Happy Mother's Day

Some things I have learned since becoming a mother.

1. My house will always by cluttered, I have learned to deal with this.

2. Drool isn't as gross as you think when it's coming from your own child.

3. You can function on even less sleep than you did in college.

4. You will cry at commercials, movies and news stories because it's not someone else's child anymore, it's yours that you see.

5. Nothing will drive you more insane that your child kicking the back of your seat and singing nonsense syllables over and over and over.

6. The phrase "Stop crying or I will give you something to cry about," now makes perfect sense.

7. Your child will make you laugh harder and cry longer than anything else in the world.

8. The love you have for your child is so deep and so strong that you really would do anything for them.

9. Even on my worst days, I know that it is all worth it.

Quote for the Day

I was reading around some other blogs in a bit of spare time I had today and I found this quote in response to a question posed by Madcap Mum. I think it sums up my view on religion perfectly.

"Spirituality is when the spirits/Gods tell you what to do and religion is when they tell you what someone else should do." - The Contrary Goddess

Things that make you go hmmm...with a tear in your eye

As I was tucking Maya in for a nap the other day, she was talking about dying (which we often do since the subject is just sooooo fascinating).

And she looked up at me and said "Where will I go when you and Daddy die, because there won't be anyone to take care of me."

To which I answered "Honey, I'm not planning on dying for a long time, and hopefully by then you will have a family of your own to take care of, and you won't need me anymore."

She paused and thought about that for a moment and then she said, "but can't I come with you when you die?"

I started to cry as I whispered, "No honey, I'm sorry, you have to stay here. Dying is something you have to do all by yourself."

Monster Baby vs. Living Doll

Monster Baby (Anya- 10 1/2 weeks) in the left corner weighing in at 12 lbs takes on the Living Doll (Lily- 5 weeks old) in the right corner weighing in at 5 lbs. Dressed in pink, and standing 23 inches tall, Monster baby would seem to have the advantage over Living Doll, dressed in purple and standing a mere 16 inches tall, but this reporter has heard tell of the Doll's secret weapon...gas. Only time will tell if Monster Baby's right kick will win out over Living Doll's slow motion flailing. This is a fight that will go down in history as the first meeting of two life long friends.

The girls were cheered on by their coaches, big sister Maya and big sister Rose. Ever enthusiastic and helpful, they are great supporters of the baby league kick boxing championships.

Happy Easter

Hope your Easter is warmer than ours... it's snowing and 30 degrees here, but we're cheerful and warm inside!

Anya's Room

Although we finished the room before she was born, I never did post a picture of it. Now if we could just get her to sleep in it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We love Patti!

I just wanted to post pictures of the beautiful wall hanging and blanket that my friend Patti made for the girls. She is so creative!

The wall hanging perfectly matches the walls...

Maya couldn't love princesses more if she tried...

Welcome Anwyn!

I got to go see Mommy and baby at the hospital today, both are doing great!

Anwyn Lily was born March 9th, 2007 at 9:36am. She weighed in at 4lbs 6 oz and 17.25 inches long. She was delivered via Cessarian Section at 32 weeks 2 days gestational age. She will likely be in the Intensive Care Nursury for 2 - 3 weeks. Morgan is a champ and doing way better than I did after my c-secton. Three Cheers for Morgan!!! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!

Congrats!!!

Congrats to Morgan who delivered her 2nd daughter this morning at 32 weeks! I don't have too much info, but everyone seems to be doing well. Big HUGS to Mommy and Daughter!

Finally...sisterly pictures

Yes, I finally got around to taking a picture of the girls together... and it only took me a month! Of course they're in their pajamas because we can't seem to find the time to get dressed.

4 weeks old

Hey, I can stay awake for more than five minutes!

Polar Bear Art

Maya's latest school art project.

Hospital Picture

What a cutie. Her poor nose is a bit swollen becuase she came out face up and got stuck on my pelvis. It makes her look a little Hawaiian.

Winter has arrived...

Look at my snowball!

Chad, Maya, Liam and Rose

Whee! Down the sand mound we go... (Ryan, Rose and Maya)

Thanks to Morgan for the pics! School has been cancelled for the last two days due to -20 degree windchill factor. Makes 30 degrees seem warm! Oh to be able to get out of the house again.

Welcome Anya!

Anya Isabel finally made her appearance Monday morning at 3:44am after my water broke at midnight. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 6oz and 20 1/2 inches long. She has been the perfect baby so far (knock on wood) and we are so thrilled that she is here! She looks just like Maya did, but I think her eyes will be brown like mine. Whether her hair stays dark or turns blond like Maya's did will remain to be seen!

Being a Mom

This struck me as especially touching since my Doctor scheduled my induction for this coming Monday morning, the 29th, at 5:30am. After trying so hard, and waiting so long this reminded me of why I wanted to do this all over again.

BEING A MOM

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."

"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

40 weeks or why isn't this kid here yet?

Yes...40 weeks.
No...she isn't here yet.
Thank you for your sympathy.

Snowman Candy Jar

This is one of Maya's preschool arts and crafts project. They took a baby food jar and glued cottonballs on it to make it into a snowman. Of course Maya's favorite part was that they filled it with m&m's .

100 years

THE YEAR 1906
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1906. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906:
************************************
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City
cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles
of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more
heavily populated than California.

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st
most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4. Heart disease

5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and
Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over
the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists
said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,
regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian
of health."

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least
one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

New Year's Resolution

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Poke a badger with a spoon. Get your resolution here.

Why? Because it didn't occur to me in 2006.

Still pregnant...38 weeks

Yup still pregnant for any who's wondering , just too busy to post.

More cool sunsets

Chad stopped and snapped these pictures on the the way to the hockey game last night. I've only seen one other sunset like it in my life. It's kind of eerie and beautiful at the same time.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I hope your day keeps you "hoppin' "!

Things that make you go Hmmmm...

Kids With High IQs Grow Up to Be Vegetarians
December 15, 2006 08:40:46 PM PST
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter


FRIDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- As a child's IQ rises, his taste for meat in adulthood declines, a new study suggests.

British researchers have found that children's IQ predicts their likelihood of becoming vegetarians as young adults -- lowering their risk for cardiovascular disease in the process. The finding could explain the link between smarts and better health, the investigators say.

"Brighter people tend to have healthier dietary habits," concluded lead author Catharine Gale, a senior research fellow at the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre of the University of Southampton and Southampton General Hospital.

Recent studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with lower cholesterol, reduced risk of obesity and heart disease. This might explain why children with high IQs tend to have a lower risk of heart disease in later life.

The report is published in the Dec. 15 online edition of the British Medical Journal.

"We know from other studies that brighter children tend to behave in a healthier fashion as adults -- they're less likely to smoke, less likely to be overweight, less likely to have high blood pressure and more likely to take strenuous exercise," Gale said. "This study provides further evidence that people with a higher IQ tend to have a healthier lifestyle."

In the study, Gale's team collected data on nearly 8,200 men and women aged 30, whose IQ had been tested when they were 10 years of age.

"Children who scored higher on IQ tests at age 10 were more likely than those who got lower scores to report that they were vegetarian at the age of 30," Gale said.

The researchers found that 4.5 percent of participants were vegetarians. Of these, 2.5 percent were vegan, and 33.6 percent said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken.

There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who said they ate fish or chicken, the researchers add.

Vegetarians were more likely to be female, of higher social class and better educated, but IQ was still a significant predictor of being vegetarian after adjustment for these factors, Gale said.

"Vegetarian diets are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in a number of studies, so these findings suggest that a such a diet may help to explain why children or adolescents with a higher IQ have a lower risk of coronary heart disease as adults," Gale said.

"The evidence linking vegetarianism to good health outcomes is very strong," said Dr. David L. Katz, the director of the Prevention Research Center and an associate professor of public health at the Yale University School of Medicine.

"Studies, for example, of vegetarian Seventh-Day Adventists in California suggest that they have lower rates of almost all major chronic diseases, and greater longevity, than their omnivorous counterparts," Katz said. "Evidence is also strong and consistent that greater intelligence, higher education, and loftier social status -- which tend to cluster with one another -- also correlate with good health."

Christmas Pictures

Finally got the pictures back from Walmart.
What a cutie, even if I do say so myself!

December Sunset

Chad snapped this photo from our back yard just as the sun was setting.

Happy 3rd Birthday

I've been holding tight a little secret

Been sneaking around the halls,

And now the day's arrived It's time to tell them all.

Unwrap it right now before me

For I filled it with hugs and kisses sweet,

Press them close to your heart

And smile big and wide inside

You are, yes you, are today's perfect treat.

- unknown author

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYA JANE!!

Thanksgiving Birthdays

Every year we celebrate Chad's niece's birthday at Thanksgiving dinner because her birthday is November 27th.


This year because of work schedules, not every one could make it to Maya's party, so we decided to combine the girl's parties together since their birthday's are only 5 days apart.


Maya's loving the idea of getting three sets of presents: Chad's family at Thanksgiving, our family on her birthday and then her friends party on the 9th. And two weeks later comes Christmas! That girl knows how to party!

31 1/2 weeks

8 months give or take. I'd rather give I think...

Seventh Anniversary

"This is my beloved, and this is my friend..." Song of Solomon 5:16




Happy 7th Anniversary Hunny...May we make it seven more just as easily!

Redecorating Part 2

Step 6: Finish taping all the silly little diamonds. Yes, all that blue stuff is tape. Thousands of 10 inch strips of tape that have to be precisely cut with a razor blade to make those nice little points.

Redecorating part 1

I know it's been awhile since I posted. No I haven't died or gone into labor. At least not labor that results in a baby. We have been laboring over Maya's room however. We are in the process of redecorating...which of course I had to make as complicated as possible. I think it's the art major in me.

Step 1: Chad painted everything purple. And then it had to dry.















Step 2: I spent 4 hours measuring and marking off harlequin diamonds on the lower portion of the walls.

Step 3: I spent the next 3 hours taping and cutting away the excess to perfectly mask off the said diamonds. After 7 hours my back could handle no more...I quit.
















Step 4: Chad painted the walls I had taped. Once again, drying time was needed.

Step 5: Remove tape and peel off several large patches of old paint that revealed the plaster beneath. (Needless to say step 14 and 15 will probably be repairing of the wall and touch up paint)















Stay tuned for Steps 6 through 6 million which will involve taping of the remaining walls, repair and touch ups, hand stamping of accent colors and designs and the application of the adorable wallpaper border which will bring it all together. Maya picked it out, it's pink with fairies and potted flowers.

Yes, I know...most people would have been content with the purple. Possibly some would have ventured onto the wall paper border. But what kind of psychopath would spend days putting hundreds of diamonds on the walls of a 3 year old that asked for a purple room?

Yeah...that would be me.

R.L. Burnside Quote

Every month I have my piano students study a new songwriter/composer. Sometimes I pick classical composers, but often I try to choose more modern songwriters from varying styles and eras. We discuss the style of music and the composer's background and then start each class of that month listening to a song by that composer.

This month we are discussing R.L. Burnside, a blues musician who died just last year. His music is unlike most that you've heard, but excellent. I laughed out loud at this quote, which obviously, is not fit for children...but I just had to share with someone.

Burnside claimed to have been convicted for murder and sentenced to six months' incarceration for the crime. Burnside's boss at the time reputedly pulled strings to keep the murder sentence short, due to having need of Burnside's skills as a tractor driver.

"I didn't mean to kill nobody," Burnside later said. "I just meant to shoot the sonofabitch in the head. Him dying was between him and the Lord."

Trick Or Treat

I tried to get the slide show to load onto my site, but for some reason photobucket isn't co-operating today, so you'll just have to go through the extra effort to click on the link. It's worth it!

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g96/shadylane_00/?action=view&current=1162396491.pbw