Matt & Brendafer

Easiest Breadsticks Ever

2011-03-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

So, I've been wanting to post this "recipe" for a while, but I really thought it needed some pics to do it justice. I put recipe in quotes since it really feels like a stretch to call something with three ingredients a recipe. But that is the beauty of these breadsticks--so easy, a child can (and does) do it. Okay, some of it, although my little helpers couldn't be bothered the night I finally decided to take pics. I just used my phone, so they aren't the best pics, but you'll get the idea. Normally, I would serve these with salad, but we were all out, so I served them with princess gummy vitamins which is totally the same.

You need pizza dough, 3 tbs butter, and 3-4 tbs parmesan cheese. I get my dough from Trader Joe's for $1.29. Gotta love it.

Prepare the dough according to the package. The TJ's kind says to let it rise for 20 minutes on a floured surface.

Melt the butter in the microwave, 30-60 seconds. Brush some of the butter onto a baking sheet with sides (the butter will drip).

Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and shape into a rectangle. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Score the dough with a pizza cutter into 8 breadsticks.

Brush the remaining butter onto the dough.

Sprinkle the parmesan onto the dough.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with ranch and marinara or whatever you like. Enjoy!

Lizzie took this pic of Addie as they enjoyed their breadsticks "at the little table" in the pit.

Cleaning

2011-01-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm finally at a place in life where I can try to establish some sort of cleaning routine. I need to be able to say, "I'm done" at some point each day, instead of feeling the pressure to do it all, all of the time. This is not a new idea, it's something I always want, but put off since I usually just barely keep my head above water, then clean like crazy if someone is coming over. Not ideal, but life comes at ya fast! I have been thinking about this all weekend and how the last time I had a routine was when I had one immobile baby. Today, as I was cleaning my bathroom (yes, it's mine, Matt just has privileges), it hit me that that was FOUR YEARS ago. FOUR YEARS! I stared at myself in the mirror and shared a shocked look with my reflection. That's as long as college! No wonder I feel crazy all of the time! Traveling, hosting, traveling, moving, traveling, moving, hosting, traveling. My life is passing by way too quickly. I have felt at least one step behind since we decided to move to New York, but now I'm not going anywhere for a while, don't have any huge plans, and I'm not moving in or getting ready to move out (yet). Soooo, time to get things in order to have more time for fun.

Other random ramblings: Matt made the cruel, cruel suggestion of just doing diagnostic radiology from home so that we could live in Tahoe, then immediately said, "but that's not what I really want." UGH. Mean, mean, mean. Now I have this thought in my head of becoming an awesome snowboarder and Matt and I going, like, every day while the kids are at school during the winter and then do...boat things during summer. How awesome would that be? Sigh, I guess we'll just have to visit instead. Mean, mean, mean.

Hard Day

2011-01-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

So, today I went down the wrong aisle at the "other Target" and found myself facing newborn clothes and cute tiny things. I try to avoid that section, but since I still need toddler items, it's hard to skip it entirely. Sometimes, like today, I can't help but think about Emily, how big she would be now and how close we would be to the due date. I'm sure I'd be nesting and getting everything together. I'd be feeling her inside of me and getting to know her better. I still get my baby center bulletins for this pregnancy; I can't bring myself to cancel them. Today the geneticist's report came in the mail, confirming that there were no known problems and that she was a girl. All I can think about is my baby...I wish she were here.

Gotta go get Lizzie from speech.

Emily Rose

2010-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

So I haven't written in a while because it is hard to know where to start. I'm guessing that if you are reading this, you already know we lost our little girl. I was 15.5 weeks when they couldn't find a heartbeat and had a D&E a week later. There was no reason, were no chromosomal abnormalities, nothing. We are devastated and still mourning, still making sense of it all. There is so much to say, so much we've been through since we found out, but it is hard to put it all down here. We decided to have her cremated, and I took her home in a little box instead of beautiful new clothes and a shiny new car seat, but she is home, where she belongs.

I had to have Lizzie's parent/teacher conference pretty quickly after the surgery and didn't go through all the papers that her teacher gave me until a few days ago. I found a drawing of Lizzie's that said "My Hero" at the top and the teacher had written "Mom" at the bottom, explaining what the drawing was meant to be. This would have meant a lot to me at any time, but it really has been my saving grace now. I have tried to keep going for my kids, tried to cry after they go to sleep, but it isn't easy when you just want to stay in bed all day and wallow in sadness. I still wish I'd had the chance to do that, to feel like I'd really had a chance to mourn, but I am grateful for my little girls, so what can you do? So, I went through a pop-tarts and taco bell, no make-up and bad hair stage, but I'm slowly emerging from that pattern. I have this drawing up in my bathroom and it really changes my heart and helps me get moving. I am looking forward to a couple of weeks without the morning rush, though.

We had a bunch of friends stay with us a couple of weeks ago, and it brought some much needed joy to our house. We are looking forward to the holidays, too, although I'm dreading hearing anyone else tell me that everything happens for a reason. I just don't believe that. I've witnessed too many bad things in my life, and while good can come of bad things, I don't think God works that way. My mom always quoted a verse about bad things happening to good people, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." Matthew 5:45. I guess when you grow up with bad things, you are more comfortable knowing there are a lot of things that can't be explained, that don't happen for some greater purpose, that you can't wrap up in a shiny, pretty package and say, "this is why and it's worth the pain because of x, y and z." So, if you are reading this, don't tell me "everything happens for a reason", cuz I'm pretty sure that the next person who says that is going to witness Brenda the New Yorker and might lose a few teeth. Nothing is worth this pain, no other child will replace this child, no good can outweigh this bad. And that's life, kids.

So, while we are in the midst of life's ugliness, all we can do is look for and appreciate the joy. While our friends were here, I took Lizzie ice skating for the first time. One of our friends, Jeff K. (a much better ice skater than me), took his little three year old, too. We struggled to get a quarter of the way around the rink before Lizzie had a complete meltdown and had to be rescued by another friend of ours, Jeff P. I skated around to meet them at the entrance, and he asked her to try again for a couple of pics. She hit the ice with such determination that my heart just soared. She kept saying, "Try again, keep trying, hold on tight!" I'm crying as I write this because it is my favorite moment as a mom, ever. For her to learn that lesson, to really keep trying means everything to me. It is one of my goals as a parent to make sure that my kids aren't intimidated by failure, so this was a huge step in that direction. She went all the way around with me, then let Jeff K. drag her around the ice a bit and had a blast. Oh, being a mom...

There's a poopy diaper with my name all over it and a Christmas chapel to get to, so that's all for now.

Xoxo

Nothing much

2010-05-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

My house is totally destroyed, I have about 4 loads of laundry to put away and at least 7 to wash, so, naturally, it is time to blog. Well, we are definitely in the home stretch now. Matt will finish his internship 6 weeks from today...well, he will start his last shift 6 weeks from today. Ka-razy. I am so excited for him to come home and the loneliness has really been killing me lately, BUT I am not looking forward to living with a boy again! I'm not gonna lie...I like the bed to myself, I like the bathroom to myself, I like the TV to myself and I like not having to deal with someone else's agenda (and Matt always has an agenda, but don't we all?). In some ways, it is like getting married all over again, but this time we actually have--get, I mean GET--to spend time with each other. We knew we would spend our twenties investing in our careers and our future, but it has worn us down more than we ever could have imagined. Now we get to have a simple life and I'm not sure we will know what to do with it. I think it is going to take time to learn to have fun again! It is a welcome challenge, of course, but our life is going to change over night and that makes me nervous (use your Olivia from the caf voice when you say that to yourself)!

We have had a lot of ups and downs with Lizzie over the last few months. We go back and forth between being really impressed with all of her progress and wondering if there is some other issue that we are not addressing. We have given some thought to Auditory Processing Disorder and dyslexia and are going through the steps to have more testing done by the school district. They won't actually test her until next school year, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she will be older and we think it will be more clear as to what is going on, a curse because any possible issues will go unaddressed for another four months. She has been having some problems at preschool with obedience, so we had to have a meeting with the teacher. She launched a positive reinforcement system that she had used in the past and is really going the extra mile for Lizzie, but I can tell she feels strained by all of it. We still feel that this preschool is the best place for her, so if you are a praying person, please say a prayer for the relationships between Lizzie and her school staff. We have launched our own positive reinforcement system at home and are doing a new "chore" chart this weekend using pictures instead of a list and we are really hoping this encourages her to be more obedient, cuz, lemme tell ya, she will sit in time out half of the day and still laugh in your face when she doesn't want to do what you ask. She is a pill and a half. I pray every day that I can help guide all of that drama into a positive direction and shape her into an amazing woman, but it is easy to run out of patience and picture spending the rest of my life having meetings with teachers and school administrators about my disobedient daughter. She scares the bejesus out of me! Deep breath, I can do this...I hope, hope, hope that she will chill out a bit when Daddy moves home for good and actually comes home every night, but I am guessing it won't be that simple. Sigh.

Speaking of little pistols, my other one is really kinda just like her, except different. Addie hates getting into her carseat, and yesterday when I put her in, she hit me! I scolded her and she didn't like it, but she thought it would be fun to keep testing me and I had to give her a time out later in the day. I am in trou-ble with these two! She is talking a bunch, though, and still a cutie. I wish she would let me put her hair in pigtails or a ponytail! She would be a little doll, but she takes anything I put into her hair out immediately.

Hmm...other stuff. I have actually gotten to know some of the other moms at preschool and think I might be able to fill the summer with playdates. I am nervous about Lizzie getting bored this summer with no school and no speech, but we can't really afford a daycamp type of thing right now, so I am hoping to spend time at the beach, park, Y and hopefully some playdates. I finally seem to have found some moms that aren't over forty and that have busy husbands like me, so even if we aren't best friends, it could be really good. I am still going to the Y a lot. It is my only chance to "relax". I have been taking lots of different types of classes--zumba still (of course, it is the best), but also a yoga/pilates/tai chi one, a kickboxing one, and a group barbell one. I like the variety, but mostly I like that my kids are having fun and I get to not worry about keeping them alive for an hour or two. I seriously don't know how I would have survived this year without the Y. I'm pretty sure I would be a complete lush...

Okay, I know this post is long, but one more thing. We got to go to Santa Barbara last weekend to celebrate my mom's second 59th birthday. It was so fun. It was really beautiful there (haven't been there since I was 12) and it was nice to see my family. We went to the zoo, the beach, the wharf, but I have to admit that the highlight of the trip for me was swimming in the hotel pool. Becky juggled her two girls and Matt mostly played with Lizzie while I swam with Addie. She was hilarious. She wanted to jump in off the side over and over again, and every time she would say, "I jump!" She was having so much fun. Lizzie was doing really good at going underwater for a bit, too. Matt was throwing her high in the air a lot, etc. and they had a blast. Then Matt threw Addie SO HIGH in the air that I almost had a heart attack. I thought she would be terrified, but all she did was say, "I jump!" So, so, so cute. I will post pics of our trip on fb soon. Hopefully this weekend.

Well, that's all for now! Love to you all.

Hey

2010-03-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the following post has been sitting unfinished on my computer screen for over a week:

So...nothing big going on here, just keeping the blog going. Matt's month off is over, which is awful and wonderful at the same time. Awful because he is gone again, wonderful because we are really in the home stretch now. He went back to work a week ago and it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it is still emotionally challenging to have him home, then gone, then home, then gone and only knowing his work schedule at most 4 weeks in advance, then trying to figure out when he will home from that, etc., etc. However, we do have one week down this month, then we have my mom coming this weekend, then Matt's parents soon after that and by that point we will only have three months to go! Woohoo!

We have been through some big changes with Lizzie over this last month. We finally found the right preschool for her after a few months of searching. It is at a Lutheran church and school that is really close (some of the other ones that seemed reasonable were as far as Cupertino which would be at least 20 minutes each way). The teachers are so loving and helpful.

I know I should probably indent those paragraphs, but I'm not gonna. So, yes, the preschool is great! Our life is very different now. For a few weeks we had speech MF and preschool TTh, but now speech has been consolidated to one longer session on Fridays only. The extra day off makes a big difference. For a while there I felt like I never got to sit down! I love preschool days (like today) because I get to run errands with only one baby or stay home and spend quality time with Addie. I try to get work done around the house, but Addie is usually so excited to have me to herself that she wants to play or be held and I am happy to give her that one-on-one time that she deserves. She is down for an early nap today, so here I am. Matt is actually home today. It is his one 24 hour period that they are legally required to give him each week. Lucky him! But he is off running his own errands and I am trying to get lots of paperwork-type stuff done. Life is so much work!

I am realizing that none of this is very interesting, but if I wait for interesting stuff, I never blog. Hmm...my mom was just here, which was really nice. I got a lot done, but mostly it was really nice for the kids to see their grandma. Matt's parents are coming soon and we have some other stuff planned, so hopefully this month will go quickly and we will be that much closer to the end of this crazy year!

I am really looking forward to this summer! We have had some "warm" days (I think they are warm, but when I check the temperature it is only in the high 50s--ha!) and it is getting me excited to make lots of beach trips and hopefully swim lessons for both girls. I am a little worried about Lizzie getting bored without preschool, though. Matt will be around for at least weekends, so we should be able to do some camping and fun stuff! Our first real summer in California with kids--I can't wait!

We are finally uploading tons of old videos...hopefully I will get some on here soon. :)

I guess that's about it! Lots of love to you all!

Potato Taquitos

2010-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

So, I am pretty far from starting a food blog, but I am starting to cook again now that we are pretty settled and I am in more of a routine. I finally found a way to make potato taquitos in a fast, easy way. I used to be embarrassed by my white girl tactics when it comes to Mexican food, but after seeing some of the stuff that passes as "Mexican" across this fine country, I am over it. So, next time your vegetarian friends come over, here is a good, filling option. My kids loved it, too.

You will need:

10 corn tortillas

Corn Oil

1 bag of steam and mash microwave mashed potatoes

1/2 bag of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican four cheese blend)

2-3 heaping tablespoons of sour cream (I use light sour cream)

2-3 tablespoons of green salsa

Salt, to taste (I use Sea Salt)

Preheat the oven to 425, put about 3/4 inch of corn oil in a pan or skillet and heat on medium low. Oil a baking sheet or metal pan. Microwave the potatoes according to the package. Mash them just a little, and instead of adding milk and butter, add the sour cream, salsa, salt and a small handful of cheese. Once the oil is warm, place one tortilla in for a few seconds until soft (handle carefully so it doesn't tear). Place on the baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture in a line down the center. Fold the sides over the mixture and flip it over so the seam side is down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and mixture. They will be about 1.5-2 inches in diameter. Bake until crispy, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and cheese when they come out of the oven. Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Update on Lizzie

2009-12-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

So, I don't get to blog very much anymore because the typing (no matter how quiet) seems to wake my girls up, and if they are awake, they want to type just like mommy. I don't think anyone wants to read a blog in baby jibberish, so I will type fast! Things are going well, although we are all pretty wiped out most of the time. We have been in our house just over six months now, and it is so nice to feel settled. There is a lot more peace in our lives and a lot less anxiety, which opens up more teaching/learning opportunities for Lizzie. For those of you that don't know, Lizzie has always struggled with speech. We noticed it pretty early on, but we were told that it was too soon to tell, that she was just on the low end of average, she was just immature, etc. When we moved here, I decided it was time to get her tested, regardless of anyone else's opinion. Our new pediatrician was skeptical but supportive and told me how to start the process at the school district. After having her tested, etc., it turns out that she does have an issue with expressive and receptive language. I think all of us that know and love her can testify to that! The screaming, the frustration, the inability to follow directions or understand multi-step processes...all the things that have been driving me crazy are all related to this issue. I know all toddlers are difficult, but I have thought, "this can't be normal" too many times! It was so hard to watch her perform terribly on the assessment tests, but it is such a relief to know that she is going to get the help she needs and that we are starting the therapy early enough that there is a good chance that she will be ready for kindergarten on time. The simple advice the speech therapist gave me after the initial assessment helped me change my approach and the difference in Lizzie's speech (and, therefore, attitude) is incredible. Of course, maturity and routine have helped a lot, too. Dealing with all of this in addition to having a husband/father who is around intermittently makes for an exhausting life, but we are doing the best we can.

As I am sure you can tell from my many fb status updates that mention it, I have been taking Zumba at the Y. It is probably the most fun I have had in years! I guess I forgot how much I love to dance. Not just "we're in a club, I guess we should dance a little" or "we're at a wedding, let's act dumb with our friends", like, dance your heart out and forget about everything for a whole hour! I wish I could go every day.

The girls are mostly behaving, so I will talk a little about San Jose. Matt doesn't really live here yet, so I am not sure if he will feel the same way when he gets down here, but I am loving it! Who knew there was one magical place that had so many things to like? I love our house, I love how close it is to San Francisco (future career opportunities), I love the people, the weather, etc. It has been chilly here and I love it.

Uh-oh, Addie is crying. I think my time is up! Love to you all.

We survived another week

2009-10-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, but we survived another week of our crazy life. Once things got going last week, it flew by. I am hoping the same thing will happen this week, so it probably won't! I am hanging out with the girls in our office right now, uploading some pics. Matt was home all weekend and we got to do some fun stuff. I am afraid it didn't give him much of a break, though, and I think he is going to be pretty tired at work today. Poor guy. He is on Ortho this month and not loving it. We are definitely in the thick of things right now, making progress through this year, but still not really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We have lots to look forward to over these next few months, though, so hopefully time will pass quickly. Addie is turning one next Saturday and then Thanksgiving is upon us! I am sure I will make at least one trip down to my mom's during the holidays, but at this point, that seems too far away to map out. So, one thing at a time and this week that means Halloween! I was at a wedding for Lizzie's first (with Lizzie, she was a lion), then on a plane for her second. We trick or treated the Natural History Museum and the Upper West Side last year (when I was literally 9 months pregnant), but we finally get to do the all-American, door-to-door trick or treating thing this year. I am sure it will be a short trip, but I am looking forward to it. We went to a little party last Saturday and are going to another one on Friday, so we are getting plenty of use out of those costumes! Well, the natives are getting restless, better go. I am uploading pics to FB at some point today, so I hope you check them out!

The Things That Are Driving Me Crazy

2009-10-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today really sucks and I need to vent. Most days when Matt sleeps at home, he leaves at 4:30. Many times, I wake up and have a hard time going back to sleep then because, well, I am and always have been a terrible sleeper. Those mornings are especially crappy when the kids have kept me up all night. Well, this morning, Matt left and then a few minutes later I heard someone running in our house, then someone pilfering through my bathroom. Of course it was Matt (back for his glasses), but he scared the bejesus out of me and I (of course) couldn't fall asleep again. So, about four hours of sleep is just not enough to renew my ever waning sense of humor and the other things I wish I could laugh off are making me feel like that lady in The Yellow Wallpaper. Lizzie is driving me insane with her toddler-speak. I am trying, I swear, and I work SO HARD to help her and teach her and work with her, but I am obviously not doing enough and it is beyond frustrating. We are waiting for the school district to contact us and set up an appointment for testing, but they are taking their sweet time. Meanwhile, we are stuck in a frustrating cycling of miscommunication. Between the two of them (well, three, Wahoo doesn't speak English either, although he does actually obey English which is more than I can say for the other two), I feel like I live in a different country and I am the only person who doesn't speak the native language. You want what? What hurts? No what? Yes, the bottle is for Addie, but she doesn't need to drink it while she is asleep...no, let her sleep, yes, she's "asweep"...please let her sleep, no don't scream because you are mad...where is your pullup? On the lawn because you fed it to the dog? Awesome. You get the picture. It is driving me insane. Next issue: carrots. Our neighbors carrots have seeped under the fence and every so often, Wahoo digs one up and brings it inside, getting dirt everywhere and providing ample fodder for "that's what she said jokes", as if we needed more. Then there is the potty training that really makes no sense when you can't communicate with your child, but she is 3.5 and I am trying. Aside from Lizzie's lack of cooperation, every time we are in there, Addie is there, too and usually throwing things in the toilet or at least playing with the toilet water. Awesome. Over and over again, awesome. Next issue: clingyness. Not a word? Don't care. I get it that they miss their dad, and I sympathize and try to give them all the TLC humanly possible, but they are both within a two foot radius of me almost all of the time. Addie is crying in my arms at this very moment, squirming because she is mad. Why is she mad? Because Lizzie wakes her up from her nap. Why? She thinks it is funny when Addie cries. So, we'll listen to her favorite Katy Perry song on repeat while I nurse her. Yay! Next issue: No. Lizzie has finally entered the "no" stage and while I am ecstatic that she is actually responding, I am really running out of patience with the backtalk. So, lots and lots of timeouts. Awesome. I love it. It is fun to spend my day these ways, while the laundry piles up and the germs multiply. Well, I guess I should go. The dealership that changed Matt's oil didn't put something back on right, so he broke down on his way home yesterday morning, miraculously right by another Honda dealership and (lucky me) I get to load the kids and their carseats into their shuttle to go pick it up. Can it be tomorrow yet, please?

P.S. Lizzie is obsessed with hearts, so this layout is for her.

Long time, no blog

2009-06-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

So, I know I haven't blogged in a really, really long time. We have had a very strange year so far, with lots going on, and sometimes not enough going on. I really haven't had much time to reflect or think about what to share with you all, and even now I feel like most of you have heard our same story over and over again.

Today we booked our move to the house we are renting in San Jose. We seriously considered buying, and even took several trips up there to look at what was available, but decided to continue renting for now. We are so excited to have a house that seems like it will be very comfortable. It isn't he most up to date, and it is a little hard to go from the urban style of our NY apartment to a house that has pink tile in the bathroom, but we are grateful to have more space for ourselves and our kids, not to mention awesome public schools. This is exactly the situation we were hoping for when we considered this area. I am looking forward to decorating a room for each of the girls, but as for the rest of the house I am kind of at a loss for now! We don't have a ton of furniture right now so the place is going to be a little strange until we can buy a few more things. Of course, I haven't even seen this place yet, so I am going to wait until I get up there to see what I can do. Anyway, I am preoccupying myself with these thoughts, but really I am dreading the day that I wake up there by myself (with the girls, but without Matt) for the first time and the loneliness of this new life hits me. We don't know yet how often Matt will be able to come home. This year really won't be that different than it was during the first three years of med school (some times were easier than others), so I know I can handle it, but I just think it will be a big shock after being at my mom's and having so many people around (including Matt) for so long. Of course, I am also looking forward to being totally in charge and not having my pesky husband putting in his two cents about setting up the house and I can do it all my way--I mean, the right way--the first time. Yay for that. Still, even after being a SAHM for almost three years now, I wonder how I will fill my time. Babies 24/7 with no relief. Yes, I am hoping to get Lizzie in preschool in a few months, and yes, I am hoping to find a good sitter, but it is still a lot of work with almost no breaks, even through the night. Obviously, I am having some trepidation about this move, but I know we have planned as well as possible and set ourselves up for success. I am sure it will all be fine in a couple of months, but it is going to be exhausting!

Catching up

2009-02-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

I miraculously have both babies asleep (okay, it IS midnight), so I am going to try to get caught up. I can't believe I was still in New York the last time I wrote! We had a crazy trip home that included a night in the airport with two babies in a successful attempt to be first in line at the ticket counter after we and about 20 other people missed our flight to LA, got off the standby list one at a time onto the first flight out of there on Christmas Eve, landed in LAX, discovered one of the carseats wouldn't be arriving for a couple of days, went straight to Babies R Us with Lizzie in a regular seat (and Matt clutching her) to buy a new one, then headed over to the Honda dealership that was expecting us in Montclair, haggled a few hours until I got the lease I wanted, then drove off with our new Pilot (which I LOVE). Then the holidays began! We felt like it was a very boring version of the Amazing Race.

Matt spent the month of January interviewing and we now have a better idea of our rank list. We still won't know where he will end up until March 19. The girls and I went with him to San Diego and had a lot of fun at Sea World and the zoo. He left last Sunday to do one more rotation back in NYC. It is tough without him, but my mom is a huge help and time is passing quickly. Of course, I haven't had much sleep, but I can sleep when I am dead. He comes home on Friday for a couple of days, so that will be nice.

I am just trying to keep busy these days (not difficult with two babies!). It is so hard for me to just wait for the magical day of March 19 to come along and change my life. At least I am back on the best coast and am infinitely happier because of it.

Addie is a very sweet and mellow baby. She is starting to interact more and may have laughed the other day (we aren't counting it, since Matt wasn't here). I can't believe she is already three months old. She is already teething! It isn't fair how quickly they grow up. She is very wiggly, but otherwise an easy baby. Now that I have Addie, I realize just how much of a challenge Lizzie was/is. She is just as crazy as ever, jumping and climbing everywhere. She has been picking up more words lately, so that is good. She pretty much disagrees with me on everything right now and takes pleasure in making even the smallest task a battle. I feel like a crazy person chasing after her all the time. She colored a bunch of stuff red tonight with a crayon while I vchatted with Matt, but it all came clean. Fortunately, she loves my mom and is having a blast running her ragged, which gives me a bit of a break. She does yoga and step aerobics with me on the Wii Fit, so that is pretty fun. She also tries to mimic me on the hula-hooping and shakes her little butt, which is pretty freakin cute, if you ask me. I should really try to get it on tape...ooh, new project!

Well, my left arm is completely asleep now since it is holding Addie. This post is starting to feel boring, so I guess it is time to sign off. I am not my usual hilarious self because sarcasm takes more brain power than I have right now! Well, I guess that was just a little sarcastic...

New York

2008-12-20T00:29:00.000-08:00

I have been making a mental list of all the things I will and won't miss about NYC for the last few days. Since I am up late with a fussy baby (again), I thought I would share it with you.

Things I Will Miss:

snow

Christmas decorations

Macy's

the subway (when I am by myself and not carrying heavy items...oh, and not pregnant)

my old job :(

our "new" friends

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill (ok, we only ate there once and they have one in Vegas anyway)

Tavern on the Green (again, only once, but YUM!). I am still trying to think of a way to fit in lunch there tomorrow

Radio City Christmas Show

Fresh Direct (my online grocery store)

being surrounded by history

the friendly people (you heard me)

the political mindset (stores sold out of champagne on November 4)

Biscuits and Bath (Wahoo's daycare/overnight care/groomers...yes, it is the same place to which Rachel Ray takes her dog)

yelling at strangers and not getting my butt kicked

street vendors (food, jewelry, you name it)

my doctors and our pediatrician :(

Central Park

Things I won't miss:

People say "on line" instead of "in line" (like in line at the post office, they yell, "next on line". what am i, a computer?)

cockroaches!

awful, muggy summers

the subway [when I have my kid(s) or something heavy...or when you barely miss stepping in human poo because you are too distracted by trying to decide whether that guy you just passed on a bench was dead or just sleeping]

the way every apartment corridor smells like a mix of everything that everyone is cooking for dinner (our old place always smelled like garlic in the halls, one day last week I think this place smelled like warm garbage)

needing a stroller for your babies and crap, but having to figure out how to deal without it since it won't fit in stores and elevators on the subway are rare and never working when you really need them to be so you either have to leave it at home or you have to just pick up the entire stroller and carry it up and down 10-20 flights of stairs for each leg of your trip. Those are the days when I take what I call pre-Motrin.

have I mentioned the lack of mexican food here?

the long flight home

the long flight back

when a family member gets really sick you have to decide between saying goodbye and getting to go to their funeral (happened THREE times and the last time we couldn't go either way)

not having a car

why do they only sell vanilla coffee creamer here? there are so many other awesome flavors! it drives me nuts.

the fact that everywhere is filthy (except the upper east side) and no one seems to care. many people actually love it that way--like it adds character or something. blech.

It is actually really strange to think of coming home. Part of me can't believe we are already done here (almost), but mostly I feel it has been a long, hard challenge on so many levels. I am really upset that I am almost four years older than I was when we decided to come here. That is yucky! I wanted an adventure, and I certainly got it. We cried in the car on the way to the airport after we left Jason and Winter's house in Redlands, and I know we were both wondering if we were making a mistake. I still remember how I felt as the plane took off that night, although it is hard to describe. I guess I felt that although I didn't know what to expect, my eyes were wide open and I was ready to be exposed to a different life. Since then, there have been times where I wanted out of NYC with all of my heart and times where I thought I could never leave. I think I will always have a love/hate relationship with this city. I think nothing compares to the feeling of walking out on the streets by yourself and just soaking it all in. For some reason, I feel so aware of myself and my surroundings when I am out walking and I think that is actually when I feel the most alive. But, of course, the walking thing is killer when you have kids. I am proud of my "New York mom" moments because they are a learned skill and have been a challenge for me that I never saw coming. Anyway, it has been difficult adjusting to life here, and I know it will be a bit of a challenge to downshift into a less intense world. I think moving is always an adjustment. I am especially nervous about becoming a driving mom, just because it will be different and Lizzie is getting older. How long before we are fighting over the radio? My guess is that will happen next week. No, probably sooner. For the most part, though, I think it will be pretty easy to slip back into California living. I will be taking the yummy mexican food, amazing produce, driving, cheaper cost of living, etc. for granted before you know it. We will be there in just under 24 hours! I can't wait.

Up late again

2008-12-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

I am up late again, rocking Addie in the office chair. I thought I could post a few pics while I sit here. She has been up in the early hours the last few nights. I have been watching a lot of History channel and CSI:NY. Ask me anything about the Dead Sea scrolls, I dare you. Anyway, here are a few pics. Our little angel is growing up so fast!

Blogging again

2008-12-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it has been a while since I last blogged, but I did have a baby, so...yeah. Yes, I have two babies now (three, including Wahoo). It is pretty crazy, but I am surviving. Do you remember that episode of Friends where Phoebe is left babysitting her brother's triplets by herself? The apartment is destroyed, but everyone is alive at the end of the day? Well, that is kind of how my life is now. It really isn't so bad, it is just hard to get anything done. I am just proud that I can get everyone fed and changed. Sometimes I even have one free hand to click my way through Amazon and get some Christmas shopping done. Exciting life, eh?

Most of you want to know about Addie, I assume, so I will get to it. We are in love, of course, especially Lizzie! She has really surprised us. She wants to hold the baby ALL THE TIME, so I can't put Addie down ever. Lizzie even tries to crawl into Addie's Pack n' Play to pick her up. It is crazy, but I am glad Liz is like this instead of jealous or resentful. Addie seems to like being held by Lizzie, too, so I am trying to ride this wave of sisterly love as long as possible (hopefully for the rest of their lives, but one step at a time). Lizzie has developed the strange habit of doing a respectable baby impression when we change her diaper. She flails her arms about, blinks and screeches annoyingly...oh, the joys of motherhood. It drives me nuts, but I still can't help but laugh. So, back to Addie...she seems pretty mellow. She is a spitter, though. I was shocked when she lost her dinner that first night on the hospital, and it broke my heart to see the fear on her face as it just kept coming and she couldn't catch her breath. I will never forget that face for the rest of my life! She was losing so much milk at first that I was really concerned, but the doctor did a weight check and she was gaining like a pro, so she is fine. Her checks are already monstrously chubby and she is well on her way to being a decent butterball. We have her one month checkup on Monday and I am curious to see what she weighs now.

I guess I should mention that the labor and delivery was AWESOME, at least compared to last time. I was really surprised that she didn't come on her own (so was my doctor), and it was very weird to go to the hospital to have a baby and NOT be in labor. Every cabbie for the last month or two of pregnancy would constantly check to see if I was in labor. I think they secretly want to have to rush a laboring woman to the hospital. The guy we had that night was really confused because we had my giant overnight bag with us, but I was talking on the phone, giving him instructions, etc. I thought it was funny. Anyway...my doctor and I decided to induce for several reasons, and I was fortunate to have everything go very smoothly. It was so much less traumatic than the first time that I can still hardly believe it even happened. I certainly can't believe it has already been a month! I know everyone says this, but I can barely remember what it was like without her.

Well, we have only two and a half weeks left in NYC. We are so glad that we did most of the moving already. Yay, we did something right! We still have to get our stuff organized, though, because the movers are picking our stuff up from our storage unit. That means that we have to get everything that can't fit into our bags over to storage before the movers come. It really isn't too much stuff, but I am stressing about it a bit. Plus we have a few fun things we want to do before we leave the city, but it is hard to get everything squeezed into a short time period. I was able to sneak away to get a haircut today and NYC at Christmastime is just amazing. I know I will miss that the most. It is much easier to feel attached to this place at this time of year: cold (but not miserable) weather, beautiful decorations, Christmas trees out on the streets, kids all bundled up (including my own!), etc. I am glad we are leaving when I feel sad to leave...summers are miserable here and I wouldn't want to leave on a bad note.

We have so many pictures of the girls from the last month that it is really hard to pick ones to post, but I will try to get some up soon. Love you all and we are excited to see many of you very soon!

Baby!

2008-11-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Matt here, making my long awaited return to contributing to this blog. I'm sure most of you now know Bren gave birth to our second baby this morning. Brenda Addison Alexander, or Addie as we'll call her, was born at 6:13, weighing an unexpectedly beefy 7lbs 13oz. I'll leave it to Bren to fill in more details later on, but I'll let you know that baby and mommy are doing very well, and Lizzie is wondering why this new tiny crying thing is around all the time. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers! Here are a few pics from the past 24hrs.

40 weeks, 1 day

2008-11-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

...and still no baby. We are inducing late tomorrow night, so she should be born Friday morning. Of course, she could still start the process on her own sometime in the next 24 hours, but one way or another, Addie will be here very soon. I am NOT looking forward to labor, but I am so ready to be unpregnant and I am very ready to meet her and hold her and love her. Matt's mom left earlier today after being here for almost 2 weeks. It is sad that she was here for so long and didn't get to see the baby, but at least Christmas isn't too far away. My mom lands in about 45 minutes, so it looks like we shouldn't have too much of a problem even if I went into labor now.

Right now my thoughts are mostly concentrated on Lizzie. Even if I don't have a cesarean, I could easily be in the hospital for three nights. I hope it ends up being only two, but even then it will be pretty hard on her. I know she can come visit, but I don't know how long she can just hang out in a hospital room without going nuts. Plus, I am really going to miss her! It is hard not to recall all the little details of the night she came into this world...man, I remember thinking "Umm...do they know I am all alone with this baby? Wait, she is MY baby...so, that means I am in charge. Wait--what?"

Of course, this weekend is just the beginning of Lizzie losing her "only child" status. Who knows how she is going to handle it when she realizes this little baby isn't going away? I just try to remind myself that it is good for her and she will be a better person for it. Plus, I want her to have someone to share her childhood with and all of that. I just have to brace myself for the growing pains in the coming weeks. Thank goodness Matt has a lot of time these days (which is why we planned to have the baby now).

Well, I had better wrap this up and get some rest. I will be pulling an all-nighter tomorrow night, so I am trying to be as lazy as possible these next 24 hours. Here are some pics of our little elephant on Halloween.

Pumpkin Patch in Central Park

Carving pumpkins

It's amazing what you can do when you use stencils! Matt still had to work pretty hard, though.

Dressed up again for our night at the museum.

Sure...go ahead and color right on the table. They love that.

39 weeks

Fall in NYC

2008-09-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

So, fall is finally coming on in NYC and it is really nice. Matt came home to watch Lizzie while I went to the doctor today, so I walked a bit on the way home after I picked up our dinner. The weather really is nice. I am really excited about Halloween with Lizzie, since it is really the first time we are going to do something to celebrate (and I love Halloween). Of course, I could very easily be in the hospital, but if Addie cooperates, I will go into labor right after the Museum of Natural History Halloween event we are going to on the 31st. We are doing a Central Park thing and possibly Halloweekend at Grand Central the weekend before, too. She has an elephant costume that she loved when she tried it on, so I am hoping that she loves it just as much for those events and we can have some fun.

I am 35 weeks now, for those of you who aren't keeping track. Just remind yourself when you are voting that it is my due date and think, hmm...I wonder if Brenda is still pregnant? Then you can check the blog and see (and hopefully I will have pics up already). The doctor got my hopes up today about this birth being much easier IF this one is in a normal position (Lizzie was...NOT, let's say that), but I will believe it when I see it. But, I have to say, that I keep hearing comments about me having this baby in a cab, but it just isn't realistic. The hospital is about 20 minutes away...last time I was in labor for 14 hours before I started pushing (another 2-2.5 hours). If I deliver this baby in 20 minutes, I will count my blessings. Plus, Matt has delivered babies before, so it isn't like he wouldn't know what to do. So, please, save the baby in a cab jokes for someone who didn't take the bus to deliver her first child.

But, anyway, we are getting really close to the end here. We have pretty much everything we need for Addie now, and my overnight bag is mostly packed. Our moms are coming in shifts to be here to watch Lizzie when the day comes, as well as help me out a bit during those last difficult weeks. I am kind of counting down until Matt's mom gets here, because that is kind of the time when we can really start thinking "any minute". I am also looking forward to the ultrasound that is scheduled in two weeks--maybe I will get a better idea of what she will look like!

Lizzie is doing well, too. She is talking more and finally showing some interest in toys. She entertains herself pretty well, which helps a lot. She is just growing up all around. It is crazy to think that she was once as small as Addie is right now.

As much as the impending baby consumes our thoughts, we are also starting to think about coming home. As soon as we get a few dates worked out, we will be buying one way tickets for the second time in our lives. So weird. One thing we are trying to plan for is having a car again, and we are getting excited to buy/lease one soon! We are trying to decide what is best, but it is so hard not knowing so many things (like...oh, you know, where we are going to live). My latest favorite is the RAV 4, mostly because it is still semi-cheap, semi-small, but you can get one with a 3rd row of seats. Yes, we are planning ahead for another baby (which we assume will be a girl). Of course, we may just have to cave and get a minivan, but I seriously hope that we can avoid that. It would be nice to get a hybrid, but the only one that really suits our needs is the highlander and that is pretty pricey, even considering the gas savings. :( Sorry, planet.

Well, I have been slacking on the belly pics again, so here are a few, plus some of Lizzie trying out the stroller with the new doubles kit. There is also one of her sporting some awesome hair in her skeleton pajamas (they glow in the dark). Don't you love the plain, boring walls in this apartment?

32 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

35 weeks

Our month in San Francisco

2008-08-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

So...here we are at the end of our big month in SF. We are seriously bummed to be leaving, but it always feels like this when we go back east. I know I will get there and start preparing for Addie and be okay, but it is hard to get motivated to pack, so I guess it is time for that ginormous blog talking about the past month.

I can't believe how much has happened since the last post! We were still in the midst of the craziest week ever when I last wrote. Somehow, we got out of our apartment, ran all of our errands and got all (well, most) of our stuff (and ourselves) to California. Plus, Matt managed to line up our fall sublet before we got out of there, which still amazes me, considering all he had to do that week. It is stressing me out just thinking about those last few days in NYC, so let's just move on from there.

We got here and the weather alone was enough to make us happy. We went from sweltering humidity to beautiful cool weather. Our sublet turned out to be really nice (including a little backyard and jacuzzi), and Lizzie and Wahoo have been really happy here. On the downside, I realized that we didn't get here with almost all of my maternity pants and several shirts...I am still not sure whether I left them at the cleaners or if I accidentally sent them to storage. I guess I will find out soon enough. On the brightside, I had the perfect excuse to get some new things.

That first weekend we were so ready to get out and just be outside! We got coffee and some breakfast and walked over to Golden Gate park and were just in heaven. It was so beautiful outside and so nice to let Liz and Wahoo run crazy for a bit. The next day, we drove out to Stanford to just check it out and saw lots of cute neighborhoods that could be fun to live in IF we were to choose to go there and IF they choose us. Palo Alto has a Wahoo's so OF COURSE we ate there. Polished off the day with some In-n-out and we were already sold on NorCal.

Okay, this post is already getting really long and possibly boring, so I am switching to a list format. If something doesn't make sense, you have the perfect excuse to email me and comfort me in my impending depression.

mom came
went to giants game with mom, judy and dwayne where the park was SO NICE and we had a super fabulous time
took bus tour with mom, went to FW and had yummy breadbowls (liz liked chowder)
missed last tour, so continued next day
watched lots of olympics
ate more yummy food
josh and kallie came, got more breadbowls
49ers game, cheerleader fell, ate lots of park food, we won
walked through gg, rode paddle boats, stroller wasn't stolen, liz likes icees, went to japanese tea garden
drove to ontario, made good time
saw fam in temecula
went to target where liz picked the ugly one and i picked pretty pony
went to high school reunion, had fun, but lots of people were missing
liz learned to use a straw!
liz kept me up all night, had to drive on 4 hours sleep back to SF
went to in-n-out with Matt before returning car
went to stanford for football game (SO FUN), Jim Harbaugh is still hot even though he wears pleated pants
drove around SF

And now it is all over. Boohoo. Oh, and Matt really enjoyed UCSF. So...still not sure what that means as far as building our rank list, but now we now that we could be happy here if that were to work out.

And, of course, this whole time Addie has been growing bigger and stronger and I am getting to the point where I am excited for her to come out! I am trying not to think about it too much because I still have 10 weeks to go, which is so close, yet really so far. It is a good thing, though, because we haven't gotten ANYTHING to prepare for this one. We don't need much, but we do need a few things. It is really unbelievable to think that we will have another one. Crazy. Well, the laundry buzzer just went off, reminding me that I have a lot to get done tonight. Well, 2 months until Addie (pray for Halloween!) and 4 months left in NYC! Crazy, crazy.

They loved the backyard, even though it was mostly overgrown plants and uneven pavement.

Giants game

Ghirardelli Square

Josh and Kallie on the paddle boats at Golden Gate Park

A bunch of pics at the Japanese Tea Garden

High School Reunion

Lizzie playing piano with her behind. She would also play it with both hands and one foot at the same time.

Quick Update

2008-07-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Since I have an enormous amount of stuff to do today, I am procrastinating just a little longer to write a blog while I finish my coffee. The movers have come and gone with all of the stuff that is going to my moms. We have been trying to get this place cleaned out and spruced up, but you know how it goes...there is always more to do than you first thought. Plus, our plan to get rid of a ton of stuff is easier said than done when you live in a walk up, one of you is pregnant, and one of you always has to be with your two-year-old. But, what can you do? Today seems almost impossible, but I will do my best. Lots of cleaning ahead! So much food to throw away, so many errands to run, etc...I think I can handle the cleaning, but it seems like there won't be enough hours between the time Matt gets home and the time stores/storage closes that something is going to go wrong. I guess we will just have to do our best.

Some girls looked at our apartment last week and loved our paint, so cha-ching! That saves us a ton of money, since we don't have to pay to have it all returned to white. The only problem is, they were so eager to get in that we have to be out tomorrow at noon. We are staying in a hotel tomorrow out by JFK, but I am trying to plan it out so that I can run some of the errands tomorrow and kill enough time in Manhattan to wait for Matt to finish work (at an unpredictable time). The nice thing is that we have a car right now, the not nice thing is that driving in Manhattan is dicey and parking is ridiculously expensive. Plus, I can't really carry anything since I have to carry Lizzie...I really should have arranged for some help this week! Oh, well. It is just a reminder of one of the reasons that we want to go back...family and friends! You know, those people you guilt into helping you in situations like this. Of course, in Manhattan you just hire help for those things--well, for anything. So, I just arranged day care for Wahoo (also expensive), so I at least won't have to worry about him. Now I just have to figure out how to load up the car with last minute stuff, return our cable boxes to the bronx, replace the zipcard we can't find (and have to have on Sunday), and mail a massive box of photos, the silverware we forgot to point out to the movers, and my maternity pillow that is too big to fit in a suitcase. Plus, we are mailing our Tivo to ourselves because I don't want to miss any of the Olympics.

Well, that is enough cathartic rambling...I had better get to work. :(

Belly pics

2008-07-20T21:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been as good at posting pictures of my belly as I was last time, but I have been taking them. Now you are all caught up! I feel huge, but I looked at pics of last time and I think I look about the same.

12 weeks

13 weeks

14 weeks

17 weeks

19 weeks

22 weeks

Okay, this obviously doesn't show my belly, but I think my face looks funny. It is getting so hard to pick her up!

23 weeks

24 weeks

The beginning of the end

2008-07-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

So, it is Monday, and even though I am not as crabby as I usually am on Mondays, I am still reluctant to get to work. So, blog I shall. Lizzie and Wahoo are entertained by fighting over one of the light-up lollipops leftover from Lizzie's birthday, so I have the time.

Yesterday we gave away our washer/dryer, which is a big deal to us. Like most things we have dealt with in NYC, we have a love/hate relationship with that washer/dryer, but knowing it is gone is kind of crazy as it is the first significant thing to actually leave the house. Yes, we have piles of stuff to donate and stacks of things packed in boxes, but none of that has left the house yet. It was probably the heaviest thing, too, and we are glad to be rid of it in that repect. It is weird, though, knowing that now ALL of our stuff has to be sent to the good old fluff n fold, not just most of it. And since they wash our stuff in what must be the harshest detergent known to man, that means more clothes worn out before their time. No wonder New Yorkers are always in fashion--their clothes wear out too fast for them to be out of style.

We also have a local charity coming to pick up tons of stuff on Thursday. After that, our place will be really empty. At least, I hope it will! They say that furniture has to be in good shape and since our living room also serves as our dining room, our couches have seen a few too many spills (even for the turbofabric they supposedly had). Otherwise, I hope there are some seriously desperate craigslisters out there. I guess it helps the odds that we live in a city of 9 million people...I hope SOMEONE will take them! If not, we will have to have rubbish people come haul it away, which is not free. Just put it on my tab...

So, Lizzie is crazy, as usual. Lately she has insisted on eating everything with a fork, which is pretty cute, although not always practical. It is really funny when she gets frustrated--she kind of karate chops the air and holds her breath. Too cute. She recently had a pretty big growth spurt. She has grown about 2 inches in the last two months. Now I think she is back to growing out, if you know what I mean! It is getting really difficult for me, physically, to lift her and carry her around this city. It seems like every time we go out, I have an awful night of sleep from back pain. I am sure being a mom in driving cities is difficult in other ways, but right now I glorify living somewhere that doesn't require tons of heaving lifting just to run simple errands. Thankfully, the situation should be less difficult in SF and when we get a different apartment back here. And then, of course, when Addie comes out! That will be a whole new challenge, but I can't wait.

Addie is getting pretty big now. I can't believe i will be 6 months tomorrow! Lizzie calls her "Baby Dada". Of course, she calls everything a baby, so I am not sure how much she really understands. She may think that is just what I call my belly. Who knows...

It is pretty hard not to nest for Addie. I really wish I could start getting things ready and buy a few things for her, but it really doesn't make sense to do any of that until we get back to NYC in december. Plus, we have so much stuff from Lizzie, we really don't need much at all. I know I will be glad to have stuff to do when we get back, though, because I think those last couple of months are going to feel like an eternity. I know they did last time, and I was still working and busy then!

For those of you that don't know, I have no idea what happened to my phone. Well, I am still hoping we come across it as we pack, but we have really done a ton of cleaning and packing and it hasn't turned up. Matt got an iphone yesterday and is now on a new plan of his own, so I am just taking over his line on my mom's plan for now. So, if you call my old number, don't expect me to call back. But, if you call Matt, you will be pleasantly surprised to get to talk to me.

Well, I had better get some stuff done...and by that I mean eat lunch. Two weeks from Friday we will be in San Francisco! Woohoo!

Sorry for the confusion

2008-07-01T06:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I think I may be leading people on by talking about moving so much, because every time I talk to someone, they think that we are actually moving to San Francisco in 4 weeks. So, let me clear the air.

August: San Francisco
September-December: New York
January: Ontario + travel for interviews
February-March: New York
April-May or June: Ontario
May or June: Move to permanent location

We ARE moving out of this apartment (the movers come 7/27) and will be subletting for the remainder of our time in NYC. Why? Because it will save us money (6 months of subletting at a higher rate is still cheaper than signing a new lease and paying for the 2-6 months we don't need). Plus, we need to live in an apartment that has an elevator. I can still lug Lizzie up the stairs now, but as I get further along, I won't be able to leave the house at all since she refuses to climb up the stairs just because she is 2 and that is her job. Also, we MIGHT be staying somewhere in CA for February if Matt sets up another away rotation for that month. Confusing enough? The bottom line is that we should be back in CA permanently next April. We find out at the end of March where Matt will have matched (aka gotten a job), then we will have a little time at my mom's to figure out housing, etc.

That being said, we are really excited to get to SF in just a few weeks! I have to admit that I am also excited to get one last fall in NYC. It is my favorite time here, especially once all of the Christmas stuff is out. Of course, this will be my favorite fall here because we get a new little baby.

In other news, Matt started his 4th year today. It is finally his last first day of school. We are officially in the home stretch, at least as far as school goes. New challenges await us in residency, but for now we are looking forward to a relatively relaxed year as far as hours per week worked. Matt had a whole week off between 3rd and 4th years, so his parents, Aunt Judy and Uncle Dwayne came out to visit us/see the city. We went to a Yankees game, but had to leave because it absolutely poured. No biggie, though, because Lizzie was ready to go by that point, anyway. Matt and I got to go on a date to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill while Matt's parents babysat. It was so delicious. We all went rowing in Central Park, including Lizzie! It was so fun. We had not done that yet because we just assumed that Liz was too young, but she isn't and now that we know we might go again. We also got to eat at the Tavern on the Green, the last big item on my "To Do in NYC Before We Move Away" list. Then over the weekend, we got to catch up on lots of sleep and get lots of packing and cleaning done. We also notified our landlord that we would not be renewing our lease and we reserved movers, so we are really feeling like we are officially on our way out!

Well, I guess this post is getting pretty long, so I will leave it at that for now and post some pics.

Shake Shack

Matt rowing us around

Okay, I look really bad in this picture, but Lizzie has the cutest look on her face.

Tavern on the Green

Not only do they have insanely delicious food, they have awesome balloons.

Posing while taking a break from cleaning out Lizzie's closet (see the mess on the floor to the right?).

Pink

2008-06-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

So, yes, I changed our blog to pink. I figured it is appropriate since the women in this family officially outnumber the men. I may have also painted Lizzie's toenails while she slept. Hmm...what else can I turn pink? I am tempted to order Lizzie a tutu. I think I am officially girl crazy.

Perfect! Look what I just found! http://www.butterflycraze.com/mia.php

It's a girl!

2008-06-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest addition to the Alexander family. We are pretty sure we know her name, but we are still feeling it out. We found out Tuesday that she is a girl. They weren't able to see everything they needed to in the ultrasound because she was curled up in a tight little ball. I could see her spine and it was rolled up so tight! I have to go back in a month and maybe I can get some better pictures then. So far, she is healthy, but they weren't able to get a good look at the end of her spine or her heart. But we are really excited to know it is a girl and are starting to picture how our family will look in the coming years. I am sure we would feel the same way if she were a boy, but knowing she is a girl and starting to name her makes this baby seem so much more real.

I have been looking at the pictures of last time I was pregnant, and I forgot how big you get toward the end! I am not looking forward to that! But, I am sooooo excited to have another little one that lays in the tree frog position on your chest and is just so iddy-biddy that they barely fit into newborn clothes. Let's just skip thinking about labor...

Matt was able to feel some kicks a couple of days ago, so that was fun. I think that this one is very mellow and is quite the little swimmer right now. I am still only 19 weeks, but quickly approaching the halfway point. I am big enough now that I am putting away all of my non-maternity clothes and restocking for summer (most of my maternity stuff from Lizzie is long-sleeved...not helpful in the sweltering NY heat). I tried shopping for the new one, but I guess I will have to wait a month or two before fall stuff starts hitting the shelves/pages. A friend of mine makes crocheted stuff and is working on a hat and booties for her, though, so I am really excited about that!

Matt has only one more week in his third year. Woohoo! He is on surgery right now and is only able to spend about an hour with us each day. It isn't so bad because it is only for a 5 week rotation, but it is making me nervous for his intern year. I just keep telling myself that I have enough to worry about between now and then and just focus on getting us moved out of this apartment. I am getting really excited to head out to San Francisco for August, but we have so much work to do between now and then that it is hard to really let myself enjoy the thought too much.

Well, speaking of work, Lizzie has located the paint supplies we need to use to patch up the walls this weekend, so I had better go...now she is taking Matt's couch apart...now she is wedged between the cushions...now she is trying to find her way out...oh, she made it! and fell into the pile of clothes for salvation army. Yes, our place is a huge mess. Gotta go!

P.S. We miss you, too, Lynsey! Please tell your parents and sisters that we say hi. Have fun at the beach for us.

Life with a 2 year old

2008-06-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

I just have to vent! In the last 48 hours, I have:
-cleaned up the cup of iced tea Lizzie poured all over my chair and rug
-taken her to the ER because I thought she swallowed a magnet (she was taunting me with it in her mouth during time out, so I tried not to reward her with attention, but then this magnet was completely gone the next time I looked and I had to take her just to be sure...there was nothing on the x-ray)
-pulled a straw out of the toilet
-tried to save my phone after Lizzie threw it in the full bathtub
-cleaned up an insane amount of purple crayon from my couch and throw pillow
-caught Lizzie standing on the table while I cleaned up the throw pillow
-cleaned up the soot Lizzie got everywhere after she got it all over her hands from my candle snuffer that she grabbed while she was on the table and got everywhere while I cleaned up the couch
-pulled a beaded necklace out of the toilet

I think she is acting out because Matt has been gone so much and the threat of rain has kept us indoors. Poor baby. Wahoo seems depressed, too. Or maybe he is depressed because he is turning 3 next week. Hopefully today will be a better day! Oh, I just looked over and they were kissing each other...I will take that as a good sign.

Lizzie's Birthday Party and Other OKC Pics

2008-05-22T10:17:00.001-07:00

Well, it seems like we just got back from OKC, but really we have been back since Sunday. We had a great time, but the week went way faster than we could have imagined. We got to do a lot of fun things, eat a lot of yummy food and go on a date, but the highlight of the week was definitely Lizzie's Birthday party. We barbequed with our OKC friends and family in Matt's parents' backyard. After a week of wind, thunderstorms and rain, we had a gorgeous day to celebrate and hang out. She wasn't officially two until today, but it was great to celebrate outdoors and be with loved ones.
She is definitely in the terrible twos...we have to do a lot of time outs these days! She is also a lot more verbal and understands many things. She really is turning into a little girl.

Proud parents

One to destroy, one to eat

She did NOT like the frosting all over her!

She is discovering/playing with her shadow.

Our OKC friends...not sure when we will all be together again. :(

Wahoo and Ruby...I love his face in this pic! Lay off me, I'm starving!

Somebody has a girlfriend!

This picture scares me.

Lizzie is making her mean face.

Lizzie is laughing because her cousin is crying...I am telling you, she is scary.

Matt and I before our big biannual date.

My big girl

2008-05-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

The weather is FINALLY getting better here, so we have been able to go to the park a couple of times this week. Matt and I were shocked to see Lizzie really start to explore the play equipment and play with the other kids. It is hard to believe that she will be two in just 15 days.

Oops...she is scaring the other children.

Lots of news

2008-04-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, we are having a baby! Well, another baby! I am due November 6, which means I am 10 weeks right now. So fun, but I was really sick for a while between morning sickness and the flu. I am doing much better now, but still having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. It is hard to be pregnant when you have a toddler!
So, other news...Matt's parents are moving to Idaho! We are really excited for them, but we have decided to do a farewell tour of OKC instead of going to the Hamptons like we had planned, I am really excited to get out of here for a bit and do suburban stuff. Also, we are going to be spending the month of August in San Francisco to check it out (Matt is doing an away rotation at UCSF). I really wanted to go to CA before then, but we have a lot going on and I am a little nervous about flying without Matt now that I am pregnant again (and can't use our backpack carrier or our backpack carseat bag...getting a 2 year old and all her stuff down the stairs, in the cab, to bag check, through security, and onto a plane by yourself is hard, but doable if you have a system...now my system won't work and I am still formulating a new one). Anyway, we also just decided to go ahead and sell off/give away/throw away most of our stuff and sublet after we return from SF. I am sure most of your would croak at the thought of having a one bedroom for all of us, including the new baby, but living here has taught us how little you actually need and we are really excited to create a fresh start for ourselves next year in California while simultaneously negating the need for excessive storage costs over the next year.
Matt is planning to use April as one of his vacation months next year, which means we will move at the end of March and have less than a year left here. We are just going to fly back for graduation and stay at a hotel. We won't find out where Matt is going to work until the end of March, so we are just planning to go to my mom's for now. We are considering a cross-country drive home, though. Sometimes road trips are just the thing when you need to process a big change like that, but I am still a little nervous about all that car time with two babies! So we will see.
Well, I guess that is it! I wanted to scan the ultrasound pic, but our scanner isn't cooperating. Maybe I will get it figured out when naptime is over and I can make noise. I am also already showing, so I will post pics of the mini-bump soon.

Now that I know some people ARE reading this...

2008-02-24T13:17:00.001-08:00

here are a few more.

I am pretty sure no one is reading this...

2008-02-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

but here are some pics. Matt is home today (for the first time in 2 weeks) and is napping with Lizzie, so I actually have time to upload some pics. These are some from the last couple of months.

I'm back

2008-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it has been a really long time since I wrote...things have been crazy, but I think they are finally settling down. Of course, that won't last, but I am sure I will want some excitement soon enough. I am really excited that we are not going to travel for a while so I can try to enjoy more of NYC while I still can. It is starting to feel like we don't have much time left here! UCSF made a reservation for Matt to do an away rotation there in August, so we will be living there that month, then we come back here for a bit, then we will be back in California for interviews for about a month sometime next winter, then we come back for a few months, then it is graduation! And then we are out of here! I am so excited, but sad that we are leaving and won't be able to come back for a while (we will be super broke during residency unless/until I go back to work), so I really want to live it up here while I can.
Anyway, we had a pretty good Christmas. We got really sick, so we missed out on our annual trip to Porterville. We were really sad because we were looking forward to having a little time in the country, but such is life. We got to spend a lot of time with my mom, which really made me feel refreshed and recharged. It was just nice to have a really good solid visit with her, instead of feeling like it wasn't enough. We got to see a lot of friends, too, and were able to spend a day in San Diego. Matt and I got to go on a couple of long-awaited dates. We saw Enchanted, the first movie we had seen in the theater in more than 2 years and absolutely loved it. Seriously, the bikers in Central Park will getcha! Haha. We have coveted the apartment building in that movie many a time since it is between the subway and the church we go to when we actually get our behinds to church. We also got to do a spa day and it was soooooo awesome. It is too bad we wasted some of the benefit of the massages because we played with our uncle Dwayne's Wii a ton in the days following (which made our right arms/shoulders sore), but it was totally worth it! It was so fun. Unfortunately, we rang in the new year on a red eye to boston, then had to wait 6 hours for a flight home in a freezing cold extension terminal. The baby and I are still totally screwed up time-wise, but I have enough experience in this to know that it takes three weeks no matter how hard you try to push it, so I am just going with the flow for now and enjoying the liberty in sleeping late most days. Poor Matt was back to work right away, but I guess that is the life of an almost doctor, right?
So, for those of you that don't know, Matt is not going to do neurosurgery and is therefore not going to do the additional year of research between 3rd and 4th years. Woohoo! I do like it here, but it is really hard to be away from family, so I am really excited to get back to California. Now to choose a city...it is so hard! Right now San Fransicso is at the top of my list, but a few weeks ago it was LA, and before that it was San Diego. They all have their plusses, so we can probably be happy wherever. Anyway, Matt is most likely going to do interventional neuroradiology, which is similar to neursurgery, but...not. McDreamy did an INR procedure a few episodes ago, if that helps. Basically, he will do neurosurg type procedures by sticking a tube up your leg and taking pictures as he goes (that is the radiology part). So, he can do his residency in radiology instead of neurosurg, meaning much, much better hours and some other benefits. So, it is a 5 year residency in radiology, then a 3 year fellowship after that, then he will be like, the INR guy but he will still be on the neurosurgery staff. If that doesn't make sense, you will have to ask Matt!
As for me, I am definitely missing work and trying to plan my next move, but I am pretty sure that I just want to wait it out until I have more babies. So, I am entertaining myself by learning to play the guitar and by doing a lot of things that I have been putting off. I finally got a dental implant today that I have been needing FOREVER. It was pretty gross, but I am so glad that it is over! I still have to do the follow up stuff, but the worst is over. As soon as that is healed I am going to start invisilign, and then my teeth will finally be all pretty. I also have to update my info for my CPA license, need to do some CE, etc. So, basically I am making this year about doing all the things that I never had time to do. Of course, I have my high school reunion coming up, too, which makes me feel super old, but I guess that is life. I have a lot to show for those ten years, but I just can't believe that I am at that point already! Botox me, please!
Lizzie is getting so old! Then dentists laughed at me today when they found out that she was 20 months because I had been calling her a baby. She still doesn't talk much, but knows a lot of signs. She is doing better at entertaining and feeding herself, so that is awesome. We start up music class again next week, so that should be fun for all of us. It is really nice to be on a somewhat regular schedule. The only other time we had that was last year around this time of year. I am still getting caught up on housework, but at least I have plenty of time and can put some things off now (which i am doing as we speak).

Well, I guess I have rambled quite a bit! I will try to post some pics soon. Love you all!

Homesick

2007-08-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today I am feeling very homesick. I think it is mostly because my mom just left yesterday after a way too short visit and I wish I could have gone with her. I think it is also because we got the new Viewpoint as well as an invite for my 5 year reunion. I normally scoff at most of the articles in the Viewpoint and think of them as pretentious and irrelevant, and roll my eyes at the posed pictures of the white-haired men that run the place as if women's lib was a silly stage that the awful government makes us half-heartedly acknowledge, but this time it just brought back great memories. I have been really missing old friends, and some of those acquaintances that I really spent most of my time with (Dorie, are you out there? It seems like I should know where you are and what you are doing, but I don't! Anyone have her email?). It is a bittersweet feeling to know that college is over...I know, it was over long ago, but the reality takes time to set in. I mean, all those weddings kept me in the college mentality for a while, not to mention the fact that Matt is STILL in school, but those days are also long gone. I wish I could go to my 5 year reunion, but it is too close to Christmas to consider going there and back...oh, well. Also, I was listening to the cd from Josh and Kallie's wedding this morning, which just made me miss everybody.

The baby just woke up from an awesomely long nap, so the feeling is coming back to my leg...oh, man. I tried yoga bellydancing this morning. It was pretty cool. Super easy and quick for those of us who have a hard time fitting in a real workout. Now the baby is laying on the dog, giving him kisses on his belly. They are so funny.

Well, I guess quiet time is over. Miss you all.

P.S. Allie Murray Guthrie: Email me back!

To college days!

hello

2007-08-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, I know it has been forever since I posted...we have been busy and all of that. I just wanted to say hello. Lizzie is walking a bunch and talking a little. She is working very hard on saying "doggie" these days (it sounds like a very forceful "gaga"). She has also started to try to play fetch with him. She will take his toy away (and he lets her...weird, I know) and then throw it on the ground. She usually only throws it about a foot, but sometimes it hits the floor just right and goes flying. Super cute. Anyway, it is nice that she is finally on a semi-normal schedule since we haven't traveled in 6 whole weeks. I think we are finally starting to develop a good groove.

I don't really have any new pics right now. I haven't uploaded the camera in a while. I took some cute ones tonight of the baby eating chicken soup for the first time. She is so big. She gobbled it up! So cute. Of course, most of it ended up on her shirt, then the floor, then it became Wahoo's dinner.

Matt is super busy these days. He is currently on his neurology rotation and he obviously loves it. I can tell he is enjoying himself even though he has been working 13 hour days and was on call all weekend. I am bummed he is gone so much, but sometimes it is better to have him out of the house if he can't spend time with us. I mean, it is really hard not to talk to him or ask him for help with the baby and to have to basically pretend he isn't there. It is much easier if he is just gone. Of course, I would rather him be home and not doing homework, but that usually isn't an option. We just booked a little getaway to see the fall foliage, so we will get some good time together then.

Well, the battery is dying on the laptop and I need to finish watching Jesus Camp. Talk to you later.

Lizzie"s Birthday

2007-05-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I posted...I have a lot of pics to post and things to talk about, but for now I will just skip to what's current. Lizzie turned 1 last Tuesday. Matt and I took her to the park and celebrated that night as a family. We also had a party last night for some friends. It was a lot of fun. Thanks for all the gifts, everyone! It is nice to know our daughter is so loved. :)

Quick hello

2007-01-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally getting settled in here again. It is really nice that we don't have to travel for a while so we can put our energy into figuring out our life here. It has been nice for me to start plugging away at my to do list and feel like I am actually making some progress around the house and on some projects and stuff. It also helps that Lizzie is getting a little more independent and can play by herself for a few minutes at a time. I let her watch a little Seasame Street some days and she loves Elmo. It is pretty cute.
We had a little snow this morning, but it melted pretty fast. :( It has been a bummer of a winter so far. Good thing we moved to experience a variety of seasons, right? Well, that wasn't really the reason...but you know the story.
Well, sounds like she is waking up, so I had bett go. Here are some pics!

Just testing out the new tub:

First bath in the big girl tub:

Hi, mom.

How did this happen?

A wonderful trip

2007-01-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Lizzie and I got back to NY at about 10:30 pm last Friday. It was actually a pretty nice flight, for which I am truly grateful, because the rest of the night was not so easy. After we got home and settled, I tried to take some Dayquil before bed. The package was hard to open, so I had to use scissors, but even then one of the capsuls went flying. Of course, Wahoo scarfed it up. I tackled him and tried to wrestle it from his mouth. I even got my fingers on it once, but it was no use. After he swallowed it, I tried to gag him, but all that happened was he bit me really hard about a thousand times. So, we had to call the emergency vet, who told us to give him hydrogen peroxide to make him vomit and call the pet poision control. They said that he should have been fine from such a small dose, but that the symptoms I was describing were worrysome...so, it was off to the all night vet down in midtown. They wanted to do all sorts of crazy stuff (for crazy $$), but we told them just to give him charcoal to absorb any extra toxins. We finally headed home and went to bed at 6:00 am. Welcome home, right? But we are all fine now...except for the fact that we had a flood while we were gone. Super, huh? Matt had had to deal with the frustrated super earlier last week, but since there was very minimal damage we were very lucky. He had to get into our apartment and mop up some stuff and pull back our rugs, but that was about it. The only real hassle is that a ton of stuff from a few of our kitchen cupboards is all over the kitchen. I will have to do about a thousand loads of dishes to get all the stuff clean and put away, but that is okay. It could have been a lot worse!

Anyway, we had a great trip to California. We really got to see a lot of you and had some good time to just hang out. Lizzie is getting so big and is having a blast with all of her new toys. Thanks to all of you (especially Mom!) who gave such wonderful gifts for her (and us) since I know she will have so much fun playing and reading and will look great doing it in all of her fabulous new clothes. I am seriously grateful for all of the support we have had since baby stuff can really add up.

The whole family. :)

Cuddling with Aunt Judy:

Somebody kiss me, its midnight!

Miniparty!

Shopping in NYC

2006-12-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday was crazy, but fabulous. Matt and I took Lizzie for her first pictures with Santa. Waiting in line at Macy's was like being on a ride at Disneyland. It was so amazing. They had quite a set up. I have some pics, but they are on the other computer. Anyway, then we went to the big Old Navy to return some stuff, H&M for a sweater for me, and then it was off to the Toys R Us in Times Square. It was such a great trip. I found several toys for the baby and now I am having fun playing santa, which, for a six month old, means wrapping her gifts right in front of her face. I put up our Christmas decor today, except for the tree. We decided to go artificial since it is so hard to get a tree up and down the stairs and recycling is a pain. Plus, around here a fresh tree is pretty pricey, especially once you add in all the fees. Anyway, it should get here soon and then I can finish all the decorating. It is so much fun. I wasn't really sure how I felt about the santa thing before...I just feel guilty outright lying to Lizzie, but I think I am over it. Next year will be the real test, but right now it seems like it would be sooo much fun. Well, I had better clean up all the wrapping paper I let Wahoo play with.
Bren

Hello again

2006-11-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted. Now that I have the housework somewhat under control, I hope I can post more often. I haven't been up to too much. This morning the baby and I went down to the big Old Navy on 34th and bought some Christmas dresses for her. I bought two because they were both so cute that I couldn't choose. I will have to take my time and return one later. They sell out too quickly to wait. I also bought Wahoo a fancy coat since I am trying to get our little family to take a more formal picture. We can't have him feeling underdressed, now can we?

Here is Lizzie looking very ferocious:

Her first measurement on the growth chart:

In the park:

Playing with her favorite toy, Wahoo:

Call me desperate...

2006-08-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

cuz I'm a housewife! But, seriously, if anyone ever calls me that, I will have to hurt them. So, my point is that I am starting a new chapter in my life in that I am now staying home with the baby. Actually, my last day of work was three weeks ago, but we went to Boston on my first week off and this last week went by like the blink of an eye. Anyway, so much has happened that I haven't had a chance to blog about that I don't know where to begin. Of course, I am sure most of you want pictures of the little one, so I will start with that.

Our first attempt to take Lizzie to church:

Lizzie's actual first day at church:

My last day at work:

Various pics of Amy and Andy's visit:

Us at church:

Lizzie wearing my new sunglasses:

Matt feeding the baby at Yale:

Hanging out with Justin Brown:

Various Boston pics:

Wahoo was so tired, we had to put him in the stroller!

Lizzie modeling some various outfits:

To those of you we missed...

2006-07-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here at work, doing somewhat mindless stuff for SOX, and thinking of those of you we weren’t able to see in California. So, to Mark, Shelly, Misty, Jeff, Erin, and all those of you we saw for only five minutes (Kallie, Ashley, to name a couple), we are sad that we missed you. Please come visit us! The baby won’t wake you, we promise! Well, but Wahoo might try to come snuggle you. Alright, I had better get back to it.

I don’t know whether work or home is crazier right now. I should be back to blogging regularly very soon.

Work sucks

2006-07-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

I know...how does the rest of that song go? Well, today was my first day back. I didn't exactly suck, but it wasn't what I was expecting either. My boss quit while I was on leave (he called and told me a long time ago), so things are pretty different. I have a huge thing due tomorrow already, but I didn't even get started because the people that have to submit it to me are late (as usual). I am NOT staying late tomorrow, though, cuz we are taking Lizzie to see DRB! Yes, they have decided to come to our side of the country. The rest of you are free to follow their example. Hehe...Matt just told me he loved me in his sleep, so it woke him up when I said it back. Anyway, I spent most of the day talking to people and getting caught up, so it went really fast.

As usual, I am awake while Matt, Lizzie, and Wahoo make a sleeping circle around me. I wish I could join them, but I have to wait until the baby is really out cold to sneak off to brush my teeth...I had too many hot tamales to consider skipping it. Well, talk to you all soon. Matt just said that he posted more pics to flickr if you want to take a look.

Okay, I am rambling, so I will go.

Home again, home again...

2006-07-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

to buy a fat pig? Or maybe just to order non-meat items from fresh direct. Well, we are back in NYC now...it is kind of wierd. It kind of felt like leaving CA all over again (except this time we have AC, our apartment is already painted, and we don't have to sleep on an air mattress). We had a great time in CA...the visit was both too long and too short; it was too long in that it is just a long time to be away from the comforts of home, and too short in that we didn't get much time with most people and some we didn't even get to see at all. Thanks to everyone who provided, arranged, or paid for our housing. Well, I need to clean out the fridge and get us some food! I will post some pics later.

California, here we come!

2006-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for CA tonight! We hope to see you all while we are there. Sorry for all of the unreturned emails...I will try to get caught up soon. We love you all and will try to post new pics soon.

Ta da! Look what we made!

2006-05-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

I know you all want to see her, so here she is!

20 days left (or less)!

2006-04-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, we are now in the waiting game. The nursery is as ready as it is going to be (we have to wait until the end of May for our rocker, and early June for one of the sets of window hardware) and the rest of the place is pretty clean. It is good, but it is a little wierd. Everyone at work says that I look like I am about to burst, and that is pretty much how I feel. My heartburn is out of control and my feet are so huge. She has really run out of room, so I can feel her body parts jutting out almost all of the time. I mostly feel her side and her little rump and her heels (as they dig into my side), but every once in a while I can feel her shoulder and her hands, too. One time I put my hand on my stomach at work and she brushed her hand (or arm, I am not sure...I just know it wasn't a foot because of the proximity) back and forth on the spot I was touching for a long time. It was pretty cool. I am going to start working from home next week, so that should help me feel more comfortable and will definitely help with the swelling. I am worried that I am going to get a little stir crazy, though. It is hard to be patient! As nervous as I am about labor, I am ready to get this party started. The doctor said I have already started progressing, so that is a good start. It doesn't really mean too much, but it could be sooner than later. I think we will know more when I go again on Tuesday. Anywhoski, here are some pics. Who knows, they could be the last!

37 weeks

36 weeks

Matt's early lesson in suturing

2006-04-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, we had to rush to the ER on Friday night. Don't worry--it had nothing to do with the baby. I stabbed my hand with a kitchen knife while pitting an avocado. I was just really tired and my hand just slipped. I was so mad because I had to leave the yummy dinner I had just prepared behind. I had pushed through my near exhaustion to have the meal, and Matt had to practically drag me out the front door. It was really bloody. Matt knew it was really deep and insisted we go. It turned out that the doctor that sewed me up is the preceptor for a couple of Matt's good friends (that means that they do a clerkship with him, which is kind of like an internship). As soon as he found out that Matt was in med school, he was very descriptive and basically started giving him a lesson. Apparently he teaches suturing at the Cornell campus (Cornell and Columbia fall under the same hospital umbrella), so it was his cup of tea. He did cosmetic sutures on my hand instead of the regular kind just to show Matt how it was done (which, I know from experience, take a lot longer). Matt takes his suturing class on Wednesday; if he had already had it he was going to have Matt do it by himself! He gave Matt the removal kit so that he can take them out for me when the time comes, so I will be Matt's first patient. :) Kind of fun...although I am going to be a little nervous since I know that removing stitches can be painful. My hand was really sore all day yesterday and I couldn't really use it. It is much better now. Matt and the doctor both said I was lucky to have hit a spot where there weren't any tendons and there are few nerves. The doctor thought it was really funny when I told him that, as far as I am concerned, I prefer to think that I don't have anything under my skin (since anything else just really grosses me out).

Well, it is getting late here so I had better go. Happy Easter everyone! 32 days left!

Week 36

2006-04-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day--I was feeling pretty good and then I felt even better because my office threw me a surprise baby shower. They got tons of stuff for the baby, including lots of little things I (well, she) really needed. Anyway, it was just fun that they thought of me and did that for me/her.

So, there are only 36 days left. I am starting to feel a little nervous...but I am still more than ready for that day to arrive. Well, I take that back. I was supposed to pack my overnight bag tonight, but I ran out of time. Plus, I can't find my "master baby list" right now, which basically means I have no idea what needs to be done. Once I write something down, I forget about it (which is the beauty of a list), but that means that things are going undone left and right while I track that little sucker down. I should really stop making my lists on my teen-weeny memo pad at work...but that is just how it works. What is really driving me crazy is that there are things I could cross off if I could find it...oh, well--enough about the list! Can you tell I am tired?

Matt and I rented a car on Saturday and ran a bunch of errands in New Jersey on Saturday. We got a bunch done, but the best part is that we got to eat at Baja Fresh. I am telling you, it was worth the rental fee just for that. Yum.

The baby is huge and her little foot was really hurting me tonight. The doctor said she is pretty sure she is already in the head down position, but she is going to do an ultrasound at the next visit to be sure. She said she will check the baby's weight, too.

Matt got to meet and introduce Elliot Spitzer yesterday. Pretty cool. Spitzer is running for governor and is pushing for state funding for stem cell research; while Columbia can't endorse any political candidates, the medical student organization (of which Matt is co-president) can do whatever, so he was the link between the two. It was pretty cool and he got to meet quite a few big-wigs.

Well, I had better go to bed. The days just go so quickly...well, the evenings do, anyway.

48 days

2006-03-31T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, the countdown continues. It is really getting close now. We are going to the hospital tour in the morning to get familiar with the way things will work when I do finally go into labor. I am in the process of filling the pre-registration stuff out, and part of that was filling out the request for her birth certificate. So official!
The nursery is coming along quite well and I am really happy when I go in there. I have a few more things to do in there this weekend, then I will post more detailed pictures.
Well, I had better go to bed, but here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

My boys.

Week 34.

8 weeks left

2006-03-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't have much to talk about, but it has been way too long since I posted a belly pic. Things were really crazy at work for a while there, but now it should be more reasonable. I still have a lot to get done before I take my leave, though. I am glad to keep busy, otherwise I think I would go nuts! Matt is almost done with his really tough test block, so he can finally put the baby's furniture together. Yay! Then we can finally start making a home for little Lizzie. I am starting to think more about actually giving birth...sometimes I am just shocked at what I am going to have to do, but I do think it is really cool how the baby knows what to do and all of that. I really don't let myself think about what will happen if something goes wrong. I think I will be okay once I get past the shot. I really don't like needles...I guess I have gotten over that a little bit since I have had to have a billion blood tests throughout the pregnancy. I hate it, but I am learning to deal. I will probably feel better after we tour the hospital next week and get familiar with their process. It should also help once Matt and I start the labor prep. We still need to take infant CPR, too! So much to do.

Lizzie is still really active, and now I can actually feel limbs moving. I can't really tell whether what I feel is a hand or a foot, but I feel something small pressing here or there, and once I think I even felt a limb with my hand on the outside. I guess she is just getting big! Matt showed me a picture of a preemie that was only 30 weeks when it was born, which is two weeks younger than Lizzie. It is crazy to actually see how big she must be. She must be so scrunched. She is supposed to be about 16 inches tall and about 3 pounds right now.

Alright, well, here is the most recent pic, which is already a week old. This is me at 31 weeks. Of course, Wahoo wanted to be in the picture, too. :)

90 days to go!

2006-02-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it is actually only 87 now. Last week was a crazy one. Matt and I went to this fabulous place for dinner on Valentine's Day. It should have been super expensive, but for some reason they only make you pay your age after 8:00 p.m. It was awesome. We are pretty sure that we saw Al Franken there, too. So, I guess there are some cool things about NYC. The next day I went to a Knicks game with work since one of our printers invited us to share their skybox. It was the Knicks, so the game wasn't that great, but it was a fun experience. We also got most of the baby furiture that day. Sadly, going out twice in a row thoroughly exhausted me, so I don't remember much of Thursday. Matt came down to meet me for lunch on Friday, so that was really nice. He doesn't do that often because it is pretty far for just lunch. He went to MOMA after that and I think he had a pretty good time.
Anywhoski...we have spent most of the weekend catching up on Olympics and cleaning up our place. We are still getting organized--we never really did that when we first moved here. I have a pretty bad cold so I have been trying to rest and sleep it off (I can't take any medicine). Matt started to put the baby's furniture together, but some of the pieces were damaged. He had to take all the pieces out to make sure we saw all the damage, so the nursery is full of random pieces of wood. I ordered the replacement parts today, but it sucks that he had to stop before he really got started.
Also, Matt tried to upgrade the desktop processor and may have sent his old friend to a not-so-early grave. That would be sad. :( Oh, and Wahoo chewed my laptop cord again, so I had to steal the fancy Mac to write this post.
The baby is still a little kicker. If I push on my stomach when she is awake, she will kick my hand. If I rub a certain spot, she moves to be under my hand. I hope that means she is a cuddler! I can't wait to hold her in my arms, but I think Matt is ready to steal her from me the second the cord is cut. I have had her this long, so I guess I can share her.

Alright, here is the latest picture. I know, I know...I am huge, but most women who I talk to can't believe that I am 6 months--they think my tum is too small. I sure hope I don't get too much bigger because I feel like I am going to explode. I am standing in the nursery in this picture so you can see the color of the walls. :)

Snow Storm

2006-02-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Matt and I are sitting in our living room with our dog, watching our tivoed shows as well as the snow outside. It is just covered out there. It is beautiful and it is kind of fun to be closed in together. I will post pics soon, but I am using the Mac right now which isn't as compatible with our camera.
We went shopping yesterday to make one last effort at finding baby furniture in a local store before we order online. We were only successful at finding a good rocker. I still like the PBK one better, but it is pretty expensive. As for the crib, etc, it is just ridiculously more expensive than online...so, we will probably just have to order sight-unseen. We did get the paint while we were out, so I will probably tape today so Matt can paint next weekend. So wierd that we are getting so close!
We will probably rearrange our living room today. This is the exciting Manhattan life, I tell ya.
Talk to you all soon!
Bren

I'm back

2006-02-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

After a crazy month of travel and overtime, I am back to blogging. Here is a pic of me at 25 weeks, although I am in my 27th week now. I will try to post another one soon. I feel huge and I swear there is no way that my body can hold her when she is 5 times the size she is now, but whatever. There was one moment where there was actually a big bump right in the middle of my upper belly that must have been her head. Pretty cool.

So, now that I am in the third trimester basically all I think about is getting the baby's room ready. We are going to go buy paint this weekend and probably most of the nursery furniture. So fun.

Alright, I am trying to think about something other than the baby...hmm...THE OLYMPICS! I cannot wait for them to start this weekend, especially now that we have tivo. So awesome. I love the olympics and I LOVE MICHELLE KWAN! I am hoping it is finally her turn to shine, but the pessimist in me (which is most of me, I'll admit) thinks that there is just too much pressure and she is going to fall on the first jump. Scary. I also LOVE the luge and the bobsled, so those will be fun. I just did the math and realized that I was a senior in college for the last winter olympics. It seriously took me three times to verify my calculation because I can't believe it has been that long since college. Crazy. I am old!

Here is a pic of my doggie:

Pic's from Amy's wedding (she is Matt's sister):

Week 23

2006-01-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

So, I am past the five month mark. Yay. I can feel her moving around right now. It is so nice to call her a her. We are still working on the name.

I am so glad it has been warm here (I can't believe I now consider 45 warm). It was really hard to leave California behind, so it helps that it hasn't been the bitter cold January I was told to expect.

Matt and I finally saw Harry Potter. We had a fun time. We saw it at the Imax theater in Lincoln Center. Then we went to the Babies R Us and looked at baby furniture. What a great date.

We are going to OKC next week for Matt's sister's wedding. I am bummed because we have to leave Wahoo behind. I am checking out a doggie day care/doggie slumber party place on Saturday. Wahoo has to do a trial run to see how he behaves with the other doggies. I think he will have fun, but part of me is worried that he is going to be overwhelmed and scared of the big dogs. We will see...

We get our Tivo tomorrow. Yay! Thanks, mom. I am really excited because I am sick of the stuff I have been watching. Tonight I actually watched Jeopardy and Wheel of fortune just so I don't have to watch another sitcom rerun. I know I could turn it off, but I already read a ton on the subway. Now Wahoo fell asleep on my lap and I can't reach the remote, so I am stuck watching Dancing with the Stars...I am just going to have to wake him in a minute.

Desparate Housewives was a little better this week. I thought the stuff between Gabbie and Lynette was pretty good. I still think that the mystery surrounding the suicide was the glue that held that show together, and they blew it when they could have keep that going for a long, long time. That was their biggest mistake, but there are too many others to list. Anyway...

Well, here are a couple more pics. I had better go and get some mylanta. I really haven't had too many symptoms, but I definitely get heartburn.

I am pretty sure you will all agree that I look like a midget in this picture. I guess Matt really is that much taller than me. I will try to get a better one next week.

It's a girl!!!

2006-01-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

So, we are going to have a daughter. So cool. It is still sinking in...there is a lot to think about. Everything looked healthy on the sonogram, so that is nice to know. Thanks for all of your prayers. I am starting to look at baby furniture and plan out the nursery. It is going to be fun. :)

We had a great time in California for Christmas. It is hard to get back into the swing of things here. Work is going to be pretty busy for the next few months. Yuck. Today work was good because we did another Christmas luncheon that we didn't get to before the holidays. We went to a sushi place, but they served me all vegetarian items. I guess New York does some things right! It was nice to have a nice, relaxing meal. Tomorrow the company is buying us lunch, too, as a thank you for getting ourselves to work during the transit strike. Yay for free food.

These are pretty hard to see, but this is the best I can do for now. We have these pictures stuck in our dresser mirror, so this morning the first thing I saw was my little girl's face (well, the second thing...the first thing I saw was my doggie that I was snuggling like a stuffed animal).

Baby's profile

Baby's face and little hand

Baby breech with her feet over her head!

It's almost Christmas!

2005-12-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just three days until California! I am so excited. Matt has survived his first semester of med school and is fast asleep in bed. Poor baby.
It has been a pretty crazy week. Work has been more hectic as the year end approaches, so time has been flying during the day. I have been desparately trying to get my xmas shopping done so I can have it shipped straight to CA in time...I just have a couple of things left. I can't wait until all of that is finished.
We had a prenatal appointment last week. We weren't able to find out the sex yet, but we have an appointment for that on the fourth of January. Everything is going fine. Matt got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. Pretty cool. The baby's heart has grown enough that his/her heart rate went from 160 to 140 in five weeks.
Brad and Heather (friends from Oklahoma) stayed with us the last two nights. We had a great time seeing some of the sights and doing some shopping. We went to Serendipity last night. It was delish. I had a huge ice cream sundae that I wish I could have again right now! Yum.
Wahoo is taking a nap on my lap and keeps hitting the keys, so blame him if there are typos.
Well, I guess I had better get back to packing/shopping online. Love you all. I can't wait to see you all soon!
Bren

We finally all get to be together. :)

Wahoo had a great time with the Eddie Bauer and Staples catalogs.

We got Wahoo a new bed. He likes it, but not as much as he likes our bed. A girl at work gave me this little sweater for him. He is so cute! He kinda looks like a little old man when he wears it.

Week 19

Catch up

2005-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't posted in a while because Wahoo chewed through the cord to my laptop. I should be getting the replacement in the mail, but for now I am borrowing Matt's for a couple of minutes to get some of these belly pictures posted. Keep in mind that these make me look a little bigger than I do in real life...either that or the mirror at work makes me look smaller than I really am. Also, keep in mind that I know I look dorky in most of them, but that is just too bad. We also have a bunch of pictures from Thanksgiving, but I will post those later.
I have been feeling the baby move a lot over the last week. It is really cool. I am hoping the movements get big enough soon that Matt can feel them, too.
I just got back from Miami...it was a pretty good meeting, so it went fast. I got to meet some people that I have been working with for a long time, so that was good. I am glad to be home...huh, I just realized that I finally feel like this is home. That is a milestone I thought I wouldn't reach for a while.
Today at lunch I lost my wallet. That sucked, especially since it was the wallet Matt bought me at Harrod's in London when he was there for school. :( So sad...but totally a Brenda thing to do. My hands were so cold I just shoved the wallet in my pocket (which really is big enough) for the block between Subway and my office, but when I went to swipe the turnstile, there was nothing there. I don't think it was a pick-pocket because I wasn't very close to anyone (there aren't too many crowds in the financial district when it is 30 degrees outside). I imagine someone just picked it up right away. Oh, well.
Things are going well at work, but I won't bore you all with that. HR sent out a reminder to fill out new W4s if our withholding changed, and I was excited to think that next year we will have a little dependent. I guess it takes an accountant to be excited about that. Although I didn't take my old tax professor's advice and have the baby on December 31 (you still get to count the entire year).
We will be on the plane to California in two weeks! Woohoo!

Well, here are the tummy pictures...
Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Stuck

2005-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning feeling both congested and dehydrated, so I am just laying on the couch, doing nothing. I can't watch TV because the remotes are stuck somewhere under my sleeping dog and/or husband. I don't want to disturb them, because our dog is either hyper or sleeping, and I prefer sleeping at the moment. I am trying to start some Christmas shopping online, but I just keep wandering back to gapmaternity or the sherpa website (doggie carriers--Wahoo is flying home with us for Christmas). Uh-oh, the little one is awake! Oh, he just plopped back down on daddy.
I have a new tummy picture for you guys, but I can't find the attachment for my camera at the moment. I will try to find it later today.
I am getting kind of excited to start the nursery, but every time I think of buying baby stuff I get really overwhelmed. There is so much stuff to buy! Nursery furniture, toys, bath toys, baby towels, baby clothes, baby jackets, strollers, walkers, diaper bags, books, baby bedding, bottles, pacifiers...it is just a lot to think about. I guess I should just start a running list.
So, I have been feeling the baby a little bit. No kicks or anything like that, but I can feel him/her land and settle when I readjust. Pretty cool. Most women start feeling kicks between 18-20 weeks, which is about two weeks from now. I can't wait. I go to the doctor again two weeks from Tuesday and there is a small chance we can find out the sex at that time. Otherwise it will have to wait until my visit next month.
Only three and a half weeks until California!!! That means Wahoo's, Inn-n-Out, Baja Fresh, Pat and Oscar's, the Black Bear Diner, BJ's, Del Taco and so many other yummy places to eat!!! It is a pregnant girl's dream Christmas. Oh, and we are excited to see family and friends, too. ;) Oh, man, I am hungry now.
Well, I guess it is lunch time here, and the dog is awake and trying to eat my hair.
Love you all,
Bren

Second Trimester

2005-11-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the second trimester. Yay! That means our chances of miscarriage go way down, so that is comforting. I have posted an embarrassing picture of myself above to show you guys my little tummy since you can't see it in person. I guess I am about to get big really fast, so I will try to post a pic every week so you can all see the baby progress. It will be so much fun!!! Well, for some of us. Yes, we have a massive pile of laundry--try to pretend you don't see it. No, I haven't put the bedskirt on our bed yet. Wahoo was very excited to be in the picture with me. Too cute.
It is starting to sink in that there is an actual human growing inside of me. I think I will start refering to myself as "we". We went to work today. We walked six blocks and stood in line for a half hour just to get a decent burrito (at a place "our" coworkers pronounce "Chipodul"). We rode the subway and we went to Whole Foods. We had yummy salad for dinner when we got home. We will go to bed very soon.
I always knew I would love being pregnant, but I never knew how excited I would be to meet the baby. I always thought I would be sad to let the baby go (and maybe I will be, when the time comes), but I am just so excited to see what he/she will be like, what it will be like to hold him/her in my arms, what it will be like the first time I hear the baby mumble "mama". I think I will cry for a week for each of those things. And love every minute of it.
Well, I guess I should talke about non-baby stuff. Matt's parents are coming next week for Thanksgiving. We are going to the Radio City Christmas special, and we might go see them blowing up the balloons for the Macy's parade. Other than that, we will just stuff our faces like the rest of the country. One week after that I have to go to Miami for a couple of days for business, then one week after I get back, Brad and Heather are coming to visit (yay!), then right after they leave, we get to go to California! Yay. I am happy that things are going to move quickly for a while. The first few months here were just dragging. I am ready to be with family and hopefully friends, too.
Well, it is getting late so "we" had better go to bed.
Love you all! Miss you tons!
Bren

A walk by the Hudson

2005-11-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

I had another prenatal appointment today. It was pretty quick, but I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was so fast! She let me listen to mine to hear the difference--I think the baby's was about twice as fast as mine. It was awesome.
Since I was home early, I took Wahoo down by the river. He loves the leaves--he loves walking in them, he loves rolling in them, he loves eating them. He is super cute. Now he is sitting on my lap trying to pretend he isn't tired. Oh, wait...now he is on the floor playing with his favorite toy, a washed out milk carton. I don't know if it is really his favorite or the only one too big to hide.
That is about all that is going on here. I found out that I have to go to Miami for business...yuck. Brad and Heather are going to come visit us--yay!
Alright, I am way too distracted by The Colbert Report to think of anything else.
Love you all!
Bren

Elizajosh

2005-10-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Our first baby picture.

More pictures

2005-10-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Cottage Cheese

2005-10-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

So, I went on another dog walk tonight up to the park by our apartment (Bennet Park, I think?). Everyone was telling me how cute Wahoo is, so I graciously let them. Wahoo loves everyone, so I let other people pet him when they want. As I neared a park bench, I saw an older couple eyeing the dog like they might want to pet him. I steered Wahoo closer to them and they started petting him and asking questions. They had very strong accents (Matt says they were probably Russian Jews, since a lot of them live in our area). The man asked what kind of dog he is, so I said, "Boston terrier". The man said, "Boxhound?" I said, "Boston." He said, "Boxtown?" I said, "Boston, like the city." He said, "Oh, Boxtown." So, that made me giggle inside. They asked if he was full grown and some other stuff. Then the man asked, "What do you feed him--cottage cheese?" I asked, "Why, is cottage cheese good for dogs?" He shrugged and said, "Oh, I don't know." I told them "No, he eats dog food."
I hope you are laughing by now, because it was very funny.

Columbus Day in NYC

2005-10-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the city was pretty empty today. It was kind of nice. We had a rainy weekend here and spent almost the entire time at home. I took Wahoo for a walk in the light rain on Friday night. He had fun chasing the wet leaves that blew in the wind at the little park by our apartment. I had a nice conversation with a man who had the same type of dog and same type of outfit as me (boston terriers and black velour sweatsuits--we just had to stop and talk!). That is one thing I like about it here--making new friends on the dog walks.
We went to another church this week and I think we both like it. I am bummed there aren't any good Nazarene options around here, though. It is just one more huge change I am having to deal with. Oh, well.
Matt's family is coming for Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to it. Then it will only be a month until Christmas and California!
It has been getting cold here pretty quickly. I am realizing how ill equipped I am for a New York winter.
We miss all of you very much. I hope to hear from all of you soon.
Bren

Pictures of Central Park

2005-10-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Not much to say...

2005-09-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

I just want to say hi to everybody and let you know how much I love it when you post comments to our blog. I miss you all! I don't have much to say...work is going alright. I am still getting the hang of it. I have to do a lot of research each day, which can be interesting or boring. The people are great, though. I love getting my food from a cart. The falafel guy is really sweet, and you can get a huge plate of falafel for $3.50.
Mark, I am on the third Harry Potter already. It is fun to read for fun.
I love my doggie and I am so grateful I get to spend time with him. He knows "sit" and "sit and stay" so far. He still hops like a bunny, especially after his numerous baths (after he walks through his accidents). He is teething and bites a lot, but we are working on it.
Well, it is getting late here. Love you all.
Bren

Our Stuff IsHere!

2005-08-31T14:53:00.000-07:00

At length, our items arrived. It took 2 1/2 hours for five movers to get all our junk up to the fourth floor where we live. Even our big couch, after much trepidation and removal of our heavy pre-war door, is home. Also, we got our washer/dryer and met a very nice neighbor named Victor who helped me lug it up. Right now our first load is running. Hopefully our neighbors don't get mad when it hits the spin cycle. Now that our stuff is here, we can upload some pics. Below are a few of Wahoo and one from my white coat ceremony last Friday when I became a Hippocrat, as well as a couple from Bren's new building and the view from her floor. Having all our stuff back has made me feel a bit guilty, considering how many millions would love the opportunity to live on an airmattress under a roof. Thanks be to God for all these provisions. New York already feels more like home now that we can sleep on our bed again. : ) Now for the pics. Enjoy!

Closer to Normal

2005-08-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been in NYC nearly two weeks, but it still doesn't feel much like home. We're liking the city, but we still have to sit on an air mattress. First Choice Moving and Storage continues to prove their name is a lie. We were told last Friday that our stuff would be loaded the next day, only to get a call Monday telling us that loading up our stuff put the truck over its weight limit. That prompted me to hang up on the dispatch lady--I hope they don't pee on our stuff. Fortunately, we were told later on Monday that our stuff had just been loaded, so we should be happy about the surprise that it wasn't going to be another week until a truck came along. The time for happy has past. Oh well, we'll soon have our stuff and be looking on the last few weeks as a silly story of character building. We get cable installed Friday, so posts should occur a lot more frequently. And the best news, saved for last : D, is that we got a dog! His name is Wahoo, and he is a ten-week-old Boston Terrier. We're currently in the throes of crate training him, but our little guy is doing well. Pictures are soon to come, just as long as I can find a way to get some uploaded. That's it for now.

We've Arrived!

2005-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been in NYC for nearly a week now, and it's been quite a trip. Our stuff still hasn't gotten here, and it doesn't sound like it will soon. We were met with temps in the high nineties and very high humidity. Fortunately, it has cooled off considerable, and we even got our first thunderstorm in the city! I loved it; it took me back to my OKC days, but Bren was a bit edgy after a few loud claps of thundere. We've also had our first house guest. Amy came out Saturday afternoon and flew out Tuesday. She was a huge help painting our new place. The plan had been to fly her out to help with unpacking, but since we have nothing to unpack, we saw the city instead. We saw our first show together on Broadway, Beauty and the Beast. Not bad. (It was fun seeing Bren and Amy watch the play and hear songs from their childhood--they sang them together for a couple days after.) Thanks, Amy for all your help. Now that Amy has left, and we're still here, it's really starting to sink in that we're going to be staying for some time. It will help when our stuff gets here, we won't be sleeping on an air mattress anymore, and we can check email from our place. However, this is slowly turning into home. I guess that's a good thing, although we miss all our friends and family in California and OKC desparately. : / Who will be the next to visit? Our place has room, and the weather can only get better. : D

Amy's Engaged!

2005-07-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Andy Curry ask Amy Alexander, my lil' sis, to marry him! Woo-hoo! Andy's a great guy, and I couldn't be happier for them. They plan to exchange vows 1/21/06 at BFC, so that's at least one trip to OKC for Bren and me. : D I've been putting off posting about this until I get some pics or something, but I haven't done too well procuring some, so here's a text-only notification. Yay!

more good news

2005-07-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

today i officially accepted a job offer for a position in new york. i will be working for the parent of the company i work for right now, so it will be a pretty smooth transition. my new title is senior SEC compliance analyst...or something like that. i will spare you the details, since most of you reading this will fall asleep if i don't. it is a totally different position, though, so it will be a new chapter in my career. if the little manhattan geography i have learned serves me correctly, it is in the financial district--close to wall street and all of that. i am really looking forward to it.

i feel very blessed that this position opened up at the right time for me to take it. it is such a relief (for both of us) to know that we will be able to pay the monstrous rent and other such things. thanks to all of the friends and family who have been praying for me to find a job.

Farewell, Mid-City

2005-07-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Brenda and I were sent off in teary-eyed fashion by our church family in the english congregation at the Church of the Nazarene in Mid-City. Thank you, Mid-City, for the way you have impacted our lives. We will never again find a church so emboldened to live truthfully to the Gospel of Christ. We'll be back to visit!

Our New Home!

2005-07-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

After some tribulation, we have a new home in New York City. Here are some pics of our new place in Washington Heights.

The door opens into a long, skinny hallway. (Sorry this pic is a bit blurry.)

This will be the office, also known as Matt's lair o' learnin.

This will probably be the dining room for now, although we'll probably also use it as a guest room and (someday!) nursery.

Here's where Bren and I will stay.

And here's the living room, complete with our urban view. : )

And the kitchen, which connects nicely to the living room.

More kitchen action.

And a couple pics of our view for good measure.

You can see some of the George Washington bridge from the living room. (It's the gray thing to the right of the buildings.)

We're not sure what our exact move-in date will be, but it's gonna be sooner than it feels. (Yay and boo, both, ya know?)

confession.

2005-07-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

for nearly four years i have taken many opportunities to ridicule john wright for his glasses. one of my approaches is to tease his transitions lenses. well, in an instance of poetic justice, i completed an eye exam yesterday by placing an order for new glasses--complete with transitions lenses. i have nothing more to add.

comments added

2005-07-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

the old template wasn't recognizing the comments section of the posts. this new one is a little borign, but it will do for now.

welcome back kanes!

2005-07-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

last night bren and i saw jeff and erin for the first time since they got hitched. it was good to see them again and reminisce about the good ol' days of their wedding two weeks ago. it sounds like they had a wonderful (and sometimes adventurous) time chillin in the yucatan on their honeymoon. friberg was there, and we were later joined by jenn and kelly whilst we played a game about movies that asks you to shout at a tv. much fun was had. for some reason, i don't seem to be able to quickly remembere a lot about movies that i've seen several times. plus, there are a bunch lost in the never-got-to-see-because-i-grew-up-nazarene dimension. you fellow nazbos know what i mean. apparently the texas holdem attitude wasn't left in yuba, as matt and the boys went all in on the final question. when dirty let it ride this time, it was a bust. oh well.

for bosses...

2005-07-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

note. if you're going to have a company holiday on a day most employees wouldn't expect it, it'd be good to make sure said employees are notified of said company holiday. otherwise, said employees will drive to said company ready to earn money from you , only to find said company closed in observance of said company holiday. not to fret though... said wish-he-didn't-wake-up-early-for-nuthin employee got to pack for move away from said boring company to big, expensive city. :P

the female perspective

2005-06-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Most people want to know what I think about being dragged across this country...so I will tell you. I am very excited! I will not be bored! It will be so nice to have things to do and see. I am totally nervous about getting everything done, but I think the hardest part is over (the waiting). We finally know where we are going to live! We get to live in the same place for 4-5 years! I am sad to be leaving friends and family, but I imagine we will be home a bunch.
Matt, sorry you are going to have to work so hard while I live it up in the city.
Brendafer

Big Apple, Here We Come!

2005-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the two of you who are looking at this blog already know, but I gotta announce it anyway... Yesterday afternoon I learned that I have been accepted to Columbia's medical school! Actually, the uber-long official name is the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in the City of New York . No wonder they call it P&S. I'm very happy with the way things have fallen into place. Now we move on for our next big adventure. I'm really sad to be leaving California behind. San Diego has been a good home, and I have met friends here I plan to remain close to for the rest of my life. Hopefully we'll have some meetups in our new digs in Manhattan. Oh man, how are we gonna pay for this?...

Hello World!

2005-06-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, my Intro to Computer Programming class geekiness still surfaces here and there. And thus, I begin a blog for Bren and me. Okay, maybe I should say it's about Bren and me; it's for YOU. (Hello? Anyone there? Beuller?)