Sweet Child of Mine

Vacation to the wedding

2010-06-29T16:28:00.012-05:00

Oscar had a fun vacation en route to and including his cousin Brittany's wedding. Our first stop was the Milwaukee county zoo. It was very nice with some animals we had only seen pictures of previously.
Another two hour drive took us to a camping spot just off the beach at Illinois Beach State Park. We live near a lake and beach, but this one is much bigger!

In response to the rain, we headed to the Kohl Children's Museum. It is geared for kids under the age of eight.

Oscar attended most of the wedding activities including the rehearsal dinner, most of the wedding, and the early part of the reception dinner. For his parents to let loose a little at the reception, Oscar had a baby sitter at our hotel. We introduced him to her at the reception then headed over to our hotel together. After we left, Oscar cried for five minutes. He then went into the bedroom. When the sitter tried to check on him he tried crawling under the bed. She chose to let him mellow out. He chose to fall asleep at a very early hour on the floor. At which point she put him on the bed where he slept for 12 hours.

The rest of vacation was eating too much at Mike's sister house. Very relaxing and fun for Oscar to play with other kids.

Mike was pleased that Oscar chose to sing a blues song while we traveled home through northwestern IN into Chicago. We also assume he was somewhat lamenting the end of his vacation.

In case you can't understand the lyrics...Rain is falling down (repeat for 15 minutes or so)

Burn Season

2010-04-13T20:29:00.007-05:00

Hey now, what do we have here . . . ? Lets have a little lookie loo . . . Hmmm, I think there is one just like this in my machine book. Yes, I think it's an A T VEEEEE!!!!!! Lets see, just swing the leg up, pull up on the seat, drag up that other leg, hang onto the handle and voila!

So burn season is well under way, which for me means some late nights, lots of eating out and lots of mama and papa leaving for work early and getting home late. Its a bit crazy, but it's so important to get out and get fire on the landscape that I'm being very flexible and helpful. On Saturday Papa was burning, and Mama took me out to help. I got to drive the ATV! (To prevent child services, concerned grandparents or the NWCG police coming after after mama, the ATV wasn't even on)

I also got to hold the hoses, sit on top of the engine, and watch for spot fires. The smoke went way up high, and the flames raced across the wetland. I wish they made Nomex in size 2T . . . I'd be all over it!

On the more typical 2 year old front I've also been busy easter egg hunting (thankyou Mr CE Bunny!);learning to fall asleep on my own, and sleeping the whole night through. I'm learning to brush my teeth, use the potty (well at least sit on it) and am able to construct real sentences eight or ten words long. And I discovered that since mama won't let me use the camera, her alarm clock is a close enough substitute so I go around asking her to "smile into the camera Mama!" I'm branching out into a few new foods, and actually eating several regular meals a day now. New faves are keifer, tomato juice and peanuts Life is pretty darn good! Hope you are all well. And if you are out there burning . . . Be safe and remember your LCES (lookouts, communications, escape routes and safety zones for you non fire bugs!)

2

2010-02-16T18:14:00.005-06:00

Oscar is two. To celebrate both sets of grandparents visited.

There was a drum circle. Even with just one drum it was still LOUD!
A puppet show with some confusion as to who was an actor and who was the audience.

Lots of smiles

Present opening and of course fun with the boxes

A nice meal and even a cake

The only problem was Granddad Spaul refusing to let Oscar sit in Oscar's chair.

8

2010-02-02T21:28:00.011-06:00

Oscar can count to 8. Twice he counted the 8 birds hanging from our mantle. I don't know if we should be impressed, but we are.

While we are on the theme of 8. Let's upload 8 photos because we have been so neglectful in posts.

This small cabin at Indian Lake County Park has a small woodstove for heat and cooking. We had sausages, eggs, hot chocolate, and lots of snacks.

Getting there was fun!

Winter adventure with Alden (Alden's blog has more photos of this adventure)

Papa is wicked FUN! His face might not show it, but the horses were a hit.

Cooking and washing dishes are VERY popular activities.

He counts and paints!

Two soon!

christmas 2009

2009-12-26T12:46:00.011-06:00

Christmas Day 2009: Granville Ohio

Talk aobut local, hand made and sustainable. Check out my new train set! Grandad is pretty amazing. How did he know I wanted a train set?

Here is my Papa with my Uncle Tom in the middle and my Uncle Rob on the left. Notice they all have the same exact sweater on just in different colors? Apparantly they all got one last year for Christmas. Grandad has one too. It's a little weird with everyone wearing the same thing but it is really great to be with everyone. It was so great to play with my uncles!

Mama really likes to play with my new train too and I have to keep telling her to keep her mitts off my train.

See? . . . I make a great train engineer, i've even got my coveralls and stripped sweater on! After I got my train, i couldn't really stay focused on anything else and i was too wiped out to open the rest of my presents. So some are saved for tomorrow!

Wow Grandad, you can really push it fast!

Uncle Rob and I spent some quality time reading my new Elmo Book. I had to teach him who Elmo was, but he was already well familiar with Bert, Ernie and Big Bird.

My new buddy the snowman. (My first snowman ever)

Mama and I built him two days before christmas. I didn't get what was going on until the eyes, carrot, and hat when on it and then it all made sense. We said good morning and goodnight to him every day until his head rolled off as the snow melted. I still like to visit him, but it's not the same. Fight Global Warming! I want to be able to teach MY kids how to build snowmen one day.

2009-12-13T21:08:00.010-06:00

This is me in my future new bedroom. Papa has been working upstairs pretty much my whole life. Sometimes he lets me go up and help; like this afternoon. It's an amazing place, I hope I get to move up there before I graduate from high school. In the mean time, papa build this awesome chalk board for me and hung it on the wall in my new room. We draw out plans and learn how to spell words. Sometimes when no one is looking I like to taste the chalk.

I drew pictures while papa was busy laying the 1st floorboard.

Here you can see Papa installing the 1st floor board in the new upstairs. I'm not sure how many more he has to do before we can move upstairs, but I'm pretty sure it's more than three (which is how high I can count). But I didn't even get to use all the numbers that i know because it took him all afternoon to get this one in. But, it's a step in the right direction.

Wednesday this week was a snow day! 17 inches fell in Madison and Mama and Papa and I got to spend the whole day at home playing games and reading and eating. It was great, except when we tried going out side. Now think about it, I'm only about 31 inches tall, so if the snow is 17 inches, that's up to my armpits in snow. Explain to me why I'd want to be out in it?

However, I did get NEW BOOTS which you can see me in here. They are big boy boots. I have also discovered the benefits of mittens, they really do keep your hands warm!

This is the front of the house now. The snow is great but I'm not a big fan of the cold. What kind of parents do I have that are trying to document my misery? Can't we just go inside?

The best part about the snow storm was the neighbors skid steer that came to plow out the driveway. It moved that HUGE pile of snow into the front yard. Back and forth, back and forth . . . Papa and I watched it out the front window for a long time. It snowed again later in the week and when i got up in the morning I raced to the window to see it again, I asked it to please come back, but papa said there wasn't enough snow. How disappointing. More snow please!

In other exciting news, I'm learning how to swim. Mama and I go every week to the pool. When i first get there I'm so excited that I can hardly stand it. We play with balls, kick our feet, sing songs and jump off the side of the pool. The Grand ole Duke of York is my favorite, I go way up high, then plunge down into the water. I can blow bubbles and when i go down the slide I can hold my breath and go under water. After about 2o min or so though i start to shiver. By the end of class I'm frozen, but even on the way out I'm still saying "more pool please!" Thursdays are great!

Happy Halloween!!!!

2009-11-01T19:13:00.019-06:00

Well I thought the day was going to be just like any other fall Saturday. You know the routine, mush at 5:30; play hard all morning; nap; play hard all afternoon; have a fussy time at bedtime. . . But no, today was different!

So Mama pulled this big round ball called a "pukin" in off the front porch and cuts the top off. I cried, not sure why. But then we pulled all the guts out with spoons and our hands, and that was just great. Then Mama went at it with the knife again but i kept a stiff upper lip this time as i was so interested.

Then all of a sudden I had this really cool looking thing to cart around the house in my cart. Pretty great. I like this halloween thing. It's not scarry at all! Or so I thought . . .

Oh the horror! I can't begin to explain. What the heck, just cause my papa works to protect little tiny butterflies that are smaller than a postage stamp DOES NOT mean I have to dress up like one. I made my case with some foot stomping, some squawking and mayby just a couple of tears.

Since it was clear I was going to have to dress up if I wanted to keep the pumpkin and go to the parade, we made a compromise.

Hey, my pumpkin bit me! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it)

Yeah, you stay down there where I can see you.

yeah, I know, I'm cute.

Allright allready with the photos though, can we go the the PARADE or what?!

Finally! We made it to the parade. We were going to walk IN the parade, but i wouldn't let Mama help me with the wagon and we got left behind. So we stood and watched everyone else go by. It was fun, I saw lots of my friends.

And I spied out of the corner of my eye a pretty cute little girl pumpkin too. But she was stuck way up high on her mama's shoulders and no way could I make a move.

Had tried to get up a bit higher to see her, but she was gone in the parade just like that.

Yeah, all around a pretty awsome day!

2009-10-19T15:21:00.005-05:00

been far too long since the last post, but not because Oscar hasn't been up to fun and exciting things. He is really hooked on horse riding now. And when the ride stops, he just keeps saying "more? More?" and making his hand sign for more at the same time.

And, he can do it all by himself, which seems to be a general trend for everything lately where he pushes us away and says "Oscar do" . We are clearly headed for the "two's" as he throws little temper fits and tests his indepence.

He's putting more and more little phrases together. I have two favorites. One involved my cell phone, which Oscar loves, but isn't really allowed to play with. Last week while I had it, and he wanted it he told me "Mama share . . . Oscar's turn" I caved laughing, he got the phone. I guess that's what we have been teaching him and why shouldn't it go both ways. My other favorite is how sweet he has been this past week while I've been under the weather with a nasty muscle pull in my neck. Some days I can hardly turn my head much less pick him up and swing him around. He comes up to me and gently strokes my neck and say "Mama boo-boo" then plants the sweetest kiss with a loud lip smacking on my cheek then asks "All gone?"

Grandpa Engel set up an old swing that has been around for more than a couple of decades now and Oscar thought it was the best thing ever as it swung around from the huge oak tree.

Summer Times

2009-08-17T20:14:00.004-05:00

Oscar rode a very old horse. This horse supported his papa a few moons ago. It might not pass safety regulations, but it is well made. The big guy next to him is his YOUNGEST cousin. For now it made the move from Grandparent's attic, to living room, to basement. I think he can get a few rides out of it at his grandparent's house.

Oscar explores the prairie. He prefers his papa mule or mama lama carry him up hills and through tall grass.

Oscar had to stay home most of last week due to viral pink eye. Other than crud in his eyes he seemed happy and well. Mama took two days off to watch him followed by two days with papa. Guess who was in charge for this game? Oscar LOVES helping with laundry. Loading the washer, handing items to be hung on the clothes lines, putting them in the basket after drying on the line, and finally taking them out of the basket to be folded. If he can he even pushes the full basket around on the floor.

The kid does not eat much, but he loves water melon. So much for calorie dense foods!

Trip to England

2009-07-04T12:55:00.021-05:00

Finally a much awaited blog update with photos from the trip to England with Oscar. We both had a fantastic trip. We went to the beach, ate ice cream, had many hikes, picnics, beers and loads of time watching the lambs.

Mama and Grandma were pretty excited to be building sand castles, Oscar wasn't too sure about the whole thing and preferred the ice cream eating.

Oscar couldn't stop playing this little drum, he was marching all over the house playing it. Huge thanks to Aunti Joyce for bringing so many toys and baby gear for Oscar to play with and use during his visit.

Picnic at the beach. These Brits are serious about their picnics!

Here we all are for (another) picnic at the stone circle (like Stone Henge but smaller and no tourists) near the house.

They have been here for more than 4000 years. Wow, that is even older than Grandad!

No hike would be complete without a walking stick. And this one of Grandad's in particular is just perfect. Oscar would go to great lenghts to trick us into letting him get this. Once he had it he would toddle off quite some distance on his own seemingly unconcerned about lack of adult companionship.

It's the Lake District, and Oscar thought this lake was fantastic with it's shallow rocky shore. Rocks are sooooo cool to pick up and bring to Mama.

Every night we went to say good night to the lambs in the fields out back. And though Oscar got really good at saying "Baaaaa" while we were there, he seems to have forgotten now. We both miss the sheep. They are delicious.

A trip to the Sea with Grandma and Aunti Rosa, meanwhile . . .

Old Man Spaul & I at the top of Old Man Coniston. Fantastic 12 mile hike.

Oscar and Grandad waiting for the rest of us to catch up on a sunday hike in the hills.

A well earned pub lunch mid way through the hike.

I acquired for Oscar the smallest raincoat and pants that REI makes. It is so sweet on him. Only needed it a couple of times though as the weather was fantastic most of the trip!

Grandma and Oscar exploring the gardens

They are off on adventure

2009-06-05T07:58:00.005-05:00

Hannah and Oscar are off on holiday in England. The Lake District to be more precise. They are visiting Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, ... etc. They will hike, play, and eat well.

Initial report from afar is that Oscar handled air and bus travel like a champ.

You may wonder where is the father and why is he missing out on such fun. He is continuing to build the nest. While the toddler is away much dust will be made as the house is "FINISHED."

OK the house won't be quite finished, but it will be more finished than it was when they left.

The Morel Monkey

2009-05-17T21:36:00.010-05:00

Just got back from a fantastic weekend morel hunting. As regular visitors to the blog may recall, this is not my first morel trip
http://2007littlebugger.blogspot.com/2008/05/oscars-first-camping-trip.html.
But I'm much bigger now and able to help. As you can see from the photo, it was a good thing that I could help because I really found a lot!

Now I know some of you believe in Santa, and others the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy,which is fine, but I'd like to tell you about the little known and elusive Morel Monkey. On certain damp May nights the Morel Monkey hides morels all over the woods for hungry morel seekers to find. If you want the Morel Monkey to leave you lots of morels you have to be good little conservationists all year long and then you will be rewarded. If you want to "butter up" the Morel Monkey a bit, you can also leave offerings of spring grilled asparagus or rhubarb pie. I guess we were all good little conservationists this year because we got a HAUL!
For those of you not familiar with how this works, here is some photo documentation. First, you need to gear up for the field. Long pants, long sleves, hat, good boots, and, if you have trouble walking long distances due to your height (I'm only about 30 inches tall) you need a good Papa Mule or Mama Lama to carry you.

Next you check the map so you know where you are going

And of course you need a good collecting bag. I prefer paper, but it's really your choice.

Then, everyone starts walking and looking at their feet while occasionally looking up and scouting for dead trees. You really have to think like the Morel Monkey to find where he hid them. We knew the Morel Monkey was being especially generous when he put them all over the woods AND in the open field. When someone finds a morel they have some personalized way of sharing with the rest of the group that they have found some. My mama does a little jig and makes a whole lot of Yippee's that carry through the woods. My papa is more calm and just belts out "hey, could use some help over here!"

Again, if under three feet, be careful not to get lost or left behind or eaten by the ticks. People get pretty excited about the mushrooms and may be prone to forgeting to pick up the short people. Don't hesitate to squawk loudly if your Papa Mule or Mama Lama isn't going where you want, or if you want to get out and walk on your own for a while. You have to give the Mule and Lama clear directions and don't let them get out of line or they are impossible to get back under control.

As the search goes on, everyone gets rather spread out as everyone follows their own inner Monkey Whispers (when the Morel Monkey tells each person where to look for their morels). Then when everyone either has enough morels, can't carry anymore, or just gets hungry, we all come back to the house to feast. This year we ate fresh trout, fresh asparagus, boiled nettles, rhubarb crisp and MORELS! (OK, i didn't try any of the feast, but maybe next year). Here is me with my Mama Lama. She was delighted as this is the first year she got more morels than ticks.

And then to top it all of, Papa took me for a ride in the canoe! And I saw the Morel Monkey out of the Corner of my eye sneeking on up the hill. Have you ever seen the Morel Monkey?

2009-05-06T21:33:00.006-05:00

Don't think this photo needs a caption . . .

An avian ecologist in the making? Or a Chicken farmer? Too soon to tell. But he was certainly interested in the six week old chicken.

Oscar loves cruising around town on his new Ibert. He claps and giggles while riding and just has a great time. He did cause an accident when an elderly couple were waving and smiling so much that the guy rode out into other bike traffic and the two went tumbling. But that wasn't exactly oscar's fault.

New benches at the park.

Oscar managed to push his truck a total of four blocks to the park, and three blocks back before he plunked his butt down on the sidewalk and started crying. I guess to him it felt like a marathon. I did have to provide some steering, but he was pretty adamant that he could do it by himself. He also got pretty excited when he discovered gravity and the truck rolled two houses down hill without him. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he blamed me for it and stomped his feet with anger till i dragged it back up the hill to him. He did sleep well that night :)

2009-04-11T07:57:00.004-05:00

Oscar is cute standing on his stool. Yet, it gives cause for concern as it and other things are now dragged across the house so he can access things previously out of reach.

Oscar is very fond of Mike's hat (a hat he has owned and worn since a very young kid). He requests Mike to wear it and at times wears it himself. He reminds me of the Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Show character with a stocking hat over his face. Unfortunately, when I Googled that character I found his name to be Dumb Donald. The good news is you can watch the Fat Albert show on the Internet!

Spring has Arrived!

2009-03-22T08:29:00.003-05:00

At long last it seems winter is on it's way out and spring has moved in. There may still be ice on the lakes, but we are certainly enjoying the warmer weather. Oscar loves being outside. He gets pretty excited to put coat and shoes on because he knows it's time for an outing. He's lucky to have two parks just round the corner, both with slides the perfect size for him.

BB Clark Beach is a favorite virtually across the street and right on the lake so we can watch the ducks too.

and the hair is getting long and shaggy again too!

And much more enjoyable to just lay down on the ground for a diaper change

If it is a bit chilly out in the mornings, it's OK, Oscar has his fantastic eggplant knitted hat. He's much more tollerant of hats these days. He seems to have noticed that we wear them and now it's acceptable headware.

Monkey See Monkey Do

2009-03-10T11:23:00.006-05:00

Mr Smiles here was quite pleased with himself for having just tipped over the dirty diaper pail

Oscar got new shoes for his birthday, and though still a little big, he's pretty excited about them. When I ask him where he shoes are, he look around till he finds them and scurries off to bring them to me. He says "shoo . . . shoo" while he waves it around grinning from ear to ear.

And our little copy cat here is delighted with his nose blowing skills. He learnt a few weeks ago to put tissue up to his face and make a hissing noise with his mouth. Now he is getting the idea a bit more. He's certainly had lots of fine nose blowing examples from mama and mike the past week with some terrible colds. Somehow, he seems to have missed this one. We just have to teach him not to use the dish towel

An Old Friend Returns

2009-02-27T17:42:00.005-06:00

Baths are fun! Especially with new toys.

Eating is not always fun!

My mama made me very very happy when she re-acquired C.E. Bunnie from some scoundrels.

somebody had a birthday!

2009-02-19T20:07:00.007-06:00

OK, so the parents are a bit delayed in getting up the photos from the 1st birthday celebrations. We were just having so much fun that we ended up partying all week! What a wild and wonderful year it has been for us all.

On his birthday he suprised me with the new skill of blowing his nose. Well, he showed me that he knows how to pull tissues out of the box and then he puts them up to his face and blows rasberries out his mouth, but he's certainly got the gist of it. He's walking all over the place now, and in the past two days has learnt how to turn directions while walking. He has also realized that he can tickle me on the tummy and it makes me laugh.

He does like this turtle named Tortilla that i knitted for him -but not as much as he likes Frijole.

Oscar had a great time opening presents and eating the paper.

first published steps

2009-01-31T17:46:00.005-06:00

These might not be the first steps but they are the first video. He still mostly uses furniture etc as a railing.

Eventually we will learn how to rotate these for posting or just shoot them vertically.

Vocabulary now includes: mama, dada, hello, and donde es Frijole?

The truth is dada is just random mutterings. Mama he knows brings smiles, but seems a little unclear of what or who that is. Hello is definitely associated with phones. He completely knows that "Donde es Frijole?" means in Spanish where is your duck. The duck is the one Hannah knitted for him. He goes and finds Frijole almost every time.

hannah or mike?

2009-01-06T21:32:00.011-06:00

so here is Oscar at 10 months old,

and the side profile . . . what do you think?

Mike . . .

or Hannah . . .

Or perhpas Mike?

Or Hannah?

Yikes, check out that chin!

And check out the english pram!

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T21:09:00.009-06:00

sorry it has been so long since the last post. Internet hitches at home. The holidays were lovely all around. Mike and I had lots of good food and caught up on some sleep. Oscar had a great time exploring new surroundings, new toys, and . . . learnt to crawl (see video of the first crawling at bottom). The crawling happened so fast, and now two weeks later is old news to Oscar as he is pulling up on anything and everything and walking along furniture, pushing things along, and able to stand for a couple of seconds before tipping. Here are a few pictures from the holiday.

What is it? What is it, I can't wait to see what grandad made for me for Christmas!

Wow, its a great wooden cart that I can push all by myself, and i have a whole set of building blocks to go with it! (my mama built this great tower for me, she really likes to play with the blocks a lot)

And boy do i really love to knock em down!

I'm stuck. I haven't learnt how to turn it yet or go backwards. Will some one please build me another tower to knock over?

Blog teaser: stay tuned shortly for the post "Does Oscar look more like mama or dada?"

If at first you don't succeed . . .

2008-12-12T21:43:00.010-06:00

Bath time!

Worn out after a long day. And what was Oscar doing all day you might ask . . .

There were many repeats of above, but he acted like he was enjoying each attempt and would wimper until i stood him back up. To get the idea, watch this short clip about 20 times over in short succession.

And then he got it and we can't stop him. Now he can get all the way across the room and start pulling things down from places that were previously not accessable to him. Note the intense look on his face, he doesn't really smile much when pushing the truck, I guess it takes all his concentration to not do a face plant. Again, sorry for the sideways video, I'm sure by the time Oscar is six he will be able to use the blog software better than us.

We are baby proofing the house (what ever that means)

too cute to wait

2008-12-06T09:01:00.006-06:00

Appologies once again for the need to rotate your computer monitor 90 degrees. I figured why chnage the photo as the video below is orientated the same way.

Hannah thinks Oscar needs to be very bundled up to enjoy winter. Oscar and Mike are not so sure. Oscar is very happy he learned to remove his mittens.

Last night we received a few more inches of snow. Today or tomorrow will be Oscar's first time on a sled. He likes being scared so we will see how he likes 10 miles per hour down a hill.

While we are on the subject of motion, Oscar demonstrated a new ability this morning.

Oscar appeared to be skipping crawling for walking. Now we are concerned he may skip walking for driving. Way past time to child proof the house! Thanks to Aunt Heidi for his truck. At least it gets good gas mileage.

thanks for ALL the attention

2008-12-01T19:30:00.009-06:00

Let me say sorry in advance if your photo doesn't make it on this post. With a weekend of 12 relatives and digital cameras, there are too many good photos to post them all. For more photos see http://picasaweb.google.com/mike826engel/TurkeyDayEtc2008# Credit to some photos here and there go to my niece Brittany.

With talk of too many good photos, how do brussels sprouts make the blog? It was Thanksgiving which is in large part about good food.

Eat we did!!!! Oscar kept his typical diet of mushed up stuff and boob juice. In this photo, he is using Mike's highchair, bib, and is sitting on his piggy blanket. In addition to all the baby hugging, squeezing, and playing . This weekend was highlighted by the reunion of Mike and his missing baby book. It has been lost for almost a year. It is fun to have it back. And it solves the mystery of what happened to the book which is less exciting than some of our creative stories.

Here is Oscar with his 91 year old grandmother. Oscar was going from relative to relative so much that for the first time ever he got clingy for his parents.

The long weekend started with a triple birthday party for Aunt Heidi and cousins Chris and Mckenzie.

This was the first time Chris and Mckenzie saw Oscar.

The duck in the photo is knitted by Hannah. Oscar really likes it. Aunt Heidi loves to shop especially for a baby. Mike was not excited about the toy she bought as it is plastic and uses batteries. However after watching Oscar play with it, even he conceded it was a good toy. He can ride it, push it like a cart, and drive it like a truck. And when he is not using it his Uncle Chris can use it to sleep on the floor. For the record the bottle is root beer.

autumn adventures

2008-11-08T06:28:00.007-06:00

Oscar wore his frog Halloween costume three days in a row because his mama thought it so cute. It was warm, which helped on a cool night around a campfire.

Adventures on a Saturday, when Mama had to work included a journey with Mike and Nick out to an Amish farm. Nick and Leslie are members in the farm allowing them to buy fresh milk. We also stopped at Pewits Nest State Natural Area, Delaneys Surplus, and had lunch at the Roxbury Tavern.

Oscar seems to like french fires.

He also really likes leaves. They are almost as enjoyable as paper. Mike was able to read a whole newspaper page while Oscar played in the leaf pile. But then he decided he wanted the paper.

Adventures continued at Levi's house with his dad Greg and Alden and his dad Dave. Levi being older has a plethora of toys Oscar does not. His favorite toy at home is a wooden spoon and we lost that.

He immediately knew how to drive the car, but then quickly had to call his lawyer...

These rugrats ran circles around Oscar. So much so that I couldn't really get a picture of them.
Finally please note Oscar's shirt below as he enjoys the leaves. We hope it does not reflect his disposition - it doesn't so far. For the record, items with this image are still forbidden as gifts. This is a hand me down from Leaf's mom, Lynnea. Leaf and Oscar are the same age but not the same size.

Fire wood for the winter

2008-10-30T21:18:00.004-05:00

We made a family trip to cut fire wood this past weekend. Oscar shows signs of being a hardy wisconsin native as he loves the crisp fall days and the buzz of a chain saw. In these photos you can see Oscar learning how to chain saw and helping out with the wood gathering.

This little Oscar sized saw was a gift from one of hannah's coworkers. Fully equiped with chain, safety bar and his name painted on it it's pretty darn cool.

thanks grandma and grandad!

2008-10-22T16:06:00.005-05:00

Oscar had a great weekend with his visiting Grandma and Grandad. The weather was great, there was a nice trip to the arboretum. Oscar slept through most of that though, wakeing only for photo shoot.

and a nice trip to the farmers market.

And some new toys for Oscar that came with the grandparents. On the right is "Little Snoopy" an early Fisher Price toy from when hannah was a baby. In the center was a early "Playskool" toy that grandad found and repaired. On the left is a lovely box filled with shapes that grandad made for Oscar. He has been very busy with his new treasures. (in between recovering from a nasty cold and double ear infection - but on the mend now). also note above a green knitted sweater which some may recognize from earlier postings http://2007littlebugger.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html it fits pretty well!

Door County

2008-10-09T21:33:00.014-05:00

We all took a long weekend trip up to door county. A bit chilly in the unheated cabin at night. We bundled Oscar up so he could barely move on a couple of evenings. He is decidedly not a fan of wearing a hat. (but it looks so cute)

We hiked, relaxed and consumed copious amounts of smoked whitefish and gorged on cherry pie from the most amazing pie place ever, Sweetiepies http://doorcountypies.com/

Oscar had a great time playing outside. He is learning to stay propped up on all fours, and much prefers his subsequent face plant in the grass rather than a hardwood floor at home. He also enjoyed being at one with nature by playing with grass and leaves and well, um, we think based on some of his expressed interests, he may grow up to be a scatologist. Nuff said.

We, having a more refined taste headed out to Washington Island Restaurant for a fine lunch cuisine. Much fun was had getting there on the island ferry and relaxing in the huge front lawn in the cool autumn sun.

Mama and Oscar

Mike and Oscar

OK, this wasn't the actual boat, but Oscar is pretty sure he can handle the wheel regardless

Oscar meets C.E. Bunny

2008-10-09T21:21:00.007-05:00

Gosh i'd like to have a dog. I'd walk it, and feed it and clean up after it and chew on its ear. I want one just like this stuffed toy one I have.

Wowa, never mind.

Um . . . Mama . . . there is a three foot tall bunny in my bed. I'm not too sure about it. Dad told me to steel it at Aprils birthday party, so I snuck it under my onesie and into my car seat. That was all well and fine, but, well, now it's in my bed and I'm not too sure about the decision now. It's pretty weird looking, and despite its name, the Chocolate Easter Bunny, I can assure you bunch of dummies, it's PLASTIC, and completely non edible.

HELLO!? Is any one listening to me? I SAID . . . There is a three foot tall plastic bunny in my crib and it keeps looking at me funny. Does anyone else think this is strange?

1 month later

2008-09-22T18:07:00.003-05:00

So we managed to let a month go by with out a post. Sorry for that. What has changed? We are trying alternate parenting techniques to get Oscar to sleep more and with less of our intervention. So far so good. The technique? Basically ignoring those urges to not let him cry. As one parent told me, with the second child you just the shut door and let them cry. As he is our only child, we are still sensitive to the cries.

As we see other babies of the same age, it is hard not to notice that Oscar is a little dude. He is in the 5% for weight (15 lbs). Yet when not next to another baby, people always think he is big or older most likely due to his locks. Those locks also frequently get him pegged as a girl.

This past weekend Oscar attended his first Willy Street Fair. The fair is always fun. I never noticed so many babies and pregnant woman in attendance before. Hopefully being around so many fun people and good music will rub off on him.
Solid food in the form of rice, avocado, sweet potato, and pear are popular. The only thing he does not like is yogurt. Stronger flavored beer he seems to find bitter.
What is it about paper that every baby seems to love? In this case, I think he ripped up the paper after learning the Packers lost to Dallas.
Who does Oscar look like? There is a little of Mike and Hannah. The closest resemblance seems to be his cousin Tasha.

6 months & change

2008-08-22T11:12:00.004-05:00

Here I am at the Vermont Valley Farm Corn Boil. There was lots of good food in the potluck. And of course lots of sweet corn, of which Mike ate many pieces. I ate milk.
My 6 month birthday was uneventful - no cakes, candles, or presents. BUT my mother did visit my good buddy Alden's place for some 'new' hand me downs. After seeing how much I enjoy the Johnny Jumper (click the link & watch the video), I even got it. I think I will use that technique many times in the future. It is a nice change up from always crying to get what I want.
Something weird happened this week. Both my parents left the house at night and left me with Leslie. I'm not sure where they went or what they did. I'm not sure I like them having an anniversary if it means I get left out.

Uncle Rob comes to visit and other adventures

2008-08-06T20:53:00.011-05:00

This past week Oscar got to meet his Uncle Rob who was visiting from the west coast. Perhaps a hair nervous about the goatee at first, he quickly warmed up to his youngest uncle. In no time at all Rob was changing diapers, feeding bottles and pushing strollers. It was great to have the extra set of willing hands in town and Rob is an excellent cook to boot!

In other news Oscar is quite proud of his new potty. Mike suggested this when Oscar was only a few weeks old, and I scoffed at the idea of potty training a new born. Well, lo and behold, people all over the world potty train in the early months. Check out http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/infantpottytraining.html if you don't believe me. As for Oscar, he enjoys sitting on it, but has yet to actually put anything in it. Well . . . he did once, but he was wearing the diaper. Never mind, at least we can get him into the idea of sitting on it!

The little guy also has had his first meal other than boob juice. Ground rice . . . with boob juice. He is so very interested in everything we put in our mouths he seems to really want in on the whole eating thing. He went for it first time swallowing at least as much as he spit back out.

All smiles after meal number two! And here is your opportunity to see those two little razor blades, err, I mean teeth that came in.

No . . . I'm not going to cut his hair :)

OK, sorry Oscar for dressing you in a wool sweater in the middle of the summer. But i fear that you are going to outgrow grandma's made especially for you sweater before the cooler weather comes. SO, I picked a cool morning, and put you in it for the record. Perhaps if we make a trip up north it will get some miles, but otherwise I'm not sure it will fit much longer!

rock & ROLL baby!

2008-07-20T21:07:00.003-05:00

I'd post video, but he has to be wearing his birthday suit to do it. Well . . . that and i don't have it on video yet. He rolled over saturday afternoon while reaching for a toy that mama had placed just out of reach, and over he went from back to front.

he hung out for about two minutes, realized he was stuck on his tummy and began to protest.

He also had a full on belly laugh this weekend when a friend was pulling faces and making funny noises. He was hooting with laughter that just didn't let up.

He fell asleep exhausted from all the exertion of the weekend

A very busy boy

2008-07-16T20:04:00.011-05:00

Oscar is now five months old. He seems huge to me at 14 lbs., now twice his birth weight. He's a little guy in the 10th percentile for weight, but the 65th percentile for length at 26 inches. Long & skinny. He is very close, but won't quite roll over yet. He just seems so content to hang out on his back that why the bother of rolling over? As for putting him on his tummy, he tolerates it, but again, can't quite figure out how to flip. He is sitting pretty well though . .. .

For about a minute until gravity gets the better of the situation

And he can stand for a while too if propped up against something.

He is a very busy boy these days hopping around in his little activity saucer. And he is recognizing his name too.

This new toy with bells, and spinning wood blocks is of definite new interest. He played with it for nearly 30 min just kicking away at it. Come on, when life is this much fun, why roll over?

teeth

2008-07-12T09:41:00.004-05:00

This week the little guy cut his two bottom teeth . . . good job Oscar! He (and parents) managed to get through this painful milestone with out much drama. He had a day that he was really cranky which involved a two hour car ride with much wailing (sorry ya had to sit through that April). I could feel them just under the surface of his gums. When I came home from work on Wednesday there they were, poking through his mostly smiling face.

At almost five months I guess this is on the early end for having teeth come in, but it is apparently hereditary and i cut teeth about the same time. It makes up that he hasn't rolled over yet, but he's getting pretty darn close, especially when naked. He's also getting quite good at scooting around on his back by digging his heels into the floor and pushing off.

Bon Voyage

2008-07-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

What better way for two fathers to spend a beautiful summer afternoon than canoeing with two wonderful babies. Dave and Alden biked over to Mike and Oscar's place to begin the adventure. Before leaving the living room, Alden decided to break his new eyeglasses by stomping on them. Recovering from that we loaded all our gear into the canoe. Cargo included 4 life jackets, 2 paddles, 1 foam sleeping pad, 1 blanket, 1 stick to create shade with blanket, 1 camera, and some snacks for Alden. Dave and Mike each grabbed an end of the canoe and hauled it to B.B. Clarke Beach. After Alden became upset with his life jacket, Dave had to carry Alden in one arm and the canoe with other. This was foreshadowing.

We are all happy here. Out on the water it was another story.
Well OK there were good moments. Mostly this was a learning experience rather than an adventure. We did not make it very far. Unfortunately there was much crying from both ends of the canoe. Both babies were happier being held. This of course made paddling difficult. We decided we needed two paddlers and one full time baby care giver. Timing is important too. Oscar was very ready for a nap.
Back home in the living room, Alden gave Oscar some life advice.

Alden's 20+ pounds is remarkably heavier than Oscar's 14 pounds. I need to start lifting weights.

Friday is Mike's Day in Charge

2008-06-27T16:26:00.010-05:00

Rubus occidentalis - black cap or black raspberry

Pater crudus - Edward Stratton III

=
If Mike were a single parent, then Oscar would be dyed from head to toe in berry juice. As he is not, he showed some restraint....

Enuf said

2008-06-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

Cookie Pants

2008-05-26T11:11:00.008-05:00

Add to Oscar's milestones attendance at a wedding. April and Ceasar tied the knot and in so doing let Oscar meet lots of new friends. It was a great backyard wedding with tasty food and drinks.

Here is Leslie and Leif. Leif is the son of a highschool classmate of Mike, Lynnea and her husband Gaz. Leslie is holding him because her mother wants her to be sure and feel the pressure of the need for a grandchild.
You should be able to tell that although Leif is only one month older than Oscar he has some size on him. According to his parents and our observation, Leif is a very easy going baby. We need them to hang out so they keep the mellow thing going.

The wedding also marked the return of Mr. C.E. Bunny after his extended travels to Germany, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I think C.E. will become a good friend of Oscar soon. Perhaps he will even move into the nursery with him.

Oscars first camping trip

2008-05-19T17:29:00.010-05:00

A beautiful weekend of Hiking, Hunting (for shrooms), and eating . . .

We took Oscar on his very first camping trip over the weekend. Well sort of, we pitched a tent out on our friend Tom's farm within easy reach of the farm house in the event of bad weather or uncooperative baby. It went well though and he was lulled to sleep by spring peepers (frogs) and the wind. Then reciprocally was awoken at an inhumane hour (to adults) by a chorus of birds. We parents learned a few things but we look forward to more camping trips.

He also had his first fishing trip. But mama wouldn't allow him in the canoe just yet, even though Dad is all ready with the infant life jacket (which is really cute by the way and will at least be tested in the pool this summer).

AND it was his first morrell hunt. Oscar & Dad found about six, and mama only three . . .

But fortunately Nancy (very happy to finally meet Oscar) has a better nose for the sneaky little shrooms and in cooperation with Steve, Wes,Lynn & Tom, found plenty for a feast.

All around a fantastic two days of perfect weather and gluttony

For those that can't see the little guy too frequently and wonder how big he is getting, compare this picture to the February 18th posting http://2007littlebugger.blogspot.com/2008/02/oscar-and-friends.html he's about 12 lbs or so now.

First Word!

2008-05-12T19:49:00.004-05:00

On Mother's Day we were both laying in bed with Oscar when he clearly said "Help". Not the first word one maybe hopes for, but speaking at less than three months is still pretty impressive.

Sorry I don't know how to rotate the video so you'll have to rotate your screen.

favorites

2008-05-05T14:06:00.003-05:00

Been a while since the last post, its been busy, but fun and we are all doing well. At 12 weeks Oscar is starting to show distinct preferences. In the photo above you can see him showing his preference for his right thumb which he discovered about a week and a half ago. For some time now he would suck on his hand (the entire thing) but it was almost accidental. Now he purposefully wants the thumb and first finger of the right hand. He also responds to having Nici the tiger and Pooh the bear, i think he likes the velvety softness of both.

In other news, he is just starting to "play" with things that are within his reach. So if something is within arms length he will grab onto it. It would be a stretch to say that it is with intent at this point but it is pretty cute. He continues to increase smiling and awareness and responds to people some distance away. He's apearing to be completely mellow little guy who seems pretty content with the world. We are pleased (releived) as his sleep patterns are actually allowing us to get some decent rest ourselves. We will enjoy it while it lasts as we have been warned it all changes when teething starts.

Ohio part II: Oscar stops the plane on the runway

2008-04-17T10:41:00.009-05:00

The second half of Oscars trip to Ohio was highlighted by visits from his Great Aunt Joyce, and Cousin Rachel and her son Dylan. (Rachel is technically Oscar's first cousin once removed, and Dylan would be his second cousin). So with two proud Grandma's in the house to dote on the two babes, the Mamma's got a bit of pampering themselves and enjoyed good food and lots of extra hands. Grandad felt a bit out numbered by the ladies and hid from the camera for a few days but continued the chess lessons and also gave some basic lessons in navigation.

Dylan, at eight months old, makes Oscar look soooo tiny. After meeting, Dylan tried to teach Oscar how to sit up on his own, but decided it would have to wait as Oscar seemed content to practice just lifting his head for now.

Joyce, Rachel and Dylan

Oscar relaxing on the block quilt grandma is making for him.

This blanket that Oscar is laying on was made by Aunt Joyce for Hannah when she was born.

Cute hey? Well, the folks on the 10:15 flight to Madison didn't think quite so much. Just as the plane started to taxi for the runway, little Oscar let one rip that turned heads several rows in each direction. In a moment "stuff" started to leak through all of his clothes, spread up the back of his head, and all over me. Mama had to ask the flight attended if she could change him. The plane stopped on the runway while i cleaned him up and we took off about 20 min late. He redeemed himself by sleeping sweetly the rest of the trip.

Oscar's first game of chess

2008-04-08T07:37:00.006-05:00

This week Oscar has been visiting his Grandma and Grandad Spaul in Ohio and also got to meet his Uncle Tom. During his first flight, Mama learns that airport security requires a soundly sleeping babe to be removed from the car seat so it can go through x-ray machine - the seat not the baby-and that though breast milk is allowed, it still creates a lot of questions. They were especially questioning of the frozen gel pack to keep the milk cold (well how else do you keep it cold?) I'm surprised they don't make one pump it in the airport in front of security. But we made it with out major event (other than a major meltdown in Cleavland).

Oscar is enjoying having lots of loving arms to hold him and attend to his every whim. He is smiling constantly now in response to people, which everyone finds very charming. And (sigh of relief) he has been sleeping four and five hour stretches at night fairly consistently.

Grandad, hoping that Oscar shows a similar aptitude for the fine game of chess that so many Spauls seem to have (mama excluded), has introduced the game early. Oscar laughed during the explanation of how pawns and knights can move, but then fell asleep during the actual game. (for those interested, Tom won the game)

And here is Oscar spending some chillin' time with Uncle Tom, who proved to have a knack for getting him to sleep. Now we look forward to the rest of the week as even more family arrives from out of town. What an exciting week!

Adult Party

2008-03-22T13:45:00.010-05:00

A healthy start of spring snowstorm this weekend prevented Oscar from meeting most of his paternal cousins, aunt, and uncle. Last week he did meet his cousin Brittany on her spring break. You might notice a slight age differnece in these cousins.
Great Grandma at age 91 has a few years on Oscar too.
This was the end of month one!

Month two let us go to an adult party!!!!!

Happy 16th Birthday Tom!

As this was a 1950's theme party, Mike decided to shave his beard for a questionable mustache and shave some hair and liberally use pomade. Several compliments were given for the hair! Not so many for the mustache....

New Sweater

2008-03-12T14:11:00.005-05:00

Here Oscar is showing off his new sweater that Grandma Spaul knitted for him with matching booties and a hat. It rather shames my own knitting, but hey, I made the kid so I'm off the hook for substandard knitting. At eight and a half pounds he fits it perfectly with just a bit of growing room to get through the last weeks of winter.

Oscar continues to spend his days in the eat, sleep, poop, repeat cycle but now gets occasional breaks to go for walks in his sling, and to have a bounce in his bouncy seat which he likes to have bounced (by an adult foot) to the beat of blue grass. He has also managed to attend several post natal yoga classes with mama, but seems more happy about the walk or the car ride to get there than me doing yoga poses over him.

Meeting new faces

2008-03-10T16:25:00.005-05:00

Photos from Grandma and Grandad Spaul visiting last week. Despite the photos, Oscar did NOT sleep all week, but he is starting to sleep a little more. (three hours at a stretch!)

Three weeks old!

2008-03-05T15:20:00.008-06:00

Its been a busy social life for three week old Oscar. He met Grandma & Grandad who are visiting from Ohio this week. Hannah's good friend Kelly Jo was also in town for a visit, and Oscar and his buddy Alden met for the first time too. More photos of all his new friends will be posted soon. But in the mean time, here are some recent photos.

Above is Oscar on his new Beatrix Potter Quilt that Grandma made for him

Oscar displaying his favorite position to be burped in.

Taking the world in

Sporting his new Baby Alpaca wool sweater from Peru. Thanks Great Autie Gill and Great Uncle John! A perfect fit for three weeks old, and very much needed for this long Wisconsin Winter

Stoned on Milk

TAW Blanket

2008-02-24T19:30:00.004-06:00

This afternoon TAW came over to present Oscar his new blanket. Each person knitted a strip of the blanket and then they were all pieced together. Thanks to everyone for such a special gift, and special thanks to Kathie for sewing it all together.

Oscar is starting to have many more of these wonderful awake and alert times, usually soon after eating a late night snack. We love it because he gives us lots of time looking at his little eyes.

milestone 3.1278

2008-02-23T10:54:00.004-06:00

Umbilical Stump Falls Off! For sale on ebay.

Eyes are open more often. Although they always shut with the flash of the camera.

1 week

2008-02-21T14:46:00.006-06:00

Hannah let me know that last night was Oscar's 1 week birthday. He celebrated with his favorite meal. As for us, we peaked out the window at the eclipse and headed to bed before 10. With feedings and changings every 2-3 hours, we need lots of naps to keep us going. Fortunately we seem to be taking turns hitting the wall of sleep deprivation.
He has a little blister on his lip from all the suckling. He also has a touch of baby acne and skin flaking. That is a result of the switch of living in a wet sack full of female hormones to a much drier world. He still has the hiccups as he did so often while still in that sack.

Oscar and friends

2008-02-18T14:13:00.003-06:00

Five Days old now and his friends are so happy to meet him and get to snuggle with him. We are all now getting the hang of things and really settling in together. Oscar has got the nursing part down now fully and is an eating machine that loves to eat at all hours of the day and night.

As for me, I’m just now starting to feel a bit more normal and functional. It has been a wonderful first few days and I feel I just can't get enough of this little guy. We have his first routine pediatrician appt scheduled tomorrow, which will be the first time I’ve left the house since we got home. Until now the midwives have visited us at home each day to check in on us all. Should be a Wisconsin adventure, its supposed to be quite the chilly day! Other than that we are just enjoying being home and getting to know him. Its amazing to me how much personality a five day old has :)

Thanks to all for the emails, calls, food & good wishes. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family and so many friends to share this experience with us. Such a fantastic sense of community to bring a new baby into the world with.

Oscar's buddy Alden needs some good wishes

2008-02-17T13:34:00.002-06:00

Alden is the son of our good friends Dave and Jessie. Give him some good karma, thoughts, prayers or whatever you got...

little sucker latches

2008-02-16T12:16:00.004-06:00

Feeding is working much better. He eats like his mother.

more of what you want

2008-02-15T20:58:00.008-06:00

This will have to be brief. The cycle of eating is about to begin anew. Every two hours he is fed. And I can tell by the smell the food has produced something.

Feeding with tube using donor milk (see below)

Cord rotting. Cord is 'tied' with new rubber band gizmo very similar to a castrator on the farm.
Donor Milk from the bank near where Hannah's parents live. Below is what you do with donor milk - feed it to the baby. The milk is sucked into the syringe then pushed through a feeding tube taped to the finger (index for mother, pinky for father). As the baby suckles about 1 mL at a time is dispensed. We need to feed him about 30 mL per feeding. He has lost 9% of his body weight since birth. Most of this was in the first 12 hours when he basically didn't get much if any food. Hannah is producing lots of colustrum, the precursor to milk, but Oscar is having trouble suckling mostly because of tongue placement. Our lactation specialist Arlinda visited today offering much good advice. This evening Oscar is doing well suckling. All indications are Hannah will be producing milk tomorrow. This typically takes place 2-3 days after birth.

Tomorrow we have another visit to check his weight. And Sunday we have a 3 day check-up at home.

Thanks for all the well wishes. Get some sleep for us please!

41 5/7

2008-02-14T18:46:00.011-06:00

41 weeks and 5 days later sperm and egg make Oscar Thomas Engel. For those all important stats: 7 lbs 5 oz, 20 inches long, born 10:08 PM Wednesday Feb 13, about 22 hours of labor.

Thankfully we avoided a Valentine's Day baby. And our baby shares a birthday with friend Erik Beck. Someday they will party together - of course Erik has a couple decades on Oscar. No excuse for not remembering Erik!

Name: Last name that is the dad's. Middle name is Hannah's brother Tom. First name is Mike's maternal grandfather. He unfortunately passed away long ago. But Grandma, his wife Lena, is thrilled with the name choice.

Pictures: If I want to stay married I can't share most of them. Too much TA. A big thank you to birth assistant Susan who grabbed the camera and started taking pictures while we were otherwise occupied.
Birth was at the Madison Birth Center with the help of two birth assistants and a midwife. We are very happy with this choice. Despite the fact that the average gestation for first time mom's is 41 weeks and 1 day, had we used more traditional medical practices Hannah would have been induced into labor much earlier which has many complications. She probably also would have likely had a c-section or used an epidural in the hospital. The old natural way she fought through 22 hours of labor. In fact her strength was an issue. She tended to fight the contractions. She learned to let go and let them flow through her thus opening the birth canal. She had tremendous searing pain in her hips and thighs. Just where all those running muscles exist.

She reports early labor, the contractions, was much harder than expected. The actual pushing out of the baby is what she expected. All those muscles came in handy for the pushing. I am grateful for friends and the videos that prepared me for the whole thing. It is about what I expected. The midwifes said I was unusually calm. Part of that is the biologist in me wanting to learn. Not to mention keeping pretty busy in a support role. I felt like a real wimp this morning when Hannah was foraging for food while I was exhausted in bed. Those hormones are powerful things.

We returned home at about 5 PM today after some relaxation and baby & mother health checking. Oscar and Hannah received coaching on breast feeding. Tomorrow and Sunday we get follow up home visits. In the meantime we monitor baby vitals: blood pressure, breathing, poops, peas, and feedings. So far so good, we have much to learn especially with diaper changing. After about 3,000, I'm sure we will be experts.

And now for what you really want the pictures -

Not today :)

2008-02-11T18:03:00.000-06:00

For those interested in the progress (or lack of) over the weekend . . . .

After a brisk walk Saturday late afternoon, I was encouraged by some new and stronger evening cramping, but I managed to sleep it off and woke up Sunday ready to go out for a big breakfast and with no cramps at all.

This morning (Monday) we went to a midwife appointment and spent some time doing a non-stress test (normal for post term) which monitors heart rate of baby, and can also monitor my contractions to see how the baby responds to the contractions. To encourage contractions I was hooked up (much to mike's entertainment as he has been looking forward to this) to the breast pump. Apparently this stimulation can cause contractions and even labor if the body is ready. I guess my body isn't ready. We went out to lunch and then came back later in the afternoon so as to spend several hours on the monitor to see what was happening.

This session was a bit more insightful. I can barely feel them, but records show that i'm having mild contractions every 2-5 min and that the baby is doing just fine with them.

So, at almost two weeks past due, there are some things to help nudge things along. I'm taking Evening Primrose oil to encourage cervical ripening. And a nasty tasting tincture of Partridge Berry, Cramp Bark and Black Cohosh (or Mitchella repens, Viburnum opulus & Cimicifuga racemosa for all you botany buffs) to encourage uterine contractions. And the exciting part was I had an accupuncture session that involved placing needles in my feet, calves, hands and ears.

So, the waiting continues. I seem to recall uttering something around the new year that I was to practice mindful patience as a new years resolution.

Anyday now most likely

2008-02-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

Appointment with the midwife today. Hannah assures me something has changed and there will be squirting of the baby by Sunday. So I just bought groceries in case she is right.

So far the birth missed the Superbowl (which didn't matter because the Packers didn't make it there). Also missed a big snow storm.

Even shoveling did not trigger birth. For the record the husband tried to dissuade the stubborn wife not to shovel.

My sister thoughtfully sent some pictures to make sure we don't get too anxious for the little bugger...

Maybe tomorrow or the next day or the next day

2008-02-04T20:35:00.000-06:00

Hmm....Visited the midwife today. Everything is OK. Next appointment is Friday.

What to do?

This is sort of like planning a wedding then postponing indefinitely maybe for the next moment.

Hannah and I have both been diligent wrapping things up at work. So much so that with waiting we have to dig work back out.

It is not as if we are ready, it is just at some point one is ready enough.

Haven't seen this but maybe I should "The Business of Being Born"

And all this waiting also reflects why some need to schedule everything even birth

Counting the days

2008-01-31T16:27:00.001-06:00

Well, tomorrow is the DAY if you are into the idea that a child pops out on the day a chart suggests. As you can see from the picture, the nursery is progressing hopefully in time for the baby(thanks to good friends Nick and Greg) . By the way this is a joke, the nursery is 'done'. The work is being done upstairs - sure to be done in 5-10 years.

One of us is getting a little anxious, something about wanting to see her feet again. Tonight we are gathering at the bar for some relaxation with friends, food, and drink.

I'm told I should not be wandering too far from home until the little bugger arrives. So I hope it arrives soon before I too go stir crazy. I keep thinking it will only get harder when the creature emerges to poop, pee, cry and repeat. Hannah is not fond of my idea to tape her legs shut! Instead she wants me to help her cerivx ripen...

Some other photos that have not made it to public viewing...

Our milking parlor

TAW baby blanket (as I understand it - members of TAW each make a 'scarf' that when sewn together make a balnket.

Practice makes perfect (for the record Sam is potty trained)

On a final note, it seems somewhat ironic that as a woman is about to give birth her belly button disappears.

Good Uncle Vs. Bad Influence Uncle

2008-01-16T07:29:00.001-06:00

Spaul brothers Tom and Rob are reported to be discussing which of the two will be the good uncle. As they will be future first time uncles we have little precedent to rely upon. Tom seems to be pulling ahead in the good uncle race with a thoughtful and funny holiday gift [click on title above for slide show]. Will Rob counter?

TAW baby shower

2008-01-09T09:58:00.000-06:00

the baby's outfit for it's first prescribed fire this spring?

Hannah's belly being admired by Nancy

hannah wallowing in the generosity of TAW

TAW ensuring that our baby is well dressed

Cheers to the upcoming new arrival.

This is much harder than it looks!

TAW (Tough Ass Women) book club hosted a baby shower over the weekend to celebrate the upcoming arrival of the TAB (Tough Ass Baby). You can see in the photos all the delightful onsies that were made so that he or she will be the best dressed baby in town. Nancy won the baby bottle chug, which turns out to be a great deal harder than one would imagine. We are all a bit baffled as to how baby can possibly get sufficient sustenance out of the things. This is one lucky baby (and mama) to have such a great group gals to support them.

getting close to 2008!

2007-12-30T12:01:00.000-06:00

We are now reaching the countdown point with just weeks to go! The belly has enjoyed much holiday food and continues to grow at a steady rate. We thought for a while that perhaps my weight would exceed Mike's weight, but we have concluded that Mike ate too many holiday cookies this season, and that is no longer a possibility. How another five or six pounds are going to squeeze their way into my belly though is beyond me, it seems at maximum capacity to me right now! We had our midwifery appointment yesterday (delayed after a classic Wisconsin snow fall) and confirmed that baby is head down, and hanging out very low. So low that the midwife was surprised. Guess all those yoga poses work! But no more squatting poses for me for a while as we don't want it to engage (get too far down) yet. We also learnt that the baby is posterior or "sunny side up" which means that its back is right up against my back with its legs and arms free and available to give mummy good kicks. Its supposed to be the other way around and so I’ve got new exercises and positions to try and get him or her to rotate around to the anterior position. check out http://www.spinningbabies/ to see a picture of what this looks like. Mike has also offered to help by spinning the car on ice in parking lots to see if it will rotate the baby.

We all went to see Arturo Sandoval, the Cuban trumpet player, last night and I think the baby must have really liked the music because it danced the whole show wriggling round and shaking its booty, perhaps that will help shift things around to the correct position.

One for the Bear

2007-12-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

Sam, my teddy bear from youth, is very happy with the nice sweater Hannah knitted him. As you can tell from his wear he was well loved. Hannah also had a panda teddy bear with the clever name "Panda". Her other bear "Big Ted" shares the chair with what's its name future teddy bear. The kid's bear was purchased on our summer vacation to Door County. The bear is made from scrap clothes. Hopefully this will help instill a fondness for dumpster diving and curb surfing so the kid can bond with its father later in life. We the bear in Gill's Rock, the northern most town in Door County, at a store mostly selling rag throw rugs. Gill's Rock also provided us with tasty smoked white fish. And of course we also bought lots of other food goodies like peanut brittle, pickles, jams, and dried cherries. Those dried cherries are very good and expensive.
As Hannah enjoyed knitting the baby sweater so much, it may be a little big for a new born. Not to be discouraged, we are quickly finding alternative uses.

Funny Words

2007-12-14T12:03:00.000-06:00

Last evening we attended the third of our Birth Classes. I tend to hear what I already think. That is trust your instincts. I figure cave people had babies so it shouldn't be too hard for those of us in the Jetson age. Hannah is very dubious of my assertion that if pressed into duty I could deliver a baby with the vast knowledge I learned from my expecting father pamphlet. I of course have not read the 20 or so books she has. She forgets, I have watched several videos in birth class and started reading 1 book.
It was about this time in our conversation, she shocked me by saying she would rather have our firefighter friend and paramedic in-training birth our baby than me.
After watching videos, I feel I could not do much worse than some of the hospital births. My advice is take a midwife over a doctor, unless you want to be drugged and cut. They can't seem to be bothered by the natural process developed over several thousand years.

A final note on videos: "Special Delivery" by In-depth Productions sounds more like pornography than a how to have a baby, but maybe that is just me.

2007-12-08T14:48:00.000-06:00

Or our little bundle of joy may also inherit a trait carried from the paternal side such as RLS, otherwise known as Restless Leg Syndrome. This is a condition that is characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's legs, often in rapid quick repeated movements. It frequents at the dinner table causing the entire table to shake as if an earth quake were underway. It also happens when the afflicted is sitting watching a movie, or at a meeting table when others are trying to take notes. Approximately 40% of cases are inherited, and it impacts about 3% of the population. It is doubly likely that out little one will have the urge to shake legs at the dinner table as the maternal grandfather-to-be has for years also caused items to shift off the table during meal times. Hourly surveys from inside the womb and recorded by mother-to-be are also indicating exceedingly high levels of repeated rapid leg movements. Though this may simply indicate that our little on is going to be a good cyclist one day (or perhaps a good swimmer to go with the webbed toes - the toes help me swim better despite scientific evidence otherwise). I'm also happy to report that the leg kicks are high up and under my rib cage, thus indicating appropriate orientation for birth at this time.

How do you feel about strange Inherrited Traits?

2007-12-07T17:12:00.000-06:00

So which traits do you want your baby to get from you versus your partner in crime?

Let's start at the bottom

Above note the webbed toes of the maternal foot. Is this desirable? This is a trait that can be inherited. A single gene controls it. Inheritance is a 50% chance. In our case the the rest of the family is clear of syndactyly. We do have a friend with the same condition. So the kid will have company besides the frogs.

Sometime after 6 weeks of fetal development toes and fingers are supposed to separate. Despite the pride certain acquaintances may take in their superior swimming ability, this condition is a birth defect or inherited disorder. For the curious there is no connection between swimming ability and webbed toes. A few famous people have webbed toes like Ashton Kutcher, Dan Akroyd, and possibly Josef Stalin. Marge Simpson apparently revealed her webbing at her shoplifting trial. Some people seem proud of webbing while others are embarrassed. Some so much so that they have the toes surgically separated.

The 2nd and 3rd toe are most commonly webbed. Webbing can be characterized by percentage of toes joined. I think Hannah here is in the 10% category. Speaking of numbers - webbed toes occur about once for every 2,500 to 3,ooo births.

I suggest a sock free party to determine the percentage of your aquaintances with webbing.

To get even the wife may expose the paternal green toe nail in the next blog....

02-12-1-07 Guns N' Roses

2007-12-01T18:31:00.001-06:00

No we are not big fans (really not fans at all) of Guns N' Roses. The title just seemed funny.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Child_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-AYAv0IoWI

01 - 12-1-07

2007-12-01T18:09:00.000-06:00

Ahem... Well our friends have them so why not us too?

Not the child mind you, but the blog...

As her father was happy to learn, through immaculate conception my dear lovely wife Hannah will be giving birth to a dual citizenship baby in early February. Were we using traditional higly technological, profitable, and non-personal birthing measures the 'creature's' emergence date would be February 4 (my nephew Brandon's birthday 19 years ago). With midwifery we are talking more a target timeframe of early February. As Hannah and I both showed reluctance to enter this world 'on-time', we expect the same from our offspring. Hannah is hoping the baby does not grow quite as large as I did before emergence (10 lbs 1 oz).