Organic Expressions

Snow days

2012-01-19T17:12:00.007-05:00

It has been snowing for the last two days. After living in Western Washington most life I learned how to enjoy and cherish each moment we had snow. I have always loved the way snow seems to quiet the world both inside and outside our home. Outside the world is covered in a soft blanket of white while inside we cozy up next to the warm (very warm in our case) wood stove. Even Emi seems to understand this cozy feeling as she is taking more naps on these quiet days. Connor, on the other hand, is buzzing with energy and anticipation for that upcoming snowball fight or walk in the snow blanketed woods. I think he has already had two cups of cocoa today. I am so glad I have nowhere else to be but here...the best place in world.

Christmas was spent down near Mt Shasta with my parents. Although we didn't have any snow there we went in search of it and finally found it at Bunny Flats half way up the mountain. It seems funny that we had to climb up to nearly 8,000 ft just to see snow in December. Mt Shasta truly is a wonderful and beautiful place. We took a drive around the back side of the mountain this time and were lucky to find some snow for Opa, Connor, and Daddy to slide on.

This was Connor's first Christmas where he really understood the Santa thing and was quite surprised to find that Santa had eaten all the treats that he had left out for him. I truly enjoyed seeing that bewildered look on his face. Oh to see the world through the innocence of children's eyes.

Emi is growing like a mad woman. She smiles and giggles when talked to and has recently discovered the joys of peek-a-boo. She also likes to attempt sit-ups on a regular basis but has yet to show any signs of rolling over on her own. She was supposed to have her 2 month appointment around Christmas, then shortly after New Years, then today...oh well. Maybe fourth time's the charm. I can't wait to see how much she weighs next week on our fourth attempt to the doctor's office.

Connor is one big ball of energy and excitement. His zest for life and everything in it is apparent through his constant questioning of how the world around him works. His ability to count and comprehend simple math has this Mama so proud. If we could only get him to sit still for more than a few seconds! I think he is going to be a runner just like his great-grandpa.

Cheers!

Smiles all around

2011-12-19T12:46:00.002-05:00

As these cold December days continue to get shorter and shorter I am reminded of how lucky I am to be spending them at home with my kids. I am really enjoying these long lazy mornings sitting by our Christmas tree with a sleeping baby on one side of me and a smart little boy playing Angry Birds on the other. Let me tell you...Angry Birds is obsession in this house! We have also had various visitors to share coffee and lunch with while exchanging gifts, as well as indulge Connor in his favorite activity of chase around the house. I love really do love December and its coziness.

Our beautiful Miss Emilia is such a joy. She is so easy going and has quickly become the sweetheart of the family. She loves to lie on the couch or in her bouncy chair and watch the goings on around the kitchen. She will also sit in Tom's lap for quite awhile, rocking out with him to whatever music videos he has decided to pull up on YouTube. She rarely cries unless hungry and has started cooing and interacting with anyone who will talk to her. And the best part of all is that she has started smiling! I think the highlight of every day for me now is watching her smile at her big brother when he tells her something funny. She loves to hear him laugh.

Connor will be turning 4 in just a few weeks and is bigger than ever. He towers over most boys his age and loves to race any boy who will challenge him. He has recently become a gaming wizard and can beat any game pbskids.org can dish out. I can't believe my baby boy is growing so fast. Preschool is very close on the horizon!

Life has been so good the last few months and full of planning and scheming for the future. I will really miss these lazy days of Winter but I am really looking forward to watching my kids grow up...as hard as that will be!

She's here!

2011-10-31T21:50:00.007-04:00

Emilia Noel Nance joined our family on October 25, 2011 at 6:08 pm at Harrison Hospital in Silverdale. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 20.5 inches long and is as beautiful as can be! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect and beautiful fall day for her to come into the world. The air was cold but the sun shone brightly and the sky was as blue as could be. That morning I woke up to the very familiar feeling of mild and erratic contractions. As the morning progressed the contractions became more organized occurring around every 10 minutes. I mentioned this to Tom and told him to be at the ready because today might be the day! Lucky for me I had an appointment with my OB scheduled for that morning so my mother and I headed down to Silverdale around 10 am. After dropping her off for a visit with my Grandmother I went to the Doctor's Clinic for my appointment.

While I was waiting in the lobby for my appointment I realized that the contractions had become much more noticeable. Sure enough, my doctor was surprised and very happy to find that I had already dilated to 6 cm. She told me not to go home and find something to do in Silverdale for the next few hours because we were most likely going to have a baby tonight! Lucky for me (once again) I had made a coffee date with one of my dearest friends at a coffee shop very close to the hospital. While catching up the contractions increased in intensity and after an hour or so I suggested we take a walk on the Clear Creek Trail near the hospital to get things moving a little faster. Let me tell you I was so happy to have such a great friend there with me to distract me through the early stages of labor.

After walking for a half an hour or so we went back to the hospital and decided to get some lunch because I knew this might be my last chance for food for a while. While we were eating the contractions continued to increase in both intensity and frequency and at that time I decided it was time to check into the hospital. By the time we made it up the stairs it was around 2:30 pm and Tom, Connor, and my Mom had arrived. We said a quick goodbye and made our way into a triage room where we were met by the charge nurse. She asked me about my contractions and I told her that I was already dilated to 6 cm and she immediately admitted us. After changing into my lovely delivery attire she checked me again and I was somewhere between 7 to 8 cm dilated. Although the contractions were extremely uncomfortable at this point I was still able to handle them easily using my breathing and visualizations.

After about an hour Tom's Mom arrived and took Connor for a walk and stayed with him for the rest of the delivery. At about 5 pm the contractions began to really pick up in intensity. Unlike my labor with Connor, the contractions themselves were well spaced with at least 1 to 2 minutes between each to relax. At this point my breathing and visualizations became really important. I concentrated on the idea that the contractions were more like waves on a beach and each peak brought me closer to holding my baby girl. Even though they were painful it made me smile each time knowing we were getting closer and closer. Each time my doctor came in to check on me she kept commenting on how my stats and vitals looked exactly like a person who was on an epidural due to the fact that I was able to keep extremely calm during each contraction and let it flow.

At 5:30 pm the contractions became particularly intense and my doctor came in to inform me that she had to go pick up her son from soccer so another doctor would be coming in to deliver my baby (?!?!?), Although this threw me for quite a loop I decided that I wasn't going to let it get in the way. Just 15 minutes later I felt our baby Emilia descend into the birth canal and I let the nurse know that I was ready! Really ready...so ready in fact that I was no longer able to remain as calm as before. At that point the doctor was called in and things began to move quickly. It's hard to remember exactly but I think it took four good contractions to bring her into the room. Between the last two contractions Emilia took a "long pause" in a most inconvenient spot. I have to admit that I have never felt pain like that before. Afterwards my sister-in-law told me that she had to lie to Connor and my nephew about the noises coming from the delivery room. She assured them that it was coming from somewhere else entirely...hehehe. I was very lucky to have the doctor and nurse that I did, however, because they talked me through it like superstars. The doctor in particular was very matter of fact about what I was experiencing and spoke in terms that immediately made me feel like I could accomplish almost anything. In the end, I was actually very glad to have had him deliver our Emilia.

I can't even describe in accurate words what the next few moments were like. Tom, my Mom, and I welcomed our new baby girl into the world with many tears of joy! Her little body seemed so fragile as they laid her on my chest but her cry and movements proved she was a mighty little one. That moment is such an extraordinary one...to meet for the first time someone you have known and loved so fully for the last nine months. Let me just say I couldn't really contain myself. She stayed there on my chest for quite a while as things were "repaired" in certain places and as soon as I was ready to sit up she started breast feeding which she took to like a pro. It really is amazing to see a baby shortly after birth that was birthed naturally. They are so alert and strong it kind of takes your breath away.

After about an hour our patient family was let in the room to meet Emilia. Connor was so relieved to finally meet this baby sister of his that we had been talking about for so long. Her Aunt, Cousin, and Grandma were also there to welcome her into the family. We had many other visitors that evening including several of our closest friends, Great Grandma, and Emila's second cousin. Many calls were made and text messages sent to family and friends all over the country.

We stayed one night in the hospital with our dear little girl. Throughout the night a nurse came in periodically to check our vitals and ask if there was anything we needed. Emilia was so sleepy that night she slept a total of 5 hours which she would have done in a row if I would have let her. Did Tom and I sleep? Of course not! I still had all of those lovely endorphins surging through my body that even closing my eyes for a few minutes was difficult. By the time morning came we were itching to go home! Unfortunately we had to wait a until 6 pm to be discharged so we spent the day sitting near the giant windows in our room absorbing the sun and getting to know the newest member of our family.

In the late afternoon Connor and my Mom joined us and by 6 pm we were cleared to leave the hospital with our perfectly healthy baby girl. What a wonderful and beautiful time of welcoming such new little spirit into the world. I'm so happy you are here little Miss Em. You have completed this family of ours and we couldn't be happier.

The circle of life

2011-10-07T12:18:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day in quite awhile that I have been able to stay in my pajamas and relax. Life has been chaotic during this season of change. Autumn has always been my favorite time of year and this year will be marked with several major life changes. The circle of life has been a profound phenomenon that has played itself out to this family as we said goodbye to my Grandfather and Buddy (the dog) and are in the process of preparing for the arrival of the newest family member Emilia. Although there has been a great sadness surrounding this family over the passing of one of our dearest members, there has also been a lot of reminiscing and celebrating a life that was both profound and full of love in such a unique way. There is something special about the quite moments when an entire family congregates around one of its members with no plans or expectations, just to be there. We love you Grandpa and will always keep your memory close to our hearts. You have taught my little family so many things about life and will always be one of our greatest examples and influences.

And Buddy. What do I say about Buddy. He was one of the most stubborn dogs I have ever come across and yet I could not have imagined my childhood without him. He was a faithful member of of our family for over 15 years and will be missed greatly. He was our comfort, comic relief, and couch partner and would never pass down an opportunity to go outside to smell absolutely every bush, tree, rock, pebble, and piece of bark he passed...oh Smelly.

At the same time we are mourning for those we have lost we are also starting to celebrate the arrival of our newest family member. Our dear Emilia seems determined to make an early appearance which is welcomed by all of us. I am 3 cm dilated already and we technically have 3 weeks left to go. She continues to move and dance inside my belly but has also started to feel very heavy. I am no longer working as of today and am just enjoying the quiet time with Connor at home. Connor is so excited to meet his baby sister. He has started singing to her and loves to tell me how he will rock her to sleep and let her play with his toys (if she doesn't break them of course). He also can't wait to play tag with her...that might be interesting at first.

So here we sit and wait with mixed emotions of pure sadness and pure joy. This demonstration of the workings of the circle of life have taught us even more how to be thankful for past life, current life, and new life. Once again we have seen first hand why every moment with our loved ones should be cherished and why holding onto regrets is so pointless.

Summer? What Summer?

2011-07-26T23:25:00.002-04:00

So far this summer I think we have hit 80 degrees only twice...and it's almost August! I think my short trip to Michigan might be the only warm Summer I actually experience this year. That's okay though. We Northwesterners are accustomed to such craziness. The data collection went quite well and I was able to come home with just enough data to complete my thesis and finally finish my Masters degree. This was the first time I was away from Connor for more than one night and I think it ended up being harder on me than on him. Apparently he had a grand time playing with his Daddy and Oma who kept him very busy.

This particular week marks the 26th week of pregnancy for me and miss baby. She is approximately the length of an english cucumber and by next week her lungs will be developed enough to breath outside of the womb with medical support. Much like Mr. Connor did, our baby girl moves and tumbles around whenever I sit to take a rest. Her favorite time to move is right as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. Unlike my pregnancy with Connor, however, is the fact that I actually look six months pregnant right now! It seems that my body has decided that it already knows what to do so it's getting things done a little earlier this time. This includes the hip pain unfortunately. The more time passes, the more excited this little family of ours is getting. Connor is ecstatic to be having a baby sister and has been oooing and ahhing over all of the baby girls he sees. I think he is going to make a wonderful big brother.

In my research this time around on birthing techniques I have come across something called Hypnobirthing which has caught my attention. Although I was able to birth Connor without the use of any medications or interventions I did experience a significant amount pain throughout the whole process. This particular method of pain management and labor claims that labor pain is more a result of the fear associated with the birthing process and a pain-free or only slightly painful labor and delivery is very possible when in the right state of mind. I am looking forward to reading more about this and see where it takes me.

In other news Darwin has taken to sucking his thumb (paw?) whenever he is taking a nap. We have such strange cats. Cheers!

Progress

2011-06-23T07:27:00.002-04:00

As I write this I am sitting in a coffee shop back in Lansing missing my family terribly. I have finally made it back to start my data collection and all is going well. My first day of scanning radiographs at UM Hospital went really well. In the end I may not be able to collect as many usable radiographs as I would have originally liked but beggars can't be choosers. Unfortunately the radiographs I need are periapicals with a full view of the the teeth from root tip to crown. When assessing dental development all parts of the tooth are important. Kids with disabilities, however, very often do not have the ability to sit through a whole session of x-rays so what we are left with are a couple really random small x-rays that are often crooked or slightly blurry. Out of the 46 files I went through yesterday I think I may be able to use about half. Hopefully I'll be able to make it to 50 or more. We'll see.

This is by far the longest I have ever been away from Connor and it's been pretty hard. I find it so funny that here was a girl who 7 years ago swore she wouldn't get married for many years because she couldn't imagine being dependent on anyone else. HA! Now I can't even leave my husband and son for more than a night or I feel like part of me has died. Life is funny like that. I do have to say, however, that I didn't come alone. Our baby girl has been kicking and moving around a lot. I don't think she likes the fact that I have to sit for long periods of time scanning radiographs.

A couple of days ago I ran down to the library to get some books on dental anthropology and stopped by the river on campus to sit for awhile. As I sat there it dawned on me that roughly four years ago I was sitting in that very same spot also very pregnant. So much has changed in the last four years! Both Tom and I have changed so much! Life is good and a little unpredictable.

World's worst blogger

2011-06-07T11:14:00.002-04:00

I think I may be the world's worst blogger at this point. But I do have a good excuse this time around. When I'm not working or chasing a three year old, I'm sleeping...and sleeping with a vengeance. I think one of the big differences between this pregnancy and the last is how tired I am. Whether this is actually a physiological thing that is taking place or just due to the fact that I am so busy and always on my feet is debatable. We are sure having a blast this time around, however. The weather has just started turning for the better in the Northwest which means outdoor activities abound. Already we have been kayaking a few times out in the Kingston marina and have explored around Lake Crescent and the Elwah River. I love it here during the summer! And Connor, amazingly, has been perfect in the kayak. He sits still the whole time and catches seaweed from the side of the boat. He also likes to yell commands and directions for chasing the seagulls.

Our little girl (yes I said girl!) is growing, moving, and dancing her way to almost 20 weeks now. I was able to feel her move much sooner than I was able to feel Connor. I had forgotten what a wonderful feeling that is! In fact I didn't even recognize it at first. It wasn't until my second baby checkup that the doctor mentioned something about baby movements and I suddenly realized that what I was feeling was probably the baby instead of gas. Pregnancy is so full of surprises and funny moments. We had an ultrasound at 18 weeks which was such a blast. Watching her move and spin inside my belly made it really sink in that we are going to be parents of two children!

We are so blessed and so thankful for everything we have been given. Life is good.

New beginnings

2011-02-18T11:13:00.005-05:00

Hi there blog...it's been awhile...a LONG while. This last year has been crazy to say the least with finishing classes, moving back to Washington, starting jobs, reconnecting with family and friends, finding a home, finding another home...you get the picture. I figured, however, that it was time to start writing again due to the fact that life is so short and children grow so fast. We are embarking on yet another adventure with the arrival of our second child sometime at the end of October. Life never seems to slow down for this family of ours but that's okay. My goal is to find peace in the small quiet moments of everyday life.

As of now I am roughly 8 weeks pregnant and feeling...uhhh...okay. I seem to be the best in the morning but by the time 5 pm rolls around I am through! Babycenter.com says the baby is the size of a kidney bean and we should be able to hear the heartbeat within the next two weeks. Sometimes I can't believe this is happening all over again. I think at this point our excitement and absolute terror have combined to make us somewhat dumbfounded but thrilled at the same time. I am always amazed at the range of emotions that a pregnant woman is capable of!

This week we are at the beach with the family so I will be posting pictures soon. Here's to a new beginning on this blog and the start of yet another adventure!

"I try all things; I achieve what I can"- Melville in Moby Dick

2010-05-16T20:05:00.002-04:00

Let me begin by saying that this last school year has been the hardest and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Throughout the last nine months I have come to learn what I am really made of. I have cried more, learned more, swore more, laughed more, danced more, sung more, and prayed more than any other time that I can remember. I have learned that the strength of a mother is almost limitless and that the love and support of a spouse and family is more precious than gold. I have been pushed to more limits than I ever knew existed and was surprised to learn that I was inspired most when I reached the depths of those limits. Most importantly, however, I have become a student of life and love. I will take away from this experience a profound respect for the natural rhythms of life and its incredible beauty. This lesson was an interesting one to learn against the backdrop of raising a beautiful and healthy child while at the same time having an intimate encounter with death nearly every day. This has been one crazy adventure that I will be sad to leave behind but the future holds new adventures that are calling us forward and I can't wait to meet them with a smile on my face! Here we go...

A wish for a peaceful New Year!

2010-01-01T12:02:00.004-05:00

What a year this has been. What a journey this has been! With my impending graduation moving ever closer, it has prompted us to begin reflecting on the past three years as well as plan excitedly for the end of this short journey here in Michigan and the beginning of a another new and still unknown journey. We have learned so much about ourselves and each other over the last three years being so far away from our family and friends. The experience, although difficult at times, has helped this little family grow in so many ways, the most important being our love. We look forward to whatever life brings and the prospect of a new year filled with peace and the hope of great things to come. Happy New Year everybody and thank you all for your support and love.

Fly by...

2009-11-29T19:03:00.003-05:00

Just a quick stop by ye olde blog to share some pictures of the kick off to our Christmas season. Once again I successfully roasted a turkey (with stuffing this time) for our Thanksgiving dinner which was shared by a good friend and fellow anatomy lab buddy. The day after was spent pulling out the Christmas decorations and attending the annual Christmas tree lighting and light parade in downtown Mason. Tomorrow...A CHRISTMAS TREE!!! I have already started planning the barricades which will be constructed around the base of the tree to keep curious little hands away. I do love those curious little hands though.

Balance

2009-10-23T19:27:00.005-04:00

No, we haven't fallen off a cliff or been eaten by sea monsters or anything. I fear it is much worse! We have been consumed by the beast that is medical gross anatomy. When I started this class I knew it would be difficult but I had no idea it would be such a burden. These days I spend every spare minute I can find while Connor is taking a nap or has gone down for the night to memorize the innervations of the arm muscles, or the branches of the brachial plexus, or the vasculature of the neck, etc. I think the most important lesson I am learning this semester, however, is about balance. I have found it really difficult to maintain that perfect balance between school, family, and myself. I don't know if there really is a perfect balance but I am striving for one. I am slowly learning to listen to the that voice in my center telling me when enough is enough and it is time to just let loose and play. For someone who has prided herself in her high grade point average, this is a really tough lesson to learn. In the grand scheme of things, a single test or paper is such a small part of such a huge life.

Connor is growing into such a wonderful little man. He is quite the handful these days but such a joy! I can't even begin to describe to you the joy I have watching him explore the world. He is experimenting everyday with new words and loves to talk talk talk. Unfortunately his feet don't quite go as fast as he would like which has resulted in a few falls recently. Daycare is going great and all of his teachers really love having him there. Apparently he has become quite the artist there as he loves to paint, draw and color. You should here him sing too. What a guy!

I will leave you now with some pictures from the past two weeks. Living out in the country here in Michigan is such a treat during the Fall. The colors this year have been fantastic. I will really miss Fall in Michigan when we leave.

Who would steal a guy's sand bunnies? -Curious George

2009-09-12T19:26:00.006-04:00

My goodness...there went summer and here comes Autumn with a bang! The last two weeks have been quite a milestone for this little family. Connor started daycare for the first time and I have started what will most likely end up being the hardest semester of my Master's. Connor has adjusted to daycare really well and is having a blast with his new friends. I think finger painting has been his favorite activity so far. Unfortunately for us, however, he came home last week with a terrible cold which he so kindly shared with both of his parents. We are on the healing side of it now so we have survived. I only thought I was going to loose my mind a few times.

This semester I am taking one class and thesis credits. Unfortunately that one class is Medical Gross Anatomy which alone is enough credits to make a full load. I'm really enjoying the class and learning about the intricacy of the human body. I just can't get over the sheer complexity and beauty of the human form. At the same time, however, I'm completely daunted by the sheer amount of information I'm required to memorize. I have a new found respect for people who go to medical school. Go first year med students!

As I said earlier, Fall has already started to slowly settle in here in Mid-Michigan. Some of the trees are starting to turn and the breeze has a slight chill in it. I love this time of year more than any other. Last weekend we were treated to a visit from Tom's father who drove up from Mississippi. While he was here we decided to take a trip out to our favorite apple orchard for the best apples in the country. We will definitely miss this tradition when we leave!

The Oregon Coast

2009-08-28T11:15:00.008-04:00

The last place we visited on our trip to the West Coast was Lincoln City, Oregon. It was such a wonderful weekend full of time spent at the beach and reminiscing with friends and family.

Lava Beds, Obsidian and Medicine Lake

2009-08-27T13:11:00.008-04:00

One of the other day trips we took while in California was out to Lava Beds National Monument. What a fun place. One of the things that I love about Northern California is the wide variety of ecosystems and landscapes you run into. Driving though the lava beds was at times like what I think driving on the moon would look like. There were many places to stop and walk through lava tubes and caves so we decided to get out and walk through the most kid friendly one.

On the drive home from the lava beds we wound around the mountains a bit a stopped by Glass Mountain (which is basically a mountain made of pieces of obsidian) and Medicine Lake.

Mt. Shasta California

2009-08-26T22:38:00.010-04:00

One of the really nice things about Mt. Shasta is that you can drive up to a little less than the 8,000 ft level. From there you have numerous paths to follow up and over the mountain. Early one morning Tom suggested we try to climb up to an old abandoned ski resort which was located around 9,000 feet. My Dad expressed an interest in going with us so we figured we take a nice easy morning hike up the side of this mountain. Little did we know my father is part mountain goat!

Connor also wanted to go but we figured it would be to difficult for him. =)

The hike started off fairly easy but as we climbed higher the terrain became somewhat foreign and rather difficult. I didn't realize how "sandy" the top of a mountain could be.

As you can see the paths were not clearly defined so after much debate we ended up taking what we later figured was a goat trail.

When we reached the abandoned (and avalanche demolished) ski resort, Tom and I called it quits. The high altitude and our sheer exhaustion had finally caught up to us. My Dad, on the other hand, decided he wanted to hike up over to the next ridge so he could look over it. So there he went...Can you see him on top of the ridge?

What a wonderful experience. Being surrounded by so much beauty is such a privilege and can be quite moving. You really feel like you are on top of the world up there.

McCloud California

2009-08-26T22:05:00.004-04:00

As the summer continues to wind down to an end, I thought it would be a good idea to get the pictures from our trip to California up on my blog. I'm afraid I won't even have a moment to breath once Fall semester begins.

One of the first day trips we made during our short two week stay in California was to the waterfalls outside of a small town called McCloud. The town itself is rather quant with a wonderful little cafe that makes the best milkshakes I have ever had. I think Connor ended drinking his own and half of mine plus half of his Oma's. What a guy.

The waterfalls themselves were beautiful and looked so inviting as it was well over 100 degrees that day.

Connor's Favorite Things (19 mo.)

2009-08-12T08:37:00.010-04:00

We have recently returned from our trip to California and have many pictures and stories to share but alas, I have lost my little cord that connects my camera to my laptop. So these stories must wait and instead I figured I'd share with all of you some fun things about Connor. We will call this Connor's favorite things...

Favorite Book:

Favorite Song:

Favorite Food:

Favorite Toy:

Favorite PBS Program: (I think this is because he relates to George in some way...)

Favorite Place:

Favorite Activity:

Just kidding! Man that video is disturbing!

Nature? In Southern Michigan?

2009-07-14T10:36:00.005-04:00

I am proud to announce that we have found a bit of nature in Southern Michigan! On Sunday the four of us drove out to the very cute town of Grand Ledge and spent a good portion of the day playing and hiking in the park there. It actually was quite beautiful. I guess over the years the river has worn away at the limestone in the area making these really beautiful ledges, hence Grand Ledge. The hike that we went on also passed by a steel bridge built in the late 1800's. Good stuff.

We have also come to the conclusion that our boy is definitely at his happiest when he is outdoors. He loves the sun, sand, dirt, pine cones, and trees more than his blankie I think. Well, maybe not that much! In less than a week we will be leaving for Northern California again so he will get his fill of the outdoors there. We can't wait to go!!!

Summer

2009-07-06T10:36:00.004-04:00

Happy Summer everybody. After completing this last semester I was so excited to be entering into I time I thought would be relaxing and full of free time. Ha! The summer started off with a bang. To make some extra money I taught a two week class on Forensic Science as a part of this really neat summer program offered by our local public school district. I taught two classes a day to a wild group of 13 year olds who all were very interested in forensics but unfortunately were all a little too excited! I was surprised to learn that many of the parents of these 13 year-olds let them drink energy drinks in the morning. Now that's a great idea! Get them incredibly hyper for the three hours they are in class so they completely crash by the time the parents come pick them up. Anyway, we covered everything from fingerprints to forensic chemistry. We took a vote at the end of the class and forensic anthropology was unanimously voted coolest type of forensics.

I have also been working this summer on a project (that will hopefully get me published) and trying desperately to get my thesis off the ground. Several months ago I developed an interest in teeth and the many different ways in which teeth are useful in forensic investigations. One of the most useful techniques used to determine the age of a subadult is the growth and development of teeth. If the subadult has some sort of pathology or disease, however, the accuracy of the age estimate will be affected. This is what I plan to look at in my thesis. More specifically, I will be looking at the affects of cerebral palsy on the growth and development of teeth. Hopefully everything works out and I will be able to collect enough resources to get this thing off the ground.

Connor has been growing by leaps and bounds! He's 25 lbs now and climbs everything! He loves music and is already trying to sing along. His favorite song is "Old McDonald" and he loves to say tweet-tweet and meow-meow at the appropriate times. His vocabulary has expanded to include dog and well (his version of Noel, who is visiting right now by the way). He is also climbing stairs now. He's not quite tall enough yet to actually walk up the stairs but he is certainly a good climber.

Well that's probably enough for now. I will leave you with some pictures taken recently during our hot hot days and the Fourth of July. (These are for you Grandma!!! Noel told me you were waiting anxiously for some new pictures of Connor.)

She's alive!!!

2009-05-15T19:14:00.005-04:00

Three semesters done...two to go! I can see the finish line and boy does it look good. This last semester was quite a challenge but I have emerged victoriously with a little help from my mother and mother-in-law. Oh! And Tom too! Although my classes were really tough this time around I sure have learned a lot. Sometime in the near future I will share with you all how anthropologists view the concept of "race." It's really interesting.

So much has happened in the last month and I have so many pictures to share (which is why most of you read my blog anyway). Here is kind of a hodge-podge of what we have been up to this last month including playing in the grass, picking "flowers," visiting the Detroit Zoo, and a tour of the Michigan State Capitol building.

A little slice of Seattle

2009-04-19T09:05:00.004-04:00

Last night Tom and I were lucky enough to take a break from the craziness that is the end of the semester. Connor stayed with a babysitter while we went to a Death Cab for Cutie concert...can you believe it? They came here to East Lansing. It was like having our own little slice of Seattle. They are such a great band. There music is creative and smart, not to mention the fact that they are great performers. Some of their music makes me tear up though thinking about growing up in the Northwest. One of my fondest memories of their music is how the father of one of my best friends in the whole world used to call them Dead Cat for Katie....oh how we used to roll our eyes at our parents.

The concert took place in the basketball stadium so when we sat down we found ourselves sitting on bleachers amidst a huge group of 18 year old undergrads. Man did that make me feel old. There was absolutely no room so Tom and I went to the ticket counter to see if they could move us back up to the chairs. They told us no but they could place us in the handicapped seating. I guess we looked too old and decrepit to be sitting with all the "kids." So we had our seats changed and ended up sitting on a balcony with chairs that we could move anywhere we wanted and only had to share the place with two other people It was great. We are pulling the handicap card now every time we go see a show!

Happy Spring everybody.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T14:17:00.006-04:00

Happy Easter everybody! We love you and miss you terribly!

Culinary Horizons

2009-04-04T21:11:00.005-04:00

Over the last few weeks Tom and have tried to widen our culinary horizons by trying all sorts of new dinner and dessert recipes. I figured that as we went along I would share with all of you the recipes that really stood out. The first one that comes to mind is one that I found just recently in a wonderful cookbook by Nigella Lawson called Feast. The recipe itself is called Chocolate Guinness Cake and is pictured above and yes...it does contain some Guinness. Interestingly, however, the flavor that the alcohol leaves in the cake does not taste like alcohol at all. Instead the cake has a bit of a tangy flavor that is really appealing. It is a really dense and moist cake with a creamy whipped cream cheese frosting and if anybody is interested I can send you the recipe.

I leave you now with a picture of my little man who is now 15 months old and finally walking!!!

Home again...

2009-03-19T21:28:00.019-04:00

Our short trip to beautiful Northern California has come to an end and we are back to the routines we left behind in Michigan. Spring is slow to arrive to this part of the country but we are enjoying our slightly above freezing weather and the return of the chirping birds. We have just contented ourselves with the warm and wonderful memories of our trip across the country this past week...

This is the view of Mt. Shasta that is visible from my parents deck. I can't even begin to express how beautiful this little corner of the world is.

This is another view of Mt. Shasta during the day and from a much higher vantage point.

During the fist few days of our visit Tom's mom joined us and we traveled to several wonderful little towns throughout the Siskiyous and beyond. Connor's favorite town was Jacksonville because it had a wonderful toy shop where his Oma bought him a rather noisy toy.

One of the little towns that we past through had a small motel that was made up of 20 or so old rail cars. It also sat at the bottom of another natural wonder of the area known as the Castle Craigs.

Here is another view of the Castle Craigs. The photo does not do it justice.

We took the long way back to Sacramento through tiny towns like Ferndale and Weaverville. Most of the time was spent peeking into adorable little shops and enjoying the scenery.

We stayed at a wonderful little Victorian Inn in Ferndale with period furniture and everything. I woke up in the middle of the night hoping to see a ghost of some sort but alas...no luck.

I was surprised to not see a ghost as we were right next to one of the oddest cemeteries I had ever seen. It stretched all the way up this little hill and was really quite old. Many of the graves belonged to individuals who died in the late 1800's. Too cool, but that's the forensic anthropologist in me speaking.

We also drove through a section of the Redwoods known as the Valley of the Giants which was absolutely amazing. It was so dark and peaceful beneath those gigantic trees.

What a wonderful adventure. And the best news of all...

Connor took his first steps on his own on Wednesday! Yay!!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everybody...cheers!

California

2009-03-13T19:05:00.002-04:00

My goodness...life never seems to slow down. Right now I am so grateful for Spring break and my parents as I am writing this post from their house at the base of Mt. Shasta in sunny and warm California. I absolutely refuse to go back to Michigan now! I can't even begin to describe the beauty that surrounds us in this little corner of the world. I will be sure to post some pictures as soon as possible. So far we have been all over Siskiyou and Shasta County and are planning a trip out to the coast this weekend.

In other news Connor is now standing on his own. He hasn't quite made any steps without our help but he teeters about the room quite quickly with Mommy or Daddy in hand. He is quite the little dancer now too and loves to dance to just about any kind of music. This morning it was Bach. What a character.

Our town

2009-02-21T10:09:00.005-05:00

I miss the Northwest, where the changing seasons move subtly from warm to cool to warm again. Here in Michigan we endure 5 months of brutally cold winter that never seems to end. Connor and I have been watching snow flakes dance outside of our windows this morning while listening to Craig's music. It has been very peaceful but honestly, I am so tired of feeling cold! In honor of the spring that never seems to come I thought I'd share some pictures of the new town that we live in that were taken during the summer.

Here's to that elusive Spring...may it come quickly and warm our frozen bones!

Word wiz

2009-02-01T19:18:00.003-05:00

Just popped in to say Connor is up to three words now in his vocabulary. Yesterday while I was trying very hard to put on his shoes (I really dislike baby shoes by the way) he said..."Shhhooooeee!" I don't think he likes shoes either. =) And today it was, "Hi!" What a character.

Fish and Flowers

2009-01-30T19:39:00.003-05:00

Last week I ordered a print from a good friend of mine who is an artist in Washington and I just had to share it with all of you. It's beautiful! The colors, the precision...everything!

Her art is a mix of everything odd and beautiful and if you are interested she has a blog with a link to her online shop. The address is http://eggmanstudios.blogspot.com/ so check it it out!

-15

2009-01-23T16:40:00.002-05:00

Finally! Lansing reached 30 degrees today! What a difference from our -15 degree nights and 0 degree days. It feels like a heat wave.

The three of us are doing well despite a few runny noses and some coughs. School has started again with a bang. I'm taking biocultural evolution, advanced osteology and law and forensics. I thought this semester was going to be easier because I didn't all those bone quizzes every week but boy was I wrong. I'm currently reading the equivalent to several books a week and writing, writing, writing. Phew...this is only the second week of class and I'm already exhausted. I also have been working on several different ideas for my thesis, most of which are based on determining ancestry in either Northwest Native American or Native Michigan skeletal remains. Ancestry is kind of a hot topic in forensic anthropology these days because of all of the controversy that surrounds it. We'll see.

Have a great weekend!

Done!

2009-01-19T09:05:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been trying to get Connor to express to me in some way when he is finished eating and ready to get down from his highchair. So everyday for the last few weeks I've been asking him, "All done?" On Saturday morning after breakfast he finally said Done!!!...very loudly which was his first official word besides mama and dada.

Connor is also crawling like a mad man and races with us down the hallway in our apartment. He has made several attempts to stand without holding on to something and is getting closer every time. My boy is growing up so fast!

Overdue!

2008-12-26T09:41:00.011-05:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe how quickly this last year has gone by. And what a year it was. Having a baby, moving between Washington and Michigan, and flying through my first semester with a baby. I know I haven't been very good at keeping up with new posts so I thought I'd just recap the last few months.
Halloween: Connor was a lobster and we took him to the mall to trick or treat. Everybody there told us he had the cutest costume of the night...Thanks Mom! Next year we will brave the outdoors with him.

November: Tom's mom came to visit and we made a trip up to Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula. I was so greatful for all of her help. I don't think I could have made it through this last semester without her.

Thanksgiving: We had a potluck at my good friend Carolyn's for Thanksgiving and I made the turkey...can you believe it? I cooked a turkey and it tasted good!

December: We moved! We finally made the move off campus to a three bedroom apartment in a small town outside of East Lansing. It is within walking distance to the downtown area where there are little shops, a great coffee place/book store and the county courthouse.

Christmas: Christmas was quiet with just the three of us but we were able to get a tree up and have a small celebration. The snow was falling really hard in the morning and we made cinnamon rolls which Connor absolutely loved. A couple of days after Christas my parents joined us and we opened presents.

January: The best news so far...Connor had his first birthday and crawled the day before. Our little man is growing up so quickly. He is also a smart little bugger. Yesterday my Dad was taking a nap and was snoring very loudly which Connor heard and proceded to copy. He also loves to lift up people's shirts and tickle their bellies.

Well that's it for now. Tom got me the complete Northern Exposure series on DVD and I finally have a few moments to watch an episode. I wish you all a peaceful New Year.

Merry Christmas! We love you all and miss you so much!

2008-12-25T14:23:00.001-05:00

More Christmas Fun

2008-12-15T09:09:00.001-05:00

I know I've been a little video happy lately but here's another one of my Christmas favorites. Oh for the days of Will Vinton and his claymation specials...

Black holes and a Merry Christmas

2008-12-14T09:14:00.002-05:00

I have finally emerged and recovered from the black hole that is finals week. It went pretty well but we will find out HOW well next week when grades come out. =) Connor is doing great and I promise to give you a full update very soon. Until then I leave you with one of my favorite Christmas songs...

Lost in a sea of stuff to do!

2008-11-22T09:02:00.005-05:00

*If you want to watch the video, make sure you scroll down and push pause on the music player on right side of the screen. =)

My goodness! What a month. Life never seems to slow down when you are a mother. I love the line in John Lennon's song Beautiful Boy that says, "Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans." Connor is growing so quickly and doing so many new things I'm always so afraid that I'm going to miss something. He's pulling himself up now into a standing position and loves to say Whoa! It's really cute. He has also become quite the picky eater recently. Homemade macaroni and cheese and pancakes. That's it! Or at least those are the only foods he doesn't complain about.

School is going well but is much more work than I ever thought it would be. I still have one more presentation, a paper, and a final to go and then I will be off for a month. Yay! I have really loved my osteology class and will miss it. Next semester I'm taking a Law class where I learn how to testify as an expert witness in court. SCARY! I guess the final is actually testifying in a mock court in front of a real judge and jury and the person cross examining me is one of my anthro teachers! REALLY SCARY!

Well, life continues to march on and all the while we are missing everybody so much! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-30T20:00:00.003-04:00

We hope you enjoy our Halloween selection of ghoulish music and have a scary evening filled with ghosts and pumpkins!

Oh wow...

2008-10-22T14:14:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I have had a crazy couple of weeks which included moments where I was thinking I was on top of the world and others where it was more along the line of..."what on earth have I got myself into." I guess life is just like that though. To make a long story short the lab has been very busy...very very busy. I did, however, get to work on my first recent murder case. Very CSI/Law and Order. I survived my first trip to the morgue and boy do I have some stories to tell. Unfortunately, they are not the type of stories that should be written all over a blog so...moving on!

Our little family is doing great. Tom is now working part-time in the evenings and Connor is still growing like mad. He has all four of his top incisors which give him the cutest smile I have ever seen. He is also moving around like crazy, rolling from side to side and scooting all over the floor on his back. His Halloween costume came in the mail the other day and looks great on him! Our little lobster. Well, I have yet another bone test tomorrow so I must be off. Happy Wednesday to you all!

Our poor sick boy!

2008-10-04T10:51:00.005-04:00

What a week. I have a new profound respect for any parent who is trying to go to school and raise a child at the same time. It seems that Connor picked up a virus last weekend and has had a sore throat, rash, fever, and cranky disposition all week. This came at the perfect time seeing as I had a bone fragment test and presentation this week. No sleep + screaming baby + bone fragment test = disaster. It would really be nice if we could schedule Connor's illnesses. =) So much more convenient. He is doing better, however. Poor little guy.

If you have noticed, I have added some music to my blog. If you are not a fan or would like to hear the sound on one of the videos I have posted, just scroll down on the right side and you will see a little music player. Just press pause and it should stop.

Autumn has finally come to Mid-Michigan. It seems that the weather knows when October starts so it brings in the cool breezes and bright colors. This is by far my favorite time of year. This will also be Connor's first Halloween too! His Oma is getting him a lobster costume so stay tuned for the pictures.

The plan for this beautiful clear Saturday is to go looking for Fall colors so I will be off and leave you with a picture of our little Cheerio hound.

Have a great weekend!

Giggles

2008-09-28T14:06:00.002-04:00

Bag of bones...

2008-09-19T19:46:00.003-04:00

I had a moment the other day. A new case had come into the lab and I was setting it up on the examination table. As I pulled out each bone from it's corresponding bag I was getting genuinely more and more excited. Even though the bones were in small fragments I could recognize most of them as well determine the sex of the individual and relative age. At this moment I came to realize that this was so cool! I really love what I'm doing!

I'm also learning how to take radiographs. One of the jobs of a forensic anthropologist is to be able to compare an antemortem (before death) x-ray to a postmortem (after death) x-ray of the same bone or bones. Our department is lucky enough to have a x-ray machine and developer so we get to practice producing the postmortem radiographs ourselves. It is a tedious process trying to get them just right but very satisfying in the end. Sometimes I'm tempted to try to take an x-ray of my own arm or something but then I realize I would probably end up burning myself with radiation. Not a good idea!

On a side note Connor woke up last night at about 12:30am just screaming. We could not figure out why this happened until today. One of his maxillary incisors (top front teeth) are poking through! Our little boy is growing up so fast!

And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down...

2008-09-14T09:14:00.005-04:00

Can you tell we have been watching the classic Winnie the Pooh cartoons? Anyway...It has been raining non-stop now for a day and a half. This would be a regular occurrence in Seattle but something entirely different here in Michigan. They have put our county under a flood warning and we may even get the last remnants of hurricane Ike here in the next few days...oh boy.

Well Noel's short trip to Michigan has come and gone and she is now a resident of Bellingham, Washington. I'm so proud of her! Going away to college for the first time isn't an easy thing. Not to mention the fact that our parents are also moving...yep...you heard me right. After 21 years this part of the Lawrence family will no longer be living in the Bremerton/Poulsbo area. My Dad is now the President of a school near Mt. Shasta in Northern California. We are so proud of him. This is something he has worked so hard for! Go Dad!

It is the strangest feeling, however, that my parents are no longer living in the place I grew up. In some ways it feels like having a foundation ripped out from underneath you, but in a good way. This is the perfect opportunity to begin focusing on the future and preparing to raise a toddler. I will close with the wise words of Buzz Light Year..."To infinity and beyond!" =)

One tired momma...

2008-09-02T20:35:00.002-04:00

I'm only a week into school and I'm already pooped! I'm taking osteology this semester which is pretty much the "bread and butter" of Forensic Anthropology so I can't just procrastinate my way through it. Not that I would want to anyway. Even though I have taken several classes on Forensic Anthropology I had no idea what a dynamic organ bone really is. Not only is it used for support and protection of organs but bone acts as a mineral reservoir, a defense against acidosis, traps dangerous chemicals and produces blood cells. Really interesting stuff!

Learning to balance school and home life, however, is going to be my hardest challenge. B.C. (before Connor) I could put things off and study whenever I felt like it. Now I have to come up with a plan and stick to it. I have to do a little bit everyday to get it all done. I'll probably learn more and retain more this way anyway.

Speaking of Connor, he's doing great. He is now eating little pieces of cheese and cantaloupe along with chicken and yogurt. We can tell he is getting ready to start crawling because he rocks back and forth while sitting up. Most of the time this ends up with him face planting into the ground but he's slowly getting the idea. He's also sleeping anywhere from 10-12 hours a night! He does throw fits now too. His favorite toys are these rubber duckies that his Oma and Noel bought for him and if you dare to take them away from him...watch out!

Tom continues his job search and actually has some pretty good prospects. Noel is also here for the next 10 days...I'm not going to let her go home. She is such a great aunt and such a great help!

Well that's all for now. I'm off to bed. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Mississippi

2008-08-14T07:19:00.004-04:00

Our trip down to Mississippi was really great despite the incredibly long drive and lack of storms. That last sentiment was felt more by Tom. I had my fill of them on our way down. We were literally chased by lightening from Memphis to Jackson. Connor did fairly well in the car considering he was in his car seat for 15 hrs both ways. It was worth it though. We had a great time with Tom's family.

This time around we did a lot of driving around Jackson and the surrounding areas mostly looking at houses. The homes in this area are really beautiful although I don't think I could get used to the bugs! The peaches and catfish, however, are an entirely different story...yummmmm.

We made it!

2008-07-30T23:10:00.003-04:00

Well we finally made it to Michigan! It feels so strange to be back. By the time Connor and I got here on Tuesday, Mike and Tom had the apartment unpacked and all ready to go. I almost cried I was so happy. Thank you guys! So far we have been really busy going here and there and seeing friends. This weekend we are planning a trip to Mississippi and we heard that it's supposed to be over 100 degrees. Oh boy.

I thought I'd leave you with a few pictures of Connor that Mike took while he was here...Have a wonderful week!

Hurricane Ridge

2008-07-19T12:46:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday we took a day trip up to Hurricane Ridge and spent the afternoon hiking up Hurricane Hill. The ranger told us it was only 1.6 miles so we figured that would be the perfect hike for us. The path itself is paved so it is very easy to walk on but it is quite steep in some areas. The view from the top, however, is unmatched. Why would you want to live anywhere else?

Nature-Deficit Disorder

2008-07-14T19:04:00.003-04:00

Here is this vast, savage, howling mother of ours,

Nature, lying all around, with such beauty, and such affection for her children,

as the leopard; and yet we are so early weaned

from her breast to society, to that culture which is exclusively

an interaction of man on man.

-Henry David Thoreau

I've started a book called "Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv. I found it on a recent trip the three of us made up to Mt. Rainier and I haven't been able to put it down. Louv's thesis is based on a child's development and how that development relates to their direct exposure to nature. With our current advances in technology the children of today are finding fewer reasons to discover the world that lies beyond their front door. I'm only part of the way through the book but I would recommend it to any parent or want to be parent out there. Great stuff!

Toofers!

2008-07-06T18:06:00.004-04:00

The last few days have been really exciting! Connor had two of his bottom teeth push through yesterday! He has been really fussy so it is nice to know why. He is also sitting up for long periods of time on his own. I can't believe how fast he is growing!

Connor's first Fourth of July went really well too. He slept through all of the fireworks! Thank you God!

Yum! Sweet potatoes and squash...

Nature Boy

2008-06-22T13:46:00.004-04:00

On Thursday Tom and I took Connor up to Lake Crescent for his first hike. He, of course, sat in his Baby Bjorn while I did the hiking but it was still a great experience. He kept reaching out to touch all of the leaves and seemed to enjoy it very much. The trail up to Marymere Falls is beautiful and perfect to do with children. Most of the trees around Lake Crescent Lodge and up to the falls are old growth and unbelievably huge. Sometimes I forget how large a tree can get when left to grow for hundreds of years. It is so sad that we have to travel so far to see trees like that.

Connor also had his first taste of rice cereal yesterday. I can't believe we are already at the stage where we can start introducing food! It was so cute to watch Tom feeding Connor. By the end Connor had rice cereal everywhere and seemed to be having a great time!

I would also like to say a big THANK YOU to Harrison Hospital for paying for Tom's entire surgery! The bill came to something close to $12,000 and the financing dept at Harrison approved us for 100% coverage. That was a big load off of our shoulders.

I hope everybody has a great week!

Happy Birthday Oma and Opa!

2008-06-17T14:05:00.006-04:00

Last week we celebrated my parent's birthdays at my Aunt's house. Connor loved the candles on the cake but fussed for the rest of the night. We think he is starting to teethe partly because he has an unstoppable fountain of drool escaping from his mouth. It's amazing how fast this year has gone by. Connor is now five and a half months old and is as feisty as ever. He loves to look at himself in the mirror and blow raspberries. It is also really easy to get him to smile.

Connor had another play date with Andrew on Sunday. So far no playing but lots of looks, giggles, and bats on the head. I think these little get togethers are more for the Mommies. =) Oh...and the coffee!

Is there any question?

2008-06-02T16:59:00.002-04:00

Can you guess which one is me...haha.

Serious Redneck Architecture

2008-06-01T18:01:00.002-04:00

Memories of the sea...

2008-05-29T16:19:00.008-04:00

This picture is of me and my Father on a trip down to the beach before Noel was born. That would make it almost 20 years old! Time sure goes by quickly. Our most recent trip down to the beach was really nice but sad at the same time. We flew kites, ran from the waves, and looked at all of the creatures on the rocks at low tide. We also spent a lot of time playing games as is tradition. Our favorites...Yahtzee and Mille Bornes. I was very weepy as we pulled away from the beach house for the last time. Oh well, I will always have wonderful memories but it is now time to look to the future. Raising a child, finishing my MS, getting a real job (gasp!)...haha!

Michigan Bound

2008-05-07T13:44:00.002-04:00

For the last few weeks Tom and I have been really nervous about going back to Michigan due to our finances. Out of state tuition is ridiculous, not to mention just the basic cost of living while going to school. But thanks to my wonderful dept at good old MSU I have a great assistantship for this next year that will pay the tuition, health insurance for all three of us, and give me a pay check. I will also be getting really great lab experience. I can't believe it...I'm actually really excited about going back to Michigan!

Changing subjects...The three of us are going down to the beach today for what may be our last time. =( It makes me sad to think that this is it. I've been going to that beach house ever since I was born! I have so many wonderful memories of playing in the sand, eating at Moe's, chasing seagulls on the beach, trying to get my sister to eat "sand cookies"...*sniff sniff*. Oh well, hopefully Tom and I will be in the position in the future to provide some of the same experiences for Connor.

Dancing the Night Away

2008-04-28T22:16:00.002-04:00

Well Tom won't be dancing the night away anytime soon. He had his surgery this morning and actually did really well. They decided to do the laproscopic surgery which meant he only had three small incisions in his side. The whole procedure to repair the hernia only lasted 30 minutes and an hour later I was able to take him home. He's now looking forward to spending the next week on the couch and waiting for the bill. The estimated cost we received would be around $9,000. Harrison Hospital, however, may be covering a good portion of the cost. Yay!

Things to be thankful for...

2008-04-18T13:46:00.003-04:00

Connor had some professional pictures taken last week so I thought I'd share some of them with all of you. Tom and I have such a beautiful son!

A pain in the side!

2008-04-16T17:29:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let everybody know that Tom was diagnosed with a hernia last week. This came at the perfect time seeing as he is uninsured at the moment! Oh well, we will make due with what we have. He is seeing a surgeon next Tuesday and will hopefully have the surgery some time on Thursday or Friday. The recovery time is somewhere between 4-6 weeks so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Happiness II: Coffee

2008-04-07T19:37:00.002-04:00

Oh the sweet sweet smell of a hot cup of coffee or perfectly drawn shot of espresso. I think the coffee allure goes much deeper than it's energy giving properties. The variety of things that can be done with this slightly bitter beverage is astounding. Depending on your mood you could choose anything from a variety of lattes, machiatos, espresso ice creams, mochas, french press, and the list goes on and on. I think, however, that my favorite part of the drinking of coffee is in it's social nature. There is nothing more relaxing than spending a rainy afternoon in a coffee shop with a friend conversing over a really good cup of coffee or tea. Yum!

Happiness

2008-04-06T17:35:00.004-04:00

A friend of mine just recently started a series of blogs on what makes her happy/inspires her. These beautifully written blogs inspired me to do the same and hopefully will inspire all of you to remember those small things in life that bring us joy.

The things that inspire me most in my life are obvious at this point...

The many faces of Connor

2008-03-14T16:36:00.005-04:00

Last Tuesday Bear had his two month appointment. He is now 12 lbs and 5 oz! The doctor was amazed at the fact that when he was born he was only in the 25 percentile for overall size and now he is in the 75%. We have a big boy! He is also cooing and trying so hard to talk to us. His smiles are the most beautiful thing...I can't get enough.

Well Tom is back at work now and Connor and I are just hanging out. I'm so glad I was able to take this time off to spend with my son. Every moment is so precious.

By the sea, by the beautiful sea

2008-02-27T14:53:00.003-05:00

Last week we took Connor down to the beach house for the first time. Since it is my favorite place in the world we thought it would be appropriate to take him there before Tom went back to work. I just love the whole ambiance and attitude people have down in Lincoln City. Tom and I spent most of our mornings at a great little coffee shop talking with the owner and some of the local people. They also have the best coffee in the world! Everybody is so laid back. I would live down there in a second if I could.

After many years of begging and pleading, someone finally took me to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. My parents used to complain that the exhibits never changed and we would just be seeing the same things over and over. Who cares! I still love it! It is a smaller aquarium but when you are show casing West Coast marine life you don't have a huge selection to pick form. In any case, if I could do my Bachelors over again I would probably be a marine biologist. Although forensic anthropology does sound cooler...=)

Connor is still growing like mad. He's a little over 11 lbs now and his eyes are focusing on everything. He really loves lights. He also has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen...and I'm not biased! =) Motherhood is a wonderful thing!

Tom's Addiction

2008-02-15T21:16:00.002-05:00

For the past few days Tom has taken part in his favorite activity...researching and purchasing a new car. We decided that the Civic was just too small for the carseat. I was getting really tired of sitting with my knees in the dashboard. Anyway, we decided on the Honda Accord and are really happy with it. True to form, Tom made sure we left the dealership with a great deal and lots of extra features. This time he didn't have to torture the salesman as much...I still feel sorry for what's his name at Honda of Fife. =)

New Faces

2008-02-11T20:25:00.001-05:00

The last few days have been a blast. We have taken Connor around town showing him off to our various friends and colleagues. Saturday we went up to Central Market and Tom's sister's house, yesterday he got to meet some of my family, and today we had our first play date with Kora's 2 month old. There wasn't much playing going on but we still had fun.

Connor continues to grow at an amazing rate and has almost complete control of his head. If you are not familiar with new borns, this is quite an accomplishment. We still haven't found a pediatrician for him here yet but we're working on it. We are also starting to get more sleep these days...YAY!!! Connor is now sleeping 3 hour blocks at night allowing his mother to enter back into the world of the living. Now if only he would go 4...that's probably pushing it though.

Sorry about the lack of pictures lately. My parents computer doesn't have the right programs for my camera so I have to wait until we get our computer set up.

Have a wonderful week!

Dropped off the face of the Earth!

2008-02-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry about that! We did make it home in one piece but I ended up getting really sick. I've been lying around my parents house sweating with a 101.0 degree temperature. Normally the temp is enough to drive someone up a wall...try it with a baby...oh my gosh. I would have died without my Mom!

The plain ride went pretty well minus a few fussy moments. I was pretty impressed with him. Poor Tom is still driving at this point and is somewhere in South Dakota...or maybe Wyoming. Poor guy.

Exciting news! Bear is now smiling at me and these aren't your pooping or I have gas smiles. These are real "I'm happy to see Mommy" smiles. I"m so proud!

I think we are now ready to start seeing people so give me a call if you'd like to see us! If you don't have our number just email me and I will send it to you. Yay! We are home!

Home again!

2008-02-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

Connor had his one month check up today! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. The doctor told us our little man is perfectly healthy and growing like crazy. Connor is now 9lbs and 8oz and 20 and 3/4 inches long. That's 3 lbs and 1 inch in one month. Pretty soon Bear will have size 14 shoes like his father. Can you imagine what our grocery bill will be?

Today is our last full day in Michigan before leaving for home. Connor, Lynnette and I fly out of Detroit tomorrow evening. Lynn has been with us now for a week and we have had a great time and we wouldn't have been able to get ready to move without her! Connor only lets me sleep two hours at a time so having an experienced grandmother around afforded me some four hour stretches here and there.

I will be sad to say goodbye to the all of the people we have met and the great forensics program here at MSU but it's only for awhile. Come fall I will be back at it with an anatomy book in one hand and a baby in the other. I will also have to come up with a thesis...oh boy!

Simply Amazing

2008-01-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

We are still alive! It was touch and go there for a few days due to the sleep deprivation but thanks to all of the help from my parents and my sister (especially my wonderful mother...thanks Mom!!!!) we were able to survive. Little Bear is truly amazing! He makes so many funny little noises and facial expressions we no longer have any need for a television.

Most of the last few weeks have been spent just hanging out with the family. It's taken awhile but I finally feel like a normal person again. Delivering a baby really takes a toll on your body. Anyway, the five and a half of us also took a short trip to the coast of Lake Michigan. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Holland and spent the day playing on the very cold beach and shopping. Connor's first trip out into the world was really fun and we discovered he does really well in his car seat. Yay!

Here are some of the latest pictures of Connor. He is getting bigger every day. We are all pretty sure he's over 7 lbs now which is amazing. He finally fits into his regular size newborn clothing. Thank you so much to all of you who sent us the baby gifts. He looks so cute in all of the clothes.

Bear's Story

2008-01-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Hello world! My name is Bear, or at least that is what my parents are calling me these days. Everybody has been asking my parents how I made my appearance so I decided to tell the story myself. It all started on Wednesday January 2, 2008 when Mom and Dad went in for their doctor's appointment. They were expecting me any day so they were really excited when the doctor told them Mommy had already dilated 3 cm. Because she hadn't had any contractions yet, he told them it probably would be awhile yet before I came. My due date wasn't until the 5th anyway so Mom and Dad thought they still had plenty of time. Before they left, however, the doctor said he would try something to help encourage me along.

After the doctor's appointment Mom and Dad decided to go to the mall to get some exercise. A couple of days earlier it had snowed over a foot in Lansing making the roads really icy and very hard to walk on. While walking through the mall Mommy told Daddy that she was starting to feel something noticeably different about the pressure she was feeling in her tummy. While they ate dinner I decided that I was tired of waiting to make my appearance and Mommy had her first contraction. At the same time Daddy was telling Mommy a really bad joke causing him to mistake her anguished facial expression for a reaction to his humor. The contraction itself was pretty small so Mommy didn't think too much of it. Instead they went home and Mommy watched TV while Daddy played his computer game. After about an hour, Mommy started feeling more contractions and decided that it was time to call the hospital. So Daddy got on the phone with the doctor and told her that Mommy's contractions were coming every 10 to 15 minutes and lasting 30 seconds each. Since I was Mommy's first baby the doctor said she should probably come in and get checked out.

After calling Grandma and Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy made their way to the hospital at 2:30 am. The trip was a really slow one due to the fact that the temperature was 1 degree and everything was covered in snow. While in the car Mommy's contractions started coming noticeably faster and stronger. By the time we made it into the triage room at the hospital they were only 3-5 minutes apart and really strong. Mommy got really mad when they made her lie on her back for 30 minutes hooked up to a monitor, when all she wanted to do was get up and walk around.

After the doctor examined Mommy he decided that it was time to have a baby and admitted her into the hospital. Before moving her into the labor and delivery room he explained to her what she could use for pain management and she refused everything. As soon as she made it into the delivery room her contractions started coming on really quickly and she hit the 5 cm mark. I was ready to come out and nobody was going to stop me at this point. For the next hour Mommy walked, rocked, sat, leaned on Daddy's shoulders and did just about everything else she could think of to deal with the pain. Daddy was a huge encouragement to Mommy and never left her side. The nurse was really impressed at how well things were going and told Mommy that I might make it into the world by 12 pm. This was of little comfort to Mommy as it was only 7 am. Soon afterward the contractions started coming every other minute and Mommy finally had to lie down on the bed.

It only took an hour and half for Mommy to go from 5cm to 10cm. At this point Mommy was yelling and making all sorts of interesting noises but doing it all her own with encouragement from Daddy. A little after 8 am the doctor told Mommy she was going to have to start pushing really hard to get me out. It was my time and I was sure ready! After less than 20 minutes of pushing I came sliding out with my hand up by my face and the cord wrapped around my neck. They immediately put me on my Mommy's chest purple faced and wailing. As she said my name, however, I suddenly stopped crying and opened my eyes...I knew that voice! After a few seconds of laying there they took me over to my Daddy where I was washed up and looked over by the doctor and nurses. I was 6 lbs 9 oz and 19 and 3/4 inches long and born at 8:33 am. I seemed to be in good shape but was having a little trouble breathing. They figured I still had some liquid in my lungs so they took me and Daddy to the nursery where they helped me work it out.

It was amazing how good Mommy felt after delivering me. Even though she hadn't had any sleep in 24 hours and gone through one of the most painful experiences of her life, she was full of energy and felt incredible. She couldn't wait to see me again so after they had her cleaned up she got out of bed and started walking down to see me in the nursery. I had already gotten a lot better by this time and was already on my way back to her room with Daddy. My first moments in life were quite exciting and my parents were so proud I thought they'd just bust!

After moving into the room where we would stay for the night, we all tried to get some sleep. Mommy was so excited that she just laid there and watched me sleep for hours. The rest of the day was spent eating, sleeping, and getting to know each other. The next day they took my picture, gave me a hearing test (which I passed with flying colors), and I got to know my parents better. Everybody was really impressed when they discovered that I was already holding up my head on my own and I could roll from side to side. My hands also could grip things really well. All of the nurses and staff thought I was just the cutest thing and my parents couldn't believe how tiny I was.

After breakfast, Daddy went to the airport to pick up Grandma. When Grandma arrived she held me, sang me a song and told me how proud she was of me, Mom, and Dad. After seeing the pediatrician the three of us were released from the hospital a little while after lunch. While getting ready to go, we discovered that the clothes Mommy brought for me were all too big! Oh well, I looked pretty funny on my way home, practically swimming in my cute little Bear outfit.

I'm five days old now and as healthy as can be. We had some trouble getting the sleep and feeding schedule set up but I've caught on now and am finally letting Mommy and Daddy sleep some. I saw the doctor yesterday and he was really impressed with how strong I was. Mommy and Daddy are really going to have to watch me because I can roll all over the place! For now I'm pretty happy just laying around our little apartment making all sorts of funny noises. I can't wait to go to Washington in February to meet all of my parents friends and my new family!

Introducing...

2008-01-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

Connor "Bear" Elijah Nance!

Sorry this is the only picture for now...I'm exhausted! He was born January 3, 2008 at 8:33 am, 6 lbs and 9 oz, 19 and 3/4 inches, and absolutely perfect. He is so tiny though! We came home today with a clean bill of health and lots of cute baby clothes that are way too big. Can you believe that parents as big as Tom and I could make something so small? I will make sure to post more pictures and the whole story soon. Now time for some sleep!

Issues

2007-12-30T18:47:00.000-05:00

Okay...I'm ready to have a baby now! Hehe, if only it were that easy. I would have to say that so far my pregnancy has been fairly easy, up until this week. I have now become so uncomfortable poor Tom is probably getting really tired of hearing my constant complaining. Oh well. Only six days left if Bear is on time. I really can't over emphasize how slow the time is going now. Most of our days are filled with movies, books, and strange conversations seeing as even venturing outside is hard due to the extremely icy roads and sidewalks. I just love Michigan winters.

As you may have noticed, the template for my blog has changed several times within the last few days. I have tired to use several different layouts created by independent people but each one has had its share of bugs. Being rather inept when it comes to computers I didn't have the patience to figure out the what the problems were and reverted back to one of Bloggers basic templates. Unfortunately I really can't stand the way it looks now so it will probably change several more times before too long.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T23:38:00.000-05:00

*Sigh* Well this was probably the quietest Christmas I have ever had. Being only 10 days away from our due date, we weren't allowed to go anywhere. We did make a really good dinner and I made my first cheese cake...yay. While shopping for the ingredients for this Christmas dinner I became thoroughly disgusted with my fellow Central Michiganers and the whole "holiday" season in general. It took me nearly two hours to complete picking up the items on a relatively small list at our local Meijer. Every isle of the store was packed with angry people who were fighting over the last one of "this" or the missing "that". We've also been watching a lot of TV lately due to the lack of anything else to do in East Lansing during Christmas. This depressed me even more. For the last week we have been bombarded by commercials counting down the number of shopping days until Christmas. And then the day after Christmas it's all about the after Christmas sales...spend, spend, spend. ahh! Even if you aren't a religious person the holiday season should mean something more than this...it's just depressing. For two people who can't be with our families this Christmas, the season has taken on a whole new meaning.

We had another appointment today and everything is still going really well. Bear's heart rate has slowed down and he's still in the right position. Now if we could only get him moving...10 days to go and counting. I think we have decided on Connor Elijah Nance. We have been working on this name forever and this one has finally stuck. We have also decided to take Spring semester off and come home for awhile so we can spend time learning how to be parents and let everybody else meet the baby. It looks like I will be flying back with the baby in early February and Tom and one of his friends will be driving the car back shortly after. It will be so nice to be back in the Northwest!

Almost there...

2007-12-17T21:37:00.001-05:00

Ugh! Two weeks and five days to go and boy am I feeling it! Everything seems to hurt and itch at the same time. It's all worth it though. Every time he moves I'm reminded of how awesome this whole process is. Pregnancy and delivery aren't miracles in themselves, but the entirely new individual that is produced from the process sure is. Even though he hasn't made an appearance yet, he obviously has his own personality and likes and dislikes. I can already tell he loves to hear music. Whenever he's moving around like mad all I have to do is sing to him and he gets really still. After which he usually ends up with the hiccups. I can't wait to meet him!

We had a doctor's appointment today and everything is still going great. He's still in the right position for delivery and has a really strong heartbeat. We also toured the birthing center where the delivery will take place. I've never been excited about delivering in a hospital but the rooms are really nice and they seem to be committed to providing a mother centered experience. Too many hospitals and obstetricians still prescribe to the view that women need to be rescued from the labor process. This usually results in a lot of medication and superfluous procedures. The way I see it is that women have been doing this for...well...forever. So why mess up such a natural process if not absolutely necessary. We'll see though. I could be like one of those women from the movies who are screaming for an epidural two minutes into labor. =)

Busy, busy, busy

2007-12-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

Wow! Life has been moving at an incredible pace these last few weeks. Can you believe it....we have exactly four weeks to go until the due date! In one week he will be considered full term so the doctor told me to start expecting him sometime next week all the way through January. I am so not patient enough for this! I'm seeing the doctor now every week and the bear seems to be doing just great. He's already in the right position and is gaining weight every day! Or maybe that's just me. =) Anyway, he still moves quite a bit although I think the dancing and kickboxing is over for now due to lack of room, thank goodness!

Our trip down to Mississippi for Thanksgiving went really well. Mississippi is actually really beautiful at this time of year. The day we drove down there it was 80 degrees and I was thinking that it was really weird to be having this kind of weather for Thanksgiving. The next day, however, we woke up and it was a beautiful clear 40 degree day. Now that's Thanksgiving. Another new Thanksgiving experience we had was having collard greens with dinner. These took me by surprise. Dinner, however, was wonderful and we had a lot of fun spending time with Tom's family. I was so glad we were able to make the trip down there. The entire ride home I sat in the back seat with my feet up asking Tom a bunch of really stupid questions to keep him awake.

School is finally almost over! I only have a take home test to finish and an impossible statistics paper to write. I'm so close to being done I can almost taste it! Overall, however, the semester was actually a pretty good one. I enjoyed most of the classes and met a whole bunch of really great people. I'm even getting excited about continuing in the field of forensic anthropology and starting my Master's research. Who knows though, I may yet end up back in medicine again. I just have too many interests. =)

Well happy holidays everybody. After I finish my last paper I will be able to write more often and keep everybody informed on how the baby is progressing. We're almost there!

It's been a year!

2007-11-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

On November 11 Tom and I celebrated our one year anniversary. I can't even begin to express how odd it seems to think that I have been married for an entire year. I was always the girl who would tell people I wasn't going to get married until I was in my thirties...and kids...well I couldn't even imagine! Oh how life likes to take you for ride! You think you have your whole life planned out and wham! Something entirely better comes along. I guess that's what makes life so interesting though. If it were as predictable as we all planned it out to be, we really wouldn't learn much in the process. I think I'm one of those people who believes that you can't really make mistakes in life. We all make different decisions throughout our lives that lead us down different paths. Eventually we all end up somewhere on the other side...hopefully happy to be where we are. I guess if there are mistakes they would have to be those negative experiences we repeat over and over again without learning anything from.

So the little bear is growing like mad everyday. When he moves now it actually feels like a little person in my tummy trying to make more room for himself. He likes to move in the early mornings during my statistics class and then late at night while Tom and I are usually watching a movie. Immediately after all of his movement he gets really still and starts hiccuping. He does this pretty much every night and it's really cute. I can't wait to see what he's like outside of the womb. I'm doing pretty well except for the sleepiness, sore hips, swollen ankles, sore back, tired feet...uhhh...basically everything that goes along with pregnancy. I only have three weeks left of class and am so thankful! Sitting for two hours discussing the difference between cause and manner of death isn't agreeing with my level of concentration anymore. My stupid switch is in the on position permanently. I'm hoping this is due to the high level of hormones surging through my body...hopefully! =)

Little Bear

2007-11-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

*Sigh* Another visitor has come and gone and we are now left to deal with the bleak winter of Central Michigan by ourselves. Tom's mom spent the last week with us and once again I put my homework on the back burner. This weekend will inevitably be full of stats, murder, and skeletal trauma. Anyway, Tom's mom took us shopping and we now have a very cute bassinet, a baby swing, and new clothes (for the baby of course). Tom was complaining that the baby has a bigger wardrobe than he does and the baby isn't even here yet. We have been calling him little bear lately, due to the fact that he feels like a little bear moving inside my tummy. So we have been buying him clothing with bears on it. He'll be so cute! Wow...listen to me...did anyone ever think I would be saying things like that?

I finally had a doctors appointment last Monday and everything is going great. The little bear is healthy and has a strong heartbeat. We have been approved to make the long car trip down to Mississippi for Thanksgiving as long as I drink tons of water and get out and walk every hour and a half. That is going to make one long trip!

Winter has finally come to the Lansing area. We had our first snow yesterday! It didn't stick around very long but it was cool to see it snow so early. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees so the landscape is looking rather dead. Snow makes everything look better.

A good day for a murder

2007-10-27T13:18:00.000-04:00

I love Autumn. Blustery days full of dark gray clouds and rain just make you want to stay inside and read a good mystery. Speaking of mystery, they just announced the results of the DNA testing from that case I wrote about a month or two ago. Just as a quick reminder, a body was discovered in the basement of a man's house in England at the end of the 19th century. The body had been buried there with the removal of anything that would help aid in it's identification. A few weeks earlier the woman of the house had gone missing so when the police got wind of Crippen suddenly leaving the country they apprehended him, tried him, and executed him for murder all within a couple of months. Just recently researchers have been able to get their hands on some DNA evidence from the recovered body and compare it to living relatives of Crippen's wife. And guess what...the body didn't belong to his wife! So now the question is who's body was it and how did it get there...hmmmm......here is the press release info if you are interested

http://www.special.newsroom.msu.edu/crippen/

I guess this has already received a huge amount of press in England.

Here and back again

2007-10-23T19:36:00.000-04:00

Alas, Noel's short trip to Michigan has come and gone and it's just the two of us again. Well three if you count the little dude residing in my tummy. We had a great time with Noel shopping, going to a pumpkin patch and watching movies. I regret to say that I probably did a total of an hour or two of homework the entire time she was here...oops! Time goes by quickly when you are having fun. I think the corn maze was one of the highlights of the week. We went in thinking it would be easy and ended up spending an hour going in circles. Close to the end Noel and I cheated by going through the corn. Nobody was looking...

Now it is back to the world of statistics and murder. At the moment I'm in the middle of writing two papers. The first is a statistical analysis of a whole bunch of craniometric data collected from a population in Borneo at the end of the 19th century. The researches picked their subjects in order to show how cranial capacity could be used to prove Europeans were by far superior to pretty much everyone else by their big heads. Interestingly they usually had to manipulate the data in order to get at the results they wanted. My job here is to take the data and use it for a not so racial purpose. My second paper is on the Black Dahlia murder. If gruesome unsolved crimes are your thing then this is the murder case for you. My goodness. This poor woman was the victim of one of the most brutal crimes of the 20th century. Oh yeah, I watched the movie too...don't bother. It's bad. There is very little, if any truth in it.

Okay, I promised that I would not subject myself to the embarrassment of putting pictures of me pregnant up on the blog. I have been begged several times by different people, however, so here you go....

Circus Fillet

2007-10-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

My sister is here! She came all the way from the great state of Washington to spend 11 days with us! Our very small apartment has just gotten smaller! Last night the three of us went to see Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco which Tom so lovingly refers to as Circus Fillet. It was really amazing to see what people can do with their bodies with lots of training. I don't think I could ever be that flexible even if I worked at it! I even had a hard time sitting in the stadium chairs for two hours. That might have had something to do with the pregnancy though.

It think today we are going to a pumpkin patch and then to an Irish pub tonight for some live music. I love four day weekends!

Baby Update

2007-10-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

So far everything is going great with our energetic baby boy. He continues his dancing every time I sit down which you actually see by the slight movements my tummy makes. He's about 25 weeks now and looks something like this...

Honestly it's hard for me to believe that he's already that developed! Hopefully we will be getting another ultrasound soon so we can see what he really looks like. We were finally approved for the state's health insurance program and are hoping for all of our important material to show up early next week. Yay...finally! It has been a really long and drawn out process. My next vote for president will be for anyone who is in support of a drastic reform of this stupid industry. I found it really interesting that the bill that President Bush just vetoed is one that was going to expand a federally funded health insurance program for pregnant women and children who don't qualify for their own state's program...boy am I glad I'm poor enough to get the state's help since my country doesn't seem to want to help me.

I thought I'd also throw in some pictures of our apartment. It may be small but we've tried to make it feel like home.

Here's the living room...

and the kitchen (oh! and an apple pie that I baked from scratch! Can you believe it? I actually made something from scratch!)...

Leaf Peepers

2007-10-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

This last weekend Tom and I took a three day trip up into Northern Michigan to celebrate our anniversary. We stayed two nights in Mackinaw City which is the last city you come to before crossing the bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or U.P. The city itself is rather small but has a diverse range of fudge shops, local restaurant dives and tee-shirt shops. On Saturday we drove up into the U.P. in search of the beautiful color change that is so unique to this area. This weekend and next weekend were supposed to be the peak times to see color change in the U.P. and guess what? Global warming has stuck once again. Because of the uncharacteristically hot and dry summer, the leaves are falling off of the trees while still green! We talked to a guy who worked at one of the light houses out on the Peninsula and he told us that last year they didn't get snow until after New Years and Lake Superior hasn't frozen over completely in something like six years. Hmmm...how frustrating. We did, however, get to see some color, lots of lighthouses, beaches, really neat homes and we finally found out what a pastie was. Oh, by the way, the Yoopers of Northern Michigan have a name for people like us...leaf peepers =)

On Sunday we took a short ferry ride over to the island of Mackinac which was very reminiscent of a foot ferry traveling across the Puget Sound. Mackinac Island is found in the straight between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. They don't let any motor vehicles on the roads so the main source of transportation there is bicycles and horses. It took Tom and I about 1.5 hours to ride the 8 miles around the island. It was so beautiful, not to mention peaceful. One thing we don't have in East Lansing is peace and quiet so it was a welcomed relief. The town itself is very reminiscent of a turn of the century town with it's historic buildings and horse drawn carriages. We were surprised to find that the island is a city unto itself and has its own mayor, police dept, fire dept, library and school. Tom and I decided that we will live there when we are millionaires. Hehe...a rich forensic anthropologist...that's funny.

Overall I didn't want the weekend to end. It's supposed to get up into the 80's again this week and I have way too much homework. I need to find a Master's Degree that requires lots of travel and very little studying. =)

Lots of work...and some fun too!

2007-09-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

The last two weeks have gone by so quickly! I spend most of the time these days reading journal articles, doing dental charts, and comparing antemortem/postmortem radiographs. I admit I've become somewhat of a sucker for a good positive identification! Anyway, yesterday Tom and I went to a BBQ held by the head of the forensics dept. here at MSU. Before we headed over to his house, however, we all stopped by this beautiful apple orchard about five miles out of East Lansing. We had never been apple picking before so we had a great time. We ended up taking home about 20lbs of various species of apple at less than 50 cents a pound! It was great! It makes me wonder why we all have become so accustomed to paying $1.99 per pound in the grocery store for old apples that are shipped from all over the world. That's exactly what you have to pay here for Washington apples...$1.99! Why waste so much money when you have better, fresher, and probably healthier fruits right in your own backyard?

It was so gorgeous that day too! The sun was out and there was a wonderful breeze. Now all we have to do is figure out what to do with 20lbs of apples! We also had a great time at the BBQ. Tom got to play a few rounds of croquette while I played one of my favorite games ever...Apples to Apples. I've missed playing that game with my family so much!

Now that fall is finally upon us the colors are really starting to change here! I'm so excited! We really don't get anything like it at home in Washington. Tom and I are going up into Northern Michigan this weekend as an early celebration of our anniversary. I'm really hoping the weather gets a bit cooler. Today was 90 degrees and I'm tired of it. Hot weather and pregnancy don't mix. Well...better get back to all of my reading!

Frankenmuth

2007-09-07T20:21:00.000-04:00

A traveler trekking across the United States will most likely run into a small German Village in every state. Although each town is entirely void of any real Germans, or those who speak any German, they try their hardest to imitate the quaint lifestyle of a small community found somewhere in the Alps or even the Black Forest. Michigan is no exception with it's rather eclectic town of Frankenmuth. Oddities abound in this German style village including everything from it's motorcycling Chiwawa to it's House of Horrors. Tom and I enjoyed our day there walking around in the shops and eating the best German food I have had in a long time. After living in Vienna I swore I would never eat Wiener Schnitzel ever again but after almost four years I couldn't help myself. I think my favorite part of the trip, however, was Zehnder's Market Place. The pastries here defy any qualification I could give them except "awesome". I love food if you can't tell. Their bread was great too which coming from a bread snob is high praise!

After traveling around in the Midwest I have come to the conclusion that Midwesterners have got to be the friendliest people on this planet. Everywhere we have gone so far there have been people who have helped us along the way with maps, hotels, places to eat, movie theaters, various weather predictions and explanations for Michigan's terrible drivers. Although it is a rather flat place to live geographically, the company is great!

A story of murder...

2007-09-04T17:01:00.000-04:00

Late one evening in 1910 London, the American born Dr. and Mrs. Crippen bid farewell to their dinner guests. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary that night except for the fact that that was the last time Mrs. Crippen was ever seen alive again. Over the next few weeks friends of the Crippens noticed that Mr. Crippen began pawning off his missing wife's jewelry and openly paraded around with his new love interest Ethel Clara LeNeve. When asked for the ware abouts of his wife, he simply replied she had taken ill on a trip to America and died there while visiting relatives. Unsatisfied with this answer, friends of Mrs. Crippen went to the police. During an interview with the police, Crippen admitted that he had lied about his wife. He told them that she had run away with one of her past lovers and he had lied to keep them both from any embarrassment. Satisfied with the answer, the police dropped the case. Everything might have gone off well after this had Mr. Crippen and Ms. LeNeve not suddenly decided to leave the country by boarding a boat to America in full disguise. When the police got wind of this, a thorough search of the house was conducted.

What the police found was of no surprise to them...a body buried in the basement of the house. What was surprising, however, was the complete absence of any limbs, bones, the head or anything else that might be used to identify the person. The only identifying mark on the body was a small scar on the abdomen. It was well known that Mrs. Crippen had undergone surgery in her past which left a small scar very similar to the one found on the body. There was also a trace of the chemical hyocine in the body which Crippen, being a doctor, had access to. The police took this to be absolutely incriminating evidence and had Mr. Crippen captured, tried and hanged in a matter of months. So did he really do it? Apparently Crippen received a letter while awaiting sentencing that was from his supposedly dead wife claiming she was sorry but could not identify herself for fear of embarrassment. The court didn't seem to think this was worth looking into.

Tom and I went to a talk on this murder last Friday by a toxicologist who believes there may be some evidence to prove he didn't. The murder case itself is second to only one in England and that of course is Jack the Ripper. There have been numerous movies and books on this case, not to mention a very VERY cheesy Broadway musical. Just recently this toxicologist was able to obtain a small piece of one of the samples taken from the body. He was also able to identify several relatives of Mrs. Crippens making it possible to do a DNA analysis. The thing that is so cool about this is the tests are all being done here at MSU. So if you are interested, I'll let you know how the results turned out.

Adjusting

2007-08-31T09:24:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten how difficult it was to start all over at a brand new school. Learning to get around, getting in the right classes, knowing where to eat, where to shop, who to talk to...Good Grief! Without Tom I don't know how I'd do it. What I have found is that if you ask questions people will usually give you pretty good answers. A couple of days ago I was feeling kind of nervous about working with the cadavers in the anatomy lab and being pregnant. They are no longer using formaldehyde in the embalming process but they still use some pretty nasty chemicals. I was worried that being exposed to those chemicals for six hours a week might have some affect on the baby. Needless to say, all the other profs including my advisor felt the same way too. So now I am in Stats and will be taking the intensive clinical anatomy course this summer. Oh boy.

One major thing I love about grad school so far is the lack of testing! It's mostly reading, papers and presentations. I like this! I'm also taking a survey of forensic science and a topics in forensic anthropology class. Both are really laid back. The professors basically get to pick whatever topics they want to cover. We usually end up filling up the time with case studies and stories of really bazaar and interesting crimes/investigations. Not bad!

Michigan's Ocean

2007-08-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was so beautiful Tom and I decided to drive 90 miles west of East Lansing to the Great Lake of Michigan. I wasn't expecting much, seeing as it was only a lake and my favorite place on Earth happens to be the Oregon Coast. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the sandy beach and absolutely enormous scale of the water. Lake Michigan is so large it actually looks like and feels like an ocean minus the smell. There were even a few seagulls flying around. We ate at an ice cream place in the middle of nowhere that had the best ice cream. I may just may get used to this place!

Today, on the other hand, was completely different. It was the first day of class and it was one of those days that nightmares are made of. First off my schedule gave me a specific time to be in a specific classroom for anatomy. So another Masters student and I showed up early and to our dismay the instructor started the class by saying, "Welcome to Doctor Patient Relations." Huh? So to make a long story short we spent the next 45 min trying to figure out what was going on and in the end we found out they had just decided to change the time to an hour later. Apparently all 150 premed students were informed of this and the 4 anthropology students were not.

Later that day was the anatomy open lab where I had my first encounter with a human cadaver. Let me rephrase that...a lot of human cadavers. Wow, I don't even know what really to say. I think it may take me a few days to actually come up with the right words.

Here he is!

2007-08-24T19:58:00.001-04:00

Isn't he adorable? He looks a little bit like a snowman at this stage. The ultrasound was taken at 17 weeks and I think the nurse said he weighed about 9 ounces at that point. It's amazing to me to see these pictures and think that that little guy is the one doing all the dancing inside my tummy.

Today was a rather interesting day. We had a severe thunderstorm go right over the top of us complete with high winds, tons of lightening, thunder that shook the apartment and even a small tornado. I had never been through anything quite like it so I was ready to run for the hills. Tom, on the other hand, was loving every minute of it. I swear...that man would tie himself down to metal post and let a tornado go right over the top of him for the love of weather.

I also made it to the bookstore today to buy my books for class. It is a good thing that two of my classes don't require books because the anatomy class books ended up costing $260.00 alone. There were something like 19 books recommended for the course but only four were required. Yikes! Well, I think I will go back to enjoying my last few days of freedom. Watching TV will soon be more of a privilege come Monday.

2007-08-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

Okay...time for some ranting! It has come to my immediate attention that the health insurance industry in this country is a joke! One would assume that an industry whose main goal is to take care of the "health" of it's country would not allow pregnant women to go uninsured. Isn't it funny that it is against federal law to call pregnancy a preexisting condition and yet every single insurance company out there calls it one...with a six to twelve month waiting period. They have found so many ridiculous loop holes in this god forsaken system that they are actually getting away with it. I guess this is what happens when you allow your country's health care to be a "for profit" system.

Enough of that. On to happier news. I'm afraid Tom and I will have quite a rascal on our hands come January. It seems he loves not only to move around a little here and there but he also likes to dance, do gymnastics and occasionally try his hand at martial arts. I'm sure it will get more and more interesting as he grows. A new life is truly an amazing thing!

He budged!

2007-08-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up felling very strange. I was having this odd sensation that something was turning over and over in my stomach. And then it hit me...our baby was moving and I could finally feel it!!! When I finally realized this I just about attacked poor Tom and jolted him out of a very deep sleep. Pregnancy is so fun. =)

Day before yesterday Tom and I decided to explore a little outside of East Lansing and ended up in two different towns about an hour north of here. The first was called Birch Run and it had probably the largest outlet mall in the Midwest. It had everything...including a good portion of the population of Michigan. The next town was Frankenmuth which is home to the largest
Christmas store in the world. You really have to see this place to believe it. It's about the size of a Super Wallmart or Costco and has enough blinking and sparkling lights to cause a small seizure.

We also went on our first grocery shopping excursion. I think the homesickness really hit me when I found out they didn't carry Tillamock cheese here. In fact they didn't really have any good cheese at all. I think I'm going to have to go in search of cheese. I can't live without good cheese!

We're here!

2007-08-17T09:18:00.000-04:00

We finally made it to Michigan! East Lansing is actually a really cute town. MSU, however, is much bigger than I had imagined. Tom and I finally got everything out of the truck yesterday and into our apartment. Like most university apartments it falls into the ghetto chic category of architecture from the outside. The inside, on the other hand, is great! New hardwood floors, new kitchen, small but definitely full of charm. The biggest challenge will be seeing if all of our stuff fits.

The four and a half days it took to get here were full of boring landscape, flat tires, tornado/severe thunderstorm warnings, and plenty of 100+ degree weather. I would say South Dakota wins for state with the least interesting stretches of I-90.

Everything is going really well with the baby. For those of you who don't know I had an ultra sound last week and it seems we have a big healthy BEAUTIFUL baby boy! When we get the scanner hooked up I will post one of the ultra sound pics.

2006-10-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
-Mark Twain