Good morning!
I'm back and slowly getting back to feeling like me. I am not sure who I felt like the last week, but I like the everyday me better.
There is so much to say and talk about, that I cannot possibly cover it all and keep you interested, so let me just cover what I think is important. Mason is doing great and Dave has officially been nominated for the Husband/Daddy of all time award. If this last week is any indication of the kind of man Dave is going to be for me and our family in the years to come, I
have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams! Cooking, cleaning house (shampooing carpets, washing floors, laundry), yard work, shopping, errands, writing the Monday Motivator in my absence, middle of the night feedings, diaper changing, dressing changes to my back, making Riley feel like he is still #1, the list just goes on and on.
We are really lucky, Mason is such a good baby. He wakes twice through the night with just little
whimpers of a cry to be fed and changed and goes right back to sleep. He stayed up for almost 6 hours yesterday during the day which was really nice. Aunt Mary and Uncle Keith came over and Grandma Partak has been here since Friday. So, all in all, things are very good. Now I just need to recover from giving birth, a C-section and this major burn on my back!
Thank God he is a good baby, with all this other nonsense, I don't know if I would make it! Laughing!
I have read all the e-mails and just not been up to taking the time to reply to each of you. Thank you for your warm thoughts and wishes, it makes all the difference in the world knowing we have such a strong support system in our family and friends!
I hope all is well with you and even though my replies are not so good, I love to hear from you! This Motivator is so fitting. I hope you can find the magic in your life today! We call ours Mason.
Lots of love!
Kathy
Magic in every moment
Electrons dance in front of your eyes and you call it color. Waves of air sweep over you and you call it music. The massive sphere on which you dwell rotates a few degrees and you call it sunset. There is magic in every moment. Behind even the most mundane occurrence is an entire universe of abundant wonder.
If you could sense every detail of something as simple as the falling of a raindrop, it would completely overwhelm you. And yet raindrops fall all the time.
In every action, no matter how seemingly insignificant, there is a whole universe of power.
In every moment there are infinite ways in which to make a very real difference. You are always streaming full speed through an abundance of options & possibilities.
See the possibilities. Feel the power. Make your own special magic today.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.dailymotivator.com/
Monday, October 27, 2003
Thursday, October 23, 2003
10/23/2003 Update
Hi all,Here is an update. I came back yesterday afternoon after a record setting time at SRP at Camp Roberts. (I don't know the actual meaning of SRP, but it involves getting ready for deployment).
Mason is doing fine. Kathy not as well considering her back burn (see picture). As well as changing diapers, I have to change the dressings on her back. They think that somehow the burn was an electrical burn conducted through the tape and sweat, and a bad ground with the cauterizing device they use in surgery.
Mason and Kathy got released today and are now home. We are introducing the dog and cat to Mason and all seems to be going well. The only bad news is that this time my deployment looks fairly certain. It could happen in the next couple of weeks or maybe later. I am looking at a few months in the States training up, and then deployment to the "Sand Box" (Iraq). This could last up to 18 months. If this does come to fruition, Kathy is going to need all your combined help you can give her. Feel free to call us at home, Kathy says you can call ANYTIME! she probably will be up! I don't plan on being up though. Take care and we would love to hear from you.
Dave, Kathy and Mace
Monday, October 20, 2003
MM 10/20/2003
Guest writer: Dave PartakWell we got OUR Monday Motivator today!
MASON BONHAM PARTAK
Born at 0231, Monday, the 20th of October.
8 lbs. 5 oz. 21 1/4" Blue eyes, dirty blond hair,
and all fingers and toes.
The story.
We had a real rough week. I was scheduled to go to Las Vegas for a supervisors training course with the TSA until I received a call from National Guard ordering me to duty for a period of five days, 21st through the 25th. As it was, I had my regular National Guard drill this weekend. Kathy and I left on Thursday and I dropped her off at her friend Mary's in Concord and I went on to National Guard. I drilled Friday and Saturday, and came back to pick her up Saturday
night.
While I was at drill they moved our time that I needed to report up to Monday. So now I have to go to Concord, pick up Kathy, go home to Auburn, and Sunday turn around and go back to National Guard. All of this National Guard stuff mind you, is with the possibility of getting marching orders to go to Iraq for up to 18 months! Needless to say, my stress levels were pretty high.
MASON BONHAM PARTAK
Born at 0231, Monday, the 20th of October.
8 lbs. 5 oz. 21 1/4" Blue eyes, dirty blond hair,
and all fingers and toes.
The story.
We had a real rough week. I was scheduled to go to Las Vegas for a supervisors training course with the TSA until I received a call from National Guard ordering me to duty for a period of five days, 21st through the 25th. As it was, I had my regular National Guard drill this weekend. Kathy and I left on Thursday and I dropped her off at her friend Mary's in Concord and I went on to National Guard. I drilled Friday and Saturday, and came back to pick her up Saturday
night.
While I was at drill they moved our time that I needed to report up to Monday. So now I have to go to Concord, pick up Kathy, go home to Auburn, and Sunday turn around and go back to National Guard. All of this National Guard stuff mind you, is with the possibility of getting marching orders to go to Iraq for up to 18 months! Needless to say, my stress levels were pretty high.
Well anyway, I meet Kathy, Mary, and Keith for dinner, and just before we start to order dinner (I haven't eaten a thing all day and it's 6:30pm) she tells me she lost her mucus plug! For those not in the know, that's what keeps everything away from the amniotic sack. Well I'm freaking out 'cause I need to be at National Guard on Monday and could possibly be thrown in jail for failure to report. To ease my mind and try to get some kind of time line we stopped at Kaiser on our way home. The doctor checked her out and said it could be in a couple of days or a couple of weeks still. We go home and got to bed. I Wake up to "my waters broke." It hadn't fully broken, it was clearly leaking though.
Well, we leisurely get ourselves together, make a stop at Babies R Us, and Tower Records and then head back to Kaiser at 12:30pm. Kathy gets checked out and they give her the admission ticket. So we set ourselves up in our room and wait. Around 7:30pm I pull out the camcorder and start filming Julie, Kathy's best friend from grade school, who was with us. As I'm filming Kathy says "I need a little help here" so I swing the camera over to her and catch her losing the rest of her water (which was most of it) on tape. Well after this, the contractions started coming on hot and heavy. She finally couldn't take the pain anymore and around 9:30pm or so got the epidural. She felt better after that but around 11:30 it started wearing off and she felt she needed to push. At this time she is fully dilated.
Well through struggling through pushing and the epidural that was stubborn she made it till 2:00am. She was a real trooper and only said F*@# four times (me and Julie were counting). By 2am she had all the strength knocked out of her and they decided to do a C-section. So off she goes to get gutted like a fish. I get in some scrubs and at 2:31 they announce Mason's birth.
Both baby and mother are fine. Kathy has a burn on her back resulting from the tape holding her epidural in place, she's got sutures in her belly and a sore neck. She was pretty looped up on drugs after the surgery but they have worn off. I left around 4:30 to get some sleep. So now it's off to National Guard for me. I made some phone calls and what would have been a five day ordeal they are going to try and get done in a day. I should be back Tuesday night or Wednesday afternoon at the latest. Kathy should be released sometime Wednesday.
For those of you that would like to call, her number is 916-973-7241. I don't think she wants a parade of visitors, so you can ask her if you can come see her if you are so inclined. She is at the Kaiser facility on Morse and Cottage in Sacramento.
I don't have any great motivational words for you this Monday so I will leave you with this observation I made last night: Baby's should not be shaken, they should be stirred.
Dave
Well through struggling through pushing and the epidural that was stubborn she made it till 2:00am. She was a real trooper and only said F*@# four times (me and Julie were counting). By 2am she had all the strength knocked out of her and they decided to do a C-section. So off she goes to get gutted like a fish. I get in some scrubs and at 2:31 they announce Mason's birth.
Both baby and mother are fine. Kathy has a burn on her back resulting from the tape holding her epidural in place, she's got sutures in her belly and a sore neck. She was pretty looped up on drugs after the surgery but they have worn off. I left around 4:30 to get some sleep. So now it's off to National Guard for me. I made some phone calls and what would have been a five day ordeal they are going to try and get done in a day. I should be back Tuesday night or Wednesday afternoon at the latest. Kathy should be released sometime Wednesday.
For those of you that would like to call, her number is 916-973-7241. I don't think she wants a parade of visitors, so you can ask her if you can come see her if you are so inclined. She is at the Kaiser facility on Morse and Cottage in Sacramento.
I don't have any great motivational words for you this Monday so I will leave you with this observation I made last night: Baby's should not be shaken, they should be stirred.
Dave
Monday, October 13, 2003
MM 10/13/2003
Welcome to Fall!
It is finally here and if you haven't noticed, I am practicing being late. This is so when Mason gets here and I am in the "adjustment phase" (which I understand will last for the rest of my life), I won't be so hard on myself when I am late (which I also understand is a given when you have kids for about, oh, 18-21 years).
This weekend was jam packed! Friday night Dave and I got off to a rolling start at Giovanni's in Colfax for Karaoke, stale, but highly entertaining! Saturday was a really wonderful and overdue afternoon visit with Julie and Lauren & her family in Winters. From there we made the trek to Rio Vista to the Bass Festival. We met a group of our friends and enjoyed lots of good live music, food, and fireworks not getting home until well after midnight. Then yesterday, I made a very
spontaneous trip with Julie to Reno to see Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in concert. This of course put me home at, oh, about 3:30 this morning which is why this e-mail is so late coming. Mason got quite the exposure to musical culture this weekend, and if I had to say what pleased him the most, it was clearly Steve Vai. Not bad!
So here we are, Columbus Day and this is the motivator that is hitting home for me today. I hope you find some value in it and make this week one to remember. Oh, and before I forget, if you have a great, simple dinner recipe that I can make and stick in the freezer, feel free to pass it on. I am needing to stock up a bit and feeling like I am in a dinner time rut. Thanks and have a great week!
Lots of love,
Kathy
Intention
Everything you do is intentional. The actions you take, you take because you choose to do so. The stimulus can come from anywhere, but the response comes from you. Every action, every moment, determines the direction of your life.
You have made the choices, and taken the actions that have led you to this point. More importantly, you will make the choices and take the actions that determine your future.
You can learn from the past, but the past does not control you. Just because you have used poor judgment in the past, doesn't mean you have to continue doing so. You can change your life the moment you decide to change.
You are more than your past. You are more than your mistakes. Your life is whatever you decide to make it.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.dailymotivator.com/
It is finally here and if you haven't noticed, I am practicing being late. This is so when Mason gets here and I am in the "adjustment phase" (which I understand will last for the rest of my life), I won't be so hard on myself when I am late (which I also understand is a given when you have kids for about, oh, 18-21 years).
This weekend was jam packed! Friday night Dave and I got off to a rolling start at Giovanni's in Colfax for Karaoke, stale, but highly entertaining! Saturday was a really wonderful and overdue afternoon visit with Julie and Lauren & her family in Winters. From there we made the trek to Rio Vista to the Bass Festival. We met a group of our friends and enjoyed lots of good live music, food, and fireworks not getting home until well after midnight. Then yesterday, I made a very
spontaneous trip with Julie to Reno to see Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in concert. This of course put me home at, oh, about 3:30 this morning which is why this e-mail is so late coming. Mason got quite the exposure to musical culture this weekend, and if I had to say what pleased him the most, it was clearly Steve Vai. Not bad!
So here we are, Columbus Day and this is the motivator that is hitting home for me today. I hope you find some value in it and make this week one to remember. Oh, and before I forget, if you have a great, simple dinner recipe that I can make and stick in the freezer, feel free to pass it on. I am needing to stock up a bit and feeling like I am in a dinner time rut. Thanks and have a great week!
Lots of love,
Kathy
Intention
Everything you do is intentional. The actions you take, you take because you choose to do so. The stimulus can come from anywhere, but the response comes from you. Every action, every moment, determines the direction of your life.
You have made the choices, and taken the actions that have led you to this point. More importantly, you will make the choices and take the actions that determine your future.
You can learn from the past, but the past does not control you. Just because you have used poor judgment in the past, doesn't mean you have to continue doing so. You can change your life the moment you decide to change.
You are more than your past. You are more than your mistakes. Your life is whatever you decide to make it.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.dailymotivator.com/
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