Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
I'm Baaack
I know, I know, it's only been what, 5 or 6 months? I don't have any good excuses except that every time I think about updating I get stage fright or writer's block, or whatever you want to call it.
I don't really even have anything in particular to say, so I guess I'll just try to sum up the past few months which have been very busy.
My company was acquired about a year ago and the last 6-7 months been extremely stressful. As I keep saying, I enjoy being busy, but I don't enjoy being stressed out. I've been content with my job for a long time now. In July I'll celebrate 8 years with the company. In my time there, I've been afforded opportunities to pursue my interests and to develop a position that I enjoy. I manage my own workflow and my supervisor has never been one to lean over my shoulder. Sometimes I'll go a week without even seeing him. But going from a small company to being acquired by a large company has lead to a pretty major culture shock for me and my St. Louis co-workers. It's a wonder that any work gets done with all of the policies and procedures that we have to learn and follow. I'm surprised we don't have to fill out a form to use the restroom. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to still have a job. Some weren't so lucky. But for the first time in a long time, I'm seriously considering looking elsewhere. I don't enjoy working in a large company environment. But alas, with the economy still in recovery mode, I figure I better stick it out as long as possible.
Speaking of large companies, Rog has been working a major project in Illinois since October of 2009. It was a blessing when he was offered the job, as he had been out of steady work for about a year and a half. However, it has morphed from 40 hours with opportunities for overtime to a mandatory 56 hour week. Add to that more than an hour drive each way, and Rog is away from us about 70 hours per week. I know it's hard on him. I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I try hard to say prayers and count my blessings and show my gratitude each day, but some days are easier than others and right now Rog is absorbing the brunt of the difficult ones.
Without question, we are most thankful for that daughter of ours. I can no longer remember what life was like before her. The words and phrases and thoughts that tumble out of her mouth humor and amaze me to no end. In the past I have been diligent about writing them down, but they've been coming so frequently lately that I've become lax in doing so. Many times I'll just post them as my Facebook status, assuming that one day I'll go back and collect them from there. Other times I can't write down and accurately convey the hilarity of the situation. She's just this little person with all of these thoughts swirling around in her head and she voices most of them. She talks almost non-stop. She's our little chatterbox. I love that she really lacks shyness and she loves to talk to people. Most often she will compliment women on their shoes or dresses. I never know what will come out of her mouth and it has led to a few embarrassing situations, but nothing that was so mortifying it couldn't be laughed about later. (Yet.) Anyway, I've rambled on enough and I'll try to post with a bit more regularity, even if it's just random "Teaganisms". I'll close with a few recent photos and a short video.
I don't really even have anything in particular to say, so I guess I'll just try to sum up the past few months which have been very busy.
My company was acquired about a year ago and the last 6-7 months been extremely stressful. As I keep saying, I enjoy being busy, but I don't enjoy being stressed out. I've been content with my job for a long time now. In July I'll celebrate 8 years with the company. In my time there, I've been afforded opportunities to pursue my interests and to develop a position that I enjoy. I manage my own workflow and my supervisor has never been one to lean over my shoulder. Sometimes I'll go a week without even seeing him. But going from a small company to being acquired by a large company has lead to a pretty major culture shock for me and my St. Louis co-workers. It's a wonder that any work gets done with all of the policies and procedures that we have to learn and follow. I'm surprised we don't have to fill out a form to use the restroom. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to still have a job. Some weren't so lucky. But for the first time in a long time, I'm seriously considering looking elsewhere. I don't enjoy working in a large company environment. But alas, with the economy still in recovery mode, I figure I better stick it out as long as possible.
Speaking of large companies, Rog has been working a major project in Illinois since October of 2009. It was a blessing when he was offered the job, as he had been out of steady work for about a year and a half. However, it has morphed from 40 hours with opportunities for overtime to a mandatory 56 hour week. Add to that more than an hour drive each way, and Rog is away from us about 70 hours per week. I know it's hard on him. I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I try hard to say prayers and count my blessings and show my gratitude each day, but some days are easier than others and right now Rog is absorbing the brunt of the difficult ones.
Without question, we are most thankful for that daughter of ours. I can no longer remember what life was like before her. The words and phrases and thoughts that tumble out of her mouth humor and amaze me to no end. In the past I have been diligent about writing them down, but they've been coming so frequently lately that I've become lax in doing so. Many times I'll just post them as my Facebook status, assuming that one day I'll go back and collect them from there. Other times I can't write down and accurately convey the hilarity of the situation. She's just this little person with all of these thoughts swirling around in her head and she voices most of them. She talks almost non-stop. She's our little chatterbox. I love that she really lacks shyness and she loves to talk to people. Most often she will compliment women on their shoes or dresses. I never know what will come out of her mouth and it has led to a few embarrassing situations, but nothing that was so mortifying it couldn't be laughed about later. (Yet.) Anyway, I've rambled on enough and I'll try to post with a bit more regularity, even if it's just random "Teaganisms". I'll close with a few recent photos and a short video.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Quickie
Couple of quick funnies before I forget:
Flip flops or flippers are called "slip slops"
This morning Teagan came in stroking her tiny pink stuffed dog and had her lower lip out.
Teagan: "Mommy, Ella is sad. Look at her eyes. They sad eyes."
Me: "Oh, I'm sorry you're sad, Ella. (Directed to Teagan) "What is she saying?"
Teagan (pathetically whimpering, again with the lower lip out): "Ruff, ruff"
Flip flops or flippers are called "slip slops"
This morning Teagan came in stroking her tiny pink stuffed dog and had her lower lip out.
Teagan: "Mommy, Ella is sad. Look at her eyes. They sad eyes."
Me: "Oh, I'm sorry you're sad, Ella. (Directed to Teagan) "What is she saying?"
Teagan (pathetically whimpering, again with the lower lip out): "Ruff, ruff"
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Look Back
It's hard to believe as I look out the window at a sunny, 50+ degree day, that exactly three years ago, I was 35 weeks pregnant and we woke up to an ice storm and no electricity. Rog and I decided not to attempt going to work, so instead we went downstairs to build a fire in the stove and try to keep warm.
My parents' house was also out of power. With no indication of how long we would be without power, and after much discussion and debate, we decided to get in the car and start a trek down to Cape Girardeau to stay with Rog's parents. We stopped before we left town for a late lunch. Throughout the meal, I was feeling tightening and pressure in my lower abdomen. Since I had not yet felt this before, I was unsure as to whether it was actual contractions, or if my stomach was just disagreeing with me.
We were really torn about what to do and were driving down the highway when we came to a split. If we drove south, we would be on our way to Cape. If we drove north, we would head toward the hospital. At the very last second, we veered north to go by the hospital. We were able to walk right into an exam room. The doctor came in, performed the examination, and told us that we would most likely have a newborn in 24 hours. We were terrified. We still had so much to do, nothing packed for the baby, and I had only
begun training my replacement for work, so the first words out of my mouth were "My boss is going to kill me!", and then shortly after, "Thank God we didn't drive to Cape!"
They got us a room, we called some good friends to go by the house and pack some items for the baby, and they proceeded to hook me up to an IV to attempt to stop the contractions. Once the initial shock had worn off, we were thrilled and excited. Later that night, the contractions began to slow down and then eventually stopped. After another exam the next morning, we were told that we could go home. Fortunately by that time our power was back on. We drove home disappointed, but understood that any extra time the baby could stay in the womb would be better for her health.
We made it through the weekend, though I was suffering through some pretty severe back pain, which in retrospect was probably back labor. Monday came, and my office was still without power, so I stayed at home. Rog worked and came home, and that night we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Minion's Cafe. We were enjoying
our meal, though my back was still in pain. I remember shifting to find a comfortable spot and then suddenly felt my water break. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to cause a scene. I quietly informed Rog, who jumped up, ran to the counter and asked for paper towels since his wife's water just broke. (This is how I remember it, Rog, so you can contest if you feel you need to! I love you!) The owners of the cafe were
people that we had gotten to know since we were in there so often and they were thrilled. We left the restaurant, headed home to get our now-more-prepared-suitcase, and drove to the hospital. Once we were in and settled, they had to give me pitocin to bring on contractions. They were much happier that the baby had waited until
the 36 week mark before she made her appearance. Apparently a few days makes a big difference. I'm not sure the labor could have gone smoother. We were checked into the hospital by about 6pm, the contractions didn't really start until 9 or 10, I had an epidural and tried to nap, and Teagan Hope came into the world at 2:10am on Tuesday, December 5, 2006. She weighed only 5 lbs, 11 oz, which made my part really easy, only about 20 minutes of actual pushing. That easy nature has stayed with her, for the most part. She was sleeping through the night at three months and has since then been a champion sleeper. Though the toddler stage has proven to be somewhat of a challenge, for the most part, Teagan has blessed us with her easygoing and comical personality. Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!
My parents' house was also out of power. With no indication of how long we would be without power, and after much discussion and debate, we decided to get in the car and start a trek down to Cape Girardeau to stay with Rog's parents. We stopped before we left town for a late lunch. Throughout the meal, I was feeling tightening and pressure in my lower abdomen. Since I had not yet felt this before, I was unsure as to whether it was actual contractions, or if my stomach was just disagreeing with me.
We were really torn about what to do and were driving down the highway when we came to a split. If we drove south, we would be on our way to Cape. If we drove north, we would head toward the hospital. At the very last second, we veered north to go by the hospital. We were able to walk right into an exam room. The doctor came in, performed the examination, and told us that we would most likely have a newborn in 24 hours. We were terrified. We still had so much to do, nothing packed for the baby, and I had only
begun training my replacement for work, so the first words out of my mouth were "My boss is going to kill me!", and then shortly after, "Thank God we didn't drive to Cape!"
They got us a room, we called some good friends to go by the house and pack some items for the baby, and they proceeded to hook me up to an IV to attempt to stop the contractions. Once the initial shock had worn off, we were thrilled and excited. Later that night, the contractions began to slow down and then eventually stopped. After another exam the next morning, we were told that we could go home. Fortunately by that time our power was back on. We drove home disappointed, but understood that any extra time the baby could stay in the womb would be better for her health.
We made it through the weekend, though I was suffering through some pretty severe back pain, which in retrospect was probably back labor. Monday came, and my office was still without power, so I stayed at home. Rog worked and came home, and that night we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Minion's Cafe. We were enjoying
our meal, though my back was still in pain. I remember shifting to find a comfortable spot and then suddenly felt my water break. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to cause a scene. I quietly informed Rog, who jumped up, ran to the counter and asked for paper towels since his wife's water just broke. (This is how I remember it, Rog, so you can contest if you feel you need to! I love you!) The owners of the cafe were
people that we had gotten to know since we were in there so often and they were thrilled. We left the restaurant, headed home to get our now-more-prepared-suitcase, and drove to the hospital. Once we were in and settled, they had to give me pitocin to bring on contractions. They were much happier that the baby had waited until
the 36 week mark before she made her appearance. Apparently a few days makes a big difference. I'm not sure the labor could have gone smoother. We were checked into the hospital by about 6pm, the contractions didn't really start until 9 or 10, I had an epidural and tried to nap, and Teagan Hope came into the world at 2:10am on Tuesday, December 5, 2006. She weighed only 5 lbs, 11 oz, which made my part really easy, only about 20 minutes of actual pushing. That easy nature has stayed with her, for the most part. She was sleeping through the night at three months and has since then been a champion sleeper. Though the toddler stage has proven to be somewhat of a challenge, for the most part, Teagan has blessed us with her easygoing and comical personality. Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Catch Up
Well, it's been a whirlwind month without much spare time, so this blog has gone by the wayside. Rog got a job, which we are thrilled about, but he leaves the house at 5:30am and returns at 7pm during the week. He also works on Saturdays. I hadn't realized how much I had taken for granted his ability to take Teagan to daycare in the mornings and pick her up at night. My mornings are spent getting an extremely-independent-I-want-to-do-everything-myself-and-oh-yeah-I'm-potty-training-so-I-have-to-go-to-the-bathroom-every-10-minutes toddler ready to get out the door and then scrambling to work, then leaving the office immediately at 5pm and fighting traffic to pick her up on time. However, I have been writing funny Teagan quotes on random scraps of paper and finally have a day to compile them! So here are the latest laugh-out-loud moments with which Teagan has blessed us:
- Completely random and brought on by nothing, she tells me: "Mommy, chill out!"
- After telling her to be careful, she replies: "Ok, mommy. I be careful. Are you happy now?"
- "Mommy, I get the mote (remote) cuz I a big gor (girl)."
- "Cheese gor fammich" = Grilled cheese sandwich
- "McDonald's House" = McDonald's (Said with a lot of enthusiasm and pointing every time we pass a McDonald's)
- "McDonald Duck" = Donald Duck
- "Cozen mustard" = Frozen custard
- One day when I asked Teagan to please cooperate, she responded with "Ok, Mommy. I craperate"
- Rog and I started to notice that any compound words with "corn" in them were automatically "popcorn". She called candy corn and cornbread "popcorn" within a couple of days. We corrected her on each account, but a couple minutes after finishing her cornbread, she thought for a second and then asked for "more Pop Bread, please".
- Mimi and Poppi bought her a new baby doll, which she promptly named "Baby Chappy."
- After a coughing fit, she declared, "I very got the coughes"
- After I complimented her behavior one day she responded with "Yes, I very sweet. I a cutie pie!"
- While putting a thermometer under her arm, she said "I gon take my tentchular." She then pulled it out from under her arm, looked at it, and said "Thirty pounds!"
- And finally, the most recent story that I love telling:
When we go to the store, I will sometimes promise her a mint once we get back to the car, as long as she behaves while inside. One night in the grocery store she was really misbehaving. I walked out with her throwing a tantrum and I put her in the car seat while she was screaming "I want a mint!" over and over again. I told her that until she calmed down and spoke to me politely, I would not be responding. So she proceeded to whine and scream a bit more, then suddenly said, "I don't lush (love) you, Mommy". Again, I did not respond or give her a reaction, I just drove. She said this a few times, and then after a few minutes as I thought she was calming down, she said "Excuse me, Mommy", and then waited for me to answer. When I responded with "Yes, Teagan?" She quickly answered, "I don't lush you." It stung a little, but I had to stifle a laugh, too. She later apologized and assured me that she did in fact love me. Phew...
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-
- Completely random and brought on by nothing, she tells me: "Mommy, chill out!"
- After telling her to be careful, she replies: "Ok, mommy. I be careful. Are you happy now?"
- "Mommy, I get the mote (remote) cuz I a big gor (girl)."
- "Cheese gor fammich" = Grilled cheese sandwich
- "McDonald's House" = McDonald's (Said with a lot of enthusiasm and pointing every time we pass a McDonald's)
- "McDonald Duck" = Donald Duck
- "Cozen mustard" = Frozen custard
- One day when I asked Teagan to please cooperate, she responded with "Ok, Mommy. I craperate"
- Rog and I started to notice that any compound words with "corn" in them were automatically "popcorn". She called candy corn and cornbread "popcorn" within a couple of days. We corrected her on each account, but a couple minutes after finishing her cornbread, she thought for a second and then asked for "more Pop Bread, please".
- Mimi and Poppi bought her a new baby doll, which she promptly named "Baby Chappy."
- After a coughing fit, she declared, "I very got the coughes"
- After I complimented her behavior one day she responded with "Yes, I very sweet. I a cutie pie!"
- While putting a thermometer under her arm, she said "I gon take my tentchular." She then pulled it out from under her arm, looked at it, and said "Thirty pounds!"
- And finally, the most recent story that I love telling:
When we go to the store, I will sometimes promise her a mint once we get back to the car, as long as she behaves while inside. One night in the grocery store she was really misbehaving. I walked out with her throwing a tantrum and I put her in the car seat while she was screaming "I want a mint!" over and over again. I told her that until she calmed down and spoke to me politely, I would not be responding. So she proceeded to whine and scream a bit more, then suddenly said, "I don't lush (love) you, Mommy". Again, I did not respond or give her a reaction, I just drove. She said this a few times, and then after a few minutes as I thought she was calming down, she said "Excuse me, Mommy", and then waited for me to answer. When I responded with "Yes, Teagan?" She quickly answered, "I don't lush you." It stung a little, but I had to stifle a laugh, too. She later apologized and assured me that she did in fact love me. Phew...
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Monday, October 5, 2009
All I Want For Christmas
In follow up to the previous post, Teagan has adapted very well to life without a pacifier. Each day was progressively better, but she has officially gone more than a week without one. She seems to wake up earlier now, but that's just something we'll have to get used to, I guess.
I didn't want to post about this until we knew the outcome, but the real motivator behind getting rid of the pacifier was the fact that Teagan had an appointment today for a tooth extraction.
I can't remember if I posted about this or not, but a couple of months ago, Teagan went running into her bedroom and tripped and landed face first against her bed frame. We were so fortunate that a friend of ours, Dr. D, who is a pediatric dentist actually drove over to our house to take a look at her. Teagan likes her and responds very well to her. She alleviated our immediate fears but suggested that we bring Teagan in for an x-ray at a later date so that they could check the roots of the two front teeth. We put it off because after a day or two it didn't seem to bother her, but one day we finally took her in. We were dismayed to find out that she did in fact have an infection that would affect the permanent tooth unless the baby tooth was pulled. Dr. D told us that she would be able to do it using nitrous and a local anesthetic, but that if Teagan didn't cooperate, she would have to refer us to an oral surgeon who would need to perform the procedure under a general anesthesia. We made an appointment with Dr. D and prepared ourselves for the worst.
We came in at 9am this morning and Rog and I were certainly more nervous than Teagan. I'm not sure it could have gone smoother. Dr. D was amazing and so was Teagan. She got to pick a scented mask (strawberry or bubble gum) and she allowed Dr. D to place it over her face. There were a couple of minor mishaps that took place before the actual procedure. After Teagan had begun to relax her arms at her side, she suddenly raised them both up in the air and started talking. The nitrous tank had started to run out and had to be switched (which was done very quickly). Even after it was switched over and some minutes had passed, Teagan remained fairly aware of what was going on and kept trying to make conversation. She never really fought, but she did try to take the mask off and get out of her chair a few times. After Rog and I each took a hand of hers, she seemed to relax enough that Dr. D could inject the local anesthetic and perform the extraction.
Afterwards, Teagan received lots of praise for being so brave and cooperative. She picked out some special toys and then we took her home. As the numbness wore off, she whimpered and cried some on the way home in between nodding off and looking stoned, but when we got her home she watched a few episodes of Dora and finally felt normal enough to eat. She then took a very brief nap, woke up and ate some more, and from there on seemed completely back to herself. Nonetheless, we spoiled her with frozen custard, a trip to the park and a long walk. The day may have started off a little bumpy, but it really turned out to be a great day.
I didn't want to post about this until we knew the outcome, but the real motivator behind getting rid of the pacifier was the fact that Teagan had an appointment today for a tooth extraction.
I can't remember if I posted about this or not, but a couple of months ago, Teagan went running into her bedroom and tripped and landed face first against her bed frame. We were so fortunate that a friend of ours, Dr. D, who is a pediatric dentist actually drove over to our house to take a look at her. Teagan likes her and responds very well to her. She alleviated our immediate fears but suggested that we bring Teagan in for an x-ray at a later date so that they could check the roots of the two front teeth. We put it off because after a day or two it didn't seem to bother her, but one day we finally took her in. We were dismayed to find out that she did in fact have an infection that would affect the permanent tooth unless the baby tooth was pulled. Dr. D told us that she would be able to do it using nitrous and a local anesthetic, but that if Teagan didn't cooperate, she would have to refer us to an oral surgeon who would need to perform the procedure under a general anesthesia. We made an appointment with Dr. D and prepared ourselves for the worst.
We came in at 9am this morning and Rog and I were certainly more nervous than Teagan. I'm not sure it could have gone smoother. Dr. D was amazing and so was Teagan. She got to pick a scented mask (strawberry or bubble gum) and she allowed Dr. D to place it over her face. There were a couple of minor mishaps that took place before the actual procedure. After Teagan had begun to relax her arms at her side, she suddenly raised them both up in the air and started talking. The nitrous tank had started to run out and had to be switched (which was done very quickly). Even after it was switched over and some minutes had passed, Teagan remained fairly aware of what was going on and kept trying to make conversation. She never really fought, but she did try to take the mask off and get out of her chair a few times. After Rog and I each took a hand of hers, she seemed to relax enough that Dr. D could inject the local anesthetic and perform the extraction.
Afterwards, Teagan received lots of praise for being so brave and cooperative. She picked out some special toys and then we took her home. As the numbness wore off, she whimpered and cried some on the way home in between nodding off and looking stoned, but when we got her home she watched a few episodes of Dora and finally felt normal enough to eat. She then took a very brief nap, woke up and ate some more, and from there on seemed completely back to herself. Nonetheless, we spoiled her with frozen custard, a trip to the park and a long walk. The day may have started off a little bumpy, but it really turned out to be a great day.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Goodbye, Old Friend
I'm not sure which of us is taking this the hardest. This is so long overdue.
Yesterday morning we asked Teagan to decorate a large envelope. When she was finished, we addressed it to "New Babies at the Hospital". We then stuffed it with her pacifiers, sealed it, added some stamps, and clipped it out on the mailbox for the postman. Fortunately Teagan is not yet aware that the postman doesn't come on Sunday and four cents postage won't get anything anywhere. We told her that she was a big girl now and that there were lots of little babies being born that needed pacifiers. She was very agreeable with the whole process... until naptime came around.
When it was time for her nap, we started our usual routine. Pick out one book, find her blankie, and sit in the rocking chair. Part of that routine is grabbing a passy out of the bucket by her bed, but of course there were none to be found. She turned around and looked at me and said, "I want my passy, please". I had to remind her what we had done earlier. She looked at me briefly with a smile in her eyes as if to say, "I know you're joking, mom, so where's my passy?". When it finally set in that she wasn't going to get it, she burst into tears. I calmed her down, read to her as she whimpered pathetically, and then laid her down. She once again requested her passy, but I told her that the postman had come and taken it away. (He can be the bad guy!) She proceeded to cry herself to sleep.
Bedtime last night was similar and she woke up several times. It's hard to know how soothing a pacifier really is until it's gone. We had a rough night. Then she woke up at 6am and again started crying when she couldn't find her passy. I know it's our fault (mine more specifically) for letting her have it for so long, but it was kind of an addiction for me, too. Being able to see that instant calm in her eyes when she's upset about something, or seeing the eyelids start drooping as soon as she placed it in her mouth was comforting to me as well. I know we'll get through it. I just hope we don't sacrifice too much sleep in the process!
Yesterday morning we asked Teagan to decorate a large envelope. When she was finished, we addressed it to "New Babies at the Hospital". We then stuffed it with her pacifiers, sealed it, added some stamps, and clipped it out on the mailbox for the postman. Fortunately Teagan is not yet aware that the postman doesn't come on Sunday and four cents postage won't get anything anywhere. We told her that she was a big girl now and that there were lots of little babies being born that needed pacifiers. She was very agreeable with the whole process... until naptime came around.
When it was time for her nap, we started our usual routine. Pick out one book, find her blankie, and sit in the rocking chair. Part of that routine is grabbing a passy out of the bucket by her bed, but of course there were none to be found. She turned around and looked at me and said, "I want my passy, please". I had to remind her what we had done earlier. She looked at me briefly with a smile in her eyes as if to say, "I know you're joking, mom, so where's my passy?". When it finally set in that she wasn't going to get it, she burst into tears. I calmed her down, read to her as she whimpered pathetically, and then laid her down. She once again requested her passy, but I told her that the postman had come and taken it away. (He can be the bad guy!) She proceeded to cry herself to sleep.
Bedtime last night was similar and she woke up several times. It's hard to know how soothing a pacifier really is until it's gone. We had a rough night. Then she woke up at 6am and again started crying when she couldn't find her passy. I know it's our fault (mine more specifically) for letting her have it for so long, but it was kind of an addiction for me, too. Being able to see that instant calm in her eyes when she's upset about something, or seeing the eyelids start drooping as soon as she placed it in her mouth was comforting to me as well. I know we'll get through it. I just hope we don't sacrifice too much sleep in the process!
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