Today I interviewed with Griffin Analytical.  It was from 8:45am to 2:00pm.  I met with lots of different people, including the CEO, scientists, engineers, HR, etc.  Overall, I thought that it went very well.  Having never been to their campus, I was pretty impressed with their setup.  It definitely has less of a small startup company feel than Prosolia.  In fact, they have something like 45 employees.

The work would really line up with my interests very well, and I am excited about the possibility of working there.  The one possible downside is that they require salaried employees (which I would be) to work 50 hours a week plus "occassional" weekends.  So, if I wanted to leave at 5:00pm each day, I would have to arrive at 6:00am (with a one hour lunch).  That would be a little rough.  However, I think that I could do it for a job that I loved.

We'll see how it goes.  I still don't have an official offer from either Griffin or Prosolia, but from the sound of things, I think that both will probably offer me a job of some type.  Then it will come down to personal decisions that have to be made by me and Lindsay.  I will try to keep this blog updated as we go.  Thanks for your prayers.

Where has my humor gone?  I swear it has up and run off, because it was sick of lying in bed.  Grrr...  Come back, come back, wherever you are.  I mean, I still laugh at other people's funny stuff, but my thoughts aren't humorous in and of themselves.

Oh well...such is life.  :)

I don't have much for you guys today.  It's sort of a chill day around here.  Ruby is at Kirsten's house.  (Seriously, people, she's a saint.)  Mike is at an all-day on-site interview.  (Pray! Pray! Pray!)  And I'm just chillin'.  They should both be home in the afternoon, so I'm enjoying the quiet time.

You see, Ruby has reached a new stage in development.  Even though she knows well over 100 words, she has decided that screeching is much easier than forming a word.  Therefore, since Tuesday night around 5:30, I have heard an abundance of screeches coming out of this child.  It's enough to drive anyone mad, much less a person who is stuck on a futon.  :)

So, anyway, more later, I'm sure...

Burke says, "Hi!"  I had the laptop on my tummy a little bit, and he started pushing against it.  Apparently, he doesn't want you all in his space.  Be forewarned.  :)

We're back from the appointment.  Overall, we have a good report.  My fluid is down to 13 cm, and I am spilling a trace amount of protein into my urine.  On the bright side, Burke is getting very big, and 13 cm is still in the normal range of fluid.  Dr. Harrison said it is expected that my fluid will start to go down as Burke gets bigger.  There's no reason to worry at this point.  He's still looking good, and we're getting closer and closer to viability.

She suggested I start taking a baby Aspirin every night to try to prevent any blood pressure problems.  She didn't seemed concerned at all.  It's just a precaution.

Like I said, a good report overall! Keep the prayers coming.  28 is a huge goal right now.  We're four weeks and a couple of days away...so close!!

One of the best parts of this appointment was that Dr. Harrison said she would come in to deliver Burke, even if she's not on call.  I hesitated to even ask her for the favor.  Family time is so incredibly precious, and she has two young girls.  So, obviously, this means a lot to me, and it really truly blesses me.  She may be stopping by the blog at somepoint, so I'll try to curb the adulation.  :)  I don't wanna make her blush too much.

Anyway, your prayers are doing wonders!  This is a truly amazing circumstance.  I'm going to make it up to you all one day.  I promise.  :)  Have a great evening!!! 

If you haven't been checking out LindsayIAM, that's fine.  However, I was recently asked to post some information about the Bible, and I thought I'd go ahead and link over here, too.  So, if you've been wondering about the Bible, head over to LindsayIAM today.  There's a post about it, but there is also a link to all of the information in the right sidebar, called Bible Basics.  Like I said, if you're not interested, no biggie.  However, it was a pretty popular request, so I thought there might be some not2us readers who wouldn't mind the info.

Have a great day!

Also, as for Ruby and I's fun game on Sunday:

Ruby has recently become obsessed with a few things: tummies, babies, goats, and Halley (our pastor's daughter.) She can say all four of those words (along with a billion others) with very clear diction. And...she spends the vast majority of her day asking to see one of those four things. :) For now, it is incredibly endearing. :)

Halley and the Goats

Oh my, friends. Mike took Ruby to the fair last week, and boy did she love it. Daily, now, she points to the front door and says, "Sigh? Waa? Hahyee? Goa?" Which means, "Can we please go outside and take a walk down to the fair? I would like to see Halley and the Goats." I'll have to video tape it in order for you to see how truly adorable this is.

When we inform Ruby that the fair is, in fact, gone for the year, she happily settles for pictures of Halley and the Goats on the photo galleries. :) She also loves to search through her baby books for "goats." So far, she has decided that goats, calves, and lambs all look the same. So, anytime she sees one of those three animals, she excitedly exclaims, "Goa! Goa! Goa!" then looks at the computer and says, "Hahyee?" :) She sure does love her Halley.

Babies

Ruby has decided that her favorite toy (other than books) is her baby doll. Interestingly enough, this doll was the doll used for Mike's Fatherhood party. (The male equivalent of my baby shower.) The boys made him carry this doll to dinner and a movie. We even practiced our post-labor pose with this doll before Ruby was born. LOL! My mom bought Burke a few gender specific onesies, and Ruby has decided that they are perfect outfits for her baby. I will take pictures soon and post them. :)

I remember this stage with Anja, as well. Many of probably don't know this, since you are new readers, but I was a nanny for almost two years to the second most beautiful and amazing little girl in my life. :) Her name is Anja. Incidentally, I got pregnant with Ruby when Anja was 14 months old. I got pregnant with Burke when Ruby was 14 months old. Obviously, everything seems very familiar to me this time around. Ruby is hitting the same sort of milestones that Anja was hitting at the same time in pregnancy.

In December, I was about 23 weeks along with Ruby, and Anja just loved everything that pertained to babies. We even bought her a little doll stroller for Christmas that she loved.

Of course, Anja is growing up, and I can't believe how much older she seems each time I see her. She did absolutely WONDERFULLY with Ruby, and it gives me a lot of hope for how Ruby will adjust to Burke. :) I'm excited to see this scene played out between Ruby and Burke:

Anyway, I have seen A LOT of Anja in Ruby recently, and it has made me extremely reminiscent. I truly loved and adored my time with Anja. I always knew how much she meant to me, but I suppose I didn't realize exactly how much of a blessing she was until I didn't have the pleasure of being with her each and every day of the week. I'm excited to be off bedrest and see her again. :)

Tummies

Lastly, Ruby is just thrilled with tummies right now. She loves to see anyone's tummy, and she proudly shows off her tummy, as well. (This is another thing that Anja did at this stage.) On Sunday, Ruby showed me her tummy and then pointed at my midline and said, "Tummy?" as clear as day. I think it's actually the word she says the best.

Anyway, since it was just Mike, Ruby, and me, I pulled up my shirt and let her see my ever-expanding midsection. She pointed to my tummy and gave it a kiss. Of course, I teared up. Now, don't get me wrong. Ruby has no idea what she was kissing. This girl will kiss anything, and I do mean anything. :) However, it meant a lot to me.

Soon enough, her kissing evolved into a much less sentimental game. She was sitting right beside me, tracing my stretch marks with her chubby little fingers. LOL! I couldn't stop giggling. I mean, seriously, how ironic. My little girl was sitting here entertaining herself by tracing the stretchmarks that SHE HAD CAUSED. I certainly found the humor in the situation. :)

Mike and I have tried (unsuccessfully) to tell Ruby that there is a baby in mommy's tummy, and the baby's name is Burke. She says, "Bouk". With a little garbly sound in the middle. Eh...she'll get it.

However, she seems to think that Daddy and Uncle Kyle are also carrying babies in their tummies. I suppose we'll have to straighten that out later. :)

I guess I could have spread these topics out overe a few days, huh? I just got on a roll and couldn't stop. However, I'm feeling extremely sentimental and reminiscent, so you might be getting a lot of posts in the next few days about Anja, Ruby, and my childhood. Should be interesting... :)

Apparently, July is the month in which to be born!  (Unless your name is Burke Michael Goodwin.  In that case, you must not be born until at least September.  Thank you.)

Today, July 29, 2008, marks the end of the 26th year that Sarah Michelle Skidmore has been alive.  She does not have a blog.  And she even refuses to comment on my blog.  However, I know she reads it, and, for that reason, today is all about her.  :)  

When I was a little girl, I really wanted to have a sister.  I had a brother, and I wasn't impressed.  LOL!  I assumed a sister would have had to have been better.  I think God knew better.  I was quite the little brat when I was younger.

As I got older, however, I really needed a sister-friend.  I had a few good friends through elementary and middle school, but high school left me high and dry.  College was a dark time for me, really dark.  I think my only friend was Mike...literally.

Then, in March of 2005, Mike and I started going to EFC.  When we started at EFC, there were usually about 60 people on a Sunday morning, including all of the children.  Amazingly, 10 of those sixty people were in our immediate age range.  Mike and I felt like we were in heaven, since we had been the only two people within a fifteen year age span at our old church. 

Zach and Sarah were two of the ten.  Mike and I had met them a few times before, due to the BCM at Purdue.  However, it had been quite some time since we'd seen them, and we had never really connected.  In fact, Sarah couldn't believe how "wide" I had gotten since she had last seen me.  ( Hee hee hee!  Gotcha!)

Anyway, I really wanted to be Sarah's friend, but I really didn't think she would want to be my friend.  I mean, she was the golden child, one of the Pfeifers, the Pastor's daughter-in-law, skinny, cute, friendly, funny.  Why in the world would she want to be friends with pudgy, wide, insecure, talkative me?  I don't know how, but when our church started doing the Purpose Driven Life, I found the courage to ask her to be my accountability partner.  She agreed, rather heartily, and our friendship began.

We became very close friends in a really short period of time.  Now, I'm sure it's because God knew what was coming in the future.  He knew I would need Sarah, and He knew Sarah would need me.  I can't thank him enough for his goodness. 

She is a really, truly amazing young woman.  Loving, Caring, Funny, Compassionate, Merciful, Graceful, slightly snobby, and a little stand-offish at first, she is the perfect friend for me.  :)  I'm kidding!  I'm kidding!  She really is an amazing and wonderful person.  I'm so thankful to call her friend.

So, today, everytime you think of me and Burke, pray for Sarah, okay?  I know many of you don't know her or anything about her, but we can always use the support and prayers of others.  Just tell God that you believe that Sarah is His, and you believe that He has good plans for her and her life.  Tell Him that you just want to agree with Him and support His Will for her.  That's what she wants in her life, so there's no reason we can't pray for that, too.  :)

I'm so thankful for all of you.  I know I say it often, but I'm as serious as I can be.  This blog has been a lifeline for me through this, and I'm thankful for the support you've given.  Have a great day!

And Happy Birthday, Sarah!  I love you! 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you so much for your care, concern, love, and prayers. :) I mean that with all sincerity. On that note, however, I promise you that, if anything goes wrong, I will make sure a post goes up before we even head for the hospital. (I even threatened Mike that I would post here before I told him. He nixed that idea, so you're #2 on the notification list.) :) He will call my doctor and our parents while I update the blog. :) Is that a deal?

For now, no post is a good post. :) Really, though, I only post this because I feel guilty that you all were worried. (There were several of you who expressed worry at my lack of a post for ONE DAY.) I didn't realize how verbose I had become over these past five weeks. LOL! It really warms my heart to know that you guys care so much. It means more than I can express. Thank you. So much.

On a different note, I wanted to tell you why I didn't post much this weekend. Mainly, I was having fun! :) Well, actually, on Saturday, I was feeling pretty puny. But I read some of my book and just chilled. Then, on Sunday, I slept in, showered, and cleaned out my e-mail Inbox in the morning. (E-mails from three years ago can be really entertaining. But it takes A LOT of time to clean out 3800 old e-mails.) Then, Mike and I cuddled while Ruby napped, and that was much nicer than updating the blog. :) When Ruby woke up from her nap, we played a very fun game. Then, Sunday evening, our small group friends surprised us by coming over for dinner and games. It was a very nice day. So, basically, I didn't post because I was busy being blessed by friends and loved ones. That's why I feel so guilty. Many of you were worrying about me, and I was lying here having a bunch of fun.

I really am sorry.  I should have posted something quick to let you all know that we were fine over here at the Goodwin household.  :)  Hugs and kisses!! 

Good Monday Morning!

So, I've been on bedrest for five and a half weeks.  For the first five weeks, I did a really good job of not getting lazy.  I got up when Ruby got up.  I read books, kept up on e-mail and blogs, played lots of Bejeweled and Tetris, etc...  For the past three days, however, I've been getting lazy.  I can easily sleep twelve hours a day, and sometimes I can't even muster up the energy to play Tetris.  LOL!

Unfortunately, I'm serious.  I have a theory that your body goes into a sort of hibernation on bedrest.  Your metabolism slows down, your thought processes slow down, your muscles atrophy, and on and on...

On one hand, I don't mind sleeping 12 hours a day, because it passes the time very quickly.  On the other hand, I really don't wanna get used to this.  When Burke comes home, I'll be sleeping an average of six hours a day, if I'm lucky.  And I'll be chasing after a 2 year old and a newborn.  Ack!  That will be quite the adjustment, if I don't do something about this laziness creeping in...

Any suggestions?  :) 

I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing and exciting weekend!  Send me summaries of your summer weekend fun!  Maybe that'll be a way to pass time...I'll live vicariously through you.  :)

Anyway, I love you and I'm praying for you all!  Today, if you're the praying kind, could you send up a prayer for my two friends?  I can't share any details, but would you pray that they have peace, confidence, and comfort today?  Pray that God is all around them, speaking to them in the midst of a very busy day.  Thank you!  Have a great day, everyone!

If you're interested in using cloth diapers, there is a really great giveaway happening right now.  Don't worry, I'm not being completely selfless.  I get extra entries for passing along the link.  :)

BumGenius Giveaway

Good luck! 

There are two women who have done more for us and given more of themselves to us than we deserve over the past five and a half weeks. They are our mothers.

I keep trying to find the words to describe these women, much less my thanks, and I am left without the proper words. Of course, you all know me, and that won't stop me from giving it a shot. :) So, here it goes:

To be a mother is a high calling. It is a life-long calling. From the moment a child takes his or her first breath, his or her mother is given a duty that will never end. Whether his mother gave physical birth or not, the woman who assumes the position of "mother" accepts a responsibility and joy that will never end.

Unfortunately, not all mothers live up to this responsibility. They lose out on the joy of their children. Sadly, their children lose out on the joy of their mothers. I wish I could ensure that this never happened. But it does. I can't stop it. So, instead, I've decided to do the only thing I can do. That is to appreciate my mothers.

God blessed me with a mother who was eager to live up to her responsibility. He absolutely astounded me by blessing me with a mother-in-law who was also eager to live up to the responsibility God had given her. Neither of these women were perfect. I find it incredibly important to point out that a good, godly mother is not a perfect mother. There is no such thing. She is a myth. A good, godly mother is a woman who is committed to loving her children, those born to her biologically and those given to her spiritually.

Our mothers are good, godly mothers. I can't really list the things they've done for us, because it's not the things that matter. It's the love. The absolute, unselfish, pure love they have shown to us our whole lives, including these past few weeks.

We are blessed, and I simply didn't want our mothers to think that their love and sacrifice had gone unnoticed. We are simply at a loss for how to truly show you our gratitude. For now, we'll have to trust you to believe and know that we are incredibly thankful.

We love you. Thank you.