Doctor's Orders

So, I'm supposed to be recovering from major surgery, right? Yep. Today I opened the front door to put a few thank you notes in the mail slot and before I could stop him, Luke was standing on the front porch expounding on his desire to take a walk. Not going to happen. The temper tantrum that ensued caused my precious son to fall off the porch and hit his head on the cement with a sickeningly loud thud. My guts turned over and my brain went into Mommy Mode. I scooped him up off the sidewalk and carried him inside, holding him close and trying to calm him. It was only as I reached my chair and sat down that I realized the pain in my belly wasn't only sympathetic. After caring for Luke's goose egg, cleaning it with Oma's help, and applying ice with the aid of the boo boo bunny, I stopped to assess my situation. Yep. Definitely more pain than before I picked my 30 lb toddler up. Stink. It turns out that when the doctor tells you not to lift things except your baby, she doesn't mean your first born baby who is now nearly two years old.

All this to say, I'm thinking I need to stay away from the front door for awhile. It's only been two weeks and I really want recovery to be quicker as opposed to slower. Why is it so hard to slow down and do nothing? It's what we always claim we want. I think deep down we know that we are beings with a purpose and it is hard to believe that sometimes that purpose is to rest. That is my purpose right now. I am a rester. I don't even think that's a word in the English language! Regardless, that's what I am. Rester. Open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week for at least the next four weeks. Would you like to come rest with me?

Happy Sunday

The day dawned bright and beautiful primarily because we were not greeting it at its beginning. Paul slept for five hours straight from 10pm to 3am for the second time last night. After the 3am feeding, he slept until 6:45 at which point the wonderfully fabulous Oma was "on duty" and fed him for us. Meanwhile, the mom and the dad slept in until nearly 9am! Brilliant!

Warning: To those who are not yet parents - Not all babies sleep like this one.

Well rested and feeling good, we all headed to church together. It was such fun to see folks we know and meet folks we didn't know. A newborn baby is a great thing for meeting people. Everyone wants to know how old he is and how I'm feeling. Because we are attending a new service held at a different campus of our church, we feel especially blessed to have Baby Paul to break the ice with people. :-) Worship was great and we headed home for nap time.

I have no idea how everyone else's nap time went because I took a pain pill and slept for three hours straight. Sah-weet! My recovery is going really well and I think it's because I am learning to unabashedly desert my family and pass out for a few hours in the afternoon. I know that Daddy and Oma can handle the boys. They are both such gifts from the Lord.

Grandma and Grandpa joined Oma, Erik, Luke, Paul and I for a family dinner tonight. It was super cool to have everyone together to share a meal and admire our boys. We call them the fan club; other people call them grandparents. I appreciate them because just when I think my toddler is going to turn out to be the rudest human being on the planet, a fan club member reminds me that he's actually sweet and has funny moments. Every mom needs a fan club for her kids. I'm thankful to God for ours.

Cute Baby Paul Story: When I burp him during a feeding, he nuzzles his fuzzy head right into my face and then tries to eat my nose. He then notices that he's looking directly at a face, his favorite object on the planet! The staring and memorizing commences, always accompanied by insanely cute facial expression.

Cute Brother Luke Story: Getting Luke to the dinner table can be a bit challenging these days. He's usually occupied in the playroom and doesn't really want to leave his adventures behind. Oma stepped into the playroom tonight and said, "I need a favor," intending to ask Luke to announce dinner to the family. Before she could get that far, Daddy came and scooped Luke up to bring him to the table. Luke looked at Daddy and said, "I need a favor." Daddy was a little taken aback but asked Luke what he needed. Luke didn't really know how to respond to that. He just knew that he needed a favor. Good place to start.

And now for the pictures.

Here are the boys sitting in their chairs checking out the neighborhood this morning. I can't get over how HUGE Luke looks next to Paul. Perspective sure is a funny thing.

Luke has been asking to hold Paul for days now. This morning we were able to make it happen with a little help from Oma. Luke takes his job as a big brother pretty seriously and wants to learn all there is to taking care of "his baby."

I wish Paul had been looking at the camera for this shot. He's got the cutest little grin on his face. He was fascinated by the reflections off the picture on the mantel behind me. Regardless, here is Paul's profile shot at almost two weeks of age. I'm in love again!

Rabbit Trails and Pictures

First I would like to declare an official "shout out" to Courtney who left a comment on the last post. Of course it's okay that Jacob gave you our blog address! It is very fun to hear from you, and I hope life is treating you well. Obviously my life has changed a LOT since our time together in the classroom. I like to think, however, that I have remained basically the same. I just don't give homework or tests anymore. It's a good thing! Anyway, feel free to share the address with anyone who wonders what Crazy Lady Bangsund is up to these days. I didn't have enough enemies while teaching to worry about who visits my blog here in the "afterlife." :-)

Second I feel that I owe the adoring aunties, both literal and adoptive, more pictures. The sad truth, which all those of us who are seconds or thirds understand too well, is that there haven't been tons of pictures taken of this wonderful baby boy. It's a crime really. We will work harder to keep documentation current and somewhat more plentiful. Another factor that contributes to the lack of both posts and pictures is my inability to negotiate stairs and our computer's location in the basement. I work on Erik's laptop when the opportunity presents itself. I confess that this past week was spent reading during every spare moment. I'm done now and won't comment in case any of you are fans who haven't finished yet. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, no worries. The rest of us addicts will just gather in the corner later and make cryptic comments about "hallows" and "horcruxes". We don't mind if you mock us.

My goodness! This post has taken a few rabbit trails. Time for those pictures!

If Big Brother Luke is sitting in his chair, Baby Paul needs to sit in his chair too. Luke spends lots of time narrating life to Paul and telling him to look at things. In this picture, we notice that Paul is mainly interested in the black and white pattern on the bar above him. Last night Luke had tried on my newest shoes (sorry-no photo available) and was really wanting Baby Paul to look. Paul can't see the ground yet while being held. Maybe next time, Luke.


He has spiked hair and sideburns! No cooler baby exists. He can also do the Elvis Sneer, but we have yet to capture it digitally.

A very common inquisitive look. Paul wants to memorize your face and this is how he looks at you while he does it. If you sing to him, the look becomes even more intense. You get the feeling he is trying to figure out how you are doing it.

And last, but not least, the big brother ready for a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house this morning. Instead of asking him to smile, we told him to say "cheese". It resulted in the same exact face. Are we doomed to years of this expression or is there a solution? Anyone?

One Week as a Family of Four

Life has been pretty slow here as we have started adjusting to life as a family of four. I was telling a friend today how much easier it is to go from having one kid to having two, as opposed to what it was like to go from zero to one.

Looking back at ourselves as first time parents gave us a good laugh today as we realized how many times we boiled Luke's pacifiers. Paul's pacifiers...uh...haven't been boiled at all. Poor Paul. :-)

We have heard the people's cry (Hey Jessica!) for more pictures and are always happy to oblige those who want to see more of our darling children! Here are some shots from the weekend and Paul's One Week Birthday.

Paul asleep on my lap Saturday afternoon. I liked the lighting in the room and thought it would be cool to a flash-free picture of the little guy.

Daddy reads a great library book to Paul and Luke. This one is called "I Kissed the Baby" and has great contrasting black and white pictures for Paul and adorable text for Luke. Good pick, Daddy!

Luke was "hugging" Paul this afternoon. Okay, it was more like Luke was using Paul as a pillow, but Daddy was right there to make sure Luke didn't press too hard on Paul's little belly.

Luke continues to enjoy Paul's company, pointing out objects that are Baby Paul's. He even announces to most guests, "Dat Baby Paul right dere." And when Paul goes down for a nap, Luke is the first to ask and announce, "Where Baby Paul? My wanna see Baby Paul." It's pretty adorable.

I haven't done any venturing out yet. My recovery is going fine, but I still experience a fair amount of pain from simple movements. I'm saving myself for Paul's upcoming newborn check-up this Wednesday. It will be good to get out of the house and at the same time have a purpose and a time line. I didn't make it to church this Sunday...I'm not quite the superwoman I desire to be. I have high hopes for next weekend though! :-)

Home At Last

We've been home from the hospital since Friday and we have all been learning a lot. Luke is discovering that there are some fun things and some not-so-fun things about being a big brother. He definitely enjoys the visitors who have brought him presents. He also likes helping feed Baby Paul his bottle. He doesn't like it when he is told not to throw things around Baby Paul. We have noticed a slight increase in tantrums on Luke's part, but we are pretty sure this is normal behavior.

Meanwhile Baby Paul is learning that he likes to eat and sleep and he HATES to have his diaper changed. He likes to hear Mommy or Daddy or Luke sing to him. He also enjoys a good book, especially one with contrasting black and white pictures. Daddy and Luke went on a special trip to the library Friday afternoon to pick up a few books just for Paul. He definitely spends way more time contemplating the contrasting pictures. I'll have to get a few pictures of his face doing this tomorrow.

My recovery has been going fine. The incision is healing perfectly and I'm very sore. I have to keep reminding myself that I've had major surgery. My inclination has been to feel like I have to get back to doing all the things I did before Paul's birth. My body is being pretty clear about the fact that I need to pay attention to my recovery and not push myself. That being said, I'm really hoping to get to church tomorrow. :-) Just one little outing...mostly because I want to show off this stunningly adorable baby boy! We will see how the night goes.

Last night was pretty typical for newborn land. Paul was up about every two-and-a-half hours. Erik had to do all the work because I can't get out of bed unassisted yet. Super Dad did everything. I know we are both looking forward to when I can contribute more. I feel like a total lump, but I know that my body will heal faster if I take care of myself now.

We've had a few visitors and look forward to having more. It really helps brighten my mood and entertain Luke when folks drop by. So...drop by sometime!

Going Home Tomorrow

We are excited to be going home tomorrow around 10 AM. It will be so great to have all four of us under the same roof. We are especially interested to see home Luke responds to a "live-in" baby brother.

Amy's recovery is going smoothly. Her only concern is whether she can climb into her bed. Maybe a small forklift is in order. Paul eats like a horse and is a complete failure at spitting up. Too bad ;) Maybe it is because his name doesn't rhyme with "puke" (unlike his older brother).

Amy is very excited to get home and see our neighbors/friends/family. She is really looking forward to hosting visitors. Lots of them. So come visit! Don't be a stranger. Unless you are a stranger. Then you might consider calling first. Or tagging along with someone who is not a stranger to add credibility to your presence.

Ok, it is sleepy-time.

Visitors From Near and Far

Paul had a good day today. He started with breakfast with big brother Luke. The grandmothers were in attendance. When Luke arrived, however, Paul was still in the nursery. Luke was greatly concerned: "Where is Baby Paul!?!" It is so sweet how quickly Luke has become attached to his little brother. We will see if this lasts when Paul comes home and starts to take more of the (necessary) attention...

Paul's bili levels have continued to be well within the normal range (no jaundice). An ultrasound today showed that the dimple at the base of his spine is not an issue that needs to be resolved with outside help. It ends up that this dimple is just a cute feature of his posterior!

Other visitors today included Mark Tai (all the way from Puyallup, WA!) and Bob, Cindy & Elizabeth Moody.

Please continue to pray for Amy's recovery.

Paul's First Day

Paul had a fabulous first day! It included visits from: Oma & Luke, Grandma & Grandpa, Holly & crew, April, and Rachel. There were also many emails/comments and phone calls which Paul enjoyed immensely. He wowed us with a 22 ml lunch (10 is the standard) and continues to delight us with adorable squeaks and grunts.

Paul saw the pediatrician-on-call who, after reviewing Paul's blood type (A positive) when compared with Mommy's blood type (O negative), decided to run some tests, which all came back fine.


Mommy is making a stellar recovery. She walked across the room to her chair. From there she enjoyed pudding and a milkshake, among other liquids.

At the conclusion of his visit, big brother Luke requested to have Mommy and Paul come back home with him. He is missing Mommy terribly. At bath tonight he cried and cried. Missing is tough stuff.

A huge round of applause for the nursing staff here at the hospital. They are making life so much easier for Mommy and Paul. This is giving time for bonding and getting to know each other.

Please pray that all further tests and recovery in general go according to God's sovereign plan.

Welcome PAUL!

We welcome with great joy

Paul Daniel Bangsund

Born 10:41 PM on July 16th

8 lbs 6 oz 21 inches long

14 inch chest 14.75 inch HEAD!

Mom and Dad are doing well. We appreciate your continued prayers for complete recovery. We will be in the hospital for 3-4 days. Give us a call if you want to come visit.

Stay Tuned

It's been quite a day. We arrived at the hospital around 8:00 AM (after being postponed by a busy delivery unit). It is now 7:00 PM. No baby...yet. Long story short: the pitocin didn't work. When given our options and a chance to pray, we opted for a c-section. This will be occurring sometime after 8:00 PM tonight. You all know what to do (pray)! We look forward to giving you more news in a couple hours.

One Day Before Sprout

First thing first...the funny Luke story for today! As we sat at the breakfast table this morning, we were doing our best to explain to Luke that our baby will be coming tomorrow. Mommy and Daddy will be going to the hospital early in the morning and Oma will be staying with Luke. At the hospital, our baby will come. Oma added that Luke will then be a big brother. He piped in with, "Or a big sister!" Yep. Gender specific nouns are a tough concept!

We spent the morning worshiping God with friends and family, blessed to be with the body of believers. Nap time was the main afternoon event. This evening Erik and I went to a friend's barbecue party to pass the time. It was a great distraction and we enjoyed ourselves watching cute little kids and laughing with the grown-ups. Thanks to Rachel and Seth for inviting us at the last minute. :-)

Our appointment is at 6 am tomorrow morning, so I should probably get some sleep. We look forward to our next post having details about God's next blessing for the Bangsunds!

A verse that arrived via Jessica, Erik's cousin and fellow blogger:
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

Random Bits But No Baby Yet

As a way of distracting myself, I thought I would post some fun pictures of Luke. I'm also giving into pressure and posting a picture of myself taken two weeks ago on my birthday. I'm actually larger now, something I didn't really think possible. It's all good.

We spent today hanging out mostly at home. Luke went with Grandma to Sand in the City for a few hours this morning and enjoyed himself immensely. They had face painting and Luke, not quite ready for his face to be decorated, opted for a ladybug on his arm. It's adorable. The only sad part of the experience was his balloon popping on the way home. That's okay, buddy. There are more balloons in the world.

And now, a few pictures.


This is Luke watching the ice skaters at the mall the other day. Grandma was worried he might get cold, hence the complete lack of hands and inclusion of lovely sweater. :-)

Here we see Luke flanked by friends who came visiting. I don't know why he makes that face when I ask him to smile, but I think it's hilarious!

And here I am with two balloons on my birthday, one of which says Happy Father's Day. I'm cool with that. No, that third balloon, the one that isn't floating, is actually my belly.

Check back tomorrow evening to see if my body decides to kick things into gear on its own! We will see!

On the Launching Pad

This was a phrase used by the doctor today as she described our situation. It was both encouraging and mildly hilarious. (My mother has a slight obsession with all things NASA.) Anyway, after sweeping my membranes (sorry guys), she said we have a 50/50 chance of going into labor naturally sometime within the next 24 hours. If labor has not started naturally by Monday, we will be induced at 6am. We place no value in crossing our fingers or thinking "good thoughts." We covet your prayers. The Sovereign God of the universe has a plan for this baby's birth. Please pray that His plan comes to fruition and we are able to be a strong witness to those around us.

In Luke news today he had a frustrating moment while we were leaving a fabric store. There was a dandy lion growing between the side of the building and the sidewalk, pretty much smashed up against the store front. Luke was obediently walking along, holding Oma's hand when he spotted said weed. He began jabbering about "going around the mulberry bush" and tried desperately to release Oma's hand to begin this process. Sadly we were on the sidewalk next to the parking lot, thus making it against our rules for Luke to go without an adult hand AND the "mulberry bush" was growing out of the side of a wall, making it rather difficult to "go around." He screamed and screamed in utter frustration. Poor child. High aspirations, but no wall climbing ability...yet. Hopefully the next "mulberry bush" will be a little more attainable.

Something Bigger Than My Belly

There is a thunder storm rolling in from the West. The lightning flashes in sheets through the sky, followed by big, loud crashes. We have our bedroom windows open so better to hear, see, smell, and taste the fun. It is a very cool thing. I am thankful to God for the distractions He gave me today in the form of a trip to the mall, a visit from a friend, and this thunder storm. I'm sure the storm is not just for me, but I also know that God is the One who opens my eyes to His good and perfect gifts.

A public apology to those with whom I share a house...uh...I'm sorry for being a whiner. I appreciate all of your love and support despite my less than lovely attitude at times.

And to those who have prayed and continue to pray for us - thank you so very much. You folks rock!

No News

Please pray for patience for Amy (and the rest of us).

A Quiet Day

I realized while talking to a friend on the phone today that if I don't update each evening, many of you are going to wonder why. Is she in labor? Has the baby been born yet? Should I call her? Oh, friends, how I wish I could update you with something more exciting than this blog entry. Regardless, here it is, the most boring post you've ever read.

Luke headed off to spend the day with Grandma this morning. Needless to say, this leaves the house insanely quiet. Oma took the opportunity to head out and see a movie. I took a really long nap. Sheesh. This blog is headed downhill fast if I have too many more days similar to this one!

For dinner we ordered Thai food, thinking the spice might kick things into gear with Sprout. No news yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Dry Run

Between 2pm and 4pm this afternoon, I began to experience some rather odd symptoms which included tunnel vision, nausea, and tingling in my left hand, and a very severe headache. I called my doctor's office and they said a trip to Labor and Delivery would be a good idea. Erik and I grabbed our bags and headed down the road.

After some blood work and fetal monitoring, I was diagnosed with a migraine and offered Percaset (sp?). I said yes, please. The stuff worked and they discharged us after just four hours of observation. No baby, but also no headache.

It was a good dry run and we are looking forward to the "real deal" sometime this week. :-)

Your continued prayers for peace and patience are greatly appreciated. We had some folks praying while we made our short trip tonight and God's peace was so very evident. Praise Him!

Not Labor Day...Yet

Today we celebrated my mom's birthday, and I thought it would be super cool for the baby to come. Apparently, Sprout did not get the memo. As Luke states every time we see heavy machinery, "Maybe another digger?", I say "Maybe another day?"

Today's Funny Luke Story: Tonight at dinner Luke was uninspired by his dining choices and said, "I want Veggie Sticks for dinner" quite clearly. I replied back, "Veggie Sticks are not on the menu." He then helpfully informed me, "They're in the cupboard." Erik, Oma and I had a seriously difficult time not laughing at the clarity with which he stated this fact, looking at me like I needed more help than he thought. Sheesh, Mom, I know they aren't "on the menu" (what's a menu?), but I can tell you where they are! Such a helpful boy.

Due or Don't Date?

It's nearly 8 pm on our due date and unless Sprout is going to really kick things into gear, I think s/he is going to miss being born on 07/07/07. I heard this morning about some women who scheduled c-sections for today just so their child could have "the luckiest birthday." Uh...no thanks.

Erik and I went on our "Due Date" date this afternoon. This was an excellent idea given to us by our childbirth education instructor with Luke. Makes the day go quicker and I don't have spend the day being stared at and asked the question, "So, do you feel anything?" We went to a Dream Dinners session and made enough food to feed a small army. It was excellent for my nesting instincts. :-) We also went for as long a walk as possible after dinner tonight - that was a whopping twelve minutes. And it was more of a waddle than a walk.

A good friend from our former lives came to visit this afternoon and it was sheer joy to have her company. It was also delightful to see her interact with Luke. As a preschool teacher with a degree in speech development, she had all sorts of fun games to play with Luke. Watching him learn is such fun. I wanted to ask her to move in. I guess she already has a job that actually pays her money, and her husband might miss her. Too bad.

My cross stitch is coming along nicely, but as Mrs. Jean observed this afternoon, it probably won't be finished until the kids start school. It is serving its purpose now. It's impossible to count stitches and think about being overdue. It actually makes me happy to have every moment to work on the thing! Silly Amy.

What's the Skinny with Amy?

Have you found yourself wondering lately, "So, is Amy still pregnant or what?" Yep. Still pregnant. Our due date is just two days away. I keep telling myself that. Patience. Not my strongest character trait. Actually, when I'm sitting down and can't feel the force of gravity quite as much on my body, life is good. It's when I realize that I need to go to the bathroom again for the fourth time in an hour that I feel like Baby Sprout needs an eviction notice. Fortunately for Sprout, no such notice will be given by me (at least in the form of Pitocin). One ride on that train was enough for me. So, we wait. Feel free to pray for God's peace and for my attitude to glorify Him, rather than be self-centered.

On the funny side, I was in a fabric store the other day and had the absolutely irresistible urge to buy a cross stitch kit. I haven't cross stitched since I was twelve. Regardless, I bought a kit and have found myself sitting quietly doing needle work. I'm thinking that might be one of the more odd nesting urges I've had this time around. It also appears that nesting is somewhat contagious. Oma and Erik worked for a good three hours in the yard this morning, creating a yard waste pile that is the envy of all. Luke enjoyed the morning "working" outside with them. He gets the prize for gardener who picked up the most "heavy rocks." Good work, Luke.

On the even funnier side, my husband is currently enjoying a new game on the Wii called Raving Rabbids that involves "evil" bunnies, lots of plungers, and a fair amount of disco dancing. I seriously do not have words to describe it. I think he knows I need the distraction. This game definitely does the trick!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm not one of these to avoid and/or dislike my birthday. I LOVE my birthday. I like looking back on the year and realizing how much God has grown me. I like looking ahead to what He is going to do in the next year of my life. I also like the presents. :-)
Today was a good day. Erik made breakfast for the family and Luke greeted me with a sweet, "Happy Birthday, Mommy." The day continued with meeting some new friends of ours at church. They were coming for the first time. That is a great birthday present! After church Dave and Lynne came over and made barbecued salmon for lunch. YUM! Then I took a two hour nap. Another bit of yum! Neighbors came calling with their toddler daughter. She and Luke proceeded to provide the entertainment with the help of a balloon. After their departure, my friend Holly came for evening tea. Having spent a significant amount of time in England, Holly does tea like a professional. It was a most civilized way to end the day.
I thank God for those He has placed in my life to bless me on this day and all the others of last year and the year to come.