Keeping up with the Jones'

Disclaimer: this entry is meant to be one of reflection and observation. It expresses personal opinions but please note that it was not written so as to be negative or judgmental. My international past has made me keenly aware of cultural trends that I am simply putting into question for my family, not yours! :)

What does the average suburban family in the United States look like? House, two cars, dog or cat (or both), 1-3 kids, home entertainment center, at least one computer, plenty (usually too many) of toys for the kids, matching furniture in every room, careers held by either one or both of the adults with fairly high priorities placed on income and status, and peers who peek into their lives making a mental checklist of what the "Jones'" do or do not have out of this list. I too am a peer so I am including myself here. And there is the unspoken rule of thumb that if you don't have each of these items by "an appropriate time in your life" then you are irresponsible, lazy, immature, or just a little odd.




What does the average suburban family in nearly all other major cities of the world look like? (I said nearly all, NOT ALL) Apartment, MAYBE a car but not usually, 1-3 kids, minimalistic furniture and toys, maybe a computer, probably a television set, and generally a slower pace of life where the goals are not money-oriented or time-oriented, but instead are friends, family, and relationship oriented. Don't get me wrong on that last part, TONS of American families put a high priority on family and relationships which is a wonderful thing!

Recently, I have found myself peeking into the "Jones'" life and wondering where Aaron and I (and Reesor) fit into each of these categories. I have to admit a hint of shame or frustration when I compare myself to the average American Family. If I compare us to the rest of the world, however, we are way ahead with our two cars, tons of baby gear (already) two laptops and big screen TV. So what is the source of this shame when I line our life up with my those of my peers? Pride? Never! ;) Of course its pride! And then there are the questions that my pride causes me to ask myself like "do we appear to be irresponsible? Do we appear to be less mature than those our age who already meet every item on the check list?" I would like to say that I'm so secure that I don't think about these things. But I do.

I LOVE my life. I LOVE not having the responsibility of owning a house and all the expenses that come with it. I have SO much to be thankful for such as my wonderful marriage and husband, strong family ties, healthy growing baby, food on the table every night, and jobs for both of us that meet our needs and, in particular, bring a lot of happiness to Aaron. So why do I compare? Why the shame? Why do I feel embarrassed to say "I am 27 years old, pregnant, married, and I live in somebody's basement apartment"? Or "most of Reesor's baby things such as a swing and basinet are loaners from friends instead of brand new from Babies R Us."

I am discovering that the answer to my insecurities and embarrassment is this one thing: God! God didn't give me the last name "Jones" did He? Nope, we are the Das'! And what works for Mr. and Mrs. Jones is not what is meant to work for us. At least not at this time. I don't believe that as the Body of Christ we are meant to sit and judge others or OURSELVES! We are to take what God has so lovingly given us, be thankful, and run with it! If that means you are 24 years old and already own a house with a lovely nest egg of $35,000 sitting in the bank and two paid for cars in the garage then be blessed and go be a blessing. If that means you live in government housing, take the bus to work, and supplement your grocery cash with food stamps then be blessed and go be a blessing. And, if like me, you are somewhere in between the two...well...BE BLESSED AND GO BE A BLESSING! Its not about who has what, its about what you do with what you have! This is a lesson I am learning daily!

Shark Bites & Diabetes

I was just going to write about this whole Gestational Diabetes business but I feel like you might want an entertaining story as well. Real quick...



Friday night Aaron and I hopped in bed just like any other night and withing a few minutes were both sound asleep. Enter 2:30 AM and the attack of the invisible shark! I moved from a deep sleep to a dreamlike moment where I was audibly moaning and then instantly was flung in to full-fledged "awakeness" where I found myself screaming LOUDLY out of pain. Aaron woke with a jolt and let me tell you that the fact he woke up at all is a total miracle! He was trying to figure out what was wrong with me and why I had jumped out of bed and wouldn't stop screaming. The only words I could get out of my mouth were "leg cramp" in between my yells for mercy! Folks, when they say that pregnancy leg cramps hurt, THEY ARE NOT KIDDING! I could literally feel my left calve (or is it calf?) muscle in an egg-size knot and could not catch my breath from the pain. It felt like a shark had attached himself to my leg and wouldn't let up. My leg was sore the entire weekend from that episode and now every night when I go to bed I beg God to not let it happen and I have Aaron rub IcyHot all over my legs. LOL Hope you got a kick out of that.

Now on to more serious things. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. 5% of women get this during pregnancy which is no fault of their own. We have the placenta and its hormones to thank for that. In a nut shell, it is what it sounds like: pregnancy diabetes. So I have had to change my entire diet and quite honestly, its not so bad at all. I lost a pound in 2 weeks without trying. Of course I am NOT trying to lose weight during my pregnancy. But I'm still on track for weight gain so I'm not worried at all.

So what would any good mommy do in order to make sure her child is born without breathing problems, low blood pressure, and obese?...I have become Suzy Home Maker. Here's what I'm eating these days:

Black Bean Soup:


Homemade Muesli:


Baked Kale Chips:


So there ya have it, a few samples. Enjoy the rest of your August my friends!

So THIS is Pre-Term Labor?

Yesterday was an interesting day for our Das family to say the least. Other words you could use to describe it might be scary, different, hectic, and painful. But before I go on, I just want to say HOW AMAZING GOD'S PEACE IS. Through all of the yesterday's events I felt His hand and never once did I feel out of control or panicked. Its a long story so for the sake of your time, I'll try and just get to the highlights.

While working my half day shift in the morning I starting feeling a bit "crampy". At first I chalked it up to round ligament pain that usually hits right around NOW in pregnancy and just kept working. But around 11 I realized that the pain was coming in time-able increments and was getting more intense. At a few minutes before noon I decided it was too intense to ignore, I closed my teller window, told my boss what was happening and got out of there to call my midwife.

After a series of questions from her I was instructed to go to the hospital ASAP. So I got home and Aaron and I did exactly that: made the 45 minute trek down to Atlanta Medical Center. I felt a little silly cause I wasn't in all that much PAIN but I just had a feeling that something wasn't right. But after 15 minutes on the fetal monitor the nurse rushes in and says "you just had 6, one-minute contractions within a 12 minute time period!" SERIOUSLY?! For those of you who don't know, that is how long and frequent contractions are when a woman is in the FINAL stage of labor, moments before delivery! Even with this news I felt a total Peace. I should note that this entire time Reesor's heart rate was right at what it should be and he was kicking those belly monitors all over the place. Never once were they concerned about him and for that I am SO thankful!

So what does any good hospital do with a pre-term labor situation?...they hook you up to everything possible! After two failed attempts at starting an IV and busting both veins (which are now swollen and bruised) they were able to start my hydration IV. (For those who know about this stuff, I never dilated but my cervix has already started thinning out.)

Three hours and two doses of Terbutaline (a drug used to relax the uterus and stop contractions) later my contractions had subsided and I was released. But not before being placed on weekend bed rest and given all kinds of instructions. Tomorrow I have to go visit my midwife first thing and await further instruction. As for today, I'm a writing, tv-watcing, knitting machine who is sending Aaron to get the groceries and clean the house. I guess bed rest isn't all that bad! ;)

On a serious note, Aaron and I would covet your prayers at this time that we will have no more episodes of this sort and that Reesor is carried to full term! As much as I want to kiss his face, I will happily wait until his little body is ready to take on the outside world!

Here's a picture of the event:

Lightening Strikes

I have been living in the Stone Ages since last Thursday night. And by Stone Ages I mean life without internet. :) On Thursday evening Aaron and I were home, minding our own business, when THE loudest thunder clap I have ever heard sounded above me and a massive CRACK boomed outside my window. I simply KNEW INSTANTLY that the house had been struck, it was THAT LOUD! I jumped off the couch and as I approached the window to the side yard I saw a GIANT branch hit the ground from the Poplar tree in the yard. This is no ordinary tree my friends. At a towering 70 feet, this is a "double tree". (No clue what the proper term is here) You know, its when two huge trunks stem from what appears to be one root system. So anyways, it fried the tree and the internet and we were without. What did we do to pass the time away from Facebook and Gmail?...

Reesor's dresser and initials that will go on the wall:


His crib with some clothes against the green wall:


Dad painting the wall:


Aaron painting the dresser:


That's right...Reesor's room is well underway thanks to my fantastic husband and amazing parents! As you know, baby making ladies can't be around strong fumes so Aaron and Dad painted the dresser and wall as well as set up the crib. Now all we need is the bedding, curtains, rocker, changing pad, diapers, wall decor, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, and o yeah...A BABY! Hip hip hurray for progress.

How's life as an incubator these days?...I'm doing just great. I'm a knitting, cleaning, constantly hot-flashing, waddle-walking machine! :) This uterus high-jacker kicks around the clock and with every kick I am grateful, SO grateful, to the Lord for a healthy baby and pregnancy. Here's to 16 more weeks of the same!

A Boy Named Reesor

It seems fitting to post a blog about the name we have chosen for our son. I have always been of the mindset that we would choose unique names for any children we have since I have had the joy of a very unique name. Choosing a name was more difficult than I imagined because after all, this is the name that will be connected with a human for the rest of their life! Sounds silly unless you have had to do it I suppose.

Before we knew whether little Das was a girl or boy, we would just throw names out there and see how they sounded. Everything I mentioned to Aaron was always met with a "mmm, I don't know..." from him. So I pressed on. LOL Then my grandmother took a turn for the worse after years of health complications and I was reminded of her maiden name: Reesor. My grandmother has forever been the most respected woman in my life. I don't say this to sound as if I don't respect my mom Marie or my mom Patrice. But anybody that knew my Oma would have to agree that she had a certain air about her that simply demanded respect in the most loving and unspoken way. And I realized....REESOR SOUNDS MASCULINE AND IS UNIQUE!

I was expecting another so-so response from Aaron when I mentioned it to him but instead was greeted by a "wow, that's kinda cool"! As this was the first name we had both agreed on it just kinda stuck! I was curious as to any meaning the name might carry so I researched a bit. The only thing I can find is that Reesor is derived from the German name Rieser which means...wait for it....ONE WHO TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY!!! Can you believe it? As a missionary kid I have lived all over the world and Aaron was born in India and is also a "child of travel"! I'm thrilled to have discovered that the meaning of Reesor's name goes perfectly with his parents' history!

So there you have it, our son's name is Reesor _____ Das. Not too sure on a middle name yet as I have left that to Aaron.

Oma went on to hang out in heaven in June of this year and I can't think of a better way to honor the woman she was and the legacy she has left than to pass her name on to my son who is a product of the very love she taught her family to feel and share.

Meet my Oma: Estella Merle Reesor McLuhan

Confesions of the Bump

Well, whether this blog is frequently visited or not, it is my outlet; my observations, thoughts, and a place for me to express the joys and difficulties of life as a wife, mom, homemaker and worker.

First on the list, pregnancy. 22 1/2 weeks into my first pregnancy and my cup is so full its dripping on all sides. So much to do before the arrival of our little Reesor, and so little time to do it ALL in! Deciding to stay in our little apartment was the best thing we could have done, but its making my deep nesting instincts hard to carry out. I'm doing the best with what we have and thankful for every moment.

Reesor's crib, currently still boxed, is sitting in my living room along with a few toys, his mattress, and some storage bins I bought for all his little boy things! :) In the corner of my bedroom sits another mountain of baby boy clothes and necessities, So I'm itching to clear out what will soon be his nursery and set up his Soccer-themed room (pictures are sure to come)

And finally, birth classes. We have our first birth class today and I couldn't be more excited. Aaron and I are signed up for a 7-week class and, since I'm going the "unmedicated route" (hopefully) I feel like we have SO MUCH to learn and master before the big day arrives! The words "vaginal birth" invokes an immediate look of horror on my sweet husband's face and, well, we have a long way to go from here to THERE! Here's to the adventures that lie ahead over the next 4 months and we prepare our hearts and home for this bundle of complete joy and miraculous blessing!

Hang in there Reesor, just 17 1/2 more weeks of amniotic fluid and claustrophobia!