picnic

Simon and Jesse came in to Newcastle yesterday for lunch. Simon had already had his, but the three of us sat near the water while Jesse and I ate our sandwiches. We tried to get Simon to play in the grass, but he was much more interested in ripping off pieces of my sandwich to munch on :) He eventually bear-crawled after us on the limited shady sidewalk we found, and we played such fun games as peek-a-boo and upside downs.

I write this, because although we didn't take any photos, or do anything particularly out of the ordinary, it was a great family outing. Amazing how one little hour in the day can bring so much joy and perspective :)

tag-teaming and teeth

Today was Thursday, the day I go in to work. Jesse and Simon picked me up from the train a little after 6, and he had to be to church by 7 for a meeting. I got home and took care of putting Simon down for an overdue nap while Jesse made dinner. We traded quick stories, wolfed down the fried rice, and Jesse headed off to work. Talk about tag-teaming the parenting!

Simon woke up after a short nap, ate, played a little, smiled a lot, then got tired. He took awhile to get to sleep, mostly because of the two little bottom teeth that are trying to make their way up through his gums. As I sat and rocked him, his little hand reached up and rubbed my neck. Those little teeth might be making life tough for all of us, but that doesn't mean there aren't great moments along the way too.

The latest adventures

Whew! Where have the past few months gone? Into a growing little boy, I think.

I've started back at work! I'm really enjoying the opportunity to get back into things. I have taken over the kitchen table with my laptop, laptop stand, wireless mouse and keyboard (a birthday gift from Jesse) and love my new "home office." I'm doing slightly different things than I was before (as my old role was filled with another full-time employee, who I trained before I left), and I've found the new position to be challenging and rewarding. Jesse and Simon had a great time while I was gone last week, so here's hoping tomorrow and the other Thursdays will be the same :)

Simon is growing by leaps and bounds. He plays peek-a-boo, and has started to do it himself sometimes (pulling a towel/curtain/whatever over his face, then removing it and expecting a reaction). It's clear that he wants to be more mobile than he is, but he breaks into a triumphant grin after rolling/wiggling off my lap after he eats. At my mothers' group today, he and one of the little girls carried on a "conversation" with each other; it was so cute. He's started wanting to gnaw on things, although he's generally disinterested in teething toys (Mom and Dad's knuckles are far more satisfying). We're hoping to get him into swimming lessons soon for Thursdays while I'm at work.

It seems we have one thing or another going on from now until Christmas! In some ways, the lack of Thanksgiving here means that the holiday season sneaks up on me. In others, though, it's surprising because with no Halloween (or very little Halloween) or Thanksgiving, the Christmas stuff is already dominating some of the stores. I've been making use of Amazon.com's Universal Gift List, but I've found that many things on that list are baby-related (Ergo baby carrier, food processor/steamer for baby food, etc.). Guess I'm a real mom now ;)

With that, I'm going to go make a mug cake (go ahead, google it! They're quick and tasty) and have some ice cream. There is a fantastic rain storm, Simon's napping, and Jesse's out. Might as well make use of the ability to eat lots of food before Simon starts solids :)

July, here we are!

Well, June basically didn't happen. Did it?

For those who are unaware, little Simon Richard joined our little family on May 26th at a whopping not-quite-7-pounds after a surprise/emergency c-section. Despite things not going as planned (there's a 10-page birth story for the interested, but I decided not to unleash it to the public domain, partly because of the personal nature, and partly because I barely had time to write it, let alone edit it to the point where I'm happy enough with it), I felt well taken care of for the most part. My parents arrived the day after Simon's birth, and that was such a blessing. They really carried us through the first weeks at home as I recovered and we all got used to each other. Jesse's mom has been with us for a week and a half, and has a few more days here still. Family is wonderful!

I've also had my birthday, which was celebrated in stages; on the day of, Jesse and I went to the mall and made some present-purchases (including a stand for my laptop and wireless keyboard and mouse, so I can set up on a desk like a desktop and not destroy my back all the time, among other things) while Simon hung out with his Grammie at home. Saturday, friends came up from Sydney and we celebrated again with a pinata. Thankfully, their daughter is one year older and was not quite as traumatized by the pinata-hitting activities this year :)

I was realizing the other day that in this coming year of life, I will miss two reunions (college and high school), the birth of my cousin's son, my sister's 21st birthday, and who knows what other events. What's really tough is realizing that friends and family in the US are missing out on life with Simon. But we have much to be thankful for; deepening friendships here, a job I enjoy and look forward to continuing (albeit in a reduced role), a brand new fridge (ok, so that's kind of shallow, but I'm excited about it), and generally a good life where God wants us to be.

While it's difficult to miss those shared moments, when we dedicate our children to the Lord (as my parents did with me, and we did with Simon), we commit to teaching our children to serve God with their whole lives, and the best way to teach that is to live it. There is a certain amount of letting go that must happen, of acknowledging that their gifts and talents might not always lead them close to home. We still cherish the time we have with loved ones (as I write, I'm watching Simon sleep in the lap of his Grammie, who has fallen asleep sitting on the couch :) and do our best to support each other wherever we find ourselves.

In the next year, I know that Simon will continue to grow and change. My hope is that Jesse and I will be able to grow and change too, as we pursue God in our new little family.

is it really April?

Well, March wasn't exactly "in like a lion and out like a lamb" at our house. Weather notwithstanding, it was more like "a lion in a decathalon of some sort" with church events, baby classes, hospital checkups, and work. (Ok, that was lame, but I tried. Moving on.)

We had the opportunity to go to a Newcastle Knights (rugby league) game with tickets from work, which included dinner in the corporate suite and some pretty good seats. That was cool; I've missed going to Amerks and Red Wings games like I used to with Deloitte. Jesse had a decent understanding of the game, and we sorted the rest out together. It wasn't quite as amusing as the time Laura and I went to a Knighthawks (lacrosse) game in Rochester, and affectionately dubbed the sport "baskesocckey" as we attempted to decipher the rules, but it was still a good time. I did get a bit stiff with my ever-heavier body in the plastic chair, but was able to put my feet up for the second half of the game, which we watched from the box.

I'm not sure if it was in March or late February, but we've encountered a previously unanticipated benefit of pastoring a country-ish church: a family in our church "came into some beef" and we have been enjoying some of the most tender steaks I've ever had since then. (Well, steak, and a roast, and some ground beef too :) Our little freezer, at one point, was full of meat. We've been alternating with chicken and experimenting some with marinades to keep things exciting, and Jesse is becoming an expert at grilling the steaks. He also made chicken parmigiana this week when I missed the train coming home from work and we had guests coming over for dinner. That turned out very good; recent experiments of mine (including satay chicken and a peach-chicken dish I didn't fully think through ahead of time) have been less successful. Edible, but less successful.

The last week of February, we attended the National Pastors' Conference in Tweed Heads (on the border of NSW and QLD). It was my first time into Queensland (unless you count the Brisbane airport), as our hotel was technically in NSW but across the street from Queensland. We had a great room with a beautiful view of the water, and I got to catch up with a high school friend who is pastoring a church in Perth with her husband. Who would have thought that Fillmore grads would find each other on the other side of the world? Anyway, that was a good trip. We took our time coming home and spent a couple of days in Port Macquarie, where we had the pleasure of wallabies playing in the backyard of our rented cabin/house.

The conference fun didn't end there, though. The first weekend in March was our District Women's Retreat, in a retreat center on Lake Macquarie. It was fun to get to know some other women from around the state, and hang out with a friend and her two-week-old baby.

I only have 3 weeks left of work (actually, it's only 12 work days, with one holiday and two Fridays off) before it's time to come home and wait for baby! We got a lot done yesterday in preparation for his/her arrival, and there's still more to do. I've been reading up on childhood vaccinations and have been trying to formulate a plan for those. I don't mean to make anyone nervous; we are planning on our child receiving all the recommended vaccines, perhaps slightly delayed from the planned schedule. What I'm struggling with at the moment is why my newborn baby needs a Hepatitis B shot. I haven't found anything that compels me to believe this is critical for a newborn, other than that it was the easiest way to make sure everyone is immunized against it. If anyone has an idea on this, I'm all ears.

And so all of this brings us to nearly the middle of April, with just over 5 weeks to go (give or take) until the baby's room is occupied. Crazy!

cat = out of bag

Well, my extreme lack of posting for the last few months was not without good reason. We had a wonderful visit back in the US with friends and family around Thanksgiving; it was great to combine a break from work with seeing familiar people and being ourselves with them.

But the main reason I couldn't think to post was that we weren't quite ready to announce my pregnancy to the internet masses ;) I've received a couple of requests for detailed accounts of the pregnancy, but will keep them to the fact that morning sickness found me in a rather violent way around week 7 and didn't leave until week 17, so I didn't want to keep updating with "still sick" and such things. Jesse and my coworkers can all attest to the rough shape I was in during much of that time. But we are very happy to report that I haven't been sick for a few weeks now, and the baby is now using movement to remind us of his/her presence rather than the sickness. It kicked Jesse's arm the other morning, which was cool and the first time he'd felt it move.

For those who are wondering, the due date is May 16th. We're planning on keeping the gender a mystery until the baby's birth, although we think it's a boy based on a combination of old wives' tales and hunches. (And hey, why not make a guess, with a 50/50 chance). We got a peek at the baby around 9 weeks, and have heard its heartbeat twice. In a little under a week, we'll have another look and see how s/he's doing in there.

Aside from the baby, things are going well. We celebrated Christmas on our own in the morning, and then with friends in Sydney in the afternoon/evening and for Boxing Day. It was a great chance to hang out and have fun, and also try out my new Super Mario Bros. Wii game. I had yesterday off work for the Boxing Day holiday, and we rearranged our front rooms in anticipation of the arrival of a friend of Jesse's at the end of this week, and eventually with the idea of a nursery :)

So, thanks to all those who posted excited congrats on facebook today; I really enjoyed hearing from all of you!

one man's trash is another man's clutter

So, visit with family = good. Took them around, they took lots of photos, they helped out a lot with projects we'd been meaning to get to around the house (or, more accurately, projects we'd been hoping they'd help with... yeah). It's good to have family around. As an added bonus, we are now experienced tour guides, and have a better idea of where to send/take visitors. (Your package will include, but is not limited to, a day in Sydney walking around the Circular Quay, a visit to a quaint country petting zoo with Aussie animals, a minimum of one Australian barbeque with a REAL Aussie family, and the opportunity to make us feel like we have friends.)

Today, we had a garage sale for the youth to raise money for camp in a few weeks. We actually did reasonably well - we earned more money than I had expected we would. The kids and adults from the church worked well together in putting it on, which was cool. As I looked through the hall at the massive amounts of stuff, I couldn't believe the sheer volume. But people came by and found treasures; toys, vases, books, clothes. And our teens who helped should have their camp trips mostly paid for.

After napping off the exhaustion of this morning, Jesse and I are awaiting our Saturday night Pizza Hut pizza. I think we will be on a first-name basis with the delivery girl very soon. I get deep dish pepperoni, he gets thin crust cheese, and we watch movies and/or Aussie Rules on tv. (Aussie Rules = Aussie Rules football, known as footy in Victoria, but not here, where footy refers to Rugby League.)

new job, new routine

As many of you know, I got the job I was interviewed for! It has been almost two weeks now (they called me on a Monday evening to offer me the job, and asked if I could start Tuesday at noon!), and I'm really enjoying it so far. There is still a lot to learn, but most days I'm up for the challenge :)

I've been taking the train to and from Newcastle each day, which means getting up a good 3 hours earlier than I had been (and thus going to bed much earlier each night), but is well worth it, given that we don't have to buy a car and pay for it, insurance, and registration ('rego' here), as well as gas (petrol here) and parking. That, and I can't get an Aussie license until I've been here 6 months, so I'm sure that would complicate things. But the nice thing about the train is that it takes about the same amount of time to get to Newcastle as driving would, plus I don't have to deal with driving. I've been able to do a lot of reading, which caps each end of the day off nicely. There's a short walk to and from the office, and Jesse's been dropping me off at our train station in the mornings and often picks me up at the end of the day. So I'm getting limited exercise out of the deal :)

Jesse's been helping out by doing more of the grocery shopping (or should I say, all of the grocery shopping) and we've been making dinner together, which is fun. Evening activities are quite a bit more tiring for me now, but we're continuing to monitor our schedules and make sure we still have time for 'us'.

As a brief update on my grandmother's story, things are still progressing in amazing ways in that situation. It would seem that there is redemption at every turn, and I'm watching the story unfold in anticipation to see the new ways God will use it for good.

As I settle into my new routine, I'll try to post more, but be aware that it may not happen - due to both time constraints and personal convictions about posting too much about work online. We'll see!

forgiveness

Saturday, we received word that my grandmother had been assaulted for her purse in her own driveway, in a relatively tame area within the suburbs of Syracuse.  She was taken to the hospital, held for observation overnight, and then released after satisfactory test results.  My mom was able to travel there, and all her siblings were around too, so it was good for them all to be together.  She's now home, in good spirits, and getting around ok.

They actually caught the guy who attacked her, and even recovered some of the money he'd stolen.  One of the investigators apparently called my aunt, and told her that he had said to the guy [my paraphrase, as I don't know the exact words], "that woman you assaulted, she's still in the hospital, but she wants you to know she forgives you."  Apparently, the man just broke down and cried.  Powerful.

When Jesse and I had first heard what had happened, he suggested we pray.  I was so angry, I couldn't close my eyes (an odd defiance, to be sure, but the truth).  He prayed for her health, and that something redemptive might come of the situation.  I was still quite upset.  Yes, taking food because your family's hungry is one thing, but hurting a woman for her money - that's another.  At least, in my mind it was.  By the second time we prayed together for the situation, I was able to fully participate; to truly ask for redemption to come out of the messed up event that had occurred.

As I've thought about this, I think about Jesus' words in Matthew 5.21-48, where Jesus challenges his listeners' view of the law.  Over and over, he says, "You have heard this action is wrong - but I'm saying it's your HEART that's in the wrong place"  (clearly, my paraphrase).  Where was my heart? Crying for justice, for vengeance, if I'm honest.  It was only when confronted with Grandma's forgiveness that I could begin to see the broken situation for what it was: depravity, desperation the likes of which I hadn't personally experienced.  Does it excuse this man's behavior?  Of course not.  But it goes a long way to bring my heart to where it needs to be - saddened that this happened at all.  Committed to orient myself toward God, to leaving vengeance in God's hands.  Cognizant of the ways I allow my heart to be in the wrong place, while doing "right" things.

That man you put on a cross, he wants you to know he forgives you.

Heat, Celebrations, and Antics

This weekend was quite full.  Friday, Jesse and I left in the morning for Sydney, where we met up with friends to attend a one-day cricket match.  Once we arrived at "the cricket" (as it is referred to here), we were in the sun pretty much from 2pm until it went down, gloriously, around 8pm.  I have never been so hot in my life!  But Jesse had a great time, and I enjoyed watching it, during those brief moments when the sun went behind a cloud, or during the cool of the evening once the sun had set.  There was what appeared to be 2 families sitting in the row in front of us, with about 5 boys and 1 girl in total, ranging in age from about 4 to about 9, all dressed in Aussie jerseys and hats, waving flags and shouting things like "shot!" and "that was well fielded!" There is something incredibly charming about little children with an Aussie accent, particularly when it involves a phrase like "well fielded."  We had a lovely 20-30 minute walk in the cool evening back to Sydney Central to catch a bus back to our friends' house.  Great day.

Saturday, we got up quite early (for us) to head back to Maitland.  An elderly woman in the congregation had passed away this week, and Jesse was presiding over the funeral.  We arrived at our house in time to meet with her cousin, go over some last-minute service adjustments, scrub the temporary tattoos ("Go Aussie Go" and "Australia") off of our faces, and head to church.  The funeral was a great tribute to her life, and many folks hung around for the morning tea afterward to discuss remembrances and enjoy each other's company.  

It's interesting to contemplate grief, and how we honor the memory of our loved ones.  I may have blogged about this story in the past, but it comes to mind again.  I remember when we were putting together the services for my great-aunt Lois a couple of years ago, which included a handbell choir piece to honor her love of the handbells.  I was standing next to my sister as we practiced before the service, and it must have been particularly warm, or I was particularly nervous, or something.  At any rate, I rang one bell with unusual gusto, and it slipped from my hand.  I panicked, reached out, and caught the bell just in time to ring it again (and, honestly, to prevent damage to the bell and its surroundings).  My sister and I dissolved into laughter.  My grandmother commented that it was just such a moment that Aunt Lois would have enjoyed.  In that crazy moment, we honored her memory.

Saturday was one of the hottest days yet.  A couple from the church who have a pool took pity on us and invited us over for a swim.  It was glorious.  We had lovely conversation, watched a bit of the Melbourne Cup, had tea (dinner) together, and then Jesse and I headed home.

Sunday, Jesse began his sermon series on Leviticus, for which he'd given the congregation a reading assignment last week.  It seemed to go well, and it was nice to have the rest of the day to relax.  While job-hunting online, I found a couple of positions that seemed like they may be a good fit, and applied for them.  I'm optimistic; we'll see what happens, however.

Today, Australia Day, we had a church outing to a nearby lake for a day of cricket, boating, cricket, barbecue, and of course, more cricket.  We had a great turnout amongst the church families, and played a few rounds (innings) of cricket with a group of guys enjoying the lake as well.  Jesse and I have the sunburns to prove that we were thwarted by the overcast sky for much of the day (I didn't put sunscreen on until about 3:15), but we felt like we had celebrated Australia Day properly.  

Food, Games, and a Happy 50th!

Today (tomorrow for those in the US) is my mom's 50th birthday, so you should all wish her a happy one, particularly if you're nearby and can give her a hug.

I made some cheese pizza for lunch from scratch, using a recipe in my "What to Eat When You Can't Eat Anything" book (a GREAT book for anyone with food issues).  I've been a bit food-sensitive lately, although I have to give credit to the Katoomba conference people, who are very accommodating with dietary restrictions.  Anyway, Jesse and I both loved the pizza, so it was well worth the effort.  I suppose I didn't technically make the tomato sauce "from scratch" (I used a can of pureed tomatoes), but all the seasoning was mine.  Mm, tasty; there's also a sense of accomplishment from making things "from scratch."

Since we received our Wedding List gifts, I now have 3 canisters on my counter, which have been put to good use:  white spelt flour, rice, and granola in the third one.  This is a far cry from sugar, flour, coffee, and tea, but they are the starchy staples I use most often.  I made the granola yesterday from the same cookbook, while we were watching tv, and had it for breakfast this morning.  I also made some peanut butter popcorn in the evening (Grandma's recipe) for a snack.  One of the best things about coming home after being away is cooking food again.

In terms of games, I've been improving at Wii Play; I have a platinum medal in the shooting range (although I still can't beat Jesse when we go head-to-head; he's just too quick!), a current record of 43 tanks in that game, and a new high score of somewhere over 50 in ping pong.  I'm 2nd to Jesse among my friends in Scramble (facebook version of Boggle) and improving at "Challenge Sudoku" which I recently discovered on facebook as well.  Since we were away for a whole week, we have a little extra bandwidth to play with this month, and I'm making use of it.

Our fancy washing machine is doing well; we're getting used to each other.  I can set it to delay start, so that it washes a load right before we wake up and we can just put the clothes out on the line when we get up.  That's a good deal; that way, we're not hanging them out in the middle of the hot day.

Well, I think that's about it for now.  Speaking of the middle of a hot day... I am going to figure out what's for dinner, make sure the ingredients are available, and possibly go to a few stores.  Hopefully many of you are receiving your wedding thank-you notes; sorry they're so delayed in getting to you!

Thankful

Thanksgiving Day was technically yesterday for us, although we had dinner on Wednesday (it went well, aside from the fact that I forgot to make the green beans. Oh well!), did little to celebrate yesterday, and talked with my family for a bit this morning. In the spirit of the season, and with credit to SRW, here are 10 things I am thankful for, in no special order:

1. Our bed. It is so nice to sleep on a comfortable mattress, safely elevated above cockroach level and supported by the slats of a bedframe underneath.

2. Technology. I'm thankful that we don't have to wash all of our clothes by hand (although it feels like it, at times). That our internet has worked pretty well, and we've managed to stay underneath the monthly cap. That we have computers, email, and web-based phone services to communicate with loved ones at home. That I now have a mobile phone again!

3. Friends and family in the US. I'm thankful that I can send an email to my girls and they respond when I'm feeling homesick. That we receive at least one piece of mail a week (but would love to receive more! hint hint) from someone at home.

4. Spelt and Maple. Most of you know I have some food intolerances. These substitute for the major ones (wheat and most refined sugars), so that I can cook and bake without too much trouble.

5. Waffles. This one's for you, SRW.

6. Friends in Aus. In the midst of all the transition, there have been a few people who have made me feel at home. You know you're good friends when you can get their daughter a Princess Leia costume for her birthday, and they are just as enamored with it as you are.

7. TV shows on DVD. Burn Notice, Boston Legal, Battlestar Galactica, all brought to you by the letter 'b'. Yes, I do like Battlestar Galactica. To quote Laura, this means I've entered the "upper echelon of dorkdum."

8. Books. I've become reacquainted with these foreign objects since finishing my job in the US. I've read 3 Jodi Picoult, 2 or 3 Christian fiction, and various other things (whatever I could get my hands on.) Currently reading Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. I like a good book that challenges who I am and where I'm going, and to combine that with someone this reflective about her faith journey has been formative to say the least.

9. Jesse. Perhaps it's cliche, but I'm thankful for my husband of just over a month. Whether he's helping to peel the potatoes, playing volleyball with me despite a sprained wrist, borrowing tv show seasons from friends, or just hanging out, I'm loving the fact that we can be together just about all the time. Not that I would change our long-distance "courtship" (used here to refer to dating and then engagement, as opposed to any Joshua Harris-esque ideas, but I digress) as it brought us close, but that sharing life is 'heaps' better (to use an Aussie phrase. Heard this week in context: "there's heaps of crickets in here." "he's heaps good [at soccer].").

10. Summer Vacation. "Vacation" may not be the right word, but this break from the "working world" has been refreshing for me. It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 months since I was "gainfully employed." I'm amazed at how much there is to do around the house, and somewhat nervous about how things will get done once I do get a job, but in the meantime, this time has been everything I could've hoped. I'm able to plan meals and be creative in the kitchen, settle into the house and organize things to make it a liveable home. I have some time to write notes to friends (and thank-yous from the wedding). Yes, I'm starting to look for jobs, but for now, I'm enjoying the chance to sleep in some and reclaim some rest.

Of course there are other things I'm thankful for, but here is a limited smattering. Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings, and in case you didn't catch the not-so-subtle hint before, send us mail! ;)