march and june: check.

My whole goal in this new monthly scrapbooking style is to actually do it. That's the goal. I have already tried to talk myself out of this approach, reasoning that the printing quality isn't 100%, that this format doesn't tell the entire story, that not all of my favorite pictures make the cut. But then I try to figure out what the alternative would be and it's easy: these pictures would NEVER see the light of day. I am convinced of this.

But I think they're important pictures to document...like Rory's office here in Omaha. To get these pictures printed and put in an album will be so meaningful years down the road, no matter how his company has grown.

So last night I sat down and plowed through March. Rory was so excited to see these pictures that I decided to speed through June as well. I am averaging 6-7 layouts for each month (not all pages are shown here...) and the truth is, for $1.19 per page, I am getting more completed picture printing and scrapbooking done than if I ever tried to scrapbook these pictures by hand. (Though I still LOVE paper scrapbooking and would NEVER knock this style. It's just not happening for me lately...)And here is June:

clickfree

My laptop has been making a grinding sound for a few months now...and we're not sure why. It's just every couple of days, often in the middle of the night and sounds like something very, very terrible is happening inside of my beloved computer.

So I asked Rory about backup solutions. A few months ago we backed everything up on an external hard drive, but Rory did it all, and it required some back-end stuff that I didn't really understand. He has lots of his own stuff on there too, so for me to go back and find any of my own files on it later seems daunting. Then I asked him about mozy.com, an online storage system, but he is leery of sharing all of our information with a third party.

Here's my deal: I'm a smart girl, pretty quick to pick up on things and all in all, up-to-date in the world of technology. So the fact that I find backing up my own computer so very overwhelming REALLY bothers me. It's a process I want to be able to do on my own...not dependent on Rory, or anyone else for that matter.

Rory came home the next day with an orange box from Best Buy, and I liked it from the start. The box was clean and uncomplicated. I took out the directions and squealed with glee. There were only five steps, and one of them was making sure your computer was turned on. No lie. That was step number one. Step two was to plug Click free into your computer. Step three was to wait 60 seconds. Step four was to watch all of your files copy to your Clickfree. Step five was to wait for the "Download complete" screen and then to disconnect your Clickfree.It felt like magic. I felt empowered. Rory loved my excitement for a backup drive.

My Clickfree is the C2 Portable Backup Drive and was $80 at Best Buy, available online here as well, and if I were a girl who gave $80 gifts, I'd start giving Clickfree to all of my friends and family for Christmas and Birthdays.

I wish I were being paid for this endorsement, but I'm not. But actually, the payment is in my pure relief that I have everything backed up. I just think when solution is THIS SIMPLE for something like backing up ALL of my pictures, personal writing and digital scrapbooking, then it is my human duty to shout it from the rooftops.

So hear me now: CLICKFREE! CLICKFREE! CLICKFREE!

the beginnings of the baby book

A while back I got a card in the mail from Rory's mom. She had included all sorts of pictures of Rory when he was a baby and when I looked through them, I could envision similar shots from my family's albums. So this weekend I started to play, scanning all of her pictures and matching them up with pictures from my babyhood.

It's so crazy to be in this place, not knowing who our little life is, but aware that when this baby arrives he or she will come with their own personality, their own temperament, and reflect bits and pieces of Rory and me. There is so much awe and wonder filling our days lately, as we talk excitedly during this season of anticipation.

for such a time as this

I remember when my hips appeared. I was probably 13, and I didn't like them. I thought they made me look fat. And I remember my mom trying to tell me that curves are beautiful and besides, one day I'll have a baby and then I'll be so happy I have hips because it will make delivery that much easier.

I think it is so funny that my mom brought up childbirth as a reason to appreciate them...an event that was still 16 years off in the future for that little 13 year old.

But you know...she was right. I am feeling healthy and strong in this pregnancy, and I suppose I've got my hips and my thighs to thank. And I'm pretty sure I've never thanked my thighs before.

***
Well, this week I am 24 weeks along, which with my own math, since I find months and weeks confusing, I am considering 6 months. A lot happened in the last four weeks. Just look at this picture at 5 months compared to the one above!

At Hyvee on Tuesday the cashier excitedly asked me when I was due, and I was so happy to tell her because she was the very first person who didn't know I was pregnant to inquire about my belly...

We've had some seriously hot days this week in Nebraska, but I'm doing well at staying hydrated, staying inside as much as possible and enjoying so, so much this growing, kicking bump on my belly that seems to stick out a bit more each day.

so long, insecurity.

I finished Beth Moore's latest book 'So Long Insecurity this weekend. Now, I have to say, it is rare for me to find a book that I loath. Usually I just enjoy a writers efforts and add it to my 'like' list. But then there are some that I love. Love. LOVE.

This book by Beth Moore is a new favorite, hanging out in that LOVE category with a few other life changers. Beth writes very conversationally, so the book zips by...she uses lots of good stories and examples and has very strategic steps for overcoming this debilitating condition that cripples all of us from time to time.

The whole time while reading it I was making my list of who I would pass it on to. But at some point I became attached to this book and I'm not ready to part with my own copy now. It's too marked up. Plus, I have a feeling I'm going to need to keep this one on the shelf as more of a quick reference for the rest of my life.

So head on out and get your copy. I had to take the cover off of mine because Beth's picture was a little large for my liking, but the content is incredible. Enjoy!

It's Quilt Auction Time!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, gather round.

It is almost time for my favorite day at Carol Joy Holling Camp. If you live ANYWHERE close by, you really should put this date on your calendar and join us.

On July 31st, we will auction off well over 300 quilts that the fine people of Nebraska have made. The proceeds go to the camp. The day has this whole old fashioned feel about it...people use their bidding paddles to fan themselves, there's all sorts of hootin' and hollerin' when the bidding gets competitive and the auctioneers are just plain entertaining. You're met at your parking spot by a golf cart for a ride to the auction site, and all day long people are coming and going.

You might remember my elation after this day last year. You can read about it here.

Now here's the deal. I'd recommend coming for lunch, because lunch is always a good thing. And I would recommend clicking this link for a lovely look at all of the quilts to be auctioned off. If you click on the name of the quilt, a larger image will appear. It's nifty. There are still quilts pouring in each day, so they're not all up on the site, but many are. If you find a quilt you love, then you should try to be here when that quilt is being auctioned off. Quilt #1 will be auctioned at 9:00 and Quilt #399 will be auctioned closer to 5:00.

My personal pick: Well, you'll just have to come and see. Because I L,O,V,E love it. But I do have a limit that I may not bid over, set lovingly by my budget-smart hubby, so we'll just have to hope no one else finds it as stunning as I do...

I hope to see you there!!!

ha!

Have you seen this before? I just googled pregnancy pillow, thinking I should maybe invest in a body pillow to support my belly while on my side and this image came up! Hysterical! Now, I know I'm not the most comfortable sleeping lately, and I know this lady looks real comfy, but this picture seems a bit extreme...and it left me with a few questions. Like, where does her husband sleep? And how excited is he about this body pillow? And where do you store this thing between pregnancies?!!

I was just looking for one of those super long pillows I had in college as a bed decoration. Wonder where that thing went...it would be perfect. Until then, I'll be completely fine with my other smaller pillows. I don't know, maybe these things are awesome...I just can't imagine Rory letting this thing come into bed with us...

processing

I feel like I have too many thoughts flying around in my head lately. I can't hardly think through one full circumstance without launching 12 other semi-related thoughts. I am really scattered and because of feeling scattered, I feel unproductive. My true nemesis.

Saturday I had an entire day to myself. Rory was at a CPR class, and it was just me with not a whole lot planned. But the day came and went and it was neither restful or productive. I filled it with lots of parts of projects but didn't complete anything and didn't feel like I had much to show for the day. Even if I had sat on the couch and napped and read all day I would count that as productive, as long as I felt rested. But I didn't feel restored from a day of rest either. (Plus, I babysat a 18 month old who completely took it out of me! She kicked my, and my clean apartment's hiney. We both looked very messy when she left and it was my first sobering, slightly less joyful look at the season ahead.)

So this morning I sat down and made a list of all that has been running through my head. I did a brain dump. I listed the serious concerns and lesser subtopics that keep popping up and wrote down next to each one why it is weighing on me.

The interesting thing, is that there were two on the list that required the back of the paper to fully flesh out why I've been so affected. I'll share one.

My aunt Jan just recently had the most horrible of surgeries I could ever imagine. She has cancer of the tongue, and hasn't been able to eat food since last July when she had the cancer removed. (Her husband has faithfully tube fed her six times a day for the past 12 months.) But the cancer came back and this time the doctors decided they needed to remove a lot more of her tongue, replacing it with skin from her wrist. The surgery was two weeks ago, and the recovery has not been smooth. She is now turning a corner and we praise God for his healing hand.

When I was writing this down on my list, I kept writing and realized that the very hardest part of this surgery and scary season my family is walking through, for me, has been watching the toll it has taken on my mom. As a daughter, it is really hard to see your own mom cry so hard. She is very close to Aunt Jan; they talk every single day. And now Aunt Jan can't talk. Mom has been to the hospital daily and calls to give me updates. Those first calls after the surgery, she sounded so beat up. So exhausted and shook.

I think, being so close to my own sister, this has been even more painful to watch and imagine. It's hard to know what to say...even to my mom. And it has left me with a heavy heart, waiting each day to hear the progress from the hospital.

***

I continued with my list, which grew quite long with every running thought in my head, and a strange peace began to settle in. As my list grew, my grace for myself grew too. I could finally see clearly that there is just a lot happening right now, and I think I have been trying too hard to keep on keeping on. I'm now thinking my time in this season might be best spent going item by item on my list and trying to do something that would sedate that thought for a while. And even as I am typing that I am realizing that my "doing something" should really be to take this list and to turn the whole thing into prayer. This heavy load has gotten me down, and I don't think I'm supposed to carry it anymore.

wisdom from sonna

Last night I had the following conversation with my 3-year-old niece, Sonna (in this picture she is sitting on top of her sister, Mara.)

B: So did you have fun in the paddle boat?
S: Yes. You don't even have to wear a seatbelt in a paddle boat. But you do in cars.
B: That's true. And you don't wear a seatbelt on a train, but you do on an airplane.
S: (thoughtful pause) And you don't have to wear a seatbelt on a rainbow.
B: Did you just say rainbow? Like up in the sky?
S: Yes. You just look at them, but you don't have to wear your seatbelt.

more preggers surprises

#4) I am surprised at how complicated the months and weeks of my pregnancy are.
I don't get it. I am currently in week 23, but month 6. How does that work out? The math of a four week-month doesn't add up. I know when this baby is expected but I still don't get how weeks and months work.

#5) I was surprised that it took a while for us to get pregnant.
I can't complain...it didn't take us forever. But I was genuinely surprised to read (while we were trying) that the average woman in her 20's trying to get pregnant will usually take a year before she finds two lines on her pee stick. A whole year. And this is the average amount. It is still hard for me to believe this when it seems like plenty of young girls can get pregnant accidentally. And it just doesn't seem right that I know so many friends who are trying desperately for the same result.

When I took the pregnancy tests I couldn't believe how hard I was willing for a second line to show up. I thought of my announcement post during one of these unsuccessful tests, thinking it was so, so crazy how badly I wanted to see two lines show up.

#6) I didn't get weepy emotional.
I keep waiting for this to happen. It still might. But so far, my emotions are less weepy and sad as they are short fused and annoyed. My inability to find my patience at moments makes me think that this is how my irrational emotions have played out. I had just assumed I would cry a lot.

#7) How much Rory would want to be a part of this whole thing.
Rory came up to me just a few days ago and said, "I can't wait for the baby to come. I really want it to come now." And I replied that he could wait and that we would not want the baby to come right now. And he commented, "Well I know that, but it's just not fair that you get to have the baby with you all day long. I just want it out so I can spend that much time with our baby too."

He will stop dead in his tracks if I tell him the baby is moving. He can't get enough.

my 2nd of July parade...

Last week my counselors shined. They were so creative all week long. I was left with a really hard decision of who should get the gift card for the most creative programming idea. In the end, I sort of played it safe and rewarded the entire staff with a 2nd of July parade for which I purchased $25 worth of parade candy.

I told my staff to think of all of the 2nd of July parades they had ever, ever attended. And then I asked them to rank them from best to worst and to please put the parade we were about to experience at the very top of your 2nd of July parade list.

We all went outside, I made them sing "You're a grand old flag" and then five decorated golf carts came through the crowd throwing candy at everyone. And then they circled back for one more chance to throw their candy at their friends.

It was silly, fun, and a pretty decent camp parade. I suppose this was a nod to Mt. Carmel's parades and Flathead's parades. It felt necessary and was a great kick off to our extended weekend off.

our weekend in St. Louis

Rory and I spent the holiday weekend in St. Louis, visiting my Uncle Mark and Aunt Jane. We also got to spend a whole day with my cousins Yang Yang, Nancy and baby Zoe. We ate non-stop on this trip and shared lots and lots of really good conversations. The kind of conversations that even while you're having them you're thinking, this is a good conversation. :)

On Sunday Yang Yang took us out for Dim Sum and it was a feast. Chinese appetizers just kept coming to our table and it was fantastic. I like this style of eating...it is very social.

We went out on Friday night too, and when Rory opened his fortune cookie he was informed:

We are now calling our baby, "short stranger."

The whole weekend made for a great vacation. The time in the car with Rory was especially sweet...we travel well together and seem to have some of our most meaningful conversations while flying down the open road. (or as was the case yesterday, not so open road, but rather filled with frantic americans all trying to get home after the holiday weekend. We'll probably avoid travel on the 5th of July from here on out...)

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Rory's mom sent this picture to me back in November and I've been hanging onto it ever since for this day. Sorry it's not any bigger, but if you look closer, this is all people. It's astounding to me. The picture was taken in 1918 with 18,000 men at Camp Dodge in Iowa.

I remember when I studied abroad in India, I was so nervous about what India would be like, and how I'd relate to that country. But on the airplane ride there I sat next to a tiny woman who was kind in her smile and persistant in her desire to communicate, even though we didn't share a single word of the same language. She was sweet and sort of changed my outlook as we landed in her homeland. After that airplane ride I could relax because I realized that I would get to know India, one person at a time. India became less of a place for me, and much more a people.

I love this picture, then, because it's the best representative of our country. We the people. And especially this picture showing many, many men and women who chose to defend our liberty and fight for our independence. One person at a time decides to take pride in our homeland and many more decide to fight for our freedoms. We are a blessed people.

So happy 4th of July everybody! I hope you're celebrating with some great people today.

mother theresa

life at camp

I realized I haven't written a whole lot about camp lately, which is funny, because it is basically my life right now. We are in the middle of our fourth week already...which is crazy and amazing that it has gone by so quickly and so smoothly.

The staff is fantastic and I am so pleased by how well they love and care for our campers. But last week it was obvious they were losing their steam. As a whole, we were missing the spontaneous, wacky, excitable staff that I hired.

So I threw out a challenge to them at our meeting on Friday and again on Sunday. I told them I wanted fresh programming, clever ideas and funny stories all week long. I held a carrot in front of them in the form of a $25 gift card to any place of their choosing from my very own personal money. And that the gift card would go to the staff person who comes up with the most unique/clever/imaginative program of the week.

The past two days I have come into work to find notes on my desk from counselors telling me of their plans. One cabin, tonight, is having a dance party on the platform of a tent that has no tent on it. Half of the campers have agreed to create a strobe light out of all of their flashlights, and everyone else will dance. I love this idea.

One site is making origami animals and hanging them from the trees. This whole site has rallied behind this idea and today I had the site coordinator frantically looking for more online patterns for these kids because they are so excited to make more.

I've heard whispers of other ideas too. One group is leading underwater basket weaving...literally underwater, in the pool. The best part is that the campers know of the challenge too, so they are trying to think of more and more creative things to do as well. It's getting really fun...and it's only Tuesday night! I'll report back on Friday with the best ideas from the week.

preggers surprises...

I have been making a running list in my head lately of all the things I just didn't have a clue about before I got pregnant. The list is long. But I was driving back from Old Navy this morning and started to think I should document these. So tonight, I will give you the first three that come to mind, but I plan on adding to the list as I continue to be surprised.

1. Nothing in pregnancy is unique to you.
This is a funny epiphany, especially when everything is so brand new to me. I will actually think that I may be the only one who has experienced symptom x, because it's just so odd. But I'm starting to come to the conclusion that a lot of things during pregnancy are just odd.

For example, I have been having trouble sleeping lately because I wake up when my right hip falls asleep. It basically goes numb, just like a foot or a hand would. But it's my hip. It's so weird...and really uncomfortable. I have to lay on my side now, and as a typical side sleeper anyway I thought this would be no problem. But the second I heard I shouldn't sleep on my back any longer it's like a switch flipped and my body decided that it would much rather sleep on its back. But I can't. So I sleep on my left side with my right hip numb, sometimes burning and annoying enough that I have to get up, walk around, rub it a lot, and then try to sleep some more.

So when I got on babycenter.com in the dead of night to look up if this crazy phenomenon has anything to do with pregnancy, and found 32,000 other women already talking about this symptom of pregnancy, I was very surprised. Numb Hip is not unique to me.

2. The amount of time it took for my belly to show.
I remember being in Minnesota for Easter and I was 10 weeks. And I made comments about how I couldn't tell if my belly bump was a baby or just the burrito I ate the night before. But deep down, I was sure it had to be baby. Now that I'm 22 weeks along and just recently started showing I am pretty sure back then it was just the burrito. I just had no idea it might take so long to show. So each week was sort of a let down. I'd talk to my baby, tell it I was ready for the world to know I had a baby in there and that it could stretch out if it wanted. But baby took its time and I just had to be patient.

3. You really shouldn't buy maternity clothes assuming they will fit when you get bigger.
My best friend, Heidi, tried to tell me this one. She said both of her pregnancies looked so different on her body that she never even grew into some of the clothes she bought. I heard her, but I didn't heed her advice. Instead I went to Target and bought some great tops that I assumed would get me through the summer. But they are still too balloon-like to wear and make me feel frumpy. So today I went to Old Navy and bought some sweet outfits that fit me right now, with probably will fit for another month or two. Or maybe they'll fit me until November. Again, I have no idea how this baby is going to show itself. But I do know I got some fantastic outfits today and that I strongly believe a pregnant woman should have some feel-good outfits in her closet.

I've got more, but I'll save them for another day. Anyone out there remember being surprised by anything specific during pregnancy?

three different fruits, each given the same name

To the untrained eye, someone might mistake all three of these the same. But they are not. I am convinced of this. A tomato really should have three different names.

First, there is the tomato that comes from the store. We might call these well-it's-better-than-nothing tomatoes. They do the trick in the middle of the winter. They can pass as something to be put on your salads and sandwiches. But once you've had the other two kinds of tomatoes, you know these just aren't actual tomatoes.

Second, there is the tomato that someone has grown for you. For our purposes here, we'll call these thanks-for-sharing-your-bounty-tomatoes. I grew up on these tomatoes from my mom's garden, our next door neighbor's garden and lots of relatives. These tomatoes are in a class far above the first kind of tomato mentioned. They have flavor. They have character to their shape, color and size. They taste like summer and they often lead to multiple nights of BLT's which is basically my personal heaven.

But the third kind of tomato changes EVERYTHING. It's the tomato that you, yourself, grew. These tomatoes might be best called, Lord-you-are-so-good-to-us tomatoes. Rory and I were gifted with a tomato plant from some super camp friends, Bud and Betty, and I cannot explain the pomp and circumstance surrounding the first tomato we harvested. Rory brought it into the apartment, washed it and shared it like a sacrament. It wasn't even all that big. But it was the best tomato we have ever eaten. And it changed my world of produce forever, birthing an excitement for gardening that is brand new to me. Rory has always had the green thumb in our marriage, but this tomato has changed everything.

(special thanks to my niece, Mara, who took this picture while playing with my camera out on our patio. It's a nice shot, Mara, and happens to be the very tomato Rory harvested.)

belly boom.

A few months ago my sister and I were talking on the phone and she alerted me to something I should be ready for in pregnancy. She mentioned how I might suddenly have a lot of pain from bla bla bla and that when it happens, I shouldn’t be worried, it’s normal and natural and means that I am just growing and stretching.

So Saturday night, I woke up from a dead sleep, seized with pain just below my growing tummy around my hips. I groaned and tried to find a different position and ended up standing next to our bed with my elbows on the mattress, hunched over and breathing deep.

Rory was very concerned. But because of the gift of having a big sister, I was able to say, “Annika told me about this. I can’t remember what it’s called or why it’s happening but it’s normal. I just hurt.”

Sunday I woke up, sore, but fine. Went to church and then to camp. At camp we stood to sing a song and I felt this same pain, but in a more minor way but still just an unbelievable stretching and pulling that took my breath away. Then later in the day when I got up quick from my chair to get something from the printer it seized my body again.

So I looked it up on thebabycenter.com and figured out that the bla bla bla that Annika had forewarned me about is called Round Ligament Pain. And it basically means my muscles are stretching real fast. It told me that these intense moments happen often after a day of abnormal active activities (my nieces were here on Saturday and we went swimming twice, I swang with them, carried them around a lot and I even got on the seesaw…very abnormal activities!) and happen because your muscles are stretching so fast.

Well holy cats. It is stretching. I had several camp staff come up to me today (Tuesday) and say, “I saw you on Friday and you still didn’t look pregnant. But what just happened? Do you really get that big in just four days?" And I just marvel with them, because it is undeniable. This belly didn’t just pop. It busted itself out into the universe, shouting to all who happen to look my way, "Make no mistake! This woman is preggers!"

I'm mentioning all of this for the sake of any friends reading who don't have a big sister to warn them of such sudden things during pregnancy. And, for the record, that probably was my last seesawing for a while...

fatherly wisdom from my big brother, Mat

My brother has surprised and amazed me as a dad. I think it's sort of funny to watch siblings take on new, huge roles because you've just never seen them in that way before. He loves his kids like crazy and they are crazy for him. He is a fun one to watch as a dad, laid back, calm and seemingly enjoying every moment.

I wish they didn't live out in Seattle. I miss him and his whole fun-loving clan.
Here's Mat:

How would you describe your style as a dad?
Proud, beaming, hands-off, give them choices and let them choose. I like to take them into the outdoors. I try not to worry too much. I probably intervene more when my kids are misbehaving than other dads. I try to be available to engage with them when we are all at home as much as possible.

What resources or who in your life was/is the most helpful in giving sound parenting advice?
We’ve benefited from lots of great advice from family and friends. Stephanie has been a voracious reader of parenting books, and we have really benefited from that. We pick and choose our favorite tips and craft our own approach.

Was there a specific part of being a dad that challenged you and your confidence in being a cut out for this?
Not yet— the early years are about loving them and teaching them. I can tell my big challenge will be when they are teenagers— knowing when to guide them, when to let them make their own mistakes. I will worry.

What is your favorite part of being a dad?Giving them support and watching their personalities develop.
If you were to go back, and start your season of parenting all over again, what would you tell yourself?What is a “season of parenting”?

Any words of advice or thoughts you want to pass along to Rory?
Stock up on personal time. Seriously. Now. (You’ll do great.)

fatherly wisdom from Jedd Larson

I met Jedd before my sister Annika did when we worked at camp together. I remember asking him then what he wanted to be when he grew up. And he replied matter-of-factly, "A good husband and a good dad."

And that's what we've got in Jedd Larson. He loves his girls like mad, shows great patience in dealing with three strong-willed women, and loves with a tenderness that makes me so happy he married my sister.

I give you, Jedd Larson.

1. How would you describe your style as a dad?
I'm kind of like the ball in a pinball machine. I wake up in full acceleration and go to sleep after the girls have stopped playing, but in between I spend a lot of time wondering what just sideswiped me or how hard the next bump is going to hurt.

2. What resources or who in your life was/is the most helpful in giving sound parenting advice?
My dad was the best role model anyone could have for fatherhood.

3. Was there a specific part of being a dad that challenged you and your confidence in being a cut out for this?
It is not possible to have too much energy or patience for your children. Making peace with only doing what you are able is not easy.

4. What is your favorite part of being a dad?
Watching my daughters learn and grow and discover who they are. I want nothing more than for them to become confident individuals who are kind to everyone they meet.

5. Do you have a favorite story or quote from one of your kids?
Mara - "Thank you God, that I'm funny." Sonna, yesterday, from the top of the back of the couch. "Daddy, do you want to see how far I can jump?"

6. If you were to go back, and start your season of parenting all overagain, what would you tell yourself?"
I try to give myself advice all of the time but it never sticks. I'm not very good at receiving advice from people that I don't recognize as an authority on the subject.

7. Any words of advice or thoughts you want to pass along to Rory?
We were at Dairy Queen with the girls. This older guy said to me as we were leaving, "You have a couple of neat kids." I said, "Yeah, they are pretty great. I'm trying to enjoy them before they turn 16." He said, "don't believe anything anyone says about teenagers being hard. My daughter is 17 and being a parent just keeps getting better and better... As long as you put in your time." My advice to Rory is "Spend all of the time you can with your child(ren), especially when it's hard but even when it's good. You'll only get one chance at this."