last call for addresses

We're getting ready to send out fun pictures of Daniel and lovely hand-made cards, so make sure that I have your updated address.  You may want to send me your address if:

-you have moved in the last few years

-you haven't gotten a Christmas card from us in a while

-I tagged you in this post on Facebook, meaning I'm not sure that I have your proper address

Thanks

(we actually wanted to send these out last week but had a printing error on every copy of the picture we ordered, so we've been working on getting that fixed and probably won't have them out until after we get back from vacation.  as if you really were worried)

The Ballad of Bruce

I get asked about this at least once a year, so I'll go ahead and post it somewhere where everyone can see it.  If you don't remember how it goes.... um.... I'm sure I can still sing it.  And probably even play it.  It's only four chords anyway (D G A Eminor).  If absolutely necessary, maybe (maybe) I'll post an audio file for you someday.  Only if Kristen Flannery Thrift agrees to add in her part.

Chorus:
Oh, nobody eats food anymore.
Don't you know?
Food is a waste of time.
Why eat food, when you can get all that you need
Packaged and sent to you in the mail?

Verses:

There once was a man
For lack of a better name we'll call him Bruce
And this guy Bruce picked up this old, outdated book.
(at least everyone said it was old and outdated).

And this book talked about the wonders of FOOD
and it talked about the beauty of FOOD
and people who ate FOOD
and how it changed their lives.

But everyone said, Bruce... (chorus)

But Bruce, he kept on reading this book.
He thought the people and the stories in the book made sense.
So he decided to follow the book and eat FOOD
No matter what people would say.

And they all said, Bruce... (chourus)

But Bruce kept on eating FOOD
And he even learned how to cook,
which is pretty impressive for a guy.
and he grew stronger, and he grew wiser
And Bruce became an all-around better guy to hang out with.
And people would've, except that he kept talking about FOOD.

They all said, Bruce... (chorus)

Bridge:
One day, the lights went out.
One day, the machines shut down.
And all the people couldn't get their vitamins
Sent to them in the mail.

And after a couple of weeks they started to say
Bruce, we don't want to be hungry anymore.
They all said, Bruce, we're running out of time.
We need FOOD, we can't get all that we need
Packaged and sent to us in the mail.

(repeat above chorus)

Now the moral of my story
In case you couldn't figure it out for yourself
It's not really about FOOD
The world needs God,
They're starving without Him.
They just can't see it.
They've got too much that's just
Packaged and sent to them in the mail.

And to us they say, Come on,
Nobody needs God anymore.
Don't you know? 
All that stuff's just a waste of time.
Who needs God, when you can get all that you need
Packaged and sent to you in the mail.

But inside they're crying,
"Please, I don't want to be empty anymore.
All I know
Is that I've just been wasting my time
I don't know what I need, I just know that it can't be
Packaged and sent to me in the mail.

Please, I don't want to be empty anymore."
We need to reach them now
We're running out of time.
The world needs God, He's not a God that can be
Packaged  ...

He's coming soon, and He's not coming to us
Packaged and sent to us in the mail.
-----------------------

Of all the silly things I did in college, this one has stuck with me more than anything else.  Want your friends to remember you forever?  Write a really annoying, repetitive song. 

A Long Week

I promised I wouldn't bore you or disgust you with an overabundance of details about parenting, so I'll try to stick with that.  So, here's an explanation of why I'm feeling so defeated this week.

Until last Monday, Daniel was just about a perfect baby.  Good sleeper, good eater, generally a pleasant disposition.  It turns out, though, that there were a few problems that we just hadn't noticed.  (These are all related to feeding.)

Problem #1 (which is not very major) was compensating for and hiding Problem #2.  Problem #2 should probably have been noticed at the hospital but wasn't. 

Problem #1 is minor, but when left alone for too long can (and did) cause Problem #3. 

Problem #3 then spiraled into Problem #4, which eliminated Problem #1 altogether.  Of course, once Problem #1 was eliminated, we discovered Problem #2.  Now that there's no Problem #1 to compensate for #2, nothing quite works the way it should.

In concert with a doctor and lactation consultant, we seem to have brought Problem #3 under control (though I'm not totally sure) and are working on the other three.  It might take a few weeks, they say. We have good days and bad days, and sometimes a day you think was good wasn't really so good after all.

Over the course of the week, Daniel has lost weight (he's supposed to gain about an ounce a day) and became a fussy baby (because he wasn't eating properly and was generally feeling uncomfortable).  He hasn't eaten right, hasn't slept right, and hasn't been very pleasant while he's awake.  About two-thirds of our day is spent on things related to his feeding issues (the physical act of feeding him and making sure he doesn't spit it all back up, pumping out his next meal, and cleaning up all of the related paraphernalia).  And I don't mean two-thirds of our waking day, either.

I really thought things were going better, but yesterday was bad again.  Finding out that he had dropped weight was especially bad.  It's exhausting and terrifying.  We were given some gifts this weekend of really cute outfits in the next few sizes up, and part of me looks at them and thinks Dan isn't going to make it to that size.  That part of me feels like I've already failed and just wants to crawl back to bed to die.

Of course, there's also the cold, pragmatic part of me that says I'm too stubborn, and we'll fix this (problems 1, 2, and 4) whether Daniel likes it or not.    If I start something, I'm going to see it through.  That part of me is doggedly frustrated but keeps on working anyway.

Then, there's also the part of me that does trust that God has all things in control and will work things out for His glory.  I'm (slowly) reading John right now, and every time we have a bad day, the next morning there's a passage like the opening of chapter 9 ("why is this man sick?  did he sin, or did his parents sin?"  "Neither.  This happened so that God could show His power.") or chapter 10 ("this sickness is not unto death") that helps remind me of these things.  This part of me is confident and calm, and is able to do what she has to do in peace and even joy.

I don't know which part will win out today.

Since I'm not writing anything right now...

I always feel a little creepy about reading blogs from people I don't personally know, though I know it's a very hip thing to do.  I'm gradually getting more used to the concept.  Two of my favorite singer-songwriters have blogs that I enjoy.  Here are two very good entries for you to peruse:

Sara Groves (one of her blogs about a trip to Rwanda)

http://saragrovesofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/right-to-heart-jesus-loves-little.html 

Justin McRoberts (an entry about living more intentionally)

http://justinmcroberts.com/blog/?p=397

And we posted that just in time!

So, I posted those final notes on Friday, then on Saturday we went to the hospital! 

Good thing I had just posted, too, because otherwise I might have caved and written stupid "contractions are ____ apart!" messages all day.

Anyway, for the four of you who keep up with me on Xanga before other sources:

Daniel Isaac Lindberg was born at 9:25 am on May 31st.  He was 7 lbs, 5 oz, and 19.8 inches.  He ended up not looking like an old man in a baby suit as we had feared.  He even looks pretty good!  (There was some old-man look to his knees and feet, but that has already worn off).  Here's a fine photo (taken after we got home Tuesday):

All I need to say about labor:  the "first phase," when you're just timing contractions and waiting for them to get good/bad enough for you to go to the hospital, is dreadfully boring.  I mean, what do you do for six minutes while you wait for the next one?  Other than that (which I had never thought about before), labor was about what you'd expect.  Right.

The hospital was fantastic.  Really, I recommend this hospital for every pregnant person who can drive to Annapolis.  The staff is very attentive and knowledgable, and they go to great lengths to make sure you're comfortable, supplied, and informed.  It was really a great experience (except for the whole labor thing).  Heck, they even sent in a massage therapist just before we left.

Anyway, we're home now and figuring out how all this works.  It's kind of surreal.