Baby Shower, Milo, Welcome Baby!, African Ancestry

Wednesday, March 6th, we found out that Ashley had a condition called cholestasis. This is uncomfortable for the mother (itching), but can be dangerous for the baby. Cholestasis can cause up to 60% of preterm deliveries, up to 33% of fetal distress, and up to 2% of babies die in the womb. So her doctor decided they would induce her at 37 weeks on March 22nd. They put her on medication to help with the cholestasis. They were also going to do ultrasounds once or twice a week and monitor the baby. Cholestasis usually goes away on its own after the baby is born.

 

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Friday, March 8th was a busy day. Milo had an ultrasound done of his liver, I ordered the cake for the baby shower (strawberry buttercream from Maxie B's), got groceries, bought gifts for Sean/Ashley/Lydia for the baby shower, and made chocolate chip cookies for the shower.

 

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Saturday, March 9th, was the baby shower. I picked up the cake from the bakery about an hour before the shower, brought it to the church, and waited for the shower to start. I had a few people helping me with decorating and food. (Rene, Kaley, Jennifer, and Kristin.) I couldn't have done it all myself. Plus, I'm not a party person, so it's not my area of expertise. They did a great job.

The shower started at 2:00. It was a lovely time of conversation, food (cake was delicious!), and gifts.

 

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Monday, March 11th, Ashley's water broke before dawn. Sean called me after 5:00 AM to tell me. Ashley called her doctor and he or she told her to go to the hospital. Ashley was 1 centimeter dilated. I told Sean it would take all day for the baby to be born. I waited for Charlie to get home from work and then we went to the hospital. We got there shortly before 6:00 PM.

They gave Ashley an epidural when she was about 3-4 centimeters dilated (I think around 4 or 5 PM). By about 6:45 PM, she was 6 centimeters dilated. She was fully dilated around 7:35-7:40 and began pushing shortly after that.

Lydia Jane was born close to 9:30 PM. 6 lbs. 5.9 oz., 20 inches long. She came out sideways and was very blue, but breathing and was crying soon after that.

Because Ashley was 35 weeks pregnant, Lydia had to go to the NICU and is still there. She had a breathing tube until the morning or afternoon after she was born. She also had a feeding tube for the first couple days and then they removed it, but they had to put it back in (through her nose this time; it was in her mouth before) the next day because she wasn't getting enough food from the bottle. She still isn't eating enough (though she has finally started gaining weight), so she still has the feeding tube.

I've been to the hospital a few times to see her and hold her. (I would go every day, if I could.) She is so sweet and so cute! She's so much smaller in person than she looks in pictures. Such a sweet, tiny face. She makes such cute noises, sometimes sticks out her tongue when she stretches (so freaking cute!), and loves to hold Sean's thumb. Right now, it looks like she has Sean's eyes, Ashley's nose, and mostly Sean's face shape, but I think she may have Ashley's jaw.

I love that little girl so much! People have asked me what I want to be called and I told them "grandma" is fine (I don't think I'm the Gigi/Nana/Meme/Nona/whatever type), but whatever she chooses to call me is also fine.

So weird being a grandma. I don't feel old enough to be a grandma. But, at 51, obviously I am. lol

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We got Milo's ultrasound results back this past Monday. Pretty much what they told us when we had an ultrasound done a few years ago. Liver is shrunken and nodular. Probably fibrosis. (I think that's what she said.) He's 13 years old, so we're not going to have a biopsy done. He's still not wanting to eat his hepatic food, but the vet said that the most important thing now is his comfort and quality of life - whatever he wants to eat and continue medications. He acts like his normal self still - loud, playful, happy, crazy, annoying. lol

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A few years ago when my aunt Wanda (my mom's oldest sister; passed away last January) had her DNA done, it showed a small amount of African - south central hunter gatherers (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and Tanzania). Last night, I was doing some things at Ancestry and went to the DNA section and then "matches". Aunt Wanda is my second closest match and I decided to click on her and check her ethnicity. (I had never thought to check hers each time there was an update.) It now says 2% Cameroon, Congo, and Western Bantu Peoples for her African ancestry.

So that area of Africa is where the African ancestors that are in my family tree came from. This is on my mom's mom's side of the family. To be more specific, my maternal grandma's mother's mother's mother's side of the family. (My great-grandma Lessie, great-great-grandma Nelie Britt, 3x-grandma Penelope Ivey's ancestors.) It's cool to know a little more specifically where they were from.

Husband's DNA

Charlie's DNA results came in (via email) last night. Some of it is really surprising to both of us.

84% Great Britain
6% Europe West
3% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
1% Scandinavia
1% Europe South (Italy and Greece)
>1% Caucasus
2% Ivory Coast/Ghana
>1% European Jewish
>1% Asia Central (the 'Stans)

He has Native American ancestors (one of them was named Corn Tassel) and I'm wondering if maybe the Caucasus and Asia Central are actually Native. I read that sometimes Native American shows up as Middle Eastern in DNA tests.

The Ivory Coast/Ghana and Jewish are the most surprising. I've yet to find ancestors from Africa or Jewish ancestors. I'm also surprised by the 84% Great Britain. I think I'm 5% or 6% Great Britain. And while he's 6% Europe West, I'm 78% Europe West.

I'm going to do some more digging and see if I can't find Charlie's African and Jewish ancestors. That could take awhile.

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This past Saturday was the bridal shower for Kelly's best friend Rene. It was at the church. We got her and the groom-to-be a set of Pioneer Woman mixing bowls and bamboo cooking utensils. I want to get a gift to bring to the wedding as well. The wedding is this Thursday evening.

After the shower was over, Kelly and I vacuumed the church sanctuary. Then we came home, got Charlie (Sean was at my mom's), ate supper at Brixx Pizza, and did a little shopping. Kelly got another gift for Rene and her soon to be husband, and I think she got a couple things for herself, but I can't remember what.

I got up Sunday morning not feeling well (headache and sore throat), but took my shower and started getting ready for church. I was still feeling bad when I was about to do my hair, so I ended up staying home from church. :-/ Charlie wasn't feeling well either (diverticulitis) and Kelly said she didn't get enough sleep, so they stayed home, too. Sean went to church with my mom.

Other than feeling very nauseated yesterday (which thankfully went away after an hour or so), I've felt fine. So glad the headache and sore throat wasn't anything serious. No time for sickness and I really don't want to miss the wedding.

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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This and That

In a previous entry, I wrote about being sick with a sinus/allergy thing. That lasted a couple weeks. The following week, I had a migraine that lasted for three days. Ugh. That was miserable. Thankfully, it was gone by Saturday morning (two Saturdays ago) and I was able to go to church and vacuum, then get groceries.

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This past Saturday was my cousin Shannon's son Cody's graduation party in Fayetteville. (My dad's side of the family.) I told her I was going before I knew that it was going to be outside.

Outside. In June. In North Carolina. Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Possibly the hottest area in the state in the summer.) In the middle of a heat wave. I sent her a private message on Facebook asking her if it would be okay for me to stay inside during the party. It was supposed to be close to 100° and I don't do well in the heat. I tend to get lightheaded and nauseated. I told her that I would understand if she didn't want a bunch of people in her house. It's her house. She can do what she wants. She messaged me back, laughing, and said that it was fine and that I wouldn't be the only one inside.

I had to vacuum the church first, which was fine since the party started at 5:00. Unfortunately, I got a late start and after vacuuming the church and then coming back to the house to let the dogs out one more time and pick up Sean (Kelly went with me to the church), we didn't get on the highway until after 4:00. We arrived at Shannon's shortly before 6:00. Which turned out to be a good thing since they'd just finished having a water balloon fight that I knew about ahead of time (though I didn't know what time they would be doing it) and didn't want to get wet.

Though I was inside almost the entire time, I still began feeling sick and dizzy after about an hour or so. It was warm in her house, even with the A/C on and fans blowing, because of everyone going in and out of the house.

It was nice to spend some time talking to my family. Aunts, uncles, cousins.

The kids and I left shortly before 8:00, making a couple stops on the way, and got home a little after 10.

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The next day was Father's Day. Unfortunately, Charlie was (and still is) in Georgia. He wanted to come home for the weekend to spend it with us for Father's Day, but his boss wouldn't let him. :-/

We had a special speaker preach for us on Sunday. It was an awesome service!

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Kelly's been on kind of a T-shirt kick lately; wanting new T-shirts from Hot Topic. I've gotten her several over the past couple weeks. (They were on sale.) I also got her a black skirt at H&M for church and I got Sean a red tie (to wear with his black suit and white dress shirt) at Dillard's.

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I'm almost halfway through The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and I'm really enjoying it. It's about two sisters in France during World War II. Vianne is married with a little girl named Sophie. Her husband has been captured by the Germans. The younger sister, Isabelle, is helping the resistance, despite Vianne wanting her to behave (Vianne doesn't know what Isabelle is secretly doing) so that the Germans won't harm them.

I can't wait to find out what happens next. The other night I dreamed I was in France during World War II. I had been captured by Nazis and held prisoner in a home. I escaped, but the Nazis found me and began firing at me, but thankfully missed. :-)

Christmas Activities and a Song

Here we are, a week into December, and I don't have my tree up yet. I seem to remember it being well into December before I got the tree up last year, too. I love Christmas and Christmas decorations; I just don't enjoy the work that goes into decorating anymore. I wish I could just snap my fingers and it would be done.

I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet either. I really need to get started soon. Sean wants a set of golf clubs (*choking* expensive!) and a couple video games. Kelly wants Twilight dolls (Bella, Edward, Jacob), an ipod (I think my mom is getting her that), a Nerf gun, Halo (the book; not related to the video game), nature sounds CD, relaxing Celtic music CD, a video game, ear phones (not ear buds - they hurt her ears), Breaking Dawn part 2 score CD, a black cell phone cover, and a blue ipod cover.

I just want money for clothes. My taste has changed a little and I don't like most of my church dresses anymore. :-/

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Some singers from my church will be singing downtown this evening, starting at 6:00 PM. So if you live in Greensboro or Guilford County and are planning on going downtown for the festivities, look for my church group, The Pentecostals, singing next to Natty Green's. Which kind of cracks me up since Natty Green's is an Irish pub and we don't believe in drinking alcohol. lol :-)

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The ladies at my church are having a Christmas tea party this Sunday evening at 5:00. Several people, including the organizer of the event, are really after me to be a part of it. They asked me if I was going (and Kelly too) and I told them I was thinking about it. They're all like, "Oh, you have to go! Please, come!" *sigh* :-) (Socializing can be intimidating and draining for introverts, but I'm trying to come out of my shell more.) So, I've added some little things to my grocery list to bring for the tea party. Everyone is supposed to bring something. I'm thinking fruit or angel food cake or almond thins (cookies) or biscotti.

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Charlie went to Mississippi on Tuesday. He said he could be gone for a couple weeks. Our anniversary is on the 17th. (18 years of marriage.) I hope he's home in time for that.


My favorite version of my favorite Christmas song:
Pause the music player first.




Oh, and you have  to listen to this song! What Child is This? by Christopher Kincaid. (Give the page a few seconds to load. Then scroll down and click on the album "And Winter". Click on track 5, "What Child is This?") Gorgeous, gorgeous song. The best version I've ever heard.

Pretty Dresses, B-Day Party, Marriage Quotes

Kelly and I did the usual Friday grocery shopping this past Friday. I was also able to get her a new dress for church. It was on sale at JCPenney for less than $24, before tax.

Close-up of the rosette detail along the neckline. Click to enlarge.

I was able to get her another dress today and a few shirts (I couldn't find a picture of the third one), which were all on sale.

JCPenney

Belk

Belk

It's hard for me to believe that she's already wearing a size 14 in dresses. I was wearing a size 14 when I was 13 years old. Kelly will only be 11 in a couple weeks. And she almost needs a size 16 in dresses for the length. A size 16 is too big for her as far as how it fits her body (she tried on a 16 today), but is just about right for length. When it comes to shoes, she can almost fit into my size 6's perfectly. She's probably going to be taller than me. Not that it takes much - I'm only 5'0".

Charlie got Sean a new belt for school (which he needed badly) and some pants. Now he just needs a couple long-sleeved polos, which can be hard to find for some reason. Seems like most stores only sell the short-sleeved polos. Sean also needs new church clothes and church shoes. Kelly needs a few more church dresses, church shoes and skirts for school. Which are also hard to find unless you want mini-skirts. We don't.

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Yesterday was my niece (on Charlie's side) Samantha's 11th birthday. We went to Raleigh, where she lives, for her party. There was skating, Mexican food, presents and an Oreo ice cream cake. It was nice to spend time with family.

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More marriage quotes that a preacher "friend" has been posting on Facebook:

"Bitterness eats away from the goodness that God has given to us in marriage." -- Paul Buckness

"Working marriages need spouses who have marital backbones that can withstand the hard times of marriage." - Love that one!

"Are you blaming your spouse for YOUR attitude, mistakes, choices, actions, inability to be happy, etc?"

"GOD created the institution of marriage and defined it on HIS terms as the central institution of human society. We'd be wise to follow that."

"Spouses: Be committed to the vow you've made despite the differences or challenges you may face."

"Marriage is a commitment; a promise to stay with your spouse for the rest of your life. Are you keeping your promise?"


And a non-marriage quote:

"One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present." -- Stephen Covey

Our Wednesday Evening

I really enjoyed church last night. We sang a few songs as a congregation. The third one is a song that came out a few years ago.



"And I, I'm desperate for You.
And I, I'm lost without You."

We could feel God so strongly as we ended that song. People were literally on their faces praying and crying. I had my hands lifted, praying with tears in my eyes. It was beautiful.

Afterwards, the ladies went to a different room and had a little birthday party for our pastor's wife. The room was quite full. We weren't expecting so many to be there this close to Christmas. We had a lovely time. The food was good (cakes, crackers, cheese ball, vegetables and dip, chicken, biscuits, brownies, fruit) and we enjoyed one another's company.

I talked with a friend (my best friend) after the party about what I feel like God's been telling me and she was excited and happy to hear it. We're believing together for victory.

When Kelly and I got home (Sean was with Mom), we nibbled on a few things and watched some TV.

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More from Proverbs:

17:3-4, 9-10, 12
"The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.
"4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips [listens to false lips; listens to gossip; obeyeth an unjust tongue]; and a liar giveth ear [listens] to a naughty [malicious; slanderous; lying; destructive] tongue. ...
"9 He that covereth a trangression [covers a fault or offense; forgives] seeketh love [seeks love; promotes love; causes love to prosper]; but he that repeateth a matter [repeats the offense; dwells on it; keeps bringing it up] separateth very friends [separates close friends].
"10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. ...
"12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly."

17:13, 15, 17, 19-20, 22
"Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. ...
"15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. ...
"17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity [is born to help in time of need]. ...
"19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife [he who loves a quarrel/fighting, discord or disobedience loves sin]: and he that exalteth his gate [makes a high gate or door] seeketh destruction [invites destruction or ruin].
"20 He that hath a froward [perverse; crooked; twisted; wayward; fraudulent] heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse [lying; deceitful; devious] tongue falleth into mischief. ...
"22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken [crushed; sorrowful] spirit drieth the bones [saps/drains a person's strength]."

Birthday Gifts

After getting Kelly from school, she and I went to Target so that I could spend some of the birthday money Charlie gave me. I was finally able to get the quilt I've been wanting to go with the sheets I bought back in early January. I also saw a blue and white quilt that I'd love to have. I have a blue and white quilt already that I use with my fabulously comfortable white sheets, but it's very thin and is falling apart. It's a cheapy I bought at Garden Ridge for $19.99 a couple years ago. So getting a replacement is a good idea. It'll probably be a couple weeks before I'm able to get that other quilt.

The quilt I bought yesterday.

The other quilt I want to buy.

I also bought Fred Hammond's latest CD "Love Unstoppable". The other things I bought were a Tinker Bell book for Kelly that was on sale, a G.I. Joe (Stormshadow) for Sean, vegetable oil, a 4-placemat set that was on sale for under $5, a box of cereal, two boxes of Valentine's Day snack cakes, Tinker Bell party invitations, and Tinker Bell party favors. I almost always spend part of any gift money I receive on my kids.


When Kelly and I got home, I made supper and ate it as quickly as I could. Which wasn't difficult since I hadn't eat at all yet (it was after 6:00 PM), so I was pretty much wolfing it down. The reason I was eating quickly was because I still had to wrap Kelly's birthday presents. Yes, I'm a last minute wrapper.

I then decorated her cake, which I'd baked before we went shopping. (I'd also blown up the balloons - purple and green to go with her purple and green Tinker Bell party supplies - before we went shopping.). When Mom and Sean arrived, Mom helped me finish wrapping. After Mom, Sean and I brought the presents into the dining room and placed them on the table, I lit the candles on Kelly's cake and we did the "Happy Birthday"-singing, blowing-out-of-the-candles thing.


Kelly then opened her presents, I opened my card from Mom (which she had put money in) and we then enjoyed the yummy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

Gifts from us and Mom.

Gifts from Charlie and me.

Gifts from us and Mom.

After Mom and Sean left, Kelly and I spent a little while getting dolls out of their packaging. When that was done, I helped Kelly with her homework (she didn't need much help) and then she went to bed. I don't know if there'll be school or not tomorrow though. They're expecting a few inches of snow, starting at 7:00 AM, followed by freezing rain, starting around 11:00 AM.

The birthday thing we did for Kelly last night was more of a quiet family thing. I'm planning on having an actual party for her on Saturday. (Hence why I bought Tinker Bell invitations and Tinker Bell party favors yesterday.) She's only wanting to invite a few girls - one from school and three from church. We'll also invite my brother and his wife and step-son.

Christmas Spirit

Like most children, I absolutely loved Christmas growing up. Getting into the Christmas spirit took no effort at all. Then sometime in my mid to late 20s, the excitement wore off and that special feeling I used to get at Christmastime just wasn't there anymore. Not like it used to be. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get it back.

This year is a little different. I really don't know why. I've had almost nothing but pain and tears and stress since June. And yet I find myself excited about Christmas. Instead of being annoyed when I hear Christmas music, I really enjoy it and it hasn't bothered me this year to hear it before Thanksgiving. I have to make myself not listen to Christmas music as I've always said that the music and decorations should be held off until after Thanksgiving has had its day. I don't always succeed in not listening to Christmas music though. Sometimes I've just got to turn it to the local station that's already playing Christmas music (and has been for a week or so), turn it up and sing along.

I even already made a Christmas music playlist a week or two ago that I'm trying to wait until at least Thanksgiving night to put here on my blog.

What is going on with me? It almost defies logic that a person can be going through one of the worst times of their life, if not the worst, and yet be full of the Christmas spirit. And not just the Christmas spirit, but also a general feeling of hope and joy and knowing that somehow everything is going to turn out right.

I'm trying to be patient and wait until after Thanksgiving to put Christmas music on my blog, put up the tree and decorate my house.

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The past couple days:

After getting groceries on Friday, I took Sean to get his hair cut. He needed one badly. As the lady was cutting his hair, she discovered a little bald spot at the base of his head about the size of a dime.

Sean had alopecia areata over four years ago, when he was 8 years old, that started off as a small bald spot and grew to be about 2-3 inches in diameter. We brought him to the dermotologist and he gave us a steroid cream to put on the spot. The hair grew back in a few months. It grew in a little darker than the rest of his hair, but people don't notice it.

I'm going to have to take Sean to the dermotologist soon and see if we can get some more of that steroid cream. I wonder if his hair will grow back in darker or maybe even lighter this time.

We went to Subway and the video store after getting Sean's hair cut and rented G.I. Joe and Star Trek. We ate our supper while watching G.I. Joe. Sean had seen it in the theater with Charlie over the summer. It was an okay movie.

I watched Star Trek later, without the kids (gotta preview), and really liked it. I never liked the Star Trek TV shows or the other Star Trek movies, and so I was surprised at how much I like this new Star Trek. I'd definitely like to get it on Blu-Ray.

Yesterday was my nephew Zack's birthday party. (He's my brother's stepson.) He turned 7 or 8 on Monday. Sean and Kelly had fun playing with the other kids while us adults talked. The party started at 1:00 and we left at about 4:45.

When we got home, I cleaned out the litter boxes, got laundry started and cooked chili for supper. We watched Star Trek while eating supper. I fell asleep with an hour or more left in the movie. When I woke up, it was nearly 10:00. I had Kelly get in the shower and I did some more laundry. The kids eventually got in bed. :-/

Now it's after 2:00 AM and I need to get in bed myself. We've got church in the morning. Though Kelly was saying before she went to bed that her throat was hurting, so it's not a 100% certainty that we'll make it. :-( My throat's feeling a little sensitive too.