You Don't Know Jack

Maestro, If You Please! (Or We're Back from Hiatus)

2009-02-10T18:53:00.007-06:00

It's been a long time. Time has been going fast for us these days. Maybe that's why it sometimes feels like we have been sick forever! (Although we are all feeling a bit better. For now.) I am amazed at how time speeds up as we age. My dad always says that and only recently have I felt that to be true for me. I think having a child makes time fly by and also makes me more conscious of how quickly the time goes. I used to wonder how people could be good friends with people that they only see once a year or only correspond with via email and the occasional phone call. Now I realize that I can't remember the last time I saw (or talked to) some of my best friends. I find myself remembering some event that happened and realizing that, although it feels like that event was a few months ago, it really happened a couple of years ago. These things, in turn, have led me to want to be more conscientiousness of my choices, how I spend my time, and my goals and priorities. I never really understood the phrase "live with intention," but (without being too "new age-y") I think that is precisely what I am working on. We'll see how that goes.

Since my last post, there have been a few major holidays. We spent Thanksgiving in town this year with the extended family of some dear friends of ours who always invite us to be part of their family when we are unable to travel to be with our own. We traveled to Madison for several days at Christmas and enjoyed spending time with Grandpa Roy, Auntie Anne, Uncle Grant, and Cousin Andy, as well as some extended family. (I will try and post some pictures from Christmas before, oh, Memorial Day?)

Our big Christmas present here was a "new to us" piano. This is part of my effort to "live with intention." Recently, listening to others talk about running, knitting, scrapbooking, or other various hobbies, I thought, hmm, I don't really have hobbies, other than work, Jack, Nick, taking care of the house, etc. And then I thought, wait, those aren't hobbies. It took me a while to remember that I DO have hobbies, but I have just gotten out of practice with them. One of those hobbies is music and, specifically, playing the piano.

Nick took our conversations about how my love of the piano is so important to me to heart, scoured the ads on Craig's List, and was able to find us a very good piano for a good price. We were able to arrange to move it for slightly less than we payed for it (only a slight exaggeration) and the piano is now in our home. While it still needs to be tuned, Jack and I have enjoyed noodling around on the keys a bit. Over Christmas, I gathered my old sheet music up from my dad's, and I am excited to get back into some of my old favorites, like George Winston's "Thanksgiving," Bach's Inventions, and maybe even "November Rain." (Wow, I had a wide variety of musical taste and little sense of what songs may not translate fully to piano.)

In other Henderlembcke music news, we signed Jack up for a Saturday Music Together class and we have all been enjoying it. Jack loves dancing around to the music CD that we received as part of the class package and sometimes he even does the "right" actions for the song. I love to have an opportunity to sing once a week, even if it is with a bunch of under 5 year olds and their parents. Jack's daycare provider has commented on how much he loves music and how he has the sweetest little "singing voice." While he doesn't sing words, he does love to hum or la-la-la a little tune. The class is another piece of being intentional about spending some time having fun together as a family on the weekend. Maybe we have the next Beethoven or Axel Rose on our hands?

Who says you need lessons to play this thing? Please.

What do you mean, "Careful, if that closes on your hands it could cut off your fingers?" You mean these fingers? Mine?

Happy Halloween! Rahr!

2008-10-31T14:02:00.004-05:00

I'd be "lion" if I said I didn't like Halloween!

Fired up! Ready to go!

How do you like my new wagon?

Leaves are so much fun!

One last thing...don't forget to vote next Tuesday!

The Birthday Boy

2008-08-26T20:58:00.005-05:00

Well - it's official. According to the books, we no longer have a baby, as Jack turned one yesterday as is now considered a toddler. He can't quite toddle (walk) yet, but he's gotten very good at crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, walking along the couch and coffee table, and terrorizing the cat.

We had a small birthday party for Jack on Saturday. We were happy that Grandpa Roy was able to make it up to "represent" our Wisconsin family and we missed our other family members, particularly those overseas, but we know they were all with us in spirit and we were able to celebrate with some of our Wisconsin family in Madison earlier in the month.

I can't believe our little boy is one. The year has gone by so fast and brought so many changes for us. Many days, I can't believe that I am a mother. It has been an amazing, difficult, eye opening, impossible to anticipate and even more impossible to explain experience for me. In the past year I have learned: breastfeeding is not initially instinctive for all babies, diapers can be changed in a back car seat in a McDonald's parking lot, work is not as important as I once thought it to be, some days I want to be a stay-at-home mother, some days I don't want to be a mother at all, my husband is an amazing dad, sometimes no matter what you do, there will be tears, there is never enough time no matter how organized I am, it is possible to survive a 12 hour plane ride with an infant, and I secretly like it when my baby can't sleep in the middle of the night because it is the only time he is snuggly. I continue to learn about my identity as a mother and how that intersects with my identity as a woman, wife, social worker, daughter, sister, friend, and person. I can't imagine what the next year will bring.

I love you, little man. You truly are life's greatest present. Happy birthday and here's to the next year.

P.S. For a look at a cool birthday collage, take a look at this post from my best friend's blog. Thanks, Jen, for the tribute to Jack and the awesome pictures on this page. Motherhood without you would be much more difficult!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Grant...364 Days Early

2008-08-04T19:08:00.007-05:00

Jack says, Happy Birthday, Uncle Grant, 364 days early, or 1 day late, depending on your perspective. He wanted me to let you know that he would've posted earlier, but he has been busy this summer with:

avoiding spontaneous geysers

sporting his Harley do-rag

riding his dad

penning his memoirs

entertaining Grandpa

trying to convince his mom not to make him wear stupid hats

relaxing in the bath after a long hard day

and, you know, all of the other baby-like summer things.

Hope you had a good one! We'll whoop it up when we see you this weekend.

Trip to New Zealand - Part I: California

2008-07-18T13:39:00.010-05:00

Finally, I am going to start posting about our trip to New Zealand. I will do it in parts, making it more manageable to write (for me), to digest (for you) and to download (for your computer).

After a bout with the croup, a visit to the doctor for hopefully unneeded steroid medication for Jack, and a morning of harried work and packing, we left Minneapolis on May 20th in the afternoon to head for our first stop on our New Zealand adventure, Los Angeles. The check-in was uneventful; I highly recommend traveling on Tuesday afternoons to whip through airport security. We arrived at LAX around 7pm Pacific time with one tired, but well-behaved little baby.

Normally, Nick and I would travel straight on to Auckland, but we had decided that might be a bit much for our first trip with Jack, so I had booked a hotel in Marina del Rey for the night. We made our way through LAX to find a taxi to take us there. The taxi cab area was temporarily relocated due to a filming that was taking place. I assumed that it was a UCLA film student thing, until I walked through a highly choreographed scene with Jack in his stroller and heard the director yell "cut." I turned around and noticed that the director chairs all said "Entourage." Oops.

We arrived at the hotel and Nick's um, advocacy skills, landed us a crib for Jack about an hour earlier than had been promised to me. (I think the clerk had gave me a line in hopes of eating his dinner before bringing the crib to our room.) I got Jack ready for bed while Nick wandered the nearby streets to find us some dinner. Nick and I huddled in front of the bathroom sink eating takeout Mexican as quietly as possible so Jack could fall asleep and voila, leg one of our adventure was complete.

We all slept well and ate a continental breakfast at the hotel. After a nap for all, we took a walk down to the marina. It was a beautiful day, especially coming off of the long winter and chilly spring we had been experiencing in Minneapolis (highs only in the low 60s in May). Jack got to experience his first swing ride at Mother's Park (see below), which ironically was filled with nannies and the children they were minding. Such is the life in Marina del Rey, I guess.

We ate lunch outside on the deck at the Cheesecake Factory. Our waitress was very taken with Jack and told us about her daughter who was named Daesha Jade. She explained how she had wanted her daughter to have a very meaningful name and that Daesha was a Dutch name and Jade was symbolic of something precious. CK replied, yes, our son is named Jack because we got a flat tire on the way to the hospital and needed one.*

I went to the Cheesecake Factory and all they gave me was this lousy piece of bread.
It ain't the Bread Factory, people.

We returned back to the hotel, took an afternoon nap, went to the Indian restaurant across the street for dinner (disappointing compared to Chapati, our New Zealand favorite, but what one isn't when compared to the best?), and we were off to the airport for the second leg of our adventure: LAX to Auckland.

*This didn't really happen. In case you were wondering.

Happy Birthday, Grandad!

2008-07-16T23:01:00.004-05:00

George and Jack

Today (in America) or yesterday (in New Zealand), Grandad George turned 75. We wish we could be there to celebrate 75 grand years of life with him. Here's sending lots of hugs, kisses, and well wishes across the miles. We love you!

Grandad, Jack, and Nanny at Chapati, the family's fave Indian restaurant

Give Me A Head Full of Hair...

2008-07-09T20:08:00.005-05:00

Those of you who were particularly good at Highlights Hidden Object puzzles as a child may have noticed a couple of changes in Jack in the latest pictures. As of yesterday, he now has 5 teeth: the 2 front bottom ones, the most visible, and the top right front tooth and neighboring eye tooth which he got after screaming most of the plane ride home from New Zealand, the biggest headache...but that's another post. Also, a couple of weeks ago (June 22 to be exact), Jack got his first haircut. The CK has been pushing for Jack to get a haircut for some time. As Jack's lack of haircut edged him to resemble that of a Hasidic Jew (which he is not) or, as the New Zealand customs agent suggested, a girl (definitely not), I finally agreed that it was time. All grandparents had gotten to see his baby hair, so it was time to move onto the big boy hair. The only question that remained was what kind of haircut to get.

I advocated for a mohawk or at least a faux hawk. The CK thought cornrows might be low maintenance. Hank (our cat) expressed preference for a mullet or hockey hair as it is often known in Minnesota. Ultimately, Jack, the voice of reason won out - a simple big boy haircut.

Can you do anything about these cowlicks, lady?

I wish they served popcorn and milk here.

And then I said, hey, baby (and I do mean baby), what's your sign?

What do you think?

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T10:38:00.008-05:00

Yes, they did let us back into the country after our visit to New Zealand. We've been laying low since we got back, adjusting to the time zone, baby teeth, and (finally) summer. Now that it is a three day weekend, maybe we will have some time to update you on what's been happening in the past couple of months (if you're still reading the blog after all this time). For now, here's a look at our little firecracker. Hope all you Americans have a happy Independence Day and all the rest have a nice July 4th!

You've got to be kidding me. I'm not your little flag-waving monkey.

Will you give me a hot dog now?

We Americans have mastered the science of hands-free, self-waving flags

I WANT YOU - To give me some Cheerios

First Mother's Day

2008-05-11T18:53:00.007-05:00

Today is my first mother's day as a mother. I don't think last year while I was pregnant counted and no, that has nothing to do with the abortion debate, but rather the fact that I believe that the job description for mom is more than carrying around a human-to-be in your belly/uterus.

I've had a wonderful day, in fact, a wonderful weekend. Yesterday, we all met up with my Aunt Linda, Cousin Rebekah and her two children at the Como Zoo. We got sprinkled on a little, but it was fun to watch the kids with all of the animals. Sparky the sea lion was inside and took a break from swimming to perch on the ledge by the glass and go almost nose to nose with Jack. We (and the other guests at the zoo) were much more impressed with this than Jack was. Jack was like, hey. Yeah, the lady next to me is as interesting as a sea lion. After the zoo, we came home, and Jack and our cat, Hank, gave me their cards and a little present. The Clever King said that those two didn't understand a calendar well enough to know when the actual mother's day was. The book from Jack is so sweet - Someday by Alison Meghee and Peter H. Reynolds. Only slightly less heartbreaking than Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw. After a trip to the grocery store, we put Jack to bed, Nick bought some wine and flowers, we cooked an Indian dinner, and settled in to watch an episode of Lost (on tape from Thursday night) and Ratatouille.

Today, Jack slept in until 7am (thanks for the gift, Jack) and then CK took Jack downstairs so I could sleep a bit more. I made it until almost 9am! This helped tip the scales even farther on the side of wellness for me; I am almost fully recovered now. Then Jack went down for a nap, and Comet came over to watch him while Nick and I went out to breakfast at one of our favorite spots. We came home, took a walk, played with Jack outside, and Nick gave me gifts from him, The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters and Burt's Bees foot cream and the promise of a foot massage. Jack went to sleep at 6:40pm and I am passing time until the season finale of Brothers and Sisters.

In other news...

Yesterday, we felt a little tooth bud for Jack on the bottom, his first one. It seems like he has been working on it for months and now it is finally emerging. Today, we felt another one on the bottom, so looks like he is getting two at the same time. He celebrated by feeding himself lots of Gerber puffs today. (Yes, Keith and Brian, he does eat that "Gerber" food now.)

We are headed to visit Nick's family in New Zealand a week from Tuesday. I don't think I have even mentioned the trip on the blog. We booked the seats a little while ago and then illness has been bogging us down. We have a lot of preparation before we will be ready to go, as I am headed to Madison this weekend with Jack for an annual get together with my high school girlfriends and CK will be having the Brodeo Part II at our house. Maybe spring will finally be here to stay in Minnesota by the time we return in early June.

I'm sure there are other things, but I can't think of any right now. All my love to the mothers and other special women out there. A special bit of love to my mom who has been gone for 22 1/2 years, but whom I think about everyday as I look into the eyes of my son.

Thanks to Jen for the lovely photo!

A Pox On Our House

2008-04-13T13:12:00.005-05:00

It's been a difficult couple of weeks. Aside from the fact that the calendar said spring started on March 20, yet the daily high temperature has been consistently 20 degrees below average, all of the Henderlembckes have been sick. And not just the kind of sick where you stay home from work, snuggled in a quilt, watching Young and the Restless, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and maybe even Martha, but the kind of sick where, in between trips to the toilet, you lie on the bed in the guest bedroom underneath as many quilts as you can find, drugged up on Tylenol PM, moaning. (Real conversation between myself and the Clever King on Tuesday - Me: Why are you moaning? CK: I don't know I just feel miserable. Me: But why are you moaning? Real conversation between myself and CK on Wednesday - Me: Ahh, ahh, ahh. CK:Now you know why I was moaning, don't you?)

I learned a few things during this period: (1) An infant can vomit up more liquid than you think it is possible for his stomach to hold. (2) The sound of a parent vomiting can be loud and terrible enough to cause an infant to start crying. (3) There really is a point where parents can be too sick to take care of their sick child. (Thankfully, we just flirted with this line, rather than crossing it.) (4) The combination of an infant being sick and teething may be too much for any parent to handle (at least without spades of baby ibuprofen and Tylenol).

After this weekend, I think it is safe to say that we are all feeling better. Jack is back eating solid foods, drooling on everything he can get in or near his mouth, and being his usual happy-go-lucky self. CK and I feel like normal human beings and are accomplishing more each day than minimal self-care and chores.

As if this wasn't good enough news in and of itself, it is supposed to be 66 degrees here by Tuesday. Now, if only we can get Jack back on track with his sleeping.

Hopefully, more updates soon. Unless we are too busy playing in spring (fingers crossed)!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T10:38:00.003-05:00

You act like you didn't know pastels are in this year

Me and bunny here are planning on eating chocolate eggs all Sunday long

The last man to call me a 'baby' I left dying in a ditch outside of El Paso

As well as being a metaphor for spring and renewal, he's also an excellent calf masseuse

Our Little Leprechaun

2008-03-17T17:27:00.003-05:00

Jamiroquai is my fave band

Those aren't rhinestones, they're polished kibbles

abracadabra!

I'm part Irish - I don't need no funny hat

Half-Birthday

2008-02-28T18:50:00.006-06:00

When I was young, I used to relish celebrating my half-birthday. Well, it was a celebration in my mind, at least; we never had any real celebration of the event, but I enjoyed remembering the day, nonetheless. As I mentioned in my previous post, Jack was six months old on February 25th (marking his "half-birthday"). We celebrated the event by going to the doctor, peeing all over the scale (Jack, not Mommy and Daddy), and receiving several shots (Jack again). For the first time, Jack had a bit of a reaction to the shots, but is feeling better now.

We learned that Jack is 27.5 inches tall (85th percentile), 17 pounds 14 ounces (58th percentile), and his head is 46.5 cm (98th percentile). We knew he had a big head, but didn't know it was bigger than 98% of babies his age. Hopefully, it is filled with brains and not rocks or one big boulder.

Here are some of his six month pictures that I mentioned the other day.

Giddyup, pillow!

Senior pictures only 17 years away

You're right, these do have a funky odor

It's damn hard work holding up a big noggin like this!

Beef...It's What for Dinner

2008-02-25T18:55:00.008-06:00

Well, maybe a while down the road it will be. For now, it is rice cereal. Jack finally entered into the world of solid foods this weekend. We had been intending on getting Jack started on solids for a little while now (his doctor told us we could start between 5-6 months), but life interfered. Friends had given me the advice to start solids on a weekend because it could be a messy, time-consuming affair, and for weeks it seemed that we were either out-of-town or Jack was sick and the doctor recommended holding off so that we didn't end up with solids coming out one end or another in a more liquid form.

The actual cereal feeding itself was a bit anti-climatic. Jack didn't turn any cartwheels, our kitchen escaped relatively unscathed, and dreams of solids bringing on a longer, more restful night sleep proved unrealized (so far, at least). Nevertheless, we have achieved an important milestone, one for the (baby) books.

Fired up! Ready to go!

Whatcha got in there?

Can't a guy eat in peace?

It takes a very steady hand!

Ugh! I think some of your arm hair got in my cereal.

Mmmm, next stop, Murray's for some steak!

This weekend, we achieved a few other significant milestones as well. I took Jack in for his six-month pictures on Friday. (He is six-months old today!) And after running to one post office only to be told to go to another because "we don't process those on Saturdays, even though our own website says we do" (and no, we can't change the website), trying to find the next post office using the (wrong) address given to us by the postal staff, consulting with our friend Mike for assistance over the cell phone, and desperately using our best self-talk to keep from hauling off and hitting the oh-so-helpful mail personnel, we applied for Jack's passport. It's hard to say whether running all over town or trying to assist the Kinko's guy take a passport photo according to the State Department specifications ("he's gotta be looking at the camera with his mouth closed and the picture needs to fit between these lines, even though he can barely stay still for half a second") was more difficult. Actually, it's not hard at all. The running all over town wins, hands down. Thank goodness a passport is good for five years!

Jack has his six-month check-up tomorrow, so I'll try and "check-in" with stats and some of his new "official" pics.

I Didn't Forget You, Valentine!

2008-02-20T20:49:00.003-06:00

What? Valentine's Day was LAST Thursday?
Oh, Fudge!

Do you know what this thing says?

Be mine!

Update: The Henderlembckes

2008-01-31T18:39:00.000-06:00

When I started this blog, I never intended it to be a few times a month kind of thing, but here it is almost February, and well, I have only posted twice in January. There are many times during the week that I think, wow, that's a good idea for a post, but then I am consumed with work, laundry, baby Jack, and sleep (not necessarily in that order) and I never make it to the computer. But we have eaten dinner, the little one is fast asleep, and there is an hour or so before the season premiere of Lost, so I thought I would (briefly) catch you up on the happenings of the Henderlembckes*.

When I posted on New Year's day, I wrote about the many changes that 2008 would bring for us. We've managed to accomplish most of what we've set out to do in 2008 so far. Jack started daycare without a hitch. He has a wonderful daycare provider a few blocks from our home who spoils him with love, hugs, and attention. Most of the time, Jack is the only child there. He shares Grandma Sherri with two four-year-olds on Mondays, two school-age kids come a few days a week, and every so often a 15-month old waddler joins the crew. Nick and I have arranged our schedules so that we each have every other Friday off, so we get some extra time with Jack and Sherri gets her Fridays off.

I love daycare!

I have joined the ranks of telecommuters and it is a bit trickier than one might think. I am not the biggest fan of getting ready to go to work in the morning, and it's even harder to make that happen when you aren't really "going" to work. Some days, I stay in my pajamas/lounge pants all day and forget to brush my teeth until after I eat lunch. It doesn't really affect my productivity, but it does affect my ego when I realize that I forgot to put on deodorant for the day (and no, it's not a smell that reminds me, smart aleck). I have found that overall the advantages to working at home outweigh the drawbacks, but it is definitely different than I expected. A recent story in the New York Times confirmed some of my feelings.

We have purchased a new car and, much to our surprise (and maybe yours), it is a minivan. I was shopping around for the best used car we could get for the money, and, lo and behold, stumbled across this Honda Odyssey. I know that some of you Kiwis are not familiar with the term minivan and may wonder what it looks like - I'll post a picture as soon as we get the salt washed off of it.

We are the proud aunt, uncle, and cousin to little Andy. We went to Madison to check him out in person last weekend and man, is he a sweetie. His parents, Grant and Anne, are hanging in there during the (most amazing and hardest) first weeks. Grandpa Roy is bursting with pride (well, as much as he "bursts") at the newest additions to the family. The minivan survived the road trip and its spaciousness allowed us to feed and diaper Jack without having to take him out in the cold.

Little Andy

And it has been cold. Yesterday was the coldest day of the season, with high temperatures well below zero and wind chills close to 30 degrees below (Fahrenheit). We are headed for a big warm-up this weekend - highs in the 20s. Gotta love winter in Minnesota.

Mom, I can't put my arms down!

I will post some more pictures of Jack and his cousin in the next few days, but now I have to run and watch the Lost: Past, Present, and Future show so my brain is ready to absorb the new episode scheduled for 8pm. This writer's strike (and that darn baby) have really put a cramp in our TV viewing this season. Gotta catch the new shows when we can!

*The Clever King came up with this nickname a few years ago for our dual last name family while playing The Sims and it has stuck.

Eyes on the Prize

2008-01-03T20:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight, all eyes are on our neighbors to the south, those crazy Iowans. As they participate in the the Iowa caucuses, about 300,000 of the approximately 2 million eligible voters in the state will have an important hand in the decision of who the rest of us will eventually get to pick between for the president. Nick has spent the last several days watching the polls and telling those Iowans (via that handy two-way communication vehicle, the television set) that if they haven't made up their mind on who they are going to support by now, then they must have some of their famous corn between their ears instead of a brain. It's hard not to be jealous of all of the face time, as we sit here due north, nary a candidate in sight, and our primary still a month away. Today on MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) I heard that one Iowan woman had been discussing hot flashes with Hillary, sSounds like an advice column, "Hot Flashes with Hillary"), a topic of critical importance when selecting the next president.

It's an interesting state of affairs when my (formerly?) Republican uncle and I are supporting the same candidate in the primaries. I'm anxious to move onto the next president, after experiencing "W" for 7 of my 14 adult years. Nick is equipped for the event with his new calendar, the day by day "Out of Office Countdown," a Christmas present courtesy of his son. Each day has an "enlightening" Bush quote, January 1st's being, "You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Unfortunately, Nick will not become a citizen in time to vote in the 2008 presidential election, but that does not keep him from sharing his (many) opinions on the subject. Two political science majors under the same roof makes for some interesting conversation.

It seems like both yesterday and a decade ago when Howard Dean let out his (in)famous scream in the last presidential go-round. Weird.

Results are coming in...stay tuned.

What the New Year Brings

2008-01-01T21:06:00.000-06:00

Happy 2008! I can't believe that "next year" is already here. For the last few weeks, our lives have continued on fast forward. We shoveled some snow, did lots of Christmas shopping, attended some Christmas parties, shoveled some more snow, travel to Madison to spend Christmas with my family, drove through some snow, watched Jack roll over a few times, and shoveled yet more snow. (I recently heard that we had more snow in December than we have for many of the winters that I have lived here. That doesn't surprise me.)

Here's a few pictures from those events...

Karla, Jack, and Katie at the Buckskin Christmas Gathering

The weather's gonna stay this way for how many months?

You mess with Tom, you mess with me

I am strangely drawn to this

Will Ferrell has some competition

And next year I want a Red Ryder gun, a pony, and a real live fire truck

2008 will bring us many changes. Tomorrow, Jack goes to his first day of daycare. Tomorrow is also my first day of my new (although somewhat? temporary) telecommuting schedule. We will soon be returning to our status as a two-car family (if all goes well), after a year or so as a single-car one. We will also soon become an aunt and uncle, as my brother and sister-in-law have a baby on the way. Hopefully, we will also be able to slow down a bit as 2008 begins. I will try and keep you posted about how each of these changes is going.

Hope you enjoyed the holidays. Here's wishing you all the best in 2008!

Our Winter Wonderland

2007-12-14T19:31:00.001-06:00

The snow and ice storms hitting the U.S. in the last few weeks have made the news worldwide. Of the six years that I have lived in Minnesota, this year has been the earliest that we have been hit with the snow and cold. It seems especially cold when you have a little baby to get bundled up! I never thought putting mittens on a little one could be so difficult. They ought to make that an American Gladiator or Survivor challenge. Forget this eating worms or knocking people off platforms with a foamed oar. This is the true test of survival in a harsh environment!

As you may have guess, I'm not a fan of winter. This time of year I often ask the Clever King just why we live in Minnesota. I then spend a lot of time explaining to him how, yes, there is snow and cold in Wisconsin, but it is DEFINITELY not as snowy and cold as it is HERE in southern Canada. This time of year, lots of other folks ask the Clever King why HE lives in Minnesota when he is from the island paradise of New Zealand, where it is rarely below 50 degrees (although furnaces are also rare there). He spends a lot of time explaining to them the merits of the States. We've collectively spent a lot of time the last few weeks shoveling the sidewalk so the wheelchair man can get through to church*, digging out cars, commuting home from work, and hunting down the last of the fresh apple cider in the local supermarkets.

Fresh apple cider may be the best part of late fall. CK has perfected the art of heating it in the microwave so it is just hot enough to burn your throat a little bit, but not hot enough to burn your mittenless hands off. One of our favorite mugs (meant for coffee but used for cider by us) has an excerpt from Garrison Keillor on it. It was given to us by an Australian friend one summer when he and his girlfriend (now wife) stayed with us. CK and I each clamor for this mug in the winter months because, when we are feeling sorry for ourselves, it reminds us of the expectations of being a Minnesotan in the winter. Here's what Garrison has to say:

"Growing up in a place that has winter you learn to avoid self-pity. Winter is not a personal experience, everybody else is as cold as you, so you shouldn't complain about it too much. You learn this as a kid, coming home crying from the cold, and Mother looks down and says, 'It's only a little frostbite. You're okay.' And thus you learn to be okay. What's done is done. Get over it. Drink your coffee. It's not the best you'll ever get but it's good enough."

Yes, Jack's first Minnesota winter has definitely arrived with a bang. On those few occasions that he has been out in the cold for the 15 seconds it takes to transport him from the house to the car and the wind hits his face, he takes a sharp little breath and looks at us as if to say, "Good God, people! What have you done with that warm cozy place where I spent nine months?" We tell him he's been fortunate to spend the first days of winter at home with Daddy, surrounded by radiators pumping out heat and soft, snuggly blankets wrapped around his little body. Soon enough, he will have to brave the cold each day to get off to daycare. With a Wisconsin mom and a Kiwi daddy, we'll have to see if he is tough enough for survival in the land of 10,000 (frozen) lakes. I'm betting he can make it.

*This stems from the times when we first moved into our house and we had disagreements about exactly how frequently and well the sidewalk needed to be shoveled. Nick often felt that it was "good enough" and I would respond that if he wanted to be the house in the neighborhood who had the sidewalk that kept the wheelchair man from getting to the church on the corner, that was fine with me. The (hypothetical) wheelchair man usually won.

It Takes a Little Time

2007-12-10T18:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I am officially back to work. I returned on Thursday, November 29th, so, as of today, I have spent 8 days as a working mother. I had been doing a little bit of work from home part-time, but that didn't really count, as it didn't take me away from Jack and didn't require that I get up, get dressed, and be ready for business by a certain time of day. And it's a bit trickier than I would have thought.

The last month that I was at home taking care of Jack, there was a sort of calculus I completed to figure out what I was going to get done that day. For example, taking a shower meant that I might not be able to get an hour or work done. Surfing the web and blogging meant that the laundry might not get put away and my contacts wouldn't get put in. It's amazing how quickly I learned to assess the tasks for the day and prioritize. Apparently, this type of thinking is a common phenomenon, as one of my favorite bloggers, dooce, used to measure how well the day was going with her and her little baby by how many tasks of personal hygiene she accomplished. Another friend of mine whose children are older now said that she never has gotten more done than when she had a baby in the house because she was always trying to hurry up and get everything done before the baby woke up. So true.

Being back at work is a whole new type of math because there are so many additional tasks associated with it. It makes my old "calculus" seem like using an abacus. Not only does work require a shower and presentable clothing (read: no J-Lo velour jumpsuit), but I must pack my lunch, my work bag, my breast pump, bottles to pump into, and a cooler for milk storage. I have to get up in the morning by 6:45am at the latest, whether I have been up one or three times in the night with Jack. Once I arrive at work, I have to figure out how to balance meetings, catching up with colleagues, and getting regular work done with the need to pump frequently so that my baby has enough milk for the next day. I have to decide if I am going to use lunch to hang out with friends or run errands so I can come home earlier to my baby, who I miss desperately by 2pm or so. When I get home from work, I have a couple of hours to spend with the little man before he goes to sleep and then I decide if I will do laundry, pay bills, run to the store, or simply snuggle my husband and cat. I can't explain it in a way that doesn't sound a bit pathetic and "woe is me," even though that is not my intention. It's just adjusting to life in a different gear than it was B.J. (before Jack). You parents out there know exactly what I am talking about.

Some days it goes well. And some days, when anything unexpected comes up (like 4 inches of snow during a weekday or a car that won't start), it is very hard. I'm really glad that Nick is home with Jack right now because it gives me an opportunity to get used to the work routine without having to factor in adjustment to daycare. The boys are really enjoying their time together and Nick has figured out a good nap schedule for Jack, something I couldn't ever do.

When I was feeling a bit low the other day and lamenting to Nick about if things would ever get easier, he told me that getting used to our "new" life with Jack is like learning to play The Sims. At first, it seems impossible just figuring out how to get your character to eat, sleep, use the toilet, and not stink so bad that the neighbors don't want to speak to you. After a little while, that is a piece of cake, and you begin to socialize your Sim with the neighbors and have a little fun. A bit later, you are able to find your Sim a job, a girlfriend, and time to throw a party big enough to attract Drew Carey. I think this is a good analogy - particularly because I love The Sims and became quite good at it back in the day (after many, MANY, hours of play).

A friend at work today was listening to me talk about the adjustment and commented that just when you think you have it all figured out with the baby, it all changes. I guess that means the key is learning to expect the unexpected. And also not expecting to master a game that I haven't practiced a lot yet. I know many others have done it before me and that, and just looking at the handsome devil below, make being a working mother, wife, and oh yeah, basic human, a bit easier each day.

What a Whirlwind!

2007-11-27T11:27:00.001-06:00

I looked at my blog today and realized that it has been almost three weeks since my last post and that post was just a little video of Jack. Where does the time go? I remember starting this blog because I thought I needed something to fill the extra time on my hands. As the holidays and my return to work have come near and dear Jack has gotten big enough that he doesn't sleep all day, that extra time is a distant dream. I had all of these great ideas for posting about National Adoption Month (which is November!), our wonderful cat (Hank the Tank), and other clever? thoughts of a new mother, but they have not come to fruition. Those posts take longer than I would have imagined, so instead I'll spend a little time catching you up on what's been going on for us in November.

We celebrated our friend, Comet's, birthday with her on November 12th at Pancho Villa on Nicollet. If you live here in the Cities and you like Mexican food and margaritas, head on over there. The food was delicious (even Nick who prefers Tex-Mex was enthusiastic) and the margaritas were the best I have ever had.

We headed out to Stella's Fish Cafe with the Camp Buckskin Crew on November 16th. Jack got to meet Mav and Chiquita and thank Tom for bringing Nick over to the States so that he could be born!

I'll do exactly as you say, I promise!

Whew, can this guy ever talk!

Man, I'm so hungry I'm eating my hand and all he can do is smile for the camera!

The Clever King and I went with some friends to the Badger/Gopher football game here in town on November 17th. We were lucky enough to have Nick's old boss's wife, Mary, look after Jack during the game. We spent some time catching up with their family while eating lunch before the game. I can't believe how big their "boys" are now! What a change since I first came to work at camp 7 years ago. Hopefully, Jack was a good boy! (Mary said he was, but we realized later that he and I were both probably coming down with something at that time.) After a shaky start, middle, and end, the Badgers managed to pull out a victory (or is it the Gophers managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again).

Jack and I felt really sick and achy last Monday and Tuesday. It was sad seeing our fun little man down and a bit cranky. We took a visit to the doctor on Tuesday and determined that it must be a virus of some sort. After some Tylenol, Jack felt a little better and we had some visitors from Iowa on Tuesday night for Thai food and Guitar Hero. (Thanks, Kris, Mickey, and Kim for the fun!)
We headed down to Madison on Wednesday night to stay with Grandpa Roy for a night before traveling to Joliet, Illinois, to spend Thanksgiving with my extended family. Jack enjoyed meeting the relatives he hadn't seen yet, especially the twins. We spent the night in a hotel there on Thursday and, after discovering that our sickness had morphed into pink eye for both Jack and me, returned to Madison on Friday, making a visit with Dr. Amber, Molly, and Mark. (Your prescription was a lifesaver, Am!)

Is that really what happened to the turkey?

Jack and our Thanksgiving hostess with the mostess, Laurie

We had a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Anne, at my dad's church on Saturday. It was fun to celebrate the pending arrival of Jack's first cousin and to catch up with more family. Saturday night we visited briefly with my dad's neighbors so they could admire Jack and Sunday we headed home, exhausted.

We learned a lot about routine and traveling with a little one over the long weekend. Jack was a wonderful traveler, especially for how sick he had been feeling, but even so, it's hard to be away from home. Every day we are learning more about how to be good parents to our "Jack-pot."

Jack and Grandpa Roy

Now as we are back home and in our routine, it is just about to change, as I will be heading back to work full-time on Thursday and Nick will be staying home with Jack until early January. I have been doing a bit of part-time work from home during the month of November, so I have had a glimpse back into my "old life," but I know it will be hard to be away from Jack.

So, that is November, in a nutshell! Looking back, it is no wonder that I haven't posted - we've had the busiest month yet! Here's to slowing down a bit come December! Happy belated Thanksgiving to all.

Our (Hiccuping) Movie Star

2007-11-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

Thought you all might like this video of the little man.

What a Man, What a Man, What a Mighty Big (Little) Man

2007-11-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

Jack had his two month check-up this week. (Even though he is, as of today, 10 weeks old, they still call it a two month check-up.) We had not been to the clinic since Jack was a little over two weeks old. That visit was because he had a bad case of thrush that had not responded to the doctor's first treatment, and he had to have his mouth swabbed with gentian violet, turning his gums, tongue, and lips a bright shade of purple. This made him look like a baby vampire for a few days and caused the doctor to joke that Jack was getting ready for the "big game" on Sunday. I had to inform the doctor that Jack is NOT a Vikings fan, but rather, a Packers fan, to which the Clever King responded that, actually, Jack's first loyalty is to the 49ers, then the Packers, and that he might cheer for the Vikings sometimes, if it didn't hurt either one of those teams. I think the doctor was sorry he had made any comment.

While waiting to be seen by the doctor this time, we ran into the Assistant Commissioner of Human Services, Chuck Johnson, and his daughter. Assistant Commissioner Johnson is almost the biggest bigwig at my work. I told Jack that we must be in the big leagues to be at the same clinic as the Assistant Commissioner. He agreed. Assistant Commissioner Johnson was catching up on Winnie the Pooh's adventures while his daughter read another book. Jack and I just stared off into space, illiterate buffoons that we are. I guess there's a reason some people climb the ladder and others, well, scratch their heads and wonder how to get up on the roof.

The nurse called us back and she measured Jack's head circumference, weight, and height at the appointment. Jack's head was 41 centimeters around (71st percentile for kids his age), his weight was 12 lbs 13 oz/5.8kg (also 71st percentile), and his height was 24.75 inches/.629 m (a whopping 95th percentile). No wonder he is already growing out of many of his 0-3 month old clothes! Then, the doctor came in and admired Jack. She said he is developing perfectly and is a beautiful baby. (Of course, we already knew that, but we are biased!) After that, the nurse came back to give him some shots which he did not like one bit. His face turned bright red, crumpled up into the cry look, but no sound came out for several seconds. I thought, okay, maybe he's not going to cry. Immediately, after I thought that, he let out a big wail and looked at me, like, I thought you were supposed to protect me from stuff like that. He recovered quickly (probably more quickly than me) and we went home and took these pictures in his cute dino outfit because, at the rate he is growing, it won't fit for long.

Nope, no babies needing shots here, just a little stegosaurus

These things are extinct, right?

We've got a really great show for you tonight! And Richard Gere is here! Stick Around!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T09:15:00.001-05:00

Superman never made any money....but I'm okay with that

Okay, okay, I'm waving!

Do you see something spooky in the corner?

Ready for my Milky Way

My potential is yet untapped

And you thought Casper was cute

I ain't 'fraid of no ghost

Jor and Kal-El

My mom keeps dressing me in these stupid Halloween outfits

My dad is so proud of my costume

Our Weekend

2007-10-30T20:37:00.001-05:00

We had a very busy weekend. On Friday night, my cousin, Greg, and his family came over to our house for pizza and some chatter. They were in town from Indiana, enjoying some of the fun the Twin Cities has to offer, like the MOA (Mall of America) and the Children's Museum. We had a great time catching up with them. I can't believe how big their "little one" has gotten. We hadn't seen her since last Christmas and wow, has she changed. We got some good parenting advice from the experienced ones. I'm sure we'll be seeking some more via email. Jack liked meeting his relatives.

Wow, she's two-fisting it with the babies, what a mom!

He's kind of strange, but I like him

On Saturday, we went over to our friends' house to help them get ready for a Halloween party. It was our first experience of a kid-focused party when we actually had a kid. We had a lot of fun and got to catch up with some friends that we hadn't seen for a while. There were many amazing Halloween costumes.

I think I'm gonna yuke

Don't anyone make a move or the monkey is history!

I sure hope that was a raindrop I felt

On Sunday, we enlisted the help of our friends to get our broken storm windows fixed (long story) and to figure out what is wrong with the HD connection to Nick's Xbox (another long story). Sadly, we weren't able to resolve either problem, but we appreciate their willingness to try, especially, Mike, who was not feeling well.

Look for a special Halloween edition of You Don't Know Jack tomorrow! Surprises are in store! (Ooo, what a teaser!)

Good Things

2007-10-25T12:47:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it. Even though I don't have it listed on "my What I've Been Watching Lately - TV," I have, on occasion, (well, maybe a few occasions), watched Martha Stewart while home on maternity leave. (I have also watched some other unspeakable things - Young and the Restless: Out of the Ashes - but I'll save comments about those for another time.) I have never been a big fan of Martha. In fact, I have never been any fan of Martha. I don't hate her or anything, I just don't fully appreciate Martha's appeal. This has disappointed at least two of my aunts, who measure most decorating tasks they undertake by some unknown Martha factor.

Martha has just always seemed a bit too stuffy for me. However, since her stint in the slammer, she has become a bit more fun. I saw her on Late Night with David Letterman a few weeks ago (yes, I have been watching late night TV a lot also), and Dave was being pretty edgy with her and she seemed to be having a good time. She even made her own jokes about some weird plant pod thing she had brought called hairy balls. (She also talked about this on her TV show that day. Not that I was watching.)

Those of you who are not Martha fans may not know that she has a segment on her show called "Good Things." I didn't realize until recently that was the source of my aunt saying, "It's a good thing" in a funny voice. I guess "Good Things" are her (or more likely, her staff's) little discoveries of things that she has found useful or likes, such as products or crafts.

Recently, I have been thinking about all the "Good Things" that have been happening to me, family, and friends. So, in honor of Martha, the Bodeans (no, no, no, don't pass me by BoDeans – Good Things), and the Fine Young Cannibals (good thing, where have you gone? Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing), here is my list of good things:

The sun is shining today.
The sun was shining yesterday.
It hasn't rained since Sunday.
Jack and I went for three walks already this week.
The leaves are at their peak here.
We are predicted to have the longest stretch of no rain since the end of July.
We had visitors from Wisconsin last weekend (Janet and Pat).
We have visitors from Indiana coming this weekend (GML family).
My friend, Aaron, got engaged (to a girl named Erin).
My cousin, Darcy, got engaged (to a boy named Bryon).
I cleaned the cupboards today.
Jack's Halloween costume arrived in the mail this week, just in time for his 1st Halloween party this weekend. (Stay tuned for pictures.)
The Clever King got his Xbox back today.
Jack slept for six hours last night!
The Office is on tonight.
I talked with Nick's dad on Yahoo messenger yesterday (go, George, with your high-tech self).
My friend, Kris, got a great new job.
The fires in California are getting under control.
We have managed to not eat most of the mound of Halloween candy that I bought a couple of weeks ago.
Tomorrow is Friday.

Thoughts from Garrison Keillor

2007-10-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed this piece sent to me by my husband this morning and thought some of you might enjoy it also. Garrison Keillor is Minnesota's hometown boy whose essay on Salon this morning comments on the war, health care, and parenting.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2007/10/24/gop/

If You Want a Baby Badger...It Takes Due Dilligence

2007-10-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I am a Wisconsin Badger through and through. I grew up just outside of Madison, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I returned to the good old UW to complete my graduate degree a few years later. My allegiance to Bucky Badger is strong. My dad (along with my aunt and uncle) has had season tickets to Badger football games for several decades, suffering through the years of Don Morton and experiencing the rush of beating Michigan in 1993 to go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 31 years (and to win for the first time ever). In the last 15 years or so, many of my family's vacations have revolved around traveling to see the Badgers play in a post-season bowl game. (Thank goodness they don't have the Garden State Bowl any longer!)

One of the (many) benefits of marrying an international man of mystery like Nick is that he did not come into our relationship with an allegiance to any particular college sports team. This has saved our relationship from much agony, as he readily converted into a Badger fan. His love of American football in general has also been beneficial, as he has no trouble spending Saturdays curled up on the couch, catching a Badger football game.

Maintaining your Badger status while living in Minnesota (land of the Golden Gopher) isn't hard when you have a strong Badger pedigree like I do, but it will likely be more of a challenge for Jack. Because we truly want a Baby Badger, we are working diligently to expose Jack to all things Badger. He has already watched at least two Badger football games on TV, he has a Badger mobile that plays On Wisconsin attached to his crib (thanks Aunt Janet), he has some Badger clothes (thanks Aunt Jane and Uncle Steve), and we sing Badger songs to him every chance we get.

One of my personal favorites for serenading Jack, stemming from my days of living in the Lakeshore dorms, is "If You Want a Baby Badger." Many of you are probably more familiar with the traditional version of this song, that is, "If You Want to Be a Badger." The Baby Badger version, is sung to the same tune, but using the lyrics below:

If you want a baby badger, just come along with me,
By the bright shining light, by the light of my room.
If you want a baby badger, just come along with me,
By the bright shining light of my room.

By the light of my room,
By the light of my room,
By the bright shining light, by the light of my room.
If you want a baby badger, just come along with me,
By the bright shining light of my room.

I'm not sure where we got this version from, but, boy, did we have some good times at Badger football games with this one. (Perhaps the tailgating before also had something to do with it.) Maybe one day, Jack too will decide to go to the UW and will get to experience this fun as a student. If he does, he will be one of the best prepared kids in his class!

Jack after the loss to Illinois

Come on, Badgers!

Jack and Bucky

Note: Those of you non-American readers of this blog who are not very familiar with college football teams may want to check out the hyperlinks that I have embedded in the text above, as they may help you understand what the heck I am talking about in this post!

Parents' Night Out or Our Life Before The Child

2007-10-13T16:51:00.001-05:00

Last Friday night we went to the movies. That's right, to the movies, like in a movie theater. We didn't get a DVD from the library or watch Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason for the 10th time on TBS, we went to the movies. It was the old "us" (which includes a 30-something brunette and a 40-something New Zealander) , not the new "us" (which includes a little baby that we just can't seem to shake). Before that, it had been exactly 7 weeks and 2 days since we had been to the movies, a fact that my husband, the King of Clever, had pointed out to me just a few times. We last went to the movies the day before Jack's due date and saw The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (highly recommended glimpse into geekdom - appealing to geeks and non-geeks alike).

If you haven't spent a lot of time with my husband (or maybe even a moderate or little amount of time), you have no idea how important going to the movies is to him. Here are a few things that will give you a clue:
1. In addition to being the King of Clever, he is also the King of Pop Culture, reading Entertainment Weekly cover to cover each week. (When the summer and fall movie issues are on the newsstands, he checks the mailbox obsessively to see if his subscription has come yet.)
2. He was praying that his son wouldn't be born before August 3rd because then he wouldn't get to see The Bourne Ultimatum the first night that it was in wide release. Luckily, his son wasn't born before August 3rd and we went to The Bourne Ultimatum on opening night. Despite the fact that the theater was about 90 degrees and I was 9 months pregnant and about to pass out, I lasted through the movie because I didn't want to let him down by asking to leave. (Full disclosure: I also really wanted to see the movie and I never told Nick that I was feeling so hot, although I was fanning myself with whatever random items I could find in my purse and I wiggled out of the tank top which was under my shirt while sitting in my movie theater seat.)
3. His surefire conversation starter is "what movies have you seen lately" followed by a recitation of the slew of the movies that he has seen lately. If people respond that they can't remember when they last saw a movie, but it has been a long time, he responds, yeah, the last movie I saw was a few weeks ago.
4. He doesn't trust anyone that hasn't seen a movie for more than six months on DVD, or a year in the theater.
5. He LOVES Roger Ebert. We once went to the University Bookstore in Madison to hear Roger Ebert talk about movies. He checks Roger Ebert's website every week to read Ebert's latest reviews. When Roger Ebert was offline because of complications surrounding his cancer, Nick was genuinely concerned.

This outing came about because my 2nd cousin some number removed Katie had volunteered to babysit for us. I wasn't quite sure if we were ready to leave our baby home without us, but decided that we should give it a shot. Katie offered to babysit for dinner and a movie, but that seemed like too much on the test run, so she brought us dinner instead and ate with us. (Thanks, Katie! Yum.)

It had been so long since we had been to the movies that the CK (Clever King) had a difficult time selecting which movie was worthy of our attendance. The movie that we saw was Michael Clayton. It was a great movie, made even better by that eye candy, George Clooney (whom the CK bears some resemblance to).

We don't typically buy refreshments at the movies. Since we go to the movies so often, this has saved us a lot of money over the years. We also had a bad experience early on when we were dating where I choked on a piece of popcorn while watching the movie Traffic and had to go to the emergency room to have it checked out because it felt like something was stuck in there. (After looking down my throat by putting a camera up my nose, it was determined that everything was fine.) This time, I bought a bottle of water (for $3.75!) only because as a nursing mother you are supposed to stay well-hydrated and I didn't want to duplicate the Bourne experience again.

We arrived plenty early, as we always do, to allow the CK to select the optimum seats. I felt proud to stay awake through the previews (no, it wasn't a midnight or even 9pm movie, it started at 7:10pm) and really struggled to keep my eyes open during the first 20 minutes or so of the feature. Then, I kept thinking, baby thoughts. Was he okay? Would Katie call us if something was wrong? Did he miss us? Did he understand that we hadn't deserted him forever? Would he decide he liked Katie better than us?

Despite those initial thoughts, for about 40 minutes at the end of the movie, I forgot that we are Mommy and Daddy. I forgot that I was still wearing maternity jeans and that, prior to that night, I had been in record setting mode for how long it had been since I had worn makeup or shoes with a heel. We were Amy and Nick (formerly Kit Kat and Moondog), and they do this every couple of weeks. Sometimes they even go out to a 9pm movie. Sometimes they go out to dinner after 6:30pm. Sometimes they go to dinner AND a movie in the same night. Baby? They have no baby. Just a rather large tabby cat named Hank who thinks he is a baby.

On the way home, we both agreed that we had a fun time, but we missed Jack. We decided that it was a good thing to get out and that we are lucky to have Katie (and others) who are willing to babysit for us, as our immediate families are not in town. The CK said we should make a point to go out every couple of weeks or every week. "Every week?" I said. "We do have a new baby you know."

I was just testing you, said the CK, and you passed the test. But maybe we could go out once a month or so.

I agreed to consider it. After all, we are approaching the holidays and that is when all the best movies come out. And I don't want the King of Pop Culture to lose his edge in movie trivia.

Amy, Jack, and babysitter Katie

Parcel from New Zealand

2007-10-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

When we returned home from our adventure to Madison a week or so ago, we were lucky enough to come home to a special thing - a parcel (or what we call a package here in the States) from New Zealand. It's always fun to get something in the mail other than the usual assortment of bills, requests for campaign donations, and circulars (advertising fliers for you Yanks), and something from Nick's family overseas is a special event.

Nick eagerly tore into the parcel. He had made a special request to his family for an All Blacks outfit for Jack and they did not disappoint. For those of you non-Kiwis who are wondering, "what kind of crazy father requests an all black outfit for his newborn son, don't most normal babies wear blue, green, and yellow," let me explain. The All Blacks are New Zealand's national rugby team and they inspire a cult-like following, particularly by my husband and father-in-law. If you are American, it is difficult to understand the magnitude of a whole country following the same team playing the same sport. I guess it would be like if all of the die-hard Packer, Cub, and Badger fans united together to cheer for a common cause. When visiting my in-laws last fall, I had Nick teach me the New Zealand National Anthem on the long drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound so I could impress my father-in-law, George, by proudly singing along before that Sunday's rugby match. I won several daughter-in-law favor points by doing so. (Note to self: will have to learn the Maori verse on the next trip to bank a few more.)

Not only did Nick's family send an All Blacks outfit, but an All Blacks hat, mittens, and booty set. Their timing couldn't have been better, as the weather has turned cool and we finally gave in and turned on our heat last Friday. Jack also lucked out with a new Stretch and Grow (known as Sleep and Plays in "American"), lots of fun socks, and a beautiful sweater, handmade by Auntie Jean and purchased by Nanny from the hospital shop where Auntie Jean volunteers by selling the sweaters she knits with her amazing talent. The sweater is the perfect size to fit Jack in the heart of winter. There was also another snuggly sleeper that will fit Jack soon and will keep him warm all winter. Grandad tucked in a kiwibird key chain for Jack, which Mommy will carefully safeguard until Jack is old enough to have his own set of keys.

Nick said the All Black outfit and package (almost) made up for the loss that the team had suffered to France in the Rugby World Cup earlier that weekend.

Jack begged us to let him model the clothes right away, so we acquiesced. I swear, he can be such a prima donna. Please see his runway shoot below.

A note from Jack:
Thanks, Nanny, Grandad, and Uncle Michael for all the cool stuff. Hope you don't feel too bad about the All Blacks. As I told Daddy....

There's always 2011.

First Road Trip

2007-10-08T17:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we took Jack on his first road trip to Madison (Wisconsin, for those of you who are familiar with Madison, Minnesota). The leaves were turning which made for a beautiful drive. Jack traveled pretty well; Mommy and Daddy just needed to realize that the trip will no longer take 4 hours on a good day. Slow down and enjoy the ride, right? More like drive as fast as you can while the little man is sleeping so you can get as far as possible and try to coincide his need to stop with an available exit, preferably one not in the middle of a cornfield, but with real commercial buildings and such. (Don't worry, Grandpa, we didn't drive that fast.) My friend Jen used to pride herself on knowing every exit between here and Madison that had a Dairy Queen. Before Jack turns two, I am confident that the Henderlembckes will know every exit with a baby changing station available on that stretch of I-94.

Aside from the road trip itself, the big news is that on the way home Jack rode in the back seat all by himself. One of us had been riding with him limo style for the first six weeks of his life (yes, even on those short Target or Costco runs) so when he turned six weeks plus one, we decided to move him on. (Actually, I just got tired of being the chauffeur and having Nick ask "what" after everything I said because he couldn't hear me over the fade of the radio.) After several attempts, we finally figured out the little mirror dooblebob so I could see more than just the top of Jack's head from my rearview mirror. By Thanksgiving, I'm sure Jack will be ready to ride shotgun and by Christmas, he should be ready to drive us. In 2008, he can start making solo trips. Who needs parents after the first three months of life anyways?

Friday night, we arrived at Grandpa's house about 5:30pm and decided to go out to dinner at family favorite Gino's with Grandpa and Auntie Anne. Mommy had gotten a little cocky about feeding Jack on the road and left the bottle at Grandpa's house. Big mistake. Halfway through the meal when Jack was once again hungry, I attempted to breastfeed him in the smallest booth east of the Mississippi. Quite different from the relaxing living room at home or even the (relative) luxury of the backseat of the Altima. While lying on the table, with his legs sandwiched between me and the side of the vise, I mean, table, Jack looked at me like, "you've got to be kidding." He managed to get a few drops of a milk in his mouth, despite the table's best efforts. After a bit, when everyone but me had finished their meal, we decided it would be best to leave and just feed Jack in the comfort of the backseat of the Altima once again. We took off from the restaurant very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if we left the restaurant with half of my bra (or boob) in view, which luckily would not have drawn any attention from the college crowds on State Street. Lesson learned: not a great idea to go out to eat after a long car ride that has thrown everyone out of whack (especially Mommy who did not get her usual afternoon nap because she was driving) and ALWAYS bring a bottle EVERYWHERE, just in case.

Saturday morning we (including the bottle) went to the Hubbard Avenue Diner for breakfast with my friend, Xandy, her husband, and their baby, Riley. It was great to catch up with them. We had last seen Riley when he was about 10 weeks old. Riley is almost 4 months older than Jack. He is a handsome devil with long eyelashes, bright blue eyes, and the shoulders of a future defensive tackle. Jack looked at him in awe (see picture below). Maybe someday you will be that big, Jack. Like when you are 3. Or maybe 13.

That dude is freakin' huge!

Yeah, yeah, he's bigger, but the ladies love the hair

After watching the Badger football team lose to Illinois, on Saturday night we went with some extended family to dinner at the Great Dane, Hilldale location. The Great Dane is one of my favorite Madison restaurants and I had not been to this new branch of it before. It was very nice, but I thought it was strange that you couldn't get their own brewed beers there, especially since at the other locations, they don't have anything BUT their own beers. I guess there is some old law on the books from the time of Prohibition that prevents this. Weird. They put us in a small private room which worked out really well for our group. Afterward, we were lucky to have some yummy chocolate torte at Aunt Janet's. (You can always count on her for a chocolate fix.) Thanks to all of the relatives that came to meet Jack, including Great-Grandma, who, despite her disappointment that Jack is not a girl and her propensity for negative commentary, managed to say he was cute and hold him a bit.

This lady puts me in a chocolate coma

This one's giving me a cousin soon

I've been meaning to talk to you about this "little monster" stuff

Are you sure this guy's held a baby before?

You can't change me into a girl by looking at me that way

And you call yourself a Badger fan

On Sunday, we made our way home, shaving about 50 minutes off our previous record time of 6 hours. Daddy and Jack relaxed by watching the Packers lose to the Bears and Mommy by tuning in to Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. (Don't worry, Wisconsinites, I managed to catch the Pack a bit before my shows, as well as during commercials.)

We're sorry that we weren't able to see all of you who live in (or near) Madison. We wish we had more time on our visits. It is always such a whirlwind to get there, visit my family, and get on the road again Sunday to get settled before the work week. We hope Jack gets to meet more of you soon. We're home (or at least in the TC Metro area) until Thanksgiving.

And miles to go before I sleep (or maybe not)

Some captions courtesy of Jack's daddy; all captions meant in fun.

The Beginning

2007-10-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I have finally succumbed to temptation. I am starting my own blog. Nick started one a while back and I remember thinking, "why on earth would someone want to have a blog, I would never do that. He must have too much time on his hands." Flash forward three years and one baby later and here I am, eating crow while typing my first blog entry. (Side note: Nick posted semi-regularly for a year or so and then busied himself with household chores, Xbox, football watching, and work, and indeed ran out of time, until recently when he posted about Jack's birth.)

Why did I decide to start a blog now? There are a few reasons. For the almost six weeks that I have been on maternity leave, I have been loving reading the blogs of my friends and family. Although they all update their blogs regularly, it is never quite enough for me, who obsessively checks each one several times a day to see if they have written anything new. I thought a blog of my own would keep me from becoming too (much more) neurotic about this. (One would think that a new baby might keep me busy 24/7, but, surprisingly, I have more time on my hands than you might think, especially now that Nick has gone back to work, my dad has returned home, and it is just me, Jack, and Hank, our loving, but non-verbal cat, all day, every day.)

Also, I talked to my aunt last week and she told me that she has enjoyed the blog that my cousin's wife started about a year ago, shortly after their daughter was born, because it has allowed family who reside at a distance to receive regular updates on the little one. Nick and I have so many friends and family that are far away, that I agreed this would be a good way to keep everyone who is interested posted about Jack and his (of course) amazing exploits.

Finally, because I am not at work, I am missing my usual captive audience for all of my stories, thoughts, and opinions. I thought a blog would give me an outlet for those as well.

"You Don't Know Jack" will hopefully allow all of you to get to know darling Jack better, see pictures of him as he grows, and give you some insight into our day-to-day life and how my brain works. (Feel free to skip those posts, if you wish!) I hope you return to take a look!

P.S. Thanks to my darling husband for coming up with the name for my blog. ALL of his ideas (including the ones that I did not use, such as Badger in the Gopher Hole) were MUCH better than mine (such as Henderlembcke's Hood). I hope Jack gets his daddy's quick wit and creativity.