twins

no, our boy didnt become two, but early this morning his two cousins arrived on the scene. happy birthday to Julian and Chase Croce!!! After many hard hours of labor, they were delivered via c-section. everyone is doing great. click here for pictures, but be warned: a few of the shots are not for the squeamish.

Relaxing good times, while we can

As y'all know Bob and I have been ready for this baby to come for the last couple of weeks. I often say things like, "maybe tonight," and Bob usually responds,"maybe next week." I'm hopeful, he's a little more realistic. But we've been having some good down time together over the last week which I'm so thankful for.

This past Thursday night we went out to dinner at the Chop House, thanks to Bob's mom, and it was so yummy. Then Friday we went to see The Bourne Supremcay. We both liked it, but weren't necessarily wowed by it. Saturday we went swimming, which is such a wonderful thing this late in pregnancy. When I got out of the pool I realized how huge I really am as the weight dropped on me like a bomb. We had some fun talks, dreaming about what our family will be like and what we'll be like as parents.

I've also been taking lots of walks to keep things moving in the right direction. Bob has been able to join me some mornings and a couple of evenings. One evening this past week I ran into an old Hispanic friend from my Esperanza days and was thrown back into speaking Spanish. That was fun, except when he asked if I was carrying twins! I don't think I look THAT huge.

We've also gotten to cook some together. Well its been more like I get this crazy idea of what I want to eat in my head and can't be satisfied until I'm eating it. For example, we were returning from Linda's Fruit Stand on Saturday and I saw a sign that said "Car Wash and Fish Fry." Instantly I had to go home and have a fish fry of our own. Now we never eat fried food, and I don't believe I've ever made fried fish, but it was so yummy. Then Sunday I had it in my head I wanted biscuits and gravy, you know the white sausage gravy, very southern. And I plunged in again cooking something I never thought I would in my life. Bob said it will be my fault if we raise a southern boy because of all this southern food.

Anyway, this brings me to last night. We decided to go see The Terminal out at Northgate, the 5:45 show. When we got there we found out we had the wrong times and that the next show wasn't till 7. Well my imediate response was to pout because my plans for our nice night had gotten changed. So I was all frustrated, because when I make plans, I like them to go through, not too much of a control freak am I? Well it turned out for the best, as God's timing always does. We ended up driving to Chester Frost Park to just chill for a little while by the water. I really don't think there is a more beautiful place to relax in Chattanooga than out at Chester Frost. The breeze was going and Bob got the blanket and pillows out of the car so I could lay down to rest a little bit while he went off to skip some stones in the water. It was more than pleasant and just the kind of breath of fresh air I think we both needed. So after 45 minutes or so we made our way back to the theater to see the movie. It wasn't as good as I was expecting, because I usually love Tom Hanks, just average. But we had a wonderful evening and had to recognize that if the baby had come early this week like we hoped, we never would have gotten the chance to relax by the water.

So we are so thankful for the wonderful times we've had together over this past week. It really reminds me of when we were first married and spent so much time together just by ourselves. I know this time is a gift. God knows when our little boy will come (I still hope for sooner than later!) but until he does, we hope to have some more good times together.

ok

I use "ok" a LOT on AIM, and I suddenly realized I have no idea where the phrase comes from. I'm delighted with what I found on dictionary.com:

OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: “frightful letters... significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, ‘all correct’.... Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions... to make all things O.K.”

gospel of john

we just watched the dvd of the 2003 movie The Gospel of John. I haven't yet seen The Passion, so I cant make the obvious comparisons, but having the entire gospel read and acted out was very good. the entire Gospel, word-for-word, is narrated and/or acted straight through. there is zero dialogue besides what's in the Good News translation (my biggest complaint is the use of this translation, but oh well).

I wont go into the difficulties and quirks of adapting the gospel to film...for that you can check out this review. but the Word of God is indeed powerful. having taken an entire class on the Gospel of John back in college, it was very good to see and hear it with new eyes.

no comment

for some reason the blog wont allow comments now. I guess it's tired of conversation. it's trying to blame me, but I didnt do a thing. JQ???

humble baseball greatness

these days I'm somewhat of a closet baseball fan. I grew up liking the yankees (back when they werent so good) since all my family lives just across the river, but I have since outgrown that affliction. the marlins came into being while I was in highschool in south florida, so I was into them until I came to college, where I promptly stopped caring about sports. a byproduct of no TV, I suppose.

but we've had a TV for a while now, and I discovered mlb.com too (the gamecasts are one of the coolest internet inventions in a long time). plus some of the guys at work are passionate about either the cubs or the cards. and then my old team started grabbing headlines, and I was hooked (groan) once more. and go figure, they won the series! michelle's even got nicknames for some of the fish now. crazy.

but something in me thinks I shouldnt care about baseball. it's just a game. and it's played by overlarge millionare children that I would otherwise care nothing about. plus there are so many other worthy pursuits. yet I can get into the games. rooting for my guys. and the pace and culture is quite relaxing, with thrilling punctuating moments (much like my own life I suppose). any other good reasons that I shouldnt feel guilty about watching baseball?

all that to lead into a refreshingly humble and Christ-centered speech by Paul Molitor, the newest member of baseball's hall of fame.

so anyway, go marlins, and go lookouts.

(un)answered prayer

I actually hate the phrase "unanswered prayer" because I'm sure that all prayers are answered. it's just some of the answers are "no" or at least "not yet." and we got a "no" recently, because I prayed that the baby would come early last week, and of course he didnt. but, as usual, the "no" was better than a yes, since we were able to have quite a good week spending some quality time together. and the house is a little cleaner, and michelle made some pillows too. now I'm praying for this week, but wondering if I should? we'll see.

here's a quick little video of the baby's room (4mb). it's pretty much just a test for little videos when the baby comes and I think it turned out ok. pay no attention to my cutesy baby voice.

patience

we need more of it. we're pretty much tired of waiting around for the baby, but the due date is yet 2 weeks away. the baby's room is all ready. the bills have been paid. the dog has been groomed. many "how to be the perfect parent" books have been read. or at least skimmed. I've been putting off cleaning up the house, but I guess I'll do that tomorrow.

we're trying to distract ourselves with other stuff -- a dinner out last night and a movie tonight (bourne supremacy). aside: the movie was pretty good, but I think I've been spoiled by alias as far as cool spy stuff goes. but worth seeing especially if you liked the first one.

so we wait. we're a little tired of wondering how everything will go. but now I wonder if I'll look back in a month and long for these last days of just us. without a doubt, the last 5 years have been the best of my life. we've learned so much and had lots of fun too. I wonder if the next years will be even better?

hole in my head

I went to the doctor today to inquire about the strange bald spot on my head. to prove once again how small this town is, I knew the doctor from my days at greyfriar's. vaguely recognizing his name, I picked him out of the insurance company's list because he was the closest to downtown. when I heard his voice from the other side of the door, I knew it was the slightly odd guy that always came in with his wife and friend, always got the same bagel made the same way, and the same pot of tea. and if you're reading this Erik and/or Gypsy, he asked about you, and I gave him a good report.

anyway, my spot is no big deal. apparently an obscure condition that only rears its head during times of stress. and since the hair is growing back, we'll see if it clears up on its own. I'm just thankful I've got the small-spot version, since it apparently can kill all of your hair in certain cases. if I want, I can opt to have some local shots to kill what's killing the hair, but we'll see. it may be related to a bad thyroid, and I've got family history of that, so I'll have a blood test done to check it out.

I'm very thankful it's nothing serious, and I dont mind too much looking a little stranger than usual. hopefully it'll clear up, but until then, down with vanity.

pests

seems like if it's not one thing...

the rats have been long gone, so we're thankful for that. but the latest mini-plague is the wasps. since our porch ceiling isnt finished, it's an ideal spot for wasps to build their nests, and I havent been paying enough attention to their doings. so we had, count 'em: five (5) wasp nests on our porch, one pretty tiny, one the size of a grapefruit.

until yesterday they left us alone, and we all led a peaceful, ignorant coexsistance. but something about how michelle closed the door yesterday set them astir. before she knew what was happening, she felt a seering pain in her ankle and looked up to see a dozen angry wasps. she tried to evade them, but being 9 months pregnant, she's not too quick on her feat. thankfully they let her go with only one sting.

but she was sent into hysterics. fortunately she got ahold of her mom on the phone, who talked her down very nicely. it didnt really start hurting til evening when her foot started to swell, but she has some usual pregnancy swelling anyway. some benadryl helped her sleep and take down the swelling, so all seems to be well now.

except for the wasps. I sprayed and knocked down all five nests. there's wasp carnage all over the porch now. pests be warned.

paradise

this is my home away from home. my dad took this photo of the family cottage in vermont. while this is a beautiful view, behind us lies the beauty of Lake Bomoseen.

a little history (as far as I remember the stories): when my dad was young, his family began vacationing in Vermont. after renting for a while, they had the opportunity to buy the red cottage at the end of the line, about 100 yards or so from the lake. it's been in the family ever since. when my uncles were all grown up, they bought their own cottages on the line. now we have 4 generations making memories at the lake, and there are far too many stories to go into now. it truly is our home away from home, and my parents hope to retire there in due time.

we missed the family gathering this year, but we're very excited to take our boy next year.

for lynn

and our moms: lots of pregnancy pictures

in other news, I learned a good lesson today. if you happen to cut open a jalepeno pepper (from the garden of course), and your fingers happen to stray in the vicinity of the inside of your nostril soon thereafter, you're in for a world of hurt, as well as much laughter at you as you ice it down for the next hour. but it feels better eventually.

finally, michelle just finished the curtains for the baby's room and they are indeed awesome. she did these from scratch in less than a week, and it was otherwise just about the busiest week we've had in 9 months. she's amazing.

choices

dear son,

sorry it's been a while since I've written TO you, but I've certainly done little else but think and write about you. I figured you may want to be clued in on some choices we've made that pretty much directly affect you. of course God in His sovereignty has led us to these choices, and we're always trying to follow his lead. so here goes, in no particular order:

we live in what I'd call a lower-middle class neighborhood. grandma thinks it's unsafe, and I'm sure she wishes we were in a more suburban setting. but we love being close to our friends and church, and I dont think we can afford suburbia anyway. sure there's drug dealers down the road, but God takes care of us. we're actually surrounded by Christian families, some of which we know quite well. sometimes I wish it was quieter and safer, but we're glad to live here.

your mom works "in the home" as they say. I'm so glad that she doesn't have to worry about working elsewhere. at first it was hard for her, but now she loves taking care of us, and she does it quite well. I'm so glad that my job is able to take care of our needs, but some months it's literally a miracle that we come out with a positive balance. God takes care of us.

I love my job, but I'm definitely not a ladder-climber. it's much more important to me to have a workplace that values family time. since I think work is the means to taking care of the family (as opposed to making money), I dont ever see us being rich and comfortable, but I think that's for the best (of course in the big picture, we ARE rich and comfortable, but hopefully you know what I mean). we dont have fancy stuff, but we definitely have everything we need, and a lot of the things we want as well, so there's no room for complaints.

oh yeah, we have lots of college debt, because we chose to go to Christian colleges, but we dont regret it at all. well maybe sometimes, but we sure learned lots of good stuff in college that made us who we are now. maybe we'll be able to save to help you pay for college. maybe not. maybe your grandparents will help...

back to your mom: I'm so glad that she can stay home with you and whatever siblings you may have (hopefully at least a couple). it's really important to us to raise you up well, and we know that the best person God has for that job is us (as crazy as that may sound!). we have lots of ideas about how that might work, but only God knows what's ahead. we just pray that He'll show us the way.

this is somewhat random: we have a deep mistrust of TV. books are much much better. I was raised with lots of TV, and I think I missed out on a lot. lots of kids watch lots of TV, but hopefully you wont. it's just better that way.

your mom and I love eachother very much. sometimes it's hard, but we choose to love because Jesus loves us. it's an amazing mystery really. we'll see how it all works out when you're in the picture. that's the cool thing about love: adding someone doesnt divide it, but rather it multiplies! we love you so much already -- wait until you're in our arms.

finally and most importantly, we choose to trust Jesus with all our lives, and we can only do this because He sent His Spirit to us first. over and over He has proven Himself faithful. if you ever doubt, just remember that your very life is an answer to prayer. remember how, just before you came along, God healed your mom's body from terrible sickness. remember how He knit you in her tummy and kept you safe. remember that, despite our constant failings, God still loves us and even died for us.

my son, our covenant child, for your entire life, however long or short it may be, I want you to learn one thing: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

see you soon.
love,
daddy

soon?

more good news: michelle's strep-b test came back negative, so no need for extra antibiotics and no need for and extra day at the hospital for the baby. we're so thankful for another good report.

I wont go into the gory details, but the doctor says michelle could go into labor in a week or two. let's just say that her body is getting ready, and there was a bit of progress this week. of course we've heard stories of folks showing the signs of being ready but still waiting around a month, so who knows?

michelle wants to finish the curtains, and she's about halfway there. they're looking great too. so now it's a race to see who goes first: em and steve with the twins, or us with the singular? hopefully soon we'll know.

turn it off

yet more evidence for the case against TV: the more you watch as a kid, the worse off you'll be as an adult. so turn it off.

busy

these last two weeks have been very busy with baby madness. let's see if I can remember what we've done: breastfeeding class (which was very good), tour of east ridge hospital (our backup place for delivery in case women's east is full), baby shower (for girls only, and apparently it rocked), the final bradley class (which was great for all 12 weeks), infant CPR class (hopefully we'll never need to use it), weekly checkups for michelle (she's doing great still), and this morning we met with our potential pediatrician. she's really friendly, laid back about most things, and took lots of time to answer our questions.

amidst all this I've squeezed in time for a nice little side-job to help pay for diapers and whatnot. with the help of some of the tools here at work, I've redesigned the RMNi site, which I think is a bit of an improvement on the old one.

and Michelle's done all the cool stuff for the baby's room. now she's working on our curtains, which should be the last major piece of the puzzle.

the last big thing is the baby shower at church this weekend (my-oh-my have our friends and families hooked us up with tons of cool baby stuff!!). then the only thing left is weekly checkups until the baby is here. I just cant wait to hold him in my arms.

progress

the quilt is finally done! although I helped a bit, the credit goes to michelle for making such a beautiful quilt for our kid(s). we stalled there for a while, but with the baby (hopefully) less than a month away, michelle kicked it into gear. she also made time to do the crib bumpers too, which turned out great. now she turns her attention to some drapes for the windows. I imagine they'll be done rather quickly, but we'll see.

in garden news, I'm a slacker. or at least I have an aversion to heat and bugs. I havent sprayed bugs in a long while but at least the rain has kept things watered. but even still, the tomatos are doing pretty well, and we've got a few cantalopes on the way, and the cukes are yummy but not abundant. the jalepenos are not very hot, but that's ok. the peppers are sub-par, and the squash and zukes are a complete failure, thanks to the vine-borer bug. the sad part is that michelle's pregnancy-induced heartburn prevents her from eating the tomatos. hopefully she'll be able to enjoy them after the baby comes.

guess the name

Let's see who can best guess the vital stats of our boy! His due date is August 7. We'll announce the winners after baby arrives. Maybe we'll think of some kinda prize, like the right to change his diaper or something...

Baby's name:
Birthday and time:
Weight:
Length:
Eye color:
Hair color (or none?):
Looks like:
Your name:
Your email (if you want updates):
Comments/Advice:

the drop

with exactly one month til the due date, our boy has "dropped." a couple days ago he was riding pretty high, squishing michelle's lungs and stomach especially. now he's settled in pretty low, and michelle has traded more lung and stomach space for less bladder space. the joys of the last month.

the drop has given us a new sense of urgency. according to the books, the "engagement of the head" as it's called happens 2-4 weeks before delivery, which is about right. michelle especially likes to plan ahead, so we'll soon be packing the stuff we can pack beforehand for our hospital stay (which hopefully wont be all that long). she's already made a freezer full of meals and bread and whatnot, and we're making arrangements for friends to look in on the dog. poor katie...her world is going to be turned upside down. good thing she likes kids.

(disclaimer: this is NOT our son) some of our friends from our bradley childbirth class just had their boy, and since we were at women's east anyway, we stopped in. as I held him I could hardly believe that will be us in two weeks. or 4. or 6.

I'm a little nervous about how labor will go, but I know it's all in God's hands. I'm very excited to take our son home and be a little family, home together for a week or so. for many years (about 10 or so) I've dreamed about having a family with kids, and now it's happening!!!

so we're praying as we take the final turn of this slow race. michelle is definitely slowing down, but her spirits are high. we're amazed that at every step we've been blessed with good reports, and we know that God will contiune to be with us. please keep praying!

tired of CNN.com

(warning: this is a bit of a rant. I try to keep these to a minimum, but sometimes it's gotta be done.)

I'm so very sick-and-tired of the Communist News Network trying to normalize perversity. for a while there it seemed like every other day in their "entertainment" section there was a headline involving something about porn and/or homosexuality. so I sent in a complaint to stop the madness. and they actually did for a while. probably a coincidence.

today there's a headline about certain employees of a certain home-improvement store appearing in a certain naughty magazine. LIKE I SHOULD CARE!!! why oh why do they do this every time?!

so I'm done with the commies. I guess I'll try npr.org for my daily news bites. sure they're as left-leaning as the rest of them, but I dont think I'll be inundated with this kinda crapola.

home

I long for vermont. I have a need to be under the birch trees, looking at nothing in particular on the lake, with at least one person that I love, if not a half-dozen or so. when the wind blows the big black ants fall from the trees on us and tickle our legs. perhaps they drown in our cocktails. a very good way to go.

in the evening I need to be at least knee-deep in the lake, casting my trusty muddler minnow to the young bass in the shallows. all the cottages have a perfect view of me there, but really they dont see me: I'm part of the scenery now.

as the sun sets over the mountain, maybe we'll go out on the end of the dock and watch the bats come out for their evening meal. or wander up the hill to one of the cottages to take part in a lot of laughter and some quality beverages. or cruise the lake a little. it doesnt really matter, as long as we're together.

in the morning it will be about 50 degrees. the field will be wet with dew as the goldfinch undulate across. and we'll start all over.

next year. and even better, we'll relive it through new eyes.

media

I'm not in the habit of recommending books and cds and whatnot in this space, but I've found a couple gems recently.

the first is a CD by Indelible Grace called "For All the Saints." I havent enjoyed an album this much in a long time, and it's something better than enjoyment. Indelible Grace is more of a collection of artists than an actual band. their mission is to set old (old) hymns to new music, which has a long tradition in the church. this is their 3rd album and by far my favorite. it's mostly folky, with a little blues and some pop/rock influence. overall it's very nice, although my first listen was tough b/c I'm attached to some of the old tunes. but taken on their own, I think the new tunes are very nice, and have given new life to some of the old hymns. hopefully we can do some stuff like this at church sometime.

I just finished reading "Shepherding a Childs Heart" by Tedd Tripp, and it is awesome. of course I'm not yet a parent, but still I would think this is a MUST READ for any Christian parent. it simply blows Dobson away. I really think this book would be worth reading at least a couple times a year as we grow as parents. one of his main principles is that you want to look after your childs heart -- how he is oriented toward God -- not just correct behavior. it's very humbling and at the same time encouraging.

he unpacks what the scriptures have to say about parenting, and unflinchingly sets a biblical and impossibly high standard. and I love it, because I know I cant do this without Jesus. He will make this impossible task possible.

misc

it's been a good holiday weekend. some relatively random thoughts:

we had fun at the "pops in the park" but were surprised how short the fireworks show was. it was about 7 minutes. although it was pretty much non-stop during those minutes, it ended quite abruptly. it was good to hang out with the stavens there, who are finally back in town.

we can't help but throw a little party now and then. on Sunday we had many of the usual folks over, including the stavens, who hopefully will become part of the usuals. I made salsa from garden tomatos and jalepenos, and it was mmm-mmm good. so was michelle's spinach dip, and sarah's blackberry pie. we also played cranium, danced with sparklers, and watched a very nice fireworks show from our street. we're not sure if it was it Rock City or perhaps fairyland, but it was a better show than at the park.

we found our Settlers pieces!!! they were hiding behind some books on our shelf. our theory is that back during Cabin Matey Thanksgiving, the girls were sick of the boys playing the game all the time, so they hid the pieces and didnt bother to tell us. at least I found them before I ordered new ones.

soon we'll go to our last Bradley childbirth class. we've enjoyed getting to know some of our classmates, and hopefully we can keep in touch with a little listserv I've set up for us. we've learned a ton, but only God knows how it will all work out. we'll see in about a month!!

simple

my favorite simple pleasure these days starts with stepping out my back door in the morning. of course the ground has been almost always wet for the past couple weeks, and usually the air too. I go out to survey the garden, which has been loving the rain, but not loving the lack of sun. most of our tomato plants are doing ok, but there isn't all that much fruit. the exception to this is our cherry tomato plant, which is about 9 feet tall right now. and the tomatos have been ripening at a rate of about 2 a day. and therein lies the simplest of pleasures each morning: I pluck and eat a freshly ripe cherry tomato. no bothering with washing. no nothing. just pure yummy goodness.