Out and About (and excited about Christmas)

I was able to walk a little bit around town today, which I was so thankful for!  I walked Jon to and from school, and I also went to the post office (as did the rest of our town, apparently!).  I'm still a bit light headed, but my energy level is really good.  Yesterday, I was still so weak, and some of our friends offered to take Jon home with them after church, so we gratefully accepted, and I came home and slept all afternoon!  Since I felt much better today, I'm hoping this means the iron is kicking in, and I'm on the mend.  On the way to pick up Jon this afternoon, I was feeling so good that I contemplated going to my aerobics class Tuesday morning.  Then I stopped to wait for a walk signal, and felt my heart beating super fast and sucked some air...just from walking down the street, so I think I'll wait a little bit on the aerobics classes : )

In other news, I am super excited about Jon's Christmas present this year!  We have ordered him a push bike, and I think he's really going to like it : )  We were able to get it from a locally owned bike shop on our town square, so I feel good about supporting workers in our town.  We pick it up on Sunday, and I'm not sure how we're going to hide it from Jon in our tiny apartment for two days...any ideas?  Jonathan's present also came in the mail today.  It's more utilitarian than fun, but I think he'll like it all the same.  My present was a new phone, and it is already in use...but Jonathan is going to wrap up the box so I have something to open up on Christmas morning : )

Time to go heat up dinner.  Our friends from church have showered us with meals since I came home from the hospital - we are so blessed!

Another long week

Hello friends,

I've spoken to many of you directly, but I did want to share this with my far away friends.  We had another miscarriage last week.  Similar to last time, the baby stopped growing around 6 weeks and did not have a heartbeat when I was checked at what should have been 8 weeks.  Different from last time, I experienced significant contractions and excessive bleeding that led to going to the ER Sunday night.  I fainted once we made it to the ER, and I ended up needing emergency surgery to complete the miscarriage and stop the bleeding.  My wonderful mother drove down Monday morning and has been with us all week, since I have been very lightheaded and weak.  I'm most likely anemic from the blood loss, so I'm taking iron supplements in addition to my other medications.  Hopefully I'll be able to be out and about soon.

We are still in the grieving process, and as I get healthier, I am facing trying to get back to the status quo, but without the hope of a baby in the summer.  I realize that in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut today, our loss seems insignificant.  We are very thankful for Jon, and very thankful for all the love and support sent our way.  We are seeking God's will as we want our family to grow, and we are reliant on his timing and his sovereignty in our lives.

Just wanted to share our lives with our friends.  I'm hoping all of you have a happy, blessed Christmas!

It's Cold Outside!

Cold weather has finally come to San Marcos!  I am very excited - flannel sheets, sweaters, cute little boys hats, you name it!  Who knows if the cold is here to stay or if it is just a short cold front, but I will take what I can get.

I voted! Have you?

Jonathan and I went to our neighborhood community center this morning to vote!  Jon was very good - he asked several times where we were, what we were doing, and if we were waiting.  He got to sit in Jonathan's lap at the voting machine, and if I hadn't been afraid that it was against the rules, I would have taken a picture of it - very sweet.  After Jonathan voted, Jon hung onto my leg while I voted.  I told him that it is very important to participate in the election to choose who will run our government. 

Since we're in Texas, one could argue my votes for president and US Congress didn't matter all that much, but I did it anyway.  I also voted for any of our local officials who said they wanted to put in bike lanes and make our town more pedestrian friendly.

So go out and vote today!  Even if you're a Republican ; )

25 reasons from 25 people who are voting Obama:

1. "The Affordable Care Act is saving my daughter's life."
Stacey, Arizona

2. "Obama is for the vets. He helped us wind down in Iraq, he's improved mental health policy with VA benefits."
Joel, Minnesota

3. "Obama stuck his neck out for us, the auto industry. He wasn't going to let it just die, and I'm driving in this morning because of that, because of him."
Brian, Ohio

4. "Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive."
Joe Biden, Delaware

5. "Supreme Court Supreme Court Supreme Court."
Andrew, California

6. "Arithmetic."
Bill Clinton, New York

7. "He cares for the 100 percent."
Shana, Texas

8. "When Obama came into office, he successfully renewed our country's place in the community of nations, making cooperation in tackling the world's challenges possible."
Willis, North Carolina

9. "The actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid."
Colin Powell, Virginia

10. "I was really very grateful to him for standing up for those kids who are having a really rough time out there because of their orientation."
Jane Lynch, California

11. "For me, President Obama is our best choice because he has a vision of the United States as a place where we are all in this together."
Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey

12. "He has a real plan for rescuing the economy that passes the 'math' test."
Teresa, Virginia

13. "Having someone in office who understands how powerful our voice can be is very important."
Jay Z, New York

14. "I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden because I can trust them to care for the middle class and restore the American dream."
Steven, Florida

15. "The first measure he signed into law after becoming president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- so a female high school counselor or physical education teacher can fight for equal pay for equal work."
Connie Britton, California

16. "I believe in the America he wants for my grandchildren."
Nancy, Michigan

17. "We need four more years of repair, of helping the middle class achieve a sustainable economy."
James Taylor, North Carolina

18. "I've watched him fight for our country, stand by the middle class, the working class, the military, the education of our children, universal health care, women, the environment, and matters of national and domestic security."
Susan, Virginia

19. "The gifted 12-year-old I taught, whose parents were deported and left her here with her grandmother, will be allowed to stay and finish her education. She's been in the U.S. since age one."
Jamie, North Carolina

20. "I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics."
Michael Bloomberg, New York

21. "I have four children who are under 26 and able to stay on my health care plan. That's been huge."
Amy, Pennsylvania

22. "He's fighting to defend and better Social Security and Medicare -- because millions of Latino seniors rely on them."
Cristina Saralegui, Florida

23. "Thanks to the President's efforts to keep student loan rates low, I can expect to save nearly $1000 as I work to repay my student loans. And I don't have too many of those, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program."
Sam, Minnesota

24. "It's been wonderful to have President Obama as a champion for access to health care for all women in this country."
Cecile Richards, New York

25. "Re-electing Barack Obama would lead to a stronger economic recovery than would be the case were Mitt Romney to win on November 6th."
Jared Bernstein, Washington, D.C.


http://my.barackobama.com/25-Reasons

Trick or Treat!

Jon's first trick or treating experience was a success!  He said "trick or treat" and "thank you" to all of the neighbors, and he wasn't scared of the scores of zombies we saw.  He also had his first lollipop! 

Hope everyone else had a Happy Halloween!

Quick update

Life continues on at a steady pace here in San Marcos!  I have been helping out at Jon's school a bit more this semester, although my sweet husband yesterday said that maybe I should learn to say 'no' more.  Was that because I was crying on a Friday afternoon because my son was refusing to take a nap for the 6th consecutive day, and I had not been able to get my monumental list of weekly to-do's done?  Probably.  Oh well, I constantly struggle with trying to get everything done and live up to the expectations I put on myself as a stay at home mother.  Seriously, I don't know how families with bunches of kids and/or two full-time working parents manage it - I am in awe!

Here are a few moments from our home over the past couple of weeks:

Jon likes to wear his drum as a helmet, and he thinks he's pretty cool.  One day he said that now that he has a helmet, he can ride a bike like a big boy!  We'll see : )  I have thought about investing in a balance bike, as it seems to ease the transition into big kid bike.  Anyone had experience with them?

Our first LEGO gun.  *sigh*

Reading with Daddy - one of the few moments in the day when he is still (though he is playing with LEGO blocks while he listens to the story)!

A few sweet moments

I am mostly recording this here as a reminder for my future self, but I hope you get a kick out of these moments as well.  As an almost 3 year old, Jon definitely has his challenging days, but he is also so incredibly sweet, curious, and happy!  Here are some moments I have enjoyed this week:

- "I...K...hey!  That spells IKEA!" reading from the bottom of his breakfast plate on Saturday.  I nearly cried, and had to call the grandparents.  His first word to read on his own, and it is the name of a store...

- "This little piggy went to Target..."  Oops...I guess he really does love his stores, doesn't he?

- "Mama, work this puzzle with me on the couch," or "Mama, come play with me, please," or "Mama, you can't do the laundry. You have to play with me." 

- "Where did my penny go?  Maybe I wost it."  He has a toy penny.  Yes, I know it is a choking risk, but he is kind of past putting random things in his mouth, and he LOVES to play with that penny. 

- "Is Sigma so cute, Mama?  I love her!"  "Is that Mr. Knecht? (at church)  I love Mr. Knecht!"  "Is that Snoopy and Woodstock?  I love Snoopy and Woodstock!"  Pretty much any "Is that ____?  I love ____!"

- "Where do we go on Tuesday?"  Often at the breakfast table, we talk about the day to come.  This morning, he started the conversation, and I was so impressed he knew that is Tuesday.  It may have been a coincidence, of course!