My friend Joel...

is a guy who always challenges me in issues of injustice & poverty. His blogspot is: http://bejustice.blogspot.com/.

A particularly challenging link he had on his website a while ago is this:

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

How rich are you? I'll bet that no matter how much money your family makes... you're richer than you think.

Check it out!

Overwhelming x 3!

Ohio Woman Gives Birth To 2nd Set Of Triplets

August 30, 2007

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- It's three times two for a Cincinnati-area mom.

Victoria Lasita, 39, of Delhi Township has given birth to her second set of triplets. Both times, she and her husband, Tim, conceived naturally, without fertility treatments, and doctors said the odds of a woman having triplets twice in that manner are 1 in 64 million.

Casey, Caden and Carson Lasita each weighed in at under 5 pounds when they entered the world Wednesday afternoon. Their dad said everyone seems to be doing well.

Tim Lasita and his wife can look forward to changing more than 300 diapers and fixing 168 bottles each week.

It's not clear when the new triplets will go home to join their older siblings, who turn 4 in December.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/14010038/detail.html?treets=nn5&tml=nn5_9am&ts=T&tmi=nn5_9am_1_08000208302007

More than 300 diapers every week? 168 bottles?

Soooooooooooo glad I'm only having one!

getting ready for baby!

Today in the Balash household, I took the day off work to be the home manager. That's right... the satelite guy came to switch us from directv to dish, my dear friend Jeanne is painting the nursery a most lovely shade of green (can't wait for you all to see it - and we're going furniture shopping on Monday!) and other guys are replacing the broken-down-doors on our side porch (the same guy who replaced our windows a few weeks ago!)

Whew! Just 3 more months, plus or minus. Next up: a hospital tour, childbirth classes, baby care classes, and baby showers!

random ramblings

Yesterday I had yet another doctor's appointment. It was a basic appointment, except that they tested my blood for diabetes (which I don't have, thankfully) and unbeknownst to me, iron (which was low, so I have to start a prescription for the rest of the pregnancy... no big deal except that it might make me sicker - yuck!).

*****

It's interesting... since my preteen years, I've constantly battled a love-hate relationship with my body. (I 'over-developed' very early, and have struggled with my weight ever since). But even I have to admit that I'm mostly fascinated with what is happening these days - that there's an actual living being inside of the area of my body that has for so long been an 'enemy'! Though it is a little disconcerting & scary to think of how he's going to get outta here - just ask my ornery nieces who learned way too much at COSI!

*****

Orientation starts tomorrow - classes start Monday! I can't believe how quickly this summer has flown! And I think this fall will go so fast that next time I blink, Dominic will be here and life, as I previously experienced it, will be forever different!

storm chasers

So, last night the tornado siren goes off minutes after Mike gets home from work.

"Scared?" I ask him flirtingly. (He's been extra protective lately.)

"No way!" Michael says. "You know what to do, hon - where's your notebook?"

So off we go, chasing storms, with me nearly seven months pregnant.

After all, we did win a (group) AP award for tornado coverage in... when was that... 2003? 04? And last summer, we got some good stuff from the coverage of the tornado touchdown in Waynesburg.

There wasn't much damage to cover last night (which is good, obviously!). In fact, I didn't even get out of the jeep. He did take pictures, though, of a car falling on a tree. Oh, I mean a tree falling on a car. Here it is. (A car falling on a tree really would have been news, though of the Wizard-of-Oz sort.)

And there were some really cool cloud photos, but I couldn't find them on the Rep's website. Here's one from the Inde's website.

I think Dominic likes storms. I couldn't sleep Wednesday night, so at 2 a.m. I was sitting on the porch watching a good lightning show, and he was really moving around in there, especially when it thundered loudly.

It's a good thing, 'cuz next summer when the tornado sirens sound... I can just see Michael strapping his son into the car to go get photos!

Profile...

This is the newest picture of Dominic... for those who can actually make out images in these things!

After a really difficult two weeks, I was so grateful for this beautiful gift -- a picture of the gift that is here and also yet-to-come in our lives.

grief

so about three months before i found out i was pregnant, my very good friend and co-worker told me hesitantly, sensitively - she knew how badly i wanted a baby - that she was expecting number 2.

to be totally honest - and it kinda surprised me a little - i didn't have the slightest bit of jealousy. i was thrilled for her. she is an awesome mom to her daughter, and i was truly, deeply, happy for her.

when i learned that i was pregnant, she was one of the very first to know. So for almost 6 1/2 months now, we have been dreaming and planning together, imagining what life will be like with these precious two new lives, looking forward to play dates and baby showers, debating the merit of the names Andrew and Anthony and Cameron... and Ava and Alaina... and finally deciding (I think!) on Averie and Dominic.

this morning, my friend called our office to let us know that she was going into labor. we were so excited, anticipating the long-expected news. how big would she be? (first baby was huge.) would she have tons of hair (first baby had more than any newborn i've ever seen.) what would they actually name her? (last time, they changed their minds at the last second.)

well, my other co-worker is searching for a car, and my "car-czar" husband is helping him negotiate a deal. Co-worker had been pressured into taking new car for an overnight test drive, and the car czar insisted he take it back, and that i tag along for moral support. we went, late in the afternoon, and co-worker did a great job of fielding off car salesman's advances. anyway, we were laughing and joking as we got back to the office, but other co-workers seemed quite glum. our aa took us into our private conference room to give us the bad news.

the baby didn't make it.

those five shocking, devastating nightmare words that rob your breath and break your heart and take a while to sink in. words which cause immeasureable grief, which leave a mother's arms empty, words which leave a father helpless.

so i pray. i question the justice of it all, knowing that we'll never understand why... at least in the here and now. i plead for comfort and peace, for healing of body and souls.

and we grieve, deeply. not as though those who have no hope - because we do have incredible hope... in the One whose arms this precious baby lies now.

but it still hurts... worse than anything these two amazing people have ever in their lives faced.

God be with them in the days... and weeks... and months... and years ahead.