So we spent our Memorial Day holiday playing our new Nintendo Wii. It's a lot of fun. I've never been a huge fan of video games, but this one is different. Jacob and I played tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, boxing, pool, target shooting, fishing, and a bunch of other games. We also got the Wii Fit, which is a really good workout! Anyway, at the risk of sounding like a commercial, we really enjoy our new toy and Joseph really likes to watch the bowling. I am hoping to get it hooked up to the Internet so I can play games and workout with my sister (she's got Wii, too).
Jacob finished up school at Metro and is planning on transferring to UNO in the Fall. He's working at BPS and Jimmy John's for the next few weeks until Summer school is over and then he will be full-time at JJ's for the rest of the summer. As of now, we don't have any vacation plans, and I certainly don't feel up to being in a car for a long time, so we might just stick to playing the Wii for fun!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
New pictures
Jacob and I went to an Omaha Symphony concert this past Friday. We were sitting pretty far back, but it still sounded great. It was a tribute to John Williams, so we heard music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, Hook, and The Cowboys. My favorite by far was the theme from Schindler's List. The principal violinist played the solo part very well. It was also nice to have a date night. Josh watched Joseph for us and said he was "perfect."
It was warm enough today to turn on the sprinkler! Too bad the water was freezing. Joseph got this giant ball that attaches to the hose and sprays water. Josh and Laura gave it to him for Easter. He had more fun rolling the ball around the yard, but the water was way too cold for him!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
New Movies
I'm not exactly a movie buff, but there are a few movies I am really looking forward to this year. The new Indiana Jones looks really cool and I also want to see Get Smart - mostly because Steve Carrell was hilarious in Evan Almighty and Dan in Real Life. The new Pixar movie, Wall-E comes out in June. I am hoping to at least see that one in the theater because I think Joseph will really like it.
Of course, the two movies I am most excited to see don't come out until the end of the year! Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out November 21st and Twilight comes out December 12th. Harry Potter is always a must-see because I really like the books. Twilight is also a fantasy novel by Stephenie Meyer. She graduated from BYU (yay for alums!) and I just read her books last year. So far, there are 3 books in the Twilight series and the fourth comes out this August - just in time for me to have something to relax and read before the baby comes! The movie version of the first book looks really cool - check out the teaser at www.twilightthemovie.com . (Harry Potter fams will recognize the main actor as Cedric Diggory from HP and the Goblet of Fire.) Watching the trailer got me all excited about the books again and I might have to check them out from the library and read them through a second time!
Happy movie watching!
~Shawn
Of course, the two movies I am most excited to see don't come out until the end of the year! Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out November 21st and Twilight comes out December 12th. Harry Potter is always a must-see because I really like the books. Twilight is also a fantasy novel by Stephenie Meyer. She graduated from BYU (yay for alums!) and I just read her books last year. So far, there are 3 books in the Twilight series and the fourth comes out this August - just in time for me to have something to relax and read before the baby comes! The movie version of the first book looks really cool - check out the teaser at www.twilightthemovie.com . (Harry Potter fams will recognize the main actor as Cedric Diggory from HP and the Goblet of Fire.) Watching the trailer got me all excited about the books again and I might have to check them out from the library and read them through a second time!
Happy movie watching!
~Shawn
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Business of Being Born
I just wanted to comment on a documentary that I saw yesterday. It's called "The Business of Being Born" and it can be rented on Netflix or bought at the website www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com . Anyway, I usually don't get too fired up about the whole natural childbirth thing - I have always felt that it is such a personal decision - but after watching this film, I feel like someone needs to speak up for the absolute crisis that exists in the United States in regards to maternity care.
Every other developed country in the world spends less money, has lower infant and mother death rates, and has 80-90% of births attended by midwives. In the Netherlands, 1/3 of all births are homebirths. In the US, less than 1% of women have homebirths, about 5% have midwives attend their births, and 30-40% of women have c-sections. We are so blessed with medical advances in this country. High-risk mothers and babies are saved everyday because of skilled doctors. But, I cannot believe that 30-40% of women in the US are "high risk."
Natural childbirth is not a feminism macho thing. It is not about bragging. The benefits of natural childbirth are not just economical or physical. There is a psychological change in every mother who experiences natural childbirth. This experience is being taken away from mothers due to lack of information. There is a reason that mothers who choose and succeed at natural childbirth have an unspoken instant bond. There is a point during labor when a woman allows her body to do what Heavenly Father created it to do. At the moment of birth, unrestricted by synthetic chemicals, the brain releases several hormones that create an instant psychological change in a mother. It's difficult to explain, but when it is experienced, every mother who has also gone through it understands the feeling I am talking about. I believe this experience is more valuable than any study could possibly portray and is immeasurable in its benefits.
Medicine has its place. Midwives have theirs, and it is being restricted everywhere. I am so lucky to have access to care from a midwife, even with all the restrictions they are under. We need to change the thinking from "If I am low-risk, then maybe a midwife" to "If I am high-risk, then a doctor." If more women experience the care of midwifery, we can certainly begin to catch-up to the other developed countries in the world in regards to maternity care. It's cheaper for the insurance companies and better for women and children. We need lobbyists in DC to hear the issue.
Every other developed country in the world spends less money, has lower infant and mother death rates, and has 80-90% of births attended by midwives. In the Netherlands, 1/3 of all births are homebirths. In the US, less than 1% of women have homebirths, about 5% have midwives attend their births, and 30-40% of women have c-sections. We are so blessed with medical advances in this country. High-risk mothers and babies are saved everyday because of skilled doctors. But, I cannot believe that 30-40% of women in the US are "high risk."
Natural childbirth is not a feminism macho thing. It is not about bragging. The benefits of natural childbirth are not just economical or physical. There is a psychological change in every mother who experiences natural childbirth. This experience is being taken away from mothers due to lack of information. There is a reason that mothers who choose and succeed at natural childbirth have an unspoken instant bond. There is a point during labor when a woman allows her body to do what Heavenly Father created it to do. At the moment of birth, unrestricted by synthetic chemicals, the brain releases several hormones that create an instant psychological change in a mother. It's difficult to explain, but when it is experienced, every mother who has also gone through it understands the feeling I am talking about. I believe this experience is more valuable than any study could possibly portray and is immeasurable in its benefits.
Medicine has its place. Midwives have theirs, and it is being restricted everywhere. I am so lucky to have access to care from a midwife, even with all the restrictions they are under. We need to change the thinking from "If I am low-risk, then maybe a midwife" to "If I am high-risk, then a doctor." If more women experience the care of midwifery, we can certainly begin to catch-up to the other developed countries in the world in regards to maternity care. It's cheaper for the insurance companies and better for women and children. We need lobbyists in DC to hear the issue.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Possible Boy Names - Updated
Hey Everyone - Help us pick out our baby's first name. His middle name will be Everett, but here's our list of first names - give us some feedback! I've added the meanings and a few other comments and have eliminated some.
Andrew - "Man". "warrior", brother of Simon Peter in the Bible
Daniel - "God is my judge", also Biblical
Dallin - "Dweller in the valley"
Landon - "Long hill" - my brother Joshua's middle name, which he and Laura will use when they have their first child
Nathan or Nathaniel - "Gift of God"
Samuel - "His name is God", also Biblical
Shae - Gaelic for "supplanter", the same meaning as Jacob in Hebrew
Andrew - "Man". "warrior", brother of Simon Peter in the Bible
Daniel - "God is my judge", also Biblical
Dallin - "Dweller in the valley"
Landon - "Long hill" - my brother Joshua's middle name, which he and Laura will use when they have their first child
Nathan or Nathaniel - "Gift of God"
Samuel - "His name is God", also Biblical
Shae - Gaelic for "supplanter", the same meaning as Jacob in Hebrew
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