tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46254606831489278282024-03-13T17:22:57.910-05:00alyssa.in.nashvilleAlyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.comBlogger769125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-39367278072218525332018-08-13T09:39:00.000-05:002018-08-13T09:39:08.129-05:00in the desert.<span class="text Isa-43-18" id="en-CSB-18524"><span class="text Isa-43-19"></span><span class="text Isa-43-20" id="en-CSB-18526"><sup class="versenum">18 </sup></span>Do not remember the past events, </span><span class="text Isa-43-18">pay no attention to things of old. </span><span class="text Isa-43-19" id="en-CSB-18525"><sup class="versenum">19 </sup>Look, I am about to do something new; </span><span class="text Isa-43-19">even now it is coming. Do you not see it? </span><span class="text Isa-43-19">Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, </span><span class="text Isa-43-19">rivers in the desert.<sup> </sup></span><span class="text Isa-43-20" id="en-CSB-18526"><sup class="versenum">20 </sup>Wild animals—</span><span class="text Isa-43-20">jackals and ostriches—will honor me,</span><span class="text Isa-43-20"> because I provide water in the wilderness,</span><span class="text Isa-43-20"> and rivers in the desert,</span><span class="text Isa-43-20"> to give drink to my chosen people.</span><span class="text Isa-43-21" id="en-CSB-18527"><sup class="versenum"> 21 </sup>The people I formed for myself</span><span class="text Isa-43-21"> will declare my praise.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="text Isa-43-21">Isaiah 43:18-21</span></div>
Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-10112656151373952832018-03-01T13:45:00.000-06:002018-03-01T13:45:07.598-06:00less trying, more dying.<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But there must be a real giving up of the self … The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.</blockquote>
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C.S. Lewis, <i>Mere Christianity</i> (the concluding paragraph)</div>
Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-91612471275644065922018-03-01T07:51:00.001-06:002018-07-22T17:38:17.207-05:00a flat.Exercising my writing muscles here with a simple account of yesterday. …<br />
<br />
Nashville is having what feels like its 427th day of rain this winter. So. many. gray. days.<br />
<br />
Two days ago, the light on my dashboard indicated low air pressure in my rear left tire. Yesterday morning, I planned to take care of it on my way to work. It was pouring rain.<br />
<br />
I pulled into the gas station at the entrance of our neighborhood. Use of the air compressor was $1 – quarters only. I dug through the change in my cupholder but only came up with 75 cents. <i>No problem</i>, I thought. <i>There's a Kroger just up the road.</i> I pulled into Kroger and paid the $1.25 with my card and tried holding Elijah's Spiderman umbrella (which I found in the backseat) between my head and shoulder as I used two hands to hold the hose to the tire. There was a lot of air blowing back on me and absolutely no pressure registering on the manual gauge connected to the hose. It could have been user error, but I've inflated enough tires in my life to conclude their hose was broken.<br />
<br />
I got back in the car and headed west to the gas station at Nipper's Corner. The air compressor was next to a parking spot at the McDonald's but as soon as I pulled in, I could see paper covering the credit card device. I couldn't make out what it said, but it surely didn't say "This device is working properly," so I backed out and went down the road.<br />
<br />
At Old Hickory and I-65, in Brentwood, there are three gas stations in close proximity. I pulled into one off Franklin Pike and swiped my card, but the screen that usually shows "Processing … Approved…" was only showing black boxes. I gave up after a couple swipes and went around the corner. Finally, the machine worked.<br />
<br />
Four minutes for $1.50. The gauge was digital and the air was supposed to automatically shut off at 32 psi. Perfect. I knelt next to my tire, pulling up the hood on my rain jacket and held the hose at just the right position so I wasn't feeling or hearing air escaping. I had to hold it tightly and twist my head around to read the gauge on the machine. It was registering something like 5psi, then 12 … 10 … 12 … 15 … 10 …15, 20, 21, 22, … 20 … finally, 24 and then my four minutes was up. By this time—five gas stations later—I was running late to work so I figured 24 was good enough and resolved to stop at Discount Tire on my way home. (If your tire just needs inflated, they'll do that for free.)<br />
<br />
Fast-forward to 3:30pm. Still raining. I pulled into the Discount Tire about a mile from our neighborhood and one of the guys checked my tire. It was not registering much pressure so he said there was likely something in it; they'd take a look at it, but the wait was 90 minutes. I called Nate, who loaded up the kids and came to get me. We cleaned up the house before MC (missional community group) and at 5pm Discount Tire called. There was a nail in my tire, and it was too close to the edge to just repair the tire. I'd need a new one. The cheapest option was $112.<br />
<br />
I agreed and since our friends we were expecting for MC were running late, I hopped into Nate's car to get the key to my car before Discount Tire closed at 6pm. (By the way, Nate's car is a manual and I learned last summer how to drive it. It was a rough start but I'm pretty awesome at driving a stick now and proud of myself for learning this skill.) They pulled my car right up to the curb, so I ended up driving my car home and leaving Nate's car parked there.<br />
<br />
Our MC has dinner together before diving into deeper things. They surprised me with a birthday cake and an honor time, which was really sweet and encouraging. After MC, I got a ride back to Discount Tire and drove Nate's car home. Nate offered to go get it, but I said he could run bedtime instead.<br />
<br />
<br />
Update: It turns out a couple dozen of my coworkers also experienced flat tires. There's a construction site (new condos going up) next to our headquarters and we all had drywall screws in our tires. Facilities reached out to the contractor and after I sent my tire bill to them, they fully reimbursed me. Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-51572809625846987662018-02-27T14:36:00.000-06:002018-02-27T14:36:00.082-06:00the great denver adventure.<u>January 2017:</u> <br />
<br />
The phrase <i>roll with the punches</i> is a boxing idea: "to move one's body away from an opponent's blows so as to lessen the impact." In other words, rather than leaning into the punch or resisting it, be flexible with it and it will hurt less. "Rolling with the punches" is how Nate described our recent travel experience. I might have described it as a travel nightmare or "If it can go wrong, it probably did." Someone did point out that on <i>their</i> travel nightmare, they briefly lost one of their children. It didn't get that bad, but it was … an adventure, to say the least. <br />
<br />
We've been back from our Christmas vacation for over a week now, but the story of our travels keeps running through my mind, so I want to write it down so I will remember.<br />
<br />
We swap Christmases between Nate's and my family. Basically, even years are spent with Nate's family and odd years are spent with mine. It simplifies traveling for us. So this year—2016—we booked a trip out to Denver to spend a week with Nate's extended family in a rented mountain house in Silverthorne.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday morning</b> (Dec. 17), we got up very early and drove to our friend's house. He was going to drive us to the airport and park our car at his house so we could save on taxi costs when we returned. (He lives closer to the airport than we do.) Just as we were pulling onto his street, Nate suggested I check the status of our flight to see if it was running behind. As I pulled out my phone, and email popped up from Southwest Airlines: Flight ### has been cancelled.<br />
<br />
What? Cancelled?! They provided a customer service number to call, but no details about their alternate plan to get us to Denver. Apparently they didn't have an alternate plan. That was up to us to figure out. I quickly called the number and got on the waitlist to speak to someone; they would call me back. We decided to go ahead and go to the airport because it might be easier to get on another flight if we were there rather than head home and sit around all day. Besides, we had hyped up the trip so much with Elijah that I hated the idea of turning around and explaining to him that actually we were <i>not</i> going to Denver.<br />
<br />
Flights on the website showed everything was sold out for the next several days. We got to the airport, and I waited with the kids (Elsa strapped to my chest in the Ergo and Elijah sitting in his car seat) while Nate stood in a long line to get new tickets. They said they had seats to Denver the following Monday. Possible, but not ideal. The family planned to head into the mountains on Monday. Plus, Nate had tickets to the Broncos vs. Patriots game on Sunday and he was really looking forward to going.<br />
<br />
I gave Elijah snacks to keep him quiet, but he was getting really impatient. He started yelling, "Change my diaper!" and even though I didn't think he needed a new diaper, I couldn't ignore him so I laid him down behind a bench and changed his diaper. (It was barely wet.) Nate let me know that he was able to get tickets to Kansas City for that morning, in a couple of hours. So we checked our bags and got in line for security. The line was long, and Elijah did not like waiting. (I can't blame him.) We promised to buy him a special treat—whatever he wanted!—as soon as we got through security.<br />
<br />
We made it through, grabbed a granola breakfast bar for Elijah, and went to our gate. The plane to Kansas City was delayed, but we were glad to get going in the right direction. We hoped to find a flight from KC to Denver once we got there. Our back-up options were to rent a car and drive west toward Denver or rent a car, drive to my parents' and stay the night, and then drive out on Sunday. Nate went ahead and reserved a rental car in KC just in case.<br />
<br />
When we got to Kansas City, the gate agent told us there were two flights to Denver later than day—1:40 and 6:40—but they were full and we could split up (one adult and one kid) and wait on standby. There was no guarantee of a seat. We didn't want to wait around all day in the airport for just a chance at a seat, so we decided to rent a car.<br />
<br />
We got our bags (two rolling suitcases, two car seats, one rolling duffel bag, two backpacks, two kids … too much!) and went outside to find the shuttle to the rental car place. It was freezing! KC had freezing rain all morning, which had turned to snow. The wind was biting. I was still wearing Elsa and trying to keep a hold of Elijah's hand while Nate pushed a cart full of our luggage. Elijah didn't want to walk in the cold wind and snow. He wanted to be carried. Not really an option.<br />
<br />
The shuttle was at the end of the terminal, so we started trudging our way down the sidewalk but the luggage was falling and Elijah was upset and I was stressing out. So Nate said he would get the luggage down there if I could take the kids inside the terminal where it was warm. So that's what we did. When the shuttle arrived, we scurried out and got on. Then we got our luggage up to the rental car area. Nate went up to the desk because Elijah basically refused to walk at this point, or at least not faster than 0.5 mph.<br />
<br />
Nate got to the Hertz desk, and they didn't have our reservation for some reason but they assured us that they could help us out. This middle-aged guy with an eye patch clicked around while I paced, bouncing Elsa and trying to keep Elijah from pulling all the Christmas decorations off the tree in the little waiting area.<br />
<br />
I approached the counter as the guy was explaining the details of the car and he subtly mentioned we were going to be covered in case of an accident, and I stopped him. "Wait—is that extra?" He looked at me. "Yes …" and I said, "We don't want any supplemental insurance. I talked to our insurance agent before the trip and they said rental cars are covered by our policy." (I <i>had</i> talked to our agent.) He began questioning me: "Well do they cover this? Do they cover the deductible? I used to work in insurance and I know that there are a lot of very rich people sitting in big offices and you know how they got there?" Yada-yada. I wanted to roll my eyes. "We just don't want anything extra," I said. I wanted to say, "I know a lot of rental car execs that are rich and sitting in big offices too. You know how they got there? By selling people things they don't need."<br />
<br />
Whatever. Nate went out to get the car, only to find it was not under an awning and thus completely iced over. So I waited with the kids while he tried to warm it up and chip off the ice. Elijah was hungry and tired, so we got him set up with a snack and a show on the iPad. I sat on a couch to feed Elsa and unpack the car seats. When the car was finally thawed enough, we got in and headed west.<br />
<br />
It was snowing pretty good. The car had all-wheel drive and handled it pretty well. We started seeing cars in ditches through Kansas City and closer to Topeka. Somewhere along I-70, the kids fell asleep. We thought we would try to make it to Hays, Kansas, but as the winter weather kept up, the sun started going down, and we felt more tired, we decided to stop in Salina. We found a hotel with a pool and booked a room. Relief.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday</b> (Dec. 18)—We got up early and hit the road by 5 a.m. It was bitterly cold. The thermometer on the car was reading -17 degrees. It never gets that cold in Nashville. Ever. The average high in December is 49. But we felt refreshed and excited to get to Denver.<br />
<br />
The kids slept some more and the drive west was fairly uneventful. With the time change, we made it to Denver before lunch. Nate and his mom headed out right away to go to the Broncos game. We stayed at Nana Ruth's house, which is beautiful and has a lot of pottery and art and things kids shouldn't touch. Nate's dad (Lyle), Nana Ruth, and I decided to go to the mall with Elijah and Elsa so Elijah could run off some energy at the indoor playground.<br />
<br />
First we stopped for lunch. Elijah didn't eat much. Then we went to the playground. Nana Ruth and I sat with Elsa while Lyle watch Elijah run around with a few dozen other kids. It was one of those enclosed foam indoor playgrounds that have small slides and low obstacles to jump on and climb. I looked up to see Lyle motioning at me, so I walked over. (Elsa was in her Ergo, strapped to my chest.) Elijah was standing at his legs, and his outfit was covered in puke. There were big puddles of puke in two spots nearby.<br />
<br />
I grabbed a blanket from Elsa's diaper bag and wiped off Elijah's face and clothes. We used wipes to cover the puke so no one would step in it. I looked around for mall help. In Nashville, there's a kiosk near the kids' playground, but I saw nothing here at Cherry Creek. So I ducked into a shoe store and told the lady at the counter, "Um, someone just threw up on the playground and we don't know who to contact. Are you able to call mall security or something?" (Ha, not sure why I didn't own up to it being my kid who puked.) She said she could call someone.<br />
<br />
I went back to Lyle and Elijah. Lyle was trying to keep other kids out of the puke which was surprisingly difficult. Kids were running around without looking where they were going. We waited. I couldn't see anyone coming. Finally, I saw a janitor going by. He didn't seem aware of the situation, so I told him. Shortly afterward, two security guards showed up. We picked up our things and made our way back to the car.<br />
<br />
I needed diapers and baby food, so we stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I ran in and came back out to find that Elijah had puked again, all over himself and a little on his car seat. We made it home and I carried him upstairs to the bathroom for a bath. He snuggled the rest of the afternoon and then fell asleep for the evening. Nana Ruth's dog, Barney, laid next to him on the bed.<br />
<br />
On <b>Monday</b> (Dec. 19), we packed up our things and our cars and drove about 90 minutes west into the mountains. There was a huge cabin in Silverthorne where we would spend the next week at about 9,300 feet. (Denver—Mile-High City—is approximately 5,280 feet.) For comparison, Nashville sits around 800 feet. The cabin was beautiful. The mountains were beautiful. The snow was beautiful. We unloaded and the whole family arrived throughout the day: Nona, Papa, Nana, David, Andrew, Emily, Andy, Caitlin, Daniel, Evelyn, Michael, Ahnie, Ellie, and Sarah. <br />
<br />
----<br />
A year ago, I wrote this but never finished. The rest of the week in the mountains was marked by extreme nausea and altitude sickness (me), and norovirus (every.single.person. except Lisa, me, and Andy).<br />
<br />
When we flew back into Nashville close to midnight, our Lyft driver informed us we could not get in his car because <i>regardless of the fact that he was driving a <b>mini van</b>,<b> </b></i>we had "too many suitcases" and would need to request a different type of Lyft that would cost more. I tried to argue with him, pointing out that we could easily fit in his car. I wanted to cry but I think I just said, "Fine! We'll just take a taxi!" and directed Elijah who was walking and helped Nate drag our two car seats to the area where the taxis were lined up. We got in and made small talk with Mohammed until we got to our car, parked at our friends' house a few miles from the airport.<br />
<br />
We unloaded all of our stuff into the end-of-December-cold-night-air and Nate got in our car to start it and … nothing. The battery was dead. One of the doors didn't get shut all the way when we left it and now, a week later, it was dead. Mohammed tried to help us jump start it while I called our insurance company (Liberty Mutual has roadside assistance). The jump start wasn't working and we tried to insist that Mohammed could go on, but our roadside assistance alerted us that help would be on the way in approximately <b>45</b> minutes. We had two babies outside and were still miles from home. Our friends, whose house we had left our car at, weren't home.<br />
<br />
We decided the best route now was for Nate to stay and wait on assistance while Mohammed drove me and the kids the rest of the way home. We got home and I got out my credit card to pay the fare, and Mohammed refused to let me pay for the extra trip home. He helped me carry our suitcases up the stairs to the door. The kids were sleeping in their car seats, and we carried them inside. Then he left.<br />
<br />
A few minutes passed and I realized I was missing my backpack. I called Nate, who confirmed it wasn't in our car, and realized I had left it in the taxi. I'm pretty sure I was sobbing at this point over the misfortunes that wouldn't end. Well at some point in the jump starting attempts with the taxi, Mohammed had given Nate his business card. So Nate was able to call him and (our car was now jump started by roadside assistance) Nate met up with Mohammed in a Kroger parking lot to retrieve my backpack.<br />
<br />
I told Nate, "I'm never leaving Nashville again." Of course, that didn't happen but it is a case for why I don't enjoy traveling … so much can go wrong that you don't have control over and it's super stressful. Please come to visit us in Nashville instead. I will pay for your flight out. ;-)<br />
<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-22175976840538341132015-08-25T13:29:00.000-05:002015-08-25T13:29:26.033-05:00the one who suffered well.One of my favorite sermons: from <b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/kevincawley">Kevin Cawley</a></b> at <b><a href="http://www.redeemerkansascity.org/">Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City</a></b>. It was about Psalm 73:1-28 and suffering. If you don't have 40 minutes, listen to the 3 short minutes between 37:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15px;">–</span>40:16 after which Kevin pointed out that our hope should not be in doing ______ better. Fill in the blank. Put your hope in Christ. This is such good news.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><a href="http://redeemerkansascity.org/sermons/midtown/suffering-2/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Click here to listen to the sermon in its entirety.</span></a></i></div>
<br />
<blockquote>
Let me tell you about a friend of ours in our church network. Because I want us to hear not only is hope for us, and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">God’s good for us not in the absence of suffering but in the presence of God</span></b>, but what we need to realize as a church is <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">your hope will never be in suffering well</span></b>. Like I don’t want us to hear this psalm and go, “Oh, man. What I need to do is just kind of be satisfied in God; I just need to have a stiff upper lip. I just need to suffer well.” Because that will kill you too.<br />
<br />
This is a guy in our network who has planted a church just like this one. And the last couple years of his life have been hell. Absolute hell. He’s had health problems. His wife had insomnia to the point that she literally went insane and he had to instituationalize her against her wishes, with her pleading for him not to do it. He institutionalized his wife, and now he’s got to deal with his kids who are sick, and he’s sick, and a growing church. And he said, “I got to the point where like, I just realized I wasn’t suffering well. Like what had been pitched at me was, aren’t we just supposed to say, ‘Oh God, You’re my strength and you’re my portion forever’?” And he said, “That was a façade to me; I couldn’t say it anymore.”<br />
<br />
And he hit the second round of doubt. And so he said, “I wasn’t suffering well. I’m supposed to be a pastor. I’m going to stand on the stage a preach this; if I can’t do it, what should I do?” And so he resolved to kill himself. He said, “I’m not stupid. I found a way that I could end my own life and maintain life insurance for my family.” And so he drives out in his truck on his way to do it—cleaned his house, did everything appropriate, had called his assistance and said he wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day. He’s on his way to kill himself, saying, “Why should I go on? I’m not suffering well. God, I’m not saying that you’re my portion well enough; something’s broken in me.”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVz17xawGsviFE4VJ0OCtJ-Pi4-PR_dgnpwM85aErx-TjjrgjwZNo3WXUtwg7Qj0WGcvxg9B74LobpU8K_CHXKgZcyv4glVl4aPOPN3hP8DZEkzK5Rv2-NetKf0m-aE-deN4MxNLfORN_/s1600/51990_christ_cross_lg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVz17xawGsviFE4VJ0OCtJ-Pi4-PR_dgnpwM85aErx-TjjrgjwZNo3WXUtwg7Qj0WGcvxg9B74LobpU8K_CHXKgZcyv4glVl4aPOPN3hP8DZEkzK5Rv2-NetKf0m-aE-deN4MxNLfORN_/s320/51990_christ_cross_lg.gif" width="229" /></a>And as he drives to end his life, he says God literally—in his truck—spoke to him. And said, “Dude, call somebody. Why don’t you just call and ask for help?” And he’s like, “God, I can’t. I’m ashamed.” “Just call somebody! Ask for help! Why don’t you tell them what you’re dealing with?” “I can’t, God! I’m ashamed! I’m not suffering well!”<br />
<br />
And he said at that moment, the Spirit of God just spoke to him and said, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">“Don’t you understand? That’s why I sent my Son. Nobody suffers well. Your hope cannot be in you suffering well. Your hope can only be in Me suffering well on your behalf. That’s the gospel!”</span></b><br />
<br />
So we hear this and we say, “God, you are my portion! You’re enough for me! And even when I don’t do that well, I find hope in the fact that you sent your Son because I don’t do it well. You’re enough.” I find my hope—not in how well I suffer, so that people look at me and go, “Man, how does Cawley do that? He must be really holy.”<br />
<br />
No, the point is that none of us have anything. We don’t suffer well. Ashap didn’t suffer well, you don’t suffer well, no one suffers well. <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Our only hope is in finding our identity in the One who suffered well on our behalf.</span></b> That is the gospel message.</blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #cccccc;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #cccccc;"><i>Originally posted on 3/27/11</i></span>Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-57163156663571336712015-08-14T10:57:00.000-05:002015-08-14T10:57:05.053-05:00not shy; intentionally unobtrusive.Little E (16 months!) was running around the office at the end of the day yesterday. Nate dropped him by on his way to work. He does great with strangers when he's in familiar settings (like our house) but like most toddlers, if you drop him in a new place with new people, he takes awhile to warm up. He's feeling it out. Making sure it's safe.<br />
<br />
So I was maybe a little surprised when a (well-intentioned, I'm sure) coworker said, "Is he going to be shy like his Mama?"<br />
<br />
I'm not sure why, but I blurted out, "I hope not!"<br />
<br />
I wanted to take it back and defend myself: "I'm not shy." Or even defend Elijah. Who knows how his personality will shape over the next decade or two? What if he is like me? Is that such a bad thing?<br />
<br />
I'll admit, I did use to be shy—"having or showing nervousness or timidity in the company of other people." That accurately describes middle school and much of high school and college. I was nervous. I was unsure of myself. I lacked confidence. Shyness was a problem because it hindered me. It held me back. It paralyzed me. For me, shyness is negative, but I think what a lot of people recognize as shyness isn't shyness at all.<br />
<br />
The synonyms of the word <i>shy</i>—bashful, timid, sheepish, insecure, mousy, unconfident, self-conscious, embarrassed—do not describe who I am now.<br />
<br />
In the years of growing up—the last 6 or 7 years—of becoming an adult and moving to a new city and getting married, becoming a mother, and through that all learning about and treasuring and being changed by Jesus—the shyness dissipated. I learned to avoid unhelpful quietness. I learned to contribute as needed. I learned to fake confidence until I actually was confident.<br />
<br />
So to set the record straight, I am discreet. Reserved, but not in an anti-social way. It's not shyness. It's not anger or sadness or stuck-upness. It's a sitting back and observing. Deep thinking. Analyzing. Contentedness. Ever since Jesus saved me, I have had nothing to prove. It is a careful attentiveness, intentionally unobtrusive. I am usually careful about the words I choose to speak. I am confident and unembarrassed.<br />
<br />
Will E be like his Mama? Maybe. I'll love him and encourage him and give him a safe place to be himself. And if he's loud and talkative, I'll love him and encourage him and give him a safe place to be himself. No matter what.<br />
<br />
<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-88865290004543631882015-04-13T10:37:00.000-05:002015-04-13T10:37:13.979-05:00Elijah Ray: 1 year old.Today is Elijah's first birthday! We went up to St. Louis to visit Uncle Andy, Aunt Caitlin, and cousin Daniel. Aunt Erica and Uncle JR drove over from Columbia, and we were totally surprised by Nate's parents who came too!<br />
<br />
Saturday morning, we went out to Castlewood State Park and walked/hiked with the boys. Then we ate at Pi, which is one of my favorite St. Louis eateries. Especially after hiking.<br />
<br />
After lunch, we went to Forest Park. Lyle had two inflatable kayaks that we put out on the water. You can rent paddle boats (which we did last summer) so we weren't sure if bring-your-own-watercraft was allowed, but a police officer on a bike passed us a few times and didn't say anything.<br />
<br />
Daniel and Elijah lounged on a blanket, and climbed all over Erica. Then Elijah kissed Daniel. I almost melted. So sweet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6rUqEvVp3wtw1BmQZlloQjGDPKA7g8i-97YiUST-xr7b5f3VjBO8M1S8UlD4U9g1VEshzipNdP8hqw-sukLVh-6LpCCvryhvaNH8R_MflhCsMp7U5BrPWcVTBprh14-_bCxaWyVBW6z-/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6rUqEvVp3wtw1BmQZlloQjGDPKA7g8i-97YiUST-xr7b5f3VjBO8M1S8UlD4U9g1VEshzipNdP8hqw-sukLVh-6LpCCvryhvaNH8R_MflhCsMp7U5BrPWcVTBprh14-_bCxaWyVBW6z-/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kisses for cousin Daniel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Sunday, Caitlin hosted an awesome birthday party for Elijah at Shaw Park. Elijah did not want to eat cake, but Daniel was glad to step in for cleanup. These boys! Elijah is a bit cautious and Daniel has no reservations. So we joke, "Give it to Daniel; he'll eat anything!" or "Let Daniel try. He'll do anything!"<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYDxPQSysw8VuCdam7Qhk_4CSZu74sH1qLHJtixl2cLV4n0-kD20uowKoNGW6J5m88XtK-QFUeO89DEhy8os9pZ_GpwKqJhwNoJPdym_XxTEQ5XTMdNynCsAoVZJT7RgS1pg6_DiN85hK/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYDxPQSysw8VuCdam7Qhk_4CSZu74sH1qLHJtixl2cLV4n0-kD20uowKoNGW6J5m88XtK-QFUeO89DEhy8os9pZ_GpwKqJhwNoJPdym_XxTEQ5XTMdNynCsAoVZJT7RgS1pg6_DiN85hK/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday boy sporting a forehead bruise from falling into a chair leg the night before.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz6nsJN7C_NsT-gZ52yfGaNpaUosi2LcxfjAT0Cr2w7QM5JxuQbBXvFt05V8l5Y3fb9pHXVxYhev2Za7oHs1CewcGG7MIyJ1rkCS4EZuy5qDj7RA1oIyPxe6mBbS5M8HDTbNNAaj797dH/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz6nsJN7C_NsT-gZ52yfGaNpaUosi2LcxfjAT0Cr2w7QM5JxuQbBXvFt05V8l5Y3fb9pHXVxYhev2Za7oHs1CewcGG7MIyJ1rkCS4EZuy5qDj7RA1oIyPxe6mBbS5M8HDTbNNAaj797dH/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah's party was themed after one of his favorite books, <i>Chicka Chicka Boom Boom</i>.<br />
(which might be second only to <i>Where's My Nose?</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvVCtCYBqWA7mQ1Zje7EppRZ0Qe3R-eRdXmSkI6vo0QEL-R9scbmH6Nxa-SaxDoPRqQU8z9Xfp-vSyt2hpyWzWC9C8HdBsCX2V5HZC7lFANbHX-WHn_DL50sIMsJf0l7ziOdkXWhwrZ62/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvVCtCYBqWA7mQ1Zje7EppRZ0Qe3R-eRdXmSkI6vo0QEL-R9scbmH6Nxa-SaxDoPRqQU8z9Xfp-vSyt2hpyWzWC9C8HdBsCX2V5HZC7lFANbHX-WHn_DL50sIMsJf0l7ziOdkXWhwrZ62/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah loves balloons!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS5iFT6xYbNpbo_sU-Umip0VdJ07Qm_ATZ3MzZRSObSJXoQf13sAtJS9vpkHP5HBRHbBJvuNouucBSqCmSuz-s4pRu20tahMu7ejWDXuKqQJJkGIgArZjMJf4eezBRTCMxF1v-7uzd_5u/s1600/IMG_1582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS5iFT6xYbNpbo_sU-Umip0VdJ07Qm_ATZ3MzZRSObSJXoQf13sAtJS9vpkHP5HBRHbBJvuNouucBSqCmSuz-s4pRu20tahMu7ejWDXuKqQJJkGIgArZjMJf4eezBRTCMxF1v-7uzd_5u/s1600/IMG_1582.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the drive home, Elijah read one of his new books.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Elijah did really well on the way home. He slept some, only cried when he needed a diaper change, and was generally happy—which makes driving 5 to 6 hours a lot less stressful for Mom. I really want to make time to put together a book of photos from his first year and reflect a little more in writing. First birthday feels somewhat like a celebration that Nate and I did it. We survived! By the grace of God. It's been a blast. Love you, Elijah-boo.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-62905394146658107572015-03-31T08:12:00.002-05:002015-03-31T08:13:05.800-05:00almost one.We are less than two weeks away from being parents to a 1-year-old. I was telling Nate over lunch on Sunday that if I had to pick one word to describe the past year besides "awesome," it would be "exhausting." Nate said, "Yeah, but you wouldn't have it any other way."<br />
<br />
He's right. I would take exhausted with Elijah over well-rested and no baby any day. He is so, so fun. And most of the time, he is a happy little guy. Even when he's not, it is never a burden. Never an inconvenience. We have no regrets of receiving this gift from the Lord. When Elijah was born, Nate said, "I don't ever want to go back to life-without-Elijah." I whole-heartedly agree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MrqalRE7sMNjAcnQgToMWdtGfZSDI7zu_JD-2LUcviMujZUOi3FNhGgEpDXVPMAF07GQXRHf84fehkzqNkShsjdl7jSPWn8TWsTLQYFIGssxJV6FKSbMDgYEeFrHhfLYVAceTZ5ZmU3t/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-30+at+9.03.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MrqalRE7sMNjAcnQgToMWdtGfZSDI7zu_JD-2LUcviMujZUOi3FNhGgEpDXVPMAF07GQXRHf84fehkzqNkShsjdl7jSPWn8TWsTLQYFIGssxJV6FKSbMDgYEeFrHhfLYVAceTZ5ZmU3t/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-30+at+9.03.42+AM.png" height="640" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caught ya!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the last week, Elijah has taken up walking—and he is pretty good at it! He still crawls mostly because it is so much faster, but it's super cute to see him pull up on the wall and let go and then proceed across the room in what our friend describes as "the drunken zombie." Of course walking comes with falling, and falling with tears and bruised leggies and sometimes a bruised face. But we help him up and he's back at it again.<br />
<br />
Our house has been on the market for a few days, so we have been trying to stay out of the way while people come through for showings. We were out of the house all weekend, so Saturday I took Elijah to the downtown library for a puppet show. It was great! The show was definitely better for older kids who can sit still for 15–20 minutes, but Elijah did fine. We made friends with a 10-month-old named Harley and caught up with our friends Molly and Eli.<br />
<br />
I like taking Elijah to places with other kids. He usually loves being around other people and watching them or interacting, and I'm loving and appreciating that other parents are almost always <i>so nice</i>. Like in an "we're-all-in-this-together" kind of way. We're all tired and challenged and loving it.<br />
<br />
In the beginning, I think I wasn't sure how it would be nursing Elijah to 1 year. That was my goal. And well, we are still going strong with no sign of stopping. Mostly this is because Elijah doesn't self feed. He doesn't want to put things in his mouth. (So teaching a sippy cup has been a flop. He just throws it on the floor.) He eats purees fine, as long as they aren't too thick. Otherwise he gags or gets this terrible look on his face and pushes it out with his tongue.<br />
<br />
So we are working on it, trying and introducing new textures and thicknesses. His sitter is on board with helping him practice every day. We will address it with his pediatrician at his 12-month appt., but our friend who is an occupational therapist says it's a bit too early to worry too much about it. I've still been worrying since about 8 months, but I told Nate that someday we will say, "Remember when we thought Elijah would never eat?"<br />
<br />
We aren't exactly sure how we will celebrate Elijah's first birthday. He probably won't eat cake, but from the couple of licks I've shared, I know he loves ice cream. :-) We might be able to make the trip up to STL that for another Cousin Camp and to see my sister and brother-in-law. Elijah and Daniel haven't been together since Christmas, so a visit is long overdue!Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-87754237538560602082015-03-26T13:38:00.001-05:002015-03-26T13:38:25.520-05:00Elijah: 11 monthsI am totally unprepared for our baby to turn 1 year old! He is getting so big, so fast. It is so fun to watch him learn new things. He is on the verge of walking and talking. So exciting! Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Elijah at 11 months old.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUohDQdvrg7bSTVTlVo2RL7dNA6DLHJQb1cTQ2HqWXBAYbYq96O7OxZvFnxjQ09yds1ZkKnGri99JE5KG8N5Uh64BUOcHSZcnua8oZ7aqoOQFwDSHJinb9bmVs0wPvikaCkcrdRisVpgZ/s1600/IMG_1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUohDQdvrg7bSTVTlVo2RL7dNA6DLHJQb1cTQ2HqWXBAYbYq96O7OxZvFnxjQ09yds1ZkKnGri99JE5KG8N5Uh64BUOcHSZcnua8oZ7aqoOQFwDSHJinb9bmVs0wPvikaCkcrdRisVpgZ/s1600/IMG_1943.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He is learning how to high-five. Also, I made some blueberries+pears+banana for him. Yum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKndXuLh7TYPG7iHGq3XAh_xSaTqtB71oPLtizORckw9VMWnzQklWEsPzNrg8rhZGaI3d2s2a6ILZKrmo6bqcikEN7zjDWJXDlhaXdncHDfecE7zaoyQIoIEWHEaFN0xiBt2c_aO6XSOU/s1600/IMG_1953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKndXuLh7TYPG7iHGq3XAh_xSaTqtB71oPLtizORckw9VMWnzQklWEsPzNrg8rhZGaI3d2s2a6ILZKrmo6bqcikEN7zjDWJXDlhaXdncHDfecE7zaoyQIoIEWHEaFN0xiBt2c_aO6XSOU/s1600/IMG_1953.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah LOVES Otis. He loves wrestling him. Otis is very tolerant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmmB0xQP4_p9SVl-nKwMzCbGgonGlim_8quV-zgAXDzy-CvsO8VxgMUtDpnp1nNVYK6C-RZSGpNLcSQQ6P_QPrD89J8o8cmVV7Mtqy07i9F1TZl5CgprId_pIeyfXOiSrJc2p35_e0FcQ/s1600/IMG_1961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmmB0xQP4_p9SVl-nKwMzCbGgonGlim_8quV-zgAXDzy-CvsO8VxgMUtDpnp1nNVYK6C-RZSGpNLcSQQ6P_QPrD89J8o8cmVV7Mtqy07i9F1TZl5CgprId_pIeyfXOiSrJc2p35_e0FcQ/s1600/IMG_1961.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah used to cry when I put him in the cart, but now he's getting the hang of it. Love running errands with this guy.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB2T9VFw3fK9C-pSLpS9aWlNFrIF2dUn6126f0m2ZH3QTNfj4G9LBO451qJ4W1FHJWcetxNRMmv8Hz_oeKev8NVKSBeNs0O7kc9Rlek5uEGDYc2aQoTvL3bkZ0tFbr4v8oCgAOoeMepYn/s1600/IMG_1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB2T9VFw3fK9C-pSLpS9aWlNFrIF2dUn6126f0m2ZH3QTNfj4G9LBO451qJ4W1FHJWcetxNRMmv8Hz_oeKev8NVKSBeNs0O7kc9Rlek5uEGDYc2aQoTvL3bkZ0tFbr4v8oCgAOoeMepYn/s1600/IMG_1982.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves "typing" (pounding, banging, grabbing). Silly boy.</td></tr>
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<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-6878243538851275442015-03-26T13:21:00.000-05:002015-03-26T13:21:03.082-05:00flight out.<div class="tr_bq">
A note I typed into my phone as I sat on the plane to KC. Elijah and I went back to Kansas at the end of February to attend my grandpa's funeral. I haven't had much time to write, but Elijah is almost one now and I'd like to get back to it, even if it's just journal-style.</div>
<blockquote>
<i>I took Lyft to the airport. $14, including tip. My driver (Dustin) was a former Marine. Grew up in Nashville. Married, no kids. Recently returned from 2 years overseas. I told him I work at LifeWay. His Sunday School teacher is Lynn Prior. Small world. He goes to Lipscomb and is reading McClaren, skeptically. He gave me his card so I can contact him to get a ride when I fly home. I was his last trip of the day. He helped install the car seat. A good Lyft experience.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Airport went smoothly. Hardest part was lugging the 25-lb. car seat all the way to the gate. Note to self: get wheels for that thing! I am going to be so sore tomorrow. I need a good body massage!</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>E has given everyone—counter agents, TSA, other fliers, and flight attendants—the biggest, cutest smiles when they talk to him. TSA carried the car seat through security, and a dad carried it down the jetway for me. (He said he had two little ones and his wife would be angry if he didn't offer to help another parent.)</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Next to our gate (C-18) I found a family restroom/lactation room and we camped there for 20 min. E got a fresh diaper. A good find.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>A couple people asked me about my red gate check bag. A grandma whose daughter was nervous about traveling alone with a 2 year old asked me about my experience. I told her most people are helpful or probably would be if you just ask.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>E was the biggest wiggle worm while we took off. It was past his bedtime though and they dimmed the cabin lights so I finally got him to nurse and by 8:20 he is out. A strain on my right arm but he sure is precious when he sleeps.</i></blockquote>
<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-87441429595180280832015-02-23T13:24:00.000-06:002015-03-26T13:25:01.696-05:00funeral for yesterday.We gathered in the garden where the morning glories popped
their blameless faces into the early sun—blanched white, streaked with
tears of blue.<br />
<br />
When the people stopped looking at
their shoes and digging trenches in the grass with their toes, I picked
up my guitar and began to sing.<br />
<br />
We’ll dress in black and hail the rain,<br />
and when it falls, we’ll mourn and pray.<br />
Time shows no mercy to those who wait.<br />
A funeral for yesterday.<br />
<br />
The people here are sheep, a congregation of uncomfortable
nervousness. Their big eyes are watching for something they do not
know. Each one’s instinct suggests that all is lost. They bleat, unaware
of what exactly for. <br />
<br />
I cry for them. Then I hold tight to my guitar and sing.<br />
<br />
Here is the spot we will surround<br />
as daylight fades into the ground.<br />
Our candles light the solemn shroud.<br />
A funeral for yesterday.<br />
<br />
Six years ago I stood in this very place. It was
different then. I knew nothing of the dulling ache when seconds, minutes
made things change. The man-made pond held its breath when it slept. I
might have mistaken it for fresh plot of fertile earth. The stars were
loyal companions for a time.<br />
<br />
The message came through a solitary beep. Quiet, but deafening. I couldn't take it back, even though I wanted to. After that night, I picked up the guitar and sang.<br />
<br />
What’s gone is gone and we’ll survive.<br />
This gathering’s for those alive.<br />
We leave it there and go inside.<br />
A funeral for yesterday. <br />
<br />
We gathered in the garden where the flowers did not
grieve. Here the people missed the past and dwelled, determined to pull a
lesson from the forgotten and futile incidents of their grade school
years. In vain. They all looked up when I paused the melody. I slowly
sipped the water from my cup and thought on what had still remained.<br />
<br />
I cannot play guitar at all. My fingers fear the nylon
string. But without it I’d feel too alone, so I just hold it here and
sing.<br />
<br />
The dawn’s a shaky lullaby<br />
that no strong will can yet defy.<br />
We’ll make amends to the infant sky. <br />
A funeral for yesterday.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-45421605772963371552014-10-28T13:16:00.001-05:002014-10-28T13:16:36.047-05:00Baby E at 6 months.Oh, has it been two months since I've posted? Well, Elijah is now 6.5 months old and just exploding in development. It's amazing and so much fun. He is eating baby food, sleeping long stretches (one night it was 8.5 hours and it was awwwesome!), rolling over, sitting up, and making new noises. Still on vowel sounds, but I know those consonants will come soon enough.<br />
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My heart just melts looking at this pic (and a bunch more I took on this particular day … and honestly every pic of Elijah haha). I miss him so much during the day. He is a big boy! At his 6-month checkup, he weighed in at 21 lbs., 1.5 oz (95th percentile) and was 28.5 inches long (97th percentile)! He is wearing 12-month size clothes.<br />
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This week he has had a little cold and haaaates when I try to wipe his nose with anything—warm washcloth, dry tissue, soft blanket. But he loves baths so we get those crusties off that way. We also got a cold mist humidifier for his room which seems to help.<br />
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We love him! Like a lot!Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-64744474472226749642014-08-25T13:22:00.001-05:002014-08-25T13:27:50.732-05:00bathtime is our favorite.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjAtTrrKFj7OZDsatNMSU_2hPcW6pn01q93iBq455IYonQ5h9z_GTen9_hdzGemTZcxr_kVie9gW_fOn2bJr6lBV_DqwFyMtxm1j1F5EF0wZ0d1Motbf2l4scIX5XXywhHKVnS5SUI80N/s1600/photoE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjAtTrrKFj7OZDsatNMSU_2hPcW6pn01q93iBq455IYonQ5h9z_GTen9_hdzGemTZcxr_kVie9gW_fOn2bJr6lBV_DqwFyMtxm1j1F5EF0wZ0d1Motbf2l4scIX5XXywhHKVnS5SUI80N/s1600/photoE.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah Ray at 19 weeks (4.5 mos)</td></tr>
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Our sweet, sweet baby boy. We love him so much! </div>
Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-80453873106320318462014-08-05T19:51:00.000-05:002014-08-05T19:51:10.220-05:00elijah ray: almost 4 months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My baby is already growing out of so many clothes and my maternity leave is almost over! Where has the summer gone? So thankful that our childcare plans have lined up. We will miss having family visiting. Life is about to get even busier so keep your expectations low on how often this blog gets updated. :-)Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-16821667163682042252014-06-17T16:54:00.003-05:002014-06-17T16:54:48.610-05:002 months old.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Elijah is 2 months old now! Like 9 weeks and some days, but I think I'll just start counting months. He's been napping for 2.5 hours, so I'll type quickly. He should be waking up soon.</div>
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I might be biased, but he is SO CUTE! We share a Photo Stream with our family and literally have more than 2,500 photos posted since his birth. Check these out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkw1ih1r4J6JNwh6PJAmvHKvLCZ2Bn1KHlHfE4dVzMtGArKZMnbzQcpAtFYaoDZdXhw1Kf7X2wPrfoMg-Ull_WBlUwBlZywmabwt7OfxwyrCmq7y93Ui0UtIr0Dqq8qFpkFgL-adOOcSlV/s1600/IMG_1633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkw1ih1r4J6JNwh6PJAmvHKvLCZ2Bn1KHlHfE4dVzMtGArKZMnbzQcpAtFYaoDZdXhw1Kf7X2wPrfoMg-Ull_WBlUwBlZywmabwt7OfxwyrCmq7y93Ui0UtIr0Dqq8qFpkFgL-adOOcSlV/s1600/IMG_1633.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Elijah has so many facial expressions. Plus he is starting to chub up a bit. Those little leg rolls! We are kind of getting into a routine/schedule. Mostly sleeping and eating with an hour or two of awake time in between. I like to read to him (just finished A.A. Milne's <i>The World of Christopher Robin</i> … great poetry!) or listen to music and sing. (We love <i>Rain for Roots</i>.)<br />
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And since 6 weeks, Elijah has been SMILING! Adorable. He is doing it more often now. Mostly for me, but Nate got him to crack a grin this morning. Elijah loves looking at himself in the mirror, napping in his swing, sleeping in the car (as long as we're moving), and listening to me read books.<br />
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Oh, and baths. He loves baths! When I was pregnant, I hoped he would because I thought bathtime would be a fun time, and I looked forward to it. He loves the water. Plus this hippo hooded towel. I mean, c'mon!<br />
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This week we nailed down a babysitter for when I go back to work in August. Praise the Lord! What an answer to prayer. We found someone who is close to us, can work with our schedule needs, and has a little boy of her own. So thankful. It'll be huge to be able to go back to work knowing Elijah is in good hands.<br />
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We love him!Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-61644983666823530962014-05-21T15:03:00.004-05:002014-05-21T15:04:06.188-05:00bath time.Elijah is 5½ weeks old now. He has been on many outings around Nashville, is a generally good sleeper at night (though alert most of the day when he'd like to do nothing but eat), and he loves bath time. I am very glad about this because when I was pregnant, I imagined bath time would be fun. I'm sure some babies hate it and scream through it, but Elijah is a little water bug. And he's pretty stinkin' cute.<br />
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<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-67693560286542367342014-04-30T21:48:00.000-05:002014-05-01T12:31:20.974-05:00Elijah's birth.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Elijah (5 days old) at his first pediatrician appt.</td></tr>
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Elijah is two and a half weeks old now. He's currently sleeping in his pack-n-play. Nate is off to an officer's meeting at church and I've collapsed on the couch after cleaning out the fridge/freezer of old or expired food and then cleaning some (but not all) of the dishes.<br />
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The first weeks of parenthood have been a blur. Our weekends include visitors but during the week we take it super easy—spending time with Elijah: sleeping in until 10 if he does (that's after being up at 12, 2, and 6), trying to get out for a brief mid-day adventure (he sleeps like a rock in the car seat), and then home again for seemingly <a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing/" target="_blank">innumerable feedings</a> and diaper changes. We are in love.<br />
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Shortly after we got home from the hospital, I typed out what I could remember of Elijah's birth. All the details in a very non-poetic way. Little sleep affects my ability to write coherently, but I wanted to record the details. Let's be honest, though. You don't need to hear all the graphic details. But his birth was not what we were expecting, so here's the semi-condensed version.<br />
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Elijah's due date was originally April 12, but based on measurements during the early ultrasound, they calculated his due date to be a week later: April 19. By early April, I felt ready and anxious to meet our little boy. Any day would be just fine with me.<br />
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April 12 was a Saturday. I think Nate worked most of the day and came home in the evening. I had spent a lot of the day trying to get things cleaned up around the house. Elijah's room had stacks of books in it. We hadn't finished preparing it; it had been Nate's study/library. I didn't know where to put all the books. I ended up putting many of them in totes and found a place (attic, box, or trash/recycle). Nate got home and I was still working hard. He said, "Honey, why don't you go to bed? We can finish this up tomorrow." I had already planned to lounge/nap after church on Sunday. "No, I'll finish. I don't want to have to do this tomorrow." Hindsight is 20/20: This was classic "nesting."<br />
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On Sunday, I woke up around 6. I felt the first contraction around 6:30—a tightening at the front of my abdomen, like period cramps. Googling. I had never had Braxton-Hicks contractions during pregnancy, and I always assumed I would just <i>know</i> when I was actually in labor. I didn't know, so I wondered if this was false labor. Some early practice contractions. Labor could be many hours or even days away.<br />
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Nate and I got up and showered. He got ready to go to church early to handle coffee and go to his Porterbrook class. I would join him later. I got ready and ate breakfast, trying to figure out if there was any regularity to the contractions. Our instructions from the hospital was to come or call if the contractions lasted 60 seconds or more <i style="font-weight: bold;">and</i> were difficult to endure <i style="font-weight: bold;">and</i> had been like that for 2 hours. All of our friends had advised staying home as long as possible because laboring at home was easier than laboring at the hospital, and they might send you home. Everything we heard made us expect a labor that could last 20 hours. So this was supposedly just the beginning.<br />
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The contractions seemed to come more frequently. Around 8:30 a.m., I started timing them on an app. Five minutes apart. Sometimes four minutes. I tried breathing through each one and they were really starting to hurt! I thought, <i>If this is just the beginning of labor, I am the biggest wimp! I take back everything I said about having a high pain tolerance!</i> Then I texted Nate and said, "Can you come home after Porterbrook? Even if this isn't the real thing, I can't handle the pain alone." Nate called immediately and I started to cry. He came home right away.<br />
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I was trying to breathe and move around. No position helped. Nothing helped the pain, and it was getting worse. Nate came in the door and looked at the app. Contractions were two to three minutes apart. He didn't say so at the time, but he assumed the app was broken or I was just trigger-happy in starting/stopping it. I told him I wanted to go to the hospital. Maybe they could at least get some epidural started or some other pain meds. I needed something; I was starting to despair. "I can't do this!"<br />
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My hospital bag was mostly packed, but I had nothing for Nate. He pulled things together as I tried telling him what we still needed to pack. He loaded things into the car. I wanted to go <i>now</i>, but kept pausing. <i>After this contraction, I'll go</i>. Then another would start and I'd need to wait it out. Our friend Amy had told me to stay home until you aren't sure you can ride in the car. I had no idea how I'd ride in the car with pain like this. I started contemplating an ambulance.<br />
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Finally, I got shoes on and hurried to the car. I was in a tank top and shorts but my appearance was the least of my concerns. I had to close my eyes through the contractions, and in the car I just kept them closed. I didn't want to see the road or how long it was taking to get to Vanderbilt. I leaned the seat back and tried to get semi-comfortable, and then I'd shout: "Starting!" and Nate would start timing the app, and then I'd finally say, "Okay, okay. Over."<br />
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When we got to Vanderbilt, we tried to find the entrance they told us to go to when we took the childbirth class. We didn't have time to park in the East Garage. I told Nate to just valet the car. The first entrance we went to didn't have valet. I said, "Just run in and tell them we need a wheelchair!" Nate did, and they told him to go in through the ER. So we did. A lady came out with a wheelchair and I got in, leaned back (against her, I think) and closed my eyes, breathing and contracting and in a lot of pain. They rushed me to triage and told me I could stop using the app. That was 10:15 a.m.<br />
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A doctor (or nurse?) gave me a gown to put on and checked me. "You're 9 centimeters."<br />
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Wut.<br />
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"What?" I asked. Had I heard her right? "9 centimeters," she said.<br />
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Another nurse asked if I wanted to go to the delivery room in a wheelchair or on the gurney. "I can't move," I said. So they pushed me down the hall on the gurney, and then helped me onto the delivery bed. I kept my eyes closed. It hurt. Nate tells me the room flooded with nurses and doctors. The midwife on call introduced herself. A nurse stood to my left and Nate was at my right. I told the nurse on the left, "I want epidural." I think she said, "I know, honey." I didn't know Nate had already told them I had planned on epidural. They told him, "Uh … we'll see." Instead, they tried to quickly find a vein and start an IV to administer any pain meds they could, but they had a lot of trouble finding a vein. Stuck me four times and pulled off my sock to look at my feet/ankles for one before hitting it in my left hand.<br />
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They told me I was going to start pushing. How in the world? We hadn't told anyone we were even heading to the hospital. Admissions had handed Nate a bunch of papers to fill out but they sat blank. What a surprise this would be. I remember I was thirsty and asked more than once for water, and a nurse said no. I started to shout/moan through the pain. The nurse at my side was firm with me. She told me not to make a noise, to focus all my energy on pushing. Her directions were helpful, and Nate repeated them. I heard Nate more than the nurse, and I remember thinking, <i>What is Nate talking about? How does he know what I'm supposed to be doing?</i><br />
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I made a few attempts at pushing. Then they said that I wasn't making much progress, and they were worried about the baby's heart rate dropping. They asked if we'd be okay with them assisting with forceps. We had heard about forceps during our birthing class and had talked about how we didn't love the idea, but at this point we trusted the doctors to do what was necessary and I was thinking, <i>Do whatever you have to do to get him out!</i><br />
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Before long, I felt relief as Elijah entered the world (at 10:46 a.m. … about 30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital). They briefly set him on my stomach before moving him away to clean him up and suction out some meconium he had apparently swallowed while in the womb. Then they brought him back to me. I was tired but couldn't believe it was over and our baby boy was here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy and Elijah after moving into our recovery room</td></tr>
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The nurses told Nate I was a rockstar for delivering him without any pain meds, especially with forceps assistance which they said is not often done without epidural. They said, "What's your favorite meal?" I laid back, exhausted. "Steak," I said, "…and cheesecake." I guess they asked that to say that's the kind of meal I deserved because nutrition brought me a turkey sandwich for lunch.<br />
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I had inadvertently joined the "natural birth club." Though I am very thankful everything went like it did and labor was quick, if I have the option next time I am going for the epidural. And we will try to get to the hospital as soon as I feel anything that even slightly resembles labor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Elijah Raymond Jones</td></tr>
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We're figuring out parenthood a day at a time. We love it. To quote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Motherhood-Everything-Never-Expected/dp/1414387857" target="_blank">Lisa-Jo Baker</a>'s three things she learned about being a mother: "Motherhood is hard. Motherhood is glorious. Motherhood is hard." What an adventure it will be.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-43480014551516115172014-04-19T15:37:00.001-05:002014-04-19T15:38:09.929-05:00introducing …Elijah Raymond Jones is here! Today is his due date, but he was born Sunday, April 13, 2014, weighing in at 7 lbs, 6 oz. We are tired and overjoyed. The birth was a whirlwind. Contractions began at 6:30 a.m., and he was born at 10:46 a.m. … 30 minutes after we got to the hospital. No time for any pain meds or epidural. Not at all what we expected, but the experience at Vanderbilt was great and we can't believe this gift of grace. We are smitten. More later.<br />
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<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-63140443250675765302014-04-10T08:26:00.000-05:002014-04-10T08:26:43.291-05:0038.5<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bump at 38.5 weeks</td></tr>
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I got a haircut! It had been way too long. Tuesday after work, I went to <a href="http://stylekitchennashville.com/" target="_blank">Style Kitchen</a>. I had been once before, a year or two ago, so I knew what to expect and it wasn't intimidating at all. I basically told the stylist I wanted something easy to manage with a baby. It's much easier to get ready in the mornings. I like it.<br />
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Also, the bump at 38.5 weeks. I'm 9 days away from due date, and I am so ready. Not completely; I mean, there's plenty of cleaning/organizing/decluttering we could still do around the house. But we'd be ready if Baby Jones came anytime. I have my weekly check-up at lunchtime today, but so far no signs of any progress. No contractions. Some nausea and lots of uncomfortableness.<br />
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Baby E is a mover and shaker, mostly first thing in the morning and in the mid-afternoon/evening. He hasn't woken me up moving in the night, so hopefully that means he has the right sleep schedule already figured out! :)<br />
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<br />Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-72131188210439382762014-04-05T14:43:00.002-05:002014-04-05T14:43:36.406-05:00dos meses mas.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from 37.5 weeks</td></tr>
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Here's a bump photo from a few days ago. Today I am officially 38 weeks. No signs of impending labor, but we are ready to meet Baby E. I guess he's giving us time to get some more things done on the to-do list.<br />
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One thing I'd really like to do is get my hair cut, but I don't know where to go. I am not super "stylish"; hair salons in Nashville are so intimidating, and I don't want to spend $50 at a place that makes me feel like I don't belong there … I am so not the type of person who hugs her hair stylist! (I had a bad experience at a place that was so unwelcoming; I actually walked out 20 min. after my appt was supposed to start and hadn't yet. No one was friendly.) So I'm looking for recommendations. I need a few inches off because I can't spend 30 minutes drying and straightening my hair when we have a baby.<br />
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Also, as they do every spring, the weeds are taking over our yard. Usually I'm out there spraying the whole front and back yards with weed killer this time of year, but that's probably not safe while pregnant. So if anyone comes out to visit and wants something to do, you could kill the clover and dandelions. I'll buy the weedkiller and give you the garden hoses. Seriously 15 minutes start-to-finish to spray down the whole yard. Consider it. :) I think now that I've lived in Nashville five years, I should have by now just torn up the yard and planted some grass (I think we literally have none). Though it's high on my "wish list," these days it's just not high on the priority list.<br />
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Last night was date night. Nate and I went to Maggiano's with a gift card and spent all but 7 cents! Since it was our first time there, our server brought us a sample of fried zucchini. Mmmm. I am also a big fan of Italian bread dipped in olive oil/Parmesan/black pepper/vinaigrette. Plus we came home with at least two meals worth of pasta and chicken parmesan. So good. I was so full.<br />
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We planned on going to the movies to see <i>Noah</i> but had some time to kill, so we walked around the Green Hills mall. Of course we ended up at the Apple store. I've had my iPhone 4S for quite awhile. I became eligible for an upgrade in November. Figured I really didn't <i>need</i> to spend $199 for the 5S. Sure, it's lighter and has a better camera. We figured we'd go ahead and get the upgrade for me.<br />
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The girl helping us out reminded us that Apple has a recycling program so you can trade in your old phone. She inspected mine (no damage; I have never broken a phone), entered some info into their system … and said, "Wow! Looks like we can offer you $199 for your 4S." That's more than a lot of 4S phones are going for on CL or eBay! So basically for the upgrade, I just had to pay tax which was less than $20. Sweet!<br />
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Anyway, by the time we got done, we were feeling a little tired and decided to postpone our movie plans. We went home and Nate tried out some home roasting of coffee. He had some green coffee beans, and we got a popcorn air popper that he used to roast them. It made a mess but worked great and this morning he made coffee with them. I'm not a coffee drinker, but the beans smelled really good after degassing overnight. He's going to experiment with variables and learn to roast his own perfect coffee.<br />
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Nate's working today, so I'm taking it easy. Enjoyed orange sweet rolls and tea this morning with Nate. Just doing laundry and a little vacuuming, and some reading. Watching Final Four tonight. and waiting on baby.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-4002029649966158662014-04-01T16:28:00.000-05:002014-04-01T16:28:10.295-05:0037+3<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bump from 36.5 weeks</td></tr>
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April is here, and Baby Jones' due date is in April. Whaaaat. April 19. We're on the final countdown. <br />
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This evening I'm hoping to install the car seat and get a hospital bag packed. There are a bajillion lists on the Internet suggesting what to pack in a hospital bag, but fortunately I found a more simple list from Vanderbilt. Basically those are the last essentials and I'll be ready to get this show on the road. I've been sleeping horribly, like 3–4 hours last night, which people say is just preparation for baby. Fair enough, but at least I'll have a baby to care for and some time off work so I can be super tired at home and not sitting at my desk trying to write and edit.<br />
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We have some organizing/cleaning that needs to be done but it's mostly "ideally we'll get this done" and not so much "we have to get this done." Nate reminds me not to worry about the stuff that doesn't really matter. I think it was Sunday morning that I woke up feeling overwhelmed and he said, "You just worry about being pregnant." I wailed, "You mean I can't worry about the weeds in the yard?" (This time of year I'm usually out dumping weed killer on our grassless yard. Thankfully our neighbor Kevin just mowed everything down yesterday.) We did make some big progress organizing Saturday and took a huge box of clothes to Goodwill. I just gotta remind myself that now is not the time to worry about whether or not we need a new roof or our house needs painted or that big tree in the front yard needs trimmed. It can wait.<br />
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This is the first week that Nashville actually feels like spring. 70s all week. Yesterday after work I went to the zoo to walk for about an hour. I hadn't seen the kangaroo exhibit that opened last fall. It's cool; you can walk around where the kangaroos are and thus potentially pet one—but you have to stay on the path and yesterday all of the kangaroos were laying in the grass taking naps so I didn't even get close to touching one.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-32344954128700452332014-03-24T10:23:00.001-05:002014-03-24T10:23:34.595-05:00assembly required.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Friday night, in between basketball games, Nate and his dad got to work putting together our new dresser/changing table. We ordered it from Target and it shipped from Quebec, Canada. We knew it had arrived because we heard the FedEx Ground guy literally dragging the 120-pound package up the driveway and sidewalk … without a dolly.<br />
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The box contained a bazillion parts, and it was probably the most complicated piece of furniture to put together. I helped by reading the directions, which had over 40 steps. They finished 5 to 6 hours later, close to midnight. And there were some screws that required a Robertson screwdriver. I had never even heard of that before, but these screws had squared heads. Fortunately I found a bit set at Walmart on Saturday that included three square bits—a whole package of bits for just 97 cents. It did the job to finish tightening those last screws. <br />
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Ta-da! It is very sturdy and exactly what we needed. Storage for clothes and blankets and diapers and wipes. And a place for a changing pad. The little top piece comes off so it could be used as a normal dresser too—which is good because after the assembly process, Nate said, "He's using this until he's 18."<br />
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Our second bedroom/nursery/former study is still a disaster zone. We can't quite figure out where to put all the books. We can put some in the attic, but still want to have access to most of them. I really need to do a big spring cleaning and take a car load of stuff to Goodwill and recycle or trash some things too. Lots of organizing and decluttering, which I feel like I have zero energy to do right now. Nate told me to give him a honey-do list which I will gladly do. :)<br />
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I'm now 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant; Easter weekend is coming up fast! We have friends who were four weeks early and some who were a couple weeks late, so who knows when this baby will make his entrance! Tonight I'm meeting a pediatrician and this week begins the weekly check-ups with the doctor. We can't wait but I also think we will never quite feel ready.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-47340037408829448932014-03-20T09:44:00.000-05:002014-03-20T09:44:15.923-05:00day trip: chattanooga.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNAsJoh7DpOWzxB9teIns-xn_EcIEx0V7M64CEdaww1kL6m_7E1VbGUVEhPaIDkl1jvVOMT1W-XBEMJYHqQq-JYaaSnf6uJe-armcV8sQp4h8haepJZ-Z6C8ANqj2Yaqan1m4Lz32SR5i/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNAsJoh7DpOWzxB9teIns-xn_EcIEx0V7M64CEdaww1kL6m_7E1VbGUVEhPaIDkl1jvVOMT1W-XBEMJYHqQq-JYaaSnf6uJe-armcV8sQp4h8haepJZ-Z6C8ANqj2Yaqan1m4Lz32SR5i/s1600/photo.JPG" height="534" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa, Lyle, and Nate at the Tennessee Aquarium</td></tr>
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Yesterday was Nate's birthday! The big 3-0. Nate and I both took the day off, and we day-tripped it down to Chattanooga with Nate's parents. We actually drove down Tuesday night so we could have a full day Wednesday; that was way better than driving down and back in the same day.<br />
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We did a whole lot of walking! First stop: the <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/Home.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Tennessee Aquarium</b></a>. Nate and I first visited Chattanooga and the aquarium <a href="http://www.alyssainnashville.com/2012/02/chattanooga_16.html" target="_blank">two years ago</a> for my birthday. You'd think it wouldn't be too busy in the middle of the week, but there were 15 different groups of school kids there on field trips. So, a little chaotic and noisy but they moved through pretty fast so we lingered and enjoyed ourselves.<br />
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After the aquarium, we walked to find some lunch. We stopped a local who was walking her dog, and she recommended checking out the <a href="http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/index.php" target="_blank"><b>Bluffview Art District</b></a>. We came across a place called <b><a href="http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/subpage.php?pageId=141" target="_blank">Tony's Pasta Shop</a></b> and it was amazing. I had Chicken Parmesan. Mmm. Their bread is baked fresh next door every day.<br />
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Next, we went to the <a href="http://www.huntermuseum.org/" target="_blank"><b>Hunter American Museum of Art</b></a>. They had a special exhibit from the Smithsonian on<i> African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond</i>. I think my favorite type of art is photography—especially black and whites. To get from the museum back to the aquarium and pedestrian bridge (which we crossed after parking on the North Shore), you cross the <a href="http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/10/glass-bridge-repairs-mounting/" target="_blank"><b>Holmberg glass pedestrian bridge</b></a> over the interstate. It's kind of nerve-wracking because you can see through the bridge and several of the glass panels had red tape around them because they had started to crack. I walked directly over a big supporting I-beam just in case.<br />
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To avoid having to pay for parking, we parked in a neighborhood on the <a href="http://northshorechattanooga.com/" target="_blank"><b>North Shore</b></a>. We walked back to the car because we wanted to check out Lookout Mountain before it got dark. We intended to go in the morning, but heavy fog covered the top of the mountain. Unfortunately when we got up to <a href="http://www.chattanoogafun.com/members/point-park-battlefield-1773" target="_blank"><b>Point Park</b></a>, the fog was still too heavy and you couldn't see the city at all.<br />
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We drove back down the mountain to have dinner at the <a href="http://terminalbrewhouse.com/" target="_blank"><b>Terminal Brewhouse</b></a>. Nate and I wanted to go there last time we were in town, but it was a Friday night and the wait was too long. No wait this time. Next door was the <a href="http://choochoo.com/" target="_blank"><b>Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel</b></a>, so we went in to look around. We were not impressed. It looks like it might have been a happenin' place in the '90s, but it wasn't super clean and could definitely use some updating.<br />
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We hit the road back toward Nashville, thankful to gain back an hour with the change into Central Time. A fun day! We packed a lot in and still left plenty on the list of things Lyle and Lisa want to see their next trip back, like the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park</b></a>.<br />
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I headed back to work today, but Nate has two more days off. We are looking forward to watching lots of basketball this weekend. :)Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-46840397270528585662014-03-18T09:53:00.000-05:002014-03-20T09:54:22.664-05:00practice run.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is our buddy Eli. He came over for a couple hours last night, and he was sleeeepy. We broke out some of Baby Jones' new toys and he played in a daze, not making a peep. Poor guy! Then I read <i>Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site</i> and layed him down around 7 and he went right to sleep. What a chill kid. His parents, Patrick and Molly, are our friends from church and they live exactly one mile from us. We love having them so close by. They started a care group a few weeks ago, and we are a part of that.<br />
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Four weeks and a four days until due date! (That's 32 days, if you're counting!) Next Monday, I am meeting a pediatrician whom a friend recommended. Saturday, Nate and I went and looked at dresser/changing tables at Babies R Us and found one we liked but not in the right color. So we stood in the store Googling and found basically the same one, in white, from Target for less and ordered it. That's our last piece of furniture we need, though I'd like to find some type of rug.<br />
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Today the guy who brings mail to our floor at work surprised me today with a gift of diapers and wipes. I've only talked to him a handful of times and don't even know his name, but how thoughtful.<br />
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Nate's parents arrived in Nashville last night. After work (Nate was working until 7:30p) I met up with Nate's parents at <a href="http://www.alyssainnashville.com/2013/07/f-fort-negley.html" target="_blank"><b>Fort Negley</b></a>. It was chilly, but we walked around the fort and read about the Civil War history there. Lisa has been to a lot of Civil War sites in Nashville and the pieces are starting to come together. It's interesting to hear the history and recognize so many names from neighborhoods or streets.<br />
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Tomorrow
is Nate's birthday—the big 3-0! I'm taking a vacation day and we are
driving down to Chattanooga for a day trip.Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625460683148927828.post-33002713540963705372014-03-14T08:30:00.001-05:002014-03-14T08:30:35.278-05:00baby shower.Yesterday my coworkers threw us a baby shower. It was fun to celebrate with them; almost three years ago they were throwing us a bridal shower. Nate was able to take a break from work to enjoy cake and gifts.<br />
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Super cute cake. (I find myself saying "super cute" a lot these days.) My team copied the design on our crib bedding for the cake and invitations. Lots of elephants for Baby Jones.</div>
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We are five weeks and one day away from the due date—April 19. I had another checkup yesterday and everything looked good. Baby Jones is growing as he should. I am not in much waddling pain anymore, but my back is sore, especially in the evenings. And it's getting hard to sleep. I can still fall asleep at 8:30 or earlier, but I wake up at 11:30. Or midnight. And 1:30. And 3. And 4:30. A lot, and often for seemingly no reason. I just can't sleep. Some people say it's practice for not sleeping much when the baby is here, but at least then when you wake up, you'll have a baby to care for. It's just pointless now. :)Alyssa Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13784542795143039711noreply@blogger.com0