Where to, next?

Charlie Doesn't Care for Pears

2009-06-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

We've tried various fruits and vegetables, and the only one to get a really negative response is pears. Funny, because I thought he would like the sweet taste.

Charlie TV

2009-06-17T05:17:00.001-07:00

We have so much video, but I have been a slacker at editing and posting. Charlie is doing so many neat things at almost 6 months: rolling, trying to crawl, trying new foods, laughing alot, reaching for electronic gadgets, playing with a ball, babbling (ma ma, ba ba, etc.), sleeping through the night (sometimes), trying to sit up. It seems that 4 months is the time where he started doing lots of new things and he does something new almost every day, whether it is a face, a movement, or a sound.

We have not been to the doctor since 5 months, but at that time he weighed 18+ pounds. Who knows what size he will be for his 6 month appointment!

Now I will try to post some video so you can see just what he is up to!

Charlie Giggles

2009-05-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. For your viewing pleasure!

Graduation!

2009-04-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

After almost three years, I am graduating with my Master of Library Science and School Library Media Certification! I already participated in an academic honors convocation at IUPUI where I was awarded as one of IUPUI's Chancellor's Scholars. A certificate + scholarship! That was fun, and Charlie was in attendance to support me, along with grandparents and daddy.

Commencement is Mother's Day, May 10. We will probably opt out of the big ceremony, but go to the library science reception to celebrate with classmates and professors. I am so happy to have my degree in library science and look forward to working in that capacity for many years. But right now I am focusing on my new job of being mommy! Of course, having a mommy librarian can't hurt at all, can it??

Baby News

2009-04-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have neglected to post in awhile, opting for quickie status updates and picture posts on Facebook. I hope that doesn't mean the end of my blogging, but it is quite convenient from the Ipod touch, which is where I do most of my computering.

Charlie was 4 months on Saturday, and went for a checkup today. He weighs in at 17 lbs. 4 oz. and 26.5 inches long. That puts him weigh up near the 90 percentiles. Healthy and happy! He is currently working on rolling over both ways, bearing weight on his legs (in the exersaucer), giggling, playing around with his hands, drooling, chewing on things (possibly teething?), babbling, pulling up to sitting position, and holding his head up on his own. He is a delightful boy who always has smiles and gurgles for mommy and daddy, grandparents, and nearly anyone he meets!!!

Sleeping is not copious or perfect, but it's good enough for us. We do 4-5 hour stretches at night with one or two feedings, still. And Charlie is a 45 minute napper, getting about 4 -5 naps a day. All the books say he should be doing longer naps and sleeping through the night, but our doctor said, "The funny thing about babies is that they don't read the textbooks!" I like her thoughts, makes me feel better about not having a "textbook" baby.

Yesterday, Charlie giggled (unprompted) for the first time when he saw Mollie dog. He cracked the whole room up!

Here are the latest, cutest pics of him, if you haven't caught them on Facebook:

Playing in the activity center

Easter goodies!

Tummy time!

Snoozing on Daddy's birthday

Cuddling on Mommy's birthday

Big smile playing with Grandma Mulder

With his big sun hat on!

Who stole my cheese?

2009-04-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ever since the economy has been bad, I have heard and witnessed how food companies are skimping on us. By making the packaging/amount smaller, and charging the same price. Or giving smaller portions at restaurants (well, we needed that anyway) and charging the same price. Or by charging a way higher price without changing a thing.

A few months ago, I observed this phenomenon in my Swiss cheese. Come on!!! You think we don't notice that there is more air than cheese!!! And those weren't even the worst slices in the pack.

Where have you noticed the food crunch?

Hey good lookin', whatcha got cookin'?

2009-03-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

When I get enough rest, and Charlie takes a good nap, I like to try new recipes. Especially since we don't go out to eat much anymore. Sometimes I even make copy cat recipes from my favorite restaurants, like Olive Garden's Fettucini Al Fredo.

This month I was really on a pie kick. I made a Cherry Berry Pie (with blueberris and dark cherries) which was really yummy. I didn't make my own crust (no time for that now), but I have discovered that Pillsubry Refrigerated Rolled Pie Crust is very tasty. I also made Baked Spaghetti Pie, as well as Chicken Pot Pie (pictured below). The Chicken Pot Pie was amazing! I usually don't like my own cooking that much, but it was great! A compilation of many different recipes I looked at - made with half & half, chickenbroth, fresh chopped vegetables, lots of butter, and chicken of course.

For dessert, I made up some sugar cookies. If you've ever been to Paradise Bakery, you know that they are melt-in-your-mouth good. I found a similar recipe online, and they tasted pretty close to the original. Yum!

Happy Family!

2009-03-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to church in Martinsville to introduce Charlie to the Prince of Peace congregation. He slept right through church, even though we were sitting right next to the organ. And what a coincidence - Pastor's sermon was "Napping in Church." Ha!!! He didn't even wake up when mommy walked up for communion. But, he was awake and alert to greet his admirers after church.

Since we were all in our Sunday best, we had someone take our picture together. We are a happy family!

Charlie and Friends

2009-03-02T07:23:00.001-08:00

Charlie has made a lot of friends in his two months, and that's saying a lot since he just started being social. We are so lucky to have so many little ones close by that Charlie can look up to and play with.

Chanda's little ones Caden and Marina have seen Charlie quite a bit and love to entertain him.

Holly's kids Ava and Finnley stopped by to visit Charlie when he was just a couple weeks old.

Our neighbors Holly and Charlie have three children- Abby and Jacob (pictured) and John. Jacob is just 4 weeks older than Charlie, so we hope they will be great playmates.

Lyna and Sam's Nathan is Charlie's Godbrother. He was quite intrigued.

Brady's mommy and daddy had birth class with us this fall. Mommies and babies went mall walking recently and shared all their baby insights so far.

Busy Boy

2009-03-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Charlie has been a busy boy this weekend. He went to church for the first time on Sunday and boy was he interested in all the new sights, sounds, and people. He did not sleep the entire time, but looked around. He didn't fuss much either, but was a little loud during the service just making his usual cooing noises.

He also went to see both sets of grandparents on Sunday. Granny Taylor broke her arm, so he went to cheer her up. Grandma and Grandpa Mulder just got back from Florida, so Charlie wanted to show off all the new things he could do - like smiling and gurgling. Needless to say, Charlie, Mommy, and Daddy were worn out from our activities.

Here are some of the pics from this weekend:

Looking at Grandad Taylor

Hanging out with Grandpa Mulder

Smiling!

Playing with Grandma Mulder

He's so worn out, so he's catching up on sleep today!

History Repeats Itself

2009-02-27T11:48:00.001-08:00

The other day I was visiting my parents and dad was holding Charlie. I noticed a picture of dad holding me in a similar way and had to snap a shot. Here are the two together:

2 months

2009-02-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's pretty sad that I haven't blogged since January 4. What can I say? It has taken awhile to get in the swing of things and find some "me" time.

Today was Charlie's 2 month checkup. He got some immunizations, and only cried for a few seconds. Mommy didn't cry at all (I thought I would). The big news is that he is growing big and strong. He is 13 lbs. 2 oz. and 23.5 inches long. He has gained around 2.5 lbs since his one month checkup and grown 2 whole inches!

Charlie's newest activities are smiling, cooing, and lifting his head up to look around. We are working on tummy time so that he can figure out how to roll over. He is eating about every 2-3 hours, but goes one long stretch at night, usually. The good thing is that he goes right back to sleep after each night feeding so mommy can catch a few hours at a time.

Here are some of my favorite pictures since last time I posted:

Lovin' Uncle John (Taken 2/15/2009)

Photo shoot with Granny on her birthday (taken 2/16/2009)

Mommy just adores me! (taken 2/16/2009)

Getting kisses from Daddy (taken 2/3/2009)

With Grandma no innauguration day (1/20/2009)

Charlie's baby blues (2/7/2009)

Playing in his gym with his overalls on! (2/5/2009)

sleeping angel (1/12/2009)

Four Generations

2009-01-04T01:10:00.000-08:00

Charlie is lucky enough to be in a family with four living generations. He has two great-grandparents, Andy's Grandma and my Grandad. These grandparents who are in their 80's and 90's will hopefully be able to share their wisdom, love, and stories with Charlie when he grows a little older. Yesterday, by chance, both grandparents were in Martinsville, so Charlie got to see both. It was our first social outing and it tuckered mommy, daddy, and Charlie out. It was a very special day for all of us! Here are the pictures we took:

The classic four generations picture

Great-grandad T and Charlie

Three generations - oops where's Andy?

Great-grandma W with our boy

Family Resemblance

2009-01-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone likes to put their 2 cents in on a new baby's family resemblance. Andy and I have been trying to figure this one out - Who does Charlie look like? I see some resemblance on both sides, but definitely more on Andy's. What do you think?

Baby Kathy

Baby Charlie

Baby Andy
(he had to have an IV in his head in the NICU, poor guy)

Home at last!

2008-12-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been home since Sunday afternoon, but wouldn't you know there's not a ton of time to be sitting at the computer uploading pictures of your gorgeous baby. I know alot of you have been waiting patiently, so here are some of the best pics of Charlie's life so far:

Charles "Charlie"
Born: December 25
Time: 7:02 AM
Weight: 8 lbs. 10 oz.
Length: 19.75 inches

Mommy and Daddy getting ready to go into the C-Section.

Just born!

One of our first visitors, Aunt Kelly:)

Aunt Carrie from California came to see Charlie!

Cuddling with Daddy.

All ready to go home!

Eyes wide open!

Hanging out with his grandmother.

Late night feeding and sackout with mommy.

Our New Theme Song

2008-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, all you out there in blogger land. It was a little harder than I thought to mobile blog, so I wasn't able to post as much while in the hospital. My typing on the ipod skills are bad. Now that we are home, I can't wait to share some of our favorite pics of our experience having Charlie.

For now, I'll post the theme song for Team Mulder (Andy, Me and my mom Sherri). We have conquered the first night home and are still in good spirits.

Our theme song, "Charles in Charge" as peformed by Ted's band on the TV Show Scrubs:

Charlie

2008-12-26T04:14:00.001-08:00

Our baby boy was born yesterday at 7:02 am, weighing 8 lbs 10oz, measuring 19.75 in. A Christmas baby, what willhe think of that?

I missed out on quite a bit his first day, being so groggy from the c section, but andy took over like a champ! He is mastering the art of diaper changes while I haven't changed one yet. Today I'll be up and about ready to do more.

Did I mention that we are IN LOVE with our son? He is so darling!

-- Post From My iPhone

Waiting

2008-12-24T06:57:00.001-08:00

We are at the hospital after being induced last night. Things are progressing slowly, so we may be looking at a Christmas baby. We are all doing fine so far just waiting for things to happen. I'm hungry:(

-- Post From My iPhone

Baby Update

2008-12-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

We had an exciting time at the OB yesterday. After waiting more than an hour for our appointment (my doc was on call and running between the office and the hospital) we were told that she had to go back again to do an emergency surgery, so I saw one of the other doctors I've rotated to. Luckily, I've had more than a few appointments with her over the past 9 months.

The baby has made some progress moving down the birth canal, so he might continue making progress and come on his own sometime over the next week. Or, if not, we have tentatively set up an induction date for Dec. 29. Until then (or whenever baby boy decides he's ready), we are footloose and fancy-free. We will be enjoying the holidays with our family just like normal. My sister-in-laws family is coming in from Boston on Sunday, so we'll get some quality time with our little niece who is turning 2 on Dec. 24! Some dear friends are also coming into town from California and Tennessee, so I'm looking forward to visiting with them and their little ones too.

Even though it is hard waiting to meet our little baby, I'm counting our blessings and enjoying each day. It's been great spending so much quality time with Andy since he's been home. I'm also blessed to have so many loved ones around to share this big event!

Favorite Toys

2008-12-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know that my husband and I have a bad habit of opening presents before Christmas. We have done well so far, but it's hard when we're both home, waiting for a baby, with presents sitting under the tree.

I have been reminiscing over Christmases past and remembering the joy that mom, dad, and Santa brought with all those toys. Thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites.

My Little Tykes kitchenette. Looks like John enjoyed that one too.

A big stuffed sheepdog named "Bridgette."

A Real Baby. How ironic!

Flip 'N Fold Fashions. Oh, this was such a fun toy. I used to want to be a fashion designer.

Alphie II Talking Computer. This is kind of laughable compared to today's toys, but it was so cool at the time.

And of course, who could forget the numerous Cabbage Patch Dolls and Barbies. There were so many varieties I can't even tell you which one was my favorite.

Any of these toys ring a bell? Do you have some favorites you'd like to share?

Museuming

2008-12-15T14:53:00.001-08:00

Today Andy and I went to the Indiana State Museum and had lunch at the Ayres tea room. We had fun waking around and especially enjoyed the chocolate exhibit. We thought all that walking might get the baby moving. We'll see.

-- Post From My iPhone

Test

2008-12-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

Trying to blog from my Itouch.

38 weeks

2008-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

The baby is considered full term now. What a good feeling to have made it this far! Of course, now I'm just really anxious for him to come out into the world so I can love him and take care of him. There are no signs of early labor yet, and believe it or not, he has not dropped. My long torso just makes it look that way, according to the doctor. But still, in a matter of 2-3 weeks, he will be here. How exciting!!!

Meanwhile, here's another belly picture:

Testing 1, 2, 3

2008-12-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Andy surprised me with a video camera just in time for the baby. Here is my first video - a tour of the nursery. It is so exciting - a must see!

Date Night

2008-11-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Andy and I went on our last big date last night to see the Lion King and go to a fancy restaurant. We planned a little ahead, so that we wouldn't have to cancel it at the last minute. We went to Elements on Mass Ave. in Indy, and it was wonderful! My favorite thing was probably the pumpkin bread pudding, but I also enjoyed my pork loin and butternut squash soup. Andy had beef tenderloin with spinach and parsnip chips.

Lion King was wonderful! It is just a really visually appealing show and the African inspired music with acapella singing was awesome. Of course there were lots of kids there and quite a bit of chatter, but most of their comments were really cute. I forgot from the movie that the warthog has a lot of potty humor, which you know I love! I like to think that our baby also enjoyed the music, he seemed to be moving around a lot the whole performance.

Here's a picture from our big night out:

Thanks to Carrie for the nice dress and April for the sweater, to wear on my big night out!

Christmas Music

2008-11-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

I know it's a little early, but I just love listening to Christmas music and one of the stations in Indy is already playing it. Any song about Baby Jesus and Mary pretty much makes me cry, seeing as I might be having the baby right around Christmas Eve or Day. There are so many great Christmas albums out there, and my dad and I are kind of collectors.

This year, I have two new albums in my collection that I'm very excited about:

New Kids on the Block, Merry Merry Christmas. This was one of my all time faves when I was growing up. John and I used to listen to it all the time, and I'm pretty sure that my friend and I made up a dance to one of the songs. I still have my cassette tape, but it is almost worn out, so I was thrilled that they finally released this! Laugh if you want, but you can't deny the appeal of this upbeat album.
Nat King Cole, The Christmas Song. This has "The Christmas Song" and many other familiar carols that are beautifully arranged with orchestra and background vocals, in an old-fashioned style. My other favorites are "Adeste Fideles" and "A Cradle in Bethlehem." All in all, there are 22 tracks and you can get it on Amazon MP3 for $9. A steal!

This reminds me that Special K did a Top 5 of Christmas songs last year. It was fun to look at that and see if my picks have changed since last year. Perhaps we can do a Top 5 of entire Christmas Albums? Feel free to comment back about any newly discovered Christmas albums for this year that you are excited about!

Nursery Sneak Peek!

2008-11-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Andy put together the baby's crib, changing table, and book case this week. I painted the end table and rocking chair (that belonged to my grandmother). We have started putting things away and it's really starting to look like a nursery. We are just waiting on our glider and ottoman for rocking and storytime.

I just love the way it has turned out!!! Hope you do too!!!

Get out the vote!

2008-11-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

Baby boy and I voted last week, but we wanted to remind you to vote today if you haven't already! The next time he will get to vote for the president is 2028!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner and I found this wonderful old picture to share. The year is 1983 or 1984, I think. Can you guess the bloggers behind these costumes? As you can see, somebody's mom hooked them up with homemade costumes, and the other opted for store bought. But you know I probably threw a fit for that Strawberry Shortcake plastic outfit. Oops, did I give it away?

Happy Halloween to all! I hope to see your 2008 Halloween costume pics very soon. I am thinking of dressing as a pregnant witch:)

Baby Shower Time

2008-10-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend started a string of baby showers. Saturday was a family shower that my mother-in-law hosted and it was so much fun! Many cousins from my mom's side of the family attended, my sister-in-law, and Andy's aunts and cousins. The furthest travelers were from Chicago area! And cousin J was the photographer, she did a great job. Nancy had a wonderful spread of brunch items, including homemade egg casserole, coffee cake, pastries, and veggies.

Here are some highlights:

A fun guessing game that Nancy planned

All kinds of adorable boy clothes!

Notice my reaction on the 24 mos. bomber jacket. Grandad, an aviator himself, will be thrilled with this one!

Lots of books for the baby's library!

Cool walker/entertainer that Aunt Kelly sent from Mass. (also notice Obama-Biden sign in background from Uncle John & Aunt Sarah)

And, of course, the biggest highlight - spending the day with my extended family. Here is a picture of all the Shank cousins who came from all around Indiana.

Thanks to the grandma-t0-be for a wonderful afternoon!

Husband of the Year

2008-10-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently suggested that my husband might be husband of the year, and I would have to agree. His most recent accomplishments are:

-Dressing up as the children's book character "Geronimo Stilton" for my school's book fair.

-Painting the baby's nursery, with the help of a friend.

-Helping me through a recent pregnancy issue with love, support, and medical treatment (nothing too serious, just one of those bad pregnancy symptoms).

You do not want to see a picture of this one!

-Painting and re-hardwaring the kitchen cabinets with the help of his parents.

- And of course little things like making the bed because it's a little difficult for me now, and charging my cell phone for me when I forget, which is always. And reminding me to take my pre-natal vitamins.

Buddy, you are the best!!! I love you!!!

Belly update

2008-10-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Every week, I wonder how my round belly can get any bigger, but it does. Luckily, I still feel pretty comfortable. I have a few more days of student teaching to complete, and then I will have some "down time" before the baby comes. But there is so much to do to get ready for him.

Here's the latest pic of me, after a long week at school. The baby and my belly are measuring right on schedule, and I couldn't be happier!

Our Baby Boy at 30 Weeks

2008-10-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

We had a checkup and ultrasound yesterday to make sure that the placenta was in the right place - it had shown up low lying (placenta previa) in our 20 week ultrasound.
And, good news, it is right where it's supposed to be! As a bonus, we got to see more ultrasound pics of our little boy. We were hoping for a quick 3D scan, but no such luck with our tech:( However, I think these pics are still pretty good. We got a good profile and straight on shot of his face. Can you see those chubby cheeks?!!!

Also, recently, we finished painting baby's nursery. And by we, I mean Andy and Jeanne:) We also picked up his nursery bedding. How cute!!!

Nursery Decisions

2008-09-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

I think we've finally decided on a bedding scheme and color palette for the nursery. Andy spent today taking down yucky golf wallpaper and chair rail. He did a great job!!! I ran around to Lowe's and Babies R Us to see what I could figure out for color schemes.

Here's the color palette for the nursery with the green color (Everglade Glen) being the wall color. The other colors are just accents that you can see in the bedding below:

Here is the bedding we like "My First ABC." The plan is to get him spelling words in the crib:)

We ordered a rocking chair that will take 8-10 weeks to make and ship (yikes, that is cutting it close). I fell in love with the chair while visiting my friend April and her new born Eli. Here's a picture, but the color will be Chestnut Brown:
As for the crib & stuff, we are still looking. It is so hard to find the right style, that is sturdy, safe, and has good reviews. If any of you have advice about buying cribs, please do share.

the latest

2008-09-16T17:03:00.001-07:00

So, I just finished my first half of student teaching at a high school, and now I'm at an elementary school. It is like night and day. They K-5 kids seem so little compared to the high schoolers! I'm happy to report that I am really enjoying working in the schools, and I know I picked the right career path.

I joined Facebook this weekend and it is a little bit addictive. I don't know if I can handle it, I may just have to be a part-timer, where I check every couple weeks or so. The nice thing is that I have caught up with some old high school chums that I had totally lost touch with.

And, last but not least, the belly continues to grow. I am now 26 weeks along and feeling pretty great. Little baby boy moves around a lot throughout the day, especially I'm resting. He doesn't mind putting in a hard day's work at school with me.

Andy and I have been working on the nursery, cleaning the room out, sorting and getting rid of stuff. We seriously looked at some cribs this weekend, and are debating between the regular and lifetime cribs. We will need to choose a paint color soon, and get started on that.

Here's the latest belly picture:

Pop goes the baby!

2008-08-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Since I am knee deep in student teaching, and I don't get to see friends that often right now, I thought I'd post a picture of where I'm at with the baby. In the last couple weeks or so, he has just popped. I know I will get much bigger over the next few months, but this is a pretty big change for right now.

In other news, Andy and I visited the glorious Lucas Oil stadium (home of the Colts) and even went to a high school game there. It is quite large, and very nice, but I'm not really an expert on stadiums. It is neat to imagine a little Super Bowl Village there in 2012. Here's one of the pics I took:

weekend happenings

2008-08-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

After an exciting and extremely busy week of student teaching, I wanted to end the week with some fun and distraction. Andy has been talking about his favorite comic Jimmy Pardo for awhile and he was in town this weekend, so I suggested we go. We got the non-smoking show and the preferred seats. Do you know what preferred means? Well, we didn't realize it meant that it was practically on the stage, which made us fair game for the comedians. Luckily, Andy knew Jimmy's style from his podcast "Never Not Funny," so when Andy became a major part of the act, he knew how to handle it - shut up, only speak when you're spoken to, and laugh! Jimmy is known for his crowd work, which makes up most of his show. It was so hilarious. I was dying laughing and we were both in tears. He never picked on me except to ask when the baby was due, and was I married to this dude with a lazy eye. Andy got deemed lazy eye whenever Jimmy caught him looking off into space during the show. Anyway, a very cool experience for someone (Andy) who has never been to a comedy club in his life, got to be part of the show, and then got to meet the comic for an autograph afterward.

Today we are off to Lucas Oil Stadium (new home of the Colts for those who don't know) for the big free tour. I hope that we can take pics, which I will post here. Exciting! Then I plan to relax the rest of the weekend before my 5:30 am alarm on Monday morning.

FYI- Baby enjoyed the comedy show, although I think I probably shook him up a bit with all that laughing. He was kicking!

growing belly & realizations

2008-08-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Since my belly is starting to be noticeable now (strangers can tell I'm pregnant) I thought I'd share a picture. Here's me in the lovely outfit April lent me, yesterday after church:

Don't know what's going to happen to my belly button, but it's really being stretched to its limits. I've been waiting for so long to have a belly and along with it I have lots of movement from my little boy. His favorite times to jump around are right after I've eaten and when I'm sitting still at night.

On another note, I got a package in the mail today by surprise. A gift from a water aerobics friend. I got really emotional when I saw these adorable little shoes. For some reason, it just hit me that I'll have a little one to fill these shoes in just about 4 months. I guess they are just one of the first "boy" things I've gotten. Can't wait to put them on his little feet - that is if he'll put up with them.

P.S. I think I forgot to say that I got a haircut. Had to look professional for my student teaching!

Olympic Opening

2008-08-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

"I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

This, my favorite quote from JFK, is what I think of when I see the beautiful performing arts that bring the world together - like at tonight's Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics. This quote is etched in the marble walls of my old workplace, the Kennedy Center.

The Results Are In!

2008-08-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Our 20 week ultrasound today showed that we are having a baby boy!!! The tech told us she is 99.9% sure and showed us the proof, so I feel pretty confident with the ruling. The most exciting thing about the ultrasound was just seeing the baby and all his little parts. We saw his head, face, brain, heart beating, stomach, spine, arms, hands, legs, feet, bottom, ribs, and his little man parts. He moved around a bit, looked straight at us, and even waved to us. He was sleeping on his stomach, so we did not get the traditional ultrasound profile picture, but we got some good ones.

Here he is looking at us:
Here's his little arm:

And here is a leg:

Oh, what an exciting day! Everything looked great for the baby. He is developing right on schedule and looks wonderful. We can know envision ourselves as parents of a little baby boy!

Pie Cravings

2008-08-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Lately, my main cravings have been for pies of all sorts: cream pie, quiche, fruit pies, . . . Last week I indulged in a Wick's Sugar Cream Pie, one of my grocery freezer section faves. Its taste can't be beat! Give a shout if you love this pie ,too.

Today I decided to make my own pie at home. It's been at least 3 or 4 years since I've made a pie. Used to make apple each fall after I went to the orchard. Today, I made a peach pie with homemade crust! And here's what it looks like:

Not bad for being a few years rusty, but I haven't tasted it yet. Should I get some ice cream to go on top?

Family History

2008-08-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend my parents, grandad, Andy, and I all traveled down to Guilford in Dearborn County Indiana for an extended family reunion. The group was about 100 people, all related to some settlers that game from Thirsk, Yorkshire, England in the early 1800's. The tradition has been carried on for over a 100 years, the families used to call it a Pioneer Picnic.

I saw some cousins I knew, as well as met some new ones. We listened to a letter that was written by one of our ancestors, detailing the boat trip over from England. Our ancestors first landed in Alexandria, VA, made their way over to Pittsburgh area, and then continued down the Ohio river to Guilford, IN (which is near Cincinnati, OH).

My great-grandfater, the county doctor for Dearbord from about 1906-1960, delivered or treated most of the local people I met at the reunion, which was really neat to learn.

Here are some pics that I took (wish I had taken more):

Grandad with his niece Margaret who came all the way from Maryland:

Grandad with his nephew Dan, who lives just a few miles from Guilford - don't the look alike!

Cousins Harriett and Martha, who come to visit Grandad every summer.

The beautiful old Methodist church in Guilford where my Grandmother and Grandad got married:

The old West Fork Cemetery where my great-grandparents are buried, as well as other relatives:

FYI, Grandad did not get in a rumble, he took a spill while washing his truck, that's where he got the black eye. He's feeling fine, though.

Baby Kick!

2008-07-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today I felt the baby moving around, so I kind of tapped on my belly then layed my hand there to see if I'd get a response. The baby kicked back and I felt it on the outside for the first time!!! It was so exciting and makes it seem more and more real! I tried to have Andy feel it too, but the baby wouldn't do a repeat performance right away.

Just 2 more weeks until the ultrasound! Can't wait to see what it will be!

Symptoms you never hear about

2008-07-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

18 weeks and counting . . . I've read a lot of pregnancy books and web sites, but one thing I never heard of was hip pain. Well, I have it and it isn't any fun. It is just my hips getting ready for the birthing process, and now I have found that quite a few women out there experience this. Basically whatever side I'm laying on to sleep gets really sore after an hour, then I have to flip to the other side. This lasts all night long, which is usually 8-10 flips. So, both Andy and I are losing sleep. I did some reading on message boards and found that cushioning your hip can help, so I went in search of a pillow that I could form into a donut for my hip. I found the Snoogle at Babies R Us, which is a sort of full body pillow that can be twisted into many formations, even a nursing pillow.

Looks kind of cumbersome, huh? Well, it is, but I am happy to say it does almost eliminate hip pain and lets me sleep for about 3 hours at a time, give or take a bathroom break. People have told me the sleep you lose during pregnancy is preparing you for the sleep you lose when your baby comes. I am getting some excellent training!

How about you out there? Any hip pain during pregnancy? Any good solutions to share?

The best of times Part 2

2008-07-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Indiana was happy to see the arrival of two very special Californians - Carrie & Milo. I was able to see them most every day they were here, which made me very happy. Carrie is like a sister to me and Milo is my beloved Godson.

Here are my favorite pictures from their visit:

The Happiest Godmother with Nathan & Milo

Mommy/Aunt Carrie

2 Generations Upside Down Cake

Milo tries mouth golfing

Good friends enjoying fireworks

Grandma Penny & her boys

Thanks for making the week of the 4th so much fun!!!

The best of times Part 1

2008-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

So, I thought Christmas was pretty awesome. And it was. We saw all our friends from the Rinehart clan, and then got to go to Boston to visit my in-laws and beautiful niece. Well, this summer was like an instant replay, with visitors from both coasts. I will start with some great pictures from our fun with my sister-in-law Kelly and niece Nicole:

At the Children's Museum

Riding on the carousel

Using a spoon!

Swimming at Aunt Sandy's

Sitting with Grandma & Grandpa

Looking at the bunnies

Exploring with Uncle Andy

Playing Piano!!!

We had a wonderful time with our family and are so glad they could come and visit!

Baby Moving . . . ?

2008-07-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

I had my 16 week appointment today with my doctor. The baby's heartbeat is 150 beats per minute (I think that is the measurement). She asked if I'd felt the baby move yet, and I said I wasn't sure what that would feel like. After she mentioned it might feel like a flutter, popcorn pop, or gas, I think I felt something like that this afternoon while sitting on the couch. Didn't feel like gas, felt more like a little tap tap tap inside. Cool!

Everything seems to be just fine, and I am very happy with the good report. The only bad news is that they scheduled my ultrasound (yes, the one where we find out the sex of the baby) for Aug. 8. That's 4 whole weeks, when I thought I might get away with an 18 week US! Well, good things come to those who wait, right?

So, let's have an unofficial blogger discussion. What do you think the baby will be, boy or girl?

Home Improvement Forum

2008-06-28T06:25:00.001-07:00

Dear readers:

I am working on two big projects this summer: kitchen tiling and nursery. I have no idea what I'm doing yet and thought it would be best to ask the experts out there for some advice.

Kitchen:
We have old 1970's tile that is not cool anymore and too cumbersome to clean (especially with baby spills). We have to get this tile taken up and new tile put down. I went to Floors to Go and it seemed awfully pricey. Does anyone know what I should expect to pay for each tile (12x12 or so), labor per square foot, had any good experience with national chains like Lowes or Home Depot? Any good tile brands? Where I can get the best prices?

Nursery:
I'm particularly thinking about cribs. What do you think about lifetime(convertible) cribs vs. standard cribs? Any brands to go for or to avoid? I know one brand was recalled the other day.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I will probably have more of these forums in the future, particularly dealing with baby products and recommendations.

This weekend's project is organizing closets and getting rid of stuff. An expert friend is coming over to be my master organizer. Yay! Need to make room for baby!

Done, done, done with classes!

2008-06-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

Yeah! I am finally done with all my masters classes! I only have yet to complete student teaching this fall, which is pass or fail. Then I will be an MLS and a school library media specialist in December when I graduate. And become a mom at the same time. Wow!!!

The latest on baby is that I am 13.5 weeks along now. The morning sickness is gone for the most part, except I think my prenatal vitamins make me kind of nauseous. I can start to see my belly expanding a little, but most people can't tell. Except for this waitress at Steak N Shake who congratulated me last week. My first stranger who noticed I was pregnant! Baby and I get a workout every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at water aerobics, with my mom too. We are really enjoying it!

Now that school is done, it's on to other projects such as painting and decorating a nursery, preparing for baby by researching all the baby products, tiling the kitchen and painting the cabinets, and various other odds and ends, like volunteering for the State Library. Even though I'm not working, it will be a busy busy summer!

Flood

2008-06-09T10:32:00.001-07:00

Two blogs in one day, it is a record! Well, a lot happened this weekend in Indiana causing a lot of us to be stranded at home, or for others, forced to evacuate their home. Andy and I took in my mom because she could not get back to Martinsville after the Saturday morning rains and floods. The southside of Indy got maybe about 6 inches of rain, and Martinsville almost 9 inches I think. We could go north from our house, but no where south. Mom couldn't get home any way because all the major and country roads were flooded.

John and Sarah got pretty wet down in Martinsville, but not inside their house. Their power was out and they couldn't drive much of anywhere, so they took a walk to visit my dad at the radio station. You can see some of the pictures that they took on John's myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/whiteriverfishkill

Here is one they took of the Long John Silvers along 37, just to show you how deep the water was:

Aqua Aerobics

2008-06-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Mom and I started water aerobics class at Indy's Garfield Park this morning. Did you know that Garfield Park is the oldest park in Indianapolis? It is famous for the sunken gardens shown below:

We enjoyed aerobics class with about 15 other ladies (no men, don't know why) ranging from my age to about 75. It was a nice group of women and maybe we'll make some new friends. I think the workout will do me and baby a lot of good. Maybe I will have a little swimming champion!

Afterward we were hungry and went to Joe's Shelby Diner (aka Shelby Street Diner) for some comfort food. It was certainly an authentic diner with a counter and everything. We ate at the counter. Mom got a hotdog and I got the grilled cheese. They are known for their 1 pound hamburgers. Not for me! Here's the diner (classic cars were not there today):

It's fun to have free time this summer to explore more of my local neighborhood and the Indy Parks. They all have concerts throughout the summer (for free) so Andy and I plan to make some of those.

Babyland!

2008-05-29T14:49:00.001-07:00

Andy and I venturing into babyland! Around my birthday in April, we found out that I was pregnant! I am now 10.5 weeks along and everything is going smoothly. For the last 5 weeks I have been experiencing the wonderful world of morning sickness and food aversions (meat is mostly the culprit).

At week 6 & 7, I had ultrasounds done due to a little issue, but everything turned out to be fine. We were able to see the little baby's heartbeat at both sessions. It is amazing how fast they grow! Here is the progress from 4/29/2008:

There is a small arrow pointing to baby. The big black hole is the
gestational sac and the little black hole is the yolk sac.

To 5/5/2008:

The white blurry thing next to the yolk sac is the baby.
See how big it's gotten?!

We have yet to pick out a nickname for the baby, but I'm thinking Baby M. Any suggestions? Well, anyway, baby is very well traveled so far. Baby has been to Disneyworld and Seaworld and Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, Baby did not get to go see any democratic presidential hopefuls this spring, although it wanted to.

It is quite possible that "Where to, next?" will turn into a complete baby blog. I must say it is a motivator to share news and pics. At any rate, you will probably see more frequent posting here, so stay tuned! Plus, I am getting done with classes soon, so I'll have tons of time to blog!

Snowy Day

2007-12-16T11:47:00.001-08:00

Snow was predicted for this weekend and it came. Of course, on Friday, everyone scurried around running those last minute errands before getting snowed in. The grocery store was CRAZY! Hundreds of people buying milk, bread, and eggs. The Kroger was actually out of eggs! The only thing I could think of was that everyone was going to have a French toast eating contest over the weekend. I bought other things, like candy making ingredients and potato soup fixins.

So, what do you do on a snowy winter day? Well, Andy and I had some great ideas for today.

First, you sleep in and then make some balloon animals from the awesome kit your friend gave you:

After that, you put your snow gear on and go outside to take a wintry picture of your house:
Next, you take a picture of your husband shoveling the driveway. Nice job, Andy!
Then, you go inside and make some nice potato cheese soup for lunch. Yum!

This afternoon we might make some Christmas candies, watch some football, wrap some presents, and knit. By we, I mean Andy will watch the game and I will do the others:)

Babysitters' Club

2007-12-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

When I'm not studying, writing papers, or working, one of my favorite activities is babysitting. In October and November I had a few fun playdates with my little friends. Here are my buddies Clark, Dara, and Delany:

They belong to Carla, my friend who I used to work with at Easter Seals. She is amazing!

Caden and Marina came over to watch the Colts game while Chanda and Damon went to the game. The Colts won!!! And we had a great time reading, coloring and playing football. My righthand man for this gig was Andy, of course.

Then, I got to share in John's babysitting gig for Nate and Lara's Samuel. It was John's first time for feedings and dirty diapers, so I lent a hand. We enjoyed our time with Samel, who is the sweetest little guy!

Diva Reunion

2007-11-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to reunite with all of my college roommates last weekend in Tennessee. My friend Bridget and her husband Peter are renting a house near the Smoky Mountains and he is starting a new restaurant at Blackberry Farm.

We had the best time, and it was like no time had passed since the last time we were all together in 2002. We caught up on our lives, families, careers, and especially the little ones. We had a cookout, campfire with s'mores, went walking on the creek, played games, and mainly enjoyed talking. Our husbands all enjoyed each other too!

Here are some of the photos from the weekend:

Wonderful Fall!

2007-11-03T13:26:00.001-07:00

Even though fall has been well under way for awhile, we enjoyed some especially fall-like activities this week. We raked leaves and then vacuumed them up. That was fun! We had four huge piles, and though I wanted to, I did not jump in them. We have three gorgeous trees in our yard that turned beautiful shades of yellow and orange.

Today, I baked a batch of persimmon pudding using pulp that my brother made himself from the persimmons on Green Street. I used a recipe from some old ladies in Worthington, IN who sell persimmon pulp for their senior center fundraiser. It is quite a yummy recipe.

Here is a picture of the final product, which I am going to share with some friends during the Colts game. They are not from Indiana, so they may have never had this wonderful treat.
Yum!!!

Special shout out to Carrie and Milo! I wish you could be here to see the colors and jump in the leaves with me!!!

What have I been doing?

2007-09-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

My blog is so sporadic that I must email people and tell them to come here. Sad, huh? Well, maybe I'll get better at posting more frequently. This summer I didn't do much but homework 24/7.

I just wanted to share what I've been working on recently. My grandad asked me to redo the family photo album form the 40's and 50's because it was falling apart. I transferred all the photos to a spiffy new album and scanned them, which makes it so much easier to share with everyone. In the process of doing all this, I learned a lot about family history.

There's just something special about old black and white photographs. They have an artfulness that is lacking in color photography. Enjoy some of my favorites from the album:

Grandad flying over China, Burma, India 1945

In the jungle, 1945

On leave back in Indiana with Grandmother, 1945

Grandmother and Aunt Carl as a newborn, January 1945

The Taylor Family around 1948

Carol Sue around 1949

Decorating the Christmas tree 1949

Baby John 1951

The Taylor Family 1951

Carol Sue and John with Mimi and Grandad Elliott, about 1955

Milo's Big Day!

2007-06-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today was Milo's baptism and what a day it was! We got started early at Prince of Peace. Milo had a special outfit that his grandma made for him . . .

Andy and I officially started our Godparent duties
and Milo slept right through the service.

We ate some delicious baptism cake.

Enjoyed a fun crowd at Penny & Dave's

Then Milo got tuckered out and had to take a nap.
What a big day for a little boy.

BBQ Fun!

2007-06-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

The Mulder BBQ was a huge success !! We had quite a crowd to celebrate the summer homecoming of our friends from California and Tennessee. Of course, at the center of our celebration were the little ones (as you can see from all the pictures). We had a great time catching up with old friends. How lucky for us to be entering our thirties and still have strong bonds with the folks we grew up with and went to school with.

April, Emmett, and Carrie say cheese!
(Notice Carrie is doing her Giada smile)

The crowd enjoying food and conversation.

Enjoying the little ones:

Connie & Milo

Ben & Vera

Me & Milo

Sarah & Milo

A late night game of Apples to Apples
(I believe Sam and Lyna dominated, of course!)

Milo takes Martinsville!

2007-06-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with my godson Milo and dear friend Carrie today. Milo is growing so big and strong. He is such a happy smiley boy. Here he is meeting a few of his many fans:

Sherri & Milo

Grandma & Milo

Great-Grandma & Milo

Carol & Milo

He looks pretty happy to see all his company.
Wonder what he thinks of all this attention?

Franchitti wins!!!

2007-05-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dario Franchitti won his first Indy 500 yesterday and John won his first Andy 500 pool. I learned yesterday that Mr. Franchitti has a Scottish accent. I was very perplexed until I found out that he is of Italian descent but was born and grew up in Scotland. How's that for multi-cultural?

Thanks to all for participating in the pool! See you again next year!

Andy 500

2007-05-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

Andy is really getting into the race this year!!!

Indy 500 Pool

2007-05-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the First Annual Andy 500 Pool (no, that is not a typo). Here are the picks for the 91st running of the Indy 500:

Kelly
Kosuke Matsuura
Buddy Rice
Phil Giebler
Mike
Scott Dixon
Milka Duno
Ryan Briscoe
Nicole
Al Unser Jr.
Jeff Simmons
Marco Andretti
Kathy
Richie Hearn
Sam Hornish Jr.
Marty Roth
Andy
Jon Herb
Davey Hamilton
Danica Patrick
John
Buddy Lazier
Jaques Lazier
Dario Franchitti
Sherri
Tony Kanaan
Alex Barron
John Andretti
Tim
Ed Carpenter
Helio Castroneves
Darren Manning
Nancy
Roger Yasukawa
A.J. Foyt IV
Roberto Moreno
Lyman
Dan Wheldon
Vitor Meira
Sarah Fisher
Grandma Wheatley
Scott Sharp
Tomas Scheckter
Michael Andretti

Kudos to Nicole, who is joining her first pool ever. Those are pretty good picks baby girl!!!

If you want to find out more about your drivers (i.e. position, car number, top speeds, team names) click here to link to the Indy 500 Starting Line-up page.

Good Luck!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a shout out to all the great mothers out there. I am lucky to have had a really great mom. Here's to you Sherri!

Catching up

2007-05-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have been neglectful of my blog, mostly because of school. I just finished up a semester and am getting ready to embark on some summer classes. I'm happy to report that I did very well in all my classes.

I'll give you the summary version of the last month or so.

I did a lot of school work. If you would like to see what I've been working on, here are some samples:

Two lesson plans that I wrote for my Information Inquiry class: http://mypage.iu.edu/~kbmulder/project2.html

An article I wrote for our class's "online magazine": http://mypage.iu.edu/~kbmulder/project3.html

I turned 30 on April 12 and Andy turned 28 on April 4 (he's still a youngin'). Here are our birthday pictures:

Andy and I just took a trip to Philadelphia, PA for his college buddy's (Shawn) wedding. We had time to visit Valley Forge National Park, Philadelphia museum of art, and walked all around Philly. Not to mention some prime shopping at King of Prussia Mall and IKEA! It was our first time taking our Subaru on a road trip, and it was a good one! I hope we have many more.

Andy pretends to be George Washington at Valley Forge

Andy and I at Shawn & Rachel's wedding at the
John James Audubon Center

Andy and his college buddies Jesse, Jason, and Shawn

Andy enjoys the scenic and historic
streets of Philadelphia

I am stunned to find my old apartment at 18th & Walnut
has been torn down for luxury high rise apartments:(

The Philadelphia Skyline from the Art Museum

We are looking forward to many fun times this summer as a lot of our friends and family are visiting from Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, and Dallas. There will be lots more fun pictures to share!

Together Again

2007-03-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

John & Kathy circa 1981

Just found out last night that my brother John and his wife Sarah will be moving back from Florida in 2 weeks. We didn't expect them until August, so this was a great surprise. I'm so excited that they will be nearby again. We missed them so much while he was gone at school.

Running into Spring

2007-03-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

After one failed attempt at running together early in our courtship, Andy and I embarked on our 1st jog as a married couple this morning. He has to run now to strengthen his ankle after his winter surgery. I have tried many times to get him to run with me, but it took the doctors recommendation for him to finally give in. Yeah!!

We got our new running shoes last night and we were off in style this morning, starting with just 10 minutes. It had been awhile for me too, so I was huffing and puffing. The run kind of brought me back to my high school track days. The morning was humid and dewy, about 60 degrees, perfect training weather.

I hope this is the beginning of routine for us, as I need to get more exercise and don't seem to get it done without a partner.

California Days 3 & 4

2007-03-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying our time here. Yesterday we stayed in pajamas all day, watched a movie , cooked up some food, and took care of Milo. Carrie's friend Jenny and her daughters came to visit us.

Today we had an outing to In 'n Out Burger and Babies R Us to get Milo a swing. In n' Out burgers are excellent!!! Now I know why everyone raves about them.

Also today, Milo took a bath and he didn't even cry until the very end. I think he enjoys the water.

CA day 2

2007-03-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today was another action packed day with the Medeiroses. Cuddle time with Milo & Murphy in the morning. Then a trip to Huntington Gardens and Library in San Marino. It was beautiful!
We also went to the tea room and gorged on treats and finger sandwiches.

Milo's Milestones: 1st trip to the library

Here are our pictures. More on Carrie's blog. Typing one-handed, holding Milo. ..

Trip to California to see Carrie & Milo

2007-03-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying my time in sunny California with Carrie, Milo, and Murphy Medeiros. It's beautiful and Carrie has already taken me out two days in a row (with a 2 week old!) She is a super mom:)

Wednesday, we headed strait to Santa Monica and the pier from the airport (to avoid traffic). We met up with Carrie's school friend Celeste and her daughter and shopped around on the 3rd Street Promenade.

Milo's Milestones: 1st time at the beach, 1st time at the airport

Here are some pictures from our day:

Thursday was another fun day

Book Talk

2007-03-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

This year, I've joined a Young Adult Book Club to become more familiar with this genre for when I become a school or YA librarian. I'm really enjoying all the reads and wanted to recommend some.

I just went to my club meeting and we discussed the book Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It was an excellent read, set in the medieval period, and had wonderful elements of fairy tale. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for an intense story with romance and adventure.

The next couple of months, we are discussing two book that were in the running for the 2007 Printz Award (similar to the Caldecott & Newbery, but for teens). American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang was the winner, and it's in the form of a graphic novel. This will be my first graphic novel, so I'll let you know how it goes. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is the other book. Not sure what it's about yet, but it is supposed to be pretty light and a fun read. Let me know your thoughts if you have read these, or end up reading them.

Spring Break!!!

2007-03-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

Woooo hooooo! I just finished my last class before spring break. Haven't had one of these in about eight years, so I'm really looking forward to it. I will be in sunny California with my best friend Carrie and my new best friend Milo!!! Maybe we'll check out some of the MTV Beach Party action:) Just kidding. I am looking forward to relaxing, having some girl time, and holding precious Milo.

Stay tuned for some fun picks of my trip!

Show and Tell

2007-03-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished a project for my class Information Inquiry for School Teachers - kind of a methods class for school librarians. My first big project was to do an information inquiry (research) project on any topic and focus as much on the process of researching as the final product. I chose the topic of redhead extinction (yes, there are reports that redheads are declining in the population) and my final product was a web site for a "pretend" organization called Save the Redheads. I thought it might be fun to share it. Here's the URL: http://mypage.iu.edu/~kbmulder/index.html.

John's Show

2007-03-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2007