For good measure

I have to post something of Luke. Here he is in a too big onesie - but it's from the O'Neill shop, so it's basically one of the coolest things he owns. He's being squeaky and wiggly. Typical. This video isn't that interesting, but Grandma will like it. :)

Getting Lost Again

I was a big fan of Lost for the first 3ish seasons. Then I got frustrated and got behind on my viewing - lack of cable can do that to a person. Recently hulu.com posted all past episodes of Lost and I was able to watch season 5 to gear up for the final season starting next week. Even through the all the frustrating plot points, the ridiculous number of characters, flashbacks, flashforwards, back stories, time traveling, polar bears, etc. I have wanted to stick with the show because I am hoping for a big payoff at the end. I am hoping that loyal viewers will be rewarded with a killer finale that will be on par with other kooky endings like Newhart and St. Elsewhere. Although, if Lost ends with a kid holding a snow globe I'm gonna be pissed.

Mallow Out Zippy

It appears that my cat, Zippy, is a fan of marshmallows. She normally doesn't try to eat people food, so this is an odd development. We have had an almost empty bag of them sitting on the counter for a few weeks now and she has succeeded in getting into it on more than one occasion. I have found squishy, moist marshmallows on the ground three times, which means she has not only gone through the trouble of getting into the bag, but actually sampled the goods while she was at it.*

And because I seem to make random confessions on this blog, I will say that the only reason I haven't thrown the marshmallows out is because I enjoy standing in the kitchen and eating handfuls of rice krispies out of the box with the marshmallows. It's like an instant rice krispie treat in your mouth! That's probably gross and sounds like something I will yell at Luke for doing in a few years.

*A google image search for "marshmallow cat" turned up a few photos and youtube videos, so apparently cats and marshmallows aren't an uncommon combination.

Kind of Ridiculous

I've blogged about my love for animated produce before, but I felt the need to reiterate it with this photo. I cannot express how happy this picture makes me - and it's only partly due to the cute baby. I mean, look how excited they are all lined up in a row with their bright smiling faces. I think the orange and the lettuce are the most photogenic, don't you? The corn is pretty cute and the banana is just being modest.

Okay, maybe I AM a little sleep deprived and delirious...

Non Sequitur

This is kind of a gross post, but I realized tonight* that Justin has used one of the bowls to my Kitchenaid mixer for several inappropriate things. Fortunately we have a back up bowl, but it's not as nice as the big one, which is probably why it's Justin's go-to bowl.

Here are some not so great uses for said bowl:

1. Moving dirty and/or clean water to and from the fish tank.
2. Holding soapy water and rags when washing the car.
3. Housing dead/presumedly dead/transient fish

Brownies anyone?

*I came to this realization as I was washing the bowl that goes to my salad spinner - the latest victim to Justin's fish tank cleaning process. Note to self: Buy a bucket and a special receptacle for Justin's nasty fish water.

The Escape Artist: And So It Begins

We bought the Snuggle Nest a couple of weeks after Luke was born so mommy would feel more secure during the night. The second night we used it (when Luke was just shy of 3 weeks old), we awoke to find that our little wiggle worm had almost succeeded in squirming his way out of the nest. After being repositioned, Justin found him in the same position about an hour later. Needless to say we gave up on the Snuggle Nest rather quickly. It wasn't a total waste though and still comes in handy for nights away from home and the occasional morning nap with mom and dad. I fear the day he decides the crib itself can no longer contain him.

Zippy Meet Luke

When we arrived home from the hospital with Luke, Zippy immediately checked out the car seat to see what we brought home. She was not pleased with what she found. Thus began two weeks of evasive manuevers on her part, some vigorous hissing, and a self-imposed banishment to the living room at night. She has since warmed up to Luke, albeit cautiously. She no longer runs away when he cries, but instead runs in to check on him. One morning Justin and I didn't get up quite fast enough when Luke was crying. When I went into his room, I found Zippy crouching on the floor looking out for him. She gave me a very disapproving glare.

The Baby Story

It's hard to believe that two weeks have passed since Luke entered our lives. On Monday, November 23rd I was finishing up dinner for Justin, my mom (who was visiting for a couple of days before Thanksgiving), and our good friend Nancy (who was trying to squeeze in one more baby-free evening with us). As I was making the salad (well opening the bag of lettuce), my water broke. I had read that only 1 in 10 women actually have a semi-dramatic water breaking experience and doubted that I would be that person. Surprise! I went out in the living room to tell the waiting guests that dinner may have to be cut short due to my HAVING A BABY! We all kicked into overdrive, calling the hospital, taking a quick shower, grabbing final items for the suitcases, eating the proverbial last supper, etc. We got to Modesto Kaiser around 8pm when I had barely started feeling light contractions. By the time I got into the birthing suite they had gotten a bit stronger, but I still wasn't convinced I wanted an epidural. So we watched Elf and I rolled around on a giant exercise ball. I didn't want to get the drugs too soon and prolong my labor, but as the contractions started getting harder it became clear that modern medicine was the way to go for maximum comfort. It took about 45 minutes for an IV of saline to get into my system and then another 30ish for the anesthesiologist to get everything going. I tried not to look at the contraction monitor after the drugs kicked in, but my mom said they looked pretty crazy. By time the drugs kicked in I was almost fully dialated. Around 2:20am on Tuesday, November 24th, the midwife and nurses came in and I pushed for about 30 minutes before Luke arrived. There was a tense moment when they lost his heartbeat and gave me oxygen, but overall it went pretty smoothly. I know I had a pretty easy labor compared to some people, but in the immediate hours that followed I kept wondering how and why I would ever be persuaded to do it again! It's true what they say though, you do start to forget. And I've found that the early days of parenthood are longer, harder, and more tiring than the labor itself. Breastfeeding is hard, the early post partum emotional days were hard, not getting more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep at a time is hard. Last night I got nearly 5 hours and I was amazed at how refreshed I felt! It's crazy how quickly you can love someone though. It's hard for me to follow the "sleep when he sleeps rule" because I just want to stare at him and hold him all the time. My favorites are nap times together on the couch - him completely safe from being smothered or rolled on of course. This parenthood thing is harder than I ever could have imagined, but it's pretty amazing and I'm trying to savor every single moment of these early days. I'm not looking forward to 10-ish weeks from now when I have to become a "working mom." In the meantime, I'm trying to stay off the Internet, not let the household chores or the undecorated Christmas tree in the corner bother me, and just enjoy every moment with my Luke.

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street

Dear Sesame Street,

You have brought me many years of education and enjoyment. I remember the days when everyone thought Snufflepagus was a figment of Big Bird's imagination and being gravely disappointed when I missed the episode where he was revealed to be more than just an imaginary friend. I remember the sadness when Mr. Hooper died. I remember finally being old enough to understand the adult references in many of the sketches and the deep appreciation I felt when I realized what a high quality educational program the Children's Television Workshop had created. I remember the money spent on t-shirts, watches, keychains, and other paraphanelia from the now defunct "Sesame Street Store" and how nerdy I probably was for wearing said clothing in high school. (Don't judge me.) I remember the long philosophical conversations about my dislike of Elmo and the disdain I felt for his meteoric rise to fame in the Sesame universe. I remember getting my first checkbook before going to college and choosing the Sesame Street checks. (Again, don't judge.) I remember getting excited about communication journal articles and books that used Sesame Street as an example of the media's effect on children.

My love for you Sesame Street has not wavered over the years and, as you usher in your 4th decade of quality children's programming, I am excited to introduce your world to my children. Although, I'm not sure how successfully I can do that without cable...but that's beside that point. (That's what classic Sesame Street dvds are for.) So, happy birthday Sesame Street. Thank you for bringing me many years of laughs, teaching me that "cerrado" means closed in Spanish, that counting to 12 can be lyrical, and that sharing is caring. I am forever grateful.

Love, Becky

Don't Touch Me...I'm Pregnant

I've always been a bit of a germa-phobe. I never shared drinks with friends in high school and there was no way I would let anyone borrow my chapstick. (If I was too embarrassed to turn down a request, the tube immediately went in the trash can later.) Today, I have a strict edict in the office that no one stick their hand into a communal box, bowl or bag of treats. (My boss still refuses to comply with this request, so it's a good thing my diet keeps me from sharing most office snacks.)

Now with the heightened concerns about the H1N1 virus, I have become even more steadfast in my pursuit against germs. I carry my Purell around and use it liberally after touching menus at restaurants, opening doors (if I can't use the sleeve of my sweater to do so), pumping gas, visiting the grocery store, touching my computer, and even shaking hands at church. Yesterday I could actually feel my hand burning with germs after shaking hands with someone during the "friendship break." My senses are more aware of the coughs and sneezes around me and I actually get a little irritated when people come to work with the sniffles. Justin even knows to expect a dollop of hand sanitizer whenever we are out together and I occasionally quiz him on how often he washes his hands at the bank. It's getting a little ridiculous.

I think the main reason I'm being so anal about it is an attempt to quell the "mom guilt" that is starting to rise up when I read the news stories about the importance of pregnant women getting the H1N1 vaccine. See, I politely refuse to get it. I'm decidedly anti-flu shot in general, but this one raises red flags for me. Not that I begrudge anyone for getting vaccinated and doing what they think is right for themselves and their unborn child, I'm just not convinced that a small test group of pregnant women (under 120 people) is big enough to get me on the swine flu vaccination bandwagon. The media says "no side effects" have been reported, but how do they know when all the babies are still in utero? It's just too risky for me. It does worry me though and I hope I'm not being stupid.

In the meantime, I'm covering this little one (and myself) in prayer for God's protection and supernatural immunity. (I'll also keep on coating myself with a liberal application of hand sanitizer.) And don't be surprised if after Luke arrives I make you apply some to yourself before you come near him. I'll try to draw the line at masks and gloves...but you never know. :)

I've never been a tidy person. That's not something to be proud of, but it's a true statement about how I've spent much of my life. I'm "clutter blind" when it comes to messes. I can definitely go to bed at night with dishes in the sink. I can let the laundry pile up for weeks at a time. I'm definitely NOT Type A in the home management department. Well at least I wasn't...until now.

My family likes to tease me with a little term called "nesting," and I've resisted the label for as long as I possibly could. I finally had to accept that it is actually happening to me. You see, for the past few weeks I haven't been able to fight my own desires to organize drawers and closets. I make sure I can see the bottom of the laundry hamper at the end of every weekend. And those dishes? They haunt me at 4 o'clock in the morning. It's weird, spooky, and kind of off-putting. Who is this person? Don't get me wrong, it is definitely a much-needed change of behavior - especially since I will soon have a newborn who needs to live in a squalor-free environment. Justin is beside himself with joy and says if he'd known the "perfect wife" would emerge from pregnancy, we would have made it happen a lot sooner. :) Now...if only a compulsion for nightly home-cooked meals would just kick in. We're still waiting on that one.

Pregnant and Growing on a College Campus

I'm sure it's all in my head, but I kind of worry that people are going to judge me when they see me walking across campus. Pregnant bellies are not something one sees much among the undergrads here at Pacific. Not to say that I'd be confused with an undergrad, but it has happened before...