Someone smart, please help me

Random question: I have a book from 1969 that has been out-of-print for a long time. I would like to type up some passages from it and share them on this blog. Is this legal?

Babies at church--any tips?

Hubby and I are part of a house church of about 30 people. We meet every Sunday night at the home of someone in the church. We eat dinner together (prepared by different people every week), then we sing, pray, usually have a teaching time, and share what's going on in our lives. I love getting together with other believers, listening to the Word being taught, etc., but nearly every week I dread going to church because there's no easy solution as to what to do with 1-year-old. Usually we bring a playpen and set it up in a back bedroom, then I nurse him, sing to him, do all the usual things, and then put him in the playpen and tell him to go nigh-night. He always screams for a long time before (sometimes) finally drifting off to sleep, and I feel so bad for making him to try to sleep all alone in an unfamiliar environment with the noise of 30 people swirling around him. The other choice is letting him stay awake and be out with us, which usually means that he is a distraction to everyone and neither Hubby nor I (especially I) can focus on the teaching or what anyone else is sharing at all, because we're too busy trying to keep 1-year-old quiet and occupied. It's such a huge hassle that sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it.

Tonight 1-year-old was acting so extremely fussy right before it was time to leave for church that we decided that I would just stay home with him. He is teething and must be in pain, because he is constantly crying and pointing at the little tooth that is pushing through, plus he still has a bit of a cold. Hubby had to go to church because he is teaching the Bible lesson to the older kids tonight.

Anyway, I guess I am wondering if anyone has ever been in a similar situation and what you have done. I don't want to dread going to church every week! Also, I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself, but I keep thinking about how crazy and challenging church will be when this new baby is born. 1-year-old will be 20 months old then.

The weekend, so far

I am feeling much better. I haven't had morning sickness for the past few days, I have more energy, and my senses of taste and smell are returning.

Hubby has been on a trip with some other men from our church for the past few days, but he is getting home tonight. I can't wait to see him again! I miss him so much when he is gone. I think 1-year-old missed him, too. 1-year-old did end up getting what I had, but he is almost better. We had a few rough nights with lots of waking up and crying, partly because of his cold, and partly because he is getting in another tooth (his 8th)!

While Hubby was gone, I shopped around at various craft stores and discount stores and bought a few items to go on the walls in our living room, which were previously quite bare. We had been waiting to decorate until we could afford a slipcover for our very retro-looking couch (green and brown flowers, plus stripes--I've been waiting to cover that thing up for a long time), which we were able to do last week. We ordered it online, so we're still waiting for it to arrive, but we measured carefully and made sure to choose all the right options (T-cushion, wing back, etc.), so I'm pretty sure it will work. It was hard to tell the exact color from the little sample swatch on the manufacturer's website, but it is a deep red/burgundy, which will coordinate well with the dark teal-ish armchair and loveseat that are also in our living room. I like the way our living room looks now (well, except for the ugly couch that I'm eager to cover!). I bought a wall planter and some moss and silk ivy vines to go in it, a burgundy wooden sign that says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," and a tri-colored dried eucalyptus wreath (green, burgundy, and brown--it smells so good!) that kind of ties everything together, AND, I got out nails and hammer and hung them all on the walls, all by myself, thank you very much! :-) Hee hee, I have always had someone else around who knows what they are doing when it is time to hang things on the walls, so I had actually never done it myself before. I was pleased that I didn't smash my thumb and actually managed to get things to hang straight. I think Hubby will like the living room's new look. It seems a lot homier now. I plan to post a picture soon, but I can't at the moment because Hubby took our digital camera on his trip.

My mom came over to spend some time with 1-year-old and me. My parents live 2 1/2 hours away from us, so we don't see them as often as we'd like, and it is always special when they visit. 1-year-old had a great time with her. She read him lots of stories, which is a sure way to win him over. She and I had some good girl bonding time, too. We watched a chick flick together last night, and today we browsed some antique stores.

Sick Again

I am sick...again...with a bad cold, plus my morning sickness today was the worst it's been so far this pregnancy. Fortunately, Hubby and Baby Boy seem to be staying healthy. I feel a bit discouraged because my house is a mess and I have no energy to clean it; the kitchen is the worst--there are (nonperishable) grocery items from Hubby's shopping trip today still in bags on the counter, as well as unwashed dishes (although not too many, as Hubby has been helping a lot with dishes). For the past few days, the smell and sight of dirty dishes has made me feel nauseated....I can't even go near them. Blech.

Morning sickness stopped with my last pregnancy around week twelve, so hopefully I've just got to hang in there for a few more weeks!

I haven't gained any weight so far this pregnancy, which is fine with me. I think I started packing on the pounds almost immediately after I found out I was pregnant last time--I craved carbs and freely indulged in eating lots of bread products. This time, I'm trying to only eat one or two servings of grains a day. It is strange being pregnant and yet not feeling (except for the morning sickness) or looking pregnant.

Anyway, please just say a little prayer that I will feel better soon so I can take care of my family the way I want to!

Big News!

Now that I've told my family and friends in real life, I can finally announce here that we are expecting our second child at the end of April 2008! Baby Boy will be 20 months old then. I can't figure out how to put a baby ticker under my header above, so I put one all the way down at the bottom of the page.

Today is my 24th birthday. My parents came over last weekend to celebrate and gave me a beautiful 19-string folk harp! I was completely surprised. I had mentioned to my mom just once months and months ago that I thought it would be nice to learn to play the harp, and she remembered. I also received a lesson book, so I am beginning to learn to play.

Tonight Hubby is bringing home takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant, and then we will probably watch some more of the movie we've been watching, a 6-hour BBC production of Jane Eyre.

Oh, my mom also gave Baby Boy his first haircut when she was here. I miss the curls, but he looks so handsome and grown up! I will try to post a picture later.