It's pretty real...

Now, before I go into this, remember that I'm a gearhead from way, way back. That being said...

I thought the ultrasound machine was the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.

The room's all dark, there's LED lighting over the bank of controls and LCD screens on the walls... it was like being in a studio. Suz gets all comfy and the technician does her thing and... nothing. The big LCD screen pops up with swirls of light and dark, then big patches of dark and small patches of light and the whole time I'm thinking, "Do I need one of those LED lights for my keyboard?"

Then the tech's voice gets a little giddy note to it. She taps a few clicks here and there in the swirls of light and dark... viola! There's our kid!

All 1 cm or so of it.

Now, I know it looks like our li'l one is wearing a hoody, but that round thing you're seeing there isn't the head... it's the yolk sack. And by measuring that blob attached to the sack, the tech changed our due date out to April 15, 2010.

So, impressive machinery. Oh, and impressively small kid... at least for now.

The Doctor talked to us very seriously about different tests that would tell us everything including the planet our extraterriestial came from and which mineral would cause it to lose it's powers. Then we did the blood draws. Count 'em... FIVE vials. Somebody counted, I guess, while I contemplated a year-old copy of Contempary Home. See, I don't do blood very well. But the nurse was excited to get in on the blog action and since she was really sweet to Suzi we obliged.

Speaking of the lady, she's doing OK. Heavy emphasis on the "OK." I ask, quite frequently, and that's what I get. A shrug and an "OK." More often than not it's accompanied by a grimace. No weird food desires, but grilled chicken is totally off the menu. Guys, think about having the flu for 4 weeks straight. You're just nauseous enough to want to stay in bed, but not quite enough to take you over the top and into the toilet. And everyone keeps telling you how long they'd been sick or their sister-in-law and you think, "Uhg... that gives me no hope." And discreet plastic bags go everywhere with you and you have to be ready pull over to shoulder real quick like. Just in case.

And all the time you keep telling yourself, "This kid better change the world or at least make it through high school without getting arrested or something..."

Yes, We Can!

There's always been that nagging question... do we or don't we?  Several years ago, it was decided, after waaay too much discussion that we'd table the conversation until Suzi turned 35.  Well, this is the year we both hit the magic number and it was time... In July we decided to look for a "Go / No Go" signal for launch.  It seems we got the Go signal and in the oddest way! 

Last Friday, Suzi was scheduled to give my mom a perm and those in the industry know that pregnant women can't handle those caustic chemicals.  Suzi decided to check (just in case) and she called me in from working outside, saying, "I need to talk to you... NOW."  So, standing there in bathroom, we stared, dumbstruck, at that little "plus" sign.  After rereading the instructions three times and comparing all the possible indicators, she had to withdraw from the perm process... much to my mother's delight!

On Tuesday, the folks in lab coats made it official.  We're due April 5, 2010!

Thankful Means Full of Thanks

You can get all the details at our family blog & see photos on my FB page.

I was never so happy to see Johnathan & Jaime walking...

Just. So. Thankful.

DIY Towel Holder

So, I've always enjoyed piddling around in the shop... and I'm cheap if I think I can build it myself.

My dad needed a paper towel holder in the garage and I wasn't about to spend $25 for a "Durable" version of what I could DIY... I used a bracket from the chalk rack of an old blackboard, a piece of aluminum from an old pop-up stand and a piece of iron stock.

Try to rip THAT off the wall!

Humanity & Harvest

I got up this morning to find my mom in the garage surrounded by bags of corn she picked up at Shepherd Farms.  She & Doris had gotten up early to meet the trucks as they came out of the fields.  At $2 a dozen, it was worth it.  They got fresh peaches, tomatoes, pecans... and they were not alone.  Mom reported long lines of cars and mobbed trailers of produce.  So, the two of us sat outside in the cool morning breeze and shucked 122 ears of corn; my feet resting on the galvanized tub. 

It's amazing how human it is to MAKE food.  From the earliest days of humanity, we've been hunters & gatherers.  (Of course, today that translates into list makers & list getters.)  But there is something so absolutely primal about digging into a pile of leaves and coming out with sustenance... and it's catching on.  Over the past few weeks, I've read articles in Oprah's little journal & Newsweek about the influx of small farms.  Stories abound of new farmer meet & greets that doubled or tripled organizers' attendance expectations.  It seems that average farms run 400-500 acres.  These new little farms are 4-5 acres, are trending to younger owners and are going organic.

While in Colorado, Suzi & I used a solar panel for the first time to power the lights in our trailer.  We hauled water from a hand-pumped well.  And you know what?  We managed 2-3 gallon showers & didn't leave the lights on.  While we were traveling across Colorado and Kansas on Hwy 70, I was amazed at the huge wind farms... dozens of turbines in that "flyover" territory harnessing free electricity.  Don't get me wrong, I know they make a lot of noise and disturb bird migratory patterns and make the cattle skittish, but at least someone's trying.

Now, I've not gone moldy green, but I turn off the water when I brush my teeth and I always look for ways to keep paper & plastic out of the landfill.  If we'd all be a bit more conscious of what we're leaving or using, this little bubble we call a planet may keep us afloat just a little longer.

Mountain Livin'

We've hit the road with the boats & the T@B in tow this week to spend some time with Suzi's parents in Colorado.  Every year they head out for awhile to escape the heat of Missouri and we try to carve out some time with them.  On the way from Kansas into Colorado, we caught the tail-end of a summer storm blowing through... It's been nice here, cool and dry so far.

You can follow along with us as we hike around & hopefully hit some water!

Running it out...

Ever had a cramp in the leg and someone suggested you "walk it off?" What happens when you're on a horse and your hip cramps up? What do you do then? "Whoa, there... Let me hobble around here for a bit while the rest of the ride goes on ahead!"
The cramp worked its way out and I stayed with the ride as we trotted around the New Mexico landscape last weekend. We were up for my cousin's (Stuart) wedding in Los Alamos. Amazing country... absolutely amazing history as well. Bonnie took us to visit a family whose house is certified to be circa 1760... but they have records going back into the 1600s!
The wedding was nice, seeing family was great and the ride was, well, a harsh 30 hours roundtrip... but we did it and have pictures to prove it! Click here to goto my Facebook album to get all the views.