Let's hear it!

I've got a few more precious days with Job here at home on an extended "paternity leave/ vacation." He's been a dream, helping me out and entertaining V. I'm nervous for when he goes back to work... maybe you can help!

For those of you with two (or more) kids, I have question. What helped you the most when making the transition to FULL DAYS with both kids? What do you do with a toddler while you're confined to a couch, nursing an infant? What do you do together that keeps you all happy and sane? I had visions of taking V. to the park with little S. in a baby carrier... but then I envisioned V. running off and climbing on not-age-appropriate play equipment, and me scrambling and threatening and losing my mind.

I really, really want to be a plugged-in mom. I want to cut back on my internet use and be engaged. I want to use my time efficiently. So... how do you do it? Let's hear it, I'm all ears!

Maybe you've heard?

She's HERE!

Meet Susannah Laura Marie!

She was born Sunday morning at 4:28 am, just 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital. Over two weeks early, she is a little small (but not too small), with a birth weight of 6 lbs. 14 oz (19" long). But--thanks be to God--she is perfectly healthy.

We came home yesterday afternoon, after picking up Big Sister at Grandma and Grandpa's house. So far home life is going fairly well. V. is still adjusting to so many changes (like our move two weeks ago) and is very good at being a two year old. But she loves her new baby sister a lot, even if she does have to share mommy and (especially) daddy. hehehe.

"Susie" is a sweetheart who loves to sleep and eat and cuddle. She really is so mild and calm... at least so far! Don't quote me on that :)

The birth itself went very well. I labored mostly at home on Sat. night... and in the car for the hour long journey from our home to the hospital (with a stop to drop off V. at my folks'). I'm SOOO THANKFUL we made it to the hospital in time! It was a beautiful, un-meddled with birth that very much just "happened." Again, thanks be to God. His mercy endureth forever.

How did we come up with her name? Well, I sort of let Job pick one out once she was born. I thought he made an excellent choice :) "Susannah" is sort of a family name on my side, and it also means "lily" in Hebrew. St. Susannah was also one of the myrrh-bearing women, so our little girl's feast day will be next Sunday! Pretty cool, huh? "Laura" is after my father-in-law, Larry, and "Marie" is after both of Steve's grandmothers (both named Mary) and my paternal grandmother (named Marisa) and of course the Theotokos.

So there you go! Our hearts are brimming with joy. Thank you so much for your love and prayers throughout my pregnancy and in these past few days. And thanks to the mystery commenter who posted the news of the birth? I think that was you Mom? :D hehehe.

Please e-mail me at steve and katie 6505 at yahoo dot com (no spaces) if you'd like to see some more pictures. I'd love to share more with you here, but I'm kind of on a "photo privacy" kick. ;) I know, no fun (we'll see how long that lasts). But honestly, just contact me if you'd like more of the good stuff!

Christos Anesti!

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Oh, the pressure to create a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing Bright Week post! I had visions and dreams of drawing a bright, Paschal greeting and scanning it to post here on my blog. But go figure, my precious energy is being well-spent in other ways. Like... sorting all of the junk we've unpacked, planning my friend's bridal shower and getting ready for Baby! Hours of doodling will have to wait... unfortunately.

By the way, I'm so sick of all of the art I've acquired over the years. All of it my own. If anyone is in the market for some original artwork, by all means, please let me know. But if I don't want to hang it in my house, I doubt you'd want to either. :P

Yes, yes, this was supposed to be a Pascha post! We enjoyed a blessed Paschal feast. I was happy to attend for the first time in two years! Of course, my little Holy Friday baby kept me from attending in '06, and last year said baby was sick. Holy Week was a marathon of unpacking and church services... it went by in a blur. I did not attend the Holy Thursday service, because I thought I'd "take it easy", but I ended up really missing it. I won't make the same mistake next year.

Vasi loved arriving at church in the middle of the night, wrapped in her giant quilt. What a dream it must be for children. So surreal. They're awakened from sleep in the middle of the night, taken to church where beautiful candles are glowing and everyone is joyous and singing, processing around parking lots and whatnot. It's funny, V. was an angel all during the service (and even proclaimed--quite audibly--"I want to listen to the sermon!" when I tried to take her to out of the nave for precautionary measures). But then when it was time to receive Holy Communion, she just flipped out. Then we tried again, and she did the same thing. Very, very odd. She had always been so enthusiastic about "Commune" (her word for it) before. Maybe it was just a fluke... I'm hoping it's not the start of a phase... although I know lots of small kids go through a "freak out at the Chalice" stage. Hmm. Lord have mercy! It's a good exercise in humility for parents.

After a good night's rest, and attending the church picnic the next day, we came home and crashed once more. Only to wake up with the stomach flu. All of us got the bug, and only now are we all recovered. I can't complain; it was relatively swift and could have been MUCH worse. Better now than after Baby #2 comes, though!!! God's tender mercies...

Speaking of Baby #2... we are still without an official "name" for her. I wish I did have a name for her, but I'm still floundering. Job, in his long-suffering, has resorted to letting me "figure it out"-- my horrible indecisiveness has made him just a bit indifferent. Especially after 9 months of "Name that baby" ping-pong. I had a midwife appt. today and so far, all is well! I have another appt. next week (I can't believe I'm down to the "weeklies!"). I personally feel like it could be any day now, but who knows? Please keep us in your prayers.

After a long, long day of appointments and errands and attempts at nesting, I should head to bed.

But, but, but....

One last thing. Just a quick blog, okay?

Today I dropped two garbage bags of stuff off at a Goodwill donation spot. It was just an express donation "drive thru" kind of place, there was no retail store attached. Which was intentional; it makes no sense to buy MORE stuff while I'm trying to get rid of stuff during this moving process. Right?

But at this donation center, I noticed there was a little wooden kitchen JUST SITTING THERE. It had probably just been donated. It was perfect. It was very simple and "vintage"-- probably from the 70s or 80s. It was made of wood. It reminded me of something you'd see in the kid's nursery at a really old Baptist church. Random connotation... but hey, I've seen my share of dusty old nurseries in my day. Back to the kitchen. It just looked quality. Not overwhelmingly colorful or decorative; but just plain enough to add personal embellishments.

I stared longingly at the kitchen set. I got out of the car and asked the personnel on staff if I could please, please buy it. I knew that the odds were against me. And they were. "Sorry, you'll have to wait for it to hit the stores." OHHHH!!! Which one of the millions of Goodwills in the area will it be at? Who knows. I should have pulled out my check book and told them to name their price.... even though I wouldn't have paid more than $40 for it... okay, maybe $60 (blush).

Did I mention it was perfect? Maybe, maybe I'll luck out in the weeks ahead and come across it at Goodwill. Or maybe I'll drive back to the donation center tomorrow with some distant cousins and ask again, "nicely." Just joking.

Things will probably be silent around here for the next week or two. Why? Because this week I'll be packing like a madwoman, and on Saturday we're moving! Right in time for Holy Week. So... Holy Week + unpacking and getting settled ASAP= not a lot of time for blogging. I've tried to come up with interesting posts these last few days. I even have two unfinished posts on my "dashboard" thing. They're not too bad, either... they're just a little too heady. I'm not feeling very heady these days. I really just want to sort out my life and get things organized for the next few weeks/months! Oh, did I mention I'm having a baby in approximately five weeks? Hmmm.... I have to remind myself sometimes. Oh, such is the life of the forgotten second-born, eh? :) It's already begun.

I'm glad that Job has some time off this week. We are hoping to get the new place cleaned, from top to bottom (with some help). Then we'll chip away at getting boxes packed. Squeeze in a midwife appointment, a trip to Ikea (*smirk*), a confession appointment, and well you've got a full plate on your hands. I sure hope that life slows down a little... but looking at the months ahead on my calendar, I don't think that's likely. Isn't it interesting how spring and summer are just PACKED with things to do? Mainly on the weekends, but still. It's fascinating.

Well, I don't mean to complain. In all truth, I'm so thankful for God's blessings and for all that is to come.

I hope you are well. I'll be back after Pascha/Easter, if not sooner. If you're Orthodox, then I hope you have a meaningful Holy Week and a beautiful Pascha! Talk to you soon.

A sight for your sore eyes?

Wow. Finally. Updates to this blog! Great scot, I've been wanting to add links and a header for YEEEEEEEAAAARRRSSSSS! Four years, in fact.

Learning how simple it was, and thereby achieving these updates was one of the most exciting things that has happened to me in the year 2008.

Now I can have a little more fun with this blog, at least aesthetically speaking.

So for all of you who have been reading here for nearly four years, congrats! You've truly been with me through the good, the bad and the ugly. You know, there was that spurt a few years back where I'd add color to my text (whoa! lookout!). Then I learned now to add photos and that was revolutionary, albeit a bit shaky at first. Let's not forget that time, oh, about 2 years ago when I switched templates. Yes, it's been exciting around here, eh?

But a picture in my header? And links? And a profile photo? Never! Too lofty. Get out of town.

So... TA DA! Consider me a complete doofus for taking so long to figure this whole thing out.

I was tagged via blogmosis... got this meme from Emma's blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was 15, so a sophomore in high school, I think. I probably had my driver's permit. Dreaming about how liberating and FREE I would be if only I had a license! I had a huge crush on my best friend's neighbor. He was also the pastor's kid at my church. Small town. I was in my first play and thus kissed by paltry athletic career good-bye. Speaking of "kissed..." Got my first kiss at a Sadie Hawkins dance (there was a "jail", and if you got thrown into it, your date had to give you a kiss to get you out). Hahaha! I remember I had been learning about Orthodoxy during this time...those early teen years were definitely ones of gradual, spiritual awakening. Man, I'm amazed at how clearly I remember "15."

Five things on my To Do List today:
It's 12:09 am, so I guess it's technically a "new day." But all I know is that for sure I will...

1. Finish my midnight snack (a smoothie)

2. Take my cod liver oil and prenatal vitamin

3. Brush my teeth, wash face

4. Say prayers

5. Blink into the darkness until I fall asleep an hour later.

Snacks I enjoy:

Lately? Obviously, this smoothie I'm enjoying. Avocado, cheese and chips. Apple, bananas. Dark chocolate. Coconut Bliss (eyes glaze over).

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Yikes! Beats me. Clear school debt. Buy several brand new diesel Volkswagens and run them on vegetable oil. Tithe. Give money to our families. Have Job quit his job so that he/we could do whatever. Buy a burr grinder. Buy my own coffee plantation? Buy a Vitamix. Collect art. Help people and families in need. Help fund our church's building fund. Oh...um... pay off our house? Make it look nice.

Five places I have visited:
Salinas, CA
San Francisco, CA
Savannah, GA (I was, like, 3)
Ashland, OR (derr... I'm lame)
Seattle, WA

Five jobs I have had:
Sales associate
Student librarian-circulation desk
house cleaner/custodian
Writer (kind of a joke of a job, but that was indeed my title, so I'll take it)
Office manager at a medical office

Go ahead and meme away. Hope you're doing well!

Another food blog. What can I say? It's life! It's Lent!

... plus I was inspired by Lauren and Christina's recent posts.

This Lent, I was seriously dreading having to get back into preparing and cooking Lenten foods. Like, ready to tear my hair out. Since my own fasting requirements are lightened due to my pregnancy, it was very tempting for me to thereby "lighten" Job's diet too, and fudge a little on preparing him strict-fasting stuff. But, I realized that God's ascetic challenge for ME was to lovingly prepare Lenten foods for Job. Besides, it's what Job prefers.

I was about to go crazy when preparing my first Lenten weekly menu/shopping list for Clean week. I couldn't stand the idea of repeatedly eating the same stuff over and over again (why should I complain? I'm only eating Lenten dinners, I'm such a baby).

So I corralled several cookbooks and started searching for new vegan recipes that would help me expand my horizons. I've yet to make some... I'll let you know how they turn out. Here are some of the interesting recipes I've made that have helped me branch out and dive into some new Lenten food adventures. Some I gleaned from other Orthodox blogging folk (indicated where links are provided):

Shrimp Creole with Brown rice

Bean and Beer Soup

Lenten pancakes

Homemade French bread (much easier to make than I thought! Makes 2 loaves, you can freeze the other instead of having to make a trip to the store)

Lenten Banana Cream pie (from a composite Orthodox cookbook-- this was a recipe that was submitted, I discovered, by the same woman who provided the above linked recipes! She's got some great ideas). I made this to celebrate our "house closing."

These recipes were rock-solid "winners" with me. Mainly because (french bread and pie aside... ahem...) they all make for satisfying meals and yet don't take a long time to prepare. Since we only have three in our family (although I'm very much "eating for two" *blush*), we always have plenty of leftovers, which is super-helpful.

Other cool discoveries:
Ezekiel bread (adds some added nourishment to sandwiches and toast)
Sprouted corn tortillas (nods to Carrie)
Coconut bliss.... ARRRGGGGHHH!!!! THIS SHOULDN'T BE IN MY FREEZER! I have NO GOOD EXCUSE!

In other news? Today I took V. to her first carousel ride! Darnit, I wish I had remembered my camera!!! She liked it at first, then as the ride got faster, she got a little more nervous and was ready to be done :) Then when she got off, she pretended she wasn't ever scared. hehehe. Thanks to Grandma Marmee and Aunt Carrie (and cousins!) for bringing us along!

Last week I completed the Little House series. I'd hoped to finish it by Clean Monday, but not quite. Almost. So then, the other night, I picked up my copy of The Screwtape Letters and started to read it again. I hadn't read it since college. I remember being so astounded by the spiritual realities in this book. So I figured it'd be appropriate for Lenten reading.

The problem with this book? It's too good. I want to highlight or underline every other sentence. I want to share it with others. Admittedly, this book makes me want to cut out entire paragraphs, fold up the text, and send it anonymously to someone who I feel could benefit from it. THAT'S NOT a good thing. You know, here I am reading about strategizing demons and their methods of spiritual attack, and meanwhile I'm rubbing my chin, nodding my head as my own personal demon eggs me on, making sure I apply none of the information to myself, but self-righteously dwell on the faults of others.

So this time around, I'm trying to read it with more care and more watchfulness.

In other news, I just want to share that Job and I closed two days ago on the house! Praise God! We will move sometime in mid-April. Thank you all for your prayers and your encouragement. You were right, it really does happen! I was getting so down and discouraged, too.
This is just after the new floors were installed. We still have a long way to go, hence, the time gap between our close-date and move-in. But thanks to friends (like Heather!) and family, we have the walls painted! :) Above photo: My mother-in-law, Job (looking funny), my dad and V. admiring the finished floors.