tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314568082024-03-07T20:59:49.425-06:00Mike & JennyMike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-49757860591402885212011-08-10T20:03:00.021-05:002011-08-10T21:01:07.076-05:00Rediscovered Hobby...BaseballSince we no longer use this website as our Blog, Mike (me) has decided to completely change things up and begin to reuse the website in a completely different way.
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<br />Jenny said a few weeks ago that I need a hobby. The two things I enjoy most are traveling and baseball. Since I am at a point in my life when significant US/world travel is not practical, the obvious thing to me is to do something related to baseball.
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<br />After thinking about Jenny's statement for a while, I decided what I would like to do. I have decided to learn as many baseball related numbers and facts as possible; basically pretend to be a baseball historian. For unknown reasons, I am fascinated with baseball history and its numbers and enjoy reciting them. I am memorizing historically significant events and stats on a daily basis, and have decided to try and post interesting (at least to me) baseball related facts and information on this Blog.
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<br />My primary baseball interests are the Milwaukee Brewers, World Series history, ballparks' histories, and career statistical leaders (hits, home runs, pitching wins, steals, etc).
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<br />Historical baseball fact #1: There are three players in MLB history that played the majority of their careers in Milwaukee and collected over 3000 career base hits. Robin Yount is #16 on all-time list with 3,142 hits, Paul Molitor is #8 with 3,319, and Henry Aaron is #3 with 3,771.
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<br />I hope this can be something fun and maybe lead to my second career in the distant future....
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<br />Thanks,
<br />Mike
<br />Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-66164557275406570052010-04-02T09:53:00.006-05:002010-04-02T12:20:53.069-05:00Beyond the grocery storeOver the past year I have been thinking a lot about where our food comes from. It's been a topic of interest of mine for a few years now, but for a girl who grew up in the suburbs, the reality was that I knew nothing about modern agriculture. I think a lot of us grew up with the impression that all farms were run by small families who grew crops and raised farm animals. When a farm comes to my mind, I think of stories like Charlotte's Web and the countless other children's books where farmers in overalls drove tractors, tended farm animals that had free run of their expansive pens and took their products to the local farmer's market or store. Funny as it seems, I used to think that all the produce in the stores grew in the farms close to our house. Mike's mom, Helen, has stated to me a few times that she feels that all college students should take a basic course on where our food comes from since the average person is clueless and I totally agree with her. She is a student advisor in the College of Agriculture at ISU and I get the impression that there is a level of ignorance in her students too.<br /><br />I didn't realize that a substantial portion of the commercially available pork, poultry and beef spent a bulk of their lives being fattened in feed lots while being injected with hormones and antibiotics. I still don't know how much of that is a reality and the pamphlets handed out by the animal rights, super-vegan activists on State Street in Madison, WI leads you to believe that it is the norm. As I think about it, I am troubled by the labels of pork, poultry and beef when addressing live animals. When did we stop thinking of them as animals such as pigs, chickens, turkeys and cattle? Does it make it easier for people to separate the living creaure from the profitable commodity and influence its quality of life? My guess is yes and I find that troubling.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, while visiting my sister in Missouri, we tagged along with my brother in law, John, niece (Lauren) and nephew (Matt) as they went to tended to the steers they are raising for the Missouri State Fair this summer. This is something that the kids have been doing for a few years and John and his siblings did while growing up on their family farm. I have to admit my jealousy of their access to this type of opportunity to foster a great level of responsibility and knowledge that us urbanites struggle to instill in our children living in our consumer driven culture. The closest most of us get to cattle in our daily lives is either in the grocery store packaged in plastic wrap or our leather accessories. We lack understanding or appreciate the efforts that come along with producing these goods. We just want it cheap and now and I assume that has a huge effect on how these animals are raised and the fair market value that the farmers earn to sustain their own lives. I'm increasingly finding more canned goods labeled "Product of China" and I'm concerned about the future impact to our agricultural industry. If people keep demanding the cheap mushrooms from China instead of the mushrooms grown in Delaware or Pennsylvania, then what happens to the farms there? How is that going to affect their local economy and our country's economy?<br /><br />During our visit to John's family farm, I asked him some questions about the fate of the calves born on the farm. Why was it that the kids only raised steers and never the heifers? On a dairy farm, I understand that generally the heifers are kept and the steers are sold off for meat, but on the beef farm all the calves go. Once they are weaned from their mothers, they are sold to feed lots where they are fattened on corn for 90-120 days, then slaughtered. They only keep proven and productive cows and a bull on the farm. It breaks my heart to think that the little calves frolicking in the open pasture will be trucked to a feed lot to be confined for the last 3-4 months of their lives, then culled. It adds to my frustration when the kids refuse to eat the ground beef in the spagetti and try to scrape it into the trash can. What a waste....of money, resources and most importantly, life.<br /><br />In Wisconsin, Alec had a friend whose uncle ran a dairy farm and he spent a fair amount of time playing on the farm. I went out there on a few occassions to visit the cows and asked the farmer about how he runs his farm. It was a large farm and had been in his family over 100 years. He explained to me that dairy calves are typically separated from their mothers within days of birth so the farmer can harvest the milk from the cow and the calves are bottle fed formula (what?). Most of the calves require antibiotics due to infection since they aren't benefitting from their mothers' antibodies to fight off disease and some die. The cows spend a majority of their days tied up in their stalls where they typically give birth and are milked a few times a day until their milk dries up. Once that happens they are let back out to pasture to graze, get knocked up and are brought back in about the time they are due to deliver again. What choice does the farmer have when faced with the reality that people demand cheap milk and he has to earn a living or lose it?<br /><br />I guess my point in all of this is that the more I learn about how things work, the more I appreciate about what it takes to produce the food we eat. When I hear things said such as a recent comment that for a person to get the same nutrients found in one apple in the 1950s would require us to eat 24 apples today, it makes me cringe. Apparently it takes numerous nutrients to grow a vegetable, but we typically only apply three of them back into the soil which perpetuates a larger problem. I don't want to have to eat more of a lesser product to get what my body needs because its cheaper. It doesn't make any sense and it doesn't seem very sustainable to me.<br /><br />Over the past couple of years we have tended a vegetable garden and will continue to do so. Slowly, I am learning how to preserve the produce for later consumption and have found a few local farms to pick our own fruit that we aren't growing ourselves to enjoy. I have also started to seek out a local farm to buy our meat from directly and hope to get my kids out to see it. Some day, I'd like to get a few hens for fresh eggs, coop poop, and non-chemical pest control. My hope is that the kids will start to identify the beef as cattle, pork as pigs and poultry as chickens. As they handle the produce grown in our own garden or carefully selected from the tree or bush on a local farm, they might think twice about throwing it in the trash. Perhaps they will gain an appeciation of the gifts of the earth and just maybe a $6 gallon of organic, local milk won't seem like too much to pay.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-31774584306347164722010-03-30T13:59:00.000-05:002010-03-30T14:22:09.636-05:00A new chapterToday I had my four month and final post <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">partum</span> visit EVER. I'm a little surprised at the emotions I am carrying today and have been over the last few days. While I feel that our family is complete and know that I am incredibly blessed for the four beautiful, healthy children I have this visit still marks the end to a chapter of my life. By choice, my child bearing years are over. I will never feel the excitement of discovering a new life growing within my body, the little kicks and hiccups, the nausea, swollen ankles and all of the good and trying challenges of carrying the unborn within your body. I will never experience the anticipation of the impending arrival of my new baby, the giddiness of the start of labor, the incredible, raw power of childbirth and the relief of a new being slipping from my womb into the world. I'm grateful that I felt every moment of it without alteration and surrendered myself to its power. It is a true gift from God and I will treasure those days for as long as I live.<br /><br />I have spent a lot of time lately reflecting on each of my four pregnancy journeys and how each child's birth has shaped my life as both a mother and as a woman. While there may be things about each experience I would like to change if I could, I also see how each event has had its place in influencing each decision leading up to Amalia's birth. Without those experiences, the magnitude of what was experienced in my last birth may not have had the impact that I feel now. Perhaps I would not have taken the journey I did. Instead of letting those details torment me, I feel that I am able to embrace them since I can clearly see the lessons I was meant to learn. It really solidifies my belief that the whole maternal experience is one of deep spirituality and not solely physical pathology as the medical community treats it. Spirituality in birth is one of those things that is seriously overlooked in our culture and that is a shame.....but that is a thought for another entry.<br /><br />I hope that as things are finally starting to settle into a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">rhythem</span>, I can start hammering out all of the thoughts running in my head. Over the last few nights, I have been awakening not only to a hungry baby, but by the abundance of thoughts in my head that need to be let out.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-46804816648510047252009-12-03T15:43:00.000-06:002009-12-08T10:14:03.595-06:00Amalia Bailey Olson<p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbkeh6pK7c1n3Ne9UZDAsDY4P1Xl7jdMomRy14--YQ6OJMTcApIz9Za5ZmXlILAEZ88nSY8aBfV-M' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Amalia (lia) Bailey Olson was born on Nov. 23, 2009 at home. She weighed in at 9lbs 2oz and was 22-1/4" long. (pronounced Ah-mah-Lee-ah not Ah-mall-ya)</p><p> </p><p>Photography and slide show by betsy Rudicil of Rudicil Photography <a href="http://www.rudicilphotography.com/">http://www.rudicilphotography.com/</a></p>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-16302738638650101142009-06-25T16:08:00.000-05:002009-06-27T21:16:08.025-05:00A bit of an update.....It has been ages since Mike or I have taken time to update this blog. A couple of times Mike mentioned killing the blog, but I am not ready to do that. We just need to get back in the habit again and take the time to sit down and put our lives in some sort of perspective. I know that my mindset has really been changing now that I have the luxury of time and energy to start thinking and learning about things that have intrigued me for a while. I am getting involved with a couple of moms groups that are allowing me to really dive in and figure out how I best want to raise the kids and the lessons in life I want them to learn. I have been questioning a lot of things lately and trying to figure out ways to help make our family unit stronger. I have also been making it a priority to develop friendships and a support network that I have never really had. It's a journey that scares the heck out of me since it is something I have always struggled with. I have been fortunate in the past to know some incredible people, but have always had a fear of being close to them for various reasons. I've come to the realization that family and friends are what enrich your life. Without it is emptiness.<br /><br />Life has changed for us since we left Wisconsin and I think we are starting to feel like we are home here in Iowa. It has been an adjustment with all of us having our own struggles, but I think all of us agree that it has been a good move overall. Ashlynn might disagree from time to time as she misses many of her friends back in WI as the rest of us do. The kids have settled in well here and have a good network of friends, especially Alec who had many difficulties with his own peers in the past. The school year (homework wise) was a challenge, but now that summer is here and they are visiting their dad in Texas I am trying to analyze the heck out of things to gear up for the next year. Both of the older kids will be in middle school!<br /><br />Mike's job is going well and he continues to be busy which we try to remind ourselves is a good thing with the economic uncertainty. He is being challenged professionally, both good and bad, but from my perspective appears to be handling it quite well. From what he tells me, it leads me to believe that he has a great opportunity to help strengthen the weaknesses he has identified in his new job with things he learned that worked well in his old job. He is also being allowed to gain experience in areas not available to him in his prior job, sometimes with a good deal of frustration. Speaking as a former co-worker and not just as his wife, Mike is good at what he does and always puts in his best effort to do his job to the best of his ability. He also has an amazing ability to not recognize that and can be his own worse critic....but I think sometimes we have to do that so we stay grounded and continue to strive to better ourselves and our work. I think that people he works with now see that in him and view it as an asset. I'm proud of him and appreciate everything that he does for us. (I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't balk at this paragraph and/or erase it completely)<br /><br />Kjersten is growing up fast and quite the talker. She amazes me with the things that come out of her mouth and seems to be 2 going on 8. She loves her brother and sister and the dynamics between the three of them are really neat to observe. She can hold her own with them and they all seem to love each other. Right now, Ashlynn and Kjersten are two peas in a pod and Alec is somewhat the odd man out. It changes from time to time, as only a few months ago Kjersten was all about Alec. In November, we will be welcoming another little one into our lives and we look forward to that.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-55767547671502359322008-12-27T21:55:00.000-06:002008-12-27T22:20:07.121-06:00Greeting from Iowa....nearly three months later.No, we didn't fall off the face of the earth or get lost in the move. I have to say that the move and closings on both of the houses went well despite our nervousness with all of the financial crisis that hit over the last few months. I didn't really breathe a sigh of relief on the Wisconsin house until our realtor and friend, Dave, called to say that the closing had occurred. You never know.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that we've been in our house now for two months and I'm still employed as the household domestic engineer. Some days I wonder if I should be fired and sent back into the workforce, but I guess Mike thinks I'm doing a fair job being home. Keeping the house clean with three kids, a dog and a cat in near constant presence is nearly impossible and I can see that trying to keep the house up to pristine cleanliness could lead to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I've discovered that it's a little harder than I had anticipated and requires much more assertiveness and initiative than I would have guessed.<br /><br />We have settled into our new home for the most part and are trying to get settled in to a routine. Entertaining Kjersten throughout the day, every day, has been a challenge for me too. We usually visit the library once a week and go to the YMCA atleast 2-3 days a week. Ashlynn and Alec are enjoying their new schools and making friends though I'd like to see them hanging out with their friends a little more than they do. I try to remind myself that I should be glad that I know where they are and what they are doing. <br /><br />I'll be glad when spring gets here so we can go to the parks, play in the yard and work in the garden. Our vegetable garden was a great source of joy for Kjersten as she always found a tasty snack to enjoy and plenty of bugs to watch in the flower beds. We'll miss our established gardens in Wisconsin, but are looking forward to sowing our new ones. I'm also happy to have the expert assistance of Mike's parents as I know very little about growing plants.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-48223971135715073492008-10-02T15:31:00.000-05:002008-10-03T09:18:22.940-05:0010 years and two months.....That's how long I have been here at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">AEI</span> and today is my last day. It's bittersweet as I am excited about the changes to come with being home with the kids and to start the next chapter of my life. However, my heart is heavy to leave my job. Even though it has been very stressful at times over the years, it has largely been a wonderful and empowering experience for me. I've worked on a number of exciting projects, worked with incredibly talented people and traveled to places all over the US that I might not have gone to otherwise. It's hard to give all of that up and I do so with a very heavy heart. Change is exciting, but it is hard too. For the last hour or so, my emotions have been building to the point where I just feel like I am about to explode.<br /><br />So while I am likely to cry my eyes out today, I know I gotta pull up my big girl pants and get over it. While I leave something behind, I have much to gain that I have yet to discover. A good attitude and tons of positive optimism can go far under the most uncertain of circumstances. I'll be glad to get this move behind us and start getting settled into our new home. We have all missed Mike since he has been in Iowa for the last three weeks and we look forward to being together again. I'm sure the next three weeks will likely pass quickly, but right now it seems so far away.<br /><br />So the next time I post, I'll likely be well settled into my new domestic engineering position at the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">casa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">de</span> la Olson.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-80633433271156000842008-08-30T16:37:00.000-05:002008-08-30T17:00:24.027-05:00Happy trails to us....If anyone still bothers to view our blog, we applaud you, since we have been lousy at updating it. There is a good reason for that though, trust us. We have been a little busy lately trying to sell our house.....that's right, we are moving to Iowa! Why in the world would anyone move from Wisconsin to Iowa?<br /><br />Mike interviewed for and accepted a new job in Des Moines, Iowa, in July. So during the month of August, we have been busting our behinds preparing to put our house on the market. Our first Open House was on August 10th, and after a short 2-1/2 weeks, we accepted the second offer on our house on August 27th! We also made a trip to Iowa to look for houses, and we found one we liked in Ankeny, IA, which is between Des Moines and Mike's parents in Ames. We decided to put an offer on the house before we sold our house in Wisconsin, but the stars in heaven aligned for us, and our offer was also accepted on the same day, August 27th! We will not be able to close on either house until the end of October, so Mike will start the new job (doing the same thing) on September 15th and commute from Ames for about 6 weeks until Jenny and the kids are able to move.<br /><br />WOW, it has been a crazy past few months for us! The first reason for this life changing event, is because we decided that it was time to live closer to family and actually have a support system close by. We love it here in Wisconsin, but not having family close by is getting harder and harder by the day. The second reason is that we decided that the kids needed full-time attention, and with both of us working, that was impossible. So, with this move, Jenny will be a full-time "domestic engineer", and take care of all things important in our lives. We hope these changes will bring peace to the family and hopefully less stress. We know that there will be new challenges and issues we probably have not encountered before, but we believe it is worth it.<br /><br />If anyone still looks at our blog, please drop us a line when you get the chance.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Jenny, Mike, Ashlynn, Alec, and KjerstenMike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-26310785833680161032008-05-22T12:43:00.001-05:002008-05-22T13:11:19.898-05:00Children's book on Plastic Surgery?Check out this article on a new book to read to your kids/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">grandkids</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24187476/">http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24187476/</a><br /><br />I find it fascinating that our culture has become so casual about plastic surgery. I don't think there is anything wrong with getting something touched up due to aging, having kids and resulting effects of gravity or to reconstruct areas due to illness, surgery or accidents. I do think some people go way overboard with it and it's sad that it seems to be sold as something that we have to do. Sure, there are a lot of people who want to be beautiful, but why does society need to put much more emphasis on the outside over what is on the inside of a person. Is a person's physical appearance that critical to their worth as a person? I don't think so. <br /><br />As a mom, I worry about how this attitude is going to affect my daughters' self image and afraid that they will be careless about changing everything about themselves physically at the expense of their psychological well being. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ashlynn</span>, at only 11 years old, is already worried about her weight and has made an occasional comment that she needs to go on a diet because her thighs are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">jiggley</span>. She only weighs 67lbs and is just under 5' tall, which puts her at the 3 percentile for weight at her age. Last year, when the controversy of super thin models dying of anorexia made big news, some of her friends told her she was going to die from anorexia and she had anxiety about it. All I can do is try to talk with her about it and hope that she will find more merit in herself as a person over what society tells her she should be on the outside. <br /><br />It's hard enough to be yourself and accept the person you are. Why spend the energy to be someone your not? There's nothing more attractive than someone who is genuinely secure in themselves no matter what height, weight, skin shade or other external factor they are. Most people will remember your character, not your dress size.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-57249979699812168562008-05-02T13:54:00.000-05:002008-05-02T14:39:25.627-05:00TravelI recently bought a National Geographic TRAVELER magazine on a recent business trip (the main magazine article was about Paris, and the Eiffel Tower was on the cover - anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for the Eiffel Tower...) and there was a terrific quote that I want to share with everyone:<br /><br />"If I had a choice between sending someone to travel the world and sending him/her to college, I would send him/her around the world. You will learn far more about the world by traveling, far more about your own life, what the future of this world is. More solutions to problems like global warming, poverty, and war would result if people did more traveling, because that is how you find out that others are just like you. They want peace. They want decent jobs. They want to make the world a better place for their children. Having traveled all these years, I've concluded that the citizens of the world are far more open and tolerant and hospitable than governments, overall. Most people are kind, generous, and open-hearted. They really want to welcome you. What is interesting is that the poorer the country, the more generous the people. That is one of those remarkable things in life."<br /><br />I had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Norway when I was a student at Iowa State and have to give all the thanks in the world to my parents for allowing me the opportunity to do that. So in a sense, they gave me the chance to experience the best of both worlds.<br /><br />Now that I work for a living, one of the best parts of my job (maybe THE best) is having the opportunity to travel to different projects across the country. Over the past few years, I have been able to go to New York City, Boston, Chicago, upstate New York and Lake Placid, Virginia, Rhode Island and the best place of all, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ames</span>, Iowa! All for my job! There is always at least one interesting thing that happens on every trip, and I want to try and write a blog entry after every trip, and share what that interesting thing is. No matter what, there is always something that will stick with me forever.<br /><br />I mentioned going to Virginia. I went to a Medium Voltage transformer plant in Bland (think dueling banjos), Virginia for a factory witness test. The night beforehand, I went to dinner with a few guys and their wives from the plant. I said I was from Wisconsin and we talked about the difference in weather and everything like that. It was prior to the NCAA Basketball tournament, and I was asked by one of the wives , "Who do ya'll cheer for on the West Coast?" Me: must think and respond quickly, but West Coast? Why would she ask me about the West Coast? <br /><br />Once it hit me that she thought I said Washington instead of Wisconsin, I was floored and didn't know what to say. I think I said something to the effect of, "In Wisconsin, we really don't cheer for anyone on the west coast." She was awfully embarrassed, and her husband said they would have to get out the atlas when they got home, which doubled her embarrassment. <br /><br />I used to get the same thing from southerners when I said I was from Iowa. In general, they are not sure you said Idaho, Ohio, or Iowa, and also because they probably do not know where those states are anyway. I think it goes to prove that this country is TOO big; there are so many different types of people, with different customs, cultures, and English dialects (much more than just accents).<br /><br />Next time I will share my Indiana Jones moment from the mini-bar in my New York City hotel room...Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-76376764768713999662008-03-13T13:02:00.001-05:002008-03-13T13:52:40.150-05:00The Christmas Possum<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA02kT10PplJ-eB7U79nTihMRCEcYMZoFWG-8Ya0reo7FgoO80gqAk6w4IMTqpW1xo0hwJZ11RU085V21_Sdf_O6ZOSa8I96WJhzVu9CzkVHDfRZbkVG5yWAU3R9dNaU80ItkI/s1600-h/baby%2520possum.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177299999533760418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA02kT10PplJ-eB7U79nTihMRCEcYMZoFWG-8Ya0reo7FgoO80gqAk6w4IMTqpW1xo0hwJZ11RU085V21_Sdf_O6ZOSa8I96WJhzVu9CzkVHDfRZbkVG5yWAU3R9dNaU80ItkI/s320/baby%2520possum.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I know some of you out there are wondering what the deal with the Christmas possum is. I'll start out by saying that we did NOT eat it. Some people joke that Mike will try just about anything even if it is "special", but he does have his limitations. However, if you find possums to be "special" enough to try, see the attached link. There's even some pointers to catch one. <a href="http://members.tripod.com/~w3lap/possum_cook_book.htm">http://members.tripod.com/~w3lap/possum_cook_book.htm</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, on to the story of the possum.</div><div> </div><div>Over the Christmas holiday, Mike, Kjersten and I traveled to Iowa to spend a week with Mike's parents, brother and sister. On Christmas eve, we all headed to Grandma Olson's to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with her at the farm in Thor. At some point, I overheard Grandma mention something about a possum hanging around eating the farm cats' food, but didn't think much about it. For a girl who grew up in town, my exposure to possums was limited at best and I had no idea what happens to nuissance possums in the country.</div><br /><div></div><div>On Christmas day the whole family, including Aunt Jane and Uncle Dennis, were sitting down at the dining room table enjoying our holiday meal and conversation. I was sitting in direct view of the window when I notice the possum waddle accross the driveway outside and made comment of its sighting. The next thing we knew John and Dennis were out the door on a mission to get rid of the possum. A few minutes later they returned to announce that the possum met its demise courtesy of a shovel and would no longer be bothering the cats. </div><br /><div></div><div>Lesson learned: farm folk deal with rodents differently than urban folks and it's usually permanent.</div>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-11382820355427151782008-02-07T11:46:00.000-06:002008-02-07T11:55:13.570-06:00For the curious.......My friend, Rania, sent me an email a week or so ago asking about Picasso's fate since I have not gotten around to posting an update. I guess it is proof that people actually read this from time to time...lol. Picasso did survive without further complication (or expense). We assume that the remaining floss came out the other end, but no one felt compelled to dig into the box to look for it or see how much he actually ate. Ashlynn was right in her belief that he'd make it through and it solidifies my presumption that we are stuck with this cat forever. However, we have no urgency for him to meet the same fate as the christmas possum.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-78659485298677373352008-01-14T13:00:00.000-06:002008-01-14T13:40:53.883-06:00Dumb-Dumb and the Dental floss.......Dumb-Dumb is the nickname Mike and I had adopted a while back for Ashlynn's cat, Picasso. Collectively, we have referred to Picasso and our dog, Mason, as Dumb and Dumber and periodically have wondered which is which. Last night, I think Picasso took the title of Dumber, even though I am sure at some point, Mason will reclaim it.<br /><br />Now, a normal cat probably finds plenty to get himself into trouble with, but leave it to our special needs cat to swallow an undefined amount of dental floss. When we discovered the dental floss on the carpet and pulled on it, I was surprised that it was connected to the cat. Even more shocking, was that it was in his throat and quickly we realized it wasn't going to be easy to get out. I called the emergency vet clinic while Mike ran out to the garage to get the pliers as he figured that he'd be able to pull it out. The Vet quickly advised against it and don't worry, Mike put down the pliers. It was up to me to take the world's dumbest cat to the ER with the hope that this would be any easy fix.<br /><br />I arrived with Picasso in the pet carrier at the animal ER at 10:30 pm and thankfully, animal ER's don't have the wait that us humans have to endure. They took him to triage for weight and other stats, then showed us to our exam room (how professional). The vet tech removed Picasso from the carrier and at that point we got a gauge of how much floss was hanging out of his mouth--over 7 feet of floss! After some discussion, it was decided that they would sedate Picasso, exam down his thoat visually, and do some xrays to determine whether he had something connected to the floss or some intestinal blockage. After viewing xrays, they didn't find anything (ie., needle, metal spool, etc.) in the body, but couldn't see the floss either. They tried to pull on the floss, but it became evident that they weren't going to be successful in pulling it out. The xrays also showed that there may some early indications of intestinal blockage, but time would have to tell. <br /><br /> The vet wanted to admit him for hospitalization and repeat xrays in the morning, but I knew that being an ER this could get real expensive real fast. So after a lot of discussion with the vet (and Mike via phone), I insisted that we'd have to take the chance and I would take him home to follow up with our vet this afternoon. As of this morning, Picasso is still alive and normal, with the floss cut back enough that he could swallow it with the hope it will come out the other end. <br /><br />We've had Picasso now for around 8 years and while he is elusive and seemingly crazy, I realized last night that I actually love this little guy. I briefed Ashlynn and Alec this morning of the possibility that Picasso's days may be numbered, but Ashlynn seemed confident that he will make it though. As annoying as this cat can be, he probably will...............Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-89136595245126663012007-12-11T14:21:00.000-06:002007-12-13T16:44:43.581-06:00Standing on her own two feet.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwrPAbjYE43ylPe6K1ljCY-8rUbW4MROYXQokvvKdWEu6v_qdngUboLMV_OvMRHGmh3v7KnKrMVNRYWSMRBugIda5hU6ogEgapI5ujZIsVWrzQPJ_4W2fSQ1JQjfi6BtGTMGy/s1600-h/PB240001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143591333774176386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwrPAbjYE43ylPe6K1ljCY-8rUbW4MROYXQokvvKdWEu6v_qdngUboLMV_OvMRHGmh3v7KnKrMVNRYWSMRBugIda5hU6ogEgapI5ujZIsVWrzQPJ_4W2fSQ1JQjfi6BtGTMGy/s400/PB240001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It has been a long time since Mike or I have posted anything on this site. We have been pretty busy with work and, of course, with the kids at home. I don't think we have time to get bored, and seems that we have more to do than time to do it in. I think that is the case for most people these days. I cannot believe that Christmas is upon us and three weeks from the begining of a new year. Time sure flies when you are having fun....or something like that.<br /><br />Kjersten is just over 10 months now and is quite mobile. She can stand on her own and is able to go from sitting to standing without any assistance. We have witnessed her ability to take a few steps unassisted, but for the time being she can get around quicker while crawling than she can walking. I'm sure that will change drastically over the next couple of weeks. She has also recently sprouted her two top teeth.<br /><br />Some of Kjersten's favorite pasttimes include emptying cabinets, playing in the refrigerator, and unloading the dishwasher. She has found that Mason (our dog) is a great obstacle to climb, Picasso (our cat) is fun to chase and big sister and brother are great for entertainment. If she can get to your bare belly, she can demonstrate her newfound ability to blow zerberts which is quite a load of laughs for her.<br /><br />Ashlynn and Alec are doing good in school. Ashlynn is involved in orchestra (violin), band (flute) and is also taking an afterschool spanish class. Alec is also in orchestra this year (cello) and will start playing in a basketball league this week thru the spring. Next week, they will fly to Texas to spend two weeks with their father, step-mother and three step-siblings over the holiday break.<br /><br />Just in case, neither Mike or I get around to posting before the holidays, we'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!</div>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-9181926872155993392007-10-22T16:42:00.000-05:002007-10-22T17:00:17.495-05:00Finding Flakey........Cleaning a Beta's tank can have its difficulties. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ashlynn</span> has a dual compartment tank for her two Beta fish (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Flakey</span> and Isabella) and today was the long overdue day to clean it out. It started without incident, but neither of us has noted the small hole in the net as we poured out one side of the tank. As <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ashlynn</span> tried to deposit <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Flakey</span> into the bowl, she realized that he was MIA. Frantically, we searched the sink and looked into the garbage disposal and there he was, flipping and gasping for air unaware of the danger that could have occurred if the switch was flipped on.<br /><br />We turned the water on to keep the water flowing and back filled enough to keep the little guy hanging on to dear life. Still, we had this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">dilemna</span>--how in the world do we get a fish out of a +3" diameter hole? As the water ran, and the various attempts failed, our time was running out. Would we be able to save <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Flakey</span> or was he destined to be ground up and dispersed though the sewer system.<br /><br />After nearly ten minutes of swirling in the sink certain death was upon him, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ashlynn</span> finally donned some rubber gloves and was able to scoop him up. From there she dropped him into his clean tank where he swims free of anxiety--seemingly unaware of the dangerous situation that he faced. Yes, we found <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Flakey</span> and today we learned that the next time we clean the tank, we'll be sure to apply the sink stopper.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-6057460304631865622007-08-14T17:34:00.000-05:002007-08-14T17:56:08.466-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsHrwrwyjpwQXj5fFTxgCIMWHUv5LUPoHrAlS9ebS5yD_qSSyjGElgqBY0tVViDPxrAj1ORg6w0DhqmIwOnBZbVb6eP-bITUK57lOBHA557eWUnSK1TsvEgXhAjAc6HZDpm9C/s1600-h/P8110015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098688385422914914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsHrwrwyjpwQXj5fFTxgCIMWHUv5LUPoHrAlS9ebS5yD_qSSyjGElgqBY0tVViDPxrAj1ORg6w0DhqmIwOnBZbVb6eP-bITUK57lOBHA557eWUnSK1TsvEgXhAjAc6HZDpm9C/s400/P8110015.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Kjersten is just over sixth months old now and the time has really flown. As you can see, she is sitting up now unsupported and progressing pretty well with the crawling. It's not a full crawl yet, but she is up on her hands and knees, rocking back and forth. As soon as she tries to go for the movement, she typically falls flat on her belly and resorts back to her commando crawl. Boy can she get around fast.</div><div> </div><div>I "babyproofed" the house, but I'm sure it is just a start. When you think you finally got everything secured, they ultimately find something else to get into. Toys are really not very interesting to a baby and she finds much excitement in the world around her. </div><div> </div><div>Last night she discovered the door stop in the bathroom and had a blast with it. Everytime she'd pull it to one side or another and it would snap, she'd laugh hysterically. I had to take her upstairs to show Mike, but her enthusiasm while intact was muted in contrast to her initial discovery.</div><div> </div><div>If you look closely at the photo, you can see her two bottom teeth. I suspect she has another coming in, but it has yet to make it's appearance past the gum. She is eating two to three "meals" of baby food a day now and taking them in her high chair. Ashlynn and Alec have even had a chance to feed her a little bit over the last couple of days. We are still nursing and are trying to get through the so-called Six Month slump which is progressively getting better. The goal was to get to a year, but we'll see what happens as more teeth are entered into the equation.</div><div> </div><div>School starts in just a few weeks and Ashlynn and Alec are excited to see their friends, but naturally dreading the return to school work. Ashlynn will be entering fifth grade this year and will turn 11 in October. I can't believe it. She is continuing with her violin and will also be joining the band to learn the flute. She still has no interest in sports, but music isn't such a bad hobby either. She is happy to be at the top of the elementary school food chain, but is really starting to think about the following year in Middle School (ugh!).</div><div> </div><div>Alec will enter the fourth grade and will have the same teacher Ashlynn had last year. I am hoping that she will have the same effect on Alec that she had on Ashlynn in getting her to put forth her best effort. She is a wonderful teacher with good diplomatic skills, patience, but she is tough on the kids to be organized and complete their assignments. Alec tends to be argumentative, but I can't see him being hopeful to winning any arguments with her. I am hoping he will see that it is futile to try and be on his best behavior in school this year. He is a bright kid, but I think he has met his match with Mrs. Isham.</div>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-75049004323501401472007-07-24T13:01:00.000-05:002007-07-24T13:38:16.533-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9SQUidBh6hWkAoB9_y453O0GF_-mnvdI5ZXeh7nOzGygJIZaCVfHQ_giJmY4t_NeXGws2Ty3UKbk1-2Mlx7hLGH9I6jFjGFbpyBVUUp25H_HqIoj3i41M9Or_zsGZXbDjanc/s1600-h/P6290047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090825283851449682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9SQUidBh6hWkAoB9_y453O0GF_-mnvdI5ZXeh7nOzGygJIZaCVfHQ_giJmY4t_NeXGws2Ty3UKbk1-2Mlx7hLGH9I6jFjGFbpyBVUUp25H_HqIoj3i41M9Or_zsGZXbDjanc/s400/P6290047.JPG" border="0" /></a> As you can see, both Mike and I have been bad about keeping up with this blog. However, we plan to keep going with it and I usually compose an entry in my head a few times a week. As you can see, they never get out of my head and on to the internet.<br /><br />We have really entered the age of changes with Kjersten. She is changing daily, it seems, and we all enjoy watching her progressions.<br /><br />For the last few weeks, she has been "army" crawling all over the place. When she gets tired of that, she resorts to rolling. For the last week, she has really worked to get up on her hands and knees, but when she tries to get going she usually ends up flat on the floor. She's working hard on it and we figure within a week or two she will be going full force in a true crawl. Then we will be in big trouble! We haven't even begun to baby-proof the house yet.<br /><br />Another big event in her life is her new teeth. Currently, she has her two bottom front teeth coming in and I keep looking at her top gums to see if they are on their way in as well. She has been a little crabbier as a result and we never leave home without the Tylenol and Orajel.<br /><br />Ashlynn and Alec made it home on Sunday from Texas. Mike and I took the day off work yesterday and took the kids up to the Dells to spend the day at Noah's Ark waterpark. They had a blast and came back with a little too much sun.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-78257324415568341212007-06-18T16:14:00.000-05:002007-06-18T16:48:49.584-05:00Finally...another blog entry....School is finally out and we survived another school year. The kids had their last day of school on June 8th and left last friday for a six week vacation to Tyler, Texas. The house is quiet (well a little more so) and once I do my annual purging of their rooms, the house should hopefully stay relatively cleaner for a few weeks. Our hope is that we can even get some of our projects done this summer. If you have been to our house recently, you probably noticed the test paint patches in the living room and I am hoping that I can actually proceed to painting the entire wall by the time Ashlynn and Alec return in late July.<br /><br />Mike's parents came up this past weekend and we got a lot of work done in the yard. We used to have a poorly installed concrete patio with a cruddy fence behind our garage that the previous owners must have used as a dog kennel. Mike and John had the concrete busted up in a short time--attesting to the fact that the original pour was substandard. Our flower beds are now free of weeds for the time being and John pulled out the ghastly looking Junipers that had decayed in front of our house. This is only the beginning....<br /><br />We have some fairly ambitious plans for the back yard which will consist of a new fenced in area that I'll refer to as a courtyard. This will require the installation of a retaining wall to level out the grade and further modifications that will require phasing that will likely take a few years to complete--but do you ever truly complete a landscaping project?<br /><br />Kjersten is continuing to thrive and is rapidly learning new tricks. She is rolling over, grabbing everything in sight and provides us with almost constant entertainment. We started an Infant Massage class last week that runs for three sessions and so far she is enjoying it. I think I would too.<br /><br />There's much that goes on in our lives, but we've both been bad about blogging it. Sometimes I worry about posting stuff that you're not necessarily sure that anyone would really care about or be interested in. On the other hand, it is our lives and sometimes I don't think I have ever been happier or been in more awe of the most simplistic aspects of life than I am right now.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-17708745156083295912007-05-11T10:57:00.000-05:002007-05-11T11:00:24.739-05:00Is motherhood a miracle?About a week before Kjersten was born, Mike and I went to the hospital to have a Stress Test done to make sure that the baby was doing ok due to her late arrival and my questionable blood pressure. While we were talking, Mike asked me if I thought that a baby was a miracle or not. At the time, I couldn’t really answer that—after all how can you define such an “everyday” occurance as a miracle? I answered the question by deferring it to when the baby was finally born. When she was born, I still couldn’t decide and have thought about it periodically over the last few months.<br /><br />Over the past few months, I feel like I have changed or maybe just rediscovered a part of myself a little bit because of Kjersten. My love for her is overwhelming and in many ways has reminded me how much I love my older two kids. As kids get older and personalities start to grate on your nerves, you forget to some degree how much you love your kids and can easily forget the wonder and amazement that you felt when they first entered your life. A few weeks ago, while at the grocery store, a couple was behind me at the store with their three active kids who were obviously irritating the hell out of them. The woman said to the man, “Kids are a pain in the ass and I have no idea why people want to have them.” I didn’t say anything to her and I understood what she was saying, but I realized that unfortunately we forget why we had them and lose sight of the fact that we love them.<br /><br />As a result of participation in various new mom forums, I have really begun to realize how blessed Mike and I are to have a healthy, normal baby. Some of my friends underwent fertility treatment after treatment and still had no success. Once they gave up, they ended up pregnant and were blessed with healthy babies, but unfortunately it isn’t the case for many others who still yearn for a baby to fill their arms and hearts. Others have had babies who have serious medical problems and another friend’s sister recently lost her 10 day old son to an infection that he picked up in the hospital. When these gifts come to us so easily and without sorrow, I think it is easy to take it all for granted and sometimes life throws things at us that parenthood can begin to feel like a burden. Life passes by so quickly, children grow up before you are ready for them to and it really is a challenge to keep yourself in the midst of the amazing experience of watching them grow up. I’m sure many parents whose kids have grown up and moved away can relate.<br /><br />I recently decided to look the definition in the dictionary and this is how it is defined:<br />1) An effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.<br />2) Such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.<br />3) A wonder; marvel.<br />4) A wonderful or surpassing example of some quality: a miracle of modern acoustics.<br /><br />I believe that being a parent and having a child is a miracle. It changes your priorities. You see the world in a whole new way and get to experience the wonder of the world again through the eyes of innocence. You experience a type of love for another person that is unconditional, pure and deeper than anything you could ever imagine until you experience it for yourself. For me, it has also allowed me to discover a new side of Mike and watch him grow into his role as a father; witnessing his patience, gentleness and nurturing that without her I’d never see. You also find yourself connecting with your parents in a way you never imagined.<br /><br />In light of all this, I’d like to wish all the mothers out there--whether they are new moms, experienced moms, grandmas, moms-to-be or moms-at-heart--a very Happy Mother’s Day. Don’t forget to send the moms in your lives a card or give her a phone call and let her hear the words endearing to every mom—I love you!Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-73379165596767651542007-04-27T11:38:00.000-05:002007-04-27T11:40:19.044-05:00Birthday Wishes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu526e8q8FE49T5ETi0rA-b5bkj5OMEVTfIOjIvc1Du7ODG906wjJg3ihKgRIdd_iYD1ho5MiVKYtcq5SrTtyTSWeUylUJq8nc61ww6CIoJovhFPMJ5O97j08cfEvfQHLsqTMo/s1600-h/P4090003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058148530189976754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu526e8q8FE49T5ETi0rA-b5bkj5OMEVTfIOjIvc1Du7ODG906wjJg3ihKgRIdd_iYD1ho5MiVKYtcq5SrTtyTSWeUylUJq8nc61ww6CIoJovhFPMJ5O97j08cfEvfQHLsqTMo/s400/P4090003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Kjersten says, "Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!"</div><div> </div><div>Have a great day Matt!</div>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-62094458215252227692007-04-16T15:38:00.000-05:002007-04-16T16:03:21.985-05:00Back to work......After 10 weeks of being home with Kjersten, I have officially returned back to work. I've managed to get through most of the day and have been somewhat successful in keeping myself on task for the projects I need to work on. The fact that Mike and I ran over to see her at lunch may be what should be credited for preventing me from running from the office to get our baby. Frankly, in many ways it feels good to be back in the office and accomplishing something other than vaccuming the carpet or watching re-runs of Little House on the Prairie, but honestly that's where I'd rather be. I miss holding her in my arms a majority of the day, even if she is sound asleep and would be just as comfortable in her bassinet or swing. Time slips away so fast so the dishes can wait.<br /><br />I know that she is in good hands and I think her babysitter, Bev, has fallen for her perhaps as quickly as we did. She told us that she has a hard time putting her down and she will likely be spoiled as it is hard to resist a cuddly baby. Knowing that she is being taken care of will make it easier to be here at the office all day. <br /><br />The upside is that for the undetermined future, I will only be working three days a week so I will have a majority of the week to be with my kids. I am really looking forward to this as we get closer to summer as it will allow me to spend more time with Ashlynn and Alec too. For years, they have spent their summer days inside at a babysitter's house because I had to work and hopefully this summer we will be able to enjoy it. After all, in a few short years, they'll be at the age where they will deny that they even have parents! I am also appreciative to be able to continue in my participation with the Mom's group and getting the opportunity to make new friends outside of the office. I never thought I would become a Mom/baby group junkie.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-88590213589619828342007-03-26T22:18:00.000-05:002007-03-26T22:57:46.486-05:00Adventures in Breastfeeding.....Kjersten is about 7-1/2 weeks old now and time is really flying by. She is growing like crazy and seems to be about twice as big as she was at birth. A co-worker of ours asked Mike today what we were feeding her and I had to laugh at that--it's all mommy. What ever I am eating is certainly helping her with her expansion, but happily not having the same effect on me! <br /><br />With the nicer weather over the last two weeks, I have definately been more inclined to get her outside in the fresh air and get some much needed exercise. With this comes more opportunities to breastfeed in public which in many cases is not a big deal, but over the last few days has put me in situations that are much more visible to everyone else and therefore more uncomfortable. I more or less have the attitude that I will nurse her wherever I happen to be and if someone has an issue then they can look the other way. It is quite a test when you are in a restaurant that is quite open, wearing a button down blouse and therefore more difficult to be discreet with people waiting in close proximity for a table. I can only describe it to be like using one of those glass bathroom experiments in London with one-way glass that allows you to see out but no one can see in. Even if I could cover myself with a blanket with assurances of not flashing anyone by accident, it would be quite obvious to everyone else what I was doing. It's a natural and normal thing for a mother and baby to do, yet it is somewhat intimate at the same time. As my friend Tracy preaches as a lactation consultant--breasts aren't just play things. I try to remember that.<br /><br />I resorted to doing something yesterday at a diner that I swore I would never do--I went to the bathroom to nurse her. I was fine with it while the bathroom was unoccupied , but shortly after I started another lady came in and quickly the odor was far from pleasant. I was reminded where I was and--ugh--the germs! While I contemplated what to do I heard a few other women come in to the bathroom and were waiting for one of the only two stalls--one occupied by me and the other by "Rosey". I threw a blanket over my shoulder while still nursing and fled from the bathroom to a vacant chair next to the cleaning supplies outside the restroom. This experience reiterated to me why we don't eat our lunches in the can and it sucks that in many situations, it may be the only place you can go. <br /><br />I need to just over it as this is Madison--quite liberal and tolerant. I should be proud and get one of those pro-breatfeeding t-shirts that reads, "I make milk--what's your Super Power?" Who'd argue with me about it?Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-29541643996328375362007-03-03T22:17:00.000-06:002007-03-03T23:05:11.662-06:00Big Sister Blues.....Well, it's been just over four weeks since Kjersten entered the world and she is doing great. For the most part, Ashlynn and Alec have adjusted well to their new baby sister. Whenever Alec is asked at school about his little sister, he gets a big grin from ear to ear. He loves her and says we can keep her, but he wouldn't mind if we sent the older one back. He kisses Kjersten every chance he gets and always wants to hug her before he goes to bed and when he wakes up every morning.<br /><br />Ashlynn is wonderful with her little sister as well, but I think she is starting to feel a little jealous of baby Kjersten. Lately, she has been telling her friends at school that she is moving to Texas at springbreak so she can be with her dad which is not true. I can imagine that it is difficult for her to see her baby sister being held and loved by Mike and makes her yearn for her own dad to hold her and love her the same way. Surprisingly, she does not act negatively towards Mike and seems to be seeking his attention yet she hasn't tried to compete with her sister for his attention either. If anything, she has been a little more hostile towards me lately and I know that I have to make time to spend with her to help her feel more secure with her place in our family. <br /><br />It's hard enough for any child to fit into a new blended family with "step' relatives and figure out how to be part of it without feeling like you're betraying your other half of the family. I'm sure it is hard for them to watch a new half-sibling come into the world who is part of a family they're not biologically related to and not feel jealous. I can imagine that even if they don't feel it now, someday they might feel like they got jipped in life being born into a broken home. I can certainly say that I felt that way growing up too but there isn't anything any one of us can do about it. We all have to learn to live life with the cards we were dealt and move on with it. There is no sense in dwelling on things we can't change and as a parent, I find it difficult to teach to my kids. The reality is that we all have to learn that own our own and in our own way.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-78584948975948247912007-02-26T09:05:00.000-06:002007-02-26T09:08:09.457-06:00Happy Birthday, Daddy!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FFGS2ixTGFSsWXZx8-m3i8Gf8vqTQ1wvEoO6F2OHnL1wq4s24jSIsrFAFh2C3WZixZ9Wg_7PxMPWSbJtAo6jHOBHrFlfhbS0SeC-cVS3CHm4Dov_K3hPOkYU5zQ_H6qJW9dW/s1600-h/0065.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035859623530519570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FFGS2ixTGFSsWXZx8-m3i8Gf8vqTQ1wvEoO6F2OHnL1wq4s24jSIsrFAFh2C3WZixZ9Wg_7PxMPWSbJtAo6jHOBHrFlfhbS0SeC-cVS3CHm4Dov_K3hPOkYU5zQ_H6qJW9dW/s400/0065.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31456808.post-73144361831354869572007-02-22T16:53:00.000-06:002007-02-22T17:30:18.910-06:00My first mother's groupWell, it has been nearly three weeks since Kjersten entered the world and in ways it seems like she has been here forever. She is doing well and her temperment is pretty mellow and easy going. Mike and I are actually getting rest as she has been pretty good about sleeping through the night with a quick "snack" around 3am and generally falls right back to sleep. I am still somewhat exhausted physically as my body still has a way to go before I start to feel like my old self again. I am also starting to enjoy being home during the day with her and I have a feeling that going back to work may be harder for me than I would have guessed.<br /><br />Today, I went to my first Mom's group held at Wisconsin's only Birthcenter and I had a great time. I wasn't sure what to expect since I have never participated in a Mom's group and I was kind of afraid that it would be a flop and I would have absolutely nothing in common with these women. Most of the women were about my age with babies less than 8 months old and while some were first time moms, many were also the mothers of older children starting over again as a new blended family. I actually felt like I was in an environment amongst other mothers who shared similar life experiences and current family challenges. They were all very friendly and inclusive and the moms who were there for the first time were instantly welcomed as members of the group. After the 90 minute meeting, we went to the cafe next door for lunch and hung out for another hour or so just talking.<br /><br />A majority of these women had given birth at the birthcenter and many of them are crunchy "granola" moms. They all breastfeed, most use cloth diapers, "wear" their babies, make their own baby food, co-sleep, communicate with their babies using sign language and one actually was practicing EC (elimination communication). Some of these things I had read about, but never really knew anyone doing these things. It's pretty neat to see a 7 month old baby able to communicate with simple sign language to let their mother know that they need a diaper change, to nurse, go to sleep, etc. Who would of thought a baby that young would be capable of that? <br /><br />Elimination communication is something totally bizarre to me, but one mother was working with her 6 month old daughter to master this skill they started the week before. Basically, they do not use a diaper and the parents learn to identify the baby's cues as to when it needs to urinate or have a BM. They actually sell baby size potty seats that they sit the baby on to do what it needs to do. Most people that practice EC actually begin working with their babies at birth and most are completely potty trained by 6 months old. I know that I don't have the patience for that and I really wouldn't want to carry around a plastic toilet. I'll stick with diapers for now.Mike and Jenny Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031668504875912646noreply@blogger.com3