Recovery

It's no secret that my pregnancies are no picnic. I have felt very blessed to only have "really yucky tummy" for the first five months of this pregnancy. We were all hopeful that this was the only issue to deal with this time around. We were counting on a "boring" pregnancy.

We were wrong.

It's not like kidney stones are the end of the world, but it sure stinks to finally be feeling like a "normal" person again (if normal includes a huge belly) and then be stricken with this.

All day Sunday and Monday I felt like something wasn't quite right. I actually spent most of the day on Monday perched on my bed with my laptop. Then around 9 p.m. it hit: pain in my left kidney. I talked to my sweetie about it, and he felt it best to get some rest; I didn't sleep much on Monday night/Tuesday morning. By 9 a.m., I was full-out miserable and called my OB who recommended that we went to the hospital. Looking back at it, I can now see some humor in this. My sweet heart and I have joked that no pregnancy of mine is complete without visiting the hospital some set number of times prior to the baby being born. I'm hoping that this is the ONLY time we'll have that "pleasure" this time around.

After getting the pain and nausea under wraps, an ultrasound was performed. It was confirmed that my left kidney had stones that were backing up my system. Yeah, it hurt. Apparently the doctor talked to Troy about it for a bit (I was asleep) and they decided I'd be most comfortable at home. I was sent home with pain meds and orders to drink like a camel and sleep as much as possible. Needless to say, I managed to follow doctor's orders well and slept just about all day Tuesday.

Wednesday is a blur: I do remember Dot bringing me lots of drinks and my room being dark.

Thursday I got up and going again. I moved furniture into the nursery, supervised school work, corrected assessments, cleaned bathrooms, washed laundry, supervised the dishwasher replacement, and fixed three meals. I am not superwoman: I am stupid. I paid for it with a super achy body, bruised foot, head ache, and extreme fatigue. Yup... I am stupid.

What, you may ask, in the world is the point? I must have something yet to learn in life about myself and accepting limitations. I need to learn to accept help and learn to say "no". I must learn to listen to my body and do what is best for it, even if it means my house is a wreck. I must need to learn humility.

Today's goal is to find balance. I'm super tired but need to be awake enough to do school with the kids. I hope to juggle my responsibilities outside myself with my obligation to care for myself.

The truest test of real friendship is a good old-fashioned trial.

To those friends and family who keep offering love, support, empathy, and patience: I cannot thank you enough! I know it's weird for those of you who have never gone through a pregnancy with me to see me so run down. I know it isn't like me at all to be like this. This is life. This is reality, and this is a challenge for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for loving me anyway. Thank you for knowing that "this too shall pass" and this is not the "new" me: this is the Stephanie on pregnancy. Thank you for understanding that I will be back to my full-strength-and-energy self sooner than later... if you allow me time to take care of myself. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your calls, your visits, and your emails. I cannot express my gratitude for true friends who love unconditionally.

By the way, my kids have been undying troopers in all of this! Thank you a zillion times for the drinks, the hugs, the patience, the understanding, the chores, and the focus on school work. You are my heroes, and I am Eternally grateful for you!

Update: I am feeling so much better! Thanks for the well-wishes!

Update

The card party has been moved to Monday, February 9th. We're still planning on 1 p.m. so that our cute designer can fit her family's needs. I'm so happy that so many of you are going to be able to make it!

Card Party!

I was invited to a card club a few months ago. It was so much fun, but the commute to Orem wasn't my favorite: nor was it my sweetie's idea of a good time to have me spend 1 1/2 hours on the road at night to go make some cards.

Since it was such fun, I've talked to a sweet friend of mine who also does card parties, and we've decided to have a monthly card party in our neck of the woods! That being said... Friday, February 6, 2009 at 1 p.m. we're having a card making party at my house! We'll be making 10 Valentines themed cards; my cute friend, Lora, has designed some darling cards just for us. I will be posting pictures of the cards we'll be making this weekend. She's designing 5 different cards; we'll be making 2 of each!

Lora works for Close to My Heart, and is able to have kits to make the cards for around $20. You can pay her on the 6th with cash, check, or credit card. We are planning on making this a monthly event for our stay-at-home mom friends: you're welcome to bring your kids (if you like) and have fun with the ladies! Refreshments will be served.

Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible; we'd like to know how much stuff to order by this Friday, January 30. Feel free to invite other moms to this fun Girls' Day!

Hope to see you there!

P.S.
If you are not a stay-at-home mom but have been invited, you are welcome to come anyway! If this time doesn't work for you but you still want to purchase a card making kit, please let me know as well. We can order one with instructions for you!

A New Year's Tag

Another year, another tag! Things I've done are marked in color...

Started your own blog

Slept under the stars

Played in a band

Visited Hawaii

Watched a meteor shower

Given more than you can afford to charity

Been to Disneyland/world

Climbed a mountain

Held a praying mantis

Sang a solo

Bungee jumped

Visited Paris

Watched a lightning storm at sea

Taught yourself an art from scratch

Adopted a child

Had food poisoning

Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

Seen the Mona Lisa in France

Slept on an overnight train

Had a pillow fight

Hitchhiked

Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

Built a snow fort

Held a lamb

Gone skinny dipping

Been to a Broadway show in NY

Ran a Marathon

Been in three states at once

Ridden in a gondola in Venice

Seen a total eclipse

Watched a sunrise or sunset

Hit a home run

Been on a Cruise

Seen Niagra Falls in Person

Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors

Seen an Amish community

Taught yourself a new language

Had enough money to be truly satisfied

Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

Gone rock climbing

Seen Michelangelo’s David

Sung karaoke

Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

Visited Africa

Walked on a beach by moonlight

Been transported in an ambulance

Had your portrait painted

Gone deep sea fishing

Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

Kissed in the rain

Played in the mud

Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco

Gone to a drive-in theater

Been in a movie (well, not a movie, but a commercial...)

Visited the Great Wall of China

Started a business

Taken a martial arts class

Swam in the Mediterranean Sea

Visited Russia

Served at a soup kitchen

Sold Girl Scout cookies

Gone whale watching

Gotten flowers for no reason

Donated blood, platelets or plasma

Gone sky diving

Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

Bounced a check

Saved a favorite childhood toy

Visited the Lincoln Memorial

Eaten Caviar

Pieced a quilt

Stood in Times Square

Toured the Everglades

Been fired from a job

Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

Broken a bone

Been on a speeding motorcycle

Seen the Grand Canyon in person

Published a book

Visited the Vatican

Bought a brand new car

Walked in Jerusalem

Had your picture in the newspaper

Read the entire Bible

Visited the White House

Killed and prepared my own meat

Had chickenpox

Saved someone’s life

Sat on a jury

Met someone famous

Joined a book club

Lost a loved one

Had a baby

Seen the Alamo in person

Swam in the Great Salt Lake

Been involved in a law suit

Owned a cell phone

Been stung by a bee

Now I tag whomever would like to play along!

Lookin' Like A Teenager

We've seen a metamorphosis of sorts happen before our eyes: Dot is growing up so fast! She came out of her room yesterday modeling her darling outfit...
when it dawned on me that she's almost a teenager!

Wakko Conquers!

Our family has been getting into a bit of a Sunday routine by playing a board game after dinner. Yakko's favorite is Monopoly, and Daddy's always won.

This changed on Sunday.

Wakko out played everyone: first knocking off Daddy, then squashing me, proceeding to wipe out Dot, and then smacked Yakko out of the game.Way to go, Wakko!

Pink Flavor

We're having a pink flavored baby. Yup! She's a girl!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Karen!

You know how when you're a kid and you and your buddies sit around and brag about whose mom is coolest? Although my friends have/had pretty awesome moms, I still think mine wins!

My mom taught me to cook, clean, budget, sew, and get those weird smells out of laundry. My mom also gave me a gift that I couldn't have received from anyone better: she taught me ballet. My mom taught me to love dancing, teaching, and learning. She taught me the value of each student and the value of preparation. I can truly say that I have the world's coolest mom!

Today is her birthday: I hope that it's a wonderful day, although a huge chunk of it will be spent in various airports. I hope that she likes her biggest gift: we should be finding out if our baby's a girl or a boy today. I know she's as excited and eager to know as I am!

Mom, I love you so much! Thank you beyond words for all that you have done and continually do for me and for my little family. I couldn't ask for a better example of what a wonderful, well rounded, talented, smart woman ever! Happy Birthday!

Obscure Holidays

Every once in a while I'll get an email that I just have to post on my blog. Today I got this from our teacher for K-12. My kids and I got such a kick out of it that I thought I'd repost it here so you and your families could also celebrate these obscure holidays. Enjoy!

Thursday, January 15th is National Hat Day

Find a funny hat, a vintage hat, a treasured family hat, a hat of any shape and size will do. Wear it all day long. Keep track of how many people mention your hat.

Friday, January 16th is National Nothing Day

Ah..... that we all could take the day off and do nothing. On the other hand National Nothing Day could mean just that...there is nothing to celebrate. (There is ALWAYS something to celebrate.)

Saturday, January 17th us National Ditch your New Years Resolutions Day

Most people have done this by now...but just in case you were looking for an official excuse or reason....here it is.

Oh, and in case you are really into ice cream...Thursday January 15th is also...

National Strawberry Ice Cream Day.

Might be fun to see how many different recipes you could make with strawberry ice cream...on the other hand....any one for an ice cream cone or a shake?

Over-heard

I just got home from substitute teaching dance classes and was fixing dinner when I over-heard the following:

"You see, I really am sixteen. I just have dwarfism."
~Wakko

"Where is the choreographer?"
~Yakko

Yeah. I don't know if I should laugh or get my kids mental health screening.



I'm choosing to laugh.

Happy Science

Today my boys decided to work together on a science project. While for most home school families, this would probably not be blog worthy, the fact that they asked to work together is huge to me! Lately, they've been fighting like gang-busters and it's driving me nuts.

Although I may never know what happened in their little boy brains to switch them back to being best of friends, I am thankful!

By the way, since some of you may actually want to know what the experiment is...
it's titled: Not Too Sweet: Solution Dilution. They are using punch mix, sugar, and water in varying strengths to see how solutions are effected by dilution. Pretty fun!

Sick

Sick
by Shel Silverstein
"I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann McKay. "I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I'm going blind in my right eye. My tonsils are as big as rocks, I've counted sixteen chicken pox And there's one more--that's seventeen, And don't you think my face looks green? My leg is cut--my eyes are blue-- It might be instamatic flu. I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke, I'm sure that my left leg is broke-- My hip hurts when I move my chin, My belly button's caving in, My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained, My 'pendix pains each time it rains. My nose is cold, my toes are numb. I have a sliver in my thumb. My neck is stiff, my voice is weak, I hardly whisper when I speak. My tongue is filling up my mouth, I think my hair is falling out. My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight, My temperature is one-o-eight. My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear, There is a hole inside my ear. I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what? What's that? What's that you say? You say today is. . .Saturday? G'bye, I'm going out to play!" Now, if only I were faking it...

Building Memories

Dad and Wakko built the cute little locker that Wakko was given by Kate. I was downstairs talking on the phone with my cute sister when I heard hammering upstairs: Dad had shown Wakko the proper way to use the hammer, how to sand the rough edges, and how to read the instructions. It was one of my favorite moments in life so far!

Grandpa Smith

While we were in Southern Utah over Christmas break, we stopped by my Grandpa Smith's house for a visit. He has always been one of my favorite people ever: it was great to see him and Nadine, my Uncle Stan, Aunt Shirley, and my parents. My kids entertained the adults with silly question/answer series, Yakko reciting lines and songs, and chatting. It was loads of fun playing board games with them and brought back memories of playing games with my grandparents.

Time, distance, and wacky family situations have unfortunately made it so that my kids don't really know my grandpa too well. Despite this, they felt the love each had for the other, and that was priceless!

Never Give Up

I don't know how to get the video right here, but please click on this link and watch this inspiring video. It will only take about 2 1/2 minutes of your day, but its message will touch you forever.

Another Round of Christmas

Kate and Brandon dropped off Christmas gifts on their way to Disneyland. It was fun to get another round of Christmas: thanks for the kind gifts!

A New New Year's Tradition

We decided to start a new tradition this year: for New Year's Eve dinner, our kids want to make a side dish each.

Dot tackled her first Jell-O salad.Yakko made a yummy fruit dip. (He took one 8 oz. package of cream cheese, a 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme, and a small box of Jell-O and blended them together. I don't know how we missed taking his picture.)

Wakko helped make twice baked potatoes.Chefs in the making! I could get used to this!

The Best of Friends

I feel so blessed to have such great friends! As my readers know, this pregnancy has come rather unexpectedly, and we really aren't prepared. You see, Wakko is 7 1/2: we didn't think we were going to have another baby so we got rid of all our baby stuff. Enter my friends!

Tiffanie gave me a whole wardrobe of maternity clothes. Wahoo!

Kerry and Natalie gave us a beautiful crib. It is just gorgeous, and I'll post pictures of it when it gets set up.

Kevin and Nicole gave us a wipes warmer. Yahoo for warm wipes!

Nate and Melissa gave us adorable onsies. Rock on, Cleveland!

My mom crocheted a lovely afghan blanket. It's so cute!

Today, Malisa and Daniel gave us a swing. Our other kids adored their swing, and so this was one of those things on my "essentials" list. I was not at all expecting to receive one; it is appreciated more than I can say!Thanks a million to our amazing and generous family and friends! Your kindness and generousity are appreciated so much!

Don't Shoot Your Eye Out!

While on vacation to Grandpa and Grandma Bear's farm, Daddy and the boys decided to try out the new Red Rider BB Guns. After donning the safety glasses, pointing the targets far away from people, and getting a lesson in BB Gun safety, they boys had a blast! In four days the boys spent many hours punishing empty soda cans, card board boxes, and bird targets. I still don't get the fascination with it, but they had fun!

Cheese!

On our way to see Grandparents in Hurricane, we stopped by the Cache Valley Cheese Factory in Beaver. The kids thought it was odd that we'd get off the freeway just for some cheese... until they tried the fresh cheese curd (aka "squeaky cheese"). It was a fun little stop, and the cheese was AWESOME!

Learning New Stuff...

I've been coughing for about six weeks now. Not continually, but often enough that it's getting annoying. Just part of second trimester pregnancy--or so they say. Anyway, my sweetie's brother told us that if you put vapor rub on the bottom of your feet prior to going to bed, you won't cough all night. Let me tell you that I was very skeptical. However, desperation last night lead to trying it: it worked! I slept peacefully (at least as peacefully as possible with a big ol' pregnant tummy) all night.
Go figure; I guess you can learn something new every day!

Lemonade

When life gives you lemons...make lemonade!

Happy New Year!

Welcome, 2009! I hope that this year brings joy, happiness, and health to our family, our extended family, and our friends. I hope that we can get along well: that prosperity and good times will come with this year.

May God bless each of you and your families, and may your New Year ring in with safety and peace!