Living the dream!

Living the Dream (again)

2012-01-08T21:03:00.006-06:00

Funny Princess!

2011-03-13T19:42:00.004-05:00

So this morning I went in to get Clare after she woke up. She immediately began telling me about our day yesterday. About her new friend Jake, seeing fishies swimming in the water, pennies in the water, birdies, trains, and Thomas train.

Yes, we went to the Domes yesterday and checked out the train exhibit. We did in fact spot some fish swimming in the water in the humid dome. I don't knwo what it is technically called, but it is the one that is always uncomfortably humid! Of course, there were some a plethora of coins on the floor of the pond that the fish swam in. We saw trains Thomas the train was certainly a highlight. All of this, of course, was a play date with her new friend Jake.

The best part of getting her up though... I carried her past her dresser to lay her down and change her. She saw a cute red headband with a white bow that was a part of a Christmas outfit. She never really wore the headband at that time because she kept taking it out. But this morning she definitely wanted it. So I grabbed it for her thinking she might be entertained while I changed her diaper. She of course wanted to put it on "all by self," which is one of her favorite phrases right now. After wearing it momentarily, she wanted to put it on me. Of course I played along. So I put it on and immediately she points to me and says "Princess!" I start dying laughing and she laughs too, pointing at me again and saying "funny princess!"

We had a good laugh about it and I thought she might forget about the whole incident. Tonight I am about to take her up to bed and she points to me and, of course, addresses me by my royal title. And so I snuggled with her as I put her to bed and enjoyed another few moments of
living the dream.

Beyond the Storm

2011-03-05T12:28:00.004-06:00

So last week Saturday Clare was visiting with her uncle Ben while Elizabeth and I worked on a major cleaning project that couldn't really be done while Clare was napping or with Clare's "help." She didn't really eat much that day and so we knew something was up. At bed time, I said nite nite and got my 'luvs and tisses.' Clare and Elizabeth went up to get ready for bed and a few moments later I heard a panicked scream of my name coming through the monitor.

I ran upstairs not knowing quite what to expect and walked into the room to find the kiddo sitting on the edge of her mom's lap crying somewhat hysterically because she was scared about what she had just done. It turns out she had a stomach flu and had just tossed her cookies (more accurately, blueberries--sorry, you probably didn't want to know that) for the first time. Sad, sad kiddo.

So she ended up waking a few more times that night and each time it was for the same general purpose. We did a lot of laundry that night :-)

On Sunday we did a very laid back day. Much time was spent watching "Horton Hears a Who," the movie that is quickly replacing "Beast" (Beauty and the...) as her favorite. Thank you Fox studios for teaching my daughter to say "poop butterflies." And then on Monday she was back to good.

Monday night I came home and was hungry. As it turns out, it was not hunger, but the very same type of feeling Clare likely felt on Saturday night. Luckily I have better aim and so there was less laundry and no carpet cleaning required.

But it is a few days in the past now and I think we are beyond the storm. we are just praying that Elizabeth doesn't somehow get it.

This morning we went to the Big Backyard for a playdate and it is the first time Clare did not cling to our legs when we first got there. We walked in the door and she was gone! Across the room seeking a ball or a slide, or a scooter. She is a cutie pie and with her, it is hard to be doing anything but Living the Dream!

still alive... I promise

2011-02-26T07:17:00.005-06:00

So, it looks as though it has been over a year since the last post. Nothing much new in that time... errrrr. Ok, a lot, and there is no way to recall it all. So let's start from where we are. Clare is 2! What!?!?! Yeah, two! I looked back and my last post was that she was just starting to walk. Un real.

Here is Clare.

She loves her tea parties and is far beyond walking at this point.

So life is good. I will try to be better about posting but no promises. I am too busy living the dream!

One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

2009-11-24T18:39:00.002-06:00

Look out... here she comes.

Joining the ranks of the walking and
living the dream!

So, I think I forgot about this blog!

2009-11-09T20:12:00.003-06:00

Ok, no, I didn't, but I certainly have neglected it for quite a while. Where were we?

Marathon!
Well, back in the beginning of October I did end up running the Lakefront Marathon. It was a gorgeous day and it was the kind of day that you could run a PR on. We had an absolute joy of a time running and the three of us finished together as planned. I think we ended up around 4:25 or so.

After finishing, I was ready t o start thinking about the next marathon. I would love to train for a Boston Marathon qualifying time but I think that would be pretty selfish considering what life looks like in this family right now.

Al's Run
About a week later I did Al's Run just to see what kind of time I could get. Let's just say that I didn't pay enough attention to diet before that run and it was not pretty. I ran pretty well, but for as short of a run as it was, it was not nearly as enjoyable as it could have been.

Running since then
Since then, I have only run a few times but they have been awesome runs. Yesterday I ran with Clare and we had a wonderful time on, what may be, one of the last beautiful running days this fall.

Clare's developmental joys!
Let's see... where to begin! She has been crawling with great ease lately. She pulls herself up on everything. She stands on her own. She has taken a few steps here and there. Clare loves to laugh. She claps and eats finger foods. She hasn't decided on her first word yet, but she "talks" all day long. She has a tooth coming in and so far, it seems to have been a relatively painless process.

On to the pics!

Here is my little Gopher fan! She doesn't know that the bad-gers won that game and I guess what she doesn't know doesn't hurt her (though I am sure that if she knew, she would be quite sad).

She is 9 months now and actually she is quickly coming up on 10 months! Unreal! Yes, that is a bow in her hair... it is long enough for a bow!

And here she is with uncle Ben (and his rice)
living the ream!

Less than one week until the marathon!

2009-09-28T21:31:00.003-05:00

So the Lakefront Marathon is coming up quickly! I think I am ready. Should I be more certain?!?! I missed more training runs this time than ever before but I think family and work must take priority. I ran 6 and a half this weekend with a little over an 8 minute pace. This was pretty fast for me at this point and it was a tough run. I think my shoes are running thin and I worry about my knees come race day. Well, we'll see how things go. The only goal is finishing this time.

Elizabeth asked me if I wanted to do the Green Bay Marathon next. It is in the middle of May and I can't imagine running in May weather. We'll see!

This past weekend we had planned on going camping at Devil's Lake. The forecast for this past weekend was rain, rain, rain, with a chance of rain. So we decided against camping and opted for a quick weekend in the Dells.

Can I tell you how things just fell into place? I called the owner o this cabin on Thursday for a reservation on Friday! "Sure!" She says. I am not exactly sure what to expect with this Cabin but to my delight, it was right on Lake Delton--literally right on the lake.

We had a fire in the fireplace, we walked the riverwalk, we ate at Mr. Pancake, we read, played games, did crosswords, and generally enjoyed each others' company. This was a weekend that was much needed. Elizabeth and I have been a bit on the stressed side of life lately and the break from the norm was much needed.

On an unrelated note, Clare is loving books these days and "Moo, Baa, La La La" is both her favorite and mine.

Living the dream.

Back in stride!

2009-09-10T19:57:00.004-05:00

And one week later...we're running again! This was a week ago today:

Today I ran 4 miles to see how it would feel and I struggled more because I had not run in a week than because I sprained my ankle a week ago. Pretty amazing!

Clare is crawling with ease and pulling herself up on everything. She gets wherever she wants to go and we have been enjoying books together. She loves the baby animals book. I point to the monkey and say daddy!

Running, reading, and
Living the dream

p.s. Clare photos here... scroll down a bit to find them
http://www.caseybowerphotography.com/blog/

You know how it goes

2009-09-02T17:12:00.003-05:00

So school is off and running and you know how it goes... it becomes (seemingly) everything I do, think, and breathe. That is not true, but it sometimes seems that way and so I haven't posted since really getting into full swing at school.

I also have not been updating my runs online, so if you are wondering if I have stopped training, the answer was no. I finished my 18er last weekend in beautiful time. Today is supposed to be a ten mile 'short run' (as I look out the window, I see a couple running by). I won't, however be doing my run tonight and we'll see how things go this week.

I got together with a group of coworkers for the sunrise basketball league (at 6:00) and my contribution to the game (ever so small) came to an abrupt end when I landed on my ankle instead of the bottom of my foot.

I will not be running tonight as it looks like I have elephantiasis of the leg (thank you sophomore biology class).

On a brighter note, I will get to spend the evening on the couch (with ice) watching this:

Talk about living the dream!

My Happy Camper!

2009-08-22T21:14:00.003-05:00

So we went camping a week ago or so. We thought it would be an adventure as we were unsure if the little angel would sleep or not. She did and we had an amazing time. For those of you who are campers, I give Bigfoot Beach State Park camping a 3/10. I am sure that we have been spoiled by Devil's Lake State Park.

Here is our happy little camper

...living the dream!

And we're babbling

2009-08-07T13:31:00.004-05:00

So Clare, my little angel, is doing really well. She is officially babbling. Da da da ya ya la la are the favorite sounds right now. These in conjunction with raspberries and giggles is to die for. She is eating more solids. We've moved from sweet potatoes to peas and beans and pears and prunes along with the staple oatmeal.

She is movtivating! She is rolling over like her life depends on it and is getting up on all fours to throw herself forward. Crawling is in the not too distant future!

And she is still cute as can be...
living the dream!

perfect day for a run

2009-07-21T22:12:00.002-05:00

Sorry, no pictures, but Clare and I went for a run today. I was having a hard time keeping up with training runs during the week. I splurged on myself and got a running stroller. Can I tell you how wonderful it is?!?!?!? we went out for half an hour today and she absolutely loves it! She has toys at her disposal but tends to just enjoy the sights and sounds as we go cruising around stallis! She absolutely loves being outside and it keeps me in shape. Win win here!

You know that feeling that you sometimes get on Sundays when you realize that you are going back to work tomorrow? I am starting to get the summer sundays. Don't get me wrong. I love being at school but nothing compares to spending my days with my second love. I am wishing that these days of being home with her could go on a bit longer.

I think it will be good to get back to school though. In the meantime, I am enjoying every last minute with my little angel.
Living the dream

Way to go!

2009-07-13T21:51:00.006-05:00

Mainly, I just want to give a big atta boy to Prince Fielder on his homerun derby win tonight! It really was a thing of beauty.

Well, Clare is eating rice cereal and sweet potatoes. I think she is going to turn into an ogre pretty soon with as much as she is eating. Today I spent most of her time awake feeding her! I don't know where she puts it. I take that back. I do know where she puts it. I change her diapers! She is still a cutie though, don't you think?

I Want To Rock And Roll All Night (and party every day)

2009-07-06T11:09:00.006-05:00

I think this is Clare's new motto! She wanted to party all day every day this weekend. She had no interest is sleeping which makes things, hmmm, interesting! Not only does she want to party every day, she enjoys rocking and rolling and singing all night! She is a true rockstar and from the looks of this photo...
she will, one day, rock out on an air guitar, at which point she will truely be
living the dream.

update!

2009-07-01T08:54:00.004-05:00

So the Brewers pulled out another one last night. I particularly enjoyed Ryan Braun's score on an outfield hit and an error! It reminded me of Kendall's last week!

Keeping up with things around here have been a bit challenging lately as Angel Clare has had an upset stomach. She returns about 1/4 of what she eats and is not interested in doing much other than walk around the house with me. I was bringing a receiving blanket to use for returned food cleanup but I have moved on to a fullsize bath towel!

She is eating rice cereal regularly now and she is super cute. We are going to try to feed her rice cereal once a day for two weeks straight before introducing anything else but she is a really skilled eater! I think she takes after me!

A couple weeks ago we had a lot of rain and we got some water in our basement again. This prompted me to do a thorough cleaning and to get rid of some things that were just sitting around. For example, we had been meaning to re-sell the centerpieces that we used at our wedding reception! I put them on Craigslist and old them in an hour! We have had much luck with Craigslist. I sold the Beetle in a day and now this! We got some shelves and now have just about everything up off the floor which will make cleanup easy next time we get water.

I have been keeping up with running (kind of). I am typically missing one run a week which I think is pretty good considering I can not run until 7:00 on most nights.

We replaced the stolen grill and have locked it to the house (which I think is kind of funny). I got the window replaced in the car but I don't know if/when the dash/radio will be fixed (don't want to tempt anyone).

I don't think I put this up yet, but we got Clare a 'swimming pool'. It is about 36 inches in diameter so it is tiny. They sell swimming diapers but we could not find any in Clare's small size. We tried regular disposables. Let's just say that her diaper swelled up to be the fattest little thing ever and it didn't last long. It was a blast to see her kicking and splashing with her mom.

Now who's
living the dream!

She eats, she sleeps, she rolls!

2009-06-26T21:19:00.008-05:00

So Clare is five months and she has had a few milestones. She has had her first meal of rice cereal. She didn't do half bad. She has been intently watching us eat for a while now and she got the hang of it pretty quickly. It was a blast to feed her and watch her lean and reach for the spoon with both mouth and hands.

She has rolled over quite a number of times now both belly to back and back to belly. We have not been lucky enough to get a good video of it yet.

We are trying to teach her to put herself to sleep now and we are in the second day of it. (We tried this once before but gave up because her crying was too painful to not respond to.) She has taken a while to fall asleep but she seems to be sleeping well once she does fall asleep.

I've been home with her during the day and I love it! I can't get enough father daughter time in. I love when she wakes up and is super cuddly, I love when she giggles and laughs, I love when she talks to me or to herself, and I love watching her play and playing with her. She keeps me on a tight schedule as she needs much attention. I find little time to email, call, work, clean, shower, and often do not get to brushing my teeth until she naps at 9:00 (gross). She definitely keeps me busy and on my toes. I have learned to plan errands in 1.5 hour chunks. That is enough time to get somewhere, feed her, go in and do or get whatever needs doing or getting done,and then go home and get her ready for naptime. She falls alseep, I start on cleaning, washing bottles, doing laundry, watering plants, (changing out of pajamas, time permitting), and planning out the next 1.5 hour chunk of time! Love it (and I think she does too!)

I have been keeping up with running (for the most part) though it is tough finding time when Elizabeth is home, I am not needed here, and it is still light out. I keep my log of runs online and it helps keep me motivated because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I put in the details of how easy or hard the run was and see what my pace was.

This afternoon we went down to the lakefront. We sat out on the grass at Alterra. I will take this opportunity to remind you all that back when that building was vacant I kept telling people that I would love to turn it into a coffee shop. Too bad I didn't have thousands to put into the place when I was in college!

We also took Clare for a walk. She is super cute (they both are).

Life with these two lovelies...I must be
living the dream.

What an exciting day!

2009-06-08T21:15:00.007-05:00

Oh what a day! I have been working ever since my daughter was born and even on days that I had off, my wife was on maternity leave. For the first time ever, I spent the day with just my daughter and what fun it was. I was a bit nervous last night as I didn't really know her routine. My lovely wife was so kind as to tell me all the details this morning (while I was waking up). Needless to say, I remembered the first directions and called for the rest (I had to write them down to remember them).

But this morning we were off and running. She was in really good spirits as we played on the safari mat, in the exersaucer, bounced on the bed, rolled and jumped and bounced and giggled. She ate well, napped well, and all was good. I made plans to grab lunch with Elizabeth and I was so proud of myself at being able to get both the little angel and myself ready in half an hour!

I walked out the door and toward the car and realized almost immediately that we would not be taking mommy out to lunch. The phrase that comes to mind is "lightning never strikes the same place twice." I thought maybe nothing would strike "white lightning" twice! Some of you may know that I lovingly named my 'new' car white lightning after selling the green jellybean about five years ago. Anyway, my car was struck again and although I don't believe in superstition, I wonder if my car is a thief magnet or something (fourth or fifth break-in... I lost count). I had to look back to see if the photos always look the same and they do (Right down to the mess of papers and assorted garbage on the passenger side floormat)!

This time..................

Last time.....

I won't go on... you get the picture!

On the bright side, while I had the camera out documenting I snapped this one.

We planted this annual a few years ago and it never took, but this year we have this lovely flower and there is at least one more bud on the plant. How beautiful!

So Clare got to meet the friendly police officer, listen in on conversations with patient insurance agents and claims adjusters. She helped me make an appointment for glass repair. And then, when we thought the excitement was all over, the sirens went off. We migrated downstairs to wait out her first tornado warning!

Yikes, I thought my biggest worry was going to be a fussy baby! She was my little angel though. We had a blast today...
living the dream!

It is such a tough life!

2009-06-01T21:10:00.008-05:00

So marathon training officially began today. I ran into TUNA at school today and he was so excited about training starting today. I was quick to point out, what I think is absolutely hilarious, according to our training program, the first day is a rest day. I have been training so hard today. I sat around and watched the Brewer game, I went and sat out on the porch to read, I am blogging. Marathon training is tough!

In other news, Clare rolled over! Both from front to back and from back to front. She has rolled over once each way. I am sure she'll be doing it regularly soon. We are in the process of teaching her to put herself to sleep. It is a lesson in patience as it involved allowing her to cry for a while without going to "rescue" her for a few nights. Really, it has only taken a couple days and tonight she let out some weak cries for less than a minute and then talked herself to sleep. It is quite fun listening to her talking to herself.

Here she is:
Not sure what to think of that horse
Four months
Hanging out on the front porch
A day at the park
She loves her lamb "Larry"

Well, I am sorry I can't write more. I really must get back to my marathon training
a.k.a. living the dream.

The Spirit Moves

2009-05-28T22:27:00.003-05:00

So I went to a Confirmation tonight for students at St. Joe's and St. William's. I love Confirmations. I love Bishop Sklba. What a wonderfully spirit-filled night. Congratulations to the students who were confirmed tonight.

I guess I knew that it was a short week on Tuesday but I never thought Friday would sneak up so quickly!

And for a final thought tonight before I head up to bed:
Nothing better for dinner than a big bowl of ice cream!
Now that is what I call
Living the dream!

Wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?

2009-05-27T18:46:00.002-05:00

I ran I went out for a leisurely run and it was fantastic. One of the most brilliant feelings is cruising along and feeling good while running. This was the first of many training runs. Lakefront Marathon is in October and my official training begins on Monday!

The school year is finishing up and things are coming to a very nice close. I look forward to my summer with my daughter. We are going to have all kinds of fun and get into all kinds of trouble.

Brewers have dropped the ball lately though, I was at school while they played today and have not yet looked at the score. **Crosses Fingers** Ughhhh. They lost 3-2. Whelp, it's a long season.

I planted last weekend. We have tomato plants, and hot peppers. Salsa city, here we come!

Salsa city=
living the dream

Annnnnnnnnnnnd she's famous!

2009-05-23T12:33:00.003-05:00

That is right folks, Clarebear made the homepage of our photographers website as well as the newborn section. I think it is because she is just so darn adorable.

http://www.caseybowerphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1

By the by, if you are looking for a good photographer... Casey was great!

In those photos, Clare appears to be
living the dream.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-23T11:41:00.002-05:00

So Parra did not exactly have a stellar night last night but luckily this guy is planning to whomp the twinkie hitters tonight!

Well, tonight is date night! We have a student from the better half's place of employment coming to watch the little one tonight and I think we are going to go rock climbing. I think I have put on about 20 pounds and lost about 98.8% of my forearm strength since the last time we have gone so this should be entertaining.... picture me falling off the side of a climbing wall and Elizabeth getting scooped up in the air by my weight on the other end of the rope... the two of us suspended in mid air with our respective ends of the rope getting more and more twisted as we writhe in goofy laughter.

You too could go to Adventure Rock someday and be
living the dream!

What better to come home to?

2009-05-20T17:45:00.006-05:00

How cute is she? This is the cutie
that I came home to tonight.
Can life get better than this?
I submit that it cannot!

In news other than baby news, the Brewers are back and although I was upset that we would lose my boy Rickie Weeks, Gamel proved, in his first game, that he comes to play hard. I hope he keeps it up .

Some of you know that I have signed up for the Lakefront Marathon again this year. "Big Tuna," a buddy from school, and I will be running this October (provided we both follow through on training). This will be Tuna's first marathon and it will be an honor to run it with him. So if you are tracking the training log, you may see that my last run was quite a while back. The challenge for me will be to actually run after Clare is in bed for the night. That means not running until as late as 7:00! This could be interesting.

On the 18 week training plan, I should be starting to train on the 31st. That is a goal.

The flowers are blooming out in front of the house and there is something so wonderful about taking Clare out on the front porch and sitting, enjoying the breeze.

Talk about
living the dream!

My Fingers Were Broken... I Couldn't Type!

2009-05-18T19:58:00.006-05:00

Ok, that is not true. I have just neglected the blog. At least I had a good excuse... I was hanging out with my daughter!

So Clare is four months old now and is as cute as ever. "Prove it" you say?

So there!

She is four months old and I will try to catch you up in a hurry:
She loves to eat her fingers
She has grown three+ inches
She had hair, lost it, and it is growing back
She loves baths and long walks on the beach (or outside in general)
She has a new cry (I call it the "I think I'm dying " cry)
She has a strong neck but hasn't quite rolled over.
She has finally grown out of some clothes (the newborn ones)
She spits up and pukes a lot (we call her vesuvius or blowhole)
She like to get raspberries on the tummy
She loves to be super-Clare (held as though she is flying)
She still has those gorgeous blue eyes
Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she doesn't
She drinks bottles like a champ
She loves her mommy
She is grabbing things now (like toys and hair)
She is sleeping in her crib now (instead of her bouncy chair)
She loves being outside
She was baptized last week
She likes to go to church
She likes to nurse
She loves me!

SO now what you have been waiting for:
Baptism day with Mommy

With her Godmother

Old photo but a favorite

So yeah, you could say I've been
living the dream.

great new photos!

2009-02-11T20:41:00.002-06:00

well i am typing with just my left hand while holding clare... i just had to pass on the new photos.

find them here and you too can be
living the dream

2 posts in three days... it's a record!

2009-02-07T09:44:00.007-06:00

I know that the photos are what you really want!
Someday this will make quite a neat series!

Ummm... Cute!

Daddy Watching Tummy Time!

Clare's Calvin Klein Advertisement

Clare thought it would be funny to get 5 straight hours of sleep a night for two nights in a row in order to make us think that that will be the norm. Then she went ahead and showed us what it will really be like! Ok, really it is not that bad. Although I say that after a week of being sick when the lovely Elizabeth did everything she could to help make sure that I got plenty of sleep.

Speaking of sleep. Here is what I have realized. I need to work on my waking in the middle of the night skills! I wake up, decide to go and get a bottle ready for Clare, then I think to myself... I'll do it in just a minute. I'll take just 20 seconds to wake up before getting out of bed. I even count down the seconds in my head. Somehow I never make it to the "3 2 1 ok, time to go" part!

I would also like to point out that there is nothing cuter than watching Elizabeth playing with and talking to Clare. They have so much fun together.

On the weight front, Clare has cleared 7lbs 3oz. Her cheeks keep getting cuter, as hard as that may be to believe.

She has decided that she likes to listen to the radio as she falls asleep. AM 610 is a favorite. Check it out sometime. They play all of your favorite white noise.

Alright folks, I have to run. But keep smiling

and Living the Dream!

So Long

2009-02-05T21:03:00.003-06:00

So did you know that being a dad keeps you from blogging regularly? It is true. On the other hand, being a dad allows you to witness lovely moments like this regularly!

Talk about living the dream!

Life is Beautiful!

2009-01-25T22:42:00.009-06:00

What a blessing it is to have family and friends! I cannot tell you how nice it has been to have people helping us every step of the way. From meals, to visiting with Clare, to helping around the house, to gifts, to thoughts and prayers.

They say that this first few months is like the fourth trimester. Clare is getting used to the idea of life outside of mom. She has been carried for 9 months and the thought of being set down in a bouncy chair or a crib, or on the roof (ok, we would never do that!) is totally foreign to her. She is used to being carried 24-7 and we would love to do that to help her transition from womb to life outside but realistically, at some point both Elizabeth and I need free hands to do things around the house. The other day we had family around and Clare went an entire day without ever being out of contact with people until she went to bed. How awesome that was and how I wish we could do that for her every day.

Well, she is doing well. Clare has had several doctors appointments to make sure that she is at the propper weight. She is still low but is gaining pounds (ounces) at the rate that she should be. That is a load off for mom and dad. We were not overly worried but it is nice not to have weigh-ins every two days.

Clare went to Church on Sunday. She didn't make a peep! She slept in the moby with mom (mom didn't sleep) and woke up right after mass. we had a talk and I am sure that she will be much more attentive next week :-)

Without further adoooooo... the moment you have all been waiting for... pictures and video.

Witness the amazing bottle feeding marathon!

Here we have the amazing hiccuping baby! There is nothing cuter! If I had kept the camera rolling for another few seconds we would have caught a third bodily function. Use your imagination!

Spending my days listening to baby noises...
living the dream!

24 hours seems like a lifetime!

2009-01-23T19:47:00.008-06:00

Every day seems to bring a host of new things and I almost feel as though I can't even recap all that has happened in the past few days.

First, I have taken a few days off from school. I have never used a vacation day and it is so very odd to me to know, in the back of my head, that school is in session and that I am totally preoccupied with all that is happening here at home and completely unable to wrap my head around both school and home right now. Does that even make sense? I have a number of things happening at school during the time that I am not there and I have left them in the capable hands of the rest of the school. Being the eternal perfectionist that always falls short, I want to ensure that everything will go perfectly and so leaving it in anyone else's hands is hard for me.

Here at home, life is precious (as it is at school). Clare is sleeping in her bouncy chair next to me right now and she is cute as a button.

Of course, no sooner do I type that last sentence than she wakes up and poops herself! she is still cute as a button.

So I was asked if we ended up deciding to go with cloth or disposable diapers and we did go with the cloth diapers. We have prefolds, they are pretty much the least expensive cloth diapers and they have been awesome. We have a few of another type that we thought would be more convenient for on the go and for night changes, but after a few trial runs with the kissaluvs fitteds, I am happier with the prefolds! We use thirsties diaper covers and they are perfect. Clare doesn't seem to have a preference between the diapers. She likes clean and dry ones and not ever being changed!

We got our diapers from Green Mountain Diapers and Nikki's Diapers. I couldn't be more pleased with how they are working for our little munchkin.

In other news, baby is hitting the bottle! Yeah, she was a bit underweight at her last two dr. appointments and so we had a lactation consultant come and help us out. She was so helpful and charged relatively little for the plethora of help she provided. She has us pumping (and by us, I amd not counting myself) and bottle feeding for the next few days. I won't go into great detail...

I fed baby Clare today! How exciting is that! So she has been eating more today and pumping is a lot less stressful. We are still excited to go back to nursing as soon as we can.

I will leave you with Clare waking up to the world just before a feeding. She and I have so much in common!

We both love waking up so we can continue
Living the dream!

I've been delinquent

2009-01-19T21:23:00.002-06:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post again... so much to say, so little time. Here goes.

We are at home. We got back Sunday and it is a bit different when you don't have the nurses to take care of everything and room service bringing meals although it sure was nice to have a few meals taken care of by friends and family, both at the hospital and since getting home. Makes life easier. Thank you!

Baby poop is greenish yellow! This is a pleasant development from the meconium (tar-like poop that is a pain to clean off Clare's cute patoot!)

Mamma is nursing so well and BabyClare is loving it.

I am loving the invention called the moby wrap! I spent three hours yesterday (in chunks) with Clare wrapped to my chest and when she moved or hiccuped or kicked, it felt similar to how I would imagine it would have been like in the womb.

Today I fell asleep with her on my chest... we had tummy time and it is amazing how having someone present with her makes he sleep like, well, like a baby. When she is alone, she is struggling to soothe herself. So she stirs and wakes in five to fifteen minute intervals throughout the night.

No offense to all you parents out there, Clare is the worlds cutest baby ever. Exception: Me when I was a baby!
I started writing this last night. taking over 24 hours to write a short blog post. Too busy
Living the dream!

What they don't teach you about parenting!

2009-01-17T12:52:00.004-06:00

How awesome it is!

The past couple days have been a roller coaster. Since she was born, Clare has learned to breastfeed, she has taught us that she likes to be danced with.

Right now, I am typing with one hand and cradling a sleeping child in the other! what a life. Sorry for delay in postings; contrary to popular belief, she is not usually sleeping!

If this video works, it is Clare and I dancing last night while Mamma was on the phone! Enjoy...I did!

Sleep has been hard to come by but really, would you rather be sleeping or dancing with this adorable child of God?!?!?

Highlight of the day, napping in the rocker with Clare. I guess I never knew what it meant to be
Living the Dream!

You monkey voters were right!

2009-01-16T13:31:00.004-06:00

Ok, she is not a monkey but she will be our monkey!

Clare Elizabeth
Born January 16, 2009 at 9:44 AM
7 pounds
21 inches
10 fingers
10 toes
1 tail
1 banana

One more Brzeski
Living the dream!

No Baby yet!!!!!!!!

2009-01-14T19:30:00.002-06:00

Well, it is our due date and we are still waiting. You may know that I am not one who basks in the limelight, but it has been quite fun to have the opportunity to share the daily waiting game with coworkers and students who check up on me regularly.

How about this....school canceled tomorrow, Friday, and a half-day on Monday to finish exams! Crazy weather. Maybe we'll have a baby in the next four days and I'll go back to school
living the dream!

No Baby yet!!!!!!!

2009-01-13T22:13:00.002-06:00

Not yet, but we did go to the doctor tonight. Elizabeth's blood pressure is higher than last week so we'll go in again on Thursday. If it is still high or higher than today, we might talk about being induced (again).

In the meantime, I am practicing for fatherhood by staying up late (I never thought I would say that being awake at 10:20 would qualify as being up late).

It is cold, but I guess it only bothers me in that I know there are people who don't have the luxury of being in a warm school all day and coming home to a warm house.

Having a house with a working furnace...
living the dream.

No Baby yet!!!!!!

2009-01-12T18:32:00.002-06:00

When are you coming baby? We're waiting!

Well, at school today I had a really nice conversation with a coworker. He said that every morning he is excited to hear the announcements, waiting for the day when I am not there to do them (because there is a baby). He is a recently had his second child and it has been fun comparing notes with him.

We are still on baby-watch and there is no sign that baby is coming (other than the roundness of the lovely Elizabeth's belly!)

Doctor appointment is tomorrow. We should be scheduling a date when we would be induced if baby does not decide to come on baby's own within about a week and a half of the due date.

In other news, snow, cold, snow, colder, colder yet. That is what it looks like over the next few days. Global warming... who does Al Gore think he is?!?!?!

Gophers B-ball = 15 and 1...
living the dream!

No Baby yet!!!!!

2009-01-09T21:07:00.002-06:00

Does it count as mallwalking if you go with the intent of mallwalking but end up purchasing? Hmmm. Well we went to the mall tonight to do a little walking in hopes that the baby might get the message! I laughed when one of the first couples I saw appeared to be doing the same thing!

I would like to point out that if you have any clothing needs, right now is the time to go to the mall. You know when you are doing Christmas shopping and you see something you like but you don't want to buy yourself something because it is not the reason you are there? Well, I happened to see a few things before Christmas and I thought to myself, first, they are too expensive and second, you are not shopping for yourself. Well, I am sure that there are usually sales after Christmas, but I did not expect to get almost 70% off! Unreal. Items that were overpriced became more than reasonable!

Anyway, walking did not give the baby the message!

I would just like to point out that clearing the snow off the driveway and sidewalk took half the time today. Loving it and
living the dream!

No Baby yet!!!!

2009-01-08T18:51:00.003-06:00

We got home tonight and Elizabeth asked "what do you want to do tonight?" I am sure it is no surprise to you that my smart answer was "have a baby... get going!"

We're still waiting!

Fun fact for the day:
Do you know what the shortest grammatically correct sentence in the English language is?
Go.

How fun is that?
Go. Find your own fun fact and you too can begin
living the dream.

No Baby yet!!!

2009-01-06T18:52:00.003-06:00

But we did have a doctor appointment today and they said the baby is still in there! So that is good.

The baby has dropped a bit more but there does not seem to be any dilation yet.

On an unrelated note, I had stuffing for dinner.
Living the dream!

No Baby yet!!

2009-01-05T19:20:00.003-06:00

That's all that matters. Not yet.

But if you are interested, today was my first day back at school. It is funny. I already had the 'Sunday Blues' on Friday and Saturday but this morning when I woke up, I was happy to go back to school.

I think that may be in part because I have a ton of big events in January and I felt like I needed to hit the ground running this morning. I enjoyed hearing about everyone's breaks and I was honored today when a few alumni visited me. I always think that is the neatest thing. Year after year, students come back to visit old teachers and younger high school friends. Do students do that at all high schools or is that something unique?

One young man stopped in at school because he had to pick up his sister but dropped in by me since I was still around. I think it is beautiful to see how young men and women from our school hold on to their virtues and continue to grow and mature as they go off to school. Hearing about their new life experiences when they come back is a gift.

In other news, my dad asked me the other day how my Gopher basketball team is doing this year and I said that if they were playing anything like previous years, probably terrible. Then I was watching the ESPN and I noted that they are ranked 21st! That was confirmed today when I was informed that they are, in fact, 13-1. So dad, they are doing pretty well... I lied.

I still fly my U of M flag high and proud.
Go Gophers Men's Basketball... you keep
living the dream!

No Baby yet!

2009-01-04T13:00:00.002-06:00

This is how I find myself starting all phone calls these days. I have made the mistake of starting some phone calls with a "hello" or "Hi there." Biggest mistake of my life... starting a call with "Happy New Year." Little did I know that all of these greetings imply that there is news about the baby! At least, that is the case when you are 38 1/2 weeks pregnant. So now I begin all conversations with the disclaimer that we are not on the way to the hospital and/or there is no baby yet.

I guess in some fashion those are both untrue. I feel like we have been on a nine-month long journey to the hospital and surely there is a baby... he/she is just trapped in Elizabeth's belly!

So I have this program hooked up to this blog that tells me how much traffic comes to the site. I have noticed some trends and have used my training in interpreting statistics to make a marvelous discovery of correlation. I have noticed that as we get closer to the baby's due date, there seems to be an increase in visits as well as visitors at this blog. At first I was totally confused by the trend but after much thought, I have figured it out. I looked back at my posts over the past few weeks and found out what correlates to this increase in site traffic. My writing has improved exponentially. That explains both the higher number of visits and visitors. As you find the writing more and more thrilling, you share with your friends, family, and even strangers you meet at the mall this incredible source of joy and fulfillment that you find in this blog.

Ok, I am sure that is not the case. You probably are just looking for the latest update on the baby but I hope you are enjoying your stay. No baby yet. Baby is still in mamma's belly...
Living the dream.

Well Happy New Year

2009-01-02T22:07:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year All!

Have you ever been at a seminar or some training session where you are asked to tell about a good customer service experience? I have had this type of opportunity several times and each time I think really hard, knowing that I have had some, but I struggle to name one in particular. Well, two nights ago, I was getting ready to go out to dinner with the fam for the first evening of our family Christmas/New Years party celebration extravaganza. You may recall that on that day I had no luck in obtaining a Wii system for our get-together. So I am getting ready to go to dinner when I get a phone call from an Illinois number. Hesitantly, I answer the phone.

On the other end is a gentleman calling from Family Video. He says that the company has some sort of internet tool set up that informs them when Family Video is named on the internet somewhere. So he found himself on my blog reading about my desire to bring a Wii to the family extravaganza. And so I am thinking to myself, "ok, who is pranking me now?" The gentleman says that he read back on my blog and it seemed like I was a decent guy and he wanted to help. (Now, I don't know if any of you have seen Seven Pounds, but if you did, and I tell you that I just went to see that movie the other day, you might understand why I interject that particular fact here.) He says that he wants to try to get a Wii for me for the party. "You're kidding!" I say. He tells me that he had a bit of a hard time tracking me down as I don have any contact information on this blog but through some investigation he was able to track me down. Sure enough, he has someone out buying a Wii to rent to me that night. He asks me if I'll be around for a little while because he doesn't want to promise it until he knows the system is in the store. I say I'll be around and he says he'll call back.

What organization has ever gone that far out of their way to make your day? Unreal. I am still disbelieving until he calls back on a conference call with the manager from the local Family Video. They tell me to stop in when I can and that they'll "take care of me" which, apparently, means that they will go out, but a Wii, give it to me for free for two nights along with several games (also comped) and that they won't even ask for a deposit. Unreal! So as you know, if you have seen me in the past few days, this story is about all I want to tell. I told my fam that I was absolutely taken aback that they would go out of their way to make my day, but then I also recounted the fact that I had never been to another store where they gave me a tour of the place the first time I came in. Seriously, the first time I came in to that store, I was walked around the place and told where to find the best deals, the best movies, and how to save an extra buck here and there. All around, what an impressive organization. Well, next time you are asked about an amazing customer service experience, you now have a story to tell.

So needless to say, we had a blast at the family Christmas extravaganza yesterday. I think I ate more food than any human should eat in one day.

If you have read Elizabeth's facebook status, you know that we had our doctors appointment today to see if she would be induced into labor tonight. Notice that I am sitting here blogging and not hanging out in a hospital room... she is not being induced. Yes, apparently her ASVU's are at 13 rather than the low 7.43 that we were looking at on Tuesday. That is a relief because that means no induced labor (and the C-section that would accompany it) and we are back to the waiting game. I had totally prepared myself to be in the hospital tonight and figured that by tomorrow night, I would be a daddy. I had psyched myself up and was so ready. I still am but now I am a bit more restless because it is back to anybody's guess as far as when the baby will come.

No ultrasound pictures this time though we did see the baby's nose, which looked like a pig's snout from the angle we saw! So lets just say that 'monkey' may not be that far off the mark.

Well, I should run. Gotta get some sleep. Who knows, might be a daddy soon!

Family Video...
living the dream!

Jonathan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad (start to the) Day!

2008-12-31T14:12:00.005-06:00

You know that feeling when you roll out of bed and your hair is in a tuffle, you have your hoodie and pj's on and you stumble into the kitchen feeling like a million dollars (and looking more like an IOU)? I started that way and was greeted in the kitchen with tears ;-( Sometimes we have those. Well, we made it through that.

Then I was on a mission to locate the perfect gift for my sister's boyfriend. I had ordered him a sweet Boston Red Sox number and when it came in the mail and I opened it a few days before Christmas I found that they sent me a Brooklyn Dodgers piece instead. So I called to figure out how to return it and asked to re-order it. A few days later, it comes in the mail and guess what it is... yep... Brooklyn Dodgers! So I go onto the website to order again. They no longer carry the Red Sox item! So here I am two days before giving him a gift of nothing having thought that I had figured out the perfect gift for him and instead I had two empty hands full of nothing but good intentions. So the mission was on. I had to find this new item. I called here. I called there. I called every possible place I could think of that might possibly have what I wanted to get him. Apparently no one in the Milwaukee area has them. New idea. I know what I'll get... I just have to run out and get it.

Before I go, I call our local Family Video Store. Elizabeth and I had wanted to bring a Wii to our Christmas gathering tomorrow. I was a bit skeptical that they would have one to rent on New Years Eve. But I called and to my great delight... they have just one! I let the guy know that I'll be there in a little while and he asks for my name and phone number so he can check my account. Good as gold. I go take a shower and head over to Family Video full of glee at the thoughts of the fun we will have tomorrow with the fam. I will be the Hero of life itself at the family party!

As I get out of the car in the Family Video parking lot, I see a mother and her son walking out of the store and getting into their full-size van. She has, in her hand, a black case and he has, in his, a plastic bag full of DVD-box-sized items. I got a sinking feeling in my tummy. I approach the counter and tell the kind gentleman that I called a little while ago about renting their Wii. He immediately gets a sheepish look on his face as he says that it was rented and the woman had literally just walked out the door. He said he didn't know that I wanted it held. Ughhhhhh. I asked if any of the other stores had any and he begins to get a look of hope and starts flying his fingers across the keyboard and he wanders over to the phone to call Waukesha. He comes back. Theirs are both due back tomorrow. My heart sinks. I say thanks anyway and wander out to the car with a bit of a somber mood. I even think to myself, pull it together man, this is a video game system! So I go on about my business figuring I can stop at other places along the way in case they might have a stray Wii laying around. Blockbuster... doesn't rent them. Hollywood Video... doesn't rent them. GameStop... doesn't rent them. Oh well. I'll just grab a coffee and go grab the present I am out to get.

I get to my coffee place and order a depth charge. "Would you like room for cream?" Yes please. He hands the nearly full cup of coffee to the barista and says I think I over filled it and he would like room for cream. Up comes my Depth Charge. I go to the mixing station to put in some half and half. I open up the cup and it is literally level with the brim of the cup. I think to myself, well maybe I can just put a touch in there. I do. As I put the cover back on I realize that the coffee is actually visible through the thin white plastic cover of the cup. It is rising above the level of the cup itself and is almost half the way up the plastic cover! I get to my car and think to myself... I know this is going to be trouble. So as I drive off, the coffee splooshes around in the cup with random eruptions of piping hot coffee shooting up into the air as I proceed to my next destination. When I get there, I carefully pick up the coffee and realize what I already knew... the white plastic covers are not meant to contain the coffee, they are only lids for the cups. So as I walked around with my coffee in hand there was intermittent dripping until the level of the coffee was below the level of the lid and was contained solely by the cup. Nothing like licking your fingers all around the mall (no I was not mallwalking... I was shopping!).

Oh the joys of New Year's Eve!

Wii wish you a merry Christmas
Wii wish you a merry Christmas
Wii wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Years Family extravaganza!

But here is the bright side, my parents are coming down and I am going to get to have dinner with the whole fam. Then we get to spend the day together tommorrow. Honestly, Who needs a Wii?!?!

So onward wii go to a full day of family fun. Now that is what I call
Living the dream!

And the ultrasound says...

2008-12-30T13:20:00.003-06:00

It's a baby! I knew it! I knew it was a baby. We didn't really know why we were being scheduled for an ultrasound at this time in the pregnancy and we found out today. You may have noticed, if you have seen Elizabeth lately, how stunning and beautiful she looks! That is because she has a beautiful baby inside and so the beauty is magnified! Anyways, at our ultrasound today we found out that there is less fluid than we would want in the amniotic sac (She is at about 7. "7 what" you ask. I'm not sure, lets call them amniotic sac fluid units. Yes, she is at 7 ASFU's). That means that when there are contractions, the baby gets more than a hug, the baby gets downright uncomfortable! There is still enough fluid but it is low and unlike getting an oil change and having your windshield wiper fluid topped off (which I did yesterday) the fluid will not increase in the amniotic sac. When there is not enough fluid, contractions can cut off the flow from the umbilical cord. So we have another appointment on Friday and we will have another ultrasound (to measure the fluid) and a nonstress test to make sure that the baby is doing alright down there! P.S. I think they call it a nonstress test because it sounds better than a stress test but who knows, I'm no doctor!

Now you ask "Then what?" Go ahead... ask.

Then if the fluid level is down to 5 ASFU's, she'll need an oil change and she'll be induced into labor. What labor?!?! She'll have a baby?!?! You have to be kidding. I was joking when I said we were all ready!

Yes, she would have a treatment done on Friday night to prepare and then would be induced on Saturday. Now we had been hoping that she would not have to be induced, so prayers would be nice. Being induced is not the end of the world, though we had hoped for a natural birth and our understanding is that if she is induced, she would likely have an epidural as the drug used to induce causes stronger contractions (more painful). So that is where we are at. we are praying that the baby gets tired of the womb before Friday so that she doesn't have to be induced.

Well, for those of you trying to guess baby's gender, this may help or it may not. Kind of looks like Elvis to me! Thank ya, thank ya very much.

I'll keep you posted and you keep
living the dream!

P.S.

2008-12-29T20:11:00.002-06:00

Ok, before we begin, I start looking for the Brookfield Square logo, I happened upon the Brookfield Square code of conduct and I am glad I did. I almost found myself in blatant disobedience to the code in the following area:

"24. No fishing, swimming, or boating without prior written approval of shopping center management.
This list is not all inclusive..."

Little did I know that my plans to troll around the penny pond in my bass boat might be cut short by the mall security force!

So I almost forgot the most exciting thing that happened today. I officially took part in a form of exercise that I had publicly sworn never to participate in. Earlier today I went mall-walking!

That is right, I joined the ranks of all those who traverse the corridors of malls with no intent to purchase but rather with the hope of getting some much needed exercise in the controlled climate of... THE MALL!

At first I thought I could excuse myself from officially mall-walking by explaining that we had made a purchase within the limits of the mall property. After closer investigation, the truth comes out. We did make an official purchase and were ready to leave. But then, the word lap was used in conversation. More precisely, the word was used in the following manner:

maybe we could just do one lap.

On it's own, this would not necessarily indicate that one is mall-walking. When the lap is intended not for window-shopping, not for checking to see if any stores had fabulous sales, not to find a lost loved one, but for exercise... this is when it becomes indicative of mall-walking.

If you have any interest, please do check out:
The Complete Mall Walker’s Handbook, by John H. Bland, M.D., Jenna Colby, R.D., L.D. Copyright © 1999 John H. Bland, M.D., Jenna Colby, and Fairview Press. Excerpted by arrangement with Fairview Press.

Then proceed to the nearest mall and begin
living the dream!

Merry Christmas! ! !

2008-12-29T18:52:00.002-06:00

Well folks, Christmas is here and what a wonderful time of year! Leading up to Christmas day we had quite the weather! We had, what seemed like an endless barrage of snow. I was running out of places to put it and was starting to worry that we would no longer be able to get out of the alley (it had been getting thinner and thinner as the snow piles began creeping closer to the side of my car as I drove through the alley).

Luckily, we had a warming trend and quite a lot of rain to melt down the vast majority of the snow we had. I love not having to shovel!

Christmas day was nice. Elizabeth and I spent Christmas morning together and it was nice to have a relaxed morning together. We turned on some Christmas tunes and exchanged stockings. It was really nice.

Since Christmas we have had a bit of down time and I have to admit, it has been marvelous! I am still waiting for Elizabeth to decide to go into labor. OK, I know that is not how it works, but I am just ready for the baby to come. Can't wait.

I was watching the Packer Game yesterday and I had to chuckle when I saw this one sign...
Go Pack Go!

Look how cute Elizabeth is!

2008-12-24T08:54:00.003-06:00

So on Christmas eve eve, we decided to take another picture. I say that like it is this momentous thing... We decided--to take--A PICTURE! (dun dun dun!) She had just gotten home from work on her last day before break and so here she is... the cutest thing in the world.

Yes, I know you are asking yourself, is that stocking right behind her the "body stocking" he was talking about getting? Yes, that is the stocking I ended up getting. I got it at Target and I knew that Elizabeth was shopping for my stocking yesterday. As I stood there in the store, I thought to myself. This is definitely the stocking for her... $101 says she is going to get me the same stocking. Sure enough, she comes home and I ask her, did we get the same stocking. She says, probably... did you get the one at target (mind you, there were about 100 different ones at Target). I said yes,knowing that by "the one at Target, she meant, the one that I bought. Half hour later, she comes downstairs with the exact same stocking stuffed and ready to hang! Too funny!

Well, here we are on Christmas Eve morning and as I wake up, we look out the window at the most beautiful white-huge falling snowflakes! So beautiful. I thought to myself...I do NOT want to shovel today! Ok, so that wasn't my first thought, but it did cross my mind. But I came downstairs, threw on the Christmas tree lights and the Pops Christmas music. I thought about making some coffee or tea, so I could just sit here and enjoy the morning. As I am typing this last sentence, Elizabeth comes downstairs and says, would you have some coffee if I make it...
living the dream!

Christmas Break Rocks!

2008-12-22T10:47:00.002-06:00

So here I am, sitting at Caribou, enjoying my morning cup. I have a couple of books and the computer. Christmas music playing, fire firing, coffee steaming! What a morning!

So we budgeted for making some investments this year. We had a portion that we planned to put toward retirement and a portion that we would put in more liquid investments. I am finally putting my finance major to work... I love etrade. I have been researching and researching to find the things that we will invest in! I love that etrade lets you filter through the many with options like projected risk, projected return, and socially responsible companies! I am letting it filter for me and then doing my own research on the results from my searches! I feel like a stockbroker... maybe right now is not the best time to feel like a stockbroker but luckily, we haven't invested much yet and I think the market is pretty low, in general, at this point! What an exciting time to buy.

I think we are just about ready for baby. (I know I keep on saying that but then we do more to get ready!) Yesterday we packed our hospital bags and today I got the car seat installed. Elizabeth got diapers washed and rewashed and then washed again . I think they are ready to go. I don't know if I mentioned that our glider came. If I wasn't here at Caribou, I would surely be sitting in the nursery!

I found a new radio station on our tv... Sirius Holiday Pops... Love it. It is wonderful Christmas music that focuses not on the gifts and the jolly fat man, but rather on the holy newborn. It features choirs and classical instruments... just lovely. I love leaving it on and sitting by the tree.
P.S. I got a kick out of Timothy Dolan's ad on one of the MKE radio stations when he referred to the station as Milwaukee's Advent radio station. So true... they play Christmas music all through Advent and then it is gone on the 26th!

hang on... need a warmer upper!

What else... We went to a fancy schmancy restaurant and you know I like to do my restaurant critiques! Coast is the name of the place and we only went because we had a pretty sizable gift card. Coast is, as the name suggests, a seafood joint. Swanky decor with views of signature pieces of the Milwaukee skyline set the stage for a meal to remember. I had the Strip Steak Au Poivre. It was very good. Elizabeth had the Gorgonzola Tenderloin Filet: also very good. I must be spoiled though, or not sophisticated enough to appreciate the two meals for the price they were. I have been to restaurants that are pricey and thought to myself, "man, if I was going to splurge on a meal and spend more than anyone should spend on one meal, I would totally do that here." I guess that was not the feeling I had after Coast. It was good, but not THAT good. If the price was paying for the window seat looking out at the Calatrava, the US Bank Building, the Art Museum, and the rest of the Milwaukee skyline, the marvelous atmosphere and the popovers that were served as an appetizer, then it went to the best parts of the meal. My entre was, as I said, very good, but the popover was the highlight--with it's choice of pesto, strawberry or cream butter. Well, I won't recommend the place as being worth the price but I guess you wouldn't go there anyway... they are closing right around the beginning of the year.

Well, I suppose I should get on with things. I have some Christmas shopping to do. Elizabeth and I agreed to do Christmas stockings this year. Anything we are going to get for each other has to fit into the stocking that we get for each other. I think I am going to get her an enormous stocking that she could fit her whole body in! A Body Stocking! A Body Sock! This should be fun. Now that is
Living the dream!

Darn you snow day!

2008-12-19T19:17:00.006-06:00

So earlier today when I was so excited about a snow day... yeah, I forgot a couple things. I forgot that we have one husband, one pregnant wife, and one shovel!

Darn you snow!

It was almost two feet deep in some places! On the bright side, one of our neighbors hauled their snowblower up and down the alley. After I shoveled as much as I was going to shovel, they cleared out the area that the plow normally would clear. Somehow, with the amount of snow we got, I wouldn't be surprised if the plow didn't make it through our alley until tomorrow.

Well, the day was fun. Elizabeth and I lounged around a bit, cleaning here and there. We made apple cider and the whole house smells delicious!

This evening we got to go out to the store to pick up the glider that we ordered a while back and now I think the nursery is completely done! How exciting is that!

Disposable diapers came in the mail yesterday and Elizabeth washed them all today! Holy Laundry!

Well, rumor has it we are going to get a few more inches tomorrow. I am not sure where we will ever be able to put it. Maybe we will just have to resign ourselves to staying indoors until it melts!

that would really be
Living the dream!

It IS a snow day!

2008-12-19T08:57:00.002-06:00

And it is a good thing... I don't know that I would have made it out of the alley! I woke up at 4:00 and came downstairs to watch the news to see if there was any chance school would be canceled and as things turned out, it was for both Elizabeth and myself!

A Snow Day---living the dream!

Let it Snow!

2008-12-18T16:06:00.003-06:00

Well they say it is supposed to snow tonight! Part of me says let it drop on us like a ton of bricks! Who doesn't want an early Christmas break... we woudl likely cancel school if it comes like it could. Snow days bring out the kid in me. There is nothing like waking up early to check the news and see if school has been canceled. Don't get me wrong. I love being at school and everything I get to do there, but there is no better surprise than an extra holiday!

The other part of me says please don't drop that snow on us... I don't need any more to shovel! Again, don't get me wrong. I don't mind pushing some snow, but like everything, I think shoveling should be enjoyed in moderation!

In other news, I don't know why I derive such happiness from success in fantassy football! Think about it... you pretty much win or lose completely by luck! And then when your lucky horse comes in, you try to take credit for the success! Too funny! Well, I am in the championship game and I am
Living the dream!

Am I Excited?

2008-12-13T23:15:00.003-06:00

Um, Yeah! We did laundry today and were finally able to put bedding on the crib! I definitely spent a little bit of time bent over the crib imagining a little one laying in there!

Less than five weeks until the due date and we cannot wait. We are spending all our time doing the things we need to get done before the baby comes and all the things that we may not have as much time to do once the baby comes. Tomorrow is another date night! How fun is that?!?!?

Baby is not doing more turning and wiggling than kicking... baby is running out of room in there!

What a wonderful way to experience Advent! It really is a season of waiting, preparation, and anticipation. On we go...
living the dream!

Dish!

2008-12-07T11:55:00.002-06:00

So I think I have been a bit delinquent in posting here. Lots of good things are happening.

First, Elizabeth is doing great. We are in week 34 and preparations are well on their way. She is actually at a shower right now with some friends that are blog/knottie/book club friends. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the crazy cool things that came our way through the first baby shower. My mom and dad brought the van over to our house afterwards and I couldn't believe the gifts that had befallen us. So thankful for such generous family and friends.

So preparations like having the room ready and having the things that we need are well on their way. We do have much of the nursery ready at this point. We are waiting for the rocking chair to come in and a couple of volunteers at school are providing us with a mattress. I think once the crib actually looks like a baby could sleep in it, I will feel much better.

We went shopping at Target, my favorite store, yesterday. We went nuts getting all the different pieces that we need but haven't really thought about. For instance, we have only one set of outlets in the nursery and in order to have a night light, monitor, alarm clock, and space heater in the room, we needed a surge protector. Those are the little types of things that we picked up yesterday.

Today, I am getting another major piece ready for the baby, DISH network! Ok, maybe that is more for Elizabeth and Me than for the baby. Well, it has been off and on for quite a while now and I called the other night to try to get it fixed again and the tech person said, "You know what you need? You need the supertech guy! You need the field tech who has been doing this for 30 years and who can fix anything.

So that is who is here right now. I thought the customer service guy was just patronizing me when he said he was going to send me the pro. Well, he wasn't. This guy is awesome. I was worried that, like usual, the problems that we have been facing off and on for quite a while, would not happen while the pro was here, but luckily, he has seen the crazy things that we have been experiencing and seems as baffled as we are. He was doing a test and the machine just randomly shut down. He would push buttons on the remote with no response, so then resorting to using the buttons on the actual machine, he found that they didn't cause anything to happen either! Well, needless to say, he has been here (with the trainee) for about an hour or so now and they have been working diligently to try to get things working. We've had three different receivers hooked up, we have repositioned the dish itself, and we're still going.

The only bummer is that the Packer game is on now and I am going to miss the beginning! Oh well, I will live.

Back to baby... We had our breastfeeding class and so now I feel totally prepared... to not be the one breastfeeding. But I know what to expect and how I can help. I know we have a little over five weeks left but I also know that with holiday stuff happening all the time, those weeks will fly by.

I hope you are as excited as I am to meet the baby!
Till then, I'll be
Living the dream...
with the dish network people!

10 weeks and counting!

2008-11-08T08:28:00.002-06:00

I was telling Elizabeth that one thing that I have come to realize is that I can't do my normal procrastination routine with some of the baby preparations. Normally, if I was to be preparing for a trip, I would not need to pack my bag of goodies until the night before. I would happily leave all packing until the very last moment. With the birth, I don't have a clue when the very last moment will be and so I am realizing that I will not be able to wait until it arrives.

Things like having a crib ready for baby and having things packed for the hospital stay, they need to be done on time but I don't know when the deadline is!

We went and looked at gliders! We don't know if we are even going to get one, but it would be nice to rock the baby to sleep! I can't tell you how much fun it is to go through stores and try out all of their rocking chairs. If you are ever looking for a way spend a Saturday relaxing and enjoying, try out gliders!

Nothing better than
living the dream!

Election over!

2008-11-08T08:27:00.001-06:00

I forgot what TV was like without campaign ads.
TV without political ads...
living the dream!

Nursery rhymes!

2008-11-02T10:58:00.004-06:00

So we have been working on the baby's room.
Trying to be ready for when baby comes out of the womb.
Las weekend we picked up a new dresser and crib
but if this child is like me we still have great need for a bib.
Last week we graduated from our birthing class,
and really it was kind of a pain in my side!
The information was really helpful
though our preparation for actually giving birth is doubtful.
I learned that slow dancing with my wife
is helpful during labor and, in general, in life!
That breathing is good to make it through the pain
though I believe that the breathing isn't new to anyone who's sane.
I learned that massage may help to keep her from getting too tense
and I am certain that's pretty obvious to anyone with common sense.
So all in all, I am glad to have it done with and I am excited for the birth
I can't wait to have the baby and welcome him or her to life on this planet.

All these things are true. It was an interesting class and I am so excited and feel totally unprepared but I keep telling myself that people have been giving birth for at least 30 years or so. I figure we can make it through too.

Check out Elizabeth's blog for a cute photo of the baby belly! I'll post pictures of the nursery as soon as I can. Until then, keep on
living the dream!

Back on Dry Ground

2008-10-22T21:30:00.003-05:00

So I was in Cedar Rapids Iowa last weekend and it was an eye-opening experience. I had a pretty decent idea of what kind of work we would be doing on the houses we worked on (they were damaged by floods in June). I had done cleanup after a hurricane in Tarborro, NC a few years back and had seen what the houses looked like before rebuilding so I assumed we would be doing the demolition end of things on this trip.

I was correct. The houses were empty because all of the belongings had to be discarded due to water damage. I was right in that we would be tearing out the drywall and ceilings and walking on plywood floors because carpet, wood or lenolium would have been torn out already. I figured we might still be hauling out damaged belongings. All of these were correct. What I didn't expect was that there would still be between 3 and8 inches of mud, dried sewage, riverlife, and sludge in the basements that would need to be shoveled into five-gallon buckets and hauled upstairs and out side to the curb. Imagine having to put boots on to go into your basement and walking on a floor that you wouldn't recognize as even having concrete beneath. I honestly thought there was no concrete in the basement because it was so deep.

We did much work and heard the stories. I never thought about the fact that people are paying mortgages on houses that they cannot live in, that are not worth anything near what they are paying off in loans. I did not think about the fact that people would be camping in their front yards because they did not have people to stay with. I didn't think about the fact that evacuating from your house means having a short time to pick what belongings you want to take with you and not necessarily knowing that anything that did not come with you would be a total loss.

Eye-opening is the best way to describe the weekend. It was hard work and work that needed to be done. I feel blessed to have been able to help. It is a reminder that I truly am
living the dream!

One for the Road

2008-10-15T23:38:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for Iowa with a group of students and faculty to help with flood relief in Cedar Rapids. What fun it will be. I think I am all packed up and ready to go, for the most part.

So tonight we had the second of our birthing classes. It has been helpful. We have learned some pain management techniques. This will surely come in handy for me when I get out of line and receive a swift kick in the pants. Many breathing techniques may come in handy.

It is great to learn how to recognize when it is actually time to go to the hospital, how labor progresses and how to work through the process.

I don't know if I am just too immature or what! I am behaving in class but I keep thinking random things that our instructor says are funny. There is no way for me to relay the comments over a blog so as to convey the humor that I am finding in them. Sometimes I am just thinking of a sarcastic response, or a hilarious joke that has been set up for a punchline that I am absolutely ready to deliver... I hold them to myself. We talked about the need for a focal point and honestly, I have put my focal point to good use when trying to keep my smiles and chuckles to keep from bubbling over into laughter.

I kept thinking that it was just me but I have been watching some classmates and have been noticing that they too are giving looks to each other and even hiding their faces at times. We have two classes left and I keep wondering to myself if we, as a class, will ever share the great humor that we are all apparently finding in pieces of the class.

Well, one thing is for sure... I am overjoyed at the thought that in, what will likely feel like a quick few weeks, I will be a daddy. How could anything else better epitomize
living the dream!

I finished!

2008-10-06T18:00:00.003-05:00

Yup! I finished! How exciting! So the morning started off bright and early. We left the house at about 6:15. As we were driving up to Grafton I found myself thinking, if it takes this long to drive up to Grafton, how long is it going to take to run back?!?! What have I gotten myself into?!?!?! but then we got to the school and I settled down. Elizabeth helped me get last things ready, number on, figuring out what clothes i would actually wear (since it was not raining as I had anticipated). I went to the POJ (that would be port o John). Little did I know that the line was, what seemed to be, half an hour long! I got back just in time to rescue Elizabeth from her worry as the entire area where people were readying to run had cleared out while I was gone! Everyone except those of us in line for the POJ was lined up ready to start.

So we went our ways and I got smoooshed in the middle of the pack of people waiting to start. Eventually the person said over the PA, ready, get set, and I think there was a gunshot. Anyway, we all cheered and continued to stand right where we were since we knew it would take the people in front of us at least 30 seconds to begin moving. Jokingly, the person next to me yelled "here we go" and began running in place.

So off we went.

The first few miles went by pretty quickly, before we made it to mile one I ran into Sam, a young woman who goes to Cardinal Stritch and has done Reach Out Reach In. She was running with her dad and so we chatted for a little while. By the time we got to mile one, my shins were hurting (and they had been all week). I was worried. But before long that was gone. I'll get the pain stuff out of the way first: Honestly, my knees were what I was most worried about. They have always bothered me but there were only two, one-second-long shocks of pain during the entire run. Heaven! My legs began to cramp up around mile 20. Ok, no more pain stuff... it's depressing!

So then somewhere around mile 4 or so, we are running through the farmland
on this brisk morning and from a distance I could hear some music. Not just any music, but the best kind of music for running to--polka! I came closer and closer until coming to the yard from which this lovely music rang out. Sure enough, here is a wonderful old man standing in his front yard with a couple amps hooked up to his accordion, squeezing out lovely polka melodies!

Most of the run was downhill... very nice! It felt like I just needed to keep picking up my legs and I would keep going forward. So I get to Concordia University in what felt like 20 minutes. I am feeling good, and there I find some friendly faces. I ran with my water bottle and Elizabeth had a gatorade for me. I didn't want to carry the gatorade bottle, so I dumped it in the waterbottle, all of it except for the half which I dumped on myself, her, and her belongings! Way to go me. I was in a rush to keep going because I was feeling good and had someone to follow who seemed to have a good pace.

Now, in all honesty, most of the rest is a blur. I am really trying to remember but all I remember was that I kept running! It went really fast until mile 20 or so. I turn a corner and there was the most wonderful group of smiling faces and loud voices. It was just what I needed. That pushed me on for another half mile despite the happy tears that it brought to my face.

After the race, Elizabeth said that many people claim that a marathon is not half over until you reach mile 20. Well, I was done at 21. I was done. But I kept thinking of people that had sponsored me, repeating their names with every step. I kept looking at the people around me who wouldn't quit running... those jerks! And so I kept going.

Honestly, I would like to downplay the difficulty but each of the last 6 miles felt like it was 2-3 times longer than each of the first 20.

The last .2 the highlights are as follows:
5. For the first time, paying attention to random
people calling out my name and cheering.
4. Seeing the faces of people who came to cheer me
on (my jockstraps--get it, they are athletic supporters!)
3. Hearing Ben yelling out cheers as I could hear him
running along my right side behind all the spectators!
2. Seeing the finish line and hearing someone yell-"
"Jon--see the finish line?"
1. Crossing it and stumbling toward the energy drink station!

Of course, the best part of the entire thing was the people who were a part of the run, both from near and far. I really can't adequately thank anyone who supported me with funds, with running supplies, by being at the race, by putting up with the stink that emanates from me after each training run, in prayers, in thoughts, or in any other way. Thank you.

Anyone up for the Green Bay Marathon in May? The finish line is in Lambeau Field!
Crossing the finish line = living the dream.

Less than 24 hours!

2008-10-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

So I picked up my race packet today. I am number 364! Yahoo for 364! It looks like it will be pretty chilly tomorrow and it will likely rain. That works for me. I would rather be cool and wet than hot and dying from humidity.

I told Elizabeth I would go and pick up my packet this morning. She said I should come home and lay on the couch for the rest of the day. So here I am, watching college football, waiting for the Brewer game with two rented movies and a big bottle of gatorade. That is what I call
Living the dream!

3+ Days to go!

2008-10-01T17:57:00.002-05:00

And excited as ever. Today was the CMH Walkathon and I ran it with a group of about ten other faculty/staff. It was a good paced three mile run. It worried me about both my knee and shins. My right knee has always plagued me and it actually began getting sore just as we were finishing. Running 23 miles with a bad knee would not be fun! I am worried that I have shin splints but I am tapering so I am hoping that they begin to heal before Sunday. They are not a big deal, but it would be nice if they were pain free.

So I am trying to get plenty of sleep this week. I am eating like a vulture. I can't wait and what's more, I am excited to keep running afterwards.

You may recall that I am running this marathon to raise money for my former place of employment, TYME OUT. I am still looking for a good number of sponsors. If you would like to sponsor a mile please let me know so that I can keep you in thoughts and prayers that mile!

Til Sunday I will continue eating a ton, sleeping plenty, and
Living the dream!

4 days 14 hours til my marathon!

2008-09-30T17:33:00.002-05:00

I just went for a run. I went a little over 3 miles. When I finished, I felt really good. I thought I ran fairly fast compared to my usual. When I came in the house and looked at the time, I did the math in my head. "No way! There is no way I can be this tired from running at that pace," I thought to myself. As I walked to cool down and stretched, I started thinking to myself, "if I am this tired after running a little over three miles at that pace, I am screwed on Sunday!"

I came in the house and entered my run info and a wave of relief came over me as I realized that I had miscalculated. I ran faster than I have ever run before! That must be why I felt a little exhausted!

Well, only a couple more days. I am so excited!
Tomorrow I will be running the Catholic Memorial Walkathon with some of the faculty and we'll collectively be
living the dream!

Two week update!

2008-09-28T17:35:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been two weeks since I posted! It has been an interesting two weeks.

Baby update!
We are still growing a baby in Elizabeth. She is a good baby grower! Baby is about 25 weeks and probably about a pound and a half and about 12 inches long! Yup, that's a big baby and Elizabeth is showing for sure. You might not know it if she is wearing a tshirt or a hoodie (as the weather finally permits!), but there is definitely a belly there and I love it!

Baby is healthy. Mom is healthy. I am getting over a cold, but I am not growing a baby so I am not allowed to complain!

Baby kicks and flips and keeps Elizabeth on her toes. Next week we will be starting the first of our baby classes. Child birth... I have a lot to learn. I was recently informed that there is no stork involved in child birth! Who knew?!?!?!

Running update!
I am tapering! My "long run" this weekend was 8 miles. This week I'll be running a couple miles each day and working to eat and sleep well because one week from today is the race day! I can't believe it is so soon! I think I am ready. I am excited that the leaves will be in full color next weekend. I am starting to watch the weather to see what next week is supposed to look like. As of right now, sunny and 68! Couldn't ask for anything better!

Last weekend's trip!
Last Thursday night we packed up all kinds of things so that after work on Friday we could head straight up to Devil's Lake to spend the weekend camping! What a beautiful weekend! Weather couldn't have been better. We had a nice site and a relaxing time. We cooked, sat, fired, sat, hiked, sat, rockclimbed, sat, and some more of teh same before coming home on Sunday. Beautiful. We looked around at one point and thought about the fact that it will likely be a very long time before the two of us will have a similar camping trip... so simple. One tent, pack up Thursday night, sitting around, no worries. Next time we go camping, we will be bringing up baby! All the more fun!

This weekend's trip!
Friday afternoon was the trip up to the Twin Cities. One of Elizabeth's college roommates was to get married on Saturday and so we went up. The big surprise for me was when I checked my voicemail shortly into the trip. I had planned to catch my buddy Adam on Saturday and we were going to watch the Gophers smash the Buckeyes! As I am listening to the message he left while I was at work, I was overcome with joy as he announced his new arrival. Baby boy was born Friday morning, a couple weeks early and he is now a daddy! How exciting is that!?!?!?!

We got a chance to stop by the hospital on Saturday and got to see the little angel and his parents! Beautiful baby boy.

We got to see the new parents, we got to see and stay with another couple of friends. Life is good!

Brewers!
Playoff bound! What more can you say?!?!?!

So basically, all around, we are
living the dream!

Two llittle feet!

2008-09-14T19:09:00.004-05:00

How beautiful is that! Two little feet... two little active feet. They keep kicking Elizabeth and hard enough for me to enjoy! I inspected the big toes on each foot with great care and I am worried that they are not nearly large enough to be the big toes of my progeny, but I guess the toes must just develop late!

During the ultrasound baby did not seem to want to be photographed. Baby kept crossing arms in front of face. I guess that sounds like me!

So baby is healthy and so is mamma!

We went crib shopping this weekend and have found one that we like. My favorite part of baby shopping is trying out all of the gliders and rocking chairs. I have definitely found some favorites! We had a great time looking and thinking about what things we really need and what things are way beyond the necessary!

We were going to shop today as I was going to run yesterday. The rain put of my run until today. Sadly, it rained again today. I went anyway. It was suppose to be my longest run... 20 miles. I went 9ish. I need to do more running during the week.

Packers are looking good. I am pleased with Aaron Rodgers so I will let him play again next week! Keep up the good work boys!

So it looks like all is good. We keep on keeping on and continue to enjoy
living the dream!

I thought it was a muscle spasm...

2008-09-09T22:50:00.002-05:00

So Elizabeth keeps saying that she feels the baby kicking and I am totally jealous. But then the other day she said that baby was kicking and I rushed over, like usual and put my hand on babymamma's belly. I felt what seemed to be a muscle spasm but she quickly asked, "did you feel that?" Of course I did, it was an enormous kick. She said it was the strongest kick she has felt yet! How amazing is that!?!? My baby is going to be a kickboxer or something. Really I have just come to the only logical conclusion that one would come to if the baby kicks the hardest when I am around. Baby loves me more! Ok, baby loves mamma more. I'll settle for getting my kicks
and living the dream!

14 miles today

2008-09-07T18:10:00.002-05:00

Well I freaked out Elizabeth today! I said goodbye to her while she was still sleeping at 7:30. I went out to hide bottles of gatorade along the path so that I could be well hydrated on my run. I got back home to start the run around 8:30.

So I set out for this run and didn't get back until about 11:10. As I get to the door I find a note that I was sure would explain why Elizabeth's car was not in the parking spot. When I read "call me as soon as you get home" I knew. She was under the impression that I was dead on the side of the road somewhere. I was not.

Although I did have a tough run, I was fine. After about 11 miles my right knee was done. I walked the last few miles because my knee was not having any more of that running stuff.

But, now I am home and I have spent a fair amount of time asleep on the floor, on the couch, and when I have been awake, spacing out. Nothing better than a lazy afternoon
living the dream!

We saw the Baby!

2008-09-04T21:35:00.003-05:00

Today was the ultrasound and we saw feet and a spine, a face (that kind of looks alien, but cute nonetheless), legs and arms, fingers and toes. Doc says: nothing to worry about. Everything looks perfect. And the sex of the baby: remains a mystery! We'll find out in January. It sounds like I get the enormous honor of announcing the sex of the baby! The doc will hand me my baby boy or girl and I will get to announce the sex! How exciting. The doc said that it is not at all uncommon for the dad, in this case, to be too overwhelmed to be able to tell. I thought it was pretty simple but she reminded me that testicles is male! Good to know! I will try to post a picture of baby feet as soon as I can.

Work is crazy! I just got done a few minutes ago. I don't ever remember being so totally overwhelmed by the amount of things to juggle before. I guess I am to blame though. I take on new things and I have a hard time saying no when a student has a wonderful idea and needs some help to get it off the ground. Tomorrow night I am taking a small group of students on retreat. It should be fun. Small group, low key, great kids, and Elizabeth will be coming. They are a student leadership team that I advise and they will be the first students that I tell about the baby to come! How exciting to continue
living the dream!

So that whole Running thing...

2008-08-30T09:27:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and have you pretend that I am running today. Great thanks! (that was to be read in your best impression of Bill Lumburgh from Office Space). Yes, I had planned to do my long run today, but as you can see, my shoes are not on my feet and even worse, they appear to be UNDERNEATH Elizabeth's running shoes! What does that tell you about my commitment to running?

Really I am just going to run tomorrow instead. We have been trying to get someone out to the house to look at a TV issue and have had to push it back weeks already. He came today and we have house guests. Nicolai stopped by a little after 8AM and our guests arrived late last night so they were asleep. Can you imagine waking up at a friend's house to the sound of a seemingly Russian man explaining the intricacies of the computer equipment in a powerful voice marked with a strong, almost overpowering Russian accent! I hope they slept through it!

Elizabeth is doing well. She has been working her tail off and deserves a few month off! I guess she'll have to wait until January and I don't think that will really be considered "off." In the meantime, I think she is pretty amazing for what all she is handling at work and in the cute belly of hers!

She is at work today and that is why I get to spend this marvelous morning sipping lavender earl grey tea, reading, and photographing my underused tennis shoes. Talk about
living the dream!

Back to school!

2008-08-26T20:29:00.004-05:00

We took a picture of Elizabeth's belly! She is 20 weeks now! How exciting is that! We have our ultrasound on Thursday! Unbelievable. So she is doing pretty well right now. She seems to be in a good place right now. Baby is the size of a can of Red Bull!

In other news: School has started and I am back to work. I love what I do and I love being at work. I do hope that the whole year will not be quite as busy as the first few days have been. It already feels like summer was ages ago and I am not a huge fan of 11-14 hour days. I know I can't do that for the long run. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I need to pace myself.

Speaking of running. I have not been keeping up with running as well since starting work again. I have a hard time motivating myself to go for a run after I get home when I know that it will be dark before I get back and that by the time I get cooled down and cleaned up I will need to go to bed so I can get up early the next morning. Last night's run was nice and I should have another nice one tomorrow.

Look at that cute belly!

I am now 28 and living the dream!

For all 4 of you voters out there!

2008-08-19T21:28:00.003-05:00

Well, for the few of you who weighed in on the whole diaper situation, we have decided to go cloth diapers. That is right, we will be washing tons of poopy diapers in hopes that we can save the planet, and in the process, a few dollars too!

For your information, I have been guaranteed that

washing poopy diapers = living the dream!

My new favorite spot

2008-08-17T20:13:00.002-05:00

It is the couch! Yes, I spent much of the day sleeping and resting on the couch. Lazy? Maybe. My run this morning was supposed to be 16 miles but the website I used to map out my run was not as accurate as I would have hoped and so I ended up doing a bit over 17. It was an out and back so when I was at 8 miles out and, according to the website, I still had a way to go. That was a bit discouraging. In my head I kept thinking, "this has to be more than 8." Between this and running out of gatorade on the way home, I was ready for the couch the rest of the day.

Last night we had our fantasy football draft and I believe I have a very good team. The picking order was randomly generated though some thought it was fixed when I was called as the first pick. Ladanian Tomlinson will be my best friend this year if he lives up to expectations!

There doesn't seem to be any baby news. Baby is the size of the pickle you might buy at a carnival. Elizabeth is still not showing or feeling the baby move. We have determined that she is not showing but is starting to get a "bump." It is kind of typical of a first pregnancy to not have these things happen by week 18.

Ok, back to the couch and back to
living the dream!

Baptism by fire (or poop)

2008-08-12T21:19:00.003-05:00

Dirty diapers!
Elizabeth is really excited because the first diaper I will ever change will be a diaper filled with fun by our baby! That's right folks, I have never changed a diaper. I guess January will be as good a time to learn as ever!

We have been deciding between cloth and disposable diapers. Here are the stats:

A newborn baby needs to be changed as many as 10-12 times per day. Yes, they are poop factories! So this gives a sense for the sheer number of diapers gone through.

Disposable diapers are more expensive over time. They are not great for the environment, but when the baby has done duty and the diaper has done it's duty, it is gets taken off and tossed.

Cloth diapers are a large investment up front but cheaper in the long run. They are more environmentally friendly since they are reused, though each time it is filled up, someone has the duty of rinsing it out and laundering the dirties!

Here is an interesting article on the debate for those interested enough to read on.

Hmmmmmm. What to do! Either way, I plan on changing thousands of diapers! Welcome to living!

Taking it in stride!
In running news, I have been slacking a bit on training. You may have noticed (if you follow my running log) that I have skipped some of the shorter runs lately. Part of this is due to other engagements. Part of it is due to my unwillingness to run after eating. Part of it is shear laziness!

Long runs have gone ok. This past weekend I forgot to put vasaline on the areas that rub while running and I paid for that for a day or so. My knees have been holding up though and that is a miracle. Fifteen miles this past Saturday and 16 this weekend. I'll let you know how that one goes.

Baby athlete?
We had a doctor's appointment today and heard the heartbeat again. Interestingly enough, we also heard a lot of kicking going on in there. Elizabeth still doesn't feel anything and doesn't seem to be showing. I wonder if all that kicking means that baby will be an active one! Imagine life in the womb, not a care in the world. Eavesdropping on all our conversations, sucking thumb, kicking a bit here and there, and living the dream!

I'll take NY.

2008-08-07T20:53:00.004-05:00

Brett Favre in NY? Ok. I am just glad that this whole ordeal is over. I'll watch him play, I'll cheer him on, I'd even pick him on my fantasy football team. No hard feelings from me Brett. I hope we're still friends. Call me!

So I am pretty much back into the swing of things at work. I don't forsee having another full day at home between now and the time school starts. I'm ok with it though. I am excited for the year. I have some exciting new things going. I think it is going to be a great year.

As seen to the right, we are in week seventeen of the pregnancy and things are good. She is sleeping on the couch and I went for a run. The baby is the size of a baked potato. Anyone else hungry when thinking about a baked potato? She is still not showing but I think it won't be long. We have our next appointment soon. Before you know it we will be halfway there. HALFWAY THERE? UNREAL! I suppose the second half will fly like the first and before you know it, I'll be a daddy!

I went for a run today. 6.6 miles and it felt really good. I am not worried about the marathon. I think it will go quite well. I feel like I could run a slower pace and finish feeling very good or I could try to push it a bit and shoot for a better time and risk having a bit of recovery time. We'll see.

Finally, I am really excited about this. I just reserved a campsite for a weekend in September. We went out to Devil's lake last fall and it was one of the best camping trips ever. I love camping in the fall. I think I got the same site and look at it... how could you not be
Living the dream?

Target Run

2008-08-03T21:02:00.003-05:00

Went to Target for this...

Came back with this!

You've gotta love Target! We were not planning on getting anything baby but Elizabeth, always prepared, brought along a baby buying guide book. We happened upon some baby stuff on clearance and this was one of the items. Sure enough, after looking through the book and all the options, it was the best option and was quite a bit cheaper than other options when it was about 30% off! Baby stuff is never 30% off. Great bargain!

So now we are looking at other baby things! It might still be early, but if we keep finding things on sale, we'll be in really good shape!

In other news, I ran my 13 miler last night. I though that eating a hot dog, chips and dip, and three bean salad before running would come back to haunt me like last weekend. Not the case... it was probably my best long run ever. Yes, I was quite a bit slower than usual, but I felt like I could have gone another ten miles. No sore muscles today, no intestinal distress, no dehydration headache... great run. I was not sure how well it would go, so i was hesitant to run out and back fearing that I would get out pretty far and not be able to run back. So I ran four loops around the area. I ran past State Fair Park three times and on the third time past, I ran into a young man that I had just spent the last week with at Reach Out Reach In... small world.

At RORI, I worked really closely with my friend Jon. He and I spent hours upon hours together two weeks Friday through last Friday. Saturday morning he calls me and asks, "do you miss me?" The answer was actually yes. We really worked well together and after having the blessing of working so closely with my former roommate for a week, I definitely did miss him when he was no longer by my side.

Well, it is back to school for me. School does not start until late this month but it looks like tomorrow I will be back into the habit of getting to work most days. There is a lot to do between now and then. Should be fun.

Loving my stroller (and toilet paper) and
living the dream!

Well booo to the Brewers!

2008-08-01T21:16:00.002-05:00

And so it seems that the Cubbies have shown us up THIS TIME. I guess I picked the perfect week to be out of town and unable to watch the games! It is as if they never happened! Now if only the rest of the world could catch on to my ignoring of the history of the past week.

Well, I had a wonderful week at Reach Out Reach in. The kids were amazing. I came to some new insights. I met some beautiful people with different life situations at St. Ann's Intergenerational care, Easter Seals, Catholic Charities, Sojourner Truth House, an organic and a small family farm, and I got to revisit my stomping grounds from last year at Meta House. What a great week. I would love to speak all about the different organizations but I am dead tired right now and supposedly, I am to run 13 miles tomorrow... we'll see.

Finally back at home with Elizabeth and, as always,
living the dream.

Who knew?!?!

2008-07-26T17:33:00.005-05:00

So I did my long run this morning. I was really excited at how well it went. I was able to run with the badgerland striders as their run was the distance I was hoping to go. I like running with them because they set up a course, they provide water and gatorade, there are lots of people to run with, and the course is right by the lake. So today was 12 miles and I finished in one piece. Actually I was feeling pretty good at the end. Little did I know that recovery from this run would take the rest of the day! My muscles... feel great. My head (which usually hurts because of dehydration) is fine. Today it is all about the GI distress. I won't go into gross details, but the bathroom has been my close friend today!

Sadly, blogging will be out of the picture for me for the next week or so. I will be leaving tomorrow for Reach Out Reach In. You may recall that I am helping to run this service week and so I will be gone from tomorrow until Friday.

The other reason blogging will be out for a while is that the motherboard on our computer has an issue and we are sending it in to be fixed. Whoever heard of mailing in your computer to have it fixed?!?!?! I am definitely not complaining. I called tech support. They had me open it up and pull out some of the computer's innards before diagnosing the problem as having to do with the motherboard. So they sent a box and paid for postage and I just have to call fed ex to arrange for pickup. How cool!

Well, I will leave you with a picture of Baby Brzeski. $200 cash prize for anyone who can pick out baby without help from the arrow. This picture is from May. Now the baby is 4 inches long and
living the dream!

Painting the what!?!?!?

2008-07-21T19:52:00.004-05:00

Yes, we spent the day yesterday painting. We picked out three colors a few weeks ago and bought trim board to put up a chair rail. We picked paint that we were introduced to by my brother and sister-in-law. It is called "freshaire" I believe. I am too lazy right now to go upstairs to look at the can, but it is a No-VAC paint. It doesn't smell like paint all over the house and it apparently does not have the harmful chemicals that go into the air when you paint. Plus, it dries really quickly!

So yesterday my parents came and hauled away the double beds from the spare bedroom so that we could paint the room while it was completely empty. Plus, there was no sense storing them somewhere in the house since they won't be going back in. They will, of course, be replaced with a crib and a rocking chair! So the answer to the question is nursery. We were painting the nursery.

Yes folks, if I haven't talked to you lately, we are expecting! Baby is due in January which means (do the math) we are going on 15 weeks. We have known for quite some time and I have been really excited to share the news but we wanted to wait until the second trimester to start blabbing.

We have had a couple of appointments where we have heard the heartbeat and there is no better sound in the world! the Mamma is doing well and she is feeling much better than at the beginning though I'll leave it up to her if she wants to go into detail about what the first trimester was like for her.

All I know is that I can't wait for January. I am excited beyond words, nervous as all getup, happier than ever, scared as hell, and of course,
living the dream!

Can't sleep!

2008-07-15T00:34:00.002-05:00

So things are good! Here's the lowdown on the last few days:

Brewers: good finish to the homestand!
CC Sabatthia, congrats on the homerun. It is always nice to see a pitcher who can pitch a complete game, win it, and hit a homer in the process. Ryan Braun, Ben Sheets, Corey Hart (the glue of the Brewers ballclub) congrats on making it to the all star game and Ryan, 14 homeruns! The final game against the Reds was a nice way to finish off the series. Look for Mota to sit the bench more in the second half (or at least I hope he does). The rest of this month is pretty important. St. Louis and Chicago series... could be quite a change in the standings by the end of July. Go Brewers.

Marathon Training: Up to 10 miles.
Saturday was my long run for the week and it was a 10 miler. That is my peak so far and will be until for another week and a half until my 12 miler. Of course you can follow my training schedule over to the right ------------> Saturday's run was a bit more difficult. It was cool at the beginning but warmed up pretty quickly and I always struggle in humidity. I am planning to run this marathon as a fundraiser for TYME OUT. My hope is to get at least $100 of sponsors for each mile and during each mile I will pray for each person who helped sponsor that mile. In an ideal world, I would raise $5000 during this race. Check out their website and if you would like to sponsor or co-sponsor a certain mile let me know. I will also invite the top sponsors to a dinner at TYME OUT next spring. Think about it... it is a great organization.

A man of Leisure?
Well, not exactly. I have been putting much of my time lately toward planning and preparing for Reach Out Reach In. I am serving as the spiritual leader for the week and I cannot tell you how prepared I like to be! I am the kind of person who wants to have thought through, talked through, written out, and re-written out ideas, thoughts, reflections, insights, etc. so that come the week of RORI, I feel at ease and excited about the people I will get to meet and re-connect with rather than having my mind preoccupied with details of the week. This year's program is full but think about it for next year if you know Catholic young people in the Milwaukee area who might enjoy a week of service with fellow Milwaukeeans.

Balistreri’s Italian America Ristorante Pizza: a winner!
I've been there before but upon return to this fine establishment, in Wauwatosa, I was reminded why we always seem to go there for birthdays. The pizza is amazing! Cracker thin crust: we're talking the kind that is just thick enough to support the toppings but not thick enough that it doesn't break into your mouth practically without even biting. Sauce: very good. Toppings:very good. Service is always good but wonderful this time. The waitress was a hoot to interact and joke around with but she also gave us space when we were in the middle of conversations. Atmosphere is the way it seems to have been for years, warm, inviting, and homey. Go to Balistreri's (the pizza one is on Wells not Bluemound).

Fantasy Football is in the works!
That's right sports fans, my annual FFB league is getting underway. I love this time of year. One of my new excitements this year is that I have invested in a traveling trophy for the league! I know, I am a nerd. Well hey, it is too much fun. I am sure that it will be a centerpiece at dinner tables whenever the losing managers come over for dinner (or more likely, when I go over to their places for dinnner!) Whatever the case may be, the big question is will Brett Favre be an option for the draft and who is going to draft him!

Well, I have an early meeting tomorrow and maybe now I'll be able to go upstairs and fall asleep so that I can continue
living the dream (or dreaming them!)

You're on Notice!

2008-07-09T23:43:00.004-05:00

It does not take Stephen Colbert to make it official... Guillermo Mota--You're on notice! You had a 10.13 ERA in the last seven games and gave up two homeruns -- FOUR RUNS in the ONE INNING you were in the game!

So we went to the game tonight and the first few innings were excellent. Sheets struck out 11 before turning over the mound. Then things really went downhill. Mota has been disappointing before but this was a poor showing. I don't think it will be long before he is out of the regular rotation.

Before the game we did pizza at Barbierre's Italian Inn. Good pizza. It was thin crunchy crust though it had a bit too much cheese and not enough sauce. I prefer a bit more oregano but, all in all, it was pretty good. The garlic bread is similar to Mama Mia's though it was a bit more garlic and salt and butter (believe it or not).

I didn't feel bad eating it all after my run today. It was a five miler and my knees have been holding up quite well. It was gorgeous when I started though it seemed to heat up a bit during the 40 minutes. it felt good though and I am happy with how training is going.

Win or lose, you can't beat an evening spent with 37,000 people at Miller park
living the dream.

Fourth and Summer

2008-07-07T23:15:00.003-05:00

So I hope you had a marvelous Fourth of July weekend. I spent much of it with the family. The rentals were in town and everyone was over at big brother's place as he was moving this weekend. It was good to see all.

Sunday - Summerfest! First and only time this season. We went to see a friend's band. The Charles Walker Band was quite good! They are a blues band and Charles is an outstanding saxophonist. I was floored at some of his solos. The lead singer had a deep powerful voice and carried off the vocals with great precision. It was good to get to the big gig and see some local talent... TALENT.

We sat in on another local band and I won't mention any names but they were local. We stayed for one song I think! Oh well, 1/2 isn't bad.

Here's to a cool summer afternoon spent down by the lake listening to live music and enjoying some of Milwaukee's best!

Talk about living the dream!

Running the Lakefront

2008-07-05T09:57:00.002-05:00

So this morning I awoke at 6:30 to head down to the lakefront in Milwaukee. This is where I spent the next hour and a half running.

What a gorgeous morning!
Sun shining, gentle breeze blowing, cool morning warming up to a comfortable temp, and the beautiful scene of the lakefront, the Milwaukee skyline, and the neighborhoods to the north.

Today was a nine mile run and I am pretty sure I was just finishing up at about the same time as a group called the "Badgerland Striders." This group is in training for the Lakefront Marathon as well, and I would have run with them this morning but I thing we are on different training schedules. It was neat to see all kind os people who are likely going to be working toward the same end goal as me... not dying in October!

Enjoy your Fourth of July Weekend and keep on
Living the dream.

Bases loaded and you're out.

2008-06-30T23:35:00.003-05:00

Brewers, in the sixth inning... you blew it! But, I still love you.

Ever drive 20 miles to go to a specific restaurant only to find it closed? So wierd!
Thank you Jose's Blue Sombrero for the save!

Nothing better than filling up on chips and salsa and not having room for the meal.

Living the dream!

I now have HDTV?

2008-06-27T09:04:00.004-05:00

Do you have one of these Flexible Spending Accounts with your insurance? What a terrible arrangement?!?! Here are my two complaints:

1.) The money that is set aside (tax free) from your paychecks is to be used only for health expenses and must be used in that year (unlike, the much better option, an HSA). After that, the money goes to your employer. Why not let it accumulate? Why does unspent money get taken away? Doesn't that just encourage us all to spend more than we need to?

2.) Because the money comes out of your paycheck over the course of the year, the amount you have to work with increases over the fiscal year. So if I need something done at the beginning of the fiscal year and my first few deductions from my paycheck don't cover it, I'm on my own. It is not as "flexible" as it seems.

So anyway, I was coming down to the end of the year and I had all of my flex dollars left and I was going to buy the biggest, baddest first aid kit you have ever seen (band-aids, neosporin, codine, scalpels, automatic electronic defibrillator, a couple stretchers and an ambulance!)

Instead, I scrambled to set up an eye exam because I don't really need an ambulance. I had meant to do this for quite some time. You see, when I renewed my driver's license, I took the vision test there (where you stick your face into what looks like a giant 70's microscope and they have you read a line of letters) and I specifically remember reading the line of letters confident in the twenty-twenty vision I had always had. To my surprise the response from the kind DMV person behind the counter was "what line were you reading!?!?" Upon the second try, I found that it was more difficult than I thought.

So I have glasses. I feel hip and trendy! And I can see!

Watching TV last night, everything was so clear! I have decided that this must be what HDTV is like.

Loving new sight and living the dream.

I discovered Minnesota!

2008-06-23T16:46:00.002-05:00

This weekend had a trip to Minnesota in store for me. Elizabeth and I drove up on Thursday and found a nice route on county roads to avoid the closed I-94. The drive up was nice and we decided to go all out and get a hotel. We stayed in the Crown Plaza in St. Paul. Beautiful hotel, beautiful view, and wonderful service.

Thursday night we grabbed a bite with good friends Melissa and Adam, who are expecting in October. We had a wonderful dinner with them and then went back to their place for a marvelous summery dessert, some great conversations, and some fun with the wii. It was great to meet some of their friends from up there.

Friday was a walking day. First, we went to Al's in Dinkytown for breakfast. If you haven't gone, GO! I love this place. You have 14 stools to choose from to be seated except you often do not get a choice. We spent about 15 minutes waiting for a seat though it is always worth the wait. When we were the last ones in line, I kept laughing, to myself, that people would walk in and then right back out, unwilling to do the wait. "Fools, " I thought to myself. "How can you ever pass up Al's?"

Anyway, we ate and then bummed around campus for a while. It brought back tons of memories of all the trouble I used to get into at the U, some of it, with the aforementioned Adam. As we passed places I commented to Elizabeth, that is one of the places we smoked our cigars on my last night in town.

We saw the new stadium, which is a mammoth project and will surely be a tremendous addition to the school. We stopped in the Union, which was open for a brief period before and a brief period after construction while I was in school. We had to go to the bookstore to look at all the goodies that we would love to buy but didn't.

We stopped at a running store to pick up a pair of shoes for me and it was great. They checked my stride and fitted me for a new pair of shoes for the Lakefront marathon.
Then we were off to the sculpture gardens... I loved the exhibition that they had outside of the Walker called "Design for the other 90%." Make time to go check it out along with the sculpture gardens. They are both free!

Dinner at one of our favorite spots, Cafe Latte, was nice as we got to catch up with one of Elizabeth's good friends, Hillari. Dude!

Saturday was a Kayak day! We spent two hours on the Cannon River kayaking. Beautiful day. Beautiful area. What a day.

If you get a chance, discover Minnesota and keep on
living the dream!

I threw a bocce ball in the sewer

2008-06-15T23:08:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth and I got to go up to visit the rents this weekend. Elizabeth has 13 straight days of vacation and we are planning to make the most of that time. It was good to see mom and pop. Granny was there and for an added surprise, my sister stopped up!

I threw a bocce ball in the sewer! They live on a hill and one ball really got away from me. It roleld down the driveway and into the street and we presume that it went down one of the sewer grates! Surprisingly, that was the closest ball to the marker!

I did my long run this weekend. seven miles wasn't so bad.

If you ever go to wausau, check out the coolest store in town. It is a flower shop on one of the main streets downtown. Unbelievably cool.

Also cool, my mom's cooking. She rocks.

And to top it all off, I got to ride home with granny. How great is it to spend time with family!

As always
living the dream!

A walk and a loss!

2008-06-10T21:42:00.002-05:00

So after work today we took a walk with some good friends. I let this 2.5 mile walk take the place of the three mile run I was supposed to do. I think I'm allowed! It was a gorgeous day and the walk was a lovely one. Good friends, good pace, good weather, good scenery, good walk.

We came back here for Papa John's pizzas in order to completely negate any health benefits from taking a walk. ( I, personally wouldn't want to start doing any thing good for my health!)

Brewers lost. Mike Cameron and I are fighting until further notice.

Tomorrow I will sleep in.
Living the dream!

So here we go.

2008-06-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

So I haven't been a blogger before and I figured, why not put myself out there?!?! I am not going to give a lot of background, I am just going to start with how the dream played out today!

When I was a kid, I remember saying rain rain, go away, come again another day. Couldn't say that phrase with more emphasis than today. The clouds this afternoon were tremendous! I love the chance to sit and watch a storm come in. What I don't love is cleaning up the mess it leaves in the basement.

Ok, so really, we get a fair amount of water in the basement but it doesn't really damage anything. Our basement is not finished so the water just comes in from all sides and trickles across the floor to a big drainpot in the middle of the floor. We should set up some sort of meditation room down there because we have the whole "zen garden waterfall" sound already going on!

I have resigned myself to not even bothering to clean it up until it stops flowing. That should happen sometime in the next week!

In other news, I ran today. I am looking at training for the lakefront marathon in October. In fact, I just registered minutes ago! Good thing I put it off until the last minute! I think I am one of the last 100 to register! I ran four miles today and it felt pretty good.

Well, blessings to you. Keep on

Living the dream!