Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Binkerella

Haven is so fun! Yesterday she found a binkie while crawling around and was sucking on it while holding the one that had been in her mouth. I put her up in her high chair for lunch and she wouldn't take the pacifier out of her mouth to take a bite. She would look confusedly at the bink in her hand like, "but I'm holding it, so how can it be in my mouth?" We were cracking up.
Her hair is so beautiful. It is filling in so thick and shiny. It's a fabulous light strawberry blond. Her eyes could not possibly get any bluer. Her smile makes my heart do flip flops...I'm in love!
Every day she is learning and growing and I watch her in amazement. She can crawl at the speed of light, I think, and usually in the direction of the stairs which she is determined to master. She can crawl UP like a champ. The problem is that occasionally she wants to stop and rest and attempts to plop back on her bottom. Of course, we're right there to catch her, but if one of us wasn't she'd be in for a steep plunge.
She cruises furniture with ease and occasionally stands alone now. How will she walk dragging this monitor??? A new thing she does is bouncing. When she's excited, she will bounce up and down sitting or standing and wave her arms about. In fact, she waves quite often. She's mastered the art! She has different waves for different meanings. Side to side means "hello." Classic open shut hand for goodbye. Open/shut hand facing herself for "give me."
Binkerella loves finger foods and table foods...baby food, not so much. Current faves are freeze dried yogurt bites, green beans, cracker, cereal, french fries, and banana. I love it that she prefers water over juice! She is a proficient cup drinker, but refuses the bottle in any form.
She's been sick since Monday and I can't decide whether or not to take her in. She ran 104 until last night when her fever broke at about 12:30 a.m. But then she proceeded to wake up screaming every half hour until 5:00 a.m. We slept until 7:08 a.m. (The lack of sleep may explain my rambling blog today, but I have no excuse for the other rambling blogs...) Since then, she will not sleep and only wants to be held. If she was still running a temp I'd take her in, but since she isn't I'm thinking surely she's on the mend, right? (Comment if you have an opinion...I may be to exhausted to make an intelligent decision!)
Well, I'm going to hit the shower...I have an engagement with Binkerella shortly and need to be alert!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Movies

So I've seen some really cute movies lately (cute is probably a bad choice of words) that I want everyone I know to watch. Because, after all, if you were here with me we'd pop some PopSecret Homestyle (which I apparently can't buy in Woodward any more, but this is MY fantasy) and watch them together!
*The first one is "Lars and the Real Girl." If you haven't seen it, rent it immediately. It is about a sweet, painfully shy, probably somewhat autistic guy's love affair with a doll and the community who loves and supports him through it. Hilarious and touching at the same time!
*The next one is "Penelope." It's about a girl born under an old family curse causing her to have a pig's snout where her nose should be. She must convince a "blue blood" to marry her in order to break the curse. Her mother is a riot.
*WallE. Not out on video, yet, but you might still be able to catch it at the dollar show! A cunning commentary on commercialism as well as the danger of losing ourselves to this high tech world we are creating. All, of course, cleverly disguised as a children's movie. Note: if you are obese you may be offended by this movie.
*StepBrother. Just kidding. Haven't seen it, probably won't see it as it has a high raunchiness risk factor, but the previews CRACK ME UP! Which probably indicates my level of maturity...
*Waking Ned Devine. Older film set in Wales about a small community in which a man wins the lottery, then dies before collecting his winnings. Hilarious!
*3:10 to Yuma. This is a dark movie about honor. Brilliantly shot and acted. Note: graphic violence.

Well, that's it for now as Miss Haven is pulling up on my leg and hitting the keyboard. I keep having to backspace and re-type!

Monday, July 28, 2008

God's In my Drawers

Yesterday in Sunday School our lesson was on establishing our priorities. One of the first topics was where God fits into our lives. Many of us compartmentalize our lives and we tend to compartmentalize God, too. We put the God drawer on top, thinking that our priorities are in line, followed by the family drawer, and the work drawer, etc. The problem with that is that God should be in ALL of our drawers. To be a believer, God must permeate our lives, not merely be stationed at the top of our list of priorities. Wow, how convicting is that?
I realized that my priorities are on somewhat of a sliding scale. What I claim my priorities are doesn't always mesh with where I am spending my time and effort. The urgent often trumps the important when it should always be the other way around. Godly men and women pursue godliness, it doesn't just hit you unexpectedly!
Here are 6 warning signs that your priorities are out of whack:
*busyness - I know...right?
*prayerlessness - asking for quick help in a bind doesn't really count as prayer!
*nagging guilt - the sense of letting someone down all the time
*financial debt - the only one that doesn't apply to me...but only because J keeps me in line!
*escapism behavior - you know what I'm talking about...reading, television, projects, computer, gaming...anything to the point that and for the specific purpose of escaping real life

So, now that my priorities are all out of whack I need to pray, plan, and put into effect!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Learning to Fly

So, a good friend has been telling me about flylady.net. It's a website dedicated to helping you control the chaos in your home...specifically housekeeping chaos. I just went and signed myself on and I am now fearful that I won't be able to do it or (more likely) that I just WON'T do it. The premise is this: adding one small step each day to build routines that will help you de-clutter and control the chaos in your home. It's all about building positive habits and routines. The first step is to shine your sink and then to dry it every time you use it to keep it shiny and make sure that you shine it each night before you sleep. I knew this was going to be too hard for me. I already had to send flylady an email question: do you shine around the dishes sitting in your sink OR take them out, shine it, then set them back inside? I'm so confused.
Sorry for the short blog today, but it's almost eleven and I'm going to bed! Obviously I can't do the sink thing until I get a response to my email, so maybe I'll shine it tomorrow night. Good night, all!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Biker Chick or Biker Chic

Am I cool or what??? Three days in a row blogging AND my husband has a Harley! Okay, the church has a Harley for it's pastor...who happens to be Jason. It's a beautiful, baby blue, 1987 Harley Davidson softail. It's completely outfitted with saddle bags, etc. It's owned by the Faith Riders ministry of our church who have designated it as "Pastor's Hog" so that he can participate in all of the biker stuff and for personal use.
Now, Jason and I are about as far from biker culture as two people can be. J looks like he sprang right off the pages of an Eddie Bauer catalogue and I'm the spokes model for slightly overweight stay at home mom-style. But to get in character, all I've ever needed is a costume. I'm all about the biker fashion.
At our first rally, some smart alec guy told me that my pink helmet didn't match our bike. "That's okay," I retorted with a smile, "it goes with me!" I have a pink half helmet that is really cute and I wear it with my oh-so-bikerish (and yet not) pink goggles. I have Harley black leather biker boots on order and to complete the ensemble, pink leather chaps with white fringe. Yes, fringe. Biker chicks are all about the fringe, you know. True, pink is not a traditional biker color, but as I've already explained, I'm not a traditional biker babe, either.
So, I love to scoot around town with my rugged biker man in my pink get up. I revel in the curious stares of passers by. I'm perfecting my biker wave (hand out stretched, down low and to the right side) and thinking of ways to use this hobby to the glory of the Lord.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Bells & Whistles

I am so tired of disconnects, battery alarms, cords, plugging in power packs, dealing with home health providers, and apnea monitors in general. What a pain. Isn't that selfish when I know that this monitor has saved my baby's life umpteen times? I AM thankful for it, I'm just tired of having it. I'm tired of having to have it. I'm tired of starting our count over again (this week after not even making it a full day each time). I'm tired of jumping out of bed at night, heart pounding, disoriented, trying to revive my too peacefully sleeping child.
I'm tired of telling people that no, we haven't really gotten anywhere and yes, they are still thinking she'll outgrow this. Of course, total strangers have different reactions when they see the wires attached to Haven and her flashing box. Some whisper to each other or speak in hushed tones. More than once I've caught murmurs of, "that baby's on oxygen." I'm so mean. I want to correct them. "This is an apnea monitor. If she were on oxygen there would more than likely be some of it directed into her face, don't you think???" The polite trip over themselves asking what is wrong with her. "Excuse me," they'll say, "I don't mean to be too personal, but do you mind my asking what is wrong with your baby?" The rudest put it more this way, "What's wrong with it?" It? IT??? As if having a medical condition negates my beautiful baby girl's gender! But what can you say? I say, "She forgets to breathe," leaving out any medical jargon as I assume these people must be ignorant and uneducated, therefore deserve the explanation I give children. "She looks so healthy!" I love to tell people that she's not sick, just forgetful!
When I see other people lifting their children out of grocery carts or car seats, I catch myself expecting to see the monitor follow! Hannah says she does the same thing. Sometimes when I hold a little one with no monitor it seems so easy. We love hanging out at the pool. Haven can just crawl around unattached for a change. Everything with the monitor seems more difficult. Unplug the power pack in the morning and roll it all into the monitor bag before lifting my waiting child from her crib. Change her diaper and dress her while keeping wires straight and untangled...and don't forget to KY the probes or I'll have disconnect alarms all day. Duct tape cords to her outfit to make them harder to unplug simply by crawling away. Poop is fun. I love it when the wires dangle in the stinky mess and then I have more to clean up! She has learned at nap time that if she can reach her wires and pull them out I will come running. Getting in and out of the van is a chore. Wires love to grab handles or armrests causing a disconnect. How many times a week do I stand in a parking lot unbuttoning Haven's outfit to plug her back in? Getting up with her in the night is tough. If she's fussy, I have to unplug the power pack, stuff it in the bag, do whatever she needs to calm down, then stumble around in the dark, trying to plug her back in before I lay her down. Ugh! Nothing is easy.
Then I think about the really sick babies we've seen at Children's Hospital. The 15 month old who'd been in the hospital for 9 weeks waiting on a bone marrow transplant...the tiny newborn with no parents by his side who was attached to so many IVs they were all controlled by a computer...the precious little girl who's deformed face looked alien and haunts me (when I commented on Haven's crying her parents gave each other a look and then informed me that they'd love to hear their baby cry...she can't). Compared to them she is so perfect and healthy that I am humbled. She is beautiful and smart and active. She lights up a room and doesn't automatically invoke sympathy. How must those parents feel? Knowing that their children may never lead a normal life, may not even survive. Knowing that there are years of multiple surgeries to come. Seeing people avoid looking at the child that they love so much or looking upon her with pity or, worse, horror. I have so much to be thankful for.