Monday morning, I snuck out for a little alone time to enjoy a Chick-Fil-A biscuit and a pumpkin spice latte before we started our first Whole30 on Tuesday. As I was sitting at City Park, sipping on my coffee, it struck me how momentous the Tuesday after Labor Day has been in my life lately.
Eight years ago (well, eight years of Tuesdays-after-Labor-Day), marks the day I started at Southeastern Seminary. Fresh out of college, with a journalism degree and a summer job that was more "fun" than "fund," I got invited to come interview at SEBTS for a position that sounded right up my alley. When I arrived for my interview, the team quickly cut to the chase and challenged me to a game of SPIG, or Speed PIG, on the office basketball hoop. I won, and I was hooked. I worked there two months shy of four years.
Four years ago (four Tuesdays after Labor Day), I started working at a new job in a new state. It was my first day at Ashford, and though it was super short-lived (although 8 months was a lifetime there!), it marked a new chapter - life in Colorado.
This Tuesday after Labor Day, I began another new chapter in my life. It seemed only fitting that four years after Ashford, and eight years after Southeastern, I'd have another "career change" of sorts. I received word Monday afternoon that my photography site was (unwittingly) in violation of a trademarked name of another photographer here in Denver. And so has begun the process of taking down all of my photography-related sites and social media, and trying to come up with a new name.
Lately, I've been trying to figure out priorities and what I want to devote my time to. As I write this, I have two littles demanding my attention - one trying to bite his sister's toy and the sister trying to type on the computer with me. Obviously, being a good wife and mom is first priority. After that, how do I decide what to devote my time to? Essential oils, which I love and believe in and am passionate about? Photography, which I sometimes enjoy but doesn't feel like a perfect fit? Writing, which is my gifting and passion, but hasn't been a money-maker since I left Southeastern?
I've had several irons in the fire, and recently began writing a book, as if I needed another project. Is it possible to be good at several things, or should I focus only on one? These are the thoughts I've been wrestling with the last month. I've heard it takes 10,000 hours to become great at something. Who has that kind of time these days? Between kids, cooking, housework, church, life...how do I decide where to invest my time and energy?
With that said, I've been trying to come up with a business name that is all-encompassing for this next chapter of life. Something that can grow as I grow - creatively, business-wise, etc. Any brilliant ideas? Due to the nature of A's job, I'd prefer to avoid using our last name. The Oily Lens, Soma Creatives, The Lavender Lens...all ideas I've had and trashed. Soooo - give me your best suggestions, and meanwhile, I would covet your prayers for direction in this new chapter of life!
Showing posts with label Events and celebrations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Events and celebrations. Show all posts
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Happy birthday, baby girl
I just put my baby girl to bed for the last time as a 1-year-old. In a little over an hour, the clock will turn, and suddenly, she'll be two. She won't know the change, won't feel it, probably won't notice anything is different (except that we're singing Happy Birthday a lot). But I know it, and since I'm a huge sap, I'll probably cry some more.
On my way to get groceries tonight, I began crying in the car over the fact that that giant unknown of parenthood has resulted in one of the sweetest, most generous, most dramatic, funniest kids I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Granted, I'm not really a kid or baby person so therefore don't know a ton. Also granted, I know every parent says the same thing about their kids. But when it comes to Selah - it's true.
Who knew that when I pushed for the last time, and felt those legs kicking inside me on their way out, that she'd soon be kicking a huge place in our hearts? Who could have told me what an impact this little girl would have on us? How she'd challenge us with her generosity and desire for togetherness? How she'd (inadvertently) shame me by how fully she loves her little brother, who rocked HER world most of all? How she'd make us laugh just by uttering a simple little "yeah" at the most surprising of times? How she'd teach us to slow down and enjoy a butterfly, a rainstorm, a hard-earned hug? How she'd teach us to "zoom" in excitement over the smallest of things?
Selah brings such joy to our lives. She's like her mama AND her daddy - she has extreme highs and lows, especially where food is concerned. But her highs are more frequent than her lows, and her smiles more plentiful than her cries. She loves to include everyone in every activity, and gives kisses to all the people (and things) that are meaningful to her. She loves to help, to run (it's so stinking cute), to look at herself in the mirror and on our phones. She loves cheese. Selah loves Benny, and Isaiah, and Mama and Daddy. She loves her grandparents and her auntie, and her friends at church (Char...Hann...Zo). She loves our neighbor boys (Wy? Ti?).
This little girl is SO FULL of love, and she is a joy to us. Although I'm so sad to say goodbye to her 1-year-old self, I'm really excited to see how God grows and develops her over this next year of her life. Will her little ringlets remain? Will she keep her adventurous spirit? Will she still want cheese for every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack, or will something else become her favorite? Who is this little lady God is growing? I'm so excited to have a front-row seat.
On my way to get groceries tonight, I began crying in the car over the fact that that giant unknown of parenthood has resulted in one of the sweetest, most generous, most dramatic, funniest kids I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Granted, I'm not really a kid or baby person so therefore don't know a ton. Also granted, I know every parent says the same thing about their kids. But when it comes to Selah - it's true.
Who knew that when I pushed for the last time, and felt those legs kicking inside me on their way out, that she'd soon be kicking a huge place in our hearts? Who could have told me what an impact this little girl would have on us? How she'd challenge us with her generosity and desire for togetherness? How she'd (inadvertently) shame me by how fully she loves her little brother, who rocked HER world most of all? How she'd make us laugh just by uttering a simple little "yeah" at the most surprising of times? How she'd teach us to slow down and enjoy a butterfly, a rainstorm, a hard-earned hug? How she'd teach us to "zoom" in excitement over the smallest of things?
Selah brings such joy to our lives. She's like her mama AND her daddy - she has extreme highs and lows, especially where food is concerned. But her highs are more frequent than her lows, and her smiles more plentiful than her cries. She loves to include everyone in every activity, and gives kisses to all the people (and things) that are meaningful to her. She loves to help, to run (it's so stinking cute), to look at herself in the mirror and on our phones. She loves cheese. Selah loves Benny, and Isaiah, and Mama and Daddy. She loves her grandparents and her auntie, and her friends at church (Char...Hann...Zo). She loves our neighbor boys (Wy? Ti?).
This little girl is SO FULL of love, and she is a joy to us. Although I'm so sad to say goodbye to her 1-year-old self, I'm really excited to see how God grows and develops her over this next year of her life. Will her little ringlets remain? Will she keep her adventurous spirit? Will she still want cheese for every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack, or will something else become her favorite? Who is this little lady God is growing? I'm so excited to have a front-row seat.
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| Selah at 23 months. It's safe to say she has outgrown the basket :) |
Monday, June 8, 2015
Introducing Isaiah
It's been more than three weeks since our little Isaiah entered the world, so I figured I should blog his birth story sooner rather than later, or else risk losing the memories to the chasm of sleep deprivation. Also, it's taken me 3+ attempts and the loss of most of what I had written, so here goes nothing.
When we found out we were pregnant and our general due date, I began hoping for a "fun" birth date for this little one. At least one that was easy to remember (5/10/15 or 5/15/15 sounded good!). When I hit 37 weeks, I began having prodromal labor (labor that mimics real labor and contractions, but never actually results in a baby). It kind of killed my dreams of a 5/10/15 or 5/15/15 birth date, but honestly, I was happy to think I wasn't going to be pregnant much longer. Between the weight gain, exhaustion, aches and pains and general inability to be the mom I wanted to be to Selah, I was done. SO DONE. However, pregnancy lasted nearly the full 40 weeks, with me waking up 5/14/15 - 2 days shy of my due date - with legitimate contractions.
I got up at 7 and began putting the final touches on my hospital bag and trying to figure out if I should cancel the photo shoot Selah and I were going to do that morning. I was having contractions the whole time, but was so leery about saying "This is it," after the weeks of false labor. About 4 hours in to contractions, they were getting more painful and more regular, so I called the shoot and told Adrian we needed to plan to head to the hospital. First (priorities!) we needed food. I made the mistake last time of not eating before we checked into the hospital and so after a 19-hour labor and only liquids and one Greek yogurt - I was HANGRY. I wasn't going to make that mistake again! We (A, Selah, myself and A's mom who was in town to help) went to the Denver Biscuit Company and I stuffed myself on The Franklin. It's a biscuit, stuff with a fried chicken breast, bacon and cheese and covered in sausage gravy. Heart health was clearly one of my top concerns ;)
After lunch, I made A get me to the hospital as I sat crunched over with more painful contractions. I was so worried when we checked in I wouldn't be dilated enough for them to admit me, but about 2 pm, once I had changed into some more appropriate labor clothes, they found I was 5 cm dilated.
At that point, there was some concern over whether or not the baby had a hand or something up next to his/her head. There was a funny bulge next to the head, they said, but weren't too worried. We passed a few hours laboring in the tub, on the birthing ball and moseying around the room. By 6 pm, I was already getting tired and though I was at 8 cm, felt like I was going to need to rest for what I felt would be a much longer night. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me a much-needed epidural and for several hours, I "labored" in relative ease. I had my oils diffusing, was sniffing peppermint for nausea (that biscuit may have been a bad idea), and I was applying Clary Sage to keep my labor progressing. All the while, we were hanging out, watching The Office, eating ice chips (me) and talking to the nurses and doctors.
At some point, they began to get concerned over the fact that the baby's head wasn't really dropping and I wasn't progressing past 9cm. The "hand" they felt next to the baby's head could be the umbilical cord, putting him or her at risk if they were to descend any further. They began saying they wanted to either break my water and see if the cord was prolapsed or give me Pitocin to try and speed things up. I opposed both and requested to keep laboring, hopefully in a more upright position. The nurses and doctors kept lying me back and rolling me from side to side because the baby's heartbeat was decelerating and they wanted to get it stabilized.
All of a sudden, there was talk about an emergency c-section and the nurse anesthetist was in there and ready to wheel me out. Adrian and I talked and stalled and finally convinced them to not do a c-section but to break my water and see if we could put an internal heartbeat monitor on the baby. They broke my water, no cord prolapse, and put the heartbeat monitor on. The heartbeat stabilized for a little bit, and then they said there was meconium in the water - a sure sign of fetal distress. Amid (what felt like) a panic attack and so much crying and shivering and heart racing and freaking out, I told A we needed to go ahead and do the c-section. If there was meconium in the water, I knew (from having recently watched Jill Dillard's birth story) we needed to get baby out ASAP.
A few minutes later, I was wheeled into the OR, Adrian was beside me in scrubs and I was being prepped. I was still shivering and freaking out, but the doctor said, "Here we go," and literally seconds later - I heard the beautiful cry of my child. It was 12:01am on 5/15/15. Adrian told me it was a boy, the baby was held up over the curtain for just a second for me to see, and then he was carted away. Adrian alternately sat with me and checked on our son, who he said was really blue. I was so out of it I didn't really register his color or the fact that I didn't get to hold him right away, as I had requested.
It wasn't until later in the recovery/transitional room, when they brought our son in, that I learned that there was umbilical cord wrapped around his neck four times. That's what caused his heart rate to decelerate. That's why he wouldn't drop. That's why he was so blue when they pulled him from me, and that's why there had been a very real danger of brain damage or death. Thankfully, his APGAR scores were normal, his hearing screen was great and he has been the greediest little eater.
We named him Isaiah Justice. Although I'm still in a fog and don't fully understand or remember everything that happened that night, I am so grateful that the Lord didn't exact his justice on our family, but rather, in His mercy, gave us a giant miracle baby. Isaiah was 8lbs and 13oz and 21" long. Although I hadn't wanted medical interventions and I resisted the c-section, I am so thankful for the work of the team of doctors and nurses who cared for me and Isaiah that night. Without their insistence on a c-section, this could be a very different birth story. We're so grateful it turned out the way it did.
When we found out we were pregnant and our general due date, I began hoping for a "fun" birth date for this little one. At least one that was easy to remember (5/10/15 or 5/15/15 sounded good!). When I hit 37 weeks, I began having prodromal labor (labor that mimics real labor and contractions, but never actually results in a baby). It kind of killed my dreams of a 5/10/15 or 5/15/15 birth date, but honestly, I was happy to think I wasn't going to be pregnant much longer. Between the weight gain, exhaustion, aches and pains and general inability to be the mom I wanted to be to Selah, I was done. SO DONE. However, pregnancy lasted nearly the full 40 weeks, with me waking up 5/14/15 - 2 days shy of my due date - with legitimate contractions.
I got up at 7 and began putting the final touches on my hospital bag and trying to figure out if I should cancel the photo shoot Selah and I were going to do that morning. I was having contractions the whole time, but was so leery about saying "This is it," after the weeks of false labor. About 4 hours in to contractions, they were getting more painful and more regular, so I called the shoot and told Adrian we needed to plan to head to the hospital. First (priorities!) we needed food. I made the mistake last time of not eating before we checked into the hospital and so after a 19-hour labor and only liquids and one Greek yogurt - I was HANGRY. I wasn't going to make that mistake again! We (A, Selah, myself and A's mom who was in town to help) went to the Denver Biscuit Company and I stuffed myself on The Franklin. It's a biscuit, stuff with a fried chicken breast, bacon and cheese and covered in sausage gravy. Heart health was clearly one of my top concerns ;)
After lunch, I made A get me to the hospital as I sat crunched over with more painful contractions. I was so worried when we checked in I wouldn't be dilated enough for them to admit me, but about 2 pm, once I had changed into some more appropriate labor clothes, they found I was 5 cm dilated.
At that point, there was some concern over whether or not the baby had a hand or something up next to his/her head. There was a funny bulge next to the head, they said, but weren't too worried. We passed a few hours laboring in the tub, on the birthing ball and moseying around the room. By 6 pm, I was already getting tired and though I was at 8 cm, felt like I was going to need to rest for what I felt would be a much longer night. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me a much-needed epidural and for several hours, I "labored" in relative ease. I had my oils diffusing, was sniffing peppermint for nausea (that biscuit may have been a bad idea), and I was applying Clary Sage to keep my labor progressing. All the while, we were hanging out, watching The Office, eating ice chips (me) and talking to the nurses and doctors.
At some point, they began to get concerned over the fact that the baby's head wasn't really dropping and I wasn't progressing past 9cm. The "hand" they felt next to the baby's head could be the umbilical cord, putting him or her at risk if they were to descend any further. They began saying they wanted to either break my water and see if the cord was prolapsed or give me Pitocin to try and speed things up. I opposed both and requested to keep laboring, hopefully in a more upright position. The nurses and doctors kept lying me back and rolling me from side to side because the baby's heartbeat was decelerating and they wanted to get it stabilized.
All of a sudden, there was talk about an emergency c-section and the nurse anesthetist was in there and ready to wheel me out. Adrian and I talked and stalled and finally convinced them to not do a c-section but to break my water and see if we could put an internal heartbeat monitor on the baby. They broke my water, no cord prolapse, and put the heartbeat monitor on. The heartbeat stabilized for a little bit, and then they said there was meconium in the water - a sure sign of fetal distress. Amid (what felt like) a panic attack and so much crying and shivering and heart racing and freaking out, I told A we needed to go ahead and do the c-section. If there was meconium in the water, I knew (from having recently watched Jill Dillard's birth story) we needed to get baby out ASAP.
A few minutes later, I was wheeled into the OR, Adrian was beside me in scrubs and I was being prepped. I was still shivering and freaking out, but the doctor said, "Here we go," and literally seconds later - I heard the beautiful cry of my child. It was 12:01am on 5/15/15. Adrian told me it was a boy, the baby was held up over the curtain for just a second for me to see, and then he was carted away. Adrian alternately sat with me and checked on our son, who he said was really blue. I was so out of it I didn't really register his color or the fact that I didn't get to hold him right away, as I had requested.
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| Holding my son for the first time. |
We named him Isaiah Justice. Although I'm still in a fog and don't fully understand or remember everything that happened that night, I am so grateful that the Lord didn't exact his justice on our family, but rather, in His mercy, gave us a giant miracle baby. Isaiah was 8lbs and 13oz and 21" long. Although I hadn't wanted medical interventions and I resisted the c-section, I am so thankful for the work of the team of doctors and nurses who cared for me and Isaiah that night. Without their insistence on a c-section, this could be a very different birth story. We're so grateful it turned out the way it did.
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| One week old. Holding his head this way because it's how the cord had him wrapped in the womb. |
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
2014 in Review
The other night, I was looking for an old blog post on one of my old blogs. It was ASTONISHING to me to see how prolific my posting was at that stage of my life. Truly amazing. I had that much time? And that many thoughts of my own? And that much time?! It made me nostalgic for the days I was bursting with something to say that didn't revolve around nap schedules, or illnesses, or grumpiness about something in my life.
A friend recently told me she wants me to start posting more. I can't promise how frequently I'll find time to sit down and write, especially because of some changes over the last year that make me more circumspect in how much I share, but I'll try. I'll try to update more than once every few months.
So, in that spirit, here is a brief update on some of my goals I wanted to hit before I turned 30, as well as some highlights from the last few months.
1. Get my nose pierced. - Didn't happen because I didn't quite hit goal weight.
2. Lose 15 pounds. - I lost 13. I was within 2 pounds when I got pregnant.
3. Run a 5k. - Definitely did not. I walked 4+ miles once!
4. Have a fantastic 5-year anniversary trip. - Accomplished! We went to Puerto Vallarta, and it was wonderful.
5. Get pregnant. - Check :)
6. Go skiing at least 2x this season. - Fail. I still have yet to ski since becoming a Colorado resident.
7. Get our family healthier. - Check. One sick visit for Seh and none for Adrian or I. Thanks to the oils, we're able to manage most bugs at home and knock them out quickly.
8. Go to a concert at Red Rocks. - Did not :(
9. Get paid to take some pictures. - YES!! I shot 3 weddings this summer and officially launched my wedding photography business.
10. Decorate our bedroom and make it cozy. - Check. I painted this summer, got new bedding and got new nightstands.
11. Be a confident and frequent baby-wearer. - Notsomuch. I wore Seh a little, but just got a Mei Tei to start practicing with for #2.
12. Family beach trip. - Nope. Hoping for August/September 2015.
13. Buy a new computer. - Check. This was a must-have when my old Macbook crashed.
14. Read my Bible more diligently. - I suck at this.
15. Go to a Rockies game as a family. - We actually did a couple! First time was RIGHT behind the visitor's dugout. Fantastic seats, but a little nerve-wracking with a baby!
16. Cook 5 nights a week most weeks. - I'd say "check." We've been eating out less in the evenings.
17. Get a kitten or puppy :) - Many tears over this, but no. A says maybe this time next year.
18. Develop a weekly housecleaning schedule. - Check. I don't stick to it, but I have one!
19. Do some crafts I've been delaying (i.e., wall art for our bedroom). - Check. Now to HANG said wall art.
20. Find a couple of local beers I actually like. - Check. There was a pumpkin one I loved and I LOVED the smell of 43 Elbows at Rock Bottom. Now to try it when I'm not with child!
21. Go paddle boarding this summer. - Check! I tried at a river festival and it was really fun!
22. Eat at some of the local, legit Hispanic restaurants in our neighborhood. - Sadly, no.
23. Work up to walking to the zoo regularly to use my zoo pass. - I walked to the zoo once. So, check? I did go to the zoo a bunch.
24. Get a library card and use it. - Check! And we usually walk to the library.
25. Get my hair cut more than once this year. - Fail. I think I got it cut once.
26. Try a new restaurant during Restaurant Week. - Double fail since they did 2 restaurant weeks.
27. Have a veggie garden again this summer, and actually harvest and eat the produce. - Check. We ate peppers, basil, kale, and chives!
28. Go for a hike. - Check? We went up to Boulder Canyon, which was part hike/part stroller derby.
29. Eat at Civic Center Eats this summer. - Fail :(
30. Go to Jazz in the Park once. - Fail :(
So there ya go. Some accomplished, some not. The last few weeks have been full of a lot of wallowing (on my part) about turning 30, the holidays coming and going in ways I didn't expect and the passage of another year. However, as I look back over the goals I set for 2014, I'm pretty proud of where we ended up. The year started with so much uncertainty, but we did some big things along the way. A started a new career, I began staying at home and working on building two businesses, we hosted ALL of our family here over Christmas, our daughter is growing well and is a joy and delight, we have another baby on the way, we began paying on debts and we began to develop some structures and stability in our life.
Of course, 2015 will bring with it new challenges, new decisions for our family, new joys and new growth. I'd be lying if I said I was excited about all the new year has in store, but honestly, I'm a little trepidatious. So, for today, I'll snuggle in, enjoy the snow outside, continue listening to Christmas music, make some candies, snacks and dips, and try to truly live in the moment and enjoy this last day of 2014.
Merry Christmas, y'all, and happy new year!
A friend recently told me she wants me to start posting more. I can't promise how frequently I'll find time to sit down and write, especially because of some changes over the last year that make me more circumspect in how much I share, but I'll try. I'll try to update more than once every few months.
So, in that spirit, here is a brief update on some of my goals I wanted to hit before I turned 30, as well as some highlights from the last few months.
1. Get my nose pierced. - Didn't happen because I didn't quite hit goal weight.
2. Lose 15 pounds. - I lost 13. I was within 2 pounds when I got pregnant.
3. Run a 5k. - Definitely did not. I walked 4+ miles once!
4. Have a fantastic 5-year anniversary trip. - Accomplished! We went to Puerto Vallarta, and it was wonderful.
5. Get pregnant. - Check :)
6. Go skiing at least 2x this season. - Fail. I still have yet to ski since becoming a Colorado resident.
7. Get our family healthier. - Check. One sick visit for Seh and none for Adrian or I. Thanks to the oils, we're able to manage most bugs at home and knock them out quickly.
8. Go to a concert at Red Rocks. - Did not :(
9. Get paid to take some pictures. - YES!! I shot 3 weddings this summer and officially launched my wedding photography business.
10. Decorate our bedroom and make it cozy. - Check. I painted this summer, got new bedding and got new nightstands.
11. Be a confident and frequent baby-wearer. - Notsomuch. I wore Seh a little, but just got a Mei Tei to start practicing with for #2.
12. Family beach trip. - Nope. Hoping for August/September 2015.
13. Buy a new computer. - Check. This was a must-have when my old Macbook crashed.
14. Read my Bible more diligently. - I suck at this.
15. Go to a Rockies game as a family. - We actually did a couple! First time was RIGHT behind the visitor's dugout. Fantastic seats, but a little nerve-wracking with a baby!
16. Cook 5 nights a week most weeks. - I'd say "check." We've been eating out less in the evenings.
17. Get a kitten or puppy :) - Many tears over this, but no. A says maybe this time next year.
18. Develop a weekly housecleaning schedule. - Check. I don't stick to it, but I have one!
19. Do some crafts I've been delaying (i.e., wall art for our bedroom). - Check. Now to HANG said wall art.
20. Find a couple of local beers I actually like. - Check. There was a pumpkin one I loved and I LOVED the smell of 43 Elbows at Rock Bottom. Now to try it when I'm not with child!
21. Go paddle boarding this summer. - Check! I tried at a river festival and it was really fun!
22. Eat at some of the local, legit Hispanic restaurants in our neighborhood. - Sadly, no.
23. Work up to walking to the zoo regularly to use my zoo pass. - I walked to the zoo once. So, check? I did go to the zoo a bunch.
24. Get a library card and use it. - Check! And we usually walk to the library.
25. Get my hair cut more than once this year. - Fail. I think I got it cut once.
26. Try a new restaurant during Restaurant Week. - Double fail since they did 2 restaurant weeks.
27. Have a veggie garden again this summer, and actually harvest and eat the produce. - Check. We ate peppers, basil, kale, and chives!
28. Go for a hike. - Check? We went up to Boulder Canyon, which was part hike/part stroller derby.
29. Eat at Civic Center Eats this summer. - Fail :(
30. Go to Jazz in the Park once. - Fail :(
So there ya go. Some accomplished, some not. The last few weeks have been full of a lot of wallowing (on my part) about turning 30, the holidays coming and going in ways I didn't expect and the passage of another year. However, as I look back over the goals I set for 2014, I'm pretty proud of where we ended up. The year started with so much uncertainty, but we did some big things along the way. A started a new career, I began staying at home and working on building two businesses, we hosted ALL of our family here over Christmas, our daughter is growing well and is a joy and delight, we have another baby on the way, we began paying on debts and we began to develop some structures and stability in our life.
Of course, 2015 will bring with it new challenges, new decisions for our family, new joys and new growth. I'd be lying if I said I was excited about all the new year has in store, but honestly, I'm a little trepidatious. So, for today, I'll snuggle in, enjoy the snow outside, continue listening to Christmas music, make some candies, snacks and dips, and try to truly live in the moment and enjoy this last day of 2014.
Merry Christmas, y'all, and happy new year!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Selah's 7-Month Update
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| 7-month shot |
Win? Selah turned 7 months and celebrated a ton of milestones! Here goes the past month (and a half...) of her life quickly!
She turned 7 months on the 13th, and between her last update and now, she has had a tooth break through, started to crawl, transitioned out of her swaddle, seen a herd of elk, gone to Summit Kids for the first time, gone to her first movie, started solids, had her baby dedication and slept 12 solid hours straight through the night. Whew. What a month!
It has been a crazy whirlwind here. Spoiler alert: A got the job he has been working toward since October! So, with the news of his impending start date and secure employment, we tried to do some things we've been putting off as a family. This culminated in lots of chaos around the VanderHouse as we tried to fit various memories in before a new chapter began for our family.
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| Contemplating elk...or her tooth...or food. |
The last week and a half or so has had its share of changes. She started rice cereal, did it like a champ after the first try (at first she wasn't impressed), but now she's eating some squash and seems to love it. Next up are carrots and sweet potatoes, in that order. It will be a miracle if this child likes and craves vegetables, so I'm trying to hold off on the sweet stuff I'm sure she'll enjoy!
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| Not impressed with her first go-round with solids (rice cereal). She's a fan now. |
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| Showing off her snaggle tooth! |
So, that's about it from the VanderHouse for now! Here are a few more 7 month pictures!
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| Parent Commissioning at church with our friends Angie and Cedar and Melissa and Zoie. |
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| Getting commissioned to send our littles as arrows into the world for God's glory. |
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| At her first movie! I think she enjoyed it. |
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| The Lego Movie at the Alamo for Baby Day :) |
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| When we put her in this bouncer, she transforms into the happiest little nutcase. We sure are fond of her. |
Monday, January 6, 2014
The Passing of Time
Over the last month, I have had several times where I thought I should blog, usually about the passing of time and the new experiences and goals it brings with it.
For example, Selah turned 4-months old last month. Right around the time she hit that milestone, she began rolling over (not always, but she definitely can) and stopped sleeping solidly through the night. I freaked about a 4-month sleep regression and Adrian told me to calm the heck down. Long story short, we dropped a nap and added a feeding and she's back to generally sleeping through the night, with wake-ups to be reswaddled and have her pacifier put back in. I've had every intention since my surgery of getting her on a slightly modified schedule from where she's at, but with each night that she doesn't go back to 11 hours solidly, I get wary of messing with anything. We do not do well without sleep.Anyways, her 4-month appointment brought good news of her health! She's doing great, gaining weight well, has super head control and looks really good. She was 14 lbs, 11 ounces and 25.75 inches long, aka, still long and skinny, but fully within the healthy range.
Also, I turned 29 recently (ah, yes, I blogged that morning :) ). Following in the footsteps of my friends Erin and Lindsay, I thought about doing a "30 by 30" kind of post, with 30 goals I have before I hit the big 3-0 next December. However, as Adrian and I drove around and I bounced my goals off of him, I couldn't figure out 30 to write about.
There's my desire to get my nose pierced. I wanted to do it just for quitting my job and no longer being in the corporate world, but A said I should have a better reason. So my motivation became to lose 15 pounds and then get my nose pierced. So there's 2 goals. I figure I can work on losing 15 pounds (which, as of last weekend, I was down 4, probably from puking a lot Saturday) by trying to run a 5k. So, 3 goals. I want to go on a banging anniversary trip with Adrian in October, but that is complicated by the fact that I would also like to be pregnant again by my next birthday. Sooo, another baby or an all-inclusive vacation? Goals #4 and #5, which may or may not be mutually exclusive.
In no particular order, here are the goals I have thus far:
1. Get my nose pierced.
2. Lose 15 pounds.
3. Run a 5k.
4. Have a fantastic 5-year anniversary trip.
5. Get pregnant.
6. Go skiing at least 2x this season.
7. Get our family healthier.
8. Go to a concert at Red Rocks.
9. Get paid to take some pictures.
10. Decorate our bedroom and make it cozy.
11. Be a confident and frequent baby-wearer.
12. Family beach trip.
13. Buy a new computer.
14. Read my Bible more diligently.
15. Go to a Rockies game as a family.
16. Cook 5 nights a week most weeks.
17. Get a kitten or puppy :)
18. Develop a weekly housecleaning schedule.
19. Do some crafts I've been delaying (i.e., wall art for our bedroom).
20. Find a couple of local beers I actually like.
21. Go paddle boarding this summer.
22. Eat at some of the local, legit Hispanic restaurants in our neighborhood.
23. Work up to walking to the zoo regularly to use my zoo pass.
24. Get a library card and use it.
25. Get my hair cut more than once this year.
26. Try a new restaurant during Restaurant Week.
27. Have a veggie garden again this summer, and actually harvest and eat the produce.
28. Go for a hike.
29. Eat at Civic Center Eats this summer.
30. Go to Jazz in the Park once.
So, there ya have it. Selah's 4-month update and my 30 by 30 goals. Since almost a month has passed, I feel like I should post my progress, but sadly, I'm not exactly notably progressing. 4 pounds down and once to the zoo so far...So, here's to a year of getting stuff done in 2014!
For example, Selah turned 4-months old last month. Right around the time she hit that milestone, she began rolling over (not always, but she definitely can) and stopped sleeping solidly through the night. I freaked about a 4-month sleep regression and Adrian told me to calm the heck down. Long story short, we dropped a nap and added a feeding and she's back to generally sleeping through the night, with wake-ups to be reswaddled and have her pacifier put back in. I've had every intention since my surgery of getting her on a slightly modified schedule from where she's at, but with each night that she doesn't go back to 11 hours solidly, I get wary of messing with anything. We do not do well without sleep.Anyways, her 4-month appointment brought good news of her health! She's doing great, gaining weight well, has super head control and looks really good. She was 14 lbs, 11 ounces and 25.75 inches long, aka, still long and skinny, but fully within the healthy range.
 |
| Four months old! |
Also, I turned 29 recently (ah, yes, I blogged that morning :) ). Following in the footsteps of my friends Erin and Lindsay, I thought about doing a "30 by 30" kind of post, with 30 goals I have before I hit the big 3-0 next December. However, as Adrian and I drove around and I bounced my goals off of him, I couldn't figure out 30 to write about.
There's my desire to get my nose pierced. I wanted to do it just for quitting my job and no longer being in the corporate world, but A said I should have a better reason. So my motivation became to lose 15 pounds and then get my nose pierced. So there's 2 goals. I figure I can work on losing 15 pounds (which, as of last weekend, I was down 4, probably from puking a lot Saturday) by trying to run a 5k. So, 3 goals. I want to go on a banging anniversary trip with Adrian in October, but that is complicated by the fact that I would also like to be pregnant again by my next birthday. Sooo, another baby or an all-inclusive vacation? Goals #4 and #5, which may or may not be mutually exclusive.
In no particular order, here are the goals I have thus far:
1. Get my nose pierced.
2. Lose 15 pounds.
3. Run a 5k.
4. Have a fantastic 5-year anniversary trip.
5. Get pregnant.
6. Go skiing at least 2x this season.
7. Get our family healthier.
8. Go to a concert at Red Rocks.
9. Get paid to take some pictures.
10. Decorate our bedroom and make it cozy.
11. Be a confident and frequent baby-wearer.
12. Family beach trip.
13. Buy a new computer.
14. Read my Bible more diligently.
15. Go to a Rockies game as a family.
16. Cook 5 nights a week most weeks.
17. Get a kitten or puppy :)
18. Develop a weekly housecleaning schedule.
19. Do some crafts I've been delaying (i.e., wall art for our bedroom).
20. Find a couple of local beers I actually like.
21. Go paddle boarding this summer.
22. Eat at some of the local, legit Hispanic restaurants in our neighborhood.
23. Work up to walking to the zoo regularly to use my zoo pass.
24. Get a library card and use it.
25. Get my hair cut more than once this year.
26. Try a new restaurant during Restaurant Week.
27. Have a veggie garden again this summer, and actually harvest and eat the produce.
28. Go for a hike.
29. Eat at Civic Center Eats this summer.
30. Go to Jazz in the Park once.
So, there ya have it. Selah's 4-month update and my 30 by 30 goals. Since almost a month has passed, I feel like I should post my progress, but sadly, I'm not exactly notably progressing. 4 pounds down and once to the zoo so far...So, here's to a year of getting stuff done in 2014!
Friday, December 13, 2013
On Quitting
So, I quit my job last week.
For those of you who know us and our life lately, it
shouldn’t have been a surprise. When we found out we were pregnant, we began
discussing life after baby and what it would look like. We knew I’d likely be
going back into the workforce after my maternity leave, at least for a little
while, but were praying God would open a door for Adrian to have a FT position
so it would be a seamless transition to me staying home.
Well, it has not been seamless. A couple weeks before Selah
was born, things at the office started to get really weird and crappy.
Disciplinary action, threats of being fired, hostile attitudes from people I
had been close with…all very disconcerting. So while I was out on my leave, I
knew I just wanted to be done with it all. Adrian reminded me time and time
again that my first response when things get hard is ALWAYS flight. I am not a
fighter. I avoid conflict like the plague and try and run at the first chance I
get. So when my maternity leave ended, there was much weeping and fighting and
gnashing of teeth. I did NOT want to go back.
But, go back I did and things had not improved. There was
still much reticence on my part to be there and much hostility on their part
that I was there. The only thing that had changed was finding out that I would
need surgery ASAP. So, we booked my surgery for October 30 and during those 5
weeks I was back at work, I tried to work well and love people well. It wasn’t
easy, but I finally hit a point when it clicked that I wasn’t going to get the
approval of my bosses, and I didn’t care. I wanted to do a good job for them,
but it shouldn’t wreck my day when they didn’t speak to me at all. The only
approval I should be seeking was the Lord’s, and when I knew I was providing
for my family and trying to model Christ at the office, it was suddenly OK to
be there.
Right before my surgery, Adrian and I spent a great deal of
time praying and talking about the future. I would have 4 weeks to recover and
afterwards, we decided I would turn in my two-weeks notice, regardless of
whether or not Adrian had a FT job. We believed that in the current state of
things, I wasn’t able to do the things God had called me to because of my
stress about the job. It was Ashford all over again – tears all the time. We
weren’t even close to thriving as a family – merely surviving. We decided
together that me quitting would be a step of faith and a way to begin to reverse
engineer our lives so we could all thrive and not just survive.
As my surgery leave drew to a close, the Lord began to
orchestrate things to work out even better than we anticipated. It hasn’t been
rosy or easy, stepping out and leaving the workforce and a full-time income. It
hasn’t been a cause and effect of, “If I quit, God will give Adrian a job.” The
beautiful thing is though, it’s OK. We’re finally at a place we believe God has
called us to be. I’ve been home with Seh for a week and a half now and it’s not
easy, but it’s SO GOOD.
We’ve been able to have people over for discipleship, host
23 people for Thanksgiving, get the house feeling like a home and spend a lot
of time together as a family. Everything may change drastically in the coming
months, and I’m trying to truly cherish this time we have together, even though
it’s uncertain and often unstructured.
One thing I’m working on as I develop a routine and life
outside of the structured workforce is building my own business. I know every
mom with a camera fancies herself a photographer, but I’m trying to begin
gaining experience again so that I can someday charge and help provide for our
family in that way. So, that said, I did a photo shoot with our good friends
the Turneys recently and would love for you to take a look and give me any
feedback! Better yet, if you like it at all, I’d love to do a FREE photo shoot
for you! Again, just trying to build a portfolio again. Take a gander over at
www.SelahVPhotography.wordpress.com (the name came before the baby!) and let me
know if I can do any shots for y’all!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Traditions
I might become one of those people I scoffed at. One of
those people who begins decorating and celebrating Christmas before
Thanksgiving has come and gone. Oh, the bittersweet irony.
In the past, I was always adamant that each holiday had it’s
time, and not to rush Christmas. Trees were for putting up AFTER Thanksgiving,
carols were to be sung in December (although January 1st was
acceptable) and gifts were to be bought Christmas Eve. You know – all the same
rules everyone holds to, right?
This year though, with a baby girl in tow and a beautiful
home of our own to decorate, the itch for Christmas is hitting MUCH earlier
than ever before. So much so, that as I’ve been laid up in bed this week, I
have been all over Pinterest like
spit-up on a newborn, i.e., a lot.
Visions of craft days with Selah fill my head.
And yet, I’m already cautioning myself against burnout.
Maybe it’s from not feeling 100% lately, but I’m already a little weary and
nothing but anticipation has begun! It’s been blogged to death, but Pinterest
really can set some ridiculously high expectations, especially this time of
year. So as I’m thinking through things I want to do and establish, I want to
be mindful of making wise choices on how we spend our money, time and energy. One
thing I’ve kind of prided myself on is establishing intentional traditions for
our family and making intentional memories, not just during Christmas, but
throughout the year.
We always buy a coffee mug from big trips or places we’ve
lived. We started a family-portrait-in-front-of-a-cornfield tradition this
year. (Now) We always take a picture on our anniversary, holding a picture from
our last anniversary (and we always
take a trip on our anniversary). We always make several pots of various soups
and have a Harry Potter marathon the whole week of Thanksgiving (one of our
favorite traditions!!). I’m going to start a new tradition this year for
Christmas for Adrian, to remind him he’s my first priority. So my question is
this: What traditions do you recommend?
Obviously there are some big gaping holes in our traditions.
Journalist that I am, I like to commemorate with words and pictures. I need
some traditions to just ENJOY. We need some traditions to focus us on Jesus and
not on ourselves. We also need some Christmas traditions – a meal to bake, an
ornament to make, a picture to take…you get the idea. So, friends – hit me with
your best shot. Fire away.
What traditions have you found especially meaningful for
your family or yourself? What traditions help you draw close to Jesus? What
traditions are just great memories from Christmas or whenever that we should
consider implementing? Ready….GO.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Pensieve
If I only could get to Hogwarts, I'd take advantage of the pensieve and relieve myself of the thoughts and memories swirling around in my head. However, I don't see that as a likelihood, so my blog will have to function in that role.
It's been a couple months of mental treadmill time. So many things going on, questions being asked, emotional battles being fought and beliefs being hashed out. It's been a period of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for me. I didn't believe the people who said I'd absolutely love being a mom. Why would I? I'm not super maternal and I had zero experience with babies. I had no idea how much I would love it. I also didn't fathom how much it would stretch my faith and me to return to the workforce only 7 weeks after Seh being born. Since her birth, it has been a time of rapid change in our lives, and though we knew it was coming, I confess it's been much harder than I expected for me. The uncertainty has left me reeling, and struggling against God and wondering what the future holds.
Today is our 4-year anniversary. Like we do every year, we're taking a weekend vacation to celebrate and re-connect. On the one hand - I'm a little scared. Leaving my little munchkin all weekend is not the most appealing thing, but on the other hand - an entire weekend away to sleep and keep clothes free of baby bodily fluids? Awesome. And yet - it's bittersweet to move forward into our 5th year of marriage. It's been a wonderful season of life, but the winds they are a changing and bringing a new season with them. In the last year, we bought a house and had a baby. Those are big changes to carry us into year 5. Now we have big questions about how to pay our mortgage and save for Selah. No longer can we be as carefree with our decisions, and that weighs on me. Though there are things I desparately want to do in the next year (the next MONTH), I just can't. It's a weighty thing to be responsible for another life (beyond the dog, turtles or your grown-man husband). I love it, but it's weighty.
As we get away together, I am hoping it will be a time to rest in the arms of my husband and in the arms of Jesus, and to remember that I don't have to struggle. Though there are still big questions on the horizon, I don't have to KNOW or have the answers. We'll take it a few days at a time and trust that the Lord is a good and loving Father who desires to give us good gifts. He already has, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he writes our story over the next 4 or 40 years.
It's been a couple months of mental treadmill time. So many things going on, questions being asked, emotional battles being fought and beliefs being hashed out. It's been a period of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for me. I didn't believe the people who said I'd absolutely love being a mom. Why would I? I'm not super maternal and I had zero experience with babies. I had no idea how much I would love it. I also didn't fathom how much it would stretch my faith and me to return to the workforce only 7 weeks after Seh being born. Since her birth, it has been a time of rapid change in our lives, and though we knew it was coming, I confess it's been much harder than I expected for me. The uncertainty has left me reeling, and struggling against God and wondering what the future holds.
Today is our 4-year anniversary. Like we do every year, we're taking a weekend vacation to celebrate and re-connect. On the one hand - I'm a little scared. Leaving my little munchkin all weekend is not the most appealing thing, but on the other hand - an entire weekend away to sleep and keep clothes free of baby bodily fluids? Awesome. And yet - it's bittersweet to move forward into our 5th year of marriage. It's been a wonderful season of life, but the winds they are a changing and bringing a new season with them. In the last year, we bought a house and had a baby. Those are big changes to carry us into year 5. Now we have big questions about how to pay our mortgage and save for Selah. No longer can we be as carefree with our decisions, and that weighs on me. Though there are things I desparately want to do in the next year (the next MONTH), I just can't. It's a weighty thing to be responsible for another life (beyond the dog, turtles or your grown-man husband). I love it, but it's weighty.
As we get away together, I am hoping it will be a time to rest in the arms of my husband and in the arms of Jesus, and to remember that I don't have to struggle. Though there are still big questions on the horizon, I don't have to KNOW or have the answers. We'll take it a few days at a time and trust that the Lord is a good and loving Father who desires to give us good gifts. He already has, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he writes our story over the next 4 or 40 years.
Monday, September 23, 2013
VanderBean's Debut
Tomorrow, my sweet baby turns 6 weeks old. Time has alternately crawled and flown by, and I am beginning to fully understand the phrase, "The days are long but the years are short." I don't know about years, but the last 6 weeks have flown by.
Next week, I'll start back to work - a fact that I am alternately terrified by and (somewhat) looking forward to. I'm looking forward to having more than an hour and a half block to not focus on all things baby. I am terrified for obvious reasons - what mother is ever ready to leave her newborn all day long, even if she knows the baby is in the FULLY capable hands of Jesus and Adrian?
Before I look ahead too much - let me look back and share the store of VanderBean's birth, for those who want to know. If you don't want to know - skip down. There are pictures at the end :)
Six weeks ago today, I woke up at 5:45 in the morning with contractions. Due to slightly elevated blood pressure and some protein in my urine at my regular Friday appointment, we were scheduled to go back to the doctor's office that morning for a follow-up. She believed I had preeclampsia and had wanted to induce on Friday. I said, "No thanks - we'll take it easy and wait and see." I wasn't even due for another week. So, when I woke up with regular contractions on Monday morning, I was confident we had made the right decision to wait and not get induced. After telling the nurse I was having regular contractions (about 6 minutes apart by the time we got to the doctor), they still hooked me up to monitors for an hour and a half to keep track of the baby's heartbeat, my blood pressure and fetal movements.
When the doctor finally (FINALLY) examined me, she found I was 5 centimeters dilated and to the hospital I was ordered to go! Do not go home, do not pass go...that kind of thing. Seriously? I could have told you it was time for the hospital. Anyways. We went home to gather our things (against doc's orders), but I was a little panicked and refused to go get food - for myself or Adrian. I was starving. He was starving...it was a bit of a hangry labor.
After checking into the hospital, our dear friend Melissa brought A a sub and then later, our friends Andy and Angela brought us some Chick-Fil-A. Mine went into the fridge for after the labor and Adrian happily ate his :/ Advice #1 to future mothers - EAT BEFORE YOU GO. I know they say not to, but I fully believe I would have felt MUCH better if I just had some food in my belly. As it was, we had to keep my mind off my hunger by watching episodes of the Office and starting Bananagrams.
Advice #2 to future mothers - If you're getting an epidural, make sure to get it as soon as you think you want it. After being in labor in the hospital for about 7-8 hours, I was ready. However, they wanted to check my cervix one more time before (I was at 8 cm dilated), and while doing that, they broke my water. After that, the contractions got AWFUL. It was seriously painful and kudos to women who go all natural. No way I could do that. For about an hour and a half, I labored really painfully between when my water was broken and when the epidural took effect. And then it was time to push. Our nurse asked in the middle of the pushing if I was ready to do it all again (pregnancy, labor) and honestly, apart from that hour and a half, I did not mind labor and delivery at all. Seriously. Some women have horror stories and I am so thankful mine wasn't one of those. What a blessing.
From 9:45 to midnight that Monday night, I pushed, and Adrian was there coaching me the whole time. Seriously, the best birth coach I could have asked for!! As we neared midnight, I was hoping the baby would make his/her appearance. Not sure why I wanted that, but I did. Anyways, a few minutes after 12:00, a contraction hit, I pushed, and most of the baby came on out. The doctor was in the hall at that point, so the nurse went running out to grab her, leaving just Adrian and I there to try and keep that baby from hitting the floor! Not really, but close. I could actually still feel the legs inside me kicking (what a weird sensation), so he wasn't about to actually deliver the baby, but it was a little close! After the doctor delivered the baby, she let Adrian announce the gender.
When he said, "We have a little girl," I asked, "Seriously?!" I thought he was joking; I had been so sure it was a boy!! I was wrong :)
We had two girl names picked out, but when we saw the size of her hands and feet, and learned she was in the 98th percentile for height, we got a little worried about our name options. Did we want to go with Elliot (Elle or Ellie) - a name that, though it holds great meaning, is a boy's name? Or did we want to go with Remy, which rhymes with Remy the Hemi? No thanks. We needed something feminine, in case she follows in her dad's footsteps and is not small and dainty? (PS - there are apparently baby size predictors, based off mom and dad's height. According to that - she'll be 5'11''.)
After a day to think about it and rest up, we eventually settled on the name Selah Grace for our new daughter. It's a word in the Psalms that is believed to mean "Pause and reflect," so her name literally means to pause and reflect on grace, as God has gifted us with SO MUCH. So, with that said, here are a few photos to pause and reflect on! Hate to cut this short, but she's a wee bit fussy and hungry sitting beside me at Starbucks as I type this :) So enjoy and welcome to the world, Selah!! We are SO GLAD you're here and that you're ours.
Next week, I'll start back to work - a fact that I am alternately terrified by and (somewhat) looking forward to. I'm looking forward to having more than an hour and a half block to not focus on all things baby. I am terrified for obvious reasons - what mother is ever ready to leave her newborn all day long, even if she knows the baby is in the FULLY capable hands of Jesus and Adrian?
Before I look ahead too much - let me look back and share the store of VanderBean's birth, for those who want to know. If you don't want to know - skip down. There are pictures at the end :)
Six weeks ago today, I woke up at 5:45 in the morning with contractions. Due to slightly elevated blood pressure and some protein in my urine at my regular Friday appointment, we were scheduled to go back to the doctor's office that morning for a follow-up. She believed I had preeclampsia and had wanted to induce on Friday. I said, "No thanks - we'll take it easy and wait and see." I wasn't even due for another week. So, when I woke up with regular contractions on Monday morning, I was confident we had made the right decision to wait and not get induced. After telling the nurse I was having regular contractions (about 6 minutes apart by the time we got to the doctor), they still hooked me up to monitors for an hour and a half to keep track of the baby's heartbeat, my blood pressure and fetal movements.
When the doctor finally (FINALLY) examined me, she found I was 5 centimeters dilated and to the hospital I was ordered to go! Do not go home, do not pass go...that kind of thing. Seriously? I could have told you it was time for the hospital. Anyways. We went home to gather our things (against doc's orders), but I was a little panicked and refused to go get food - for myself or Adrian. I was starving. He was starving...it was a bit of a hangry labor.
After checking into the hospital, our dear friend Melissa brought A a sub and then later, our friends Andy and Angela brought us some Chick-Fil-A. Mine went into the fridge for after the labor and Adrian happily ate his :/ Advice #1 to future mothers - EAT BEFORE YOU GO. I know they say not to, but I fully believe I would have felt MUCH better if I just had some food in my belly. As it was, we had to keep my mind off my hunger by watching episodes of the Office and starting Bananagrams.
Advice #2 to future mothers - If you're getting an epidural, make sure to get it as soon as you think you want it. After being in labor in the hospital for about 7-8 hours, I was ready. However, they wanted to check my cervix one more time before (I was at 8 cm dilated), and while doing that, they broke my water. After that, the contractions got AWFUL. It was seriously painful and kudos to women who go all natural. No way I could do that. For about an hour and a half, I labored really painfully between when my water was broken and when the epidural took effect. And then it was time to push. Our nurse asked in the middle of the pushing if I was ready to do it all again (pregnancy, labor) and honestly, apart from that hour and a half, I did not mind labor and delivery at all. Seriously. Some women have horror stories and I am so thankful mine wasn't one of those. What a blessing.
From 9:45 to midnight that Monday night, I pushed, and Adrian was there coaching me the whole time. Seriously, the best birth coach I could have asked for!! As we neared midnight, I was hoping the baby would make his/her appearance. Not sure why I wanted that, but I did. Anyways, a few minutes after 12:00, a contraction hit, I pushed, and most of the baby came on out. The doctor was in the hall at that point, so the nurse went running out to grab her, leaving just Adrian and I there to try and keep that baby from hitting the floor! Not really, but close. I could actually still feel the legs inside me kicking (what a weird sensation), so he wasn't about to actually deliver the baby, but it was a little close! After the doctor delivered the baby, she let Adrian announce the gender.
When he said, "We have a little girl," I asked, "Seriously?!" I thought he was joking; I had been so sure it was a boy!! I was wrong :)
We had two girl names picked out, but when we saw the size of her hands and feet, and learned she was in the 98th percentile for height, we got a little worried about our name options. Did we want to go with Elliot (Elle or Ellie) - a name that, though it holds great meaning, is a boy's name? Or did we want to go with Remy, which rhymes with Remy the Hemi? No thanks. We needed something feminine, in case she follows in her dad's footsteps and is not small and dainty? (PS - there are apparently baby size predictors, based off mom and dad's height. According to that - she'll be 5'11''.)
After a day to think about it and rest up, we eventually settled on the name Selah Grace for our new daughter. It's a word in the Psalms that is believed to mean "Pause and reflect," so her name literally means to pause and reflect on grace, as God has gifted us with SO MUCH. So, with that said, here are a few photos to pause and reflect on! Hate to cut this short, but she's a wee bit fussy and hungry sitting beside me at Starbucks as I type this :) So enjoy and welcome to the world, Selah!! We are SO GLAD you're here and that you're ours.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
It's the Final Countdown
More time has elapsed since my last post than will likely elapse until our baby is born.
What?! That's crazy. Seriously. Still having trouble wrapping my mind around all the changes that are coming in a few short weeks. Although we are now within a month of the due date, I'm starting to think we could meet this little VanderBean sooner than expected. At my appointment on Tuesday, I was told I'm measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule, so we could either have a giant baby (wouldn't surprise me) or our weekends of sleeping till 11 could be seriously numbered.
It's the final countdown - no doubt about that. So much has happened in the last few weeks, and yet, so much more to come...
- Adrian and I celebrated a "babymoon" with a weekend in Beaver Creek, CO at the end of June. Although we had a good time, bad customer service, combined with a fire in our room and a 6 am evacuation for a different fire, made the trip slightly less than 100% relaxing.
- Friends from church threw us an amazing baby shower. We were SO blessed to have around 30 people come celebrate VanderBean and gift us with some serious swag!! It was so nice to have A's mom and aunt in town that weekend to help sort through and organize all the gifts too. The following week, the girls at work threw a shower for me and another recent mama, and it was also a sweet time with those ladies! Potluck lunch and baby gifts - how fun!
- We had a friend from church living with us for a month or so, as she prepared for her wedding to another friend from church. We celebrated with them this past Saturday as they married amid the sounds of a parade and block party across the street :)
- Adrian went to his parents' house for a week to enjoy some R&R from work and help his parents with projects around the house. He returned with a TRUCKLOAD of goodies - yard equipment, tools, a cute little storage bench...I'm excited to see how it helps the house come together!
- Ben is finally settling in. After months of craziness, when he and A returned from WY, he was back to his sweet self. We seem to have a routine now that suits him (basically, bribes of lots of treats!), but thankfully, he's a pleasure to have around again! We think he may have been picking up on our feelings of being unsettled, but we're all doing good now :)
- A couple of weekends ago we were all about Craigslist! We had multiple little dates to cute surrounding towns to pick up a glider and some lawn furniture. We combined those excursions with paddle-boating, pizza, and fro-yo. And then enjoying lots of sitting in our new, comfy pieces.
After a months of fun-days, what is there left to look forward to before the baby comes?
- Birthing class this weekend. Hopefully this helps me understand when I should call the doctor and go to the hospital! Still a little fuzzy on those details...
- Going to Golden to sit in the creek and enjoy some water and pizza at Woody's!
- Getting the nursery painted soon, hopefully!! We need to put it all together still.
- Ordering the last few things for the baby. Although we've been given so much and I've been able to bargain hunt for the rest of the baby stuff, there are still a few key pieces missing. So, on the agenda for the next week or so is getting the car-seat and crib mattress! You know - minor things. Who needs a car seat? ;)
- Enjoying the last few weeks of time with just Adrian and I. We've been trying to sleep a lot, watch a lot of movies, enjoy dinners out and just have fun together. Sadly, so many people act like this baby coming will change everything for the negative. "You'll never go to a movie again." "Eat dinner out now, because you won't be able to once the baby is here." To some extent, I understand the truth in their statements. A baby changes everything. I get that. Just because something changes though doesn't mean it ends. Life won't be over, date nights won't be over, fun won't be over just because a baby comes. We'll have to be strategic and plan ahead more, but we're both determined to look at the changes this baby will bring as a joyous blessing and not an inconvenience to our life.
Am I way off or being totally naive? If I am being naive, maybe don't tell me :) Let me enjoy the last few weeks of ignorance in bliss!
What?! That's crazy. Seriously. Still having trouble wrapping my mind around all the changes that are coming in a few short weeks. Although we are now within a month of the due date, I'm starting to think we could meet this little VanderBean sooner than expected. At my appointment on Tuesday, I was told I'm measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule, so we could either have a giant baby (wouldn't surprise me) or our weekends of sleeping till 11 could be seriously numbered.
It's the final countdown - no doubt about that. So much has happened in the last few weeks, and yet, so much more to come...
- Adrian and I celebrated a "babymoon" with a weekend in Beaver Creek, CO at the end of June. Although we had a good time, bad customer service, combined with a fire in our room and a 6 am evacuation for a different fire, made the trip slightly less than 100% relaxing.
- July 4th was spent with a cookout at City Park with friends, an adorable little po-dunk parade a few blocks from the house, The Lone Ranger at the theater, surf and turf dinner on our front porch amid 5 fireworks shows we could see and sparklers in the street with our dear friends the Turneys. Even though it looked vastly different (and more pregnant) than last year's celebrations - both have been great! No tubing or biking to watch fireworks in 2013, but we still had a wonderful time. Also - I had a prenatal massage the day before and it was glorious. SOOOOO nice and needed!
- Friends from church threw us an amazing baby shower. We were SO blessed to have around 30 people come celebrate VanderBean and gift us with some serious swag!! It was so nice to have A's mom and aunt in town that weekend to help sort through and organize all the gifts too. The following week, the girls at work threw a shower for me and another recent mama, and it was also a sweet time with those ladies! Potluck lunch and baby gifts - how fun!
- We had a friend from church living with us for a month or so, as she prepared for her wedding to another friend from church. We celebrated with them this past Saturday as they married amid the sounds of a parade and block party across the street :)
- Adrian went to his parents' house for a week to enjoy some R&R from work and help his parents with projects around the house. He returned with a TRUCKLOAD of goodies - yard equipment, tools, a cute little storage bench...I'm excited to see how it helps the house come together!
- Ben is finally settling in. After months of craziness, when he and A returned from WY, he was back to his sweet self. We seem to have a routine now that suits him (basically, bribes of lots of treats!), but thankfully, he's a pleasure to have around again! We think he may have been picking up on our feelings of being unsettled, but we're all doing good now :)
- A couple of weekends ago we were all about Craigslist! We had multiple little dates to cute surrounding towns to pick up a glider and some lawn furniture. We combined those excursions with paddle-boating, pizza, and fro-yo. And then enjoying lots of sitting in our new, comfy pieces.
After a months of fun-days, what is there left to look forward to before the baby comes?
- Birthing class this weekend. Hopefully this helps me understand when I should call the doctor and go to the hospital! Still a little fuzzy on those details...
- Going to Golden to sit in the creek and enjoy some water and pizza at Woody's!
- Getting the nursery painted soon, hopefully!! We need to put it all together still.
- Ordering the last few things for the baby. Although we've been given so much and I've been able to bargain hunt for the rest of the baby stuff, there are still a few key pieces missing. So, on the agenda for the next week or so is getting the car-seat and crib mattress! You know - minor things. Who needs a car seat? ;)
- Enjoying the last few weeks of time with just Adrian and I. We've been trying to sleep a lot, watch a lot of movies, enjoy dinners out and just have fun together. Sadly, so many people act like this baby coming will change everything for the negative. "You'll never go to a movie again." "Eat dinner out now, because you won't be able to once the baby is here." To some extent, I understand the truth in their statements. A baby changes everything. I get that. Just because something changes though doesn't mean it ends. Life won't be over, date nights won't be over, fun won't be over just because a baby comes. We'll have to be strategic and plan ahead more, but we're both determined to look at the changes this baby will bring as a joyous blessing and not an inconvenience to our life.
Am I way off or being totally naive? If I am being naive, maybe don't tell me :) Let me enjoy the last few weeks of ignorance in bliss!
Monday, May 13, 2013
First Mother's Day
As difficult as it is for me to comprehend - everyone keeps telling me we're parents now. I'm a mother already, even if I've only held my baby in my belly and in my heart and not my arms.
I realize Mother's Day can be a touchy subject for many, as it brings up pains and regrets over children lost or children never realized. I've never made much of a big deal about it, because I understand that for some people, for whatever reason, it's not a day of celebration but of mourning. For others of us, both expecting via biological birth and by adoption, it's a weird day because the world is divided on whether or not we ARE mothers at this stage of the game. Just because we haven't held our babies yet, does it mean we're any less emotionally invested than those who have? And for those who have lost children, either before birth or after, does the absence of a physical body mean you're no longer a mom?
So as I went about my day yesterday, it was interesting to observe Mother's Day from this "middle ground." It was interesting to see who wished me a happy Mother's Day as an obviously-expectant mom. Thank you to the myriad of friends, neighbors, coworkers, strangers and in-laws who did :) It was much appreciated.
It was also interesting to see how many people on Facebook mentioned Mother's Day. As I've gotten older and more of my friends have become moms or dads, the amount of people mentioning mother's day or changing their profile picture to a picture of them and their moms was amazing. TONS. Made me realize if I lost a child or no one recongized me as a mom, I'd want to hide in a dark hole with no Facebook for the whole weekend, which would be a shame since the weather here was SO lovely.
Speaking of lovely weather - my husband took full advantage of it for us as he helped me celebrate my first Mother's Day. I woke up (OK - so he woke me up) around 11:15 to a breakfast in the backyard, lovingly prepared by Snooze - my favorite brunch place in Denver! Two kinds of eggs benedict and some kind of delicious chocolately pancakes! Yum. He brought home a lovely vase of yellow flowers and tried to buy me a hammock because I LOVE them and our yard is begging for one, but that didn't work out as they weren't in-store. After church we grabbed burgers and ate in the backyard again under the pergola with the Christmas lights on. All in all - it was a nice time of celebrating Vanderbean making me a mom, but more than that, celebrating the blessings God has given us in each other, our home and the wee one bouncing up a storm in my belly.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, we squeezed in a trip to the Dollar Store (romantic, right? He had to pick up supplies for church). I sat in the car and watched a bazillion people come in and out of Dollar General and marveled. Not only were there a ton of people for a Sunday, but Mother's Day at the Dollar General? And the women going in and out were dressed to the nines, carrying flowers and wishing everyone a happy Mother's Day - including the teenager smoking pot on the sidewalk :) It was a very jolly atmosphere outside (Adrian said inside everyone was unhappy about the registers - apparently Dollar General didn't expect it to be a high-traffic day either).
So, if you are, ever were or ever plan to be a mother - I hope it was a happy Mother's Day for you. For the ways you alter your life to raise a the next generation - whether it be through parenting or spiritual parenting and discipling - thank you. You have been and are a blessing and hopefully because of you, we worship the One who perfectly parents.
I realize Mother's Day can be a touchy subject for many, as it brings up pains and regrets over children lost or children never realized. I've never made much of a big deal about it, because I understand that for some people, for whatever reason, it's not a day of celebration but of mourning. For others of us, both expecting via biological birth and by adoption, it's a weird day because the world is divided on whether or not we ARE mothers at this stage of the game. Just because we haven't held our babies yet, does it mean we're any less emotionally invested than those who have? And for those who have lost children, either before birth or after, does the absence of a physical body mean you're no longer a mom?
So as I went about my day yesterday, it was interesting to observe Mother's Day from this "middle ground." It was interesting to see who wished me a happy Mother's Day as an obviously-expectant mom. Thank you to the myriad of friends, neighbors, coworkers, strangers and in-laws who did :) It was much appreciated.
It was also interesting to see how many people on Facebook mentioned Mother's Day. As I've gotten older and more of my friends have become moms or dads, the amount of people mentioning mother's day or changing their profile picture to a picture of them and their moms was amazing. TONS. Made me realize if I lost a child or no one recongized me as a mom, I'd want to hide in a dark hole with no Facebook for the whole weekend, which would be a shame since the weather here was SO lovely.
Speaking of lovely weather - my husband took full advantage of it for us as he helped me celebrate my first Mother's Day. I woke up (OK - so he woke me up) around 11:15 to a breakfast in the backyard, lovingly prepared by Snooze - my favorite brunch place in Denver! Two kinds of eggs benedict and some kind of delicious chocolately pancakes! Yum. He brought home a lovely vase of yellow flowers and tried to buy me a hammock because I LOVE them and our yard is begging for one, but that didn't work out as they weren't in-store. After church we grabbed burgers and ate in the backyard again under the pergola with the Christmas lights on. All in all - it was a nice time of celebrating Vanderbean making me a mom, but more than that, celebrating the blessings God has given us in each other, our home and the wee one bouncing up a storm in my belly.
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| Pancakes with flowers on them. So delish. And pretty. And eco-friendly. |
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| Lovely flowers from my main squeeze. Finally - fresh flowers in my house! |
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| Our yummy brunch, complete with a nosy dog who wanted to celebrate, umm...eat, with us. |
So, if you are, ever were or ever plan to be a mother - I hope it was a happy Mother's Day for you. For the ways you alter your life to raise a the next generation - whether it be through parenting or spiritual parenting and discipling - thank you. You have been and are a blessing and hopefully because of you, we worship the One who perfectly parents.
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