Stuff I Like To Write About

No matter where in his crib we lay him, he ends up here...

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Baby's Room Decorating Tips

2009-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 ideas we used for Carver's room:

For this one, all I did was spray paint letters (from Michael's) and hot-glue ribbon to the back. Or you can buy pre-made letters from Pottery Barn Kids at an absurd cost.

Instead of a store-bought mobile, I had Ethan hang these paper lanterns above the crib.

Tempeh Update

2009-07-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

I made the Tempeh (using this recipe)! It was very delicious and will become a regular. Now if only I can rope Ethan and all his ideas in ("I wonder how hard it would be to make a tempeh incubator...").

Monday: Finally... A Weekend At Home

2009-07-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

With all our recent weddings and weekend trips, it was so nice to be in Gainesville this weekend.

Friday: We busted out our electric fryer for the first time (it was a wedding gift we received 3 years ago) and celebrated our friend, Chris' birthday by frying some fish. We also turned our kitchen into a fry factory and acquired a blister or two (ok, I'm exaggerating), cutting pounds of potatoes -both white and sweet- to fry. Some of the guys slip & slid (is that the past tense for slip & slide?) and we discovered that Carver doesn't like the Happy Birthday song. Either that or he was over-tired and intimidated by the crowd.

That night I got 8 straight hours of sleep!!! The old me would not be so excited to wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning, but after going to bed at 10:30 on Friday night, the momma me was thrilled to look at the clock and realize I had an uninterrupted night's sleep!

Saturday: I put the finishing touches on my summer cleaning frenzy by attempting to sell all our stuff that wasn't Craigslist material at a garage sale. We combined forces with the Rohans, Putnams and Dourtes. I would say they were a little more successful than us, in that we made only enough money to pay for our Cuban pastry breakfast. However, it was an overall great time and now my closet is only filled with overflow storage that we actually want.

Saturday night we went out for Megan's birthday dinner. Happy birthday, friend! Carver stole a little bit of the attention with his blueberry mustache.

Sunday: I freaking love our church. Even though I missed most of the sermon, trying to get Carver to sleep, I always feel like I'm in God's presence when I'm there. After church, we came home and had a relaxing lunch while Carver napped for over 2 hours! Ethan went to help the Putnams move into their new apartment while I took a look at our budget to prepare for Financial Peace University. This led me to call Verizon to see how they might be able to lower our monthly bill. Hey, its worth a try, right? Right! All I said was that we would like to pay less and the customer service guy offered us the "loyalty plan" that still provides well over the average number minutes of minutes we use every month and will save us about $20. Its not going to cover Carver's college tuition, but, hey it was worth the 15 minutes I spent on the phone.

FPU was great. Dave Ramsey is pretty funny for a good ole' boy and really got us excited about saving money! The first "baby step" is saving $1000 toward an emergency fund. After we picked Carver up from Natalie & Dan's, we all headed to Sweet Dreams for wild flavor night. My favorite was peanut butter with chocolate covered potato chips. Thanks for the ice cream, Putnams!

I'm looking forward to a mostly un-eventful week. Hope you have a great one, too!

"B" Sounds Make Him Laugh

2009-07-17T06:30:00.001-07:00

Also, if you search "Carver laughing" on youtube, not only is there

another baby Carver, but a baby Ethan Carver!

Friday: Pool Time

2009-07-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the float, Tampa Grands!

Thursday: Free Tea @ McAlister's!

2009-07-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Next Thursday, July 23rd is free tea at McAlister's deli. I know its a whole week from now, but I didn't want to post this next Thursday and risk being too late.

Half Birthday

2009-07-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

I have a 6 month old. He has a tooth.

Ethan's thinks its a mark of genius that he got his first tooth on his 6 month birthday, yesterday. It takes about 3 hands to pull his bottom lip down, push his tongue back and get a good look at that little white bump, so there's no way I can give you a picture, but I'll give you the overall affect of his big-boyness:

I love this stage in his life. Now that he's a big(ger) boy, he sits up for a few moments on his own, but usually topples over. He also has a few great tickle spots that make it easy to evoke a shriek/squeal of delight. We have finally moved his bedtime a little earlier, around 8:30-8:45. Every week I go back and forth, trying to decide whether its more important to focus on his schedule and be consistent, or adapt his life to ours and go with the flow. Although I love a good list and always look forward to starting a new planner in the fall, I am much more of a go with the flow kind of gal than a scheduler. But then again, its so nice to be able to predict his schedule and his needs. I have a suspicious feeling the next 20-something years are going to be filled with balancing these two strategies.

In other bedtime news, ours wasn't until 3:00 AM Tuesday night because we went to the opening show of Harry Potter 6! This was some of our group:

I highly recommend the movie. It was the first one we've seen since Carver was born and definitely lived up to those high standards.

Wednesday: Matthew 8:23-27

2009-07-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

Jesus calms a storm.

It sounded so simple in Carver's Beginner's Bible:

Jesus and his disciples got into a boat. They wanted to cross the sea. Jesus took a nap. The waves gently rocked the boat back and forth.

Suddenly a great storm came up. Waves splashed over the boat. Winds whipped around the disciples. They woke Jesus up and shouted, "The boat is sinking. Don't you care?"

Jesus asked, "Why are you so afraid? Don't you have any faith at all?" Then Jesus told the storm to stop. Right away it was calm.

The disciples were amazed. They said to each other, "Who is this man Jesus? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Reading this story caught me a little off-guard. It made me pause and think Why am I so afraid? Don't I have faith? Right now just feels like such a transition for our family. There are so many unanswered questions. But suddenly the how-long-are-we-going-to-live-in-family-housing-what's-going-to-happen-with-Ethan's-career storm calmed in my heart. I guess sometimes it takes reading the Beginner's Bible to have child-like faith.

I like the English Standard Version of verse 26:

"And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."

Tuesday: Regenerating Scallions

2009-07-14T05:28:00.001-07:00

You can thank Melissa from "The Next Food Network Star" for this one:

Put your scallions/green onions (does anyone really know the difference?) root side down in a glass of water after you've cut them and they will grow back!

I love this trick! I am going to use my re-growth to try and make tempeh fried rice. Tempeh is a fermented soy product that, in my opinion, has a more appealing flavor and texture than tofu. I love living in a college town where vegetarian food is abundant. We are by no means vegetarians, but as my husband's thesis has revealed to me the environmental impact of raising beef, pork and chicken, I like to cook a few meat-free meals a week. I first tried Artie's tempeh at Cafe Gardens and bought a brick to cook myself at Ward's, our local grocery store.

MInute Monday: Busy Wedding Weekend

2009-07-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Friday: A runny nose caused Carver and I to skip play group (bummer!). When he woke me up for a 5:30 AM feeding, I was half-asleep on the glider, convinced he had swine flu. A cup of coffee and call to the doctor's office settled my mind. The nurse suggested I give him a few days and some saline spray to help him breathe. He seems to be just as content as always, just noisier as he nurses. After the most boring Friday I've had in a while, I gladly welcomed Ethan home and we adorned our cow costumes. A torrential downpour might have washed away some of our spots but didn't dampen our excitement for free Chick-Fil-A. I love that they have Dr. Pepper. I love that the employees always say "my pleasure" and were walking families out to their cars with umbrellas. I love that they gave Carver a free kids meal even though he has no teeth and the only cow-like thing he was wearing were his cute new black & white converse hi-tops.

Saturday: Ethan's on a new campaign to finish his thesis (praise the Lord!), so he woke up at 7:00 and worked on that. I slowly got up and got everyone packed, fed and headed out to Orlando with Kari. We met some friends for lunch in Winter Park, dropped Carver off with Ethan's mom and got ready for the wedding. The Greek Orthodox ceremony was really neat. I was a little off when I said there would be no words, however, there were no vows and most of what the priest said (sung) was in Greek. It was great to see some old friends and learn some new dances. Somehow, I ended up holding hands with the father of the bride during a circular Greek dance. "9 steps forward, 3 steps back...its that easy," the DJ said. Now, I know my college days are behind me, but I was counting and I'm pretty sure there was more to it than that.

Sunday: We drove to Merritt Island after the wedding and went out to breakfast with Ethan's parents the next morning. The last time Kari, Ethan and I were in Merritt Island together was the first time I met Ethan's parents and the first time I knew Ethan was interested in me. We had just gone down to the beach for the day and when we stopped by his house, his parents told me how much they had heard about me. Six years later and we're back with their grandson! That evening we started Financial Peace University at our church. I'm excited to do this study because (as you know) I love saving money and because it will be 2 hours of grown-up time every week for Ethan and me.

Now I'm home, looking at an overflowing laundry basket and an empty fridge thinking how does this happen so quickly?

Foto Friday: Dance Party

2009-07-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are off to Dave & Melissa's wedding in Orlando. I'm very excited. Her family is Greek Orthodox and apparently their will be no words in the ceremony. I love our ridiculously fun group of friends and our equally ridiculous dance parties. Here's a shot from our reception...

Thrifty Thursday: Free Chick-Fil-A

2009-07-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (Friday, July 10th) is Cow Appreciation Day. Dress like a cow and get a free Chick-Fil-A meal! Click here to get the details.

Also, Snapfish is doing 100 prints at $0.04 each! Check it out.

As always, Southern Savers (link to the right) has some great Publix deals, including a $10 rebate.

Word Wednesday: Ephesians 4:26

2009-07-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger"

This is another verse I came across in my Bible Study. I remember our pastor, Father Ron teaching on this passage. I found his explanation interesting; that anger itself is not a sin, but a natural and healthy reaction. Its what we do with this emotion that determines the spiritual consequence and its affect on our lives. Thankfully, Paul, the author of this letter to the Ephesians tells us what to do: resolve our anger before bedtime!

Teachable Tuesday: Crazy Cream Cheese

2009-07-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

I like to spice up plain cream cheese and make my own flavors. For example, a veggie variety might include shredded carrots, red pepper and green onions. I just made a honey-walnut version today, using Tupelo Honey from Lindsay & Danny's wedding. Use whatever you have laying around (and let me know how it turns out!).

PS- Here's a coupon for $1 off Philadelphia cream cheese.

Minute Monday: 4th of July & Baptism

2009-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Friday: Ethan's day off!!! I love those! We got Cuban pastries for breakfast (did I mention I'm fake doing Weight Watchers?) and had a double date with the Dourtes that included Bed Bath & Beyond followed by a Chick-Fil-A lunch. Carver did his new happy yell throughout aisles of towels and linens.

Saturday: What's more American than breakfast with friends? Having breakfast with friends and then going swimming!

We swam, grilled, and the boys played whiffle ball. Then my family came in to town, we got some BBQ and watched fireworks. Perfect. Uncle/Godfather Sam:

Sunday: Apparently Carver invited even more people to his baptism than we did! Three rows of pews were occupied by family and friends, surrounding our little one with love and prayer.

(You can tell I married into this family; closed-mouth smiles must be a genetic trait.)

He did great during the baptism, even leaning down to play with the water. Wiped out by the post-baptism lunch celebration, we came back and took well-deserved naps. To top it all off, Ethan manned bedtime while I went out for a glass of Sangria with the moms from our play group. What a weekend!

Foto Friday: Patriotic Babies

2009-07-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

Thrifty Thursday: Cool Whip for $0.24 each!

2009-07-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Cool Whip is BOGO (get one free, buy one, as Dan likes to put it) at Publix, starting today. It costs $1.49. Get a $1 off coupon here and $0.49 will buy you enough Cool Whip to make one of these:

Speaking of thrifty, guess what we spent on groceries during the month of June. $176.09! Now that's a lot better than the $300-400 a month we used to spend. Although that does include about $40 in quarters for laundry, it doesn't include all the random stuff I get at Target (vitamins, paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc.). That's my next goal.

Word Wednesday: Hebrews 6:10-12

2009-06-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this verse in a bible study and it made me think of Ethan and my brother, Sam, two loving servants.

"For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

What else would I be doing at midnight?

2009-06-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep.

I was thinking, why not do some sort of fun blog for every day of the week? Who knows if I'll actually stick with it, but it could be fun. My ideas so far:

Minute Monday: You know how you take "minutes" for a meeting? I'm pretty sure that's an old school term. Or maybe I just made it up. I used to take minutes for our Young Life team meetings, only it wasn't on the useful stuff. I would write down all the crazy/funny stuff that was said and do a recap at the end of the meeting. Well, these minutes will describe the Stonerook weekend (which I know you are all dying to hear about by time Monday rolls around).

Teachable Tuesday: I'll share a craft, recipe or some other idea.

Word Wednesday: That's a capital W, as in scripture (not the segment on the Colbert Report...although I usually enjoy that, too).

Thrifty Thursday: My favorite deal of the week!

Foto Friday: Most likely, this will be a picture of Carver.

I Think She Had a Baby

2009-06-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

I find myself avoiding all the extensive topics I want to blog about because I know how much time it'll take. I'm not one of those people that just writes as they think and then...boom! Posted! (Kind of like Michael's "boom...roasted" from The Office) See, I've already edited this first paragraph.

Anyway, instead of some great story or update, I'll just tell you:

Carver is grabbing everything out of my hands these days. He loves water bottles and cell phones. We've started him on solids. Did I already tell you that? He's tried peas, bananas and carrots. He seems to really like all of them.

We bought tickets to see Harry Potter 6!!! I'm so excited. It comes out midnight of Carver's half birthday. Any volunteers want to come babysit/spend the night at our house (I think the movie is 3 hours long)? You probably won't have to do anything and I'll make you cookies! She doesn't know it yet, but I'll try and trick Kari into it.

I have a side ponytail right now.

I'm so relieved with the state of our bedroom. It was becoming the project/junk room and hardly looked like a comfortable place for two newlyweds to relax. Ignoring my list of to-dos on Friday, I cracked down and rearranged. This also involved a lot of dusting and vacuuming as it had been a while. Saturday I tackled my surprisingly large closet that not only contains my clothes, shoes and bags, but all other kinds of random storage. Everything from Christmas decorations to beach towels end up in there because we don't have the luxury of a linen closet. And honestly, with the 100 degree weather, there was not much else I would have rather done with my weekend. Mmmm, how I love organizing...

Going through my old maternity clothes brought back some fond memories, but who the heck let me buy so many maternity clothes? I had more cute clothes that fit me then than I do now.

Carver's getting baptized July 5th. Ethan's afraid I'm going to dress him up "like an angel." At first I was a little offended by this, but thinking about it now, I'm very amused.

This is the kind of little stuff Lauren and I used to talk about when we worked for AmeriCorps together. I miss you, LC. I also miss working with other adults and kids I can talk with. I saw two old students of mine today. They were at my pool. I think its really funny that little kids have no intention of lowering their voices when they talk about you. I saw the older sister first and said, "Hi, Jane. Do you remember me? I'm Ms. Valerie." She then turned to her little sister and said, "Erin! Its Ms. Valerie. I think she had a baby!" I was literally 5 feet away from them in the pool.

All Needs: Met

2009-06-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling extra sentimental tonight because Lauren and Nick are moving back to the Jers, so bare with the cheese.

I would just like to declare to the world and myself that though we're broke as a joke, I have never felt so rich. As Carver, Ethan and I rode our bikes home from Moe's tonight, I looked up and saw a beautiful Florida sky. Not the most beautiful I've ever seen, but awe-inspiring enough for me to pause and listen to the beads on my spokes sing a song about this life.

I wouldn't give up our modest living room full of friends for a mansion, nor would I trade my weekly $5 burrito for lobster or steak.

I think tonight I have a better understanding of what Paul meant by "glorious" when he said,

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Phillipians 4:19

2 Things I LOVE

2009-06-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

1. My new contact Rx. Somehow, my left eye got sharper, yet my right eye has significantly worsened. Either way, I can see again!!! Making out the leaves on the trees reminds me of when I first got glasses in elementary school. My sister got a pair and I was jealous, so I claimed I had vision problems too. Turns out, I did.

2. Carver sleeping through the night again (not to mention this 1 hr. 10 min. and counting nap he's taking as we speak)! We let him cry himself to sleep when he woke up during the night before last. I wasn't sure what I thought of the plan, but if that's all it took for him to get 9 straight hours of sleep, call me Babywise. Now if only we could go to sleep when he does...

Summer

2009-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Family Reunion

2009-06-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Carver's 1st flight!

We went straight to the Matyja's basement to play!

We started off the weekend with lefse-making, a throwback to our Norwegian heritage.

Lots of grandkids!

We missed you, Sammy!

Carver's excited to meet great grandpa, Vern.

Nothing says Nebraskan like a family bike ride.

An intimidating putt-putt team if I ever saw one

We can't wait to come back next year!

Preparing our camper stew... Horihans are serious about their food.

Feels Like Beard-picking Weather

2009-06-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Right now my hands smell like bleach because I was sterilizing the bottle and pump I took on our trip that had remnants of 5 day old breast milk in them. Sick. Tomorrow we walk with LC, host play group, go on a much-needed trip to the grocery and work on a project for a certain lovely lady who's birthday is this Saturday. Oh, and how could I forget Moe's? I wish I had time in there to tell you about my AWESOME family reunion! I miss it already! But right now, Ethan's beard hairs are calling me, "pick me...pick me..."

TMI?

Quote of the Day

2009-06-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a piece of historical fiction that led me to ask a friend "Why did everyone hate the Jews so much?" To which my friend said, "They are God's chosen people. Same reason everyone hates the Gators."
Oh geez.

Procrastination

2009-06-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Where are all these ants coming from?

Gator baseball & softball= FUN.

Drinking a glass of not-yet-frozen homemade ice cream (egg yolks, heavy cream and chocolate) will not help you loose baby weight.

Gotta go pack.

Confusional Arousal

2009-05-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Carver had one last night. And I'm not talking about his first erection (that already happened during a diaper change about a month ago). Normally, when he wakes up in the middle of the night (depending on how long he's been asleep), we just go in his room and give him his pacifier and he's back to sleep. Well, he didn't take the paci this time and I thought, hey, maybe its a wet diaper (I wouldn't be too crazy about sleeping in my own pee, either). BAD move. Changing his diaper set off an ear-piercing scream (very un-Carver like) that didn't go away with the normal comforting techniques. I eventually laid him down in the crib and pinned all four of his limbs down which settled him quite a bit. He didn't seem to actually wake up throughout this whole scenario. Because one of our play group friends suffers from several of these a night (poor soul) and she has done a lot of research (the mom, not the baby), I knew what it was right away. Confusional arousals fit in the category of night-terrors and sleep-walking. Everyone knows not to wake a sleepwalker. Well, I won't wake a confusional arousaler again. Ever. Other than that, his sleeping has been getting better. He's back to waiting about 8 hours to eat and only stirring every now and then (which used to be solved with the pacifier). He also ate 2 Tablespoons of rice cereal yesterday like a champ!

Sincere apologies for the lack of creative blogging lately. I got nothing. Maybe its because I've been sleeping better. No restless middle of the night writing. Although I do love sharing with you, I'd rather have the sleep. While I write this, Carver is nursing on one side as I soak his jammies with a leaky other side. Got to go!

Oh yeah, we are preparing to go to our family reunion next weekend. Any advice on packing for and flying with a 4 month old will be much appreciated!

Sleepily Ever After

2009-05-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

There's not too much happening around here besides rain and waking up in the middle of the night. It literally has not stopped raining since Sunday afternoon when lightning got too close to our ultimate Frisbee game for comfort. I haven't even had a chance to plant my herbs from the farmer's market.

Let me tell you a little story called why isn't my baby sleeping. Once upon an 8 week old, he slept through the night. Since mother's day, however, he has been waking up at least 2 times a night! I know, not the greatest gift, right? He's still a drool machine, but that's not new, so I don't know if he is teething or not. I gave him rice cereal for the first time this Saturday. I was going to wait until he was 6 months to start it, but he seems genuinely hungry when he wakes up around 4 AM (he nurses on both sides). I decided to start cereal early partially because I thought it might help and partially because I wanted something fun to do while Ethan was out of town kayaking/camping. He seems to like it (the cereal, not the kayaking). I don't know who is funnier to watch; Carver, who concentrates really hard by leaning toward the spoon until he is completely slouched over or Ethan, who is easily grossed out and makes the same face/shudder he makes when I watch Discovery Health.

Free Frosty, Lauren

2009-05-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Even if you didn't just get your wisdom teeth out, help yourself to a free Wendy's frosty.

Nuff Said

2009-05-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, despite my title, I can't help but point out a few things about this week's shopping trip:

1. Check out those savings: $106 worth of groceries for $40. And that includes two big ticket items- 32 ounces of extra virgin olive oil and 50 Huggies diapers (we buy 'sposies for back-up). See why I love Publix?

2. All but $5 of that will be paid for tomorrow by the guys we make lunch for.

3. There was more than enough left over in the grocery budget for some Farmers' Market finds:

Thank you, Lord for providing for our family!

Best Blueberry Banana Muffins

2009-05-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

3-5 Handfuls of blueberries

2 Bananas

1 Cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

3 Cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Cup milk

1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Cups sugar

1 Cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Set water to boil. Beat all ingredients (except blueberries) with a mixer, adding boiling water last. Fold in blueberries. Pour into greased muffin pans. Make 20 minutes or until done.

Or, leave out the blueberries, add walnuts and bake in loaf pans to make the best banana bread ever.

Have you ever tasted straight-up vanilla? Yuck.

He's Got Quite The Social Life

2009-05-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

Baby swap! I had lunch with Gwen and Hillary and got to meet sweet baby Josiah.

Grandma Ronda came for a visit.

Carver got his toes wet at Danny & Lindsay's lake house party/wedding shower.

The big boys got all the way in.

Rolling over!

Kari graduated! Carver wanted me to match him, so he drooled on my shoulder too.

Sunrise from the sailboat we stayed on in St. Augustine

The reason I was up at sunrise

Self-inflicted family photo

We were in St. Augustine for this lovely lady's wedding.

Hahahaha...this is right after Carver pooped ALL OVER a restaurant patio. Casey: "I feel a rumbling!" Vinny: "What is that?!!"

Wiped out after a long weekend

Aunt Natalie took us blueberry picking!

Now if I don't have the cutest family, you just tell me who does.

This looks so much like his cousin, Ayden!

Playgroup with birthday twin, Lukas

If I Had $30 I Would Get A Pedicure & Eyebrow Wax

2009-05-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

If I had 30 minutes, I would do it myself.

I don't have time for a real update, pictures, or even to write the blog I was brainstorming of last night (that would also require me actually remembering what it was about). So, this is what you're going to get:

I hate computer problems. Specifically, printer problems. This is a problem since I'm now a crazy coupon lady. Most coupons are online these days.

A great thing about children (specifically, my child) is that I don't know anyone else who smiles in delight when I sing to them.

If you ever want bigger boobs, don't. Mine are full of milk, a hassle and don't fit into my clothes.

I didn't know anyone outside of my friends and family read this, let alone outside the US! I don't need names, but who the heck reads my blog in Europe? Africa? Just know that you made my day when I saw your little red dot on my map ------>

Ethan and I decided if we ever move we are going to give ourselves a style makeover. We might have been half joking. I'll have to check with him. I am so bored of my clothes!!! It doesn't help that the only ones that really fit are the ones I bought when I was 3 months preggers.

Update on my new catering business: its going well. We are still making 4 meals a week for 2 of Ethan's coworkers at $5 a meal. Its really a light breakfast (usually a banana), lunch, a snack and a vitamin. Its a good deal on both sides. I hope and think they feel like they are getting a variety of healthy foods. Plus, its fun for me to feel like I'm contributing to our income (besides the free childcare). Shh, don't tell them, but I might make banana-blueberry muffins and send them in with Ethan tomorrow as a Friday freebie. We went blueberry pickin' with the Dourtes (siblings) and it was great. Pictures later. I promise?

Well, I think I'll go have some quiet time with The Lord (say that in a Beth Moore Southern accent) before Little Carverton wakes up.

Tomorrow's Friday! Love, Val

Ooh! I remembered! I was going to blog about how much I freaking love my husband. He always thanks me for feeding Carver. Who does that?

Why I Pee In The Shower

2009-05-01T07:43:00.001-07:00

Multitasking is an important tool on the belt of motherhood. This hasn't ever been a gift of mine. You probably know this if you've ever called me while shopping. Or ever shopped with me while I was on the phone (sorry Ethan, Kari). I like to focus on one task at a time.

I'm trying to get better, though. Ok, ok, so pumping while I watch Ellen doesn't really count. But now that I realize the value of time and a free hand, I don't ever walk into another room without de-cluttering and bringing a misplaced item back to its home. I check my email while nursing Carver, I stuff diapers while reading to him, I even chop vegetables while changing a dirty diaper (just kidding, that would be gross).

Dumpster Diving

2009-05-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

This article is written by my friend Amy (Stewart) Greene. Great writing Amy! And so interesting. This sheds a whole new light on my coupon frugality. Now if you would only keep up with your blog...

Shout Out

2009-04-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have the coolest family EVER. Big and little.

Little family: Ethan came home to a cooped-up, stressed-out wife and sent me on a walk to relax while he did dishes, dirty diapers and cleaned the tub.

Big family: Natalie, my sister called today to see if we wanted her to watch Carver! She gave us the best date night. We even got to go skateboarding around "the neighborhood" (418 and Shady Oaks territory for those of you who know what the heck I'm talking about), which was like the #1 thing on my list titled, Uh Oh- Now I'm a Mom and What If I Can Never Do ____ Again.

Nat, thanks for listening to the voice of God and blessing us with something we didn't even know we needed so badly. You are amazing and humble, a wonderful aunt, and I am so proud to call you Sister.
E, you are a spirit-filled, hilarious, tireless, freckled servant of a husband and I love you all the way to Chinatown in China.

101 Posts!

2009-04-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

Guess what! I just noticed the last post was my 100th. Congratulations for reading.

So, I joined Twitter. I mostly did so to follow Tina Fey and Ellen Degeneres. So funny. Then I started thinking it might be funny to create a Twitter for Carver. I mean, do I really have enough material for a blog and a Twitter myself?

In other news, we drove to the Latin Market because yesterday was a rainy one. I didn't find the low prices I was hoping for, but it was a fun challenge to hunt for my ingredients among the Spanish labels. And the Paella was a success!

Paella Recipe (from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine):
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, plus 4 bone-in skinless chicken drumsticks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2T olive oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 link precooked Spanish chorizo, chopped (2 oz.)
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes in juice
1C Arborio rice
1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 box (10 oz.) frozen peas
1/2 lb. peeled and deveined frozen medium shrimp, thawed

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (I used a not-so-heavy-bottom-pot and the bottom burned. Listen to Martha, you heard), heat oil over med-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd pot) until browned, 7 to 8 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate (reserve pot); set aside.

2. Place bell pepper, chorizo, onion, garlic, and tomatoes (and juice) in pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes (I found liquid didn't really evaporate, even after 10 minutes, so I just left it in there).

3. Add rice; cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until rice begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add peas and shrimp, submerging them in liquid. Cover and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes.

I doubled the amount of sausage, onion, garlic, tomatoes, rice and peas- basically all of the cheap ingredients- to make it go farther. I also bought 2 whole chickens for what I would have payed for the parts (and have 4 breasts, 4 wings and parts for making chicken stock sitting pretty in the freezer). Playing butcher is a little time consuming, so you'll have to do your own cost/benefit analysis on that one.

Happy cooking and see you on Twitter.

Sewing Is More Of A Winter Sport, Anyway

2009-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I like to take Fridays "off." That usually means leaving the dishes for Ethan. How is this different than any other day, you ask? Well, as far as dishes go, its not really. Actually, I hate doing dishes. I will clean the whole house, the kitchen and even organize the stack of dishes before I wash a single one. Really, you should see my clean counters and the sink full of dirty dishes.

However, by the end of the week most of the straightening, laundry, grocery shopping, coupon hunting, bill paying and other chores are all tackled, leaving a free day for hobbies, lunch dates and other adventures. That's not to say I don't relax the rest of the week. Earlier in the week I layed out by the pool while I waited to switch the laundry over. Fridays are just set aside for whatever Carver and I feel like doing. Last Friday it was cashing in the Lowe's gift card my momma gave me :) and gardening! Check it:

Can't Sleep

2009-04-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

Its exactly 1:00AM and both my boys are sleeping noisily. If I lay in bed and think I usually start to get too overwhelmed with ideas and projects and dates and money and goals and plans, so you can see why I'm blogging instead.

I bought $105 worth of groceries today for $59.

I think Carver and I will walk to the Latin Market tomorrow if the weather is nice. That's because chicken and shrimp paella is on the menu for this week. And pork enchiladas (remember my deal on pork a couple weeks ago?). Two things about that. One is my mom used to date a Basque Jai-alai player (pretty baller, I know). Anyway, we would go with him to this family-type "club" (Latin version of a country club???) with pool tables and kids running around and sweet ladies that talked a lot and always kissed me on the cheek. It was called El Choco, which I thought was Spanish for "The Nest," but I just looked it up on Wikipedia and it looks like I'm wrong. Mike Cincunegui's birthday party was there one year. I think the boys locked Ryan Lab in the bathroom. Point is, the men of El Choco made the best paella. I didn't even like seafood when I was a kid, and I loved that stuff. I wonder where Javi is now. He could probably give me a few paella pointers.

The second thing is, Ethan's coworker is going to pay us to make his lunch 4 days a week. Apparently, he was spending $7+ a day on take-out and Ethan said "heck, pay me $15/week and I'll bring you lunch" (or something like that). I'll let you know how it goes.

I can't believe I forgot to tell you until now! Carver rolled over again! It was tonight in the living room and Ethan got to see it. Speaking of the cutest little booger butt in the world, I really love that kid. If I wasn't cheesy enough before, he has melted my heart into a big, mushy pile of mozzerella. He is drooling A LOT. Teething? At 3 months? I hope not.

Night.

One Month Later

2009-04-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

My faithful readers out there will note that its been a while since we redid (Ikead, if you will) our living room. If I only have one kid and it took me this long to post pics, what will 2 kids be like? You might never hear from me!

One of the reasons I was dragging my feet was because I wanted to wait til our hub was de-cluttered and completed. But that wouldn't be fun or realistic, would it? I still want to relocate the profesh family photos and make a more artsy picture ledge. One day.

Notice the details: box of tissues (I think the Easter bunny brought me laryngitis) and cafe' con leche (the Latin Cafe' is a Friday morning tradition in this household).
Happy Friday!

Around the House

2009-04-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

Triathlon

2009-04-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Ethan competed in a triathlon called "Escape from Fort Desoto." It was in St. Pete last weekend and he kicked butt! As you can see, Carver made him a onesie that says Go Dad!

Making Moves

2009-04-10T08:01:00.001-07:00

Carver rolled over this morning! He was having some tummy time and flipped to his side. He eventually rolled the rest of the way over onto his back. I can't decide if the puzzled look on his face said "How the heck did I get on my back?" or "Why is my mom such a loud and excited nut?"

Boring

2009-04-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

So... blogger won't allow me to "rename" my friends' blogs to your right. I added a few and thought it would be polite to at least give them some sort of descriptive name so that you would know if you want to read them or not.
I'll give you the break down:

An Honest Hypothesis- The hubby
Anna Maria Horner- This amazing artist/crafter that sews and has lots of kids (and my dream career)
Crazy Pills- My friend, Angie who writes about momhood
Dog Training and Substitute Teaching- My friend, Sam who writes about sports, religion and posts funny videos
Fireflies vs. Lightning Bugs- My friend, Dave that is new to the world of blog
Gee-ville Deals- Local deals from a mom that feeds her family of 5 on $77/week
Girl & The Sea- My friend, Amy who lives in NC
Good or Free Deals- National? deals
House of Kee- Hilarious life stories from my friend, Aly
St. Andrews- Our church's blog

Happy browsing!

Ethan wrote the best blog:

2009-04-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

Click

Birthday Fun

2009-04-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend was just what the doctor ordered. And by doctor, I mean me. On Friday (my 25th) Ethan took off work so we could play together, and the day was perfect. I awoke sometime in the beautiful hour of 9:?? AM to yellow and white daisies, my favorite. After some lolly gagging we had breakfast at the Latin Cafe (and by breakfast, I mean a Cuban sandwich, cafe' con leche and sweet plantains), hijacked the James' pool, stopped at Moe's and had a burrito picnic in our yard (by yard, I mean the picnic table downstairs that is usually being occupied by adorable Asian children).

Don't you love your birthday date? 4/3 just looks nice. I love seeing it as the expiration date on my gallon of milk.

I also love how the guy at Moe's recognized me and made a comment about how he never sees me "flying solo" (Ethan was in the car with Carver). He even knew my normal Moe's night and noticed that a lot of our group was missing last week.

After a great afternoon we packed up the car (and Kari) and headed to Orlando to hang out with my college roommates. The weekend was amazing. It really felt like a vacation. Plus, Ethan canoed across the lake and back in 13 minutes.

Thank you for all the facebooks, texts, calls, cards, hugs and hanging out! A couple weeks ago I couldn't sleep and got up to pray. God told me that He was about to bless our family big time. Since then, He has constantly been revealing to me how blessed I really am.

Jackpot

2009-04-01T10:59:00.001-07:00

OMG
If you shop at Publix or Target and like deals (I'm talking 3 pork tenderloins for under $10 total), you should read the blog a kind soul told me about: Geeville deals. Follow her link to Southern Savers and if you're really interested, read her "read this first" stuff on the right hand side.

My new goal: cut our grocery bill by $15 a week and put the difference in Carver's new savings account (inspired by you, Aunt Julie! Thanks for the initial deposit :)

More Love Than I Ever Knew

2009-03-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about (my) life as a new mom.
Its full of oxymorons.

Its peeling myself from the comfort of blankets and pillows to spend mid-night moments listening to nothing but peaceful swallows.
Its giving up half our income to gain the best job ever.
Its being proud of poop.
Its an odd loneliness with a constant companion.
Its a contest between fear and hope about a little boy's future.
Its a whole new arena of little questions and an answer to some of life's biggest.
Its trying my hardest for someone that won't remember.
It makes me feel old and it makes me feel so young.

Its a world of sacrifices that I wouldn't give up for, well, the world.

Identity

2009-03-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Its weird to make new friends again.

The Circumcision Decision

2009-03-26T08:57:00.001-07:00

DAH DAH DAH (Sound effects to go with my serious-sounding title)

I wasn't going to blog about this, because it is such a hot topic, but a very loyal reader brought it up at lunch the other day (it was great to see you, Ms. P!) and got me thinking about it again. Also, if Carver ever reads my blog when he grows up, he might get embarrassed, but what are moms for?

Ethan and I were on the fence about this issue before we even knew if Fetus Stonerook was going to have foreskin or not. I told Ethan the decision was his to make, as I have no experience with having a penis. He wasn't sure what he thought. We polled family for their personal opinions and friends in the medical field for their professional opinions.

We got advice from both sides of the fence. Basically, every argument we heard balanced out an argument from the other side.

The best word I got was from my friend, Aly, who said, "Go with your gut."
My gut said, "If it aint broke, don't fix it."

IKEAed!

2009-03-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

If I had an assistant, I would pay him/her to post pictures for me on my blog. The thing is, I really want to show you new pictures of our made-over living room, but unless I want to stress myself out, I usually avoid posting pictures right before bed time.

Sometimes Ethan and I pretend that Geoffrey, the butler from Fresh Prince works for us, but is always slacking off. We'll make dinner, leave to get ice cream and come home only to find that he hasn't even touched the teetering stack of dishes in the sink! Jeez, what are we not paying that lazy guy for, anyway?

I guess you'll just have to take my word for it that the living room now looks very colorful and fresh. Or you can come visit and decide for yourself. The only last touch that remains to be touched is my dream of a family picture wall. I imagine our new picture shelf adorned with black & white candid shots of the fam.

Speaking of shots of the fam, Carver is now a model. Ok, not really, but we took him to Picture People at the mall and they had us sign a waiver releasing his pictures for display in the studio. I asked the lady if they just did that to flatter all parents that seemed obsessed with their babies. She said no. What a star!

Glad to talk to you again! Night night.

PS-Is anyone else nervous about Jon & Kate Plus 8??? The commercials are making it look like there's big troubs in the marriage. Hopefully its just the editors blowing things out of proportion. I'm reading Kate's book right now (thanks for letting me borrow it, Linz!). Its pretty interesting.

2 Notes on Commercialism

2009-03-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

1. Disney Eggs??? Has anyone else seen this? Disney has marketed and produced their own brand of eggs. There are little pictures of the characters on each egg. What's next? Hannah Montana milk?

2. I kind of have a crush on the Geico money stack. I know that is so weird, and most people probably think the new ads are annoying (I didn't really care for the gecko), but what can I say? I don't bring these things upon myself.

Plain Yogurt Is Where Its At (and a couple other life lessons)

2009-03-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

1. Seriously...plain yogurt. I like it with strawberries, blueberries and granola. Ethan likes it with peanut butter, honey and granola.

2. If you ever find yourself asking, "should I put on more deodorant?" the answer is yes. This has always been a personal philosophy.

3. When breast-feeding, top him off. Carver (who weighs 13 pounds, btw) likes to fall asleep when nursing. It usually takes Malcolm's amount of energy to wake him up enough to eat from the other side. Sometimes I'm tempted to let him sleep, but that usually results in a hungry cry 1 hour later.

This is a week of preparation, I guess. I'm preparing our garden for a spring makeover, our living room for a furniture makeover and to top it all off, its Lent, the season of preparation. Now lets just see if I'm prepared to give Carver over to his first babysitter, come Friday.

Old Navy Coupon

2009-03-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

www.oldnavyweekly.com has "secret" coupons hidden in it. I think the only ones left are 5, 10 and 15 percent off your total purchase. They renew the site once a week with coupons up to $75 off. I found one for 15% off. Good luck!

True Christian Life

2009-03-04T06:07:00.001-08:00

Stick with me here... this might be a long one, but its worth it. I hope.

Sometimes I get so mad thinking about what "Christian Life" looks like in America. What does it mean to be a Christian? To vote republican? To dress up on Sundays? To judge people who don't follow the rules?
My heart breaks for the wrong impression we give. The people who Jesus spent time with, the sick, the emotionally hurting, the outcasts and the sinners are the very people who feel most rejected by today's Christians.
Is life as a Christian all lollipops and rainbows? Is it just about staying sober and abstinent? You better not curse, either, because then you're probably not a Christian.
Well, shit, that doesn't sound all that great.

To me, Christian Life is my relationship with God. Not my relationship with going to church on Sunday, but a real relationship with Him. I doubt Him, I get mad at Him, I get scared and lazy. He reassures me, forgives me, comforts me and encourages me. Sometimes our relationship seems as big and hard to grasp as my view from the top of a mountain on the Appalachian Trail. Sometimes it is as real as a hearing Him say "Valerie, you know how much you love your child? I love you even more."

Andrew Murray describes intimacy with God much more eloquently than I:

"The precious blood of Christ has opened the way for the believer into God's presence, and intimacy with Him is a deep, spiritual reality. He who knows the full power of the blood is brought so near that he can always live in the immediate presence of God and in the enjoyment of the unspeakable blessings attached to it. There, the child of God has the assurance of God's love; he experiences and enjoys it. God Himself imparts it. He lives daily in the friendship and fellowship of God. As God's child he makes known to the Father, with perfect freedom, his thoughts and wishes. In this intimacy with God, he possesses all that he needs; he lacks no "good thing" (Psalm 84:11). His soul is kept in perfect rest and peace, because God is with him (Isaiah 26:3). He receives all necessary direction and teaching. God's eye is ever upon him, guiding him. In intimacy with God, he is able to hear the softest whispers of the Holy Spirit. He learns to understand the slightest sign of his Father's will and to follow it. His strength continually increases, for God is his strength, and God is ever with him.

Fellowship with God has a wonderful influence on his life and character. The presence of God fills him with humility, fear and a holy circumspection. He lives as in the presence of a king. Fellowship with God produces God-like inclinations in him. Beholding the image of God, he is changed into the same image (2 Corinthians 3:18). Dwelling with the Holy One makes him holy. He can say, "It is good for me to draw near to God" (Psalm 73:28).

Oh, you who are the children of the new covenant, do you not have a thousand times more reasons to speak in the same way, now that the veil has been torn asunder and the way opened for living always in God's holy presence? May this high privilege awaken our desires. Intimacy with God, fellowship with God, dwelling with God and He with us-may it become impossible for us to be satisfied with anything less. This is the true Christian Life."

Fridays Are The Best

2009-02-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

Carver slept from midnight to 6 again! Thank you, Froelichs and James' for the sleep-scheduling advice. Gwen, Amanda and any other preggers out there, I recommend helping them get into a pattern of feeding, wake time (for at least 30 minutes) and then sleep (after they are at least 1 week old). And don't let them go more than 3 hours without eating. We aren't doing the whole let him cry himself to sleep thing, (if its more than a couple minutes) because you can't spoil a Carver.

Also, Aunt Bobbi shared a few more websites:
www.restaurants.com
www.couponcabin.com

And The Winner Is...

2009-02-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, hold your horses. First, I want to share the money-saving tips you submitted for my contest:

*Megan shared an awesome blog that I will now follow. It has coupons, promotions and deals: www.goodorfreedeals.blogspot.com
*Christina R. suggested we sign Carver up for a free college-saving program, UPromise. We are. Thanks girl!
*Beth Ann said "I have an idea...actually it is from my mom. She finds the beef that is on sale (i.e. rump roast and such) and has Publix grind it up for ground beef instead of paying a crazy amount for ground beef. The meat counter doesn't mind doing it, AND, in fact, tell her that a lot of people do the same thing. Who knew???"
*My mom has a website that sounds similar to the one Megan shared. I will give you the link when she sends it to me.
*Ethan didn't officially submit a tip, but on behalf of him and our family I will suggest that you sell your crap! One of his favorite things to do is get rid of stuff on Craigslist.org. By cleaning out our closets, we have made a lot of room and some money too. If the Internet is too intimidating, you can always have a garage sale.

So, drum role, please... BETH ANN is our winner! I loved all the suggestions, but I thought the beef idea was the most creative. Plus, we all know how I feel about Publix. BA, expect a cute key chain in the mail sometime soon. If I ever get around to posting them on Etsy, you might get a little preview.

On another note, if you are looking to spend money, I can help you with that, too. Young Life Gainesville is hosting our annual walk-a-thon. We are raising funds to send kids to camp, where we hope they will begin or deepen in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Young Life is the organization that Ethan and I met through and still volunteer with. We have both seen kids' lives change through this ministry. Our own lives have changed through this ministry. If you are interested in making a donation or finding out more about how you can pray for Young Life Gainesville, please email me (valeriestonerook@gmail.com).

Happy 6 Weeks, Mom

2009-02-26T04:05:00.000-08:00

Carver slept from 12:00 PM to 6:30 AM!!!

AHHH

2009-02-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

So many things I want to do and talk about! I want to tell you about:
how cloth diapers ("keepies" as Ethan calls them) are going well
how there are 10,000,000,000,000,000 parenting philosophies (and therefore decisions to make)
how Carver was liking his new schedule (but not so much anymore)
who won the money-saving-tip contest

But I can't cause I need to:
feed my belly
find a good sweet potato pancake recipe
assemble some diapers
get gas/vacuum our booger coated car
leave 20 minutes ago for the mom/baby luncheon

Ahhh! How do people have more than one kid?

Ichthiology

2009-02-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

Lately, we've felt a real calling to be "Uncle Ethan and Aunt Val" to the James' kids. They are so awesome. We got to hang out with all of them for a little while this evening and then take Mckenzie (who's in 1st grade) to see the Gator gymnastics meet. My favorite part of the night was our conversation on the car ride home:

Ethan: "Mckenzie, if you could be anything when you grow up, would you be a giraffe or a monkey?"

Mckenzie: "A scientist."

Me: "Did you know Ethan is a scientist?"

Mckenzie: "Oh yeah? What kind?"

Ethan: "A fish scientist."

Mckenzie: "pffffffffffffff" (laughs, as if to say 'what kind of joke science is that?')

4 Reasons To Smile

2009-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

Good Eats

2009-02-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

The hospital I delivered Carver at holds a weekly luncheon for new moms. I really like it so far. I have only been twice, but its nice to be around other babies and moms whose lives look a lot like ours. Besides free lunch, there's a lot of crying and feeding and dirty diapers. There have also been several stories that make me realize how cake Carver has been so far. From cracked nipples to only getting an hour of sleep at a time, from babies who won't sleep to babies who won't eat or gain weight, its enough to scare a non-mom into never wanting to become one.

The great thing about these lunches is no one feels alone. Chances are, if you're going through it, somebody else is too. There is a lactation consultant who comes to the group to answer any questions. We all went around and introduced ourselves, our babies and our problems. I had been a little concerned because Carver was only eating for 8-10 minutes at a time. On one hand, he now weighs 11 pounds, 15 ounces (he's basically gained a pound a week since birth-some take a month just to gain their birth weight back!), on the other hand, all the books say they should eat for about 15-20 minutes and on both sides. The lactation consultant said there's nothing to be worried about, I probably just have a fast let-down (flow). Come to think of it, yesterday when Carver was nursing, he pulled back for a second and I turned to get a burp cloth. When I turned back I realized there was a steady stream of milk squirting all over his face and the glider!

Hanging out with some blankets

2009-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was the 400th anniversary of the telescope. When I heard that on NPR I started thinking about all the fun ways I would celebrate if I had older kids. We could take a field trip to the planetarium or make our own telescopes (which would probably turn into kaleidoscopes). Instead, I took pictures of the cutest kid in the world:

Finally-A Baby Story!

2009-02-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Labor started Tuesday morning (Jan 13th). On my way to drop Ethan off at work I felt cramping and contractions in my uterus. I told him I had a feeling something was going to happen that day. I can't claim to be all-knowing, however, because I said that same thing many mornings. I decided to pay attention to the contractions and their timing. I drove home, watched the Today show, ate, drank some water and laid down (on my left side of course) for a nap to see if they would go away. I did actually fall asleep, so I figured Harvey, the uterus was just teasing. I woke up at 11:30 and noticed the contractions return. I started counting at noon and they were six minutes apart. By this time I was doing my best to not get my hopes up, but the contractions did seem to hurt more than usual.

I remember Mom calling to see if she should go ahead and pick up an extra shift at work, or stay home just in case. Moms know best, I guess.

My memory of the next few hours is a blur, a blend of the following: calling my sister, Natalie, texting Ethan at work, craving Chick Fil A, pacing, last minute packing, more trying not to get my hopes up, painful contractions, telling Ethan he better get me Chick Fil A, wondering if I should be driving to pick Ethan up, or if I should be driving at all.

I went ahead and picked Ethan up from work. I stayed on campus most of the drive, which is good because the speed limit is 20 MPH and by this point contractions were slightly debilitating. Flocks of students who have just sunk into their semester gave me weird looks as they crossed the cross walk and I gripped the steering wheel in pain. I contracted on and off as he drove us through the Chick Fil A drive thru and then home. We spent a couple hours trying to distract ourselves, calling family members, attempting to watch 30 Rock and packing some more (I have no idea what I threw into that bag last minute). By 5:00 PM I decided enough is enough and we went to the hospital.

When we got there I thought I would go ahead and walk around outside in this pretty pond area they have. I figured, once admitted I would be walking the hospital halls, so why not walk around in the fresh air while I could? We did a couple laps, stopping for contractions until I had to go to the bathroom. We stepped inside the lobby and while I was using the bathroom -cover your eyes, boys- I lost my mucus plug, a mucusy barrier held in the cervix, protection between the amniotic sac and the outside world. Yay! That means some kind of dilating has to be going on, right? I can't tell you that, now can I? It would just spoil the next couple paragraphs.

Bye bye plug, hello labor & delivery! To prevent kidnappings, the door to the labor & delivery floor is locked. You have to pick up this phone and a nurse lets you in. Those nurses love to sit around casually at the nurses station and ask you all kinds of questions about your address and blood type as if this is any ole day of your life, like you're not screaming in pain and hanging on to your husband's neck just to stay standing. Then came triage. Triage is not my favorite. Its basically where they send you if they aren't 100% convinced you're in labor. "Is this her first child? What's that? You've been here once before on a false alarm? Oh, go ahead and take her to triage B." In triage, there's always (and by always, I mean the 2 times I've been in it) some sad story on the other side of the curtain and no nice hot tubs like there are in the real rooms.

Once Ethan and I made ourselves at home in triage B, a nurse came in, strapped Harvey up to a contraction monitor and a heart rate monitor for Carver and checked my cervix. Drum roll please...1 cm. I wish they would invent an at-home dilation test. Or maybe they could offer a leisure course to husbands for checking the cervix. I'd send Ethan in a heart beat, because that is the worst news ever! Ok, maybe not ever, but I was disappointed. The sweet nurse said we could use a labor and delivery room, hot tub and all for a couple hours to see if anything progressed. After a couple hours of walking the halls and using the tub, I was still at 1 cm (the goal is 10 cm.). Because we live so close, the doctor and nurse suggested I go home with some Ambien to help me sleep and come back when the contractions got worse.

Have you ever taken Ambien? When something is waking you up every 4 minutes? It made me pretty crazy. At one point I thought I was giving birth in a grocery cart at Publix. I thought there were 3 people in my bed. I asked Ethan why my body was doing this to me. Somehow 8 confusing hours went by and the Ambien started to wear off as my mom and Ethan's mom arrived with bagels. Mentally, I was exhausted, but I also had a jittery kind of energy that caused a lot of pacing. By 11:00 AM on Wednesday, I decided it was time to go back to the hospital.

This time they sent me directly to a real room! What a relief. Then the nurse checked my cervix and said I was 4 cm. dilated. That was even more of a relief. Finally, I was technically in labor. For the next 5 hours I split my time sitting on a pill-shaped excercise ball and in the hot tub. Ethan was such a great labor coach. He was by my side the entire time and when I thought I was too exhausted to breathe, he pulled me through it. Up until this point, I was planning on a natural labor. Around 5:00 in the hot tub it was hard to remember why I didn't want an epidural in the first place. I asked the nurse to check my cervix again, thinking if I was 7 or 8 cm dilated I would go without the medicine. I had only dilated another half a centimeter! Bring on that epidural. What a great decision that was. I got to take a little nap, invite family members back in and the doctor decided to go ahead and break my water.

After my water broke, my cervix quickly dilated to about 6 cm. However, the epidural and the fact that I wasn't on my feet (because of the epidural) slowed contractions down quite a bit. Oh yeah... now I remember why I was trying to go natural. Around 9:00, the doctor suggested I use Pitocin to speed things along. After about 30 hours of labor, I was on board. An hour later and I was at 10 cm! They took the next hour or so to turn down the epidural so I would have enough sensation to push. By 11:00 PM I was ready to deliver this baby! Ethan was on one side of the bed, the nurse on the other. They each held a leg and I pushed 3 times with each contraction. Wow. Pushing is about the hardest, most satisfying physical work I could imagine.

With only 10 minutes left in the day, I was positive Carver was seconds away from birth and the nurse tells me to wait. The doctor on call was 3 rooms down delivering another baby! I guess Carver was meant to be born the next day. And he was. At 12:14 AM, after the doctor ran into the room and my bed was converted (much like a transformer) to don stirrups, my sweet baby boy was born and placed right on my chest.

Surprisingly, the moments and hours that followed are perfectly clear in my memory. And probably my favorite ever.

Reminder

2009-02-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Only 3 more days to submit your idea in the contest!

4 Weeks Already?

2009-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Carver is wearing cloth diapers now! That being said, there's a new Laundry Day: everyday. Actually, I haven't washed any diapers, just a lot of clothes (mine and his) with spit-up on them. I'll let you know how the poop-laundry goes. I'm kind of excited to say that's a part of my new job.

Its been almost 2 months now that I've been away from my old job. Although there's been an elementary kid-sized hole in my heart since then, life's been filling it with some great substitutes! First, McKenzie James performed an amazing ballet show for Ethan and I.I can't fully explain how it spoke to my heart about how perfect we are in God's eyes. I just pictured myself as sweet, honest little McKenzie and her dad as our Heavenly Father. He would pick her up and twirl her around and even though she isn't a perfect dancer at all, He made her perfect because of how much he believed in her and her dance.

Eily and Henry made for a couple other substitutes this Sunday at church. Henry was so sweet about meeting Carver. He walked over and without speaking or looking up at us, he just touched C's little fingers, examining them and appreciated them. Eily was very grown-up and gracious about meeting and even holding Carver. They are both in Kindergarten. These kids are all much more well-behaved than my kids at school. If they had just come up, picked their nose and complained about boo-boo and spiders in the bathroom, now then that would have struck a chord.

The Haps

2009-02-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

I love Carver's outfit today. Ethan described it as Clash Thursday of Spirit Week. Haha. He must have forgotten, its actually Moes Thursday.

Celebrating his first round of frisbee golf with obvious excitement!

Carver has accomplished alot in his 3 weeks of life. He had his 2nd check-up and has gained a total of 2 lbs! This now puts him at 10 lbs, 2 oz. As Ethan pointed out, that means he's gained 25% of his initial body weight. Crazy. Doctor says everything is looking great. She was surprised to see his umbilical cord was still hanging on and I was surprised at how bad it smelled. This morning I was delighted to find that stinky bacon scrap tucked into the top of his diaper. He has also mastered the paci and the bottle. I wrote a little poem about it. I hope you like it:

He takes a bottle
She sleeps

It was beautiful. The night before last, Ethan fed Carver a bottle (breast milk, of course) and I got 5 glorious hours of shut eye. In a row! With my new independence, I took myself to get a haircut. I love it, I just hope I can keep up with it.

Our wonderful friends, family and folks from church have been making and bringing us dinner every-other night. It has been such a blessing. Our tummies are full and we don't have to worry about planning meals. All I can say about Gainesville, our church community and our group of friends is that they are making it easy to have a newborn. Carver also makes it easy to have a newborn. He is so peaceful and content. Melissa is visiting this week. She's helping around the house, getting a lot of quality time with Carver and keeping me company. I feel so spoiled.

Tax Season

2009-02-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on the labor story. Maybe it will be here by Carver's 1st birthday.

If you are not on Facebook, but would like to view my newest photo albums, click here, here and here. The first 2 are of random events from this summer and fall. The third is of Baby Carver.

As a stay-at-home mom I'm going to try and not watch too much daytime television. With that said, watch this clip from the Ellen show.

Square Root

2009-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Facebook has a new application which allows you to write a list of 25 random things about yourself. I couldn't resist, but in the interest of saving time, I chose to write a shorter version in the shower last night:

1. If I could make a living being really good at something besides mothering, it would either be writing, gymnastics or art.
2. I hate the 2 minutes leading up to breastfeeding, but I love the 20 minutes that follows a successful latch.
3. Driving around NW 5th Ave lately has made me really scared at how far away my college memories seem.
4. I'm really bad at shaving my knees.
5. I love what having a husband has done for my relationship with my brother.

CONTEST!!!

2009-01-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

The day I went into labor I had a brilliant idea. I actually considered blogging while in labor, that's how excited I was about this idea. Here goes... (luckily, I just spelled "goes" right. The other day I spelled it "gos." In Carver's baby book. In permanent marker. I'm already starting to lose my mind.)

Inspired by the current state of our country's economy and the current state of our family's income (I'm not working anymore), I have been trying to think of new and creative ways to save money. I've gotten really into it. I've been checking out the Publix weekly ad before I go shopping and Ethan and I are back on a cash budget, which really helps. Mostly, we just tend to go overboard with eating out, so as long as we watch that habit, we're okay. I've gotten so into the idea of saving money that after I boiled eggs the other day I went into this whole narrative in my head in a fragile voice about how we should use the left over hot water for little Timmy's bath. Alright, enough about my craziness, and on with the fun!

I will give a very cool, very homemade prize to the person who submits the best money-saving tip, by way of comment or email (valeriestonerook@gmail.com) by February 15th. It will be a little celebration of Carver's 1 month birthaverssary. Of course I will post all submitted ideas so that we can all benefit, so bring em on!!!

I'll give an example. I think my mom told me my Aunt Mary used to do this: cut coupons and use the money saved (or money saved through store sales) to put towards a special savings account like vacation, Christmas or Ikea fund. Now that I think about it, sounds more like Aunt Bobbi.

While we're at it, my friend Erik writes a personal finance blog. Check it out. He is very wise and has a solid plan about getting rid of debt.

We may be parents, but who said we're grown-ups?

2009-01-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

We decided to name all of McCarverton's stuffed animals after different characters from The Office. We kind of stole the idea from the Lokkesmoes, inadvertently. Olen has a "Jerry." I can't really say what the animal is actually supposed to be, but I know its stuffed and I know he can't put it down. Jerry's name came from Seinfeld. We thought we would name all of Carver's toys and he could pick his own favorite. There's a sailor bird named Creed, a big bear named Kevin, a funny looking lion who is Oscar, a white polar bear, Phyllis, a very attractive lion named Jim Halpert and all pacifiers from here on out will be referred to as Michael.

Carver with a V

2009-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

It has already started. Name confusion, that is. I know its our fault for giving our son a last name for a first name. Also, Carter is a wonderful name, its just not his. Stonebrook isn't our last name either, and people often think it is. To give us more insight on this subject, I give you Tim Meadows and Tina Fey (watch the first minute or so).

Fastest 2 Weeks Of My Life

2009-01-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

I keep thinking of great blogs to write. I title them, write a note to myself in the text box and save them. There are a handful of unfinished ones saved as drafts right now. But I realize you, my faithful followers cannot wait any longer. So I will sacrifice wit and just tell you what the Stonerook household has been up to.

Last night Carver had his first fully submerged bath. His umbilical cord is still hanging around, but the nurse midwife said its fine to get it wet (even though books tell you not to). He really liked it! Especially compared to a sponge bath which leaves him cold and fussy.

He has been awake all day today! Normally he is awake from 10-noon and again in the evening. I hope this means lots of sleep tonight!

We (Carver & I) breastfeed for about 6-8 hours a day.

Ethan has tomorrow and next Wednesday off! Yay!

Have to go put in my hours. More soon.

New Name

2009-01-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

How do you like the new title? Its half a bitter response to an unproductive brainstorming session and I'm half serious about keeping it. See, I never wanted to sound too bloggy (if you don't believe me, just read my first entry) so I was just going for something simple. I'll take any suggestions. The point is, my belly button has reappeared and Carver's is just waiting for the umbilical stub to fall off. Ethan's is probably full of lint. He lets me collect it sometimes. I wish I had chosen a more timeless html like valeriestonerook.blogspot.com. Oh well. Lesson learned. By the way, I'm working on a full account of the labor story, don't you worry. Its just my writing sessions are more limited these days.

AhhChoo

2009-01-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

One fun thing we've been doing with Carver is praying when he sneezes. I always say "God bless you," so I thought, why not pray for a specific blessing? Today we prayed for his education, his involvement in sports, his breastfeeding and several other things. He sneezes a lot and its really cute.

A couple of today's bummers:
Carver peed on our bed.
I had a horrible tummy ache and a fever.

A few of today's highlights:
Ethan called the doctor and its normal to have a high temperature when your milk comes in. Also, I realized I hadn't eaten in 7 hours and a little apple juice and toast made me feel much better.
Watching the inauguration and feeling so proud to bring Carver into life in this country.
A trip to the post office where C got to meet Devon.
Breastfeeding in the Publix parking lot (inside the car of course).

Goodnight!

Breastfeeding Makes Me Thirsty

2009-01-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

And hungry.

I walked from Carver's room to the bathroom while nursing him, peed and even did a one-hand wash. I thought to myself, after 5 days this must make me a pro. Then I sat down on the glider and realized I hadn't pulled my underwear up.

Nicknames

2009-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

He already has so many:

Jelly bean

Bean sprout

Quiver fish (for this tiny sucking that he does)

Hemertomer (for the hematoma on his head)

Bull Jr.

Bud

Sam Putnam thought of a brazillion funny ones that I can't remember, but the list included Carvin the Martian.

One of my favorites that I've been calling him is my little king. Today I realized the acronym for that is MLK. How fitting. He was born on Martin Luther King Jr.'s actual birthday, too. I think this little one has great things ahead of him.

Let's Take An Intermission

2009-01-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

I love how Young Life, the Christian ministry Ethan and I volunteer with uses humor as a way to break barriers with kids. A couple weekends ago at a YL camp in Ocala, my friends put this philosophy to use. I think we can all now see why Young Life is a tier above all other ministries.* Even if you don't know the 3 Chrises (Christin Chiles, Chris James-area director and Chris Lawhorne) who did program for Southwind College Weekend, you will appreciate why I watched this video three times in a row while nursing Carver tonight. Its worth it to watch til the end.

Also, I got teary reading Corduroy tonight. I guess the hormones are sticking around for a while.

*please note, I'm joking here

Happy Birthday Carver!

2009-01-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

January 15th, 12:14 AM: best moment of my life.

Bye Bye Due Date

2009-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to all of you who have been calling, checking up on us, giving us diapers, making us food, letting us hold your newborn, going on walks and keeping me entertained! I feel so spoiled! I can't even imagine what it will be like when Carver is actually here. We are truly surrounded by community.

Full moon and all, Carver's due date has come and gone...
I'm still having Braxton Hicks contractions, especially at 3:30 AM. Harvey (my uterus) just loves to wake me up in the middle of the morning with one really strong contraction then, followed by 4 or 5 more about every 10 minutes. They get progressively lighter until I am back asleep.

I wish I could tell you some funny story about kids at school eating their boogers or my water breaking in the middle of the store, but you should probably just read Aly's blog until I have some news or at least some new material. If you're into crafts, you might be interested in my recent projects. I'll post pictures soon. See ya!

On The Up And Up

2009-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about going to our church is taking communion every Sunday. Actually, its not just one of my favorites, and its not just about church... communion might just be my very favorite thing about life. I can't fully describe the beauty of it, but each time I go up and kneel at the altar, listening to William and Annie play the guitar/piano, I feel the sun shine through the stained glass window onto my shoulders and truly experience God's presence. I feel like I can hold my hands out, offer God all my messed upness and He gives me blessings in return. Mmmm. So this Sunday, like all the others since I've been pregnant, Father Ron went down the line, passing out communion wafers, and paused when he got to me. He always puts his hand on my head and prays a special blessing over Carver. Well, Sunday he prayed that I would have patience. I just laughed out loud. I couldn't/can't think of one thing I need more of right now.

Its been working, too. For a while I felt like I was at a point of giving up, ignoring all my friends and family that have been calling to check up on me, not showering, not even watching 30 Rock on DVD, just hiding under my covers until my water broke. But, oddly enough, now that my due date is only 4 days away, I feel like a load has been lifted, the urgency is gone and I could wait as long as it takes to hold this little one. I'm not saying it isn't a tease when I have contractions from 3-4:30AM, just that the thought of getting up in a couple hours to eat the banana bread I made pulls me through.

I went to my doctor today and all is looking well. Carver is still well-poised, ready to go. His heart beat sounded great (even though he had hiccups) and Mama is about 1cm dialated. We talked "worse case scenario" and the latest she will let me go is around 10 days past my due date. By then I say bring on the pitocin!

Shout outs to mom-in-law Ronda for driving to Gainesville tomorrow to spend the day with me and to Mr. & Mrs. Sweet Dreams for setting aside my very own pint of Mayan Chocolate ice cream! I didn't even have to ask.

Nesting

2009-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Apparently, nesting happens to most ladies at the end of their pregnancy. I used to think it just meant the urge to decorate the baby's room, buy cute stuff and get the house ready for when baby comes home. Then I read that when it really kicks in, moms get a sudden burst of energy and want to clean everything, organize to a T and get a little OCD, like methodically re-landscaping or dusting the blinds at 4AM.

Well, besides the urge I had to pick all the Spanish moss off our chain-link fence (which I did not give in to), I have been experiencing a different sort of nesting urge. This kind involves me making a nest out of my blankets and pillows, curling up and sleeping the day away. So, sorry if I didn't answer when you called, but I was probably asleep. Out of the past 72 hours, I've spent 40 sleeping, 10 eating, 10 walking and the other 12 contracting (during which I was planning out future eating/walking).

Also, I am so mad at Facebook right now. I used to love it, then I started having a hard time posting pictures, now I can't read what people write on my wall.

Goodnight.

Lots Of Contractions, No Baby

2009-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

In other news, I've been getting lots of sleep (yes!!!), revisiting my beloved hobby of Ikea window shopping (computer windows, that is), walking all over Gainesville, budgeting (this is also something that oddly enough, I love to do), dreaming about all the trips we will take with baby C, watching a lot of 30 Rock and standing in Carver's room starring at all his stuff until I remind myself too much of the crazy lady who kidnaps a baby in Raising Arizona.

I'm going to go rearrange the living room. Happy New Year!

Peed In My Pants

2008-12-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

Not just once, but twice.

Now that you are a pro and understand the emotions of a pregnant lady in her 9th month, it should not surprise you that on the same day I broke down and cried in my car at the doctor's office, I also peed my pants laughing hysterically.

We were at Sam & Megan's house visiting our friend, Chase who works in The Sudan but is visiting for a couple weeks. As Ethan and I were on our way out, I had my hand on the doorknob and thought "man, it would suck if I opened the door and got shot." I know that is probably not a normal thought to have, but nonetheless, I opened the door and our friend Chris Lawhorne was standing on their dark porch, wearing a beanie (much like all criminals do) and reaching for the doorknob. My throat still hurts I screamed so loud. And then I laughed. Then peed. And then peed again on the way home, thinking about the whole situation.

I would blame the pee on pregnancy, but I really can't. I kind of have a habit of laughing to the point of pee. So much so that my brother, Sam likes to make it his goal. One afternoon of his Christmas visit, he was successful. I was eating lunch at the table and he stood in the kitchen, danced, and sang Nelly's "Flap Your Wings (drop down and get your eagle on, girl)." I inappropriately misinterpreted the lyrics, much to Sam's disgust. I think I'm going to pee just thinking about it. Ask me sometime and I'll tell you what I thought it meant.

Doctor Visits

2008-12-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ultrasounds are always fun, so my morning appointment was very enjoyable. Carver was confirmed a boy, determined to be 7 lbs, 6oz and as cute as a little smushed up fetus can be. The lady doing my ultrasound even let me see him in 4D which was super cool. I felt like I was cheating by seeing what he looks like. He has his dad's nose and hair!

My second visit was not so fun. Not only is having your cervix checked an unpleasant feeling, having the doctor say you are 0cm. dilated is even worse. However, both mom and baby are healthy so I'm thankful (or at least I feel like I should say that).

If you ever plan on getting pregnant or getting any one else pregnant, you might find the following helpful. These are the 4 extreme emotions I've been experiencing as the final weeks approach. The first two are the patient ones and the last two are desperately impatient ones.

1. I feel pleasantly distracted from pregnancy and can thoroughly enjoy things like Christmas, buying new plants at the nursery, or whatever else might come my way. (If you have such a ploy, please distract!)

2. Sometimes I'm just straight up content with waiting for my little guy. I think about how fun motherhood is going to be, sigh and realize I would wait forever to meet this person I love so much.

3. CRANKY. Angry, grumpy, inconsolable. I am literally sick and tired of being heavy, not sleeping, not knowing when I'm going to go into labor, saying "January 11th," breathing heavily just from walking up one flight of stairs and having fat feet. Every false contraction mocks me. My packed hospital bags mock me. Cute maternity clothes, baby gear and I have all lost our "glow."

4. Some of the time I just feel generally sad or disappointed. I've spent a year getting my hopes up and looking forward to a day that still seems so far away. Even 48 hours sounds far away. The last time I felt as disappointed as I did today after the 2nd appointment was on my birthday last April when I got my period (and therefore realized I wasn't pregnant).

Unless you've been 9 months pregnant before, all this might sound crazy, selfish or silly. I'm sure these next 2 weeks of your life will fly by. But to me, it is what it is.

My Prayer For Carver

2008-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I asked God to give me a prayer for Carver. I didn't know if it would be scripture, or if I would just have a feeling of something to pray for, but I just felt a need for God's guidance. He led me to Psalm 20 and this has been and will be my prayer for our little boy:

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And support you from Zion!
May He remember all your meal offerings,
And find your burnt offering acceptable!

May He grant you your heart's desire,
And fulfill all your counsel!
We will sing for joy over your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Psalm 20:1-5

Good News

2008-12-30T05:33:00.000-08:00

Not in the world of my uterus (which I have named Harvey, just for kicks), but in a few others'. Remember my blog about friends and family that were having trouble getting pregnant or having health issues? Well, the friends are preggers and the family just had a sweet baby boy! Hooray!

I do have an ultrasound and a cervix check today, so there will be news one way or another. Stay posted.

My wonderful mom and mom-in-law made sure all my dishes and laundry were done while they were here for Christmas, so my normal pastimes are out. What a relief! Other than that I have been doing some sewing(!), list-making of other things I could do to keep me busy, pacing in the middle of the night, the usual.

Next, I think I'll try and learn how to do this.

Only, it might end up more like this.

No News

2008-12-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

...is good news? I did have a very painful contraction in the movie theatre last night. Then again, it could have been gas.

Double Fake Out

2008-12-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Even with all the excitement, present opening and food going on right now, I want to take a moment and go over what has happened in the world of my uterus in the past couple days (mostly for my own reflection).

On the morning after the first fake out, starting around 8:00, I had a few mild "contractions." I could tell it was insignificant because there were no patterns forming. Around 9:00, Megan and I met Cindy for breakfast at Panera, la di da, nothing going on... then at 11:00 I went to Publix to stock up on food for Christmas because Ethan's family was coming into town that day. As I walked around, enjoying my shopping, I realized I was starting to have pretty regular contractions. I decided to text Ethan and he told me to text him every time they came so he could keep a little record. I think around this time they were 8 minutes apart. Keep in mind I am still pretty comfortable to continue shopping, chatting it up with strangers who told me I "look like I could have him any moment" and am I "sure it isn't twins" (thanks, actually I'm trying to keep smiling and nodding at you while my utereus is crunching down on itself as we speak).

I decided to go home, leave all the groceries in the car that I could and go for a walk around the apartment area. I kept updating Ethan and by 2:00 I was having contractions consistently 5 minutes apart. This is throwing off my whole plan, see. Our childbirth instructor told us a simple rule on how to remember when its time to go to the hospital: 511 (or 311 if you live close by). That means contractions that are 5 minutes apart, lasting for one minute each for at least an hour. But these didn't feel like real labor contractions. So why were they so consistent? I decided to go upstairs and lay down to see what would happen. Now they're 4 minutes apart. So I walked again. Now its 3:00 and they're 3 minutes apart. Ethan suggested I call the nurse. She said if they kept up like that for 45 minutes, to come into labor and delivery.

Well now, I'm just getting excited. I go and pick E up from work, we stop by the house to get our bags and Sam (my brother who had just arrived for Christmas) and we drive to the hospital. I'm thinking if this is the real thing and I go ahead and check in, they're not going to let me back out. I'd rather walk around the pretty pond with all the Christmas lights than in the hospital halls, so we walk. Then I can't take it any more. By this time, the contractions are getting pretty uncomfortable and I want to know if I'm crazy, so we go into labor and delivery.

They took me into triage and hooked me up to 2 monitors, one for Carver's heart beat and one to measure contractions. The nurse said I was having beautiful contractions 3 minutes apart (I was relieved I wasn't making all this up) and that people would kill for a pattern like that. Carver was doing great and things seemed to be progressing, but I was trying not to get my hopes up. It just didn't feel painful enough. Sure enough, she checked my cervix and I wasn't dialated at all. She said I am about 50% effaced and she could feel Carver's head, but no dialation. She and the doctor on call suggested I go home, get some sleep and they would probably see me the next morning. That was Tuesday. Now its Thursday and besides a contraction here and there, I don't really have any news.

I was really dissapointed at first because, Lord, I just want to see my baby boy! But now I am trying to just go with the flow and hopefully this is all a sign that things will happen sooner than later.

Fake Out :(

2008-12-23T06:04:00.000-08:00

At midnight last night (this morning?) I started having contractions about every 8-10 minutes. They stopped around 2:00 AM. No Carver yet.

More to come soon on why last night was still the best night ever.

Visuals, As Promised

2008-12-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

Gainesville Shower

Melissa & Lauren

At the end of the shower all these wonderful ladies whom I love got in a circle and prayed for different aspects of C's life. I will never forget that tearful moment!

Pregnant "Core" ladies (my amazing friends from camp), Heather & Gwen

Sign Language Kiddies

Big kids, Miss Becca & Miss Jessica

Mrs. Valerie is looking big, as well

So cute

Fat Feet (can you believe these???)

My Newest Creation

The Kitchen Sink

2008-12-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to write, just a little bit of everything.

The Christmas tree is up and dazzling, as are my 2 crafty decorations that I got from Real Simple. Carver's room is looking amazing, thanks to 40 dear friends and family that showered me last Sunday. I hope to prove all of this with visuals, but that's usually what turns a 15 minute blogging sesh into a frustrating hour and a half sesh, so I'm procrastinating on that adventure. Plus, I will have to really dig in audio-visually to post the video of the sign language performance! It was fabulous! There's one little first grade girl who does the motions opposite of everyone else. You'll see. The performance concluded an 11 hour work day as well as work as I know it. I am so sad to leave my kids and all the sweet people at Idylwild. I really loved working there and I'm sure I'll be back now and then.

Here are some things I'm looking forward to when Cman is my work:
Playing with him outside
Showing him off as I run errands
Reading to him
Breastfeeding
Visiting his daddy at work
Being able to plan and cook dinner
Making his baby food (thanks to Ronda and Emilye who gave me a baby food maker and Mrs. Sweet Dreams who made me a recipe book!)
Hanging out with other moms
Waking up early for the Mr. Rodgers feeling

Hopefully it won't be too long. I have 3 more weeks, but he sure feels ready. My doctor told me that as of Tuesday he was measuring at 7.5 lbs! I know they can be way off, but I also know this is no small child. I've really enjoyed being pregnant, but it gets very uncomfortable at the end! I can't wait to take a full breath without having to brace myself first.

I also can't wait to:
Longboard
Mountain bike
Roll over in bed without thinking "Is this really going to be worth it?"
Play Frisbee
See bones in my feet
Have ankles
Give frontal hugs
Pee for longer than 10 seconds at a time

I don't know how long it will take to be able to do all of those, but I'll let you know. And although 3rd trimester hormones have caused my brain and tear ducts to do crazy things, in general, pregnancy is pretty delightful. I've mostly felt full of energy, talkative and extremely happy. If nothing else, it forces a sense of humor. Last night at Moe's I had to stick one leg under the arm rest of my chair just to be able to spread my legs out enough for my belly to fall between them.

My Apartment Has a Sense of Humor

2008-12-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Get it? Like it was that cold?

I Would Rather Work With Kids Than People

2008-12-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

That's what I said to E this morning in the car. I also couldn't remember the word "bottle" yesterday. This is what pregnancy does to a mind.

It is true, I would rather work with kids than people, at least the grown-up kind. And that's said after a week of being a Kindergarten teacher (which I realized I could never do long-term). And that's said after being moved from the Kindergarten portable classroom we were in to the library because of a tornado watch. You try to keep 20 five year olds quiet without games, scissors and glue for six hours and tell me how it goes. The librarian was sweet and gave me chocolate at the end of the day. Despite the noise, the incessant tattle-telling (my pet peeve!) and constant taps on my belly, I am already missing my kids so much. With a month left until my due date, I can't believe I only have one more week at school with them until Christmas break and then full-time momhood.

My favorite part of work this week was in afterschool. I decided to lead a face-painting activity as part of our theme for the month: circus. It was a very complicated activity. I painted the kids' faces. Because of artistic and time-related limits, I only gave them a few choices: heart, star, rainbow, butterfly, alligator, clown, or peace sign. When I told one sweet Kindergarten girl her choices I thought she could only remembered the last one I listed and therefore requested the peace sign. Turns out she wasn't saying "peace sign," but "Capri Sun." This lead to quite the conversation. "Seriously, you want a drink pouch on your face? A Capri Sun?" Yep. Guess what the next person in line also asked for.

Yesterday afternoon my sign language group painted T-shirts for their performance next Thursday. I'm so excited! I hope I can figure out how to post videos on this thing so you can see it. Its the best combination of cute and hilarious. After we made the shirts, I was cleaning up when I dropped a bottle of paint on the floor. NBD, but as it was rolling away, I squatted to pick it up. BD. It all happened in slow motion. I realized that squatting (with my hands full) seriously compromised my sense of balance and as I leaned forward and the bottle kept rolling away I did a little less falling and a little more sprawling across the floor. Picture a newborn elephant trying to find her footing, yet all four limbs end up as far apart as possible. I wasn't concerned for my safety as I was at an elevation of about 6 inches, however, I was concerned for the amount of butt crack the kids behind me saw. Good thing you can blame just about everything on pregnancy.

Recap

2008-12-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

As Double Layer Dan would say, "whoa whoa whoa."
As Ethan would say, "Its a crazy life... but its our life." (Yes, that's a quote from the intro to Jon & Kate Plus 8, my 3rd favorite TV show- and apparently Ethan's)
As I would say:

Its been a hectic couple weeks. I just looked and this will be the first legit blog in December! Holy cow! I'm sorry its been so long and I'm sorry that I have this weird need to keep things in order. Let me just fill you in on Nov 27-now and then I will feel better and we will move on to blogs of my funny everyday life.

Thanksgiving was great. We went to Tampa and cooked and ate at Dad's. He has this cool tennis set-up that the boys played with. The best and most ironic part of our holiday was that night. What else would any American family do to celebrate the 1st meal between the pilgrims and Native Americans? Go to the Seminole Indian Casino. On Thanksgiving. I was up $20 at one point, but lets be real, does it ever stay that way?

The next day we went to Busch Gardens with Mom. To me, Busch Gardens is like the North Pole (or some other really cool place, like the foam pit at a gymnastics gym).

This one perfectly captures my siblings.

This one perfectly defines their relationship. Oh, brother.

Let's see, what else? I don't want to skip anything important.

Obviously, UF beat FSU.

We had a little scare with Tug (my sister's dog in the pictures above). He got lost, but found. Once was blind, but now he sees.

We came back home for a busy week of work, more childbirth class, a class on car seat safety, Mary & Steve's garage sale, a work party, the SEC championship (!!!), and on Sunday night we drove back down to Tampa for a wedding. Phew.

I'm sure the bride and groom had a crazier week that I did, though, because there were over 600 guests! It was a very beautiful wedding. Our friend from Young Life, Dara married professional baseball player (and former Gator) Matt LaPorta.

Thanks to my new bed time, this week has been quiet and relaxing. It takes a lot of self-control for me to turn off all my random ideas, creative juices and urges to clean by 10:00, but it was well worth it. I don't want to be caught off guard and go into labor on less than enough sleep. I basically just worked every day, came home, ate and slept. We did have our last childbirth class which was very exciting, yet sad. I know we will remember going and think about how young we were. I feel so confident about labor now, I highly suggest taking classes if you plan on pushing a baby out of your body. If you're in the area, I suggest taking them with Tina Copeland at North Florida.

I don't even care if you read this or not, I finally feel much better after taking the time to sit outside in this amazing Friday weather and literarily sigh out the past 15 days.

As Anne would say, "Thank you and goodbye."

Ode To My Baby

2008-12-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

I've never been so exhausted and so excited at the same time.

To my readers:
I'll be back after a couple days of implementing my new rule: 10:00 bed time.

CRIB!!!

2008-11-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

I don't want to embarrass them, so I won't name names... but some really cool people who Carver is inheriting his middle name from got us the most kick-ass crib ever!!! My hot husband set it up last night.

While I, so helpfully assisted by taking these:

See the hormone line? Its been creeping up there for a week or two. Also, please note how my belly button is off-center, but still not an outie. I think, with only 6 weeks to go, I'll always be an innie.

Alright, now that I've already done 2 of my favorite things this morning (nap and blog), time for my third, clean!

Also, some amazingly sweet friends happen to be faithful blog readers. They read my blog about the difficulties of pregnancy and nail-clipping and bought me a pedicure! If I clean and pack for Tampa fast enough, I think I will go cash that in. Again with the name-naming, I don't want to embarass you, but you know who you are and I love you!

Fun With Mascots

2008-11-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday we went to the Gator game. The weather was beautiful and of course, we kicked butt. So much so, that it was really more fun to be there to hang out with friends and enjoy the traditions from the 1st row than it was to actually watch the game. I guess that was the last game I will attend preggy for a while. We do have the SEC and hopefully the BCS championships to look forward to, but unless you want to give us tickets to the SEC championship, we won't be there. The BCS is January 8th! Sounds coincidentally close to somebody's due date! I don't know if you were aware of this, but I happen to be very good luck for the Gators. The day Ethan proposed we beat FSU. On my birthday (2 years in a row!), we won the basketball championship. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if Carver is born on January 8th, the day the Gators win the national football championship (again).

Natalie came with us to the game and it was some good, classic sister time. We made it our goal to get pictures with the mascots (The Citadel's mascot is a really cute bulldog). I guess it was our day.

Here are a few other gems:

After the game, Ethan and I decided to have a long-needed date. I have been freaking out (just a little) about the fact that it will never be just the two of us again (insert Will Smith song here). My favorite thing about our marriage is that we make such good best friends. When E and I first started hanging out, we said we would never date because we were too much like brother and sister. We had picnics every week together and called it platonic. Now we have the same tease each other, tell each other everything, play scrabble like old people and act stupid together friendship, we just call it marriage. Carver has already added so much excitement and depth to our relationship and I know he will only cause us to fall even more in love with each other, I'm just nervous about having less time together. I know its not an if, its a when, I just pray God gives us grace to balance our life.

Ok, now that I've made me cry, I was just trying to say we went to Macaroni Grill for dindin. We had such a wonderful time, mostly talking about McCarverton and how we would do anything for him. The two examples Ethan gave were sacrifice a limb and move to Alaska. I thought that was funny. It ended up taking a long time for our food to come out, which I didn't mind, but they gave us our meal for free! Mind you, we had run into a friend that morning at Mi Apa who sneakily paid for our breakfast! See, God's already giving us free dates together.