What a year this has been. On January 1, 2007, Karl and I lived by ourselves in row home in downtown Philadelphia. I was employed as a public school music teacher while writing my master's thesis. Karl was a full-time graduate student. Karl was planning on applying for jobs in several cities, but we had no idea where we might be living once the school year was over. We were hoping for a child, but would not discover that I was pregnant until the following day.
On January 2, I watched with delight as the line on my pregnancy test turned pink.
In February, we trekked down to DC for Karl's first job interviews.
Karl accepted a job offer in March. We began researching the real estate market in DC and talking to folks from our church who were interested in buying our Philadelphia home.
I spent most of April trying to complete my master's thesis. I don't remember many details about my topic anymore, but I do remember multiple technology failures, such as crazy margins in MS Word, countless printer failures, and flashdrive chaos. I didn't ask Karl about his memories from this month. I'm not sure if I want to make him relive the stress of being married to an irritable, fatigued, pregnant student.
In May, I marched in Temple's commencement ceremonies, finally completing the master's degree that I began working on in 2001.
June is sort of a blur. From what we can recall, we decided to forgo selling the house in Philadelphia in order to rent to our friends. We selected our home in DC and began the sometimes humorous, sometimes nauseating process of closing on that home. (The process included no less than 4 home appraisals, 3 mortgage companies, 2 mortgage brokers, 2 insurance policies, 2 price adjustments, and, as we like to say, "a partridge in a pear tree.")
We finally closed on the home in July. We moved in the same night and were delighted as friends from our new church helped us to settle in.
I spent most of August unpacking boxes and painting the nursery, while Karl studied the finer details of the federal tax code at his new job.
The Lord gave us Adam in September.
I don't need to recount the rest of the year to you, blog readers, since it is already recorded here.
So, as you can see, 2007 was a banner year. It reminds us very much of 2004, which is the year that we got engaged, got married, and bought our first home. The two intervening years have been wonderful, but relatively uneventful. Kind of like treading water.
It makes us wonder what 2010 will be like. We have been joking that perhaps we will buy a third home and have another child in that year? We certainly wouldn't mind two years of relatively uneventful living until then.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Adam's first Christmas
He didn't actually open any of his presents, but he sure had a great time playing with his grandparents!
We drove to Lancaster first, where we celebrated with MomMom, PawPaw, Great-Grandma and Grandpa Eberly, Uncle Randy and Aunt Terre, and mommy's cousin, Vicki.
On Sunday, we drove to Tenth Presbyterian Church to worship in the morning, then drove back again in the evening to hear the renown Tenth Church Choir sing their Christmas Eve program.
We spent Christmas Eve and morning with Grandpa Mac, LiLi, Aunt Stephanie, Aunt "LuLu," Aunt Brooke, Mrs. LaBold, and Bill. There was a lot of contention among Adam's aunts over who is the favorite aunt!
Dad and Lisa got me a new digital camera for Christmas. For some reason, I spent most of the morning figuring out how to use it by reading the manual rather than snapping pictures, so I have only this one to post here:
On the afternoon of the 25th, we drove to see Grandma and Grandpa Russo and Aunt Karen. We stayed through until the following evening. It was a full week!
Adam and Grandma Russo
Playing with Grandpa Russo. We're not sure who had more fun!
Playing with Aunt Karen
Pretending to be superman with daddy, flying over Grandma Russo's Christmas village
The new microwave
In a previous post, I promised to post pictures of our new over-the-range microwave. Here it is. We are really happy with it. It's a new Advantium microwave that doubles as a convection oven. It also does something called "speedcooking." To make along story short, it cooks food in the time it would take to microwave it, but makes it taste oven-baked. Not bad or a couple hundred dollars extra. I'm pretty sure that our kitchen is the only one in the country with an Advantium but no dishwasher. Hopefully we will remedy that sometime soon.
So now the old freestanding microwave belongs to our tenant, Mosheh, and we've reclaimed the part of the kitchen sink where it used to sit. I have to admit that I'm quite proud of the construction job I did here. After removing the microwave shelf, I had to patch the wall and drill holes for the CD player. The drilling wasn't so easy because our cabinets are particle board and my drill is pretty basic. It took up 3 of Adam's nap's to get it done, but I love being able to cook to the tune of Tchaikovsky.
Before:
After:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Gotta Love It
Adam laughed for the first time tonight. I swaddled him up for bed and smiled at him. He grinned back. When I picked him up to move to the rocking chair, we locked eyes. He threw his head back and let out a beautiful belly laugh. Then a giggle. I laughed back and got another belly laugh. I tried to get it again, but the moment was gone. I can't wait until tomorrow to see if he will do it again. Good times!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Now we're cookin' with gas!
Literally.
The last time that we baked something in our electric oven was Thanksgiving Day. I smelled some some and entered the kitchen to find Karl battling some sparks in the oven. We thought that some of the sweet potatoes had dripped on the element. But two days later, my "pre-heated" oven was as cool as the rest of the house. Since two of the stove's burners were grossly crooked, and a third didn't work at all, we decided it was finally time for an upgrade. While we were at it, we decided to get a microwave for over the new stove.
As it turns out, an electric-to-gas conversion is not as simple as one might think. Neither is installing an over-the-range microwave. But it is well worth it!
Here's the before photo:
After the electricians took down the range hood, installed a circuit breaker and plug for the microwave, and grounded the refrigerator outlet: (yes, our fridge had no grounding wire. Scary.)
After the plumber installed the gas line:
The stove, in place!
A little patch-n-paint works wonders:
To celebrate, Karl and I made pancakes on the cool central 5th burner. It has two grates: standard or a griddle. I think we'll probably keep the griddle on most of the time.
We took advantage of having a plumber around and had him change the sink faucet. I'm not sure what possessed the previous homeowner to choose the tiny "builder's standard" for the monster of a sink we have. This one actually reaches the middle of the sink basin, and looks classier, too!
before:
after:
The microwave gets delivered tomorrow, but likely won't be installed until next week. Pictures forthcoming.
The last time that we baked something in our electric oven was Thanksgiving Day. I smelled some some and entered the kitchen to find Karl battling some sparks in the oven. We thought that some of the sweet potatoes had dripped on the element. But two days later, my "pre-heated" oven was as cool as the rest of the house. Since two of the stove's burners were grossly crooked, and a third didn't work at all, we decided it was finally time for an upgrade. While we were at it, we decided to get a microwave for over the new stove.
As it turns out, an electric-to-gas conversion is not as simple as one might think. Neither is installing an over-the-range microwave. But it is well worth it!
Here's the before photo:
After the electricians took down the range hood, installed a circuit breaker and plug for the microwave, and grounded the refrigerator outlet: (yes, our fridge had no grounding wire. Scary.)
After the plumber installed the gas line:
The stove, in place!
A little patch-n-paint works wonders:
To celebrate, Karl and I made pancakes on the cool central 5th burner. It has two grates: standard or a griddle. I think we'll probably keep the griddle on most of the time.
We took advantage of having a plumber around and had him change the sink faucet. I'm not sure what possessed the previous homeowner to choose the tiny "builder's standard" for the monster of a sink we have. This one actually reaches the middle of the sink basin, and looks classier, too!
before:
after:
The microwave gets delivered tomorrow, but likely won't be installed until next week. Pictures forthcoming.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
I don't normally listen to weather reports, and Wednesday was no exception. I was pleasantly surprised to ind this scene when I looked out our front door.
I bundled up Adam and walked to a neighbor's house for the afternoon. Adam did seem to take some exceptionally long looks at his surroundings. Maybe he did notice the snow. Hard to say.
I remember him looking much happier than this:
My friend had fun taking her baby daughter outside and looking in through a window at her Kenyan mother-in-law sitting snugly inside. Having never seen snow before, her mother-in-law was amazed at a little baby being outside in such weather, even in a snowsuit.
The snow lingered through Thursday Friday but was completely gone by Saturday. It was nice while it lasted. I didn't attempt to drive our car on Wednesday, but the roads were just fine on Thursday morning. I think we had about two inches of coverage in all.
So, dear readers from around the country, did you see any snow this week?
I bundled up Adam and walked to a neighbor's house for the afternoon. Adam did seem to take some exceptionally long looks at his surroundings. Maybe he did notice the snow. Hard to say.
I remember him looking much happier than this:
My friend had fun taking her baby daughter outside and looking in through a window at her Kenyan mother-in-law sitting snugly inside. Having never seen snow before, her mother-in-law was amazed at a little baby being outside in such weather, even in a snowsuit.
The snow lingered through Thursday Friday but was completely gone by Saturday. It was nice while it lasted. I didn't attempt to drive our car on Wednesday, but the roads were just fine on Thursday morning. I think we had about two inches of coverage in all.
So, dear readers from around the country, did you see any snow this week?
Monday, December 3, 2007
Deck the Halls
Karl and I spent the better part of Saturday getting the house ready for the Christmas season. As some of you may know, I have desired to have a real tree in the house for quite some time. However, Karl's allergy to pine prevented us from having such an item in our 750 square foot Philadelphia home. Now that we have a bigger house, he can escape from the scent if needed. (so far it has not bothered him.)
Here is a shot of the Frasier Fir we got from Wal-Mart. I was shocked that Wal-Mart carries fresh trees. We set it up in the room adjoining the living room.
But then, of course, there were discussions about how this tree should be decorated. I wanted a tree to compliment the color scheme of our living room; Karl wished to display his collection of penguin ornaments. I love white lights; It's just not Christmas for Karl without colored lights.
So, we set up the artificial tree in the dining room. It really brightens up the corner.
So there you have it--his and her Christmas Trees. As long as I can remember, my grandmother set up two Christmas trees in order to handle her large collection of ornaments. A few years ago, my mother followed suit. Since then, I've been teasing her relentlessly that she has turned in my grandmother. (not that that is a bad thing, Grandma!) So now where does that leave me? At 27 I have already followed in the proud footsteps of the women of my family.
I love that we have a fireplace now. Although it is unusable until we get a chimney sweep to do some repairs, the mantle is a nice part of the living room. I got the poinsettias (which you can barely see, but they're there in front of the firescreen) in Lancaster over Thanksgiving. The greens are not exactly the traditional kind--I hacked them off of an overgrown shrub in our back yard.
Here is a shot of the Frasier Fir we got from Wal-Mart. I was shocked that Wal-Mart carries fresh trees. We set it up in the room adjoining the living room.
But then, of course, there were discussions about how this tree should be decorated. I wanted a tree to compliment the color scheme of our living room; Karl wished to display his collection of penguin ornaments. I love white lights; It's just not Christmas for Karl without colored lights.
So, we set up the artificial tree in the dining room. It really brightens up the corner.
So there you have it--his and her Christmas Trees. As long as I can remember, my grandmother set up two Christmas trees in order to handle her large collection of ornaments. A few years ago, my mother followed suit. Since then, I've been teasing her relentlessly that she has turned in my grandmother. (not that that is a bad thing, Grandma!) So now where does that leave me? At 27 I have already followed in the proud footsteps of the women of my family.I love that we have a fireplace now. Although it is unusable until we get a chimney sweep to do some repairs, the mantle is a nice part of the living room. I got the poinsettias (which you can barely see, but they're there in front of the firescreen) in Lancaster over Thanksgiving. The greens are not exactly the traditional kind--I hacked them off of an overgrown shrub in our back yard.
Rock Around the Clock
Adam has learned to rotate his body much like the hands of a clock. I took this photo of Adam on his new "baby gym" and walked away:
Ten minutes later I took this photo:
It happens so slowly that I'm not exactly sure how he does it. He is getting good at arching his back. Perhaps that helps him shimmy his legs around. I asked Adam about it and all I got was this innocent look back:
Ten minutes later I took this photo:
It happens so slowly that I'm not exactly sure how he does it. He is getting good at arching his back. Perhaps that helps him shimmy his legs around. I asked Adam about it and all I got was this innocent look back:
Cloth Diaper FAQ
Posted at my friend Rehan's request!
"So how are those fancy cloth diapers working out for you?" is a question I get a lot. I have a feeling that most people expect me to answer that indeed they are not working out for us and that we have bought a gross or so of Huggies to make up for it.
I never thought I would be doing something like this. In fact, several years ago, when I heard that some friends of mine were cloth diapering their baby, I thought they were nuts. (Hmmm, I don't think I ever actually told them that...so Beth and Alex, if you're reading this, I know now that you are not nuts!) But now I'm really sold on the idea, or at the worst, addicted.
Here are the pros and cons of the 'way of the cloth':
Pro: The diapers themselves perform very well. They are slightly larger than the size Adam would be wearing now, and thus, are able to contain more mess. They are made with strong elastic around the legs and back, too, which also helps a lot. I've had only one "blow-out" diaper with Adam so far. From speaking with other mothers of similarly aged babies, I either have a very clean baby or a good set of diapers.
Con: The diapers are big. Adam has a little bubble-butt most of the time, which although cute, makes him wear a size-up in pants. Most of the time, his pants are rolled up in the early 90's style. The diapers also take up more room in the diaper bag, so I have a larger bag that I would otherwise carry.
Pro: We don't have to buy diapers all the time. No late-night trips to the store.
Con: The diapers need to be washed. I almost hesitate to list this as a con because it doesn't trouble me too much. I do a lot of laundry anyway, and the diapers make an extra load every three days. And for now, while Adam is exclusively dining on milk, they can be tossed directly into the wash with no special rinsing. Who would have guessed that this kind of poop is water soluble? When we introduce solids sometime after he's 6 months old, the poop will need to be shaken into the toilet first. I can't say I'm looking forward to that, but he'll be pooping a lot less then, hopefully.
Pro: We've spent $400 on diapers so far, and will probably spend another $200 in about 6 months when he grows to the next size . Those diapers should last him until he is potty trained. That's a big shellout, but it's likely the only money we will ever spend on diapering Adam. According to an online calculator, we will break even after 13 months of diapering. Our subsequent children (and we do hope for several more) will basically be diapered for free (the minimal cost of washing the diapers).
Pro: We're reducing landfill waste. Karl and I, though we do feel a calling to steward the earth that God has made, tend to shy away from the environmentalist label. But we are thrifty. We've found that most things that thrifty people do, such as turning off lights when we're not in a room, or driving smaller cars, are also good for the environment. So we're glad to tell our crunchiest of friends that we're doing our part.
Pro & Con: One benefit of the cloth is less diaper rash. Adam has had only one bout of it so far. Once that cleared up, we really haven't seen much of it. Just some redness here and there that clear up with some powder. The con part of this is that diaper rash creams can't be used with the diapers. You see, the creams work by making a protective waterproof barrier on the skin. If that gets on the cloth, the diaper becomes waterproof and no longer works. So if diaper rash does develop, we would have to put him in disposables until it clears up.
Pro: The diapers are cute! They come in a bunch of colors and I have fun matching them to his outfit.
So there you have it. I don't think it's for everybody, but it's working out well for us so far. I'll let you know if we still like it once he starts solids! :)
"So how are those fancy cloth diapers working out for you?" is a question I get a lot. I have a feeling that most people expect me to answer that indeed they are not working out for us and that we have bought a gross or so of Huggies to make up for it.
I never thought I would be doing something like this. In fact, several years ago, when I heard that some friends of mine were cloth diapering their baby, I thought they were nuts. (Hmmm, I don't think I ever actually told them that...so Beth and Alex, if you're reading this, I know now that you are not nuts!) But now I'm really sold on the idea, or at the worst, addicted.
Here are the pros and cons of the 'way of the cloth':
Pro: The diapers themselves perform very well. They are slightly larger than the size Adam would be wearing now, and thus, are able to contain more mess. They are made with strong elastic around the legs and back, too, which also helps a lot. I've had only one "blow-out" diaper with Adam so far. From speaking with other mothers of similarly aged babies, I either have a very clean baby or a good set of diapers.
Con: The diapers are big. Adam has a little bubble-butt most of the time, which although cute, makes him wear a size-up in pants. Most of the time, his pants are rolled up in the early 90's style. The diapers also take up more room in the diaper bag, so I have a larger bag that I would otherwise carry.
Pro: We don't have to buy diapers all the time. No late-night trips to the store.
Con: The diapers need to be washed. I almost hesitate to list this as a con because it doesn't trouble me too much. I do a lot of laundry anyway, and the diapers make an extra load every three days. And for now, while Adam is exclusively dining on milk, they can be tossed directly into the wash with no special rinsing. Who would have guessed that this kind of poop is water soluble? When we introduce solids sometime after he's 6 months old, the poop will need to be shaken into the toilet first. I can't say I'm looking forward to that, but he'll be pooping a lot less then, hopefully.
Pro: We've spent $400 on diapers so far, and will probably spend another $200 in about 6 months when he grows to the next size . Those diapers should last him until he is potty trained. That's a big shellout, but it's likely the only money we will ever spend on diapering Adam. According to an online calculator, we will break even after 13 months of diapering. Our subsequent children (and we do hope for several more) will basically be diapered for free (the minimal cost of washing the diapers).
Pro: We're reducing landfill waste. Karl and I, though we do feel a calling to steward the earth that God has made, tend to shy away from the environmentalist label. But we are thrifty. We've found that most things that thrifty people do, such as turning off lights when we're not in a room, or driving smaller cars, are also good for the environment. So we're glad to tell our crunchiest of friends that we're doing our part.
Pro & Con: One benefit of the cloth is less diaper rash. Adam has had only one bout of it so far. Once that cleared up, we really haven't seen much of it. Just some redness here and there that clear up with some powder. The con part of this is that diaper rash creams can't be used with the diapers. You see, the creams work by making a protective waterproof barrier on the skin. If that gets on the cloth, the diaper becomes waterproof and no longer works. So if diaper rash does develop, we would have to put him in disposables until it clears up.
Pro: The diapers are cute! They come in a bunch of colors and I have fun matching them to his outfit.
So there you have it. I don't think it's for everybody, but it's working out well for us so far. I'll let you know if we still like it once he starts solids! :)
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