Mobile (and not my phone)

I'm amused lately by the smallest things, probably because I never leave the house. But today I got a good look at Claire's newest form of movement. She can turn herself while lying on her back. I wasn't sure how she did it before but today I watched her do it. She kicks her feet up in the air so she's a 90 degree angle then she falls over to her side. Then she straightens her legs out.. don't ask me how it works but it does. It's slow going but it's just enough to make her 'mobile' for the first time... scary.

Naked in the Bathtub

You know those pictures your mom took of you 'naked in the bathtub'? and you said to yourself, 'why would she do something like that?' and 'isn't she supposed to be watching me so I don't drown, when does she have time to take pictures?' Well today I realized why my mom took those pictures. There is something about naked babies that makes you want to take their picture. I took Claire's first 'naked in the bathtub' pictures today. I  thought about posting them but I am close enough to those of you who ask all those questions that I will spare her the embarrassment of having naked pictures of herself posted on the internet. So smile, no one is taking 'naked in the bathtub pictures of you anymore!

In Awe

This Christmas was Claire's first. She really enjoyed it, more than I thought she would.
She also changed the 'Christmas experiance' for me. I was at the candle light service and the pastor said something about Mary knowing from the beginning that Jesus was purposed to die. It made me think back to something Alex said 'Claire really has no purpose yet but she sure is cute'. I can't imagine what Mary might have felt when she woke up on his first birthday and realized that he was going to die a horriable death for the freedom and salvation of the human race. Everyone dies, I know that one day Claire will die (unless Christ comes before that day) But I don't think about it constantly, Mary might have. I can't imagine what she felt. It made Christmas and the Christmas story so much more 'real' having had Claire this year.
I am in awe of my Savior and his sacrifices for me this Christams season.

Yawn

btw Claire went to her first Holiday party yesterday! she liked and it was one of her first 'firsts' she didn't sleep through.

She was happy about it

A Tree and Some Shots

We got a tree and five shots, the tree was mostly good, as were the shots actually. Let me tell you about them:

The Tree

Jimmy and I left Claire for the first time since we moved here and we got a tree (Oh, we left her with someone, someone reliable)(That was for GB who was wondering why we left her alone and was putting on her coat or calling her lawyer, or maybe both)Anyway, we got a tree, we picked it out all by ourselves (with the help of a nice boy scout)(that made me miss Greg). Then we tied it to Jimmy's car (OOOO I drove to the tree place, all by myself)(This is mainly the reason that Claire didn't come with us). And once it was on Jimmy's car, he drove us home and we brought our tree in and we lit it up (after stringing the lights ourselves, I don't understand the pre-strung ones) and we placed all my ornaments on it (even the new one from Miss Brenda)(Thank you!  :))(He he, he looks like he has a double chin) ANYWAY, it looks great and when my camera comes back to me (it's on vacation on LI) I will take pictures and post them. The mantle also got done up and it is my favorite part of the house.

The Shots

Claire went to the doctor today, he is Jewish, this is only important if you are waiting in the waiting room and you see a 'rag' on the floor and if you had known that the doctor and most of his cliental are Jewish you would have been able to identify the 'rag' as a jamica (Which I'm sure isn't spelled correctly b/c Steve (my computer) is telling me so)(but he speaks as much Hebrew as me so we aren't a great pair for fixing that problem). So we was the doctor who was very nice and Claire got FIVE shots. Well one was an oral vaccine so there were really only four shots but that's a lot when you are only 2 1/2 months and not even 13lbs yet. She did very well, I held her and she screamed but after the first two shots (during intermission) she calmed down and after the last two shots she fell asleep, in fact she is still asleep. (I should be doing something useful actually, like cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes from the dinner we never ate last night)(but I'm not). 

So overall, our house is pretty and our baby is a good shot taker. Life is good here and we can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

My Amazing Sisters

My sisters are amazing. They came this weekend to visit me and they transformed this house... here are some before pictures of what the house looked like (well the one room we had time to tackle)

They scrubbed and taped and PAINTED!! like mad women and they love me so much! I can tell that they do because they did all this gross work. Here are some pictures of the process.

Then we finally finished after some sick and tired-ness with an amizing project finished and AMAZING results! take a look for yourself.

I love my sisters!

My First Married Post

This is My first married post. Lets see if it's any different. I don't feel that different, things aren't that different. I mean I'm married so Jimmy is around all the time, I like that. And I have help at night with Claire, I like that. And I am cooking for two not one or 5, I like that. And I have my own house, I like that too. So I guess some things are different, but better. Like the new that Beth was talking about.. if you want to know what I'm talking about, just ask miss brenda, she knows and my book somehow got lost in the move, but I'll unearth it soon, I can almost see the other side of the pile of my stuff. I think I'll conclude with a list of things I love about my new home.
1. washer & dryer
2. hot water
3. bathtub (to relax in)
4. Claire's own room
5. stove
6. Fireplace
7. my husband:)
8. internet in my house

My life is crazy

Just a quick "My life is crazy" update. I am getting married this weekend! Yeah! There will be pictures and I hope they are beautiful (I know they will be). I still don't have flowers and my bridesmaid dresses are full of pins cause they still need altered, and I don't really have an order of service yet. So all in all I still have about 4 days to pull it all together and with the help of those who love me I'm sure it will be a magical day!

After the wedding (like right after) we are moving Claire and Me to NY, and settling in there. Which will be an adventure for more than a few reasons.

Claire is 6 weeks and growing like crazy, yesterday I went to dress her and the outfit I had out for her didn't fit her... she's all growed up :( (see picture below)

Thankful, a month early

Thing you take for granted:

1. Taking a shower whenever you want

2. Eating a whole meal in a sitting (when it's hot)

3. Talking on the phone when you feel like it

4. Wearing only one outfit a day (the one you picked out in the morning)

5. Jeans (that fit)

More to come... Having a baby makes you thankful for all the little things in life

I'm thankful for this 'little thing' especially

Motherhood

So I am offically a mom, I coo over other babies and compare them to my own, I even cried at a huggies commercial the other day (they tell you this will happen but you put it up there with craving paint chips and metal shavings). And to top it all off I told my sisters that famous mother line "When you have kids of your own, you'll understand" WOW... It just happens, like your hair growing (mine needs cut btw) you do nothing to provoke it, but BAM it happens. Life seems to be happening at a faster pace these days.

What am I getting myself into

I was lamenting to my sister just today that I seem to have little to actually blog about and then BAM! I speak with a young Italian man and I have enough to blog about to take me into the new year.
I was speaking with the Italian man to set up our reception dinner and WOW...
so you have to call him on his cell phone and you would expect that you could be treated as a business call. but don't count on it here. In the course of our conversation while discussing menu options he says to me, would you like me to conference my mother into this, (she's the cook and could give very good insite) I was impressed, then he says to me, "hold on my mom's outside, she lives accross the street" and proceeds to yell across the street to his mother about our dinner selections. Then he runs across the street and I guess almost gets hit by a car (I heard the beep of a car) Then his dog almost gets hit trying to follow him and he interupts our conversation to yell at the dog to go home. After talking to his mother and then him again we worked out the dinner selections. THEN we had to talk about the other arrangements and I mentioned that we would most likely have place cards... he actually said to me "I am physically or mentally incapable..." of putting the place cards out for us. Although he did offer his wife's services. And then he tells me he's been doing this for seven years, SEVEN YEARS! and you still haven't figured out place cards.. oh my. By the end of the conversation he is helping his brother or father or someone change a tire on his truck, like giveing instructions inbetween talking to me. I asked for an estimate of how much we were looking at and how much of a deposit he needed and he told me how to figure it out and told me to send the check like he didn't have a pen and paper or a menu so if I could take care of figureing out how much it was going to cost that would be great... WOW I wouldn't beleive it if I hadn't actually had the conversation. And yet we will be having our reception at this Italian man's resturant. Hope to see you there.

I would like to say that the food at this man's resturant is very good and that he has a heart to help. This is not to say that he should be a party planner. He is a nice Italian man.

Quickest Update Ever

This is Claire Marie Iovino, Isn't she beautiful! I know I'm bias but all the nurses here say so too! (it's prolly cause they will be fired if they say otherwise, but that only applies to ugly babies, of which ours is not one) (as you can clearly see)

She was born at 7:29am on September 26 weighing in at 7lbs 15oz. and a whopping 20in in length! (everything will end in an exclaimation point for the next couple days, excuse me for my excitement)

What you've accomplished here is good

I'm still pregnant, at least for now, but I am 3 or 4cm dialated! I love how they phrase things to you when you are pregnant. Like when the doctor told me that I was 3 or 4cm dialated he used the phrase, "What you've accomplished here is good." which is supposed to make you feel good about where you are at, and it does. But really, I have done realitively nothing to get myself to dialate. I mean if sitting around eating everything in sight counts as accomplishing something, I understand why some women want to be pregnant all the time. I think everyone should use that phrase for everyday things, like telling you your cold has cleared up "What you've accomplished here is good." Or when you finish your dinner "What you've accomplished here is good." or when your hair grows an inch "What you've accomplished here is good" It's just ubsurd and I can't really convey how absurd it is. But I guess What I've accomplished here is good.

Blame your ankles

So last week I went to the doctor, when you are pregnant they still do the weigh in thing every time you go (and you go almost once a week). It's like their way of torturing you for some unknown reason. I mean, if I were an OB I would invent a scale where you don't have to watch them slide the little bars around, first they slide the little one all the way to the right (as if they can't already see that they are no way no how going to balance the bar by moving the little one) Then they move the big one, which makes that horrifying clunk noise when it locks into the groove, screaming to you that you have passes the 150 lb mark. And as if it's not all bad enough they do it about 5 inches in front of your face while you have nothing else to watch except the horrible sight in front of you, and even though you don't wanna look and do the math; you do. I'm telling you, scales where they do all the sliding and clunking behind your back would really be a big hit, add that to your book Miss Brenda.
So anyway, in one week I gained 5lbs.! Now granted when you are pregnant you are supposed to gain weight, but 5lbs in 7 days seems a bit excessive to me. And apparently it was to the doctor too. He noted that fact aloud (just in case I hadn't done the math in my head already). Then he asked me if my ankles were swollen... WHAT!?! I mean swollen ankles are part of being pregnant too, but 5 lbs in my ankles, I think we would have noticed that right off the bat; when I could no longer stand up. In my ankles indeed. So the next time you gain weight just blame it on your swollen ankles. Apparently that's a very medical thing to do.

ps. Everything is fine, we attribute the weight gain to a big baby... who is very healthy and active.

Maternity- a time of transition

Alex makes me think again, he's really good for that; from alternate hands (what would yours be?) to 'car seats' and growing a second spine. Today he made me think about maternity. A word he learned through this whole pregnancy. He's begun to think of maternity as more than just a certain type of pants or tops and more like a time of transition to motherhood. I guess that's what it is, I've never thought of it that way, I guess to me it's been pants and tops. But today I made maternity pancakes; not quite as good as 'mom pancakes' but definately better than 'sister pancakes'. Everything in your life transitions in 'maternity mode', even the type of food you make. Alex also had the idea to market paternity clothes, I'm not sure what the difference would be but I'm sure someone would buy them, or some hormone crazed woman would buy them for her husband just because she has to wear maternity wear. Good idea.

I Saw My Life Flash Before My Eyes

When you die people say that your life flashes before your eyes, they never say though if it makes them cry or laugh. Today I had my life flash before MY eyes (not cause I was dying though) and it made me laugh so hard I cried at times...
It all started with the bathroom remodel upstairs, my mom wanted to put pictures of us potty training above the toilet (how cute huh?). So I volunteered to find the pictures, thinking it wouldn't take TOO long. (How wrong I was) We have about 2000 slides that I went through and I only found pics of Stasi and I and none of Ami (sorry hun, we'll have to take an updated one for the wall :) Anyway... you would never belive the things that you find out about your childhood or relatives when you look through your life. For examples:
-My uncle Ronnie was a coach for the livestock judging team after he graduated with his masters degree
-If I'm ever strapped for cash I have several aunts or cousins who would pay top dollar to have control of some of the pictures I found, either of hair-do's or outfits or faces, or all three.
-My sister Stasi and I went snorkling (in the bathroom sink)
-There were indeed ponies in the backyard when I was growing up, I have seen the pictures and you can no longer make me second guess my memories. (I'm sure Grandma had a pony too even though I haven't found the evidence to back that up)
-My mother won a contest for making an outfit entirely out of wool (we have the newspaper clipping)
-My family has an entire roll of film devoted to shopping for groceries, because they were on vacation, complete with the smiling cashere. (although they are strange the fruit pictures are priceless)
-My sisters and I were very theatrical when we were younger, we have played many rolls including and not limited to: Prarie girl playing trombone, Wizard, Mary, Angle of the Lord, Indian all of which we made the costumes for.. we have been seen in such productions as the Havener/Hurst Christmas Pagent of '93 and The Little Engine that Could, staring Stasi as the little red fire engine.
-My sisters and I could also convince anyone to dress up in anything, we have the pictures to prove it, Alex inherited it because there are pictures of everyone and thier mother (literally) wearing his football Helmet at least, if not the entire get up.
And those are just the highlights... tons more where that came from. Come on over we'll have a gay old time, cause I am only halfway through all the pictures... also if you know anyone who would be able to scan all 3 million of these slides and make them digital, that would be great... The place I called said it would take a month for 500 slides and it would cost $.75 per slide. WOW, I'm glad we have these memories.

Lamaze

Mom and I went to our first "baby class" yesterday, Lamaze; which is a silly name now that I stop to look at it. It also seems like it will never work, think about it, you may have seen the 'miracle of life' movie in your health class, remember the look on that mother's face? Childbirth is difficult, at least that's what seems to be the accepted conception of the activity. Anyway, in lamaze you are controling that pain through rythmic breathing and focus on other things. (like the farming game) I'm just not sure about it... but Miss Brenda says it works, so we'll go with that. Overall it went well, I learned about rythmic breathing slowly, and paced and candle blowing and this one technique that is almost like a game of simon, mom and I think we'll use that one in labor, we had fun last night doing it.
Being pregnant is more than just carrying a baby, and having strange food cravings and getting grumpy all the time. Although it is all of that, which those who are blessed to be close to me know all too well. It also makes you do things that you would normally think are absurd. Like when you first get pregnant and you go to your doctor, they actually ask you if you are craving paint chips... like to eat them. If someone asked that of you any other time, you would look at them like they had 12 heads, but apparently paint chips and glue are favorites of pregnant women all around the world. (you should not partake of these substances, they are harmful to you and your unborn child) Also, besides the non-food cravings that make you strange, you develop a strong bond with your pillows. I have 6 on my bed right now and some women have more than that plus a husband. You wrap pillows around yourself, the other night in fact I covered myself with pillows instead of a blanket, don't ask me why unless you are ready to ask the paint chip lady why. There is no reason, you just do it naturally. And the sick thing about your obsessive bond with your pillows is that they encourage it. Every book you read will encourage you to 'surround yourself with pillows' and last night I was instructed to take my affair with my pillows out into the real world, I had to bring 'two bedsize pillows' to class. I guess they are getting your ready for a multiple birth where you have to choose your favorites sometimes, because I have 6 pillows and I'm only allowed to bring two?! But don't worry, there are three classes and I get to bring two each time, everyone will get a turn.

Famous Last Words

I'll tell you now what.... it's been so long since I wrote that to try to catch up on all that has been missed would be impossible... but here are the highlights:
1. Finished up my student teaching under much stress from Nyack
2. Graduated... complete with noise makers and my entire family
3. Took my family around NYC, we rode a city bus!
4. Came home
5. Found out I am 5 months pregnant (SUPRISE!) (i am now 8 months along)
6. Got a job taking pictures at a photography studio in Wal-Mart
7. Got engaged to Jimmy, the love of my life
8. Was Maid of Honor at my sister's wedding (which was a lovely affair)
9. Began family counciling
So there you have the highlights. That's what happens when you end a post with "what now?" not such a good idea.

Teaching is Wonderful

teaching is wonderful. I learn new things everyday. Like what hemisphere Jamaica is in. And that my Carribean students are frantic over jerk chicken. Also today I went to a staff development. It was wonderful!! Amazing and encouaging. I have seen some pretty scary things in this placement. Like the guy sitting next to me was the Asst. Principal at the other Middle School in our district and he had a clipboard and on the first page it said: " Frequently Called Phone Numbers For Disiplinary Problems" And under that it had like 13 names with phone numbers and times of day when it was best to call. It's crazy! But the speaker today was wonderful and I saw new vision for a non- business model school system which would be wonderful to experiance. I also talked about Interdisipinary Projects which are the way to go! I am so excited to say that I went to a school that had a sucessful interdis. program. I wonder if they still do it?
Well like I said teaching is wonderful. I am enjoying it, and it's almost over, then what? who knows?

Home, not alone

I'm home, for break and to see Stasi, But so is everyone else. Like Micah and Ami and Aunt Sara and all her boys. Our house hasn't been empty since Tues. If I had known that I would have gotten all my 'alone' stuff done. Like lesson plans that are difficult for me to get together when there are other things going on. And laundry, since everyone else needs to do laundry too. (none of us have clean trousers) I'm home, but not alone.