The Joys of Fatherhood

So, what do you do when there is a bunch of snow outside, a stir crazy 2 year old, and a mobility limited wife? Why, you take the 2 year old out to make snow man and snow angels of course.

 

 

Things I'm Thankful For

1. Even though Grandma got pink eye, she is feeling better before the weekend which is when I really need the help
   
2. The weather could not have cooperated more for window installation. On the days the windows were being replaced, the temps reached as high as 50.
   
3. Debbie is recovering very well. The doctor even thinks he may relax the bed rest rules a bit.
   
4. Having Lauren in daycare. This has been a real saving grace, especially with grandma suffering from the pink eye and a bactarial cold.
   
5. The grandma felt the need to go back to the emergency care center where they discovered she was allergic to the medication she was prescribed.
   
6. A company who allows me the flexibility to work from home right now so I can help when needed.
   
7. Cold Stone. It's a much needed pick me up when I'm feeling a little pooped.
   
8. A wife who is going to let me go see Reno 911! Miami tomorrow (mainly because she can't imagine ever wanting to see it).
   

Mumble Mumble

That headline is indicative of the strength I have left to make coherent sentences anymore. I have seen my future and I am not happy. I am thoroughly exhausted now and it's not just because Debbie is laid up. Turns out, her mom has pink eye now so she can't help with Lauren (even though the walking Germinator probably gave it to her). Grandpa still not 100% from his broken hip, so there are 4 people here and only 1 can actually do a whole lot.
The windows are coming along nicely, though they aren't quite finished with it yet. While all the windows were installed by Tuesday, they spent all day today and at least half a day tomorrow finishing up the outside. They look fantastic and I could not be happier with our choice. One thing that really catches my eye right now is the inside trim. I will post pictures obviously, but the trim they used is actually a door stop. Sounds odd, but it just looks fabulous. The one caveat now is our ideas for the new shades is going to be slightly adjusted. Previously, the shades were hung in the drywall return of the window. I don't think that will work this time, so we'll have to figure that out. We could decide to keep the honeycomb shades, but we're no longer locked into that. We could go another route if we wanted. That's our next step and I really need to get that ball rolling this week. The windows do look great, but having a blanket hanging by them does tend to detract from the aesthetics.

Theater of the Mind

I'd like to present a little Theater of the Mind:

Time: This morning
Place: Lauren's bedroom

With the obvious sounds of an alert toddler emanating from the nursery, I arose from my slumber and approached the door, prepared to begin our morning ritual. As the door creaked open, I realized this morning would be different from the others. Normally, she sits in her bed in her footy pajamas waiting for me. I spied mu little girl in the middle of the room, reading a book. Her outfit was white Easter-ish sandals, diapers, and a white floppy hat ala Gilligan. At least she coordinated her colors.

Home Coming

Just got the call. Debbie is being discharged today. Huzzah! We don't know the exact time, but I expect it to be late morning/early afternoon. Of course, the window installers are here too, so I asked them to do the master bedroom first. That way, I can get the space heater running in there to make it comfortable. Now, it's a solid month of bed rest, so the ordeal is just beginning.

Let me out of HERE!

It took 48 hours, but the hospital stay has started to get to Debbie. She's gotten a little stir crazy and wants to badly to get out of there. The doctor right now is saying she could go home maybe Monday or Tuesday, but there are no guarantees. Other than that, there is not a whole lot to report. I finally got around to calling some people I hadn't notified yet. I also spent most of the day getting the house ready. The window installers will be here tomorrow and I need to get all the window treatments down, plus clear the areas around the windows.
Lauren's been just a big ball of energy today. I put her down for Quiet Time^TM, which was anything but quiet. The in-laws are visiting with Debbie now and I plan to head over tonight. I don't think I'll take Lauren to see her today. It's just too much, particularly if I want to stay more than 15 minutes.
The big issue right now is what to do when Debbie comes home. The first thing that needs to be worked out a rules. The hope is, she can come downstairs at the start of the day and head back up at the end, but the doctor needs to okay that. Just a lot of questions right now, but not a lot of answers.

Saturday Update

Things have progressed very well. This morning, the doctor felt Debbie had progressed enough to move her from the labor and delivery wing to the postpartum wing. It basically meant constant monitoring of her contractions and of the baby were no longer necessary as things appeared to have stopped for the time being. That said, he still wants to keep her in the hospital for a while. The current estimate is she will come home Monday or Tuesday. Debbie was also able to confirm what we thought: she will be on bed rest when she gets home. This Monday marks week 33 of the pregnancy and the doctor would like her to remain on bed rest until the bun is fully cooked (about week 37). Debbie's biggest problem right now is boredom. She's only allowed out of bed for bathroom breaks and I can't stay by her side 24x7 anymore.
Her parents did make it late last night. The walked in the door about 11:30 pm, so it was a long day for them. I really like having them around right now because Lauren is quite a handful. Grandma was able to occupy her while daddy could get some errands done. I'm going to need the same thing tomorrow because I have to prepare for Monday when we get new windows. I have a friend coming to help me move some of the bigger pieces of furniture, but I also need to remove some blinds we would like to keep.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I will keep updates coming as I get them.

Prayers Please

We've had an interesting morning. Debbie is currently in the hospital with pre-term labor. She woke up and saw blood, which is never a good sign this late in pregnancy. So far, mom and baby are okay. The doctors right now are giving Debbie medication to arrest the contractions since it's a bit early to deliver the baby (32 weeks+). They also said she's going to be in the hospital for a minimum of 24, but most likely 48 hours. In case delivery is needed, Debbie also received some steroids shots to hasten the development of the baby's lungs. Things are a bit hectic obviously, but her parents are on their way from Detroit to help out. I'll post again when I know more and have time, but for now, just keep us in your prayers. As of now, she is on bed rest and I expect that to continue when we come home from the hospital.

Sucked back in

A while back (a year to be exact), I wrote a little rant about Quicken and their decision to end-of-life support for versions 2004 and earlier. By end-of-life, I don't mean they won't take tech support calls; I mean they will cease the ability to download transactions for Quicken 2004. I wrote then there would be no way I would stick with a company who would treat their customers so horribly. When I saw a deal earlier this year for MS Money 2007 for free, I jumped on it. My plan to extricate myself from the grasps of Quicken was in full swing. I was feeling free ... running through a field ... sunshine warming my face ... wait a second ... is this a feminine products commercial? Anyway, I was so excited right up to the point I began to use this pile of unintuitive, interface hell. I also, when installing, noticed this cute little message that said I would basically get support for my product for 2 years and thats it. On top of this, the import of data worked decently, but there were a few bugs that caused accounts to be severely out of whack. My list of problems with Money goes on and on. In the end, it struck me that I was changing to a product whose support was less then offered by Quicken and had an interface that makes me cringe every time I looked at it. *sigh* Just when I thought I was free, I get thrown back into the dungeon.

Something Useful from the World of Science

Happy Valentine's Day!

With that crap out of the way, I saw an article today that restored my faith in the ability of science to provide useful information to the world. Normally, I ignore all those "In a study released today ..." stories because nine times out of ten, the news gets the findings wrong or the entire study was flawed because there was an outcome was preordained before that study even started. But today ... Today I found a study that completely validates all studies. It provides information that is not only useful, but may save lives. The topic?

Why do men ignore nagging wives?

Finally, when Debbie accuses me of ignoring her, I can state with authority I was not consciously ignoring her. My subconscious mind was subverting her requests through reactance, but if she is nice, my subconscious will accept her requests more willingly. Can you think of a better study to produce on Valentine's Day?

Idiots and Physics

I don't mind driving in the snow. It's actually kind of fun in that white knuckle, ass clenching, please dear God let me get through this kind of way. What does get me riled are the idiots out there who do not understand basic grade school physics when driving in this kind of weather.
Today, I came home early because I was the only member of my team to actually make it to work today. On the way home, I came upon some IQ challenged lady who felt the safest thing to do when driving in inclement weather is to go 5 miles per hour. I felt a sudden urge to stop my car, walk up to her window, and explain to her the intricacies of how her "driving safe" was actually more hazardous than if she was speeding. My rant has to begin with the concept of momentum. By traveling 5 mph, she has essentially no momentum. Even worse, when she hits those inevitable spots of low traction, her forward velocity is so small that there is a good chance she won't pass the low traction area to reach a spot of higher traction ... like what I witnessed in the middle of her left turn across a VERY busy road. Add to this debacle the fact people behind her are now required to brake far more than they would likely expect, I guarantee she caused an accident somewhere in her travels today. My only hope is she is actually involved and not some poor schmoe who actually understands how traveling 5 mph is not the best way to control a ton of metal.
I have no problem with cautious driving, particularly in inclement weather like today. I do however have a problem with those whose caution is so extreme as to create a road hazard for others. So when driving today, please be aware that caution is a good thing, too much caution will send you straight to a lecture by me on the fundamentals of physics and how they affect a ton of metal on a slippery road.

Perspective

It's been cold. We all know that. Our shivering, huddled bodies have recognized that the temps are slightly less than we would like. On the plus side, we have experience. We've seen this kind of thing before and know how to handle it. This was brought to my attention when, on Monday, Lauren stepped out of the garage and had this to say about the weather:

"My eyes hurt!"

I could not think of a better way to describe the current conditions. Bravo Lauren! Bravo!

Answers to Stacey's Interview

Interview Meme Rules are as follows: You comment on this entry requesting an interview. I respond with five questions. The questions will theoretically be tailored to you based on what I know of you (or want to know). You copy and paste those questions into your own journal, and write the answers, along with these rules. Anyone wanting an interview from you continues the game by requesting an interview from you.

1. Do you remember how/when we first met, like the specific moment? If so, do tell.
Honestly I don’t. I have a vague recollection of meeting you when you came into Julie’s room while I was talking with her and Christi. But as for specifics, I don’t have much.

2. What year in your life would you live over again and why?
1976: I feel I really wasted my talents around this time.

3. If you were a woman, which Ghostbuster (Egon, Ray, Peter or Winston) would you be most attracted to and why?
Each has their own pros and cons. Egon is the intellectual so he would probably be great in bed. Ray is the soft, sensitive type who would make a great companion (if a bit wimpy). Peter is the quintessential jerk who says “But I love you baby” which for some reason tends to work. Winston has that stereotype thing going in his favor (I’ll let you fill in the rest). So, in order of how I would “do” the Ghostbusters:

1. Ray: Because he won’t finish until I do.
2. Egon: He’s a nerd. Watch Revenge of the Nerds and you will understand this.
3. Winston: Duh!
4. Peter: I imagine this being a wham-bam-thank-you ma’am session that leaves me reaching for the vibrator as he gets up to leave.

4. What do you miss most about your life pre-kid(s)?
I thought a lot about this one. My first instinct was to say something like going out without having to move every time; sleeping late on the weekend; taking a bath without having to worry about prying eyes; etc. Given all of that, the one thing I absolutely miss the most is the ability to go to the bathroom without having to use code words so a little someone doesn’t follow me in.

5. What's the best dream you've ever had? (I mean an actual dream versus a dream like an aspriational goal--this would be like the time in high school when I had a tantalizingly short dream in which I was kissing Dylan from 90210...and then my alarm went off.)

I can’t say for sure, but I have a sense it involves myself, 2 women, a mechanical bull, 3 cans of whip cream, and stirrups.

Pics Galore

Is the snow making you dread the idea of working? Wish you had something to help you pass the time? How about spending the rest of your afternoon looking at pictures? If that sounds like fun, then today is your day!! I have albums galore for you to enjoy dating all the way back to November. Just follow the links below:

Lauren's 2nd Birthday Party
Pics of Lauren November 2006
Pics of Lauren December 2006
Thanksgiving in Baltimore
Christmas in Detroit

You can blame me when your boss asks why you had zero productivity today.