Trial Run with Conner

Well, I had my first day on my own with Little Man yesterday! Oh, my goodness! I am older than I thought! First, Cameron helped me pack everything into the car, and Conner and I went right to ladies' class, blasting the music all the way there. Conner loves music and stops crying the minute we sing to him or play music. He's going to sing before he talks--praise songs, of course! We arrived close to ontime, but it took me five minutes to figure out how to get the car seat out of the car seat holder--if you have one, you know what I mean! Finally, I got the seat detached, made sure I had the paci and the diaper bag. (I loaded my purse items and Bible into the diaper bag.) Wishing I had remembered the attachment that turns the car seat into a stroller, I lugged Conner in his HEAVY car seat with his heavy diaper bag all the way across the parking lot and into the building. The minute we arrived in the building and spoke to a few friends, who oohhed and awwwwed over Little Man, he decided to be hungry! I searched through the giant diaper bag for bottles and discovered only empty ones! Oh, that's right, Cam had given me a can of formula! So I lugged sweet baby Conner back out of the building and across the parking lot to the car, retrieved the can of formula, and then he and I went on a pilgrimage in search of some warm water. Finally,Conner and I went upstairs to find that ladies class had morphed into many little ladies' classes. We chose one that looked the most "baby friendly" and settled down. As soon as I sat down, Conner was ready for his bottle, so I fed him, and he promptly started making his "happy noises", which brought a few chuckles from the mommies in the room. I'll spare you the rest of the day.....and the angst I felt as I tried for 10 minutes to figure out how to loosen the straps on the car seat to get Conner out safely without waking him.....and then how long it took me to readjust the straps when I was putting Conner back into the car seat for the ride home! Surely, I'm not the same person who used to go grocery shopping with four little boys and two of them infants--without giving it a second thought! I guess that's why God makes parents mostly on the young side--well, there WAS Abraham and Sarah. I'm not quite that old! I actually am really excited! Cam's new job starts next Tuesday, so that will be my real first day! Pray for me--and for Conner!

....silly Grandma! (and Uncle Steve)

I still have a lot to learn about posting.....I sent the picture above to Bennett's blogspot, and just to be safe I sent it twice, both times sending a copy to myself. I didn't have time to check to see how it turned out before church, and this is what I saw when I got home. (Look up....)

Okay, now stand on your head on your computer chair, so that you can see how cute Conner is in his "clown suit". :)

I haven't seen Little Man since last Thursday!!! I am really missing him...Don hasn't seen him in two weeks, and he's been complaining about it all week! I have been busy doing things I need to do before I begin Grandma Day Care next Tuesday. I get to go see him tomorrow, but Don has to wait until next Tuesday to see him!
Cam is spending the weekend with her mom in Sperryville while Chris and his brothers are backpacking Thurs-Sun.

The other picture....posted right side up...is Conner's Uncle Steve, our No. 2 son.
Conner actually reminds me a lot of Steve when he was born. He had more hair than my other boys, like Conner does. He was a cutie too. Soon I'll post my kids baby pictures next to Conner.... (Uh, see below for Steve's picture....still not posting up to par~)

Walking in sunshine......

Well, it's 4 AM, and I'm UP! Don't ask me why.....I woke up at 3 AM, and when I couldn't go back to sleep, I prayed a little while. Sometimes I think God wakes me up so that I can do that. But even after I prayed, I couldn't go back to sleep, so I'm blogging.

Yesterday I did several hours of vigorous "aerobic" housecleaning, and ate according to my plan. That's one of the things I prayed about--thanking God for helping me stay on track. Today I plan on taking a LONG walk in the beautiful fall weather.

Yesterday I got to spend some time with Conner and Cameron and Chris. Little Man is SO chubby--especially his cheeks! Cameron is NOT looking forward to going back to work and leaving Conner at home, but she's happy I'm going to be caring for him.
My heart goes out to her. I feel SO honored that she and Chris want me to be with Conner. Cam said she's not worried about leaving him with me at all! That makes me feel honored as well. I know how much she loves her little boy--and Chris, too.

When I used to go on mission trips with the teens when my boys were young, I used to have this profound sense of peace, knowing that all day long I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do--going out and knocking on doors and serving people in the Inner City of Nashville. Well, I feel that same sense of profound peace about taking care of Conner and being home taking care of my family again. I loved teaching preschool as well, and I think that was a gift from God too. But the time is right now for me to be home again and it is such a gift to be able to care for Conner.

The other thing I want to do and feel so much joy about is writing and illustrating!
I'm enjoying my art class so much, and I've been full of ideas for more children's books. I think that's one reason I stay awake when I wake up at night, because that's when ideas come to me. I'm excited about having some time to work on those ideas! God is so good to us! Life never has to be boring or lacking possibility!
It is "new every morning"!

I'm cute but no excuse for Grandma NOT exercising

Okay, now I really need to be seriously working on my exercise again.....I've been too tired lately, but I'm getting into a vicious cycle.....too tired, not exercising, tireder yet, etc. etc. Tomorrow morning, I am going to walk and then go to water aerobics before going to Chris'. Then, I think I will take little man out in the stroller. I keep waiting for Chris and Cameron to take him out, because I know how important those "firsts" can be. "First" stroller ride....but Cam said she's not sentimental about that. I am in love with Conner....I just can't get enough of him! Sat. night, when Don and I were watching him together, I had been holding him and kissing him all over his face, and Don said, "Are you going to share? Do I get a turn?" It was so funny. I said, "No!" But, I gave him a turn!
Of course, I get him right back when there's a dirty diaper involved! :)

See how I get distracted? Now, back to exercise. I am going to post here about what form of exercise I get every day. Feel free to chastise me....whoever actually reads my blog. Les, I know you do....you're going to have to break down and get a password so you can comment. Weight Watchers is another option. It just galls me to PAY money NOT to eat. I should be able to do that for FREE! More than half the world CAN'T eat--and we Americans pay people to make sure we don't eat! I know God doesn't like that! I want to be here for Little Man and for all of my grandbabies, my kids and especially for Don. How selfish am I to NOT lose weight when doing so will most likely let me be here for my family? I'm not joking. I'm serious. It's something I know I need to do every day when I get up, and then I don't. I hate that about me. I'm a busy person....moving all day, but I need the exercise, and I need to WRITE down what I eat. I need accountability. Anyone else out there with me?

Cheering them up and on.....

I have been sick, but what makes me feel BADLY is that I think I made Cameron and Little Man sick! Cameron has had a non-stop migrane for over a week, and now she has a virus, too. And Conner felt a little toasty when I was holding him this afternoon! His temp was only 99 something, but he threw up a little and had a loose stool! Don and I watched Conner Sat. night, and then Sun. night, I started feeling sick. We thought Nathan had food poisoning on Thurs., but now we think it was a stomach virus. I REALLY hope son Don doesn't get it with his mouth full of stitches after having his wisdom teeth out yesterday. The Harringtons are officially falling apart! :)

It was nice that Elise took Don to get his teeth extracted and then took him over to her family's house to pamper him for the first few hours. When she brought him home, he was a mess, though. The pain meds. had worn off, and he looked like a really TALL chipmunk. So I took care of him all night and all day today. He's so easy to care for, and he appreciates everything anyone does for him.

Don has a CAT scan Friday, and my good friend Cynthia has thyroid surgery on Friday.
Pray for both of them. Don's is routine, Cynthia's not so much. Pray for her to be okay.

My job this week seems to be a nurse and a cheerleader....hence the picture. I looked for a chipmunk, in honor of Don, but I couldn't find one. Happy fall! It's supposed to be here tomorrow.

One Year Ago....

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my Dad's death. I actually thought a lot more about him the day before and the day after--today. Saturday, I thought about him in my art class, remembering him painting with a palette knife. Today I thought about my last moments with him. I have never been with anyone else at the moment of death. It was a profoundly moving experience and one I will never forget. It's also not something my mom would want me to share, but I can say that I knew the second my father was no longer present in his body. I felt a connection with my Dad at his death, not a ripping away. I knew he was in God's presence when he left us.
He was where I want to end up at the end of my life--with God. But hopefully, not yet. I think my family still needs me.

Today, son Don had two of his four wisdom teeth out. He was feeling well right after. His fiance, Elise, took him for the surgery and then brought him to her family's house for the afternoon. When she brought him home, he was in a good bit of pain, so I am taking care of him tonight. Actually, the pain medicine is working, and he's feeling a lot better. I realize how much I love being needed. I don't like to see my family sick or in pain, but I love taking care of them.

God has been good to me. I have no complaints at all! I love my life, and I love my family. Thank you, God!

A great Saturday

Today was my second art class, and I LOVE,LOVE, LOVE it!! It's the thing I'm meant to do....luckily I found this out by the time I am 52 years old, huh? I am taking acrylic,oil painting, and we are working on color. We are working with palette knives, and today I had kind of a flash of memory of my dad painting with a palette knife. I must have been 2 years old, and I remember him painting using a palette knife. I felt really connected to him, maybe because tomorrow is the anniversary of his death. I was going to send flowers to the cemetary, but it's Oklahoma...hot and windy. They wouldn't last, and mom said she already has plenty of silk ones out there. I would mainly be doing it for her anyway.

I am making a birthday dinner for Chris/Nathan. I timed everything right, thinking the chickens were precooked, but NO, they are just preseasoned, so now we won't be eating until 8! Maybe I'll serve dinner in courses....uh, salad, bread, dinner at 8 and cake and ice cream. The only problem is that my kids, uh, grown men, are playing basketball, so they'll be hungry. Grandpa Don and I are going to be watching Little Man tonight while the young people go watch their friend Phil's band.
(Don't I make us sound old--Don hates that. He's not ready to be a senior citizen yet! :)

Pray for my friend, Cynthia. She is having surgery on Friday to remove her thyroid.
I'm praying that she doesn't have cancer. She is concerned about that. Also, pray for our son, Don. He is having wisdom teeth out Monday. One of them is right on top of a nerve. Pray that the surgeon doesn't damage his nerve. Hubby Don is having another CAT scan on Friday to make sure his spleen is no longer enlarged. I'm concerned about him, too, but not too concerned.

Well, the sweaty guys are back....I have to go divert their attention from the food. Happy Saturday!

My "baby's" birthday!

My oldest "baby" turns 31 today! I don't feel old enough to have such an old kid, but I do! I am grateful to Christopher for being the first of my boys to make me a Mommy, and for patiently enduring our everchanging parenting techniques as we raised him. He knows all of our stories and is the center of our earliest ones. My favorite memories of him? Well, he was a cute baby. I used to have a hard time paying attention during church, when he was newborn because of all of his funny faces and noises. Don and I would giggle at him often, earning stares from people around us which made us giggle more. I remember taking him with us to see Close Encounters of a Third kind and standing in the back of the movie rocking him the whole time. Afterwards, I said to Don, "I can't believe I paid $3 for a movie and stood in the back the whole time!" :) Chris had colic, so I spent most of his first five months walking the floor with him at night in our small apartment, so that Don could sleep at night and the neighbors wouldn't knock on the wall. (Many times I was tempted to knock on their wall...and not over a crying baby either!)
Christopher walked at 10 and a half months and said "I love you!" at 11 months! He could sing at 11 months, too, we found out after we finished singing a song, and he was holding the last note! We were astonished at his genius, and we told everyone about it. He carried a little lunch box full of matchbox cars everywhere we went.
He also had a cute little monkey named Junky Monkey and a little ape named "Troubles". We moved the lunch box, Junky Monkey and we thought we moved Troubles when we came across country with Don, Chris and me in the cab of a Uhaul, towing our Chevy Nova. Turns out Troubles had been left at NeNe's house,so he was discreetly mailed to us, and we renamed him "Jumper", since he jumped to our house all the way from NeNe's. Chris never lacked for confidence, except when it came to learning to swim. I peeled him off of me at the Bolling AFB base pool when he was 8, determined for him to get swimming lessons. I'm still convinced it probably took 4 or 5 instructors to throw him into the deep end, but Chris was proudly jumping off of the high dive 3 lessons later. That's the way he did things. The first backpacking trip with the Fairfax Youth Group, though, didn't turn out very well.
I made him carry a LOT of canned food--don't ask me why--a leather jacket, and he wore his Dad's combat boots! They left poor Chris at a wayside somewhere, and Don went and picked him up. I'm surprised that he and his brothers still go on an annual backpacking trip this time every year for Chris' birthday. Surprisingly, I'm not allowed to offer food suggestions.....but they do let me and Don meet up with them at the end.
Chris has always amazed me with his determination to set goals for himself and his ability to inspire his brothers. They are all best friends, especially Chris and Steve. I can't say how happy and grateful I am for their relationship with one another. I don't worry about what will happen to them when Don and I aren't around, because I know they will look after one another.
Thank you for being the first to make me a mother, Chris, the first to give me a daughter-in-law and the first to make me a grandmother. I am honored to be your mom, and I appreciate your patience with me. Remember that when I'm old and pretending to have Alzheimers and moving Dad and me in with you! (I think I promised that to Nathan, though--well, we'll probably move around.) :) Love, Mom

Conner's family

It's so cool that Conner has so many people who love him! His mommy emailed me pics from her mom's camera, and they are great! (It's her ear in the picture!) I'm glad she and Cam's dad cherish Little Man like we do. He's a lucky boy!

Chris calls him "Tiny" and "Buddah".....I call him "Little Man" and all kinds of mushy names. Cam calls him "Buddy" and "Cutie". All of them fit--well, maybe NOT Buddah! :) We're going to have to call him Conner once in a while.

Tomorrow is Chris' birthday, and we're having the family over Sat. to celebrate his birthday and Nathan's (who got lost in the shuffle with Conner being born on 9/11--Nathan's birthday is 9/13.)

Christopher was my first little one, and our first to experience us as parents. I am so thankful we had so many good people in our life to give us advice and encouragment. Parenting is such a big responsibility and so full of joy, laughter, tears and fears. Most of our growing up was in the face of parental responsibility.
It's kind of hard to do all the things we are called on to do as parents and hang on to selfishness and immaturity--somehow we managed to do it sometimes, anyway. But overall, parenting brought us closer to God and to each other. Nothing bonds a husband and wife like staying up all night taking care of a sick baby....or staying up all night putting together toys with 152 moveable parts each on Christmas Eve.
Another bonding experience as parents: watching our children become parents....and each other become grandparents. Life is a such a priviledge! Thank You, God, for family! Thank you for making Don and me parents 31 years ago tomorrow!

Grandmas

Okay, so after the flurry of activity yesterday, today I am zonked! Am I getting old or what? Well, afterall, I am a Grandma now! Well, that's doesn't exactly work for me....my own Grandma went non-stop from morning till night, like 4 AM-10PM every single day. I remember running behind her to step in her footprints in the garden when I was a little girl. I never could keep up with her. I remember liking Sundays, because Grandma sat down in the pew next to me, and I could snuggle up to her. I loved her "Grandma smell", like perfume and vanilla cakes and Jergens lotion.
I loved the softness of her, and the way her hair curled up under her hairnet. My grandma was the sweetest, and she had a twinkle in her eye that belonged to me. I want to be like that for Conner, so I'd better get over feeling zonked. But I don't think my hair will ever be curling up under any hairnet, and I'm pretty sure I'll be the one having a hard time keeping up with Conner by the time he's 2. Time to work out!

Conner's Due Date

Today was a Conner day. I got a lot done prior to going to Conner's house, though. I shampooed my carpet, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned my bedroom, did a couple of loads of clothes and went to water aerobics.

Cam took Conner to the pediatrician today, and he weighs eight and a half lbs. He is twenty one and a half inches long! He grew two inches in three weeks!! Today was actually Conner's due date. So I guess he would have weighed eight and a half lbs and would have been 21 and a half inches long! He's so cute! His doctor said,
"You guys are really loving having him aren't you!" Cam said that they were, and the doctor said she could tell. Chris and Cam are great parents. I'm enjoying watching them loving him. I'm not surprised how much we love him....I knew we would.
He's like a gift of the best part of our lives coming back again. Don and I loved raising our boys, and we're enjoying being grandparents together.

Speaking of sweet babies....Bennett is doing wonderfully! We can see his face now a lot better since all of the head gear is gone. I know his parents can't wait to get him home. Keep praying for his lungs, his neurological system and his overall health.