What is in a name ~ Part II

The original "What is in a name" was posted about how we chose Noah's name: http://amhamann.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-in-name.html  

Now it is Meredith's turn.
  
Truth be told I am the one who brought the name Meredith to the table when Reid and I talked about girl names.  I first fell in love with the name when I taught daycare and preschool at the YMCA in Plano, IL.  I had two students with the name Meredith.  One girl was absolutely adorable with her brown eyes and Shirley Temple curls and she had a spunky attitude that would not quit.  The other girl was a preschooler of mine that had the sweetest face and kindest heart I have ever seen in a four year old.  It is really because of these two girls that I loved the name Meredith. 
When I was pregnant and before we knew that baby was a girl, I was driving and the name Meredith popped into my head randomly.  I thought to myself, "I think I am having a girl and her name will be Meredith."  When it came to a middle name I wanted to honor  family.  The name Louise was both of my grandmothers' middle names.

As we were sitting in the doctor's waiting room waiting to have my 20 week ultrasound the news of Nelson Mandela's death came across the television.  They spoke of his strong warrior spirit while he was imprisoned for 27 years as well as his leadership while president of South Africa.  Again the name Meredith popped into my head.  Meredith's name means ruler/leader/chief and her middle name Louise means warrior. I really feel that we didn't choose to name her Meredith, but instead we were chosen to raise a leader and a warrior...a Meredith Louise.

Meredith's Story

A friend of mine had posted once that, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."  For me the "day" you find out why is September 20, 2011 and April 13th, 2014.  My children are the 'why' in my life.  The following is Meredith's story :)
It was really important to me that Dr. Ford delivered my baby.  She brought Noah into this world two and a half years ago and I have the utmost trust in abilities as a doctor. 
I was going to be induced on April 15th for two reasons:

1-  I was exactly one week before my due date and the earliest I could be induced (39 weeks)
and
2-  If I was induced early I would not have to leave the hospital in a moving truck since we had to move the day after my actual due date of April 22nd. 

Dr. Ford had assured me that even if she was not on-call she would make every effort to be there to deliver this baby.  The only foreseeable exception was the weekend before I was going to be induced (April 12-13th) because she would be out of town.  Now I am sure you can all see where this is going...

That Saturday (April 12th)  I was extremely tired all day long.  That night we were going out to eat with some friends at Cheeseburger In Paradise in Downers Grove, IL.  To be completely honest I was looking forward to a virgin margarita.  On the way to the restaurant my contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart which was fine because I was not going to have my baby that weekend so bring on the contractions.  When we got to the restaurant I informed our friends that I might be in labor, but its not a big deal because I was not going to have my baby until at least Sunday night when my doctor was going to be home.

Nothing on the menu sounded good except salmon. After the waiter took our order  my contractions were about 6-7 minutes apart.  I called the waiter back to the table to cancel my order.  I explained to him that I was in labor and probably would not be able to finish my salmon and I would not be able to eat it until after I came home from the hospital and we all know salmon does not reheat well.  He looked at me like either I was crazy or just trying to be funny. 

I tell Reid that when him and Noah are done eating we should probably go so I can get my over night bag.  When I was pregnant with Noah my hospital bag had been in my car when I was 35 weeks pregnant and the car seat had been installed and re-installed 15 times just to make sure it was snug.  With this pregnancy my hospital bag was at home and not completely packed and I was not quite sure where the car seat was.  As we left the restaurant my contractions were 5 minutes apart.  I convinced/demanded that Reid drive back home so I could get my hospital bag even though the hospital was between the restaurant and home.

We arrive at the hospital around 9:00 pm.  We meet my friend Carol at the emergency room entrance so she could take Noah back to our house.  I kissed my sweet baby goodnight and it was in that moment I knew that the next time I saw him we would be a family of four.

So there we are,  Saturday night and no favorite doctor around and to top it off it is my bedtime.  All I want to do is crawl in my select comfort bed with my 37 pillows to keep me "comfortable" and watch an episode of MASH.

At 3:36 am our Meredith Louise Hamann was born.  7 lbs 9 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

I was so blessed that my friend Ellie captured Meredith's entrance into this world.  She made the beautiful slide show that I want to share.  Now, there is no "Money Shot" as I like to call it, but you can definitely see legs, umbilical cord and breastfeeding.  For me this video is priceless and I am sharing it because it is part of Meredith's story and her story is amazing and beautiful. 

This pregnancy has been on my check off list along with packing, moving, and trying to remain sane, but when I watch this video all the "need to do" items fall away.  When I watch this video my life slows down and I have peace with the chaos that surrounded her birth. 

My hope is that you can appreciate the beauty of Meredith's arrival.

Beginning

"Modern Pioneer" is the beginning of my continued blog...OK I know that sounds odd, but there is a good reason for this new blog.  I felt that a new blog name was in order.  I am in no way comparing myself to the original pioneers.  Lets be honest, I never would have lasted three minutes in a covered wagon.  They would have booted me off at the first grassy intersection. 

"Modern Pioneer" is not something that I am, but instead something that I strive to be.  I hope you enjoy reading this and hopefully I enjoy living it :)

Things To Do

I am a list person. 
I love writing lists and then being able to cross items off. 
So in an effort to wrap my mind around what has to happen in the next 6 weeks I am boring everyone with my current "To Do" list:

Continue growing a human
Find a place to live in South Dakota
      (this item has caused a large quantity of tums to be consumed)
Find boxes for packing
Assemble Boxes
Tell two year old to get out of boxes
Decide what can be packed now
Pack
Attend doctor's appointments
Move "unneeded" items to the storage unit
Go back to storage unit when "unneeded" items
      turn into "needed" items
Research best deal on moving truck
Cry when realization hits that moving is expensive
Continue boxing everything that will not be needed
      in less then two week time span
Have baby (April 15th induction)
(due date is April 22nd and we move on the 23rd...
      I refuse to leave the hospital in a moving truck)
Get home from hospital and pack some more
Celebrate Easter
Attend doctor appointment for baby
Touch up paint in house so house is ready for renters
Load moving truck (around April 23rd-week after baby is born)
Consider being sedated and packed in the moving truck
      with all of our things
Drive out to South Dakota with two year old and newborn
Feel sorry for myself because I am in a car for many hours
      after having a baby a week ago
Stop at gas station, buy skittles in purple package and Mt. Dew
      in order to feel a euphoric sugar rush
Consider moving to a warmer climate
Get to South Dakota and hopefully move into some type of housing
      that is not a hotel
Consider being sedated while boxes are being unpacked

Anyone want to trade To-Do Lists :)

Modern Pioneer

There is no covered wagon, but the journey begins. 

I have known that my husband was put on this earth to be a farmer ever since he took me to his parents' farm.  Even as we studied at Crother's Engineering Hall at South Dakota State University I knew that his passion involved not sitting behind a computer for the rest of his life, but being outside working a half section of land.  His passion did not change when I married him over five years ago. So if I have not made myself clear, I married a farmer.

Me on the other hand...

I was put on this earth to enjoy air conditioning.  I strongly dislike being outside unless the weather is perfect, but even that can be ruined by a few bugs.  I have a healthy fear of cows and for some reason I associate farm machinery with missing limbs.  Also, my idea of "gardening" is remembering to water the house plants that have been given to me over these past few years.  There are two that have survived my neglectful caretaking ways.  I was not put on this earth to work the land.  My husband did not marry a farmer. 

This spring we are taking the trail back west to try our hand a farming in South Dakota.  Now I say "our hand" because even though my husband will be the one farming, with a career change like this comes a lifestyle change as well.  And also because when I say that "Reid is farming" my hubby politely corrects me and says, "We are farming honey". 

To put it simply I am terrified.

I did not grow up on a farm.  Saying I know anything (which I don't) about the ways of farm life is like someone without children saying then know anything about parenting.  Until you have experienced it you have no idea.

I can't say that  I will hate it or that I will love it.  So it is because of the uncertainty that I stomp my feet and hold my breath (much like my two year old son) when faced with the change.

I guess the best way to describe my feelings about this new journey is to compare it to winter in the Midwest.  Every year winter comes.  It is not a surprise or shock since every year of the 30 years I have been alive there has been snow that has fallen from the sky and cold in the air.  Every single year.  Still every fall there is a period of mourning.  The loss of warmth outside and not wanting the change of the seasons to happen.  I don't love the idea of winter, but then I look outside and the reality of the quiet peaceful blanket of snow warms my spirit.  That blanket is the blank canvas for what will grow in the spring.  New life and new possibility.

I get so caught up in why this is not for me that I don't take the time to see this move for what it is...an opportunity for God to warm my spirit.  This is my blank canvas with new possibility. I just hope that the spirit warming can be done indoors with no bugs :)

God Created a Farmer

Every Wednesday I have the privilege of teaching confirmation.  I really enjoy going.  Not only because the students are a great bunch of kids, but because I feel like I learn so much.  I often find myself calling my Dad (my pastor growing up) and telling him about the great things that I learned that night.  My Dad listens and then we have a great discussion about whatever the subject was.  The whole time I am sure my Dad is thinking, "Yes dear sweet daughter, you learned those things when I taught you confirmation too."

The other week we were discussing stewardship.  Which in short is our duty to care for our environment.  With this discussion came the reading of Genesis 27-30.  To sum it up God created humankind and made us caretakers of the land and animals.  Stewards of the world.  Then it goes on to say that we totally jacked that up and then there were thorns, disease, painful childbirth and death. Just to name a few...

What struck me most about all of that was that the first profession was farming.  A relationship was created between humans and the earth. Now you can't talk about that relationship without hearing Paul Harvey's gruff voice...

"And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker!”.

 So, God made a farmer. 

You may think this rings a bell and for those of you who watched the Superbowl last year you may remember a certain Dodge Truck commercial...

Starbucks Theory

I have a theory when it comes to the economy, it is call the Starbucks Theory. 

Although I am not a big coffee drinker I still have made my way into Starbucks for a cup of iced caramel whipped cream with sprinkles amazing goodness (might not be the technical name).  A drink like that runs around $5 or so.  Like I said, I am not a "once a day" Starbucks customer, but I know people that are.  I guess to make a long paragraph short...drinking "The Bucks" daily is not cheap, but consumers are willing to pay it.

When I moved to Kendall County Illinois in 2008 there was not much as far as shopping went.  Then came Target and a Kohls with a strip mall attached.  When I was volunteering one weekend I met some people who had the inside knowledge of what businesses were going to come to this area.  There were names like Jcpenny, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Chilis and Buffalo Wild Wings.  Kendall County was welcoming business with open arms. 

Then as we all know the economy took a Thelma and Louis nose dive off the cliff with no air bags.  All of the businesses that had not yet made their presence known in this area pulled up steak.

Fast forward to Fall 2013 and in one of the strip mall business windows hung a banner letting everyone know that a Starbucks was coming soon!

My theory is this, if people are willing to pay $5 a day for a coffee drink then the economy has to be getting better.