All is well with mother and baby.
More to come...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Big Day
So today is December 11. Tomorrow is supposed to be the debut of our little baby and it's also Brett's graduation! I don't know if the kid will actually meet his deadline, but at least we can count on Brett graduating. If I haven't had the baby by Monday, I'm going to be induced. I'd really rather not be induced because it makes me a little nervous, but I'd also like to not be pregnant anymore. I'm ready for the "it's all worth it" phase of this thing. Everyone says that once you get that little baby in your arms you finally feel like all the sickness, pain, and overall grossness of pregnancy is worth it, and I guess it must be true because women continue to have babies after the first one... So I'm ready for that. I know that motherhood is going to be hard and I'm not going to sleep for a while, but at least I can feel like less of a mentally unbalanced, constantly uncomfortable person... at least hopefully :) I'm sure that our next post will be about the baby... so stay tuned.
Also, I would just like to say how proud I am of Brett and how happy I am that he will be done with school. We're both so excited to start our lives as "real people." No more of this moving every few months, scrounging for furniture, and (hopefully) less money troubles. Maybe one day we'll even have furniture that matches or at least looks nice.
Brett has worked so hard in school and we're both so grateful that all his hard work is going to pay off, especially with how difficult it can be to find a job right now. Throughout his schooling we have been blessed with a number of amazing opportunities like living in Austria and beautiful Monterey. We've also traveled to some incredible places, but it will be nice to settle down.
I guess that's about all I have to say for now. Mostly because I'm getting kicked like crazy which means I should walk around a bit. We're looking forward to coming home for Christmas, so all of you people in AZ, get ready to party and to see me in a strange new role as a mom. I'm sure it's going to be hilarious to all.
We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today, so this is the most recent belly photo. (Oh and we found our camera cord)
And here is my favorite picture of Brett and Lexie. I promise this was not staged.
Also, I would just like to say how proud I am of Brett and how happy I am that he will be done with school. We're both so excited to start our lives as "real people." No more of this moving every few months, scrounging for furniture, and (hopefully) less money troubles. Maybe one day we'll even have furniture that matches or at least looks nice.
Brett has worked so hard in school and we're both so grateful that all his hard work is going to pay off, especially with how difficult it can be to find a job right now. Throughout his schooling we have been blessed with a number of amazing opportunities like living in Austria and beautiful Monterey. We've also traveled to some incredible places, but it will be nice to settle down.
I guess that's about all I have to say for now. Mostly because I'm getting kicked like crazy which means I should walk around a bit. We're looking forward to coming home for Christmas, so all of you people in AZ, get ready to party and to see me in a strange new role as a mom. I'm sure it's going to be hilarious to all.
We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today, so this is the most recent belly photo. (Oh and we found our camera cord)
And here is my favorite picture of Brett and Lexie. I promise this was not staged.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Good News
I just noticed that we haven't blogged in a while, so I wanted to at least get something out there. This will be short...
Brett has been applying for jobs since Vienna and he finally received and accepted a job offer!!! This is HUGE for us. So it looks like we are eventually going to be heading back east. Once HR gets his processing done, we'll be real people earning real money! Before that we might be in AZ though, so that's pretty exciting for us. :)
Anyway, that's the news. I'm so proud of Brett. :)
Oh and I'm still pregnant, with less than a month to go. So weird. I can't believe we're going to have a little baby. I think we might be getting closer to a name, but we might not settle on one until he gets here...
We don't have our camera cord here, so even though I have some pregnancy pictures to put up, they will remain on our camera for now. So, here's a picture that I just like.
Brett has been applying for jobs since Vienna and he finally received and accepted a job offer!!! This is HUGE for us. So it looks like we are eventually going to be heading back east. Once HR gets his processing done, we'll be real people earning real money! Before that we might be in AZ though, so that's pretty exciting for us. :)
Anyway, that's the news. I'm so proud of Brett. :)
Oh and I'm still pregnant, with less than a month to go. So weird. I can't believe we're going to have a little baby. I think we might be getting closer to a name, but we might not settle on one until he gets here...
We don't have our camera cord here, so even though I have some pregnancy pictures to put up, they will remain on our camera for now. So, here's a picture that I just like.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
So as it turns out, pregnancy is one of the most uncomfortable experiences EVER and I still have to go through that whole labor thing, which I hear can also be somewhat uncomfortable. All I know is that this kid is kicking, punching, and draining the life right out of me. He's been sucking up all of my iron and even finding a way to make sure my lungs are good and squeezed so I can't breathe. But in the "bright side" category of all of this... I guess this means that he is healthy. It's good to know that he's moving around like normal (even if it hurts me), and that he has a "good, strong heart beat" according to the doctor. So all is well there. And now in the "holy crap I can finally relax a little bit" category, we finally have insurance for me and little guy!
Applying for insurance here in CA has been a real headache and we were seriously starting to think I would have to fly back to AZ to apply for AHCCCS - you know, health care for people who don't have jobs that provide insurance or people who can't afford other health care. At first they told us we had too much money to qualify. I thought it was funny that having "too much money" sure felt like not having enough, considering that the money in my bank account was money we had saved specifically for when we moved here because rent, groceries, and gas are all super expensive in CA. And the money Brett had was mostly from student loans, which is like fake money. At any rate, after jumping through all of their crazy hoops, I finally have MediCal insurance. Woot woot!
Also in other good news, Brett is starting to finally hear back from some jobs. He's been applying for all kinds of jobs since we were in Austria and it's been really stressful for him waiting to hear back. I didn't stress about it too much because I couldn't fathom how someone like Brett wouldn't get a job. That's just plain crazy. So all-in-all, things are finally looking up for the Walker's. Life in Monterey started out a little horrible, but things seem to have taken a turn for the better. And for the sake of adding a picture to the blog, here's me and Lexie (my little sister's dog that I have dognapped for the time being.) She's been great company since Brett is gone all day most days and she also forces me to actually go outside and walk for at least 30 minutes a day.
I realize this is a short post, but we'll have more updates later. I just wanted to get the good news documented.
Applying for insurance here in CA has been a real headache and we were seriously starting to think I would have to fly back to AZ to apply for AHCCCS - you know, health care for people who don't have jobs that provide insurance or people who can't afford other health care. At first they told us we had too much money to qualify. I thought it was funny that having "too much money" sure felt like not having enough, considering that the money in my bank account was money we had saved specifically for when we moved here because rent, groceries, and gas are all super expensive in CA. And the money Brett had was mostly from student loans, which is like fake money. At any rate, after jumping through all of their crazy hoops, I finally have MediCal insurance. Woot woot!
Also in other good news, Brett is starting to finally hear back from some jobs. He's been applying for all kinds of jobs since we were in Austria and it's been really stressful for him waiting to hear back. I didn't stress about it too much because I couldn't fathom how someone like Brett wouldn't get a job. That's just plain crazy. So all-in-all, things are finally looking up for the Walker's. Life in Monterey started out a little horrible, but things seem to have taken a turn for the better. And for the sake of adding a picture to the blog, here's me and Lexie (my little sister's dog that I have dognapped for the time being.) She's been great company since Brett is gone all day most days and she also forces me to actually go outside and walk for at least 30 minutes a day.
I realize this is a short post, but we'll have more updates later. I just wanted to get the good news documented.
Monday, September 28, 2009
It has been a while since we last blogged. I might feel bad if there was something to actually be blogged about. Though we both agree that this has easily been one of the longest months of our lives.
Since the housing market crash and all the foreclosures, many people in Monterey have begun to rent. This puts quite a strain on the already difficult (and expensive) rental market. Since technically school is done in December, we were looking for a place to stay only through the end of the year. Nothin doin. The rental agencies have gotten wise. Minimum one year leases are the new norm, and all rentals have gone up about $200 a month since a year ago. Bummer.
We finally found a place that would let us go month to month right away. But it needed a serious scrubbing down. I literally bleached the walls and ceilings of this place. When one does this, it is best to wear gloves. Extended exposure to bleach can open up some pretty gnarly sores on a person's hand. But the new apartment is doing the trick. And it's only a 5 minute walk to the beach.
Other notable occurrences in this last month were the anti-nationalized health care protests in Monterey. Lots of people were protesting Obama and his proposal with slogans on big white poster boards. Except for one rascal. One grizzled protester had a tattered cardboard sign that just said "Quit Lying, Bro." He is obviously light-years ahead of the political dialogue in this country.
I can't believe that is the most memorable thing from this last month.
Lindsey's belly is growing out of control. I swear it was like I woke up one morning and our little guy just decided to thrust his presence on the world. But she is such a pretty little pregnant woman. Three more months and our band of gypsies grows by one. Unreal.
There might not be any more posts until then... because we're lazy people.
Since the housing market crash and all the foreclosures, many people in Monterey have begun to rent. This puts quite a strain on the already difficult (and expensive) rental market. Since technically school is done in December, we were looking for a place to stay only through the end of the year. Nothin doin. The rental agencies have gotten wise. Minimum one year leases are the new norm, and all rentals have gone up about $200 a month since a year ago. Bummer.
We finally found a place that would let us go month to month right away. But it needed a serious scrubbing down. I literally bleached the walls and ceilings of this place. When one does this, it is best to wear gloves. Extended exposure to bleach can open up some pretty gnarly sores on a person's hand. But the new apartment is doing the trick. And it's only a 5 minute walk to the beach.
Other notable occurrences in this last month were the anti-nationalized health care protests in Monterey. Lots of people were protesting Obama and his proposal with slogans on big white poster boards. Except for one rascal. One grizzled protester had a tattered cardboard sign that just said "Quit Lying, Bro." He is obviously light-years ahead of the political dialogue in this country.
I can't believe that is the most memorable thing from this last month.
Lindsey's belly is growing out of control. I swear it was like I woke up one morning and our little guy just decided to thrust his presence on the world. But she is such a pretty little pregnant woman. Three more months and our band of gypsies grows by one. Unreal.
There might not be any more posts until then... because we're lazy people.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Home
So I didn't write anything before I left. There are many complex reasons for for this, but mostly it's because I didn't want to.
Growing up I never was able to go over seas or "do" Europe on my summer breaks. So this last year around the world, and especially this last 6 months in Austria, has been without precedent. This will be a short summation of Europe through Brett's eyes.
Firstly, I have always been a big fan of stereotypes. Anyone who knows me knows that. I find they are a shortcut to the truth. Being an American, I have collected many preconceptions about Europe and its inhabitants throughout my life - many of them thanks to The Simpsons. I am proud to report that everything you have read on the internet and seen on TV about Europe is true.
The most pronounced feature of Europe by far is the smell. While we like to joke about smelly Europeans and how they don't shower, etc., I can honestly report that I have never had a stereotype confirmed in such an aggressive way. Hot summer days on unconditioned subway cars make for some highly offensive commutes.
The second thing is the size. Everything in Europe is small. I had about 6 inches of wiggle room in our little shower. So I could hardly move without bumping the faucet handle and turning the water off, turning it to scald, or turning it so freeze. Whereas in America the shower is a good place to relax, get warm and give yourself a good scrub-down, in Europe it is a constant battle against your own body mass. I suppose this reality might be a factor in the previous observation.
Lastly - the styles. Europeans loves wearing scarves. They wear scarves as long as humanly possible before they sweat to death. And mullets. The mullets in Europe are like a thing of the future. The really stylish kids all have mullets. In fact, the regular mullet is just a starting point. Anyone who considers themselves totally sweet has at least the basic mullet. But it's how you improve on the basic model that really proves your worth. To be taken seriously one must have some tight jeans with all kinds of pockets and zippers on them, and a mullet with some serious razzle dazzle.
That's all I feel I can say about that right now. So on to my feelings about fatherhood.
I am not actually sure I've come to terms with the fact that Lindsey is pregnant. I know there is something kicking around in her belly, because I've felt it. And I know that it is growing, because I can see it. But that's about all the reality that has hit me so far. As for being a father - who even knows how to prepare for a thing like that. I guess I'll not leave out sharp objects as much and try to watch my cursing as best I can. But I just know that the whole gush of fatherhood's realities are going to hit me as soon as I actually see the thing for the first time. Until then, I really don't even know what to say about it.
Also, we really don't know what to name him... so suggestions are welcome.
It's good to be back in AZ.
Growing up I never was able to go over seas or "do" Europe on my summer breaks. So this last year around the world, and especially this last 6 months in Austria, has been without precedent. This will be a short summation of Europe through Brett's eyes.
Firstly, I have always been a big fan of stereotypes. Anyone who knows me knows that. I find they are a shortcut to the truth. Being an American, I have collected many preconceptions about Europe and its inhabitants throughout my life - many of them thanks to The Simpsons. I am proud to report that everything you have read on the internet and seen on TV about Europe is true.
The most pronounced feature of Europe by far is the smell. While we like to joke about smelly Europeans and how they don't shower, etc., I can honestly report that I have never had a stereotype confirmed in such an aggressive way. Hot summer days on unconditioned subway cars make for some highly offensive commutes.
The second thing is the size. Everything in Europe is small. I had about 6 inches of wiggle room in our little shower. So I could hardly move without bumping the faucet handle and turning the water off, turning it to scald, or turning it so freeze. Whereas in America the shower is a good place to relax, get warm and give yourself a good scrub-down, in Europe it is a constant battle against your own body mass. I suppose this reality might be a factor in the previous observation.
Lastly - the styles. Europeans loves wearing scarves. They wear scarves as long as humanly possible before they sweat to death. And mullets. The mullets in Europe are like a thing of the future. The really stylish kids all have mullets. In fact, the regular mullet is just a starting point. Anyone who considers themselves totally sweet has at least the basic mullet. But it's how you improve on the basic model that really proves your worth. To be taken seriously one must have some tight jeans with all kinds of pockets and zippers on them, and a mullet with some serious razzle dazzle.
That's all I feel I can say about that right now. So on to my feelings about fatherhood.
I am not actually sure I've come to terms with the fact that Lindsey is pregnant. I know there is something kicking around in her belly, because I've felt it. And I know that it is growing, because I can see it. But that's about all the reality that has hit me so far. As for being a father - who even knows how to prepare for a thing like that. I guess I'll not leave out sharp objects as much and try to watch my cursing as best I can. But I just know that the whole gush of fatherhood's realities are going to hit me as soon as I actually see the thing for the first time. Until then, I really don't even know what to say about it.
Also, we really don't know what to name him... so suggestions are welcome.
It's good to be back in AZ.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Francy Pants
Lindsey and I went to Paris for three days or so. We are not going to spend any time blogging about it because anybody can already guess everything that we did and saw when we were there. Guess what? There were palaces, cathedrals, a river, and tasty local cuisine...
Here are the pics from the event.
We will be home from Europe on Tuesday. But before we come back, I plan on writing a final treatise on our European adventure, and how I feel about fatherhood. I'll also include some personal thoughts on soon becoming a dad. Stay tuned...
!!!
Here are the pics from the event.We will be home from Europe on Tuesday. But before we come back, I plan on writing a final treatise on our European adventure, and how I feel about fatherhood. I'll also include some personal thoughts on soon becoming a dad. Stay tuned...
!!!
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