Our little family had a great three-day weekend to celebrate the 4th of July. Loren had Friday off so we, along with Heather, went swimming at the former Bountiful Bubble. It was our first time taking Sophie swimming here and I think she really enjoyed it. She especially liked to watch the little kids run around in the pool. That night we set off fireworks with my family in Kaysville. Surprisingly, they didn't wake Sophie up. It was fun, but I think that fireworks, along with parades and many other things and geared more toward little kids. The pleasure for adults must come in watching their children enjoy themselves.
Bright and early the next day my dad, Heather and I got up to run the Kaysville 4th of July race. Heather and I ran the 5K (3.1 miles) and my dad ran the 10K (6.2 miles). My goal was to be under 25 minutes, but I fell just short, finishing in 25:31. On the bright side, I did beat Heather by a minute! Dad finished in 48 minutes (I think) and got second place in his age group. He and I are going to run the 24th of July 5K in Bountiful and hopefully I can achieve my goal time there. After the race Loren and I went to breakfast where Loren was loaded up with 6 pancakes, 2 slices of ham and scrambled and fried eggs. He said he was starving while waiting at the race. We then watched the parade and, later that night, the big fireworks display. Sophie handled the fireworks pretty well, but after a while her curiosity turned into fear so we left a bit early.
Even though all the festivities were fun, the main event for me was on Sunday when Loren was able to bless Sophie. She looked beautiful in her white dress and we even got her shoes and a bonnet to wear as well. She was fascinated by the shoes, but not a big fan of the bonnet. Loren gave her a very sweet blessing and I was so proud of him for all his preparation. My family came to watch and we all celebrated together. The only thing that would have made the day better is if Andy Roddick had been able to beat Roger Federer and win Wimbledon. They battled it out in an epic 5 set match and Roddick just lost. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Health Update
This past Monday Sophie was 6 months old! We can't believe how much she's already grown - time really does fly. On Tuesday she had her checkup with the doctor and he said she's doing great. She weighs just over 16 pounds and is 26 inches long. She also had to get another round of shots :( Next time Loren is definitely coming so I'm not the only one who has to watch.
Sophie also had to go to the hospital on Thursday for some tests. When we got back from Hawaii last month she had a really high fever for a few days. We took her to the doctor and after some tests he told us that she had a kidney infection. We were able to give her medicine to combat the infection, but were told there was a chance that something was wrong internally that would make Sophie prone to bladder and kidney infections. So, we went to Primary Children's on Thursday where she had an ultrasound and a VCVG test. Everything looked fine in the ultrasound, but the VCVG showed that she was having some problems. She has problems with reflexing, i.e. some of her urine flows back up to her kidneys, instead of all going down into her bladder. We will probably have to give her low-dose antibiotics for a year and then she will likely grow out of it, so to speak. We were hoping that nothing would be wrong, but this isn't extremely serious so we are grateful for that.
In other news, Loren and I are doing well. We are enjoying the more relaxed pace of summer and love watching Sophie grow. She is such a happy baby and has just learned how to sit up and is starting to try and crawl. We are looking forward to the Fourth of July and would also like to wish a very happy birthday to our nephew Gavin. Happy 4th bud!
Sophie also had to go to the hospital on Thursday for some tests. When we got back from Hawaii last month she had a really high fever for a few days. We took her to the doctor and after some tests he told us that she had a kidney infection. We were able to give her medicine to combat the infection, but were told there was a chance that something was wrong internally that would make Sophie prone to bladder and kidney infections. So, we went to Primary Children's on Thursday where she had an ultrasound and a VCVG test. Everything looked fine in the ultrasound, but the VCVG showed that she was having some problems. She has problems with reflexing, i.e. some of her urine flows back up to her kidneys, instead of all going down into her bladder. We will probably have to give her low-dose antibiotics for a year and then she will likely grow out of it, so to speak. We were hoping that nothing would be wrong, but this isn't extremely serious so we are grateful for that.
In other news, Loren and I are doing well. We are enjoying the more relaxed pace of summer and love watching Sophie grow. She is such a happy baby and has just learned how to sit up and is starting to try and crawl. We are looking forward to the Fourth of July and would also like to wish a very happy birthday to our nephew Gavin. Happy 4th bud!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wellesley Woes
Ever since we got married, Loren and I have been planning on moving back to Boston to finish college. The time is finally drawing near and we anticipate moving in late August. Loren will be returning to Harvard as a sophomore studying computer science and I am set to be a junior at Wellesley, majoring in history. Our well-laid plans have, unfortunately, hit a major snag - Wellesley's financial aid policy. They only recognize students over the age of 24 as being independent from their parent's household. This means that even though I am married and Loren and I filed our own taxes this year, Wellesley still views me as dependent on my parents and so when assessing my financial aid application, they will also take into account my parent's financial situation. In all likelihood, this will result in little or no aid being offered to me to help pay for my education and may bar me from returning to Wellesley.
I find this extremely frustrating and saddening. I realize that my situation is unusual when compared to my classmates, but I thought an institution such as Wellesley would be be able to take that in stride and make accommodations for me. Loren and I want to be considered as an independent household and we have worked hard this past year to save our money and prepare to return to school. It seems to me that Wellesley should make a change in their policy and recognize married students, no matter their age, as independent and treat them as such. By not doing so they are not truly recognizing my marriage and not granting me the same status as the federal government does. Wellesley claims to want a diverse student body, but they only want certain kinds of diversity, not the type that I would bring as a wife and mother. The purpose of financial aid is to allow all students to attend, regardless of their financial situation. The hard truth is that $38,000 (and that's not including room and board) is too much for my parents to pay by themselves anyway, even if I weren't married. They want to help, but it shouldn't be their responsibility to pay for my education anymore. Unless we can work something out, Wellesley will lose a student and demonstrate that they are unwilling to help those in need who want to attend Wellesley, but just can't make it on their own.
I find this extremely frustrating and saddening. I realize that my situation is unusual when compared to my classmates, but I thought an institution such as Wellesley would be be able to take that in stride and make accommodations for me. Loren and I want to be considered as an independent household and we have worked hard this past year to save our money and prepare to return to school. It seems to me that Wellesley should make a change in their policy and recognize married students, no matter their age, as independent and treat them as such. By not doing so they are not truly recognizing my marriage and not granting me the same status as the federal government does. Wellesley claims to want a diverse student body, but they only want certain kinds of diversity, not the type that I would bring as a wife and mother. The purpose of financial aid is to allow all students to attend, regardless of their financial situation. The hard truth is that $38,000 (and that's not including room and board) is too much for my parents to pay by themselves anyway, even if I weren't married. They want to help, but it shouldn't be their responsibility to pay for my education anymore. Unless we can work something out, Wellesley will lose a student and demonstrate that they are unwilling to help those in need who want to attend Wellesley, but just can't make it on their own.
Monday, April 13, 2009
At Last
I have, at last, started a blog. It was the desire to procrastinate my history paper that finally made me do it. I hope this blog will accomplish several things. First, I intend to use it to keep family and friends updated about our life, especially Sophie. She is learning and growing so quickly and I want everyone to know about it! Second, my wish is that those who follow this blog will find it at least somewhat entertaining and interesting. Who knows, maybe this will help others procrastinate on their own projects. Third, I want to practice my writing and get better at expressing myself that way. Finally, I want to show off my tech savvy to Loren by running this blog. I doubt he'll be impressed, but there's no harm in trying!
Regarding the title, "grow where you're planted" is something my dad first said to me when I was starting my first year at Wellesley. I was nervous and homesick and questioning my decision to attend college so far away from everything familiar. He told me to blossom and grow at Wellesley, to do my best right where I was and to not be afraid to shine. I still need to remember that advice today. Last year has been full of surprises - some good, some bad. I am trying my best to flourish in Bountiful, to enjoy being a mom and to focus on the future, not regret the past. When we move to Boston this August, Loren and I will need to adjust to our new lives, try our best in all our endeavors and grow where we will be planted.
So, more posts will come and I hope the blog will stay fun and be updated regularly. Now, I better get back to my history paper...
Regarding the title, "grow where you're planted" is something my dad first said to me when I was starting my first year at Wellesley. I was nervous and homesick and questioning my decision to attend college so far away from everything familiar. He told me to blossom and grow at Wellesley, to do my best right where I was and to not be afraid to shine. I still need to remember that advice today. Last year has been full of surprises - some good, some bad. I am trying my best to flourish in Bountiful, to enjoy being a mom and to focus on the future, not regret the past. When we move to Boston this August, Loren and I will need to adjust to our new lives, try our best in all our endeavors and grow where we will be planted.
So, more posts will come and I hope the blog will stay fun and be updated regularly. Now, I better get back to my history paper...
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