.thoughts and ramblings of esther.

Blog Moved

2009-11-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

I have moved my blog to a new location: http://wellnessmom.wordpress.com/

Visit me there!

One Year Ago!

2009-10-29T22:26:00.006-04:00

One year ago today, I was a brand-new mommy, in shock and awe of the amazing process I had just been through. There is so much to say about this past year. I am thankful for the amazing gift of Kirsten Jael in our lives. Today was her birthday, and unfortunately she has been running a fever since yesterday. I felt so bad for her. She has been crying and fussy, and just not herself. So we didn't do too much celebrating today. We did give her a little birthday gift this morning, and then had a "birthday cookie" tonight. But the real celebration is tomorrow night, and I am praying for a healthy little girl by then!

40 Days of Grateful

2009-10-26T22:14:00.003-04:00

Last night in our small group, our application was to choose one discipline to practice for the next 40 days. This is not an attempt to become "more spiritual", but simply a way to allow God to use us, and to ultimately love God and love others more. There are SO many disciplines that I could choose, because honestly, I am very undisciplined when it comes to my spiritual walk. This is something I have struggled with for a long time, because I know that I should do better with daily devotions, etc. Thankfully, God is full of grace and does not base our salvation on how many hours per day we think about him, or read the Bible, or pray.

So rather than choose a discipline based on "doing", I decided to choose a discipline based on "being." More of an attitudinal discipline rather than something that I can "check off my list" of things to do. Since I typically have a rather critical attitude, I am choosing to focus on being grateful over the next 40 days. Now this is something I have been working on for quite a while, but I really want to be intentional about this and truly think about what I am grateful for each and every day. And I am going to write it down each day. Perhaps I will even update my blog with the list.

So, day 1 (yesterday): I am grateful for my small group! They are a great group of people and I am glad we are able to share with each other.
Day 2: I am grateful for the sunshine and the yellow leaves outside my window.

So what are you grateful for? I'd love to hear, and let's put together a great list!

A Pain in the Neck

2009-10-19T22:53:00.002-04:00

Well I woke up Saturday morning with a huge pain in the neck. No, it wasn't Scott... LOL! It was a literal pain in my neck! It was about 5:30am, and Kirsten woke up for one of her many awakenings lately. As I sat up to decide whether I was going to go in to her or wait it out, I felt this pain all around my neck and upper back muscles, and could hardly turn my head. "Oh, no!" I thought, remembering the last time this happened (about 3 years ago). That time it was so bad that I actually had to go to the doctor's office - and Scott had to drive me because I couldn't even drive.

Well, thankfully this time it wasn't as bad. But, it did cause me tons of discomfort, and after feeding Kirsten (with the hopes that it would buy me some extra sleep time), I went back to bed. I couldn't fall back asleep for about an hour because the pain was keeping me up! I put some pain creme on and that helped some, and eventually I went back to sleep. Once Kirsten woke up again, thanks to the dogs barking a lovely chorus downstairs, I had the joy of feeling the tense muscles in my neck. I spent most of the day trying to figure out how to do my normal activities while having limited motion of my head and neck. It's not easy, people!

Thankfully Kirsten wasn't too fussy Saturday, or I don't know what I would've done. It was great that she took 2 good naps, and I slept during both of them! But by the time 5pm rolled around, I was starting to really need some help. I called Scott (he had been gone on a youth trip all day long and was scheduled not to return until after the missions conference that night) and asked if he might be willing to leave after the potluck and come home to help me. He did, and I was so grateful. He brought me some Chinese for dinner, and as soon as he got home, he took over with Kirsten and allowed me to rest.

Now, on Monday night, I am still feeling some dull pain, but it's not nearly as bad. I have done tons of stretching, neck rolls, etc to try and work it out. I have also used my pain cream plenty, as well as my prescription muscle relaxers from the previous incident, and ibuprofen as well. However, I am looking forward to this stupid pain being gone. It makes me ever-so-thankful for my otherwise healthy body, and the fact that I don't have any major ongoing health issues! Meanwhile, I may be checking out some local chiropractors and/or massage therapists if this type of thing keeps happening!

Sleep is NOT Overrated

2009-10-08T20:55:00.003-04:00

Many people say that sleep is overrated. I couldn't disagree more. I think that most people who say sleep is overrated are not moms. Every mom I know LOVES her sleep! When something becomes scarce, it becomes more valuable, right? At least that's my experience.

When you have a baby, your whole concept of sleep changes. Sleep becomes anytime you can close your eyes for longer than 10 minutes, not necessarily a full 8 hour night. Sleep becomes the thing that you long for when you are making breakfast, folding laundry, or taking your baby for a walk. Sleep becomes more important than eating sometimes! (And if you know me, that is saying a lot!)

Thankfully, I am getting a lot more sleep than I was when Kirsten was a few months old. I definitely get longer chunks of sleep now. However, there are still days (and nights) when I just long to sleep with NO interruptions. To close my eyes and not be awakened until I want to be... approximately 11am, thank you. However, I realize that will probably not happen anytime soon! And that's okay. Because as much as I would love to have a full night's sleep or the ability to take a 3 hour nap, I wouldn't give up my baby girl for anything!

It's definitely a life-changing experience to become a mother, and sleeping becomes a much-loved pasttime, but the joy of seeing a child grow and change is priceless.

Fall is Here!

2009-10-02T16:29:00.006-04:00

I love fall. I have officially decided that it's my favorite season. While I love summertime, and all the adventures it brings, there's something reassuring about fall. It's the time that everyone starts to come back home, settle down, and enjoy life. The leaves begin to turn and we're reminded of just how fleeting life is. The cooler weather prompts me to pull out my sweaters and fleece coats, which I love to wear. And now, another great thing about fall is that my beautiful daughter's birthday is right smack-dab in the middle of it!

So, to celebrate fall, here are a few of my favorite photos of this season!

Below: my daughter's hands inspecting a beautiful red leaf.

Below: Kirsten enjoying a stroller ride on a breezy fall day.

Writing

2009-10-02T16:25:00.003-04:00

I have been thinking a lot more lately about my love of writing. I realize that as I have gotten older, and in some ways, busier with life, I have spent a lot less time writing. Yet, when I do write, I love it, and I sometimes get comments from others about how they enjoy my writing. So I am going to *try* and write more often, if only to get better and practice more. Perhaps one day I will decide to write a book. But for now, I will have to focus on writing on my blog. Hopefully my 5 readers will oblige me!

Of course, when one decides to begin writing more, one's mind goes blank. So this will be it for now, although I have another post with some updates on life in general.

Kirsten Meets Her Great-Grandparents Pier

2009-09-21T22:25:00.004-04:00

My Grandparents Pier (my dad's parents) live in North Carolina, so they have never had the chance to meet Kirsten - until yesterday. I was so excited when they decided to come visit Maine for a special event going on here in the area, both because I would get to see them and because Kirsten would get to meet them! So on Sunday, I took Kirsten and we went to church at CPC, where I went growing up, since Grandma and Grandpa were going to be there. Then after church, we went back to my grandmother Lawrence's home for lunch. Thankfully Kirsten took her nap after church, so when she woke up, she was super-cute, and she thoroughly entertained all of us! Here are a few of my favorite photos of this first meeting!

The Incident

2009-09-06T21:40:00.004-04:00

Picture this:
It's a quite Saturday night. We have spent the entire day working around the house, getting yardwork done, and just having a nice family day. Kirsten went to bed early, around 7:15, because she refused to take her afternoon nap. It was a wonderful chance for Scott & I to just chill out, watch some TV, and get to bed at a decent time.

That is, until we hear some extremely loud noises from the bathroom. It's a combination of barking, whining, and growling, and it's much more than Mia's usual freaking out at squirrels, etc. So we both got up and went into the bathroom to figure out what was going on. In the bathroom, we saw Mia but not Moxie, which was odd since they both had been in there previously. But the bathroom window had been open about 4-6". Now, it was open much wider and the screen was popped out of place. Scott ran outside, because it's never good when there's a dog missing. I followed shortly behind him with some treats, but they weren't needed.

Scott came walking towards me with Moxie, who was totally freaking out and had porcupine quills all over his face! We managed to get him inside, but he continued to freak out and whine - obviously in a lot of pain and confused about what had happened. I called the vet and they told us to bring him in, which I was already planning to do. Scott had attempted to remove a couple quills, but Moxie wouldn't stop moving long enough to even get to his face. He did, however, manage to take a couple photos before I left with Moxie.

The ride to the vet's office was not very pleasant. I had to listen to Moxie growl and whine at him self. And he tried (and succeeded) several times to get into my lap while I was driving - I had to pull over once to get him to move. It is very difficult to see a dog in pain but not be able to do anything. Once at the emergency vet's office, I had to wait for at least 1/2 hour before they did anything. THEN, the technician tried to take his pulse (didn't work) and THEN she tried to take his temperature - rectally. Yeah, not happening. The poor thing was in pain and then someone tried to shove something up his rear. I wouldn't want that either!!!

Thankfully, they were able to get him in, give him anesthesia and remove the quills pretty quickly. It was 10:30 by the time I got home, so my relaxing evening was toast. But I was glad to have Moxie back to "normal", even though he was pretty doped up still. Oh, the joys of having a dog!

Kirsten's Birthday

2009-09-01T21:53:00.006-04:00

Kirsten will turn ONE in just under 2 months! This is hard to believe, but I find that I am growing more and more in love with her as she gets older. She just continues to become more fun, and I love seeing all the funny things she does now.

I know that this is a bit early, but at the request of my friend Jessica, I am putting a few ideas of things she might like for her birthday. By no means do we expect gifts, but obviously some people might want to buy something. So here are a few ideas:

-Stacking Toys like this one
-Linking toys like these
-Duplo blocks or something similar
-Swirly Orb
-Bead Toy like this one or this one
-Little Chef Set
-First Words
-The Poky Little Puppy
-Bear Snores On board book
-My First Word Touch & Feel
-Going to Bed Book or Opposites or any of the Boynton books
-My Big Animal Book
-One Fish, Two Fish (board book)
-Polar Bear, Polar Bear
-Panda Bear, Panda Bear

The Squirrel Saga

2009-08-27T21:52:00.002-04:00

Well some of you have heard this story already, but it must be documented for all the 5 readers that I have.

This past Friday morning, we were sound asleep with Mia cuddled up at our feet (she snuck up because I forgot to put the gate up). Well, she started getting anxious for food, so she got off the bed. I thought she was going downstairs, when all of a sudden we heard all this thumping. Scott got up to check it out, and then there was a lot of commotion, followed by Scott forcing Mia downstairs. When he came back into our room, he told me that there was a squirrel in our office! I was half-awake, and I think I asked him a couple times whether it was really IN the office (rather than just in the wall) and whether he SAW it. The answer was YES and YES.

Well we both had to get ready for the day - I had to go to work, and Scott had to leave for Man Camp. When I got home that day, Mia was still obsessing (i.e. pacing the kitchen and standing at the gate whining incessantly), and the squirrel was still upstairs in the office. Kira was also quite interested in this whole ordeal as well. That night, when Kira alerted me to the squirrel's location, I decided to attempt to catch it. I brought a pair of oven mitts and a tupperware container upstairs. I thought maybe I could grab it out of the drawer where it was hiding, but I was super scared of getting bitten or scratched up. Hence, the oven mitts! Well, let's just say that was a silly idea! As soon as he saw me coming towards him, he freaked out and jumped in behind the drawer again.

I went to bed that night, trying not to worry about a squirrel coming to visit me in my room. I also had to lock Mia in the bathroom so that she did not drive me crazy. The next morning, I checked on the squirrel, and he was still in the drawer. He looked a lot calmer, so I thought maybe I could capture him this time. First, I went outside and got the live trap and set it up. That, in and of itself, was quite a job. Then I took part of the graham cracker that I had put in the trap and stuck it in the drawer for the squirrel. Then I got my tongs and thought, perhaps I can just reach down and grab him and then dump him in the trap. Attempt #2 to capture him was not successful either. Once again, he was a lot faster than I was, although he was definitely a bit slower after sitting all night with no food or water.

I had to leave that day for a trip down to a birthday party, so when I returned home, I went upstairs to check things out. Kira ran up with me, and we saw the squirrel scrambling back and forth between two windows in the craft room. That's when it occurred to me - open a window! I did that while the squirrel hid in the heating register. I was hoping that he would realize that the window was open and escape that way.

Later that night, I looked around and listened and determined that attempt #3 was successful! Thankfully, I can report that our home has been squirrel-free since. Now, if we only knew how he got in...

To Florida and Back!

2009-08-22T21:08:00.002-04:00

Well, we have been home since Monday but this is my first chance to sit down and blog about our trip to Florida. On Monday the 10th, we headed out from Bangor and flew to Orlando. Scott was really nervous about how Kirsten would do on the flight. Thankfully, none of his fears came to fruition. She did fabulous overall. She did get a little fussy, but that was because she was tired. So I nursed her, and she fell asleep.

Once in Orlando, we got our rental car and headed to our hotel. After a few minor disagreements, Scott and I decided to try and do our best to get along and not fight over silly things. So that night we got settled in the hotel, and then the fun began! Tuesday we headed out for our first day at Sea World. Based on the map I had, Sea World was very close to our hotel. And since we knew it cost $12 to park at Sea World, we decided to walk instead of drive. Well, needless to say, in 90+ degree heat and high humidity, this turned out to be a very sweaty walk! Scott was pretty soaked by the time we got there! Thankfully, we discovered a secret parking lot on our way back that afternoon, and the next day we drove instead!

Sea World was definitely one of my favorite places when I went to Florida as a kid, and it remains so once again! We saw all kinds of fun animals, from sea lions and seals to penguins and puffins to dolphins and whales. Since it was so hot out, we often visited the indoor attractions, such as the penguins, because there was AC in there and it felt really nice to cool off! Kirsten did pretty well, but did get fussy due to the heat and tiredness during the dolphin show. We endured a looooong walk back to the hotel, stopping off at McD's to get something cool to eat/drink. We first checked a "supermarket", but it was really sketchy and didn't have anything that we were looking for. That evening we were invited over to Sheila & Tim's condo for dinner, and we got to go swimming in the pool. Kirsten LOVED it!

The next day, we had breakfast and then DROVE to Sea World, parking in the "secret" lot. That meant that we started off much less sweaty, which was nice! On the second day we saw the killer whale show, "Believe", and it was pretty awesome. We also went into the Arctic Zone to see the Polar Bear, Beluga Whale, and Walruses. God's creation and the variety and intricacy is just incredible! We splurged and got Kirsten a little stuffed penguin to "remember" Sea World by. Plus, we videotaped and photographed tons, so even though she won't remember it, she'll be able to see what we did.

Wednesday afternoon we had to head over to the airport to pick up my mom. Then we rushed back to get ready for a special celebration that I had earned. Mom watched Kirsten while Scott and I attended. We got to see comedian/juggler Jeff Civilico, and he was pretty incredible and funny! Thursday through Saturday were full of training, workshops, etc, for my business. It was so much fun and a lot of exciting announcements were made. It re-confirmed my dedication to building this business, as I see how the company continues to grow and find ways to help the average person get ahead. Scott was amazing, taking care of Kirsten during the times that I was in my business sessions. There were a couple times that I had to leave to help him, but that was pretty minimal, and she was my priority, of course!

Sunday was our final day of "vacation", so we went to Aquatica with Mom. Aquatica is Sea World's water park, and it is tons of fun! We found a place to keep all our stuff, and then we rotated - 2 people going on rides while the 3rd person stayed with Kirsten. This worked pretty well, and we all got to go on several rides. The lines were pretty long, but we discovered a few that had fast-moving lines, and we went on those. I did wait really long to go on the "Dolphin Plunge" - that is the one that has a clear tube for part of it, and you actually slide through the Commerson's Dolphins' tank. It was pretty awesome, and I got to see the dolphins when I went through (not everyone sees them - it all depends on where they are in the tank).

The week ended on a great note, with Mom agreeing to watch Kirsten on Sunday evening so that Scott & I could go back to Sea World and do some of the rides (since we couldn't do them when we had Kirsten with us). We did the "Kraken" and "Manta", and both were CRAZY, scary, and fun!

Here are a few photos of the week:

Summer is Here

2009-08-04T21:10:00.008-04:00

Well given that I've seen more sun in the past week than the past month, combined, I officially declare that summer is here! I am enjoying being out in the sun as much as possible, doing lots of fun summer activities. This past weekend, my sister arrived from Pennsylvania, so we have been trying to hang out as much as possible. On Saturday evening we spent time out at the Dunfee camp, and we went for a boat ride at sunset. It was so beautiful, and we saw a group of 5 loons!

On Monday, Naomi and I decided to hit the road and enjoy the beautiful day at the coast. We went to Schoodic Point, and it was a great day for adventuring. Kirsten slept the whole way down, which worked out perfectly. Once we were there, we climbed around on the rocks and watched the waves. Kirsten really loved climbing on the rocks, too. In fact, she got mad whenever we picked her up - she just wanted to explore... a girl after her mother's heart!

Last but not least, one of my favorite summer activities is blueberry picking! I stopped today on my way home from Machias, and there were loads and loads of blueberries right on the side of the road. No signs, nothing saying not to pick... so I did. I got 4 quarts in about 1/2 hour. It was crazy!

One of Those Days

2009-07-29T22:32:00.002-04:00

Today was one of those days when...

Scott was gone from 8:30am till 9:00pm, and I really could've used his help!
I tried to do too many things and felt like I didn't get anything done.
Kirsten was into everything and I couldn't look away for 2 seconds.
Kirsten wasn't happy unless she was into everything.
I had piles of dishes to do... got a few of them done, but still more to do.
I had piles of laundry to fold & put away, and more piles to do, and did neither putting away nor washing/drying.
You want to have lunch but it takes you 2.5 hours just to get to eat.
I felt like crying and did.
I was happy to see the sun but was stinkin' HOT and wished I had A/C.
Just when I thought it wasn't going to get any worse, I walked into the kitchen to find dog puke on the floor and on the carpeted cat stand.
Kirsten should've gone to sleep by 7:30 but at about 8:15 I gave up and just let her play on the floor.

Thankfully, Scott got home and rescued me. And my day got a lot better. Scott got Kirsten to sleep in about 5 minutes. I ate dinner. At 9pm. And now I'm going to have a big bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream and then go to bed.

A Good Deal

2009-07-25T22:30:00.003-04:00

We have never bought a new vehicle... until now. When our friend Wendy mentioned the "Cash for Clunkers" program, it got us thinking. Then when I saw an ad for a vehicle that looked like what we were interested in, for a decent price, it got me thinking more. On Monday, we drove to Charlie's Motor Mall in Augusta to take a test drive. Knowing that we could turn in Scott's old Toyota Tacoma and get $4500 towards a brand new vehicle made us very interested. We couldn't do anything that day since the program was not finalized. Things finally were finalized yesterday, and Chrysler had also announced that they were matching up to $4500 for qualifying vehicles. Ours did not qualify for the full amount, but it did qualify for $3500. After all was said and done, that means we had $8000 off the price for 2009 Jeep Patriot! Now that's a good deal... one that we decided would be a good one to take advantage of, especially since Scott has had his truck for 7 years and we had been thinking that it would be time to upgrade soon. Scott went and picked it up today. He says I can look at it.... haha. I am hoping to drive it sometime soon!

Another bonus: lifetime warranty on the powertrain, plus 3 year warranty on other stuff. And, it gets much better gas mileage than his truck did.

So here's a low-quality pic, but I'll post some better ones soon.

Beautiful Jewelry

2009-07-25T11:33:00.004-04:00

I am so excited about this contest! You can enter to win $500 of free jewelry from this beautiful etsy shop. I am in love with this bracelet:

Here's to hoping I win! (Or, if you win, you can share the love with me!)

Sample Scrapbook Page

2009-07-12T17:44:00.002-04:00

Here's one of my pages from a book I am working on. You can see why I love this so much!

Into Everything... and More

2009-07-09T18:28:00.003-04:00

I am inspired by all my friend's recent blogs, and I realize that I haven't blogged in quite a while. That is probably because I've been busy keeping up with Kirsten getting into everything, working part-time, doing business, and getting Scott ready to leave for 10 days. Speaking of which, he left last night for Belize, so keep him in your prayers!

Kirsten is now 8 and 1/2 months old, and she is constantly pulling herself up to a standing position. She likes to stand by the rocking chair and the couch the most. She also likes to do a little swaying dance, which often results in a tumble and then the crying ensues. Thankfully it's fairly easy to distract her, and I find that stepping outside works the best for this. Although with the weather lately, we haven't been doing that as much!

Along with standing up, she is also crawling all over the place and seems to want cords, outlets, and other dangerous items the most. It is wonderful that she is developing so well and gaining independence, but she defintiely requires constant supervision!

We are still struggling with bedtime, since due to this newfound skill of standing, she often wants to stand up in her crib when it's time to go to sleep. Sometimes when she wakes at night, and I go in to nurse her, she's actually standing there! It's crazy. So we are working on trying to get her settled down more before going to bed, and that is working some of the time. Other times it is requiring me to go into her room several times to lay her back down and pat her back and help her to calm down. I asked for advice on this topic on facebook, and boy did I get responses! There are definitely tons of opinions on this issue, and I am finding myself somewhere in between the two "exteremes". Generally I let her cry for a bit before I go in, but then I also try to settle her down when I am there. But the best option is to get her much more sleepy before laying her down, and then she just falls asleep without much fuss at all.

Well I am off to give her a little bath and get her ready for bed. I'd love her to go to sleep around 7 or 7:30pm, but it's usually closer to 8:30 by the time she goes to sleep. Perhaps we will get there earlier tonight!

New Obsession: Digital Scrapbooking

2009-06-20T10:50:00.005-04:00

Ok gals (I am figuring it is mostly gals who read my blog) - I am now obsessed with digital scrapbooking. A while ago I purchased the Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus. I have heard from many others that this is a fast and easy way to create photo books, while still using a lot of the paper and stickers that are available from CM. As a former CM consultant, this appealed to me. Not to mention that with a new baby, there is not a lot of time for scrapbooking.

So the other night I finally decided to try it out. I downloaded one of the power pallete kits that you can buy to go with the program. I chose the Delight Baby Girl since of course I would be doing mostly baby photos. It took me a bit to get this program figured out, but I am finally getting it. And let me tell you, it is SO COOL! The program comes with a few kits already installed, and then you can add on as I did. The neat thing is, once you have a particular kit installed, you can use that paper over and over again. And you also have a variety of embellishments, different fonts, stickers, etc that you can use. So the possibilities for creating your pages are truly endless. And unlike traditional scrapbooking, where once you use one element or piece - it's gone - with this, you could create 20 of the same pages if you wanted to! Then when you complete the book, you are able to get several copies made if you choose.

I am excited about this as it will make for great gifts, as well as being a lot easier and faster to create than a traditional album. I still love my albums and will probably continue doing them to some extent, but I am definitely in love with this new digital thing as well! Here's one example of what the pages can look like - since I haven't figured out how to upload one of my pages here:
And here's the link about how to create this if you are so inclined!

Kirsten Growling

2009-06-10T15:49:00.002-04:00

Not Too Much To Say...

2009-06-10T15:34:00.002-04:00

I'm choosing to write a blog post right now instead of folding laundry or doing dishes - two things which desperately need to be done around here! I figure it's time for a little update of what is going on around here. I can't believe it's already June! It is truly crazy how quickly this year is passing by. I am seeking to enjoy each moment, though, and take advantage of the time I have rather than wasting it. Although occasionally, I do sit and watch mindless television.

Well anyway, as for an update, let's see. This past weekend we were at home on Friday night for the first time in a long time. Now that our Marriage Course is over, we have our Friday nights back. We definitely enjoyed all that we learned during the Marriage Course and would recommend it to others, but it is nice to be able to just chill out on Friday nights and have no where to go. On Saturday, I had to "work" by going to Kohl's for a kids' event where F.A.C.T. had a table. I got to do face painting and temporary tattoos for kids of all ages (including myself - haha). I have freaked a couple people out since then when they noticed the tattoo on my ankle - no, it's not real! After that we headed for Charleston for my step-brothers graduation from high school. We saw some people we hadn't seen in ages, so that was fun. Sunday was of course a church day, and Scott had a meeting for Belize afterwards, so my friend Jess and I went out for Chinese. That was lots of fun. Then amazingly when I got home, Kirsten fell asleep and I got a nice long nap in, which was definitely needed! We finished off the night with small group, and since it was super small that night, the guys installed Steve & Jessica's overhead light and then we played wii bowling.

Kirsten has been continuing to amaze us with all of her changes and development! She has learned to "growl", which is extremely hilarious. I will post a video for anyone who hasn't seen it on facebook. She also has a second tooth coming in now, so we've been dealing with lots of fussiness. She has had a hard time the past few days and has been crying more than usual, but thankfully it seems to be getting better. She's also continuing to work on crawling and is incredibly fast at getting around. She is not quite sitting up on her own yet, but she is getting pretty close. It is just incredible to see all of her changes. I truly enjoy her more and more every day. Although I have loved her ever since she was born, I feel like the past few months have been a lot more fun than the first few months. I now feel like I have a little bit more of a clue what to do, and she's also tons more interactive. Kirsten also doesn't need to be held 24/7 anymore, which is kind of nice on my back!

Well that's it for now, I guess. Nothing major to report. We have a busy month ahead and we are trying to find a way to celebrate our 7 year anniversary which is next Monday. We are hoping to do a day trip without Kirsten to just focus on us sometime before the end of the month!

I Want to Remember

2009-06-03T15:27:00.003-04:00

Dear Kirsten,
I want to remember how you sound so cute when you try to "talk", saying "bababa" and "mamamama".
I want to remember how it feels to have you snuggled close to me while you nurse, eyes closed, in the middle of the night.
I want to remember how you look up at me, neck cranked back, with this goofy smile when I am trying to put you down for your nap or bedtime. I try not to laugh, but I can't help myself because you look so silly, even though I know you're tired.
I want to remember how you light up when you see the cat walk by, and you reach out to try and grab her fur. She's not a big fan of it, however.
I want to remember how you lean into Daddy when he has you in the sling, and how you will gradually fall asleep, looking so precious.
I want to remember how you are so very active, always wanting to move and explore, never sitting still for even a moment. Perhaps, like Mommy, you'll have to work at being still and not always doing something.
I want to remember your big blue eyes staring, focusing, studying new things that you encounter... and how shortly after studying them, you put them right in your mouth!
I want to remember how these first 7 months have flown by, and how I should truly savor and appreciate every moment I have with you.
I want to remember how you are already looking like a little girl instead of a baby, and that is just crazy!
I want to remember these moments, even though you won't, so that I can tell you about them later on.

Love,
Your Momma

Fun at the Fort & 6 Months Update

2009-05-16T19:49:00.005-04:00

Today we had a great time at Fort Knox. I went for Foster Family at the Fort Day to represent my workplace. My boss is so cool that she said I could take my family with me! So, I got paid to hang out at a fun place with my daughter, husband, and nephew all day! All I had to do was set up a table for my workplace and talk to people if they wanted to know more about us. I also helped paint some kiddos faces, which was a lot of fun. Here are some of the pics from the day:

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Also, as of April 29th, my daughter was 6 months old!!! I can't even believe that she is this old! Here are some of her stats and what she is doing now:
17lbs, 27" long
She is not crawling, but she IS moving pushing up on her hands and knees (and sometimes tippy toes) and moving forward. She kind of pushes up, pushes forward, and plops down. But she is getting more and more coordinated every day, and moving faster every day. I put blankets down for her to play on, and she's off them in 30 seconds. Oh joy! She is also starting to LAUGH. I love it! I try to get her to laugh frequently, and she has finally started to. It's not a real strong laugh, but it's definitely there! She is so stinkin' cute! Kirsten is also taking solids very eagerly - so far she has had rice cereal, avocados, bananas, carrots, and today we tried a little bit of pears. She has liked everything so far, although carrots were not her fave. Kirsten also is showing more of her personality and her likes and dislikes. She LOVES being outside. She also loves bathtime. She enjoys putting things in her mouth, and she adores the cat and dogs. She does not like being confined, and she doesn't like it when she can't have what she wants. There is so much more, but I can honestly say that I am enjoying Kirsten more and more every day. There are moments when I just look down at her and feel totally overwhelmed that I get to be her mommy! When you look into her eyes, I think you can see why I feel that way!

Forward Movement

2009-05-02T19:54:00.002-04:00

In the past week, Kirsten has been making tons of developmental changes. She turned 6 months on Wednesday, which I can hardly believe. But even more unbelievable is her progress towards crawling. She is pushing up on her hands and knees, then pushing her legs up so that she moves forward. She hasn't quite got the hands moving yet, but she'll flop them down and then start the process over. She can move across the length of her blanket on the floor, approximately 4 feet. Not only is she moving on the floor, she's also moving around a ton in her crib. When we lay her down to sleep, she is often turning herself over as well as moving sideways. The other day I laid her down on her belly facing one direction, and then she was crying a bit so I went to check on her, and she was on her back facing the complete opposite direction! I have yet to figure out how she did it.

She also laughed for the first time this week! I was sooooo excited! I was doing "This little piggy" with her, and she laughed when I tickled her belly. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get her to do it again. I'll keep trying, though! It was so cute to hear her laugh.

Well here's some proof of her "forward movement" she's been making. I've officially decided that it's time to babyproof the downstairs!!

Marriage Time and More

2009-04-28T19:56:00.002-04:00

Scott and I are participating in our church's Marriage Alpha program. It started a couple weeks ago, and we go every Friday night for 8 weeks. It's a way to focus on your marriage and learn skills and tools to help improve and strengthen it. These are Biblically-based principles, but someone does not necessarily have to be a Christian to benefit from the program.

One of the first principles that they introduce is the concept of "marriage time." They recommend that you set aside approximately 2 hours each week to focus on your marriage - free of interruptions like kids, phones, dishes, etc. During the program, you have "homework" to complete during the marriage time. Last week, we had the blessing of having Steve & Jess babysit for us while we went out to Starbucks for a bit. This was a great time to connect and discuss some things that affect our marriage. Thankfully, Kirsten did pretty well while we were gone and was well-cared for by Steve and Jess, of course.

This week, we decided to try and do marriage time one evening without having someone babysit. And guess what, tonight is that evening! I was very excited when I got Kirsten to sleep around 7:00, because it meant we might actually have some time together. Well, shortly after I came downstairs triumphantly, I heard her crying again. I waited a bit and then went back up to try and soothe her back to sleep. Once again, I thought I had succeeded, only to look down and see her big eyes looking up at me as she pushed her entire torso off the mattress. Nope, not sleepy time. Argh! So, I came downstairs with her and Scott said she'd take her for me. So currently he's outside walking her around the yard attempting to get her to sleep. Meanwhile, I am chilling inside and attempting to relax a bit.
********************* Blogging Break *************************************************
Okay, I took a blogging break because Scott came inside with a sleeping baby! So we had time to talk and do our marriage time. Although we didn't do a full 2 hours - hopefully we can snag another hour somewhere in the next few days.

Other news: I have recently found out that I have an issue with my thyroid. Apparently I have hypothyroidism. I am not good at explaining this whole issue. What I do know is that some of the symptoms that I have been having are most likely related to the thyroid issue. So I will be taking some medication for this and hoping that perhaps it will make a difference. And I will also be making an effort to get more sleep and take better care of myself. I know that sleep-deprivation is par for the course when you have a little one, but I also know that my constant fatigue and exhaustion has been affecting all areas of my life, including my mood. So I am thankful to perhaps have some answers and hoping that these changes might make a difference. Not to mention that spring is definitely here, and getting outside will be good for me and Kirsten too! Watch for another post about Kirsten's latest developments!

Dog Meets Lobster

2009-04-21T19:43:00.002-04:00

Okay, I know I also posted this on facebook and some of you have already seen this, but it's really funny. This is our dog Mia last summer when she met a lobster for the first time. I had to tie Moxie out because I knew he wouldn't be afraid - he would just grab the thing in his mouth. Mia, however, is much more cautious about these things.

Slowing Down

2009-04-15T20:40:00.005-04:00

Well, as you can probably tell by my serious lack of posting for the last few weeks, things have been crazy. I can't even really tell you why, I just know that it has felt like I haven't stopped moving until tonight. And I am realizing my need to just slow down - in a variety of ways. This post really sums up how I feel a lot of the time.

I feel like I am never able to get caught up on everything, and therefore I am constantly trying to get things done while also caring for Kirsten. Instead of just savoring and enjoying the moments with her, I often attempt to "get something done." Whether it means trying to fold laundry (which never seems to end), do the dishes, work on business stuff, or check my email - I am always doing something.

Yet when I sit down and just focus on my girl - just watch her, talk to her, and listen to her - I have such a great time, and I feel more relaxed. It's hard for me to let go of needing to do something. Especially when I feel like I am probably letting someone else (or myself) down by not getting those things done. But it's so important to take this time to just savor, love, and snuggle. I know that I can't give Kirsten 100% of my attention 100% of the time. But I do want to take time every day to just focus on her, and enjoy that time so that I don't just let it pass by.

Here are some fave photos of recent times with Kirsten:

Free to be Happy!

2009-03-31T22:23:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, my March has been insane. I was away the first weekend for the youth group snow camp. Then the following weekend was Kirsten's dedication. After that was a weekend away for scrapbooking. So last Thursday, I was really debating whether or not to attend our church's women's retreat. I really wanted to, but with all the time away, plus working, business, etc, I was feeling the need to stay at home and relax. But, in the back of my head, I heard a voice saying: "Go." I was pretty sure it was God telling me to go, so I decided to brave the 3-hour drive with a 5-month old AGAIN, and see what would come of it.

All I can say is WOW. God knew what he was doing when He told me to go - imagine that! Kirsten did have a hard time in the car, and there were moments that I was thinking: "Why am I doing this to her again?" But we made it there, and thankfully my lovely friend Shan was in the backseat trying to keep her calm. Once we arrived at Blueberry Mountain, we managed to get settled and Kirsten was super happy to be out of the car.

The theme of the weekend was "Free to be Happy", and it was based on a Beth Moore DVD where she talks about the blessing of Asher from Deuteronomy 33. The weekend was a perfect mix of down time and structured time, allowing us to have time to process what we were learning. Friday night we had some fun playing the game "Two Truths and a Lie", and I found out that I was not able to lie as well as I thought! Saturday brought personal devo time, times to watch the DVD and discuss, free time, and of course lots of meals.

I have never done much with Beth Moore before, but I have to say I was completely impressed as well as inspired to truly dig deeper into scripture. It was amazing how God spoke through her directly to me and to my situation. I learned that God truly wants us to be happy, and we can be when we recognize the amazing works that He has done in our lives. That's a very simplified explanation of what I learned - I just don't have the brainpower to go further into detail at the moment.

One of the most moving moments of the weekend for me was when we did the "20 Things I Love" activity in our small groups (we had been broken up into small groups for discussion and activities). We had to make a list of 20 things we love, then read them aloud twice to our group. We then had to turn our chair around while our group "talked behind our back" about us. This was meant to be good things, of course. I sat there with tears rolling down my cheeks as the women in my group said things like "adores family, Proverbs 31 woman, high expectations of self, a woman to look up to, and a fear of letting others down." I was overwhelmed by the love and support of these other women who had listened earlier in the day as I shared my struggles as a new mom and learning to balance it all. And now they offered words of encouragement and support, affirming me in every way. After they were done, I said, "I think I needed to put 'I love crying' on my list, since I seem to be doing that all the time!"

Sunday was our last day, and we had breakfast followed by personal quiet time, and then our final DVD. After the final DVD session with Beth, we had a time of sharing in the big group. It was amazing to hear how many women had contemplated not coming, but once they were there, God moved in them deeply. One woman even shared how Christ had met her there, and she had made a commitment to Him even though she had thought of herself as a "Christian" for years! We rejoiced with her and it was truly amazing to see the change in her face - she was truly HAPPY!

I am so thankful that God prompted me to go this weekend. God truly showed me that I am not alone, and that there are so many women with a wealth of wisdom and experience who are willing to help me in this journey. I am also thankful for dear Shannie who roomed with me and Kirsten so I wouldn't be alone, and gave me an afternoon free so that I could just do whatever I wanted. Although Kirsten screamed for part of it, thankfully she calmed down and I was able to enjoy some quiet time alone.

Well I am off to bed as Kirsten's been sleeping for 2 and 1/2 hours now and she'll probably want to get up early!

Scrappin', Tea, and Sleep

2009-03-25T21:18:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to a scrapbooking retreat at the Bar Harbor Inn. Yes, this beautiful inn was the location for a weekend full of cropping, arranging, and attaching photos to pages. I went with my fabulous friend Amy, and she brought two friends from church. We all shared a room together, and thankfully the inn was gracious enough to move my room closer to the scrapping area since I had Kirsten with me! I was so grateful for that, and was able to use my monitors all weekend for whenver Kirsten was asleep in the room.

I tried to go into the weekend with minimal expectations, although looking at the amount of stuff I had with me, you'd think I was going to scrapbook my whole life! I worked whenver Kirsten was sleeping, as well as when she was content to be in her bouncy chair or laying on the floor with toys. So although I did not get as much done as I usually would have, I DID manage to complete 36 pages in her baby album, and got caught up to the beginning of March. Overall, a pretty good weekend!

As I continue on this journey of motherhood, God continues to teach me to be still, to be patient, to cherish the moments. And during the weekend, I was once again reminded of my need to do this. Saturday evening, I spent several hours getting Kirsten ready for bed (i.e. feeding her, giving her a bath, snuggling and bouncing, etc). By 9:30, she was still not asleep, I hadn't eaten dinner, and I was feeling frustrated and annoyed. I am thankful for such good friends (new & old) who offered love and support. Amy took Kirsten so I could eat, Sheila took her for a bit, and Amy's friends told me that I was an amazing mom and that I was doing great. After a few tears, realizing that I needed to let go of my goals and desires and just be, I was able to go back to the room, get Kirsten from Sheila, and finally get her to sleep.

Another recent happening was a Mother's Tea that took place today. I took Kirsten with me as I did not have anyone to watch her, but I hope that the next time I go, I'll be able to go just me! I have to say that this Mother's Tea was just amazing. Amy & Rachael put this together and they did a wonderful job. It took place at the Lighthouse Cafe, and they had it all decorated with candles, tea pots and tea cups, delightfully yummy food, and an atmosphere of fellowship. As one of the newest mothers there, I felt completely surrounded by people who were full of wisdom and experience that I do not yet have. It was fun to meet some new people and hear about their journeys in motherhood. And, once again, I was reminded that I am not alone, that other moms have felt the same things I feel, and how important it is to savor the moments and not wish them away.

And as Kirsten grows, she continues to be more and more funny, amazing, and beautiful. One thing that is also changing is her sleep habits. Last night she went to sleep around 8:30pm. She was up around 2am to eat, and then again at 5:45. But then she slept until 8:15am! She never sleeps that late anymore. It was so amazing, and it gave me time to get ready before needing to tend to her. And today, I've been trying something new: putting her down when she is sleepy but not totally asleep yet. And all three times that I did it, she went to sleep! I just turned on a sound machine, patted her back a bit, and walked away. Didn't hear a peep from her at all. Now, this could be a fluke, so I'm not going to expect the same tomorrow or the next day. Nonetheless, it is still exciting to see that she is feeling safe & secure and being able to fall asleep on her own a bit.

Fun Times with Kirsten

2009-03-24T08:59:00.004-04:00

I have so much to update on, but since my eyes are heavy and I want to take a quick nap while Kirsten sleeps, I'm just going to post these two videos that are super adorable! Enjoy!

Giveaway - Very Cool Stuff

2009-03-14T20:32:00.003-04:00

Well I just found out about this giveaway through my friend's blog. This gal, Shey, is giving away some fabulous stuff! I am totally in love with these scrabble pendants from HomeStudio. All I can say is WOW, I want some. That is just one of the great things you can win during this giveaway. Now yesterday was the final day, but I think you can still enter between now and Monday. There are also some other great things you can win. Another one of my favorites is the beanies from the Portland Beanie Co. If I had tons of disposable income, I'd be buying lots of these for Kirsten!

Times of Refreshing

2009-03-11T13:49:00.001-04:00

Well it's been a bit since I've posted and I realize that I need to update folks on the weekend away at Snow Camp. I was feeling quite nervous about going, seeing how I would be taking my 4 month old daughter 3 hours away from home into a totally different setting, surrounded by teenagers all weekend! Thankfully God calmed my heart, especially after talking with a few friends, and I realized that I really needed to go. And I am very thankful that I did. Here's a rundown of the weekend and a little about what I learned.

Friday afternoon: We left the church around 3:30ish, and Kirsten had eaten and was quite happy. 3 girls piled into my car along with Kirsten and I, and I knew it would be a fun ride. Kirsten did well for a while, but around Skowhegan began to fuss and cry. I figured I'd stop at a gas station or something, but I passed the first one only to realize that there were NO MORE to come! Thankfully she calmed down and we got to another gas station in about 15 minutes. There I had fun trying to nurse her in the backseat of the car while everyone ran inside to get a snack. Back on the road again, and she fell asleep for a while. But about 1/2 hour before we arrived, she began to cry, and she continued to cry - no, SCREAM - for most of the rest of the ride. Once we got to Blueberry Mountain, I was so relieved, especially when I was able to just drive up the hill without having to wait for everyone to switch vehicles, etc. As soon as she was out of the car, the crying stopped and she was happy! Yay! Friday night consisted of FOOD - yum - and then an evening devotional, followed by night sledding. I got Kirsten to sleep around 9 and then I went to bed by 10 cause I was exhausted!

Saturday started with morning personal devotions, meal, morning group devotional, then outside for sledding. Kirsten did great all day on Saturday and took naps like a pro in her pack 'n play which was in our separate room. Scott even gave me a chance to go sledding while he watched Kirsten! That was super fun. The evening was not as smooth, but it wasn't horrible. Scott did a neat devotional in the evening and had everyone do a lectio divina. I ended up staying in my room after I got Kirsten to sleep to do this. The reading we did was Matt. 6:25-34. God really spoke to me during this time, and the theme that I was hearing was "DO NOT WORRY." It is so easy for me to worry about little things, as well as big things. And I think I have allowed worry to steal the joy and peace that God wants me to have. I am very thankful for that time of prayer and that I was able to sense God speaking directly to me through that scripture.

Sunday was our final day, and we had another morning devotional time. During this time Scott had each of us write a note of encouragement to each other, and although it took quite a while, I think it was a great idea. It gave everyone something to take home with them to remind them of the love and encouragement that we should each share with each other as Christians. After that we had lunch and then we headed out on the road. Kirsten did great on the way home and was very entertained by the 2 girls in the back with her.

Overall, the weekend was a blessing to me. I have a hard time just stopping and doing nothing, and being out in the sticks with no internet, no cell phone, etc, really forced me to do this. One scripture that caught my attention this weekend was Acts 2:19b: "so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." I thought that phrase "times of refreshing" was really powerful - that is what God wants for us in our relationship with Him! He wants us to be refreshed in His Spirit. I am thankful I was refreshed - I think God knew I would need it, especially given the kind of week I am now having. (More on that later!) Now I just pray that I can continue to seek Him and enjoy His presence every day and not just wait until another weekend away.

Kirsten Being Cute

2009-03-05T21:54:00.003-05:00

Learning About Myself

2009-02-25T14:41:00.003-05:00

Becoming a mother forces you to learn more about yourself... both the good and the bad. One thing I've been learning about myself lately is just how independent I really am. I'm not sure if independent is even the right term. What I'm referring to is actually more of my need to have time when I am just by myself - just me, nothing and no one else. And as a mother, I am realizing that those times are very few and far between. Sure, I have times here and there, when Kirsten is sleeping, or when I go to work, etc. But there is always something that needs to be done, something else that I am responsible for. And what I realize that I crave, especially when I'm stressed, is time to just sit and do absolutely nothing.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE being a mom and I wouldn't give up my girl for anything in the world. And I realize that other people probably have the same desires that I am talking about. For me, I feel like it's actually part of my makeup as a person. I am naturally an introvert, even though I love hanging out with others. I've always been someone who has to work hard at getting to know others - it doesn't always come naturally. And while I love parties and hanging out with people, I gravitate towards those I already know or have something in common with. Sure, I've chosen career paths that involve people, which is kind of funny for an introvert. In my job, I work with kids & adults, and in my business I interact with others on a daily basis. So perhaps the reason why my internal desire to sometimes just be alone is even higher is that now I've added a little person in my life that basically needs me 24/7.

While I realize that part of this is a healthy need, I also recognize that deep down, I am a selfish person. I want to do what I want, when I want. I hate having to give things up. I don't enjoy having to plan my day - or not plan my day - around another person. Becoming a mother has forced me to recognize I need to learn a lot more about being selfless, rather than selfish. I want to learn about giving up what I want for the sake of someone else. Learn how to care more about someone else's needs than my own. Another thing that changes when you become a mother is our relationship with your spouse. As I learn to be patient with my baby, I must also learn to show patience & love to my husband. Boy I am glad that God is not done with me yet!

Kirsten Update

2009-02-22T16:19:00.006-05:00

Kirsten is doing such a great job of holding her head up for longer periods of time now when she is on her belly. I love this pic of her staring at her octopus!

Another thing Kirsten is doing is reaching for and even holding on to some of her toys now. She especially loves her giraffe. She sometimes manages to grab it, and it immediately goes to mouth. She's sucking everything these days..
.
Kirsten also enjoys sitting up. Of course, she can't sit up on her own yet, but she likes to be propped up in that position. She also likes to "read" - this night she was actually grabbing the pages and turning them, as well as eating them : )

"I Told You So"

2009-02-20T18:12:00.004-05:00

The following little incident took place about a month ago, but I totally forgot to blog about it. So here goes:

Recently we had a lot of mice taking over our house, and we finally decided to buy some traps instead of letting our cat catch them, only to let them go. We discovered this mice problem when I was getting some chocolate chips and walnuts out from my cabinet and found the bags with lots of little holes and bites in them! ICK! (Note: I then was inspired to completely clean out that bottom cabinet, get rid of any food that may have been touched by the mice, as well as anything that was expired - so it was sort of a good thing!) So we set the traps with some peanut butter and placed them safely under the kitchen cabinets where the dogs and cat could not get to them, of course. We always knew when a trap had caught a mouse because our [capable of drug-sniffing] dog would be sitting right in front of the spot with her nose pressed against the cabinet. Quite funny, actually.

So one morning when we came downstairs, we discovered Mia staring at the cabinet, and we knew there was another dead mouse. Scott got the trap out and sure enough, there was Mr. Mouse. So sad. Of course, Mia & Moxie were all excited and quite interested as Scott picked up the trap. Kirsten and I observed, and she was quite amused at all the commotion. Well, as Scott was getting ready to take care of the mouse, he wondered aloud what would happen if he held it up for Mia and Moxie to "look at." I said, "Well I think that Mia would just grab it - she's pretty quick." However, Scott chose not to heed this advice and instead attempted to show them the mouse. He held it slightly above their heads, and before you could say "boo", the mouse AND the trap were inside Mia's mouth! At this point, I think I said, "I told you so."

Scott then proceeded to attempt to get the mouse away from Mia. Let me tell you, when she has something in her mouth that she wants, she DOES NOT give it up easily. Other dogs, like Moxie, will let you push down on their lower jaw enough for you to remove the item. Or they will respond to a command such as "leave it." Not Mia. She is very adamant about holding on to things that she likes. The one way that we often get her to leave things alone is, oddly enough, by telling her to "sit." Somehow, that triggers an obedience nerve in her brain and she usually drops the item out of her mouth. I believe this is how Scott got the item from her, although I had to walk away in exasperation as Scott ate his words...

I only wish I would've had the video camera!

My Two Valentines

2009-02-14T21:51:00.004-05:00

Today is Valentine's Day, and it has been a great day. I woke up earlier than I would've liked by one of my valentines... my dear Kirsten wanted to be awake at 6am. Thankfully, she was content to lay beside me and look around, and only required an occasional interaction with me. So, I was able to close my eyes for a bit longer. Well once Scott was awake we had fun just chilling out and watching Kirsten with all of her faces. Then I gave Scott his gift, which was an album full of pieces of cards that Scott has received as youth pastor at CCOD. It is something that hopefully will encourage him each time he looks through it. Scott then gave Kirsten & I our gifts, which were PJs for both of us : ) He said he's starting a new tradition, and that's a lot coming from a guy who doesn't really like traditions! So Valentine's Day will be PJ Day in our home. Scott also got me a movie that I really love: Dan in Real Life. I'm looking forward to watching it again soon.

Since Kirsten got up so early, she was back asleep for a nap by 9:00. That allowed Scott & I to have a nice breakfast of pancakes together. Then we got ready for the day as Kirsten napped for quite a long time! I was able to get my budget figured out for the rest of the month, plus finish my grocery list. Once Kirsten woke up and I fed her, I headed out for the day to do groceries and some other shopping. The grocery store was mobbed - not sure exactly why, but thankfully I survived. Then I went to Kohl's since I had heard from several people that their baby section had huge clearance sales going on. Well, I was NOT disappointed! In fact it was rather scary that I went there! I got several items for our girl, most of which are 12-24 month sizes. The most expensive item I bought was $7.50! That was for a winter coat that was regularly $50.00! It was quite exciting to find so many good deals, and these are things that I won't need to buy for her later on because we'll have them.

I was hoping to catch a nap in the afternoon but was unsuccessful because of timing issues. But I did make a splendid dinner for Scott and I, consisting of this scallop recipe, along with roasted potatoes and asparagus. And, if I must say so myself, it was DELISH! After this, my mom came to babysit Kirsten so that Scott & I could go out. We went to see Sonja from church play with a jazz band at a local theater - Next Generation Theater which is located inside Between Friends thrift shop in Brewer. It was a lot of fun, and we got some yummy dessert while we were there as well.

All in all, a good Valentine's Day!

Very Sad Story

2009-02-09T21:43:00.003-05:00

Ok, I don't want to be a downer. But I just heard about this story today and I am so saddened. In a nutshell, a mother left her twin babies on her bed while she prepared supper. (Note, these are about 1 month old babies). And, apparently her dogs had access to the babies. One of the dogs (a husky) ended up killing one of the babies. The dog took it off the bed and out into the hallway. It's unclear whether the baby was crying and that's why the dog went to it or what. Anyway, I am just outraged. Unfortunately the dog is being blamed, of course. But honestly why would a parent leave their babies in a place where the dog(s) could get to them? As a mother with 2 dogs, I make sure that my dogs are NEVER left unattended around Kirsten! That would be so stupid. I know that my dogs would not do anything to purposefully hurt her, but they could very possibly do something by accident! And most likely this dog was simply doing something instinctual - if the baby was crying, the dog may have been trying to take it to the owner. Or the dog may have just thought this was a toy. I know that Mia and Moxie have been very curious about Kirsten and at first really didn't know what to think.

So while I definitely think that this is the mother's fault for leaving the babies unattended, I also do feel very badly for her. I cannot imagine the guilt she is experiencing. If anything ever happened to Kirsten and it was something that I could have prevented, I would feel awful. And we are all human, and we do make mistakes. But please, if you own a dog, please make sure you don't leave your baby with the dog unattended!!!

New Wrap

2009-02-01T13:36:00.002-05:00

So Sarah, my dear creative genius friend, who previously made me a great baby sling, gave me yet another gift yesterday. This time it's a baby wrap modeled after one of the most popular ones out there. But it's basically one long piece of fabric that you wrap around you in a certain way and then put the baby in. It's totally comfy and Kirsten really seems to like it. I had her in it this morning at church and she fell asleep, and stayed asleep for quite a while in it. So cozy. Plus, it's totally hands free and I don't have to try and support her, even if I bend over! So, here's a photo of the fabulous gift:

Favorite Faces

2009-01-28T22:41:00.005-05:00

These are some of my favorites of my girl. It's amazing how that smile makes me feel happy down to my toes.

Where have all the good baggers gone??

2009-01-27T22:12:00.003-05:00

Today I took advantage of my awesome friend Amy who babysat Kirsten while I worked from 9-2. After work I called her to find out if she was cool with me doing my groceries before picking Kirsten up, since grocery shopping without a 3 month old tends to be much faster and easier than with one! So I did my best to get through Hannaford as quickly as possible and without spending a fortune (I succeeded only at the first task). As I was checking out, one of life's unanswered questions came to my mind again: "Where have all the good baggers gone?" I remember the days when the bagger smiled and asked you how you were doing. Then they intelligently bagged your groceries and put them in your cart. Sometimes they even asked you if you needed help out to your car. Instead, this is how it went:
No personality bagger boy bagged my groceries similar to how a 4 year old would. Oh no, I take that back, I know some toddlers (namely the very organized Natalie) who could have done a better job. He put cans in with cereal boxes, bagels in with jars of pasta sauce, and so on. I think the only thing he did right was put all the veggies in the same bag. Then when he put the stuff in the cart, it somehow took up at least 50% more space then when I had them in the cart (this is probably due to his inability to group like items together). Finally, no personality bagger boy walked away without a simple "have a nice day" while leaving medium personality checkout boy to hand me the last bag of groceries. So I am supposed to be putting away my receipt, carrying my purse, and finding somewhere in the overloaded cart to put my last bag. Oh the joys. Anyway, I thankfully made it out without too much trouble, but as I tried to load my car with the randomly loaded grocery bags, I found myself wondering what happened to the good baggers of the old days??? Don't even get me started on customer service!

Ever Had One of Those Days???

2009-01-24T18:49:00.003-05:00

Ever had one of those days when...

You want hummus with your chips but your husband ate the last of it...
Your baby sleeps only in 20-30 minute chunks all afternoon and evening, so you can essentially do nothing...
You get a lot of "no's" and feel that you must be doing something wrong...
You have a fight with your husband about money because he wants to buy another camping accessory...
You fall asleep on the couch at 9:45 and decide to go to sleep early that night since your hubby got your baby to sleep (which partially redeems the earlier fight), but once he puts her down at 10:15 she wakes up so all chances of sleeping are gone until after midnight...
Your little one then thinks it's time to get up for the day at 7am on a Saturday... and you feel like crap with a big headache and just want to have ONE NIGHT of uninterrupted sleep...
You attempt to go out to eat at 4:30 in the afternoon and there's a 40-50 minute wait, which is too long when you have a 3 month old sleeping baby...
You come home and have PB&J instead...
You feel like everyone else's life is somehow better than yours even though you know you have so much to be thankful for...
You can't seem to get out of this funk...

My answer: YUP. I've had one of those days. Or two, or three. But, somehow, I am reminded of the simple things. The important things. As Scott holds Kirsten tonight while I'm begrudgingly making my PB&J sandwich, I look over at her as she coos, and she gives me this sweet smile. And I realize, LIFE IS GOOD.

Updates

2009-01-22T19:13:00.002-05:00

Well I haven't blogged in a bit so I figured I'd give an update. It's not going to be real coherent as my brain is a little tired after working today. But here goes:

Water Pressure: We FINALLY have both water PRESSURE and HOT water! It's amazing, and I feel like I'm in heaven. Monday our plumber came and fixed the last few issues and got the heat working upstairs again. Woohoo! It was expensive to get all of this done, and I'm thankful that I got a great business paycheck this month which allowed us to pay cash rather than using credit or emergency funds. Praise the Lord! So now we can take hot showers and it doesn't take 20 minutes to get wet... plus I can take baths - oh, how I've missed having baths! And doing dishes is no longer an extremely long process.
Kirsten: She's now 12 weeks old! I can't believe it - time is going by quickly. One of the funnest things she's been doing lately is lots of coos and gaas and all kinds of cute noises. She's especially "talkative" in the morning (and sometimes the middle of the night). Speaking of the middle of the night, the other night I fed Kirsten and then went to the bathroom myself. When I came back up, she was mostly asleep again and I wasn't going to bother changing her diaper. Then I smelled something... something not good. So, I unwrapped her swaddle, and saw a big green stain on her sleeping gown. When I lifted the gown up, I saw green poo all over her leg! Oh, it was not good. I very delicately removed her gown while Scott helped by wiping off her leg. Then I changed her diaper as quickly as possible. Wow, the things you see as a mother. That was definitely a good one. Anyway, Kirsten continues to provide tons of joy as well as sometimes frustration and tears... but thankfully we are getting into more of a groove lately, it seems. She's sleeping pretty well at night and rarely needs to be picked up and rocked/walked back to sleep after eating. She usually just drifts back into lala land with a gentle patting, which is fabulous for mommy. And she is beginning to realize that the bottle is not the devil, and it's okay to drink from it. Today she took 1.5 oz while I was at work - not much, but it's better than nothing at all! Then tonight she ate 4 times between 5:15 and 10:00! Yeah, she missed mom I guess. : )
Other stuff: Scott & I went on a date this past Saturday night. It was a wonderful time to get out of the house together and focus on each other. It is definitely a challenge to do that now, and we want to be intentional about staying connected to each other. So Scott planned the evening and I didn't really know what we were doing. We left the house at 5:00 (Scott's parents generously babysat for us) and headed to town. Scott informed me that we'd be going to a movie at 6:20, so we didn't have a ton of time for eating. After discussion, we called the Texas Roadhouse to find out the wait time. 45 minutes. Okay, that won't work. Then we decided to head to the Olive Garden. On the way there, I suggested checking out the Longhorne Steakhouse since we'd never been there. Once inside, we realized that wasn't gonna work out: 60-75 minute wait. Alrighty then, let's head to the Olive Garden as originally planned. I didn't even bother finding out the wait time there - the entryway was so full I could hardly find a way to get through the crowd. Finally, let's check Applebees - a favorite of Scott's, and one where I can always find something I like. 30 minute wait. But by that time it was 5:30, and with a 30 minute wait, we obviously wouldn't be making our 6:20 movie (Marley & Me, which our previous attempt to see had been sold out, and I really wanted to see this). So at this point I am starting to feel rather disheartened, and almost in tears because this is our one chance to hang out together and I was looking forward to a nice meal & time to talk. We left Applebees and tried to figure out what to do. So, we finally ended up eating pizza at Little Ceasars in KMart. Okay, not the most romantic thing, but certainly memorable. We had about 10 minutes to chow down in order to head to the theater in time. Once at the theater I had visions of our previous attempt to see this movie with Steve & Jess: the line was extremely long and the theater looked packed. Thankfully, though, most people were there to see Mall Cop instead, and we got into our movie without a problem. I had just enough time to go to the bathroom before the movie started. Steve & Jess had warned us to bring tissues, and I did (well, actually napkins from Little Ceasars), and it was a good thing. I loved the movie and I think it made be cry even more because it seemed like so much of what happened was basically where Scott & I are at right now. The whole process of starting a family and feeling like you're losing yourself, not really knowing what you want to do when you grow up, etc. All stuff we have felt or are feeling currently. Not to mention the relationship with the dog - me being a dog person, I could totally relate to that. Well I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I highly recommend the movie. Although I wouldn't take young children even though it's rated PG.

Okay, I need to go to bed. Really a lot. Tonight I took some time after I put Kirsten down to fold laundry and watch LOST since I missed it Wednesday night. But now it's really time to SLEEP before she wakes up for another feeding!

The PRESSURE!

2009-01-17T12:50:00.002-05:00

Oh, the pressure! Not the pressure of being a mom, paying the bills, or getting places on time. No, that's not the pressure I'm referring to. It's the water pressure! URGH! Ever since we moved into our house (5 years ago this month), we have had water pressure issues. I've been able to adjust and manage for most of those 5 years. And it's not just the pressure - it's also the temperature. Not so hot. So last fall, my mom was here helping prepare for our new little arrival, and she was appalled at both the pressure and the temperature. So my stepfather helped out and got the temperature thing fixed - apparently all we needed to do was turn up the mixing valve to totally hot. Anyway, that also helped the pressure issue for a while because it was SO HOT that we had to add in cold to take a shower, wash dishes, etc. And the cold has lots of pressure.

But recently, like in the past 2 weeks, the hot water has become worse than EVER before! It's a trickle. Seriously people, a trickle. Like it takes over 45 minutes for the washing machine to fill up for a SMALL load of hot. And taking a bath... forget it! Definitely over an hour and even then it's not even half full. So your ankles might be covered with water, but nothing else.

So once again, mom to the rescue! She talked to a plumber that she knows and he is over here right now. Who knows if he'll be able to fix anything - but the good thing is that he is charging us a lot less than he usually does. Big help! Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the pressure issues... I'm praying for a miracle because I'd really like to take an actual shower that is both warm AND having pressure (rather than the choice of a scalding hot trickle vs. freezing cold full pressure)!

Oh the decisions!

2009-01-08T17:11:00.004-05:00

As a new mother, there is one thing we are never lacking - advice! Be it unsolicited or not, there are always plenty of opinions to be shared by others who have walked this road before us. Of course, most of the time this advice and opinions are shared in the most well-meaning manner and with the desire to simply help the sleep-deprived, exhausted new mom like myself! As a new mom, we have to weed through all the advice and figure out which things we want to use, and what we want to perhaps discard, or what things we want to file away for "later use."

So this post needs a disclaimer: In the following paragraphs, I am in no way attempting to demean or criticize others who have chosen to use or not use the methods I will be mentioning. I realize that parenting is an extremely personal process and each person has their reasons for the choices they make. So in this post I am simply going to be sharing some of my personal choices and preferences and the reasons why I am making these choices. I am not attempting to create a debate, although am always open to a healthy exchange of ideas.

Decision #1: Schedule or no schedule? As a new mom freshly home from the hospital, I was overwhelmed with the task of taking care of this little baby. And part of that was figuring out whether to develop a "schedule" for Kirsten or not. There are some books, such as Babywise, which advocate using a schedule for your newborn. Many other moms that I know have recommended this book or at least the concept of putting your baby on a schedule. While my personality and lifestyle is generally pretty scheduled and organized, I have decided against this concept with my baby. Part of the reason is that I want to be sure to be focused on my baby's needs and not my needs. If I were using a schedule, I believe it would primarily serve my own need for structure, etc. The other reason is that I have read and researched a lot and found some reasons not to follow this method (www.ezzo.info.com). Another reason that this schedule concept is promoted is to get the baby to "sleep through the night." While it seems that people have different thoughts on what that actually means, most of what I have read indicates that this means a 5-hour stretch. Again, I have to consider whether sleeping through the night at this young age is serving my own needs or my baby's needs. There are studies that show that a young baby shouldn't go excessively long without eating, especially breastfed babies. So I don't feel an urgency to have my baby "sleep through the night" because I want to make sure she is eating when she needs to. That's not to say that I don't absolutely enjoy when she does sleep a longer stretch (which, by the way she has been doing even though we haven't been doing a "schedule"). But it's not my ultimate goal to get her to "sleep through the night" anytime soon. Even we adults don't typically sleep through the night - we wake up or are in lighter states of sleep throughout the night, but we quickly fall back asleep.
In all of this I believe there is a balance. I am choosing to create a routine based on my baby's needs. But I will not attempt to have set times for eating, napping, etc. I will follow her cues and recognize when she is getting hungry, tired, etc and help her get what she needs.

Decision #2: Feed on demand or on a schedule? Another decision is the question of feeding "on-demand" or based on a schedule/time frame. I determined early on that I wanted to breastfeed on-demand. This is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as La Leche League. Again, I believe that my baby knows when she is hungry and it doesn't really matter to me if it's 20 minutes or 3 hours after her last feeding. Another reason a schedule is promoted is to make sure our babies don't comfort nurse or "snack". Again I have to ask myself - is this about my needs or my baby's needs? If she comfort nurses, is there really something wrong with that? I actually enjoy the emotional connection during nursing and knowing that she is feeling safe, secure, and loved when she nurses. And why not have a snack? I know that I wouldn't enjoy it if someone planned my day out and told me I could only eat within certain time frames, even if I just wanted a little snack.

Decision #3: To let cry or not? Another challenge is figuring out whether or not to let your baby cry. This can apply to various situations, but the main one people think about is whether to let the baby cry before falling asleep vs. holding/rocking/wearing the baby to sleep. The argument on the "cry-it-out" side is that baby will learn to fall asleep on their own and develop the ability to self-soothe. And if the baby is not hungry, wet, or otherwise in pain, then it's okay for them to cry. The other side says that you should respond quickly to the baby's cry, and that babies often need help to fall asleep in the form of walking, rocking, etc. I have made my decision based on two things: 1. The research I've checked into - many articles and studies show that babies left to cry (even for a short time) may experience trauma and learn that their needs will not be responded to consistently. Sure, they probably will fall asleep eventually - but what do they learn in the process? Do they actually learn that they are safe, secure, and loved and it's okay to fall asleep? Or do they learn that crying, their only form of communication, will not result in a response? Here are some of the sources I've checked out:
-Dr. Sears Article on Sleep Problems
-Mothering Article
-Storknet Article
-Children Need Touching
There's lots more, of course, but those are some that I found helpful.
2. My gut. You know people tell you to trust your gut. Well there's something that just tells me to respond when my baby girl cries. Even if it's when she's going to sleep and I know there's nothing major wrong - perhaps she just wants to be held, comforted, etc. I know there's times when I want that even though I can't pinpoint what I'm crying about it - I just want to be held. So my choice is to help Kirsten get to sleep until she is old enough to be able to go to sleep on her own. At this age, I don't believe that her crying is manipulative and I don't think I can spoil her by responding to those cries.

Obviously, as I stated at the beginning, all of these things are a very personal choice and also something that I believe is a learning process. Five years from now, my ideas may have and probably will have changed. Overall, as for right now, my approach leans towards the Attachment Parenting method. This method makes a lot of sense to me and a lot of the concepts are things that I think I would have been inclined to do anyway. So, feel free to comment, criticize, engage, whatever! It probably won't change my mind but you never know...

2 Months into Motherhood...

2009-01-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I am now a little more than 2 months into motherhood... and it's hard! I always knew that being a mom would be a HUGE challenge and that I would need to learn so much. I guess I just didn't realize how big of a challenge it would be, or just how much I really need to learn. In honor of my friend Amy's blogging honesty, I thought it's time for me to share some of those challenges that I've had lately. Let me preface this by saying that my daughter is so beautiful, a gift from God, and I am so thankful for her. But assuming that you all know that I love her deeply, here are the hard parts:

I have been commited to breastfeeding Kirsten since before she was born. I knew I wanted to for so many reasons - the health benefits for her, the bonding, the fact that it's free, etc. The first few weeks were definitely hard, and I wasn't sure if she was getting the right latch, etc. I also experienced a lot of pain and wasn't sure if that would get better. We got through the first couple weeks, and at her 5 week appt. she had gained almost a full 3 lbs, so I know she was getting what she needed! However, the challenges of breastfeeding have continued. Here are a few other examples: sometimes she refuses to eat on my right side, which leads to engorgement and then needing to pump, etc. Sometimes she latches and then comes off and SCREAMS and won't relatch. Sometimes she just won't eat at all for several hours (like up to 6 hours) and I get worried that something is wrong. She almost always screams when I attempt to burp her in the middle of a feeding, but if I don't burp her she almost always spits up a lot. So there are moments when I think, "Is this really worth it?" and I feel like giving up.
I am generally a very driven, organized (at least in some areas), scheduled person. I like to accomplish things and have "success." I was always a straight A student and graduated college summa cum laude. Having a baby, however, has been the hardest thing I've ever done - not just the labor, but the actual day to day experience. I often times find myself at 4 in the afternoon, still in my PJs, surrounded by piles of laundry, paperwork, dishes, etc - all undone. I find myself walking Kirsten - holding her or in her sling - yet unable to do much else because the moment I stop moving, she starts crying. I find myself thinking, "I just want to sit down! I just want to read a book, take a nap, catch up on blogs, shower, or even EAT! When will I ever have time for myself again???" Selfish, yes, but nonetheless those are my thoughts at times. I am learning that I have to give up on a lot of my "to do" lists and just allow myself to be focused on my most important task - caring for and loving my baby girl.
Kirsten is overall a challenging girl, it seems. She has her happy moments, usually more so in the morning. She does smile, and sometimes I can sit with her and play or read a book when she is awake. And I can put her down on the floor or in her swing IF she is in a good mood, and she might be content for 5-10 minutes. However, the majority of the time, I am needing to walk with her, hold her, etc in order for her to be happy. This is especially true when it comes to sleep. She gets extremely fussy before going to sleep, and really needs mommy or daddy to help her off into lala land. I am okay with this, because I know she just spent 9 months having 24/7 contact with me. So I don't expect her to be able to go to sleep on her own yet or not need a little snuggling. However, it does get exhausting and even frustrating at times, especially when she SCREAMS before going to sleep (which happens almost every night and sometimes during the day as well).
Having a baby also puts a strain on your marriage. I feel less able to attend to Scott's needs now that I have this little one, and that makes me feel guilty. There are also days when both of us are stressed, lacking sleep, and we end up getting upset with one another over little things. Sometimes one of us needs a break but the other is not really wanting to help out. And we don't necessarily always agree on approaches, so we also have to resolve how we are going to do this whole parenting thing. It's hard, and I don't know how people do it who don't have Christ in their lives or in their marriage. Much of my day (or night for that matter) is spent uttering small prayers about the situation at hand, whether it be Kirsten not taking the bottle from Scott, or me just being overtired and cranky, to not knowing what is bothering Kirsten when she is screaming and not knowing what to do to help her. It is a GOOD THING that I have God to turn to or else I probably would go crazy, for real.

Well, I am now realizing that it is late and I need to sleep!!! Kirsten is asleep, thanks to my WONDERFUL husband who told me to just relax as he got her to sleep tonight. So I better head to bed before she wakes up and needs to eat again.

Our Christmas Letter

2008-12-23T17:23:00.002-05:00

This year I am opting for a "virtual" Christmas letter for a couple reasons. One is to save money on ink and paper, and the other is it's just a lot easier! So for all of you who received your Christmas card with a note to check our blog, welcome! I hope you enjoy our letter.

Dear Friends & Family,
As we celebrate this Christmas season, we want to keep the focus on the real meaning of Christmas. During this time of year, we celebrate the coming of Jesus to this world and bringing salvation to all of us. Somehow, in the midst of the shopping, traveling, cooking & baking, the real message of Christmas gets lost. In light of keeping the focus on the simple things, we want to share with you the top 10 things we are thankful for in 2008.
1. Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His birth, the world would've never known a savior. Without His death & resurrection, we would not have the ability to have a relationship with God. We are thankful for our salvation and peace that Christ brings to our lives.
2. Our beautiful new daughter, Kirsten Jael. We found out we were pregnant at the end of February, and we were very excited. I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy and no major issues other than just the normal aches & pains of carrying an extra 25-30 lbs! Kirsten joined us on October 29 at 2:28am, and we couldn't be happier. I was blessed with a great midwife and a supportive doula during the labor, and Scott was absolutely amazing as well. After all that hard work, I was so excited to finally meet my sweet baby girl. Kirsten means "follower of Christ" and Jael means "power of God." The first two months with her have been a time of joy and tears, and we are gradually learning how to be parents. Once again, we are thankful for God's grace in this experience and we are realizing that we don't have to be perfect!
3. Our amazing parents - Gary & Holly and Cathy & Paul. Throughout the year, we were attempting to finish our remodeling as well as prepare for having a baby. Our parents provided so much help, love and support, and we are so grateful for them.
4. Our church family - We are so blessed to be a part of Community Church of the Open Door. This year has been a year of growth and change at the church, as we have rearranged the sanctuary, gone to one service, changed youth group to Wednesday nights, and started small groups. It has been a lot of fun, and we have enjoyed the various changes. October was Pastor Appreciation Month, and since Scott is the youth pastor, we received so many cards and gifts from our church family. It was so amazing to feel the love and appreciation and we were humbled to receive so much that we do not deserve. Several people from the church were also a great help in preparing the house for Kirsten's arrival.
5. Our extended family - We were able to go camping on Labor Day weekend with my sister and her husband, Naomi and Rich. We headed out to Mt. Blue State Park where we camped and hiked (yes, I hiked Mt. Blue at 7 and 1/2 months pregnant). It was so much fun to hang out with them and relax. Then during Thanksgiving they came up to visit and meet Kirsten. We also are thankful for Grammie Diane and Grammy Lawrence, who both live locally. In addition, we're thankful for Scott's sister Rachel and her two kids, Eli and Lindsay. It is fun to see them, especially now that they have a little cousin to take care of. Then we have Grandparents Harvey and Grandparents Pier who are all very special to us, along with all of our aunts and uncles and cousins.
6. Our wonderful friends. We have been gifted with so many great friends, both locally and around the country and world. This year it's been fun to be pregnant along with Shannon as well as Sarah. Peter & Shannon welcomed their second daughter to the world in June, and Sarah & Jason welcomed their first daughter at the beginning of December. I am sure that Kirsten will become friends with these girls as they are all so close in age. Our friends Steve & Jess have been the hosts of the small group we attend, which has been so fun, and they have also provided tons of help on our house this year. And it's been wonderful to have our friends Kevin & Amy return to the area after their 3 year stint in Pennsylvania. Kirsten will definitely grow up with many "aunts" and "uncles."
7. The youth group kids at CCOD. Although they are part of the church, we have a special affection for the junior and senior high teens. We have had fun on the many events and trips with them this year. In March we had Snow Camp at Blueberry Mountain, and had the biggest group ever. It was so much fun to go sledding, play games like "Signs", and help them grow spiritually. Scott led a group of guys on "Man Camp" - an outdoor camping experience with "no frills", and the kids also went on a paintball trip (I didn't go due to my pregnant belly!). We also went on a college trip with juniors and seniors in September, which was a ton of fun. Finally, we closed out the year with our annual Christmas parties, complete with a Yankee Swap in which the kids had to bring an item that they had either found or made instead of spending money on it. Then they donated money so that we could pool it together for a gift through World Vision.
8. Our home remodeling being finished! I am sooooo glad that we are FINALLY done with our remodeling project in the living room and dining room. We started this LAST fall, and did not get done until this fall - a full year. But now it looks just lovely, and there are just some finishing touches to be completed, such as putting up blinds and pictures.
9. Our funny pets. Yes, it's true - I am thankful for our two dogs and one cat. Mia and Moxie never leave us bored - they are always up to something. They really enjoy being outside, especially Moxie. They both love hiking, and when we hike they usually go up and down the mountain about 4x the amount that we do - they run way ahead and then come back to us, over and over! Kira's favorite activites are sleeping, chasing mice, and finding things to bat around on the floor. She especially loves to play with things she's not supposed to have, such as pacifiers or candy.
10. Our jobs & business. During this difficult economic environment, we are thankful for stable jobs and a growing business. Scott has enjoyed being the youth pastor at CCOD and is celebrating his 3rd year there. I have been at FACT for over a year now, working as a part-time foster care case manager. I have taken 10 weeks off to be with Kirsten, but I will be going back in January about 10 hours a week at first. I am thankful for a very flexible boss and wonderful coworkers. Finally, we are thankful for my business which has been providing us consistent income this year, even when I took an entire month off after Kirsten was born! We also enjoyed visiting Salt Lake City for the first time for my business convention. It was nice to have 5 of my team members join us there as well!

Well, thank you for taking time to read this epistle! I hope you enjoyed a small window into our lives during 2008. We look forward to an even better 2009! Please drop by from time to time to check out our updates. Also, Scott and I are both on Facebook, so if you are on there, please add us as your friends!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Baking Christmas Cookies

2008-12-20T17:30:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is baking Christmas cookies & snacks. Every year I make molasses cookies, one of my faves from childhood. And I also make caramel corn. These make great gifts for friends & family. So today I tried out a new recipe for sugar cookies. I've not done sugar cookies in a long time, so I searched the internet for a recipe and found one that looked good. So, here's some pics of my experience. They came out exceptionally good and they were super easy! I'm including the pic of the recipe so feel free to copy & use!

Mommy Moments

2008-12-11T20:13:00.004-05:00

Well I am finally having a chance to sit down and blog. It's been a while! Anyway, as of yesterday Kirsten is 6 weeks old. I am in awe of how much she has changed and how much we are experiencing in these days and weeks. There are joys and challenges every day. I am learning to take things one day at a time, or even sometimes one hour or minute at a time. Here are some of my favorite moments with Kirsten so far:
-Laying in bed at 5am with her after she finished eating and seeing her eyes widen as she looks around. Then seeing a big smile come across her face as I make funny noises with my mouth. Then seeing several more smiles and funny looks as she just enjoys the moment.
-Having her snuggled up on my chest falling asleep... as I often fall asleep with her : )
-Seeing her lift her head up and look around while she lays on her belly on the floor... then watching her peacefully drift into sleep.
-Watching Scott hold her as she looks happy and content in his arms.

And, then there's some of the challenging moments:
-When we get up out of bed in the morning and try to get ready for the day... but she cries whenever she's not being held and walking around, so breakfast or anything else is not an option until she is asleep or willing to lay down on her own.
-When she cries as Scott tries to feed her the bottle... and cries, and cries, and cries, until finally we give up and she breastfeeds just fine.
-We're awake from 3:30am until 6:00am, with periodic spurts of crying, screaming, eating, and finally sleeping...
-When we are driving in the car and she is just screaming, and there is nothing I can do to help her calm down.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos of Kirsten recent ly:

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T14:42:00.002-05:00

Well I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving - the food, the family, the fun of just relaxing, watching the parade or some football game. But this year it has even more meaning because I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Especially my baby girl!!! We are so thankful for this new little life that God has given to our family. I am thankful that I had a healthy, fairly easy pregnancy, and that she arrived safe and sound exactly 4 weeks ago!

Right now I'm sitting at my mom's house, borrowing her computer, watching my wonderful husband hold Kirsten on his chest. What a sweet moment. Meanwhile the TV is playing some movie and the hubub of family is in the air. I am so thankful for all of these things. I am thankful for having a place to live, a bed to sleep in, a source of income, our wonderful friends, our funny pets, and so much more. Most of all, I am thankful for a God who loves me and gives me grace and salvation freely. Every good and perfect gift comes from God.

Yummy Squash & Carrot Soup

2008-11-18T19:00:00.002-05:00

Last night I decided I better use the squash that someone gave me before it went bad. So I searched online for a recipe and then made a few alterations. The result was delish, so here's the recipe if you wanna try it!

1 butternut squash (original recipe said 1/2 a squash - I used the whole thing)
3-4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste (I used 4 cloves)
4 cups water (I used 5 cups but it would've been better with just 4)
salt & pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place 1-2 tbsp. butter in the seed cavity. Roast in oven for about 1 hour or until squash is soft. Scoop squash out of skin using a large spoon and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook, stirring until onion is translucent. Pour in water and add squash and carrots. Bring to boil and cook for at least 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.
3. Puree mixture in blender or using an immersion blender. Add boiling water if necessary to thin. Season with salt and pepper and cinnamon. Serve with a swirl of cream if desired. (I actually added the 1/4 cup cream to the soup and stirred before serving).

I also made some basmati rice and ate my soup over the rice. Yummy, and great for a cold fall day!

Empty Me

2008-11-15T11:02:00.002-05:00

I have a bunch of jumbled thoughts that I want to try to get down, but I am not sure how coherent they will be. I feel that God has been teaching me so much in the past 2 and 1/2 weeks as a new mother. I always knew things would change once our daughter arrived - I just didn't know how or what would change (other than sleep deprivation... which is definitely the case). Anyway, over the past few weeks I feel that God has been speaking to me through His Word, through a book I'm reading, through Sunday School & Church, through friends, through my husband, and through my beautiful Kirsten. The theme that I am hearing from God is His desire to fulfill my every need - His desire to be everything to me. He desires that I empty myself of all the stuff that I've tried to find fulfillment in and fill myself with Him.

In Sunday School we are studying Ecclesiastes. Not the most exciting book to read, but there is a lot to be learned. Essentially it boils down to this - you can search for fulfillment in all areas of life, but you will not find it except through a relationship with God. And the book I'm reading, I believe it's called "Tender Mercies" (from my dear friend Amy), is all about how God wants us, especially as mothers, to find our strength and our source of everything by being filled up with Him. However, we so often look to other things - our husbands, our children, our work, our friends - to give us a sense of value or importance in this life. We want to be praised for all we do. We want to be recognized and valued as a person. I don't think that's there's anything inherently wrong with that - it's just that we should instead be relying on Christ to give us our value and sense of importance in this world. It is only because of Him that we can even do the things we do every day. And without Him, without His love, we would be nothing. All the things we do do not really matter unless they are done with a heart that is honoring Him. And ultimately, it's more important that we KNOW Christ and have a relationship with Him than doing all the wonderful things we might do in our lives. If we know Him and are filled up by Him, then that will spill over into every other area of our lies, and I believe, those areas will be more blessed because of that.

As I am learning these things and trying to implement this concept of being filled with Jesus, I recognize that there is no magic formula and it doesn't happen overnight. But my prayer is that He would empty me of myself and fill me with Him, as this song states:

Holy Fire burn away,
my desire for anything
that is not of you and is of me,
I want more of you and less of me, yeah.
Empty me,
Empty me, yeah,
Fill, won't you fill me,
with you, with you, yeah.

And the diapers have arrived...

2008-11-08T20:11:00.003-05:00

I have finally made my first cloth diaper purchase. I ordered my Fuzzi Bunz from Everyday Diapers on Thursday night. Michele, the owner, called me Friday morning since one thing I ordered she was out of, so we changed my order slightly, and then she shipped them out that same day. I received them today! Talk about great customer service! I got several diapers as well as a couple wet bags to put the diapers in while they are waiting to be washed. I haven't been able to use them with Kirsten yet since they are a tad big. However, we have tons of disposables to use in the meantime. I am definitely looking foward to starting to use these, though, and I'll be sure to report on how it goes! In the meantime, if you are looking into the cloth diapering option, be sure to visit Michele's online store.

Photo Time

2008-11-03T12:49:00.004-05:00

Here's some more photos of o ur beautiful baby!

Kirsten's Birth Story

2008-11-01T20:21:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share Kirsten's birth story with anyone who wants to read it. Warning: there are labor details which you may or may not want to read. So it's your choice!

Kirsten Jael's birth story:
I had my midwife appointment on Monday and I was about 2-3 cm dilated. Debbie (my midwife) said she wouldn't be surprised if I didn't make it till next Monday (my due date). Monday night I was waking up almost every hour. No contractions, just couldn't get to sleep and had to keep going to the bathroom. Tuesday morning I decided to stay home from work since I didn't sleep well Monday night. I took a bath since I was all achy from not sleeping. After my bath I was headed upstairs to get changed but I felt a little trickle coming out. I went back to the bathroom and wondered if my water was breaking. Over the next 15-20 minutes I continued to have more trickles and I realized I was definitely NOT peeing. I called Scott and then Debbie. Debbie said to come in to her office, and so Scott drove home from work and we headed to her office (after hurriedly throwing in all the last minute items in case we wound up at the hospital). I was not having any contractions and felt fine. At her office she confirmed that my water had broken and I was now at 3 cm. We discussed the various options but since it was around 10:15am when my water broke, Debbie was suggesting pitocin because she didn't want me to go past 24 hours due to the risk of infection. I REALLY didn't want to do pitocin so as Scott & I got into the car to head to the hospital, I had a bit of a meltdown. We agreed that we would discuss it further when we met Debbie at the hospital. I also called my doula, Janel, to let her know we were on our way.

We got to the hospital at about 12:45pm. At the hospital, we decided not to start pitocin but I did have to have an IV for the antibiotics for group B strep. After this I started to walk around the floor with Scott & Janel. I was having a few contractions but they were not real consistent or strong. Around 4:30, Debbie checked me again and I was still at 3-4cm. We discussed the pitocin again, and although it was not part of my birth plan, Scott & I agreed to it after discussing the pros and cons. The pitocin started around 5:15pm. After this contractions definitely got stronger. I couldn't leave the room anymore due to having external monitoring and the IV pole attached to me. As things progressed, my contractions got stronger and I had to really start to focus. I used music and Scott & Janel did a lot of massage, talking to me, and encouraging me. As it got more intense, I began to moan with each contraction. Somehow this turned out to be my main method of managing the pain, along with breathing. Scott & Janel also helped me to stay relaxed because I often would get my face scrunched up and this would cause me to be more tense. They often told me how great I was doing and that was really helpful. I also tried to just focus on one contraction at a time. I used the birthing ball a lot, as well as the squatting stool, getting on my hands and knees, standing holding Scott's neck, etc. At one point the nurse recommended that I get on my hands & knees with my head down to try and turn the baby since she was still face up. I did this for a while and the next time she checked me, the baby had turned. Yay!

Around midnight I was about 8cm or so, and then about 12:30am I was 8 and 1/2. I was getting really shaky and tired. Not to mention that I ate some pineapple earlier that day, so I was burping the ENTIRE time! Anyway, Debbie came back a little before 1am and after a series of really intense contractions, she checked me again. I was fully dilated! I was so excited, because I had been feeling the pressure to push but I couldn't until I knew I was at 10cm.

I began pushing around 1:00am. It felt good to push and it was different from the contractions. At one point, Debbie told me she felt she needed to do a small episiotomy because I was so tight and the baby's head was not going to be able to come through. She said she knew I would tear and that doing a small cut would probably allow the head to come through ok. I originally did not want an episiotomy but at that point I just wanted to see my baby! I agreed and she did a quick snip which I felt somewhat but it wasn't bad (she did numb it but I still felt it a bit). I kept pushing with Scott, Janel, the nurse, and Debbie all coaching me and telling me when to push and counting for me. I kept my eyes shut the entire time I was pushing as this allowed me to focus. It was intense, but I felt like I was making progress which was helpful. I pushed from 1am until 2:28am, when Kirsten Jael entered this world! It was the most amazing feeling to see her and touch her and hold her. I was totally in awe! They cleaned her up and I was able to breastfeed right away. She latched on quickly and did great! My mom & stepfather joined us in the room after a while to say hi to Kirsten. My mom is extremely excited to be a grandma!

Scott & I are so thankful to God for a healthy, beautiful baby! She is unbelievable and every time I look at her I am just amazed that she was inside of me just a few days ago! She weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz and was 20 and 1/2 inches long. Debbie felt that if I had gone another week or two, I might have ended up with a C-section due to the size of Kirsten's shoulders. So I am so glad that she was a few days early! And I got through it without doing an epidural or pain meds, which was one of the key parts of my birth plan.

We are so thankful for all of the prayers and well-wishes we have received. Kirsten is doing wonderfully and we are so in love with her!!

Introducing Kirsten Jael

2008-10-29T20:08:00.003-04:00

We proudly introduce the newest addition to our family: Kirsten Jael! She is a healthy, beautiful baby girl who was born at 2:28am on October 29th! She weighed 7lbs 12 oz and is 20 and 1/2 inches long. She is just perfect, of course. I will post a few photos here and later on I will post more of her birth story.

Baby Nursery

2008-10-24T08:56:00.006-04:00

Here's some pics of the baby nursery. It's almost done! I just have a few finishing touches to do. Plus it might be nice to have a dresser at some point. For now the wire shelving cubbies will have to do.

My Big Belly Update

2008-10-22T20:56:00.004-04:00

Well I officially have 12 days left until my due date. 12 Days!! TWELVE DAYS!?!?!?! Yes, it is really coming to an end. I am actually hoping for this little girl to arrive a little before my due date. Perhaps next week sometime. But God's in control and He'll choose when we get to meet her. I'd like to get through this weekend because we are having a shower for my friend Sarah, and because Scott's parents will be in Mass this weekend.

Here's a couple photos of me on Sunday at 38 weeks at Scott's parent's house:

Some people say I don't look like I'm ready to have this baby, and others say I look ready to pop. Personally, I have been feeling a bit more tired lately and often have a hard time getting comfortable. I also wake up at least 2 times, but usually 3, every night. This usually involves a trip downstairs to go pee, sometimes heating up my rice pad, and often having a small snack.

Other joys of the final weeks are the emotional ups and downs. I am SO excited to meet our little girl, to hold her, to get to know her, and to find out what it's like to be a mom. At the same time, I am totally freaked out about getting through the labor process, as well as the concept of bringing home a totally dependent, helpless little creature that we have to care for. Thankfully, Scott is such a great support and lets me cry or talk or whatever I need to do. Then he tells me that he knows I can do it (the labor thing) and that I'll be a great mom. Boy I hope he's right! And I do know that no matter what happens, everything will be okay. I know that God will give me the strength I need, and that once our baby is here it will all be worth it!

House Projects and Such

2008-10-18T19:09:00.002-04:00

I am sitting here on my couch utterly exhausted. Why, you ask? Well, I am exhausted because I spent most of the day painting the trim in my dining room. AND because I'm almost 38 weeks pregnant and getting tireder by the day... But alas, my dining room can finally go back to actually being a place where people can sit down and eat instead of a room full of furniture, boxes, and a bunch of other stuff shoved in the middle of the room. The nice thing about today was that my mom came over and helped me out a lot - she did all of my dishes, cleaned the windows and door in my kitchen, vacuumed upstairs, folded laundry, and more. Plus Scott's mom came and then all 3 of us were painting for a while. Meanwhile, Scott's and his dad worked outside on the front porch and actually finished it! Now I just want to pick up some pumpkins to decorate the front door. It looks much more inviting now and perhaps we'll even have some trick or treaters... that is if we are home at that time : )

Well anyway, we also had a big work day last Saturday with a bunch of people from our church which was so helpful! We definitely would not have everything done that we have now if those people hadn't come last weekend.

The best part is that the baby nursery is finally coming together! I will post some photos soon, but I feel much better now because we have some shelving up as well as some cubbies for all the clothing and such. Plus the crib is all arranged how I want it, and I have my bookshelf with a little library started! The only thing we have to do now is get the mini co-sleeper attached to our bed sometime in the next few days. That way when we bring the baby home, we won't have to fuss with getting that set up.

Another good thing about today was that my step father was able to turn up the heat on our hot water today, so it actually is hot now instead of lukewarm!!! I am soooo excited because at this very moment I am running my bath so that I can soak and relax! Yay!!!!

Entering the World of Cloth Diapers

2008-10-04T21:53:00.003-04:00

At the risk of being looked at as if I have 3 heads, I will share with you my plan for my new baby - cloth diapers! I am actually really excited about it, despite the strange looks and remarks I've received so far. I've been researching, reading, and talking to others who have done it, and it's been a lot of fun.

Now I realize that cloth diapering is not necessarily going to be as "easy" as using disposables. However, I can already see many benefits:

Saving money. Despite the initial cost of cloth diapers, in the long run it is definitely cheaper than using disposables. With cloth you buy them once, and use them over and over. With disposables you buy them once and then you keep buying them over and over.
Saving the environment. Disposable diapers take years to break down, and the waste inside of them ends up going into our water sources as well. With cloth, you don't throw them away so there's less waste in the environment. Plus, you dump the waste in the toilet so that it goes to be treated properly and doesn't affect our water sources.
Fun & cute. The cloth diapers nowadays are much different than years ago. They are fairly simple to use, and they are also very cute - many coming in various colors and prints!

Obviously there are some disadvantages, such as additional laundry. But everyone that I have talked to have said that the pros far outweigh the cons with cloth diapers. So, the next step is just deciding which brand to go with and how many to buy, etc. I'm planning to order from Everyday Diapers, which is run by a stay at home mom in Skowhegan, Maine who I met the other night. She is really nice and very helpful in discussing how cloth diapering works!

Adventures in Pregnancy

2008-10-04T21:20:00.002-04:00

I realize it's been a way long time since I have blogged! So I am going to try and catch up on a few things here tonight. I'd like to share a few of the adventures I've had recently related to my pregnancy (or at least I'm blaming it on that).

I recently signed up for a prenatal yoga class because of the recommendation of a high school classmate. Plus I thought it would help me with getting my body prepared for childbirth. So every Monday at 12:10 I head to the YMCA to take my class. On this past Monday, I had met with someone in the morning and then I headed to the Y. I gathered my items to head inside and get changed. I didn't want to take my purse in, but I grabbed my wallet just in case I needed it. Well I got out of my car and it was at that moment that I realized... my KEYS!!! Where are my keys? I searched my bag but to no avail. They were still in my car - I had thrown them in my purse! Oh, the baby is stealing my brain. I don't think I've ever done this before! Thankfully this was before my class, so I was able to use the phone in the Y to call Scott to ask him to come and unlock me. I figured that sometime in the next hour he'd be able to get there and unlock the car. Well, after my class there was no sign of Scott or an unlocked car. I called him again and still couldn't reach him. I then called the church, as well as Shan for moral support. About a half hour went by and I sat there wondering if I would be getting home (or even into my car) in time for my 2:00 phone appointment. I was also starting to think about not being able to reach Scott and how bad it would be if I was actually going into labor or something and he was not reachable! Well, Scott showed up a few minutes later and let me into my car. I was relieved but also frustrated and hungry (hadn't eaten lunch yet)! I had a bit of a meltdown that involved some crying, and then managed to head home and be there in time for my call... By the way, that meltdown was just the first in a series that followed over the next few days.

Well my second adventure was this morning. Scott is away this weekend so I locked the door last night. This morning I was getting ready to go scrapbooking at the church to try and get caught up before the baby arrives. I let Mia out as I was finishing up brushing my teeth, etc. Well she was barking to come inside but I needed to just do a couple more things in the bathroom. When I went into the kitchen, I saw Mia standing there wagging her tail - she managed to push the door open from the outside! Well, I was fine with that, except that by pushing the door open she also managed to let Moxie OUT!!! Not good, especially when I am about 2 minutes from needing to leave my house. So I grabbed the treats and ran outside to find him. I called to him and saw him standing very near the road - but when he saw and heard the box of treats he came bounding towards me, thankfully. I was so glad to have him back and not have to run around the neighborhood to find him. I headed to go back inside and grabbed the door handle, which was not fully closed. It was at that point that I realized the door was still locked - and just as I realized it, the door closed all the way. OH NO!!! I am locked outside of my house with no keys, no phone, a dog, and a husband who is gone for the weekend. AHHHHHH! Baby is stealing my brain again! Before freaking out entirely, I decided to try the kitchen window. I have used this entrance before, but being that it's been so cold lately, I was concerned that the window might be locked. Well, I went over (with Moxie following closely behind watching my every move) to the window and got the screen up, and then I managed to push up the window from the outside. I then proceeded, with my almost 36 week pregnant belly, to climb in through the window! I probably looked really foolish to the cars driving by, but I didn't care. At least I was inside, and could now proceed with the plans for the day.

So, moral of the story - if you want to keep your brain cells, don't get pregnant. I think this will be my method of encouraging the teens not to have sex... Get pregnant and lose your mind!!!

Trip Update #1

2008-09-13T20:04:00.004-04:00

Well I am finally in a place where I have some internet access for longer than 5 minutes. So here is my update on our College Trip with the youth group.

Day #1: Leave the church at about 8:30am and head out. Drive to Newport where I begged Scott to stop at Dunkin Donuts because I was already hungry. We went through the drive through and I ordered a bagel with cream cheese on the side and a decaf coffee with sugar (no cream). I tried to tell Scott not to drive away yet so that I could make sure the order was correct, but it was too late. I got 2 donuts instead of my bagel. So, we pulled out into traffic and back into DD where I went inside to get my correct order. I did this, and then went back out to the van, where I realized that they gave me my order with NO knife (how will I spread the cream cheese???) and NO napkin!!! URGH! So I went back inside and got those items and determined that the customer service at Newport Dunkin Donuts was pretty sucky. They did not even apologize for all the things they did wrong! Ok, after that we picked up one of the students at the next exit. Then we drove for a while and had to stop and get gas. After that we stopped to pick up my mini co-sleeper that I bought for $65 (a total steal)!! The guy also had a very good quality car seat which new costs $200, and he sold it to us for $35. So even though we already have a car seat, we decided to get it so that we would have two - one for each vehicle. Plus the fact that it was so cheap for such a good quality...
Anyway, we arrived at Gordon around 1:30pm and got settled there. It was such a beautiful day and it was great to be back at Gordon. After the info session, the teens all got to go to a class. Then after that, we ditched the kids and Scott and I went to a local beach and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Plus it was my b-day so it was nice to just relax a bit. Then Scott and I went to Bertucci's for dinner to celebrate my birthday. YUMMM! Scott and I then went to stay at our friend's Kellie & Justin's in Gloucester. It was so sweet of them to open their home to us and we had a great time hanging out, even though it was for a short time. Kellie gave me some great advice on cloth diapers, which was very helpful!
Day #2: Breakfast at Gordon followed by an info session and then a tour. After that we headed out to Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA. It was a small campus and we weren't there for long. Most of the kids decided they didn't really like ENC too much, but it was still good to visit for comparison sake. One bad thing was that we got a parking ticket there because we parked on the street and apparently we weren't supposed to. After this we began driving and that continued for the ENTIRE day! Lots of traffic jams in Hartford, past Hartford, in New York, then in New Jersey, etc. Oh boy. Plus it poured much of the drive which made the driving a bit more challenging. Scott and I took turns but it was still a long drive. We did not get to our hotel until 11:45pm. I was extremely ready for bed and a bit grumpy at that point, so I was thankful to lay down and rest. The girls all slept in one room and the boys were in the next room over.
Day #3: Breakfast at the Comfort Inn and getting ready for the day. Then we headed to Eastern University where we had a great tour with a fun tour guide named Nick. The campus was just beautiful and we had a great day weatherwise. Then we met up with Amy from church for a few minutes. After that we headed to the King of Prussia mall for lunch and shopping. I found a WAAAY cute baby clothing shop called Janie & Jack. If I were rich, I would definitely buy some clothes there!!! After the mall we came back to my sister's apartment where we have been hanging ever since. The kids all played Nintendo wii and the boys played with their new Nerf guns, which was quite loud and annoying. We had pizza for dinner and all chilled out afterwards. Then the boys left to go to where they are staying tonight, and now us girls are just hanging and talking and laughing a lot!

So there you have it. The first 3 days are done, and we have 3 more to go!

Yes, we really are having a baby

2008-09-07T19:35:00.005-04:00

As I spent the past few days sorting through MOUNDS of baby clothing, the reality of having a baby became even more real. I looked at all the little onesies, dresses, shoes, and blankets, and I realized that soon my little girl will be needing to wear these things in less than 2 months! It was honestly a little overwhelming as I sat there - mostly because of the shear amount of clothing that I was surrounded by! I determined just to get through the pile so that I could pass on what I didn't want to some friends. Then I decided to wash the rest of it and sort it according to approximate sizes so that when we get a dresser, I can organize it that way. Suffice it to say, we are not in need of any clothes! I feel like even if the baby was born tomorrow, we'd have clothes to last us at least 2 years : ) However, I did give in and buy just one cute outfit that I had been eying at Target. It was on sale today, and there were not many left. So I went ahead and spent the $10. However, I won't be buying anything else! Here's a photo of that cute outfit, and one other dress that I absolutely love that I received at my shower.
In addition to the clothing, we also have received many other items so far. Some of it is new and some is used. Here is the list of what we have so far:

Crib - thanks Matt & Elisha!!
Glider rocking chair - thanks Holly & Gary!
Baby swing - thanks Holly & Gary!
High chair - thanks Doug & Lori!
Bounce in Comfort seat - thanks Aunt Brenda & Uncle Norman!
Car Seat & Stroller set - thanks Mom & Grandma!
Swing for a tree - thanks Doug & Lori!

Here's an updated photo of me at 31 weeks - not my favorite photo but I'll still post it.

An Update - Finally!!!

2008-09-03T23:17:00.002-04:00

Well I will start with an apology first for my lack of updates. Let me just summarize the past few weeks and you'll understand why. On August 20th we flew out to Salt Lake City where we attended my business convention. I could do an entire post about that, which hopefully I will do in a few days. It was a wonderful trip and I am so thankful that we were able to go. We returned on Sunday night. Then I had my next midwife appointment on Monday, tried to get unpacked, and also get back to work with my business. On Tuesday it was back to work, followed by my first baby shower that night. My mom and sister threw me a great shower held at my grandmother's home. It was really nice, and I got some fun gifts. Then on Wednesday I had to work and then had youth group that night. Thursday was another work day, followed by a business event that night, then a phone call after that. On Friday it was all about getting prepared to go camping for the weekend. We left that afternoon for Mt. Blue State Park, where we stayed until Monday. Then it was back to work yesterday, followed by a meeting with someone last night. Today it was working again, home for a phone call, and then back to youth group tonight!

So, that gives you an idea of just what has been going on in my life in the past few weeks. And, it's not slowing down anytime soon. Next Thursday we leave for the youth group college trip and will be returning the following Tuesday. Hopefully after that, things will slow down a bit!!

So out of all the things I could possibly blog about, I wanted to share a big relief which I experienced today. I met with my boss today about various things since we both had been on vacation recently and hadn't talked in a couple weeks. In the midst of the conversation, we ended up talking about my maternity leave as well as my plans to return (or not return) to work. This has been something I've been thinking and praying a lot about, but I hadn't made any decision yet. Part of it depends on where my income is at with my business, and part of it depends on just what Scott and I feel would be best for us and our baby. So anyway, I ended up breaking down and crying while talking to my supervisor (seems to be a frequent occurance lately). But it turned out to be a very good conversation. Basically it sounds like they will be willing to do whatever it takes to keep me there, but they will also understand if I choose not to return. One of my thoughts had been that I might possibly want to go back at less than 20 hours at first (maybe just 10 hours), and my boss said she would be totally fine with that. So it was just a huge relief to get to talk with her about that and find out that there will be many options. She just asked that I let her know if I don't think I'm going to return, which of course I would do.

Well now that it's 11:30pm, I should really be in bed! So good night for now. I will attempt to update on some of the other goings on sometime in the next few days.

My Fat Tummy

2008-08-11T21:36:00.002-04:00

Well according to my hubby, I have a fat tummy. At least that's what he said in front of the entire church on Sunday. Thankfully I have a reason for having a fat tummy and I'm not that embarrassed about it. So, here's my latest photo, which compared to just 3 weeks ago is quite astounding! It's starting to look like a basketball, which is what my sister predicted I would look like. Also, the crazy thing is that I only have 12 weeks left!!! I cannot believe it, and I am also a little nervous about not being prepared. But at least Scott and his friend Steve are working on finishing the dining room and living room this Saturday, which will make me feel a lot better and more able to focus on the baby room. Yay!

My Unspectacular Quirks

2008-08-05T10:02:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I've been tagged by Amy, and here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

MY UN-SPECTACULAR QUIRKS:
1. I used to hate the color pink, but I've come around and I'm actually wearing pink today!
2. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would definitely be outside of the U.S. Someplace in Latin America... or the South Pacific... yeah, that would be nice.
3. I love to read, but I don't do it enough. I usually wait until just before I go to bed, and by that time, I'm pretty tired and usually only get through one chapter. Right now I'm reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and I'm on the 3rd book - actually I'm pretty proud of myself for that.
4. I don't mind getting lost if I'm alone. Well, not really getting lost lost, but I don't mind trying out a new road or going a different way. BUT if I am driving a group of people, I don't want to get lost because not everyone enjoys the adventure as much as I do.
5. I used to wonder if I would ever have kids, but now I'm pregnant! And I'm super excited. I wasn't sure if having children was my "thing", but I guess there's no turning back now.
6. I've always wanted to go skydiving, but the older I get, the wimpier I am becoming! I might still give it a try sometime if the opportunity presented itself (like, say, if I did "The Amazing Race" with a friend) but I'm not sure that I'm gonna seek it out. I'll stick to jumping off cliffs and bridges for now...

Ok, so now I have to tag some other people:
1. Naomi
2. Jessica (who never blogs!)
3. Sarah
4. Katie
5. Kellie
6. Jenn

Baby Update

2008-07-31T22:18:00.003-04:00

We had another appointment with Debbie on Wednesday, and all is well. I had gained 3 lbs since the last appointment, and she said I was right on track in terms of weight. Yay! I also had the awful glucose test on Tuesday, and the results came back normal. For anyone who hasn't gone through this yet, let me fill you in. You start off by not being able to eat anything before the test, so obviously you have to do it first thing in the morning. Well given complications with our car, this is how Tuesday morning looked. 7am - get up and throw on a few decent clothes. 7:15am - drive my car to the repair shop to leave it there, and ride to Sheila's house with Scott. Borrow Sheila's car and drive back home. 7:45am - shower, get ready. 8:30am - arrive at the lab. Drink a bottle full of this orange drink that takes like Sunkist. Very sicky sweet - not fun on an empty tummy. Although at that point I needed something or else I felt like I would pass out. 8:35am - sit for AN HOUR doing nothing. I read a magazine and tried to ignore the hunger pains. 9:35am - go in and have the nurse shove a needle in my arm (actually, she was quite gentle about it - I just hate getting blood drawn) and draw 2 tubes of blood from me. 9:45am - DUNKIN DONUTS!!! Then go to work.

Ok, anyway, let's just say I'm glad the results were normal. Next time, I might decline the test anyway because I've heard it can give false positives often and it really is more necessary in high-risk pregnancies or if you've gained a lot of weight, etc. Anyway, the only thing that Debbie said from the blood draw was that my iron levels are a little low, so I'm looking to try and increase my iron through my food intake. I may also take an iron supplement if needed.

As for other things, I am looking forward to August, but it's also going to be super-busy. We are planning a day-trip for the youth group next weekend, then we're planning to go camping the following weekend. Then the next week we are on vacation and will be going to Salt Lake City for 4 days, which I am super-excited about! Then the following week my sister will be here to visit, and she and my mom are throwing me a baby shower. Plus, the last weekend of the month we're planning to go camping with my sister and her husband. And they're all going rafting, which I can't do thanks to begin prego. Man, you miss out on so much fun stuff when you're pregnant! But there's lots of other fun stuff that you get to experience, like feeling the baby move around inside. That's pretty cool.

Well here's an updated photo of me at 25 weeks.

Squatting and other fun pregnancy stuff

2008-07-25T18:31:00.004-04:00

So I've been doing a lot of reading lately, being that I am now 25 weeks pregnant (!). I have been trying to read up on things I can do to best prepare for childbirth. I'm also deciding what "method" of childbirth I want to use. One that I am leaning towards is called Husband-Coached Childbirth or The Bradley Method. It focuses on a natural birth, and having the husband be the primary coach before and during labor. So in that book, along with a few others that I have, they recommend doing squatting exercises to prepare your body for labor. I've been trying this lately, and let me tell you, it's harder than it looks!!

The idea is to keep your feet flat on the floor, about 12" apart, and then to bend your knees and squat down. They say you can start out just holding the position for a few seconds, but they recommend that you work up to being able to squat for several minutes at a time. Well, let me tell you, the most I've done so far is about 30 seconds. I've been going down lower than the people in this photo, but anyway you do it, it still hurts. So ladies, whether you are preggo or not, I recommend doing this exercise to help tone your legs and butt. It will also stretch you and use muscles you're not used to using.

Hopefully doing some squats tonight will make up for the fact that I had pizza for dinner and I'm now headed to Starbucks to hang with some of the youth group girls...

General Update

2008-07-19T21:13:00.002-04:00

Well I realize I've been a slacker and haven't posted an update for over a week. Bad me! Anyway, this past week was quite a whirlwind with lots going on. But it was mostly good. The bad, however, was that we found out my car needs the transmission fixed which is going to be a bunch of money. Thankfully, we will have the cash to cover it, but my plans of having extra in savings before the baby arrives have been set back a bit. We should still have time to replenish, but that just makes other things tighter for a bit.

Anyway, today was a good day as we finally got a lot of the trim up! Yay! I am so excited to see the room coming together. I will post pictures as soon as I can. After a day being on my feet helping Scott and doing dishes and cleaning, I was feeling rather exhausted and decided to lay down for a bit... well, I ended up taking a little 45 minute nap which was just what I needed.

Throughout the day I had some business calls as well, and so my voice is feeling a bit tired. So tonight our friends Steve and Jess suggested going to Gifford's for ice cream, and I was quite excited about that. It was just a nice little treat after a busy day.

Now I am back home and ready to relax and then head to bed.

Baby Update

2008-07-11T13:15:00.004-04:00

I am starting to actually feel more pregnant. Part of that is because I'm starting to get big! Here are some photos to prove it - taken at 23 weeks (actually almost 24 weeks).
Another reason I feel more pregnant is because I now feel the baby moving pretty regularly. Sometimes it's just little movements, and other times it's really strong. I've actually seen my belly move a couple times, and Scott even saw it once too. That was so cool!

Things are still going quite well in terms of my pregnancy. I am hoping that I am staying on track weight wise - I haven't really been keeping close track, just when we go to see our midwife.

On another note, we did find a doula. Her name is Janel, and I am excited to have her. She is really nice, and both Scott and I connected with her. We're meeting with her next Wednesday to go over the birth plan, etc. Yay!

As for being prepared in the house, we are not even close! We need to finish the trim in the living room and dining room. Then we can focus on the baby room. I want to do it sooner rather than later, just in case the baby comes early or anything like that. I'd really like to have the crib in the baby room instead of the kitchen (where it is right now)!!

Well I guess that's all for now. There has been lots more happening, but I need to get back to working on other stuff.

Quick Update

2008-07-03T08:39:00.003-04:00

Well I'm posting a quick update even though I should be showering and heading out the door. Yesterday was crazy at work. I just simply do not understand the things that the DHHS does and it drives me crazy. I can't give details obviously, but I am very sick about what has happened with one of my cases. I am trying not to think about it, because there is literally nothing I can do. But I just pray that this does not have serious long-term effects on the kids... although I believe it will.

So it was a long day. I was so glad to come home and have Scott already here - he had spent the day with Steve scouting out the campsite they will be using for "Man Camp", and he decided to just stay home once they got here rather than going to the church for one hour. So we then began madly cleaning downstairs. It was SUCH a mess, and although I'm not a total clean freak like a few others I know (Amy... Sarah... : ) I still like to have things in somewhat of a clean and organized fashion. It makes me feel calmer and like I can actually accomplish stuff. So we cleaned and organized and threw stuff away, etc. We also threw dinner on the stove and had it ready right when the doula came to meet with us. So our timing was a little off, but she was fine with us eating in front of her. (I felt bad - but baby needed food!) This time our meeting with the doula went great. Scott liked her, and I did too. She is not as experienced as the other one we talked to, but she is really nice and I think she will fit with what we want. So we haven't made the final decision to use her, but we probably will by Monday.

After that, I knew that I had a lot of other things that I could do, but I just needed to relax. So I played around on the computer a bit and then went and laid on the couch watching "Wife Swap" and "Supernanny" all night. Ah, bliss. It felt good to rest and to just let my brain think about nothing for a while. Of course, I did read a little bit of some pregnancy books, but that was for fun as well. Let's just say I hope we never have to call Supernanny! Scott watched part of it and he was horrified at what he was seeing. This family had 5 kids and they were absolutely crazy. Scott looked at me and said, "One's good, right?"

Well I went to bed at a decent time but somehow slept in later than I planned... I guess my body needed it. I still don't feel like going to work because I have lots of paperwork to do and it's hard to do that when I'm thinking about the horrible situation. But today, I must do it. So, I'm off to hurry around and get my butt in gear. Later today, I hope to have a friend from waaaaaaaaaay back in high school over for dinner with her 2 little kids - yay!

Ups & Downs of Being Pregnant

2008-06-29T17:02:00.004-04:00

Well one of the funnest parts of being pregnant is registering! Scott and I went on Friday afternoon to register, since we now know that we are having a girl. We registered at Target and Baby Depot (Burlington Coat Factory). It took us a while, and I am still unsure whether we overdid it or underdid it. I have no idea what to expect. But I tried to take other people's advice as well as follow some of the "suggested items." Anyway, it was a lot of fun, mostly because it makes this whole baby thing so much more real. Even if we don't get anything from our registry, it will be fine, and it was still fun! I need help deciding which pack and play to choose. One is at Target and one is at Baby Depot. They are both very similar, with a few different features. So I though I'd ask for advice as to whether the mobile one or the shaded one would be better. Advice in comments please! Oh, one other thing. I realize that these are pink and brown, which might present an issue if we have another one that's a boy... but I just like it too much and didn't see any other ones that I liked as much.

Now for the downside of being pregnant. I've discovered that going to amusement parks when you are pregnant is not all that fun. Especially for someone who is an adrenaline junkie and loves big scary rides!!! On Saturday, we went to FunTown with the junior high youth group. We had 6 kids plus Scott, myself, and Kevin. It was a cloudy day, but it was still supposed to be around 70 degrees. It definitely was NOT. When we arrived, we found out that Splashtown was closed, which was a bummer, since I figured that I could plan on just hanging out at the waterslides much of the day. Well, we ended up only doing FunTown, so I did a lot of sitting, watching, and taking photos. At every ride there were signs saying "Not recommended for the following conditions... pregnancy." Oh, yeah, that's me. There was even a sign at the carousel, but I took a risk and went on it anyway! See photo for evidence.

So, that's it for now. I am feeling good and having fun. I appreciate all the love and support we have already had from everyone, and I look forward to continuing this journey.

It's a...

2008-06-23T20:20:00.008-04:00

Today was the day! We had our "20 week" ultrasound, although I'm officially at 21 weeks. Around 1:30 this afternoon we were at the Maternal Fetal Medicine at EMMC and I got some warm jelly stuff rubbed all over my tummy. Scott sat next to me in the rocking chair - I told him he's getting ready for when the baby comes. So we got to see our little one from just about every angle. We did find out the gender, even though Scott originally didn't want to know. It's a GIRL! Yay ! I was wrong on my gut instinct, but Scott actually thought it was a girl. So it was exciting to finally know. I know other people don't mind waiting until the big day to find out, but I am too impatient! Now I can plan plan plan, and just pray that the technician was correct. She said she can't say 100%, but she hasn't been wrong in a very long time.

Anyway, here are some pics of the little alien girl!
Note: edited to add the photo of the "girl" identification (at Sarah's request).

Squirrel Madness

2008-06-21T19:16:00.005-04:00

Today I discovered a very disturbing fact: we not only have ONE red squirrel living in our basement, but FOUR! I saw all four of them outside in our trees by the house. There is one momma and 3 babies. Mia and Moxie have been going CRAZYYYYYYYYYYY today because they have been able to see these lovely little rodents running to and fro between the trees and the house. I managed to get some great photos of them, although I couldn't get all 4 of them at once. There was one point where they were all together on one tree, but I didn't get the camera in time. Anyway, we're going to have to live trap these little buggers since they are probably wreaking havoc in our basement. Kira has also been spending a lot of time downstairs, and I don't want her to get into a fight with a squirrel!

Pregnancy Update

2008-06-21T12:55:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post a new photo of me at 20 weeks, so here ya go! We have our ultrasound on Monday and I am SOOOOOOOO excited! I had a dream last night about the ultrasound, and it was really weird. There was one thing after another and they kept putting us off so we couldn't have it done. Plus it was my director at work who was doing the ultrasound. Weird! I am sure it will be different on Monday. So, the verdict is that we are going to find out the gender. I just couldn't bear to wait another 20 weeks!

Everybody's Doing It

2008-06-20T14:00:00.002-04:00

I remember when blogging was first catching on. It took me a while to decide to create my own blog, but with a little help from my friends Steve and Peter, I managed to throw this together. Later I helped my friend Amy get her blog started, and now she is a blogging fiend! I love reading her posts. Now, even more friends have joined, like Shan, Sarah, and Jessica (sorry Jess, I can't seem to find the link to your blog). It seems to be a catchy trend, and I think it's so great that we can all stay connected this way even between hundreds or even thousands of miles.

Recently, I noticed that several of my other friends or acquaintances have also joined the blogosphere:

Michelle, who also has her own online store
Kellie, a friend from high school and college
Katie, another friend from high school
Marnie, another friend from high school

I love reading the posts when I have down time and enjoying the fun stories, etc. So, blog on, friends, blog on.

New Baby Stuff

2008-06-19T22:02:00.002-04:00

Well today I had to say goodbye to my supervisor, since her last day is tomorrow, and I'm not there on Fridays. She is such a great supervisor and I have really enjoyed working with her. I hope that we hire someone at least half as good as her.

Anyway, as we were saying goodbye, she gave me a great little baby gift since she's not going to be around when they do a shower for me. So I absolutely love my gift! Here is a photo so that you can all see how cute it is. She got green items since we don't know the gender yet. But it's still super cute, and I especially love the onesies!

Parenting Gone Wrong

2008-06-17T10:57:00.003-04:00

What has this world come to, when something like this can happen? I am just sickened by this kind of thing, and it makes me sad to realize that people continue to treat their children like their property instead of like a human being. This story makes me think of the book, "The Child Called It", and I can only imagine what else this poor boy went through before his final "punishment" when lead to his death. Some speculators are relating this to a possible "religious" issue or a "homeschooling" issue. No, I think it is a STUPIDITY issue. A complete lack of humanity on the part of the parents. They should NEVER be allowed to get their other 2 children back, but in this world, I wouldn't be surprised if they did...

Coming Along

2008-06-09T17:26:00.005-04:00

Here I am at 18 weeks pregnant. Things are coming along. I am finally showing (a little bit), and I am now needing to wear maternity clothes, since now of my regular clothes are fitting. I went shopping with Sarah, who is about 5 weeks behind me, on Saturday and we scored some great stuff. The thing I am most excited about is the "belly band", which you can put over your regular clothes and hide the fact that you have your pants unbuttoned ; )

Anyway, the best part right now is getting to feel the baby move. I love laying there at night with my hand on my stomach, feeling all the little squirms and kicks. So cool! We will be having our 20 week ultrasound on June 23rd, which is actually my 21st week. So I think we're going to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl, which will be exciting... my guess is a boy.

Well I am off to youth group and hanging out with lots of kids!

Rant

2008-06-07T08:47:00.003-04:00

Ok, I have a rant. What is one of the things that bothers me more than anything? When someone (or several people) make statements about things which they know nothing about. It seems to happen a lot online. See, I do some posting online to promote my business, and most of the time things go smoothly. But every once in a while, there is someone who thinks they are an expert but yet have no direct experience with the topic at hand. That has got to be the most annoying thing in the world.

That's about it. I just had to get that out of my system.

One of Those Days

2008-06-03T21:57:00.003-04:00

Today I had one of those days. It was not good. It started with me being very emotional and getting into an argument with Scott, and much crying ensued. Then, after I was calm enough to eat breakfast, I felt a little better. I had a business call before going to work and that went well. Well, it went well and then it changed, and so that was another disappointment. At work, I had to talk to a DHHS worker that I have a hard time interacting with - it seems she says and does things to purposefully irritate me, like failing to mention that she changed the meeting time tomorrow. On top of that, my supervisor who I really get along with is leaving and that is a huge bummer. After all of this, I really just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and go back to sleep. That way, I could just forget that I ever got up today.

Somehow, I managed to put my mind on other things and get some actual work done. It helped to talk with a friend and be able to focus better after that. After work, I came home and wanted to relax for about an hour before I had to go back to Bangor for a meeting. Moxie, however, decided that it would be fun to get wrapped around the tree in the pouring rain, which meant I had to go out and get him. Then he also decided it would be fun to crawl under my car and trample my flowers. URGH! Sometimes dogs can be so stupid.

I managed to lay down for about 20 minutes and then have some dinner. Then I went back to Bangor to meet with 3 classmates and plan our 10 year high school reunion. That was good because we were able to meet pretty quickly. Once home for good, I crashed on the couch and watched stupid TV shows for a while, and also talked with another friend.

One good thing of the day: My company that I work with for my business called today and said that they want to interview me! I was a little shocked, since my past few months have been slow (thanks to all my fatigue and morning sickness). But nonetheless, on Friday I will be interviewed and it will be put on the company training website. What an honor, and a nice pick-me-up after a long day.

Baby Thoughts

2008-05-31T09:33:00.002-04:00

The reality that I am having a baby is starting to set in. There is a crib in my dining room, I've started to feel the baby moving (woohoo!), and people are always asking me how I'm feeling. For a while, I didn't really feel pregnant. I knew it in my head, but it just didn't seem real. Now, with the expanding waistline and the fact that I can feel the baby from time to time, things are setting in.

As I have read on my friend Amy's blog lately, it is important that we be honest with ourselves and others on these issues. So I have to say, the whole concept of motherhood is quite scary to me. I have, for a long time, loved working and playing with kids in the 2-4 year old age range. And even now, those ages are much more appealing to me than newborns. While I love newborns and they are so cute, I have never been the person to run over and oooh and ahhh over newborns. So the fact that I am going to have one on my own is a little scary. I know everyone says, "Oh, it'll be different when it's your own," and I know that is true. But the fact is, I will still be dealing with the screaming in the middle of the night, changing diapers, nursing, and needing to watch the baby every waking moment (and probably many sleeping moments as well).

I am thankful that God built in 9 months to prepare us for motherhood. I don't think I could do it if it was just 2 or 3 months. At this point, though, I am almost half-way there - 18 weeks now! So I still have time to adjust to this whole idea - but not that much time. I am thankful that I don't have to be perfect and that God will give us grace as we learn.

A Hiking Adventure

2008-05-24T20:02:00.004-04:00

Earlier in the week, I asked Scott if we could go somewhere today. So, we agreed that we would go somewhere, do something fun today. It was supposed to be 75 degrees according to the weather reports earlier in the week, but it turns out it was about 65, if that. We overslept so we had a slow start, but we finally left our house around 10:15 or so. We had to stop in Ellsworth to get some food, since I am completely low on groceries. But finally we were at Acadia National Park in Southwest Harbor area. We decided to climb Beech Mountain, because it looked like a short enough hike. When we got there, we let the dogs out to to go the bathroom and they met another dog, which they were excited about. Right about then, it started to pour. Oh, lovely. So we got into the car and decided to have lunch. It is interesting trying to make PB&J in a car with two dogs and plastic utensils. But finally we were able to eat and then the rain lightened up enough for us to start out on the hike. We gave the dogs some food and water, and got ready to go. Scott let go of Mia's leash to get his backpack ready, so I let go of Moxie so that I could get my sweatshirt on, etc. Well Moxie decided to get a head start on the trail, and Mia took off after him. No amount of whistling, yelling "food" or "treat", or their names caused them to turn around. I headed up the trail after them, and Scott was still at the car. At one point the trail split but I was pretty sure the dogs went up. Finally Mia came back to meet me, but Moxie was still no where to be seen or heard. Scott caught up with me and we went on up the trail. About 10 minutes later, we finally caught up with Moxie. I was relieved because I just keep picturing us going the whole trail and Moxie being way off in the woods somewhere and us not finding him.

Anyway, after that we tried holding their leashes, but Mia was basically pulling me up the slippery rocks. So I decided to let go of her because she is usually really good about coming back to us. Then a little later, Scott decided to try it with Moxie again. The first time, he took a very long time to come back. But then we just kept giving treats every time they came back to us, and by the end of our hike, Moxie was hardly going ahead of us at all. Once we finally reached the top, we met a few other people, but the dogs were good after the initial barking episode. Scott started up the fire tower, and the dogs with him, until the both realized they could look down and go scared. But a second try with some treats allowed them to go up as far as we could (it was closed at the top). It was so funny watching them, because they were still nervous but they did it.

Overall it was a great trip with some pretty views, despite the intermittent rain. After the hike, I convinced Scott (with some arm twisting) to go to Seawall. Seawall is one of my favorite places in the state, but today's stop was a short one. One of my favorite parts was when Moxie slipped and fell right into the ocean! So funny!

On the way home, we stopped at LLBean and Cadillac Mtn Sports, at Scott's request. Then we stopped in Hampden at McLaughlin's for lobster rolls. I was so craving lobster after driving by all the lobster pounds, so I was very happy when we got home and ate our lobster rolls. Yum!

A good day. Very tiring, but good.

New Crib!!!

2008-05-24T18:44:00.003-04:00

We went to our friends' Matt & Elisha's house on Thursday night. It was great fun, especially to see their two daughters be so funny and entertaining. Their youngest, almost 3, has recently transitioned out of her crib. So, they decided to give us their crib! Wow, what a huge blessing. Here are some photos. It is in practically perfect condition, and it is pretty much what I would have picked out myself.

Movie & Play Reviews

2008-05-23T12:26:00.002-04:00

I realize it's been too long since my last update, and I do have many things to share. First I will start with reviews of movies & a play I recently saw.

1. Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I laughed, I cried, and I just really enjoyed the entire movie. Steve Carell (from "The Office") is a great actor, and in this movie he is a widower and single father of 3 girls. He is also a writer and writes a column called "Dan in Real Life." I don't want to give away the plot, but the movie is basically about family, love, and what's really important in life. The daughters are at times completely mad at their father for various reasons, and one even screams out "You are a murderer of love!" which is one of my favorite parts of the movie. But they also love him deeply, and they are truly a family. As for family friendliness, the movie is rated PG-13 and is a lot "cleaner" than most other movies with that rating. There is some sexual innuendo, and a bit of minor language, but overall I felt it was good. You can check out PluggedIn for a more comprehensive review. This will definitely be a movie I will purchase.

2. Expelled with Ben Stein was a documentary showing how the concept of Intelligent Design is not allowed into the "scientific" circles of how the world began. Ben goes through many examples of scientists with more letters after their name than you can imagine who have been "expelled" from the scientific arena because of their openness to even discussing Intelligent Design. It is informative and actually funny in some parts, especially at the end when one of the top "experts" on evolution and a self-proclaimed athiest tries to explain why he doesn't believe there is a God. Or, I should say, he's somewhere between 50 and 99% sure there's not a God - he knows it's higher than 49%, but he's not willing to put a number on it. Hmmmm isn't he going to be surprised someday? Anyway, this was an excellent film. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be informed on how closed minded our academia is in the US. Whether you believe in evolution, creation, or intelligent design, this is worth watching.

3. Alice in Wonderland, a play starring Kelsey Burt, was a fabulous production. We saw this in Brooks, Maine, and the theater was packed out. The costumes, the music, the singing, and the actors were all fabulous. Kelsey did a wonderful job as Alice, and was quite entertaining to watch. The many other students who played the other roles were also great, all using facial expression as well as creative costumes to play their parts. Definitely the highlight of last weekend!

Well there will be more to come, as I have much more to update, but I wanted to start with this.

Wow, wow, wow, what a weekend

2008-05-11T22:07:00.002-04:00

This has been a tiring weekend, and I'm about to go to bed so this will be short. Friday night we went to the church to be there with 18 teenagers for the 30 Hour Famine. The famine started at 12:30pm on Friday and went through 6:30pm Saturday. We met at the church at 7pm Friday night and had 24 hours full of "Tribe Games", free time, devotions, movies, etc. The one thing that was missing from the weekend that is usually present in all youth activities was FOOD! (I did eat, of course, since I am growing a baby).

It was a great weekend, but it was very tiring! We finished off the weekend on Saturday night with a big feast which all the parents brought. After cleaning up, Scott and I were finally able to come home and crash. This morning we went to Sunday School and 2nd service, since we were so tired. Then we stopped at the store on the way home and got some food for lunch. We had my mom, Paul, and my gram over for lunch. We had salmon, burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potatoes on the grill, salad, and more! It was delish.

After lunch, I spent time planting my flowers that I got at the perennial swap at church (oh yeah, that was also part of Saturday morning). While I was outside planting, I heard a beep and looked up and saw my wonderful friends Amy & Kevin!!! They drove in our driveway for a mere 5 minutes to say hi. It was SO wonderful to see them, even for a few minutes. Hopefully they'll be moving back to Maine sometime soon and maybe even live near us : )

So now, I've been totally relaxing, took a nap, and watched some mindless television. Although, Extreme Home Makeover was a real tear jerker tonight. Maybe I'm just more emotional...

Ok, now I'm saying goodnight.

Creative Memories FINAL Sale

2008-05-08T21:23:00.003-04:00

Ok folks, I am truly getting rid of my inventory. All prices you see listed here are my cost - I'm not making a profit on selling these! Prices are negotiable, so I am even willing to go lower. This will be my final sale before they go on ebay or craig's list. This is a LONG list, and items will be first-come, first served.

12x12 Albums & Pages
Evergreen with Foil Wreath $26.60
Gold Dust Pages (2) $11.90
Natural Pages (2) $11.90
Baby Pages $16.80

8 ½ x 11 Albums & Pages
Cranberry Album $19.60
White Pages (2) $8.40

7x7 Albums & Pages
Bloomin’ Pink Album $14.00
Enchantment Coverset in lily pad (2) $11.90
Petal Coverset $10.50
Sky Coverset $10.50
Amore Coverset $14.00
Gold Dust Pages $7.35
Spargo Pages $7.35
Black Pages $7.35
Black ‘n Blue Pages (2) $5.00

PicFolio Albums
Cream Milestones (11x14) $30.80
Triumph Memory Chest (with tan $21.00
Minutes Album [6x7], Storybox
Metro, and storage box)

Organizers & Totes (40% off retail price)
12-inch DecoFile Organizer $10.80
File Mate $6.00
File Mate Folders (2) $4.80
DecoFile Decorative Supply Organizer with Folders $12.00
Makers Pocket $3.60
PowerSort Dividers (2) $2.80
NegCare Envelopes $4.80

Tools
Personal Trimmer (3) $13.65
12” Straight Trimmer (2) $13.65
Custom Cutting System (CCS) Mat & Blades (2) $16.80
Oval Patterns $9.80
Square Maker $14.00
Geometric Multi-Maker $18.20
Mini Square Maker $11.20
Corner Rounders (3) $5.60
Scissors $3.00

10x12 Paper Packs
Shades of Red, Orange, Amber, $4.20
Yellow, Green, Olive, Blue,
Purple, Pink, Black & White
Earthly Elegance $4.20
Garden Illusions $4.20
Coffeehouse $4.20
Rainbow $4.20
Asian Myabi $4.20
Ruled Paper - Black $.70

12x12 Perfect Fit Paper Packs
Perfect Fit… Oranges, $5.60
Blues, Purples,
Perfect Fit Baby Boy $5.60
Perfect Fit Baby Girl $5.60

Other Paper Packs
Short Cuts Cool $4.90
Groovy Girl Album Kit $4.20
Gizmos ‘N Gadgets Album Kit $4.20
Cottage Power Palette (Includes $41.97
2 packs Perfect Fit paper, 10 Jumbo
Great Lengths sticker strips,
4 Title sticker strips, Storybox set,
And Power Palette Book Volume 1)
Chalet Power Palette (minus $34.97
Storybox set)
Jewel Snap Pack $7.00
Neutral Snap Pack $7.00
Done With One Holiday $2.45
Done With One Party Time $2.45
Calendar Paper $2.45
Storybox Metro, or Paradise $7.00
Idea Books, Etc. (40% off)
Page Patterns Organizer & Tabs $5.25
Page Patterns Spring ‘02 (3), $3.30
Fall ‘03, Fall ‘05, Spring ‘06,
Summer ‘06
Color Confidence Fall ‘05, $3.30
Winter ‘05, Spring ‘06, Summer ‘06
Fast Formulas 4th Ed., 5th Ed., $6.00
Product Collection Ed.

Journaling Supplies
Basic Round Tip Pens (2) $7.42
Basic Fine Tip (2) $7.42
Classic Round Tip $7.42
Bright Fine Tip $7.42
Clarifeye Pet Eye Reduction Pen (2) $3.15
Clarifeye Red Eye Reduction Pen $3.15
Black Round Tip Pen (3) $1.96
Black Fine Tip Pen (5) $1.96
Photo Labeling Pencil (4) $1.35
Precious Element Round Tip Pen in
Patina, Copper, or Silver $2.10
Precious Element Fine Tip Pen in
Silver or Copper $1.96
Write Again Correction Paper in natural $.84

Adhesives
Tape Runner (3) $5.25
Mini Tape Refill (3) $2.60
Medium Photo Mounting Corners $5.25
Large Photo Mounting Corners (2) $5.25

Stickers
Kaleidoscope Arctic or Radiance $2.45
Holiday Tree Decoration $2.45
Fundamentals (4) $3.85
Festivities $3.85
Elegant Laser Letters $4.73
Heritage $3.85
This & That Sprinkle $3.85
Sun & Fun Sprinkle $3.85
Harvest Orchard Laser $3.85
Winter Medley $2.45
Baseball (2) $2.45
Wheels & Whistles $2.45
Soccer $2.45
United Kingdom Outdoors $3.85
Outback & Rainforest Fun $2.45
Sightseeing Europe $3.85
Australia Down Under $3.85
Jumbo Great Lengths Cabana $1.75
Spring, Birthday, Celebration,
Kids, Autumn, or Travel
Jumbo GL Blue & Aqua (4), $3.15
Red & Pink (3), Orange & Amber,
Yellow & Chamois, Green & Olive,
Purple & Eggplant, Neutral, Party
Time, Best Wishes, Holiday Sparkle
Holiday Fanciful Trimmings $3.85
Getaway Travel $2.45
Las Americas (3) $2.45
Decades 50s $2.45
Decades 60s $2.45
Pastel Dimensions $3.85
Rainbow Dimensions $3.85
Asian Myabi Great Lengths $3.85
Jewel Great Lengths $2.45
Bright Great Lengths $2.45
Lazy Days Album Kit (stickers & $4.20
Paper) (2)
HUGE Assortment of ABC/123 Stickers - Large and Small

Die Cuts
Bib, Bottle & Pacifier $.10
Baby, Buggy & Booties $.10
Pets $.10
Turkey & Acorns $.10
Pumpkins $.10
Scarecrows $.10
Apples $.10

Cool Discovery in the Garden

2008-05-04T12:09:00.004-04:00

Yesterday as I was finishing up putting some organic soil in my flower garden when I encountered the strangest thing. I dug up a section of soil, and with it came a huge bee! This was seriously the biggest bee I've seen in a long time. It couldn't fly, so I managed to get it onto my shovel to take over and show Scott. Then I put it out on the grass. I went back to digging, and when I did, I found 2 more bees! Crazy! They were down under the dirt. I've never seen this before. That time, Scott was nearby so he came over and looked, and I ran in to get my camera. I am now trying to figure out what kind of bees these are. I think it's between a bumblebee and a carpenter bee. If anyone knows based on these photos, feel free to let me know!

Nearing the End of the First Trimester

2008-04-29T12:20:00.003-04:00

Well I am now 13 weeks along, and I am looking forward to the end of the first trimester, which is officially after the 14th week. So confusing, I know. I am still learning. Anyway, this morning I was hit with some morning sickness and I decided to stay home for the morning. I am going to head into work in a few minutes, and thankfully I am feeling a bit better now.

Yesterday I went into Burlington Coat Factory to check out their "Baby Depot." WOW do they have a lot of stuff in there! It was fun to look through everything, but it was also overwhelming. I haven't the slightest clue what I'm going to need, other than a crib, changing table, and some clothes... Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but I definitely need some help on figuring out what the essentials are. I am thinking we will register at the Baby Depot and at Target, since they both have a lot of great stuff. Although, I am a little frustrated that practically everything is made in China. I don't want lead going into my little baby's mouth!

Well anyway, I still don't look very pregnant, although I want to start taking photos because I want to compare the various stages. I guess I'll sign off for now. Nothing else very exciting to report here, but feel free to post comments on what some of the "essentials" for having a newborn.

Gardening

2008-04-26T18:32:00.005-04:00

Today I spent some time working in my flower garden. I am determined to not let it go unattended like it did last year. So I've been adding some organic top soil to the current soil, and then I'll be putting some fresh mulch. I've also moved a few plants and been pulling out a lot of weeds. Here are a few photos of how things are going so far:

Nursery Update

2008-04-25T11:05:00.002-04:00

Well I decided that the best way to make my decision was to order something from each set so that I can see the colors in the room. It's too hard to tell online. Plus, I can return the items right to a Target store, so I don't have to worry about shipping back what I don't want. So, once I get the items I'll let you know what I've decided! Scott likes both sets so it really comes down to the color scheme and which one I like better...

Nursery Options

2008-04-23T20:30:00.002-04:00

So I am starting to think about how to decorate our baby nursery. I have been thinking of an ocean theme, but I'm open to other ideas. We already have the room painted a nice aqua color - perfect for a boy or girl. Since I can't get the photos into my blog, I'll link to my top two favorite bedding sets. Please comment on which you like better!

Ocean Set

Safari Set

Sunny Days

2008-04-19T09:01:00.002-04:00

I love sunshine. I love warm weather. This week, we've had both. We started the week a little cool, but then each day it got warmer and warmer. It topped out yesterday with 75 degrees!!! Yes, on April 18th in Bangor, Maine, we had 75 degrees. That is insane! Scott and I took Mia and Moxie for a walk up the road across the street, and they had a great time. We were both sweating because it was so hot, and the dogs were panting and couldn't wait until they got to the stream. The only bad part was when they met some other dogs near the end of the walk and it became very noisy because of all the barking!

Anyway, today is not going to be as warm, but it is still sunny and nice. Mia and Moxie are both outside right now and they are totally content. Ahhh, summer! I love it!

Today I have lots to do, since this week has been really busy. My house is a MESS, so this morning is going to be filled with lots of CLEANING. Last night, I encountered an ant infestation, so I need to really clean all the food off the counter and wash all the dishes and also locate where the ants are coming in and try to block them off. ICK! I vacuumed like 50 of them last night, and then sprayed some stuff to kill the ones that were continuing to come in.

Well I'm off to start laundry, one of the 700 tasks for the day...

The Big News

2008-04-13T14:52:00.002-04:00

Well I suspect if you read my blog, you probably already know this. But now it's officially public: I am pregnant! Scott and I are expecting a baby and we are very excited. We have waited quite a while before doing this, but we finally decided to take the plunge.

So, our baby is due on November 3rd, so right now I am about 11 weeks along. It is all a new experience, but one I am trying to enjoy and be patient with. So far the side effects have been primarily fatigue (frequent naps and going to bed early) and a little bit of nausea. I am hoping that will pass soon, after I'm through my first trimester. But we shall see.

Anyway, to those of you who were keeping my secret, feel free to share!

Spring Is Coming!!!

2008-04-12T22:20:00.005-04:00

Well I think Spring is on it's way. This past week, we had 3 days of close to 60 degrees! Woohoo! On Tuesday I came home and took a nice walk/jog with Mia. She loved it, and I enjoyed breathing in the fresh spring air. Then Friday morning I got up and it was beautiful, so I took her for another walk/jog in the morning. It was great, except this time, she decided to bark like crazy at the neighborhood dogs. She also spotted a pair of ducks in the stream near the end of the road, and she was quite interested in going after them. Thankfully, she did not decide to lunge for them, and they ended up flying away. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Moxie - he's just not that good at going for walks. But, he does love to play stick, so I spent quite a bit of time outside with him throwing sticks over and over. He's much better at fetch than Mia.

Here are some photos proving that Spring is on the way. My flower beds are not in very good shape, and I really didn't take care of them last year, but things are still pushing through the dirt!

Beginner's Luck

2008-04-06T14:08:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was introduced to a new experience: Basket Bingo. Now I want to preface this with two statements: 1. I don't generally support the concept of gambling and 2. I went because it was a fundraiser for my place of work, and given that I'd like to keep my job, I decided to support it. I also feel that playing Bingo to win some free Longaberger baskets is not necessarily wrong - basically I see it as giving a donation to a good cause (i.e. my workplace) and having the opportunity to get something free.

Anyway, for any of you who know me, you know that I am very competitive (watch out Amy and Sarah), but Bingo is a game of chance. There is really no strategy involved at all. However, it is still easy to get caught up in the excitement, especially when you are down to needing only one or two numbers. After I was informed of all the rules and how to actually play (it was confusing at first, but I caught on), I ended up getting into it. The first few games went slowly, and I didn't even get close. Then came the game where I just had a good feeling. I got down to needing two numbers left to make a Bingo. Then, both of my numbers were called. So I called out "bingo" and ended up winning a beautiful Longaberger Pot Luck Basket and a cream colored dish that went with it (valued at $93.00). Yay for beginner's luck.

Therein lies the reason that I have always chosen not to gamble - I can see how easily I could get addicted. Once you win, you just keep thinking, oh, maybe I'll win the next one. Or, if you're not winning, you keep getting excited that you might win. It's an interesting experience. So I probably won't play Bingo again until next year, if we have another fundraiser. But I was very pleased to come home with something nice that I never would have purchased for myself...

Scrapbooking Retreat

2008-03-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to do something I haven't done in quite some time... going on a scrapbooking retreat. My friends Sheila and Julie were organizing it, and it was a "no frills" retreat - aka cheap! So on Friday afternoon I headed down to the Bar Harbor Inn, scrapbooking bags packed in the back. Once at the Inn, I met up with Sheila and the other ladies, and they helped me carry all my junk upstairs. Sheila then told me that the room we were supposed to stay in ended up having a pipe burst, so they had to change our room.... this could be really good or really bad. Well, it turned out to be wonderful! We had a 2-story room! You walk in and see the bed, sitting area, bathroom (with a tub with jacuzzi jets), and desk. Then, you go to the left, and there's stairs leading up to the next level, where there is a king-size bed, another sitting area, another bathroom, and an 0cean-view deck. We had a sweet suite!

After getting settled, we headed to the scrapbooking room to get started. I had not been able to get as many photos developed as I wanted to, but I did have enough to get to work. On Friday night I completed 20 pages (without journaling). Woohoo! That night I went to bed later than usual, but still early for a retreat weekend. Saturday we had a lovely breakfast and then headed back to the room where we were working on our albums. We had a great time working Saturday, and I completed another 18 pages in my Heritage album (no journaling). Then I got caught up on my journaling in my family album and also worked on journaling in my youth group album. I realized on Friday night that I had forgotten something very important - my paper!! Thankfully I had thrown in a few new packs which allowed me to do the heritage album, and I was also able to mooch off a few friends. But I didn't get caught up on the youth group album since I really wanted my brighter papers for that. Finally, today I completed a little gifty album for someone and caught up on last touches of journaling.

It was a very productive weekend, with lots of laughter, fun, but also scrapping. I told the girls when I got there that I was going to be serious, and I was! In total, I completed 38 pages (20 with journaling), caught up on journaling in 2 albums, and completed a small gift album. Plus we went out to dinner Saturday night at Geddy's, which was very yummy. And I took a bath both Friday and Saturday nights since I never get to take baths at home. Yay!

On the way home, I drove back with Vernelia and Sheila, and amazingly we fit all of our stuff in my car! We stopped for lunch in Ellsworth at the new KFC/Taco Bell. We probably waited 20 minutes for our "fast food". But it turned out okay, because we finally got to eat. I was really happy to finally be home, and Mia and Moxie were extremely excited to see me. It was quite cute. Then I snuggled on the couch with Scott while he watched a movie, and I ended up falling asleep. Finally, I woke up and did a few things around the house. Now I'm ending the evening watching "Extreme Home Makeover". Overall, a great weekend.

Blah

2008-03-21T19:29:00.003-04:00

That is how I'm feeling today. I started the day by going to the dentist's office waaaay too early. Upon returning home, I read a little bit and then curled up for a nap. Then I was up to do some business for a few hours, although I don't feel that I accomplished very much. Then I ate some food, followed by some surfing the net. After this I convinced Scott to watch a movie with me, so we watched "Enchanted" which I got on netflix today. That was very cute, but I did start to drift off to sleep at the end.

I wasn't feeling that great today either, so I had to eat things that were pretty bland - oatmeal, soup, chicken and rice. Now I'm sitting here on my couch - I opted out of going to the Good Friday service with Scott cause I wasn't feeling well. I'm feeling quite lazy, but when I get up and move around, I feel pretty icky. So now I'm watching Jeopardy, which I don't even like, but there's nothing else on. Urgh.

So that's about it... blah. Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but my most recent posts didn't get many comments, so I was punishing you all! Just kidding. But come on, comment people!

Snow Camp Recap Part 2

2008-03-10T18:02:00.003-04:00

Ok, I am a bit more awake than I was last night, so I'll try to finish this. I think I left off with Night Sledding, which was so much fun. We finally got done sledding at 11:30pm, so we didn't actually have lights out until 12pm. The next morning we were up for devos at 8am, followed by breakfast at 8:30am. After that, we had some time to get ready (for those who were still in pjs) and then we had our group worship and devotion at 9:45. I actually spoke this year for the first time, which was a little scary, but I think it went okay. Thankfully I've gotten a bit better at public speaking than when I was in high school.

After that, it was time for some more sledding outside!!! This time, we went on a trail through the woods instead of the road, because the road was getting very slushy due to the warm temps and sunshine. The sledding was tons of fun, as usual - I thought it was actually quite fast, and the trail was much narrower which made it harder to pass other people. I took some video of everyone on the last run, which you can check out at my facebook site. It started to rain and it was lunchtime, so we finally went inside (much to some of the kids' chagrin).

Lunch was great, and then we had some free time. I took a nap, or attempted to, during free time. Then some people went outside for snow soccer in the pouring rain (crazy!) and others stayed inside for a game of "Honey if you love me, smile". It was so fun watching the kids play the game - as usual, they were reluctant to play at first, but then they got really into it. This was followed by more free time, and then dinner. After dinner we had another devotional time with Kevin Smith speaking. Then we did another group game which DJ taught us - Signs. It was great fun, and people continued playing for hours (yes, hours) after it was officially "free time". Others did other games such as Cranium.

Saturday night we went to bed a bit earlier, but we lost an hour of sleep. All the girls slept in a bit more the next morning, and we started off again with personal devos. Then we had a breakfast of baked oatmeal - yummy! Then there was time to get ready/pack, and then we had our final worship time together. My wonderful hubby spoke and closed out the weekend. Then everyone got their stuff together, and then we had lunch. After lunch it was a bit of a waiting game, waiting to get everyone down the hill to the vans. The van ride home was filled with lots of mafia playing, which is quite funny to listen to in a van. Once back at the church, the students disappeared faster than I've ever seen - I think they were tired!! Scott and I returned the vans to Ford, and then went back to the church to get my car. Then Scott went to get Mia and I picked up Chinese food on the way home. Finally, at about 7pm, we settled in and had dinner and watched a movie. The end.

Snow Camp Recap Part 1

2008-03-09T22:43:00.003-04:00

We are back. I know I've been kind of MIA in the blogosphere, but hopefully I'll do better soon. We left on Friday afternoon for Snow Camp with 33 teenagers and 6 leaders. We had 3 15 passenger vans plus a trailer for all the STUFF. We had a bit of a slow start, but finally got on the road by about 4:15. We arrived at Blueberry Mtn. Bible Camp by about 6:45, and then we had to park the vans and ride up with the staff to the lodge. Once inside, we had dinner which was wonderful - we were all so hungry!! Then we got our bags and took them to the rooms, and then we had our first worship and devotional time. After that was over, it was about 10pm. Time for Night Sledding!!! Let me just say, that is one of the craziest, funnest things I have ever done. Going down a hill in COMPLETE darkness (no moonlight or even stars out) at crazy speeds and not knowing when the next turn will come... yeah, crazy. There was a lot of crashing, a lot of screaming, and just overall fun. Scott and I went down together once, and I got so much snow on my face because everytime he'd use his feet to slow down, it would cause the snow to fly into my face. And we went super-fast when we were together.

Well I am so exhausted so I'll have to sign off for now. More to come soon...