Monthly Archives: January 2011

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 31, 2011

Posted on by

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 31, 2011

Outside my window… sunshine and beauty after the clouds and rain of yesterday.

I am thinking… about all the packing and stuff that has to be done before we move on the 17th.

I am thankful for… one of the people at Jon’s new parish throwing a “get-to-know-you” party for me the week after we move up there.

From the kitchen… nothing homemade — that’s for sure!

I am wearing… jeans, a brown shirt with a floral-lace pattern on it.

I am creating… this entry. 🙂

I am going… to probably be sticking close to home this week.

I am reading… The Alpine Kindred by Mary Daheim.

I am hoping… I can get a fair amount packed and cleaned out this week.

I am hearing… “This Is My Father’s World” by Fernando Ortega.

Around the house… sweeping, mopping, and packing to do.

One of my favorite things… blocking out the world for two hours while I check email.

A few plans for the rest of the week: packing a box every day (my mother-in-law’s deal with me) as well as PT/OT for Daniel.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing… Daniel walking with some help.

Daniel walking with some help

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 24, 2011

Posted on by

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 24, 2011

Outside my window… Sunny and chilly. (I’m in northern California with my parents.)

I am thinking… that I really want a nap and I hope the little bear decides that naps are not just for babies.

I am thankful for… my friend Noe delivering her little girl Maia safely on the 21st.

From the kitchen… steak, mushrooms, and rice with pesto from last night. Also raspberry gelato.

I am wearing… green shirt and jeans.

I am creating… a Twitter account for the San Jose Promise Walk for Preeclampsia. (Click on the image on my sidebar if you want to sponsor me.)

I am going… to Walgreens at some point to get my prescriptions.

I am reading… Saks and Violins by Mary Daheim.

I am hoping… my mom’s cat Homer comes out and curls up with me. Also that Daniel goes down for his nap.

I am hearing… something scientific from the living room (Dad is watching it) and Daniel grumping in the guest room.

Around the house… I’m dreading the clean-up that will be needed at the Snuggery after being gone for 5 days.

One of my favorite things… sunny places to nap.

A few plans for the rest of the week: heading back up to Sac tomorrow, driving home on Wednesday, PT on Friday, and whatever else comes up.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing… Daniel petting Homer with me in the background.

Daniel petting Homer with me in the background

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

My Sanctity of Life Week Post

Posted on by

I heard on Air1 that it’s Sanctity of Life week and I felt like I should weigh in. (In other words, free posting topic!)

My Sanctity of Life story comes from my pregnancy with Daniel. At one of my appointments, Dr. Awesome asked if I wanted the MSAFP test (it tests for Down’s Syndrome and spina bifida). I didn’t really feel like getting it but Jon wanted it so I gave in. A week later, Dr. Awesome herself left a message on my answering machine at home which was a red flag. (Nurses usually call with test results. Dr. Awesome calling meant something was wrong.) It turns out that the test came back elevated for Down’s Syndrome and they were getting my 3-D ultrasound scheduled in Great Falls ASAP. After getting 5 phone calls in a 10 minute period, my co-workers caught on that there was a problem and a lot of them were freaking out for my sake.

I was more angry because the reason they were getting the ultrasound moved up was so that they could do amniocentisis if need be and abort the baby if the amnio came back showing Down’s Syndrome. Seriously, if Daniel had been born with Down’s Syndrome, we would have been OK with that. He was a WANTED child and would be a LOVED child.

The 3-D ultrasound showed that he was fine (and the “elevated” level was a 1% chance which I wish I’d known — it would have saved a lot of people a lot of worry). The doctor doing the ultrasound (my peri-natalogist Dr. Fabulous) was the one who delivered Daniel two months later so it was good that I had the patient relationship with him.

Compassion Still Exists

Posted on by

The Blaze: Compassionate Pilot Delays Flight For Grieving Grandfather

I’ve been wanting to weigh in on this for awhile. The pilot’s decision to wait brings me to tears. I’m sure it probably inconvenienced a bunch of people on the plane (though I think once they knew what was up, they would understand) and yet this pilot made the decision to delay the flight and even met the grieving grandfather on the jetway to let him know that he’d get the guy to Denver and that he was sorry for his loss.

The travel blog Elliot.Org weighed in on it and called the pilot’s words “the quote of the year”.

Thank God for people like this pilot. In a world where time is money, they bring some sanity.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 17, 2011

Posted on by

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 17,2011

Outside my window… sunny and warm. It doesn’t seem real for January, especially as I spent 9 Januaries outside of California in much colder climates.

I am thinking… about all the stuff that needs to get done/arranged in the next few weeks. I function internally and my mind is constantly working.

I am thankful for… the pregnancies of my college and online friends going well. Two are due pretty soon and one is due in 4 months. Also thankful that Daniel’s godparents got good news from the ultrasound of their baby on Friday.

From the kitchen… nothing fancy. I think a TJ’s run might be in order.

I am wearing… jeans, a black polo shirt, and running shoes.

I am creating… a podcast outline.

I am going… nowhere outside my normal 15-mile radius as far as I know.

I am reading… “The Alpine Quilt” by Mary Daheim.

I am hoping… things proceed in an orderly and timely fashion with the BIG thing in my life.

I am hearing… “As the Bridegroom to His Chosen” by John Rutter. (A good YouTube video with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it is available here.)

Around the house… I’m hoping to get some sweeping/mopping done tonight.

One of my favorite things… Daniel’s smile and laughter when we’re clapping out nursery rhymes.

A few plans for the rest of the week: OT/PT for Daniel

Here is picture for thought I am sharing… A quilt that was made by Jewel Benjamin, a wonderful friend and sister in Christ of mine from Montana. I think of her every time I see the quilt.

A beautiful quilt made for me by a wonderful woman friend in Montana.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

An Interesting Encounter at $tarbux

Posted on by

Background: Due to my presence at $tarbux almost daily, I tend to run into people repeatedly and get into conversations with them. A few weeks ago, I struck up a conversation with a man and his companion about the nature of sin and baptism and all that.

Today: I walked by a man who I thought was the companion and waved. It turned out to not be the companion but an Egyptian professor of economics at UC Irvine and several other Egyptian men, one of whom was quite effusive and kissed my cheek when I was telling him about Daniel. (This is about the time I realized that these were not the men I had spoken to before.) We had a great conversation about Islam and how people have corrupted it with politics and they seemed sorry to have to leave.

The poignant thing about the conversation today was that they all individually felt like they had to assure me that they were not terrorists. I laughed and told them that I knew that they weren’t, but it saddened me that they felt that they had to tell me that. (It possibly might have had something to do with the bombing of the Coptic church in Alexandria.) Do we Americans come off as being so stupid that we see any Muslim as a terrorist?

Still… it was strange to shake hands with them because usually it’s considered taboo for Muslim men to touch Muslim women. They were tickled pink when I told them that if I had known that they were Arabic speakers, I would have greeted them with the word “salaam”.

Still… an interesting encounter and one that definitely made my day.

Learning That I’m Not Alone

Posted on by

When I saw that the Promise Walk had a northern California event, I emailed the organizer and offered to do some social media stuff (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.) for it. Little did I know that I would eventually become one of the organizers.

It’s been humbling to read some of the stories of my fellow organizers who not only got hit with pre-eclampsia as I did early in their third trimester (or even before), are HELLP survivors who ended up in the ICU, or lost their baby because of the pre-eclampsia. A number of walkers are doing the walk as part of their healing process just as I am and it’s comforting to know that I’m not some bizarre anomaly, that other people have dealt with the developmental delays, the feeding issues (preemies who had feeding tubes or ventilators have really underformed oral muscles and texture issues), and that it is completely possible to have a healthy pregnancy after pre-eclampsia. (Not that I’m considering one any time soon…)

Monday morning (after getting up to change Daniel), I had a dream where Sara Sidle of CSI had it and died. (They weren’t sure that the baby was going to make it.) I was in a complete rage at the doctor for letting Sara die (which does unfortunately happen with pre-e, especially if it’s HELLP and the liver ruptures) and I was ripping up books, beating people up, etc. I think it was my subconscious expressing the anger I have that women still die from this (especially in 3rd world countries where pre-natal care can be non-existent).

Please click the graphic on my sidebar and donate. I don’t care if it’s as little as $1. This is a cause about which I feel passionate because I survived it only because the doctors knew what they were doing.