tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89195255232728776222024-03-14T02:10:09.450-05:00Alas! Evening LurksSusan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.comBlogger257125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-44083960831117942962012-12-09T15:32:00.001-06:002012-12-09T15:32:23.113-06:00A Lesson Learned in 2012It's okay to be right and to know you're right and to know when your neighbor is wrong. But it's rarely a good idea to try to convince the person that they're wrong.<br />
<br />
I think that's especially true with the kind of people who are prone to getting chips on their shoulders who then suffer a broken relationship that deeply affects their lives. They start to see a loose collection of events as closely related symptoms of one huge problem. It's the difference between "We don't work well together anymore" and "I always knew you were working for the Devil!" <br />
<br />
Once they've decided someone is an agent of the Devil, it's very easy to justify anything they could possibly do to take that person down. And if there's collateral damage, well...that's unfortunate, but we're fighting the DEVIL here. <br />
<br />
They're too far down their rabbit hole. They will never see how wrong they are. Don't waste your energy. Go ahead and defend them, speak well of them--don't make anything worse, but also don't expect them to do the same for you. They've hardened their hearts and will never desire anything but vengeance (especially if there also exists an inability--or unwillingness--to empathize with their fellow humans). Every tool is fair game to them: gossip, manipulation, crafty politicking. Good-hearted people often cannot win against such tactics. It's easier to just realize that fact from the outset.<br />
<br />
I still can't quite understand what would make a person take look around and say to himself "I've been through some turbulence lately, but I've made it through, and now everything is far better than I could have imagined. Praise be to God for the blessings I've received"...and then turn around and through gossip, manipulation and crafty politicking try to exact revenge on groups of people for that turbulence. Is this how baptized and redeemed children of God show their gratitude to Him for those blessings? To me, the cognitive dissonance is resounding, but they really don't seem to notice. <br />
<br />
They just don't know they're wrong and there is no convincing them. The devil is always at work in the church, indeed.<br />
Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-80583413861581116762012-07-24T11:45:00.001-05:002012-07-24T11:45:52.385-05:00Evil WheatI'm beyond sold. I have tried so many products and read so many books, all which came with so many user/reader testimonials proclaiming "this changed my life!!!!!!!!1" only to find the effects for myself were not nearly so dramatic. Well, I have finally read a book and made a lifestyle adjustment that I will shout from the rooftops. It has been three months and I'm only more convinced.<br />
<br />
Everyone needs to read <b>Wheat Belly</b> by Dr. William Davis. Every part of me has not wanted this to be the real thing. From the first time I saw its cover with stacked bagels looking delicious, I thought, "Oh no. I don't even want to hear why I shouldn't be eating that." Yet a part of me realized that I must be addicted to bread and pasta if I felt like a junkie, jealously guarding my stash. So last March, feeling I needed to make a change, I read it. The tone might come off as sensationalist at first, but there's a lot of scientific analysis to back it up. However, many authors could look at similar data and come up with completely different conclusions or only look at data that support their arguments, so it comes down to credulity on the part of the reader. Thus, the proof is in the pudding. <br />
<br />
I'll pause here: everyone should read this book, or at least start with Dr. Davis's blog (just google "wheat belly"). In a nutshell for the uninitiated, modern wheat is vastly genetically different from the wheat our grandparents grew up with. Modern wheat causes blood sugar to skyrocket, it has a chemical component that acts as an opiate, and it causes a plethora of inflammatory responses in the body.<br />
<br />
We gave up almost all wheat as a family last spring and immediately enjoyed the effects. It has been long enough now that we have backslid a few times only to become more sure that wheat-free is the way to go. And the longer we're off wheat, the more positive the effects.<br />
<br />
Heartburn? Gone. No matter what else we eat, we only experience heartburn if we've overindulged in wheat products (pizza, sandwiches, bagels, etc.). Furthermore, Erich used to take Prilosec every day. He had taken it every day for at least seven years, and it had to be the brand-name product, and if he missed a dose, he suffered. On a wheat-free diet, he no longer has any need for this drug. That's money in our wallets, not to mention all the benefits of not depending on pharmaceuticals to feel normal.<br />
<br />
Bloat? Gone. The weight loss has not been super dramatic, but we no longer carry around those extra ten pounds of water weight. The uncomfortable full feeling I used to feel after meals <i>all the time</i>, even while I mindlessly sought out something starchy for dessert--no more. <br />
<br />
(BATHROOM STUFF, not for the squeamish: we both have fairly immediate negative effects from consuming wheat, be it gas or "the runs." I had a recent backslide into wheat consumption that has brought to light some things. It is wheat that used to cause my frequent bloody stool. That shouldn't happen, right? Well, it doesn't if I avoid wheat.)<br />
<br />
Skin? Much clearer all around.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, and I often forget this was the deciding factor for embarking upon this experiment, my little nursling is much better and happier. My recent backslide reminds me how it used to be. His sleeping habits deteriorated, he has been very gassy, his poops have been nasty, and he has strange rashes, diaper and otherwise. My little boy is sensitive to wheat. I wonder if I could have helped Lily in the same way. Eliminating dairy seemed to help, but her little issues didn't disappear. And speaking of Lily, now that there's less wheat in the house, she's not eating very much of it. She used to snack on pretzels a lot and now doesn't. So it seems like she's eating less, but no one needs to be mindlessly snacking and she's still growing like a weed. <br />
<br />
I now wish I had known about this before my bloatacious, high blood sugar and high blood pressure pregnancies. How much easier it would have been to limit my weight gain! And the ever-present question: could I have birthed them naturally? Maybe they wouldn't have grown as big, maybe my blood pressure would have stayed normal and not put the pressure on at the end, necessitating induction (pharmacological for Lily, "natural" with Walter--castor oil, evening primrose oil, membrane stripping, etc.). There's never a way to know for sure, but I will be wheat-free next time around and we'll see what happens.<br />
<br />
Now that I'm on this side, I really wish I had taken the plunge sooner. I hear so many people say, "That's never going to happen. [He/she/I] will never give up wheat." I think one has to be addicted to think that way. Giving up wheat has been so much easier than cutting calories. I truly believe I could do this forever and be much better off for it. Diet-wise, I know I have more improvements to make, but this is becoming for me the bare minimum. Wheat is bad. Amen.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-66328788384163176362012-06-21T19:12:00.000-05:002012-06-21T19:12:54.376-05:00Bath HijinksWalter hasn't had a decent bath in a while. He's looking a bit greasy and has a doctor appointment this afternoon. I place the roly-poly boy and a towel on my bed and quickly grab the infant tub and take it to the bath tub. I turn on the water.
<br><br>
****FLASHBACK****
<br><br>
<i>I'm trying to squeeze in a shower toward the end of Walter's nap. Lily needs help with the potty while I'm in there. My shower comes to an abrupt end. In my haste, I forget to push down the little thingy that makes the water come out of the tub filler instead of the shower.
</i><br><br>
****RESUME ACTION****
<br><br>
Water starts shooting from the shower head and landing on my head. Gratefully, I notice that only my already-wet hair got wet and not my clothes. Walter is still on the bed, so I struggle with getting the excess water out of my hair as I look to make sure he doesn't have a death wish. I'm glad to see that Lily is there to entertain him. That is, until I notice her peculiar posture. She is suffering from, for lack of a better term, Toddler Poop Problems, and sure enough, she's having an accident right there. I rush her to the toilet, admonishing her for going in her "shorts," when I realize the tub is currently filling with water that's far too hot. I look in on Walter again and empty the tub to start over.
<br><br>
Finally, I get the tub filled and I decide it's time to take out the little newborn seat part of his tub. He's not a confident sitter, but he's sitting well enough and he's too big for it anyway, so hey, let's try it! Hmm, not so much. I get him stripped and in the tub and he immediately starts kicking and thrashing. Not struggling, mind you. He LOVES the water. I try sitting him different ways, I try leaning him back, I try lots of things only to conclude that unless I keep a tight grip on his arm at the very least, he's going to thrash himself right underwater. Indeed, his face goes half under at least twice and he doesn't react except to keep trying to kick, thrash, and roll. I lather up his head and try to rinse it while Lily stands next to me making constant and ever-changing demands for cups to pour water.
<br><br>
I decide this bath needs to be over now when I realize I never brought his towel into the bathroom. Enter my helper monkey-in-training, Lily. I ask her to go get me the towel from the bed. She's off. Little did I know at first that she went to her own bed.
<br><br>
****FLASHBACK****
<br><br>
<i>This morning, Lily stumbled like a zombie out of bed and informed me ten minutes later that she needed to use the bathroom. I take her and discover evidence of an overnight accident--both "numbers." Upon further study, I'm rather puzzled. She usually doesn't have accidents without waking up and making a fuss, and this had definitely happened hours earlier. I went to her bed to investigate the sheets, when I find something peculiar: almost totally dry sheet, on top of which sits a rather soaked (sniff: yes, urine) burp cloth. She can't tell me what happened, but when I ask if she had an accident and cleaned up with the burp cloth, she says yes. I leave it on her bed to deal with the laundry later.</i>
<br><br>
****RESUME ACTION****
<br><br>
Lily re-enters the room--with her urine-soaked burp cloth. "Here's the towel!" she cheerfully declares. I try to send her again to the right bed for the right towel, but she's not up for the task. Walter has calmed down slightly and I've made sure the water level is very low. I take 2.3 seconds and dash for the towel myself. Limb-by-slippery-limb, I get the slick little rubbery ball of rolling boy flesh out of the tub and wrapped in a towel. I take my first full breath in 15 minutes.
<br><br>
I hear greasy babies are all the rage this season.<br><br>Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-45499578992455087442012-05-18T08:12:00.001-05:002012-05-18T09:09:02.711-05:00Typical Night*8:45 Get home from church (Ascension Day!)<br />
9:30 Lily asleep<br />
9:40 Walter asleep<br />
9:45-11:30 Rare quality time with husband (Downton Abbey and folding laundry)<br />
12:00 Walter wakes up, can't go back to sleep due to stuffy, runny nose<br />
12:30 Still nothing works; I grab robe and blanket and resign us to the La-z-boy.<br />
12:55 Walter asleep<br />
<br />
<br />
12:57 Panicked whining and crying from Lily's room<br />
12:58 I try to rouse Erich, as I'm sure Lily is wetting the bed. I turn up the volume on the baby monitor and return to the recliner.<br />
1:05 Distant cries subside, I drift off, hoping Erich has done something.<br />
<br />
<br />
2:40 Walter and I both wake. He's hungry. I feed him and manage to get him happily sleeping flat. I return to bed.<br />
<br />
<br />
2:55 Lily's awake again. I ascertain that Erich did not go to her earlier. The scent of warm urine hangs in the air as I discover her and her sheet completely wet. I undress her and plop her, naked and sticky, on the toilet and return to her room to strip the bed. Clorox wipe and dry the table cloth serving as moisture barrier. Erich shows up. I hand him new pj's and underwear and he tends to Lily. I put on a new fitted sheet. Erich returns with Lily who is refusing to put on any clothes for some reason. I flirt with losing my cool and so fetch a glass of water for my scratchy throat and return to bed, extremely grateful that Walter didn't do anything more than a few isolated cries.<br />
3:30 Return to sleep interrupted periodically by sniffly baby<br />
<br />
7:30 Walter awake and up for the day<br />
8:15 Lily up<br />
<br />
<br />
*Okay, this was much worse than typical but better than the worst. I'm thankful Erich made extra coffee today.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-19230297515122618062012-05-01T09:52:00.001-05:002012-05-01T10:14:20.049-05:00Food AllergiesThe more I know, the more I realize I don't know. Is that true for just about every topic imaginable? I don't know--probably!<br />
<br />
I have never in my life had problems with food allergies, at least that were obvious. I always assumed an allergic reaction meant rashes and trouble breathing soon after eating a certain food and being really sure that you shouldn't eat that food if you don't want to risk that kind of reaction. But over the past few years of my life I've been pondering food sensitivities and intolerances and realizing reactions can be subtle but no less disruptive. It's not always obvious when a food sensitivity is present. By paying attention to my eating patterns, I've slowly started to pin down intolerances linked to general bloating, skin problems and digestive difficulties. <br />
<br />
Two years ago, I had a baby who seemed to react to dairy proteins in my breastmilk. I finally gave up dairy in all its obvious forms and we both started feeling much better in many ways. My cravings for dairy products disappeared, I lost a few pounds, my skin cleared a little, I stopped feeling like there was barbed wire in my guts, and I had more energy.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing, though: after more than a year of avoiding most dairy, I tested the waters again. No reactions! I can now have cheese and occasional ice cream without suffering the consequences. <i>I think.</i> It's still mysterious and I think I still have a limit, but the situation has certainly improved. <br />
<br />
Now I've gone through another pregnancy and am nursing again. Around the moment my baby turned twelve weeks old, I felt what I call The Big Shift. Postpartum weight loss halted and started reversing. Suddenly changing hormones made me feel strange sensations. After a few days or weeks, I seemed to settle down hormonally again: I felt not like a big, soft brand new mother but more like regular me, slightly altered. The most mysterious thing I noticed was a frequently itchy face. Also, my old common digestive disruptions returned. Back in my no-dairy days, I suspected I would experience further relief if I also gave up wheat/gluten. But I could not fathom giving up my precious bread and pasta, so I never did.<br />
<br />
But lots of tiny signs added up to one big feeling that I needed to make a major change. I read the book <b>Wheat Belly</b> by Dr. William Davis and finally, with great difficulty, announced to Erich that I was going off wheat, and to my surprise and delight he agreed unreservedly to do the same. We both lost significant weight right away and knew we would stay with this diet for a while if not forever.<br />
<br />
It has now been about a month and we are very pleased. Each time we cheat and have some wheat we both suffer heartburn and mental fog. I think Erich has benefitted even more than I have from a wheat-free diet. <br />
<br />
I am still on my food journey. Even without wheat and while avoiding most dairy, my food intolerance signs persist. Furthermore, I have had two events that point very clearly to food allergies, either entirely new or newly worsened from a nearly imperceptible level. One of these occurred after eating pistachios, the other after eating peanuts. I suffered major itchiness and rashes, constricted breathing and significant digestive upset. I'm pretty sure these nuts are problematic for me, but it's proving difficult to link specific symptoms to individual foods eaten. Once a vision of going into anaphylaxis while home alone with my tiny children crept into my imagination, I decided it was time to bring in the health professionals. My nurse practitioner ordered blood work for me, including the food allergy panel. I know it's only a starting point and may not identify food intolerances, but I know I'm allergic to something, and I'd love an easy method to figure out what. If the results aren't conclusive enough for my peace of mind, I'm looking at a full elimination diet to figure out what all is bothering me. That does not sound fun, but I do believe it would be worth it. How is food any good if it actually does harm to my body?<br />
<br />
I just don't know.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-55357358400033534502012-02-24T13:19:00.001-06:002012-02-24T13:19:30.068-06:00Parks and RecErich and I enjoy watching the sitcom Parks and Recreation. If you are not in the know, it's a documentary-style show set in a fictional small city in Indiana. It's funny and clever enough to make its inaccuracies forgivable.<br />
<br />
But as an adopted Hoosier by marriage, as someone who spent many long car rides in my life going back and forth between Illinois and Michigan, and as someone who lived in Indiana part time during my college years, I must set the record straight on a few issues.<br />
<br />
First, the ways in which the Indiana setting is believable:<br />
<br />
1. They mention real Indiana towns like Indianapolis, Gary, and Muncie.<br />
<br />
2. Corn.<br />
<br />
Ways in which the Indiana setting is not believable:<br />
<br />
1. Asian people. Let's be honest; there aren't very many Asians in small town Indiana. They're all over the background in this show! <br />
<br />
2. Small mid-century modern houses. Very California.<br />
<br />
3. Beautiful weather all the time! Okay, I don't actually expect them to film in Indiana, but the lack of leafless trees and other marks of changing seasons is very noticeable. <br />
<br />
4. The one that inspired this post came up in last night's episodes. One of the characters has a vacation home in "the foothills." THE FOOTHILLS?? Of what mountain range? Anything resembling foothills near Indiana would be far out of state and thus no one would be casually referring to them as "the foothills." Or driving to them in one evening.<br />
<br />
Other than that, it's a top-notch, very funny show. Go Parks and Rec!Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-48361879214837348262012-02-22T09:14:00.001-06:002012-02-22T09:14:22.132-06:00BirthI haven't given a lot of thought into writing my birth story with Walter. Lily's was a marathon multi-post on my other, pretty much retired, blog. I'm going to keep everything here now, and it's not exactly the place for gory details.<br />
<br />
The significance of Walter's birth was its status as a <b>failed VBAC</b>. That simple fact is extremely disappointing and hard to recover from, both physically and emotionally. The easiest part has been caring for and loving this delightful human, so I've been spending most of my time and emotional bandwidth on that.<br />
<br />
So here is my birth non-story. First, a refresher of my experience with Lily: induced five days early for high (borderline, actually) blood pressure; cervadil, pitocin, water artificially broken early on, in labor for 14 hours, quickly dilated to 2-3 centimeters, no progress from there, c-section at 10:50pm. Healthy baby, 9lb 1oz, 22 in, never in any distress throughout labor.<br />
<br />
Walter: went into labor naturally 8 days late with water breaking and very frequent contractions at 2 am. Admitted at 3 cm at 7am. 20 total hours of regular, intense contractions including pitocin augmentation in the late afternoon. Maximum progress: 3 cm. In other words, <i>no progress</i>. C-section around 11pm. Healthy baby, 8lb 12oz, 20 in, never in any distress throughout labor.<br />
<br />
I don't think it takes a degree in obstetrics to see the probable issue here. Two labors which began vastly differently ended almost exactly the same way. Maybe there really is something wrong with my body that it can't birth babies. At least not biggish ones who may have had (at least in Walter's case, I believe) insurmountable positioning problems. <br />
<br />
Then of course there are all the questions for next time. I spent nearly two years obsessed with my VBAC, and it never happened. Do I go on the hunt next time for a provider who would allow for a trial of labor after two c-sections, knowing it's pretty likely I'll fail again, or do I stick with what I know and like and simply plan for the best possible c-section? It is pretty darn tempting to just schedule a birth for a convenient time of day. Being post-op in the middle of the night is awful, and after a long day of hard work, no less. I was so exhausted but I could never sleep because of automatic compression boots, automatic blood pressure cuff, constant interruptions from nurses for who knows what. Would it be unwise to hope and plan for a VBAC only to throw in the towel after a few hours of no progress? To have gone on the hunt for a supportive provider and probably driven a great distance for prenatal visits only to have everything end the same yet again? Because I do have extremely supportive providers whom I love--they just don't do VBA2Cs. These are tough questions. It would be so much easier if only there were some way to definitively <I>know</I> why my babies can't seem to come out without a scalpel. <br />
<br />
But it just isn't that easy, and I can put on my big girl pants and accept that. It doesn't mean that I wanna. :(Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-62519772397907818022012-02-15T19:23:00.001-06:002012-02-17T10:17:38.823-06:00Shopping FolliesIt is not easy to have two kids! What I wouldn't give to have a third, older child to help me manage everyone when shopping. I guess I have to get through this before I can get to that.<br />
<br />
I took both children shopping by myself for the first time the other day. Lily had a first, too: it was her first time at Target where she got to walk around because she was "too poopy for the cart!" That really messed up my plan to have her sit in the cart and Walter ride in the ERGObaby carrier. He actually messed up that plan as well by being a little fussy and needing to be held in one arm facing out.<br />
<br />
Things to remember about that:<br />
<br />
1. Always bring at least one diaper for each kid. Toddlers need fewer changes, but the ones they need are much more important.<br />
<br />
2. If you didn't bring any size three diapers, JUST BUY SOME. YOU'RE AT TARGET, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE. Get that poop changed now.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I did neither of the above. Instead, I allowed Lily to walk. When Walter was happy, I could hold her hand and push the cart with one hand. When he wasn't, I had to hold him with one hand and push the cart with the other, constantly looking around to keep track of Lily and firmly saying "STOP" approximately every 45 seconds. Luckily, with her constant chatter and singing, it wasn't too difficult to know that she was nearby. <br />
<br />
I learned something about myself. I'm not a quitter. (That's why I start so few things.) I knew I could just abandon the effort, forget most of the stuff on my list and get the heck out of there. But no, I had made the trip and gotten myself into this situation. I wasn't going to be satisfied leaving it half-finished. Besides, the store was not crowded, and though we were getting looks from other shoppers everywhere we went, I was too busy to even notice or care about what kind of looks they were.<br />
<br />
I got everything on my list. Next was checkout. I had no choice but to plop Walter in the cart on a bed of jackets. He spaced out and fell asleep within minutes. D'oh Moment #1: I should have tried that much earlier. <br />
<br />
At the checkout lane, Lily made her first personal request of the trip: she wanted a small carton of Goldfish snack crackers. I really was proud of her behavior, which was no worse than any well-behaved two-year-old, and so I acquiesced. I then used that snack as a bribe to get her into the cart for the journey back to the car. D'oh Moment #2: I should have tried THAT much earlier.<br />
<br />
It could have been worse. It was actually hardest when we got home and everyone was poopy and overtired. For that reason I realized it would have been way better to go at 10am than 3pm. Walter is finally in that stage where he won't readily sleep through everything, and I really think he wanted to sleep through this. I'll be playing this over in my head for weeks before I'm ready to try it again, and by then everything will be different!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Just a suburban mom on the go.</i><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNGkNvvpgodr-KJOw_UF4eTZu5npsk_v_PzMXLqdLD5swUUTzv77iJvbHdhBzckU34N-ieWQqqJqRKRiXM0ixIoYNyQ0L1urpMV_9zp0ACrf54Qg0lBGYDuWJsS_OHqwp8ZHAeZpXBKI/s640/blogger-image-407787357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNGkNvvpgodr-KJOw_UF4eTZu5npsk_v_PzMXLqdLD5swUUTzv77iJvbHdhBzckU34N-ieWQqqJqRKRiXM0ixIoYNyQ0L1urpMV_9zp0ACrf54Qg0lBGYDuWJsS_OHqwp8ZHAeZpXBKI/s640/blogger-image-407787357.jpg" /></a></div>Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-71300071929262464392012-02-15T00:03:00.001-06:002012-02-15T00:03:24.788-06:00I LoseI'm so tired.<br />
<br />
It's all I can think about when I have to get up in the morning. The fatigue grows through the day as my task list starts to snowball. Just thinking about trying to make dinner for my family can make me want to cry. <br />
<br />
I finally see the toddler off to bed. The baby settles in for a long night of much sleeping (he's seriously the best). I finally get a chance to spend some time unwinding with my dear husband.<br />
<br />
9:00. I'm going to get to bed at such a decent time tonight!<br />
<br />
9:36. It's still so decently early. I should get this laundry folded.<br />
<br />
10:04. It's not late yet. I'm done with housework. Let's watch one more episode of TV.<br />
<br />
10:40. I'm still going to get so much sleep tonight! See! I'm headed toward my bed right now! <br />
<br />
11:45. What in the world just happened? My brain turned on and forgot I'm totally exhausted. So sad. I think I'll read for an hour.<br />
<br />
And then I have both put off plenty of work for a day when I'm less tired AND helped ensure that I will never not be tired.<br />
<br />
(Oh, and let's not forget the sleep-deficient toddler arising at the buttcrack of dawn, ready for a day of zombie-like mania. That's the nail in my rest coffin.) <br />
<br />
It's time to turn this train around. I need to rebel against the curse of the night owl. But first I need a good night's sleep!Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-70969096347425099832012-02-08T11:21:00.001-06:002012-02-08T11:30:58.117-06:00Art<i>Lily walks up to me holding a crayon.</I><br />
<br />
Lily: "I need a paper towel. For the wall. For the crayon."<br />
<br />
Me: (slightly alarmed) "Did you color on the wall?"<br />
<br />
Lily: "I make a circle. On the wall."<br />
<br />
Me: "Lily, you <I>never</I> color on the wall! Only on paper."<br />
<br />
Lily: "It's for the paper. It's a circle."<br />
<br />
Me: "Where did you draw on the wall? Can you show me?"<br />
<br />
Lily: "Okay!"<br />
<br />
<i>She shows me her art right next to the front door, highlighting its circle-ness. I explain again that she is not to use crayon on the walls.</I><br />
<br />
Lily: "Only paper! I make a sun, I make a circle on the paper."<br />
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It seems my house is not safe. Good thing the walls are in bad shape anyway and are slated for new paint sometime this year. And I suppose I can be glad she originally came to find me in order to clean up her mess. <br />
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Kids. Amirite?<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtj6SXKV-j2FnJhGBGEPk-q2Ywer06K9utDm-IW9oDiGaQzPKOqR8O61Yb_QVfOXi0HzJaT0siRxXII2qJZFcvK01JHOZw-P1PseXzxZf_RUR9qp4ZSSWwKw8ooLqCzyqkucJhGD2scI/s640/blogger-image-1586600997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtj6SXKV-j2FnJhGBGEPk-q2Ywer06K9utDm-IW9oDiGaQzPKOqR8O61Yb_QVfOXi0HzJaT0siRxXII2qJZFcvK01JHOZw-P1PseXzxZf_RUR9qp4ZSSWwKw8ooLqCzyqkucJhGD2scI/s640/blogger-image-1586600997.jpg" /></a></div>Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-50055338870693863642012-02-07T15:39:00.001-06:002012-02-07T15:40:34.645-06:00I Do Like BreastfeedingI'm holding little six-week-old Walter as he comes to the end of his three-hour nap. He doesn't wake up and start crying. No, he gradually starts to wiggle. He opens his mouth wide, eyes still closed, and starts shaking his head side to side. He wiggles some more and starts pecking. I shift his position and his eyes open; he looks surprised but calm. As his hands rapidly move up and down, he seems to realize that he's hungry. And then he's settled and feeding before his tummy ever growls.<br />
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I believe in Oxytocin: This routine generates liquid love that runs through my veins, feeding the motherly feeling and making me want to hold on as tightly as I can as long as this little chunky baby still fits in my arms. I know it won't be long enough.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-46129910658841216842012-02-03T09:54:00.001-06:002012-02-03T09:54:24.998-06:00Beauty and the BeastLily is now two and her capacity for pretend play has exploded. This coincides with her discovery of the awesomeness of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which she requests nearly every day, often multiple times. <br />
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Inspired by this movie, her playtime has been heartbreakingly adorable lately. <br />
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1. She found a small basket and a hardcover book in the basement. After triumphantly declaring it's "like Beauty and the Beast!" (think Belle in the first song), she proceeded to dance around and sing with her basket and book. She now does this several times per day.<br />
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2. She's been heard to mournfully declare, "I need to help my father! He's sick. He's all alone!"<br />
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3. A few days ago we were eating soup for lunch. She started to chuckle and asked, "Can you do it?" "Do what?" "Like Beauty and the Beast!" When I realized she wanted me to eat faux-messily like the Beast and I obliged, I think I made her day.<br />
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I don't exactly love seeing here glued to a tv, but there are far worse and more annoying shows she could be watching, so I'm not complaining!Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-63902502598315164692012-02-03T09:42:00.001-06:002012-02-03T09:42:09.945-06:00Excuse postIn the amount of time that's passed since I last posted, I gestated and was delivered of an entire new baby. Twitter and Facebook have been serving my social network needs. I've wanted to blog because there are some things that only a blog post can accomplish, but I haven't been using a computer much lately. Now that I have an iPhone, I almost never use a computer with anywhere near a full-size keyboard. But it's time. I downloaded the Blogger app and with this post am officially trying it out. This might be okay! My dear loyal readers (lol) will know for sure if they see more posts in the future. Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-78331741247827763232011-05-17T20:25:00.003-05:002011-05-17T20:27:24.178-05:0030 Days, Day 4<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Day 04 - Your views on religion</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Everyone in the world has some kind of religion whether they realize it or not. Whether they belong to an organized religion or simply worship themselves, everyone is devoted to something that shapes their worldview. I once heard it described that Christianity is like no other religion because it is not based on a certain philosophy or set of rules for a way to live your life in order to achieve some kind of reward. Many might read that previous statement and immediately react, "Not true!" Allow me to elaborate: Christianity is not a philosophy. Christianity would not exist but for the historical facts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Some people who call themselves Christian might not believe all those things, but essentially, you have to believe it as Truth to be Christian.) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Christians don't achieve salvation by following a certain set of rules. "What about the Ten Commandments???" What about them? They are God's Law that we are utterly incapable of keeping by our own power. If not for the saving work of Jesus Christ, we would be lost forever. We rely totally on His grace and mercy. We try to abide by the Law, but we constantly need the Gospel. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So my "views on religion"? It's good to have religion, and even better if you worship a higher power. But Religion alone doesn't really do much for your immortal soul. Some might call me religious, but I think it's more accurate to say I'm baptized and I strive always to be mindful of what that really means.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm going to abide by the narrow scope of this question, noticing that on another day I'll be asked about my beliefs, and leave it at that.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 13 - Somewhere you'd like to move or visit</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 14 - Your earliest memory</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 15 - Your favorite blogs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 18 - Your beliefs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 20 - How important you think education is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 21 - One of your favorite shows</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous and who you find attractive.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it's about</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 27 - A problem that you have had</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 28 - Something that you miss</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 30 - Your highs and lows this month</span>Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-34921180834873103022011-05-15T22:27:00.000-05:002011-05-15T22:27:36.355-05:00My Kid Can Read 2This is a follow-up to the previous post: Lily has a travel Aquadoodle. That was the original toy we used to show Lily what her name looks like. Tonight she made it clear that it is known not as "Aquadoodle" but as "L! Lily!"<br />
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That is all.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-79301821745187108232011-05-13T21:50:00.000-05:002011-05-13T21:50:52.959-05:00My Kid Can ReadNo, she can't read. But she does now recognize her own name, which I think is pretty awesome. <br />
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It started as just a habit that both Erich and I have. If Lily happens to have a crayon and paper (not very often yet as she doesn't know how not to make a mess), we will write out her name and say it. "L-I-L-Y. Lily!" <br />
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It didn't take too many repetitions before she approximated the same actions. "L! L! Lily!" she says with perfect little Ls as she swipes the pencil or crayon in vertical lines. <br />
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She has a book called <b>The Parable of the Lily</b>. Tonight, during her usual refusal-to-sleep routine (still ongoing, actually), I decided to test her. I pointed to her name in the title and asked her what is says. "L. I. Lily."<br />
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At least she's smartish. And pretty cute. :)Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-23569256187720074932011-05-09T22:29:00.001-05:002011-05-09T22:30:59.910-05:0030 Days, Day 3<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A month later, I'm finally continuing! I kind of stopped wanting to do this meme because I started to realize how teenagery the questions are, but I don't care at the moment. Lily went to bed SHOCKINGLY early tonight, so as a result, this little blog gets some attention!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I enjoy the occasional beer, wine, or mixed drink. I think it's easy enough to abuse alcohol, but any mature adult should have proper judgment as to how much is just enough. I used to get buzzed or drunk in my early twenties, and while I don't regret such behavior <i>for the most part</i>, it's a lifestyle I consider entirely behind me as I'm now a grown-up. And anyone could skip that time of their life and not have missed anything; it's not a rite of passage in my book.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Drugs outside of alcohol are much harder to define, and I don't have the experience or knowledge to make a strong case for one particular drug-worldview. I know for certain that the government and the legal remnants of Prohibition are poor guides for the given safety or danger of any given drug. Some things are illegal which shouldn't be, and others which are legal (like alcohol) can be just as dangerous. I don't think it really makes sense for manufacturers to have to mix straight-up pain killers like hydrocodone with a liver-toxin like Tyle.nol to make it "less likely to cause dependence." There will always be abusers; why put at risk the livers of people who actually need a higher dosage for their given level of pain?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Again, I don't know nearly enough or, frankly, care enough to get on a soapbox. But what I do know about drugs and regulation makes me lean just a little bit more Libertarian than I otherwise might.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 04 - Your views on religion</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 13 - Somewhere you'd like to move or visit</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 14 - Your earliest memory</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 15 - Your favorite blogs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 18 - Your beliefs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 20 - How important you think education is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 21 - One of your favorite shows</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous and who you find attractive.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it's about</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 27 - A problem that you have had</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 28 - Something that you miss</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6f3c1b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day 30 - Your highs and lows this month</span>Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-84612776578385373912011-04-10T22:09:00.000-05:002011-04-10T22:09:24.167-05:0030 Days #2Day 02 - Where you'd like to be in 10 years<br />
<br />
I would like to be right here or not too far away. I hope that we're in a comfortable enough place to do some traveling. I really want to go back to Germany some day. I assume we'll be in a new house in 10 years, as we're in something between a small starter and a 10+ year house right now. I also assume I'll have three or four kids 10 years from now, and that sounds nice. I can't say a lot more right now because there are just so many questions. I've got some ambition, but mostly I just want to be content. My list for where I want to be in one year would be much longer, but ten? There's a zillion variables. Too many to fathom. <br />
<br />
Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol<br />
Day 04 - Your views on religion<br />
Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life<br />
Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.<br />
Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality<br />
Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life<br />
Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like<br />
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.<br />
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.<br />
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.<br />
Day 13 - Somewhere you'd like to move or visit<br />
Day 14 - Your earliest memory<br />
Day 15 - Your favorite blogs<br />
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music<br />
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year<br />
Day 18 - Your beliefs<br />
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents<br />
Day 20 - How important you think education is<br />
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows<br />
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?<br />
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous and who you find attractive.<br />
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it's about<br />
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why<br />
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you?<br />
Day 27 - A problem that you have had<br />
Day 28 - Something that you miss<br />
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days<br />
Day 30 - Your highs and lows this monthSusan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-64917112652253548232011-04-09T20:54:00.000-05:002011-04-09T20:54:53.014-05:0030 Days #1A few of my LJ friends did this a while back. I'd like to do some more blogging, but I don't want to have to think of anything original, so this seems like a good fit for me right now. :) It's 30 days of prompts. Ready, set, go! <br />
<br />
Day 01 - Your current relationship<br />
<br />
I have so many relationships, but I suppose this is asking about my significant other. Erich and I have been married for three and a half wonderful, eventful years. We've been a couple for almost six years and we've known each other for eight years. That's over a quarter of my life. (What? No... really? Um, yep.) We are extremely compatible, and, for the record, I would say compatibility is the one thing anyone should want most in a relationship. It's a boring word, but it encompasses so much. We have the same religious and political views. We want the same things in our family and complement each other well in the parenting department. We make each other laugh every day. We communicate easily and don't get bored with each other. We challenge each other. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else; he's my favorite person in the whole world. I really don't know how much more there is to say! My current relationship is <i>awesome</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
Day 02 - Where you'd like to be in 10 years<br />
Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol<br />
Day 04 - Your views on religion<br />
Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life<br />
Day 06 - Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.<br />
Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality<br />
Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life<br />
Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like<br />
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.<br />
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.<br />
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.<br />
Day 13 - Somewhere you'd like to move or visit<br />
Day 14 - Your earliest memory<br />
Day 15 - Your favorite blogs<br />
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music<br />
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year<br />
Day 18 - Your beliefs<br />
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents<br />
Day 20 - How important you think education is<br />
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows<br />
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?<br />
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous and who you find attractive.<br />
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it's about<br />
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why<br />
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you?<br />
Day 27 - A problem that you have had<br />
Day 28 - Something that you miss<br />
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days<br />
Day 30 - Your highs and lows this monthSusan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-48135306836816638592011-03-24T22:28:00.000-05:002011-03-24T22:28:57.633-05:00Somebody Call a WAAAAAAmbulance!Why does a blank text box on the internet seem like a strong invitation to complain? I spend most of my time pretty happy and content. But I don't really need to vent when I'm happy! And there's always at least one person to share it with.<br />
<br />
But when I'm sick, miserable and tired of life I'm usually also feeling alone. I just feel like someone out there has to listen and be sympathetic and then. . .that will somehow. . .help, I guess? I can't tell you the number of Tweets I've composed in my head and forbidden myself to actually type for fear of giving the entire Internet the impression that I'm nothing but a miserable complainer.<br />
<br />
<i>That being said, </i>I am so SICK of being SICK. I know I'm not alone in this assessment: This has been the <i>worst</i> winter ever for sickness. For as long as I can remember, I would get sick once or twice a year. In adulthood, this would usually end up being a fall cold and a late winter cold, and if I was really unlucky I would get a fever and really have to lie down, but that wasn't an every year kind of thing. In this household of three, someone has been sick continuously since early January. And I'm not even going into the viruses of last calendar year. I held off on getting sick this year until mid-February, but once I got started, there was no stopping.<br />
<br />
Around February 17, I started feeling the tickle and I knew I was getting the cold of which Erich had just suffered the worst. I felt bad for close to a week and then it tapered off into manageable but annoying congestion. Fearing a sinus infection, I made sure to blow my nose and keep it clear! What a JOKE, because two days after the congestion finally seemed to end, I started feeling bad again. That was a Thursday. By Saturday evening, my ear hurt. By Sunday, I was experiencing the worst pain of my life, and that is not an exaggeration. I probably should have gone to the ER, where I would have been prescribed pain meds that were up to the task. But I went to the doctor on Monday morning and confirmed the diagnosis: severe middle ear infection, perforated ear drum and infected ear canal. I was completely useless and in severe pain for about three days, and I still felt pretty crummy for a complete week.<br />
<br />
Just after my 10-day course of antibiotics ended, I was suddenly congested. Another cold! This one seemed milder, so I rode it out. But today, a week later, I feel sick <i>again. </i>Not <i>still. </i><b>AGAIN.</b> Sore throat. Sore body. Actually, my throat's kind of on fire. Lord, have mercy!<br />
<br />
So, Internet, I'm feeling pretty miserable right now. Thanks for listening.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-40705708359579270952011-03-17T16:56:00.000-05:002011-03-17T16:56:16.325-05:00I'm Out of HereI'm going to go on a vacation. Since a real vacation just can't happen right now for a million reasons, it's going to have to be a pretend vacation. Right now, I'll take a pretend vacation over no vacation at all.<br />
<br />
I'm going by myself. I hop in my luxury car for a leisurely two-hour drive through no major traffic to a tropical beach. As soon as I arrive at my hut, I slip into the most comfortable swimsuit in the world, and I don't even care if I look good in it because there's no one around for miles. After I take a dip in the 70-degree water, I park myself on a chaise with a cooler full of beer and a stack of books I've been meaning to read.<br />
<br />
When I get sleepy, I take a nap. When I get hungry, I eat delicious and nutritious fresh foods which have required no preparation by me.<br />
<br />
Erich and Lily are allowed to visit. Lily is always in a good mood, and when she's sleepy, she lays down in her own little bed which she <i>likes</i> and takes a nap or sleeps for an entire night as the case may be. When she's hungry, she eats normal big girl food with her full set of teeth. Erich and I enjoy a candlelit dinner in which no one throws any food on the floor, and even if someone does, I don't have to clean it up.<br />
<br />
I wear beautiful sundresses. My hair gets that ocean wave. My skin gets suntanned. At no point am I the least bit cold.<br />
<br />
Coughs, colds, runny noses, ear infections, antibiotics, and ibuprofen are all unheard of and/or unnecessary. (Imagine such a magical world!)<br />
<br />
This vacation lasts for one month and not a day less. <br />
<br />
Thanks, Imagination. That sort of helped for a few minutes.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-52041634378677326672011-01-08T23:38:00.000-06:002011-01-08T23:38:31.537-06:00Baby New YearLily is One! This seems to hold more significance to me than New Years this year.<br />
<br />
I've been doing a little spring cleaning on the ol' Facebook and Google Reader. Once I start purging a bit, it's increasingly easy to be merciless. I don't want to give up FB entirely, but I also don't even want to see a single entry that I don't at least moderately care about. I defriended a bunch and I hid even more.<br />
<br />
As for Reader, I'm moving further and further away from my previous way of thinking, the idea that it's really no big deal if I just scroll past entries on a blog I'm subscribed to because it's worth not missing something that will interest me. That may even be true in a mathematical analysis kind of way, but psychologically it's way too taxing. And the busier my almost-walker gets, the less I want to feel obligated to spend a certain amount of time on the internet.<br />
<br />
And while I'm at it, I don't want to keep my netbook on the dining room table any more. Instead of reading the books and magazines I enjoy, I end up wasting too much time on the internet on things that rot my brain, watching the mess grow in my vicinity, losing the will to clean it up so my husband and I have a decent area in which to dine. If do my internetting on my comfy chair with no mess-catching table nearby and no easy ability to eat a meal or a snack in the meantime, I'm disinclined to stay too long. (That's the working theory at this point, anyway.)<br />
<br />
This is less a resolution than an epiphany--fitting, given the season! But really, I <i>know </i>I need to waste less time on the internet. It's time to change my habits to support that idea.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling like I'm on a roll. Life isn't all roses all the time, but for the first time since I got married, I feel like my daily habits aren't making me fatter by the week. Having an increasingly mobile youngster has everything to do with that. I think it would be foolish to waste this window of well-being. I'm going to keep pushing onward, making daily, tiny improvements, because at this moment, I think I can.<br />
<br />
<br />
(...until I, by my works, gain heaven! Hahahaha, I kid.)Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-37372731940491386532011-01-03T16:55:00.000-06:002011-01-03T16:55:36.209-06:00New Year's SurveyCuz it's fun, that's why!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?</span><br />
Had a baby!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</span><br />
I wanted to get in shape for real, and I did, sort of. Right around September, I had some real muscles. Then I stopped exercising for many reasons and lost even more weight and have decided that I'm doing well with eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full, and chasing a toddler.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</span><br />
MEEEEE! Also, my SIL, Erin!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Did anyone close to you die?</span><br />
My grandmother.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. What countries did you visit?</span><br />
I don't recall that we went anywhere more exotic than Indiana. Wow.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?</span><br />
A home free from dust? I really don't have a big wish list. We're having affordable home improvements done, which was my wish last year. We are blessed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory?</span><br />
January 8th, the best and worst. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</span><br />
Kept my kid alive. I'm proud that I've been able to breastfeed her whole life and have been saving money by cloth diapering.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. What was your biggest failure?</span><br />
I suffered from good patient syndrome at the end of my pregnancy which blah blah blah blah blah. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</span><br />
One sinus infection. Nothing horrible.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">11. What was the best thing you bought?</span><br />
Anything that kept my family fed, clothed and clean in a practical way. So many baby items are great and indispensible, so I couldn't pick just one.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</span><br />
Erich for his excellent support. I just love that guy.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</span><br />
People who criticize other people's parenting choices for stupid reasons. I hate Mommy Wars, and I hate getting drawn into them even more.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">14. Where did most of your money go?</span><br />
The house and the kid.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</span><br />
Having a baby. Erich's days off. Galena weekend. Christmastime.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">16. What song will always remind you of 2010?</span><br />
Anything performed by the cast of Glee.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">17. Compared to this time last year, are you:</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">i. happier or sadder?</span> happier<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">ii. thinner or fatter?</span> THINNER!!! THINNER THINNER THINNER!<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">iii. richer or poorer?</span> same<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">18. What do you wish you'd done more of?</span><br />
Sleep.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">19. What do you wish you'd done less of?</span><br />
Procrastination. That has always been true. (Keeping the exact same answer from last year.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">20. How did you spend Christmas?</span><br />
Christmas Eve: Erich played trumpet for 7:15pm church, Lily refused to stay asleep and so hung out with my dad while the rest of us went to 11pm church with me playing organ and Erich and I sang in choir.<br />
Christmas Day: Played organ and sang for 9am church, hung out with parents the rest of the day. Lily opened her "Santa" presents and we watched movies.<br />
Second Day of Christmas: Big party with my side of the family after playing organ for three services. Lots of food, presents, and fun.<br />
Third-Eigth Days of Christmas: Visiting Keller side in IN. It was at times relaxing and chaotic but always nice.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">22. Did you fall in love in 2010?</span><br />
Yeah, I really love that little girl who came into my life.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">24. What was your favorite TV program?</span><br />
Lost was great. We still like Community, 30Rock, Office, Outsourced has been fun. I have a big new soft spot for Glee.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?</span><br />
The obstetrics establishment.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">26. What was the best book you read?</span><br />
The Time-Traveller's Wife. So good!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">27. What was your greatest musical discovery?</span><br />
Mostly musical shows on TV, like Glee and The Sing-Off.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">28. What did you want and get?</span><br />
New flooring on the main floor. I was so glad the carpet was gone, it took me a while to be thrilled that the hardwood looks good.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">30. What was your favorite film of this year?</span><br />
Harry Potter #7, Part 1. One of the only movies I saw in the theater.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</span><br />
Erich and I went on a rare date to a Spanish restaurant. I turned 27.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</span><br />
I have no idea.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?</span><br />
My personal fashion concepts are always so practical. In the past I've attempted to hide the fat and then look as good as possible while pregnant. This year looking decent, hiding fat, and being able to nurse easily and modestly were the driving forces.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">34. What kept you sane?</span><br />
Usually my mom, who would provide and extra pair of arms to deal with a baby.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?</span><br />
Maybe I've finally grown up or something, but I have almost no connection to celebrity pop culture these days, and I don't miss it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">36. What political issue stirred you the most?</span><br />
Birth rights and breastfeeding rights. Feminist stuff, actually, minus the abortion stuff.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">37. Who did you miss?</span><br />
All the family and friends I don't get to see often enough.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">38. Who was the best new person you met?</span><br />
Lily! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:</span><br />
One very important aspect of parenting can be boiled down to constant risk assessment.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your whole year:</span><br />
Pick a lullaby, any lullaby.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-80286367503315649822010-12-24T00:18:00.001-06:002010-12-24T00:30:18.689-06:00*JUST TO CLARIFY: In the last post, I didn't mean anything by the ";)". It just meant, "If you think that 'looks like I'm breaking my streak' means 'I'm not pregnant this year,' you're right." As in, I'm breaking my streak of being pregnant on 12-22, not breaking my streak of not being pregnant. I <i>totally</i> overlooked the ambiguity. Sorry! That is all.Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8919525523272877622.post-64899687792026960232010-12-22T21:18:00.000-06:002010-12-22T21:18:41.811-06:00WeirdIt's December 22.<br />
<br />
Last year, I was 37 weeks pregnant, retiring from most regular daily activities, waddling everywhere I went, unable to jam my feet into almost any of my shoes. I was <i>pregnant</i>.<br />
<br />
Two years ago, I had just found out, nine weeks into my second pregnancy, that no fetus had developed. A sad sack on the couch, I awaited my scheduled D&C the next day to remove the "products of conception." I was pregnant. . .technically.<br />
<br />
Three years ago, if I had taken a pregnancy test, it would have been positive. I was about four weeks pregnant with my first baby, a little fighter my inhospitable womb would eventually starve to death and expel. I was pregnant, but I didn't know it yet.<br />
<br />
I don't feel like I've spent most of my marriage pregnant or anything, but three times in just over two years is technically quite often. And it only recently occurred to me that I was pregnant this time of year three years in a row. At almost one year, this is the longest stretch of my marriage that I've gone not-pregnant. That's kind of amazing!<br />
<br />
Everything is amazing and weird. And I am so, so profound.<br />
<br />
As for this year? Looks like I'm breaking my streak. ;)Susan Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04244777381841276144noreply@blogger.com1