Friday, July 24, 2009

Yikes!

Wow - I have been SOOO delinquent about blogging! That is because I am insanely busy!
Here are some updates:
  • work is crazy. I get in at 7-ish and don't fool around during the day. I just work. We are preparing for a restructuring and will likely have layoffs. On August 3 the number of staff in my department will more than double - although I will only directly supervise 3 people rather than the 4 that I do now. Two of those will be Team Leaders who will each oversee a team of contract managers. So that will bring new challenges and new scope of programs in my department that I will need to learn. Rather than only administering The Trust's health funding, I will now also oversee the Parenting and Early Childhood Development programs.
  • Caleb has been sleeping a lot less. Whereas he used to go to bed at 8:30 and wake up between 2-3, he is now fussing to sleep at 9-ish, waking up again at 11-ish to eat, and again between 4-5. This has been devestating to my sleep as well as to how much I'm able to pump. I've had trouble keeping up w/ this new demand and we've been raiding my freezer store. Our pediatrician noted that he is above development in several areas and thinks he is burning a lot of calories. So....we are starting on solids! At first I was wary, but then saw that it might actually help b/c right now I don't have "unoccupied" stretches of time where I can pump, except at work. Also I spoke to my good friend who's a pediatrician and she eventually agreed after asking me several questions. The other thing is that when Alex and his mom tried out the cereal for the first time yesterday he really liked it and didn't have much trouble eating it. Of course, today when Alex fed him alone...different story - he had to give him an entire bath afterward!
  • I had a car accident yesterday. It wasn't serious and we're ok - me, Caleb and the other driver. It was completely my fault and just stupid. I had just left from picking Caleb up from my in-laws. We were stopped at a light and Caleb was fussing in the back. I was looking at him in the rearview mirror, when out of my peripheral vision I saw the cars on either lane beside me driving forward (passing me) - so I stepped (hard) on the gas. However, I slammed into the car in front of me. My first thought was whether Caleb was alright, but then What the heck just happened?? Looking back, I think that since I was really not paying attention and saw cars moving past me - I assumed that I must have been holding things up by not paying attention - when in reality - the lane on my left was a Left-turn lane, and the lane on my right was moving forward b/c people were now able to make right turns because of a lull of passing traffic. And my lane, well it wasn't going anywhere! Thankfully, progressive is great and my car goes into the body shop on Monday.
That's about it - OH YEAH - I put up a new post on our photography blog that has cool pictures of Caleb - enjoy!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Found: A Glimpse of Another's Life

First let me tell you about a website a found a long time ago - Foundmagazine.com is just that - a website where people post pictures of 'found' items. A love note, a doodle, a list of pros/cons, a random thought jotted down - things that make you wish that you knew more about the story behind the found item.

Every once in a rare while I stop by the site. But the other day, while at a conference I 'Found' something that was found.com-worthy.

Last week I was a conference at the Westin Diplomat in Fort Lauderdale. I spent a lot of time in the fancy upscale restrooms while I pumped twice a day there. At the sink one day, I spotted this lying next to the sink on the marble counter:


It made me think the following: How did it get here? Did Jessica or Paul give this to a pregnant woman that they spotted? Did they leave it here hoping that someone would find it and give them their baby? In either situation, but particularly the first, how much courage would it take to ask a pregnant stranger whether she would like to give up the baby she is carrying? I instantly felt for this couple and wished that I knew more about them.

So I Googled them - they live in Indiana. Jessica is a school nurse - which means that she was, in fact, at the conference I was at - the National Assembly for School Based Health Care.

They seem like wonderful people, they mention that they have a strong faith. I hope that they are successful in adopting a baby. I've decided to pray for them, I'm sure that their struggle is hard.

Originally, I had intended to post this picture on found.com - I don't think that I will now. Their journey is too personal to place there, I think. I know that the people who read my blog will appreciate and respect what these people are trying to accomplish - I hope that many of you will take a moment to pray for them.