Gift emergency! Video camera

I just realized, with a start, that we don't own a video recording device of any kind.

I'm pretty sure there is a gulag someplace full of Dad's that failed to record moving pictures of their first born.

If anyone is stuck on the gift thing, a video camera (Flash type
or otherwise) would be a real, real good idea.

Thanks a ton,

The Incipient Father

Quickie update

/wave!

Sorry to all of you who have been trying to get ahold of me. It's been crazy the last 2 weeks. We've been auditing out of the office (i.e. long days) most of the last 2 weeks. That included a 3 day jaunt to Bend to get an audit done.

It was FRIGGIN 17 degrees there as the HIGH for the 2 days we were there. Brrrrrr!!!

Saturday is a day long meeting in Seattle and next week is a Tues-Friday trip to Medford to get 3 more audits done. Tis the friggin season!

So, I haven't been calling folks, checking in, posting on my blog. I assure you no news is good news. I've been holding up fine and the CAMPAIGN TO EAT A WHOLE ELK IN 5 MONTHS is still going on schedule.

The anemia seems to be taking it in the shorts and I am feeling pretty perky. Monday, Feb 2. is the next BBdr visit and I'll see if I'm going to add another iron supplement then.

There's LOTS of wiggling going on most all times of the day and night now. And apparently I'm carrying "high". For all of you supersticious folks, that apparently means we're having a boy...or something that can cling high up on walls perhaps? Hmmm.....

Anyhoo...we're all good. And the 2nd coat of Cypress green on the center room of the house (aka "the red room") will be completed tonight. It's looking pretty good and the kittens have really enjoyed the jungle gym / tarp maze I created in there too.

So, tax season is on! I'll try to keep in better touch!

Swimmingly,

KT and Tenant

A note from The Husband

First off, here is the recipe for that meatloaf mentioned below. I finally found it. I, of course, liberally adapted it, and more than doubled the recipe.

I have had a post brewing called "The Limits of Empathy" but you won't be getting that just yet. I'm merely checking in here.

It's quite informative and entertaining to read this blog, and especially when I'm mentioned. A chance to see yourself through your partner's eyes, what a revelation. Almost nothing I do or say in real life quite makes it to these pages without some serious tweaking and hyperbole on the part of my lovely wife, but then again most mentions are pretty glowing so who am I to complain.

Apparently, I'm quite a geek. I guess I knew this, but reading this blog has solidified this knowing.

I'm suddenly finding myself needing scads and scads of sleep, so will be hitting the sack with my worn-out wife at a stunning -- 8:23 on a Friday night. Partaaaayyyyyy.

This sleeping jag will be mentioned in the "Limits of Empathy" post, I assure you.

Be Well,

Bp

BBdr visit...I've lost count

Hola!

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, work has been ramping up and I've been more into sitting with my feet propped up than sitting at the computer after work. I am sure not much will change in the coming months. CRAPOLA...we're at 2ish months now.

This visit to the awesome crack team at the BBdr's office brought the revelation that BOTH of the midwives will be at the birth right before the baby actually vacates one abode and enters this crazy little thing called life. That was very reassuring to know, but the house somehow now feels like it may be filled with lots of people. The BBdr (Dr. Sara herself), her intern (whose name I cannot remember...I think it's Anna) AND her partner in crime Dr. Mary, (who I hear is equally stellar AND an accupuncturist, WOOT!) will all be there along with BP and a few sundry cats.

Oh, and your's truly.

Feels a bit full over here, but that has been the predominate feeling as of late. Just getting bigger. And I hear we're just getting bigger still. Sheesh!

All systems are a go this visit. I am still (apparently) extremely anemic. The 10.6 number on the test has whipped The Lovely Husband (tm) into a frenzy of elk preparation. So much so that I came home on Wednesday to find the largest meatloaf in the universe being cooked in my oven with obvious intention for my ingestion etched into its being. The shit eating grin on BP's face (coupled with a deep look of serious concern/skepticism) alerted my oh so delicate "something is up alarm" and I did a bit of research.

Me: So...what's IN the world's largest meatloaf, dear?

BP: It's an ITALIAN meatloaf receipe! It has bacon in it! And is stuffed with cheese! It looks fantastic! And I ground up a bunch of sweetmeats along with the other stuff and it should be FULL of iron. Stuffed full!

Me: The only word in that sentence that makes my spider sense tingle is "sweetmeats".

BP: OH that's nothing...just *mumble, mumble, mumble*...but it's FULL of iron. I assure you just stinking filled with it.

WELL, true believers, like many other things that are COMPLETELY MISNAMED in this world, Sweetmeats are not the best parts of the butt of the elk, OH NO! Sweetmeats, in this case, would refer to the heart and kidney's of said animal...ground finely and dumped into a humungous meatloaf.

Despite my instant HEEBEES, I pressed on (for the baby, you know) and found that it was some really friggin' good meatloaf, 6 pounds of which is individually frozen and vaccuum sealed in the freezer for me. What a guy. Sneaky turkey.

BUT I DIGRESS...

The heartrate has moved to a steady 128 and apparently after some uterus BBdr handling, I am having a "lovely sized baby". At this point at least.

So, well into week 30 we are still quite good. The swelling in the legs, feet and ankles refuses to abate but I am sleeping through the night and having no other terrible symptoms. BP informs me that he's sure the baby knows when we are both in bed because he's been getting kicked like crazy when he gets into bed. I figure it's good for the baby and him to be bonding, even if it IS through the wall of me.

A bit of exhaustion is kind of par for the course this time of year, baby or no. Work has been very accommodating and we'll see how accommodating the WORKLOAD is after my next 2 weeks of traveling. I think the elk will keep me powering through.

February 14 is the first homebirth baby meeting at the BBdr's house. Supposed to be instructional and a "what to expect" kind of event. We'll also meet 6 other couples that are having kids within a month or so of our due date. That should be great! I'll keep you posted. We plan on bringing some elk dish, we'll see how folks like it.

So, there's the current news. I am painting a room in the house and getting ready to rearrange so the whole place is more accommodating for us to live in (like the guest room on the ground floor near the bathroom...for the guests you know!). Feels like the countdown has begun. Once the babyshower hits I should be in full crazy mode.

I'll check in next week when I get back from Bend but before I head to Medford (watch out Tom and Marcy!).

Love to you all,

Kt and Tenant

PS: To ANONYMOUS, the visit to the BBdr was amazing with the pleasant suprise of your donation. We love you and you rock! And we hope you are reading the blog so you can except our deepest gratitude and thanks. You don't know how much it means to us. We're paid off! kisses!!

Butternut Squash (wk 29) is a whole food!

Ahh,Synchronicity!

Went to see Michal Pollen last night talk about food and all the issues that surround it politically, emotionally, environmentally. An interesting talk that got BP And I discussing future plans for the Tenant and food consumption. Moreover...WHERE and HOW to eat. (BP did a great write up with video over at his blog; The Institute of Jurassic Technology)

I remember sitting down to dinner every night with my folks and came to find out later that it was one of the things my dad felt was really important. I can't speak to the social dynamic that was created ( I remember some...er, tense-ness there) but I do think that coming together for meals is more than just eating. The creation of community must be intentional in order for it to stick, and I think that is especially poignant when you toss a small sponge into your dynamic.

I'll be interested to see what other things he has to say when I get around to reading a couple of his books. He makes an excellent case that most environmental issues can not be fixed without looking at how we farm. Monoculture, pesticide use, huge agro-business conglomerates deciding what to grow (commodities vs. whole foods) all add to the woes.

Currently, I've been eating way more MEAT, and could stand to down a few more portions a week given that I'm still pretty darned tired. When I cut out the sugar crutch the anemia stepped right up and walloped me! Sheesh! It's very interesting how much better I feel when I just eat more red meat. The supplements do what they can, but I think the iron in meat somehow gets in there better. Could be hokus-pokus!

Here's the pertinent stats for the Tenant...we have a BBdr visit on the 21st, which hearkens the introduction to my every 3 week visit schedule. Ooh...it also hearkens audit season! Woot! It's going to be a blurry run to the water breaking, I have a feeling.

Now THERE'S a way to freak out a client! AHAHAHAH (*cough)

Anyway!



How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Dang! That is a lot of Calcium! Perhaps that explains my Keifer cravings of the last few weeks. Hey, I learn stuff from these posts too, people!

I am looking forward to seeing as many folks as I can at the shower. It's been excellent and very exciting to reconnect with many a misplaced or rarely seen person over the last few months. I am excited to introduce this person to our vast and eccentric horde of aunties and uncles, not to mention there are a few grand parents out there who *might* take an interest in the child. PLEASE, if there is someone who we forgot to invite to the shower and you happen to be chatting with them, INVITE THEM! The more the merrier and the fewer hurt feelings due to my pregnancy brain not firing on all cylinders the better!

Swimmingly!
KT and Tenant

Newest belly pic

Here ya go, belly and anomalous object. As promised.



Bp

It begins...the 3rd Trimester

I realized the other day( in true accountant form) that I have been counting the newsletters from the BEGINNING of the month rather than that end of the month (i.e. we just started the 7th month...month 7 newsletter should be after the month is over...this isn't a mortgage payment here people). HA! Silly me...so yesterday week 28 STARTED...so we are crusing into the 3rd trimester. Holy Crap!

Despite being a bit tired, I am feeling just dandy. Junior (as BP has taken to calling the Tenant) has been pretty busy in the early mornings and later at night. Hopefully this schedule will mellow out to being more "awake in the day and asleep at night" as soon as possible. If he/she takes after their mama at all, they will be champion sleepers...if not, they are doomed to BP's nocturnal skulkings. In fact, Papa spent an entire evening last night brusing his thumbs playing Xbox video games with Dr. Octagon, his old Chemistry study partner. I am sure it was a sight to behold.

I actually got an elusive belly shot last night and will have to get BP to upload it for me. He has the cable attached to his computer. The Belly's protruding, that's for sure.

My new years resolution this year was to take mass transit to work more often, so getting up a bit earlier has been the order of operations. I am more clear headed and energetic in the mornings so I am going to try to be getting to work earlier and put in the overtime then. I decided that unless it becomes too depleting to be working a normal tax season, I'll just brave up and do what needs to be done. It will make me feel less like a slacker and better about possibly leaving the last 2 weeks of tax season work to everyone else.

I have planned to stay home until August and then come back part time. They will only guarentee me 2.5 days when I return until next tax season, so some supplemental, work from home bookkeeping may be in the works. I have a feeling that 2009 is the year of TOTAL radical life / work change for me. I am kinda looking forward to it.

It's also the year I am getting these effin CPA exams out of the way. I am not sure when I'll start studying, but at some point we'll have to figure out purchacing the $2500 software program I used to pass 2 of them before. I feel differently about getting them passed than before (hmm...perhaps less burnout or impending child and the possible glass ceiling that comes with no CPA? Anyone?)

In short, big year.

We're going to get some nesting out of the way with painting of the downstairs rooms and moving around of some furniture too. I think it will make the house more cosy and visitor friendly. I think we MAY have a visitor or 2 this year.

I leave you with this....THE LITTLE KITTIES FIGURED OUT THE CAT DOOR! A-friggin-men! Commence with pooping outdoors in three...two...one...


Enjoy your wintery Wednesday!

KT and Tenant

ANEMIC!

After the joy that was the glucose test on NYE, we came to find out that I am actually pretty darned anemic (but do NOT have gestational Diabetes...woot!). Apparently all the B-12 I've been ingesting (along with lemon bars) must have been propping me up. A couple of days without sugar and suddenly I'm T.I.R.E.D all the time. Hmmm....crack? I think yes.

So, we get a new iron supplement in addition to the prenatal and BP has begun the "stuff elk into the wife for every meal" campaign. I think we'll be fine. Less in the sugar realm and more in the iron realm and the upstairs apartment should be back to it's rocking self.

Meanwhile, I wonder what steel beamed infrastructure the Tenant is installing down there? Perhaps we'll have a child whose only weakness is Kryptonite? And perhaps Lemon bars.

Let's hope there isn't an Archvillan that is sporting a holster full of freshly powdered sugared lemon bars!

In other news, the boys and I just got back from ROCKING Indian food (Nameste buffet in the 'Couv is the IT place...check it out if you want the best Indian in a 2 state area).

We also went to Miller paint and decided on new paint colors for the Front room, Middle room and Office. It's been 10 years since painting (dang!) and it's time. We all felt that a change in tone and colors that work TOGETHER might be in order. Lordy, we might be getting old.

I'll get some photos of the new colors as they progress. We're nesting but slowly...these things take time. I suspect that moving furniture around to change the layout of the house will be next, but painting will happen in there for sure. Since they are just big square rooms I think they will be VERY satisfying to paint. Makes the joint look classy and clean! YA!

Enjoy your Saturday! Keep those photo's coming Mom. I love the scanned old photos from childhood!

KT and Tenant