Another item that is kind of strange and cool at the same time, is how birthdays fall in our family.
First, the extended family. Gerrit's oldest two brothers share the same birthday, a year apart. Their wives also share the same birthday. On my side, we all have birthdays in consecutive months. Brother-in-law and sister, June and July. Brother and sister-in-law, November and December. Gerrit and I, September and October.
In our immediate family of four, our birthdays are the following dates: Gerrit 2nd, Michelle 2nd, Tessa 25th, Nathan 5th. So IF there is another one, it would be cool to have it fall on the 2nd, 5th, 22nd, or 25th.
Now that you know this information you can go on with a more fulfilled life :)
We are off to the cardiologist today. Nathan was born with a small hole in his heart that the specialist likes to check on every six months. He has assured me over and over that is not something to worry about and that it will not affect is quality of life, but I still get nervous. I think that in the back of my head I wonder if they will say "The hole has enlarged, time for open heart surgery now!"
Actually typing that out makes me wonder if I watch too much TV.
I explained the hole in the heart situation to Tessa last night. I think that she is a little worried too (insert comment regarding the apple not falling far from the tree). She asked to come along to make sure Nathan is okay, sweet girl. I told her she was going to play at her cousins house instead. All of a sudden, she was not at all worried about Nathan's heart. She did, however say "Oh, is the owie in his heart why Nathan is grumpy and cries a lot?" My response, "No, that's just Nathan."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Challenge
I have been challenged to share things about me that others may think are strange. I think that they are totally normal but you are free to come to your own conclusions.
1. I once saw a show about this family living in one of the southern states who, when going to use the facilities, saw the head of a snake peeking back at them from the toilet. It turns out that a large, scary, and dangerous snake had found its way into their plumbing system and the only exit? The toilet. That totally freaked me out and to this day I will not go to the bathroom at night without turning the light on and checking for snakes first. I have carried two babies to full term which means many blind-myself-with-the-light night trips to the bathroom.
2. I love animals but am very afraid of any kind of reptiles. Mice, bugs, anything is fine except lizards, snakes etc. The first time I flew to CA to visit my then boyfriend Gerrit, I went outside with him and a few lizards ran across the outside of the house. I ran inside. I still married him.
3. I am not a picky eater or indulge on expensive groceries except meat. I get totally grossed out by fatty meat and/or by parts of an animal that are not intended for human consumption. (Dale and Kathy, I think that you can come with an example of this!) If I am eating a dish with meat that can not be easily studied (such as chunks of chicken in a casserole) and bite into a gristly part, I will not eat another morsel.
4. Food stresses me out. I really enjoy cooking and baking, especially if it something that I have not made before. If I had a day free of little ones, I would thoroughly enjoy spending it in food preparation. You could probably sell me a cookbook I already have for more than I bought it for. At the same time, I get very stressed if I do not have a menu plan for the week. I am not a "let's see what we have and what I can make with it" person. I feel very out of sorts if we are low on groceries. Once my fridge is full, I feel much better. In regards to the fridge, mine needs to be organized. It may be that you could not see flooring anywhere in my house but if people (husband) put things in my fridge haphazardly, I may have a break down.
5. I am not the greatest singer. I can follow a tune when music is provided but on my own I am hopeless. I can not harmonize or keep pitch. You will not see me in a choir or church praise team. One exception is singing soul. That throaty forced singing...I am really good at it. I have actually shocked people with this talent. If, however you ask for a performance, you will not get one. It has to be totally spur of the moment. The right place at the right time.
6. I have a thing with rings. After I had Tessa, my knuckles expanded. I could force my wedding ring on but could not get it off again. Stress, break down, melt down are much to mild to describe the feelings I have if I can not get a ring off of my finger. I think that I would literally pull my finger out of its socket to get it off. When I see someone else wearing a ring that appears to be permanently attached to their finger, my blood pressure soars. I can not fathom how they are walking around knowing that if they wanted to get their ring off, they couldn't.
1. I once saw a show about this family living in one of the southern states who, when going to use the facilities, saw the head of a snake peeking back at them from the toilet. It turns out that a large, scary, and dangerous snake had found its way into their plumbing system and the only exit? The toilet. That totally freaked me out and to this day I will not go to the bathroom at night without turning the light on and checking for snakes first. I have carried two babies to full term which means many blind-myself-with-the-light night trips to the bathroom.
2. I love animals but am very afraid of any kind of reptiles. Mice, bugs, anything is fine except lizards, snakes etc. The first time I flew to CA to visit my then boyfriend Gerrit, I went outside with him and a few lizards ran across the outside of the house. I ran inside. I still married him.
3. I am not a picky eater or indulge on expensive groceries except meat. I get totally grossed out by fatty meat and/or by parts of an animal that are not intended for human consumption. (Dale and Kathy, I think that you can come with an example of this!) If I am eating a dish with meat that can not be easily studied (such as chunks of chicken in a casserole) and bite into a gristly part, I will not eat another morsel.
4. Food stresses me out. I really enjoy cooking and baking, especially if it something that I have not made before. If I had a day free of little ones, I would thoroughly enjoy spending it in food preparation. You could probably sell me a cookbook I already have for more than I bought it for. At the same time, I get very stressed if I do not have a menu plan for the week. I am not a "let's see what we have and what I can make with it" person. I feel very out of sorts if we are low on groceries. Once my fridge is full, I feel much better. In regards to the fridge, mine needs to be organized. It may be that you could not see flooring anywhere in my house but if people (husband) put things in my fridge haphazardly, I may have a break down.
5. I am not the greatest singer. I can follow a tune when music is provided but on my own I am hopeless. I can not harmonize or keep pitch. You will not see me in a choir or church praise team. One exception is singing soul. That throaty forced singing...I am really good at it. I have actually shocked people with this talent. If, however you ask for a performance, you will not get one. It has to be totally spur of the moment. The right place at the right time.
6. I have a thing with rings. After I had Tessa, my knuckles expanded. I could force my wedding ring on but could not get it off again. Stress, break down, melt down are much to mild to describe the feelings I have if I can not get a ring off of my finger. I think that I would literally pull my finger out of its socket to get it off. When I see someone else wearing a ring that appears to be permanently attached to their finger, my blood pressure soars. I can not fathom how they are walking around knowing that if they wanted to get their ring off, they couldn't.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Plea for Help and Understanding
Okay...
Just been reading in a parenting book that children's' allowance should not be tied to chores. Their chores should be solely due to the fact that they are part of a family unit that works together. Their allowance solely to learn money related skills. The only time they should be paid for jobs is if they go above and beyond their expected work load. One illustration was that if the child needs/wants extra money, you can offer additional jobs to them. From this thought comes my plea: My house needs a really good cleaning and I have a ton of ironing to do...Anyone want to earn some extra money?
I also have been racking my brain for the last day and have not yet been able to understand Dale's comment. I am pretty sure it was a joke and intended to be a slam on me, but I don't get it. Obviously Jean did, so here comes my plea for understanding...Could one of you explain?!
Just been reading in a parenting book that children's' allowance should not be tied to chores. Their chores should be solely due to the fact that they are part of a family unit that works together. Their allowance solely to learn money related skills. The only time they should be paid for jobs is if they go above and beyond their expected work load. One illustration was that if the child needs/wants extra money, you can offer additional jobs to them. From this thought comes my plea: My house needs a really good cleaning and I have a ton of ironing to do...Anyone want to earn some extra money?
I also have been racking my brain for the last day and have not yet been able to understand Dale's comment. I am pretty sure it was a joke and intended to be a slam on me, but I don't get it. Obviously Jean did, so here comes my plea for understanding...Could one of you explain?!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
One is Fun
Nathan is one. He didn't really understand the importance of the day, but he reached the one year anniversary of his birth unscathed. As I mentioned in the previous post, there were not too many bells and whistles for his big day but it was special none the less. He opened (actually pulled a blanket off of) his present from Gerrit, Tessa, and I; stared at us while we sang "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed mashing a piece of his cake. We have photos of all of it but still haven't figured out the posting pictures part; so you'll have to imagine.
Nathan really likes the present we bought for him. It is a Tonka truck that you can push or ride on. The coolest part is that when you turn the key it plays the cutest little puttering along song. We call it the Tonka Rap. Nathan enjoys dancing to it. Again, you will have to envision him standing by his truck bending his knees rapidly and swinging his head back and forth. We think that he gets his dancing talent from his dad. If you are wondering what that means, ask Gerrit to show you some of his moves sometime...you won't soon forget it.
Nathan also received cards, clothes, gifts, and money from extended family--Thank you! The most exciting for him where the cards; he loved them! A close second were the tags that came on the clothes; another super exciting invention!
Yesterday, Nathan went in for his one year check. We are always interested in seeing what his height and weight are since he was so huge at birth. Well, he is 75% for height as well as weight. His head is still rather large, a trait from my side of the family. Developmentally, he is right on course. He is walking along things, standing on his own, and has even taken a few steps. Speech wise, he is definitely surprising us. He is able to say "Mama, Dada, Tessa (Tetta), Uh-Oh, Down (to Casey our dog), Hi, Whoa, and Hello--when holding the phone or a Ritz cracher to his ear.
When he has acquired the possession of something he shouldn't have he says "Tetta's" It is his way of telling on himself. Yesterday the doctor gave him the light that he uses to look in your throat, eyes, etc. in order to get him to stop screaming. He looked at it, said "Tetta's" and handed it back. In other words, "I don't think that I am supposed to have this!" That genius type comprehension and sense of right & wrong comes from my side, the screaming during the exam, from Gerrit's :)
I will end this post by telling you how famous our son is. Every year the hospital publishes a year in review. In the OB section, they list the heaviest, lightest, tallest, and shortest babies born. Well, we are proud to say that Nathan was both the heaviest at 12.8 pounds and longest at 22.5 inches. I am pretty sure that there have been babies that were longer than him but he has the hospital record for weight. We are still waiting for the year of free diapers and/or college tuition.
Nathan really likes the present we bought for him. It is a Tonka truck that you can push or ride on. The coolest part is that when you turn the key it plays the cutest little puttering along song. We call it the Tonka Rap. Nathan enjoys dancing to it. Again, you will have to envision him standing by his truck bending his knees rapidly and swinging his head back and forth. We think that he gets his dancing talent from his dad. If you are wondering what that means, ask Gerrit to show you some of his moves sometime...you won't soon forget it.
Nathan also received cards, clothes, gifts, and money from extended family--Thank you! The most exciting for him where the cards; he loved them! A close second were the tags that came on the clothes; another super exciting invention!
Yesterday, Nathan went in for his one year check. We are always interested in seeing what his height and weight are since he was so huge at birth. Well, he is 75% for height as well as weight. His head is still rather large, a trait from my side of the family. Developmentally, he is right on course. He is walking along things, standing on his own, and has even taken a few steps. Speech wise, he is definitely surprising us. He is able to say "Mama, Dada, Tessa (Tetta), Uh-Oh, Down (to Casey our dog), Hi, Whoa, and Hello--when holding the phone or a Ritz cracher to his ear.
When he has acquired the possession of something he shouldn't have he says "Tetta's" It is his way of telling on himself. Yesterday the doctor gave him the light that he uses to look in your throat, eyes, etc. in order to get him to stop screaming. He looked at it, said "Tetta's" and handed it back. In other words, "I don't think that I am supposed to have this!" That genius type comprehension and sense of right & wrong comes from my side, the screaming during the exam, from Gerrit's :)
I will end this post by telling you how famous our son is. Every year the hospital publishes a year in review. In the OB section, they list the heaviest, lightest, tallest, and shortest babies born. Well, we are proud to say that Nathan was both the heaviest at 12.8 pounds and longest at 22.5 inches. I am pretty sure that there have been babies that were longer than him but he has the hospital record for weight. We are still waiting for the year of free diapers and/or college tuition.
Monday, March 3, 2008
What If There's More?
Gerrit and I have asked ourselves and each other many times "What if we have more children?" There is a sense of anxiety with this question for two main reasons.
One, our children seem to be exactly opposite in everything. Tessa was a content baby who slept through the night early, Nathan wasn't and didn't. Nathan does not like eggs and yogurt, Tessa loved them. Tessa cried during her bath, Nathan cries when you take him out. Nathan loves to cuddle and be held, Tessa liked her space and independence. The list goes on and on. So, if you have two children that are polar opposites on everything, where will subsequent children fall? Somewhere in the middle or is there such a thing as three or even four opposites?
Secondly, there has been a shift from "Let's do everything by the book" to more of a "Oh, he'll be fine" mentality. For example, shortly after Tessa was born, there was some kind of fund raising dinner at our church. My thoughts were somewhere along the line of "No one can hold her unless they sterilize their arms up to their elbows and wear a mask." After Nathan was born, another dinner! Driving to the church, I was thinking of specific people that I hoped would offer to hold him so I could eat in peace. Nathan's car seat was turned to the forward position before he turned one, he ate table food way earlier than Tessa, and we think we have taken some pictures of him.
Probably the situation that has showed our attitude switch the most is The First Birthday. We are two days away from Nathan's big day. Two days out from Tessa's First we had ordered the cake, bought matching plates, napkins & table cloth, invited everyone who remotely knew us, had the presents bought and wrapped and basically the entire day scripted out. Well, we bought Nathan a gift on clearance at Wal Mart which I plan to put a bow on top of. I am making the cake which will have a candle on it and be served on our daily dishes. There is no party, Gerrit actually has a meeting the evening of his birthday. We will remember to take some pictures, I think.
So, if we have more children, he or she better come with an alarm that will sound on their first birthday to remind us. That is, if we remember to take him or her home from the hospital!
One, our children seem to be exactly opposite in everything. Tessa was a content baby who slept through the night early, Nathan wasn't and didn't. Nathan does not like eggs and yogurt, Tessa loved them. Tessa cried during her bath, Nathan cries when you take him out. Nathan loves to cuddle and be held, Tessa liked her space and independence. The list goes on and on. So, if you have two children that are polar opposites on everything, where will subsequent children fall? Somewhere in the middle or is there such a thing as three or even four opposites?
Secondly, there has been a shift from "Let's do everything by the book" to more of a "Oh, he'll be fine" mentality. For example, shortly after Tessa was born, there was some kind of fund raising dinner at our church. My thoughts were somewhere along the line of "No one can hold her unless they sterilize their arms up to their elbows and wear a mask." After Nathan was born, another dinner! Driving to the church, I was thinking of specific people that I hoped would offer to hold him so I could eat in peace. Nathan's car seat was turned to the forward position before he turned one, he ate table food way earlier than Tessa, and we think we have taken some pictures of him.
Probably the situation that has showed our attitude switch the most is The First Birthday. We are two days away from Nathan's big day. Two days out from Tessa's First we had ordered the cake, bought matching plates, napkins & table cloth, invited everyone who remotely knew us, had the presents bought and wrapped and basically the entire day scripted out. Well, we bought Nathan a gift on clearance at Wal Mart which I plan to put a bow on top of. I am making the cake which will have a candle on it and be served on our daily dishes. There is no party, Gerrit actually has a meeting the evening of his birthday. We will remember to take some pictures, I think.
So, if we have more children, he or she better come with an alarm that will sound on their first birthday to remind us. That is, if we remember to take him or her home from the hospital!
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