Hey all! I just wanted to share with you something that Christa did yesterday that thrilled my heart. Cline and I have been making more of an effort the past month or two to point out to Christa that we pray before meals. I have been trying to do a better job of praying with her each time she sits in her high chair to eat, even if I'm not planning to eat at that moment. I buckle her in her chair, say "let's pray; let's talk to God," and then very deliberately fold my hands and bow my head while reciting the "God is great; God is good" table prayer. Sadly, I often forget to do this until she's halfway finished eating, at which point I interrupt her meal to pray with her.
Yesterday, when lunch time rolled around, I reheated some frozen pizza from the previous evening (yes, my child lives off of preservatives - don't judge me!). I placed her in her high chair, handed her a cup and her lunch, and went to the sink to do a few dishes. As I walked away from her, she made an unintelligible vocal noise that was aimed at getting my attention. As I turned to look at her, I saw that my beautiful little daughter had her hands clasped together, ready to pray.
So, pray we did, and after I got over my guilt that a 15-month-old child had to remind me to stop and thank God for our food, I smiled proudly and bragged on her the rest of the day.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Christa is 15 Months!!
Hello all!! Just a quick post, and since I've had a lot of words in my posts lately, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. My little girl is a big 15-month-old and getting more strong-willed by the second! She's still refusing to walk, but I'm convinced that one of these days she's going to give it a try.
One quick reminder to eat at Chili's tomorrow if you can (and take-out does count, to answer an e-mail question). I've got 10 or so in my group so far and a few maybes, so we're looking forward to a fun meal. Thanks so much to everyone who is participating!
****Update**** This just in... WE HAVE A WALKER!!! Christa took her first steps at approximately 8:20 p.m. I decided to try a new family game called "Learn to Walk," and it worked, apparently!! Cline happened to be home, so he was thrilled to see it! I got video, but don't have the cable to get it on the computer - sorry, M.A.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Childhood Cancer, and a Little Friendly Competition
Hello again! We made it back home, and are back into our normal routine. I haven't had any pain or problems since Monday, so I am very thankful for all of your prayers and thoughts!
Today's post will be dedicated to a very special cause that is near and dear to my heart. I meant to write about this at the beginning of the month, but life got in the way of those lofty ambitions. As I've talked about before, I worked during my nursing days with children who had brain tumors and continue to seek opportunities to help families of children with childhood cancer. Cline and I are looking forward to helping at the Lighthouse Family Retreat next month, which is a beach-side ministry for families who have a child with cancer. (We worked it out for Christa to come with us, too, so we're extra excited about it now!!! Thanks Mom!) At any rate, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, so, like last year, I want to raise some awareness in my little corner of the internet.
Today, I want to tell you about some great things that have been done this year and are continuing to be done by various charities and companies in the ongoing battle. If you'd like to read some personal stories of families who have been affected by childhood cancer, then click on a few of the links to the right: Victoria's page, Pray for Joseph, Midgets and Moonpies, just to name a few. I'll also add links very soon to some of my favorite childhood cancer charities as a special section, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so feel free to check those out. I'll leave them up for a while, so if you find yourself looking for good tax write-offs toward the end of the year, feel free to come back and reference those sites for some ideas!
Anyway, today, I don't want to ask for money or donations or anything. I just want to tell you about some great things that have been done this year that we are really excited about! (Although, I will throw in a plug for Chili's "Donate all Profits to St. Jude Day" coming up next week a little further down :) First of all, the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act was passed into law this year!! This was a bill in the making for years that succeeded this time, largely because average people like you and me took 5 minutes to e-mail or call their representatives in support. This bipartisan bill dedicates millions of dollars over the next several years specifically focusing on research for better treatments and better cures for childhood cancer. This is a great victory for families who have and will face this terrible experience, because until recently, most of the federal funding for cancer research has been geared towards adult cancers, which are very different from the cancers that strike children. There were a couple of good reasons why this was the case. 1.) No one wants to experiment on kids. Seems logical enough. 2.) Childhood cancer is rare, so research was focused on diseases that affected more people. Although this is a good "problem" to have, it doesn't give the kids that do get cancer a fighting chance. You can try to imagine how devastating it would be to be one of those families watching a child suffer through terrible treatment that might not even work, knowing that there have to be better medicines out there somewhere. So, our family is celebrating this great legislative accomplishment with the families who have fought this battle firsthand. We are hoping that it will be a turning point that will lead to childhood cancer being a temporary, curable illness in future years. My understanding is that organizations like St. Jude and Curesearch are going to get a large portion of these funds. I absolutely love both of these charities, and can't think of a better place for my tax dollars to go. Many of the treatments that ARE working for kids are in place because of the research of these two organizations and others like them.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about St. Jude, so that they'll be more than just junk mail the next time you get some cute little address labels from them. Most people are familiar with the concept - they treat children with cancer. What fewer people know is all of the medical care given to the children there is fully paid for by donations - not the patients. Traveling expenses are also paid for by the hospital/donations. And so is lodging. And food. For the family as well. As Cline and I drove with my mom and Christa to Augusta late Sunday night after Cline got off work at around 10 p.m., I felt a sense of dejavu, since I'd done a similar thing three years ago around this time of year. (You read my mind, M.A.) I got a Wednesday evening phone call from a dear patient's mom saying that they were headed to Memphis and wanted me to go with them if I could. After a couple of hours of shock and working out logistics with Cline, I threw some things in a bag and started driving. A scared mom, a sick little girl, Victoria, a great family friend of theirs, and I drove through the night to get Victoria to her appointment the next morning. We squeezed in about 2 hours of sleep, and reported first thing the next morning. It was a surreal 5 days.
What I learned during those 5 days is that St. Jude is a beacon of hope when other mainline treatments have failed. They are very good at what they do. But their primary purpose is research. Victoria got accepted as a patient there because she met certain criteria for a research study that had very little chance of helping her. Rather, she was helping them in the last days of her life gather information that might cure other children later on. I am still brokenhearted that there wasn't a treatment to cure her. But I truly believe that with more research and God's help, there will be a day when childhood cancer is just a minor inconvenience. I would be thrilled to see that day in my lifetime.
Here comes the friendly competition part. As I mentioned in my post last week, Chili's restaurant has taken an active role in supporting St. Jude. They do several fundraisers throughout the month of September that are fun for kids. People can participate just by eating there and letting their kids color a picture. This year, they are donating all of their profits to St. Jude on Monday, Sept. 29. Our family will be there at 6 p.m., wearing our "Victory for Victoria" t-shirts, to enjoy dinner, and would love for anyone interested to join us. Local friends and family, e-mail me by Sunday evening if you'd like to come, and I'll get there in time to get a big enough table. We've done this the past several years, and it is a very fun and cheap way to help make a difference. I learned earlier this month, that the donations from Chili's recently built a new brain tumor research center for St. Jude. I thought that was a neat coincidence; I hadn't known that brain tumors were an area they were focusing on! (Victoria's cancer was a brain tumor, and I have a cousin who successfully battled one several years ago, so research in this area is a very special interest to our family.) If you don't live near us, please drive up for the day - we'd love to see you :) Seriously, though, if that's not feasible, then go to your local Chili's on Monday, and please let me know about your charitable selves in the comment section!!! And, let's get a little contest going. Whoever can get the most people to eat at Chili's on Monday will receive a prize and a special post dedicated to your greatness! Keep me updated on your progress of recruiting eaters from now until Monday (you have all weekend, and nothing better to do, right??), and be creative. For example, if you personally eat at Chili's for lunch AND dinner, then that will count twice. If you call your grandmother in California and talk her into eating there, then she counts, too! The possibilities are endless, and it will be a good prize, although I need a day or two to assess what my budget can do right now!
Good luck, and say an extra prayer for the kids battling cancer and their families tonight!
Today's post will be dedicated to a very special cause that is near and dear to my heart. I meant to write about this at the beginning of the month, but life got in the way of those lofty ambitions. As I've talked about before, I worked during my nursing days with children who had brain tumors and continue to seek opportunities to help families of children with childhood cancer. Cline and I are looking forward to helping at the Lighthouse Family Retreat next month, which is a beach-side ministry for families who have a child with cancer. (We worked it out for Christa to come with us, too, so we're extra excited about it now!!! Thanks Mom!) At any rate, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, so, like last year, I want to raise some awareness in my little corner of the internet.
Today, I want to tell you about some great things that have been done this year and are continuing to be done by various charities and companies in the ongoing battle. If you'd like to read some personal stories of families who have been affected by childhood cancer, then click on a few of the links to the right: Victoria's page, Pray for Joseph, Midgets and Moonpies, just to name a few. I'll also add links very soon to some of my favorite childhood cancer charities as a special section, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so feel free to check those out. I'll leave them up for a while, so if you find yourself looking for good tax write-offs toward the end of the year, feel free to come back and reference those sites for some ideas!
Anyway, today, I don't want to ask for money or donations or anything. I just want to tell you about some great things that have been done this year that we are really excited about! (Although, I will throw in a plug for Chili's "Donate all Profits to St. Jude Day" coming up next week a little further down :) First of all, the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act was passed into law this year!! This was a bill in the making for years that succeeded this time, largely because average people like you and me took 5 minutes to e-mail or call their representatives in support. This bipartisan bill dedicates millions of dollars over the next several years specifically focusing on research for better treatments and better cures for childhood cancer. This is a great victory for families who have and will face this terrible experience, because until recently, most of the federal funding for cancer research has been geared towards adult cancers, which are very different from the cancers that strike children. There were a couple of good reasons why this was the case. 1.) No one wants to experiment on kids. Seems logical enough. 2.) Childhood cancer is rare, so research was focused on diseases that affected more people. Although this is a good "problem" to have, it doesn't give the kids that do get cancer a fighting chance. You can try to imagine how devastating it would be to be one of those families watching a child suffer through terrible treatment that might not even work, knowing that there have to be better medicines out there somewhere. So, our family is celebrating this great legislative accomplishment with the families who have fought this battle firsthand. We are hoping that it will be a turning point that will lead to childhood cancer being a temporary, curable illness in future years. My understanding is that organizations like St. Jude and Curesearch are going to get a large portion of these funds. I absolutely love both of these charities, and can't think of a better place for my tax dollars to go. Many of the treatments that ARE working for kids are in place because of the research of these two organizations and others like them.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about St. Jude, so that they'll be more than just junk mail the next time you get some cute little address labels from them. Most people are familiar with the concept - they treat children with cancer. What fewer people know is all of the medical care given to the children there is fully paid for by donations - not the patients. Traveling expenses are also paid for by the hospital/donations. And so is lodging. And food. For the family as well. As Cline and I drove with my mom and Christa to Augusta late Sunday night after Cline got off work at around 10 p.m., I felt a sense of dejavu, since I'd done a similar thing three years ago around this time of year. (You read my mind, M.A.) I got a Wednesday evening phone call from a dear patient's mom saying that they were headed to Memphis and wanted me to go with them if I could. After a couple of hours of shock and working out logistics with Cline, I threw some things in a bag and started driving. A scared mom, a sick little girl, Victoria, a great family friend of theirs, and I drove through the night to get Victoria to her appointment the next morning. We squeezed in about 2 hours of sleep, and reported first thing the next morning. It was a surreal 5 days.
What I learned during those 5 days is that St. Jude is a beacon of hope when other mainline treatments have failed. They are very good at what they do. But their primary purpose is research. Victoria got accepted as a patient there because she met certain criteria for a research study that had very little chance of helping her. Rather, she was helping them in the last days of her life gather information that might cure other children later on. I am still brokenhearted that there wasn't a treatment to cure her. But I truly believe that with more research and God's help, there will be a day when childhood cancer is just a minor inconvenience. I would be thrilled to see that day in my lifetime.
Here comes the friendly competition part. As I mentioned in my post last week, Chili's restaurant has taken an active role in supporting St. Jude. They do several fundraisers throughout the month of September that are fun for kids. People can participate just by eating there and letting their kids color a picture. This year, they are donating all of their profits to St. Jude on Monday, Sept. 29. Our family will be there at 6 p.m., wearing our "Victory for Victoria" t-shirts, to enjoy dinner, and would love for anyone interested to join us. Local friends and family, e-mail me by Sunday evening if you'd like to come, and I'll get there in time to get a big enough table. We've done this the past several years, and it is a very fun and cheap way to help make a difference. I learned earlier this month, that the donations from Chili's recently built a new brain tumor research center for St. Jude. I thought that was a neat coincidence; I hadn't known that brain tumors were an area they were focusing on! (Victoria's cancer was a brain tumor, and I have a cousin who successfully battled one several years ago, so research in this area is a very special interest to our family.) If you don't live near us, please drive up for the day - we'd love to see you :) Seriously, though, if that's not feasible, then go to your local Chili's on Monday, and please let me know about your charitable selves in the comment section!!! And, let's get a little contest going. Whoever can get the most people to eat at Chili's on Monday will receive a prize and a special post dedicated to your greatness! Keep me updated on your progress of recruiting eaters from now until Monday (you have all weekend, and nothing better to do, right??), and be creative. For example, if you personally eat at Chili's for lunch AND dinner, then that will count twice. If you call your grandmother in California and talk her into eating there, then she counts, too! The possibilities are endless, and it will be a good prize, although I need a day or two to assess what my budget can do right now!
Good luck, and say an extra prayer for the kids battling cancer and their families tonight!
Monday, September 22, 2008
All in All, A Good Day
Hello all! Well, we've made it through the day at the Dr.'s office. Things went surprisingly smoothly, seeing as how my Dr. and I made our plan after 5 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and Cline and I just sort of showed up first thing this morning. We got my labs drawn almost immediately, and had the sonogram done by 9 a.m. The sonographer greeted us with, "It says your Hcg level is a 3. Is that right?? We're really doing this ultrasound for a 3?? Are you sure the level's not 30??" We nodded our heads in agreement that logic says we should be able to ignore a 3, but there we were anyway. As soon as the screen pulled up, it was obvious that I would, in fact, be needing the D&C. We met with the Dr. shortly after the ultrasound, and I was in the OR by 2 p.m. Everyone was so nice, and Cline and I had complete confidence in them the whole day. The surgery wasn't long at all (less than an hour total), I got a good nap, and the Dr. said things went great with no complications. Praise God!
We're staying in Augusta tonight, just in case anything happens, but plan to head to Rome and get back to our normal routine tomorrow. I feel great (knock repeatedly on huge piece of wood), and ignored the advice to avoid greasy foods, opting for a large plate of pasta alfredo for dinner, so I'm hoping I don't live to regret that later tonight! I feel much, much better than I did on Friday, and am hoping that I will actually be cleared from this at my follow-up appointment next week.
Thanks for all your prayers and notes. Augusta friends, it looks like I'm going to miss you this time :( but I'd love to catch up next week when I come back, so call or e-mail me if you'll be around! Rosi, want to drive up from Orlando for a mini-reunion?? :)
I'll be in touch in the next few days!!
We're staying in Augusta tonight, just in case anything happens, but plan to head to Rome and get back to our normal routine tomorrow. I feel great (knock repeatedly on huge piece of wood), and ignored the advice to avoid greasy foods, opting for a large plate of pasta alfredo for dinner, so I'm hoping I don't live to regret that later tonight! I feel much, much better than I did on Friday, and am hoping that I will actually be cleared from this at my follow-up appointment next week.
Thanks for all your prayers and notes. Augusta friends, it looks like I'm going to miss you this time :( but I'd love to catch up next week when I come back, so call or e-mail me if you'll be around! Rosi, want to drive up from Orlando for a mini-reunion?? :)
I'll be in touch in the next few days!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
A Little Drama
Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. For us, it has been a rough week. Let me explain.
When I posted my last miscarriage update, I told you that I was basically done other than some "minor testing" to be done later. Well, "later" has arrived, and the "minor testing" has turned into 2 weeks of lab work and a trip to the Dr. on Monday for a sonogram, more labwork, and a possible D&C. Long story short, my HCG levels (the hormone that your body produces when you are pregnant) still haven't returned to zero, the ultimate goal. My level, as of today, is 3. I might have to have surgery for a 3. Does that seem a little crazy to anyone else, or is it just me?? (Just to give you some perspective, my level was 80,000 at my first lab draw 2 and a half months ago, so we've come a long way). At any rate, my doctor is worried that there might still be a small cluster of cells stuck in there somewhere, and it's time to get rid of them however we have to.
Sooooo, to Augusta we will go on Sunday night so that we can report first thing Monday morning. I never switched doctors thinking it wasn't the best idea to switch in the middle of a medical situation, and never dreamed we'd still be dealing with this now. Frankly, I am dreading the ultrasound. I was supposed to be finding out if my baby was a boy or a girl about now, not finding out if I need to have an outpatient procedure done or not. I'm not quite sure how I'm even going to walk into the room at this point, but maybe the adrenaline will kick in on Monday. Hopefully, my hormone levels will be down to zero by then and the ultrasound will be clear, but if that's not the case, we'll try to go ahead and get the D&C done that day.
If you wouldn't mind, please keep us in your prayers. I am sure everything is going to be fine. But I love babies, and want more children very much, so I'm feeling a little paranoid right now that there may be more complications to come. I always freak out over any little thing whenever this particular body system is concerned anyhow, and these new developments aren't helping matters. In retrospect, I should have had the D&C as soon as we confirmed that the levels were dropping. But hindsight is 20/20, and we made the best decision we could with the information we had at the time.
By the way, September 29 is Chili's "donate all profits to St. Jude" day, so mark your calendar for dinner if you live around here. As long as I'm feeling up to it, (and I'm planning to), we're going to support this cause and would love to get a local group together. More about that next week!
When I posted my last miscarriage update, I told you that I was basically done other than some "minor testing" to be done later. Well, "later" has arrived, and the "minor testing" has turned into 2 weeks of lab work and a trip to the Dr. on Monday for a sonogram, more labwork, and a possible D&C. Long story short, my HCG levels (the hormone that your body produces when you are pregnant) still haven't returned to zero, the ultimate goal. My level, as of today, is 3. I might have to have surgery for a 3. Does that seem a little crazy to anyone else, or is it just me?? (Just to give you some perspective, my level was 80,000 at my first lab draw 2 and a half months ago, so we've come a long way). At any rate, my doctor is worried that there might still be a small cluster of cells stuck in there somewhere, and it's time to get rid of them however we have to.
Sooooo, to Augusta we will go on Sunday night so that we can report first thing Monday morning. I never switched doctors thinking it wasn't the best idea to switch in the middle of a medical situation, and never dreamed we'd still be dealing with this now. Frankly, I am dreading the ultrasound. I was supposed to be finding out if my baby was a boy or a girl about now, not finding out if I need to have an outpatient procedure done or not. I'm not quite sure how I'm even going to walk into the room at this point, but maybe the adrenaline will kick in on Monday. Hopefully, my hormone levels will be down to zero by then and the ultrasound will be clear, but if that's not the case, we'll try to go ahead and get the D&C done that day.
If you wouldn't mind, please keep us in your prayers. I am sure everything is going to be fine. But I love babies, and want more children very much, so I'm feeling a little paranoid right now that there may be more complications to come. I always freak out over any little thing whenever this particular body system is concerned anyhow, and these new developments aren't helping matters. In retrospect, I should have had the D&C as soon as we confirmed that the levels were dropping. But hindsight is 20/20, and we made the best decision we could with the information we had at the time.
By the way, September 29 is Chili's "donate all profits to St. Jude" day, so mark your calendar for dinner if you live around here. As long as I'm feeling up to it, (and I'm planning to), we're going to support this cause and would love to get a local group together. More about that next week!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Our Week
Hello all! Just a quick update on what we've been up to lately. We had a pretty busy week last week. Cline didn't have to work much, which was great, but Christa and I seem to have filled most of our days with weekly activities (you know, they add up, if you sign up for enough of them!) The best day last week was Friday - my birthday!! (Please don't feel guilty if you didn't say anything - I am TERRIBLE with friends' birthdays - we have so many family members to keep track of, and I try, but I know I regularly forget some. Which reminds me - if you have had or will have a birthday this year - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! That should include all of you...) Anyway, Cline, bless his heart, had told me the week before that he would let me sleep in as late as I wanted to on my birthday!! I haven't had that treat since before Christa was born, so I was quite excited!! He did it - he got up with Christa despite working until 2 am the night before and being sick. So sweet, and so appreciated. I vaguely remember a previous life when waking up at 9:30 am was an early day! I really can't complain, though. Christa sleeps until 8 most mornings, and I know other little ones who get their parents up at 6am most days.
After I woke up to roses and chocolates, I went upstairs to say good morning to my family. I got there just in time to help Cline get the bathtub cleaned up since Christa had just pooped in it. She has a really bad habit of doing that!! We had a nice morning at home, then took Christa to Cline's grandmother's and went to lunch just the two of us. It was nice, but Cline had no voice from being sick, so it was a quiet lunch. (I know - hard to believe - if you've ever been around the two of us, you know that we both talk nonstop). Cline's still not feeling 100% and still has no voice (this has been going on about a week now), but I'm hopeful he'll start getting better soon. An allergy-type/sinus illness seems to be making its rounds in our family. We finished the day traveling to Ridgeland for Cline's little brother's football game. The Tigers won, even though they were predicted to lose! We stopped off for a midnight snack at McDonald's with the team and called it a day. It was a great birthday - I'm officially 28 now. (Not feeling too old yet, but the increasing number of gray hairs aren't helping matters :)
Yesterday, Cline went to a Dave Ramsey live event in Atlanta. He's the financial counselor who has a very popular radio show, and I think we are going to try his "Total Money Makeover" to get school bills and other debt paid off ASAP. Christa and I stayed home and watched the GA game, which was a bit more exciting than I was hoping for, but the Dawgs didn't lose, so it was a good game.
Christa is still not walking yet. All she wants to do all day long is walk holding onto my hands, but will not take a step without them for anything, even though she obviously has the strength and balance to do it. We bought her a push toy tonight, hoping it will help her get some confidence, and she did great with it for a few minutes.... then decided Mommy's hands were still better and insisted on walking with me for a while longer. I guess she really took it to heart when I told her as a newborn that I did not intend for her to start walking until after we were out of the apartment! It will come in her own time, but I hate seeing her so frustrated when I just can't walk with her.
Well, that's about all we've been up to lately. Have a great day!
After I woke up to roses and chocolates, I went upstairs to say good morning to my family. I got there just in time to help Cline get the bathtub cleaned up since Christa had just pooped in it. She has a really bad habit of doing that!! We had a nice morning at home, then took Christa to Cline's grandmother's and went to lunch just the two of us. It was nice, but Cline had no voice from being sick, so it was a quiet lunch. (I know - hard to believe - if you've ever been around the two of us, you know that we both talk nonstop). Cline's still not feeling 100% and still has no voice (this has been going on about a week now), but I'm hopeful he'll start getting better soon. An allergy-type/sinus illness seems to be making its rounds in our family. We finished the day traveling to Ridgeland for Cline's little brother's football game. The Tigers won, even though they were predicted to lose! We stopped off for a midnight snack at McDonald's with the team and called it a day. It was a great birthday - I'm officially 28 now. (Not feeling too old yet, but the increasing number of gray hairs aren't helping matters :)
Yesterday, Cline went to a Dave Ramsey live event in Atlanta. He's the financial counselor who has a very popular radio show, and I think we are going to try his "Total Money Makeover" to get school bills and other debt paid off ASAP. Christa and I stayed home and watched the GA game, which was a bit more exciting than I was hoping for, but the Dawgs didn't lose, so it was a good game.
Christa is still not walking yet. All she wants to do all day long is walk holding onto my hands, but will not take a step without them for anything, even though she obviously has the strength and balance to do it. We bought her a push toy tonight, hoping it will help her get some confidence, and she did great with it for a few minutes.... then decided Mommy's hands were still better and insisted on walking with me for a while longer. I guess she really took it to heart when I told her as a newborn that I did not intend for her to start walking until after we were out of the apartment! It will come in her own time, but I hate seeing her so frustrated when I just can't walk with her.
Well, that's about all we've been up to lately. Have a great day!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
My Own Little Houdini
Last week, I turned the kitchen corner to find Christa in here:
Hmmm... I'd thought she was innocently playing with the Tupperware. Oh well. I strategically arranged my lower cabinets with the expectation that her curiosity would grow as she learned to get around better. No worries. Especially about those stairs. Because I- smug, prepared supermom - had anticipated that the day might come when my child was no longer restricted to the den where I instructed her to play, and had a sturdy gate custom ordered and installed to accommodate our unusual banister.
As you can see here:
So you can imagine my surprise when it took all of about 15 seconds for my sweet baby girl to figure this out:
And then this:
Hmmm... I'd thought she was innocently playing with the Tupperware. Oh well. I strategically arranged my lower cabinets with the expectation that her curiosity would grow as she learned to get around better. No worries. Especially about those stairs. Because I- smug, prepared supermom - had anticipated that the day might come when my child was no longer restricted to the den where I instructed her to play, and had a sturdy gate custom ordered and installed to accommodate our unusual banister.As you can see here:
So you can imagine my surprise when it took all of about 15 seconds for my sweet baby girl to figure this out:
And then this:
And then, this:
And then I really wanted to nominate myself for mother-of-the-year, when I looked up from vaccuming and saw this:
Seriously - I don't know how she can fit through that space! She's like a cockroach! (I'm sure THAT comment just sealed the deal for my nomination for mother of the year!)
Houston, we have a problem...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Another Approved Election Message
Hello all!! As promised, I'll write a little more on the presidential candidates, and then I have a cute Christa story for the next post to be written sometime this week.
So, let me start by telling all of you how encouraged I am by the positive feedback from the last post. I do realize that those who don't agree with me as much aren't as likely to post, which is perfectly fine. But it is nice to have at least a few of you out there who see eye to eye with my points, so thanks for that!
As for Obama, it's certainly an exciting thing to watch. It's even neat to think about my children learning about the first black presidential candidate in their history classes years from now. I remember his breakout speech in the 04' elections, and I was mesmerized. Actually, the whole DNC that year was pretty exciting, but I remember being especially impressed and intrigued when he spoke. I was actually excited when he threw his name into the hat for this election. I thought, that based on his speech and his reputation for bringing the parties together to get things done at that time, that he might be a Zell Miller of sorts - Democratic in name for a while, but Republican at heart. (Note that I said Zell Miller and NOT Joe Lieberman, who still seems very Democratic in my opinion, so why he was mentioned for the Republican VP slot is still a mystery to me, but I'll just be thankful that didn't happen and move on).
Anyway, back to Obama. I think McCain's congratulatory add on the night of his acceptance speech was very classy, and I agree wholeheartedly. He is a fine speaker, and his historic accomplishment should be recognized. Beyond that, I don't want him anywhere near the Oval Office. Frankly, he scares me. Some things that concern me include the people he's chosen to closely surround himself with over the years (such as Jeremiah Wright who believes that America deserved what happened to us on 9/11 and Bill Ayers who bombed the Pentagon years ago), how he's voted in the Senate on key issues like abortion (he voted in favor of killing newborn abortion survivors), and the things he's talking about doing to the economy (such as increasing capital gains taxes on EVERYONE - homeowners and everyone with a retirement account - this directly affects YOU). What I'm hearing about this guy, and what is being reinforced by the speeches he and his wife are giving on their campaign trail is that he's a communist. Actually - worse than a communist. He wants total government control on as many details of our lives as he can get his hands on and is willing to destroy anyone who gets in the way of that. I'm even hearing that he wants America to be "punished" for being so wealthy while other countries are so poor and that he believes our country should be brought "down to size." (Intentionally keeping gas prices high by opposing domestic drilling and advocating "windfall profits taxes" on the oil companies are a good start in accomplishing this goal). Everything should be fair. Everything should be equal. The bum who refuses to get a job should have the same amount of money and resources as the brightest, strongest, hardest-working husband and father. One way he can try to increase government control in this way is to promise more and more "free" social programs such as welfare and health care to the "middle-class" while "sticking it to the rich" in taxes. If you're an Obama supporter, this is just what I'm hearing. When I listen to the Obamas speak with these ideas in mind, I hear a lot of it backed up with their own words.
As for McCain, I like him a lot better than I did. He infuriated me last year when he and Joe Lieberman co-authored the amnesty bill, as did President Bush who was willing to sign it. (Not that I think we need to heartlessly deport all of the Hispanic men, women, and children in this country, but there was much more to this bill than compassion - a lengthy topic for another day). At any rate, some of the policies he's voted for and/or authored, have not been my favorites. But, you've gotta hand it to the guy - he has character. His refusal to leave early when he was held captive as a POW in Vietnam because it wasn't his turn definitely tells me that he will do what he believes is right, even at great personal cost. I may or may not always agree with his policies, but I do believe his motives in everything he does are pure. He doesn't strike me as a power-hungry, corrupted politician who twists his words around to hide what he truly believes. He seems to be an honest guy who loves his country and wants to see everyone in it thrive and prosper. I see the opposite in Obama, which disappoints me, because he really did give an amazing speech 4 years ago. McCain is pro-life, and his voting record supports that statement, so that's another huge plus for me. McCain isn't quite as much fun to watch speak, but he answers questions with conviction and sincerity, and he takes a definite stand on issues. Google the transcript on the Saddleback Forum for proof on that. Every answer was swift and to the point - no beating around the bush because his answer might not be the one his audience was looking for.
As for the VPs, well, you know my feelings on Sarah Palin. She fascinates me right now, and I could write a whole post on just her. The day I found out she was the choice, I was actually disappointed that it wasn't Romney. I quickly decided she was better. I think that in any other situation, she wouldn't work. She IS young, and DOESN'T have much experience - only 2 years as governor of Alaska. A woman's never made it to the White House. The Republican presidential candidate wanted to win by getting independent and moderate votes - who could he possibly pick that would appease his Conservative base and still reach out to them? An incredibly unique set of circumstances was set up in this crazy election. And somehow, they found her - and she seems perfect for this specific situation. The biblical verse, "for such a time as this" keeps going through my head over and over when I think of her. Just that one line - not even the whole story of Esther. "For such a time as this." Her lack of experience works "for such a time as this" because the presidential candidate on the other side has even less. Her 2 years isn't much, but she's the only one out of all 4 candidates with any executive experience at all. The fact that she's a woman works perfectly "for such a time as this" because there are a LOT of angry Americans out there who are bitter that Hilary's not on the Democratic ticket. The fact that she is a mother of 5, one having Down Syndrome, might ordinarily be seen as a stumbling block. 5 children, as astutely noted by Kimberly in the last comment section, are a lot of work and require a lot of time from their mother. But "for such a time as this," I, along with many many other housewives and working women alike can see my best friend in her. Someone who will fight for the family values that seem to be trampled so frequently these days. I don't know if they'll win. I hope they do. But it certainly appears that her life and that of her family is being used in quite an interesting way right now.
Lastly, there's Joe Biden. I honestly don't know much about him. I've heard he's strong on foreign policy. I know that a family tragedy occurred early in his political career when his wife and 13 month old daughter were killed in a car accident. His two sons survived. I know that he tried to resign from being Senator so that he could be there for his sons, but others talked him into continuing with his political career, so he traveled back and forth so that he could do both. For that, he has my sympathy and admiration for coming through such a terrible situation. That's it - that's all I know about him. I didn't watch his speech, and haven't researched him. Nothing I could learn about him would sway my vote. But if you guys want to know more about him, I'll gladly find out and give you my thoughts. Again, just ask.
Well, I think this post is getting long, and I've covered all my high points. I attempted to be as unbiased as possible on all of these opinions. I'll resume regular blogging this week, so if these weren't your favorite topics, then bear with me just a few more days :)
So, let me start by telling all of you how encouraged I am by the positive feedback from the last post. I do realize that those who don't agree with me as much aren't as likely to post, which is perfectly fine. But it is nice to have at least a few of you out there who see eye to eye with my points, so thanks for that!
As for Obama, it's certainly an exciting thing to watch. It's even neat to think about my children learning about the first black presidential candidate in their history classes years from now. I remember his breakout speech in the 04' elections, and I was mesmerized. Actually, the whole DNC that year was pretty exciting, but I remember being especially impressed and intrigued when he spoke. I was actually excited when he threw his name into the hat for this election. I thought, that based on his speech and his reputation for bringing the parties together to get things done at that time, that he might be a Zell Miller of sorts - Democratic in name for a while, but Republican at heart. (Note that I said Zell Miller and NOT Joe Lieberman, who still seems very Democratic in my opinion, so why he was mentioned for the Republican VP slot is still a mystery to me, but I'll just be thankful that didn't happen and move on).
Anyway, back to Obama. I think McCain's congratulatory add on the night of his acceptance speech was very classy, and I agree wholeheartedly. He is a fine speaker, and his historic accomplishment should be recognized. Beyond that, I don't want him anywhere near the Oval Office. Frankly, he scares me. Some things that concern me include the people he's chosen to closely surround himself with over the years (such as Jeremiah Wright who believes that America deserved what happened to us on 9/11 and Bill Ayers who bombed the Pentagon years ago), how he's voted in the Senate on key issues like abortion (he voted in favor of killing newborn abortion survivors), and the things he's talking about doing to the economy (such as increasing capital gains taxes on EVERYONE - homeowners and everyone with a retirement account - this directly affects YOU). What I'm hearing about this guy, and what is being reinforced by the speeches he and his wife are giving on their campaign trail is that he's a communist. Actually - worse than a communist. He wants total government control on as many details of our lives as he can get his hands on and is willing to destroy anyone who gets in the way of that. I'm even hearing that he wants America to be "punished" for being so wealthy while other countries are so poor and that he believes our country should be brought "down to size." (Intentionally keeping gas prices high by opposing domestic drilling and advocating "windfall profits taxes" on the oil companies are a good start in accomplishing this goal). Everything should be fair. Everything should be equal. The bum who refuses to get a job should have the same amount of money and resources as the brightest, strongest, hardest-working husband and father. One way he can try to increase government control in this way is to promise more and more "free" social programs such as welfare and health care to the "middle-class" while "sticking it to the rich" in taxes. If you're an Obama supporter, this is just what I'm hearing. When I listen to the Obamas speak with these ideas in mind, I hear a lot of it backed up with their own words.
As for McCain, I like him a lot better than I did. He infuriated me last year when he and Joe Lieberman co-authored the amnesty bill, as did President Bush who was willing to sign it. (Not that I think we need to heartlessly deport all of the Hispanic men, women, and children in this country, but there was much more to this bill than compassion - a lengthy topic for another day). At any rate, some of the policies he's voted for and/or authored, have not been my favorites. But, you've gotta hand it to the guy - he has character. His refusal to leave early when he was held captive as a POW in Vietnam because it wasn't his turn definitely tells me that he will do what he believes is right, even at great personal cost. I may or may not always agree with his policies, but I do believe his motives in everything he does are pure. He doesn't strike me as a power-hungry, corrupted politician who twists his words around to hide what he truly believes. He seems to be an honest guy who loves his country and wants to see everyone in it thrive and prosper. I see the opposite in Obama, which disappoints me, because he really did give an amazing speech 4 years ago. McCain is pro-life, and his voting record supports that statement, so that's another huge plus for me. McCain isn't quite as much fun to watch speak, but he answers questions with conviction and sincerity, and he takes a definite stand on issues. Google the transcript on the Saddleback Forum for proof on that. Every answer was swift and to the point - no beating around the bush because his answer might not be the one his audience was looking for.
As for the VPs, well, you know my feelings on Sarah Palin. She fascinates me right now, and I could write a whole post on just her. The day I found out she was the choice, I was actually disappointed that it wasn't Romney. I quickly decided she was better. I think that in any other situation, she wouldn't work. She IS young, and DOESN'T have much experience - only 2 years as governor of Alaska. A woman's never made it to the White House. The Republican presidential candidate wanted to win by getting independent and moderate votes - who could he possibly pick that would appease his Conservative base and still reach out to them? An incredibly unique set of circumstances was set up in this crazy election. And somehow, they found her - and she seems perfect for this specific situation. The biblical verse, "for such a time as this" keeps going through my head over and over when I think of her. Just that one line - not even the whole story of Esther. "For such a time as this." Her lack of experience works "for such a time as this" because the presidential candidate on the other side has even less. Her 2 years isn't much, but she's the only one out of all 4 candidates with any executive experience at all. The fact that she's a woman works perfectly "for such a time as this" because there are a LOT of angry Americans out there who are bitter that Hilary's not on the Democratic ticket. The fact that she is a mother of 5, one having Down Syndrome, might ordinarily be seen as a stumbling block. 5 children, as astutely noted by Kimberly in the last comment section, are a lot of work and require a lot of time from their mother. But "for such a time as this," I, along with many many other housewives and working women alike can see my best friend in her. Someone who will fight for the family values that seem to be trampled so frequently these days. I don't know if they'll win. I hope they do. But it certainly appears that her life and that of her family is being used in quite an interesting way right now.
Lastly, there's Joe Biden. I honestly don't know much about him. I've heard he's strong on foreign policy. I know that a family tragedy occurred early in his political career when his wife and 13 month old daughter were killed in a car accident. His two sons survived. I know that he tried to resign from being Senator so that he could be there for his sons, but others talked him into continuing with his political career, so he traveled back and forth so that he could do both. For that, he has my sympathy and admiration for coming through such a terrible situation. That's it - that's all I know about him. I didn't watch his speech, and haven't researched him. Nothing I could learn about him would sway my vote. But if you guys want to know more about him, I'll gladly find out and give you my thoughts. Again, just ask.
Well, I think this post is getting long, and I've covered all my high points. I attempted to be as unbiased as possible on all of these opinions. I'll resume regular blogging this week, so if these weren't your favorite topics, then bear with me just a few more days :)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I'm Jessica, and I Approved This Message
Alright, here it goes. I've been mulling throughout the afternoon on the best way to approach this topic. Do I keep it short and sweet, and just tell you who I'm voting for and why? Do I start with a history of the evolution of my core values since high school (which, sadly, is the last time I spoke to some of you)? Do I assume that you can reasonably guess which side I take on the major hot topics or do I explain each issue in detail? Do I discuss the candidates as they are, or do I tell you why I originally liked Obama and why I really wanted Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee? Ahhhhh - decisions!! My head already hurts from the fierce cough and allergic drainage I've been fighting for 2 weeks (just when I'd gotten used to the terrible Augusta air, I had to move and adapt to a whole new set of allergens!)
I think, for the purposes of this topic, I'm going to try to keep the discussion to the situation as it is: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin. I'm open to more detailed analysis of my personal views and/or the other major players, so feel free to ask. Most of you already know my political standing, but for those of you who don't, I am Christian first, Conservative second, and Republican third. (If you happen to disagree with me on any or all of those positions, I'm cool being friends anyway if you are :) I'll go into more detail on why I have new energy and excitement for the Republican ticket in the next post. For now, I have two words to describe Sarah Palin: Love. Her.
If you missed her speech last night, you can catch an encore presentation here: http://portal.gopconvention2008.com/speech/details.aspx?id=38 This link will take you to the text, which is great, but take the time to watch the video feed - it was phenomenal, and you can get the humor much better! (I also recommend Mayor Guiliani and Governor Romney's speeches as well - also available at that site). It's funny how last week, I had no idea who Sarah Palin was, and now I just want to listen to her talk all day long. More on that (and the Democratic ticket) later - right now, I'm tired and don't feel well.
For now, I will leave you with my favorite highlights from last night.
Jessica's Favorite RNC Wednesday Night Quotes:
5.) "...On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present." (Rudy Guiliani, referring to Obama)
4.) "Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities." (Sarah Palin)
3.) "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay." (Sarah Palin)
2.) "And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.... This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan?" (Sarah Palin)
1.) "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House." (Sarah Palin)
I think, for the purposes of this topic, I'm going to try to keep the discussion to the situation as it is: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin. I'm open to more detailed analysis of my personal views and/or the other major players, so feel free to ask. Most of you already know my political standing, but for those of you who don't, I am Christian first, Conservative second, and Republican third. (If you happen to disagree with me on any or all of those positions, I'm cool being friends anyway if you are :) I'll go into more detail on why I have new energy and excitement for the Republican ticket in the next post. For now, I have two words to describe Sarah Palin: Love. Her.
If you missed her speech last night, you can catch an encore presentation here: http://portal.gopconvention2008.com/speech/details.aspx?id=38 This link will take you to the text, which is great, but take the time to watch the video feed - it was phenomenal, and you can get the humor much better! (I also recommend Mayor Guiliani and Governor Romney's speeches as well - also available at that site). It's funny how last week, I had no idea who Sarah Palin was, and now I just want to listen to her talk all day long. More on that (and the Democratic ticket) later - right now, I'm tired and don't feel well.
For now, I will leave you with my favorite highlights from last night.
Jessica's Favorite RNC Wednesday Night Quotes:
5.) "...On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present." (Rudy Guiliani, referring to Obama)
4.) "Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities." (Sarah Palin)
3.) "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay." (Sarah Palin)
2.) "And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.... This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan?" (Sarah Palin)
1.) "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House." (Sarah Palin)
Ohhh Anonymous, You Have Started It Now
Thank you, Anonymous, for requesting a post about the election! I have been sitting on my hands for 3 days, resisting the overwhelming desire to unabashedly spill out my thoughts on this blog. The only thing that has stopped me is the knowledge that politics can be a very sensitive and personal topic, and starting up a conversation about it is a great way to cause hurt feelings and misunderstandings. But I only have so much will-power, so since there is at least one person who has openly requested a commentary on our candidates, I shall oblige.
Give me a little time - maybe a few hours or maybe a couple of days, depending on how things go, and I will offer MY thoughts and perspective as they stand today. This may take multiple posts, since I want to be thorough on how I have arrived at the conclusions that I have right now - conclusions that may change based on future events that I cannot foresee at this time. If you are someone who hates talking about these things, feel free to ignore the next one or several posts and check back next week for more light-hearted stories and pictures. If you do choose to read about my opinions, feel free to add your own thoughts in the comment section whether or not you agree with what I say. (Be gentle, though - I was not born with thick skin :). But please understand that I am no expert, and am stating my opinion based on the information that I have. Since I do not personally know anyone involved at the center of this whole process, the information that I use to base my opinions on is largely collected from sources with their own agendas and motives, and I do the best I can with it knowing full well that what I'm told may or may not be factually reliable. In other words, I'm not immune from being "duped," but I do try to stay informed.
Alright, I've got a few things to do right now, but I will try to write up the first in the "Election 2008" series later today or tonight.
Give me a little time - maybe a few hours or maybe a couple of days, depending on how things go, and I will offer MY thoughts and perspective as they stand today. This may take multiple posts, since I want to be thorough on how I have arrived at the conclusions that I have right now - conclusions that may change based on future events that I cannot foresee at this time. If you are someone who hates talking about these things, feel free to ignore the next one or several posts and check back next week for more light-hearted stories and pictures. If you do choose to read about my opinions, feel free to add your own thoughts in the comment section whether or not you agree with what I say. (Be gentle, though - I was not born with thick skin :). But please understand that I am no expert, and am stating my opinion based on the information that I have. Since I do not personally know anyone involved at the center of this whole process, the information that I use to base my opinions on is largely collected from sources with their own agendas and motives, and I do the best I can with it knowing full well that what I'm told may or may not be factually reliable. In other words, I'm not immune from being "duped," but I do try to stay informed.
Alright, I've got a few things to do right now, but I will try to write up the first in the "Election 2008" series later today or tonight.
Monday, September 1, 2008
When in Athens...
... Go Bulldogs!! Hello everyone. We spent our Labor Day Weekend in Athens with Cline's family and had a wonderful time. The game was great - but very hot. We didn't get to take Christa because of the heat. I wimped out and left at the end of the 3rd quarter because we'd pretty much sealed the deal and I was tired of sweating. Red and black are pretty colors together but not so much the smartest choices during these first middle-of-the-hottest-part-of-the-day August games. Here are some pictures of our newest GA fan!
So, I've been thinking that I have at least one Florida friend, one Tennessee friend, and one Auburn friend who are each as loyal to their respective teams as I am to mine. What do you all say, in the interest of a friendly rivalry, that we all agree to hate LSU this season since it's our year to play them?? OK, so glad we can agree on that much.
Well, my husband just got home, so I am going to spend some time with him before I fall asleep from exhaustion - that should give us a good five, maybe ten, minutes together!
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