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Impossible!

2008-11-17T23:46:07Z

Emma has joined The Brownies this year at school and, unlike her experience with blah, she seems to be enjoying herself. There are no protest signs this time around and she looks forward to each meeting.

She continues to love school, including both reading and math. Just last week they had a short math quiz where they had to finish as many problems as possible in two minutes. She'd completed 24 out of 40 questions in 2 minutes. I was impressed but apparently the teacher was not.

When I asked how many she should have done the response was simple:

"Impossible!" she said, complete with index finger pointing straight up. "Can't be done!"

I had to work hard to maintain a straight face as she repeated how it was inconceivable that all 40 questions could be answered in so short a time. We'll have to practice a bit more to see if we can get that time down.

Speaking of time, it seems to fly faster and faster. It really feels like just yesterday that I was posting news about our impending 3rd child... and here we are already near Thanksgiving! There are some shots in this short set from a month ago, where Cora is first starting to "play." Henry is a loving, if rough, big brother and is always eager to play.

I'll have pictures up later in the week with Cora's first smiles and - hopefully - some video clips of her first giggles!

Sing Us A Song, You're The Piano Girl

2008-11-12T16:44:18Z

Emma has been taking piano lessons for two months now and I wanted to snap a quick video to remember the progress. The first few weeks were spent learning notes (quarter, half, whole, etc.), learning the "musical alphabet" and finger positions. Last week's lesson was the first time she had played notes from both bass and treble clef at the same time.

I've been a little surprised at how quickly all the new concepts keep coming. I certainly can't keep up! Emma, however, seems to soak it in and remember everything.

"No, Daddy. That's a G, not an E."

"No, Daddy. It's 'whole-note-hold-it' for four beats."

Her first "recital" is in December. We can't wait!

That's My Granma

2008-10-28T18:29:02Z

A few photos from when my mother came to visit right after Cora was born. Enjoy!

I Don't Want The Polar Bears To Die

2008-10-26T00:42:24Z

Late the other night, after I'd gotten the kids down to sleep and the house was still, Emma came creeping down the stairs. In her hands she held the two nightlights she and Henry have in their room.

"Daddy, I want you to take these away right now."

I asked why she wanted them gone, because they love swapping the "daytime" light for the "nighttime" light just before bed.

"Because I love penguins and polar bears and don't want them to die."

Now, I have to admit that at first I was a little taken aback. Next I wanted to laugh. How on earth did she get the idea in her head that animals far, far away were being killed by her nightlights?

"Daddy, I promised Mrs. Renz (Emma's first grade teacher) that I would do whatever I can to stop global warming. I really love penguins and polar bears so I must stop global warming!"

Again, I wanted to laugh, but she was genuinely upset so I resisted the urge.

"We have to save energy. Because if we don't, they will DIE!"

I consented to taking the nightlights and walked upstairs with her to get her back in bed. I found Marla sitting at the foot of Henry's bed in the dark, consoling him as he whimpered. Apparently he didn't want to kill polar bears but neither did he want to sleep in the dark.

The next morning I had a talk with Emma about energy efficiency and the nightlights were allowed to return.

Dinner in the Backyard

2008-10-14T20:17:49Z

We had dinner in Santa Monica in Jamie's new backyard. Cora was just a hair over a month old and quite the center of attention. It was a cold, foggy day - unusual for this time of year - but that made for some interesting lighting.

First Day of First Grade

2008-10-09T03:52:10Z

Just after Labor Day Emma embarked on her latest adventure: first grade. She was very excited about it, having talked all summer long about all of the wonderful things she was destined to learn.

With Cora being brand new the task of back-to-school shopping fell on my shoulders. Emma, Henry and I went to the mall on weekend and searched for some suitable outfits. Somehow, we came back home with fancy pink plaid dresses and matching boots. What a shocker!

The first day arrived and we decided on a more tame outfit, the swirly blue and purple dress you see here. The boots would make their debut later.

We're lucky enough to live within walking distance of the school so we make the short trek to school each morning. Emma and Henry stayed close by and chatted excitedly on the way up. Once we arrived we stood in line with her classmates until the bell rang and the teacher called us in.

While some children clung to their parents in fear, others broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Emma, on the other hand, barely glanced back and waved.

"You can go now Daddy!"

And with that, our little girl was off.

Granpa and Cora

2008-10-04T20:23:39Z

I've been remiss in not posting more photos. Cora is a growing girl and looks nothing like these pictures. Soak in your last glimpses of an underweight premie. Cora is now a healthy, happy 9 pounder!

The first few photos in this group are from when Cora was just a wee two-week-old. She still had the "wrinkly old man" look and was still a little jaundiced. (Darn you, Billy Reuben!)

At any rate, my Dad was the first grandparent to meet Cora during a quick business trip to the West Coast. He conveniently has had business trips to California shortly after both Emma and Henry were born. Hmmm....

He stared. She stared and everyone had a grand ol' time.

GameSpy Beach Day 2008

2008-09-22T00:04:38Z

GameSpy took a trip down to Doheny State Beach for an office outing at the end of July. What better to do on a Thursday afternoon than grill burgers and dogs, drink beer and play in the sand?

In addition to a cookout and some play at the beach there was a "Fear Factor" style eating contest. The delicious entrees: dried sardines, barbeque-flavored crickets, durian and balut. The prize for the person to finish all three courses was a hard-to-find Wii Fit.

I'm always one to try cuisines from other parts of the world, including things that might be considered disgusting by Western standards. Witness my delight at eating shrimp heads, sparrow, chicken ovaries and lutefisk.

The sardines and crickets were no problem. Crunchy a but still with some flavor.

The durian I was excited about. A few folks in the office have brought some in on occasion but I've always missed out. Flavor-wise, the durian wasn't bad! The texture was nice and it was a little sweet. The sulfurous stink, described as "pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock" by some, on the other hand, reminded me of chemicals I used to work with in the lab. Not exactly what I was hoping for in terms of a food item.

The final course was the balut. I can't say what I was expecting but, believe me, it wasn't what I saw when I cracked the egg open. Once cracked, the liquid from the egg spilled on my hands. I got one whiff and it was over. No Wii Fit for me.

Only one brave soul finished the balut. After being awarded the Wii Fit this spouse-of-GameSpy said, "What's a Wii Fit, anyway?"

Cora's First Bath

2008-09-10T22:18:07Z

Some wise men once asked, "What do you do in the bath?" If your name is Cora and it is your very first bath, you quietly look around and, generally, look cute.

Pink Birthdays

2008-09-06T22:38:55Z

Ten short days after Cora was born Marla had a birthday. We were all too tired for a proper party but did manage to have some cake and sing. We'll do it right next year, when we have fewer distractions!

Marla and the kids all went to Emma's dance class on Friday. All of the others mothers were crowding around trying to take a peek at Cora while she snoozed in the car seat. There were a few who claimed to have never seen a tiny baby like her since their children were all full term and 8+ pounds.

There are also some shots of Cora doing her cute baby thing in this set of photos. It's hard to see just how tiny she is in most pictures, since she fills the whole frame, but there are a few in here where you can see my hand in the shot, too.

She is still a tiny thing, despite the fact that she's gained over a pound and a half and grown nearly two inches since she came home.

Little Ballerina

2008-08-26T04:54:18Z

Emma has been taking dance for a little over six months now and had her first recital back in June. It was a tap-dancing, tendu-ing festival to behold. Luckily, Geek Dad was there with both still and video camera in hand!

Despite a few complaints about it being "too hard" or her not liking dance because she has to "get sweaty" Emma has stuck it out and is doing quite well. Truth be told, I think the pink tutu and pink shoes really are what has kept her going.

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Kindergarten Ends

2008-08-23T18:40:55Z

In early June Emma wrapped up her Kindergarten career with a few exciting events. First was an "art show" where the kids showed off all of the artwork they'd created throughout the year.

The teacher, Mrs. Gustufson, had assembled a giant book of their assignments. It was pretty amazing to see what changes had taken place in the kids over the short span of the nine month school year. Handwriting and art skills improved, stories became more complex and vocabularies expanded.

The final event of the school year was the kids' very first field trip. Emma was so excited. Not only did she get to leave school and go on an adventure without Mommy and Daddy, but she got to do so on the big yellow school bus! You can see from the photos that she was nearly beside herself with glee.

June was also a month for babies. First was Emma, Marla and Henry meeting Ethan Vonderhaar for the first time. Emma looked at this as a warm-up for when her own new baby would arrive. She was delighted to hold Ethan.

Lastly we had a family of baby hummingbirds that grew up right outside our door. They're long gone but the nest remains. I'd love to take it down but I'm hoping it might be reused next year and I'll start the photo history earlier!

Cora's First Week at Home

2008-08-21T05:43:30Z

I'm afraid to think this, let alone type it, but Cora is an absolute angel.

I know. I've just doomed us, but it had to be said.

Emma was a mild baby. She had trouble getting to sleep but, other than that, she was what the Baby Whisperer called a Textbook Baby. Very predictable, very easy to calm and soothe. Totally by the book. She was a blessing of a first child.

Henry on the other hand... He was the opposite in every way. I think he screamed and cried for seven months before he settled down. (He still screams, by the way.)

After being home just a week Cora, on the other hand, appears to be a most mild mannered baby, always agreeable and rarely cross. She makes a few cries when she wakes up but they're more along the lines of, "Hey, guys! I'm awake!" than "Brwaaaaaaahhhh! Feeeeeeed meeeeee! Feeeeeeeed meeeeee!'

It's such a relief after Henry. Let's hope it isn't short lived.

Most of the first week Cora has spent sleeping. As I joked about Henry, Cora wasn't "done" yet,and still needed some time to cook. Now that a week has passed, she's starting to perk up a bit and stay awake a little after eating.

I, of course, have taken this opportunity to thrust my camera in her face.

Hospital Extras

2008-08-19T05:55:41Z

Despite being a month early, Cora spent just two days in the hospital and we were home by Tuesday. Emma and Henry enjoyed their two days of visits with their new sister and Marla basked in the extra attention the nurses gave her.

The beginning of this set are a few more choice shots from Sunday, shortly after Cora was born. In my haste to get the word out digitally I skipped over the first look at her eyes as well as the contented smile on both Cora and Marla's face when Cora first rested on Mommy's chest.

Emma and Henry stayed with friends again on Sunday night (thank you Alan and Jennifer!) so I returned and slept once more on the oh-so-comfortable fold-out chair in the room. I joked with the nurses that I'd slept on the dirt on Friday night at The Great Rancho Camp Out and that the hard ground was preferable to the chair. When i returned to the hospital there was the wonderful sight of Marla and Cora snoozing away with each other.

Henry and Emma visited with Cora on Monday afternoon, pausing long enough to pose for their first family portrait. It's a keeper, I think.

I returned home with them on Monday night, stuffing them full of dessert and giving Marla one last night of peace in the hospital before returning to the real world on Tuesday...

Cora Makes Cute Baby Noises

2008-08-11T18:24:48Z

This one is for all the grandparents out there. Enjoy the coos and cries from last night... and don't worry: she can really belt it out when she feels like it. The lungs definitely work!

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