Can't remember

I know there were things I wanted to write about this week, but I don't remember much of what they were.

Yep, I'm still averaging 6 hours sleep per night.

Bob had a beginners photography class in our home on Tuesday. His cousin's wife and her sister came, and two ladies from the Mennonite church.  The cousin's daughter was supposed to come, but couldn't make it, as were another cousin (whose husband got sick), and the cousin's wife's boss (who got a migraine).  Anyrate, it went pretty well and I think they all learned something.  He wants to try a more in-depth series of classes in October.

That morning, Bob was standing on a chair to dust something, and somehow he lost his balance and fell.  Instinctively (he didn't even know he'd done it) he reached out for support, and managed to pull the display cabinet over, too.  It made a big crashing sound, and we just knew all our valuables we shattered. In fact, I was holding my breath expecting the glass cabinet doors to shatter all over Bob and the living room.  The children screamed or cried. Bob rolled away from the (surprising lack of) carnage and demonstrated that he wasn't damaged.  I calmed the little ones down a bit, got Elijah to bed for his nap, and came back to the findings that nothing seemed to be broken, but we didn't have the key to the cabinet.  Bob and Taryn tried several things, and finally managed to pick the lock so we could take all the stuff out, clean the cabinet, and put everything back. Turns out one of the legs was broken off, so we just took off the other legs, too, making the cabinet shorter but more stable.

Daniel weighed in on the Wii on his 1 month birthday at 10.5 pounds. That makes him more or less equivalent to Elijah at birth. Daniel is more stout through the chest, but less fat on the chin and legs.  He hasn't been letting Bob hold him much, but otherwise isn't hard to please.

I was reminded (by a "friend" on Facebook) about the T-Tapp exercise program.  I've had it bookmarked for a couple of years on my laptop; I looked at it some more and made an order. She's supposed to cure knee and back pain as well as help tone and all the other things that exercise will do.  Anyway, it arrived yesterday, and this morning I checked out some of the routines. Looks promising; the hard part of course is actually doing it.

I also made my first ever order from Walmart.com; found it very easy to navigate the site, and appreciate the 97 cent shipping and the ability to pay with Paypal.

We are planning a little trip on our anniversary, which should be a lot of fun if we aren't rained out (planning to camp).

That's all I've got.

Oh, yeah, also a little gripe:
Don't misunderstand me, I am grateful for the military benefits that we enjoy every day. Bob's retirement and disability are enough to keep him at home where he can rest when he needs to.  He's going to school for free, with the occasional bonus pay (I could gripe about the way the pay is handled, but that's not my point today).  We might have been able to scrape together for a community college class, but there's no way we could every pay for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh on our income without the Post 9/11 G I Bill.  There are occasional benefits, like getting to stay on base when we travel (nice apartment for the same price as a cheap hotel), and some people consider the BX and the commissary as benefits, though last time we checked, prices weren't better and convenience was worse there.
Then there's the insurance. Again, I am grateful for the rates (our annual enrollment is lower than some families' monthly premium), and I'm usually very satisfied with the coverage. We've never had a bill rejected by Tricare, or a referral or prescription refused. So it's really a tiny gripe.  When Daniel was born he had a certain amount of a "grace period" that wasn't specified, but I assume is 10 days. So, within a week of his birth, Bob and I drove down to south of Fayetteville to a little National Guard outpost in order to register Daniel on DEERS (Defense something something system) - so the military knows that he is Bob's dependent.  But the office was closed for a week (told you it was a little outpost).  So we came back the day they reopened and had no hassle getting him enrolled in DEERS, in spite of not having his birth certificate back yet (here you have to send off for one in the mail, and wait 4-6 weeks to get it). Then we could sign him up for the insurance. So I dug up the proper forms from the website, printed them, filled them out, and mailed them off (can't enroll online). THEN they sent me a blank form (page 3 of 7) saying I hadn't done that one the first time. So I filled it out again, used another stamp, and waited some more. THEN we finally got his enrollment letter in the mail, with a start date of 1 OCTOBER. Hello?? Don't most doctors require visits at 2 weeks, (some at 1 month) and again at 2 months? He'll be 2 months plus a week before he can go for his first checkup!  If we were doing vaccines his schedule would be all messed up. Never mind if he gets sick! I guess if we were worried about him we could cover an office visit ($150 or so?), but a lot of people can't. We happen to be situated to suffer very little from this stupidity, but it shouldn't be like that to enroll an newborn, and wasn't when we were active duty. So that's my rant for the day. And thank God Daniel is healthy.

gifts

Twice this week we were surprised to find things on our front porch.

One morning we slept in a little bit, and when we woke up and went out to do chores we found a nice little assortment: a boys under shirt, 2 pair of boys socks, a sack of egg cartons, and two cantaloups (we ate one and it was the best we've had this year).

Then the day we were in town, when we got home there was a box of Pampers on the porch. Upon investigation we discovered a UPS delivery sticker indicating they had been ordered from Amazon and sent to us on purpose.

I have my suspicions about both donors.  If you are reading this, thank you!

Children's funnies for today:

Bob identified a smell as coming from the Butterball Water Plant. Cedwryck asked why anybody would grow such a plant.

We went to Academy Sports and Outdoors store, and there were several deer blinds out front. The children started talking about the deer stands, when I tried to make a funny and said, "I think that one is a deer 'sit' - see the chairs?" Then they spent the next 5 minutes correcting each other that it was called a "sit" and not a "stand." I finally got the attention back and was able to have some read the label on the thing, to show it was indeed called a "stand."

When dinner time rolled around and we were still in town, it was suggested that we go to Golden Corral (an American-style buffet) since it was the family night and children's meals were discounted. As Ella has requested this restaurant for her birthday dinner next week, we teased her by asking if this would count for her birthday.  She didn't like that idea much, but Elijah started in about how he wanted to go there. Somebody said it could count for Elijah's birthday (not until November).  The rest of the night Elijah was convinced it was his birthday.

On second thought, those last two were parent's funnies more than children's.

Daniel pictures

I asked Bob to email me some pics of Daniel, and this is what he chose. :-) I have a feeling there's something wrong with that sentence, grammatically, but can't tell what. In my defense, last night was pretty close to typical (not that we have routine yet), and I slept from 11 to 1:30, and from 3:30 to 6:30, and from 6:45 to 7:45. Actually that last bit was a bonus that isn't quite typical. Saturday night I had a total of 4 hours' sleep. So my brain isn't exactly tack-sharp. I am, however, still able to remember orders at McDonald's for all 8 of us (Bob orders his own food), special requests and all.  So I'm not completely hopeless.

Anyway, the pictures.

And more words. Bob took these in his garage studio. The blue awake picture was taken at 1 week; the others were at 12 days (or thereabouts) and he was sound asleep the whole time. That's my hand in the bottom picture; the blue and white blanket was a gift from MIL. And I think that's all the explanation needed.

Daniel Birth Story

 To tell Daniel’s birth story, I thought I’d paste in my Facebook updates to give a basic outline, and then fill in the details.  I hope you don’t mind.

8pm July 24: “Checked into the hospital because of dilation to 4cm. Pray for us to stay calm and carry on.” Got 7 “likes” and 4 comments.

10:30pm: “Dilated to 5 and have the water broken.” Got 10 “likes” and 4 comments.

About 2am July 25: “Bored.” Got 3 comments.

5am: “Fixin to kick it into high gear. Getting pitocin, an I v, and some pain meds. I'm worn out, sickish, and hungry.” Got 4 comments.

7am: “He’s here! 6:44am. 8lbs 8ozs. 20". What a relief! He's hungry, and so am I. :-) thanks for all your prayers.” Got 23 “likes” and 22 comments.

10:40am: “Whenever I get comfy I dream I'm in labor. :-) Daniel is so sweet and quiet. Poor guy was awake all night, too.” Got 6 “likes” and 4 comments.

3pm Shared a picture of Daniel.

July 26, 6am: “Finally got to sleep at 3:30; up and ready for the day at 5:00. I don't understand people who stay in hospital to rest.” 3 likes, 4 comments.

6:30pm: “Finally made it home about 4:30. The children were very excited to see us, and Elijah was especially anxious to have his brother Daniel get out of the van. I'm exhausted, but it gives me joy to see them love each other.”

July 27, 8:30 am: “Good morning world! I'm up to 10 hours of sleep for the last 3 days/nights. It can only get better, right? Right?”  4 likes, 9 comments.

Now for the details.

Mom came over from Oklahoma on Thursday to stay with us and help with childcare and housework, so I could get on with the baby-having business.  I really felt I could “go” at anytime, and was relieved to have her here. So of course nothing happened over the weekend.

Tuesday afternoon I had my 39 week checkup, and Bob and I went in to Rogers alone for that. Bob met my doctor for the first time. I had lost 2 of the 5 pounds I’d gained in the previous 2 weeks, bringing my final weight to 7 pounds less than it was at conception. (I had lost 10 pounds in February, then remained constant up until the last 3 weeks of pregnancy). I was dilated to 4 cm (it was 2.5 2 weeks ago), and soft and I don’t remember how effaced. So we talked it over, and as my doctor was leaving the next day for the rest of the week, and I was otherwise all set, we decided to go ahead with an induction that evening.

In the meantime (it was 4, and we were to be at the hospital at 7) we checked out a bakery that had a real German pastry chef, then went to a book store for something to keep us occupied, then to dinner.  By this time I was feeling bad – very stressed, possibly contraction-y, and sick to my stomach.  I tried to eat, knowing I’d need my strength, but I just couldn’t.  Bob had some of his food, but then he started getting anxious, too, so we just quit trying to eat.

We got to the hospital (Mercy, in Rogers) at 7pm and finally found our way to the maternity ward. The nurse was expecting us, and was read up on my birth plan and some history. Turns out she’s from Ireland, and trained as a midwife in Scotland in the 70’s. Anyway, the doctor was supposed to come in at 8:30 (allowing time for my blood count results to come back) and break my water to start the labor.  It was 10 before she showed up. While waiting, we played “Set” (which we’d bought at the bookstore) and walked around the maternity ward.

The doctor came in, stripped my membranes to encourage the fluids to come around the head, and broke the water. It was mostly a trickle, and I was still able to walk around once we monitored the baby for a few minutes.  I alternated between trying to sleep (to no avail) and walking around the ward to try to get things moving (to no avail). I had the occasional contraction as long as I was walking, but that was pretty boring and I was tired and my hip hurt so I would quit and go back to bed.  After a time in bed my legs would get restless (this happens when I’m overtired and can’t sleep) and I’d need to use the toilet, so I’d get up again.  All this time I was getting anxious again, and my stomach was quite upset.

Finally at 4am I asked for the nurse, who asked for the doctor, and we discussed things and I decided that if I could have some medication to help with the discomfort and anxiety, I’d take the pitocin, too. That entailed an IV, of course, which was one thing I really didn’t want, but it was my choice, and the only way to get things going. The nurse started the IV in my left forearm, but went through the vein (Bob said the needle nearly came out the skin again) so pulled out and tried again on my right wrist. She missed there, too, but not as dramatically. So she called another nurse, all the time saying how she was normally the one they call when others can’t get it in.  But the second nurse got me started on the back of my left hand, and though it was still painful to have that thing stuck in my body, at least it was over. My nurse was going to “wait until the pain got bad” before starting the dope, but I insisted that it was part of the deal and I wanted it now. Meanwhile Bob and I played another round of “Set”. When the medicine hit me it nearly knocked me down, and I conceded the game.

It was now just after 5am, and labor started in earnest. I lay down in the bed and tried to find my happy place. It was only about 45 minutes when I couldn’t handle it any more. Every contraction was accompanied by a sharp pain in my lower right abdomen. So I asked for more pain meds. The nurse got the doctor, who wanted to “check” me first, and I was too incapacitated to tell her to skip it.  Anyway, I was dilated to 7 at that point, and she approved my request for more medication. She also suggested the nurse turn down the pitocin a notch. I hadn’t thought of that. By the time the doctor left and the nurse had made her adjustments, I got to thinking about what they’d said, and suggested the pitocin be turned off completely, as labor was going with no threat of stalling out. The nurse complied with that request without calling the doctor again.

20 minutes later I was once again pulled from my restful state by increased discomfort and the very clear feeling of Daniel’s head descending with each contraction.  After 2 or 3 of those I knew it was time for action. I called to Bob (I was laying with my back to his chair), but he didn’t answer. (He was in the bathroom). I called again, he responded, and I said “It’s time!” The next thing I knew Bob and the nurse were both by my side, so I thought my message had been received. Turns out that Bob hadn’t heard me, and the nurse just happened to come in at that time. Apparently the monitor had not picked up any contractions in the last hour, and the nurse was worried that I wasn’t getting anywhere, so had called the doc in to check me again. That, or Daniel had already moved beyond the monitor and she was trying to re-establish the heartbeat.  At any rate, they were helping me turn over to get into position for a check, and I was trying to tell them things were ready, and the nurse was prodding at me with the monitor, and suddenly the contractions were nonstop. 

I don’t know how YOU are when in labor, but when I’M having a contraction I don’t want to be touched or talked to or ANYthing. Bob has finally figured this out, and was very supportive of my needs.  Anyway, in the middle of all this pestering I finally managed to say, through clenched teeth, “Can you STOP for a minute so it will quit!?” It did get quiet for a minute, and several hands backed up, and sure enough, the contraction eased up. Then the doc was able to get a look and declared she could see the head, “without doing anything” and I should start pushing.  So they pulled the stirrups out, took away the bottom of the bed, and helped me get situated. First thing, my left calf cramped, but a nurse helped with that and it went away (though it was stiff the next day). But now my contractions were putting tremendous strain on my left hip. I managed to say something about it, and they started with the questions again: did I want to move this way or that way, did I pull on my legs when I push, where did it hurt, and of course, the incessant trying to find the heartbeat with the monitor thingy. I responded to every question with a moan or grunt, and Bob translated for me. He really did a good job of supporting me and trying to keep me comfortable. The doctor tried to respect what we wanted, but sometimes she just couldn’t help herself.

Well, ready or not, here he came.  I opted for a slow steady pushing technique this time, as that seemed to be all that I was capable of. Even then, I seem to remember crying and saying, “I can’t.” But for all the tears, Daniel made it out just fine. When his head was delivered the doctor noticed that he was wrapped in his cord, so it was cut then, before the shoulders were delivered. The placenta followed almost immediately behind Daniel himself, without any pushing or pulling. And it was all over but the crying. Daniel was placed on a blanket on my abdomen, and rubbed briskly with another blanket until he was crying and mostly clean. I didn’t get the weak shakes this time, for the first time ever.

(Pardon the interruption to the narrative, but it’s now over 2 weeks later, with very little sleep on my part, and the details I wished to capture have eluded me.)

The rest is gravy, as they say. He was my 8^th child, born after 8 hours of “labor”, weighing 8lbs and 8ozs. 20 inches long.  8 on the 5 minute AGPAR test. He was able to stay in my room for everything except his hearing test and circumcision. Bob went home for a nap, then brought the family up for a visit. Thursday he came back just before lunch, and waited with me for the pediatrician to come do the circumcision (he was going to do it early in the AM, but had to do an emergency C-section instead). We finally got all the paperwork and everything done, and were able to come home.

Elijah’s reaction to Daniel was a little surprising for us. Elijah was (is) a great Mama’s boy, very demanding of my time and attention, so there was some concern. But he took up with Daniel right away, calling him “my Daniel” and “my baby brother.” When Bob came home without us, Elijah was very concerned about me and Daniel. He hugs him and holds him, and declares that he is cute.  He is very pleased to see that he is “bigger” than Daniel; his protection instincts show plainly.

Anyway, I guess that’s all I’m going to get into this story. Thanks for reading.

new stove

Well, folks, the old much bemoaned stove/range/cooker is dying, and Bob says it's time for a new one.

Do you know how many cooking appliance options there are out there???? Like a zillion! The old unit is 36" wide, where the standard size is 30". I want a "double oven" which either limits or adds to my options, depending on how you look at it.

As far as I can see, after much research, my real choices are: a 36" cook top and a double wall oven; a 36" range and a single wall oven; a 30" double oven. For, as crazy as it sounds, the wider ranges have fewer options. We shopped yesterday, and found a 30" double oven that will accommodate my large skillet, my large pot, and my large saucepan all at once (as if I were making spaghetti with a side dish). It is the GE 30-in Double Oven Convection Gas Range (White) Model #: JGB870DETWW We've ruled out the cooktop/double wall oven option as it would require extensive carpentry and electrician skills before I'd have anything usable. Then there's the large range/single wall oven option. We are considering the Premier 36-in 6-Burner Freestanding Gas Range (Stainless Steel) Model #: P36S148BP and something like Frigidaire 30-in Convection Single Electric Wall Oven (Stainless-Look) Model #: FGEW3065KF

I hope the links work; sometimes Lowe's is a little finicky, but you could google the model number as well. At any rate, we've found another appliance store that has slightly better prices than Lowe's, plus an online option that is quite a bit cheaper, but more about that later - I've just jut up Lowe's links for ease of comparison.

So, what I need to know now is, which option will work best for me? I know you can't answer that, but perhaps by talking about it I can get a better idea myself. And maybe one of you can give some insight. As I see it, there are pros and cons both ways. If I get the GE single unit, it will be about $500 cheaper. I will have a gap in my cabinets for a few years until we have new ones made. It will be "plug and play" as the gas and electric requirements are the same as what we already have. There is only one item to keep paperwork for, buy a warranty for, etc. Both ovens are self-cleaning, and the lower has a convection option. The racks are nice and heavy; it has some cool options like a built in meat probe/thermometer, timed and delay baking, etc. It's white, which matches my fridge and dishwasher, and is easier to keep clean. This particular unit has non-electric controls for the top oven, so it could still be used in a power outage.

If I go with the other option, it'll cost more. I'll have two sets of paperwork, two warranties to buy, two companies to work with (if needed). But I'll also have two "work stations" for multiple cooks. I'll have more space on the cooktop, and all the burners are the same size so I don't have to guess at my pan configuration. I'll also have considerably more total oven space. I could buy one unit at a time, thus spreading out the cost and the hassles. The range would fit neatly into my existing space and existing gas/power outlets. However, we would need cabinet work and a new electric breaker for 240v power to the wall oven. The wall oven is self-cleaning convection, has some nice features like timed bake, add-a-minute button, keep warm button, heavy-duty racks (one of which can be divided for tall items), etc. But the range is pretty basic (manual clean, conventional, no timers). That could be a good thing, as the burners have a lifetime warranty and the whole thing can be used without electricity if needed. The other (probably biggest) drawback is that no one has a display of this range, so we would be buying it sight-unseen. We can find a few pictures online, and read reviews, but that's it. One thing NOBODY talks about, but is a daily issue for me, is the grates sliding around while cooking. I can't go to a store and push on the grates of this range to see if they'll slip out of place or not. I don't like stainless steel as a finish, but couldn't find a 36" range I liked in a white option. I could get a white wall oven, but it seems like the two ovens should match each other. With two units, if one turned out to be a lemon, I'd still be able to use the other while waiting for repairs.

hmmm, what to do? Any experience with any of the brands mentioned, or insight on my options as given is appreciated. Please don't give me more options, as I'm already overwhelmed.

And then, once I decide WHAT to buy, I have to decide WHERE to buy. From the local small-chain store where the lady was very kind and helpful, or from an online store where I'll save two hundred dollars or more (plus tax)? Do I value service and the American Way, or the lowest price (which is the new American Way)? ugh. Well, thanks for listening. I hope to get this sorted soon.

The days of Elijah

Yes, that's a title of a song. But Elijah is being so cute that I just had to make time to write about him.

Yesterday was Father's Day, and the children all got up early to make breakfast and decorate the living room. When they were ready for Bob to get up, they gathered at our bedroom door and sang "The Little Birdie" song, (which goes to the tune of Hush Little Baby)

A little birdie with a yellow bill
Hopped up on my windowsill
He cocked his eye and said
"You are a little sleepy head"
He flapped his wings
And away he flew, saying
"You'll be late for Sunday School"

This morning Elijah came to our door and called, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" I saw that Bob wasn't ready to speak, so I asked what he wanted. "Daddy!" Bob then answered, and Elijah perkily replied, "I'm a bird!" I laughed all the way to breakfast.

Also, as shared on Facebook, the other day we were talking about wasps, trying to reach an agreement on what was the proper name of the particular bug flying around. Elijah firmly decided what it was - a "dirt nauberd". :-D

He is still mostly sunny in disposition, but occasionally gets upset. This usually results in loud whining more than actual tears. When I try to hush him, he will look up at me and say, "I'm crying!" and go right back to his boo-hoo sound.

Did you notice that everything he says ends with an exclamation point? It's true. He's very confident in himself.

Hope you enjoyed.