It was a funny night last night

December 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a funny night last night. Brant and Josh came over to watch Sam around noon (though actually Brant came for the game). When I arrived, Sam was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. Kirsten and Dave had arrived by then, and Sadie showed up as well. It was quite the little party, and Jamie had even made lentil soup from a Marth Stewart magazine.

Sadie and I chatted and helped put together a CD for Anna. I showed her some of the Neverwinter Nights modules I've been putting together and she politely refrained from running away screaming, "Nerd! Nerd!" We also chatted about her upcoming graduation and all the fun that implies.

Sam finally wandered down and sat in my lap, barely saying a word. After everyone left, he conked out on the couch around 6:30, fast asleep. We let him lay there for a bit, then took him up to bed. He looked so pitiful - all the running around must have tired him right out.



Jamie just finished talking to the genetic co...

December 30, 2002 by Adam in Emma

Jamie just finished talking to the genetic councilor. She confirmed that everything is fine, and that it really was a girl. I guess when you're looking the the chromosomes, it's pretty obvious.

As a bonus, we've asked for a copy of the karyotype which should be arriving in a few weeks. For those of you who aren't big biology people like Jamie and myself, a karyotype is a picture of someone's chromosomes all nicely layed out. It should make a nice addition to the baby album.



The weekend is over and I'm back at work

December 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

The weekend is over and I'm back at work. The sun peeked out for awhile yesterday, prompting Jamie, Sam, and I to make an expedition to the bike path by the river. Sam geared up and rode his bike along, laughing as he went. He learned a new phrase, "on your left", that he called out every time he passed someone. He even tried it out on Jamie when he was trying to climb over her in bed last night.

We're slowly taking down the Christmas ornaments and getting ready for the new year. It's a long time until Spring, so Jamie bought herself some daisies to tide her over for awhile.



It was quite the day today

December 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was quite the day today. Work seems relaxing by comparison. Sam wandered down early this morning and we played a bit before breakfast. His latest favorite game is having me pull him up and down the stairs in a sleeping bag, so I'm getting lots of exercise. After breakfast, we went to Karate, which is hard for him but enjoyable. Then we puttered around the house and went to the new library in the early afternoon.

The new library has great potential, with beautiful architecture and lots of space for everyone. I love the coffee place in front - I suspect it will get much of my patronage. The downside is that it was extremely busy and we ended up waiting in line to get a new library card. Fortunately, Sam was very patient as long as I kept reading to him.

I'm not sure exactly what Jamie did all day, though my guess is that it was a bit more relaxing than my activities. She did a little work on her scrapbook and I caught her writing in her pregnancy journal. She also managed a nap in there too, which will hopefully help with her fatigue. I suppose no matter how hard my day seemed, growing a baby from scratch is always going to be harder.



Good news on the baby front

December 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

Good news on the baby front. You can read all about it on Emma's page.



Well, we're all breathing a sigh of relief

December 28, 2002 by Adam in Emma

Well, we're all breathing a sigh of relief. A couple of weeks ago, we were notified that Jamie's bloodwork didn't look quite right. So, we went in to see a genetic councilor, thinking this was just an ordinary thing. Evidently, Jamie's hormone levels were indicative of a one in eleven chance of the baby having Down's syndrome. That day, we opted for an amniocentesis, and had it done later that day. It was far from pleasant, though Jamie was a real trooper.

For the next couple weeks, we've been waiting and worrying. I've been sleeping poorly, getting little sleep and being cranky. People have been asking how everything was doing, and I've been trying hard not to answer. There were a few uncomfortable situations, but I think we mostly made it through.

This Friday, we heard that there was good news, though it was only through a phone message, so we don't know the details. Since it's an either/or kind of thing, it looks like things are normal. We've also known for awhile that the baby was a girl, though we haven't really wanted to tell anyone until now. It's not a for sure thing, though the ultrasound we had a couple weeks ago suggested it strongly.

So, hopefully the next five months won't be nearly as exciting. Jamie's feeling better these days, though still tired. I'm just happy to be able to sleep nights again.



The New Year is about to arrive

December 27, 2002 by Judy in Hanes

The New Year is about to arrive. Book your vacation time at the beach house now!!! (Sound like a travel company, don't I?) As a reminder, the e-mail addresses and various phone #s are to the right of the beach page. Please check yours and let me know if it needs changing.

Also we have a phone at the house now for local calls, or for receiving calls from Eugene, Portland. The NUMBER IS 541-563-3206.



I'm back at work again, a quiet Friday after ...

December 27, 2002 by Adam in Adam

I'm back at work again, a quiet Friday after Christmas. It feels strangely good to get back into the routine of things. After wading through a pile of e-mail, it has become somewhat quiet again. It's both Monday and Friday in a sense, as I have the weekend tomorrow. I think we're going to try hard to take it easy, and perhaps take Sam to karate.



It's officially the day after Christmas, wher...

December 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's officially the day after Christmas, where piles of presents and wrapping paper are shuffled off to their respective piles and shelves. We spent most of the day trying to do normal things, like going grocery shopping and doing laundry. We've been trying to calm Sam down and get him back into the routine, though he did manage to bop me in the nose at least once.

It seemed like a whirlwind Christmas, traveling from place to place. It felt like we didn't really get to see people very much at all. Poor Jamie couldn't manage to make it through Christmas celebrations at my mom's, so she ducked out early while I got to drink wine and chat it up with my family.

I'm going to try to dutifully send out thank you cards, though I'm a little nervous that I'll be able to actually deliver. Here's a little preemptive thanks to everyone who sent along such wonderful gifts.



OK, I'm beginning to feel better

December 26, 2002 by Jamie in Jamie

OK, I'm beginning to feel better. I miss having energy to make it through the day, but I am working on accepting my limitations :-)



Merry Christmas to all

December 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

Merry Christmas to all. We had quite the gathering last night, with large groups of Jamie's family coming over to eat and open presents. My figgy pudding actually turned out well. I'll be bringing what remains back to Eugene so that the brave can give it a try too.

I expect Sam and Jamie will be waking up shortly, then we'll head back to town after a little breakfast. I'm not sure when the gathering at my mom's is happening - probably a bit after noon. Then, perhaps, our little family will have some quiet time together.



While we were having breakfast yesterday, Sam...

December 23, 2002 by Adam in Sam

While we were having breakfast yesterday, Sam whispered to me, "I know what I want for Christmas, but it's not in Santa's bag." I leaned over, and he smiled a knowing smile. "What is it?" I asked. "I want to be a Jedi," Sam replied.



We're up in Portland, taking it easy for a co...

December 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

We're up in Portland, taking it easy for a couple days before Christmas. Sam's being highly entertained by Jim and Judy, giving Jamie and I a chance to rest a bit. I finished up one book yesterday, and I'm hoping to make some Figgy Pudding today or tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.



It was a fairly exciting day today

December 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly exciting day today. Jamie woke me up this morning by poking at my head. Evidently she was trapped between Sam and I and had to go to the bathroom. I had a couple hours of computer play time, then a hearty breakfast. Sam and I went over to my mom's for breakfast where I had a great time visiting with Sadie while Sam played with Destin. Then it was back to our house around 1 pm for general hanging out time. Dad and Yayoe came by later that afternoon to drop off presents and visit.

I'm hoping to take it easy for the rest of the day. That and get ready for our trip to Portland. We may leave tomorrow, depending on how we feel.



It's Friday, which I am thankful for

December 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Friday, which I am thankful for. I'll be taking most of next week off, so I'll hopefully have a fair amount of time to rest. It does look as if the next few days will be busy, with traveling and events galore.

Grandpa Bill came over last night, entertaining us with tales from the thirties. I think Sam would have preferred a few more terrible stories, especially those involving accidents and such. Still, it went well and it was nice to visit with him for a time.



Sam seems to be really getting into the holid...

December 20, 2002 by Adam in Sam

Sam seems to be really getting into the holiday spirit. Last night, he wanted to pretend that Santa Claus was coming to our house, but that he got stuck behind the glass of our gas fireplace. It usually was resolved with Sam breaking the glass with his lightsaber, or Ruldolph pulling him up from the roof.



I've well surpassed the 10,000 download mark ...

December 19, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've well surpassed the 10,000 download mark for the Neverwinter Nights modules I've created. People e-mail daily, asking for hints and mentioning problems. Lots of good feedback too. I'm plugging away at the new campaign - the first module is complete and I'm busy creating new items for the new one.

I preordered a couple things from Amazon, taking advantage of a gift certificate and a $15 off offer. I picked up Unreal 2 and Splinter Cell, which both sound really good. So, the end of January and beginning of February should be fun computer times.



I'm bleary-eyed this morning, a mocha by my s...

December 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm bleary-eyed this morning, a mocha by my side as I try to wake up. I saw the Two Towers last night, the second of the Lord of the Rings movies. Extremely well done - almost nothing bad to say about it. I only waited in line for about an hour before the movie, then another three in the theater. I think I managed to get to bed a bit before eleven.

The only odd thing about the movie was that Sam's karate instructor was there (his picture is the one a few posts down). I couldn't remember his name, so I opted against the social embarrassment of saying hello.

I think Sam and Jamie survived without me for a night. I always feel vaguely bad taking off for an evening, knowing the Jamie doesn't really get much of a break. At least I'll be taking a few days off around Christmas.



I've had a string of bad luck at work

December 18, 2002 by Adam in Adam

I've had a string of bad luck at work. Yesterday I managed to have three seperate critical server issues, two of which were my fault. This morning, I was upgrading an application and ended up having to reboot the server to fix the problem. When I went to go tell the Help Desk, they offered me a cookie. Now I have this urge to reboot some more servers and see if I get additional cookies.



I traded a run to pick up burritos for dinner...

December 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

I traded a run to pick up burritos for dinner last night with Jamie. She's now going to mail all my Christmas presents to relatives, which has been taking me forever to do. I was up at 3:30 yesterday morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I could feel it all day, and kept making dumb mistakes. Unfortunately, this resulted in some computer downtime, so I swore off touching computers for the rest of the day.

I'm feeling better this morning and got plenty of sleep. This is a good thing, as I'm going to see The Two Towers tonight with work friends. It'll be a long haul, getting there at 6 pm and staying until 10 pm. I'm getting too old for these sorts of things.



We spent a rainy weekend mostly at home

December 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

We spent a rainy weekend mostly at home. Sunday was spent decorating the tree, wrapping presents, and watching E.T. with Sam. We didn't even step out of the house as it was pouring for most of the day. I have one major set of Christmas projects to wrap and send, which I better finish soon with the magic day coming up.



It's a rainy weekend, one of the last before ...

December 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's a rainy weekend, one of the last before Christmas. Sam and I hit the mall early this morning, getting the last of the Christmas presents. I've got much wrapping to do, though I'm hoping to press Jamie into service. You'll know if she wrapped your present, for obvious reasons.

I've been keeping an eye on Sam for most of the day, giving Jamie a chance to go visit her friend Victoria. We're supposedly getting our Christmas tree today, generously donated by mom and Dick. Angie may come over later to help us decorate, getting us into the Christmas spirit.



Sam's been really into karate lately

December 13, 2002 by Adam in Sam

Sam's been really into karate lately. He's only signed up for once per week, but he's been talking about it off and on. I've attached a picture of him in his new karate outfit, which he wore nonstop for an afternoon. He's also been interested in wrestling and fighting games lately. Oh what a boy he is.

Sam and Jamie went to preschool together this morning, as she was the helper parent for the day. While Sam was out on the playground, he was bit by a spider. He's fine, barely feeling it, though I think we're all secretly hoping he develops super powers.



Thursday already

December 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Thursday already. Where does the week go? I've been trying hard to finish buying and making all my Christmas presents. I've got one more to buy, and a bunch to make. Plus there's the figs that I've dried and are now compelling me further to make that promised figgy pudding. When you all are forced to eat it for Christmas gatherings, please smile and say you like it.

On an up note, Jamie's been feeling better these days. I'm not sure if it's the flu shot that has run its course, or if she's finally getting out of the first trimester blahs. Here's hoping for the best.



I had a lovely lunch with Jamie and Sam yeste...

December 11, 2002 by Seraph in Cortez

I had a lovely lunch with Jamie and Sam yesterday at the Olive Garden. I think we'll have to arrange some future playdates.
We had a fun trip to Portland on Sunday to celebrate the end of Ramadan with Raven and Cheikh. Good company and LOTS of YUMMY food!
Isabell's friend Cyan turned two and had birthday party last night. There was quite a crowd of small children running around and bonking each other on the heads with ballons! I unfortunately had to leave early for a church meeting.
P.S. Small note on Dorothy's posting: I bet Ben had a great Thanksgiving!
P.P.S. I see that Betsy now has a place to post, we look forward to news from her!



Danica, Andy, Ben & I went to Louisville for ...

December 10, 2002 by Dorothy in Danica Miller

Danica, Andy, Ben & I went to Louisville for Thanksgiving. Andy's Dad died a month ago, and his mom wanted all her children and grandcildren there. We had 5 giggly teen age girls and Ben. Great fun. 14 for dinner. Then we also clebrated Hanukkah on Friday. They even had presents for me. Rosie ahd made 90 potao latkes and they ate them all.I am busy with lunches, open houses, eggnog party for a couple weeks. I will go to Rochester for Christmas.



We've been chugging along this week, getting ...

December 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've been chugging along this week, getting ready for the holidays. I did a little more Christmas shopping yesterday as opportunities come to me. Sam went to another Karate class yesterday. I think he's enjoying it, though he is one of the younger kids. Having some structure and discipline is good for him, and he seems to have fun too.



It's been a pretty quiet day so far

December 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a pretty quiet day so far. Jamie's not feeling well and Sam just wants to play with the computer. I managed to sneak in a little Christmas shopping yesterday, and I think we'll put up some decorations this afternoon. My fig experiments are going well, as we are currently in the drying process.

I did manage to get Sam outside for a few minutes today. We went to the park where Sam played around until his hands froze, then we ran back home and played with playdough. Sam got a robot for his birthday that says "Hello. You are my friend. Let's play." Now he wants me to chase him around with it, pretending it malfunctioned and is trying to get him. Ah, the joys of parenthood.



We took Sam to his Karate class this morning

December 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

We took Sam to his Karate class this morning. He did pretty well, though he was clearly tired at the end. He was the youngest kid there, I think, and it was a huge class. Still, he seemed enthusiastic and Jamie'll take him again next week. It turns out I went to high school with the instructor many years ago.

No plans for the day. I'm trying to get things done while Sam plays Star Wars. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to run about, as he really wants me to play with him.



It's mocha Friday, and a rather pleasant day ...

December 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's mocha Friday, and a rather pleasant day indeed. Sam's signed up for his martial arts class at a place on 12th and Willamette that Jamie scoped out. It seemed to have better hours and was more "gym like" which appealed to Jamie. His first class is Saturday morning. I think he'll be excited to start going.

I've been putting of Christmas presents for awhile, and I think I've got to start getting that in gear. I'm starting to have some ideas, so hopefully everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

No exciting plans this weekend. Jamie may go to a Christmas party Saturday night, but I think we'll mostly stick around home. I'd like to do some experiments with all the figs I picked over the summer. Hopefully they won't go terribly wrong.



We went to the OB this morning

December 05, 2002 by Adam in Emma

We went to the OB this morning. All seems fine. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat and it was chugging away like it's supposed to. Jamie's still pretty tired these days, and the nausea still hasn't let up. Our physician recommended B6 and positive thinking.



The pellet stove upstairs works well, and eve...

December 05, 2002 by Judy in Hanes

The pellet stove upstairs works well, and even I can start it! Jamie and I went over last weekend. The weather was perfect -- warm, sunny and no wind. Maybe it's a banana belt. Jeff and Barb are over this week to celebrate their anniversary. 1 year already.



Essential Christmas List: Donations in my na...

December 05, 2002 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Essential Christmas List:
Donations in my name to low-income housing orgs
Hikes on the butte
Bread making sessions
Lair trade coffee dates
Luxury hugs
Movie marathons
Head massages
Bought gifts need not apply


I'm rockin' the free world and heading for finals. Ack. Smooches to all y'all, and rock on Jenny with your bad new employment self.



Sam went to Tae Quan Do tonight

December 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam went to Tae Quan Do tonight. Here's a picture of him being taught by Anthony. It was just an initial test class, about five minutes long, but it was lots of fun to watch him and I think he had a good time. He's been very interested in martial arts after seeing some people practicing at the park a few months ago.

I think he'll check out another place and then we'll decide which one is best for him. Jamie's secret plan is to get him signed up for something that'll tire him right out.



My little Neverwinter Nights phenomena seems ...

December 04, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

My little Neverwinter Nights phenomena seems to be growing. In just a couple weeks, the number of downloads of the first module has grown to 9,500. I'm expecting that it'll be ready for the "Hall of Fame" next month, ranking among the top dozen of the couple thousand modules that have been created by fans. I'm regularly getting e-mails letting me know that it's great.

It's nice to hear that I can do well at game design. The programming part is fairly intuitive to me, but I'm happy that the writing is getting the attention that it is. Making a good story full of interesting twists and dialog is hard to pull off.



It was pouring down rain as I rode my bike in...

December 04, 2002 by Adam in Adam

It was pouring down rain as I rode my bike in to work today. We haven't picked up a new battery for the car yet, so I was stuck with my bike. My rain pants still don't quite cut it, so I'm pretty damp in vagulely embarrasing places. Fortunately, this isn't high school, so no one's saying that I peed my pants. The hospital setting is much more mature, and here they make jokes about how my catheter has come loose.



What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend we had

December 03, 2002 by Seraph in Cortez

What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend we had. It was nice to see everyone at our house on Thursday. We missed Adam, Jamie, Sam and Sadie, but we know they were all enjoying there own celabrations.
Friday we drove down to Ashland to watch the annual lighting of down town. It was good just to get away for awhile.
Robbie's birthday was on Sunday (the BIG 30!!). After church we went and partied with family for Sam's birthday (the BIG 4!!). All day Isa was practicing "Samo...four." We went to the mall and Robbie got to do some birthday shopping, and then to Hanni's house for a birthday dinner!
By Sunday night we were collapsing on the living room floor, unsure of how we were going to get going on Monday morning.
Mom and Dick are using the Nissan, as the truck is momentarily out of commission. This has changed our schedule around a little, with Isa and Robbie driving me to work yesterday. In some ways it's fun to have a little more time with them, but I also miss that time to unwind and listen to my music and prepare for the day...sigh.



Well, my car didn't start yesterday

December 03, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, my car didn't start yesterday. I walked the rest of the way home, about 20 minutes total. After dinner we recovered it and drove it home. I'll probably get a new battery over the weekend, though it's only a couple years old. It's probably a combination of age, the cold, and not driving it much that is causing the problems. Sigh.

I have a bit of a headache today. The end of the cold that I've had the last week or so. I'm going for my normal fix - coffee and Advil. A winning combination.



December just snuck right up on me

December 02, 2002 by Adam in Family

December just snuck right up on me. I drove in today, realizing that the car should be driven at least once every couple weeks. I had to jump it, as the battery had died. Hopefully it'll start this afternoon.

Sam had a great birthday party on Sunday. Endless cousins, aunts, and uncles arrived bearing assorted gifts. We zipped through lunch, cake, and present opening, then settled down for some Star Wars watching towards the end. People slowly filtered away as nap times arrived. Sam and Grandpa Lohring were the only ones who made it until the end.

Jamie arrived, tired, towards the end of the day. We wound down and put Sam to sleep, then all went to bed ourselves.



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