Anybody know ...

... where I can get just the insides of green beans? I guess that would be the bean part. The insides of green beans happens to be Katrina's food of choice and she goes nuts for them whenever we have green beans (like tonight). I spent most of dinner opening green beans and giving her the insides to eat. Yes, yes, I know, we should make her eat them whole. But do tell, how do you MAKE a strong-willed-almost-three-year-old eat green beans?

I'd also appreciate any potty training tips. We were doing great, then we went to Illinois. Katrina had one really bad day with several accidents while we were there. And for some reason, she's had four (4!!) accidents since I've been home from work ... approximately one accident every 37.5 minutes. Meh.

Today started off cute, though. Katrina saw this CD down in the basement and said, "O'topus grumpy, Mommy! O'topus WAY grumpy!"

When Mommy is Away ...

I was down in Greenbelt the last two days managing changes to the technical volume of a proposal due Monday. Clemence watched the girls Tuesday and Ryan was home with them yesterday. Apparently Daddy was a little too busy playing with his new toys (he's building a MythTV and borrowed a friend's PSP) to notice what Katrina was doing. Amazingly, I didn't find out until I got to work today and a coworker told me! I got home very late (3:00 a.m.), so Katrina was in bed of course, but even this morning I didn't notice anything awry. Ryan did a good job cleaning up and getting rid of the evidence.

More pictures

A Conversation to Remember

Katrina and I had a conversation tonight that I want to remember forever. We were in the van on the way home from taking dinner to a friend when it happened.

Katrina: Mama, Mama, what you sinking? [She was asking, "What are you thinking?" Sometimes when she is being quiet/thoughtful I ask her what she is thinking about.]

Me: What am I thinking? I'm thinking I love you.

Katrina: Yeah. I love you, too, Mommy!

*sigh* I love that kid more and more every day.

A few nights ago I asked Katrina if she loved Jesus. She said yes, so I asked her where He is. She said, "He in my class at church!" (Sunday School) I told her that Jesus loves her and wants to live in her heart, and she said, "No! He stay my class at church!!"

Last week on the way to church (Palm Sunday), she was counting pretzels she had for a snack and counted, "Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ... eight ... Simon!" I suspect she has a crush on Simon Reynolds, although I don't know how that would work since she also thinks Cayden (Simon's son) is her brother .... :)

One last Katrina story - Saturday we tried to teach her to say, "He is risen!" for Easter Sunday. Instead she protested, "He no medicine!"

I Want It!

2 Months

Hard to believe, but our peanut is 2 months old! Stats from her well-visit this morning:

Weight: 10 lbs 1.6 oz ~ 25th percentile
Length: 23" ~ 75th percentile
Head circumference: 39.25 cm ~ 50th percentile

Quwock-wet

I was on the phone with another children's pastor friend tonight when I heard, "Quwock-wet! Quwock-wet, Mama! Your quwock-wet!! Mmmm--ugh. No likey your quwock-wet, Mama. Yucky. Yucky quwock-wet."

Katrina had discovered my stash of this:

Just a picture

Six weeks

It's hard to believe, but Mikayla will be six weeks old tomorrow! She is growing so fast. Stats from her checkup today ...

Length: 21 3/4"
Weight: 9 lbs, 4 oz.
Head circumference: 38 cm

This picture is from Saturday morning. We were cleaning the living room when Katrina came to us and said, "Baby 'Kayla safe!" We took a look at Mikayla on the couch, and Katrina had very carefully placed two boxes around the baby to keep her 'safe.'

This picture is from tonight, her six-week-birthday-eve. I'd like to say that she was gazing deep into my eyes with love for her mama, but really, she was staring at the black bolt cover on the inside of her swing. She loves to look at that, as well as the warning label on the side of her Pack-n-Play.

Following in Uncle Bobby's Footsteps

Katrina was playing with the belt to my robe while I changed Mikayla's diaper this morning. She put it over her shoulders and said she was a doctor (or "gock-er," as she says it) - pretending the belt was a stethoscope. I asked her if she wants to be a doctor when she grows up, and she said yes. Then I asked her if she wants to be a people doctor or an animal doctor. She said, "Ummm. Puppy gock-er!" and proceeded to 'listen' to the 'heart' of the blue ball pit puppy she got for Christmas. She went around her room and listened to several of her stuffed animals, saying, "Gock-er, gock-er, gock-er. Gock-er you all better!"

Insanity, or, How My Life Has Changed With Two Children

Note: I started this post approximately six (6) hours ago and am just now getting around to finishing it.

So, it's been a crazy five weeks. Some friends warned us that going from one child to two would be harder than going from no children to one, and they were right. I'm mostly loving this time. There have been a few days where I wanted to change my name and run away. :)

Mikayla is five weeks and two days old. Her one-month checkup is this Tuesday. (Yes, I know she is already past one month, but that was the first available appointment with the pediatrician we prefer.) She is growing like a weed! The poor child is definitely a second child ... three weeks passed without any pictures taken of her. In contrast, it seems we took daily pictures of Katrina her first few months. Of course, I'm the third child in my family; I think there are three or four pictures of my childhood, total. Her days consist of eating, pooping and sleeping. She's smiling some, and making a few cooing sounds. I am excited to find out her stats (weight, length) at her checkup next week.

Katrina is a riot, of course. She is talking more and more these days. We took a trip to Illinois this past weekend (more on that later) and she said some of the most hilarious things. A sample conversation between Katrina and Auntie Leea (my sister) ...
Leea: Katrina, I love you.
Katrina: No you love me! My mama love me. No you.

Another fun Katrina-ism: we were eating at Chick-Fil-A and Katrina was playing in the play area with Cayden and Reagan Reynolds (Simon and Laura's kids) when she exclaimed several times, "I can't find my brother!" Then, when Cayden came down the slide, she said, "There's my brother!" I was highly amused. Not only does Katrina not have a brother (duh), that was the first time I know of that she has even used the word "brother."

Ahhh, to be two years old. :)

My mom took a turn for the worse health-wise last week. She ended up in ICU for several days, then transitioned to a regular hospital room before coming home on Monday. Her primary care physician was out of town, of course, so the doctor who cared for her at the hospital wasn't completely familiar with her medical history. The doctors think Ma has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and possibly congestive heart failure (CHF). Talking to my sister last week was heart-breaking. Leea is doing an amazing job caring for Mom, but it is definitely taking a toll on her. She was stretched to the point of breaking when Ma went into the hospital at the end of last week. I took the girls and went out there Saturday and returned home Wednesday. Mom sounds much better today; while the level of oxygen in her blood is still low, she is losing weight, meaning the edema is going away, and her energy level is getting better. (I'm really proud of my sister for all that she is doing. We love our mom, but she's not the easiest person to deal with, especially when she's sick. I'm proud of and thankful for the care Leea provides Mom, as well as the hurdles she's overcoming personally in dealing with mother dearest.)

It was good to see my sister Lalena, too. We rarely talk, except an occasional e-mail now and then, so spending time with her was good. Emily (who just turned 10 on Wednesday!) had a basketball game Tuesday night. She's a very good basketball player! We went to Subway after the game then to Lane's house. I love my big sister, and my heart aches for her. She is searching for love in all the wrong places, it seems. (Actually, both of my sisters are searching in the wrong places.)

I have one more week of maternity leave. It has passed so quickly!! I'm ready to go back. I was ready to go back several weeks ago. Thanks to insight from a good friend, I realize I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything unless I'm super-busy. Having two little girls is super-busy, for sure, but I miss working. Does that make sense?

Okay, Mikayla is fussing for her eleven-o'clock-feeding. Time for me to go.

Okay, okay ...

So I got a little bit of ribbing for my last post. I had previously said my next blog entry would be announcing the baby, then instead I posted about Dan Fogelberg. Well, here's the news you've all been waiting for ... she's here! Mikayla Petra was born yesterday (Wednesday December 19) at 2:02 a.m. She was 6 lbs 12 oz and 21" at birth. Here is a picture of her and Katrina together:


We are home and happy. Ryan is making chocolate chip cookies, Katrina is watching a Dora movie, and I am typing one-handed while feeding Mikayla.

Topics for my next post: the birth story, and how Ryan smashed our van.

Singer Dan Fogelberg dies

From CNN.com ...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne" helped define the soft-rock era, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.

His death was announced Sunday on the singer's Web site.

"Dan left us this morning at 6 a.m. He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife, Jean, at his side," it read. "His strength, dignity and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him."

Fogelberg discovered he had advanced prostate cancer in 2004. In a statement then, he thanked fans for their support: "It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music has touched so deeply all these years. ... I thank you from the very depths of my heart."

Fogelberg's music was powerful in its simplicity. He didn't rely on the volume of his voice to convey his emotions; instead, they came through in the soft, tender delivery and his poignant lyrics. Songs like "Same Old Lang Syne" -- in which a man reminisces after meeting an old girlfriend by chance during the holidays -- became classics not only because of his performance, but also for the engaging storyline.

Fogelberg's heyday was in the 1970s and early '80s, when he scored several platinum and multiplatinum records fueled by such hits as "The Power of Gold" and "Leader of the Band," a touching tribute he wrote to his father, a bandleader. Fogelberg put out his first album in 1972.

Fogelberg's songs tended to have a weighty tone, reflecting on emotional issues in a serious way. But in an interview with the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Journal Sentinel in 1997, he said it did not represent his personality.

"That came from my singles in the early '80s," he reflects. "I think it probably really started on the radio. I'm not a dour person in the least. I'm actually kind of a happy person. Music doesn't really reflect the whole person.

"One of my dearest friends is Jimmy Buffett. From his music, people have this perception that he's up all the time, and, of course, he's not. Jimmy has a serious side, too."

Later in his career, he would write material that focused on the state of the environment, an issue close to his heart. Fogelberg's last album was 2003's "Full Circle," his first album of original material in a decade. A year later he would receive his cancer diagnosis, forcing him to forgo a planned fall tour.

Family Date Night

We decided to eat out at Red Lobster tonight - one final 'family date night' before This Baby (still unnamed!) arrives. We eat out more often than we should, but the last few times have been brutal because Katrina has acted up. Trying new things has helped ... instead of ordering her food first, we have learned that giving her a snack then getting her food with ours works better, etc. Tonight was GREAT! The food was good, Ryan and I had a chance to talk (about HD TiVos, of all things), and Katrina was so well behaved! She sat in a booster seat and ate applesauce and few bites of Mommy's salad all by herself. She didn't even throw too much of a fuss when I took her lemonade away (I was afraid she would drink too much and not eat). The best part, though, came at the end. Katrina was sitting by Ryan and I said to her, "Katrina, you were such a good girl tonight! You behaved very well at this restaurant." Her response? "I hug you!" We got a kick out of that. Apparently her love language is a combination of words of affirmation and physical touch. :) What a great night ... a great set of memories to look back upon when our family was 'just' three.

This Baby is due on Saturday ... today is Thursday (evening) ... no signs of labor yet. Probably good, since we still have to decide on a name! If all goes as planned/hoped for, this will probably be the last entry until she arrives. So, I hope to post soon with a big announcement..........

LIfe with a two-year-old

I really should get in the shower, but there are so many things Katrina has said/done lately that I don't want to forget to share them!

Thanksgiving day: We went to Simon and Laura's house. Simon has a piano-sized keyboard in the back room, and the kids love playing on it. Katrina is very good about asking before doing something (usually!), and this was no exception. Except she kept asking if she could "play Simon's e-mail." Play Simon's e-mail? What in the world? Finally I asked her to show me what she meant, and she led me to the keyboard. Finally I got it! To her, "keyboard" = "computer" = "e-mail." We tell her she can't play with our keyboards at home because we are sending e-mails for work, etc. So by asking "play Simon's e-mail?" she was asking if she could play with the piano keyboard like the other kids. :)

Christmas lights: Everywhere we go, Katrina points out Christmas lights and Christmas trees. I don't know how she knows "Christmas" as I'm sure she doesn't remember last year, but it's so cute and amazing to hear her excitement and awe every time she sees lights. We've been talking about whose birthday it is at Christmas, and that Christmas is when we celebrate that Jesus came from Heaven to Earth as a little baby to be our Savior.

The best "Christmas lights" story just happened last week. I had to run to the post office after work, and since it was Thursday, Ryan was down in Virginia. Katrina and I turned out of the post office onto Patrick Street, which is lined with trees with white lights. She shouted, "Christmas lights!" and proceeded to say "thank you" for nearly every tree on the street. It went something like this: "Christmas lights! Thank you, Mommy! Thank you ... thank you ... thank you ... thank you, Mommy! Christmas lights! Thank you ... thank you ... thank you!!" (Of course, her "thank you" sounds more like "tank ooo," but I knew what she meant.)

There are many more Katrina stories to share, but I need to get ready for work. Today starts my second-to-last week before the baby is due, and there is so much to do! I am blessed with a great work environment and supportive people (I'm over my super-crabbiness from a few weeks ago), but I am about stretched to the limit with only ten days of work left. Plus it's a sad time at work. Hal's wife has been battling brain cancer for more than a year now, and keeps having complex complications. Keith, our stubborn but lovable CFO was just diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and begins a long series of treatments this week - he has a 2-year-old and a six-month old at home. And the most heartwrenching to me ... our HR director's baby was just diagnosed with an infantile muscle-wasting disease at eight-weeks old, and given a year or two to live. I am confident God is in control as our "family" aches through these seasons of pain and loss.

CNN Again

Yet another CNN article about the Frederick area. This is the fifth or so murder-suicide this year, and at least the third involving children. So heartbreaking.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/23/park.deaths.ap/index.html

Headlines

Frederick made CNN.com again.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/18/taser.death/index.html

:(

I read the story in the FNP (local paper) this morning, where the family named the young man. So sad. And interesting that this follows closely behind a recent Taser incident at one of the county high schools, where an officer Tasered a student.

The Joys of Pregnancy

Gotta love being pregnant. I spent hours yesterday (and early this morning) scrubbing the bathtub and rearranging/reorganzing the storage shelves in the hall bathroom. Of course, our living room, kitchen and dining room are all disasters. We dumped suitcases from our trip to IL in the living room. The kitchen island is piled high with two weeks of mail. The dining room table mostly covered with papers, Roomba parts, and sundry items. But did I clean those areas? Nope. I straighted three shelves ... in the same amount of time it would take me to have cleaned the living room/kitchen/dining room.

The countdown is on! We're due four weeks from Saturday, or approximately 33 days. You hear that, little baby? Your lease is almost up ... consider this your eviction notice.

:)

Hate.

Well, it's official. My child hates me. Or so she says. Today, just four days prior to turning two-and-one-half, Katrina said, "I hate you!" We were in the car on the way home from the babysitter's house and I said, "Brrr! It's cold!" Katrina replied, "No cold! I hate you! I hate you!" (I'm sure everyone would agree she gets her irrational-ness from me.) I asked her what she said, and she repeated, "I hate you!" I asked if she said she was hitting me ('I hit you') and she said, "No! I hate you!" I launched into the whole "we-don't-hate-that's-not-a-nice-word-mommy-loves-you" spiel, to which she replied, "It cold."

*sigh*

Is this foreshadowing of what the teen years will be like?

Finally Free

I was/am in a terrible mood. Irritated with work. Then this morning on the way to work, I heard "Finally Free" by Nichole Nordeman. These lines especially spoke to me:

And if the Son has set us free
Then we must be free indeed
Let the chains fall away, starting today
Everything has changed
I'm finally free

I _am_ free, free from the bondage of sin and the cares of this world. This song reminded me that the petty things do not matter, and it's time to move on.

Of course, I still had a hard time not crying while I was washing my coffee mug this morning. Stupid hormones.

New pictures!

Among the many other things going on in my life now, we *finally* updated our photo gallery. Yes, here it is November and we are just now getting around to adding photos for all of 2007. You can view the pictures here: http://xar.us/gallery2/v/2007/

Enjoy!