While running tonight, I listened to the song "Blessed Be Your Name" by Tree63. My heart is always inspired when I hear these lyrics -
Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name
This song is so special to me because of the circumstances in my life at the time I first heard it. I was at one of my lowest points dealing with infertility - we had just been told we had a ultra-low (think less than 5%) chance of conceiving on our own, and my body had once again failed to respond well to fertility injections. My heart was crying out for hope, crying out for something to cling to from the Lord.
I was driving home from the University of Iowa hospital and this song came on the radio. I almost had to pull over I was so moved by these lyrics. The Holy Spirit really used these lyrics to speak to my spirit - I was reminded that no matter what happens in my life, God is still God, and it's a matter of my heart choosing to praise His name, regardless of my life circumstances. It's really a choice, isn't it? For my heart to choose to say, "blessed be your name" - it doesn't just happen.
Job, the original author of these words, still chose to praise the Lord, even after horrific events. Almost 3 years ago my heart was convicted to do the same - praise the name of the Lord, even on the road marked with suffering.
And tonight, I was once again that it is a *choice* to praise the Lord; praise should not be a by-product of my life circumstances going well. So even if I'm never able to get pregnant - or become easily pregnant - again, my heart will choose to say: "blessed be your name".
Poison Control
Well, we made our first (and hopefully last!) phone call to poison control! Saturday morning I was in the shower, Matt was getting ready, and Grant was playing with some toys in our master bedroom. Matt was watching Grant, and all of a sudden Matt said, "I think he's eating something". He ran over, picked him up and tried to dig out whatever it was. Grant started coughing and gagging and then threw up over Matt and the sink. I hurried out of the shower as Matt was cleaning everything up. We couldn't figure out what he had eaten, but then realized that it was deodorant! Somehow part of my deodorant must've gotten on the floor, and of course a toddler can find it!
So, we immediately read the back of the deodorant can (bottle? tub? what's a deodorant thing called?) and it said to contact poison control if ingested. I called, and they were very helpful and reassuring. She asked Grant's age, what he ate, if he were still choking, if he had thrown up. She immediately said, "he's going to be fine" to reassure me! So, Poison Control said to just give him something to drink, and to keep giving him fluids over the morning. They also had us check behind his teeth to make sure there wasn't more stuck behind them, which I thought was a great idea.
Whew! Grant was then fine - happily playing all morning! Guess Powder Fresh Secret tasted good to him!
So, we immediately read the back of the deodorant can (bottle? tub? what's a deodorant thing called?) and it said to contact poison control if ingested. I called, and they were very helpful and reassuring. She asked Grant's age, what he ate, if he were still choking, if he had thrown up. She immediately said, "he's going to be fine" to reassure me! So, Poison Control said to just give him something to drink, and to keep giving him fluids over the morning. They also had us check behind his teeth to make sure there wasn't more stuck behind them, which I thought was a great idea.
Whew! Grant was then fine - happily playing all morning! Guess Powder Fresh Secret tasted good to him!
Roasted Chicken Caprese
My new favorite recipe - it's just fantastic! How can you go wrong with tomatoes, cheese, and chicken?
Roasted Chicken Caprese:
Ingredients:
Marinade:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Tomatoes:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut in 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
For Chicken Marinade:
Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. Prepare lemon vinaigrette marinade by whisking together lemon juice, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify. Add lemon vinaigrette to chicken, seal the bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For tomatoes:
Cut each tomato into quarters lengthwise. Place in a medium bowl and toss gently with sugar, one teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil.
Spoon tomato mixture into a rimmed cookie sheet so that tomato pieces don't touch.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Spoon tomatoes and all accumulated juices into a small bowl.
Add cheese, basil leaves, and pepper, tossing gently.
Let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks.
For Chicken and final preparation:
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Remove chicken and discard marinade.
Place chicken on same cookie sheet used to roast tomatoes.
Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once half-way through, or until fully cooked through.
To serve, place 1 chicken breast half on each heated dinner plate. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture over top.
It's so fantastic! I think the next time I make it, I'll dice the tomatoes, and instead of mixing the cheese in with the tomatoes, I'll sprinkle it on top of the chicken. very healthy and diet-friendly, too!
Roasted Chicken Caprese:
Ingredients:
Marinade:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Tomatoes:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut in 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
For Chicken Marinade:
Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. Prepare lemon vinaigrette marinade by whisking together lemon juice, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify. Add lemon vinaigrette to chicken, seal the bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For tomatoes:
Cut each tomato into quarters lengthwise. Place in a medium bowl and toss gently with sugar, one teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil.
Spoon tomato mixture into a rimmed cookie sheet so that tomato pieces don't touch.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Spoon tomatoes and all accumulated juices into a small bowl.
Add cheese, basil leaves, and pepper, tossing gently.
Let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks.
For Chicken and final preparation:
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Remove chicken and discard marinade.
Place chicken on same cookie sheet used to roast tomatoes.
Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once half-way through, or until fully cooked through.
To serve, place 1 chicken breast half on each heated dinner plate. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture over top.
It's so fantastic! I think the next time I make it, I'll dice the tomatoes, and instead of mixing the cheese in with the tomatoes, I'll sprinkle it on top of the chicken. very healthy and diet-friendly, too!
Do you think...
...that I would've made Matt nervous if I would have called and asked him where his drill bits were? And hammer? Level? And screwdriver?
I bought a shelf for the laundry room - I thought we could use the extra storage space for extra cleaning supplies, paper towels, light bulbs, etc. Well, Matt's *very* handy - it's one of the things I LOVE about him - he can do anything and everything around the house, and if I tell him I'd like something done, he always does it really well and really quickly. (In fact, he's so handy, he's hung a picture for one of my friends before!)
But, he's gone today and tomorrow, and I just wanted to see if I could tackle this project.
Well, I found the drill bits!
And even figured out how to change it out of the cordless drill!
So, after only an hour, new shelf!!
(It's the top white one - and, ignore all the stuff on top of the washer and dryer - I had to move all of the items from the bottom shelf to have room to work).
Cool tool chick, I am!
I bought a shelf for the laundry room - I thought we could use the extra storage space for extra cleaning supplies, paper towels, light bulbs, etc. Well, Matt's *very* handy - it's one of the things I LOVE about him - he can do anything and everything around the house, and if I tell him I'd like something done, he always does it really well and really quickly. (In fact, he's so handy, he's hung a picture for one of my friends before!)
But, he's gone today and tomorrow, and I just wanted to see if I could tackle this project.
Well, I found the drill bits!
And even figured out how to change it out of the cordless drill! So, after only an hour, new shelf!!
(It's the top white one - and, ignore all the stuff on top of the washer and dryer - I had to move all of the items from the bottom shelf to have room to work).
Cool tool chick, I am!
Waffles!
I used my new waffle maker for the first time last week! Grant loves, loves, loves waffles, so I thought I'd get a waffle maker. I made this recipe from allrecipes, and they turned out great! I found out that Matt likes his waffles a little crispy, and Grant loved them, too!
Play Group History
For the past year, I've tried to find some sort of play group to join - just to be able to get out of the house, meet some other moms, and let Grant play with some other kiddos.
Well, it's been a no-go for play groups for me. Here's the brief history:
Play Group #1 - Greenwood West - emailed the contact person several times, never heard back.
Play Group #2 - South East Indy - I thought this one would be GREAT. It was perfect geographically and they had a cool website. When I spoke on the phone with the contact person, she told me they weren't a conservative group. I should've guessed that if the contact person made a point to tell a newbie that, she truly meant that they weren't a conservative group! When I was granted access to their members-only website, I saw pictures of kegs at play groups and pole-dancing at Moms Night Out! Not my kind of group - I just want to meet some moms for lunch, ya know?
Play Group #3 - Greenwood East - Matt dropped me off at the church they were meeting in for their easter luncheon, and he was headed to Starbucks to work for a couple hours. Less than 40 minutes later, I called him, telling him to pick me up. For the 20 minutes I sat at a table with some woman, ALL they did was complain about their kids! Not my kind of group, either.
Play Group #4 - Franklin Township - the whole MOPS fiasco. See previous blog post.
Play Group #5 - North Indy - I thought perhaps I needed to meet some "north side" moms. Well, found a play group that looked really fun and I was totally excited about going, but then on their website they had VERY SPECIFIC instructions that you had to live within a certain address zone to be able to be a part of their group! Seriously! So, couldn't go to that one.
Is it me? Is it Indy play groups? WHY can I not meet other moms in the area?
However, I FINALLY found a group I think I'll like!! I'll blog about it tomorrow...are you hanging in suspense?
Well, it's been a no-go for play groups for me. Here's the brief history:
Play Group #1 - Greenwood West - emailed the contact person several times, never heard back.
Play Group #2 - South East Indy - I thought this one would be GREAT. It was perfect geographically and they had a cool website. When I spoke on the phone with the contact person, she told me they weren't a conservative group. I should've guessed that if the contact person made a point to tell a newbie that, she truly meant that they weren't a conservative group! When I was granted access to their members-only website, I saw pictures of kegs at play groups and pole-dancing at Moms Night Out! Not my kind of group - I just want to meet some moms for lunch, ya know?
Play Group #3 - Greenwood East - Matt dropped me off at the church they were meeting in for their easter luncheon, and he was headed to Starbucks to work for a couple hours. Less than 40 minutes later, I called him, telling him to pick me up. For the 20 minutes I sat at a table with some woman, ALL they did was complain about their kids! Not my kind of group, either.
Play Group #4 - Franklin Township - the whole MOPS fiasco. See previous blog post.
Play Group #5 - North Indy - I thought perhaps I needed to meet some "north side" moms. Well, found a play group that looked really fun and I was totally excited about going, but then on their website they had VERY SPECIFIC instructions that you had to live within a certain address zone to be able to be a part of their group! Seriously! So, couldn't go to that one.
Is it me? Is it Indy play groups? WHY can I not meet other moms in the area?
However, I FINALLY found a group I think I'll like!! I'll blog about it tomorrow...are you hanging in suspense?
See Anna Run!
I just got off the treadmill! 
I did .85 miles, stopped, felt pretty good, so kept going and did 2 more!
Matt wonderfully surprised me with a "bluepod" and the Nike Sport Kit for christmas, and I LOVE IT! I can upload the info to Nike's website, and it gives me a chart of my runs - here's my latest - neat, huh?
I did .85 miles, stopped, felt pretty good, so kept going and did 2 more! Matt wonderfully surprised me with a "bluepod" and the Nike Sport Kit for christmas, and I LOVE IT! I can upload the info to Nike's website, and it gives me a chart of my runs - here's my latest - neat, huh?
Go Grant! Goo Mommy!
I forgot to post a couple of weeks ago:
Grant and I had a rather rocky first 2 weeks of breastfeeding, due to my inexperience and a nurse in the hospital who got us off to the wrong foot. But, thanks in part to online breastfeeding support, my local Lactation Consultant, the miracle drug Reglan,pumping around the clock for 2 weeks, and a wonderfully supportive husband, I am proud to say that we made it to the one-year breastfeeding mark!
No supplementing beyond those first 2 tumultuous weeks - after that, he had purely momma milk! 
(Not that anything's wrong with formula-feeding for anyone that's reading this - the important thing is a happy and healthy, well-fed baby, regardless!)
So, GOOO Grant Go! Goo Mommy Goo!! Around-the-clock feedings have definitely worn me out for over a year, but it's so worth it to be able to feed our precious baby boy! (and the extra calories burnt isn't bad
)
I anticipate weaning over the next couple of months - Grant's already weaned himself to about 3 feedings a day. (and one in the middle of the night, of course!) We tried to go cold-turkey weaning a week ago, and neither of us were ready for that! yikes! For now, I'm happy to still be nursing, although the 2 am feeding could definitely be dropped!
Grant and I had a rather rocky first 2 weeks of breastfeeding, due to my inexperience and a nurse in the hospital who got us off to the wrong foot. But, thanks in part to online breastfeeding support, my local Lactation Consultant, the miracle drug Reglan,pumping around the clock for 2 weeks, and a wonderfully supportive husband, I am proud to say that we made it to the one-year breastfeeding mark!
No supplementing beyond those first 2 tumultuous weeks - after that, he had purely momma milk! 
(Not that anything's wrong with formula-feeding for anyone that's reading this - the important thing is a happy and healthy, well-fed baby, regardless!)So, GOOO Grant Go! Goo Mommy Goo!! Around-the-clock feedings have definitely worn me out for over a year, but it's so worth it to be able to feed our precious baby boy! (and the extra calories burnt isn't bad
)I anticipate weaning over the next couple of months - Grant's already weaned himself to about 3 feedings a day. (and one in the middle of the night, of course!) We tried to go cold-turkey weaning a week ago, and neither of us were ready for that! yikes! For now, I'm happy to still be nursing, although the 2 am feeding could definitely be dropped!
Good with Frosting
So, I decided to make some cookies this afternoon, but in our quest for healthier lifestyles, tried this recipe for Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Cookies. They're just *okay* - next time I should just forego the healthy-ness and go for real cookies! That's what i really wanted!
Matt's first comment on the slightly-bland oatmeal cookies? "They'd be good dipped in frosting."
Matt's first comment on the slightly-bland oatmeal cookies? "They'd be good dipped in frosting."
So Much Better!
Whew - I just took a 20-minute power nap while Grant was asleep, and I feel SO MUCH BETTER! 
The house needs an overhaul, but I had to lay down or I wasn't going to get anything done. So, 20 minutes later, I have a cup of hot tea, Chris Botti's Italia playing, and a refreshed zeal to tackle the house!
What happened to the house, you ask? Well, Grant's closet needed organizing - it's a walk-in, which is great, but desperately needed going through. It's one of those projects that seems simple but 20-steps and 2 hours later is an enormous issue. I have piles* to store, piles to take to GoodWill, piles to sell, piles to fold, piles to hang! So, off I go!
*And, just for those in my life who are savers, not giver-away-ers, I've kept virtually every article of clothing that Grant has, so never fear!
The house needs an overhaul, but I had to lay down or I wasn't going to get anything done. So, 20 minutes later, I have a cup of hot tea, Chris Botti's Italia playing, and a refreshed zeal to tackle the house! What happened to the house, you ask? Well, Grant's closet needed organizing - it's a walk-in, which is great, but desperately needed going through. It's one of those projects that seems simple but 20-steps and 2 hours later is an enormous issue. I have piles* to store, piles to take to GoodWill, piles to sell, piles to fold, piles to hang! So, off I go!
*And, just for those in my life who are savers, not giver-away-ers, I've kept virtually every article of clothing that Grant has, so never fear!
Farm Stand Salsa
Our first small group meeting was tonight, so of course we had to have snacks! I made homemade salsa and guacamole, and just had to share this salsa recipe! It's fabulous! You could eat it as a side dish, with chips like salsa, or toss it over a green salad with some grilled chicken as an entree!
I haven't figured out what the Weight Watcher points would be, but it's got to be pretty low. I used canned corn and added black beans!
From the Food Network's Tyler Florence:
Farm Stand Salsa
2 ears fresh, sweet corn, cut off the cob
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chopped in chunks
1 jalapeno, sliced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat.
I haven't figured out what the Weight Watcher points would be, but it's got to be pretty low. I used canned corn and added black beans!
From the Food Network's Tyler Florence:
Farm Stand Salsa
2 ears fresh, sweet corn, cut off the cob
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chopped in chunks
1 jalapeno, sliced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat.
Unphased...
I'm not sure what is going on, but the older I get the more prone I've become to getting carsick. yuck! We came home from my mother's birthday party this evening, and in only the hour and 15 minute car ride I was extremely car sick by the end, and even got sick as soon as I walked in the door.
Fortunately (unfortunately?), I was so sick for so many months in my pregnancy that my wonderful husband is completely non-phased by puke. He simply handed me some water and cleaned out the sink for me, very matter-of-factly. Poor guy has seen more puke than a husband should!
I think I need some Dramamine before we travel again!
Fortunately (unfortunately?), I was so sick for so many months in my pregnancy that my wonderful husband is completely non-phased by puke. He simply handed me some water and cleaned out the sink for me, very matter-of-factly. Poor guy has seen more puke than a husband should!
I think I need some Dramamine before we travel again!
What Love!
This is how much my DH loves me - he not only tolerates, but willingly helps in my painting projects. Our master bedroom and bath are one of the last rooms to be painted in our house, and we're having trouble deciding what shade to do the bath. So - the samples. And, no, neither of these will be the final shade!
Muscled-Up Meatballs and More...
I'm always looking for ways to get some protein into Grant, but am often grabbing food as he's hungry right.this.second! So, I made a double batch of Muscle-Upped Meatballs this afternoon! Lean beef, veggies, some spices = good stuff for Grant! :)
We (read: Matt) installed the mother of all carseats this weekend - the Britax Boulevard. It's a beast of a carseat, but it's SO stable and sturdy! And, Grant can stay rear-facing, which is much safer, for at least another 6 months!
But, since he just moved out of his infant seat, today was our first shopping trip to Target where he actually rode in the seat part of the cart! I was a little nervous on my way, wondering how it'd go. After a year of having a baby and settling into such a comfortable routine, I felt like a brand-new parent all-over again trying to figure out how to shuffle Grant from the carseat to the store.
Never fear, though, it all worked out and Grant LOVED riding in the cart. I had to not stop quickly, though, or he'd kind of wobble! :)
Matt brought home Panera tonight for supper, so I'm off to clean up the kitchen and warm the soup up!
We (read: Matt) installed the mother of all carseats this weekend - the Britax Boulevard. It's a beast of a carseat, but it's SO stable and sturdy! And, Grant can stay rear-facing, which is much safer, for at least another 6 months!
But, since he just moved out of his infant seat, today was our first shopping trip to Target where he actually rode in the seat part of the cart! I was a little nervous on my way, wondering how it'd go. After a year of having a baby and settling into such a comfortable routine, I felt like a brand-new parent all-over again trying to figure out how to shuffle Grant from the carseat to the store.
Never fear, though, it all worked out and Grant LOVED riding in the cart. I had to not stop quickly, though, or he'd kind of wobble! :)
Matt brought home Panera tonight for supper, so I'm off to clean up the kitchen and warm the soup up!
Birth Story
I wrote this birth story about 2 weeks after we had Grant...it's fun now to look back and read it, when the memory of his birth was so fresh in my heart. I thought I'd share it with you.
Grant Owen
Born on January 10th, 2007, at 36 1/2 weeks
7 lbs, 1 oz
There are memories in every person’s life that are so deeply ingrained into her memory that she can still sense that long-ago moment vividly, as though that one moment in life has been frozen forever in time. We all have those memories where we can still hear the song the radio was playing, still smell the cologne of a loved one, and still sense the emotions surrounding us.
One of those frozen-forever memories for me was a sunny summer day last June – the 1st, to be exact. I was in Indiana, visiting my family to celebrate my mom’s retirement from 30 years of full-time teaching. I had eaten lunch with my sister-in-law that day, and driving home, I had the passing thought that my cycle was about a week late. After almost 3 years of dealing with infertility, I passed the thought off, rationalizing it with just the fact that my body was, once again, just messed up.
On the way home from lunch, however, something – and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what – made me stop at Target and buy a pregnancy test. And, yes, I peed on a stick right there in the Target bathroom. I can still remember holding up the stick and seeing the blue “+” appear even before the control line appeared. And, even after almost 3 years of obsessively P’ing OAS, I dug the directions out of the trash in the restroom because I thought I was reading the stick incorrectly! Sure enough, I had gotten my first positive in 2 years!
My brain suddenly stopped working…all I could think was that I had to get a hold of Matt, who, due to work, had stayed in Iowa while I was in Indiana. I thought I didn’t have my cell phone with me, so I tried calling Matt collect. After a comedy of errors of trying to connect with him, and thoroughly freaking him out (why would I be calling collect?), I realized that my cell phone was in the car. So, I can remember walking through the doors of Target and Matt asking me if I was okay. I can distinctly remember telling him those words I had so longed to say: “I’m pregnant.” He was shocked. SHOCKED. We had been told that we had a less than 4% chance of conceiving on our own, and had even discussed doing IVF.
So, that small little “+” sign on that stick changed the course of our lives.
For the next 4 months I became incessantly sick with “all-day” sickness, even being hospitalized due to dehydration (hyperemesis). On September 19th we found out we were having a little boy and were absolutely ecstatic.
The second and beginning of the third trimester were pretty uneventful, and I felt great! Then, mid November, we moved from Iowa to Indiana. Physically and emotionally it was hard to move at 32 weeks pregnant, but we survived.
Then, in early December, I started swelling. And I mean swelling – I looked like the Michelin woman! My blood pressure started increasing, and I started spilling protein in my urine. Matt and I spent Christmas Eve in labor and delivery and I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. My OB was aware the pre-e can turn serious (and, actually, my own mom had pre-e with me and was within minutes of seizing because no doctor caught the symptoms), and told me that we would just try to make the pregnancy last as long as possible. I was put on semi-bed-rest, and Mattt, a First Responder on the Fire Department, took my blood pressure about 30 times a day.
Then, Tuesday, January 9th, I awoke and just did not feel well. Matt had a breakfast meeting with a friend that lasted all morning, and I was on the couch the whole time. My head was killing me, and I just knew that something wasn’t right. When he came home and saw how I looked, he immediately told me to call the OB. I did and she wanted to see me. When her nurse took my blood pressure, her eyebrows raised, and she went to get another blood pressure cuff. Sure enough, the reading was right – 160/110. The protein in my urine was off the chart and Matt and I wondered what would happen. I was laying on the examining table when the OB came in, patted me on the back and said, “it’s time. It’s just time.” She sent us over to L & D to start the induction process. Matt and I were a little shell-shocked - I can remember hugging him in the elevator as we rode up to L & D and telling him that the next time we left the hospital, we would be 3. The nurse inserted Cervidel, a gel to ripen my cervix, hoping to get it softer for the induction process. We were expecting a 2, maybe 3 day process before Baby would make an appearance.
They told me to enjoy a good meal Tuesday night, as it might be my last, so DH went all out. He got my favorite Mexican food, my favorite pastry from Panera, and my favorite icecream from Cold Stone. We propped everything up on my hospital tray, eating together with the anticipation of our first child’s birth upon us.
The next morning, January 10th, Matt went home to get a few more things and to catch a nap after a fitful night of rest in the hospital. Then, around 9:30 on January 10th, suddenly my hospital room became invaded with nurses. An oxygen mask was slapped on me, a nurse did a rough internal exam to try to stimulate baby’s head, people were pressing on my very pregnant stomach, trying to stimulate the baby. Apparently his heart rate had fallen to a scary level and was very slow in coming back up. An anesthesiologist came into my room, telling me all about a spinal block and having me sign papers. And then a nurse told me something that made me realize it was serious – she said “Get your husband here now.” Scared and feeling alone, I called Matt, talking through the oxygen mask and said, “you need to come. now.” Apparently he broke land-speed records getting back to the hospital, where a pair of scrubs was tossed at him. My OB had arrived and made the definitive decision to do the emergency c-section, because baby was just not doing well. I was quickly taken to the OR, and after only about 15 minutes, Grant Owen made his appearance into the world!
Matt and I were immediately in love with him, and he’s a very mellow, content little baby. Who knew that one little blue plus sign could change your life so much?
Isaiah 25:1
"O LORD , you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."
Grant Owen
Born on January 10th, 2007, at 36 1/2 weeks
7 lbs, 1 oz
There are memories in every person’s life that are so deeply ingrained into her memory that she can still sense that long-ago moment vividly, as though that one moment in life has been frozen forever in time. We all have those memories where we can still hear the song the radio was playing, still smell the cologne of a loved one, and still sense the emotions surrounding us.
One of those frozen-forever memories for me was a sunny summer day last June – the 1st, to be exact. I was in Indiana, visiting my family to celebrate my mom’s retirement from 30 years of full-time teaching. I had eaten lunch with my sister-in-law that day, and driving home, I had the passing thought that my cycle was about a week late. After almost 3 years of dealing with infertility, I passed the thought off, rationalizing it with just the fact that my body was, once again, just messed up.
On the way home from lunch, however, something – and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what – made me stop at Target and buy a pregnancy test. And, yes, I peed on a stick right there in the Target bathroom. I can still remember holding up the stick and seeing the blue “+” appear even before the control line appeared. And, even after almost 3 years of obsessively P’ing OAS, I dug the directions out of the trash in the restroom because I thought I was reading the stick incorrectly! Sure enough, I had gotten my first positive in 2 years!
My brain suddenly stopped working…all I could think was that I had to get a hold of Matt, who, due to work, had stayed in Iowa while I was in Indiana. I thought I didn’t have my cell phone with me, so I tried calling Matt collect. After a comedy of errors of trying to connect with him, and thoroughly freaking him out (why would I be calling collect?), I realized that my cell phone was in the car. So, I can remember walking through the doors of Target and Matt asking me if I was okay. I can distinctly remember telling him those words I had so longed to say: “I’m pregnant.” He was shocked. SHOCKED. We had been told that we had a less than 4% chance of conceiving on our own, and had even discussed doing IVF.
So, that small little “+” sign on that stick changed the course of our lives.
For the next 4 months I became incessantly sick with “all-day” sickness, even being hospitalized due to dehydration (hyperemesis). On September 19th we found out we were having a little boy and were absolutely ecstatic.
The second and beginning of the third trimester were pretty uneventful, and I felt great! Then, mid November, we moved from Iowa to Indiana. Physically and emotionally it was hard to move at 32 weeks pregnant, but we survived.
Then, in early December, I started swelling. And I mean swelling – I looked like the Michelin woman! My blood pressure started increasing, and I started spilling protein in my urine. Matt and I spent Christmas Eve in labor and delivery and I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. My OB was aware the pre-e can turn serious (and, actually, my own mom had pre-e with me and was within minutes of seizing because no doctor caught the symptoms), and told me that we would just try to make the pregnancy last as long as possible. I was put on semi-bed-rest, and Mattt, a First Responder on the Fire Department, took my blood pressure about 30 times a day.
Then, Tuesday, January 9th, I awoke and just did not feel well. Matt had a breakfast meeting with a friend that lasted all morning, and I was on the couch the whole time. My head was killing me, and I just knew that something wasn’t right. When he came home and saw how I looked, he immediately told me to call the OB. I did and she wanted to see me. When her nurse took my blood pressure, her eyebrows raised, and she went to get another blood pressure cuff. Sure enough, the reading was right – 160/110. The protein in my urine was off the chart and Matt and I wondered what would happen. I was laying on the examining table when the OB came in, patted me on the back and said, “it’s time. It’s just time.” She sent us over to L & D to start the induction process. Matt and I were a little shell-shocked - I can remember hugging him in the elevator as we rode up to L & D and telling him that the next time we left the hospital, we would be 3. The nurse inserted Cervidel, a gel to ripen my cervix, hoping to get it softer for the induction process. We were expecting a 2, maybe 3 day process before Baby would make an appearance.
They told me to enjoy a good meal Tuesday night, as it might be my last, so DH went all out. He got my favorite Mexican food, my favorite pastry from Panera, and my favorite icecream from Cold Stone. We propped everything up on my hospital tray, eating together with the anticipation of our first child’s birth upon us.
The next morning, January 10th, Matt went home to get a few more things and to catch a nap after a fitful night of rest in the hospital. Then, around 9:30 on January 10th, suddenly my hospital room became invaded with nurses. An oxygen mask was slapped on me, a nurse did a rough internal exam to try to stimulate baby’s head, people were pressing on my very pregnant stomach, trying to stimulate the baby. Apparently his heart rate had fallen to a scary level and was very slow in coming back up. An anesthesiologist came into my room, telling me all about a spinal block and having me sign papers. And then a nurse told me something that made me realize it was serious – she said “Get your husband here now.” Scared and feeling alone, I called Matt, talking through the oxygen mask and said, “you need to come. now.” Apparently he broke land-speed records getting back to the hospital, where a pair of scrubs was tossed at him. My OB had arrived and made the definitive decision to do the emergency c-section, because baby was just not doing well. I was quickly taken to the OR, and after only about 15 minutes, Grant Owen made his appearance into the world!
Matt and I were immediately in love with him, and he’s a very mellow, content little baby. Who knew that one little blue plus sign could change your life so much?
Isaiah 25:1
"O LORD , you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."
Happy Birthday, Grant!
Happy First Birthday, Baby Boy!One year ago...
My Last Picture Pregnant...and swollen!
In the operating room...
Meeting Grant for the first time:
Our first family photo:
And, at his birthday party:
The cake (which is essentially the first cake I've ever made - white cake with buttercream frosting and fondant decorations!):
Grant sitting in his high chair, getting ready for cake! Do you see him holding the balloon? He LOVED it, and would NOT let go!
Trying cake with one finger:
Mmm - gotta use the fist for this stuff!
Getting ready for presents!
Gotta brace myself for these gifts!
Tissue paper!
It was a wonderful, wonderful birthday party with all of our family and friends. It was just so special for me to have our parents and closest friends here at our house, helping us celebrate this sweet little boy for whom we prayed for so long.
It's 1:45 in the morning...
and, I'm obviously up!
I went to bed at 11, and Grant woke me up at 11:45 - he wasn't crying, just kind of awake and talking. He started fussing, so I went in and nursed him and he ate and ate and ate and ate. He went back to sleep fairly quickly.
But, at around 12:30 (I had only been asleep about 20 minutes) he woke up crying. He wasn't really crying crying, just fussing, so I left him be. Well, by 1 I could tell he wasn't going to go to sleep, so I gave him some Tylenol and teething tablets. He FREAKED OUT when I left the room, so my only other thought was that he was still hungry (he eagerly opened his mouth for the Tylenol and wanted more!)
So, I got a sippy of milk and a yogurt, came back up stairs, and he drank about 1/2 of the sippy cup just straight down! He's NEVER done that for me before. Never. And then, I fed him the whole thing of yogurt! Him sitting in his crib, at 1:15 in the morning! He wouldn't let me take the sippy away, so I dumped the milk out, put water in it, and gave it back to him. (Is that okay for him to have a sippy of water? I figured better than milk).
so, now, he's in there playing with the sippy - shaking it, talking to it, and occasionally fussing.
It's TWO IN THE MORNING. This is nuts! Go to sleep, baby!
I went to bed at 11, and Grant woke me up at 11:45 - he wasn't crying, just kind of awake and talking. He started fussing, so I went in and nursed him and he ate and ate and ate and ate. He went back to sleep fairly quickly.
But, at around 12:30 (I had only been asleep about 20 minutes) he woke up crying. He wasn't really crying crying, just fussing, so I left him be. Well, by 1 I could tell he wasn't going to go to sleep, so I gave him some Tylenol and teething tablets. He FREAKED OUT when I left the room, so my only other thought was that he was still hungry (he eagerly opened his mouth for the Tylenol and wanted more!)
So, I got a sippy of milk and a yogurt, came back up stairs, and he drank about 1/2 of the sippy cup just straight down! He's NEVER done that for me before. Never. And then, I fed him the whole thing of yogurt! Him sitting in his crib, at 1:15 in the morning! He wouldn't let me take the sippy away, so I dumped the milk out, put water in it, and gave it back to him. (Is that okay for him to have a sippy of water? I figured better than milk).
so, now, he's in there playing with the sippy - shaking it, talking to it, and occasionally fussing.
It's TWO IN THE MORNING. This is nuts! Go to sleep, baby!
No More MOPS!
So, a friend of mine told me about this MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) program at a local church around here. It's an international program that has local chapters, geared towards supporting SAHM's. Well, I've gone a handful of times, and I've just decided to not go back. I just don't like it! Part of the deal is that for some weird reason the majority of the women are like, 10 years older than I am and have elementary-aged children. I don't have any problems making friends with women not in my age or stage of life - but I cannot make friends if they're not FRIENDLY! Argh!
All the times I've literally just stood around, feeling like a dork, with no one talking to me.
Then, when I sit down at the table for the "group" I'm assigned to, all of the women that know each other have sat there talking, essentially ignoring me. And, I'm a fairly outgoing person, so I tried to start a conversation with some of them. They politely answered my questions and then moved on. Not ONE person came over to say hi to me any of the times I went.
So, it's just not worth going back. I've gone to the Tuesday morning meetings, and I've heard that the Friday morning meetings are larger. I might try out the Friday morning session, but then I'm just done! :/ I just wanted to meet some other moms in our area - why is that so hard? :/
All the times I've literally just stood around, feeling like a dork, with no one talking to me.
Then, when I sit down at the table for the "group" I'm assigned to, all of the women that know each other have sat there talking, essentially ignoring me. And, I'm a fairly outgoing person, so I tried to start a conversation with some of them. They politely answered my questions and then moved on. Not ONE person came over to say hi to me any of the times I went.So, it's just not worth going back. I've gone to the Tuesday morning meetings, and I've heard that the Friday morning meetings are larger. I might try out the Friday morning session, but then I'm just done! :/ I just wanted to meet some other moms in our area - why is that so hard? :/
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