kitchen sink) to the bathtub. One of us gets in there with him and we splash and play after we've scrubbed. It's so much fun. Both lunch and dinner are served up in his high chair with breast feeding sessions mixed in between. It's both liberating and frightening to observe the gradual moving away from his sole dependence upon me for food (atleast when a bottle is not offered).

Here are some photos from Christmas:

A blurry living room

Baby's First Christmas

Can you guess what this is?

Happy Crawler
Christmas Sleeper

"Does this color match my eyes?"

Uncle B

Opening Zoo Train (thanks Gma & Gpa Malone!)

Cousins

My new favorite toys

6 months, That Wonderful Piney Smell, Romeo et Juliette, and Bach

2007-12-16T22:39:00.000-06:00

This post will be as motley as its title.

Will turned 6 months on the 27th of November, and with that turning of age we have been harkened into a new world. A full-blown infant/here-comes-a-little-boy world.

Gone are: little baby animal-esque cries (I used to think it sounded a little like a yowling cat), a million poopy diapers a day, that distant newborn stare, the "can't you see I'm so friggen pissed off and can't you just know exactly what this cry means?" crying, and blob-like states (not to mention no sleeping).

Here are: almost crawling, 2 teeth, smiles when he see's me, sleeps for a reaaaally long time, food mostly on his bib/face/lap (I'll have to capture this for you, although I'm sure you're all too familiar with the scene), happy kicker and bouncy arm days.

Let me just say, I LOVE this age.

Here are his percentiles: weight 50th, length 75th, head 75th. He's catching up with himself.

On to "That Wonderful Piney Smell." This year Rodney told me that he wanted to get a fake tree so that we could start saving money at Christmas time. I told him that if we weren't going to get a real tree, I didn't want one. Not that I was really upset, mind you. I just find the idea of having a tree in your house a weird idea to begin with, not to mention a fake one (sorry to those who get fake ones- I recognize that it is a personal choice, as well as a lot easier). Anyway, I convinced him that cutting down our own tree would be a wonderful tradition to have with our kids, and I even found a great deal at Eckerts: $36 for any tree you cut down. So we got all bundled up, made the drive to Bellville and cut ourselves a beautiful tree (nicest one we've ever gotten). Now my house smells like pine. Another great reason to get a real one. Mmmmm.

So, ever since Carol decided that she thinks my voice is well suited for opera, she's been going on and on about these live broadcasts of the MET operas at various movie theaters around the St. Louis area (actually it's a nationwide campaign to get opera "out to the people"). Anyway, I've been totally interested in going, but the tickets are like 20 dollars. Well, during one of my lessons she tells me out of the blue that one of her students (who wishes to remain anonymous) is quite wealthy and wants to pay for me to go to these broadcasts. Wow. I'm not really sure what this means, but I am humbled by the gesture. So, yesterday was the first. Romeo et Juliette (French for Romeo, yadda yadda) by Gounod. After three hours of glorious singing and amazing theatrics, I left the Art Museum theater in a heightened state. It was otherworldy. I can't wait for the next one in Januaary, Hanzel and Gretel. I'm told it's even better.

Tonight we had a brutal Bach rehearsal for tomorrow night's 1st of two Candlelight performances. These are always bittersweet for me because I absolutely love singing at Powell Hall, but the rehearsals leading up to the concerts are always pretty difficult to endure. The orchestra sounded spectacular though, and tomorrow night should be amazing. 'Tis the season for hard work if you're a musician (or a snow shoveller).

A Video Post: "Hey, Look at Me!"

2007-12-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

Almost Crawling

Talking and Laughing

Inviting You

2007-12-07T15:25:00.000-06:00

Here is the advertisement for a concert I am singing in tomorrow under the direction of notable local countertenor, Thomas Dinan. These soundclips are of two pieces we're performing: "Sicut Cervus" and "Hodie Christus Natus Est"(under "view or listen to samples")

EMANUEL

Music and Poetry to Celebrate God with Us

December 8th at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of St. Anselm

This evening will include music ranging from the 15th century to today. Victoria ’s rarely heard eight-part Ave Maria, as well as works by Gabrieli, Byrd, Sweelinck, Palestrina, and the world premiere of This Trackless Solitude by the Indian-born composer Rashid Khan will be performed by the St. Louis Abbey Schola.

Poems by William Butler Yeats, Rabbi Abraham Abulafia, Jessica Powers, Robert Southwell, Jalal al-Din Rumi, T. S. Eliot and others will be featured in this Advent meditation.

I also sing with The Bach Society of St. Louis and invite you to attend our annual Candlelight Christmas Concert
at Powell Symphony Hall, Monday December 17 and Wednesday December 19, at 7:30 pm. For any of you in the mood for beautiful choral and symphonic music to celebrate the magical season we're in, this is a dazzling cocert and a truly beautiful venue if you've never been. You can get tickets from the Bach Society website (linked above). If anyone knows how to put links to soundclips from your own cd library, let me know and I'll post some from the two CDs we've made as a choir.

7 Facts About Me

2007-12-06T09:48:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by Kasey (like a million years ago...sorry it's taken me so long to respond)

Here's how it works:
The theme: 7 random facts about me
The rules: Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

1. Let's start with a rather embarrassing random fact: I sucked my fingers until I was 13.

2. The biggest crowd I've ever sang in front of was about 10,000 people. When I was a junior in high school I sang the National Anthem at the boys state basketball finals (class B). They also broadcasted it on a Michigan sports channel, so technically it was for over 10,000 people.

3. I can talk with my mouth closed. A talent I developed in junior high (when all weird talents are developed).

4. I can also wiggle my eyeballs (jr. high...).

5. In high school I was an avid cross-stitcher. Isn't this an old person's hobby? Not even cool like knitting. I think it did the same thing that algabra did for me: a relatively easy formula to do somewhat mindlessly. I suppose crossword puzzles have replaced my "mindless" cross-stitching habit.

6. The most books I ever read in one year (for pleasure) was 20+. When we lived in Paraguay we didn't have television and we spent a lot of time on looooonng bus rides.

7. To this day my mother calls me "Boo Boo Bear", short for "Buggie Wuggie Boo Boo Bear", which is derived from "Gina Bug" (a nickname I acquired as a kid that even aunts and uncles called me). My brother-in-law, Marc has called me "Bug" ever since we met (about 13 years now) and friends throughout my school years did the same. It's endearing from Marc, but somehow from my mom I feel like an almost-thirty-year-old trying to be kept a perpetual 5 year old (and it's quite embarrassing to hear a loud "Boo Boo!" ringing out across the aisles in the supermarket when the recipient is a grown woman).

I tag: Marisa, Elizabeth, Lindsay, and EJ (hope there are no duplicates)

Can you see them now?

2007-12-05T11:42:00.000-06:00

Hey all, sorry about the picture glitch. Apparently something went wrong with yesterday's post and the pictures did not appear. Here is the fixed post with also some editing done. Why didn't someone tell me I used the phrase "extended family" about 50 times? It's funny how sometimes I'll go back and re-read what I wrote and change it. I guess it doesn't mean much when I do that because chances are those who read my blog on a regular basis have already read it and won't re-read it (like I do). Am I alone in this quirky behavior?