By this week, baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
Pretty cool.
Saw the doctor yesterday and all is well. Passed the glucose screening (whew!) but have low hemoglobin so am recommended to take iron pills. This is nothing new for me so I have no concerns about that.
Gained 3 pounds this month coming to a total of 17 pounds over all. I will have to gain 24 more pounds to reach my pregnancy weight that I had with both girls. Interestingly enough I weighed the exact same at the end of both pregnancies. This is all together very possible - especially since I have no restrictions on my diet. Yippee!!
While doc was listening to the heartbeat baby girl gave the doppler a very firm kick. The doctor was impressed, even though we had to start all over.
Got my shot in my hynie for Rh and that was about it.
The other girls in my life are also doing very well. I have some pictures of them with Grandma Claire from her visit, but have to figure out how to get them here. Now that I am down a camera I am using the camcorder to take pictures.
Cecelia's class is taking a school bus to the Como Zoo on May 7th. She is SO excited!! I will be one of the chaperones so will get to go with her on her very first school bus ride. I'll probably cry or something stupid like that.
Delaney is practicing for her "terrible twos" and is quite the noisy thing. Lots of screaming and crying. What a pleasure for everyone. On the other hand, she has become quite the ham.
I'm not surprised by any of this, just going along for the ride.
Bill and I get a date on Saturday to attend a wedding so am really looking forward to that. More than likely I'll cry there too.
Our 5th anniversary is coming up so I am happy to attend a service to remind ourselves how this all started. Melts my heart.
I'm waiting for the warm-up and just trying to keep everyone happy until we get to exhaust ourselves in the warm summer air.
Any day now..................
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Quote
"We love who we love whether we should or not, even though there are more suitable people to love."
I received this as an email and thought it was pretty interesting. I sent it to Bill to ponder today - mostly as tongue and cheek.
I feel that it is true in a lot of ways. I mean, I can certainly think of times I have loved someone despite the fact that I probably shouldn't.
I also think that we are more careful about choosing who is suitable as we get older and wiser.
Just food for thought.
I received this as an email and thought it was pretty interesting. I sent it to Bill to ponder today - mostly as tongue and cheek.
I feel that it is true in a lot of ways. I mean, I can certainly think of times I have loved someone despite the fact that I probably shouldn't.
I also think that we are more careful about choosing who is suitable as we get older and wiser.
Just food for thought.
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Couple Updates
Regarding the previous post, I don't know for sure (will see Doc on Monday), but am pretty sure I have spider veins as opposed to varicose veins.
After looking it all up on the internet I guess it is fairly common in pregnancy and they may even go away. We shall see.
And in regards to the post previous to that. I was not clear in letting you all know that that was an email sent to me. My name is not Charlotte. Sorry for the confusion.
On a lighter note, we have a weekend free of obligation (aside from Saturday night work). I am going through children's clothes and getting rid of some over-flow. I also will be donating about a million stuffed animals. I really don't know where they come from, but I have what seems to be an infestation of them.
After looking it all up on the internet I guess it is fairly common in pregnancy and they may even go away. We shall see.
And in regards to the post previous to that. I was not clear in letting you all know that that was an email sent to me. My name is not Charlotte. Sorry for the confusion.
On a lighter note, we have a weekend free of obligation (aside from Saturday night work). I am going through children's clothes and getting rid of some over-flow. I also will be donating about a million stuffed animals. I really don't know where they come from, but I have what seems to be an infestation of them.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Oh Gross!
All right, here it is.
There will absolutely be no pictures for this post, so don't even ask.
Last night when I got out of the shower I was looking at my totally wierd looking naked body in the mirror. Turning in every direction to see what was new I discovered what I thought were bruises on the backside of my leg and rear end. As I went in for a closer look (bad idea!) I realized that they were not bruises but clusters of popped varicose veins!!
I have been having more physical pain with this pregnancy, most recently in my hips, particularly in my right hip. These disgusting purple areas are only on my right leg.
I have no idea if there is some sort of correlation here, but I am pissed!
I will, no doubt, be obsessing over this now and be watching diligently to see if any more of these start to make an appearance on my legs. Let's hope not because it looks like something that probably doesn't go away.
Has anyone else had this happen????
Signed,
Too much information in the city.
There will absolutely be no pictures for this post, so don't even ask.
Last night when I got out of the shower I was looking at my totally wierd looking naked body in the mirror. Turning in every direction to see what was new I discovered what I thought were bruises on the backside of my leg and rear end. As I went in for a closer look (bad idea!) I realized that they were not bruises but clusters of popped varicose veins!!
I have been having more physical pain with this pregnancy, most recently in my hips, particularly in my right hip. These disgusting purple areas are only on my right leg.
I have no idea if there is some sort of correlation here, but I am pissed!
I will, no doubt, be obsessing over this now and be watching diligently to see if any more of these start to make an appearance on my legs. Let's hope not because it looks like something that probably doesn't go away.
Has anyone else had this happen????
Signed,
Too much information in the city.
Monday, April 21, 2008
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Grateful
A friend's blog opened my eyes yesterday.
There are two new links on here today and if you read them you will understand why my eyes have been opened and why I am grateful.
I have realized that I need to be more appreciative of the mundane and day to day lives of each and every one of us.
Thank you , God. Thank you, thank you , thank you.
There are two new links on here today and if you read them you will understand why my eyes have been opened and why I am grateful.
I have realized that I need to be more appreciative of the mundane and day to day lives of each and every one of us.
Thank you , God. Thank you, thank you , thank you.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Go, Go Mama
Recently someone close to me said to someone else close to me "Well, not everyone can stay as busy as A.J." I felt that this was a compliment. I am definitely an active participant in my own life - and I prefer it that way.
We do have help when we need it, and I am very grateful for that. However, we don't have as much help as a lot of other families that we know. My mom is coming to visit this Friday (CAN'T WAIT!), but I haven't seen her since Christmas.
Most people don't understand how I do it without her here. It's simple. This is our life, our house and our kids. We do it because it's our responsibility and what we always wanted and worked very hard for.
Having said that I do have to openly admit that I can get jealous when I hear of other people's parents coming over to watch their kids while they get something done at home or calling just to see if they can have the kids for a night. I think to myself, what would I do if I had that kind of help and support right at my fingertips?
The truth is, it wasn't like that when I was a kid so I don't even know if that's what it would be like even if my parents did live 10 minutes away. For them, being a grandparent is completely different than being a parent. I guess, in my mind, that's how it should be.
My parents come for the weekend and get to truly enjoy my girls. Generally speaking, Bill and I change diapers, feed and bath and put to bed. That's our job. My parents play, tease, read to and give the girls special things - big and small.
When I need to clean out my office, I do it with the girls at home. When it's time to put a piece of furniture together or paint a wall, we do it with the girls at home. When we grocery shop or run errands, the girls come with. When we are getting the house together for a birthday party, baptismal reception, Christmas get together, or the like - guess what - the girls are here.
I don't really feel that this is any great feat. After all, I have Bill and we are a team.
It could be a lot worse.
But, just for the record, I am proud of what I can accomplish in a day all on my own, or with Bill.
I like that we are the only ones who have a real say in how to deal with our children. Mostly, I LOVE that when we do get time with my parents it's spent having fun (and, OK, getting a little...a LOT spoiled) - even if it's just for a few days.
We do have help when we need it, and I am very grateful for that. However, we don't have as much help as a lot of other families that we know. My mom is coming to visit this Friday (CAN'T WAIT!), but I haven't seen her since Christmas.
Most people don't understand how I do it without her here. It's simple. This is our life, our house and our kids. We do it because it's our responsibility and what we always wanted and worked very hard for.
Having said that I do have to openly admit that I can get jealous when I hear of other people's parents coming over to watch their kids while they get something done at home or calling just to see if they can have the kids for a night. I think to myself, what would I do if I had that kind of help and support right at my fingertips?
The truth is, it wasn't like that when I was a kid so I don't even know if that's what it would be like even if my parents did live 10 minutes away. For them, being a grandparent is completely different than being a parent. I guess, in my mind, that's how it should be.
My parents come for the weekend and get to truly enjoy my girls. Generally speaking, Bill and I change diapers, feed and bath and put to bed. That's our job. My parents play, tease, read to and give the girls special things - big and small.
When I need to clean out my office, I do it with the girls at home. When it's time to put a piece of furniture together or paint a wall, we do it with the girls at home. When we grocery shop or run errands, the girls come with. When we are getting the house together for a birthday party, baptismal reception, Christmas get together, or the like - guess what - the girls are here.
I don't really feel that this is any great feat. After all, I have Bill and we are a team.
It could be a lot worse.
But, just for the record, I am proud of what I can accomplish in a day all on my own, or with Bill.
I like that we are the only ones who have a real say in how to deal with our children. Mostly, I LOVE that when we do get time with my parents it's spent having fun (and, OK, getting a little...a LOT spoiled) - even if it's just for a few days.
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