Showing posts with label Celebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebration. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
30 Days of Gratitude: Day 13
As I posted today on Facebook, I need to refocus my trust in God to provide what we truly need, so I think it is time to start up some thankful posting.
Today, I am thankful that my camera will soon be on its way back to me. I never fully realized how much I truly love shooting nearly every day until I could no longer do so.
My Nikon camera stopped functioning properly several weeks ago, and I sold one of my lensed to pay for the repair. As of today, it looks like my camera will be shipped back to me within the day.
To say that I have felt lost and in a bit of despair without my camera is completely accurate. I had just begun yet another photo project, knowing not to promise a daily photo this time, and I could not force myself to take those photos with my iPhone camera. Without a point-and-shoot, I have been relying solely on that iPhone, and it has not let me down. I have been realistic in my expectations of the photos taken with my phone, which has helped quite a lot. Those pages in the girls' scrapbooks will just have a little extra story to them. That is not such a bad thing, though.
The lack of a camera body has lead me to rent another camera from borrowlenses.com for a children's shoot, which has made me very excited at the idea of buying a lightly-used one from a colleague that is a brilliant photographer. This whole experience, in fact, has helped me to define my actual needs versus wants in my photography business. In addition, I have been able to really define my style and editing process and be more organized about how I want to approach my photography business in the future.
Once again, I find myself thanking God for yet another blessing in disguise.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
30 Days of Gratitude: Day 8
As I posted today on Facebook, I need to refocus my trust in God to provide what we truly need, so I think it is time to start up some thankful posting.
Today is so easy. Today, I am thankful for my N. She was my miracle baby six years ago, and she is still my little sweetheart. She has a huge heart and lots of attitude. Happy birthday, N!
To call my N a miracle is not to be taken lightly. The only reason she is alive is through the sheer grace of God.
We knew we wanted a third child, so Jim and I were overjoyed when it did not take long to get pregnant. We thought that would be our last pregnancy, but that is an entirely different, and happy, story. Everything seemed to be going along as expected with my third pregnancy until I slipped and fell in the bath tub at eight weeks. At this point, I had not been to see my doctor yet, as per his policy of waiting until 12-14 weeks, and there would have been nothing for him to do if I had fallen badly enough to harm the baby or my womb. As it was, nothing come of this fall other than a few ugly bruises.
At nineteen weeks pregnant, my stubbornness kicked in when my dishwasher stopped working while my husband was out of town on business. What would a sane, rational, woman do? Wait until her husband comes home to install a new one. What did this insane, irrational, pregnant woman do? Install it herself the same day he was due home. I did not over-exert myself or put myself in any danger. All seemed well.
After my husband returned home that evening, I picked up my then two-year-old daughter to take her to bed. I felt a sharp pain in my side, but I thought nothing of it. After tucking in my two other daughters, reading, and singing to them, I headed to the bathroom for the twentieth time that day, thinking it would be like any other day. My husband knew there was a problem when I began shrieking from the bathroom. I was bleeding. That is one of the scariest things to see when one is mid-pregnancy. Yes, spotting and some light bleeding is common in the beginning and the end of a pregnancy, but those months in between the two should be blood-free. This was my third pregnancy, and I found myself in unknown territory.
Luckily, I had my mid-term ultrasound scheduled for the very next morning. As I had already been having minor Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks, I was quite anxious to have the ultrasound and know that my baby was fine. Although the technician was not able to find a placental abruption, my doctor felt the need to keep a closer eye on me. Research shows that only, approximately, fifty percent of placental abruptions can be diagnosed with ultrasound (that number could be different six years later, but those were the statistics when it applied to us).
As the next two weeks ticked by, I began to notice a lot of cramping and tightness in my uterus. Being experienced in birthing children, I knew this was not something I wanted to happen mid-pregnancy. When I brought it up with my doctor, he immediately prescribed partial bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was able to continue teaching in 1.5-hour slots of time, with my feet up, not playing my clarinet, and drinking water the whole time. After 1.5 hours, I was to rest on my left side for thirty minutes before sitting up to teach again.
I spent an entire summer with my altered routine, all while taking care of my older children, two and four at the time, from the sofa. My dear, sweet husband would make them lunches and fill their sippy cups every morning and leave them low enough in the refrigerator for my eldest to reach them. I would read the girls books and play games and watch fun shows with them from my jail cell on the sofa, and they would bring me anything I might need that they could reach. They were, and are, the best girls in the world.
Yet another blessing to count in this post is that my mother-in-law taught me how to knit in February of 2006, just four months before my 4.5-month bedrest sentence. My sweet, patient husband took me every Saturday to my favorite local yarn store, the Yarn Garage in Rosemount, MN, to buy more yarn and patterns to keep me sane. >I spent those 4.5 months drinking water, resting, reading, and knitting while fighting the preterm labor that threatened to deliver my third child much, much too early. While those months were worth every second to ensure that my darling N was healthy, my health and playing deteriorated as I was completely inactive. Again, that is another story for another post.
By late October, at 38 weeks pregnant, I decided that I had had enough of lying around. I tried to become more involved with day-to-day activities in our home again, but those months of atrophied muscles made it more difficult. Again, my stubborn nature reigned supreme, and I ended up with a stress fracture in my right foot just one day before delivering my little N.
At 39 weeks gestation, my doctor induced my labor due to a lightning fast delivery with my second (1.5 hours of labor, three pushes, a 9-pound baby, and I was up and walking within twenty minutes). Based on the months of complications, we were placed in the very first room by the nurses station, and a NICU team was on call for my delivery. After starting the Pitocin drip and breaking my water, the nurse came rushing back into my room to turn down the dosage. N was not tolerating the medicine well, and this trend continued as she repeatedly became distressed when the Pitocin was increased. Eventually, we opted to nearly turn it off and let nature take its course.
Once our room full of concerned family members took a much-needed break for dinner, everything happened all at once. I was able to stand without worrying that my dear father-in-law would see my bare bottom, so I took full advantage. I stood and hugged my husband, and that was all it took for my labor to hit the overdrive stage. Within ten minutes I went from 4 cm dilation to delivering. This is precisely the reason my doctor scheduled an induction.
Because of the rapidity of my delivery, the NICU team had to take N very quickly for evaluation. I barely got to see her, after reaching near-hysteria because the doctor was not showing her to me, before the kind NICU team went to work. I was so engrossed in watching every movement she and the NICU team made that I was barely aware that I was following instructions to expel the placenta. I vaguely noticed a weird feeling following the delivery of her placenta, but I was still focused on my new baby. It turns out that my "weird" feeling was passing two fist-sized blood clots from behind N's placenta from my two partial placental abruptions.
If I had ever needed more proof of God's continued miracles on this planet, that was it for me and anyone else in the room. He is the reason those blood clots did not kill my baby. He is the reason why my bedrest was enough to keep my preterm labor at bay. He is the reason she was fine after having a large vial of amniotic fluid pulled from her lungs by the NICU team. He is the reason why my pediatrician talked the hospital into not making me put N back in for her jaundice. He is the reason I have her. Period. There is no question in my heart, mind, or soul. He is the reason we named her what we did, because her name means, "Born of God." Thank you, Lord, for the most amazing and stubborn and incredible little N a mother could have.
**Note: I have chosen not to include her full name or photos, because my blog is set to public. I do not wish to allow photos of my children to on the web without strict controls over who can see the photos. Thank you for understanding my concerns.
Today is so easy. Today, I am thankful for my N. She was my miracle baby six years ago, and she is still my little sweetheart. She has a huge heart and lots of attitude. Happy birthday, N!
To call my N a miracle is not to be taken lightly. The only reason she is alive is through the sheer grace of God.
We knew we wanted a third child, so Jim and I were overjoyed when it did not take long to get pregnant. We thought that would be our last pregnancy, but that is an entirely different, and happy, story. Everything seemed to be going along as expected with my third pregnancy until I slipped and fell in the bath tub at eight weeks. At this point, I had not been to see my doctor yet, as per his policy of waiting until 12-14 weeks, and there would have been nothing for him to do if I had fallen badly enough to harm the baby or my womb. As it was, nothing come of this fall other than a few ugly bruises.
At nineteen weeks pregnant, my stubbornness kicked in when my dishwasher stopped working while my husband was out of town on business. What would a sane, rational, woman do? Wait until her husband comes home to install a new one. What did this insane, irrational, pregnant woman do? Install it herself the same day he was due home. I did not over-exert myself or put myself in any danger. All seemed well.
After my husband returned home that evening, I picked up my then two-year-old daughter to take her to bed. I felt a sharp pain in my side, but I thought nothing of it. After tucking in my two other daughters, reading, and singing to them, I headed to the bathroom for the twentieth time that day, thinking it would be like any other day. My husband knew there was a problem when I began shrieking from the bathroom. I was bleeding. That is one of the scariest things to see when one is mid-pregnancy. Yes, spotting and some light bleeding is common in the beginning and the end of a pregnancy, but those months in between the two should be blood-free. This was my third pregnancy, and I found myself in unknown territory.
Luckily, I had my mid-term ultrasound scheduled for the very next morning. As I had already been having minor Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks, I was quite anxious to have the ultrasound and know that my baby was fine. Although the technician was not able to find a placental abruption, my doctor felt the need to keep a closer eye on me. Research shows that only, approximately, fifty percent of placental abruptions can be diagnosed with ultrasound (that number could be different six years later, but those were the statistics when it applied to us).
As the next two weeks ticked by, I began to notice a lot of cramping and tightness in my uterus. Being experienced in birthing children, I knew this was not something I wanted to happen mid-pregnancy. When I brought it up with my doctor, he immediately prescribed partial bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was able to continue teaching in 1.5-hour slots of time, with my feet up, not playing my clarinet, and drinking water the whole time. After 1.5 hours, I was to rest on my left side for thirty minutes before sitting up to teach again.
I spent an entire summer with my altered routine, all while taking care of my older children, two and four at the time, from the sofa. My dear, sweet husband would make them lunches and fill their sippy cups every morning and leave them low enough in the refrigerator for my eldest to reach them. I would read the girls books and play games and watch fun shows with them from my jail cell on the sofa, and they would bring me anything I might need that they could reach. They were, and are, the best girls in the world.
Yet another blessing to count in this post is that my mother-in-law taught me how to knit in February of 2006, just four months before my 4.5-month bedrest sentence. My sweet, patient husband took me every Saturday to my favorite local yarn store, the Yarn Garage in Rosemount, MN, to buy more yarn and patterns to keep me sane. >I spent those 4.5 months drinking water, resting, reading, and knitting while fighting the preterm labor that threatened to deliver my third child much, much too early. While those months were worth every second to ensure that my darling N was healthy, my health and playing deteriorated as I was completely inactive. Again, that is another story for another post.
By late October, at 38 weeks pregnant, I decided that I had had enough of lying around. I tried to become more involved with day-to-day activities in our home again, but those months of atrophied muscles made it more difficult. Again, my stubborn nature reigned supreme, and I ended up with a stress fracture in my right foot just one day before delivering my little N.
At 39 weeks gestation, my doctor induced my labor due to a lightning fast delivery with my second (1.5 hours of labor, three pushes, a 9-pound baby, and I was up and walking within twenty minutes). Based on the months of complications, we were placed in the very first room by the nurses station, and a NICU team was on call for my delivery. After starting the Pitocin drip and breaking my water, the nurse came rushing back into my room to turn down the dosage. N was not tolerating the medicine well, and this trend continued as she repeatedly became distressed when the Pitocin was increased. Eventually, we opted to nearly turn it off and let nature take its course.
Once our room full of concerned family members took a much-needed break for dinner, everything happened all at once. I was able to stand without worrying that my dear father-in-law would see my bare bottom, so I took full advantage. I stood and hugged my husband, and that was all it took for my labor to hit the overdrive stage. Within ten minutes I went from 4 cm dilation to delivering. This is precisely the reason my doctor scheduled an induction.
Because of the rapidity of my delivery, the NICU team had to take N very quickly for evaluation. I barely got to see her, after reaching near-hysteria because the doctor was not showing her to me, before the kind NICU team went to work. I was so engrossed in watching every movement she and the NICU team made that I was barely aware that I was following instructions to expel the placenta. I vaguely noticed a weird feeling following the delivery of her placenta, but I was still focused on my new baby. It turns out that my "weird" feeling was passing two fist-sized blood clots from behind N's placenta from my two partial placental abruptions.
If I had ever needed more proof of God's continued miracles on this planet, that was it for me and anyone else in the room. He is the reason those blood clots did not kill my baby. He is the reason why my bedrest was enough to keep my preterm labor at bay. He is the reason she was fine after having a large vial of amniotic fluid pulled from her lungs by the NICU team. He is the reason why my pediatrician talked the hospital into not making me put N back in for her jaundice. He is the reason I have her. Period. There is no question in my heart, mind, or soul. He is the reason we named her what we did, because her name means, "Born of God." Thank you, Lord, for the most amazing and stubborn and incredible little N a mother could have.
**Note: I have chosen not to include her full name or photos, because my blog is set to public. I do not wish to allow photos of my children to on the web without strict controls over who can see the photos. Thank you for understanding my concerns.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
30 Days of Gratitude: Day 6
As I posted today on Facebook, I need to refocus my trust in God to provide what we truly need, so I think it is time to start up some thankful posting.
Today, I am thankful for the generosity of strangers. I was given some free alpaca merino wool in my favorite color from an incredible company, Shibui Knits, after commenting on their Ravelry page that I fell in love with their merino worsted yarn just before they discontinued it. As in, I did not know it was discontinued until I went back to buy more less than a week after I bought the first skein.
Today, Shibui posted a link to a free pattern on their Facebook page. It happens to be for a gorgeous cowl in the exact color and yarn that they sent me to try for free. What a blessing! I am so in love with this pattern, and I cannot wait to make one for myself. Thank you, Shibui Knits, for being a stand-up company that really aims to please its customers.
Today, I am thankful for the generosity of strangers. I was given some free alpaca merino wool in my favorite color from an incredible company, Shibui Knits, after commenting on their Ravelry page that I fell in love with their merino worsted yarn just before they discontinued it. As in, I did not know it was discontinued until I went back to buy more less than a week after I bought the first skein.
Today, Shibui posted a link to a free pattern on their Facebook page. It happens to be for a gorgeous cowl in the exact color and yarn that they sent me to try for free. What a blessing! I am so in love with this pattern, and I cannot wait to make one for myself. Thank you, Shibui Knits, for being a stand-up company that really aims to please its customers.
 |
| http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ma1 |
Monday, November 5, 2012
30 Days of Gratitude: Day 5
As I posted today on Facebook, I need to refocus my trust in God to provide what we truly need, so I think it is time to start up some thankful posting.
Today, I am thankful that my dad's surgery went well. I can't wait to call and talk to him myself.
My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month, and he went in for seeded radiation surgery today. I am so thankful to God for seeing my dad through the surgery without complication. He is at home, resting and relaxing for a few days. My prayers will continue for a full recovery and remission, and I know the Lord will grant those requests easily.
Today, I am thankful that my dad's surgery went well. I can't wait to call and talk to him myself.
My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month, and he went in for seeded radiation surgery today. I am so thankful to God for seeing my dad through the surgery without complication. He is at home, resting and relaxing for a few days. My prayers will continue for a full recovery and remission, and I know the Lord will grant those requests easily.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The 18-Hour Energy Diet
I think this would be a fitting name for an all-natural, organic, mostly (if not completely) vegan diet. If a diet rich in vegetables and fruits and a modest amount of complex carbohydrates were marketed in this fashion, it would be all the rage.
Never, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that I would have so much energy that I could barely sit still nearly every day, just because of my diet. My sleep is peaceful, I wake up happy and ready to roll, and I am not "just making it through" the day now. I take my kids on walks, run errands, cook, clean, and work out. This is fantastic!
My next goal is to tailor my vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements to my diet and health needs and wants. What a blessing it is for the Lord to have opened my eyes. I thank Him every day for showing me the path to health and happiness. May I show Him all the praise through my dedication to treating my body as a temple and encouraging others to do the same.
Never, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that I would have so much energy that I could barely sit still nearly every day, just because of my diet. My sleep is peaceful, I wake up happy and ready to roll, and I am not "just making it through" the day now. I take my kids on walks, run errands, cook, clean, and work out. This is fantastic!
My next goal is to tailor my vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements to my diet and health needs and wants. What a blessing it is for the Lord to have opened my eyes. I thank Him every day for showing me the path to health and happiness. May I show Him all the praise through my dedication to treating my body as a temple and encouraging others to do the same.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thirty-Five Already? Sure
Thirty was a difficult milestone for me. Really difficult.
I thought thirty-five might be difficult, too, but it has not been. So far. It has only been one day since I turned thirty-five, so I will have to give it more time to settle.
Perhaps thirty-five sounded more ominous a few years ago, because it signifies a distinct difference in care during gestation and delivery of a child. Perhaps that is the reason why it has not been too difficult, because I am done birthing children. Perhaps I have accepted my thirties and their benefits, because I feel great.
Ten years ago, I was ready to give birth to my first child, weighing in at nearly 250 pounds and losing muscle mass along the way. I was in good shape underneath, but I had put on quite a bit of weight.
Four years ago, I had four children, I weighed in at 270+ pounds, and I had very little muscle mass.
Today, I still have four children, I weigh somewhere around 240 pounds (and dropping), and I have more muscle than I ever have in my life. I can do push-ups and planks and run and bike and lift weights and all sorts of athletic activities. I have never felt better in my life!
Four years ago, I had four children, I weighed in at 270+ pounds, and I had very little muscle mass.
Today, I still have four children, I weigh somewhere around 240 pounds (and dropping), and I have more muscle than I ever have in my life. I can do push-ups and planks and run and bike and lift weights and all sorts of athletic activities. I have never felt better in my life!
This is why thirty-five is going to be a year of celebration in my life. A year to focus on continuing my quest to be as healthy as I can be. A year to start my masters degree that will help me to pursue my life's passions: music and education. A year to watch my daughters learning about food and how it affects every aspect of their lives. A year to grow in my relationships with my Savior, my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends. A year to celebrate.
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