Monday, December 28, 2009
Dexter's First Christmas
Dexter's first Christmas was definately full and exciting. Besides being spoiled by family he received his first tooth Christmas morning, has learned to sit by himself and started rice cereal. I believe these are some of the reasons Dexter has decided to get up several times during the night. I can only imagine that dreaming about the many new feats he has accomplished recently is waking him up at night. We (mom especially) is looking forward to him sleeping through the night again. It just amazes me that when a child is a newborn your body adjusts to waking up every 2 hours. After a few months of sleeping through the night your body can not function as well with the night wakings any longer.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Cute
I read this and thought it was absolutely adorable
Yes Little One... 3 AM is the perfect time to wake up and practice rolling. I mean, it's dark, quiet, you can put your full concentration into flopping from one side to another. It's also the perfect time to scream for joy when you realize how good you are at it. As a matter of fact, you have inspired papa and I to do the same! We too toss and turn at an ungodly hour. And while our noises aren't necessarily joyous, it's good to know we're all on the same page.
Mommy
P.S. Although slightly annoyed, I'm proud of you, and love you more and more everyday.
-- Dexter hasn't started rolling like this but has started talking in the middle of the night. He'll wake up and just start chatting away. After I feed him he'll lay awake for quite a while talking to anyone who will listen and telling them about how great his hands taste.
Yes Little One... 3 AM is the perfect time to wake up and practice rolling. I mean, it's dark, quiet, you can put your full concentration into flopping from one side to another. It's also the perfect time to scream for joy when you realize how good you are at it. As a matter of fact, you have inspired papa and I to do the same! We too toss and turn at an ungodly hour. And while our noises aren't necessarily joyous, it's good to know we're all on the same page.
Mommy
P.S. Although slightly annoyed, I'm proud of you, and love you more and more everyday.
-- Dexter hasn't started rolling like this but has started talking in the middle of the night. He'll wake up and just start chatting away. After I feed him he'll lay awake for quite a while talking to anyone who will listen and telling them about how great his hands taste.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Merry Christmas
James' work at Dish Network has been going very well and we have been extremely blessed. He has assumed a greater responsibility and has just been told he will be working more hours, which includes a greater chance of overtime. James has also been enjoying "Daddy & Dexter Days" a few times a week. James enjoys wood working & recently built a work bench to better suit this hobby. James has always been very detailed when it comes to building something, and recently has produced some one of a kind pieces.
Stephanie's work at Re/Max has been going well and it seems the housing market is picking up. She now works four days a week which allows her to spend time with Dexter and frees James up so he can work on some side jobs and get the wood pile ready for winter.
Dexter is growing like a weed and we're starting to see some of his personality. He always has a smile for people & enjoys arching his back when he no longer wants to sit & would like to stand (he gets this from his mommy). Dexter has started to exhibit a bit of seperation anxiety which generally occurs as soon as we are out of his line of vision. He has also become quite the wiggle worm when we change him. If given a toy he seems distracted enough that falling off the changing table isn't as big of a risk.
During this busy Christmas season we hope you will find time to see and enjoy the blessings the Lord has given to you.
The Shinabery Family,
James, Stephanie & Dexter
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Old Posts- Hobbies 08/28/08
I have found that I have large chunks of time lately and decided I should find a hobby or two. I suppose this is "my blog". Here are my findings...
Knitting- I learned to knit at a young age. The only stiches I know are knitting and pearling. Which means I'm really great at making scarves and baby blankets. Since these are the only stiches I know it makes it very difficult to make anything else. My extended family is great at knitting almost anything: sweaters, mittens, slippers ets. One of my cousins even takes knitting lessons, every week. Hmm, there's a more to knitting than I realized if you can take classes every week and still learn something new. I do not know how to drop a stich or pick one up. Trying to decode the instructions for learning a new stich is like trying to break a code the secret service set up. I don't know that I'm willing to continue down this path.
Sewing- I picked up sewing while in high school. A friend of mine sewed most of her own clothes and they looked great. It's a wonderful skill to learn for those of us who have a difficult time finding clothes that fit just right. Adult clothes are too long, and kids clothes are too short, and don't have enough room in the hips. Wow, now you know my whole life! Anyway, she and I made several dresses together. After I graduated she moved out of state. There goes my sewing buddy :( I continued in the effort to make my own clothes, but I didn't understand the lingo... what does bias, basting and backstiching mean? I knew what to do after watching her, but we had only made a few dresses and I lacked the higher eduction. As I progressed I learned I could piece the clothes together, but they never turned out quite right. I didn't know how to insert zippers, so I used buttons, or squeezed myself in. I would take the fabric and a pattern that was several sizes too large and make it into a dress, or what looked somewhat like a dress, without a zipper, and take it to my seamstress. She would insert a zipper and tailor the dress which was 1 foot too long, and make it fit. I felt like I was admitting defeat when I visited the seamstress. I now skip a step- I buy something that is too large and then take it to the seamstress!
Gardening- I started a garden when I moved into our first house. The plot was only 5X12, not very large at all. I planted a row or two of corn, and some green beans. I will admit I SEVERLY neglected my garden. I watered it, but didn't touch the weeds because the ground was so tough to work. After planting it I realized I had started my garden on top of an old gravel driveway- not the best ground for producing plants. After that experience my husband and mom were suspicious of my enthusiam towards starting a garden this year. To their suprise and my own the garden has produced many different crops. My favorite parts are planting, watching the first plants break the surface of the ground, and when each individual crop is ready to harvest. The weeding becomes tedious, and once the plants have been producing for a period of time I'm ready for the next crop to come in. I've started planning my garden for next year and with my recent findings about myself, I'll have to plant things so a new crop is ready to harvest every other week. I will be making Jelly with my mom tonight and have asked her to help me in canning once my tomatoes are ready. I have always been an advocate for "living off the land" and strive towards that goal. Maybe livestock is next.
Games/Puzzles- Games are really difficult to play by yourself, so I tried thinking of other "solitare" ideas. I purchased a puzzle a year or so ago at a garage sale, so who knows if all the pieces are there. I started the puzzle 2 years ago and got sick of it sitting on the table in my living room so I put it away, but I put it away very carefully. When I got it out last night, 1/3 of the puzzle is already put together. James was entertained last night when I was debating myself about whether I was cheating, or not. After15 minutes I came to the conclusion that I did the work before, so it's not like I had someone else to my work. I also gave some thought to my tendency to quit something if I don't see some progress being made, I made a lot of progress last night! I quit working on it at 11pm and have the frame done (except for a few missing pieces) and most of the area where the moutain meets the water. I've found some games in the internet, but it seems to be a waste of time to play games on the internet for hours at a time.
Cooking/Baking- I have to laugh every time I think about cooking. My version of cooking is to find a recipe I like, take out the ingredients I don't like, and add a few things I do. I get upset when the final product tastes like the things I make on a daily basis. If I could follow a receipe and not worry about the ingredients I don't like, I may find a great dish that I love. I can't relinquish the control!! If I eat a dish that I enjoy, my sister-in-laws peanut chicken stir fry for example, then I have no problem following the directions, knowing I'll enjoy the dish upon completion. Baking is another story, you have to be more disciplined and follow the directions or it doesn't turn out. I enjoy getting the final product of baking, but find I usually bake the same things: banana bread & brownies. However, I did make biscuits for strawberry short cake last night- those were wonderful, a little sweet, but wonderful!
Reading- I love reading. I have found my tastes for reading have changed over the years from romance novels, to the classics. I read the romance novels before I was married, and now I read the classics, and some other forms of fiction. I am in the middle of 3 or 4 books at the moment. Because James doesn't share my enthusiasm for reading I don't seem to make the time for reading that I once did. I could lay in bed all weekend when I was younger to finish a book. Don't bother trying to carry a conversation with me if I am within 50 pages of the end. I finished "The Grapes of Wrath" (a 800-900 page book) within a week after just getting married. James didn't appreciate me being pre-occupied for that long of a time period, so I now try and limit my reading for our marriage's sake. Reading now takes place when he not home, or when he is already asleep.
Exercise- I have been trying to take walks with James recently. This has been very good for us seeing as his work load his significantally increased over the past month. The time carved out for this has been very nice. Our usual route takes us to the gravel road and back to our house, we clocked it at 40 minutes the other day. My normal walk is fairly brisk, so when we walk for exercise we're moving at a fairly rapid pace. I enjoy cardio exercise and don't particularly care for strength exercise. I would rather be moving at a rapid pace instead of sitting in on spot and feeling my "abs burn". We try to play tennis, go swimming, go for a bike ride or take a walk at least 1-2 times a week.
Photography- I try to make it to James' games (he loves softball, soccer and basketball). I believe the psychology world calls this "recreational companionship". Since we purchased a new camera within the past year I've been taking lots of pictures. Example, I turned in 200 photos of the softball team to the church office recently, that was after I deleted many of them. They posted all 200 of them on the church website. If I would have known their intention I would have gone through and deleted more of them. Oh well. We (James and I) have found I don't take photos of people as well as "stuff". To help with this epidemic I have been taking photos of James' sporting events. This has proven to be a definate challenge for me. Learning to anticipate movement, & look for facial expressions. One of the most important things I've learned is... if you can't see the persons face the photos is useless. You need to be able to see their expression, anticipation, agony, and sheer joy. This has been a worthwhile endevor.
Writing/Journaling- I've kept a journal since 3rd grade. As the years have come and gone the depth of the entries into the journal has deepened. It's amazing how the suject of "my cat scratched me" doesn't really apply today. The journal I keep today is written in when things are extremely stressful, or joyous, but not much inbetween. My sister-in-law keeps a blog which is very interesting and insightful. I thought about writing my own blog, but I couldn't think of what I would say every week, and wouldn't be boring to the readers. So here I am writing "notes" on facebook instead. I'll try this for now- how am I doing? Are you bored?
Knitting- I learned to knit at a young age. The only stiches I know are knitting and pearling. Which means I'm really great at making scarves and baby blankets. Since these are the only stiches I know it makes it very difficult to make anything else. My extended family is great at knitting almost anything: sweaters, mittens, slippers ets. One of my cousins even takes knitting lessons, every week. Hmm, there's a more to knitting than I realized if you can take classes every week and still learn something new. I do not know how to drop a stich or pick one up. Trying to decode the instructions for learning a new stich is like trying to break a code the secret service set up. I don't know that I'm willing to continue down this path.
Sewing- I picked up sewing while in high school. A friend of mine sewed most of her own clothes and they looked great. It's a wonderful skill to learn for those of us who have a difficult time finding clothes that fit just right. Adult clothes are too long, and kids clothes are too short, and don't have enough room in the hips. Wow, now you know my whole life! Anyway, she and I made several dresses together. After I graduated she moved out of state. There goes my sewing buddy :( I continued in the effort to make my own clothes, but I didn't understand the lingo... what does bias, basting and backstiching mean? I knew what to do after watching her, but we had only made a few dresses and I lacked the higher eduction. As I progressed I learned I could piece the clothes together, but they never turned out quite right. I didn't know how to insert zippers, so I used buttons, or squeezed myself in. I would take the fabric and a pattern that was several sizes too large and make it into a dress, or what looked somewhat like a dress, without a zipper, and take it to my seamstress. She would insert a zipper and tailor the dress which was 1 foot too long, and make it fit. I felt like I was admitting defeat when I visited the seamstress. I now skip a step- I buy something that is too large and then take it to the seamstress!
Gardening- I started a garden when I moved into our first house. The plot was only 5X12, not very large at all. I planted a row or two of corn, and some green beans. I will admit I SEVERLY neglected my garden. I watered it, but didn't touch the weeds because the ground was so tough to work. After planting it I realized I had started my garden on top of an old gravel driveway- not the best ground for producing plants. After that experience my husband and mom were suspicious of my enthusiam towards starting a garden this year. To their suprise and my own the garden has produced many different crops. My favorite parts are planting, watching the first plants break the surface of the ground, and when each individual crop is ready to harvest. The weeding becomes tedious, and once the plants have been producing for a period of time I'm ready for the next crop to come in. I've started planning my garden for next year and with my recent findings about myself, I'll have to plant things so a new crop is ready to harvest every other week. I will be making Jelly with my mom tonight and have asked her to help me in canning once my tomatoes are ready. I have always been an advocate for "living off the land" and strive towards that goal. Maybe livestock is next.
Games/Puzzles- Games are really difficult to play by yourself, so I tried thinking of other "solitare" ideas. I purchased a puzzle a year or so ago at a garage sale, so who knows if all the pieces are there. I started the puzzle 2 years ago and got sick of it sitting on the table in my living room so I put it away, but I put it away very carefully. When I got it out last night, 1/3 of the puzzle is already put together. James was entertained last night when I was debating myself about whether I was cheating, or not. After15 minutes I came to the conclusion that I did the work before, so it's not like I had someone else to my work. I also gave some thought to my tendency to quit something if I don't see some progress being made, I made a lot of progress last night! I quit working on it at 11pm and have the frame done (except for a few missing pieces) and most of the area where the moutain meets the water. I've found some games in the internet, but it seems to be a waste of time to play games on the internet for hours at a time.
Cooking/Baking- I have to laugh every time I think about cooking. My version of cooking is to find a recipe I like, take out the ingredients I don't like, and add a few things I do. I get upset when the final product tastes like the things I make on a daily basis. If I could follow a receipe and not worry about the ingredients I don't like, I may find a great dish that I love. I can't relinquish the control!! If I eat a dish that I enjoy, my sister-in-laws peanut chicken stir fry for example, then I have no problem following the directions, knowing I'll enjoy the dish upon completion. Baking is another story, you have to be more disciplined and follow the directions or it doesn't turn out. I enjoy getting the final product of baking, but find I usually bake the same things: banana bread & brownies. However, I did make biscuits for strawberry short cake last night- those were wonderful, a little sweet, but wonderful!
Reading- I love reading. I have found my tastes for reading have changed over the years from romance novels, to the classics. I read the romance novels before I was married, and now I read the classics, and some other forms of fiction. I am in the middle of 3 or 4 books at the moment. Because James doesn't share my enthusiasm for reading I don't seem to make the time for reading that I once did. I could lay in bed all weekend when I was younger to finish a book. Don't bother trying to carry a conversation with me if I am within 50 pages of the end. I finished "The Grapes of Wrath" (a 800-900 page book) within a week after just getting married. James didn't appreciate me being pre-occupied for that long of a time period, so I now try and limit my reading for our marriage's sake. Reading now takes place when he not home, or when he is already asleep.
Exercise- I have been trying to take walks with James recently. This has been very good for us seeing as his work load his significantally increased over the past month. The time carved out for this has been very nice. Our usual route takes us to the gravel road and back to our house, we clocked it at 40 minutes the other day. My normal walk is fairly brisk, so when we walk for exercise we're moving at a fairly rapid pace. I enjoy cardio exercise and don't particularly care for strength exercise. I would rather be moving at a rapid pace instead of sitting in on spot and feeling my "abs burn". We try to play tennis, go swimming, go for a bike ride or take a walk at least 1-2 times a week.
Photography- I try to make it to James' games (he loves softball, soccer and basketball). I believe the psychology world calls this "recreational companionship". Since we purchased a new camera within the past year I've been taking lots of pictures. Example, I turned in 200 photos of the softball team to the church office recently, that was after I deleted many of them. They posted all 200 of them on the church website. If I would have known their intention I would have gone through and deleted more of them. Oh well. We (James and I) have found I don't take photos of people as well as "stuff". To help with this epidemic I have been taking photos of James' sporting events. This has proven to be a definate challenge for me. Learning to anticipate movement, & look for facial expressions. One of the most important things I've learned is... if you can't see the persons face the photos is useless. You need to be able to see their expression, anticipation, agony, and sheer joy. This has been a worthwhile endevor.
Writing/Journaling- I've kept a journal since 3rd grade. As the years have come and gone the depth of the entries into the journal has deepened. It's amazing how the suject of "my cat scratched me" doesn't really apply today. The journal I keep today is written in when things are extremely stressful, or joyous, but not much inbetween. My sister-in-law keeps a blog which is very interesting and insightful. I thought about writing my own blog, but I couldn't think of what I would say every week, and wouldn't be boring to the readers. So here I am writing "notes" on facebook instead. I'll try this for now- how am I doing? Are you bored?
Old Posts- Hobby- Gardening, Canning & Freezing 09/04/08
So the canning experience went well. We (my mom and I) made rasberry jelly & spagetti sauce.
Spagetti Sauce- After reducing down 10-15 tomatoes (1 gallon of juice) to spagetti sauce we ended up with 3 pints. I knew we wouldn't end up with much, but that was intentional on my part. I would rather make a little, taste it, and make changes if it didn't taste good instead of making a batch that produced a dozen or so pints that we would have to throw out.
James and I had some of the sauce for dinner last night. The crowning moment was when James said "I think you did a good job, maybe a few less spices, but it tastes good!" He got a kiss for that remark! You may think it tastes good, but it's always nice for someone else to say it's good.
Rasberry Jelly- Not much to say here... my dad said it's the best Jelly my mom has ever made (She usually makes several batches a year!) We really tried to reduce the amount of seeds in the jelly, but I started to get impatient. The results were, 1st batch- hardly any seeds, 2nd batch- some seeds, 3rd batch- way more seeds than we would have liked. Live and learn.
The next item on the list to-do is freezing. I have already frozen several bags of green beans, but the corn is ready now. I've been waiting for a break in my schedule to work on that. I'll start tonight. I'm still debating if I want to leave the corn on the cob, or take it off. I think I'll end up taking it off the cob... it will take up less room in the freezer, and I think I'm out of gallon zip lock bags.
Spagetti Sauce- After reducing down 10-15 tomatoes (1 gallon of juice) to spagetti sauce we ended up with 3 pints. I knew we wouldn't end up with much, but that was intentional on my part. I would rather make a little, taste it, and make changes if it didn't taste good instead of making a batch that produced a dozen or so pints that we would have to throw out.
James and I had some of the sauce for dinner last night. The crowning moment was when James said "I think you did a good job, maybe a few less spices, but it tastes good!" He got a kiss for that remark! You may think it tastes good, but it's always nice for someone else to say it's good.
Rasberry Jelly- Not much to say here... my dad said it's the best Jelly my mom has ever made (She usually makes several batches a year!) We really tried to reduce the amount of seeds in the jelly, but I started to get impatient. The results were, 1st batch- hardly any seeds, 2nd batch- some seeds, 3rd batch- way more seeds than we would have liked. Live and learn.
The next item on the list to-do is freezing. I have already frozen several bags of green beans, but the corn is ready now. I've been waiting for a break in my schedule to work on that. I'll start tonight. I'm still debating if I want to leave the corn on the cob, or take it off. I think I'll end up taking it off the cob... it will take up less room in the freezer, and I think I'm out of gallon zip lock bags.
Old Posts- Trees & Furniture 09/11/08
Well we've been talking about planting some trees in our yard (aka- a field) for some time now. James had the day off on Tuesday and went to a few places where people have told us we could dig up some trees. He came home with 3 maples (my favorites), 2 cotton woods (we think- they look somewhat like a poplar, but the bark isn't white, and has triangular leaves but they flutter the same as a poplar), 2 wild cherry, and 1 oak tree. I was pleasantly suprised when he came home with this many trees! I was expecting 1 or 2. The wild cherry trees are the smallest, about 4 feet tall, and the oak is the tallest at about 10-15 feet tall. The bigger trees look somewhat like Charlie Brown Trees, but beggers can't be choosers and I'm estatic! If you want to hear a good story you'll have to ask him how he fit them in the Jeep. It was defintately a chore getting them out of the cramped quarters. It must have been hilarious to see him driving down the road with the tops of the trees hanging out the back.
We've planted trees in the yard before (about 60 pine trees) but most of them bit the dust, or were mowed over (I'll admit it was mostly my fault). They were very small, about 1 foot at the tallest, and didn't care for our soil. I don't blame them I can't stand the clay we have either!
Last night after getting home I worked on putting our "office" together. We recently acquired a commercial quality desk, credenza, and filing cabinet. We're using the credenza as an entertainment center. The desk and filing cabinet have gone upstairs (I was sore for 3 days after moving all the furniture with James). I took the piles of paid bills that we've had laying around and started filing, I stopped for dinner, and finished around 9:30. I was filing stuff from 2006! I think we had a good excuse that year for neglecting our filing system, we were building a house for goodness sake. I can't believe I just admitted to how unorganized I can be. I can be a control freak (it will be interesting to see how that plays out when we have kids!). Even the file tabs are organized- monthly bills at the front and quarterly bills at the rear, with the file tabs in an organized fashion. So I'm crazy, everyone has their own quirks and faults.
We've planted trees in the yard before (about 60 pine trees) but most of them bit the dust, or were mowed over (I'll admit it was mostly my fault). They were very small, about 1 foot at the tallest, and didn't care for our soil. I don't blame them I can't stand the clay we have either!
Last night after getting home I worked on putting our "office" together. We recently acquired a commercial quality desk, credenza, and filing cabinet. We're using the credenza as an entertainment center. The desk and filing cabinet have gone upstairs (I was sore for 3 days after moving all the furniture with James). I took the piles of paid bills that we've had laying around and started filing, I stopped for dinner, and finished around 9:30. I was filing stuff from 2006! I think we had a good excuse that year for neglecting our filing system, we were building a house for goodness sake. I can't believe I just admitted to how unorganized I can be. I can be a control freak (it will be interesting to see how that plays out when we have kids!). Even the file tabs are organized- monthly bills at the front and quarterly bills at the rear, with the file tabs in an organized fashion. So I'm crazy, everyone has their own quirks and faults.
Old Posts- What have we been up to?? 09/18/08
Well... for the last couple of days James has been hand splitting the pile of wood we have in the back yard (thank you Micheal for the splitting ax). The cold weather is coming and that means we have work ahead of us. For those of you who don't know... we heat with wood. Our heating bills last year didn't go over $50, and we love it! The goal this year is not to go over $55, yes an increase, but the cost of fuel went up. Chances are we won't turn the furnace on until late November early December, and it will be set at 65. Last year we "turned on" the woodstove in October. I've wanted to start a fire at least twice already this year, but James says I'm jumping the gun.
Last night we loaded up the split wood onto our trailer and brought it over to the wood pile so I can start stacking. I'll admit it's mostly "dozy" wood (James calls it "punky" wood) and doesn't produce very much heat when it burns, but it will work great to take the chill out of the air over the next month and a half.
We have a group of neighbors (4-5 other households) and we all heat with wood. We get together on the weekends and start cutting. If we have a larger group of people we can fell 8-10 trees, have them all cut, split, delivered, stacked, and the cutting site cleaned up by the end of a weekend. Some of the neighbors who don't heat with wood make lunch over the fire. We call it the "cookout".
We sacrifice our weekends and energy by heating with wood, but I love sitting in front of the woodstove after a long day, proping up my feet and soaking in the heat.
Last night we loaded up the split wood onto our trailer and brought it over to the wood pile so I can start stacking. I'll admit it's mostly "dozy" wood (James calls it "punky" wood) and doesn't produce very much heat when it burns, but it will work great to take the chill out of the air over the next month and a half.
We have a group of neighbors (4-5 other households) and we all heat with wood. We get together on the weekends and start cutting. If we have a larger group of people we can fell 8-10 trees, have them all cut, split, delivered, stacked, and the cutting site cleaned up by the end of a weekend. Some of the neighbors who don't heat with wood make lunch over the fire. We call it the "cookout".
We sacrifice our weekends and energy by heating with wood, but I love sitting in front of the woodstove after a long day, proping up my feet and soaking in the heat.
Old Posts- The Economy 10/9/08
I usually don't watch the news because it is so depressing- murders, homocides, job losses ect... The other day I turned on the morning news because I had a few minutes before I headed out the door. HUGE MISTAKE!! It sounded as if the world was coming to an end. The bailout package is going to take too long, so they're going to try and devise a way to get money into the economy sooner. The foreign markets are just a volitale as ours. The Europeans are working on getting money into their economy to boost consumer confidence. It just went on and on.
After turning off the television I realized I was extremely depressed, anxious, worried, and a host of other negative emotions. I started to chant a "mantra": Who's in charge? God's in charge. What has he promised? To take care of me. What does he want for me? The best. I repeated it over and over and over. The devil is definately inundating our society right now with a spirit of fear and worry.
A portion of a verse came to mind later that day, I later found out it was Psalm 50:10 "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills." Everything is HIS. There are times we have to go through trials to strengthen us, but He's promised to take care of us.
After turning off the television I realized I was extremely depressed, anxious, worried, and a host of other negative emotions. I started to chant a "mantra": Who's in charge? God's in charge. What has he promised? To take care of me. What does he want for me? The best. I repeated it over and over and over. The devil is definately inundating our society right now with a spirit of fear and worry.
A portion of a verse came to mind later that day, I later found out it was Psalm 50:10 "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills." Everything is HIS. There are times we have to go through trials to strengthen us, but He's promised to take care of us.
Old Posts- Things you may not know about me 10/9/08
1. I have to sleep with the blankets over my ears, and my feet off the end of the bed. This bothers James to no end since I usually pull the blankets off of him attempting this feat.
2. It wasn't until recently that I was able to fall asleep to a movie, even if I had watched it a dozen times.
3. I rarely wear shorts, and in the winter wear several layers of clothing. It's just too cold!
4. If there's a baby with a dirty diaper I'll say "You need your brouks (sp?) changed", and since most people don't know Dutch they have no idea what I'm saying.
5. I have kept a diary since third grade.
6. I have not had internet in any of the places I've lived, and still do not.
7. I embarass people I go to the movies with because I laugh long after everyone else.
8. When my kitchen sink is dirty it bothers me to no end.
9. I make my bed most mornings, unless there's still someone in it.
10. I have an extreme feddish for lists, and charts for my daily activities. Microsoft Excel is my friend.
11. I usually can't remember something I just said.
12. When sitting I prefer my feet to be curled underneath me. Yes, I still sit on my knees at the dinner table.
13. Line dried clothes are one of my favorite smells.
14. I enjoy wearing make-up, but seldom do, and very rarely wear lipstick.
15. Sleeping is best when the room is very cold & you have layers and layers of blankets. I've been known to have 10 blankets on my bed before.
16. I have been known to quote my favorite movie too much, and since no one else has seen it they have no idea how funny it is. "Left or right? Which way do you want to go?" "Come on, come on. We haven't got all day!" -Labrynth
17. If my desk isn't clean when I get into work, it's not going to be a good day.
18. I live for free stuff.
19. When getting anxious or worried, I usually will start singing a kids Bible song.
20. I can usually sing the chorus of song I like, and have no idea what the verses are.
21. When doing a craft I usually finish about 95-98% of it, and then it sits for a few years.
2. It wasn't until recently that I was able to fall asleep to a movie, even if I had watched it a dozen times.
3. I rarely wear shorts, and in the winter wear several layers of clothing. It's just too cold!
4. If there's a baby with a dirty diaper I'll say "You need your brouks (sp?) changed", and since most people don't know Dutch they have no idea what I'm saying.
5. I have kept a diary since third grade.
6. I have not had internet in any of the places I've lived, and still do not.
7. I embarass people I go to the movies with because I laugh long after everyone else.
8. When my kitchen sink is dirty it bothers me to no end.
9. I make my bed most mornings, unless there's still someone in it.
10. I have an extreme feddish for lists, and charts for my daily activities. Microsoft Excel is my friend.
11. I usually can't remember something I just said.
12. When sitting I prefer my feet to be curled underneath me. Yes, I still sit on my knees at the dinner table.
13. Line dried clothes are one of my favorite smells.
14. I enjoy wearing make-up, but seldom do, and very rarely wear lipstick.
15. Sleeping is best when the room is very cold & you have layers and layers of blankets. I've been known to have 10 blankets on my bed before.
16. I have been known to quote my favorite movie too much, and since no one else has seen it they have no idea how funny it is. "Left or right? Which way do you want to go?" "Come on, come on. We haven't got all day!" -Labrynth
17. If my desk isn't clean when I get into work, it's not going to be a good day.
18. I live for free stuff.
19. When getting anxious or worried, I usually will start singing a kids Bible song.
20. I can usually sing the chorus of song I like, and have no idea what the verses are.
21. When doing a craft I usually finish about 95-98% of it, and then it sits for a few years.
Old Posts- Our families and the holidays 12/15/08
So as you can see by my "relatives" box, I have a HUGE family. My mom was one of nine kids, my dad was one of seven kids, my mother-in-law's family had twelve (?), my father-in-law's fam was a bit smaller with only 2. My husband is one of five boys, and for me, it was just my little bro and I.
So with all those people it makes for some crazy fun holidays. On my mom's side we usually rent out my Grandparents church. We pack 60-70 people into the church basement for lunch and then take over the youth center and various classrooms for games and such. After we've digested our food it's time for presents. White elephant with a large family can get very dangerous, and then we sit down for the feast. James and I like to take the little ones (not little anymore) sledding on the big hill every year. The big hill is very big, and we've seen some injuries before. You can't really expect to stand at the bottom of the hill with a tobbogan with 5 grown kids (emphasis on kids) coming at you and not expect to get run over.
On my dad's side the holiday's aren't quite as crazy. The only reason I can think of... there isn't as many people. I'd say we're still around 40-50 strong. Christmas is usually at G&G's house, with all the leaves in the dining room table, as well as the table on in the sunroom. We've run out of chairs, so we resort to the piano bench, and step stools. Afterwards all the kids (mid 20's and under) pack into the hall and play the quarter game with Uncle Marve (my dad). The quarter game consits of several items- lots of people (even number is a must) divided into two teams, holding hands with eyes closed sitting across from one another in the cramped hallway. My dad sits at one end with a quarter, the first person in line has their eyes open, if the quarter lands on heads- you squeeze the person's hand next to you and so on down the line, the first line to grab the quarter wins that round. If you win the person grabbing the quarter then moves to the head of the line & the whole line moves down "spot". The goal is to get every person at the head of the line. If perhaps you squeeze when it lands on tales, and you "win" the round you have to reverse the line!! It becomes very challenging, but it's an absolute riot.
We don't get together with James' extended family, because they're everywhere, and there's too many, even for a church basement. We reserve getting together with them for the summer, we have a reunion ever year at Mom & Dad's. It consists of camping out in their yard, pancake breakfast, fun & games for the rest of the day. Getting together in the summer helps because we can spread out more.
Christmas Eve or Day we usually get together with James' immediate family. This has become increasingly difficult as we're spread all over the Western Hemisphere. There's one in Costa Rica, Florida, Kentucky & two in Michigan. We're doing pretty good if 3 of the boys are home for Christmas at once. We've started a tradition of spending a few nights at Mom & Dad's over the holiday. Thanksgiving was a riot- 3 of the boys and their families (12 total) were all able to be home and stay over night. The next morning Grandma (who lives next door) came to visit, and some other cousins showed up as well. We played Dutch Blitz with 8 people, don't try this at home!!
Christmas with my immediate family usually occurs sometime after things have settled down a bit. New Years Day was common for a few years, but had to be changed this year because work schedules changed. My little bro (little... yeah right) or I usually act as Santa and distribute presents. Stockings are filled with the receivers favorite candy, chapstick, and other little trinkets. Dinner consists of appetizers & fondue. You can't go wrong with chocolate & cheese!
Our Christmas... I usually can't wait to give James his presents so we usually open them before Christmas Eve. Traditionally James gets me an entirely new outfit for church & work (including shoes & purse). I've had many compliments on the outfits he purchases for me over the years.
I'd love to hear your traditions for the holidays!
So with all those people it makes for some crazy fun holidays. On my mom's side we usually rent out my Grandparents church. We pack 60-70 people into the church basement for lunch and then take over the youth center and various classrooms for games and such. After we've digested our food it's time for presents. White elephant with a large family can get very dangerous, and then we sit down for the feast. James and I like to take the little ones (not little anymore) sledding on the big hill every year. The big hill is very big, and we've seen some injuries before. You can't really expect to stand at the bottom of the hill with a tobbogan with 5 grown kids (emphasis on kids) coming at you and not expect to get run over.
On my dad's side the holiday's aren't quite as crazy. The only reason I can think of... there isn't as many people. I'd say we're still around 40-50 strong. Christmas is usually at G&G's house, with all the leaves in the dining room table, as well as the table on in the sunroom. We've run out of chairs, so we resort to the piano bench, and step stools. Afterwards all the kids (mid 20's and under) pack into the hall and play the quarter game with Uncle Marve (my dad). The quarter game consits of several items- lots of people (even number is a must) divided into two teams, holding hands with eyes closed sitting across from one another in the cramped hallway. My dad sits at one end with a quarter, the first person in line has their eyes open, if the quarter lands on heads- you squeeze the person's hand next to you and so on down the line, the first line to grab the quarter wins that round. If you win the person grabbing the quarter then moves to the head of the line & the whole line moves down "spot". The goal is to get every person at the head of the line. If perhaps you squeeze when it lands on tales, and you "win" the round you have to reverse the line!! It becomes very challenging, but it's an absolute riot.
We don't get together with James' extended family, because they're everywhere, and there's too many, even for a church basement. We reserve getting together with them for the summer, we have a reunion ever year at Mom & Dad's. It consists of camping out in their yard, pancake breakfast, fun & games for the rest of the day. Getting together in the summer helps because we can spread out more.
Christmas Eve or Day we usually get together with James' immediate family. This has become increasingly difficult as we're spread all over the Western Hemisphere. There's one in Costa Rica, Florida, Kentucky & two in Michigan. We're doing pretty good if 3 of the boys are home for Christmas at once. We've started a tradition of spending a few nights at Mom & Dad's over the holiday. Thanksgiving was a riot- 3 of the boys and their families (12 total) were all able to be home and stay over night. The next morning Grandma (who lives next door) came to visit, and some other cousins showed up as well. We played Dutch Blitz with 8 people, don't try this at home!!
Christmas with my immediate family usually occurs sometime after things have settled down a bit. New Years Day was common for a few years, but had to be changed this year because work schedules changed. My little bro (little... yeah right) or I usually act as Santa and distribute presents. Stockings are filled with the receivers favorite candy, chapstick, and other little trinkets. Dinner consists of appetizers & fondue. You can't go wrong with chocolate & cheese!
Our Christmas... I usually can't wait to give James his presents so we usually open them before Christmas Eve. Traditionally James gets me an entirely new outfit for church & work (including shoes & purse). I've had many compliments on the outfits he purchases for me over the years.
I'd love to hear your traditions for the holidays!
Old Posts- No Electricity for the Long Haul 12/29/08
12/29 Well we have no electricity (and haven't since 5am Sunday), and I'm surprisingly thankful. An interesting word to use when things are so inconvenient. Well... I'm thankful for the woodstove, it was 52 in our house when we got home. We closed all the bedroom doors and slept upstairs in the loft last night. It was a toasty 70 degrees last night after the woodstove warmed up. Although going downstairs (without the fans to circulate the warm air) it was a cool 60 degrees, and then into the master bath to get clothes for the day (a very chilly 47 degrees).
The camp stove was brought upstairs last night & James popped some microwave popcorn over the open flame. The lantern provided some much needed light. It's amazing how a little light can help everything feel better, warmer & more homey. I got the emergency water out & the igloos. Each sink is now equipped with "running" water. Additional water was put in each bathroom to flush the toilets. We blew up the air mattress (thanks to mom & dad for providing a battery operated pump), dragged our blankets upstairs and settled in for the night. We watched last part of The Sound of Music on our 3 inch battery operated television (we're thankful the digital switch hasn't happend yet) & ate our popcorn.
Getting ready this morning was far quicker than it normally is (too cold to stand around). No shower (a quick sponge bath instead), no blowdryer, no curling iron, no tv or radio to distract me. I got ready in 45 minutes this moring & that includes the time it took me to clean out the fridg & freezer. The fridg & freezer stuff got packed into our coolers and put out on the front porch, and put some baking soda in the fridg. I'm thankful it's the middle of the winter and we can utilize the outdoor freezer. Watch out the coolers aren't on the dogs rope (the electric fence doesn't work during a power outage). Make sure the lighters, flashlights, radio & tv are easily accesible in case we get home after dark, and off for the day. The car was parked outside, the garage door doesn't work without power. James had manually opened the door last night and removed my vehicle, he'll remove his when it's needed. We'll have grilled cheese & soup for dinner tonight. If I get real ambitious I can pick up some propane for the grill on the way home & we can have some grilled chicken. Maybe we can get out monopoly tonight & start a marathaon. Why not, they're anticipating we'll be out of power for 4-5 days. You have to do something from 6-10ish to occupy your time.
Update 12/30 We'll we're still without power (as of this morning). I brought home McDonalds for dinner, it's extremely rare we "bring home dinner" instead of making it ourselves. I came home to James & one of the neighbors trying to get our well running off the generator. They were unable to get it going, something was wrong with the 220 side of the generator. We were however able to watch some TV, turn on the fans & enjoy some of the lights being on.
The local news last night said early Monday morning 16,000 people in Livingston County were without power. Because of help from neighboring states that number was down to 8,000 at the end of the day. They anticipate they'll be able to restore most of the power outages today, with the last of them being restored early tomorrow. James and I were pretty excited when we saw 10 DTE trucks driving down the road this morning.
Update 12/31 It was a nice surprise to get home and all the neighbors had their outdoor lights & Christmas lights on. My thoughts "They wouldn't have their Christmas lights on if they were being powered by a generator!!" It was so nice to go home, flip the breaker box on and hear the whir of electricity enter the house. The well kicking on was music to my ears. But... low and behold the furnace wasn't turning on?? Quick, run upstairs and turn the heat up... it's cold in here. Fill the woodstove, check the electric fence for the dog, and off he goes. He ran around the yard for 45 minutes straight after I let him off his rope. He came inside to eat and wanted back outside to run around some more. I could just hear him singing "Free, Free as a bird..." The furnace still wasn't working, huh?? Oh well, a quick shower will warm me up. After the shower I remembered the switch on the side of the furnace. A quick jog downstairs, and a flip of a swith later the furnace was humming along. A quick set of fresh sheets on the bed, the blankets from upstairs were brought downstairs, turn on the electric blanket, brushed my teeth, hop into bed, turn on the tv and wait for James to get home. It was a wonderful day yesterday. It makes me thankful for a number of different things I take for granted every day.
The camp stove was brought upstairs last night & James popped some microwave popcorn over the open flame. The lantern provided some much needed light. It's amazing how a little light can help everything feel better, warmer & more homey. I got the emergency water out & the igloos. Each sink is now equipped with "running" water. Additional water was put in each bathroom to flush the toilets. We blew up the air mattress (thanks to mom & dad for providing a battery operated pump), dragged our blankets upstairs and settled in for the night. We watched last part of The Sound of Music on our 3 inch battery operated television (we're thankful the digital switch hasn't happend yet) & ate our popcorn.
Getting ready this morning was far quicker than it normally is (too cold to stand around). No shower (a quick sponge bath instead), no blowdryer, no curling iron, no tv or radio to distract me. I got ready in 45 minutes this moring & that includes the time it took me to clean out the fridg & freezer. The fridg & freezer stuff got packed into our coolers and put out on the front porch, and put some baking soda in the fridg. I'm thankful it's the middle of the winter and we can utilize the outdoor freezer. Watch out the coolers aren't on the dogs rope (the electric fence doesn't work during a power outage). Make sure the lighters, flashlights, radio & tv are easily accesible in case we get home after dark, and off for the day. The car was parked outside, the garage door doesn't work without power. James had manually opened the door last night and removed my vehicle, he'll remove his when it's needed. We'll have grilled cheese & soup for dinner tonight. If I get real ambitious I can pick up some propane for the grill on the way home & we can have some grilled chicken. Maybe we can get out monopoly tonight & start a marathaon. Why not, they're anticipating we'll be out of power for 4-5 days. You have to do something from 6-10ish to occupy your time.
Update 12/30 We'll we're still without power (as of this morning). I brought home McDonalds for dinner, it's extremely rare we "bring home dinner" instead of making it ourselves. I came home to James & one of the neighbors trying to get our well running off the generator. They were unable to get it going, something was wrong with the 220 side of the generator. We were however able to watch some TV, turn on the fans & enjoy some of the lights being on.
The local news last night said early Monday morning 16,000 people in Livingston County were without power. Because of help from neighboring states that number was down to 8,000 at the end of the day. They anticipate they'll be able to restore most of the power outages today, with the last of them being restored early tomorrow. James and I were pretty excited when we saw 10 DTE trucks driving down the road this morning.
Update 12/31 It was a nice surprise to get home and all the neighbors had their outdoor lights & Christmas lights on. My thoughts "They wouldn't have their Christmas lights on if they were being powered by a generator!!" It was so nice to go home, flip the breaker box on and hear the whir of electricity enter the house. The well kicking on was music to my ears. But... low and behold the furnace wasn't turning on?? Quick, run upstairs and turn the heat up... it's cold in here. Fill the woodstove, check the electric fence for the dog, and off he goes. He ran around the yard for 45 minutes straight after I let him off his rope. He came inside to eat and wanted back outside to run around some more. I could just hear him singing "Free, Free as a bird..." The furnace still wasn't working, huh?? Oh well, a quick shower will warm me up. After the shower I remembered the switch on the side of the furnace. A quick jog downstairs, and a flip of a swith later the furnace was humming along. A quick set of fresh sheets on the bed, the blankets from upstairs were brought downstairs, turn on the electric blanket, brushed my teeth, hop into bed, turn on the tv and wait for James to get home. It was a wonderful day yesterday. It makes me thankful for a number of different things I take for granted every day.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Our World
James has been working on stocking up our wood pile for the winter, with the hopes of setting some aside for next years cold season as well. With the help of my brother they were able to cut & split 1 cord of wood a few weeks ago & another trailer waiting to be split. Last night James and I spent the evening stacking the wood in our basement. Yes, our basement. The wood that we're cutting has a very minimal amount of insects in it, so we stack it in the basement. This keeps it out of the elements and allows it to dry out quite a bit as well.
All signs point to teething. We're almost postive Dexter is cutting some teeth, although several people have said that is is too early. The reasearch I've been doing say that sometimes teething pain can begin up to 2 months before the tooth actually breaks the surface. The past couple of days have been fully of crying & fussing, and an all around unhappy kid.
Monday night was an unusual night. The carbon monoxide detector decided the battery was low and began to chirp in the middle of the night. After James took out the battery and came back to bed Dexter woke up and was hungry. While James was getting him up the smoke alarms went off causing Dexter to scream & Dakota to plaster himself to the nearest human & start shaking like a leaf. Dakota does best in these kind of circumstances to be let ouside until things settle down. I took Dexter while James toured the house to see what set off the smoke alarms. The smoke alarms tripping is a normal occurance in our home, when we get a power surge, or a power failure it sets off all the alarms in the house. James came back to check on Dexter & I- no need to worry all is well. As long as we were all up James put a new battery in the carbon monoxide detector & I finished feeding Dexter. We then went to bed. About an hour later I woke up to hear a strange dog bark, it sounded like a larger dog, but was annoying like a little one (also referred to as "yippy" dogs). We called Dakota to come in and he was glad to do so. Upon further inspection the next day we found Dakota had a few spots that were bleeding, teeth marks. After a little more thought we have come to the conclusion that Dakota decided he wanted to play with some coyotes. We've told him before they don't play fair, but I guess he needed to figure that out himself.
That's the latest & greatest in our family. Hope all is well with you!
All signs point to teething. We're almost postive Dexter is cutting some teeth, although several people have said that is is too early. The reasearch I've been doing say that sometimes teething pain can begin up to 2 months before the tooth actually breaks the surface. The past couple of days have been fully of crying & fussing, and an all around unhappy kid.
Monday night was an unusual night. The carbon monoxide detector decided the battery was low and began to chirp in the middle of the night. After James took out the battery and came back to bed Dexter woke up and was hungry. While James was getting him up the smoke alarms went off causing Dexter to scream & Dakota to plaster himself to the nearest human & start shaking like a leaf. Dakota does best in these kind of circumstances to be let ouside until things settle down. I took Dexter while James toured the house to see what set off the smoke alarms. The smoke alarms tripping is a normal occurance in our home, when we get a power surge, or a power failure it sets off all the alarms in the house. James came back to check on Dexter & I- no need to worry all is well. As long as we were all up James put a new battery in the carbon monoxide detector & I finished feeding Dexter. We then went to bed. About an hour later I woke up to hear a strange dog bark, it sounded like a larger dog, but was annoying like a little one (also referred to as "yippy" dogs). We called Dakota to come in and he was glad to do so. Upon further inspection the next day we found Dakota had a few spots that were bleeding, teeth marks. After a little more thought we have come to the conclusion that Dakota decided he wanted to play with some coyotes. We've told him before they don't play fair, but I guess he needed to figure that out himself.
That's the latest & greatest in our family. Hope all is well with you!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Animal Noises
Last night we were practicing animal noises. Dexter really likes the monkey, dog and cat. After making a realistic lion roar Dexter's bottom lip got really big and started quivering, a few pouts later the water works turned on. The whole time he was looking at me as if to say "I can't believe you just did that to me. Don't you love me?" Poor guy must have thought it was real because it took quite a while to console his peircing cries. I was curious to see if it was the lion noise that actually scared him, or my facial expression when I roared. After he was calm for a while I made some more animal noises and then made the lion noise again with a "Happy Face". Yeah, he's definately afraid my lion roar, but not daddy's lion roar.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
All Smiles!
Getting out of bed has always been a difficult task for me, but mornings are much easier with Dexter around. When you lean over his crib Dexter greets you with a huge grin as if to say "It's so good to see you. I know you're not very happy right now, but I love you so very much!" With a greeting like this, how could your morning be bad? He continues these smiles and grins throughout the entire morning. I was shopping with him recently and after seeing him smile a women commented "Everyone says at that age all smiles are because of gas. I don't believe them". After kindly asking Dexter to give me a smile, he did. She then said "If he's smiling because you're asking him to, then it's not gas."
Dexters vocal abilities are also starting to develop, if you count grunts. It seems as if he desperately wants to talk, but it only comes out in grunts & he does it all the time. I could understand if you're holding him with your arm across his belly- it's probably not the most comfortable position. We constantly get comments like "He must be working on something". Well, he can't be "working on something" all the time.
We recently visited some friends who have a baby one month older than Dexter. The difference one month makes is amazing. We enjoy seeing the next things he'll be doing- babbling & squealing with delight.
Dexters vocal abilities are also starting to develop, if you count grunts. It seems as if he desperately wants to talk, but it only comes out in grunts & he does it all the time. I could understand if you're holding him with your arm across his belly- it's probably not the most comfortable position. We constantly get comments like "He must be working on something". Well, he can't be "working on something" all the time.
We recently visited some friends who have a baby one month older than Dexter. The difference one month makes is amazing. We enjoy seeing the next things he'll be doing- babbling & squealing with delight.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dexter goes Camping
Dexter loves the outdoors and enjoyed tenting at 6 weeks old. Our yearly trip to Algonac went well and the company was great. I can definately see the benefits of getting a hotel with children, but then you don't have an adventure.
We just returned from our last camping trip of the year, with the Shinabery Family. We came from all over the Western Hemisphere and converged upon Glouster, Ohio. Four years ago we all got together at a Potowatomee in Angola, Indiana, a state park, and were very excited to find a lodge with many large rooms and plenty to do for the kids. This time however we were all disappointed with the accomadations- when we made reservations we were told the campsites & cabins were close to one another. They were actually a 20 minute drive around the lake. We tried to get closer, but they would not allow us to do so. Although we were very disappointed in this, the grounds themselves were gorgeous and there were many opportunities for everyone to keep busy.
James, brother Andy and nephew Kody decided to ride their bikes, through the mountainous terrain, from the campsite to the cabin. Dad proceeded to take a group of us to the cabins & turned right around to make sure the three riding their bikes were doing alright. He was unable to find them because they decided to take the trails instead of the main roads. After they arrived at the cabin we heard stories of flipping over handle bars, bikes breaking, and walking up the very large hills.
Date Night- James and I were able to play volleyball last night with a group from church. It has been many years since I've played volleyball and there have been many changes with the rules and positions. The others were very accomadating since I was taught to do everything opposite of what they were used to. The first hour was pretty intense (I was playing with the group who is more competative). The second hour I decided to play more relaxed since I could hardly walk. You don't realize how out of shape you are until you begin to exercise. My mom watched Dexter for the evening and encouraged us to make a habit of playing (Only because she wants to watch Dexter, even if he does sleep the entire time.).
We just returned from our last camping trip of the year, with the Shinabery Family. We came from all over the Western Hemisphere and converged upon Glouster, Ohio. Four years ago we all got together at a Potowatomee in Angola, Indiana, a state park, and were very excited to find a lodge with many large rooms and plenty to do for the kids. This time however we were all disappointed with the accomadations- when we made reservations we were told the campsites & cabins were close to one another. They were actually a 20 minute drive around the lake. We tried to get closer, but they would not allow us to do so. Although we were very disappointed in this, the grounds themselves were gorgeous and there were many opportunities for everyone to keep busy.
James, brother Andy and nephew Kody decided to ride their bikes, through the mountainous terrain, from the campsite to the cabin. Dad proceeded to take a group of us to the cabins & turned right around to make sure the three riding their bikes were doing alright. He was unable to find them because they decided to take the trails instead of the main roads. After they arrived at the cabin we heard stories of flipping over handle bars, bikes breaking, and walking up the very large hills.
Date Night- James and I were able to play volleyball last night with a group from church. It has been many years since I've played volleyball and there have been many changes with the rules and positions. The others were very accomadating since I was taught to do everything opposite of what they were used to. The first hour was pretty intense (I was playing with the group who is more competative). The second hour I decided to play more relaxed since I could hardly walk. You don't realize how out of shape you are until you begin to exercise. My mom watched Dexter for the evening and encouraged us to make a habit of playing (Only because she wants to watch Dexter, even if he does sleep the entire time.).
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Titles of Life
I wanted to get a picture of his lower lip so far out. I couldn't help but laugh hysterically when I played back the pictures... the last one in particular.
I have accumulated numerous titles over the years- daughter, sister, wife, mother, massage therapist, real estate agent and many more. When I received the title of "wife" it was a joyous occasion, which was the case with many of the other titles I've acquired.
The most recent title "working mother" has come with sorrow and heartache. I thought the first day back to work would go just fine, and it did, until I called home. James had Dexter for the day, but the little guy decided he didn't want to eat was crying in the background. Although the entire thing was purely coincidental, James had dropped me off at work so there was no way I could go home, even if I wanted to. It was a good lesson in patience.
Today was the first full day of daycare (I hate to call it that, for some reason it sounds cold and harsh to me). Today was the first full day at the sitters house. I've been on the verge of tears all day. Mrs. White said I could call as many times as I needed today. Although I wanted desperately to call, I didn't want to hear him crying in the background. I finally got up the courage to call in the afternoon. My fears were all put to rest when she said he was eating fine. As the little boy was fussing into the mouthpeice she said it was the most fussy he's been all day. If I had called sooner my poor co-workers would not have had to cheer me up and give me pep talks throughout the day.
The most recent title "working mother" has come with sorrow and heartache. I thought the first day back to work would go just fine, and it did, until I called home. James had Dexter for the day, but the little guy decided he didn't want to eat was crying in the background. Although the entire thing was purely coincidental, James had dropped me off at work so there was no way I could go home, even if I wanted to. It was a good lesson in patience.
Today was the first full day of daycare (I hate to call it that, for some reason it sounds cold and harsh to me). Today was the first full day at the sitters house. I've been on the verge of tears all day. Mrs. White said I could call as many times as I needed today. Although I wanted desperately to call, I didn't want to hear him crying in the background. I finally got up the courage to call in the afternoon. My fears were all put to rest when she said he was eating fine. As the little boy was fussing into the mouthpeice she said it was the most fussy he's been all day. If I had called sooner my poor co-workers would not have had to cheer me up and give me pep talks throughout the day.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Videos
Grandma Ballast stopped by for a visit
Two Tired Puppy's
Daddy let me drive the Bulldozer!
09/09/09
09/08/09
08/10/09- "Yoda Ears"
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
One Month
Time seems to fly by as you get older. We blink and Dexter is now a month old. Parenting has both it's ups and downs, but definately more ups. I've been able to catch a fleeting glimpse of some intentional smiles from Dexter recently. They're so fleeting however that you wonder if you actually saw them. He is holding up his head very well and is not as scared to roll from his stomach to his back.
Staying at home and not working for this short period of time has been absolutely wonderful. Tummy time on the floor beats working any day. Dex and I have been trying to get out a few times a week, even if it's going through the drive through. The trips to the store have been the most interesting. If the car seat doesn't quite latch onto the cart then you have to get two carts. Even though you have two eyes that look in the same direction, you somehow have to keep one eye on the boy, and the other on the task at hand (the eyes in the back of my head are still developing).
Dexter and I have also had the opportunity to visit with friends and recently went to a family reunion for James' side of the family. What a great day we had... until the end. The little guy was absolutely exhausted (he slept all day so I don't completely understand why he was so tuckered out). I can definately say his lungs are fully developed and working great!
Our family is looking forward to going camping in September (with the Ballast side) and again in October (with this Shinabery side). I've been slowly going over what we'll need for the trips and am absolutely astounded at the amount of stuff we'll have to tote with us now. I continue to remind myself that if we forget something there are plenty of stores that carry almost everything.
I'll get some pictures up soon.
Staying at home and not working for this short period of time has been absolutely wonderful. Tummy time on the floor beats working any day. Dex and I have been trying to get out a few times a week, even if it's going through the drive through. The trips to the store have been the most interesting. If the car seat doesn't quite latch onto the cart then you have to get two carts. Even though you have two eyes that look in the same direction, you somehow have to keep one eye on the boy, and the other on the task at hand (the eyes in the back of my head are still developing).
Dexter and I have also had the opportunity to visit with friends and recently went to a family reunion for James' side of the family. What a great day we had... until the end. The little guy was absolutely exhausted (he slept all day so I don't completely understand why he was so tuckered out). I can definately say his lungs are fully developed and working great!
Our family is looking forward to going camping in September (with the Ballast side) and again in October (with this Shinabery side). I've been slowly going over what we'll need for the trips and am absolutely astounded at the amount of stuff we'll have to tote with us now. I continue to remind myself that if we forget something there are plenty of stores that carry almost everything.
I'll get some pictures up soon.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Orchestra
Dexter has become an accomplished conductor. When he gets hungry, or excited this is what occurs...
Dexter is already showing great progress in his development. He follows movement with his eyes, he crains his neck to find mommy when he hears her, and has been holding his head up for several minutes at a time.
He is doing well in all aspects. The suspected case of Jaundice turned out to be nothing, at least nothing the doctors would label as jaundice. He still shows some lingering yellowish tints, but they are going away. He is sleeping great and has had a few 4 hour stretches. He eating patterns are somewhat of a mystery however. James and I have begun calling him a lazy eater. He'll eat for 5-10 minutes and be fully content. If you wait an hour however you'll find a screaming kid who is too worked up to eat, but is famished. He also gets hiccups at least every other day. Poor guy, they wreak havoc on his whole body.
We had a two week visit at the Doctors office for our little guy. He is doing very well and the nurses couldn't get enough of him (I sometimes wonder if they do that for everyone, which doesn't make it as special as it should be- oh well).
We found out today what the percentile measurements mean- 50% is average, anything above that is larger than average, and anything below that is smaller than average. For his height he is the 60% percentile, 23% for his head size and a measly 9% for his weight. The weight didn't seem to be that big of an issue because he gained a full pound since leaving the hospital (he was expected to gain a minimum of 1/2 lb.) I suppose the label of "lazy eater" has been missplaced.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Please Pray
We appreciate your continued prayers for the two families mentioned in a previous blog entry.
Please continue to pray for the one family as they have lost their little one. After being taken off life support the little one passed away in her mothers arm.
As for the other family... on the 30th we received word the newborn was breathing on her own, but there were concerns about brain damage from lack of oxygen. This however is not the case today. The baby has slipped into a coma and is not expected to regain consciousness.
My hormones are all over the charts right now after giving birth to my own precious one. Every time I think about these families I can't hold back the tears. Please pray for the peace that passes all understading.
Please continue to pray for the one family as they have lost their little one. After being taken off life support the little one passed away in her mothers arm.
As for the other family... on the 30th we received word the newborn was breathing on her own, but there were concerns about brain damage from lack of oxygen. This however is not the case today. The baby has slipped into a coma and is not expected to regain consciousness.
My hormones are all over the charts right now after giving birth to my own precious one. Every time I think about these families I can't hold back the tears. Please pray for the peace that passes all understading.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
You're so Vain...
"I'm a cool dude!" I can't believe he's already so concerned about fashion and making sure he has the perfect tan.
We have a hunch that our little guy is developing a case of jaundice. After contacting my sister-in-law, who's a nurse (I suppose I wanted you to know that we got this informtion from a reputable source before deciding to do something on our own.), she suggested short periods of time in the indirect sunlight. We wanted to ensure that we protected his eyes so we pulled his hat down over his eyes, to keep it there we put some elastic banded sunglasses over top. He looked so cute we had to take a picture. We have our first peditrician appointment tomorrow, so we should get a better idea of what, if anything, is going on.
Things continue to go well for us. I've really appreciated all the horror stories I was told prior to labor & bringing him home ie. no sleep, 30 hour labor etc. Everything seems so much easier compared to some of the things I've heard. Sure sleep is limited, but we're a least getting some. We have seen God's provision for us throughout our lives, but we can certainly see his protection and care now more than ever.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Physical Characteristics
I am beginning to realize how much extra time everything takes with a child. This journey is going to be amazing and filled with new experiences.
I can't recall what I've said before so I apologize. My water broke on Saturday around 11:30 and we were admitted to the hospital by midnight. Not much progress was being made so they gave me pitocin and I started having contractions by 6am. Hard labor started around 2:30, but the little guy wasn't quite in position. He measured 19 3/4 inches long when he was born, but they expect him to loose at least 3/4 of an inch over the next couple of days because of his "cone head". We stayed in the labor and delivery room for quite some time (my body was having a diffucult time with all the hormones & adreneline), and arrived in the post natal unit around 8am.
Dexter has daddy's brown hair, brown eyes and the Shinabery trait of long eyelashes. He has a cleft chin which was an interesting surprise. Well, Cary Grant & Jude Law move over... here comes Dexter to join the ranks of those with a cleft chin.
It is now 6:15am on Monday, time for some shut eye. Thanks for your paryers & support. For those of you who have a facebook account... we apologize. We are unable to get onto that site at the hospital, but will update it when we arrive home.
Also, a quick prayer request- we know of two families who very recently had babies and are going through some difficult times right now. These two families are in the middle of a jungle right now and need as much prayer and support as they can get. Thanks in advance.
I can't recall what I've said before so I apologize. My water broke on Saturday around 11:30 and we were admitted to the hospital by midnight. Not much progress was being made so they gave me pitocin and I started having contractions by 6am. Hard labor started around 2:30, but the little guy wasn't quite in position. He measured 19 3/4 inches long when he was born, but they expect him to loose at least 3/4 of an inch over the next couple of days because of his "cone head". We stayed in the labor and delivery room for quite some time (my body was having a diffucult time with all the hormones & adreneline), and arrived in the post natal unit around 8am.
Dexter has daddy's brown hair, brown eyes and the Shinabery trait of long eyelashes. He has a cleft chin which was an interesting surprise. Well, Cary Grant & Jude Law move over... here comes Dexter to join the ranks of those with a cleft chin.
It is now 6:15am on Monday, time for some shut eye. Thanks for your paryers & support. For those of you who have a facebook account... we apologize. We are unable to get onto that site at the hospital, but will update it when we arrive home.
Also, a quick prayer request- we know of two families who very recently had babies and are going through some difficult times right now. These two families are in the middle of a jungle right now and need as much prayer and support as they can get. Thanks in advance.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
He's here Dexter James Shinabery
Well Dexter James Shinabery finally came at 4:37 pm on sunday 7/26/2009. Weighing in at 6lbs 6oz, and measuring 19 3/4 in. Momma and baby are doing well, and both are resting for he time being. If we ever find the time again, we will keep updates coming.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
he's coming
Well were in the hospital now with some regular contractions. More info and pics to follow.
-Stephanie here, its about 4am. My water broke about 11:20 last night. Kind of a strange event, you know your baby is on the way, but you aren't having any contractions. We arrived at the hospital and got settled into our room by midnight. I've been resting my eyes since then. I figure I'm not going to get any kind of rest for the next couple of years at the least so I'll take what I can get. The contractions are starting to get closer together and more painful, but we still have a ways to go.
I keep thinking about those in the Bible who endured lots of pain without the satisfaction of having a baby at the end. Job comes to mind... covered in boils from head to toe, and the many other non-physical things he had to endure. Although Job is a tough one because I can't recall a song about him that I can sing through the contractions. There are songs about Jonah, Daniel, Zacheaus, Joshua & the battle of Jericho & even David & Golith- but they didn't the physical pain. The one song that continues to come to mind however is based on the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthenth me!" Phil 4:13
Well, that's all for now. We are unable to get on facebook for some reason so we'll be sure to keep this updated.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
No Baby...
Many are calling and asking if the baby's here. Nope. After gettting the internet recently and finding our 10 year old computer just wasn't cutting it we got a new computer (a laptop even). James is super excited to have it in the hospital with us so he can update everything. So rest assured, we'll be emailing, blogging & facebooking.
Last night was eventful and full of contractions. They're definately getting stronger, but just aren't quite strong enough or close enough together for the one hour the Dr. requires. I had a regular Dr. appt today. James and I were secretly hoping the Dr. would send us to the hospital. As a matter of fact, we didn't even bring the hospital bag because we figured we'd jinx it. Needless to say she did not. She did say to go ahead and schedule next weeks appointment, but was hopeful that we will have to cancel it!!
Last night was eventful and full of contractions. They're definately getting stronger, but just aren't quite strong enough or close enough together for the one hour the Dr. requires. I had a regular Dr. appt today. James and I were secretly hoping the Dr. would send us to the hospital. As a matter of fact, we didn't even bring the hospital bag because we figured we'd jinx it. Needless to say she did not. She did say to go ahead and schedule next weeks appointment, but was hopeful that we will have to cancel it!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Some days you wonder...
As I pulled out the driveway this morning I noticed one of the neighbors horses was out. After calling them and leaving a message I decided I'd take a look to see what was going on. When I pulled up their driveway the horse looked very anxious to get back into the pasture and the fence appeared to be in good condition. I figured I'd open the gate and see if he went in by himself, but I wasn't about to try an wrangle a horse when I know nothing about horses and I'm 9 1/2 months pregnant. The horse went in all by himself and as I was closing the gate the other one decided it wanted to come out. I wasn't about to let that happen so I quickly maneuvered so the gate was between the horse and I and quickly closed it. I thought "That was a crazy start to my day" until later in my drive. As I neared the office I realized something was in the middle of the road. "Is that a horse?" Nope, it was a cow!! What's with the livestock wandering all over the place this morning??
So here's my 38 week photo. No real updates from the Dr.'s this week. The baby's heartrate has dropped slightly for the first time throughout the pregnancy and was in the low 140's.
The carseat is in the freshly cleaned car, bags are packed for the hospital and the house is the cleanest it's been since we moved in. We're ready, let's get this show on the road!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Dr. Appt Update
Dr. appt went well today- heart rate 150's (as always), weight gain 34 lbs, 1-2 cm dialated. They also did the strep B test, I'm guessing I'll have the results in by my next appt (next week Tue). He said everything is looking very well, everything is measuring normal and he'll see me again next week.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Happy July!
I realize that all of you are wanting a baby related update, but we'll try a different subject for this week.
We were quite late planting our garden this year because we've been so extremely busy. We did finally get it planted and have started to see the little things poking their heads out of the ground. This year we've planted: corn, snow peas, pumpkins, zuchinni, butternut squash, tomato's, broccoli, carrots, radishes, green beans, stringless beans (these were given to me in a brown paper bag so I have no idea what these are, they must be old seeds because only 1/4 of them are up), lettuce, and several varieties of flowers. I'm realize this year our garden is smaller than last year and I also understand that I will not have as much time for it, especially when the little one comes along. My theory is- you make time for the things you want to do. I'm not going to be disappointed in myself if the garden doesn't get quite as much attention this year, there's always next year.
We have already seen evidence of a small deer in the garden. We have a small fence surrounding the garden but it's purpose is to keep out the rabbits & coons. We will soon be hooking up a "jumper" wire to our neighbors electric fence. Maybe the deer will keep away if the thing is electrified!
James's dad gave him a lathe within the last month. An example of things that are made with a lathe are- balusters & spindles for railings, rosettes, wooden bowls and other things. He has been scouring the internet for ideas on how to get better at his new found craft. He stumbled across a school textbook from the early 1900's which has been fully uploaded to the internet and goes over the fine art of working on a lathe.
James found a peice of ash and began working on a softball bat. The completed bat was a standard size, but was significantally heavier than the typical bat. He and others likened the bat to swinging a log instead of a bat. He also used a wood burner and burned in a lightning bolt and "Wonderboy" (after the greatest baseball movie ever "The Natural"). Just like in the movie- James broke his bat. He really enjoyed breaking the bat for some reason. The piece ended up going down the 3rd baseline and just past 3rd base. He's been trying to locate a better peice of wood to use for the next one. We did find out you can purchase baseball bat blanks. The plan is to make a few more bats, get good at the craft & then make a really good bat with a purchased blank. He'll have to hurry up because this years softball season is coming to an end.
We were quite late planting our garden this year because we've been so extremely busy. We did finally get it planted and have started to see the little things poking their heads out of the ground. This year we've planted: corn, snow peas, pumpkins, zuchinni, butternut squash, tomato's, broccoli, carrots, radishes, green beans, stringless beans (these were given to me in a brown paper bag so I have no idea what these are, they must be old seeds because only 1/4 of them are up), lettuce, and several varieties of flowers. I'm realize this year our garden is smaller than last year and I also understand that I will not have as much time for it, especially when the little one comes along. My theory is- you make time for the things you want to do. I'm not going to be disappointed in myself if the garden doesn't get quite as much attention this year, there's always next year.
We have already seen evidence of a small deer in the garden. We have a small fence surrounding the garden but it's purpose is to keep out the rabbits & coons. We will soon be hooking up a "jumper" wire to our neighbors electric fence. Maybe the deer will keep away if the thing is electrified!
James's dad gave him a lathe within the last month. An example of things that are made with a lathe are- balusters & spindles for railings, rosettes, wooden bowls and other things. He has been scouring the internet for ideas on how to get better at his new found craft. He stumbled across a school textbook from the early 1900's which has been fully uploaded to the internet and goes over the fine art of working on a lathe.
James found a peice of ash and began working on a softball bat. The completed bat was a standard size, but was significantally heavier than the typical bat. He and others likened the bat to swinging a log instead of a bat. He also used a wood burner and burned in a lightning bolt and "Wonderboy" (after the greatest baseball movie ever "The Natural"). Just like in the movie- James broke his bat. He really enjoyed breaking the bat for some reason. The piece ended up going down the 3rd baseline and just past 3rd base. He's been trying to locate a better peice of wood to use for the next one. We did find out you can purchase baseball bat blanks. The plan is to make a few more bats, get good at the craft & then make a really good bat with a purchased blank. He'll have to hurry up because this years softball season is coming to an end.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I didn't realize how many people follow my blog until several people told me I needed to update it.
35 Weeks- So I had a Dr. appt on Tuesday. They said everything is measuring normal (Have they looked at my belly?! Looks huge to me!) Anyway, the baby's heartrate is still measuring in the 150's. They don't anticipate me having the baby early, but said if I do go into labor they would not try to stop me. It's a relief to know that you've made it to the point where the baby would be alright & wouldn't need any additional assitance.
Complaints so far- this heat is ridiculous! I was always the type to carry a sweater around with me because I was always cold. Not anymore. The air conditioning has been on for several days now, and a few times prior to that. My back has also started to bother me almost non-stop. Sleeping has gotten much better now that I sleep with 3 pillows instead of 2. I think the boys (James & the dog) are getting sick of me taking up 2/3 of the bed. The dog has been sleeping on the floor for some time now (The sneaky thing would get on in the middle of the night while we were asleep. It's difficult to scold the dog for doing something when you don't know it's happening.).
Funny things- I decided to try sleeping in the water bed recently. The dog didn't know what to do with the two of us being in different rooms. Because of this he got very anxious and did several bad things in the middle of the night. He has been very curious of the baby's room and loves to sniff everything. The stuffed animals in particular are a very great temptation for him. He ended up pulling out one of the stuffed animals and giving it a bath (the thing is completely slobber filled & needs to be thrown out now- thank goodness it was a hand-me-down & not a gift). He also took several diapers out and completely destroyed them.
Wonderful- James has been a complete sweetheart. He has taken an interest in the garden this year and even helped me plant it. I've also been able to get a shoulder rub most nights as well. The foot massages were wonderful in the beginning of my pregnancy, but the last time he gave me one I started having contractions. He and I discussed this "contraindication for pregnant women" prior to getting the foot massage, but I knew it would feel wonderful so I convinced him to give it to me anyway. Maybe in a few weeks I'll have him give me another one- it'll may help start this process along.
The feedback I've been getting from the blog is pretty positive. We'll be sure to update the blog once the baby's here so be sure to check back.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Classes
Our child birth education classes are coming to a close. Although I knew much of the information taught in the class, it was nice to get a refresher from the babysitting days. Since then they've also changed quite a few things & threw in some safety tips I hadn't thought of previously.
It has been quite a while since James and I were in the same class (other than at church). I forgot how distracting he can be. When we were going through our breathing exercises he started squeezing my leg really hard. When I asked him what he was doing he said "I'm simulating a contraction for you." After the second or third "contraction" I started getting upset. "Knock it off, that hurts." "Of course it does, it's supposed to. It's a contraction."
My absolute favorite thing about the class was bathing the baby dolls. We were instructed how to properly sponge bathe a baby prior to their cord falling off. The dads were then asked to bathe their baby dolls. He then proceeded to give the baby a bath while I assisted. When he got to the neck I heard him say "Tickle, tickle!" with a big cheesy grin across his face. What a hoot! I laughed so hard. He continued with the bath, when he got to the armpits I heard "Tickle, tickle" again.
With babies, even fake ones, you see a side of someone you've never seen before. This is going to be a journey filled with laughter.
It has been quite a while since James and I were in the same class (other than at church). I forgot how distracting he can be. When we were going through our breathing exercises he started squeezing my leg really hard. When I asked him what he was doing he said "I'm simulating a contraction for you." After the second or third "contraction" I started getting upset. "Knock it off, that hurts." "Of course it does, it's supposed to. It's a contraction."
My absolute favorite thing about the class was bathing the baby dolls. We were instructed how to properly sponge bathe a baby prior to their cord falling off. The dads were then asked to bathe their baby dolls. He then proceeded to give the baby a bath while I assisted. When he got to the neck I heard him say "Tickle, tickle!" with a big cheesy grin across his face. What a hoot! I laughed so hard. He continued with the bath, when he got to the armpits I heard "Tickle, tickle" again.
With babies, even fake ones, you see a side of someone you've never seen before. This is going to be a journey filled with laughter.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Getting Aprehensive
I'm beginning to get apprehensive about labor as the inevitable date approaches. Today in church while singing "How Great Thou Art" the phrase "That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin." things began to come into perspective. If Christ can handle being beaten and hanging on the cross then I should be able to handle the labor pains.
As I thought about the subject more I also realized the pain and agony that occured when God turned his back on his son. This act was far more painful than any of the physical pain he was experiencing. God has promised his children "I will never leave you, nor forsake you". Because God keeps his promises, every one of them, I don't have to experience the abandonment Christ felt. I can walk into this phase of my life knowing the Lord will be with me every step of the way.
Another avenue of reasoning began to develop- how difficult was it for God, righteous and sin free, to see his son take on the sins of the world. I can only imagine how difficult the act of rejecting your child would be, let alone adding the whole spiritual aspect into the mix.
As I thought about the subject more I also realized the pain and agony that occured when God turned his back on his son. This act was far more painful than any of the physical pain he was experiencing. God has promised his children "I will never leave you, nor forsake you". Because God keeps his promises, every one of them, I don't have to experience the abandonment Christ felt. I can walk into this phase of my life knowing the Lord will be with me every step of the way.
Another avenue of reasoning began to develop- how difficult was it for God, righteous and sin free, to see his son take on the sins of the world. I can only imagine how difficult the act of rejecting your child would be, let alone adding the whole spiritual aspect into the mix.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Baby Shinabery plays Softball
We had a little bit of excitement on Thursday night at James' softball game- I caught a ball in the stomach. It was a lot of things gone wrong: a bad throw, a missed catch, and sitting behind the first base man. There is a paramedic on James' team and another fan is a nurse in the OB department at the hospital I'm delivering at. They both checked me out pretty well, the baby was moving, no bleeding or leaking of fluids, and I was not having any contractions. After the game however we figured we'd play it safe and go to the hospital to get checked out. Since it was a pretty hard hit, and I was having minimal contractions (no worse than I had been having prior to getting hit) they decided it would be best to stay so they could monitor me overnight. The night was very uneventful and we had an ultrasound in the morning which showed everything to be fine. I have my regular check up on Tuesday morning so they'll be sure to go over everything very well.
The whole thing worked out well actually, James and I both really needed to sit and relax for a while, but there have been so many things that needed to be done around the house. This whole thing forced us to take a time out, and the long weekend ahead gives us a little extra time to do that.
Don't strain your eyes too hard when looking at the picture below. We've removed the letters from the blocks. We're down to two names, both of which have the same amount of letters. We thought you may enjoy a little bit more information.
The whole thing worked out well actually, James and I both really needed to sit and relax for a while, but there have been so many things that needed to be done around the house. This whole thing forced us to take a time out, and the long weekend ahead gives us a little extra time to do that.
Don't strain your eyes too hard when looking at the picture below. We've removed the letters from the blocks. We're down to two names, both of which have the same amount of letters. We thought you may enjoy a little bit more information.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Old House
So many people are going through very difficult times right now. Things hit home a little today when I was told our old house (our first house) went back to the bank last month. This is effecting me in ways I don't really understand. When we purchased the home, from the bank, it stank like stale urine from the 3 dogs that were living there (oh yeah, and the 3 adults & 2 kids) all in a 1000 SF home. The pipes were burst, and we bombed the house several times to get rid of all the spiders. We completely gutted the 1900's house, shored it up and gave it a new lease on life. New roof, kitchen, carpet, drywall, paint, insulation, appliances and the list goes on. Here are some pictures of our little bungalow. I'm really glad I dug up those Iris & Hosta plants now!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Nursery Border
So here's the pictures of the infamous nursery border as promised. I suppose it's kinda nice-you can't actually see the flaws in the picture. You can't see the dots very well, but they are the same tan & yellow as the walls and green.
On Saturday we set up the crib, which was also pretty frustrating. I set it up while James was at work, which ended up being just fine until I put the drop side in. The side didn't want to stay up. It would latch on the one side, but not the other. James came home and saw the problem soon after looking at it. We disassembled a few parts, put it back together, and it's working just fine now.
On Saturday we set up the crib, which was also pretty frustrating. I set it up while James was at work, which ended up being just fine until I put the drop side in. The side didn't want to stay up. It would latch on the one side, but not the other. James came home and saw the problem soon after looking at it. We disassembled a few parts, put it back together, and it's working just fine now.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Baby's Room/Third Trimester
Well the baby's room is coming along well. When we built the house we painted the room yellow and tan. After debating if we wanted to do anything else to the room we decided on adding a border. The border is chocolate brown with yellow, green & tan polka-dots (photos should be uploaded next week sometime). I didn't think this process would be as frustrating as it ended up being. The tape for the edges of the border did not adhere to the wall well so the paint bled. The bleeding was even worse when we used the stencil on the dots. So after much debating, trial & error we decided to trace the circles on the wall & paint them freehand. The border isn't perfect, but with all the work that we've already put into it I'm not going to start over. Someone offered me a painters hint: Put up the tape for the borders and then paint the border the wall color before you paint it the border color. The first coat of paint will seal the tape to the wall and if it bleeds you can't tell because it's the same color as the wall. I wish I would have known this before, but can now pass it along to others so they don't get frustrated.
So far so good on the third tri-mester. Things are looking good and the baby and I age growing larger every day. The latest and greatest is watching my belly move. I thought feeling the baby move was weird, but watching it move through my belly is really freaky!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
This week
Well I had the glucose test. Upon arrival I was given 10 ounces of a cold orange flavored carbonated beverage and told I had to drink it all in 5 minutes. Typically I do not drink ice cold beverages, for some reason they're not as enjoyable. That was one of the coldest beverages I've had in a long time and because I had to drink it so fast I got brain freeze. It seemed like the stuff was extra carbonated as well, which made it really tickle my nose. After completing this task I read the label on the bottle it said pregnant women had to drink 20 ounces- that's another bottle of the stuff! Upon questioning the nurse she said I only had to drink the 20 ounces if I failed this test and had to re-take it. After playing Sudoku & reading my magazine for an hour they drew my blood. I passed the test with flying colors- they said anything less than 135 was considered good, I got an 89! Yeah, no gestational diabetes.
Last week my vacuum cleaner decided to break and since then I've been on a no cleaning binge. For some reason James was pretty impressed that I took the vacuum cleaner apart to figure out what was wrong with it, had him pick up the part, and have successfully put it back together. Maybe it has something to do with usually asking him to do these things instead of trying to do them myself. Although the task of fixing a broken vacuum belt didn't seem as daunting as some of the things I ask him to do either. I suppose I'll have to try to do this more often so next time it doesn't surprise him as much.
Last week my vacuum cleaner decided to break and since then I've been on a no cleaning binge. For some reason James was pretty impressed that I took the vacuum cleaner apart to figure out what was wrong with it, had him pick up the part, and have successfully put it back together. Maybe it has something to do with usually asking him to do these things instead of trying to do them myself. Although the task of fixing a broken vacuum belt didn't seem as daunting as some of the things I ask him to do either. I suppose I'll have to try to do this more often so next time it doesn't surprise him as much.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Cold, Damp & Cloudy
"Cold, Damp & Cloudy" is what the weather man said was the forecast was for today. Doesn't sound very encouraging does it? Yesterday it was drizzling on my way to work and started a pretty steady rain around 2, and went through the night. This morning, even though the rain had stopped, everything was wet. The temperature last night didn't dip below what it has been for the last couple of nights, but it was cold. It was the type of cold that sets into your bones. The only thing that helped me get warm was turning up the heat, crawling into the bed (with the electric blanket on), James on one side of me, the dog on the other, and an extra blanket. I finally warmed up around 1:30am.
Although last night was pretty miserable it was a delight to wake up this morning and see a surprise out my window. The deer were visiting. They were taking their time meandering through the field munching away. After peering through the woods I noticed something white. Could that be a flowering tree already? It must be! And what is that red hue on the trees. It must be spring because those are definately buds. All the trees needed was a little bit of clammy weather and look what happens.
It's amazing how something so miserable can cheer you up if given a little time. Isn't that how it is with our lives? A little reminder here and there, sometimes through nature, sometimes through friends. A reminder of what what we've gone through, what God has done for us and what he'll continue to do. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1: 2-5
Although last night was pretty miserable it was a delight to wake up this morning and see a surprise out my window. The deer were visiting. They were taking their time meandering through the field munching away. After peering through the woods I noticed something white. Could that be a flowering tree already? It must be! And what is that red hue on the trees. It must be spring because those are definately buds. All the trees needed was a little bit of clammy weather and look what happens.
It's amazing how something so miserable can cheer you up if given a little time. Isn't that how it is with our lives? A little reminder here and there, sometimes through nature, sometimes through friends. A reminder of what what we've gone through, what God has done for us and what he'll continue to do. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1: 2-5
Friday, April 10, 2009
Juggling & the Thief
The other day James tried to teach me the fine art of juggling. Things were progressing rather well, but I found out very quickly there's a lot of bending over involved if you continue to drop the balls. My growing belly made this very difficult, so my juggling lesson didn't last for long.
James also tried a new twist- juggling the balls after allowing them to hit the floor. The results were pretty funny so I grabbed the camera. Here are the results.
James also tried a new twist- juggling the balls after allowing them to hit the floor. The results were pretty funny so I grabbed the camera. Here are the results.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Pre-Prego
I thought it would be fun to upload some pre-prego pics so after digging through my files here are a few I found...
Probably Florida '02- doesn't James look so young?!
Mackinaw before the wedding '03
Vacation July '08
Vacation July '08
Probably Florida '02- doesn't James look so young?!
Mackinaw before the wedding '03
Vacation July '08
Vacation July '08
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Milestones
22 Weeks
Well I must have hit a milestone in my pregnancy. They're now measuring my belly from top to bottom. I've been measuring it around the mid-section since the beginning and am at 35" this week.
The doctor also gave me a prescription for the ever tasty glucose exam to test for gestational diabetes. Anyone care to comment on how to get through this one?? I've been told you get to drink a beverage that tastes like flat, warm, orange pop and then sit in the office for an hour before they take your blood. If you fail this test, or the results are inconclusive you get to come back and do it all over again, except you're fortunate enough to sit for 3 hours. I'll have to bring the mp3 player & some reading material with me. I have a little bit of time before I need to go in for this test- plenty of time for some pep talks and motivational speeches from other mothers.
James and I have done something that is unorthodox- he knows the sex of the baby and I do not. I'm sorry but he will not be able to tell you until after I know, so don't even try weaseling it out of him. This has not been a difficult thing for James or myself- I did not want to know and he did. To get over this obstacle he changes the gender of the baby on a daily basis. Today for instance we're having a baby girl- she got quite upset with the doctor today after the heart rate monitoring & gave me a good kick in the side. Her heart rate was at 150 today. It has been at that rate for the past month or two, earlier in the pregnancy it was at 160. It was really surprised at my weight gain from the last visit as well. To date I've gained 15 pregnancy pounds. It appears everything is right on track.
We've recently visited a few day care facilities. What a struggle it is to find a place that you will feel good about taking your child to. I've stopped at a place a week or two ago- I wouldn't take my dog to that place! We've been relying on referrals from church friends and have been satisfied thus far with our findings.
Well I'm sure you'd like an updated belly photo so here it is...
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Beginning
I've been told by a few people that I need to start a blog. Hopefully this will become a tool I can use to keep people updated on what's happening in the Shinabery Family life.
19 Weeks
20 Week Ultrasound- Profile
20 Week Ultrasound- Foot
Well, many of you know already that James and I are expecting in July. The estimated D-Day is July 30. So far the pregnancy has gone great, the only complaint I have right now is... my body wants to waddle when I walk. I have to make a conscious effort to not waddle like a duck. At this time I'm 21 weeks along, and we've had the 20 week ultrasound. The ultrasound technician said based on the baby's size she would expect me to deliver August 2. Not far off of the original date they gave me back in November/December.
The baby is really active during the 2-5pm time slot. The movements have progressed from flutters to jabs. The baby has also started moving its arms and legs at the same time, which is a really interesting feeling.
Well, I'll post a few pictures (hopefully I'm doing this right), and we'll call this first entry done. If you have any suggestions about what I should write about let me know- this is all new to me.
Here are some pictures 
10 Weeks Along
14 Weeks Along
19 Weeks
20 Week Ultrasound- Profile
20 Week Ultrasound- Foot
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