Job

News that is both sad and happy: sometime in the next couple of weeks I will be headed back to work. Thankfully, I got a really terrific job at a Southwestern Medical Clinic just up the road from us in Niles, MI, and I'll only be working part-time (1-2 days a week). The clinic has 4 separate clinics within one building - internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, and an urgent care walk-in clinic (they also have OB/Gyn at a different site). I'll be working in the urgent care. The clinic is actually a Christian clinic, very unique. Here's their mission statement:

SWMC, by God's grace and following the example of Jesus Christ, strives to be a distinctive role model and leader in the integration of medical care, Christian witness, and missions.

Medical Care: To provide for our community compassionate, quality, and accessible healthcare for the whole person.

Christian Witness: To proclaim Jesus Christ by word and example.

Missions: To serve and support foreign and domestic medical missions.

How cool is that? It should be a great place to work - what a blessing from the Lord! I really love all of the people that I have met so far with whom I'll be working. The hard part is going to be leaving my sweet Maryn at home, plus figuring out all the annoying logistics like pumping at work - yuck. Thankfully, Billy will be able to stay at home with Maryn, so that's a relief. Anyway, I still have orientation, training, and a little more paperwork to get through before I actually start. Although I'm nervous and feeling really rusty in my medical knowledge and skills, I'm excited to step back into the role of "PA". I'll let you know how it goes.

A New Mom's Top Ten

My list of necessities that I can't live without these days:

1. Diet Dr. Pepper - I've never been a caffeine person, but ever since Maryn was born, I have come to heavily rely on and crave my daily dose of Diet DP.

2. Dry Shampoo - let's admit it, having a newborn/infant to care for doesn't lend itself to daily showering. Gross, but true. A lot of times I just try to grab 5 minutes to shower without washing my hair. Enter my friend, spray-on dry shampoo. With this amazing product I can add a couple of days between washing my hair and still feel like I can leave the house.

3. Burp Rags - aka old-fashioned cloth diapers. They're scattered everywhere - the diaper bag, the couch, our bed, the nursery, the car, and the laundry is always full of them. Cause you never know when a spit-up attack will hit you.

4. Smart phone - I spend a lot of my time during the day just sitting while Maryn nurses. It can get kind of boring (and daytime TV is just stupid for the most part - although I have taken a liking to Billy the Exterminator, haha). But with my spiffy Palm Pre Plus, there's always something to do. In addition to the normal cell phone uses - calls, texts, emails - I can catch up on facebook, play games, look up stuff I'm curious about on Wikipedia, read my favorite blogs, check the weather, watch YouTube videos, make to-do lists, etc. I even have an app that keeps track of Maryn's feedings (during my pregnancy I used an app that monitored weight gain, kicks, contractions, etc). And every morning during her first feeding, I get on ESV.org and use one of their daily reading plans for my quiet time.

5. Digital camera - another techological must-have. I love my Canon Powershot. Because with a new baby, there's always a cute or memorable moment to capture on photo or video. And I love the battery life on our camera - I think I've only charged it 4 times since Maryn was born!

6. Oxiclean - enough said. (Explanation for my brother Scott: baby poo-poo)

7. Miracle Blanket - Maryn has been sleeping through the night since she was 2 months old, and I give this blanket all the credit. It's the only swaddle blanket that actually keeps her swaddled all night. What will I do when she outgrows it?

8. Paper plates - bad for the environment, but good for my sanity.

9. Marie Calendar Steamer meals - another dinner time shortcut - fast, easy, and tasty. And the hubby loves them too.

10. Amazon - membership in AmazonMom + diaper delivery subscription = 30% off diapers plus free 2 day shipping. AmazING.

Anyone else out there have their own top 10 list for moms?

Toy Meets Mouth

Another milestone for Maryn today - she figured out how to grab a toy and put it in her mouth. As you can tell, it's very hard work.

Our Favorite Things: Books and Music

In an effort to keep this blog from becoming solely about little Maryn, we've decided to start an occasional series on what we're currently listening to and reading (because, although you may not be able to tell, we do have other interests besides parenting). So, here's the first:

Our current favs on the iPod:

Sandra McCracken - In Feast or Fallow

-Kate: "This album is eloquently spoken, straight to my heart. Plus, Sandra's richly textured music and familiar gravel-y voice make my ear happy. Truth infused and comforting for a (sometimes fearful and discouraged) stay-at-home mom's soul."

Justin King - Humilitas Occidit Superbiam

-Billy: "Justin King's newest album is acoustically driven, passionately lyrical, and simultaneously haunting and beautiful. It's not one of those rare albums where you love every song; I tend to skip over a couple. But the majority of the songs are wonderfully inventive and catchy - familiar qualities of this virtuoso. Did I mention he wrote, produced, and played all the instruments on this album?"

What we're reading:

Everything

-Billy

George Marsden - Jonathan Edwards: A Life

-Kate: "So, I lost a bet and now I have to read this book. It's ok though, I had decided I would read it even if I won. This book changed the course of Billy's life - how can I not read it? I haven't made it very far, and it's a very big book (Billy says the abridged version doesn't qualify). But I'm looking forward to reading this epic work."

Upton Sinclair - The Jungle

-Kate: "I'm not sure why I decided to re-read this book from high school. I think it was because Billy was studying labor union reform and industrial workers in his modern American history class. It's a good read, but wow is it depressing."

Surgery

Most of you know (but a few may not) that Maryn was born with a large skin tag overgrowth above and behind her right ear. It pushes on her ear and makes it fold kind of inside out. You can see it in the above pic (isn't she such a cutie pie?). Nothing serious, purely cosmetic; but it does need to be removed. Last week, we had a consultation with her plastic surgeon in Grand Rapids, MI. To our surprise, he wants to go ahead and do surgery in January (we thought he would want to wait until she is older). Thankfully, he is very experienced and we liked him a lot; one of his specialties is pediatric ear reconstruction. He assured us that the procedure would be fairly simple; she should heal quickly, and will have to wear a mold on her ear for a little while to reshape it. But the thought of our little girl having surgery and all that entails - general anesthesia, needles, intubation, hospital stay - is so scary. It's very difficult for us not to be fearful and in dread; we are trying hard to entrust her care to the Lord. Thankfully, she is perfectly healthy; there are so many parents who are having to deal with a sick child or life-threatening surgeries etc. But just keep us and Maryn in your prayers, especially on January 26th, that in all things we would glorify Christ, that the procedure would go well, and that we will not give in to a spirit of fear. Pray Philippians 4:6-7 for us. We'll keep you updated.

And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over!"

Maryn figured out how to roll over today! We caught the second time on video. Please ignore our embarrassing parent-speak. It's also a good view of her "special" ear - see forthcoming post on surgery update.

Three Months Old

Maryn turned three months old yesterday! We can't believe how quickly the time is going. She is getting so big! Still healthy and eating and sleeping well. The last few weeks she has been sleeping through the night (we dropped the 4am feeding). Now she wakes up around 8 or 8:30am, and it's such a joy to get her out of the bassinet in the mornings. She is all smiles and coos! Lately, her head/neck control has really gotten good, she can sit up now with some props. She loves to sit in her Bumbo and look around. She has also discovered her mouth, tongue, and fist - which makes for a slobbery mess a lot of the time! :) Another new development - she has started to laugh! And it's the most adorable laugh you have ever heard (see video in previous post). Her favorite thing to laugh at is her big sister Graycie. She has also started to "sing". Every night at bedtime, Billy and I swaddle her and one of us holds her while we sing a hymn together. Every day the last week, instead of fussing or just being quiet, she has started to vocalize with us, holding out the sounds just as if she were singing (she doesn't do this any other time). It is so hilarious and endearing! Also, when you lean toward her to give her a kiss she opens her mouth really funny and slobbers you, ha! We love you, Maryn girl!

Sister Love

Billy caught the tail end of this hilarious giggling session on video. Maryn loves her big sister!