ro•mance (rō mans′, rō′mans′)
noun
1. a long medieval narrative in verse or prose, orig. written in one of the Romance dialects, about the adventures of knights and other chivalric heroes
2. a fictitious tale of wonderful and extraordinary events, characterized by a nonrealistic and idealizing use of the imagination
3. a type of novel in which the emphasis is on love, adventure, etc.
4. the type of literature comprising such stories
5. excitement, love, and adventure of the kind found in such literature; romantic quality or spirit
6. the tendency to derive great pleasure from romantic adventures; romantic sentiment
7. an exaggeration or fabrication that has no real substance
8. a love affair
9. MUSIC a short, lyrical, usually sentimental piece, suggesting a love song
(from yourdictionary.com)
Lately I have been thinking about the true meaning of romance. Perhaps it’s because of the lack of what is traditionally believed to be romance in my life since the baby was born. For example, I spent nearly a week in the hospital while my husband spent the nights at home with our other kids. In addition, he picked up some kind of horrible infection the day before the baby and I came home. The doctor told him to try to stay away from all of us for a while. It has taken him almost a week to feel better. Is any of this sounding romantic at all so far? I didn't think so.
I started wondering how this lack of “romance” might affect my relationship with my husband. And then I realized that things have been far more romantic than I thought. I realized that romance has surfaced in our lives in more unconventional ways. And I think that I have come up with my own definitions for romance that don’t necessarily encompass what the dictionary states in the entries above.
ro•mance (rō mans′, rō′mans′)
noun
1. When your husband leaves his wife and infant son at the hospital to take care of his older kids at home, when he would much rather stay and gaze on the new baby’s perfect little face.
2. When your husband tries his best to calm your nerves when you call him at 5:30 am after the doctor informs you that your new baby needs to stay a couple of days in the Special Care Nursery at the hospital. And after said phone call he secures child care for the older kids to be with you and the baby for the next 24+ hours.
3. When you can see the pain in your husbands eyes at the thought of not being able to hold his new son because of a severely contagious infection he has acquired. This is on top of the physical pain he is experiencing with his illness.
4. When you look at your new baby and see the living reminder of a husband and wife’s love for one another, regardless of how “romantic” your relationship has recently been.
I don’t think these definitions will make into the dictionary anytime soon. But that doesn’t make them any less true or significant. So, in case you were wondering, Honey...whether you know it or not, you have been sweeping me off my feet these last couple of weeks. You romantic devil, you!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Finally Home
It took nearly a week, but we finally made it home with our new baby boy. Since we’ve changed the names to protect the innocent, we’ll just call him Mr. H.
It turns out that Mr. H has a mild case of reflux, but it was enough to cause a bit of a scare while we were still in the hospital. Apparently he had an episode where his oxygen level dropped and he began to turn blue. He was given oxygen and was fine, but not fine enough to send home. He was admitted to the Special Care Nursery on the day we were supposed to leave the hospital. There he was hooked up to wires and monitors to observe his heart rate, respiratory rate and his oxygen level.
It was difficult for us parents because we could no longer have our little guy to ourselves; we had to go visit him. I was still able to nurse him, but instead of him hanging out with me in my room, they called me whenever he got hungry. I was no longer a patient at the hospital, but I was allowed to stay in my room because the Mother/Baby unit was mercifully slow.
We were hoping to have only one extra overnight for them to observe Mr. H, but after another oxygen drop, they ordered an Upper GI scan for him. After they gave him some delicious looking barium to drink, my husband and I watched the on a monitor as the liquid traveled through his digestive system. It was kind of interesting to see his tiny little tummy being highlighted on the screen as it filled with the chalky goo he had just ingested. We were told afterwards that he has slight to moderate reflux, and that it is very common and easily treated. He was prescribed Zantac twice a day, which is kind of funny because I took Zantac twice a day when Mr. H was in the belly. We were hoping that he’d get the new medicine and we’d be going home that afternoon. But it turned out that they wanted to monitor his progress for another 24 hours on the Zantac. In addition, they ordered a home monitor for us to use when we brought Mr. H home and we were also signed up for Infant CPR class.
While none of this was bad news necessarily, it was just another bump in the road to getting back to our “new normal” at home. Two additional nights in the hospital meant more time off of work than my husband was anticipating. It also meant more work for grandparents, aunts and other awesome folks helping out with our four kids at home during this unexpected bonus time at the hospital. The CPR class was scheduled for the same night as the kids’ Spring Concert at school. Grandparents Day at school was today so we needed to enlist extra help so that all grandparents would be available to attend. It was things like this that added to the frustration of the situation and turned me into an emotional wreck. I had read that it is common for women who have just given birth to become more emotional for a time afterwards, but this was getting ridiculous. Thank goodness that hospitals usually keep boxes of tissues around every corner.
One more night in the Special Care Unit, a morning of training on the use of a home monitor and a test to make sure Mr. H would make it home without an episode in his car seat and we were leaving the hospital, almost a whole week after we arrived.
We were hoping to have only one extra overnight for them to observe Mr. H, but after another oxygen drop, they ordered an Upper GI scan for him. After they gave him some delicious looking barium to drink, my husband and I watched the on a monitor as the liquid traveled through his digestive system. It was kind of interesting to see his tiny little tummy being highlighted on the screen as it filled with the chalky goo he had just ingested. We were told afterwards that he has slight to moderate reflux, and that it is very common and easily treated. He was prescribed Zantac twice a day, which is kind of funny because I took Zantac twice a day when Mr. H was in the belly. We were hoping that he’d get the new medicine and we’d be going home that afternoon. But it turned out that they wanted to monitor his progress for another 24 hours on the Zantac. In addition, they ordered a home monitor for us to use when we brought Mr. H home and we were also signed up for Infant CPR class.
While none of this was bad news necessarily, it was just another bump in the road to getting back to our “new normal” at home. Two additional nights in the hospital meant more time off of work than my husband was anticipating. It also meant more work for grandparents, aunts and other awesome folks helping out with our four kids at home during this unexpected bonus time at the hospital. The CPR class was scheduled for the same night as the kids’ Spring Concert at school. Grandparents Day at school was today so we needed to enlist extra help so that all grandparents would be available to attend. It was things like this that added to the frustration of the situation and turned me into an emotional wreck. I had read that it is common for women who have just given birth to become more emotional for a time afterwards, but this was getting ridiculous. Thank goodness that hospitals usually keep boxes of tissues around every corner.
One more night in the Special Care Unit, a morning of training on the use of a home monitor and a test to make sure Mr. H would make it home without an episode in his car seat and we were leaving the hospital, almost a whole week after we arrived.
It feels so good to be home!!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Almost Here
The title of this post describes both myself and the baby in my belly. Yes, he/she is really almost here. The C-section is scheduled for tomorrow morning and we will finally get to meet our new little one. But I also feel “almost here” as my preoccupation with getting ready for baby continues. My lists are nearly all complete and my bag is nearly all packed, but there are still a few last minute things to do today. Nothing major, but enough to keep my mind busy. Trust me…that is a good thing.
Every time I start thinking about tomorrow I get a little emotional. I have even been tearing up at the sight of tiny babies. I think there is this part of me that still has a hard time believing that this is really happening. We had given up believing a long time ago. We finally convinced ourselves that our family was complete. And then the baby we had stopped dreaming of arrived on the scene.
I went through most of the pregnancy in disbelief, often anticipating problems that thankfully didn’t arise. It took until the ultrasound over halfway through the pregnancy for me to truly accept that we were going to have another baby. Then it became more comfortable and even enjoyable. Until we got a little closer and I started freaking out about all the preparations. Now I am past freaking out. If it isn’t done, it isn’t going to get done, and that’s OK. I have even crossed things off my list simply because I decided they didn’t actually need to get finished, not because I finished them. Tomorrow is going to come whether I am ready or not.
And speaking of tomorrow, we are hoping to be able to upload and post pictures on the blog from the hospital room. We have heard rumors of wi-fi in the building. Stay glued to your computer screen tomorrow afternoon!!
Every time I start thinking about tomorrow I get a little emotional. I have even been tearing up at the sight of tiny babies. I think there is this part of me that still has a hard time believing that this is really happening. We had given up believing a long time ago. We finally convinced ourselves that our family was complete. And then the baby we had stopped dreaming of arrived on the scene.
I went through most of the pregnancy in disbelief, often anticipating problems that thankfully didn’t arise. It took until the ultrasound over halfway through the pregnancy for me to truly accept that we were going to have another baby. Then it became more comfortable and even enjoyable. Until we got a little closer and I started freaking out about all the preparations. Now I am past freaking out. If it isn’t done, it isn’t going to get done, and that’s OK. I have even crossed things off my list simply because I decided they didn’t actually need to get finished, not because I finished them. Tomorrow is going to come whether I am ready or not.
And speaking of tomorrow, we are hoping to be able to upload and post pictures on the blog from the hospital room. We have heard rumors of wi-fi in the building. Stay glued to your computer screen tomorrow afternoon!!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Fixated
I need to apologize. I have been completely preoccupied lately. It’s a preoccupation that’s bordering on obsession. I am under the delusion that I am actually going to be ready for this child to arrive. You know…the house will be spotless, every article of clothing will be washed and put away, all the light bulbs will shine bright, the paint will be touched-up, and everything will be in order for my family to function effortlessly while I spend five days in the hospital. I actually have a list going to achieve these lofty goals. (I also have a second list going for my husband to help me achieve them.) Yes, I know I am crazy.
Besides the organizational and housekeeping things, I have a mental list of other things I would like to accomplish before the baby comes. These are things that I fear I will not be able to do again for a long time to come. Things like going out for lunch with my girlfriends, having a nice, relaxing dinner with my husband, going to a movie or a happy hour, etc. This list is almost complete. Unfortunately we can’t seem to find a movie that’s worth the cost of the tickets, not to mention the distress of sitting in one place for more than an hour during the ninth month of pregnancy.
It would seem that my first list is pretty well balanced by the second. While there are plenty of things on that first list that I feel I need to do around the house, the second list offers plenty of relaxing possibilities. So if I take some time out from the housework to have lunch with my girlfriends, the work doesn’t seem so bad. See? It’s all about balance.
I do realize that life is not going to stop when the baby arrives. I know that the house will get messy and the clothes will get dirty and I will need to do all of these things on my list again. And again. But maybe I can put off doing them for just a little longer if they are done really well in advance. Or maybe I am just looking for a place to focus my nervous energy now that I only have about a week of pregnancy left. Either way, I should have a nice, clean house and a couple of completed checklists come Wednesday, April 9. Beyond that, anything is possible.
Besides the organizational and housekeeping things, I have a mental list of other things I would like to accomplish before the baby comes. These are things that I fear I will not be able to do again for a long time to come. Things like going out for lunch with my girlfriends, having a nice, relaxing dinner with my husband, going to a movie or a happy hour, etc. This list is almost complete. Unfortunately we can’t seem to find a movie that’s worth the cost of the tickets, not to mention the distress of sitting in one place for more than an hour during the ninth month of pregnancy.
It would seem that my first list is pretty well balanced by the second. While there are plenty of things on that first list that I feel I need to do around the house, the second list offers plenty of relaxing possibilities. So if I take some time out from the housework to have lunch with my girlfriends, the work doesn’t seem so bad. See? It’s all about balance.
I do realize that life is not going to stop when the baby arrives. I know that the house will get messy and the clothes will get dirty and I will need to do all of these things on my list again. And again. But maybe I can put off doing them for just a little longer if they are done really well in advance. Or maybe I am just looking for a place to focus my nervous energy now that I only have about a week of pregnancy left. Either way, I should have a nice, clean house and a couple of completed checklists come Wednesday, April 9. Beyond that, anything is possible.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Overdue
It’s time for an update. The snow pictures are no longer current, since the snow has melted and temperatures have been close to 70º this week. So here’s just a sampling of the things that have been happening here since our big snow day last week.
We got in a quick (really quick) visit with some cousins from Atlanta that we haven’t seen in years. We stopped in to see them on our way home from Disney World when Miss M was two years old. We were actually invited to do the same thing next year when we take all the kids to Disney. I’m guessing they remember how many kids that is. Thanks, Mary Kay and Brian!
Miss M had her last basketball game of the season over the weekend. According to Coach Dad, she is quite a little ball player. He raved about her after every game. All the girls on the team learned a lot this season and they had a great year overall. We had a team celebration at CiCi’s Pizza after the game. However, we were surprised with a baby shower when we got there. The girls and their parents brought presents, a cake, decorations and balloons. I was overwhelmed by their generosity. And what a surprise!
C.B. celebrated his FIFTH birthday on Tuesday. He woke up early and started talking excitedly about being five. He’s not usually so chipper in the morning. We invited some of his preschool friends and cousins to play at McDonald’s and have lunch with us. He had so much fun that he actually admitted to needing a rest time on the way home. He was in a great mood all day, even graciously answering birthday phone calls from Aunts and Grandmas. Our big five-year-old went to bed with no problem that night.
I am leaving this afternoon with seven other moms for the Hearts at Home Conference in Normal, IL. Each year I come back refreshed, renewed and rededicated to being a better mom. If I ever needed that kind of help, it’s right now. I have been snapping at my kids like never before. I am blaming my conduct on the pregnancy, but I’m guessing that a day and a half away from home at a convention geared toward motherhood will still be beneficial.
Have a great weekend!
We got in a quick (really quick) visit with some cousins from Atlanta that we haven’t seen in years. We stopped in to see them on our way home from Disney World when Miss M was two years old. We were actually invited to do the same thing next year when we take all the kids to Disney. I’m guessing they remember how many kids that is. Thanks, Mary Kay and Brian!
Miss M had her last basketball game of the season over the weekend. According to Coach Dad, she is quite a little ball player. He raved about her after every game. All the girls on the team learned a lot this season and they had a great year overall. We had a team celebration at CiCi’s Pizza after the game. However, we were surprised with a baby shower when we got there. The girls and their parents brought presents, a cake, decorations and balloons. I was overwhelmed by their generosity. And what a surprise!
C.B. celebrated his FIFTH birthday on Tuesday. He woke up early and started talking excitedly about being five. He’s not usually so chipper in the morning. We invited some of his preschool friends and cousins to play at McDonald’s and have lunch with us. He had so much fun that he actually admitted to needing a rest time on the way home. He was in a great mood all day, even graciously answering birthday phone calls from Aunts and Grandmas. Our big five-year-old went to bed with no problem that night.
I am leaving this afternoon with seven other moms for the Hearts at Home Conference in Normal, IL. Each year I come back refreshed, renewed and rededicated to being a better mom. If I ever needed that kind of help, it’s right now. I have been snapping at my kids like never before. I am blaming my conduct on the pregnancy, but I’m guessing that a day and a half away from home at a convention geared toward motherhood will still be beneficial.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
What’s in a Meme?
Thanks to Lisa at Midwestern Mommy for tagging me with a meme. This is my first one, so please bear with me.
5 Random / Weird facts about me
5.) I have never broken a bone in my whole life (knock on wood!) I’ve had a few stitches here and there, but I have managed to keep my bones intact for 35 years!
4.) It irritates me when my kids mix Play-Doh colors together, which they insist on doing whenever the Play-Doh comes out.
3.) I love disco music and wish they would play it on the radio more often. I do take advantage of the streaming music sites on the internet in order to get my disco fix.
2.) Even though most sugary, kids’ candy disgusts me as an adult, I still enjoy a Skittles or a Starburst whenever the kids offer to share with me.
1.) I can’t stand how prevalent violence has become in our society (I am very conservative about the movies and video games my kids are allowed to see/play, and I often discourage my boys even from wrestling), yet one of my favorite movies is Fight Club.
5 Places I want to see or see again
5.) The West Coast (for the first time). I have heard from many people how beautiful the various parts of California are. It sounds like you could spend lots of time out there and never quite get to see it all. They have the ocean, the mountains, wine country, the Redwood Forest, just to name a few.
4.) Colorado (again). I am in awe of the mountains. They are so big and so beautiful and so far removed from my usual surroundings here in the Midwest. Not to mention we have some awesome relatives there that we are long overdue to visit.
3.) Washington D.C. (for the first time). Our kids, as well as their parents, could really learn a lot from a trip to our nation’s capital.
2.) Disney World in Orlando (again). I did not get to go to Disney World as a child. I was married and had a baby before I was able to make the trip. Although I enjoyed it, I wasn’t able to experience it through a child’s eyes. I can’t wait to take my kids there so I can watch them experience it.
1.) Hawaii (again). My husband and I went to Maui for our 10th anniversary, which was really our honeymoon since we couldn’t afford one when we got married. It truly was a paradise. We have been dreaming of going back ever since.
And now I tag Kim, No Minivan, Andrea (but only if you have time!), Susan, and Kristie. Have fun, ladies!
The rules are: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share five random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
Share the five top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.
Tag a minimum of five random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment in their blog.
5 Random / Weird facts about me
5.) I have never broken a bone in my whole life (knock on wood!) I’ve had a few stitches here and there, but I have managed to keep my bones intact for 35 years!
4.) It irritates me when my kids mix Play-Doh colors together, which they insist on doing whenever the Play-Doh comes out.
3.) I love disco music and wish they would play it on the radio more often. I do take advantage of the streaming music sites on the internet in order to get my disco fix.
2.) Even though most sugary, kids’ candy disgusts me as an adult, I still enjoy a Skittles or a Starburst whenever the kids offer to share with me.
1.) I can’t stand how prevalent violence has become in our society (I am very conservative about the movies and video games my kids are allowed to see/play, and I often discourage my boys even from wrestling), yet one of my favorite movies is Fight Club.
5 Places I want to see or see again
5.) The West Coast (for the first time). I have heard from many people how beautiful the various parts of California are. It sounds like you could spend lots of time out there and never quite get to see it all. They have the ocean, the mountains, wine country, the Redwood Forest, just to name a few.
4.) Colorado (again). I am in awe of the mountains. They are so big and so beautiful and so far removed from my usual surroundings here in the Midwest. Not to mention we have some awesome relatives there that we are long overdue to visit.
3.) Washington D.C. (for the first time). Our kids, as well as their parents, could really learn a lot from a trip to our nation’s capital.
2.) Disney World in Orlando (again). I did not get to go to Disney World as a child. I was married and had a baby before I was able to make the trip. Although I enjoyed it, I wasn’t able to experience it through a child’s eyes. I can’t wait to take my kids there so I can watch them experience it.
1.) Hawaii (again). My husband and I went to Maui for our 10th anniversary, which was really our honeymoon since we couldn’t afford one when we got married. It truly was a paradise. We have been dreaming of going back ever since.
And now I tag Kim, No Minivan, Andrea (but only if you have time!), Susan, and Kristie. Have fun, ladies!
The rules are: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share five random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
Share the five top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.
Tag a minimum of five random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment in their blog.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Reason #462: Why Grandmas are Great!
I had the opportunity to attend a field trip with Miss M’s class yesterday. She was thrilled that I was able to come along. I am ecstatic that she still wants her mom around.
We rode on a bus to the Sheldon Concert Hall where we watched a performance about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The show was informative as well as entertaining. What really struck me was the good behavior of Miss M’s class. There were about 6 other bus loads of students at the concert hall, none of which maintained a sense of calm and decorum the way our kids did.
Which isn’t to say that the bus ride back to school was a peaceful one. Besides the various hand clapping “Bo Bo See Otten Totten” type games going on around me, a group of girls started a rousing round of “The Song that Never Ends” for 19 minutes and 33 seconds straight. I’m still trying to get that one out of my head!
Obviously my younger children required adult supervision while I was on my fourth grade field trip. Both my mother and my mother-in-law were kind enough to tag-team babysit for C.B. and the Banana. The kids were so excited that both of their grandmas were coming over to play. It was awesome that they were staying with the kids, but what I found when I got home was even more wonderful. My mom had helped the kids pick up the toys in the front room - which is no small task – and my mother-in-law did the dishes. The house looked better than when I had left!!
I felt like a woman who had it all yesterday. I was able to go on a field trip with Miss M, all the while knowing that my younger kids were with people who loved them. And as a bonus I got a cleaner house than I started out with. Seriously…who could ask for anything more?
Thanks, Grandmas!
We rode on a bus to the Sheldon Concert Hall where we watched a performance about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The show was informative as well as entertaining. What really struck me was the good behavior of Miss M’s class. There were about 6 other bus loads of students at the concert hall, none of which maintained a sense of calm and decorum the way our kids did.
Which isn’t to say that the bus ride back to school was a peaceful one. Besides the various hand clapping “Bo Bo See Otten Totten” type games going on around me, a group of girls started a rousing round of “The Song that Never Ends” for 19 minutes and 33 seconds straight. I’m still trying to get that one out of my head!
Obviously my younger children required adult supervision while I was on my fourth grade field trip. Both my mother and my mother-in-law were kind enough to tag-team babysit for C.B. and the Banana. The kids were so excited that both of their grandmas were coming over to play. It was awesome that they were staying with the kids, but what I found when I got home was even more wonderful. My mom had helped the kids pick up the toys in the front room - which is no small task – and my mother-in-law did the dishes. The house looked better than when I had left!!
I felt like a woman who had it all yesterday. I was able to go on a field trip with Miss M, all the while knowing that my younger kids were with people who loved them. And as a bonus I got a cleaner house than I started out with. Seriously…who could ask for anything more?
Thanks, Grandmas!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Belly
After much deliberation, I decided to post a couple of pictures of “The Belly” (as my husband calls it) for my out of town friends and family.
I wore a stretchy t-shirt so you could get the full effect. And, yes…I DO have two more months to go.
I also took a short video of some of the action that happens within “The Belly”. This kid really gets into his/her exercise routines. Uncle Dave would be proud.
I got the results of my glucose test today. All levels are normal. I am currently baking cookies.
I also took a short video of some of the action that happens within “The Belly”. This kid really gets into his/her exercise routines. Uncle Dave would be proud.
I got the results of my glucose test today. All levels are normal. I am currently baking cookies.
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