The Eichenlaubs

Benjamin Valentine

2011-11-10T20:19:00.003-06:00

Ben was born October 4th at 12:17 in the morning. He weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz and was 22 inches long. Our life has become a lot busier lately!

The Belly Grows.

2011-08-24T12:28:00.004-05:00

A progression of belly pictures.

13 Weeks, 1 Day

19 Weeks 28 Weeks

33 Weeks, 2 Days

Threadmill-A-Thon 2011

2011-06-06T21:30:00.002-05:00

Greetings, faithful reader(s)!

As many of you know, Erin is, once more, with child. We're very excited. The big question is whether it will be a boy or a girl baby. We asked Theo and he tells us it will be a regular baby. That's comforting news but it doesn't answer the question. Well, wonder no more. On June 14 at 9:00 AM, Erin will tell the world whether it will be a girl or boy baby.

This is part of a fundraiser for Matt's work. The fundraiser is called the Treadmill-A-Thon. HOME Line combined the excercise of a fun run with the entertainment of a Jerry Lewis Telethon. She's no the only one on the Treadmill. Eric will run at 8:45 that morning. He'll display his 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon prowess. Matt runs at 9:15 and he will play a trivia game that involves increasing speed with every wrong answer. John will run at 11:00 PM on June 13. Ever the night owl, you'll get a glimpse of what it will be like if he had his own talk radio show.

I hope you join us for the fun! To donate to Erin, check out this link:
http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Erin-S-Baby-Boy-Or-Baby-Girl

To watch the Treadmill-A-thon for all 40 hours, check out this link:
http://www.homelinemn.org/about-us/treadmill-a-thon/

Day 25: Saturday Morning

2011-02-06T08:15:00.001-06:00

Days 23-24: Helper

2011-02-06T08:13:00.001-06:00

Day 22: Sunshine

2011-02-06T08:12:00.001-06:00

Day 21: Snuggles

2011-02-06T08:10:00.000-06:00

Days 18-20: Fun With Snow

2011-02-06T08:05:00.002-06:00

Day 17: Lazy

2011-01-28T08:36:00.001-06:00

Both the cat and myself.

Day 16: "Sandcastles"

2011-01-28T08:34:00.001-06:00

Day 15: Yummy

2011-01-28T08:32:00.002-06:00

Day 14: New Trains

2011-01-25T18:27:00.002-06:00

Day 13: Thomas and Percy

2011-01-25T18:22:00.003-06:00

Day 12: M&M's Melt in Your Hand

2011-01-24T12:51:00.002-06:00

Day 11: Bedtime Story

2011-01-24T12:50:00.002-06:00

Day 10: Gifts from Florida

2011-01-21T18:23:00.001-06:00

Thanks Bampa and Grandma Margaret!

Day 9: Blur and Burr!

2011-01-21T18:10:00.009-06:00

Yesterday was a blur, full of job interview preparations. Here is a pic from a warm summer day last August to remind us that the cold weather won't last.

Day 8: New Book

2011-01-19T19:54:00.002-06:00

Days 5, 6, 7: Trains

2011-01-18T19:35:00.003-06:00

I missed Sunday and Monday, but Theo's new trains deserve some extra pictures. He even decorated them with some familiar faces.

Day 4: Disgusting

2011-01-15T09:25:00.000-06:00

Day 3: Hauling Eggs

2011-01-14T10:14:00.001-06:00

Day 2: Lollipop

2011-01-14T10:13:00.003-06:00

(I forgot to post this yesterday.)

Day 1: Baseball

2011-01-12T10:52:00.001-06:00

My new project!

2011-01-06T14:21:00.003-06:00

I am going to attempt this. http://365project.org/ I have a pretty nice camera and a very cute subject. Let's see if I can keep this up!

An update for a woefully out of date blog

2010-09-30T09:41:00.004-05:00

A few pictures from Theo's 2nd birthday party

Theo's new swingset--thanks Grandma Karen, Jeremy and Roberta!

A boy and his [grandma's] dog

2010-05-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

Grandma Karen came down to visit for the weekend. She made a major dent in our landscaping project, and brought her dog Zed along to play with Theo. Thanks Grandma, we can't wait to see you again!

Daddy+Theo+camera=cuteness!

2010-05-13T23:58:00.000-05:00

How to get a fussy toddler to sleep.

2010-04-18T07:35:00.002-05:00

Put him in your awesome Kinderpack and walk around the house for 15 minutes or so.

Time to catch up with some cute pictures....

2010-03-05T12:03:00.005-06:00

First haircut (Thanks Roberta!)

Playing in the snow.

Wearing Grandma Karen's sunglasses.

Check out these moves

2010-01-23T15:55:00.002-06:00

I guess it is time to add another cute video to the woefully out of date blog. Matt would like to apologize for his guitar playing skills. Theo has been working on his dance moves and I think he is ready for prime time!

Cheerios

2009-11-30T20:25:00.002-06:00

Theo enjoys eating Cheerios, but also enjoys Tiddliwinking them off his highchair tray!

A few more Halloween pics

2009-11-06T10:28:00.002-06:00

Happy Holloween!

2009-11-03T07:10:00.002-06:00

Here is the newest picture: Theo all dressed up. We took him trick-or-treating Saturday night. The neighbors were thrilled to see our little slugger. Adorable!

This is what happens when you turn your back on a toddler...

2009-10-12T18:55:00.002-05:00

Just some cute pics!

2009-09-04T10:41:00.003-05:00

Theo wearing his new cloth diaper cover and showing his amazing standing ability.

Theo and Grampa

2009-08-19T20:09:00.003-05:00

Erin, Theo and I spent my birthday with Grampa Bob, Gramma Margaret, Unky John, and Auntie Shelly. We had an old fashioned grill out and chocolate cake. The day before, Dad and Mom took me out golfing at the new course. It is a fun course. Challenging yet very playable.

Here is a picture of Grampa and his favorite grandson.

Theosauras Rex

2009-07-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

Theo had a well baby visit today. I decided to switch clinics as I am searching for a more Attachment Parenting friendly provider. I saw a very nice Pediatric Nurse Practioner today, so I may be sticking with this clinic. Theo is up to 26 lbs, 10 ounces; 30 1/2 inches long; with a 19" head. He is now able to crawl and pull himself up to standing. He can stack blocks, and he likes to look at books. He has 2 teeth on the top and 2 on the bottom and he enjoys biting things. He had is finger poked today for a blood test, but he didn't even cry! He just watched the lab technician with an interested look on his face.

I guess Matt was interviewed by CNN today. He will have to post more details later...

Renovations

2009-07-09T21:41:00.003-05:00

We are having 17 new windows installed on Monday. That's right, 17. Our 1957 rambler is pretty much solid windows. We are excited to watch our heating and cooling bills go down, along with the street noise, but not excited to pay the window bill!

We also updated the attic insulation a few months ago, and had a nice fan installed in the bathroom. We have had to do some plumbing repairs, and will need to replace our air conditioner in few years. Ahhhh, the joys of home ownership.

Now, let's see some cute pictures.

Theo giggling with daddy

2009-06-25T13:45:00.002-05:00

Too much cuteness!

Ebert and Roper give him 2 thumbs up!

2009-06-19T07:18:00.007-05:00

A video of Theo's amazing raspberry skills. This was taken about a month ago.

Theo's recent attempts at learning to crawl.

Theo's excitement at getting to play with an apple.

Matt on the TV, again!

2009-06-13T20:05:00.002-05:00

Matt was recently interviewed by Kare11 news. You can see all of the details here. Click the player on the right side of the screen to see his interview.

2009-05-31T17:00:00.007-05:00

My good friend Nicole, the amazing photographer, spent a few days at our house and captured these beautiful pics of Theo. Thanks Nicole, I love them!

We spent Thursday afternoon at the Minnesota Zoo with old friends. Theo didn't really appreciate the animals, but the other kids had a good time. Here are a few pics of the zoo trip.

Theo is about 24 lbs now, and has his bottom 2 teeth. He has almost figured out crawling, but only in reverse! He is growing up so fast.

Dr. Tooth

2009-05-04T19:46:00.004-05:00

After much drooling and consternation, Theo popped his first tooth. It is on the bottom. I think it is an incisor. Here is a video - listen closely and you can hear evidence of that little chomper.

Special Delivery!

2009-04-10T18:55:00.005-05:00

Here are the promised pictures. What is a parent to do with an oversized mailbox that hasn't been set up yet? Take pictures of a baby of course! Roberta decorated the set and I captured the action.

I'm So Excited. . .

2009-04-05T19:16:00.005-05:00

We just returned from Foxhome. Team Eichenlaub had a great visit with Erin's side of the family. We had a lot of fun. Seth reads very well and Paige is a sweetheart. An early April storm blanketed the farm with over eight inches of snow. But don't worry - by the time we left, some of it had melted and left heavy, black Red River mud in its place.

We have a new digital camera! Karen is a big-time shutterbug and up-graded to a new model. She passed down her old camera to us. Thank you, Karen! When you notice a difference in quality, thank Karen. We took a mess of new pictures and we'll roll them out later in the week. Until then, here is a cute picture, a great video and some new pictures on Flickr. Remember Flickr? It is a free photosharing service. You can get there by clicking here.

Edumacational

2009-03-29T21:37:00.003-05:00

This is good stuff - a blast from the past. Click the link and enjoy!

The Nations of the World (circa 1994)

By Popular Demand

2009-03-27T19:37:00.005-05:00

Yes, I know. I don't keep up on the blog. I will satisfy your cravings; I will to post some pictures.

Karen came down for several days last week. Erin had jury duty so Karen helped around the house. We were very greatful. She cooked, she cleaned, she made home repairs. It was like heaven for me. Karen, come down again! Thank you so much!

Anyway, Enjoy the picures!

Saint Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T18:33:00.003-06:00

What a week-end. Jacob and Wedny, our friends from Chicago, visited us. Wendy is 23 weeks pregnant and looks terrific. It was great to spend time with them and catch up. Erin passed along some baby stuff and Jacob and I played video games. A complete success! I can't wait until we see them again.

We enjoyed our Valentine's Day, as well. Jacob and Wendy watched Young Theo while Erin and I went out for a nice dinner. It was great to eat a meal and not be interupted by spit-up, blow-outs or melt-downs. Thanks, J and W!

In othe news, I made blueberry-banana pancakes. Yum!

19 weeks and counting

2009-01-26T10:57:00.002-06:00

Theo has been up to a lot this past month. He now tips the scales at 19 lbs and wears 9-12 month clothing. He spent the weekend at Children's Hospital with a nasty case of RSV. He can roll from his stomach to his back. He can grab toys and put them in his mouth. He also saw the kitties one night and started giggling on his own. He is growing so fast! Little old ladies like to stop me in stores to tell me how cute he is. I agree, but I think I am biased. Now, for some pictures.

Coo bear

2008-12-29T20:13:00.003-06:00

Our friends Joe and Laura Brinkman stopped by last night for a little visit. Laura was kind enough to take the following video of Theo (you can hear her and myself talking in the background.) Theo has found a new octave and really enjoys cooing at pretty ladies!

A Noble Effort

2008-12-14T20:52:00.003-06:00

Okay, I missed yesterday's post. Don't worry, I have a good excuse. Last night, we had dinner with another family: Cy and baby Maxwell. Max is 3 months older than Theo and he is an absolute joy to be around. I can't believe how much a difference 3 months makes.

Their food was excellent. We had salmon, asparagus, a delicious salad, garlic mashed potatoes and bread pudding for dessert. I tip my cap to Linda and Cy. They know how to do it.

Baptism by Water

2008-12-12T20:52:00.007-06:00

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving and it was time to get Theo baptized. The ceremony took place at Wesley United Methodist Church in Marshall, Minnesota. Chuck, Karen, Jeremy, Roberta, Seth, and Paige made the trip down from the wilds of Northwest Minnesota. Theo only fussed a little bit (that's no fun for the audience!) Thanks to Pastor Crecelius. He is a great guy and performed a terrific ceremony.

After the ceremony, Dad and Chuck made brunch. The strata was tasty and the coffee cake was a winner. Chuck comandeered the bloody mary detail and knocked it out of the park as usual. Karen took the following picture that morning. Look - they are smiling . . . kind of.

Hallow's Eve

2008-12-11T21:30:00.002-06:00

All apologies to Roberta. I promised Roberta I would post these pictures. So here they are: Theo's first Halloween. There wasn't much we could do with him. He sat up with us while we gave candy to the neighbor kids. I watched several incarnations of Treehouse of Horror. Erin rolled her eyes and called me a nerd. Later we tricked and treated our neighbors. They were delighted to see Theo.

Roberta, thank you for the outfit. It's adorable!

Appetizers from Heck

2008-12-10T19:31:00.003-06:00

I admit it. I am deviled egg freak. I was honored this Thanksgiving when my mom called and said, "Matt, could you make more of the deviled eggs you made last year? They were such a hit." My pride swelled. Of course I could. I started boiling 18 eggs.

This year, I mixed it up. Usually, I fill the hard-boiled egg with a mix of yolk, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. This year, I added increasing amounts of Sirachi hot sauce (the one with the rooster on the bottle). As you can see in the photo, the darker the orange, the spicier the egg.

Also, I used a plastic baggie to fill the eggs. I simply cut a corner off and filled the bag with the yolk mix. What an innovation!

Needless to say, they were a hit.

News You Can Use

2008-12-09T21:06:00.002-06:00

Monday morning found me attending an event called Project Homeless Connect. For you loyal readers out there, I talked about this subject back in May or June. Twice a year, charitable organizations take over the Minneapolis Convention Center and provide the homeless services needed to help get on their feet.

This time, the news media showed up. They wanted to talk to an attorney and I happened to be available. Here is a link to the story. I'm a big star!

http://wcco.com/local/event.helps.homeless.2.882697.html

Take the Blog Challenge

2008-12-08T20:43:00.006-06:00

Seven posts in seven days? This type of output is unheard of in the blogging era. Well, it's publish or perish around here and I'm not going down without a fight.

Back in November, Erin, Theo and I took a little trip to Foxhome, Minnesota. It was a great chance to see Erin's family. Thanks to everyone who gave us gifts. Erin is writing out those thank-you notes as we speak. Seriously.

One highlight was our chance to see Great-Grandpa Bob and Great-Grandma Eldora. We had a great time up there and can't wait to go back.

This picture is a winner. It is always nice to get four generations in one picture.

9 Weeks Old

2008-11-20T09:53:00.003-06:00

So, little Theo had his 2 month well baby visit yesterday. He is now tipping the scales at 13 lbs 14 oz, up from 9 lbs 10 oz when he was 4 weeks old. He has also grown almost 2 inches in that time. No wonder he eats constantly!

Now, for some footage of Theo being a baby. He demonstrates his amazing ability to yawn, smile, giggle, sneeze, and fuss.

Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine. . .

2008-11-14T21:28:00.004-06:00

How about this? I snapped this shot Wednesday morning. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our back yard. Don't panic. The snow melted and everything went back to normal.

Personal Hygiene is Fun!

2008-10-28T21:23:00.003-05:00

Bathtime is funtime where I come from. Here are three adorable pictures. Nothing else funny, just these pictures. Enjoy!

Video Killed the Radio Star

2008-10-18T20:23:00.004-05:00

We'll give it a shot. If Google is sporting enough to put a "video embed" tool on their website then I'm sporting enough to use it. Here is our man Theo being a baby.
In other news, I put s'more pictures on Flickr. As always, click here to follow the link.

Update

2008-10-07T11:51:00.002-05:00

Well, Theo is now 3 weeks old. He has been a good baby so far--he only has a couple of hours of fussiness each day. Yesterday that time period was 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, which I can handle a lot better than 2:30 am to 5:30 am. He is eating well, and having lots of output. He weighed 7 lbs, 9 ounces when we left the hospital but was back up to 8 lbs 7 ounces on Friday. He gained 1/2 lb in a week! We are in the process of figuring out what is wrong with our camera, so I promise to post some more photos once we have that figured out. He is awake now for a whole hour at a time, so I should be able to get some photos of him with his eyes open. Stay tuned...

Welcome to the Team!

2008-09-19T20:59:00.004-05:00

What a couple of days! Thank you everyone for your kind words of congratulations. Erin and I are overjoyed at the birth of our son Theodore. Thank you all for all the love and support you've given us before, during, and after the pregnancy. The real fun is just beginning.

There are more pictures available on our Flickr site. Just click this sentence.

A few general shop-keeping issues. Erin's co-worker May won the closest-to-the-day pool. She guessed September 25th and promised Theo would be early. Well, she was right. Erin won closest-to-weight bu guessing 8 pounds, 7 ounces. And Loren Green lost the long shot bet. He wagered a sawbuck at 20 to 1 odds that young Theo would be born with a vestigial tail. Nice try, hombre.

Be sure to call us if you want to stop by. You can hold him, coo at him, change diapers, give a chance to take a nap, do our grocery shopping, pick up my dry cleaning. . .well, you get it.

Thanks again, everyone!

He has arrived

2008-09-18T20:30:00.003-05:00

Our little baby boy arrived on Tuesday, September 16th, at 10:52 am. My water broke at 2:15 am and I wound up pushing for about 2 hours before he finally popped out. I am told that 8 hours is a short labor for a first time mom, but it certainly didn't feel short at the time. Little Theodore Matthew weighed in at 8 lbs 5 ounces, 21 inches long, with a 14 inch head. The medical team decided that I was probably more like 38 weeks along, so he was about 2 weeks early. The proud papa will be posting some pictures shortly.

Little kitty

2008-09-11T09:39:00.004-05:00

So, we decided to expand our family and adopted a second kitty back in July. He was about 8 weeks old when we got him, and has already doubled his size. His name is Christofur Columbo, aka Columbo. He is a very cuddly kitten, but at the same time very aggressive. Matt and I have many, many scratches on our legs as he continues to confuse them for trees and scractching posts. Our other cat seem a lot happier now that she has a playmate. I would highly recommend the 2 cat household.

Yum.

2008-08-26T20:00:00.003-05:00

Growing and growing and growing

2008-08-24T19:56:00.005-05:00

Okay, okay, I have been receiving some harrassment about the lack of current belly pictures. So, here I am at 33 weeks, 4 days. I am not even going to discuss the massive weight gain I have been experiencing during the 3rd trimester. Yikes! I have also had trouble lately with swelling. Everywhere. Feet, ankles, fingers, face. Even my teeth are swollen. I feel like a water balloon. I have included a picture from when I was 21 weeks. I don't think I can even get those jeans over my thighs anymore!

Our house is really coming along. We have the baby's room all ready, and most of our stuff is put away. Matt has been trying his hand at lawn maintenance, and I have been supervising. Home ownership so far has meant many, many trips to home depot. More on the home later.

The Big Move

2008-08-03T21:41:00.001-05:00

The house is ours! We closed the deal on Friday and are in the process of moving from our 2-bedroom apartment to our new 3-bedroom house. The moving company will be stopping by tomorrow, bright and early. I have just been supervising, but Matt has been working hard all weekend, packing and moving small stuff. I am very anxious to get in and start setting up the baby's room. His stuff has been sitting in boxes all this time, which was driving me crazy!

Our new address will be 1883 Ryan Ave West, Roseville, MN 55113. Feel free to stop by any time. We have a fantastic backyard and are just blocks from the Rosedale Mall.

Just call me Buddha

2008-07-24T09:01:00.003-05:00

So, I was told I need to post some more tummy shots. Well, here I am at 29 weeks. I told myself early on that I would keep my weight gain in the recommended 25 to 35 pound range. That was easy enough to do up until about 3 weeks ago. Now, I think every calorie I eat is being stored away. It doesn't help that my feet are so sore after work that going for a nice long walk is usually out of the question. I have reached the 30 pound milestone, with 11 weeks to go. Watch out scale!

Cats, cats, and more cats

2008-07-10T10:12:00.003-05:00

I decided to post a few pictures of my cat, Pounce. While my growing belly is cute, it can't compete with a cute cat. Except when she isn't being very cute. Also, there isn't too much happening right now--just waiting to close on our house.
As you can see, she likes to help with the laundry. She also likes to give us reminders about what happens when we leave the toilet paper unattended. Lastly, she prefers fresh tap water over water from her dish, unless she can sneak a taste from my water glass.

This last photo is of a kitten my Aunt Ginny rescued. Cute!

That's what I call Progress!

2008-06-22T21:12:00.005-05:00

Time for our periodic update. As you can see, our due date is rapidly approaching. These pictures are from 24 weeks and 2 days. Erin is hanging in there like a trooper. Mr. Fetus presses on her bladder, kicks her at all hours and gets the hiccups. It is strange but it is true. Roll that beautiful belly footage! (also, there is the cat!)

Welcome Home

2008-06-17T21:29:00.002-05:00

Success! Erin and I found a house. We made an offer and that offer was accepted. Now we are preparing ourselves for the joys of home ownership. It is a darling abode - two fireplaces, a tiny master bathroom, a downstairs rumpus room and a two car garage. We close August 1.

Here is the link.

Now does anyone know how to install a ceiling fan?

(also, be sure to vote in today's poll question)

Happy Anniversary

2008-06-10T19:57:00.002-05:00

Please Pass the Pulitzer

2008-06-05T19:20:00.003-05:00

Guess who got published? A few weeks ago the National Association of Social Workers asked me to write an article about mortgage foreclosures. They said they would publish it on their web site and news letter. Here is a link to the article. Pretty cool, eh? I couldn't bear to read it. I don't know what I would do if I found a typo.

21 weeks, 1 day

2008-05-30T09:36:00.010-05:00

Here are some pictures Matt took yesterday before heading off to work. My belly is becoming more prominent, but I guess it doesn't look as big in the pictures as it does to me! I was measuring about 1 and 1/2 weeks ahead at my ultrasound, so there is a remote possibility that my due date could be changed. I am sure of how many weeks along I am, so I guess this is just a big baby. I know Matt was pretty big when he was born, so I am not surprised. Lucky me!

It's a . . .

2008-05-20T16:10:00.005-05:00

Today was the day! We had our ultra-sound at 1:30. The burning question will be answered! Just click on this sentence to see! Here is a picture to tide you over.

Cute or Troubling, You Decide

2008-05-13T20:23:00.002-05:00

Awww. Erin picked out a terrific baby carrier. It is made by a company called Ergo. It is a good piece of equiptment. It has a hip support strap much like a heavy-duty hiking backpack. Sturdy American construction meets intellegent, ergonomic design. And what a handsome shade of khaki!

17 weeks 6 days

2008-05-06T21:25:00.006-05:00

Well, here I am at almost 18 weeks. I have been able to feel movement for about 1 and 1/2 weeks. Those are very strange sensations--weird, tickly, bubbles. I am still sporting a little beer belly. I am looking forward getting to a more pregnant shape, rather than a chubby one. May 20th is the big ultrasound day, after which we can start building a gender stereotyped baby registry.

Matt and I went to the Living Green Expo on Sunday. I was very excited that one of the exhibits featured all the goodies one needs for cloth diapering. Some may think I am crazy for wanting to try this, but I figure it is better for the environment. Also, cloth diapering is much cuter and easier than it used to be. Trust me, I have done many, many hours of research......Matt thinks I am a little nutty now.

Loose Ends

2008-05-01T19:16:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures I took on my cell phone's camera. I can't vouch for their quality, but the subject matter speaks volumes.

The first picture is from Project Homeless Connect. What is that, you ask? It is an event where homeless people can come and take care of all their needs. There is a job fair, a housing fair, a barber, a state ID booth, government assistance workers, a dentist, doctors, a place that will set you up with an e-mail address and a voice mailbox and so much more. Also, attendees can receive legal advice. That is where I came in. It was a pretty neat experience. Here is a link where you can learn more. This is a picture of the intake area. Each homeless person gets a guide. All those people in black shirts are guides. We helped some people.

The second is a picture for all you gear heads. Also, it is picture for you folks who like epic failures. I found this bucket of broken dreams at Erin's Grandma's farm. This rests (or should I say rusts) behind her house. Yes, it is an Edsel. Yes, it is pink. Go ahead and ask yourself, "Self, how many Edsels were sold and how many happened to be pink?" Truly, a rare beast.

Showing and growing #2

2008-04-18T11:33:00.006-05:00

I promised my mom that I would post some more belly shots. Here I am at 15 weeks. I have gained about 7 pounds so far. I think that is going to change quickly as I now wake up starving every morning at 6, sometimes 4. The other day I was craving some ice cream, so we stopped at Dairy Queen for blizzards, but then I needed a hot dog as well. Mmmmmm, food. I guess I will just have to keep up the exercise.

Here is a picture of Pounce. She is still waking us up very early. Thanks a lot, sun!

Who's that playin'

2008-04-01T08:51:00.008-05:00

I enjoy playing the guitar. It was said that the guitar is the easiest instrument to play badly. so, here are pictures of my three totally sweet axes.

The first is my Yamaha acoustic guitar. Erin bought it for me after I proposed marriage. She got a ring, I got a guitar - fair enough.

This is me and my Epiphone Les Paul. What can I say, it looks pretty sweet. I bought it off craigslist. Should buying second hand musical instruments be that fun? Well, it was fun. Last is my Gibson SG. I do most of my hard core shredding on this. I play a little Van Halen, a little Stones. I work in some Megadeth and, yes, I play Freebird. What can I say, I love to rock.

Tummy pics and randomness

2008-03-23T11:09:00.004-05:00

This is the first of the tummy picture saga. I am 10 weeks, 6 days in this picture, which was taken right before we left for a doctor's appointment. You can clearly see the little beer gut. The appointment went well--we heard the heartbeat again and everything seems on track. I will go back in 6 weeks for another check-up, then an ultrasound about 4 weeks after that. Get your betting pools ready, as we will find out the gender then.

Now for other, uninteresting stuff. We met with a new realtor last week and will begin house hunting again. We finished our taxes. Matt begins his new job on April 1st, which is also the Twin's home opener. Oh, and our kitty loves to shred rolls of toilet paper.

Buddha belly

2008-03-14T10:20:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking it will soon be time to post some belly shots. I am still too early to be showing, but I have definitely acquired a certain roundness in my lower abdomen. Pregnancy websites refer to this phenomenom as "losing your waistline." I just hope I am able to find it again someday. I can no longer button my "going out" jeans, even though I have only gained 3 pounds. It is amazing what the body can do with some extra fluid and fat! We will get those pictures soon.

Devil kitten

2008-03-04T10:36:00.002-06:00

Our beloved kitten, Pounce, has decided to be a kitten alarm clock and wake us up sometime between 5:15 and 6:00 am every morning. We do our best to ignore her as she meows, scratches the box spring, walks around on the bed (and us) purring, and knocks things off our dressers. Her newest trick, however, is much more difficult to ignore. She gets under the covers and bites our feet. Ouch! We are currently trying a new system of locking her out of the bedroom when this happens, as squirts from a water bottle do not work. She thinks getting sprayed is fun. She isn't doing this for food, but because she wants us to get up and play. I guess it is good practice for us, but annoying at the same time. I am curious if anyone else has had this problem.

Welcome to the World of the Future

2008-03-02T08:48:00.003-06:00

We are up and running on Flickr. For those out of the know, flickr is an online warehouse for pictures. We will use flickr to post more pictures of everything we talk about. It is under the "Link" section on the right hand side of the blog. You can also click here.

More Good News

2008-03-01T10:56:00.004-06:00

Good news on the baby front.
Good news on the kitty cat front.
What more could a person need? How about good news on the employment front? In November, I started selling my labor to a temp agency. Well all that is coming to a close. On April 1, I start work here:

http://www.homelinemn.org/

How did I happen across this job, you ask? I did some volunteer work for them back in law school. My temp agency gave them a call to check out my references and that must have jogged Homeline's memory. Homeline acquired a grant to hire a new attorney who will focus on foreclosure issues. They thought about who to hire and decided I was a good guy to have around. They called, we had an interview and I go to work on April 1.

Pretty exciting!

Pounce De Leon will conquer your heart

2008-02-26T20:10:00.005-06:00

Here is our cat, Pounce. You can call her Pouncy, Pouncer, Pouncerella or Sex Panther. We adopted her in December and she is about 8 months old. She will be your friend, as long as you bring salmon snacks.

8 Weeks

2008-02-26T19:04:00.000-06:00

I am sure everyone already knows, but this is the first pregnancy for us. We are very excited!

So, for all of you who want to follow along with the countdown to D-day. I am 8 weeks tomorrow and am due October 7th.

We had an ultrasound done on 02/20/08 when I was 7 weeks. We saw the little bean and a beating heart. The next milestone is hearing the heartbeat at the 12 week appoinment.

Our friends have already starting passing on the hand-me-downs. We will take everything that we can get.