All in a Day's Work...

What an interesting day today was. It started with Convalescent/Nursing Home shopping with my mom. We need to know what our options are for GG'ma, although no final decision has been made at this point. We feel it's best to be prepared about what's close by. There isn't much.

Once we finished sneaking through the halls there, checking every thing out, mom dropped me off and I headed over to the church for a little spiritual uplifting from Susan Doughman at a mini women's conference our stake had pre-Women's Conference. It was really good to see her and spend some time visiting before the meeting started. She and her husband were in our single's ward Bishopric before we got married and I just adored her! Her talk was wonderful and I feel much better about life, decisions, and finding joy in it all now...

When I arrived home John asked if I wanted to go on a little adventure (he likes adventures, and we generally end up in some interesting locations). I was game so we all hopped in the car, with the camera, to see where we were going. As he exited the 405 in Panorama City I said, "you're taking me to my ghetto birthplace, I love it!" (not really, but PC really is the ghetto... therefore, I am a ghetto-girl.) We drove to Van Nuys (still in the ghetto) and he finally fessed up to where he was taking us...

Ladies & Gentlemen: SCRANTON, PA!! That's right, we've located Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Pam was at work, well at least her car was there, and the paper trucks were loaded and ready to roll. It was a fun little "cross country" adventure.

Afterwards we drove over to Burbank for dinner at this great little place: Pronto's Bakery & Cafe on the corner of Magnolia and Hollywood Way. If you're in the neighborhood you should stop in, it was really good!

On our way home we decided to stop by Old Towne Newhall (the new official name since they've cleaned up the place) and take part in the Santa Clarita Street Art Fair. I am sorry to say, it was a sad representation from the locals. The place was a ghost town. It was so sad! We went last year in the middle of the day and no one was there, we thought it was because it was daytime- that night must be a hip and happenin' time- NOPE. I can't believe this community that is so "we're all supportive of our community. Look how great we are." didn't show. I was disappointed. When the Fair used to be at the mall it was packed... and now no one shows up. Such a let-down. John and I were alright with it, it had been a long day and we were tired. Jake, on the other hand, was NOT ready to leave and threw a fit when we took him out of the stroller!

Arriving home and putting my feet up was so nice. Jake went to bed quite easily. Tomorrow's another day...

Happy Birthday Hadley Kai!

Happy 1st Birthday Hadley Kai!

Wish we could be there to celebrate with you today, maybe next year! Hope you have a fun party. We love you!!

Fun & Busy Friday...

This morning Jake & I went and watched Grey's season premiere with Heather & Ella. Well, Heather and I tried to watch it while Jake and Ella ran screaming through the room like wild monkeys. Even though I couldn't give it the attention I generally do it was fun to watch the kids play together. Jake and Ella get along so well, they're cute.

Once the show was over Jake and I went and helped GG'ma with lunch. Jake loves helping her and he is always just soooo helpful! ;) Afterward we headed home so Jake could get a good nap and I could get some things down around here. John's 4 o'clock appointment canceled so he came home earlier then expected... I love days like this!!

Tonight he drove Jake back over to Gramma's while I got ready for our ward Friendship Dinner. We (well probably more I) were really excited about going. It seems these dinners always fall on weekends we have guests in town or we are out of town so this was the first time in 2 years we've been able to participate. And it did not disappoint! It was such a fun evening at the Stephenson's home with the DelHoyo's, Heybourne's, Edward's, McClure's, Reeve's, and Patterson's. We had a fabulous Carne Asada dinner, played Taboo, and then Pres. Patterson asked each couple how they met and fell in love - kinda felt like an interview- but it was fun hearing everyone's story. Thanks to Robin and Brad for hosting us all, we had a really good time! And if Kerrie, Naomi, Shelly, Robin, Trish, or Ann (or the husbands!) are reading this... welcome! Come check in and comment anytime! :)

Support the Rabid

Loved it! Love Jim & Pam. So glad it's back.

I missed Grey's tonight for the premiere, watching that one tomorrow. Don't give away anything!

If you missed The Office, you've gotta find it somewhere and watch... sooo good!

Soapbox Items...

Great news! The documentary, "The Business of Being Born" by Ricki Lake, will have a showing in the LA area on Friday, November 9th. I'm going, if anyone would like to join me I would love the company. (See more info. below)

Also, here's an article with interesting information. I'm not always a fan of the LA Times, but I enjoyed this one: http://www.latimes. com/news/ opinion/la- oe-block24sep24, 0,6378847. story?coll= la-opinion- rightrail

"South Coast Midwifery & Women's Health Care of Irvine, California is pleased to present...THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN... Friday November 9th with special guest Ricki Lake! Ticket purchases, more information on the host, and directions to the Orange County Museum of Art... click one of the links:

6:00PM screening: http://bobb6pm.eventbrite.com/
9:00PM screening: http://bobb9pm.eventbrite.com/

Early Bird Ticket Purchases Online: $15.00 We appreciate you using Google Checkout to keep the costs of hosting this event to a minimum!

Purchase at the Door: $20.00 - cash or check only (made payable to South Coast Midwifery & Women's Health Care) as we will not have a credit card machine available.

Please check this website to ensure there is seating available! Your ticket price includes a generous donation to a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of maternity care. This page will be updated to reflect the organization chosen. Your ticket purchase is appreciated!

Due to limited capacity seating and space constraints, we recommend babies in arms. Seating will begin 30 minutes prior to screening. We will start each screening promptly in order to save ample time for Q&A following the film with Ricki Lake.

***We look forward to seeing you!***
Kris Bagiu, CPM, LMSouth Coast Midwifery & Women's Health Care
949-654-2727----------------------------------------------------------------------

Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business. Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies. Epstein gains access to several pregnant New York City women as they weigh their options. Some of these women are or will become clients of Cara Muhlhahn, a charismatic midwife who, between birth events, shares both memories and footage of her own birth experience. Footage of women having babies punctuates THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN. Each experience is unique; all are equally beautiful and equally surprising. Giving birth is clearly the most physically challenging event these women have ever gone through, but it is also the most emotionally rewarding.Along the way, Epstein conducts interviews with a number of obstetricians, experts and advocates about the history, culture and economics of childbirth. The film’s fundamental question: should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency?As Epstein uncovers some surprising answers, her own pregnancy adds a very personal dimension to THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, a must-see movie for anyone even thinking about having a baby.

For more information on THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, visit the website: http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/"

Wondering What to Do...

Sorry to have kept my faithful readers waiting, but it's been a few days of weirdness around here. On Sunday evening my mom called to tell me that G'Gma wasn't "right". Since she's had so many medical issues over the years it's sometimes hard to tell what's really wrong, but something was. I was planning to spend Monday with her and helping with whatever she needed. Monday morning my mom called to say she was taking her to the emergency room and asked if Jake & I would still head over to the house to wait for Meals on Wheels. As we're driving over there Mom calls to say they're on their way home (huh?!?).

Apparently the lovely doctors at Henry Mayo (I know... I won't get started on that bunch... I'll hold my tongue, except for this little rant...) did a CT scan, noticed she had a stroke, and said there was nothing they could do for her and sent her home.

So for the last three days we've been discussing Mom's options and G'Gma's. Then today... out of nowhere she is able to feed herself, answer any and all (crazy) questions asked of her, get mad, play with Jake, and seems like her old ornery self. We're not really sure what's going on. She's had several little strokes over the years... and she's been "terminal" for 10 years... so your guess is as good as mine. It's good to have her back though... although I know it's only a matter of time. We've joked for years that she's going to out live us all... I hope so, for Jake's sake. He loves her so much and was very sad and confused when she wasn't there on Monday.

He spent some time yesterday entertaining her after his nap in his new Elmo slippers. Look at that boy jump! :)

It Never Rains in Southern California....except...

Our weekend went a lot like this:

Rain. Beautiful pouring rain. For the first time in 5 months. It was wonderful listening to the thunder and lightening all night Friday. Saturday morning was gray and overcast with lots of rain in between, but by late Saturday afternoon the clouds disappeared and everything looked new and clean again. It was beautiful. Even the air was clean...

Snot. Disgusting green snot. Running from Jake's nose. He either has a cold or is getting his 2-year molars... or both. My guess is both. Sometimes when he eats he puts his little hand to his left cheek and says, "owwwwww" it makes me sad for him. Oh and he's constantly got his fingers in his mouth. yuck. But I suppose it's all part of growing up.

Whining. Just to go along with the snot. Probably caused my the same reason(s). The kids got some serious mood swings right now. He'll go from the happiest kid on the block to crying for seemingly no reason at all. It's getting a little old... can he just feel better already?

So that was our weekend. Due to the rain, snot, and whining we didn't really get a whole lot done or do anything new and exciting. We just had a nice, relaxed weekend at home... well, relaxed when Jake was asleep or not whining. :)

Happy Anniversary!

It's been four years since we got married... although it seems like we've always been together... it's hard to believe it's only been four years and yet, it seems like just yesterday!! Thank you for the most amazing four years of my life... so far... I'm looking forward to the rest of our eternity together. I love you!!

A Wicked-ly Good Time

Tonight John and I went to see Wicked. We've talked about going for a long time but decided it would be fun to go for our anniversary. It was such a nice evening- Jake was with Gramma and we were able to have a really nice, quiet dinner at this lovely little restaurant called Off Vine (thanks Heather!) and then walk over to the theater. We were very excited heading into the Pantages, it is such a beautiful old theater and we had great seats for the play. From opening to closing curtain we were both completely entertained. We loved the show! It's such a funny tale of the story preceding the Wizard of Oz. I want to watch the movie now just because I think I will view it from a totally different perspective. On the drive home I asked John what his favorite part was and he couldn't decide... neither can I!! The entire play was so fun. We decided to listen to the CD on the drive, just to "see" the show again! :) We loved Wicked and are so glad we went to see it!! I can't get the songs out of my head...

Pechanga!

John had work meetings in Temecula the past two days so Jake and I decided to drive down and stay with him in the hotel. (Who doesn't love staying in a nice hotel?!) We had such a nice time... dinner was at Kelsey's - and I didn't have to cook!- then up to the room to watch Jake jump around like a monkey and explore. It reminded me of Sterling and Abi in our hotel in Fort Worth! He loved being somewhere new and checking everything out. He especially loved the chair he could climb over the arm and get into- he did it over and over again!-, as well as the wall-sized window that overlooked the golf course! He stood there for a good long time watching the trucks move things in and out. This morning John headed to meetings and Jake and I headed home. It was a good little overnight vacation! I really think Jake had the best time!

Meme & the Bird

We had an impromptu visit this afternoon from Meme, Norah, and Ruthie. It was so good to see them and chat about all that's happened in our lives since our last get-together. It's sad how rare the visits seem to be these days. I miss those girls!!

For those interested... An Update on Marcia:

Here is the latest post on her Yahoo! group regarding her meeting with the Medical Board:

"Hi everyone: Here is an update that Marcia gave me the permission to post. The Medical Board hearing was changed to more of a flurry of paperwork. Here is where things stand with Marcia.

There was no hearing and no mandatory settlement conference for the Medical Board. Marcia had signed a stipulated agreements with the Nursing Board and Medical Board the end of August. However, the stipulations for both boards have to go to committee and either be approved, altered or denied. I do not know the dates of the meetings,but after they meet, then Marcia should get the decisions by mail.Marcia possibly will not know very much until maybe the end of September but probably more realistically not till October.

The Medical Board in their willingness to settle, agreed to take out a very significant amount of the accusations. The good thing about that is there is nothing to come back and "bite" her later, criminally or civilly and Marcia will be able to re-apply for licensure in 1-2 years if they ultimately decide to force her surrender, revoke or keep her on suspension. What is very sick, is that the Deputy's Attorney General, Cindy Lopez and Trina Saunders, both admitted to Marcia's attorney that the Medical Board did not have solid expert testimony or opinion to convict her on patient care issues and that is the reason that they went after her "criminally" although it didn't stick with the District Attorney's office, that still didn't prevent the Medical Board from keeping it as an accusation in their files to use as leverage in forcing her to "settle." The Medical Board's idea of "settling" was for Marcia to agree to surrender her Midwife License and they would amend the accusation to take out the accusations of "Practicing Medicine without a License" and "Violation of an Interim Suspension Order." She also had to agree to a limited extent that she was "possibly" negligent regarding patient care and that it may "possibly" be proven if it had gone to a full hearing. They know, she knows and my attorney knows that regarding patient care, they don't have a good case.

But, none the less, this is not really about patient care or women's rights, it all boils down to saving face, politics and money. It is also very sad, that she never had an opportunity to defend herself at a hearing, (also unconstitutional)because she doesn't have $120,000.00 to put up for a defense. As I mentioned in a e-mail a few days ago, Marcia is tens of thousands of dollars in debt, so any kind of monetary donation is extremely helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Please mail donations to: The Midwife Defense Fund, 1014 S. Westlake Blvd., Suite 14-182Westlake Village, CA 91361.I plan to add the above information to my article for Mothering Magazine and then hopefully submit it ASAP. I'll keep folks posted as to its publication status."

Little Heartbeats

Today the three of us headed to Davi's for my follow-up appointment. I'm so glad John was able to come along... otherwise he would've missed hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time! :) It was good and strong, beating 160 beats per minute. Davi was very pleased with that, as well as with my Food Diary. She says I'm doing wonderfully! If I could just get rid of these headaches life would be much better... but at least I'm not puking all day everyday anymore, right?!

Tomorrow I start the 2-day Gatorade Challenge - ever heard of it?- to see if the Gatorade will help with the headaches... if not she recommends a chiropractor. I have to call her Saturday with an update.

Also, I forgot to mention last night that I started my pre-natal Yoga class yesterday... it's fabulous. I'm looking forward to the next 11 Tuesday evenings... ahhhhh...

Happy 32nd Meme!

Thanks for the 14 years of dear friendship, from meeting in high school to Stake dances, livin' it up in the LPC-- it ain't no Mojave, to being roomies and Aggies together, movin' to the SCV to pan for gold, finding it, and now raising our sweet one's together... I sure love you!!!

I'm looking forward to years and years to come!!

Happy 32nd (can you even believe it?!) Birthday... I love you!

Strange...

... way to sleep! For the past week or so whenever John and I do our "final" nighttime check on Jake we have found him in the strangest positions. Most nights one foot is hanging outside the bars, but tonight was to the extreme...

That can't be comfortable... can it?? What happens when he rolls over, which he is bound to do at some point during the night!? :) Not to worry, we always move whatever's hanging out so he can toss and turn and sleep through the night. But I wouldn't be surprised if someday he ends up with a broken foot or leg. Wouldn't be the first Meldrum boy to break a leg as a baby... would he Scott??

Football Fan

Apparently my boy remembers and likes football. Tonight I turned on the game for a couple of minutes and he got the biggest smile on his face, pointed at the screen, and started running in circles of joy all around the living room. We've got a football fan...

Yo-Baby Baby!

This morning I woke up to find this sweetly covered boy...

Nothin' like peach yogurt for the skin... leaves you smooth and silky all day.

Think I should send this in for the new Yo-baby Baby competition?

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa!!

We love you. Thanks for coming yesterday!!

Goooo Cougars!

What a fun day today was! After grocery shopping this morning (boring!) we stopped, picked up my Dad and then headed to the Rose Bowl for the BYU v. UCLA game. It was exciting being in the Rose Bowl for the very first time. Even Jake was excited to be there! The game started off slow (just look at Jake's reaction to the 1st half), but by the 3rd quarter the stands were going crazy, it was a lot of fun to cheer on John's alumni. Actually I cheered for both teams... I just like a good game and when someone does well I like to give them a shout!! :)

There's something I wasn't quite prepared for though... do you know how much walking you have to do just to get to the Rose Bowl? You park on a golf course and then walk and walk and walk to the entrance. After the game felt like I was walking across the plains. It was a nice walk though... I mean I was on a beautifully landscaped golf course!

I'm so glad we got tickets and invited Dad to go. He'd never been to a college football game before and he seemed to enjoy it... and we loved spending the day with him. Thanks for coming Dad, and Happy Birthday tomorrow. We love you!

Oh, What a Glorious Day...

It was another beautiful day. Jake and I started the morning with a bike ride with Heather & Ella, made a stop at Dink's for bagel's, and a stop at the park so the kids could get some energy out before heading home for naptime. It's been awhile since Jake has been on the swings... and they were not a hit. He didn't like it, but I'm sure in time he will. He loves the slide so that's where he spent the majority of his time. Up and down, up and down, up and down. It would wear me out! :)


Once we got home Jake went straight to sleep. John came home for a little break in his day so I made a quick get-away to Target to pick up some essentials: baby shampoo, baby lotion, conditioner for myself, The Office season 3 for John, you know... essentials! :) I love that I'm finally starting to feel alive again and getting out for a little while by myself was soooo nice.


A short time after I got home the air conditioner guy arrived, fixed the thing -- I have no idea what he did, but it works!-- and now we probably won't need it again until next summer! :) Isn't that the way things work sometimes?! Actually, we used it a little this afternoon and it was heavenly. Ahhhh refrigerated air. Love it.

A Breath of Fresh Air...

It was beautiful today! We still have no air conditioner -- it should be fixed tomorrow-- but with the windows and doors open and fans on our house didn't get over 81 INSIDE! On the porch it was 85, instead of 110 like earlier in the week. It was seriously a wonderful day.

Jake and I played outside in the yard, went on a walk with Heather & Ella, attended Activity Day, and enjoyed the fresh air. I could live here forever... tomorrow should be much of the same... ahhhhhhh...

Countdown to March 17th...

Today was my first real appointment with Davi and it went really well. She said that everything looks great with the baby, it is growing at the perfect rate. While she was listening for the heartbeat we heard the baby flipping over. It's strange to think that at 12 weeks it's already big enough and capable enough to roll and flip and turn. I'm amazed at how quickly they grow inside. I mean, really, look at this picture of what things look like inside at just 12 weeks! An absolute miracle. From here on out things really just get bigger and more developed. The baby already has everything it needs. At 12 weeks! Incredible!

I have to go back next Wednesday to go over a Food Diary with Davi (joy!) and so we can hear the heartbeat again. I'm hoping John will be able to make that appointment with me. It's so exciting to hear the baby for the first time!

Jake had a great visit with Meme and Norah while I was at my appointment... Thanks Meme! Once we left Meme's we headed straight to Gramma's -- our house is still too hot! Apparently the air conditioner people can't get here until Friday between 11:30 and 3, nice. In the meantime we find other cool places to be. Did you know 25 people have died from the heat here already?! We won't be joining their ranks.

Heat, Pancakes, & Portland... huh?

It's been a miserable weekend. We've had 5 days in a row over 109 and our air still isn't working. We're relying on fans and they just don't cut it. How people ever lived without refrigerated air is beyond me. Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow, although (go figure!) today is supposed to be the last day of "excessive heat". According to the news and the Weather Channel by next weekend it should be 85.... ahhhh, heaven! I really hope they're right! I need a break! I'm ready to move to Alaska at this point... anywhere to be cool.

Actually, I took this little quiz the other day on hgtv.com to find out what city fits me best... and the answer is... Portland, Oregon

"Because you crave life in a creative, thriving city, you should live here: Portland, Oregon. Situated one hour from the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific coast, Portland serves as a convenient hub for the area's excellent outdoor adventure opportunities: hiking, mountain biking and skiing on Mt. Hood. Portland, an environmentally friendly town, is known for its overwhelming amount of green practices and is ranked as a top vegetarian friendly city. Foodies are starting to recognize Portland for its flourishing restaurant scene as well as an up-and-coming wine region. Portland residents have an entrepreneurial spirit and the prevalence of family businesses has attracted a large amount of families to the area."

Portland sounds so nice and refreshing right now... and it's actually on our short list of places we would move to. Honestly, who knows what the future holds...

This morning we attended our ward's annual Labor Day breakfast. Jake loved the chocolate chip pancakes.

Like I Said...

... it's hot. real hot. Like 109 for the last three days hot. And our air conditioner has given out. Mornings are ok, but once noon hits our house is a sauna. It's gross. I really am melting. I told you.

Quick overview of the last few days:
Thursday- Meme and Norah came to play. Jake loves entertaining Norah, he dances all around her and she just smiles and coos at him. It is the cutest thing ever. I'm really hoping this is a sign that he's going to be a nice, sweet, entertaining big brother! :)

Friday- Jake and I headed to the park for the first time in 3 months, you see... not only has it been hot outside and I've been sick, but my little boy wasn't quite "gettin" the whole playground thing... until today. Today he climbed the stairs and slid down the slide -- all by himself-- instead of trying to climb up the slide while other kids are coming down or climbing the stairs and jumping off the side of the tower-thingy. Needless to say, it was a much more relaxing day at the park today, I didn't worry about him one bit. So nice to be in this new phase of toodlerhood.

(Sorry this is sideways, I tried to turn it but I think I messed up when I downloaded it and now... there's no hope. Just turn your screen, that'll work... right?!)

We also finally went and got the oil changed in my car. It even got a wash too. I know, I am so impressed with my abilities to get sooo much done in one day too!

Later Ruthie stopped by and we went to get dinner since our house was SO HOT. Seriously, it's 87 in here now at 12:38 pm, you should've been here last night around 6... YUCK! My mom brought Golden Spoon over around 10pm and she left quickly to escape the heat. Sleeping last night was... difficult. We were all dying. Hopefully the management company gets here today to fix it... otherwise we'll be vacationing at Gramma's for the weekend! I'd rather be home... here's hopin.