Who put a quarter in this one???

I'm not sure who did it, but someone has put a quarter in Natalie. She has spent the last couple of days copy-catting everything Ella does & says. Sometimes she copies what I say. This morning Ella is at preschool. I sat down to eat a little oatmeal, and Natalie runs up, "What are you having? (which comes out more like ah-ving)" I told her, and she said, "I have cereal...in bowl...with milk on it...and spoon??!!" Then she came back for more "I have more cereal? Could I? Could I, could I?" Such a chatterbug for a little girl who just turned 2. My favorite with her as of late, has been her rendition of "Oh how I love Jesus." It just goes on and on, never getting to the "Because He first loved me" part.

Which brings me to the tear-jerking mommy moment of the week. We had some storms roll through on Saturday night, and as I was putting Ella to bed, she was starting to traumatize over it. Then she said, "Mom, do you know who can keep us safe from the storm? God can." Regaining my composure I told her she was absolutely right. So I told her when I was a little girl, I prayed to ask Jesus into my heart so he would always be with me. She kind of ignored me, but then said God was in her heart to keep her safe. Well the first thing she did Sunday morning was tell the woman at Sunday School, "And it was storming last night, but I don't have to be scared because God is in my heart to keep me safe." So sweet, and such a good reminder for me of what it means to have faith like a child.

A Mommylogue

The other night we were at our Bible study, currently studying the book of James, and we were talking about the way we often get so wrapped up in things, but when you stop to pray, God just takes care of it. It was then that this picture came to mind like a tap on the shoulder:
So often I will ask my girls to do something. They will hem and haw and fuss their way through it. "But....but...but..." By the time they are done, they could have done the task 20 times. I will often say to them, "if you would stop fussing, you could be done by now."
How often am I that child? God has asked me to do something, or tried to tell me something, and I fuss my way through? Go through unnecessary heartache? If I would just be still and listen, and then be obedient, I could be done by now.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:5-8, New Living Translation

Updates: Babies & Sickies

Babies:
Luke Michael joined the cousins on Saturday, March 17. Molly was induced on Friday morning, and he finally decided to get out at 3:30 am on Saturday. 7 lbs. 9 oz (same as Ella and Bria). Everyone's doing well, and Big Brother Sam is pretty interested in his little brother.

Families are expanding all around us. I have 2 new nephews and a niece (my first) since the beginning of the year. Everyone seems to be doing well, and it's wonderful to get a baby fix.

Sickies:
Natalie is mostly recovered from the flu, except for lingering diaper issues. Ella came down with it Wednesday night at 10:30, and was up about every half hour til 8:30 am. LONG night. She was well recovered by Friday. I wasn't. On Friday I was so exhausted from staying up all night Wednesday, that I stayed in bed most of the day. The cute part was Friday night when I put Ella to bed. "Mommy, if I need to throw up, then I'll call you and tell you I need a bucket. But I won't throw up, because I feel better." "Oh, Ella, I'm so glad you feel better." "I hope you feel better soon too, Mommy." Definitely growing up too fast, but so sweet. I'll tuck that little memory someplace safe to bring out when she's being less than lovely.

More nurse practitioner-ing

Today it's a stomach bug for the worst patient. Poor Natalie. She's not yet 2, and completely panicked by the throwing up. Not so much grasping Mommy's urgent need for bucket usage. In a way, I wonder if she thinks the bucket makes her throw up. In any case, the poor girl has got issues at both ends -- diaper rash, here we come. She's fallen asleep now in a chair I have covered with towels and sheets.

It's funny how your little baby getting sick brings out the different sides in you. It's frustrating. I feel awful for her. I feel awful for me. I feel awful for Ella, who doesn't seem to like all the attention Natalie's getting. I'm amazed at what I'm capable of in the heat of the moment. I'm usually completely sickened by just the sound of it, but when it's my baby, it's like I don't even see it. Whatever I can do to make her feel better. I somehow become like a multi-tasker 3000 robot. Clean up, wash up, sanitize, and on to the next.

Any minute now I'm sure she'll wake up and we'll start it all over (or Ella will get going as well), but I am very grateful for this little break. Grateful for a little rest for her poor little body. And grateful that with God's help I am truly able to do things I never thought I could do (even when it involves throw up).

I hope your day is going better than ours, but I know in only a matter of time I'll be thankful for our health again.

Nurse Practitioner Sarah

My sister always jokes that her husband is a doctor and I am a nurse practitioner, because we have a knack for remembering medical information, and then correctly diagnose ailments. We have a running joke that one day he and I will open an office, and because we have no degrees in that field we'll just accept bags of corn and a couple of chickens for our opinions.

I earned a few more NP points on Thursday, when I was in the delivery room with Amanda when she gave birth to Bria Marie. We had sort of talked about me being there before, but I think we all thought there would be a lot more time to try it out. She called in labor at 6:30 Thursday morning. My mom ended up staying home from a nun event (that's another long story) so she could take the girls, and I got to the hospital at 8:20. I walked into a room full of nurses and equipment, and after being cleared by Amanda I hopped right in next to Connor. Amanda had already started pushing. She had arrived at the hospital at 7, and was dilated to 7. Within minutes she was at 10. I ended up in charge of her oxygen mask -- on between contractions and pushing.

Originally, I had thought I'd just hang out with her during the long hours of labor, and I'd probably end up leaving for the actual pushing. I figured I could stand up by her head and miss it all. Of course, the truth is that her head was not as far away from the action as I'd somehow imagined.

So there I was. Cheering her on. Holding her mask. Bria was born at 9:09 after a completely natural childbirth (too fast for anything else). Then I was able to hold her hand while the doctor patched her back up, and Connor got all of the pictures of Bria getting weighed and measured.

I'm in no way signing up for med school, but I am very glad I was there. My proudest moment later, was when Amanda said she had noticed that all of the sudden her oxygen mask was going on and coming off at exactly the right times, and she had looked up and seen that it was my hand holding it. I'm surprised by a lot of things. Really surprised I managed to stomach that whole scene. Even more surprised that I've done that twice, and still didn't really know that's what it looks like. And then just surprised that I've done that twice at all. Childbirth sure isn't pretty, but it is amazing. How you can witness something like that and not believe in God, I have no idea. What an intricate process He's designed. There's a reason it's often referred to as the miracle of birth. I'm so thankful that He gave me an opportunity to get that new perspective.

Bria Marie
7 lbs. 9 oz.
9:09 am, March 8
19" long

Time to pitch in, marketing team!

Alright loyal readers (all 3 of you)! I need a campaign slogan for a Wisconsin health system that is implementing a smoke-free campus in November. The sample slogan is "We're clearing the air." They'd like something like "Smoke Free for Everyone's Health," only more catchy. I'm so swamped today that fresh, creative ideas are really nowhere to be found.

It stopped snowing!

Well, it stopped snowing in time for us to go home. Sunday it started melting, and now it's freezing cold again. This of course turns everything into an ice rink. Gotta love a MN spring.

I had a wonderful time at Brennan's conference. It was good to get out of the sweatsuit for a few days, and wear shoes instead of slippers. I got to see several of my customers, which was good. We also got to eat dinner at Rossi's steakhouse. Wow. Wonderful food. But as another wife said later, "How would you ever eat there without an expense account?" It's one of those places where they brought us a platter with all the cuts of meat on it, so we could choose. One of those places where the $35 steak doesn't come with any sides or soup or salad. It was definitely a fun experience though! I had the salmon, which was wonderful. Our dessert was a giant strawberry shortcake, which the 10 of us were only able to eat half of.

I picked up some fun freebies at the trade show -- a requirement from GrandmaCare. It was a good, relaxing time, and I feel like I came home refreshed to be mommy again.

Welcome to the world: Joseph Daniel Martinson, born March 5 at 10:47 pm. 8 lbs., 10 oz. later, mom & baby are reportedly doing well.

Arriving Friday (hopefully): Baby Girl (we think) Murphy. Amanda is set to go in at 6 am for inducing. Arriving the following Friday: Luke Michael (I think) McFarland. Molly is set to be induced March 16. It's baby mania.

It's snowing again...but I don't care!!

Everything is continuously covered in a blanket of white -- but I don't care! I'm at Brennan's work conference at the Hilton Minneapolis. That's right. Downtown Minneapolis. Connected by skywalks. All the shopping, no driving, no parking, no coat, no SNOW!

A few thoughts on the Hilton: I would like to take this room along with everything in it, and plop it down where our bedroom is at home. I love the colors, love the carpet, LOVE the bed, the curtains, absolutely everything. And of course, love the housekeeping service.

Just a few skywalk minutes away is the Minneapolis Convention Center. They are currently having the Home & Garden show. I think I'm going to have to go check that out, not to get ideas for my own yard (my grandmother does my gardening), but just to smell some flowers and spring.

Talked to my mom an hour ago. The girls slept all night long. Furthering my theory that Natalie is just out for Daddy attention in the middle of the night.

I think I might go find Barnes & Noble.

Shovel, shovel, shovel

Now that I'm completely ready for spring, we're living in a winter wonderland. We had freeze-your-face-off cold for weeks. Then it got warmer, even to 40 degrees. I was thrilled -- bring on spring!! And now we finally got our snow. The whole winter's worth in one weekend. We shoveled 4 or 5 times, just to keep up. Yesterday we bundled the girls up to go play in the snow while we dug out the driveway. Ella had a great time, and Natalie was iffy on it.

I have purchased new sandals, hoping to bring spring in more quickly.

In other news, I vaguely remember a time when Natalie slept. I may take her in for an ear infection check, just to make sure I'm not getting falsely frustrated. My hunch is that she's just trying to snow Daddy. Four or five times she was up last night. If I go in she pitches a fit and wants Daddy. Daddy has to go in and rock her until she falls asleep again. I'd just feel bad if she had an ear infection. But tell me, does that not just sound like a spoiled child?? Like a habit to be broken??

We'll be going to Brennan's work conference later this week. I always feel bad for the month ahead that I'm excited to go, but I'll miss the girls. Like I'll be away from them for too long. Then it seems about the week beforehand, everything shifts, and I feel like we could use a break from each other. Perhaps they sense it, and that's why they get the extra edge of crazy. God bless Grandma & Papa.

Like any other business

I have decided to take a more proactive approach with the stay-at-home portion of my life. This morning I really worked on having some activities ready to go for the girls, and what a difference it made! I'm discovering that 5 minutes here and there can actually make an impact in housework. Five minutes of dishwashing is progress. Five minutes of picking up clutter and finding homes for things adds up. It takes less than 5 minutes to start a load of laundry when I have it sorted and ready to go. A 15 minute break from my work to play a game with the girls puts everyone in a better mood. We took a 20 minute break to drive past the post office and wash the car. Little things here and there can make the difference. And what a difference some sunshine makes!!

On that note, the sun is out and things are starting to melt a bit. Coincidence that the girls are coughing and have runny noses? Or allergies??

I don't know what to say, except God is good, and a little extra effort can mean big things in whatever you're doing.