december 21

new job. huge blessing. lots of stress. i guess i don't know how to work part-time. i'm the kind of person who likes to work on something until it's done. otherwise, it hangs over me and creates stress. but, this means that i am basically working all the time because there's always more to do. with a full-time job, you usually have natural boundaries, like the weekend. now, my home life & work life are intertwined, and i find myself waking up at 1 in the morning thinking about something i forgot to do. not fun. but need to remember, new job... huge blessing. thanks God.

december 8

will i ever feel normal again? or, does being a parent mean that one's heart resides outside the body? it's a little eery. whenever i am away from my baby eve, i feel as if a piece of me is missing. and, it's not restored until i am in her presence again. will this always be the case or is it something i will grow out of? if this is my new normal, it's a little painful, and will need God's grace as i continually acknowledge that ultimately, she belongs to Him.

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictableYou're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

http://www.blogthings.com/whatpartofthanksgivingareyouquiz/

december 2

don & i get to go on a real date tonight AND next friday. thanks to our good friends tonnie & peter and amy & phil!!! we haven't been out since the baby was born (except for dinner on our 6-year anniversary). i'm so excited! we'll probably go to macaroni grill and then to a re-make of my favorite movie, pride & prejudice. hopefully i can stay awake for a "late" movie since my usual bedtime is 9. and hopefully we can avoid talking about stressful things like how much we have to do, controversial issues, etc. seems like those things creep in on special occasions. anyway, how grateful i am for such loving friends.

december 1

hard to believe it's already december! eve was just a tiny little peanut this time last year. amazing what can happen in a year. love this holiday season. thanksgiving was so special with family. each year i count my blessings that everyone is healthy, living. you never know how long you're here on earth- i try to savor every holiday, cement the images on my mind & heart. God has just overwhelmed us with blessings, i have to find ways to "give it away" before i burst.

november 17

the crockpot meal sort of passed the taste test, but the appetizing-looking test it did not. the bulgar turned into a mushy brown mess. probably won't be repeating that one! in the office today... a little stressful now that i only have 2 days to get everything done. why am i blogging you may ask? well, let's just say i need a mental health break. the twice-a-day pumping is going ok, but i have to concentrate on lowering my stress level in order for it to be successful. i sure miss my baby! have an informal interview tomorrow morning- it would be great if i can segue into the new position in january.

november 16

today is my first attempt at crockpot cooking. turkey breast with bulgar and feta cheese. chose it partly because it's healthy, partly b/c it's easy- no prep cooking for the meat required. i do NOT like handling meat, so a recipe that minimizes meat contact is the one for me. hopefully it passes the taste test. so many recipes out there end up tasting bland and result in encouraging me to give up cooking altogether. but, i so much like the idea of having home-cooked meals that i am committed to staying the course. plus, it's a matter of necessity. we cannot go out to eat like we did pre-baby, pre-income cutting in half. but, i think of this as a good thing (oh no...am i becoming martha stewart?). we are so ready for the domestic life. our life has changed dramatically- up at 6am, breakfast, lunch & dinner at home, in bed by 8 or 9. who knew i wouldn't mind washing dishes, changing diapers, and breastfeeding every 3 hours?

november 15

wow! a lot has happened since january. my sweet baby girl (Eve) was born and i dropped out of the world for 12 weeks on leave. and, by complete surprise, enjoyed every minute of it! caught up with a lot of friends, adjusted to breastfeeding and transitioned to regular sleep! haven't been very good at this blogging thing but i'll give it another try. the problem with blogging (for me anyway) is that it goes against my nature; i am a pretty private person, an introvert, and a perfectionist. So, i have to overcome several obstacles even in writing about mundane things. i have to get past: who is reading this?, who cares?, and did i articulate what i wanted to say just right? but, i decided i just have to get over myself and write whatever comes to mind. at least, that's what my husband is interested in, so this is for him!

january 26

well, looks like i'm averaging every other month... not doing too well keeping up with this blogging! i'm 11 weeks pregnant now... hard to believe! i've been feeling lethargic and emotionally sensitive. my stomach has been unsettled, and i finally threw up a couple days ago. now, i have this horrible looking "subconjunctival hemorrhage" caused by the straining- half of my left eye is bloody, inspiring lots of much desired sympathy from my husband : )

a handful of friends know about the pregnancy, which makes it a little easire to endure. it will be nice, though, when everyone knows, so that i have an answer to "what's new?". it will also be nice (i think) when i start showing more, so that there's some evident justification for my malaise.