One Year Ago Today...

We found out Susanna was on the way! Then, she had just barely begun to form. Now, she's a delightful four month old baby. We are truly blessed.

Three months old!!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. November was a pretty wild month for the Money family, and of course December is a busy month for any pastor. Between family and church, I've been lucky to catch my breath. However, Christmas is only 15 days away, and then things get calmer. :)

On Saturday, we dressed Susanna up in her ultra-cute Christmas dress and headed for the local mall to meet Santa. We were hoping that Susanna would grace Santa with one of her lovely smiles. Sadly, that was not the case. I think a few factors contributed to that. First, she's been teething (more on that later) so her "happy moments" are fleeting. Second, she was due for a feeding and was probably beginning to get hungry. Needless to day, we decided not to spend $25 on a photo package. Now, if she had been smiling, it would have been a different story. I may take her again before Christmas, and see if we can produce a smile.

In regards to the teething...many people have said, "she's teething at three months? Already?" Apparently this stuff tends to be genetic, and since Susanna's mother (yours truly) cut her first tooth at three months, it's highly possible that Susanna will be an early teether, too. She's also exhibiting all the classic signs: prodigious drooling, rubbing her jaw a lot, fussing for no apparent reason, and waking up in the middle of the night. I even took her to the doctor's office on Wednesday, because I was afraid that she had an ear infection (even without a fever). The nice Nurse Practitioner said that Susanna looked perfectly healthy, and the symptoms sounded like teething.

By the way, the kid weighs 13 lbs.

Happy Anniversary, Simon!!

One year ago today, Simon became a member of the Money family. The above pic is what he looks like now. The below pic is what he looked like back then. What a big change! We love our sweet "little boy"; he loves to cuddle with us and makes an excellent guard dog!

My future model??

So, we're back from the pedi's office for Susanna's two-month checkup. She screamed when she got the shots (three of them), but we had given her Tylenol right before, so she is now sleeping happily.

The big news...Susanna weighs 10 lbs, 13 oz. That puts her in the 59th percentile for her age.

The bigger news...Susanna is 24" long. Yes, that's twenty-four inches. As in, two feet. She grew three inches in the past month!! Her current length puts her in the 95th percentile for her age.

My baby girl is shaping up to be long and lean. Maybe she'll have a career as a model??

Susanna at two months old

Here's a quick picture of Susanna, who is growing so fast it's hard to believe!! She turned two months old last Monday, and has her two-month checkup (complete with shots) on Friday. Today was her first full day in day care (sniff, sniff). I miss her like crazy, but I am getting SO much more work done. Susanna is being baptized this Sunday. Our friend and former pastor, Dave, is doing the baptism. Therefore, I feel the need to really have a kick-butt sermon this week. Not that I don't try to have a great sermon every week, but it's not every week that your former pastor is in the congregation. :) Off I go to exegete and apply...

Why I'm Doing This To Myself...

I've been gently reminded by my grandmother that it has been a long time since I posted. That's mostly because I've been busy. Susanna is now sleeping through the night (meaning 8+ hours at a time), but she never naps during the day. So I was able to get NOTHING accomplished for the last few weeks of my maternity leave. However, I am sleeping somewhat decently at night. That's good, because I returned to work last week. Don't expect to see much posting in November, either. Charge Conference is on the 29th.

An update on the breastfeeding front...it's been a rocky ride. I am still pretty much pumping exclusively, simply because it's less frustrating to pump than to deal with our nursing challenges. I finally got her to latch on (thanks to the wonders of nipple shells) and we had a few happy weeks of nursing. Then things got rocky (it seemed like she wasn't getting enough and my supply started dropping) and I started pumping again to build my supply back up. It's still not up, and I've had to dip into my (small) stash of frozen milk and even supplement with formula a few times. However, I have an iron will when I so desire, and it is my firm desire to supply my daughter with breast milk until my supply dries up, or until her first birthday, whichever comes first. Therefore, every three hours during waking hours and once at night I hook myself up to my Medela Pump in Style for 20 minutes. Why am I torturing myself this way, you ask? Because of this:

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061209/bob8.asp

The health benefits of breastmilk are incomparable and obviously God-designed. There's nothing wrong with formula; it's a wonderful invention and provides adequate nutrition for babies whose mothers can't breastfeed or who are adopted/in foster care. In fact, I usually wind up giving Susanna formula at least once a week. But formula was designed as a substitute for breast milk. Even the best scientific minds will never be able to perfectly replicate breast milk. When I feed Susanna "Mommy's Milk", she receives antibodies from me that help her immune system resist infection, viruses, etc. This is especially true if I get sick; she'll receive antibodies that will help her fight that specific illness. Of course she's still going to get sick at times, but it is my hope that by feeding her primarily breastmilk she'll be healthier than if she was primarily formula-fed. There's also the fact that breastmilk is free and formula is not free. I'm getting frugal in my old age. :)

So, I'll keep popping the Brewer's Yeast, eating oatmeal for breakfast, and hook myself up to the pump in order to provide the best food possible for my daughter. But if I have to switch to formula at some point (due to a low supply), I'll do so knowing that I tried my darndest to feed her breastmilk and I'll be satisfied that she is still receiving the nutrients she needs to grow and thrive. And thanks to the nice folks at Similac, Nestle, and Enfamil, I have enough samples to last a month and enough coupons that I wouldn't be paying full cost for another two or three months.

I'd better end this now...it's time for a pumping session. Moo...moo...moo...

Exciting times...

It's been a fairly exciting week in the Money household. Here are the highlights:

• Last Friday, Simon turned one year old. Above is a picture of the birthday boy.
• Last weekend, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit my parents in Virginia Beach. While there, we got to meet up with our friends Joel and Melissa. They met Susanna for the first time and (like the intelligent people they are) declared her absolutely adorable.
• On Saturday (the 29th), Susanna turned one month old!
  
• Tuesday night (the 2nd), some of our neighbors' cows broke out of their fenced pasture, and decided to come visit us and meander in the road. I was unaware of this until someone rang our doorbell (at 9:15 p.m.) and informed me of this. The next morning, we found a "cow patty" not 50 feet from the front door.
  
• Wednesday afternoon, someone ran off the road right near our house. One of the occupants was bleeding, so the police and EMS arrived at the scene...and the ambulance parked in our driveway.
• Today (Friday), Susanna had her one month checkup. Everything looks great, and she is 21" long and weighs 9 lbs, 1 oz.
  

Susanna turns one month old!

Susanna's Birth: The Untold Story-Part 2

OK, so part 1 ended with the nurse telling me that based on the contraction log, my contractions didn't seem that intense. Of course, she meant that she thought they weren't doing anything. However, she did say that the doctor on call (who, thankfully, was MY doctor) would come in once she finished up a delivery to check things out. I was nearly in tears when she left because a) the contractions were REALLY hurting by now-my legs were shaking when they peaked and b) I had been having contractions for nearly 16 hours, and was devastated at the thought of being sent home.

An hour or so later (around 8:30), the doctor came in. She checked out my contraction log, checked my cervix, and proclaimed me in "active labor." I was 4-5 cm dilated. Yay! Things moved really quickly then. My nurse admitted me to the hospital (which took 1/2 an hour), I watched the epidural video, signed a bunch of forms giving them permission to do everything and anything to me, received a hospital bracelet, etc. Around 10:00, the anaesthesiologist came to do the epidural (the actual procedure sucked, but the pain relief was worth it) and by 10:45 I had complete pain relief. My nurse did another cervical check, and I was 6 cm dilated.

I settled in for a nap, because I was quite exhausted and knew I'd need strength for pushing. I didn't really sleep, but at least I got some rest. Every once in a while, James would go over and look at the monitor. It was amazing to see how intense and close together the contractions were coming. I was grateful for the epidural. I knew that I could have gone without pain relief if I had no choice (like women did 200 years ago), but the epidual made things so much bettern. I could feel the pressure, but none of the pain. Before, I had been a zombie from the pain, and all my energy was focused on surviving each contraction. Now, I was able to rest, regroup, and enjoy the experience. Since it had taken almost eight hours for me to dilate four centimeters, I thought Susanna might not arrive until daybreak. But I was wrong...

Around 1:30 a.m., my nurse came in and checked on me (she might have checked earlier too, but I don't remember). I mentioned that things felt a little different "down there", so she did a cervical check. Wahoo! I was fully dilated and ready to go. Of course, the doctor had gone home, so they had to call her in. Meanwhile, they began prepping the room for delivery. It was amazing to see how they totally transformed the room in about half an hour. Cabinets were opened and equipment removed. Surfaces were covered with sterile cloths. A big, bright light was brought in to shed some light down where the sun doesn't shine. :) The doc finally arrived around 2, and I began pushing immediately. There were three (3) nurses in the room along with the doctor. Apparently there are always two nurses present for a delivery, but I think my doctor was worried that I'd have trouble giving birth, so she requested an extra nurse. Once everything was in place, I began pushing. I had been afraid that I'd be "bad" at pushing; that my muscles wouldn't be strong or something like that. They were great about talking me through the whole thing, which made it much easier. Apparently I did fairly well, because Susanna came out relatively quickly and I had no bloodshot or black eyes and only one tiny hemorrhoid.

I pushed for forty-five minutes, and then finally I heard the doctor say that the head was out and then heard her tell James (who had wanted to cut the cord) that she (the doc) was cutting the cord (apparently it was around Susanna's neck). Another push or so, and I heard something along the lines of, "here we go" and "it's a girl, alright." However, they detected some meconium in the amniotic fluid (which hadn't broken yet, so it came out with her), so they immediately transferred her to the incubator and began suctioning gunk out of her and the like. Apparently she was a "blue baby" when born, but within a few seconds we heard her crying lustily. Her first Apgar score (at one minute) was a 7; the five-minute score was a 9.

While the nurses worked on Susanna, Dr. G and another nurse began working on me. They delivered the placenta (which James termed, "disgusting"), cleaned me up a little, and then the doctor proceded to begin stitching me up. She let me tear rather than have an episiotomy, which was fine with me. When I heard her say, "I'm calling this a third degree tear", I asked her how many degrees of tears there were. She told me four...so Susanna did quite a number on her mommy! It took her a while (close to an hour) to stitch me up, so once Susanna had been suctioned, scored, weighed, and cleaned up a little, James held her and bonded with her. During the stitching, we (the nurse, Dr. G, James, and me) talked about dogs...because it turns out that we're all dog people. It helped pass the time, anyway.

Finally, sometime around 4:00 a.m., we were both declared "done." James handed Susanna to me, and the nurse helped me with my first attempt at breastfeeding (which, ironically, went very well, given our later problems). I called my parents and James called his mom. We waited until 8-9 am to call everyone else (I'm sure you appreciated that). We stayed in the L&D room for another hour or so, and then Susanna got sent to the nursery for observation and I was transferred to my postpartum room. My nurse got me settled in, my IV lines were removed, and we went to sleep for a little while (they had a futon-like thing for James to sleep in). I was sore, we were both exhausted, but we were SO thankful for our beautiful little girl.

The End.

Susanna's Birth: The Untold Story-Part 1

Her Royal Highness is sleeping right now and has been for almost two hours, which has been wonderful. I've been able to pump milk, take a shower, get dressed, check my e-mail, and eat lunch. I thought I'd take advantage of the peace and quiet to share some of the details of Susanna's birth. I'll try not to be too graphic/detailed, but if you really don't want to hear about it, then just don't read any more. OK?

The week before I gave birth, I had been experiencing some kind of "event" every day, whether it be Braxton-Hicks contractions, cramps, or a backache. This was very frustrating. I had also tried every "natural" way of inducing labor, with the notable exception of castor oil.

Monday, August 27
That morning, I had a doctor's appointment. He didn't do a cervical exam, but he verified that the baby was head down and assured me that if she hadn't arrived by next Wednesday, we would "do something." I left with an appointment for September 5. I was not happy. As I left the office, I told one of the nurses that I REALLY didn't want to see her next week. That evening, I spent an hour or so with my PPR Chair, making the final arrangements of my maternity leave. As I left her house, her husband (who is my Church Council chair) commented on the full moon that was in plain view (folklore has it that a woman who is near her due date at a full moon will go into labor. Apparently there's some truth to that, because L&D units tend to be busiest around the full moon). I smiled gamely at him and said something to the tune of, "let's hope!" That was around 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 28
Susanna must have taken that as her cue to arrive, because I woke up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning with contractions. At first, I figured they were just more Braxton-Hicks, and I went to sleep. Around 5:15 a.m., I felt the first slightly painful contraction. I sat up in bed, and that's when James woke up. We stayed in bed for another hour and a half or so, while I experienced mild to moderately painful contractions. They were about 15 minutes apart.

Around 7:00 a.m., we decided to get up and get dressed, because we either needed to go to work (and for James, that involves a 90-minute drive) or begin timing the contractions and making final preparations for baby. I did everything I knew to make Braxton-Hicks contractions go away; showering, drinking tons of water, and lying on my side.

At about 8:00 a.m., the contractions began coming 10-12 minutes apart. They still weren't very painful, but I had the feeling that this was IT. So, James called his department chair and made arrangements for someone else to teach his classes for that day, and maybe the rest of the week. I called our dog-sitter to put her on alert and sent a few e-mails (still more maternity leave stuff).

By 10:00 a.m., I was experiencing contractions 7-10 minutes apart, with some coming as quickly as 5 minutes apart. I still wasn't in a huge amount of pain, but we figured we needed to head in the direction of the hospital "just in case." So we headed towards the hospital, via a few detours:

• Church, so I could put a "maternity leave" message on the machine, pick up my focal point (a ceramic cross), and get a copy of the new church directory.


• The bank, so James could get some cash out for food while we were in the hospital


• Chick-Fil-A, because I figured I should have lunch before arriving (they only allow ice chips once you're admitted)
  

By the time we finished our lunch around 12:00 p.m., my contractions had eased up somewhat. I was majorly disappointed, to say the least. I was afraid that this was simply a case of false labor. So, I told James to drive to the mall, in the hopes that walking would speed things up. We walked around the mall for an hour or so, with no major changes. I told him to head home. He had a class to teach at 5:15, and I figured that if nothing had happened by 3 p.m., I'd send him down to Durham. We hadn't even been home for half an hour when the contractions started to intensify and become more frequent...they were about 10 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds. And they hurt more than before. By 2:00 p.m., I suggested that we head over to the hospital. I knew it was still early, but I wanted to see if I had progressed any (in terms of dilation/effacement). I was also afraid that I'd send James down to Durham only to make him rush back.

We arrived at Labor & Delivery at 2:50 p.m. They checked me into a room and did a cervical exam. To my great disappointment, I was 2 cm dilated and 90% effaced. When they had examined me on the 16th (during False Alarm #2), I had been 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. However, they told me they'd observe me for a few hours and see how things progressed.
James and I hung out in the room. I made a few calls, we walked the halls a few times, we even tried to watch a DVD before we realized that there was no DVD-viewing software on our laptop. At one point (around 5:15 p.m.), the nurse came in, looked at the contraction log, and said that I was definitely in "early labor." She offered to order me a meal tray, since they don't restrict food intake until you're admitted (I was still technically an outpatient). I jumped at the thought of food, and James headed down to the cafeteria for his dinner.

The shift change occurs at 7:00 p.m., so sometime between then and 8:00 p.m. my new nurse came in, introduced herself, and took a glance at my contraction log. She then uttered words that nearly put me in tears: "I don't know...these don't look very intense. We'll have Dr. Gray look at you."

Her Highness has woken up and is demanding food. To be continued...

Yeehaw!!!

OK, UK is definitely going to be moving up in the rankings this week...or at least be high in the SEC rankings. We played Arkansas today, and it was our first SEC game. Even though we were 3-0 going into this game, everyone thought we'd lose. However...

We won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We won the game, 42-29. In the 4th quarter, we scored 21 points. So now, UK is 4-0. That's pretty incredible for a team that went to its first bowl game in YEARS last year.

Let's hope that the Redskins play as well against the Giants tomorrow. Then both of my teams will still be undefeated.

By the way, Susanna slept through most of this game.

Woohoo!

The only two teams I really follow are the Washington Redskins and the UKentucky Wildcats. Both teams have had rather...um...disappointing track records in recent years. However, this year is shaping up to be very different. Currently, both teams are undefeated; UK is 3-0 and the Redskins are 2-0. How cool is THAT? On Saturday, UK beat Louisville (ranked #9) for the first time in five years. Yesterday, the Redskins beat the Eagles (Patti sticks out tongue at Chalmer), last year's NFC East champs.

I think it's gonna be a good season. Now, we just need to get Susanna a Redskins outfit.

Susanna-weeks two and three

Finally--pictures of Susanna!

Bumps in the Road

The past two days have been very interesting...

On Wednesday, Mom and I took Susanna to the pediatrician for her 1-week weight check. Afterward, we went to the mall for lunch (at Chick-Fil-A, of course) and some shopping (because we're related to Jean Van Delft AND I needed nursing bras). We walked around a little bit, and then came home. Around 3, I started getting some cramps. That's normal, since my uterus has to shrink back down to the size of a fist. However, these cramps HURT, and the ones I had been feeling previously had merely been annoying. They got worse as the day/night went on, and 800 mg of Motrin and heating pads barely made a dent in them. Honestly, at the worst point I felt like I was in labor again. It was that bad.

On Thursday morning, I called my OB-GYN, and they scheduled me for that afternoon. She poked around and said she thought they were just severe uterine contractions, but wanted to send me for a CT Scan to rule out an abdominal hematoma or appendicitis. So, Mom and I headed over to the hospital, she dropped me off, and headed home to meet James' mom, who was supposed to be arriving momentarily.

[Insert fun adventure of two moms exchanging baby and keys to our Escape, and then a trip to the hospital to pick me up, with my mom leaving to go home right after]

When I got to the Radiology department, I was faced with two bits of unwelcome news. First, I had to drink this really nasty stuff that would highlight my intestines...and it takes two hours to take effect. That meant I either had to stay at the hospital for two hours OR go home and come back. Second, during the CT scan I would be injected with a contrast dye that would pass through breast milk for 48 hours...meaning I had to "pump and dump" during that time and supplement with formula.

I was able to go home and have one last pumping session before the CT scan. Thankfully, I had already stored about 10 oz of breast milk in the freezer and had another 6 oz in the fridge. I also had a bunch of formula samples that I had received at the hospital. So...we've been alternating giving Susanna pumped breast milk and formula. I just gave her the last of the breast milk, so until the 48 hours is over (at 7:00 p.m.), she'll have to get all formula. So much for my desire to give her ONLY breast milk her first six months...

Thankfully, the CT scan was normal, and showed no signs of a hematoma or appendicitis. My OB gave me Darvocet, which greatly helped the pain. I'm going to try and go without it today, and see how I do. I can't drive while I'm on the Darvocet, and I would like my independence back. The question that's on my mind: why, after a week of mild postpartum symptoms, did I suddenly get an attack of the Cramps from Hell? Anyone have a good guess?

Susanna's First Week

Susanna is one week old today. This parenting thing is wonderful, but exhausting and scary, also. Sorry there aren't pictures yet. I have a bunch, but I have to take the time to sort and post. I'm a little tired, due to a severe lack of sleep. Here's a rundown of what we've been up to:

Days 1 & 2: We're in the hospital. Susanna is discharged at 6:30 p.m. on the 30th, and I am discharged (by my condescending and inconsiderate nurse) at 7:45 p.m. Note the time difference...we waiting in my room for that long, and James hadn't had dinner yet.

Day 3: The very early morning is a disaster...we term her "Miss Fussybutton" because she either wants to be held or swaddled TIGHTLY. Later in the day, James goes to town and buys a Swaddle Me (currently useless, because she's too small), bottle brushes (since I'm having to pump so much), and deposits my paycheck. She finally quiets down and we get some sleep.

Day 4: She still won't nurse, and my nipples remain stubbornly inverted, despite nipple shells and pumping. We follow our intuition and decide that feeding her with the little medicine cup is a bad idea, so we break out the bottles and nipples and use those to feed her the pumped breast milk. She eats, she's happy, she sleeps, we're happy.

Day 5: It was weird being in the parsonage and not going to church. This was only the third Sunday in 14 months that I hadn't been in a worship service somewhere. Susanna has her first outing...to Food Lion for some necessities. Patti's mom arrives in the afternoon.

Day 6: It's Patti's 31st birthday. We decide to go to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. Susanna sleeps through the whole thing. We go home and eat yummy chocolate birthday cake. Four hours later, we discover that Susanna does NOT like chocolate in mommy's milk. Or maybe it's the Bloomin' Onion she doesn't like. Regardless, a very long night ensues for Mommy and Grandma (we let Daddy sleep because he had work and a long drive in the morning).

Day 7: A beacon of hope on the nursing front: Susanna nurses on one side for 20 minutes. She refuses the breast several times that evening, but we're still holding out hope. In the meantime, the breast pump is our best friend. Hey, it's the same product, just different packaging and less portable.

Day 8: Susanna's one week "birthday"! We have a big day: to the pediatrician for a weight check (she's gained back 6 of the 7 ounces she lost in the hospital), to the mall for Chick-Fil-A and shopping, and then to PetSmart and Food Lion for doggie and big people food. She slept through everything, except when she woke up briefly for the weight check. I had a Coke with lunch, so we'll find out tonight if she likes caffeine in Mommy's milk.

Pictures will follow...soon. I promise. In terms of "postpartum recovery", I'm feeling pretty good. I think I overdid it today, though; I'm feeling very crampy and sore. Thank God for the high-octane ibuprofen my OB prescribed. :)

Susanna is here!

Susanna Patricia arrived at 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29. You can see her ultra-cute picture at the Web Nursery site. Just request all babies born in August, in the state of Virginia, with the first three letters of my last name. You can even leave messages. :)

She was 7 lbs, 10 oz and a whopping 20.5" long. I was in labor for 22 hours, but thankfully only the final eight or so were really bad, and I had an epidural (wonderful invention, by the way) for the last four hours. I pushed for 45 minutes, and she gave me a 3rd-degree tear. She is worth every pain and every stitch!

I promise I'll post some photos within the next week. We got home last night and James and I are exhausted, I'm still sore, and we're having some problems with breastfeeding (I have slightly inverted nipples, which make latching a challenge). But it's a joy to have our little girl with us, and such a relief to not be pregnant anymore.

James was WONDERFUL during labor and delivery, and has been so supportive in this postpartum period. He's great with Susanna. Woody and Simon are very interested in her, and gave her many welcoming sniffs last night. My mom will probably come on Sunday to stay for a few days and help out, and then James' mom will come next weekend.

Keep us in your prayers, especially with the breastfeeding issues. Thank God for breast pumps, because otherwise I would have had to at least supplement with formula already!

When IT happens...spreading the word

No, I have not gone into labor yet. Hopefully that will happen this week, because I will be a VERY unhappy camper if I am in church a week from today. As I said today, I love my church, but I really want to have this baby soon! I'm still trying to induce labor naturally, with no success as of yet.

So many people (friends, family, church folk, etc) are sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if Susanna is here or not. I think people are afraid that they'll "miss the boat" and won't hear anything at all...or hear nothing until Susanna is a year old or something. Therefore, I thought I'd let you all know our "grand plan" for announcing her arrival. My goal is to have just about everyone know within 24 hours, either by phone or e-mail. Those of you who "lurk" will most likely find out from this blog, within 4-5 days after her birth.

I (or James) will call the following people ASAP: My parents, his mom, my grandmother, my PPR Chair, my Lay Leader, the pastor who's covering for me, and my District Superintendent.

Once I've moved into a postpartum room and am a little more settled (probably within 4 hours after the birth), one of us will call: the remaining members of the PPR (who can then spread the word to the church) and possibly some close friends.

At some point in the 24 hours after the birth, I'll send James to hunt down an Internet connection (probably in Pastoral Care) and send THE E-MAIL. Months ago, I composed a draft of an e-mail and created a mailing list entitled "Baby Announcement". There are currently 126 names on that mailing list. All James has to do is enter the pertinent info (date, time, weight, etc) and click "send". I have a similar e-mail draft set up on my church e-mail account, to notify church people (I think between the phone lines and Internet, most of the church will know within 24 hours).

Sometime after we come home, I will post an announcement on this blog, and at that point I'll include pictures. We have a digital camera (packed safely in my hospital bag, along with a spare battery and memory card), but probably won't be able to download pics until we're at home.

So...if all else fails, and you don't receive an e-mail from me, check this blog and you should see an announcement sometime within the next two weeks. Hopefully, it will be sooner.

Oh, and for those of you who are Virginia Conference clergy, there will probably also be an announcement on ClergyNet.

I don't know if I'll do paper birth announcements. It depends if I have the time and inclination to make them myself, because the fancy ones you order are really expensive ($1/piece, minimum) and I don't want to spend that kind of money. Sure, they look nice, but I have other things I could buy with that $$.

Still here...

Yes, I'm still pregnant. I'm big as a house, hormonal as anything, and really want to meet this child! I've gotten to the point where I'll try ANYTHING to go into labor. On Saturday, I went on the hayride at our church picnic. I think people were surprised that I made it to church on Sunday. :) On Monday, I went down to Durham (I needed to get out of Danville) for some shopping, and walked around a whole bunch. Today, I had Chinese for lunch. I may go to a health food store and buy some rasberry leaf tea. I've even taken out my breast pump and used it for a few minutes. Nothing's worked so far...I refuse to try castor oil. That stuff is NASTY.

Please pray that Susanna will come soon...I'm afraid if she stays in there for too long, she'll be gigantic and I'll have to have a C-section. I don't want one of those; I've gone almost 31 years without surgery, and I have no desire to change that!

Top Ten Additions (#4, #3)

#4 Your doctor sends you up to Labor & Delivery (aka L&D) "just in case", no matter what you call him/her for: contractions, back pain, possible amniotic leakage, ingrown toenail, etc.

#3 Your fear of labor pain is overshadowed by the fervent desire to have this child leave your womb NOW.

Happy Lefthanders' Day!

I did not know this...but today (August 13th) is Lefthanders' Day! I am proud to be a "lefty" and one of the 10% of "perfect" people in the world (heehee). I found the lyrics to this song online, and thought it was hysterical. It's called the "Lefty Lament Song". For the full experience, you need to hear it sung, so click on the link below the lyrics.

Three cheers to all the lefties out there!

Left-Handers Lament by Ian Radburn

Now here's the story of my life,I've had fun but lots of strife,

For I was born left-handed, but I'm proud

To be one of the elite, right-handers we can beat

We're the 10% that stand out from the crowd!
But as a little lad, oh the problems that I had

Winding clockwork toys was just a mystery

Tying laces was a pain, couldn't get it in my brain

Everything was back-to-front it seemed to me

Chorus: We're the Cack-Handed Kings, we're the LEFTIES

You right-handers just haven't got a clue

'Cos if you'd been through what we've been through

Then maybe you would feel superior too!

At 5 I started school where I was treated like a fool

Being left-handed I stood out from the pack

And learning how to write was not a struggle - more a fight

For I had my left hand tied behind my back

"Now get it in your head" the sympathetic teacher said

"You use the right and not the Devil's side"

Those supposed men of vision caused me pain and such derision

Is it any wonder often times I cried?

We're the Gibble Fisted Friends, we're the LEFTIES

(repeat chorus)
Time then came when my voice dropped

And my face was one big spot

But I was glad to see my teenage years arrive,

Because I use my left, I was different from the rest

And the girls saw me as something of a prize!
I learned some handy tricks in the back row of the flicks

It used to drive my girlfriends all berserk

For their eyes would keep apace of my right hand - just in case

And they never saw my left one go to work!
We're the Southpawed Princes, we're the LEFTIES

(repeat chorus)
Well I'm married now, worst luck

But my wife has given up

Asking me to help with chores like peeling spuds,

Or trying to cut the bread, I'll get a 4 x 2" wedge

Lose three fingertips and half a pint of blood
I would love to be a dad, but we've hit a little snag

If you can help please tell us what to do

The problem simply said, is that I'm a left-hand thread

But my wife you see, now she's a right-hand

.....OH, YES WE'RE THE
Scrummy-Handed Heroes, we're the LEFTIES

(repeat chorus)
Now we reach today, where you stand and watch me play

And yes, I play right-handed it is true

For the very simple fact is that I've had to adapt

Something all we southpaws have to try and do

We have trouble tying ties, writing cheques out, using knivesand scissors made for use in your right hand

And when it comes to sport once again we are left short

In hockey and in polo we are banned
We're the Cuddy Wifter Winners, we're the LEFTIES

(repeat chorus)
Now I've finished off my song and as you move along

Please bear in mind the things I've had to say

And please show some respect for your friends who use the lef

tThanks for listening to me this Left-Handers Day.
Copyright: Ian Radburn, 2004

http://www.lefthandersday.com/audio/lefty_lament.wma

Top Ten Addition...

#5 You feel as though a beeping sound much akin to the backup alarm on a loader should accompany your rolling over in bed--- and it takes WAY too long to do!

Top Ten Ways to Know It's Time for Baby to COME SOON!

This is a work in progress...I hope to have it completed by the time I actually go into labor. Right now, I've only thought of a few things...

#10 You find yourself not fitting into/barely squeezing into small, tight spaces like church pews and restaurant booths because of your enormous belly.

#9 Your maternity clothes are getting too tight, but it's pointless to buy new clothes this late in your pregnancy.

#8 You can only wear two pairs of shoes because of your swollen feet/ankles (in my case, it's Birkentocks or sneakers).

#7 You find yourself flirting with the idea of abandoning your staunchly-held principles and parking in a handicapped spot, because all the "Expectant Mother" spots have been taken (by non-pregnant people, most likely), the nearest "normal" parking spot is ten spaces down the row, and the thought of walking that far in 90-degree heat makes you whimper. (NOTE: I would never park in a handicapped spot unless I genuinely needed it. However, the temptation is present...)

#6 You take a church member to the ER, and the woman at the registration desk looks at your belly, and asks if you need to be taken up to Labor & Delivery.

Stay tuned to see if I come up with any more brilliant ideas...

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

Today is our anniversary! James and I have been married for SIX years. I can't believe it's been that long---obviously time flies when you're having fun. Tonight we're going to Yancey House (in Yanceyville) for dinner. Here's a sobering thought--next year we'll have to get a baby-sitter.

So here are two pictures of us: "then" and "now" (sort-of). The pic on the right was taken last May, when James got his PhD. We haven't had too many pictures taken of the two of us this past year.

Perks of Country Life

James is, without contest, the "green thumb" in the family. I, on the other hand, am excellent at killing anything that grows. So, this spring James decided to plant a vegetable garden. We borrowed a tiller, bought some plants (tomatos, peppers, and cucumbers), and even erected a small fence around the garden.

Fast forward three months...the cucumbers and two pepper plants were eaten by rabbits. The tomato plants (about six) and other two pepper plants are doing just fine. Especially the tomato plants!! James went out today and picked all the ripe tomatos. He filled a 3-gallon bucket AND a large colander! It looks like there will be some more ready within the next few days, especially since it rained today.

Therefore...we have started making sauces and canning them. James made four pints of marinara sauce today, and I'm going to be making salsa tomorrow (probably more than four pints, because we have at least 30 tomatos left over). We'll probably make some more marinara sauce (good for pizza, pasta, and lasagna) with any other red tomatos. If the yellow tomatos keep producing at this rate, we'll have enough salsa to last us for years...

Durham Day...

James is going into school today (he only goes 1-2x/week in the summer), so I'm driving down with him. I have to get some final necessities at Babies R Us (I have a bunch of coupons that expire tomorrow) and I'm also going to a children's consignment shop to see if I can find a bouncer. My cousin gave me one, but unfortunately, it doesn't work. I've been told this is a VERY useful item in the first few months.

I went to my first "Probationers' Residency Event" on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was fun, but jam-packed and tiring. It didn't help that the beds at our conference assembly center are notoriously uncomfortable. I was happy to return to my comfy Sleep Number bed. :)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon.com back in February, and was told it would arrive on Saturday by UPS. When I did this for Half-Blood Prince, it arrived either the evening before release or early that morning. This time, I spent my morning running to the door whenever the dogs barked, hoping to see a brown delivery truck. I told James that if the book hadn't arrived by 1pm, I was heading to Wal-Mart to buy a copy. Yes, I'm impatient. Of course, it did allow me time to get some work done on my sermon and other church-related stuff.

At 12:50 p.m., the mail arrived. Guess what was in the mail? Yup, Harry Potter #7. Apparently Amazon decided to have a bunch of books arrive via the Postal Service. Anyway, I ripped the box out of James' hands, grabbed the book, and headed to the nursery (and the ultra-comfy glider) for some heavy reading. Five hours later (without even so much as a bathroom break), I finished the book, Yes, I read almost 800 pages in that time period. After all, it is a children's book. :) I'll go back and re-read it to get a deeper understanding, but this time I really just wanted to capture the plot and, of course, find out what happens at the end.

Here's my brief summary/impression: J.K. Rowling is freaking brilliant. God has given this woman an incredible mind and writing gift. She keeps the reader guessing at every moment, and has sudden plot twists that you'd never expect. The way she ends the series is, in my opinion, perfect. Yes, lots (and lots...and lots) of characters die. There is great sadness throughout, and I will admit that I found myself in tears several times. HOWEVER, the book (and thus the series) ends on a positive and hope-filled note, ties up many loose areas in the plot, yet still leaves the reader desiring more. That's pure genius, I think; having a very clear final ending, yet with just enough information withheld that the reader is left with a small amount of speculation.


Here are just a few impressions/questions from my reading (SPOILER ALERT!)


Scroll down to read:

1. I liked the parting from the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon clearly wasn't going to miss Harry, but Dudley seems to be turning into a decent human being.
2. I cried when Dobby died. And then I cried more when Harry buried him without magic.
3. I found the last fifty pages or so of the book to be mesmerizing and really good sermon material. Snape winds up being a "good guy" after all, willing to do anything for the love of Lily Evans Potter. His actions play a huge role in Harry's defeat of Voldemort. Harry's willingness to die for the greater good, and subsequent "resurrection" have very strong links to Christian theology. Harry's willingness to lay aside potential immortality (through the three Hallows) shows an incredible character, quite the opposite of Voldemort.
4. Oh, Fred. Poor Fred...I had a feeling one of the twins would die, but it hurt when it happened.
5. I wish there would have been a little bit more to the epilogue...what vocations do the trio wind up choosing? Is Harry an Auror, which was his fondest ambition? What happens to George? Who becomes the new headmaster of Hogwarts? The natural choice would be McGonagall, but it doesn't say anything about that.
6. GO NEVILLE! I was so psyched to see him become the powerful wizard he was meant to be, to save the day by killing Nagini, and to become a Howarts professor. Cool.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Woody!!, part II

Well, it seems my mommy can't post a recent picture of me. So I convinced daddy to find the camera and upload a new one:



Don't I age well for a dog?

PS. Join me for some cake this evening. It's yellow with strawberry frosting!

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Woody!!

Today is the third anniversary of Woody's "Adoption Day"--the day that we brought him home from the Woodford (KY) Humane Society. He was my anniversary AND birthday present that year. Woody has blessed us so much over the past three years, and has been through a lot with us.

After Mommy does some work on her sermon and copies the bulletin, we're going to PetSmart (thanks, Grandma Nina for the gift card) and the park. Tonight James will make a cake.

This picture was taken in December 2005, on the Asbury Seminary campus. The statue is of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Woody is a great "P.P." (Pastor's Pooch)!

Harry Potter Spoilers

Hi folks...just a quick post because my plate is extremely full for the next few days. I have to write a sermon, a Bible Study lesson, and type and copy a bulletin. Plus a few other things I'm probably forgetting. Not to mention finish cleaning off my desk at home, or risk the wrath of my beloved. Next week I'm going to try and clean my office at church. Anyway, I'm trying to get everything done by Saturday morning so that when my copy of Deathly Hallows arrives, I can read it until I'm finished (or until Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m., whichever comes first).

In my spare time, I've been reading this blog, "The Muggle Tongue" through the Lexington Herald-Leader website. The author just posted the funniest FAKE spoiler that she found for HP #7 (apparently real spoilers are in abundance; I'm staying clear of them).

Check the "spoiler" out by clicking here: http://themuggletongue.wordpress.com/

Among the Living...

I think I can say that I'm well on my way to recovery from this bout of bronchitis, but I had about four days of absolute misery. I started on my antibiotic on Thursday afternoon, when my cough was just annoying. By Saturday afternoon, I was feeling kinda miserable. No fever, just a cough, heaviness in my chest, and fatigue. I coughed through worship on Sunday, took a brief nap, and then went to a reception to meet my new District Superintendent (aka my boss). I had scheduled a Bible study to begin Sunday evening, but postponed that a week to give me some rest.

From Sunday evening to Wednesday morning, I didn't leave the house. The lone exception was the Trustees meeting on Monday night. I mostly stayed in bed (with the vaporizer on) and slept. I got up to eat, take my medication, and watch TV when I got bored. I think I really needed the time of rest.

By Wednesday morning, I was feeling better. I was able to get some work done and James and I went to see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". I went to bed around 8:30 p.m. and slept until 5:30 a.m. I'm feeling pretty good now...I've been able to stop taking Robitussin, and my antibiotic is clearly working (I had it refilled on Monday). Now I just have to do a lot of "catch-up" work in the next two days. My Saturday is booked, because we have our childbirth class at the hospital. It goes from 9am-5pm. Next Saturday is "booked" (literally!) because I should be receiving my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sometime that day. I pre-ordered it from Amazon six months ago...and I have been assured that it will arrive before 7pm on Saturday, or I get my money back. :) :)

We are officially "ready"

Last night, I met James in Durham for dinner, since he had gone down to work. Afterwards, we headed over to Babies R Us and bought Susanna her car seat and a base for our other car. It's a Graco SnugRide in "Emerson". We installed it in my Escape this afternoon.

Hospitals require that you have a car seat installed in your vehicle before taking baby home, so this was the last crucial purchase before Susanna arrives. Once we arrive at home, she has a Pack-n-Play to sleep in and plenty of diapers, wipes, and clothes. We also have loads of toiletries. Food will be provided by Mommy for the first six months or so. :) James painted the nursery this week, and it looks LOVELY. It's a light blue with the accent wall, ceiling, and closet painted pale yellow.

It's good to know that we have the bare-bones basics (plus a few more things)! The crib and dresser should arrive by the end of July, and I have a few more things that I want to purchase before she arrives. However, if she arrived today, we'd be ready to take her home. (Of course, if she arrived today, she'd spend a few weeks in the NICU. However, you understand my point).

Needed: New Pharmaceutical Inventions

I'm allergic to penicillin and cephalosporins (which are the cousins of penicillin). We found this out when I was 10, after a "fun-filled" summer where I had hives for 90 days. Therefore, I've always been slightly limited in the medicines I can take for bacterial infections...the doctor usually has about five or six options, tops, that he/she can work with. However, apparently it's worse when you're pregnant and have drug allergies...

Up until a few weeks ago, I had really been blessed to have a very healthy pregnancy. I didn't even get a cold all winter! However, during Annual Conference (June 10-14) my allergies started bothering me (or so I thought). I had a sore throat and a cough. Once I got home, I started taking Claritin, since I felt fine otherwise. A few days later, the sore throat and cough got worse and were joined by nasal congestion and "yucky cold feeling". I checked with my OB-GYN, who told me to self-medicate with stuff off my "safe meds list." So I started taking Robitussin DM. It helped, but the cough would interrupt my sleep and keep me (and James) up at night. I called my PCP (Primary Care Physician) who acted like they didn't want to touch me with a ten-foot pole, and wanted my OB-GYN to take care of things. Of course, my OB-Gyn wanted me to talk to my PCP. Since I was feeling OK, I kept taking my Robitussin and hoped it would go away.

Fast forward to yesterday...Wednesday night, I woke up with coughing spells several times at night. James demanded that I go to the doctor. Yesterday, I called my PCP at 9:00 a.m., described my symptoms, and begged for an appointment. The response: they didn't have any appointments until Monday AND wouldn't give me anything, anyway. I was FURIOUS. I called my OB-Gyn, who told me to go to any PCP, and to feel free to give them her name and phone # if they desired to consult with her.

So, I got dressed and headed over to PrimeCare (our drop-in urgent care center). Three hours later, I emerged victorious with a diagnosis of mild bronchitis and a prescription for erythromicin (which is apparently the ONLY "safe" drug for pregnancy to which I'm not allergic).

Of course, my little excursion ate up most of my day, since I had to go to the pharmacy and then (since I was in town and we desperately needed TP) Wal-Mart. Simon had obedience class last night (we're still working on "heel" and "stay", but everything else is great), which took up my evening. So today I have to: write (or at least make headway on) my sermon, plan a worship service, finish all my thank-you notes for the shower, finish writing the first session of a Bible Study...and I'm sure I can think of more!

I'll be sure and get lots of sleep tomorrow night and Saturday night. I think I may take Monday off just to sleep and take it easy. I don't want this to get any worse...At least I can do almost everything sitting down with my feet propped up!

So...if there are any budding pharmacists out there...would you please get to work on developing a new drug that is safe for pregnant women who are allergic to penicillin and cephalosporins? I'd really appreciate it!!

Ultrasound Picture of Susanna

Here is a picture from Susanna's ultrasound. It was taken using 4D (real-time) technology. It's like having a video camera in the uterus! For a few seconds, we got to look at our little girl open and close her eyes and yawn!!

Isn't she just beautiful??

School, Shower, and Sonogram; Oh my!

It's been a busy week here in the Money household:

• Last Thursday, Simon started obedience school. We discovered that he's very good about "sit", 'off", and "down", but really needs to work on "heel". It's probably because he doesn't spend much time on the leash. Maybe I'll start taking him to the park a few days a week. In the meantime, I can always walk him around the yard. He got along very well with the other dogs.
  
• On Sunday, my Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (or at least the female members of it) threw me a shower at church. It was loads of fun, we had a great turnout, and Susanna got lots of clothes, diapers, toiletries, towels, nursery decor, washcloths, etc. Now I have to hunt down some notecards for thank-you notes!
• On Monday, James and I headed down to Greensboro for my THIRD ultrasound. Praise the Lord; I do NOT have placenta previa. My placenta has migrated far enough away from the cervix that there is no danger. Yay!!! Everything else looks great, although Susanna is currently in the 70th percentile of weight for her gestational age. If born full-term, she could weigh 8 lbs. They're not worried (and they could be wrong) but I really don't want to push out an 8 lb baby. James and I were both under 7 lbs at birth. Yeesh...maybe I'll start eating more protein. Or maybe she'll be born early. :) We did get some more photos of Susanna, and I will post them soon. Our scanner at home isn't hooked up right now (more on that later) so I have to use the one at church. Which of course means that I need to remember to bring the photos with me when I go to church...

Baby preparations are in full swing. Right before Annual Conference, we moved our office stuff into the guest room. So our former office is now the nursery, and the guest room is now a guest room/office. It's a large bedroom (12 x 14) but a little crammed with two desks, two chairs, and a double bed. I still have to put stuff away, and take some of my books up to church. In the nursery we have a glider-rocker (so comfy) with ottoman and the dresser and crib should arrive within the next few weeks. The nursery isn't painted yet, but we should get to that soon. We've received our Pack-n-Play, the crib bedding, and a few pieces of decor as gifts. We have baby towels and washclothes, enough diapers and wipes to last us the first few weeks, and plenty of 0-6 month clothes. The only big ticket item that we're missing is a car seat, which we'll buy in the next couple weeks. We're getting a Graco SnugRide, because it has the highest safety rating and EPS foam. There's a bunch of little stuff that would make our lives easier (changing pad and cover, swaddling blankets, sheet savers, diaper pail, etc) and I still need to buy some bottles for storing breast milk. However, we can buy that stuff here and there over the next few weeks. My goal is to have everything ready by the first week of August, just in case she comes early. I'm notorious for setting lofty goals and not meeting them, so we'll see how this one turns out. Most likely, I'll finish everything two hours before going into labor. :)

I'm off to write a sermon for Sunday. First step: figure out what scripture to preach on...

Ok, Folks, this is Woody again. I spoke too soon. The Petsmart is now opening

July 2!!!!!

You may now resume your regularly scheduled program.

Aren't you impressed I can type without opposable thumbs? If so, you may reward me with a visit to the Petsmart grooming salon for a "Top Dog Package."

From Woody: Exciting news!

Hi folks. This is Woody. You know, the REAL firsborn child. So I'm furry, nonverbal, and have four legs; I still have feelings too! Anyway, I snuck onto Mommy's computer to tell you something very important:

PetsMart is opening in Danville on July 14.

Yes, that's right. In less than a month, my favorite store will be a mere eight (8) miles away, instead of 50 miles! I love PetsMart, mostly because they let me come inside the store with my parents. They carry everything I could ever need or want, and have a great grooming salon.

Poor Simon has never been to PetsMart. Maybe we can take him since it will be so close.

Love,

Woody

Kylee and Brent's wedding

I performed my first wedding a few weeks ago. It was for my friends Kylee and Brent. I went to E&H with Kylee, who is my Little-Big (She's my Little Sister for Delta Pi, she's my Big Sister for Alpha Psi). It was a lovely wedding, and I was really honored that they asked me to officiate!

I've put up a few pics. The first one was taken at the beginning of the ceremony. Don't you love Kylee's turquoise sash?

The second is of the happy couple, the bridesmaids, and groomsmen.

I did get a picture of the three of us for posterity, but it's not very good, so I won't post it.

I am back from Annual Conference, obviously. It was fun, I learned a lot, I am now officially a probationary elder, and I am EXHAUSTED. Three days of waking up at 5:00 a.m. (early Minutes Committee meetings) will do that to you. I will post a report later. Unfortunately, I was a dork and forgot our camera at home. So, I have no pictures whatsoever.

Off to Annual Conference!!!

Tomorrow afternoon, James and I head to Roanoke for the 225th Virginia Annual Conference. It's the annual gathering of all the United Methodist clergy in (most of) Virginia and an equal number of lay delegates. Last year I was a "rookie", so this year I know more of what to expect. On Monday night, I (along with 20 or so other clergy) will be commissioned as a probationary elder. I get to have one clergy representative (an ordained elder-my friend Amanda) and one family representative (my beloved husband) up there with me when I'm commissioned. My mom is also coming up to see the big event. Dad and Bart are saving their energy for my ordination in three (or so) years.

This year, I'm also looking forward to serving as an "Assistant Secretary" for the whole event. Basically, myself and one other guy take turns being on the stage and helping the Conference Secretary (a clergy person who gets elected/appointed for several years) accurately write down the daily proceedings, catching names, and verifying data. I was honored to be asked, and I'm looking forward to the experience. I think I'll learn a lot. A nice perk of the job: I got a free hotel room for four nights!

It will be nice to see some clergy friends whom I haven't seen in a few months and catch up with them. I'm also hoping to get some good ideas about evangelism projects to bring back to my church. The theme this year is, "Let's Get Growing: All for Jesus!" There's going to be an Evangelism Expo on Tuesday and Wednesday, so hopefully that will provide some "food for action."

Susanna is doing well; she likes to kick her mommy and perform somersaults. On June 18 I have my test for Gestational Diabetes, which I'm praying I "pass". I go for a third ultrasound on June 25; my placenta was sort of low (close to my cervix) at my 19-week ultrasound, so they want to see where it is now. There's an excellent chance it might have moved up (and away from the cervix), but my doctor wants to make sure. Fine by me...if it's low enough, they'll diagnose placenta previa, and that would place all sorts of restrictions on me...

Welcome to the third trimester!

I love Susanna...I am blessed to be pregnant...I can't wait to be a mom...How much longer?

I am now in my third trimester of pregnancy and am "enjoying" everything that goes with it. The symptoms began showing up around week 25. Apparently I am doomed to be uncomfortable (at best) or miserable (at worse) for the next 10-13 weeks. I hit "term" on August 11, even though my due date isn't until September 1. Maybe she can be an early birthday present for her Uncle Bart? Now, on to my recital of symptoms...

First, I began getting Braxton Hicks contractions. At first, they were no big deal. I simply felt my uterus tighten for 20-30 seconds, and then it went away. This happened maybe five times a day. On Pentecost Sunday, I began to feel them fairly strongly while I was serving Communion to my beloved flock. My back hurt/felt stiff, too. They stopped that afternoon, but began again on Monday. I called the doc on Tuesday morning, and they said if they became regular and intense, to head to Labor & Delivery so I could be monitored. Well...Tuesday night they came back, and really seemed intense and were fairly regular. Being the paranoid first-time mom that I am, I made James take me to L&D. Keep in mind that right before this I had consumed about 40 oz of water and lain on my side for 30 mins, to no avail. The nurses at L&D were very nice; they hooked me up to a contraction monitor and a fetal monitor and gave me a shot to stop the contractions. One of them gave me a cervical exam to verify that I was still "corked" and hadn't begun dilating. Of course, my contractions stopped almost as soon as I set foot on the unit (I guess the water and rest did their job). I'm sure they were having a good laugh at my expense. After two hours, they released me and told me to come back if my water broke, regular contractions began, or I had any vaginal bleeding. On Thursday, the contractions came back. They were still irregular, but more severe and slightly painful. I even felt some of them in my back. More of the same on Friday. Saturday and Sunday weren't as bad, and I've had hardly any today or Monday. Apparently part of the trick is to drink lots of water. I've been doing that, and it's helped. So does sitting with my feet propped up every few hours.

Second, I have back pain/stiffness if I stand or move around for more than 15-20 minutes. This is only helped by me sitting/lying down with my feet propped up. Warm baths help, too. If I ignore the warning signs, I start to feel aches and cramping. I may need to invest in a maternity belt before too long. I've already forsaken fashionable shoes for sneakers and Birkenstocks. Of course, most of my shoes are tight because my feet/ankles are swollen...especially my left foot/ankle. I'm thinking that from now on, I'll stand to preach and preside over Communion, and have lay people do everything else. Otherwise, I may find myself needing to be carried out on a stretcher by 12pm.

I'm also short of breath a lot, which is highly annoying, yet normal. It takes me awhile to get to sleep, because I'm supposed to sleep on my left side, which I find uncomfortable. Most of the time I just flop over to my right side, because I figure that's better than sleeping on my back. Of course, it takes a minute for me to change positions, since I'm slightly awkward right now. I think James may kill me one of these days...or knock me out with a sledgehammer. Lack of sleep doesn't help my slight fatigue...I hope it doesn't get as bad as it was during the first trimester.

The good, reassuring news is that I feel Susanna moving a lot, so I know she's doing well. Seeing her at the end of this journey will make it all worth it...hopefully the weeks will fly by!

Deep cleansing breaths...

James is teaching a summer class on Monday-Thursday evenings, which means he has Fridays off. So, for the next few weeks, guess what my day off will be? Anyway, on Friday we headed up to Lynchburg to a shop called Mother Goose to order nursery furniture. We had picked out the collection (Young America by Stanley) and finish (Serenity) that we wanted and knew what the prices were going to be. We decided to get the "Built to Grow" crib and a four-drawer dresser that can double as a changing table. Of course when we added the crib mattress (Colgate Classica I foam) and toddler/full bed conversion rails, it was a little bit more than we were expecting. But, as we keep telling ourselves, this is high-quality stuff that should last for years.

After a brief break at home to nap and let "the boys" out, we headed to Greensboro to Babies R Us to look for a glider (Lynchburg doesn't have a Babies R Us, and the shop we got the furniture from doesn't sell them). The good news: we found a comfy glider that we both like (important since James is 14" taller than me) and they're having a big sale (20% off). The bad news: the glider is "a little bit more" than expected and we'd have to special order it in order to get one in a matching finish. And of course, the sale price doesn't extend to special orders. Nor does it apply to ottomans. I'm debating between going ahead, saving the money, and getting the glider in a "sale" finish OR going for broke and special ordering the glider in a finish and fabric that will match the nursery. The sale ends tomorrow, so I need to decide soon.

This baby thing is expensive...and we haven't bought any "gear" (car seat, Pack n Play, bathtub, changing pad, diaper bag) yet. My cousin Lieu gave me some stuff (stroller, breast pump, exersaucer, etc) which definitely helps. And of course, some things we won't need right away...we can wait several months to buy a high chair, baby gate, solid feeding stuff, etc. I'm currently scouring yard sales and secondhand shops in the hopes of finding gently-used items. However, it's amazing what people will charge for clothes with stains on them, filthy/ancient bassinets or high chairs, etc.

I still have 10-14 weeks! At least Susanna has someplace to sleep, a place for her clothes, and (soon) a glider to be rocked in.

Surgeon General Nominee: Jim Holsinger

OK, this is kinda cool. An ATS graduate has been nominated by President Bush to be the new Surgeon General!! Dr. James Holsinger received a master's degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He has also served on our Board of Trustees, is president of the Judicial Council (the Supreme Court of United Methodism), and has been a delegate to the World Methodist Council. Naturally, he's a medical doctor with degrees from Duke and was the Chancellor at University of Kentucky Medical Center for years. His wife is in charge of the Supervised Ministry program on Asbury's Kentucky campus.

Woohoo! Yay for Dr. Holsinger! Another person putting ATS on the map!

Here's the link to the story in today's Lexington Herald-Leader:
http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/79500.html

Oh, the joys of pregnancy...

Not much to blog about these days, but I didn't want to keep seeing Bill's obituary as the most recent blog entry. So I thought I'd share about some of the good and bad aspects of pregnancy. For those of you who have "been there, done that", you can remember your days as the Goodyear blimp. For those of you who haven't, this will give you a good idea of what happens to some of us.

First, the good stuff:

• I usually get first preference for the bathroom if there's a line.
• I had a great excuse to buy a whole new wardrobe.
• I can blame mood swings, food cravings, and voracious hunger on the baby.
• I'm constantly amazed at what God is doing and has done in creating this child.
• I got to register for gifts again...even though almost none of them are for me. :)
• People are very solicitous and concerned about whether I'm getting enough rest, how swollen my ankles are, how stressed I am, etc.
• Feeling Susanna (the baby) move inside me is INCREDIBLE.
• We made our mothers and my maternal grandmother happy.

Next is the not-so-good stuff. Before I get to this list, all0w me to say that I know several people who, for one reason or another, have not been able to conceive a child. I am very aware how blessed I am to be able to get pregnant, and to do so fairly quickly (five months after ending birth control). I know there are many women who would give all their limbs to be in my position. I also believe that Susanna is worth all the following symptoms/drawbacks and more. Having said that, there are some drawbacks to pregnancy:

• It's hard to find maternity clothes, especially if you're not a size S (small) or M (medium). I'm currently trying to find a dress for Brent & Kylee's wedding, but not having much luck. There's literally nothing in my size...
• People are just plain inconsiderate/rude sometimes. They think they have the right to make comments like, "You're due in September? Is it twins?"
• My boobs have gotten ENORMOUS. James, of course, loves it. I don't. I was perfectly happy with my pre-pregnancy chest size; I've now gone up TWO cup sizes. By the time I give birth, I'm afraid that I'll be wearing a ZZ cup or something...
• Stretch marks. 'Nuff said.
• Braxton-Hicks (aka "practice") contractions. They began about three weeks ago, and are sometimes downright uncomfortable. Not painful, just uncomfortable.
• My sheer bulk...and it will get worse. I can no longer squat down without needing help to get up and rolling over in bed is tough.
• I find myself constantly worrying over every little symptom and what it could mean. At first, I was scared of miscarriage. Now that she's viable (barely), I'm scared of premature labor, stillbirth, or other complications. Of course, once she's born I'll be worrying about her for the rest of my life. No relief on that front...
• I feel like an invalid sometimes. I used to be able to run around all day and not feel really tired for eight hours or so. Now, if I'm active for more than a couple hours, I get winded. I also can't stand up for more than 30 minutes before I feel the need to sit down.
• HORMONES. I find myself crying or getting mad at the drop of a hat sometimes.
• No roller coasters for me this summer. :(
• No trip to Zurich, Switzerland this year. James was going to present a paper at a conference, and I was going to tag along. Maybe in a couple of years...

After Saturday, just 14 more weeks to go! Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to go up to Lynchburg and order our nursery furniture. It can take up to ten weeks to arrive, so we want to order it soon. Our plan is to use a Pack 'n' Play with bassinet for the first few months, so she can sleep in our room. But I would like to have the nursery set up before she arrives.

Bill's Obituary

From the May 14 edition of the Indianapolis Star:

William E. Elick 83, Indianapolis, died May 12th at his home. He was born in South Bend, IN the son of Victor H. and Bernice E. (Scheuerman) Elick. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1972 after 29 years of service; he was a Sergeant Major. After retirement, he worked as a supervisor of the Overpayment Benefits Division at the Indiana Employment Security Division for 16 years, retiring in 1993. He was a member of American Legion Post # 276, Beech Grove, IN. Survivors: wife, Nina (Ladd) Elick; daughters, Kaye (Jackson) Sturgis, Patricia (Ronald) Danforth, and Diana (Kevin) Yutmeyer; sons, William (Judith) Elick Jr. and Victor (Marilyn) Elick; step-daughter, Diann Fulton; step-son, James (Patricia) Money; sister, Roberta Wray; 21 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth, in 1992; brother, Floyd Elick; brother-in-law, Ernest "Buddy" Wray; step-son-in-law, William Fulton; and granddaughter, Autum Danforth. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 16 at Flanner & Buchanan Washington Park East Community Life Center. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15 at the community life center. Entombment will be in Washington Park East Cemetery. Contributions may be made to AMVETS.

Grief and Surrealism

Bill died this morning at 8:50. He had a couple spurts of alertness last night and early this morning. Apparently, around 7am, he became so still and his breathing so shallow that everyone was positive that he had died. However, when the hospice nurse arrived to pronounce death, she heard his heart still beating...very faintly and slowly. That continued for another hour or so, before she stopped hearing a heartbeat and pronounced him dead.

Nina was present when Bill died, as were many other family members. He died in bed, knowing that he was surrounded by people who loved him. Now our focus has turned to Nina and supporting her as much as possible in the next few days. Please keep her in your prayers, as well as the rest of the family.

I'm discovering that there is a surreal element to grief. There are times when it just seems like nothing's changed and then all of a sudden it hits me that Bill will never poke fun at me again or make us pancakes in the morning. I went into the bedroom and saw his body, and instantly knew that Bill was no longer there. All that was left was a shell, and I really had no attachment to the shell. I took a peek and ducked out of the room. But when the folks came from the funeral home (they came in a minivan with the seats folded down, btw) and took him out on the gurney, suddenly it hit me what that shell meant; that I'd never see Bill again. I desperately wanted to see him alive again, just once more. At that point, I broke down and sobbed in James' arms.

I'm trying to view my grief in the proper perspective; I've known Bill as a daughter-in-law for six years. Nina has known him since she was four years old; first as a sister-in-law/friend, and later as a wife (long story there---it's kosher, though). James has known him all his life, first as an uncle by marriage and later as a stepfather. Bill's five children, 20-some grandchildren, and 15 or so great-grandchildren haven't known a life without him. In other words, I haven't known Bill for very long at all. If my grief is so painful at times, what must they be feeling?

In short, this is teaching me what an absolute novice I am to the intricacies of dying and grief.

Bill Update

Right after I posted the previous entry, I got a call from James. Bill is not just declining, he's NOSEDIVING right now. The hospice nurse has highly advised the family to get to his bedside ASAP. After contemplating my options, I decided that it would be better if I bought a one-way ticket from Raleigh to Indianapolis, since James is already out there and I didn't want to have to drive through the night. I'm leaving at 6:00 a.m. and arriving at 9:30 a.m. Please continue to pray for Bill and Nina and the rest of the family. Especially pray that I, along with all of Bill's children and in-laws, will have a chance to say good-bye to him. He is a very loved man.

I'm thanking God for my church leaders...everyone has been so supportive, loving, and accepting of the fact that I'm having to leave town on such short notice, especially on a Friday. I was able to get everything covered within an hour. The only thing left is the bulletin, which I'll do once I finish packing.

I still haven't done a funeral...but I think that's going to change very soon.

Prayer Request and Reflections

Please keep Bill (James' stepdad) and Nina (James' mom) in your prayers...fervently. Bill has been fighting cancer for over eight years now. Over the past week, we (meaning the family) have had to accept the fact that the battle is nearing it's end. In other words, Bill is dying. He is receiving Hospice care and from my conversations with him over the years, he's ready to die whenever it's his time. Our prayers at this point are focused more on him "dying well" (meaning peacefully, with little pain, and surrounded by love) than on any hope of healing. Of course, James and I are worried about Nina and her grieving process. James is actually in Indiana right now and will drive home tomorrow. Please pray that Nina will receive strength and comfort from God in this time...whether that comfort comes supernaturally or from fellow humans.

We've known this was going to happen for years...and God has granted Bill (and us) several extensions on time. The best one...and the true miracle...began in fall 2003. The doctors found a cancerous spot on Bill's lung and gave him 18-24 months. While we were up for Thanksgiving that year, we went to a worship service and people laid hands on Bill and prayed for him. We also began talking about Bill's wishes for the funeral, and his desire to see James get his PhD. The cancer didn't spread. In fact, the doctors couldn't detect it...although they knew it was in there somewhere. It lay dormant for over three years...until this winter, when it began to rear its ugly head again. A round of radiation did nothing to stop it...and Bill and Nina deciding to stop fighting and focus on the time he has left. He's starting declining so rapidly; just two weeks ago we were wondering if he'd still be alive when Susanna arrived. Now we're wondering if he'll be alive for the planned family reunion over Father's Day weekend. Only God knows; we're just staying ready to dash to Indiana when the time comes.

The awesome thing is...that three-year "reprieive" has allowed Bill to see so many things happen in his family. Two weddings have taken place, three babies have been born, and one (Susanna) is on the way. James defended his dissertation and received his PhD. Children have grown older and been impacted greatly by "Uncle Bill/Grandpa". Most importantly, Bill has been able to see God working in powerful ways in his life, and gives Him all the credit.

So, please pray...for Bill, for Nina, and for the rest of his family, including me and James.

Those Goats Aren't So Bad After All...

My younger brother, Bart, is involved in a ministry for individuals with disabilities called Capernaum. It's under the "umbrella" of Young Life, and Bart absolutely loves it. Anyway, the leader of the Capernaum Hampton Roads group (that Bart's involved in) wrote a cool story about Bart on his blog. Check it out:

http://koehlerville.blogspot.com/2007/05/bart-goats-milk.html

The title of this blog will make more sense when you read the story. :)

I'm Biblically Literate...

...which is a good thing for a pastor to be!

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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And Baby Girl Money will be named....

Susanna Patricia

We decided on this name about a week ago, but "sat" on it for a few days before telling anyone just to be on the safe side. But we've definitely decided on naming her Susanna, after one of Jesus' early female followers and the mother of John Wesley. We chose "Patricia" as her middle name because that's my "real" first name.

It's amazing how extremely REAL she seems now that she has a name. Adding to that is the fact that in a mere four weeks, she will be "viable", able to survive outside the womb (albeit in an NICU).

I have begun the task of "stocking up" on things for Susanna. Stuff like diapers, wipes, baby powder, etc. Apparently I should have about 600 diapers on hand when she comes home, because she'll go through about 100 diapers a week at first. I bought some yesterday, so that's 40 diapers down with 560 to go...

And the winner is...

So, here it is...the nursery theme that we have decided to go with. It's called Alphabet Soup and it's by a company called Cocalo. I think it's adorable, and I really like that it has bright colors and lots of images to stimulate Baby Girl. I'm currently watching eBay and scouring other websites to see if I can score a "deal" on at least the crib set (bumper, sheet, quilt, dust ruffle), which is the most expensive part.

I also bought a baby book, an archival-quality pen (so she can read what I wrote 90 years from now), and some photo corners. I've filled about as much as I can, although I still need to add some photos.

Oh, and she has a name now. However, I'm going to have to keep you in suspense for another few days. James hasn't told his parents yet. :) But I will tell you that her first name is shared by two women in history...one in the New Testament and one in the 1700's. Wanna guess? :)

Stupid Indianapolis hotels!!!

OK, so James has a family reunion-thingy in Indianapolis that's scheduled for Father's Day weekend (June 15-17). Since Bill (his stepdad's) health isn't that fantastic, we figure we need to go, even though I'll be 28 weeks pregnant.

So tonight, James got on the computer to reserve a hotel room. Keep in mind, this is six weeks in advance. There are virtually NO available hotel rooms in the Indy area that weekend. The hotel that we normally stay in (Quality Inn) only had smoking rooms available, at $150/night. The Holiday Inn Express had rooms available for $150+/night, but it wouldn't guarantee our smoking preference AND they wanted the whole thing prepaid. So we finally "settled" on one of their suites. We're paying an exorbitant rate, but we didn't have to put down a deposit/prepay and we're guaranteed a non-smoking room.

After some searching, I found out that the US Grand Prix is being held that weekend at the Speedway. That's probably why hotel rates are SO high and why there are so few rooms. Sigh. If this doesn't prove our love to Bill, I don't think anything will. :)

Nursery theme: a probable winner!!!

OK, so I think we've decided on a nursery theme: outer space/rockets. It's something that's traditionally "male", but this is 2007, and we don't want to place too many gender sterotypes onto Baby Girl. She can be into astronomy if she wants to be. Plus, so many of the crib sets out there are BORING...unoriginal, very light in color and they don't provide a lot of stimulation for baby. This one is kind of bright and fun. It's by California Kids and is called "Rockets". We're going to bring out the yellow and other colors in the rest of the decorating, so there's not too much blue. What do you think?

Which Early Church Father Are You?

You’re St. Melito of Sardis! You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!

Pics of Baby Girl!

As promised, here are two pictures of Baby Girl from our ultrasound a week ago. One is a regular 3D photo, and the other is a 4D photo. Isn't she beautiful? Slightly alien-looking right now, but beautiful nonetheless.

Now we have to come up with a name that we BOTH like.