Toast and Jam

I've failed to report on the wonders of my new email device for work. As you may recall, I began with a PocketPC, citing its limitless options, powerful mini-OS, and touch screen. Then, my emails weren't coming through well enough, and it just didn't get things done.

So I switched to a Blackberry. Thankfully, due to wonderful GSA contracts, it only cost the taxpayers $20. Why the Blackberry is superior (in my current situation):

1) Instant e-mail. Sometimes before it shows up on my computer. Opens up instant communication, which has been especially helpful recently as I've been stuck in meetings almost the entire week.

2) Instant calendar sync. No explanation needed.

3) Instant memo sync. Instead of taking paper with me everywhere, I simply open up my Memo pad on my BB and type out what I need to do. It automatically puts a "task" in my mailbox on my computer. That way, I don't forget to look at my memos, and I get done what I said I'd do.

4) Verizon Wireless. I just like it better than Cingular. Personal preference.

5) My biggest fear was the lack of touch-screen and the track wheel thingy. In fact, the track wheel has become my favoritist friend. No more two-handed operation needed to hit a button on the screen. Just scroll and click. [Makes it more tempting to use while driving, which could be considered a negative....]

6) It's fast. My PPC seemed to get slow. Maybe too much open, too many bells and whistles. The BB just zips along. Ahhhhh....

Also thankful for...

1) Children's consignment shops where you can buy nearly new toys very inexpensively... Mia loves to jump!


2) Gifted knitters, who share their handiwork with us...see Amelia's adorable little sweater and matching booties. (Many thanks to Bethy who made and gave it! =) )


and lastly, on a different, more seasonal note...

3) the Internet, which makes Christmas shopping possible after 11 p.m.

~posted by ang

Thankful

We are very thankful for many things:

1) Our families, although we didn't have the opportunity to visit them over this Thanksgiving.

2) Our health, for Angela recovering well from surgery and a beautiful little girl.

3) Our peace, from our Savior Jesus Christ.

4) and Our Food. =) More specifcally, I'm grateful for my wonderful wife who cooked an amazing Thanksgiving lunch. Although only two of us, we had a full spread. And our little girl, who had a rough day on Thursday, sat quietly in her swing for our entire lunch.

Unsinkable

So we watched Titanic last night. The cleaned-up TV version. I think this is the second time we've caught it on TV, and it's not a bad flick (again, if you see the cleaned-up TV version).

Both times, once the movie is near the end, I hear a little sniffle from next to me, and I see this look in Ang's eyes. "Baaaabe," it slowly comes out, with that "I don't ever want to lose you" pouty face. And then the two most important words of our relationship.

"No boats."

That's right - "No boats."

Remind me not to watch Jaws, Air Force One, or Panic Room with Ang. Else, it might be: "No beach;" "No planes;" and "No house."

Our Brave Little Girl

Lately, Ang and I have been praising lil' Mia for being brave. Much of this began with our trip to LA, considering all the many strange places she had to sleep and how well she handled the trip. It may seem strange to tell a not-quite-6-month-old that she is brave, seeing as how she wouldn't understand any of it. I think it's quite fun, and if nothing else, she feels reinforcement just by our smiles and attitudes.

This is all a background to tell you of how incredibly brave our little one truly is. After about a week of Mia being really fussy and appearing to have some intermittent pain, Angela took Mia to the doctor last week. They found that Mia had lost about 10 ounces, and the doctor attributed the problem to reflux. So, for the last week, Mia has been taking baby Zantac.

Ang and Mia went back to the doctor today, and things haven't gotten much better. She lost a few more ounces, and has still been very fussy while eating. All in all, the doctor suspects that Mia may have celiac disease, which is even more plausible considering that Ang's mom has celiac.

Due to this suspicion, and also to get more general info, the doctor ordered Mia to have blood work done. Not just one or two - but 7 tests! I.e.- lots of blood. Well, Mia is right at the age where she can have her blood drawn from her arm, instead of her heel, and it would be difficult to get this much blood from the heel.

Thankfully, I wasn't present for this appointment, as even the nurse sniffled and had watery eyes because she had to poke such a little patient. Ang was strong (at least while in the office) and sang and comforted Mia so that she took it like a champ.

We adults cringe at the thought of being stuck with needles, but it takes a very brave little girl to have her blood drawn.

Baby sleep habits

1) When adults are sleepy, they go to sleep. When babies are sleepy, they (often) don't want to go to sleep.

2) The less sleep adults get, the more they are able to sleep that night or the next night. The less sleep babies get during the day, the less likely they are to sleep well at night. In other words, long, hard naps are critical for sleeping well at night.

3) Adults don't like to be bothered while they sleep. Neither do babies. =)

She did it!

****Breaking news****Amelia rolled over from her back to her stomach for the first time ever today. After napping well for about an hour she began making some noise and then crying. When I went upstairs to check on her, I found her lying on her stomach, NOT the way I had left her when I put her down for her nap (she usually begins her nap on her side and ends up on her back). I think she was a little startled but soon calmed down and drifted happily off to sleep after being re-placed onto her back. :-)

Another milestone passed and one step closer to independence...scary thought...!

~posted by Ang

The Story of San Diego (and beyond!)

Continuing on our "The Story of ..." series, our next stop is San Diego - the wonderful, perfectly climated, almost in Mexico, paradise of Southern Cal. We only had about 36 hours in San Diego, but needless to say, I now know why Mike wants to retire there (and he's only 25).

After checking into our hotel on Sunday afternoon, we headed down to the Zoo, which is a must if you're in San Diego. More than just animals, it's like an oasis in the middle of mostly brown flora. The trees are massive, cool breezes flow through the hills, and they do have an incredible assortment of animals. We spent about 2 1/2 hours in the zoo.

Next, we headed up to Mission Beach, recommended to us by a local. It was just getting to be time for sunset when we found a place to park and hit the beach. The water was cold (as I had heard about the Pacific). Not knowing the area well, we ate a Tony Roma's and then headed back to Rancho Barnardo to our hotel.

The next morning we traversed back down to La Jolla, a wonderful little town on the cliffs above the Pacific. We found it on a perfect day and spent a few hours near the water and strolling through the town. From there, we headed up the coastal highway through Solana Beach, Encinitas, and up to Carlsbad, where we had our first ever tasting of "In-N-Out Burger," famed to be the best burgers in the world by our California friends (it was mighty good).

Next, we headed up the 5 to Highway 1, which then takes you through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and up to Long Beach. Ang, Mia, and I jumped inland from Newport Beach straight up to Anaheim to our hotel, while Mike and Sarah enjoyed their convertible for a few more hours by heading all the way up to Long Beach.

So, that's the story of the end of our California travels. Now, here are some pics to prove it!

Big elephant!

Mia says: "That's an elephant."

Rhinos are indestructible.

Even big pandas get thirsty.

Sarah and Ang show their love for pandas.


The La Jolla Cove

"Don't push us in!"

The girls would call for waves to crash on the rocks...

...and then run away when they hit!

But we managed to get one good picture with a crashing wave.

And in case you didn't know, Disneyland is in California. =)

Election rundown

So how did we fare in Tuesday's election?

Losses:

1) Rick Santorum. As you may know I'm a huge fan of Senator Santorum. Part of it is personal, but an even greater reason is because of who he is in the Senate. In an age when no one seems to stand for anything, Sen. Santorum is a truly principled man. He believes in something and doesn't care if it isn't popular. He has sought to help the helpless and protect the innocent. The Senate has lost a real leader and a great man.

2) The Senate as a whole. Thanks to George Allen's incomprehensible gaffes, such as his inability to keep his mouth shut, the Repubs have lost control of the Senate.

3) The House. Nancy Pelosi will be speaker of the House. Need I say more?

Wins:

1) Frank Wolf. Congressman Wolf is a real statesman and represents the VA 10th District wholeheartedly. It's good to have him back.

2) Virginia marriage amendment. Passed overwhelmingly. Conservative values still prevail in VA.

3) ROAD BONDS!!! Loudoun voters have recognized that the state and development community won't and can't solve all of our transportation problems. Now the County will be using local funding to build roads. It's time to get some pavement on the ground.

The Story of Flying

Most people's first question when we tell them we took a trip to LA is: "How did Amelia do flying?" Thankfully, we had flown twice with her before, so we knew that she would handle it pretty well.

Going out, we seemed to time things perfectly. Amelia ate in the airport about 45 minutes before we took off. Then, right was we were about to take off, she got sleepy and fell asleep through takeoff.

[Side note: Have you ever flown in a 777?? I was blown away by the power in the engines. We were stuffed (no empty seats), and the thrust in the engines was phenomenal.]

Amelia managed to sleep about an hour and a half, then she ate, played, and was ready to sleep again. This time, she slept about 2 hours, most of the time laying on my lap (which was much easier than holding her that long).

She didn't wake up until we landed, so it was perfect timing.

Coming home? Well, same scenario, where she ate about 45 minutes prior to take off. But for some reason, she couldn't settle down, and she ended up screaming for about 30 minutes straight. I then spent the next hour or so holding her, bouncing her, etc etc. She finally slept for a bit, woke up, and was fussy again. Nonetheless, we could definitely tell: 1) she was tired of being on the road and out of her routine, and ready to be home; and 2) her teeth/gums are really bothering her. I think it was a combination of the two.

So she was great going, a little difficult coming home, but all in all- she's a great traveler.

The Little Princess

No, not Shirley Temple...much much cuter!! We've gotten rather behind on posting pictures, so now's the time to catch up! Here are some random pictures from the various occasions of the last few weeks...

Pretty in purple =) Thank you, "Aunt Sarah," for my adorable purple dress and booties! (Thank you, Sarah's mom, for making it!!)

Perfect Saturday afternooon for a stroll with Daddy (btw...we love this hat, Kerri!)



Heading outside for another walk with Daddy - the weather on this day was chilly and very windy, so we outdid ourselves on the layers, even putting socks on her hands!

Getting bundled up for a beautiful fall outing

And we're ready to go!!

After her first cereal feeding...I forgot to take the picture before I washed her face, but you get the idea from the messy bib! It actually looked like the bib ate more cereal than Mia did! But we're learning...=)

Picture's a little fuzzy, but this gave the best showing of what a good time she was having. We love the Bumbo seat!

Hmmm..what finger to teethe on next...



The one drawback to playing in the Bumbo seat is that Amelia can't quite reach her toys if they are on the floor. To remedy the situation, I turned her toy basket upside down and put a few toys within her reach on the basket. Looks pretty funny but it did the trick!

This is a fairly typical scene these days - Dido likes to find a comfy spot near Amelia during tummy time, and Amelia keeps the cat (and herself) entertained!


More to follow...

~posted by Ang

Amelia & Dido...Da-Da-DAAA

In a break from recent events, I have a story to tell from a few weeks ago, when Amelia and Dido (our esteemed Jekyll and Hyde cat) came to, as Danny so eloquently put it, a perilous juncture.

Amelia was playing happily in her Exersaucer, while I was sitting in the recliner taking care of some motherly business. (I'll spare the blogging world the details on that one!) Dido was making her way toward me but paused by the Exersaucer to rub her face against it and sniff the toys, as she often likes to do, partly out of genuine kitty-like interest and partly to get her share of my attention.

Because Dido is infamous for being sweet and innocent one minute, in attack mode the next (hence the "Jekyll and Hyde" reference above), I watched her carefully but was fairly confident based on previous experiences that she was only trying to get my attention and not headed for 'Mia's feet (or any other appendages, for that matter!). So in my efforts to make sure Dido didn't attack Amelia, I was momentarily oblivious to the curious little eyes and hands that were mesmerized by this very soft and pretty kitty.

Then all of a sudden, with a swiftness I could not have predicted, Amelia's little hand grabbed Dido's tail! Now it may seem that the clutch of a four month old (four months at that time) would be weak and of little effect. Oh no, my friend. There's something to be said for the power and strength in the uncoordinated yet fully capable grasp of an infant. (If you've ever had a baby pinch you, you know what I'm talking about - it HURTS!) I sat there, in shock, and saw Amelia's life flash before my eyes, thinking, "Oh dear, she's got the cat's tail and the cat is going to flip out and bite her head off!" and offering up a quick prayer, "Oh, Lord, help me save my child!"

This was one of those rare moments when it felt like the real-time events unfolding before my eyes were moving in slow motion yet I had only seconds to make matters right before someone, or something, got hurt. And unfortunately, that motherly task I was involved in at the time was binding me in a way from which I couldn't easily free myself. Nevertheless, I was desperately trying to reach out and get a magazine, a book, ANYTHING in between the cat's jaws and my baby girl! All the while, saying "Amelia, let go of kitty's tail..." (which of course was useless).

Dido responded somewhat anticlimactically (thank goodness!), merely turning her head around and letting out a pitiful little meow, after which Amelia released her grasp. Almost panicking at this point, I was able to thrust a papered Dry-Cleaner's hanger(odd but the only item within my reach) in between Dido and Amelia, just in case Dido should decide to make a sudden revenge lunge at Amelia (which she didn't).

In the end, all was well. And as I sat there breathing a sigh of blessed relief, Amelia, darling little girl, looked up at me with her sweet beautiful eyes, and I saw the evidence of her bold and daring move: a fist full of cat fur.

~posted by Ang

The Story of the 710

["The Story of the 710" is the first in a series of posts from our West Coast trip. I will publish them as stories come to mind. And as I have time.]

I'll let you be the judge of whether our story can match the recent crime fighting episode of mon frere. But our stories start out eerily similar. In two simple words: We're okay.

It all started with a rental at Dollar Rent-A-Car at LAX. We decided on a Chrysler Pacifica, a crossover SUV that would have enough room for all of our luggage, stroller, and carseat. It was very nice indeed (and only a bit more than a midsize car).

I started to get concerned when I tried to accelerate on the freeway, and I began to hear a clicking sound. It went away when I let off the gas. I then did the frenzied mental checklist of: transmission? - maybe; throttle? - maybe; engine? - don't think so; transmission? - I really think so. I almost pulled off the freeway, but decided to keep going a bit, as I was at my exit off the 105 to the 710 (FYI, for all you non-LA'ers out there - every freeway is called "the __" - such as "the 5" or "the 405," etc.).

Going around 50mph, I then hit the gas to bring my speed back up. Nothing. Just clicking. At this point, I hit the brakes, and the only place for me to stop, is between the split of NB and SB 710. You got it. NB traffic on my left, SB traffic on my right, and lil' ol' Dan sitting right in the middle (in the emergency lane, mind you). I pop out of the car and notice smoke. I realize I'm toast. And only 10 minutes out of the parking lot.

Thankfully, first instinct was to call 911. I did. No answer. Call back. No answer. Realize I'm not supposed to call 911 about disabled vehicles, but I did anyway. Held on- and got a person. Told them my dilemma, stressed the fact that I was in the middle of the freeway and from out of town. And she sent some CHiPs my way.

In the mean time, I call the rental company, and a very nice man said he'd send a tow truck to bring me a new car. That's nice. His first suggestion was to just drive the car to my destination (about 10 minutes off), which I was more than happy to do if I would not be held liable for any damage to the car. Being so assured, I went to crank 'er up. Nothin'. Settles that question.

Ang, mind you, is understandably shaken up. Cars are whizzing by on either side going 50-70mph. And I'm not so sure if it was the possibility of getting hit or the possibility of someone actually stopping (and the unknown) that worried her more. Either way, we prayed lots both vocally and internally.

Probably 20 minutes later, the Highway Patrol finally show up. They first ask if I have AAA, which I do, and said they'd call AAA, as they'd be faster than the rental company. Fine by me.

Then, dude comes back and says, "I want to get you somewhere safe. Let me put my push bumper on and I'm gonna push you to the next exit."

So while Chris got to sit in a squad car, I got to be pushed by one. He pushed me up the exit ramp, onto the 710, to the next exit, down a hill, and into an abandoned parking lot. While he had been pushing me, the rental company came back on the phone and said the tow truck would only be about an hour. So I told the policeman to cancel the AAA call, and then he said he had to go.

Yes, I was safe from traffic, but now I'm wondering where in the middle of LA had he left me?? I even asked if it was a safe part of town, to which he only casually mentioned that they don't get many calls from that area. That's comforting.

What was even more intriguing was that there was a Shell station across the street. "You and your wife and baby can go wait in there, if you'd like," was his suggestion. Now the mental dilemma: where do more crimes occur? Parking lots, or gas stations where there is lots of money to be found? We decided to stick in the car (and we sort of blended in. Sort of.)

Thankfully, our great friends M&S were about 30 minutes behind us, and they came and waited with us until the tow truck showed up. Switcheroo with the cars, and we were off to the hotel. Safe and sound. Oh, and when I asked the tow truck driver if it was an ok part of town, he didn't share the confidence of the police. Good thing I didn't know that first...

Personally, I was definitely more worried being on the freeway and afraid someone would stop by and shoot/mug us, compared to sitting in a dark car in a semi-dark parking lot, where at least some people were milling around at the gas station across the way.

All in all, I managed to get a free day's rental out of it. I could have (should have?) demanded more, but I wasn't up to it. So that's the story of the 710. I'll never think of that highway, nor of our first night in LA, the same.

What is this 'Where Have You Been' ?

You've likely noticed a lack of updates over the last week.
Thankfully, I have a good excuse.

Our good friends Tim and Rebekah got married in Riverside, CA last
weekend, and we spent a week in LA, Corona, and San Diego.

I'm in a conference currently, but you will get some great stories coming soon.

Here's a teaser- Think: East Coast family stuck in middle of freeway
in LA @ 10:30pm with a broken-down rental car.