Things

Some things are just magical. A new computer, for instance, is magical. I’ve been holding out, explaining to my husband for months why my laptop is completely satisfactory, and why it would be ridiculous for me to acquire a new one. Then it started turning off all by its moody self.

David setting up sexy, new computer- fresh out of the box

David and I have been putting off buying new tennis shoes for quite some time. Then one of the loops for my laces to go through broke (thank you alex ) and my heel started slipping in my shoe.

Yay for buy one get one half off sales

I’ve been trying to explain to David the virtues of the gray exercise shoe. My shoes were about three years older than his, but somehow hadn’t turned into quite the eyesore that his have.

Also, we’ll consider shipping this puppy to anywhere in the US.

David saying goodbye

Just kidding. We like him.

Want to Know What Kind of People We Are?

We’re the kind of people that decide to take a leisurely stroll with the dog in the evening… particularly when it just so happens that we can hear the ice cream truck is somewhere in the winding roads of our neighborhood.

Updating the House

Seriously, I’m in love with our living room now that it’s been painted. We’re going to start painting the trim white this weekend. Yay! I wish I had taken a before picture so you could see how much brighter the room is. It’s pretty nice to be rid of all the nail holes and black marks, too.

Also, I keep telling Lara that her house’s switch plates have nothing on mine. Here is the sad truth of it, and I threw in a picture of the tree that is painted onto the ceiling in the white picket fence room as an added bonus. Yep, that’s David’s office!

Of Dogs and Pregnant Ladies

Emily’s last post mentioned how super-duper extra cuddly Alex has been lately. In fact, recently, when Emily’s home, I tend to be all but ignored by the Dog. His behavior has also been a bit erratic in general.
Then I found this interesting note online:

Pregnancy, Your Dog, and that Sixth Sense
While there is no scientific proof that explains precisely why dogs, or any other animal for that matter, can pick up on pregnancy, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence.

Although your dog may not actually understand that you are pregnant, they do notice any changes in your behavior, posture, routine and emotions. These changes may be so minor that you don’t even notice them yourself. But dogs are very much in tune with such differences and will pick up on them right away.

It has also been suggested that dogs may be so sensitive to pregnancy because of the variations in hormones and pheromones in pregnant women. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell that is vastly superior to humans. In fact, their ability to smell is one million times better than humans; when stretched out, their smelling receivers can cover an area of 130m2. In humans, our smelling receptors will only cover 3m2. This is why, before the pregnancy symptoms kick in, before the pregnancy tests are taken, your dog might start to act a bit…different.

Dogs Behaving…Good?
Just how your dog will react to your pregnancy will vary according to your pet.

Many women report that their once husband-loving pet has now abandoned that man for her and her pregnant belly. Often becoming more clingy and protective, dogs have been known to stay directly beside mom’s side, even waiting outside the shut bathroom door or next to the tub while you bathe and sleeping beside your bed every night, for the full nine months.

And if your dog starts to take more notice of your belly, nosing it, smelling it or even trying to sit on it, don’t be surprised. She knows that’s where the change is.

While this extreme affection can be endearing (and likely a bit annoying at times), it can also go the other way. Some dogs may react to the pregnancy by becoming aloof and wanting nothing to do with you. They could become stressed and exhibit anxiety, such as pacing and excessive licking. Worse still, they may start to act up by relieving themselves indoors. If your dog’s behavior becomes particularly troublesome, make an appointment with the vet.

Holy Scary Accurate, Batman!

So there you have it. It appears that Alex knows something is wonky with Emily’s body, and it’s sent him into adorable/psycho mode to the nth degree. Heaven help us all.

My dog, because I can’t think of anything else to talk about.

In the last two days my dog hunted, killed, and ate a grasshopper….. and stole a doggie treat from a puppy.

I don’t want to talk about it.

OK, I do. My dog, that is more cuddly, happy, and loving than any animal I’ve ever seen in my life, is a thief and a murderer. Sigh.

Also, he keeps sneaking into my bed, and onto me, while I’m sleeping. Evidence of how tired pregnancy makes me… I don’t stir when he snuggles in.

Oh, Hello

I want to be upset, but he’s just so comfy. Investing in the furminator also makes me more chill about this. I held out on buying it because I thought that the deshedding tools we had were good enough; how blind I was! I would go on record saying that if you have a dog or cat, that the furminator will improve your life. Or if shedding doesn’t bother you, then I’m sure the next random bumpkin in your house will appreciate it I’m in love!

Why We Want Babies. Plural.

Emily just posted a wonderful meditation in her Pregnancy Blog, that I think bears repeating over here. While her blog is representative of her musings as a Pregnant Lady, this blog is more representative of both of our thoughts and personalities.

Since what she said sums up wonderfully and accurately how I feel as well, I thought I’d present it here for our General Readership. The following are Emily’s words, and I endorse them completely:

I think the most interesting thing was a conversation that David and I were having yesterday about how long we may or may not stay in this house. Instead of speaking in terms of years we talked in terms of babies.

I can’t remember what I said, but I didn’t think I was asking him how many babies we’d have, and he was response was, “Honestly, I have no cap on how many children we have.” I think 15 is too many for me, there, I said it!

OK, seriously though, why are we happy to have a whole brood? We’ve talked about it before, though there’s always been a number attached to it in the past, about why we would like several children.

I’ll admit that the first reason, in the past, for me was that I enjoyed growing up in a big family. LOVED it. These people are my best friends to this day. It is no obligation for me to go over and be with them. It’s a happy, open, loving atmosphere, and they are stinkin funny to boot.

I wanted to give my own children that happy environment where it’s easy to see that love is the great multiplier. It does not divide or take away from anyone else’s love. It is simply a true principle that the more people you have to love the more joy you have, even though the world would teach you otherwise! Think of how loving God our Father is.

I want them to have the strong support system that a family provides, and this is another one where the more the merrier.

I could go on all day (learning to share, take responsibility, get along, etc), but what does that have to do with a cap on how many?

Well, other than those and many other things that we have talked about, we have also spent time talking about the trust that the Lord puts in parents to raise His children. I think of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” that has this small sentence that’s so full of meaning; “Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.” We are taking on the spirit children of the Lord. Since these individuals already exist, they are going to be born somewhere, to someone, and while we hardily acknowledge our shortcomings, we feel like we can give the Lord’s children a decent life.

Send them to us, we will love them, feed them, teach them the gospel, and willingly give them all that we have to offer. We will not consider that great gift an unwanted burden.

And that is the heart of us being able to say, “Lord, if thou art willing, send us several of thy beloved children.”

Amen, and amen.

It’s true. I’m excited – and feel greatly blessed and humbled – for the opportunity to be a daddy.

Repeat After Me

“It is never OK to wear curtains as clothes.”

Even pregnancy does not save you from some rules.

Just witnessed- Hot off the press

Here’s what I just heard from David as he almost played fetch with Alex.

Go get it! Oh, you can’t get that.
(David walks over and retrieves it himself from the shelf)
Play fetch fail!
Go get it!
Oh, you can’t get that either….
(David walks over and retrieves it himself from the sink)

Alex is now snoozing next to me.

Darwin, meet Alex.

I’m upstairs, plugging along at my work, and I hear a sudden outburst of giggles from below. I walk out to the stairway, and look down, and see my wife laughing away.
“What happened?”
She gestured over to her left. Alex is on the sheepskin, munching away at a cracker wrapper.
I’m kind of confused. Normally, the taking of Emily’s cracker is to be met with annoyance, not laughter (compare, for example, what happened when Alex stole her last Fancycake).
I indicate my confusion, and Emily tells me I need to come into the bedroom to see the scene of the crime.
Not one to deny my wife’s request for my presence, I join her.
“So, he just jumped up and grabbed it, right?” I ask.
She’s still giggling, by the way. And then,
“He jumped up, grabbed the wrapper, and then as I noticed, I shouted out at him, and then he leaped around me, and jumped OVER my legs to escape, and then he ran off!” She said, stifling her laughter.
And…?
And then she points to the floor next to the bed. The cracker is sitting there, pristine, definitely un-puppified.
And then I get it. The dog had slyly yet brazenly stolen the cracker with its wrapper, made swift maneuvers to get away, was apparently enjoying the fruit of his labors…and the cracker had fallen out.
The culprit at that moment walked back in the room, (not wanting to miss a moment of the both of us being together) and wandered around for several moments, still without even seeing the cracker.
I pointed towards it with my toe.
Didn’t see it.
I pushed it towards him.
Didn’t see it.
I kicked it towards him.
Oh, look, food.
And then, then he started to munch on it.

That’s right. By adopting this puppy, we are officially thumbing our nose at Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest.

The Before and After Shot

David and I were awesome about not going out to eat while visiting Savannah last weekend. I can’t even stand the thought of a burger now, so it would have seriously cut down on where we could go anyway…

We had a little fridge and two queen sized beds in the hotel room. The second bed, since David still likes to sleep next to me:), was appointed as our table. It was very fun actually.

This meant that we snacked (yay granola bars!) in the car or while we were out and about, then would go to the hotel and eat sandwiches or bagels. I will say though that I don’t do very well with waiting between meals these days. I don’t get crabby or mean, but I do get kind of quiet and wilt as most of my energy goes into the effort of silently appraising my body of the fact that actually, no, we are not at death’s door.

We very unintentionally and hilariously caught this new truth on camera.

Before the food

Hanging with the food

Notice a difference?

So embarrassing…