May 2006

May 26th -- I know, I know. I'm such a slacker for not updating this in almost 3 weeks. I've been busy. My mouth feels a lot better, my daughter weighs almost 13 pounds, and Beth is just about down to her pre-pregnancy weight. All in all, it's been a productive 3 weeks. We've got a wedding this weekend at the Salt Lick Thurmon Mansion. This is going to work out really well because Mary will be able to baby-sit (the location is only 5 miles from the Ledbetter's residence). Hopefully, John will get to help us this weekend, too. I'd like to get him involved because I feel that he has a very artistic approach that will add another dimension to our business. The only thing he really needs is a better understanding of the camera.

May 8th -- I'm starting to feel a bit better. The cheeks have become a much more manageable size-about twice normal size. There's still a lot of pain, but I think I'm going to live. Lauren and I have been hanging out all day while mommy ran some errands. I'm supposed to go back to work tomorrow, and based on how I feel now, I should be able to make it. The question is whether I'll catch the bus or have Beth take me. I probably don't want to drive while taking hydrocodene. Mary is supposed to have her going away party at school tomorrow. Pleasant Hill is really going to miss her. If I get to go, I'll take some photos. As I'm typing this, Jars of Clay started playing and it brought back a whole lot of memories. "Sinking" is off their first release, "Flood." I listened to this album all the time while studying for tests in college. This was their best CD by far--acoustic driven, catchy beats, and a great message. Beth is feeding Lauren. I continue to be amazed at the whole process. What a wonderful gift God has given humans. Being able to nuture and bond with a baby is such a great experience. However, some mothers don't have the chance to do that because they don't produce milk or have other issues. Fortunately, there is a way that some of those babies can receive breast milk, the best source of nourishment for a little one. Beth donated 153 oz of milk to the Mothers' Milk Bank of Austin (http://www.mmbaustin.org). Her excess milk will go to feed premature and sick babies. We were so worried that we were going to lose the milk (stored in the freezer) during our 2-day power outage, but having all that milk in the freezer helped keep it cold.

May 6th -- Well, it's been far too since I've updated the blog. I hope you'll cut me a little slack. We've had some severe thunderstorms ravage our neighborhood (we were without power for two days--unthinkable that this could happen in a civilized place--Arkansas maybe, but Austin??? please note the sarcasm). Not to mention the fact that I was turned into a chipmunk

So, having your wisdom teeth removed turned out to be every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be. It was quite painful, and I do feel much less wise. On the other hand, Beth has been terrific. She is taking really good care of me. It's been nice to be home and spend time (in the dark, too!) with her and Lauren. She is really spoiling me. My meals have consisted of jell-o and whipped cream, pudding and whipped cream (are you sensing a trend here?), macoroni and cheese (no whipped cream on this), and baked potato(e) (for all you Dan Quayle fans). IÂ had a T-bone steak for my last supper before the teeth came out. That was really good.

You would think my dental insurance would cover most of this...you would think. Delta Dental is not on my Christmas list right now, that's for sure. They covered a whopping $800 and left me to pay $1350 out of pocket. I could use a couple more weddings...if you know anyone, send them my way.

Lauren turned 7 weeks old last Tuesday. I stood on the scales with her yesterday and she weighs about 12lbs now. She has almost doubled in size!!! Hard to believe she'll be two months old in three days. How can she grow so quickly?