Drat

I've become what I most fear and despise: One of those mothers who suddenly has nothing on her blog but pictures and posts about her baby. I used to mock those people, especially the ones who didn't limit themselves to their private blogs but posted all that junk in Torrey Chatter on BUBBS.

"Why do they do that?" I'd gripe. "It's ridiculous. Don't they realize that if I want to see pictures of their babies, I'll contact them and say Hey, send me some pictures of your baby? Otherwise, I don't need to see or hear about their brats."

In my own defense, you only have to look at my blog if you so choose, and I've put absolutely no pictures of Nathan on BUBBS.

When You're Smiling...

...the Whole World Smiles With You!!!

Domestic Goddess

Last night, I made dinner with one hand, while holding a nursing Nathan with the other.

Offerings and libations may be submitted to me via comments.

Happy Two Weeks, Nathan!

(Written yesterday, posted today.)

Baby Nathan,

Two weeks ago, you were born. You existed prior to that, of course, and drastically affected my life for nine months before February 6. However, two weeks ago, you became REAL. And you proceeded to fill my life more than I ever thought possible.

Little babies are a full-time job, or rather, more than a full-time job. I spend AT LEAST 8 hours a day just feeding you! But no matter how much I have to feed you, or how often you keep me up all night, I will never get tired of holding you and looking at you.

Your mommy and daddy love you.

Cuteness

Sleeping peacefully:

So adorable in the little jacket sent by the Winters:

Loaded up in the car seat, ready to go home from the hospital:

The cats do not know what to make of this small intruder. Puffy-tailed, Touchy views the situation from a safe distance:

Due date

February 19 was supposed to be Nathan's due date.

Instead, he's almost two weeks old, and I've almost recovered from giving birth to him.

Don't Miss It!!!

My pregnancy narrative, published BEFORE my after-pregnancy picture.
http://classickiti.blogspot.com/2008/02/she-who-labors-labors-not-in-vain.html

Voila!!

Yesterday, I decided to face down some of my fears, and pulled out my pre-pregnancy clothes. With some trepidation, I tried them on, and...Affirmative, Houston, we have skinny jeans!
Elapsed post-partum turnaround time: 9 days

Of course, I'm cheating a bit, since these are the stretchy kind of jeans that have spandex or lycra in them. And I have an advantage in that, in addition to skinny jeans, I also have skinny genes. And I'm breastfeeding, and Fuzzy eats a lot. You can see that I still have a bit of a pooch on my tummy, and sadly, I didn't bother to put on makeup or do my hair for the picture, but oh well.

She who labors, labors not in vain

As may be surmised from my previous post, Fuzzy decided to make his way into the outer world. It has been a crazy few weeks, so I'm still trying to pull myself together to send photos to friends and family, and to tell the tale of his coming here on my blog.

But first, some vital statistics:
Nathan Alan
February 6, 2008; 10:12 am
Weight: 7 lbs, 9 oz
Length: 21 inches
Hair: brown
Eyes: dark blue-grey
Status: Adored by all

Caveat: The following narrative may not be for the squeamish or the faint of heart. You have been warned!

I am certain that every woman has a lively labor-and-delivery story for every one of her babies, but I think (narcissistically, no doubt) that mine is sort of funny, and people might want to read it. It's worth noting that Nathan's due date was February 19, so he really came about 2 weeks early. I'd been told that first babies often come later than their due dates, and it's not like I'm usually on time or early for anything.

Last Tuesday morning, I began my day by reading in 1 Peter. For whatever reason (i.e. I didn't actually sleep the night before), I fell asleep for a few hours and awoke around 11 am. During the latter part of my nap, I'd become vaguely aware of cramps in my lower back and pelvis area. I'd been cleaning and rearranging the front closet the day before, lifting and shoving boxes around, so I figured that my pain was directly related to the fact that I should not have been doing so much heavyish work while almost 9 months pregnant, and I must have strained my back and hips. I told Jeff I was having some pain, and he was a bit concerned, and reminded me to take it easy

I went to the bathroom, and noted some "bloody show", which was heavier than spotting, but not really a full-on gushing of blood. I wondered if I should call the doctor for advice, or if that would be overdoing it. I didn't want to be one of those freaky freak-out women who obsesses about every little thing. But... blood is blood, so I ended up calling the doctor's office. The efficient nurse (named Bonnie, but that is not important) called me back and we figured out that I had lost my mucus plug (on her advice, I checked, and there was a clumpy-looking thing in the toilet). She reminded me that the mucus plug can come out a few weeks before labor (so I considered myself to be right on target, being two weeks before my due date), but told me that if I had heavier bleeding or started having contractions, I should call again.

I did take it easy through the afternoon, finalizing our birth plan and the packing list for the hospital bag--we had two more weeks, so I was doing fine. When my cramping pains didn't abate, but rather intensified, I said to myself, "Self," I said, "this must be that false labor I've heard so much about. It can happen a few weeks prior to labor and delivery."

After dinner, I contacted Mel (who lives in our apartment complex) and told her that I wanted to go walking to loosen up my muscles, because obviously they just needed to be exercised and then stretched. Stupid cramps. I had planned to just walk up to visit her, but she wanted exercise, too, so we took about 30 minutes to stroll on some streets, and visited our friendly neighborhood tattoo parlor (which also does piercings, of course).

Mel had an evening vet appointment for her new cat, Harris Xerxes, and Jeff and I went with her to keep her company. The cramps had felt better after the walk, but they started getting worse again. I just breathed through them, and told Jeff and Mel, "It may be false labor, but there's nothing false about the pain."

We returned home and I went to bed, with pains becoming worse and more frequent (Editor's note: Sheesh, you'd think I would have clued in by that time, but no). I couldn't sleep, got up a few times, took Tylenol (Hey, it's supposed to help with pain, right?), and at midnight, I was too restless, so I got up and started packing the hospital bag. I'd gone to all the trouble to make the packing list that afternoon, and I thought I might as well accomplish something if I was going to be kept up by insomnia and agony.

Jeff came to bed, and was concerned that my cramps had not let up, but told me to come back to bed and try to relax. The cramping was coming more frequently, but the intervals were not regular: spaced 3 minutes apart, then 7, then 3 contractions occurred within two minutes. Relaxing didn't help, so he told me to try getting up and walking around a bit.

I walked around, and alternated that with sitting down at the computer. My darling best friend Sara was online (it was 2 am in AZ, and 1 am in CA), so we chatted for quite a while. I told her that I wasn't feeling well at all, with the frequent pelvic pain and all. Ever wise, Sara told me, "You should probably start doing something about that." We talked about various things, including her latest projects in Bones fan fiction. And I looked up "false labor vs true labor" on Google, just in case. *gulp* My pains fell squarely under the "true labor" heading: becoming more intense and more frequent over time, not going away with movement or change in position, being felt starting in the lower back and moving around to the lower abdomen.

I told Sara I thought I'd take a warm bath to counteract them. "Is that a good idea?" she asked. I replied that warm baths were recommended for labor pains, and added, "Besides, if I'm going into the hospital, I want to be clean!"

By this time, the contractions were quite frequent and intense, and lasted at least 30 seconds each time, though the bath did help to ease the hurting. Accordingly, I woke Jeff to inform him of the latest developments. "I think I might really be in labor!" He took a shower, while I began throwing stuff haphazardly into the hospital bag. I was in more and more pain, and started to panic. He reminded me to breathe. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo, just like we learned in childbirth class." He packed a bag for himself, too.

Just before 4 am, Jeff had loaded up the car with our stuff and the baby's new car seat (since we wouldn't be able to take him from the hospital without it), cranked up the car heater since it was so cold that the car windows had frosted over, and then thoughtfully called into work to let them know that his wife was in labor and so he probably wouldn't be in for work later in the day. The drive to the hospital was less than 10 minutes, since I had selected our hospital based on the fact that it was the nearest hospital to our apartment. One nice thing about going anywhere in the middle of the night is that there is always plenty of parking available. Jeff found a parking spot pretty near the entrance, and grabbed the bags, while I stood shakily and breathed through the pain. There was nobody at the regular entrance, but it was open; I guess they just expect most people to arrive at the ER, rather than the main entrance, at 4:00 in the morning. We walked in, passed a few custodial people, and went up to labor and delivery floor (we knew where it was, because we'd had birthing center tour just a week before).

We were admitted by a perky person at nurse station/desk; apparently we'd been preregistered, since they already had a file with my name on it. They found me a room and gave me the standard flimsy cotton shift to change into. The patient care tech there told me, "We're going to check your cervix to see if you're dilated, and then we're going to check again in about an hour to see if you're making any progress, because the definition of labor isn't really the labor pains, but the progress in the dilation of the cervix." That being said, she went on to check my cervix, and got a look of bemused consternation on her face. She called over another tech. "I need a second opinion-- I can't find her cervix!"
Tech #2 did her check and said, "She's really thin and dilated to 8 centimeters." Oh, dear.
Tech #1 turned to me. "Well, it looks like you're having a baby today!"
Me: "But I'm not ready!!!"

Everyone proceeded to get busy, prepping everything and contacting my ob/gyn to alert her of my status. Jeff stayed glued to my side; he was my point of focus to get through the contractions, and he talked me through them when I lost focus and forgot to breathe in my panic. Let me take this opportunity to share that Jeff was an AWESOME labor coach! He was the one who really got me through the whole thing.

They hooked me up to an IV, which turned out to be second most traumatic thing about my whole ordeal. I am not afraid of needles; I do just fine with shots. However, I hate getting my blood drawn, and now that I've had an IV, I can state that I getting those, too. I guess I just don't like the thought of needles sticking into my blood vessels for protracted lengths of time. I also have a very contrary circulatory system, in that my veins are really hard to find. The tech could not get a vein in my left arm, so after several tries, she went to my right arm. With her jabbing around, I started to pass out, even though I was lying down flat on the bed; my vision was blacking out and I had the ringing in my ears. The tech gave up and called another person over, who went back to my left arm, and, though she griped about it, eventually got the IV needle into a vein close to my wrist. Let me add, though, that even though I loathed the experience of having the IV put in, I do think it was good to have it, since it provided me with fluid and energy for the labor experience when I could consume only ice chips (and it's worth noting that my tummy didn't WANT anything other than ice chips at that point).

They were concerned that my water hadn't broken (which was one major reason why I didn't think I was actually in labor till 2 am), but were still waiting it out. I had relaxed a bit, and Jeff was being really great about keeping me focused but not too intense.
I told the nurse, "Well, overall, being in labor isn't as bad as I thought, but I'm really worried about getting to the transition stage, because we learned in childbirth class that it can be painful and scary."
The nurse gave me a look. "Honey, you're already there!" Doh!
Anyway, all the nurses and techs seemed amazed and kept saying things like "You made it through transition with only the breathing to manage the pain?!"

Eventually, they gave me a narcotic (stadol) in the IV, to relax me, and help with the pain and the dilation, for a few hours. Let me just say, that drug was really good stuff while it lasted. I kept fading in and out of a dreamlike state, and every time I came out, I'd talk with Jeff. I am guessing I sounded extremely loopy, but I don't remember what we talked about. I DO remember constantly thinking about zoo animals; every time I fell into that somnolent state, I'd be thinking about elephants and giraffes and monkeys... Go figure. I finally understand why some people would take consciousness-altering drugs. I was pleased to have this safely monitored and extremely legal opportunity to try them, myself.

Melissa visited as the stadol was gradually wearing down, thoughtfully bringing Jeff some breakfast on her way to take Harris Xerxes to the vet to be declawed. I think she was sort of impressed by "Deb on a drug trip".

Speaking of drugs, I did not have an epidural. As noted with my stadol experience, I am fully in support of having drugs for pain during labor. I must admit, though, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of getting an epidural. Remember how I hate having needles sticking into my veins? I didn't think a needle sticking into my spine would be any more appealing. I did consider having one, anyway, because reducing pain is a good thing when one is in labor, but as chance (or fate) would have it, it wasn't an option. Remember how I was already at 8 cm when I went to the hospital? Because I came in so late, by the time I would have been able to opt for an epidural, it was basically too late, as they will not administer an epidural at 9 or 10 cm. Words of wisdom, ladies: Go to the hospital early so you can get as many drugs as possible!

My ob/gyn happened to be on duty for a while, but had to leave later for a meeting from 10-11 that morning. She ended up breaking my water in the hopes that it would speed things along, but they still didn't move fast enough. My doctor's colleague would end up delivering the baby (and I didn't like her nearly as much, but women dilated to 9 cm can't be choosers). The nurse told me to keep breathing through the contractions (like I had a choice-- they weren't going away on their own) and let her know when I felt the urge to push. So I did, and then I felt it: you really do get an instinctual urge to push. I gasped, "It's time to push! Time to push!" Not witty, to be sure, but accurate and to the point.

The nurse checked me, and yes, I was at 10 cm! So then started the worst and most excruciating section of the childbirth experiencing: the pushing and actual delivery of the child. Fortunately, most of it has faded to a blur in my memory. Jeff was there, always coaching me to breathe, and keeping me focused. The nurse kept working with me, getting me and the baby to the point when the doctor would be called in. I asked how long it would be, and was told, "No way to tell. For a first-time mother, it could be a few hours." A few hours? God help me!

People have been asking me, "Is the pain really as bad as they say?" My answer is that the pain itself is pretty bad, but manageable in increments. The pain from stubbing a toe, for example, is actually much more intense, in and of itself, but it is over in a few seconds. The thing about childbirth is that the awful pushing contractions happen over and over and over again, and you have no way of knowing when it will all end, and so it starts out pretty bad and gets to be extremely agonizing over time. My impression is that "Okay, one more push" is the obstetrical equivalent of the Irianese "Satu gunung lagi, Pak!" (Editor’s note: Translation from Indonesian is “Just one more mountain, sir!”)

Obviously, I survived, and Fuzzy definitely knew where he was going, as he made his way down the birth canal. You'd think you'd feel a definite baby-sized lump, but I guess the pain sensors overwhelm the other sensors at that point. When his head became visible, they called in the doctor, who was briskly efficient; she didn't wear a mask or even have her hair tied back, though, which really irritated me (strange the things you notice during moments like giving birth). She also had me use stirrups, which was contrary to our birth plan, but then she isn't actually our ob/gyn. The funny thing is, the nurses and techs kept saying things like, "Wow, she's the calmest one we've ever had without an epidural," even though I was anything but calm, gasping and screaming and saying, "How much longer? I can't do this!" And Jeff and the others would say, "Yes, you can! One more push."

Eventually, as best I understand it, I started to tear, because I saw the doctor grab a syringe and then a scalpel, using them down at the end where she was working. Grr, the indignity, no epidural and then an episiotomy, but then, it was over, because there was no more pressure and the baby's head was able to make it through the opening. Once his head cleared, they pulled the rest of his body out, while I hyperventilated and didn't quite comprehend what was happening. Someone said, "Yes, it's definitely a boy!" They put his little body onto my chest, and I suddenly didn't know what to do. I was really meeting my Fuzzy for the first time! They took him to clean him up and weigh him and do all those things that nurses and techs do with a newly born baby, and the doctor stitched me up. I had to keep telling her to use more anesthetic (Editor’s note: I always have to tell dentists this, too.), because I could feel the stitches. In my opinion, making me feel stitches in my crotch after I'd just gone through childbirth was just adding insult to injury.

Side note: Nathan is very healthy and scored a 9 on his Apgar test!

I got him again, clean and swaddled. He felt so tiny! I held him and gave him his first meal. He got the idea pretty quickly, and ended up feeding for two hours! This is unusual, since new babies usually feed for only about 20 minutes at a time. He was famous, because whenever there was a shift change and we got a new nurse, she would comment, "Oh, this is the two-hour feeding baby!" Apparently they share that kind of information at the nurses' station.

They brought me a tray of food (score!) with juice, corn flakes, and milk. Corn flakes never tasted so good! And THEN they brought me my lunch, which surprised me since I thought the juice and cereal WAS my lunch. The corn flakes were actually better than most of the lunch food. Anyway, sweet Auntie Jennifer was the first person to visit us in the hospital. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of her with Nathan, but I guess my brain was focused on other things at the time.

In the afternoon, we were able to switch from a labor/delivery room to a recovery room on the other side of the birthing center. This room had a couch bed for Jeff (sadly, terribly uncomfortable), and there was a little plastic bin crib on a wheeled cabinet, where the baby was kept. Jeff crashed, since he had no sleep the previous night. I was also exhausted, but wasn't able to sleep. I fed Nathan a few more times (not as long as the first time, but he was a big eater from the start), tried to rest, and started dealing with the aches and pains and bodily fluids that are part of the whole childbirth and recovery experience.

Jeff had thoughtfully brought some movies to the hospital, and in the evening, we passed the time watching Tomb Raider--not really highbrow, but there's not much to do in a hospital room. Melissa came by later, bringing Jeff real food and me a milkshake, and Sam came a while later, as well. We spent the night in the room, though I didn't get much sleep, with the baby waking and needing to eat, and me still being a novice mom.

By morning, we were both tired of the whole hospital thing, and ready to just go home. People kept telling us, "You can stay two nights. It's allowed." I guess most people do stay two nights. But we were just ready to be done. Unfortunately, Nathan started running a temperature slightly above normal. He was checked by a pediatrician there, and then he was taken for some blood tests; we were told that if he showed everything as okay, we could take him home, but otherwise, we'd have to stay for observation. Naturally, we were willing to stay another night if we needed to for Nathan's safety. It turned out not to be necessary, though. We left around 8:00 in the evening.

Incidentally, my ob/gyn also stopped by to check on me in the morning. She was impressed with how well I was doing, and how quickly I became mobile. According to her, I was "a rock star with the whole pain thing". I guess I really do have a decently high pain tolerance level.

So that was my labor and childbirth for little Nathan Alan.

Lessons learned:
-There is a reason why narcotics are popular recreational drugs.
-There is a difference between regular muscle cramps and labor pains. It’s subtle, but once you know what it is, you’re not likely to overlook it again!
-Tylenol is great stuff for headaches, but doesn't help if you're actually in labor.
-A new mom definitely deserves a big chocolate milkshake (my choice; alternatively, any milkshake in a flavor of your choice).
-If you think you MIGHT be in labor, go to the hospital. The worst they will do is send you home.

Fuzzy in the flesh!

New and Exciting!

Well, not really. Nothing interesting to report. I had another doctor appointment. Fuzzy is still healthy and still primed to present himself to the world in just a few weeks. That's good, but makes for boring blog posts.

As for me, I'm still struggling with insomnia and indigestion, which is utterly normal for late pregnancy, and which also makes for boring blog posts.

Common Sense?

The director of UN HIV/AIDS programs tells Youtube viewers how to do their part to prevent the spread of the disease: use a condom, of course, but also don't be promiscuous, and wait to have sex, if you're young. Wow, that's... common sense.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

President Suharto, who was de facto dictator of Indonesia in everything except title, has died. He controlled Indonesia, which became the fifth-most-populous nation in the world, from 1966 to 1998. Many in the US are probably unfamiliar with his regime, but he truly was one of the most significant figures in world politics of the latter half of the twentieth century. Suharto rose to power as part of a prominent anti-communist movement, ousting the more leftist Sukarno from power with strong support from the US. Being hopelessly mired at the time in Vietnam, US leaders were all too eager to gain an anti-communist ally in Southeast Asia, and so colluded with and/or did not protest Suharto's often ruthless and corrupt regime. But hey, that's how politics play out much of the time.

Keeping Up

Okay, so I haven't been doing much that is blog-worthy these days. One thing I could mention is that we visited the ob/gyn (yes, again; Amanda is right: we should just get cots and move into the dr's office at this point) this past week, and Fuzzy is now in his proper head-down position, though there is no cervical dilation yet.

I've really been trying to do all the proper, healthy things while I've been pregnant, lack of sleep notwithstanding. I've eaten a fairly balanced diet and even done a bit of exercise here and there. Proof positive that I will do anything for my baby: I've even been drinking a glass of milk pretty much every day! I do this solely for the benefit of calcium and protein, as I don't much care for the taste of milk, and I'm always rather bemused as to why we humans are so enthused about consuming something that comes from the underside of a smelly, dirty animal such as a cow. Think about it, seriously.

I try to do something active almost every day. I started walking for 20 minutes or so, on days when it is sunny out. Our apartment complex also has a heated pool, and I decided to try something new for exercise: swimming. I've been swimming, after a fashion, for almost as long as I can remember, but I've never been able to really sustain any sort of fitness regimen related to aquatics. It's really not My Thing. [Contrast this with Jeff, who swam competitively for I don't know how many years, or with Mia, who swam competitively until a tragic accident derailed her promising athletic prospects. You can really tell, because my naturally athletic sister's arms and shoulders are very buff, whereas "buff" is the last word anyone would use to describe any part of my upper body.] I like to point out that I'm not a bad swimmer, i.e. obviously I've never drowned yet, but neither am I a particularly good one. But because I'm not that good, I really get a workout just doggy-paddling from end to end; my heart rate is elevated and my muscles really feel that they're being exercised, so something must be right. I know some "proper" technique, but I generally just do my own thing. Believe it or not, I actually remember learning the basics of swimming by watching the frogs in the river at Meyokda! I guess it's easy to believe it, if you observe my default stroke: a breaststroke with a very froggy motion in the legs.

I just don't compare my performance with Jeff's, who swims at least 80 brisk and properly performed laps, several times a week.

I actually had swimming lessons once: When we lived in Wheaton, my parents sent Dan and me to the Wheaton College athletic center to "learn how to swim" from a nice student named Stu, who was a PE major or on the swim team, or maybe both. Dan took to it and turned out to be pretty good, but eventually, Stu went to my mom and said, "Look, I'm not going to take your money for Deb's lessons any more. She hates it, and she won't work with me." Yes, I got dumped by my swim teacher, and I deserved it. I did hate swimming lessons: the pool was always COLD, which was horrible for me even back then, and I really didn't see the point. I could tread water, would be able to stay afloat if I got thrown in deep water, and I knew I wasn't going to be swimming in any stupid Olympics, so why did I need to know fancy strokes?

No doubt my punishment for lack of swimming discipline will come when Fuzzy turns out to be a swimmer like his daddy, and I'll be forced to spend many an hour at swim team practices and meets.

Irritated

I have been stricken with insomnia again. In this case, I know it's normal: I'm in my eighth month of pregnancy, and most women at this point struggle with sleeping through the night. After all, we're sharing our bodies with a very squirmy person who's getting bigger every day (and who thinks it's fun to kick our ribs and diaphragms), it's impossible to find a comfortable position while lying down, and if, by wildly crazy chance, we DO get comfortable, we immediately have to get up and visit the bathroom to empty our bladders.

It's really such a pain to get just 2-4 hours of sleep at night, because not only is one perpetually exhausted, but there's really nothing to DO at 3:00 AM. Can't go anywhere, can't do anything around the house (since Jeff is sleeping like a normal human being), and can't even read productively, since perusing anything serious (like, say, the Bible) isn't useful because even though I'm wide awake, at the same time, I'm groggy (other insomnia sufferers will know what I mean). So, I'm generally reading "Bones" fan fiction (courtesy of Sara) or playing WoW with all the other sleepless losers.

Ishtar

Aka Esther. The name of the Babylonian goddess of sweet sweet love. Coincidence? Hmmm.

What would be a good tagline for the book of Esther, this section of Scripture with disturbing Harlequin-romance-novel undertones?

"Courageous-but-humble Hebrew girl saves her threatened people!"

OR

"Sexy schemer makes good, brings relatives along for the ride!"

Think about it, people.

Kudos - Sierra Mini Storage, Visalia, CA

One thing I'd like to do, on occasion, is highlight businesses or individuals that have operated in a praiseworthy manner. Businesses that offer excellent goods or services deserve to be recognized. This is all based on my own subjective experience, of course; other experiences may differ.

Last month, I received great customer service from Sierra Mini Storage, run by manager Sandra Sterling, which provides U-Haul rentals at the storage site. Jeff and I had reserved some items for our big move, and when I went to pick up our stuff, a few of our items were not available (due to other customers not having returned proper inventory to Sierra Mini Storage) and we had decided to change other things in our order. Instead of telling us "Tough luck" (since it wasn't really her fault) and having it be a really negative experience, Sandra went the extra mile as a business professional, picked up the phone and called other local U-Haul dealers to find one that had exactly what we needed, then transferred our order over there. By doing so, Sandra essentially gave away our order and didn't make a cent of profit from it. However, she did demonstrate great business sense. Now, if I ever have a future need for moving or storage services in the Visalia area, Sierra Mini Storage will be the first place I call, because I know that the customer really does come first there.

Sierra Mini Storage (and U-Haul Rentals)
Sandra Sterling, Manager
555 S. Lovers Lane (at Fwy 198)
Visalia, CA 93292
Phone 559-734-2000
Cell 661-972-5916
Fax 559-734-2003

Kids these days

There are three adolescents-- two giggly girls and one boy-- hanging out in front of my apartment window. Believe it or not, for someone who doesn't like people, I actually like communal living, in apartment or condo situations. As long as they don't make too much noise, or interact with me in a personal manner, I don't mind having close neighbors, even children or teenagers. Since this is the first time I've ever lived in an apartment on the ground floor, it's the first opportunity I've had to actually view people's outdoor activities at eye level while at home.

Anyway, these kids: I can only assume that today must be a half-day at their middle school (I doubt they're as old as high school), since it was only a little after noon when they started chillaxin' out there. As far as I can tell, they are not doing anything illegal or immoral. They are not ditching school, because I saw the yellow school bus come by on its route to drop them off. I see no cigarettes of any kind, nor bottles of anything but water (okay, sure, it could actually be vodka, but they're not MY kids, so I'll let it pass with the benefit of the doubt). Nope, they're just talking and laughing and enjoying the end of their formative years.

Oops, now they're gone. They might have become uncomfortable with my observation of them; I didn't stare, and my eyes have been almost entirely on my computer monitor, but I'm sure they didn't need a square old grown-up watching them and spoiling their fun. Or maybe they have Big Plans, Things To Do, and the gravel in front of my apartment window was merely their staging area. Strangely enough, now that they've left, I kind of miss them.

Nudity (in the world today)

Apparently, the best way to get people to comment on your blog is to include a naked picture in your post.

Funny!

Even funnier is the fact that Blogger actually chopped off the right third or so of the linked picture, so while Adam is in full view as all-naturally created, you can't see that GOD is wearing an ethereal gown-type thing. Yeah, God is clothed.

People

There exists a Dilbert cartoon in which Dilbert is sitting at his computer, fully wired, and realizes that with the internet at his fingertips, he no longer needs to seek human contact. He bursts into song: "People, people who don't need people, are the luuuuuuckiest people in the woooooorld!" This is, of course, a play on the famous song "People", from the musical Funny Girl, in which Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice celebrates people who do need people, which concept really confused me from the first time I heard it sung: Even at age 13, I was definitely of the Dilbert point of view, plus the Funny Girl song seemed to hint of a sort of codependent neediness.

There also exists a popular proverb relating to the human race: "It takes all kinds of people to make a world." My father, who is a man of age and wisdom (and also an introvert), puts it rather differently: "It doesn't take all kinds; we just have all kinds." And you know, that's generally how I feel. I'm not much of a people person, or more accurately, I'm not any kind of a people person at all. I'm usually pretty comfortable with my lack of social drive, but it was then irritating to spend all those years in seminary, being told, "As humans, we need others; God created us to be in community with each other and with Him."

Lately, I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know), and it occurred to me that the thing about people is that we all carry the image of God. It's a damaged and sullied and defective image, because we are sinful and fallen beings, unworthy of the glory of being His creation and bearing Him in our persons; but it is there nonetheless, and to meet and interact with another human being is to see a flash of the Almighty God Himself. And perhaps through being with a whole lot of people, we can cobble together all the different flawed glimpses of God and gain a slightly clearer composite picture of Him. In community, in a cluster of God-images, we experience God, however briefly and darkly through a glass.

Implications? Definitely.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is over. Hope you enjoyed it.

The Saviour was born, the Wise Men came, now Mary and Joseph take the family on an extended vacation in Egypt...

And so, to the next phase of life.

Friendship

Real friends are people who know all the bad things about you, and love you anyway!
They drive 200 miles to visit you on a whim.
They might get together to get you presents that are so perfect you almost cry, and then make it even more perfect by including a pack of sour gummy candy, because they know it's a favorite.
They might tell you exactly what they want for Christmas, because they know you're a terribly indecisive shopper and need a little help.
They listen to your woes, great and small.

2007 in Review

It must be admitted that 2007 was an eventful year, although in reality, many of the years of my (or anybody's) life can be classified as "eventful" in one way or another. I had some good times, and some hard times. Upon reflection, I came up with a few things I hope to NOT see in 2008.

5. Laptop on the fritz - Okay, this is more of an inconvenience than anything. Compared to huge problems like war or pestilence, for example, my non-functioning laptop is pretty minor. And yet... it matters to me! I don't have access to my files, and I can't just move my computer and sit wherever I want, to blog and chat and browse to my heart's content.
4. Morning sickness - Yes, it is as unpleasant as everyone says it is. And the term "morning sickness" is so terribly misleading, seeing as how "all-day sickness" would be more accurate. Nausea, headaches, exhaustion, occasional dizziness: It's like having most of the symptoms of a bout of malarial infection.
3. Enduring a police lock-down while trapped with several irritating middle school students - In retrospect, this wasn't actually that bad. It lasted only a matter of hours, and it makes for a good story. But I wouldn't want to live through it again.
2. Living without my husband for several weeks - While pregnant. Not fun.
1. Cleaning up after a dead body - I've done cadaver clean-up many times. I was a lab TA for biology courses during my undergrad years. However, on this particular occasion in 2007, there was no tidy formaldehyded cadaver in a body bag. We had to clean up blood from the ground, after someone shot himself. I came to the conclusion that while films, TV, and video games can inure us to violence, to the sights and even the sounds of gory death, the actual experience of death will still be horrifying, because (to my knowledge) no movie has ever duplicated the smells of death. Most unpleasant. For the record: If you ever have a need to perform this task, I recommend first putting down a layer of kitty litter, to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Then, make a strong bleach solution and pour it over the area to be cleaned; repeat with a few applications of bleach solution, as necessary; rinse with at least twice with clean water. Note: The bleach will generally wither most plants it comes into contact with, but isn't it preferable to have a few sections of unhappy grass than a blood-covered area in your yard?

I have plenty to anticipate in 2008. I wonder if "labor and childbirth" will make it onto next year's list of top 5 things I don't want to experience again. We'll find out, as Fuzzy makes his appearance in the world in mid-February. This year, I'll be focusing on home life, for the most part, and plan to really make it a priority to keep in touch with family and friends and let you all know how important you are to me. I am not, by nature, a demonstrative or even very communicative person, but as I grow older, I'm finding that I finally have an urge to reach out and maintain relationships.

Happy New Year!

Classic New Year celebration from Show Boat (1936):

What's New, Pussycat?

Cats of various types have been in news lately.

Feral kitty cats have been recruited to clear Los Angeles police stations of rodent pests. This approach has been successful at several other locations, including the LA Flower Market. Installing cats as a deterrent to pest infestation is being hailed as a safe, humane, natural, and environmentally friendly method for removing rats and mice, as opposed to traps, glue, poisons, etc. Furthermore, shelters are eager to offer viable candidates for the program, as it moves cats from their facilities and prevents them from having to put the cats down. For their part, the cats (who are fixed, microchipped, and treated by a vet when selected for the program) gain a safe place to live out their lives, somewhat naturally, being cared for but with a minimum of human interaction.
Read more about the Working Cats program here.

We have all heard that a Siberian tiger somehow escaped from her enclosure and killed a zoo visitor in San Francisco. The questions on a lot of people's minds have been things like, "How could this happen? Why?!" I wouldn't venture to answer the "how" question, especially with the police investigation still underway. But the answer to the "why" question is obvious: Tigers (and all cats, really) are powerful, lethal predators. They are natural, elegant killing machines. While humans are not their preferred food, tigers can easily overpower and slaughter even an armed person. When provided with opportunity and motivation, a tiger will attack. IT'S WHAT THEY DO. I've always felt safe in zoos and animal parks, but I have never failed to respect the instincts and abilities of cats, big and small. Lions and tigers, and other wild animals, do not actually belong in concrete and wire enclosures, being gawked at by locals, far away from their natural habitats. Have we gone too far in trying to assert our dominance as humans over the rest of the creation? I wonder if this will prompt all of us to re-examine our relationships with the physical world in general, and foster changes in our attitudes toward our roles as stewards.

Decisions, et al

Well, the poll numbers are in (you can still see, in the upper left corner).
11 people voted that they would consider reading a bloggy 'zine type thing on rental life.
5 people voted that they wouldn't.
So there was greater than 2:1 ratio of yes-to-no votes.

I've been thinking a lot about it, and I'd have at least a tiny audience, but I'd want to do a good job and actually work out articles that would be useful and interesting, and it would be something of a commitment, in terms of both time and brain cells. So, I'm not sure what I'll be doing, yet. I'll keep you posted.

To Do (posted here so I don't forget)

On the docket for today:

• Trip to the yarn store
• Working on some knitting projects

Things to do after the New Year holiday (writing them here so I don't forget):

• Get new AZ driver license
• Sign up for childbirth class w/ Jeff
• Complete our baby registries (I've been putting this off because I HATE to shop)
• Pre-register at hospital where we plan for delivery
• Research for good pediatrician in our insurance network
• Side note: Egad, I'm becoming a responsible adult!!!!!!
• Write thank-you notes for Christmas gifts we received
• Make sure to send out those few remaining Christmas presents I haven't gotten yet to their recipients (again, I'm cutting myself some slack because I just moved; don't make me play the pregnancy card, too)
• Get together with Sharon
• Get together with Bekah
• Put together calendar and contact information
• Notify friends and family of new address and phone #
• Clean, simplify, organize our home
• Get our home set up for Fuzzy's arrival into the outer world
• Contact local school(s) regarding tutoring
• Spend time with Hobbes and Touchy so that they don't get a complex when Fuzzy shows up

Happy Christmas Days

Well, this is the fourth day of Christmas. Keep that jolly post-solstice cheer flowing! I've been busy in the past few days. I've been working on setting up the apartment (still), puttering around the house, hanging out with the cats, and occasionally leveling my various characters in WoW. Jeff went to Mt. Shasta on business travel on the morning of Dec 26, and was gone for a few days. So in the meantime, I have ended up taking an impromptu trip with Dan and Jennifer. I initially had not intended to go, when they invited me to hitch a ride with them to SoCal to see our family there. But Jeff reminded me that he would be working out of town, then working in-town, during the days (Dec 27-30) that I'd be gone, and ALSO, it is just about my last chance to just drop everything and go visit the fam on a spur-of-the-moment whim.

SoCal friends, I decided to come along late during the night before we left, so I didn't get a chance to contact you and make plans. I will call as many of you as I can, and see if I can work with Dan and Jennifer to meet up with you (I don't have a car to drive myself, so I'm dependent on them). We're staying with Mumsie Willow and Dad, and Mike is here, too, along with one of his nice friends from HMC (seriously, I almost always like Mike's college friends). We will see Mia and Tim on the weekend, when they've returned from visiting Tim's family in OR.

In other news: Yesterday before I left, I had another visit with the ob/gyn (it's lame, but in the final two months, I guess a pregnant woman has to have doctor visits every two weeks). The verdict is good: Both the baby (nicknamed Fuzzy) and I are in great health, my blood pressure is normal (120/70, when it is usually in the 90/60 range), my blood chemistry is fine, and my gestational diabetes test was negative.

Well, as far as Holidailies is concerned, there isn't much I've offered that is in tune with the festive holiday time. In the exchange of gifts, I must admit that my favorite present this year was Super Scrabble, from Jeff. I'm really looking forward to playing with friends and family.

Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?

Finally! Research has confirmed what I've been saying for years: Extreme low-carb diets can be very hazardous to your health!!

Of course, my dietary opinions are coming from a person whose motto could be "I never met a carb I didn't like." But still, I think it is intuitively obvious that it is unhealthy to eat an imbalanced diet of any kind. Our bodies were designed to subsist on certain types of fuel (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), in certain proportions, and severely cutting one's intake of any one of the three can only lead to bad things. Moderation in all things, I tell you!

Employment Spam

One aspect of seeking gainful employment, in this day and age, is the searching through and logging into job websites such as CareerBuilder. This being the twenty-first century, many companies are doing recruiting and hiring almost exclusively online, so putting one's resume up is de rigueur and presumably useful. In my case, of course, it has gotten me nothing but spam, the majority of which is poorly written and moderately incomprehensible.

I don't really understand why anyone would generate spam with fake offers of employment. What is the payoff in that? I suppose they're just hoping that you'll follow their links, and either get some sort of virus or Trojan horse, or give them your e-mail address and more information about yourself. In any case, I just delete the spam, which is easy to spot anyway because (as I stated above) it is usually unfortunate and nonsensical.

On occasion, however, I have to stop and wonder at WHY people bother to send me certain "employment offers", because they are so outlandish and fake that it is obvious that the spambot neglected to actually troll my resume before generating the message.
For example, the other day, I received a message that included this:
"While looking through online resumes, yours caught my eye and I believe your background is what my client needs. X Gym is currently seeking a Personal Trainer, and I would like to invite you to apply for the position."
My readers who know me even a little bit will be very aware that my resume has NO MENTION of anything related to personal training or a gym. And I cannot believe that anyone with my background is what X Gym really needs. Unless X Gym has a business model centered around hiring personal trainers who are pudgy, lazy pregnant women who hate to exercise. In which case, X Gym is a lousy gym anyway, and not one with which I'd like to be associated at all.

Season's Greetings

Wishing you a festive Feast of Winter Veil:


And a very Merry Christmas:

Good Stuff Galore

Futurama sends you Xmas cheer:


Haha, Robot Santa is funny. You have to see the Xmas episodes to understand.

Always call ahead:


This can't be embedded, but:
See a cute Christmas-themed Bones video set to music.

More Good Stuff

Found this whilst trolling through Christmas-related videos on Youtube (I sort through Youtube so you don't have to).


More than half a century later, Eartha Kitt can still get whatever she wants from Santa. He's one of her biggest fans!

Good Stuff 3

Your daily dose of Christmas cheer!

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are their usual crazy selves, yet never irreverent. Their pageant of carols and popular songs manages to catch the joy and quirky humor of the Incarnation ("God? Coming to earth as a baby? A virgin, you say?"), without diluting the fact that the little child born in Bethlehem was unique and worthy of praise and worship.

Good Stuff 2

The one and only Boney M, singing a lovely Christmas number in their distinctive style. This comes from one of my family's favorite Christmas albums. And please notice that where other women would look ridiculous, the ladies of Boney M simply look composed and gorgeous in their long white feathery/furry robe thingies. Impressive, indeed!

Good Stuff

For my money, it doesn't get any better than this.

Finally!

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, nearly five months after almost everyone else on the planet finished reading it. But no matter: I did read it, and it was pretty decent. I discovered that I had correctly predicted several key plot points related to the ending, which makes me wonder whether it was just really obvious to everybody or I happen to think the way J.K. Rowling does.

Now on to find my next reading project.

Interesting... or not

I talked with someone at a party last night. No, really. I had an actual conversation with someone I don't actually know.

Jeff and I went to his company's Christmas party, which was held basically outdoors, at the Phoenix Zoo. Now, Phoenix is warmer than, say, Chicago in December, but it still gets CHILLY at night. My friends and family know very well my aversion to anything even remotely resembling cold. Fortunately, the event planners had made certain that there were heaters in the seating area, and I plopped myself down right next to one. A bit later, one of Jeff's coworkers came in with his wife, and she plopped herself down on the other side of the heater. One or the other of us made some introductory remark, and we soon discovered that we share the same medical condition!

See, I'm not totally a singular and bizarre freak of nature. Though it is a rather rare condition, there are others who also have Raynaud's disease. We lose circulation in our extremities (usually hands and feet, but sometimes nose and ears, as well) very easily; we often wear gloves/mittens* and heavy socks to insulate our hands and feet; we also have to keep our entire bodies, particularly the bodies' cores, warm, to prevent blood from being mistakenly drawn from our extremities back to our vital organs. If we don't stay warm enough, we can get frostbite, in weather where other people might be comfortable wearing only a sweater. I myself have primary Raynaud's, which is more severe and is "stand-alone", i.e. not a secondary symptom of another disease or disorder.

Further chatting with this woman revealed that we share some other medical conditions, too: hypoglycemia and low blood pressure. I haven't found it in any literature (let's face it, nobody is handing out huge grants for Raynaud's research anyway), but I wonder if there is some sort of correlation. The low blood pressure thing makes sense: One mightn't have enough blood pressure to combat the constricting vessels and push the needed blood to extremities.

Well, it was nice to just hear from someone else who really understands what life is like, day in and day out, for me. Raynaud's is not like a major disease (e.g. polio) or a severe handicap, in that it doesn't really impact my life in an extreme way. I am mobile, and can function normally from day-to-day. Yet it really does impact my life in ways I don't always remember. For example, I make conscious choices about living in hotter, drier areas of the world; I might dream of doing brilliantly on the GRE and getting offered a fellowship at some big-name school back east, but realistically, health-wise, I'm not going to be able to live anywhere in a location that gets much more than slightly cold at any time of the year (so that pretty much leaves Hawaii, Florida, and the Southwest, which is where I currently reside). Air conditioning is literally a pain for me and can make me cry, and it's often an ordeal to just walk through a refrigerated aisle at the grocery store. I really don't wear short pants, or even many skirts or dresses, because they just don't keep me warm enough. I have to tote an extra wrap, plus gloves and hat, almost everywhere I go, so I'm always hauling around more stuff than I want. [I ought to carry a balanced snack, such as a protein bar, with me at all times, to combat blood sugar issues, but I've gotten lazy about that lately...] It's the little things that other people might not even notice, but they add up sometimes.

So I'm glad I met a fellow Raynaud's sufferer, even if it was just once at a company party. I'm glad that I was reassured that Phoenix really is a great place for people like us, as long as we can stay outside in the summer, to avoid the crazy air conditioning. If she's survived this long, there's hope for me, too.

*I believe that this is how Wendy first recognized me during our first year of college: I was "that weird girl who always wears gloves in class".

It Just Goes to Show

So, Britney Spears is a mess: a divorced single mom with (confirmed) custody problems, (sort of alleged) substance abuse problems, and an apparent inability to do anything correctly within the framework of the legal system.

Now, Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant and on her way to becoming a single teen mother.

It seems almost too easy to take a pot shot at their parents, since obviously something went wrong somewhere. It's even easier to snicker and say, "You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl."

But in defense of Britney and Jamie Lynn, I'd like to point out a very salient fact: Whether pregnant, drugged-up, being visited by social services, or just running around town looking trashy, neither of the Ms. Spears is on welfare. Thank you.

Christmas List Thoughts

I have made a list of things I'm getting for others, heavily peppered with questions marks for those people for whom I have no idea what to get. Yes, I'm a bit behind on the shopping and shipping, but cut me some slack--I've been a bit busy.

People have asked me what I want for Christmas, and I haven't had many good answers. I don't expect that too many folks are buying stuff, but just in case (and for my own memory-jogging), here's a little list with some ideas:
Weekly calendar / daily planner - one with nice pictures , to help me manage life
Monthly calendar - for planning and scheduling all our important activities as a family
Baby items - onesies, t-shirts, diaper starter kit, more diapers
Baby books - not sure exactly which ones, though
Baby food mill - something like this
[Yes, I guess there's a definite baby theme this year.]
Harry Potter books - we don't own any of the seven
New slippers - my current (Hello Kitty) ones are worn down at the heel

I can't really think of anything more, although I'm sure there is plenty more that I need.

Linguistics

Twice in the past few weeks, I've had vivid dreams in which I am holding conversations in Bahasa Indonesia. It is said that when one dreams in a particular language, it is an indication of fluency. While I have been fluent in Bahasa Indonesia in the past, I haven't really used it for years, so I don't know from whence comes this sudden resurgence. Could the baby hormones be stirring up memories and confusing my brain?

Aneh sekali!

ROFLMAO

Pardon the acronym, but I really had to post this homage to both Muppets and World of Warcraft.



PWN N00BS FTW

Keep Reading!

See? I said I would post more, and I've posted nearly every day, and when I haven't posted, I've tried to post multiple times on the days following, to make up for it.

I hope I haven't lost most of the few readers I had. Don't stop reading! I'll be more funny and interesting, I promise.

I put a poll in my upper left sidebar. Please vote!

...But where do the SKINNY women shop?

Yesterday, Jeff took me to Motherhood Maternity (which sells the only maternity clothing I have found to be acceptable) to get me a few more items of clothing, which were sorely needed at this point, because I can no longer fit into ANY of my pre-pregnancy clothes. We had budgeted for it, and it was nice to get cute clothes, even if I'll wear them for only a few more months. But our experience there had me wondering: "Where do really thin women buy maternity clothes?" I am not extremely slender--in fact, I'm just on the slim side of average. However, I wear size small trousers at Motherhood. I wear mostly small tops, too, although I have had to get a medium-sized sweater, thanks to some shifts in my weight distribution. So, basically, at 5'7" and 150 lbs, I am considered "small". And it's difficult to find clothes labeled with that essential S on any of the clothing racks (Maybe all the other "small" people got there before me?), but L and XL are plentiful.
Motherhood does carry petite sizes, of course, but anyone 5'5" or greater would be too tall for them.
Also of note: They do not carry brassieres, for maternity or nursing, in any size smaller than 34. Thus, any woman with a narrow back and/or small torso is probably out of luck.

So, the question remains: "Where do average-to-tall skinny women get their maternity clothes?"

Bah humbug 3!

One thing that many people really like about this festive solstice-related and often religiously-overtoned Christmas season is the proliferation of culturally valued "holiday movies" that are broadcast on all sorts of TV stations. I have no objection to many of such films, particularly if I haven't seen most of them. [Case in point: Apparently, Charlie Brown's Christmas is famous; I heard of it a few years ago, have yet to see it, and am still wondering if it is devoted to the exploration of the Great Snowball myth.] I like White Christmas as much as the next old movie buff, and my fondness for Meet Me in St. Louis is already well-documented. However, two films that I absolutely cannot stand are It's a Wonderful Life (No, Mr. Capra, it's not a wonderful life if I have to sit through this painful and misdirected movie during yet another year, Jimmy Stewart notwithstanding. How did it get any Oscar nominations, really?) and A Christmas Story (It's not charming or funny. It's just not. What are people smoking when they say they like this movie?). I can't tell if people actually watch these films because they are deluded enough to enjoy them, or if they just go through the motions annually, because they feel obligated due to some sort of participation in an undocumented but universally understood North American social ritual.

Another Survey, non-Christmas

Mom sent this to me on e-mail, and rather than replying to it, I thought I'd post it here.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. software technician at Intel
2. lab assistant at Biola
3. rocket scientist
4. construction administration assistant

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. It Happened One Night
2. UHF
3. Alexander's Ragtime Band
4. Legally Blonde

Four Places I've Lived
1. Sentani, Indonesia
2. Portland, OR
3. Wheaton, IL
4. Fullerton, CA

Four T.V. Shows I Watch:
1. Bones
2. Stargate SG-1
3. Charmed
4. Veronica Mars


Four Places I've Been:
1. Jakarta, Indonesia
2. Petra, Jordan
3. Thessaloniki, Greece
4. Tijuana, Mexico

Four People Who Email me regularly:
1. Spam originators
2. Mom
3. Jeff
4. Debbie

Four of my favorite foods:
1. fried rice
2. ice cream
3. fresh-baked apple pie
4. green guava

Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Darwin, Australia (never been there, but sure, why not?)
2. Santorini, Greece
3. Rome, Italy
4. Singapore

Four things I'm Looking forward to in 2008:
1. being a mom
2. improving in knitting and sewing
3. taking up dance again
4. living in the southwest desert

Christmas Meme

Stolen from Wendy.

A Christmas Meme
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Gift bags: They appeal to my laziness but still look classy.

2. Real tree or artificial?
Artificial, to avoid trouble, needles in the carpet, fire hazard, etc.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Meh. Some years, never. Other years, mid-Decemberish.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Probably early January.

5. How/When did you find out about Santa?
What do you mean, "find out about Santa"? I can't remember when I first heard of Santa Claus. However, I always knew he wasn't real. I can't believe that anybody actually ever has believed that Santa Claus is real, but apparently, it is a consistent phenomenon in the Western world.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Anne of Green Gables books, received when I was 9 and 10.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene?
Yes, but it's still packed.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Everyone is difficult for me. I'm a terrible shopper and can never figure out what to get for anyone.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
No one. Everyone is difficult.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received?
Can't think of any horrible presents. I've gotten a few inexplicable ones, like this weird purple stone and wire sculpture in the shape of a tree...

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Neither. I'm too lazy. Although I hope to change that.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Not technically, 100% a Christmas movie, but Meet Me In St. Louis. Best Christmas scene ever, best Christmas song ever coming from a movie.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Can't remember if I have. I don't think so.

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas?
Cookies. Fudge. All the good things.

16. White lights or colored on the tree?
White on a dark green tree!

17. Favorite Christmas song?
I like a lot of Christmas songs, and one we don't sing nearly enough is "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus".

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
It depends on where I'd be traveling.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
No. But I can look it up on Google if I really need to know, and that's almost as good, right?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Whatever. I have no preference. I seldom have a tree.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning. If I had it my way, we'd wait till the Feast of the Wise Men, but everyone else gets so impatient.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
See all my Bah humbug! posts.

23. What is the “silliest” family tradition you do, or miss doing?
The silliest thing we would do was "put milk and cookies out for Santa," because to the best of my knowledge none of us believed in Santa. It was just a fun, funny tradition. We also liked to leave a carrot out for Rudolph.

24. Ugliest Christmas decoration ever invented?
Big plastic snowmen and Santas with lights inside. Hideous!

25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees?
This question makes no sense. Isn't a homey tree a kind of theme tree? As in, the theme itself is "homey"?

26. Gingerbread or sugar cookies?
Sugar cookies, all the way.

27. Do you like Fruitcake?
No.

Guilteeeeeee!!!!!!

Murder in the First.
We can now go from stating that Larissa Schuster allegedly murdered her husband to simply saying that she is a convicted murderer.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22920701-5012748,00.html

Remember, whether you are an active agent in a murder, or simply an accomplice after the fact, hiding the victim's body in your rented storage locker is an idea that's all kinds of bad.

Bah humbug 2!

One thing I really enjoy about Christmas is the music. One might not immediately realize, as I do not have Christmas carols or solstice songs playing round the clock from Thanksgiving through the Feast of the Wise Men. However, I love singing the good old music, and listening to quality renditions of these songs.

One aspect of the Christmas musical tradition that I DETEST is one peculiar, I am afraid, to the North American Protestant Christian subculture. I HATE the ubiquitous Amy Grant Christmas album. I am not one to listen to Amy Grant in the first place, and then the poor woman's Christmas album has been overplayed, ad nauseum, since its inception in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I have been known to remark that the most effective and insidious torture that could ever be inflicted upon me would be to immerse my body in cold water while playing Amy Grant's Christmas album on repeat.

Rube Goldberg

Some people have WAY too much time on their hands.
I want to look away, but I can't...

Missed

So I missed another day of posting. Well, dear readers, I guess you'll have to take what you can get.

I am immersed in unpacking and organizing. So much to do! I can't imagine trying to do this while gainfully employed at the same time.

Let's see.
-The cats are pretty much completely adjusted by now. Now they both love sleeping on the bed with us. Hobbes sleeps at my feet (keeps them warm), and Touchy tucks into the crack between Jeff and me (I am trying to think of how to tactfully encourage him to move to another spot, since he could get squished). There's not really room for five in the bed, but oh, well.
-My ob/gyn visit yesterday gave me a lot of confidence. First of all, Jeff and I had considered finding a nurse midwife and/or birthing center, for a more low-key and natural (but not drug-free, oh no) birth experience. However, we discovered that none of the above are covered in our insurance network in the Phoenix area. Boo! But we found that we like the doctor we picked (I chose her solely because when I looked up my options, her office was closest to our apartment and she practices at the hospital closest to the apartment); she is competent, down-to-earth, and open to dialoguing with patients. We think we just might stick with her. Second of all, both the baby's and my vitals were pronounced to be good and healthy, so that was encouraging.
-Ultrasound and blood test scheduled for 1:30 pm tomorrow (this dr office does not lose any time, let me tell you).
-Have an appointment with OfficeTeam in Scottsdale for 4:00 pm tomorrow.

Still working on:
-Calling other employment possibilities.
-Calling schools about tutoring.
-Setting up kitchen and other rooms in the house.

Arrived

I was trying to post every day of December, in the spirit of Holidailies. However, I have to think that there can be a teensy bit of grace extended to people who put posting on hold for a weekend while packing up and moving to another state.

Yes, I survived, and so did the cats. The move was accomplished due primarily to my parents (who gave up two weekends to come help pack and clean), Jeff's parents (who helped me so much that it would be impossible to list everything that they did, and who have been as good to me as any human beings can be to another), many helpful young Tulare County homeschoolers (names unlisted to protect their underaged identities), and some people whose names I do not even know who volunteered their time to load the truck on Friday afternoon (while I was still working).

Jeff flew in on a redeye flight Saturday morning; it wasn't supposed to be a redeye, but it kept getting delayed. Jerry volunteered to pick Jeff up at the airport so that I could sleep. Rob and Candace had (Jeff's brother and sister-in-law) had driven up from Whittier the night before, so we all met up at Mimi's for Rosalee's birthday breakfast later on Saturday morning, then finished packing and loading up the final miscellaneous items. Then we figured out how to fit two human adults and two (unhappy) cats in pet carriers into the cab of the truck. and were off. I didn't think I would be emotional about leaving, but I cried a little bit.

The drive was long and bumpy, but we survived, and with only three stops (Gorman, Ontario, Blythe). Jeff had the harder part, as he had to handle the driving. I just sat there and tried to shift positions every so often, to keep my back and legs from cramping up. We enjoyed listening to KFI AM 640 when we were driving through the LA area. It's hard to find good talk radio that we both like. The worst part of the drive, by far, was dealing with the cats. I was terribly worried about them, and Jeff said it stressed him out to have me fussing about them all the time. I tried to relax. Touchy was such a good little traveler, overall. He mewed a few times, but then just huddled down in his cage and was quiet, although he did seem to look out of the window while it was still light. Hobbes, however, was loudly miserable. Mrow mrow mrow! I would talk to him and put my hand down by his carrier, so that he would know I was there, and that seemed to help. Eventually, he must have just given up hope, since he was mostly quiet during the latter half of the trip. I offered them water and comfort when we stopped for our breaks, but they were too traumatized for anything. They are resilient, however, because within 15 minutes of being introduced to their new home, they were cautiously nosing around, and within an hour or so, they were frisking about and exploring with perfect ease. Neither of them seems to hold a grudge.

Yesterday (Sunday), there was the big task of unloading the truck. Fortunately, we had great help from Sam and Mel and Dan and Jennifer. Everything got unloaded and into the apartment. Jeff said, "We have too much stuff!" Yes. Yes, we do. It won't happen overnight, but we are on our way to simplifying our lives!

I am working on setting up the kitchen today, as well looking at some other tasks. On the agenda for the rest of the week: going to the ob/gyn (we'll let you know if we have an ultrasound that provides us with the sex of the baby), finishing unpacking, getting into a good schedule with Jeff in our new home, calling OfficeTeam (for whom I have worked in the past, and who have done a great job placing me in employment, so far), calling other potential employers, contacting schools in the area to find out about tutoring, and seeing about re-establishing myself in WoW.

Bah humbug!

Not to dampen the solstice-related, holiday good cheer, but you know what I really hate about this season of the year? Salvation Army bell-ringers. They should be banned from all public places.

Your jingle bells are not festive, people. The constant jangling gets on my nerves. And then, after irritating me and at least two of my five senses (because the tacky red aprons are also an affront to aesthetic decency), you have the nerve to want me to give you money in your little buckets. MONEY? If you want money for the Salvation Army, get a freaking job like the rest of us!

Countdown

In just three days, I will be an actual resident of Phoenix, AZ! I'll be moving my possessions into my new apartment, just in time to feel as though I ought to be decorating for the holidays. So hard to believe, and it doesn't seem real.

I will also be sans employment, again. *sigh* I think I'll be looking for some temp work to fill time, as it will be difficult to find a permanent job in the next few months, thanks to (1) the holidays and (2) my now-obvious impending lack of availability. My preference, and my prayer, is to be able to work part-time from home. I know, it's everybody's dream, right? But I would really like to find several hours per week of tutoring, that I can do before and after the baby comes. Believe it or not, I am very good at what I do, and thriving communities always need excellent math and science tutors. Do you hear that, Phoenix?! I tutor MATH (kindergarten-level through first-year calculus)!! I can also do all core subjects, plus standardized test prep, but math seems to be most highly desired. *ahem* A little self-promotion never hurts, right? Click here to contact me for an appointment.

Currently, aside from the logistics of loading our worldly possessions into the moving van and then driving several hundred miles, our greatest concern is how to transport Touchy and Hobbes, without scaring or traumatizing them to death and also without going crazy ourselves. The kitties do NOT like traveling, AT ALL. They have been moved in cars before, though never so far as from Visalia to Phoenix, and they have always made it clear that they hate, loathe, and abominate moving. =^.^= My poor furry babies!

Photographic evidence

This sweater is the famous Mommy Snug, made by Willow (the premiere designer/creator of custom knitted goods) over at Willow's Cottage.

When I first put it on, I said, "Oh, no!! This sweater is no good. It makes me look dumpy and pear-shaped!" It took only a few seconds before reality hit me upside the head, and I said, "Wait a minute, it's not the sweater's fault. I'm pregnant. I AM dumpy and pear-shaped!" The sweater is actually very flattering, and the color (selected by Willow) is perfect for me, although you can't see that as well, this picture having been taken at night in artificial light.

The picture was taken by Debbie in her living room, and Hobbes, usually camera-shy, makes a cameo appearance.

Frustrations

I'm having technical difficulties with my laptop.

It makes it difficult to post. I'm still trying to update daily, though.

Putting the X in Christmas

The sermon this morning was entitled "Get Thee Behind Me Santa" (sic). It was slightly muddled, and Debbie and I spent time after church discussing it, trying to figure out exactly what the pastor's point had been. We eventually concluded that he was really trying to convey, "Don't get all bent out of shape about the world supposedly taking the Christ out of Christmas until you make sure there is clearly a Christ in the Christian of your own life."

Debbie and I had some long talks about which of the traditional Christmas activities are mere cultural trappings (answer: most, and often with pagan origins), and which ones actually have anything to do with the birth of Christ (answer: almost none). If I see a sign advertising "Xmas Trees", why should it bother me? I don't care if people remove mention of the Christ child in their commercialization of a fir tree that is totally irrelevant to Jesus the Anointed Messiah. In fact, I'd prefer it. Feel free to leave Christ (who was probably not even born on or near December 25) out of your decorative traditions drawn from various ancient Europeans practices of pagan celebration of the winter solstice.

Please note: I am not against participation in culturally relevant festivities, even those with pagan origins. I am fully in support of having a good, solid festive atmosphere, celebrating the arrival of the winter solstice, leading to a new year while remembering the bounty of the old, etc. etc. etc. I am just opposed to the conflation of such traditions with the celebration of the commemorative holy Christ Mass. The pagan and Christian celebrations can (and do) happen simultaneously, and we need only to take care to distinguish between what is sacred and what is secular (which is not to say, bad), so that we as Christians can lead balanced lives of spiritual and intellectual integrity. It's okay, nay even good, to go a-wassailing, if you know what such activity does and does not entail, and if you are comfortable with the spirit that you are representing in your activity. You can accept that humans participate in human activities together, and embrace that aspect of God's creation of humankind. And you can know what it means that from darkness came a great Light, and a Child was born who is the Savior for all humanity, if we will accept Him. If there is Christ in you as a Christian, then your life will offer worship at a Christ Mass that lasts all year long, not just on one day. And you can feel free to light a menorah for Hanukkah, burn a Yule log or hang holly, pretend to believe in Santa, or do... well, whatever it is that people do for Kwanzaa, because your heart is right with God and you can enjoy all His good gifts to His people.

And that is why I don't mind if a non-Christian celebrates Xmas instead of Christmas, or refers only to "the holidays". After all, it's only natural that he would be seeing only the human side of the party season. It is not our duty as Christians to press such a person with criticisms and accusations about something he doesn't even recognize. Rather, we should present him with an invitation to go to the heavenly party, as well as displaying to him a clear reason why he would want to join us. Show an unbeliever Christ, with actions and words.

More Papuan pictures, just because

West Papua is a gorgeous tropical paradise, with palmy beaches of snow-white sand, exotic coral reefs, and lush vegetation.



There are rugged mountains and rolling hills, such as these around Lake Sentani.


Most people live in villages (kampung-kampung) in remote areas.


Some live high above the jungle floor, in tree houses or houses on stilts.


These people are often fierce, proud warriors who follow the way of life their ancestors experienced for thousands of years. A fair number of them are cannibals (or ex-cannibals, more recently), such as the famous Asmat of the south coast.

1 December

Today has been widely celebrated as World AIDS Day.

It is less widely known that this is the day celebrated as West Papuan Independence Day. Curiously enough, Papua has not yet gained independence, but that does not hinder many Papuans from celebrating anyway. There have been flag-raisings, both in Papua and at various embassies around the globe, and repercussions have followed. In the interest of being cautious but a teensy bit political, I can safely raise the Morning Star here on my blog to show my support of my people on the other side of the planet.

Times They Are A-Changin'

Well, dear readers (if I have any readers left), you may have noticed that I have been VERY inconsistent about blogging during the past few months. And even more unforgiveable: I've been boring.

Well, readers, I have been occupied with many things of much importance. I've been gainfully employed, of course, with my construction administration job at the Medium-sized Consulting Architecture and Engineering Company (MCAEC), and that has been fun, and I've enjoyed learning about the construction industry as part of a full-service architectural firm. I try to keep my employers anonymous, for their sake as well as my own, but I will say that this particular company is classy and professional, and they're really good at what they do. I've had some great coworkers, and none of my bosses are psycho, nor is there any probability that ethical scandals will land our company on the front pages of newspapers and threaten our stock values (for one thing, the MCAEC is not a publicly traded company anyway). With all my satisfaction with the work and the people, it's sad that I have to move on from there.

As most of you are aware, Jeff was placed for work in Phoenix, AZ. We've spent almost all of our time apart for more than two months, due to this circumstance, and it's been really difficult, but now the time has come for us to finalize a move to Phoenix. Yes, we're really almost there! In one week, we'll be all moved and starting to settle into the desert. Many thanks to my parents and Jeff's parents, who have really helped us in so many ways to pack and get the house ready. I'm just ready to be done with it now.

One thing that has kept me super-busy is yet another changing circumstance in our lives. Again, most of my readers already know, but for those who have not yet heard: Believe it or not, we are expecting a baby! I've not posted it on my blog for a few reasons. First of all, I'm paranoid. It's my first pregnancy, and I know of many people who have lost babies even several months along, and I just didn't want to be publishing it for the internet to read, and then having to write and report a miscarriage or something. And second, I really do not want to be one of those women who is obsessed with her pregnancy ("OH, MY GOSH. I'm PREGNANT! It's all about ME! And it's like NOBODY has ever been PREGNANT before.") and thinks everyone needs to hear all about it for more than nine months. Yes, I'm having a baby. And billions of women have had babies before. Anyway, Baby is due mid-February, and it has been an adventure for the past few months. It really is such a strange thing to grow another human being inside your own body. Yes, it is like having a parasite (I've had enough parasitic diseases to speak with authority on this matter). Also, I am pretty much huge by now. I might post some pictures, if I overcome my self-consciousness.

The prospect of me being a parent is amusing, of course, for those who know me and my attitude toward children in general (they should be seen and not heard, and preferably not anywhere close to me), but I expect that I'll gain some affection for my own child. If nothing else, becoming a mother will teach me a lot and lead me to become more Christ-like (I hope). All of our friends and families are so supportive and excited. It is the first grandchild on both sides, and one of the first babies in my group of friends. [Sherida, of course, has just had her little Caleb, and Amanda is going to have her baby just a little before me!]

I'm planning to post more regularly (finally!), and life will actually become easier when I'm living in Arizona with my husband, so I might have good things to write again.