Meme Me

I don't often do memes, but what the heck, I haven't posted in a while, and if it's good enough for Darrin, it's good enough for me.

1. Do you like blue cheese?

Mmmmmmmm.... Is there anything better than chunks of blue cheese on a nice, medium-rare steak? This bald man doesn't think so.

2. Have you ever smoked heroin?

Uh... No. If I did, would I be admitting it here?

3. Do you own a gun?

No, but since I'm half convinced, based on recent conversations with my friend, Rattus, that Western civilization as we know it will collapse within the next five years, I might have to reconsider.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?

Que? Never had anything to drink at Sonic other than iced tea. You add flavors to your drink at Sonic?

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?

Nah. I've had so many of them over the last 10 years, it's just routine.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?

Mostly, I could do without them. Unless I'm at a baseball game...

7. Favorite Christmas movie?

I've probably seen It's a Wonderful Life more than A Christmas Story, but A Christmas Story just cracks me up.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

Coffee. Duh.

9. Can you do push ups!?

Plural?

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

I only wear a wedding ring. Well, I guess that's not quite true. I have a little magnetic bracelet that I wear on my left wrist, which somehow or another helps with my wrist pain.

11. Favorite hobby?

Do other Daddy's actually have hobbies?

12. Do you have A.D.D.?

Huh? What?

13. What is one trait you hate about yourself?

My temper. I usually keep it pretty well controlled, but there are times where it bubbles up. I really fear for the day that Amy, or God forbid the kids, accidently get the full brunt of my temper. That would be truly, truly scary for all involved.

14. Middle name?

R.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.

- Good lord how many questions are there?
- Dagnabbit the timer went off on the light!
- When is the kid going to wake up for her snack?

16. Name 3 things you bought yesterday.

Lunch at Schmidt's for Amy and me.

17. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?

1. Coffee, 2. Coffee 3. Coffee

18. Current worry...

That I'll be up most of the night worrying for the third night in a row.

19. Current hate right now?

Writing requirements

20. Favorite place to be?

At home on my couch with my sweetie :)

21. Where would you like to go?

Walla Walla

22. Name three people who will complete this?

After me in my circle of friends? Probably noone, y'all have much better things to do with your lives :)

23. Name three people you would like to complete this?

No.

24. Shirt you are wearing?

Black T-shirt. Go fig.

25. What year would you go back in time to?

I don't think I would. I mean, my own past is past, there are good things and bad things about it, but the exciting stuff is ahead. I enjoy reading about more distant past, but wouldn't wanna live there.

26. Can you whistle?

Sorta

27. Favorite color?

Black. Wait, that's not technically a color. Blue.

28. Would you be a pirate?

No. I have too many eyes, too many teeth, too many legs and too many hands. Plus I can't speak the dialect.

29. Favorite girl's name?

Amy. Second favorite: Teagan :P

30. Favorite boy's name?

You'll have to wait a while longer for that one :P

31. Last thing you dreamed about?

I don't remember, but it was last night, and it was strange, because things would happen, then the dream would rewind, and start again with slightly different dialog. That might happen five or six times before the scene continued. Strange....

32. What's in your pocket right now?

Nothing.

33. Last person that made you laugh?

My child.

34. Best Halloween costume?

Good lord, I can't remember that far back...

35. Worst injury you've ever had?

Pain-wise, probably one of the bajillion times I popped out my back. Sometimes from tying my shoes. Sports-wise, I caught my ribs on a railing while stepping off a treadmill and strained the obliques on my left side, kept me out of the gym for three weeks.

36. Do you like where you live?

It's a nice place to visit, but I really miss home.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?

Two

38. Who is your loudest friend?

Oooooooo... a competition. Not sure, I'd have to think about it.

39. How many dogs do you have?

None

40. Does someone have a crush on you?

I hope Amy does....?

41. What is your favorite book?

Oh, too many to choose from. I don't think a single book could be a favorite. For example, I love the LOTR series, but couldn't pick a favorite among them. Same for the Dark Tower series, Harry Potter, etc.

42. What is your favorite candy?

Currently, Butterfinger.

43. Favorite Sports Team ?

Cleveland Indians. Hands down.

44. Favorite Sport?

Baseball

45. What were you doing 12 AM last night?

Trying to sleep and failing miserably.

46. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?

%$&*

New Video Posted

Remember the Trolls dolls? You know, like the one pictured over there at the right? Well, Bambina does a pretty mean Troll impression when she wants to. Hop on over to her photo gallery to check it out.

Musings

The days go slowly, but the years pass quickly...

Today was one of those "little big days" in our household. Bambina has, despite our best efforts, continued to grow, and we realized that she had gotten too big for her bucket car seat. Last night we installed her "big girl" car seats in our cars, rear facing for another month or so, and this morning was her first ride. Between the new seats, her first teeth, and her imminent first unassisted steps, I find myself in a rather pensive mood.

Wasn't it just a few hours ago that I looked in the mirror and saw myself holding a little 7 lb 3 oz version of Bambina, moments after her birth?

Wasn't it just a few days ago that I looked in the mirror and saw myself dressed in a tux, with Amy standing beside me dressed in her wedding gown?

Wasn't it just last week that I looked in the mirror, and I didn't have the grey flecks in my beard? That I was living in NE OH with Xabu and playing poker with him, Kirk, Ben, Ted and a host of other guys?

Wasn't just two weeks ago that I looked in the mirror and my hair had only started its slow recession, and I was running around UD with the likes of Dave, Stoner, Redbeard, Don, and Jeem?

Wasn't it just a few days before that when I looked in the mirror and I had a full head of blond hair, wasn't so "big boned," and hung out with Shawn, Jim, Ken and Cooper?

The days go slowly, but the years pass quickly...

Will it be tomorrow that I look in the mirror, and I'll notice my beard a little more gray, and see both of our kids running around the room behind me?

Will it be next week that I look in the mirror, and I'll notice the crow's feet gaining ever more a foothold, and watch as the kids get ready to head off for school?

Will it be the following week that I look in the mirror, and I'll see that my beard is nearly completely grey, that I'm no longer standing as tall, and the kids are fighting over who gets to take the car to college?

Will it be next month that I look in the mirror, and I'll see that my back is bent, my face heavily lined, and watch as Bambina and Bambino come through the door bringing our grandkids for a visit?

The days go slowly, but the years pass quickly...

I Learned Something

When the remains of Hurricane Ike came through, the shingles over our back porch were peeled up. Today, my friend, Darrin, and I learned how to reshingle a roof. It didn't turn out to be nearly as hard as we thought it would be, and only took us about three hours of actual roofing work to cover about 230 sq ft. Many thanks to Darrin for helping get things set right.

Bambina's Photo Gallery Updated!

And now with videos!

What to do on a Sat. afternoon in central Ohio?

Go see "the" football game!

We were given tickets to watch the Buckeye's play We haven't been to a game since we were dating so it was exciting to have a grown-up afternoon out . We thought the game would be a blow out but we were happy that the home team won. Our observation is that while the new freshman quarterback has potential, he needs to work on his short passing game.

Thanks to Tom's boss for the tickets, and Grandma for coming down at the spur of the moment to babysit!

Check out the script Ohio:

Bambina's Photo Gallery Updated

'nuff said...

Brief Update

It's been a few weeks since we posted an update, so here's a brief recap:

• Bambina had her three-week follow-up with the cranofacial clinic at Columbus Children's Hospital. The doctors are very happy with how things have healed up.
• Bambina went in for her 9 month (holy cow, she's 9 months old?!) pediatrician checkup. She:
  • is 27 inches long
  • weighs 18.25 lbs
  • has a head circumference of 17.25 inches
• We went looking for a new, larger vehicle in a panicked state, because we didn't think we'd be able to get two car seats in our tiny S-series Saturns. Darned near bought one, too, before we came to our senses and I figured out how to get them installed.
• My mom is officially retired! We went to an "un-Labor Day" party on her behalf. Had lots of roasted pig. Yummmm....
• Bambina is using a sippy cup, now that she's able to produce suction in her mouth.
• Bambina is starting to eat "crunchies" like Cheerios.
• Bambina is getting her first tooth!
• Bambina is starting to crawl.
• I gave blood last Wednesday. I was not the first appointment of the day, so I was curious how quickly I'd be seen. I arrived somewhat early, and the whole process was so quick that I finished only slightly after my original appointment time. I must say, I'm impressed.
• My back took a vacation. It started last Thursday morning, it was very sore when I got up. It hurt worse the more the day wore on. Friday I needed loopy drugs to help manage the pain (which they failed miserably to do). Yesterday was the first really manageable day, today is better, but it still hurts.
• I'm preparing to paint the kitchen. I finally got around to finishing mudding a few places that needed patching. Tonight I'll sand what I mudded, then I'll paint this weekend whilst Amy and Bambina are elsewhere.
• I've started exercising again. I kinda fell off the bandwagon for a while, being way exhausted due to little sleep. But I stepped on the scale yesterday, and the left-most number was too high, and the middle number was too low, so I knew I'd have to get back to business. I'm going to the gym with a co-worker, Evil Dr. Bob.
• Because of the drought we've been having here, I hadn't mowed in a while. I finally broke down and did it last night and discovered that only two things had grown in the last month: the jungle next door and the thistle infesting our lawn. Everything else is dead or dormant.

OK, so maybe that wasn't so brief... :)

9 months old

We spent the weekend at home. That doesn't happen often in our house. I feel like we are on the road a lot. We kept August clear because we really had no idea how long of a recovery Teagan was going to have. She is doing amazing. She is learning to suck. That is big milestone for her. I bought her a beginner sippy cup yesterday. It has a soft mouth piece that mimics a bottle. She kinda gets the idea of sucking equals food.

One thing we did over the weekend was get Teagan's 9 month pictures taken. I am sharing because she is such a cutie (in my personal opinion!). I really don't understand kids clothes. The shirt she has on is a size 9 months, the pants 0-3 months, and the dress we changed her into for more pictures was a 12 month....

Bambina Update - One Week Later

A full week has passed since Bambina had her surgery, and she's mostly doing well. She hasn't been taking as much formula as usual, fighting us pretty vehemently when offered a bottle, but it looks like she's getting close to turning that corner. Her "solid food" intake dropped as well, but I think that's close to working its way out, too. I don't think it has to do with her mouth being sore, I think it's more of remembering when it was sore and not wanting it to hurt. My guess is that memory is fading now, so hopefully feedings will improve.

We haven't been making her wear the arm braces, as those have just frustrated her. Instead, she just hasn't been offered anything small enough to actually fit in her mouth, so she hasn't had any problems. Every once in a while she tries to put her fingers in her mouth, but that's been caught pretty quickly. We were told she is allowed to use her bink-a-bluff-a-paci-cork-a-nuk, so that keeps her hands out of her mouth overnight.

The big thing that is of any concern to me at this point is her ears. She had tubes put in at the same time she had her plastic surgery done, and we've been given drops to put in her ears. There's still a lot of dried blood in her ear canals, for those of you who have had kids with ear tubes, is that normal? She doesn't seem to mind the drops when I give them to her, but every once in a while she bats at her left ear, which seems to have more caked/dried blood than the right. There's no seepage at all, so I'm tempted to not worry, but there's this niggling in the back of my mind that I can't quite ignore...

The biggest frustration for us at this point is her sleeping. We've had some pretty rough nights, and she's been fighting going down something fierce lately. Last night, it took Amy's mom over an hour to get her calmed down and asleep, which has been, unfortunately, pretty typical since the surgery. Whenever we set her in the bed, no matter how tired she is, she just starts wailing, and cries and screams literally until she just can't go any more. Bedtime is bad enough, but she's done it overnight once or twice, too, which just puts Amy and me in a foul mood.

No picture of the inside of her mouth yet. I keep trying to get one, but I just can't seem to get a clear shot. It think I just got lucky with the one I took before her surgery. I'll keep trying, though, so you all can see how things look different post-surgery.

Problem Solved

Just a quick note to let you all know that Bambina is home. Amy said that she turned a corner last night, and though she's not eating as much as she was pre-surgery, she's eating. The hospital staff felt comfortable letting her leave, so we blew that popsicle stand a little after 9A this morning. So far, all is well. Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes!

A Snag

It's Thursday night, and Amy is spending it with Bambina at the hospital. The problem? We're unable to feed her. Given the problems we had feeding her when we first brought her home, we're not checking her out until we're reliably able to get food into her. Other than the feeding problems, though, she seems to be doing well. One of the surgeons had a look at Bambina this morning and said that everything looked good inside her mouth. Noone has gone out of their way to check out her ears, but since they're not oozing, we're taking that as a good sign. Hopefully we'll be able to get Bambina home tomorrow.

All Done!

It's just after 5P here in central OH, and Amy and I are watching Bambina sleep in the hospital cage/crib. She's high on Tylenol with codeine, which seems to give her just enough pain relief to allow her to get some rest. The surgery itself was successful per the doctors, so now all that's left is the recovery. No pictures today, I took several, but can't bear to post them yet. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. We'll post more as her recovery continues.

Bambina's Surgery

At long last, Bambina's surgery draws near. Tomorrow, August 6, at 2:10 PM she goes under the knife to have her cleft soft palate repaired. We don't have a lot of details, other than they're going to use existing tissue in her mouth to close the gap, and the plastic surgeon will be creating a uvula during the proceedings. She'll also be getting tubes in her ears, as the audiologist who checked her out during her last visit found fluid in her ears. Recovery is expected to entail three weeks of arm braces to keep her from putting stuff in her mouth. People we've talked to tell us that she's unlikely to be in prolonged pain from her actual surgery, so that's a blessing.

So, if all goes well, the next time you hear from us, Bambina will be a new woman, with her birth defect a thing of the past. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers...

Blue Eyes

Tom might have mentioned we are color challenged. However I had an "ah-ha" moment this afternoon. Tom was laying down sideways and had Teagan propped up against his legs. It was then that I noticed our baby girl's eyes. They have always been a beautiful shade of blue, but now they have a name- denim blue. Her eyes were the exact shade of his shorts.

Kitchen Remodel, Part 2

As previously noted, we've decided to remodel the kitchen, at least in part, this summer. This past week, we had our cabinets refaced, and the counter tops and sink replaced, by Home Depot Home Services. The worker (it only took one) came out Tuesday and Wednesday and did the work, up to, but not including making the sink work again. Apparently, since he was a carpenter and not a plumber, he's not allowed to hook up the sink per some sort of rule, law or ordinance. No matter. Last night, Amy's parents came down, and my father-in-law walked me through installing the sink, from installing the faucet, to caulking and clipping the sink, to attaching the garbage disposal and drain. And guess what? It all works, and doesn't leak! Woo-hoo! So, we're two-thirds the way through this summer's phase of our kitchen remodel. All we have left for this summer is paint, which is still a problem because, as previously noted, we're not terribly gifted in color selection. I'll post before and after pictures once the painting is complete and this phase is done. Stay tuned...

Thanks again, Ed, for helping me get the sink installed and working!

My Current Diversion

Don't click this link if you have something important to be doing. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Boy O Boy

I would like to present the first picture of our son!


We went for our "you are over 35 and your daughter has a birth defect" level two ultrasound yesterday. The very first picture confirmed a boy very decisively. We are very excited and happy to report we have a healthy baby boy.

The Problem

Ignore the fact that my lovely daughter is crying. Seriously, just ignore it. What I'd like to call your attention to is all the way at the back of her mouth. Rather, what's not there. Now, find a child, spouse or friend, have them open their mouth, and compare. You'll notice that Bambina is missing a section of her soft palate and her entire uvula, compared with your reference. That's what is going to be repaired, very soon in fact. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6.

Finally Got Around to It

Finally got around to posting more pictures in Bambina's gallery. Head on over and check them out. If you need the link and/or password, drop me a note at my usual email address.