Free Gift!

Okay.. who doesn't LOVE a FREE GIFT!!! While I was munching on my delicious Annie's Bunny Grahams.."no icky additives or pesky preservatives", I was reading the box (0f-course) and on the side they are offering FREE recycle stickers! I am sticking my on the side of the recycle bin in our laundry room... what are you going to do with yours? BTW, Annie's even uses environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks on their boxes!!

To get your free recycle sticker, send a SASE to:

Annie's Recycles

564 Gateway Drive

Napa, CA 94558

Companies Rallying for the Environment!

Anyone that knows us, is aware that we are making great strides toward living green. Thus, today we wanted to share two products that also are making efforts to save the earth.

The first company is Tropicana who is helping to save the Rainforest. According to their website, as of this morning, over 73 million sq ft of rainforest (in Peru) have been purchased for preservation!! How can you help? It's easy, just enter the code found on your OJ and 100 sq ft are purchased. You can even dedicate the sq footage to someone and they will send them an email!!

The second company is Proctor & Gamble, the makers of DAWN. Perhaps you have seen their newest commercial showing animals victim to oil spills and Dawn's role in the cleanup? The baby animals are adorable and I can't see how it could fail to bring tears to the eyes of most Americans! Right now, a purchase of Dawn donates $1 to wildlife preservation. You MUST, however, visit their website and enter a code found on the bottle. Great donation considering I paid $2.10 for the soap!!

It is so easy to make a difference, just 5 minutes of your time!

Our Harry Potter HBP Movie Night!

Tonight we finally got to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We had waited sooo long! Chandler dressed in his Gryffindor Robes for the occasion, which brought smiles and gushing, sweet comments from nearly every passerby. The movie was spectacular (it goes without saying that the book cannot be topped) and I LOVED Hermione's wardrobe throughout the movie. I so wish I had her stylist! Great juxtaposition of humor and suspense.

After the credits rolled, Chandler turned to me with welled up, teary eyes and said that he wasn't sure we should buy that DVD because it was too sad. He is so empathetic.

It's gonna be a long wait for Deathly Hallows. Oh, and as if the movie couldn't be any better, they trailered New Moon.. Oh, my heart be still!

The Dangers of Spaghetti & How to do the Heimlich Maneuver

Yesterday, as I was leaving for work, I leaned over to kiss Chandler good-bye when I noticed he had a very startled expression. He had been chowing down on his spaghetti, slurping away, when a few rogue pieces traveled down the wrong pipe. In my panic, I couldn't remember how to do CPR/Heimlich Maneuver on a child. So, my beloved son was the recipient of Infant CPR/Heimlich Maneuver. I am definitely more versed in that area. Bless his heart, I am surprised I didn't give him a pneumo with my vigorous back blows. Praise God it still worked!

But for everyone's benefit, below is a refresher on how to do Child CPR/Heimlich Maneuver.

How to do the Heimlich Maneuver & CPR on a Child:

Signs of choking in the child with a completely blocked airway are:
The child suddenly begins to cough, gag or have high-pitched, noisy breathing
An older child may make the choking sign (holding the neck with one or both hands)
The child has bluish lips or skin

Actions to Relieve Choking in a Child
When a child is choking and can't breathe or speak, you must give abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver). The Heimlich maneuver pushes air from the child's lungs like a cough. This can help remove the blocking object. You should give abdominal thrusts until the object is forced out or the victim becomes unresponsive.
If you think a child is choking, ask the child "Are you choking?" If he nods, tell him you are going to help.
1. Kneel or stand firmly behind him and wrap your arms around him so that your hands are in front.
2. Make a fist with one hand.
3. Put the thumb side of your fist slightly above the navel (belly button) and well below the breastbone.
4. Grasp the fist with your other hand and give quick upward thrusts into his abdomen.
5. Give thrusts until the object is forced out and he can breathe, cough, or talk or until he stops responding.

If the choking is not relieved, the child will become unresponsive. When the child becomes unresponsive, shout for help, lower the child to the ground, and start CPR. If someone else is present, send that person to phone 9-1-1 while you start CPR.

The steps of CPR of the child who has become unresponsive after choking are the same, with one addition.
1. Yell for help. If someone comes, send that person to phone your emergency response number (or 911) and get the AED if available.

2. Lower the victim to the ground, faceup. If you are alone with the child victim, start the steps of CPR.
3. Every time you open the airway to give breaths, open the victim's mouth wide and look for the object. If you see an object, remove it with your fingers. If you do not see an object, keep giving sets of 30 compressions and two breaths until an AED arrives, the victim starts to move, or trained help takes over.
4. After about five cycles or two minutes, if you are alone, leave the child victim to call your emergency response number (or 911) and get the AED if available.

Chest compressions may force the object out. If you are alone with the child and these steps don't work after about one minute, phone 9-1-1.

***The above steps are from the American Heart Association***

Continuing our Eco-friendly Efforts

It has come to my attention that today is "World Ocean's Day"!

How I miss living near the beach! The ocean is an amazing, living entity. Our planet is almost 3/4 ocean. It is beautiful and powerful. And I believe that it is part of our responsibility to care for it.

I am amazed how often people see us with our reusable shopping bags and comment, "We should start using those!" Target started last week by crediting customers 5 cents per reusable bag! What if every store did that? Imagine the possibilities!

We also purchased a door mat today from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It is made of recycled and scrap flip-flops! It is too cute and it reminds me of in college when I took a rock-climbing class and the floor of the facility was made from flip-flop remnants!

1st Day at the Pool = ER Visit

This post is late, go-figure. So last Saturday we dealt with burning down the kitchen and the very next day, chaos continued...

Last weekend was the much anticipated re-opening of our community pool. We splish-splashed and swam around for nearly two hours when the "hurt cry" halted our festivities. Even new parents quickly learn to differentiate between cries. There's the "I'm angry" cry, "I'm tired" cry and the "I'm hurt" cry. This cry grabbed the attention of every parent at the pool. Chandler limped up the stairs of the pool and although I was fairly far away, I could see the blood. Our pool is irregular shaped and instead of corners that cut out like a traditional rectangular pool, there are areas with little alcoves where corners cut in. Chandler was swimming/kicking and his ankle struck one of the corners that jutted out, splitting his ankle open. Pressure applied, bleeding slowed... but not stopped. Quick examination of his wound and I knew he needed sutures.

Four hours later, we left the ER... all sutured up! Chandler was so incredibly brave. Even the doctors and nurses commented on how well he handled the procedure! No tears!

Also pictured... Chandler's first set of stitches.. at 12 months old. So my fault... and to this day I am consumed with guilt when I think about it. In his 1 yr old birthday party pictures he is all bandaged. =(

Is Something Burning?????????

There are certain words and phrases that as a parent immediately cause your heart to start racing.... "Mommy, mommy, come quick.." is one that I am fairly accustomed to.

But today, it was a thought that kicked my body into fight or flight. I was in the guest bedroom paying some bills online when I caught a drift of something..."What's that smell? Is something burning?" The distant hum of the microwave was my second clue. I jumped to my feet, ran down the hall (while simultaneously screaming out "Chandler?" to confirm his safety) and as I rounded the corner I saw it: SMOKE, EVERYWHERE. The triple beep signaling the microwave was done helped me re-focus, temporarily distracted by the smoke.

Now, I have been inside a burning house before and seen true flames and smoke. And another time, at my parents' old house, I foolishly trusted the "popcorn" button on the microwave to accurately sense when the popping was actually finished. Today's microwave casualty produced a volume of smoke that fell somewhere between the two.

It's amazing how quickly smoke can penetrate 1175 sq ft. I found Chandler cowering, scared in the living room, terror transcribed across his precious face. I darted in the kitchen, assessed the microwave was not actively going up in flames and returned to the living room to embrace Chandler. "Hon-ney? Did you use the microwave?" I asked in my most gentle voice. His little head bobbed up and down. "What did you try to cook?" I inquired. "My muffin" he literally choked out.

Amidst a great deal of coughing and choking, I opened the front door, sliding glass door and all the windows, and flipped on all the ceiling fans while trying not to get smoke inhalation.

Ah, so the smoke was the bi-product of scorched sugar! (I thought the smoke had a little extra kick to it. Yuck) Chandler got a chocolate with chocolate chip Otis Sputmeyer Muffin yesterday and was saving it for a special treat. Usually I will melt it in the microwave for ten seconds, just enough to soften the chocolate chips. This makes the muffin taste like the molten lava cake from Chili's, which we both adore! We sometimes even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. "Chandler, how long did you cook the muffin?" I asked. "For 5 minutes," he sheepishly replied. "Okay," I respond, "Can you please remember not to use the microwave without a grown-up?" "YEAH!" he categorically affirmed.

So, I am off to investigate why the smoke alarm never went off? and to swat a fly that has made his way in through the wide open front door.

And if you happen to visit us anytime in the near future and our home still wreaks of smoke, you know why. =)

Cherokee Trace Safari - Mother's Day

Sorry this blog is late! We celebrated Mother's Day this year by visiting Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari. Admission is charged per person (not vehicle) and includes a surprisingly large bag of feed for each individual to dole out to the animals. Cherokee Trace Safari is a 300 acre preserve home to many exotic and endangered species. Regretfully, I do not know each kind of animal pictured here. We had an amazing adventure. We reveled in how amazing animals are, how intricate and beautiful they can be and we laughed so hard we wiped away tears. And we were thankful that the rain held out until we drove through the exit gates. Please enjoy my snapshots!

The water buffalo smelled rank. And that's to put it politely. Be very thankful that smells cannot be emitted via the web. The waterbuffalo on the right came up to the window and in all his loveliness shook. Yes, water-hole muck, haven to all sorts of microbial evilness, showered the germaphobe in the car. Me. Didn't touch anyone else (or anyone willing to admit to harboring the stench that is) and I was in the middle of the bac seat. Notice the other picture is shot through the glass. See his friend there, sticking out his tongue at me? That's the last time I tell a water buffalo he stinks.

Ah, the zebras. See the middle pic? He's laughing because he herd what happened at the buffalo waterhole.

The camel was HUGE. There was a big Dodge truck behind us on the trail and this camel towered over it. He tried to stick his head in the car too!

The ostrich was kinda scary. He kept jutting his head forward looking for food. It was somewhat disconcerting... I thought he might accidently peck one of us in the face.

Chandler had a blast! It was even better than our last zoo trip. This was interactive!

Oh, yes. Leaving the llama for last. This llama was smitten by my sister. My sister, vet tech and animal lover that she is, evidently does not care for llamas. At all.. and this particular llama was a bit of a stalker. He chased our car for quite some time. My sister was freaking out.. not something I've seen very many times. Of-course Chandler construed the situation to be hysterical and was

encouraging the llamas antics. Very comical!

I highly recommend Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari if you are out exploring east Texas. Most of the animals will approach the vehicle and there are many kinds that I wasn't able to upload due to space issues. The majority of the animals are calm and will approach your vehicle without incident, giving you time to admire, feed, and photograph them in all their glory.

California Weather

Today was California weather: breezy, warm & sunny. Bekah and I got to do a bit of shopping and even she commented on the Cali-like weather. Later, it was so nice to open up the windows and let the breeze circulate throughout. I could almost fool myself into thinking I was back home. I wish we had many more of these kinds of days ahead of us! All too soon it will be humid & sticky.

Abducted Boy Reunited with Mother - Kudos to San Bernadino Law Enforcement!

The 3 year-old boy who was abducted during a home invasion/robbery was recovered today and reunited with his mother! Praise God!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090517/ap_on_re_us/us_abducted_boy

And to my Daddy, who is retired San Bernadino Law Enforcement, thank you for all your hard work, the sacrifices you made when you had to be away from us, and for putting your own life at risk to help others. Thank you! I am so proud of you and thank you, God, for keeping my Dad safe! I love you and I am so very proud of you, Dad!

Oh, happy day!

Warner Bros. pushed up the release date by 2 days! I feel like a 1st grader waiting to board a bus departing on a field trip!

The countdown continues!!!

Fairy Tale Day

Once upon a time there was a mother who blogged on time.... Okay, so last Friday was "Fairy Tale Day" for 1st graders. A celebratory time full of castles made of paper towel rolls, dramatic poems, and of-course... costumes! (Reason: end of fairy tale unit in Reading). My sweet son elected to dress as Peter Pan!

A video of Chandler's recitation of "Little Red Riding Hood" is below!

After the fun and festivities, I brought home a very wound up, giddy Peter Pan.

No one has claimed the $174.4 million Powerball jackpot on Feb. 28?

There has got to be a really good reason for this. I could only come up with a few reasons why it remains unclaimed and none of them seem very delightful.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Seriously? I am not so sure I would want my life to change. I have long purported that materialism is not the key to happiness. I went to HS in Orange County, CA, where students with very wealthy parents vastly outnumbered those who were struggling to get by. My parents were one of the strugglers, trying to get by from paycheck to paycheck and sometimes those weren't even enough. I am NOT complaining. In fact, I think I was a much happier teenager than many of my peers whose parents threw money and gifts at them in lieu of time and interest.

But what would I do if I had that winning ticket?

Not in any particular order:
1. Build a house as eco-friendly and green as possible on a small lot. Think solar panels on the roof!
2. I would keep my job. That's right.. I love it. I would probably switch to PRN, but I wouldn't quit. Taking care of the smallest patients gives me satisfaction that is unmatched!
3. I would buy my parents a new car. They both have older cars that need some TLC.
4. I would give a HUGE chunk to my department at work, my church, and my child's school.
5. I would pay off my serious dental bill I just racked up.. (my teeth are currently aching!)
6. I would go on multiple medical missions, hopefull 1-2 a year for the rest of my life!
7. I would try to start some sort of recycling, eco-friendly awareness assembly for elementary schools... those kids are our future!
8. Make sure Chandler's future college costs are covered so that he can make a difference in the world.

The rest? I dunno. I'd keep my 6 year old car.. my clothes are fine... I'd love to get out of this apartment so Chandler can learn what grass feels like under his feet! I really wouldn't even want all of the money.

Money is nice... but it isn't everything!

Shhh! That was SUPPOSED to be a secret!

Well, at first I was upset and embarrassed, but now I find it humorous...

Today, I went to Best Buy to redeem a rewards certificate that was about to expire. I also had a neoprene GPS cover that I bought at Christmas that was ill-fitting, so that was going to be returned at the same time. Yes, I said Christmas, that's how far behind on things I am. So Best Buy graciously took back the 5 month old return, whew! and we set out to pick out some new DVDs with the credit. We went back to our friendly cashier, who regretfully told me that my rewards certificate expired yesterday. What? Again, not surprised. I clearly don't even know what day it is. So I swipe my debit card to pay for the difference and Chandler clearly, exuberantly proclaims, "0-5-0-2" that's what your SECRET CODE IS???!!!" I must have made a terrible face because Chandler's quickly changed from prideful to his "I'm in big trouble face." Yes. That was my pin number, and the four cashiers that heard it now have access to our bank account. I hope no one wants a HDTV or Blu-ray. Needless to say, Chandler cried and cried once I explained the gravity of the situation. He asked me if he ruined my life. Then, I nearly cried. Big, bear hugs followed.

So, I called Wamu or Chase, heck, I can't keep track these days... and my card is now cancelled. A new Chase card to be arriving soon.

Does this make me an Activist?

I have never, ever considered myself to be a tree-hugger. But I have now prepared myself to be labeled such. My mother taught me decades ago that littering was the behavior of lazy, ignorant, uneducated people and it engrained in me a great disgust for litterbugs. So much so that I have been tempted in the past to follow a driver and give them their trash back. It's irritating to me when people can't even bother to spit their chewing gum into a garbage receptacle. I mean, come on, do people do this at home? But I digress... It all started with a library book...


Chandler, a voracious reader and compassionate soul, whom also shares with his mother a distaste for litterbugs, brought home a book from school entitled "Why are the Ice Caps Melting? The Dangers of Global Warming" by Anne Rockwell. This book did a phenomenal job explaining what exactly global warming is, the causes of and the effects of. It paints a fairly bleak picture for a children's book, at which one point Chandler cried out "Oh, no..oh, no.." with such heartbreak that tears swelled up in my eyes. THANKFULLY, the next few pages.. started out "Sounds, scary, huh? Here's what you can do..." And at this moment, passion ignited in Chandler. We now recycle everything that's possible, use less electricity, do full loads of laundry, run ceiling fans until the a.c. must be turned on, turn off the faucet when we brush our teeth, employ reusable canvas shopping bags at the market, etc. I have sought out and signed numerous petitions for the environment, called companies and complained about their wasteful packaging and called and complimented companies that are going green! A BIG thank you to Quaker Oats for offering their chewy granola bars in "rip n' go" packaging instead of using boxes, thus saving trees!


Seriously, everyone. The U.S.A. constitutes less than 5% of the world's population, but we make 40% of the waste. That's disgusting. I refuse to be a part of it. Since we have been recycling at home, I went from walking a full 13 gallon trash bag to the dumpster every other day, to once a week. We break down cereal boxes, poptart boxes, rinse out milk jugs, shampoo bottles, recycle homework, junk mail and the like. Try it. You'll be amazed at what you've been throwing away. BTW, you can recycle old print cartridges.. they even pay you $3 each at Staples if you bring them in.


Make a goal. Try just one thing at first. Our new goal? No more paper plates. Now this is gonna be hard, because I don't like dishpan hands and I get enough handwashing in the NICU, my hands are desert dry already.


Sort of moving on... Disney's movie EARTH. Excellent. And who doesn't love listening to James Earl Jones narrarate?! Chandler quickly linked the starving polar bears' hunting struggle (ice is melting away, thus no hunting forum) to the book we had read and he whispered to me "We are hurting the animals!" and the sniffles and eye tearing began.


I don't think EARTH could have been better. It very subtly got it's eco-friendly message across. And because we saw EARTH the first week it was in theatres, Disney planted a tree for us! EARTH also broke the box office record for opening day for a documentary! I guess there are people out there who care!


For those of you who think global warming is a conspiracy, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) publically announced the week of April 20, 2009, that global warming does exist and it is a threat to our earth. (They had been denying the existence of global warming for years).


Lastly, a GREAT website to get you started... http://www.care2.com/



Peace, out!

Climbing Trees is Fun, House Hunting is NOT!

Easter Day commenced with an egg hunt powered by pure sucrose, the result of gorging ourselves until our bellies ached from the sweet, heavenly Easter Candy, that our favorite bunny doled into our baskets.

We spent the afternoon and evening at my parents' house, where of-course more sugar presented itself. Chandler loves to play outside on my parents' 6 acres. The day's agenda? Tree Climbing!

It has become evident that tree climbing and house hunting are complete opposites. How? Why? You see, tree climbing is fun, liberating. You climb the tree, master it, you have gained control (unless of-course you fall out!) House hunting, however, has left me defeated, frustrated, impatient.

I made an offer on a house two months ago. It was a great, and I mean great, house. A couple counteroffers found us only closing costs away from an agreement. While I prayed fervently overnight, the owners sold to someone else the very next morning. And I am still in mourning. While I realize this must have been a "door" shut by God, I still am having difficulty accepting it. It was the perfect fixer-upper, perfect square footage, view of the lake, in Chandler's elem school zone, exactly the home for which I had been searching.

I have viewed a few homes after THE BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. All of which have drastically fallen short of the above mentioned house and cost ten to twenty thousand more! Then I found a similar house. I hadn't noticed it before, but an on-line virtual tour sparked my interest. It would do nicely! I drove by the next morning and much to my chagrine, the for sale sign was missing. "No...Oh, no! This can't be!" I panicked! An internet search and phone call later, the horrible truth was out. That house had sold the week before!

Today I looked at two homes. The only difference between one of the houses I saw today and a cave was that the house had a few layers of paint and serious texture. I think the builder may have had something against light. The second house was okay, a bit pricey, but Chandler would have to go to a different elementary school albeit in the same district. Definitely not the one. Sigh.. the hunt continues...

The DREADED Blue Screen

Well, it was bound to happen sometime. And considering I'd never really had a problem with my laptop before, I guess I am still getting off lightly. Well 9 days and $200+ later, my computer is back up and running. Darn corrupted operating system! Oh, and yes, everything on my computer was lost. Sniff, sniff. I was able, well Best Buy was able, to back up my pics and itunes onto disc. Now it's just putting my life back on to the laptop...

My First Day at the Spa

Today was my first visit to the spa! Rachael is in town this week visiting from my hometown in California. It was the result of her brilliant suggestion that we found ourselves being pampered at one of Rockwall's finest spas. Lavender aromatherapy, hot rocks, warmed robes, hot towels, relaxing music and a fantastic massage. Ahhhhhhh! All of which was followed with a glass of Pinot Grigio. I can't believe what I've been missing. I'm hooked. I can't wait to go back.

We finished up the afternoon by getting a bite to eat at Le Madeleine's and then went to church and listened to the guest speaker, Jim Caviezel! What an absolutely PERFECT day!

Running at a Snail's Pace

Several months back, my good friend (& co-worker), Melissa, invited me to train with her for the Rock n' Roll Marathon in San Diego, CA this May. I had to pass (excuses, excuses, I know) uncertain if my asthma would permit. I have seen Melissa make tremendous gains in her training and look forward to her updates when we are both at work. So, today, with Melissa's relentless encouragement, I hopped on the treadmill and ran an entire mile!!!!! Now if I can just keep up with actually exercising.. Tomorrow? Yoga!

BTW, Melissa still needs sponsors and every little bit counts.. Click on this link and it will take you to Melissa's blog where you can find a link to sponsor her! The marathon benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! It's a good cause and I know Melissa would appreciate your support as well!

http://melissaflenniken.blogspot.com

Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art currently has a limited engagement exhibition of King Tut. A bit pricey, but worth it. I tried to use a corporate discount but the cashier told me that it was a holiday. Since when is Saturday during Spring Break a holiday? I was tempted to ask her if she was getting holiday pay, but figured that would get me in trouble. Our luck picked up however, as we scored nearly free parking, a much smaller ticket discount, and they let us in line early! We highly recommend the thirty minute 3-D movie as a precursor to perusing the exhibit!

Here are a few pics from the museum with more King Tut photos to follow. BTW, Sarcophagus is a fun word to say, ask any seven year old. Try it!

Life Lessons from a Pet Rock

Life's lessons can be painful. We spent most of last week anxiously anticipating Friday: Pet Rock Day. Chandler toted his rock collection to school eager to show off his shiny, colorful glazed stones. He was to select one of them to transform into a pet rock. We discussed this transformation was permanent, indelible, in first grader terms "never going to wash off." After minimal contemplation, Ethan Chandler decided to select a new rock, from just beyond the patio for the pet rock project. So Friday morning, prized rock collection and prospective pet rock went off to elementary school. I hadn't really anticipated what would happen next. On the ride home from school that afternoon, I heard a gasp and an "Oh, NO!" wail from the back seat. It seems either two of Chandler's favorite rocks were lost or "borrowed" during their excursion to school. A few days later, backpack searched, classroom desk and cubby scoured, the missing rocks have not been recovered. It's been a difficult lesson for Chandler, that somethings are gone and they never come back. It reminds me of the first time Chandler accidentally let go of his helium balloon, and the ensuing tears as it floated out of sight. As a parent, too, it's a lesson... I couldn't reach into the sky to stop the fleeing balloon and I can't bring back the missing stones either. All I can do is prepare my son that toys taken outside of the house could get lost and most importantly, teach him that material items are not the most important things in life.

What's the Big Deal?

So, courtesy of RedBox (gotta love it), I finally watched The Dark Knight last night for the first time. I was sort of putting it off because I had heard how deranged it was and typically, I find those genre of movies making my stomach churn and dinner wanting to make a rancid reappearance. Surprisingly, I wasn't bothered. I am unconvinced that I am desensitized because Blood Diamond made my blood boil, but I couldn't help but feel that Gotham City is hardly fictional these days. Don't the joker's atrocities mirror our daily news? The only difference is we lack a Batman? Typically, I am not a cynic. I believe our modern day law enforcement is corrupt and inept. (Yes, these are words coming from the daughter of retired law enforcement.) Look at what plagues our headlines today: Obama can't seem to nominate anyone that isn't morally corrupt and the "Tylenol Guy" is gloating over his priors (murder, dismemberment, rape, etc). A free man, with enough capital after being incarcerated for years to own his own business? Why that man is still alive is beyond me. I guess I just need a breath of fresh air these days. So, basically, Dark Knight was fabulous, well scripted, great cinematography, acting, the whole gamut. Too bad there isn't a real Batman to save us.

Half-Blood Prince Countdown

Can't Hardly Wait!
Countdown with me using the widget at the bottom of my blog page!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Okay, so I KNOW this is a children's movie, but I am completely smitten by this series. So much so, that I have my own set of trading cards, so that I can play with Chandler. This past summer when I was bedridden with pneumonia, Chandler watched the series with me for the first time in an all day marathon. I just finished reading "Half-Blood Prince" and will start "Deathly Hallows" this next weekend. I am definitely taking PTO on opening day, LOL.. I am currently reading Half-Blood Prince aloud to Chandler, but it is much more tedious acting out each of the voices, thus we are still on Chapter 2. It'll be a long road, but I read Narnia: Prince Caspian aloud to him, so this task is not unattainable...only have, like, 500 pages to go!

The First Day of the Rest of my Life

I don't really remember what life was like before Chandler was born. Sure, I remember sleeping in and shopping trips without having to worry if he was hiding in the middle of a rack of clothing, poised to jump out at some unsuspecting shopper. But, I really don't remember what exactly it was that I did all day. Motherhood has definitely curbed all marathon phone conversations with friends, and I vaguely remember that the backseat of my car didn't have tiny, greasy handprints all over the windows.

I distinctly recall on my second day postpartum, glancing over at Chandler, swaddled snuggly in his clear, plastic crib and thinking, "Oh, wow, he is mine, and he's coming home with me, gasp." I guess I had been in some kind of fog, thinking it was all a really long daydream. Kind of like when you're driving to work and you imagine winning the lotto, and sailing around the world in your yacht. Except this was REAL. Later that day my mom lovingly whispered to me, "Don't expect too much from me, I've raised my kids." Crap? What do I know about babies? I remembered my little sister coming home from the hospital, but she was four months and I was five years old. I never changed any of her diapers! Of-course I had babysat, LOTS, but they were mostly toddlers and older. Well, I bottle-fed a baby, once... with supervision... I could do this!

The surreal feeling overcame me again the next day as we loaded up for the ride home from the hospital. Sitting in the backseat, next to my son as my mother whisked us away, I couldn't help but wonder, "is it okay for the hospital to just let me leave with him like this? Surely, not?!"

Strong, Bold and Brave

Today marks my very first blog =) Welcome! You may be wondering why I chose strong and brave as our blogspot address, and the answer is "strong,bold" is Ethan Chandler's namesake, and "brave" is mine (Kelly). Holding one's child for the first time is such an incredible, emotional experience and when I first held Chandler, I felt with certainty that regardless of what life tackled us with, together we would always be strong, bold and brave. On my desk sits a small frame, within it a small piece of parchment with calligraphic design and text, reading my name, namesake and the following: "You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness makes me great." Psalm 18:35 With God, we can do anything! I am excited for my blog to serve as a place to detail thoughts, record milestones and hopefully, also foster spiritual growth.