I have always LOVED to be busy.  When I was in both high school and college, my calendar would be filled with every activity under the sun:  from cheerleading, to scholar bowl, drama club, volunteer work, to giving campus tours–you name it.  And in my professional life, I’ve still kept my calendar quite full.  Of course, my career itself is pretty demanding at times.  But to keep my busy lifestyle in check, I’ve stayed involved in church, community volunteer work, and have added in the responsibilities of being a wife:  cooking, cleaning and spending time with my best friend of a husband, Floyd.

But of course, as you might expect– mommy-hood has thrown in a whole new set of responsibilities.  I wake up earlier in the mornings so I can get in two feedings with Drake before I have to take him to daycare.  And in addition to getting myself ready and feeding the dog, I have to get Drake diaper changed and dressed, too. 

I find myself coming home from a long day’s work and just wanting to cuddle my little guy.  It makes it hard to *want to cook dinner or exercise off those pregnancy pounds!  It’s a more difficult balancing act, but a rewarding one to say the least.  Every time Drake smiles or giggles it is so thrilling.  So I’ll just keep piling things onto my full work load, and love every busy moment even more.

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I have always enjoyed a good deviled egg.  Recently I came across some recipes for twists on this traditional favorite in Hy-Vee’s “Seasons” catalog.  One of the recipes sounded especially good, so I gave it a whirl–and it was awesome!  So I wanted to share it with you.

Hard boil a half-dozen or so eggs to start.  Rinse and peel off the shells.  Cut the soft eggs in half.  Separately, cook a half-dozen or so pieces of bacon.  Once cooked, crumble the strips into pieces.   Then, scoop the egg yellow insides into a bowl and place your empty eggs on a plate.  Mix the egg yellow with about 2 tablespoons of light mayo, 2 teaspoons of light maple syrup, and your bacon crumbles with a fork.  Fill in your eggs with this mixture, and sprinkle with paprika.  ENJOY!

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Oh, sleep–how I appreciate you more and more these days!  So as I told you yesterday, our first day of taking Drake to daycare was compounded in difficulty by having a rough night with very little sleep.  But I guess all that crying really wore him down.  The daycare providers said he waws so sweet and slept on and off throughout the day for them.  And last night, he was an angel during our Bible study meeting and slept SIX HOURS last night for just the third time since he was born.  While I still wasn’t excited to wake up at 6 a.m., it was SO MUCH easier to do so with some solid sleep, and I feel so much more refreshed today than I did sitting here writing my blog yesterday.  I think from here on out (even when Drake gets older) I will cherish my precious, quality rest all the more since I know it doesn’t always come easily!  I am sure that feeling more refreshed will also help make more work day go more smoothly and I’ll be more productive.

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So today was the big day–getting ready for WORK for the first time in 6 1/2 weeks and taking my precious little boy to daycare for the first time.  Yes, I cried a little.  I knew I would.  And I’m already thinking about what an incredibly long day this is going to be!  Thankfully, Floyd gets done with work a few hours before me, so Drake will get some daddy time before I get home.

It’s come with the added challenges of having a tough night with Drake last night (He didn’t go to sleep until about 1:30 am, and I had to get up at 6:30.)  And I’m trying to fight off a cold on top of it all.  But nonetheless, here I am, back at good old KWWL.

Just sitting down at my desk today felt like a very foreign experience.  I found myself almost baffled by my surroundings and how to get back into my normal routine.  The nice thing is, I’ll be easing back into it all.  I am only doing a two-day work week this week to help make the adjustment.  In the mornings, I would typically look for story ideas, maybe post a web story or two, and read through/delete a few emails.  But today, I came in early and it took me over an hour to sort through and clear 0ut the more than 2200 emails that were sitting in my inbox!  Yikes!  And since I’m not cleared to lift camera gear just yet, and all our photographer staff is in Cedar Rapids for President Obama’s visit, I’ll be turning a desk story today.  I’m kind of glad to not be overwhelmed and swamped with my return quite honestly.  I am still kind of emotional about making this transition. 

But I know full well that there’s no universe in which I could be happy as a stay-at-home mom.  God bless those who do it and enjoy it.  But I knew at some point I’d be itching to get out of the house and back to doing the job I love.  It will just take time to make the transition back into a routine that balances my passions:  both journalism and mommy-hood! 

I am also so lucky (as you know and I express so often!) to have the amazing support of my husband.  I got one of those oh-so-sweet notes left for me this morning..

“Kera–Good luck on your first day back to work.  Stay strong when dropping Drake off.  He and I love you so much.  You are the best mom and wife ever.  I hope you have a great day!  Love, Floyd”

Readers–Thank you all, too for your kind support!  It means so very much.  Cheers to the next chapter in my “happily ever after” journey!

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Last summer, Floyd’s stepdad Nick learned he had lung cancer.  The disease progressed fairly quickly.  At Christmas, Floyd and I visited him in the hospital ICU.  At that point, his cancer was determined to be stage four.  He went home for a few days, and was re-admitted to the hospital shortly after the first of the year with pneumonia.  His lungs were very weak, and the doctors determined that his cancer was so advanced that further chemo therapy wouldn’t do any good and would just make him sicker.  He went home, and hospice care was established.  Sadly, he passed away in his sleep Saturday.  So for the second time in Drake’s short life, we made the trek back to Missouri to spend time with Floyd’s family and attend Nick’s memorial.

Floyd’s mom Sheila and Nick got married in 2005.  I was reminiscing about their wedding with Floyd on the drive.  Nick had been married a few times before, and I remember him saying, when he exchanged vows with Sheila, that even if he had to go through all the challenges of those relationships and the ups and downs that came with them, that he would do it all over again in a heartbeat if, at the end of the road, he had the chance to meet and marry Sheila.  It was evident to everyone that knew them from that point forward that he was sincere in that sentiment.  He treated Sheila like  a queen.  The two of them were the best of friends.  But as lucky as he felt to have her in his life, what I don’t think he realized was just how lucky we all were to have him in our lives.  Sheila’s life took a positive 180 with him in it.  She became a healthier and happier version of herself with him in it.  And that gift is a treasure Floyd and I, and all of Sheila’s kids, will always be grateful for.

Nick had a heart of gold, a great smile, and terrific sense of humor.  He was just a great guy, and he will be missed by many.

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I promised to share some photos of our big basement project when it was completed–so here they are!  All that’s left to do is hang a few things on the wall, and we’ll install a drop ceiling this spring.  The project turned out beautifully.  I am so proud of all the hard work Floyd put into it–and getting it done just in the nick of time before Drake was born!  A big thank you also goes out to my brother-in-law Vaughn and our friend Tony for making two special trips here to help us get the work done.  Now our guest suite (or as my mom calls it–grandparent suite) is ready for guests!

       

 

 

  And thank you loyal readers!!  We ended up selecting one of the plumbers you recommended to do the bathroom work.  He was very reasonably priced and did a great job!

 

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Last week, Drake and I had our toughest day yet at home together.  He didn’t sleep very well last Tuesday night.  He was fussy, and woke up about every 2 hours needing something–feeding, diaper change, or rocking.  So needless to say, Wednesday morning I was worn out.  But Drake apparently wasn’t.  Every time I’d try to lay him down for a bit so I could take a nap, he’d wake up screaming.  He nursed about every hour nearly all day long.  I changed more dirty diapers than I care to remember!  When Floyd came by to visit for a minute on his 10 a.m. swing through between schools, I was crying my eyes out.  I was sooooo tired and frustrated by Drake’s constant crying.  He fell asleep for the first time ALL DAY at around 3 p.m., right when Floyd was coming home.  (Which was a bummer at that point–just when I got some help to deal with the craziness–he fell asleep!)  Just after Floyd got home he said, “I’m sorry you had such a rough day.  Take a nap if you need to, and I’ll take care of him this evening.”  Those were welcome words.  And to make things even better–the doorbell rang.  I had a special delivery—a candy and flower bouquet. 

The card read, “You are the sweetest, most wonderful mom ever!  Love, Drake.”   I gave Floyd a big hug and said, “Thank you so much!  I really needed that!!”  And I did.  It made me tear up and reminded me of how much I do love our little guy—no matter how tough being a new mom can get sometimes.   I know we’ll have our good days and not so good days.  But we’ll get through it together, with love.  And we’ll be stronger for the wear.

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I grew up in a traditional-style, small protestant church in Elsberry, Missouri.  There was a hymn that went, “Count your blessings name them one by one.  Count your blessings see what God has done!  Count your blessings..name them one by one.  Count your blessings see what God has done.” 

With Drake in our lives, I think Floyd and I count our blessings more and more each day.  I remember the first day we were home from the hospital we happened to stumble upon a news program about the tragically high mortality rates of young mothers in countries like Afghanistan.  The program chronicled two women–a traditional 20-something new mom in America, and a 14-year-old expecting mom in Afghanistan.  As you might expect, the American mom had a smooth and safe delivery in the hospital, alongside her husband.  The teen mom in Afghanistan was terrified that giving birth could literally kill her–and for good reason.  Afghanistan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.  For every 100,000 births, 1400 new moms die–often from hemorrhaging that isn’t properly controlled since most new moms deliver at home on dirt floors–and are lucky to have any trained medical professional or midwife on hand to help with delivery.  How frightening.. 

Then last night, we were flipping through the channels and saw a commercial for a medical drama that will have an episode about separating conjoined twins.  That made me think about some good friends of ours in Quincy, Illinois who lost their twin sons a couple years ago.  The boys were conjoined and couldn’t be successfully separated at birth.

All of that certainly makes you count your blessings–and think of what a treasure it really is to have a healthy baby boy.  Today, Drake is one month old and doing so well!  We truly are blessed in so many ways. 

 

When we were home at Christmas my grandfather said something to me along the lines of, “Is he the best accomplishment in your life so far?”  And I said, “Well yes and no.  He’s his own special, unique achievement.  But I feel like I had to get my education, marry the love of my life, and find a career that brings me so much joy before I could get to the point where a baby would be able to take center stage.  And Drake sure has.  He’s a perfect piece in the puzzle that we continue to build together–now as a family.”

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At just a week and a half old, Drake met more people in a week’s time than some people might meet in a lifetime!  Christmas in Missouri was a whirlwind.  ALL of our friends and family members, some we haven’t seen in a few years, wanted to make time to meet Drake.  We caught up with college friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents–you name it!  He even got a surprise gift from Santa at the Christmas party for the nursery, the family business my grandad founded, and my dad operated until he retired a few years ago and sold it to another family who’d worked for the business for many years.

The family dynamics on the Mashek side and Steavenson (my maiden name) side are quite different.  Drake is my mom and dad’s first grandchild, and the first great-grandchild for my only living grandparents.  On Floyd’s side, Drake is his mother’s 10th grandchild and 28th great-grandchild for his only living grandparents!  At Floyd’s family Christmas, there are routinely 50 or more people gathered under one roof for a meal and packages.  Grandma and Grandpa Lindsey still buy one gift for each family member and all the grandkids and great-grandkids high school age and under have a stocking hung along the upstairs banister.  A few years ago, the package opening process changed to be done by families, with the family having the youngest child starting first and working up to grandma and grandpa.  So for the past few years, Floyd and I have opened presents second to LAST–the only married couple in the family with no kids!  Crazy!  So believe you me–Floyd was eager to take our place as “first on the Christmas couch” this year–and we took our time opening gifts since as he says “It took me 5 years to get here!”  Haha!  And we already know we will be at least THIRD next year—since two of his cousins announced their pregnancies at Christmas!  So even with all the madness, and huge number of people–Drake is still pretty special.  Floyd’s parents and grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles all love each new addition to the family that comes along. 

     

On my side of the family, my parents and grandparents can hardly get enough of the little guy.  For my dad’s family, Drake is the first baby to come along since I was born 27 years ago!  And on my mom’s side, it’s been I believe 7 years since my youngest cousin was born.  So having a new baby around for that side is a fun addition to.  It was such a treat all the way around to see how our litle man lights up the eyes of each person in our circle of family and friends who held him.  He is already so loved by so many–making Drake all the more special to us.   It’s just the beginning of a beautiful new journey this Mashek family will create–full of Christmases, birthdays, Thanksgivings, and get-togethers with a lot of people who love us!  It’s a pretty awesome feeling.

 

 

 

 

                                   

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Yes, it’s true:  a baby changes everything!  Of course, there’s so much that makes life more joyful and love-filled with Drake in our lives–no question about it.  It’s especially easy to say that when we got a streak of 5-hours of sleep last night–a true accomplishment since most nights we are up *at least every three hours to nurse and/or have a diaper change.  Floyd and I were both definitely worn out yesterday, too–so a good night’s sleep for the family was certainly appreciated even more! 

But I feel like I’m finally started to get caught up with the world.  At the moment, I’m caught up on thank you notes, laundry and dishes!  Floyd and I also even managed to take down and store the Christmas tree and decorations last night.  Floyd got most of his test grading completed this morning, too.  There’s just a little clutter here and there that needs attention–but by and large I think we’re in the best shape and feeling the best we’ve felt since our little guy entered this world three weeks ago!  I’m hoping we get into a bit of a rhythm now, which will only make our transitions back to work a bit easier.  Floyd heads back to school tomorrow, and I will head back to work at the end of this month.  Drake and I will sure miss Floyd!!  But it will be kind of nice for Drake and I to have some time just the two of us before work takes over a big chunk of my life again. 

I have to say through this whole process I have been most impressed with how well Floyd and I have been able to split responsibilities.  We’ve always done well with it in our married life, and thankfully parenthood has followed the same pattern.  Floyd actually kind of enjoys doing diaper changes when we’re all home together.  He talks to and sometimes sings to Drake during those few minutes.  It’s kind of their “bonding time.”  In the middle of the night, Floyd will usually get Drake out of bed when he lets us know he’s ready to be fed, then he’ll doze off a bit for the 20-30 minute time frame that I’m nursing the little man.  And when we’re finished, Floyd usually burps him, rocks him to sleep, and lays Drake back down in his bassinet.  I’ve told him a lot the past few weeks that, “We make a good team!”  And I really mean that.  I think our true team effort capabilities have really come through as a new mom and dad.  And I know Floyd will continue to be a great partner and parent in our new little family for many years to come.

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