The Owings Family

Minnie's Breakfast in the Park

2010-05-20T13:42:00.007-05:00

We began the first day with Minnie's Breakfast in the Park. We were able to enter the park 20 minutes before it opened and meet so many characters right away. Shea was beside herself with excitement.

Nash, however, was utterly terrified, as you can see here.

Shea just wanted to hug every character.

Nash has gone from utter terror to mild fear.

I love Shea's face here. She was more than excited.

She LOVES Captain Hook now. He's not really such a bad guy.

Nash started warming up when Hook high-fived him. He then started growling at the ole cap'n.

The breakfast was a great place for Nash to get used to meeting and greeting the characters.

Yes, Jon was there too. He's proudly wearing his Minnie Mouse button.

Shea's tickled pink!

Grandpa (Jon's dad) and I were also there.

Shea and Nash loved meeting Minnie Mouse.

Shea did not want to stop chatting with Minnie to pose for a picture.

Minnie Mouse's Breakfast in the Park was a highlight of our Disneyland visit and the perfect way to being our day there. We were able to spend some significant time interacting with our favorite characters. When we did see them in the park, we had to stand in some lengthy lines for an autograph and a momentary hug. This breakfast was wonderful!

Let the Magic Begin

2010-05-20T13:38:00.001-05:00

Waiting to enter! They have no idea what awaits them!

Shea's face says it all as she gets her first glimpse of Main Street! Nash still doesn't know what to think.

Catching Up - Autumn

2010-04-08T14:24:00.007-05:00

In September, we said goodbye to our Holmes house, and we bought a house in Buford, GA. I'm sentimental, and that was the place we'd lived for six years and brought both of our babies home to that house, so it was hard to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to our wonderful family and friends was even harder. I miss everyone so much!

Jon's dad came out to help us move, and his mom and grandpa visited shortly after we moved in. We had a great time with them!

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house, and we really enjoyed the space in the new house. I love filling my house with people, and I hope that we have many opportunities to do this in the future!

It's Been Awhile . . . Again

2010-04-08T14:03:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged since the fall, and during that time, I've been adjusting to my new life as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). At first, this SAHM gig wasn't really a choice. I was hoping to find a job here in Georgia, but after my first attempts at job hunting failed, I settled in to study for the bar exam. During that time, we realized that we could manage to pay the bills with me staying at home. I went ahead and sat for the bar exam (which I feel like I failed), but I've stopped looking for jobs. I'll wait and see if I passed, then we'll decide what to do from there. Ideally, I'd like to have the kids in mother's day out a couple mornings each week so that I can do some work.

I must say that I LOVE staying at home with my kids, but it's been a big adjustment. I love spending time with them, having them on a schedule, getting cuddles throughout the day, and feeling that I can leave them to get some things accomplished evenings and weekends. I like that they're receiving discipline from me instead of a daycare provider.

On the downside, I have had to wrestle with the fact that I was very proud to be a working professional and now I'm "just" a mom. I want people to know that I'm an intelligent and ambitious person, and staying home with my kids now is a choice (even though it didn't start out as one). There's that darn pride again. I do miss certain aspects of my working life, especially the adult interaction and conversation throughout the day. My life revolves around taking care of my kids and cooking meals, so I'm struggling to find intelligent things to converse about that don't involve children or cooking.

I really have so much more to learn about managing my time at home and keeping our house in order. For some reason, I thought my house would be clean if I stayed at home, but that's a total farce. It may even be messier. :) I get so easily distracted that I'll sit at the computer to look up the weather to see how to dress the kids for the day, and I'll look up and realize two hours have passed and I forgot to check the forecast.

I'm going to try blogging again, but I expect it to be mostly "mommy" posts now. :) Enjoy!

Thank you God for . . .

2009-11-30T20:49:00.002-06:00

My daughter is a born shopper. She loves to go to the stores, and the mall is one of her favorite places. On Thanksgiving Day, she really wanted to get out of the house and go to the "store." We had to explain to her that it was a holiday and that all of the stores were closed. She was heartbroken. Friday night, I told her that Nini and I were going to take her to a special store Saturday morning. She was elated. Saturday morning came, and I cooked bacon, eggs, and biscuits for everyone. Shea said the blessing for breakfast, and in addition to her normal recitation, she said, "Thank you God to the stores are open today. Amen."

It's Been a While . . .

2009-11-11T06:50:00.003-06:00

It's been such a long time since I've updated, and so much has happened since January. Here's the highlights:

March - Jon was laid off.
April - We realized there was no opportunities for Jon in Memphis, and he pursued employment everywhere.
May - Jon began working for VeriStor, a company based in Duluth, GA. That means we have to move!
June - August - We house hunted and finally found a house we were happy with.
September - Jon moved to Georgia with all of our stuff, and I stayed in Memphis with my parents to work.
October - The kids and I made the big move to Buford, GA.

We're still settling in to our new house, but I'm loving all the space. Here's a picture of the house. I need to take some pictures of the inside with stuff in it, but I'm still not settled in enough for that. :) I'll be taking the Georgia Bar Exam in February, and I'm searching for a job here.

Lawyer Funny

2009-02-18T07:06:00.000-06:00

I found a blog that is cracking me up! It's a blog with lawyer-related cartoons called Courtoons.

I put up some samples on here. FYI, these are particularly funny because I'm the bluebooking expert around my office. It's a pretty useless skill, but I do know how to cite things correctly. I even know which commas and periods are supposed to be italicized and which ones are supposed to be in normal type. I know when to use an en dash and when to use and em dash. I am a nerd, and I'm okay with that.

New Year's Day

2009-01-03T07:47:00.001-06:00

I love family traditions. It's hardwired into my personality. One of my favorite family traditions is our New Year's Day meal. This tradition stems from my Dad's side of the family. Although my Dad has spent most of his life in the south, he is originally from Pennsylvania. While the Shea's are Irish, my dad's family also has German heritage. It is from that German contingent (aka Pennsylvania Dutch), that we get our traditional New Year's meal. Pennsylvania Dutch/German heritage dictates that pork and sauerkraut be included in the New Year's Day dinner. We also eat mashed potatoes, dumplings, warm spiced applesauce, and some token black-eyed peas with our meal. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

I became curious as to why that's the traditional meal and what the food symbolizes. Pork is the traditional meat because the New Year is a time to look forward and a hog can not look back. According to my sources, a German/Pennsylvania Dutchman would not eat chicken on New Year's Day because it scratches backwards. Sauerkraut is eaten because it represents wealth. I'm not all into the superstition, but I do love the meal!

This year, my Aunt Jami and Uncle David joined us for the meal. Jon missed out on it because he was at home cleaning the house for his Rose Bowl Party, but he got to enjoy some leftovers. We had a great time eating and visiting. Shea even likes the meal! I really dislike sauerkraut by itself, but a bite of it mixed with pork, mashed potatoes, and a dumpling is heavenly!

Christmas in Huntsville - Part II

2008-12-29T22:00:00.000-06:00

We spent some of our time in Huntsville at Michael's house. His family had a bad cold while we were there, so they stayed away from Grandmama and Grandpapa because they didn't want to get them sick. We're sick all the time anyway, so we just went over to their house so the girls could play together.

Bess, Shea, and EmmaSweet Bess!

Sweet Nash!
Uncle John with Nash

Shea's about to open her present from the Shea's.

Emma is so sweet to Nash, and he loves her too!

Time to relax on the couch.

Emma is driving Shea around in the new Jeep.
It has a real radio that works. How cool is that?

Pretty girls!

Emma taught Shea how to climb a tree.
Emma and Bess got the climbing gene from their Daddy!
It didn't come as naturally for Shea.

Christmas in Huntsville - Part I

2008-12-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's just not Christmas unless I make it to Alabama. When I was very little, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Grandmama and Grandpapa's house. I remember one year when Michael and I stayed up looking out the window to see if we could spot Rudolph's red nose in the sky. Another Christmas, our car was broken down, and Mr. Stewart helped Daddy repair it on Christmas Eve. I think it was 1987, and it was actually snowing that year. I guess it was about dinner time when it was finally working again, and Mr. Stewart, whose family was already in Huntsville, followed us (or we followed him) all the way from Memphis to Huntsville to make sure we didn't break down. That was also the year that I received a diary for Christmas. I wrote in it something like, "Ham, ham, ham. All we eat is ham. Ham for breakfast, ham for lunch, and ham for dinner. I'm sick of ham." Can you tell that we had country ham for breakfast, ham for Christmas dinner, and leftover ham for other meals? My mother, of course, read my diary and told everyone what I wrote in it. They were all tickled about it, but I was not. I never wrote anything else in that diary.

I remember being upset the first year my parents decided that we were going to celebrate Christmas in Memphis, and then go to Huntsville. They were tired of lugging all the Christmas loot to Alabama and Georgia, but I didn't think it was Christmas without being with all our extended family. We adjusted, and all the family started getting together the day after Christmas. I'm the oldest grandchild, and my brother, the second oldest grandchild, now lives in Huntsville with his family. My youngest brother and my cousins are either recent grads or still in school. As we all get older, I know that we'll have to end the crazy Christmas festivities, but I'm still enjoying celebrating Christmas with my family in Alabama.

Peyton, Joel, and Aunt Michelle

Uncle John with Nash

Ray, Grandmama, Grandpapa, and Shea w/ her new USC bear

from Uncle John. She insists he's Winnie the Pooh.

Present time! We don't exchange many gifts anymore, but the kids still get gifts.

Claire, Aunt Jami, and Shea

Grandmama reading to Shea.

Uncle David has taken over Grandpapa's breakfast cooking duties.

We still have country ham for breakfast along with eggs, grits, bacon, and biscuits.

Christmas Afternoon

2008-12-27T16:13:00.001-06:00

We went over to my parents' house for lunch on Christmas Day. We feasted on ham, sweet potato casserole, asperagus casserole, deviled eggs, green beans, rolls, and some jello concoction. As usual, Momma cooked way too much food, but boy was it good! :) I think that my favorite part of holidays is sharing meals with my family. We have a great time eating together and talking. We even enjoy and occasional discussion. :) I do really love my family! Michael and his family didn't get to come to Memphis for Christmas because Sara was due Jan. 10 (I think), and they weren't going to risk travelling at that point in her pregnancy. We missed them, but we still had a great time with the rest of my family.

Papa with Nash

After eating lunch, we finally got around to opening gifts. Nini had to help Shea open some of the toys. See that princess couch in the background? Shea insisted on bringing it to Nini and Papa's house, and we decided to let her b/c it was Christmas day. She has LoVeD sitting and laying on that tacky couch. :)

Here's me opening up some presents from my parents. I'm very excited about the new dishes!

Patrick is sporting his new toboggan from Santa Claus.

Papa had a good time throwing wadded up wrapping paper at Shea and Nini. Who needs presents when you can have so much fun with wrapping paper.

I'm reading Shea one of the books Uncle Patrick bought for her.

Nash and Nini

Uncle Patrick with Nash

Sweet big sister!

I love these two soooo much!

Christmas Morning

2008-12-27T10:05:00.011-06:00

I think that Christmas morning is more fun for me as an adult watching my children open their presents. Shea was a lot of fun this year, and had a great time opening gifts. Her big gift was her Bitty Baby doll and accessories for it. She also got some practical items disguised as gifts such as pajamas, clothes, blankets, etc. We didn't have anywhere for her to sleep when we had company, and now her princess sofa that folds into a bed will be great for that. Nash got a push walker, basketball hoop, and some teething toys. Jon got his big Christmas gift back in November, but I made sure he had some little things under the tree. I got him some Starbuck's peppermint mocha frappaccinos, socks, undershirts, and a Homer Simpson ornament.

Shea enjoyed reading to her doll, and Nash loved his push walker.

Jon surprised me with a new camera! I LOVE to take pictures,

and I'm really going to enjoy learning how to use my camera!

Shea named her baby doll Katie, and she had a great time feeding her. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for Katie's high chair!
This little girls loves to change diapers. If only she could do the real thing! :)

Now, Shea can sing along to Rock Band with her own microphone!
Jon was very excited about his Christmas ornament.
Nash-ee-boo playing with his new rattle.

My mom always made breakfast cake for us on Christmas morning. We actually make it the night before, let the dough rise overnight, and stick it in the oven on Christmas morning. I couldn't find my recipe this year, so I was calling Mom about 11pm or midnight Christmas Eve to get it. No worries, I knew that she was still up wrapping presents too. I apparently called about 30 minutes after my brother had called for the same recipe.

Shea insisted on putting on her Ariel pajamas and princess house shoes that she got for Christmas.

Nash enjoyed chewing on his new toys.

Jon was excited about the USC polo his parents sent for him.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T12:21:00.000-06:00

Since Jon and I have been married, my family had been spending Christmas Eve at our house. Jon grew up eating enchiladas on Christmas day, and I grew up eating ham. We normally eat Christmas dinner at my parents house, so we've taken Jon's enchilada tradition and moved it to Christmas Eve. This year, my parents and Patrick came over to spend the evening with us. We had a great time celebrating.

Jon tried to get out of "Santa" duty by falling asleep with Nash. Hehe.

I begin shopping for Christmas 364 days before the big day. I had about 85% of my Christmas shopping for the kids finished by Thanksgiving, which is great. I buy things when they're on sale or clearance, and save them all year long. It's lots of fun and saves me lots of money. I, however, wrap pretty much nothing before Christmas Eve, and I wrap almost EVERYTHING individually (socks, undershirts, etc.). We had a pretty late night, but we had a great time putting things together and getting it all ready for the morning.

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-26T10:20:00.000-06:00

Our church participated in Advent Conspiracy this year. The idea was to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all during the holiday season.

We regularly read the story of Jesus' birth to Shea from The Big Picture Story Bible and talked with her about it regularly during the month of December. We also explained that Christmas was when we celebrated Jesus' birthday. I don't think that she really had any idea of what was going on, but she'll hopefully catch on someday. I think that next year, we'll try reading Luke 2 to her every night before bed. I tried this year, but I had a hard time keeping her interested. On the other hand, she loved the story in her "Bible book."

As part of the advent conspiracy, we were challenged to spend less. I'm normally quite a bargain hunter. Like I said in my previous post, I shop all year long for Christmas. I enjoy showing my love with gifts. These gifts don't need to be expensive, but thoughtful. For example, I love surpising Jon with a box of Hot Tamales from time to time. That's an inexpensive gift, but also a thoughtful way to show my love. When I'm shopping for Christmas, I don't try to show my love by how much I spend, but I enjoy purchasing something that I know my loved one will really enjoy. Jon loves the Simpson's and isn't crazy about the ornaments that I like on our tree, so I got him a Homer Simpson Christmas ornament. Jon loved the maple candy we had when we visited Vermont for his cousin's wedding, so I found some at Fresh Market and stuffed it in his stocking. He also is HUGE Star Wars fan (our dog is named after Princess Leia), so when I saw a Star Wars bobble head on clearance at TJ Maxx, I thought of him and got it. Those are some inexpensive gifts that I hope were thoughtful and showed my husband how much I think of him. He seemed to be genuinely excited about receiving them, and I was able to express my love and appreciation for him with gifts.

My problem this year was that I kept finding bargains for things that I knew my children would enjoy. Even with thoughtful, inexpensive gifts, there has to be a stopping point, and I did eventually stop. I was so sad about saying no to the keyboard w/ microphone that I saw at Target and the Disney princess dolls that were on sale for $5.99 at the Disney store, but I did it. Shea didn't miss those things at all, and she was more than happy with what she did receive. I have a lot more to learn about cutting back, but I am learning.

December Pictures

2008-12-23T12:07:00.001-06:00

We got our tree on an incredibly cold night the week after Thanksgiving.

Ten days after we put the tree up, it finally had all the lights and ornaments up on it.

Nash puts absolutely EVERYTHING in his mouth. Despite our best efforts, he pooped pine needles many times during the month of December.

Say CHEEEEEESE!

Jon with his baby boy!

They really love each other!

Shea's Christmas Program

2008-12-18T22:00:00.000-06:00

Shea's preschool does a Christmas program every year. It lasts about five minutes and provides loads of entertainment. Shea was the letter "J" this year, and she was supposed to say, "J is for Jesus, the holiest one." I think that she mumbled something close to that when it was her turn. :) Here's some pictures from the program:

Small Group Christmas Celebration

2008-12-17T22:00:00.001-06:00

We had a grown-up Christmas party with our small group and another small group in our church, which was super nice to do. We also decided that we wanted to do something "Christmassy" with the kids, so we had another party. :) We ate good food, the kids did Christmas crafts, and we sang some Christmas carols. It was a lot of fun.

Left: Ella, Shea and Lauren making Christmas ornaments.
Right: Heather helping Isaiah with his ornament.

Ella, Shea, Lauren, and Joanna

Quinn playing with Ella's beads. Good future blackmail material. :)

One big mess!

Getting even bigger!

This picture just makes me laugh. Angie and Bryan, y'all are awesome!

Cousins

2008-12-08T15:51:00.002-06:00

Shea adores her cousins, Emma and Bess. They have a ball together. Here's some more pics from their last visit.

The three princesses. That's pretty much what they wear most of the time they're together.

Nini reading to the girls. Notice, Shea and Bess are now fairies instead of princesses.

Shea and Bess.

Emma, Bess, and Shea

Shea and Emma.

Nash: 8 months

2008-12-07T22:00:00.000-06:00

Nash is eight months old now! He's got one tooth, and he's still eating about 1 jar of baby food each day. He's still a champion nurser, and I have yet to get a full night's sleep since he was born. He's pulling up and army-crawling to get around. He squeals with delight, and we're just having more and more fun with him as he's getting older.

Shea and Her Baby Dolls

2008-12-07T13:18:00.000-06:00

Shea loves playing "mommy" to her baby dolls. She reads to them and takes care of them. We cannot keep blankets out because they inevitably become homemade doll beds. She makes pallets for her dolls all over the place and tucks them in "bed." She'll then whisper to us, "Shhhh, baby sleeping." She's also been known to "nurse" her dolls (she did this with a doll in the church nursery a few weeks ago), and she even disciplines them. It's so cute to watch her as she plays and imagines.

Shea Family Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T12:59:00.001-06:00

This Thanksgiving Day was the first in a long time in which all of my immediate family celebrated together. It was also the first Thanksgivingthat Jon and I have spent in Memphis during our 6.5 years of marriage. We had a fabulous time hanging out with my family.

Emma and Bess came over on Tuesday to play with Shea.

Papa with Nash after dinner Wednesday night.

Some Rock Band on Wednesday night.

Papa reading to his granddaughters while Sara sings. :)

With my blessing, Jon played football Thursday morning while I cooked and watched the kids. (I would've played too if I hadn't broken my toe.) After an eventful morning, this is what Jon, Shea, Nash, and Leia did during the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day.

My family has some obsession with Rock Band.

They all love it. It's complete chaos when we get it out.

Nash wants them to stop playing the music at "Nini volume." He was trying to sleep.

Uncle Patrick came to say goodbye to the girls, and this is what happened. :)

Me with my baby brother.

After all the fun with her cousins Thanksgiving weekend, here's Shea on the way home from Nini and Papa's house on Sunday afternoon.

How do you want to spend your holiday weekend?

2008-11-26T16:44:00.002-06:00

Today, I received an email that made me laugh out loud at my desk. Here's the first two sentences:

Do you want to stay at home during the holiday weekend and still be productive?
Try signing up for Online CLE and get that end of the year CLE credit out of the
way. . . .

What normal person is concerned about being productive during a holiday weekend? I understand that if you're a student and have exams to prepare for or projects due, then you need to be productive. However, if you're a normal non-student, then you probably need an actual holiday, an escape from work. At the end of Thanksgiving Day, who feels guilty about being "unproductive"? Perhaps some workaholic attorneys do, but not me. I am not at all concerned about being productive this holiday weekend. The only things that I really need to accomplish are spending time with my family and getting some rest.

By the way, in case you were wondering what CLE stood for, it's "continuing legal education." I have to have 15 hours of CLE every year to keep my license to practice law.

Nash: 7 months

2008-11-07T09:42:00.000-06:00

Nash is seven months old now. He's sitting up, rolling around, and attempting to crawl. He really just scoots around on his belly, but I expect that he'll be crawling soon. He's cutting his first tooth. He's weighing in at 22 lbs, 12 oz. To those of you who think he's overfed (you know who you are, hehe), Nash is still primarily breastfed, but he is getting some baby food. He only eats about 6 or 7 bites of solids each day, so that's about 1/2 a jar of food each day. He normally doesn't eat any more than that. He's just a healthy size. :)

He really is a joy. He's gotten very expressive, and we can really tell when he's happy and excited. He recognizes people now, and he gets excited to see people he knows. He is crazy about his big sister. Shea still "reads" to him almost daily, and she's always trying to hug and hold him. It melts my heart to watch them interact.

Like Father, Like Son

2008-11-02T09:33:00.001-06:00

No words are needed here.

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

Shea dressed up as Belle for Halloween. She was so tickled at how "princessy" she looked. Unfortunately, Nash had a fever that night, so he didn't get to dress up in his cute Tigger costume. My sweet parents watched him for us while we took Shea trick-or-treating.

We went to the Goforth's neighborhood so that Shea could enjoy trick-or-treating with some friends. Below is Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Belle, and Spider Man.

Above: Ella, Luke, and Shea are ready to go!

Below: Shea, Reese, and Ella in the wagon. Shea insisted on riding in the wagon most of the time.

Sugar High! Here's the kiddos digging into their goodies!

Zoo Boo

2008-10-26T16:03:00.005-05:00

We went to Zoo Boo with my mom and our good friends, Steve, Annah Mary Summy, and Amelia. We had a good time. I think that Shea will enjoy it a little more when she's older. There's a costume contest and trick-or-treating tables set up. She loved getting candy and wanted to eat it all before we left. The highlight of the evening, however, was the dancing. In one pavilion, there was a DJ and an area to dance. She boogied with her Daddy to some classic dance songs. It was great!

Nash was out by the end of the evening.

Halloween Funny

2008-10-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

I haven't made any political statements yet on my blog this election season. This is a light-hearted one. It made me laugh. I hope it does the same for you. :)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-20T14:31:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, our family went with some friends to Cedar Hill Farms. I had no idea what an elaborate set up it was. Shea loved the petting zoo, the ponies, the hayride out to the Pumpkin Patch, and everything else that was there. We had a terrific time, and we came home with some pumpkins that we'll be carving sometime soon. I do believe that we'll be making this a family tradition. Here's some pictures of our time there.

From Pumpkin Patch

Nash - Six Months

2008-10-07T17:47:00.001-05:00

Nash is six months old now. He's pretty sturdy sitting up these days, and he LOVES his sister. Shea is crazy about him too. She's a great big sister. Nash lights up at people he recognizes when they enter the room, and he's rolling and scooting all over the place.

Oh, and by the way, he's HUGE! He's 22 pounds, and he's 29 inches long. He's in the 97th percentile in height and weight, and he's wearing size 12 month clothes. Shea lasted 11 months in her infant car seat, but Nash has already outgrown it. Yikes!

I'm happy to say that I'm still breastfeeding him. No formula for this little guy. He's not doing well with bottles at daycare (normally takes 1 to 3 oz. of each of his 3 bottles), but as you can see, he's not starving. That's because he's making up for it at night. He is still waking up at least twice during the night to eat. We started him on some solids. He doesn't eat much of them yet, but that's fine because I still want breastmilk to be his primary source of nutrition. We're just getting him used to some new textures and flavors and using solids as complementary feeding.

To Spank or Not to Spank - Part 2

2008-10-03T10:39:00.002-05:00

My last installment on this issue (long ago) simply listed some scripture verses. I'm still not directly addressing the spanking issue, but I want to look at how God has interacted with the church after Christ.

The Bible teaches that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). For those in Christ, God's justice has been satisfied in Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, the New Testament still offers plenty of instruction regarding how to live our lives. God still cares about our deeds, and He disciplines those he loves. Thus, we have what might appear to be a dilemma.

In Romans 5 and 6, Pauls talks about grace at work in our lives and is careful to clarify that this grace is not a license to sin. In Acts 5, we learn about Ananias and Saphira, whom God struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. As a result, "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events" (Acts 5:11).

Also, the Corinthian church was taking the Lord's supper in an unworthy manner, and consequently were eating and drinking judgment upon themselves (1 Cor. 11:27-29). "That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:30-32). God judged believers within the Corinthian church and physically disciplined them.

Further, to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, God says over and over, "I know your deeds." They're pretty much told to shape up or their "lampstand" will be removed. There again is God's discipline.

How do we reconcile these facts: we have no condemnation in Christ, Jesus has paid for our sin, God cares about our deeds, God disciplines us, and God's discipline is sometimes physical? While believers don't experience condemnation and won't go to hell for our sin, God still cares what we do, and we experience his discipline in our lives for our disobedience. This discipline is sometimes physically painful and can even cause our death. I think that we mistakenly call all physical discipline "punishment," but I don't think that's biblical. God's discipline in the lives of believers seems to manifest itself in different ways--some physical and some not. Therefore, I think that our definition of discipline is sometimes too narrow. Perhaps we need to delve deeper into our definitions of punishment and discipline and look to see examples of each from the Bible.

I'm still trying to work out what I believe on this subject, but this is what I've been thinking about lately. I don't claim to have this all figured out, and I have not exhaustively covered this subject here. More coming sometime soon.

Nursing Homes Cited for Violations

2008-10-01T12:29:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I represent people who have been injured by abuse or neglect in nursing homes. Some nursing homes provide superior care and really care about their residents. Others provide poor care, are understaffed, and don't adequately protect residents from actual harm. I am way too familiar with these nursing homes. Even the "good" nursing homes will have isolated incidents where, for example. an employee makes a poor decision and injures a resident. A new report states that over 90% of nursing homes were cited for violating federal health and safety standards. The state of the nursing home industry is something that a lot of people don't pay attention to until it affects them. They have the view that personal injury attorneys are worthless scum benefitting from the bad luck of others. I hope that what I'm doing holds facilities responsible for their actions and ultimately improves the care that the elderly receive in these nursing homes. Here's the article:

Violations Reported at 94% of Nursing Homes
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: September 29, 2008

WASHINGTON — More than 90 percent of nursing homes were cited for violations of federal health and safety standards last year, and for-profit homes were more likely to have problems than other types of nursing homes, federal investigators say in a report issued on Monday.

About 17 percent of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused “actual harm or immediate jeopardy” to patients, said the report, by Daniel R. Levinson, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Problems included infected bedsores, medication mix-ups, poor nutrition, and abuse and neglect of patients.

Inspectors received 37,150 complaints about conditions in nursing homes last year, and they substantiated 39 percent of them, the report said. About one-fifth of the complaints verified by federal and state authorities involved the abuse or neglect of patients.

About two-thirds of nursing homes are owned by for-profit companies, while 27 percent are owned by nonprofit organizations and 6 percent by government entities, the report said. The inspector general said 94 percent of for-profit nursing homes were cited for deficiencies last year, compared with 88 percent of nonprofit homes and 91 percent of government homes.

“For-profit nursing homes had a higher average number of deficiencies than the other types of nursing homes,” Mr. Levinson said. “In 2007, for-profit nursing homes averaged 7.6 deficiencies per home, while not-for-profit and government homes averaged 5.7 and 6.3, respectively.”

On Monday, Mr. Levinson issued a compliance guide for nursing homes that says some homes “have systematically failed to provide staff in sufficient numbers and with appropriate clinical expertise to serve their residents.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Guess what I found!

2008-09-30T14:24:00.002-05:00

I meant to update everyone on my discovery last week, but I forgot. If you've read this blog for long, you might remember that sometime in July, I managed to lose both my entire set of keys and my fob for work. I thought that they might turn up when I cleaned my house. I really hadn't cleaned it up since then, but I had turned it upside down looking for both.

Well, I took a Friday off to get some stuff down around the house. Although I worked very hard that day, my house didn't look like I'd done a thing in it. It was that bad. Saturday, day two of cleaning, showed more progress. Sometime that day, I was picking up stuff from under the desk in the living room, and I noticed something shiny poking out from behind the desk. I investigated further and discovered my keys. They had fallen behind my desk, but not all the way to the ground. They were wedged between the desk and the wall about half-way down. That's why I couldn't find them! I'm so excited to have them again! Jon is thrilled that he has his front door key back. (I had refused to make another one b/c I just knew my keys would turn up.)

Later on that same Saturday, I was cleaning up Shea's room, and I saw something in her toy bin that didn't seem to fit. Low and behold, it was my long lost fob. Another wonderful discovery! I really should straighten up and clean more often. No telling what else I could discover buried in my house.

My Weekend

2008-09-29T11:49:00.004-05:00

This weekend was busy/crazy, and I'm actually glad to be going to work on Monday. The first part of it was just busy. Nash didn't sleep well, but nothing else out of the ordinary. We didn't have any major meltdowns Sunday morning and actually got to church on time. Lunch was pretty uneventful. Then the pee incidents began.

Pee Incident #1

Shea actually fell asleep without a fuss when we got home. I even got a 30 minute nap, something I haven't been able to do in months. Before I left to run an errand (to get Shea's Halloween costume and do some early Christmas shopping), I tried to slip a waterproof "sheet" under Shea to protect her bed should she have an accident. I got it just barely under her enough, and I left Jon with both kids to run my errand. Apparently, Shea moved off of the protective sheet and wet the bed while I was gone. Jon was understandably upset. We had to strip her bed and wash everything. We remade her bed just in time for her to go to sleep in it.

Pee Incident #2

I was up late taking care of details and getting things ready for the week (lunches, etc.). I finally went to bed at about 11:30. About 30 seconds after I laid down, Nash woke up hungry. I fed him and tried to put him back in his crib. He would have none of it. I could let him cry it out, but that risks waking up Shea, which is not a risk worth taking. I finally put him back in bed with me to try to get him into deeper sleep before depositing him back in his crib again. At about 12:15am, I was convinced that he was in deep enough sleep to try it. With just a few whimpers, he was fine in his crib. I got back in my bed and felt a nice big wet spot. I had that sinking feeling. Nash's diaper had leaked. Now, I had not only to clean up my bed, but wake my sleeping baby and clean him up as well. He was not happy about being awakened and having his clothes changed. About 30 minutes later, he's all clean and back to sleep. A little while later, I'm finally able to drift back off to dreamland.

Pee Incident #3

About 2:30am, I awaken to Shea's screams. Jon and I hop up to find out what's wrong. We discover that she has again wet the bed. Then we have a minor argument about who forgot to put a pull up on her before she went to bed. Jon brushed her teeth, took her potty, and got her water. I read to her and prayed with her before she went to sleep. We both thought that the other one had put the pull up on her. We had to clean up the bed and Shea, who was incredibly upset. I finally got her calmed down and put her in bed with me. Jon retreated to the couch. Of couse, the commotion woke up Nash, who was ready to eat again.

Needless to say, it was a long and sleepless night. I hope that tonight is much better. I could use a good night's sleep.

(In case you're wondering, Shea is wearing her "princess" dress above. It's actually a flower girl dress I wore in 1984.)

Can you spot an attorney?

2008-09-26T16:51:00.002-05:00

I watched the many, many people pouring into the courthouse this Friday motion morning, and I had my own bit of fun labeling them attorney, court reporter, or client. There's not really any other people heading into the courthouse at 9am on a Friday morning, and it's quite an entertaining game to play in your head. You should try it sometime.

Which leads me to my question, how do you know someone is an attorney just by looking at them?

I think that anyone in a black or gray suit within 3 blocks of the courthouse is automatically dubbed an attorney. It gets trickier the further away from the courthouse that you get. Funny thing is, that I've been asked whether I was an attorney at the Dollar Store and other various places I've frequented on my lunch break in East Memphis, nowhere near the courthouse. So, do you know how to spot an attorney? I'd love to hear your comments.

Just for fun, if you need some instruction in this area, you can try the Lawyer's Coloring Book.

Dinner with Kids

2008-09-25T15:36:00.002-05:00

Before I tell this story, I must give you a little bit of background. Just over a week ago Shea had a short-lived biting problem. She bit two kids at daycare one day. The following weekend, she bit her cousins twice during the evening. I'm happy to report no biting since then. Now, on to the story.

On Monday night, we met my brother, Michael, and his family for dinner at Osaka in Cordova. Emma, Bess, and Shea were being a little rowdy, and Michael probably thought some conversation might calm them down. He instructed Emma to ask Shea what she did at daycare that day. Emma turned to Shea and genuinely asked in a friendly tone, "What did you do at daycare today, Shea? Did you bite anybody?" As the rest of us laughed, Emma got embarrassed. It was simply adorable. I love Emma's questions.

That incident was followed by multiple trips to the bathroom with multiple kids, and Shea repeatedly yelling in the middle of the restaurant, "I need to poo poo," when she really didn't. She just likes to say "poo poo." She inherited that from her dad. I hope that she grows out of it.

A trip to the zoo

2008-09-11T18:26:00.002-05:00

Shea and Nash spent last Saturday afternoon at the zoo with Emma, Bess, Aunt Sara, and Nini. Emma wanted to see the flamingos, but she wanted to move on pretty fast because they smelled bad. We then headed to the butterflies. After spending some time trying to get butterflies to land on us, we walked over to see the week-old baby giraffe. On our way to the sea lion show, Emma, Bess, and Shea held hands and walked together chanting: "Chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo." It was adorable! I just love the Memphis zoo. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.

Matt Damon and Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T16:24:00.004-05:00

I've written on sexism and politics with regard to Hilary Clinton. Now, I'm addressing the subject as it relates to Sarah Palin. I find this article rather disturbing:

Matt Damon: Sarah Palin Presidency Would Be Like a 'Really Bad Disney Movie'
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Actor Matt Damon said a Sarah Palin presidency would be like "a really bad
Disney movie.""I think there's a really good chance Sarah Palin could become
president, and I think that's a really scary thing," he told the Associated
Press, referring to the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Click here to see the Damon video

Damon suggested the odds are John McCain won't survive his first term."It's
like a really bad Disney movie," he said. "The hockey mom, you know, 'Oh, I'm
just a hockey mom'... and she's facing down [Russian] President Putin... It's
totally absurd... It's a really terrifying possibility."

Damon also said he believes she was chosen for "political purposes."

Last month, the actor told Conde Nast Traveler he fears putting his foot in
his mouth.

"For a lot of actors, our biggest fear is that we're going to start talking
about things we don't fully understand and sound like idiots," he said. "In the
long run, I'll do much more good if, when I open my mouth, I have something
worth saying."

Talk about putting his foot in his mouth! His statement implies that he thinks that because she's a "hockey mom," she can't handle herself in international politics. It's a sexist statement, but it probably reflects the thoughts of many regarding women in prominent positions. In my practice, I've been suprised at how often I encounter clients who think that a male attorney will be able to negotiate better with a tough defense attorney. These generalizations are incredibly sexist and flat out wrong. A hockey mom can be a strong person capable of handling herself in an international arena. If you decide to vote against her because you disagree with her politics, that's fine. However, if you decide to vote against her because you think that a "hockey mom" generally is not capable of handling herself in the office of President or Vice-President, then that is just sad. A hockey mom can be a strong and intelligent person who happens also to be a wife and a mother. Being a wife and a mother of kids who play sports should not disqualify a person from holding public office. The ability of a person should perform a job should depend on her strengths, training, experience, and personality and not on her sex. I once thought that we were past this issue, but my experience has taught me otherwise. GRRR!

Photoshoot

2008-09-08T13:17:00.003-05:00

My friend, Elizabeth, took our pictures this weekend, and she did an absolutely phenomenal job! You can see some of them here.

I've been tagged!

2008-09-06T23:00:00.001-05:00

Here's some juvenile fun.

My friend, Maribeth, tagged me, and so here you go . . .

Here are the rules as I understand them:
1. Include a link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules.
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six bloggers by linking.
5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

1. I always make too much food. Whenever we attend a pot luck or party where we're supposed to bring food, rarely do I arrive with just one item. I think it's a hereditary trait. My aunt jokes about the church potlucks my mother's family attended when they were growing up because my grandmother would cook an entire meal instead of just one item. My mother and I don't normally go that far, but we both like to have plenty of food at any social gathering. For example, for our Labor Day party at the Kerrigan's, I brought homemade chocolate chip cookies, baked beans in a crock pot, and fruit w/ fruit dip. I love to make people happy with yummy food.

2. I'm a perfectionist, but not a normal one. You would never guess by looking at my house or my office that I'm a perfectionist, but I am. Things are normally a mess because I don't attempt to clean or straighten up unless I have time to do it perfectly. For example, I normally start to clean my room by organizing my closet. I can't put clothes in it until it looks perfect. If I don't have the time to do it perfectly right, I'd just rather not do it at all.

3. I LOVE grammar. While I don't always proofread my posts on my blog or get everything right when I first publish my post, I am still quite the grammar stickler and will correct previous posts when I see a grammar error. I do recognize that some grammar rules are ridiculous in informal writing, so I've matured to the point that I can occasionally break them. Although, even when I break them there had better be a darn good reason to do so. I'm also a master blue booker, but only my lawyer friends will have any idea what that means. Sadly, bluebooking is not as important in real practice as it was in law school. Sigh.

4. I have very clean ears. I normally clean them at least once a day. The doctor has actually remarked while looking in my ear, "Wow, your ears are clean!"

5. I love to argue. That's not really a surprise to anyone who knows me well. I enjoy a good discussion, and I've even been known to start arguments for fun. It drives Jon nuts, and I have to remember that not everyone enjoys "discussions" as much as I do.

6. I loathe two-door cars. When I was very little, we lived in Tallahassee, FL, and my mom drove a red station wagon. Then one day in 1985, Hurricane Kate was on her way to the Florida coast. It was raining when my dad got home from work, so he parked in my mother's parking spot in the driveway because it was closer to the front door. When my mom got home, she had to park where my dad usually parked. That night, the hurricane hit, and we had bad tornados in Tallahassee. Thankfully, we were alright, but a tree had fallen on my mom's station wagon. She was not happy because Daddy's Nova was just fine in her usual parking spot. :) That good 'ole station wagon was replaced with my grandmother's two door circa 1979 Cutlass Supreme. I endured many car trips crammed in the back seat with my two brothers. Finally, in December of 1993, my mom got a minivan. I was in heaven. I had my own bench for car trips. What could be better? To this day, I cringe at the thought of ever having a two-door car. I don't like any two door car, no matter how sporty or cool it is. God-willing, I will never own a two-door car. They're simply awful.

okay, tag you are it:
Tracy
Katie
Patrick
Angela
Michael
Tricia

Labor Day

2008-09-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

We spent Labor Day with friends at Kyle and Elyssa's house. We had a fabulous time eating, swimming, and hanging out with good friends. Shea loved the pool, but she thought that it should have a slide. The other pool that Shea swam in during the summer had a slide, and this one didn't. Here's how the conversation about the slidewent:

Shea: Where the slide go, Daddy?

Jon: It's gone.

Shea: It's goooone?

Jon: Yeah, it's gone.

Shea: Where did it go?

Jon: Kyle broke it.

Shea: Kyle broke it?

Jon: Yeah.

Shea: Kyle broke the slide. It's gone. No, no, Kyle. Kyle go timeout.

Thanks to Jon, Shea was insistent that Kyle broke the slide and needed to go to timeout. Jon was quite tickled with himself over this one. Shea talked about it for days.

It's gameday!

2008-08-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

College football season is here! Let the good times begin! We rooted for Baylor on Thursday night. She loves hollering "Sic 'em Bears!" Sadly, Baylor didn't play as well as we hoped. We really do love college football around our house, and here's some pictures of us enjoying the first Saturday of games. Sic em Bears and Go Trojans!

Shea and Nash weren't really interested in College Gameday.

They were interested in cuddling with Mommy. :)

Do we have enough USC spirit around our house?

Daddy with his son. I hope for Jon's sake that he'll someday be a Trojan. :)

Do you see a theme?

2008-08-31T08:40:00.000-05:00

Shea loves "reading" books, and she especially loves "reading" to Nash.

"lovin' from the oven"

2008-08-21T12:02:00.004-05:00

I've discovered a new bakery, and it's probably not good for my wasteline. Muddy's Bake Shop has some yummy goodies! They have the most incredible cupcakes. My favorite so far is Mocha Madness. They'll have a few lunch/dinner items everyday, they have Wi-Fi, and they're open late. There's some eclectic seating areas in the shop and a couple of tables outside. It's located in Sanderlin Place (behind Clark Tower, near Fox & the Hound). Check it out! You will not be disappointed! You can read more about the bakery here.

I love the Olympics!

2008-08-21T10:32:00.006-05:00

Like many people, I've lost a lot of sleep since the Olympics began. Watching Michael Phelps and the other swimmers was exhilerating. Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh have been amazing. I even enjoyed some synchronized diving. My favorite part, nonetheless, is the gymnastics. I competed for many years with River City Gymnastics and coached some in high school and in college. I miss being around the sport, so I'm excited about any chance that I have to watch it on t.v. One of the highlights of the competition was watching Bela Karolyi watch the gymnasts. His enthusiasm is contagious, and you don't have to wonder why he is one of the greatest gymnastics coaches ever. I was privileged to meet him back when I was a gymnast. Here's a picture of 10-year-old me, sporting some lovely bangs, and Bela. Meeting him was incredibly exciting. You can also see an old picture of me on the vault (now replaced by the vaulting table).

While the Olympics delivered some amazing gymnastics, present also was plenty of controversy.

Controversy #1: The Age of Chinese Gymnasts
Our country at least has some integrity when it comes to the ages of our Olympic athletes. Look at the Chinese team next to the American team, and the age difference is obvious. It really stinks that we're penalized for following the rules. I think that there should not be a minimum age requirement and that each country should simly send their best gymnasts. First, it's impossible to enforce. No one can definitively prove that the Chinese gymnasts are underage because the Chinese government can forge any government document required to prove their ages. Second, female gymnasts hit their prime at about ages14 to 16, and the age requirement essentially denies many of them the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. The more hours a person spends in the gym, the greater the likelihood that she will experience a career-ending injury. By the time many elite gymnasts are 18, they're burnt out and can't endure the rigorous training it takes to be an Olympic champion. Thus, many fabulous 14 year old gymnasts will miss out on the Olympics. Third, the rule doesn't offer any real protection for younger gymnasts. Any Olympic hopeful is enduring the same level of elite gymnastics training whether she is 14 or 18, so the rule does not "protect" anyone. This former gymnast thinks the ridiculous age requirement should just be eliminated.

Controversy #2: Scoring
There has always been and there always will be controversy about gymnastics scores. It's a subjective sport. For example, I thought that in the event finals, Nastia Liukin's floor routine should have scored higher than Shawn Johnson's. But their routines were so good and the scores so close, that I can't complain about the result. Judges rarely get it completely right, but some very obvious judging errors stir up more controversy. The most obvious judging error of this competition involved a Chinese gymnast on the vault. When watching the vault in real time, I saw a major form break and a fall--two serious errors. The judges, however, missed the first obvious error and only deducted for the second error. Olympic caliber judges should not miss something like that. If I saw it in real time, they should too. It's a shame that their error essentially cost Alicia Sacramone a bronze medal.

Despite the controversies, this Olympic gymnastics competition did not disappoint. Our American gymnasts represented our country well. They competed with integrity and delivered some stellar routines. They dealt with some setbacks and still dominated in the all-around competition. Congratulations to the USA gymnasts!

"Nash Pulled My Hair"

2008-08-19T09:46:00.004-05:00

Babies are notorious hair-pullers, and Nash is no exception. His big sister has yet to grasp the reality that he's a hair-puller by nature and can do nothing about it yet. Yesterday, we had our first major hair-pulling incident with the two kids.

I was sitting on the couch holding Nash, and Shea was cuddling up next to me. Shea was giving Nash kisses and getting in face to make him laugh. It was super cute. In the midst of this play, however, some of Shea's hair managed to wrap itself really nicely around some of Nash's fingers. as Shea pulled away, she screamed because it hurt. Instead of waiting for mom to help untangle her hair from Nash's fingers, she panicked and pulled away even harder. (There's some spiritual lesson in there.) The hair was so tightly wound around Nash's fingers that it hurt him and he started to cry. Shea pulled so hard that a chunk, and I mean a large chunk, of her hair was pulled out from the roots and left in Nash's hand. It was a lot of hair, and I know that had to hurt pretty badly. Now I have two crying children in my lap. Shea sees the large chunk of hair and wails, "My hair. It's broken!"

I manage to get them both calmed down again. Shea's head is just a little bit sore at this point, and she wants some justice. She tells me, "Nash pulled my hair. He need time out." She then points to Nash and says again, "Time out!" I chuckle and wonder how I should handle this one. Shea thinks that Nash has done something wrong. She doesn't get that as a four-month-old, he has no idea that pulling hair causes pain and that time-out will serve no purpose with him. Now, I could attempt to explain this to her, and she wouldn't get it either. I could ignore her, and she'd feel like Nash got away with something. I don't think that would be wrong, but I chose the easiest route. We were about to leave anyway. I put Nash in his car seat and placed him in the corner and said that he was in time out. Shea felt vindicated. Nash was experiencing some punishment for hurting her.

Just then, Jon walked through the front door, and Shea ran to him and tattled, "Nash pull my hair. Nash in time out." She then went to find her hair to show to Jon. We left for daycare, and I thought all had been forgotten. Shea, however, was still talking about it during the evening. She again recounted the story to her Daddy about how Nash pulled her hair and got sent to time out. She again looked for her broken hair to show to her Daddy.

Later that evening, Nash was in his exersaucer, and Shea was making faces at him as he squealed with glee. She then got really serious. She leaned over and got in his face and sternly told him, "Nash, don't pull my hair, okay?" Despite her Daddy's attempt to explain that when we forgive somebody, we don't constantly bring up what he did to hurt us , she will be talking about the hair pulling incident for a long time.

My Big Butterball is Four Months Old

2008-08-18T11:53:00.005-05:00

Last Friday, I took Nash in for his four-month check-up. My big butterball weighed in at 18 lbs. 13 oz, and he is 27 inches long. Seriously, the boy is huge. He's wearing 9 month clothes already. Jon wants to start him on rice cereal, but I'd like to wait a little while longer. He doesn't need it, and he's doing great with just breast milk. He's gotten better about going back and forth between the bottle and breast, which is a huge relief. Nevertheless, there are still days when he won't take much from his bottle at daycare and wants to nurse all night. As you can tell, it wouldn't hurt him to miss a feeding here or there. :)

Nash is really interacting with us now. It's so much fun to get him to smile and laugh. Nash loves playing in his exersaucer, and he puts all the toys that he can in his mouth. We go through many bibs a day due to his excessive drooling, but no teeth are poking through yet.

Shea is such a great big sister too. She enjoys brushing the small amount of hair that he has, and she'll get in his face and giggle with him. She'll also occasionally instruct me to give Nash to Daddy so I can hold her instead. They're both gowing up so quickly! I'm trying to treasure the time that I have with them because I know that I'll blink and they'll be grown up.

Michael Phelps and Food

2008-08-14T09:53:00.004-05:00

Last night, Jon attempted to tell me everything that Michael Phelps eats for breakfast. The amount of food was so staggering that Jon couldn't remember it all. I looked it up today, and I am so amazed that I'm blogging about it. I'm doing Jenny Craig now, and I get 2300 calories a day because I'm breastfeeding. The way I'm doing it, I have a lot that I'm supposed to eat throughout the day, and I rarely eat everything that I'm supposed to. Michael Phelps eats almost double the calories that I get in an entire day! I cannot imaging trying to get down 12,000 calories like Michael Phelps does, unless it was all cake and ice cream. :)

Here's the article from the NY Post:

PHELPS' PIG SECRET: HE'S BOY GORGE
By CLEMENTE LISI with Post Wire Services

Swimming sensation Michael Phelps has an Olympic recipe for success - and it involves eating a staggering 12,000 calories a day.

"Eat, sleep and swim. That's all I can do," Phelps, who won two more gold medals today, told NBC when asked what he needs to win medals. "Get some calories into my system and try to recover the best I can."

By comparison, the average man of the same age needs to ingest about 2,000 calories a day.

Phelps, 23, will swim 17 times over nine days of competition at the Beijing Games - meaning that he will need all the calories he can shovel in his mouth in order to keep his energy levels high.

Phelps' diet - which involves ingesting 4,000 calories every time he sits down for a meal - resembles that of a reckless overeater rather than an Olympian.

Phelps lends a new spin to the phrase "Breakfast of Champions" by starting off his day by eating three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

At lunch, Phelps gobbles up a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

For dinner, Phelps really loads up on the carbs - what he needs to give him plenty of energy for his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week regimen - with a pound of pasta and an entire pizza.

He washes all that down with another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

Phelps remains on course to at least equal Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won at the 1972 Munich Games.

At these Summer Games, a typical day for Phelps starts with a 5 a.m. wake-up call. Most of his races have taken place between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET when in China - 12 hours ahead of East Coast time.

clemente.lisi@nypost.com

SLEEP! YEAH!

2008-08-12T09:34:00.004-05:00

My lovely little boy, Nash, does not miss a meal. Since he was born, he's eaten at least every three hours. His sister, Shea, slept for eight hours a night when she was three months old, and she slept twelve hours a night when she was four months old. Nash does not. Three hours is the norm, and he'll go an occassional four if we're lucky. We'd gotten to a pretty good routine, but I was still getting up with him at least twice every night. He didn't fuss too much. He was fine if I fed him, and he'd go right back to sleep. However, after four months of interrupted sleep, I'm utterly exhausted. Now there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Last night, Nash slept for five consecutive hours! I'm hoping that it wasn't a fluke. It was wonderful! Of course, I still woke up at 12:30am and 3:30am, but Nash slept from 10:30pm to 4:30am.

All of you who are moms (and maybe some dads) may know the drill. The baby makes some noise. He grunts a little and begins moving, but doesn't really wake up. You sit up and watch. You might make sure he's comfortable, not too hot and not too cold. You wonder whether you should try to go back to sleep or just wait for the baby to wake up. You know that it's so disheartening to be awakened just after you drifted back into dreamland. Nevertheless, if you've ever done it before, you have learned never to wake a sleeping baby during the night. After some time passes with the absence of grunts and stirring, you feel it's safe to let yourself fall back asleep. Time for feeding number two comes around. Again, some noise and movement, but no wakefulness. A double blessing! You can get some more rest! Sleep has never been sweeter! If that happens for a few nights in a row, you know that you will soon be able to have some restful sleep. Life will begin to return to normal.

Who do you think I am?

2008-08-08T08:59:00.005-05:00

This morning, Jon was reading to Shea while I finished getting ready. She picked out a hand-me-down book entitled, Jesus and His Friends. Jon turned to the first page. On it was an illustration of Jesus and some of his disciples in a boat. Jon pointed to "Jesus" and asked Shea, "Who's that?" Shea lit up and exclaimed, "Pirates!"

2008-07-30T16:47:00.002-05:00

This weekend, Shea spent the night at her cousins' house in Alabama. (Jon and I stayed at my grandparents.) She had a fabulous time with Emma and Bess and didn't miss us one bit! When we got back to Memphis, Shea refused to get out of the car. I thought she'd be happy to be home after 3.5 hours in the car. As she buckled herself back into her carseat, she screamed, "Want Bess! Don't want home! Want Bess! Want Emma!" After a few minutes of letting her throw her fit, I had to pry her out of the car and carry her in the house. I've never seen someone so disappointed to be home!

Now I'm going to quote a story that my sister-in-law told me about the girls:
Sunday night Emma said "I miss Shea", Bess said "me too". Emma did a long contemplative pause and then said "Shea's a little rough, *giggle*", Bess said "yeah". Michael and I fell on the floor. They are all so adorable.

Grandpapa's Birthday

2008-07-30T14:13:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, we went to Huntsville, Alabama to celebrate my Grandpapa's 75th birthday. I wanted to share a few things about my Grandpapa. Interesting fact #1 is that Grandpapa's birthday is July 26th, and his twin brother's birthday is July 27th! Ever met twins with different birthdays? My Grandpapa is a mechanical engineer and worked out at Redstone Arsenal for many years. He is absolutely brilliant! In fact, Grandpapa built the tractor that he used to dig the basement under my grandparents old house. He was always working on something in his shop, and he still does what he can. For many years now, Grandpapa has had Parkinson's Disease, among some other health problems. He thus can't do many of the things he used to enjoy.

When I was in high school, I visited Grandpapa at the arsenal. Parkinson's had started taking it's toll, but he was still able to work. He explained to me a little bit of what he was working on, and he took me on a mini-tour showing me where they tested this and that. I'm not mechanically inclinded, so I didn't understand much of what he was saying, but I enjoyed listening to him. He clearly enjoyed showing me around and chatting to me about his job.

I still love to visit Grandpapa and Grandmama. They normally cook us a big breakfast with bacon, ham, eggs, grits, and biscuits. During breakfast, Grandpapa will holler something like, "Queenie, can you bring me some more bacon." While giving him the bacon, Grandmama will reply, "Jimmy, you don't need any more bacon," and she'll complain about what he eats. Grandpapa will cheerfully ignore her and go on eating whatever he wants. Afterward, we'll sit on the porch and watch the hummingbirds feed. Grandmama and I will giggle about Grandpapa's battle with the squirrels over the bird feeder. (He greases the post with Crisco so the squirrels can't climb up to eat the birdseed.) Then, more people will wake up or arrive, and chaos ensues. While their house is normally chaotic when all the family visits, there's still something about being around them that makes me feel calm and relaxed inside.

I'm a mess!

2008-07-29T11:30:00.004-05:00

These days, when Shea is eating something messy, particularly spaghetti, she relishes getting it all over her, smiling real big, and saying, "Monny, I a mess! A mess!" (She calls me Monny instead of Mommy, and I love it!)

Well, I've certainly felt like I'm a mess recently. Since Nash was born, I haven't slept more than fours hours at one time, and four hours is rare. I normally get about two hours each stretch of sleep. I probably average 4 or 5 hours of actual sleep a night. Consequently, I'm really exhausted all the time, and I think I'm losing my mind. A month ago, I lost my fob for work, and I eventually had to go ask for a new one. My dad stumbled upon my original fob in my front yard, so at least it turned up eventually. Then, about a week and a half ago, I lost my keys. They have yet to turn up. I'm not sure whether I've misplaced them or Shea's done something with them. Jon just walks around the explosion that is our house saying under his breath, "How do you lose your keys," and, "Those car keys are like $200 to replace, argh!" Next in the line of lost items is fob #2. I can't find it anywhere. I dread asking for another one.

I've just really lost my mind lately. Of course, my fob and my keys could remain buried somewhere in my disaster of a house for years and never be found. I have become a really forgetful slob, or as Shea would say, "I'm a mess!"

FYI: A fob (aka "Key fob" or "security fob") is a security device that allows me to get into and out of my office. I don't carry it on my keys, but many people do.

Is it really that simple?

2008-07-23T09:03:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, I thought that the Christian life was pretty simple. I thought that after some years as a Christian, I'd have this thing figured out, and it would be smooth sailing from there. I don't think that anymore. While on the one hand, the Christian life is simple in that I am to live to bring honor and glory to God. On the other hand, what that actually looks like in my life can be quite complicated. It means that I have to look not only at my actions, which is a task in and of itself, but also to my motivations. I can sometimes get overwhelmed with how much I still have to change to be like Christ. The complexity of doctrine and what it looks like lived out in my life can also overwhelm me. I have some choices when I begin to feel overwhelmed. I can throw my hands up in the air and conclude that I can never attain what I'm striving for and give up. Alternatively, I can realize that I can never attain what I'm striving for and rest in the fact that Jesus has attained it for me. I can strive for holiness, but allow myself to experience God's grace in my failures. I can learn one lesson at a time as I become more like Christ. In reality, I cannot do anything, but God can work in and through me. I'm still learning what that looks like in my own life.

Been a While

2008-07-22T10:10:00.002-05:00

I promise that I will complete my thoughts on discipline sometime in the near future. Life's been a little busy lately, so I haven't had time to blog. I wanted my very few readers to have something to read to entertain them until I can get back in the saddle, so I'm stealing an old blog of my brother to post for your entertainment. It gives you a little insight into my family.

Shocks

Man, I tell you what. I shock myself all the time in my office. And it's because of this static generator known as a "couch" that I often sit on in there. Whenever I get up, I can feel the charge. Sometimes I forget about it, though. I know one time I got up and touched the mouse on my computer, and boy o' boy! That one could've killed me. It's the worst when someone knocks on the door, because I just know I am screwed. I have just suck it up and open the door handle. BZZT!

Shocking wasn't always such a fun-free endeavor. When I was a senior in high school, there was this metal ball in physics class that would shock the willy nilly out of ya when you touched it. Man, it hurt. But it turns out it could be made into a pretty good weapon. Once you touch it and take your shock, you yourself can shock those who walk by by merely touching your finger to them. The only problem is that there was only an outlet at the back of the room. So, being the leader of men that I am, I had the whole class make a big hand-in-hand chain that could reach from the metal ball to the hallway. Kind of like a love-train where everyone is holding hands in a chain as a plea for peace, except we were holding hands so we could hurt people. So the bell would ring, tons of people would walk by, and I would shock them all. Man that was great. I even shocked my own freshman brother. People would try to dodge me, but they couldn't. The hall was too small. I felt like Earnest P Worrell must have felt like in Earnest Goes To Jail, where he gets the electric chair but instead of dying, he has the power to shoot electricity. It hurt just as bad for me as it did for them, but seeing people's faces really made up for it. And may Earnest rest in peace. Amen.

To Spank or Not to Spank? Part 1

2008-07-16T13:05:00.009-05:00

Discipline strategy is a hot topic among parents of young children. Amazingly, after searching Scripture, praying, conversing, and seeking wise counsel, many of us have come up with completely differing views on the subject. My friend, Heather, brought the subject up on her blog, and I'm going to take a few posts to explain my views on the issue. I think this would be an incredibly long post were I to flesh it all out in one setting, so this is just the first installment of many.

My opinion on the matter has been shaped by my experiences as a child, by my experiences as a parent, by wise counsel, and more importantly, by Scripture and prayer. Therefore, I want to first offer some Scriptures relating to discipline without any commentary. Later, I'll share how these Scriptures have shaped my ideas relating to discipline.

Hebrews 12:1-13
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Revelation 3:19
[To the church in Laodicea,] [t]hose whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

1 Corinthians 11: 27-32
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Job 5:17-18
Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.

Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Exodus 19:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Ephesians 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Dressing Alike

2008-07-08T15:02:00.007-05:00

In California, it's normal for a guy to wear a Hawaiian shirt. In Tennessee, it's not so normal. My husband, a native Californian, has a few Hawaiian shirts, but he never wears them anymore now that he's in Tennessee. Well, Sunday morning, he decided to wear one. His parents had just been to Hawaii and had sent some very nice "Hawaiian" outfits for the kids. I thought it would be great to dress the kids in those outfits the same day that Jon wore his Hawaiian shirt. I dressed Nash, and he looked so cute. I went to show him off to Jon. Jon, however, was not very happy with me. He apparently didn't like matching with his kids. What I thought was very cute was very uncool to him. After some pleading, I convinced him not to change clothes. He said that people would make fun of him because he matched his kids. I told him that he could blame it all on me, and he said not to worry that he would. We made it to church and there were plenty of comments about the kids matching, but I didn't hear any about Jon matching the kids. It was alright.

Independence Day

2008-07-07T07:45:00.000-05:00

We had a great Fourth of July. My parents, nieces, and sister-in-law came over in the morning to join us in our neighborhood's Fourth of July Parade. It's nothing fancy, but the kids love it. The older kids decorate their bikes and ride them in the parade, and smaller kids are pushed in strollers or pulled in wagons. A fire truck leads the parade, and the firemen hose down the kids at the end of the parade route. Shea and her cousins loved it. After the parade, we ate lunch at the neighborhood potluck lunch, then headed over to my parents house. My dad grilled some awesome ribs for us for dinner. We left just in time to catch most of the Germantown fireworks before calling it a day. I'm really glad that we had the rest of the weekend to recover from our celebrating! Here's some more parade pictures.

Heading to the parade:

Our patriotic girls:

Now for the fun part:

Small Group Rock Band

2008-07-03T09:53:00.006-05:00

Last night, we met at our house for small group. We're sad that so many people and their kids were sick this week and had to miss, but we had a really great sharing time anyway. Joanna, Clay, and Emily were able to join us with their kids Ella and Evy. We really wouldn't have had much of a group left if we sent someone to watch the kids in the other room, so we tried to have group time in the same room as the kiddos. We put Peter Pan on the tv to entertain them. I don't think we'll choose Peter Pan again because it really entertained Clay as well. :)

After we finished our discussion questions, it was time for ROCK BAND! We made the kids clean up their toys so that we could pull out our toys. It was a little insane, but awesome at the same time. For song #1, we had Jon and Joanna on the guitars and Emily doing the vocals for Bon Jovi's Wanted: Dead or Alive. Shea and Ella thought they were playing the drums. Clay then performed a fabulous rendition of Creep. We played a couple more songs, and before we knew it, Joey, who was home with sick Seth, called worried about Joanna because it was so late. Oops! We decided 10pm was late enough for the kids to be up and out, so we called it a night. I'll post some pics, but you can also see some videos at these links: video 1, video 2, video 3, video 4

The Gospel

2008-07-02T09:26:00.011-05:00

My original post somehow vanished. I'm just posting the video now. Sorry there's no more commentary on it.

I'm not Goofy

2008-07-01T10:39:00.005-05:00

Recently, Shea was being silly, and Jon asked her, "Are you goofy?" She giggled and replied, "Noooo, I not Goofy, I Mickey Mouse."

Weekend Fun

2008-06-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we were able to hang out with some of our old friends in Memphis. We all used to attend the same ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship). We had a great time at the sprinkler park.

Ella and Shea are just about as rough as boys! They kept trying to run while holding hands. Then they'd fall down and roll around. It was really cute but dangerous, so after getting some pics, we had to put a stop to it.

Acceptable or Not--Breastfeeding in Public???

2008-06-25T10:03:00.006-05:00

I know that I'm writing about something that is foreign to many of you and probably grosses some of you out. I carefully considered whether I should post this, and I decided that if you were offended, then you just don't have to read this, although you probably should.

Recently, a mother of a three-month-old infant was asked by an officer to stop breastfeeding her son outside a courtroom in Tennessee or move to a more discreet location. You can read more about it here. This incident really got me thinking about the controversial issue of breastfeeding in public.

Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 68-58-101 to -103 protects the rights of breastfeeding mothers. Here's what those statutes state: "A mother has a right to breastfeed her child who is twelve (12) months of age or younger in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be present." Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-58-101. "The act of breastfeeding shall not be considered: (1) Public indecency . . . ; or (2) Nudity, obscene, or sexual conduct . . . ." § 68-58-102. "A unit of local government shall not prohibit breastfeeding in public by local ordinance." § 68-58-103.

Essentially, no one could legally stop this mother from breastfeeding her young son outside the courtroom. If you read the comments to the article that I linked to above, you'll see that many people applaud the officer for attempting to stop her and think that women should never breastfeed in public.

While a woman is legally permitted to breastfeed in public, does she commit some moral sin if she chooses to do so? When is it appropriate? Is there an appropriate way to go about it?

I must confess that my views on public breastfeeding have vastly changed since becoming a breastfeeding mother. To begin, let me clue you in on some things that shape the views of breastfeeding moms. Many couples take childbirth classes sometime during their first pregnancy. One of those class sessions is normally devoted to breastfeeding. During that session, you watch a very graphic video all about breastfeeding and learn how superior breast milk is to formula. That is just the beginning of the desensitizing. When a woman gives birth, she's completely exposed to a large number of people. All modesty goes out the window. While recovering from birth, hospital staff (men and women) are in and out of her room all the time. If she's breastfeeding, there's a good chance that she'll be exposed to a number of them. Nurses and lactation consultants will also likely "man-handle" her as they try to teach her how to breastfeed because it really doesn't come naturally. While most women are initially uncomfortable with all of this exposure, they have to become somewhat comfortable with it to cope. This whole experience can make women more comfortable with the prospect of breastfeeding in public.

Then, these mothers leave the hospital and enter a world where they receive mixed messages regarding breastfeeding. You're supposed to do it because it's best for the baby, but you're not supposed to let anyone else see you doing it. Now, a breastfed baby must eat every 2-3 hours because breastmilk, unlike formula, is fully digested in 90 minutes. A breastfeeding mom has few choices: totally isolate herself, switch to formula, or breastfeed in public. Now for those of you who are unfamilar with breastfeeding, you may think that the mother has another option: just give the baby a bottle while she's in public. This really doesn't work for a number of reasons. When it's time for a breastfeeding mother to feed her baby, she's got to do it. If she doesn't, she'll become engorged, which in addition to being incredibly uncomfortable and even painful at times, puts her at risk for diminishing her milk supply, clogged ducts, and mastitis. Also, the baby may not take the bottle, especially when mom is around. Although the prospect grosses me out somewhat, ducking into a bathroom to feed a baby may be easy enough with one child, but when you have more than one child, it really isn't feasible (unless you don't mind your older child playing with toilets in a public restroom).

I want to know what you think. As I previously asked, while a woman is legally permitted to breastfeed in public, does she commit some moral sin if she chooses to do so? When is it appropriate? Is there an appropriate way to go about it? Do the same rules apply in all public places? (i.e. are some places more conducive to public breastfeeding than others?) Feel free to comment on the subject. I'm curious to know what other people are thinking. I'm also wondering if this subject is just a little bit too "taboo" for anyone to want to comment on. Oh well. We'll see.

Here's my thoughts. I understand that many people are extremely uncomfortable with women breastfeeding in public. I understand you because I used to be one of you. Sometimes, however, I don't see another option other than never leaving my house. I do value modesty, so I've invested in a good coverup. However, not everyone can afford a $40 coverup, and using it outside in the heat really doesn't work well. Also, I'm personally comfortable using my coverup at a place like the park but not at church. I'm also more comfortable breastfeeding around people who have children than around people who don't. I like for everyone to be happy and don't want to offend anyone, but I don't know if that's really possible. How concerned should I be about other people? So many things to consider. I really hate gray areas.

Update on Nash

2008-06-25T08:43:00.003-05:00

We received good news from the doctor yesterday. The neurologist thinks that one of Nash's neck muscles is shorter on one side than the other. We have some stretches that we have to do for him each time that we change his diaper. That should help it out. When he can turn his neck more, the asymmetry of his head should lessen. We go back in two months to check out his progress. If these stretches don't work, then they'll do some other tests to look for another cause, but the doctor was pretty certain that it's just a muscle problem. Thanks to everyone who lifted us up in your prayers!

In addition to the good news that nothing is seriously wrong with Nash, we found out that our darling two-month-old boy is weighing in at 15 lbs 15 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. (At his check-up two weeks ago he was 14 lbs 12 ounces and 24 3/4 inches).

Nash's Dr. Appt.

2008-06-24T09:02:00.005-05:00

Nash has torticollis. Something is causing his head to tilt one way while his chin points in the opposite direction. In newborns, this is normally caused by some muscular problem. His pediatrician, however, didn't find a problem with his neck muscles. Other less common forms of torticollis exist. One form happens when one of the vertebrae doesn't develop completely. Another is a serious condition that can come on anytime after birth and is usually an indication of a more serious problem, such as a brain or spinal cord tumor. Sometimes torticollis is caused by a simple vision problem. (Can you tell that I've been reading too much on the Internet?) We are going to the pediatric neurologist this afternoon to try and find out what is causing his torticollis. He's also got some positional plagiocephally (asymetric head) from the torticollis. Please be in prayer that we'll find out what is causing the torticollis and that the treatment for it will be simple. Also, please pray that we won't worry or be anxious about the possibilities. I'll update you all with whatever we find out.

Living Hope Church Picnic

2008-06-23T09:23:00.007-05:00

We had a great time at our church picnic on Sunday. We enjoyed eating and hanging out with our friends. Shea and her buddies had fun blowing bubbles, and they were thrilled to head over to the sprinkler park. Joey (aka The Ice Cream Man) bought everyone popsicles.

Shea and Her Doll

2008-06-23T09:15:00.004-05:00

I thought that this was too funny not to post it. Some of you may think this is a little TMI, but I just think its hilarious. Saturday morning, Shea got my nursing pillow, sat on the couch, and asked for her baby doll. I handed her the doll, and she then pretended to nurse it. Jon just rolled his eyes, but I got quite the kick out of it. Because I got some great pics of it, I had to post about it.

Wish I had the time . . .

2008-06-17T16:55:00.002-05:00

I'm a thinker. I like to wrestle with things, analyze theories and ideas, discuss/argue, etc. Now that I do that for my job, I seem to do that with seemingly insignigicant things. To clarify, I argue about whether someone is a healthcare surrogate, whether that arbitration agreement is enforceable, whether that nursing home killed someone, etc. Those can be important things and are very significant to the people whose lives they affect. I think that what I do is important and does impact people's lives, for the better I hope. However, I long to wrestle with things that have more of an eternal value. By the end of the day, my mind is tired. I don't have the energy to really think about much of anything. I just want to get through the meal prepping, diaper changing, lunch packing, feeding, bathing, bottle prep, pump cleaning, dish cleaning, clothes washing, folding, etc. that greets me at home each evening. By the time that's over, I'm ready to crash. Before I know it, I'm up the next day endeavoring to get out the door and to work on time. The daily grind begins again.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T15:31:00.007-05:00

Jon is such an awesome dad. We had a great time celebrating him. As wonderful as he is, he's not real great at waiting to open gifts. Consequently, I let him have his present on Saturday night, which worked out really great anyway. We had a fun-filled evening playing rock band. Shea loves to use "her" drumsticks to play "her" drums. As you can see from the pictures, Jon had a great time singing. On Sunday, we went to church. We were on time for the first time in a long time. Yeah! Shea made Jon a fabulous tie, which he wore for pictures and even out to Osaka for lunch. Jon also got to dress his son for Father's Day. Can you guess what he wore? A USC onesie. Surprise, surprise.

Water Play

2008-06-15T14:09:00.013-05:00

We had a great time playing in water this weekend. Shea loves the water and is pretty fearless. On Friday night, we went to the sprinkler park with some friends from church. Frank and Leigh Ann were in town house-hunting and stopped by to say hello. It was great to see them. I'm so glad that they're moving back to Memphis. On Saturday, we had a surprise birthday pool party for Zach. Shea was not afraid of the water and loved sliding into the pool (which made me a little nervous).

Left: Shea at the sprinkler park.
Right: Jon, Shea, Maribeth, and Josh

Left: Joey swinging Ella and Shea around. They loved it and didn't want to stop!
Right: Leigh Ann holding Nash

Left: Emily and Evy. We're sad that they'll be moving soon! :(
Right: Emily, Taylor, Austin, and Carter

Left: Shea loved the slide.
Middle and Right: Shea playing w/ her Daddy in the pool.

Left: Ella got stuck at the top of the slide, but every time Joey tried to help her, she sprayed him with the hose. It was pretty funny.
Right: Fun in the pool!

Nash looks like me too!

2008-06-12T10:25:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Ancestors - Trace family tree

Shea Looks Like her Mommy!

2008-06-12T10:09:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family history - Vintage photos

My Daughter is a Monkey

2008-06-11T10:03:00.003-05:00

My family has some weird obsession with monkeys. It all started with my dad. He'd tease us by calling us monkeys when we were growing up, and we'd tease back calling him either a monkey or a gorilla. Trips to the zoo were always full of jokes about how dad adopted us from the monkeys there, how we were going so Michael could visit his biological family, etc. Also, for any special occasion, we can expect to receive at least one monkey card from someone in our family. It's great fun to see who can find the best one. Furthermore, on birthdays, someone in my family is guaranteed to sing the monkey version of "Happy Birthday." My brother has even received a monkey lamp as a gift. It's just some silliness that the Shea family indulges in.

Well, the other day, my daughter lived up to her name as a Shea. My dad was playing with her and asked if she was a tiger. "No, not a tiger. I a monkey!" Shea exclaimed. My dad almost rolled on the floor with laughter. It was a priceless Shea family moment.

Get Back!

2008-06-11T09:45:00.004-05:00

Shea has some great taste in music. She likes the Beatles, especially their song "Get Back." She sings along to it in the car. She'll sing the chorus:

Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jojo. Go home.
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jo.

Well, we sometimes call my friend Joanna "Jo Jo." Shea apparently associates her with this song because yesterday, after singing "Get Back Jojo," she sang, "Get back, Baby Seth." I asked her, "Anyone else?" She sang, "Get Back Ella." I asked, "What about Mr. Joey?" "Note," she replied. (Note=no in Shea language.) Apparently, Jo Jo, Seth, and Ella need to get back, but not Mr. Joey. Hmm. I wonder what Shea thinks "Get Back" means.

More Reasons that I Am Not a Morning Person

2008-06-09T10:29:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone gets a kick out of what goes on at my house in the morning. There's always some sort of craziness in the Owings' house. This morning was no exception.

We went to Atlanta for the weekend, and we got home at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. Jon unloaded the car and told me that he had brough everything into the house. I was completely exhausted and finally got to sleep around 10:00 p.m. I overslept a little bit (like an hour), so the morning was super rushed. At some point during the morning, I checked my purse to make sure that my car keys are in it, and they were. I was running late, and I looked around for my makeup bag to do my makeup. I couldn't find it anywhere. I tore up the house looking for it, but it was nowhere to be found. I called Jon and asked where he put it. Apparently, he hadn't completely unloaded the car. My makeup was still in his car 45 minutes away in Collierville. Just great. No makeup today.

It was then time to get out the door. I wanted to change Nash's diaper before putting him in his car seat. I got him all ready, and then I heard him fill it up again. Great. I changed another diaper. While I'm changing this one, he pooped some more. Just what I needed! I finally get him ready to go. Meanwhile, Shea had climbed back in her bed and didn't want to leave. It took some coaxing to get her down and out the door.

We were finally walking out the door about 15 minutes behind schedule. I was lugging Shea's backpack, Nash's diaper bag, a grocery bag w/ Shea's sheets and blanket for daycare, my purse, and Nash in his car seat while Shea walks ahead of us. We got to the car, and I looked in my purse for my keys. Umm, they're not in there. I put everything down and frantically searched for them. No such luck. After re-searching a few more times, I realized they really weren't in my purse. At least I remembered my cell phone. Now, my next-door-neighbors had taken care of Leia (our dog) while we were out of town, and they had a key. I didn't see a car in the driveway, and they didn't answer they're home phone. No problem. I though, "Valerie lives a block away and she has a key." No answer. I called my neighbor's cell phone, and she said her daughter was home asleep and that she'd call, wake her up, and get her to walk the key over. I wait a few more minutes. Then, I saw Valerie's car driving down the street. I called her again. Thank goodness that she answered the phone! She had may house key with her, so she turns around to come let me in. She watched my kids in the yard while I run in to get my keys. I, however, could not find them anywhere.

I had to go get my kids and bring them back inside so Valerie could get to work (and tell everyone why I'll be late). I turned the house upside down looking for my keys. I called Jon asking him where they are and made him check to see if he'd accidentally picked them up. At the same time, Nash was screaming because he's still in his car seat. I heard Shea say uh-oh, and I turned around to see her standing in the living room in a puddle of pee. I was about ready to pull my hair out. I took her to the bathroom to clean her up, and low and behold, there are my keys! They were in the bathroom. I'm not sure how they got there, but I suspect Shea may have had something to do with it.

I finally got us all out the door and got to work almost an hour late. Then, I didn't have my "fob" to get in the door, so I had to go up front to get the receptionist to let my into my office. What a morning! I think that sometime soon I'll be able to laugh about it.

Nancy's Wedding

2008-06-08T13:57:00.004-05:00

We had a great time in Atlanta at my cousin's wedding. Here's a rare picture of my whole family together.

From left to right: Shea, Jon, Nash, Laura, Emma, Michael, Sara, Patrick, Bess, Mom, and Dad

My grandmother got to meet Nash. Shea and Emma enjoyed patting him on the head.
Shea and her cousins, Emma and Bess, were crazy as usual.

Michael and Patrick were their normal selves. Jon and I were tired, but we still had a good time.

NKOTB!!!

2008-06-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

I have a confession: I am a HUGE New Kids On the Block fan! When I was in 4th and 5th grade, I was in love with Jordan Knight. I was crazy about New Kids. I even had a NKOTB lunch box. Well, the big news is that they're back together for a reunion tour. I'm so sad that they're not coming to Memphis. I think the closest that they'll be is St. Louis or Atlanta. I would LOVE to see them in concert. Here's their website for anyone who's interested:
http://nkotb.com/

You know, I'm not the only NKOTB fan in my family. Michael used to really enjoy dancing to their music. We have some great home video of Michael dancing to "Step by Step." In this video, Michael is about 7 years old, and he's singing and dancing around having a good old time. Patrick (4 years old), however, begins pestering Michael, but Michael completely ignores Patrick while continuing to dance and sing along with the New Kids. Well, Patrick will not be ignored and continues trying to get Michael's attention. The next thing you know, one of Michael's dance moves ends with his elbow accidentally in Patrick's face. Ouch! Michael, of course, continues like nothing happened, but Patrick is crying and walks up to one of my parents wailing, "Michael hit me in the face--on purpose!" It's great that we have video documentation that it was, in fact, accidental and mostly Patrick's fault. I need to get that video, edit me out of it, and upload it. :) It's a classic Shea family moment.

Weekends

2008-06-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm not very good at resting and relaxing. I think possibly my ADD/ADHD makes it really hard for me to enjoy any down time. I get bored if life isn't a little bit crazy. My husband, however, really likes to relax. We first had problems with our opposite tendencies when we were planning our honeymoon. I wanted to go somewhere "historical" where we could do lots of stuff, and Jon just wanted to go somewhere and lay on the beach all day. We compromised and went to Charleston, SC. We saw lots of cool things and spent some time at the beach on Kiawah Island. It was great.

Now that I'm older and wiser, and occasionally medicated, I've learned to see some value in down time. However, not much value. I'm really just a glutton for punishment. My cousin is getting married in Atlanta this weekend, and we've decided at the last minute to go. We'll be leaving Memphis at 4am Saturday morning, attending the 5:30 p.m. wedding on Saturday evening, and then driving back to Memphis on Sunday. We have to get back in town in time for Clay's graduation celebration dinner at Red Robin at 5:00 p.m. Sunday night. We don't want to miss that! Yikes! We are really nuts.

Not a Morning Person

2008-06-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am not a morning person. I'm more of a night owl. However, because I have a job and two small kids, I must get up ridiculously early every morning. That's bad enough in and of itself. Combine that with a two-year-old who is more of a night owl like her mommy, and mornings at our house aren't a lot of fun on a good day.

Well, yesterday morning started off normal. We woke Shea up, and she refused to go to the potty like normal (we're potty training), but eventually complied. I poured her what orange juice we had left, she drank it all, then asked for more. There wasn't any more, so she threw a tantram. Not fun to deal with. I have to feed Nash, and while doing so, Shea is crawling all over me because she wants me to hold her instead. She throws multiple tantrums while I try to fix her crazy hair, and I have to discipline her multiple times. Again, not fun.

I finally get everything ready to walk out the door. I'm a couple minutes late, but no big deal. I pick up the kids bags, my breast pump, my lunch, and Nash in his carseat, and head out to the car with Shea. While we're walking to the car, Shea is a few steps ahead of me on our walkway to the driveway. She stops abruptly with a scared look on her face. I wonder what's the matter, and then I see the pee pooling around her feet. Just what I needed. I have to unlock the front door, throw everything I'm carrying back inside, run back outside to grab Shea, and take her to the bathroom. It was such a bad accident that the pee had pooled in her tennis shoes. Now, I have to strip her down, put her in the tub, and spray her down because she's got it all over her lower half. She, of course, is really unhappy with this scenario. I redress her, get out the door, and finally get the kids to daycare. Upon arriving at daycare, I realize that I have left Nash's bottles at home for the day. He only eats breast milk, so there's not an easy fix for this problem. It was just a crummy morning.

I was hoping that this morning, everything would go smoothly, but that wasn't the case. To get to work on time, I have to be ready to walk out the door when I get the kids up. This morning, I fit into a suit (dry clean only) that I hadn't been able to wear since getting pregnant with Nash. I went to wake Shea up at 6:45am. Once again, Shea didn't want to get up. I picked her up, and she lunged for her bed crying, "My bed, my bed." I set her back down on it and said I was going to get her Daddy, and she said, "Daddy's turn, Daddy's turn." I holler at Jon that he's going to have to get her up, and I go to get Nash up and feed him. While feeding Nash, I feel something warm on my leg. Bad feeling. His diaper wasn't on properly (my fault), and he peed all over me and my nice pants. How do you get urine out of dry-clean-only clothes? I have to find something else to wear (not an easy task these days) and hope that nothing else goes wrong.

Thankfully, nothing else out of the ordinary happened. Shea wouldn't eat her breakfast and threw tantrums while I fixed her hair, but that's all normal. I was able to get them to daycare without any problems, and I was on time for my 8am meeting. I'm hoping that we'll have a "pee-free" morning tomorrow.

Fear and Idols

2008-06-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

I'm hesitant to post this after dealing with my motivational issue, but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway.

Yesterday in church, JR said something in his sermon that really convicted me. He basically said that if we're not a little bit afraid, then we're not being dependent on God. I know that depending on God means that life may not go the way that I want it to. He may ask me to give up everything. I was okay with that for many years. Then, I had children. While there were many things in my life that I would have been upset to lose, nothing would upset me more than losing my children. In my previous post, I blamed my lack of spending time with God on my busy life. That's only partly true. I think that I'm afraid of totally depending on God because I know that he may take me down a path that I really don't want to go down. It pretty much boils down to this: I'm treasuring my children more than I'm treasuring God. I don't think there's an easy fix to this. I hope and pray that God will change my heart so that I no longer make my children idols in my life.

These thoughts remind me of one of my favorite excerpts from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis:

[Lucy asks,] "Is Aslan quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver. "If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or just plain silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

In another exerpt from C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair, Jill is very thirty, but Aslan is standing by the water:

"Will you promise not to do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion...
"Do you eat girls?" she asked.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I dare not come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.

Basically, we all have two choices. Submit to the God who is in control but not safe or die of thirst. Following God isn't safe, but I must stop idolizing my children and follow him because I am so thirsty.

Rotten

2008-06-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

From time to time I read other people's blogs. Some posts give me family updates or make me laugh. Other posts are really clever, and some really minister to me spiritually and cause me to think. I'm normally very impressed with the people who post such spiritual and thought-provoking insights. I say all that to let you know that since beginning a blog, I've actually had the thought that I need to spend some time in the Word so that I can post some cool spiritual insight that will impress people. You see, I'm adjusting to juggling my two kids, my husband (or kid #3), a full-time job, extended family, and a busy social calendar. I haven't handled all this as well as I should, and my time with God has been lacking. I did, however, experience the motivation to spend some time with him just so that I could have something clever to post. How rotten am I? I'm sure that no one else has ever wanted to post something just to impress other people. Well, maybe someone has. Anyhow, it's just one more thing that reveals to me how fallen I am and how much I need God to continue changing my heart. I hope that I will experience God's work in my life and be able to share about it, but I hope my motivation for sharing will ultimately glorify God and not myself.

Crazy Crazy Crazy

2008-05-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

I never knew how much trouble it would be to celebrate my anniversary with my husband. I thought that our wedding wasn't at a particularly busy time of year, but I feel like I'm even busier this month than I am at Christmas time. Jon and I were married on May 31, 2002. May 31 is this Saturday, and I have a baby shower to attend during the day, a couple's shower to attend in the evening, and a birthday party that night. On Sunday, after church we have the option of ultimate frisbee at Johnson park or the sprinkler park in Collierville. What a crazy weekend! That just leaves Friday night for us to go out (because, of course, we can't miss any of the excitement with our friends this weekend). Going out Friday night requires me leaving work early to get everything ready to leave the kids for an evening. So much trouble for one date! Yikes! It will be worth it to spend one evening with my wonderful husband whom I'm blessed to have been married to for six years.

Sexism and Politics

2008-05-28T16:38:00.001-05:00

I read an article today that really made me think.

Is There Really a Bias Against Women in Politics?
Are women really discriminated against in politics? Sen. Hillary Clinton surely thinks so. But history suggests otherwise.
Indeed, she believes this year's presidential campaign has shown that sexism limits women's influence in politics. She claimed last week that "every poll I've seen shows more people would be reluctant to vote for a woman [than] to vote for an African American."
It's possible that Democrats are particularly sexist, but with women making up the majority of voters, one would think that politicians were ignoring women at their own peril.
In 2004, women made up 54 percent of voters. At least through early February of this year, women made up a much greater share of Democrat primary voters — accounting for between 57 and 61 percent of the vote in primaries and caucuses.
But whatever difficulties Clinton might be having, it seems that the policies adopted are much more important than who puts them into action, and the evidence indicates that women have long gotten their way. . . .
Read more here.

While the article had some incredibly compelling points regarding women's suffrage and political leanings, I don't think it really addressed whether there's really a bias against women in politics. While he addressed a number of issues, his argument boiled down to the fact that over 50% of voters in the U.S. are female, so there's no discrimination against women in politics. The author, a man, failed to appreciate, however, that many women are also sexist.

Until recently, I've never experienced career-related adversity because of my sex. The fact that I was female didn't matter in my education. I didn't feel that my sex mattered in my short stint in the corporate world. In my current job, nevertheless, my sex has really mattered, not to my employer or supervisors, but to my clients. As a plaintiff's attorney, I represent individuals, and a surprising number of individuals are sexist. I never dreamed that I'd actually have a client refuse to permit me or another female attorney defend him during a deposition. He would only permit the male attorney (who has half as much experience as the other female attorney I work with) defend him because he didn't think that a woman could do as good of a job. I've encountered a client who was unhappy with her offer from the insurance company and wanted her case transferred to a man because she thought a man could get her a better offer. That's just the tip of the iceberg. These people, both men and women, for some reason think that a man will better represent them in their lawsuits. These people are also voters. I imagine that if they don't want a female attorney, they won't vote for a female politician.

In my limited experience as an attorney, I've learned that sexism is alive and well. Further, it is not just men who are sexist, women do not trust their own sex to represent their interests well. For some reason, these women think that a man can do a better job in the legal, political, and business world than a woman can. Perhaps we all are a little sexist. How many of us think that a man can run a household or clean as well as a woman can? What sexist tendencies do we all harbor without even realizing it?

Shea is pretty.

2008-05-28T16:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, when I picked up Shea from daycare, one of her teachers had a story for me. She had asked Shea if she was a big girl and Shea had replied, "No, I pretty." At least she knows that she's pretty!

Nash Davis Owings

2008-04-28T15:42:00.000-05:00

Nash Davis Owings was born on Monday, April 7. He weighed 9 lbs and was 22 inches long.

Here's the labor and delivery story (long version).

I was so ready to have this baby that I was doing just about everything that I could to go into labor. I'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a while, and I'd had my membranes stripped. On Sunday, Jon and I took Shea to the zoo to walk around. We were hoping that the walking might help start something. It just may have worked!

I got up at about 6:15am on Monday morning, and as I was stepping into the shower, my water broke. I almost went ahead and took my shower, but I was too excited and just wanted to get out the door. I called my parents and caught them just in time. My dad was supposed to drive to Atlanta that morning. He was able to postpone leaving until after Nash was born. We got Shea up and were in the car on our way to the hospital by 6:35am. It was too early to drop Shea off at daycare, so we took her with us to the hospital. My water was really gushing by the time we arrived, but they put me in a triage room (Room #1) to make sure it was amniotic fluid (as if there was any doubt). Of course, it was, and I was dilated about 3-4 cm. We were in that room for about 45 minutes and watched cartoons until my parents arrived to take care of Shea. Shortly after they got there, we were moved to the labor and delivery room (Room #2).

Mom took Shea to daycare so she and Daddy could stay in the room with me without being distracted. I got hooked up to all the devices. I had to have the intra-uterine monitors for fetal heart rate and contractions because my attempted VBAC was high risk. My contractions got really painful, and I needed Jon to apply a lot of pressure to my lower back to help me get through them. I was having pretty awful back labor, but I was getting through them with my relaxation techniques (and Jon's help). I didn't want an epidural because it could slow down labor. I was attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC), so I couldn't be induced with pitocin and didn't think my ob would give it to me to augment my labor because of the increased risk of uterine rupture. I really wanted to avoid another c-section, so I thought that I'd go natural. Well, my ob mentioned that if I did get an epidural and needed some pitocin to augment my labor, she'd give it to me. It didn't take me long to decide that I really wanted the epidural. Sometime around lunch time, I was about 6cm dilated, and they came in to give me the epidural.

My last epidural was just perfect. This one was not. The first person who attempted to give it to me was unsuccessful and had to get someone else to do it (a little scary). Once I finally did receive it, it only worked on my right side. So the nurses had me roll to my left side to see if gravity would help it out. Nash's heart rate immediately plummeted. I think 120-160 bpm is about normal. When his dropped to about 90, it seemed like about 10 nurses rushed into the room. His heart rate dropped all the way down to just under 70. I was quickly turned to my right side, and it began to steadily increase. It eventually got back to normal, but it was scary for a couple of minutes. Nonetheless, my epidural wasn't working properly, and I couldn't turn to let gravity help it out. The anesthesiologist said that I could have another epidural, but after my experiences with the last two attempts, I didn't want anyone else poking around my spine. The epidural was at least dulling the pain. It also slowed my contractions down, so I did need some pitocin.

By 4pm, I was at 10cm and could start pushing. After about an hour of pushing, I was wondering why I wanted a vaginal birth instead of another c-section where the doctor just plucks that baby out of my belly. I pushed for 1 hour and 45 minutes before Nash made it out. Needless to say, I was glad for the rest the epidural afforded me because I sure did need my energy for that. Nash was face up, which caused my awful back labor and combined with his large size to make it really hard for me to push him out. He was a little blue when I first saw him, and that made me slightly nervous. He looked a little alien-like with his cone head, but he was beautiful at the same time. He did have a complete knot in his umbilical cord just like Shea did. He weighed in at 9 lbs and was 22 inches long.

New Blog

2008-04-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

I guess that I should have a blog to post comments about our growing family. I'll try to keep this updated with things going on in our lives.

About Me

2008-04-15T15:16:00.002-05:00

I am a follower of Jesus.

I grew up in a Christian home with parents who love and serve the Lord. I "prayed a prayer" as a child, but I never truly followed God until later in life. As a teenager, God showed me that being a Christian was not about praying a prayer but about loving God and giving my life to him. As I grasped that concept, I decided that I didn't really want to give my life to the Lord because I thought that it meant the end of fun and happiness for me. Thankfully, God brought me to the point where I realized that life wasn't really worth living without Him. He showed me that losing my life was really gaining it, and I began to follow Him and allow him to change me from the inside out. He began changing my heart to desire what He desires. I want to obey God because I love Him and want to honor Him in all that I do. I often fall short of this, and I am so thankful for His unfailing love, mercy, and grace in my life.

I am a wife.

I became involved in Campus Crusade for Christ at Baylor University, and the summer after my freshman year (1999), I went to Ocean City, New Jersey for a summer project with Campus Crusade. There, I met this awesome guy who went by J.O. and attended the University of Southern California. We began "dating" at the end of the summer and continued our relationship long distance after we both returned to our respective campuses. We spent the following summer (2000) with Campus Crusade in London. Jon graduated from USC in December 2000. I went to California to visit Jon during my spring break in 2001. Jon picked me up from the airport, had my favorite flowers, drove me to a park on the side of a mountain in the LA area, and proposed to me. The following month, he moved to my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee to find a job. I spent that summer (2001) interning at FedEx and planning our wedding. We had a 14 month engagement. (I don't recommend it, but we didn't have much choice.) In May 2002, I graduated from Baylor and moved back to Memphis. We were married on May 31, 2002 and began our journey through life together. I am so blessed to be married to a man who is passionate for the Lord and loves his family.

I am a mother.

I have the two most wonderful children, Shea and Nash, and a sweet dog, Leia.

Shea Marguerite entered our lives on January 22, 2006. She's now two years old and full of personality. She loves to talk and ask questions. She's always busy and is an extreme extrovert.

Nash Davis was born on April 7, 2008. This bundle of joy weighed in at nine pounds and has continued to be at the top of his class in height and weight. He is easy going and is generally a very pleasant baby.

I also have my dog, Leia, who was my furkid before I had real kids. :) She's a border collie mix, and she's very sweet but full of energy.

I practice law.

After working as a technical writer for about a year, I was ready for a career change. I began law school at the University of Memphis in 2003. I'm one of those few people who actually loves school. I graduated with my juris doctor in May 2006. I thankfully passed the bar and began practicing law in the fall of 2006. I handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases, and I'm thankful to be working in an area of law where I feel that I'm actually helping people.