Category — Random

Will’s new cousin Greyson arrived yesterday. Will can’t wait to meet him!

One of the things on my “I will never…” list is for Will not to watch TV until he is at least 2 years old. I know people think that this is ridiculous but study after study shows that TV is not good for infants and can lead to ADD, obesity and sleep disturbances. Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Boston and Harvard Medical School released a study this week that concluded that watching television does not make babies smarter. Contrary to popular belief, TV viewing is not beneficial to children’s brain development.

Dr. Michael Rich, a co-author of the study, is quoted saying that baby educational videos are “just wasted time” and “At the very best, they steal time from much more productive cognitive developmental activities. Ultimately, what it’s about is to make parents not feel guilty about an electronic baby sitter.”

This particular study was not looking at the possible harmful effects of TV. So, their conclusion is that TV is not beneficial

To read the complete article: Click Here

And now what you come to the blog to see!

A few pictures of Will  laying on his stomach and holding up his head. PepperAnn has taken a little more interest in Will now that he holds his head up and rolls over. Today she showed him how easy it is to roll over – she is such a show off!

During this “month of love” it is easy to become consumed with planning that perfect, special date or lavishing gifts on family but this “story” showed me what true love is. How Jesus loved. Jesus did not just love his family and friends. He did not just give to people he liked and were similar to him. Jesus touched the lepers, ate with tax collectors and befriended Gentiles.

Our friends Kristian and Katy are perhaps the most “Jesus like” people I know. They live in New York City and work for non-profits yet they give more away in terms of possessions and time than anybody I know. They constantly had people living with them in their apartment – for various reasons like they were looking for an apartment. They lead small groups, serve at Apostles and many other places. They are humble, sweet and purp0seful in their lives.

Read their story here: http://kristiankatyrose.blogspot.com/2009/02/at-77th-st-subway-station.html

It made me cry. It challenged me to do more – right here, everyday, in the burbs.

This past week has been NO FUN! I woke up Wednesday morning feeling ok but that didn’t last for long. The morphine (I am guessing) made me really sick. So Gayle came up to take care of Will and I. I was able to get a doctor’s appointment with Dr. Swarr late Wednesday afternoon. He had the same opinion as the ER doctor that I probably needed to have my gallbladder removed and he would refer me to a surgeon. I was to wait to get a call from his office on Thursday to tell me when my appointment was.

I felt pretty good for the most part of Thursday. But, by the afternoon I had a dull ache that was getting worse. So I called Dr. Swarr’s office and let them know what was going on. They immediately called the surgeon’s office and told me they would see me as soon as I could get there. About 4:00 pm on Thursday I met with Dr. Russell, the surgeon. After telling him what had been going on and he poked and prodded my abdomin and asking about my family’s history with their gallbladders – he then asked what I was doing on Friday. I said – I’m coming to have my gallbladder taken out!

So, Friday morning at 8:00 am I showed up at the Surgery Center for the procedure. It went very well with no surprises or complications. I was really sore and did not feel good Friday night. But, today I am feeling much better. Still really sore but slowly getting better.

Thank you for all your prayers!

Well, this week has been interesting to say the least. The week after Thanksgiving, I had this terrible pain in my upper abdomin. I had been lifting Will in and out of the car all day (Christmas shopping) and I thought it may have had something to do with that. That night, the pain was really bad and did not go away so I went to my PCP – they have a walk-in clinic that is open until 8:00 pm. They determined that it was probably just gas! That was embarressing but it made a pretty funny story. And I was so thankful that my PCP was still open and I hadn’t gone to the ER.

Well, I have had this pain 5 or 6 more times since then. And Tuesday night it was THE WORST! I have never been in so much pain. (Reminder: I had a baby 10 weeks ago.) And I repeat: I have never been in so much pain! So, about 11:15 I told Bill that I needed to go the the hospital. So we head to Southern Hills Medical Center because it’s much closer than Williamson and I thought I might die (not literally) before we got to Williamson.

I get checked in to the ER, hooked up to fluids, morphine and anti-nausea medicine. Then they start poking and prodding me. They suspected gallbladder trouble so they do an ultrasound of my abdomen. The doctor comes back and tells me that I have gallstones and sludge. Isn’t that lovely? And that the attack was triggered by the fatty, greasy hamburger I ate for dinner.

At this point, I have met with my PCP and he is referring me to a surgeon. And my PCP is reviewing the ultrasound and official report from the ER. I am expecting a call today to tell me when my appointment with the surgeon is. I will probably have my gallbladder removed in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, I shouldn’t eat anything I like! For example, I love to eat at Outback. But, the Bloomin’ Onion is loaded down in fat and even the vegetables aren’t good for you! Way too much butter. For now I’m stuck eating bland things like applesause and dry toast Yuck! I know this might be a bit extreme but I would rather not risk having another attack!

Today Megan and I went out for a Christmas treat. We decided that this year instead of exchanging gifts we would just go out one day and do something fun. Today was the day! We ate lunch at Cheddar’s and then had pedicures at Venetian Spa in Hendersonville. It was fun to have the chance to catch up, relax and treat ourselves to a little pampering.I thought you might enjoy a picture of my freshly pedicured toes:)

I am not exactly sure what Bill, Will & PepperAnn did while I was gone but they must have exhausted themselves. This is how they have been laying for about the past hour! They are all so cute.

I am trying to get some things put away and our Christmas boxes unpacked while they are resting. It is rare indeed that Will sleeps so soundly during the day without someone holding him. He is getting to be such a big boy. Maybe Bill & I should swap jobs – he seems to be a great stay at home dad. Well, enough procrastinating – back to cleaning for me!

So I decided to go all out this year on Amber’s present… take a look at the video below.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.761721&w=425&h=350&fv=videoCode%3D779L936wKT2zep3is01y]

PepperAnn has been acting a little funny lately, we started noticing it last week. She has been following Bill around like he is the pied piper and barely paying me any attention at all! Also, she has not been laying in any of her usual places – specifically the couch.

We had a couple of thoughts as to why PepperAnn was behaving so strangly. First, I was at home for most of last week. So, we thought maybe she’s just adjusting to me being at home all day. Second, we haven’t had AC since Friday so we thought maybe she was just hot and uncomfortable. Third, we thought that maybe my hormones were giving off a distinct smell or something and she was preparing for the baby.

But, I think Bill figured it out today. I have taken over PepperAnn’s territory and she is not happy about it! For the past week or so I’ve been sleeping on the couch at night. I’ve been sleeping there for many reasons including: I’m better able to prop up, when I’m propped up I can breathe better, and I can keep the fan on high. Well, the couch is PA’s territory! That is where she always lays – almost all day everyday! But, Bill noticed today that she NEVER lays on the couch anymore. Even at night when Bill and I are sitting on the couch she lays on the floor at our feet and usually she would be laying right on top of us. So, it seems that unbeknownst to me PepperAnn and I had a territory battle – and I obviously won.

Now I feel sorry for her First we took away her room (turned it into a nursery) and now I’ve taken away her favorite resting place!