classes and homework

Week 1 of black & white photography went very well. I now know how to process a photogram, which is required as my homework for next week's class. No one told me there would be homework. I guess I'll be processing photos of Ben, often. Hopefully he sits still. He's currently on the verge of crawling and it will be any moment now. Look out! Life is about to change again.

Greek is still going well. This is week 2 and it's more challenging than the previous week, which is to be expected. Dave's doing really well. It's great to see how well he is balancing work, Greek, and chill time. He's currently playing Settlers of the Catan with a bunch of fellow seminarians.

The garden is coming along. One of these days I'll have to take some photos of it and some other surroundings to post so you can all see where we are and what's new. I suppose I should also put a family photo into our profile. However, priorities bump that down fairly low on the list.

Back In The Saddle Again...

Flashcards are all over our house, every journey anywhere is filled with sounds of a Greek professor on CD, and strange symbols appear at every moment. Yes, it is the alpha of summer and the omega of Dave's time away from studies. Sorry it's catchy. You can't help but learn some of these words when you hear them soooo often. Maybe I should've audited this class.

I've signed up to take a black & white photography course, which will teach me to better use my 35mm, while also teaching me how to develop my own prints. So, I may put some of my experimentations on the site as well. We'll see how it goes.

Ben is still growing like a weed. His 4 month check up went well and he now weighs 15 lbs 6 oz and is 25 1/4" in length. According to his DR's book, he has grown 6" since birth. CRAZY!!!

For Father's Day we chipped in and purchased daddy a new driver and a 54 degree sand wedge. He's already been out with friends using them at a local driving range where you can drive while watching planes land at Pittsburgh's Airport. It's a unique experience.

Last weekend we traveled across to Oakmont for the annual Allegheny Co Fire Convention Parade. (Dave LOVES firetrucks!) Numerous prizes were awarded. My favorite trucks were the 1946 pumper and the 1950s pale blue people carrier. I will have to post photos or else I won't hear the end of it all summer. (I'll post them after this entry.)

Sunday nite we had a BBQ with friends from Trinity to kick off the summer classes that were starting. We had great weather and a great time with all our friends and all their kids.

I have also decided to have a go at cultivating a small garden. There are pepper plants, tomatoes, sweet peas, rosemary, and zucchinis/courgettes that I have planted. Plus I have found chives, carrots, and I think some asparagus growing "wild" (remnants from the previous owner). We'll see how things progress, since I've been known to kill anything green, including cacti.

Firetrucks on Parade

1950s People Carrier

1946 Pumper

Skye and I

Skye and I are having soooo much fun together. She really seems to understand my way of thinking. She's got a lot of cool toys, which I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with. Maybe later we can get the adults to take us for a walk before it gets all hot and sticky again. We'll see.

Life's a Beach

Today Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Mags, and Skye took me for my first trip to the ocean. Here's a photo of me chillin', checking out the beach babies, and living the good life. Keep checking out this blog for more photos of me on my first vacation.

What to expect...

Parenting is such a wonderful experience and we have greatly enjoyed learning about Ben and seeing him become a little person with a real personality, not just a cute newborn who only sleeps, eats, and poops. Things have changed gradually, which has seemed a true blessing for us, so that we can grow right alongside our son. However, in the last week it seems as though a switch has been flipped in Ben. Almost overnite he has gone from this little boy who we knew, to a little boy we have to learn about all over again.

We have been greatly blessed by the fact that he's slept thru the night since about 4 weeks old. He now wakes once, if not twice. He's been eating about 5 oz a feeding, which is on a 3 hour cycle. He now wants 7 or 8 every two hours. His diapers have changed as well, from manageable to "let's flip a coin to see who gets the next one." (I never knew such a little human could make such a huge stink and mess.) It's times like this where one wonders if this is another growth spurt or the next plateau being reached. I guess we'll find out soon since growth spurts generally last about 48-72 hours. At least there's never a dull moment!!! It's quite exciting not knowing what to expect around the next corner.

South Carolina Here We Come

We are getting ready to leave our cold, rainy home and head down to sunny South Carolina for a vacation with our friends Phil and Mags. Hopefully we'll get a chance to catch up with other friends that we haven't seen since we lived down in Charleston. This will be Ben's first real road trip and first week long vacation. So here goes a new learning curve. Dave and I are looking forward to spending time out as a family and getting to meet Skye for the first time, while hopefully getting some sunny days and maybe even a trip or two to the beach. This time we will NOT swim out to any sand barges.

Ladies and Gentlemen...start your BBQs

Hurray! Dave is done with seminary...for this semester anyways. He finished yesterday with his one and only final in the afternoon. One semester down.

For now we will be enjoying some space from school until Summer Greek starts in June. Today we ventured out for a walk to tour a bit of the historical sites around and then we hiked over to see Hannah, Ellie, and Heather. After which we went home to have our first BBQ of the season with Travis. It's great to have community so close.

Last week Dave and I traveled to Penn Hills for a Lifeshapes weekend. It went very well. While down there, Ben and I were heading out to lunch when we got stuck in traffic. Evidently the local GetGo station was the venue for a radio station's free gas give away. Well, Ben and I had to find another route to Jerry's because the traffic wasn't moving anywhere and the giveaway was from 12-2pm and we still had 1 hour before it was over. So, I've learned a bit more on how to get around Penn Hills.

Ben got to spend a lot of time with his family over the weekend. He saw all his grandparents, and Uncle Barrett and Aunt Carrie had him for a whole day. Then we headed to Uncle Mike and Aunt Heather's to celebrate her birthday. He seemed to love every minute of his weekend and was also quite tuckered out by Sunday nite. So, Monday and Tuesday we made sure were some light days.

Springtime

I’ve always thought autumn was my favorite season, but I must say spring may be changing my mind. It has such a freshness and a newness about it. Spring is about new life, new chances. It’s about waking up from a deep slumber. (Slumber is a very familiar feeling at the moment.) I love the flowers, the blossoming trees, the smell in the air, the extended daylight hours, the warm breezes…etc. It’s also very nice to see that we really do have neighbors. We haven’t seen neighbors for quite a while. While we were in Phoenix, everyone was still in doors, but just about ready to come out, as the weather was cooling off and not so intense. Well that meant the opposite for our new neighbors here in Pittsburgh. They were all retreating into their warm houses, and they’ve just now started to peak out of their houses.

Spring also means the Maple Syrup Festival is in season. I remember walking the trails thru the woods, seeing how they tapped the trees and then turned the sap into syrup, and most of all, I remember eating the pancakes and sausage with the FRESH syrup. I went to the festival when I was about 8, and so I requested that we, as a family, relive the experience. Well, I quickly realized that this was one of those experiences that was seen quite differently thru the eyes of a child. We ended up waiting in line for pancakes and syrup for about 2-3 hours, which would’ve been horrible had Dave’s cousins not been there to help pass the time. They helped turn a rather dreary experience into one that I will now look back on fondly. Thanks guys!!!

We’ve also spent some time with our friends and their new baby Kendell (see photo), who makes Ben look like a toddler. I know the sayings… “Time flies…” and “Kids grow up so fast” but I never quite understood them like I do now. Ben changes so much everyday that it’s quite good to visit with Kendell to remind us of how far we’ve come as parents even in the last 10 weeks.

We are looking forward to the end of classes with the end of April and some time to rest, once finals are over the first week of May. Then, who knows, maybe we’ll have to visit some of you all across the states, or globe.

Any Family Resemblance???

Whose Cheeks Do I Have?



How About My Nose?

Benjamin at 8 weeks old

Reading Week

To begin our reading week, Dave and I took Ben on his first vacation. We went with three other couples (and their children) to a quiet Barn in the woods. We spent the weekend chatting, playing games, walking, and taking care of all 9 children. It was a lot of fun and a great break from the norm of study, study, study. It's great to have friends and to make new ones. I feel like we gained a lot of parenting tips from everyone as well. Thanks guys.

Benjamin is growing up fast. Tomorrow he will be 6 weeks old already. He had his one month checkup last week and all is well. He now weighs 10 lb 9 oz. Ben started smiling last week and is now realizing he has a voice. Sometimes he startles himself with it, but he's learning he can speak in other ways besides crying, which is so exciting to observe.

I know you may not believe me on this next bit, but Ben did also roll over for the first time this week. He was on his stomach having some tummy time, while I finished getting ready, and I watched him as his weight shifted and he rolled over onto his back. That was very exciting and scary at the same time. Guess he'll be mobile sooner than we thought. And if he's anything like me, he'll be walking (while holding onto furniture) in 3 more months. Honest.

Parenthood is wonderful. Dave and I learn so much everyday and I'm sure that will continue. It's been very eye opening in learning how God cares and provides for us, what unconditional love truly is, and in helping to understand grace in new ways. It can only get better as the days continue.

Dave's BiG Week

What a week for daddy!!! First Dave celebrated his 30th birthday. Then, that evening we went into labor, even though we were supposed to be induced early on the 2nd, and finally, but definitely not least of all the Steelers won the Superbowl.

Benjamin Owen was welcomed into the world on Thursday, Feb 2nd at 10:21 am. He weighed in at 9lbs 3 oz and was 21" long. (...and yes Don his head was 15", which is in the 75th percentile)

God has blessed us immensely with a son who sleeps through the night and has since he came home. We thank God numerous times a day for this miracle. We are both enjoying parenthood and all the firsts that come along with a firstborn child...first bath, first poopy diaper, first trip to Starbucks...the list goes on.

Ben did make it in time to watch the Superbowl with his parents, and no he's not named after Roethlisberger. He even had a #7 jersey to wear in support of his local team. We've attached some photos for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure there will be many more to post in the future.

Full week

What a week! Pittsburgh's in the Superbowl. Fans are going crazy! (see photo to help understand some of the craziness around here) Plus the best news of all, our baby will be here on Thursday, Feb 2nd, which all Pennsylvanians know as Groundhog's Day.

After a non stress test on Monday, DRs decided to induce me. So, two more days without a baby and then all things change. Tomorrow is Dave's 30th birthday and we'll be celebrating with family. Then it will be go to bed, try to get some sleep, and wake up ready to give birth. Crazy to think about that for too long.

Maybe all first time parents feel a little like this, but it still hasn't quite hit either one of us that we'll be bringing home our baby this weekend. We are really looking forward to it, but it all still seems slightly surreal. I hear reality sets in once you bring the baby home and there are no nurses or others to help you take care of your little one. We'll see.

Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl!!!!!!

I love being back home and seeing all the fans supporting the Steelers. "Picksburgh's" going crazy. The fans were so happy about yesterday's win that no one seemed to notice it was another rainy, miserable day. It felt as if it were sunny, 85, and all was right with the world...well as far as Steeler fans are concerned, everything is right with the world, at least for the next two weeks.

Speaking of the next two weeks...that's all the longer we have to wait, for sure, to find out if this precious child of ours is a boy or a girl. I've now passed my due date and the DRs say they will not let me go past the 4th, which makes Dave happy, since he knows he won't miss the Steelers' game.

On Friday, Dave finished his Jan term class which was "The New Perspective of Paul" and he's now started his spring semester. Saturday was orientation. It was a great chance to meet all the other seminarians and spouses who will be attending, and most likely graduating, with Dave.

This weekend we also had a chance to catch up with Steve, Becca, and Hannah. Friends we made thru a divine appointment, while we lived in Charleston. It was great to see them and their families again after such a long time. It's great to be able to have friends like them where you can pick right up from where you left off. Saturday was a real treat for the both of us. Thanks guys.

Well, hopefully the next entry will include the name and stats of our newborn child, but only God knows.

waiting game

39 weeks down and supposedly one week to go, but with babies you never know when they'll come, for sure. So, it becomes a waiting game. I've decided just to keep on going about my days as I typically would, and I've decided against just sitting at home and waiting.

Dave starts his first day of classes tomorrow for his week long intensive. Then his spring term starts officially on the 23rd, a day after our baby's due. So, this should be an exciting adventure. I've been told that I cannot have the baby until after the Steeler's game this Sunday, provided he/she doesn't come before then.

Today's game was quite an exciting and nail biting event. We spent the afternoon watching the Steelers beat the Colts with friends, who were making sure I did not get too excited, so as not to induce labor. Unfortunately no one was helping Dave, or the others. Hopefully this year will really be the year to get "that one for the thumb." I guess we'll wait and see.

new year, new ventures

As 2006 begins, it seems that we are beginning a lot of new things together...a blogspot, a baby, a house, a school, friends...and who knows what else. So, let us see what's in store for this brand new year. Let the fun begin.