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!