On Wisconsin

Justin is out of town this week so the Max, Ev. and I made the 8 hour trek up to Wisconsin to visit family and friends. We left around 5 am. and got to Wisconsin around two! The trip went amazing. Only a little whining from each boy, (no full fledge outbursts!) and one stop for gas, and another to have a quick snack. I can only hope the ride home goes as smooth! Justin was going to try and get a one-way ticket up to drive with us...so we shall see! So until next week...we are on vacation!

...and we're crawling!

Official as of March 11 (these taken March 13th) Evan at 7 months is crawling and he is on the go!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Lexington Childrens Museum

Yesterday the boys and I went downtown to the childrens musuem and to check things out.

They could not stop watching all the traffic!

Evan crawling around in the "infant only" space.


Maxwell had a blast playing in the water bins.



It was hard to convince him to move on.




"Come on Max you have to check out this crater!"



"Houston, we have landed!"

Truth and the AIDS epidemic in Africa

photo-http://corporateresponsibility.blogs.ie.edu/

I read a most interesting article in this weeks New Yorker titled, The Denialists: The Dangerous attacks on the consesus about H.I.V. and AIDS .
Specifically in South Africa, the politicians there dismiss antiretroviral drugs (western medicine) as "poison" and traditional healers have become more prominant. There has been a large amount of denial of the epidemic in the country by it's leaders. President Thabo Mbeki (who became President after Nelson Mandela) had discovered the works of Peter Duesberg and is in full support of him. In short, Duesberg denies that H.I.V. and AIDS have no correlation, and furthermore H.I.V. can be cured by eating properly, drinking good water, and abstaining from harmful drug use.
Now nobody can deny that good food and water is needed in Africa. It cannnot be denied also though that there is an epidemic. Mbeki does not like to address possible solutions to the epidemic but rather foucuses on injustices done to Africans. While this is very important isn't it unfair to the many dying daily from AIDS (an estimated 900-1000 daily) to deny the very problem? Nozizwe Madlala Routledge, the deputy heath minister holds hope that the truth will come through and win, in a country that is in "great pain and mourning." She is optimistic and says she will never lose hope. Last month the President, Mbeki said that the goverment will "commit itsef to intensify the campaign against H.I.V. and AIDS." Nozizwe holds hope that denial will fade and the countries leaders will face this epidemic head on.
As I sit in a home with clean running water and good food just steps away, I cannot help but feel extreme sadness. Sadness for the thousands upon thousands who are suffering daily, losing family daily, and to think that over 50% of the woomen around my age are infected shakes me to my core. While there is only so much I know and understand, I encourage you to pray for this nation along with me. Pray for the nation, for it's people, it's leaders, for God to have mercy on them, that they might know his goodness in their suffering which is far more than I can imagine.

an absolutely most wonderful day

Evan loved it!

There is a great private park right in our neighborhood and these boys all had cute rain boots on and were having a great time in the small stream and mud! (There were about 15 boys &girls out but this is the pic I got)

whoa...that is a BIG bump!

Today it was gorgeous! It was over 60! Everyone in the neighborhood was outside to enjoy the beautiful warm day! I can get used to this.

Germs!

Don't get me wrong, I am not a total germ freak...I mean I like clean but I am not like really freaked out by germs everywhere, but I always try to use the first stall in public bathrooms (supposedly that is the one used least often by people) and silly things like that.
I have REFUSED to take my boys into those indoor play things at the mall. I just cannot do it. It is a good idea in concept because in places where it gets cold it is nice to have a playground for kids, but it just kind of grosses me out.
I was just not sure how clean those places were. Now however, I do. I read an article about a study done in several areas of the country in the paper today that said that publc restrooms were actually more clean than those playgrounds. Day-care centers, the mall playgrounds, and public railings ranked far higher than the bathrooms. Go figure. Shopping carts are ranking pretty high too. EW! I actually happened to buy a shopping cart cover last week because it was on sale at Target. I had seen them before, but they seemed bulky and complicated but they are actually really easy to use. So now everytime we head out to the grocery store or target on goes my cover.
Man, I feel like I am turning into a germ freak...must be the part of me most like my Dad.
Anyway...just some random thoughts for today.

things to do more of...

Get up earlier...to get more done before the boys are up.

Eat more vegetables. I like them, so why don't I?

Go out of my way to be more kind to others.

Clean the bathtub with more vigor.

Soak up moments with my boys. Good and bad.

Be more creative with what I do have, rather than buying new.

Drink less coffee...at least drink more at home rather than pay too much at Starbucks. (Especially since I know how to make every drink)

Send more snail mail. Who doesn't love a letter?

Spend more quality time with God each day.

I'm gonna eat you...

Evan and Maxwell can be pretty cute together. Whenever Max gets jealous of Evan ( like when I am going to take Evans picture) he usually goes and lays down by him. Evan loves it though and starts "eating" Maxwells belly. It tickles Max and he laughs it up. I am not sure how long this can go on though, especially when Evan gets his teeth!

Daddy & Evan

Saturday afternoon nap...

c-section vs. al' natur-al

So Bethany posted about having fears on her upcoming c-section. She has no choice in the matter this time around,and after two natural births she has her reservations about the whole thing. Who can blame her!
I have had the privilege to experience both ways. Now usually, women have their children via naturally first and then usually a c-section but I was the other way around. I had a c-section with Maxwell and a natural birth with Evan. A lot of Doctors will not work with you ( at least where we lived) to have a natural delivery after a c-section, but my doctor in a word was- Amazing. He was my Doctor for both my boys births and simply the best, in my opinion.
I was induced with Maxwell, I was nearing 41 weeks and as big as a house. Normally you begin to drop a pound or two near the end, but not me, I kept on getting bigger. So, we scheduled an induction on a Weds. morning. Most the morning was pretty chill, I did not feel that many contractions, but that afternoon my water broke, and then the pain began. I got an epidural the next morning after a horrific night of labor and by 9PM that evening I was finally fully dilated. ( Reminder- this is after being in labor for about 32 hours) I pushed for about an hour and nothing was happening, and I had a fever, Maxwell had a fever, and his heart rate was dropping. I remember our Dr. came in and some nurses and they told me I would be going in for a c-section. I could hardly make out their faces through my tears; tears of exhaustion, a little bit of feeling like a failure, and relief.
I remembered being wheeled in to the operation room, and Justin coming in all cute in his blue scrubs. ( Bethany make sure you get a pic of Aaron in scrubs!) I remember the anesthesiologist making some funny jokes...but I cannot tell you what they were, but I laughed. Justin had the video camera in hand ( what was I thinking?) and they began. I felt cold on my belly, and the Doctors performing the operation were talking to each other about what they did last weekend or something. I found it comforting that it was so lighthearted in the room. They kept me posted the whole time as to what was going on and Justin kept saying things like, "whoa" and I was so out of it I just cried. The Anesthesiologist wiped my tears for me (as my hands were tied to the table...still not sure why they do that perhaps so you don't try to grab at your belly). Next, it basically like the surgeons had both hands on each side of my belly and were pushing it back and forth like a see-saw. It did not hurt at all, and I could not feel them in my body but I could feel them pulling Maxwell out. It was a strange sensation but not a bad one. I think the best part was that I did not feel a thing. I was SO fast, and soon I had my son in my arms. They brought him over to me and Justin and I got to enjoy our son while the surgeons delivered the placenta and sewed me up. It was SO fast.
Recovery was interesting. The worst part was not being able to walk for a few days. It was hard to move, but then again I did just have a major surgery, I mean they cut me open and pulled a 10lb. baby out of my belly through a 6 inch slit. Amazing.
With Evan my water broke around midnight at home. A few hours later we headed into the hospital to be monitored. Like my labor with Max it took awhile for contractions to get going. I got pitocin around 1Pm and wham- they came. Hard and Strong they came. Around 4Pm I began pushing. It was really hard for me to know how to push, but in some ways easier than with Maxwell because my epidural did not work so I felt it all! I finally was getting somewhere. He was beginning to come down and a 6:40 he was born. Later I was told they were very close to putting me under the knife again but somehow I got the strength to give those last few pushes and Evan entered the world at a whopping 8lbs. 8oz. Still a big boy but smaller than Maxwell! phew.
Recovering from the natural birth was hard too. I was really really sore in more than one place, but overall I think it was easier recovery.
I did everything backwards. I had a big baby first, usually your second baby is bigger, and I had a c-section first and a natural birth second. But I would not have it any other way. I am so thankful for both my experiences. My Doctor told me later that someone at the hospital had heard my success story of a v-bac after a Cesarean and called him to have him be her doctor because her doctor was not willing to try that route with her.
Which was better? I can't say. Both ways have their pros and cons. I felt a little like a failure when I did not have Maxwell naturally the first time around, but after I did have Evan naturally I realized how stupid that was. What does it matter? I felt proud that I had Evan naturally but I think mostly because I did it after having a c-section. I have two beautiful, healthy baby boys and I could not be more thankful for that.
So to you Bethany I say this. I am sure you will be nervous...but who isn't when they are about to meet their baby? It goes so fast, you will be like; "what it's over already?" You can go in looking all pretty and afterwards look just as good because you did not go through all that labor. You can have people serve you for a week or so. You will need your rest and recovery time! I did overexert myself a little but Justin made me stop because we had heard a story about a girl who did too much and ended up with problems all over because of it!
Soon your baby GIRL will be in your arms ! I cannot wait to see her!