I have been so sore and tired that I haven't felt like posting or reading. Baby girl and I are leaving for Washington State on Saturday night, and so I have a lot to do today and tomorrow.
Wish me luck! (And little pain, no frustration or screaming babies!)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Operation Baby Number Two
My hubby and I made the decision last night: We are starting to plan for Sam's little brother or sister! The "trying" will start in July or August, but we have to start preparing now, medical wise.
More details later. I am so excited!
More details later. I am so excited!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mother's Day Mayhem
It has been awhile since I've posted, but I really haven't had much to say. There's been a lot going on, surprisingly, but I haven't felt the urge to post, until now.
Mother's Day was less than ideal, you know, what mother's dream of. My first one - with a child not in utero, as I did get a wonderful "First Mother's Day" celebration last year when I was five months pregnant; it made me feel very loved and like I was a mother already (which I technically was) - but as for this year, it will probably be the last worst Mother's Day as my husband now knows he made a big boo-boo.
Ryan did absolutely nothing besides a card that was just from him, and even though he had to work, he still completely flaked on the whole holiday. The card was nice but he usually gets one for me from Sam as well like he did for Christmas, V-Day and Easter. This was the part that made me most upset; it is a day celebrating mothers and the only thing I wanted was a card from my baby girl. The card wasn't even signed from Samantha as well. For two weeks prior to the day I reminded him of the impending holiday because Ryan has a horrible memory, and although I hate having to remind him to "remember me", I know he needs me to do so. I also reminded him that all I wanted was a card from Sam, and he promised that the day would be special. We were also supposed to go out to brunch after he got off of work that morning, which I also reminded him of the previous night, but we didn't do that either. His excuse for everything? "I forgot". He remembered to get a card for me and his mother days prior to Sunday, which is huge because he usually does his shopping the day of. Another big thing is that he actually bought his mother a card which is usually my job. How can he remember his mother but not his wife? As he left for work, I was crying so hard I couldn't talk or see, and he didn't bat an eye. My heart was breaking, but I cleared my eyes and dressed Samantha up so we could go celebrate on our own. We went to the store and Sam got me a card, we bought balloons because I discovered that my little girl is captivated by balloons, as she has never really seen a balloon before. The last balloon she had was when she was hospitalized at two weeks old, and of course a sick baby that young doesn't care about balloons. We also bought some outfits for Sam because there is nothing I love more than shopping for baby clothes.
My mum was defending him saying guys aren't capable of such things which is just a BS excuse because I know plenty of guys who care. (i.e. ProfoundlySeth's El, WhenHelloMeansGoodbye's Katie, or KayleighAnneFreeman's Aimee - They all have amazing husbands who go above and beyond to show they care) Ryan "forgets" a lot of special days for me, and for our family. If he doesn't forget, he just doesn't care. It hurts, more than he understands. Holidays were super important to my family growing up and now I am married to someone who doesn't care if we celebrate or not. I've told him time and time again, but I think this time he finally got it because I was actually on my way to booking a flight home to begin an informal separation from him. Sound extreme? Well, after two and a half years of "forgetting", it sometimes takes something drastic to knock some sense into people. I love my husband, and he is the best father I know (seriously) but I don't want him to make Samantha feel the way I do on her special days. I am a caring, loving person who does all I can to make others feel loved and important, and all I ask of him is that he try.
With that said, he did make it up to me the next day by laying a single red rose, a Teddy bear and an outfit for Sam next to me on the bed so that when I woke up I'd find them. I had already forgiven him the night before because he was at my side when it really mattered. That, my friends, is more important than cards or presents. You see, on Sunday night, our deaf cat Missy attacked me without provocation. Since she is deaf, the littlest things can frighten her, and we usually don't know what that is. But she bit me on my nose and scratched my hand and face. Her teeth got the inside of my nostril, which was bleeding like crazy as was my face and hand. I was hysterical because she scared the living daylights out of me; I was practically having an anxiety attack. I called Ryan, who was on patrol, and within two minutes he and his partner, Officer T, were at our house. Officer T wouldn't leave until I let him look at my wounds. Ry was going to put Missy in her cage but she had run under the stairs so he couldn't get her. But there was my husband, by my side, when I needed him the most. That is what really counts.
To make it an even more stressful day, while Samantha and I were out shopping, I got into a car accident, but both cars were mostly okay. I had Samantha in the truck with me, and all that happened was our license plate got bent. The other car had a bump and mark on their car, but they didn't care. They just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. I am soooo glad they didn't want my info because a) I don't have a valid license because I haven't renewed mine yet and b) I am not on Ry's insurance. God certainly blessed me that day.
Mother's Day was less than ideal, you know, what mother's dream of. My first one - with a child not in utero, as I did get a wonderful "First Mother's Day" celebration last year when I was five months pregnant; it made me feel very loved and like I was a mother already (which I technically was) - but as for this year, it will probably be the last worst Mother's Day as my husband now knows he made a big boo-boo.
Ryan did absolutely nothing besides a card that was just from him, and even though he had to work, he still completely flaked on the whole holiday. The card was nice but he usually gets one for me from Sam as well like he did for Christmas, V-Day and Easter. This was the part that made me most upset; it is a day celebrating mothers and the only thing I wanted was a card from my baby girl. The card wasn't even signed from Samantha as well. For two weeks prior to the day I reminded him of the impending holiday because Ryan has a horrible memory, and although I hate having to remind him to "remember me", I know he needs me to do so. I also reminded him that all I wanted was a card from Sam, and he promised that the day would be special. We were also supposed to go out to brunch after he got off of work that morning, which I also reminded him of the previous night, but we didn't do that either. His excuse for everything? "I forgot". He remembered to get a card for me and his mother days prior to Sunday, which is huge because he usually does his shopping the day of. Another big thing is that he actually bought his mother a card which is usually my job. How can he remember his mother but not his wife? As he left for work, I was crying so hard I couldn't talk or see, and he didn't bat an eye. My heart was breaking, but I cleared my eyes and dressed Samantha up so we could go celebrate on our own. We went to the store and Sam got me a card, we bought balloons because I discovered that my little girl is captivated by balloons, as she has never really seen a balloon before. The last balloon she had was when she was hospitalized at two weeks old, and of course a sick baby that young doesn't care about balloons. We also bought some outfits for Sam because there is nothing I love more than shopping for baby clothes.
My mum was defending him saying guys aren't capable of such things which is just a BS excuse because I know plenty of guys who care. (i.e. ProfoundlySeth's El, WhenHelloMeansGoodbye's Katie, or KayleighAnneFreeman's Aimee - They all have amazing husbands who go above and beyond to show they care) Ryan "forgets" a lot of special days for me, and for our family. If he doesn't forget, he just doesn't care. It hurts, more than he understands. Holidays were super important to my family growing up and now I am married to someone who doesn't care if we celebrate or not. I've told him time and time again, but I think this time he finally got it because I was actually on my way to booking a flight home to begin an informal separation from him. Sound extreme? Well, after two and a half years of "forgetting", it sometimes takes something drastic to knock some sense into people. I love my husband, and he is the best father I know (seriously) but I don't want him to make Samantha feel the way I do on her special days. I am a caring, loving person who does all I can to make others feel loved and important, and all I ask of him is that he try.
With that said, he did make it up to me the next day by laying a single red rose, a Teddy bear and an outfit for Sam next to me on the bed so that when I woke up I'd find them. I had already forgiven him the night before because he was at my side when it really mattered. That, my friends, is more important than cards or presents. You see, on Sunday night, our deaf cat Missy attacked me without provocation. Since she is deaf, the littlest things can frighten her, and we usually don't know what that is. But she bit me on my nose and scratched my hand and face. Her teeth got the inside of my nostril, which was bleeding like crazy as was my face and hand. I was hysterical because she scared the living daylights out of me; I was practically having an anxiety attack. I called Ryan, who was on patrol, and within two minutes he and his partner, Officer T, were at our house. Officer T wouldn't leave until I let him look at my wounds. Ry was going to put Missy in her cage but she had run under the stairs so he couldn't get her. But there was my husband, by my side, when I needed him the most. That is what really counts.
To make it an even more stressful day, while Samantha and I were out shopping, I got into a car accident, but both cars were mostly okay. I had Samantha in the truck with me, and all that happened was our license plate got bent. The other car had a bump and mark on their car, but they didn't care. They just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. I am soooo glad they didn't want my info because a) I don't have a valid license because I haven't renewed mine yet and b) I am not on Ry's insurance. God certainly blessed me that day.
Friday, May 01, 2009
0300 Is Not Playtime! (But What An Amazing Daddy!)
Why am I up at the wee morning hours? Because Little Miss Princess decided that 0245 was a good time for her to wake up. I have to confess that I was awake anyway, as Ry's working graveyard and I usually have a hard time sleeping when he's not here; but I'd be an unhappy camper if I really did have to wake up at that hour. Selfish, you say? Only if she is a crying, hungry, needs-a-poopy-diaper changed baby. But folks, she decided it was playtime and she was happily fine tuning her pterodactyl screech. I wasn't mad though. How can you be mad at the prettiest little blue eyed girl with a beaming smile? You can't.
I thought a bottle would put her back to sleep, but no. Almost two hours later she is still screeching and babbling. I guess it will be good for when Daddy gets off at 0600. He can soothe her to sleep, which hopefully means she'll sleep later, and Mommy and Daddy will get some sleep too. She has a hard time with bedtime when Daddy's working graveyard (it switches every month) because her usual routine is that I give her a bottle, cuddle a little bit, and then Ry scoops her up, we both give her kisses, "I love you and goodnight"s, and he puts her to bed. It's hard for her when he's gone; she adores her Daddy so much. We may have our troubles over his husband duties, but he is the perfect father. Our relationship with our daughter isn't Mommy 80%, Daddy 20%, it's always 50/50. And because of my back problems I would say it's more like 60/40 in his favor. He always makes sure to get her in the morning when she wakes so that she doesn't wake me. (I have horrible, horrible sleeping problems) He will play with her, crawl around with her, giving her extra time and attention because I can't do those things with her. (Can't bend down or sit for too long because of my fusion) He feeds Sam her lunch - solids - everyday (sans graveyard); not because I am unable, but because it's his favorite thing to do with his daughter.
Speaking of favorite things, he was holding her the other day and told me he can't wait until she puts her arms up on his shoulders (he made the motion with her arms). You know why? Because he cannot wait for the day when his daughter holds onto him, or gives him a hug. He says that will be the best thing. My heart went "Awww!".
I love that man.
P.S. It is 0505 just now and I believe the baby is asleep. *silent yay!*
I thought a bottle would put her back to sleep, but no. Almost two hours later she is still screeching and babbling. I guess it will be good for when Daddy gets off at 0600. He can soothe her to sleep, which hopefully means she'll sleep later, and Mommy and Daddy will get some sleep too. She has a hard time with bedtime when Daddy's working graveyard (it switches every month) because her usual routine is that I give her a bottle, cuddle a little bit, and then Ry scoops her up, we both give her kisses, "I love you and goodnight"s, and he puts her to bed. It's hard for her when he's gone; she adores her Daddy so much. We may have our troubles over his husband duties, but he is the perfect father. Our relationship with our daughter isn't Mommy 80%, Daddy 20%, it's always 50/50. And because of my back problems I would say it's more like 60/40 in his favor. He always makes sure to get her in the morning when she wakes so that she doesn't wake me. (I have horrible, horrible sleeping problems) He will play with her, crawl around with her, giving her extra time and attention because I can't do those things with her. (Can't bend down or sit for too long because of my fusion) He feeds Sam her lunch - solids - everyday (sans graveyard); not because I am unable, but because it's his favorite thing to do with his daughter.
Speaking of favorite things, he was holding her the other day and told me he can't wait until she puts her arms up on his shoulders (he made the motion with her arms). You know why? Because he cannot wait for the day when his daughter holds onto him, or gives him a hug. He says that will be the best thing. My heart went "Awww!".
I love that man.
P.S. It is 0505 just now and I believe the baby is asleep. *silent yay!*
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I Guess I Owe You Some Pictures
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR!
(Well, three humans and one beautiful kitten!)
The Beginning...
Ryan and I on vacation in Florida during Thanksgiving 2007 at his family's cabin. We had been dating 11 months.
Same vacation, except we were alone, by ourselves, across Florida in Orlando at DisneyWorld and Universal Studios.
Slowly Starting a Family...
Our first baby Missy. We saved her from a disgusting pet shop September 9th, 2007. She was in a dirty environment where she picked up fleas and a nasty respiratory infection that lasted 3 months. She was born on Ry's birthday, June 21st, she's 100% deaf, and she can either be the sweetest cat or the most evil little devil you've ever seen.
...but we still love her to pieces. She is now almost 2yrs old! (And yes, she's wearing a hoodie!)
Just after we got married on March 12th, 2008. We did a court wedding due to moving with the thought of doing a big wedding in the Summer. It didn't happen; instead, we got a baby. Much better than a wedding! (Besides, we didn't want to waste the thousands on a 20min ceremony.)First Love, Then Marriage, Then Comes Baby in a Baby Carriage...
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What can I say about this beautiful girl? She is our first child, a princess, a miracle from God, and the day she was born was the happiest I have seen my husband. Her name is Samantha Lillian Pearl, and she was born at 1330 on September 24th, 2008 via emergency cesarean. She weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 21 & 1/2 inches long. .JPG)
Taken October 1st, just seven days before she was admitted to the hospital. At this point she only weighed 7lbs 1oz. She was only losing, not gaining. She was projectile vomiting the breast milk that I pumped, and her bowel movements were almost non-existant.
Almost a month old, a little bit after her hospital stay. There she was diagnosed with reflux (later GERD), an infection, and dehydration (duh, she was puking) and sent home on antibiotics (which caused her to get thrush, which required more antibiotics. We fought that for four weeks because of the doctor's neglect!), Zantac (for reflux) and an expensive prescription formula that thank God the military paid for. In this picture she was almost back up to her birth weight of 8lbs 1oz. Look how skinny she was. :-( Her skin flaps on her legs were awful.
Moving on Up...
This is Samantha now, both taken just last week! After 7 months of hard struggle, we are finally at a point where every day is a dream instead of a nightmare. This picture was taken this month on the 21st. Her "Easter" pictures. Isn't she beautiful? Today she weighs just 15lbs 12oz and is 26 & 1/2 inches long, but she has come a long way since that skinny little baby you saw up there. Her weight is all in her now chubby little legs, and her arms and torso are still petite. But instead of screaming, pain and sleepless nights, she is laughing, smiling and enjoying life!
Samantha's first trip to the park last week. She loved the swing, but hated the slide (we held her as she slid down). She'd swing all through the night if we let her. She is still on her expensive formula, but we are going to start weaning her off of it and onto a regular formula which scares the heck out of me. I don't want a repeat of last October when she almost died. I am concerned with how her system will handle it, as her formula now is free amino acids, milk and soy protein free, hypoallergenic, etc. and the regular formula has all those. But we are starting slowly under the close care of our wonderful Ped GI Dr. C, and are supposed to feed her one bottle of regular formula once every three days and report bi-monthly weight checks to Dr. C. We are starting that regime this week. She has been upgraded to a stronger reflux med, Prevacid, because for one month straight (Jan through Feb) she would scream half the day and all night because she was in so much pain. A few days after we got her on the Prevacid, she was 1000% different. We were seeing a baby we never saw before. It was pure bliss, and still is. She is slowly starting on solids - due to her GI issues we have to be careful - and loves pears.
Well, there you have it folks. Faces to the names, and a little about our past few years!
Officially Hate BCP
Not more than 9 days after my BCP scheduled period, I started yet another one, but this time it came back with a vengeance.
Last night I woke up around 2am to severe cramping in my lower abdomen. I've heard of miscarriages described, and I am guessing I just had an insight as to how they feel. No, I didn't have a miscarriage; just cramps, I guess. It felt like a contraction, and I remember wanting to push because I thought it would make me feel better but any pressure only made it worse. I was doubled over screaming, and eventually vomiting as well. Hubby got me settled into bed, and put a heat pad on my tummy. Eventually I felt well enough to fall asleep.
Why is this happening?
A) I thought BCP was supposed to control bad cramping.
B) What in the world is with the twice a month, heavy random periods?!
C) Wouldn't even know if they're preventing pregnancy because I am not having sex! You can't have sex when you're constantly on a period and your sex drive is in the gutter! (Well, you can have sex on your period but it's not something I practice. Ew.)
ARGH!
Last night I woke up around 2am to severe cramping in my lower abdomen. I've heard of miscarriages described, and I am guessing I just had an insight as to how they feel. No, I didn't have a miscarriage; just cramps, I guess. It felt like a contraction, and I remember wanting to push because I thought it would make me feel better but any pressure only made it worse. I was doubled over screaming, and eventually vomiting as well. Hubby got me settled into bed, and put a heat pad on my tummy. Eventually I felt well enough to fall asleep.
Why is this happening?
A) I thought BCP was supposed to control bad cramping.
B) What in the world is with the twice a month, heavy random periods?!
C) Wouldn't even know if they're preventing pregnancy because I am not having sex! You can't have sex when you're constantly on a period and your sex drive is in the gutter! (Well, you can have sex on your period but it's not something I practice. Ew.)
ARGH!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Oh The Hell With Witty Titles; Samantha Crawls!
At 19:20 this evening (that's 7:20PM for those of you that are, well, slow), my little seven month old crawled properly for the first time! Daddy had the video camera on her and I had my BlackBerry's camera on her, and for the first forty seconds she is just staring at us, probably thinking, "Why the hell are you staring at me?". Then her focus kicked in and off she went. In a matter of seconds she was at her destination. It was perfect. Sure, she still stumbles every now and then, but she can crawl on both arms and legs now. Yeah, she's skilled.
I am one proud momma, and I love that little girl.
I am one proud momma, and I love that little girl.
Friday, April 24, 2009
I So dislike BCP!
Birth Control Pills. My period ended last week, and I am on week two of my BCP. Today, I feel that wet "uh-oh" feeling and sure enough, another period! This always happens to me. Is my system screwed up? Is my BCP the wrong kind?
Agh!
Agh!
Happy 7 Months, Samantha!
Dear Samantha,
Seven months ago today, at 1330, you were brought into this world. The most beautiful newborn, you continue to grow more beautiful with each passing day. We have been through so much as a family since even before you were born. We thought there would be problems with you because of my high-risk status, but that was not God's will and he proved us wrong. Maybe because he knew it was too much for me to handle at the time, but through the past seven months I have grown stronger. Daddy and I still don't know why we were so blessed to have a near perfect daughter. I'm guessing God wanted us to be happy, and put you in our lives to show us that all things are possible, even miracles. The day you were born, and the three days following in the hospital, I realized that you were going to be okay; God had kept you safe inside my womb, for He created you and knew you as you are before Daddy and I. You, my little blessing, brought me closer to God, and I believe that is what your life purpose will always be; to bring non-believers and lost souls closer to God.
Matthew 18:5 - And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
At seven months, you are about 16lbs and 26.5" long. You are still on Prevacid for your GERD, and it continues to work it's magic. You are no longer screaming and crying in pain, which makes you one happy baby. You have begun to talk again, saying mostly "ba aaah wee anami da waaha yeah oh ooo mmmm plllth ma mi" and when you are upset or want attention, you utter what sounds to us like "Ma Ma" and "Ma Mi" because you have learned that this brings Mommy or Daddy to you. You also pant, a lot; I don't know where you picked that up but you do it all the time. However, I'd say your number one favorite thing to do is screeching. You love to screech/scream no matter what your mood; happy, excited, irritated, bored, upset or angry. The mood dictates the pitch and volume. I do this with you sometimes, and it makes you laugh constantly. What else makes you laugh? When Daddy pants along with you; when Mommy stands you up and dances with you, making weird sounds or singing to go along with your wiggling; when Daddy does a "num num num" (eating motion) on your neck/cheek and Mommy doing the same on your tummy. Although, when I do that you grab onto my hair with a vengeance. You like to grab anything and everything. You are such a little explorer these days, and often get your hands on things you are not supposed to have. Just like any other baby, what you can get in your hands goes directly into your mouth. You cannot crawl on all fours, but that doesn't stop you from getting around. You have developed your own version of the army crawl, and can get from A to B fairly quick. You are practicing daily for crawling on all fours though! You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth. You usually do this in your crib after you wake up, for twenty or thirty minutes you just rock, rock and rock, all while panting. You're so silly.
You still drool like a Saint Bernard, and you have two teeth slowly coming in on the bottom which have never seemed to bother you. You like to suck on our fingers, but we've learned to stay away from your mouth because you bite with those sharp pearly whites!
Recently, I attemped to teach you to kiss and if I can get your attention, you lean in and give us an open-mouthed, wet kiss. Sure we get drool on us, but we don't mind because we love kisses!
You are such a sweet, simple loving girl. You never pass up an opportunity to make a stranger fall in love with your baby blues and adorable smile. You enjoy attention and are not even one bit shy, except when it comes to other babies. You only see them at the doctor's office, so you remain quiet and observant. I am pretty sure you don't know what to think of these tiny people. I will get us enrolled in a "Mommy & Me" class soon so that you can get exposure to other babies, and learn to make friends.
My parents, your G-Pa and Grammy, love you more than anything in this world and it pains them that they don't get to see you everyday. Grammy is having back surgery on June 1st, so we will be going towards the middle of May to visit, spend Mother's Day with her, and then aid in her recovery. I know she'll heal faster with her favorite beautiful baby around.
Daddy's parents, Grandpa and Gramma Jones, they miss you too. You have yet to meet Grandpa, and I don't know when we'll see them again. You still have to meet Daddy's siblings, Uncle Jerry and TiTi Daun, as well as Daun's sons, your cousins, Nicky, Alex and Jonathan. Your Uncle Jerry and his wife Aunt Ronni are faithful Christians; Daddy and I have been contemplating asking them to be your Godparents. We've more discussing to do, but I am pretty sure that they will be as they can guide you spiritually better than anyone we know.
You are a beautiful creation of God, Samantha, and you have changed a lot of people's lives forever, just by being born. Many people love you, and will always be there for you. We look forward to many more days, weeks, months and years with you. I wish you didn't have to get any older, but since you must, we'll cherish every day together. Before I know it you'll be one year old.
Happy Seven Months, Peanut. I love you with all that I am, and so does Daddy.
Love,
Mommy
Seven months ago today, at 1330, you were brought into this world. The most beautiful newborn, you continue to grow more beautiful with each passing day. We have been through so much as a family since even before you were born. We thought there would be problems with you because of my high-risk status, but that was not God's will and he proved us wrong. Maybe because he knew it was too much for me to handle at the time, but through the past seven months I have grown stronger. Daddy and I still don't know why we were so blessed to have a near perfect daughter. I'm guessing God wanted us to be happy, and put you in our lives to show us that all things are possible, even miracles. The day you were born, and the three days following in the hospital, I realized that you were going to be okay; God had kept you safe inside my womb, for He created you and knew you as you are before Daddy and I. You, my little blessing, brought me closer to God, and I believe that is what your life purpose will always be; to bring non-believers and lost souls closer to God.
Matthew 18:5 - And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
At seven months, you are about 16lbs and 26.5" long. You are still on Prevacid for your GERD, and it continues to work it's magic. You are no longer screaming and crying in pain, which makes you one happy baby. You have begun to talk again, saying mostly "ba aaah wee anami da waaha yeah oh ooo mmmm plllth ma mi" and when you are upset or want attention, you utter what sounds to us like "Ma Ma" and "Ma Mi" because you have learned that this brings Mommy or Daddy to you. You also pant, a lot; I don't know where you picked that up but you do it all the time. However, I'd say your number one favorite thing to do is screeching. You love to screech/scream no matter what your mood; happy, excited, irritated, bored, upset or angry. The mood dictates the pitch and volume. I do this with you sometimes, and it makes you laugh constantly. What else makes you laugh? When Daddy pants along with you; when Mommy stands you up and dances with you, making weird sounds or singing to go along with your wiggling; when Daddy does a "num num num" (eating motion) on your neck/cheek and Mommy doing the same on your tummy. Although, when I do that you grab onto my hair with a vengeance. You like to grab anything and everything. You are such a little explorer these days, and often get your hands on things you are not supposed to have. Just like any other baby, what you can get in your hands goes directly into your mouth. You cannot crawl on all fours, but that doesn't stop you from getting around. You have developed your own version of the army crawl, and can get from A to B fairly quick. You are practicing daily for crawling on all fours though! You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth. You usually do this in your crib after you wake up, for twenty or thirty minutes you just rock, rock and rock, all while panting. You're so silly.
You still drool like a Saint Bernard, and you have two teeth slowly coming in on the bottom which have never seemed to bother you. You like to suck on our fingers, but we've learned to stay away from your mouth because you bite with those sharp pearly whites!
Recently, I attemped to teach you to kiss and if I can get your attention, you lean in and give us an open-mouthed, wet kiss. Sure we get drool on us, but we don't mind because we love kisses!
You are such a sweet, simple loving girl. You never pass up an opportunity to make a stranger fall in love with your baby blues and adorable smile. You enjoy attention and are not even one bit shy, except when it comes to other babies. You only see them at the doctor's office, so you remain quiet and observant. I am pretty sure you don't know what to think of these tiny people. I will get us enrolled in a "Mommy & Me" class soon so that you can get exposure to other babies, and learn to make friends.
My parents, your G-Pa and Grammy, love you more than anything in this world and it pains them that they don't get to see you everyday. Grammy is having back surgery on June 1st, so we will be going towards the middle of May to visit, spend Mother's Day with her, and then aid in her recovery. I know she'll heal faster with her favorite beautiful baby around.
Daddy's parents, Grandpa and Gramma Jones, they miss you too. You have yet to meet Grandpa, and I don't know when we'll see them again. You still have to meet Daddy's siblings, Uncle Jerry and TiTi Daun, as well as Daun's sons, your cousins, Nicky, Alex and Jonathan. Your Uncle Jerry and his wife Aunt Ronni are faithful Christians; Daddy and I have been contemplating asking them to be your Godparents. We've more discussing to do, but I am pretty sure that they will be as they can guide you spiritually better than anyone we know.
You are a beautiful creation of God, Samantha, and you have changed a lot of people's lives forever, just by being born. Many people love you, and will always be there for you. We look forward to many more days, weeks, months and years with you. I wish you didn't have to get any older, but since you must, we'll cherish every day together. Before I know it you'll be one year old.
Happy Seven Months, Peanut. I love you with all that I am, and so does Daddy.
Love,
Mommy
Monday, April 20, 2009
Weird Fact #1
Carrots give me hiccups. Before my pregnancy I had never gotten hiccups in my life, but started to get them one or two at a time while pregnant.
Now, as soon as I down my first carrot, up come the hiccups!
So weird!
Now, as soon as I down my first carrot, up come the hiccups!
So weird!
Samantha's GI Appointment
Samantha had her GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) check-up today with Dr. Cornfeld up in DC. First, the important details:
Stats
**Weight - 15lbs&14oz.
**Height - 26.3"
Percentiles
**Weight - 25% (again *sigh*
**Height - Around 30%
Her height has not changed since February. Babies are supposed to grow about two inches between four and six months. Why is she not growing? We're not giving her coffee!
Dr.C was very happy to see her as he has not seen her since December. He loves her and calls her "his little peanut". We love him because a) he is the only doctor that treats us like parents and adults, b) he explains everything to us in detail and never leaves parts out like some of her doctors do, and c) he is funny, caring, understanding and extremely smart.
He wants to start weaning her off Elecare (hypoallergenic, free amino acids, no milk or cow proteins; so it's basically just vitamins) and onto regular formula so that her stomach can learn to digest better. Elecare simply absorbs into her system without her tummy having to do much work. It is important that she gets off of it so her stomach can get stronger. This of course scares me, because I don't want her to relapse like she did when she was a newborn. I don't want to have to go into the hospital again, and it's so hard to see her in pain. Dr.C understands this and wants to begin introducing the new formula by one bottle every three days. It will give us the chance to monitor her closely and make sure there are no allergic reactions or problems with her GERD. The formula to use, he said, is anything we want but it's best to go with the cheapest. We haven't started yet but will next week. We will be reporting to him every two weeks to give him the results of her weight checks. We also have to start giving her food but must only give her pears, oatmeal, carrots or peas. Nothing else, and only once a day, a little at a time.
I am scared and anxious, but I know that we have to do what's best for Sam. We can do this.
Stats
**Weight - 15lbs&14oz.
**Height - 26.3"
Percentiles
**Weight - 25% (again *sigh*
**Height - Around 30%
Her height has not changed since February. Babies are supposed to grow about two inches between four and six months. Why is she not growing? We're not giving her coffee!
Dr.C was very happy to see her as he has not seen her since December. He loves her and calls her "his little peanut". We love him because a) he is the only doctor that treats us like parents and adults, b) he explains everything to us in detail and never leaves parts out like some of her doctors do, and c) he is funny, caring, understanding and extremely smart.
He wants to start weaning her off Elecare (hypoallergenic, free amino acids, no milk or cow proteins; so it's basically just vitamins) and onto regular formula so that her stomach can learn to digest better. Elecare simply absorbs into her system without her tummy having to do much work. It is important that she gets off of it so her stomach can get stronger. This of course scares me, because I don't want her to relapse like she did when she was a newborn. I don't want to have to go into the hospital again, and it's so hard to see her in pain. Dr.C understands this and wants to begin introducing the new formula by one bottle every three days. It will give us the chance to monitor her closely and make sure there are no allergic reactions or problems with her GERD. The formula to use, he said, is anything we want but it's best to go with the cheapest. We haven't started yet but will next week. We will be reporting to him every two weeks to give him the results of her weight checks. We also have to start giving her food but must only give her pears, oatmeal, carrots or peas. Nothing else, and only once a day, a little at a time.
I am scared and anxious, but I know that we have to do what's best for Sam. We can do this.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Baby Steps Towards Making Another Baby
Hubby and I had a discussion last night about when we want to have our next child. Now, I have read my share of infertility blogs and fully understand that sometimes when you want to have a baby doesn't exactly coincide with your body's ability to do so at the time you choose. Samantha wasn't exactly planned; We just stopped trying to not get pregnant. Make sense? "When it happens, it happens." We figured it would take awhile to get pregnant, but God had other plans (which was completely okay with us!). Ever since I was a young teen, I always had this fear that something was wrong with me and I would not be able to get pregnant. My fear was based on a) my long-life dreams of wanting my own children, and b) all the stories of infertile women I had heard or read about. Whether it was couples who had to try for three years, the woman with ovarian cancer, or the couple with multiple odds against them, it all scared me. So from about age 15 until 20 when I got pregnant, I had this horrible fear. I was surprised when I got pregnant, because earlier in my life when I did not let God be present, I had situations that could have resulted in a baby, but didn't. I now understand why; it was by the grace of God that I had my first pregnancy with my husband, my soulmate. God stood by my side even when I turned away from Him, and he protected me from instances that would have surely ruined my life. Then He gave Ryan and I the gift of a beautiful girl who would change both our lives forever. I am closer to God because of Samantha, my miracle. In her I discovered that all things are possible. Little by little, Ryan is starting to rely more on God as well.
I digress.
We started to discuss just how far apart we'd like the first and second child to be. Ryan said something that completely shocked me: "God will decide when it's time." or something to the effect. It surprised me because Ryan doesn't use "God" in any of his daily terminology and he certainly doesn't say something regarding religion that makes sense. It means he's making an effort towards knowing God as well as understanding how much He means in my life.
Of course, I told Ryan that in order for God to decide the timing of our newest arrival, we had to stop hindering it with birth control. "Oh yeah" Ryan said. He's so cute sometimes. He also mentioned that 18 months would be a good buffer between Samantha and her younger sibling. That would be great except for the fact that we'd have have to start trying in a month or two! I have to get off certain meds, get my back stronger, lose some weight, and then we can start trying.
Either way, I'd say there's a great possibility we'll be starting to try again late this year!
I digress.
We started to discuss just how far apart we'd like the first and second child to be. Ryan said something that completely shocked me: "God will decide when it's time." or something to the effect. It surprised me because Ryan doesn't use "God" in any of his daily terminology and he certainly doesn't say something regarding religion that makes sense. It means he's making an effort towards knowing God as well as understanding how much He means in my life.
Of course, I told Ryan that in order for God to decide the timing of our newest arrival, we had to stop hindering it with birth control. "Oh yeah" Ryan said. He's so cute sometimes. He also mentioned that 18 months would be a good buffer between Samantha and her younger sibling. That would be great except for the fact that we'd have have to start trying in a month or two! I have to get off certain meds, get my back stronger, lose some weight, and then we can start trying.
Either way, I'd say there's a great possibility we'll be starting to try again late this year!
How Fast A Year Goes By...
It was about this time last year (plus or minus a day) that we moved into our townhome on base and began our lives in Maryland.
At this time, nobody but Ryan and I knew about the baby growing inside me. We had lost Giggs on April 12th when he jumped out of our truck at the Super 8 motel and ran off into the night. Ryan didn't really have a place in his new job, and was stuck in the admin office because nobody knew what to do with him.
So much has happened since those first days.
We now have a 7 month old beautiful baby girl that everyone loves.
Giggs was found on July 27th, 2008 while I was in WA at my baby shower. He was 9lbs of skin and bones, probably just days away from death. Today he is 17lbs and happy.
Ryan is doing police training, working on patrol, is LPO of his section and works a very long and confusing schedule.
Life was so simple back then, even though I thought it was horrible since we lost our kitty just after my favorite necklace had been stolen by the Mexican housekeeper at some stupid motel in Washington DC. I hated the East Coast; the weather, bugs, people, everything! But I only hated it because it was different.
Now, Maryland is my home. I love mostly everything about it. It's beautiful, the weather is nice minus the humidity, the people my husband work with are amazing, and not having the daily drizzle of Seattle rain is really nice too. I still hate the bugs, and most of the people are idiots, but there is so much to learn and discover. So much of America's history is here.
Yeah, I think the next two years will be just fine. :-)
At this time, nobody but Ryan and I knew about the baby growing inside me. We had lost Giggs on April 12th when he jumped out of our truck at the Super 8 motel and ran off into the night. Ryan didn't really have a place in his new job, and was stuck in the admin office because nobody knew what to do with him.
So much has happened since those first days.
We now have a 7 month old beautiful baby girl that everyone loves.
Giggs was found on July 27th, 2008 while I was in WA at my baby shower. He was 9lbs of skin and bones, probably just days away from death. Today he is 17lbs and happy.
Ryan is doing police training, working on patrol, is LPO of his section and works a very long and confusing schedule.
Life was so simple back then, even though I thought it was horrible since we lost our kitty just after my favorite necklace had been stolen by the Mexican housekeeper at some stupid motel in Washington DC. I hated the East Coast; the weather, bugs, people, everything! But I only hated it because it was different.
Now, Maryland is my home. I love mostly everything about it. It's beautiful, the weather is nice minus the humidity, the people my husband work with are amazing, and not having the daily drizzle of Seattle rain is really nice too. I still hate the bugs, and most of the people are idiots, but there is so much to learn and discover. So much of America's history is here.
Yeah, I think the next two years will be just fine. :-)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Unavoidable Easter Post
Since everyone is posting about Easter - what it means, what they did - I feel obligated to let the world wide net know just what I did on Easter.
Nothing.
Seriously! Nothing. Ryan was at work from 0400 to 1900 so it was just S and I. We didn't do much. I was planning on taking her out for a walk at the very least bit she was very tired for some reason and spent all day sleeping, only getting up to eat a few ounces. I watched TV and tried to play with S when she was awake but she wasn't interested. We did make a little outing to the store, though. She got a penguin that's a little bit like the blow-up clown that you can punch and he just comes right back up. Her penguin is little, makes noises, and is geared for teaching babies how to crawl, sit, walk, etc. She also got a chewy ducky, sleep sack, musical Easter bear, and I think that's it. She also got a bunch of nice things from GG, Grammy and G-Pa and Grandpa and Gramma.
Sooo, that's our exciting Easter!
Nothing.
Seriously! Nothing. Ryan was at work from 0400 to 1900 so it was just S and I. We didn't do much. I was planning on taking her out for a walk at the very least bit she was very tired for some reason and spent all day sleeping, only getting up to eat a few ounces. I watched TV and tried to play with S when she was awake but she wasn't interested. We did make a little outing to the store, though. She got a penguin that's a little bit like the blow-up clown that you can punch and he just comes right back up. Her penguin is little, makes noises, and is geared for teaching babies how to crawl, sit, walk, etc. She also got a chewy ducky, sleep sack, musical Easter bear, and I think that's it. She also got a bunch of nice things from GG, Grammy and G-Pa and Grandpa and Gramma.
Sooo, that's our exciting Easter!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
WOW
No, not WOW as in awed or surprised, but WOW as in World of Warcraft.
I hate the game for many reasons. For one, it's a stupid game that you spend hours on end just running somewhere. Second, my husband plays it (thanks to a certain sailor friend) and he sometimes will play it for 12, 14 even 16 hours. Since we've had Samantha, he hasn't had as many of those days, but today he played it for about 6 hours. Who knows if he was playing it while I was gone for a few hours. At times he pays more attention to WOW than he does to the baby and I. It's frustrating. For about three hours I'd been asking him to take Samantha downstairs so she could crawl around (my back is so messed up I can't bend down and crawl around with her, so he does) and I kept getting the same answer, "just need to finish this one thing".
*sigh*
He said he deleted it off the computer so he couldn't play it anymore. Yeah, right. Let me guess, it just hopped up into the computer and reinstalled itself and made you play it? Hmmm, ok, I see.
I hate WOW. Why can't you "WOW Heads" just play an hour or two? Why does it always have to be the good part of a day?
I didn't vote for President Obama, but I am begging him now to make WOW illegal. It wouldn't be that hard...it would actually force the unemployed and lazy to get off their asses.
Or God, please zap WOW off the Earth. I'll never ask for anything again.
Well...
...okay, that's a lie. I still want that pink pony I asked for in Second Grade.
I hate the game for many reasons. For one, it's a stupid game that you spend hours on end just running somewhere. Second, my husband plays it (thanks to a certain sailor friend) and he sometimes will play it for 12, 14 even 16 hours. Since we've had Samantha, he hasn't had as many of those days, but today he played it for about 6 hours. Who knows if he was playing it while I was gone for a few hours. At times he pays more attention to WOW than he does to the baby and I. It's frustrating. For about three hours I'd been asking him to take Samantha downstairs so she could crawl around (my back is so messed up I can't bend down and crawl around with her, so he does) and I kept getting the same answer, "just need to finish this one thing".
*sigh*
He said he deleted it off the computer so he couldn't play it anymore. Yeah, right. Let me guess, it just hopped up into the computer and reinstalled itself and made you play it? Hmmm, ok, I see.
I hate WOW. Why can't you "WOW Heads" just play an hour or two? Why does it always have to be the good part of a day?
I didn't vote for President Obama, but I am begging him now to make WOW illegal. It wouldn't be that hard...it would actually force the unemployed and lazy to get off their asses.
Or God, please zap WOW off the Earth. I'll never ask for anything again.
Well...
...okay, that's a lie. I still want that pink pony I asked for in Second Grade.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Samantha Screams
Our daughter has always know how to do an angry/in-pain/fed-up scream/cry which thanks to Prevacid she only does on occasion, but that new sound she started at the theater? It seems that she really loved that new sound and is now letting out said high-pitched squeal/scream every chance she gets. When she wakes up, she'll do the "attention" squeal; while in her bouncer it is an "excited" squeal with a smile; and if you're making her do something she doesn't want to, like nap, or trying to keep her from doing something she wants to, it's a "protest" squeal. The protest squeal is the funniest one I think because she knows she is doing it, perhaps thinking, "I am going to keep making this loud annoying sound until you do what I want". She always has that mischievous look on her face. It is too cute but not so much when you want to sleep.
Thank God for baby monitors with volume control. :-)
Thank God for baby monitors with volume control. :-)
Sunday, April 05, 2009
"Knowing" With Baby in Tow
Last night Ryan really wanted to see a movie, and as much as I wanted to stay home I gave in and decided to go with him. This of course meant that Samantha would have to come with us. We fed her, wore her out in the jumperoo (or so we thought) and were on our way.
We decided to see a movie that had been out for awhile because it isn't as packed which makes it easier for us having Sam. We chose "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage, even though I was hesitant about how it would effect a 6m old. We live in a small town with a six screen theater, rooms that only seat maybe 75, and extremely uncomfortable seats that are probably from 1940, so our choices are very limited. Seeing as how she loves to watch "NCIS" and "House", I guess I wasn't too worried. Samantha loves the TV. If it is on, she won't listen to or look at you. She hates the annoying preschool shows like "Backyardigans" and "Dora" which makes me happy. How do I know she doesn't like them? Because she gets mad and looks at me as if to say, "Mother! I do not want to watch this crap!". She loves the Disney Channel shows such as "Hannah Montana", "Suite Life" and "Wizards of Waverly Place". She also LOVES Spongebob and will talk to him all day long. Well, talk to the TV anyway. When any of these shows come on while she's in her jumperoo, she gets very excited and starts bouncing up a storm.
Back to the movie...
She did fairly well. A theater screen is a mega giant TV to a little baby, and in the beginning she was sitting on my knee, leaning on the seat in front of her, eyes fixated on the screen. It was so cute. Once I handed her to Daddy she wasn't so willing anymore. We fed her a good 8 ounces while there, and although she was very tired, she just couldn't go to sleep because God forbid she miss anything on her big, amazing TV. Towards the middle she started to let out tiny little shrieks, a sound we'd never heard before. We weren't sure if it was due to excitement or bordem, but I think she was doing it on purpose because as soon as I took her out of the theater room, she wouldn't do it. Every single time.
Eventually I just stood at the back rocking her, and whispering her favorite songs in her ears. It helped, and she stayed quiet as long as she could see the screen. I shielded her eyes from the most "inappropriate" parts, which she didn't like but as soon as I sat down in the back and sang a little louder to her, she accepted it and was fine. (By inappropriate I mean the crashing, fiery or other scenes a baby might retain and have nightmares about.) The ending was happy and serene and she was glad I let her watch it.
All in all, it wasn't too bad but I think we'll stick to just kid movies at the theater for now. Her little noises probably annoyed some of the adults which is understandable, but in a kid movie, loud and boisterous is totally appropriate and expected. Next week we'll probably take her to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" as she gets a kick out of the animated movies. Maybe we'll even take her to the "Hannah Montana" movie coming out soon. She might like that.
The movie itself was okay. I won't ruin it for any of you but the ending was disappointing as it is oh so typical and overused in my opinion.
Over the weekend at home, Ryan and I watched "Marley & Me" and "Seven Pounds". "Marley" was utterly disappointing because it turned out to be not so much a comedy as the ending was morbid, and I bawled my eyes out like a little baby. "Seven Pounds" started out confusing and we stopped with thirty minutes left to go as we were bored. After last night's movie we decided to finish those last thirty minutes and were very surprised at the ending. It all made sense and we agreed that it was a good movie.
That's all for now. I'll let you know how the next theater attempt goes.
We decided to see a movie that had been out for awhile because it isn't as packed which makes it easier for us having Sam. We chose "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage, even though I was hesitant about how it would effect a 6m old. We live in a small town with a six screen theater, rooms that only seat maybe 75, and extremely uncomfortable seats that are probably from 1940, so our choices are very limited. Seeing as how she loves to watch "NCIS" and "House", I guess I wasn't too worried. Samantha loves the TV. If it is on, she won't listen to or look at you. She hates the annoying preschool shows like "Backyardigans" and "Dora" which makes me happy. How do I know she doesn't like them? Because she gets mad and looks at me as if to say, "Mother! I do not want to watch this crap!". She loves the Disney Channel shows such as "Hannah Montana", "Suite Life" and "Wizards of Waverly Place". She also LOVES Spongebob and will talk to him all day long. Well, talk to the TV anyway. When any of these shows come on while she's in her jumperoo, she gets very excited and starts bouncing up a storm.
Back to the movie...
She did fairly well. A theater screen is a mega giant TV to a little baby, and in the beginning she was sitting on my knee, leaning on the seat in front of her, eyes fixated on the screen. It was so cute. Once I handed her to Daddy she wasn't so willing anymore. We fed her a good 8 ounces while there, and although she was very tired, she just couldn't go to sleep because God forbid she miss anything on her big, amazing TV. Towards the middle she started to let out tiny little shrieks, a sound we'd never heard before. We weren't sure if it was due to excitement or bordem, but I think she was doing it on purpose because as soon as I took her out of the theater room, she wouldn't do it. Every single time.
Eventually I just stood at the back rocking her, and whispering her favorite songs in her ears. It helped, and she stayed quiet as long as she could see the screen. I shielded her eyes from the most "inappropriate" parts, which she didn't like but as soon as I sat down in the back and sang a little louder to her, she accepted it and was fine. (By inappropriate I mean the crashing, fiery or other scenes a baby might retain and have nightmares about.) The ending was happy and serene and she was glad I let her watch it.
All in all, it wasn't too bad but I think we'll stick to just kid movies at the theater for now. Her little noises probably annoyed some of the adults which is understandable, but in a kid movie, loud and boisterous is totally appropriate and expected. Next week we'll probably take her to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" as she gets a kick out of the animated movies. Maybe we'll even take her to the "Hannah Montana" movie coming out soon. She might like that.
The movie itself was okay. I won't ruin it for any of you but the ending was disappointing as it is oh so typical and overused in my opinion.
Over the weekend at home, Ryan and I watched "Marley & Me" and "Seven Pounds". "Marley" was utterly disappointing because it turned out to be not so much a comedy as the ending was morbid, and I bawled my eyes out like a little baby. "Seven Pounds" started out confusing and we stopped with thirty minutes left to go as we were bored. After last night's movie we decided to finish those last thirty minutes and were very surprised at the ending. It all made sense and we agreed that it was a good movie.
That's all for now. I'll let you know how the next theater attempt goes.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Having a Bad Day? Just Cry.
I am having one of those days. Sick of family and friends who won't visit; sick of some saying they can't afford it and then they buy an iTouch. Sick of those who can afford it asking us to pay their way. It's not for Ryan and I; it is for our baby. She deserves family and friends. That is why I am so hurt by this.
I am angry; I know I need to consult the big guy on this one but I don't want to. So for now, I'll just cry.
I am angry; I know I need to consult the big guy on this one but I don't want to. So for now, I'll just cry.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Blessed
I am working on a post concerning yesterday's events, but for now I'd like to say this:
I am blessed.
For my Husband and Daughter, my family, being a Navy Wife, knowing God, for having Jeanne Hite in my life, for my house, my possessions, and everything else.
I am blessed.
I would also like to add that my daughter was wonderful yesterday. I am as proud as any mother can be. She was quiet at the service, and charmed the pants off of everyone. At the reception I can't count how many people said, "Thank you for bringing your daughter", especially Lt. Hite's mother and his wife, Jeanne.
I love my little girl.
I am blessed.
For my Husband and Daughter, my family, being a Navy Wife, knowing God, for having Jeanne Hite in my life, for my house, my possessions, and everything else.
I am blessed.
I would also like to add that my daughter was wonderful yesterday. I am as proud as any mother can be. She was quiet at the service, and charmed the pants off of everyone. At the reception I can't count how many people said, "Thank you for bringing your daughter", especially Lt. Hite's mother and his wife, Jeanne.
I love my little girl.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Hand of God
My Mum forwarded this to me via email. I like the message at the end. I thought it was a neat little story that I should share. The story itself is true.
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name?
Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name?
Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Lieutenant Hite, You Will Be Missed
At 2000 EST (8:00PM) on March 17th, 2009, Lieutenant L. Hite of the NAS Pax River Police Department lost his life to a Pulmonary Embolism.
Lt. Hite was not very old in age; he was a husband, father, grandfather, boss, co-worker, mentor, friend and buddy. My husband was very fond of him as the Lt was not only his mentor but a friend as well. Military and DOD personnel from all over the world are responding to the loss of their dear friend.
My heart goes out to everyone touched by this, but especially to his wife. It was Mrs. Hite that discovered his body. I could not imagine coming home to discover my husband in that condition. I cannot fathom such a thing, but I know that she was not alone. Nobody is strong enough to face such a thing on their own. God was with her last night, He is with her now and Lt. Hite is now our angel. I know he'll look over all his buddies and family and keep them safe.
Please keep the Hite family and the 611 crew in your prayers (611 is the police station's building number. The officers refer to it as "6-11" instead of a "department" or "station"). The "fallen officer" black stripe has been respectfully placed on all officers and MAs badges as well as across the badge decals on the police cruisers. A banner has also been hung at 611.
"In Valor There is Hope" - Quote from the NLEO Memorial
Lt. Hite was not very old in age; he was a husband, father, grandfather, boss, co-worker, mentor, friend and buddy. My husband was very fond of him as the Lt was not only his mentor but a friend as well. Military and DOD personnel from all over the world are responding to the loss of their dear friend.
My heart goes out to everyone touched by this, but especially to his wife. It was Mrs. Hite that discovered his body. I could not imagine coming home to discover my husband in that condition. I cannot fathom such a thing, but I know that she was not alone. Nobody is strong enough to face such a thing on their own. God was with her last night, He is with her now and Lt. Hite is now our angel. I know he'll look over all his buddies and family and keep them safe.
Please keep the Hite family and the 611 crew in your prayers (611 is the police station's building number. The officers refer to it as "6-11" instead of a "department" or "station"). The "fallen officer" black stripe has been respectfully placed on all officers and MAs badges as well as across the badge decals on the police cruisers. A banner has also been hung at 611.
"In Valor There is Hope" - Quote from the NLEO Memorial
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sleeping Woes
Yes, it is almost 0600 and I am still awake for a number of reasons.
Ry is on graveyard this month, and I always hate it. Not only do I have to sleep alone - which usually doesn't go great because, well, he's not here - and when he gets home he has to sleep while the baby and I quietly play downstairs. The second problem is that Sam's sleeping schedule is all sorts of messed up. It just started a few days ago; her usual bedtime is between 2100 and 2200. It has been slowly creeping up and last night/this morning she did not go to sleep until 0300. I tried everything. Not only is she not going to bed at a decent time, she is also sleeping like a newborn. She used to take about thirty to one hour naps every two or three hours. Now she is sleeping two, three sometimes four hours at a time. I know what you're thinking: just wake her up. That would work if she actually agreed with that, but you wake her up before SHE wants to and we get crabby, stubborn Sam.
I just don't know what to do. We try baths, feeding her really well, and everything you can think of. She's cutting her first tooth but it doesn't hurt her, as she is extremely bubbly while awake. Is excess sleeping attributed to that? Perhaps her Prevacid (Reflux Med)?
I think it's time to go google, since I can't sleep anyway.
***Update***
I read up on it and neither of the above mentioned have anything to do with her sleep patterns. I need some good advice on this one.
Ry is on graveyard this month, and I always hate it. Not only do I have to sleep alone - which usually doesn't go great because, well, he's not here - and when he gets home he has to sleep while the baby and I quietly play downstairs. The second problem is that Sam's sleeping schedule is all sorts of messed up. It just started a few days ago; her usual bedtime is between 2100 and 2200. It has been slowly creeping up and last night/this morning she did not go to sleep until 0300. I tried everything. Not only is she not going to bed at a decent time, she is also sleeping like a newborn. She used to take about thirty to one hour naps every two or three hours. Now she is sleeping two, three sometimes four hours at a time. I know what you're thinking: just wake her up. That would work if she actually agreed with that, but you wake her up before SHE wants to and we get crabby, stubborn Sam.
I just don't know what to do. We try baths, feeding her really well, and everything you can think of. She's cutting her first tooth but it doesn't hurt her, as she is extremely bubbly while awake. Is excess sleeping attributed to that? Perhaps her Prevacid (Reflux Med)?
I think it's time to go google, since I can't sleep anyway.
***Update***
I read up on it and neither of the above mentioned have anything to do with her sleep patterns. I need some good advice on this one.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
So Much to Do, So Little Motivation
There are so many things I need to blog about. Events that I need to write down, mostly for my own recollection, so they will never be forgotten. My pregnancy - what I can remember - S's birth, the past 5 months, etc.
So much to do.
So much to do.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
First Wedding Anniversary
Today marks the day Ryan and I chose to be with each other til death due us part.
That's right folks! Our first wedding anniversary is today and nobody is as shocked as we are! Well, not really. We knew we'd make it because we took vows. To some people they are just words, but to us it was everything it was supposed to be - a vow before God; a promise to never break those vows no matter what comes our way. We even promised each other things in private, but one vow that was implied but not included is to never divorce, ever. Ryan is so fearful of the big D-word because it has happened in life (not TO him) and he does not want to fail at what used to be such a precious union. The divorce rate is so high it is ridiculous, no wonder people worry! They should! Stupid teenagers, greedy soldiers/sailors, and some celebrities take marriage so lightly. It's no big deal to get an annulment or divorce. Who cares! We'll try again!
Well not us. My husband and I want to have that perfect 1950's family. It won't be easy, at times it won't be pretty, but we will have it, because we believe. In God, in love and in us. We believe.
Happy One Year, Sailor. I love you.
That's right folks! Our first wedding anniversary is today and nobody is as shocked as we are! Well, not really. We knew we'd make it because we took vows. To some people they are just words, but to us it was everything it was supposed to be - a vow before God; a promise to never break those vows no matter what comes our way. We even promised each other things in private, but one vow that was implied but not included is to never divorce, ever. Ryan is so fearful of the big D-word because it has happened in life (not TO him) and he does not want to fail at what used to be such a precious union. The divorce rate is so high it is ridiculous, no wonder people worry! They should! Stupid teenagers, greedy soldiers/sailors, and some celebrities take marriage so lightly. It's no big deal to get an annulment or divorce. Who cares! We'll try again!
Well not us. My husband and I want to have that perfect 1950's family. It won't be easy, at times it won't be pretty, but we will have it, because we believe. In God, in love and in us. We believe.
Happy One Year, Sailor. I love you.
Work in Progress...
I'm in the process of re-working the blog. Until it's finished, it will be blank, all over the place and probably postless.
Thank you for your understanding!
Thank you for your understanding!
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