Farm Visits at Easter

Well, Easter weekend came and went without event (STILL no baby!). We were sorry to miss Don and Hope's recent visit to Madison-- and the fabulous brunch at Morel's-- but decided I'd better stay nearby the hospital, just in case.

We did manage to do a few fun things this weekend, though. Saturday morning we went to a local farm that had invited the public to see their baby sheep being born. It turned out to be a very popular event-- lots of us non-farming folk and kids paid $3 a piece to take in the sights and smells of the barnyard. But we actually saw a lamb being born, and lots of other newborns in the stalls with their mothers. They were remarkably calm, considering all the excited children hovering around them. Emma held and petted a lamb for awhile, with help from one of the owners.

Emma was in her element on the farm, thoroughly engaged. We saw piglets (very squirmy and vocal-- no one spent much time trying to hold them), Holstein calves and chicks. The chicks were in a big open incubator, and kids were allowed to pick them up and pet them. Emma insisted I hold one, too, and I was surprised by how soft and cute they were.

Michael was not a fan of the farm outing. For him it was just sensory overload. Too many strange smells and sounds, too many people crowding and pressing against him, too many unfamiliar things in a confined space. He had a similar reaction when we took him to a conservatory in Minneapolis a few years ago, where the climate was kept tropical . It was hot, humid, and the air was thick with aroma from all the vividly colorful plants. There was lots of bird noise as well. He actually wept while we were there.

He's a lot more adaptable now, but still likes things plain and simple.

On Easter morning the kids found their baskets and we had a leisurely morning around the house. Mom and Dad called from Florida, to say hello. We had just received a post card from them a few days before-- it sounds like their trip is going well and no problems so far.

We had lunch at Jon's sister Sally's house in Holcombe. Emma decided to wear a dress that originally belonged to her cousin Allison (now a college student) and was also worn by Sally's daughter Lisa (who graduates from highschool this year). It fits Emma nicely right now, and she wore it like a princess with a string of pearls and bows in her hair. Michael agreed to wear a button-up shirt, which was a big concession on his part.

Bud and Jane were also at Sally's. We had heard that Jon's mother had fallen recently, but were surprised to see her with a seriously black eye. But she had been getting the car ready to take Bud to a doctor's appointment, and fell on the sidewalk, landing on her temple just above the eye she'd recently had surgery on. Luckily she wasn't knocked out or anything; she got up and drove Bud into the doctor, and then had the doctor take a look at her, afterwards.

The pictures below really don't do their house justice. It's large and open, with the living, dining, and kitchen space all in one enormous room with vaulted ceilings, but different areas of it are painted different colors and everything is decorated very thoughtfully, so the overall effect is warm and intimate. Lots of interesting antique pieces and a country feel.

We had a great meal and enjoyed talking with Sally's adult children-- she has three boys and a girl (daughter Lisa is pictured at left, with Jane and Sally's husband Larry). Jonathan joined us as well, but he was late in arriving because his car didn't make it up their (pretty daunting) unpaved driveway. It's a long, hilly driveway, and once you start up it you better not stop. Jonathan had to walk a 1/4 mile or so up to their house. Luckily there was still plenty of food left...

After the meal we played a fun game with Easter eggs that Sally's youngest boy (Sam) had colored for us... I can't remember the name of the game, but Grandpa Bud was the winner and so gets to have a year of good luck (according to the game).

Sam had also helped helped set up an Easter egg hunt outdoors for Michael and Emma. All of the eggs had candy treats inside, but some of the eggs were also numbered-- and numbered eggs could be traded in for prizes. The hunt was located so that we could watch the whole thing from above and indoors, through their living room windows. Both kids ended up with bags full of little toys and treasures.

After lunch Jon's other nephew Steve and family came by for a visit. While we talked to them, Emma played outside by herself for awhile. When I remembered to check on her I could see her walking behind the fence with their horses (they have four, including Shadow and Macy, the two we used to own). After we got her out of there and explained that she should not go in the horse pen without an adult accompanying her (because otherwise Mom will be a nervous wreck), she stopped doing that, but later on made a solo trip to the chicken coop by herself and collected eggs for Sally.

Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter! I also hope the next time I write to you that I will have a happy, healthy baby to report. I have a car seat now, have read (or skimmed) four childbirth books, and am as ready as I'm ever going to be for baby #3. So it can happen anytime now!!!

Here's me wincing as Jon takes yet another photograph of me in my swollen state. Arggh.

Easter Greetings

I JUST ADDED SOMETHING NEW TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG ENTRY... CHECK IT OUT!

Well, Easter's coming up fast! Last night we colored eggs. Emma personalized the process by developing a "tye dye" technique, and Michael experimented with stickers and multiple egg baths, like a true scientist. I had to intervene at one point, because somehow Emma ended up laying claim to eight eggs while Michael could only identify four that were his, but we got that problem straightened out. A few tears were shed along the way, too, when favorite creations were dropped and cracked on the floor, but overall it was a fun experience. You can see how "into it" Jon was (see background).

This week turned out differently than I'd thought it would-- I thought I'd be on my own, with Jon gone for two weeks of training for his new job. But his clearance to work for the new employer has been unexpectedly delayed, and that combined with his concern to be around should the baby decide to make an appearance have kept him nearby (this week, anyway).

So all this week, when the kids are at school, Jon and I have been working together on the old house. So far he's repaired and painted walls in the living room, office, kitchen, and our bedroom. He's doing the sheet rock in the upstairs bathroom and has already started patching holes in the kids' bedrooms, with plans to paint their walls too. I've been cleaning and scrubbing throughout the house. All the "tough stuff"-- oven, refrigerator, cabinets-- are done. When Jon's finished we'll have someone come in and clean the carpets. Then I'll do a final wash and shine on the floors.

We took steps to have the house listed with a guy Jon's worked for in the past, who manages rental properties. We'll have to pay him half of the first month's rent, but he takes care of advertising and showing the house to potential renters, as well as doing background checks and getting lease documents in order. So hopefully in April or May we'll have a renter.

This week we noticed that a neighbor's dog, a big chow, is sniffing and barking around our new property in Colfax (loose). He doesn't come up to our house, but it looks like he's used to walking on our land and having the run of the place. Jon doesn't like it one bit and started talking about getting a wrist rocket (sling shot?) to scare it off yesterday.

Actually, though, this morning was funny... Coco happened to be outside (loose-- yes, we do it too) at the same time Mr. Big Tough Neighbor Dog was loose on our land. I heard Coco barking first, then I heard big old deep barks. I looked out the window and saw Coco barking and trotting up the hill toward him (wagging her tail). I thought I better call Jon, in case there was a "rumble". But by the time Jon made it to the window, Mr. Big had beat a hasty retreat back to his side of the hill and Coco was holding her ground. Jon called her back into the house, and she trotted indoors, nonchalantly, as if to say "Oh? You'd like me inside? Okay... but things were fine. I've already dealt with bears in Rhinelander, you know."

This weekend we thought we'd take the kids to a local farm where they're having a lambing barn open house. Emma can't wait but Michael's not sure why we're going to make him interact with baby sheep.

On Easter Day we plan on going over to Jon's sister Sally's house in Holcombe for a nice meal and Easter egg hunt. I think it's just going to be just us, Sally's family, and Bud and Jane. Emma loves going over there-- for one thing, Sally has a hobby farm with horses, chickens, and cute little dogs, and Emma loves helping check the coop for eggs. Plus Aunt Sally is a lot of fun and always up for anything.

I'm ending with a cute "old" photo of Emma and Coco blowing bubbles on Jim's deck-- this dates back to (our first time?) meeting Jim, at his home it Fitchburg. Remember the cute puppy poop we left you in your basement? Bucky was a kitten hiding under the couch, and Uncle JoJo had to protect him from Emma's desire to carry him around like a toy.

Happy Easter, everyone!

PS: Check out this link (hope it works; maybe just try copying and pasting it to your browser) to see a clip from Adam Hurlburt's band, Solid Gold. Adam is Jon's brother Phil's oldest boy, and is part of a really good band out of Minneapolis, that has been making the international scene lately: http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/62517.html

A trip to the hospital... but no baby (yet)!

Here's Emma, making a fashion statement...

We've been living in Colfax over a month now, and the kids are finishing up their second week of school here. They both seem to be adjusting remarkably well. Both kids have exchanged letters back and forth with their old classmates, so they haven't lost their old ties entirely.

We're still working to get our Eau Claire house ready for renters. We hope we can get some decent people in there by April, but that seems doubtful now. There's still so much to do. Jon's going to make one more big push this weekend to finish painting, and I will do what I can to clean. But after this weekend Jon's going to Minnesota for two weeks, to do training for a new job. He's still working for that electrical union, but was tired of living so far away from the family and took his first opportunity to work in Eau Claire. So after the two weeks of training he'll be working nearby and home every night, but... of course the baby is supposed to come in the next couple of weeks, so the timing is rather unfortunate. We're both a little anxious about that, especially after Tuesday night's excitement (or should I say, trial run)...

After being flu-free during Jon, Michael, and Emma's recent illnesses, I thought I'd managed to evade the trouble. But Tuesday after work I started feeling SO sick, and before long realized that it was now my turn to have the flu. That evening, while my nausea and vomiting were at their worst, I started having painful contractions that wouldn't go away. Things accelerated enough where we decided to make a trip to the hospital in Eau Claire, just in case.

By the time we got there, I was pretty certain I was having the baby. But I felt terrible, like I might throw up at any minute, and I felt panicky and un-ready. I mean, we still don't have a car seat-! And I haven't finished reading my childbirth books (we had to miss that childbirth refresher course last weekend because Michael was sick). So I was all tense and sick and unprepared and it looked like childbirth was going to descend on me like a nightmare (how's that for drama?).

But even though I was having contractions two minutes apart, I wasn't dilating that much, and they decided it was a false alarm brought on by my illness. I was given something to control my nausea and sent home to rest. Sure enough, after a good night's sleep and no more throwing up, the contractions went away and I was back to normal (though still a little sick). So I guess I have more time to get prepare, afterall (whew!).

One other unexpected development of this past week is that I am now officially done with work. I had planned on working maybe another two weeks, but next week is spring break in Eau Claire, so everyone has off and they don't need me, and the week after that is my due date, and my boss didn't think I should try to come in. So part of me is relieved to be done, but the other part of me is freaking out because I no longer have a job.

Well, on the positive side, the past couple of days here have been warm and pleasant. Coco is finally enjoying the outdoors here a little, chasing squirrels and exploring the woods around our house. She stays pretty nearby the house, so we've been just letting her run outside for half an hour or so at a time. When it was colder you could hardly get her out the door.

A friend of mine once told me about a dog she used to have. In the winter she'd open the porch door and the dog would stick its backside out the door just far enough to poop, the front half of his body remaining inside the warm house. True story! I can't imagine not giving the dog a nudge all the way outside and shutting the door quick, but that's me.

Riding the bus!

There they go (sniff!). This is a picture of Michael and Emma's first trip to school via bus, from our new home in Colfax.

Yesterday was actually the first day in their new classrooms, but we drove them to school to help show them where their classrooms are. We met their teachers and some of their classmates. We were there again after school got out, to show them which bus to get on. It was a good thing, too, because one of Emma's classmates told her to get on bus #16, and that would not have been the right bus. But, nonetheless, the kids were eager for us to PLEASE LEAVE, so they could try riding home on the bus yesterday. The trip home took about half an hour, so not too bad.

It didn't sound like there were any major traumas from the first day. Michael played football at recess with some of the boys, and Emma seems to be settling in as well. Though she did come in our room last night, with a bad dream: she dreamt her heart had broke ("really broke!") and said she had a pain in her chest. But she settled back into sleep and was fine this morning.

It was truly touching what a warm send-off the kids got from their old school. Each kid's class gave them a last day party. Michael came home with a backpack full of cards that each classmate had made for him. The day before his teacher had written us a wonderful letter talking about what a special boy he is and how much everyone will miss him. She sent her email address so we can email the class now and then. Michael said he gave her a nice hug at the end of the day. She is a tiny woman (less than 5 ft tall), so some of her third graders are bigger than her.

Emma's teacher had put together a book for her, with a class picture on the front and hand-written notes on each page from the different classmates. She also gave her a nice card and asked her to please write to the class and tell them about her new school. Both kids really were given the sense that they had made a difference at Longfellow and that everyone knew and liked them.

I feel guilty that we took them away from all that, but am hoping it will be worth it in the long run. It is a relief to have them start their new routine. Getting them started at their new school is one of the last big hurdles we had to cross before the birth of our new baby. I'll continue driving to Eau Claire everyday, to finish up my last few weeks of work, but am not likely to return to this job after the baby is born. I want time off with my newborn, and when I do return to work do not plan on commuting so far or paying for daycare on my current wage.

Jon is still trying to find something in Eau Claire that he can do for the next couple of months rather than work so far away and be gone all week. It will probably mean less pay, but we can tighten our belts a little. He worries (I guess I do, too) about the exact timing of the new baby... will I be in Eau Claire or Colfax when labor starts? Will it happen in the morning or late at night? How fast will it go? Will I be able to drive myself in? What about the kids? etc. But several of Jon's family members who live nearby have offered to help with the kids or drive me to the hospital (I need to be in Eau Claire for the delivery). So things will get done, one way or the other, and I don't need to panic!

Tonight afterschool I'm taking the kids to a "sibling" class at the clinic. They're supposed to bring a favorite doll or stuffed animal and learn about being a big brother or sister to a little baby. On Saturday Jon and I will attend a childbirth "refresher" course. I want to practice those breathing exercises and get a little pep talk on the whole thing. I'm increasingly nervous about the whole thing... can you tell?? It will be a relief to just get through the labor and have that little baby in my arms.