Visions

Needless to say, I won't need a stroller this size for at least several years. I have been getting excited about my six-week postpartum visit so I can get the go-ahead to run again though. I read dandee's post about running and I thought it was great. I agree that running is not everyone's favorite. I just like to run. I know people that don't like to run think people who do are completely nuts, but I just like to. Look at Mom and Dad Fox. It is a good workout because I can devote the littlest time for the maximum benefit, there are no hidden fees (except I was a little ticked to pay $25 a tire for a one year no-flat warranty on my jogging stroller), and Finn has grown accustomed to trips outside to see "buses," "trucks," and "boats."

There are some things others do that I truly admire, but don't think I have the stuff to do: shower and do make-up first thing of the day, coordinate their kids outfits, eat artichokes and healthy stuff because they like it, scrapbook, or make a hot breakfast M-F.

Keeping a PMA
(Not my Lucy but similar-looking.)


If you call waking to a screaming child who has soaked his diaper, pajamas and bedding an opportunity to finally wash his sheets, you have a positive mental attitude. If you call 2-hour long middle of the night feedings a wonderful way to bond with your baby, you have a PMA. If you're thankful after changing one poopy diaper, then another, that your children have healthy bowel function, then you have a PMA. If a child unravelling a roll of toilet paper and then soaking it in toilet water makes you glad that he is a curious learner, then you have a positive mental attitude. I'm trying to keep a PMA, but sometimes....

Trucks 17:31

To get Finn within the sound of our voices during scripture time the other night, we got out the trucks. It worked so well that he didn't want to go to bed that night. First thing he said when he woke up was, you guessed it: "Truck."
This little "angel" kept us up until 1:30 last night. She was crying for two hours. I must have fed her 30 times. No messy diaper. Burps were out. I don't know what the problem was, but she was not having it. I am now counting down the hours until Finn's nap when I can hopefully catch up on some much-needed sleep.

My Terminal

This is where I blog. I even left my cereal bowl in the picture for the effect. I'm anxious to see everyone's blogging terminals!
Family picture attempt yesterday after church: didn't go very well. Our kids look miserable. What are Travis and I doing wrong?

If You've Got It, Use It


Since I can't taste anything due to my cold, I've started eating alot healthier. I figure I might as well eat what's good for me while I can't taste it. This is a picture of my lunch today. (What you can't see is the Lozano I sprinkled on the rice; a little sauce my dad brought back from his travels; so tasty!) Anywho, I feel pretty good and I finally feel like I can fight the battle of the baby bulge.

Also, I'm making a request for everyone who reads my blog to post on their blog a picture of the computer they blog at. I just think it's interesting where people spend their time at the computer. I'll post one later today.

Comin' Through
Speedy delivery!

Slowly Quieting Down
This is Lucy, laying in my lap tonight, as I catch up on reading all the blogs entries I've missed. We've all been sick with the cold and I've been working overtime, trying to catch up on sleep and a messy house and two kids. Finn finally got over the stomach bug he had for a week and now we're working on getting over the colds. Does life get any more adventurous than this? Travis made a wonderful dinner tonight: Bobby Flay's Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup and Fontina Mushroom Sandwiches. Just what the Dr. ordered. Delicious. Thanks, Travis and Happy Valentine's Day to each of you!

Cold is my Middle Name
Finn, here, building the Tower of Babel out of vitamin bottles. That's me, the milk cow in the background, nursing the little calf.
Robby and Sharyn bought these adorable little Harley Davidson pajamas, complete with doo-rag.
Side view.
Boo!

Week and a Half

Lucy's hair gets really fuzzy after a bath. I think she looks like a porcupine.
Are these two related? Maybe in a few weeks her skin tone will turn white like Finn's.

Pretty in Pink
Yesterday Kim Mathews brought by these cute little booties and sweater that she made for Miss Lucy. Aren't they adorable? I put the pink ones on Lucy today for church and she looked so cute. As I was dressing her, Travis said, "We never dressed Finn up for church." And I replied, "Finn wasn't a girl."

Sleepy Saturday
This is the current situation in the Chicken Coop: Finn beneath the TV immersed in "Cars," Lucy fast asleep on my lap as I type this, and Travis catching some Z's.

This is a picture every mother likes to see. Too bad she doesn't look like this from 1 to 3 in the morning.

First bath. She screamed at first, then relaxed and actually liked it.

Tribute to Mothers and Future Mothers Everywhere

I've been thinking alot lately about the women who have influenced me, particularly my mother and grandmothers. There is no way I can fully repay my mom for all she's done for me. I guess I think about my two kids now and how they'll never know the pains taken to see them through life. I guess you never really think about all parenting involves until you're given the task.

Ida Grace Watkins Fox, my dad's mom
Little Whitney and my mom, Debra Kay Bruneel Fox (photo and artwork courtesy of Emily Fox).
A lapse through time with my mother's mother, Sharon Lee Smith Bruneel, in 1956 and then in 2006.

Hurrah for mothers and future mothers everywhere!

He's Warming Up To Her
I say that because when Leslie first brought Finn to the hospital to meet his little partner in crime, he didn't like her at all. He wanted to look at the trucks in the window. Then, last night he agreed to give her a kiss. This morning he went from trying to hit her to kissing her and saying, "Ba-bah," which is his word for baby.
Spooky Schuller. Funny how little control she has over her facial expressions.

You can see her hospital picture at:
http://www.kadlecfoundation.org/template.php?id=1348

Lucy Schuller
This is the little angel sleeping right now. We just brought her home from the hospital about 4 this afternoon. Let me say, she loves to eat and poops alot!
These sweet little booties were waiting for us when we got home, courtesy of Uncle Justin, Aunt Whitney, cousin Ivy Fredin. Thanks, Fredins!
I put this blanket folded up on the bed to use later and when I went in to take Lucy's picture, I found that Travis had covered her up in it. Good dad, huh? This quilt was also in the package from the Fredins. How cute!
A grateful mom and her baby after her first nursing. She took to eating pretty well and I was so glad she was actually here! The short labor story: went in to be induced at 12 noon; got 4 pricks for the IV; got Sitetac (sp?) to get labor going; labor didn't progress very well; got Pitocin and an epidural that worked wonderfully; Dr. put in an internal monitor on baby and mom and more fluid into womb; dilated from a 2 to a 10 in about an hour; pushed 5 minutes; Lucy born at 2:05 AM, 1/29/07; no tearing and beautiful baby. It is a miracle and I feel like I'm on Cloud 9 still. She was 7 lb, 1 oz and 19 3/4 inches long.
Like most newborns, loves to have her hands by her face. She makes these worried looks sometimes. She is sweet as sugar.

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
Whitney, this picture is for you. I wouldn't normally post a picture of my silhouette (pregnant or not), but this was a special request for a special girl.
Here's where the little princess will slumber (the keyword is slumber). I'm hoping for a champion sleeper. Maybe that's asking too much. I made the cover for this vintage bassinet a month or so ago.
Oh, the diapers! There's something about seeing little newborn diapers that is so adorable I can hardly stand it. These ones have a little cutaway for the umbilical stump. It's almost here and I can't believe it. This may be my last post for a while as I will probably have my hands full until I get used to two children. I hopefully will be admitted to the Birthing Center tomorrow at noon. If not, I guess I'll just keep eating and wait until they have an available room.

2 AM, Can't Sleep
By the way, that picture is Finn cleaning out his ears with some Q-tips he found in the garbage. He sees his Dad do this every morning after his shower, he must have figured he could do it too. Gross! Don't worry, we promptly removed them from his grimy hands after a quick picture snap.

I can see the headlines now, "9 Months Pregnant Woman: Dies From Lack of Sleep." I'll tell my sad story, since apparently I can't sleep without taking Ambien before bedtime. At first I was taking Tylenol PM for my pregnancy-induced insomnia, at the suggestion of my OB. Then, when that wasn't really doing the trick, he gave me a prescription for Ambien. This was great. When I went to pick up the prescription for 30 tablets, the pharmacist informed me that my insurance only covered 15 pills every 30 days. Great, I thought. What am I going to do that last crucial week of the pregnancy. Oh well, I've got 2 weeks to figure that out, I thought. Well, now that I have three more nights* of being pregnant and only one pill left, I decided I'd see if I could go without pills for a couple nights. Wrong. I have been tossing and turning since 10:30 PM and I am not looking forward to the next couple of nights. Yikes. Is Ambien really that addicting? So, I joined Travis out here at the computers (he's playing Battlefield) and I'm thinking maybe I should start playing Battlefield too. At least for the next three nights until Mrs. Queenie makes her appearance into the world.

*I thought I was going to get induced tomorrow (Friday, the 26th) but upon visiting my OB for my last appointment, he said he was on call Sunday, the 28th and he could induce me then. So, I have to endure the next two days which I'm sure will be the longest two of my life. Here's what I think I will do to pass the time: Children's Museum, mall, eat the chocolate chip cookies I made tonight, and maybe start playing Battlefield.

24 January 2007

I watched an interesting documentary last night that I had borrowed from the library about American boys. It followed the upbringing and growth of boys from birth to high school, showing various lifestyles and settings. It also talked about how boys fantasies (especially about violence) are often misunderstood and oftentimes punished in American schools. They contrasted this with schools in Japan, where children are allowed to self-discipline themselves. For example, teachers in Japan are taught not to intervene in children's squabbles and let the children work it out themselves. They found this a more effective method and the Japanese children were better able to deal with conflict resolution. In this Japanese school, the older children helped care for the younger children. Their reasoning was so the older kids learn how to care for other people. In America, something like 70 percent of boys come from homes where their biological father is not present. That is so sad. Boys lack proper male role models especially during their crucial teenage years when a parent's attention and connection are so vital. It also explained why some boys get involved in gangs. They explained how boys want so badly to prove thier manhood being involved in gangs, but the boys are being misled. Basically, there are alot of faulty notions about what being a man is and how to show manhood. I hope my children learn balance and understand the fundamental truths about who they really are so they don't get caught up in all the false lies and misconceptions during their teenage years.

I felt better about raising teenagers after watching this movie. Basically, boys need attention and connection from their parents and they will be able to "make it" through the tough teenage years. Also, their friends are very important for forming self image and feeling accepted. I am also glad that I'm not a teenager still. It was a difficult, but I guess rewarding time for me.

It Exists!

I've always said that brownies from a box taste better than homemade, but last night I proved that theory wrong. I tried this Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies and found them to be just that. Travis even liked them, which is saying something because he's not a huge chocolate fan.

Here's the recipe for Outrageous Brownies (adapted from a recipe for chocolate globs in the Soho Charcuterie Cookbook):

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not overbake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

We've Been Here
Super baby watching his favorite and only movie, "Cars," while doing stunt tricks on his own machine. Since we got that movie, there hasn't been a day he hasn't watched it. I hope I'm not turning my 18-month old's brain to mush in the process of having some really nice alone time.
It snowed yesterday and Finn and Travis went out to explore. Finn loved it, of course, and sometimes I think he would be happier living with the squirrels in our yard than being cooped up inside all day with a grouchy, rotund mom.
One of the projects I've taken on to occupy my time waiting for Baby #2. It is really fun using my new sewing machine (Christmas gift from Travis). Although you can't see it probably, this is Elmo fabric, which I thought was kind of cute. My next project is another little baby quilt made out of polar fleece. I'll post it when I get done.

Another note, I went to the Dr. today and he said if I haven't had the baby by next Friday, they could induce me, if I opted, either Friday or Saturday. I kind of want to be induced so the baby doesn't get too huge for me to deliver it. I kind of want to wait to let nature take it's course. I think I will end up getting induced. I had a good experience that way with Finn's birth.

12 January 2007

The three Harry Potter-ish marks on Finn's forehead are a result of him banging his head on the floor after a tantrum. At only 18 months, he has learned how to concern his mom by throwing his hands in the air and banging his head on the floor, the wall or, in this case, the threshold from the carpet to the linoleum. It works. I hate it when he does this and I am trying to ignore him so he won't get my attention from it.
This boy loves music and takes after his daddy. These old headphones make a great toy.
"Finn, do your funny face." This is what you get.