Evidence of Grace

9 Years Later or That's Why I Praise Him, That's Why I Sing

2010-08-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get discouraged by other Christians who are acting unChristianlike (in my estimation.) Recently, I let it get me down to the point that I was ready to turn away from Christianity as a whole. Of course, this way of thinking requires an attitude adjustment, but the thing I struggle with sometime is that if not everyone is becoming a new creation in Christ, then what is the point?

Then I remembered that my journey with Christ is about my transformation.

I actually discovered this tonight while I was driving to pick up Elise. I had my iPod and some old CDs and I had a little worship service in the car. Something beautiful happens when I sing. The words of "How He Loves Us" sum it up best, All of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. For me, when I sing, everything terrible fades away. I can actually feel the love of God in my heart. It's literally as if my heart swells a size. And I can't stop smiling and sometimes there are tears. And nothing that I was or nothing that anyone else has done bothers me anymore. I am simply at peace with my Creator and I feel His love. In those moments, I see me and the world the way He sees me and the world.

It used to be that I was a singer who sang about how broken I was. About my misery and my mistakes and how terribly I had been treated by some. I wrote and sang songs about staying in bed for days or about how I was irrevocably damaged. That is no longer the case. All the songs that I sing are about hope and love and about how I have been redeemed. I love how God has repurposed my life. He took the very things that are me, my strengths and my weaknesses and shaped them for His will. It's still my life, just better.

My hope is that we all have moments like that doing what we love and feeling the gulf between God and us close little by little. I wonder what would happen if we felt how much He loved us every minute of everyday. I bet we could change the world . . . .

Something Beautiful

2010-08-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

Although we can't always see it (especially if you are a newshound like me) this world is a beautiful place. As I was trying to think of some examples of good things going on in the world, it hit me that I am fortunate enough to know the ultimate Good News. Sometimes I think that all of the bad news makes us forget that we are here to share the Gospel. It gets better. Much much better. And you are loved. So so loved. And I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating. We are all good enough to be loved and to be of use to the One who made us. Don't let yourself be tricked into believing that the world is not worth saving or that there is nothing that you can do. I attest to the fact that God is using me and Carl and I can't wait to see how God uses Sophie and baby number 2 for His glory.

And though the world is fleeting, I'm grateful that I can share it with Carl and Sophia if only for a little while.

Long Time, No Post

2010-06-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I was able to attend a ladies' Bible study that provided childcare. SO nice. So Sophie got to play with kids and I got to dive into the word with women. It was a very nice morning.

This past weekend was my beautiful little girl's first birthday. We had a birthday party at the house and Sophie had fun playing in the yard with her new sand and water table. She also loved eating pineapple with her grandfather and running up the hill into the neighbor's yard. (Yes, running.) And of course, she loved her first bites of cake.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

So besides walking, running and climbing on everything, Sophie has become quite vocal. She even has a joke. I'll say, "Sophie, say 'Mama'." And she smiles and says, "Dada." Today, I caught her saying Mama and I said, "You said 'Mama'!" To which, she quickly replied, "Dada." She also says book, ball, hi, woah, light, cat and dog. She can also imitate a cow and a snake. She's just precious. :)

He is Risen!

2010-04-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, everyone! We had a great day in the Willis household. We held an Easter egg hunt and even had some neighbors join us. We have found a true community here in PA. :)

I posted a video of Sophie finding her Easter basket on facebook, so check it out there as I can't figure out how to post it here. But I did figure out how to post this:

A Painting and a Procurement

2010-03-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

Sophia is getting SO big, SO fast. She has finally learned to give kisses, but clapping still eludes her. She used to love to explore and be on her own, but lately she crawls over and wants to snuggle in my lap while I read to her. She likes to wave and make a noise that sounds alot like "hi" when she's out and about and encounters a new person. She loves going out so we've purchased annual passes to the Children's Museum and the Zoo.

Two Fridays ago, Soph, mom and I went to the Children's Museum and Sophie did her first finger painting.

Now, as cute as it was, it of course was not the best picture I've ever seen. But this is an actual quote from my mom, "Hers is alot better than some of these other kids' crap!" Gotta love her.

We also had a loss in our family---Sophie's stuffed giraffe. We've been looking for it for quite some time now. It is nowhere to be found. So last week, I'm driving to my mom's house with Sophie and Carl when I see a dead cat on the side of the road. As I get closer, I realize that in actuality some poor child has lost their teddy bear. As I drive past, I realize that the dead cat/someother kid's teddy bear is actually Sophie's giraffe. Carl or I must have dropped it the day I got the van stuck in the snow and had to walk home. The ginormous snow drifts overtook it soon after.

He's since had a trip through the washer and dryer and is doing much better.

Sophie is also dancing now. Enjoy!

Lent and Sophie

2010-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Someone once told me that during Lent, the Catholic church allowed fish to be eaten on Fridays regardless of the "no meat" declaration because the church had a stake in the fishing industry. I took the person at their word until this year when I decided to research it for myself. It turns out that there are several reasons why fish is permitted, but here are the two that I found most interesting.

The church makes a distinction between cold-blooded and warm-blooded creatures when it comes to the label "meat."
Fish was a poor man's food. Eating fish on Fridays was a way to equalize classes.

The second reason is why I have chosen to participate more fully in Lent this year. Usually, my mom calls me on Fridays during Lent and says, "Remember it's Friday!" To which I reply, "So?" And she says, "So don't eat meat!" And I usually have to remind her that I am not Catholic. That seemed the right response when I lived in a more diverse area.

Now that I live in Pittsburgh where a vast portion of the population is Catholic, the old saying, "When in Rome . . . " seems to be more important than trying to help my mom understand why my church is different than hers for the 100th time. Lent for me is about celebrating our similarities where Christ is concerned and not about pointing our our differences.

This year, I've chosen to give up shopping. This has proven to be the exact right thing at the exact right time. I think about shopping alot, a pitfall of having more than enough. And everytime I go to buy something, I think instead about sacrifice and my relationship with God. So I've been doing ALOT of thinking about sacrifice and my relationship with God.

Now on to my beautiful daughter who is currently crawling around my feet trying to chew on my computer cords. Hold on . . . OK, she's onto the next thing that I'll probably have to pull her off of in a minute. Anyways, she's mobile. Very mobile. And she's smart. Super smart. She loves discovering things. I realize this is pretty par for the course, but it's a little more than that as she prefers discovering things to eating and sleeping.

Yesterday, we went to the Children's Museum. Buying a membership pass there was possibly one of the smartest things I've ever done. Sophie loved crawling around every space and looking at everything. In 5 hours, I got her to sleep for 20 minutes. And I think she may have eaten for ten minutes, begrudgingly. Here's my favorite picture from yesterday (and quite possibly the only time I was able to get her to Be Still):

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

My Loves

2010-01-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

After a brief trip down memory lane, I was reminded again that I am SO very blessed to have met and married Carl.

Having a husband who is constantly around, who loves to be helpful in ways small and large, and who willingly takes Sophie when I need a break is more than I ever thought possible. Top all of that with what a great dad he is, how he's one of the few people I know who doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs AND that he has a beautifully thick head of hair and I'm the most blessed wife on the planet. I only hope that I spend enough time showing him how grateful I am to have him in my life. I love you, babe!

Onto Sophie. My newest refrain is, Oh Soph, slow down! If you follow our dropshots site, you may notice that we haven't uploaded in awhile. This is because Sophie is now constantly on the move. She started with crawling and progressed VERY quickly to pulling herself up on things. I was trying to catch the crawling on video the other day and the video ends with her bumping her head and beginning to shriek because that's when I put the camera down and rushed to her aid. I haven't really picked it up again since. In the meantime, here are some shots of Sophie's first playdate with snow . . . .

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Defender of Carl

2010-01-01T01:53:00.000-08:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

The most amazing thing happened last night. No, Sophie did not sleep through the night. We are still working on that as you may be able to tell from the 4:54 AM time stamp on this post. Carl and I were out at a Asian Seafood buffet. Carl got what he thought was a dragon roll, which usually has shrimp tempura in it. I had already eaten a couple and didn't even think to tell him that they had cream cheese instead of shrimp tempura in them. It was pretty obvious to me and if you look at it, you can see it has a big block of cream cheese in it. But Carl usually never looks at sushi, he just shoves the whole thing in his mouth. Not tonight though. He brings his plate back to the table and puts it too close to Sophie and her hand shoots out and from his very full plate, she grabs and mangles the one peice of sushi with cream cheese in it. When she busts it open, Carl sees the cream cheese and we gasp. She saved his life. And that's how we'll tell the story forevermore. We're not ashamed of using hyperbole to describe our child's prowess and intent. :-)

And she can play a mean pot . . .

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Brought to you by some wonderful father-daughter time. My husband is pretty great too and that's no hyperbole. Love you, dear!

Christmas Christmas Time is Here!

2009-12-23T04:03:00.000-08:00

Having a child at Christmastime is pretty cool. Especially all the firsts. Sophie has already "opened" a few presents from people. Of course she loves the paper and the bows. The other day we were out getting a gift and the jewelry store next to Borders has four red trees in front of it. I was holding her and as soon as she saw them, she reached for them and started making excited noises. So cute. So we went over and looked at them for a bit.

When we passed through VA a couple weeks ago, she was able to visit the National and Capitol Christmas trees. Carl and I were very happy to be able to share that with Soph as that was a tradition for us. We didn't think we'd get to do it this year, so this was a special treat. AND some thing I've never noticed before, they have a Santa's Workshop where they have free pictures taken with Santa. I've heard horror stories of kids with Santa, but Sophie was fearless. She let him take her and she gave a big smile for the camera. I'll have to scan that picture in.

We were passing through VA on our way home from the Shenandoah, where we stayed in a cabin with some friends. While we were there, Sophie got to go into the pool for the first time. Six months is such a great age. She LOVED swimming with her Daddy.

Couple things about where she's at right now developmentally, she can do Ba, Pa, Ma, and Da consonant sounds. Her favorite one is Ba. She's seems to associate the Ma with me and the Pa with her Papa, but of course, it could be just random (although my mom swears that she is talking already.) She'll actually break into the conversation when people are talking and she's been using her hands to gesture. It's pretty cute and I wonder if she's just mimicking what she sees. We are a very expressive extended family. She is almost crawling. She started with this hop

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

and now she does this "I've been shot!" kind of crawl, where she pulls herself with one arm. Or she inch worms around. BUt she can get herself up on her hands and knees and take a "step." I'm ok with the lack of crawling because she is already quite the handful. When she starts really moving, I'm in trouble!

Here are some pics:

Sophie decorating the tree.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Our family.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

At The National Christmas Tree with her very handsome and wonderful Daddy. :-)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Merry Christmas and love to all!

Up Early

2009-11-23T04:49:00.000-08:00

I love Carl and Sophie very much, however, I must say that one of my favorite things nowadays is waking up before everyone and having the house to myself. I am caught up on blogs for the first time in over a month, caught up on e-mails (which I never thought would be a problem), and about to be caught up on leg shaving (which I also never thought would be a problem.) I also like "redding up" while the house is this still. That's Pittsburghese for cleaning. And I'm going to make myself a homemade Starbucks in my new holiday cold to go cup, which is exactly like the non-holiday one, but it has a red and white striped straw. Oooooooo . . . . I know. ;-)

In other news, we had a wonderful weekend. On Saturday, we raked up all the leaves in out yard, which amounted to one medium sized pile that I could stick Sophie in. Here are 2 pictures and a video. Enjoy . . . .

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Prisoner's Dilemma

2009-11-21T12:59:00.001-08:00

So the other day, I think Sophie is taking a nap and I go in to check on her and here's what I see . . .

How to make mom feel bad, just lay here like this until she comes back . . .

Fulflling Needs

2009-10-30T03:46:00.001-07:00

This is the face that Sophie gives us when we "catch her" doing stuff. One time she game me this face when I opened the stroller covers to find her gnawing on her giraffe. She now can roll over every which way and likes to get places by rolling. She's trying so hard to crawl, but mostly just lays there with only her belly touching the ground wondering why she's not getting anywhere. The fact that she's not moving makes her so mad. She continues to not sleep through the night. I realize she's only 5 months old, but I would like 1 night of completely uninterrupted sleep.

The biggest excitement of my week was celebrating my birthday with Elise. We decided to celebrate both of our birthdays halfway between. We went for Pizza Hut and pedicure. Yum and ahhhhh. We also bought gifts. I got a new wristlet. I'm a little obsessed with wristlets I must admit.

In other news, I also got a library card this week! Yes, that is the extent of my exciting life. :-)

Mugged!

2009-10-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Long time, no post. Things are going well here in Pennsylvania. Today Carl and I carved the pumpkins that we got at Simmons farm. While we were at Simmons, I took Sophie to the petting zoo and Sophie was mugged by some goats.

Next week, I plan to post a virtual tour of our house now that it's all set up. Stay tuned . . .

Happy Belated Football Season!

2009-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Sophie before the Steelers' game on Sunday:

Sophie after the game on Sunday:

Where's St. Patrick When You Need Him?

2009-09-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I was sitting in the yard with Sophie. Carl came out to join us and we sat and played on a blanket in the yard. I had to go inside to tutor so we picked up the blanket and headed inside. Next thing I know, there is a snake on the patio between Carl and I. I jump in the house and start thinking, "What can I throw at it?"

I'd like you to remember my rhapsody when there were deer and groundhogs and blue jays in my backyard. Why didn't I think there might be snakes too? Carl said, "I hope you enjoyed your time in the grass Soph because that's the last time that mom will be taking you out here." The snake was literally a teeny tiny garter snake, but now that I know it lives in our bushes, I'm literally thinking of removing the bushes. Yes, I know this is irrational. Especially as a former naturalist at the Fort Belvoir nature center, but I can't help it. I am terrified of snakes. Any kind of snake. Terrified.

Stupid snake. It ruined everything. And whatever happened to "It's more afraid of you than you are of it?" It certainly took its sweet time studying me before slithering back into the bushes.

Keep moving, snake, less you meet an untimely and senseless end . . .

Hello From Rainy Pittsburgh, PA!

2009-09-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am writing to you from our new gameroom while Carl and I watch the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Tennessee Titans and Sophie is asleep in her new room. We are truly enjoying our new home in our new hometown . . .

Last night, I fed a deer a biscuit as he traipsed through our backyard. This morning, I dressed Sophie in her "Littlest Steelers Fan" onesie that Jennie made her and Carl and I put on our jerseys. Not to be totally converted, Carl wore his Denver Broncos baseball cap and off we went for lunch at Eat n Park. Everyone was out in their jerseys and other Steelers shirts and they just thought that Sophie was the cutest thing. At one point, Sophie was smiling at a waitress and the waitress said, "She;s just so happy to be at Eat n Park today." So was I. I am home.

Pictures to come . . .

Musings

2009-08-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

If I were ever dying and make-a-wish wanted to grant me something, I would ask to be a back-up singer for Neil Diamond. I would totally learn harmonies for Neil Diamond. He makes me smile way more than he probably should.

Sophia is 11 weeks old!! I wish I had a new picture to post, but Carl and I have been busily packing and getting ready for the move. Next Saturday, we leave for Pennsylvania and it's starting to hit me.

I have been in the DC area since the summer of 1998. Since then, I have attended and graduated from George Mason University, where I met my wonderful husband. During our stint at Mason, we started to go to Fairfax Church of Christ where we met some of our best friends. Through these friendships, I became a Christian. I was baptized into the body of Christ on May 27th, 2001, by happy coincedence, the same day that Carl had been baptized years before.

In the year after I graduated, I got my teaching job and Carl and I got married. Shortly thereafter we went from FXCC to The Church at Clarendon (a closet baptist church) and took leadership roles in the worship team and AV ministry. Somehow, I was able to work and finish my master's degree while creating even more great friendships at our new church.

Never content to sit still, at the age of 30 I decided to go back and try my hand at comedic improv. Shortly after that, I was moved to the mainstage of the ComedySportz troupe. More true friends were made.

Then in October of 2008 we found out that Sophia Marie was on her way and we started to take steps towards next week's move. Perhaps my one and only regret about this move is that I can't take all of the wonderful friends we've made with us. Whether our friends know it or not, they have changed us for good.

Now I'm on my way home, changed and curious how the new me fits with the old environment. I'm looking forward to new challenges and the changes, but I am sad too.

2 Months!

2009-08-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

You know why I have time to type this? Carl and I have mastered (knock on wood) the art of getting Sophia to bed by 8:30. Last night we cleaned the apartment and tonight, we're getting some quality time together. This is great!

In other news, our little angel (though this picture makes her look a little devilish) turned 2 months old on Friday! She's pretty amazing. :-)

Updates

2009-07-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the life changes going on around here:

I got a new haircut. It's short. Really short. And depending on the day, I absolutely hate it. I didn't want it short, but I didn't take a picture to the salon. Learned my lesson.
Carl and I are on the verge of owning a mini van. A mini van. Nuff said.
We have tons of pictures and videos of Sophia, but I don't want to post them all here, nor do I want to post the link. So if you want to see what we have so far (if you've got that kind of time :-)) post a comment and I'll send you the link.
Notes on Sophia . . . she follows things with her eyes and she makes the best noises. Especially when she's upset. She's currently at a point where she loves to be held, so much so that it's hard to get her to sleep in the bassinet. She loves things that are speckled or polka dotted and will stare at them for minutes, which for babies is like hours.

Less than 12 hours til I get to sit in the theater, eat sour patch kids, drink fountain pepsi, and watch the new Harry Potter movie with the lovely Margie. Hooray! This outing has been brought to me by Carl's awesomeness.

Happy Father's Day, Baby!

2009-06-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

When I took this picture, I was thinking that this is a preview of Sophia and Carl on her wedding day. Someday, she will know just how lucky she is that this man is her father. I love you, dear! Happy 1st Father's Day!!!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

So True . . .

2009-06-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thank to Liz for sending this to me . . . :-)

To My Students . . .

2009-06-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry to have missed our last few weeks together. In particular, I'm sorry to have missed down time with you--- games of Uno, being in the dunk tank, and signing yearbooks. Know that I love and appreciate all of you each for different reasons and that I will miss all of you very much. I'm also incredibly proud of you and I know that you will each find your own ways to impact the world, hopefully leaving it better for your presence in it. Please know that I will always be there for you if you need me.

As I embark on my new job as a mom, know that you have taught me as well and that I am grateful for the lessons I've learned from you. I have benefitted from having known each of you.

Love,
Mrs. Willis

Baby Update

2009-06-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Sophia is now a week and a day old and I'm totally in love. I'd have to be to gladly run on two hours of sleep. I love watching her sleep and she makes the cutest faces when she is dreaming; including smiling, smirking, and frowning. So far, I've lost 20 lbs. which is great because I only ever gained 15 lbs.

We're grateful for all of the visits, keep them coming! Mee Maw Moe left this morning and we miss her already. Grandma Mindy left this afternoon. Sophia is blessed to have such wonderful grandparents.

I was going to type something else but I forgot. I miss you, brain, hope to see you soon.

Our Gorgeous Daughter

2009-06-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

My Loves

2009-06-08T04:39:00.001-07:00

Mommyhood

2009-06-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

I will never regret waiting this long to have children, but I must admit that being a mom is awesome. And probably the most fun I've had in my life so far. And I've done some pretty cool stuff, such as ---swam with dolphins, ran a planetarium, swam with manatees, married the absolute love of my life and most amazing man I've ever met, taught middle school math, watched the Steelers win 2 Super Bowls, and on and awesomely on. But holding my baby tops them all. Although watching Carl hold our baby is possibly just a smidge higher on my list.

If you somehow haven't seen pictures, e-mail me or post a comment with your e-mail addy and I'll send you a link. We thought we sent pics out to everyone, but we may have missed someone.

Sophie's Choice

2009-06-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Friday June 5th was the closing date on our house. Carl didn't want to leave me, just in case. But I insisted saying that she would never come on the one day he was gone. So Carl headed up to PA on Thursday night. Earlier in the week, I asked Julie if she'd stay the night with me to help ease Carl's mind. Instead of a slumber party, Jules decided she would be "on call" and we even joked about how I wouldn't need her, but it was good to have a plan. Thursday night, I slept like a baby.

In the morning, I had a 9:30 monitoring appointment. I woke up a bit late and wasn't able to eat anything before the apointment. I told myself that I'd get some Starbucks right after the appointment and before my afternoon tutoring appointment.

At the appointment, Sophie does what's called an NST test then they move me to an ultrasound room and check my fluid levels. When I got into the ultrasound room, my tech, Renee who calls Pittsburgh home) said that Soph had failed her NST and that we needed to see 2 movements in a half hour. 30 minutes later, the tech told me that she was going to send me upstairs for monitoring. I stepped out into the hall to wait for someone to take me upstairs and my doctor came into the hall and said, "We're going to go ahead and do the C-section." I said, "Today!?" He said, "You were going to do it in a week anyhow." And I started to cry. He didn't understand why I was so upset and then I told him that my husband was out of town and he said, "Well, you ate breakfast, so we can't do the surgery until aound 6 anyhow." I didn't dare mention that I didn't have breakfast. He told me to wait and they'd be right with me.

I sat down and looked at my watch. At this point, Carl was 15 minutes into closing on the house. I tried to call, but he ignored the first call. I called my mom at work and I heard her say, "Pete, my daughter needs me. I gotta go." She went home, changed, got into her Mini Cooper and Italian Jobbed it down here. She contacted everyone in the world on the way.

In the meantime, the next call was to Jules. I told her they were doing the C-section today and she insisted on coming to sit with me. I told her that Carl was on his way and they weren't going to do the C-section until about 6 and she would probably be bored just sitting around. She said, "Will I be sitting around with you?" I said, "Yes." To which she replied, "Then I'm on my way."

I reached Carl on my second attempt. He sounded cool, calm and collected as he said he would leave as soon as closing was done.

They took me upstairs and the nurse said, "When did you last eat?" I said, "8 o'clock . . . last night." The nurse asked several questions to make sure I rally had nothing in my stomach. When she was satisfied, she took me to the room and started to prep me for the C-section. They were planning on getting her out as soon as possible now and not planning on waiting for Carl.

Jules showed up and we started talking about who would be going into the OR with me. Even though I was putting off the inevitable, I finally said, "Jules, I think we need to realize that Carl is not getting here before Sophia." I felt awful for Jules and for Carl. Jules didn't know what was about to happen and Carl was prepared but not present.

By 2:30, I was in the OR and by 3:02, the most beautiful baby in the world was delivered. Apparently, she was strangling her cord in her hand and it was cutting off oxygen and nutrients. Not having breakfast that morning AND having a monitoring appointment were huge blessings. God is great.

Mom arrived around 4:30 and Carl arrived around 5. All is well. :-)

Sophia's Birthday

2009-06-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today we found out that Sophia's birth has been scheduled for June 15th at 7:45AM. I was looking up what people say about this particular birthdate and no joke, I found the following . . . .

Your birth tree is

Fig Tree, the Sensibility
Very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a butterfly, good sense of humour, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.

The fact that her birth tree is the fig tree makes me think I'm going to have lots of trouble figuring her out. :-)

Fluffy Update

2009-05-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderfully fun shower yesterday (number 3 of 4.) We're really grateful for the abundance of gifts. I don't know where we're going to put all of this stuff, but I better figure it out. She'll be here in 2 weeks!! It was great to see everyone, especially Stephen and his lovely wife and Allison. I haven't seen you guys in FOREVER.

Afterwards, we went to McKay's and bought some more children's books for Sophia's library. Then we had a double date with Sammie and Jill to Noodles & Co. and then to see Up. I HIGHLY recommend Up. And I want to live in a world where the storyline of Up exists. It's so beautiful. Loved loved loved every moment. Of course, as most of you know, it always helps the enjoyment level to be sitting next to Sammie in a movie theater.

No date yet for the C-section, but we're pretty sure it will be June 14th or 15th. When I know for sure, I'll pass the info on.

Now I have cleaning and organizing to do, so I'm off!

Week 36, a.k.a. ACK!!

2009-05-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

This week is most likely the week that we find out when and how Sophia Marie Willis will make her world debut. At my monitoring appointment last Friday, the doctor said that she is most likely 7 pounds and 10 ounces at this point, which means at least 9.5 pounds in week 39. The doctor was pretty funny though. I think the perfect description for him is "Italian suit maker." He said, "Big baby. Big head." And then he looked at Carl and I and said, "But then, you both have . . . " He paused and I said, "Big heads?" Then he said, "I didn't know how to say it." And I said, "With us, you just say it." :-)

There is a little bit of happiness in the big head comment as it helps me think that she's big due to genetics and not because my sugar or diet are out of control, (which they aren't. I've gained a total of 16 pounds with Sophia and she's nearly half of that.)

As you can see, we've set up her nursery. She'll have her own room when we move to Bethel, but until then, she sleeps with us. Carl's office has the glider and a pack n'play for feeding, naps and changing. But we wanted to make sure he has an office when she gets here.

She has quite the little library developing due to having wonderful teacher friends who give great books as presents and a mom who adores children's books. The stuffed animals will be moved out of her crib before she's moved in, but they just look so cute sitting it there waiting for her. I can't wait to see her and hold her! But I'm surprisingly patient about her arrival. Perhaps because I am out of work and excited about the R&R coming up in the next few weeks. After she's here, I won't have that back for awhile.

As soon as I hear from the doctor on Wednesday, I'll e-mail the usual suspects and then post another update.

Love,
Shayna (& Sophia)

An Old Story Retold

2009-05-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

I keep meeting up with old friends on facebook who I haven't seen in forever. So they haven't had the pleasure of meeting my wonderful husband. One of my old friends wanted to know our story, so I went to our old wedding website to get it. If you're interested, I've posted his account and my account below.

While rereading them, I rediscovered the evidence of grace that is everpresent in the life of our famly. I can't wait to see what else God has in store once we bring Sophia into the story.

Her Story

Well, I remember first seeing Carl in the video lab of George Mason University. I was working long hours on a project with a group during my freshman year. We were diligently editing some footage when Carl looked into our booth and spoke those seven magic words, “Can you turn your project down, please.”

Well, lest you think it was a romantic moment, let me correct you. Carl was being a jerk. I thought to myself, “That guy’s a jerk! (But he’s cute.)” From then on I was interested, but didn’t pursue it because I had just decided to swear off relationships for a while.

In the meantime, I would see Carl all over campus and every time I saw him, I couldn’t even look at him. My face would get all red and my heart would race. I wasn’t quite sure what it was at the time, but I was very interested in him. About a year after I first saw Carl, I decided that I wanted to get to know more about him.

I started by looking him up in the student database. I couldn’t find any really useful information so I started looking for information about him online. I stumbled across Gordon “G-dog” Willis web page (for more information about G-dog, you can find him on the groom’s list under “best man and brother of the groom”) and there was a link to Carl’s web page.

The web page had a lot of useful information including the fact that Carl was single and the fact that he was Christian. At that point, I was just ending my Buddhist phase, I wasn’t sure what I believed, but it wasn’t in Christianity. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t interested anymore; however, I figured that I would be able to change his mind. Since he still gave me the butterflies, I was in pursuit.

I had to take a video class as part of my course load at the time. The added bonus was that Carl worked in the video lab and my percentage chance of meeting him went up. In addition, I was looking for a second job at the time and decided to work in GMU’s food court, figuring that if I worked on campus that would also increase my “chance” meeting percentage. (Note: Sure this may sound surprisingly like stalking, but since it all worked out, Carl assures me that it’s not considered stalking. :-) )

My evil scheme worked. In February 2000, I was working a cash register in the food court when Carl got into my line. The lighting was dim so he couldn’t see how much my face reddened. As he got nearer, I tried to play it cool. When he reached me, I said, “Hi, how are you doing tonight?”
Now the normal GMU student response is, “Meal plan.” They don’t even listen or respond to what I have to say, Carl, however, smiled and said, “I’m fine, how are you?” He was actually nice! Not jerky at all! And so very very handsome.

From then on, Carl would come through my line whenever I was on a cash register. At the time, I was a student manager and did a little of everything in the food court. When I wasn’t on cash register and Carl entered the food court, I would have one of the other employees radio me with the special top-secret Carl code, “Elvis has entered the building.” I would stop whatever I was doing and make my way to the food court. Carl and I started having conversations and one time he even tricked me into saying I was a Christian, quite a feat at the time.

In the end, I didn’t have to work too hard. Carl asked me out with very little prompting from me. I still remember every word.

Carl: So you like football?

Shayna: I love football.

Carl: You like basketball?

Shayna: I like basketball even more than football.

Carl: You don’t drink?

Shayna: No.

Carl: You don’t smoke?

Shayna: No.

Carl: And you don’t do drugs?

Shayna: No.

Carl: Do you have a boyfriend?

Shayna: No.

Carl: Then, would you like to go to dinner sometime or a movie or dinner and a movie?

Shayna: (Playing it real cool.) I would love to.

Later, I went into the bathroom and hopped around happily. In the end, I realized that the inexplicable thing about Carl that drew me to him was God. Carl had an unshakable faith that I admired even in my non-belief. Through his patient and sometimes not so patient, insistence, I began to study God’s word. I was baptized into the body of Christ on May 27th, 2001.

Interestingly enough, that happens to be the same day that Carl turned his life over to Christ eight years earlier. This “coincidence” was a gentle nod from God letting me know that this was the man that he had chosen for me. I couldn’t ask for a better one. The rest, as they say, is history.

His Story

I initially met Shayna while she was working in the George Mason University food court. She was wearing a pair of black vinyl pants that looked really nice. She was quite nice, always had a big smile and was very cheerful. She was very different from all the other cashiers who pretty much hated being there. (Most of them didn’t speak English either). Every time I went to the food court I made sure to look for Shayna and if she were working a register I would be in her line.

A little while later, I see that she is in the S.T.A.R. Center where I work. She had signed up for a video class and needed to complete some projects. This worked out very well since I was the video mentor and I could help her out at any time.

Shayna and I didn’t really hang out outside of our prospective work areas. Every time we saw each other though we would stop and talk. We did talk over AIM though (what do you know, AOL finally did something right!) which helped to get us know each other better. I probably wouldn’t have asked her out (because I’m a pretty shy guy when it comes to girls) if it hadn’t been for my friend Doug.

Doug is a friend that attended Virginia Tech at the time who was interested in a girl of his own. He thought for certain that she was interested in him but he didn’t have the guts to act on his feelings (pretty much the same situation I was in). I was trying to convince him to ask this girl out, when he came back with why wasn’t I asking Shayna out. Well, I knew he had a good point but I hate it when he’s right (even if it’s my point that he stole). So the next time I saw Shayna I would be sure to try and ask her out.

Well the next time I saw Shayna was at the STAR lab. She had to work on one of her projects. Thankfully the lab was pretty empty so if I got shot down not to many people would notice. As I approached her, I wanted to make sure that it would be a good fit and that we would have things to talk about if we did in fact go on a date. I had previously gone out with girls who had nothing in common with me and I didn’t want to have that same experience again.

So anyways, I start shooting the breeze with her and so I ask her, “You like football right?”

“Yup” (excellent)

“You like basketball right?”

“I like basketball more than I like football” (an acceptable answer but not the most ideal)

“And you don’t smoke.”

“No, I don’t smoke” (definitely a requirement)

“And you don’t do drugs”

“No, drugs” (YES!)

“Do you have a boyfriend?” (Almost certainly she does, how could a Goddess like this go
unattached??)

“No, I don’t” (oh…my…goodness. Don’t blow this!)

“Uhh..err..umm..Would you like to go see a movie sometime, or dinner, or dinner and a movie?” (Dang I’m smooth)

“I would love too” (SCORE!)

So that’s how Shayna and I initially met. We have had some bumps in the road. Mostly religion. That’s actually the second part of the story. We had been dating for a couple weeks when I realized that if she wasn’t a Christian then this relationship wasn’t going to go very far (much like a lot of my previous relationships). I had prayed previously to God, asking for a woman who was smart, funny, attractive, and not nuts. I had to go back and update my qualifications. I prayed again and asked God for a woman who was smart, funny, attractive, not nuts, a Christian, and who would make me a better person. A day or two later as Shayna and I were sitting in my dorm room she said she would like to try studying the bible.

God works in mysterious and wondrous ways. You never are quite sure when or how things are going to work out, but they always do. Shayna and I did some bible studies and a year later on May 27th (the same day that I was baptized 8 years previously) I baptized Shayna. It seems that things always work out for us and there are constant reminders in our lives that let us know God wants us to be together. I don’t know what he has planned for us yet, but I know it will be great.

Time After Time

2009-05-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, Friday of this week is my last day in the classroom for some time. I want to say that it is my last day of work, but I am still tutoring until the week before Sophie is scheduled to come. But then again, I don't really see tutoring as work . . . Anyhow, I'm going to have plenty to keep me occupied. Of course there is setting up the nursery, a process which has stalled because we're waiting for the mattress to arrive. Then, there's time at the pool with my new Kindle 2. Lots of reading to catch up on. And the doctor's appointments, of which I have 4 this week alone. Sophia is surely one of the most taken care of babies in the whole world at this point. And I will be spot-checking my classes to make sure they are being nice to my sub.

Other than that, not too much going on around here. Carl is on a "business trip" until Tuesday. He's actually right down the street (The Pittsburgh version of "right down the street," which actually means 45 minutes or less away.) But our schedules won't allow for us to spend time together tomorrow. How grateful will I be when that's no longer the case. And to reiterate, that will cease being the case on FRIDAY! So excited.

Death Row Kitty

2009-05-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I feel horrible today as I watch the clock tick down to 4PM. That's Sneak's vet appointment. Today is his last day. So last night, we let him sleep with us. Even though we feared what a wreck he'd make our room. But he enjoyed it and didn't make any messes. In the morning, I thought, "Am I making the wrong decision?" But then I went to feed him and found that he had pooped all over my computer desk AND monitor. For whatever reason he was able to control himself last night, but come to think of it, we haven't checked under the bed yet . . . Then, today Carl fed him a last meal of rotisserie chicken, which he relished.

We're very fortunate to have met some amazing people in this area. One of them offered us a spot in her yard to bury Sneak. This might have been the greatest kindness that I have experienced. So tonight, we'll have a funeral for him. I realize that people think he is only a cat, but he's more.

Here are some good tidbits about Sneak:

He used to find sheets of paper lying around the house and then he'd drag them into the living room. He wanted them made into a paper ball. Then we'd throw the ball and he'd love swatting it around.
At night, he used to lay in the crook of my arm like a teddy bear. (He even did that for a little bit last night.)
And he's the only cat that Carl's Pop Pop ever liked.

He's 15 and he's had a good life. But he will be missed.

Our New Home

2009-05-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

All the inspections are done and both parties have agreed to terms. So I'm proud to present our new home:

We have more pictures, so if you want to see them shoot me an e-mail and I can send you the listing. Warning: The price may make you mad. :-)

Shayna's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

2009-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

I wish I were still in bed. Last night, Carl got a stomach flu. He's been throwing up every hour for the past about 14 hours. I made him skip work last night and go to bed. But that meant that I was up every hour on the hour until he decided to go downstairs and sleep on the couch. I would just get to sleep and then I'd hear him get up. Needless to say, I was having trouble sleeping. I think my amniotic fluid levels (which are high because God forbid anything go normally during the pregnancy) are starting to make me uncomfortable. And we still have 5 weeks to go. So I'm sure more discomfort is to come. To add to that, it's time to put Sneaky down. And I don't want to. But I'm a grown up now and have to make grown up decisions and this is the right one. I know it's right because it's so hard. He lives in a bedroom and has very little interaction. Bandit tried to play with him and cuddle with him, but Sneaky just hisses. And Sneak can't make it to the litter box anymore. It's terribly sad. Especially because he has the wisest eyes and he still looks forward to food every morning. But he just doesn't have a good life otherwise. Plus, because he's filthy, I can't touch him. Poor Sneak. And poor Carl. And poor me.

Welcome Netty

2009-05-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am typing to you from my Mother's Day gift. I'll say this for Sophia, she has good taste. She (and of course, her wonderful Dad) bought me a netbook. And it's pretty and miniature. I'm in love. Netty has quickly replaced Lappy and Tabby as my favorite laptop of all time.

In other news, we went to have Sophie monitored today. She's doing very well and they made the possibilty of a C-section sound more remote. I'm wondering if the first visit they just give you the worst case scenario to 1.) See how you respond and 2.) Scare you into taking your meds and sticking to the doctor initiated routine of eating right, etc. So I'm feeling a little better. And the B12 shot-s seem to be helping with my energy levels. Although I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow! :-)

And last but not least, Happy Birthday to my great friend Liz! (One day early. :-))

The Last Lecture

2009-04-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

So today was my last lecture. It was about the Pythagorean Theorem. As I give notes, I ask the students questions and if they answer correctly, they get candy. At one point, I was talking about the sides of a right triangle and I said, "What do we call a and b?" And a student in the back said, "Abs?" He was tyring to get a laugh. Some students did laugh and I said, "Well, actually that's a good clue. I'm looking for a part of the body that there are two of." A girl in the back shouted out, "Testicles!" True story.

What's even funnier is that she made me laugh so hard that I cried. SO I decided that for the gift of laughter, she would get candy. And when she came up to take the candy, one kid was puzzled and said, "Was that the answer you were looking for?" Which made me laugh even harder. We finally got a student to say "legs" and they were rewarded with candy, but to be honest, I wish they were called testicles.

Baby Update

2009-04-29T11:06:00.001-07:00

The baby is now being monitored twice a week via ultrasound. This is a blessing of the gestational diabetes---I get to spend more time with Sophie. Now the curses . . . . Sophia is big for her age already. She's currently measuring at the 93 percentile for babies at week 32. This puts her at about 5 pounds 6 ounces. Her leg and arm bones are long. And with Carl's dad being 6'8" and Carl and I being tall, she's destined to be a big baby anyway. Whether it's genetics or GD, the doctor has to treat her weight as a symptom of GD. As a result, the doctor has recommended that I deliver before June 14th. There's a slight chance that I could deliver as early as week 37 if she is really getting big. And of course, they've brought up the C word . . . ceasarian. Which my only objection to is that I have such great birthing hips. A ceasarian would be a bit of a let down. But yes, I know there is no difference really. And that I haven't done anything wrong and that she'll be worth it. Trust me, I know all this. So keep comments to "I'm sorry. That sucks." And stop right there. :- )

I was actually doing quite alright with all of this until I was driving to ComedySportz practice last night. I started to think about the implications of a ceasarian with regards to recovery time. Then I started to cry because it may mean no ComedySportz before I move and maybe even more distressing is that it will hurt to laugh. And my favorite people, the people I most want to spend time with before we move, make me laugh really hard. I know it seems silly, but that's what made me cry.

So just keep us in your prayers. :-)

Inspection Day!

2009-04-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Today is inspection day on our house! This is very exciting. I can't wait to move in and get everything set up. We've received such great gifts from everyone and we really appreciate all the help. Sophie is very loved already. :-)

Today I have a doctor's appt to have her monitored. They want to make sure she isn't getting too big. So I'll keep the blog updated with her (and my) progress.

And tomorrow is the last lesson I will teach for 5 years! The rest of my time here will be spent doing SOL review. So it will be the last notes I give. I wonder how it will feel . . . I guess I'll know tomorrow. :-)

Updates!

2009-04-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

We are dickering back and forth with the owners of the house we put a bid on. It's an exciting process! I love this house, but if it doesn't work out, luckily we found a second house that we love just as much as the first one.
In addition to the anemia and GD, I also have low B12 levels. Starting this week, I have to have a shot a week for four weeks and then a shot a month for life. This is possibly caused by a form of gastritis that makes B12 bypass my system. Oh the things I'm finding out about myself now that I'm pregnant. For instance . . . .
If you would have told me 2 weeks ago that I would be capable of sticking myself with a needle 4 times a day, I would have told you that you were out of your mind. But I'm at day 6 as a pincushion and I haven't had an anxiety attack for 6 days. :-)
I have 23 days left in my teaching career as I currently know it. I'm a little excited, but I think when my last day comes, I might feel a bit lost for awhile. Plus, I'll miss closing out the year with my kids. I'm still tutoring until the beginning of June and then a little in July and August, so it's not a complete break like it will be in September.

That's it for now. Off to write thank you notes! :-)

Auditions!

2009-04-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

If any of you are interested in becoming a member of the ComedySportz troupe, we're having auditions tonight at 8PM at The Comedy Spot in Ballston Mall. Let me know if you need more details.

:-)

All Growed Up

2009-04-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Carl and I just got home from a weekend in PA. On Saturday, we looked at 9 houses, loved 2, and are putting a bid in on one first thing tomorrow morning. I really hope we get it. Great school district, great neighborhood, great house.

Then today was my PA shower and too much excitement. My grandma fell and hit her head on the concrete in front of my mom's house 30 minutes before the shower started. Thank the Lord, she's fine. She had to get a staple in her head, but no bleeding or broken bones, surprisingly enough. At the shower, Carl, Sophie, and I were spoiled. Afterwards, we crammed as much as we could into the Matrix, which is not a small car, and we still had to leave some things behind. It was a great trip, but I'm glad to be home. Although "home" will some be Bethel Park, PA. (Lord willing. :-))

A Good Laugh

2009-04-16T17:38:00.001-07:00

My shower is this weekend and Elise sent me this link in the hopes that these cakes will NOT be at my shower. :-)

Listening To Things So That You Don't Have To

2009-04-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you have time and are so inclined, listen to this. When I heard it on NPR yesterday, I thought, "Why do I listen to NPR? Surely they can't be serious." Anyone that can take a CD that is 55 minutes of solo triangle music seriously is beyond my level of comprehension. Let me repeat that lest it bears repeating SOLO TRIANGLE MUSIC. I think the highlight was near the end when the commentator says, "A less discriminating listener might listen to track 1 and 3 and think they were the same." They ARE the same, lady and I'm pretty sure the triangle only plays ONE note. You can play a long version of the note or a short version, but it's one note.

Pictures!

2009-04-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

The bulk of this slide show is nature shots from Dogwood Canyon. The first few are pretty entertaining pictures of our antics. Enjoy!

Diabetes Day 1

2009-04-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

So Gestational Diabetes starts impacting the baby and I at week 30. Which means that today is Diabetes Day 1. So far, I hate it. I got to work today and there were delicious looking cupcakes in the workroom. In my lunch bag there is a turker sandwich, yogurt, an apple, some granola, carrots, and hummus. Sigh . . .

Home

2009-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Carl and I are back from our wonderful vacation. We had tons of fun with Dave and Jen and great visits with family, but it's good to be home. After nearly 2 full days (spread across 5 days) in a car, I will be grateful to sleep in my own bed tonight.

In baby news, I have gestational diabetes and anemia. This will make the last 10 weeks way less fun as I struggle to maintain a diet. But perhaps the worst part (that scares me to death and brings me to tears) are the four finger prick blood sugar tests that I will have to do each day. Besides that, I would have been fine with the diagnosis. Gestational diabetes usually goes away at the end of the pregnancy and poses no real threat if treated correctly. Unfortunately for me, my Nona (mom's mom) kept her diabetes after my mom was born, so there is a chance that the diabetes will stick with me. This is slightly terrifying as it could mean that Soph will be our first and last child. But who knows what God has in store for us? For the time being, we are grateful for each other and for our beaitiful Sophia. Plus, gestaitional diabetes means more ultrasounds and more time looking at our lovely daughter. We can find a bright side in anything around here. :-)

Next weekend is my PA shower AND Carl and I have found 9 homes to look at in PA. Lots going on around here as Carl and I continue to reach adulthood. ;-)

I hope everything had a wonderful Easter. He is risen!

Half a Decade Later

2009-04-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Carl and I were married 5 years ago today. It's been the best five years of my life and the four before that weren't too shabby either. Today I have to fast from carbs, so we celebrated our anniversary last night. We sat at dinner talking about our days and talking about what we love about marriage. As much as we're going to love being parents, we're trying to savor the last of the us time that we currently have.

I love you, babe! I'm glad you rose to the challenge of married life with me. It's paid off for both of us. :-)

Best Things Ever

2009-03-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

So here's a list of the top three best things I've ever done so far:

Became a Christian
Married Carl
Got an REI membership.

Let me explain the last. So an REI membership is a 1 time fee of $20. As a result, you get a 10% return on everything you buy at the end of the year in cash. No need to spend it at the store. Plus, other discounts. So the other day i went in the buy a new pair of shoes for my rapidly expanding feet. I need something durable, comfortable, and good for my feet. I got a $70 pair of shoes for $37.50. This was the highlight of my Friday evening. Although the rest of it was pretty great too. :-)

Baby Update

2009-03-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sophia is doing very well. She is kicking and active. Carl and I get time with her every night to feel her move around. She continues to be pretty chill and I call her Baby Buddha. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. She hasn't woken me up in the middle of the night once so far. My bladder has, but that's not Soph's fault. I have the extended blood sugar test next week, so prayers are appreciated.

Politics

2009-03-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find it strange that Obama, who ran one of the most brilliant campaigns seen in recent years suddenly might have to go back on his campaign promise to not raise taxes? At this point what other choice does he have? Coincedence? I think not.

Checking Out

2009-03-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've found it difficult to focus on anything besides myself and the baby. I suck at God time, at time with Carl, and with my students at work. I hope this is temporary. To make it all worse, I've gotten addicted to the Vera Bradley sales group on facebook. Must stop. There are a million things I nevere even know I "needed" and people will trade bags. Very addicting. But I'm done. I have one bag to ship out and then I'm cutting myself off. Cold turkey.

Last week, I went to the doctor for the blood sugar test. They called to say that the blood sugar test was fine but that they had screwed up the CBC test and needed another vial of blood. I went into the office and for a few minutes, I felt like I was in a British farce that involved mistaken identity. They finally figured out that they needed to take my blood and I was on my merry way. Then, the other day they called to tell me that my blood sugar test was not fine. I thought, "Mistaken identity, surely." But I was told that anyone who had said my blood sugar test was fine was wrong to do so and it was surely not fine. So I have to go and take the 3 hour test. I didn't like the 1 hour test, so the 3 hour test doesn't sound fun at all. And it delays the start of me and Carl's last road trip before Sophia arrives. Sigh . . .

On the Flip Side

2009-03-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sure there are some grown-up things to think and worry about with a baby on the way, but there are also super fun things. People keep giving me gifts. That's always awesome. And the gifts are always cute, fun, little stuff. I don't know where we're going to store it all until the move, but I'm working on it. And the other night, Carl and I went to the used book store and traded in a bunch of books for some kids books (and a paperback copy of The Three Musketeers). One of the books is called Jesus and the 12 Dudes Who Did. It's a counting book that tells about each apostle. I was a little scared what they might say about Judas, but they handled his story very nicely. I'm always just a little iffy about some of the Christian books for kids, but we recommend this one.

Another nugget from Carl, "Hey, babe, when your giving our daughter a bath, you can call her Soapy." Which made me laugh maybe harder than it should have.

Things To Think About With a Baby on the Way

2009-03-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Carl and I are pretty responsible. But we haven't had any life insurance up to this point. We both work and if something were to happen to either of our jobs, we could still pay our bills. But now, I'm about to give up my job and rely soley on Carl's income. We're about to own a home and have a baby. So we have to start thinking about depressing things like life insurance. I don't like it, but we have to do it.

A True Story

2009-03-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today, a student came into class with a cast on her right arm, her writing arm. She said that she had broken her pinky. We had a pop quiz in class so I asked her how she was going to take the quiz. She said, "I don't know." I told her that she could stay with me after school and I'd do her writing for her as she explained what she wanted me to write. I told her to go get her agenda out (which acts a hall pass) and I would write her a pass to the library. When I got to her desk to write her the pass, she was busily writing the pass herself. I said, "I thought you couldn't write." She said, "Well, not well." To which I replied, "I guess you'll be taking the quiz with everyone else."

At least my students would not be very smart criminals.

Sigh . . .

2009-03-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today, Cal Thomas had an interesting commentary on President Obama's desire to meet with the moderate Taliban in Afghanistan. If you want to listen to it, you can go to http://www.wtop.com/ and scroll down to the bottom where it says, "Moderate Taliban?" Or you can just read my summary.

First of all, who exactly qualifies as the moderate taliban? Do people understand exactly who the Taliban are and what they do? Here's a history lesson. Russia invaded Afghanistan and during this time period, we gave the Afghani's guns to fight the Russians. We did so secretly hoping that the Afghanis would defeat our enemy for us. They did. Afterwards, rather than spending money rebuilding the infrastructure of Afghanistan, we left them to their own devices. Millions spent on the war, very little if any spent on rebuilding. Many men were lost during the conflict with Russia. After the conflict was over, young men, left with no experienced leadership, formed the Taliban and ruled by the Quran. Women were oppressed. No education, no handling of money, no leaving the house without a male escort. Burquas became the law, soccer fields were transformed into places for executions by stoning and hanging.

The sad part is that if there were moderate Taliban members and we found them and tried to talk to them, the other Taliban members would kill them. This has happened in the past when we've sought out moderates in radical countries.

But best of luck to you, Mr. President.

The Wisdom of Carl

2009-03-05T13:19:00.001-08:00

Some of my favorite nuggets of Carl wisdom from this past week:

A watched facebook never refreshes.
I don't think you're a whale but if I did, you are my whale and I love you very much but I don't [think you're a whale] so it doesn't matter.

I love being Carl's whale.

What Teachers Do On Snow Days!

2009-03-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

(This may just be me. :-))

Sew buttons back onto coats. The buttons are all located in the chest region of the coat and have been popping off throughout the pregnancy. I got them all put back together again.
Thin out and organize their purse collections. My mom bought me these great purse racks for inside the closet. I accidentally put them upside-down. I righted them today and put my purses on them.
Pay their rent.
Eat lunch with Carl. (This is definately specific to me. :-))
Go to the post office.
Do dishes.
Watch the People's Court. :-)

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

2009-03-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Today I'm in a rant mode. Let's start with the Apple Corp. Right now, the biggest thing in most of my students' lives are iPods of one type or another. I think this is great. Kids love music, iPods make it more portable. Hooray! In fact, the Willis household owns 2. Here's my problem. I think the Apple Corp is irresponsible in its ad campaigns with improper grammar usage. My favorite ad campaign happens to be their "Think Different" ads, but come on, Apple! It's "Think Differently"! And now, they come up with this. The "funnest" iPod ever?! Argh!

Let's continue on with this . . . how in the heck did Slumdog Millionaire win best picture and Dark Knight wasn't even nominated?! We saw Slumdog today, I was underwhelmed. And why didn't anyone tell me that the movie was going to be depressing? I did not need that today.

On to why I did not need that today. The first Sunday of the month is our (me and Carl's) day to pick up kids from DC for church. They live in an impoverished area and we drive through some of the worst parts of the city to get them. I'm not saying this to highlight what great servants we are, in fact, today I was so angry that we had committed to this because it made me miss Betsy's birthday lunch. But we passed so many things that made me not want to leave the house. The amount of homelessness alone is daunting and it's on the rise. And then, listening to the kids reminded me what their lives are like inside their houses. I seriously just wanted to come home and crawl into bed. But what did I do instead? I saw Slumdog Millionaire and was reminded of the vast levels of poverty in India.

I'm sometimes beaten down by the brokeness of this world. I think, how can I possible leave a dent in all of this misery? I might as well go home and not even try. Today was one of those days.

For my parents . . .

2009-02-28T06:54:00.001-08:00

I have four parents, but as most children do, I started with two. They divorced when I was about 5 and from the very start, they were the root of some of my very favorite times and as usual, some of my not so favorite times. But when I reflect on what they have done and who they are, I can't help but think that I may very well be one of the most blessed people to have ever walked the planet.

They both instilled in me the value of hard work, but also how our passions and dreams can stay with us even if those passions don't earn us a living. Early in life, they read to me every day, the very root of my love of reading. From there what they taught me forks into a love of math and art from my mom the artist and a love of history and writing from my dad the author. And now, both are looking to pass these things on to the lovely Sophia, whom they love without even seeing.

My mom has already painted pictures for Sophie's room and this morning, I woke up to a children's book that my dad has written all about a day between Sophie and her grandfather. I couldn't help but laugh and cry for how far we've come as a family and how many wonderful moments are still to come.

Week 22 Picture and a Confession

2009-02-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here I am at Week 22. Who'd have thought my belly would stick out farther than . . . . well, than the other part of me that usually sticks out pretty far. You know what I mean.

Now for the confession . . . I haven't really been brushing my teeth very much as I can't seem to brush my teeth without throwing up. I feel horrible, but I haven't puked in a while. Hooray!

Week 22 and Counting

2009-02-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

This far in the pregnancy I have been eating at a TV tray instead of at the coffee table like we usually do. Last night, I thought, "How bad could it be to eat at the coffee table? I'll give it a try." So I knelt down and that's when I realized that my feet, ankles and legs are swelling. I have cankles! When Carl got home, I showed him and he said, "Oh no, Sophia, what are you doing?!" Which made me laugh. In general, we take these things in stride and laugh at them and marvel a little bit too. :-)

Sophie Hearts New York

2009-02-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Carl and I celebrated Valentine's Day in NYC. I woke up on Valentine's morning to a bouquet of flowers---some carnations and a really long stemmed rose. He'd also made me a card with a note that said, "Every year, you stand out more and more." A throw back to the time he got me a dozen red roses with one white one in the bunch and a note that said, "In a crowd, there is always one who sticks out. You are that one." He's amazing even after all these years. He also made a crossword puzzle and bought me a NYC guidebook for our trip, which was extra great because our GPS was not working well in the city. Our first day in the city, he took me to the Coach store and bought me a swingpack. I figured this was the last year for some time that I could ask for something as extravagant as a Coach purse and expect to be taken seriously.

The next day, we went to Little Italy for lunch and then took a nap (aren't we exciting?) before heading off to The Top of the Rock. On our way to The Top of the Rock, Carl and I stopped to take a picture of the Empire State Building. I told Carl we'd probably be able to see it better from The Top of the Rock, but he said, "Just in case . . . " and took a picture. You could definately see it better from The Top of the Rock.

The Top of the Rock is the top of Rockafeller Center. It's 70 stories up and the 67th and 68th floors are enclosed in plexiglass so you can see the city. When you get to the very top, there is no plexiglass, just a railing and it was terrifying, but the view was the most amazing thing. Carl bravely stepped to the edge and started shooting pictures while I cowered against a wall. My legs literally shake when I'm 20 feet off the ground, let alone 70 stories. I eventually crept towards the edge and held on to the railing for dear life. Although it was terrifying, it is by far the best view in the city and I highly recommend it.

The only thing I wanted to do, but didn't get a chance to do was go ice skating, but Soph's health is worth it. :-)

Buddha Belly

2009-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I've always loved Valentine's Day, but I can say that I've loved it for most of my life. I used to love making mailboxes and giving out Valentines. I would always give one to every student in the class whether I liked them or not. Today, I did the same with my students. We didn't make mailboxes, but I handed out Fun Dip valentines. They were a hit! Although, I may owe my colleagues an apology for getting the kids all sugared up and then turning them loose.

In other news . . . this morning I found a banana on the floor on my side of the bed and it made me laugh. Carl has been sneaking snacks to my bedside table after I fall asleep. I must have knocked the banana off when I turned off my alarm clock. I felt a little like a Buddha statue that people lay offerings at the feet of.

I also need to mention how great Carl is. He's really going to be an awesome dad. Just the way he takes care of me while I;ve been pregnant has been so wonderfl that I just can't wait to see him with Soph.

This weekend, we're off to NYC and I've decided that what I'm missing out on the most this year is ice skating. But she's worth it. :-)

Week 21

2009-02-10T13:27:00.001-08:00

Please excuse my cleavage, if you can. This is a picture from Rob's birthday. In it, you can see my new haircut.

Pictures of the belly to come . . .

Books!

2009-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

When I was young, my parents read to me and as such, instilled a love of reading into me. I'm hoping to do the same with Soph, so I bought her the complete set of Roger Hargreaves' Little Miss books. I had to order them from England, but it was totally worth it. Then, as I was reading one of the books to Carl, I realized that the books are not age appropriate and that I know no good books for babies. All of my favorites are a little too advanced. Too many words, not enough pictures. I've already bought Black & White by Tana Hoban, but I'm a little at a loss for others. Any suggestions?

I Love This!

2009-02-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

Get some tissues before you push play . . .

Doubt

2009-02-05T06:43:00.001-08:00

Something I've noticed lately is many Christians doubting themselves. I saw this particularly in the 25 random things about me posts that we've been doing on Facebook. And I thought to myself that if the devil were to exist, what a great way to get Christians to not do anything---convince us we're not good enough to do God's work. What a horrible thing. Let me make an open invitation . . . if you doubt yourself, e-mail me and I will gladly tell you everything wonderful that I know about you.

Last night, we started a Bible Study at church based on Erwin McManus' Uprising. McManus postulates that the church has too many people that are risk averse, afraid of failure, and too comfortable. I find this to be the case in my life. For me the struggle is that I strive to be risk averse as it is not my natural state of being. But maybe what I've always thought of as a weakness is a way in which God wants to use me. The trouble is finding the balance between using my weakness for God's work and letting my weakness consume me. I'm hoping the Bible study can help show me how that is done.

Week 20 Check-up

2009-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

My last few doctor's appointments I have been losing weight. That was not the case today. Within the last month, I am up 10 pounds. The doctor said this is where I should be, but no more big jumps in weight gain. No problem. Mostly he said I have to get up and walk, which I knew, but I've been so tired and I'm letting it make me lazy. And I could probably limit my sugar intake. Now that it doesn't make me sick, I want it!

I also went to get my hair cut yesterday. It was driving me crazy! And I haven't loved my last few haircuts. I changed stylists and that was a mistake. But I love the hair cut I got last night and I love my new stylist. Her name is Patti and she works at the Springfield Frizzles. She's amazing! Yes, I will post pictures . . . soon. :-)

Pimp My Cat

2009-02-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

This isn't the Baby Bandit, but I wish my cat had a Steelers hoodie.

The Curse of the Terrible Towel

2009-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to say "I told you so" (yeah, right), but if I were, I might be saying that now. Somebody should really tell the mayor of Phoenix and the Cardinals' mascot about The Curse of the Terrible Towel. But in other news, what a game!!!!! And the Steelers have finally pulled ahead of the Cowboys in the Super Bowl win tally. That's even sweeter. And with the way the Cowboys have been playing recently, we might keep this lead for quite sometime.

Yoi!

2009-01-31T06:26:00.001-08:00

You know, I was almost on the side of the Cardinals. They are the underdogs and I love seeing the childlike wonder on Larry Fitzgerald's face when he realizes he's making history. It's pretty cool. But then their mascot and the mayor of Phoenix had to go and mess with the Terrible Towel. They have absolutely no chance of winning now. Nor do I want them to.

To those of you who may think it's just a towel, the Terrible Towel has a storied history. The gist is that it was created by Myron Cope, our beloved announcer, and he turned the rights over to a charity that helps people with mental and developmental disabilities. The towel has raised over 2.5 million so far and will raise even more after this weekend. For an indepth article go here.

So instead of semi-rooting for the Cardinals, I give you the new Primanti's sandwich:

I'm Impressed

2009-01-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Snow Day!!!

2009-01-28T01:42:00.000-08:00

Sophia Marie Willis

2009-01-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

Oh how happy I was to hear the words "labial folds" today! Of course, I knew she was a she long before the ultrasound tech told me. Sophia was not cooperating for a long time, but the doctor worked with us for over an hour to make sure we got all the pictures needed to make sure that Sophia is healthy. And she is!

The doctor had asked us if we wanted to know the gender and I said, "Yes, but I already know she's a girl." And then about 45 minutes in, the doctor turned to me and said, "How did you know she was a girl!?" And I said, "I just knew it. I know it's not genetically correct, but all of the women in our family have girls first. And I know how God works." I can't really explain it any better than that, except that we all are blessed with head-strong women first probably because we have a lot to learn about ourselves.

So here she is, world!

One of the reasons that we chose Sophia insted of Sophie is because of name numerology. I realize it's not Biblical, yada, yada, but my prayer for Sophia is that she be a light unto this world. The numerology of Sophia Marie Willis is as follows.

What your first name means:
Greek
Female
Wisdom; wise.
Your number is: 9

The characteristics of #9 are: Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression.

The expression or destiny for #9:The expression that you exhibit is represented bythe number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the 'big brother or big sister' type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire. This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel. Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It's possible that you're not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent. Be aware of your capabilities, so that you can make use of them at appropriate times.

If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.

Undeveloped or ignored, the negative side of the 9 expression can be very selfish and self-centered. If you do not actively involve yourself with work that benefits others, you may tend to express just the opposite characteristics. It is your role to be very involved with other people and their needs, but it may be difficult for you achieve this role. Aloofness, lack of involvement, and a lack of sensitivity mark the low road of this expression.

Your Soul Urge number is: 4
A Soul Urge number of 4 means: With the Soul Urge or Motivation number of 4 you are likely to strive for a stable life. You tend to follow a rather orderly pattern and systematic approach in your endeavors. You have an inner desire to serve others in a methodical and diligent manner. You want to be in solid, conventional, and well-regulated activities, and you are somewhat disturbed by innovation and erratic or sudden changes. Excellent at organizing, systematizing, and managing, you have a way of establishing order and maintaining it. You are responsible, reliable and in the final analysis, practical. Highly analytical, you can see your way through all sorts of situations and generally have a clear understanding of the issues. You are a very honest, sincere, and conscientious individual.

The negative side of the 4 is rigid, stubborn and somewhat narrow-minded. There is a tendency to hide feelings, or to really not be aware of real feelings. Avoid being too rigid and stubborn in your thinking, and try to always see the big picture rather than becoming to involved with the detail. Don't be afraid to take a chance once in awhile.

Your Inner Dream number is: 5
An Inner Dream number of 5 means: You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.

Worry

2009-01-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of the top things that I worry about when thinking of myself as a mom:

I am tough. Oh so very very tough. I'm tough on myself, my husband, my students, my family, my friends and even people I don't know. This can be a good thing in moderation as the whole point is to strive for the best. But when I have competitions in my classroom and the prize is candy, sometimes my students say, "I came in second place, shouldn't I get candy?" And I joke, "Sorry, second place is just the first loser." But there's a little piece of me that means it. Which leads me to . . .
I am competitive. I can see my child becoming another way for me to win things. My poor poor children.

But you know, I'm aware of these things, which is half the battle, and that's only 2. I thought that list was going to be alot bigger. The following two things made me laugh and can't we all use a good laugh sometimes?

more animals

Perspective Please

2009-01-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today, Obama's choice for Secretary of Education was confirmed. His resume is impressive and I appreciate some of his stances on education, but the man has never been a teacher. This is completely annoying to me. I'd like to see the good side of putting someone in a position who has never been a teacher. Anyone? (So far, I've come up with "He's not Margaret Spellings.")

For more info on Secretary Duncan, here's a good article.

Pictures!

2009-01-20T19:54:00.001-08:00

A Banner Week

2009-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

First of all, congrats to Rob and Janna on their engagement. I am so pleased for you two! I know you will be very happy. :-)

On Monday of next week, Carl and I find out if we are carrying a Sophia or a Mason. Which is great, because I have tired of Carl's nickname for the baby, point one. If for no other reason than it's not proper math speak. ;-) I'm still convinced the baby is a Sophia.

We just got back from Tennessee for Carl's birthday weekend. We had a great time. I ate and ate and ate and guess what? I didn't get sick. I have some wicked acid reflux, but it seems (knock on wood) that the morning sickness is over.

Hmmm . . . it seems like I'm forgetting something . . . .oh yeah, THE STEELERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! Now what?! Our old motto used to be "This is the year we get that one for the thumb." So I guess this is the year we start on the other hand? What comes after that? We're going to have to name specific hands and specific fingers on that hand. My mom says she'll be heart-broken if we don't win. Me, not so much. I love Whisenhunt and Warner and I love underdog stories. But I sure would like to break our Super Bowl win tie with the Cowboys. After all, we've been to 6 Super Bowls and we have 5 rings. Really I blame Neil O'Donnell, but also the Cowboys by proxy.

Cute Animals AND the Terrible Towel

2009-01-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

I wish I could embed this video. Two of my favorite things in one. http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=101400

Carl and I leave for Tennessee today. We're taking a camera with us and I'll post pictures when I get back. I'll have plenty of time when we're sheltering ourselves from the world on Tuesday. I'll be interested to see what happens to this area with all the people in town for the inauguration,

On a More Positive Note

2009-01-14T05:50:00.000-08:00

Today is Carl's 30th birthday! I am so grateful for him. Happy birthday, Babe!

Yes, I Know That Hate is a Strong Word

2009-01-13T19:04:00.001-08:00

But I think I may hate our new neighbors. OMG, how much bass and techno music can one person listen to after 10PM? In fact, I THOUGHT BASS AND TECHNO WERE OUT! And really, I blame Carl because he sits in this office every night and just listens to it. He's all, "I really don't hear it." But Carl's not home tonight, I am . . . and I'm not known for just sitting back and taking things. And the sick thing about how much I hate them is that I literally feel this seething sensation in my chest. That can't be good for the baby.

This Made Me Laugh . . . Hard

2009-01-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

more animals

Advantage World

2009-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Right now, I'm reading through James and James is a terrible book to read through amidst football season. It speaks against trash talk and one could read into the book a warning about getting too immeshed in football games. I just can't help myself. I am a Steelers fan and proud of it. Although if it helps any, I always think that the Steelers should probably let someone else win the Super Bowl to spread around the bling. Just not the Titans . . . There is a teeny tiny piece of me rooting for the Cardinals though.

Here we go . . . !

Oh My!

2009-01-10T16:54:00.001-08:00

I really would have liked the Steelers to get a rematch with the Titans, but unfortunately the Titans are one and done. Karma is indeed a bear. I could kiss the Ravens. And those were the terrible-est rally towels I've ever seen. Who came up with those? Something tells me the Titans are going to hang those up forever, which is good because I know they just made those up to make me mad. In fact, those towels made me and the baby so mad that we'd be happy to see the Ravens beat the Steelers just to thank them for trouncing the Titans. We can always go home from the post-season and stare at our 5 Super Bowl rings.

In my cat's mind, he's thinking, "I pledge allegiance to the Terrible Towel of the wonderful town of Pittsburgh. And to the team for which it stands. One football nation, under Tomlin, with pain and glory for all."

More Changes

2009-01-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I've been promising pictures. Soon . . . but just think, if you had seen pictures before today, you wouldn't get to see that when I woke up this morning, my nose was wider. Oh yeah, like I needed that. I'm really not bitter about it, I'm enjoying seeing the changes. It was just weird . . .

OK, off to watch the Ravens beat the Titans. Oh yeah, I said it.

The Rest of the Story . . .

2009-01-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

As if being Ma'am-ed isn't bad enough, here is the whole Ma'am-ed story. I was at Starbucks this morning and the sun was blaring through the windows. These two guys were sitting at a table and one had the sun right in his eyes. I heard them complaining, but didn't think much of it. I stepped forward a few steps to get closer to the counter and one of the guys said, "That's very considerate of you Ma'am. Thanks for blocking the sun." He was dead serious and I was in my maternity coat thinking, "Wow, I am officially big enough to block the sun AND he called me Ma'am! What a great start to my day."

Ma'am-ed!

2009-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was Ma'am-ed! :-( I always get "Miss." But not today. Sigh . . .

Also, I've decided that I don't like my Lilypie pregnancy counter so much. I hate that it says, "Only 164 days to go!" Like that's easy.

Week 16 and Counting . . .

2009-01-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

I know I've promised pictures, but I haven't had a good hair day lately. But today is a good hair day and I'll have Carl take pictures tonight.

Phooey to people who say that the nausea only lasts for the first 14 weeks. I tell you, ladies, it isn't so. Don't buy it. These are the same people, by the way, who say that every pregnancy is different. So don't tell me about when the nausea ends if every pregnancy is different. It's illogical.

I hate morning sickness, I really really do. But on the other hand, I've lost two pounds and the other day someone said, "You'll start really showing when you get to three months." To which, I replied, "I'm at four months." And people have asked me if I've lost weight. As nice of an ego stroke as all of this is, I just hope the baby is getting what he or she needs. The first check-up where I lost weight, I was like, "That makes sense. I haven't been able to keep food down how can I gain weight?" The second time, I started to worry.

And might I just say that maternity pants are wonderful. They are not just for pregnant women. They can also be used for people who really like buffets.

Service

2009-01-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Something I've been mulling over lately is whether today's church teaches its members to serve themselves or serve others. And by "themselves" I don't mean the church body, I mean is each person (including myself) learning to meet their own needs first? This has been plaguing me lately because I seem to have acquired four distinct groups of friends. Two of these groups might be considered relatively secular and yet, one of those two groups in particular seem to be doing the most good. Now, I'm well aware that God's grace is not based solely on works, but I must be frank . . . currently it is my "secular" friends that are teaching me the most about God and in particular about service. This is disturbing me because as Christians, our calling is quite clear.

Jesus gives us an example of the service He expects in John 13:12-17 "12 When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

I'm pretty sure that if Jesus can wash the disciples feet, we can stand on ours and figure out this service thing.

Insight: The Pregnancy Edition

2009-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

I found this on Leann's blog and thought it was an interesting exercise.

*I am a wife and soon to be mother.

*I want a healthy child.

*I have too much.

*I miss singing with my friends from Fairfax.

*I fear slipping on the ice while pregnant.

*I hear the voice of God.

*I search for things I forget two seconds after I think them.

*I wonder if mu current mental state is what I always would have been like if I hadn't had a high IQ.

*I regret times that I've said hurtful things on purpose.

*I love Carl.

*I forgive way less than Jesus does.

*I ache for the powerless who are mistreated.

*I always say, "Good morning, I love you today" to Carl in the morning.

*I try to be the best person I can be.

*I seem more outgoing than I actually am.

*I know that God brought Carl into my life.

*I feel guilty for not doing what I deem enough.

*I dance when I am alone and there is good music playing.

*I dream in color.

*I give as much as I'm capable of.

*I listen with both ears.

*I sing with my whole heart.

*I laugh everyday.

*I can’t get enough of Carl.

*I cry at EVERYTHING. Today it was the inside flap of a book called Dewey.

*I sleep restlessly.

*I am happy when I am home.

*I see the good in the world even when it isn't apparent.

*I need nothing more than what I have.

*I should carve out more God time.

Sanctuary

2008-12-31T02:47:00.000-08:00

So Liz and I (mostly Liz) diligently cleaned the master bath and bedroom yesterday and the furniture was rearranged and my clutter was toned down and now I love my bedroom and bathroom. It's the best! It's like the one spot in the house where I can feel like everything is in control. Thanks again, Liz! It will inspire me to do the other rooms. Today, the kitchen. I will take and post pictures of the work that was done and my pregnant belly soon.

My Christmas was amazing. It was great to see my family and my brother surprised everyone by coming home on Christmas, which we didn't think he was going to do. I enjoyed my last Christmas with only two in our family (Lord willing). And I got lots of just for me gifts, which I don't see happening as much next year. I got three fondue pots, two of which are being returned. And in exchange for one of them (and some Christmas money) I got an empire red Kitchen Aid mixer. It's a beauty! And this is how I know I'm old. I'm excited about a mixer and I can't wait to clean the kitchen so I can put it out on the counter. I also got some beautiful vintage-y filigree earrings that were probably my favorite gift. And some maternity clothes. Spoiled.

Today is my 16 week check-up, although I'm not quite at 16 weeks just yet. Nothing much to look forward to at the appointment except asking the doctor a ton of questions. I continue to have morning sickness although I mostly attribute it to my stuffy nose and post nasal drip. Something that surprises me is that I find myself really looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom. Never saw that coming. So hopefully, Carl and I will be able to swing that. Although I really think how determined people are to make things like staying home a priority contributes to its success, but we shall see. . . .

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

We're in Pennsylvania being spoiled by my family. I hope wherever you are, you too are being spolied by someone and enjoying your Christmas.

Anyone think that this story might have to do with the fact that Tom Cruise uses the EXACT same voice for EVERY character?

Fightin' Words

2008-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Tennessee Titans are some trash. I hope that we see them again during the playoffs and I hope we stomp them like they stomped the Terrible Towel after their win yesterday. Unecessary and trashy.

I'm Going to Be a Mom

2008-12-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

So the other day I went to the beauty salon and I came out with what I would refer to as a mom hair cut. It has begun. I know I've been complaining alot recently. I mean, you try teaching 8th grade math while in your first trimester and see if it doesn't make you cranky. But there are definately upsides to being pregnant. One, not every woman gets to experience this . . . and while I'm often feeling sick or fatigued or losing my patience, I'll be grateful to add this to the list of things I've done. And not just for the shear "look what I've done factor" but for the change that the baby is bringing into my life. Having a baby inside your body is pretty intense. I feel close to the baby already and I'm envisioning what life will be like when he/she makes his arrival. Lots of people think I'm going to have a boy and I joked with Carl that having a boy first is the only way God is going to get me to go through this again. I will be happy with a boy or a girl, but I would like to have a daughter someday. But we shall see. It's an adventure, that's for sure.

God Bless America

2008-12-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad that this guy is not my dad.

And the National Organiztion for Peace (or some organization with "peace" in the title) stood outside the White House pegging shoes at a man dressed in prison stripes wearing a George Bush mask. Peace = pegging shoes. That's great.

Ask and You Shall Receive

2008-12-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Barely 3 hours after my last post, my friend Liz e-mailed me to ask if she could come and help me clean. I can't even begin to express my appreciation. A wave a relief washed over me and I realized that I have the best friends in the whole wide world. And the prettiest . . . and the smartest . . . and the funniest . . . .

Stress

2008-12-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had a mini-meltdown. My job is stressful, or should I say, my jobS are stressful and I'm still sick. I don't do well with being sick. And recently, my migraines have restarted. The only thing that relieves the migraines is Excedrin migraine, which I can't take. I can't do everything I normally do and that's stressful. I also currently can't commit to anything because I keep cancelling on people and I hate being unreliable. So sometimes, instead of cancelling, I drag my butt to where I'm supposed to be and suffer through whatever I've committed to. In a effort to pare down my stress, I actually quit the worship band at church this past week. Those of you who know me, now know it's bad. I need sleep, I need solace, I need quiet time, I need to clean my apartment. Ladies who have gone before me, how do you destress while pregnant? Carl is awesome, but his version of clean apartment and mine are a bit different. I've actually been thinking of picking up some day laborers to come and clean our place. No joke. I'm hoping for a burst of energy (which comes every so often) so that I can do some work this weekend. The bursts of energy scare me though because I'm worried that this first trimester sickness is going to last much much longer. And it doesn't help to have people say, "I didn't feel better until week 22" or "I was sick the whole time" or the worst, "I never had any problems." Oh, I have a word for the last group, but I don't need my baby learning cuss words.

Catching You Up

2008-12-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

Lots of thoughts and goings on from lately.

First, Happy Birthday to Dave! This is your brithday song, it isn't very long! That's number 21.
I drank Starbucks this morning for the first time in 13 weeks and it was GOOD.
It's interesting to be pregnant at Christmastime. The Christmas story takes on a whole new meaning. I'm 31 and a little terrified at times to be pregnant. I couldn't imagine being 13 and having to ride a donkey while 9 months pregnant.
Things are starting to be tight around my middle. I don't mind this too much because it's not like I've had flat abs anytime within the last 13 years, but I think I will mind if my butt gets bigger and Lord, can my boobs stop growing? That's just overkill really.
Carl is away on business. It's a one day trip and he'll be home tonight, but I don't like being away from him. Sleeping was tough last night, but . . .
I had Survivor to keep me company while Carl was away. The ending felt a bit unsatisfactory as Sugar should have one second place. Or at least one vote. I mean, come on! Susie? But what are you gonna do?
We had a phenomenal Christmas service yesterday. To be honest, I wasn't convinced it was going to come together, but I really felt God with us yesterday and everything went beautifully. In particular, I really love the imagery of our hearts as mangers waiting for Jesus to arrive.
In case you're wondering, Carl and I are really moving this year. We've had a couple of weeks of things falling into place the way they usually do when God is preparing us for something, which is a fantastic feeling as I've felt a bit adrift for the last year.
Finally, Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. 13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Nice Moments

2008-12-09T13:12:00.001-08:00

On Sunday night, Carl and I attended the Sing-stravaganza. There is very little that I miss about the Church of Christ, but I really do miss the singing. And not just the singing, but the fact that people get together to sing FOR FUN. That's really cool.

Last night, I had some energy. In fact, I had enough energy to make Carl banana bread. Two loaves! And while Carl was out buying a new loaf pan for the second loaf, I decided I wanted some lemonade and, inspired by Ashley Y., I started to make my OWN lemonade. Out of lemons. And sugar. And water. I know, fancy. Anyway, Carl came home and saw me making lemonade and laughed. Out of the grocery bag, he pulled some fancy French lemonade that he had thought to buy for me. I love when we have these moments when we speak without speaking. We also put up the tree and had some nice husband/wife/baby moments that I don't know that I could have done my life without.