Live from Renown

Finally found the free wifi around here...

Well, here we are, a family of four! For those who didn't get the memo, Morgan brought forth into the world our bouncing baby boy, Sidney Elliott Tiar, at 7:30am, 7/24/07. He weighed in at 7lbs, 8oz, and measured 19 inches even. After a scheduled 10pm visit last night, they sent us home after doing nothing, then at 3am, I was awoken by a woman in labor. She actually wanted to blog the early stages of labor here, but it came on too strong, too fast. The contractions were merciless and it was just like in the movies, grabbing the bag, scuttling out to the car (after Gigi came to stay with Lola and the dogs), and racing through the dark to the hospital. Dramatic, eh? After a quick checkin, some more painful contractions, epidural, and a few good pushes, out he came. Today has been in and out of the hospital, lots of phone calls, well wishes, and trying to shake off the exhaustion and get our heads back on straight, all while trying to gently introduce Lola to the world of big sisterhood. It's been a long day for us all. With that, may I present to you, our first photos of our son Sidney.

Oh yeah, and we got keys to the new house yesterday. Now we've just got to move...

Lola pic updates

Finally getting around to some new photos around here. First, this one's for Rosie (click for larger):



Adding new photos to the regular Lola album too, and I'll dust off the Lola page to post some new videos later tonight I hope.

Still no baby brother to report.  Going for final walkthrough on the new house in a few minutes, closing tomorrow.  Let's just see how close together we can get the two events to occur.  Sheesh.

Safety first

Another stellar episode of keeping us safe from the terrorists.

Marketing machine

This is kind of cool while at the same time being a bit off-putting in all its capitalist extravagance - the marketing machine that is The Simpsons Movie. That website has so much stuff to explore it's kind of intimidating me. But this is fun...you can create an avatar there.   So here's me as a Simpson:

Keeping up

It's hard to keep this blog viable when it feels like I just have the same stuff to say every time. ..

Another day, another brushfire.  Had a good view of it tonight, the hills above Caughlin Ranch aflame quite visibly as we came home from dinner with friends.  Seems like every day or two, something else is burning.  At least the really hot weather has settled back to normal hot.  Speaking of, um, brush...did something fun this weekend, a movie in the woods.  A friend of a friend does this most years, drags out a bunch of gear into the forest in Dog Valley and shows a low grade scary movie for anyone who cares to show up.  This year it was Slumber Party Massacre which I watched about half of before turning in, followed by Dawn of the Dead.  Fun time, grilled some burgers, drank some beers, slept in the van with Morgan and Lola, Paige and Maggie up top.  That's about the most ambitious camping we'll be up for this year, I'm thinking.

Got word today that we'll probably be able to close the deal on our new house next Monday, coincidentally the due date for baby brother.  Hopefully the timing of things will shake out agreeably for all, one great event coming before the other rather than everything simultaneously.   Speaking of the move, we've treated ourselves to a few more big purchases with some of the equity from the sale of the house - found a decent dining room table and chairs (luckily, we can leave it at the store for as long as we like, until the end of July if need be) and really splurged on a nice big LCD TV that Costco had on sale.  Next up?  A new sofa (or if I'm lucky, a sectional) for the living room, and fat shed for the backyard.   Managed to stock up on a variety of sundry items at the Rite Aid-turned-Longs up on MaeAnne, bunch of miscellany up there for 75% off right now, too!

I suppose that's the best I can offer for now, loyal readers (all of you).

awkward

I have exactly 12 days until my due date, according to the countdown on the computer put up by Marc. I think that awkward is the best description that I can come up with to describe how I am feeling. It has been a bit on the hot side, but today I am indulging in the cool air that is gently blowing through the house. It is a bit smoke filled, but I'll take it.

Lola is waiting for Baby Brother to "open the door" and come out. I am not sure who explained this phenomenon or where she come up with it, but I truly think it will work until she is ready for that explanation down the road. I believe that Lola is going to LOVE being a big sister. We have talked about it since we found out. She loves to talk to him, kiss the paunch in which he sits, and can't wait to help out. Her new word this week is 'irritated.' She picked it up from Paige. I don't think that she understands its meaning, and so hopefully, Baby Brother will not become an 'irritating' acquisition to the Tiar household or to Lola's world.

Other than that news, I have nothing new to share. Big adjustments are on the horizon for all of us: new baby and new house. A lot of work ahead of us.

Aiche Oh Tee

That spells HOT.  Damn hot.  Tied the all-time record for hot yesterday in Reno, 108 degrees (or 42C for you foreigners).  That's at least two days over 100 this week, today as well, and the forecast is for high 90s for the next several days.  Enough already.  It's 7am and 80 degrees in this house (note: that's still 80 vs. already 80 - I think that's an important distinction; it's not that it was nicer and has risen to 80, it just never got any cooler in here).  We couldn't take it last night and moved ourselves, the poor dogs and a certain sweaty two-year-old down to sleep in the basement.

We went to have the new house inspected yesterday, and their air conditioning was set to 71.  It's amazing how much difference 9 degrees makes.  Maybe it's just psychological, but on days like this, I'm never going outside after we move.  I don't understand how people live in places where it's like this routinely (Baghdad, Arizona, Laughlin, etc.) and especially in developing/war-torn countries where air conditioning and/or a consistent power supply are a rarity.

Nothing else of note to report or link to.  As usual, impending baby and impending house dominate our overheated life right now.  Well, on with my day.

Monday morning update

A first...first photo of Lola taken by the iPhone. Nice gadget, but I'm not anywhere close to dropping 6 bills for one. Thanks for the test drive, Ryan. More than enough critiques and analysis of its features already out there, so I won't bother.

Still in "getting ready for baby and new house simultaneously" mode around here. Bought some new patio furniture this week and some shelving for the garage. Heading to Ikea on Wednesday (have to take advantage of a rare day off together, for 4th of July in this case) to scope out area rugs, dining room sets, crib bedding, etc. It's supposed to be about 105 here in Reno, Sacramento should be a real sweatlodge. Hopefully we'll be home in time for a swim.