What a Fair Week!

Dear Aunt K,

I had a great time this week.  It was my first time on my Bumbo chair, and Mom did a photo shoot.

 









On Thursday, Mom, Dad, and me met Dad's friend and went to the state fair.  Mom ate funnel cake.  Dad rode some rides.



And I got my picture taken again and again. 








Mom and Dad also got a new chair for me this week.


After that came, we were off to St. Louis for the weekend.  No pictures there since Mom left the camera on the charger.  Mom went to a Young Women's reunion and got to see the people from when she was a teenager.  It was a lot of fun.  Everyone thought I was adorable.

We went home on Sunday, and I rested.


Love,
Lingo

A Very Busy Week

Dear Poppie and Nonnie,

I've had a VERY busy week. I had to wake up Daddy a lot this week. He had a presentation to prepare for, and he doesn't like to get up. So I helped out. In return, Dad kept me entertained.



Then Mom, Dad, and me went on a walk. It was a bit early, but that was the only time that it was cool enough to go outside.



Dad worked so hard on his presentation, that when it was over, we all went out for pizza at Old Chicago (although, Mom and Dad wouldn't share).



After Old Chicago, I had to man the family history center. (I let Dad and Mom help out, too.)



After we got home, Mom read me a bedtime story so that I could fall asleep.



Yesterday, I got to go to lunch with my mom's friend and her mom. I think I'll like Mexican food someday; it looked pretty good.



This morning, we went to the farmer's market, but I was too busy for a picture. Everyone was flirting with me. We walked into the market, and all the heads turned toward me. I had no idea I was so cute. Dad carried me around the whole time, and I liked seeing everything from higher up. Dad kept on trying to get a discount from everyone, but it didn't work, but that's okay.

Well, that's all for this week. I need to go to bed so that I can get up and go to church tomorrow.



Love, Lingo

A Visit and a Wedding

Dear Grandma,

It was a busy week this past week. I had a visitor and took a trip. I am exhausted. That's why I'm so late with this letter.

Aunt Melmie (Best) came to visit me for a few days. We did more laundry than I knew existed (I must be pretty messy; I know Mom and Dad are). I got to play while Mom, Dad and Aunt Melmie folded.

From Letters from Lingo

Mostly she and Mom hung out and talked. It was nice to listen to them while I drifted in and out of sleep. (Mom slept some, too.)

From Letters from Lingo

My aunt left Wednesday, and we left the next day to come see you, my cousins and Aunt K for the wedding. We worked hard--well, Mom and Dad worked hard along with you and Aunt Aunt Ami and Uncle Uncle Tim--I mostly slept. I figured it was the least I could do.

From Letters from Lingo

We came home Saturday after spending the night in the coolest hotel ever. I finally am up to writing about the trip now. It tired me out too much.

From Letters from Lingo

Love,
Lingo

Count Your Many Blessings

Dear Aunt Favorite,

It's been an exciting week. Everyone came into town to see me blessed, and so we had to get the house ready. I helped Mom do dishes and laundry. I worked so hard that I fell asleep.

From Letters from Lingo

Next, we went down to see you and the crew at Nauvoo. I was too young to get a gingerbread cookie, but I managed to get a picture in front of a Lingo-sized house. I was all ready to move in when it was time to go home.

From Letters from Lingo

When we got home, I had a lot of visitors. Dad's family and Mom's family both came at the same time. It was so crowded, we went to the park to play. Someday, they'll let me on the swings and merry-go-round. In the meantime, I just got to watch everyone else.

From Letters from Lingo

At church, Dad, Poppy, Uncle Brian, Uncle Adam, Soon-to-be Uncle Paul, and Brother Culmer blessed me. The fun part was trying to get family pictures before and after church. I fell asleep, but I kept getting bumped as Dad rearranged everyone.

From Letters from Lingo

From Letters from Lingo

During the last picture, I woke up, and boy, was I upset. I just wanted to be fed and go back to sleep. It was a pretty blanket, though.

From Letters from Lingo

Everyone went home, and I got lunch and a nap.

Love,
Lingo

It's (Almost) Baby Time

So, things are not quite going as planned in babyland. Lingo (baby) is "due" today, but has decided to be stubborn and make himself comfortable. (oh, the fun.)

Because of this, we've scheduled an induction beginning Thursday. This means that Jonathan will probably make his appearance around Friday.

We're ready to go and excited to see our little handsome boy, but now suddenly everything is real (as if it wasn't already real as we set up the nursery, packed the hospital bags just in case, installed the car seat, etc.)

Anyway, we're looking forward to Thursday--please send good thoughts and prayers.

Not Much News

Not too much to write. The baby (Jonathan Marshall) is due four weeks from yesterday. I am feeling done and sleeping occasionally. Jonathan will probably end up being a famous kickboxer. We've had discussions about the rules: no hitting, no kicking, no biting, etc., but he's not the best listener yet. I am glad to have him move around, though. Every time he stops for awhile, I start to get worried.

Anyway, just four or five more weeks. We're into the last month. Woohoo!

Why I've Been Gone

Or at least part of the reason. I had my 12 week ultrasound on Monday, and everything is looking good. My estimated due date is June 14, 2010. The baby's heart beat was 169 bpm. Dave is THRILLED; I am thrilled. I am also sick. I've had morning sickness for what seems like forever now, but I am doing okay besides that.

Why I Live in a Disco

The man in the apartment from me sings. Yep, karaoke--Serbian karaoke--and he's just bought another mike, so his wife can sing with him, too. I've taken to closing windows and doors when the beat begins, but I can't block the monotonous vocalizing. Help me! My ears are buzzing with sympathetic vibrations!

The Quest for a Rideable Bike

There are certain things I haven't done since I became dizzy

• watching a movie in the theatre
• riding a bike
• going on an amusement ride
• enjoying a cruise--oh wait, I've never done that

I hope to be able to overcome at least one of these obstacles. Honestly, Six Flags is out. I have no desire to go there EVER again. I am my own roller coaster. Watching a movie . . . I'll wait for it to come out on video for now. A cruise? Well. But--I may be able to ride a bike.

I have 3 possible plans of action:

1. Stabilizer wheels: You know you always wanted training wheels as an adult. Confess.
2. Tricycle: Cruising the neighborhood, picking up groceries, or something
   
3. Recumbent Tricycle: See above, but cooler and lower--think stealth

So, I have no idea what I'll ultimately choose, but I am confident, that I will draw stares and get attention where ever I go. But, at least I'll be able to ride a bike.

(Pictures courtesy of amazon.com--go there and spend money.)

And now, I bring you--A POLL. Please, let me know which you'd rather have in my position--because I may just drag you down here and force you to try it out. (Poll is to the right.)

The Dizzy Doctor

I love titles that can have two meanings.

After months of being handed off from specialist to specialist at UIHC, I finally got to see the balance disorder specialist at the University of Iowa. This is more than a year after I started getting episodes of dizziness. Going into the appointment, I was full of hope and yet trying not to have high expectations. I figured that on one hand, the doctor would not be able to tell me ANYTHING, and on the other, she could suddenly realize that all along I had some illness or disorder that only she knew about and that she had the pill right there that would cure it. Unfortunately, my experience was more the former than the latter. The doctor says that this happens with about ten to fifteen percent of her cases.

After going over my case history with her, she began testing. Walk toe-to-toe, now with your eyes closed--normal. Touch my finger, touch your nose, repeat, close your eyes, repeat--normal. Stand on one foot, now the other, now with your eyes closed--normal. Sit down on this table while I push your head down quickly and watch your eyes--normal. Reflexes--normal (I want one of those hammer thingies). March in place, now close your eyes and do it again--abnormal. Wow.

This was the first time in all my testing with all my doctors that I had an abnormal result. It was SO weird. The doctor had me close my eyes and march in place for about a minute. I was feeling really foolish and so had this big chagrinned smile on my face, grinning and bearing it. I knew that I was walking in place, and it seemed pointless to keep going. When the doctor finally had me open my eyes, I had rotated at least 45 degrees and was facing my husband instead of the doctor--surreal. At last, something testifies that I may have some kind of problem.

Unfortunately or fortunately, all of my tests have been normal: caloric testing (think squirting water in someone's ear and seeing what happens), rotational chair testing (as horrifying as it sounds), VEMP testing (we're not going there). At this point, there is not much that the doc can do for me. We're redoing the MRI in case something shows up now that didn't a year ago. My vitamin B-12 is a little low, so I've started a supplement for that. She thinks there's a possibility that it may be vestibular migraines, but it is really a possibility, nothing more. So, when Dave and I are finished trying to conceive, we can begin looking at different migraine medications, but at this point, there isn't anything else the doctor can do for me.

In the meantime, I can't return to teaching. The school atmosphere of little bodies moving everywhere and talking all the time is a big trigger for my episodes of vertigo and nausea. The doctor didn't seem to think that this would get better on its own (at the same time, she never stated that explicitly--miracles happen). For now, I'll take my supplements, get the MRI redone, and so on and see the doctor again in six months.

Newest Finished Object

I spun this yarn and knitted the baby sweater for a friend that's due later this year. Hurray!

A River Runs Through It

While getting ready to leave for the family history center (Dave had volunteered to man it today). I heard the most peculiar noise. Water was running and dripping in the kitchen. Now, normally, this is a good thing; it means Dave is doing dishes. This time, however, no one was in the kitchen. Yep. There was water running down the inside of our walls, coming out the electric sockets and dripping down beneath our sink--all coming from the apartment above us.

Dave ran upstairs to ask the neighbors what happened and to tell them to stop running any water. I hurried and turned off our power. The neighbors upstairs had ran some drain-o through their sink, which appears to have finished off an already corroded pipe. Dave called the emergency number of our condo association, and someone has come out to look at it. They're not sure when they can get a hold of the condo board so that someone can get it fixed. In the meantime, the neighbors are not supposed to run any water. I'm not taking any bets that this will happen, but we've offered to let them use our bathroom/shower/etc.

Enchanted April

In gearing up for the new month, Dave and I rented Enchanted April last night. It was my college roommate's favorite movie (Clair), and I remembered loving it. Turns out, memory can be a funny thing. What I really wanted to watch was Cold Comfort Farm, Stephanie's favorite movie.

Now, Enchanted April is a perfectly charming movie about four women becoming alive again by renting an Italian castle for a month. All problems seem to be solved, and all lives are changed for the better. However, this was not quite what I was in the mood for. I wanted humor. There was some, but mostly, it came from Dave making fun of the acting.

Tonight I'm out to rent the other movie. I need a laugh right now, and I know where to find one.

Dyeing a Little More Every Day

So, here's my latest wool top.



This time I used kool aid for the orange and red/pink and wilton's for the yellow.

Finished!

I just finished my second yarn.

So this


Became this


Spun into this


Plied into this


Was knit into this (with some assistance from extra Cascade 220 black).

What's for Dinner

Dave and I have not gone shopping in at least 2 weeks. It's not my favorite thing to do since it tends to exacerbate dizzy spells. So, when I got home from a LONG day at work, I went into the bedroom to hide from dinner. I had absolutely nothing planned, so I improvised.

The "All You Can Eat" Recipe--cause when it's gone, you've gotta go shopping

• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning (or use this recipe like I do, I would double this recipe)
• 1 jalapeno from jar
  
• 1 pkg. frozen corn (cooked for half the time called for in microwave)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning cheese (or cheddar, or Mexican cheese, etc.)
• 2 c. cooked rice
• 1 jar salsa (optional)
  

1. Brown ground beef and onion and rinse.
2. Add taco seasoning mix and jalapeno and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes while par cooking corn.
3. Add rinsed black beans and corn, and stir.
4. Serve over cooked rice topped with cheese. Optional salsa on the side.

One quick and easy dinner. Now, we're off to go shopping.

Spinning

So, Dave put the wheel together when we got home Sunday night. After work on Monday, I figured out how the double drive worked and started spinning. Here's a picture of some of my first attempts. It's not too bad.

It's Here!

My spinning wheel is here!!! I'm so happy. I was a patient, good girl, and it paid off. The only problem is that I'm out of town this weekend. So, while I'm at my parents' house, it's all alone at home, waiting forlornly to be put together.

But, on the bright side, IT'S HERE!

In the Meantime

I have tried to be patient while waiting for my spinning wheel. It's not working. So, I've tried to distract myself. Also not working. But here's what I've been working on:

Dyeing a Small Sample of Roving


Spinning Sample of Roving


Finishing Yarn


Dye New Roving




Knitting







So, I wait, and I try to be patient.

The Best Valentine's Day Ever

Yesterday was Valentine's Day; however, if you were one of the few people who didn't know this, you're probably in trouble right now anyway, so I don't have to tell you. Anyway, this is the third Valentine's Day Dave and I have celebrated together, and I think it was the best one yet.

Year 1, Dave and I are dating and about to get engaged. Pretty unmemorable Valentine's Day. This is okay with me. I have told Dave that I don't want flowers or chocolates on V-Day. That day, they're a rip-off. Now, any other day is fine. Please, get me flowers; buy me chocolate; but not that day. I do remember ALMOST getting an engagement ring, but the one I saw on Craigslist (we were poor, people) wasn't what I thought it was, so we decided not to get it, putting of our engagement a couple of weeks.

Year 2, another unmemorable Valentine's Day.

Year 3, this year, I like having Valentine's Day on Saturday. It is wonderful to get to sleep in. Dave made me biscuits and gravy with heart-shaped biscuits--from scratch. We lolled around the house until I discovered we were on our very last roll of toilet paper, off to Hy-vee. Dodging around the Valentine's Day husbands, we decided to have lunch. It was 2 by then, so it was past time, and I was starving (and crabby). So, Dave has the chinese food he LOVES, and I get the salad bar. This is one thing I actually like about Hy-vee. They have an all-you-can eat salad bar with pineapple--one of my favorite things in the world. After two plates of pineapple and a couple more of other things, we were off, got the tp, and started home. The best part of the trip was walking there and back. We live within walking distance, but we rarely do--who wants to carry milk and tp home. Dave convinced me, and I'm glad we did. It's nice being able to just walk with Dave.

I spent most of the day knitting. I have several projects that needed to be done weeks ago. Dave worked on various things, including housework. I love my husband. Dinner was the best part. Dave was napping and I was cooking. I nipped into the bathroom and dressed up. I called to Dave, and he finished most of dinner. I set the table, lit the candles, and we were ready for our romantic dinner: sloppy joes, beans, and french fries. Yep. This is why I love Dave. It was the best day ever. Probably unmemorable, and I'll forget this all by next year, but I LOVED this Valentine's Day. I win.