Yes, we know it's a few days early, but between baby care and the various versions of holiday revelry that are sure to ensue the next few days... well, let's just say it was a "probably-now-or-never" kind of thing. SO... to all our friends and family who actually check this, may we present for your reading pleasure (?) our Family Christmas Letter. Most of you are / will be in receipt of a hard copy with your Christmas card.
Dear Family and Friends,
We seriously debated whether or not we should write a holiday letter this year. Not, mind you, because we had nothing to say; on the contrary, so much has happened in 2003, we weren't sure we could sum it all up on a single sheet of paper. The letter that follows is our best effort to do just that.
Rather than recap our year as it unfolded, we'll stick to the hilights. The first half of the year was spent looking for employment for T while Mel worked 12-day weeks. It was a difficult time for us, but one that brough us even closer together and gave us a more profound appreciation for the love and support of the amazing people in our lives.
T found a new job just in time for us to welcome our son into the world. Jack Thomas was born on July 24, 2003, at 5:44pm. He weighed in at a very respectable 10 pounds, and has continued to be a busy over-achiever ever since. Parenthood has changed our lives in every conceivable way, and our beautiful son is a constant source of joy.
We welcomed several other new members into our ever-widening famliy circle this past year. We got a new brother-in-law, 2 new nieces, and a new nephew. It was, apparently, the summer for babies!! We think Jack is lucky to have so many cousins so close in age, and at least when we hit those terrible two's we will know there are others feeling our pain.
The biggest thing we want to share with all of our loved ones this year is our deep and lasting gratitude for every kindness. Whether it was sending us job leads, forwarding T's resume out, gifts of furniture, clothing and toys for Jack, meals for the family in the first days after we brought the baby home, or just a kind word or a listening ear at a critical time - we truly could not have survived the last year without you. Let it be known in no uncertain terms that we owe a debt to our loved ones that can never be fully repaid - but we certainly intend to try.
The best we can offer you this Christmas is our sincerest wishes that you all have a very Merry Christmas, enjoy the holiday season to the fullest, and as 2003 reaches its inevitable conclusion, we wish for all of you that the new year bring you ten times the joy and a fraction of the sorrow of the last.
Warmest Wishes, Thanks, and Love,
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Friday, October 10, 2003
The Great Pumpkin [ARCHIVE]
When people tell you that having a baby will change every aspect of your life, you think they have to be kidding on some level. I mean, SOME parts of your life have to remain the same... even if it's just some of the mundane details, right??? WRONG. Every part of your former routine is turned on its head. Case in point, the news section of our family website. Who knew it would suddenly become so difficult to keep it updated with any sort of regularity??? But, hey, at least I'm here now. This, in and of itself, is quite an accomplishment. Trust us. The baby is sleeping.. for how long, who knows? But at the moment, he is engaged in a "quickly-becoming-all-too-rare daytime nap". Just don't breathe too loud. Thanks.
Life continues along. Jack is sleeping through the night, saints be praised, so at least we are no longer sleep deprived. That's not to say we're not still exhausted, mind you... just not sleep deprived. There IS a difference. But, I digress.... we are getting into a nice little family routine, and though T is working all too hard to keep his family in pampers, and we see little of each other some days, we are generally happy and contented.
Jack had his 8 week check up a few weeks ago (he's 11 weeks old now, you can do the math) and he was a healthy and kicking 14 lbs 3 oz. By now, he is up to around 15 pounds. He's not fat, he's just... thick. A very healthy kid. Anyway, T is working like a stevador, and I have started back at the hospital 1 day a week. It's a nice break for me, and a healthy shot in the arm for the family income.
Today, Grandmommy Kistler, Aunt Kerri, cousin Abby, Jack and I all went to the pumpkin patch. The kids had a great time, and were a smash in their matching Halloween outfits (thank you Grandmommy!!).
Life continues along. Jack is sleeping through the night, saints be praised, so at least we are no longer sleep deprived. That's not to say we're not still exhausted, mind you... just not sleep deprived. There IS a difference. But, I digress.... we are getting into a nice little family routine, and though T is working all too hard to keep his family in pampers, and we see little of each other some days, we are generally happy and contented.
Jack had his 8 week check up a few weeks ago (he's 11 weeks old now, you can do the math) and he was a healthy and kicking 14 lbs 3 oz. By now, he is up to around 15 pounds. He's not fat, he's just... thick. A very healthy kid. Anyway, T is working like a stevador, and I have started back at the hospital 1 day a week. It's a nice break for me, and a healthy shot in the arm for the family income.
Today, Grandmommy Kistler, Aunt Kerri, cousin Abby, Jack and I all went to the pumpkin patch. The kids had a great time, and were a smash in their matching Halloween outfits (thank you Grandmommy!!).
Thursday, August 07, 2003
The Baby Has Landed [ARCHIVE]
Well, after a long delay, here at last is the scoop on Jack's arrival. I went to the hospital on July 23 to have a cervidil treatment, spent a long night in the hospital, and at 7:30am on July 24 the pitocin drip was started. At around 8am, the OB broke my water (and was surprised at the amount of water in there). There was a little meconium staining to the fluid - not a lot, but enough that the OB warned us the baby might not cry right away, since they would want to suction the fluid out first to prevent him from aspirating the fluid and getting pneumonia or any other complications.
The contractions started not long after that, and by 10am I was dilated to a 3 with contractions right on top of each other, and ready for the epidural. (Which I now swear I will never have a baby without.) The contractions continued throughout the day, and baby and I were both doing well, but by 2:45pm I was still dilated to only 3cm and things appeared to be at a stall. The OB started talking about the possibility that the baby was not going to be able to come down. It was decided that he would come back at 3:30pm to check me again, and if I was still not progressing we would begin to discuss our feelings about a c-section. (We REALLY didn't want a c-seciton, but we knew it was a possibility with the induction.) We tried some position changes and a back massage to see if we could get things moving again.
Well, lo and behold... at 3:30 I was dilated to 5+cm and we all agreed I should continue the labor. At 5pm the OB checked one more time, and I was fully dilated, fully effaced, and ready to start pushing. SO, push I did... for about 40 minutes. I pushed with almost every contraction (and there were a lot of them!) and was starting to get exhausted, so the OB used a vacuum extractor and carefully helped little Jack into the world.
At exactly 5:44pm, attended by about 8 different doctors and nurses, Jack was born. Dad and Mom watched impatiently as he was suctioned, and finally they heard that first indignant howl. Jack had arrived.
Our little family is beginning to settle in and learn how to live with each other. It's a new experience, operating on little sleep but lots of love. Jack is absolutely perfect, and we couldn't be happier with our new addition. He even sometimes sleeps through the night... (knock on wood) or at least long enough to let me steal an occasional nap between feedings.
T is, of course, shaping up to be an incredible dad. He works long hours at his new job, and is learning a lot along the way. He comes home at night eager to enjoy his new son, now that he is almost fully recovered from the nasty virus he picked up at the hospital. (Who knew you could go to the hospital healthy and come home SO sick?!)
We are beginning the process of learning to be parents, and enjoying the experience thoroughly (sleepless nights and all.)
That's the scoop on our new baby boy and his new parents. Check back soon for updates as they develop... I'm sure there will be a lot of them in the days ahead....
The contractions started not long after that, and by 10am I was dilated to a 3 with contractions right on top of each other, and ready for the epidural. (Which I now swear I will never have a baby without.) The contractions continued throughout the day, and baby and I were both doing well, but by 2:45pm I was still dilated to only 3cm and things appeared to be at a stall. The OB started talking about the possibility that the baby was not going to be able to come down. It was decided that he would come back at 3:30pm to check me again, and if I was still not progressing we would begin to discuss our feelings about a c-section. (We REALLY didn't want a c-seciton, but we knew it was a possibility with the induction.) We tried some position changes and a back massage to see if we could get things moving again.
Well, lo and behold... at 3:30 I was dilated to 5+cm and we all agreed I should continue the labor. At 5pm the OB checked one more time, and I was fully dilated, fully effaced, and ready to start pushing. SO, push I did... for about 40 minutes. I pushed with almost every contraction (and there were a lot of them!) and was starting to get exhausted, so the OB used a vacuum extractor and carefully helped little Jack into the world.
At exactly 5:44pm, attended by about 8 different doctors and nurses, Jack was born. Dad and Mom watched impatiently as he was suctioned, and finally they heard that first indignant howl. Jack had arrived.
Our little family is beginning to settle in and learn how to live with each other. It's a new experience, operating on little sleep but lots of love. Jack is absolutely perfect, and we couldn't be happier with our new addition. He even sometimes sleeps through the night... (knock on wood) or at least long enough to let me steal an occasional nap between feedings.
T is, of course, shaping up to be an incredible dad. He works long hours at his new job, and is learning a lot along the way. He comes home at night eager to enjoy his new son, now that he is almost fully recovered from the nasty virus he picked up at the hospital. (Who knew you could go to the hospital healthy and come home SO sick?!)
We are beginning the process of learning to be parents, and enjoying the experience thoroughly (sleepless nights and all.)
That's the scoop on our new baby boy and his new parents. Check back soon for updates as they develop... I'm sure there will be a lot of them in the days ahead....
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
The Countdown Begins.... [ARCHIVE]
I went to the doctor today, and after some discussion and review, I am all set to be induced tomorrow morning! That's right... we will be going to the hospital tonight to get all prepped, I will spend the night there, and at approximately 9:15am tomorrow morning, the pitocin drip will get started. Sometime in the following 24 hours or so, we will be having a baby!!!!
This will probably be the last update for a little while... We will be at the hospital until at least some time late Saturday. Friends who would like to stop by, please do so - but we would appreciate if you could wait until sometime Friday so I have a little time to recover after the delivery. I'm a little bit vain like that. I know - you love me anyway.
SO! Break out the (chocolate) Cigars, and everyone send T good coach vibes... he's all ready (which is to say nervous as a cat and entirely terrified of the experience before him) to coach me through this delivery. He's going to make an INCREDIBLE daddy.... and we are both ecstatic to finally meet our little addition. Jack, we'll see you soon!!!!
This will probably be the last update for a little while... We will be at the hospital until at least some time late Saturday. Friends who would like to stop by, please do so - but we would appreciate if you could wait until sometime Friday so I have a little time to recover after the delivery. I'm a little bit vain like that. I know - you love me anyway.
SO! Break out the (chocolate) Cigars, and everyone send T good coach vibes... he's all ready (which is to say nervous as a cat and entirely terrified of the experience before him) to coach me through this delivery. He's going to make an INCREDIBLE daddy.... and we are both ecstatic to finally meet our little addition. Jack, we'll see you soon!!!!
Monday, July 21, 2003
No News is No News. [ARCHIVE]
No Baby Yet.
Okay. That took care of why 99% of people were checking this section, so beyond that... well, there's still no real news. The next doctor appointment is on Wednesday afternoon. The current plan is that I'll be induced sometime between July 31 and August 5. The problem with this schedule? Now that T is employed, we would like to get on the nice company insurance plan, which is preferable to spending close to a thousand dollars a month (*gag*) to continue coverage under our current plan...the catch is that we can't switch until after the baby is born... .SO.. unless Jack decides to be helpful and come join the world before then, we are feeling a little depressed at this prospect. This has brought us to 2 conclusions.
1) Our OB practice is very likely entirely too conservative in their approach to getting this baby out ...
and
2) Insurance Sucks. A Lot. The entire concept that if we switch now the delivery and such would not be covered by our new insurance (which our current OB does not accept) seems beyond ridiculous...really even beyond ludicrous... but what can you do? Simple: nothing. Don't you love being totally without recourse? Yeah. Us neither.
T survived his first week at the new job, and is learning to be back at work again. They are keeping him busy, and in the mean time I am still learning to be a housewife between trips to the bathroom. (Isn't pregnancy wonderful?).
Stay tuned for further updates as we head toward D-Day..(delivery day.. at least in theory..). 3 days and counting...
Okay. That took care of why 99% of people were checking this section, so beyond that... well, there's still no real news. The next doctor appointment is on Wednesday afternoon. The current plan is that I'll be induced sometime between July 31 and August 5. The problem with this schedule? Now that T is employed, we would like to get on the nice company insurance plan, which is preferable to spending close to a thousand dollars a month (*gag*) to continue coverage under our current plan...the catch is that we can't switch until after the baby is born... .SO.. unless Jack decides to be helpful and come join the world before then, we are feeling a little depressed at this prospect. This has brought us to 2 conclusions.
1) Our OB practice is very likely entirely too conservative in their approach to getting this baby out ...
and
2) Insurance Sucks. A Lot. The entire concept that if we switch now the delivery and such would not be covered by our new insurance (which our current OB does not accept) seems beyond ridiculous...really even beyond ludicrous... but what can you do? Simple: nothing. Don't you love being totally without recourse? Yeah. Us neither.
T survived his first week at the new job, and is learning to be back at work again. They are keeping him busy, and in the mean time I am still learning to be a housewife between trips to the bathroom. (Isn't pregnancy wonderful?).
Stay tuned for further updates as we head toward D-Day..(delivery day.. at least in theory..). 3 days and counting...
Monday, July 14, 2003
EMPLOYED AT LAST [ARCHIVE]
It's amazing how the time flies and before you know it whole weeks have gone by and you realize you forgot to update the news section... Not that this refers to anyone in particular.. *cough*....
OKAY! So to sum up, T is once again in that station known as "Slave to The Man" and he couldn't be happier to be so. He started his new job today as a Sales Engineer. We'll let you know how he likes it once he has a chance to settle in, but just to reiterate for now.... OUR BABY'S DADDY IS EMPLOYED!!!! Hazzah!
Speaking of babies, no we haven't birthed any yet. I finally finished working for the time being, and I am now finding new and exciting ways to fill my time while I wait for the contractions that signal the impending arrival of our little one. Some of these ways are more exciting than others (The vacuum cleaner is not as appealing as the computer at present, but hopefully that nesting instinct will kick in any time now..) I am currently focusing on the lofty daily goals of having a shower, breakfast AND lunch, and keeping the house in enough order that T won't be able to say he made a better housewife. (Though there's no contest that he is the better cook.... Oh how I will miss his gourmet dinners... *sniff*)
That is all the update for now, but check back soon.. this baby can't stay in there forever. (or so my OB tries to assure me...)
OKAY! So to sum up, T is once again in that station known as "Slave to The Man" and he couldn't be happier to be so. He started his new job today as a Sales Engineer. We'll let you know how he likes it once he has a chance to settle in, but just to reiterate for now.... OUR BABY'S DADDY IS EMPLOYED!!!! Hazzah!
Speaking of babies, no we haven't birthed any yet. I finally finished working for the time being, and I am now finding new and exciting ways to fill my time while I wait for the contractions that signal the impending arrival of our little one. Some of these ways are more exciting than others (The vacuum cleaner is not as appealing as the computer at present, but hopefully that nesting instinct will kick in any time now..) I am currently focusing on the lofty daily goals of having a shower, breakfast AND lunch, and keeping the house in enough order that T won't be able to say he made a better housewife. (Though there's no contest that he is the better cook.... Oh how I will miss his gourmet dinners... *sniff*)
That is all the update for now, but check back soon.. this baby can't stay in there forever. (or so my OB tries to assure me...)
Monday, June 30, 2003
An-ti-ci-pay-ay-tion... [ARCHIVE]
Patience is not a virtue in large supply at our house. Any news on the aforementioned "Big News!" topic will have to be delayed until at least tomorrow. Yes, I know this is unfair and cruel. We are in the same boat. It's not fun to have someone else pulling the strings of our respective destinies. Please join us in a stare of disapproval in the general direction of Washington, DC. Meanwhile, we will be attempting to channel (*insert very patient saint's name here*) to keep from going insane while we continue to... yes, wait.
To continue in that vein, there are still 3.5 weeks until the estimated delivery date of the little bean. Yes, we are walking and feeding me lots and lots of spicy food. Thus far, I have indigestion and swollen ankles.. but as of yet, no baby. We're hoping maybe the fireworks on Friday will scare him out. If not, we're fully prepared to begin the psychological war by strapping headphones to my belly and inundating him with old Donnie Osmond hits. That would scare us out, anyway.
Check back soon for something more interesting than the above. Again, I'm really very sorry. I'd love to be able to tell you something more exciting. I can make something up if you like, but with everything exciting that is ALMOST happening to us, it would seem a bit silly at this point. Thanks for standing with me. Now go away before I am tempted to start singing "Kum-ba-yah".
To continue in that vein, there are still 3.5 weeks until the estimated delivery date of the little bean. Yes, we are walking and feeding me lots and lots of spicy food. Thus far, I have indigestion and swollen ankles.. but as of yet, no baby. We're hoping maybe the fireworks on Friday will scare him out. If not, we're fully prepared to begin the psychological war by strapping headphones to my belly and inundating him with old Donnie Osmond hits. That would scare us out, anyway.
Check back soon for something more interesting than the above. Again, I'm really very sorry. I'd love to be able to tell you something more exciting. I can make something up if you like, but with everything exciting that is ALMOST happening to us, it would seem a bit silly at this point. Thanks for standing with me. Now go away before I am tempted to start singing "Kum-ba-yah".
Friday, June 27, 2003
Points to Ponder... [ARCHIVE]
***WARNING***
If you don't want to know the exact state of my anatomy, may I suggest you turn away now.
Okay, so you're still here? Well, yesterday was the 36 week check-up, among other things. As of yesterday morning my cervix is dilated exactly 1cm. There is not much effacement happening yet, but that will come on its own. Jack is still in the correct, proper, and head-down position (go kid!) so it looks like we will be good to go whenever he decides he is ready to join the outside world. Hopefully, this will be sooner rather than later, as I am fully prepared to serve him with an eviction notice if he doesn't vacate my premises on his own in the very near future. Be smart, kid, and don't go against your mother. She usually gets what she wants in the end. Just ask your dad.
Speaking of Jack's dad, check here Monday for some SERIOUSLY BIG news. No spoilers here, you'll have to wait for the big announcement... we can only say it may involve a paycheck and full medical benefits...(*insert "bum-bum-BUM" music here*)
In other family news, a quick check-up at the vet yesterday confirmed that Casper (the fuzziest of our two furry children) has a low grade temperature and has lost some weight. A blood test confirmed her negative for anything truly horrible, so she's now on a special diet to see if that will help her sensitive kitty digestive system. We're glad it doesn't appear to be anything serious, and should probably clear up on its own given a little time and TLC. Go Super Kitties!
That's it for today.. check Monday for seriously cool updates.
If you don't want to know the exact state of my anatomy, may I suggest you turn away now.
Okay, so you're still here? Well, yesterday was the 36 week check-up, among other things. As of yesterday morning my cervix is dilated exactly 1cm. There is not much effacement happening yet, but that will come on its own. Jack is still in the correct, proper, and head-down position (go kid!) so it looks like we will be good to go whenever he decides he is ready to join the outside world. Hopefully, this will be sooner rather than later, as I am fully prepared to serve him with an eviction notice if he doesn't vacate my premises on his own in the very near future. Be smart, kid, and don't go against your mother. She usually gets what she wants in the end. Just ask your dad.
Speaking of Jack's dad, check here Monday for some SERIOUSLY BIG news. No spoilers here, you'll have to wait for the big announcement... we can only say it may involve a paycheck and full medical benefits...(*insert "bum-bum-BUM" music here*)
In other family news, a quick check-up at the vet yesterday confirmed that Casper (the fuzziest of our two furry children) has a low grade temperature and has lost some weight. A blood test confirmed her negative for anything truly horrible, so she's now on a special diet to see if that will help her sensitive kitty digestive system. We're glad it doesn't appear to be anything serious, and should probably clear up on its own given a little time and TLC. Go Super Kitties!
That's it for today.. check Monday for seriously cool updates.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Countdown to baby time... [ARCHIVE]
5 or so weeks to go and counting... As far as pregnancies go, I have not had it so bad. I skipped the morning sickness pretty much entirely and, other than increasingly uncomfortable nights and some minor swelling, I've "breezed through" as much as that is possible. (Hey, pregnant is pregnant... it's never REALLY easy.) SO, we are, as the saying goes, in the home stretch. I cut my hours down, so I am now officially working 30 hours a week instead of 40. I also worked my last shift at the hospital, until after the baby, last Saturday. The nurses threw me an amazing surprise shower, and any necessities for the baby that were conspicuously absent have now been accounted for.
Sunday, June 01, 2003
Who The Hell Is MeL?!
Hi there.
I'm MeL.
I'm a stay at home mom, which means I spend my days wrangling my 4 children. It also means my life is full of nearly equal measures of joy and desperation.
I grew up all over the US, moving about every two years until I started High School. No, my dad wasn't in the military, nor was he a spy or a member of the witness protection program. We just moved a lot.
After graduating from high school in California I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, until it made my head explode. You could not lure me back there with any enticement, not even a limitless supply of curries and a bottomless vanilla latte. And that is saying something.
I landed in the DC area in 1999 and lived there, in various residences spanning the metro area, for 13 years. In that span I met Trip, moved in with him, married him, and made a couple of kids with him. in 2012 we relocated to Denver, where we plan to finish raising small humans into respectable adults. We hope.
I am the ninth of ten kids. I was raised a mormon, but my membership officially ended in July 2006, and now we sporadically chill with the Unitarian Universalists. They're awesome.
I started blogging in 2003 as a way to let friends and family know what we were up to, but it slowly evolved into a way for me to vent all the chaos in my head.
Please feel free to comment or join in on my conversations with myself. Please note, however, that I do reserve the right to remove your comment if I deem it offensive or in any way threatening.
Welcome, and thanks for stopping by.
We added our daughter after this photo.
When I can find the time, we will get another family picture.
Until then, here she is...
Yes, she really is that awesome.
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