I don't usually blog at 5:30 in the morning. I usually prefer to be sleeping. However blogging is exactly what I'm doing. "Why?" you might ask.
Let's just say I'm not good at doing the whole single parent thing. I don't know how others do it. (I know Denise, I should just "suck it up").
Daniel and my mom left last night for Utah. (More on the reason for that below). They will be gone 3 days. Although I can do anything for three days, I still don't like it much (but in this case, it was far better than the alternative).
Daniel is always the one who gets up with the baby in the middle of the night. When it is time for me to nurse Michael, Daniel brings him in and lays him next to me. This way I don't have to get out of bed. This works out pretty well, because if I do get out of bed, I can't go back to sleep for several hours. Daniel however is fairly good at going back to sleep.
Luckily Michael is almost sleeping through the whole night now. He usually wakes up between 5-6:30 to nurse and then he goes back to sleep. This morning he woke up at a quarter to 5. He has eaten and is sleeping soundly in him crib. And here I am, blogging away.
The reason Daniel and my mom are in Utah is to transport the rest of my mom's things to Oregon. When she moved to Arizona, she put a lot of her stuff in storage in Utah. Ever since my mom moved in with us, we have been playing with different ideas about the best way to get her stuff here. We had discussed hiring a moving company; renting a truck here and driving it both ways; having my mom, myself, and the kids drive the van there and then drive the moving truck back; flying my mom, myself and Michael to Utah and driving the truck back; and lastly, Daniel and my mom flying and driving back. Thank heavens we decided on the last choice. That was definitely the easiest way for me. Thus I don't mind making the sacrifice of being a single parent for a few days.
Christopher and Kira are really having a hard time with their dad being gone though. Daniel does so much for and with the kids. He really is a major part of their lives (as it should be). Because of that, they really miss him when he is away. It's hardest for them at night, because that is when they get the best close time with their dad. He wrestles, teases, reads, and plays with them every night before bed. Both kids took turns shedding tears last night.
Because they were having a ruff time, I let most of the rules slide. We stayed up really late playing Wii. We didn't brush teeth, say prayers, or read scriptures. And to top it off, Kira is sleep right beside me, while Bri and Christopher are sleeping on the living room floor.
Oh well, one night (or maybe two) without rules or routine won't hurt.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Letters?
I got to talk to Marc on Sunday. It was so good to hear his voice, even though it made me cry. The reality of his situation hit me pretty hard. My heart aches for him. I am so grateful that he has the gospel because I don't think he could get through this without it.
During our conversation, I asked if he had got any of your letters. He said that the only one he had received was from Marilyn. (Mom, he asked me to please pass along his thanks. It really meant a lot to him! I could tell by his voice that he was very touched. I also really appreciate you doing that.)
Alena told me that she had wrote him a three page letter. But I talked to her before she sent it, so I'm not sure if she got it in the mail or not.
So, I just have ask? Did anybody else write to him? If you didn't, it's OK. However, if you did, it makes me wonder what happened. Has the army been keeping his mail? Did I give you guys the right address? If there were letters, where are they?
During our conversation, I asked if he had got any of your letters. He said that the only one he had received was from Marilyn. (Mom, he asked me to please pass along his thanks. It really meant a lot to him! I could tell by his voice that he was very touched. I also really appreciate you doing that.)
Alena told me that she had wrote him a three page letter. But I talked to her before she sent it, so I'm not sure if she got it in the mail or not.
So, I just have ask? Did anybody else write to him? If you didn't, it's OK. However, if you did, it makes me wonder what happened. Has the army been keeping his mail? Did I give you guys the right address? If there were letters, where are they?
Friday, March 21, 2008
Kira In Stitches
Today we had a little adventure. It included tears, blood, and a trip to the ER.
We had a busy day planned today because our PHA formal was being held tonight (more about that later). The kids and I were at the church building helping with the preparations (at least, I was helping; the kids were running around and playing), when I got a call from my mom telling me that it was time for us to come home because Michael was awake. I started gathering my stuff and taking it out to the car. I figured I would let the kids play for a few more minutes while I did that. After I was all loaded up I came back inside and called for the kids. That was when I noticed Kira in tears.
From what I eventually gathered, everyone was playing tag and Kira accidentally got shoved into the corner of the wall.
She told me her head hurt and that was when I noticed the blood. At first, I thought she had scraped her hand, or her ear, or something. It only took me a few seconds to discover it was much worse than that. I think it was the amount of blood that tipped me off.
I picked her up and sat her on the counter where I could get a better look. As I pulled her hair back I could see that she had a deep gash, about the width of her thumbnail, on the side of her head. I figured she was going to need stitches.
It was at this point that I realized how lucky I was to be surrounded by friends. I must have gone into shock because I couldn't remember where the closest hospital was. Donna said she would take us. Then Michelle told me not to worry about Christopher and Briona, she would take care of them. I called my mom back and told her we wouldn't be home for awhile and asked if she could take care of Michael until we were done.
Everyone was there helping me get Kira taken care of. Someone handed me a cold, wet towel for her head. Someone else gathered Kira's shoes and coat and handed them to me as we got into the van. Donna dropped us off at the emergency room and then parked and came in and waited with us until they took us back to a room. I don't know what I would have done without everyone's help and compassion. After the fact, as I look back, I don't even know if I could have found my way to the hospital (even though we were only one exit away). Donna reassured me later that I handled the whole situation very calmly. I raised my eyebrows at her and then admitted that on the inside I was a mess. I didn't realize that I was actually in shock until after Kira's head was sewn up and I felt myself get dizzy.
The time at the hospital was typical. They took down Kira's information and said they would take us to the pediatric unit shortly. Luckily the ER wasn't busy. They had me put Kira in a wheel chair, which she wasn't to happy about (she felt more safe in my arms). The whole idea of going to the hospital was pretty scary for her. I think it was mostly the fear of the unknown. When they actually started working on her, she was very brave and didn't fret at all.
Daniel made it to the hospital in good time, we had only been back in the room about ten minutes. Then the doctor came in and assessed the damage. He said that stitches would be best. They numbed her up using this gel stuff first and then gave her shots after she was already mostly numb. Thank goodness for that gel. I remember the first time Kira needed her head sewn up, and they didn't have that stuff. It was awful! They cleaned her head (no shaving needed, another blessing) and gave her three stitches.
I was so proud of my little girl. She handled the whole ordeal very well. She even admitted that stitches weren't that bad.
Dan here: Later, after we were home, Kira told me that she was actually glad she had gotten stitches. "That way," she said, "when my kids need stitches, I can say 'I had stitches when I was a kid, and it wasn't too bad!'" What a girl. :-)
We had a busy day planned today because our PHA formal was being held tonight (more about that later). The kids and I were at the church building helping with the preparations (at least, I was helping; the kids were running around and playing), when I got a call from my mom telling me that it was time for us to come home because Michael was awake. I started gathering my stuff and taking it out to the car. I figured I would let the kids play for a few more minutes while I did that. After I was all loaded up I came back inside and called for the kids. That was when I noticed Kira in tears.
From what I eventually gathered, everyone was playing tag and Kira accidentally got shoved into the corner of the wall.
She told me her head hurt and that was when I noticed the blood. At first, I thought she had scraped her hand, or her ear, or something. It only took me a few seconds to discover it was much worse than that. I think it was the amount of blood that tipped me off.
I picked her up and sat her on the counter where I could get a better look. As I pulled her hair back I could see that she had a deep gash, about the width of her thumbnail, on the side of her head. I figured she was going to need stitches.
It was at this point that I realized how lucky I was to be surrounded by friends. I must have gone into shock because I couldn't remember where the closest hospital was. Donna said she would take us. Then Michelle told me not to worry about Christopher and Briona, she would take care of them. I called my mom back and told her we wouldn't be home for awhile and asked if she could take care of Michael until we were done.
Everyone was there helping me get Kira taken care of. Someone handed me a cold, wet towel for her head. Someone else gathered Kira's shoes and coat and handed them to me as we got into the van. Donna dropped us off at the emergency room and then parked and came in and waited with us until they took us back to a room. I don't know what I would have done without everyone's help and compassion. After the fact, as I look back, I don't even know if I could have found my way to the hospital (even though we were only one exit away). Donna reassured me later that I handled the whole situation very calmly. I raised my eyebrows at her and then admitted that on the inside I was a mess. I didn't realize that I was actually in shock until after Kira's head was sewn up and I felt myself get dizzy.
The time at the hospital was typical. They took down Kira's information and said they would take us to the pediatric unit shortly. Luckily the ER wasn't busy. They had me put Kira in a wheel chair, which she wasn't to happy about (she felt more safe in my arms). The whole idea of going to the hospital was pretty scary for her. I think it was mostly the fear of the unknown. When they actually started working on her, she was very brave and didn't fret at all.
Daniel made it to the hospital in good time, we had only been back in the room about ten minutes. Then the doctor came in and assessed the damage. He said that stitches would be best. They numbed her up using this gel stuff first and then gave her shots after she was already mostly numb. Thank goodness for that gel. I remember the first time Kira needed her head sewn up, and they didn't have that stuff. It was awful! They cleaned her head (no shaving needed, another blessing) and gave her three stitches.
I was so proud of my little girl. She handled the whole ordeal very well. She even admitted that stitches weren't that bad.
Dan here: Later, after we were home, Kira told me that she was actually glad she had gotten stitches. "That way," she said, "when my kids need stitches, I can say 'I had stitches when I was a kid, and it wasn't too bad!'" What a girl. :-)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sweet Sleep
Michael has got into the routine of waking up at night every 2 hours to nurse. He doesn't even nurse that often during the day, but for some reason that is his nightly pattern. So after months of sleep deprivation, Daniel and I decided to bite the bullet and teach Michael how to sleep through the night.
So two nights ago we made our game plan. I would nurse Michael around 10:00 pm (his usual bedtime) and then I would not nurse him again until after 5:00 am. When he woke up, Daniel would go in and give him his binky and offer him a drink of water from a sippy (and check to make sure he was okay and didn't have a messy diaper or anything). Then he would leave the room. After 10 minutes, if Michael was still crying, Daniel would repeat the process. All the while I would stay in bed with a pillow over my head. We discussed the "what-ifs" and "buts" and finally felt like we had it all figured out.
That first night wasn't so bad. Michael woke up at midnight and cried until almost two (can I just say that Daniel is the most patient and loving man on the planet). After he went back to sleep, he slept until 6:00. I nursed him and then he slept until 8:30 am. All in all pretty good for the first night. I didn't know what to expect for the second night, but I hoped Michael wouldn't have to cry as long before he could get himself to sleep.
Once again he went down at 10:00 pm. It was a few minutes before midnight when he started to fuss. Daniel got up to give him his binky, but before he made it to Michael's room, Michael stopped crying (he had found his binky on his own). Daniel and I both looked at each other and raised our eyebrows. That was a first.
I headed to bed, totally expecting to hear him crying within the next few hours. Can you imagine my surprise when I looked at the clock at the first sounds of his fussing, and saw that it was 6:00 am. He slept the entire night!!! Miracles do happen. What a blessing. Last night was the first full nights sleep I have had in over a year. My body barely knew how to handle it.
Could it really be that easy? Here's hoping!
So two nights ago we made our game plan. I would nurse Michael around 10:00 pm (his usual bedtime) and then I would not nurse him again until after 5:00 am. When he woke up, Daniel would go in and give him his binky and offer him a drink of water from a sippy (and check to make sure he was okay and didn't have a messy diaper or anything). Then he would leave the room. After 10 minutes, if Michael was still crying, Daniel would repeat the process. All the while I would stay in bed with a pillow over my head. We discussed the "what-ifs" and "buts" and finally felt like we had it all figured out.
That first night wasn't so bad. Michael woke up at midnight and cried until almost two (can I just say that Daniel is the most patient and loving man on the planet). After he went back to sleep, he slept until 6:00. I nursed him and then he slept until 8:30 am. All in all pretty good for the first night. I didn't know what to expect for the second night, but I hoped Michael wouldn't have to cry as long before he could get himself to sleep.
Once again he went down at 10:00 pm. It was a few minutes before midnight when he started to fuss. Daniel got up to give him his binky, but before he made it to Michael's room, Michael stopped crying (he had found his binky on his own). Daniel and I both looked at each other and raised our eyebrows. That was a first.
I headed to bed, totally expecting to hear him crying within the next few hours. Can you imagine my surprise when I looked at the clock at the first sounds of his fussing, and saw that it was 6:00 am. He slept the entire night!!! Miracles do happen. What a blessing. Last night was the first full nights sleep I have had in over a year. My body barely knew how to handle it.
Could it really be that easy? Here's hoping!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I'm Alive and Running (behind that is)
So that my big sister doesn't worry, I just wanted to leave a quick post to let you all know that I am alive. Things have been pretty busy around here since my last post. I didn't realize that it has been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Time flies when you're running behind.
You know what I think? I think that when a mom gets sick, all of her responsibilities should not be allowed to stockpile. I have been playing catch up ever since the other week and I still don't feel like I'm even close to being on top of everything yet. It's funny, right before I got sick all I could think about was how badly I needed a break. It seemed like I was on overload. I had no idea! Now all I can think about is all the things I need to get done and praying for more hours in the day. I definitely don't have time for a break.
What have I learned from this? Be glad for what you've got! It could always be worse.
You know what I think? I think that when a mom gets sick, all of her responsibilities should not be allowed to stockpile. I have been playing catch up ever since the other week and I still don't feel like I'm even close to being on top of everything yet. It's funny, right before I got sick all I could think about was how badly I needed a break. It seemed like I was on overload. I had no idea! Now all I can think about is all the things I need to get done and praying for more hours in the day. I definitely don't have time for a break.
What have I learned from this? Be glad for what you've got! It could always be worse.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Beautiful Spring
We may get a lot of rain here but come spring it is all worth it.
So here it is the beginning of March and spring has already arrived in Portland. It's Wonderful! The flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing, and the sun has been shining for more than two weeks. I know that the sun won't last, because after all, it is Portland, but even still, Spring is here to stay.
So here it is the beginning of March and spring has already arrived in Portland. It's Wonderful! The flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing, and the sun has been shining for more than two weeks. I know that the sun won't last, because after all, it is Portland, but even still, Spring is here to stay.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Briona's High
Briona: Mommy my high for the day is that you have a fever.
Me: Why is that sweetheart?
Briona: Because it makes your skin all nice and warm.
At least someone is getting some enjoyment out of it!
On a side note, she has been so sweet over the past few days. She comes in on a regular basis to check on me and give me kisses. I was supposed to take her in to check out a preschool this morning. She has really been looking forward to it. I didn't want to disappoint her so I tried to get up this morning. I couldn't even make it through eating my cereal before all my energy was spent. I didn't have the heart to tell her we weren't going so I asked Daniel to tell her. I thought for sure she would be really upset but she wasn't. She told Daniel that it was okay and that I would feel better in a couple of days and then we could go. She's really starting to grow up.
Me: Why is that sweetheart?
Briona: Because it makes your skin all nice and warm.
At least someone is getting some enjoyment out of it!
On a side note, she has been so sweet over the past few days. She comes in on a regular basis to check on me and give me kisses. I was supposed to take her in to check out a preschool this morning. She has really been looking forward to it. I didn't want to disappoint her so I tried to get up this morning. I couldn't even make it through eating my cereal before all my energy was spent. I didn't have the heart to tell her we weren't going so I asked Daniel to tell her. I thought for sure she would be really upset but she wasn't. She told Daniel that it was okay and that I would feel better in a couple of days and then we could go. She's really starting to grow up.
Not My Week
This week has definitely not been one of my bests.
Monday was normal enough. In fact it felt like the beginning of a good week. The kids had all their homework completed and ready to turn in on Tuesday (which is quite the accomplishment. We usually spend all day on Monday working on homework). I had already made a remarkable dent in my to do list, and we were all happy and well.
Then the rest of the week happened.
Tuesday:
I was excited because our weather has been really good and that meant that I could start working on our property. I told my mom she could have free rein on the yard, so I decided to make our field my project. This field is about 1/4 of our total property, making it just under 1/4 of a acre. Right now it is covered in weeds, dead stocks from last years garden, and a couple of huge piles of yard debris. Burn season just started at the beginning of March so I decided I would start by burning one of the piles of pine needles. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it took off. I was keeping the fire small and playing it cautious, just to be on the safe side. I had my gloves on and my pitch fork handy. I looked just like the country bumpkin I always dreamed of being :). In all honesty, I really was having a good time. I love working outside and seeing the fruits of my labors. Not to mention the state of the field has bothered me all winter, and it felt great to finally be working on it.
So I was standing there watching it burn when out of the pile burst a huge burning coal. It flew towards my face and landed inside my mouth. I spit it out as quickly as I could but not before it had burned the inside of my upper and lower lips and also my tongue. I think I was in shock for a while because it didn't seem to cause me to much pain. It wasn't until several hours later that it really started to hurt. And then it kept hurting for a couple of days.
Wednesday:
Driving home from school I hit a garbage can that was to far out in the street and totally ruined my passenger side mirror.
A few hours after that I noticed that my left breast was really starting to hurt. I figured that it was probably a plugged duct (which has happened a few other times since I've been nursing Michael). I hoped that it wouldn't develop into mastitis.
Well today is Friday and I have spend the last two days lying in bed either burning up or freezing to death. My whole body aches and I barely have the strength to walk around. Then on top of that nursing is so painful it brings tears to my eyes. Mastitis it is indeed. This is the second time in three months that I have had this. It's interesting that I never got it with any of my other kids.
Needless to say this week hasn't been the best. However a few very good things did happen in the middle of all of this. First, I got to talk to one of my friends who I haven't spoken to in a very long time and second Daniel had his annual review at work and they told him that he was doing an excellent job. Then they gave him a raise and told him that within the next little while they were going to be expanding his group and that they hoped he would consider being a manager of the QA department. What a blessing.
It has also been a blessing having my mom here so she could take care of the kids while I've been down. Really, now that I look at it, it really has been a week filled with blessings. I guess the tribulations just bring those blessings into sharper focus.
Monday was normal enough. In fact it felt like the beginning of a good week. The kids had all their homework completed and ready to turn in on Tuesday (which is quite the accomplishment. We usually spend all day on Monday working on homework). I had already made a remarkable dent in my to do list, and we were all happy and well.
Then the rest of the week happened.
Tuesday:
I was excited because our weather has been really good and that meant that I could start working on our property. I told my mom she could have free rein on the yard, so I decided to make our field my project. This field is about 1/4 of our total property, making it just under 1/4 of a acre. Right now it is covered in weeds, dead stocks from last years garden, and a couple of huge piles of yard debris. Burn season just started at the beginning of March so I decided I would start by burning one of the piles of pine needles. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it took off. I was keeping the fire small and playing it cautious, just to be on the safe side. I had my gloves on and my pitch fork handy. I looked just like the country bumpkin I always dreamed of being :). In all honesty, I really was having a good time. I love working outside and seeing the fruits of my labors. Not to mention the state of the field has bothered me all winter, and it felt great to finally be working on it.
So I was standing there watching it burn when out of the pile burst a huge burning coal. It flew towards my face and landed inside my mouth. I spit it out as quickly as I could but not before it had burned the inside of my upper and lower lips and also my tongue. I think I was in shock for a while because it didn't seem to cause me to much pain. It wasn't until several hours later that it really started to hurt. And then it kept hurting for a couple of days.
Wednesday:
Driving home from school I hit a garbage can that was to far out in the street and totally ruined my passenger side mirror.
A few hours after that I noticed that my left breast was really starting to hurt. I figured that it was probably a plugged duct (which has happened a few other times since I've been nursing Michael). I hoped that it wouldn't develop into mastitis.
Well today is Friday and I have spend the last two days lying in bed either burning up or freezing to death. My whole body aches and I barely have the strength to walk around. Then on top of that nursing is so painful it brings tears to my eyes. Mastitis it is indeed. This is the second time in three months that I have had this. It's interesting that I never got it with any of my other kids.
Needless to say this week hasn't been the best. However a few very good things did happen in the middle of all of this. First, I got to talk to one of my friends who I haven't spoken to in a very long time and second Daniel had his annual review at work and they told him that he was doing an excellent job. Then they gave him a raise and told him that within the next little while they were going to be expanding his group and that they hoped he would consider being a manager of the QA department. What a blessing.
It has also been a blessing having my mom here so she could take care of the kids while I've been down. Really, now that I look at it, it really has been a week filled with blessings. I guess the tribulations just bring those blessings into sharper focus.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Revelation is pure, but words are translation
I read a very good article about Revelation. It is by Orson Scott Card. My mom actually came across it while she was reading the Deseret Morning News and she pasted it on to me. It really made me stop and think.
In my scripture reading I am in the middle of the Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi. It has always rattled me that Nephi refers to these scriptures as plain. Actually I just looked up the exact reference and it says:
4 Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.
I guess it doesn't say that the words of Isaiah are plain. For some reason I always thought that was what he said. It seems to me now that I reread the above scripture, and after reading Card's article it makes a lot more sense to me.
I've never understood the words of Isaiah and I have always felt two things. While reading I've felt kind of dumb for not being able to figure it out and slightly annoyed that Nephi put them in there. I couldn't figure out why they had to be sooooooo cryptic. Usually I just bulldoze my way through it. Now I feel a small glimmer of understanding. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gives us all kinds of ways to learn and grow.
In my scripture reading I am in the middle of the Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi. It has always rattled me that Nephi refers to these scriptures as plain. Actually I just looked up the exact reference and it says:
4 Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.
I guess it doesn't say that the words of Isaiah are plain. For some reason I always thought that was what he said. It seems to me now that I reread the above scripture, and after reading Card's article it makes a lot more sense to me.
I've never understood the words of Isaiah and I have always felt two things. While reading I've felt kind of dumb for not being able to figure it out and slightly annoyed that Nephi put them in there. I couldn't figure out why they had to be sooooooo cryptic. Usually I just bulldoze my way through it. Now I feel a small glimmer of understanding. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gives us all kinds of ways to learn and grow.
Searching for a Preschool
It became clear to me this week that it is time to start researching preschools for Briona. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.
When Christopher and Kira went to preschool it was no big deal. I didn't do any real interviews or comparison shopping. Christopher and I started a "Mom and Me" gymnastics class at the Little Gym when he was 2. I loved the staff there and so did he, so when it was time for him to go to preschool (age 3) it was a no brainer for me to send him there.
When Kira was ready for preschool Christopher was going to school in Springville and so I picked a school that was close to his school. That made it really easy because there was only one real preschool that I knew about in that area.
Now that it's Briona's turn we are in a totally different situation. There are literally hundreds of preschools to choose from. And I'm just finding out that the "good ones" are hard to get into. They all have wait lists. Luckily the waiting lists are fairly short on my top choices and I now have Bri on the list, but still it's a waiting list. I can't believe it, especially since it's only February.
My next dilemma is that now I need to go in and interview the schools. I've never done this before and I don't know what to be looking for or what questions to ask. I could really use some pointers! So do any of you have some advice for me?
How do I find the "right" school. Oh the pressure!
When Christopher and Kira went to preschool it was no big deal. I didn't do any real interviews or comparison shopping. Christopher and I started a "Mom and Me" gymnastics class at the Little Gym when he was 2. I loved the staff there and so did he, so when it was time for him to go to preschool (age 3) it was a no brainer for me to send him there.
When Kira was ready for preschool Christopher was going to school in Springville and so I picked a school that was close to his school. That made it really easy because there was only one real preschool that I knew about in that area.
Now that it's Briona's turn we are in a totally different situation. There are literally hundreds of preschools to choose from. And I'm just finding out that the "good ones" are hard to get into. They all have wait lists. Luckily the waiting lists are fairly short on my top choices and I now have Bri on the list, but still it's a waiting list. I can't believe it, especially since it's only February.
My next dilemma is that now I need to go in and interview the schools. I've never done this before and I don't know what to be looking for or what questions to ask. I could really use some pointers! So do any of you have some advice for me?
How do I find the "right" school. Oh the pressure!
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