Christmas and Updates

1.  Auntie Vanessa and cousin Felicia came to visit.  We drove them around to foggy wooded locations to make art.

Then they took the girls to Christmas Zoolights and gave Mom and Dad the night off.  And then, unfortunately, they had to leave.  

2.  We found Santa at a working dairy farm and waited 3 hours to see him.  Eva refused to speak to him after all that waiting and asked her sisters to tell him that she'd be sending him a letter instead.  But the pic was worth it.  

3.   This happened a lot.

4.  We watched Dad win his Division 1 Soccer Championship!  We were 4 very excited fans!

5.  Our beautiful neighbor Samantha made us Christmas Eve dinner and we all took turns holding her 2 month old baby, Brody.  Then we decorated gingerbread castles!

Look at this!  I have found the best neighbors in the world and you can't have them!! 

6.   Santa Claus came!  And for the last time for a certain Cutie, I'm afraid.  

 

7.   We did some more snuggling. 

8.    Even Mouder the cat got lots of extra lovin'.  

9.  We found someone "on the inside" and got invited to shop at the Nike Company Store (or The Holy Land, as Joe calls it).  

I've rarely seen the Daddy so excited to go shopping!  We all left with new running shoes and workout gear.  

10.   You have to know my husband and kids to find this next one amusing... Joe is an all out jock and his girls take after him.  Ali was assigned 2miles/day over Christmas break for soccer, so I invited her (and tagalong sis) to the gym with me.  

While I do my usual thing, my 7 year old pumps out 2.5 miles on the treadmill and then proceeds to do 1 handed push-ups on the floor while 10 year old sister cranks the treadmill to max speed and whips out 3.5 miles.  They are apparently used to working out with their Dad and have been advised to tone it down and quit making Mom look like a wuss.  

And that's our break in a nutshell!  Tomorrow's plans include a lazy morning of coffee, smoothies, hot chocolate and Planes the movie.  

Happy New Years!!  

Off Call

My first month "off-call" is coming to an end and what an amazing month it was!  I thought about blogging my adventures as they happened, but ended up spending the weeks pretty much "unplugged" from the outside world and focused on my own little world.  No regrets about that!  So I'll recap some of the highlights, in case you're interested.

1. My Mom and Dad in law came from California and spent some time at the first of the month.  I was still waiting on the births of two sweet babes, so it was a little crazy, but Joe's Mom and Dad just jumped right in and made life so much easier.  Until they had to go home.

We rode the air tram through Portland and saw a double rainbow!

2.  My Mom came from Texas and both her little sisters drove down from Washington.  We had ourselves a party.

I crocheted each grandma-auntie a headband to match each grand-niece.  The grandma-aunties shooed Joe and I away for an entire day and we got to do WHATEVER WE WANTED.  Of course when presented with all that freedom, we couldn't think of a thing to do.  So we went downtown and wandered in and out of shops, had brunch and got a tour of Joe's school (I am in love with his school and am praying that the girls get in next year).  Then we ended up at the same vintage 1940s theater we visited a year ago when we flew out to Portland and watched Thor.  We just love that old theater, doesn't matter what's playing.  Then I surprised Joe with a dinner cruise on the Portland Spirit.

We had dinner and a lovely tour of the city at night along the river.  Yeah, he was impressed.

We took Grandma to the coast and explored caves and tide pools, too!

 It was the best weather we've ever experienced at the Oregon coast.  I always take way too many pictures when we go, but I can't help myself.  It's so pretty.

3.  I signed Eva up for a month-long session of swim lessons because I knew I could get her there consistently!

4.  Joe took a trip to Omaha to visit his BFF and go to a Husker football game.  Go Big Red!!  He stayed up all night drinking and playing playstation.  I know because his BFF's wife told on him and sent me incriminating photos!  The daddy needs a break sometimes too and I was very glad he went because I got all the girls to myself for 4 days (no school).  We painted our nails, went shopping, ate pizza, went swimming, did crafts, did more crafts and rented Barbie movies.  It was awesome.

5.  I got EVERYONE in to see the dentist.

6.  I kept the house cleaner than usual and made dinner more often than usual.  It was exhausting.

7.  I made it to every gymnastics practice and every soccer game.

8.  I crocheted hats, flowers, earbands and scarves.  I caught up on several movies I've been wanting to see.

9. I volunteered at the girls' school!

10.  We traveled to Washington and had Thanksgiving with my newly wedded cousin Kristina and helped her put all her expensive wedding gifts to use making dinner.

It was a great break and great family time.  I loved all the time with Joe and the girls.  I'm mentally prepping myself for the craziness that is creeping back into our lives a day at a time as I get back into the groove of "midwifing" but am reminded of what a blessing it is to have work that I love, a beautiful place to live, healthy children, and a supportive spouse.  Very blessed.  And very grateful.  God bless all you blog-readers this holiday season!  

Letter to fellow parent

I have a bone to pick.

Makeup does not belong on a 10 year old girl with the rare exception being made for sleepover play and Halloween costumes.  This is our family standard and belief.  Not wearing mascara, blush and lipgloss in 5th grade does not make our child a "social outcast" as you adamantly and repeatedly insisted within her hearing and the hearing of all her 5th grade friends.  As mature and responsible as our daughters may be, they are 10 year old children.  Tell me, who does my child need to be pretty for?  Who's attention and approval should she be seeking?  If you start down this road at 10 years old, where are you at 16?

It is not that you disagree with my parenting style.  It is that you openly criticize me and single out my daughter with your hurtful words.   Perhaps you felt as though you were advocating for Ali.  Perhaps you felt we were being unfair.  Perhaps you didn't bother to consider our relationship with our daughter or that while she may disagree with our decisions at times, she respects them.  She has noticed that her mom and dad will risk going against the popular decision, we will risk upsetting her, to stand by what we believe. She is secure in the fact that her parents care about her, love her beyond measure and have her best interests at heart at all times.  Perhaps it's none of your business.

I anticipate we will soon be having a conversation about our decision not to allow our child to travel with the soccer team to Phoenix.  While we appreciate the invitation, the only traveling we are interested in with our 5th grade soccer player are those destinations that can be easily reached by car with her family.  Quite simply, my 10 year old daughter goes where her parents go.  My husband and I realize that most of the families on this team will not hesitate.  However, we believe that traveling by air to an out-of-state tournament with chaperones is an appropriate opportunity for a high school athlete, after having earned the travel funds herself.  I hope that when this conversation happens, that it is brief and received without judgement and immature words.  And I pray that if it is not, that I have the strength of heart, clarity of thought and calmness of spirit to kindly tell you to SHUT UP.

-Katie

Field Trip!

 

Joe and I decided not to enroll Eva in preschool this fall. 

It just came down to logistics and we wisely (I think) decided that we could

preschool ole Eva ourselves. 

 

So here's what "homepreschool" looks like...

 

On Mondays and Tuesdays, Eva and I drink coffee and chocolate milk for an extended period of time.  If no babies are imminent, there is a 50% chance we will remain in our PJs watching cartoons, cleaning the house and reading books until 15 minutes before sisters come home from school. 

 On these days, we will have a snack with sisters, and then we all get down to some homework.

Eva loves to complete page after page in her prek numbers and letters workbooks.

 

On Wednesdays and occasionally throughout the week, Eva comes to work with me. 

My tiny apprentice hangs out at the birthcenter and gets to play with the other midwives' kids. 

 And there's your socialization.

 

On Thursdays, Daddy is in charge of the education. 

They usually make a visit to the library followed by some running of errands.

Daddy is great at finding opportunities for learning in everyday life.

 

Going back to Mondays and Tuesdays... 

If no babies are imminent, there is also a 50%  chance 

we will decide to get dressed and take advantage of the beautiful fall weather.

Today was one of those days.

I decided on a field trip to the pumpkin patch.

 

 

Petting zoo. 

We learned that two pigs really do like mud.

 Four kittens have sharp claws.

And three goats don't smell so good.

 



 

We learned that Eva is 3 1/2 feet tall. 

 

We learned that pumpkins are dirty because they grow on a vine in the dirt.

We attempted to count all the pumpkins in the patch, but gave up after 23.

If you enlarge the picture you can just make out Mt. Hood in the background.

 



Hay maze.

Geography?

Deductive reasoning?

 



3 pumpkins X 15lbs each + 1 Eva(40lbs) = too much for mom to push in wheelbarrow.

We also learned that Eva is the most adorable punkin in this particular patch.

 



 

And we rode the train which could have been labeled as "engineering" but became a discussion on vocations when Eva excitedly explained to the teenage girl "engineer" that PopPop and Uncle Matt drive choochoo trains and she wants to drive them too.

 

 



Just some honest little thoughts.

I'm not a huggy person.  I'm working on accepting that about myself.  It's hard because I'm a midwife and a nurse and empathetic and all that... just sorta into my own personal space I guess.  I don't greet many people with a hug or say goodbye with a hug.  

My daughter Ali is a huggy person.  She has an elaborate bedtime routine that includes multiple hugs, kisses, kissing her stuffed bear, special handshakes and literal tucking in of the covers.  She WILL NOT leave the house in the morning without a firm hug and big kiss on the lips.  She is 10 years old and still insists on holding my hand wherever we go.  She joked once that holding hands with Mom is like "holding a dead fish".  I asked her to explain and she said that when she holds hands with Dad, he holds her hand back.  Tight.  He likes to snuggle on the couch and Mom likes a little space.  I felt bad.  Really bad.  Here I have very little time left with this sweet girl who still likes to hold hands and I'm a dead fish.  So I'm paying attention now.  I'm not a huggy person, but I'm a fierce hand holder these days and Ali will get all the hugs and kisses she needs.  

Eva is affectionate in her own laid back way.  She is the youngest and still elicits that baby response in me.  I pick her up when she cries.  I pet her forehead when she sleeps.  But a quick hug and kiss at bedtime is all she requires.

Mia is not a huggy person.  She is independent and strong-willed and resistant to too much affection.  I have called her "prickly" at times.  I have threatened to put sugar in her socks to sweeten her up, which gets a rare grin out of her.  I worry that because it is not in my nature to be huggy and because it's not in hers, that she will grow up with some kind of deficient oxytocin receptors due to lack of physical parental affection.  (I just made up a new medical condition.)  

Mia has surgery scheduled this Friday.  I have the whole weekend off-call to take care of her.  While I hate to think about her being in pain or being scared, I am really looking forward to getting to be her mom and hold her hand through this.  I've got Monster House on Blu Ray to watch with her.  I've got ice cream and popcicles and chicken noodle soup.  I've washed her favorite blankie.  And I hope she'll feel just uncomfortable enough to want her Mom....  And I suppose while I'm working on accepting these things about my own self, I can work on accepting these things about my little girl.  The apple doesn't fall far, does it?  

Here's Mia demonstrating how she developed her hernia.  

Fall Colors

Joe is out at a Timber's soccer game and the girls and I spent the evening at the park.  I brought my camera along because these NW fall colors are too awesome not to share.

Katie RN, CNM and Volunteer Disaster-Zone Baby Catcher

It's been a very midwifey weekend.  I got to attend a conference yesterday put on by the Oregon Affiliates of ACNM (which is the professional organization most CNMs belong to).  Anyway, it was all about international women's issues and needs in crisis and I was moved to sign up on a registry as a volunteer responder for any natural disasters that may happen in this country.  Cause ladies have babies even during crisis and who's better to help them than a crazy midwife who doesn't need electronic fetal monitors (or even electricity for that matter) to deliver a baby??  It was a good conference except for the part where I very warmly greeted an acquaintance who turned out to NOT be an acquaintance and then instead of admitting my mistake and turning it into a laughable situation, I choked and tried to turn invisible and she excused herself for a cup of tea.  So much for networking.  

And now, at this very moment, I am sitting outside a room listening as a family of three very gently becomes a family of four.  Yes, I want to be inside, however this birth belongs to another midwife and I'm just here to administer some antibiotics.   I love being around this birthcenter though.  The tea is good, the people are great, the moms are beautiful and the babies are fat and healthy.

Speaking of precious babies...  This month I have a "Student of the Month".  Ali isn't particularly in love with her new school, but they like her it seems!  I also have a "Gymnast of the Month" with an inguinal hernia.  Poor Mia was born with this abdominal muscle defect, but the last few months of pretty intense gymnastics have caused the visible symptoms.  She is having laparoscopic surgery this Friday to repair it.  

And my Eva-Moose is enjoying immensely being my tiny apprentice.  She  comes with me to work on my prenatal days and she comes to births in a pinch. Seeing her face between appointments makes my day so shiny!  The birthcenter has a full time nanny on staff and last week she texted me this photo from the zoo!  I know I'm biased, but I wish all businesses would model after us!  We've got something really good going on and all working moms deserve this level of support!   

P.S.  We have some lusty crying.  It's a girl.  :-). 

Portlanders

A quote from someone who knows me quite well:  "It cracks me up thinking of you wandering around with hippies and new age organic/sustainable living enthusiasts.  I swear though if you start refusing to shower or shave and start hanging out in trees for extended periods I will be staging an intervention."

It's true, I believe we have found a home in Portland, although I am nowhere near needing an intervention.  Yet.  

The girls are 3 weeks into school and adjusting slowly.  For various reasons we were concerned that the neighborhood school we were zoned for would not meet our needs and we requested transfers that were denied.  It makes for a rocky start, but the girls are optimists at heart and keep plugging away.  They've gotten to ride a school bus for the first time and are making friends in the neighborhood.  We're spending more time outside enjoying all the greenery and fresh air... I had to steal their flip flops and tank tops while they were at school one day and replace them with waterproof hiking boots and Columbia jackets.  

We live an hour from the coast.  It's our favorite place to go.  We've explored Cannon Beach and seen lighthouses, and Haystack Rock Beach (where Goonies was filmed!), and found crabs and starfish.  It's so beautiful.  Yesterday we visited Smuggler's Cove because it sounded like an adventure.  We're searching for second-hand snow gear in anticipation of all the great winter adventures we're going to have soon!  

My job is still going great.  I never thought I'd be a midwife at a birthcenter in Portland, and here I am.  It's so interesting to think about the path that led me here.  

Today was the annual potluck for the midwives and clients.  It was a great time!  Joe met all my midwife-friends for the first time and the girls ran amok.  I've had a part in the births of six babies in Portland so far.  Two of my current clients are Nebraskans.  It's really a small world!  

The girls got their faces painted and had Sprite for the first time in probably 3 months.  It's definitely a different culture out here.  Joe and I were just commenting that we don't even know where Walmart is.  Seriously.  I have a Target within 5 miles, but don't know where Walmart is.  I can count a homeschooling family for every public/private school family I know.  Nobody drinks soda.  Our neighbor asked if the girls could have a popcicle and while I paused trying to decide if I trusted them with drippy pink treats in our neighbor's house, she rushed to explain that they were "whole fruit" with "no added sugar", as if that were the cause of my hesitation!  I felt severely judged last week while Eva and I enjoyed a picnic of McD's nuggets, apple slices and WATER at the park.  But I like it.  I've always been a little on the health-conscious side and fit right it in here.. mostly!!  

Before I say goodbye until the next post in who-knows-how-long... here's an overheard argument between two sisters on the way home today.  

"Baby."
"Buttface"
"I'm not a baby."
"Then I'm not a Buttface."
"Fine.  Then I won't play Dance with you."
"Fine.  Agreed."

Pause

"I actually really wanted to play Dance."
"Me too."
"Friends again?"
"Friends."  

Beach Blogging

I'm on vacation.  The end.  

No, I'm just being silly!  I wouldn't do that!  

I'm way too into descriptions and adjectives to leave it at that.  

We are in CA visiting Joes family.  We have been chillin at Grandmas!  

Watching the hoards of hummingbirds that live in Grandmas tree.

We have visited our friends at Grandmas preschool.

We have been treated with essential oils.

We have built a cardboard shantytown with Auntie Vanessa.

And we've been playing at the beach!!  A lot!  I love vacation.