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I had ordered a Microscope from Intel a while...
January 30, 2002 by Adam in Family
 I had ordered a Microscope from Intel a while back, and it arrived yesterday. I plugged it into my computer, and was soon watching magnified pictures of strange objects on my computer. Sam thought it was pretty cool, and we were magifying Lego people, dead insects, and pond water in no time. He also got a kick out of the equipment that came with it.
There was one plastic container that Sam dubbed his "containment unit", after a device in one of his Pajama Sam games. We hunted for insects around the house, mostly finding dead ones and plucking them with the tweezers. Great fun.
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It's been fairly low-key the last few days
January 29, 2002 by Adam in Family
It's been fairly low-key the last few days. My cold continues, but my "cold-be-gone" cocktail of coffee and Advil seems to have conquered it. I've been paying my dues as a dad and playing lots of games with Sam. Lots of Legos, pretending to be superheros, reinacting Star Wars scenes, and the occasional wrestling match. Jamie called and will hopefully be coming over for lunch. Always fun to visit with the family.
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The snow this morning took us all by surprise
January 28, 2002 by Adam in Family
 The snow this morning took us all by surprise. Sam wandered down to play with me, first thing in the morning as he always does. We fiddled around for a bit, then I looked out the window to see everything blanketed in snow. Sam was terribly excited, and immediately wanted to head outside. We played and played, coming in after I started to get pretty hungry.
Unfortunately, all the excitement and lack of food was a bit too much for Sam. He threw a huge fit and we had to let him cry a bit before he'd settle down enough to eat his breakfast. The rest of the day was much better, and the neighbor kids (Ben, Sebastian, and Graham) came over to play for a bit. Jamie took a trip to the craft store, which turned into a three-hour long expedition. I was a bit played out with Sam towards the end of the day.
Otherwise, the weekend was very quiet. We did a few projects. I got the sound card back in my computer, and we hung up some shelves. Nothing too exciting, which was fine by me.
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Another Mocha Friday
January 25, 2002 by Adam in Family
 Another Mocha Friday. Sam got a Bionicle Lego character yesterday, so we basically played with the new toy for four hours after I got home. It was fun playing with him, though, and I always appreciate his quirky sense of humor. In the bath, his Bionicle guy was "Sitting the Seven Seas" (instead of "Sailing the Seven Seas"). Not sure where he heard that phrase, but he definately paused and looked at me to see if I got it.
More exciting work meetings today. Our whole team is together, going through various issues. It's a good thing I enjoy what I do, otherwise the various politics involved with getting big projects moving would drive me mad. I think I've been pushing an Internet redesign for a couple years now. May actually happen this year.
I'm looking forward to this weekend. I think we'll mostly putter around. I'd like to spend some serious dad-Sam time, possibly going for another hike. For some reason, I feel I haven't really been hanging out with the little guy much this week. With being sick and a few family things, it seems I've been absent more often than usual.
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Exciting evening last night
January 23, 2002 by Adam in Family
 Exciting evening last night. Jamie was going off with a friend for dinner, while I was trying to make it to Isabell's birthday. It was touch and go, but I managed to entertain Sam, get Sadie's webcam hooked up, assist with dinner, wrap (sort of) a present, do Sam's post-dinner bathroom routine, and get everyone and everything into the car. Whew.
The birthday party was great fun. Lots of family descended on the house. Seraph made a great cake, so seconds were necessary. Sam had a great time playing with Robbie's old Star Wars action figures from when he was a kid.
We rushed home for a quick bath and bedtime by 8 pm. Jamie returned well fed and rested. After a little computer gaming on my part, I went to bed, woke myself up snoring, then retreated to the guest bed so as not to bother Jamie. What a wonderful, quirky life I live.
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I walked out the door to go to work today, wh...
January 21, 2002 by Adam in Family
 I walked out the door to go to work today, when I found everything covered in snow. I took a few steps through the slush in my normal work outfit, then turned around to put on some sensible clothes. Getting to work wasn't too bad, though the sidewalks were pretty wet with slush. I'm now looking out over campus, the buildings looking like frosted gingerbread houses. Must be time for a morning snack.
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Sadie, Dave, and Josh all came over today
January 21, 2002 by Adam in Family
Sadie, Dave, and Josh all came over today. It was nice having them over to entertain Sam and visit. Jamie started the actual miscarriage today, so it looks like a second ultrasound won't be necessary. I think part of her is glad to get things over with. We both want to move on with our lives. The support everyone has given us has been wonderful. Thank you all.
Tomorrow work starts, which is vaguely disappointing. The more time I spend with my family, the harder it is to leave. We'll probably continue to take it easy over the next week. I'm not sure if we'll make it to Isabell's birthday party, though we'll try.
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We had a fun day today
January 20, 2002 by Adam in Family
 We had a fun day today. We were mulling over our weekend plans at breakfast this morning, and Jamie suggested we head up into the hills and play in the snow. Sam thought that was a fine idea, so we dressed up warmly and piled into the Subaru. We headed towards Oakridge, and then went another fifteen miles past that. When we found the place where everyone was putting on their chains, we turned around and found a place next to the road to park.
We spent an hour throwing snowballs, building snow structures, and re-enacting the Star Wars scenes that took place on the ice planet Hoth. Jamie plays a pretty good tauntaun, and gave Sam several rides. Sam also found great joy in peeing in the snow. I suppose there's a first time for everything.
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Thanks to all those who sent in notes, flower...
January 18, 2002 by Adam in Family
 Thanks to all those who sent in notes, flowers, and reassurances. We're doing better. It helps to think of this as part of life, not unusual or uncommon.
Sam is quite good at convincing us of his utter need for Star Wars Legos. Evidently Jamie and Sam were at Fred Meyers looking for a Boba Fett Lego, but instead found one with two Ewoks, a Stormtrooper, and an Imperial Scout (with speeder bike). Of course Sam had to get one, and it was funny that his wiley ways worked on Jamie too. So, that's what we played with much of last night.
It's Friday, and that means Mocha day. Looking forward to the soothing caffiene. Work continues to be busy, so it may not be much in the way of relaxing.
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After the doctor's appointment yesterday, we ...
January 16, 2002 by Adam in Family
After the doctor's appointment yesterday, we were all feeling a little sad. We hung out in the living room by the fire, ate dessert, and watched cartoons for Sam's sake. I was exhausted and slept from about 7:30 until 5:30 this morning. When I went out to get into my car, I realized we never picked it up. So, I'm here at home until everyone wakes up to take me to work.
I've had a little time to think about things, and I'm feeling better today. I didn't realize how many pregnancies end in miscarriage (somewhere between 25% to 50%), so it's seeming like more of a normal thing. I suppose the downside to genetics is that chance ends up producing fertilized eggs that simply won't turn into a baby. Knowing that miscarrage is a natural thing helps some.
I keep thinking about what happens next, both short term and long term. There are short term things we need to deal with, so I may be a little quiet or absent the next week or two. We still hope to have a second child, though the timing is up in the air. We'll see how things go.
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Sad news about the new baby
January 16, 2002 by Adam in Family
Sad news about the new baby. We went to the doctor's today for the heartbeat visit. While it's not certain, things didn't appear to be developing the way they are supposed to. You can read more here.
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And so another weekend ends
January 14, 2002 by Adam in Family
 And so another weekend ends. Jamie and I had a nice Saturday breakfast together, after trucking Sam off to grandma Sue's house. It was a little hard, as he was in such a good mood that we didn't want to let him go. The rest of the day was spent running errands. Sam and I got our hair cut and we picked out a new dresser for Sam (after he almost dropped a drawer on his foot from his current one).
Sunday was equally lazy. Sam and I played for most of the day, going off on a hike at one point. It was pretty cold on the Ridgeline Trail. We shared some bagels and told stories from the Lord of the Rings as we trudged along.
Jamie's arranged for a date for us tonight. Angie's watching Sam while we go off somewhere mysterious. Should be fun.
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Ah, Fridays
January 11, 2002 by Adam in Family
Ah, Fridays. The one day where I let myself drink a mocha and cruise through the day in caffinated bliss. It's been a good day at work, whipping out code and listening to bif naked. Coupled with my new black leather jacket, I feel much cooler than I really am.
I had a hard time with Sam last night. I was a tired, he was tired, and we ended up getting on each other's nerves for awhile. I also ended up injuring myself in a dumb way, involving an impromptu cardboard box slide on our stairs. Note to self: sliding upside down while holding a child and only your skull to cushion the blow is not a good idea. I begged Jamie for a half hour so that I could take a bath, afterwards which I felt much better.
Jamie took off to watch television with a friend, while Sam and I hung out in a much more subdued way. We played a funky Lego game for awhile, then watched Friends together. "Why do you sometimes watch silly shows?" was all he asked afterwards.
I tucked him into bed, told him a story of high adventure involving Tommy and Tess, and he fell asleep next to me. I love being a dad.
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This week seems to have turned into a series ...
January 10, 2002 by Adam in Family
This week seems to have turned into a series of busy days. Last night, Sadie came over to work on her Botswana project while I tried to manage Sam. He was tired all day, and was a bit on the frantic side in the evening. He wanted to pretend to be an "evil guest" for awhile, whatever that is. Later on, we slid down a flattened box we'd put on the stairs. Much cooler than the Christmas present that was inside.
Jamie was out last night giving an orientation for Tiny Tots. Tonight she's going to Victoria's to watch television. I'm hoping to take Sam shopping tonight. I think we'll just crash this weekend as best we can.
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Happy New Year to all
January 06, 2002 by Adam in Family
 Happy New Year to all. Over the last few days leading up to the weekend, I've been discovering presents at my desk. They were from Jamie, but I was mystified as to how they got there. The person in the next cubicle would call me over, then I'd return a minute later to find a present next to my keyboard. Jamie wouldn't say how she did it, and I still haven't found out. On Friday, I was wisked away by her for a romantic evening. All very cool.
Saturday was a bit quiet. All of us went swimming, then hung out at the house. I finally managed to get my new computer hooked up to the Internet, and I cleaned "the nerd cave" at the same time. No big plans for today. Probably just hang out as a family.
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