I like to think we've done well so far. The first night was hectic. We weren't sure what was normal and what wasn't. Bennett had a bit of indigestion and made a lot of noise most of the night. We learned how important a good burping session is. He does tend to make bouts of noise while sleeping, but I guess that's normal. He sleeps for 3-4 hours, eats, looks around, gets his diaper changed, and goes back to sleep. His eating has been increasing rapidly which is great. We just have to make sure he paces himself so he doesn't choke. He's had a couple of episodes of choking since coming home. It is very scary to see him stop breathing for a moment while his face turns purple.
We had our first follow-up with the pediatrician today. Bennett is up to just over 5 lbs and over 17 inches. Hopefully, we can get him up to around 7 lbs by his due date!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Home at last
The past week has been a bit of a whirlwind. Bennett was progressing well in the NICU. He started bottle feeding once per day on December 15th and increased from there. By Christmas Eve, he was taking all of his feedings by mouth and the tube was removed. He was put in a crib very recently also and was keeping his temperature up (with 2 sets of clothes and three blankets). He remained on the lowest amount of oxygen possible and failed a room air test twice this week. This did not matter because he could come home on the oxygen without a problem.
Last Thursday, his nurse told us she thought he would be there another four weeks. Monday, the MD said another two weeks would be all he needed. Then he turned on a switch. By Wednesday plans were for discharge this weekend. Yesterday, they told us we could take him home today. It is a little overwhelming to have everything happen so fast. I had to get up extra early this morning to get him an appointment with a pediatrician, buy all the stuff we still needed, and get the car seat installed. We left the hospital at about 3:00 this afternoon. There are a couple of pictures of his departure on the picture page.
He is still on the oxygen and may need that for up to another month. His body does not have enough mature red blood cells to stay properly oxygenated. However, a recent blood test showed that he has plenty of them maturing. So hopefully it won't be for long.
Now we are super alert and have a hard time leaving his room for long. I'm sure that will fade over time. It feels amazing and scary at the same time to have him home. He will be 36 weeks gestation tomorrow. He's up to 4lbs. 13oz.
He's eating about 2oz, 6-8 times per day. He gets breast milk for all but two feedings when he has to have a special preemie formula. I don't like it, but it is what is best for his development at this point. We hope to switch to full breast feeding around the time he is full term. It will depend on how well he gains weight. So think positive thoughts.
Bernie is taking the next 2-3 weeks off, so we have some time to adjust to being parents together. We will be spending most of our time at home because Bennett is not supposed to go out much until he is a bit older. Too many germy nasty people out there.
Lastly, Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope to get birth announcements out as soon as possible...so keep your eye out.
Last Thursday, his nurse told us she thought he would be there another four weeks. Monday, the MD said another two weeks would be all he needed. Then he turned on a switch. By Wednesday plans were for discharge this weekend. Yesterday, they told us we could take him home today. It is a little overwhelming to have everything happen so fast. I had to get up extra early this morning to get him an appointment with a pediatrician, buy all the stuff we still needed, and get the car seat installed. We left the hospital at about 3:00 this afternoon. There are a couple of pictures of his departure on the picture page.
He is still on the oxygen and may need that for up to another month. His body does not have enough mature red blood cells to stay properly oxygenated. However, a recent blood test showed that he has plenty of them maturing. So hopefully it won't be for long.
Now we are super alert and have a hard time leaving his room for long. I'm sure that will fade over time. It feels amazing and scary at the same time to have him home. He will be 36 weeks gestation tomorrow. He's up to 4lbs. 13oz.
He's eating about 2oz, 6-8 times per day. He gets breast milk for all but two feedings when he has to have a special preemie formula. I don't like it, but it is what is best for his development at this point. We hope to switch to full breast feeding around the time he is full term. It will depend on how well he gains weight. So think positive thoughts.
Bernie is taking the next 2-3 weeks off, so we have some time to adjust to being parents together. We will be spending most of our time at home because Bennett is not supposed to go out much until he is a bit older. Too many germy nasty people out there.
Lastly, Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope to get birth announcements out as soon as possible...so keep your eye out.
Monday, December 15, 2008
It's Almost Christmas??
Time is all but meaningless to me right now. I have a difficult time keeping track of what day it is, but apparently Christmas is in less than ten days. We officially have none of our shopping done.
Graduation was this past Friday. It felt good to go through the ceremony, but I still won't officially done until this Wednesday. I am waiting for a few slackers to turn in papers that will be graded for a maximum of half credit. And then they will bitch about their low grades. Most of the students are normal responsible adults, but there are definitely a few that make life difficult. I'm not sure if I would want to pursue teaching in college for a career. Once their grades are turned in, I will feel like I can concentrate on all of the crap around the house that needs to be done.
We had a graduation party that turned out really fun. My mom and Bernie's parents made a ton of food and we had about 30 people. I didn't think we knew that many people around here. I was ready for bed at 7pm.
Our guests are slowly trickling home. My grandma was only here for a couple of days. It was great to spend some time with her, she really is a fun lady. Bernie's parents left today as did Melanie. My mom will leave tomorrow. I hope Mel had some fun with all of the family. We can be an interesting group. I'm sure I will start to miss people in a few days, but it will be nice to have some time on our own. There are a couple of books I would like to read that have no academic value.
We did a shit ton of shopping over the past four days. Bennett and I were very spoiled. His room has almost everything it needs. I plan to post pictures once we get the dresser home and the rocking chair is delivered. My mom bought him the cutest vintage Humpty Dumpty lamp along. Jackie brought an unbelievable amount of clothing (some new and some from our nephew Grant who is four months old). None of it fits of course, but he will get there. I bought a pile of preemie clothes because they are dressing him now. Check out the pictures for one of his new little outfits. They look like doll clothes and they sort of hang off of him.
Along with being dressed now, Bennett has started to gain some weight (keep your fingers crossed that it continues). He has been up and down over the past 10 days. He is now at over 3lbs 14 oz. We are almost to 4 lbs! That's when crib time becomes closer. It will be a big step to have him out of the incubator.
The most exciting news is that he had his first feeding by mouth today. I got to feed him a bottle and he took to it surprisingly well. The nurse tried to prepare me that it might be a struggle at first, but he ended up drinking 25ml (a regular feeding is 35ml). He was so cute. He would suck really hard for about five seconds, rest for 30, and suck for five more. It totally wore him out. He was basically sleeping at the end. We will keep this up once a day for a bit and then slowly increase. Hopefully, we can introduce the breast soon also.
My mom and I put together as much of his room as possible tonight. I will post pictures of that when we get everything in place.
Graduation was this past Friday. It felt good to go through the ceremony, but I still won't officially done until this Wednesday. I am waiting for a few slackers to turn in papers that will be graded for a maximum of half credit. And then they will bitch about their low grades. Most of the students are normal responsible adults, but there are definitely a few that make life difficult. I'm not sure if I would want to pursue teaching in college for a career. Once their grades are turned in, I will feel like I can concentrate on all of the crap around the house that needs to be done.
We had a graduation party that turned out really fun. My mom and Bernie's parents made a ton of food and we had about 30 people. I didn't think we knew that many people around here. I was ready for bed at 7pm.
Our guests are slowly trickling home. My grandma was only here for a couple of days. It was great to spend some time with her, she really is a fun lady. Bernie's parents left today as did Melanie. My mom will leave tomorrow. I hope Mel had some fun with all of the family. We can be an interesting group. I'm sure I will start to miss people in a few days, but it will be nice to have some time on our own. There are a couple of books I would like to read that have no academic value.
We did a shit ton of shopping over the past four days. Bennett and I were very spoiled. His room has almost everything it needs. I plan to post pictures once we get the dresser home and the rocking chair is delivered. My mom bought him the cutest vintage Humpty Dumpty lamp along. Jackie brought an unbelievable amount of clothing (some new and some from our nephew Grant who is four months old). None of it fits of course, but he will get there. I bought a pile of preemie clothes because they are dressing him now. Check out the pictures for one of his new little outfits. They look like doll clothes and they sort of hang off of him.
Along with being dressed now, Bennett has started to gain some weight (keep your fingers crossed that it continues). He has been up and down over the past 10 days. He is now at over 3lbs 14 oz. We are almost to 4 lbs! That's when crib time becomes closer. It will be a big step to have him out of the incubator.
The most exciting news is that he had his first feeding by mouth today. I got to feed him a bottle and he took to it surprisingly well. The nurse tried to prepare me that it might be a struggle at first, but he ended up drinking 25ml (a regular feeding is 35ml). He was so cute. He would suck really hard for about five seconds, rest for 30, and suck for five more. It totally wore him out. He was basically sleeping at the end. We will keep this up once a day for a bit and then slowly increase. Hopefully, we can introduce the breast soon also.
My mom and I put together as much of his room as possible tonight. I will post pictures of that when we get everything in place.
Friday, December 5, 2008
What's new
Bennett continues to do well and is making small (and big) improvements every day. He still has the cannula in his nose, but the pressure has been reduced to 1 (from 4) and the oxygen in only at 23% (normal room air is 21%). The pressure is to keep the sacs in his lungs open. Apparently he cannot go home until the pressure is gone, but can come with oxygen. Of course, we hope it will all be gone by that point. At this rate, we may see him come off of all of it within the next week.
They did a scan of his brain yesterday and there was no sign of bleeding or other damage. This is very comforting news, since that was one of our biggest fears. The doctor told us that the risk for that has passed and not to worry about it anymore.
The IV has been removed from his bellybutton, so there are significantly fewer cords coming out of him. I got to hold him skin to skin for the first time yesterday which was wonderful. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, but I think we need more practice! After about 15 minutes, he peed on me despite wearing a diaper. I'm sure that won't be the last time.
His feedings continue to be increased. Today he will be at what is considered full feedings for his weight (30ml every 3 hours). I'm not sure where they will go from there, but I assume they increase them more as he gains weight. He was 3 lbs 7 oz when he was born, dropped to 3lbs 3 oz., and has now gotten up to 3 lbs 9oz as of yesterday. He has been gaining quite a bit in the past 3 days, so here's to hoping that rate continues. When he gets to 4 lbs, they will begin to slowly lower the temperature in his isolette. The we can start dressing him. When he maintains his body temperature, they will put him in a crib.
The four things he needs to do to come home: breathe on his own, gain weight, tolerate full feedings by mouth, and maintain his body temperature. We are on our way to all but the eating at this point, which is a developmental issue.
A nurse told me we can begin next week to introduce him to the breast. They call it breast play. I pump before we visit and he is allowed to roam around down there to get used to it. If he actually latches on, all the better. Apparently we can actually begin trying to feed him at 34 weeks which is earlier than I had thought. That is only a little over a week away.
Overall, Bennett seems to be a very mellow baby. He only cries when something is making him physically uncomfortable, like heel pricks and removing the IV line. Even then, it's only for a moment. He must get that from Bernie.
Other things in life are going well. I'm a bit stressed with all of this school work I'm trying to finish up by next week. My students turned in 8 page papers this week (60 of them) which are a mountain to finish. I have a take home final due Tuesday, which I need to get started on. There isn't a moment in the day to relax, but it should settle down after graduation.
My mom is coming back Wednesday, my grandma at some point, Bernie's parents Thursday, and Melanie is coming on Friday! I'm very happy that Mel is coming down, it was a great surprise.
They did a scan of his brain yesterday and there was no sign of bleeding or other damage. This is very comforting news, since that was one of our biggest fears. The doctor told us that the risk for that has passed and not to worry about it anymore.
The IV has been removed from his bellybutton, so there are significantly fewer cords coming out of him. I got to hold him skin to skin for the first time yesterday which was wonderful. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, but I think we need more practice! After about 15 minutes, he peed on me despite wearing a diaper. I'm sure that won't be the last time.
His feedings continue to be increased. Today he will be at what is considered full feedings for his weight (30ml every 3 hours). I'm not sure where they will go from there, but I assume they increase them more as he gains weight. He was 3 lbs 7 oz when he was born, dropped to 3lbs 3 oz., and has now gotten up to 3 lbs 9oz as of yesterday. He has been gaining quite a bit in the past 3 days, so here's to hoping that rate continues. When he gets to 4 lbs, they will begin to slowly lower the temperature in his isolette. The we can start dressing him. When he maintains his body temperature, they will put him in a crib.
The four things he needs to do to come home: breathe on his own, gain weight, tolerate full feedings by mouth, and maintain his body temperature. We are on our way to all but the eating at this point, which is a developmental issue.
A nurse told me we can begin next week to introduce him to the breast. They call it breast play. I pump before we visit and he is allowed to roam around down there to get used to it. If he actually latches on, all the better. Apparently we can actually begin trying to feed him at 34 weeks which is earlier than I had thought. That is only a little over a week away.
Overall, Bennett seems to be a very mellow baby. He only cries when something is making him physically uncomfortable, like heel pricks and removing the IV line. Even then, it's only for a moment. He must get that from Bernie.
Other things in life are going well. I'm a bit stressed with all of this school work I'm trying to finish up by next week. My students turned in 8 page papers this week (60 of them) which are a mountain to finish. I have a take home final due Tuesday, which I need to get started on. There isn't a moment in the day to relax, but it should settle down after graduation.
My mom is coming back Wednesday, my grandma at some point, Bernie's parents Thursday, and Melanie is coming on Friday! I'm very happy that Mel is coming down, it was a great surprise.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Bennett Update
We have had a busy couple of days. I was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and am feeling much better. On Tuesday night we had a couple of setbacks that made for a terrible night's sleep. One of Bennett's lungs collapsed. He had to have a rod placed in his lung, a chest tube put in, and started back on the respirator. They had tried a different breathing machine, but he did not take to it.
They were able to remove the rod, chest tube, and respirator yesterday. He did much better this time around and is now breathing with the help of an oxygen cannula. He also got to start eating on Thanksgiving which is very appropriate. He cannot coordinate his sucking and swallowing yet (should happen around 35-36 weeks), so he has a tube that goes into his stomach. The are feeding him 6 ounces of breast milk every three hours. This is more than they started with, so that is good news. He threw up a little today which is normal as his stomach adjusts to having something in it. I spend a lot of time pumping and pumping and pumping. But it feels good to be able to contribute something meaningful to his care.
We get to touch him and help with his care (change his diaper and take his temp) every three hours. So far, we have decided to commute back and forth on a daily basis to see him. It takes about 50 minutes each way, which isn't too bad. There are babies there who don't see their parents for weeks because they live and work out of state.
There are new pictures on Flickr. I posted a link on the left side of the page.
They were able to remove the rod, chest tube, and respirator yesterday. He did much better this time around and is now breathing with the help of an oxygen cannula. He also got to start eating on Thanksgiving which is very appropriate. He cannot coordinate his sucking and swallowing yet (should happen around 35-36 weeks), so he has a tube that goes into his stomach. The are feeding him 6 ounces of breast milk every three hours. This is more than they started with, so that is good news. He threw up a little today which is normal as his stomach adjusts to having something in it. I spend a lot of time pumping and pumping and pumping. But it feels good to be able to contribute something meaningful to his care.
We get to touch him and help with his care (change his diaper and take his temp) every three hours. So far, we have decided to commute back and forth on a daily basis to see him. It takes about 50 minutes each way, which isn't too bad. There are babies there who don't see their parents for weeks because they live and work out of state.
There are new pictures on Flickr. I posted a link on the left side of the page.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Bennett Owen Meier
Born 11:34am this morning. He weighted 3lbs 3.7oz and is 16 1/4 inches long.
We've got pictures of him here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32136286@N04/
We've got pictures of him here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32136286@N04/
Baby today
They induced Amanda last night and things went quicker than expected. They broke her water at 6:30am. So we expect the baby will come today.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Here he comes!!!!
Here is how we got here...
Amanda has started having on and off pains in the upper part of her stomach area. Starting Friday evening the pain become consist. Then on Saturday the pain continually worsened and she went to the hospital 10pm last night. I was able to meet up with her shortly after she checked in cause of work. Doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. She felt a little better last night and this morning after pumping her with drugs, but she was still in lots of pain once the pain killers started to wear off. At noon today, they still didn't what was happening so they increased the medications and gave her stronger pain killers, plus a steroid shot in case she had to deliver. She felt a million times better after that. Just after she took a shower the doctor came in and gave and said that they have to move her to place where they can help her.
Her blood work was showing that she had H.E.L.L.P. Syndrome, which affects the liver. The only way for this to get better is to give birth. By waiting days, would increase the risk to mom and the baby. So Amanda got a helicopter ride from Longmont to St. Lukes Hospital in Denver. The hospital here specializes in premature births. We are waiting for her latest lab result and if it continues to show Amanda worsening they will induce labor this evening yet.
Baby has about a 96% chance of being normal and will have to stay in the hospital here 6-8 weeks.
I'll post more when we know more.
Amanda has started having on and off pains in the upper part of her stomach area. Starting Friday evening the pain become consist. Then on Saturday the pain continually worsened and she went to the hospital 10pm last night. I was able to meet up with her shortly after she checked in cause of work. Doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. She felt a little better last night and this morning after pumping her with drugs, but she was still in lots of pain once the pain killers started to wear off. At noon today, they still didn't what was happening so they increased the medications and gave her stronger pain killers, plus a steroid shot in case she had to deliver. She felt a million times better after that. Just after she took a shower the doctor came in and gave and said that they have to move her to place where they can help her.
Her blood work was showing that she had H.E.L.L.P. Syndrome, which affects the liver. The only way for this to get better is to give birth. By waiting days, would increase the risk to mom and the baby. So Amanda got a helicopter ride from Longmont to St. Lukes Hospital in Denver. The hospital here specializes in premature births. We are waiting for her latest lab result and if it continues to show Amanda worsening they will induce labor this evening yet.
Baby has about a 96% chance of being normal and will have to stay in the hospital here 6-8 weeks.
I'll post more when we know more.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
I'm slow...
about getting around to updating this. October was a busy month for us.
Bernie went hunting in North Dakota for a few days and managed to keep the dog in one piece for once. Now I have plenty of frozen pheasant if any of you are interested in taking any off of my hands. He drove to Minneapolis after hunting and I met him there for a friend's wedding. It was a good time, but I am a bit burned out on weddings for the moment. Especially when I just get to watch everyone get drunk. We didn't do too much in our two days there, but I did see the Mall of America. It was frightening but good exercise! I also went into an IKEA for the first time and managed to buy two cutting boards for $4. WOO! I did feel a bit like I was in a herd of cattle when we walked around there.
Speaking of weddings, my cousin Amy is engaged. The date is October 10th and I am in the wedding. Next year is already shaping up to be wedding filled again. I have two other Fagg cousins getting married other than Amy. It was always a goal of mine to get to all the Fagg weddings, but I don't know how practical that will be with Bennett and hopefully a job next year. We'll see...as Bernie likes to say.
My birthday was nice, thanks to everyone for their kind wishes. I got the new Oasis box set from Bernie which was a nice addition to the collection. He also brought me a cute baby themed t-shirt. He and his parents went in together and ordered me an ipod touch, which I am still learning to use. My mother sent me some silver jewelery and homemade caramels (YUM). Bernie took me out to our favorite italian restaurant for dinner. It was a good 26th birthday.
The day before my birthday the new car came it. It ended up being dark gray/silver which is much better than the blue I was expecting. I like it so far except for the lack of electric seats. Maybe I'm a snob, but I thought most new cars came equipped with them. Oh well, we're getting between 50-54 MPG so far. That was the main point anyway. MPG and four doors.
The same day we picked up the car I got a speeding ticket on my way home from Greeley (in the old car). Unfortunately it was in a school zone so the fine and points against my driving record were doubled ($204 and 8 points). If you get 12 points in a year they take away your license. I paid it right away, so the points should reduce to 4. I bawled the whole time (like an idiot) and I could tell the police officer felt bad giving the crying pregnant lady a ticket.
Bennett's impending arrival is becoming more real. I've even been cleaning out closets to get some extra space. We hope to get the room painted and some of the furniture set up before graduation on December 12th.
My mom, grandma, and Bernie's parents are coming down for graduation. I'm looking forward to having visitors and being done with school at the same time. I won't have to do any homework. How strange.
We are also getting ready to go to Phoenix to see Bernie's family for Thanksgiving. I've never been, so it should be fun. Especially since the temperature will be bearable (hopefully).
Oh, I don't want to forget my dad update. His driver's license expired in early October. He went in and failed the vision test miserably. Then he went to the eye doctor (had been refusing for years) and they told him there was nothing they could do because the decline is part of his disease process. I asked him what he's going to do and he replied that he already limits his driving to necessary times. He plans to continue driving until he "doesn't feel safe" or he gets a ticket. This from the man who once told me that he can't really tell if the light is red or green until he very very close to it. Beware those of you who have to drive around Great Falls.
Bernie went hunting in North Dakota for a few days and managed to keep the dog in one piece for once. Now I have plenty of frozen pheasant if any of you are interested in taking any off of my hands. He drove to Minneapolis after hunting and I met him there for a friend's wedding. It was a good time, but I am a bit burned out on weddings for the moment. Especially when I just get to watch everyone get drunk. We didn't do too much in our two days there, but I did see the Mall of America. It was frightening but good exercise! I also went into an IKEA for the first time and managed to buy two cutting boards for $4. WOO! I did feel a bit like I was in a herd of cattle when we walked around there.
Speaking of weddings, my cousin Amy is engaged. The date is October 10th and I am in the wedding. Next year is already shaping up to be wedding filled again. I have two other Fagg cousins getting married other than Amy. It was always a goal of mine to get to all the Fagg weddings, but I don't know how practical that will be with Bennett and hopefully a job next year. We'll see...as Bernie likes to say.
My birthday was nice, thanks to everyone for their kind wishes. I got the new Oasis box set from Bernie which was a nice addition to the collection. He also brought me a cute baby themed t-shirt. He and his parents went in together and ordered me an ipod touch, which I am still learning to use. My mother sent me some silver jewelery and homemade caramels (YUM). Bernie took me out to our favorite italian restaurant for dinner. It was a good 26th birthday.
The day before my birthday the new car came it. It ended up being dark gray/silver which is much better than the blue I was expecting. I like it so far except for the lack of electric seats. Maybe I'm a snob, but I thought most new cars came equipped with them. Oh well, we're getting between 50-54 MPG so far. That was the main point anyway. MPG and four doors.
The same day we picked up the car I got a speeding ticket on my way home from Greeley (in the old car). Unfortunately it was in a school zone so the fine and points against my driving record were doubled ($204 and 8 points). If you get 12 points in a year they take away your license. I paid it right away, so the points should reduce to 4. I bawled the whole time (like an idiot) and I could tell the police officer felt bad giving the crying pregnant lady a ticket.
Bennett's impending arrival is becoming more real. I've even been cleaning out closets to get some extra space. We hope to get the room painted and some of the furniture set up before graduation on December 12th.
My mom, grandma, and Bernie's parents are coming down for graduation. I'm looking forward to having visitors and being done with school at the same time. I won't have to do any homework. How strange.
We are also getting ready to go to Phoenix to see Bernie's family for Thanksgiving. I've never been, so it should be fun. Especially since the temperature will be bearable (hopefully).
Oh, I don't want to forget my dad update. His driver's license expired in early October. He went in and failed the vision test miserably. Then he went to the eye doctor (had been refusing for years) and they told him there was nothing they could do because the decline is part of his disease process. I asked him what he's going to do and he replied that he already limits his driving to necessary times. He plans to continue driving until he "doesn't feel safe" or he gets a ticket. This from the man who once told me that he can't really tell if the light is red or green until he very very close to it. Beware those of you who have to drive around Great Falls.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Ramblings
I have somehow come across some depressing TV show about gangs on the History Channel. I don't know why I even turn it on sometimes.
Things have been fairly exciting around here. We got Oasis tickets earlier this week...I was on the presale list so we got good ones. They are in the balcony (I didn't want to be too close because I'll be like 34 weeks pregnant by then) in the first row, seats 1 & 2. Perfect for those of us who have to use the bathroom constantly. I'm excited about the new album-which I've heard streaming on My Space. It sounds great, a bit more heavy than previous releases. I'm sure this is unexciting talk, but I haven't seen them since 2001. It was a relief the doctor said I could still go.
Bernie was excited to see the Cubs in the playoffs but is a bit depressed now that they are not doing so well. Hopefully they can pull it together tomorrow. He was selected to buy tickets to one of the playoff games in the next series (if they make it). He bought those today. If they get there, we will drive from Minneapolis to Chicago after the wedding to see them. It will be quite the trip. Bernie's actually leaving next weekend for pheasant hunting in North Dakota. Then he'll meet me when I fly into Minneapolis in about two weeks.
Then there's the new car. We've been on a waiting list for a new Prius for over 2 months now. We found out that we could get a blue one in about three weeks. Not my favorite color, but I suppose that's a silly reason to turn down a car. We'll have to make a decision tomorrow.
Bennett is growing and becoming more active. We decided that his middle name is Owen (which is my favorite boy's name). I feel great in general, other than the back/hip pain. It doesn't help that I sit so much for schoolwork. I try to get some mild exercise in every day-even if it is just some stretching. I took a prenatal yoga class last night which also helped.
Bernie and I went to Babies R Us last weekend to try and figure out what Bennett needs. That was a mistake. It was totally overwhelming. We had no idea there were so many choices to make. After the car seat and stroller sections, I cried for a bit. Then we moved onto bedding, which is much less stressful. We are going to get organized with a list this weekend and try to narrow things down a bit.
We got new phones last week with Colorado numbers. I think we've contacted everyone out there who needs to know them, but if you didn't get the message-let us know.
Things have been fairly exciting around here. We got Oasis tickets earlier this week...I was on the presale list so we got good ones. They are in the balcony (I didn't want to be too close because I'll be like 34 weeks pregnant by then) in the first row, seats 1 & 2. Perfect for those of us who have to use the bathroom constantly. I'm excited about the new album-which I've heard streaming on My Space. It sounds great, a bit more heavy than previous releases. I'm sure this is unexciting talk, but I haven't seen them since 2001. It was a relief the doctor said I could still go.
Bernie was excited to see the Cubs in the playoffs but is a bit depressed now that they are not doing so well. Hopefully they can pull it together tomorrow. He was selected to buy tickets to one of the playoff games in the next series (if they make it). He bought those today. If they get there, we will drive from Minneapolis to Chicago after the wedding to see them. It will be quite the trip. Bernie's actually leaving next weekend for pheasant hunting in North Dakota. Then he'll meet me when I fly into Minneapolis in about two weeks.
Then there's the new car. We've been on a waiting list for a new Prius for over 2 months now. We found out that we could get a blue one in about three weeks. Not my favorite color, but I suppose that's a silly reason to turn down a car. We'll have to make a decision tomorrow.
Bennett is growing and becoming more active. We decided that his middle name is Owen (which is my favorite boy's name). I feel great in general, other than the back/hip pain. It doesn't help that I sit so much for schoolwork. I try to get some mild exercise in every day-even if it is just some stretching. I took a prenatal yoga class last night which also helped.
Bernie and I went to Babies R Us last weekend to try and figure out what Bennett needs. That was a mistake. It was totally overwhelming. We had no idea there were so many choices to make. After the car seat and stroller sections, I cried for a bit. Then we moved onto bedding, which is much less stressful. We are going to get organized with a list this weekend and try to narrow things down a bit.
We got new phones last week with Colorado numbers. I think we've contacted everyone out there who needs to know them, but if you didn't get the message-let us know.
Monday, September 8, 2008
A boy chicken
That's what I told Melanie we were having, because she always calls it a chicken. The appointment went well. He has all the essential parts and everything measures exactly to my due date. There was no doubt left that he is indeed a he-we got a very clear butt/genitals shot. He weighs about 3/4 of a pound which is right in the 50th percentile. Very exciting stuff, I know. His name is Bennett, middle name unknown. Bernie and I will have to fight it out.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Back in school
I started again about 2 weeks ago. So far, everything is going well. I'm only taking 6 credits (compared to 12 for past semesters), so that's a bit of a relief. I'm still busy though. The class I'm teaching has about 65 undergrads in it and it is a bit more work than I anticipated. It takes me about 3-4 hours to put together one presentation and I do two per week. I'm about 3 weeks ahead right now and hope to stay that way through the semester. This week I get to put together the first exam. The class I'm taking is about management in the aging network. The only other thing I have to do to graduate in December is my portfolio. It's sort of a capstone project in which I have to prove the knowledge and expertise I have gained in the program. The home stretch is here.
We have two more weddings coming up (for a grand total of 5 this year since June). We are going to Grand Forks in about two weeks and then to Minneapolis next month. The other trip we have planned is to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. We have not been down to visit Bernie's sister and her family at all since I've known him-which is ridiculous. I'm excited to see Emily and her new little brother. Bernie's parents and various other family members may also be there. All these plans seem like a lot of travel, but soon it won't be so easy. I am going to take advantage while I can!
Speaking of our life-changing event...tomorrow is our 20 week ultrasound. Stay tuned for the gender announcement. It's cool that I'm over halfway now (by one whole day). Right now, I'm having some back pain and some nasty pain in my right hip. But overall, I am enjoying the experience. I have been feeling the baby move around consistently for the past five days. Bernie hasn't really gotten to feel it yet, so hopefully that will be the next milestone.
I tuned into the first part of the VMA's tonight. I have not actually watched them since probably 2002, so it was a bit strange. I was curious to see how Russell Brand went over on this side of the pond. He walked out to "Rock N' Roll Star" which was great. I watched his opening monologue and then tuned out. I just don't get MTV or any of that anymore. I think I have officially moved into the next generation. I think Russell is pretty funny, but I'm not sure he's going to make sense to most people around here.
UNC is in the same sports division as Montana. The Griz will be here in late October to play football and I do plan to attend. In my Montana gear. I have not developed any sort of loyalty to UNC.
We have two more weddings coming up (for a grand total of 5 this year since June). We are going to Grand Forks in about two weeks and then to Minneapolis next month. The other trip we have planned is to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. We have not been down to visit Bernie's sister and her family at all since I've known him-which is ridiculous. I'm excited to see Emily and her new little brother. Bernie's parents and various other family members may also be there. All these plans seem like a lot of travel, but soon it won't be so easy. I am going to take advantage while I can!
Speaking of our life-changing event...tomorrow is our 20 week ultrasound. Stay tuned for the gender announcement. It's cool that I'm over halfway now (by one whole day). Right now, I'm having some back pain and some nasty pain in my right hip. But overall, I am enjoying the experience. I have been feeling the baby move around consistently for the past five days. Bernie hasn't really gotten to feel it yet, so hopefully that will be the next milestone.
I tuned into the first part of the VMA's tonight. I have not actually watched them since probably 2002, so it was a bit strange. I was curious to see how Russell Brand went over on this side of the pond. He walked out to "Rock N' Roll Star" which was great. I watched his opening monologue and then tuned out. I just don't get MTV or any of that anymore. I think I have officially moved into the next generation. I think Russell is pretty funny, but I'm not sure he's going to make sense to most people around here.
UNC is in the same sports division as Montana. The Griz will be here in late October to play football and I do plan to attend. In my Montana gear. I have not developed any sort of loyalty to UNC.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
In Great Falls again
I flew in Friday night to stay with my mom for the weekend. She was in a nasty accident last week after a Holiday Inn Van made an illegal left turn out of a parking lot and almost hit her on her bicycle. She stopped suddenly to avoid hitting her and fell off. She broke seven ribs and punctured a lung. She was in the hospital for five days. So I decided to come up and be of some use (mostly by driving her around since the narcotics prevent her from doing so). She is in a lot of pain and VERY stressed out (as usual), but she will recover. There is some extra fun drama added in because the police did not cite the driver and reports seem to be mysteriously missing. Hopefully, that all gets resolved tomorrow.
I'm headed back to Colorado tomorrow. Bernie's been at home all weekend and had some fun without me. He went golfing and out to dinner with some friends today. Now he owes me some golf and dinner. School starts up in two weeks. I am getting anxious about that, well mostly just the teaching part. I'm sure once I get the hang of it I will be fine. What should they call me? Amanda? Mrs. Meier? Professor Meier? I don't know. A lot of them will be close to my age so I need some sort of respect. Mrs. Meier makes me feel like an elementary school teacher. I have permission to use professor, but I don't want to mislead people.
The little one seems to be doing well. We heard the heartbeat again last week and everything was progressing normally. We will find out the gender on Sept. 8th. I can't wait to shop for gender specific items! I've recently gone on a maternity clothes shopping spree, so it's someone else's turn. Also, we became an uncle and aunt again on Friday. Bernie's sister had a boy named Grant Bernard. He was a big boy at almost 9 lbs.
OK, it's time for bed. I need to get up early to drive my mom on some errands before I leave.
I'm headed back to Colorado tomorrow. Bernie's been at home all weekend and had some fun without me. He went golfing and out to dinner with some friends today. Now he owes me some golf and dinner. School starts up in two weeks. I am getting anxious about that, well mostly just the teaching part. I'm sure once I get the hang of it I will be fine. What should they call me? Amanda? Mrs. Meier? Professor Meier? I don't know. A lot of them will be close to my age so I need some sort of respect. Mrs. Meier makes me feel like an elementary school teacher. I have permission to use professor, but I don't want to mislead people.
The little one seems to be doing well. We heard the heartbeat again last week and everything was progressing normally. We will find out the gender on Sept. 8th. I can't wait to shop for gender specific items! I've recently gone on a maternity clothes shopping spree, so it's someone else's turn. Also, we became an uncle and aunt again on Friday. Bernie's sister had a boy named Grant Bernard. He was a big boy at almost 9 lbs.
OK, it's time for bed. I need to get up early to drive my mom on some errands before I leave.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Summer in Colorado
It's nice here most of the year, but the summer is still a bit hot for my taste. I have always been somewhat of a whimp about the heat. I just try to go out in the mornings and evenings as much as possible. Now most of my flowers and tomatoes love the heat. I will have to post some photos since everything has gone crazy out there.
We've been back from our forays into seeing the families for almost a week. Overall, we had a good time. We went to three very different weddings. The most unique one was for our friends Bob and Melissa who got married on her parent's ranch in Stanford. The ceremony was in a pasture and we sat on hay bales. It was really beautiful (a little hot) with the views of the prairies and mountains. The reception was in a barn that had been cleaned and shined. It was great. They fed all almost 400 people and had a live band (not that great). One of the weddings in North Dakota also had 400 people and a Catholic mass-which is all a bit much for me. It was also 4th of July themed per the bride's desire. Again, a bit over the top for my taste, but she seemed pleased with all of it. The last one was for one of Bernie's high school friends. This one was significantly smaller and also lovely. However, as I am not supposed to drink, I have had enough raucous partying for awhile. I think Bernie has too!
I think everyone knows now, but for an official announcement...We are having a baby in January (the 24th to be exact). I was actually 12 weeks yesterday. We have known since 4 weeks but have been slow about letting the news leak because of the whole first trimester paranoia. But things seem to be going well. I actually had an ultrasound at 10 weeks and got to see the heartbeat and even the arms and legs move. At our appointment last week, we heard the heart beat. Very exciting stuff.
Now that the news is out of the way, I will continue with rambling about the trip. The most non-positive excitement we had was related to my dad. I don't remember if I ever posted about his sink. Well, the faucet has been broken since November and the water was running about a gallon a minute since then. He was very stubborn and would not let anyone fix it because "God broke the faucet and if I have enough faith, God will fix it." Yeah, he has pretty much gone off the deep end, which when coupled with his physical decline is not very much fun. Anyway, we got into Great Falls and stopped by his house first. He warned me it was bad, but I was unprepared. For the past month the faucet had basically been flooding the kitchen. The carpet was soaking squishy wet and it was dripping into the basement. It smelled horrible and there was mold growing. When I asked him what he was doing, he said "still waiting." So my family and I basically had to force him to get it fixed. At first he was very upset, but has since done an about face and said that he isn't going to fight with us anymore. He is bizarre.
I will be done with my summer class in about 10 days. Then the preparation for my final class and teaching begins. It should be fun to be big and pregnant in front of up to 150 undergraduates! Not so much looking forward to that.
We've been back from our forays into seeing the families for almost a week. Overall, we had a good time. We went to three very different weddings. The most unique one was for our friends Bob and Melissa who got married on her parent's ranch in Stanford. The ceremony was in a pasture and we sat on hay bales. It was really beautiful (a little hot) with the views of the prairies and mountains. The reception was in a barn that had been cleaned and shined. It was great. They fed all almost 400 people and had a live band (not that great). One of the weddings in North Dakota also had 400 people and a Catholic mass-which is all a bit much for me. It was also 4th of July themed per the bride's desire. Again, a bit over the top for my taste, but she seemed pleased with all of it. The last one was for one of Bernie's high school friends. This one was significantly smaller and also lovely. However, as I am not supposed to drink, I have had enough raucous partying for awhile. I think Bernie has too!
I think everyone knows now, but for an official announcement...We are having a baby in January (the 24th to be exact). I was actually 12 weeks yesterday. We have known since 4 weeks but have been slow about letting the news leak because of the whole first trimester paranoia. But things seem to be going well. I actually had an ultrasound at 10 weeks and got to see the heartbeat and even the arms and legs move. At our appointment last week, we heard the heart beat. Very exciting stuff.
Now that the news is out of the way, I will continue with rambling about the trip. The most non-positive excitement we had was related to my dad. I don't remember if I ever posted about his sink. Well, the faucet has been broken since November and the water was running about a gallon a minute since then. He was very stubborn and would not let anyone fix it because "God broke the faucet and if I have enough faith, God will fix it." Yeah, he has pretty much gone off the deep end, which when coupled with his physical decline is not very much fun. Anyway, we got into Great Falls and stopped by his house first. He warned me it was bad, but I was unprepared. For the past month the faucet had basically been flooding the kitchen. The carpet was soaking squishy wet and it was dripping into the basement. It smelled horrible and there was mold growing. When I asked him what he was doing, he said "still waiting." So my family and I basically had to force him to get it fixed. At first he was very upset, but has since done an about face and said that he isn't going to fight with us anymore. He is bizarre.
I will be done with my summer class in about 10 days. Then the preparation for my final class and teaching begins. It should be fun to be big and pregnant in front of up to 150 undergraduates! Not so much looking forward to that.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Trip Preparations
We are getting on the road tomorrow for the rest of our summer vacation. We are driving to Great Falls, staying for six days and then going to North Dakota for six more. It's a long haul. In the process of the trip we have three weddings to go to. I'm saving the gift shopping for when we get to Great Falls where we don't have to deal with sales tax.
We just got back from Vegas on Friday. The Elton John concert was amazing (at least for my mom and I). Other than that it was hot-105 every day. This caused me to be very tired. And they wanted $10 for a margarita by the pool. I could make two pitchers of margaritas for that much. I'm glad I've finally had the Vegas experience, but I don't mind if we don't go back for awhile.
Oasis news! New single on September 29th and new album on October 6th. Happy Birthday to me! Concert announcements should not be far off.
I have half of my summer class behind me. It's a Community Health class called Stress Management. The teacher is a very popular lecturer and writer on the subject. Our first three days consisted of drawing pictures for art therapy, numerous methods of meditation, and journaling. Next time we are going to do some yoga and tai chi. Life is tough. He is making us write a 10 page paper, so it's not all fun and games.
What else...we are going to order a new car very soon. We have decided on a Prius. It may not be the most attractive car around, but it's hard to argue with 44-50 mpg.
We just got back from Vegas on Friday. The Elton John concert was amazing (at least for my mom and I). Other than that it was hot-105 every day. This caused me to be very tired. And they wanted $10 for a margarita by the pool. I could make two pitchers of margaritas for that much. I'm glad I've finally had the Vegas experience, but I don't mind if we don't go back for awhile.
Oasis news! New single on September 29th and new album on October 6th. Happy Birthday to me! Concert announcements should not be far off.
I have half of my summer class behind me. It's a Community Health class called Stress Management. The teacher is a very popular lecturer and writer on the subject. Our first three days consisted of drawing pictures for art therapy, numerous methods of meditation, and journaling. Next time we are going to do some yoga and tai chi. Life is tough. He is making us write a 10 page paper, so it's not all fun and games.
What else...we are going to order a new car very soon. We have decided on a Prius. It may not be the most attractive car around, but it's hard to argue with 44-50 mpg.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Disgusting, horrible moment
I was eating a nectarine just now. It was really really good, perfectly ripe. I was toward the end and almost threw up all over the table. There was a live grub-like worm crawling around. I don't know if I will be ever be able to eat another one again. I told Bernie and he had zero sympathy. Then I called my mom, who did give me sympathy, but also reminded me that worms were how cavemen got their protein. VOMIT.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
My flowers are planted!
I finally got them into the ground last weekend. I have four hanging pots, five ground pots, and a whole bed filled with flowers. As well as two tomato and two pepper plants. It's my first foray into vegetable growing, but one tomato plant already has a small green thing starting. Some of the flowers look a bit sparse, but with some fertilizer, they will fill out. I'll post some photos below:
We had a good time with the family we had in town. Emily and I especially had fun together. She managed to help me plant flowers and make brownies. We made it up to Rocky Mountain National Park and did a brewery crawl in Ft. Collins. There is no shortage of breweries in this part of the world. Marlena ended up coming down for a surprise visit (mostly to see her boyfriend) last week also. She stayed here for one night and helped me flower shop. It was nice to spend some time with her. Things remain drama ridden in her life. I don't know if it will ever change.
Today was an exciting weather day. There were tornadoes that touched down in the area. The caused some pretty significant damage. Bernie is still at work dealing with that, even though he should have gotten off over an hour ago.
We had a good time with the family we had in town. Emily and I especially had fun together. She managed to help me plant flowers and make brownies. We made it up to Rocky Mountain National Park and did a brewery crawl in Ft. Collins. There is no shortage of breweries in this part of the world. Marlena ended up coming down for a surprise visit (mostly to see her boyfriend) last week also. She stayed here for one night and helped me flower shop. It was nice to spend some time with her. Things remain drama ridden in her life. I don't know if it will ever change.
Today was an exciting weather day. There were tornadoes that touched down in the area. The caused some pretty significant damage. Bernie is still at work dealing with that, even though he should have gotten off over an hour ago.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Please...let it be time to plant my flowers.
I can hardly wait to plant flowers this year (which is not so different from the past couple of years). I should be thankful that I get to plant them two weeks earlier here, but my patience is wearing thin. Next Wednesday will be the day. I have mostly stuck with easy sun-loving varieties like petunias and geraniums. Last year, my mom and I managed to drown a couple of pots of dahlias. I'll be trying them again, along with some more temperamental impatients, zinnias, and a couple of hydrangea bushes. I am so excited (insert domestic dork comment here). I also want some hybrid lilies that don't smell like shit.
Our Vegas plans are in order. We are leaving June 16th and coming back on the 20th. My mother will also be joining us. I am in preparation for a wild time. The next week we are headed to Great Falls and Bismarck for a week respectively. We also have a day of week-killing planned at our land near Helena. I actually don't think I told anyone about our land. It's 20 acres about 10 miles outside of Helena. It is in the mountains, part near a creek and the other part on a hill with a nice view. We bought it as an investment, but it may become a retirement destination. Pictures are below.
This is the view from the lowest part. On the left where all the trees are is a small stream...
Said stream...
And the view from the hill.
Exciting I know.
Bernie drove halfway to North Dakota this past week to pick up his fishing boat from his parents who had been keeping it for us since the move. He's most excited to get it out on one of lakes. After important household chores like replacing the landscaping trim and finishing out the garage of course.
My last night of class was yesterday, so I am officially finished with this semester. I was much stricter and smarter with time management this time around and as a result managed to get two 100%'s and two 99%'s in my four classes. I always say college is about learning what they want from you and giving it to them. I'm not much of a rebel in this category. I want the grades and I'm willing to work for them, even if it means working to please other people. A 4.0 should be very helpful if and when I want to get my PhD.
Bernie's sister and her family will be here Saturday for a few days. We plan on a brewery tour and Jeremie wants to go skiing. One of the resorts here plans to stay open until June, which is a crazy time to go skiing in my opinion. Jeremie works for Intel as an engineer and he has just finished his sixth or seventh year (not sure). After that amount of time, Intel insists that every employee take a paid six week sabbatical (what a terrible idea...OK, I'm just jealous). They plan on driving from Phoenix to here, then to Minnesota, North Dakota, Yellowstone, Oregon, and down the California coast. With a two year old and a wife who is 6 months pregnant. I'm not sure that the trip sounds like much of a vacation myself.
Our Vegas plans are in order. We are leaving June 16th and coming back on the 20th. My mother will also be joining us. I am in preparation for a wild time. The next week we are headed to Great Falls and Bismarck for a week respectively. We also have a day of week-killing planned at our land near Helena. I actually don't think I told anyone about our land. It's 20 acres about 10 miles outside of Helena. It is in the mountains, part near a creek and the other part on a hill with a nice view. We bought it as an investment, but it may become a retirement destination. Pictures are below.
This is the view from the lowest part. On the left where all the trees are is a small stream...
Said stream...
And the view from the hill.
Exciting I know.
Bernie drove halfway to North Dakota this past week to pick up his fishing boat from his parents who had been keeping it for us since the move. He's most excited to get it out on one of lakes. After important household chores like replacing the landscaping trim and finishing out the garage of course.
My last night of class was yesterday, so I am officially finished with this semester. I was much stricter and smarter with time management this time around and as a result managed to get two 100%'s and two 99%'s in my four classes. I always say college is about learning what they want from you and giving it to them. I'm not much of a rebel in this category. I want the grades and I'm willing to work for them, even if it means working to please other people. A 4.0 should be very helpful if and when I want to get my PhD.
Bernie's sister and her family will be here Saturday for a few days. We plan on a brewery tour and Jeremie wants to go skiing. One of the resorts here plans to stay open until June, which is a crazy time to go skiing in my opinion. Jeremie works for Intel as an engineer and he has just finished his sixth or seventh year (not sure). After that amount of time, Intel insists that every employee take a paid six week sabbatical (what a terrible idea...OK, I'm just jealous). They plan on driving from Phoenix to here, then to Minnesota, North Dakota, Yellowstone, Oregon, and down the California coast. With a two year old and a wife who is 6 months pregnant. I'm not sure that the trip sounds like much of a vacation myself.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
It's spring, which means...
allergies. I think. I'm not positive, but I am stuffed up and feel just a bit strange. It's about two months earlier than I usually notice them, but maybe things bloom earlier in Colorado. Or maybe it's a cold.
I have been keeping myself busy with schoolwork as always. The end of the semester is only three weeks away. 24 credits down, 9 to go. I keep telling myself it's a downhill slide from here. I am enjoying my time in school, despite the sometimes monotonous paper-writing.
We have been laying fairly low lately. Bernie finished up his dodge ball season and will start softball soon. We went down to Denver last week and watched a Frozen Four game (which North Dakota lost badly) and had a nice dinner downtown. We're going back next week for a Rockies game (and hopefully another nice dinner). I have to say that eating out remains one of my favorite pastimes.
We have plans to go to Vegas in June to see Elton John, which have not come all the way to fruition because my mother has not yet let me know if she is going. She has been freaking out about her taxes and has not known what she will owe. I called her today and she has not returned the message. I get the feeling I am being avoided...Either way, we're going. His contract in Vegas is up this year and I would be very upset to miss him. Furthermore, neither Bernie nor I have ever been to Vegas-which is a sad commentary.
We are also waiting for Bernie's sister, her husband, and their daughter to visit in early May. We haven't seen little Emily since last summer, which is a shame. I'm looking forward to interacting with her and have heard that she maintains a strong personality. The world needs more girls like her!
I have been keeping myself busy with schoolwork as always. The end of the semester is only three weeks away. 24 credits down, 9 to go. I keep telling myself it's a downhill slide from here. I am enjoying my time in school, despite the sometimes monotonous paper-writing.
We have been laying fairly low lately. Bernie finished up his dodge ball season and will start softball soon. We went down to Denver last week and watched a Frozen Four game (which North Dakota lost badly) and had a nice dinner downtown. We're going back next week for a Rockies game (and hopefully another nice dinner). I have to say that eating out remains one of my favorite pastimes.
We have plans to go to Vegas in June to see Elton John, which have not come all the way to fruition because my mother has not yet let me know if she is going. She has been freaking out about her taxes and has not known what she will owe. I called her today and she has not returned the message. I get the feeling I am being avoided...Either way, we're going. His contract in Vegas is up this year and I would be very upset to miss him. Furthermore, neither Bernie nor I have ever been to Vegas-which is a sad commentary.
We are also waiting for Bernie's sister, her husband, and their daughter to visit in early May. We haven't seen little Emily since last summer, which is a shame. I'm looking forward to interacting with her and have heard that she maintains a strong personality. The world needs more girls like her!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Oasis correction
They are playing in Toronto in September, and there are rumors of Calgary and Seattle in August/June.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
What's new
Not a whole lot really. School seems to be dragging on a bit at this point, but I only have six weeks left until summer vacation. I'm not sure what I will be doing with work, but I assume they will make use of me somehow. I'm also taking one class called Stress Management. It sounds interesting and useful, so I decided to skip the internship I had planned.
Bernie was in Boise last week and I went to Great Falls. I had an OK time, but I was happy to leave again. I forget just how crazy most of the people I know are. My dad had some especially crazy time, with his God talk. When I went home in November, his kitchen faucet was running about half power. I assumed it had just happened and that he would get it fixed. I was incorrect. It was still running last week. My estimation is that it puts out about a gallon a minute, and it happens to be the hot water. I don't know how he showers or washes anything. When I offered to have someone fix it he told me that God turned the water on as some sort of test. If he has enough faith, apparently God will turn it off again. Or you could just replace the washer that's stripped. I didn't know God was so damn bored. What do you do with crazy people?
What else...Bernie's sister and her family are going to visit in May for a couple of days. We are planning a trip to Vegas in June to see Elton John. It's been one of my main goals in life and I'm pretty sure this is his last year there. Oh, and there was an Oasis concert announcement for early September in Calgary. Since their new album is out then also, there should be a concert upcoming. I will not be missing them this time around. Last time, I had to sell the tickets we had for the Vegas concert because we were moving to a new house. Damn adulthood. Plans are for a two week plus trip in June and early July for Great Falls and Bismarck for a couple of weddings.
Today was a beautiful day, I spent some time reading on the front porch. I can't wait to plan my garden and plant my flowers.
Bernie was in Boise last week and I went to Great Falls. I had an OK time, but I was happy to leave again. I forget just how crazy most of the people I know are. My dad had some especially crazy time, with his God talk. When I went home in November, his kitchen faucet was running about half power. I assumed it had just happened and that he would get it fixed. I was incorrect. It was still running last week. My estimation is that it puts out about a gallon a minute, and it happens to be the hot water. I don't know how he showers or washes anything. When I offered to have someone fix it he told me that God turned the water on as some sort of test. If he has enough faith, apparently God will turn it off again. Or you could just replace the washer that's stripped. I didn't know God was so damn bored. What do you do with crazy people?
What else...Bernie's sister and her family are going to visit in May for a couple of days. We are planning a trip to Vegas in June to see Elton John. It's been one of my main goals in life and I'm pretty sure this is his last year there. Oh, and there was an Oasis concert announcement for early September in Calgary. Since their new album is out then also, there should be a concert upcoming. I will not be missing them this time around. Last time, I had to sell the tickets we had for the Vegas concert because we were moving to a new house. Damn adulthood. Plans are for a two week plus trip in June and early July for Great Falls and Bismarck for a couple of weddings.
Today was a beautiful day, I spent some time reading on the front porch. I can't wait to plan my garden and plant my flowers.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Elk at Estes Park
I took the lady I volunteer for to Estes Park today hoping to see some Elk. They are her favorite conversation topic. Here's a picture of the herd we saw...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
It's not so cold anymore.
It's been so long since I updated, it's almost spring. We had a seventy degree day this past weekend. We took advantage of it by riding our bikes around the lake near out house and hitting some golf balls on the driving range. I am excited to see grass turning green and soon the leaves will be out.
Bernie's parents were here again this past weekend. They were on their way down to the Phoenix area where they recently bought a vacation house. I would imagine we will see them frequently as they're going back and forth. We mostly shopped and ate out, which are our normal activities.
Bernie will be in Boise while I am on spring break in a couple of weeks. I was going to go with him, since I have never been, but my mom got her new Apple and needs some help learning how to use it. She needs to start from the basics because she never learned how to do things like save a file. She also says we are going to do some "Cooking 101" which should be fun. Hopefully we won't drive each other too crazy.
School is going well, I'm almost halfway through the semester. I got the OK this week to teach next fall for credit. So I will be the instructor for the Gero 205 class, which I am very excited about. I will probably have around 70 students. It will be a good challenge for me.
I have a book recommendation for everyone. It's called "Bodies and Souls: The Century Project" written by Frank Cordelle. It is a collection of photos of nude women from birth to age 100. We looked at it my Sociology of Aging class and it has had quite an effect on me. Each photo is accompanied by an explanation or poem written by the subject. The main idea of the book is to convey women and body image throughout the lifespan. I have cried a number of times while looking at it. I think some of you out there would appreciate it. You can see a sample of the photos at thecenturyproject.com.
Bernie's parents were here again this past weekend. They were on their way down to the Phoenix area where they recently bought a vacation house. I would imagine we will see them frequently as they're going back and forth. We mostly shopped and ate out, which are our normal activities.
Bernie will be in Boise while I am on spring break in a couple of weeks. I was going to go with him, since I have never been, but my mom got her new Apple and needs some help learning how to use it. She needs to start from the basics because she never learned how to do things like save a file. She also says we are going to do some "Cooking 101" which should be fun. Hopefully we won't drive each other too crazy.
School is going well, I'm almost halfway through the semester. I got the OK this week to teach next fall for credit. So I will be the instructor for the Gero 205 class, which I am very excited about. I will probably have around 70 students. It will be a good challenge for me.
I have a book recommendation for everyone. It's called "Bodies and Souls: The Century Project" written by Frank Cordelle. It is a collection of photos of nude women from birth to age 100. We looked at it my Sociology of Aging class and it has had quite an effect on me. Each photo is accompanied by an explanation or poem written by the subject. The main idea of the book is to convey women and body image throughout the lifespan. I have cried a number of times while looking at it. I think some of you out there would appreciate it. You can see a sample of the photos at thecenturyproject.com.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
It's cold here in Colorady
But not as cold as in Montana. The downside of the weather here is that it is semi-crappy for long periods of time with no Chinook wind relief. Where I go to school in Greeley is always about 10 degrees cooler than our house in Longmont, which makes the shit smell even stronger it seems.
We have had a busy month. I am indeed back in school taking twelve credits again, although the classes seem like a bit less work this time around. I have grant writing, sociology of aging, health aspects of aging, and a class about community resources for the elderly. I just got a call back from the Boulder County Aging Services today and I will start training to be a respite volunteer tomorrow. Respite care in this case is a two hour per week commitment to socialize with an older adult who is mostly home bound. It will be a new look at the population for me, as I am accustomed to very frail and sick residents. I am also excited to make a new friend...okay that sounds a little corny.
The ice rink continues to smell of hockey player sweat and feet, but it is fun to get out of the house and into the public arena. It's nice to make a little bit of money also as we seem to be hemorrhaging it lately. The car needed new tires and brakes in December and is currently getting all new belts (total cost $1700). And then our hot water heater went out two days ago for another $800. Adult life is so exciting sometimes.
We took Bernie's birthday skiing trip over the weekend and had a great time bumming around, eating, drinking, and of course skiing. I only went for one day, but felt like I make improvements since last year. I still have that terrified feeling at times, but I am learning to face it. Bernie's parents were also here for a few days last week to bring and buy Christmas gifts and for a general visit. I always enjoy having them.
The other piece of exciting news is that I plan to try out for the Longmont Symphony this fall. I talked with the lady today and she says "orchestras always need violas," so that's promising. I had better get practicing. When I broke out the viola a few days ago, there were dead spiders in the case. It's been awhile.
We have had a busy month. I am indeed back in school taking twelve credits again, although the classes seem like a bit less work this time around. I have grant writing, sociology of aging, health aspects of aging, and a class about community resources for the elderly. I just got a call back from the Boulder County Aging Services today and I will start training to be a respite volunteer tomorrow. Respite care in this case is a two hour per week commitment to socialize with an older adult who is mostly home bound. It will be a new look at the population for me, as I am accustomed to very frail and sick residents. I am also excited to make a new friend...okay that sounds a little corny.
The ice rink continues to smell of hockey player sweat and feet, but it is fun to get out of the house and into the public arena. It's nice to make a little bit of money also as we seem to be hemorrhaging it lately. The car needed new tires and brakes in December and is currently getting all new belts (total cost $1700). And then our hot water heater went out two days ago for another $800. Adult life is so exciting sometimes.
We took Bernie's birthday skiing trip over the weekend and had a great time bumming around, eating, drinking, and of course skiing. I only went for one day, but felt like I make improvements since last year. I still have that terrified feeling at times, but I am learning to face it. Bernie's parents were also here for a few days last week to bring and buy Christmas gifts and for a general visit. I always enjoy having them.
The other piece of exciting news is that I plan to try out for the Longmont Symphony this fall. I talked with the lady today and she says "orchestras always need violas," so that's promising. I had better get practicing. When I broke out the viola a few days ago, there were dead spiders in the case. It's been awhile.
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