So the other morning, I was working at my desk in the kitchen, and Natalia was unloading my pantry shelves. Since I often get my baking ingredients, snacks, beans, pasta, etc. from small family-run stores that buy bulk and repackage in bags, I've got quite an assortment. This past week, these bags have fascinated her completely.
This particular morning she loaded up her grocery cart, shut the pantry door, and then just stood there for awhile. ("Awhile" as defined by a toddler anyway.) This struck me as odd.
Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "What are you doing sweetpea?"
Natalia: "I waiting in line."
(With a chuckle) Me: "Are there alot of people at the market today?"
(With a sigh) Natalia: "Yeah...I being patient."
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Rest
This afternoon as I was getting Natalia ready for her nap, I was making up a silly little song about REST.
Rest is good for our bodies...rest is good for our brains...rest gives us energy we need...
We covered all the bases. Rest was good for our bellies, our arms and legs, our eyes, etc.
Suddenly she pipes up, "My eyebrows?"
YES silly girl...even your eyebrows!
Rest is good for our bodies...rest is good for our brains...rest gives us energy we need...
We covered all the bases. Rest was good for our bellies, our arms and legs, our eyes, etc.
Suddenly she pipes up, "My eyebrows?"
YES silly girl...even your eyebrows!
Our Little Boy
I had another ECHO/3-D ultrasound last week, and everything looks good. Adam's heart and vital organs continue to appear normal. (We actually got to see he's all boy--up close) :oP
And, at one point the doc even caught this little smirk (reflex? gas? who knows?)
From the measurements they took they determined he's about 3 lbs. now, which is within the normal range.
The only thing the specialist mentioned, which I asked him to clarify, was that I had a few placental lakes.
OB HEALTH LESSON 101: Placental lakes are enlarged spaces in the placenta filled with maternal blood. These spaces are also called intervillous spaces because they are found between the placental villi (the finger-like projections of the placenta that contain fetal blood vessels). The placental villi float in the intervillous spaces and absorb oxygen and nutrients from the maternal blood.
Most docs don't even mention these because more likely than not, they pose no problems to the mother or the baby, but they can result in slight prematurity and/or low birth weight. And, with the way ultrasounds and imaging are constantly improving, they're discovering that most women develop these in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. So the mere presence of placental lakes is quite normal.
My doctor isn't concerned, but they do want to see me again in 6 weeks to take Baby Adam's measurements. It still befuddles my mind what they can do these days!
On a personal note, I'm pretty much the same. Sleeping is becoming more and more of an issue, but thanks to more pillows, my leg numbness hasn't been too bad, just alot of flipping from side to side. (more like rolling)
My appetite has been in a bit of a slump. I eat when I'm hungry (which is every 2-3 hours) but I find things just taste differently again. I'm hoping the nausea that some women get again in the last trimester will pass me by. Other than that, my belly just feels really heavy (like a bowling ball) and my ribs are starting to feel smooshed and sore. No kicks to the ribs yet--just everywhere else! :o)
I've said it before I think, but this little boy is giving every indication that he is going to be one-on-the-move! Hmmmm...that sounds familiar. :o)
And, at one point the doc even caught this little smirk (reflex? gas? who knows?)
From the measurements they took they determined he's about 3 lbs. now, which is within the normal range.
The only thing the specialist mentioned, which I asked him to clarify, was that I had a few placental lakes.
OB HEALTH LESSON 101: Placental lakes are enlarged spaces in the placenta filled with maternal blood. These spaces are also called intervillous spaces because they are found between the placental villi (the finger-like projections of the placenta that contain fetal blood vessels). The placental villi float in the intervillous spaces and absorb oxygen and nutrients from the maternal blood.
Most docs don't even mention these because more likely than not, they pose no problems to the mother or the baby, but they can result in slight prematurity and/or low birth weight. And, with the way ultrasounds and imaging are constantly improving, they're discovering that most women develop these in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. So the mere presence of placental lakes is quite normal.
My doctor isn't concerned, but they do want to see me again in 6 weeks to take Baby Adam's measurements. It still befuddles my mind what they can do these days!
On a personal note, I'm pretty much the same. Sleeping is becoming more and more of an issue, but thanks to more pillows, my leg numbness hasn't been too bad, just alot of flipping from side to side. (more like rolling)
My appetite has been in a bit of a slump. I eat when I'm hungry (which is every 2-3 hours) but I find things just taste differently again. I'm hoping the nausea that some women get again in the last trimester will pass me by. Other than that, my belly just feels really heavy (like a bowling ball) and my ribs are starting to feel smooshed and sore. No kicks to the ribs yet--just everywhere else! :o)
I've said it before I think, but this little boy is giving every indication that he is going to be one-on-the-move! Hmmmm...that sounds familiar. :o)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mountaintops and Valleys
I've alluded to a particularly difficult situation that Pete and I have been in since mid-July, and while we feel the details aren't appropriate to broadcast to the whole world, I wanted to give an update because I hope it encourages you to trust FULLY in the Lord for whatever you are going through at this very moment.
I was just telling a good friend that the last time I felt this desperate for God to provide and grant us peace was when Natalia was first born, and her health (her life) was completely out of our hands. Let me just say too, that that place is GRACE in disguise. Grace defined as "unmerited favor", and God's kindness to us.
How can I say this? Because I am convinced that God allows trials and challenges to come our way, not in an arbitrary way or because He doesn't care, but because He loves us, desires to grow us, teach us about who He is and who we are; to remind us that He provides for our very breath, wants to bless us, and desires to be our Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look at the "titles" I encountered this past week in my quiet time with God, leading up to our big day on Friday. (They come from Charles Spurgeon's, MORNING AND EVENING devotional.)
"Why have you brought this trouble on your servant?" (Numbers 11:11)
"On whom are you depending?" (Isaiah 36:5)
"I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." (Jeremiah 15:21)
"Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven" (Lamentations 3:41)(speaking of prayer)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm...I don't count THAT as merely coincidence.
You see, Pete and I were thrust into a situation in which our integrity was called into question.
False claims were made by complete strangers.
We felt under attack.
The possible financial outcomes seemed daunting (and that word doesn't quite capture it!)
We felt a degree of obligation to speak the truth and defend ourselves...but recognized that it might not be enough, and we might have to "compensate" our accusers and trust that God would somehow and in some way provide for us to do so.
AND, in all of this, we felt that God wanted to increase our faith and trust in Him.
Would our reaction/attitude (when we met in person to try to resolve the matter) reflect our faith and trust in Christ to them?
Though we felt completely justified in our stance, would we be faithful to pray for those who were causing our hardship? To pray for their ultimate good?
Despite the blow to our pride, would we focus on how our accusers were defining us, or find rest in our Savior's definition of who we are?
Well, the outcome of Friday's meeting was extremely hard to swallow. We had NO IDEA how we were going to come up with that kind of cash within a month's time. (Especially with what we could sell, cut from our tight budget, and the interest rates banks are offering on loans these days!) ANYWAY, as we were faithful to pray for wisdom and provision (and even when we weren't) God was bringing about a solution. He was blessing our meager and imperfect efforts at faith and trust, and the end result was exponential!
God used a single source we weren't expecting to cover the full amount!
(THANK YOU! You know who you are!)
The significance of this is not lost on us...isn't God good? :o)
I was just telling a good friend that the last time I felt this desperate for God to provide and grant us peace was when Natalia was first born, and her health (her life) was completely out of our hands. Let me just say too, that that place is GRACE in disguise. Grace defined as "unmerited favor", and God's kindness to us.
How can I say this? Because I am convinced that God allows trials and challenges to come our way, not in an arbitrary way or because He doesn't care, but because He loves us, desires to grow us, teach us about who He is and who we are; to remind us that He provides for our very breath, wants to bless us, and desires to be our Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look at the "titles" I encountered this past week in my quiet time with God, leading up to our big day on Friday. (They come from Charles Spurgeon's, MORNING AND EVENING devotional.)
"Why have you brought this trouble on your servant?" (Numbers 11:11)
"On whom are you depending?" (Isaiah 36:5)
"I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." (Jeremiah 15:21)
"Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven" (Lamentations 3:41)(speaking of prayer)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm...I don't count THAT as merely coincidence.
You see, Pete and I were thrust into a situation in which our integrity was called into question.
False claims were made by complete strangers.
We felt under attack.
The possible financial outcomes seemed daunting (and that word doesn't quite capture it!)
We felt a degree of obligation to speak the truth and defend ourselves...but recognized that it might not be enough, and we might have to "compensate" our accusers and trust that God would somehow and in some way provide for us to do so.
AND, in all of this, we felt that God wanted to increase our faith and trust in Him.
Would our reaction/attitude (when we met in person to try to resolve the matter) reflect our faith and trust in Christ to them?
Though we felt completely justified in our stance, would we be faithful to pray for those who were causing our hardship? To pray for their ultimate good?
Despite the blow to our pride, would we focus on how our accusers were defining us, or find rest in our Savior's definition of who we are?
Well, the outcome of Friday's meeting was extremely hard to swallow. We had NO IDEA how we were going to come up with that kind of cash within a month's time. (Especially with what we could sell, cut from our tight budget, and the interest rates banks are offering on loans these days!) ANYWAY, as we were faithful to pray for wisdom and provision (and even when we weren't) God was bringing about a solution. He was blessing our meager and imperfect efforts at faith and trust, and the end result was exponential!
God used a single source we weren't expecting to cover the full amount!
(THANK YOU! You know who you are!)
The significance of this is not lost on us...isn't God good? :o)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Farm Fair Fun
One of the things I can instantly recall each fall just through the sense of smell is the local Farm Show. When the temperatures take a dip and the evenings grow dark earlier and earlier, the air around this area smells different. There's the smell of harvest first of all, the drying corn is cut down and used for silage, the soil is tilled one final time before the first frost. But it's the combination of all of that and...well, the smell of tractor fumes or someone smoking a pipe to bring it all together.
It's Farm Show time folks!
Last night was the annual parade, and it happened to land exactly on my brother Joe's birthday. My cousin Laura and her husband live along the parade route through town and she invited the relatives to camp out on her section of sidewalk.
My family joined the gang after fighting the crowds for some Fair Food. Let me tell you, the milkshakes and french fries are simply divine and worth the wait in line. :o) Then we settled down for the parade...along with homemade cupcakes for the birthday boy. My mom made her favorite white cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles (YUM), and I took the kind that have many names: "black bottom", "yum yum"--whatever you call them they are chocolate with cream cheese and mini chocolate chips inside.
Natalia wasn't too sure about the fire truck sirens at first. There were some tears. But after Mommy persuaded her that they were just saying hello and that they weren't trying to be scary she decided they weren't so bad. She snuggled with me for most of the parade (I was eating it up because she just doesn't sit with me like that anymore!) and had fun waving to everyone who went by. The bands had her clapping and so did the candy being tossed. :o)
Just at the conclusion it started to sprinkle...but since we were at the beginning of the route we were home by 9pm! Laura, you may be seeing us on your front lawn every year!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning I took Natalia in again to see the animals. She got to pet some piglets which had her absolutely fascinated.
Here are a few shots of our morning:
It's Farm Show time folks!
Last night was the annual parade, and it happened to land exactly on my brother Joe's birthday. My cousin Laura and her husband live along the parade route through town and she invited the relatives to camp out on her section of sidewalk.
My family joined the gang after fighting the crowds for some Fair Food. Let me tell you, the milkshakes and french fries are simply divine and worth the wait in line. :o) Then we settled down for the parade...along with homemade cupcakes for the birthday boy. My mom made her favorite white cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles (YUM), and I took the kind that have many names: "black bottom", "yum yum"--whatever you call them they are chocolate with cream cheese and mini chocolate chips inside.
Natalia wasn't too sure about the fire truck sirens at first. There were some tears. But after Mommy persuaded her that they were just saying hello and that they weren't trying to be scary she decided they weren't so bad. She snuggled with me for most of the parade (I was eating it up because she just doesn't sit with me like that anymore!) and had fun waving to everyone who went by. The bands had her clapping and so did the candy being tossed. :o)
Just at the conclusion it started to sprinkle...but since we were at the beginning of the route we were home by 9pm! Laura, you may be seeing us on your front lawn every year!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning I took Natalia in again to see the animals. She got to pet some piglets which had her absolutely fascinated.
Here are a few shots of our morning:
I could barely pry her off of the tractors! Yep, there's a little bit of country in that gal!
Look at me Mom! :o)
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Yummiest Carrot Cake Recipe
This recipe comes out of the BLACK ROCK RETREAT COOKBOOK--so moist and delicious! :o)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together:
½ c. applesauce
½ c. oil
2 c. sugar
Then add to mixture and stir:
4 eggs
3 c. grated carrots
Sift together, then add to mixture and stir:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes. (Or 325 degrees for 45 mins.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream together and spread on cooled cake:
1 (8 oz.) box cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together:
½ c. applesauce
½ c. oil
2 c. sugar
Then add to mixture and stir:
4 eggs
3 c. grated carrots
Sift together, then add to mixture and stir:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes. (Or 325 degrees for 45 mins.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream together and spread on cooled cake:
1 (8 oz.) box cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mom's Pumpkin Bread
Beat together:
1 c. veg. oil
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Add:
1 c. cooked pumpkin
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. warm water
3 c. flour
Put into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
***A family favorite served sliced and plain or with a bit of whipped cream cheese spread on top.
1 c. veg. oil
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Add:
1 c. cooked pumpkin
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. warm water
3 c. flour
Put into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
***A family favorite served sliced and plain or with a bit of whipped cream cheese spread on top.
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