Steel thyself for a lengthy entry...

I have interests other than music and babies.  Really I do.  Like football.  My sister-in-law asked me to name the 50 states the other day and when I could only come up with 49 I asked if the missing state had an NFL team located in it.  Once I had a ‘yes’ I figured out the elusive state in less than 30 seconds.  I love football and I love that my husband and I can enjoy it together.  But I also love gymnastics and figure skating, sports that he definitely doesn’t dig as much.  Because I can’t discuss my thoughts on the recent Visa US Gymnastics Championships with him I’ll have to type them out here.  If somebody actually reads this and understands it, let me know—we will be friends.

First off, I was only able to watch the final night of the women’s competition, because I don’t believe in paying Universal Sports my hard-earned cash to be able to tune in for a spotty online connection.  Based on what I read, it sounds like it was an extremely sloppy night of gymnastics anyway.  The few bright spots included Jordyn Wieber and Shawn Johnson demonstrating consistency and displaying a toughness that belied the other competitors.  Night two proved to be a much cleaner competition, but not without some frightening and head-scratching moments.

Uhh…Valerie? 

Let’s talk about Rebecca Bross for a minute.  Our national champion, and best international gymnast that we’ve boasted during the last quadrennium was clearly competing at less than her best this past weekend.  Ankle surgery less than a year ago has hampered her consistency and it showed on night one with three falls.  Bross was on track for a much better performance Saturday night, but dislocated her knee landing a double-twisting Yurchenko vault.  Which leads to my first topic of discussion:

Why in the HECK did she even attempt that vault?  She hadn’t been landing it in practice.  She didn’t land it in warm-ups.  Her main rival, Jordyn Wieber, had already vaulted and landed a beautiful 2½ twisting Yurchenko, so she wasn’t going to make up any lost ground score-wise.  There was no mathematical way Bross was going to repeat as national champion.  With the world selection camp just a few weeks away, and the world championships after that, you don’t need or want to peak at Visas.  Bross’ international record speaks for itself—an invitation to the selection camp was in the bag and protecting her body should have been her and her coach’s number one priority.

Instead she attempted a vault that hadn’t happened all week, landed in a position that made every single one of us cringe, and eliminated herself from competition for the foreseeable future—most likely through the rest of the year.  I have the utmost respect for Valerie Liukin and what he’s done with the WOGA gym…WOGA has produced back-to-back Olympic all-around champions and launched itself to the forefront of elite gyms in the United States.  But that was a boneheaded move.  Bross can consider herself extremely fortunate that “all” she did was dislocate a kneecap and that we’re not talking reconstructive surgery for a torn ACL/MCL/etc.  But in the meantime, the US Selection Committee has to unhappily figure out NOW how they replace their second-best all-arounder for the world championship team.

Not-so-smart Nastia

Which leads me to my next pondering…Nastia Liukin on the Selection Committee?  Really?  I mean, Liukin is a perfect addition to that committee in another 4+ years, but she hasn’t ruled out coming back to gymnastics next year.  (She admitted this openly during the national broadcast.)  Additionally, half of her former teammates from the 2008 Olympics are competing for spots on this year’s world team and I’m sure there are a lot of people wondering if she can remain unbiased in her recommendations.  If she is even remotely considering a comeback for next year Liukin should stay removed from any political or administrative responsibilities in USA Gymnastics.  Let me clarify by saying that I think the chances of Liukin making a full comeback next year are very slim.  She’s already won the biggest prize in women’s gymnastics and has nothing to prove.  But she is the reigning Olympic silver medalist on the uneven bars and the US team’s weakest event, by far, is uneven bars.  If Liukin decided to return just on that event, her chances of making next year’s Olympic team would be high.

Comeback Kids

As so often happens the year before the Olympics, the wizened members of gymnastics start dreaming about returning to the grandest stage in sports.  The Olympic bug matures from pupa to adult the year before an Olympic games and, while it bites many, few victims actually make noticeable impacts that late in the four-year cycle.  This year we saw Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, and Shawn Johnson all demonstrate their intent to be on the 2012 London team.  Here are a few thoughts on their chances…

Memmel is one of the most consistent, determined, rise-to-the-challenge athletes I’ve ever seen.  If she’s healthy.  Unfortunately, Memmel’s career is dotted with horribly-timed injuries.  She missed the 2004 Olympics entirely and was only able to compete on one event in 2008.  She’s back once again, at the age of 23, because she hasn’t done the Olympics “right” yet.  If she’s healthy, she could content for the all-around competition, with huge individual strength in her uneven bars set.  But she was unable to complete her bars set on night two due to a tweaked shoulder, and the United States will have to weigh carefully if they even take a chance putting the injury-prone, ever-aging Memmel on an Olympic team.  With Bross gone she will certainly make the world team, pending health, but the Olympics are a much weightier proposition.  If Memmel is placed on the Olympic team you can guarantee that there will be a lot of people praying that she actually makes it to and through the games, and that they have some really solid alternates in the bullpen. 

Chance of making world team: 85%.  Chance of making Olympic team: 50%

Sacramone is the best vaulter in the world right now (although I wouldn’t be surprised if her title was stripped this year by fellow American Jordyn Wieber) and her power on floor exercise makes her a valuable addition to the team.  However, she fluctuates between mental resilience and mental meltdown.  If she’s on, she’s fantastic.  If she’s not (and that can vary from event to event, not just from competition to competition) it can be catastrophic, as evidenced by her two, famous, devastating falls in the finals of the Olympic team competition in 2008.   The best moment for Sacramone at Visas was her night two floor routine…first time she’s stayed in bounds with no falls in over a year.  Worst decision?  Keeping that front-pike beam mount, which seems to be a sticking point between Sacramone and Martha Karolyi.  If you want to compete on balance beam at the Olympics Alicia, lose the mount. 

Chance of making world team: 95%.  Chance of making Olympic team: 90%.

And then we have little Miss Shawn Johnson, who looks way too young to be training for her second Olympics.  Johnson’s comeback is less than a year old, and her first competition just over a month ago.  She has a long way to go in start values and getting all four events back (she opted out of floor at Nationals), but wow…she looked good.  Her beam routine on night two was every bit as rock-solid and consistent as she was in Beijing.  She has a brilliant coach, one who earned my respect by keeping Johnson healthy and consistent for two years leading up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  Since then, Johnson completely shredded her knee in a skiing accident and is in the midst of learning to trust her landings.  With each dismount this past week she gained confidence.  While her start values aren’t as high as many of the other gymnasts vying for spots on the World team, she deserves to be considered, especially when you consider her past experience and unshakeable nerves on the international stage.  She could be great once again. 

Chance of making World team: 60%.  Chance of making Olympic team: 75%.

Golden Girl

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least touch briefly on the brilliance that was Jordyn Wieber this past week.  Wow, wow, wow.  She’s the “it” girl right now, and with the Russians Mustafina and Komova injured, the heavy favorite heading into the all-around at this year’s world championships.  Wieber could legitimately contend for individual medals on all four events and is particularly strong on beam and vault.  She has that extra something that made Miller, Patterson, Liukin, and Johnson great.  If she can STAY HEALTHY (such an impossible task in today’s era of gymnastics) she could give the United States their third consecutive gold medal in the Olympic all-around competition next year.

Chance of making the world team: 98%.  Chance of making the Olympic team: 95%.

And there you have it.  A very long-winded account of the Visa National Championships.  If I write about US gymnastics in the near future it will probably revolve around the Karolyi regime and the plusses and minuses of the current selection process system.  But I’ve typed enough for a small college paper at this point and should return to “more important things” like my job or something.  If you actually made it through this entry, you get a gold medal.  But be careful and don’t get injured mounting the podium.

A guest blogger today!

Friday

Dear Diary,

I am as big as a head of cabbage now and weigh 2 whole pounds.  I don’t know what a cabbage is, but I think that means I’m getting pretty big.  My eyes are opening, but I can’t really see anything.  It’s pretty dark down here, but it’s warm and comfy so I don’t complain.  I have lots of space, although it doesn’t seem quite as big in here as it did a couple of months ago. 

Saturday

Dear Diary,

This afternoon Mommy and Daddy went for a long walk.  I like it when they go for walks because they talk to each other for a long time and are happy.  I usually fall asleep though and then I think maybe I missed out on something.  They kept saying how nice it was outside.  I wish I could see what they see!  They also watched a television show called 24.  Sometimes Mommy gets really tense when she watches it and sometimes she laughs a lot.  I don’t understand this.  After each episode Daddy reads something out loud and they laugh even more.  I’m glad it makes them happy, but occasionally the loud noises from the TV scare me.

Sunday

Dear Diary,

Today I figured out how to stand up.  That was FUN.  I celebrated by jumping up and down ALL DAY.  My feet could bounce on this sac that’s below my hideout and it was like being on a trampoline.  I skipped a few of my naps because it was just too cool.  I don’t know if Mommy liked it as much, but I couldn’t stop!  She kept putting her hands on her stomach and talking to me.  I sure got a lot of attention from her today!

Monday

Dear Diary,

My favorite time of the whole day is in the middle of the night.  Mommy goes to sleep for a long time and it gets too quiet.  When she gets up to go to the bathroom I get so excited that she’s awake that I jump and kick for a long time.  She doesn’t seem to mind too much, which is good because I like it when she’s awake.  She sometimes sticks me up against Daddy’s back…I think she wants me to kick him too.  I try, but he is harder to wake up.  I think this is because he hasn’t had any coffee for a while. 

Tuesday

Dear Diary,

I decided to stop jumping up and down today and focus on my sideways kicks.  Mommy shared part of a candy bar with me today and that was VERY exciting.  I had never had one before and it made us both hyper for a little while.  She also played her flute for a long time in the evening.  Her flute music makes me sleepy.  I like it when she sings better.  I try to sing along too and practice my drumming skills.  I think I want to play instruments when I get a little bigger.  Music makes me very happy.  When Mommy and Daddy were at Csehy they sang every evening and it was the best part of the day!

Wednesday

Dear Diary,

Today I am pretty sleepy.  I kept Mommy up for a long time last night when she got up to go to the bathroom.  She is especially quiet this morning and I think she probably wants to take a nap.  I kick her sometimes to let her know I’m still mostly awake and ready to play, but she still seems tired.   I don’t know if she can take a nap because she’s at work, but I can whenever I want.  Usually I don’t want to though.  There’s too much stuff to do and I have to practice sucking my thumb, kicking, flipping around, and swallowing.  Sometimes when I swallow a lot I get the hiccups.  They don’t last very long but I don’t like them!

Loop-dee-loop

I was chatting recently with a friend who was describing another friend’s blog, which had turned into a pregnancy blow-by-blow.  My friend was growing tired of the entries, complaining that, “Duh!  Most people already know this stuff…we don’t need to read it in your blog.”  My mental, non-spoken response was immediately, “Well, then, don’t read the blog!”  But I did understand a little bit where she was coming from.  To be honest though, if I’m anything like the average American woman, I do enjoy reading others’ stories about new life, seeing pictures of growing tummies, and counting down the days until their due dates.  Maybe a part of that is because I’m journeying through it too, but it’s held true since before I knew I was pregnant.  I guess the whole point of this paragraph is to say, if you aren’t interested, there is no pressure to read what I have to say.  Very few people even know I have a blog and I write mostly what entertains me, because the main point of this blog is to eat up time at work!  But, if you are interested, be forewarned—it’s probably going to be baby-centric for the foreseeable future.  If you had a kid the size of a cabbage jumping around in your abdomen constantly you wouldn’t be able to think about much else either.

So it’s another week at the job and the big news in our house is that I won’t have to work here forever!  VWH has landed a full-time job!  It is relatively local, at a Christian school, and, most importantly, comes with benefits.  This makes us super excited  as I can plan to stay at home with our little one after his arrival.  I can NOT wait!!!!  My departure date is still to be determined, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is beautiful.  (This is especially good timing as I just received my annual employee evaluation from my lovely boss and was deemed an extremely “average” employee…good to know I won’t be missed…)  November can’t come fast enough!

I have mental images of being snowed in, with a pot of soup simmering on the stove, cuddling my little baby in our glider rocker, watching out the front window for VWH to arrive home from work and welcoming him into a spotless home.  Haha.  Yeah right.  I’m not stupid.  I know that babies are just as messy, noisy, and stinky as they are cute and snuggly.  And just because I’m staying at home with a baby doesn’t mean I will have free time.  Being a stay-at-home mom is quite possibly the toughest job in the world.  If you don’t believe me, you may end up here.  Still, I can’t help but think that our baby will be pretty stinkin’ cute, even if he is also noisy and messy. 

And I don’t intend to stop working.  Working my current job, yes.  Absolutely.  But now I can start teaching private music lessons once again, which will be a good source of income and bring some music back into my life.  My mom kept up a studio while we were at home and it’s turned into quite the business for her.  I look at the way my parents went about raising us and I really do desire to parallel a lot of their choices.  They exhibited a lot of wisdom in balancing work and family, always putting their kids first.  I hope that’s paid off for them as much as it did for us.

This blog has turned into random musings, which wasn’t the intent, but I don’t have the energy to go back and try to turn it into an essay either.  So, random musings are what you’re stuck with today.  At least I posted! 

Event planning in the 21st century

Family wedding #3 is in the history books and it was lovely!  You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day weather-wise, particularly with the reception being held out of doors.  Our light green, light material bridesmaid dresses were cool and comfy in the July weather, the bride resplendent in her gown, and the groom equally up to the task in a tux and top hat.  It was truly a special day for them and for my family, which gains yet another girl.  When I was small I used to beg my mom for a little sister and she would always respond, “If it’s God’s will.”  (I found out later that “God’s will” really meant “medical miracle.”  I guess 3 kids were enough…)  Now I have four sisters and they are all uniquely blessed and contribute in new ways to our Smith clan.

Now that wedding season is over until winter, VWH and I can turn our thoughts and well-honed event planning strategies towards the biggest event of our marriage.  Baby S is due to arrive in November, which leaves us 4 months to figure out everything about preparing for his arrival…and how to parent…and how our revised budget is going to work…and…well, we’re never going to figure it all out.  Even the brief forays we’ve taken into planning have proven to be a bit overwhelming.  And with good reason…the world has changed.

When I was growing up (which really, truly, and honestly wasn’t that long ago) you didn’t need that much to keep a baby happy.  A crib, a few clothes, clean diapers, a couple of toys (which could include household items like pots, boxes, a tube of toothpaste, etc…), a food grinder and voile…you’re set!  I now see that our society has moved beyond the simplistic measures of child-rearing, as is illustrated below.

First off, I have already been given, not one, but two contraptions known as “wipes warmers.”  That’s right…a wipes warmer.  You plug this bad boy in, put your wipes in it (making sure the bottom has a bit of water) and your baby’s behind stays clean and warm.  Because this apparently makes for a much more fruitful parenting experience.   There’s something about putting a clammy warm wipe on anything that turns my stomach, but according to the wipes warmer people, kids flip for this stuff.  The previous owner of my wipes warmers informed me that I should “keep one upstairs and the other downstairs so they’re extra handy.”

Secondly, cloth diapers have evolved people.  My mom used cloth diapers and taught me to fold them at the ripe old age of 2, so believe me, I know what they are were.  Those big safety pins looked like harpoons when I was little.  VWH and I have kind of shied away from using them, clinging to the shaky “fact” that it’s just as bad for the environment to use all that hot water to clean them as to buy disposables.  Well, I was recently educated in the advances of cloth diapers and I have to admit, they are a lot cooler looking than they used to be.  They also look way more expensive and complicated.  See the following video for a demonstration, noting that the baby stays perfectly still for over 3 minutes as his mom follows an intricate series of steps to change one diaper.  VWH and I watched it and are once again invoking our environmental statistic. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqfPYJshPq0&feature=player_embedded

Finally, baby monitors.  OK, I’m not sure we ever had a baby monitor.  If we did, it was named “older sibling” who picked up on the fussy cries of a baby at lightning speed.  When I did babysitting, some families had baby monitors that looked like cheap plastic walkie talkies.  And they were kind of cool, but nothing fancy.  I imagine they didn’t cost more than $20.  But now…NOW…we have Super Baby Monitor.  This thing does everything but change that complicated cloth diaper.  (But I’m pretty sure it could have managed the safety pins.)  You have to click on the Amazon video link on the page to get the full effect…

http://www.amazon.com/Lorex-LW2003-Video-Monitor-White/dp/B003Q6CU12/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1310310859&sr=1-1

Between recharging my digital, picture-taking, home-security-system-included-baby monitor and keeping my wipes warm I’m going to have to invest in a few power strips…

So you can see that we have much research to do.  But ultimately I’m pretty sure the pots and boxes will still come in handy.  Here’s to a happy baby and to parents with more than two pennies to rub together!

Isn't he cute?  I think he's waving...or possibly thumbing his nose at us...maybe he wants a wipes warmer after all.

Lessons from Hayden

Things I've learned from my 16 month-old niece:

1.       Reading books is fun.  We should spend a lot of time reading and rereading books…front to back and back to front.

2.       The delight of eating goldfish crackers easily outweighs the troubles of life.

3.       It’s really OK to put your hands on the glass window and examine it up close.  Smudges are only temporary and completely acceptable.

4.       Naps are GREAT.

5.       Stroller walks are an excellent source of fun.  Pushing the stroller though…inexplicably superior.

6.       Sharing an ice cream cone with your aunt isn’t a bad thing at all.  Germs are for wimps.

7.       Trucks and tractors really are incredible feats of engineering.

8.       Feeling clean and fresh definitely improves one’s overall mood.

9.       That being said, it’s OK to be messy sometimes.  In fact, it can be preferable in triggering the giggles.

10.     Saying “I love you” brings a smile to just about anybody’s face.

Five things.

Five things about my pregnancy that I could do without:

5.  Not being able to sleep on my stomach anymore.  I’m still not really showing…but doc says that once you hit 20 weeks no more stomach sleeping.  I’ve been trying this for 2 weeks now and it’s not getting a whole lot easier.  This makes me sad. 

4.  Foods and drinks to avoid.  There have been a few nights when my husband poured himself a glass of wine and I looked at that wine and thought…that would be a great way to unwind.  Or when I really want something carbonated and sweet…but not super sugary and not fake sugary either. 

3.  No Ultimate Frisbee this summer at camp.  I work at a camp for two weeks each summer that advertises itself as a music camp, but really is a closet Ultimate camp.  2 hours every afternoon, grinding it out on a turf field, loving the chance to play with others who can actually throw and catch a disc.  This summer?  Me, on the sidelines, wishing I had a force field superpower that would make the whole phrase “contact sport” go away.

2.  People wondering when I’m going to “pop.”  I’m doing as many things right as I can regarding appetite and such, but this baby wants to hide out and not make it obvious to the world that he exists.  So I continue to be able to wear much of my normal wardrobe to work and around the house, and I love it!  But the comments continue and are becoming more frequent.  “You sure don’t LOOK like you’re pregnant.”  “You must have a really petite baby.”  Or…they forget that I’m pregnant all together and ask me to carry heavy boxes over long distances.  Hmmm.  Gotta refresh on the whole saying no thing.

1.  The touching of the stomach.  As you’ve already heard, my stomach doesn’t exist in colossal display yet, but people still insist on patting it, rubbing it, or just putting their hand there and starting a conversation while their hand stays there.  For a very few people in my life, this is acceptable, but those very few people already have enough common sense to ask ahead of time.  Seriously—if it’s inappropriate to touch somebody’s stomach any other time in their life this should not give you permission to start lovin’ on my abdomen.  Please and thanks.  J

Five things about my pregnancy that are indescribably incredible:

5.  Not having morning sickness.  I can’t believe it!  My mom, aunt, grandma, and basically everybody on my maternal side of the family were all incredibly sick for at least 3 solid months.  I had one day…which was more like an afternoon, where I thought that maybe, just maybe, I’d throw up.  And I didn’t.  I ate normal food for the most part and smells haven’t bothered me in the least.  And now I’m over the first trimester hump and everything still looks great!  I am one lucky girl.

4.  The generosity of friends and family.  This baby is in his fifth month and I have an entire wardrobe of super-cute maternity clothes.  We also have stacks of baby clothes, a bassinet, diaper genie, and more things on the way because people couldn’t resist sharing with us.  Their spirits of giving are such an inspiration and encouragement to our little family.  We are touched by their love!

3.  Technology.  I love technology, always and forever.  The ability to hear this little guy’s heartbeat so early on and consistently at each appointment never ceases to amaze (and relieve) me.  And the way our lab technician took us on a tour of our baby’s developing body at the sonogram floored me and my husband, who is not easily impressed with machinery (unless it’s an iPhone).   We could see the heart, the kidneys, the bones, the head, the feet and hands, basically everything.  That’s a PERSON down there!

2.  Strengthening of a marriage.  I have it good ladies and gentlemen.  I have it real good.  I knew I had it good when I got married.  I knew I had it good two years and three years into our marriage.  Well, let me tell ya…I have it GOOD.  My husband is a rock of consistency, wisdom, and generosity.  When I am tired, he will sit down and talk with me, if that’s what I need, or I may drift off for a brief power nap and awake to find the dishes washed in the kitchen.  He is always willing to go out late at night for a hamburger, if that’s what we so desire.  (I’m pretty sure that’s not a huge sacrifice on his part.)  His excitement at baby’s development and growth and desire to be a part of it all impresses me daily.  I have it GOOD.

1.  Speaking of baby’s development and growth…this kid is turning into a soccer player.  Squirms have turned into solid kicks that have gotten strong enough that I can see my shirt flutter and VWH can feel them too.  (Don’t let this be added fuel for you all to want to touch my stomach…ask first.)  There’s something down there!  And it’s alive and letting his mama know that he’s down there.  And when we went to music camp last week for a visit and spent a half-hour singing glorious praises, he let us know that he either enjoyed it most thoroughly or found it a bit too noisy.  Thump-a-thump-a-thump!  I prefer to think he’s going to be a musical genius. 

This journey has been occasionally overwhelming, yes.  But the joys and perspective it brings to my life easily outweigh any inconveniences or worries.  (Thump-a-thump.)  I plan on soaking in the next few months when, even though I might not be able to sleep on my stomach, I can sleep through the night.  I hope to soak in this time with just me and baby, before he comes to visit all of these loved ones who are so eager to meet him.  And I praise our Creator for entrusting me to carry this little life and take care of him…a responsibility not for the faint of heart methinks. 

Q & A

Q:  What do you do when you aren’t allowed to sleep on your stomach anymore?

A:  Get your hands on a beanbag chair.

Q:  What happens if your brother-in-law’s wedding caterer fails to show up on two separate occasions for pre-wedding planning and the wedding is 8 days away?

A:  Buy cookies from Wegmans and forget about a fancy dinner.

Q:  How was your birthday?

A:  Amazing family and food.  And an iPod touch.  (iPod touch=Angry Birds)

Q:  What do you do when you have to buy a dress in June 5 months pregnant for a different wedding in December when you will have been pregnant-free for 6 weeks?

A:  Don’t eat the cookies at the first wedding reception.

Q:  What fills the time at work when there’s nothing to do?

A:  Blogging.  (And thinking about cookies.)

Q:  Why haven’t you blogged in weeks?

A:  ...Angry Birds???  (Hey—they don’t know my birthday was only 6 days ago…)

Q:  Just exactly how bored are you right now?

A:  Exactly?  Well, if you take the inverse polynomial of 2.148 to the 14^th power and divide that by the quadratic equation, you’ll spend exactly as much time figuring out the answer as I’ve had free time on my hands today.

Q:  What are you thinking about right now?

A:  The baby is currently kicking hard enough that I can feel it on the outside.  That is not boring.  (And more entertaining than Angry Birds and cookies combined.)