Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I have a VERY important announcement to make. Something happened today that hasn't happened in a really long time. I witnessed something I have never witnessed before. It was astounding. Astonishing. Amazing. Surreal.
Today, this 23rd day of November in the year 2012, my dear husband, who has been a vegetarian for the past 16 years VOLUNTARILY ATE MEAT!!! (I say voluntarily because there have been a few accidents along the way, not including the cream of chicken that I use in his casseroles). but I digress. Today at his family's thanksgiving celebration, my dear husband decided that he would try the delicious wild caught turkey that we were feasting upon. And he not only nibbled, he ate a whole piece!!!!!
Does this mean I can start cooking more meat in this house? Who will catch some more wild stuff that Andrew believes is healthier?? Do I have hunter friends?
Best. Thanksgiving. Ever.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
At the foot of the cross
There's something unexplainable about the connection of a mom to her children. It comes from somewhere deep within and bonds you to them in a way you can't be bonded to any other. It is this bond that causes us to hurt when they hurt, struggle when they struggle, rejoice when they rejoice, and triumph when they triumph.
On Monday morning I arrived home from work and asked Andrew how our sick little boys were doing. They had both started on bad colds the previous day and Will had not slept well at all. Andrew said "okay... Just bad colds" and rushed off to work in his normal pattern. But my first look and listen to baby Will told me something different. He sat on the couch and sleepily stared at me with droopy eyes. His breaths were coming far faster than usual and he seemed to be struggling with each exhale. My mommy instinct said that even though Vince was going in that afternoon for a check up, I needed to get Will in ASAP. So I called the pediatrician and off we went.
The waiting room was agony. Vince happily watched the fish in the tank, but William wouldn't leave my lap. He wasn't talking or pointing at the fish. He just sat there limp, struggling to breathe and clutching me. Patient after patient was called back for their appointment and I just prayed we would be next.
Finally we got to see the nurse practitioner. The good news was that his oxygen levels were fine, but she said that his airways were just inflamed and he needed a breathing treatment. We were sent home with a nebulizer and an oral steroid prescription, and told to come back the next morning for a follow up.
After only two treatments my little man was doing so much better. He was like a different kid the next morning at his follow up. Laughing, playing, singing. Even smiling at the nurses! And I was a different momma.
It's so hard when they are sick and there's not much you can do. A mom feels their agony but can't take it away. During this small blip in our daily life I was transported back to the NICU and all those memories of my tiny baby hooked up to monitors and tubes lit up my memory.
It made me think of what agony Mary must have gone through watching Jesus die on the cross. I turned to her many times that day to help me. The pain she must have felt for him is unimaginable.
On Monday morning I arrived home from work and asked Andrew how our sick little boys were doing. They had both started on bad colds the previous day and Will had not slept well at all. Andrew said "okay... Just bad colds" and rushed off to work in his normal pattern. But my first look and listen to baby Will told me something different. He sat on the couch and sleepily stared at me with droopy eyes. His breaths were coming far faster than usual and he seemed to be struggling with each exhale. My mommy instinct said that even though Vince was going in that afternoon for a check up, I needed to get Will in ASAP. So I called the pediatrician and off we went.
The waiting room was agony. Vince happily watched the fish in the tank, but William wouldn't leave my lap. He wasn't talking or pointing at the fish. He just sat there limp, struggling to breathe and clutching me. Patient after patient was called back for their appointment and I just prayed we would be next.
Finally we got to see the nurse practitioner. The good news was that his oxygen levels were fine, but she said that his airways were just inflamed and he needed a breathing treatment. We were sent home with a nebulizer and an oral steroid prescription, and told to come back the next morning for a follow up.
After only two treatments my little man was doing so much better. He was like a different kid the next morning at his follow up. Laughing, playing, singing. Even smiling at the nurses! And I was a different momma.
It's so hard when they are sick and there's not much you can do. A mom feels their agony but can't take it away. During this small blip in our daily life I was transported back to the NICU and all those memories of my tiny baby hooked up to monitors and tubes lit up my memory.
It made me think of what agony Mary must have gone through watching Jesus die on the cross. I turned to her many times that day to help me. The pain she must have felt for him is unimaginable.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
To friend or not to friend...
Do you all have those people on Facebook that you kind of want to friend request and kind of don't? Or sometimes it's the other way around... someone requests you and you know them, but you don't KNOW them, so you're just not sure whether to accept the request?
Well, I just happened to find my "first kiss" on Facebook. What's a girl to do? Honestly, I will in all likelihood NOT friend this man. We dated for (at most) 3 weeks when we were 17. So really... be friends on Facebook? I think not. I do wonder if he even remembers me. I'm quite certain I was NOT his first kiss.
I also found my best friend from 2nd grade on Facebook. (Ironically she's friends with my first kiss.) I've seen her parents much more than her since she moved away from our small town 25 years ago. I really feel no pull to "friend" her on facebook either, but I think it's neat that I could.
I actually enjoy purging Facebook friends MUCH MORE than I enjoy "friending" people. It's usually about springtime, when I look at my number of FB friends and go "Really, Kristi?!" You don't see most of these people EVER and your life wouldn't be seriously changed if you weren't aware of their Facebook dealings, so LET THE PURGE BEGIN! It's freeing! And then I usually have a day or two of guilt thinking that maybe, for some reason bigger than me, I was SUPPOSED to be their Facebook friend. But I usually get over that pretty quickly.
What about you? Do you go through Facebook friend purges or do you just keep on addin??
Well, I just happened to find my "first kiss" on Facebook. What's a girl to do? Honestly, I will in all likelihood NOT friend this man. We dated for (at most) 3 weeks when we were 17. So really... be friends on Facebook? I think not. I do wonder if he even remembers me. I'm quite certain I was NOT his first kiss.
I also found my best friend from 2nd grade on Facebook. (Ironically she's friends with my first kiss.) I've seen her parents much more than her since she moved away from our small town 25 years ago. I really feel no pull to "friend" her on facebook either, but I think it's neat that I could.
I actually enjoy purging Facebook friends MUCH MORE than I enjoy "friending" people. It's usually about springtime, when I look at my number of FB friends and go "Really, Kristi?!" You don't see most of these people EVER and your life wouldn't be seriously changed if you weren't aware of their Facebook dealings, so LET THE PURGE BEGIN! It's freeing! And then I usually have a day or two of guilt thinking that maybe, for some reason bigger than me, I was SUPPOSED to be their Facebook friend. But I usually get over that pretty quickly.
What about you? Do you go through Facebook friend purges or do you just keep on addin??
Friday, November 9, 2012
A journey to FOUR
Mr. Vince turned 4 this week. Here's a little blog without words dedicated to my first sweet little boy.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Mandating Free Contraception
Up to this point, I've been fairly "mums the word" on anything political during NABLOPOMO. What with the elections and all the fights on Facebook, it just wasn't something I was interested in stirring up. But sometimes whilst walking around my house, I find myself blogging out loud (or in my head) about something I'm super passionate about, and that's been happening this morning so here goes nothing.
The Health and Human Services Mandate put into effect by President Obama and Kathleen Sebelius as a part of Obamacare requires that insurance companies now provide contraception at no charge.
Many Catholic are up in arms about this because we believe that contraception is morally wrong, an intrinsic evil, against God's plan, etc. etc. But that is NOT what I'm blogging about today.
Here's a BIG reason why I am against the HHS mandate. First of all, even the term "HEALTHcare" tends to imply that the program should care for a person's health. So whatever I receive from my healthcare/insurance plan should in effect help me to be healthier, right? But contraception doesn't make anyone healthy. In fact, it removes the ability of a woman's body to naturally function. The pill, IUD's, Depo Provera, etc. interfere with the body's natural ability to regulate hormones and instead use artificial hormones to render a woman infertile. But not only does it disrupt her cycle, it is now being leached enough into our water supply that it's affecting the fertility of men, and I would assume, therefore, women who are not taking contraception. And that makes me worried about how it's affecting my children who are drinking the same water.
I understand that some of you will argue that birth control is also prescribed to "regulate a woman's cycle," or to "help with endometriosis," or to "lessen a young girl's acne problems." But as far as I know, the FDA hasn't actually APPROVED these drugs for that use.
And I know contraception is widely used in our society. I understand that people enjoy the fact that they can have sex whenever they want and be 98% sure they're not making a baby. I understand that some believe more contraception will equal less need for abortions. I get all that stuff. However, I fail to see how providing free contraception can be a form of "HEALTH" care when it is medication designed to INHIBIT a healthy process. We might as well mandate that people can go to liquor store and get booze for free as well, because you know that's one way to treat depression, right? Or maybe we should mandate that our insurance plans pay for us to eat out once a week because it's too stressful to have to cook at home.
Contraception is a pill of convenience. Not a pill for health. It should NOT be covered by healthcare plans.
The Health and Human Services Mandate put into effect by President Obama and Kathleen Sebelius as a part of Obamacare requires that insurance companies now provide contraception at no charge.
Many Catholic are up in arms about this because we believe that contraception is morally wrong, an intrinsic evil, against God's plan, etc. etc. But that is NOT what I'm blogging about today.
Here's a BIG reason why I am against the HHS mandate. First of all, even the term "HEALTHcare" tends to imply that the program should care for a person's health. So whatever I receive from my healthcare/insurance plan should in effect help me to be healthier, right? But contraception doesn't make anyone healthy. In fact, it removes the ability of a woman's body to naturally function. The pill, IUD's, Depo Provera, etc. interfere with the body's natural ability to regulate hormones and instead use artificial hormones to render a woman infertile. But not only does it disrupt her cycle, it is now being leached enough into our water supply that it's affecting the fertility of men, and I would assume, therefore, women who are not taking contraception. And that makes me worried about how it's affecting my children who are drinking the same water.
I understand that some of you will argue that birth control is also prescribed to "regulate a woman's cycle," or to "help with endometriosis," or to "lessen a young girl's acne problems." But as far as I know, the FDA hasn't actually APPROVED these drugs for that use.
And I know contraception is widely used in our society. I understand that people enjoy the fact that they can have sex whenever they want and be 98% sure they're not making a baby. I understand that some believe more contraception will equal less need for abortions. I get all that stuff. However, I fail to see how providing free contraception can be a form of "HEALTH" care when it is medication designed to INHIBIT a healthy process. We might as well mandate that people can go to liquor store and get booze for free as well, because you know that's one way to treat depression, right? Or maybe we should mandate that our insurance plans pay for us to eat out once a week because it's too stressful to have to cook at home.
Contraception is a pill of convenience. Not a pill for health. It should NOT be covered by healthcare plans.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Mormon Underwear?
A few of my friends and family members have spoken of something called "magic underwear" that is supposedly worn by Governor Mitt Romney and all adult Mormons. "Magic underwear?" I questioned. "That cannot be the correct term." And so, to keep my mind off the stress of this election, I decided to do some research.
It turns out that adult Mormons DO wear special underwear that has been given to them at their "temple endowment." This undergarment has a top and bottom and reaches to just above the knee for both men and women It must be worn at all times "other than swimming, using the restroom, or being intimate with one's spouse." And it basically reminds them of their promise to God and that they are in the world but not of the world. More info at http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/mormon/underwear/
Even before I'd done my quick google search, I was pretty certain I didn't approve of the term "magic underwear." That would be like someone calling the Blessed Sacrament a "magic wafer," and that is incredibly disrespectful.
But while I do not approve of the term "magic underwear," I whole-heartedly approve of wearing it!!! What a great way to preserve modesty in a society that is convinced that the more skin you show=the more beautiful you are. I think everyone should get a pair of Mormon underwear and learn to dress like ladies and gentlemen again. YEAY for Mormon undergarments!
It turns out that adult Mormons DO wear special underwear that has been given to them at their "temple endowment." This undergarment has a top and bottom and reaches to just above the knee for both men and women It must be worn at all times "other than swimming, using the restroom, or being intimate with one's spouse." And it basically reminds them of their promise to God and that they are in the world but not of the world. More info at http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/mormon/underwear/
Even before I'd done my quick google search, I was pretty certain I didn't approve of the term "magic underwear." That would be like someone calling the Blessed Sacrament a "magic wafer," and that is incredibly disrespectful.
But while I do not approve of the term "magic underwear," I whole-heartedly approve of wearing it!!! What a great way to preserve modesty in a society that is convinced that the more skin you show=the more beautiful you are. I think everyone should get a pair of Mormon underwear and learn to dress like ladies and gentlemen again. YEAY for Mormon undergarments!
Monday, November 5, 2012
A kid in school
Having a child in school is like a whole new ball game when it comes to parenting. When Mia started PreK last year, all of my childhood memories came flooding back, and I wondered would Mia fall in with the right friends? Who would be the bullies in her class? Are the boys going to tease her? Are the popular girls going to tease her? Will she be popular? (this momma hopes not, by the way). Who will influence her? I actually started to understand why so many parents choose to home school. It's not something I would want to do, but that pull to protect my sweet girl from the big bad world is pretty strong.
And then on the flip side of worrying about Mia's school issues, a whole flood of my own insecurities crept up. Why did all the moms seem to know eachother already? Was I not involved enough at church and school? Is my shyness with new people making these moms think I'm not personable? What do I need to do to be a better school parent? Yeesh!! It kind of felt like teenage angst all over again.
However, I'm happy to report now that she is a quarter of the way through kindergarten, many of my worries for her (and for me) have been greatly lessened. Her teacher told us at conferences that she's very quiet at school and always serious (probably gets that from her dad.). But she's doing great behavior and grade wise so that's good. Mia's biggest worry each day is if any of her classmates get marked down for bad behavior. It makes her so sad especially when it's one of her good friends. She also pushes herself really hard to get excellent marks. She doesn't like getting wrong answers and she gets really frustrated if she does (gets that from her momma).
As for my issues, I've broken a bit out of my shell and actually become friends with some really lovely fellow moms at the school. And they continue to push me to come to different things and get to know others, so even though I'm uncomfortable, they're really good for me. Plus many of them have older kids in school so when I have a silly new-to-school parent question, they are BIG helps.
All in all its actually becoming kind of enjoyable to send Ms. Mia off to school everyday and hear all about it when she gets home. It's just taken us a while to get to that point. I still miss her like crazy when she's gone, but there are moments when it's nice only having two to grocery shop with or haul along for errands. I wonder how I'm going to be next year when my little Vincey starts pre-K??
And then on the flip side of worrying about Mia's school issues, a whole flood of my own insecurities crept up. Why did all the moms seem to know eachother already? Was I not involved enough at church and school? Is my shyness with new people making these moms think I'm not personable? What do I need to do to be a better school parent? Yeesh!! It kind of felt like teenage angst all over again.
However, I'm happy to report now that she is a quarter of the way through kindergarten, many of my worries for her (and for me) have been greatly lessened. Her teacher told us at conferences that she's very quiet at school and always serious (probably gets that from her dad.). But she's doing great behavior and grade wise so that's good. Mia's biggest worry each day is if any of her classmates get marked down for bad behavior. It makes her so sad especially when it's one of her good friends. She also pushes herself really hard to get excellent marks. She doesn't like getting wrong answers and she gets really frustrated if she does (gets that from her momma).
As for my issues, I've broken a bit out of my shell and actually become friends with some really lovely fellow moms at the school. And they continue to push me to come to different things and get to know others, so even though I'm uncomfortable, they're really good for me. Plus many of them have older kids in school so when I have a silly new-to-school parent question, they are BIG helps.
All in all its actually becoming kind of enjoyable to send Ms. Mia off to school everyday and hear all about it when she gets home. It's just taken us a while to get to that point. I still miss her like crazy when she's gone, but there are moments when it's nice only having two to grocery shop with or haul along for errands. I wonder how I'm going to be next year when my little Vincey starts pre-K??
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Halloween revisited
I think this might be the last year that the kids let me theme their costumes. I needed a great costume for three for my last hurrah, so who's a more famous threesome than the Holy Family?! Here they are all decked out before starting their truck or treating adventure!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Productivity
I was an accomplishing-stuff machine today. I went to work for 2 hours, baked cupcakes, cleaned my kitchen, took the kids to the zoo, went to the beauty shop, visited GGMa, cut Andrew and the boys' hair, bathed the children, cleaned the house, went shopping, baked a quiche, frosted cupcakes, cleaned the kitchen two more times, dusted the living room, and prepared my gift for Lisa's bridal shower. Oh yeah... And I just blogged!!!
Happy of the day: all that accomplished
Crappy of the day: While flinging Williams shirt behind me when getting him ready for bath, I accidentally aimed for the toilet which still had pee in it from another little boy. Poor William's shirt!!
Happy of the day: all that accomplished
Crappy of the day: While flinging Williams shirt behind me when getting him ready for bath, I accidentally aimed for the toilet which still had pee in it from another little boy. Poor William's shirt!!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Nablopomo
Dude! How can it possibly be November already?! This year has flown by quicker than ever. But guess what November means??? November is National Blog Posting Month, and my goal is to write or post something daily.
So gear up folks... It's going to be quite a challenge.
And with my first post, I leave you with Kristi's thought of the day:
I reached a milestone about 3 months ago. I have officially been NOT pregnant longer than ever before between pregnancies. I can't decide whether to rejoice or tear up. My mood about it tends to change by the attitude of my kiddos on any given day... Oh and also by how big they suddenly seem to look.
So gear up folks... It's going to be quite a challenge.
And with my first post, I leave you with Kristi's thought of the day:
I reached a milestone about 3 months ago. I have officially been NOT pregnant longer than ever before between pregnancies. I can't decide whether to rejoice or tear up. My mood about it tends to change by the attitude of my kiddos on any given day... Oh and also by how big they suddenly seem to look.
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