The Patterson Post

Announcing

2009-10-29T15:05:00.002-06:00

I think it's finally time to announce our latest Patterson. Oscar (Ozzy) Clive was born on October 3rd at a whopping 9 lbs 13 oz and 23 inches long. Mama is proud to have managed it naturally and got her desired water birth. Gwyneth is an amazing big sister, although she thinks her brother is "a bit smelly." Oscar is a great wee baby, and we're all so proud to have him here.

Settled

2009-07-28T02:26:00.004-06:00

The question we've been asked since arriving in this country is "how are you settling in?" or "are you settled?" The answers to those two questions were usually "good" or "yes" depending on which question exactly was asked. In my mind, getting settled was about setting up shop and everything in the house having a place. Now I'm really starting to understand the significance of the question. It's much more than a physical settling, but one of the heart as well. After almost reaching the 1 year anniversary of our arrival, I can now honestly answer "good" and "yes" to the questions. My emotional heart has begun to catch up with my physical one and has finally seemed to arrive. No doubt it will be troubled from time to time with the distance from family, but it is so refreshing to finally feel like the key has turned and opened the lock and we've crossed the threshold and Northern Ireland is now home. Now that makes me happy.

We've got loads of photos on the camera waiting for the upload, ones of pregnancy, ones of travel and other fine moments, but until then you'll just have to settle for a couple that were taken by granny and grandpa when we were visiting them...

Cousin Lauren so graciously teaching Gwyneth the ways of a princess

Gwyneth catching her first fish with her tutor Uncle Colin looking on

P.S. Eight more weeks until baby is due!!! I'm looking forward to having full ownership of my body again, but am slightly reluctant to welcome the sleepless nights and added responsibility of having an additional baby. Sure, it will be lovely, but it's best to be honest with oneself and just admit it will often be challenging.

Few Cute Things

2009-05-26T11:58:00.006-06:00

Gwyneth on her 4th pancake or so...we lost count. These were not miniature pancake "coins," but the real deal, substantial

Gwyneth's latest acquirement, her pride and joy. We were given an amazingly nice set of practically new matching of doll accessories: pack n' play, pram, front baby carrier, diaper bag with accessories, etc. Some parents of a girl at church were clearing out some toys that their daughter failed to play with and Gwyneth reaped major benefits. We remind her that although these came from our friends, they are truly a gift to her from Jesus. We've been wanting to buy some items like this for her, but haven't because it would have been so costly. She ABSOLUTELY LOVES her dolly gear, and has been playing with it non-stop. What a blessing!

We are currently in a state of flux right now, Wes is soon to start a new job, more about that later, we're trying to secure a new rental property for July (which is proving to be quite difficult, lots of hoops), and we'll be holidaying in June/July, which we're also excited about...that and the belly continues to grow to enormous. The summer is full of promise.

Oh, and Gwyneth thinks she's having a baby too!

More Photos

2009-04-24T11:21:00.004-06:00

Enjoying the Seaside with Mommy and Daddy. It's one of Gwyneth's favorite places to go. This occasion we found a wee hermit crab, which Gwyneth enjoyed examining!

15 Weeks

At 16 weeks, we all went in to see the midwife and told Gwyneth how she'd get to hear the baby's heartbeat and described the heart and all it did and what it sounded like and took turns listening to each other's chests. Although I was fairly confident that all was okay with the baby because I had daily felt consistent movement, we got a bit of a scare. The midwife couldn't pick up the baby's heart beat, just my own pulse (which made me hold my breath for a few moments) but it did mean that we got to see the baby on ultrasound, which was even better. Gwyneth was thrilled to see the baby and has been talking about it for days! I think she's ready for a sibling.

Gwyneth is all little girl, not a bit of baby left in her. In some ways I'm relieved to see that stage over, but there are times when I miss the babe in her. I guess I'll get to start all over from the beginning.

Pop! 17 Weeks

Officially Registered as a Childminder

2009-04-01T05:07:00.003-06:00

I just got the phone call a few minutes ago that I am officially registered as a childminder and can now start accepting children into our home and provide them with daycare. I'm thrilled! This process has been a long one, and it finally looks as if I'll be able to begin making some financial contribution to our family "pot." So, as you think of us, please pray that God would provide me with and abundance of families and children that I could mind. I'm longing (hardly a strong enough word) to make a trip home this summer and part of it is relying on me being able to actually afford the plane ticket (surprise, surprise).

On a Gwyneth note, she's of course being chattier than ever. Yesterday the librarian commented on how clearly she spoke and how she seems to be blossoming with her speech. She told the librarian how "daddy reads the books to me" when we were checking out our new finds. It's also really fun to have her come up to me and say "mommy, whatcha doing?" Every day she surprises us with her songs and sentences and connections. She's been brilliant the past few days.

Thirteen Weeks

2009-03-25T11:37:00.006-06:00

As promised, there were to be pregnancy photos. Here is one of me at 13 weeks. It's definitely true that the belly "pops" faster with the second pregnancy. Luckily, with having a toddler to chase after the weight doesn't seem to come on quite as easily, although I have two more trimesters and a week for that.

This is what I have to look forward to and this was still a few weeks before Gwyneth made her appearance! Oh boy! I have a lot to look forward to!

Out of the Thick, or Is It Just Spring?

2009-03-24T14:31:00.007-06:00

As you may have noticed, or not, because you've given up on this blog, things just haven't been very busy at this website address. Well, I'm hoping that's about to end. This winter has been a real downer, which really when I think about all that's been going on, it's not a surprise. We just left our family, friends, house, sold all our stuff and moved country, had to figure out bank accounts to socialized medicine, learn the new rules of the road on the opposite side, find new friends and new jobs...and in the midst of that, it turned from a slightly pleasant, but drizzly August into an oppressively gloomy, cold, rainy and dark winter. For any person, would be enough to turn anyone slightly mad. It sent me into hiding under my duvet, wondering if I would ever want to come out again. I'm out again, tentatively, but I'm out. It's good. Part of me wonders if it's because God is doing an amazing work in my life, or if it's just because the sun has come out for about 5 consecutive days (although I still consider that a miraculous work of God when living in N. Ireland). Either way, I'm taking the change in mindset and running with it, and unbelievably am posting. It's not much, but I figure I'll post some pictures of the highlights of this winter...and hopefully there will be eternal sunshine in my mind from here on out, or as much as there can be in an imperfect world.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

Rope Bridge

Marching Onward with Daddy

Quiet 2nd Birthday, Because Gwyneth Was Quite Sick...She Didn't Seem to Notice Her Birthday Cake was Lame

Photos Taken on New Year's Eve

Gwyneth's Christmas Miracle

Our False Christmas Miracle...Loved Actually USING the Potty for a Day, Now It's Hit or Miss

Oh, and for our biggest news, there will be a Patterson #4...or shall I say IS a Patterson #4, due to make an appearance towards the end of September! Talk about an unexpected shocker, but we're pleased. I'm sure there will be plenty of gigantic belly photos to follow in the near days.

Procrastination

2008-12-23T06:15:00.003-06:00

I've been procrastinating with this blog, for many reasons, but mainly because I don't really think that daily life is that interesting that you, my audience, would really want to hear about it. Gwyneth's no longer a baby, so there's not the pull of adorable sweet pudgy baby faces (although in my opinion, curly top's face has gotten even more adorable), the first smile, the first steps, the first words, etc. to keep my blog full of a mom's delight. But I don't want to give up. I want to keep plugging along.

I read blogs a lot, I'm ashamedly a bit addicted to a few. They always seem so happy, so full, so much content about complete contentedness. For the moment, I don't have a bunch of warm updates to make my blog a joyride of reading. Of course life is full of up and downs, and even the people that paint an idyllic life on their blogs have their ugly moments, but do they really want to share them. It appears not.

I'm considering breaking the mould of the blogosphere and posting some of the reality.

Moving to Northern Ireland, isn't as romantic as it sounds. There, I said it. It's true. Now to be fair to myself and my new country-mates, I never thought it would be. Sure it's green, and I've seen loads of rainbows...and rain, but there are no leprechauns or pots of gold for general merriment. It is an adventure, but one of navigating new supermarkets and trying to find sugar (by the tea of course, which, by the way is no where near the baking products), learning to use the National Health Service so Gwyneth can see a doctor in the ER after she dents her head on the sidewalk (I must give a plug for socialized medicine, bravo!), and trying to find a job (when apparently you're not even qualified to work at XTravision, a division of Blockbuster). It's hard. It's stressful. It's not romantic, at least in the midst of it. Maybe when I look back on it when I'm 80, I'll change my mind. It takes time though, it's all the hardship involved with total change. Northern Ireland is full of rich treasure. I know it. I just need to have the gumption to keep digging, keep a fresh perspective and I'll find it.

Now about Gwyneth.

The dear Lord knows we love her so, but wow, the terrible twos have come upon us early, and they are terrible. They are no joking matter. They are full of shrieks, screams, wails, and the like. Lets just say our patience is growing by leaps and bounds. It will unnerve the confidence of any good parent. It probably doesn't help that we've got a particularly strong-willed child on our hands. We still have a few magical moments with her from time to time, but the need to hire sitters for some time away is more desperate than it ever used to be. Oddly enough, when we have sitters we always get the report back of how she was an "angel" and a "wee dote" and "didn't cry once." It's time for her to get out, to socialize a bit, which is in the works. She will be going to a childminder or a day nursery twice a week. Maybe she can leak out all her frustration there and then we can come home and experience the angel in there.

I did find a job, which begins in January. I'm really quite excited about it. I will only be working 2 days a week, albeit, 2 very long days. I'll be able to get out of the house, have some adult conversation and do something useful for the general public. I think it will make life feel a bit more balanced. I sure hope so.

Will all of that, I have a headache and am on my way to take a nap. There, it's not all pretty, but it's real. Sometimes really good, and sometimes really bad, and everything in between. It's life.

Mommy Learns a Lesson

2008-11-09T14:57:00.002-06:00

Everyday, it seems like Mommy is learning lessons from Gwyneth. She's quite frankly a good teacher. Luckily mommy is usually a good learner and pretty keen on keeping up with her studies. Yesterday mommy learned a good lesson, and surely it won't be one that's forgotten. (There would be pictures to accompany this post, but said mommy decided pictures of the incident would be in poor taste).

After putting Gwyneth down to bed, about 45 minutes later, I heard a bit of commotion and some squealing from Gwyneth's room. Because it had been a while since I put her to bed, I thought I'd better check on her. I approached the door to her room and noticed something odd, light coming from the crack under the door. First of all Gwyneth doesn't get out of bed until either Wes and I give her the go ahead and secondly, she wouldn't be able to reach the light switch. So, I knew that I must have left the light on and immediately thought, it's no wonder she's making noise. I creak open the door and take a peek and there is a proud naked little girl sitting on her bed saying, "potty." Unfortunately I noticed a stench, which really meant there was no need for a potty, the deed had already been done...luckily, it was still contained in the removed diaper, with a few dark smudges on the duvet under Gwyneth's rump. Even though it wasn't much fun to clean, I had just been thinking earlier that day about washing her bedding and also considered how much worse it would have been if Gwyneth was one of those uber-curious children who like to stick their fingers in brown stuff. I actually felt a little pride well up in my when I realized how smart Gwyneth was to be able to take off her pajamas...and how she was able to keep herself fairly clean given the circumstances. I couldn't help but smile.

Lesson learned: Turn out the light. Had I not forgotten to turn off the light, there would have been no chance of Gwyneth getting both her rather childproof pajamas and diaper off. Tonight I didn't forget this one last detail of putting Gwyneth to bed.

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

2008-10-26T17:08:00.003-06:00

All parents are proud of their kids, and I'm admittedly one of them - here's why:

She's just all around amazing!

Little Sweetie

2008-10-07T15:52:00.003-06:00

Kids are always making people laugh by what they say or do and Gwyneth is no exception. Today Gwyneth was captivated in the funniest way.

We were at Pizza Hut (yes, they do have them here, and they're actually quite nice and sometimes, you just need a little taste of home) and we were sitting next to a table of three that had just enjoyed their pizza and were on to the sweeter side, dessert. Pizza Huts here also have a sundae bar, and one of our neighbors came back with a parfait glass filled with soft serve, and topped with pink marshmallows. Gwyneth couldn't take her eyes off of it. It's probably the first time we've noticed her breaking the tenth commandment. We quietly snickered as she smacked her lips and was clearly salivating. She was wanting to experience the sweetness so much, she actually opened her mouth as her neighbor took another spoonful of icecream and lifted it to her lips, and as she put it in her mouth, Gwyneth closed hers as if to do her best to imagine the way it tasted and felt as it melted on the tongue. To our surprise, she didn't whine once.

Luckily a dessert on the menu had caught her mom's fancy and she got a few spoonfuls of her own treat.

As Promised

2008-09-22T13:28:00.008-06:00

I did promise to upload photos of our new abode, so here they are.

Day Tripping

2008-09-22T13:18:00.002-06:00

We went on a day trip this past weekend to Bush Mills, Portrush (fabulous beach, with, believe it or not, waves big enough to surf), and Giant's Causeway. The opportunities to get sun are few and far between, so when the day looked like it would be a good one, we decided to go for it. Here are a few photos.

Catching Up

2008-09-11T05:27:00.003-06:00

Well, if you're reading this, it's a wonder that you ever check this site! In all my good intentions, it seems blogging gets last priority. Sometimes I'm amazed that people read this stuff...the everyday details (or in my case really, every month or so details) of what's going on in the Patterson family. I think that's part of the reason why I don't blog so much any more. Our life, at least to us, can be often times very mundane. I'm sure many of you are thinking, "what????, these guys just moved to Northern Ireland." It's true though. I think life anywhere in the world, no matter the destination can have a tendency to get mundane in the details. The grass is not always greener elsewhere...em, unless you come to Ireland, but the sky is not any bluer, that's for sure...

Here's a good example of mundane...I bleached 3 out of my 4 JCrew long sleeve t-shirts. Now these are the staples of my wardrobe, ruined! Not only are they ruined, but they're irreplaceable, at least until my next trip to The States, in which case, it will surely be a different season with different colors. Hmph! So that's the type of excitement that happens in the Patterson household, even though we happen to be living on an island a third of the way around the world (or somewhere thereabouts).

We've got a "whirlie" clothesline, you know those things that stick out of a post and then fold out with clothesline wrapped about it so you can get loads of clothes hung in a relatively small space, and then as the wind blows it spins it around a bit? Well, we've got one of those. It's one of the practical things that I really wanted to get as soon as we arrived here. Although I hate all other parts that involve laundry (the sorting, washing, folding, ironing, etc.), I just LOVE hanging laundry outside and then taking it in. It feels so organic, so healthy. Wes and I are having difficulty guessing when rain will arrive or not. Really it's for the most part cloudy here all the time. Certainly there are times when it's cloudier than others, but I don't ever remember seeing a completely clear blue sky. It for the most part looks like the clouds are threatening to release their moisture in a downpour at any moment, so hanging laundry outside is pretty risky business. We've had a few load of almost dry laundry get soaked, but we'll get better at it I'm sure.

Oh, and another organic feeling thing. We got a big 'ol compost bin for only five pounds! That's quite a deal, and it even came with a kitchen bucket with lid to store your day's worth of compost until you bring it to the bin! Sweet. I was so excited about this, and then calling the waste management facility in our area and purchasing it. It was a little victory in a place where sometimes getting the smallest thing accomplished seems to take quite a bit longer than I'm used to. So, in the end, we have a place that we can pitch our compost-worthy waste, other than the garbage. That in itself is a really good thing, because we can only fill one "wheelie" bin and it's collected every two weeks.

I'm trying to get all the existing beds of weeds cleared out so that come next spring, I can turn in all the compost and have a lovely fruit and veg. garden. It's a bit of a process, but I think it will be worth it in the end. I'm hoping that, we'll end up saving a bit of cash, and also enjoy the benefit of organic produce from our own labors. I can hardly wait until spring, but will have to use the winter to plan out the garden layout and determine when things need to be planted. This is really all new to me, but I've dreamed about this for a long time!

Other news about why we're really here:

The internship is going well. It's just started actually and will be a great experience for both Wes and I, especially as we gear up to church plant. To be able to see the intricate details of church workings, will be so helpful for us. Doing this sort of thing with a child is going to make it extra complicated, but we have no doubt that Gwyneth being here is all part of the grand plan.

We also wouldn't even be able to speak highly enough of our new church home, The Belfast City Vineyard. It's really an amazing church. We have felt so welcomed here by the people and are starting to recognize a number of familiar faces as we head into Sunday mornings. It's been a warm, inviting and comfortable place for us, and although we miss our dear Duluth Vineyard, I think where we're at is quickly feeling like home.

Late in September, I begin my pre-registration classes for becoming a registered childminder (daycare provider). I'm really excited to get started with that. Taking care of Gwyneth on a daily basis is wonderful, but I know that she would desperately like more interaction with other children, not just mom and dad (maybe she's already entering her 16 yr. old stage early when she thinks we're so boring). I'm also looking forward to taking on some kids and just loving them to bits and helping them grow and develop into their potential. I think about when I was working full time, how important it was for me to be able to leave my child in a place where I knew they were being loved and taught positive behaviors, not just kept safe, fed, and changed. I'm excited to help give parents peace of mind while they leave their child as they go to work. Please pray that God would bring the right children into our home.

Wes is looking for jobs currently. There seems to be opportunity out there, but he may run into difficulty proving that he has the credentials for what he applies to since the US system is a bit different than the British one (obviously). We're praying though that God would bless him with a job that will give him the type of hours and pay, to allow him to give a lot to this internship as well.

Really, that's about the news. Oh, and Gwyneth is doing well. She seems to be suffering through some of the Irish bugs here, especially after Sunday morning when she's around kids her own age. I wonder what type of American illnesses she's passing on to them. Apart from that though, she's just been lovely.

I'll have to put of pictures next time...after I charge the camera and then take the pictures. It's on my to-do list.

Cheerio!

Now That's a Summer Vacation!

2008-08-26T07:21:00.018-06:00

We're now all in Belfast, as the majority of you already know. It's the end of a summer vacation to remember, packed with lots of important visits. Wes and I are both terrible and chronicling our lives with photos. I don't know about Wes, but to me, taking photos feels like a nuisance, so I put it off and then I realize I hardly have any. The ones we have, I figured I'd share. First, I'll give you our long-winded itinerary to prove this was a whopper of a trip!

Duluth, MN to New Ulm, MN to visit Grandma and Grandpa Patterson, Great Grandma Patterson and Auntie Dani
Approx. hours in car: 6
Highlights: The Minnesota Zoo, the froggy pool, Gwyneth being spoiled to her heart's content, eating at a drive in, just basking in our newfound freedom

New Ulm, MN to Morton, IL via Milwaukee, WI to visit More Nana and Granny and Grandpa Williams
Approx. hours en route with pit stop in Milwaukee: 12
Highlights: Eating Kopps ice cream with More Nana, BBQing with Granny and Grandpa, more swimming, July 4th fireworks, Eating corn on the cobb and watermelon in massive amounts, getting a date night and going to the Shakespeare Festival

Morton, IL to Chicago, IL to visit Auntie Lainey, Uncle Colin, Cousins Oliver and Lauren and Auntie AJ
Approx. hours in car: 3
Highlights: Playing with cousins Lauren and Oliver, celebrating Lauren's birthday, eating Giordano's deep dish pizza, swimming in the pond, seeing Auntie AJ. Stupidly, no photos taken of this fun.

Chicago, IL to Washington D.C. via Newark, NJ to see the sites of our nation's capitol (seems fitting when we're about to leave the country) and also to see our dear friends the Wiehle's
Approx. hours on plane: 3 Approx. hours in car: 3
Highlights: leaving Newark, NJ, seeing all the sites and free museums, spending time in Georgetown with our friends, Gwyneth getting kissed by the president (just kidding on that one)

Washington D.C. to Sound Beach, NY to see Auntie Charlotte and Uncle Lewis
Approx. hours in car: 6 for Lesley and Gwyneth 10 for Wes (he had to go back to the IHOP in NJ and pick up my wallet that I left behind...not a happy moment for anyone, especially Wes)
Highlights: Seeing the Atlantic, Gwyneth getting her toenails painted by Auntie Charlotte, Wes and I stealing away for a day to see all of New York City while Gwyneth was in the care of her Auntie and Uncle. Lesley was truly sad that she didn't see any movie stars. Again, stupidly, no photos taken.

Sound Beach, NY to Belfast, Northern Ireland
Approx hours in car: 6 Approx hours in plane: 6
Highlights: Unpacking our suitcases

Gwyneth with Great Grandma Patterson and her daddy

Gwyneth with Grandma and Grandpa Patterson who took great delight in spoiling her rotten

Gwyneth showing More Nana the wonders of her belly button

Granny and Grandpa Williams' Secret Garden

I had compassion on and "ugly" flower and took it's picture as well...turns out it was beautiful, even with its faults

Gwyneth finds her passion: watermelon

One picture passed on to us to help document Gwyneth's rafting at Colin and Elaine's lake place

Example of bad photography. This is what happens when you're hurriedly taking a photo of your child in front of the White House (see the White House? No not really? What about that lady's rump?...hmph, like I said bad photography)

We spent and afternoon in Georgetown with our wonderful friends Anthony and his wife Su Yun and Tai Yun.

Don't they look thrilled to be at the Washington Monument?

Gwyneth reflects upon the sidewalk at the Pool of Reflection. If you look closely, you can see Air Force One in the sky (again just kidding, although we were often looking up at the sky to see if the president's helicopter was flying over)

The Beginning of a New Blog

2008-07-15T20:03:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let you know that we've started another blog to chronicle our church-planting efforts. It's www.thepattersonplant.blogspot.com. Guaranteed excitement!

This one will be maintained as well, so don't worry!

It's Been a Long Time

2008-07-12T21:19:00.001-06:00

So, it's been a long time, and we've been busy. Gosh, we've had a moving sale, packed up all our remaining belongings, cleaned our house, sold our house, said what seemed like a million goodbyes (just about all of the tear-jerkers), and now we're in limbo land visiting friends and family before we leave for Belfast on August 1st. Now I think that's a good excuse.

We've enjoyed our time thus far with Wes' family and now my family, and it's been filled with lots of activity. Who knew that vacation could wear us out this much.

In the midst of vacationing, I got a little bit ambitious (maybe too much) and have sewing AND knitting. By golly, I've got to get in my last minutes of time with any sewing machine available. I'm sure there will be one somewhere in N. Ireland, but it somehow seems more convenient to do it now when I've got my mom's sewing machine and advice readily available. So, thus far, I've made a top and a skirt and will make an additional top and skirt. I really like the final results, and maybe one day I'll post pictures, but not tonight.

I found this amazing yarn today at a farmer's market, that was handspun and dyed by a really nice lady and for a whole skein of it, it only cost $5. Now I don't know that much about knitting, but I know a bargain when I see one. I almost felt guilty for not offering more, but I only had $5 cash, unless she wanted a handful of pennies. So, while Gwyneth napped today, I madly knit up a cloche to bring over the sea with me, after all, it's so cold there that I could probably even put it to good use even in the summer!

Anyway, here's some random fun pictures, as well as a picture of the hat.

Gwyneth tries to get away on the neighbor kid's 3 wheeler

I just thought this was a cute photo

Family photo (this was as good as it was going to get...we got tired after setting up the timer and shooting about 15 different photos, which always seemed to have one screwed up face)

Voila - the hat! The photo just doesn't do the colors justice unfortunately

"Bed Training" Final Episode???

2008-06-05T07:57:00.003-06:00

I think we may have victory. Of course children seem to be finicky things and one day something works perfectly for them and the next, you can do the same exact thing and it's filled with horror. Gwyneth spent the night in her bed, except for the two times she fell out of it and we found her sleeping on the floor beside it shortly after the "thuds." We were able to effortlessly put her back in bed. She did wake up at 3AM crying, but stayed in bed as she was calling out for "mommy." I went to cuddle her back to calm and didn't hear a peep from her until 8:17AM. I did find her out of her bed when I got up, paging through her favorite book, but she still had an imprint of her ear on her arm left from sleeping on it, so I knew that she hadn't been up for long.

Our little girl is growing up!

"Bed Training" Part Deux

2008-06-04T19:28:00.002-06:00

It seems as we may have a success tonight as well! Here's to hoping. Gwyneth was put down at around 7:45PM. It's now 8:38PM. She's actually stayed in bed and under the covers (another 1st) this whole time, except just a couple times, where she actually hobbled over in her sleep sack to pick out her favorite book. I caved it and read it to her (shame on me) which cued another quick set of out of bed, back in beds. Now she's tucked in one more time and totally quiet. Bravo Gwyn!

We've been trying to get her really excited about this whole new sleeping arrangement and I think it's really worked. When Wes got home today, he looked at her new "bed" and told her how big she was getting, etc. She's been getting really good at putting all her stuffed animals to bed, Teddy, Bear-Bear, Red (another bear), Thing (an "ugly doll"), Ellie the Elephant, and Baby.

Maybe this is just the calm before the storm and I should be knocking on wood, but I didn't expect it to be so easy! We'll see what morning brings. She does the occasional stirring at 4 or 5AM and then goes back to sleep, but without boundaries, she may skip the going back to sleep part, which could present a nightmare...but for now, I'll be a proud mama! If we can do this, I think we may avoid problems in the future, as the early toddler will is not so strong as the advanced toddler will. I'd rather teach her "bed boundaries" during the early toddler stage.

"Bed Training"

2008-06-04T13:41:00.002-06:00

Well, the Patterson household is facing many changes, all of them largely revolving around the move to Belfast. With a little one in the picture, keeping the balance is especially tricky. We're trying to figure out what the best way to approach such a move is - would it be better to continue nursing until after our arrival, or stop now, would it be better to potty train her now, or later, would it be better to get her used to sleeping in a bed now since she will soon be crib-less in 3 weeks and without a pack n' play shortly after, or do we wing it? Nothing seems easy about these transitions with a toddler in everyday life, but it all seems much more complicated when making a transatlantic move.

Today we decided to try giving up the crib and getting her used to the mattress on the floor, which means that she has a newfound freedom when she's supposed to be sleeping. Right before her nap, I took down her crib, vacuumed the floor, and set the mattress in the empty space. Gwyneth thought it was all exciting. She had no problem when I put her into her new boundary-less bed for her nap time. However, the problem was in keeping her there. We had a battle of the wills for the first 13 minutes. I'd listen for her movements outside the door, she'd crawl off the mattress and I'd jump the gate and silently, but sternly put her back in bed. At first she thought it was quite a fun game, then she started to comprehend that I meant business. After a few more test escapes, she flew her white flag and succummed. I sat outside her door and waited for a few minutes of no sound or movement, and by 12:20, she was fast asleep! Success! Now I'm not sure how sleeping through the night will go, but I'm sure we'll go through this again tonight...and here's to hoping. In the meantime, we're going to practice tucking in her stuffed animals, saying "nightie-night" and giving them the good-night kiss.

Oh, other news on the front. Gwyneth got her first blood-sucking parasite! Yesterday, I pulled off a fat, disgusting wood tick. I generally have a strong stomach and have no problem with the standard "gross out" situations or conversations, but I felt like I could easily throw up at the sight of the creature. Ick. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that this may not be the last experience of that type. Someday, she'll probably come home from school with head lice and infect us all!

Skirt #2

2008-05-17T14:18:00.004-06:00

This morning Gwyneth and I had some special sewing time together. Gwyneth cheerfully sat on my lap, giving her full attention while I sewed up her skirt. I was excited, because I felt like I was passing on some special knowledge to her. I love it when I get to share the practical parts of life (such as sewing and cooking) with her looking on. We didn't have any plain matching shirts for her outfit, so I took a shirt of hers that had a little bunny on it and covered it up to make a matching set.

Gwyneth strutting her stuff on the runway, er, sidewalk

Look Mom, it's fluff

Gwyneth inspecting a flower, which happens to be her new word

Inspired

2008-05-16T14:38:00.002-06:00

Okay, obviously, you guys can tell that I've been inspired. There's been silence for quite a while in my part of the blogosphere, but all of a sudden I've got lots to post! I've seriously fallen in love with sewing for Gwyneth! It's probably just a stage that I'll grow out of in a week, but for the time being I've been so excited about sewing that I've literally been losing sleep over it!

Anyway, here are the fabric and notions that I found yesterday to get started on some skirts for Gwyneth. Fun!

Here is my first attempt at the skirt with no instructions or pattern. It turned out well, and given that I figured it out on my own, I'm pretty proud of myself. I really like it, but I think the next one I do will make a bit wider so that when the waist is gathered up, it's fuller at the bottom. I loved this little retro print and the baubles remind me of the buses in Mexico. They would often have similar decorations hanging around the windshield, along with some form of the Virgin Mary.

Eventually two more skirts will follow. Those will get posted sometime.

More Smocking Fun!

2008-05-15T21:45:00.004-06:00

Here's another smock with a pocket - a smocket if you will.

And our model trying to destroy the photo prop.

I've caught the sewing bug! I went to the fabric store and got enough fabric and notions to make three whimsical skirts for Gwyneth. (I must comment that sewing for little one is not only more affordable, but the projects whip up quite a bit faster than otherwise.) I can't wait to get started! I better get all the sewing in while I can, because this sewing machine will unfortunately not be crossing the ocean with us.

I'm sure on the next post, you'll see three of the cutest skirts ever (well hopefully).

Nifty Sewing

2008-05-14T15:30:00.003-06:00

So yesterday was a terribly dreary, cold, rainy day. You know, the Minnesota spring type of day. Gwyneth and I spent the majority of the day as sulking shut-ins. Today on the other hand was a whole different story. It's a beautiful, mildly warm, sunny day, which is a tall order for Northern Minnesota.

Yesterday, in our shut-in state, I decided that Gwyneth was in desperate need of a long sleeved bib, or better yet two. Gwyneth's got her own, not so unique toddler style of eating, which means dredging even the pushed up sleeves through spaghetti sauce and the like. I found the perfect bibs online, however, they ran $17+ a piece, and then there was shipping in addition to that. For two of the such desired, it was about $40. In a desperate attempt to save money, I searched high and low for a sewing pattern that would create something similar. I couldn't find the perfect pattern for a bib, but instead found this hip vintage smock pattern for free, so I got sidetracked by a not so practical, but fashionable sewing project.

Since yesterday was gloomy and today was the opposite, one would think that during Gwyneth's afternoon nap time, I would be outside cleaning up the garden, or maybe reading a book in the sun, but I did what I should have been doing after clouds rolled in, in a day or two. I made Gwyneth a the smock! I was able to start and complete the smock with some fabric remnants I had on hand before Gwyneth woke up from her nap! Hopefully tomorrow's another sunny day, so I can make another smock with a different fabric combo during Gwyneth's rest.

Below Gwyneth's modeling her little number.

Potty Training 101

2008-04-30T08:10:00.004-06:00

Well, now that I'm home for a while with Gwyneth, I've decide that it's time to introduce the potty to our little girl. I'm not sure the amount of success that we'll have, but I know after a little research that it is possible for a child at this young age to actually be potty trained. So we've begun to have diaper free times - for this I'm thankful that we have wood floors throughout much of our house. Right now we're working on a bodily awareness. It seems that with the absorbency of the modern diaper, Gwyneth rarely even realizes when she goes to the bathroom, when it streams down her legs when there is no diaper, she certainly notices that! Yes, we've had puddles, but we've also had some potty hits (both #1 and #2! - pretty good for a 15 month old). We'll take it one day at a time, but with any luck, we might have a potty trained child in a few months...we might not, but we won't win if we don't give it a try.

Now for an adorable picture or two:

Exhaustion

2008-04-21T10:39:00.004-06:00

This is what happens when a child wakes up at 5:30AM and then you put them in their crib for a few minutes for your morning shower.

Daddy We Miss You

2008-04-05T14:31:00.001-06:00

Here's a little video from on the road...daddy, this one goes out to you!

Quickly Nearing 14 Months

2008-02-28T08:37:00.011-06:00

Gwyneth is quickly nearing 14 months. She's looking more and more like an actual person versus a baby (not that they're not actual people, but sometimes they seem more like another species than a human). I loved the baby stage, but this is way more fun. Some of the cute things she'll do is walk up to me and Wes and give us hugs, grab our legs and kiss them, bring books over to us so we can read them to her, say "hi" to everyone and anything, and she's got this odd fascination with our smoke/carbon monoxide alarm where she'll point at it and go, "beep, beep, beep." Well, I'm sure it's really the pictures that you're most interested in so, here we go:

Gwyneth Make-Believing She's Amish:

Amlette on the Move:

A Day in the Life:

Hugging Mommy's Leg:

Little Girlie on Her Throne (She's obviously watched too much of The Godfather):

See the Resemblance?

Other Miscellaneous Photos

2008-02-15T12:31:00.005-06:00

Tough Girl and Her Fat Lip

2008-02-15T12:28:00.003-06:00

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

2008-02-14T21:14:00.002-06:00

...that's how life feels right now. Here are a few high velocity updates:

Gwyneth's walking and sometimes running and few times falling flat on her face breaking her lip open with her teeth. This is when she's not poking her eye out with a pinwheel or pulling a chair on top of herself. She's officially a toddler, a dear, sweet one that's a menace at the same time.

I was laid off of my job on Jan 31st. The news received two weeks previous was a shock to the system, but apparently once daycare and travel expenses are nixed from our budget, unemployment is just a bit shy of what I was making. So, it's really a blessing in disguise for now. I get to stay home for a short time with Gwyneth and also invest in gaining some experience in church ministries.

Yesterday we signed the purchase agreement on our house. Pending a successful inspection, we will close on June 27th and we will be homeless. In this market, it feels so good to say that. Of course there are so many benefits to owning a home, but I'm admitting that I've been a bit envious of those who are in rentals. We will soon be one of those families.

Work has been miserably slow for Wes' business. Of course with the housing market in "crisis" and our country in a recession, not many people are eager to invest their money in their homes at the current time. We've been nonetheless making it through and it's giving Wes time to write our 2-year church planting plan. That's a good thing.

I've been sick with the stomach flu. Although this is probably the most insignificant of my post, my body disagrees. Monday night in the midst of entertaining guests, I fell ill with no warning. I spent the night vomiting every hour. 10 times in 11.5 hrs. to be exact. Not that you want to know those details, but that's got to be some sort of record. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday recovering, only to start it all up again in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. I thought the 24 hr stomach flu was only supposed to last 24 hrs.

I'll have to post some photos. It just means that I have to take some. I've got one somewhere with Gwyneth and her fat lip.

Silly Nilly

2008-01-09T20:03:00.000-06:00

Can this little girl get any sweeter?

It Happened One Year Ago!

2008-01-09T19:31:00.000-06:00

Last week I was reliving the day Gwyneth was born. I woke up to my alarm and thought one year ago, I had just woken Wes up to tell him it was time to go to the hospital. I went to work and around 9 o'clock I thought the doctor was close to breaking my water. At lunchtime I pondered the six attempts of the nurses to get an IV in my constricted veins. Around 2 o'clock I got the beloved epidural (never thought I'd say that) and on the drive home Gwyneth was born.

She looked like this (WHOA!):

Now, she's this little goofball:

What change! It's hard to comprehend the changes that have occurred in just one year!

We had a fabulous time celebrating this past year with her and although she's made life a bit more complicated, our hearts swell with love and our lips curve upward more often than we've ever experienced! What a joy!

What a Wonderful Christmas

2007-12-28T21:05:00.000-06:00

We were down in Morton, IL to celebrate Christmas with family. Rarely are all my siblings and their spouses and children and my parents all together in one place. It was a blast to be there and share Gwyneth's first Christmas with them.

Here are a of our wonderful photos of the occasion.

A Family Photo

Brighty

2007-12-17T18:41:00.000-06:00

Smiles with Pops

2007-12-17T18:35:00.000-06:00

Ferocious Girl

2007-12-17T16:28:00.000-06:00

Gwyneth Noelle Meets Christmas

2007-12-17T16:25:00.001-06:00

Gwyneth Doing a Little Christmas Preparation Herself

2007-12-05T20:54:00.000-06:00

In Search of the Perfect Christmas Tree

2007-12-05T20:41:00.001-06:00

Is this the one?

This one made the cut!

Gwyneth Meets More Nana for the First Time!

2007-12-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

I'm a Brit! Officially!

2007-12-05T20:10:00.000-06:00

On my way to the British consulate in Chicago

It's official - I'm a British citizen

My niece Lauren - helping her auntie celebrate with a raspberry tart that has flags of both the Star Spangled Banner and the Union Jack!

It Could Happen to You

2007-12-03T13:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I found out to my dismay that those incidents that you hope you never are a part of can indeed happen. I’m glad that I was prepared in the sense that I knew what to do – well, sort of.

We had around 14 inches of snow fall in Two Harbors over the past two days. Of course once it stops, everyone gets out their winter boot, shovels, mittens and snow blowers. Our next door neighbor was one of the many that sprang into action.

I had just changed Gwyneth’s diaper and was ready to head downstairs when I heard someone shouting outside and a snow blower running. Snow blowers are scary to me. I always think of limbs getting sliced open…or worse dismemberment, so I hurried to a window, thinking I should check, but figuring I was just overreacting. Unfortunately, I wasn’t just overreacting, but my next door neighbor was lying on the ground and my other next door neighbor was kneeling next to him on the sidewalk. I shouted to Wes to call 911 and passed Gwyneth off to him and dashed out the door in my slippers into knee deep snow.

I tried to wake him up, tried to get a pulse, tried to feel his breath. There was nothing. I gave him two rescue breaths to see if that would get him going. Nothing. I asked the neighbor that had found him if he knew CPR, he didn’t. I was just about to start on my own when another neighbor ran up and we began CPR together. He did the chest compressions while I breathed for my neighbor. The rescue squad arrived and took over. I stood back, next our neighbor’s wife who came outside when she heard the commotion. I put my arm around her as she wept and asked me what she would do without him; I held her up. I asked her if she wanted me to pray for him, she did and so I prayed aloud, asking God to come and to heal. The rescue squad pulled out the defibrillator and tried to jumpstart his heart. It worked and our neighbor took in two deep breaths, but remained unconscious. They transferred him to the ambulance and I brought his wife into her house so she could get her things to head to the hospital. The police officer on the scene offered to take her to the hospital. I asked if she would like me to meet her there. She said she would like that.

I got to the hospital and stood by her in the ER bay as they stabilized him and arranged for helicopter transport to a larger hospital. I did my best to encourage her, reminding her that her husband was really strong, that he was taking some breaths on his own, that he now had a pulse. I was dying to say, “it’ll be okay,” “he’ll be fine,” or “he’ll pull through this,” but couldn’t because I didn’t know if that was true – no one did. I left shortly before they life-flighted him.

I got to be the hands of Jesus to her. It was a privilege. I was even a bit proud to know that in the situation, I knew what to do and I knew how to be a comfort. I did an important job and I did it well.

Wes received a phone call from his wife late in the evening. She said that the prognosis was not good, that there seemed to be brain damage, and that they were going to reassess his situation in 24 hours to determine whether or not they were going to continue with medical intervention. When Wes told me that news, I felt crushed. I felt so much responsibility. The “what if’s” ran through my mind…especially, what if I had started CPR without any hesitance, without any assessment. What if that minute would have saved his brain? Right away, God reminded me that he’s the sovereign one, that no one enters this life or leaves it without his allowance. Regardless, my heart is heavy. I’m begging God for a miracle.

In thinking about this, and talking to people, I realize that not all people know CPR. I know realize the importance of knowing it, committing it to memory and internalizing it, because, like it happened to me, it could happen to you.

Here are some simple instructions:
CPR - CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION

IT CAN BE AS EASY AS A- B- C:

A - AIRWAY
• Place victim flat on his/her back on a hard surface.
• Shake victim at the shoulders and shout "are you okay?"
• If no response, call emergency medical system -911 then,
• Head-tilt/chin-lift - open victims' airway by tilting their head back with one hand while lifting up their chin with your other hand.

B - BREATHING
• Position your cheek close to victims' nose and mouth, look toward victims' chest, and
• Look, listen, and feel for breathing (5-10 seconds)
• If not breathing, pinch victim's nose closed and give 2 full breaths into victim's mouth (use microshield).
• If breaths won't go in, reposition head and try again to give breaths. If still blocked, perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)

C - CIRCULATION
• Check for carotid pulse by feeling for 5-10 seconds at side of victims' neck.
• If there is a pulse but victim is not breathing, give Rescue breathing at rate of 1 breath every 5 seconds Or 12 breaths per minute
• If there is no pulse, begin chest compressions as follows:
• Place heel of one hand on lower part of victim's sternum. With your other hand directly on top of first hand, Depress sternum 1.5 to 2 inches.
• Perform 15 compressions to every 2 breaths. (rate: 80-100 per minute)
• Check for return of pulse every minute.

CONTINUE UNINTERRUPTED UNTIL ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE.

(http://www.spodek.com/Claims/CPR.htm)

This is Life

2007-10-31T11:53:00.000-06:00

Last night as I rocked Gwyneth before placing her in her crib, I watched her eyelids grow heavy and felt her body relax. Her little body no longer easily fits on my lap, but instead her growing legs overflow, dangling off of mine. She was so tired and needy of rest. I was praying a prayer of a thankful heart as I gazed at her. Who knew that a baby could fill the chest with such overwhelming warmth and gratitude? There is such a depth of connection between a parent and a child. Although a child brings a person to a new level of exhaustion, there is a love that is daily renewed to a point of overflowing if the time is taken to watch your child sleep.

On a note aside from the emotions of it all, Gwyneth is changing everyday. She seems so tiny (although percentage based, she’s not a small baby) to be making such strides. She doesn’t look like she should be saying “uh-oh” yet, or standing by a bookshelf pulling off all the books with gusto, or feeding herself chopped veggies (cooked of course) and bananas, tugging on our pant legs to ask for a hug, or veering away from something when we tell her “no” when she crawls toward something off limits. I look at her and think that she should still be sleeping endlessly in our arms, not yet in a constant state of motion. I hear that this state just gets more frenetic.

On Sunday, we got a walk behind toy for her that converts to a ride on toy. She’s shown that she’s not quite coordinated enough yet to walk behind it (not a surprise based on my lack of coordination). She instead keeps her feet planted and pushes it forward, which if not supervised with a supporting hand, she could potentially end up bashing her only two teeth right out of her mouth. That would definitely defeat the purpose of the new toy, as there would be no fun in that. So, we popped it into ride on toy mode and pushed her around on it. She was so proud of her new wheels and sat so tall with a gushing smile on her face. When we’re not available to push her around, she enjoys playing with the extra “spinnies” on her toy and tipping it over to spin the wheels. I think this new toy may provide just as much joy to her as it does to us. It’s fun.

Now, aside from Gwyneth, whom for the moment, our lives do at least partially revolve around hers, we have some other exciting news. My paperwork for British citizenship has gone through without a hitch. I am now ready to be sworn in as a British citizen (yes, I get to keep my US citizenship at the same time). On November 7th, at 10AM, I will be at the British Consulate in Chicago, pledging allegiance beyond just our Stars and Stripes, but to the Union Jack as well. This is a huge step forward in our plans to move to Northern Ireland. With my citizenship, Wes will be able to apply for a settlement visa, which will allow him to work in the UK and eventually apply for citizenship himself. I will also have a right to work in the UK without any problems, along with access to the socialized healthcare and even voting rights!

Our lives continue to move at “warp-speed.”

New Specs

2007-10-27T12:11:00.000-06:00

Mom, you wanted to see a picture of me in my new specs, so here it is. I took it quickly using my mac. cam, so it looks a bit like a photo booth picture, but it serves the purpose and now you know what my new glasses look like. Hopefully wearing a pair of glasses that I actually like will keep my eyes healthy by avoidinge abusive and excessive contact lense use.

Just Swingin'

2007-10-24T10:57:00.000-06:00

I've wanted to get this picture up for some time and was FINALLY able to get it formatted to upload onto the blog!

More Dells Pictures!

2007-10-15T19:29:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple more pictures that for some reason I've been having a hard time uploading. I did finally get them up. I think that Gwyneth with her moose hat is one of the cutest pictures ever taken of her! She knows how to ham it up for the camera, and will often times even stop mid-cry if we take out the camera and change her tune to giggles and smiles.

Gwyneth now has two pearly whites and after our 3 hour mid-night session of wailing, I think another one is moving into position and getting ready to pop through. Needless to say, when the alarm went off at 5:40 AM, none of us were ready to get up. Knowing that Gwyneth was going to fall apart all day long if we didn't let her catch up on the lost sleep, I called in at work and daycare to say we'd be running and hour and a half late. Gwyneth woke up all smiles, but she's got it easy and gets two solid naps daily. Wes and I both woke up feeling exhausted and under the weather. It's all worth it though, and through the process, Wes and I are learning quite a bit of patience!

Wisconsin Dells Adventure

2007-10-06T08:38:00.000-06:00

We recently got to meet up with my parents for a visit in the Wisconsin Dells. Although I grew up in Wisconsin, I had never been to The Dells when I was old enough to be filled with awe and wonder at the sites that would send just about any child into a frenzy. I had always wondered what I was missing and it turns out that I had missed out on the mecca of waterparks, tripperish pool sculptures and mini amusement parks. We were lucky enough to stay in a hotel with it's very own pool sculpture - a dragon that had water spouting out of its tail. Travelling with Gwyneth was exhausting, as always, but we enjoyed the company of family and Gwyneth got to spend some special time with Granny and Grandpa Williams.

No Dells trip is complete without a little tour on the Ducks!

Of course there was a bit of pool time!

A hike we took in a nearby glen. Guess who threw rocks at a hornet's next...don't worry Gwyneth and I watched from a very, very good distance.

Ever thought about a collie?

2007-09-21T13:06:00.000-06:00

That's a question we've been asking a lot of people recently. Wes and I have decided to pursue moving to Northern Ireland (we'll have to tell that story soon on our post) so that we can intern at the Belfast City Vineyard and eventually plant a church in Ireland (perhaps Cork or Sligo). There are just a couple hurdles to get over and then we will be free to leave. One of those hurdles is finding one loving home for our two collies that we are regretfully going to have to leave in the hands of another family. If you know of anyone that would benefit having two lovely dogs, please send them the following link from the Minnesota Wisconsin Collie Rescue:

http://www.mwcr.org/referral.htm

You just can't find better quality dogs than these!

Happy Family and Our Woodland Sprite

2007-09-10T21:34:00.001-06:00

Gwyneth's First Video

2007-09-04T18:41:00.000-06:00

Click here for Gwyneth's first video experience! She's laughing at mommy jumping and then decides at the very end to try some "jumping" herself!

Ireland! (You'll Notice a Lot of Green)

2007-09-01T13:58:00.001-06:00

Daybreak and the Duluth Intl Airport as we begin our journey to Ireland

An unsuccessful nap in Newark, NJ during a 10 hour layover

The lane which became the base for our travels in Belfast

Nightie-night Gwyneth. Settling into the night in Brandon

View #1 from our room in Brandon

View #2 from our room in Brandon

Our friendly accomodations in Brandon, which belongs to the parents of Karen Kelly (one of our fabulous hosts)

Horse in the pasture. We got to watch him from our window as well.

Daytrip to Kinsale with Karen's mom Daphne

For some reason, I found this photo particularly funny with the girl running from the fountain as if it's about to explode...

Tribute to the Kinsale mariners lost at sea.

I didn't know that John Deere manufactured sale boats!!???

Gwyneth's Irish souvenir - a rain cover for her stroller

Our world traveler...traveling.

Our fabulous host, chauffeurs, cultural experts, guides, and wonderful friends Shane (with arm in sling after shoulder surgery) and Karen at Karen's parent's house.

Daphne and Mervin - Karen's warm parents and hosts while in Brandon.

Gwyneth analyzing the fountain in Galway

Galway

This is Louise. I rode her outside of Galway. She was beautiful, but to be honest, she wasn't very friendly or cooperative.

Outside of Sligo. Probably the most beautiful countryside we saw in Ireland.

The cows escaped some poor farmer's pasture.

On our way to Giants Causeway

Three Strikes and You're Out!

2007-07-23T20:18:00.000-06:00

Wes and I came awfully close to reaching the third strike with our vehicles in one day...and it wasn't fun. My beloved first car unexpectedly (although that's usually how it works with these things) broke down when Wes was on his way to a job site. Now this car, a Ford Escort, has been a trooper for us. We've abused it over and over, and it keeps on running without much of a peep! I got it with 65,000 miles on it for a very good price ($3600) and it's now got 189,000 miles on it. There have been about two times when we've needed to have small repairs done on it, and then the regular maintenance, but it's never been costly. Once a car approaches 200K miles on it, it's inevitable that it's getting very close to the end. So, the car sputtered out on the side of the road. With limited options, Wes decided to pull our very, very old truck that we've used solely for hauling firewood out of the garage to pick up our car and tow it back to our trusty Two Harbors auto mechanics at Reliable Auto. Amazingly both the truck and the car made it there! I could hardly believe it, because our truck is, well, far from being reliable. Once are car was dropped off at the "car ER," Wes drove our rusty old truck toward home. He almost made it, except about 50 feet from our front porch, the back wheel fell off and rolled past Wes as he came to an abrupt stop. So in the end, a tow was inevitable and two vehicles ended up in the shop.

Here is a shot of the tower putting all his weight into jacking our truck up off the road. He had quite a time trying to figure out how to tow the truck without its back wheel.

A Counterfeit Wrap

2007-07-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

I've seen this wrap out there for carrying babies called the Moby. It's basically a long strip of fabric that is wrapped around the body in various ways to carry a baby in different ways. I've got a couple carriers already, so I just couldn't justify spending $30-$60 on another baby carrier, so I just admired them from afar.

Not long ago, I looked on the internet and found instructions to make something that works the same way, so I thought I'd share the love and pass it along. It's very simple really. Of course the manufactured ones are a bit more finished, but not any more useful.

All you need is 5-6 yards of jersey material that stretches in width, but not in length. What you purchase should be 60 inches wide. Then you cut it straight down the center and have two long pieces of fabric...one can be given away and one for keeping. You can overlock the edges or hem the up, but with jersey material, it's really not necessary. That's it. Instructions on wrapping yourself up with the baby can be found on the Moby Wrap website.

Here is a happy baby in the carrier...with a happy mama. Not only does Gwyneth seem content, but because of the way the wrap is positioned, it's really comfortable on the back and shoulders. In future, I plan to post a few more pictures of various holds.

Psst...one last thing...I only paid $5.50 for two wraps. The color wasn't exactly my favorite, but for a dollar a yard, color becomes a moot issue.

Wedding

2007-07-14T10:24:00.001-06:00

Wes and I were recently able to go to a wedding and Gwyneth was invited too. It was a beautiful wedding with lots of fun activities planned to keep guests entertained. Post-ceremony, we boarded a train for a ride to the edge of the city, then we were dropped off along a walking path and walked to the reception tent down to Canal Park while accompanied by a festive group playing Danish walking tunes. It's not often Wes and I have an occasion to get spiffied up, so we decided to document the occasion. Here are a few photos from that.

(note: "spiffied up" in Northern Minnesota is casual to the rest of the country. You should see our "casual" - we all look like we came off the trail from hiking...just without the grime.)

Kai Lynn - who did a bang-up job putting a fussy baby to sleep and then giving me a friendly hand keeping her content when awake. By the picture, you can tell she did a wonderful job!

Out of Five and Into Six

2007-07-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

Gwyneth is officially a half year old! Everyone says that you blink and then it's gone in reference to children growing, and I believe it! I'm not sure what exactly is the cause of this feeling of being perpetually fast-forwarded, but it does indeed occur.

I chose a few photos from the last month where Gwyneth has been practicing all sorts of new-found expressions. She's also learned how to move - a lot, so from here on out, I'm sure our blog will be filled with lots of blurry photos, starting with a couple below.

A Freecycling Baby

2007-06-24T15:26:00.001-06:00

Gwyneth just learned all about the benefits of freecycle.org. This is an online group that has "chapters" in areas around the country. We're lucky enough to have one in ours. The concept of freecycle is to give away the things that aren't needed to those who do, or get the things needed that others don't. In the United States we all know that we have closets full of stuff that we never use, and never will use again, but don't have the gumption to take it somewhere or do something about it, so in our closets sits stuff. Well, Gwyneth just benefited big time by receiving something that someone no longer needs, and something that we could use a lot - an exersaucer. Not just any exersaucer, but a really, REALLY nice one, and it was all for free! So thanks to someone else's generousity, Gwyneth is now having a blast in her new "play center" as I write this blog in peace, with the occasional squawks of delight (hers, not mine, although I've done my squawking to lots of people I know could benefit from joining freecycle.) When we're done with it, guess what, we're going to pass it along - freecycle style.

To Keep You Hooked

2007-06-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

I know the real reason that people check this blog is really for the pictures of Gwyneth, not for my ramblings, so I'd better put some up just to keep you hooked. These are from our trip to Morton, IL over Memorial Day weekend so that Gwyneth could meet a few more members of the family.

Gwyneth in her substitute bathtub

Gwyneth with Grandpa Williams

Auntie Charlotte loves Gwynnie
And Uncle Lewis too..

Déjà vu?

2007-06-22T12:50:00.000-06:00

I feel like a pretty innocent person. Or maybe I should make that, “I felt like a pretty innocent person.” That was all until I got pulled over by a police office twice within less that 24 hours. As a busy mom (and speaking for my counterpart – dad), who has time to change a burned out headlight on the car? Yes, we intended to get to it, but changing a poopy diapers for some reason always seemed a little bit more important than changing out a headlight…that, and the deer don’t care if you have one headlight or two, they’ll still run into oncoming traffic.

So, it’s been a couple months, or maybe even more like a few months that we’ve had a burned out headlight (okay and one burned out tail light too). So, the inevitable had to happen eventually. I got pulled over at about 9:45 at night, after a church event, with baby asleep in the back seat a couple miles from home. The police offer was young, and plenty friendly and just let me drive away with a verbal warning and a little bit of guilt for not taking care of the light earlier. Well, about 23.75 hours later, repeat. I’m driving home after another church event with baby asleep in the back seat a couple miles from home, and in almost the same location a police car heading the opposite way turns around, puts the lights on and pulls me over. Well, up walks the policeman and lo and behold it’s the same one! Now I like police officers, I believe that for the most part they’re a pretty good crew, and they keep me and my family safe, and they have a lot of patience for people with burned out headlights, but twice in 24 hrs? I have to admit that he looked like he felt as sheepish as I did when he realized that it was me…again. Perhaps it’s a good sign when all the police officers in Two Harbors have to do is pull unlawful people like me over for burnt out headlights, because it would indicate that there isn’t a whole lot of bad stuff going on in the neighborhood. Anyway, if you’re a Two Harbors police officer reading this and you see a beige ’99 Toyota Camry driving down the road with a burnt out headlight, no need to pull me over again, I’m just on my way to getting it fixed.

Post note: Although driving around with a burnt out headlight isn't really something to be encouraged. I’m sure I’ve provided people with endless hours of the game padiddle.

MN Nice

2007-06-15T13:37:00.000-06:00

It wasn’t that long ago that I was dining in a Duluth food establishment with a friend and Gwyneth in tow, and the unexpected occurred. Right as our food arrived, a lady at the neighboring table piped up and said that Gwyneth was a beautiful baby and she would be happy to lend a hand by holding her while my friend and I ate. She looked trustworthy, was part of a happy, well-kept family, didn’t appear to be diseased, was within arm’s reach and wasn’t near an exit, so I figured it was fine. It was, and I was easily able to eat my food in peace while Gwyneth reclined in the arms of a stranger with not a care in the world.

Not too long after, I was talking to my sister in New York, and she said that NO ONE in New York would dare offer a hand, nor would a parent hand their child over to a stranger, EVER. (Of course, every situation would need to be carefully evaluated to keep the adorable babies out of the hands of snatchers.) Sure, that maybe would never happen in New York, but this is Minnesota, where the people are nice…well, sometimes.

Shortly after talking to my sister, Wes took me and Gwyneth out for dinner on Mother’s Day. Guess what, there was another nice lady (who I’m sure was not willing to risk being tackled by Wes lest the idea of taking a sweet, innocent, adorable baby every cross her mind) that offered the same services while we ate. How bizarre. Everyone loves Gwyneth, but that’s no surprise.

At Least Some Photos!

2007-05-20T19:37:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking for a very long time of how I have so much to put up on the blog, but have just not had enough time. I'm sure you've all heard the cliche along the lines of "the world is spinning so fast and I just want to get off." Well, to a certain extent that is how I feel, except for the getting off part, I'd just like to apply the breaks to the world.

As I'm sure you've all been guessing, Gwyneth continues to grow and a little personality is really beginning to show. I think we've got a strong-willed baby on our hands that desires constant interaction with people and objects. It's fun when she's learning to interact with the world...until it's time for nap or bed and she wails to inform us that she wasn't finished yet.

Gwyneth has discovered fun in the "Johnny Jump-Up" as pictured below. One picture is a bit blurry, but it's hard to get a clear picture, when, well, the kiddo is busy jumping!

Some wonderful folks at the Vineyard had a belated shower for us! They contributed to a jog stroller fund, which was almost instantly used. I bid on one on eBay last night and won the auction this afternoon. Pretty soon a Dreamer Design stroller (upper echelon of the jog stroller world) will be on it's way. The great thing is that the stroller was a floor model, so it's practically unused and was $200 less than what it would have been originally. It's called the Verve. Now there are no excuses for not toning up those legs (mine, not Gwyneth's, although her probably have more heft to them). Anyway, back to the shower, it was a wonderful, relaxed co-ed shower revolving around good food and conversation, which Gwyneth eventually decided she was tired of (see below). At least she got dressed up for the thing; the lady of the hour put on a dress for the very first time.

And for a couple more cute photographs, here are a couple from tonight at bath time. I never noticed how the light over the tub casts such a yellow hue, so don't worry, she's not jaundiced, nor is our bathroom. Some of Gwyneth's happiest moments are in the bath.

I had to post this very last picture, because when I saw it, it instantly reminded me of a photograph that I saw of my mom when she was a little girl, not the composition, but the expression on Gwyneth's face. I think she's following the roots back and the UK influences from both sides of the family are showing through in her appearance.

A First for Everything

2007-05-15T13:20:00.000-06:00

In becoming a parent, there are a lot of firsts…the first time you get to meet the baby, the first time you bath the baby, the first time you feed the baby, etc. This weekend was an extra special first. It was my first Mother’s Day.

I never really appreciated Mother’s Day before, because it was for moms and not a holiday for me…AND by default, because it wasn’t a holiday for me, I wasn’t a mom and since I wasn’t a mom, I really had NO idea as to all the love, patience, energy, sacrifice (the list goes on) that goes into being a mom, hence there was no appreciation for the role.

Now I appreciate it because it is a holiday for moms and I now realize how much it took generations of mothers to get to me. It’s been a lot of hard work, no doubt! A lot of that toil I never understood until I had a baby entrusted to my care. So to all of my foremothers, thank you, I think you did a pretty good job.

In a narcissistic sense I do have to admit that I do like that there is another holiday for me. This one is when my skills, care and nurturing that go into my mothering of Gwyneth get noticed by others, and even by some, admired. It’s not just good for that either, it’s apparently also a “ticket” to go out to eat at the restaurant of my choice in my honor. I’ll take it.

Sky in the Eyes

2007-05-02T18:25:00.000-06:00

Gwyneth and I just got back from taking the dogs for a walk along the shore. There was a chill in the wind that flushed our cheeks, but just getting out was a refreshing stretch of the legs. When we got back, I couldn't help take some pictures of rosy little Gwyneth, with the reflection of the sky sparkling in her eyes. Enjoy.

Strangely Familiar

2007-05-01T19:48:00.000-06:00

It's odd to look in the face and observe the actions of your child and see people you know all "mosaically" combined into one tiny little body. It makes me think of those little capsules I got when I was a child, that were stuffed with dried out sponges in cut into random mystery animal shapes. I would drop them into a warm bathtub anticipating the results, and slowly, the capsules would dissolve and the sponges would absorb water and take the form of a familiar animal, although obviously, since it was a sponge, looking a bit different. Gwyneth is like those "magic" capsules, albeit better - way better. She started out an almost blank slate, and as she grows, she takes on form, partly her own and partly those of others - her papa's smile and auburn hair, her mama's big forehead and funny feet, her granny's and great-grandpa's left-handedness (we're pretty sure about that one), her grandpas' relaxed, easy-going spirits, the determination of her uncle, the sweetness of her aunties...and I'm sure characteristics of generations past that I wouldn't be able to recognize. She's very obviously her own person, but in a sense, it's all strangely familiar.

At Least Some Pictures

2007-04-29T17:01:00.000-06:00

Well we've been so busy, but we figured we'd at least post some pictures.

Little Green Lovey

2007-04-17T20:06:00.000-06:00

Something this cute is hard to come by, and I'm not talking about Gwyneth, although she fits the description as well. These are the prized clothing possesions in Gwyneth's closet- the sweater and hat knit by Granny. Lots of grannies knit sweaters and hats, but with all honesty they usually look like something that a granny would want to wear, not a little baby. This is something that a baby would definitely want to wear..if it could communicate it clearly...and perhaps it's even something her granny would want to wear as well, I know I would.

Tongue Sucker - Gwyneth prefers to suck on her tongue while she sleeps. At least she can't lose it like the Nuk.

Easter

2007-04-08T17:30:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter from our new little bunny...as well as from the rest of us.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter...although we weren't with extended family, we're a whole family in ourselves, so it was good anyway.

And Little G. Was Born

2007-04-04T08:47:00.001-06:00

I faintly recall that I did at one point write in this blog that I would eventually post Gwyneth’s birth story. So I figure, I should keep my word and do that!

I often think about Gwyneth’s birth, almost with a longing of wanting to experience it all over again…strange I know, and yes, it did hurt, a lot, in a way I could never have been prepared for. It was so surreal, and now almost feels like it never ever happened! Anyway, to the meat of the story.

It seemed to me like I should just have some sort of instinctive sense that the birth of my baby was near. I found it hard to believe that I wouldn’t have some inkling that a day or two…or even hour or two before labor I would become aware that the baby was soon going to be in my arms. Because this “feeling” never occurred, you can imagine that as January 3rd was approaching I was quickly becoming frustrated, sure that the baby would NEVER come out, regardless as to how many times I told it that it was evicted.

On January 2nd, my mom arrived from out of town for some baby time, but there was no baby to have time with! She was sure that because of the full moon and the sheer size of my torpedo shaped belly I would have the baby the next day. After an uneventful evening of catching up on the news and opening belated Christmas presents, we got ready for bed.

Right as I got into bed, I had a few series of contractions about 10 minutes apart. I’ve had those contractions before and when they first began in the end of December, every handful I experienced I got hopeful that it could be it and they’d tucker out. By this time, I skipped the hopeful part and just accepted that these couldn’t be the contractions that would lead to me meeting the baby. I told Wes about them and he jokingly began to time them, and then out flipped the lights, heads on the pillows.

But the contractions kept coming for a while every 10 minutes. I decided to try and sleep, knowing that they would soon putter away. Well, they didn’t. At ll:30PM, I was beginning to think maybe it was it, but continued to stay in bed, decidedly to rest. By 1:20AM, I thought it was odd that they were still there. I had heard and read that changes in position, drinking water, getting up to walk around sometimes would get false labor to settle down, so up I got. I had a glass of water and walked around downstairs a bit, but they kept on coming. Being sort of a geek, I got on the computer and started an Excel spreadsheet so that I could enter in the time a contraction started and when it stopped and it would calculate to the second how long it lasted. I labored much of the night walking through the contractions and then sitting at the computer and entering in times and researching on the internet how to tell real labor from false labor. None of the information could tell me for sure that I was in labor.

About 5:30 in the morning, after contractions had become more than just mildly painful, I decided that this was probably the real deal and to wake up my sleeping sick husband to tell him he should start thinking about getting ready to go. In his half-asleep state, he didn’t really get it for a minute or two what I was trying to tell him, which of course confused me when I didn’t get much of a reaction. Then it finally dawned on him, I meant go to the hospital, go to the hospital to have a baby, our baby.

I wasn’t in much of a hurry, because it didn’t hurt too, too badly. I took a Tylenol and that seemed to help take off the edge. We left the house about 7AM and headed to the hospital. Of course all the roads seemed more bumpy than they had been before. As we were nearing the hospital, I thought my contractions were going away and I was sure that once they checked me, they’d send me back home.

We got to the hospital and they checked me in and shortly after my doctor arrived and checked me. I was 3cm dilated, I hit the magic number and I could stay. To this point I was able to handle the pain with coolness, not minding the cramps too much, but that all changed pretty quickly after the doctor broke my water (which is an interesting and alarming feeling in itself). The cramps turned from something that I could mostly handle to excruciating (feels like the belly is going to split open and the back break into pieces) and this is when the concept of time went out the window and the morning blurred into afternoon.

I wanted to birth without pain medication, so the nurse suggested that I step into a warm shower and see if that helped me through the pain. It didn’t. While in the shower, I made the decision for pain medication, wondering how I was even going to get from the shower to the hospital bed just to get it. I chose Stadol, a narcotic that helps control the pain by getting a mom totally dopey. Stadol is an IV drug. That’s fine and dandy when they can get an IV placed. My body was so stressed with the pain that all my veins had constricted, making it difficult on the nurses to place an IV. After blowing a few veins, they were able to place one on the sixth try. The many painful pokes of the IV needles was actually a welcome distraction from the contractions. Once the Stadol drip was going I was able to relax between contractions, but each contraction was just as difficult to work through. Once the contractions were coming about a minute apart and the Stadol was no longer able to get me restfully relaxed in between contractions, and I decided that I wanted and epidural and fast.

Had the anesthesiologist been in a surgery, or otherwise held up, I probably would have been too far dilated to get an epidural, but he was able to come in time. They say that you’re not supposed to move when getting an epidural to avoid spinal damage. The thought of being in writhing pain and required not to writhe is hard to accept, but knowing that function of the lower back and legs were potentially at risk, I got myself focused. Wes watched the whole thing as I was sitting on the bed with my arms clutching him so that I wouldn’t move when contractions struck. (According to Wes, the epidural is an interesting procedure to watch…the hugely long and wide gauged needle going into my spine.) Once the line for the drip was thread through the needle (that’s how wide it is!!!), the anesthesiologist gave me a fix. It was wonderful. A feeling of warmth quickly spread from my lower back to my toes; it was like stepping into a bath. I went from feeling like I was going to split in half to conversational. Wes and I even took in a bit of Cesar’s dog training tips on the Discovery Channel in the midst of heavy labor.

After a bit of time (an hour, hour and a half, two?) I started to feel my contractions again. They weren’t really painful, but it was a feeling of pressure. I figured they must just be getting really strong, glad that I had the epidural. It wasn’t long before the doctor came in to check me and lo and behold told me right away that I was at 10cm and ready to push! I was shocked! My baby was going to come out! It really was!

Doctor got changed out of her dress and into scrubs and the on call doctor was there as well. They said to push when I thought I was having a contraction…in the meantime they all had a jolly conversation with Wes, leaving me to try and guess if the pressure I was feeling was a contraction, and asking if I should start pushing again. Then they’d remember for a little bit that I was having a baby and count me through the push before they resumed the conversation. Oddly enough I didn’t really care that much, I was just concentrating on getting the baby out. The only time when they concentrated as much as I did was when the baby’s heartbeat dropped and I saw concern in the doctor’s faces. They watched the monitor for about a minute and then the heartbeat went back up, and all was fine. As the baby began to crown I felt pain. I knew that without an epidural, I would have quit then and there, the baby just on the verge of arrival. Focused on getting it out, I just kept pushing, and there was the head. The doctor told me to stop pushing for a moment, told me the baby had hair as she adjusted the baby and then I gave one last push and out came the rest of the body. I was told it was a girl and she was placed on my belly as they dried her off. I was shocked that there was my baby…the one I never expected to actually come out! It was dumbfounding, and there are no words to describe the emotion!

It was not until the baby was weighed and checked over that we gave her the name Gwyneth Noelle and I got all the gory details. The epidural needle was INCHES long, and a great bit of that went into my back, the baby’s heartbeat dropped because the cord was wrapped around Gwyneth’s neck, there was lots of blood, etc. Birth may not be pretty, but it is truly amazing and miraculous!

The result: another set of footprints to leave their impression on this earth - we pray a good one.

Diapers, Diapers, Everywhere!

2007-03-29T10:43:00.000-06:00

It’s not often that I’m at a loss for words. I want to add a post to the blog, but don’t aim to ramble simply to fill a page. Often throughout the day, I think, “Oh, I should write about this in the blog.” Unfortunately I seem to have a problem with my memory and forget the majority of my good ideas. When a baby enters the picture, the background turns into a white noise of sorts…and to that background flit those thoughts.

There is one thing that I have been wanting to write about for some time. It may seem silly, but I have become passionate about cloth diapers. Those that have lived in the days of old with those square cloths that have now become dust rags, and those of today who generally consider using cloth diapers the most antiquated practice ever would probably see me as a little crazy for saying that I’m “passionate” about cloth. Crazy or not, that’s how I feel.

What’s so great about cloth? Thank you for asking. Well, it’s good for everyone! It is estimated that for each year a child is in disposable diapers, there is one ton of disposable diaper garbage that is put into a landfill? That’s a lot of garbage! There is also a lot of speculation that disposable diapers may be linked to allergies and that the dioxins in disposable diapers may be linked to certain cancers (like a million other things we daily expose ourselves to, but still, why add one more). So we’ve covered why disposables should be avoided for environmental and health concerns, but there is also the pocket book that most people need to be careful with. We will probably spend about $500 on cloth diapers through the entire diapering life with Gwyneth, vs the $2000+ of disposables! For that reason alone, it’d convince us!

I’ve heard all the excuses as to why people don’t like cloth, but cloth has come a long way. The first top reason is that they are a pain to wash. Believe it or not, I spend about 5 minutes every other day tending to diaper washing. Send them through a rinse and spin on cold, send through a regular wash and then pop them all in the dryer. The second explanation I’ve heard from people is that it causes diaper rash. Well, we’ve tested the theory and Gwyneth doesn’t get diaper rash and more in disposables than in cloth. She was in disposables until her umbilical cord fell off and believe it or not, that was when her bottom got really raw. I’ve also heard that daycares won’t deal with them…guess what each daycare I looked at was open to using them. The list goes on and we’ve found that disposables aren’t really better, or even more convenient...especially when considering how often we've had disposable leaks and blowouts.

Yes, we do use the occasional disposable. I’m not THAT die hard, but really, why are we using so many disposable diapers? I personally want an earth that my little Gwyneth can enjoy as she gets older…one that’s filled with dirt and rock and molten lava…not one that has a core consisting entirely of our old, stinky diapers.

Here is a fabulous diaper that we use. We love it for daycare, but when at home, we use the never fail cloth squares placed in a diaper cover.

It's Begun!

2007-03-24T12:17:00.000-06:00

Our house is for sale! You want to buy it???

It's begun, the process of selling our house! This morning the realtor came to do a walk-through and left us with a positive feeling that our house will sell, and it will sell for a decent amount. There is a lot of work to be done though before that first open house...paint, paint, paint, and Wes will be making rounds with his power tools. The majority of the house, however, is good to go! In the meantime, it's on the market, waiting for that perfect family, who hopefully shows up soon with a lot of cash!

Where will we go? Well, Duluth of course! We can't wait to be close to our friends and church...and a half hour closer to family. When we move, between the three of us, we will gain about a total of 5 hrs of time on a DAILY basis to be together, get things done, play, etc. I have a feeling our dogs will be more content with that extra time we'll have with them as well.

We've taken some bang up pictures of Gwyneth. I know that most parents think this about their kids, but we've got the best one out there! She's a little dolly - happy, healthy, cute, and on and on...

Here are a few of the best:

Papi! You're Scratching Me!

Relaxed Curiosity

Lance Looking For Handouts Already

Cuddles With Mommy

General Updates

2007-03-18T13:34:00.000-06:00

This weekend has gone quickly. It was just Friday and I was about to leave work to pick Gwyneth up from the sitters, and now it’s Sunday afternoon and I’m working on finishing up the long to-do list of chores. I have a feeling that every Sunday is going to be a difficult day of transitioning my mindset so that I can give my little girl away to someone else during work and accepting the difficult responsibilities of juggling work, family and the rest of life. It’s hard.

This past week lent quite a surprise to us. The person who was sitting for Gwyneth did an honorable thing, although a scary thing that left us in a predicament. She admitted that she just can’t offer Gwyneth the quality of care that she deserves, and feels she should be with someone who can. We want Gwyneth to have the best care that we can arrange for her while we’re not able to be with her, so we quickly found a new place for Gwyneth…a good place, a better place. It’s not as convenient, but I’m learning that children and the people and things that you love are never that way.

Gwyneth will be taken care of in a Christian daycare that has an educational curriculum that will help prepare her for kindergarten…or maybe someday the door will open up for me to stay home with the little chiquita. Whatever the future holds, for now, she will be well-cared for.

As life flies by Gwyneth flourishes. She’s starting to laugh – or perhaps it’s more of a squeal. Her smiling and states of awareness last longer each day. She’s a general delight! She’s found her hands and is constantly putting them in her mouth and sucking on them, or batting at something with them. It’s adorable, but leaves her hands damp and sticky by the end of the day. It’s already time to teach her the importance of hand washing!

Oh, and I discovered another thing this past week. Those wet wipes used for cleaning her bum are wonderful for dusting and wiping! Because we use cloth diapers, we don’t like to sort out the dirty wipes from the diapers, so I load them all into the wash, and have been just throwing them out once they’re clean…that is until just recently. Cleaned and dried, they’re great for dusting, or wetted, great for cleaning up messes (other than the ones under a diaper wrap). I don’t feel guilty about using disposable wipes when I can use them a few times over.

Terror and Triumph

2007-03-11T16:14:00.000-06:00

One wouldn't think that the two words terror and triumph would go together. This morning, they did. Gwyneth set her record for longest uniterrupted sleep. Eight hours (with daylight savings, a false nine)! She slept for so long that when I woke up and realized that it was light outside and saw that the clock read 7 AM, I panicked. I expected to see a cold, blue baby in the crib. I said a quick little prayer ("Dear God, please let Gwyneth be alive".) and dashed into her bedroom. I found a quietly stirring sleeping baby. As soon as my worry was gone, I was elated. I didn't think that Gwyneth would try to sleep through the night at 9 weeks. It was probably just a fluke, but I know she can do it, and it gives me lots of hope for the weeks ahead. However, when she does sleep though the night consistently, I think part of me will miss those quiet middle of the night feedings, where it's just me and her, both groggyily doing our jobs.

Back Into the Swing

2007-03-10T13:36:00.000-06:00

We're back into the swing of things - sort of. I'm back at work, Wes is busy as usual and well, now we're figuring out how to manage it all with a baby that we're dying to spend such limited time with.

Being back to work has been tough. I get up at 5:45 AM and then go strong until 9:30 PM with little recess. I'm needing stamina and endurance and I am given just enough to make it through each day. This week I survived, more than survived! I was actually dumbfounded that I made it through. I'm not exactly sure what I thought would happen - the Apocalypse perhaps. The world, however kept on spinning, and my feet stayed grounded. I don't believe that I would have made it without God's help and the prayers that people "sent up."

Even though being back at work is difficult, I'm trying to find the silver linings of it. So far I haven't had to look too far. The best of the silver linings is that when I'm with Gwyneth, I am more able to enjoy every moment of it, even if she's wailing. I can't wait to get off of work and pick her up so that I can smother her with hugs, kisses, and "I love you's." When I spent all day long with her, meeting her every need could sometimes feel more like a job than a joy. With my eight hour break, it's become a joy.

Today has been a fun Saturday of observing Gwyneth. She's learning that she can do things with her hands. She noisly sucks on them to pacify herself and she'll use them to interact with toys (although still working on the gripping - unless it's my hair). This is fun development to watch. It happens so quickly! She's also been gal smiley. I sat her up in one of our easy chairs while I swept the room and she was so quick to smile when I would turn to look at her or say something. Sweet child.

One thing that that's been troublesome is that on Wednesday and Thursday ishe got into crying spells (that lasted up to a half hour) while she was at the sitters and the sitter couldn't get her to stop. When I was at home, the same thing would happen to me and it seemed to be a gas/digestive issue. Please pray that Gwyneth's gut would mature and that the sitter would be filled with patience and love during these times. Thanks!

Saturday Morning Memories

2007-02-25T22:28:00.000-06:00

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I was part of some special Saturday morning moments. As youngsters, my brother and sister and I would wake up on Saturday mornings and knock on my parents' bedroom door. They'd usually be up and reading the paper or a book and we'd crawl into bed with them and goof around...eventually the dog would be invited on the bed as well. When I was really little and had this Saturday morning time, Mom would do things like cut my fingernails. I'd also beg for a back scratch. My sister would play with and braid my hair. There was even the time when my sister and I had just been treated for nits and Mom would have the pleasure of "cleaning" our hair. I'm sure it was a yucky job, but to me it a head massage that almost made the nits worth it. All in all, we just had fun and enjoyed each other's company. Usually in the middle of it, after some begging, Dad would steal away and make pancakes from scratch, and of course in special shapes and letters.

Now it's Wes' and my turn to create Saturday morning memories and keep a tradition. This weekend we got to cozy up in bed with the snow blustering outside. All five of us (two adults, one baby, and two dogs) cuddling, just having fun, doing everything we could to steal smiles from Gwyneth. Wes even snuck away to make pancakes from my dad's recipe. Only in retrospect did I realize that we're walking in a tradition. We like that it's our turn.

Final Moments

2007-02-22T10:58:00.000-06:00

These last days together fill me with dread. I know. I say it as if we'll never be together again, but that's exactly what it feels like. Gwyneth will soon be starting daycare. I start work February 28th. I always expected the end of this time to be difficult, but I didn't think that the tears would start before that dreaded first day drop off at daycare. It doesn't seem fair. It makes me want to live in a European country that respects the mother and child's need to be together for practically boundless days. I work in a country where paid maternity leave is an unknown concept to most employers, forcing many moms to return to work before they're ready. I'm now facing that certain doom - that doom of being in an office for 40 hrs each week when all I long to do is be with my baby loving and teaching her and taking care of her in a way that no one else can. At least least I have a good job, which although I am extremely grateful, is little consolation.

Another difficult matter is that we still haven't determined where Gwyneth will go to daycare. We're looking at places near to my work so that I can spend my lunch hour with her which is hugely important to me. Today we're interviewing a person who does daycare that is a few blocks from where I work - in the summer, we could even go for walks together on my lunch break. If such an arrangement could be made, it would soften the blow. Regardless though, I'm in for losing sleep over it.

This weekend my plan is to eek out as much fun as we can together as a family, so that when Wednesday comes I can have good memories to carry me through the workday and until the next weekend when we can make more.

I guess this post is done - Gwyneth is crying. I'm going to go enjoy it...as well as the dirty diapers and the getting up in the middle of the night and... Every moment now is to be treasured, but still, this is how we feel about the whole thing:

I'll post new pictures soon...

Life Lessons

2007-02-13T16:22:00.000-06:00

We're learning here.

God often teaches us with pictures and parables. For us, Gwyneth is a picture.

It seems that as we grow in life, evidence of God in our lives also grows if we're willing to observe it. It also seems that the understanding of God's character also grows with our experience. Marriage has been a great picture of God's character, how he loves us, and through it, both Wes and I have grown closer to God. Now we've got Gwyneth and we're getting an even better, clearer picture of God and his love for us, and I think that's partly why God creates and gives us children.

We look and Gwyneth and observe her chubby little hands with long fingers and her feet with tiny toes that look like there are little peas attached to the ends of each of them. Then there is her beautiful face with delicate features, large round eyes that observe and study everything, a button nose with a little ski jump at the tip, a rosebud mouth that occasionally curves into a sweet smile. She is wonderfully made, and we love her. What is funny is we don't love her for the way she looks (although it certainly is a perk to parenthood) and as far as functioning, she, like all other 6 week olds is not able to interact much with us. She can't give us anything, except her poop, pee, hunger, cries, and to us a lack of sleep, but we still love her like we've never loved anything else and it doesn't make any sense.

I think that when God looks at us, he looks at us the same way we look at Gwyneth - with love, an inexplicable love. Only his love is infinitely deeper for us. We can't give God a whole lot, and when we give him something, it's usually not good, it's often trouble (like Gwyneth's endless dirty diapers, wails, and needs for milk, time and sleep). But even with all the trouble we give him, I think he still looks at us and marvels at his children, and he longs to be close to us, the way I long to smother Gwyneth with kisses every time I look at her - even when she's giving us trouble.

This is a beautiful picture.

Dream Weaver

2007-02-10T10:39:00.000-06:00

I know that the traditional dream weaver looks something like this:

This however is what a dream weaver looks like in the Patterson house:

This is the cadillac of all dream weavers and last night, it allowed all of us deep dreams. Last night Gwyneth slept so well that Lesley had to check on her at 3AM and make sure she was okay, because she went in the swing shortly after 10PM and never made a peep since. Breath was coming out of her nose, but in the process being checked, she stirred a bit, so Lesley decided to change and feed her. Then she went back into the swing after she refused to easily be put down in her crib, but then didn't wake up until 8AM. GOOD MORNING!

It worked so well, we are now faced with a dilemma. Do we make ourselves stay up with her, rocking, bouncing and patting her for up to an hour to put her to sleep, or do we allow a machine to do it for us and let her sleep in it for the rest of the night? Is Gwyneth already at the age where she can become dependent upon a swing? Who knows. Tonight we'll try feeding her, immediately putting her in the swing and when sweet sleep rests upon her, we'll gently try a transfer to the crib and see what happens.

They should make these things for adults and perhaps we'd all be instantly de-stressed and sleeping well. I'd bet it could work as well as Lunesta (or other sleep medications) with none of the side effects.

Eating the Alphabet

2007-02-07T16:07:00.000-06:00

She already loves reading books - well maybe just looking at the pictures while papa reads them!

Rude Noises and Other News

2007-02-05T16:48:00.000-06:00

You know your life has changed when you get excited about "rude noises." Gwyneth has entered the world of gas and after a very long night and day of constant crying, I ran to the drug store to get some drops to help her pass that gas. It worked instantly and she belched like an adult with no manners. Every burp and toot is a small victory and Gwyneth is showered with praise, clapping and smiles. Although rude, I know that those passings of gas will give me a longer night and a day filled with moderate amounts of peace. Life sure is different.

Gwyneth had her one month pediatric appointment this afternoon and she continues to make progress. She's grown to 10 lbs and 1 oz and a hair under 22" - that's an increase of 1 lb 13 oz and about 2" in one month. The doctor said that she looks great!

Four Weeks Already!

2007-01-31T16:04:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it! It's been four weeks already. If we can make it this far, I'm thinking we can make it the rest of the way through parenthood. I'm sure that there are lots of challenges ahead of us, but our baby has survived our inexperience and even seems to be thriving! We are also growing in our new roles and parenthood is better than I could have ever imagined and the extent of love felt for this little bean is immeasurable!

Although parenthood is phenomenal, I find myself wishing I could turn back the clock so I could experience pregnancy again....even the magic and mystery of labor and delivery and those first moments of glory after Gwyneth was born. I never thought that I would reminisce so much over pregnancy, or even more surprising, my hospital stay. That whole experience filled me with awe and wonder! How cool is it to bring life into this world?!

Gwyneth seems to be getting on a schedule and we're relieved to know a bit more of what to expect of life with her, now that she's on one. Nights have been survivable. She usually has a middle of the night wake up at 2:30 and an early morning wake up at 6:30. I can handle that! The only thing that is difficult is putting her back to bed after her 2:30 feeding - her eyes are generally as wide as an owl's at that time. Luckily after her 6:30 feeding she seems to be able to nurse herself to sleep, to my relief.

Well, now that Gwyneth has made it to her one month mark, I'd better post a couple one month pictures - I don't think she can get any cuter than this!

SO BIG! SO STRONG!

2007-01-23T18:04:00.000-06:00

The little cookie already likes to brandish her biceps!

On Becoming "Baby Wise"

2007-01-22T13:25:00.000-06:00

There was a time, right around when Wes and I were married that I told Wes that I needed, "at least 9 hours of sleep just to function." Although Wes never said anything about my comment initially, he has since poked fun at me calling me a princess. Looking back, 9 straight hours of sleep seems like an utter luxury. What does that even feel like? I thought the middle of the night ups and downs in pregnancy was preparing me for this lack of sleep that I'm going through right now. I'm discovering nothing can prepare a person for this - well maybe Navy Seals training, I hear they have it much worse.

Gywneth, although she's not the world's worst sleeper, is becoming more and more difficult to work with at night. The wide awake owl eyes at 1AM are cute, for about 5 seconds. She's also decided that she'll only sleep if she's nursed to sleep and then will only stay sleeping if she's incessantly rocked and bounched, which isn't only a bad habit, but it's not that fun for mom or dad. The worst is waking up to the day crying because I'm so tired. So, Wes and I have decided to call in the big guns and get her scheduled and today is the day we start, and so far the break in period is breaking us down. Our little girl is learning how to nurse, play and sleep on a schedule and the hardest part is the sleep. She can be asleep in our arms, a bomb could go off, and she'd never wake, but the moment she's put down in her crib, she's screaming. There's no faking this little one out - we've even tried fooling her by putting her down with a warm hot water bottle to simulate our body warmth. She's apparently smarter than that, and still wakes.

Hopefully in the next couple days, Gwyneth will have learned the following:
There is no such thing as "on demand."
Falling asleep on one's own is a good thing!
Nursing on a schedule is fun!
Nothing is better for everyone than a good night's sleep!
Who needs rocking?
Mom has other things to do than be breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack.
Moving out into her own room is a good move.

Maybe once that all happens, there might be a picture of us all together - smiling.

Bragging Rights

2007-01-11T13:48:00.000-06:00

Little Gwyneth is the apple of our eyes! She's just amazing and if we had the time, we could spend all day long studying her little parts. Not only is she just beautiful (to us of course the most beautiful baby that has ever graced this world), but she truly is a wonderful baby - so far.

Gwyneth is working on sleeping through the night already, and if her momma would let her, she probably would. The doctors and nurses said that new babies need to eat every 2-3 hours when they're newborn, so she gets woken up throughout the night...but when her momma accidentally oversleeps, she just keeps on going without fussing. When she is awoken, she patiently waits to be fed, and then goes to town. She hardly cries, and is content when she's awake and alert. She's a happy baby. Who knows then this may change, or if it will, but for now, we're certainly enjoying her relaxed personality.

We think she's physically advanced too. She's already lifting her head for short periods of time to look around at the world (she started doing this the day after she was born). She's got the nursing down pat (faster learner than mom); they say that it generally takes a baby 2 weeks to get back to their birth weight, but it just took Gwyneth a mere 5 days. Along with the nursing, she's got the processing of the milk down too with the standard dirty/wet diapers.

Here's a picture of sweet Gwyneth cozied up in one of her favorite blankets - one knit by her granny.

Gwyneth Noelle Patterson

2007-01-06T20:55:00.000-06:00

Born January 3rd, 2007 at 4:17PM
8.4 lbs
19.9 in long
APGAR score 9 (We think she's already an overachiever...after all that score was right after slipped the cord off from around her neck. Of course we also think she's the most beautiful baby that ever existed.)

Last moments as a pregnant mom to Gwyneth when I was still smiling (hospital garb not very becoming, but still part of the story):

Stadol moment of rest - Although hoping for a natural birth, I decided I wasn't interested in being a super heroe that day...not long after I opted for maximum comfort with an epidural. I've heard from some that labor is just "uncomfortable" and from others that it's "the worst pain one can experience." I'd agree with the latter. It took the nurses 6 tries to get an IV in for that relief:

First moments on room air:

Proudest Papa - Just before leaving for home.:

Sweetest face ever - It's true:

Maybe I'll soon post the whole story of the birth...but at this point in time, I've got a hungry baby and only so many moments to catch some zzzz's.

We're now a happy family of three.

Truant and Tardy

2007-01-02T16:09:00.000-06:00

tru·an·cy (trōō'ən-sē)
n. pl. tru·an·cies
The act or condition of being absent without permission.

tar·dy (tär'dē)
adj. tar·di·er, tar·di·est

1. late; behind time; not on time: How tardy were you today?
2. moving or acting slowly; slow; sluggish.
3. delaying through reluctance.

Are we in trouble? This baby is already truant AND tardy, and it's not even come out to greet the world yet! I gave it the eviction notice on the 22nd (reason being: no more room in the womb), with a 4 day grace period. It remains absent w/o my permission.

I think I'm learning one of the most important lessons in parenting right now - PATIENCE!

Tomorrow is the first of my 10th month appointments, and hopefully the only one of my 10th month. I'm only two days past my due date and am already discouraged. Perhaps the doctor will offer me some glimmer of hope that babies do, in fact, come out. Speaking of facts, I've got a scary one; apparently in the last couple weeks and beyond, babies put on about a 1/2 lb. of weight each week.

Any prayers that this baby would soon vacate (healthfully of course) would be appreciated.

Passing of the Due Date and Into the New Year

2006-12-31T18:55:00.000-06:00

Well, It's probably safe to say that my due date is not my delivery date. Obviously, as with every other mother that goes overdue, it is to my extreme dismay. My body keeps on tricking me with a whole slew of contractions that fizzle into oblivion, leaving my elevated hopes to be dashed. The good news though is that all of these contractions, even if they are fizzling, mean that my body is gearing up for the real deal, which could begin in the next few seconds, next few hours, next few days, or at the very worst 2 weeks out from now, when they would decide to induce me and force this baby from it's warm and cozy dwelling.

Currently, it's sleeting outside, so perhaps all that the baby is waiting for is some treacherous weather before we make a hurried trip to the hospital. Perhaps, it's a thrill-seeking baby (as if the actual process of birth wouldn't be thrilling enough).

It looks like the child tax break is going to elusively slip through our fingers for 2006...oh well, it still doesn't mean that we won't be ringing in the first day of the year with a crying baby in our arms. I'm trying to keep up hope that yes, someday this baby has to come out.

Cheers to the New Year!

Is it Time Yet???

2006-12-27T21:15:00.000-06:00

I keep on thinking to myself, "is it time yet?" It seems like I could coax this baby out just by setting things straight. The bathroom is 99.9% done, the kitchen - completed, the nursery - finished, diaper bag - purchased...what else could this baby be waiting for??? Apparently it's waiting for its little den to become crushingly cramped. One would think that the elbow, foot, knee, or whatever body appendage it was that stuck out 2 inches the other night would be a good indication of that, but apparently not. All I can think about is how close we are to getting...or not getting the 2006 tax break for this child!

Well, the kitchen, minus me cleaning the remodel dust out of a few more cupboards, is done. I told Wes tonight that when I'm in it, I feel rich. That's a good feeling. It's still a modest kitchen, but it's a delightfully nice modest kitchen. I can stand being in it, and I think I might even enjoy cooking and doing the dishes more because of it! Although the process was horribly difficult to watch as everything got pulled apart, it was worth it, just like Wes told me it would be (which I had a hard time believing in the midst of it). Here are some pictures of our new and much improved kitchen - nevermind those dishes on the counter and stove (still cupboard cleaning):

I also figured now would be a good time to include perhaps the last picture of me pregnant with this child. 39 Weeks!

I hope all is well and that each of you had a wonderfully pleasant Christmas!...and Wes told me to tell all of you out in cyberspace, "hello."

Progress!

2006-12-20T13:06:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems like we're making progress on the house. Maybe that's all the baby is waiting for - a brand new bathroom, before it will come out! If that's the case, then it will soon be well on it's way!

Yesterday was the day to get it all done, and for the most part, both Wes and I are content with the progress we made. It may not be that interesting, but I think it's worth enough to puff out our chests a little bit!

Wes - the workhorse - Patterson put up one more layer of mud on the drywall seams on the kitchen ceiling, filled up almost an entire dumpster (approx 10'x4') of the bathroom and kitchen remodel refuse, as well as garage items that were left behind from the previous owners, did a couple loads of laundry, and installed track lighting in our kitchen! I was amazed to see all that he was able to do. I'm thankful for his brawn.

I also took the day off to clean the house and worked from the top to the bottom. Never have I done so much lifting, squatting, crawling on the floor, climbing stairs, etc. all in one day! I did do quite a good job of deep cleaning the house. The only rooms that I couldn't clean were the kitchen, as it was under construction, and the dining room which is currently serving as the under construction overflow. It shouldn't be long until I can clean those as well. After cleaning for about 10 hours straight, I took the bathtub for its maiden voyage, and a delightful soak it was! I've been looking forward to that moment for an entire year...and the best part is I didn't fall through the floor!

The baby can come now.

Home in a Haze

2006-12-16T12:23:00.000-06:00

It's a race against time. Home remodeling - if this doesn't throw me into early labor, it's probably safe to say, I won't go into early labor. Currently our entire house, despite blocking all doorways to the kitchen, is filled with a haze of dust, and I'm crossing my fingers that this baby does not come on a day like today.

It all began with a bathroom remodel project started last December.

Here's a picture of what it used to look like (and I guess that's partly why we got our house for as cheap as we did). With the slant in the roof, there was no way to install a shower. The previous owners never finished painting the thing. The sink leaked (hence the garbage can under it), and the layout was poor. Granted there's not a whole lot of space to work with here, but it's now on it's way to looking much better.

Here are a few pictures of our almost completed bathroom. I have to note that Wes has done an amazing job, even if it has taken a bit more time than hoped. I do have to give him credit though, he stripped the room down to the studs and joists and then rewired and replumbed the whole thing. The only fixture that is in the same space is the toilet, everything else found a new location and Wes even built a wall for the sink to go up against on one side and the shower on the other. There are a few remaining things that need to be done and then the bathroom will be complete.

Well, even though the bathroom is looking fine and dandy, there is a bit of a creak in the floor when walking over it. Wes is doubting that it's supported well enough to hold all the Durock and tile that was laid, so now it's on to pulling down the drop kitchen ceiling and then taking out the sheetrock, lath and plaster above it, so that he can support the beams from underneath...all so that I don't fall through the ceiling when I take my first bath in our gleaming new tub (fair enough). So, today, this is what we're dealing with:

Today, Wes is doing the demolition, the supporting of the floor of the bathroom and the electrical work for track lighting...and the clean up. And the tomorrow a blessed friend is going to help him install the sheetrock. After that I'll get to give the house another wipedown, one of many with all these projects.

In the meantime, I'm wondering if I should try to get out of the house and do a little Christmas shopping, but to be honest, I don't know what is worse, battling the dust, or battling the crowds.

A Little Pictorial History

2006-12-16T11:21:00.001-06:00

The Babe Within (about 30 weeks)

Our Dwelling

A Couple of Our Treasured Pals

A Picture of Us

Where We Get to Live