People, unless you have a blog of your own, you have no idea how much joy it brings a blogger to read comments from readers. We love them. We crave them. We feed off them. They spur us on to blog more.
It's silly really that we get so ecstatic about a few brief statements. It would be like I was talking to you face to face telling you, for example, about the time I played basketball against a team of creepy but patriotic Canadian midgets, and then after I finish you say something like, "Boooring. You've already told me that one. Get a new midget story." And then, despite your insensitivity, I get really excited, clap my hands and say, "Yesssss! You talked to me!! Shannon, someone talked to me again!"
But that's what it's like. You have the power to brighten my day, even with curses and criticism. So faithful readers, I entreat you, brighten my day! With this tutorial, you previously silent lurkers have no excuses.
Those of you that do comment regularly, thank you! You are the wind beneath my wings, the narcotic in this addict's veins.
Rookies (aka Mom): Make sure your sound is turned on, then click on the video box below.
Veterans: Don't bother watching
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Bad Question = New Poll
If you were one of the 5 people that voted already on the Leap Day question, sorry you will have to vote again. The way I worded the first question made it hard for people to answer, so I deleted that poll. What I really want to know is if you had to induce or have a c-section, something that gave you some choice in your baby's birthday, would you choose to give your baby a Leap Day birthday?
P.S. If you comment using the anonymous button, type your name because it makes it so much more fun when we know who thinks what.
P.S. If you comment using the anonymous button, type your name because it makes it so much more fun when we know who thinks what.
Leap Year Baby?
Well, we had another Non-stress test today and passed with flying colors. Since we are so healthy we are going to keep waiting. On Friday, we are scheduled for a BPP, which is an ultrasound test that will make sure that the baby has enough fluid and the placenta is functioning normally. As long as that test comes back normal we will at least wait through next weekend before attempting to induce.
This got us thinking...Qwanesha might be born in March! Or she could be a Leap Year Baby!!!
Brian's grandma really doesn't want it to be a Leap Year Baby. What do you think? Would it be cool? weird? Vote in the poll and then leave a comment with your thoughts.
This got us thinking...Qwanesha might be born in March! Or she could be a Leap Year Baby!!!
Brian's grandma really doesn't want it to be a Leap Year Baby. What do you think? Would it be cool? weird? Vote in the poll and then leave a comment with your thoughts.
Bath Time Belly Bulges
This is what our little girl does instead of coming out. Maybe she's trying but she just can't find the door?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Les Miserables
Last night I went to see Les Miserables with one of my friends from school. The show is hosted by my school but has students involved from the other two Bellingham High Schools as well as Ferndale High. Several of my former students are involved in the production: from main actors to the chorus, from the backstage crew to the live all-student orchestra. They have been working hard all year on this play and I'm really glad I got a chance to see it!
If you are in Bellingham and want something fun to do, the show is playing through next weekend at Bellingham High School. I highly recommend it. Just make sure to get there early to get a good seat.
Show and Ticket Information
Bellingham Herald Review
If you are in Bellingham and want something fun to do, the show is playing through next weekend at Bellingham High School. I highly recommend it. Just make sure to get there early to get a good seat.
Show and Ticket Information
Bellingham Herald Review
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Non-stress Test
Today, little Qwanesha had her first test, an NST or Non-stress Test. Around 40 weeks of pregnancy the placenta, which has been transferring sustenance between me and baby, can start to deteriorate. So my doctor's office just wanted to make sure she was still healthy by checking that her heart rate elevates with movement and subsides with rest.
The nurse reclined me on the examination table and then rolled in a cart with a little machine on it and strapped a heart monitor to my belly. I was handed a glass of ice water with a straw and a button to push whenever the baby moved. Brian thought I looked kind of funny, like a beach bum about to detonate her belly. The nurse left the room and the machine started spitting out a line graph of little baby's fluctuating heart rate.
A few minutes later, the nurse popped her head back in and asked "Is she doing gynamstics in there?!" I told her she is always VERY active. She told me that I could stop pushing the button because she could hear her moving all the way in the hall. Then the nurse looked at the print out and proclaimed that it was already a "beautiful NST," but we would give it a few more minutes for good measure.
That's the good news. Our girl is very healthy and reactive. The bad news is that she is still inside me. I know that many of you are checking our blog or calling to hear news of her grand entrance. But true to Rush form, she is starting out life late. At least she is not stressed about it.
Brian has been incredibly supportive as I have battled roller-coaster emotions as the days go by. He keeps reminding me that the average first pregnancy is 41 weeks and a day. I don't know what he is going to say after tomorrow.
The doctor I was supposed to see had four women in labor at the hospital. (I guess some babies did respond to the lunar eclipse, Mom) But kindly enough another doctor stepped in to talk to us about our options. They are pretty respectful of the fact that Brian and I would like to have a natural non-medicated childbirth. But since induction is non-natural she talked us through each option and tried to prepare us for needing to deviate from our plan. According to her, after 42 weeks the probability of complications due to placental decline significantly increases, but the induction process for first time moms is not always easy. So our doctor's office likes to avoid it if possible and they hope to give us the natural birth we desire.
Our next steps are to do another NST and see the doctor on Monday. At that point we will decide on our method of induction and schedule it at the childbirth center, later that week. Hopefully, we will have a birthday party before that.
The nurse reclined me on the examination table and then rolled in a cart with a little machine on it and strapped a heart monitor to my belly. I was handed a glass of ice water with a straw and a button to push whenever the baby moved. Brian thought I looked kind of funny, like a beach bum about to detonate her belly. The nurse left the room and the machine started spitting out a line graph of little baby's fluctuating heart rate.
A few minutes later, the nurse popped her head back in and asked "Is she doing gynamstics in there?!" I told her she is always VERY active. She told me that I could stop pushing the button because she could hear her moving all the way in the hall. Then the nurse looked at the print out and proclaimed that it was already a "beautiful NST," but we would give it a few more minutes for good measure.
That's the good news. Our girl is very healthy and reactive. The bad news is that she is still inside me. I know that many of you are checking our blog or calling to hear news of her grand entrance. But true to Rush form, she is starting out life late. At least she is not stressed about it.
Brian has been incredibly supportive as I have battled roller-coaster emotions as the days go by. He keeps reminding me that the average first pregnancy is 41 weeks and a day. I don't know what he is going to say after tomorrow.
The doctor I was supposed to see had four women in labor at the hospital. (I guess some babies did respond to the lunar eclipse, Mom) But kindly enough another doctor stepped in to talk to us about our options. They are pretty respectful of the fact that Brian and I would like to have a natural non-medicated childbirth. But since induction is non-natural she talked us through each option and tried to prepare us for needing to deviate from our plan. According to her, after 42 weeks the probability of complications due to placental decline significantly increases, but the induction process for first time moms is not always easy. So our doctor's office likes to avoid it if possible and they hope to give us the natural birth we desire.
Our next steps are to do another NST and see the doctor on Monday. At that point we will decide on our method of induction and schedule it at the childbirth center, later that week. Hopefully, we will have a birthday party before that.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Relationship Advice from the School Bus
One Nine-year-old girl to another: "When you beat up a boy it sorta means you love him."
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
James and Katherine Moes
January was a busy month for Brian and me. Now that I am done working and just sitting around waiting for our baby to come, I am catching up on some blogging.
One of the highlights of January was attending our friend James's wedding. Brian went to Trinity Western University with James. They were both art majors and put on their first non-school related art show collaboratively.
Although this was the 27th wedding Brian and I have attended together(!), it was our first Orthodox wedding. Separate from our own journey, James and Katherine recently joined the Orthodox church. You can read more about Orthodox weddings on our other blog, Liminal Incense.
One of the highlights of January was attending our friend James's wedding. Brian went to Trinity Western University with James. They were both art majors and put on their first non-school related art show collaboratively.
Although this was the 27th wedding Brian and I have attended together(!), it was our first Orthodox wedding. Separate from our own journey, James and Katherine recently joined the Orthodox church. You can read more about Orthodox weddings on our other blog, Liminal Incense.
Congratulations James and Katherine!
May God grant you many years, health and salvation!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Conversations from the School Bus
I think driving school buses is training me to parent in those unusual situations you can't fully anticipate. At least I hope there's some transference from one situation to the other. With my primary responsibility being to get these kids safely home in a timely manner, It's often challenging to respond to some of their concerns as quickly as I need to but still be sensitive and fair. I can imagine that parenting, especially with multiple children, will demand similarly expedient, on-the-ball responses.
Everyday the younger kids say things like, "Billy said the B-word!" or "Katrina stuck her tongue out at me." I'm getting better at quickly defusing these standard situations but I still get thrown for a loop on a regular basis with more bizarre comments and situations.
A few weeks ago, a scrawny 11-year-old decked in camouflage was riddling me with adultish clichés like, "It's been really rainy this week, huh?" and "The flu bug is really gettin' around these days." Then, he was quiet for a while--perhaps he ran out of stereotypical small-talk topics. Finally, out of the blue, he says:
"I have huge tonsils."
Yesterday, most of the kids were loaded on the bus already and we were just waiting for our departure time when the sweetest little kindergarten girl walks up to me and says, "Bus driver, Julie is sad."
Me: "Why is she sad?"
Little Girl: "Here." She grabs my hand. "Come with me."
We walk down the aisle hand in hand.
Little Girl: "Tina told Julie she wasn't her friend any more."
How do you deal with this!? I would not make a good kindergarten teacher.
Later, mid-drive with the same wee ones, amidst the uproar of 3 o'clock juveniles, I hear what sounds like tiny English-speaking kittens. Some of them, because there's a placard up front inscribed with their previous driver's name, are calling me "Jim." The others are just saying "bus driver." I look in my rearview mirror and single out one of the smallest kittens who looks like she's about to cry.
Me: What's wrong?
Teary-eyed Kitten: Megan says she won't let me look at her imaginary guinea pig.
I am dead serious. She said this.
Me: Her imaginary guinea pig??
TEK: Yeah, she won't let me look at it.
Completely baffled that someone would shed real tears over an imaginary guinea pig and seeing what I thought was a fairly simple solution I told her that she should have an imaginary guinea pig too. I couldn't hear her response. I hope I didn't add to her sorrow.
Everyday the younger kids say things like, "Billy said the B-word!" or "Katrina stuck her tongue out at me." I'm getting better at quickly defusing these standard situations but I still get thrown for a loop on a regular basis with more bizarre comments and situations.
A few weeks ago, a scrawny 11-year-old decked in camouflage was riddling me with adultish clichés like, "It's been really rainy this week, huh?" and "The flu bug is really gettin' around these days." Then, he was quiet for a while--perhaps he ran out of stereotypical small-talk topics. Finally, out of the blue, he says:
"I have huge tonsils."
Yesterday, most of the kids were loaded on the bus already and we were just waiting for our departure time when the sweetest little kindergarten girl walks up to me and says, "Bus driver, Julie is sad."
Me: "Why is she sad?"
Little Girl: "Here." She grabs my hand. "Come with me."
We walk down the aisle hand in hand.
Little Girl: "Tina told Julie she wasn't her friend any more."
How do you deal with this!? I would not make a good kindergarten teacher.
Later, mid-drive with the same wee ones, amidst the uproar of 3 o'clock juveniles, I hear what sounds like tiny English-speaking kittens. Some of them, because there's a placard up front inscribed with their previous driver's name, are calling me "Jim." The others are just saying "bus driver." I look in my rearview mirror and single out one of the smallest kittens who looks like she's about to cry.
Me: What's wrong?
Teary-eyed Kitten: Megan says she won't let me look at her imaginary guinea pig.
I am dead serious. She said this.
Me: Her imaginary guinea pig??
TEK: Yeah, she won't let me look at it.
Completely baffled that someone would shed real tears over an imaginary guinea pig and seeing what I thought was a fairly simple solution I told her that she should have an imaginary guinea pig too. I couldn't hear her response. I hope I didn't add to her sorrow.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
What?!
I have yet to experience the common pregnancy complaint of strangers touching my belly, but every time I go out I do have at least one stranger ask about my pregnancy. Lately, I have been having a lot of fun answering the question "When are you due?" with one word "Thursday." Shocked, people usually say "What?! Wow!" and then continue excitedly with various other questions and comments like "And you're still driving!"
Today, I tried my doctor's recommendation of Raspberry Tea to jump start labor. Nothing yet. Maybe for dinner I will try his other recommendation: Eggplant Parmesan. Any other ideas?
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