Mike & Jenny

Rediscovered Hobby...Baseball

2011-08-10T20:03:00.021-05:00

Since 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.

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.

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.

My primary baseball interests are the Milwaukee Brewers, World Series history, ballparks' histories, and career statistical leaders (hits, home runs, pitching wins, steals, etc).

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.

I hope this can be something fun and maybe lead to my second career in the distant future....

Thanks,
Mike

Beyond the grocery store

2010-04-02T09:53:00.006-05:00

Over 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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

A new chapter

2010-03-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

Today I had my four month and final post partum 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.

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.

I hope that as things are finally starting to settle into a rhythem, 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.

Amalia Bailey Olson

2009-12-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

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)

Photography and slide show by betsy Rudicil of Rudicil Photography http://www.rudicilphotography.com/

A bit of an update.....

2009-06-25T16:08:00.000-05:00

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.

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!

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)

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.

Greeting from Iowa....nearly three months later.

2008-12-27T21:55:00.000-06:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

10 years and two months.....

2008-10-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

That's how long I have been here at AEI 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.

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.

So the next time I post, I'll likely be well settled into my new domestic engineering position at the new casa de la Olson.

Happy trails to us....

2008-08-30T16:37:00.000-05:00

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?

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.

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.

If anyone still looks at our blog, please drop us a line when you get the chance.

Love,

Jenny, Mike, Ashlynn, Alec, and Kjersten

Children's book on Plastic Surgery?

2008-05-22T12:43:00.001-05:00

Check out this article on a new book to read to your kids/grandkids.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24187476/

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.

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. Ashlynn, 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 jiggley. 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.

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.

Travel

2008-05-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

I 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:

"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."

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.

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, Ames, 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.

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?

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.

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).

Next time I will share my Indiana Jones moment from the mini-bar in my New York City hotel room...

The Christmas Possum

2008-03-13T13:02:00.001-05:00

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. http://members.tripod.com/~w3lap/possum_cook_book.htm

Anyway, on to the story of the possum.

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.

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.

Lesson learned: farm folk deal with rodents differently than urban folks and it's usually permanent.

For the curious.......

2008-02-07T11:46:00.000-06:00

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.

Dumb-Dumb and the Dental floss.......

2008-01-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...............

Standing on her own two feet.....

2007-12-11T14:21:00.000-06:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Finding Flakey........

2007-10-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

Cleaning a Beta's tank can have its difficulties. Ashlynn has a dual compartment tank for her two Beta fish (Flakey 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 Ashlynn tried to deposit Flakey 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.

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 dilemna--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 Flakey or was he destined to be ground up and dispersed though the sewer system.

After nearly ten minutes of swirling in the sink certain death was upon him, Ashlynn 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 Flakey and today we learned that the next time we clean the tank, we'll be sure to apply the sink stopper.

2007-08-14T17:34:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!).

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.

2007-07-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

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.

We have really entered the age of changes with Kjersten. She is changing daily, it seems, and we all enjoy watching her progressions.

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.

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.

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.

Finally...another blog entry....

2007-06-18T16:14:00.000-05:00

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.

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....

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?

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.

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.

Is motherhood a miracle?

2007-05-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

I recently decided to look the definition in the dictionary and this is how it is defined:
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.
2) Such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.
3) A wonder; marvel.
4) A wonderful or surpassing example of some quality: a miracle of modern acoustics.

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.

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!

Birthday Wishes

2007-04-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

Kjersten says, "Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!"

Have a great day Matt!

Back to work......

2007-04-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

Adventures in Breastfeeding.....

2007-03-26T22:18:00.000-05:00

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!

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.

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.

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?

Big Sister Blues.....

2007-03-03T22:17:00.000-06:00

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.

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.

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.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2007-02-26T09:05:00.000-06:00

My first mother's group

2007-02-22T16:53:00.000-06:00

Well, 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.

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.

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?

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.

Our Daughter

2007-02-06T12:35:00.000-06:00

Please join us in welcoming Kjersten Mariet into the world! She was born on Friday, February 2nd at 8:13 pm, weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long (3.8 kilos, 52 cm).

Jenny and Kjersten are doing well, and Dad (Mike) is doing fine too, albeit a little tired. Helen and John Olson (now Grandma and Grandpa) were also at the hospital for the birth. All of us came home from the hospital on Sunday and are doing great.

Thanks to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Jenny, Mike, Ashlynn, Alex, and Kjersten

End in sight......

2007-02-01T15:02:00.000-06:00

Well, it is Thursday and the baby is now 8 days past the EDD. Mike and I went in this morning for an appointment with the midwife and have set the date for the induction for tomorrow morning. We are supposed to report first thing.

Earlier this week I was a little freaked out about this prospective thought, but now I am just ready for this baby to make its appearance into the world. My progress is encouraging as I am dilated to 3cm and conditions are optimal so that they are just planning on pumping in the pitocin. Luckily the midwife kind of explained the way they administer it nowadays that it doesn't sound as torturous as it used to be. So hopefully all will go well and be manageable so I can be successful in doing this without pain medications.

Well, I am making this short and sweet since I have a lot to do before tomorrow. I'm sure Mike will get something posted by Monday. Keep us in your prayers that everything goes well.

Past the Due Date

2007-01-26T16:25:00.000-06:00

It's Friday afternoon, and we have nothing to report. Hopefully we will have some good baby news to share next week!

Love,
Mike and Jenny

It's D-Day.....Now what?

2007-01-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

So here I am, at work, eating left over pizza at my desk on the Estimated Due date of Baby Olson. Since we found out, I have had a clock type ticker counting down the days until the due date and as of today, it is gone. The weekly updates on my pregnancy with tidbits of information came today with congratulations on your new bundle of joy--yet we sit here....still waiting. I've kind of prepared myself for the fact that I will be overdue, yet I can't help but feel kind of let down at the same time. Yes, I know that I still have 11 hours until midnight and anything can happen, but chances are it won't. I am just ready to get this over with. I'm tired of thinking about it, talking about it and waiting for it to happen. I've been getting contractions over the last few days and the baby is so low that if it dropped anymore I'd be walking around with it in my knees. Yet the baby is still comfortable in there, in its own little personal hot tub keeping the rest of us in suspense. Tomorrow, I start charging rent.

The statistical numbers for Due dates to me is like a huge dart board. It is said that 95% of babies are born within 2 weeks of their EDD. This is anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks from LMP (40 weeks full term). Yet only 14% of babies are actually born on their due dates. Furthermore, only 10% of babies are more than a week overdue (but with early ultrasound confirmation, this drops to 4%). I never took a statistics class in school so I don't know what all this could mean statistically, but common sense says it is a load of manure. People like numbers, so they set up a formula that is as useless as a politician. It tells you what you want to hear, yet tells you absolutely nothing.

People have circulated both my desk and Mike's inquiring on whether the baby is here yet. I even brought in donuts today because I figure I might as well feed the people who come by since I don't have a whole heck of a lot left to do. I guess I'd rather spend my day here at work waiting and doing a little something rather than being at home watching TV and watching the clock tick on by. By the way, I still have 4 donuts left if anyone wants one.........

Two Days to D-day......

2007-01-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

.....and I'm still pregnant. I have to remind myself that this date is only an estimation and not an absolution. It's frustrating not knowing when exactly the end is in sight, but there is an end to this pregnancy in the next two weeks. Good Lord, I sure hope it isn't another two weeks. If I'm still pregnant next Monday, I'm not sure if I will even come to work. Countless people stopped at my desk this morning to comment on the fact I am still here. I was hoping that I could forget.

Mike did get a voice mail from Scott Jacobson this morning to let us know that Linda gave birth to a 7lb, 7oz baby boy this morning at 9am. Scott had told Mike on Friday that they were scheduling her induction today, but apparently Baby Jabobson had other ideas. (He showed up the day after his due date). Congratulations to Linda, Scott and new big brother, Tate. We are looking forward to seeing a picture of this new little guy!

Will the hairspray hold up?

2007-01-19T15:16:00.000-06:00

Last summer, while Mike and I were in Europe we saw this ad for hairspray in many of the Oslo subway stations. We thought it was hilarious. I doubt my hair will look that good after giving birth, but maybe I can get Jen to send me some of this stuff overnight from Norway to see if it lives up to its claim.

Two weeks to D-day

2007-01-10T11:36:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not planning an invasion of Normandy even though on some days I feel like a battle tank. I have two weeks until the estimated due date of Baby Olson and I am just about at the point where I am just done with this whole thing. It's not necessarily because I am overly uncomfortable, even though Mike can tell you that I can complain with the best of them. Mostly, I am getting a little tired of people's comments on my size, etc.

I know people mean well for the most part, but depending on the comment and who it comes from, it really taxes on your nerves. Sure I feel like a beached whale, but is it really necessary to point that out to me? I know I am huge being near term, but we are pretty certain that we are NOT having twins. Yes it happens to people, but don't feel inclined to tell me that every time you see me. Even if I just walk into a room, people sometimes comment on how miserable I look. Even at the baby shower at work on Monday, someone made a comment about my ability to fit into the chair reserved for me. I made a stupid retort about the need to get a fork-lift trying to gaff it off as being funny--but it bothered me a little. Most people will be polite in general about peoples' everyday appearance, but they can't seem to keep the tact when it comes to expectant mothers. I'm sure it could be worse and like I said people mean well, but eventually you run out of humor and patience with these things. It makes me appreciate the postive remarks from people that much more, because they are really a minority of the comments you get from people.

Monday, a bunch of co-workers threw us a baby shower at the office (see picture above). Even though Mike and I were aware of it, it was surprising how many people showed up and the amount of gifts we received. With both of our personalities being more on the reserved side and tend to stay out of the In-crowd, we are not really aware of how people perceive us in general and had really no idea what to expect. I, in particular, am really not comfortable being the center of attention so I was really happy that Mike was there. He seems to relax a little easier in these situations and in no time relished in the concept of the baby shower--and being the only man in the room, I was quite impressed. Afterwards, I got a few remarks about how neat it was for the other women to see him so excited and into this whole baby thing and a couple had said that their husbands didn't really show that much enthusiasm when they were expecting. Mike just continues to amaze me and I think he is going to be a wonderful Dad.

Maternity Leave Paperwork....

2007-01-03T12:28:00.000-06:00

In preparation for my impending leave I have an abundance of forms to fill out for our HR Department. As I look at this stuff and some of the questions included, I can’t help but laugh and my mind fills with all kinds of sarcastic remarks that I could include in the paperwork.

FORM #1

Question #2
Is this condition due to a) Sickness b) accident c) Surgery
Response: Both a & b. Some may argue that we are crazy for having a baby thus indicating severe mental illness. Accident could be justifiable since it wasn’t completely planned nor prevented. Things happen.

Question #3
Describe how the injury incurred (what, how, where, when) or the nature and details of the sickness and when it began:
Response: Well, it was incurred the conventional way. I suppose on a Saturday night in May 2006, we got a little bored at home and one thing led to another. (Please refer to health education books for further explanation, if required). A few weeks later I missed my period and started to experience some nausea and later some swelling within the abdomen. This has progressed for the last nine months and further symptoms have included weight gain, swelling of the feet and ankles, increased appetite, absent mindedness, moodiness and strange movement within the abdominal cavity. The midwife has come to the conclusion that I am experiencing pregnancy.

Question #4
Is this disability related to your employment?
Response: Yes. Since both employee and spouse met and work at the same firm this would qualify as employment related.

FORM #2

Question #2
a) Diagnosis: Pregnancy
b) Objective Findings (including x-rays, EKGs, Psychiatric testing, laboratory data and clinical findings):
Response: Patient presented in June 2006 with symptoms suggestive of pregnancy. A urinalysis conducted concluded that the HCG levels were supportive of pregnancy. Numerous ultrasounds were conducted to verify the cell growth within the uterine cavity supporting the preliminary diagnosis of pregnancy. Eventually, evacuation of cells must occur resulting in several weeks of physical healing and a lifetime of mental strain. Further psychological evaluation indicates mood swings, weepiness and exhaustion of the patient resulting in mental strain of the patient’s spouse.

Question #3
Has patient ever been treated for the same or similar condition? If yes, state when and describe.
Response: Patient has experienced condition twice in the past. The first time occurred in 1996 and resulted in a 6 pound 6 ounce female. The following year, the patient presented with a 7 pound male.

Tomorrow night is a Full Moon.......

2007-01-02T15:11:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I hit my 37th week and the baby is now classified as full term even though I still have three weeks left until my due date. Yesterday, Mike and I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and pack our "emergency" bags to be stowed in our trunks until the baby decides that it's ready to make its entrance into the world. I think we are pretty well set with everything we have to have and I got the car seat installed into the "family truckster" just in case. Now the waiting game begins.

Someone brought to my attention this morning that tomorrow night will be a full moon and they say that when there is a full moon the maternity wards are packed. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it makes me a little nervous. I'm hoping for another two weeks.

Mike, the kids and I stayed home for christmas this year. While we were a little bummed to miss out of Grandma Olson's Lutefisk, we were kind of glad that we didn't have to make the long trip back to Iowa. Christmas weekend was low-key and last week it was fairly dead at the office so I was able to get a lot of organization done at work. I'm not done with all I want to accomplish, but I'm getting there.

This past weekend, we had a FULL house. My sister, Jill, and her family came up on Friday night and my sister, Amy, and her family came up Saturday morning for a late holiday celebration. Somehow, we managed to cram a total of 12 people in our house for a majority of the weekend and the 6 kids had a blast. I think we had more people in our house over the past weekend than we have had the entire year combined. We consumed mass quanities of food, stayed up late and had a pretty good weekend. We also got the added bonus of a visit from my good friend, Nanine, her husband Corey and their three kids on Friday. They had moved near Galvaston, Texas for the weather about 18 months ago and we hadn't seen them since. We were pretty exhausted yesterday, but was well worth it!

At ease, soldier

2006-12-13T17:26:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, on Saturday morning, I went to "Boot Camp for Dads" class down at the hospital where Jenny and I have taken a couple other pre-birthing classes. It was fun, because a couple of other new dads brought in their babies, and they had a chance to share their overall point of view of the birth experience, and the dads-to-be got a chance to be around a couple of babies. The main reason the babies came was, if a diaper needed to be changed, one of the soon-to-be dads had to do it for some worthwhile practice. Unfortunately there were only 6 "Boot Camp" dads and 2 babies, so not everyone got the challenge of tackling and coming out alive from going toe to toe with a stinky diaper. I am proud to say that I got stinky diaper #2, and survived (barely). Actually I jumped right in, and felt at ease doing it. So I will say right now, and I'm sure Jenny will remind me quite often of what I am about to say, but I am excited and looking forward to doing a lot of the "dirty work" with the baby when I can. Not only changing diapers, but everything. Jenny has already gone through being a "New Mom" twice, and I'm sure several years ago that she never really thought she would be doing it a third time, so now it's my turn to do as much of the initial parenting exercises as possible.

I also liked hearing from the other dads, because they offered a much more pragmatic and realistic point of view rather than the idealistic point of view from the Holistic Birth class. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed most of the Holistic Birth class, and was able to get a lot of nice ideas from it, but Boot Camp was more about what really happens, instead of learning ways to cope with the process. The dads that brought in the babies said that there wasn't time for all the soothing material suggested in the Holistic Class. They said they couldn't take time to put on the right music, think about aromatic scents and oils in the birth room, lay out pictures or objects that take you to a different time and place, read books and magazines, etc. The new dads said that they brought in boat-loads of this type of stuff, and didn't touch most of it. Actually they overlooked other more important things and had to make additional trips back home. But basically, what I got out of the three hour class last Saturday morning, was to expect the unexpected, don't overpack for the hospital, and do whatever you can do for your wife. Simple enough, right?

48 days and counting......

2006-12-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

My goodness, time just keeps slipping away and with the holidays it seems to pace at double speed. By the time New Years rolls around, we will have only three weeks left if the due date stands. Monday morning as I went through my calendar to plan out my work week, I came to the realization that I have to get moving on transitioning my projects to other people so they have time to figure out what they need to finish while I am away. I think I was a little in denial that this time would come, these things had to be resolve and there is indeed a little person within my body that has to come out. I have so much to do and very little time left to do it. I panicked.

This week I have been focused on figuring out who should take what project and trying to get them inbedded into the project now. I'm trying to allow myself to relax a little bit and keep my hands from clenching on to these things so I can let them go into good, capable hands. It's not the end of the world, even though it felt like that for a while. I'm having a baby, not falling off the face of the earth. Darn it, it is just so hard to give it all up--maternity leave looms like some black cloud of the unknown. Sure, I bitch about my job at times, but when it comes down to it--I love what I do. I can't imagine doing anything else. Maybe subconsciously I'm afraid that I'll enjoy maternity leave that I won't want to come back (just a theory).

With this new little person blessing our lives, my identity changes again as a person. It also changes my ability to commit to some extent to my projects for a while. I have had a hard time accepting and acknowledging that, but I'm starting too. It's hard to charge ahead, take additional responsibility towards more project managerial tasks and then have to let it go for a while. There's an underlying fear that it will be gone forever, but I've been assured it won't be. I can't help but fear it and only time will tell what the outcome will be. I have to prepare for this now with the possibility the baby may come early, rather than procrastinate with the gamble that s/he will be late. I don't like to gamble.

I like it hot and spicy....

2006-12-04T12:42:00.000-06:00

Food that is. I think with every pregnancy, there is a different craving that drives the expectant mother to insanity. I can say that I have never personally had the desire to eat pickles with ice cream or dirt, but I have had my distinct tastes for things with each of my pregnancies.

With Ashlynn, it was chinese food--chicken with broccoli to be exact. I could have eaten that everyday if it had been financially feasible to do so. I also popped Spree candy like there was no tomorrow. Towards the end, it turned to ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches as food commercials alone eventually gave me heartburn. With Alec, it was all about red meat (medium cooked) with salad and bread. I remember insisting on McDonald's fries and a Burger King Whopper--thankfully they were across the street from one another. My friend (Liz) and I, both pregnant at the time, would make the occassional splurge and head off to a Tex-Mex restaurant in Tyler and fill up until I felt we were nearly to the point where they had to wheel us out of the place. I have fond memories of watching them make the flour tortillas in an oven contraption in the lobby area when you walked in. They'd bring them out once you were seated and I'd load it with honey, roll it up and savor every last bite of it. I can't remember how the rest of the meal there rated. I ate like a pig, gained little weight and hardly had issues with heartburn.

With this one, I believe this baby has inherited the Olson/Stuepfert vegetable & fruit consumption gene. It certainly did not come from my family as we were raised on the rare can of vegetables and fruit was nearly non-existent in my home. (Matt, we will have to wait to see if s/he has also inherited the Lutefisk gene, since I won't be eating that for Christmas this year). Right now, I am finding myself craving vegetables that I would have normally never wanted to eat--asparagus, zuccini, garbanzo beans, onions, white (mashed) potatoes and peppers to name a few. I find myself ordering things off the menu that I have not tried before or just because they are supposed to be spicy. I also find myself buying frozen ethnic meals in the organic grocery section because I have to have something different and loaded with vegetables--meat has not been very appealling to me. Surprisingly, these things don't give me any heart burn, but orange juice which was once my favorite beverage is starting to give me some problems. Lately, I find myself thinking about Joost's Peanut butter-chicken-banana dish over rice he made for us while he was here two-and-a-half years ago. Hopefully, Joost will see this and send me the recipe before it turns into the obsession that is likely to occur over the next few weeks. Currently, I have no problem eating, but the desire to cook is starting to disappear. That could pose a dilemna, as Mike's cooking selection is very limited and my palate is not.

Time keeps on slipping into the future.....

2006-11-08T10:51:00.000-06:00

Here we are, already into November and only two weeks away from Thanksgiving. Christmas and New Year's will be upon us before we know it. Where does the time go?

Sunday night, Mike and I attended our first childbirth education class called Holistic Birth. In part of the class, we each had to draw our image of birth and then share our picture and thoughts with the rest of the class. For me, I couldn't really think of an image as when I think about it, I feel more of an emotion than see an image. How can you draw that? Mike had a distinct image in his mind, but right after the class was over he tossed it into the trash since he felt it wasn't the same caliber that brother Matt has been producing in his art classes. (But if you ask us, Matt's "masterpieces" look more like simple paint-by-numbers.... Just teasing)

We had some good discussions on the subject and I have to say that I am really surprised at Mike's attitude on the whole thing. For months, I have been waiting for him to totally freak out about the whole thing, but he hasn't. I, on the other hand, have been doing enough of that for the both of us. I had expressed my concern in class that he might not be prepared for the process of labor and delivery. He went on to explain his thoughts and has a pretty realistic idea of what to expect even though some of the details are a little fuzzy. After he was done speaking, the instructor turned to me and said that he'd be just fine. I agreed.

The giving birth aspect doesn't scare me at all and I am attempting to do this again completely natural--no drugs. Some people look at me like I am totally nuts because child birth hurts, but every change in life--good or bad--involves pain in one way or another. I am more terrified of catheters inserted into my spine, narcotics injected into my blood stream and probable medical interventions as a result, than I am of the natural process of child birth. Maybe I am a little crazy, but I am more afraid of modern medicine interfering than I am of the pain. Doctors scare the hell out of me.

We are also seeing a group of midwives instead of an OB, which is also strange to some people. In the US, there is this negative stigma associated with it--I've heard things like only poor people in the countryside use them, that they aren't properly trained or educated and that babies should be delivered in the hospital under the supervision of an OB. The truth is that in parts of Europe, most babies are delivered by midwife and only high risk patients are tended by OBs. I also like the fact that a midwife is technically a nurse who tends to have a better bedside manner with their patients than a physician based on my own personal experience. They also try to stay with you during your labor rather than just making the appearance at the last minute for the big catch--that will be $4000 please. Our average appointment with the Midwife lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and we have plenty of time to talk about whatever questions, fears, concerns, etc. we have with her. So far we have met five of the eight midwives and we have liked them all. Given my general distrust and fear of modern medicine, it's a good fit for me.

Halloween is over...

2006-11-06T15:02:00.000-06:00

Here are the kids dressed up in their Halloween best. Ashlynn is a Vampiress without the fangs (can't wear them with braces). Alec is a mangled hockey zombie. Mike was out in Boston during the festivities and constructed the stick-thru-helmet before he left, but the three of us had fun nonetheless. The weather was on the cool side, but didn't deter the kids from going out on a mission to get as much candy as possible.

I think I had the most fun putting the make up on the kids. Alec was quite the hit with most people as his face was so gross looking and realistic that it was cool. You gotta love Party City and the make up kits you can buy....

Alec had his first hockey game yesterday and scored 4 goals. He will also tell you that his team won 12-6. Now he is contemplating what NHL team he wants to play for. You have to admire little kids and their big dreams--anything is possible.

Still 13 TP squares....

2006-10-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

I should start measuring my belly lengthwise rather than through the thickest part of my belly. I can tell you, and Mike can verify that I am getting bigger, I'm just not getting wider--yet. I should be thankful for that. Depending on what book I am reading, I have officially hit the third trimester of my pregnancy and the seventh month. The books stop measuring the baby's length from crown to rump and start measuring from head to toe. So for this week, they say the average length is about 15" (38cm) and around 2 pounds. It is also suggested that around this time the baby will begin to experience REM sleep. What does an unborn person dream about?

As of today, we have about 89 days until the due date. We have some of the baby's furniture in the nursery and a few items of clothing that I either still had from the kids, picked up on sale or acquired from a resale shop. Nine years ago I had no problem finding gender neutral clothing, but is pretty much impossible these days with everyone finding out what they are having before the baby is born. Everything neutral these days is either yellow or green with zoo animals and stripes. For the first few weeks, the baby will be dressed like a duck. I have to say I am amazed at the amount of junk you can buy for a baby nowadays.

I wonder how much of this stuff people actually use and how much money is wasted on stuff they never do? Resale shops are full of stuff that look like it has never been used and I have found that it's nearly impossible to get rid of stuff that you no longer need. I think it is another display of how wasteful our society is. As a kid, most of my clothes were hand-me downs from my cousin or came from thrift shops and garage sales. Today, kids are wearing nicer clothes than their parents and probably a majority never have worn hand-me-downs in their lives. I know my kids dress better than me, but with my daughter's clothes, once she outgrows her clothes I give them to my niece, Lauren. My sister tells me that Lauren loves it and I feel that I am not wasting money since it is used by at least two girls. Alec's clothes on the other hand are a different story--I've got multiple storage totes to prove it. They may actually have a home with a family that really needs it--we'll see this weekend.

Working on a Saturday

2006-10-21T13:29:00.000-05:00

At least it is rainy and crappy outside so I don't feel so bad about spending part of my day inside working on some lighting studies for a project I am trying to complete. There is hardly anyone in the office so you actually feel like you can get something done without the phones ringing, people chatting and constant burrage of email that you are subjected to five days a week. I can take my time and not feel like anyone is looking on my shoulder or about to disturb my concentration. It's therapeutic--I'm in control of my little world for a couple of hours as long as the network doesn't blow my rendering model forcing me to start it all over again.

I'm also glad to be out of the house for a couple of hours as I have had a rough few weeks. Alec has ADHD and is having some behavioral problems. He's been in some trouble at school lately and it seems Mike and I have been talking to too many people trying to get things going to help him adjust and cope with his burden. I think it is calming down a little with him as there is a plan in place and things lined up to get things straight, but I don't think I've caught up with it all emotionally. I'm exhausted and behind at work from trying to get things figured out at home. Yesterday, I felt like checking myself into the Dane County Mental Health Institute for a little R&R as I found myself crying over buying the wrong toilet seat among other things on my mind. Today I am more optimistic.

Ashlynn went home sick on Tuesday and seems to be a little under the weather and Mike had to travel a couple days this week and will be gone a good chunk of next week. So this is my little break before I am back to holding down the fort again next week at home and trying to keep up with the pace of things at the office. I think I'm starting to look forward to taking off time for maternity leave. I just hope things are calmer and more manageable so it doesn't turn into a total living hell with two fighting kids and a screaming newborn. Ahhhh, the joys of parenthood. I must be crazy.

97 Bottles of beer on the wall......

2006-10-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

Actually, it's 97 more days until I can have a bottle of beer again. It's hard to believe how fast this is all going and after next week, I will officially reach the third trimester. Ready or not, this baby will be here before we know it. It's surreal sometimes, but once the baby gets here it will grow up fast. Right now, the baby is nearly two pounds in weight and 9" from head to rump. I'm happy to report that the baby has realized that there is still plenty of room in there that it can get off my hips and thus give my bladder some much needed relief. However, my lungs are starting to feel the difference. Overall, I am feeling good, but get tired easily and have only gained about 18 lbs so far.

Today my baby girl, Ashlynn, is turning 10. I can't believe it. She lost another tooth two days ago and just told me last night. Some kids in her class told her that the tooth fairy doesn't really exist and she purposely didn't tell me to see if it was true or not. So, I admitted the truth to her and she was a little disappointed that she had been "lied" to all her life. I told her that we could still pretend and she was a good sport about it as she really wanted the dollar for the tooth anyway. I guess it's one of those milestones that help her evolve from a child to an adult. She walked away feeling proud that she knew something that her brother didn't. Hopefully she is not left with emotional scars from the realization.

I should mention my sister, Jill, as she had a birthday on Monday. She claims that she isn't having anymore, but I want to wish her happy birthday anyway. She's only 31 and I'm sure there are many people out there that wish they were 31. It's all about perspective, I suppose. My nephew, Jack, also had his second birthday on the 14th.

Norway, My Way

2006-10-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything new, but I do have one neat thing to share. Back in May or June, my mom learned of an essay contest coordinated by the ISU Study Abroad Center, and I decided to submit an essay about my trip to Norway in 1996. I didn't win (how many engi-nerds win essay contests anyway?), but I had fun writing about my experiences. They posted the two winning essays, and after reading the first one, mine easily would have been put to shame, so I can see why I didn't get picked. They also told me that I was a finalist, so I was one of 10 essays to get mentioned. But I wonder if there were only 10 essays submitted...

So to all of you ISU grads out there who did a study abroad semester (that includes you Mom!), there is another essay contest with a due date of March 1st, 2007. I suggest you put forth your best effort and write a winning essay!

Back by popular demand.....

2006-10-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

...it's Tuesday and I have been negligent in posting the Toilet Paper Tuesday results. My friend, Jane, got on to me last week about not publishing the last few weeks so since I am declaring her popular and by her demand, here it is. You'd think that at 23 weeks and 6 days along I'd be up to atleast half a roll by now, but I am still hovering at around 13 squares. I guess I should be grateful that I am tall with a long torso which means I am going to go up before I completely expand outward. The baby is active and moves from high up to down really low. It now weighs just over a pound and when it burrows down into my hips, it really puts the squeeze on the bladder. Some days I threaten to stand on my head to make it move up for some much needed relief. In two days, we'll reach the 24 week mark which means the baby will be considered viable if it is born now and has a chance to survive with intensive care. I pray that it stays put until its fully baked.

While the baby has nearly reached viability, the dog was almost declared at the end of his viability yesterday afternoon. Alec called me at work just after he returned from school to report that Mason had managed to tear apart a brand new box of Tropical punch flavored Capri Sun all over our off-white living room carpet. I can tell you that I had visions of punch from one end of the living room to the other, something befitting a bloody murder scene in a bad horror movie. Luckily for the dog's sake, Alec had picked up most of the ruptured bags and got them cleaned up without more added mess which not only spared the damage to the carpet but the dog's life. We now have a very noticable pink spot in the carpet, but is fairly small. Our dog is still living and a member of the family, but the next incident will likely banish him back to the crate for the 7 hours he is home alone. We love him despite his misbehaviors and luckily his little incidents are rare and usually confined to boxes of Kleenex or the occassional forgotten loaf of bread.

I'm going to HAVE a baby....

2006-10-02T07:50:00.000-05:00

You'd think that I would have realized that by now, but I think just over the last week I've become aware that this kid has got to come out. At first with that realization, I experienced a little panic but that is subsiding to allow me to prepare myself emotionally, mentally and of course, physically for this baby. Pregnancy is really an emotional roller coaster and is utterly confusing and somewhat stressful. You lose your attention span, control of your emotions and body, and eventually metamorphisize into a mother all over again. I don't think people who have never gone through that really ever understand or appreciate it because so much of it seems to be internal. Insensitivity from other people makes it more difficult.

It's much like getting a new computer at work. You have to sort through all your files and delete things you don't need, save what you do need and get it all backed up on the network. It's a time consuming process and you end up revisiting a lot of files that can be painful, amusing, astonishing or just plain old dreadful. It's something that has to be done and is usually required when you already have way too much to do anyway. Eventually, you have to reorganize all that information on to your new workstation and let the old one go for re-formatting. As you work through this process, you strive to make your new computer more organized, comprehensive and efficient. In the end, in most cases, you succeed but you still forget files that you kick yourself for deleting, usually are distracted by those "hidden" files and eventually you move on to other things. You adapt to your new system.

I've spent the last few months sorting those files and revisiting a lot of things that are particularily painful. Slowly, I am allowing myself to get over them all over again with the hopes of letting them go forever. I am trying to identify my ghosts and let them go to make room for the new things to come in the future. I have no room in my life for this old baggage and I've found it to be surprising that I am just now doing this. I am chalking it up to the fact that I am in a place emotionally where I am ready to accept the new hand I have been given and learn to play a new game I don't know.

I told Mike a few days ago that I think I have just come to the realization that I am no longer a "single" parent and I no longer need to live my life in the survival mode I have lived in my whole life--we've been married more than two years now. The success of our lives is no longer solely dependant on me and I have to learn to work in a new partnership with Mike. I have to take on a new role and responsibility and that changes my priorities from my career to my family. He came from a family with a good model of what that should be and I come from a broken one. Now I have to learn to live and enjoy life. We need to build a home and we all have to pitch in with laying the foundation. I can tell you that I am venturing in to the virtual unknown, entering with some hesitation due to fear of the unknown, yet with a feeling in my heart that this is what needs to be done and things will be better because of it.

This posting is very personal in nature and a little intimidating to me that so many people I know and don't know are reading this. I am so buried now with the mental preparation of the birth of this child that I am now starting to burrow into books, soaking up anything I can get my hands on to learn new things and discover my feelings and expectations on things. I'm re-evaluating my priorities and trying to stir up positive changes within our household. It's really become my mission, because this is a big change for all of us. Our house is being redefined from Mom, Mike, Ashlynn and Alec to Mom, Dad, big sister and big brother to a new little person and all four of us have a new role to prepare for. The divisions need to dissolve and a new unity and understanding needs to be birthed with this child--this is my hope and dream. We are all going to HAVE a baby--not just me.

Baby Pool Game

2006-09-27T07:21:00.000-05:00

All right folks! Many of us play in all kinds of game pools for basketball, football, or whatever else floats your boat. I thought it might be fun to start an online baby pool. You get points for guessing things like weight, length, gender, birthdate and time. I just set it up, so I need to get in there and figure out what all we can do with it. We have options for putting in polls, hints and a bunch of other stuff, so I'm sure over the next few months it will change. Right now, I have it set up for each person to get 5 guesses, but I am considering making it unlimited for those of you who might prove to be gung-ho about it. It doesn't cost you anything to play and you won't win anything if you're right--but you'll get the bragging rights if it pleases you. The website is www.expectnet.com and our game name is mjolson.

Another BIG Birthday!

2006-09-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

Happy 90th Birthday to Grandma Gertie!!!!!

The big party is this weekend in Thor, Iowa. It is so big that my sister flew home from Norway for it, and Marcia and family are coming in from Texas. What a great family gathering this is going to be!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Love,
Mike and Jenny

2006-09-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday!

Just wanted to wish Joost a Happy Birthday! We hope you have a great day!

Mike and Jenny

Fight, Fight, Fight for Iowa State!

2006-09-13T17:04:00.000-05:00

Well it's Wednesday and I didn't post the results from the last two Toilet Paper Tuesdays. It's kind of a lame idea, but where this pregnancy is concerned it continues to be a whole lot of hurry up and wait. To answer the question, my midsection width hasn't gotten any wider, but rather is moving up my torso like a mutated elevator of sorts. My "bump" peak is just above my belly button now and the baby seems to be breech and enjoying the trampoline I call a bladder. Undoubtedly, this kid has Mike's athleticism (combine with the recessive athleticism gene that my father, brothers and son have) and the long legs and arms consistent within the Olson clan to wreck havoc on my insides over the next few months. I will expect a nice, expensive Mother's day gift for the daily beatings I get--at least a nice dinner and a six pack of Spaten.

Things are settling into a routine at home with the kids back in school and the re-organization projects coming to an end. Mike is coordinating the local ISU club game watch this Saturday against the dreaded montrosity of a team some refer to as the Iowa Hawkeyes. We've got our "Beat Iowa" t-shirts washed and ready for wear on Saturday. I'm not sure what else Mike has up his sleeves to bring good karma to Iowa State, but undoubtedly he's got it all figured out. He's his father's son, and when it comes to sports and tailgates of any kind, you better get out of the way because they've got the situation under control--some serious tailgating masters. Go Cyclones!

No longer a Gummy Bear.....

2006-09-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

...but rather s/he looks like an actual baby. I have to say that the 3D ultrasounds are pretty amazing. Yesterday, Mike and I went in for our 20 week ultrasound, which I think should be the last one. It's hard to believe that we have hit the half way point of this pregnancy and before we know it, he or she will be here. We decided not to find out the sex of the baby until it is born as we thought that there are just too few happy surprises in life so why spoil this one?

So far the baby's growth is right on track and anatomically speaking, everything is developing perfectly. You can't really ask for anything more than that. My "morning sickness" still lingers, but is not so much of a problem. If only I could control my emotions.......it's getting to be out of control. Sometimes I cannot even sing along with the radio without crying--what's up with that?

Last weekend, Mike and I did some major reorganization around the house. We got the family room cleaned out and he cleaned up the laundry/storage room while I took down the wallpaper in Alec's room. I plan to get his room painted on Sunday, so that should hopefully be the last of the big projects for a while. I realized last weekend that I was indeed pregnant and I am not able to run around and do things the way I used to.

The kids started school this week and so far they have been enjoying it. Ashlynn has had her braces on for a week and she is quite proud of them. She likes to be able to go to the bathroom after lunch with her friend, Heidi, to brush their teeth. I think she feels like a goddess or something. Alec is making new friends in his class and seems to be happy to be home and back in his own school again.

A BIG Stick of Butter - that moves!

2006-08-29T16:20:00.000-05:00

Jenny decided that it was my turn to write the weekly "Toilet Paper Tuesday" segment. Since I avoid any and all confrontation with her, I agreed. She is 13 squares around (I don't watch her do the test, so I just take her word for it), and has gained approximately 8 pounds (3.6 kilos) over the last three weeks. We went in for the monthly check-up yesterday, so that is how I know about the weight. Obviously bound to happen, so no big deal. Overall, things are going great and I can just about start to feel a little bit of movement. A few nights ago Jenny was feeling a lot of activity in her belly, so she grabbed my hand and I could feel a tiny bit of movement myself, which I thought was pretty neat. I am looking forward to see how it reacts to a lot of noise during a Packer game when the season starts!

Regarding the Culver's Situation: Jenny had her heart set on mashed potatos from Culver's restaurant, and instead was given fries in the drive-thru.....Warning: Don't EVER mess up a pregnant woman's food order, as everyone else has to suffer. She didn't go back to Culver's to fix the order, and I'm glad she didn't. I think the police may have been called if she had.

A few other thoughts I have and would like to share:
1. Thanks to everyone who has visited our website and I apologize for not responding or commenting back very much. So even if you don't want to leave a comment, keep coming back and seeing what is going on with us!

2. Recently there have been a few people close to us that are going through some hardships with illness and loss of loved ones, so Jenny made a comment I would like to share.

She said, "Things happen to good people so that the rest of us will pay attention to the gifts we get every day in life but are too busy to recognize or appreciate."

I find myself thinking often about our friends and their hardhips and what Jenny said, and I try and slow down and think about what we have and the people that we love. It is hard to express what our friends and family mean to us, so about all I can say is that we love you and are looking forward to the next time our paths cross.

Peace out!

2006-08-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

Well, it's still Tuesday and time for another update. I am sitting here at work trying to finish up a lighting calculation that needs to be submitted to the plan commission tomorrow--and I have to be on the road to Peoria, Illinois by 5am. I am sure I will be pretty beat by the time I get home tomorrow night and that I might just go to bed as soon as I walk in the door. Sometimes I wonder why I should be so dedicated to my job since it really isn't dedicated to me. Mike's salary provides the bagels and I add the cream cheese (not sure if it's Philly yet or the store brand).

An update on the waist line--up to nearly 12 toilet paper squares now. I feel like I look like a lopsided pear with drumstick legs, but some people say I look cute--I think people just say that to make the expectant mother feel a little less hideous. I guess I should take what I can now, as I am sure the comments such as "you look like a tank" or "you look like you're about to explode" start sliping out of people's mouths. Some little baby facts include being nearly 5-1/2" long, 7 ounces and full of facial expressions.

The kids got home on Saturday and things have been manageable. Ashlynn has designated herself my personal nurse, and initially insisted on opening all doors for me and ordering my meal at McDonald's. She even asked me if I needed a wheelchair. In any case, she has been walking around with a doll practicing to be a big sister of a new baby and she is taking it very seriously too. Both kids are excited so far--we'll see what happens once the baby gets here.

Maybe Mike will blog the Culver's Situation later......

A stick of Butter......

2006-08-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

That's what my book correlates the baby's head to rump length to this week. Its tiny little heart supposedly pumps as much as 25 quarts of blood a day, and its taste buds are as developed as an adult's. It's hard to imagine that this baby inside my body is already that big--and is going to get a whole lot bigger. I'm still measuring 11.25 toilet paper squares from last week though. My wardrobe has drastically shrunk and shopping for maternity clothes has been a chore--not much selection and costly for the duration of wear. Too bad I can't wear Mike's sweatpants and t-shirts to work....

We spent this past weekend up in Minneapolis and spent some time with Matt at his new bachelor pad he shares with two friends. The new house is pretty nice and we had a good time at a St. Paul's Saints game on Friday and a leisurely 2.75 mile walk around Lake Harriet on Saturday. In the afternoon, we headed to visit Scott and Linda Jacobson at their new house for Tate's third birthday party. There were quite a few people there and lots of activity with all the little kids and dogs running around and having the time of their lives. We had a great time, which was spent visiting with people we haven't seen in a long time, yet feeling like no time had past since we last saw them. I have to mention that Scott & Linda and Todd & Kari Peter are expecting as well--we are all due within a week of each other. I wonder how many other FarmHousers got bored that week that we haven't heard about..... I'm sure Mike will post a lengthy detailed blog about our trip, so I won't steal his thunder on that one. You'll just have to check back later for him to post the details......no pressure Mike.

The week ahead will be a busy one as Mike has a work deliverable and I have to travel to Boston for two days. I don't look forward to the travel with all the new security requirements, but I can look forward to a good cup of New England clam chowder and some fresh seafood while I'm there--that alone is worth the trip for me. The kids return home on Saturday morning and I am excited for them to be home. Ashlynn will get her spacers put on next Tuesday and the remaining sections of her braces on the following week. We'll be sure to post a picture of that and I'm sure she'll be smiling as she has been pestering me for a while to get them. Some of her friends already have them, so for her it is cool to be getting them ahead of the other friends who will also be getting them over the next year or so.

Until next time......

Toilet Paper Tuesday

2006-08-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it is Tuesday and I got the results from the roll of toilet paper. I'm sure everyone is just dying to know what it says.....I am up a quarter square this week--11.25 squares. Maybe next week I'll get a belly shot posted.

I'm starting to feel movement now, which I started to suspect about a week or so ago. The only way I can describe it at first would be to imagine a fish in a plastic bag filled with water. Every once in a while you feel a swoosh of something, but before you quite know what it was--it's gone. It wasn't very pronounced, but it's not your imagination either. Over the last couple of days, I am feeling it move a little more with increasing strength, but not enough that Mike is able to feel him/her. For me, at least, it's starting to be a little more real rather than some bad case of the flu and run-away PMS.

Mike and I have been on the rampage with home improvements. In the last two weeks, I've stripped three rooms of wall paper, painted three (starting #4) and working to clean junk out of the house. I can't believe I ended up with 4 bags of garbage from the kids rooms alone. Mike has done a number of projects in the yard and around the house. I figure that if I want this stuff done, I better do it now while I can still move around in a somewhat normal manner. If I don't get it all done, I'm likely to mull over it for the next year and drive Mike absolutely crazy with my complaining.

The kids will be home on the 19th, so it will change from a quiet, calm place to a chaotic bustle of activity. The kids start school on September 1st, so there will be an abundance of shopping and organizing to do to prepare for the next school year. Once that starts, time seems to evaporate.

15 Week appointment

2006-08-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

This morning, Mike and I went for another prenatal appointment with the midwife. It's hard to believe we are already at 15 weeks and getting close to the half-way point of this adventure. The morning sickness is better now and my energy is getting back up there, but somewhere along the way I seem to have lost my brain and have been possessed by hormones. Any of you ladies that have been through this probably can relate (or you have repressed it) and all the men who have been subjected to it will probably have lifelong mental scarring from it.

Anyway, in case you have wondered how Mike is doing with all of this, I'd have to say he has been awesome. He has been grounded while I seemed to have turned into a full fledge pregnant psychopath (I don't really think I'm that bad, but hey, I got to keep a sense of humor about all this).

So back to the subject of our visit today. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat and it was around 150 bpm. The baby is about 4 inches long now (head to rump) or equivelant to the length of a grapefruit. According to my pregnancy book, its ears and eyes are now where they will be at birth and is now starting to grow eyebrows. They say the baby can now suck its thumb, which I hope doesn't develop into a permanent habit. My uterus is now just below my belly button and I have a visible pouch. On a website message board I participate in, someone started a "Toilet paper Tuesday" where you measure the widest part of the abdomen. Yesterday I measured 11 squares so you get a little perspective. I'll try to update every Tuesday....

Here is an ultrasound photo in 3D from a couple of weeks ago. It's kind of fuzzy, but as the technician put it, it looks like a gummy bear. We'll have another ultrasound in September at 20 weeks which I hope will have better definition.

Guten Tag! - Auf Wiedersehen!

2006-07-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

We were in Milwaukee, WI this past weekend for the largest gathering of sausage and sauerkraut eaters this side of the Atlantic. That's right, Germanfest! There is lots of polka music, the best yodeler in the world, and real "German beer" (actually the Milwaukee verison - at least Frederik Miller was born in Germany, thereby making Miller Beer technically German).

The picture above is from the Glockenspiel (carillon play) they perform at the Fest. The four guys saw and chop wood, drink beer, and dance based on the music from an accordian player. (The original Glockenspiel is built into the Munich town hall tower, and plays 2 or 3 times a day. My brother will tell you he nearly froze to death waiting to see the Glockenspiel in Munich.) One of these years I will have to get the full lederhosen outfit and join the Glockenspiel dance. I just hope it won't turn out similar to Chevy Chase in European Vacation.

BIG News

2006-07-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of new stuff going on in our lives. We apologize for not being to able to share our news with everyone personally, either in person or with a phone call. So we decided to create this Web Log to share our experiences, and keep everyone up to date on what is happening. So here it goes!

1. Mike passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE), and is now a Professionally Licensed engineer in the State of Wisconsin. What a huge relief! To find out what a professional engineer means, click here.

2. And even bigger news.....Jenny is expecting and is due on January 24th, 2007! We plan to give daily or weekly updates, along with UltraSound pictures of the baby as we get them. We already have a few pictures, we just need to get them posted here.

We would love to hear from you. You can respond to us on this website (just click on the line below that says comments, and write something), or send an email, or give us a call! We hope this will be fun for everybody!

Trial and Error

2006-07-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

Well, here goes nothing. Testing, 1-2-3. Anyone out there?