tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47154529033040920162024-02-06T22:33:36.809-06:00the bed is made the world's a messMiriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-79308014799871526572012-04-19T17:11:00.001-05:002012-04-19T17:11:17.908-05:00hit & run<div style="text-align: center;">
Rosie & Sufjan? Be still my indie-lovin' heart. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pitchfork.com/news/45672-listen-sufjan-teams-with-rosie-thomas/">(source)</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://rosiethomas.bandcamp.com/album/hit-run-vol-1">Hit & Run Vol. 1</a>
</div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-76884705140397148262012-04-11T21:27:00.002-05:002012-04-11T21:28:27.294-05:00Joy<div style="text-align: center;">
Need some inspiration? Take the next 13 minutes and watch this segment on an incredible orchestra from the Congo. Even in the poorest country in the world, beauty exists. </div>
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(found via <a href="http://marvelouskiddo.blogspot.com/2012/04/joy-in-congo.html">marvelous kiddo</a>)</div>
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" background="#333333" flashvars="si=254&contentValue=50122868&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7404678n" height="279" src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-71219839310244500912012-04-05T19:31:00.001-05:002012-04-05T19:31:31.333-05:00Love + MoneyA very thought provoking talk on poverty, money and love. Watch it.<br />
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<br /></div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-20014140157074847582012-03-30T11:38:00.001-05:002012-03-30T11:38:47.513-05:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GiK-xOYtUeBSiyzC1jzjafhJdnki-8LzbB-WHV-qe6YPAqLbooTuPEVGfipiKnzkcj7m9mLV5gmQ6mX4jh-D5PbAJ_ALCkzbIiwFwEILEQyFdTnplLLqYPwe5RNQBuHCWi7C_LuizT9c/s1600/thismoment330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GiK-xOYtUeBSiyzC1jzjafhJdnki-8LzbB-WHV-qe6YPAqLbooTuPEVGfipiKnzkcj7m9mLV5gmQ6mX4jh-D5PbAJ_ALCkzbIiwFwEILEQyFdTnplLLqYPwe5RNQBuHCWi7C_LuizT9c/s1600/thismoment330.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-16507098887766670272012-03-16T07:53:00.000-05:002012-03-16T07:53:00.399-05:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenCBzyrnmp1NSza00IByriQTrmq2MBA6yAbWVxItHDAYiI_Ih50q8MkTqL8D6y8zyO1ou9uyVFpPIqTDUroE0kM1PIXJwSeR3BheSbX-_1soCgcyqUwej7i2abzruIFb-_nC8MQ4_oVoh/s1600/march12+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenCBzyrnmp1NSza00IByriQTrmq2MBA6yAbWVxItHDAYiI_Ih50q8MkTqL8D6y8zyO1ou9uyVFpPIqTDUroE0kM1PIXJwSeR3BheSbX-_1soCgcyqUwej7i2abzruIFb-_nC8MQ4_oVoh/s1600/march12+020.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-47172764490909080492012-03-09T10:34:00.000-06:002012-03-09T10:34:35.997-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiXOAyQjbLELWX3LXbpbUP0D13slfIzR20pbyn73Y2NoRC-9MhyphenhyphenCvFYLagltw7-pSD7zCeWjGcQb54rpt2wVF-7LkbXFQ0Mrrjz0gvmvHAb2SNu38sNJgu5jyQ9gQFKlRxZcwG5WafXkz/s1600/thismoment39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiXOAyQjbLELWX3LXbpbUP0D13slfIzR20pbyn73Y2NoRC-9MhyphenhyphenCvFYLagltw7-pSD7zCeWjGcQb54rpt2wVF-7LkbXFQ0Mrrjz0gvmvHAb2SNu38sNJgu5jyQ9gQFKlRxZcwG5WafXkz/s1600/thismoment39.jpg" /></a></div>
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p.s. notice the box of panda puffs? my daughters believe the recycling bin is their own personal toy box ;)</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-5069471957807860032012-03-08T20:30:00.000-06:002012-03-08T20:30:30.887-06:00For Every Meal!<div style="text-align: center;">
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have discovered the most satisfying veggie burger, ever. </div>
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EVER. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they taste much better than they look, I promise</td></tr>
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This veggie burger is dairy free, soy free AND gluten free. Do you know how difficult it is to find recipes like that? We are just figuring this little fact out. Due to some hidden allergy symptoms, we took dairy out of Z's diet around Thanksgiving. We took soy out around that time too. We just recently removed gluten as well. The dairy and soy were so much easier to eliminate than gluten! But we are navigating through all the information, little by little. Thankfully, we have some great friends that are dairy/soy/gluten free and have been such a wonderful resource through all this allergy stuff. </div>
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Anyways.</div>
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These burgers took about 2 hours for me to make. Yup, 2 hours. I really doubt it would take you that long, though. The <a href="http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/walnut-veggie-burgers.php">recipe</a> says it takes about 60 minutes. I'm pretty sure that having an almost 18 month old strapped to my back added an extra 30 minutes. Especially since she has a new found love of pulling my hair and scratching my ears. Oh, and the 4 year old asking me questions like "Mom, why is the moon made out of brown, stinky cheese?" probably added another 30 minutes. So, if you don't have an 18 month old and a 4 year old I'm sure these would be a breeze to put together ;)</div>
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The 2 hours was worth it though. Up until now, I have had trouble finding a veggie burger recipe that I would want to make again. The end result didn't justify all the prep and work involved. Plus, there are some pretty good pre-packaged options. It just wasn't worth it to make them from scratch. But this one, oh, this burger. Friends, it's full of flavor and not at all dry. It stayed together really well and tasted amazing between two slices of <a href="http://udisglutenfree.com/">Udi's</a> whole grain bread with some organic ketchup and mustard. </div>
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The thing that sealed the deal for me was when my aforementioned 4 year old declared, "Mom, this is really yummo! You should make these burgers for every meal!". The only other time she has uttered these words was when I made this <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/10/easy-tomato-basil-cream-pasta/">winner</a>. Now, this is the same 4 year old who we have to spend 45 minutes convincing to take 4 bites of her supper each and every night. The same 4 year old who refuses to try anything new. She even ate the burger completely on its own, no bread! It's really that good. </div>
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So while I may not be making this for every meal, it will show up on our dinner table again. </div>
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<br />Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-32412297213140593972012-03-05T20:38:00.000-06:002012-03-05T20:38:52.693-06:00this......is what I needed to read today.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Lent is </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">not</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> a pass/fail endeavor – it’s </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">not </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">a test, but rather a mystical means of healing and enlightenment I’d be very, very foolish not to take advantage of. The </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">work </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">of fasting won’t make God love me </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">more</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, hiraminpro-w3, 'ms mincho', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> - I’m very thankful to already, no matter what I do or don’t do, be loved by Him unconditionally. On my prayerful days, my forgetful days, my relapse days, my exhausted days, He is forgiving and full of grace. It will however affect the quality and fruitfulness of my day-to-day life here on earth. Waking up to a soul that’s been tended to feels tranquil and meaningful. I’m more generous, hospitable, courageous, patient, when I’m a good and faithful steward of my spiritual blessings.</span></blockquote>
--Molly Sabourin<br />
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(read the rest of the post <a href="http://mollysabourin.typepad.com/molly-sabourin/2012/02/cleaning-house.html">here</a> or listen to the podcast <a href="http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/closetohome/cleaning_house">here</a>)Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-73254751536328687932012-03-02T10:21:00.000-06:002012-03-02T10:21:26.488-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-45333732588607417952012-02-28T12:27:00.000-06:002012-02-28T12:27:27.361-06:00Currently Playing.......for our after-dinner/pre-bedtime dance parties:<br />
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(thanks to my brother for giving us this <a href="http://www.theblackkeys.com/albums/el-camino">album</a>!)Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-45779883267671005932012-02-26T21:08:00.004-06:002012-02-26T22:21:41.670-06:00One Body of Many Members<a href="http://www.slimgoodbody.com/Images/slim_goodbody_real.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 75px; height: 227px;" src="http://www.slimgoodbody.com/Images/slim_goodbody_real.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>If any of you are fortunate enough to remember Slim Goodbody, you will remember that he wore a skin tight suit that showed all the bones and organs of the body, while he pranced around and taught kids (and maybe adults) valuable lessons on how to stay fit and healthy. The memory brings an awkward smile to my face. Wasn't that suit a little inappropriate to wear around little kids? I could be wrong. Anyway, the reason I bring him up in this post is that people like, and have liked for as long as I've been sucking wind, to be given advice on how to feel great and live longer. We want slim, good bodies (budum ching). I'm here to reflect on what it means to have a healthy Church body in this post. I don't know if people are as hungry for this information as they are for that of Slim's ilk, but "ni modo" as they say in Spanish.<br /><br />It struck me today during church that there is something so fitting to be assembled with people who hold the same beliefs as me saying, in effect, in unison "isn't our God beautiful?" Say what you want about group think or brainwashing, to corporately praise something, especially the thing that you believe is the most deserving of praise is fulfilling, satisfying. It does a body good, also.<br /><br />After our service this morning, in preparation for Lent, we had a forgiveness ceremony. During this service every person in the church says to every other person, "please forgive me if I've offended you," while bowing to the other person, who then says the same thing back. Both exchange a kiss on both cheeks, then one more for good measure (we are Trinitarian, after all) while saying, "I forgive you (in the name of Christ)." Awkward as this was, it made me think of learning how to dance with my wife. As we went around the circle I found myself moved by the love of each member in our small Parrish. Jesus Christ was truly, really there. I heard a Catholic speaker say once that, next to the Eucharist, your neighbor is the holiest thing presented to your senses. I felt that way today.<br /><br />I have more to say on the topic of membership, but I'll wrap up for now with a small excerpt from C.S. Lewis' lecture of the same title:<br /><br /><blockquote>No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as "what a man does with his solitude." It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion. We are forbidden to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. Christianity is already institutional in the earliest of its documents. The Church is the Bride of Christ. We are members of one another.</blockquote>just misterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05245397211213735566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-3335421780476903462012-02-06T14:50:00.001-06:002012-02-06T14:50:21.329-06:00...makes me smile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVZsaR6K5P4yJYggZuJRmGhliXBJGTed3Ka895_mWhm7qWA5Rj8mBozwirK4wSORun_Ee8Rm657VIoue4qtRYzN-NZCPJ-Mf3LNjZL0-OTEFv1LvueJRA75gzX252FI572qB-nV2FH5JT/s1600/makesmesmile26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVZsaR6K5P4yJYggZuJRmGhliXBJGTed3Ka895_mWhm7qWA5Rj8mBozwirK4wSORun_Ee8Rm657VIoue4qtRYzN-NZCPJ-Mf3LNjZL0-OTEFv1LvueJRA75gzX252FI572qB-nV2FH5JT/s1600/makesmesmile26.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hello friends! It's been awhile since I've done my Monday "makes me smile". I'm going to try to get back into this weekly feature. I think it's good for my soul to list what I'm thankful for each week.</div>
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Here's what made me smile this week...</div>
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Spending some time at the <a href="http://www.liedlodge.org/">Lied Lodge</a>...</div>
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A beautiful (but quickly melting) snow....</div>
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The super bowl halftime show...</div>
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Freshly brewed (decaf) coffee waiting for me in the morning...</div>
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Bidding on books of <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/135178426285131638/">this nature</a> on Ebay...</div>
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Planning for my sister's coed baby <a href="http://pinterest.com/guatemama/baby-taylor-s-shower/">shower</a>...(have any inspirational links for me?!)</div>
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This indoor <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/135178426285052725/">tepee</a>...</div>
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New <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/02/05/146086375/first-listen-field-music-plumb">Field Music</a>...</div>
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Lu's sudden new love for books...</div>
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A much needed phone date with my dear <a href="http://www.designandotherstuff.com/">friend</a>...</div>
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Tell me, what made you smile this week?</div>
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<br />Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-65130439065193418982012-02-03T11:23:00.000-06:002012-02-03T11:23:31.705-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-79091268318340179772011-12-16T13:05:00.001-06:002011-12-16T13:05:16.121-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-73605687363601039922011-12-02T18:25:00.001-06:002011-12-02T18:26:34.693-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-12000170886164780302011-11-30T20:21:00.001-06:002011-11-30T20:36:17.041-06:00The Story of Stuff<div style="text-align: center;">
Watch this 20 minute video....then show it to your kids, your friends, your parents, your neighbors. </div>
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And <b>stop</b> consuming!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9GorqroigqM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-6229380579999690252011-11-30T13:09:00.001-06:002011-12-03T01:06:33.261-06:00It's not about the presents.......but His presence.<br />
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Anyone remember that cheesy Christmas saying? If you grew up in a mainline protestant church I'm pretty sure you do. While it is extremely cheesy, I feel that it is a good reminder. Christmas is a special, wonderful time. It's my favorite holiday :) If you are a Christian, Christmas is the time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior with our families. If you aren't, you still make an effort to spend quality time with your loved ones. <br />
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Lately, I have been so frustrated with the consumerism surrounding Christmas. When I look back on my childhood Christmas memories, I don't remember what gifts I received each year. If I think really hard, I only remember the times I really hoped for something but didn't get it (sorry, Mom....I was kind of selfish!) When I was growing up my mom was the only one caring for my siblings and me. I have two brothers and two sisters. As you can imagine, money was tight. I remember my mom frequently stressing about not having enough money to buy us presents each year. I always told her that we didn't need them, but as a parent I can totally understand that need to be able to provide a gift for each one of your children. And the feeling of failure when you are unable to. <br />
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My family was on the receiving end of a lot of generous giving. Those families whose names you pick off of Christmas trees hanging up at the mall or in your local bookstore? We were that family. This was slightly embarrassing for me growing up. I remember being ashamed that one year our school principal brought us a bag of gifts that had been donated to the school for poor families. Now, however, I am able to see how much my family received and I am forever grateful. I saw first hand the generosity and kindness of others. That generosity is what I remember most about our Christmas presents. <br />
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What I also remember from our Christmas celebrations are the traditions that we celebrated. Each year we would go out to a local tree farm and pick out a real, live Christmas tree. This tradition is so strong that when Joe and I were engaged and we began discussing different traditions we may have in our family I jokingly told him that a real tree at Christmas was part of the marriage. You get me and a real Christmas tree every year :) When I was a kid, my siblings and I would take turns picking out the tree each year. I was notorious for picking out monstrous trees. Trees that wouldn't fit through the front door. Trees that fell over when ornaments were placed on them. Trees that required being tied to the window frame with bungee cords just so they could stand straight. My Christmas trees are the stuff of legends and my siblings and I tell the stories of these trees every year. It's so fun to hear everyone's perspective on the event and laugh together. <br />
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These are the things I remember most about Christmas growing up. Naturally, these are the things I hope our children will remember. I don't want the focus to be so much on the presents that they forget the traditions and time we spend together as a family. I don't want them to be so intent on what they receive as a gift that they forget to give to others. I want them to experience as much (if not more) joy giving gifts to others as they do getting gifts. <br />
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So beginning this year, we are no longer going to buy presents for our family. <br />
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Yes, you read that right. We are not going to buy presents. We are going to give gifts that are homemade, creative and are more about the time spent together rather than the physical gift. There are lots of ideas on the internet about alternative Christmas gifts. <a href="http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/">Buy Nothing Christmas</a> has some great ideas. This year I think we are going to give our girls some pajamas (hopefully second-hand) and a night at a hotel together as a family. I have some really great ideas for my husband that I will share after Christmas. We will also make giving to others (other than family) a big part of our Christmas traditions as well. The gifts for those in need will probably be brand new, but we will make sure to buy from locally owned, independent businesses rather than corporations. <br />
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What are you holiday traditions? What alternative gifts will you be giving this year?Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-59559098470577096672011-11-18T07:06:00.000-06:002011-11-18T07:06:00.243-06:00this moment<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</i><br />
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*<i>my brother is in the process of moving into our basement....hence the extra "stuff" in our living room*</i></div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-77729886939888914192011-11-04T22:05:00.001-05:002011-11-04T22:05:53.790-05:00Walker<div style="text-align: center;">
This girl....</div>
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decided to stand up on her own two feet and walk today.</div>
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I'm not ready for this.</div>
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Hold me.</div>
<br />Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-25728259682043101992011-10-28T07:30:00.000-05:002011-11-04T22:06:33.243-05:00this moment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i>A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-69596715204969821682011-10-15T20:46:00.000-05:002011-11-04T22:07:38.037-05:00Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance DayOctober 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Today, I remember my Seraphim, who we lost 2 years ago. I remember all my friends and family's babies who never saw life outside of their mother's wombs. I remember my family member's baby who lived for just a short time in this world. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXevj5ysGA3MMR6jEIgEkK3ok3_nciGt227y3TUtmC6LytCWHRMsDqgcVOgCiMG9usnNyO3Fe0gQNKCE0TGKyQKh3U8xZaYnZNv38EzLXYyvQ3_sUd6q4V4-RuuPtwS5lTET-e3LamKe94/s1600/memorystones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXevj5ysGA3MMR6jEIgEkK3ok3_nciGt227y3TUtmC6LytCWHRMsDqgcVOgCiMG9usnNyO3Fe0gQNKCE0TGKyQKh3U8xZaYnZNv38EzLXYyvQ3_sUd6q4V4-RuuPtwS5lTET-e3LamKe94/s1600/memorystones.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">memory stones at a Dia de Los Muertos art show</td></tr>
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I found with my miscarriage that many people simply did not know what to do or say to help me through my grief. Some had wonderful intentions, but said some of the most hurtful things. Others simply said or did nothing at all. That was even more hurtful. If you know someone that has gone through a miscarriage or infant loss, don't just ignore it. Do something. <br />
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Here are some things that were helpful:<br />
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<b>A home cooked meal.</b> Food was the last thing on my mind during my miscarriage, but I knew that I needed to eat. I didn't have the energy to cook. A few families brought us meals and they were well received. I cannot express to you how grateful we were for those meals. Even if I didn't eat much, I knew that my daughter and husband were getting some good food.<br />
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<b>An offer to babysit.</b> One of the things about my miscarriage that was so difficult was that my baby was actually on my ovary, which is called an <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ectopic-pregnancy/DS00622">ectopic</a> pregnancy. I had to receive a couple shots to ensure the baby would no longer grow on my ovary (heartbreaking) and then had to get my blood drawn every couple days for a week, then a couple times the next week, followed by a few more the next couple weeks. Needless to say, that was a lot of running around. Since I didn't have set appointments at the lab, it was first come, first serve. Sometimes I would walk in and walk out in 5 minutes. Other times I would wait for 45 minutes before I was able to have my blood drawn. Some of my friends offered to watch Z for me when I would go get my blood drawn and I was very grateful. Family members offered to take her for a whole day the week after the miscarriage occurred so I could rest and grieve. <br />
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<b>Something to make me laugh.</b> Some of my friends had beautiful flowers delivered. That was very much appreciated. But the thing that I remember most was what my sister-in-law and brother-in-law sent to us. They had called us to see if we would be home when the delivery was scheduled, but I assumed it was flowers. Then Joe answered the door and started laughing. I was laying on the couch and asked what was so funny. He walked into the living room with an edible fruit <a href="http://www.ediblearrangements.com/">bouquet</a>. It was totally unexpected. I could not stop laughing. I'm sure that they meant for the bouquet to be comforting, but it was so much more than that. It was the first thing that put a smile on my face in the midst of pain and grief. <br />
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<b>A chance to tell my story.</b> Loss makes people uncomfortable. Having recently lost my Great-Grandpa and my Grandma, I know that people don't like talking about death. But something about losing a baby makes people infinitely more uncomfortable. I don't know what it is. Lots of people told me they were sorry and praying for me. However, not many people were willing to listen. I read somewhere that telling your miscarriage story can be almost as important as sharing your birth story. I had a few friends that were willing to listen to all of my story and while it was painful to share, it was also healing. <br />
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<b>Time to grieve. </b>One of the most common questions I was asked when I shared about my miscarriage was, "When can you try for another baby?" This was incredibly infuriating to me. I had just lost my baby. I felt rushed, like everyone thought if I could just get pregnant then I would be "over it". I needed time to grieve. And because the grief was so tied to my baby's existence, it was hard to let go of that grief. I wasn't ready to even begin thinking about having another baby.<br />
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<b>Gentle words.</b> I heard a lot of painful things that were meant to be comforting. Things like, "You're lucky you weren't too far along..." or "Maybe your baby was disabled..." or "I bet it's just a late period..." When you are trying to think of what to say to people who are grieving the loss of their baby, don't speculate. Uncertainty is such a big part of a miscarriage, the last thing I needed was people trying to figure out what reason God would have for letting my baby die. What I needed to hear was "I'm very sorry...." or "I have no idea what you are feeling, but I am here..." or even "What can I do to help?" Choose your words carefully, but make sure you say something to acknowledge the loss. <br />
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<b>Understanding and patience. </b>Grief makes many things difficult. Everyday things. Brushing your teeth, changing your clothes, even breathing is difficult after a loss. Many people were there for us immediately after the miscarriage, but a week, two weeks, a month later? Not so much. A month after my miscarriage I would still spontaneously burst into tears in public, still have difficulty completing everyday tasks. I would still get angry at every single pregnant woman I saw (sorry to all my pregnant friends during this time!) Life was just hard. But everyone else had moved on. I was in need of some understanding and patience. <br />
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<b>Support from those who have experienced loss.</b> Specifically women and men who have suffered a miscarriage or infant loss. There is a special bond between people that have experienced this kind of loss. <br />
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<b>A name for our baby. </b>This one was probably the most healing thing we could do. I'm not sure how something as simple as naming our unborn child could have such a healing effect, but it did. Since we named our baby after Saint Seraphim of Sarov, we also got an icon of the same saint. It's a tangible item to help us remember. No matter your faith or religion, you can get something physical in remembrance of your baby.<br />
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To those who have suffered a loss, do you have anything to add? What helped you during your time of grief?</div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-87224181117663568652011-10-07T21:29:00.000-05:002011-11-04T22:07:46.600-05:00this moment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i>A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-59937455198497858962011-10-03T07:06:00.000-05:002011-11-04T22:08:07.109-05:00...makes me smile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsugR_dniMzOx0yG0MfZmG1aJSuiEQ3RmfbBw9QhyAlQNpM7aWkjIUdQfOpNcDwV0TzpofW7WkcMgMrRZULXPv_eEN5GbklDGZIol1xWLdHQGyWCQ2BFFndEZ3mYBEWPQeRrlazTmb8pH/s1600/makesmesmile103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsugR_dniMzOx0yG0MfZmG1aJSuiEQ3RmfbBw9QhyAlQNpM7aWkjIUdQfOpNcDwV0TzpofW7WkcMgMrRZULXPv_eEN5GbklDGZIol1xWLdHQGyWCQ2BFFndEZ3mYBEWPQeRrlazTmb8pH/s1600/makesmesmile103.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hello! Here's what made me smile this last week...</div>
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These beautiful fall days...</div>
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Celebrating the day Lu was born...</div>
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Celebrating the day Z was born...</div>
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Help from my family when I was overextended...</div>
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Birthday parties...</div>
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Organic brownie box mixes...</div>
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<a href="http://www.prairielanddairy.com/">Prairieland</a> chocolate milk...</div>
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New wooden toys...(that I'm maybe a bit more excited to play with than my girls are!)</div>
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Late night Apples to Apples with family...(my family is FUNNY!)</div>
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A nice cup of coffee with breakfast...</div>
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What made you smile?</div>
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p.s. I'll get back to posting links to cool stuff around the web soon....</div>
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<br /></div>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-62895173705653491522011-09-23T10:08:00.003-05:002011-09-23T10:08:54.002-05:00this moment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Soulemama</a>:<br /><br />{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. </i><i>A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span>Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4715452903304092016.post-35872627359478165832011-09-23T07:30:00.000-05:002011-11-04T22:16:29.219-05:00One Year Ago...I can't believe it's been a year since my Lu was born. I know that time flies that first year...I prepared myself to savor every moment. And yet, it feels as if that first year escaped me. Seriously....how did my little one grow so fast? <br />
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I realized that I never shared the beautiful photos my brother took after Lucia was born. Our intention was for him to be there to photograph the birth. I was in the middle of intense labor when my doula asked if we should call him. At the moment, the thought of having a person snapping pictures during my contractions really set me off. So I asked her to wait. I didn't think of it again until it was almost time to push. So....he missed the birth. I was really bummed about it for a while, thinking I would have loved to have the birth and everything that led up to it photographed. In hindsight, I think it was good he wasn't there. I'm glad he was able to capture what he did, but obviously my gut knew that I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with photography during my labor. <br />
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Here are a few of the photos...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eagfH-AVcKvOjHQ6CP7BM-xvmtLZ3h2oVfJTpWUWP88adWArYILpPfwYpQ8qgAzHibJ0hhkSZGzkxuvx1npM7ItoU91YQF17-c1AIIEhnTeaYFVANIkg4cu9Jdly04x-DKfk4iVQrsWS/s1600/afterbirth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eagfH-AVcKvOjHQ6CP7BM-xvmtLZ3h2oVfJTpWUWP88adWArYILpPfwYpQ8qgAzHibJ0hhkSZGzkxuvx1npM7ItoU91YQF17-c1AIIEhnTeaYFVANIkg4cu9Jdly04x-DKfk4iVQrsWS/s1600/afterbirth1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This was taken almost right after Lu was born. I was in the herbal bath my midwife prepared waiting for Lu to come join me. I remember feeling so exhilarated...though you may not see that on my face here. <br />
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This photo right here is my favorite of the bunch. I literally gasped when I first saw it. I remember just being in awe of this little person that I was holding. And still totally shocked Lu was a girl. I was convinced my entire pregnancy that I was having a boy. <br />
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Right after our bath the midwife took Lu to weigh her. She used an old, metal scale. I remember looking at the scale and wondering how many babies had been weighed on it. So many. I also remember that I had washed our towels the night before and they were still in the dryer. I'm pretty sure I had to ask the midwife's apprentice to go get them out of the dryer for us in the middle of labor. <br />
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Here she is on the scale...I love seeing her wrinkly skin in this one. She weighed 7lbs 6 oz....just two ounces more than Z. <br />
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Still in the bathroom...Joe and the midwife dressed Lu while I soaked in the tub. <br />
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Joe with Lu after they got her dressed. He told me that when he got back to the room it was all cleaned up from the birth already. Those apprentices are fast! I love the look on his face here....exhaustion and joy (he worked pretty hard during the labor and birth too). <br />
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This photo is so interesting to me. It's right after my bath. I remember feeling so relieved and incredibly empowered...but I look totally wiped out. Our priest is praying for us and Joe is beside me holding Lu. Our doula is on the floor nursing her son. This moment felt strangely sacred. There was a lot of love in that room. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q4jPMhr6tFkJInBWopt3jtzSvMs9VtPBMy6sCSgZMJIPmUvR1GPfcEv4gUZ8UY41ZaGCIgNheVNNL91cjSFM8xkGi3Ok_ZHsrHNlxpBG2m4ENNWxOO6YlkQz4gZ2GercJUddXyV3zYnJ/s1600/afterbirth7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q4jPMhr6tFkJInBWopt3jtzSvMs9VtPBMy6sCSgZMJIPmUvR1GPfcEv4gUZ8UY41ZaGCIgNheVNNL91cjSFM8xkGi3Ok_ZHsrHNlxpBG2m4ENNWxOO6YlkQz4gZ2GercJUddXyV3zYnJ/s1600/afterbirth7.jpg" /></a></div>
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This was taken in the evening, after Joe and I returned from the emergency room. I had to go to get sutured since our midwife does not suture. Azalia had been out with her Abita (short for Abuelita) and Tia Sarah all day. They took her out to celebrate her birthday, which was the following day. Although Z was present for the birth, this was the first time she got to hold her sister. I'm so glad that my brother captured this moment. <br />
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Many, many thanks to my brother, Nate, for these after birth photos. They are such a treasure.Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316432975405395160noreply@blogger.com0