Top 10 of the Summer

Lots of drama and busy-ness in the Myer's household these last few weeks.

1) Grammy! She came to town for two weeks to help out with the baby. While she was here, I asked her to clean, and clean she did. I think she counted 42 blinds that needed to be dusted. We have A LOT of windows.

Grammy's homemade microwave birthday cake

2) Anniversary! Ryan and I celebrated our 13th. Marsha and Craig took us (and Deise) out for sushi, while Grammy watched the big kids at home.

3) Disease for Deise! She somehow got pink eye. Nobody else in the family got it, so we're not sure where she picked it up.

Deise with watery eye (flower picked by Daniel)

4) ER visit! After three days of tummy aches, Sophie ended up in the ER one night with suspected appendicitis. At the hospital, they ruled out appendicitis, diagnosed a urinary tract infection, lectured her about wiping front to back, and prescibed $50 worth of broad spectrum antibiotics that our insurance wouldn't cover. Two days later, her pediatrician tossed out the UTI diagnosis in favor of . . . gas and constipation. Sophie confirmed this was indeed the correct malady by practically living on the toilet for the next three days, and then fitting into some shorts that had gotten strangely tight over the last few weeks.

The cause? I'm guessing it has something to do with Sophie's mom being so tired and harried from having a new baby that she let her kids o.d. on frozen pizza and mac and cheese. (This in spite of the many lovely meals brought to us by church friends.)

5) Gunshots! Ryan has been playing with tennis with some neighborhood folks every Tuesday night and Saturday afternoon, at the same courts where the kids took lessons this spring. This past Tuesday, while the kids were with him (because they were driving mom nuts), they heard a spray of gunfire - about a dozen shots - from across the street. At least one bullet hit a court right next to them. Well, at least now they know how to duck.

And people think New York is dangerous.

6) Homeschool! (Not nearly as dramatic.) Although we liked our Living Books curriculum from last year (although we thought the Apologia Astronomy book was both too easy and too strictly young-earth creationist), this year we are opting for a more flexible, easy-going approach. The kids have more freedom to choose books and activities that appeal to them, and we avoid being locked into a schedule with every day packed full and scripted in advance. It's a way to survive with a newborn - and hopefully have more fun.

7) Growing baby! Deise is getting longer and fatter. She's somewhere shy of 8 lbs now, with the extra chins to prove it. She's awake longer, and continues to be very alert and content, with quizzical, knit eyebrows reminiscent of Sophie when she was a baby. We have baby pictures of the three kids that we can't tell apart. Sophie and Daniel fight over who gets to hold her. As sibling rivalries go, not a bad problem to have.

Who's who? (And what's up with this last one?)

8) Naked superhero! Daniel just jumped down the stairs in his birthday suit, using a bath towel for a cape. Not something he'd be doing in public school. Or private, for that matter.

9) Beach! We took two trips to Amelia Island, one with the Moltzes, and one with our neighbors the Joneses, who have boys the kids' age. The visit with the Moltzes was Deise's first trip to the beach, and she did proper honor to the occasion by wearing a hat from Aunty Cris and sleeping the whole time.

10) Trophy! Soph got a "Star Artist" award at her art camp (one of the BIG trophies). She and 29 other kids studied visual art techniques in the context of the Harlem Renaissance. Sophie came home with a many drawings and paintings, a beautiful pencil still life, a ginormous acrylic canvas . . . and a tutu. Not sure where that last one fits in, but she rocked the end of the year fashion show.

Sophie with Miss Tiffany

That's what we've been up to! Any news from you?

In which we discuss the new baby, various explosions and problematic living arrangements

Deise is more awake these days, growing longer hair and eyelashes and slightly less furry on the shoulders and back. She has the same blue-gray eyes Daniel had at birth; his turned brown so hers probably will, too.

She's had lots of visitors, bringing lots of food and making lots of cooing sounds. She got to go to church twice and to the library once, before our pediatrician told us to keep her home from now on until she's at least six weeks old. She's loved it all, especially the part where she gets to be held all the time, to the point where she's now finding it difficult to sleep otherwise. As Daniel put it, "It seems she's enjoying being a baby."

Matching Sisters (in pillow case dresses by Mom)

According to Grandpa Craig, the third child somehow figures out what the family is missing, and moves to fill the niche. And sure enough, Deise has distinguished herself by having the busiest digestive system ever. 10-12 diapers a day on average? That's obviously for amateurs. And we're talking projectile poop: all over Mom's lap, shirt and hair, and even down the inside of her shirt. That takes talent, folks.

Uncle John took a detour last week from a gig with the Fab Faux in Gainesville to visit his new niece. Aunty Tara, who hasn't made it down yet, is very, very jealous.

Fun with mentos, a liter of coke, and an empty lot on our block.

Daniel wants everyone to know that even though you can't see it in this picture, the spray went higher than the trees (his emphasis).

After nearly two weeks, Grandpa Craig finally got to see Deise awake.

Daniel reading 10 Little Ladybugs to Deise, on his own initiative.
(He wouldn't let me publish the picture of him reading on the potty. Very media savvy of him. You never know what might come back to haunt you on a job interview someday.)

On a totally unrelated note, this is a picture I've been meaning to post since I snapped it just outside of Charleston a few months ago. Possibly the worst subdivision name ever.

Isn't that just asking for trouble?

Sweet Sarah Deise

She's here! Sweet Sarah Desise (pronounced "Daisy," after Darcy Caires' mom), was born on Friday, July 8, 2011 at 2:12 in the afternoon at Beaches Baptist Hospital. She's a cute little turkey, isn't she?

Here's how it went: I started having early contractions at around 5:30 am on Thursday. They were sporadic and light enough that I had a fairly normal day, managing a nap, and even going to a prayer meeting with Ryan in the evening. Not until around eleven pm did active labor start. At 3 am on Friday, I woke Ryan up and we bundled the kids off to grandma's. From there, things continued to poke along. Dr. Cam Greene, who has delivered half the babies on our church (and is having quite a busy summer - there's something in the water at Beaches Vineyard), broke my water around 9 am, and things STILL poked along. Finally, at 2:12 pm, after more good pushes than I would have preferred, Sarah Deise came screaming into the world. Dad cut the cord. I was lucid - or loopy - enough - to ask if I could see the placenta when it came out (I was curious). It's not an attractive organ.

Around 1 am Saturday morning, after her first bath.

Bath time for all the newborns in the hospital is around midnight.

In the end, Sarah Deise came at exactly the right time. (Our alternate name for her was "Kaya Rose" a play on "Kairos," for God's time; "Kaya" is Hawaiian and Japanese for "sea." We let the kids vote and they chose Sarah instead.) At 6 lbs, 3 oz -- bigger than Sophie, smaller than Daniel -- she was beautiful and bright-eyed right out of the chute. She's a good eater and sleeper, save for during that 4:30-5:30 am stretch when she likes to be wide awake, and remarkably good-natured. Even being poked and prodded at her first doctor's appointment scarcely bothered her at all. In fact, the only way we've been able to provoke her wrath so far is by bathing her. She takes after her big brother and sister that way. Neither of them have any use for that whole cleanliness next to godliness business at all.

L&D Nurse Jackie

The littlest Vineyard member with the biggest Vineyard Pastor (Byron)

Meeting Great Grandma Ardie

Sunday night, before her first at-home bath. Relaxed and serendipitously posed.

After her bath. Not nearly as happy, or as artfully arranged.
(And yes, for those of you who haven't seen our house: our toilet is up on a dais and the bathroom is large enough to hold court in. Why? We don't know.)

With Grandma Marsha

All bundled up, with her siblings. Sophie especially has been beside herself with excitement.

Sunbathing with Dad on the front porch, to clear up jaundice.

Proving that it's never too early in life to sleep on the potty.

We've been practicing EC (Elimination Communication) since coming home from the hospital. I haven't been brave enough to have her go totally diaperless yet, but we've done pretty well just holding her over the potty as soon as she wakes up. In this photo, she really has just peed and gone back to sleep.

Daniel is impressed.

Ryan put together a short slide show of pictures with more family and visitor shots. We tried to post it here unsuccessfully; if you haven't seen it yet and want to, you can find it on Ryan's facebook page.

We are having a great time as a new family of five. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes!

Last Post Before Baby

Yes, I know it's been months and months and months since we last updated our blog. Until yesterday, I've been too lazy to even upload pictures from our camera to the computer. But I'm in that pre-baby "nesting" phase now, and find myself with plenty of energy! So, this will be a whirlwind tour through our last 7 or 8 months, in which I kindly do NOT make you stare at all 450 pictures that were languishing on our camera, but only provide the highlights.

Christmas Kiddoes.

Daniel's Really Really Big Birthday Present from Grammy.
Also, the Haircut that Wasn't His Mom's Idea.

Darcy's overnight visit. BBQ at the Daytona Pig Stand. Not sure what the car has to do with anything, except I guess monster cars and bbq are both Southern cultural obsessions?

Our trip to Charleston with Grammy. (Aunty Pat and Uncle Mike also came from Hawaii, but we didn't get any good photos of them). We visited Fort Moultrie on the 150th Anniversary of the first shots fired in the civil war. Fort Sumter is across the harbor.

Volunteers in period dress.

Sophie as Joan of Arc in her history fair in April.
Cousin Cailey is dressed as Dolly Madison. I don't think this is a strictly historical interaction.

The Cousins (plus Baxter) before their Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's.

At Young Life Family Camp, evidently designed to be a thoroughly humiliating experience.

Enjoying the hammock on our back yard. Ryan's been busy mulching, gardening and cleaning up what was essentially a dirt pit. But the flies are still awful.

Sophie going up the down escalator at the airport. We don't have pictures of the gruesome bruises and tread-shaped scratches that resulted from this little adventure. Again, Not Mom's Idea.

Annie's visit in April

Sophie up a tree at the "Tree Graveyard" Beach

The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Georgia. This turtle was having balance issues; he has weights attached to his shell to help him stay evenly afloat.

With Aunty Tara and Uncle John at the Treaty Oak in May, in downtown Jacksonville. One of the oldest trees in the city, even if no actual treaty was ever signed here.

At the historic Wormsloe Plantation outside of Savannah in mid-June. This lane is planted with over 400 oaks, all over 100 years old.

That's 2011 so far! For the summer, Sophie is enrolled in art camp, studying the Harlem Renaissance. Meanwhile, Daniel's conversation consists almost entirely of quotes from Garfield, Snoopy, and Donald Duck. Our house is overrun with baby items in anticipation of "Sweet Sweet Petunia" (don't worry, not her real name), who could show up at any minute, but hopefully NOT before Sunday, when Ryan has to preach for three services, 2 in the morning, 1 at night. Most of the other pastors are on vacation, so an arriving Petunia could present a real pickle.

Sweet Sweet Petunia (as a luggage tag?)

I'm sure we will be inundating the internet with more photos once Sweet Petunia makes her way into the world.

We miss and love all of you, and hope you are enjoying your summer and your Fourth of July weekend! Let us know how you are doing, and how we can pray for you!

Our first post in forever . . . .

At the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Happy 2011, everyone!

Since I haven't blogged in months, this will be our official holiday edition. Let me post this disclaimer: Although Thanksgiving was fun, we had a really boring couple of months after that. Two rounds of bad colds and one of a nasty stomach bug pretty much ensured that. Also, eight weeks of the kind of morning sickness where, if I got off the couch, I threw up. On the upside, Sophie and Daniel have now compiled the largest collection of "vomit" synonyms in the known universe.

Back in November, Grammy visited for Sophie's birthday. A few weeks later, we took our annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to NY to stay in our old apt (while the current occupants vacationed), stopping over at the Ghiradella's in North Carolina.


Manhattan, especially cordoned off for the Thanksgiving Parade, was its quintessential mixture of the glamorous and the mundane.

John and Tara treated us to see the Rockettes -- and John on the trumpet! -- at Radio City Music Hall, then bought the kids bags of pink and purple m&ms at the Times Square m&m store. Thursday morning, we shivered along with Cris through the Macy's Parade (Shrek! Pokemon! Kung Fu Panda!) and later gorged ourselves on fried turkey and all the trimmings. And, thanks to the constant nausea that oh-so-conveniently showed up on the day we began our drive up to the city, we found out that we are indeed expecting a new Myers family member, due sometime around July 20th. We're betting it's a girl, but won't have final word until our diagnostic sonogram, which should happen in the next 5-8 weeks.

Daniel is telling all his Sunday School teachers that the baby's name will be Clark Magillicuty. Which I believe was the name of his fish.

Once back in Florida, we hunkered down for the coldest winter in years. I can hear all you New York folks snickering, but it actually snowed one day! A few flakes fell from the sky! Really! And our December heating bill for our old, huge, drafty, non-insulated house nearly caused Ryan apoplexy. So now we have a lot of new blankets.

We had a quiet Christmas, during which most of us were sick with one thing or another, and an equally quiet New Year. Only Sophie made much of an effort to stay up til midnight on New Year's Eve, and none of us succeeded. (Well, maybe the fetus did, but how would you know?)

Our height-challenged (but real!) Christmas tree

One thing we did manage to accomplish in December was the creation of a new home group. We meet for potluck, worship and prayer, and see what God has for us each week. So far we've had some powerful prayer times and started to forge friendships in our community. Ryan continues to work at church to help get a comprehensive small group program off the ground.

We look forward to the rest of 2011! God continues to provide for us in often unexpected ways, and we hope our season of illness is behind us. Blessings and love to all of our family and friends, and best wishes for a Happy New Year!