Crazy Lady Status

So it's happened...

I've officially reached Crazy Lady status.
After taking care of our sick little baby the past few days...it's happened.

You know that lady wandering around dressed funny, talking to herself, yep pretty sure that's me.

So it started with my thoughtful husband mentioning to me that is was "really windy" outside today.

I took that NOT as any normal person would and wear a light jacket but as a crazy lady...

I had on my knit snow hat, my long down winter coat, a scarf, my blue gloves, my UGGs (for extra warmth), I was ready for a blizzard.
Got into the car, drove to Target, looked around at all the busy people getting their last minute
Easter purchases and they were all wearing shorts or short sleeves
but no snow hat, scarf over their face and boots.
I wouldn't have been surprised if I saw someone coming out in a swim suit the way these "normal" people were dressed.
I take out my phone and look at the temp it's gonna be 66 degrees today and I'm dressed for -66.

Why don't I just take off my coat, well I left in a rush and I'm wearing only a nursing tank top under here, no one wants to see that.  well just take off your hat, well now the hair is looking more crazy
with out the hat, better keep it covered.
So I'll just be quick- and warm... cuz now I'm sweating under all this gear.

So I check out fast, only got a few looks from the guy in shorts and a t shirt, I nod, maybe he didn't hear about the blizzard coming today.

I get out to the parking lot and of course since I'm the crazy lady, and we don't remember so well...
I forgot where I parked my car.  So now my plan of not being noticed isn't going so well as the lady in full snow gear (that's me) is weaving her cart franticallly inbetween the rows of cars at Target, talking to herself about the status of "no car."

Well, I must not have been too inconspicuious because a fellow crazy lady looked up at me and sang sweetly
"oh where, oh where, did my little car go?"

I nodded and said "that's exactly how I'm feeling." She understood, all us crazy ladies stick together. By the grace of God, soon after I found my car, all the way across the parking lot from where I was talking to my fellow crazy lady.

ahhhhh, relief- now I can get home and start removing all these layers.

Well if being a mom turns me into a crazy lady sometimes, I can take it.
Crazy Ladies Unite! hehe


P.S.
Sure hope this little peanut feels better soon.

Merry Christmas to YOU!

 So those of you who know me know know that I LOVE Christmas but I used to
be even more Christmas crazy "back in the day." How many 6th graders do you know that
love to write Christmas cards and by 7th grade all the waythrough high school-might write, address, stuff, seal and send all your family Christmas cards, needless to say I think my mom loved it because
she had a break from that chore.  I also loved to write poems back then and for a few years I
would send a poem in the family Christmas card.  In all the craziness of packing and moving
, I stumbled upon a few of my old poems.
So enjoy! (Remember I was a middle schooler so go easy on me :) and Merry Christmas!!

The First Christmas

The dark of night
a stable site
a young couple traveling far
underneath the Christmas star
Looking for a little bed
for their babies sleepy head
The inn keeper saying
Don't plan on staying
there's no space
but this small manger place
The humble donkey, the friendly goat
lying in their pens eating up their oats
The straw, the hay
that first Christmas day
Little Jesus lay in his bed
no blanket for his back
no pillow for his head
This little babe on his great birth
has come to be the Savior of the earth
Even knowing his later pain
but for us eternal life to gain
 So when it is that merry day
Remember Christ Jesus who laid in the hay.

As Santa Claus Flew

As Santa Claus flew through the Christmas sky
Something small and bright caught his eye

It looked as though it was a Christmas star
And down came St. Nick from afar

He saw a little babe in the manger place
and Mary and Joseph with smiles on their face

Then he remembered what he almost forgot
The King, the Savior who loved him a lot

So Santa knelt at the little manger bed
he looked at the babe and he bowed his head

And thanked the Lord for that merry day
For sending Christ Jesus who laid in the hay

And Santa Claus shouted as he rode out of sight
"Glory to the Newborn King, this cold Christmas night!"

Round up Round down

Remember in elementary math class when your teacher taught you to round a number up or round it down. Figuring out what number the decimal makes it closer to if it is more or less than 5.

When it comes to age there is a line when you stop wishing you were older and being excited about that higher number
and start wishing you were younger,
or maybe you are just less likely to shout out to your friends or family "guess what I'm 31 today!"

 Growing up my dad always would round up my age. I'd be 12 and turning 13 in 6 months and dad would tell someone, "oh my daughter is a teenager, shes 13."
I'd  be 24 and turning 25 in a week and he'd already be saying I was 25, always rounding up.
It started to become a joke, "Dad, stop rounding up dad, I'm still only 24!"

The day after turning the next age I was already considered a year older.

Then he'd give you a random age based statistic, "when you are 40 I'll be 63, when I'm 80 you'll be 57 and the latest now that we have baby Oliver... when he graduates from high school I'll be 72 and you'll be 49." Ok thanks dad, for telling me how old I am and how old I'm gonna be.

Last year I turned 30 and I told my dad it's time to stop rounding up, time to start rounding down, don't be rounding me up closer to 40 any quicker than I have to get there on my own.  So now it's our joke we are rounding down.

Dad wished me happy 28th birthday.

For a second I thought he forgot how old I was and got confused.  But then he reminded me,  remember... we are rounding down now.
 that's right!
I think I'd like to turn 28 a few more times.
thanks dad

Meet Oliver James

Oliver James was born on August 31st 2013 at 7:06 p.m.
The perfect little baby,
He was 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches.
He came over a week late and with extraordinary measures but we are so happy he
is here, thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses, and is healthy as can be.

We've learned so much in 6 fast weeks, fast because they have flown by and our little
cozy newborn baby is not so little anymore and is starting to form his own little personality.

We've learned to function on less sleep.
We've learned the power of a good swaddle.
We've learned all about feeding a baby... all kinds, breast feeding, colostrum, milk, pumping, lactation consultants, bottles, formula, finger feeding and more.
We've learned how to catch spit up with a burb cloth, a blanket, a towel, our own shirt or whatever happens to be close.
We've been spit up on, peed on, pooped on and all the fluids that initiate us into true parenthood.
We learned to cheer when our baby gained an ounce which means he's eating and shed a tear when our baby painfully cries after being circumcised.
We've learned the difference between different types of cries, squeaks, grunts, and baby babbles.
We've perfected a well changed diaper, know how to swing, bounce, pat, burb, cuddle, sway, rock.
We've learned the soothing power of a pacifier, the strategy involved in a successful infant bath time and the benefits of a good skin to skin session.
We've learned how much we depend on each other to team work the care of this little peanut, how much we are grateful when we can give each other a much needed break, how much we both adore every little thing about him and how we both freak out just a little... when being a new parent is overwhelming.

There's still more we need to learn but we will take each day as it comes and try to enjoy each
day with this little baby that is quite a blessing.

P.S. Thanks to Anne Ingman of  Ingman Photography for this beautiful photo of little Oliver and all the photos in our newborn photo shoot. Check out this link to see a few more of our photos from this session.

Ingman Photography Maternity Photo Shoot!

Maternity Photos

Taken by the lovely Anne Ingman of Ingman Photography

http://ingmanphotography.com/   Check her out!

She is a fabulous photographer who happens to be our sister, lucky us :)

Photos are taken at the beautiful Minnehaha Falls Park.

Copyright © 2013 Ingman Photography, All Rights Reserved

I told Anne today that I haven't felt very pretty in pregnancy with all the

body changes, stretch marks, hormones and just all over weird changes

that as a first time mom I didn't expect.

But when I look at these photos I do feel beautiful, so thanks for 

capturing such a special time in our lives. It's such a blessing 

and I'm still so amazed that Peter and I get to experience all of it.

P.S. it's our first due date today, we were given two, but no baby as of yet...

Copyright © 2013 Ingman Photography, All Rights Reserved

So Very Pregnant

Whoa, it's 39 weeks and only 5 more days until 40 weeks or 4 more days if you count the two
due dates of August 22nd and/or August 23rd we were given.

But let's face it, this journey could go another week or so, no guarantees.

I haven't blow dried or styled my hair in over a month, it's just too hot.
I can only really reach my knees,  so they are nicely shaved, forget about the rest.
I've broken a world record for night time bathroom breaks.
I've eaten at least two full watermelons by myself...no not in one sitting :)
On the up side I love the table my belly gives me to set my small stand up mirror on to do my make up, quite convenient.
I also have perfected the pregnant lady waddle.

I am so ready for this baby to come out.
please

Anytime now

would be great

thanks

P.S. so excited :)

Suit Up

A few weeks ago Peter decided he needed to "suit up" and get more suit pants for work
and maybe even a new suit.
I don't know much about suits but as a helpful wife I was ready to journey along to the local chain
suit store and give my thumbs up or thumbs down as Peter models suits. Little did I know I would learn some serious suit store "lingo".

When we arrived we met very serious suit store guy.  Let's just say he takes his job VERY seriously.  As a teacher I also feel that taking your job seriously is important but I also can appreciate the time to smile and even laugh at my serious job.

Super serious suit store guy introduced himself, his name is Peter, how coincidental, my prospective suit buying husband Peter says, "Well I really like your name... it's mine too" and smiles,  this would be a good place for super serious suit store guy to insert a smile but instead he remains very serious with a stiff hand shake.

Suit buying Peter, tells super serious suit store guy Peter his size and tries on a few pairs but super serious suit guy objects due to the "dog ears" in the front, super serious translation:suit pockets are sticking out like dogs ears, ruff ruff,  and there is a "smile" translation: apparently his crotch is smiling, who knew there were such serious terms for suits.  Both terms very inappropriate for serious suit guy.

Then serious suit store guy walks behind Peter and grabs the belt loop in the back and says "Looks like it's getting a little too "familiar" back here." I crack up, he's so serious as he says it.

 Suit buying Peter says "what, Huh?, and in my work with elementary school kids I can easily decode this serious suit guy statement.  Translation: "He's saying you have a wedgie" and of course I start giggling, suit buying Peter laughs too but not super serious suit guy Peter, probably thinking, we don't say wedgie at this store it's "getting too familiar."

To be honest I didn't see what was so wrong with these suit pants after a few adjustments I thought suit buying Peter looked rather handsome, but I'm impartial :)

Then super serious suit store Peter picks a pair of suit pants he deems more appropriate for suit buying Peter.  Suit buying Peter goes into the fitting room to try them on and comes out looking like he's wearing clown pants.  Serious suit guy lays out another unknown suit term to us "move them up to the high country." ---what, what??
Serious Suit guy Translation:  Wear your suit pants five inches above your belly button dangerously close to your chest.

Apparently suit pants should be worn up HIGH. So suit buying Peter pulls them up practically over his head and serious suit store guy Peter is happy...

 but I can't with hold from bursting out in laughter,

blame it on the pregnancy hormones but now MY Peter has instantly aged 30 years, looking like an old man with his pants up to his chest and his pant legs so baggy he looks like he's wearing MC hammer pants and if a strong wind came up he might just blow away.

Serious suit store guy raves on how good suit buying Peter looks after he has a few nips and tucks here and there and apparently doesn't appreciate my laughter, I couldn't even get a smile out of him. Suit buying Peter doesn't look so sure and is trying so hard not to laugh too.

Suit Buying Peter, my Peter, says "ya know, I know the "high country" is where you might be supposed to wear your suit pants (if you are 80, okay he didn't say that) but I just don't think I will ever wear them that high, I'm more of a wear them down here kind of guy," moving his pants down to where most normal people wear them.

But serious suit store guy won't back down, so we thank him for his service and his dedication to the "high country" and we leave.

Tomorrow, suit buying Peter will go back to the suit store chain in a different location and be clear with his expectations for pants in the "low country", we are not talking gangster baggy, just normal guy not up to your chest pants.

He found pants just right for him and he looks great, no dog ears, no smiles, no getting familiar and no high country. Just right.

Who knew "suiting up" was so complicated.
But hey, we did learn some great suit store lingo,
 so thank
you serious suit store guy Peter for taking your job SO seriously.