* A separate Braden post will follow this one.
* A bunch of stuff is going on as usual, so starting with the biggies:
* Lyle Overbay and I have found different teams this year... he with the Pittsburgh Pirates, I with All Saints hospital. I'm SUPER excited about both situations and for various reasons.
First, Lyle is back in the USA, playing at one of his favorite parks. I no longer need a passport to see him, although I enjoyed Toronto and the Blue Jays and cracking a Canada joke now and again. I'm okay with Lyle being a Pirate: they are in the same division as the Brewers, which means multiple opportunities to see a Brewers-Pirates games per year. (Side note: I used to laugh about this match up... they always seemed to be playing each other when we'd go; whether we went to one game or ten, whether it was planned or last-minute with friends, whether it was part of a 4-pack of tickets or simply a day we all could go. Hope that continues!)
Anyone who knows anything about me won't be surprised by this: While updating my planner at the beginning of the month with the usual work schedule, daycare schedule, birthdays, and anniversaries--color-coded and highlighted, of course--a big star was put on May 15th. It's the first time the Pirates play the Brew Crew in Milwaukee. I'll be there with a big gaudy sign and my traveling "O." Thinking about wearing an eye patch. And putting a #37 on it. Eek, I probably should take the Blue Jays logo off my car... not quite sure I will have the heart to put a Pirates sticker on, though.
Another nice thing about Lyle's move? I already have friends in PA. ;)
Second, I've started a new job! This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make. Leaving the comfortable confines of Forest View proved / is proving to be quite the feat. I have deep emotional ties with Forest View--heck, to put it bluntly, I wouldn't be who I am if not for Forest View--and my "last day" on January 7th was a sad one. Although I'll be back, not only to work casually but also with Braden for his well check-ups, it was rough to say good-bye to my friends. As of right now, it still feels as if I'm on a long vacation and that I'll eventually return. I received a wonderful card with cash and a Starbucks gift card... whose balance is nearing zero already from my first week of orientation at All Saints. My coworkers also threw me a luncheon. What did I do on my last day? Took a few calls, gave a couple shots, ate, and organized some more Synagis stuff--a typical day. It was quiet and I "hung in there" pretty well... until about 4 PM when everyone started saying their farewells. I didn't cry until a coworker gave me great advice after telling her I was nervous about working in the ICU: "Don't doubt yourself. Ever." The tears welled up again when I gave Dr. Z a big hug and told him thanks for inspiring me.
And that was that.
***
The entire week prior to starting at All Saints was nothing short of insane: New Year's Eve and Day came and went just as fast as 2010 (pretty dang fast) with Matt, Braden, and I driving up to Matt's Mom's for the day and arriving at my parents' place seconds before midnight. Except for Braden who was hungry and playful at 1 AM, we all wanted to crash the moment we got back. The next day we cheered on the Alabama Crimson Tide in their bowl game victory, and then shed a few tears at the Badgers' Rose Bowl heartbreaking loss. Sunday was my niece Ellie's baptism down in Illinois. Spent the rest of the day at Matt's Dad's on Sunday for the Packers game, which is becoming quite the nice tradition. Monday I had the pleasure of being placed on a 48-hour Holter monitor--an EKG you wear 24/7 while you do your normal everyday activities--because of all the heart palpitations I'd been having recently. (Final report: All is normal, hooray!) The most amusing part of the 48 hours would have to have been that Tuesday. See, they give you a little notebook to write down what you do throughout the day and if you have any symptoms, etc. to see if anything, such as stress, correlates with any heart rhythm abnormalities. Tuesday just happened to be the day of an extremely intense Synagis meeting. Although everything turned out to be fine and apparently I had no episodes of my heart fluttering, I would've found it amusing if whoever was reading my EKG suddenly thought, "What the world was this woman doing on Tuesday?! Her heart rate was through the roof from about noon until 3 on Tuesday!"
Many people asked me if I was taking any time off between jobs. How I wish I could have afforded that! However, I'm a huge fan of working 3 12-hour shifts as opposed to Monday through Friday, 9-5. I feel I have more time, somehow, even though it's only a difference of 4 hours. The first week of orientation at All Saints was mostly classroom/conference-type stuff, learning the ins and outs of the hospital, and taking tours. I was given an enormous orientation binder and found myself paging through it one night last week. Got a little giddy at things like BIS monitors and such... yes, I'm still a medical nerd. Yesterday I survived my first half day as an orientee in the ICU. Let me tell you--they call it an intensive care unit for a reason: It's intense! I was with a great preceptor and another new nurse, plus we had a good patient, but I was humbled by the fact that although I've been a nurse for 4+ years, I've got tons to learn! This excites rather than scares me. Listening to how much the nurses spoke up on behalf of their patients was awesome and their knowledge completely amazed me. I can only hope to become anywhere close to that! This experience will no doubt help me prepare for grad school. *Sigh* Some day.
***
Penny, one of our cats, has been running into our upstairs bathroom closet door EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. we open it. For kicks last night I closed it with her inside. My intent was to leave her there for a few minutes, wait for her to meow and scratch at the door when she wanted out, therefore learning a lesson. Fast forward 10+ hours and I finally heard the meowing when I got up for work this morning: I forgot to open the door and she was stuck in there all night. I felt horrible... but also felt like laughing. Hey, she came out happy as can be with her tail high in the air!
***
After a year or two hiatus, I dusted off my guitar this past weekend. Surprisingly, I remembered how to tune it, and happily discovered that my "internal tuner" still works. :) Braden was up but ready for a nap in his swing, so I started to strum a few chords. Put him right to sleep after teaching myself the opening notes of Modest Mouse's "3rd Planet." Was excited that I could self-instruct from memory again.
***
Gotta put the little man in his crib. Sleepy time for all of us.
***
Found a bunch of great "new" music. :D
***
More likely this weekend, as I work the rest of the week. 3 day weekend, though, here I come! :)
God bless.
~M,M,&B
- Mood:nerdy
- Music:Jimmy Eat World - "Chase This Light" album
Welcome back, Winter, once again
And put on your warm fuzzy sweater
'Cause you'll feel much better
When
The snowflakes fall gently to the ground
The temperature drops and your shivers
Freeze all the rivers
Around
But I keep you warm
If speed's a pro, inertia must be a con
'Cause the cold wind blows at precise rates
When I've got my ice skates
On
If all the roads were paved with ice
That wouldn't thaw or crack
I could skate from Maine to Nebraska
Then on to Alaska
And back
'Cause you keep me warm
Peer over the edge, can you see me?
Rivulets flow from your eyes
Paint runs from your mouth like a waterfall
And your lungs crystallize
I'll travel the sub-zero tundra
I'll break glaciers and frozen lakes
But that's just the tip of the iceberg
I'll do whatever it takes
To change
Farewell powdery paradise
We'd rather skate on the thinnest ice
Fingers failed us before they froze
Frostbite bit down on all our toes
Snow drifts build up and enfold us
As we wait out this winter storm
So we snuggled close in the darkness
And keep each other so warm.
~ "The Tip of the Iceberg" by Owl City
***
And put on your warm fuzzy sweater
'Cause you'll feel much better
When
The snowflakes fall gently to the ground
The temperature drops and your shivers
Freeze all the rivers
Around
But I keep you warm
If speed's a pro, inertia must be a con
'Cause the cold wind blows at precise rates
When I've got my ice skates
On
If all the roads were paved with ice
That wouldn't thaw or crack
I could skate from Maine to Nebraska
Then on to Alaska
And back
'Cause you keep me warm
Peer over the edge, can you see me?
Rivulets flow from your eyes
Paint runs from your mouth like a waterfall
And your lungs crystallize
I'll travel the sub-zero tundra
I'll break glaciers and frozen lakes
But that's just the tip of the iceberg
I'll do whatever it takes
To change
Farewell powdery paradise
We'd rather skate on the thinnest ice
Fingers failed us before they froze
Frostbite bit down on all our toes
Snow drifts build up and enfold us
As we wait out this winter storm
So we snuggled close in the darkness
And keep each other so warm.
~ "The Tip of the Iceberg" by Owl City
***
Greetings! I have definitely opened my welcoming arms to the cold-ish weather. I love it. I can throw on sweat pants and a hoodie and be perfectly happy the entire day. And for a few more days, I can stay that way all day long if I preferred! Yep, that means only one thing: I'm returning to work after a wonderful almost 3 months of maternity leave. I can't believe it's come so soon! Time does fly--every mom out there has told me this--and I can barely stomach the fact that Braden is over two months old already. I can honestly say I haven't done all the things I wanted to, but I've come to terms with that. I have a healthy, happy, chubby baby who likes to smile at himself in the mirror and put on a serious face when taking a poop. Braden, if you're reading this 16 years later, more embarrassing stories of you to come! :) Mommy loves you.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Most of you know I've been contemplating going back to school since, well, I was in school. I can't help that I'm a nerd. After months of research and one extremely long walk-and-talk with Matt, I've decided to pursue a career dream. Maybe I'm having a less-than-mid-life-crisis? Possibly a third inning crisis? Read on. What it all comes down to is that now is the ideal time to go back--or at least prepare for it. Ultimately I want to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. (CRNA. I'll abbreviate from now on. That is way too much to write out every time someone asks me, "What are you going back to school for?") In order to do so, I'd need to get in to an accredited school for said specialty. In order to get in to an accredited school, I'd need at least one year of critical care (ICU) experience. You see where this is going: In order to get at least one year of ICU experience, I'd have to quit my job as Nursing Supervisor at Forest View. Step one, complete. It was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make but I discussed things over with my boss and then made it official. Next steps? I'm job searching. I've applied for a few. Wish me luck. And check back in with me in 5 years or so... we'll see where I'm at! Part of me can't believe I'm doing it... but like I said. There's a small window of opportunity here as far as Braden and school is concerned. I wouldn't want to mess with switching schools a billion times for his sake. And let's face it: the older you get (and I'm ancient... ha) the harder it truly is to go back. There really is no better time than the present! *** A nice little update: I just got a phone call... someone has an interview next Friday! Here we go. After putting in my notice and then embarking on the application process, I've been on quite the emotional roller coaster again. Speaking of roller coasters...
"Rock On, Little Dude" Braden actually has an outfit (from Target--where else?!) with that phrase on it. SO fitting! Matt and I have been calling him "Little Dude" a lot; sometimes I just stick with "Little." Where to start with Braden news... Oh! Yes. Roller coasters.
- At our 2-month appointment last week, Braden weighed in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces and 23.5 inches long. 2 more feet (and with the help of some shoes) and I'm pretty sure he'll be able to ride some type of ride at Six Flags. I might have a roller coaster buddy yet!
- Just going through some pages in my handwritten "Braden Log..." here are some of the highlights:
~ 09.20.10 First smile directed at Mom... while awake.
~ 09.25.10 Trip to Babies R Us, loved being in the Baby Bjorn carrier with Daddy. Tracks us with his eyes, smiles a little more, once and awhile coos.
~ 09.26.10 Enjoyed a trip to Grandpa Craig and Grandma Diane's.
~ 09.27.10 Took a walk with Mom, Auntie Therese, cousin Ellie, and Grandma. Unfortunately the Packers lost to the Bears on MNF.
~ 09.29.10 Hung out with Auntie Michelle and great Grandma and Grandpa while Mom and Dad went out.
~ 10.01.10 Smiles more while awake, loves being bounced on lap, facing whoever's holding, went to the park with Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gary to watch some softball.
~ 10.02.10 Went to the mall with Mom and Dad, spit up on the way in so had to run back to Dad's truck for an emergency clothes and diaper change.
~ 10.04.10 Long walk with Mom and Dad down to Lake Michigan. Once home, very smiley.
~ 10.05.10 Likes: blowing in his face, bouncing on lap, peek-a-boo. Smiles after eating a lot. Starting to bring hands to face, grabs, "studies" hands. Voice is changing! Starting to coo more.
~ 10.08.10 Sleeping longer at night (6 hours or so!) and not feeding as frequently. Before bed, Mom was carrying him around his bedroom and he was looking at pile of toys. Approached toys and stuffed animals--Braden chose to smile at the volleyball. Even swung his arms at it! Maybe he likes the color red? There's a big red stripe on the ball.
~ 10.09.10 Went on the Briggs & Al's Run/Walk for Children's Hospital! We walked on Fischer's "No-Mor Tu-mor" team with a bunch of relatives. Got to see some old friends from Children's hospital, including a few incredibly amazing families, and oh yeah, the CEO of Children's Hospital recognized Mom and chatted for a bit. Daddy got excited because the Marquette men's basketball team were checking Braden out.
~ 10.10.10 Mom poorly planned a late-night trip to Pick-N-Save... Braden was hungry and cried the ENTIRE TIME we were there and the ENTIRE TIME home. The groceries had to wait in the car while Mom fed; luckily, Braden fell asleep right after eating and slept well that night.
~ 10.13.10 Lyle the cat is Braden's buddy! Braden cooed at him, Lyle head-butted his arm. Later, we even got a picture of Braden laying on Lyle. Braden absolutely loves his swing and the music it plays--he looks directly at the place where the music comes out. Had an 8 hour stretch of sleep/between eating. :) Vocabulary: almost sounds like "L," coos a bunch after eating, tends to say more when you talk back to him. Almost laughs!
~ 10.15.10 Still has some rough nights waking up frequently to eat... but. LOVES taking a bath! Smiles a TON in the tub. Went for a walk with grandma and was talkative. Gets "excited" in his bouncer. Found another thing to focus on in his bedroom that made Daddy happy: the fish hooks on the wall. Smiled at them and a red and blue hat. Starting to get loud when cooing.
~ 10.19.10 Strange sleep pattern for a few days: sleepy for an entire day, then really awake for an entire day. Repeat x1 = frustrated Mommy.
~ 10.21.10 Mom getting out a little more. Took a GREAT morning walk with Braden down to the lake and all around the subdivision. Slept wonderfully: 11PM until 7 AM! Perfect timing.
~ 10.22.10 Had his first sleepover! First night away from Mom and Dad: stayed at great Gma & Gpa's house along with Grandma (Matt's mom) and Auntie Michelle. Was a wonderful little guy, per their report! Slept again from 11PM until 7 AM, was happy. Talkative with them. And growing like a weed: Auntie Michelle put him in a onesie to sleep in versus his jammies because the jammies were too small and it looked like Braden was getting mad that he couldn't stretch his legs. More and more clothes are being packed away and we're just shy of 2 months old only!
~ 10.23.10 "2 months old." Getting a lot of "G" and "L" syllables out, likes to say "oooohhh." Attended Oktoberfest for Fischer and liked being outside, but the wind? Not so much.
~ 10.24.10 Hung out with Mom's family, enjoyed great Gma and Gpa's company! Really starting to suck on hands and trying to get that thumb. The drooling starts.
~ 10.25.10 Happy, loud, giggly! Sustains some sounds almost like he's singing. :) Eating about 6-7 x per day, sleeping well.
~ 10.27.10 Met the in-home daycare lady and liked her a lot. Two other little girls were there and seemed to like Braden and vice versa! Rubs eyes when tired. Able to kind of put himself to sleep--if tired. Getting into somewhat of a bedtime routine, too. :)
~ 10.28.10 "Baby in the mirror!" Smiles, "talks," and swings arms at his reflection. Loves to smile at Mom in the mirror, too.
~ 10.31.10 First Halloween! Hung out with Mom in the Baby Bjorn and helped hand out candy... sort of. Going to bed a little earlier now: between 10-11 PM. Drooling a lot more and sucking on that hand... are we teething already?
~ 11.02.10 Loves tummy time on Boppy pillow! Gets head up at 90 degrees, then smiles when he gets his head way up. Daddy put in Bumbo chair and had a blast, trying to get him to hold on to toys, blankets, etc. Grabs a little.
~ 11.03.10 Totally loves daily trips to the mirror: Still talks/smiles/laughs at reflection and Mom, sometimes even acts a little shy by burying his head into Mom's shoulder! It's cute. Loving tummy time more and more. Blows bubbles at Dad and coos while doing it. Mom reading Braden some books. Favorites are "Moo, Baa, La La La" and "Baby Faces..." Braden makes faces at the baby faces--mostly smiles!
~ 11.04-05.10 Sleep is a little off for some reason... falls asleep between 9-10 PM, which is wonderful for Mom and Dad, but for the last 2 nights has gotten up around 3:30 AM and won't fall back to sleep without eating. The 8 hours were so great. Oh well! We were on a roll. We'll get back there. :)
- Braden's baptism is next week, 11/14! So excited.
This month's weather story. Let me preface this with the fact that I've become hooked on the show "Stormchasers." Thanks, Matt. :) Honestly, the movie "Twister" is quoted more--sometimes daily--than any other movie in our household. And Mandy once found a shirt that featured a tornado hugging a cow, saying, "Can I keep it?" I WANT THAT SHIRT. Anywho, the day of Braden's 2 month appointment spawned an EF-1 tornado (a little one but it still did some damage) in Racine, particularly where the Super WalMart is, for you local people. My old Parkside stomping grounds! Matt, Katie, Mandy, and I--we all took 3 AM WalMart trips back in the day. That sure takes me back. Getting back on track, let's keep in mind that this was late October. We're supposed to be seeing snow, not tornadoes! Supposedly there was some crazy, once-every-large-number-of-years weather system, record low pressure, that type of thing. It brought hurricane-force winds to the Midwest for 2 straight days. The morning of Braden's appointment, our weather radio went off a couple of times for tornado watches, severe storms, etc. Then, a few minutes before I was about to leave, it alarmed for a tornado warning in northeast Racine. Hmm. When it's that specific--one cannot explain our location better than northeast Racine--I will take shelter. Within 5 minutes (that's how fast the storms were traveling) the warning was lifted. Another few minutes and it was all over the news that a tornado whipped through an area just a few miles south of us. Both Matt and my Dad gave me a jingle shortly after to make sure I was okay. *** Yesterday? It sleeted. :D
College football brings us closer. Let's keep this simple: ROLL TIDE and JUMP AROUND.
A "third inning crisis?" I just thought of something else to do: UPDATE what I've done so far on my 100/1001 list. Because I'm pretty sure I can cross certain things like "Have a baby" off the list. Pretty sure. I'll have to let you know. :) Something else I'd love to do? Start recording music. Seriously. If I go through life and never record a song, I'm going to be crabby. With half a week left of maternity leave (next week I start half days; the week after, full time), I'd better get on that. I've done a bit of preparation for this, but a 2-month-old only gives you a few minutes at a time all to yourself. And there's nothing wrong with that! All I'm saying is keep your ears open.
If Adam Young can do it on his own, so can I. (There were sure a lot of Owl City references this time around... but I've re-fallen in love with them. I can't get it out of my CD player once again. Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
I feel some creativeness trying to escape me, so I'd better get on that!
Happy weekend.
Love and blessings,
~ Matt, Mo, Braden, and the other kids (Penny, Lyle, and Trinity)
PS - Mandy is coming home (with Devin) for Thanksgiving! I wish I could be there for that road trip.What do you want to be when you grow up? Most of you know I've been contemplating going back to school since, well, I was in school. I can't help that I'm a nerd. After months of research and one extremely long walk-and-talk with Matt, I've decided to pursue a career dream. Maybe I'm having a less-than-mid-life-crisis? Possibly a third inning crisis? Read on. What it all comes down to is that now is the ideal time to go back--or at least prepare for it. Ultimately I want to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. (CRNA. I'll abbreviate from now on. That is way too much to write out every time someone asks me, "What are you going back to school for?") In order to do so, I'd need to get in to an accredited school for said specialty. In order to get in to an accredited school, I'd need at least one year of critical care (ICU) experience. You see where this is going: In order to get at least one year of ICU experience, I'd have to quit my job as Nursing Supervisor at Forest View. Step one, complete. It was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make but I discussed things over with my boss and then made it official. Next steps? I'm job searching. I've applied for a few. Wish me luck. And check back in with me in 5 years or so... we'll see where I'm at! Part of me can't believe I'm doing it... but like I said. There's a small window of opportunity here as far as Braden and school is concerned. I wouldn't want to mess with switching schools a billion times for his sake. And let's face it: the older you get (and I'm ancient... ha) the harder it truly is to go back. There really is no better time than the present! *** A nice little update: I just got a phone call... someone has an interview next Friday! Here we go. After putting in my notice and then embarking on the application process, I've been on quite the emotional roller coaster again. Speaking of roller coasters...
"Rock On, Little Dude" Braden actually has an outfit (from Target--where else?!) with that phrase on it. SO fitting! Matt and I have been calling him "Little Dude" a lot; sometimes I just stick with "Little." Where to start with Braden news... Oh! Yes. Roller coasters.
- At our 2-month appointment last week, Braden weighed in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces and 23.5 inches long. 2 more feet (and with the help of some shoes) and I'm pretty sure he'll be able to ride some type of ride at Six Flags. I might have a roller coaster buddy yet!
- Just going through some pages in my handwritten "Braden Log..." here are some of the highlights:
~ 09.20.10 First smile directed at Mom... while awake.
~ 09.25.10 Trip to Babies R Us, loved being in the Baby Bjorn carrier with Daddy. Tracks us with his eyes, smiles a little more, once and awhile coos.
~ 09.26.10 Enjoyed a trip to Grandpa Craig and Grandma Diane's.
~ 09.27.10 Took a walk with Mom, Auntie Therese, cousin Ellie, and Grandma. Unfortunately the Packers lost to the Bears on MNF.
~ 09.29.10 Hung out with Auntie Michelle and great Grandma and Grandpa while Mom and Dad went out.
~ 10.01.10 Smiles more while awake, loves being bounced on lap, facing whoever's holding, went to the park with Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gary to watch some softball.
~ 10.02.10 Went to the mall with Mom and Dad, spit up on the way in so had to run back to Dad's truck for an emergency clothes and diaper change.
~ 10.04.10 Long walk with Mom and Dad down to Lake Michigan. Once home, very smiley.
~ 10.05.10 Likes: blowing in his face, bouncing on lap, peek-a-boo. Smiles after eating a lot. Starting to bring hands to face, grabs, "studies" hands. Voice is changing! Starting to coo more.
~ 10.08.10 Sleeping longer at night (6 hours or so!) and not feeding as frequently. Before bed, Mom was carrying him around his bedroom and he was looking at pile of toys. Approached toys and stuffed animals--Braden chose to smile at the volleyball. Even swung his arms at it! Maybe he likes the color red? There's a big red stripe on the ball.
~ 10.09.10 Went on the Briggs & Al's Run/Walk for Children's Hospital! We walked on Fischer's "No-Mor Tu-mor" team with a bunch of relatives. Got to see some old friends from Children's hospital, including a few incredibly amazing families, and oh yeah, the CEO of Children's Hospital recognized Mom and chatted for a bit. Daddy got excited because the Marquette men's basketball team were checking Braden out.
~ 10.10.10 Mom poorly planned a late-night trip to Pick-N-Save... Braden was hungry and cried the ENTIRE TIME we were there and the ENTIRE TIME home. The groceries had to wait in the car while Mom fed; luckily, Braden fell asleep right after eating and slept well that night.
~ 10.13.10 Lyle the cat is Braden's buddy! Braden cooed at him, Lyle head-butted his arm. Later, we even got a picture of Braden laying on Lyle. Braden absolutely loves his swing and the music it plays--he looks directly at the place where the music comes out. Had an 8 hour stretch of sleep/between eating. :) Vocabulary: almost sounds like "L," coos a bunch after eating, tends to say more when you talk back to him. Almost laughs!
~ 10.15.10 Still has some rough nights waking up frequently to eat... but. LOVES taking a bath! Smiles a TON in the tub. Went for a walk with grandma and was talkative. Gets "excited" in his bouncer. Found another thing to focus on in his bedroom that made Daddy happy: the fish hooks on the wall. Smiled at them and a red and blue hat. Starting to get loud when cooing.
~ 10.19.10 Strange sleep pattern for a few days: sleepy for an entire day, then really awake for an entire day. Repeat x1 = frustrated Mommy.
~ 10.21.10 Mom getting out a little more. Took a GREAT morning walk with Braden down to the lake and all around the subdivision. Slept wonderfully: 11PM until 7 AM! Perfect timing.
~ 10.22.10 Had his first sleepover! First night away from Mom and Dad: stayed at great Gma & Gpa's house along with Grandma (Matt's mom) and Auntie Michelle. Was a wonderful little guy, per their report! Slept again from 11PM until 7 AM, was happy. Talkative with them. And growing like a weed: Auntie Michelle put him in a onesie to sleep in versus his jammies because the jammies were too small and it looked like Braden was getting mad that he couldn't stretch his legs. More and more clothes are being packed away and we're just shy of 2 months old only!
~ 10.23.10 "2 months old." Getting a lot of "G" and "L" syllables out, likes to say "oooohhh." Attended Oktoberfest for Fischer and liked being outside, but the wind? Not so much.
~ 10.24.10 Hung out with Mom's family, enjoyed great Gma and Gpa's company! Really starting to suck on hands and trying to get that thumb. The drooling starts.
~ 10.25.10 Happy, loud, giggly! Sustains some sounds almost like he's singing. :) Eating about 6-7 x per day, sleeping well.
~ 10.27.10 Met the in-home daycare lady and liked her a lot. Two other little girls were there and seemed to like Braden and vice versa! Rubs eyes when tired. Able to kind of put himself to sleep--if tired. Getting into somewhat of a bedtime routine, too. :)
~ 10.28.10 "Baby in the mirror!" Smiles, "talks," and swings arms at his reflection. Loves to smile at Mom in the mirror, too.
~ 10.31.10 First Halloween! Hung out with Mom in the Baby Bjorn and helped hand out candy... sort of. Going to bed a little earlier now: between 10-11 PM. Drooling a lot more and sucking on that hand... are we teething already?
~ 11.02.10 Loves tummy time on Boppy pillow! Gets head up at 90 degrees, then smiles when he gets his head way up. Daddy put in Bumbo chair and had a blast, trying to get him to hold on to toys, blankets, etc. Grabs a little.
~ 11.03.10 Totally loves daily trips to the mirror: Still talks/smiles/laughs at reflection and Mom, sometimes even acts a little shy by burying his head into Mom's shoulder! It's cute. Loving tummy time more and more. Blows bubbles at Dad and coos while doing it. Mom reading Braden some books. Favorites are "Moo, Baa, La La La" and "Baby Faces..." Braden makes faces at the baby faces--mostly smiles!
~ 11.04-05.10 Sleep is a little off for some reason... falls asleep between 9-10 PM, which is wonderful for Mom and Dad, but for the last 2 nights has gotten up around 3:30 AM and won't fall back to sleep without eating. The 8 hours were so great. Oh well! We were on a roll. We'll get back there. :)
- Braden's baptism is next week, 11/14! So excited.
This month's weather story. Let me preface this with the fact that I've become hooked on the show "Stormchasers." Thanks, Matt. :) Honestly, the movie "Twister" is quoted more--sometimes daily--than any other movie in our household. And Mandy once found a shirt that featured a tornado hugging a cow, saying, "Can I keep it?" I WANT THAT SHIRT. Anywho, the day of Braden's 2 month appointment spawned an EF-1 tornado (a little one but it still did some damage) in Racine, particularly where the Super WalMart is, for you local people. My old Parkside stomping grounds! Matt, Katie, Mandy, and I--we all took 3 AM WalMart trips back in the day. That sure takes me back. Getting back on track, let's keep in mind that this was late October. We're supposed to be seeing snow, not tornadoes! Supposedly there was some crazy, once-every-large-number-of-years weather system, record low pressure, that type of thing. It brought hurricane-force winds to the Midwest for 2 straight days. The morning of Braden's appointment, our weather radio went off a couple of times for tornado watches, severe storms, etc. Then, a few minutes before I was about to leave, it alarmed for a tornado warning in northeast Racine. Hmm. When it's that specific--one cannot explain our location better than northeast Racine--I will take shelter. Within 5 minutes (that's how fast the storms were traveling) the warning was lifted. Another few minutes and it was all over the news that a tornado whipped through an area just a few miles south of us. Both Matt and my Dad gave me a jingle shortly after to make sure I was okay. *** Yesterday? It sleeted. :D
College football brings us closer. Let's keep this simple: ROLL TIDE and JUMP AROUND.
A "third inning crisis?" I just thought of something else to do: UPDATE what I've done so far on my 100/1001 list. Because I'm pretty sure I can cross certain things like "Have a baby" off the list. Pretty sure. I'll have to let you know. :) Something else I'd love to do? Start recording music. Seriously. If I go through life and never record a song, I'm going to be crabby. With half a week left of maternity leave (next week I start half days; the week after, full time), I'd better get on that. I've done a bit of preparation for this, but a 2-month-old only gives you a few minutes at a time all to yourself. And there's nothing wrong with that! All I'm saying is keep your ears open.
If Adam Young can do it on his own, so can I. (There were sure a lot of Owl City references this time around... but I've re-fallen in love with them. I can't get it out of my CD player once again. Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
I feel some creativeness trying to escape me, so I'd better get on that!
Happy weekend.
Love and blessings,
~ Matt, Mo, Braden, and the other kids (Penny, Lyle, and Trinity)
PPS - Hmm. I forget.
PPSS or something - Happy birthdays to Kristin (10.3) and Laura (10.10)!!!
- Mood:artistic
- Music:"Let Go" by Frou Frou
Braden George - 08.23.10 4:49 PM
7 pounds 11 ounces, 20.5 inches
"Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
7 pounds 11 ounces, 20.5 inches
"Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move."
~Switchfoot
Our little man is waking up from a morning snooze, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post until I need to change / feed / burp / hold / comfort him again. But let's face it - I love being a mom, I won't lie. :) Here's the whole story, minus the labor details of course!
Things fell into place. I wasn't even on the work schedule after Friday, August 20th, but figured I'd be at work on Monday anyway. Just "had a feeling." Thankfully I got as much as I could get done at work the week prior and after a stressful August--preparing to go on maternity leave, tying up loose ends, making sure everything was in place--Braden must have decided, "Hey, Mom, it's time!"
Saturday, Braden's birthday-eve, Matt and I continued to get things done around the house. We cleaned and decorated a lot but still didn't officially finish Braden's room. (Yet. And yeah, I am aware he's almost a month old already. Maybe you'll see pictures in the next post. After the Packer game today we have all intentions of hanging picture frames and stuff.) Later on Saturday Matt and I had a bonfire and Julie, a friend of Matt's from work that is pretty awesome, joined us. We listened to preseason football and chatted; me not knowing that about 7,000 mosquitoes were biting my feet. Why I chose to wear sandals that night was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Seriously. The scars are still fading! I must've had over 30 bites on each foot, including at least one or more on each toe. And a few on the bottom--anyone who's had mosquito bites on the bottom of their feet know what I mean: you want to itch but when you do it 1) tickles and 2) doesn't help since the soles of feet tend to have extremely thick skin... Imagine me explaining to every nurse and doctor, "No, I'm not diseased... they're just mosquito bites" over and over. Fun times!
Sunday came and I was able to cross off a few more things on my master "To Do" list, including "watch the movie 'Juno'" and "finish my '101 things to do in 1,001 days' list and post it." Like I said in a previous journal entry, I felt "different" all day: super emotional (crabby one minute and over-sensitive the next) and my tummy was rumbling a lot. I figured it was gas. :) Plus, it followed no pattern and didn't seem to be getting worse, so I never had another thought connecting the pain with contractions--until later. Following "Juno," I made my daily Facebook visit and had a message from one of my cousins. It was an invitation to join Fischer's team at the Briggs & Stratton Al's Run / Walk for Children's Hospital in October. I try to do the walk every year to support Children's (and because I work there) and I couldn't resist walking for Fischer! As soon as I clicked on the link to register, the website popped up and I recognized a familiar name on a video clip Children's Hospital had put together.
To backtrack a bit: Back in 2006 when I was barely off orientation as a new nurse at Children's, I took care of a little baby who'd just had heart surgery. I bonded with the family and really enjoyed taking care of their son. When he was a few months old, the little guy returned for a second heart surgery--I barely recognized the big, thriving baby! He did well and I reunited briefly with the family, who remembered me. It's always nice to see families outside of the hospital (the circumstances are usually better) and so I was thrilled when I ran into them again, this time their boy 2 years old, at the Run / Walk of 2008. They remembered me, too! After that I did a crappy job at staying in touch. So when I recognized his parents on the video clip, I had to click on it. This was when I learned the devastating news that their wonderful boy, Braden, had passed away last March.
Immediately I searched for his blog--his parents did a great job keeping it up--and I left a message, offering my condolences and doubting they'd remember me. Minutes later I had a Facebook message from his mom. She hadn't forgotten me and wished me luck with the rest of my pregnancy. Touched by the message and overcome with emotion for their family, and because of the pre-labor hormone rush I didn't know about yet, I began to all-out cry. Rushing from the other room, Matt came to my side and put his arms around me, asking what was the matter. I briefly explained the story as he comforted me. Not even an hour later, Matt says, "Let's name our son Braden."
Now, you might think this a thoughtful gesture, naming our boy after another who had died. So I asked Matt--"Did you know? Did I tell you the boy's name was Braden?"
"No."
I had goosebumps. Matt hadn't known. I never told him the boy's name.
And so it was set. After nearly 9 months of going back and forth between at least 3 names (Carter (my pick), Colton (Matt's pick), and Hunter (the "middle ground")), we had ours, mutually decided on only hours before I went into labor.
That night I took a shower and noticed the same "tummy ache" coming and going. I even remember thinking to myself, "Hmm, they are about 5 minutes apart" but they didn't really hurt. So it couldn't be labor, right? Matt had a huge headache and so when he went to lay down around 8 PM I decided to join him. Of course I couldn't sleep so I tried reading for a few minutes, only to realize my "cramps" were about 2-3 minutes apart. They still didn't hurt much but I wound up getting out of bed to walk around upstairs. I didn't want to wake Matt, and on the off-chance they were actual contractions, I wanted him to get as much sleep as possible in case we would be going to the hospital. That was my intention, and that's exactly what happened! I wandered around, dancing about upstairs. I drank a bunch of water, knowing that if these weren't real contractions they'd go away if I walked around and drank a bunch of water. I began to log the time and how long each "cramp" was lasting in a fun little journal I picked up at Blick's Art Supplies in PA--I was wondering what I'd use that for! Our "hospital bags" were packed for the most part, apart from a few last-minute items. Around 10 PM I proceeded to grab said items. I got dressed, put on makeup, did my hair (before you laugh or make fun of me, just ask anyone of my coworkers--they'll tell you they did the same things!), and finally woke Matt up around 10:30-ish. He knew what was going on!
After a few phone calls to the on-call OB, my parents, and a few friends, Matt and I headed out. Forgetting that little stretch of I-94 was closed after 11 PM, we had to detour along some sketchy streets of Milwaukee. My contractions picked the wrong time to start becoming painful as we sat stuck behind seemingly every semi in the state of Wisconsin! The way I got through the next half hour? Singing along (poorly, I'm sure) to Motion City Sountrack's "Commit This To Memory" album. Arguably one of my favorite CDs of all-time. And even though there is a bad word now and again, I will not deny my child the greatness that is Motion City Soundtrack. :)
I have to admit--the first few hours at the hospital were almost... fun. Honestly! The excitement was enough but then I hopped in the whirlpool tub in my room: ABSOLUTE HEAVEN. I highly recommend doing this when in the early stages of labor. My nurse came by to tell me the anesthesiologist was on the floor, available to give me an epidural if I wanted, but because of the bliss the tub provided I shooed him away. :) Once I got out? "Umm, I'll take that epidural!" The tub masked how strong my contractions had gotten. After the epidural, though, I didn't feel much of anything! Again, highly recommend it. You're able to rest, which at first I felt almost guilty about (shouldn't I be doing something productive, like pushing?), but my nurse convinced me it was what I was supposed to do.
The rest? The doctor broke my water and a few hours later I was pushing. Now, I'd heard stories about women falling asleep in between contractions and wondered how the heck that was possible. Actually falling asleep for a few seconds and then waking to excruciating pain? Unheard of. Baloney. Absolutely... possible! The pushing part, the 2nd stage of labor, is physically DRAINING. Luckily it's known as the "shortest" stage of labor, but I still pushed for a good 2 hours!
And then? The little miracle we call Braden was born. Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 PM. A healthy 7 pounds, 11 ounces. 20.5 inches long, just like his cousin.
***
Things fell into place. I wasn't even on the work schedule after Friday, August 20th, but figured I'd be at work on Monday anyway. Just "had a feeling." Thankfully I got as much as I could get done at work the week prior and after a stressful August--preparing to go on maternity leave, tying up loose ends, making sure everything was in place--Braden must have decided, "Hey, Mom, it's time!"
Saturday, Braden's birthday-eve, Matt and I continued to get things done around the house. We cleaned and decorated a lot but still didn't officially finish Braden's room. (Yet. And yeah, I am aware he's almost a month old already. Maybe you'll see pictures in the next post. After the Packer game today we have all intentions of hanging picture frames and stuff.) Later on Saturday Matt and I had a bonfire and Julie, a friend of Matt's from work that is pretty awesome, joined us. We listened to preseason football and chatted; me not knowing that about 7,000 mosquitoes were biting my feet. Why I chose to wear sandals that night was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Seriously. The scars are still fading! I must've had over 30 bites on each foot, including at least one or more on each toe. And a few on the bottom--anyone who's had mosquito bites on the bottom of their feet know what I mean: you want to itch but when you do it 1) tickles and 2) doesn't help since the soles of feet tend to have extremely thick skin... Imagine me explaining to every nurse and doctor, "No, I'm not diseased... they're just mosquito bites" over and over. Fun times!
Sunday came and I was able to cross off a few more things on my master "To Do" list, including "watch the movie 'Juno'" and "finish my '101 things to do in 1,001 days' list and post it." Like I said in a previous journal entry, I felt "different" all day: super emotional (crabby one minute and over-sensitive the next) and my tummy was rumbling a lot. I figured it was gas. :) Plus, it followed no pattern and didn't seem to be getting worse, so I never had another thought connecting the pain with contractions--until later. Following "Juno," I made my daily Facebook visit and had a message from one of my cousins. It was an invitation to join Fischer's team at the Briggs & Stratton Al's Run / Walk for Children's Hospital in October. I try to do the walk every year to support Children's (and because I work there) and I couldn't resist walking for Fischer! As soon as I clicked on the link to register, the website popped up and I recognized a familiar name on a video clip Children's Hospital had put together.
To backtrack a bit: Back in 2006 when I was barely off orientation as a new nurse at Children's, I took care of a little baby who'd just had heart surgery. I bonded with the family and really enjoyed taking care of their son. When he was a few months old, the little guy returned for a second heart surgery--I barely recognized the big, thriving baby! He did well and I reunited briefly with the family, who remembered me. It's always nice to see families outside of the hospital (the circumstances are usually better) and so I was thrilled when I ran into them again, this time their boy 2 years old, at the Run / Walk of 2008. They remembered me, too! After that I did a crappy job at staying in touch. So when I recognized his parents on the video clip, I had to click on it. This was when I learned the devastating news that their wonderful boy, Braden, had passed away last March.
Immediately I searched for his blog--his parents did a great job keeping it up--and I left a message, offering my condolences and doubting they'd remember me. Minutes later I had a Facebook message from his mom. She hadn't forgotten me and wished me luck with the rest of my pregnancy. Touched by the message and overcome with emotion for their family, and because of the pre-labor hormone rush I didn't know about yet, I began to all-out cry. Rushing from the other room, Matt came to my side and put his arms around me, asking what was the matter. I briefly explained the story as he comforted me. Not even an hour later, Matt says, "Let's name our son Braden."
Now, you might think this a thoughtful gesture, naming our boy after another who had died. So I asked Matt--"Did you know? Did I tell you the boy's name was Braden?"
"No."
I had goosebumps. Matt hadn't known. I never told him the boy's name.
And so it was set. After nearly 9 months of going back and forth between at least 3 names (Carter (my pick), Colton (Matt's pick), and Hunter (the "middle ground")), we had ours, mutually decided on only hours before I went into labor.
That night I took a shower and noticed the same "tummy ache" coming and going. I even remember thinking to myself, "Hmm, they are about 5 minutes apart" but they didn't really hurt. So it couldn't be labor, right? Matt had a huge headache and so when he went to lay down around 8 PM I decided to join him. Of course I couldn't sleep so I tried reading for a few minutes, only to realize my "cramps" were about 2-3 minutes apart. They still didn't hurt much but I wound up getting out of bed to walk around upstairs. I didn't want to wake Matt, and on the off-chance they were actual contractions, I wanted him to get as much sleep as possible in case we would be going to the hospital. That was my intention, and that's exactly what happened! I wandered around, dancing about upstairs. I drank a bunch of water, knowing that if these weren't real contractions they'd go away if I walked around and drank a bunch of water. I began to log the time and how long each "cramp" was lasting in a fun little journal I picked up at Blick's Art Supplies in PA--I was wondering what I'd use that for! Our "hospital bags" were packed for the most part, apart from a few last-minute items. Around 10 PM I proceeded to grab said items. I got dressed, put on makeup, did my hair (before you laugh or make fun of me, just ask anyone of my coworkers--they'll tell you they did the same things!), and finally woke Matt up around 10:30-ish. He knew what was going on!
After a few phone calls to the on-call OB, my parents, and a few friends, Matt and I headed out. Forgetting that little stretch of I-94 was closed after 11 PM, we had to detour along some sketchy streets of Milwaukee. My contractions picked the wrong time to start becoming painful as we sat stuck behind seemingly every semi in the state of Wisconsin! The way I got through the next half hour? Singing along (poorly, I'm sure) to Motion City Sountrack's "Commit This To Memory" album. Arguably one of my favorite CDs of all-time. And even though there is a bad word now and again, I will not deny my child the greatness that is Motion City Soundtrack. :)
I have to admit--the first few hours at the hospital were almost... fun. Honestly! The excitement was enough but then I hopped in the whirlpool tub in my room: ABSOLUTE HEAVEN. I highly recommend doing this when in the early stages of labor. My nurse came by to tell me the anesthesiologist was on the floor, available to give me an epidural if I wanted, but because of the bliss the tub provided I shooed him away. :) Once I got out? "Umm, I'll take that epidural!" The tub masked how strong my contractions had gotten. After the epidural, though, I didn't feel much of anything! Again, highly recommend it. You're able to rest, which at first I felt almost guilty about (shouldn't I be doing something productive, like pushing?), but my nurse convinced me it was what I was supposed to do.
The rest? The doctor broke my water and a few hours later I was pushing. Now, I'd heard stories about women falling asleep in between contractions and wondered how the heck that was possible. Actually falling asleep for a few seconds and then waking to excruciating pain? Unheard of. Baloney. Absolutely... possible! The pushing part, the 2nd stage of labor, is physically DRAINING. Luckily it's known as the "shortest" stage of labor, but I still pushed for a good 2 hours!
And then? The little miracle we call Braden was born. Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 PM. A healthy 7 pounds, 11 ounces. 20.5 inches long, just like his cousin.
***
By the Numbers
Anyone who knows me knows I find significance in many things. They may not be significant to anyone else, but I enjoy finding little signs and connections in numbers, song lyrics, dreams--you name it. Don't get me started on the date 09.03.05. I'm sure this makes me a bit OCD, but aren't we all? In regards to Braden's birth, here are a few of those random, useless facts that make me smile:
- I was 3 cm dilated when admitted to the hospital just after midnight on 08.23.10.
- 0+8+2+3+2+0+1+0 = 16, Matt's favorite number.
- The first room we stayed in was 2011, 11 = one of my favorite numbers. After Braden was born we were transferred to room 3016.
- Braden was born at 4:49 PM, 4+4+9 = 17, another one of my favorite numbers.
- 7 pounds, 11 ounces... that's a nice number combination. :)
- A gallon of gas cost $2.49 on the day we went home, it hasn't been that cheap in awhile and now it's back up to > $2.79.
Hmm. Thought there were more, now I can't remember! Yep. That's all for now.
Braden needs me (I just heard him fill a diaper). Oh! And he smiled while awake a few times today--a first. After the diaper change, if he falls back to sleep, I'm going to work on finishing the decorations in his room. Maybe he'll sleep in there tonight.
Later!
Lots of love,
~Matt, Mo, & Braden :)
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:Owl City
And now I'm married, own a home, have a "career," and welcomed a baby into the world.
Words fail me!
I held Braden a lot today. Told him I loved him a few more times more than usual. And then prayed that he'll never have to live through any tragedy of 9/11's magnitude.
Hug your loved ones and remember to be a little nicer... because it's so not worth getting upset about most of the stuff we do.
To my friends and family: I love you. :)
<>< God bless,
~Matt, Mo, & Braden
- Mood:
thoughtful - Music:Rogue Wave - "Lake Michigan"
Baby Braden had his "2 week" check-up today (he's actually 11 days old) and he grew! He's up to 8 lbs, 3 oz and 21 inches long. As I type, he's smiling in his sleep. Mom and Dad are so happy their little guy is happy and healthy! Dr. Z said we made it look easy--we have truly been blessed with some "decent" sleep lately and overall Braden is pretty easy to please. There are moments, though, believe me! I have found that the busier I keep myself, the better I do emotionally. I need practice with this since Matt will be going back to work next week. What's great is the fact that my parents will be around--my mom took a bunch of days off to be with us (my sister and I) when our husbands went back to work. It's also convenient that my dad's retired. They seem to be enjoying grandparenthood!
It FINALLY cooled off last night and today! I REALLY hope this weather sticks around. After a lot of thought over the years, I've come to the conclusion that Autumn is indeed my favorite of the seasons. There's simply a "look" to the clouds when Fall rolls in that makes me happy. See, Winter can be long and brutally cold here in WI (but how I do enjoy ice fishing), Spring is good because the air isn't horribly sticky yet and it smells good, and Summer brings the storms. All of this is swell, but Autumn has got to be my official favorite. It means (this year in particular) a well-needed break from the heat and humidity, the promise of beautiful colors, and fun events such as camping and bonfires.
Oh, and let's not forget Starbucks PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES. Yes, I had one today. Yes, it was delicious.
Happy cooler weather!
More Braden updates to follow!
Love,
MCKsquared+Braden
- Mood: relaxed
- Music:The Postal Service remix of Feist's "Mushaboom"
The moral of the story? Stop watching Matt play "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2."
Hey. At least I'm sleeping enough to dream! :)
We've been *just a tad* busy (babies tend to do that, or so I've heard) but I promise to post the full story of this past week or so very soon. Because I'm sure there are a lot of people wondering where in the world the name Braden came from since we didn't mention it until he was born. ^^
The little guy seems like he's waking up, so I should go tend to him. :) And if he's going to stay sleeping for a few more minutes, I might sneak in a second helping of Mom's chicken noodle casserole. Mmmmmmmmm.
Cheers!
~Matt, Mo, Braden, and the Cats
<3
- Mood:busy
- Music:Weezer - "Undone (the Sweater Song)"
Here's how it all played out: My tummy definitely felt odd all day Sunday, but I figured it was what I was eating (a whole lotta McDonald's, unfortunately). There were times that I thought I might have had a contraction or two, but being a newbie at this I really had no idea. Nothing seemed too close together, but now I'm thinking I wasn't paying that close attention. Matt and I ordered a pizza and watched "Juno," something I'd wanted to do for months. I had some CRAZY mood swings all day--more so than usual--but we did get a lot accomplished. It wasn't until I laid down around 9 that I felt my "cramps" were pretty darn close together, roughly 2-3 minutes apart. Funny, I didn't realize when they were 10 or 5 minutes apart. Plus, they weren't exactly painful so I figured I'd wait a bit to wake Matt (poor guy, suffering from another sinus headache). I wandered around upstairs for awhile and noticed, hey! They ARE getting a little stronger! So I got dressed and did my hair and put on some makeup and got the bags ready. Finally around 10:45 I woke Matt, and he knew just what was going on. :) We hopped in the car, called my parents, and began the trip to the hospital. After a slight (30-minute) detour because of freeway construction, we made it. Lo and behold, I was indeed in labor. Hooray!
I spent a good half hour wandering the halls, which helped a LOT with the contractions. Sitting in the car? Had not been much fun. Then I figured I'd try out the whirlpool tub once they put me in a room--spent an HOUR AND A HALF in there. I was so prune-y but it was so worth it. I barely felt anything but eventually contractions get stronger. I guess that's what they're supposed to do. After I got out of the tub they came on fast and much more intense. Epidural time! Best. Thing. Ever. It wasn't even that bad getting it put in; I got a little queasy--I guess that's just what I do these days--but was fine. And now? My left leg feels like it weighs about 500 pounds and feels funny when I try to move my lower half... but I'm basically pain-free. I even slept a bit. :)
I'm about halfway dilated and the doctor is coming sometime soon to check on me. The nurses are swell.
The only bad thing?
I'm SOOOOO HUNGRY. OMG. And Matt just scarfed down an omelet.
Excellent.
I'll post more later! :)
Mandy found the official group on LiveJournal and actually posted hers in time (I think it was sometime in April), but you all know how big of a slacker-procrastinator-yet-busy person I am! So here is mine, hopefully just in time.
The purpose? Think of 101 things to do (anything goes!) in a little less than 3 years. I have hand-written them and broken them down into categories ("inspirational," "art/music/creative side," "bucket list-worthy," "financial," "family," "travel," "work-related," "exe
x = complete
o = in progress
1. Have a baby!
2. Road trip to Florida with Matt and our little one.
3. Get a dog.
o 4. Decorate the heck out of the den--turning it into baby's room.
5. Get a tattoo with Matt.
6. Make a mix CD for our baby.
7. Make a "Favorite Quotes Board."
x 8. Go to a concert with Matt.
9. Make a "Board of Motivation."
o 10. Write and record a song.
11. Make a CD (of my own music).
12. Play a concert--even if just for family and friends.
13. Camp in the backyard--or the playhouse!
14. Write L&F for musical advice.
15. Pull an all-nighter.
16. Spend an entire weekend focusing only on my creative side.
o 17. Never again left my low-fuel, "Idiot Light," go on.
o 18. Get into a routine with Matt.
19. Artwork something, start to finish, at least once a month (for starters).
x 20. Go on a double-date to a Brewers game.
o 21. Get my coworkers motivated and boost morale every month.
22. Read the entire Harry Potter series in one month.
o 23. Make a master list of favorite songs.
24. Organize iTunes/rate songs/upload music.
25. Pay it forward--BIG time.
26. Go back to school.
27. Join a sport, i.e. basketball, baseball, volleyball.
28. Get fit with Matt after having the baby.
29. Get my passport.
30. Go skydiving.
o 31. Journal at least once a week.
o 32. Organize "office/craft/music" room.
33. Have a sleepover party.
o 34. Keep "The O-Zone: Fans of Lyle Overbay" website updated.
35. Write letters to Mandy and Laura on a consistent basis.
36. Attempt to ride the same roller coaster 100+ times in the same day.
37. Go to Lifest.
38. Go to Cedar Point,
39. Visit Seattle / the West Coast, and possibly camp there?
40. Throw a party!
41. Do not use my credit card for 6 months.
42. Read the Bible.
43. Move into a different house.
44. Start my Masters Degree in Nursing.
45.Take on a do-it-yourself home improvement project.
46. Get my nose pierced.
47. Take piano lessons.
48. Learn how to play the drums.
o 49. Scrapbook something.
50. Give up fast food for a month.
51. Learn how to Photoshop well.
52. Find a new hero.
53. Do the March of Dimes walk every year.
54. Roller blade.
55. Start writing a book or short story.
56. Take a Music Appreciation class.
57. Join a choir (again).
o 58. Fight less.
59. Dye my hair black--just to see what it would look like.
60. Ask for no presents for my birthday and/or Christmas one year.
61. Go to Confession regularly.
62. Have a picnic at the beach.
63. Storm chase.
64. Experience a thunderstorm in the playhouse.
65. Watch a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan at night.
66. Try a new food!
67. Make a hot meal at least once a week.
o 68. Take before & after pictures of our house.
69. Paint artwork for the bedroom / other rooms of our house.
o 70. Come up with a plan to truly make Synagis simple.
71. Have a TV show or movie marathon over 24-48 hours.
72. Save up to buy a camper and camp in it.
73. Treat my parents to something nice, i.e. a trip, dinner, etc.
x 74. Pig out at the Melting Pot!
75. Finish everything off my "To Draw" list.
76. Write a "tribute" to my inspirations/heroes and share it with everyone I can!
77. Give up swearing.
78. Do some soul searching.
79. Treat Matt to a clothing shopping spree.
80. Take a Tae-Kwon-Do class.
81. Jog/run on a consistent basis--so I don't hate it anymore.
o 82. Find a way to maintain happiness...
83. Go on a retreat with Matt.
84. Go on a women's silent retreat.
o 85. Join a church and go every week.
86. Become a bone marrow donor (or at least research it).
87. Do the "40-Day Challenge" with Matt.
88. Make a cover of Jimmy Eat World's "For Me This Is Heaven."
89. Take a vow of silence for a day.
90. Go sledding.
91. Walk the UW-Parkside trail.
92. Learn how to get an original song copyrighted.
93. Go through all my email.
94. Learn how to write with my left hand.
95. Get over my fear of bank drive-throughs!
96. Write a weather question to John Malan.
97. Donate blood.
98. Go hunting with Matt.
99. Learn sign language and teach it to my kid.
100. Give up caffeine for x amount of time?
o 101. Finish, post, and start crossing stuff off this list! :)
There you have it. :)
- Music:Jimmy Eat World - "For Me This Is Heaven"
- The baby's room decorated
- Cleaning our bedroom
- Matt getting his FMLA papers... and having them filled out correctly...
At least a few things have been accomplished--I made it through my "last" scheduled work week. I'll be at work tomorrow (and the next week, for all I know) though, if I don't go into labor! See, as much as I'd love to take off, I simply don't have that much vacation time. I need it for when I'm off... and still won't have enough to last me my entire maternity leave. So I'll have to take a few weeks unpaid which will no doubt suck, but I'm taking my full 12 weeks, darn it. Everyone has been telling me it's worth it and that I won't regret it. After all, this is our first baby!
Matt's "big events" are complete, so baby doesn't have to worry about competing with Daddy's schedule. Baby patiently waited through a fishing tourney at the beginning of the month, and most recently a softball tourney this weekend. Good job, dude. So as far as Matt's concerned, we're good to go!
We had a bonfire last night. Yep, the first one of the season. It's been too hot to have one this entire summer. Who would want to have a bonfire when it's 80+ degrees and humid even after the sun has set? That was practically every night from June through August 20th. Thankfully we had a lake breeze last night. Didn't keep the mosquitoes away, though... and I was dumb and wore sandals. The result? I haven't stopped itching my poor feet since. I must have at least 20 bites on each foot; my right foot has a bite on each toe. Those jerks.
Speaking of the weather (again), I have to get sentimental for a minute. To put it simply, it's been a tragic year--not just with weather, but with deaths and illnesses and such. (Luckily there have been those really great events to balance things out a bit, such as babies and engagements.) Sometime in June there was a fatal car crash in Oak Creek where a teen and another man collided and were killed. Afterward people left crosses, pictures, flowers, etc. at the intersection--I pass it on my way to and from work every day--in memoriam. It has always surprised me how long those little monuments last, especially with the harsh weather we get... but this one gesture in particular has completely blown me away: Someone left two roses, right on the concrete median, at the intersection of the fatal crash. Not on the grass, smack-dab on the curb. You would think those roses would have blown away within a day or so. You might assume they would be washed away with even the smallest rain shower. No no, those roses are still there after high winds and record floods. How?! I mean, people's houses were torn apart by tornadoes and yet those roses didn't budge. Now, maybe there was super-glue involved... but I'd more or less like to think that's just how powerful love is: stronger than any concrete structure.
***
My guess for my own baby pool going around at work? September 1st, 7:42 AM, 8lb 5 oz. A boy. Ha. We shall see.
I can't wait to meet my 1-week-old niece! It'll have to be after I give birth, since I probably shouldn't venture too far from home right now. :)
Off to get stuff done, then watching "Juno."
And I really should stop having McDonald's for breakfast.
Wonder how long these "cravings" last after one gives birth...
Thoughts and prayers are with Fischer and his family--always.
God bless,
~Matt, Mo, & Little Dude
- Mood:indescribable
- Music:Motion City Soundtrack
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