Thursday, April 30, 2009
Another one down
Well that's it another month of OB under the belt. My next month of OB isn't until next March then I have another one 2 months after that one to finish out my 4. Don't tell anyone but I'm kind of disappointed that I don't have any OB for 10 months. It's been tiring for sure (though we had a relatively light month as far as OB goes), but with each passing month of OB since my 3rd year of medical school (this makes 4) my distaste for the specialty has decreased. I might even go so far as to say that I like OB and I could certainly see myself delivering babies back in Cedar so long as I have a brother who does the same and we could trade OB call from time to time. Time will tell.
Monday, April 27, 2009
4 Triumphs
It is no secret that I was a bit worried about how I would adjust to having 4 children. After Kristian was born the adjustment was very difficult for me. My life seemed to fall apart for two months and I don't remember much of that time. So I was scared because if the transition to 3 was that hard I assumed the transition to 4 would put me in the loony bin.
It has been 6 weeks and I can happily say that ,amazingly enough, 4 has been much easier than 3. I would even go as far as to say that the transition has been rather enjoyable. I actually get a little sad when I look at Kamryn and see how quickly she is growing and changing. (although that doesn't last too long)
I was contemplating this triumph this morning and trying to figure out what I have to contribute this too. I came up with the following :
1 - I have a son that is old enough to not only want to help his baby sister but actually be able to provide help. Spencer is so quick to do mostly anything I ask and has been a huge help to me.
2 - I have a daughter that is in love with her baby sister and some how, has become the master of the binki. Jessi can always get Kami to take her binki even when I can't. I guess I need to study her technique.
3 - I have a toddler that, most of the time, is pretty laid back. Sometimes I think he has barely noticed that a baby has come and stolen much of his attention time.
4 - Although at times it has been hard to have Jacob on call it also has the nice benefit when looked at in the right light. The nights that he is on call I don't have to worry about waking him and could feed her in bed in the middle of the night. Also, the day after he is on call he gets home much earlier and has time to spend with all of us, giving me a break, and also gives me nap time to run to the store. Heaven!!
5 - I have a beautiful infant who is a pretty good little girl. She has her issues with gas and constipation just like all the rest but she also has followed suit with the rest and started to sleep through the night at 6 weeks and takes a binki rather well. Unlike the others, she hates showers but loves tummy time. What an opposite for me. She has also started to smile and coo and that can melt away any amount of stress.
6 - I think that I grew a lot after that hard transition. I seem to be able to let go of my crazy OCD impulses much easier and am able to go with the flow when necessary. Crying also doesn't grade my nerves as much as it used to. I think I can honestly say I am learning and progressing when it comes to being the mom of an infant.
So I guess my conclusion is that I am very grateful to my family for helping me to become a better mommy and showing me that infants are not as scary as they once were and that I am growing and adapting. I love you all!!
P.S. I also should say thank you to all of my friends that supported me and brought meals and such. I was going to put you in the number list but it was an opportunity to list about each of my family members and my OCD would not allow me to mix in others. I know, I'm a little crazy.
It has been 6 weeks and I can happily say that ,amazingly enough, 4 has been much easier than 3. I would even go as far as to say that the transition has been rather enjoyable. I actually get a little sad when I look at Kamryn and see how quickly she is growing and changing. (although that doesn't last too long)
I was contemplating this triumph this morning and trying to figure out what I have to contribute this too. I came up with the following :
1 - I have a son that is old enough to not only want to help his baby sister but actually be able to provide help. Spencer is so quick to do mostly anything I ask and has been a huge help to me.
2 - I have a daughter that is in love with her baby sister and some how, has become the master of the binki. Jessi can always get Kami to take her binki even when I can't. I guess I need to study her technique.
3 - I have a toddler that, most of the time, is pretty laid back. Sometimes I think he has barely noticed that a baby has come and stolen much of his attention time.
4 - Although at times it has been hard to have Jacob on call it also has the nice benefit when looked at in the right light. The nights that he is on call I don't have to worry about waking him and could feed her in bed in the middle of the night. Also, the day after he is on call he gets home much earlier and has time to spend with all of us, giving me a break, and also gives me nap time to run to the store. Heaven!!
5 - I have a beautiful infant who is a pretty good little girl. She has her issues with gas and constipation just like all the rest but she also has followed suit with the rest and started to sleep through the night at 6 weeks and takes a binki rather well. Unlike the others, she hates showers but loves tummy time. What an opposite for me. She has also started to smile and coo and that can melt away any amount of stress.
6 - I think that I grew a lot after that hard transition. I seem to be able to let go of my crazy OCD impulses much easier and am able to go with the flow when necessary. Crying also doesn't grade my nerves as much as it used to. I think I can honestly say I am learning and progressing when it comes to being the mom of an infant.
So I guess my conclusion is that I am very grateful to my family for helping me to become a better mommy and showing me that infants are not as scary as they once were and that I am growing and adapting. I love you all!!
P.S. I also should say thank you to all of my friends that supported me and brought meals and such. I was going to put you in the number list but it was an opportunity to list about each of my family members and my OCD would not allow me to mix in others. I know, I'm a little crazy.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Aw Shucks.
I was not going to do this. I really wasn't going to do this. It was too frilly. I even commented on the blog of the creator that I wouldn't participate (after being invited to do so), but what can I say I'm an addict. I try and try to stop but I just can't.
So without further ado here is the wedding tag.
1) What was your wedding date?
You want me to say that I don't know or have to look it up, but I remember it well. 12/29/2001
just kidding it was 2000
2) How long from "I will" to "I Do"
4 months which happened to be significantly longer than the amount of time from "hello nice to meet you" to "Will you marry me".
3) Where were you married?
Mount Timpanogss Temple somewhat interesting as I pretty much abhor everything between the point of the mountain and Nephi. Something about a blue kitty..
4) What were your wedding colours?
There were colors?
5) Who was in your wedding party?
I don't even know what that means. Wedding party? I don't remember having a party. Why was I not invited to this party? Did I miss out on some gifts?
6) Honestly, could your bridesmaids REALLY have worn the dress again?
I didn't have any bridesmaids though Melissa did have a self appointed maid of honor (that's right you know who you are) and I believe she chose her own dress.
7) Did you LOVE your gown? Would you choose the same gown again?
It was so nice. I spent months looking for the perfect one. I took my mother with me to every store in the Wasatch front. Unfortunately I was never allowed to wear it to the wedding. Something about Mormon standards and cross dressing. I would definitely chose the same one again.
8) Flowers: Real or Silk?
I don't remember any flowers. I do remember a bunch of pine trees or at least that's what I'm told by my brother-in-law. Apparently it required some clean up and was slightly messy. What do I know I left long before any of that. On second thought I do remember a bouquet toss and a maid of honor bouquet that involved real flowers.
9) Reception: Full meal or Calling reception?
I guess it was a calling reception.
10) Dance or no dance?
There was music. There were lulls in the line at times and I do believe Melissa danced a bit so sure I'll say dance.
11) What would you have done differently?
I would have had my in-laws keep all our presents at their house and kept the keys to our house in my pocket. Ripping my shower curtain and damaging the porcelain on the sink while trying to remove the packing tape (that I had purchased some time earlier) was not my idea of a funny joke. Throwing away a cupboard full of canned food because the labels had been removed was somewhat wastefull too. You can't even donate canned food without labels on it. That's right folks you know who you are. I still hold a grudge. You wonder why we haven't made it back to Canada in so long.**
Okay so I don't really still hold a grudge, but for the life of me I still can't find humor in the situation, maybe in another 8 years.
12) Any disasters?
There was this one painting........
13) Best Gift you received?
I really liked the TV and bed that our parents gave us, but the more time that passes the more attached I get to the aforementioned painting. It really looks good on the wall between my two princesses.
14) Strangest gift you received?
I seem to remember a painting.*
15) Most memorable moment that day?
Looking across the cultural hall at a giant painting of a couple of little girls. Just kidding actually my most memorable moment was after all of our family and friends had left the sealing room and Melissa and I were left alone with the sealer. I don't remember a whole lot of what was said during the sealing, but I remember vividly the words he spoke to us after everyone else had left the room.
*There is a painting of Melissa and her Twin sister when they were children hanging between the crib and the bed in the girls room. It was given to Melissa as a wedding present by her sister and at the time created a stir of emotions for those involved (as well as those not involved if I remember correctly). For all the turmoil at the time it has become a very sentimental piece of art and I'm sure it will be a sought after item for the kids when Melissa and I die.
**Upon returning home from work this morning I was confronted by a somewhat perturbed wife who thought I may have offended some of our relatives. It was a joke. We haven't been back to Canada because we've spent almost every vacation since getting married going back to Utah. We really did appreciat all of the relatives who made the trip down to Utah for our wedding and look forward to some future trip to America Junior (I really want to see Banf).
So without further ado here is the wedding tag.
1) What was your wedding date?
You want me to say that I don't know or have to look it up, but I remember it well. 12/29/2001
just kidding it was 2000
2) How long from "I will" to "I Do"
4 months which happened to be significantly longer than the amount of time from "hello nice to meet you" to "Will you marry me".
3) Where were you married?
Mount Timpanogss Temple somewhat interesting as I pretty much abhor everything between the point of the mountain and Nephi. Something about a blue kitty..
4) What were your wedding colours?
There were colors?
5) Who was in your wedding party?
I don't even know what that means. Wedding party? I don't remember having a party. Why was I not invited to this party? Did I miss out on some gifts?
6) Honestly, could your bridesmaids REALLY have worn the dress again?
I didn't have any bridesmaids though Melissa did have a self appointed maid of honor (that's right you know who you are) and I believe she chose her own dress.
7) Did you LOVE your gown? Would you choose the same gown again?
It was so nice. I spent months looking for the perfect one. I took my mother with me to every store in the Wasatch front. Unfortunately I was never allowed to wear it to the wedding. Something about Mormon standards and cross dressing. I would definitely chose the same one again.
8) Flowers: Real or Silk?
I don't remember any flowers. I do remember a bunch of pine trees or at least that's what I'm told by my brother-in-law. Apparently it required some clean up and was slightly messy. What do I know I left long before any of that. On second thought I do remember a bouquet toss and a maid of honor bouquet that involved real flowers.
9) Reception: Full meal or Calling reception?
I guess it was a calling reception.
10) Dance or no dance?
There was music. There were lulls in the line at times and I do believe Melissa danced a bit so sure I'll say dance.
11) What would you have done differently?
I would have had my in-laws keep all our presents at their house and kept the keys to our house in my pocket. Ripping my shower curtain and damaging the porcelain on the sink while trying to remove the packing tape (that I had purchased some time earlier) was not my idea of a funny joke. Throwing away a cupboard full of canned food because the labels had been removed was somewhat wastefull too. You can't even donate canned food without labels on it. That's right folks you know who you are. I still hold a grudge. You wonder why we haven't made it back to Canada in so long.**
Okay so I don't really still hold a grudge, but for the life of me I still can't find humor in the situation, maybe in another 8 years.
12) Any disasters?
There was this one painting........
13) Best Gift you received?
I really liked the TV and bed that our parents gave us, but the more time that passes the more attached I get to the aforementioned painting. It really looks good on the wall between my two princesses.
14) Strangest gift you received?
I seem to remember a painting.*
15) Most memorable moment that day?
Looking across the cultural hall at a giant painting of a couple of little girls. Just kidding actually my most memorable moment was after all of our family and friends had left the sealing room and Melissa and I were left alone with the sealer. I don't remember a whole lot of what was said during the sealing, but I remember vividly the words he spoke to us after everyone else had left the room.
*There is a painting of Melissa and her Twin sister when they were children hanging between the crib and the bed in the girls room. It was given to Melissa as a wedding present by her sister and at the time created a stir of emotions for those involved (as well as those not involved if I remember correctly). For all the turmoil at the time it has become a very sentimental piece of art and I'm sure it will be a sought after item for the kids when Melissa and I die.
**Upon returning home from work this morning I was confronted by a somewhat perturbed wife who thought I may have offended some of our relatives. It was a joke. We haven't been back to Canada because we've spent almost every vacation since getting married going back to Utah. We really did appreciat all of the relatives who made the trip down to Utah for our wedding and look forward to some future trip to America Junior (I really want to see Banf).
Friday, April 17, 2009
Reflections
*This list has gotten kind of sappy so feel free to skim or ignore.
As I near the end of my first year of residency I've decided to make a list of some of the things I have learned:
1. At any time during or after a 24 hour shift I can fall asleep in any position within 10 minutes.
2. "Weekends off" is a phrase I look forward too immensely.
3. A lot of fun can be crammed into 4 days during any given call month.
4. Sleeping in is a priveledge not to be taken for granted (many of these lessons apply to those with infants as well especially this one).
5. Stress if best handled if shared with others.
6. Hospitals are a slice of heaven at times.
7. Hospitals are a slice of hell many times.
8. The telephone was the second worst invention of the last 500 years only superseeded by the pager.
9. The value of a competent nurse cannot be overestimated.
10. The frustration caused by an incompetent nurse cannot be overestimated (I'm sure the same can be said of incompetent residents).
11. Sometimes you just have to sit back and laugh. I just triaged an OB patient who called an ambulance because she lost her mucous plug in the shower.
12. Sometimes you just have to break down and cry, but only in the protection of your home in the arms of a woman who loves you and would never tell anyone how much of a sissy you are...unless you're a woman then you can cry in the hospital.
13. There are a lot of really good people in the world who need help.
14. There are a few really good people who always seem willing to give that help.
15. My kids don't care how smart I am, or dumb as the case may be.
16. My kids don't care how many hours I worked.
17. My kids don't care how much money I make (at least not yet).
18. My kids want to wrestle, read stories, and play hide and go find dad at all times of the day.
19. Sometimes you have to act like a kid to feel normal again. You can do that by staying up until 3 AM playing games at a friend's house, but only if you're kids allow it and your friends don't kick you out.
20. Lots of people have hard jobs and lots of people have no jobs.
21. A code siren can elicit joy or dread depending on my rotation.
22. Sometimes it feels good to wear a suit.
23. Hospital beds are not comfortable.
24. When the ER doc says they want to admit one of your partner's patients you should always ask the patient who they think their doctor is.
25. Computers are glorious things until they aren't.
26. You can't tell the sex of a baby from a speculum exam (same patient as #11)
27. "Baby daddy" is not a good reflection on our society.
28. Hospitals are not hotels and Ambulances are not taxis.
29. Threatening your doctor is not a good way to get your vicodin.
30. Conjunctivitis is a reason for admission.
31. Conjuctivitis is NOT a good reason for admission.
32. The line between against-medical-advice and with-staff-encouragement is very thin.
33. There are few things in life better than a good donut.
34. Handing off my pager makes me feel like I'm on a Red Bull commercial.
35. 3:30 AM is a bad time to come to the hospital for vaginal itching of 5 days duration.
36. I do not know what crazy people do during daylight hours.
37. Having a hole in your foot is not normal.
38. If the blood in that hole gets replaced by green goo that does not mean it is getting better.
39. Coumadin should not be taken on a prn basis.
40. We should have a name for the 2 AM meal in the English language.
As I near the end of my first year of residency I've decided to make a list of some of the things I have learned:
1. At any time during or after a 24 hour shift I can fall asleep in any position within 10 minutes.
2. "Weekends off" is a phrase I look forward too immensely.
3. A lot of fun can be crammed into 4 days during any given call month.
4. Sleeping in is a priveledge not to be taken for granted (many of these lessons apply to those with infants as well especially this one).
5. Stress if best handled if shared with others.
6. Hospitals are a slice of heaven at times.
7. Hospitals are a slice of hell many times.
8. The telephone was the second worst invention of the last 500 years only superseeded by the pager.
9. The value of a competent nurse cannot be overestimated.
10. The frustration caused by an incompetent nurse cannot be overestimated (I'm sure the same can be said of incompetent residents).
11. Sometimes you just have to sit back and laugh. I just triaged an OB patient who called an ambulance because she lost her mucous plug in the shower.
12. Sometimes you just have to break down and cry, but only in the protection of your home in the arms of a woman who loves you and would never tell anyone how much of a sissy you are...unless you're a woman then you can cry in the hospital.
13. There are a lot of really good people in the world who need help.
14. There are a few really good people who always seem willing to give that help.
15. My kids don't care how smart I am, or dumb as the case may be.
16. My kids don't care how many hours I worked.
17. My kids don't care how much money I make (at least not yet).
18. My kids want to wrestle, read stories, and play hide and go find dad at all times of the day.
19. Sometimes you have to act like a kid to feel normal again. You can do that by staying up until 3 AM playing games at a friend's house, but only if you're kids allow it and your friends don't kick you out.
20. Lots of people have hard jobs and lots of people have no jobs.
21. A code siren can elicit joy or dread depending on my rotation.
22. Sometimes it feels good to wear a suit.
23. Hospital beds are not comfortable.
24. When the ER doc says they want to admit one of your partner's patients you should always ask the patient who they think their doctor is.
25. Computers are glorious things until they aren't.
26. You can't tell the sex of a baby from a speculum exam (same patient as #11)
27. "Baby daddy" is not a good reflection on our society.
28. Hospitals are not hotels and Ambulances are not taxis.
29. Threatening your doctor is not a good way to get your vicodin.
30. Conjunctivitis is a reason for admission.
31. Conjuctivitis is NOT a good reason for admission.
32. The line between against-medical-advice and with-staff-encouragement is very thin.
33. There are few things in life better than a good donut.
34. Handing off my pager makes me feel like I'm on a Red Bull commercial.
35. 3:30 AM is a bad time to come to the hospital for vaginal itching of 5 days duration.
36. I do not know what crazy people do during daylight hours.
37. Having a hole in your foot is not normal.
38. If the blood in that hole gets replaced by green goo that does not mean it is getting better.
39. Coumadin should not be taken on a prn basis.
40. We should have a name for the 2 AM meal in the English language.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The joys of Spring
Today spring has arrived at the Corry household. There are few things I enjoy more than eating dutch oven food. One of those things is cooking dutch oven food and today I did just that. I went out to plant the garden after waking up from my post-call nap and the weather was so nice that I decided to break out the ovens. The only downer is that I'm still getting over a bad case of stomach flu that kept me in bed most of Sunday and Monday so I didn't actually eat much of the chicken and potatoes, but it's all about the fire anyway.
Looking forward to many more smoke filled evenings in the backyard.
Looking forward to many more smoke filled evenings in the backyard.
Twilight Revisited
No, I'm not going to bash Twilight again (well not alone anyway), but after seeing the movie I figured there had to be something else to Edward. The character I saw in the movie just didn't match what I had heard about this guy. What is so special about this dude? Of course I didn't want to read the books to find out so I went in search of another male voice who could explain it all to me.
This is what I found.
Some of you aren't going to like this analysis, but it was a very entertaining read for me. I may even watch the movie again with my newfound understanding.
This is what I found.
Some of you aren't going to like this analysis, but it was a very entertaining read for me. I may even watch the movie again with my newfound understanding.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
One Month Old
Today Kamryn is one month old. After one month I have to say she is a very good little girl. She took to the bottle like a pro and has since had very little problems with gas. What a blessing for her mommy and daddy. I can't begin to explain how nice it is to be able to use burp clothes instead of burp blankets. She actually likes tummy time to which I think is directly related to the above sentence. She has the cutests little sneezes in the entire world. She can sit contently for long periods at a time and if she start to fuss it is just her way or reminding mommy it is time to be wrapped up and put down for a nap. And most of the time, it is that easy. She has just stated to find a happy little voice and coo's occassionally. I love it. It is so fun to watch her little personality start to develop. I love her so much and am so grateful to have her in our family. Here she is at one month!!
Happy Easter
Easter snuck up on us this year and was gone in a flash.
We dyed eggs on Friday since Jacob was on-call Saturday. The kids had a great time dying and we managed not to have any spills or stains on clothes. I attribute this to their crazy mother who would let the kids set the eggs in the cup and then promptly set the cups on the counter away from any danger of being knocked over. I would bring the cup back long enough for the kids, to retrieve their egg and put it in the carton to dry. I think the part they enjoyed the most was coloring on the eggs using mom's "special" box of crayons that aren't broken into tiny pieces. And Kamryn enjoyed her bouncy chair the entire time. All in all, I would consider it a very successful Easter egg dying day.
On Saturday, we went to visit dad on-call. We came home with just enough time for a quick bath and then pj's and bed. Since dad was on-call and wasn't going to be home Easter morning I made a call to the Easter Bunny and requested that he bring the Easter fun while we were at church rather than in the night and he graciously complied.
Sunday Morning Jacob got home with a great case of the stomach flu. He was kind enough to dress up for an Easter-Family picture and then crawled back in bed again. I made it through my first sacrament meeting with 4-kids alone and have to say with few battle scars. In fact, I was rather impressed when the meeting finished and the only person I had to take out was Kamryn to change her diaper.
We came home to find that the Easter Bunny managed a visit while we were at church and the kids had a fun hour finding, sorting, and eating Easter treats. Notice how amazing the Easter Bunny is at color coding those Easter baskets. I don't know if the kids noticed but their mom sure did :)
Here is a video of the kids finding their Easter baskets. Kristian didn't find his basket for quite some time after we stopped filming as he was more concerned about eating the candy from his trail.
Our Easter Dinner wasn't quite up to par but what you gonna do. Since Jacob didn't feel good and I didn't want to get on the kids case for not eating the casserole potatoes I decided to bag the whole Easter Feast idea. Instead I made the kids their favorite, fettuccine alfredo (aka white noodles), made Jacob a slice of toast, and I enjoyed a wonderful egg salad sandwich, my favorite food of the Easter season. So everyone was happy and there was one pan to clean. Nice!!
We were not able to participate in the Annual Corry Egg-Stravaganza Egg Spinning Contest this year we had our own small family spinning fun. Spencer got pretty good at spinning his eggs and Jacob and I got a kick out of watching Kristian and Jessi stand up, and then lay down, and then stand up, and then lay down as they watched their eggs spin.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed the time to reflect on our Savior and his marvelous gift of the atonement.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Heber J Grant
Growing up there was always a wealth of quotes and pictures of Heber J Grant in our house. One quote in particular was often recited and I believe my mother has a few wall hangings with these words on them:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do, not that the nature of the thing is changed, but our power to do is increased."
I have always correlated these words with President Grant's acquired talent of penmanship, and wondered what great talent I could acquire. Maybe I could learn to play the piano or something of the like, but up until today I had never really understood that he may not have been talking about some special talent that goes from pathetic to wonderful (as with the penmanship). Maybe he was talking about life in general.
I'm currently on my 4th call of my second month of OB and I've got to tell you this has definitely become easier for me to do. I still don't love OB and I'm not too excited when my pager goes off, but my power to handle what comes during an OB call has really increased.
Maybe if we have a few more kids it will be easier for me to deal with crying babies.......or maybe not.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do, not that the nature of the thing is changed, but our power to do is increased."
I have always correlated these words with President Grant's acquired talent of penmanship, and wondered what great talent I could acquire. Maybe I could learn to play the piano or something of the like, but up until today I had never really understood that he may not have been talking about some special talent that goes from pathetic to wonderful (as with the penmanship). Maybe he was talking about life in general.
I'm currently on my 4th call of my second month of OB and I've got to tell you this has definitely become easier for me to do. I still don't love OB and I'm not too excited when my pager goes off, but my power to handle what comes during an OB call has really increased.
Maybe if we have a few more kids it will be easier for me to deal with crying babies.......or maybe not.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Words of a 6 year old
Generally at night the two boys spend some time laughing and giggling before finally falling asleep in their room. Last night was no exception, but at one point Nader started crying out for his mother. I went in to see what was going on and Spencer said the following:
"I was kicking him in the face and he was laughing, then I kicked him in the face and he started crying."
That same evening Melissa and I were watching Survivor Tocantins. Melissa turned to me and said: "Could you imagine eating rice and beans for 40 straight days?"
Sometimes I wonder if she even knows me.
For those of you who don't know Survivor Tucantins is in Brazil, a country with who's customs and food I am intimately familiar.
"I was kicking him in the face and he was laughing, then I kicked him in the face and he started crying."
That same evening Melissa and I were watching Survivor Tocantins. Melissa turned to me and said: "Could you imagine eating rice and beans for 40 straight days?"
Sometimes I wonder if she even knows me.
For those of you who don't know Survivor Tucantins is in Brazil, a country with who's customs and food I am intimately familiar.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
An Update . . . Long but there are Pictures :)
So although I have not felt "completely" overwhelmed from day to day I find that three weeks have gone by leaving me wondering where they went. I have said for two weeks now, I need to post an update on the blog, and obviously it hasn't happened. So I am taking advantage of this time between conference sessions to update, here it goes.
Update - Jacob
Jacob was able to take off the last week of March which was a wonderful blessing for our family. He started the week getting some projects done. He rented a tiller and tore up the backyard, smoothed out the huge potholes, buried some tubing for the sump pump water to drain under our lawn and not over it, and then planted new grass. Now we just have to be patient and hope for a thick lawn. Jacob then moved to the inside and installed the crown molding in our bedroom. I love it. We then spent the rest of the week enjoying family time with the kids and my mom, including a walk around Norte Dame (no ones visit is complete without this gem), a trip to a buffet (Spencer's new favorite) and a trip down to Nappane and Shipshawana to see the Amish communities. The adults loved the beautiful scenery of the drive and the kids got a kick out of the horses and buggies. We didn't buy anything in all of the many many shops but we did happen to go on free pretzel day and so we all enjoyed homemade pretzels. They were fabulous.
Jacob started OB this month. His first call was Thursday and he got about 30 minutes of sleep total. It was brutal but he made it through and as his director told him, sometimes that all you can do. He just finished Warren Buffet's biography that I got him for his birthday and is now listing to his new biography on CD on his way to and from work. He is also continuing to bring up his desire to go to Nebraska for the Berkshire-Hathaway shareholder meeting next month and has ordered tickets for 4. I am pretty sure at this point he is going to go. (Jacob knows I can never really say no to him and for that I am grateful he thinks about things for quite some time before he asks me) He probably would enjoy some traveling companions if anyone is interested.
Melissa - Update
First off, thank you to all of the you who wished us well and congrats on the birth of our new daughter. We are very grateful and happy to have her in our lives. I recovered quite quickly from Kamryn's birth. I felt better the day I left the hospital than I did 3 weeks after Kristian was born. It is amazing the difference 2 pounds can make.
I loved having my mom here for two weeks. She was such a huge help. Every time I turned around she was making a bed, cleaning my stove top, playing with my children, cutting everyone's hair, or keeping me company during the 3 am feedings. Thank you mom!! Your visit was truly appreciated. I love you!!
While my mom was here we also got a few projects completed. We started the week purchasing my new bernina, which I love, and quite a little stash of fabric. This stash included about three separate trips to the fabric store which for my mom and I, is pretty much the best place to get to go and spend time. Kamryn joined us on these trips while Jacob spent time with the three others at home. A win-win situation for all. We (mostly my mom) made the boys room curtains, and the girls room curtain which I have wanted to do since November. It is amazing how much easier it is to make decisions about fabric with my mom than with my kids. We also made a new crib sheet that will match the girls room and got material for me to recover the bumper pads and make a quilt to match their room as well. I am excited to start that project.
It was super hard to say goodbye to my mom. However, since that day, I have had many friends jump right in to make sure I am doing well. Several friends have brought meals and on Thursday the wives club I am a part of threw me a baby shower that was just a blast. Thank you all for your generous support and love. I can't begin to explain how much it helps to know that we have such a strong support group here. We really do love you all.
Spencer - Update
Spencer is loving having Kamryn at home. He takes pride in telling everyone that he came up with her nickname, Kami, and absolutely loves to hold her. He likes to say that he has Spencer magic because every time he holds her she stops crying (at least he thinks so). He is taking on greater responsibility around the house and is a huge help to me daily. He has also learned to tie shoes in the last week to which he is very proud of. (I know this seems late but he has never had shoes with laces before so it was never a task he needed to know how to do.) He is getting better at reading (it's still slow but he is progressing) and has stumbled into the stage of needed to ask why, what, how and so forth about everything under the sun. A joy to his parents :)
Jessica - Update
Jessi was ecstatic to find out that the baby was a girl and she would finally have someone to sleep with her. She has always found it hard to listen to the boys play around at bedtime while she was stuck in her room alone. This excitement lasted for about 2 days and since I am greeted at 3am with Jessi giving me dirty looks and asking why it took me so long to come and get Kami and how she disturbed her sleep. Got to love it. Jessi really does love Kamryn and is also a huge help. She is my little errand girl and is constantly fetching me a burp cloth, diaper, or some other baby necessity, and does it with a smile each time, well almost each time.
Jessi has also experience a growth spurt and was so excited to get to pack away her 3t clothes and pull out the big box of 4t clothes. (thanks again Greg and Angeleah, what a huge blessing those clothes have been to us) She is quite the fashion connoisseur and loved prancing around holding all of her new dresses up to her. While doing this, my mother and I noticed that she is very long in the legs and several of the dresses were barely passing her bum. So a new project was founded. My mom and I took another trip to the fabric store (ah, I love it there) and got lace and ribbon to add to the bottom of these dresses. My mom, the amazing seamstress, proceeded to add this to the dresses and Jessi is now in seventh heaven as she can still loo lop about the benches at church and her dress still covers her panties.
Kristian- Update
Nader Man , what more can I say. He seemed to notice Kami's arrival but was more excited to come to the hospital to get a donut or push chairs around the hospital room. He seemed to have a day or two where he was struggling with the loss of mommy's attention but quickly got over it and moved on. He is all boy, and big boy at that. His new favorite is to run around the house yelling, in his own sweet animated language, He-Man, and the maders of da univberse. It makes us laugh every time.
Kamryn - Update
Kami has been a pretty good baby and I really can't complain one bit. She spent much of the first week and a half, eating, pooping and sleeping and very minimal crying. I was truely starting to believe that we might have a child that didn't have gas problems. And then things started to spiral down. She started screaming for an hour to an hour and a half after each feeding, struggled eating, and all in all, started to try her parents patience, especially at 3 am. I am sure in comparison to other children she would still be considered fabulous at this point but Jacob and I have never been know for our fondness of the infant stage.
Anyhow, I was sick on Wednesday and it was the straw that broke the camels back. We decided to stop the nursing and go to formula. Since, my life has been much brighter and Kami's gas seems to be getting much better. She is growing (she has gained a pound) and really is starting to be very alert of what is going on around her. She is trying to lift her head up and can roll quite a big onto a side. She is getting to that stage where you can start to see a little personality coming out of her and that is always a good change for us. She is truly a beautiful little lady, and a wonderful addition to our family.
And that is that. We love our little Family!!
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