Blog Happy

unflattering pictures of me, I know, but I was attempting to get some of Eve in my lap with her little "driving"toy (the cloth donut in front of her race is really a steering wheel)

I don't know why I am blogging so much so suddenly, but I guess I just want to share my world with the world. It is starting to get hot here in Logan (yuck) but I'm just glad that it's not winter! (it lasts so long in Logan). I really don't like Logan, but I really really really love my house and yard and neighborhood. With all my heart. When we first bought our house I thought, "what are we going to do with all this land?" (We have a quarter acre). Now I'm trying figure out how to squeeze in all the things I like into the backyard that we have. I thought that I wanted to make improvements on the interior of our house, but now I just want to landscape everything!

raspberries, strawberries, corn, potatoes, herbs, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, butternut, watermelon, crookneck, zuchinni, cucumbers, pumpkins, lavender, roses, peonies, poppies

on the rocking horse from grandpa and grandma barkume

The Objects of My Adoration

the chemist's first father's day

I always feel a little jipped when I read a blog entery sans pictures, so here are some to accompany my happy moment:

I finally feel like Eve's room is very near completion--at least until she starts crawling. I made the crib skirt and glider cushion covers myself, and also made the origami crane mobiles above her bed. I love them--they're beautiful, they slowly twirl on their own, and Eve loves to look at them. They're even hung on chopsticks!

We have lots of rose bushes at my house, which is nice because apparently it is hard to get roses to grow in Logan. They seem quite old fashioned and charming to me. I see these out my kitchen window.

Come on, who doesn't LOVE baby fat rolls and naked bums? They're soooo cute!

I Am Happy

So a few posts ago I was complainging about paying for things, because generally, things are always tight around here. Of course, I'm sure most people feel the same way. And would I love to have enough money that buying the $169 magazie holder from Pottery Barn would be nothing at all? Well, yeah, sure. (Just to make things clear, I would never ever spend money on a magazie rack of any quality, no matter how rich I was. I was just using that as an example).

But the other day Richard, Eve and I were returning to our house from an evening walk. And I just realized how happy I was. I have a very sweet, well-tempered baby that makes me laugh and giggle and cry a little and cuddles into me; I have a husband that is not only willing but enjoys cleaning the house, doing the dishes and shares yard work with me, all unasked and uncomplaining; and he is willing to go to work everyday so that I can be home with Eve! We have a great house in a great neighborhood, and there really isn't anything that I am lacking, except maybe tact and humility. And patience. But otherwise, my life is perfect. If only I could remember it constantly so that I don't complain. But I think it is important to remember the times you are happy, especially when they come upon you for no reason at all, but are just sweet little gifts that life gives you.

We're Back, Baby!

Wow! It's only been a little more than a month since I last blogged, but it seems like a long time ago! I've missed you, cyber space! And many apologies to the three faithful followers of my blog. We moved our computer to the upstairs loft, and the internet connection there was awful. We finally switched providers, so here we are, back up and running.

eve was shooting me especially cute glances before her bath (although she won't smile when I have the camera up to my face)

A lot has been going on lately. Being a nursing mother is a weird mixture of being insanely busy and doing nothing (or at least, not accomplishing many tasks). On May 3rd Eve received her baby blessing in church. Basically, it is a formal presentation of her to the church, and then Richard gave here a name and a blessing, which was very beautiful. Of course I was crying throughout the whole meeting. It started with the opening song and didn't stop till the meeting was over. We had all our immediate family with us, and some friends, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was lovely.

blessing day feast; eve with daddy

We also planted our garden. It was looking fantistic for a while, then two weeks ago the bug population in Logan exploded and all our tender little plantlings have played salad to a whole army of bugs. I'm trying to avoid using anything poisonous on our plants and soil, but it doesn't seem to be working and I don't want to lose my garden. Any organic gardening suggestions would be most welcome.

My first Mother's Day was absolutely wonderful, all thanks to Richard and Eve. I wish everyday could be Mother's Day! Richie made me breakfast in bed and dinner--scallops, veggies, sparkling cider, and homemade strawberry shortcake! It was divine and oh so delish! I love having a wonderful husband and sweet daughter.

he even used the nice china!

Eve is doing well. She got her first cold on a trip to Cedar City to see the grandparents, but she is doing just fine now. Baby colds are the worst! She didn't gain any weight while she was sick, so she's a little behind what her current trend has been, but she's happy and healthy and learning new things everyday. She sucks her fingers and loves to hold onto things and explore her clothes and surroundings. She loves to watch and absorb people and events around her. She is very good natured and usually quite happy and smiley. At her 4 month doctor's appointment two weeks ago she was 10 lb 9 oz and 21 3/4". So she is a tiny thing, but cuter than anything else I have seen on this earth, and I've seen a lot of cuteness. Sorry all those out there that disagree, but it's true. I'm never wrong, just ask the Chemist.

eve tries eat most of the things she picks up; below, she's apparently trying to do the can-can, and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it

Paying for Stuff

...sucks. I'm reading "Little Women" to Eve right now and I can totally sympathize with the March girls and their lack of luxury. Then Marmee comes in and smacks you upside the head with guilt trips that would make a grown man cry. I should be more grateful.

eve in her bear jacket that aunt annette gave her...I love the little ears!

We just got local phone numbers. I guess we really are living here!

eve and her daddy like to play "flying baby!"

My Beef

So, I am going to discuss something that has been on my mind for a while: my beef with so called "doctors." Well, I guess they're real doctors.

I have become well accquainted with my OBGYN and to a slightly lesser degree, our pediatrician, not to mention countless nurses, social workers, lactation consultants, medical billing specialists etc. I also have many friends in med school, or whose spouses are in med school, or PAs or what have you. And I can definitely understand the pressures of doctors, the expense of becoming a doctor, and the always exasperating futility of dealing with stupid, stupid people. In fact, I'm sure doctors see more than their fair share of stupid people. That being said-

The relationship that is created between doctors and their patients is one of the most important artificial relationships that a person becomes involved with. And it leads to feelings similar to that a real relationship, at least, for me it does. I experienced some of the highest of the high moments with my OBG, definitely my most terrifying moments, and some of my lowest of the lows. And all this leads to a heart-rending "on again off again" rollercoaster for me.

At one point, you are the center of their universe, and nothing could ever be more important than YOU. And then the next week, when you go in for your umpteenth blood draw appointment, they barely have time to smile at you. Not less than three times did my doctor (her nurse actually--god forbid a doctor acutally talk to a patient!) forget to call me with test results which led to me not taking proper medicine. I had many many questions for her, and I couldn't get ahold of her at all. I asked the nurse to have her call me, or at least address some issues. I didn't ask for her home phone number or anything like that, I'm not stupid. I just wanted to ask the professional I'm paying thousands and thousands of dollars to answer my questions. One phone call. I have never even spoken to her in her office. And the same goes for my pediatrician. He didn't even come into the NICU the day Eve was discharged! And none of the nurses at his office know what is going on with Eve, so they never correctly answer my questions, even when I tell them the whole story.

I guess what I'm tring to say is this: when dealing with non-stupid people, or in my case, very intelligent people, don't treat them like they're dumb, or unimportant. Don't forget to talk to them and answer their questions. Just because I chose not to go to med school does not mean that I am less of a person. In fact, I'm confident with a month's training, I could correctly perform most minor surgeries. But I digress. I am always sad when I realize that I will never be as important to my doctor as he/she is to me. It's the classic unrequited love story. I give and give and give, and they say nice/terrifying things to get you into the proverbial bed, and then "forget" to call you the next day.

If doctors are like this because they are overworked, then I think it's their duty and obligation to established patients to reduce the workload, thus allowing them to better diagnose and heal. If doctors act like douches because they are selfish and think they're better than their patients, then they need to spend some time performing douches on themselves to clean out all the crap.

I love my doctors. But they hurt me emotionally. They have the unfair advantage of being the only option when it comes to serious medical matters, people become dependant, the cycle continues...

okay, I'm done complaining now.

Here are some cute pics of Eve:

Eve and I on our first stoller walk!

I never thought I would put my baby in a bonnet. But I did, and it's cute!

Eve in her Easter dress. She kept making goofy faces. This is the most normal of them.

Richie took this picture. He calls it "Crazy Eyes."

Eve in a beautiful sleeper dress that her aunt Heidi and cousin Katrina gave her. I want her to be blessed in it if she'll still fit it in three weeks!

Sisters are Special

Today is my sister Nicole's birthday! She is the big 25--a quarter of a century. She is quite the darling girl, and I am excited for her blogspot debut. My birthday was on the 26th of March, so we are exactly 2 years and 5 days apart. Nicole has led the life that I dreamed about living: she has visited and lived in many exotic climes including Peru, Costa Rica, China and Hawaii to name a few. She recently returned to the US after serving an 18 month LDS mission in the Netherlands, so she knows how to speak Spanish and Dutch as well as English. She graduated with a BA in Business from Westminster University. Yep, she's pretty much an all around spectacular person. As her older and only sibling, I feel her next step is find the perfect man (if anyone can do it, it's her). The question now is: what man dares to align himself with such a strong woman? One who knows how to roast her turkey and eat it too?

No joke! this is really how she eats every meal!

Eve at the birthday party last Saturday (3/28)

Eve had her two month/two week doctor's appointment today. She grew two inches and gained 7.5 ounces! Her stats are now 7.7 lb, 20.75 inches. We are so excited! She is doing well. Also, the best news of all is that she no longer has to be on the pulse oximeter! YAY! We hated that thing, although I nursed her without it and I was very nervous without that yellow, digital reassuring beep that she was breathing and maintaining her sats okay. Here are a couple of little video clips of her first bath in the NICU. They are part of a much longer video, and I tried to put together a shortened version, but didn't have enough room on the drive(?) It was only a 3 minute clip, it has to work somehow, but I will deal with it later. For now, here are just two little blips of it.

7=0 (?)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Eve's due date is today! With her adjusted age, she is now at the ZERO mark. So all developmental stages start here at this sort of ground zero place. But as you can see from some pictures this morning, she has already started developing a highly acute and funny sense of humor. Sometimes she is a sneaky leprechaun, other times a screaming banshee, but always my sweet bonny lass.

Eve's biggest modeling infulences include Calvin from "Calvin & Hobbes" and Ben Stiller in "Zoolander"

Lovenox is Not Pretty

In order to get my blood thinner, I had to take a shot in the stomach twice a day for over a month. Thankfully, that is over now, I just have to take a pill. But during the last week I was on the shots, Richie accidently knicked one of my veins and I got the most gnarly, disguting, painful bruise. It actually looks pretty good in these pictures--I should've taken some while it was still at its worst stage. But these give an idea. I'm actually proud of it--a war wound of sorts. Please ignore my jello-like post-partum stomach. That's scarier than the bruise.

I wrote a couple of haiku about my bruise:


scarlet petaled bloom
tattoed across the belly
multi-colored pain


a shot to the gut
silently enters and bursts--
rainbow punch smears hard


I've been trying to get a good picture of Eve so I can make and mail birth announcements. Every time, every time, I try to do a photo shoot with her, this is what happens:

Eve loves her baths about 90% of the time. Otherwise, she's screaming. She's going to be a water baby like her mama. She actually looks like a real baby with chunk rolls! Or at least, the beginning of fat rolls. On Friday she weighed 6 lb 5 oz. Tomorrow is her due date--she'll be seven weeks old tomorrow too. She's grown out of her preemie clothes, but is still too big for newborn stuff. But I am sad to see my tiny daughter move on--she's so cute and small!