Meanderings ...

I just got overwhelmingly tired. Perhaps I was slightly tired earlier (looking at the kitchen right now would exhaust anyone), but I think it got worse when I opened my Comcast inbox. This is the e-mail address I use when I sign up for new accounts or make online purchases. I haven't checked this box since early last week (meaning it was full of Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals). Oh man was I ever overwhelmed by great deals. Sweaters 50% off! Join this site and get 5 miles for every $1 spent. Buy tomorrow and get double points!

For a moment I was swayed, and I thought, yes, I need points! Yes, I need miles, and sweaters! And matching mother-daughter aprons (oh wait I don't have a daughter)! Wait - who was offering points, or miles, or, or ... And how many points do I already have - banked up for that special occasion that still hasn't happened?

And then I named it: Consumerism. When my wants become needs ... and really, they never were my wants in the first place.

And now I'm feeling tired, and overwhelmed. I want to revel in the joy of the season. Maybe I can look at this picture [above], to remind me of joy, contentment, and simplicity (and a wonderful husband who wears a Bjorn!). It was storming in the background, and we knew it was coming our way and we had to drive through it to get home, but where we were in that moment, it was sunny, still, and slow. A family day.

When I think of one thing to do, my list grows to 10, then 15. But again, they're not really needs. In the mornings, I'm trying to take 5 minutes (even that can be hard) after my shower to sit and be quiet, and listen. I need to add rejoicing to the list. God, thank you for sending your son, JESUS! To be born in messy, humble circumstances, to a teenager and her new husband. To live a perfect life, and teach those who struggled to see who He was ... and to die a criminal's death.

And now, somehow, I feel stronger - ready to go upstairs and read stories and sing songs, and give Graham "two dreams." And then, I'll come down and clean my dinner mess, wash pump parts, and go to sleep myself. Thank you God, thank you Jesus ... and Spirit, continue to grant me strength.

I missed my dad yesterday. I was driving between preschool and daycare and had a few moments in the car and lots on my mind, and I thought, "I'll call Dad - I know he'd love to hear from me." Before I knew it, I was playing for myself how he would answer the phone, and I was picturing the selfless smile on his face. It took me a while to realize that I couldn't do it. This is the first time in a long time that I have missed him like this. And I think it's the first time since the accident that I could remember things about him so clearly and crisply.

After that, of course, I thought about him all day - all the things I wish I could share with him, all the things I wish I could do with him, and replaying his chuckles and smiles over and over. And I contemplated the timing ... how we can go so long in between "missings," and I think about how my mom has told me that she still misses her dad and wishes she could call him up to chat. He was 96 when he died in 2006. If she still misses him and he still seems so fresh in her thoughts, then I'm glad to know that my dad will still come up in my memory - that he will still feel like a relevant presence. I hope he can feel us too and see our joys and sorrows from heaven. We miss you here, Dad!

We're still here - and kicking!

Summer!! I love berries. I love sun. I love zucchini and yellow squash and farmers' markets. I love boys whose naps match. I can deal with 80-95 degree weather, especailly now that we have air conditioning. I love Graham outside running around talking to the bees, checking on the frog in our sprinkler box, and calling me over to watch him eat a pea pod. I love Caleb's chubby little legs kicking as speckles of sun break through the shadows of the aspens. I don't love weeding, but I did get a little done today. And pat got some done yesterday. Summer, please stay.

Our tickets to see Wait Wait Don't Tell Me ("the oddly informative news quiz") just arrived in the mail. I am really excited - I am a fan of Carl Kassel and I get a huge kick out of their approach to the weekly news. I'm looking forward to actually seeing the show that I've only heard so many times until now.

Caleb has successfully taken a bottle two consecutive nights in a row - go Pat! We have a lot of time to make up for, and I'm so thankful for my husband's willingness to get up in the middle of the night. (I guess I feel like it's just part of life for me to have to feed Caleb - the milk comes from my body after all - so when Pat sacrifices his sleep to feed him, I really feel like he's taking one for the team (especially if you know how hard Pat sleeps).)

Graham starts at Montessori school on September 6. That's my first week back at work, so it will be a good start for both of us. Actually his first day is August 31, for a two hour orientation session. He will attend 4 days, and I think I'm going to be able to work my schedule out so I can pick him up by 4 every day. I'm looking forward to seeing how he grows and learns in this new environment.

Caleb also starts daycare on September 6. I think we'll just do a short day that first day. Let him get the hang of things ... eating, sleeping, pooping - you know ... Technically I don't work on Tuesdays, but I'm planning to go in for a short day to ease myself into the routine (and so I don't just spend the day missing Caleb and Graham).

Oh! Over the past couple of months we have been insanely busy. It's really nice to have a few days back at home to find quiet and rhythm again. For the curious (and so I can look back in a few months when I wonder where the summer went), here's a short snippet:

• April 26 - Caleb's arrival! Mom came within 2 days of his arrival to help out - thanks Mom!
• May 20-22 - Andrew & Lauren in town
• June 10-13 - Wisconsin for a long weekend - family wedding and Pat's parents' 40th anniversary.
• June 16-20 - Mom comes to visit, and Andrew & Lauren in town, co-hosted wedding shower on Saturday.
• July 1-4 - Boise with Andrew & Lauren
• July 12 - Cousin Caitlin arrives ... to do life with us and help out for a couple of weeks.
• July 19 - Cousin Brittany arrives to spend a couple of days before the wedding.
• July 20-24 - The girls all head to Seattle with Caleb & Graham - Pat arrives on Friday.
• July 23 - Andrew and Lauren get married in one of the most BEautiful ceremonies I've been a part of. If you want more info, see these links: video / friend's blog post
• July 28 - Caitlin leaves :(
• August 9-14 - I drove to Boise on Tuesday with the boys and Lazslow. Pat flew in Friday morning, and Andrew & Lauren flew in Friday night. Mom hosted a great reception on Saturday evening.
• August 17-21 - SunRiver, OR with friends. A relaxing trip - lots of kids, lots of laughs, and great moments of authenticity.

So you can see, it's good to be home, and I think it will feel really nice to return to work. Routine is comfortable to me. Finding it will be interesting, but I do see God's grace in the timing (such as those listed before the list above). And really, could we have planned it any better? What a great time to have maternity leave! I've been out of work for the entire summer - May through August, and I return to work the same day school starts again. And I was able to spend several days touring my cousins around our fair and wonderful city and surroundings - one of my favorite things to do. I do feel a bit of sovereignty coming in here.

Sharing a few pics to highlight our summer ...

Saying "yes" to the mundane

I just read today in a Focus on the Family magazine for families (Thriving Family) that as parents we should try to say "yes" to our children whenever we can.

"Say yes to your children whenever you can. Only say no when you have to - when the issue has to do with safety or growing their character, for example. This reflects God's heart. Ask them to do things that are reasonable and for their good, and be prepared to give them the reasons when they're old enough to understand. This, too, reflects God: everything He tells us to do is reasonable and for our good. This approach to obedience helps children realize as they grow older that God isn't arbitrary or a killjoy. From your example they will begin to see that God's way is the best way."

I find that I often say "no" because something isn't convenient for me, or because I don't have the time to stand there and laugh when Graham does something silly. Today, though, I asked myself, is this a Yes or No ... and I chose Yes. And I helped my little boy put on bright pink dish gloves and watched him stand there, as he chuckled at his little mitten hands. I treasured the moment with him, and then moved him on to another activity. But it was a conscious Yes. A conscious welcoming of a moment that passes too quickly for him and for me. I like the idea of allowing him - even helping him - to do things that not only are permissible because they don't harm his body or character, but also give him a sense of wonder or bring humor. And I hope I can continue.

Live in Wonder

(Mary Anne Radmacher, click here to purchase)

This poem has been coming to mind more frequently than normal. I count the cause to be the two little blessings currently sacked out upstairs.

I originally saw this poem as a vision of romantic love. I purchased it from the Mary Anne Radmacher store in Cannon Beach, OR several years ago ... I hung it in Pat's bedroom just before he arrived to live in Washington. I still see it as a vision of romantic love, but since then, my understanding of endless love has grown.

Since our marriage, it has occupied many different locations in our home. Most recently, I added it to the guest bathroom around the time we painted it yellow in anticipation of Graham's arrival. I look at it while I am perched on the edge of the bathtub grumbling internally as Graham asks me to read him another book while he goes potty. I look at it while I'm brushing his teeth ... washing his hands ... and after I put them both to sleep.

Think on these things and tell me if they don't [at least somewhat] adequately describe the wonderful transformation that occurs in the heart of a parent:

I didn't know I would hold you so dearly ...

I want to still the waters while you enjoy the image of your boundless curiosity ...

... your enduring promise ...

... all beginnings and all exquisite ends.

Getting used to life with two ...

Life has been interesting lately in our Rank household. Lots of screams ... from two boys fighting for attention. Not fighting against each other, thankfully - no, it seems that they're fighting together as if by requesting more, more might become available. Kind of like how a woman's body knows to produce more milk when more is requested.

Caleb has a strong cry that ramps surprisingly quickly to a blood-curdling scream. Blood-curdling, this is a gross word that seems strangely appropriate ... if you've seen what happens when something curdles, it's certainly not pretty. True to his character, there have only been two times in the car when Graham has said, "Stop it, Stop it, STOP IT!" to Caleb ... the other times he seems to quietly deal with it in his own way - singing or talking to the characters from the books he reads, singing to Caleb, or just gazing off into space. It's neat to see the roots of Graham's character here - it helps me to understand that the other "acting out" episodes we are having may just be par for the course as he tests and learns how to interact with others.

My biggest struggle right now is trying to figure out how to time getting out of the house to accomplish errands - or get to preschool with an element of sanity remaining. Caleb eats in the morning right before I get breakfast together for Graham, and he's ready to go to sleep for his nap before Graham is done eating. Unfortunately he doesn't transfer easily to the carseat. If I let him sleep in his bed which I prefer to do, then he's not up and fed again until 11:30 .. and this is the best time to feed Graham to have him down for his nap at 12:30. Napping G later is an option, but it makes for an ugly evening and a desperate wife begging her husband to hurry home. I am thankful for preschool which forces me to figure out a way to get out and gives me a couple of [short] hours to knock out a few to-dos. I am also thankful Caleb does eventually fall asleep and usually stays asleep for his full nap. These are my silver linings.

For the record, I do remember things begin to settle in a bit more at 6 weeks. That's not so far away - I can wait ... not hoping for too much I hope. I do try to be realistic .....

As if things inside the house weren't interesting enough, another rabbit has taken up residence under our back deck. Lazslow cannot find a moment of rest while the rabbit's scent lingers. In and out, out and in, barking, moaning, wagging, dancing, licking the deck, smelling for it even from inside the sliding glass door. We certainly have had our share of critter interactions - to wit, some of you may remember the squirrel I trapped a few years ago (story) ... Lazslow took the tail off another squirrel, and last fall we found evidence that yet another squirrel had taken up residence in our shed (icky squirrel poop combined with tooth marks into our bone meal and peat moss).

Pat's solution this time is the best so far - he is installing chicken wire along the perimeter of the deck foundation ... burying it a few inches into the ground to frustrate even the most valiant of rabbits. But while this project has been started, the finish will be delayed until we complete the install of our new deck. In the meantime, we get to watch this tiny critter (much smaller than you'd expect) out nibbling the grass. I wish I could convince him to nibble all the leftover crocus greens, but apparently he only likes crocus flowers (!).

Here is G getting his hair cut at Li'l Snippers down the street. Now I know the secret to keeping him calm and still for the clippers is watching Toy Story ... too bad we don't have a TV in the bathroom!

Getting bigger! I think he grew again last night during an extra long early evening sleep.

This is the wallpaper on my phone right now - taken by my friend Alli at the library.

Finally, Caleb's birth story

After work on Monday 4/25 - the day before delivering (the night labor started).

At the hospital, walking around trying to get things to happen more quickly ...

This is where it all went down!

I finally have a few moments to sit and write with both hands, so here's the birth story. I suppose I apologize for the length, but maybe not really, because it's been cathartic, and it will be nice for Caleb to read some day.

Labor started in the middle of the night. Coming back to bed after a bathroom run at 12:30 am, I realized I was having regular contractions. I got so excited I decided to start counting minutes between the pains. Looking back, this was rather foolish since the contractions were relatively easy, and I probably could have slept through them. But I was so excited, and coming at things from such an analytical perspective, I couldn't help but study my body's rhythm.

At some point, Pat and I gathered up the last few items to be added to my "bag," so we could make a run for the hospital when we needed to. Then Pat went back to sleep while I sat up recording minutes.

Finally at about 2:30, Pat suggested I should lay down and try to rest. I did ... and slept for about an hour and a half. Then I woke up around 4:30 and found contractions were about 5.5 minutes apart.

Remembering that my labor with Graham had lasted only 8 hours, we figured we should head to the hospital. We woke Graham around 5:30 and carried him over to the neighbor's house. We told him we were going to the hospital where baby Caleb would come out of Mommy's tummy, and that Daddy would come back and pick him up to meet baby Caleb.

When we got to the hospital they took us to an Assessment room where they found me to be 3 cm dilated. Contractions had slowed to 6 min. My good friend Nicole showed up then. The midwife didn't want to admit me yet, and suggested that I walk around the hospital for a while to see how I progressed. After walking for about an hour and a half, contractions got to be 2.5 minutes apart, and stayed that way until we got back to the Assessment room. But when I laid down for the monitoring, contractions slowed to 6 minutes. I had progressed to 4 cm dilation and 60% effacement.

Apparently 4 cm wasn't enough for the midwife's liking, and she said she was still concerned about admitting me because I might not be progressing fast enough ... she thought I would be more comfortable laboring at home. That did sound attractive to me; I was concerned that I didn't have enough sleep and rest in my system, and might tire too quickly during the labor process.

Looking back, it was definitely advantageous for the midwife - she was at the end of a 24 hour shift that had included a delivery at the other hospital ... and I had declined a pelvic exam at my last prenatal appointment, so she had no way of knowing where I was to start, or how quickly I had progressed to 3 cm that morning. I'm not sure that it was advantageous for me.

We left the hospital around 8:20 am, and came directly home where I laid on the couch and Pat worked on the computer. Contractions stayed about 6.5 minutes apart, but started to become MUCH more intense. I realized I was in more pain than I had been with Graham, and I wanted to be in the birthing pool. So we started to head back to the hospital - we made it back at around 11:35 am. At this point, my hands and feet were getting numb and my hands were actually stuck in a weird claw position ... Pat had to bring me in with a wheelchair.

They took me to the Assessment room again, and found that I was measuring 7 cm, stretchy to 9 cm. Nicole showed up about 10 minutes after we entered the Assessment room, allowing Pat to park the car. A few minutes after he came back, my body shifted gears and all of a sudden it was time to push. It happened so quickly. Suddenly, the room was full of people. As Pat so eloquently put it: "If I'd wanted to vomit, there would have been no place to vomit! I would have had to vomit on Molly!"

Later I found out the midwife was sprinting across the parking lot while all of this was happening (not the same midwife, this was a new shift). She barely made it to see the last couple of pushes. The hospital staff were a bit disorganized; not fully prepared to deliver in this tiny room with limited supplies. Someone found a hand mirror, which really helped me with the pushing process. Having assisted with two deliveries, I knew what I was seeing as Caleb crowned, and it was really encouraging to watch my progress.

It's easy to look back and wish things had been different. I wish I had pushed more slowly, and I wish I had been more in control of my mental faculties. But I know that the body takes over, and the mind goes into a special zone. I heard so many voices saying, "push him out!" ... I saw how little progress I seemed to be making ... and I knew I wasn't leaving that room or getting rid of all those people until I had the baby in my arms - and oh, how I wanted to have him in my arms!

So ... I shifted onto my side, and pushed hard. After 20 minutes of pushing, I watched as he slid out of me and was swooped directly onto my chest. We were both surprised. I can still visualize his arms flailing the first instant he was out, and I can hear his healthy screams - these are precious memories.

Even though the experience was less than desired, here are the fleeting blessings I want to remember from that day. I am thankful that ...

- although I wasn't able to receive him out of the water, the student midwife placed him immediately on my chest - no waiting required.

- in the midst of all the chaos (and possibly because of it), Pat decided to cut the cord. He had been kind of put off by the idea at Graham's birth - it was neat to hear him say, "Well, why not." Perhaps he felt like it was in keeping with the tone of the day.

- the senior water birth nurse was among the first to arrive - she helped to ease the tone and calm the excitement in the room. She is also the one who located the hand mirror which was my source of motivation in pushing.

- Nicole stood beside me and held my hand the entire time my tear was being mended (Pat was watching what the nurses were doing with Caleb).

Last, I find myself thankful that I have two completely different but equally wonderful and miraculous birth experiences.

Caleb is now a healthy four week old. Graham gives him sweet gentle hugs and likes to interpret his cries for me (from the backseat I hear, "Wah Wah, I want my mommy's milk!" and "Wah Wah, I have a burp in my tummy!"). Caleb is alert, eats well, and is learning to sleep well. He was smaller than Graham, so I've enjoyed nestling his tiny little body on my chest, under my chin ... I treasure these moments because I remember how quickly they pass.

Love you all.

Paring Down Our Library

Okay, so maybe "our" library isn't the best reference ... perhaps it's more appropriate to say, "my" library since I know Pat wouldn't claim these and he is part of the impetus to decrease ths size of the library.

Here are the books, let me know if you are interested in any, and I'll set them aside for the next time I see you. Asking price? $2.00 each, open to negotiation, of course. Unless otherwise specified, they are all paperback.

If you live somewhere other than Portland or Boise and you want a few of these, we can work out shipping. Otherwise, I'll take them to Powell's or the Salvation Army.

The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger

(2) The Confessions of Max Tivoli, Andrew Sean Greer

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread, Don Robertson (I love this book! This is an extra copy)

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Cliffs Notes for A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Out, Natsu Kirino

Beyond the Sky and the Earth, A Journey Into Bhutan, Jamie Zeppa

Circle of Friends, Maeve Binchy

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

On Mexican Time, Tony Cohan

The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb

The Professor and the Madman, Simon Winchester (hardcover)

Leap of Faith, Queen Noor

(2) Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis

Back When We Were Grownups, Anne Tyler

The Awakening, Kate Chopin

The Reader, Bernhard Schlink

Visiting life, Women Doing Time on the Outside, Bridget Kinsella (hardcover)

Unless, Carol Shields

The Pillars Of the Earth, Ken Follett

The Namesake, Jhumpa Larihi

What is the What, Dave Eggers

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Schlepping Through the Alps, Sam Apple (hardcover)

Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich

Love In the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Message In a Bottle, Nicholas Sparks (hardcover)

The Testament, John Grisham

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson

Women Who Run With the Wolves, Myths and Stories of the Wild Women Archetype, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Revolution, Ron Paul

(2) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie

The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls

To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf

The Hundred Secret Senses, Amy Tan

(TAKEN) My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult

The Christmas Box Collection (The Christmas Box, Timepiece, The Letter), Richard Paul Evans

One Thousand White Women, Jim Fergus

White Oleander, Janet Fitch

Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai

(TAKEN) The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards

Immortality, Milan Kundera

Half the Sky, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry

The Kindness of Strangers, Edited by Don George (Lonely Planet)

Three by Annie Dillard (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, The Writing Life), Annie Dillard

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi

The Double, Jose Saramago

Snow Flower And the Secret Fan, Lisa See

Other books:

Home Buying for Dummies

The Idiots Guide to the Perfect Marriage (a wedding present)

Ten Secrets for the Man in the Mirror, Patrick Morley

8 days old ...

Little Caleb Joel is 8 days old today. Hard to believe the whole birth thing happened a week ago. With Graham, I was six days late, which means, I suppose, that if Caleb had waited as long, he would have been born today (Cinco de Mayo, no less). I'm glad he didn't wait. Although the birth experience might have been slightly less than ideal, it was fast, and he's healthy. Can't ask for much more than that.

Here are a few recent pics. Birth story to follow, as I get it written down per our recollection.

It is quite possible that - for me - the "icing" on the proverbial parenting "cake" is ...

... Lazslow, who stands just close enough to me that his tail taps on my thigh incessantly - tapping out all the messages he sends to me each day:

I'm here! Did you notice me? I think I can talk- just listen. Food now. I can get there faster than you can, wherever you're going - let's race! just watch me go! Out now! Pet my butt. SQUIRREL! In now! Oh wait, out again!

I love my dog, he's good to me and I feel safer with him around. But I do think it's safe to call him the icing on the cake. Or would it be more precise to say, the straw on the donkey's back?

34 weeks, and this may be the only pregnant picture we have!

This is a picture in front of our finally finished wainscoting & base boards (the columns are still a work in process). We are at 34 weeks now - 6 short weeks from the day "they" "say" baby will come. I have been told to plan for earlier, so that if it goes later, I'll be thankful. I realized a few weeks ago that I was counting on being at least 6 days overdue ... considering work tasks and home tasks. But a friend wisely suggested that I should plan for the other option since not being ready would certainly have more significant consequences.

We've been talking with neighbors and friends, establishing plans for when he does decide to make his debut. My mom won't be able to join us in advance, which is tough, but realistic, considering her school schedule (and I'm glad to know in advance). I will really miss having her there when he comes into the world - it was special having her in the room when G was born. She'll still have good time to make a significant impression, though. I know she won't be able to stay away for long - we'll make sure she knows all the flight times for a quick and timely purchase when he does decide to begin his entry march.

Graham is doing well - his favorite toy is still his ladder - this has been a consistent favorite for over a year now. The type of imaginary play changes daily - from a "robot center store" (with the laundry basket) to a choo-choo train, to a grocery store, to a fort / house / tugboat. I love to see the imagination at work! I'm including a few pics of some of his other favorite toys, and one with Daddy when we visited Pat's site to see "Daddy's crane!"

What I've been up to lately (part of it)

Perhaps it's something I have considered a vice (or a secret closely kept), but I must now freely admit: I entertain a few aesthetic pursuits. Knitting and quilting being the prime examples right now. In the process, I've made a couple of special things for my two boys.

The newest member of our family has about 4 hats right now, and a new pair of legwarmers, but my proudest knitting moment was the little "Nash's Sweater" I made from a small-projects knitting book I found several months ago. I hope it looks as good on him as it does sitting on my couch. I find I'm tempted to make another. Good thing yarn costs money.

We decided that when the new baby arrived, we wanted the boys to be in their own rooms, to ensure quality sleep for both (and for us!). Since the room with the crib is decidedly more "baby" than "big boy," we decided to keep it pretty much as is, and move Graham to the room next door. This was all fine and good, and we probably would have bought some cute comforter from Pott-Barn - until we visited Sisters, OR, and I went into the Stitchin' Post. I was inspired by all the lovely and simple quilts ... and I proceeded to pick out some wonderful fabrics and buy a pattern.

Looking back, it would have been much easier to have made a more simple quilt, not that this is all that complicated, but I do have visions of the simple square quilts that seem so sweet and easy. But this is Graham's owl quilt, and this is how it is - and I love it. I love the colors, I love the fabrics, and I love how he loves it.

I realize I'm implying that it's done, and it's not. The top is done, and now I need to assemble the backing, make the sandwich, and quilt the whole thing. For those of you who have seen my mom quilting in our living room, or at soccer/basketball/volleyball games and the occasional lengthy stoplight, you may be pleased to know that I've learned from her more recent endeavors, and I will be using a sewing machine to do the quilting. Mom, thanks again for the hand-me-down sewing machine - so fun!

Scroll down for an update on the most important project we've been working on ...

Update on Baby 2: still no name ... such a significant decision, and by golly, we sure like the name Graham! It's hard to choose a new one. Baby is 33 weeks "old" today, which puts us seven short weeks from our expected date. Kind of funny, but this baby will likely come pretty close to Mother's Day, and Graham's birthday hovers right around Father's Day every year. I like to think that this makes us appreciate our roles, and the greatest gifts we have given each other.