Birth, Work, and Bluebird-isms

I am so lucky -- today I got to see the documentery film that Ricki Lake directed, "The Business of Being Born." It concisely (1 hour 23 minutes) explains why I believe hospitals usually ruin healthy labor and delivery experiences, and why midwife-assisted home births (gasp) and birthcenters (which value midwives and the home-like setting) offer women the chance to experience life (scientifically: oxytocin, plainly: the bliss after the pain) and be empowered (if we can deliver babies, imagine what else we can do that we thought too difficult), all while bringing a healthy baby into the world. The film will be released theatrically in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco in January 2008 and the video release will be in March, 2008. Click to see a trailer.

Bluebird is so over his cough. Thank you for praying for us. Within a day or two of my last post, it was gone.

Can I just say how wiped out I am after a day at work? I enjoy my work but it's about all I can handle for a day -- I don't have the energy to come home to play with or be in charge of eventually getting the kids to bed. In addition, I've begun to feel slightly anxious about my work schedule. Right now, I work Tuesdays and Thursdays and the other part-time lady works Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. We both use the same computer, and between the two of us, we make one full-time person! My mom (and often times babysitter) will no longer be able to help me on Tuesdays. And because the [one] computer is already used Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I feel stuck as to when I can work instead of Tuesdays. Because I imagine the computer problem will only be magnified come January, I talked to my boss about him buying another computer. I'm sure it will work out. I just liked the routine of knowing I work Tuesdays and Thursdays. I don't like the inconsistancy and day-to-day stress of figuring out when I can work next...

Sweetface can roll over now. Both from her stomach to her back, and from her back to her stomach. I'd say she's probably been doing it for a couple weeks now. She can roll over, but she doesn't do it all the time. Maybe she hasn't found out how fun it can be and how it can help her move. Or maybe it's because she rarely gets any time on the floor. It makes me sad actually that we have hardwood floors and no soft carpeted area. What kind of parents are we?!?

I've been spending a lot of my free time putting Bluebird pictures into his albums. I probably have put about 200 prints away. I still have about 200 more pictures to put in their respective albums ("Bluebird", "Sweetface", and "Family & Friends"). Then I need to print a bunch more.

I've been meaning to journal a couple of funny / cute things Bluebird has said, that I don't want to forget.

Bluebird went through a phase where "try" was his answer to everything. 2 weeks after Sweetface was born, Bluebird pointed to my belly button and said, "Sweetface inside."
Mommy: "Yes, Sweetface used to be inside Mommy's tummy."
Bluebird: "More." (a common Bluebird word)
Mommy: "Sweetface can't go back inside Mommy's tummy!"
Bluebird: "Try."
It made me smile.

A bit more recently, I've talked him into saying "I love you too," when people tell him they love him. ;) I love it, I love it, I love it. I've been looking forward to the day when all my hard "mommy" work is appreciated and evidenced by him telling me he loves me. Also, he and I have our own love talk when he affectionately in a long drawn out way, says, "Moooommy, Moooooommy, Moooooommy." I in return say, "Bluuuebird, Bluuuuebird, Bluuuuebird." Well, not exactly, but you get the idea. It means, "I love you."

The other day after he had already been tucked into bed once, he called me into his bedroom. I was snacking on Rolos and I popped one more in my mouth before I opened his door, so that he wouldn't see me eating it. I laid down on his bed next to him, and he instantly says, "Choc-cho" (translation: chocolate). Trying not to grin, I said, "How did you know? It wasn't what he said next that cracked me up, because he didn't even say anything, but what he did. He exaggeratively started inhaling and exhaling through his nose! The little guy instantly smelled it on my breath -- I was busted!

A while back, Aaron was teaching Bluebird which Walgreens was "his." We were shopping at one that wasn't his, but Bluebird did not yet know better, and said, "Daddy's Walgreens." Aaron corrected him and said, "Well, no. This isn't Daddy's Walgreens. This is a Walgreens, but it isn't Daddy's Walgreens." Bluebird learned that day, and still every time we drive by that one Walgreens he let's us know, that that's "A Walgreens." He doesn't understand "a" is an article, but instead thinks that it is the proper name of the Walgreens at 21st & Fairlawn.

Well, hubby is home from work, and he comes bearing gifts (Sonic sausage, egg & cheese breakfast burrito), so blogging has lost it's lure. Later.

Everything from bangs to God

I'm so pleased with my new email address -- does that make me a nerd? I don't think so. The reasons I love my gmail account:

1. I have always used Google's search engine
2. I already have Google set to be my homepage
3. Google allows me to customize my homepage (iGoogle) with little Google
applications, tools, newsfeeds, etc. (see number 5)
4. I can now choose to have a Gmail summary (letting me know if I have any new messages and links directly to those new messages) right on my homepage! 5. Now my Google homepage includes not only the search engine box, but also a link to Gmail, the weather outside along with the forecast, my ToDo list, the
How to of the Day, and a link to my NIV Daily Bible reading of the day

I feel as though my life is streamlined -- efficient and simple, and that's the way I like it!

In other news, my bangs need trimmed. The rest of my hair could probably use a little pick-me-up as well, but now that I have bangs right above my eyes, it's more of an issue. Which makes me wonder: how short / long should I have them cut? Last time I was in, she cut them to the exact length that looked good. But that means it doesn't take long for them to be longer than what looks best. Maybe I should have them cut just a bit shorter than what looks best, so that I can go twice as long before they are so long.

Seriously now. I received a great email today from a friend and in it was a video she forwarded that reminded me of a lesson God taught me a couple months ago. It was great to be reminded. I had been reading Ecclesiastes 2:11 which says "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." The little devotional in my Bible that goes along with this reading says, "The Bible teaches us that instead of searching for happiness, we should allow God's joy and peace to reign in our hearts. Instead of striving for the things we think will satisfy, we can learn to find true contentment by looking to God, whatever our circumstance." As I type that, I am reminded of another season in my life when God was trying to teach me the same thing -- I must really struggle with this! Anyway, when Sweetface was only a few weeks old, and my hubby had returned back to work, I would find myself looking forward to his return home so that I could have a little help or even do something for myself (thus equalling happiness). But I couldn't live like that every hour he was at work! I want God's joy and peace to reign in my heart, not discontent! I was taught that "blessed" in the Bible means "happy." Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven (Psalm 32:1), who trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:4) and who draw near to God (Psalm 65:4). The true source of pleasure is God. When I claim these as my own, I am happy, even if dishes, laundry, and kids are my reality. God's joy and peace reign in my heart regardless!

Make sure your volume is up while watching this video.

Could it be?

I'm shocked! I thought that V8 Splash would be a healthy fruit juice choice, because of it's healthy V8 vegetable juice. I was wrong. I tasted the Mango Peach flavor and not really digging it, I turned to read the label and was disgusted -- 10% juice, water is the main ingredient, followed by high fructose corn syrup! Yuck. I'm going back to Dole's 100% juice Orange Peach Mango.

I'm elated! Dr. (Robert) Sears has come out with a new book entitled The Vaccine Book. It won't be released for another 2-3 weeks, but I'm looking forward to buying a copy. It is supposed to be a non-biased source of information, research, etc. Neither Bluebird nor Sweetface have had any vaccinations (other than's mommy's yummy kind!), but I've been wondering lately, now that Bluebird is older if I feel that it'd be safe(r) now for him to have any vaccinations. All I have to do is hear another story of a child becoming autistic after being immunized to make me lean towards staying away from immunizations alltogether. I'm looking forward to this read, and becoming more educated on the issue.

I'm thankful! Bluebird's cough isn't any worse today than yesterday -- it's about the same. It's not bark-y-ish nor whooping-ish, so I'm optimistic. Keep him in your prayers please. It made my heart melt this morning to hear him wake up in his room, and the first thing he hollered was, "mommy, medicine." :( I feel for him, and want him to get better soon.

The Return

I don't even know where to begin, it's been so long since I last blogged.

In the background right now I hear my 2-year old (codename Bluebird) coughing in his sleep. I've spent a good hour googling children's cough syrup, after catching word that they could be more dangerous than helpful. I think I'll return the Robitussin I just bought, and pray he has anything besides whooping cough. And I pray God heals him quickly and protects the baby (codename Sweetface) from getting anything.

We had a lot of fun this past weekend...doing pumpkin patches and enjoying our friends' company. Specifically, we went to one on Saturday and another one on Sunday. When I tuck Bluebird into bed, before we pray, we debrief by listing the fun, good times we had that day. Both Monday evening and this evening Bluebird listed "punkin pash," even though that was two days ago! I guess he had fun. I think we'll go to another one north of the River on the 20th. Mark and Rebecca, I'm sorry we didn't get to visit with you more. Really. But I'm blogging! :)

I've recently found a new interest -- aqua exercise. It's offered at the local natatorium Mondays through Thursdays from 6-7pm, for $2.50 each class. I've always been a water girl, never a treadmill kind of girl, so this is right up my ally. In fact, I love it -- I can feel the workout, but it's fun! Right now I'm only going on evenings when the hubby is home to watch the little ones. :(

I can't readily think of anything else to write right now, but I've broken any writer's block I may have had, so it's a start!