One Week Old

By popular demand, some new pictures!

Can't forget about big bro' Charlie (pictured eating peanut butter).

Announcing Elliot

Hamilton Elliot Moody

February 13, 2008, 9:28 pm

6 lbs, 2 oz / 19.5 in

(Elliot's nurse fixed his hair today :))

Happy Valentine's Day from Big Brother Charlie!

Preparations

We've done a few things to prepare for Elliot's arrival...

The bassinet has been assembled and stowed safely in a corner of our room -



(the hospital bag is inside, packed and ready to go);

I've washed and dried baby clothes and they hang neatly in the closet, waiting for a soft little baby body to occupy them; I purchased these precious little shoes and sweet diaper cover, wanting Elliot to have at least a couple of things of his own...





a sweet friend sent this diaper bag -


and we've purchased a few newborn-sized diapers. But that's it.

Unlike last time around, when we spent weeks and weeks planning and decorating the nursery and stocking up on all kinds of frozen and non-perishable foods and paper products. I think I spent an entire paycheck at Sam's the week before Charlie was born! Elliot will sleep in his bassinet in our closet until he sleeps through the night and then he'll move into the office, where he'll either stay in the bassinet or graduate to the pack n play. We'll re-evaluate the sleeping arrangements after settling in Savannah.

All is different with Baby 2...in some ways it seems more surreal, this time around. The pregnancy has flown by and now it's hard to believe that in probably less than two weeks, we'll be a family of four (six if you count the doggie children). And I'm scared to death. It seems that having two kids puts you in a different category and I'm incapable of imagining how it's going to be taking care of a newborn and wild little Charlie.

So the waiting game has really begun in earnest and I'm passing the days by spending as much time with Charlie as possible, relishing these last few weeks with just him. He's so grown-up now, talking all the time and learning so much. I can't believe my first baby is nearly two!

Here is his, trying to kill himself (pretty much a daily activity!):





And finally, a self-portrait of sorts, shadow Emily, with less than 2 weeks 'til D-Day!

I'm too mentally and physically drained to get into too much discussion here or over email (so please excuse me if I ignore an email or two on the subject!) but I just had to share this -

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_020108/content/01125112.guest.html

and this

http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/a_vote_for_huckabee_is_a_vote.php


High Points -

RUSH: Well, but it's a delegate thing. The popular vote right now doesn't matter, it's a delegate thing and that's why right now Super Tuesday -- I mean Hugh Hewitt ran some numbers here, worst-case scenario from Romney, just to be fair about it, and these numbers, I'm having to get them from my head and I may be off by a couple hundred but the point will be made. At the end of Super Tuesday, the number of delegates McCain could have would be in the 700s, the number Romney would have would be in the 300s, that's large to overcome. It can be done, it can still be done, but that's monumental, and Huckabee will be in there with 150 some odd. The real key to this is Huckabee. A vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain in the primaries.

And this -

Since McCain's stick-it-to-the-base mentality will make him lose in the general election, a vote for Huckabee is a vote for (ultimately) Hillary [or maybe Obama].

At 36 1/2 Weeks...

One should not have to -

1) Scrub the porch floor, walls and ceiling with a mop and bleach

2) Re-organize the garage and attic

3) Lug objects of various size and weight half-way up the pull-down attic stairs

4) Repaint the corners of the kitchen (long story)

Note - my poor husband has done the most unpleasant jobs so kuddos to him...I'm just venting about the leftovers. :)

WOW. This is a very different pregnancy than I experienced with Charlie. At 36+ weeks with him, I was sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and feeling sorry for myself and going to the gymn and getting pedicures at my leisure.



In any case, we've done some prep work for Elliot, including assembling the bassinet Ryan's parents gave us for Christmas and purchasing some sheets for it. My newly-ordered double-stroller sits in its box in the garage, waiting for someone to find the time to assemble it. And my friends here were sweet enough to host a little shower for me on Saturday, making both Elliot and me feel very special. And miracle of miracles, we did remember to take a picture (the 3rd in 9 months). So by popular demand:








I'll be sure to post some pictures of his cute new monogrammed possessions soon.

Happy Sunday!

Things I can't wait to do once I'm no longer a human incubator: #2

I can't wait to RUN again!

I'm not one to run while pregnant. I hate the feeling of running on a full stomach and that is how I feel when I'm pregnant - yuck!

Just as soon as I'm able, I'm planning to break out the treadmill and start the Couch-to-5K Running Plan, which is what I started not too long after Charlie was born. And it was great! I have a lofty goal of running in three races in '08 - we shall see!

Things I can't wait to do once I'm no longer a human incubator

#1 in a series

Enjoy a guilt-free* FULL glass of wine, like one of my favorite cheap wines, Jacob's Creek Shiraz.

I could really use a glass of wine tonight, and every night until I give birth as I have been suffering from terrible insomnia (I have been up since 3:45am this morning). Thankfully (?) caring for a newborn is a very natural sleep inducer!

Week-end plans include a trip to Savannah for Ryan to work and for us to attend our pre-construction meeting and "design session" (this is where we get to pick our colors, lights, etc for our new house!) on Monday.

Stay warm this chilly week-end! And enjoy a big glass of vino for me.

*Guilt-free because I have on occasion in recent weeks enjoyed several half-glasses of wine...(Gasp!)

I have been quite negligent about this blog and the primary reason for this is the sheer volume of news and happenings that I have to share. So my M.O. has just been do and say nothing blogging-wise and just try to keep my head above water. But I'm going to turn over a new leaf and start updating more often, which will hopefully help me to stay on top of all our news and not feel so overwhelmed...we'll see, especially since one of my New Year's Resolutions is to NOT waste so much time on the Internet! But that's another blog post...

The biggest bit of news is that we have bought a house in Savannah! Or rather, "commissioned" (is that the right terminology?) a house to be built. And we LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! The location is perfect (Isle of Hope area, just off Laroche, for you Savannah folks). We have been looking at two neighborhoods since around Thanksgiving, knowing that for a new house, we didn't have much time. I took a whirlwind tour of both developments during Ryan's on-call week-end in Savannah in mid-December and after that, we both new which was our first choice. So we went down to Savannah again last Thursday and Friday and looked at house plans and already-built versions of those plans in other neighborhoods all over Savannah; we discussed financing with the lender; we met with the builder and the agents; we walked around the property and finalized our lot choice; and at the end of the day on Friday, signed a contract. AAAHHH! We still have to finalize the exterior and some other details but basically, our decision has been made. We have another trip planned for the 21st to do our pre-construction meeting and pick out our floors/cabinets/counter tops/colors/etc and then we wait. They are going to try to have the house ready in June but it might be July before we can get in...which brings me to our next bit of stressful news: Ryan's job...

We had been thinking that he'd take July off to move, settle in, etc but just found out yesterday that that is not the case. His contract specifies a July 1 start date and they really need him to start then. So considering his fellowship technically ends on June 30, this is going to be um, interesting. This the end of medical training and the beginning of Ryan's "real job" is a monumental change / milestone for Ryan and for our family, the importance and significance of which is hard to describe and cannot be overstated. This is probably a bigger change than the others I've described and one that makes both of us more nervous than the others put together...

And then tonight, we met with the agents who are going to be (HOPEFULLY!) selling our house here in Augusta. For buyers, life is good. For sellers, not so much. And we are both right now. If we sell our house in the timeframe we need, it will be a miracle. Everyone, go ahead and put this on your prayer list right now. I don't want to own a vacation home in suburban Augusta! We are putting the house on the market on Jan. 28, as in the week after next. AAAHHHH! And we have to get it ready before then - clean out closets, clean the exterior vinyl siding (??), clean out the garage, deal with the carpet, etc. And then I'm going to be responsible for keeping the house in "show-worthy" condition while caring for a newborn and a wild 2-year old? I can't even think about that right now! I really can't believe that our 3 years in Augusta is nearly over...our first house, place where both our babies will have been born...but it's true - we have the FOR SALE sign in the garage to prove it!

So you can see why the last few weeks have been quite a blur and why I have been so absentee. My last really clear memories are of the week we were all sick (weeks like that are not easily forgotten!) And at 34 weeks, I'm feeling quite pregnant and am really starting to feel the stress of December / early January. I have been having lots of contractions and lots of just, um, discomfort, mostly due to being climbed on and kicked and pulled and pushed by wild Charlie! I have a sonogram tomorrow so we'll know more about how little Elliot is doing after that! From my perspective, he's strong and active! :)

Thankfully all of the tasks and trials that are before us do not have to be accomplished on our own...we have a God who goes before us; who fights for us; who is strong when we are weak; who promises to be our our Strong Tower, our Helper and our Shepherd; who loves us with an everlasting love and holds us with everlasting arms. He is also the One who accomplishes all things for us and works out all the details of our lives. We have decided that our verse for '08 is Psalm 127:1 -

Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the LORD guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

We are clinging to these promises and really praying for grace to trust in the face of so many changes and such intense stress. We hope you'll come along side us and pray for us and rejoice with us!

Need I say more?

New Year's thoughts from John Piper, via his blog...don't miss this!
________________________________

10 Resolutions for Mental Health
December 31, 2007 By: John Piper Category: Commentary

On October 22, 1976, Clyde Kilby, who is now with Christ in Heaven, gave an unforgettable lecture. I went to hear him that night because I loved him. He had been one of my professors in English Literature at Wheaton College. He opened my eyes to more of life than I knew could be seen. O, what eyes he had! He was like his hero, C. S. Lewis, in this regard. When he spoke of the tree he saw on the way to class this morning, you wondered why you had been so blind all your life. Since those days in classes with Clyde Kilby, Psalm 19:1 has been central to my life: “The sky is telling the glory of God.”
That night Dr. Kilby had a pastoral heart and a poet’s eye. He pled with us to stop seeking mental health in the mirror of self-analysis, but instead to drink in the remedies of God in nature. He was not naïve. He knew of sin. He knew of the necessity of redemption in Christ. But he would have said that Christ purchased new eyes for us as well as new hearts. His plea was that we stop being unamazed by the strange glory of ordinary things. He ended that lecture in 1976 with a list of resolutions. As a tribute to my teacher and a blessing to your soul, I offer them for your joy.
1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.
2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."
3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.
4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.
5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.
6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their "divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic" existence.
7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder."
8. I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.
9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.
10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/976_10_resolutions_for_mental_health/

We're back up and running, finally and thankfully. We were all technically back to normal by late Thursday evening but it really was quite a ride. I couldn't resist taking a picture or two to document -

Friday took us to Savannah for Ryan to work all week-end, unfortunately. Weak and still realing, we crawled to Savannah and did our best to just make it. And we did...returning home at 10:30 or so Sunday evening. Whew!

But now we are in full Christmas mode and ready to prove it!

A few fabric trees I whipped up to decorate a cofee table.

Charlie's stocking, finished a few weeks ago:

And the mantle, adorned with all three new stockings!

During the Charlottesville years, Jill and I decided to start wrapping our Christmas gifts thematically. I've been doing it ever since. This year, red foil paper with gold ribbon (and when I ran out of red paper, last year's screen stepped in to fill the gaps!)

And We're Down

Yep, all 3 of us, well, 4 of us. With the stomach bug. Thankfully I have the mildest case of all. I'm not sure if that's due to necessity or the grace of God. Who take care of Mama when everyone else is sick? Literally 22 diapers and a trip to pick Ryan up from work later, I'm about to succumb to terrible stomach pains and achi-ness. Let's hope we all make it through the night!

One final thought: THIS is WHY we are moving to Savannah - I need someone to help ME!

Just a quick question

Just a quick question for all of you homeowners...anyone out there have a downstairs master (with the kids' rooms upstairs)? If so, how does that work? OK? Not OK? General thoughts on this issue? In trying to pick a floor plan for our next house, this is a recurring theme. I can think of pluses and minuses...

Thanks for your help!

Random Thanksgiving

We had a very different Thanksgiving this year. Ryan was working so Charlie and I spent the day watching the parade (which he loved), cleaning the house and doing laundry. Ryan was able to sneak out of the hospital a little earlier than usual and we all celebrated by taking a nap and then going to Cracker Barrel for turkey and pecan pie. Sadly, Cracker Barrel was packed ?

BUT the week-end was great as my sister Anna, brother-in-law David and nephew Tyson (6 months older than Charlie) arrived late Thursday night. In addition to shopping and just hanging out, we made a trip to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. Charlie was thrilled - he pitched a major fit after we left the first three exhibits, apparently not catching on AT ALL that we were off to see more animals. But thankfully, about 20 or so minutes into it, he caught on and was excited to see "more anmals." He is not scared of animals (or much of anything, for that matter) AT ALL so he touched and fed every available creature. He are some of my favorite shots.

Notice my face in this last picture. By this point, I was fed up with giraffe slobber. It was very cool to be be so close to a giraffe (they are HUGE in real life! Look at that head!) but really, we were on our 20th piece of lettuce!

Charlie loves Tyson. He's actually obsessed with him - he does not go one day-or really one hour-without mentioning "Tyse." And could Charlie look anymore like his Dad? :)

In other news, I'm suddenly feeling very pregnant. Twenty-eight weeks today. Yikes. This one is sneaking up on me! I'm tired, lots of things hurt and bending over to pick things up is a fate worse than death. I don't remember feeling such random pains with Charlie but then again, I didn't do the human pretzel every day to keep up with a wild and crazy 20 month old. That probably has something to do with it.

Anyway, by popular demand...a photo, taken last Sunday...Anna, also pregnant, is 20 weeks.

Thanks so my growing mid-section, Charlie has finally realized that something is going on. The other day he randomly looked at me, looked down at my stomach and said "baby." We told him there was a baby in there a few weeks ago and he was like, "um, OK, whatever." But I guess he remembered! Occasionally he'll remember the baby's name and say, "Baby. Eyat!" with a huge smile but most often, it's just "Baby." At least he's getting the memo that something is about to change!

In other news, we (well, me, Ryan has been working like crazy!) have really started looking at houses. For you Savannahians, our top choice at this point is a new house in one of the new neighborhoods in the Isle of Hope area. I'm so excited at the thought, I can barely stand it!

Cheers!

So thankful

The Proof is in the Pictures

I have been busy, busy, busy at my sewing machine in recent weeks and finally - some proof! Last Thursday I put the finishing touches on stockings for Ryan and me. His is forest green with plaid trim and silver buttons on the cuff...mine is winter-white with black grosgrain ribbon trim and vintage-jewelry-esque black jewel buttons on the cuff (wouldn't Jackie O. be proud?). I'm extremely proud of the results at I have been wanting to make homemade stockings for about four years now.

The Proof

The fabric for Charlie's stocking has been selected, purchased and is ready to be cut and sewn. But it might have to wait until after Turkey day, though that would be putting myself slightly behind my self-imposed holiday schedule. :)

And tonight I turned out a little fold-up crayon pouch for one of Charlie's friends who has a birthday this week. It turned out well and was actually a very encouraging project for me...I've made four of these little guys and the first one nearly pushed me over the edge. I thought it was SO hard and it took me about five hours to cut and sew the fabric...and it didn't even look very good! But this one...the lines are straight and in the right place and the corners are actually squared! Not to mention the fact that I was able to make the thing in a reasonable amount of time. I think I'm making progress! Who knows, by the time we move, I might be ready to sew some curtains...

Closet Environmentalist?

While in Chicago, I was assaulted hourly by environmental activists and nearly run over several times by fast-moving taxis in attempt to save myself by dodging my assailants. After spending some time thinking about the constant attacks, I realized that these passionate individuals probably took one look at me and sized me up as an environmental nuclear bomb, someone with a huge carbon footprint who couldn't care less about the environment. And while I'm certainly not an environmental activist, I certainly do believe that we as Christians should make care for the earth and all the living creatures living in it (people included and above all other "resources") a real priority.

Soon after returning from that trip, I saw a segment on The Today show entitled, "It’s easy being green! 7 ways to help the planet" and subtitled "Lowering your family’s carbon footprint is simpler than you’d expect" and I was intrigued. Here are the suggestions, from Chip Giller, president of Grist.org:

Day 1: Turn down the heat
Here’s a quick, easy solution that will save money and energy: Turn down your thermostat. Lowering your heat in winter by just 2 degrees can cut your energy bill by 10 percent. Get an automatic or programmable thermostat to make it easy to save on heating; set it to turn down when you’re away from home or sleeping, and to turn back up half an hour before you’ll be up and around.

Day 2: Unplug gadgets
Electronic equipment and appliances suck up energy even when they’re turned off — they’ve even earned the nickname “vampires.” Americans waste $1 billion a year powering items like TVs and DVD players while they’re turned off. So unplug your TV, stereo, computer, microwave and other electronics when you’re not using them — or use a power strip that you keep turned off unless you’re using one of the items. And make sure to unplug your cell phone and MP3 player chargers as soon as the devices are powered up.

Day 3: Wash clothes efficiently
When it comes to laundry, there’s lots of room for savings. Ninety percent of the energy used in clothes washing goes to heat the water, so washing cold is a simple way to cut energy use drastically. Plus, make sure to wash full loads. When it’s time to dry, make sure to check the lint screen before every load, and clean it afterward. And if you want to take efficiency a step further, hang some items and let them air-dry instead of running them through the dryer.

Day 4: Eat less meat
Meat production takes a lot more energy and resources than growing vegetables or grains, and 18 percent of human-generated greenhouse gases come from the livestock industry. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to make a difference in this area: Try skipping meat just one day a week. If every American had one meat-free day per week, it would reduce emissions as much as taking 8 million cars off the roads.

Day 5: Put the brakes on driving
Vehicles consume half of the world’s oil, and spew a quarter of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Leaving your car at home even one day a week can save a lot of gas and emissions over a year. Try walking, biking, car pooling or taking the bus or subway to get where you need to go — or see if you could telecommute to work one day a week. When you do drive, make sure your tires are properly inflated — under-inflated tires can cut your gas mileage by 5 percent.

Day 6: Go green in the home
Pick a small project you can do around the house to cut energy use. Here are a few ideas: Replace six regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs use about one-fifth as much energy as regular bulbs, and last about 12 times longer). Install a low-flow shower head, which will save on water heating and use. Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees and insulate the tank. If you’re feeling ambitious, undertake a home energy audit to identify projects for the future.

Day 7: Write a letter
While it’s true that small changes at home can make a big difference, one of the most important things you can do when it comes to climate and energy is to let business and political leaders know that you care about these issues. Take some time to write a letter to a store, a manufacturer, or your representative to thank them for their good work — or to encourage them to do better. Look at their Web sites for contact info. You don’t have to be an expert on the issues to speak up. And if we all put in our two cents, it will add up to some positive planetary change.

When I look at this list, I realize that in spite of the stereotypes about conservative voters and suburban housewives, I am not such an environmental liability after all! We follow a nearly-vegetarian diet (thanks to my meat aversion), our hot water barely qualifies as hot, our home is an icebox in the winter, I unplug most of our appliances when they are not in use and I only ever wash full loads of clothes. And since I have so much opinion and am prone to fire off letters to almost anyone, Step 7 could become a reality for me any day!

However, I do admit that we could do a better job of caring for the environment and thinking about ways to reduce the impact our carbon footprints. And demonstrating an appropriate level of concern for the environment should be a priority for us as Christians and an opportunity to witness to the world. But don't lose heart...you don't have to switch to all-natural deodorant and toothpaste and start wearing an exclusively-hemp wardrobe to make an impact.

Politcs again? I can't seem to help myself...

I'm in the middle of my early morning routine, just finished devotions and am on to my second cup of coffee and a healthy dose of Today, and couldn't resist posting on the latest '08 election news:

PAT ROBERTSON HAS ENDORSED RUDY.

Not that Pat Robertson is my example or political go-to guy by any means, but this is an interesting turn of events: "...there they were Wednesday morning, Robertson endorsing Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, as "an acceptable" Republican "who can win the general election" for president."

And in other news, Sam Brownback publically endorsed John McCain on Wednesday.

Interesting read on this topic:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/07/conservatives.endorsements/index.html

Who knows if any of this will be significant but I had to share.

The Creative Juices

Last week I decided to get creative...I had some cheap "test" fabric hanging around the house and decided to put it to good use, to try my skills before investing in real fabric. So thanks to Amy Claire, I decided to sew a few fold-up crayon pouches to give as gifts; I then decided to sew a fabric tree and a Christmas stocking. Both turned out really well, so well that I decided to go out and buy some "real" fabric. I'm going to make our stockings and a fleet of trees to decorate and give as gifts! I also decided to decorate a few burp rags for Janelle's baby shower gift...

Turned out well, I think. Too bad I don't have an embroidery machine (hint, hint, Ryan!).

Speaking of Janelle's baby shower, we posed for quite a few pictures of our pregnant selves but alas, all turned out to be pretty bad pictures. But here are a couple of them anyway...she's due in late December. We've come along way since college!

A Response

Glenn, a friend from the Charlottesville days, has responded to my previous post on a political blog: http://goodwillhinton.com/must_american_citizens_accept_the_status_quo_when_voting


and because I have a hard time leaving a friendly fight, I thought I'd respond to his comments...

__________________________________

I agree with you on two points, Glenn. First, I do not think that a single individual can "ruin" our great nation. And like you (and distinct from other Christians, I might add), I am quite optimistic about the future and truly believe that God is reigning and in control. But I digress...Clinton, for example, did not ruin the country. In fact, a couple of good things occurred during his time in office - the Defense of Marriage Act and the 1996 Welfare Reform Act immediately come to mind. HOWEVER, taxes were extremely high (my parents with 6 children living at home on >50K/year had to make monthly payments to the IRS, payments which could have instead been used to help me pay for college or the occasional family vacation) and Clinton did take some shots at home schoolers and the right to home school in general...in addition to sickening me and many others with his personal escapades, not to mention lying to the entire world...

Secondly, I agree with your assessment of the cycles of national politics and it is for this reason that I, until the past few months when Hilary really started pushing ahead in the polls, fully expected and had come to terms with the fact that a Democrat would be elected in '08 as I can certainly understand and in some instances agree with, the country's general level of frustration with the Bush administration.

But my agreement with these two points not change the fact that I do NOT want to pay extremely high taxes to a federal government that does not use my funds for causes in which I believe or support; I don't want an already big government to become even bigger; I don’t want socialized medicine (I’ve had way too much exposure to military medicine!); I don't want liberal activist judges appointed to the Supreme Court; I don't want marriage to be redefined. But even more than that, I do not want Hilary to be my president. While Barack Obama or John Edwards would obviously not be my first choice, I am bitterly opposed to the election of HRC to the White House. First and foremost, she is a socialist and while I agree that she cannot single-handedly turn us into a Socialist nation, I am very uncomfortable with and disturbed by her stance on virtually every issue of substance and her assessment of which issues are THE most important (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/10reasons/?sc=8). I also think she lacks the experience and finesse required to run the most powerful nation in the free world and would be somewhat afraid for our national safety under her administration (not deathly afraid, stockpiling-weapons-and-canned goods-afraid, but still slightly unnerved and on edge about the possibility of future terrorist attacks). And lastly, I do not want her to make history by being the first woman elected as president of the United States. As an American—and Christian—woman, I do not want in ANY WAY to be associated with or defined by her personally, professionally or politically. She is not the wife, mother, friend, business woman or politician that I’d want to be and I think that many American women would agree with me. Any woman who would “stand by her man” as Hilary has is not a tolerant and forgiving wife but is instead an insecure and desperate ladder-climber, willing to sacrifice her self-respect and dignity for the privileges afforded by her last name and marital status. In the “real” world, women who stay with their husbands for their handsome faces or large paychecks are considered fools and I simply will never understand why the feminists of this country have adopted her as their role model. If anything, she represents everything we competent, confident and capable women should detest and seek to avoid.
So it is my intense opposition to Hilary that has inspired me to rally behind an electable candidate. And while there is no mandate, moral or otherwise, to support a 2-party system, it is my personal opinion (note: I did not say “educated opinion”) that voting for a 3rd party candidate is a wasted vote and does not contribute overall to the popular election of a new president. I have made the choice to vote against what I consider a “greater evil” (for lack of a better term) and to throw my support and vote behind the reasonable candidate with whom I have the most in common.

Coming soon: a fluffy post with pictures of my recent sewing projects. :)

You have nothing to fear

While in Chicago, I was able to soak in quite a bit of the liberal news media and '08 Presidential politics and as a result, I have become quite "fired up" about the upcoming primaries and election. Fired up because WE as conservatives have quite a lot at stake in this election, from moral issues to fiscal issues to the general and quite basic rights and liberties that have traditionally been afforded to us as capitalists and citizens of the United States of America. Thankfully, the left-wing liberals seem to me to be their own worst enemy and may very well end up nominating Hilary Clinton, who seems to me to the LAST person they should elect if they want to win as she is quite a divisive and polarizing figure. However, even if they do their part and nominate Hilary, WE as conservatives must do our part as well by:

a) nominating an electable candidate. I know that this may break your heart but Duncan Hunter does not fall into that category. He is not going to win the '08 election. And neither is Mitt Romney, no matter how presidential he looks :),

b) actually going to the poles and voting for this electable candidate. I don't want to hear (or read!) any of you say, "I just don't agree with any of these candidates. I'm just not going to vote." Whether you like it or not, you vote either way. If you--a Christian, Libertarian or otherwise conservative voter--stay home, you vote for other side. So please, PLEASE vote against the candidate LEAST like you if that makes you feel better, but by all means VOTE. The Christian right is a powerful force in elections and we need US now more than ever!

c) and finally, under no circumstances nominate or support a 3rd party candidate to run on a "Christian values" platform (does the name Ross Perot ring a bell???).

An example of an electable candidate is Rudy Giuliani, who has been called THE most Republican electable candidate in the poles I've seen. He is also, unfortunately, the most likely to inspire the nomination of a 3rd party candidate. And (gasp) - I actually like him! See why below...

From Mayor Giuliani’s Remarks At The Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit, Washington, D.C., 10/20/07 -

As you look at this simple list of priorities, you’ll see a great deal of evidence of our shared views and our shard values. I’m not going to pretend to you that I can be all things to all people. I’m just not like that. I can’t do that. And you know that we have some areas of disagreement, but I believe we have many, many more areas of agreement and the one thing you can count on with me is I’ll always be honest with you. I’ll always listen to your ideas. I’ll always take them into consideration. And I’ll do the best I can to honestly tell you mine. I come to you today as I would if I were your President–with an open mind and an open heart and all I ask is that you do the same. Please know this— you have absolutely nothing to fear from me. I find it difficult understanding those who try to make me out as an activist for liberal causes. If you think that, just read any New York Times editorial while I was mayor of New York City...Ronald Reagan had a great way of summarizing it. He used to say my 80 percent friend is not my 100 percent enemy...Government should not force parents to send their children to failing or inadequate schools. Really, the idea, it takes a family, not a village to raise a child...We can all agree to move in the direction of setting specific goals to decrease as much as we can the number of abortions in America and to increase the number of adoptions in America...I can tell you I would appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, or Chief Justice Roberts...There’s one last thing that I’ll mention the briefly in the time remaining, but it’s the most important and that is that we remain on offense in the Terrorists’ War against the United States...And we must be prepared to take action and participate in places like Darfur because genocide in Africa is no different than genocide any place else. Never again must mean never again...This conversation that we’ve had about shared values and goals is a beginning, it’s not an ending. I want to work with the community of faith to develop new ideas that can protect our shared vision, building a more civil society, restoring the social contract, promoting a culture of personal responsibility and in the process we’ll achieve our shared goals, protecting our children’s’ innocence and defending the expression of religious faith, strengthening parents’ rights and expanding school choice, advancing toward a culture of life by decreasing abortions and increasing adoptions, appointing strict constructionist judges, and winning the Terrorists’ War on Us. Because the more we all talk together, the more we share ideas, the more we all respect each other, the more we can achieve. I’ll continue to extend my hand to you and I hope that you’ll take it. Together we can help our country rise to new heights and continue to form a more perfect union. May God bless all of us and may God continue to bless our great nation, the United States of America. Thank you.

Bottom line: while he may not be as conservative as we'd like in terms of the social and moral issues that are very important to us, he's not a liberal social activist and will not a be a crusader against these important conservative values.

I encourage you to read the full text of his comments and to give him and his platform real consideration - http://www.joinrudy2008.com/article/pr/919

Not doing so could lead to increased abortions, liberal marriage laws, higher taxes, more limited civil liberties, a more demoralized military, and leave us more vulnerable to future terrorists attacks.

P.S.

For those of you acquainted with our precious first born, Tyke Samantha Moody (our Jack Russell Terrier), you might be interested to know that he had surgery yesterday to have a hopefully-benign cyst on his tail removed. We'll know if it's cancer after the sample is tested at UGA next week. Poor Tyke, I hope he doesn't have cancer!

Oh, where to begin?

We made it back safely from Chicago at about Monday night, after flying into Savannah, picking up Charlie and the doggies and then driving to Augusta. LONG day.

Our trip was great – Chicago is beautiful, the shopping is heavenly, my dream shopping experience and we enjoyed lots of quality time together and some really good food, including deep dish Chicago pizza (of course). But right before leaving Thursday, we found out that our elderly across-the-street neighbor (affectionately called The Mayor of the neighborhood!) passed away suddenly while on a cruise in South America. We are very close to this man and his wife and they love us (especially Charlie!) as well. I’ll spare you all the disturbing details involved in passing away on a cruise ship off the coast of COLUMBIA of all places, but suffice it to say that the stories we heard were awful, unbelievable. And the tears of his wife of 47 years were heart-breaking (she’s German – he brought her home from war to be his wife and she never became a U.S. Citizen…that’s another story in itself). Since finding out this news, we have been deeply sad and mourning this loss. Mourning the loss of our neighbor and friend, Charlie’s friend and sad for his lonely wife, across the street all alone in their new home purchased for retirement. I have also been so convicted and saddened by all the times when I rushed by these neighbors, too busy with life to stop and chat. Those with elderly / retired neighbors know how high-maintenance these people can be :0) and these folks are no exception. Having all the time in the world to chit-chat, sit out on the porch, point out all the problems with the landscaping of the yard, etc. can sometimes, well, be a lot of work for the busy young parents across the street. But this whole experience has taught me a lesson about what is important in life: relationships, taking time for people, knowing that life happens in the moments when the chores are not getting done and the daily schedule is not being followed. How I wish that I had taken advantage of all the moments available with this gentleman, to talk about life, things that are really important, to get beyond the dailies. I feel honestly like this relationship and this ministry opportunity passed me by. And I have been grieving this loss and soul-searching, trying to cement this lesson into my mind, hoping for a new “M.O.” in life. My schedule-oriented personality will have a hard time with this one but by grace, I’m hoping for real change…

Anyway, back to Chicago: The Magnificent Mile is indeed MAGNIFICENT. Every store and shopping experience was available, right on this one stretch of beautiful, CLEAN Chicago road. I was able to get re-acquainted with H&M, an old friend from the Charlottesville days, explore several of the most beautiful malls I've ever seen and just generally have fun shopping sans child. It was so pleasant to be able to shop without having to provide a constant stream of food or stop Charlie from crawling under the dressing room stall walls. It really was a treat. I think my favorite mall was Water Tower Place - among other things, the food court was a real gourmet restaurant and I had a delicious falafel pita served on real china! I sure did miss my favorite shopping partners ever, Jill and Libby! In addition to shopping, we also experienced a boat and river tour, which was a quick way to see the famous Chicago landmarks, though not as in depth as we would have liked. We will definitely be back, Chicago! We love you!

First pictures

Today I had another ultrasound to confirm a few things because our littlest son was not cooperative last time (except for showing us his maleness) and the doctor wanted to try for some better views of his heart. Everything looked great, Praise the Lord, and I came home with some great pictures.



Here's a good shot of our boy -



and a precious little foot...




His name is Elliot, for one of my hero's Jim (and Elizabeth) Elliot (the rest of the name is still under discussion). And Elliot means The Lord Is My God...what more could you want? :)


Tomorrow we head back to Savannah, to drop Charlie off with my parents and fly to Chicago early Friday, returning Monday. Ryan has another conference and I'm once again going along for the ride. We've never been to Chicago so even though I hate to leave Charlie, I'm excited to see (and shop!) the city.

I love motherhood because...


1. It helps me stay on top of my wrestling skills: every day with an 18-month old little boy is a wrestling match...

physically -






and emotionally -






2. I get to be an interpreter: who knew that "guygise" means "bicycle or "anana" refers to a stinky, dirty, well-loved blue lamb / blanket. And don't forget that "RoRo" means "motorcycle!"



3. I get to read Goodnight Moon (Goodnight cow jumping over the moon, goodnight light and the red balloon...) no less than five times a day and talk about trucks and balls once every twenty-seven seconds.





4. I'm constantly reminded to always wear shoes in the house: tiny trains and cars are NOT fun to step on. Ask my friend Lisa, whose husband had to get stitches after stepping on a star-shaped metal cookie cutter!



5. Children call it like it is: this morning on our walk, Charlie yelled, "Mess! Mess!" (pronounced "Mace!") after spotting our neighbors yard literally covered in tacky Halloween decorations. My sentiments exactly.


6. I get to indulge my creative side by thinking up really good stories like, "the moon is hiding" to explain the waxing and waning of the moon.

7. While daddy's are for fun and games, I'm needed whenever my little son is tired/hungry/thirsty/sick/hurt/otherwise in need of a cuddle.

8. I am allowed the privilege of observing my husband love and lead his son. There is such beauty and strength in the everyday moments of fatherhood.





9. Life is filled with wonder now: who knew that a hot air balloon, rising slowly and majestically over an early morning sky would be so magical? It is when it's spotted by a child, who wide-eyed with wonder, begins babbling, "balloon?! airplane?! bubble?! blue?!" over and over again, standing at the window until the balloon moves out of sight, and then sadly waves and mumbles "good-bye!"

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence


10. I finally see some of the darkness of my heart, the depth of my sin and selfishness and the extent of God's saving and fathering love for me. Loving Charlie more than life itself has taught me that I love myself still more...but mercifully I have a Savior who helps me love him enough to put my trust in the One who promises to sanctify me, love and keep me, and use me-in spite of myself-in Charlie's heart, in this home, in this world.


Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15

We're back from our trip, much more relaxed--and in Charlie's case, healthier--than we left, thankfully. Ryan and I had a great time enjoying each other, the beautiful resort and delicious food. Charlie enjoyed his time with my parents, being the center of attention and having lots of people to clap at all his accomplishments.

But we sure are HOT here in middle GA, like everyone else up and down the east coast. Today, with the high temp of 94, we broke a heat record from the 1800s. This is the second high temp record we've set in the past month. So instead of serving up traditional fall food, like a bowl of chili and candy apples, we had to cool off with a taco salad supper. I whipped up some homemade salsa and guacamole (better than any store-bought brands, guaranteed!) .

In case you are so inclined, whip up some of your own - I promise it'll be a hit!

Fresh Guacamole

3 ripe avocados

1 small sweet onion

5-6 Roma tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

3 T fresh cilantro

5 T fresh lime juice

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Habanero hot sauce to taste

Cut avocados in half and scoop out flesh. Fork-mash avocados in a large bowl. Add finely chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and hot sauce to taste. Stir in lime juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole tip...store leftover guacamole in a covered bowl with the avocado pits - it'll keep it from turning brown!

--------------------------------------------

Currently Reading

Bright Captivity by Eugenia Price, for fun

The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood by Susan Hunt, putting my Christian-woman-book-hater tendencies aside to appease my mother...will let you know how it turns out

Lord, I Want To Know You by Kay Arthur, biggest shocker of all, more on this later

Big Thoughts for Little People by Kenneth Taylor, a childhood devotional favorite for my siblings and me, original copy being recycled for Charlie

Plans for tomorrow

Charlie to school, dogs to the vet, dogs back home, clothes to consignment store, post office, Target. Can I fit it all into the 4 hours of Mother's Morning Out and squeeze in a pedicure?

Tomorrow ends our brief stay here at "home" in Augusta. This is pretty typical for us lately...we come home during the week for 3 or 4 days, Ryan to work, me to clean and do laundry and work a little, all the while planning and preparing for our next trip. And tomorrow we head south, first to drop Charlie (and our 2 dogs!) off in Savannah for a long week-end with the grandparents and then on to Florida. Ryan has a conference in Ponte Vedra and I've been invited along for the ride. We are staying at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and have been looking forward to this trip for quite awhile. The only problem - Charlie is not doing well today. Around noon he suddenly spiked a fever, 102. 4 or something like that. I called the doctor and was instructed to take him to the E.R. but this seemed a bit extreme so I just took him to the pediatrician. His ears and throat are fine, thankfully, so we aren't exactly sure why he is having such high fevers but they continued all afternoon, not even breaking after multiple doses of Tylenol and Ibuprofen. And he's still wheezing and in need of his breathing treatments. *sigh* So we aren't sure yet what we are going to do...Ryan might go alone, we might wait until Friday morning to go, maybe Charlie will rally and we'll head out tomorrow evening anyway. We shall see.

In between trips to the doctor, cleaning, laundering and working, I decorated about 1/16th of our house for Fall...

And Charlie is learning to deal with his breathing treatments, often climbing into his rocker and attempting to self-medicate!

Relief

All is well! Thank you for your prayers, kind phone calls and emails. It has been a long day but the prep and the surgery went as smoothly as possible. The surgery was done at The Children's Medical Center and it was great - very kid-friendly and parent-friendly. Everyone was understanding and kind. I think that overall I was much more upset than Charlie, who made about 20 new friends and brought home 2 new toys! :) All in all, we were only away from him for probably 20 minutes. And the hardest part of the day, surprisingly, was the time we spent in the recovery room. When we went back to see Charlie, he was screaming bloody murder, which is uncommon for him. As wild as he is, he is not high-strung and rarely cries. So I was alarmed until the nurse explained that all the young children wake up upset, mad about all the wires they are connected to and how weird they feel because of the anesthesia. He was so groggy he couldn't sit up so he was just flailing around and crying, trying to rip off every wire attached to his small body. So we got out his cup and rocked him and he soon calmed down. And we were outta there...all by about 9:20am! This day, so dreaded by me, has been a blessing and an answer to prayer! Thanks again for thinking of us - we are so blessed to have an army of friends fighting for us!