HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is as late as I will make it - 10:30 pm. Sad but true... We just got back from a little party at Matt and Maria's where we all had lots of fun and Ian was the hit of the party! He learned how to go down stairs tonight and just had so much fun going up and down, up and down. He just got to bed and Aaron and I are headed the same way. So Happy New Year to all! May it be a year filled with health and prosperity for us all. I am going to throw in a little wish for world peace as well.
Amen and good night.

Christmas

img_1597, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

Thank you everyone for a bountiful Christmas! We received so many gifts we couldn't fit everything in the Jeep. But more importantly we had so much fun seeing everyone and sharing the holiday with our family. Ian went sledding for the first time and if he didn't love it - he didn't hate it either. Mary made these beautiful blocks for Ian. All of his gifts were wonderful but I have a soft spot for homemade presents. This is the kinda thing you save forever and hopefully he can give them to his child. They are so beautiful, with lots of different possible activities.

Thanks for a great Christmas!

I Survived Finals

The title tells all... I survived finals. But for those of you who have that knowing smile on their face, I did not get straight A's. I have found my limit and it is 4 grad classes and a baby. I just managed to get good enough grades in two classes to not have to retake them and in the other two... yes I got A's. But at this point I just need to get through and learn the material even if I can't get enough sleep to perform well on exams. I have a job.

So that is the big news. I do have a job. It's official or will be as soon as I sign the paper and send it back - which I will do later today. In May, Aaron, Ian and I will be packing up and moving to Chicago! I will be working for a company called Halcrow which is based out of London, England. The parent company is a civil engineering firm with about 6000 employees in 70 countries! The property group is called Halcrow Yolles and employs about 750 people in three regions: North America, Europe and The Middle East. North America is headquartered in Toronto where about 200 people work - this is also the headquarters of the whole property group. They are just trying to expand into the US and currently have offices in NY and Los Vegas as well as the newest office in Chicago. I think I am one of the first engineers hired in Chicago - besides the principal heading the office. I am sure by the time I start there will be a couple more.

The company made me a good offer. Most importantly it includes health, dental and vision insurance for the whole family - with no contribution required by me. That is rare these days! My theory is that it is because they are headquartered in Canada, where one of their values include the idea that everyone should have decent health care. Strange, but true.

We are happy with our decision and feel that it is the right thing for all of us. The next step is to find an apartment, a job for Aaron, daycare, oh - and complete three more classes successfully. But all in good time. What I really want to do right now is prepare for Christmas.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone over the holidays and if I don't get to see you, please have a Merry Christmas! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Chicago it is! More later...

Consumer Excess - Notes on Christmas

Aaron and I were talking this morning and thinking about the upcoming holiday while picking up our sons myriad of toys. The result of this is this blog entry. I know that Christmas is coming up and it will be the temptation to buy lots of toys for Ian. I know - I'm guilty too. After all it's lots of fun. But he has ssoooo many toys. Looking in his room is like looking at a glimpse of the massive consumer culture we live in. He doesn't play with and couldn't play with all the toys he currently has - there are just too many. So I am asking you to consider donating the toy that you would give Ian to Toys for Tots or some other worthy cause. He won't notice this year and maybe next year we could start some other tradition, like making things or something. I know I sound like a bit of a radical here but I don't really understand all this shopping. Personally I have everything I need and most everything I want. It just seems this whole Christmas thing is gotten a little out of whack and I think we have the media to blame again or maybe just the whole culture we have set up. Maybe we are all to blame. Ok, now I am just starting to rant. Back on topic... another option for Ian (an idea I have to credit Margaret for) is to put money in his college fund or something similar. We do have a savings account set aside for him that you are welcome to add to. That being said, you wouldn't be related to me if you didn't just do whatever the hell you wanted to do anyway. Love you all. signed Mrs Grinch

More Job News

So I thought that you wouldn't hear anything more on this subject until January, but things have been moved up a bit. I go to Toronto on Monday, tomorrow I hear an offer from Chicago and on Tues or Wed I hear an offer from Seattle. Hmmm... I guess y'all will have to check back sometime after that. All this and finals too!! FIVE MORE MONTHS!!

Does the fun ever stop??
Lovin' life. -e

Ian Learns to Walk and To Fall

This is Ian trying to walk - succeeding and failing too. Ah why is learning always such a painful process...

You may not hear much from me in the next few weeks - I am entering the end of semester crunch time. That time of the year that when I am sure that I will not survive the semester. I have a bunch of work to do and lots of studying too. I really can't wait until this semester is over. I think then I will be over the last hump. Next semester I only have three classes and then I am FINISHED!! Why did I ever think that it would be a good idea to do a PhD?? Yuck. I am fighting a little 'senior itis' as it were. I think it's actually a good thing. I kinda figure now I just need to learn the material and pass the class. The grade isn't so important. After all I pretty much have a job already... so who cares... I have found that my new found slacker attitude is much easier to maintain than the overachieving perfectionist.

Ok, that last part is a complete lie! I wouldn't know how to be a slacker anymore if I tried...

More Job Hunting

This is the latest installment in the job hunt. I spoke to KPFF today as planned and they were very understanding. She said that they haven't interviewed anyone else as of yet so I have as some time. With the understanding that when I am ready to make a decision that I call them and I may or may not get an offer from them. They might have found someone else in the mean time. I'm ok with that. I also heard from another company in Seattle (MKA) as was turned down which I am also ok with. I heard from Terry in Chicago as well - busy day!

He would like to get an offer together for me so that when I go to Toronto in January it is really just about dotting i's & crossing t's. That was great news! He had said that he was interested in hiring me but saying that and saying he wants to make me an offer are two different things.

Aaron and I have decided that a solid offer from Chicago would sell us. It just seems like a better choice for us and for Ian. I want him to be able to take the train to Grandmas, go sledding in the winter and spend holidays with the family. Granted we would have to give up any sorta country living - Chicago is big city! But we will make do and Ian will just have to do his running in the woods when he visits Grandma.

So that is probably the last you will hear about job stuff until January when I will have time to go to Toronto. Now my attention has to turn to ramping up for finals. Three more weeks!

Oh and Tim & Deb, my spring break is the last week in February. So if the offer is still good, can we tentatively plan on visiting so we can maybe look for a place to live and a job for Aaron? If everything goes as plans...

Ian's First Steps

On November 19th, 2007 - the Monday before Thanksgiving - Ian took his first steps. He had taken single steps on his own but this was the first time we could say that he had definitely walked on his own. He continues to perfect his method in between growing teeth which he seems to do mostly at night. He is a busy guy what with getting his molars in and learning to walk.

We had Thanksgiving dinner down here on Thursday. That was a lot of fun. Alan and Barb and the kids came down as well as Granny Janny and Papa Fred and Grandma Mary too! Aaron cooked and did an awesome job. Next time we just have to remember to send leftovers home with everyone!!

Chicago or Seattle?

The latest on the job dilemma. I talked to the guy from Halcrow Yolles and he did a very good job of convincing me that I would get what I was looking for working for his company plus some. Basically this big British civil engineering firm (Halcrow) acquired a just as big Canadian structural engineering firm (Yolles) in 2004. Part of the purpose of doing this was to have a good entering point for the US market. They have since opened a New York office which acts as the US headquarters, they are now in the process of opening a Chicago office. This office is being headed by an acquaintance of mine who I had contacted about a position in his old office when I had started looking for work, only to find that he had changed jobs. Quited possible to my benefit. All of this looks great. He wants to hire me, I need a job, etc... The only thing I am concerned about is the level of mentoring available to me in a new, and still small office. But I have been reassured that I would be sent to the main office in Toronto for any training that I might need and that there are many benefits which balance this. Not the least of which is more $$ in the future. The idea is that if I get in on the ground floor of a new office that there is much better potential for upward movement.

Aaron and I like the idea of being in Chicago. Not so far from family - Alan's family and ours can go on those camping trips we have talked about, people can visit us easily, we could host holidays at our house, friends and family can just shoot down for weekend shopping trips and lots of weekends at Grandma's.

I'm just nervous. I don't have an offer in hand from them, although Terry says they want to hire me - I will still have to interview in Toronto and settle all the details. Right now I have an offer of an offer from KPFF. They have told me that they would like to give me an offer but not until I am ready to accept. Once they give me an offer they would like to hear back in about a week. She is calling me on Monday to give me this offer. I have decided that I am going to ask for an extension to the middle of January, which I am willing to bet I won't get. But I can't get to Toronto before then - I have finals coming up and then the holidays. So essentially I will be turning down KPFF without having anything definite on the table from another company. I am just having faith that even if Halcrow Yolles doesn't work out there are still lots of other firms out there I can work for. ARUP (another British firm, I interviewed with in Seattle) says they won't be making any decisions until January either. I think that this is the more typical time frame for companies. In many ways I feel rushed by KPFF.

I don't know if I am doing the right thing but I am not 100% sure I want to work for KPFF so I am going to take the risk. I guess I didn't marry the first guy I ever dated and everything worked out so I don't have to take the first job offer I get either - and I will probably still get a good job.

I am really not good with all of this not knowing. I want to have everything settled so that we can begin to get on with our lives. Will we be spending spring break in Seattle or Chicago looking for a place to live?

Tim, Deb - I hope we get to see you.

Fear of Change

The view from the Space Needle, Seattle, WA.

Ok, so you will need some back story here, as I haven't been diligent with the blogging again...

November 1st, I was flown out to Seattle to interview with a company there. Aaron and Ian went along so we could make it a long weekend and check out the city. While I was there I interviewed with two other companies, making me a job whore. I figured I needed some competition! So we all loved Seattle and think that it has all that we are looking for in a city. The schools are good, the city is not too small and not too big, there's water and camping too. These were all things we were looking for and then with Seattle we get the added bonus of mountains and ocean. Couldn't really ask for more! So the interviews went well and today I got my first (maybe only) job offer. Well sorta...

I just got off the phone with KPFF, which is the company that flew me out there, and Sara (who is the hiring principal engineer), said she would like to make me an offer. She added that when she makes an offer, she generally would like to hear back in a week or so. This is when my heart stopped beating. It seems that before that point this was all just an exercise. Ok, so I got really nervous and she said she doesn't need to make me an offer today. We have agreed to talk again on November 26th at which time I have about a week to accept or decline! I mainly needed the time to hopefully hear back from the other companies and also to meet with a company on Friday.

The Friday interview is with a British firm that is opening an office in Chicago. This is really my back up - just in case I can't stand the idea of being across the continent from my family! The hiring principal is a UM alum and so will be coming into town for the Ohio State game (GO BLUE!). I guess I'll have more to say soon.

So anyway I did title this the fear of change... that is where I am at and not at the same time. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I am really excited about this next phase of our lives and then at the same time I am terrified. What if I am a complete failure as an engineer? What if building collapses and it is all my fault? What if I hate my job? What if I don't want to grow up?

It's Official

Ian is one and I have a diploma!

A damn good week!

Along the same theme...

Ian the Destroyer!

Monstrous bathroom encounters!

Look out! It's the great black beast of AUUUUGGGHHHhhh......

Ian Plays!

In Awe of Ian!

I am in awe of my son. I can't help it. I watch him develop and I get all wishy washy about it all. Maybe because he does something brilliant every day or maybe because he is about to turn one and I just can't believe it - he's changed from a blob to a small child in just one year! He started 'cruising' the furniture on Thursday although he doesn't take corners yet. Then yesterday Aaron taught him to give kisses. It's very cute! A definite Grandma melter. Oh last Saturday we went to Layale and Brian's daughter Caroline's wedding and Ian got his first kiss from a girl. Maybe that is where the kissing frenzy started! She was a month or two older than him and obviously much wiser in the ways of boys and girls! Aubrey was her name and Ian must have been just a plaything for her as he hasn't heard from her since. ;->

Shopping Tips for Ian

With Ian's pending birthday, I thought I would take a moment to let you know the status of his closet and toy chest. It is certainly not necessary or expected that you give him a gift - he has more than he needs, but I am also aware that there are grandparents out there who can't resist those cute clothes! So in case you are one that can't resist... Ian is shy a pair of overalls that fit, he could probably use some more long sleeve shirts and onsies, and sweaters/sweatshirts would get put to good use. For the pending winter, he needs a skully and some mittens. Oh and socks are in short supply. He is currently wearing a 18 month pant, the onsies should be 24 month (long torso!!), shirts can be 18 month or maybe 24 (I don't think there is much difference). I would guess his shoe/sock size is 3-4. Hmmm... I guess he will also need a winter coat or something like that but it could wait...

As for his toy chest - it's full! I know that it probably doesn't matter and I won't be able to resist getting him a new toy either! So if you want to buy him a toy, then we are trying to limit the amount of technology he is exposed to until he is much older. This just has to do with a silly little theory we have about kids imaginations and attention spans. So we would prefer simple toys - the 'old fashioned kind'. He would love something to pound on, or something he can put things inside each other like fitting the round object into the round hole, etc. He also loves water so bath toys are good - but no more rubber duckies - we have a flock. Books are also always good. For a list of what he has or doesn't have in books you will just have to call.

Again I want to say that you do NOT have to get him anything - just come to the party and carve a pumpkin! Invites going out today. If I missed you and you would like to come, feel free to show up at our house on Saturday October 20th at 3pm.

Oh Yeah - He Says Mama Now!

Life is Good!

I realize I don't write much these days. This is partially because I have started back to school and we are all working on settling into our new schedule. We learned the hard way how important it is to keep Ian on a regular schedule! We had (I had) a couple of sleepless weeks until I got desperate and bought a book on sleep training only for it to tell me to get back on schedule! So it doesn't matter if I don't have class until 11 am - we are up at 7am every day.

So the other reason I don't write much is I only know so many ways to say 'life is great, Ian is awesome, eight more months...'

We went to the doctor today because he hasn't been feeling well (he has a little ear infection) and by the time the doctor got to us I was sweating and red faced from playing 'uh oh'. This game involves Ian throwing his clothes, shoes, toys or whatever he has at hand to the ground, watching them fall, exclaiming 'uh oh' and demanding that I hold him while bending over so that he can pick up the item himself and throw it down again. He never tires of this game. I do.

Life is good. I'll miss playing 'uh oh' when he outgrows it. :-)

Talking and Other News

img_0903, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

Today Ian started using two word combinations. Specifically twice he said "Uh oh, Dada"!! I have to admit that I am a little jealous. Mama has not yet made it into his vocabulary. Ah so the vocabulary currently includes: cat, thank you, dada, and uh oh (his favorite). I can't believe how fast it all goes. He hasn't began 'cruising yet' but he will pull himself up on anything now, including just the glass door to the balcony. Such a big guy!!

Ian is Standing

Just this past week Ian has mastered standing. It seems everything is happening very fast all the sudden... I think about all the changes in Ian this past month and I am awed by my child. Shortly after he began crawling he started pulling himself up on things like the side of the bathtub where he could hook his arms and get leverage. But this week he suddenly started pulling himself up on everything with ease. I have also noticed he is starting to think about taking steps while he is up there. Yesterday I saw him reach down to the ground and pick something up that he had dropped without losing his balance. He also supports himself by leaning his belly against the coffee table so that he can use both of his hands. Amazing!! I bet his is walking before the month is up!

Speeding Up!

Ian has definitely hit his stride when it comes to crawling. Last night I was trying to change a pretty nasty diaper, I got one swipe in with the washcloth and Ian broke out of my hold to dash across the room and promptly sit down on the carpet with his little poopy bottom. I'm sure this is just the beginning of my struggles.

He has started talking although very limited. His first words were Dada and toe. I really am not sure which. I think it was Dada but toe makes a more interesting story. This started about two weeks ago. He has since added cat and bye to his repertory. I'll have to get some more video and see if I can catch him talking.

Standing!?!

Last night Ian stood up all by himself! We were watching a movie and I was lying on the ground while the little guy crawled all over me. I wasn't really paying attention until I noticed that Ian was standing next to me. He must of pulled himself up on me and then let go. He stood there for a good few seconds before he fell back onto his bum. Wow this all seems to be happening fast all the sudden!

Tunnel Play

Aaron and I made a trip to Ikea the last rainy Saturday and couldn't resist buying Ian this fabric tunnel to try his new crawling skills with. I'm glad we did - he thinks it's loads of fun and so do Mom and Dad. Aaron has been witnessed wearing it and pretending to be... I'm not sure what, but it's funny.

Chasing Ian

This past weekend was so fun. I spent most of it chasing Ian and/or asking the empty space where he was when I turned my back, "where's Ian?" That was interspersed with lots of "no, no, no, get out of that!" I have a stack on my kitchen table of things that need to find a new home now. The cats need to be in that pile. They are peeing all over the house again... I think anytime there is a major change in the house, like Ian becoming mobile and starting to chase cats, they get angry and start peeing. Between that and Ian wanting to explore the cat box, I think it is time. So if anyone would like to provide a home for two cats, mostly harmless, and full of character, they are available.

We took a trip to Ikea to get toy storage and couldn't resist buying him a tunnel to crawl through. Lots of fun. I was too busy playing to take pictures but I promise some will come. Or more video since he doesn't sit still anymore.

Day care called this morning - Aaron had to go pick up the little guy because he vomited and was running a little fever. Thanks Maya, Maria and Matt :-)

Good thing he has his well child check up tomorrow. Anyway he is still on antibiotics for the ear infection, so there isn't too much to do. I hear this is all a part of childhood. I know this isn't the last puke we'll be cleaning up!

Ian Crawls!

On Friday August 3rd, Ian crawled for the first time. Aaron placed him on the kitchen floor and he just took off on the linoleum. Aaron thought that it was just a function of the surface, but the next day he made it apparent that he was crawling - everywhere. I chased him all day Saturday as he tried to eat cat food and explore the cats' litter. This video was taken the first time I saw him crawl and before I had to move the cat food into our closet!

I've got to go! I have a small child to chase!

Camping

Ian came back from his first camping trip on Sunday. I'm not sure he was too excited about it as he was out of it with a fever most of the trip. Wednesday night he wasn't interested in eating dinner which was a bit unusual but didn't alarm me until I picked him up out of the high chair. That's when I noticed that he had a fever. He checked in at 102 degrees. I gave him some tylenol and sent him to bed. In the morning it was 101.4. Better but he had to stay home and we went off to see what the doctor had to say. She said he could have the beginning of an ear infection but it was probably just viral. She sent us off with a prescription for antibiotics and directions to get it filled if he was still sick on Sat but that there was no reason to cancel the camping trip as long as we brought our cell phones. Ian didn't sleep all that day or really eat much either. I kept him with a regular supply of tylenol but his temp still went up to 103.8 and in the middle of the night I don't know what it was but it was definitely higher than that! Scary stuff. I gave him more tylenol and wrapped him in cool cloths.On Friday we really battled on whether we would go or not. He seemed a little better and I figured if we are going to be miserable we might as well do it somewhere pretty with a campfire. I'm glad we went. Ian didn't eat much on Friday either and was still running a temp. On Saturday we decided to head to Manistee to get the script filled. This is when I realized that I had used it to start the campfire! Bad Mom!

Anyway the doc called one in for us and Ian was visibly improved after 4-5 hours and he had his first marshmallow at the campfire that night! We spent a couple of hours at the beach in the afternoon and Ian thinks Lake Michigan is the bomb!! Sand and waves and all sorts of fun. It's so much fun sharing with him all of my favorite things and just watching his eyes light up with wonder. Imagine what it is like to see the world through the eyes of a child - when everything is full of wonder. (visit www.flickr.com for all the pics)

He kept Mom up that night because he was hungry and wanted to nurse all night long. On the ride home, Ian slept the whole time. I'm glad to say that he is almost back to himself - still a little low in the appetite but he'll catch up.

He started sitting up by himself on Thursday and really has it down. No crawling yet but he's getting really close! He weighed in at 21lbs 14oz at the doc on Thursday. Tuesday, August 7th he has his 9 month well baby check up so I'll post the stats after that trip.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Still There

Good to see I still have at least two people checking in. Yes, the gate has been installed at the top of the stairs. We had friends visit a few weeks ago and they have an 18 month old little girl and one on the way. I was stunned by how she got into all sorts of things that I had no idea of. Just so my friends could relax we had to put the gate up immediately. They warned us that we need to attach our bookcases to the walls because little ones have been known to climb them! We need to move our books to higher ground and the dishes as well. The computer needs to find a new home, as well as the DVD player and video game systems. I have no idea where we are going to put all the stuff that is in our apartment that is under 3ft from the ground. She was even in the cat food! Is it naive of me to think that we could get away with not nailing the bookcases to the wall and just keep an eye on the kid? Anyway for now he doesn't move too fast so I can keep an eye on him. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks but hasn't figured out the putting one hand in front of the other. He gets himself up and then moves both hands at the same time and lunges - landing flat on his face. No worries, though - he just gets up and launches himself all over again!

Powered by ScribeFire.

Catching up...

Hey There! Ok, nobody responded to my last posting asking if anyone still read this blog... although my Mom said she read the entry. So please let me know if you are still interested in the words or was it the pics of Ian that kept you coming back. Well, anyway it's my journal so I have some things of note that I need to have written down. Mainly the developmental leaps of my son. So he is growing teeth like they are weeds. He got his upper outside teeth not too long ago and his right front tooth came in on the fourth of July and tonight I noticed the other front tooth broke through.  Four teeth in as many weeks! It made for a couple of rough nights but over all, like all the other things in his life, Ian has taken this in stride.

He is also mobile. As of yesterday he has mastered the art of scooting - backwards. It still gets the job done. I was trying to work on some homework and I look around and he has moved across the room and pulled all of the magazines out of the coffee table and was going to town. I was a little startled! I'm not ready for this. He is also up on all fours but hasn't realized that he needs to move his limbs one at a time. Instead he lunges forward and face plants. It won't be long now. He is still eating like crazy and yesterday he ate his first meal all by himself. He had peas and macaroni, chicken and blueberries for desert. He had too many blueberries if his diaper the next morning is any indication.

Aaron and I (ok, it was me) gave him his first sample of ice cream on Saturday. We created a monster. A little lick of my cone and he would yell and cry until he got some more.  Aaron had to take him around the corner from the ice cream stand and distract him while I finished my cone! It was funny, but not too. Anyway the good news is he doesn't appear to be lactose intolerant.

Life is good. The job is good and keeps me busy. The class is progressing and it looks as if I might get my diploma before I start my masters!

Ah! Probably the best news is we rented the house to a couple who are adults, have jobs and most importantly love the house. They may even be renting for a few years. That would give us some breathing room and a chance for the housing market to rebound.

That's it for now. e-

Powered by ScribeFire.

Hello??

Is there anyone still out there? Sorry about the long delay. I just seem to lose track of time these days. Tonight I noticed that Ian has his fourth tooth. About a week ago he got his third. The funny thing is that most kids get the bottom center two and then follow that with the top center two. Not Ian. He has gotten the two to the outside of center on the top. That should make for a cute smile. :-) Anyway it is time for bed already - actually past time - so I'm off. I will try to be more diligent as this is the only way I am keeping track of the little guy's milestones... Don't forget to check photos on flickr.com.

Oh and Ian has a new uncle! Jonah is healthy and so is Mom. More news later - we visit this Saturday.

No Title

img_0610, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

This man is the father to my child and the man I married... is there any comment necessary? Maybe just to add that it is one reason my life is full of laughter.

Tonight I was nursing Ian while putting him to bed and he is such a voracious eater. I could hear him slurping away and see his eyes close in pure bliss. I teared up remembering a story that Aaron had told me earlier in the week. It seems a vegan couple are charged with manslaughter because their six week old child starved to death. They were vegan and apparently thought it was a good idea that their child be vegan as well - to the point that they were only feeding it apple juice and soy milk. Ignorant idiots! Their child must have screamed with hunger for six weeks! I think this must be the worst crime I have ever heard of...

On a happier note. Aaron, Barb, Jeff, Brett and Jeneve came to visit this weekend! Ian and I got to spend most of a day with Jeneve while the rest of the folks went to see the Tigers lose and Aaron worked. She is such a peach! All three of us took a nap and it was so sweet to watch her and Ian play together. The next day all of us went to the Detroit Science Center. It was a good way to spend a rainy day instead of the trip to the Toledo Zoo like we had originally planned. By the end of the day I think all of us adults were a little sleepy. I have to say I'm glad I didn't have to drive to GR but only to Ann Arbor!

The next day Ian and I went to Domino Farm which is a petting farm only a couple of miles from our home. We had a great time and even got to go on a hay ride out to the fields to feed the cattle. Ian got licked by a cow! I thought this would scare him but he just took it all in. After his nap we took an afternoon swim. Another new experience for the little guy. He loved it. His legs were a kicking away and we even took a quick dunk under water without complaint. We both slept well that night! It was just so nice to spend a day without guilt that I should be doing laundry or homework or something. Very rejuvenating!

Socks!

img_0571, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

I can't believe how fast Ian is growing. He sits up by himself and rolls over both ways, he got his first tooth on April 23rd, and he is now really close to crawling! He's such a great kid - a big charmer that has the girls cooing all around him, wherever we go. His grandpa, Doug and wife Lisa came to visit this past weekend. It was good to see them. Lisa is about 7 months pregnant with Ian's uncle. (Don't think about this too hard, Aaron and I both come from happily dysfunctional families.) The funniest moment came when I walked in the room to find Aaron giving his Dad advice about having a baby! Things have changed a lot in 30 years so I guess Doug needed a refresher course. Anyway I got to pawn off a lot of extra baby stuff that had been pawned off on me, so my closet is cleaner!

I started my job the Monday after graduation. I am working for a structural engineering firm in Ann Arbor called SDI. They are a smaller firm with two partners and five engineers and an intern (me!). I am helping out on a project called the Watermark which is a nine story, reinforced concrete, mixed use building with separate townhouses also on site. It's located on the shore of the Detroit river just north of the Ren Cen. Mostly I am plotting and organizing the output side of the process (plans). The project is just beginning so as we get further into it I will get a chance to do some design (I hope). I have also done some detailing of a couple of little jobs my first week there. It was a little intimidating that Paul (one of the partners) had me do some work, then have Andy (the other partner) seal and sign off on the drawings, then Fed Ex them to the client, and he was going to be out of the office so he didn't even check over my work! ARGH! They assume I know what I am doing! The responsibility of structural engineering is a little intimidating to me. If I screw up, at the minimum lots of money is lost and at the max, lots of lives are lost. This is why I am going to get my masters. Well, that and to be a licensed structural engineer, they are working on changing the requirements so that you have to have a masters. And also it means better job with more $$. I got my first paycheck yesterday, that was nice.

That's it for now - time to get some work done. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers that are in my life. I have so much more respect now that I have become one. Every mother deserves sainthood! What a testament to the love a mother has for her child that she doesn't kill them or go crazy in the first year! Ian even makes me smile at midnight, 1 am, and 3 am.

Graduation

4-28-07 029, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

It's official. Well it was a couple of weekends ago. Actually it isn't at all until I finish my incomplete course. But anyway I got to graduate! This is me in the Big House at the top of the bleachers showing my pride. Go Blue! Bill Clinton spoke at our general commencement exercises. I was impressed. He wrote his speech while he sat there waiting for his turn and spoke very eloquently. Even my Mom, the staunch republican, thought he spoke well. The day was great. All my favorite people came (except for a couple I will excuse) and I finally got to walk across that stage. It has been a long time coming! Aaron thought they should write on my cake "It's about time".

The University wide commencement was in the morning and then I ran to North Campus to have lunch with the Secretary of the Navy. Not much to tell there, he seemed nice enough even if I didn't agree with him (I behaved myself). Then I ran to meet with the Dodges before the College of Engineering Commencement in the afternoon. One more commencement - this is the one where I got to actually walk across the stage and the Dean knocked my hat off giving me a big hug. Cool. Then we all headed back here for some mighty chow. It was a great day!

Busy - Will Blog Again Soon

Hi. I graduated and started working on the following Monday. So I am adjusting to waking up at 5:30 and working. I really like the job but we are also all struggling with a cold and some of us are teething so I will have a complete entry soon, but probably not this week. Take care all.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Pancetta Yum!

Aaron made me pasta with the pancetta last night. It was most tasty!!



Tomorrow is my last exam. Yipee! Then it's two days to graduation and just a few more days to starting my job. Income will be such a novel thing. Ian had his six month birthday on this past Friday. It's hard to believe he's growing so fast. His first tooth broke through on Monday the 23rd. Wow! Last night I put him to sleep and was able to just rock him and let him sleep in my arms for a bit with no worry about having to get back to working on some homework set - it was bliss. Today I am meeting with a couple friends for lunch and maybe doing a bit of shopping after. Yes, I will still do some studying as well, but I went to unpack my summer clothes from two summers ago (pre-pregnancy) and found that they are a size too small. I'll have to do something about that this summer - but for now I need something to wear for graduation! It so great to have school work done (or mostly done) for now. Ian let me sleep in until 8 this morning! He's so good to his momma.

Powered by ScribeFire.

House For Sale

Know anyone that wants to buy a house? I just spent five days swapping out the kitchen sink in our house in Grand Rapids in the hope that this will make it more marketable. That and we dropped the price so it is now less than what we paid for it. I guess the only thing left is to bury a statue of a unknown (can't remember) saint upside down in the backyard. Does anyone know what I am talking about or where to get a saint? I would try anything at this point.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Pancetta

I thought that maybe you deserved an explanation about the pork belly, but then no one seemed to question why the heck we had meat hanging in our closet. Which gives me some indication that this kinda of weirdness from us doesn't seem out of place. hmmm... I get the feeling you guys think we are a little quirky.



Ok, back to the meat. This is one of Aaron's projects as you might have guessed. He is making Pancetta which is just Italian bacon. The only difference is that Pancetta isn't smoked and bacon is, also Pancetta has some herbs in the cure - note the dark bits stuck to the outside. I think I deserve some good wife props that when he suggested this I didn't say "I will not have meat hanging in our closet!!". I was a little put off that when he was skinning the pork belly he brought the skin to me to show me that it was a sow - noted from the line of nipples running down the belly. Yuck! Anyone for bacon? It was in our refrigerator for a week curing in a ziplock with a lot of salt and then it has been hanging in the downstairs closet for most of the two weeks required to finish the cure. I will be trying this is the next few weeks (good wife) and will let you know the result. Actually, given that Aaron is making it, it will probably turn out great. Who knows, you may be having BLTs for lunch on graduation day. Yum Yum

Powered by ScribeFire.

Now What?

I am finally done with classes!! And most of my finals as well. The big presentation went remarkably well and we turned in the final report - at the end it was 238 pages long. This is the work me and my project group have been working on all semester. I was the "project manager" and I was working with five other "engineers" on the design of a four story reinforced concrete structure. Anyway it was an incredible amount of work and I am very glad it is done. I only have one final to go and that one is on the 26th. I finished my last problem set about two hours ago, put Ian to bed, ate dinner and now I don't know what to do with myself. It always takes me a week or so to ramp down. In the mean time I am off to GR tomorrow morning to put a new sink and dishwasher in the house. We have it on the market (so if anyone knows anyone who is looking...) and recently dropped the price to below what we paid for it. I just want the darn thing off of our hands. So I think I have decided what to do - go to sleep. See y'all soon.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Hanging Meat

img_0551, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

Doesn't everyone keep a little pork belly hanging in their closet?

Mornin' Joe

img_0516_edited, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Windsor.

Ian having a morning cuppa joe with Dad. He just isn't himself until he's had his cup. I can relate.

Two More Days

Hello. I really am trying to be better at the blogging and to that end have installed a mini editor in my browser and linked my flickr account as well. New gadgets always help me get the job done! I am currently procrastinating doing some more work on a project due Monday. Monday is gonna be a douzy with a final presentation on our capstone design project, the final report due as well, and a final exam in another class. Whew!



Did I tell y'all I got a job? Aaron is really excited by the prospect of all this schooling finally paying off. It's a summer internship with a local company called SDI (Structural Design Inc not Strategic Defense Initiative). They're a small company but I like that. I like to think that I will get more contact hours working with the engineers rather than fetching coffee or making copies like I might in a big firm. The nice thing about this is that if we all get along they would like to offer me a full time job after I am done with my masters. This may be pretty darn convenient if Aaron goes to EMU to get his teaching degree. Anyway, SDI is working on the renovation of the Big House so that's pretty cool.



That's it for now - back to work! Two more days!

Powered by ScribeFire.

More Info About the Flickr Site

I wanted to add that anyone can now download the original picture if you would like to add it to your collection or print it. At the top of the picture is a button that says "All Sizes". If you click on this it offers the picture in, well, all sizes, including the original file. This is one of the reasons I changed web photo sites.

Enjoy!

Three More Days!!

I'm surprised I didn't get any smart aleck remarks from my darlin' brothers about that last entry. Maybe they've given up on me and stopped checking the blog.

I have three more days of classes and then it's all over. For now. Ok, I still have to take an exam on the 26th and then I have to make up an incomplete over the summer, but then it's all over. Well, ok, my bachelor's degree is done. ARGH! Fine, I still have a bunch to do...

But at least this summer I am only working a full time job... and raising a child.... and finishing the incomplete. So! It'll still be less work than going to school full time. At least my weekends will be mine. No more guilt that I am playing with Ian and not getting school work done or guilt that I am not playing with Ian to do work.

Ian is awesome. I fall in love with that kid everytime I look at him. I started posting pictures of Ian, Japan and the family on flickr and they finally made our photos public. So if you tried looking for them before and couldn't see them it was because flickr had to make sure we were legit before they would make us public. Now you can go to www.flickr.com and search for Ian Stek or Elizabeth Windsor or Aaron Stek or any number of other key words and find our pictures. If you want to go further than that and be notified when I post new pics you can scroll down to the bottom of my page and there is a button with the word "FEED" next to it. I believe this is a way to subscribe to my site. I can't wait until Ian starts dating (no really I can wait!) then I can just give his girlfriends the link and they can see all of his embarrasing photos published on the grand ol' world wide web. Tee Hee

This is just a preview of what you may see and my recent favorite picture of my two men.

Stranger and Stranger Things

Hi it's me. You remember me. I'm the one that is supposed to be keeping a blog at this site. This is my last full week of classes so you can imagine that I am a little busy. So the last thing I was blabbing on about was my new couch - still have it, still love it. I finally got that coffee table and shelves to go with so my internal decorating itch has been scratched. Well, almost. Aaron and I are going to paint Ian's bookcases in bright primary colors whenever it warms up or stops snowing/raining. Maybe we'll get them done before we move :-)

What prompted me to write a new blog entry rather than head off to bed as any sensible woman would do who has to wake up at 5, is that I just got to write in my calendar "lunch with the Secretary of the Navy". Hmmm... not something I ever imagined would make my calendar. So this may require some explanation and let me quickly add that I haven't run off to join the Navy or anything. You may have read in a few entries ago that I recieved this award from the College of Engineering. Well turns out that they attached some importance to this and have invited me to a luncheon with our commencement speaker. You guessed it - the Secretary of the Navy, Donald Winter. This goes in the places I never thought life would take me file.... What does one say to the Secretary of the Navy when the country is at war and you don't believe in that war? I guess I'll try "Hello".

I should back up a little here and tell you about the award ceremony. Did I mention in my earlier entry that they asked me to give a short speech about my experiences at the University and some words to the students to follow me? I guess as the winner of the distinguished class award for a senior in the College of Engineering you are asked to say a few words. I did. And I spoke from my heart. Which meant I got up in front of a lot of people and cried. This is for reasons that most of you know. Mainly that I am incredibly grateful for the chance to go to UM and make something of myself. They gave me a standing ovation. It was an incredible experience. That's just it my life is so chock full of these incredible experiences I sometimes feel like I am living a dream. Maybe I am. If so don't wake me.

RED

Nice, huh? I'm loving the new couch. When we got the new couch and chair I thought I was doing good because between the two pieces it was only $800 but then we put them in the apartment and it has started a snowball effect. New furniture? Then we need a new light to go in the corner, and a new coffee table, and, and... At the same time we moved the computer out of Ian's room because he goes to sleep much earlier now and mom still needs to work. So this required a flat screen monitor, a couple of shelves, etc... You see the trend here don't you? Love to spend $$!! I beginning to run out of time and rationalizations though. Can't buy anymore until I get the shelves set up and my office completely out of Ian's room. Haven't bought that coffee table yet because I haven't the time to run to Ikea and I'm waiting to get the shelves set up because I don't think I will need all three. So our budget is grateful that I am busy. Ah springtime!

Rolling and Drooling

Ian's teething and rolling over! He is one big drooly mess all the time. They change him a couple of times a day at day care. We're all doing good and he is starting to sleep better which Mom just loves. We're hoping for a trend here... Ian has transitioned into his own bed and I think we are both sleeping better now that he isn't in our bed. I just don't think that a queen size bed was big enough for the three of us! I doesn't help that he is a big ol'bed hog. I know I promised a pic of the new furniture but now I have left my camera over at 3M's house (Maria, Matt and Maya) and of course all my new photos are still on it.

The boy scouts in the family!

We spent some time in GR over break and had a great time seeing everyone. I know there were some great and grand folk surprised at how much Ian has grown. It's too bad we are so busy and that you couldn't see him more often. No this isn't an invitation to come down... sorry, but I am overworked and overstresses with school. Come summer, please visit as much as you can! It's only a month and a half away, thank god. It's hard to believe I will finally be graduating this spring - it has been a long journey.

Crazy Granny Janny turned 75 in February!

Great Grandma Nadine turned 80!

I hope I wear life so well as these women when I reach that stage of life. Ian sure is lucky to have so many family. All of my grandparents had passed away by the time I was born so I didn't have anyone to spoil me. Ok, a few people spoiled me but it's not the same as grandparents and greatgrandparents! I just think he is (and we are) blessed to have so much family in his life.

Integrity and Grey Hair

Since the last blog entry I have found my first grey hairs... this seems to coorespond to motherhood. It can't possibly be my age it must be all the rigors of being Ian's mom. He went to the doc on this past Friday for his four month check up and got outstanding grades. He is now 28 inches long - about normal for a 8 month old and off the growth charts. And he is 16 pounds which is in the 72 percentile. Growing like a weed.

I am on spring break this week which is nice. You didn't get a blog entry recently due to mid-terms. One exam I did great in the other not so hot... Ah I guess it would be okay to get a B seeing how my world is a little busy these days and I haven't had a full night sleep in four months. I have already gotten into the masters program at UM so in the big scheme of things a B would be ok. Isn't it sad that I have to talk myself into being ok with a B. Overachieving is not the way to a low stress life.

I am completing this entry after spring break because I was so busy during that I couldn't even sit down and blog a little. Ah poor me... hee hee. Oh yeah I did title this blog grey hair and integrity so I guess I should tell you the meaning of the second half of that. The UM College of Engineering has given me the distinguished class award for a senior based on the qualities of sincerity, honesty and integrity. If only my old probabtion officer could see me now! :-) This is pretty cool and quite an honor. I'm touched and $5000 richer because of it. So during break I talked Aaron into letting me buy a couch and chair with some of that $$. Yea! Our first new couch! It was a momentous occasion. I have to post a photo but I am at school so don't have access to my pics so I'll tell you about it for now. They are red courderoy and big and comfy. We got them at Ikea and so the set wasn't too outrageous and the best part is that we can buy new covers if we get sick of the color or they get too stained. The second will probably happen first as we have child and cats.

Enough for now - I just wanted to finish this entry that has been in progress for a week now. More later...

Happy Valentines Day!

Yup, I did it again. It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Things have gotten better since the last post. We are all healthy again - well Ian still has a little cough but the doctor assures me not to worry about it. We are home today because Ann Arbor got a little snow and closed the schools, which means that day care is closed, which means I get a day off too. But my school doesn't close so I have lectures that I miss. But I have been saying I just need a day off... so I guess I should watch what I ask for. It seems kinda silly to close day care when the schools are closed - it's not like she has to go anywhere but her basement to get to work. I don't know. This day care thing is a pain but I am grateful that we found somewhere I know Ian is safe - the rest will work itself out. Did I mention that the last place we were at lost their license? I just wish I hadn't paid her two weeks severence until we got the results of the investigation. Not like I had a choice - she was holding Ian's milk hostage. That's some expensive breast milk!!


I almost forgot that most of you don't visit to read my musings but come for the photos of the little guy - so I added a bunch. He's growing like a weed still! The last doctors visit he was just over 15 pounds! There's another little guy at day care who is seven months old and is 17 pounds - he looks only slightly bigger than Ian does at not quite four months. Unbelievable! I may have a contender for Jeff and Brett. Ian continues to be a joy. He has started teathing so is chewing and drooling all over the place. His latest trick is to blow raspberries. I'm not sure if he learned this at day care or from his dad but it's hilarious. Maybe he has just discovered his tongue. We are still working on the sleep thing. After getting a couple of nights of only having to wake up once or twice we took a plunge and went back to getting up every hour and a half or less. Now we are back to two or two and a half hours at a time. Someday it'll be better - and then we'll think about another rug rat.

I made a decision to end my academic career with a masters. If you've been reading Aaron's blog you know that he is doing the footwork to return to school himself. I like this idea. He wants to teach elementary school which I think is a great fit. In the food business he will never find a job that gives him weekends off to spend with the family. This way he would get weekends and summers! Going back to school has been so great for me - I really gained a lot of self esteem and confidance in myself. I wish the same kind of positive experience for Aaron.

So I will be done with school (god willing) December of 2008. The search for a job begins... I am currently working on finding a summer internship but along the way I'm also thinking about who and where I want to work. We had our job fair this last friday and I talked to a few companies in Chicago which sounds appealing to me. I would like to work for an Architecture/Engineering firm and all the great ones have offices in Chicago - after all it is the birthplace of the skyscraper. We both like Chicago and it is close to family so that's kinda where we're thinking but I guess it ultimately depends on who will hire me and where they want me to work. Anyway that's in the future and right now I'm going to go make coffee and see if his majesty is awake yet.

ARGH!

Look - our child was abducted by aliens and returned to us somewhat changed.

It's been a rough couple of weeks. You've already heard about the day care and the house - now our jeep is leaking gas and the city of Grand Rapids wants back taxes on our house. Yikes.

So we found a new day care because I went online and found that a previous complant that a child had bruises had been brought up against our child care provider, that and the fact that she can never bother to snap all of his snaps on his onsies just proves to me a certain lack of attention to the details. Aaron and I thought it was important to get Ian out of there asap. I think we are going to like the new place but it cost us two weeks of day care to move him ($240) since our contract required that we give two weeks notice and we just wanted him out. The new place is on the outside of town in a big house where she has converted the walk out basement for daycare. She's willing to use clothe diapers and has a 3 to1 ratio, kids to providers. I feel like we are getting the best of a child care center and family child care. Most important I think Ian will be safe.

The girls moved out of the house with little or no notice and I thought about sticking them with at least 1/2 a months rent but then decided to just let them go. It's hard to be a landlord with empathy - bit of a conflict really. So we lose a months rent at the minimum and here we go with the showings and the decisions and and and...

So that brings me to the back taxes. I didn't realize we get a break on the property taxes when the house is our primary residence. Well when we moved I sent a letter to the City of GR giving them our new address for the water bill except it got forwarded to the assessors office as well. We then got a nice registered letter in the mail about auditing our property taxes for the year of 2005 and 2006. Thank god they only went for two years. (Those of you who may work for the city who read this blog can just keep this to themselves.) This is costing us about $1500 we don't have!!

Then there is the car. It's leaking gas and we're bringing it in today. Thank goodness we have Matt and Maria to lend us their second car for a couple of days. Whew. But who knows how much this will cost us.

I'm glad engineering has a healthy salary or I would never recover from going back to school! I keep telling myself it is only temporary and to keep it in perspective. After all I wouldn't be out of my house if I didn't have the great opportunity to go to school at UM.

Oh yeah and Ian has his first cold and he gave it to me. Next week has got to be better!!

Strangely enough, life is still good.

Ahhh...

Just further proof that my baby is the cutest baby ever! I have to figure out how to post a video or sound file to the blog so you can also witness that Ian is the smartest and strongest baby as well. No parental bias here!!

Stylin'

Ian: Look at me - I'm stylin' in new grey flannel overalls and a red onsie! My Grandma Mary, Auntie Whitney and Mom had a day of shopping at the outlet mall and even though Mom said she was just going to get herself and Dad some new jeans, most of the new clothes were for me.

Mom: It's hard to resist the cute little man clothes at all the children's stores. Mary and me bought the little guy a whole bunch of stuff - like he needed more clothes! I haven't had the chance to buy him anything previously so I had a lot of fun picking stuff out. He even got a little scout shirt and a pair of train engineer's overalls from Osh Kosh. I often practice retail therapy when my financial world comes crashing down. It's my way of showing faith that everything will be ok.

Rationalize Rationalize...

Mamma Said There'd Be Days Like This

Yesturday was a doosy. I'm not sure where to start. I had a presentation yesturday and although stressful, I think it went well. Shortly before I was to present I got a phone call from the Michigan day care regulating department to ask me some questions about the incident that happened at the day care that Ian stays in while I am at school. My response was "WHAT INCIDENT!". The woman responded by telling me that a baby stopped breathing and was rushed to the hospital where she is still in a coma. I was shocked and just about dropped the phone to run and get Ian who was in day care at the time. The woman went on to tell me everything she knew and it seems that the woman that watches Ian did everything she was supposed to do and it seems that it was of no fault of hers. IT SEEMS. Thats hard - what do we do? For now I think Ian will stay just because there were only two places that were accepting infants and the other was no good. She did everything she was supposed to do so I will assume that it was through no fault of the provider. So I got this call an hour before I was to present. My shoulders were somewhere by my ears when I was done with the presentation. Then I am driving home from picking up Ian and Aaron and before I could get the car parked, Alan calls me to say that our house has been broken into, again. Yes, this is the fifth incident since we bought the house in '03. It isn't such a bad neighborhood - at all. The police think that it is one perpetrator who has targeted our house as an easy pick. So the girls that we were renting to are moving out. After all this is the second time that they have been broken into in two months. I'm letting them out of their lease because I don't think that they are safe there. What if they are home next time something happens? But this leaves me in a quandry. Do I rent again or do we try to sell again... how do we pay our mortgage and rent... where will the money come from? Just one more semester of no income, I just need to get through the next four months. Thank god everyday isn't like this.

Talking

This past week Ian has learned to "talk". He spends long periods of time chatting to us about all sorts of things. Just lots of noise but you can tell he sure likes the sound of his own voice and it's the beginnings of his attempts at speach. It's a lot of fun to watch and listen to. He also likes to open his mouth wide and stick out his tongue in the process - I don't know where he would have got that from :-) This week he has also gotten to be much more self sufficient. Not that he is changing his own diapers or anything, but he likes to just hang out on a blanket and play with his toys for extended periods of time and doesn't get bored or fussy. Someone gave us a dragonfly toy at a shower that he just loves. He's a great kid and I'm so grateful for that. School and parenting is hard and I don't know if I could have handled a colicky son.

We got hit with an ice storm on Sunday night and today the sun came out and it was just beautiful. Ian and I were up for the dawn and with every moment the sun would light up more ice. It was like the whole world was made of crystal. Whoever is in charge sure does this weather thing just right some days. The photo was taken off of our balcony this morning with the sun just lighting up the backs of the trees. We got lucky that we live in a big apartment complex but you would never know it because we look out onto a wetlands. Nice, huh?

Big, Strong and Cute

Two days ago I set Ian down on his blanket for some belly time and he immediately rolled onto his side - he was only a half inch from the tipping point to rolling over. Amazing! When did he learn this?? Everyday he does something new. It's crazy how fast he's growing. At the same time I hardly notice it because I am with him everyday. I go back to school full time today and Ian goes to Day Care. This is hard for me. One part of me is excited to start using my brain again and getting back to my old life - the other is heart broken that I will be away from him everyday. Yesturday evening Ian woke up screaming from what I can only assume was a nightmare. I tried everything before just holding him tight in my arms did the trick. Will the stranger that is taking care of him now be able to soothe him? Will she even bother? Will he be the subject of some alien experiment? Will I not be around when he first rolls over? These are the questions that bring me to tears. I think I am doing the right thing for him by finishing my degree so I can get a job and his daddy can maybe go part-time to take care of the little guy. I don't know. I just hope I made a good choice and he will be happy and safe.

Long Time No Post

I was reminded by a faithful reader that it had been almost a month since I had posted to my blog. Sorry about that. All of you parents out there are knowingly smiling and nodding your heads at this point, I'm sure. With the holidays, trying to find daycare, getting ready for school, trying desperately to get through my to do list, and of course relishing my adorable baby, I haven't had much time to blog. Ian is just crazy cute. He's all smiles and charms everyone wherever we go. It is sometimes time consuming to go to the store because people stop me to look at the baby. He's growing like a weed - at his 2 month check up he came in at 25 in long and 13.5 lbs. That's 97th percentile for length and 83rd for weight. WOW - he definitely has some Windsor genes in there. Aaron and I are loving every minute of parenting. Yes, I even cherish most of those late night nursing sessions.