SSFC vs. RSL

Well, it's that time of year: the trees are going bare, the air is getting cold, the MLS Playoffs are here, and for some dang reason, Seattle Sounders (SSFC) and Real Salt Lake (RSL) are battling it out again. There are few things in that stir anything up remotely resembling a family feud in our house. There are only two, in fact: Mac vs. PC and.... SSFC vs. RSL.

We're disappointed that we aren't going to a playoff game this year, as we did last year. We're trying to adjust to Jeff's new work schedule, Norah has had lots of appointments, Harper and I are getting over a bug, and things are just too all-around crazy. But I probably don't have to explain that to my readers.

So instead, we battle it out at home tonight. And really the point of this post... to share two photos of the two cutest soccer fans on earth:

Seattle: Harper's birthplace, the
hometown of my heart, and part of
the USA's unofficial soccer capitol.

Salt Lake: Norah's birthplace, more or less Jeff's
hometown, and... I have to give it to them -
the home of some pretty great soccer. 

Five Years and a Scary Start

A couple months after Jeff's surgery in 2007

About five and half years ago, on February 5, 2007, Jeff had his 29th birthday. We had just met, he had just proposed a couple days prior, and on this day... his birthday... he had gone in for total spinal fusion surgery. His third major surgery in about a year (he had just had each of his hips re-done, six months between each surgery). And guess what? I kept a journal at the time, that I just re-found.

I was living in Phoenix at the time, while Jeff lived in Salt Lake City. His surgery was at the University of Utah hospital (where Norah was later born). That day was really difficult. I thought I'd be able to handle it while living a state away. I had no idea what we were in for. I received updates from his sister Emily, who I loved immediately upon meeting a couple months prior. Emily, this is what I wrote about you back then, when we hardly knew each other: "Today Emily and I cried on the phone together. She said that her mom was so strong, but that she's a big baby. I told her that we'd be big babies together."

The surgery took pretty much all day, and she was great about giving me updates. I wrote in the journal to Jeff on his birthday, "I had a rough time today. It was so hard not being there for you, and I wish that I had planned ahead." It was too difficult to be away from him. He was taken to the ICU post-op, and was there for a few days. He called me, but his voice was so scratchy from being intubated. It was too much to bear, so I booked a flight for February 8th. It was a good thing too, because in the wee hours of that morning, after he had been moved to the floor, he coded from a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot dislodged in his lungs). After being stabilized, he was returned to the ICU. While on the longest flight of my life, I wrote, "When you didn't answer this morning, I had a feeling that something was wrong. You just have to wait a little while longer, and I'll be there by your side to help you feel better... please don't leave me."

Jeff has a big family of ten. I should have been nervous to meet most of them, but things were so crazy that I wasn't nervous at all; I didn't have the capacity for it. I will always remember meeting his mom, Carol, for the first time. I stepped into Jeff's ICU room, where her deft hands were busying themselves with a crochet project. She looked up, and without a single word passing between us, we hugged. It wasn't a regular sort of hug, either. It was a clinging-to-hope-and-each-other sort of hug. It was perfect. We cried while holding one another, which woke my sleeping prince. On that day, a miracle happened, and Jeff smiled at me through his huge hockey mask. I remember being so grateful to the machines keeping him alive.

I went on throughout the journal, writing to him about why he needed to live. We had our life ahead in Seattle. We still needed to have our perfect wedding on the beach. We were going to have babies together. A doctor told us that we were lucky. They saw about a 50% mortality rate from pulmonary embolisms, and there was no obvious factor that showed who lived and who died.

My/our boss let me work out of the SLC office for a week. I would go to work, stay the night in a horrid green recliner at the hospital, then repeat. I was given gracious offers to stay with various people, but I didn't travel all that way to be with them. I was there to be with my sweetheart.

Jeff was in the hospital for a month. It was a long month. We were all surprised that he had to be there so long. Little did we know how much time we would spend just next door, at Primary Children's PICU. And little did I know how intimate I would become with medical equipment, similar to that wich kept Jeff alive. Equipment just like that which keeps Norah alive.


We are so thankful for everything we have. Jeff and Norah are the strongest people I know. I always say, that Jeff has more reason to complain than anyone, yet he never does. We can now add Norah to that statement, too. I love our sweet family. I wouldn't have wanted to have babies with anyone but Jeff. Our fifth anniversary is right around the corner, and as uniquely difficult as our life may be, it is filled with such love and joy that I never could have imagined.

September 22, 2007: Our perfect day at the beach.

Roots

My homesickness for Seattle is no secret. I miss the weather. I miss the water. I miss the culture, the people, and the whole PNW vibe. I miss vegetarian-friendly restaurants and grocery stores. I miss the breeze and the intense greenery of the Emerald City. I miss it all (well, except for the traffic and high cost of living). But there are things that Utah has that Seattle doesn't. Most of Jeff's family is here, and they've proven invaluable in these recent years. And Utah also has... hmm... well... okay so the family is what keeps us here. When we moved here, we had hoped it would be for about five years, then we'd move back. That just doesn't appear to be in the cards right now. So we've decided to plant some roots.

We are eager for Norah to be able to come home, but we can't bear to bring her home to this house we're in now. Our landlords are fantastic, and the rent is a great price, but we need a house better suited to Norah's needs. We began the rental search, only to find that our needs and our rental budget didn't match. After exploring several options, we decided to buy a house. Yes, those are some pretty thick roots to be planting.

With the financial burdens that we've been facing lately, we knew a home purchase wouldn't be an easy feat. So we brought out the big guns and bit the bullet (not sure exactly how that saying works, but I've said it). Jeff and I withdrew hefty chunks from our retirement funds in order to be able to pay off one of our auto loans to in turn afford a mortgage, put money down on the house, afford the move, and hopefully get some furniture. Sure, we may be mad at ourselves in about thirty years... but maybe we'll strike it rich by then. Besides, our retirement funds were only losing money. Perhaps this will be a better investment. We may need you to remind us of these things when retirement time rolls around.

The house is fantastic, and suits our needs perfectly. The scary thing is that now we are completely tapped out. Financially, we have little to fall back on in an emergency, but we always think of something... right?

So it's a quick close, scheduled for August 15th. Then we hope to move (from Layton to Farmington) the following weekend, on the 18th. Fortunately, our family (big strong Gunnells) will be helping. Remember what I said about Utah having things that Seattle doesn't? ;) We still hope to move back to Seattle someday, it just appears that it will be much farther out that we had originally planned.

My People!

I was on my way to visit Norah on Saturday morning, and who did I see walking down the street? The entire Seattle Sounders FC! It's their tradition to take a walk during the morning of match days on the road. Nothing quite brings out the "squee" in this fan-girl like my Sounders. It was unbelievable timing. I'd like to say I kept my cool & simply waved my scarf out the window. Instead, I honked my horn like a maniac. I made eye contact with Montero, who probably thought I was an absolute lunatic.

Sure, we only lived in Seattle for a couple years, but we miss it like crazy. It still feels like home in many ways. That evening we went to the first MLS Cup Playoff game between RSL & the Sounders. We got there a bit early, so were hanging out in front of Rio Tinto Stadium. As Jeff and I were chatting, we heard a chant begin to crescendo from the street nearby. MY PEOPLE! The Emerald City Supporters were on the march to the match, chanting their love for the Sounders. Talk about a heck of an entrance... boy, did it make me miss home. I kept telling Jeff that I was going to ditch him to sit with "my people"... but our seats were just too great to trade for the nosebleeds (that you see in the photo to the right) & of course I wouldn't leave my family. I was the oddball in our group, but was more than content to watch my favorite sports team & nod in respect to my fellow supporters dressed in Rave Green. It was a super fun night, so a big thanks to Jared & Em for watching Harper. And another big thanks to Scott and Des for the awesome tickets!

As for the result of the game - I'm not quite prepared to discuss it... but there's still hope for the next game on Wednesday!

Autumn Begins

The dramatic drop in temperature tells me that Autumn is finally here. Is it pretentious to say "Autumn" instead of "Fall"? If so, I don't really care :) I love Autumn. The chill in the air makes me want to knit a hat for Harper, make a comforting cup of tea, and cozy up to Jeff while we're bundled up enjoying the evening air. The hat is in progress, I'll put the tea on later tonight, and Jeff and I enjoyed the crisp Autumn air the other night while taking the dogs out. This is definitely my favorite season of the four - which probably helps explain why I love the weather in Seattle so much.

Speaking of Seattle weather, we had a steady, gentle drizzle yesterday in Utah that reminded me so much of the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes I miss it there (and the SF Bay Area) so much. However, the old saying that "Home is where the heart is" couldn't be any more true. For now, my heart - my two men - are in Utah... so my home is here.

Halloween is right around the corner, which is one of my favorite Holidays. I love the costumes, the playfulness, loads of goodies, and spooky silly fun. We're planning to go up to Logan to trick or treat with Harper's cousins. Below is a sneak peek of his costume. I can't wait!

Noodle

About two years ago, Jeff and I were perusing through greyhound-data.com, looking at Dottie and Dexter's pages. Each registered dog has their own page with links to (somewhat comprehensive) race records and breeding information. We clicked through the links of their siblings, to find that Farisita, one of Dottie's many littermates, was available for adoption in Portland. We saw these adorable pictures of the precious girl:
We were amazed at how much she looked like Dottie; it was love at first sight. She had been racing at a Tucson, AZ track when it closed, and I think she wouldn't have wanted to retire if she had been able to continue racing. We made arrangements to adopt her then made the trek to Portland (we were living in Seattle at the time). Little did we know at the time, that "Noodle", the name we picked (because Farisita wasn't easy on the tongue) would be so fitting for her spunky, goofy, wild, bucking, puppy-like personality.

It was decided that we would meet one of the volunteers from GPA NW (Greyhound Pets of America - Northwest) at their annual picnic, where the foster family would drop her off. When we got there, we enjoyed the fun of the picnic while waiting for Noodle to arrive. Four or so hours went by with many unanswered calls to the foster family. We continued to wait patiently, when the volunteer finally got in touch with them. There was some miscommunication somewhere, but we ended up meeting them at a zoo parking lot a bit more northward. Upon meeting our precious little girl, we fell even deeper in love with our little Snicker-Doodle-Noodle.

We thought Dottie and Noodle would perhaps recognize each other, but their reunion turned out to be quite anticlimactic. If Dottie did recognize Noodle, she was probably thinking "OMG, not you again!!" We began what we thought would be an adjustment period with Noodle. She still thought she was a puppy, and still wanted to run her heart out. She had separation anxiety, and would chew the coffee table, dig holes in the backyard, chew up anything she could get her paws on, howl whenever we came home, jump all over everyone, would make Dottie let out the GSOD (Greyhound Scream Of Death) by stepping on her feet, etc etc... As time went on, we started to realize that what we were going through was NOT an adjustment period. She was always going to be a wild child. Even today, at 6 years old, she remains a puppy. Still, we loved her.

Moving to Utah has been especially difficult for Noodle. The combination of our smaller living space, Harper crawling all over the place, and many other little things.... it has been a recipe for trouble. She even knocked Harper down onto the floor last week. We always find ourselves scolding her, and know that the situation isn't fair at all. It is with a heavy heart that we contacted GPA Salt Lake so they could find her a new home. I have been crying for the last few days, but I knew in my heart that it was better for her, and better for us. She deserves a household where she can get the attention that she needs. We wouldn't do this unless we knew she was going somewhere that would be meticulous about finding her a new forever home.

We dropped her off this morning at Liberty Park in Salt Lake so she could be with a foster family. I cried the whole way home, and now feel a surprising amount of emptiness in my heart. Somehow, my mom has a sense for when I'm upset, because she called as we were driving home. I'm not sure how she knows when I need her, even from so many miles away. We talked for awhile, and it helped. But - I'm still left feeling lonely for my baby girl. We made a difficult decision, but know it was the right one. I'm just glad we were able to give a rescue a good home for a couple of years. Many greyhounds aren't so lucky.

Getting used to this is going to be harder than I thought it would be. Perhaps in some ways, getting used to being without her is going to be harder than it was getting used to being with her. Though a trying fit, she was a loving part of our family. We love her so so so much. But as I've realized before... sometimes, love just isn't enough.

Some of my favorite things/memories of Noodle:
*The way she sleeps with her legs up in the air like a dead horse
*The way her ears flop like they're in the wind, or pile on her head like an old fashioned hat (as seen in almost every picture of her!)
*How she loved to rile up the barkaholic neighbor dogs by running full speed (45 mph) to their side of the fence, stopping to sniff, then running away... only to do it all over again. She thought she was playing, they thought she was jerk
*The way she always runs up to you - so excited - like you're her favorite person in the world
*How she'd come up to the side of the bed to wake me up in the morning (well, that one is a fun and and annoying memory)
*the fact that she was there for our wedding in CA - I'm sure everyone who was there remembers Dottie and Noodle's Great Escape ;)
*She kept me good company during my time on bedrest at the end of my pregnancy - she was sure to be posted at my feet all day, every day
*cuddles - she was good at cuddling
*The way the three of them would stand together, looking like the gentle version of the three-headed dog in Harry Potter
*She almost always came when we called her name; she was so eager to please
*Our many long nicknames for her - Noodley-Boo, Snicker-Doodle-Noodle, Schnoodle, Schnood, Noodle-doodle-do, and many other variations
*She was so happy to see us come home; she always wanted to be near us
*How much she loved Dottie and Dexter, always following them around like an annoying younger sister
*How much we loved her, and how much she loved us.

I hope you hold those happy memories of us, Noodle... because we will always remember you fondly. We'll always love and miss you, my Noodley-boo. <3

Wife, Mom, and.... Student

From the moment I made those few mouse clicks that initiated my return to school from my maternity LOA, I felt regret. I start school again on Monday, and I'm not fully confident that I can handle this additional item on my proverbial plate. Why am I putting myself through this if I'm unsure? To be honest, I am exhausted with school. But - I have been working on my "2-year degree" for over 3 years now. I'm only 15 credits away from completing it. Though many people say that it is easiest to go back to school while children are little babies, I'm taking it slow. Hopefully, Management of Information Systems won't prove to be too difficult while juggling the many other things I have going on.

Oh - other exciting news... Our Seattle house is finally listed. Though we're doing a short sale, I hope the process doesn't take as long as so many people have said. The house cleaned up really well - check it out for yourself: www.johnlscott.com/20356. I REALLY miss Seattle, but know that this path is the right one for us. Just as I hope the house sells quickly, I hope that the person that buys it will love it and give it the TLC that we were unable to.

S

Snowy Utah

We made it! We are in Utah, and have settled in as best we can while only partially unpacked. We're endlessly thankful that Jeff's sister Emily and her family opened their home to us during this transition. We're also thankful to Jeff's entire family (and my mom!!) for helping with the entire move. The Gunnells are such wonderful people, and I feel fortunate that I am a part of their family.

Things are quite stressful (and disappointing) with selling the Seattle house, but I just keep telling myself that, "It's only money". With so much love all around us, we don't need anything else. I'm just thankful for what we have (which is indeed so much), and especially for our healthy baby boy.

I do admittedly have a few regrets about the move - especially that time flew by so quickly that we didn't have the chance to say some goodbyes that we would have liked to. That pretty much goes for all of our friends in Seattle. Okay, so I don't like goodbyes, but I wish we would have had time for some kind of adios. Heck, we hardly had enough time for a proper packing job. Things are so much more challenging with little Harper, though I wouldn't change that for anything.

Harper was such a good boy on the trip down here. He is growing so fast. I can hardly believe that he is almost four months old. I'm pretty sure he's starting to teethe, because he has been getting fussy now and then, and has been gnawing on his fingers like they're made of candy.

Moving here is admittedly a bit of a culture-shock compared to Seattle, but I am sure it will grow on me. I am already loving the snow (there are a few inches on the ground right now). Only time will tell what is in store for our little family - but I am sure it is only good things.

Lovely Rainy Day

There probably aren't too many Seattle residents who love the rainy weather as much as Jeff and I. We needed to run some errands yesterday, and it was raining pretty hard (Seattle is usually only covered with a light misty drizzle). The picture to the left is one that we took while running errands. He was sleeping peacefully for about five minutes into our first stop when he became upset. I wore him during the rest of the errands. It is our mutual preferred method, and I am starting to love the Moby Wrap even more than the Baby Bjorn. I just feel so close to him in the wrap - as if I'm holding him vs. carrying him in a backpack.

Because of the hard rain, I decided to do something I haven't done in a LONG time... I wore real shoes! This may not seem exciting to you, but it was great for me. My hands and feet started to swell pretty badly as early as week 20 of pregnancy. I took my wedding rings off around week 24 and started to exclusively wear flip flops around the time that I went out on bedrest (not that I went much of anywhere except the doctor's office) at the end of July. My shoes had been tight and uncomfortable for quite some time before that. It has been over 2 months of being sans shoes, so putting them on for the first time in awhile was an odd experience. However, I'm seriously looking forward to the day that I can wear my rings again. I'm almost there, but my doc said that it isn't uncommon for it to take extra time because of breastfeeding. So, it was a nice rainy day, and Harper was such a patient baby.

Below is a picture of Harper during some tummy time yesterday. It's one of our new favorites.
S

A Gulp of Bittersweet

I adore Seattle. Jeff and I coincidentally (and individually) have wanted to move up here for the longest time. It was a dream come true when we finally did. We love the striking greenery of the Emerald City, and the friendliness of the entire area. We love the lakes, the rain, and the people we've met. It has been a great year and a half. It's hard to believe it's only been that long, since Seattle rapidly became the home of our hearts.

We made a tough decision during this past week or so. We've decided to move to Utah. The decision was entirely made with our family in mind. We would love to stay, but it makes sense to move from a financial standpoint, as well as the advantage of having so much family in Utah. Work has presented Jeff with an opportunity to transfer his job (since they're closing his department in Bellevue), and my job location is quite flexible, so I can transfer as well. Though my heart is somewhat heavy to leave this place, I know that it will mean better care for Harper, and more time with him. Thus, the big gulp of bittersweet... We were even sad to say goodbye to my OB and her nurse yesterday during my 6-week post-op/postpartum appointment. They were disappointed that we're moving, as we've developed a special bond over the last year.

I know the riskiness of promising that any home is or isn't permanent. At age 18, I thought I'd only live in Arizona for a few years, then move up to Washington - but I was there for eight (long, hot) years. Jeff and I thought we'd be here in Seattle for a very very long time, but it looks like we'll be leaving just shy of two years. I'd like to say that we'll be back after about five years or so, but only time will tell. They say everything changes when you have a baby... and that includes the degree of sacrifices and compromises you're willing to make. Honestly, it is all worth it.

S

Of Mice and Greyhounds

So Saturday we took the puppies (yes, we still call them that at ages 5 & 6) to the vet. They needed to be caught up on their shots so we can board them while we are up (down) in SLC. Pretty much all the boarding places around town are booked up boarding-wise for the 4th, plus the fact that we need 3 kennels doesn't help matters. So we found this local Vet that got raving reviews from everyone that sees him. The only downsides were that the place was a little run down, and there are no appointments, you just show up when you need to be seen. The upside is that you'll get seen as long as you show up, the downside is that it might take a while.

So we show up a half hour early like everyone recommends, and there is a already a line out front. No biggie, there aren't too many people. We chill in the car, let the dogs out for some air and wait for the place to open. Once it does, we grab the dogs and head to the waiting room. Bad idea. This waiting room is teeny and packed full of pets and people, us and our 3 crazy (crazy meaning Noodle) greyhounds don't help matters. We try to get our names on the waiting list while keeping the dogs under control and someone steps on Dottie's foot and starts yelping like mad! Everyone's giving us the stink eye, so we make like tre's and get outta there...We decided, wisely, that Shauna would stay in the car with the girls, and me and Dexter (the calmest of the 3) would wait in the waiting room. We go back in and everyone asks questions about Greyhounds, and how fast they run, and 'do they run faster than cheetah's, cause I heard they are the fastest animal in the world.' Thankfully a chair opens up so we take a seat, and Dexter starts shedding like mad cause he's nervous and gets spooked easily. Plus, there is no AC in this tiny room full of humans and their sick animals and it's the one day that Seattle isn't raining, it's like 100 degrees. That John Denver was full of crap!

I'll give a quick run down of the different animals in the room. A sick beagle mix drooling like a leaky faucet who would start baying at everyone and everything, poor guy. A german shepherd, chow chow mix (only half a blue tongue). A cute pug puppy. A very angry cat that I believe would have ripped us all to shreds had he not been safely confined in his Hannibal the Cannibal restraints. The noises this cat made was unbelievable! Two kitties in a box that kept hissing at Dexter. An older sick miniature schnauzer whose owner was nice enough not to mind that Dexter farted or that he kept stepping on her toes and pushing against them. Countless other dogs and owners who couldn't stay in the waiting room cause there was no more room, but they put their names on the list nonetheless. Did I mention this Vet also has some great rates, that are like 35% less than what others normally charge?

Needless to say, it was finally our turn to go in after two hours of waiting, and one by one we brought the puppies in for their shots and checkups. Everyones doing great except for a few minor things. The doctor didn't think Dexter's farts were a major thing, but then again, he doesn't have the joy of experiencing them on the day to day basis that we do. They were all pretty well behaved except for Noodle who started bucking like a wild bronco the minute she got out of the truck. Next time we'll be making appointments during the week when it's a little bit less crazy, and hopefully the line won't be the same length as the one to get U2 tix.

J

Happy Mother's Day!

Though I should be doing homework... or sleeping... I wanted to squeeze in a "Happy Mother's Day" post. This was my first Mother's Day as a (soon-to-be-) mom, so I couldn't resist. I've come down with an uncomfortable sore throat/cold, so spent most of the day bundled up on the couch. I really do swear that I'll post an up-to-date belly picture soon. In the meantime, I'll post one from 18-weeks (that's 4 1/2 months, for you non-mathematical people) that some of you have seen already.


Let me tell you--a LOT has changed since this picture was taken. Yesterday, we went to the Seattle Art Museum to see the Roman exhibit on loan from the Louvre. It was awe inspiring to see such beautiful art that has survived the centuries! As we walked through the exhibit, my back started to hurt a bit. I needed to sit down, but it was beyond crowded, and the only bench in my line of sight was packed! I waited patiently, because I wasn't sure when there would be another chance to sit down anytime soon. A very kind woman stood up and made her son and elderly mother make room for me to sit down when she saw the pregnant lady wincing near the bench. I was so grateful! There is definitely no hiding that I'm pregnant (not that I'd want to).

I'm just a couple of weeks away from the official 3rd trimester. My goal will be to take a picture this week to commence the 6-month mark. Many of my co-workers have really started to joyously (and kindly) comment on my growing belly. Despite the woes and discomforts of pregnancy, I still cherish every moment of it!

Well, my mug of tea is about empty, which means that it's either time to ask Jeff for a refill or time to retire to bed with my nose that is both stuffy and runny (the worst of both worlds). I hope you all had a great Mother's Day (especially Mamas Claudia & Carol)!

S

Filipino Nose!

I can hardly believe that the first half of pregnancy has come and gone. We had our 20-week ultrasound on Monday. We were both excited (and nervous) about this particular ultrasound. Of course, I probably expressed it a bit more than the ever-stoic daddy-to-be. His strength and support are so soothing. In the specialist's darkened exam room, I lay on what resembled a reclined salon chair while Jeff held my hand and the technician covered my belly with warm goo. We immediately saw a perfect image of our little baby sprout on the screen in front of us. So much had changed between 12 and 20 weeks!


It was quite emotional when they were viewing the anatomy. What would they find? How would the bones measure? Was the spine developing properly? My eyes moistened a bit--especially when the technician moved to a posterior view of the back. Its not that we saw anything bad. In fact, everything looked really great, from what our untrained eyes observed (though the technician had a hard time getting pictures of the heart, the MD was able to just fine). I just couldn't help but be overwhelmed with hopeful emotions for our baby's health. Jeff and I exchanged hand squeezes in silence. We were relieved when the ultrasound MD came in to tell us that everything looked normal. All measurements came back as being either at or even beyond expected length for gestational age. I still felt a bit unnerved. I knew (and am constantly aware) that the baby could still be born with defects. However, our own doctor has a knack for putting me at ease. She is just so wonderful. Jeff described her to me as a friend or neighbor that just happened to be a doctor. He is so right. Her nurse also got us a little excited by saying, "before you know it, you'll be holding your baby in your arms". What an angelic thought. So for now, we will let the worry get some rest. We will be as emotionally prepared as we can be for anything that could go wrong (though even things that go "wrong" can still ultimately be survived). Instead of fretting about it, we will embrace this experience for everything beautiful that it is. We are so very thankful for this baby. I feel so lucky for how "easy" this pregnancy has been in comparison to other women that really struggle to get, stay, or endure pregnancy.

In between the ultrasound and doctor appointments, we had a bit of time, so walked just a bit down Madison Street to grab a bite to eat at a nearby organic café (which was just so-so). We sat at the window to people watch a bit, and our gazes kept wandering to the ultrasound pictures of the baby. We both agreed that the baby definitely has a Filipino nose (thanks, Dad), which made us smile. We shared meditative moments of gazing at these pictures, and imagining the joy that will be entering our life together in just a few short months. That first week of September can't come soon enough.

S

Seattle Springtime Snow

Most of western Washington has seen snow during these past few days. Friends in Phoenix have told me that they are seeing temperatures in the high eighties. Though that kind of weather does sound refreshing, I am still captivated by snow in the springtime. Not only is this the first place I've lived with snowy weather, but the first time I've ever experienced snow in the spring. My favorite thing to do in the snow is throw a snowball at Dexter. He excitedly catches it in his mouth and eats it! However, we haven't had quite enough snow for that. I'll try to snap a picture of it next winter.

I am now about 17 1/2 weeks pregnant. I try not to gripe about my unpleasant symptoms too much, but sometimes they get the best of me. Jeff is fantastic, and takes great care of me. Also, I feel fortunate to have a decent amount of knowledge about pregnancy. My studies and time as a massage therapist probably gave me the most background on the subject. Not only did I learn about the symptoms themselves, but also why they are present. It is a nice relief to know that my experiences are "normal", and that they are a result of purposeful cause and effect within my body. Of course, no matter how much anyone reads or hears about it, there is no substitute for the experience itself.

Jeff and I have discussed a mini-vacation this summer. We may look for a small cabin on the Washington coast so we can spend a long weekend there with the dogs. It will be a nice, inexpensive getaway for just the two of us before the baby comes. We haven't been to the local coast yet (shame on us), so I'm really looking forward to the prospect.

Sundays are quiet now with Jeff's new schedule. I mostly laze about with the dogs and put off doing homework as long as possible. I've become a huge fan of afternoon naps, and think we should start a petition to introduce siestas into the American culture. Admittedly, that is the pregnant-me talking, but I truly think we would be a more productive, energized society! Think about it!

S