Love from London

Photo by my brother, Nick Taylor

James and I had a fairly nice weekend together. He was post call on Saturday and actually got to sleep the night before, so we were able to enjoy time together both Saturday and Sunday. What a treat! He did still require a nap, but I didn't complain because I had expected him to need the rest. Besides, it was a perfect opportunity to finish my book. It's one of those that is so hard to put down...

We went out for a pleasant meal on Saturday night. We chose a barbecue restaurant, it was a chain restaurant and in my opinion, left much to be desired. James has decided I'm a barbecue snob. Probably. I'm from Kansas City, for heaven's sake! That, and my dad has fairly refined tastes of his own- they were bound to rub off...

Sunday, I let James sleep in. We could have gone to church and in many ways, I wish we would have. But, he was so deeply and soundly asleep, and he so rarely has that opportunity, I didn't want to disturb him. I think he awoke feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy his day.

He studied and did some catch up work, we took a walk and then decided to go to the movies. We chose to see The Kings Speech. We are very much behind the rest of our contemporaries when it comes to popular culture, but since we had the chance, we decided a movie outing was long overdue. What a wonderful movie! With the exception of some pretty strong language (I felt the need to put "ear muffs" over my belly so my little guy couldn't hear such profanity, not sure it worked) it was an uplifting and inspiring story. It made me want to be brave and fearless in the face of my weaknesses.

It fueled great conversation between James and me. Topics ranged from manners and etiquette, to how our childhood affects our adulthood, to "Do you ever wish you talked with a British accent...?" It was loads of fun spending the evening together and chatting about everything under the sun and absolutely nothing at all.

The next morning James woke up and went back to the grind. 'Tis how it goes. I slept in. Our full weekend had made me extra tired. I also had a series of the most interesting dreams. Half the players were speaking in British accents. I woke up with a grin. What a funny thing our minds do when we're asleep.

As I woke up and got dressed I chirped around my bedroom singing songs from My Fair Lady and talking to my little boy in the most terrible British accent. I then made my way downstairs and as I reached  the last step I noticed we had a package on our door step. I quickly opened the door and brought the package inside. It was addressed to none other than TEAM PEPPERS and it had arrived at our house after a long journey beginning in LONDON! Go figure! This of course inspired another chorus of  "I could have danced all night..." And more goofy accents. My poor son was probably rolling his eyes in my womb, embarrassed of his absolutely giddy mother. This likely will not be the last time I embarrass him...

I waited to open the package until James got home from work. I was very excited, but wanted to share in the fun. And my was it fun! Words do not begin to explain the absolute blessing the box contained. After first opening the box we found a card to Baby Peppers from his cousin, Nate.

My cousin, Patrick, and his wife, Abi, and their two sweet kids, Nate and Leila, live in London. They have for several years now. We don't see them often, if fact, I don't think James has met them, but we keep track of their lives through facebook. And while it's a lame substitute for real live interaction, it does keep us somewhat linked in to their lives. We hear stories of their sweet little girl asserting herself and her opinions and their latest addition, their little boy, figuring out his place in the family. We have been smitten with him since he was born. He is one of the cutest little guys we've ever seen. This little man is also very generous. He has graciously given Baby Peppers some clothes that no longer fit him. Bunches and bunches of them!

It was like Christmas in April. James and I spent over an hour looking through the amazing box of goodies. Sweet little boots(with fur), tons of button up shirts, sweaters, cargo pants, onesies, you name it! After we had looked through it all James turned to me and said, "I think we're going to have to work on our wardrobes if we want to keep up with our little boy."  So true.

Thank you, sweet cousins! I'm really having a hard time gathering the right words to tell you how much we appreciate your gift. But one thing's for sure: We felt very loved all the way from London!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good

This past weekend brought James and I more visitors from Missouri. My parents joined us for the weekend and it is hard to find words to express our appreciation. God's provision continues to bless our lives. To quote James, "Can your parents stay with us and take care of us....?"

I was delighted that my mom and dad showed up on a night when James was on call. This allowed me to have company on what would usually be a very quiet evening alone. They were able to lay eyes on their ever pregnant daughter and assess my new look. My dad quickly pulled out his phone and sent pictures to my brothers of my very round belly.

30 weeks pregnant....10 more to go!

My mom wasted no time to tell her grandson, "hello." It was very evident that they are quite excited to meet this little boy. We went out for a nice dinner and caught up on our weeks and the happenings of our family. My mom turned in early and my dad and I stayed up late discussing politics, the meaning of life and the heart of God. We also might have watched an episode or two of Bones.


The following day, James was stuck at the hospital until the early afternoon (He's supposed to be out by 1:00 pm the day following a call shift). Again, it was so much fun to have company. I didn't have any big plans for their visit, I was just so thankful to have them with us. They were aware of our ant situation and wanted to make sure we were getting it under control.  Fortunately, the ants had begun to thin out. James and my initial plan was proving effective, just time consuming. While James napped after his call shift, my mom and dad and I went grocery shopping. Since college, grocery shopping with the parents is always a huge blessing. My dad was planning to make us supper. He was out looking for all the fixin's (to be exact, he was looking for "contemporary vegetables") and they wanted to help us stock up on those annoying things we so often need like toilet paper. We came home well stocked and in possession of the most modern greens one could find!

My dad made a delicious feast! Steak and grilled vegetables! We had been smelling our neighbors charcoal fires for a while, secretly jealous they had their grills out and running. This was the first grill of the season and it was delicious!

While out grocery shopping, my dad was searching for seasonal vegetables- something that looked fresh. He was unable to pull that word up so he decided the word contemporary would work just as well. I couldn't agree more! They were sure tasty!

The next day after getting to sleep in, we woke up to thunderstorms. This curtailed any plans for yard work I had in the back of my mind, so we hit the mall instead. My dad and James weren't up for a super shopping outing, so they caught a movie at the Art Cinema. My mom and I wasted no time hitting stores, looking at fun spring fashions, wide-width shoes, and adorable baby clothes. We finished our day off with a meal out. (So there wouldn't be any clean-up to tend to. My dad was more than ready for a second round of grilling. It's kind of his "thing.")

Sadly, James had to go back to work the next day. My parents and I had a relaxing morning. My mom helped me clean out the refrigerator and my dad researched conspiracy theories- filling my head with all sorts of new ideas. (Later that day I watched the movie Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup-  by Dylan Avery- scary stuff.) My parents eventually packed up and headed off to the airport.  It's always hard to see them go, but we know it won't be long before we see them, again. They're not going to be able to stay away in two months when this little man arrives.




The Bad


On a completely different front, I have noticed a new symptom of pregnancy: carpal tunnel syndrome. Yuck! It is significantly limiting my dexterity. Last night while eating supper, I dropped food on myself repeatedly. It was kind of ridiculous. There are things I can do to hopefully help my cause. Reducing sodium intake will help lessen the edema that is causing this pressure on my nerves. Also, swimming may alleviate some of the pain. I just need to find a good pool and a new bathing suit!





The Ugly


When speaking with my doctor earlier this week, I asked about another annoying symptom: cankles. These in fact have something to do with the carpal tunnel. The swelling. Again, watching sodium intake will help, but she said some woman experience it greater than others- 5-10% of her patients, as well as herself. This swelling has caused me to go from a medium width shoe to a wide. The good news is, the actual size has not increased! (At least not yet....) 

I'm stealing this from another pregnant friend: Pregnant women are SWELL!

Ants in My Pants...Literally

Houston, We have a problem! A VERY BIG PROBLEM or super tiny problem depending on how you look at it. We've got ants!!! Ugh! So gross!!

From busy bee to ant exterminator! This is definitely NOT my area of expertise. Nor do I ever want to claim such expertise. Not because I'm a snob, I LOVE a good exterminator, but because I'm a WIMP! I want as little interaction with these creepy crawlers as possible.

It all started with a Cheerio. James had poured himself a bowl of the tasty breakfast cereal one morning and unknowingly left one lone "O" on the kitchen floor in front of the refrigerator. By the time I was up and around the same morning, the "O" was NOT alone. It was covered in itty-bitty tiny ants. I was unsure what the best plan of attack would be. In the past, I would have picked up the Raid and sprayed it until every last one of those creepers was still. With Tiny Peppers (no, that's not his name) along for every ride, I thought better of this plan. I sprinkled it with Borax. It didn't really kill the ants, but I doused it in water and I then they died. James helped me clean it up. I was convinced that our battle was won!

A week later I had another encounter.  I had set an empty pizza box next to the kitchen trash can to be taken out later that afternoon. Two short hours later the box was crawling with more of those disgusting boogers. Sick. At this point my skin was starting to crawl. This time, I wasn't in the mood to be nice. I set the big guns on the problem: James to the rescue! He helped get control of the problem and delivered the fatal blow with a can of Raid. I stepped outside as not to inhale the fumes. It was also very nice to step away from the grizzly scene.

After this battle we were starting to wonder if indeed we had a problem. We hopped in the car and headed to Lowe's to find a better solution. We bought a few ant baits and set them out. The results were immediate.  The ants were marching towards their poison in droves. It was amazing the number that turned up!

Within days, we started to notice the results. Dead ants galore. Gross, but I was more than happy to sweep away the remains. I began to notice a stray ant here or there, especially in the downstairs bathroom and the laundry room. On a whim, I expanded my campaign. To my wonder and delight the kitchen was no longer a hot spot, the baits in the bathroom and laundry room were hopping! The little baits turned into ant night clubs and the parties were wild! These parties lasted for a few days. (I'm guessing the bar was eventually tapped out and their party hardy ways were beginning to take their toll.)

I was once again breathing a sigh of relief. I believed the battle was finally over. And then, the strangest thing started to happen. I began to notice rogue agents- all over- on the walls, the furniture, in the carpet... What the heck? Their lack of organization and unpredictability was really starting to"bug" me. My skin was crawling. I itched all over. I really thought it was all in my head, but to make sure, I pulled up the cuff of my pant. To my horror I found an actual ant in my pants! I'd reached my limit.

James was discussing this with a friend today. In their wisdom they have decided that the new erratic behavior of the ants could only mean one thing: Their queen is dead. They have no head calling the shots and it's every man (or ant) for themselves. Could this be the case? Are we close to seeing the end? I sure hope so.  I'm not sure I can take much more of these unwelcome house guests.

Battle worn and possibly a tad bit "dramatic."

One Busy Bee

I've been one busy bee this past weekend! I am so thankful to be able to say that. I have not had an excess of energy since becoming pregnant, but I have had an awareness of the many things I'd like to do before I become a full time mom.  While I feel limited to a certain extent due to the baby and the bump in which he lives, I have found a certain amount of clarity of thought that I've so longed for since moving to Indianapolis. This clarity comes in the form of vision for our house- vision to turn it into a home! And where vision still lacks, I am choosing to take risks! I've decided not be too scared of failing, but excited that I might stumble onto something great or at least an acceptable solution to hold us over until GREATNESS.

While James was on call this past Saturday, and I was desperately trying not to think about my recent visit to my doctor's office, I finally finished the slipcovers for our living room chairs. I had been debating about how to finish the skirts for months. I made several prototypes with trims, and pleats to boot. I consulted with my husband. (And just in the nick of time, he is not as fond of the pleats as I am...) We finally decided on a look we both liked, and I worked on how to practically make it happen. This is my finished product.

The project is finally completed. (Many, many months later...) I made matching pillow covers to coordinate until we find something a little more decorative and eye-catching. Notice the pretty table cloth in the background :)

I also decided to cover a few stools we had. I had re-covered them in the past to work in my bedroom, but we no longer keep them there and we find it is nice to have them close to the dinner table for extra seating for dinner guests.

This is how I used the extra pleats initially made for the chairs. I may still paint or stain the legs of the chairs and stools, but not until our baby is here. 

I used the same canvas I had used on the slipcovers. I may try to come up with a way to give these stools a little more character. They were previously covered in stripes and looked too busy with the other color and patterns we had going on in the living room. Until we figure out a definite, solid direction, the neutral look keeps our eyes from crossing and blood pressure from rising.

A close up of the pleats I love. James didn't mind them on the stools nearly as much as he did the chairs. 

We are still trying to find our married design footing. How do others make these decisions in their marriage? With their roommates? Are there any suggestions you can share?

In our first year of marriage we made a lot of compromises in hopes to reach a middle ground. We ended up with some strange solutions that neither of us liked, but settled for in an attempt to honor the other and avoid conflict.

This is our infamous "beverage station." A first of many weird compromises. We had decided on colors for our first apartment due to things we already owned, the wall color already on the walls, and a lack of communication. This lovely unit served a very functional purpose. It housed all of the lovely wine glasses we received as wedding gifts. (James registered for over 100! And no, he is not a drunk and I am not a lush, he just got carried away, he must have been planning on entertaining many, many guests at once.) We still own this. It looks like a weird refrigerator in our dining room. We are moving away from these colors as neither of us love them. We will need to find a solution for all of our wine glasses when we finally get rid of our first collaboration. We both look at it and chuckle. It serves as a good reminder of the benefits of communication and the risks of trying too hard to please the other person.

We have since learned to communicate a little better. We're still working on the idea of compromise. We have decided that it isn't crucial for both of us to LOVE every decorating decision that is made.  This weekend I bought a table cloth with flowers on it! James doesn't LOVE it, but he thinks the colors work well and he knows that table cloths are not a permanent fixture. He is gladly encouraging my new found desire to take risks when it comes to life and our home. He trusts my judgment likely more than I trust myself. This is an area in which I will continue to grow as keep taking risks and learn not to fear failure.

An update on my recent personal FAILBLOG:

Last Friday I went back to the doctor's office for the three hour glucose tolerance testing. I was instructed to fast for 12 hours prior to the lab work. (Easier said than done when you're pregnant!) To my great delight the phlebotomist working that day was wonderful! She took a fasting blood sugar upon my arrival and then gave me glucola to drink. (This drink contained 100mg of glucose and tasted like super sweet orange soda.) I then spent the next three hours reading, texting, trying to distract myself while I waited for them to take blood every hour on the hour.

They called with the results today. I passed! I do not have gestational diabetes!! I am so very thankful! While this is definitely the news I wanted to hear, had I heard otherwise, I know I would have been okay. After sharing my concern and frustration last week, I received so much support and encouragement from sweet friends that had been through the same thing. Thank you so much! I was overwhelmed by your kindness and support. It turned a scary situation into something much more manageable. Again, perfect provision in my need.

I'm thankful!