7 Quick Takes, Vol. 37: Blankets, pins, hotel rooms, and 5ks

Thanks to Grace for hosting, and congratulations to Jen on the birth of her adorable munchkin Joseph Thomas, born on the Feast of the Annunciation! Many prayers for a quick and speedy recovery for both of you, especially Joseph who is still in the NICU.

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I'm running a 5k tomorrow. I'm a little concerned because I was making time for regular running, and then, as you might recall, sickness hit our house and I stopped. I figured my immune system could only handle so much stress before giving in. I know, I know. Exercise makes you healthy. My personal experience, however, has been more to the effect of catching whatever's going around whenever I start running after some time off. So I'll be running the 5k without the benefit of a lot of regular running over the past month.

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I do have a fairly active job, where I walk briskly for a good portion of my days, and between that and running around after Emily and Erin, I feel as though I'm in decent shape. And by that I mean I'm fairly confident I can run 3 miles. I think I'll be missing my iPod (this is the Color Me Rad 5k, where you get splattered with paint, so I think I'll do my iPod a favor and give it the race off) but it'll be a fun race, so I'm not too worried there. Anyone out there ever run this race?

--- 3 ---

We survived an overnight stay in a hotel with Emily and Erin! I have to say, I don't understand why anyone would ever design a hotel room with curtains that don't close all the way. Especially one where the windows face a brightly lit parking lot. You have to consider such things as babies who wake up in the middle of the night and think it's morning, after all. Not that (ahem) that happened three times the night we stayed there or anything. I made sure to point this fact out to the clerk at the front desk. Overall, though, it was a really nice room, with a beautiful bathroom and all the amenities we needed (other than curtains). Moral of the story: bring a blanket and safety pins next time. Also, when staying in a hotel with small children, it's prudent to consider tiring them out somewhere other than the hotel room. Note that I have no idea how to do it, I just know that letting them crawl around the bed is less than ideal. Overall, it was a fun trip, though the purpose was sad (Dan's grandfather's burial) and we got to see lots of family and some friends. Emily and Erin were quite happy to be reacquainted with the floor on Wednesday when we got home.

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We're still doing well with cloth diapering at least part time, though I am on the lookout for a way to keep the diaper pail smelling...fresh. Or at least to keep Erin and Emily's room from smelling like diaper pail. Any suggestions?

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Emily has learned to push up on her knees and just hang out, like some babies sit. This is awesome when she can get down safely. She does a little better every day, unless she gets excited about something and flops over. Even then, some of the time she'll remember to catch herself. Sometimes we can catch her, but most of the time it happens so suddenly we can't get over to her in time.

--- 6 ---

I just realized this morning that I have a problem with coffee. It's not what you'd think, either. I pour myself a cup every morning, and I get so distracted by what the girls are doing that I forget to drink it. Then it gets cold. So I guess I need to start drinking it faster. I think that's a challenge I can embrace. After all, since Erin's new thing is trying to pull pulling things off the coffee table, I have to protect it from her!

--- 7 ---

Emily will be having a minor surgery next Tuesday, so if you could spare some prayers for our family that would be wonderful! I know it's small compared to what many mothers have to endure with their babies, and I thank God that we should be going home the same day. The surgery is to remove a small growth from where her umbilical cord was cut. It should be fairly early in the morning, since Emily is so young (and won't understand why I'm not giving her anything to eat or drink). I think it will be easier overall since she doesn't know what is happening, which is why we aren't waiting. Her pediatrician thinks it should be removed and knows the surgeon who is doing it, so I do feel confident with Emily in his hands. Again, any prayers are appreciated! And please don't forget to pray for Jen and her family, as what they are going through is much more traumatic and stressful. Have a wonderful weekend!

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