Megan

Now that I'm 30...

2012-01-09T21:40:00.003-06:00

My 30th birthday has come and gone, and I'm still here. My dad reminded me over the phone that even a milestone is just another birthday. Part of me knows that, but part of me was still a bit bummed about turning 30. I think that to me, 30 means that I have to stop pretending to be a kid and just start acting like an adult. My retirement portfolio update for the last quarter came in the mail today...and it's pretty depressing...is this what adulthood means?

Enough of that! The past few weeks have been very fun, with Christmas and (yes) celebrating my birthday, and having my sweet husband home : ) Teachers may not make much money, but it sure is nice to have "Daddy" home for three weeks! He did do a lot of work planning for the coming semester, but he usually did his work during Jon's naptime and after bedtime, so we had a lot of fun during the day. We slept late most mornings, either stayed at home doing random stuff or went outside for walks and errands. Today was our first day of reality, with Jonathan back a work, Jon back at preschool, and me back on a normal routine. I feel rested, relaxed, and optimistic about the coming semester, which is a very good way to feel : )

Here are a few pictures (we are not picture taking people...thankfully our parents are documenting Jon's growth!!)

Below: Enjoying "Tuba Christmas" on the South steps of the Capitol building in Austin. A grand Pollock tradition to attend this amateur concert every year, and I'm glad Jonathan has embraced it. Note that he is in short-sleeves. I think it was around 65 that day! We even convinced some friends (in the background of the pic w/ Jon & Jonathan) to join us.

We had a post-Tuba Christmas lunch at Stubbs, like we did last year. I wish I had a picture of Jon at the table from last year! I must start taking pictures of these things! We enjoyed our barbecue, but it is nothing like a good, Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich from Central BBQ.

No pictures from Christmas : ( Again...I think my father documented. We enjoyed a lovely worship service at church, came home to a Christmas brunch with a couple of friends, then had naps (all of us!), and opened presents in the evening when my parents came in town. I think I actually prefer that set up over getting up and immediately opening presents. I received a much-needed new pair of Chacos, which I am slowly breaking in, a fun new cookbook (Make the Bread, Buy the Butter), and several other fun gifts. Jon is up to his eyeballs in new toys (only a kitchen and a block set from his parents I might add), and I am seriously going to have to put some away in closets because his toybox, toy basket, and shelves are literally full. There are trucks and stuffed animals lined up on the floor in my living room, and I need to remedy that soon.

Below: For my birthday, my sweet mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law came into town to watch Jon while Jonathan and I had a little mini-vacation in San Antonio for a few days. It was so nice to go out to adult restaurants, see a movie, and enjoy the company of my husband without having to worry about taking care of a 2-year-old. We really appreciate our family coming in town to help us out! Below is a picture from a restaurant on the Riverwalk. It was still decorated for Christmas, and all of the trees with lights were absolutely beautiful!

On Saturday, I had an afternoon at the salon where I enjoyed a mani/pedi and a non-soccer mom haircut. (The last time I had my haircut, I was appalled at how dated it was...this time, I went to a salon where a very sweet, very tattoo-ed girl with blue hair helped me pick out a new style. I think it worked). Below are my ruby-slipper toes to celebrate my birthday : )

So now we jump into 2012 and all it has to offer - hopefully continuing to build friendships in Texas while hanging on to our friendships in Tennessee, enjoying our toddler and laughing to ourselves even as we put him in his 5th time out of the hour, and tackling yet another higher education job search. Although 2011 had its stresses and heartaches, I do believe I grew over the year and I am so thankful for my family that I am with every day.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-21T21:26:00.004-06:00

This year, I thought Jon might be old enough to help me decorate Christmas cookies. (More on that later). So I invited some friends to a casual Christmas cookie decorating open house.

Then Jon was diagnosed with a respiratory virus, and all of our friends stayed home. I don't blame them, since who wants to expose their kid to germs four days before Christmas?

But we still had the party all to ourselves, and I think I will give my neighbors all of the cookies!

Before
(My Memphis friends may notice the Swanky's cups holding my icing bags).

So Jon didn't quite get the concept of decorating. He ate one un-iced cookie that I set in front of him, and then ate another cookie immediately after I had iced it and offered sprinkles for him to add. Oh well...maybe he just needs to be a bit older. One of my friends told me that her almost-3-year-old licked off the icing on all of the cookies she tried to get him to decorate! Is this a boy thing or a toddler thing??

Jonathan decides to join in on the fun!

The finished product!

I also think I have finally found my go-to sugar cookie and icing recipe! I have been searching for one for years - most everything I try is dry, tasteless, and not very appetizing. When I made snowman cookies for Jon's first birthday, they were adorable but nearly inedible. The cookie recipe I used this time around is from America's Test Kitchen - the roll-out butter cookie recipe. It is basically a shortbread recipe, but it has a little cream cheese for better flavor and texture. Then for the icing, I made the basic royal icing recipe from the Wilton meringue powder container, but added vanilla. The end product was a sweet, lightly flavored cookie and icing that I can definitely see myself making again. I am interested to try them flavored with citrus (maybe zest in the cookie and juice in the icing) or cinnamon/cardamon.

Jon

2011-12-17T14:21:00.002-06:00

I titled this update simply "Jon," because that is what I hear a lot of these days. Jon has his name down, and he also understands possession. So this is a taste of his ramblings:

"Jon plate, Jon sippy cup, Jon fork" (at meal times, pointing to everything on the table)

"Jon ball?
"No, sweetie, not your ball."
"Jon ball?" (now reaching and grunting a little bit)
"No, sweetie, that is the store's ball."

He has also fused the words "please" and "Mama" into one, so whether he is talking to me or not, this is what he says:

"More Elmo pleasemama?"
"More banana pleasemama?"
"Up pleasemama?"
"Come pleasemama?"
"Go in Daddy car pleasemama?"

At least the kid is hopefully learning some manners : )

Speaking of manners, we are definitely in full-on testing mode at home and at school. The past week or two at school, Jon has been put in time out for not following directions or trying to wake up his friends during nap time. The teachers always say that he is not be malicious or mean, just doing his own thing and not following directions. At home, Jon responds pretty well to time outs, although sometimes it does take two in a row for him to either follow directions or discontinue negative behavior. I know he is too young to have rewards or consequences at home for his behavior at school, but I'm looking for suggestions to help him follow directions when I'm not around. We talk about obeying teachers like we obey Mama and Daddy, and his teachers are on board with counting/timeouts like we do at home. Thankfully his teachers have kids of their own and (at least to my face) tell me that they understand that testing is age appropriate and he is not really a trouble maker.

To end on a funny note, we thought maybe Jon didn't understand what "No" meant, because he would answer "No" for questions which it seemed obvious the answer was "Yes," for example:

"Jon, do you want to come inside?"
"No." (always said in a nonchalant, 'I'd really rather not,' tone of voice)
"Jon, do you want to stay outside?"
"No."

But the other day, Jonathan and I were trying to figure out who would change the last diaper of the day, and this made us laugh:

"Jon, do you want Mama to change your diaper?"
"No."
"Do you want Rar (the name of his dinosaur stuffed animal) to change your diaper?"
quick head turn and smile "Yes!"

Moms are awesome!

2011-12-10T22:39:00.002-06:00

Get through the first paragraph, and you will see why I think moms are awesome : )

So this time last week, I was a bit of a wreck. I was emotionally checked out because I felt like everything I did was a failure: trying to raise my son, trying to keep my apartment in working order, trying to get my actual paying part-time job done, etc. My husband was a huge encouragement, but I was just feeling bad and he couldn't help me snap out of my funk. The sermon on Sunday was wonderful - about Jesus' genealogy and how anyone who was in the midst of the Old Testament may not have understood how certain unpleasant events would lead to redemption...but they did! Moral of the story: God has the long view, and we need to trust him even when we might not understand what is going on in the present. I was basking in the glow of being reminded of God's love and faithfulness, then I fell (while trying to step over a baby gate holding my 30+ pound son...do not do this) and twisted my knee. I kind of lost it. I was in pain, Jon was screaming and crying, and I started crying and just could not stop. Monday I was doing a little better, but still felt a bit of a cloud hanging over me.

Then...my mom called : ) And suggested that she come visit : ) So she came down for about 24 hours, just Thursday to Friday afternoon. She helped me put up Christmas decorations, made some chicken noodle soup, entertained Jon in the cart while we went grocery shopping, helped me rearrange some furniture, and just all around made me feel loved. It's sometimes just nice for someone to come in from out of town for the day and spend time with you. Especially your mom.

Jonathan noted on Friday afternoon that I was in a much better mood than I had been the previous week. I agreed, knowing that it took some good reminders from Scripture, a little time to myself, and a visit from Mom.

Favorite Quote of the Day

2011-11-30T09:46:00.002-06:00

"To hell with you. To hell with you and to hell with the internet. It's distracting. It's meaningless; it's not real. It's in the air somewhere."

- Ray Bradbury, 91, to Yahoo, when asked to put one of his books online.

Yesterday it was reported that Fahrenheit 451 will be published in eBook form. Kind of makes me want to reread it now that I'm not being forced to by my English teacher. I will, however, pick up the paperback on my bookshelf, because that's the way Mr. Bradbury wanted it to be.

Quick notes!

2011-11-21T17:56:00.002-06:00

Wow! So much has been going on lately! I'm too lazy to post pictures, but I'll get some up soon. We were in Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago for Jonathan's sister's wedding, and it was a lot of fun. I possibly pushed myself a little more than I should have, but I was having a blast creating decorations for the wedding, cooking, baking, and spending a small fortune at Hobby Lobby! Back at home, we were just back to 'normal' when Jon came down with his first ear infection (almost made it 2 years!) and croup : ( And now we are getting ready to go up to my parents' home for Thanksgiving - ALL of the kids and their spouses will be in one place at one time, and we are excited.

Here are some quick, fun facts about Jon these days:
* Loves giving hugs and kisses! To us, his teachers at school, his friends, our cat, his stuffed animals, his blocks, the furniture, his food, the car...everything
* Eating much better with a fork and spoon. It usually lasts the first half of the meal, then he gets tired of it and just goes back to eating with his fingers
* "Up, please" is one of his favorite phrases, and I have had to start telling him that he is sometimes getting to big to be picked up.
* Speaking of being a big boy, Jon made it through the first half of the worship service on Sunday sitting in his own seat and standing up next to me during the standing parts (singing songs, responsive readings, etc.) He usually sits in one of our laps and we hold him while standing, but we've started putting him in his own seat (partly because he is soooo big), and he is doing really well : )
* Loves singing his ABCs, the Wheels on the Bus, 10 Little Pumpkins, and Row, Row, Row Your Boat
* I am trying to teach Jon how to say his name. He refers to himself as "baby," but recently he has been saying "Jaawww" when I ask him what his name is. Sometimes I'll get a "Jaaawww-nah" Super cute!

Okay, that's all for now! Happy Thanksgiving!

long week

2011-11-04T08:51:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends,

It has been a long week for our family. This time last Friday, I was bleeding and cramping, starting to miscarry our 9-week-old new baby. Although I had a slight warning - an ultrasound 12 days earlier that showed a slow heart rate - I had been hoping and praying that our little one would grow and gain strength. Seeing my baby on the ultrasound monitor without any movement was the saddest thing I have ever witnessed in my life. Although it did not take away our grief, I did have some relief that if there was something wrong with the baby developmentally, it died early and not half way through the pregnancy or two days after he/she was born. Jonathan and I have been leaning on our faith, that God is the creator of all life, and that he has a good plan for our family. I am thankful for our church family that has been praying for us and supporting us, my mother who came down for four days this week to help us with Jon while I had a procedure at the hospital to finish the miscarriage, and I am thankful for my sweet little boy who has been the source of many smiles this week. Jonathan and I both do not know how we would have gotten through this if it had happened when we were pregnant with Jon. My heart goes out to women who lose their first babies, without the joy of a son or daughter at home for comfort.

Right now I am still deeply sad. Not angry. Not bitter. Not hopeless. Just sad and tired. If you are a praying person, I would ask you to pray for our family over these next few months, that our sorrow would be turned to joy. I hesitated to share about the miscarriage in such a public arena, but I have taken comfort from those I know who have been through this before, and I hope that someday I can be a comfort for another going through this. Since anywhere from 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage, I am sure that some of you reading this have gone through this.

Speaking about our little energy-ball of joy, Jon is wanting to play so I need to wrap this up! Thank you for your support.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. - Ecclesiastes 11:5

Another great fall day

2011-10-19T16:08:00.002-05:00

Am I going on too much about how much I love this weather? I love days when I can be outside and not sweat : ) As I was walking today, I thought about how thankful I am for where we live. I am not a huge fan of our apartment, but it is three blocks away from Jon's preschool, two blocks away from the grocery store, about a half mile away from our town square, post office, bank, and about a mile away from the library, park, and recreation center. So even though I don't have a car during the week, I can get pretty much everything done that I need to. Over the summer, I just got used to being drenched in sweat, and now I am really, really enjoying walking around this little town. Jon has also learned the word 'outside,' and understands what 'we'll go outside after your nap' means, so we are frequent visitors to the park. This time last year I was still depressed about not living in Memphis, so I didn't enjoy myself very much. But I'm making up for lost time now. When we first moved here, I think I felt that I had lost my little neighborhood in Midtown, and how could I ever get that back. I just needed to rethink my definition of neighborhood. The same amount of space that is Midtown Memphis is pretty much the entire town of San Marcos. As I walked home for the grocery store this afternoon - having to take a couple of breaks, because I really bought more than I could comfortably carry - I had a flashback to lugging groceries from Schnuck's to our apartment in Memphis the year we didn't have a car. So this post started as a note about how beautiful it outside and came around to another realization that San Marcos is becoming home.

Definition of Regressive Tax and why Megan does not like it

2011-10-17T18:30:00.002-05:00

With the 2012 presidential election season upon us, I thought I'd just chime in a bit on the ridiculousness that seems to be catching on, namely Herman Cain's regressive tax plan. Let's review the difference between a regressive and a progressive tax. A regressive tax, also known as flat tax, or "fair" tax, taxes all income earners at the same rate. A progressive tax taxes income earners at different rates based on their level of income. A lot of people say that progressive taxation is not fair because you are punishing success. May I explain how I see regressive taxation as being unfair, or at least harmful to those who we really need to try to help?

So, if we all pay the same percentage in income tax, let's just say...oh...9.1%, that means that a family who earns $200,000 a year will pay around $18,200 in taxes, leaving them around $181,800 disposable income to spend on health care, housing, food, utilities, fun, etc. Now look at a family who earns $40,000. They will pay $3,640 in taxes, leaving them $36,340 disposable income to spend on health care, housing, food, utilities, etc. As someone in the latter category, I can tell you that $3,640 would be a significant tax increase compared to the present tax code. We spend our disposable income on our health coverage, rent on an 800 square foot apartment, food, utilities, gas for our one used car, and student loans. Our luxury spending would probably be preschool for our almost 2 year old and fancy cell phones. I'm not including internet as a luxury, because I work from home, so internet is a work expense. All that said, I think that when it comes to the impact on daily life, a "fair" tax impacts the lower income negatively compared to the higher income, since raising taxes on low-middle and low-income families affects their ability to buy adequate food, health coverage, and housing. I may go out on a limb and say that raising taxes on millionaires affects their ability to buy vacation homes, pass wealth on to their heirs, and...I honestly don't know what the rich do with their money. A gallon of milk costs the same for someone making $7.50 an hour and someone making a million dollars a year, however, it is a greater percentage of the former worker's disposable income.

Cain's plan would also get rid of all tax deductions except charitable giving. The charitable deduction benefits basically the wealthy, since many low income and low-middle income families who give an equal percentage of their income away to charitable organizations do not give the minimum amount to qualify for the tax deduction.

Herman Cain admits that some would see their taxes increase with his plan, although he seems to think this is only based on what they spend. This tax policy would increase the income tax rate that low-middle and low income earners pay as well as most likely double their sales tax. Cain's answer to this is to tell people to buy more used goods instead of new goods. My husband asked if restaurant food is considered used goods... Our family could not buy more used goods than we already do. We cannot buy used food, used diapers, used soap, used health care, used internet service, or used gas. We already live in a used condo and drive a used car.

Jonathan tells me not to get so worried, because he doesn't think Cain will move forward, and even if he did happen to win the election, there is no way this tax plan would pass. What worries me is that so many people seem to think that a slick campaign message is more important than the substance of that message. I have mentioned to many friends that I am more than willing to pay more in taxes if it means that public programs and safety nets are kept in place. I will say that I am willing to pay more in taxes, but not if it means that the wealthy get a tax break while I get a tax increase. That is what seems unfair to me.

Counting

2011-10-06T08:36:00.003-05:00

Jon and I were reading a book yesterday, and I counted out five birds for him. When Jonathan came home from work, Jon wanted to show him how he could count:

"Two, three, two, three, two...two birds!"

Hello Fall!!

2011-10-03T18:31:00.003-05:00

After a long, hot, dry summer, I cannot tell you how excited I am that Fall is finally here! I took three walks today! Well, one to drop Jon off at preschool, one to pick him up, and then one early in the evening just 'cause the weather is so beautiful : ) I have had all of the windows open today, and I am even wearing a long sleeved shirt. Yes, I wear long sleeved shirts when it is in the 80s! That is what a summer of 100+ degree days has done to me. To put it in perspective, I have a new friend who just moved here from New Jersey, and she has commented on how excited she is to get to still wear shorts in October...and I think it's cool : ) I cooked pork tenderloin with apples and onions for dinner last night, and the whole apartment just smelled like Fall.

Hope everyone is enjoying Fall where ever you are!

One firefighter

2011-09-21T22:05:00.003-05:00

In my last blog post, I wrote about Jon's new words. I think I'm just so happy, because I thought this kid was never going to start talking! It seems like everyday he says more new words, and I am very excited to see him learning. Of course, it is also much easier to communicate when both of us talk! His newest words are 'yay,' 'hi,' 'no,' 'now,' and 'bye,' although he pronounces it 'die.' Jon hasn't so much gotten down the 'b' sound - all of his 'b' words come out as 'd' words. Normal, anyone? So throughout the day, I hear "die tar" (bye guitar), "two cat yay!" and much more. He has the number two down, and sometimes three, but that's about it. Today he was playing with a car, and here was our conversation:
Megan: One car, Jon (holding up one finger)
Jon: Two car? (holding up two fingers)
Megan: No Jon, one car.
Jon: Two car? (holding up two fingers)
Megan: No sweetie, one car.
By that time, he just gave up. A little later he did indeed have two cars in his hands, at which point he exclaimed, "two car, yay!"

So here is one firefighter: (eating a cookie)

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-16T14:42:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Jonathan's birthday last night with dinner out and a birthday cake! (Note: eating actual birthday cake with birthday cake ice cream is TOO MUCH!) We tried out a new restaurant for us, Japaneiro Latino. I had to take a picture because I thought the name of the restaurant was hilarious. I was expecting some Japanese Latin fusion, and they did have some interesting sushi rolls. The one I picked out was topped with crawfish, something I had never experienced before. Jonathan ordered two rolls that were almost too beautiful to eat, but he ate them anyway ; ) Jon pretty much ate rice. We ordered some tempura for him, but he wasn't really interested. He spent most of the dinner coloring.

Now Jonathan's entry is going to be overcome by proud mom news. Jon's vocabulary has really blossomed lately! I was a bit worried about his words, and I was hoping that preschool two days a week would help. He has added 'shoes,' 'bye,' 'two,' 'orange,' and 'nose' to his vocabulary just in the past week or so. This morning while I was changing his diaper, he pointed to his nose and said nose for the first time. I gave him two high fives for that, and of course he had to say 'two.' At his last pediatrician visit, she asked if he was putting two words together, and he wasn't : ( but now he says "two shoes" and "Mama shoes" or "Dada shoes" so we think that he is headed in the right direction. Of course his favorite word is 'guitar' - or as he says it 'tar.' I really wanted to get him an IKEA kids kitchen for Christmas, but I think we might be getting him a guitar.

Back to Jonathan now! Big Happy Birthday to the best husband and daddy in the world : ) We love you very much!

First Day of MDO/Preschool

2011-08-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

Jon started Mother's Day Out/Preschool yesterday! I only cried a little bit as I walked out of the building. The director was standing out there greeting parents, and she assured me that Jon would be okay and I could call later in the day if I needed to. I told her I wasn't worried about him, I knew he would have fun. It's just another one of those steps closer to growing up. Jonathan reminds me that Jon will leave one day, and I try to tell him that I'm not going to bar the door or anything. I don't want to be one of those parents who never wants her kids to be out on their own, but I do think it's okay to get a little sad about your baby getting bigger.

He - of course - had a great time, ate all his lunch (the teachers wrote in bold, underlined script that I need to pack more for him to eat), got very dirty (why did I send him in a white shirt?), took his nap, and didn't hit/bite/push anyone (yay!).

And I think I got a great picture for his senior yearbook : ) (...sniff, sniff)

Last month of summer

2011-08-20T09:11:00.007-05:00

While it feels like we had a pretty laid back summer, the past few weeks have been busy! We were trying to fit in lots of stuff before Jonathan went back to work and Jon started preschool, and there were also fun events to attend. Here is a brief look at what's been up with us!

G-Ma & Papa D Visit:
Jonathan's parents came in town for a long weekend, and we had tons of fun! We played in the river, went to the outlets (yes, it is a tourist attraction here!), visited Gruene (a cute village with Hill Country antique stores), visited Austin, ate lots of good Central Texas food, and played around our apartment. We miss you, and can't wait to see you in November!

Walking to our favorite Mexican restaurant for some tacos!

Looking at the fish and turtles at Aquarena Springs with G-Ma. When Jon is older we'll go out onto Spring Lake in the glass-bottom boats to see the water coming up out of the aquifer.

Had to make a burger stop at Centerpoint Station!
They make homemade potato chips, and Jon got his first taste.

First ER visit:

Right after church one Sunday, Jon was running around and face-planted on the tile floor. We thought he was okay, but after brushing his bangs back, we saw a huge goose-egg! So, newbie parents that we are, we took him to the ER to make sure he was okay. He was fine - no concussion - and he did amazingly well while waiting for the doctor. (With the help of Sesame Street on Jonathan's iPhone)

Time for a 'big boy' bed?
We've introduced a pillow at naptime and bedtime. Jon seems to like it. Since he is sleeping on a nap mat at preschool, we are considering converting his crib to a toddler bed and seeing how he does...

Trip to Cedar Hill/Denton for Scott's graduation:
My brother graduated from the University of North Texas this month, and Jon and I were able to make it to the celebration! Since Jonathan had to work, he stayed in San Marcos with the car, and Jon and I took the train.

Waiting for the train in San Marcos

Enjoying the view - doesn't he look so big!!

Playing on the hammock at Grammie & Gramps' house.
He is signing "more" for Gramps to keep pushing him.

At the graduation ceremony
(Gramps/Dad in background, Aunt Katie holding Jon, Aunt Peajay in front)

Playing 9-ball pool (or whatever it is called) after the ceremony. My dad and grandparents went home with Jon, while Scott, Peajay, Katie, Navy Scott (Both my brother and brother-in-law are named Scott), my mom, and Peajay's mom went out to a bar to celebrate and play pool. I don't know that the rules of 9-ball pool are very fair. I won two games when I did significantly worse than my opponent...I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

The day after graduation, my parents hosted a party for Scott. It was fun to see a lot of old friends and meet some of Scott & Peajay's new friends! Here are my grandparents enjoying the unseasonably cool August day on the back porch.

Waiting for the train in Dallas on Sunday.

Enjoying the view from the observation car. We saw lots of cows : )

Finally napping!

That was our whirlwind end of the summer! The fall is going to be pretty busy as well, with school, a wedding in Memphis over Labor Day weekend, Jonathan's sister's wedding in November, and everything in between : )

My toddler's taste in music

2011-08-08T11:38:00.002-05:00

I must admit, I don't play a lot of music for Jon. We mostly have NPR and podcasts going during the day, because I need to hear other adults talking ; ) I have learned that he likes classical music and opera. Yes, he likes opera music. He will stop and look in awe at my iPhone when opera comes on.

I learned today he's not a fan of rock, or I suppose alternative rock. I was listening to "All Songs Considered," NPR's music podcast. The songs featured had a rock feel, and Jon kept going over to my iPhone, docked on the kitchen counter, and would hit the 'next' button on my playlist. He did it twice, and now is playing happily while we listen to the news.

Maybe he'll come around to rock music one day : )

Stress, Disappointment, Anger and Sadness

2011-08-06T16:00:00.002-05:00

I thought I would be completely honest in the title of this blog so that those who don't want to read about it don't have to!

Stress: Looking at houses is stressful! I realize this is a 'buyers market,' but I have lost more sleep over this whole house buying thing than I have for anything. But the stress is short lived, because...

Disappointment: What we thought was going to be a long term (and I mean long term...we considered the possibility of sending Jon to this school when he reaches 7th grade) job for Jonathan at a private school here in San Marcos looks like it will only be for one year, because...

Anger: The school board of old, white men has decided that men with long hair are unfit to teach Jr. High and Sr. High students. And yes, they just expected Jonathan to cut his hair because they told him to. (He isn't). Which leads me to...

Sadness: My husband is the sweetest guy I know, and he has worked soooooo hard to be a good teacher, and I feel like he just keeps hitting ridiculous road blocks. I am just sad that he now has to start the job search process all over again, for the third time in three years.

If I didn't have faith that God has what is best for us in his plan, I would be taking this much worse than I am right now. I recognize that I am so upset because life is not going according to my plan - the way I want things to be. Yes, I want a house for the stability, equity, creativity, and vanity that comes with owning my own home. Yes, I want my husband to have a long term, stable job where he can teach kids mathematics. Yes, I want my son to follow directions (I know that has nothing to do with this post, but the 'terrible twos' have come early to our home). Jonathan reminded me today that there are no perfect houses, perfect jobs, or perfect children! I suppose this lesson in faith and contentment is one I still need to learn.

Back in the game!

2011-07-16T21:07:00.002-05:00

I ran a 5k this morning in North Austin to support a local foster care/adoption agency (www.familylinkkids.com)! Since it was an hour away and at 8 a.m., Jonathan and Jon stayed at home in bed and I headed out at 6:30 by myself. It was a mid-sized race with a lot of very energetic supporters. I actually recognized a guy from San Marcos there - he is one of the elite runners sponsored by our local running store, so I don't actually know him, but I recognized him from the group runs. I didn't stick around for the race results, but my guess is that he placed. My goal for the race was to finish it without walking and to enjoy myself! I haven't actually run 3 miles straight since sometime in early May because I am a complete pansy when it comes to running in the heat!! I took a few mini breaks to grab water at the water stations, and overall I was pleased with myself. Not my best, but not my worst 5k. I ran the first two miles at the same pace, and was looking forward to finishing the last mile a little faster, but as I rounded the turn that took us into mile 3, I saw a long, steady, ridiculous incline ahead of me. Pretty much the last mile was uphill...and I kind of bonked. Someone in a walker probably could have passed me at how slow I was jogging up that hill. In the back of my head, I told myself, "Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running" a la Dory in Finding Nemo. When I finished, I dumped a bottle of water over my head, and it was the most glorious feeling in the world!

Now I need to motivate myself to get up at 6 a.m. three times a week to run in my neighborhood and build my base back up for Fall half marathon training. I think I might be able to do it, since the past few months have been full of motivating myself to do things: do the dishes every night, help Jon pick up his toys before nap and before dinner ever day, generally keep my apartment in better shape, go to the gym four times a week, and eat more reasonable food. About six weeks ago after talking with a friend on the phone, I realized that I needed to quit talking about all of the stuff I wished I was better at, and just do it. Just take responsibility and do it. Since that mentality has helped me in other areas of my life, I think it should work with running too.

Mom/Grammie visit

2011-07-03T16:31:00.004-05:00

My mom (known to Jon as Grammie) came in for a quick visit from Thursday through Saturday. We had a great, relaxing time, although I did not take ANY pictures!! Jonathan caught one of Jon playing in Grammie's 'floaty' while I was getting ready to go down to the river.

Note that our idea of 'childproofing' is covering things Jon shouldn't get into with various sheets!

We had a lot of fun at the river - Jon was much more adventurous, and wanted to go into the parts that are too deep for him. That's where Grammie's floaty came in very handy! She and Jon also played a game of 'up/down,' which Jon loves because he can say "up" and "down." We left when cloud cover and a bit of a breeze were making us chilly and turning Jon's bottom lip blue. Who knew that could happen when it was 100 degrees outside?

Thursday afternoon, we just chilled while Jon napped, and then Mom and I went to a friend's house for sangria and hang-out time with new friends. Thankfully my mom didn't mind hanging out with a bunch of 30 somethings who talked about their toddlers!

On Friday, we brought out the sewing machine for a bit of a tutorial and a project.

I sewed a bit when I was little - making doll clothes and helping my mom make stuff for me. The last project I attempted was quilted pillows in college, and I failed miserably. I begged my mother for a sewing machine a few years ago when I switched jobs and thought I would have more time on my hands. Hah! At Youth Villages, you never have time on your hands : ) Then when I became a stay-at-home-mom, I was too afraid of the machine to try it out on my own. But with my mom here to guide me, I successfully made the world's simplest seersucker romper for Jon. Seriously, it took a combined total of about 3 hours to make - world's most simple romper. My mom brought a pattern straight from the 70s that she had used for my sister, brother and me. Below is Jon modeling his new outfit.

He wore it with a simple white onesie to church today, and I thought he looked great : ) It is also nice and cool, and very easy to move around in. Maybe I'll try to be brave and make a couple more in different colors.

Thanks, Mom, for the fun visit and helping me overcome my fear of my sewing machine!

Cooling off

2011-06-27T17:25:00.002-05:00

Last week when the walls were closing in of our little (but air conditioned) apartment, we slathered on sunscreen, changed into swimsuits, grabbed Jon's life jacket, and headed to the river. The San Marcos River begins on the Texas State campus as a spring, so it is very clean, very clear water. Due to our drought, there are sections of the river shallow enough for Jon to walk around in, with the water hitting at about his waist. Although I, along with all of Central Texas, would really love some rain, it was really fun to let Jon run around in the river. There were a lot of other families with little kids at the river, and a few dogs, so we had a lot of fun! My mom is coming for a visit this week, and we're planning a trip down to the river again on Thursday.

We had a picnic in the park by the river on Saturday, and watched all of the toobers going by. The weekend is not a good time to actually get in the river, because all of the 'out of towners' are here en mass, taking up precious water real estate, but pumping funds into our local economy : ) Tubing and outlet shopping: that's what people come to San Marcos for!

How can it be 100 degrees and not yet Summer?

2011-06-17T15:15:00.005-05:00

June is half way over, and time just keeps flying by! A number of people have asked if we have anything planned for the summer. Since Jonathan is not working over the summer and we are living on savings, our plans for the summer include not. spending. money. There are tons of free things to do around here, and I really need to get my butt in gear to enjoy them! Free concerts, free movies, library story time, the river, etc. I wish we had a sprinkler park here in town - the closest ones are about 30 miles away in Austin. Or I suppose the new term is 'splash pad.' We will definitely start working on fun, free stuff soon! In the meantime, here is what I'm up to:

1. Working! I work part time as our church's office administrator. It keeps me sane, brings in a little buffer income, and I really do love helping out the church. As the office administrator, I am also webmaster. Although a self-titled technophobe, I have had to learn my way around a little html. The first full page that I made for the site, start to finish (almost...our bookkeeper made the Paypal button...I did not), is www.cotcsm.org/Music.html. Granted, I just duplicated another page and used iWeb, but I am pretty darn proud of the outcome. Feel free to visit the site : )

2. Shedding SAHM pounds! Now, I know not every stay-at-home-mom gains weight, but good grief I did! Something about living in a 700 square foot apartment in rural Texas with a fully stocked refrigerator and constantly filled cookie jar will do that to you. My previous job entailed giving lots of tours, regularly playing kick ball, and generally being more active, so switching to SAHM actually was a bit more sedentary. In the past three weeks, I have shed 9 pounds, thanks to revamping what I eat (i.e. no full cookie jar anymore) and going to our activity center at least three days a week. According to Weight Watchers, I have 26 pounds to go to get to my 'goal weight.' Let me tell you, I haven't been at my 'goal weight' since I was 15 years old! We'll see how well I continue to do. I wish I could say I am running again, but I'm not. It is sooooo hot! Uggh...can't bring myself to do it. Jonathan and I ran early in the morning one day last week, but haven't continued the trend. If I have any hope of running a fall half marathon, I need to start running now!

3. House Dreaming! Not quite house hunting, but house dreaming. We would like to buy a house in the next 6 months or so, but we have to wait for all the financial stuff until Jonathan starts getting paid again. So we have spent a good bit of time on real estate web sites, walking around our neighborhood, and day dreaming. One of my college friends once told me that you are not a real adult until you are a) married, b) a parent, and c) a homeowner. I have been putting off real adulthood for a while now, but since Jonathan has a job with long term potential, we feel the need to invest in a house instead of giving our money to a landlord.

And for your enjoyment, I stole Jonathan's iPhone and sent myself some pictures:

Mother's Day 2011

My Mother's Day gift from Jon:
Diet Dr. Pepper, Peanut Butter M&Ms, and a hand addressed card

Jon riding the carousel on a moving horse for the first time.

Pre-haircut
(note: this is his second haircut in his 16 month life and he kept his curls. Will they come back?)

Post-haircut trip to Target. Soothing himself with those fingers after the trauma.
I will also note that his hair line pays homage to his middle name.
That is definitely the Pollock hair line.

An unscheduled (is that a real word?) nap a few days ago after we had been swimming in our apt complex pool. My selfish goal in the swimming trip was to wear him out, and I suppose it did the trick.

Week in Review

2011-05-29T15:11:00.004-05:00

We had a pretty full week around here! It started with Jon having a fever, rash, and then awful blisters around his mouth, palms of his hands and finger, and all over his feet and toes. Welcome Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease! It is a very common virus for babies and toddlers, and two of Jon's little friends had it at the same time, caught from the big brother of a friend. Jon was a trooper, and did very well as the virus ran its course. The worst was sleeping - he woke frequently during the night for several nights and wouldn't go back to sleep unless I was with him. I pretty much just slept in Jon's room for about three nights to help him settle back to sleep each time he woke up. The picture below doesn't really do him justice (note the blisters around his mouth), but he looks pretty pathetic.

He's healing up pretty well now, and his rash and blisters are fading. So glad we have a chicken pox vaccine now! I don't think I could go through chicken pox after dealing with HFMD for a weekend!

I have learned not to leave crayons lying around...

Thankfully my 80's dishwasher was very easy to clean off and no longer has Jon's red crayon masterpiece on it.

We took a quick trip to Dallas Thursday through Saturday to see my parents and also give Jonathan some time to help my brother prepare for an Algebra test next week. Since we have season passes to Six Flags, we couldn't pass up a trip to the original Six Flags Over Texas. Jon's favorite ride was the log flume; he actually smiled and giggled on the ride. Jon usually has a very concerned look on his face while on rides at amusement parks. Below is a picture of Jon taking a nap while Jonathan and my mom are riding the Texas Giant.

My dad recently got an iPhone, and he spent a bit of the trip talking with Jonathan about apps, settings, HD video, etc. Here they are playing with their toys in my parents' living room.

There is a new fountain/sprinkler area at a shopping center in Cedar Hill, and it is quite the hang out for young families in the town. We didn't bring a swim suit for Jon, but he was able to have fun in a onesie! He loved it, and unfortunately left crying...well, we couldn't stay ALL day : (

On the way home last night, we stopped in Round Rock for dinner and frozen yogurt. As I looked down at Jonathan's cup, I had to take a picture. Can you tell which one of us is trying to lose weight??

I also shared mine with Jon, and this counted as Jon's serving of fruit with his dinner. Speaking of losing weight, one of my sweet little friends at church came up and gave me a hug today, and then asked if I was having another baby. She poked my tummy and said it looked like I was having a baby. In her defense, she is 6 years old, and I have gained weight since becoming a stay-at-home mom : ) I wish I could blame my weight gain on a baby, I actually weigh as much as I did when I was about 3 months pregnant with Jon, but I can only blame myself, eating too much sugary and fat stuff, and not exercising enough. So now I'm tracking what I'm eating and making myself exercise everyday. It certainly helps that it is the summer and Jonathan is home to watch Jon while I go to the activity center to go to classes.

So that was the past week in our family! Hopefully this week we will all sleep well, get plenty of exercise, and have a ton of fun : )

Farmer's Market

2011-05-17T17:24:00.002-05:00

We finally went to our farmer's market today in San Marcos. It is teeny tiny - about 10 vendors in all. I bought peaches and tomatoes, and almost bought a chicken, but I decided I would use the already-paid-for-and-industrially-raised chicken in my fridge for dinner tonight. The vendor explained that the chickens are slaughtered the day before the market, and they are good for six days. I usually don't like imagining my food being slaughtered...but I know these chickens get to run around in the grass and eat bugs and stuff before they die, instead of living in a tiny pen with thousands of other chickens, eating who knows what and having their beaks and claws cut off while they are still alive. Once I actually purchase one of these chickens, I will report back on how it tastes : ) This vendor also sells eggs, so I guess we'll start getting our eggs from him.

On our walk back from the farmer's market, we stopped in at our local taco place and each got a taco and drink for an afternoon snack. We may live in a small town without big city amenities, but it is nice to be able to walk from our apartment to the farmer's market that is pretty much on the complete other side of town in about 10 minutes and get to swing by our favorite Mexican place on the way home.

I also made it to yoga at our community center last night. There are wall to wall mirrors in the work out room, so I got to see what a fat piece of lard I have turned into over the past several months...but maybe it will be motivation to walk away from the cookies and -ahem- tacos in the future. There is a boot camp class offered tonight, and I think I'll go to it too!

Eggs

2011-05-14T22:11:00.004-05:00

Felt the need for an update, but nothing is really going on. I've been in a funk which I attribute to a cold, hormones, and lack of exercise. I tried to go to a yoga class at our community center today, but when I got there I saw on the schedule that the yoga class is on Fridays, not Saturdays. As I walked to my car, I had to physically fight back tears. Hopefully next week will be better! The biggest thing going on is that I bought free range nesting eggs at the grocery store. They were only about $.50 more than my normal eggs, since I already bought vegetarian-fed eggs before. What was kind of funny is that I am making about 3 meat-free dinners a week to save money, but now I'm buying more expensive eggs.

FRESH

2011-05-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

Last night, Jonathan and I went out on a date...to see a documentary. One of our friends is about to start an internship in organic and sustainable farming, and he was hosting a screening of FRESH last night. We met with a lot of friends, ate decent pizza and drank amazing beer, then watched an informative and uplifting documentary about the food industry and the growing movement of organic and sustainable agriculture. I told a friend before the viewing that I am still lazy and just buy the meat my grocery store sells because it is easy. After seeing FRESH, I want to do whatever I can to help out sustainable farmers. We don't have a great farmers market in San Marcos, but there are several farmers markets in towns near us, and of course I can buy grass fed beef and cage free chicken at Whole Foods in Austin (a 40 mile drive...). We also have a community garden, and now that I know we will live in San Marcos for a few more years, I have more motivation to look into renting a plot and growing some stuff! I have read about several of you in Memphis who have plots out at Shelby Farms - I would love to learn more about how you researched how to grow your food.

Most documentaries I have seen about agriculture leave me very depressed, but FRESH was encouraging and positive. I highly encourage you to seek out (or even host) a screening!

Quick Update! (and a soap box that you can skip)

2011-05-05T15:36:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick update about some new stuff!

a) I am slowly getting into a bit more of a cleaning routine. Bed is made every morning, I refuse to put clothes in a pile, dishes are completely done before going to bed each night, Jon's toys are picked up (nearly) every night after dinner, and bathroom is getting cleaned once a week. My next big things to tackle are keeping my work space organized (I work part time from home), figuring out when to vacuum on a regular basis. Your comments have been very encouraging : ) My brother and I talked about how we are having to figure out how to do daily chores as adults since we didn't have daily chores as kids. Wouldn't trade my childhood for anything, but there are some downsides to not being made to keep your room tidy. : )

b) Jon is eating his vegetables!!! Thanks to his new skill of using a spoon and dipping, we are packing the veggies in. Today he ate an entire helping of semi-pureed vegetables without any problem at lunch. He was so excited to be using a spoon and feeding himself : ) He also ate an entire ham and cheese sandwich (well, a toddler sized sandwich) at lunch! I am very thankful for this good week of eating. Last week was...shall we say...unpleasant.

c) Jonathan has a job! We had some drama with health insurance options earlier this week, but I think things are going to work out. I'll report more on the job once Jonathan gives me the okay. (He hasn't officially signed any paperwork yet).

Soap box of the week: HEALTH INSURANCE
Most of you are probably insured through an employer, and probably have a large pool of people on your insurance plan. That is what I had at Youth Villages. Let me tell you: all of the 60+ hour work weeks, getting cursed out by the occasional kid or parent, and crying every now and then was TOTALLY worth it for the rock star health benefits. I don't think I will ever have an insurance plan like I had with YV. Low premium, low co pay, low deductible...very nice! Our current health plan is good, I think probably on par with most folks. What Jonathan was offered with his future job was simply not affordable at all. Our monthly budget just would not have been able to manage. So I started looking into purchasing individual coverage. There are actually several very good individual plans out there for families. IF you are not going to have any more children. Apparently insurance companies only used to offer maternity coverage as a rider, or add on, to individual plans. I suppose this makes sense, since anyone can get cancer or get in a car accident, but only women can get pregnant. (Does it really make sense though?) However, due to a loop hole in the health care law, insurance companies are not mandated to offer maternity riders, so guess what? Since they don't have to do it, they aren't! There is no way in the state of Texas to have pregnancy and delivery covered by an individual insurance plan. No way. It is not offered. At all. So if you are self employed, or your employer doesn't offer group insurance, or your group insurance is crazy expensive because one colleague has a family member with cancer and you can't afford your premium...you have to pay out of pocket to have a baby. I always thought of maternity coverage as basic, and maybe...maybe...quality medical care while pregnant and delivering your baby might help lower our infant mortality rate. But apparently only those who have employer coverage or Medicaid should be offered insured medical care while pregnant. Does this not make you want to throttle both insurance companies and politicians? What makes me more mad is that politicians are arguing over federal funding for abortions, and no one has even mentioned that individual insurance plans do not even offer the option of a maternity plan. If you have an unplanned pregnancy and are facing either paying $15,000 out of pocket to carry your baby to term and deliver it in a hospital or have an abortion...what do you think people are going to choose? If you do not want people to have abortions, please make carrying a baby to term and delivering it affordable. Please : ) I had no idea that this maternity rider issue was there until it affected me**, and I am sure there are many other aspects of our health care system that are equally as unimaginable, but I am just not aware of them because they do not affect my every day life. So now I am telling everyone I know that this is out there. I think I'll even write to my legislators.

** Note: I am not pregnant. Just didn't want to confuse anyone ; )

15 months!

2011-04-29T23:15:00.003-05:00

Someone replaced my baby with a little boy!

He is a super sweet little boy, so I shouldn't complain : ) Here are some random bits about my kiddo after one and a quarter years:

He loves to give hugs. This positively melts my heart. He hugs me, Jonathan, his stuffed animals, his blocks, the furniture, the cat (or tries to), and his friends. Earlier this week, he hugged one of his friends who is a bit smaller than he is...and he knocked her on the floor : ( She recovered quickly, thankfully. I get a hug when I pick Jon up in the morning, when I change his diapers, when we sit next to one another on the couch, while I'm doing the dishes, while I'm working at my desk...pretty much all the time. He really is a sweetie.
He loves to read. Jon has started to 'read' on his own, i.e. opening his books and babbling, then turning the page and babbling some more. He is actually behind in his language skills - should have 6 distinct words and he pretty much calls everything 'dada' but with different inflection. The dr. said we'll just see how he is at 18 months go from there. I came home from his check up yesterday wanting to buy flashcards and start drilling him on words. Jonathan says we should probably just keep talking to him, reading to him, and correcting him when he calls everything 'dada.' Jonathan is probably right.
He can now point to his belly button when you ask him to.
He loves emptying the dishwasher. He's actually quite good at it, and I have started waiting until he's up and about to unload it because he has so much fun handing me the dishes and flatware. Jon has actually become so good at unlocking, opening, and climbing on the dishwasher door...that we have purchased a baby gate to keep him out of the kitchen when he is not supervised.
He is on a vegetable strike again, unless said veggies are pureed. Step back unfortunately, but I am willing to puree his peas and carrots to get him to eat them. Mealtime has become a bit messier, because although the veggies are now mush, he insists on self feeding. Still not a fan of meat, so we're going to have to put him on a multivitamin to make sure he's getting enough iron and B12 and all that fun stuff. He is eating sandwiches, quesadillas, mac n' cheese, pizza, and other 'big kid' food. He wants to eat his sandwiches and pizza like a big person, no more little squares. I think that if I gave him only fruit at all of his meals, he would love me forever.
We continue to add to our rock collection every day. Jon loves playing in the dirt, chewing on sticks, and picking up rocks. He inadvertently squeezed a caterpillar the other day : (
He has started saying "Dah!" after we pray...kind of his Amen? See above note about slow language. It is pretty sweet, though.
We watch one episode of Sesame Street every day. I told you I was going to be one of those moms who didn't let her kids watch tv until they were 4 or 5. I am actually a real mom, so Jon watches Sesame Street while I get work done. Thanks to our small apartment, I am getting work done in the same room as he is watching Elmo and Big Bird, so I can still interact with him. Before we got the baby gate for the kitchen, Sesame Street was the only way I could redirect Jon from wanting to empty the dishwasher of its dirty dishes.
He is down to one nap a day. I still put him in his crib for a little while in the afternoon for 'rest time.' He will lay down, sing to himself, and play with his toys. This also allows me to take a shower if I didn't get one earlier in the day, clean up a bit, or do some work uninterrupted. He always seems super happy, so hopefully this is not child abuse.
His 15 month stats are:

33.5 inches (97%)
29 lbs, 4 oz (95%)
20.25 in head circumferance (off the charts, >100%)
This last stat was not helpful when I was trying to buy a sun hat for him earlier today....

That was probably more than you wanted to know, but I wanted to share anyway! Although we are now starting to deal with disobedience, temper tantrums, and some terrible twos possibly coming early, Jon is a super sweet, loving, and generally obedient child. He truly is a gift from God, and I am so glad I have him : )

Here he is showing you what he does most of the day - run around!

Spring Cleaning/Maintenance Help Needed

2011-04-19T17:17:00.002-05:00

There are perhaps 2 or 3 readers of this blog who have seen what my apartment looks like most days. Becky...bless your heart...you have seen how I live. Katie M. came to visit baby Jon on a day when I had not done any cleaning, to myself or the apartment, and thankfully she stayed my friend. The rest of you have seen what my apartment looks like after a day or two of nonstop cleaning to get it ready for a gathering of some kind.

I feel the need for a change - NOW! It may be because I work from home. It may be because I want my husband to walk into a clean home when he finishes work. It may be because I want to teach good habits to my son. It may be because when I last went out of town for the weekend, I accidentally left a few dirty dishes in the sink, and now I am having to deal with a fruit fly infestation.

I have a subscription to Real Simple. I have years worth of Martha Stewart Living magazines on my bookshelves. I have checked out organizing books from the library. Believe me, it is not really a knowledge thing but a habit thing.

So here is my call for assistance: Please let me know how you manage your daily/weekly chores so they get done on a regular basis. What has worked and what hasn't worked? Especially for those of you with little ones - how do you keep your homes put together with a toddler to keep an eye on? I know there will never be days when everything is in its place, but I feel like I am constantly doing laundry, washing dishes, wiping down surfaces, etc. but my home is always a disaster. I am obviously missing something!

I will keep you updated on how I am doing : )

2011-04-04T11:41:00.002-05:00

Here are some more pictures from daily life around here:

Playing with his kitchen - loves those songs and lights!

Jon has recently taken to intentionally putting objects in various places, whether that is taking all of the cat toys and putting them in the middle of the kitchen, putting his shoes in his toy box, or as you can see here, putting Woody on the kitchen counter to help me fix dinner. Now that he can reach the kitchen counters, I need to be more careful. The other day he was walking around the living room munching on a chocolate chip cookie that he had taken from the cooling rack on the counter.

I suppose it is barely noticeable, but Jon got his first skinned knee (with blood) a couple of weeks ago. I decided to document it while he was taking a nap in his stroller. For the record, this picture was taken at the Pottery Barn outlet. We like to go sit on the couches we wish we could afford : ) It's a silly field trip, but a family tradition nonetheless!

We received season passes to Six Flags Fiesta Texas (in San Antonio) as Christmas presents. We had a slow Saturday this weekend, so we decided to drive down and take advantage of some free entertainment! One of the extra perks of going to San Antonio is McAlister's. I must admit that while we lived in Memphis, I didn't get excited about McAlister's. It was just another family restaurant. But now that we are in Texas, those bread bowls and gigantic cups of sweet tea are very special. We planned our trip to Six Flags so that we could hit McAlister's for lunch. It was even more special because it was the first time we ordered a kid's meal for Jon at a restaurant. I had to take a picture to document his ham and cheese sandwich, steamed veggies, and teddy grahams : )

Enjoying his first McAlister's lunch

Below is Jon's nap progression at Six Flags. While Jonathan was in line and riding a rollercoaster, I took Jon into an air conditioned area to try to coax him into a nap. He was SO tired, but fought taking that nap for a looooong time. I don't blame him - the amusement park was hot, loud, and full of stuff to look at.

I'm not tired!

Well, maybe I'm a little tired

Some Spring Break Pictures

2011-04-04T10:52:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from our Spring Break trip to Colorado. They are from my phone, so they are not the best quality and they are small. We have a few pictures from our 'real' camera, but I can't figure out how to get them off the memory card. I'm a bit backward when it comes to technology : (

Coming home from tubing one evening, Jon fell asleep in his snowsuit.

Jonathan at the top of the tubing hillJon reading with Great Gran

Jon reading his penguin book while sporting a beautiful sweater made by Aunt Katie.

Standing in front of the bunny slope, where I spent my first 1.5 days of skiing.

G Ma getting some hugs from Jon.

Great Gran and Aunt Jess toasting marshmallows.

Fracking Toasters! or What Megan Learned on Spring Break

2011-03-21T16:37:00.004-05:00

1. I become a potty mouth when I am scared, e.g. careening down a hill on skis at a very high speed. I'll just say that "Fracking toasters" was one of the more polite phrases to come out of my mouth. Not proud of it, of course! I was very pleased when I could truthfully tell my husband at the bottom of a hill that I had not cursed at all.

2. If my husband and I can work through his love of skiing with my potty-mouth inducing horror of skiing, we can work through anything : )

3. My sister-in-law is one of the most patient people on the face of the earth. Bless her! She got me through not one, but two instances where I was literally paralyzed with fear and crying in the middle of a slope.

4. Jon thinks his great-grandfather is the funniest person on the face of the earth. He just had to walk into the room, and Jon would start laughing.

5. Of course, I learned to ski on Spring Break! I am 29 and skied for the first time. I learned that I favor my left leg (is it stronger than my right leg, or do I just have more balance on my left leg?) I am much more comfortable on blue trails without any other skiers than I am on green trails with lots of skiers. Above all, I learned that if you are going too fast and you might fall over, just keep turning!

Pictures to come, once they are retrieved from various iPhones and cameras!

Whatever "Cheers" is in Russian

2011-03-08T21:15:00.003-06:00

for kara

My little monkey

2011-03-07T14:43:00.002-06:00

I was trying to think of what to title this post, when Jon - no lie - says "oo, ee, ah, ah" a la a monkey in a zoo. He is currently sitting on the floor by my work desk playing with a box of cassette tapes. This is why I tell the grandparents not to buy him toys : )

Here is a much needed update on Jon, although without pictures. I know, I need to take more pictures of him...but I just don't!

Walking: Jon walked for the first time on February 25th and has quickly become pretty adept at walking! He still cruises for the most part, but I think that is more due to the fact of living in a small (semi cramped) apartment and less that he needs to hold on to things. We have taken advantage of the beautiful weather, and we walk outside at least once a day. I love the way he has a death grip on one of my fingers while we walk across our parking lot. He has started a rock collection from our walks, and I think one day soon we will need a 'Free the Rocks' day when we will put all the rocks back outside. On Sunday, he ate dirt - literally - as he face planted while walking outside. The walking has brought some scrapes and bruises, the first of many I am sure. Now that he can walk, he does not like being picked up. So...when we joined our church on Sunday morning, and we were up at the front of the church taking our membership vows, he was whining and squirming in my arms. I put him down, and he started to crawl toward the worship team's instruments. Jonathan picked him up and managed the squirm until we were finished. Everyone after the service commented on how adorable he was. Yes, for them, not the embarrassed parents trying to hold him in front of the congregation : )

Climbing: Jon can now climb onto the futon and chair in our living room and into the rocking chair in his room. He LOVES to climb, and tries to climb on everything. Thankfully a very stern 'no' and some redirection have kept him from climbing the bookcases. He is so incredibly proud of himself when he climbs up into the chairs. Getting down is of course a different story. I have tried to teach him how to climb down safely, but I must admit that 9 times out of 10 I just pick him up and put him on the ground.

Making Friends: Jon has a little friend from church who is about 20 days older than he is. When they see each other, they smile and squeal and point at one another. And, the other day when we were visiting at the friend's house, they held hands while having their diapers changed. Now, I'm not going to be one of 'those' mothers, but if these two get married one day, we will have a lot of fun stories : )

Pretty much the child does not sit still and 'talks' almost all of the time. He doesn't particularly have a lot of words (I try very hard not to compare him to other kids who have much better vocabularies), but he does have 'dat' for cat, 'diddee' for kitty, 'dud' for dog, 'dada' for both parents, and 'dut' for duck. He gets very excited when he sees babies, whether at church, the library, on Sesame Street, or even on his yogurt container. He gets a very high pitched voice, and pats them on the face. I am trying to teach him body parts. We had a bit of a breakthrough the other day when I asked where his nose was and he pointed to his mouth, then to his ear. I think he knew that his nose was somewhere on his face, he just wasn't sure where. He is very good at entertaining himself : ) I think he is the cutest little thing in the whole world, and we laugh a lot! Although I miss my baby, I love my toddler : )

Happy Terquasquicentennial, Y'all!

2011-03-02T14:45:00.004-06:00

Yes, that is correct, the great Republic of Texas is 175 years old today! School children all over this great state will do Texas-themed art projects today. Our town square is absolutely covered in lone star flags.

What's that? Your state only has one independence day, July 4th? It's okay. Not everyone can be as wonderful as Texas: )

Waiting for the economic recovery

2011-02-24T11:07:00.003-06:00

It seems odd that my family floated through the recession pretty well, but now that the economy is in recovery mode, things are looking tenuous. The big story in Central Texas (and the rest of the country as well) is big budget cuts in education. Word is that at least two Texas community colleges will close and everyone else from elementary through graduate school will be making layoffs. According to the San Marcos Record, our local paper, these layoffs will include: "three elementary school Gifted and Talented teachers, three parent liaison positions, three elementary school art teachers and three administrative clerical positions." I know many people see these positions as nonessential staff, but I know how important my G&T program was for me, how as a social worker I would have killed to have some parent liaisons in the schools I worked with, and how art can expand the world of students. Imagine your elementary school experience without an art teacher? I can't. (Mine smoked like a chimney...in the teacher's lounge : ) Now that was the 80s!)

I read earlier this week that the recession has cemented our class distinctions even more than ever. The wealthy continue to get wealthier while the poor continue to get poorer. I love - love - that millionaires get to keep their blessed tax breaks while teachers trying to live on barely a middle class income are losing their jobs. I also love that in a time when so many people are losing their health insurance through no fault of their own, certain members of Congress are trying to defund measures that would help them purchase affordable health insurance. The word heartless comes to mind. I have literally felt ill when reading about this lately.

Jonathan's job prospects for the summer and fall are not wonderful. I, being the worrier, am kind of freaking out. Jonathan, being the faithful, reminds me that God will take care of us and help us meet our needs. It may not be in the way we imagined, but we will have what we need. God has already given me a part time job that starts next week. Seeing how this job came together, it is impossible not to see divine providence in it : )

I am praying for my husband's job as well as those of the millions of Americans either already out of work or about to be out of work. I am praying for the school children who will be without valuable resources next year. I am praying for those with power in our country to lay aside politics, the 2012 election, the 24 hour news cycle, their book deals, or whatever else is getting in the way of working together to help us really move forward.

Do cream cheese filled biscuits count as a good carb-protein recovery food?

2011-02-19T10:59:00.002-06:00

I ran five miles this morning, and now I have monkey bread in the oven for a special treat. I'm probably completely erasing any positive effects of the work out...

Recording moments I don't want to forget

2011-02-11T16:51:00.004-06:00

I suppose this is why people have diaries and journals, but since I don't use either, I will record a few things here that I don't want to forget : )

Last night, I ran for 35 minutes before my core class. The route I took was the same route we ran the very first Saturday of my running training program: through an East Austin neighborhood to the trail along Ladybird Lake. The weather was perfect (mid 40s) and I actually got to the Rogue store in time to stretch before the run, so I felt nice a loose. I don't run with music, preferring instead to hear my breathing, my footfalls, and the neighborhood around me. It was a good run, mainly because I ran the whole 3 miles without stopping. The first time I ran this route, I barely finished the first half, I took a 5 minute break with the rest of the group, and then a ran/walked back to the store (with the emphasis on walked). Three miles is just scratching the surface of running, but I feel really good about where I am right now. Tomorrow I get to run 5 miles. We'll see how that goes! Oh, and yes, there were side planks last night. Uggh. I would love some advice on how to do side planks if anyone has it! Another participant last night asked the coach how she should improve her hamstring flexibility when she was having trouble doing a particular exercise, and he told her to just keep doing the exercise that we were engaged in. I suppose the best way to get better at side planks is to just keep doing side planks.

I have read this book more times than I can count in the past week. The Littlest Puppy, purchased for $1 at Target, is Jon's current favorite book. Whenever I happen to be sitting down, he wobbles over, deposits this book in my lap, and looks up at me expectantly. It has a little finger puppet attached to it, and he pretty much loves it. He also likes to point to the puppies and say, "Dud! Dud! Dud!" which I assume means 'dog' to him. Thankfully it is only four pages long, and I have memorized its little sing song poem. It includes the words "I chew my breakfast slowly." I am thrilled that Jon is actively engaged in reading, although I am looking forward to reading another book.

Revelations and Changes

2011-02-10T15:48:00.004-06:00

Do you remember that feeling of 'coming home' that I felt as I drove over the I-40 bridge into Memphis in December? On Tuesday night, as I drove back to San Marcos from Austin after my 'quality' workout, I had that same feeling as I passed the Aquarena Springs exit. This is the first exit in San Marcos, and I had that 'whew, I'm home' feeling. It made me pause and reflect that this may be the first moment that I emotionally felt like San Marcos is home.

That feeling was just one revelation I had Tuesday evening. The other revelation was when my running coach told our group to 'engage our abs' as we ran down hills during our hill repeats. As I rounded the corner and started the descent of the block we were running, I focused on keeping my back straight, and...I engaged my abs. I thought, "Wow! I have abs to engage!" Granted, they are covered by several layers of fat, but deep down there, I could feel my muscles helping to keep my running form. This is due to the twice weekly core workouts I have participated in for the past month. I am always the weakest participant (I think I'm physically incapable of doing a side plank), but I'm there at least. As I ran down the hill, the coach nodded and commented that I had very good footfall. And this is why I pay money to drive 45 minutes each way, run 3 miles, and then run 20 minutes of hill repeats - to receive affirmation that I have abdominal muscles and that my feet hit the ground as they should.

In a few weeks, I'll take on a new challenge - becoming a WAHM, as Lindsey calls it. I have accepted a part time job as an office administrator for my church. The office, though, will be my living room. It really is a great set up - flexible hours, structured duties, and meaningful work. I'm hopeful that having this part time job will provide a little more balance in my life and help keep me focused. And if anyone in the world knows how to send out a bulleted email, it is me : )

Okay, now to head out to run some more and attempt side planks. (Please...please let there be NO side planks in core class tonight!) I will leave you with a picture of my little cutie. His sticker says "Brave Cowboy," and he received it from the office manager at our pediatrician after getting three shots.

Family Portraits (Jon's 1 Year Pics)

2011-02-04T16:57:00.004-06:00

When we planned a family trip to Chattanooga in January, I knew right away that I wanted our friend Amber to take Jon's 1 year pictures. We had gone cheap on his earlier portraits, which turned out horrendously - although we bought some anyway because he looked so adorably terrified.

Please check out Amber's photo blog to see some of her beautiful pictures! And if you live in East TN or are headed out there soon, please give her your business. She didn't ask me to say that, but she really did do a lovely job : ) Thanks, Amber!

Megan acts like a big girl

2011-02-03T15:51:00.002-06:00

The subtitle to this blog is 'daily thoughts from an almost adult.' Even though my 30th birthday nears every day, my baby is one year old, and my next anniversary will be my 6th, I still feel like a kid, not an adult. Who knows when I will become a real adult - maybe home ownership?? Thanks to the volatility of the current job market, adulthood then will probably be a long time coming : ) In the meantime, here are some ways I am trying to be a big girl:

1) Trying to make friends as an adult

College was pretty awesome for making friends. I lived on the 'substance free' hall my freshman year, which meant that I was around a bunch of other socially inept, nerdy girls (sorry Becky...but you would probably agree with me). I remember making my friend Kara when we had a cookout the first week of class with the sub-free boys hall. Of course, none of the boys and girls were talking to one another, but I talked to Kara, and I think we agreed to walk together to the Honor Code signing that night or something. I became friends with my husband when we were on a leadership team together. I honestly think I became friends with Becky because she had a TV in her room, and Kara and I would go there in our pajamas every Thursday night at 9pm to watch ER. Yes, a college freshman in her pjs at 9pm. Since I didn't move out of town after college, I kept all of my college friends and then made a few church friends and work friends because we had that in common - church or work.

Now that I am in a new place, I am trying to make new friends. I think I'm doing okay at making church friends - slowly but surely getting to know people better and share our lives. But I really need to branch out and make some non-church friends. I need to make some running friends, although runners tend to be a little weird. Rogue had been advertising a pub run for a few weeks, and I finally decided to go to it. The event consisted of meeting at an old theater in Austin, running a little over a mile to a bar for beer, running back to the theater for more beer and a showing of "Run, Fat Boy, Run." All for $10! So I signed up, hoping that the two girls I have had conversations with while running would show up. Unfortunately, Tuesday night it was freakin' cold!!! I mean, seriously cold! The temperature was 25 but with windchill it was 13. I went ahead and bundled up and headed out. The two people I knew were not there - no surprise. The only people there were hard core marathoners and a couple of other doe eyed newbies like myself. I had a pretty awesome run, mainly because I was freakin' cold and just wanted to get somewhere with heat! On the way to the bar, I ran a bit with a few other newbie running group folks, but they were all in the group below me, so I ran a lot faster than they did. Once we got to the bar, I grabbed my beer, took off a few layers, and tried to make adult friends. I chatted with the two folks I had run with, but one girl had other friends there, so she pretty much ignored me, and the other guy was about as introverted as I am. So I went and stood in the corner of the bar texting Becky and Jonathan. Finally someone had pity on me and started talking to me. He actually said something like, "You look like you don't know anyone here either." Jim was very nice. We talked about our kids, our running careers (he has run 11 marathons, including one two days earlier when it was 85 degrees and not 25), and he offered to run back to the theater with me. Once back at the theater, he introduced me to Jan, another girl he runs with. They invited me to sit with them during the movie, and I felt less like a loser.

So there you have it, I tried to make adult friends and I ran in subfreezing temperatures : )

2. Wearing contacts

I didn't wear glasses until I was about 25, and there was no way I was going to get contacts. You mean actually touch my eye?? No thank you! Now that I have a son who likes to grab things, and I am running more, my glasses were starting to get in the way. So I plunked down A LOT of money (why does optical insurance not cover the actual hardware???) and got contacts. This morning at 8am, I dragged myself out of the house, walked in the freezing wind to the optometrist's office, and learned how to put contacts in. About five minutes into it, I told the sweet office manager, "You know what? I'll just keep my glasses!" She was very patient and encouraging, and in about 5 more minutes, I had my contacts in. I kept telling myself, "You gave birth, you can put contacts in your eyes." Then I reminded myself that I didn't really actually give birth; I painlessly had some surgeons remove my child because my body refused to go into labor. I did finally successfully put in, remove, and re-put in my contacts. Uggh! What an awful process!! But, as I walked home, I was amazed at how crisp and clear the world looked. It has taken all the self control in the world to not rub my eyes today, and I'm sure I'll have a minor breakdown tonight when I try to take them out. But I do feel a bit more like a grown up, and everyone assures me that putting contacts in and taking them out gets much easier with practice.

And now I'm off to go run again in the cold! I'm not sure whether that is adult behavior or not : )

Happy Birthday, Jon!

2011-01-30T14:50:00.008-06:00

Yes, all of the cliches are true:
Having a baby changes your life.
Time flies!
They grow up so fast, etc.

This year has gone by so quickly, yet it is hard to remember my hefty, semi-independent little boy as a 9 pound, squirmy bundle. We are so thankful for our little guy, who is sweet and happy and cute and...I could go on and on : ) We had Jon's birthday party on the 22nd (so thankful we did - Jon and most of his party guests were sick on the 29th!) and I will post about that later. Below is what we did on Jon's birthday, the 28th:

8am
Time to wake up! Jon was actually up at about 7:15am, but I needed a shower, so he played in his crib until I came to get him at 8am for breakfast. These days he eats baby oatmeal with a banana or blueberries mixed in along with an 8 oz. sippy cup of milk. Yes! Real milk! Even though I buy to organic stuff, it is still soooooooo much less expensive than formula.

9am
Jon 'helps' me unload and reload the dishwasher. I have learned to take the sharp objects out before he realizes I have opened the dishwasher. He especially likes closing the door when we are done.

9:30am
Going to run some errands! Probably our last picture of a rear-facing car seat.

9:50am
Getting some fabric at Hobby Lobby for a couple of projects. Green seersucker was on clearance, and I see some shortalls in his future - we will bring a little Memphis to Central Texas! Those two fingers are in their usual place.

10:30am
Playing with blocks at library story time! Today the stories we listened to were about being sick - a barnyard full of sick animals and a guinea pig who had to go to the doctor for eating too much chocolate : ) After the story, there are tons of toys for the kiddos to play with. It is also a great place to start teaching Jon manners - like not stealing toys and being gentle. We also sing songs and learn some sign language. I am so glad we have this activity twice a week!

12:30pm
After a nap back at home, it is time for lunch! For his birthday, Jon had spaghetti (parents' dinner from the night before), cheese, a clementine, and milk. The second picture is of Jon's new fine motor skill: putting small bits of food on the spout of his sippy cup. His father may have something to do with this new habit....

1:30pm
In this picture, Jon is pointing to our cat, Sigma, and squealing. Sigma is hissing. Such a sad tale of unrequited love : (

2pm
I found out Jon has another new skill: opening sliding screen doors! Did this the first time on his first birthday - yay : ) Since our screen doors do not have locks on them, this new skill will make the next several months lots of fun around here. I love having fresh air in the apartment, and our only windows are sliding doors. Thankfully they make a noise when opened, so I'm keeping my ears open for the telltale sound.

5:30pm
After another nap and a snack of a banana, rice chex and water, Jonathan is now home from work and he and Jon play with some plastic cups on our bed. Jon loves playing on our bed, because he can flop all over the place into the comforter and pillows. A whole living room full of toys, and Jon loves playing with the cat, the sliding screen doors, and plastic cups!

7pm
We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate making it one year as parents. Our original plan was to go somewhere with margaritas, but our fav mexican place doesn't sell them, so we opted for the pizza place down the street and a pitcher of Shiner Boch. It is great to have so many things within walking distance from our apartment!

7:30pm
Jon had his first taste of pizza! Well, pizza crust with tomato sauce, and some green bell peppers. He enjoyed his dinner of black beans, avocado, another clementine, cheerios and milk.

8:15pm
Back home, getting ready for bed.

So that was our day! I was not far behind Jon in getting into bed, because a 4-mile run awaited me in the morning. I am thankful for a happy, healthy, one-year-old who keeps me running around every day!

If you needed any more evidence that I am a Democrat...

2011-01-21T09:24:00.003-06:00

The proposed budget for the state of Texas came out this week. I have been pretty interested in state budgets since my sophomore year in college. I was an intern at Youth Villages, and the state of Tennessee had to virtually shut down for several weeks because the legislature could not come to an agreement on the budget. Mental health facilities were some of the only state funded organizations that stayed open, so I kept my job for the summer. I learned then that even though I worked for a private organization, my salary was indirectly tax-payer funded. My husband also teaches at a public university (and has for the past 6 years) so I also pay attention to state budgets and tax debates because our family's financial well being is tax payer funded.

Governor Perry has pledged that taxes will not increase, nor will the state dip into its 'rainy day fund.' That means budget cuts. Unfortunately, many of the cuts proposed are in public education. Scholarships for public universities are being significantly cut, which means that many low income students will not be able to attend. In elementary schools, the new budget proposes cutting hundreds of jobs, specifically in art, music, physical education and librarians. I recently heard the comment, "If I don't have children in school, why should I have to pay taxes for public schools?" Comments like those cause me to die a little inside. Imagine our future if children today do not have the opportunity to express themselves artistically, exercise using parachutes, or explore libraries.

I would gladly pay more in taxes to ensure that my son's future elementary school has art, music, PE, and a cranky librarian! I wish my crazy Kara could have been his librarian : )

I am a Rogue

2011-01-19T10:03:00.003-06:00

Jonathan's Christmas/birthday present to me was a training program through Rogue Running in Austin. This is a four day a week training program for beginning runners or those who have run before but have taken some time off. It involves two core workouts, a speed workout, and a long run - all led by coaches. Since I participated in team sports from 2nd grade through college, I find it very motivating to exercise in a group and have someone wiser than myself telling me what to do : ) Rogue should be very glad of this, because it makes them money!

The program started on January 8th, the day after my 29th birthday - motivation enough to jump start my running! Since my training group is so big, the coaches divided us into two groups, asking us to choose which group to go into: the newbie never-run-in-my-life group and the I-can-run-3-miles-without-stopping group. I chose the more advanced group, but soon found out that most of the folks in the group were more like I-can-run-10-miles-without-stopping people. So, as usual, I was at the back of our long run. But hey, I ran three miles that day - which is more than I would have done on my own were I not with a group : )

I was out of town for the next week, and since I was in Chattanooga with 8 inches of snow....I didn't run at all. : (

I went to my first core class on Monday, and it was pretty awesome! I haven't done a workout like that since I was on the crew team at the University of Aberdeen. I'm going to list out what we did for those of my friends who are interested - everyone else can just skip it : )

Circuit:
a) Jumpies/Star Jumps: start by standing, squat down with your back remaining perpendicular to the ground(don't bend forward) until your fingertips touch the ground, jump straight up with your arms straight above your head.
b) Push-ups
c) V-crunches: start by laying down flat on your back with your arms extended behind your head, keeping your legs and arms straight lift them up to touch your toes (you are making a V with your body)
d) Weighted Squats: hold a medicine ball or other weight (I used either a 10 lb or 8 lb weight), squat down without bending forward until your legs form a 90 degree angle, like you are sitting in a chair, then stand back up
e) Tricept Dips - Sit on the edge of a chair or a bench, walk your feet out in front of you so your legs are straight, lower your body by bending your arms so they make a 90 degree angle (that is much harder to describe than I thought it would be - hopefully you know what a tricept dip is).
f) Bicycle crunches

Do 7 circuits as follows: each exercise 10 times, then 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and another 10 times. Between each circuit rest for 30-60 seconds.

This is an example of a workout that I would NEVER do on my own, but I did it 110% with 40 other people and a coach. Thank you, Jonathan for my present!!! Needless to say, yesterday I was very sore, but sore in a good way : )

Then last night, I had my first speed workout. The coaches stressed that we are easing into this training program and not to go out to hard. No need to tell me that : ) Our work out was a mile warm up run, and we ran to a neighborhood where there were four cul-de-sacs next to one another. The speed workout was to easy jog from the main street to the turn around, then pick up the pace a bit to run back down the street, then easy jog to the next street and continue for four blocks. No stopping - the rest periods were the easy jogs between the faster running. Then we had our "cool down" mile run back to where we started. I never feel like my cool down jogs actually cool me down : ) Despite being tired after the workout, I felt so good about myself and my ability to run the whole thing without stopping to walk. I also met two other girls who run at about my pace. One went to Texas State and one grew up in San Marcos, so we talked a lot about the little town, restaurants, bars, etc. on the run. I'm looking forward to running with them for the next 10 weeks!

Thankfully today is a rest day : ) I'm still sore, but I feel good, and I slept like a log last night!! Although I have only been at it for about a week, I can truthfully say "I am a Rogue!"

Giggles

2011-01-06T13:25:00.000-06:00

Last night, I was holding Jon in the kitchen while Jonathan was heating up our dinner on the stove. I said, "Stove hot," trying to teach Jon not to try to touch the stove. When I said "hot," Jon reached up and grabbed the bill of the baseball cap I was wearing. I say "hat" every time he grabs the bill, but I didn't realize he had learned the word!

For the rest of the evening, Jonathan would ask, "Where is mama's hat, Jon?" and Jon would reach up to touch my hat. Then Jonathan would ask, "Where is Mama, Jon?" and Jon would just look around confused. Jon usually calls both me and Jonathan "Dada."

This morning we were playing some more, asking "where is the cat? where is the fan? where is the light?" etc. When I asked, "Where is Mama?" Jon looked at me like I was crazy and pointed his finger straight at me as if to say, "Mama, you are right there, why do you keep asking?" Melted my little heart : )

Thoughts on 2010

2011-01-05T12:25:00.003-06:00

I promise that once I organize pictures from the holidays, I will get a nice blog post up with lots of First Christmas fun!

In the meantime, here are my thoughts on 2010:

In some ways, this has been a rough year, but in others it has been so wonderful! We obviously welcomed Jon in January. That in itself was bittersweet because I had a very anticlimactic c-section and I thought I was in some way cheated out of childbirth, but I must admit I had a completely pain free birth (the not laboring helps with that) and a very fast recovery. Jon has been such a sweet, happy baby even from the day we brought him home from the hospital. He has always been a great eater, slept through the night at 6 weeks, let us change his schedule around to meet our needs very well, meets his developmental milestones, and is in general the cutest part of my day.

I was a working mom for four months, and I must tell you that I pretty much loved it. I had a flexible job, a husband home caring for the baby, and I felt pretty balanced between 'me' time, work time, and family time. There was exhaustion and these were Jon's pre-mobile days, so that made things much easier. I lost my baby weight pretty easily with the help of Weight Watchers. That in itself was a big boost to my postpartum confidence. I gained about 70 pounds while pregnant (eek!!) and lost 75 pounds between January and August.

Jonathan graduated from the University of Memphis with his PhD in May, and we took a celebratory vacation to Disney World! Next time we go, though, I don't think we would like to have a 3 month old and 13 extended family members... I definitely needed a vacation from the vacation when we returned home.

In July, just when we had given up hope, Jonathan got a job : ) We had one month to pack up and move to Texas. I had to leave my job, my friends, my church, and my beautiful apartment.
As I have told many of you, the move has been much more difficult than I could have predicted. This is, I believe, due to so many changes at once. I had always dreamed of being a stay at home mom, but I must admit that this dream did not involve living in a rural area without any friends. The past five months have been a bit of a blur with unpacking, trying to make our little apartment into a home, trying to get a schedule for myself that hopefully involves showering at least every other day, and trying to stay positive. Library story time and our new church have pretty much saved my sanity. Although our church is small, it is made up of very genuine people and it preaches the Gospel. I never leave a service or meeting feeling like anything has been watered down or sugar coated. There are a lot of young families in the church as well, so we are getting to know people that are going through the same joys and struggles we are. As story time finished yesterday, a mom came up and started talking to me about Memphis and Ole Miss (I was wearing a Memphis Runners t-shirt) and I saw another mom that leads the Stroller Strides I went to once. Two adult conversations back-to-back in the same day!

In the midst of all of this, a very sweet couple close to us experienced the joy of a pregnancy and the devastating pain of a miscarriage in a matter of weeks. My sister and brother-in-law moved to San Diego and almost immediately were separated due to a deployment to Iraq. My friend Kara died.

One of my friends has called 2010 a character building year. I know that I have learned a lot of things about my character that I wish I didn't know; mainly that I am selfish and have a lazy streak. I like things to go my way and people to behave how I want them to behave, and if I don't have a specific task to complete, I find myself wasting time. I suppose that if I had not been through so much change this year, I would not have realized that. I would have thought that I was doing okay, when really I was just covering up those sins. I have asked God to forgive me for those specific sins and more that I do not recognize. I have asked him to replace my selfishness with selflessness and to replace my laziness with industriousness.

As we march into 2011, we face some of the same struggles and joys of 2010. Jonathan's job is only guaranteed through May, although he has confidence that he will be asked back to teach for another year. I am slowly but surely getting used to domesticity. Jon continues to grow in leaps and bounds! He is now obsessed with lights and fans. This morning he was all giggles while playing with the cat. We celebrate his birthday at the end of the month!

Thanks for reading my thoughts on 2010, and Happy 2011 : )

Breakthrough!

2010-12-15T13:14:00.002-06:00

Jon just ate a very generous portion of peas and carrots at lunch, and we celebrated by clapping : ) So he is back on veggies and has finally started clapping!

He is very proud of himself : )

Long week = Long post

2010-12-07T12:11:00.003-06:00

Life is starting to settle down from a pretty busy week, and now I need to try to reclaim a routine. After sickness, travel, lots of exercise, more sickness, and more travel...I would like a vacation please : )

Last Tuesday, I held and rocked Jon most of the day. He NEVER lets me rock him, but this time it was because he was sick and pathetic. Although we both shared a sweet day of snuggling, I learned that I am very glad to have a kiddo who goes to sleep on his own and does not demand being picked up all the time. I really did not accomplish anything at all last Tuesday because I was holding Jon most of the day.

Last Wednesday, I frantically tried to get laundry, cleaning, and packing done because Jon and I headed out on my trek to the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon. Thankfully Jon was feeling better, and more importantly falling asleep on his own like normal. After packing up the Subaru, we drove up to Dallas and crashed at my parents house. (Jonathan had to stay in San Marcos unfortunately).

Thursday I drove to Memphis from Dallas. It was the longest drive I've done by myself with Jon, and it went pretty well. (For those of you wondering why I drove instead of flew, it was a) the cost, and b) not wanting to lug suitcases, a car seat, a pack n' play, and all other stuff one needs to take care of a baby for 4 days through an airport by myself.) Driving during the week is nice, because there is not really much traffic on the highway or at rest stops. When I reached West Memphis, Arkansas and caught my first glimpse of the Memphis skyline since August I totally teared up. Not gushing or anything, but just a feeling that I was coming home, and then a reminder that Memphis is no longer home. The city is a pretty beautiful site after driving through East Texas and Arkansas for 9 hours. With a brief stop at Becky's apartment to unload valuables (we were in Memphis, after all), we headed downtown to pick up our race packets. In the ten minutes we were at the convention center, I saw 4 people I knew. The only time I see 4 people I know in San Marcos is at church on Sunday. Not kidding. This was pretty much the first of many occasions throughout the weekend in which I was reminded of how much life would be different if Rhodes had just hired Jonathan instead of some random person who doesn't even have their PhD yet. After packet pickup and a swing back to Becky's to feed Jon, we went to Bosco's for a dinner treat! Except it wasn't such a treat, because they wouldn't take my temporary TX drivers license, so I couldn't have my beloved Midtown Brown. (Note: In Texas, if your old state DL is not expired, they take it from you and give you a piece of paper as a temporary DL until your card is made. This makes it very difficult to prove you are who you say you are when outside the state of Texas.) Jon also threw up half way through the meal. Yep. Poor kid.

Friday I slept as late as I could, and then took Jon to say hi to folks at Youth Villages and Davis Kidd story time. The YV Development Department continues to do an awesome job at raising money for kids and families - over $70,000 raised at the Hauntedweb of Horrors this year!! It was great to see my old work mates, and although they all told me that I am doing a very important job of staying at home with Jon, I missed work a lot while walking through that building. Becky met us at DK and we hit up Jason's Deli for a healthy pre-race lunch. I, of course, ran into more people I knew at lunch. While Jon napped, we vegged in front of a movie. Then an early dinner of carbohydrates and early bedtime for the race.

All day Friday we were monitoring the weather predicted for Saturday. The last time I ran the Half Marathon, the temp at the start was about 28 degrees - not fun at all. I bought Jon a hat and mittens, figured out how to use the weather shield on the BOB, and had everything set to go for a below freezing race. Becky had spent hard earned money from her book sales on a new running outfit for the weather. But instead of freezing weather, the forecast was for a 47 degree start. This caused some wardrobe reworking Friday night. Then we woke up at 5:30am to 55 degrees. 55 degrees! At 5:30am in December! The warmer temperature was not going to affect my race all that much, since my only goal was to finish the thing. But Becky had been actually training for the past 6 months, including going to track practices, short group runs and long group runs each week. A temperature change not only affects wardrobe, but can affect how much fluid you take in and your pace.

Despite the unexpected high temperature, Becky did awesome! She finished in 2 hours 14 minutes, a good hour faster than the first time we did the Half Marathon four years ago! I hobbled across the finish line at an embarrassing time, but I finished the darn thing. I told Becky that I am never, ever going to participate in a long distance race that I have not trained for...ever. I did enjoy the walking tour of Midtown and Downtown, and I ran into an alarmingly high number of people that I know : )

We met up with Josie, who had been taking care of Jon during the race, and we had very large hamburgers for lunch! The afternoon was spent resting and trying to entertain Jon while expending the absolute least amount of energy possible. Unfortunately, both Becky and I woke up at different points Saturday night puking our guts out. Throwing up is bad enough - throwing up when your whole body is sore is no fun at all.

I managed to make it to church Sunday morning and really enjoyed worshiping at 2PC and saying hello to friends. After a post church nap due to still feeling pretty bad, I repacked the car and headed back home. It has taken me about a day and a half of being home to feel back to normal. I'm still a bit queasy from whatever caused the vomiting, and Jonathan has been such a big help with Jon while I have recovered.

So that's my week! Now to try to reestablish a routine back at home : )

Likes and Dislikes

2010-11-23T14:47:00.002-06:00

What Megan likes today: Chocolate chocolate chip cookies! Why do I make these things?? I just gobble them up myself!! Thankfully they are so rich, I can only eat one at a time.

What Megan dislikes today: It is 80 degrees and muggy for the second day in a row. Uggh! NOT Thanksgiving weather at all! How am I supposed to cook for two days while I'm sweating just sitting here at the computer?

What Jon likes today: Exploring, playing with his pull-along wooden caterpillar from Great Gran Pollock, and "playing" X Box with Daddy (Jonathan took the batteries out of an X Box controller for Jon to use, because Jon has been known to turn on and off the X Box and try to purchase $80 video games by pushing the buttons), also reading his new library books we picked up today. We are reading "Cat the Cat, who is that?" by Mo Willems.

What Jon dislikes today: Vegetables. Oh no! My "eat anything" boy has been on a veggie strike for the past two days : ( Won't touch green beans, peas, or carrots! I even mixed up his veggies with puffs and banana pieces on his tray, and he picked out all of the bananas and puffs, leaving the peas. Hopefully avocado counts as a vegetable, because that is the only green food he will eat right now.

What Jonathan likes today: Chocolate chocolate chip cookies! I made them for him before he headed out to work this afternoon.

What Jonathan dislikes today: Ummm...probably college students who don't know how to work with fractions. That's usually a dislike of his : )

Life according to my iPhone pictures

2010-11-18T16:40:00.005-06:00

Below is what my iPhone pictures say about my life. My first observation is that I must like sleeping babies.

This next picture is from my regular walk to and from the library. When my sister visited in September, we passed this metal structure and wondered what it was for. It looks like it has lights strung up on it to form a Christmas tree. That can't possibly be it's only purpose!
A few weekends ago, we went to New Braunfels for Wurstfest (a 10 day celebration of sausage). I was a bit ill the next day because I am not used to that much animal fat. But we had fun while we were there and even ran into a family we know!
Below is a baby hat that I made for another mom at church who is having a baby girl any day now. I experimented with embroidery for the first time. Although it looks like a 5 year old did the embroidery, I think it's kind of cute.

Jon reached the point a long time ago in which I decided I just cannot physically keep my eyes on him at all times. I have learned the #1 mom rule that if you can't hear him, he's probably doing something he shouldn't. Here he is wedged under the buffet in our dining room, as happy as can be. He was able to get out just fine on his own this time. When he crawled under there later in the day, Jonathan had to help him find his way out.
Jon turns everything into a drum, and he really enjoys banging things together. He has an actual toy drum that he loves. Here is a picture of him using Duck as a drum stick.

In other news, I have ordered my turkey breast from Whole Foods for Thanksgiving. I am trying my hand at a roulande since it is just the 2.5 of us this year. I asked Jonathan if he had any 'musts' for the holiday table, and then immediately followed that with a 'but I don't do casseroles.' I refuse to use cans of condensed soup to cook!* His only request (after I shot down all of his boyhood favorites) was that the stuffing have bread in it. I think he saw my Cooking Light opened to a page with bread-less stuffing.

I also joined www.seemommyrun.com to try to find a running partner. My attempts to run with the San Marcos Running Club have not been so fantastic, since I run slower than all of them. Pretty much it just feels like I'm running by myself, because after mile 1 I am actually running by myself. I really do enjoy running, but I just can't seem to motivate myself to run on my own. Here's hoping I find a running buddy : )

And lastly, I packed up the Baby Bjorn, Jumperoo, and Jon's 3-9 months clothes today in a box to send with my parents when they come visit after Thanksgiving. We're using their attic as storage for our stuff that won't fit here. It makes me just a little sad to pack up his baby stuff. We used the Bjorn sooooo much when he was teeny tiny! I took him out in it to run some errands when he was 6 days old, only to find out from our pediatrician at his two week check up that we probably should wait until he was a month old before taking him out to stores or church, etc. Oh well, the kid is still with us!

* After writing that I remembered that one of the possibly three people who reads this blog actually owns a cookbook with recipes centered around cans of condensed soup!

First Word

2010-11-11T11:57:00.002-06:00

Jon may have said his first couple of words (outside of dada and mama). The words aren't correct, but he has assigned meaning to them, and they are kind of on the road to being real words.

For cat, he says "dat" or just "t, t, t, t, t, t." He knows that Sigma lives in our bedroom, so he will make a beeline down the hallway saying, "t, t, t, t," and when he actually sees Sigma, he says, "dat." Jon loves Sigma, wants to touch her, chase her, and be her friend. Sigma, on the other hand, does not like Jon at all and seems in her best mood when Jon is either sleeping or away from the apartment.

For duck, he says "dut." I can ask him to go pick up his duck from a pile of toys, and he will get the duck in his hand and say, "dut, dut, dut."

So, do we count these as his first words? If so, I think we'll count cat as the first one with duck as a close second.

Back in the saddle

2010-11-09T17:30:00.002-06:00

Full disclosure - I am eating M&M's as I type this.

Megan-the-runner is making a come back. I'm going to sign up for the Austin Turkey Trot 5 mile road race. This is for a multitude of reasons: (for more on lists, please listen to the 9/5/10 Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast here.)

1. I did not train for the St. Jude Half Marathon, and that got me super depressed. I need a small, more 'do-able' race to train for and regain some of my self-worth. Note: I am still participating in the Half Marathon. I will just suck hard and probably finish in four hours.

2. I need a goal in life. I am a goal oriented person. Now that baby is here and I no longer work, I find that I actually have very few goals. Would you count getting dinner on the table every night as a goal? Or finishing the laundry before the weekend? Those are not the kind of goals that get me going every day. So, this 5 miler will be a new goal. Again, I will hopefully regain some of my self-worth.

3. I need to get in shape! This is more for my overall health. I'm not particularly repulsed when I look at myself in the mirror (perhaps growing a human being for almost 10 months has something to do with that), but I am very aware that I want my heart and lungs and brain and all that to be healthy. Since I need something to work for (see point 2) in order to exercise, a race will hopefully get me sweating every day in preparation.

4. We are not doing anything for Thanksgiving. I didn't want to travel with the baby (Scratch that, I didn't want to pick which side of the family got 1st Thanksgiving vs. 1st Christmas. Oh yeah, I am a 'withdraw-er' for sure when it comes to decision making), and although we have extended the invitation, no one is coming to Central Texas to visit us. So, I have the morning free and no deadlines to get the turkey on the table. Why not run 5 miles with a few thousand people?

This morning I ran to the library for Jon's story time. I am doing the San Marcos Running Club 3 mile run in about 20 minutes. Tomorrow I should probably dust off the pilates DVD that has been sitting out for three months (I thought that if I put it out on a shelf where I see it everyday, I would use it. But no. See point 2 again.). I will gladly accept any tips on maintaining a training schedule, what to do for Thanksgiving when you have no family in town and barely know anyone, or any other tidbits you'd like to share. : )

VOTE!

2010-11-02T10:43:00.004-05:00

It's time to vote, everyone! If you didn't vote early, carve out some time today to exercise your right to vote! Don't know who to vote for? The League of Women Voters has a great rundown of all of the candidates in your particular precinct.

Jedi Jonathan and Dragon Jon say, "Go vote!"
**Dragon Jon is actually saying, "Is it time to go home from this party yet?"

9 months, the great northeast, and Kara

2010-10-28T17:13:00.009-05:00

I'm stuffing a lot into one post, I know.

Baby Jon, who is now much more like Little Boy Jon, is 9 months old today. The kiddo is a lot of fun, and keeps me on my toes. He is now 29 inches tall and 23 pounds, both of which are the 75th percentile for his age. Most people who interact with Jon say that he is very big for a 9-month-old, but good grief, a quarter of babies his age are bigger than he is! His head, bless his heart, is in the 97th percentile. Maybe that's why people think he's older than he is. Sorry, little dude, you have a big noggin! He's doing everything a little 9-month-old should do, except for clapping. The nurse who checked him out seemed concerned about that, but the pediatrician didn't freak out, so I'm trying not to. Although in the past couple of days, I have been clapping at everything and showing him how to do it. He still expresses zero interest in clapping. He does express a lot of interest in climbing, standing up, cruising, and eating : ) He puts everything in his mouth except for food. Stuff I find on the floor? Mmm...good eatin'! Bananas and puffs? Nope, I think I'll just squish those around in my fist and throw them on the floor.

I spent the first 8 years of my life in New England, and most of my extended relatives still live in the northeast. Jon and I took a trip out to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York to visit relatives who had not met him yet. He was able to meet his three great-grandparents on my side of the family as well as my mom's siblings, one of my dad's uncles, and one of my dad's cousins. I also tagged along with my parents as they attended their 35th reunion at Gordon College. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Meeting Great-Grandma Fox

Meeting Great Uncle Kent & Great Aunt Sally

My mom pointing to a dorm window at Gordon College. When she was a student (1970-1975), there were bars on the ground floor windows of the girls' dorms.
Keeping the girls in or the boys out?

Watching the Homecoming soccer game.

Back at Uncle Kent and Aunt Sally's house, we took a walk through a beautiful park in Wellesley. Pictured here are my dad, mom, me with Jon, and Aunt Sally.

Sitting with Great-Gran.

Sitting with Great-Grandfather.

Swinging at the park.

Yes, it was cold enough to wear a hat! Note the changing leaves in the background.

Talking to Aunt Sue and Uncle Earl via Skype. Jon is sitting with Craig and Jenny - Craig is my dad's cousin. They have four boys around my age, so they enjoyed hanging out with an 8 month old boy for a while!

Playing in Gran and Grandfather's kitchen.

End of a great visit!

Meeting Great Aunt Debi and Tickle Me Elmo.

Meeting Great Uncle Ivan. As Uncle Ivan was whipping Jon around, my grandmother very sternly told him to stop that!

My mom standing Jon on his head.
Now what would Great Grandma Fox have to say about that?

The day after we returned from our trip, my friend Kara died unexpectedly. Kara was the first friend I made at Rhodes College, we went on to be roommates, and she was one of the few people I stayed in touch with after college. I can't say enough about how much Kara meant to me, and last Friday was one of the most difficult days of my life. Thankfully four of my other friends from Rhodes also made the trip to Kansas for her funeral, and we all comforted one another and shared memories. The last time I saw Kara was in April when she came to Memphis to visit and meet Jon. All that comforts me through her loss is that Kara lived life to the fullest, and God had her live every day and every moment that she was meant to. I know that sounds trite, but that is the best way I can put it. I miss her terribly, and I am glad for the time I had with her.

Exhausted

2010-10-24T20:39:00.003-05:00

(Both physically and emotionally)

I've been out of town for almost two weeks. One week was a planned trip back East to visit my grandparents, and the past week was an unexpected trip to Kansas to attend a funeral. The second trip was one of, if not the hardest things I have ever had to do.

But I'm back home now, Jon is in bed, Jonathan is grading tests, and dinner is on the stove. More to come.

More 8 Month Fun

2010-09-28T14:13:00.003-05:00

Last night I only had the energy to post pictures. Now here is some more info on our growing boy!

He loves to stand! The child will be in a room full of toys, and he will spend 20 minutes standing and patting the coffee table while talking to you. Jon can now walk around the coffee table, transfer from the coffee table to the couch, and walk from one end of the dining room table to the other by holding on to the chairs. He is very proud of himself, often doing this with a big smile on his face. We play with blocks, rings, rattles, teething toys, stuffed animals, coasters, bits of dust on the floor. Uggh...Jon ate his first dust bunny on Sunday. It was disgusting, and I feel the need to compulsively swiffer now. Jon is much more of a mover and shaker than a cuddler. When we read books, he is usually standing or playing with something in his hands. His favorites seem to be "Quiet Loud" and "Noisy Kisses" because we make loud noises while reading them. This brings literal squeals of delight.

We are working on clapping, waving, and blowing kisses. He doesn't do them himself, but I think (maybe) he knows what they mean. At least he gets very excited when we start clapping. I'm also trying some signs, but I don't think the child has a clue what they mean. He much prefers to whine and grunt for his milk. I know it is a bit early, but the internet is full of these "oh yes, my 5 month old knows the signs for milk, more, and thank you" stories...blah, blah, blah. I don't have any books or DVDs, I just look up the signs online and start using them. There is probably a better way of introducing sign language, but I'm not willing to spend money on it.

Jon likes to pull hair. It is kind of his way of saying hello...although I am trying to nip this habit in the bud. He obviously pulls his father's hair, and we say "ouch" and frown while we pull his hand away to try to let him know it is a bad thing. Despite that, whenever he crawls up to a kid at story time or church, he goes straight for the hair. Usually the other kid doesn't mind, and we pull him off immediately with the accompanying ouch/frowny face. This morning, though, he pulled the hair of a girl who could talk. For the next half hour, she kept saying, "That baby pulled my hair!" Any ideas on how to teach an 8-month-old some social skills?

He's still eating solids twice a day along with two extra milk snacks. I keep thinking of adding a third meal of solids, but the kid is growing just fine, and our pediatrician said that he didn't need to start three meals until 9 months. So, I guess I'll wait. He likes all kinds of cereal, bananas, avocados, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and peas. I bought some peaches and blueberries to prepare for him next. My baby food cookbook is in a box that has yet to be opened, so I'm not quite sure what I should be cooking next for him! I've started giving him small chunks of banana, and he does not really appreciate having to work to eat his food, but he is getting much better at chewing. I think at his 9-month check up, we should get the green light for cheese, yogurt, and more finger foods. I also haven't given him meat yet. I honestly can't stomach pureed meat, so I wanted to wait until I could give him shredded meat.

And last, but not least, he has a mouth full of teeth! The bottom center two came up in June, the top center two started a couple of weeks ago, and the two upper teeth outside of the center started this week. We're finally going to get professional pictures taken this week (last time we tried he was sick), and he will have a nice, toothy smile!

So that's what Jon is doing! Growing like a weed, as they say, and keeping us on our toes : )

8 Months

2010-09-27T21:12:00.016-05:00

Jon is 8 months old and growing every day! He is a lot of fun and really is a sweetheart. Here are some pictures from what he's been up to. They are iPhone pics, so I apologize for the fuzziness.

Here is how I usually find Jon in the morning and after naps, happily standing up (and sometimes chewing on his crib.)
We went to a park after library story time with a couple of families from the church we have been attending. At the park, Jon played with a stick for the first time. It didn't taste very good.

The boy is finally crawling! Here he is going after some toys.

Chapter books, here we come! Well, kind of : ) Becky's book is finally out! Buy it HERE, and not just because I am in it ; )

Jon is not always super happy boy, unfortunately. Jonathan and I have had to start using "No," as you can see below. (But he was so cute, I had to take a picture.)

Here is what he was told he could not have...

On Friday, Jon and I went to the Comal County Parade with two sweet families from our church. Jon had a lot of fun interacting with the other kids (and being held by the other moms), although he did not like the loud parts of the parade. Here he is just chilling - it was a 2 hour parade!

Hmm...what is this? Can I reach it?

Must get all of my toys out of my cubbies...now!

Come play with me, Mama!
Only in our household is this shape referred to as a concave decagon.

Jon is pulling up and cruising all over the place! Today he pulled himself up on the kitchen wall.

Hug Your Babies

2010-09-14T18:16:00.002-05:00

In the past few days, two different pop culture icons have made me squeeze my baby tightly - Disney and...Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Specifically, the movie "Up," and the television episode "The Body." I personally do not understand why Buffy only won one Emmy, and for best make up design at that. Joss Whedon is brilliant, and the episode about the death of Buffy's mother really makes you think about death and life. It is well acted, well directed, and completely sucks you in to the world of the characters. Jonathan and I watched the episode after dinner Sunday night, and when it ended, I felt the need to go wake up Jon and hug him. I restrained myself, though, because waking a baby up in the middle of the night is one of those crazy things you just don't do : ) Then today I watched 'Up' for the first time because I wanted something in the background while I was doing work and Jon was napping. Hah! I ended up just sitting on the couch, watching the movie. Like "The Body," the movie made me think about what I'm doing with my life, what I am really impacting.

The pastor in the church we have been attending in San Marcos is currently focusing on God's covenants. In this world of uncertainty, God's promises are rocks we can cling to. He will be our God, and we will be His people. When I die, my soul will go to be with Him. In "The Body," Dawn (Buffy's little sister) is obsessed with seeing Joyce's body. She wants to see her mother. But Buffy reminds Dawn that Joyce is not there; it is just a dead body void of their mother. Despite my faith, thinking about death and how it affects our loved ones still pretty much took my breath away. Needless to say, I prayed an extra prayer for my baby and thanked God for blessing me so much with this amazing life. I want to give him a meaningful life, one in which he will leave this world better than it was before he entered it. I want him to have a beautiful relationship with God and with everyone that he encounters. I want the same for myself, and I really wondered today what am I doing that will leave an impact. Is my life just washing dishes, doing laundry, and baking cookies? Those are the activities I have done today. How am I living out my faith daily? How am I impacting my family, my community, my sphere of influence?

Who knew that watching TV and a movie would bring about such deep thoughts?

new skills

2010-09-04T13:44:00.005-05:00

Well, I think Jon may have had a small bout of roseola...maybe. After his fever went away, he got little tiny pink spots on his arms and legs. The rash is faded a bit today, and he hasn't actually had a high temp since Thursday, so I think we're out of the woods. I have learned something about my kid, though - he is very pouty and whiny when he doesn't feel good. I guess I can say the same thing about me!

I had a not so fantastic run this morning. I'm trying to train for the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon again, and I am significantly behind in training. I think I might try to run again tomorrow morning before church to make up for the lousy run this morning. I know that it doesn't really work that way, but oh well....

Here are pictures of Jon's newest skills: standing up and using a sippy cup:

Sick baby : (

2010-09-02T16:13:00.002-05:00

So we've made it 7 months, and now Jon is sick : ( He's had a high temp since last night. I called our old pediatrician in Memphis, and the nurse on call pretty much told me that he did not have a fever...even though it was 99.8. She said that it's not a fever until 100.6. Well, at 100.2 I went ahead and gave him baby acetaminophen. He thankfully slept through the night pretty well, and felt much cooler each time I checked on him (which was about once an hour until midnight...I was a bit worried). He's hovered between 99 and 100 today, and has spent most of the day sleeping. Of course, Jon chose his first day to get sick when I had 6-month (ahem...7-month) pictures scheduled for him. Being crazy mom, I took him anyway, but he cried the whole time and was not his adorable and smiley self. He then took a four hour afternoon nap, I woke him up for his afternoon snack, and now he's back asleep. : ( He's so pathetic and I just want him to feel better. I'll gladly take any sick baby remedies anyone has out there.

What's in this box?

2010-08-31T17:42:00.001-05:00

My motivation to finish unpacking:
a very curious 7-month-old

Baby steps

2010-08-31T13:27:00.002-05:00

I took a very small but significant step in making San Marcos my new home. Yesterday, I stopped listening to WKNO on my iPhone and started listening to KUT. Granted, I am listening to the same NPR programs, but now instead of Memphis traffic, weather, and community announcements, I get Austin traffic, weather, and community announcements. At first, it was comforting to hear the same voices I have listened to for several years telling me that Memphis is having rather wonderful weather right now, but I had to face reality and make the switch. Just in case you were wondering, it is significantly hotter in central Texas than it is in west Tennessee currently ; )

Each room of our small apartment is still about 1/4-1/3 filled with boxes that I have not had the desire the unpack. I unpacked all of the stuff we needed for daily living, and then I had no motivation to unpack the rest. The move was a bit harder than I anticipated, and the shift from full time working mom to full time mom has been significantly more difficult that I thought it would be. I actually had a dream in which I asked my former boss if he would hire me back. I told him that I didn't need my same job back, since I didn't want to kick the new person out of a job, but I just asked him if there was something I could do. I think that the transition to stay-at-home-mom is more difficult since we are in a brand new place where we do not know anyone. I had a pity party for myself last week, in which I kept thinking, "If we were in Memphis, I would live across the street from the zoo, and I would have 'Mom' Bible studies at church, and I would have dinner club with my friends, and I would have my best friend to run with, etc." Dwelling on the 'ifs' does not make integrating into a new community very easy.

After several days of that, I decided I needed a significant attitude adjustment. My sweet husband ran with me Saturday morning. Yes, you read that correctly. Jonathan ran with me Saturday morning. And, of course, he runs faster that I do. I have been a pretty consistent 11 or 12 minute per mile runner for four years, and on his first time out, I'm thinking Jonathan was keeping up at 9 or 10 minute per mile pace. Needless to say, I gave him the jogging stroller, and I tried to keep up with him. Sunday we visited a church that we may end up attending regularly. Monday I switched radio stations. And today, well, today I think I am going to tackle the rest of the boxes in the living room.

There was an announcement in the church bulletin about mentors needed for foster kids in the community, so I think I will check that out. I have also signed up to help out my alma mater with fund raising (don't kill me when I call you, fellow Rhodents!) and new student recruitment. Jonathan came to toddler story time with Jon and me this morning at the library. So things are improving. I still miss Memphis very much (my friends, my church, my job, my apartment), but I need to see the potential in my new home.

I will post pictures soon, I promise : )

We're here...or there...depending on your perspective

2010-08-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

We have successfully moved to San Marcos, TX! Our schedule was off a bit due to packing, cleaning, and loading a truck taking much, much, much longer than anticipated. We had my mom and dad helping us out, and Jon was a trooper the whole time. This kid really is such a huge blessing! He is so laid back and willing to have his schedule changed as needed to fit our lives.

So we made it down to San Marcos on 8/11 and I would say we are about 1/2 unpacked. We just got internet today, which is why I haven't checked in earlier. We have made two trips to IKEA, one trip to Target, and one trip to Lowe's. Although, I think Jonathan is going to make a second trip to Lowe's this afternoon.

Ah, Jon just woke up. Like clockwork - lunch is in 5 minutes! I'll update more later.

New study about reducing foster care population

2010-07-30T17:14:00.002-05:00

Had to plug Youth Villages at least once more before I leave!

Please check out this study that cites a 34% reduction in the number of children in Tennessee foster care since 2000. It highlights to work of Youth Villages with TN DCS.

What I learned on our trip to Texas

2010-07-30T15:13:00.003-05:00

1. "Dry heat" is a myth! It is just as humid in central Texas as it is in Memphis!

2. It is pronounced San Marcis, not San MarcOs. Apparently that is the California way of saying it, and you will stick out as a foreigner if you say it that way.

3. I need to learn how to make sweet tea, for my husband's survival. (I am open to suggestions!)

4. Any time is a good time to jump in the San Marcos River for a swim! (I did not personally experience this, but every time we drove by - including during a thunderstorm - people were in the river.)

5. You can buy wine in the grocery store and a pitcher of Shiner Bock at the local pizza place!

Facebook...

2010-07-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, with the pending move, I have been asked five million times, "You're on facebook, right?"

No, no I'm not. I really don't like facebook, although I've never been a member. I feel like all of this instant, technocentric communication is hurting our ability to have deep relationships. We are losing the skills of communicating our differences in a constructive, respectful way. I know this is entirely hypocritical of me to write about my loathing of social networking on a blog! Oh well.

So, here is my dilema: I'm moving to another state, and facebook has the potential to help me stay easily connected to my friends here in Memphis. But I don't like facebook. Ughh....

Please help me out by letting me know what you love or hate about facebook, and let me know if you think I should join. I appreciate your feedback!

Jon helps us pack...

2010-07-13T13:39:00.002-05:00

Jon is very excited about all of the boxes in our living room!

We are heading out to San Marcos, TX at the beginning of August. Jonathan accepted a teaching position at Texas State University! After about 9 months of trying to find a job, we are very relieved that he has a full time position for the fall. Currently it is just a one year position, but it may have the potential to be extended. San Marcos is just outside of Austin, and we are looking forward to taking in all that Austin has to offer. So grab your inner tube and Shiner koozie, and come on down to central Texas!

Where's Jon?

2010-06-18T16:38:00.003-05:00

Jon has started to understand the concept of peek-a-boo! I think this game is taking a break while Jon tries to stuff both fists and the burp cloth in his mouth : )

Silly me!

2010-06-17T16:30:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share this funny moment from my day : ) Below is a picture of my notepad after a conference call meeting. It was obviously important that I get information from someone; my brain just neglected to write down the name of the actual person I needed to contact! Thankfully I remembered who the 'her' was. Does this happen to any of you??

Lay off me, I'm starving!!!

2010-06-14T10:22:00.003-05:00

Thank you, Chris Farley...

I have enrolled in Weight Watchers through work again. I did this about 3 years ago and lost about 15 pounds. Alas, in the years I have been off of the program, I gained all that weight back. I'm almost back to pre-pregnancy weight, and I did have to get new jeans on Saturday because my first pair of post-pregnancy jeans were too big, which I'm pretty pleased with. Those jeans were the first (and hopefully only) pair of size 16 anything I have purchased, and it was no fun : ( Jonathan tells me that I shouldn't let numbers bother me, but they do... I am still overweight according to my BMI, so I thought Weight Watchers program would help get me healthy. My first meeting was last Friday, which also happened to be my 5th wedding anniversary. Let's just say that I used all of my extra points for the whole week at dinner that night! But who is going to pass up a delicious meal at a fancy restaurant with the sweetest guy in the whole world? Oh, and throw in a bottle of Malbec with that! So now I'm really on the program, and I'm in the stage where I feel hungry ALL THE TIME! I just have to train my body to eat a healthy number of calories a day. And don't worry - since I'm still breastfeeding, my caloric intake goals keep that in mind. I'll try to keep the blog updated each Friday with weight loss updates. Losing 18 pounds will get me to a healthy BMI, so that's my goal!

Congratulations, Dr. Hulgan!

2010-06-06T22:09:00.003-05:00

Jonathan received his PhD on May 8th! Congratulations on completing six years of hard work, sweetheart :) I am so proud of you!

Disneyworld!

2010-06-06T21:56:00.005-05:00

We are not very good at remembering to take pictures, so this is pretty much all we have from Disneyworld. Don't worry, with both sets of grandparents, two great-grandparents, and an aunt along for the trip there are plenty of pictures for posterity! Disneyworld was tiring and fun : ) I don't necessarily recommend it with an infant, but this vacation was planned long before Jon was planned... Jon spent his time either looking around confused or asleep! He did smile and coo and keep his relatives entertained : ) He also enjoyed his first pool time!

Growing up

2010-06-06T20:45:00.003-05:00

Baby Jon is now 4 months old! While 4 months is not a very long time, it has been amazing to see our little boy grow up. He has a very sweet personality and is such a joy in our family! He greets me every morning with a big grin and ends every day with a cuddle before I put him down to bed. The child has his moments, don't get me wrong, but he is a very good baby!

Here are some updates:

Eating - Jon has a pretty solid routine of 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 8pm feedings. We've introduced rice cereal at his 1pm feeding a couple of times, but I don't actually think Jon has swallowed any of it! He just grimaces, gums it a bit, and then spits it out.

Sleeping - (after rereading this, you will probably only care about this if you are the parent of an infant) Naps are getting better, although he still doesn't like them too much. Most of the time, he'll cry for about 5-10 minutes when we put him down and then fall asleep. Last week, Jon started sleeping later in the morning, and there were a few days when I woke him up at 6am so that I could feed him and get ready for work. So, this weekend, we decided to just let him sleep until he woke himself up, thinking that we might have hit the magical 12 hour sleep schedule. He amazingly slept until 7am Saturday morning - longer than he's ever gone! Of course, this completely messed up my plans to run Saturday morning.... So we adjusted his feeding schedule according to this new wake up time, and I thought how great it might be to have him eat at 7, 11, 3, and 7 instead of his current schedule. Well...he woke up at 4:30 this morning and would not settle back down to sleep. I can't remember the last time he woke up that early! So, I don't think he's ready to extend his night sleeping just yet, and I need to be content with his 8:30pm to 5am night right now.

New skills - Jon is a rolling machine! He rolled over from back to front for the first time on May 22nd and from front to back on May 26th. He has much more trouble rolling from front to back, and he gets frustrated when he can't do it, but he is getting better every day. He can pick up soft blocks with both hands, but hasn't really started grabbing all that much. He chews on everything! If he is sitting in my lap, he'll grab one of my fingers and stick it in his mouth. He is successfully sitting in his high chair and restaurant high chairs, although he still kind of sways from side to side. He has found his feet and often does the happy baby yoga pose while getting his diaper changed. Jon scoots a bit in addition to rolling, so we are going to have to switch into babyproofing mode : (

Favorites - Jon loves his jumparoo! He does not seem to get tired of bouncing up and down in it, and he has started playing with some of the toys on it. He loves squirming...especially at diaper change time. Of course Jon loves his daddy! He will look for Jonathan when he is not in the room, and his whole face lights up when he catches a glimpse of Jonathan. Although I miss him when I am at work, I am so glad that Jon and Jonathan have this special time together. Jon loves to giggle, laugh and smile, which we are of course enjoying! And his all time favorite thing may be his train mobile above his crib. He gets a huge smile on his face when he sees it, and he has long, deep conversations with that train : )

Stats: Height - 27.5 inches (97th percentile), Weight 15.14 pounds (83rd percentile), HC - 43.5 cms (96th percentile)

Here are some pictures to show how far Jon has come in the past four months:

First bath at home at4 days old: Screaming his head off

Bath at 4 months old: Cool as a cucumber! We imagine he would pop open a cold one if he was legal.

First tummy time at 5 days old: What am I supposed to be doing?

Enjoying rolling around and scooting at 4 months old: How did I get half my body under the coffee table?

Can volunteering make you healthier?

2010-05-24T14:24:00.002-05:00

Check out a new study by Volunteer Match to see : )

And if you read the article and want to volunteer, let me know! I will have volunteer orientation for Memphians on June 1st at 6pm and June 5th at 9am. Just thought I'd pass along some good information!

Help Youth Villages win a ballpark makeover!

2010-05-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

'Building Diamonds and Dreams' is a program where youth baseball fields all over America will be selected for a complete makeover, courtesy of Chevy and their partner, The Scotts Company (The Scotts Company is the Official Lawn Care Company of Major League Baseball). A field makeover is a home run for the kids and our communities.

The program is simple. Go online to chevybaseball.com and enter 38002 as the zip code at the top of the page. When you do, the Youth Villages' Dogwood Campus in Arlington, TN will be entered for a chance at a ballpark makeover. You can increase the chances of the kids being selected by entering your information everyday. You could also win a new Chevy car, truck or crossover.

The 'Building Diamonds and Dreams' program ends July 16th.

Thanks!!

update coming soon

2010-05-17T11:50:00.003-05:00

Since my last baby update blog, Jon has started using his high chair, his jumparoo, his teething toys (yes...we think he's teething), and he's been to the forum for graduation and to Disney World to celebrate graduation. Whew! I will post a real update soon, but in the meantime, here is a picture of sweet baby Jon from yesterday.

small victory

2010-04-27T13:31:00.001-05:00

I am wearing a pair of pre-pregnancy dress pants today. Yes, that is a victory in my book!

It begins

2010-04-26T13:47:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when you leave your son home with your husband when you go work...

(also note that his sweet hair is falling out *sniff*)

Wow!

2010-04-19T09:48:00.005-05:00

Volunteers at the YV5k

Just to update you on the YV5k, my team is currently $60 away from raising $2000! I am so humbled by the generosity of so many wonderful supporters! We are tallying up the race entries from Saturday as well as last minute donations, but we have met our initial $75,000 goal. Of our $155 million annual operating budget, we must raise $15 million from private donors, so the funds raised at the YV5k are vital to helping us in our mission of helping children and families live successfully.

If you are interested in volunteering your time to Youth Villages, I am hosting volunteer orientations on May 1st from 9am-10am and May 4th from 6pm-7pm. Volunteers are needed in many different areas, from events to tutoring to sponsoring birthday parties! We can accommodate volunteers at all of our 64 locations across the country, so even if you do not live in the Memphis area, you can get involved!

Can we raise $600 in one day???

2010-04-15T14:41:00.004-05:00

I am captain for the Volunteer Team of the YV5K (Team "Make a Difference"), and we are currently in 3rd place for fundraising. We are $600 away from 2nd place (that team has raised $2100), and YOU can help us move up in the rankings!

Here is how you do it:

* Click here to go to my team's webpage.

* Click either Join Team or Support Team. Spirit Runners (you don't have to make it to the actual event) can join the team for $15, and you get a t-shirt! Runners are $18. Or, you can pitch in $5 or however much you would like to support us. You can either support the team at large, or click on my name to specifically support me.

Where is the money going? All of the proceeds of the race benefit three programs:

* Transitional Living - Support young adults aging out of the child welfare system in TN, MA, NC, TX and D.C. Your funding helps provide counseling support, job preparation skills, financial management skills, and much more to an often forgotten group of young people.

* Spiritual Life - Support this voluntary program for the children in residential treatment. We provide spiritual activities each week to children who want to participate in this program, and it is completely funded through private donors.

* Mentoring - Support recruitment, training, and ongoing support to mentors across the state of Tennessee and Georgia. Mentors provided much need positive adult role models to teens in our residential programs.

Thank you for your support!

Speaking of active children...

2010-04-13T10:39:00.002-05:00

Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/skatelifememphis to vote for Memphis to win a Pepsi ReFresh grant for $250,000 to fund a skatepark in Binghampton. Info about the project is on the website as well.

If you do not have plans for Saturday morning, come out to the YV5k at the Ridgeway loop! Funds raised will go to Youth Villages' Spiritual Life Program, Mentoring Program, and Transitional Living Program. Learn more at www.youthvillages5k.com! My team (Team Make a Difference) is in third place overall with funds raised!

My Kinesthetic Learner

2010-04-13T09:39:00.003-05:00

Jon likes to move! Pretty much the only time he is not moving is when he is asleep...and even then, he moves a lot : ) When we are on walks, he kicks his feet around. When he is eating, he tugs on his hair or swings an arm. When we are sitting in church, he kicks and waves his arms. When we are reading books, he reaches out to touch the pages. Even in the womb, Jon was a mover and shaker from an early age. During our nine-week ultrasound before we went to Argentina, Jon barely had arms and legs, but he was moving them constantly for the 15 minute exam. I am reading a book "Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys," and in it, the authors cite some research about the physiological and chemical differences between boys and girls, even at this young age. I'm a firm believer that much of our gender stereotypes are socially constructed and have little to do with biology, but I also do recognize that boys and girls are different animals. We were sitting behind a baby girl and her mom in church a couple of weeks ago, and she sat still the entire service. It was hard to gauge how old she was - she was smaller than Jon, but he is a pretty big kid. Jon was quiet during church, but he was literally moving the whole time he was awake. According to the studies cited in "Wild Things," girls' brains release more serotonin than boys' brains, thus girls sit still a bit better and boys move around more. Interesting stuff to think about....

While you are thinking about it, here is an example of Jon moving. Note that his hands and feet are blurs. Also, note that he is about to outgrow these 3-6 month pajamas and he is not even 11 weeks old!!

Adult update

2010-04-04T16:37:00.007-05:00

So Jon has pretty much overrun my blog! Here is an update on the adults in our family:

Jonathan defended his dissertation last Monday, and it was approved by his committee!!! Jon and I attended the dissertation defense, and understood about 2% of what Jonathan said : ) I got a bit worried during the questioning part, because it seemed that one member of his committee was asking what the point was of his many years of research. Jonathan presented on three proofs he has come up with over a period of six years, and to hear someone questioning it was a bit unsettling for me. Jonathan was cool as cucumber, because he had anticipated those questions. The committee sent us out into the hallway while they deliberated for about 20 minutes, and we breathed a huge sigh of relief when Jonathan's advisor came out with a smile and 'congratulations.' After the decision, we chatted for a bit with the committee, and it was so sweet to see how several of the faculty members are very proud of Jonathan and his work. I am super proud of him, too! We celebrated at Jonathan's favorite restaurant, Texas de Brazil : ) Thank you, Becky, for babysitting!!

Waiting for the dissertation defense results

Math talk

Jonathan with Dr. Lehel

Is this what Jonathan will look like in the future??

Dr. Lehel, Dr. Bollabas, Jonathan, and Dr. Rousseau

I went back to work last Tuesday, and have really enjoyed getting back into the swing of things at Youth Villages. I am slowly getting back into my work routine, which involves a lot of phone calls, emails, planning, and replanning. I made a couple of mistakes, got a little overzealous at times, but I know it will take a little bit to return to normal functioning. I have a couple of big projects to work on this month, including developing a volunteer newsletter, overhauling our record keeping, and captaining Team Make a Difference for the YV5k on April 17th. Check out our team website! We are almost half way to our fundraising goal of $1000 : )

I have my sights set on the St. Jude Half Marathon in December! Even if Jonathan and I end up moving for his job, I have promised myself (and a few others) that I will run the race. The farthest I have run without stopping at this point is only 1.3 miles...so I have a long way to go. I ran a little over 2 miles with Becky a couple of weeks ago, but we had to stop to wait for crossing signals, so I had some breaks. I think I am going to try to run after work on the evenings when Jonathan does not work, and then I will continue walking with Jon on the evenings that Jonathan is teaching. Then Becky and I will run on Saturday mornings, and I'll take Sundays off. I need to get some cross training in there too. Playing with Jon is sometimes its own cross training! Anyone have tips on integrating some core or strength workouts into the mix?

Jon's Baptism, 3/28/10

2010-04-04T16:25:00.007-05:00

Our little boy was baptized on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010. Baptism is a covenant sign of God's promise to care for us and our promise as parents to raise up our little one in a Christian home. We do not believe that baptism brings salvation (only faith does that), but baptism brings a child into the covenant family of the church. Jonathan and I took parental vows just as important as our marriage vows, and I had a very hard time keeping it together at the front of the church as we stated our vows. What an immense responsibility we are undertaking, but what a wonderful God we have who is going to help us! The members of our church also took a vow to help us raise Jon in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and hearing an entire church of people say "I do" to that promise was very special to me.

Jon wore a baptismal gown that was made for my great uncle John. The outer gown was made in 1922 by my great grandmother, Nana Radford (my paternal grandmother's mother), and the slip and bonnet were made in 1950 by my great grandmother, Great-Grandma Pollock (my paternal grandfather's mother). It was a very special day not only to celebrate Jon coming into the covenant family of the church, but also to remember the saints that have gone before him in our family.

With Aunt Katie

With Gramps & Grammie (my parents)

With Great-Gran and Great-Papaw

(Jonathan's maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather)

Four generations of Hulgan men:

Jonathan, Jon, Darren, and Donald

With Papa D and G-Ma (Jonathan's parents)

"Are we done taking pictures yet, Daddy?"

More firsts

2010-04-04T15:38:00.011-05:00

So it has been just about two weeks since I have updated the blog, and a lot has happened since then! Jon continues to be a sweet, happy little boy. He is eating, sleeping, and playing wonderfully and we are very thankful for him!

First Math lecture:

Jon and I popped in to University of Memphis for the annual Erdos Conference, and we sat in on the lecture that looks back at the life of Paul Erdos. We also attended parties and Jon mingled with lots of international mathematicians : )

At the lecture (note Jon fast asleep)

Jonathan, Jon, Jackson & Jeff

With Dr. Gyarfas

With Dr. Lehel (Jonathan's advisor)

First walk with the stroller:

It took Jon a minute to get used to the stroller (he's not a fan of being strapped into things), but I do think he now enjoys going for walks in it. Becky and I took our first walk with the stroller through Overton Park, and it was nice because I could walk a bit faster with the stroller than with the Bjorn. I have taken Jon through the park several times, on the VECA greenline, around the Jefferson-Tucker neighborhood, and through Central Gardens. Sometimes he sleeps and sometimes he looks around wide-eyed. Jonathan and I have walked down to Cafe Eclectic a few times, and it is nice to have him in the stroller, because he can just stay in it asleep while we eat.

First picnic in the park:

With family in town for Jon's baptism and a gorgeous day, we headed across the street to Overton Park for a picnic. It was so much fun to get outside, eat yummy sandwiches, and just enjoy being together as a family. Jon got to experience the hippie drummers, lots of cute puppies, and (of course) the couple of random people drinking beer and smoking pot behind the wall of rainbow lake.

Aunt Katie & Jon

Enjoying the sunshine!

First 5k:

The Bunny Run was the first 5k I participated in back in 2007 when I decided to start running. I walked it and finished it in 44 minutes (or at least that is what I can gather from looking up old blog entries). I think it is only fitting that Jon's first 5k was also the Bunny Run. Kara pushed his stroller the first half of the race, and I pushed it the second half, and we finished in about 49 minutes. As you can see from the pictures, Jon did not like his bunny hat, but I think he had fun during the race. I hope to instill in him a love for the outdoors and exercise : )

Get this hat off of me!

Waiting for the start with Kara and Becky

Post race with Becky and Kara (Becky had a PR!!!)

First family 5k : )

First Easter:

We don't actually have any pictures of Jon from today. We went to the sunrise service, so obviously no pictures before church. It was our first time at the sunrise service. Before Jon came into our lives, we didn't function much before 8am. Now I'm up at 5am daily, so getting out at 6:30 wasn't that crazy. It was a lovely service at the Memphis Botanic Garden, and then we headed to the 8am service at church with my all time favorite processional hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today!" Jon was a very happy baby in church this morning! Too happy - he kept talking during prayer time, so Jon and I listened to Pastor Sandy from the narthex. When we started to get Jon out of his car seat after church, we noticed he was sitting in a puddle of his own lovely orange poop! Yep, right out the side of his diaper, all over his clothes and all over his car seat. The kid was all smiles and was cooing up a storm. This is not a child who hates being wet or dirty...he seems to like it! So I cleaned up Jon while Jonathan cleaned up the car, and we don't have any Easter pictures.

We have had lots of other firsts: first trip downtown, first visit to Huey's, first visit to Davis-Kidde, first time getting scared by something (Jonathan and I laughed as we consoled Jon, because he was too cute), and my first day back at work, which went considerably better than I thought it would.

Kara and Jon at Davis Kidde

"Thanks for visiting, Aunt Kara!!"

Fun times

2010-03-23T18:24:00.005-05:00

Life has been a lot of fun in the Hulgan home for the past few weeks! It is as though Jon woke up from a dreamy state and is now aware of the world around him. Our pediatrician told us that he would start to get social around six weeks, and he sure has! He smiles, 'talks,' bats at anything you hold above his head, and yes...has started tugging on our hair. He also tugs on his own hair! He grabs onto the hair on the back of his head while nursing and when he's going to sleep. The magic moment every parent dreams of happened last week when Jon slept through the night on his own!! I must give props to my friend Stacey, who gave me a tip to try to spread out that middle of the night feeding. It totally worked, and Jon now sleeps from 11:30pm to 5am. I feel like a new person!!! He still cries a bit when going down for daytime naps, but his wailing has gone from 15 minutes to about 5, and when he wakes up mid-nap, he is either able to get back to sleep on his own, or a quick pop of the pacifier in his mouth gets him settled. There are still not-so-good-nap days, like yesterday when I just let him sleep in his swing for his afternoon nap because he had pretty much cried through his entire morning nap. But we are making progress : )

Despite being on seven prescriptions for various silly ailments (long story which involves going to doctors three times in one week and crying in the parking lot of the dermatologist's office), I am feeling really good! With the uninterupted sleep my energy level is up, I feel good about how baby weight has started to come off, I 'ran' for the first time since August, and I have been able to get out of the apartment on my own sans baby a couple of times so that I remember I am a person outside of being a mom. I am so glad that I have been able to stay home for 8 weeks with Jon. If I had needed to go back to work at 6 weeks, I would have missed this super fun period his is in right now. I have also been able to help support Jonathan as he has finished up his dissertation (he turned it in to his committee yesterday!!!!). With me being home, he has been able to focus on adjustments to his research and has not had to be fully responsible for Jon during the day. It really has been a joy to have time to take care of things around the apartment and make special treats for Jonathan as he was in his final push.

I prayed a lot in the first few weeks home with Jon, when I was at the end of my rope with a crying baby who would not nap, I had no energy, my mood was on a roller coaster, and I felt alone. God answered those prayers in so many ways: first by drawing me closer to him through that increased prayer time, then by giving my husband a patient heart, by sending friends to me with encouragement, and by teaching me through our study of Timothy on Sunday mornings. I still have not-so-good days mixed in with the good days, but I feel better supported to handle those days when they come. I know that next week is going to be a challenge as I head back to work, but it is Holy week. Easter is my absolute favorite holiday of the year, because it is the celebration of our victory over sin and death by the loving sacrifice of Jesus! I will have that to meditate on as I get back into the working world.

And health care reform is now law! How sweet is that : ) (haha...I know that I have many conservative friends who are rolling their eyes right now. Well – I'm one of the Americans who is very, very, excited about health care reform.)

Okay, long blog over – now some pictures! These are all from my iPhone, so they are a bit blurry....

Jon realizing there is a mirror at the top of his swing. At first he was confused about the face looking back at him. Now he smiles and talks to his friend in the mirror whenever he is in the swing.

Jon has figured out that his playmat has fun toys. He has started batting at them and gets so excited when they move!

Proof that we still have our cat. Sigma is still not too sure what she thinks about Jon.

My goofy boy!

Finally I was able to capture that smile!

Pictures!

2010-03-10T19:36:00.005-06:00

Getting ready for a walk with Becky. Jon was all smiles, although of course I couldn't get one on camera! This is the closest I got.

My props: the swaddle and the pacifier!

First trip to the zoo!

How Jon spent most of the visit...asleep.

Enjoying the Sea Lion Show! Jon was awake for the show.

First bottle!

Ready for church on World Missions Sunday! All decked out in the Argentine soccer jersey we bought for him in Buenos Aires last July when he was 9 weeks in utero.

Reading!

Sigma checking out the BOB.

Two more weeks, and we get to start using the BOB!

Crazy hair!

6 weeks!

2010-03-10T18:46:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow Jon will be 6 weeks old! It is amazing how much he has grown up in such a short time. I head back to work in 3 weeks, and I have had many bittersweet feelings as the time draws nearer. I am ready to get back to work, mostly because I really do love my job at Youth Villages as the volunteer coordinator. Every time Jon smiles, though, I think of what I'm going to miss. He has had quite a few firsts in the past couple of weeks, and I know I will most likely miss a 'first' or two while I am out of the house. The best news is that Jonathan will be taking care of Jon at home, so I will hopefully get a phone call or a picture emailed to me with any special moments that I miss. Okay...enough dwelling on that!!

What Jon loves:

* Waking up in the morning! We wake up at 5am (eek!) for Jon's first meal of the day. I actually set this time, because it gives me enough time to feed him, go through my morning routine, and get to work in Bartlett at 7:30am. Jon is a very sweet baby in general, but he is SUPER happy in the morning when he first wakes up. He smiles and coos and is very interactive. This makes getting up at 5am much easier for me : )

* The swing: I have wondered this week if I put him in the swing too much : ( It is an easy place for me to put him when I need to do something, and it also soothes him if he is fussy. Just in the past day or two he has realized there is a mobile attached to the top, and it is so fun to watch him watching the little sheep turn around or to look up at the mirror right above his head.

* Spitting up on Jonathan! Jon spits up about once a day, and without fail Jonathan is always holding him when he spits up!! It has become a bit of a joke around here, and I am washing lots of Jonathan's shirts : )

What Jon has learned to tolerate:

* Baths: Thank goodness! He did not cry at all when we last bathed him : ) Yay!!!! This is most likely due to the weather change, since the kitchen room temperature is much warmer now than it has been the past few weeks.

* Diaper changes: Again, thank goodness! He has almost stopped crying when I change his diaper. Hopefully he is just getting used to it. It definitely makes diaper changing less stressful for me : )

* Naps: Can I get a 'Praise the Lord!'? While I do not have a perfect napper by any means, Jon is getting much, much better. Every night when Jonathan and I pray, we pray for Jon to learn to be a better napper and for us to know how to help him nap. We have reintroduced the swaddle and I use the pacifier if he takes more than 15 minutes to settle down. Yes, yes, I use props. But hey, it's working for us. He does not need the swaddle or the pacifier at night thankfully.

Thankfully he really doesn't get upset by all that much. I can't think of anything he really hates this week. I am going to bask in this glow of happy baby while I have it : )

New Shoes

2010-03-01T22:46:00.002-06:00

I bought new running shoes today! Yay!! I usually upgrade my running shoes in June, but I couldn't justify spending the money last year when I knew I wouldn't use them as much. Becky and I took a 4 mile walk on Thursday, and my feet were pretty sore afterward - reminding me that my shoes were a year and a half old. So today I replaced them : ) Wearing them home from Breakaway was pretty awesome - I think Justin thought I was a bit weird when I smiled and asked if I could wear them out of the store!

I had a lot of fun running errands this afternoon. I walked to Las Savell to get my engagement ring cleaned, then to Walgreens for a few items, then to Breakaway for my new shoes, then to Starbucks for a latte to surprise my husband (hey, it's the little things that count), and back home. I felt invigorated and full of endorphins at the end of my little walk. Jon was strapped in to the Bjorn and slept the entire time : )

One Month!

2010-03-01T22:25:00.003-06:00

Wow! Jon turned one month old on Sunday! It is crazy to think that we have had this little one with us for a whole month. As Jonathan and I were going to a church event Saturday night, I reminded him that a month earlier, we were in the Germantown Methodist waiting room (for 3 hours!) as there were no labor and delivery rooms available for us. On the one hand, that seems like an eternity ago, and on the other it seems like yesterday. A lot of people have asked me what it feels like to be a parent. Since Jon is so little, it is hard to say, but I can report that it is amazing and we love it! There are moments that are frustrating, but the sweet moments significantly outweigh them, and the little guy is totally worth it.

Here are some things I have learned in the past month:

* Taking charge with a schedule (a la Babywise) is very helpful, and I am pretty sure it has helped keep me sane and my baby happy.

* That said, my baby does not conform to the Babywise model perfectly. It took me a week to realize that if my baby does not nap like he is supposed to, it will be okay. The world will not end, Jon will not grow up to be an ax murderer, and I am not a horrible mother if my child does not nap for 1.5-2 hours every 3 hour cycle of the day.

* I am much more productive when I a) have a list of things to do each day, b) shower first thing in the morning, c) keep the TV turned off, and d) get out of the apartment at least for a little while each day.

* Jon does not like baths or having his diaper changed. Hopefully this does not mean that I will spend the next 18 years trying to get my son to stay clean.

* Pacifiers are at the same time my best friend and worst enemy : ) This is a delicate balance, and today was a good pacifier day.

* Praying for Jon always brings tears (of joy) to my eyes, because I am so grateful to God for this beautiful boy He has given me. I know raising him up will be possibly the most difficult thing I ever do, but I am so looking forward to it!

And finally, some more pictures:

Couldn't resist taking a picture of the faux hawk!

Trying out the Moby wrap.

I've used the Bjorn nearly every day, and I want to start using the Moby more. It is slightly more complicated, and Jon doesn't seem to like it quite as much. We're going to keep on trying, though : )

Getting my act together

2010-02-24T16:15:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I've been home now from work for a month, and I must admit I'm going a little stir crazy. Jon is semi getting into a routine, so I really have no excuse for sitting around doing nothing (like I have done today). He's eating pretty well every 3 hours during the day, so that gives me at least an hour and a half - if not two hours - while he's napping to do things that need to get done. (I am past the 'sleep when he is sleeping' phase. He sleeps for four to five hours at a time at night and goes straight to sleep when I put him back in his crib after a feeding, so honestly I feel pretty well rested.) Of the many things I should do during the day, here are a few: the laundry, general upkeep of the apartment, writing many thank you notes, planning dinner, finishing a stack of half-finished knitting projects, exercising, catching up on reading... But for the life of me, I can't get motivated to do anything!! Here is my idea of why I'm being super lazy: I know that I'm going back to work in four weeks, and I'm trying to veg out as much as I can while I don't have the responsibility of being out of the house 8 hours a day. That is a horrible excuse, but it's my excuse of the day.

Here is what I'm going to try tomorrow so that my day is not completely wasted - make a list! I love lists, and maybe if I make a list of what I need to do, I will do it! I am also going to keep the TV turned off. Darn you, Winter Olympics!! No TV tomorrow, and follow a list...that is my goal.

**I haven't completely wasted my day. I have fed and played with and tried to get down for naps the cutest little boy in the whole world : )

Two weeks...

2010-02-16T11:18:00.005-06:00

Although I don't feel like I really do all that much in any given day, time is flying by at a rapid rate! Our day consists of cuddling in bed after the first morning feeding, playing a bit (or attempting to play as much as a two week old can play), feeding, getting Jon to take naps when he really wants to just stay awake, trying to remember to eat lunch, more feeding/playing/napping, a shower for me, and a lot of soothing as our little boy has started crying in the evenings. (Just for a little bit, maybe 10 minutes or so.)

Jon had his first check up on 2/12, and he did great! Our pediatrician was very pleased with his growth and gave us the go ahead to stretch day time feedings to every 3 hours and to let him sleep as long as he wants at night. So far, Jon has only made it four hours at a time, but that extra sleep is wonderful!! Here are his 2 week stats:

Weight: 9 lbs, 11 oz (81st percentile)

Height: 23 ins (97th percentile...are we surprised?)

Head Circumference: 37 cms (61st percentile)

Here are some pictures from Jon's 2nd and 3rd weeks:

Our apartment covered in the surprise snow from 2/8. I did not take my then 10-day-old out for snow pictures, so he will just have to believe us that he was there. This is the second snow of his short life!

The view across the street from 2/8. Jonathan walked across the street to got some needed groceries at the Tiger Market - another reason we love living in the city right across from a gas station : )

By Thursday, I had a bit of cabin fever! Since the temp warmed up to 40, Becky and I took a walk in Overton Park with Jon. This was his first visit to the park!! He did great, and I think he really wants to go back. I'm looking forward to taking him to the playgrounds and zoo when he gets a bit older. Once he is 8 weeks old, I'll be able to strap him in the baby jogger for walks.

Just a picture of how Jon likes to sleep: hands in 'touchdown' position, hips off to the side, and one leg crossed over the other. Yep, the sleep positioner lasted one night in our house. He rolls onto his side on his own and sometimes prefers sleeping like that.

"Playing" on the activity mat. I think I caught Jon looking at the red airplane the other day. He will hopefully enjoy this more as he gets older.

Helping Jonathan with his dissertation.

Before Jon's first excursion to Target on 2/15! Had to take a picture with some snow. Yes, it snowed again!!

All dressed up and ready to go to church on Sunday! Jon did great during his first church service. We were late (everything takes soooo long with a baby!!) so we sat in the cry room. He was awake for the first bit of the service, and he even smiled when Lenora was playing the organ!

More pics

2010-02-05T22:21:00.003-06:00

snuggling

playing with Aunt Katie

Why do you keep taking my picture?

First Week

2010-02-05T20:49:00.010-06:00

Jon is 8 days old, and it is amazing how much has happened in just one week! I thought I'd share some firsts : )

Megan's firsts:
First time away from Jon: I went with my mom and sister to the grocery store on Monday afternoon. We were gone from the apartment for about 30 minutes, and yes...I cried when I told him goodbye before leaving for the store.
First time I could take care of myself since the C-section: I was able to dry off from my shower, get dressed, and tie my shoes on my own on Tuesday morning! I have never felt so humbled as when I had to have help from my husband to get out of the shower when I was first recovering.
First meal I cooked: I felt like I had been sitting around doing nothing, so I cooked a very simple pasta dinner Thursday night. Just fixing a meal made me feel a little bit more like a person!

Jon's firsts:
First bath: Jon didn't so much enjoy this bath Sunday night, but he recovered very quickly while snuggling with Jonathan.

First tummy time: I must admit that I'm not even sure how to engage Jon in tummy time. I just know we're supposed to do it! He does have some pretty strong neck muscles already. He doesn't cry during tummy time, but he does fall asleep : ) We've also enjoyed a lot of playing with his activity mat and some of his toys. Every day he spends more time awake and seems to be taking in everything with very wide eyes!
First walk: This was more for my benefit than Jon's! We got bundled up on Monday and walked about a block away from our apartment and back. It felt good for me to get out and stretch my legs, and hopefully Jon enjoyed the fresh air. It was our first time to use the Baby Bjorn, and we have learned that this device completely knocks our little boy out! We have taken him out in it three times, and he is always fast asleep in it (no matter what is going on around him) and sleeps for a long time after he is out of it.
First non-relative visitor at home: Becky and her mother came to visit us Wednesday morning! Jon was pretty much asleep the whole time, but he appreciated their visit : )

Jon also had his first trip to church on Wednesday afternoon while I took care of some World Mission Conference business, and he got to meet lots of wonderful people at 2PC. He had his first visit to Jonathan's office on Wednesday as well, and he got to meet people that Jonathan works with. Our first meal out with Jon was this afternoon to Lenny's by the Pottery Barn Outlet, where we bought some picture frames. He was in the Bjorn, so he was asleep the whole time : )

This first week has been so amazing, and I am very thankful for my mom staying in town to help us out while I fully recover from the C-section. She has helped clean, cook, do laundry, drive me around since I was advised not to drive, and watched Jon while I rested. We're on our own starting Sunday afternoon!

Welcome Jon!

2010-02-01T11:35:00.006-06:00

We have our new little one with us! Jon Pollock Hulgan was born on Thursday, January 28th at 11:19am, weighing in at 9lbs 4oz and measuring 22 inches. We are so thankful for a healthy baby and healthy mom! Since my fluid was getting low and 5 hours of pitocin had caused no dialation, we did need a C-section. Since I had not had an epidural already, they had to give me a spinal block in the operating room, and Jonathan was not able to be in there with me during that part. I prayed my little heart out that God would quiet my heart and He definitely reassured me because I had amazing peace throughout the surgery. Jonathan was able to join me in the operating room once the doctor was ready to start cutting, and he was able to announce to the room that we had a boy!

We came home Saturday evening and we have been adjusting to life with our little Jon. He is super sweet and is usually very easily consolable. Sunday night he slept in his crib (in our room) and woke pretty much like clockwork every 2.5-3hrs to be fed, changed and then put back to sleep. Monday night...well, not so much. We're all learning together! Jonathan is a master swaddler, and he has been the perfect partner! During the night, he brings Jon to me, changes his diaper after feeding, and gets him back to sleep in the crib. I knew Jonathan would be a wonderful dad, and he is exceeding all expectations! (Sorry, had to brag about my wonderful husband!!)

Okay, here are pictures : ) I have no make up on in any of them, and normally I would not post pics of me looking so awful...but hey - I think you'll forgive me!

Two days before arrival

(knitting a hat to go with a sweater...note the UT orange)

Prep for C-section.

It took Jonathan a bit to figure out how to get all of his hair covered!

Proud Mommy

Proud Daddy

Our little Jon : )

Baby Update

2010-01-23T11:56:00.002-06:00

Well, our induction has been scheduled for Thursday, 1/28 if Baby does not come before then on his/her own. My doctor advised me to 'think contraction thoughts' this week, as I still have no progression at all toward labor. We'll induce even without any dilation, but that does increase the possibility of a c-section. I must admit that I was a little frazzled as I left the doctor's office yesterday afternoon. I think like most expectant moms, I want to go into labor on my own, but the risk of waiting for that is too high not to induce. The baby is measuring between 8-9 pounds, and waiting just means he/she will get bigger : ) I probably should have taken some time to settle my thoughts after the appointment, but I immediately called out of town relatives who have planned to come in for the birth to let them know about Thursday, give them directions to the hospital, etc.

I skipped out on the Christian Life Conference at church this morning to sleep as late as I wanted to and to avoid all of the 'when is that baby coming' questions that inevitably come every two steps as I walk down the halls of church. Jonathan is out volunteering with Youth Leadership Memphis, and I have some quiet time to myself at home. I am going to use this time to settle, pray, and relax : )

Beyond Babyland

2010-01-20T12:54:00.002-06:00

"Memphis has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the country. A new documentary and panel discussion looks at this problem and how the community is responding.BEYOND BABYLAND Premieres Monday, January 18, @ 8:00 p.m. on WKNO.Production funding by The University of Memphis and The Urban Child Institute. Additional airdates throughout the week. For schedule information, visit wkno.org."

Jonathan and I watched this special documentary on WKNO last night. Granted, it's pretty depressing, but it definitely highlights the reality of infant mortality in Memphis. It touches on institutionalized oppression vs. personal responsibility, abortion, education, the cycle of poverty, and many other important concepts. I was disappointed that there was no mention of adoption in the film. The only options given to the young mothers was either abort the baby or keep it and continue the cycle of poverty. If you can make it through the majority of the panel discussion, I think some of the most important points are made at the end of the discussion. These points include that the faith-based community must take more initiative with sex education with young people, instead of ignoring the fact that two-thirds of teens are engaging in pre-marital sex, and that in order to make progress in our fight against infant mortality, we are going to have to fund evidence-based practices, which will mean higher taxes.

I am currently participating in a faith-based program called One-by-One, which is similar to the Nurse-Family Partnership, but with a gospel message. I will be a mentor for a new mother from her pregnancy through the birth of her baby. Since the leading cause of infant mortality in Memphis is preterm birth, a big focus of this program is educating mom on how to take care of herself and baby before birth. The program partners mentors and proteges through the first 2 years of the baby's life. Despite the fact that I will probably be leaving Memphis during the summer, I am still going to give as much as I can to this program while I am here, and hopefully continue working with One-by-One wherever we end up living.

I will need a prayer partner as I take on mentoring responsibilities. If you are interested in being a prayer partner for me, let me know : ) There is an actual application, and you will need to meet with Carey Moore to get specific info on your duties as a prayer partner.

All this said, I encourage you to watch Beyond Babyland this week while it is still being aired. My hope is that as you watch it, your heart will be touched and you will have a desire to help. I am a firm believer in the phrase "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Ignoring infant mortality in Memphis because it affects "them" instead of "us" is being part of the problem.

iPhone

2010-01-19T17:41:00.003-06:00

Yes, yes, I have joined the cult, and I am now an iPhone owner. I have had this phone for just under 24 hours, and I love it already. Have I made a single call on it? No. But I have downloaded a few apps (including Epicurious and Contraction Monitor), checked my email, sent an email, gone to a website from a link in an email, updated my outlook calendar, used it as an alarm clock, and checked the weather before I got out of bed and decided what I would wear to work. The main problems I had with my blackberry were that I could not get my work email from it, I could not sync my outlook calendar directly to it, web browsing was a pit of a pain, and - oh yes - lately the thing would just randomly turn off.

The guy at the AT&T store last night must have thought I was an idiot, though. I walk in semi-sweaty, wearing clothes I had just taken a walk in, VERY pregnant, and when he asks me what phone I want, I turn to my husband and say "what phone do I want?" Jonathan says, "the iPhone 3G with blahblahblahblah..." Then the guy tries to sell me a very expensive cover just in case I drop my phone a lot. I assure him that I do not drop my phone a lot - although with the way I looked in the store, I suppose he could have assumed I am the type of person who drops my phone a lot.

And more on the news front - I am officially starting my maternity leave on 1/25! At first I was just going to work up until I literally went into labor, but I cannot focus on my job in this state and would be much better off at home. Even if I'm home for a full week before being induced, I think I will be less crazy than if I try to work for another full week. I'm going to take the next few days to hopefully tie up all of the loose ends that need to be tied prior to leaving for 2 months.

Walking will commence Sunday...

2010-01-15T10:55:00.002-06:00

Well, still no progression toward delivery of Baby H. My dr assures me this is typical for first time moms, and a handful of friends have also told me they had little to no dilation prior to being induced. Jonathan returns home Sunday afternoon, and I will start walking a little more to try to start something on my own. Hopefully the weather will stay pleasant!

Less than three weeks...

2010-01-13T12:10:00.002-06:00

Now that we have an induction date, I'm starting to really get excited about having our little baby here with us! I would prefer not to be induced, but at least I know that Baby H should be here by at least February 2nd. Even though I've had a due date for the past 8 months, there is a different feeling knowing that if my body doesn't start things on its own, chemicals will start the labor process on a certain date.

We had a sweet shower given by members of our church on Saturday night, and then a small shower at work on Monday. I think I look terrible, so I intentionally have not taken any pictures (sorry for those who like documentation). Despite not having pictures, the showers were wonderful and I am so overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends. I honestly feel like we have everything we need to get started with the baby. We also have a stack of gift cards for anything we have forgotten or realize we need along the way.

My mom is here in town this week while Jonathan is at a conference in San Francisco, and I think we are going to prep some more meals to stock the freezer. I feel bad leaving her at home all day while I am at work, but she just called a little while ago to let me know she is doing laundry - what a blessing!! Our laundry room is in the basement of our apartment building, and I can no longer physically walk down and up the steps while carrying a laundry basket. Jonathan does the laundry usually, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do this week while he was gone.

We would definitely appreciate prayer for Jonathan's job search. I don't need to tell you that this is possibly one of the worst times to try to find a job. Academia is not immune to the troubles of the economy. Marketplace, a radio news program, recently had a story about the decline in hiring for liberal arts faculty, and it made so much sense. The liberal arts degree has taken a hit in the past year, so colleges and universities are either shrinking or maintaining their current programs as opposed to expanding them. This affects Jonathan's job prospects especially since he works with theoretical math instead of applied math. He has one interview this week at the AMS conference, although he is hoping to possibly be able to jump into a few open interview slots if there are any available.

Okay, rambling blog post over!