Your Morning Cup

Its A Doggy Dog World

2012-01-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

On Friday Matt and I got up early and headed to get our Oklahoma license plates and drivers licenses.

Four hours and lots of senior citizen gossip later we had them.

We are now officially Oklahomans!

Never thought I'd hear myself say that...

On my way home, I was about to turn into the neighborhood when I spied two dogs trotting along the side of the busy street.

Most of you know about Roy getting hit by a car four days after we brought him home, and so the thought of someone else's dogs getting hurt just squeezes my little ole' heart.

So I pull into the neighborhood, park, and run to try to get them. They've headed down the road, though, and are nearing the other entrance to the neighborhood. I jump back in the car and beeline it down the street, pull up to the entrance and meet them just in time. I open the back door, give a friendly call, and a large, white husky mix and a smaller chihuahua/German pinscher/terrier dog hop into my car.

Great, they're safe!

Now what do I do?

I head home, tell my mom, and we put Roy in a bedroom while letting them into the backyard. They're just the friendliest girls you ever met, already warming up to us and so loving!

Problem is there's no collars or tags, and we have a raging beast in the bedroom.

Yes, Roy. He's got an issue with other dogs.

He doesn't like them.

When we let him out of the bedroom and he finally saw them in the backyard, he went berserk.

We finally drug him away and put him in the bedroom again while he paced and snuffed and huffed.

I made some signs and posted them at the entrance of the neighborhood, and posted them on craigslist as well.

Then we waited and played musical dogs, shuffling them in the garage or bedroom or backyard to keep them all apart.

The men get home from work and are none too happy seeing these extra creatures in the house that my mom and I are trying really hard not to bond with.

It was even implied by some male members of the household that we just let them out and they'll find their way home.

Are you crazy??? we asked. First of all, what if they didn't? What if they did get hit by cars? Not only would I hate for that to happen, but I know if I ever hit a dog I would be seriously emotionally messed up for a bit. I couldn't let that happen to someone else.

During dinner my phone rang, and I picked up to, "Hi, my name is Keith and I'm hoping you still have my dogs?" YES! I replied. "Oh thank you! I have a four-year-old daughter and she's had them her whole life and you just made her day!" In the background I could hear little sniffles.

Yes, my heart melted, too.

A few minutes later Keith picked up his dogs. He said he'd love to offer us money but had been out of a job for a month and a half and had just had gallstones removed. Heidi and Nora, as we found out the dogs names were, obviously were his dogs as the husky quite literally jumped up and hugged him.

So we waved goodbye to our new friends and sat back down to dinner while Roy pranced around the house, King of his domain once again.

'Doggy dog world' is a beautiful world full of little puppies." -- Gloria from "Modern Family"

Tatum's Twenty-Fifth Week

2012-01-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

Yup, Roy made it into the weekly picture again.

He and Tatum are, like, so into each other (insert valley-girlish voice).

Actually he came in quite handy as she started to get the boo-boo lip out when I laid her down on the fabric, and then Roy went over and lay down beside her and saved the day!

She's just fascinated with him these days--she watches him when he goes by, reaches for him, and occasionally grabs an ear and hangs on for dear life. Poor Roy. But he doesn't seem to mind it too much as he keeps going back for more!

Towards the end of the shoot I sat Tatum up for a bit...

...and then she saw how close Roy was and lunged at him. Before I could grab her she had face-planted right on Roy's face. I picked up up and put her in my lap right away, wondering if she was going to cry. Roy had jumped up, but then came over to her and sniffed her (quite loudly) from head to toe, as if to make sure she was okay. I think that distracted her from crying...so thanks again, Roy!

I thought about using this as the weekly pic...they're all so darn adorable its hard to choose...

Our little Tater Tot is getting much more squirmy and opinionated every day! If she's not happy about something she lets you know! She'll go on these angry rambles of jabbering that we call "baby profanity."

When she is excited her whole body flails in utter joy! She's lately begun waving her arms over her head when she's happy. If she wants something, she goes for it with everything she's got...I love that about her.

Since last week I've applied to six different part-time jobs...we'll see if any pan out.

For now I'm doing things I wished I had had time to do when working full time like making homemade chicken stock, yogurt, cooking dinner every night (I actually enjoy it, contrary to some opinions), and all those other lovely mommy things like laundry, playing, stuffing diapers, picking up the house, more laundry, reading Tatum books, running errands, taking pictures, cleaning up spit up, paying bills, working on the budget, more laundry, stuffing diapers again, playing on the floor, watching Tatum learn something new and get super excited about it, picking up a surprising amount of toys for one so young, and, yes, more laundry.

And people wonder what stay at home moms do all day...

Tatum's Twenty-Fourth Week

2012-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

There she is! My little angel who recently has decided that life is far too interesting to do something as mundane as sleep!

Like how Roy's paw is just peeking in the upper corner? He likes to stay nice and close during these little photo shoots.

After we changed (massive spit up), she hung out in her exersaucer and watched the birds...

I just love her pigtails...

What are you doing up there?

And in house news...we've decided to put it on the back burner for now and focus on replenishing the savings we used to move to Oklahoma, and save up for a bigger down payment. For now we'll stay at my parents and keep an eye out for an apartment or an amazing deal, and really buckle down and save as much as we can. Sigh. I was really looking forward to getting our own place but we're so blessed to be happy where we are right now. We still actually like hanging out with my parents!

And I'm looking for some part time work I could do from home to help bring in some extra income (all my fabric is packed!), so if you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to pass them on!

Oh, and I published a hub for the first time in a year and a half! Yay! Head on over to take a glance and don't forget to click on a Google ad while you're there!

Moving With A Baby

Not a Neutral Gal

2012-01-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hi.

My name is Kait.

I'm a Pinterestaholic.

I'm loving pinning things to boards about my home decor style, crafty ideas, being a chic mama and amazing pictures of places I'd love to visit.

But I've noticed a huge trend lately. Actually, in Seattle at least, its been going on for a couple of years.

Its this obsession with neutrals.

Gray is the newest chic color.

There are gray bedrooms.

Gray living rooms.

Gray bathrooms.

Even gray nurseries!

Then there's this other trend.

The all neutrals trend.

Call it what you will--cream, taupe, beige, brown, gray...they are all neutrals.

As in Switzerland.

As in lack of infusing opinion.

And that's not just me.

Give me COLOR!

Aren't these space fun? You walk in and it tells you right away the kind of person who lives there.

And maybe some of these pictures are not your style (they're not necessarily all mine), but then...that's the point, isn't it? They're not your style...but they definitely are someone else's!

So, sorry, Trend of 2011-12. I'm not buyin'.

What about you? Do you like lots of color? Or ~~brain dead~~ calming neutrals? Or a happy medium?

Tatum's Messy Twenty-Third Week

2012-01-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here's my 27 inch long 23-week-old!

She's outgrowing her 9-month clothes and I'm now trying to find 12-month sleepers!

This week has been a bit...messy.

First off, we put another offer in on a house. We really like this one (although admittedly not as much as the last one...which still hasn't sold...), but found out two other offers were made the day before we made ours...so here's hoping once again!

A few days ago, it was a nice, lovely morning when I took Tatum's diaper off to practice some EC potty-tunity. She's been tinkling when I take her diaper off, recently, so at least I had the foresight to lay her on our leather couch as opposed to my parent's fabric one while I got the potty...because when I turned around she was swimming in a giant puddle of pee! Not only that, but it got all over my robe and pajamas, too! Everyone got a rinse and a change!

Later that day we headed to the doctor's for Tatum's 5 month check up and after they weighed her I asked if I should put her diaper back on. "No, she's fine," the nurse replied. I had a cloth diaper under her bum just in case, but the wiggle worm just scooted to the side and peed all over the examining table and down the side.

I can't believe how much her little bladder can hold!

Then yesterday, somehow she pooped all up her front. And in the past few days she's discovered her...well, we call it a doobie. Its turning out to be so fun to explore when the diaper comes off! So when I pulled back this icky gross poo poo diaper that's spread all up into her belly button what's the first thing she does?

Grabs her doobie.

So then I wipe her hands and disinfect them (because they're constantly in her mouth) while her nasty butt is still squirming all over the changing table...and I realize someone didn't put a plastic liner in the trash can! Oh wait...that someone was me.

My bad.

So I use my left arm to pin her arms up and somehow open the cloth diaper bag zipper one-handed so I can use cloth wipes to clean her up.

She's still thinking this is some great new game of catch-the-doobie so we have a ten minute messy wrestle that ended with me using the rest of the cloth wipes that were clean and using hand sanitizer to completely disinfect her whole body and my hands and arms up to the elbow!

At least she had a great time.

And I think she's starting to teethe...which isn't such a great time...

And she loooves Roy. Who puts up with her pulling his ears and clawing his face with her little razor-like fingers.

What a good boy...

And one last picture, because most people who just see pics of the Tater think her hair is dark, it really is lighter and totally blonde at the roots...

All the time I've got for now, the angel is waking up...

Tatum's Twenty-Second Week

2012-01-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

You'll have to forgive us about Week 21...it was lost in wrapping paper and pajama days and snuggles. Ten days of five adults waiting to hold Tatum and she's going through withdrawals now everyone's back at work. Every time I put her in her exersaucer or walker she looks at me like, "Hello?! I'm supposed to be held!"

Ammah flew in the night of the 22nd and this is basically what we did for the next week:

Stared at Tatum.

Our family in Colorado got her this ADORABLE faux fur jacket that's the softest thing you've ever felt! We put her in it in just her diaper and let her enjoy the sensation!

The kid's going to be ruined for life.

I can see her at six years old ordering steamed clams at the drive through of Carl's Jr....oh wait, that was me. Like mother like daughter?

Christmas was loads of fun for us. We took all day opening our presents, stopping to play with Tatum, get coffee, eat a cinnamon roll, open a present, play with our present, get more coffee, stare at Tatum...you get the idea.

On Christmas morning I think Roy was the most excited one of the bunch! He ran around panting and stared at his stocking until I finally gave him a bone. Then he just ran in between everyone until he finally burrowed under the tree in sheer happiness.

Ammah got some good snuggle time in...

Matt and Uncle Jeremiah put together Tatum's walker (we bribed them with stockings)

And at the end of the night we continued the Curran tradition of "The Riddle" leading to (usually) the 'biggest' present.

Matt got...

A can of green beans!

Just kidding...we like to throw people off about what's in the box, too.

He got the new Batman: Arkam City Xbox game and a bonsai for his office.

I got...

A 50mm lens! With which I can take lovely, shallow field of depth pics!

Like this pic of my other favorite gift:

A mommy necklace! This is the line at the end of the children's book Guess How Much I Love You, and when I saw it on Etsy I fell in love with it. Its by Eclectic Wendy Designs...if you're curious.

In other news the sellers did not take our offer on the Sunny Hollow house (they sort of laughed at us by countering higher than the asking price), so we're continuing the house hunt...

I'm beginning to miss my cast iron skillet.

Is that weird?

Merry and Bright

2011-12-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

My side of the family is all together this Christmas.

And for that, my days are merry and bright.

May you have a very merry Christmas.

20 Weeks on the 20th!

2011-12-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Only four more sleeps 'till Christmas, y'all!

This is the only picture I have of Tatum on her back because the wrapping paper was JUST TOO INTERESTING not to turn over and play with it!

You'd never believe that a few minutes before she had a big boo-boo lip out and was cranky!

Moving to another subject, the other night I had just laid down Tatum for a nap and was at the sink washing a binkie, when I heard a low rumbling sound.

At first I thought it was thunder, then I looked at the sliding glass window and it was shaking! Having recently had three earthquakes I immediately thought it was another one, dropped the binkie and ran down the hall to grab Tatum.

It was only when I got down the hall that I realized the light fixture in the entry wasn't swinging...and one major thing: the ground wasn't shaking.

Walking back to the living room where the sliding door was still rumbling, I looked down to see Roy leaning against it, itching.

Dur.

That's all I've got for you today--except we officially submitted our offer to the seller of the house we like yesterday and are waiting for them to ~~laugh hysterically and~~ counter offer!

Here's hoping!

2011-12-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

We're putting an offer in on a house.

If you had told me a year and a half ago that I'd be in Oklahoma with a baby and thinking about buying a house I probably would have laughed at you. Yet, here we be.

Oh, and did I mention that the offer is ridiculously low? I mean, low low? And that our wiggle room for negotiation is itsy bitsy?

Still, we love the house.

It has a basketball hoop for Matt.

A big kitchen complete with an island for me.

A huge living/dining/kitchen area for having people over and for Tatum to toddle around.

And a large yard backing up to a greenbelt and a creek for Roy.

It even has a three bedrooms so y'all could stop on by!

And so we put an offer in on it. Its a loooong shot, but its worth a try.

In fact, I even have a verse about it! Its from Psalm 105:11-12

saying, j“To you I will give the land of Canaan

as kyour portion for an inheritance.”

When they were lfew in number,

of little account, and msojourners in it,

Note: I know this is severely out of context and am not taking it seriously as a word from the Lord about the house, I just found it funny!

So if you think of us, say a little prayer that if its God's will we be in that house for the next 3 or 4 years that he would open all the doors, and that it would be obvious to all that it was His hand that gave this to us.

And that the relocation company that currently owns the house would be in the Christmas spirit of giving...

Tatum's 19th Week...after MIA for week 18

2011-12-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been absent awhile.

But let me explain.

First, though, is Tatum K at 19 weeks!

I was curious so we weighed and measured her ourselves tonight. While there may be a little wiggle room for error, it seems she's at 19 pounds and 26 inches!!! 19 pounds on the growth chart is big for a NINE month old!! I'm starting to put her in 12 month old clothes!!! What do I make, super milk?!?!

We also bundled up and went to Lowe's for her first Christmas tree...

Uncle Jeremiah wore a crazy sweater...

The men did the tree dance and spun trees around for us womenfolk to choose:

And Tatum was appropriately dressed like an elf...

And when we got home we dressed up up like a flapper...

We're loco. Understood.

In other big news...

We're thinking about buying a house.

Like, a house house. With a door and windows and a fireplace and yard and garage.

Which for people who lived in a basement for a year and now live with parents is a BIG DEAL.

We never would have been able to afford a home like this in San Diego or Seattle...even if we did both work. That's the crazy thing. Here, on Matt's salary alone, we're looking at a 1600 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom HOME.

So we've spent the past few weeks crunching numbers and looking at houses and gathering paperwork to be pre-qualified and its been exciting and scary all at the same time.

Could we make it? Should we wait? If we wait, should we stay with my parents or rent a tiny place for the time being? A lot is up in the air at the moment but its such a different feeling of 'I don't know what's going to happen' as compared to a year ago.

That, in addition to the usual Christmas bustle and date nights and helping out at the church and wrapping packages and doing laundry and changing diapers and the occasional bit of sleep thrown in has kept me pretty busy for the past couple of weeks!

So if you think of it, say a little prayer for wisdom for us as we're trying to figure out where the Lord wants us to be right now and a month from now.

Oh, and Tatum is rolling over, almost sitting up, reaching for everything and anything, and refusing to take naps or go to sleep EVER. I didn't know it was physically possible for a child to be awake as much as she is! Any mommies out there...do you think I should start giving her a bit of rice cereal at night to help her sleep based on her weight rather than age? We were planning to wait until 6 months before starting solids, but Mama needs to sleep longer than 2 hours without getting up to flip her back on her back or put the binkie in or nurse!

'Till next time, stay jolly my friends!

Tatum's Seventeenth Week

2011-12-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

This might just be my favorite picture to date of Tatum. Those big, blue, inquisitive eyes, soft kissable cheeks, and that perfectly pink mouth with the sun highlighting the craziness of her hair which I am hopelessly in love with.

And then I get to look at her every day, and see her smile coyly at me and bat her eyes and I wish I could just capture every single second of us playing and talking and giggling and nursing and scooting and razzberrying and snuggling.

She's now a vibrant, VOCAL 4-month-old.

Here's 17 Weeks...which was nearly a week ago, I realize, but better late than never!

We're off to a date at a sushi bar! Sayonara!

Travel, Tatum, Turkey and Timeless Love

2011-11-22T17:39:00.001-08:00

There's a lot to cram into this post so we're going bullet-point-style!

16 Weeks last Tuesday!

She found her feet that day, too!

And Miss Tatum went on her first airplane trip last Monday

12 hours of travel was a challenge but she was a champ and slept through a lot of it
On Wednesday we went to Yosemite--one of my favorite places on earth

And today is Thanksgiving!
It is also Matt and my's 4th Anniversary!

I still love him!
And its time to eat! Happy Thanksgiving!

Tatum's 15th Week

2011-11-15T19:06:00.001-08:00

Here's my happy 15-week-old! I'm going to have to buy a bigger onesie for next week--this 6-9 months is pulling at the neck and she's in a disposable diaper! (the cloth diapers take more room...she gets a cute bubble butt!)

In Tatum's world, the big news is she rolled over for the first time! From back to tummy! Here is a pic of her right after:

Yes that's a bare bottom...we were doing diaper-free time on the mat...

And here's a quick video of her in the morning...she usually wakes up in such a happy mood!

100 Days of Tatum

2011-11-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

I just realized that as of today we've had our Tatum for 100 days! My drooling, giggling, chomping, squealing, jabbering, tooting, reaching, snuggling Tater Tot feels like she's been with us forever.

Tempus Fugit!

Day 1

Day 10

Day 21

Day 30

Day 51

Day 70

Day 90

Yesterday while changing her I gave her Jack the Bunny to keep her entertained and she was in love with him. For a little size comparison, here's Tatum at 3 days old:

And here she is at 99 days old!

A very happy un-birthday to you Tatum!

Elimination Communication--Is This Wacko?

2011-11-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

14 Weeks!!

She is now 15.6 pounds and 25.6 inches long! That's 94th percentile in her weight and 98th percentile in her height!

I realize I forgot Week 13! All the sudden I looked at the calendar and it was Thursday! Where does the time go?

We sat in the BebePod (traded the Bumbo for this one...this one has a toy too--big plus!):

We took baths with our rubber ducky. I call this: Tatum's Interrogation

TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!

And Tatum is learning to use the potty. Yes, she's still only 3 months old.

While pregnant I spent hours on my registry. We didn't have a nursery, or really much space for a baby while I was pregnant, so I think researching baby products was my form of nesting.

While looking in the potty training items on Amazon, I came across a book called The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative. Curious, I clicked on it and read a few pages on Amazon's preview.

The concept is that just like a mother knowing when her baby is hungry or tired and can pick up on those signals, babies give signals when they are about to go to the bathroom. Elimination Communication, or EC, is just learning to read those signals and respond. Babies (the author argues) are born not wanting to sit in their waste. In a sense, diapers train them to be okay with that over time.

I had heard of this years back (when I was in HS)--moms in India for whom disposable diapers are often an impossible luxury would squat over a toilet holding their baby and whisper in their ear. I didn't know what they whispered, but the concept stuck with me.

I started reading the book when Tatum was about 4 weeks old, then we got the news we were moving to Oklahoma so I put it on the back burner. But now we're here and a bit settled, I've spent the past week trying it out.

While Amazon describes it as "progressive," I (and the author of this and other books) would argue that its really third-world old-fashioned. Anyone who's been to a village in Africa or India or China will notice that two and three-year-olds don't run around with diapers on. In China you'll see toddlers with everything hanging out of split crotch pants so they can potty easier.

The book even says, "One study states that 50% of the world's children are potty trained by age one."

So this past week I've started to observe when Tatum goes and what she does right before that. I've let her play on her activity mat on a waterproof mat with her diaper off for an hour or so, or held her loosely cradled in a diaper while nursing, and given her opportunities to go over the toilet while cueing her with a pssss sound.

The very first day she peed in the toilet, and every day since she's gone at least once when I cued her (usually after taking her diaper off). We got her Baby Bjorn Little Potty on Saturday and I've been working on getting her used to that since then. Saturday she was fussy and NOT happy to be on it. But yesterday she was fine sitting for a few minutes (with me holding her), and went twice in her potty!

I'm definitely not saying I've got this down or this is the best way anything like that! I haven't caught a poo yet, and yes I've been peed on. Its just the first week of learning her signals and responding to them. I'm not trying to force her to be potty trained...in fact, the whole EC idea is supposed to be very casual. You can do it one day and not the next. You can do it for an hour a day. You don't beat yourself up if you give her a chance to potty and five minutes after you put the diaper on she poops.

And so I'm trying it out while we're home alone during the day. What do I have to lose, besides a few more things to toss in the laundry (which moms do constantly anyway)? And there are a lot of benefits:

Parents learn to better communicate with baby
It reduces irritation of her skin and risk of diaper rash
It saves money in disposable diapers and wipes
Reduces chances of a power struggle to potty train at 2 or 3

If you want a really long list, here are 75 Benefits of Elimination Communication.

Have you ever heard of EC?
What do you think of it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here are a few more resources if you're interested...

What is elimination communication?

Learning the Gentle Art of Infant Toilet Training

Chinese Toilet Training

Infant Potty Basics: With or Without Diapers . . . the Natural Way by Laurie Boucke

Gone Bananas

2011-10-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the cutest little banana you've ever seen:

And the cutest chocolate-banana, too:

Oh, and Matt went to a costume party last Friday as a rocker, and I went as a 3 year old. I guess combined you could have called us Kid Rock..

All for now! Happy November!

Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

Tatum had her first trip to the pumpkin patch! And we finally got a few more decent family pictures, since the only one of the three of us (other than sitting on the couch covered in spit up) was from when she was 4 days old!

Tatum was being a bit shy at first...she had just been woken up and taken from a warm car seat to a chilly fall evening.

That orange hat was the hat she came home from the birth center in--it hardly fits her now!

This pumpkin patch was out in Arcadia and was so darn cute!

There wasn't an actual pumpkin "patch," like the one we went to last year, but there was still a lot to see!

And this last picture reminds me of a picture from last year...

Guess I just swapped a pumpkin for a baby!

And remind me to never cut my hair so short again.

Tatum got to meet a few animals, but she wasn't that interested.

Matt got to be a kid as well...

On a tractor with her Poppie...and this had my dad singing "Take you for a ride on my big green tractor" the rest of the evening...

I just really like this picture.

They had a corn maze, but as it was getting dark and we really didn't want to spend forever in it, we only went partway in...

This tunnel was awesome...live gourds growing all over it!

Tatum did not want to ride the pony. And can we all just note how chic my daughter is in her skinny jeans and boots? Freaking adorable.

And this is OKRA. I grew up eating it, but had never seen it still on the plant! I didn't know they grew this tall! (For you Californians, okra is a vegetable. I grew up eating it fried in leftover batter from cornbread along with red beans...still one of my favorite meals.)

I love how cute and red her nose and cheeks got! (don't worry, you moms, she had plenty of layers on plus a thick blanket!)

And how cute is this? They had a Cinderella carriage! I had to get a shot with my Prince!

All in all, loverly time at the pumpkin patch and we picked out three small pumpkins on the way out...but Tatum was passed out by that time so you'll have to stay tuned for pumpkin carving!

Completely Forgot BIG News!!!

2011-10-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me right after I posted about Tatum's twelfth week that in Matt's third week of work he got a promotion!!!

As some of you know, my dad works at MACU as well and helped Matt get his foot in the door. Matt was placed at a different location from my dad which help him build his own reputation as a great employee on his own. He went in with the mindset to really set his nose to the grindstone, and he certainly accomplished that! When he called me with the news I couldn't believe it! We were hoping for a promotion in the next six months, but never did I think it would have happened that fast! It really was a God thing, because so many little "coincidences" had to come into play.

So congrats, my big wonderful Mountain Man! I'm so grateful for you to have a job that not just recognizes your talent, ability and character, but acts on it as well!

In other thoughts, we're temporarily living with my parents and so far its been working splendidly (right, Mom and Dad?). They've obviously loved being able to see Tatum (oh, and us...) every day and its been really nice having extra hands to rock and feed and play with her.

Here's Miss Tatum with her Poppie learning how to hold a drumstick (she doesn't seem terribly interested):

And her Nonnie, singing some silly song:

And this is our temporary bedroom:

Tatum graduated from a bassinet to a pack n' play this last weekend, as she was too big for the bassinet anymore! She would stretch in her sleep and knock the sides of it and wake herself up! The new pack n' play plus a mobile keeps her happy for loooong periods of time!

And I was taking this pic for the Colorado Currans who sent us this outfit, but it was too adorable not to share!

Tomorrow night is a costume party...stay tuned to see what Matt and I dress up as! (YES, I got Matt to dress up!!!)

Tatum's Twelfth Week

2011-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hooray for twelve weeks of life!!!

Again, this week there were so many good pictures I had a hard time choosing!

She's a lady of many faces:

Contemplative.

Distressed.

Huh?

Dazed and Confused.

(but not like the movie)

Exuberant.

Happy-go-lucky.

She's generally a pretty happy and easy baby. She laughs and giggles a lot, and thinks its especially funny when I sing her a lullaby at night to try to get her to sleep.

Oh, and I cut bangs.

I love having hair that grows ridiculously fast. I cut these last Thursday and had to cut them again yesterday!

And since this blog occasionally offers how-to's, I thought I'd offer my:

How to go grocery shopping with a baby.

1. Get baby in car seat.

2. Drive to store. Hope baby is sufficiently entertained by dangling toy to not cry.

3. Put baby in baby carrier or grocery cart.

4. Arm yourself with binkies and stupid faces you thought you'd never make in public.

5. Hope for the best.

That's all I got for ya.

Tatum's Eleventh Week and TLC's Biased Baby Story

2011-10-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

Tatum is eleven weeks old!

This is the face she makes when she wants to sit up. You can almost hear her making the noise that Scrat the squirrel makes in Ice Age when he's reaching for the acorn...

I had to snap a couple of pics while I was setting up the fabric, because Roy and Tatum were both sitting up and watching me...

And we got her a Bumbo seat last week to help her sit up since she was NOT happy being either on her back or tummy or in the bouncer all the time. She wants to be UP and see what is going on! That can get a little hard on the arms, so this lovely device was welcomed in our house!

On to another subject:

Since moving to Oklahoma and temporarily living with my parents, I've had the luxury of being able to record and watch my favorite reality show--"What Not To Wear" on DVR. Somehow I've managed to live the past year and a half without it, and just love the snarky comments by the hosts!

After the show, "A Baby Story" comes on so I usually see the previews and first few minutes of the show. After two and a half weeks of watching this, I have to say how frustrated I am with such a narrow view of birth being presented.

Y'all know how I gave birth to Tatum, and my thoughts on natural birth and birthing centers. I'll say again that those are my choices, and they may not be the best choice for you. I have nothing against hospital births, epidurals or C-sections as long as the mother making the decisions is adequately informed.

And "A Baby Story" is far from giving a balanced, informational portrayal of births.

Every day the preview goes something like this:

Little background of the mom and dad. Smiling. Holding hands walking in a park.

Labor starts (dum dum duuummmm).

Mom screaming in pain in labor.

Will she get to the hospital in time?

More screaming from mom.

Will the doctor get there in time?

Shot of the worried dad.

The baby's heart rate dropped--can they get him out in time?

Crying shot of mom

Shot of some nurse running.

One parting scream with some creative camera zooming.

In two and a half weeks I've seen only one attempt at a natural birth, and she couldn't handle the pain and went with an epidural. Every description of un-medicated labor is "torture," "my belly ripping apart," or "unbearable." All of them have been in the hospital. About 80% of the women were given pitocin. Every single one I've seen had an epidural. And quite a few were given emergency C-sections.

Now let's say you're pregnant. And, being into everything baby, you watch A Baby Story every day. How do you think this would shape your view of labor and birth? From just watching it I would say:

1. Labor must be too painful to manage on your own.

2. The hospital is your only option in where to give birth.

3. Labor is scary stuff.

Not a very well-balanced view of labor. We're not a society where women are present for other women's labors and birth. In other cultures, its mothers and other women and midwives who witness and support other women during birth. You would grow up seeing your mother, sisters, aunts give birth. Consequentially, when it came time for you to give birth, you would have real life examples for what to expect. If you learn from this reality TV-show, your view of labor and birth would be quite biased because its just that--a TV show.

And good TV is drama.
And drama = money.

I just checked the TV schedule and did a few quick searches.

In 70 episodes, there was 1 home birth. 2 water births, one was "rethought." 5 mentions of "couple wants a drug-free birth," but 4 of them "rethought" it.

Not exactly a ton of variety there.

The number one question I get when people hear I delivered a baby that was half an ounce shy of ten pounds without drugs is "Didn't it hurt???"

Well, yeah. A lot. Not gonna lie there. And yes, there were moments I was scared.

But you know what? It was totally doable. I had my moments of weakness where my midwife looked me in the eyes and helped me pull it together, but overall it wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. And I'll do it again, Lord willing. In fact, I'd rather go through labor than a week long migraine!

So come on, TLC, and show some more natural births. More birth centers. More home births. More midwives. More water births. Because while medicated hospital births are the majority in this country, there are other options.

Tatum's Tenth Week

2011-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Big girl at ten weeks!

She has gone through another growth spurt and feels much heavier--I'm curious how much she weighs now! Look at the rolls on those cute little legs!!!

And we had so much fun taking this week's pictures, I had a hard time picking which one to use! Here's a little photo reel of her varied expressions (I basically was just holding the shutter down!)

I know I'm terribly biased but isn't she just INCREDIBLY CUTE?!?!?!

In other Curran/Palmer household news, last night held two hilarious events.

I bought Tatum and Roy matching Halloween costumes.

I couldn't resist.

Here's ONE glimpse...

We've gone bananas! Hahahahahahah!

The first time we put it on Roy I laughed so hard I cried and nearly peed in my pants! He just stood there, not moving, wondering what in the heck we had done to him! Tatum wasn't so happy with her costume either, but this is one of my first moments as a parent to take pictures that she'll be embarrassed of in 13 years!

After the bunch of bananas had peeled off their costumes, I heard a:

GET A BOWL!

in a high pitched yell from my mom. Followed by a calm

Why? What do you need a bowl for?

from my dad.

JUST GET ME A BOWL QUICK!

she yelled again, her pitch getting higher.

What is is for?

My dad asked again, quite calmly. At this point I had made it to the laundry room where my mom was and saw the liquid laundry detergent pouring out of the container and into a laundry basket and about to overrun the holes in the side, and then here came Matt with a bowl to help out.

A small cereal bowl.

For the second time that day I laughed so hard I cried.

My mom is in the room struggling to contain sticky flowing detergent and begging for a bowl and my dad is standing there asking what she needs a bowl for and Matt comes running with the only size bowl he knows to find!

And then for the next twenty minutes my mom slowly ladled detergent back into the container.

A bowl would have been so much easier.

And so things at the Curran/Palmer household are going along swimmingly for the time being. Its really nice to have two more ready and willing sets of hands to take Tatum so I can shower or eat or that thing you do with your teeth...what is that? Brushing them? Oh yeah. That. Its great when that happens. :-)

A Little More Rock n' Roll

2011-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Finally. I've been running around trying to unpack, organize, take care of Tatum who hasn't been feeling so well, and get settled into this next (short) chapter of living with my parents for a month or two.

Pant, pant, pant.

I asked my brother (who has been living in Oklahoma since August) what he thought of the place, and he said:

If Orange County is techno and hip hop, Oklahoma is a little more country and rock n' roll.

Great comparison. And I have to say I'm enjoying a little more rock n' roll in my life.

When I walked to Walmart with Tatum in a stroller, four women stopped to oogle and fawn over her in the 10 minutes I spent in the store. I hadn't realized in Seattle people hardly ever commented on her...it was almost like the stroller was invisible (especially in the mall on labor day weekend...yikes).

A neighbor came over with banana bread batter all over her clothes and asked to borrow a loaf pan. I invited her in while I looked for one and she just chatted away and promised to bring us some bread before hurrying away with a "thank y'all!" In the year and a half we lived in an apartment in Seattle no one ever borrowed anything...and I was too shy to ask to borrow anything myself.

Matt was in customer service workshops yesterday and said it was so refreshing that when a funny video clip was shown, people weren't too cool to laugh. And I mean, really laugh loud.

So week one of Oklahoma living, and we're liking it a lot. Its supposed to thunder and lightning today, which is awesome. While Seattle may have had rain, I can count on one hand the times I heard thunder in nearly three years. I like me some weather.

Anyways, here's a couple pics of my Tater Tot...the camera has mostly been on the shelf this past week while we've been getting situated!

I am so blessed to have a husband who provides for me to be a stay at home mom. Yesterday when she obviously wasn't feeling great, I could just sit in a rocking chair and hold her until she fell asleep, and then keep on holding her. Last night Matt and I got our first real date night in 10 weeks, and I got to (tearfully) thank him for that. You don't get those moments back.

And so we're here. Hokey Okies just rock n' rollin our baby, and loving it.

Tatum's Ninth Week

2011-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

WE MADE IT TO OKLAHOMA! And since we're in the heartland of good ole' Americana I thought Old Glory would be appropriate for this weeks picture (actually it was my mom's idea):

I just got internet in our room so I'm reconnected to the technological world again. These past few weeks have been great, exhausting, wonderful, hard, energizing, tiring and SUCH an experience!

Through it all, Tatum has been SUCH a little trooper! She got overwhelmed and had her melt-downs, but then again so did I. I'll tell you later about the danged Taco Bell in Flagstaff, but let's just say Tatum might have more long suffering than I have.

We arrived in Edmond, OK last Saturday night and my brother and Dad got to meet Tatum for the first time

She did/does have her first little cold, and no wonder going through seven states and meeting well over 100 people in a week and a half! But we're taking it easy now and on the mend.

Matt started his job on Monday and really thinks he is going to enjoy it. He even has his own office! He's excited to be able to help people, and get to see the fruit of it as well. Part of what he always liked working at REI was hearing people's stories--where they were going camping or what river they were going to kayak. But at MACU not only does he get to talk to people and hear their stories, but keep in contact with them and see them go through a program and get their degree. We definitely feel this was the right move for us.

That's all I've got energy for tonight--I'd better try to get to sleep while the baby girl is asleep!

Tatum's Eighth Week

2011-09-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

That's an odd word to spell.

Eighth.

But here she is at eight weeks old! The hi-lighted part shows the route we're taking from Seattle to Edmond, Oklahoma.

Roy decided since she was a bit fussy on the floor that she needed a kiss to cheer her up...

I'm not sure she appreciated it...

To date we've had 10 get-togethers for people to meet our little Tater Tot, and met nearly 100 people for the first time!

Today we're in Prescott Valley, AZ with Ammah for two days of rest. Hallelujah! Those long days in the car are hard on a little one!

Last weekend Matt and I were able to have our first date sans baby! Grandma Beth and Grandpa Dave watched her while we went to lunch and for a walk around the lake.

Tatum did great, but apparently Roy was anxious for us to get back.

Oh, and here are the shots that Matt's cousin, Jacob, took of Tatum. He really is a talented photographer, painter, graphic designer and all around artist. You can see some more of his photography on his blog, Jacob Reid Design Photography.

We've been so blessed to have so many people SO excited to meet our baby girl! Thank you to everyone who has arranged your schedules to accommodate us, driven long distances to see us, invited us and our very large and bossy dog into your homes and hosted gatherings of people, and loved on us and our Tatum. We have only two more days of driving until we reach our new home!

Tour de Tatum

2011-09-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

And the Tour de Tatum has begun!

I'm sitting at my in-laws sipping Mother Lode coffee and finally able to take a few minutes to write. Over the past few days (week, actually), the words have been piling up inside of me and I write and write in my head without the time to write it out on paper or my computer, and now that I have the time to sit down and write I've forgotten most of what I intended to say! Drat!

Writing is necessary for me. Like eating dinner or brushing your teeth. I write in my head constantly. Now I just have to remember what I've already written!

Our pods from U-haul were unloaded last Saturday and on Sunday, in true Seattle fashion, it was cold and drizzly all day. We hired a mover to help us fit everything into our two 5' x 7' x 8' pods. He arrived on a motorcycle with a pony tail and long beard and looked like someone right out of Hell's Angels. He also happened to tell Matt he was a hoarder and had to work to make pathways through his house...interesting. But he was awfully nice, and really did bust his butt to fit as much as possible into the pods.

Sadly, those pods are not as big as P.O.D.S. ones and we were forced to leave a lot of things behind for donation. Our coffee table that held all our games, dining chairs I had lovingly painted robin's egg blue, TV from my dad (it was really large and heavy), TV stand I had re-stained, the beautiful bassinet we were given second-hand, and a truck load of other things had to be left for the donation truck since there was no time to try to even sell it. We even posted it on Craigslist.org for free but there still wasn't any takers in the short amount of time we had.

Its true its just "stuff." But even though it was mostly second-hand I still had poured some energy and time into that "stuff," and it was sad to leave it behind knowing once we get to Oklahoma we'll need to spend more time and money to find replacements. Looks like I'll be garage sale shopping soon! And I think I'll buy some more robin's egg spray paint because I loved our painted Ikea chairs.

And now, a moment of silence for my chairs:

We originally meant to pull out on Monday morning, but with so much stuff left over we were trying to do the math of whether it was cheaper to try to get a hitch installed on my car and pull a trailer (it was a whole other pod's worth of stuff, basically. U-Haul lies when they say an apartment can fit in two U-boxes!), or ship it or donate it. We also hadn't even started cleaning the place and had a goodbye party for Matt that evening. So we decided to stay one more day.

The next day we cleaned and hauled more stuff to Goodwill and I crammed as much as I could into every available nook and cranny of the pods. We had to have some friends come over to help move the TV and base into the car since I probably shouldn't be lifting anything super heavy this soon after delivering a nearly 10 pound baby...

That night, with three full bottles of breastmilk in the fridge we went to our last Seattle dinner at our fav Mexican place, Torero's and I indulged in a "regular" sized margarita for the first time since finding I was pregnant.

So. So. Good. And appreciated.

The next morning we started loading the car. But as it goes with a crazy dog and a baby and only one of us being a Tetris master to make everything fit in my car (me), and having used all our bottles of milk so I had to breastfeed every hour or so and finish cleaning the apartment...we didn't finally drive away until 2ish.

Then the tarp I had tied over the things tied on top of my car wouldn't stay down, and we were so tired and fed up with it we went to FedEx and shipped it to Oklahoma.

Then we finally got on the freeway and pulled off when we saw a sign for Taco Bell and tried to get some lunch, and there was no Taco Bell to be seen! Seattle had to get us lost just one more time! You can read my first driving experience in Seattle that I wrote nearly three years ago on the Ups and Downs and Waiting post.

That night we stayed in Meford, and the next day headed to Paradise, CA to meet up with some of Matt's family.

Everyone was so excited to meet our little Tatum, and she did so good being passed around to all the different family members.

Even Roy had a good time the next morning with Belle the dog.

The next morning while hanging out with Matt's Aunt Teresa and cousin Jacob I got to borrow Jake's 50mm camera lens and drool...

Jacob also took some pictures and as he's light years ahead of me in photography skills I can't wait to see them!

Thursday (was that only yesterday?!) we headed to Matt's parents with a stop in Sacramento to see some more of my family. The last time I'd seen most of them was our wedding! We had fun catching up, despite Tatum being a little grumpy.

Tatum thought Aunt Candy was pretty funny!

Beth and Dave (my in-laws) are both elementary school teachers, and today we went to their school to show off Tatum.

And the rest of the day we have just rested. Well, nursed, did laundry, made a cup of coffee, wrote a paragraph of this blog, held Tatum, changed the laundry, grabbed a bite, wrote another paragraph...you get the picture...

Sorry this was such a long overload, I'll try to do shorter blips for the rest of the trip!

Tatum's Seventh Week

2011-09-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

First--the weekly pic!

Seven weeks! I'll add the cute little words on her onesie when we get our other computer back...I miss Photoshop...

And now, for the start of our Tour de Tatum!

This is us the last night in our old place...

One of our pods packed to maximum capacity...

(more story later, we've got to get on the road!)

My trusty 4runner Max all loaded to the gills

My view for the next 2600 miles

Getting lost trying to find a taco bell...at least its beautiful! Seattle just had to throw us for one more loop!

Taking a break!

Trying to get the state sign...barely missed it!

We got to meet up with my cousin Michael and his wife Sarah and son Jadon near Portland

More to come later!

Packing for a Move...With a Baby

2011-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie. Its been challenging.

Last week my best friend Charissa drove up to help us and her timing was perfect. Tatum got her first vaccine (which I know is an explosive issue, but we're only doing a select few and one at a time, and saving most of them for when she's 2 or older) and consequentially didn't feel too well for a few days and was only happy when held. So I held Tatum and tried to work one-handed while Charissa proved her rock star abilities and packed up most of the house.

Since then, some days I've gotten more done when she's been happy in her bouncer or swing, but then there were days like yesterday where she was crying, nursing or asleep. She wasn't even happy just being held like she normally is when just fussy. She didn't have a fever so it was hard to tell if she wasn't feeling well or just was a little overwhelmed with everything going on.

So I would nurse her to sleep, gently transfer her to her Moses basket, wash two dishes, she'd wake up crying, I'd hold her, nurse her to sleep again, transfer her to her bouncer, pack half a box, she'd wake up crying...you get the idea.

Nursing every 30 minutes gets tiring. And when do you have time to pump so that you can go longer than 30 minutes without having to nurse?

Then again she is awfully sweet when she's asleep in her basket--which will be her bed for the next two weeks so Mama and Daddy can have the bed.

For packing with a baby under 3 months, all I can say is be prepared to be patient. You're not going to get all you want to do done in a day.

I just keep looking at her and thinking that its worth that it takes two weeks to pack instead of a few days...

Tatum's Sixth Week

2011-09-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

This fabric is actually our bedspread--I packed the rest of our fabric! Looks like I'm going to have to get creative the next two weeks while we're on the road!

This past week Charissa came up to help us pack and to visit Tatum. I have to say, friends like this are few and far between. Not only did she come up to wait for Tatum's birth, but she left the morning that Tatum was born (before I was in labor) to go back to Portland, and turned around and drove up when I called her to tell her I was in labor! Now she's basically backed up 80% of our house--something that would have taken me so much longer doing one-handed or while Tatum was okay in her bouncer.

So here's some pics from this past week of Tatum's life:

Roy found a new snuggle buddy

Yes we're dorks.

Everyone's sleepy

Auntie Charissa's so funny!

Bath time: A study of expressions

2011-09-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Our Tater Tot is becoming quite the character! Not only are expressions becoming more varied and entertaining, but her little noises are too! Here's some pictures from tonight's bath time:

All clean!

Tatum's Fifth Week

2011-09-07T01:11:00.000-07:00

Five Weeks!

My little elfkin is getting so big! I'm way too tired to write much more as I've been packing and nursing and rocking and packing and jiggling a bouncer and packing and nursing and trying to remember to eat something and packing...you get the ides...so here's a few more pics since those speak louder than words anyways...

FINALLY caught a smile on camera! She does smile a lot...I just can never catch it!

Whatchu lookin' at?

Happy baby...for the moment...

This cardboard isn't too comfortable...

Love the Black & White book! And doesn't she look darling?

She's gotta represent Daddy's new job...

Our family friend Sally got to stop by for a visit and meet our Miss Tatum, and she brought hugs and kisses from Grandma Beth and Grandpa Palmer for our Tater Tot!

Kisses all the way from Groveland

love T's chubby chins!

So grateful she's taking the bottle!!!

That's all I've got for now...I'll leave you with a couple of our first child--the Roy Boy. Today while packing Tatum's things that will be too big until next year, he thought he could use them as a substitute bed...

silly boy...

and I think he's beginning to take over the activity mat...I picked up Tatum and he army crawled his way in...

The Cliffs of Insanity

2011-09-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

LOOK you see? The Cliffs of Insanity! Hurry UP! Move the thing! And hoist...that other thing!

If you don't know this quote I don't think I can count you as a friend any longer. Okay, maybe I won't go that drastic, but you really should check out The Princess Bride.

Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles... its got it all.

But I digress.

The reason for this title is I feel the next two weeks will be akin to scaling the cliffs of insanity. Matt has gotten a job at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. We'll be able to live close to family (actually we'll be at my parents for a month or so), Matt's schedule will actually be normal so we can plan on things like a weekly Bible study or Friday date nights, cost of living is much more doable on one income, and if I wanted/needed to get a part time job I would have family who could watch Tatum, Matt will be able to get his MBA and I could even get another BA in Literature (my true love, though I don't regret my Communication major). All of this in Oklahoma City.

That's in Oklahoma, folks.

And we're pulling out of Seattle on Monday, September 19th. That gives us two weeks to pack up, and about two weeks to drive the nearly 3,000 miles out there.

Inconceivable?

Nah.

It'll just take a miracle.

Tatum's Fourth Week

2011-08-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here's our Tatums at four weeks old! I can't believe almost a month has gone by since she was born! She had her well baby check-up yesterday and she's now 22 1/3 inches and 11lbs 4 oz! She's certainly growing!

Since she was cooperating during this photo session I decided to snap a few more pics...including one with her constant guardian, Roy. I can't put her on the floor or anywhere without him creeping as close as he's allowed.

Last night I got Tatum to fall asleep in bed before us, and I got to actually sit in a chair and read for a bit. Roy kept going in the bedroom to check on her and coming out and laying by me. Then I transferred her to her bassinet (she usually sleeps in bed with us, right by my side...practically on me) and she miraculously stayed asleep! Only problem was Roy had not seen the transfer, and the next time he went to check on her she wasn't on the bed where he could see her. He was a bit frantic and kept coming out and staring at me, running the bedroom, sniffing around, and coming back to stare at me. I felt like asking, "What is it Lassie? Little Timmy fell down a well?" I finally took him in and lifted him up a bit (not easy as he's 85 lbs) so he could see her in the bassinet...then all was well in the Palmer household.

Yesterday Matt and I took Tatum on her first hike on Tiger Mountain. She slept the whole time in her Ergo baby, but we enjoyed the beautiful trees and lake! Its the first hike I've been on in months and it felt so good to get back outside and on a trail!

And by the way, did you notice Tatum is part elf?

We've gotten to use our Baby Jogger stroller too, which is AWESOME, by the way!

The fully reclining feature plus a snuzzler make it a perfect napping place!

I finally got a few barrettes for Miss Tatum, too, as her hair is just out of control! I love it!

And since I'm usually the photographer, I got Matt to get a few pics of me and Miss Tatum so there's proof I was actually around during the first month of her life... ;-)

And here's 2 short videos from our hike:

And here's the sound Tatum makes when in the ergo, or the swing, or the Moby...

Reprieve

2011-08-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

I think God knows when we're at our limit and sends us a reprieve.

Yesterday was a long, hard, exhausting day. When Matt got home at 8:45 I sprang at the chance to get out and go pick up some diapers (my 3 1/2 week old is already in size 2 diapers!), and Matt graciously said to take my time and he could handle her fussiness. I grabbed my keys and ran out the door--teeth unbrushed, face still unwashed, hair in a scraggly pony tail, spit up on both shoulders and pen marks on my boob from trying to finish thank you notes with Tatum on my shoulder (not sure how pen ended up there but it was a struggle).

After a stop to get a large diet coke and an order of curly fries, I got the diapers, some cute barrettes because Tatum's hair is getting out of control, and a six pack of Mirror Pond Pale Ale that was very much appreciated. By the time I got home I was ready to hold my sweet baby girl again...even when she wasn't acting too sweet.

Last night, Tatum graciously slept from 2:45 until 7:30, letting me get a wonderful 5 hours of sleep! And today she took long naps in her car seat and stroller, and Matt and I got to go to church, Target, lunch at Panera Bread, a nice drive along Lake Washington, and a nice looooong walk in the glorious sunshine! And her awake times have been minimally fussy! Thank You Lord!

Ahhhh, days like this make days like yesterday sooooo worth it!

Growth Spurts

2011-08-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

Last week Tatum must have gone through some major growth spurt because she had three modes:

Eating

Sleeping

Fussy

She was eating every 30 minutes to an hour during the day, and we're not giving her a bottle (with breast milk) until she's a month old so it was all Mama, baby. Thankfully she was still sleeping well at night and I was getting 3-5 hours of sleep at a time which is just rapturous! But the day times were a bit brutal.

It made me think about growth spurts that God takes us through. We're hungry and just want more and more and more, and if we can't feel Him around we get rather fussy and complaining and vocal about it. Sometimes we're forced to grow and we're just not too happy about it. We cry and want to be held all the way through it. There's no spiritual binky to satisfy your soul.

And I'm wondering why God's deciding to coincide my spiritual growth spurt with Tatum's...it's rather exhausting...

Tatum's Third Week

2011-08-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here's my little Tater Tot at 3 weeks old. This time three weeks ago we were just arriving at the birth center and I was sinking into the hot bath and thanking the sweet Lord Jesus for it!

This past week has been our first full week just us three here. Matt's gone back to work and I've been learning to vacuum one-handed. I'v learned the Moby wrap and the Ergo baby have been absolutely essential to getting anything done, as Miss Tatum doesn't like to be put down for long...like for these weekly pictures. Besides this yawn picture we don't have one picture of the 60-some-odd pictures where she isn't frowning!

The past 4 or 5 nights she's decided to be a grumpy night owl and stay awake from 8 until 2ish, eat every 20-40 minutes, sleep for 5 minutes and fuss in between. At least she makes up for it and sleeps until 11 or 12 the next day, and she's (sometimes) sleeping for 4-6 hours at night--hallelujah!

On another random note, I finally finished what was supposed to be my "early labor project" - this puzzle! Only thing was my early labor lasted less than an hour before I was in full swing active labor, so Beth and I got this out during week 2 to finally finish! Its of Vail, Colorado, which is where Matt and I went on our honeymoon.

It felt like Disneyland covered with snow--such fun!

But you didn't come here to see pictures of a puzzle or our honeymoon - you came for Tatum! So here's a few from the past week of our little Tater Tot:

We got an activity mat that Roy seems to like as much as Tatum does...

a little Daddy/daughter time

its a lot of work holding that head up...

Roy is still protector of the realm

Isn't this cloth diaper the cutest?! Thanks Chad & Karli!

Dad's knees make a good bouncer substitute

Roy is beginning to take over the activity mat...

That's all for now!

Birth Announcements are ordered!

2011-08-23T00:14:00.001-07:00

Just ordered our birth announcements!

Initially Girl Baby Announcements

Find hundreds of cute baby birth announcements at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Tatum's Second Week

2011-08-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here nuzzling the downy softness of Tatum's light brown hair, breathing in the scent of new baby and a hint of Burt's Bees baby wash, and reveling in the sweetness of being a mom.

The past two weeks have gone by both fast and slow. Time seems to stand still when I'm just staring at her, and then I look up and its time for bed again. Things I mean to get done just stay undone.

Its amazing how much she changes day to day. She lifts her head, and holds her head and upper body up by herself. She smiles, has giggled, and now focuses on toys suspended over her swing or bouncer. Yesterday she was looking at pictures in a book, and when I turned around she was holding onto one of the pages.

One of her favorite places to be is on Daddy's chest. I love hearing him talk to her, calling her Bucko (a little masculine, but Dad gets to choose his own nicknames), Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Pea.

Tonight she was exploring her face and then found out she had hair. She petted it awhile, then all of the sudden grabbed a big hunk of it and yanked with all her might. And proceeded to scream. And not let go. I had to pry her tiny fingers from the death grip she had on herself, and once she was on my shoulder and being held she finally calmed down.

This was from tonight--sheer perfection. Down to the Alfalfa cowlick.

And I had to showcase this outfit--camo and lace. That's my baby girl. (with Roy watching over her)

And here's a few more from the past week:

She fell asleep during her bath...must have been very relaxing!

And I love love love love her crazy hair. Not so much the spit up on my shirt but what the hay...comes with the package :-)

Even on days like today and yesterday, when she must be going through a growth spurt and is wanting to feed every 30-45 minutes and cries her head off if she's not being held, its still the best job in the world just to pick her up and know I'm the one that can instantly quiet her. Her smile (even if its just her passing gas) makes it all worth it.

Last but not least a little video of our Tater Tot taken by Grandma Beth:

The Birth Story from Roy's Point of View

2011-08-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

(Note from Mom: in case you missed it, Matt posted his thoughts as a new father HERE, and you can either scroll down or click HERE for the birth story and pictures)

Hello.

You've heard a lot about me, but I've kept my peace until now.

I'm Roy. AKA the FIRST baby. Please do not forget that. I've accepted this new addition to the pack but I want it understood that I was here first. Got it? I'll keep reminding you as needed.

I've known something's been up for awhile now. Mom smells funny and either she's been eating far too much or there was something else going on with that belly of hers. So I stepped up the guard duty. Personal escort for 3 am bathroom trips, I made sure her feet were always warm, and despite the fact that her walking duties were seriously shirked I still followed her around incessantly and let her love on me as needed.

Two weeks ago I was on the bed in between her and Dad, and I could sense something was different. She wasn't sleeping, and didn't seem to appreciate my attempts to lay on her legs. She got up and I, being a good dog followed her into the living room where she and that person who sounds just like her but looks a bit different and calls herself Nonnie started working on a puzzle.

I tried to find a place to lay next to her but she kept pacing which just aggravated the heck out of me. Can't she stay still and let me do my job? After awhile they went outside for a walk (I even heard them say the word!) without me. What gives? Who does she think is going to take care of her out there? Surely not that Nonnie person! I waited by the door until they got back.

When they did get back, Dad got up and then things started to get interesting. Mom was groaning and walking around and I tried to stay by her but she seemed rather irritated and kept almost stepping on me, so I lay down and just watched her with alert ears.

Eventually they left me in my bedroom and rushed off somewhere, which really had me worried! After a few hours the upstairs neighbors came and got me, but how could they expect me to calm down? Something was happening to my Mom and I was not there to supervise! I paced the floors until they showed me a picture of a teeny person (I think it was a person). So that was it...Mom had a puppy. Knowing all was well, I laid right down.

More time went on, though, the neighbors went to sleep and still Mom and Dad weren't home. Something delicious smelling came from the laundry room...it was right at my level too. It seemed to smell like old goat cheese and was wrapped in a white cloth-like thing with elastic and tabs and placed in a low bucket. I decided to treat myself to some dessert.

When Dad came in to find me he was not too happy about my choice of a midnight snack. He kept saying something about a "dirty diaper" and could hardly stand to be within a few feet of me. He took me outside, grabbed some spray and rags and headed back upstairs.

Then Nonnie came down with a big plastic thing held up by a handle that she put on the kitchen table, and Mom followed slowly being helped by that lovely friend of hers who knows how to scratch a butt really well. I bounded up to Mom but she recoiled instantly shrieking, "GOOD LORD YOUR BREATH!!!" Not exactly the reception I had planned.

They finally let me back inside and I sniffed that small person-thing once or twice but was more excited my people were back to give me the attention I deserved.

I must have done something right because they gave me a big Kong filled with peanut butter, muttering something about "masking the smell." They all finally went to sleep and would you believe it? Mom and Dad wouldn't let me in the bedroom! They said I stunk too bad to be in a small space! And so I paced from their door to Nonnie to Charissa and back to the door until finally Mom opened the door and let me in and then opened a window.

Something was making squeaking noises from that mini-bed, but I couldn't see over the rim. Mom finally pulled this little bundle out and laid it on the bed with her so I took a few more sniffs. Hmmm. Not to sure on that one, but maybe she'll be gone in the morning. Seeing everyone was okay, I went to sleep.

The next morning those wonderful people who own my best friend Cooper came and picked me up and I got to spend a whole day and night with them. The day after when they brought me home I was beyond tired, and that little person was still around and Mom was still holding it. This kinda irked me. What was I, chopped liver? Actually in my case that would be a good thing, so what was I? Chopped cucumber? I decided to give them the cold shoulder. All day when either of the females called me I just ignored them. Slept with my back to them, didn't even look at them.

That got pretty old, so I acquiesced the next day and returned my full attention, and figured since the tiny thing was still around I'd better get used to it and guard it as well. The hardest part is trying to keep my eyes on everyone at once--one in the living room, two in the bedroom--I pace all day long! Do they know how tiring that is?

So now I've accepted this little person is staying. I do my part and check her out each time I come back from outside or they take her out, sleep by her swing, stay on Mom's side of the bed when the baby is asleep with her and all that good stuff.

They tell me just wait until she's old enough to start dropping me cheerios and playing with me...'till then I'll have to just keep reminding them that I'm the FIRST baby!

Tatum's Birth Story

2011-08-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning on August 2nd, I was 9 days overdue and more than ready to have this baby. Most of our family had been in Seattle for a week, waiting for Tatum’s arrival, and had already had to go back home. I was trying everything suggested that was given the green light by my midwife, Chris, and after walking miles and miles, scrubbing my floor on my hands and knees, having acupressure massage every night by my family, eating tons of spicy food, consuming a whole pineapple in one sitting, taking evening primrose oil and a host of other serious and not-so-serious attempts, I was basically done trying and ready to let nature take her course.

I had been having consistent Braxton-Hicks contractions since the previous Friday night—anywhere from 2-7 minutes apart. No pain, they didn't hinder any sleeping and I hardly noticed them…I just kept waiting for them to roll over into actual labor. I had never wanted to feel some pain so much!

On Monday, August 1st, we went in for a fetal non-stress test. We had another ultrasound and checked that the amniotic fluid level was still adequate and all that good stuff. She was so low that we couldn't get a good look at her face, and she was so curled up we couldn’t double check to see if it was really a girl. Their estimation of her weight was 9 lbs 3 oz…with a wide margin for error, they explained. I thought she was going to weigh around 8 ½ or closer to 9 lbs maybe…

On Tuesday at our appointment at noon, Chris checked me and we were surprised to find I was dilated 3 cm and 50% effaced! Those Braxton-Hicks had been doing something! She stripped my membranes. UN-COM-FOR-TABLE (Read: ouch)! It was pretty amazing that Chris would gently push on Tatum’s head and I’d see my whole belly move! Weird that someone can touch your baby inside you before you can!

After heading back home, I laid down for a nap but never fell asleep—just rested. The contractions seemed to be getting a bit stronger, and by 3:00 I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. They were about 10 minutes apart, but I had to breathe through them. I got up and told my mom I thought this might be the start of things, and we started a puzzle and let Matt sleep a bit more. By 4:00 I couldn’t sit down, and even just standing bending over the puzzle was becoming a challenge. I was so afraid it would peter out, though; I didn’t want to wake Matt or call anyone just yet.

My mom suggested a walk and so we slowly (and uncomfortably) walked once around the neighborhood—me having to stop and breathe through contractions. I was getting a little nervous…if this was only an hour or so into labor and was starting to take my breath away, how would I handle the amount of hours left?

Back in our house, Matt got up and I told him I thought I was (finally) in labor. It was getting close to 6:00, and the contractions were definitely becoming more intense. I was beginning to vocalize a bit through them at this point. I asked for some music because the silence in between the contractions made me feel so watched, so Matt put on some country music. Something about the Dixie Chicks proved to be extremely irritating, and after another contraction all I could verbalize was I wanted something with no words. Matt then put on some classical music, but Mozart wasn’t cutting it either. Finally he put on the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice, and the music of Jean-Yves Thibaudet hit the spot and carried me all the way through the actual birth.

Matt called Chris and let her know things had gotten started and contractions were between 2 and 4 minutes apart, I talked to her and had a relatively easy contraction on the phone, and she said to call back in an hour.

Then the first serious pain hit and I was not prepared for it. I became a bit hysterical and didn’t know what to do—meanwhile I was thinking if this was only the beginning…how much worse was it going to get? My mom and Matt were both unprepared for the sudden intensification as well, and I just stood there crying “What do I do?!?! What do I do?!?!” until Matt brought some flowers and told me to breathe in and look at the rosebud, and breathe out and look at the unfurled rose. That helped me through that one and then out came our cheat sheets for my mom and Matt to help me know what to do through contractions. One of my biggest fears had been not knowing or remembering what to do during a contraction, and it turned out I couldn’t remember anything to try to cope except to keep breathing deep.

After that the contractions came fast and very strong—most of them double and sometimes triple peaking. I would only get a minute or two in between before it would hit again. I tried laboring on my hands and knees, squatting, and got in the shower but nothing seemed to help me get in a rhythm. I was definitely vocalizing through at this point, but the pain was so shocking it was literally taking my breath and I was giving high pitched yelps instead of letting my voice be low and open. Even between contractions I was still at a pain level of 4 or 5 and after what seemed like just a few breaths I would feel another wave hit.

Matt called Chris at 6:40 with an update that things were getting pretty intense, and again I got an easier contraction while talking to her. I even told her, “Can I just stay on the phone with you? They’re easier!” I gave the phone back to Matt and right as she was telling him to call back in 30 minutes a real contraction hit. I was vocalizing through it and Matt let Chris listen. At that point she said to get in the car and get to the birth center! THANK GOODNESS!

They don’t lie when they say that the ride to the hospital/birth center during labor will be the worst car ride of your life. What I didn’t realize then was I was going through transition while in the car. I was getting only 30-45 seconds of a break in between very intense contractions, in my car that has almost no shocks. I kept thinking, “It’s only been four hours...what if we get there and I’m only 4 or 5 cm dilated???”

We got to the birth center and I was stripping and headed towards the tub as soon as I crossed the threshold. All that thought of what I was going to wear to give birth went out the window. Bikini top? What bikini top? I didn’t care if Billy Graham had been sitting in the corner--I was getting into that tub as fast as possible!

The second I got in the water things got much better. It was such a relief, and contractions slowed down a bit giving me a few minutes of much needed rest in between. Chris checked me and I was relieved beyond belief to find out I was 9 cm dilated and 100% effaced! It was definitely reassuring I wasn’t going to have to be doing this for that much longer! That knowledge and the relief from the hot water helped give me the energy and the confidence I could finish this how I had wanted--drug free and in the water.

Matt got behind me with a cold washcloth, and I held onto his hand like it was a lifeline. I was finally able to get into a rhythm, moaning “Oooo-kay, ooooo-kay, oooo-Jesus” and staring at a fixed point of the painting on the wall. During some of the harder contractions I would ask frantically, “Is this normal?!?! Tell me I’m OK!!!” Chris would get right in front of my face and reassure me that this was totally normal, that this was just a really fast labor and that soon our baby girl would be in my arms.

After about an hour I began to feel the urge to push. I moved to a different corner of the tub, Matt put his feet in and sat next to me, and when pushing I would pull myself up with his hand and by holding onto the faucet. Focusing on putting effort into pulling my hips up let me relax everything else. Matt began to do my moan/chant with me and it was oddly comforting and irritating at the same time. It was comforting he was doing it with me, but I knew I’d be irritated if we went out of sync so I worked on matching him as he matched me—which in hindsight was probably really helpful in making sure I was taking deep long breaths!

I don’t think I ever got into that “Labor Land-Zen zone,” because in between pushing I would think about the fact that 300,000 other women were giving birth that day, or I would ask if anyone had ever broken the faucet before because I was pulling with all I had. I even sang a bit of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

Twenty minutes into pushing Chris could see the top of her head. From then it was really encouraging because with every push Matt, my mom, Chris and the student midwife would get really excited about getting to see more of the baby! They held a mirror for me and I got to touch her sweet little head and feel a long lock of hair, but then I had them take it away because I was pushing better with my eyes closed.

It only took 7-10 more minutes of pushing before Tatum Keturah came into the world all at once with one gigantic push at 8:52 pm. I immediately felt such a release of pressure! She came out of the water squalling but within a few seconds of me talking to her she was quiet and calm. Right away she pooped twice in my hand (ahh love), and after a few minutes Matt was able to cut the cord.

Tatum's first breath

She was so calm and alert after we started talking to her!

Instant Love.

Proud Daddy

Auntie Charissa who sped all the way from Portland and still missed the birth--but she was definitely still needed!

She's starting off so spiritual...

Her first outfit

She weighed 9 lbs 15 ½ oz, and was 21 ½ inches long. When the ultrasound technician had said wide margin of error for their guess of 9 lbs 3 oz, I was thinking she would be smaller, not a nearly 10 lb baby!

Even with that, I only had minor second degree tearing. After I delivered the placenta and showered, I got to nurse Tatum for the first time. She was a little champ (or chunk) and nursed for a long time that first time! We got to take her home when she was 4 hours old, and it was so nice to be able to sleep (I actually just stared) in bed with a baby beside me, where less than 12 hours earlier I had been napping uncomfortable at 41 weeks pregnant!

Tatum's First Week

2011-08-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

Tatum Keturah Palmer was born on the night of August 2nd, at 8:52 in the evening.

She weighed 9 pounds 15 1/2 ounces (after 2 poos), and was 21 1/2 inches long.

I'll post the birth story later, but here are a few of our favorite pics from this first week of her life.

our midwife Chris, who was awesome

Tatum's going home outfit

Grandma Beth and Grandpa Dave

Nonnie

did I give birth to a sumo wrestler?

first bath time--and she did awesome!

no tears at all!

sunshine time

is she just the sweetest thing you ever saw?

yes, why yes she is.

big eyes!

introducing my newest blog topic...

while holding her elbows, she's ready for a Russian jig

love the cross-eyed look. we'll be using this for her graduation photo one day...

cutest butt ever

Popeye impersonation

And we're blatantly copying an idea from the Young House Love blog--weekly photos of our Tater Tot!

Stay tuned for the whole birth story, and a blog post from the Roy Boy's perspective.

Seasons Drink Deep into our Soul: Musings of a new Father

2011-08-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Living many years in two different cities, San Diego (perpetual sun), Seattle (perpetual rain), we often yearn for the fall crisp mornings of Vermont or the budding spring flowers of Northern California. “The Best Season” for Kaitlynn and I has always been the fall.

Fall to us represents a myriad of images that we imbibe deep and breathe out as new memories. Fall represents the transition of a nature at its peak with glistening snow capped mountains, vibrant green pine and lakes with blue so deep that it pulls down the sky, to its hibernation from cold hard nights of fierce winds that strip trees bare. Yet in that transition comes a beauty of both seasons as an elderly leaf shines brilliant, crisp marries morning, and truth beckons minds to comprehend the beauty of change. This is my mind comprehending the beauty of our change.

Kaitlynn and I fromed a union in the Fall of 2007. In this best season of our life, two histories of two people came together for one day in love to witness and new union in the eyes of God. Three years later the out pouring of that love created a new life despite efforts to delay its creation (we used birth control). The knowledge of this life was put into question as we experienced the scare of a miscarriage. With our hearts in the pit of our stomachs we tensely watched our first ultra-sound. What we witnessed at that moment was a heart beat so strong and fast that it ripped through our being to tell us; “I am a new life and I am full of spirit”.

The name Tatum means “full of spirit” and we knew that this was true from the first moment we lay eyes on her. Keturah, her middle name, means “incense or offering”. This can mean many things to many people. To me it is a representation of the potential and purity of life given through death of one self to the sanctity of the Truth. Kaitlynn more than anyone these past 9 months, has experienced this death of her traditional body to create this new life. The list of the symptoms of this transition can be endless, but a few standouts are arthritic knees, hands so swollen it hurts to pick up a pen, and no medical help for migraines so intense that it is as a hammer pounding a nail into one’s skull for sometimes a week at a time.

As a husband and witness I have seen the beauty of in this transition. I have never been more impressed with anyone who has endured this challenge and maintained the same commitment to being a wife and provider to our marriage. Even more amazing was her resolve through 8 days of carrying a 10 pound baby and a group of anxious family all over the country waiting the newest addition. Yet the ultimate representation of my wife’s strength was her determination and endurance in delivering a 10 pound baby and a 7 pound placenta with not one drop of medication.

The leaves of our lives have turned bright with fire, to fall and create our new best season.

41 Weeks and Counting

2011-08-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Seriously?

41 weeks and 2 days here.

Are we done yet?

We went to have a fetal non-stress test yesterday, and when asked if Tatum was still moving around I replied definitely. The nurse asked how long it usually took to feel 10 movements and I said, "Usually around 20 minutes if she's awake," and the nurse looked at me doubtfully. After strapping the fetal monitor on my belly (which made me really really grateful that if I'm in the birth center I won't be having that thing strapped on me the whole time), she handed me a little clicker and told me to hit it every time I felt her move.

By the time the 20 minutes were up I had hit it 15 or 16 times...yup...she's still full of spirit like her name means!

Since we were there we had a biophysical profile (ie another ultrasound). Personally I wasn't worried about Tatum's not having enough amniotic fluid or her size (seeing as she's still moving so much), but we were there and thought "Eh, why not." Selfishly I was hoping to get a sneak preview of her face, but she's sooooo low we couldn't get that. We could tell she was holding her hands in front of her face--so Miss T you'd better drop your boxer stance before heading south!

It turns out the level of amniotic fluid is just fine, she's practicing breathing and still wiggling like a monkey, and their guesstimate for her weight (with a wide margin for error) is 9lbs 3oz!

This morning we'll be visiting with my midwife and hopefully get the green light for a few new tricks to try to get things going in the labor department.

By the way, if its been suggested, I've tried it with the exception of castor oil which my midwife wanted to wait on since she has seen a lot more meconium (baby poo) in the amniotic fluid (not a great thing since the baby can inhale it) with moms who use castor oil to induce labor.

I know intentions are good, but I've tried every easy, odd and crazy thing to bring about labor so far, so please no more suggestions. Little Tatum is just letting us know she's got her own timeline and isn't one to be pushed around (until she's in a stroller).

Hopefully this will be the last pre-baby post and next time you'll see a picture of our little one's face!

How NOT To Talk To A Pregnant Woman

2011-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

In the past few months I've had some things said to me that just stop me in my tracks and make my jaw drop. For the most part, God's had grace on the people who've said these things and I've mostly smiled politely, but I thought I'd offer up a nice little tutorial on pregnancy etiquette--for those pregnant ladies you know and especially those pregnant ladies you don't know. I also know I've been guilty of saying some of these things too, and to those pregnant mommies I've said any of these I'm so sorry!

I've asked a few friends to throw in what bothered them the most as well, so here you have a guide:

What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Woman

1. You're HUGE!

I've gotten this a number of times, most recently from the lady behind the bakery counter at Safeway last Saturday. I didn't see her at first, but according to my mom she saw me and made a beeline all the way around the counter and came in front to give me this lovely complement.

Here are a few response options:
(in the same surprised voice) You TOO!!!
Actually I'm having a pony.
Watch for me on the next Biggest Loser!

As my mouth hung open trying to think of what to say in response that was semi-nice (thank you?!), she added...

2. Are you having TWINS???

No. I am not having twins. I'm growing a person in my belly. So never, ever ask if a woman is having twins...if she is she will tell you. (I've gotten asked this 3 or 4 times too, by the way).

Optional replies:
No, obesity runs in my family.
I believe in healthy babies
Actually I have a tumor.

3. This is the biggest I've ever seen you!

Again, what do you say in response to this? Thanks so much, you either!

A friend who was told this (at her baby shower) would have like to have said: you try being pregnant in the middle of the summer with 90 degree weather and 70 percent humidity carrying a cantaloupe in your belly!"

4. You look like you're about to burst!

Yes, that's what happens to pregnant women. We just pop. Or burst. Or blow up. Or explode like a time bomb. Or my personal favorite, "You look like you're ready to spawn!" To their defense these men were fishermen...but still...spawn?

Try saying:
Then you'd better stay back, you might get splashed with amniotic fluid (I did use this one...)
I'm not a zit and I don't pop.

5. OH MY GOSH....[fill in the blank]...

Just refrain from starting any comment to a pregnant woman like this.

6. Get your rest now...while you can!

Personally I've been able to sleep great this pregnancy (which I think I owe all to a memory foam mattress), but I know a lot of pregnant woman who ended up sleeping so much better after their baby was born because they could sleep comfortably again! The thought that sleep might be worse after the baby is born is almost unbearable!

This goes for dads too, I think. Matt is normally a super-deep sleeper, but the past week or so he wakes up every time I roll over or get up to use the bathroom. He's trying to get his rest, but I think reminding him he's going to be getting less soon is just added pressure.

Now that you know what NOT to say, you CAN say...

You look GORGEOUS!

You have so much to look forward to!

You're all baby!

You're just glowing!

How many weeks are you? (whatever she says, respond: You look juuust right!)

Anything along these lines is appreciated.

So there you have it--a brief tutorial to help you determine how to talk to pregnant woman.

And here is a pic of Week 40...and yes I know I look like I'm about to pop.

What were/are your biggest pet peeves of things people would say to you during pregnancy?

Come Monday Morning...

2011-07-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Friday was my last day of working in an office.

Which feels very odd.

I felt like I was saying goodbye, have a good weekend and see you Monday, when come Monday morning (if Tatum hasn't come) I'll wake up and...drink a cup of coffee with my family. And then maybe take a walk. And then a nap.

It'll be the first Monday morning since I graduated college 5 years ago that I don't get up and get dressed and go to work without it being a holiday, vacation or me being sick. These people I've worked with and talked with and laughed with for 40 hours a week for 2 1/2 years are suddenly people I'm only going to be chatting with on Facebook or the occasional office visit when I bring Tatum in. Its a very weird feeling, and sort of sad.

I'll still be doing some work from home, and Lord knows being a mom is a full-time job, but I'm in that odd limbo-state where its kind of like a vacation but not really. Luckily I'm not one to sit around and be bored--there's still Tatum's quilt to finish, I've got a few stories that have been put on the back shelf for awhile that I'd love to dust off and work on, and I might actually get the patience to sit down and learn how to use Dreamweaver finally (I'm getting really sick of that banner up there, aren't you?)!

My due date was today and unless I have one of the fastest labors in first pregnancy history it looks like she won't be coming today...

But maybe she'll come Monday morning...

Transparency

2011-07-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my 150th Post!

I used a tool that converted all my blog posts into a photojournal book, and it was well over 300 pages long! So, Dad, when you ask if I've been writing lately the answer is definitely YES--that's a novel in 2 1/2 years!

A good friend sent me a great post from the blog It's Almost Naptime on “How To Be A Perfect Mom” and I just really loved how honest the mom was in saying that when looking at her three-week-old baby she wanted to scream “What do you want from me you little monster?”

I love down-to-earth posts like that. Some blogs I read make it sound like the mom has everything under control and nothing ever goes wrong (which we all know is just flat out impossible).

Photo by Marília Florêncio Santos

In looking back over my blogs, I hope I’ve been as transparent as that honest mom and continue to be as we embark on this new adventure of parenthood.

I’m certainly not the perfect wife, daughter, sister, or friend. I think I’ve shared enough embarrassing stories on here to make that clear! Sometimes, though, I leave out certain details just for the sake of humor.

Like the last story where I kept sneezing and peeing. What I didn’t tell you was I also had a migraine and by the time I left was on the verge of tears. I thought I’d have the drive to Issaquah to recover and get a grip, but then I saw Matt pass me on the way to the house and I realize that I must have missed his call (while sneezing) saying he’d meet me here. I turned around and pulled up behind him, rolled down the window and snapped at him to pull forward since we were taking his car, got into the passenger seat and promptly burst into sobbing “I’M SO SICK OF BEING PREGNANT!” Poor man, he just stroked my hair and (completely bewildered at what caused this outburst) assured me it was almost over and everything was okay.

My house is certainly not always clean (or even picked up), my food is not always beautiful and/or delicious (ask Matt about my attempt at homemade enchilada sauce...yuck), and I don’t get up at the crack of dawn to spend time with the Lord like I know I should. I feel accomplished if I remember to turn on the Daily Audio Bible on my way to work, or read a few verses and journal a short prayer right before I go to bed.

So in case there've been any delusions that I've got this whole how-to-handle-life thing down, I certainly do not. I'm living by grace day to day, and its nice to read other people's posts that remind me that I'm not the only one relying on His grace.

Minor note on the side, I started reading Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh again last night, and had forgotten how beautifully and simply and truthfully it is written. Its a short, small book, and if you need some soul balm its a great one to keep around.

Humorous in Hindsight + Week 38

2011-07-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to write this story since the fourth of July but was enduring a week long migraine which made everything I wrote seem depressing instead of humorous. This is meant to be humorous, so I've just had to wait.

Oh, and while I thought that we got pictures of my belly on my birthday for Week 37, it turns out they were all from the neck up...oh well. Here's Week 38...where I'm past the point of wearing maternity pants because Miss Tatum is riding so low! So I'm pretty much relegated to dresses, skirts and stretchy leggings until she is born.

On to the situation that was at the time beyond aggravating but in hindsight still makes me laugh.

Since being pregnant I've had this lovely side effect known as rhinitis of pregnancy. Its where my nose runs constantly and I sneeze probably 20 times a day on a good day. Lately, I'm not sure if its just worsened or combined with allergies, but I've been getting sneezing attacks where I'll sneeze repeatedly for 10 or 20 minutes. Combine that with a 6.5 lb baby and 6 lbs of uterus, placenta and amniotic fluid resting on my bladder and its not a good combination.

On the Fourth of July I was going to meet Matt after he got off work in Issaquah, and together we'd head to the fireworks show. I was right on time, was dressed and only had to put on mascara and get the room ready for Roy and head out. I had half an hour to do this.

Then I started sneezing.

And when I sneezed, I peed just a teeny bit.

So I changed my undies, put a liner on and went to apply mascara.

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

I changed the liner, and went to try to put the old sheet on the bed (there's no keeping Roy off while we're gone) and let my eyes stop watering when...

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

I sighed and changed the liner again, and got half the sheet on the bed.

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

This time I had to change my undies again, and got one more corner of the sheet on the bed when...

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

Changed again and got the other corner on the bed

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

Now these weren't just 'dry' sneezes. These were filling-up-two-kleenex-of-snot-sneezes. I made it back to the bathroom and managed to put mascara on one set of eyelashes when

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

You ladies who've sneezed with fresh mascara know that it smears everywhere when you sneeze, so I wiped that up and...

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

Changed my underwear again and this time managed to keep the sneezes at bay until I had done both eyes and they dried. Thinking this sneezing attack might be over I went to find Roy's kong to fill with peanut butter and...

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

I changed my underwear again, got the kong and went for the peanut butter and...

Aaa-CHOO

Psssss

AAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

Roy just kept cocking his head from side to side and looking at me like I'd lost my mind. I filled the kong with peanut butter and got halfway to the bedroom and

AAA-CHOOO
Pssss

This went on for 45 minutes before I could get out the door with mostly dry panties and only semi-smudged mascara.

Who ever heard of being late because they were sneezing? Admittedly it sounds ridiculous, but that's how my afternoon went. I only showed you ten sneezes but in that 45 minute span I probably sneezed at least 40 times. I thought I was going crazy! And it is pretty humorous when you think about it.

At least the fireworks were good!

So next time you sneeze, be thankful you don't have a watermelon pressing your bladder!

Seattle Bucket List

2011-07-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was my birthday, and Matt and I finally got to do two things we've been wanting to do since moving here.

1. The Space Needle

2. Eat at a Tom Douglas restaurant

If you don't know by now that we're foodies, then you probably haven't been reading the blog all that long or you've just been skimming the pics. I'll forgive you for both. But we love good food, and will go out of our way, save our pennies for a good dinner out, and buy super fresh and sometimes unusual ingredients to experiment cooking with.

At least its a shared hobby, and one of us isn't always pushing to try a new restaurant and the other thinking its a waste of money! And if you think God doesn't care about quality of food, just read through Leviticus and you'll see that He definitely appreciates the difference between good and bad flour and meat. And another look at Jesus' first miracle shows that even He knew it was worth it to change the water into an extra nice reserve wine rather than your average Two Buck Chuck.

Anyways, my birthday started out gorgeously beautiful--probably one of the prettiest days in Seattle this year, and I'm not exaggerating. It was the warmest day by far--81 degrees! I woke Matt up and we headed to Starbucks for breakfast (which is definitely not the norm for me), then we lounged around the house, watching The Cosby Show, reading in the sun and all that lovely leisurely stuff until it was time to head out.

After a quick stop to buy a used breast pump off of Craigslist (happy birthday to me...whoopee), we headed to the Space Needle along with everyone else and their mother. After waiting for about 50 minutes in line, we finally hopped on the elevator and were whisked skyward towards the observation deck.

First order of business was to find the line to the bathroom...and wouldn't you know it but an employee cut in front of me and spent 10 minutes cleaning the thing out! I wanted to point to my burgeoning belly and ask, "Seriously?" But my bladder didn't burst (and thankfully I didn't sneeze) and we finally made it outside.

It was seriously such a beautiful day to go up!

Then we headed downtown to Pike Place where we wandered around the park a bit before eating dinner.

We ate dinner at Etta's, where Matt got some delicious crab cakes and I had the panko breaded shrimp with a cocktail sauce that was amazing!

We finished the day off with some frozen yogurt and watching the movie Larry Crowne (it was entertaining, feel good, and a rental if you're interested in my opinion), and a shoulder rub at home to end the day. All in all a great birthday!

By the way, if you missed the last post and are curious about birth centers or water births, you can read it HERE.

And a happy fourth of July to you! Despite our grumblings and grievances about our government, at least we can grumble and complain and vote and change things without our army turning against us or being thrown in prison. A quick look at the news will show you we definitely live in a privileged country.

So have fun today at parades and eating hot dogs and watching fireworks!