tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75722220324064372782024-03-13T07:01:27.589-06:00The Heart of LifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-79967297077883523732014-01-14T13:58:00.001-07:002014-01-14T13:58:16.077-07:00The Great Migration<p>I decided to leave Blogger and migrate over to Wordpress. In theory, my old Blogger web address should automatically redirect you to my new Wordpress address (<a href="lifehearted.wordpress.com">lifehearted.wordpress.com</a>). However, old links to individual posts probably won’t work anymore (unless I figure out how to fix it). I think I fixed all the links within my previous posts, so we should be good there. Fingers crossed.</p> <p>Anyway, I’m doing this last post via Blogger so you know to update me in your feed (I don’t think my posts in Wordpress will show up in your feed if you follow my Blogger account).</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-9190968061734619092014-01-13T14:50:00.001-07:002014-01-13T14:50:12.174-07:00Batty<p>I'm not really much of an animal lover. I don't hate them. I just don't like them. I don't trust them. It can probably be traced back to when my childhood friend's cat pooped on me while I was jumping on the trampoline with it. I guess the cat had some trust issues as well. As a side note, my friend told me to tell my mom the poop on my shirt was chocolate, so that's what I did. Sorry, Mom.</p> <p>I've talked before about my issues with <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2012/12/humans-pretending-to-be-animals-and.html">kids pretending to be animals</a>. It's one of my biggest pet peeves (ha, <em>pet</em> peeve? Get it?). And I can't help but feel scornful whenever those animal abuse commercials come on TV (cue Sarah McLachlan song). Of course, I don't approve of the abuse of animals, but I resent that animal abuse sometimes engenders more outrage than the abuse of humans. But I'll save that rant for another post. </p> <p>I'm cool with zoos. The animals can't touch me; I'm not obligated to touch them. I don't mind watching animals. But I guess that's how the whole ordeal with the bat began. I was watching my cat eat.</p> <p>It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon the summer before 5th grade. I'd just scooped out some dry cat food for the cat and was just standing there watching him crunch away at it. </p> <p>I don't think I saw it coming. All of the sudden something big and black landed on my upper arm. I didn't think much about what it was or what it was doing on my arm. I was too busy frantically trying to flick the clinging creature off my arm. Yes. I had to flick it off. Once I had successfully removed it from my person, I knew right away what the stunned animal at my feet was. It was a bat.</p> <p>I think there's only one way to describe what happened next. You know that part on Ferris Bueller's Day Off where <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NB9Ocs2eLU">Jeanie runs down the hall and up the stairs screaming after finding Mr. Rooney in her house</a>? Yep. It was kind of like that. I ran inside terrified, screaming, and crying. </p> <p>Somehow, amidst the sobbing and gasping for air I related to my (very alarmed) mom what had happened. One of the first things she asked me was, "Did it bite you?"</p> <p>It hadn't occurred to me yet that said bat was capable of biting me. Everything had been such a terrifying blur that I honestly had no idea if I had been bitten. I did a quick inspection of the landing site. It was a little red, but that was probably because I'd been subconsciously trying to rub away the clingy bat feeling ever since I flicked it off. Other than that, it looked and felt normal. "I don't think so," I said, answering my mom's question. "It mostly just scared me."</p> <p>We returned to the scene of the incident and found the bat slowly army-crawling across the deck. We decided there was probably something wrong with it.</p> <p>The cat came over to investigate as well. Before we could stop him, the cat snatched up the bat in his mouth and made off with it. I can’t be sure, but I think the cat ate the bat. And that was the end of that.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-65415582289631673962014-01-05T19:59:00.001-07:002014-01-05T19:59:17.633-07:004 Month Development <p>I’m going to continue to do Tiger’s development posts even though it doesn’t really jive with my <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2013/12/some-housekeeping.html">previous resolve</a> for blog solidarity. It’s borderline journal-y, but because I’m giving some developmental info that you don’t see very much online I’m going to let it slide. I think it’s interesting. I won’t do the “Things to practice” thing anymore, though.</p> <h1>Personal/Social</h1> <p>-Regard own hand: stares at own hand for at least several seconds. 90% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font> <br>-Work for toy: reaches or leans toward toy placed slightly out of reach. 25% pass. <font color="#f79646">Kind of. He moves his arms toward toys that he can’t reach, but I don’t know if he <em>reaches</em>.</font></p> <h1>Fine Motor/Adaptive</h1> <p>-Grasp rattle: grasps rattle when touched to back of fingers or fingertips. 90% pass at 3.75 months. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font> <br>-Hands together: brings hands together to the midline of body over chest or mouth while lying on back. 90% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font> <br>-Follow 180 degrees: follows dangling yarn from the side of their head all the way to the other side. 80% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font> <br>-Regard raisin: while holding child in lap sitting at the table, place raisin, cheerio, or similarly sized object on the table; pass if child looks at raisin (pointing to it is ok). 60% pass. <font color="#0000ff">It’s kind of hard to tell exactly what he’s looking at, but I’m pretty sure he was regarding the cereal.</font></p> <h1>Language</h1> <p>-Laughs: laughs aloud. 90% pass at 3.25 months. <font color="#0000ff">P</font><font color="#0000ff">ass. Over the holidays my little cousins got him to laugh the most I’d ever heard him. He thought they were hilarious.</font> <br>-Squeals: makes high-pitched happy sounds. 85% pass. <font color="#0000ff">P</font><font color="#0000ff">ass.</font> <br>-Turn to rattling sound: hold child in your lap facing you and have someone stand behind child (out of sight) and shake a rattle 6-12 inches away from child’s ear and repeat with other ear; pass if child turns to sound for both ears. 55% pass. <font color="#f79646">He turns for one side, but not the other.</font><br>-Turn to voice: hold child in your lap facing you and have someone stand behind child (out of sight) and whisper the child’s name several times 6-12 inches away from child’s ear—with hand between mouth and child’s ear so child can’t feel the breath; repeat with other ear and pass if child turns to sound for both ears. 30% pass. <font color="#f79646">Not yet.</font><br>-Imitate speech sounds: repeat a sound several times (cough, clicking tongue, kissy sound); pass if child imitates sound. 35% pass. <font color="#f79646">Not yet.</font></p> <h1>Gross Motor</h1> <p>-Head up 90 degrees: head makes a 90 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 90% pass by 3.5 months. <font color="#0000ff">P</font><font color="#0000ff">ass.</font> <br>-Sit head steady: holds head upright and steady (no bobbing) for a few seconds while being held in sitting position. 90% pass by 3.5 months. <font color="#0000ff">P</font><font color="#0000ff">ass.<br></font>-Bear weight on legs: supports own weight on feet and legs for a few seconds in a standing position (holding child in standing position and slowly loosening hand support, but not letting go). 80% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Pass. He loves standing.</font><br>-Chest up-arm support: Place child on stomach on flat surface; pass if child lifts head and chest with outstretched arms. 75% pass. <font color="#f79646">Not yet. I think he’s getting close, though. I think he’s capable, but doesn’t know he can.<br></font>-Roll over: roll completely from back to stomach or vice versa at least twice. 70% pass. <font color="#f79646">If he rolls over from stomach to back it’s an accident. He has rolled to his side from his back a couple of times, so it’s probably a matter of time.</font><br>-Pull to sit—no head lag: with child on back, grasp child’s hands and wrists and gently and slowly pull to a sitting position; pass if child’s head stays in line with body with no lag (stop if there is immediate lag). 75% pass. <font color="#0000ff">P</font><font color="#0000ff">ass. He doesn’t do it every time, but he can do it. He tries really hard to sit up when he’s on his back or leaning against me, so he’s got some neck and stomach muscles working.</font></p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-23646510970433512672013-12-31T16:12:00.001-07:002013-12-31T16:12:33.401-07:00A Winter Confessional<p>One frosty winter day--back when I was in college--I went to the store to pick up some groceries. I came out of the store with a couple bags and a gallon of milk. When I got to my car I set my milk on the roof and proceeded to put my bags in the back seat. </p> <p>Approximately a moment too late I noticed my gallon of milk. Sliding. Sliding off the frosty roof in the general direction of the ground. I didn't quite have time to react. My milk hit the ground before I could do anything to stop it. And then it exploded. I closed the car door to survey the situation--it had inadvertently shielded me from most of the milk explosion.</p> <p>There was some milk on my shoes and jeans. There was milk on the exterior of my car, which had already frozen to the frosty car. But mostly there was a big splat of white milk on the dark asphalt of the parking lot. </p> <p>Had I done the right thing, I would have plucked the mostly empty container up from its puddle, found a garbage can to put it in, and then I would have gone back in the store to purchase another gallon of milk. </p> <p>But I didn't do the right thing. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was embarrassment. Maybe it was stubbornness. I don't know. All I know is I stepped over the puddle, got in my car, then drove away. In a strange episode of stubborn rebellion against the gods of frosty cars and exploded milk, I refused to buy another gallon of milk for an entire week.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-35146324327889561292013-12-18T14:32:00.001-07:002013-12-18T14:32:28.260-07:00The Drug-less Addiction<p>Lately <a href="http://themattwalshblog.com/">The Matt Walsh Blog</a> has been popping up on my Facebook feed pretty frequently. So I started to follow. Although I don't always completely agree with him, I enjoy his perspective. He's entertaining. Anyway, one of the first posts I read was on <a href="http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/11/25/married-men-your-porn-habit-is-an-adultery-habit/">pornography</a>. I think you know <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2012/04/cavities.html">how I feel</a> about porn and its relation to sexual abuse. And he hit the nail on the head. </p> <p>I recommend reading his whole post because there are so many great points, but I'll brief you on a few thoughts I had as I was reading. </p> <ul> <li>I liked his main point, which is that when guys look at porn they're cheating on their wives--committing adultery. There's really no way around it. </li> <li>He alluded to a moral double standard for the viewer and the viewed, which I hadn't really thought of before. Our society tends to tag porn models as promiscuous and immoral. And in the same breath dismiss porn viewers with, "It's normal! Boys will be boys."</li> <li>I thought it was interesting how porn is sometimes justified (unsuccessfully) by the claim that since porn involves no physical touch it's innocent and harms no one. <a href="http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/Science/Articles/The-Industrys-Dirty-Little-Secret/">Oh, but it does!</a></li> <li>He makes a pretty spot on comparison of porn to other addictive substances, especially drugs. When you think of it that way, porn is debatably worse than any other addiction. </li> <li>My favorite quote: "Pornography is evil, empty, deadening, dirty — this is something we all know. That’s why, unless you are either psychotic or utterly despicable, you wouldn’t want your daughter to get into the porn business. That’s why most people hide their porn habits. That’s why it still isn’t considered acceptable to browse “adult” websites at your desk at work or at a table in Starbucks (although people still do, in both scenarios). That’s why you only find porn shops and strip clubs in the slummy, rundown parts of town. No matter how hedonistic and “open minded” we become, we still recognize porn as something that ought to be stowed away in the dank, dark corners of our lives. This is Natural Law, and we can’t escape it. We have an innate understanding of right and wrong, whether we want it or not."</li></ul> <p>Like I said, go ahead and read it.</p> <p>A couple years ago I attended a lecture on sex trafficking at a conference. One thing from that lecture that has stuck with me ever since was the haunting application of basic economics to the situation. The gist of the idea was that regardless of what is done to get girls out of the sex trafficking industry, as long as there is a <u>demand</u> for prostitution and the like, <strong>it will not stop</strong>. This principle applies to pornography as well. It won't and can't be eliminated until the demand for it is quelled. </p> <p>Considering this principle of supply and demand, porn can't simply be outlawed. We saw how well that worked with <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/prohibition.htm">Prohibition</a>. There’s too much demand. So how do we curb the demand for porn?</p> <p>In November there was a petition (sorry, no link—you can’t view it after the time runs out) circulating through my Facebook feed to make porn an opt-in feature of the worldwide web in the U.S. I contributed to the trend by signing and sharing it too, but I don’t think it got quite enough signatures.</p> <p>There was a little debate about the constitutionality of this and how it takes us one step closer to communism and government censorship, etc., etc. This is an overreaction, in my humble opinion. Porn would still be available, but just a little more difficult for kids to access accidentally. Think of it this way: Facebook and all other social media are opt-in and we don't feel too communist about that. If we want it, we sign up, and if not we don't worry about it. Same idea for porn.</p> <p>I was initially skeptical of whether it's even remotely possible to do this. The logistics behind it seem kind of daunting to my non-tech mind. However, the U.K. has actually already introduced <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23401076">something very similar</a> last summer and major internet providers have been gradually implementing it. From what I gather from <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25400009">a recent source</a>, things seem to be going ok with it.</p> <p>But will it work? Will it reduce the demand for porn? I’m not sure. Only time will tell, but I think it’s a good start. Unlike drug addictions, I’m guessing a decent portion of porn addicts first stumbled upon porn accidentally. If accidental viewing happens less, maybe there will be fewer addicts and less of a demand.</p> <p>Regardless, regulations are definitely needed when it comes to porn. Sure, there are regulations forbidding minors from buying cold medicine and spray paint, but porn? Kids can have at it (often for free) on a computer or smart phone from literally anywhere. It’s way too easily accessible. You would be horrified if you knew how many children are addicted to porn.</p> <p>I could go on and on about porn, but I’ll stop here. If you’re interested in learning more, here are some links to some more information:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/Get-The-Facts/">General facts</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/Science/Articles/PORN-AND-SEXUAL-CRIME/">Porn’s relation to sexual abuse</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/science/articles/THE-CHEMICALS-BEHIND-THE-ADDICTION/">How porn changes the chemicals in your brain</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.enough.org/inside.php?id=3K03RC4L00#2">Stats on kids and porn (and internet safety)</a></li></ul> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-25093982431900600672013-12-13T15:52:00.001-07:002013-12-13T15:53:48.669-07:00Some Housekeeping<p>I’ve been evaluating my blog lately. You know, it’s purpose, etc. My writing has been pretty random lately (both in subject and frequency), which is <em>fine</em>, but the the micro/macro oriented writer in me is bothered that my posts don’t lend themselves to a big picture—an overarching theme. Why write if there’s not a purpose?</p> <p>You see, I’m not a journal-y blogger (or mommy blogger—they’re pretty closely related). I’m just not into reporting what’s been going on in my family (although I do like reading my friends’ blogs that are like this—it’s just not what I like to write about). </p> <p>I’m also not a home décor/DIY blogger. Sigh. I wish I was. </p> <p>I’m not a food blogger. I like a good recipe, but only on occasion. Plus, I don’t have the photography skills for that.</p> <p>I’m not a style blogger. I went Christmas shopping yesterday in forest-green skinny jeans, a baggy navy-blue t-shirt, a pale green snow coat, and a pink headband with my ponytail (which has lately been the victim of a mysterious chronic rats nest). Oh, with no makeup. I’m turning heads everywhere I go, I tell you. </p> <p>I’m not a life-hacker blogger. I love a good cleaning trick, but let’s be honest—they’re other people’s tricks, not something originally from me. </p> <p>I’m not a “here’s a spiritual/inspirational thought” blogger. I go there once in a while, but let’s face it: I’m too goofy. I avoid reading/watching things people share on Facebook with the tag line, “This will make you cry! Tear-jerker alert! So sweet!” I don’t really <em>want</em> to cry. I like things that make me think and/or laugh. Not cry. This is why I have a love-hate relationship with <a href="http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages">Mormon Messages</a> (don’t get me wrong; they’re wonderful—just something I have to be in a very special mood for). </p> <p>I’m not a review blogger. I am an <a href="http://www.influenster.com/">Influenster</a>, so I occasionally do a somewhat obligatory review when I get a Vox Box (free products to test and review), but I’m a pretty harsh critic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun—I have invites if you want one—but I’m kind of surprised they keep sending me stuff, because I’m definitely not their ideal easy-to-please “OMG, guys! You HAVE to try this!” Influenster. I’m not going to talk up a product if I don’t think it’s amazing<em> and</em> a reasonable price. Anyway, if I’m going to review something I usually do it on the Influenster site.</p> <p>I’m not a photography blogger. I take my pictures with an iPod touch. Enough said.</p> <p>I’m not a coupon/money saving blogger. I’m of the “spend conservatively and live beneath your means” camp. I’m not big into the coupon scene (although I think you’re an idiot if you buy something full price at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc. because they all have a 40% off coupon every single week).</p> <p>I’m not a hot-button issue (feminism, gay rights, environmentalism, etc.) or political blogger. There’s enough controversy in the world without me contributing to it.</p> <p>So. What am I?</p> <p>I’m not sure if I can answer that very precisely, but I can tell you <em>why</em> I write.</p> <p>First of all, I like it.</p> <p>Secondly, I’m terrified of becoming one of those people who doesn’t know the correct usage of their/there/they’re and your/you’re. Or someone who doesn’t know where or when to use an apostrophe appropriately. Bad punctuation makes me cringe.</p> <p>Also, I eventually want to go back to school and get my master’s. However, that could be <em>way</em> down the road when my kids are at least high school aged. I’ve heard it’s hard to go back to school later in life, but I don’t see myself going back sooner. I think if I keep up on my writing/researching/critical thinking skills it won’t be so hard to get back into the swing of things when I do get the opportunity to go back.</p> <p>So why don’t I just write privately? I guess I could, but I want to write about interesting things (seriously, who likes boring stuff?). And if I’ve happened upon something interesting, why wouldn’t I share it with others? It seems selfish not to. Knowledge is meant to be shared.</p> <p>I guess what I’m trying to say is this: In order to stay true to what I’ve defined as my blog’s purpose, I’m going to make some changes in subject matter. I’m going to shoot to become an “interesting story” blogger because that’s something I <em>can</em> do (instead of trying to do a mishmash of the above-described blogging types). Hang tight, and we’ll see how it goes.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-47151817060287213022013-12-12T12:06:00.001-07:002013-12-12T12:06:16.543-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 10<h1>Write 10 things about <a href="http://mormon.org/">the gospel</a> you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ">Christ’s atonement</a>. Based on my incredibly limited knowledge, I know the Atonement is an incredible thing. I hope one day I can understand it in its entirety.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ">Christ’s life and example</a>. This is along the same vein, but it’s important enough to merit its own number. I read Jesus the Christ several years ago and was so blown away by what I could learn just through the way he lived, not to mention through his teachings and atonement.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/church#our_members">Temples (including the ordinances done in them)</a>. When we were first married we lived half a block from the temple and went twice a month. This was so good for us, and I miss living so close to a temple. Since we’ve moved away and had Tiger, we’ve not been able to go nearly so regularly, but I’m hoping we can get back into the habit as Tiger gets a little older. </li> <li><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/">Scriptures</a>/<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng">General Conference</a>. The more I read, the more I learn.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/restoration">Living prophet and apostles</a>. It’s such a comfort to know that if something big and crazy happens in the world (apocalypse-like), we have a prophet to turn to for guidance.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/values/helping-others">Callings</a>. Callings really help me get out of my comfort zone. As much as I’d like to say I’m outgoing, I’m sort of an introvert at heart. I’m friendly, sure, but I tend to be pretty content keeping to myself.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/values/missionary-work">Solidarity</a>. It’s so beautiful to be united with people outside of my country and culture. There are people all over the globe who are learning the same thing in church as I am, and that’s pretty cool. The church is the same wherever you are.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation">Divine roles</a>. I get where feminism is coming from, but when you understand the divine roles of both men and women, feminism is sort of unnecessary.</li> <li><a href="http://mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation">The plan of salvation</a>. Keeping in mind the big picture of our lives in terms of now and forever makes trials (both little and huge) that much easier to deal with.</li> <li>Happiness. A teacher once told my class that he thought the LDS church was just a sugar pill—we’re happy because we want to be happy. While in a way he’s right—<a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2010/11/hiad.html">happiness is a decision</a>—you think about how many “restrictions” and “requirements” come along with our church, and it’s actually pretty incredible that more members aren’t disgruntled. It reminds me of <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng">this recent talk</a> by President Uchtdorf.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-14793006219349331732013-12-11T21:34:00.001-07:002013-12-11T21:34:55.257-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 9<h1>Write 10 foods you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>Toast. I feel like I’ve mentioned this before. Oh yeah. I have. Twice already. It’s almost embarrassing how much I like toast. Especially when it’s Dave’s Killer Bread (I’ve only seen it at Costco). We don’t really do cold cereal, so I feel ok about splurging a little on nice bread.</li> <li>Hot chocolate. Try it with some cinnamon, vanilla, and a little sea salt. Yum.</li> <li>Mac and cheese (from scratch). I don’t do Kraft Mac. Even as a child I thought it was nasty. But scratch mac… comfort food. Especially when it’s baked.</li> <li>Bagels with strawberry cream cheese. Remember <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2013/04/honey-oat-bagels-with-strawberry-cream.html">this</a> recipe? Delicious.</li> <li>Hot chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes I like to freeze cookie dough so I can have a hot cookie every day for a few weeks. <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2012/05/pudding-cookies.html">These</a> cookies are pretty yummy.</li> <li>Burgers. I love a good burger with most of the fixings (but hold the onions and mustard).</li> <li>Potato chips. Especially kettle chips. I avoid buying chips because I <em>can’t stop</em>.</li> <li>Cinnamon rolls. I love them. I make pretty good cinnamon rolls, by the way. I owe it to the recipe—it’s a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/clone-of-a-cinnabon/detail.aspx">Cinnabon copycat</a>.</li> <li>Texas Roadhouse house salad. I’m not a huge salad person, but something about this salad kills me every time. So yummy.</li> <li>Sweet potato fries. The ones fast food chains have been doing lately are pretty meh, but legit sweet potato fries are wonderful.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-70876412130880960212013-12-10T11:55:00.001-07:002013-12-10T11:55:12.576-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 8<h1>Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>The automobile in general is a fantastic invention. I like <em>being</em> in different places, but don’t necessarily like <em>going</em> there. Cars make the going a ton faster than via horse and buggy.</li> <li>The internet. It’s kind of crazy that the internet came about in my lifetime. So many great things stem from the internet. There’s some bad things too, but mostly good.</li> <li>Toilets/indoor plumbing. I’m sure I could manage without… but I’m glad I don’t have to.</li> <li>The printing press. Ok, so print might one day become obsolete with the internet, but its invention really ushered in a new age of thinking. All of the sudden reading was for the masses.</li> <li>Heating/air conditioning. It’s so nice not having to worry about keeping a fire stoked in the winter. Especially after my experience in a yurt. I’ll share about that sometime soon.</li> <li>Electricity. I probably take for granted how easy it is to just turn lights on and off. No matches; no candles. Just a switch and the occasional new light bulb.</li> <li>Pens. They’re really an underrated convenience when you compare it to quills and ink. Pens are faster and easier.</li> <li>Vaccines. I listened to a podcast on the beginnings of vaccines and it’s creepy at the start, but really it’s pretty incredible that we’ve been able to nearly eradicate so many awful diseases through them.</li> <li> Microwave. It’s a magical box. I avoid using the microwave as a principle method for preparing food (I’m probably the only person in the world who still makes Ramen Noodles on the stovetop), but the microwave is really pretty great.</li> <li>Toasters. Ok. I love toast. You can do it in the oven with the broiler… but the toaster is better.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-83289134265566426192013-12-09T22:29:00.001-07:002013-12-10T11:21:31.224-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 7<h1>Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.</h1> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ReL0TXFtIRo/UqamvIWcnHI/AAAAAAAAA6M/u3l_QbYg-vg/s1600-h/Desktop%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Desktop" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Desktop" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aScUdYRalZo/UqamwZuKDxI/AAAAAAAAA6U/Wn_9RCLgL4k/Desktop_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="644" height="379"></a></p> <p>(clockwise, beginning in top right)</p> <ol> <li>Majdanek (<a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2011/01/silence.html">here’s why</a>) <li>My hometown <li>The Belarus/Poland border near Wlodowa, Poland (<a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2012/10/borders.html">here’s why</a>) <li>The Logan Cemetery <li>An ancient amphitheater in Plovdiv, Bulgaria <li>My home <li>Our first apartment as a married couple (<a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2011/07/ultra-cheesy-tour-of-our-house-part-1.html">here</a> and <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2011/07/ultra-cheesy-tour-of-our-house-part-2.html">here</a> is a tour) <li>The Logan Temple <li>Old Main <li>Tintern Abbey (England)</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-44811712806244846502013-12-08T21:25:00.001-07:002013-12-08T21:25:48.154-07:00Month Three Development<h1>Personal/Social</h1> <p>-Regard own hand: stares at own hand for at least several seconds. 75% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes. He prefers looking at his hand when it’s in a fist.</font></p> <h1>Fine Motor/Adaptive</h1> <p>-Follow past midline: watches dangling yarn from the side of their head past the halfway point. 90% pass at 11 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Grasp rattle: grasps rattle when touched to back of fingers or fingertips. 40% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Hands together: brings hands together to the midline of body over chest or mouth while lying on back. 78% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Follow 180 degrees: follows dangling yarn from the side of their head all the way to the other side. 50% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes, although I did it with a toy, so maybe that’s cheating.</font></p> <p>-Regard raisin: while holding child in lap sitting at the table place raisin, cheerio, or similarly sized object on the table; pass if child looks at raisin (pointing to it is ok). 28% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet for Tiger.</font></p> <h1>Language</h1> <p>-Ooo/Ahhh: makes vowel sounds. 90% pass at 11 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Laughs: laughs aloud. 85% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes. We have to work like crazy to get him to laugh, but it’s the cutest sound I’ve ever heard.</font></p> <p>-Squeals: makes high-pitched happy sounds. 80% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes. He doesn’t do it very often, but he’s done it a few times.</font></p> <p>-Turn to rattling sound: hold child in your lap facing you and have someone stand behind child (out of sight) and shake a rattle 6-12 inches away from child’s ear and repeat with other ear; pass if child turns to sound for both ears. 27% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet.</font></p> <p>-Imitate speech sounds: repeat a sound several times (cough, clicking tongue, kissy sound); pass if child imitates sound. 25% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet.</font></p> <h1>Gross Motor</h1> <p>-Head up 45 degrees: head makes a 45 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 90% pass at 11 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Head up 90 degrees: head makes a 90 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 75% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes.</font></p> <p>-Sit head steady: holds head upright and steady (no bobbing) for a few seconds while being held in sitting position. 75% pass. <font color="#00ff00">I can’t decide if he passes on this. When he’s screaming he holds his head up like a rock star, but when he’s happy he’s kind of bobbly. He’s so close to passing though.</font></p> <p>-Bear weight on legs: supports own weight on feet and legs for a few seconds in a standing position (holding child in standing position and slowly loosening hand support, but not letting go). 55% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Tiger passes. He loves doing this.</font></p> <p>-Chest up-arm support: Place child on stomach on flat surface; pass if child lifts head and chest with outstretched arms. 35% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet.</font></p> <p>-Roll over: roll completely from back to stomach or vice versa at least twice. 45% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Maybe. He’s done several times, but I’m pretty sure it’s accidental. When he’s on his belly and holding his head up high, he sometimes tips over and ends up rolling to his back.</font></p> <p>-Pull to sit-no head lag: with child on back, grasp child’s hands and wrists and gently and slowly pull to a sitting position; pass if child’s head stays in line with body with no lag (stop if there is immediate lag). 27% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet. We had immediate lag.</font></p> <p>Things to practice for next month:</p> <p>-regarding raisin: I’ll put objects in front of him to encourage him to focus on particular things.</p> <p>-turn to rattling sound: This one is a little trickier to practice because you kind of need someone around to help, but I’ll try sneaking up on him and rattling something by his ear.</p> <p>-imitate speech sounds: I’ll continue making ridiculous noises close to his face.</p> <p>-holding head steady: We’ll keep giving him the opportunity to hold his head on his own. He’s almost there.</p> <p>-chest up-arm support: I’ll help him get into position while he’s in tummy time so he knows what it feels like.</p> <p>-pull to sit: We’ll keep trying it. I have a feeling we’ll get closer once he can hold his head more steadily.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-73467609301934934712013-12-08T20:33:00.001-07:002013-12-08T20:33:08.121-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 6<h1>Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>I changed the sheets yesterday, and there’s few things nicer than sleeping in fresh sheets.</li> <li>Tiger slept in until 8:30 this morning.</li> <li>I had plenty of time to get ready for church.</li> <li>My bangs weren’t weird this morning.</li> <li>Driving up the hill to get to church wasn’t slippery.</li> <li>I only missed half of Sunday school and twenty minutes of sacrament meeting today.</li> <li>I got to take a nap.</li> <li>I finished a music-related project.</li> <li>I practiced the violin for a little while.</li> <li>Had some toast and hot chocolate.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-63144834702223266602013-12-06T19:14:00.001-07:002013-12-06T19:14:42.363-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 5<p>The formatting turned out funky on this, and try as I may I couldn’t fix it. I realized way too late that a collage would have been way easier and more visually appealing. Oh well.</p> <h1>Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>Asiatic Lily <li>Black-Eyed Susan<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mjhCv9rEYLg/UqKENZeO9mI/AAAAAAAAA3g/Sn2bcDjsZKc/s1600-h/asiatic%252520lily%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="asiatic lily" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="asiatic lily" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-B5CBVooin1c/UqKEONW8ezI/AAAAAAAAA3k/s90KRrsxfIA/asiatic%252520lily_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a> <li>Garden Phlox<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CsebB8cCOTo/UqKEPSK--5I/AAAAAAAAA3w/HcCtueu3Sso/s1600-h/black-eyed-susans%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="black-eyed-susans" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="black-eyed-susans" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Mwa7pKQNHNI/UqKEQUfRNPI/AAAAAAAAA34/83ILLaVGuGY/black-eyed-susans_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="166"></a> <li>Creeping Thyme<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SwwioiS0Vyg/UqKERdRI3fI/AAAAAAAAA4A/eXo_3YjNSxg/s1600-h/garden%252520phlox%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="garden phlox" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="garden phlox" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VQ6lRVY-UC4/UqKESTLRm_I/AAAAAAAAA4I/mQIXh_Y7as0/garden%252520phlox_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a> <li>Ice Plant<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2oNl7J3Rftg/UqKETR5iudI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/haWSskjh-Tw/s1600-h/creeping%252520thyme%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="creeping thyme" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="creeping thyme" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P459I4NaQmc/UqKEUI-BecI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/4mvdg7XF45k/creeping%252520thyme_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a> <li>Irish Moss<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BBt1ubkxYqo/UqKEVX1CXxI/AAAAAAAAA4g/ReuTrkWmRO4/s1600-h/ice%252520plant%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="ice plant" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="ice plant" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BbCncYgGtn8/UqKEW50eRfI/AAAAAAAAA4o/CaNXqSkX5Os/ice%252520plant_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a> <li>Lavender<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5ppvCA3IXok/UqKEX6oTxCI/AAAAAAAAA4w/ZKVlJo4Nqfk/s1600-h/irish%252520moss%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="irish moss" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="irish moss" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zx4dCEqQW44/UqKEZFV03lI/AAAAAAAAA44/YYfhS3pcaow/irish%252520moss_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a> <li>Succulents<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OErTMPL7HVQ/UqKEaus5FtI/AAAAAAAAA5A/PIGCA_ggTmI/s1600-h/lavender%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="lavender" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="lavender" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-k_yFobgj_gQ/UqKEbmKeI9I/AAAAAAAAA5I/3L6raZfiRgk/lavender_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a> <li>Tulip Tree<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tRl-wuQRUtI/UqKEdPMYlqI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/yA31iJCAAe4/s1600-h/succulent%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="succulent" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="succulent" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ewOcFxj_jls/UqKEee-_oVI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/4Hu59Z2xbqo/succulent_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a> <li>Vinca Minor<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-l8dgUpIqb6I/UqKEfb1iXII/AAAAAAAAA5g/kxkU6iVbLFw/s1600-h/tulip%252520tree%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="tulip tree" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="tulip tree" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-auf1UlrLdMY/UqKEggEXPtI/AAAAAAAAA5o/I8vSyJjV0bA/tulip%252520tree_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a></li></ol> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iJip7UxRbeU/UqKEibXgybI/AAAAAAAAA5w/fDIx1MxUf1U/s1600-h/vinca%252520minor%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="vinca minor" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="vinca minor" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PHZy5vtxnlg/UqKEjnr215I/AAAAAAAAA54/J3ALpiwCSJk/vinca%252520minor_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a></p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-19203094097660315792013-12-05T21:09:00.001-07:002013-12-05T21:09:30.045-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 4<p>Ok, I got a little behind. I knew this would happen. Don’t worry, I’ll compensate.</p> <h1>Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>Great Great Great Grandma Emma. In my family we generally refer to her as “the woman with the awful life” but in all seriousness she was a pretty incredible lady. She joined the LDS church in England with her family, then they traveled across the ocean, then across the country with the pioneers to Salt Lake City. Then when she was a newlywed her parents and siblings decided to go back to Illinois to be with the reorganized LDS church. Later her husband and two of her children died within the space of about 2 years. She was a trooper.</li> <li>Great Grandma Venice. She also had some difficult parts of her life and was also a trooper. She lived in a tiny sheep camp during the winter with her young children.</li> <li>Great Grandma Vesta. She went to the same collage as me and was the captain of the freshman girls basketball team. That seems pretty progressive for the late 1920’s, and I admire that.</li> <li>My cousin Lydia. She died when she was six after a somewhat routine heart surgery didn’t go quite as planned. I was only two at the time, so I only have one very fleeting memory of her, but I’m told we were great friends. I’m grateful I’ll have the opportunity to get to know her later.</li> <li>Joseph B. Wirthlin. All the apostles are great, but there was <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/the-great-commandment?lang=eng&query=wirthlin#d">one particular talk</a> he gave that had a lasting impact on me—not necessarily because of what he said, but how he said it. My LDS friends might remember it as the talk where Elder Nelson stood by him to support him as he spoke.</li> <li>C. S. Lewis. I don’t know too much about his personal life (there’s got to be some good biographies out there, so if you know of a good one let me know), but he wrote some incredible things.</li> <li>Mozart. Or Tchaikovsky. Or Vivaldi. Or Bach. Or Debussy. Or Chopin. I really can’t narrow it down. The classics are great.</li> <li>The Founding Fathers. None of them were perfect, of course, but I’m grateful for their contribution to the creation of the United States.</li> <li>Lewis and Clark. Kind of a random one, but I just listened to a podcast on them and they were pretty cool. They were a pretty important part of the settlement of the West. Which is a big deal when you live in the West.</li> <li>Cemeteries. Ok, this is a lot of deceased people and very general, but you can learn a lot from headstones.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-46934958482021103942013-12-03T15:34:00.001-07:002013-12-03T15:34:07.711-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 3<h1>Write 10 living people you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>My husband. He’s a great guy, and I’m so glad to have him in my life.</li> <li>My Baby Tiger. He’s a sweetheart. By the way, I had originally planned to continue calling him Ching on my blog, but it just doesn’t fit him. Tiger somehow works better.</li> <li>My mom. We’ve always had a really good relationship.</li> <li>My dad. I look up to him in a lot of different ways.</li> <li>My siblings. Ok, this is three people, but this way I can squeeze more people in my list. All three of my siblings have special qualities that I admire and am grateful for.</li> <li>My grandparents. I know, I know. Four people this time. They are all wonderful and I’m so blessed to have grown up knowing all four of my grandparents.</li> <li>My in-laws. I’m so grateful they accept and tolerate me.</li> <li>My ward. Ok, huge clump of people, but everyone has been so kind and welcoming to us that I can’t leave anyone out. </li> <li>There are so many teachers and professors from throughout my education for which I am grateful. I’ve had so many awesome mentors.</li> <li>My extended family. I’m always floored by how supportive my family is in all that I do.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-75857089161303820262013-12-02T21:07:00.001-07:002013-12-02T21:07:46.973-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge Number 2<h1>Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>A sturdy car. I can’t imagine relying solely on public transportation. <li>A comfy bed. Oh, how I love my bed. <li>My iPod touch. I still have a dumb phone (as opposed to a smart phone), but I’m ok with that because my iPod meets all my needs. <li>My house. We really lucked out. <li>Tweezers. It’s a necessity for the well-embrowed (like me). <li>Toothbrushes and toothpaste. Such a wonderful development for all humanity. <li>I love my KitchenAid mixer. I use it so often. I feel like it’s a necessity for making frosting and kneaded breads. <li>Towels. Once upon a time I showered in Poland and had to dry myself off with a dirty t-shirt because my luggage got lost. Not so fun. <li>A toaster is a necessity in my house. Toast is the nectar of life. <li>Shoes are pretty great. When I was 10 or 11 I hit the awkward stage where my feet were too big for girls shoes and I didn’t like the women’s shoes, and I remember feeling frustrated and thinking to myself something like, “<em>Why must shoes be necessary?!</em>” But I’ve seen the error of my ways. They’re pretty useful. Not to mention great for protecting your feet from the perils of nature.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-23033506061134309392013-12-01T19:18:00.001-07:002013-12-01T19:18:35.074-07:0010 for 10 Gratitude Challenge {Number 1}<p>November is over, along with all the twenty-whatever days of gratitude I’ve seen many people doing on Facebook. It’s cool, but I didn’t participate. It’s just not my style. In my mind I know I can come up with twenty-something things I’m thankful for, so it’s not much of a challenge. Also, you’re running the risk of being borderline braggy. I have a lot to be grateful for, but don’t want to imply that someone else’s life doesn’t measure up with mine. You know what I mean—the “best husband ever” or “best family ever” claims. Best ever? This isn’t a competition, so there’s no need to compare.</p> <p>Anyway, in Relief Society today they gave us a list of 10 prompts, each prompt asking to list 10 of something specific you’re grateful for. I thought they were a pretty good list of questions that extend beyond the normal things you list off as being grateful for. It’s more of a challenge. So I’m going to do one list of ten for the first ten days of December. Christmas overcrowds Thanksgiving all the time, so I’m fine with letting Thanksgiving take over ten days of December. After all, it’s never too late to be grateful.</p> <h1>Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.</h1> <ol> <li>I’m grateful I can see. It would be so terrifying to make your way around the world without seeing it.</li> <li>I’m grateful I can hear. I love listening to and playing music. Plus, sounds tend to alert you to problems.</li> <li>I like being able to walk. It’s such a smooth way to get around. Pushing a stroller around has made me more aware of wheelchair accessibility, and walking is so much easier.</li> <li>Fingers are great. You don’t realize until you cut/hurt a finger how much you use that one finger.</li> <li>I’m grateful I’m a decent cook. There’s nothing worse than ruining a meal and having to start over again.</li> <li>I’m grateful I can taste and smell. My mom can’t smell anymore, and she doesn’t mind not smelling when it stinks, but I know she misses the nice smells. It makes cooking and cleaning a little harder—I have to tell her when her fridge or towels are starting to smell a little funky.</li> <li>I’m glad I can sew. I’m not amazing, but I can do the basics pretty well and I enjoy it.</li> <li>I like being able to play the piano and violin. It’s fun and a good talent to have.</li> <li>I’m grateful I’m able to chew my food. It’s weird, but most foods wouldn’t be nearly as nice if you couldn’t chew them.</li> <li>I’m grateful I can drive a car. Plus, I can drive a stick shift, which comes in handy.</li></ol> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-40415253044171060312013-11-23T22:59:00.001-07:002013-11-23T22:59:05.245-07:00The Transition<p>So, how is parenthood going? Oh, pretty good. It’s a huge transition, but I figured it would be, so no surprises there. Ching Tiger really is a pretty mellow baby, so we lucked out. My mom tells me I had awful colic as a baby, so I was half expecting Ching Tiger to be equally bad as some form of karma. For the first month or so changing his diaper was a holy terror—he’d scream and <em>scream</em>—but other than that it wasn’t too bad keeping him content. I don’t know why he hated diaper changes so much. It might have had something to do with his circumcision, but he hated diaper changes even before that, so I don’t know. I’m just glad he’s moved past that phase.</p> <p>He’s become pretty good at eating, although at his 2 month appointment he only weighed 9 lb 13 oz, which puts him in the <em>3rd percentile</em> for weight. I about died. <em>I promise I feed him as much as he wants every three hours during the day and anytime he wakes up at night, he doesn’t spit up very often, he has a healthy number of dirty diapers, he is a happy, mellow baby, and starving babies don’t smile.</em> We’ve been trying to pack on the pounds, but I have a feeling he’ll always be a skinny boy.</p> <p>Sleeping at night has been going pretty well. The first month he liked sleeping during the day more than at night, but I think that’s pretty standard. When he was a month old I started doing a Babywise based schedule, and it has worked great for us. He is happier when he’s awake and sleeps pretty well at night. And I like having some predictability in our lives. </p> <p>I read a lot about what the first couple of weeks would be like and was fairly prepared. I had plenty of diapers, wipes, and jumbo pads. I also splurged on some nice toilet paper (which was well worth it). I knew I’d be sore and sleep-deprived, and I knew he’d cry a lot. However, there was one part that kind of took me by surprise—baby blues. I learned about baby blues in my infancy class in college, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. I know it happens pretty frequently, but in all that I read <em>nobody talked about it</em>. So here I am. Talking about it. I hesitated to share because it’s kind of personal, but somebody should talk about it. Might as well be me.</p> <p>The first night home after being released from the hospital was rough. That’s when it sunk in that I’m responsible for this little person. This was horrifying at first. <em>What if something happens to him? What if he dies?</em> I remember holding him that night and telling him over and over, “I love you, baby,” and all the while crying because I never ever wanted him to die. That’s the funny thing about adding to your family—the more you have, the more you have to lose. It’s only a temporary loss, of course, but it’s still kind of terrifying. I spent the night on the floor next to his crib, fighting back sleep so I could keep a vigil over his breathing. Fortunately I worked past the hyper vigilance after a few days. I had to remind myself that God is in charge of both my life and my baby’s life. We’ll be fine as long as I do my best. And surely God doesn’t expect my best to include never sleeping. </p> <p>Four days after Ching Tiger was born I started noticing that sometimes I felt super sad for no reason. It was really weird. Things would be totally normal, then all of the sudden I’d be struggling to not cry. A few days later was my first day flying solo while my husband was at work. The day actually went really well, but later that night something snapped and I could not stop crying. There was nothing wrong, but I couldn’t stop. After a while I pulled myself together enough to go to Smith’s—I figured getting out of the house would help—but the second I pulled back into our garage the waterworks started up again. It was ridiculous. I asked my mom to come back for a few more days, and having someone around to keep me company helped a ton. </p> <p>Fortunately I was pretty much back to normal by the two week mark. I know it was nothing compared to what ladies with post-partum depression deal with, but it was approximately zero fun. It felt so great to feel sane again, even though I was still crazy tired and sleep-deprived for another couple of weeks. I’m guessing baby blues often get shrugged off as just sleep deprivation. It’s not, though.</p> <p>So there you go. That’s my experience with baby blues. Too much information? Maybe. Oh well. It needs to be talked about.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-45545972488043640942013-11-09T18:01:00.001-07:002013-11-09T18:01:39.987-07:00Two Paint Jobs Later<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MTkM0QJhS7w/Un7anu0y3tI/AAAAAAAAA18/PIn985A4wt4/s1600-h/dark-blue-and-gold2.jpg"><img title="dark blue and gold" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="dark blue and gold" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2lNBRcGFOao/Un7aqUMX9ZI/AAAAAAAAA2E/AI5GTp9TfnE/dark-blue-and-gold_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a>I mentioned BCE (before Ching era) that I was in the process of painting a dresser. I did finish it BCE, but I never got around to taking a picture of the finished product until last week. It started out looking very 90’s southwest, which was cool for the 90’s child (my husband) but it was time for a facelift. It’s in our bedroom, so I had to find a color that jived with the blue-ish gray bedspread and the beige walls. I found the picture to the right on Pinterest and decided I wanted a dark blue with gold-colored handles. My husband was down for the dark blue, but quickly struck down the gold handles. All our doorknobs are silver-colored and he didn’t like the idea of mixing metals. He is surprisingly opinionated on things like this. I protested that mixing metals is ok now according to certain décor bloggers, but he’s not convinced. For now the knobs are left as is (white) and it actually works, but I’m considering spray painting them silver (or gold—shhhhh) sometime in the future. Knobs are surprisingly expensive, and I’m trying to keep costs down.</p> <p>The tricky thing about this dresser was that the solid-colored drawers and the body were done with a glossy paint, so I knew I couldn’t just layer on another coat of paint. Priming was an option, but the primer I have on hand says to sand glossy surfaces before applying. Sanding that whole puppy down did not appeal to my pregnant self, so I decided to try out a DIY chalk paint (not to be confused with chalkboard paint, although it’s kind of similar). Chalk paint has some major sticking power, so sanding and primer are unnecessary. </p> <p>If I remember right, I did 1 part plaster of Paris (a big tub I got from Michaels for about $3 with a 40% off coupon) with enough water to make it a thickish paste and 3 parts paint. The paint was a $3 Valspar sample from Lowe’s. I used to think you could only pick from the samples they already had mixed, but it turns out they’ll mix any color you desire. I prefer Valspar because their samples are a little bigger for the same price. I rolled the chalk paint on with a little foam roller (a few coats) then topped it with some wax to give it some sheen and protection. I like how it turned out.</p> <p>Before After </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iYabVEoTmTo/Un7asLq42hI/AAAAAAAAA2M/xY4LFD3Ie8g/s1600-h/2013-07-10%25252008.35.42%25255B41%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-07-10 08.35.42" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-07-10 08.35.42" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mr6vcLLaENk/Un7awPqSQdI/AAAAAAAAA2U/OHnkn7o3UKM/2013-07-10%25252008.35.42_thumb%25255B41%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" height="297"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-E5-_hKzp4Ow/Un7ay2BoH-I/AAAAAAAAA2c/oX9VxXb-FhE/s1600-h/2013-11-01%25252014.55.50.jpg"><img title="2013-11-01 14.55.50" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-11-01 14.55.50" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lhy3RSpLRIA/Un7a0pK1YrI/AAAAAAAAA2k/rXJaRIpsw6o/2013-11-01%25252014.55.50_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" height="297"></a></p> <p>A couple weeks ago I decided to also paint the end table in Ching’s room. Before, Ching’s room was looking pretty… sterile. Almost everything was gray or white. It needed some color. So I primed and painted this end table (with another Valspar sample). It looks more green in person, by the way. It’s nothing fancy, but it turned out cute. I’m toying with the idea of painting the knob white. The knob is wood and glued on, so I just painted it like the rest for the sake of simplicity.</p> <p>Before After</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5K2v1SB30YE/Un7a3A25IBI/AAAAAAAAA2s/jsctZukGeNo/s1600-h/2013-10-18%25252017.36.14.jpg"><img title="2013-10-18 17.36.14" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-10-18 17.36.14" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wVq161dS_lg/Un7a5W-CRWI/AAAAAAAAA20/ScumiEcUXUA/2013-10-18%25252017.36.14_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" height="297"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3_Jj3aVJnvw/Un7a67rleRI/AAAAAAAAA28/jQcZmfgAWAM/s1600-h/2013-11-01%25252014.27.31.jpg"><img title="2013-11-01 14.27.31" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-11-01 14.27.31" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GE_nEi63CaY/Un7a8VvDwpI/AAAAAAAAA3E/bNctg8FaEeU/2013-11-01%25252014.27.31_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" height="297"></a></p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-64110108533032164822013-11-03T19:42:00.001-07:002013-11-03T19:42:47.055-07:00Month Two Development<p>Personal/social<br>-Smile responsively: smiles when talked to or smiled at (without touch). 90% pass at 6 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Smile spontaneously: smiles without being spoken to or touched. 90% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Regard own hand: stares at own hand for at least several seconds. 50% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet. We (mostly jokingly) put his hands in front of his face and tell him, “Regard your hand!” Haha, it hasn’t caught on yet.</font></p> <p>Fine Motor/adaptive<br>-Follow to midline: watches dangling yarn from the side of their head to the halfway point. 90% pass at 6 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font><br>-Follow past midline: watches dangling yarn from the side of their head past the halfway point. 75% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Pass.</font></p> <p>Language<br>-Ooo/aaaah: makes vowel sounds. 77% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Laughs: laughs aloud. 50% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet. I can tell he really wants to, but he hasn’t figured it out yet.</font><br>-Squeals: makes high-pitched happy sounds. 55% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet. He’s too busy talking. And we’re too busy trying to get him to say, “Aggies.” He says, “Ahh,” and “Giii,” separately, and we’re trying to get him to put them together. It’ll be his first word if it kills us.</font></p> <p>Gross Motor<br>-Head up 45 degrees: head makes a 45 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 78% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Head up 90 degrees: head makes a 90 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 45% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Passes.</font><br>-Sit head steady: holds head upright and steady (no bobbing) for a few seconds while being held in sitting position. 35% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not yet, but he’s getting close.<br></font>-Bear weight on legs: supports own weight on feet and legs for a few seconds in a standing position (holding child in standing position and slowly loosening hand support, but not letting go). 25% pass. <font color="#00ff00">Not quite. His legs are so strong that I’m kind of surprised he can’t, but the whole locking the knees thing isn’t happening.</font></p> <p>Things to practice for next month:</p> <p>-Regarding hands: We’ll continue putting toys in his hands to see if he’ll start noticing his hands. We have one of those dangling toy things that we set over him while he’s propped up on the (faux) boppy. Lately he really enjoys swatting the toys, but I don’t think it’s a matter of hand-eye coordination. I think he’s mostly figured out that if he flails his arms things move and make noises. But hey, one step closer to regarding his hands.</p> <p>-Laughs and squeals: There’s not too much to practice here, but I do think it’ll help if he hears laughter often.</p> <p>-Holding head up and bearing own weight: Again, not too much to practice except to let him try it frequently.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-46611500759663834782013-11-01T12:28:00.001-06:002013-11-01T12:28:11.820-06:00Status Revisited<p>A few weeks before my baby Ching was born I started using a journaling app called Momento. I highly recommend it if you’re in the market for a good journaling app. I got it for free (I don’t think it’s free anymore), but I’d gladly pay money for it because I like it so much. Not only does it have the typical feature of being able to do an entry (or multiple entries) for any given day on the calendar, you can attach pictures to your entries and tag people and places. Kind of a sweet feature. But the kicker for me is this: you can link it to your social media so that it automatically feeds into your journal. I’ve got it linked to my blog, Instagram, and Facebook. So I post a picture to Instagram—Bang! Automatically put in my journal. I do a status update on Facebook—Voila! Already duly noted in my journal. It’s so great. <p>As a sidenote, Instagram is my main form of posting tons of pictures of my adorable child, so you’ll have to follow me if you want to see. I’ve considered making a private blog just for him, but then I realized that Instagram meets all my sharing needs. I won’t share my Insta-handle here, but if you’re friends with me on Facebook you should be able to find it somewhere on my profile. If I know you I’ll let you follow me. <p>Anyway, back to my Momento train of thought. I happened to be looking through my past Facebook statuses (stati?) via Momento and realized that I haven’t really said anything noteworthy, clever, or funny in a while. Since my baby I just Instagram him with some cute caption (I flatter myself), and while I was pregnant I think I was too grumpy and tired to bother with a positive facebook status update (I avoid negative status updates whenever possible. I don’t like to read them, so why should I post them?). It’s been almost a year since I formed a really great status. <p>Thus, I decided to revisit some of my better Facebook statuses (stati? I really think this should be the plural form of status.) starting almost three years ago when I was a senior in college and barely dating my husband. I provide context when needed, and I should note that the first several are back in the era where your name was implied at the beginning of the status, so I inserted my name at the beginning in parenthesis. <p>On 9 December 2010 at 2:50 AM... (In the midst of a mouse invasion.)<br>"(Lindsey) sends this warning out to the mouse that just ran out of her bedroom: You are so dumb. You are really dumb. For real. You don't have to come and confess. We're looking for you! We gon find you, I'm gonna let you know now. So you can run and tell that. Homeboy."</p> <p>On 18 February 2011 at 1:23 AM... (During my internship.)<br> “(Lindsey) said to a three-year-old boy, "Look! I made a bird out of Duplos!" The three-year-old boy immediately responded, "I hate that bird."”</p> <p>On 25 February 2011 at 1:45 PM...<br> “(Lindsey) overheard a girl on the bus say, "She can't marry him; she doesn't even know him! When he's 40 he'll probably decide he's gay and leave her!"”</p> <p>On 01 April 2011 at 4:09 PM... (After an onslaught of fake engagements on Facebook. It was also a warning to my soon to be fiancé that I wasn't interested in getting legitimately engaged on April Fools.) <br> “(Lindsey) is assuming that every "engagement" posted today on this lovely April Fools Day is fake. I'm ignoring every last one of them. So if you legitimately got engaged today, maybe think about getting engaged tomorrow too.”</p> <p>On 13 April 2011 at 6:06 PM...<br> “(Lindsey) walked into a kindergarten classroom to give a Good-Touch/Bad-Touch presentation this afternoon, and the class informed "Miss Lindsey" that the letters Q and U got married today! There was even cake!”</p> <p>On 27 May 2011 at 7:36 PM... (While employed at Smith's around Memorial Day. This is my personal favorite status update—some<em>mum? </em>Where does this stuff come from? This is why some people like me.)<br> “If I see or touch another Memorial Day mum, I might kill somemum.”</p> <p>On 12 July 2011 at 2:20 PM... (After applying for job after job post-graduation.)<br> “(Lindsey) is still hoping that social work job at Hogwarts will open up soon.”</p> <p>On 15 August 2011 at 10:56 AM... (L=me, K=husband)<br> “Favorite conversation of the day: K: Well, it rained last night. L: Yeah? K: I sleep-walked. L: You did? I didn't even hear you. K: I went outside. It was raining.”</p> <p>On 09 September 2011 at 12:32 PM...<br> “Just when I thought I was internet addiction-less, I found Pinterest.”</p> <p>On 07 October 2011 at 2:23 PM... (It was a very cold couple of days.)<br> “Back in August our heater randomly kicked on. We scolded it (perhaps too harshly, as it was a slightly chilly morning) and it retreated. We haven't heard from it since. So, if you see a heater with extremely hurt feelings wandering around, tell it we miss it.”</p> <p>On 22 October 2011 at 4:31 PM... (After attending a USU football game.)<br> “Well. {husband} and I were on the kiss cam. So I guess we can call that a victory.”</p> <p>On 21 November 2011 at 11:40 AM...<br> “{Husband} (talking in sleep): "You're like sleeping beauty because you're sleeping and you're pretty." Thanks {husband} :)”</p> <p>On 29 January 2012 at 8:56 PM... (I loved the old raspberry. I don't even bother with Emergen-C anymore.)<br> “The "improved" flavors of Emergen-C are definitely not as good as the unimproved flavors. Fail.”</p> <p>On 02 February 2012 at 11:54 AM...<br> “I did my hair curly today, and Kindergarten boy said (while wiggling all his fingers on both sides of his face), " You have squiggley hair today!" Favorite GTBT quote of the day so far.”</p> <p>On 03 April 2012 at 6:06 PM... (Plastic flamingos for child abuse prevention month.)<br> “I picked up some flamingos from the county jail today! Out on good behavior!"</p> <p>On 22 April 2012 at 1:25 PM...<br> “If a brownie package says "Double Fudge" I have the right to expect chocolate chips, right? These brownies are good, but they only taste like single fudge.”</p> <p>On 31 May 2012 at 9:13 PM...<br> “I don't understand why all these massive zit popping videos are trending on Facebook. It's gross."</p> <p>On 04 July 2012 at 7:58 PM...<br> “My sister left this poem on my whiteboard, so I decided to share on behalf of Independence Day. "Roses are red. My name is Dave. This poem makes no sense. Microwave!"”</p> <p>On 30 July 2012 at 10:47 PM... (During the Olympics.)<br> “I love the little Peter Pan hop the male gymnasts do during the floor routine when they're going to the corner for the next tumbling pass.”</p> <p>On 31 July 2012 at 9:21 PM... (Also during the Olympics.)<br> “I think the girls on the U.S. gymnastics team are secretly Power Rangers.”</p> <p>On 05 August 2012 at 11:58 AM...<br> “Fast Sunday plus 1:00 church is killer. Especially when you get on Pinterest and see a recipe for cinnamon roll pancakes.”</p> <p>On 05 August 2012 at 6:55 PM... (Again with the Olympics, with a So You Think You Can Dance reference.)<br> “The female announcer for women's diving sounds just like Mary Murphy. I'm just waiting for her to put one of those girls on the hot tamale train.”</p> <p>On 11 September 2012 at 10:06 AM...<br> “I was just momentarily redirected to an ad for Myspace. It still exists??”</p> <p>On 15 November 2012 at 7:52 PM... (During my preschool days.)<br> “Yesterday one of my 4-year-olds told me that the order of the holidays is Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, then Valentine's Day. When I corrected him he shrugged and said, "Well, I guess it's that way THIS year..."”</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-45327437041345168332013-10-27T17:26:00.001-06:002013-10-27T17:26:15.229-06:00Month One Development<p>I took a class on infancy for my minor and I learned how to use a fun little development test called the Denver II. I filed it away because I knew I’d want to refer to it when I had my own kids, and sure enough, a couple weeks ago I remembered it. It took a little searching, but I found it. <p>The Denver II measures development in four different areas: Personal/Social, Fine Motor/Adaptive, Language, and Gross Motor. Under each area are abilities appearing on a line graph that ranges in age from birth to 6 years old. Each ability has its own rectangle strategically placed on the age spectrum and looks a little like this:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-doslZFdbkz8/Um2hFIKMxBI/AAAAAAAAA1g/H_gY2PDa1zs/s1600-h/Denver8.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Denver" border="0" alt="Denver" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WhLN4tcntyI/Um2hFpyBwUI/AAAAAAAAA1k/yKa_4Eh9Qvg/Denver_thumb6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="106"></a>The left side of the rectangle appears on the line graph at the age where 25% of babies can “pass” on the ability. The notch is the age where 50% of babies pass, the left side of the black part is 75% of babies, and the right side of the rectangle is 90% of babies.</p> <p>I like that it recognizes that normal development isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some kids can do things earlier, some later, but it can still be normal. If a kid still doesn’t have a particular ability after the 90% age it <em>may</em> indicate developmental delays, but even then it isn’t necessarily a concern unless he/she is late on other abilities too. </p> <p>Anyway, I’ve decided to do a monthly outline of what abilities are to be expected at each month and note whether Baby Ching is on track. The one month mark happened about three weeks ago, but I’ll do it anyway and try to remember. </p> <h1>One Month Old</h1> <p><strong>Personal/Social</strong><br>-Regard face: looks at faces from 12” away. 90% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Smile responsively: smiles when talked to or smiled at (without touch). 60% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Smile spontaneously: smiles without being spoken to or touched. 60% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Regard own hand: stares at own hand for at least several seconds. 27% pass. <font color="#ffc000">Not yet for Ching.<br></font><strong>Fine motor/Adaptive<br></strong>-Follow to midline: watches dangling yarn from the side of their head to the halfway point. 80% pass. <font color="#ffc000">I’m not sure if he was doing this at 1 month.</font><br>-Follow past midline: watches dangling yarn from the side of their head past the halfway point. 50% pass. <font color="#ffc000">I don’t think so.<br></font><strong>Language</strong><br>-Respond to bell: responds (with movement, eye movement, change in expression, change in breathing, etc.) to an unseen sound. 90% pass at 2 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Vocalizes: makes small sounds (uh, eh, etc.). 90% pass at 3 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-Ooo, aaaah: makes vowel sounds. 40% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.<br></font><strong>Gross Motor</strong><br>-Equal movements: moves both arms and both legs equally. 90% pass at 2 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.<br></font>-Lift head: at least momentarily lifts head while on tummy so chin is off surface (without the head being turned to the side). 90% pass at 2 weeks. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font><br>-head up 45 degrees: head makes a 45 degree angle from the surface for a few seconds while on tummy (without head being turned to the side). 55% pass. <font color="#0000ff">Ching passes.</font></p> <p>Things to practice for next check (which is next week):</p> <ul> <li>Regard hand: I’ll put things in his hands (he’s got a good grip) to try to encourage him to look at and be more aware of his hands. I’m not sure if this will work, but it won’t hurt.</li> <li>Follow to midline/past midline: I’ll start by trying to get him to follow my face in an arc over his head, then move to larger toys, then to yarn or string. In theory he’ll be more motivated to follow my face as opposed to string and he can get used to it. Once again, it may not work, but it’s worth a try.</li></ul> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-29126800862502277232013-10-24T12:09:00.001-06:002013-10-24T12:09:13.665-06:00And then there was a baby boy<p>Oh, hey! I’m back! It’s been a while. I actually wrote most of this about a month ago, but it’s taken me a while to get around to finishing it. That’s partially because I like to shower in my free time and partially because my computer is having some issues lately.</p> <p>I try to avoid being “journaly” on here—because that’s what my journal is for. However, I’ll give a somewhat brief rundown on the birth of my baby boy. Because that’s what you do.</p> <p>I went into labor on Labor Day. Cool, huh. I started to realize I was having regular contractions as we were watching American Ninja Warrior (which may explain Ching’s intense ninja-like desire to control his own head from day one), and by 1 a.m. I decided we needed to head to the hospital. I was a little reluctant because I really wasn’t in pain, but things were regular and frequent enough that I figured it had to be the real deal.</p> <p>The contractions were slightly more intense by the time we got to the hospital, but I was still doing good. I think the nurses that checked me in figured they were going to send me home since I was pretty calm and able to talk/walk through contractions. However, after being monitored and checked (I was at a 6), I was officially admitted.</p> <p>They asked me if I wanted an epidural, and I told them I wasn’t sure yet. I’d seen a video of an epidural being done and it kind of freaked me out. That needle was <em><u>big</u></em>. At the time I was doing ok, but I didn’t want to rule it out. Then they told me the anesthesiologist was in a C-section for the next hour (until about 3:45 a.m.) so I wouldn’t be able to get one until then anyway. After that things got a lot more intense and painful very quickly. By about 3:15 I’d decided an epidural was probably happening. Then at around 3:30 they told me the anesthesiologist was headed to something else (I think another C-section) after he was done with his current C-section, so it was now or never if I wanted that epidural. I was all for it. Bring that gigantic needle on.</p> <p>Getting the epidural actually wasn’t that bad. As they were getting things ready, I took one look at my husband and knew he was going to struggle. He doesn’t do so well with blood and the like. So I sent him away while they did the epidural. I was in good hands, though. Two nurses were taking care of me (one had just transferred from another hospital, so she was in training), and they were both great. I also heard the new one say to the trainer after the epidural was done, “That anesthesiologist is really good!” When I first got the epidural it made me shake really bad off and on, but after a few hours it was much better. I had the same problem when I got my wisdom teeth out, so it must just be how I react to numbing meds.</p> <p>After the epidural was going (and my husband came back in the room) they checked me again; I was at an 8 so they told me to get some sleep. Around 7 a.m. (when the shift ended and I got a different nurse) I was still at an 8, but they guessed breaking my water would make things progress really quickly. However, my doctor was just headed into a hysterectomy, so my nurse was told to just let me hang in there and not check me again (in case it broke my water) until he was done with the surgery at about 10 a.m. I was fairly comfortable with the epidural, and this meant I could sleep a little more, so I wasn’t too bothered by this. </p> <p>10 a.m. came and went. Then 11. Then it was noon and we still hadn’t heard anything from my doctor. My nurse went to go find out where my doctor was, and around that time my doctor called and asked if I was still at an 8. There had been some sort of miscommunication and my doctor thought they were going to go ahead and have someone else deliver me since he was stuck doing surgeries over at another hospital.</p> <p>Thus, they broke my water around 12:30 p.m. and I started pushing around 12:40 and had a baby boy by 1:13 p.m. He was 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20.5 inches long. He’s so adorable. He’s got dark hair, brown eyes, and hairy little ears and shoulders. He’s got all of his fingers and a majority of his toes. Because my husband only has 8 toes (he’s missing the middle toe on both feet), we knew it was a real possibility that Ching would inherit this quirky trait. Ching does have all of his toes, but his middle toes are definitely stubbier than the rest. It’s hard to tell at this point if the stubby ones are going to have a nail, but he’s got more middle toe than his father, so we’re counting it as a victory. He and I both were doing great, so we were released from the hospital right on schedule.</p> <p>Overall, labor and delivery wasn’t all that bad. It’s not something I want to repeat for a few years, but I’m not scarred for life. Honestly, I feel like it was pretty comparable to getting my wisdom teeth out. Granted, I think my wisdom teeth experience was more traumatic than most. My nurse that helped me through the delivery was fantastic, so that probably helped. All my nurses were great, actually.</p> <p>Recovery hasn’t been too bad. Even right afterwards I was never really in <em>pain</em>. I was mostly just sore. Granted, it was like I’d just biked 50 miles on a seat made of steel, but I wouldn’t consider it pain. Every time the nurses came in to give me another dose of Motrin they asked how much pain I was in on a scale of 1 to 10 and I felt stupid saying 1.5, but it was true. No need for a heavy-duty pain killer here.</p> <p>Because I was feeling so good, when I first came home I completely forgot about my prescription for 800 mg ibuprofen. However, nighttime rolled around and I realized I was feeling crappy. So I sent my husband out to get my prescription. He went to three pharmacies and they were either out of 800 mg ibuprofen (there happened to be a shortage—bizarre!) or closed for the night. So I ended up just taking four regular 200 mg ibuprofens. I think I went through that bottle in about 3 days. About a week later, my pharmacy called to let me know my prescription was ready, but by then I’d already scaled back to taking a normal dosage of ibuprofen only as needed. I thought this was funny. Good thing I wasn’t in a lot of pain!</p> <p>Anyway, that’s basically it. It was a pretty uneventful birth, and I’m totally ok with that. My baby is almost two months old now, so I really should talk more about how the transition into parenthood is going, but I’ll save that for another post. This one is definitely long enough already. So, you’ll hear from me again in another couple of months! Ha, just kidding. I’m going to try to get back into a blogging groove now that I’m starting to get a handle on managing my new life.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-2826345104909071242013-08-29T13:12:00.001-06:002013-08-29T13:12:57.371-06:00The Waiting Ensues<p>Way back when I was 34 weeks along my doctor had me start doing some weekly fetal monitoring. Baby Ching and I have a two-vessel cord going on, which “isn’t the end of the world” (as my doctor put it), but they want to keep an eye on it. Normal cords have three vessels—one taking stuff in and two hauling it out. Ours just has one vessel in and one out. The two vessels can handle everything just fine, but where it’s a skinnier cord I guess it’s a little more prone to get squished; hence the monitoring. </p> <p>According to my research, this happens about every 1 in 100 pregnancies (and most of the time ends up having no ill effects on the baby), so it’s not super common, but it happens. However, my pregnancy book mentions absolutely nothing about two-vessel cords. Not even a sentence. Sure, it has entire <em>sections</em> on umbilical-cord prolapse, bird flu, fibroid tumors, and lyme disease, but nothing on the one weird thing I’ve got going on. Go figure.</p> <p>Anyway, so I’ve been going in to get monitored once a week since I was 34 weeks. Part of the monitoring is a non-stress test where they measure Baby Ching’s heart rate along with my contractions (if any). The first time I went in, the lady looked at the print-out and said, “Oh, you’re having contractions.” <em>What?</em> She pointed out the big curves on the graph. “It’s been so hot, so you’re probably just dehydrated. I’ll get you some water.” So she gave me a cup of water. After I’d choked that down (literally—I’m not so skilled at drinking on an incline) she looked again and said, “Hmm. I’ll get you more water.” I’ve since learned that these contractions are just Braxton-Hicks, but I had no idea at the time. I heard her make a phone call to my doctor’s office and said something to the effect of, “She’s having contractions, but isn’t aware of them. I’m sending her home, but giving her some things to watch for.” <em>Sending me home? They’d considered keeping me?</em> She then told me to call my doctor if the contractions started to hurt or if, of course, my water broke. She said contractions aren’t a big deal after 35 weeks, so she told me to “hang in there for another six days at least.”</p> <p>Needless to say, I walked away kind of freaked out. I thought I had around six more weeks, give or take, but maybe—just maybe—I’d be having a baby much sooner than that. To top it off, a week later my doctor predicted that I probably wouldn’t go past my due date. I began thinking of things that needed to get done before Baby Ching comes and number one on my list was washing his clothes. So I ran to Target to get some free and clear laundry detergent. My child will not go naked. Some parents are cool with the whole nothing-but-a-diaper outfit, but it’s not my thing. It’s socially acceptable to wear clothes. </p> <p>Then as I was folding his clean clothes, I realized, “My son has <em>one</em> pair of pants.” Sure, pajamas will be sufficient for those first few weeks, but eventually I’ll take him to church, and who wears footie jammies to church? Everyone knows men wear pants to church. I’ll not have him holding that over my head when he grows up. I’ve since rounded up a couple more pairs of pants for him, so no worries. But it was a legitimate concern for a few weeks that he’d be born and have no pants.</p> <p>For the next few weeks I was on edge. I was reluctant to make plans, because surely I was going to have this baby at any moment. Now I’m three days (days!) away from my due date, and there’s still no baby. Just never-ending Braxton-Hicks. I’m sort of in denial at this point. After six weeks of <em>any day now</em>, I have a hard time convincing myself that eventually it <em>will</em> happen.</p> <p>Every day I’ve been asking Ching about his birthday preferences, “Ok, what about the 28th? That’s a good day to be born, right?” Then the 28th comes and goes and I tell him, “Ok. So not the 28th. But what about the 29th? That’s a good day, yeah?” I’ve known some moms who have a preference on their child being born on an even or odd day. I don’t really care if it’s even, odd, divisible by three, or a prime number. Any day is cool with me. I feel a little weird about the 13th, but we <u>definitely</u> won’t make it that far, so I’m not too concerned.</p> <p>Well, wish me luck (in your heart—no need to comment). Back when I was first pregnant, a coworker told me to take note of all the women around me that have had babies. There’s <em>tons</em> of them. She told me, “They all did it, so remember you can too.” I’m trying to keep that in mind. I’m probably not going to post any pictures of him on here or give his real name (Ching will continue to be his pseudonym) because I don’t want this blog to go private but I’m <a href="http://consider-the-heart-of-life.blogspot.com/2012/09/learning-to-wear-creeper-goggles.html">paranoid about internet creepers</a>. However, if you’re friends with me on Facebook you’ll be able to see him there.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572222032406437278.post-47106868798461319702013-08-15T18:17:00.001-06:002013-08-15T18:17:13.500-06:00Cookie Dough Brownies<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-D7O3XoVA-1U/Ug1vf95qulI/AAAAAAAAA04/NAmOVzdkRYA/s1600-h/2013-07-16-18.48.18-228.jpg"><img title="2013-07-16 18.48.18-2" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 17px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-07-16 18.48.18-2" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6DA3kasT9nc/Ug1vhtngRXI/AAAAAAAAA1A/7BIbwtL1pMI/2013-07-16-18.48.18-2_thumb25.jpg?imgmax=800" width="247" height="335"></a></p> <p>This isn’t a stellar picture, but let me assure you: These are stellar brownies. Although I’ve made a few tweaks of my own, this recipe is from a lady I used to babysit for. I don’t know where she got the recipe, but I can assure you that these brownies pre-date Pinterest. She’s that awesome.</p> <p>The premise of these brownies are fairly simple. It’s a brownie topped with egg-less chocolate chip cookie dough. Think of it as cookie dough frosting. </p> <p>Her original brownie layer of the recipe is one of those that calls for melted chocolate chips—I’ve opted for a slightly simpler (but still very delicious) recipe that uses cocoa powder instead. Alternately, a store-bought brownie mix could also be used, following the box directions.</p> <p>Brownie Layer (Adapted from <a href="http://cooklikeyourgrandmother.com/2009/07/how-to-make-perfect-brownies/">How To Cook Like Your Grandmother</a>):</p> <ul> <li>1 1/2 cup sugar</li> <li>3/4 cup flour</li> <li>3/4 cup cocoa powder</li> <li>3 eggs, slightly beaten</li> <li>3/4 cup butter, melted</li> <li>1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)</li></ul> <p>Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together with a spoon, being careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 pan. It will be thick, so just spread it around (or poke it around if using parchment paper) until it’s evenly distributed. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.</p> <p>(Note: These brownies on their own are amazing, but should you choose to go a non-cookie dough route, add some chocolate chips. Refer to the above link for the amount. The chocolate chips are a bit of an overkill with the cookie dough brownies, so I’ve omitted them here.)</p> <p>Cookie Dough Layer:</p> <ul> <li>1/2 cup butter, softened</li> <li>1/2 cup packed brown sugar</li> <li>1/4 cup sugar</li> <li>3 Tbsp milk</li> <li>1 tsp vanilla</li> <li>1 cup flour</li> <li>1 cup chocolate chips</li></ul> <p>Cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Slowly add flour. After the flour is incorporated stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the cookie dough onto the cooled brownie, then carefully spread the cookie dough evenly over the brownies. Keep refrigerated.</p> <p>If you want it to look pretty, drizzle some chocolate sauce or melted chocolate chips over the top. I haven’t tried it personally, but I’m sure these brownies would be delightful along with some vanilla ice cream.</p> Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12999705061327892797noreply@blogger.com2