Quirky Corner of Common Sense

On December 22nd, Ethan turned 7 months old (yep, time flies!). On December 25th, he celebrated his first Christmas, and boy was it special, awesome, and wonderful! I was filled with pride and joy as I watched Ethan explore every gift he was given. The amazement in his eyes and the happiness in his smile filled my heart over and over all day. Ethan received so many thoughtful gifts for his first holiday celebration. We knew people loved him, but goodness he was showered with hugs and kisses like never before! I took fewer pictures than I should have, but I have decided that enjoying the moment ( and being a part of it ) is often as important as capturing that moment in a picture or video. Laughter filled my parents' home as we watched Ethan explore new books, new toys with sounds and lights, and even the wrapping paper piled on the floor. While we were home visiting for Christmas, the cliche song of wanting your two front teeth actually came true! Ethan now has his two bottom, fr...

If you had the opportunity to go back in time, to re-live certain years of your life, would you? If so, how old would you want to be again? Why? I'm sure there are some things that many of us would want to change about decisions we made, actions we took, or things we said. But, I've come to realize that all of those things from my past - the good and the not so good - have helped to shape me into the woman I've become. And, I like myself... finally. It took quite a long time, and quite a bit of struggling to grow into the person I am today. Me? I wouldn't go back to re-live any part of my life. Sure, there were some great moments that would be fantastic to recount, but as a 30 year old wife and mother today, I can honestly say that I would not want to revisit my middle school years, definitely NOT high school, probably not college, and so on and so forth... I look around me and realize that my generation growing up seemed far ahead of where kids are today. This a...

There are few things in life that bring me as much joy as dancing. Whether it's a choreographed piece, freestylin' at the clubs, or improvising during class, music moves me. Period. I am not a dedicated dancer - nor have I ever been. There are times when I just don't feel like going to class or putting in a few hours at rehearsal. That's why I could never dance professionally like I once yearned to do. But, I recognize that and accept that fact about myself. The opportunity to dance each week and perform multiple times each year with the dance company I'm part of (Without Walls Dance Co.) has been such an uplifting experience. The young women in the company are some of the most beautiful, kind, generous, and wonderful people I've ever met! I'm so lucky to have all of them in my life. While I was pregnant with Ethan, I wasn't dancing during most of the pregnancy for certain health reasons/concerns. I still attended rehearsals, but my heart was ach...

So, this whole parenting thing really does get better! Ethan just turned 4 months old, and the last month has already been 100% more fun and fruitful than the first three! He's hitting all of the milestones like a champ, and growing like a weed (albeit a pretty one). The best thing in the world is seeing his face light up in the morning when I get him out of bed. To know that he recognizes me (and Mike) and is happy to see us is absolutely the most rewarding feeling. He's come to trust us and knows that we will be here for him - rain or shine. That is something you can't put a price on. I feel lucky that Ethan is content to play on his own, chatting all the while. I am so proud that he's rolling over and almost crawling already! He is so adorable when he tries to hold the bottle all by himself (which he can almost do.... just have to move those hands under the bottle instead of on top and he'll get it). Ethan sleeps very soundly once he falls asleep, which ...

Well, we had our first family vacation... and I think it was a success! Mike, Ethan, and I drove to Ocean City, MD on a Saturday to meet my brother and his family for a week-long vacation at the beach. The drive was supposed to take 4.5 hours; after a grueling 7+ hour ride, a screaming child, and no more room in the car to fit even a water bottle... we made it ! I did my best to pack 'only' the essentials. However, our station wagon was so completely packed that we almost decided to buy a mini van that morning before leaving! A cargo case for the top of the car is MUCH cheaper, and we'll get one of those if we do another road-trip like that again. As for the screaming child... I rode in the back with him most of the way there (and back). It made for a very uncomfortable ride and it felt kind of lonely not getting to talk with Mike for so long. But again, we made it. My nephew, Caleb, is a VERY active and involved one year old. He likes to go-go-go, which is a lot o...

So, three weeks in to this whole parenting thing, and I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you what the others don't... the TRUTH ! This is absolutely one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. So far, the rewards are minimal because the baby is so needy (as he should be) and takes so much from Mike and me 24/7. The rare moments when he sleeps provide a slight respite, but not enough to fully recharge our batteries in order to be completely on our game 24/7. I feel like all I've done for 21 days is give, give, give... again, that's as it should be. But boy does it wear me out. And what about the times when the baby is crying to the point of turning red / purple, and I have to blow in his face to force him to take a breath? Yeah - that's fun! Clean diaper, full tummy, temperature seems to be okay, no bicycling legs to indicate gas... seriously, what is the problem? How frustrating to know that all I have to do is provide for my child a...

After 9 (long but wonderful) months of growing this little child inside of me, nurturing him with my love and food, today begins the next phase of our adventure! As a gestational diabetic, my placenta has been working overtime to ensure the correct levels of nutrients and glucose are being passed to Ethan. My doctor decided that 39 weeks is long enough, and there is no need to carry him to the anticipated 40-week timeline. So, tonight, Michael and I head to General Hospital, where the doctors and nurses will set me up to be induced. Thankfully, they'll use a foley catheter - instead of drugs. I'm hoping to do this entire process naturally... we'll see! But, getting it started natrually makes me feel a little better. It's been so exciting, not knowing when labor would start; I was a little less than ecstatic when I was told I'd be induced. But, now it's exciting knowing that we'll have our son with us by the end of tomorrow! Life will change for us for...

I'm going to blame this one on the hormones... although I really feel this way most of the time... There are some truly delusional drivers out there! I mean crazy people who make dangerously poor driving decisions every single day. I see it at least a few times a week on my way to and from work (which is only a 2-mile drive). For example: When the light is turning red, and traffic ahead of you is stopped due to road work, why in the world would you pull into the MIDDLE of the intersection... hoping you just might inch forward enough to keep the tail end of your vehicle from getting hit by oncoming traffic? People - it never happens that way, and you end up blocking traffic (and looking like a fool). Or, what about the tailgaters. You know the ones... people who drive so closely behind you that you can't see their headlights. What is the purpose of that? Living on the edge, perhaps? It is BEYOND dangerous - no matter how slowly we're driving. Human reaction time j...

Gestational Diabetes. (sigh) That's what I heard last week after two 'yummy' glucola tests and three of five blood draws that came back with high sugar levels. I was shocked, frustrated, and basically in disbelief. I quickly jumped online to read more about how this could happen to me... and after seeing that I was not in a high-risk category for this common ailment, I was even more upset. But, one thing I did read over and over (and that my doctor has continually reiterated) is pregnant women do not cause their gestational diabetes. It's not even the pancreas that is the problem - it's the placenta! And, after baby is born and several hours pass, my body will likely be back to normal regarding its glucose levels and insulin production. The human body is truly amazing. I am cotinually in awe as I learn more and more about the good and the bad, the normal and the 'not so normal' things we can encounter throughout our lives. Although my new diet and c...

I was brought up Brethren (a modest, pacifist denomination of Christianity). When I was 12 years old, I felt 'moved' during a church service one Sunday to accept Jesus Christ into my heart. I served my home church in different capacities until moving away for college. After college, I joined a different church, where I taught Sunday School, led youth activities, provided special music, served as Deacon, then as Elder. Now, I am not active in church at all. I still enjoy going on occasion, but I am truly not involved in any sense of the word. Why? I still pray. I still consider myself a Christian. But, in reality, when I look more closely at what constitutes a 'true Christian', I most certainly do NOT fit the bill. For example, I believe good people - regardless of their beliefs - will go to Heaven. I don't think they have to have accepted Jesus into their hearts in order to go there. I believe people of all kinds can get into Heaven (heterosexual, homose...

Ok, so the title of this post might be slightly misleading after you start to read it... but I've been seeing things on the news and hearing people talk about this lately. So, I'm adding my two cents. I believe homosexual couples who are loving, respectful, positive role models should be allowed to adopt children without all the red tape and need to defend themselves. Take religion out of the discussion for just one minute! Regardless of your beliefs about homosexuality and its place in American society, please think about something... Millions of children are born each year to parents who - for whatever reason - do not want to raise them. These children have not asked to be born, yet alone be abandoned into the arms of others. Similarly, millions of men and women want to have a family but cannot - for whatever reason. Ah hah! There is a way to solve this dilemma. It's called adoption . Who is to say that a gay couple could not raise a healthy, loving, focused, dete...

There are so many tiny miracles in this world that pass us by - unnoticed - every day. Right down to the air we breathe and the smallest, softest snowflakes that fall gently from the sky. One of the most amazing miracles I've come to appreciate is how a baby is created from the smallest, microscopic entities inside of a woman... and how those tiny cells grow seemingly rapidly to form a baby... and then after birth they continue to develop into adults. I look at my friends, family, co-workers, strangers, etc... and it really is amazing how we all were created from [essentially] the exact same process. Yet, we are all so very different. Humans have such interesting qualities that make us all alike, and still each one of us is incredibly unique. What a miracle. Michael and I recently had 3-D ultrasounds taken of our son, who was just 22.5 weeks along at the time. Although we still have 3.5 months to go until full-term, we could see such precise details about our baby. Our tiny ...