Engineer-In-Training

Ryan and I have been emailing back and forth all day.

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To My Engineer -
I just "built" a box to ship Kim's buckeyes to her. There was a piece of cardboard lying on the floor in the basement from the water softener, and I cut it and molded it and taped and taped and taped. I am so proud of myself.

Love - Your Not-so-Little Engineer-in-Training

PS: Who needs to buy a box at the post office in a car anyway!? Maybe I can learn to do more things around here, and we could just have one car... Or maybe not.

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Hey Babe!

Sounds like I'm rubbin' off on you after all. Pretty soon you'll be out in the garage fixing the car yourself... Or maybe not (tee hee).

Love Ya!

-Proud Husband of my Not-as-big-as-she-thinks Engineer-in-training

Buckeyes!

We have an annual tradition in our home of spending the Friday night before the big Ohio State - Michigan rivalry football game making tasty peanut butter and chocolate buckeye sweets. We have converted many friends into Buckeye fans over the years, and this year was no exception.

In fact, we were lucky enough to spend the evening with good friends visiting from Madison.

What a wonderful weekend! Go Buckeyes!

35 weeks down... 35 days to go.

What a neat coincidence - the double 35, that is.

I went to the doc again today. They estimate his weight at about 6 pounds 4 ounces, which is crazy to me, since many babies are born at that weight. Oddly, his femur length is now lagging behind his other body measurements, but the tech says it is common for certain things to grow quickly and then lag while other parts catch up.

He is still averaging right at about 35 weeks, whereas my belly is now measuring at 33 weeks. I figure that's close enough! I am now into weekly doctor's appointments (ugh!), but at least I know that means he'll be here sooner. My last ultrasound is scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving, and then... the waiting game.

Yesterday I asked the doc how early they would allow for an elective induction. As of now, the necessity for an induction based on a medical need is not likely (which I am grateful for), but I didn't know my docs' policy for electing to be induced. I know some offices have a mandatory 41-week rule.

Now you ask, why would she WANT to be induced? (No, I am really not all that uncomfortable... yet.) To be honest, it all centers around convenience. My due date is exactly one week before Christmas. Our anniversary is two days after Christmas. Bottom line: We are VERY interested in having this little guy out and home before these two "holidays."

So, I asked the doc the question. The answer? Apparently, there is a correlation between emergency c-sections and inductions of women with first babies, so my doctor's office strives to avoid inducing for non-medical reasons as much as possible. Oh no!

And now I put the questions to you: What are your thoughts on induction, specifically first baby induction? Am I being selfish to try to "schedule" his birthday around Christmas and our anniversary? Does anyone have experience with pitocin-contractions vs. natural-contractions? If you were induced for non-medical reasons, how long after your due date did they make you wait/did you choose to wait?

Yes, I am full of questions... and hopefully, you will be full of comments! Bring 'em on.

Peoria Baby Shower

Last weekend my new friends here in Peoria threw me a Baby Shower. It was perfect: one simple game, great new friends, delicious breakfast casseroles, good conversation, and wonderful gifts.

Unfortunately, I handed my new camera to a friend unaware that Ryan had been messing with the settings the night before, and this is how all my photos turned out:

It is a cool setting (you can pick whatever color you want for it to grab), but it is kinda strange for people shots.
Agree?

Thankfully, one of the hosts was also taking pictures, and she saved the day and gave me all her photos.
Anyone know of someone more excited about diapers!?

This gift was probably the hit of the party. It is a growth chart to hang on the wall, and she even matched the colors to Baby’s room. I love it!

Thanks everyone for coming! We had a great time.

33 Weeks, Ultrasound #5

Another week down, and another ultrasound completed...
(Sorry about the totally posed picture, but we got a new camera and started playing around with it. What do you think?)

Baby is healthy and happy (as is Mom), though I'm not thinking he's enjoying that tasty knee so much. Do you see it? Poor thing is all nestled together in a really tight little ball. His bum is right behind my belly button, and his head is down. I think most of the movement I feel is him sticking out his bum and stretching those legs away from his face.

His head measured a little small, but the doc says it only seems small compared to his super long legs. Since Ry has a small head (and doesn't seem to be all that lacking in the brains department), I'm just going to hope it stays small so I can get him out easier.

The other thing they told me to expect is for him to want lots of cuddling and swaddling because he's going to be so accustomed to being balled together. She said to expect lots of crying as he joins this big, roomy world.

Look at those big, chubby cheeks!
Another ultrasound at 35 weeks, the last at 38 weeks, and then he'll be here! Yippee!

Saved by the Belly

It was a dark and stormy night....The rain was coming down in sheets....there were no parking spaces to be found....when, out of nowhere....Lo and Behold........

Fortunately, Lindsey is now showing enough that we didn't get any dirty looks on the way in.

How to Decorate a Nursery

1 – Pick an extremely difficult focal point not purchased directly from a store. Make sure you choose strange hues and tones of normal colors so as to make the task of matching even more difficult.
We chose to focus our decorating around a quilt I made a few years back.

2 – Select a difficult painting technique and strategy.

We chose to paint two facing walls tan, and the other two facing walls with vertical stripes.

3 – Apply base coat paint to all walls. If all walls will not be the same (thus increasing its difficulty on the scale), you must wait a week between adjacent walls in order to apply tape and achieve a crisp corner.

4 – Determine a striping pattern which suits your style. Most websites advocate one-foot stripes that alternate between two shades of the same color.

Make sure you enlist an engineer to manufacture a demo on the computer which uses three colors with varying thicknesses, once again increasing the difficulty.
5 – Proceed to measure, mark, tape, and level each stripe to exact perfection. Once again, the use of an engineer is strongly recommended for absolute precision.

6 – Using painter’s caulk, carry on by sealing each piece of tape to the wall. Failure to successfully seal each side of each piece will result in catastrophic wiggly paint appearance.

Please remember that once a finger begins to bleed, only the weak give up! This particular step requires perseverance and stamina. It also requires a patient spouse to read page upon page and chapter upon chapter aloud (We chose Paolini’s Brisinger) to the caulker to distract his mind from the growing rawness as he removes each of his fingerprints.

7 – Begin in one corner to apply paint. All tape must be removed within 10 minutes of paint application.

WARNING: DO NOT PAINT ALL THE STRIPES OF ONE COLOR ACROSS THE WALL AND THEN RETURN TO APPLY PAINT OF THE NEXT COLOR. Such a technique will result in the paint peeling away when the tape is removed. Failure to observe the above warning will result in an additional evening of taping, caulking, and painting to correct “shark bites” in each stripe whose tape was removed too late.

8 – Proceed slowly around the room, edging carefully with the correct color around baseboards, ceiling, windows, closets, and outlets. When taping is removed, wipe away any excess paint that may have seeped under the tape, despite excessive caulking.

9 – Assemble all baby furniture, adding handmade bed linens to each feature.

10 - Voila! Thank your husband by telling him you love him, you love the room, and can’t wait for the little one to add the finishing touch!

8 Random Facts about Lindsey

I won't be tagging anyone, but seeing as Sheena tagged me, here are

Eight Random Facts about Lindsey

1 - Two Food Groups: I believe there are two food groups: real and dessert. The two groups cannot be mixed in one dish. A few examples of atrocities that I refuse to eat: Hawaiian pizza, Mango Chicken Salad, Honey-Glazed Ham, Waldorf Salad, etc.

2- My watch: I have bought the same watch four times. I love its shape, its price, and the ease at which I can find it at Target every year. Unfortunately, I have had to purchase it four times... since its price directly reflects its quality. :-) The first three purchases were because the band would break (plastic, fake leather), but then Ryan finally talked me into buying a leather band and attached it to the face for me. Then, about a month ago, the face cracked, and I had to buy a new one anyway. I figure when this plastic band breaks, I can still attach the leather band from the one whose face broke. It's a good watch... really. 3 - High anxiety: I hate being the center of attention or looked at. I prefer not to draw attention to myself (like dressing up for Halloween and having a baby shower), and I hate public speaking (like giving talks in sacrament meeting and being observed by my principal). In fact, I usually throw up, cry, and can't eat the day before school starts and the morning of. It started in preschool, according to my mom, and even continued as a school teacher. That's right: at 26, I sat on the bed next to Ryan crying and begging to not have to go to the first day of school. Thankfully, I had no first day of school this year.
4 - Blue feet & Lips: I have really poor circulation. My feet turn blue about every time I take off my socks. I try to avoid wearing sandles, and I prefer to avoid air conditioning. (Our thermostat was set at 78 all summer.) I even sometimes get blue lips. I am pretty much always cold, even since being pregnant. Too bad Ryan was hoping to save on heating bills this winter.

5 - Young Adult Fiction: If there was a budget cut and we had to vote to save only one section at the public library, I'd keep the chapter books for kids in grades 4 through 7. I have read nearly every one, and they just make me... happy. I love juvenile fiction.6 - Red-haired, Freckled Italian: With an awesome maiden name like Morello, you'd think I'd have dark hair and an olive complexion. Quite to the contrary, I have to spend half an hour lathering up with sunblock (SPF 50) just to watch a tv show about the beach! Turn's out I got my mom's genes.7 - No cavities / No broken bones: I've never had a cavity, and I've never broken any bones. I've actually only been to the hospital twice: When I cut my finger in first grade and had to get stitches and last night for our first childbirthing class. Oh, and I think I might have gone to the hospital 4 1/2 years ago - to visit my sister-in-law Emily when she had her first baby. Yeah, staying in the hopsital when I have our baby will be awfully strange. 8 - Weight: Until I got pregnant (31 weeks ago), I had weighed the exact same weight since I got my first driver's license at 16. I may have flunctuated a pound or two, but I've always been exactly the same size and shape. And I have never done anything to maintain it: no strange eating adaptations, no rigorous exercise routine - nothing. Sadly, this is very much not true anymore (I'm currently at +25!).

Vote!

Though you are probably thinking about a different vote in the coming month, that vote will only last 4 years whereas this vote will last a lifetime. Take it seriously.

Ryan and I are pretty certain what we will name our baby, but we are having a hard time deciding on the spelling. A few things for you to consider before voting...

Colin - traditional spelling, equal numbers of Ls in first and middle name, most common spelling

Collin - variational spelling, equal number of Ls in first and last name

You may also vote for a different name. Make sure you post your "other" name as a comment. A few guidelines...

1 - I don't like names that can be either a boy or a girl.
2 - I don't like "common" names that our child will have to attach a "W." to for his schooling life.
3 - We like names that start with C or K.
4 - The middle name is definitely Daniel (probably).

We do not guarantee anything, but we thought it might be fun to find out what our friends and family think.

Happy voting!

Birthdays!

Lots and lots of birthdays this month:

Sunday, Sept. 28: Grandma Fooks
Monday, Sept. 29: Ryan
Wednesday, Oct. 1: Grandma Williams
Wednesday, Oct. 1: Janice
Friday, Oct. 3: Lindsey
Tuesday, Oct. 7: Grady
Tuesday, Oct. 21: Megan
Tuesday, Oct. 28: Grandma Haskell

And this doesn't count the endless aunts, uncles and cousins with birthdays this month too! Does that seem like a lot to anyone else?

On Sunday, we had a cake with 27 (Ryan) + 27 (Lindsey) + 2 (Janice) = 56 candles. It was great fun, though we really thought we might set off the smoke alarm.
On Monday, Ryan blew out another candle.
On Friday, Lindsey added another to the stack.

And that, my friend, is a lot of birthdays.
Does anyone else's family have a lot of birthdays stacked together at a certain part of the year? I'm curious.

Fall in the Midwest

This weekend my sister, Kim, her daughter, Janice, and my mom and dad all came to Peoria to visit. It was fun to show off our town and enjoy the beautiful weather. Everyone should live in the midwest; it was a perfect Fall weekend.

We spent all day Saturday at a great apple orchard and pumpkin patch.

There were all kinds of photo opportunities, and parts of it ended up being a lot like a county fair. Janice wasn't a big fan of the petting zoo area. I thought she was going to cry when the billy goat got so close to her stroller. He was as big as she was!

She really liked this train. She waited patiently for her turn to "drive," and then this little boy cut in front of her, so it just made sense to push him out of the way. She's learning early not to take any crap from boys.
Janice is really interested in steering wheels and honking horns. First, she got in. Then she asked Grandma to get in too. Then, she got into the next four carts, just to honk their horns. I wonder where she learned to be impatient with other drivers?

When we were finished at the "fair," we ventured into the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. As you can see, Ryan is very particular about his pumpkins. He went to great extents to pick the perfect pumpkin for this year's carving. I can't wait to see what he does with it!

We had a great weekend. We wish all our family lived closer, but it has been so nice to see so many these past few months.

Happy Fall!

Finished Living Room (almost)

Since I started this story about painting our living room, I wanted to finish it with pictures. We got our new coffee table and end tables delivered last night, so here's our almost finished living room.

We still haven't decided about what to do over the fireplace. We have thought about a flat screen tv. We've even found the one we'll buy, but I'm still not sold on it being the center of attention up there. And, does anyone else think it's an awkward angle for tv-watching anyway? And when we finish the basement, we'll put in a tv room down there, and then I definitely don't want a tv in my living room anymore. What are your opinions of flat screens above the fireplaces in homes?

If we don't do the tv up there, we need to find some artwork. Aww, the challenges (and fun!) of home decorating. We will also probably still buy some candle holder sets that I saw at Bed, Bath & Beyond (my number two favorite store behind Target), but for now, I think we can call our living room Finished.

Oh, and we also still want to paint the rest of the walls... and maybe buy some curtains... and their rods. Oh, and we really want new carpet too.

Wait, I'm starting to wonder: Is a room ever done? Well, this is our living room Today.