Let me get this straight

Our mortgage is with Citimortgage and our credit card is with Citibank. We bought a house we could afford, and we pay our mortgage on time every month. In fact, we pay more on the principle every month than we need to. We also pay off our credit card every month--we don't carry a balance. In fact, Citibank pays us to use their card, since we get cash back on our purchases. So, we're not the ones contributing to their debt problems and pathetic cry for help from the government.

And yet, our tax dollars are going to bail them out of their bad business practices. And, Citigroup is still trying to get us (and everyone else) to borrow more money from them at zero percent interest for one year (amid various other assundry offers). Um, that's part of how they got into trouble in the first place--how can they possibly think that continuing such practices will help them out? If they continue with the status quo, how can they expect things to get any better? Why don't they start looking at how they can recoup their money from those who have defaulted on their loans and are late with their cc payments (e.g. lowering/eliminating interest rates), rather than encouraging continued borrowing?

And why am I responsible for paying for their mistakes? Yeah, I'm not happy about the whole let's-not-let-companies-and-people-suffer-the-consequences-for-their-actions-and-take-responsibility-for-their-mistakes-so-let's-get-the-government-aka-the-taxpayers-to-pay-for-it-all-bailout-package. But that's just me.

100 Things

Thanks, Jen, for posting this list--the bolded ones are those that I've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World/Disney Land
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

The First Weeks

Lack of sleep prevents me from writing anything pithy or scintillating in this post. So, I'll just post a few pictures of our baby for you to enjoy.

Seth has been home that past two weeks, and his sister Katy came this week. It's been so helpful having others there to hold him and change his diapers! I'm trying to talk Seth into taking one more week off, but he's not going for it.


Kieran is a snuggly baby who likes to be held by anyone and everyone. Can we say "spoiled"?


He was weighed at our last doctor visit (Thursday) and according to their measurements, he's now 6 lbs, 10 oz, and is about 20 inches long.

Wonderment

Can any mother ever really get over the amazing sense of wonderment that she experiences when she first sees the human being that was moments before residing comfortably (or not so comfortably -- more on that in a bit) in her womb and is now part of the outside, cold world?

We arrived at the hospital for the induction about 6:15 and were set up in the LDRP room by 6:30. The nurse got me hooked up to the IVs and the fetal monitor and the fun began. Since Kieran wasn't moving around very much, they gave me some ice chips and popsicles to wake him up. She also wanted me to change positions frequently.

At 8:30, before they started the Pitocin drip, Kieran's heart rate had dropped and they weren't able to find it. After lots of moving around and poking and prodding, they finally got it started again. The nurses called my OB and since they didn't know what caused his heart rate to drop and he was moving around and not considered a "sick baby," they decided a C-section probably wouldn't be needed, she broke my water and they began the Pitocin about 9:30.

Even though the contractions were regular, he still hadn't dropped into the birth canal, and didn't seem interested in doing so. So, again with the changing positions, trying to get him to drop. But as the contractions increased, his heart rate would dip with each one.

About 12:30, the situation concerned the nurse so much that she called my OB who arrived shortly after 1 pm and decided that a C-section was necessary. Since I had already asked for (and received) an epidural (as I've said before, I'm a wimp when it comes to pain), they wheeled me into the OR and got the process started. (Since it all happened so fast, Seth didn't have time to grab the camera before he got into his scrubs and came into the delivery room, so we don't have any pics of Kieran immediately following his delivery.)

At 1:19 pm, the docter found out why he wasn't dropping and why his heart rate was dropping -- when she delivered him, his cord was wrapped around his neck twice and around his arm and his hand was grasping the cord.

Seth watched when they gave me the epidural, and he also watched when they pulled Kieran out. He watched them clean the baby off, but he refused to cut his umbilical cord.

After two days recovering from the operation in the hospital, we were able to leave on Wednesday afternoon. (Thanks, Scarlet, for coming to visit!)

We're finally home and settling into life with a newborn. As all new parents know, the past few days have been a blur of eating, sleeping, and changing diapers.

And, of course, we think he's the most beautiful baby in the world (never mind that I've referred to him as a Roswell Alien already because of his bright eyes and bald head, and also the Saggy Baggy Elephant because of his baggy skin--he'll have lots of self-esteem issues to work through later in life).

We're thanking the Lord for the wisdom He gave to the doctors and nurses and for giving us this wonderful blessing.

Kieran
6 pounds, 3 ounces
18.5 inches long