Planes, Taxis and Ambulance Rides...

When I asked my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group to pray that none of us would get sick this time when we flew to Oregon, I forgot to ask them to pray that we wouldn't ride in an ambulance. Because really, what's a vacation without a trip to the ER in an ambulance?

I spent all of Tuesday getting us packed for our trip, then picked up the girls from their schools and rushed home so we could meet Gary. We then packed the car and headed for the airport. We parked the car in economy parking, boarded the shuttle, and made our way to the terminal. We successfully made it through security, which was a feat in itself because despite making FIVE trips to DPS, I still do not have a Texas driver's license. So instead, I brought my three temporary licenses, a letter from DPS, my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, my Social Security card, my Sam's Club card, three children who look like me, and a note from my mother to prove that I am really who I say I am. Just kidding about the last item. I brought all the others, though. But I digress.

As we were walking to our gate to get on the plane, I had Luke in my Moby Wrap. At some point, my ankle turned under me, I stumbled, and fell forward. I was able to catch myself so that I wouldn't fall on top of Luke, but not before Luke's sweet little head hit the concourse. He immediately started screaming and I was panicked. A passerby told us to file an incident report with the airline, so we continued to the gate and told the gate agent. She called the paramedics and asked us to wait nearby. I started to lose it. Fortunately, they arrived quickly and began looking at Luke. He was asleep by now but we were able to wake him up and he began smiling and cooing. The paramedics determined that he was probably OK, but since he was so young, felt that he should be checked out by a physician.

At this point, the gate agent told us that we needed to decide if Gary and the girls should go ahead and get on the plane or stay with me. Since there were not enough seats on flights to Oregon the next day for all of us, I sent him on to Portland and I stayed behind with Luke and the gate agent rebooked us on the 9:30 am Wednesday flight at no charge. Bless her heart.

I figured that we would just walk to the ambulance outside (since both of us were completely fine), but the EMTs insisted on transporting us on the stretcher...through the concourse, through security, through the main terminal where everyone was checking in...all the while, Luke is in my arms and smiling and giggling at everyone we're passing by. I was fairly sure we were going to end up on the evening news. Oy.

We took a short ambulance ride to a local hospital and as we're disembarking, I'm thinking “This will actually be good that we're coming here by ambulance. They can just drop us off in the back and we'll get in and out of here in no time. Maybe we'll even make that 9:05 pm flight tonight!” Um, not so fast, lady with the giggly baby.

They wheeled us through the back entrance, past all the examining rooms, and through the double doors into the lobby, stopping in front of the reception desk and a waiting room of people staring at us. “Hop down!” the paramedic said cheerfully. Hello? What's the point of coming in an ambulance if you don't get to bypass the waiting room? I could have done that in my own car and saved about $500, thankyouverymuch. OK, a slight exaggeration. I couldn't have actually driven straight to the reception desk. I would have had to park in the parking lot and walk in. But you get my drift.

I proceeded to sit in a swine flu-infested waiting room with about 50 of my un-closest friends for three and a half hours before they called our name. Including a couple of interesting characters, one of whom felt free to shout obscenities at the staff whenever he felt like it. And someone whom I never did figure out if he/she was a man or a woman. And a blessed couple who sat next to me who were so incredibly nice to us and visited with me while I ate dinner out of the vending machine and waited for our name to be called. They were a bright spot in an otherwise out-of-body experience.

While I was waiting, I realized that I had in my carry-on bag both of Leah's binkies, the hand sanitizer, the baby wipes, and the Clorox wipes, which meant that Gary was on a germ-infested airplane with no way to clean it, and no way to soothe Leah. I'm pretty sure I got the better end of that deal.

After finally getting called and being examined by the doctor, I took Luke down to get a CT scan. He was such a good boy, laying there on the table, sucking his binky and looking at all the lights. Fortunately, the CT scan came back clear and they decided he was completely fine. Thank goodness. I was SO relieved to hear that he was OK. I was terrified to let him go to sleep for fear that he wouldn't wake up, but once they determined that he was normal, I relaxed a bit.

I walked back to the reception desk and said, “Excuse me? The EMT told me that you transport people a lot between here and the airport and that I should ask you to arrange for a ride.” The receptionist looked up at me (actually, she glared at me) and said, “Um, I'm not aware of that, but you can call a cab if you want.” I'd like to point out here that Luke's car seat has already been put on a plane and is now landing in Oregon with the rest of my family. So I put him back in the Moby Wrap, called a cab and waited outside. Our cab arrived within a few minutes, and we took a quick ride back to the airport, with me praying fervently all the while that we wouldn't get into an accident since Luke was not properly restrained. We arrive safely, and I make my way to baggage claim to borrow a car seat from the airline, then hop on the parking shuttle. It's now 11:15 pm. The parking shuttle driver was kind enough to wait while I installed the car seat in the van and we were finally on our way home.

I got home at midnight and set the alarm for 5:30 am. I didn't sleep much that night but it was wonderful to be in my own bed. We got up quickly the next morning, grabbed some breakfast, drove to the airport while watching the sunrise (which was magnificent), and had a very smooth flight, where Luke napped contentedly in the Moby while I sipped Diet Coke and watched one of my favorite movies. Bliss.

I learned a couple of things. I learned that as independent as I am, I don't like being that far away from my amazing husband. I missed him terribly. I also realized that it's not really me keeping everyone healthy. That's God's job. And God can do it without Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. And I was reminded that He is the Great Physician and can keep my sweet baby safe despite my stumbles.

I'm thankful that our vacation was much more mundane after that. It was so wonderful to be with family for Thanksgiving, and to introduce Luke to my brother and sister-in-law. We arrived home safely yesterday and have been relaxing, enjoying each other's company, and catching up on sleep. So, all's well that ends well. :)

The First Two Months

Sweet Luke is two months old today. I can't believe it...the time has really flown. The past two months have honestly been a blur. I guess that's pretty normal when you have a newborn in the house, not to mention two other children.

My parents were immensely helpful for the first three weeks when Luke came home. We were bummed when they had to go home to Oregon but we're looking forward to seeing them again at Thanksgiving. Since we've been on our own, we've done pretty well though. We have been so incredibly blessed to have friends and neighbors deliver meals to us for almost 6 weeks – I cannot describe how much easier the evenings have been because of it. We are so grateful for such amazing friends from church and for our friendly neighbors. It's one of the reasons we love living here so much.

There have definitely been some rough moments too – I had a tough bout with postpartum depression – mostly in part due to a medication error, though I think I would have struggled a little with it anyway since I was so sleep-deprived. I don't do well with ongoing sleep deprivation, which also brings with it debilitating bone pain (residual from chemo). I'm doing much better now and feel like I can cope better with all the demands of each day. It's nice to feel like myself again and not immediately reach for the bottle of Advil in the morning because I ache all over. I'm anxious to get back to my BodyPump class. I haven't been able to go yet because Luke's pediatrician doesn't want him to be in the Y nursery due to the severity of the flu. I am walking on the nice days and looking forward to going back soon. I am really proud of the fact that I'm 35 lbs under what I was when I started my pregnancy and I really want to keep it off and get toned up again. I had been able to do BodyPump until I was seven and a half months pregnant, but then had to stop because I was having so many contractions. So it's been 4 months since I've been to the class.

Luke is a great baby – very laid back and easy, which is a huge blessing. He has started to smile at us and he loves nothing more than to be held, swaddled, cuddled, etc. He adores it when the girls talk to him and Anna Claire is such a huge help, holding him and feeding him the occasional bottle if I'm not nursing. Some of my favorite times are holding and nursing Luke while Anna Claire reads to me, or while I read to Leah. Luke is finally sleeping for approximately 3 hours at a time during the night, so I'm getting some great sleep and waking up feeling rested. He doesn't sleep as much during the day but I'm starting to see the beginning of a routine with him, and that will only get better with time.

Leah has finally stopped biting everyone and is settling down. Part of that is because I'm keeping her on a very strict schedule, which seems to really help her. She is such a pistol, that child. I can barely catch my breath on some days. Last week, she put her fingers up both of Luke's nostrils, tried to curl his eyelashes, and also attempted to floss his (non-existent) teeth. Yesterday morning, I caught her trying to pluck Luke's eyebrows. She is fun, though, and loves to take life by the hair and swing it around like a lasso. Gary and I are already praying about how we'll survive the teenage years with her.

The girls are doing AWANA and kids' choir on Sunday nights, which has given Gary and I the opportunity to have a “date night” once a week (with Luke of course, but he's pretty quiet). It's been so wonderful to have some uninterrupted time to talk and connect with Gary...since that time is extremely limited when we're at home with all 3 kids.

I am doing some freelance work now and really loving it. It's a great opportunity for me to use my brain and earn a little money. And strangely enough, I'm getting better at juggling everything because I have to – so I'm even more organized when I work part-time. I'm finding now that I have to be super-organized in order to keep everything running smoothly. If I let up even for a day, the train begins to run off the tracks.

I'm hoping to get some good family pictures once the weather cools off a bit and we can go outside. There's a fountain near us that is really pretty, so we'll venture over there soon and do a photo shoot. More pictures coming later this week of the kids!

Cancer In My Rear View Mirror

Six years ago today, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I went on a journey for which you don't need a passport, a ticket or a suitcase. It was no vacation, I can assure you. I found myself on a runaway train with no stops – and one on which I never intended to be a passenger.

I had a 16 month old baby girl at the time, and I was still fairly newly married. Nothing says “get to know your spouse” like having your husband see digital pictures of your diseased ovary post-surgery, having him help you get dressed, and having him shave your head in the shower because all your hair is falling out. In sickness and in health, indeed. I am painfully aware that there are many marriages that do not survive cancer. I've seen it happen up close and personal.

Today, I want to honor my husband, Gary. He is one of the bravest and most loyal people I know. There were many days when he would get up and go to work when I was sick and I know he was terrified. Terrified that we wouldn't make it through to the spring. Terrified that something would happen to me. Terrified that he would have to raise Anna Claire alone. Gary held my hand through many dark hours, wiping my tears and reminding me that together, we could make it through anything. He reminded me on a regular basis that cancer would not define me – it would be a new ministry. He told me how beautiful I still was to him. He told me how strong I was, even though I was very weak. He assured me constantly of his love for me.

I am happy to say that cancer is now in my rear view mirror...just a part of my past but no longer a part of my “present.” I have now had two beautiful children post-cancer. I've had no recurrences. Miraculously, I have entire days when I don't even think of cancer...something I never thought possible.

And cancer has birthed a beautiful ministry. For a long time after I recovered, I didn't want to have anything to do with cancer. I didn't want to meet anyone else who had cancer, support anyone with cancer, or talk about it. But God gently pursued me and continued to put people in my life who needed a compassionate heart and a willing ear as they traveled their own journey with cancer. I can honestly say now that walking alongside other women who face cancer is one of my passions. I love to encourage them, to cry with them, to make them laugh, and to just sit with them. While it was a devastating diagnosis and a very painful time in my life, ovarian cancer has become one of the best blessings I've experienced.

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits -
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
Psalm 103: 1-5

Lord Jesus, You've been so faithful to me...

The Grocery Game, Take One

A couple of friends recently introduced me to The Grocery Game. It's an easy way to combine store sales and coupons (clipped, downloaded and "non-clip" coupons) in order to save the maximum amount of money. I've clipped coupons in the past but honestly it got overwhelming when time was running short so I abandoned it for a long time.

I finally realized that I was tired of paying full retail prices for my groceries and other everyday necessities. I haven't worked since last December and with 3 kids now and only one of us working outside the home, I need to find ways to save money any way I can.

I joined last week and spent a couple of days clipping coupons and figuring out how the whole thing works. A lady named Teri put the whole thing together. And she just wrote a great book about The Grocery Game. - it retails for $12.99 but I found it on Amazon.com this morning for only $2.98! Wahoo!!! It does a great job of explaining the whole process for how to get groceries and other items for a significant discount. I can't wait for it to arrive.

Anyway...I shopped two different stores with my game list. I selected Kroger, and although there weren't many items on my list this week due to the holiday weekend, I saved $19.63 and spent $23.92. It was easy to do! Then we went to the other store, which I won't mention by name, because the experience wasn't nearly as good. They had some of the deals, but they were already out of a lot of the items and the store wouldn't substitute similar things. The employees were also not very helpful when I had questions, the store was incredibly busy, Luke was crying some of the time, and basically I decided not to go back to that store - I think I'm going to stick to Kroger. By the time we left the 2nd store, I just wanted to go home and suck my thumb! By the way, I don't recommend doing this little activity with your three-year-old who needs a nap. BAD decision. I'm going by myself next time.

At the second store, I spent $112.31 and saved $31.15. I would have saved more except they were out of some of the items I needed. So, my total savings for today were just under $51.00. Not too shabby for my first attempt! My goal is to save enough money each month that it pays for Leah's school tuition...a goal that should be easily attainable.

Try it for yourself - it's amazing! It only costs $10 every 8 weeks - $1.25 per week. And the first 4 weeks is free to try so you don't have to worry about paying for something you if you don't like it.

Moby Wrap, I Adore You

Some good friends recently gave us a gift basket of baby items for Luke. It had a toy, a bottle, a pacifier, and a Moby Wrap carrier and receiving blanket. I was especially excited to try the carrier. I'd used other carriers before but never one like this.

It is hands down the BEST baby product I've ever owned. I absolutely love it. And Luke is so happy sitting in it. It swaddles him tightly against me and he immediately goes to sleep in it. I can very discreetly nurse in public if necessary and when he's particularly fussy, he calms right down - so I even wear it when watching TV, sleeping, and doing chores around the house. The beauty of it is that you really do have two hands free to do other things and he stays safely inside. It's made of a lightweight cotton that is very soft and breathes well - which has been wonderful in our hot climate. I really wish that I'd discovered it earlier so I could wear the girls in it. The other thing I love about it is the way that it provides support across my back - both lower and upper - and doesn't put pressure in one part of my back the way other carriers sometimes do. It's awesome!

The other thing I love about the Moby products is the receiving blanket. It's especially large and made of the same soft, breathable cotton so we'll be able to use it to wrap Luke up even after he's bigger. So many of the receiving blankets now are so small - which is fine if you have a newborn, but not so good if you have a bigger baby who still wants to be swaddled or wrapped up. This is a fabulous blanket.

And the best part? If you want to own either of these products, they're completely affordable! The carrier is only about $40, and the blanket is under $20! Such a great deal - especially when other carriers and blankets are so much more expensive and not nearly as nice.

Have a baby? Try it! Need to buy a baby gift and not sure what to give? I'd highly recommend the Moby Wrap and Blanket. They're both winners in my book!

The Story of Luke

Luke Reagan Bartlett joined our family on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 6:01 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz, and he's 19.25 inches long. We are so in love with him!

I was admitted at 5 am on the 13th for an induction because of my history of blood clots. We checked in, and got settled. They started my antibiotics and ran those for a couple of hours before hanging the pitocin drip. I also got my epidural around the same time as my pitocin because I was already contracting so much...I suspect that I may have been in early labor on my own already. Unfortunately, the epidural caused my blood pressure to crash to 66/32, which made me feel horrible. I hope to never experience that again. They were able to quickly fix it with a shot of ephedrine and things got much better.

My doctor broke my water around 1:30 pm, fully expecting Luke to arrive soon after based on my birth experience with Leah. Unfortunately, Luke had other plans. His hand and elbow were up next to his head and the doctor was unable to tell if he was holding the umbilical cord or not. She tried a couple of times to push his hand out of the way but he moved it back again. Things continued to go very slowly throughout the afternoon, so I finally told my family to come up to the hospital because some good friends were bringing everyone dinner. Mom and Dad arrived with the girls just after 5 pm and shortly after that, I started complaining that I could feel nothing on my left side, but could feel every contraction on the right side - I was getting really uncomfortable. They tried to refresh my epidural but it didn't work. I told my doctor that I was still feeling a lot of pain and she checked and said, "Oh gosh - he's RIGHT here! It's time to have a baby." Just a few pushes later, Luke joined us.

It was fun that my family was already at the hospital - they got to come in the room right after Luke was born and we had a great time holding him and getting to know him. I had the most amazing labor & delivery nurse - she has children similar ages to our girls (and coincidentally is also a good friend of one of my neighbors!), and she asked Anna Claire and Leah if they'd like to watch her check out the baby. At our hospital, the baby never leaves your room - even to be cleaned up, checked out, etc. They watched her do all the newborn procedures on Luke and she was so patient with their many questions. Then the nurse asked if Anna Claire would like to give Luke his first bath. She was SO excited! Our nurse Michelle really made the experience so special for us - Anna Claire washed his hair, bathed him, then put a diaper on him and showed Michelle how she could swaddle him (she learned this in her sibling class). It was so neat.

We came home on Saturday night, and since then, we've been settling in pretty well. He's a great eater and loves to hear his sisters talk to him - he's really responsive to their voices. He is nursing approximately every 2-3 hours and sleeps well in between, which allows me to rest. Since Gary had to go back to work this week, it's been nice to have my parents here - they are such a help with the girls, laundry, cooking, etc. The girls have been having a great time with them!

Luke has had some jaundice and he's lost more weight than the doctor would like, but after a couple of trips to the doctor this week and some blood tests, his bilirubin is improving and he's gained 2 oz in the past 2 days, so he's now up to 7 lbs, 3 oz - his lowest weight was 7 lbs, 1 oz. It's hard to believe that he's my biggest baby.

More updates soon - he happens to be sleeping soundly right now in my lap, which has given me an opportunity to do a blog update. The rest of the time, I'm not sure where the time goes - it seems like there's always something that needs to be done!

A Little 'O This and a Dash of That

We're down to less than 5 days until the baby is born. It is a surreal feeling. I can hardly believe that our sweet family of four will become an amazing family of five in a few days. And a boy! What will I do with a boy? I really only know pink, purple, princesses, and fairy wands. I'm fairly sure a little boy is going to rock our world – just not completely sure in how many ways (I'm sure there will be many).

From a pregnancy perspective, I am grateful to only have a few days left. I have had some issues lately with horrible skin itching and the feeling like I'm going to jump out of my skin, both of which cannot be attributed to anything specific except hormones. It's virtually impossible to sleep and although my doctor gave me an antihistamine to help, it only worked well for a couple of nights before I had problems with sleeping again. I am also beyond cranky...probably because I'm so tired. From that vantage point, I'll be so grateful not to be pregnant anymore.

But from another side, I know I only have 5 more days to feel this little life inside of me, pushing on my ribs, hiccuping, and rolling around from side to side. He is so much more active than the girls were – and it's fun that he's awake so much. He is starting to slow down a little, probably because he's running out of room. So I'm torn between wanting so much to hold him and wanting to freeze time where I can feel him inside my belly.

I've been nesting like crazy. I cannot get enough of house projects, cleaning, and organizing. I've even nested at Gary's school, helping him get his classroom set up and decorated so he'll be ready for the new school year. I am a frustrated elementary teacher inside, I think. :)

Gary turned 50 yesterday and we had a good time just spending time together as a family. Last night didn't work out to make his birthday dinner, so we're making it tonight for him. He requested chicken pockets and green bean casserole. Chicken pockets have long been a favorite in our family since we got married. I got the recipe from a family friend a long time ago and I've tweaked it over the years to make it better. I got the urge to put vegetables in it once and Gary told me not to – that it would ruin it. So I think I'm done tweaking it and will leave it well enough alone for now. They're super quick to put together and SOOO delicious – great comfort food! Gary also thinks that if made in miniature sizes, they'd be a great appetizer.

Here's the recipe:

Crescent Chicken Pockets

1 block of soft cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat and can't tell the difference)
3 tablespoons of butter or margarine, melted
2 cups of cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
Dash of dry minced onion (or you can finely chop and sauté a small sweet onion to add in)
Dash of garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk
8 oz can Pillsbury crescent rolls (I use the low-fat ones and can't tell the difference)
3/4 cup seasoned croûtons or potato chips, crushed into fine pieces
1-2 additional teaspoons of butter/margarine, melted (in a small bowl)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, 3 tablespoons melted margarine, salt, pepper, onion, garlic powder and milk. Keep stirring until very well blended and soft. Add in chicken and stir well.

On a greased cookie sheet, separate dough into 8 rectangles (using 2 triangles for each rectangle) and press perforations to seal. Spoon ¼ of the meat/cheese mixture into the center. Draw up the corners of the dough and press together, then press corners together so a solid seam is on each side (no chicken mixture showing). Repeat until you have 4 pockets. Brush tops of pockets with reserved butter, then dip in croûtons or potato chips.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serves 4 (one pocket for each). Can easily be doubled or tripled for larger groups.

Serving suggestion: serve with steamed green vegetables and a green salad.

Evil Knievel No Longer Lives Here

So, we decided to sell our other car about 6 weeks ago. When we bought it last year, we had no idea that Gary would be working so close to home. He had previously commuted over an hour each day in Virginia, so we wanted a reliable car that would be comfortable for him to spend a lot of time in if he needed to. If you recall, he didn't have a job offer until the day we literally moved so it was a shot in the dark to guess where he'd be working when we got to Texas. But once we got here and he began working, it just didn't make sense to have such an expensive car that was only being driven a few miles each day and sitting in a parking lot all the time. So, Gary had the idea that we could sell the car, and he'd ride his bike back and forth to school. Then he thought a little more and while that scenario would work well for nice weather days, it wasn't going to be as ideal on hot days (which we have a lot of here) or rainy days.

He did some research and found that he could buy a little motorized scooter – and with a helmet, jacket and gloves, he could zoom down the street quickly and without getting as sweaty...yet it would still accomplish our goal of saving money because it gets such great gas mileage. He did extensive research, finding the perfect brand and model scooter to buy, and we decided to press forward.

Before he made his purchase, though, he needed to take a motorcycle/scooter safety class. He signed up and last weekend the girls and I got up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to take him to his class (about 15 minutes away). All went well on Saturday. He had a great time at his class and really enjoyed learning how to ride. We took him on Sunday morning too and then the girls and I headed to church.

At 1:30, I got a phone call from him saying he was finished. I knew there was a chance he'd be done early but I could hear in his voice that something wasn't right. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Just come get me,” he said. He could hardly breathe. “Do you need to go to the ER?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied.

I quickly dropped the girls off at a neighbor's house and went to pick him up. He said he'd been taking his last test and when he tried to stop, he went over the handles of the bike, then the bike landed on top of him. Ouch. Double ouch.

We went to the ER, and they sent him home with painkillers and a muscle relaxer to combat the pain from a bruised kneecap, sprained wrist, abrasions/bruises on his back and shoulder, and several bruised (and probably broken – it takes a few days for it to show up) ribs. His symptoms and pain level are the exact same as when he broke his rib about 18 months ago – and the treatment isn't really any different. He's going back to the doctor later this week to get an update and more pain medication.

I feel so badly for him. He really wanted to do this. And he was so concerned all along with taking every safety precaution. However, the fact that he was injured this badly only going 15 mph is frightening. He's been in an extraordinary amount of pain and it's been hard to see him like that.
So, we've changed courses. We're looking at a much cheaper used car/truck on Craig's List.

Evil Knievel has gone to live elsewhere and Gary's in search of a new dream. :)

Of Sleep and Discipline

We are tired.

We moved Leah into Anna Claire's room about a week ago when their new bunk beds were delivered. The goal was to make the entire top floor for all the kids so they had their own space and we have ours - including a guest room on the 1st floor for out-of-town guests to stay as long as they like.

The bedroom turned out adorable - I'll post pictures soon. However, the transition has been a rough one. Leah is still at the age where she REALLY needs a nap in the afternoon - at least 4 days a week. Since she moved into Anna Claire's room, she has only napped once - and that was because she fell asleep in the car and I carried her upstairs. Every other time, she just plays. The end result is that she often falls asleep before dinner or during dinner and then she either doesn't wake up until the next morning or she takes a short snooze then doesn't want to go to bed until after 9 pm. And she's no longer sleeping in like she was before she moved rooms either. This has resulted in a new level of defiance and desire to assert her independence (usually shouting "NO!") at every opportunity, and sometimes she even takes a swing at us. Some of this could be her age, too - it's hard to differentiate what is age-related and what is sleep deprivation-related.

She has also figured out over the summer how to push almost all of Anna Claire's buttons - and vice versa. The fighting between them is crazy. And it's mostly over dumb stuff. Now that I think about it, I'm fairly sure the stuff my brother and I fought about was equally dumb but it seemed important at the time. My mother is a saint - I have no idea how she did it without joining the circus.

Anna Claire is going through an equally frustrating phase. We are trying to teach her the importance of obeying the first time we ask her to do something. Instead, we're met with (a) reasons she can't do it, (b) numerous questions about why we need her to do it, or (c) total avoidance. We've had to come down pretty hard on her lately and take away fun things we'd planned in order to send our message.

I know consistency is a good thing and it's the RIGHT thing to do when it comes to discipline. If we're not consistent now with both girls, they will be monsters by the time the baby is born. But sometimes it would be nice to just take the day (or week) off, you know? There are evenings when I just want everyone to get along and for them to stop needling each other.

I recognize my tolerance level is probably short because I'm so close to having the baby and I'm not sleeping well either. I'm hoping that our consistency, especially in discipline, will pay off soon. After all, it's not a matter of doing the right thing - it's a matter of doing the right thing LONG ENOUGH.

Just Hanging Out, Gettin' the Oil Changed in the Car...

Sibling Class

Today, Anna Claire and I had a special time together and I took her to a sibling class at the hospital. The kids got to practice holding, diapering and swaddling a baby, they watched a video about being a big sister/brother, and then we took a tour of the labor & delivery unit. She absolutely loved it and was so into each activity - much more interested than she was 3 years ago when Leah was born. It was fun to spend some time alone with her too - she is getting big so quickly!

Below: Learning how to change a diaper. She informed the instructor that she already knows how to do this because she changes her sister's diapers. :)



Practicing swaddling the baby...

Our One Year Texas Anniversary

One year ago today, we left Virginia and began driving to Texas. I cannot believe how quickly it's gone.

I remember that morning well. We woke up, having barely slept the night before at all because Leah spent a good deal of time opening and shutting the sliding glass door in our hotel room (including at 3 am). And we were sore from packing and loading. I was dreading the potential drive – because we had too much stuff for just one moving truck, we had to rent another one at the last minute, which left both Mom and me to drive the cars. Neither of us was really planning on that, and I'd never driven more than a few hours without falling asleep. I was trying to figure out how I would stay awake.

We went to the final walk-through of our townhouse, and Gary said, “I can't believe we're moving to Texas and I don't have a job yet.” I told him we had to trust that God would provide – after all, we felt so clearly led all along the way that this was where the Lord was leading us. No sooner than we finished the walk-through, Gary's cell phone rang – it was the high school here offering him a teaching job! He had a job offer literally 5 minutes before we got in the truck to move. I knew that God had not brought us this far to leave us, but the reminder of His faithfulness was such a comfort.

We got in the trucks/cars and began driving. Gary and Dad went on ahead, and we stopped for lunch at Chik Fil A – where it was “Cow Appreciation Day” - if you dressed up like a cow, you got a free meal. It was a pretty funny way to introduce Mom to Chik Fil A (they don't have them where my parents live). Add to that the fact that we were in a college town and the costumes were extremely entertaining!

The three day drive was so smooth – I especially enjoyed the drive through Virginia and Tennessee – such beautiful mountains! As we got into Alabama, I found myself getting more excited about our new adventure.

We arrived in Texas on July 14th – it was so fun to show Mom, Dad and the girls our new home! We spent the next few days unloading and unpacking. I'm not sure Mom and Dad really knew what they were signing up for when they offered to help us move across country, but we could not have done it without them. They were truly angels.

I've learned a lot over the past year. I've learned that while you can't ever replace dear, lifelong friends, there's still room for new ones. I've learned that I can keep a brave face for my children through a major hurricane even though I'm quietly freaking out inside. I've learned that it's not the big deal I thought it was to take a year to find the right person to cut your hair, to deliver your babies, and to be your primary care physician. I've learned that people here really do want to be friends – that their friendliness isn't fake but very genuine. God has shown me a new level of what it means to rely on Him for my identity now that I'm not working anymore. I've realized that a slower pace of life is what I've craved for years and it's wonderful to have that craving fulfilled. I've figured out that God really did hear my prayers for a friendly neighborhood,“back door friends” and lots of playmates for my children. I've discovered a new level of love, respect and affection for my husband. And I've learned that despite my initial impressions, I really love living here in Texas. I expected to “not mind it” but never expected to love it. But love it I do, and I really don't want to leave. Even though it's sometimes over 110 degrees with the heat index. Even though the cockroaches qualify as small animals that I think you might be able to rope and ride at the rodeo. Even though there are multiple lizards in my garage and one once made it into my refrigerator. Even though it doesn't often snow here. Even though my dear friends from Virginia aren't here and I still miss them terribly. Even though there's no Wegmans grocery store here. I still love it. I love my life here in Texas. It's been a great year.

July 4th Neighborhood Parade

We had a great July 4th, though it was oppressively hot. On the night of the 3rd, we went to hear the Houston Symphony give a free patriotic concert - it was outside and very hot but we had a great time. They closed the show with some fireworks.

On the 4th, we went furniture shopping for new bunk beds for the girls - we found some great ones that were on sale and they'll be delivered in about a week. I'm really excited. Then we can start setting up the nursery for the baby. I'll feel a lot better once we have things better organized. Then we went to the mall and let the girls run around, then went home to rest. I was not feeling well that day so Anna Claire and Gary went to watch the fireworks and Leah and I stayed home.

On Sunday night, our neighborhood had a parade for the kids where they decorated their bikes and rode around the block (so fun!) and then we had a big pizza party with snow cones, watermelon and some yummy side dishes. We just sat around in lawn chairs and had a great time getting caught up with the neighbors and the kids had a blast playing together. We live in a very social neighborhood but haven't seen a lot of our neighbors lately because it's been so hot. It was fun to see everyone! Here are some pictures from the neighborhood gathering...

Picture 1 - some of the kids from our neighborhood who rode their bikes in the parade.

Picture 2 - Gary and Leah having some dinner (Leah not being real cooperative about having her picture taken)

Picture 3 - Alyssa, Anna Claire, Leah and Karmen. Leah is looking so big with her hair in pigtails!

Summer Fun

I had to post these great pictures of Anna Claire's field day on the last day of school. It was so fun! Leah and I went over to her school to watch the festivities and the kids had such a great time. Pictured is also Anna Claire's fabulous 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Koury - we love her and she was such a great teacher this year! We will miss her.

(below) Anna Claire and one of her BFFs, Sarah. Strangely, her dad Brian is Gary's BFF at school too - they teach together!

(above) Anna Claire and Mrs. Koury

A couple weeks after school ended, Gary and I taught 1st grade Vacation Bible School at our church. Anna Claire and Leah also attended. Below is a picture of me with a bunch of my girlfriends from our Sunday school class who also helped out at VBS - we had a great time together!

One of our other favorite things to do this summer has been the Wednesday morning movies for kids - they're only fifty cents to get in and the girls love it! Last week we saw Madagascar 2 with some good friends...here's a picture of Leah & Gary (what you can't tell from the picture is that Leah is wearing her pink tutu - she wouldn't leave the house without it) and one of Anna Claire and her good friend from church, Emma Grace.

We Have a Crib Skirt!

I am so excited - we found a crib skirt yesterday for $8!!! It's a denim blue and I found it at a baby store here in Houston. The down side is that we had to brave the store when it had no air conditioning, so it was dark and hot but it was completely worth it. I am beside myself - I found all the baby's bedding for a total of $20! I love, love, love me a good deal.

Then we went to Babies R Us to look at carseats, where the girls proceeded to be just about as naughty as they could be - so I finally got frustrated and we left.

As I write, Leah is upstairs in her room (supposed to be napping), yelling "Sissy! Daddy! Sissy! Daddy! I'm awake - come get me! Anna Cware!" Sigh. I don't think I'm going to get a break today. Fortunately, Gary took Anna Claire out for a bike ride so she could burn off some energy.

My Newest Love - The Steam Mop

I have a new toy. A steam mop. I'm in love with it.

I hate the feeling on my floors after I've mopped them with a traditional mop - they tend to be sticky, no matter how much I dilute the cleaning solution in the hot water. And I just wasn't able to ever really get our tile floor clean...it has a lot of little grooves. And because I hated to mop (because I usually had to do it after the kids went to bed), I just never did it.

Until I bought my Shark Steam Pocket Mop. With the extra fun attachments. And I got it with a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond. But wait! It gets better. It's purple...a fun color. And you don't need any cleaning solution. Just water. And the floor is dry almost immediately, so I can mop while the kids are awake. And it comes with washable steam pads that you can throw in the washer. It's super-fun, I'm telling you!

Stream of Consciousness

We finally have a name for our baby boy! We're not sharing it until he's born, but Gary and I have finally agreed on a name that we both really like. Trust me, this was no small feat. We had several names on our list but I just wasn't passionate about any of them. And neither was he. But now we have a great name that we both love and now I can't wait to meet him!

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When we were getting ready to move here, I looked on the internet and found some cool wooden letters to hang on the wall that spelled the girls' names. I was so excited to have found painted wooden letters that cost less than $15-25 per letter - not such a big deal with Leah, but a huge expense if you're trying to spell Anna Claire's name! Now I can't find the website again and I wanted to find some cool letters to spell our baby's name as we're getting the nursery ready. I'm hoping I can find the website again...

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Amazingly, Gary was able to get Leah to eat chicken stir fry for dinner tonight. He understands her better than anyone, and even got her to eat a couple of bites of broccoli! I couldn't believe it. She practically breaks out in hives when something green is on her fork.

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I am really enjoying having Gary home this summer. We are having a great time together as a family. It's fun sleeping in, making breakfast together, playing with the kids, going to the pool and the $1 movies, and even running errands. It's especially fun to have this time with the 4 of us because the end of the summer brings a new little person. We're making some great memories together.

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I got the cutest baby bedding at a local consignment shop - it's very "baby boy" which is fun. However, it didn't come with a crib skirt. I was thinking, "No problem - I can easily find a cheap crib skirt." Especially because the linens have a bunch of different colors in them. I was obviously wrong - I found a cute one, but it's $59!!! For a crib skirt? I just can't justify that. Not when I only spent $12 on the rest of the bedding/curtains. I love to decorate, but I don't like to pay full price for anything. So I'm still looking...

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I still haven't found a hair stylist I like. I tried to make an appointment today with someone who had been recommended to me, and she can't take me for a haircut until July 23rd! Seriously? A month from now? Does she know that a hair crisis cannot wait a month? I've been growing out my bangs for almost a year and now that they're grown out (along with the rest of my hair), it just kind of hangs there. Could have something also to do with the 100+ degree heat but still...it's lacking a real style. Must get that fixed.

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We're moving the girls in together to make room for the baby. I'm so excited that I was able to find reasonably-priced matching linens at Target - and they match the paint job in the bedroom! The lady who lived in the house before us had more creativity in her little pinky than I have in my whole body...the room is so cute. So here's what the new linens look like...it's called "Happy Flower" and has blue, lavender, pink, yellow, green, and white. The sheets are adorable too. Anyway, it will give us lots of accessorizing options.

We were going to buy bunk beds for the girls, but knowing Leah's love for climbing and jumping, I just didn't think I could handle a newborn and several trips to the ER for a broken arm because she'd jumped off the top bunk. So, for now, we're going to do 2 twin beds side by side. I can't wait to put their room together!

Can you tell the nesting instinct is strong right now? I'll tell you tomorrow about my new plans for the master bedroom...

The Vacation That Almost Was...But Wasn't

We departed on Sunday morning for the Frio River with some friends. We were going to rent a cabin for several days, tube on the river, explore a nearby state park, and enjoy each other's company. Seemed like a great idea.

We had a great drive there and unloaded the cars, then went to dinner to celebrate Father's Day. The kids were remarkably well-behaved all day considering they'd been cooped up in the car for so long.

We put the kids to bed, then finally turned out the light at around 10:30 pm. I woke up at 2 am, having Braxton Hicks contractions. I knew it wasn't real labor, but eventually they were coming non-stop. At 4 am, I woke Gary up because I was still having them. By this point, I was really stressed because we were staying in a place that had no landline phone, neither of us had cell phone coverage, and the nearest hospital was in a small town (i.e. no NICU) 30 miles away. Not a good combination. By 6 am, they were still going strong but I was able to finally go back to sleep for a couple of hours.

When we woke up around 8 am, Gary made the decision that it was time to pack up and go home. I felt so badly - but I agreed with him. I was nervous that the contractions wouldn't stop and that I'd end up having the baby way too early. So we left - after being there only 17 hours.

Since we've been home, I've been taking it easy, drinking lots of water, and the contractions have become almost non-existent. And my stress level is much lower knowing that we're back in a place that has phone service and a hospital nearby in case we need it.

I think the Frio River would have been a lot of fun if we'd (a) been able to stay, and (b) the water level had been higher. We're in the middle of a huge drought right now and the river level was so low that you couldn't even really swim in it. Apparently there are years that the water level is so high that some of the cabins are flooded - but you don't know that when you book the cabin the previous September, so it's hard to know what will happen.

Nevertheless, we've decided to make the best of it and do some fun things here at home, and we're having a great time.

Odds & Ends

Leah asked last week if I could take the baby out of my tummy so she could "pet him." Then she informed me that she has a baby dolphin in her tummy. After that she told me that it was actually a baby tiger and he goes "ROAR!" :)

I took Anna Claire, Leah and one of Anna Claire's friends blueberry picking on Saturday afternoon. It was really hot but I was desperate to get the kids out of the house so that they'd stop fighting. While we were picking berries, Anna Claire said to her friend, "Can you BELIEVE that it's only the second day of summer and my mom has already THREATENED me?" I had told her that it was going to be a long summer if she didn't straighten up and fly right... I thought it was so funny that at 7 years old, she'd said that to a friend.

We've been doing some fun things lately - Anna Claire has some homeschooling summer activities she does every day and we also try to do something fun each day - renting a $1 movie from Blockbuster, going swimming, going to the library, etc. Today was library day - we met some friends there and went to a "zoo mobile" - the Houston zoo brought some animals out for the kids to see and they did a little talk on animals from Texas. Leah quickly lost interest after she figured out she wasn't going to get to pet a hippo. She is totally into hippos lately. So she and Gary played in the kids area while Anna Claire and I listened to the talk.

I've been taking a nap every afternoon and it's really helping. I don't end up going to bed until midnight or later as a result, but it's making a big difference in my mood and my energy level. I like to think my family appreciates the difference in my mood, too. :)

Gary and I are both going to BodyPump class at the Y now - the only down side is that we're drawing straws to decide who has to put the kids to bed because we're both so sore that neither of us wants to walk up the stairs.

OK, I'm off to bed to read one of my new books from the used book store - I love that place! We traded in several bags of books the other day for a $50 credit and got to pick out some fun new things to read.

Feeling Better

Today was a much better day. I don't often have bad days like I've had recently. I think a lot of it is lack of sleep. I've had a lot of insomnia with this pregnancy, which is weird - aren't you supposed to be tired all the time when you're pregnant?

Went to Bible study at church today - it was exactly what I needed. And a great friend of mine that I've known since 8th grade in VA happened to be in town visiting and we got the opportunity to catch up and go to dinner. It was awesome. And I got a 2 hour nap today in a quiet house while Gary took the kids to the pool. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

None of my long-range problems are really solved - I'm still pregnant, I still vomited when I woke up, I was still awake from 4:00-5:30 am this morning, and I still have children who seem to love being naughty...but I felt like I could cope a little better today. God was faithful to give me the grace and patience I needed. I had a better outlook and a more eternal perspective.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day, too. :)