The Blizzard of 2008!

Pardon the interruption of the Diaper Bag Extravaganza... we wanted to post about the great Blizzard of 2008 that hit central Ohio last weekend. While not technically a blizzard (the conditions didn't last long enough), the storm dumped a couple feet of snow on the city in the space of 24 hours. Beth and I ventured out Friday night to an art show, but even then we could tell the city was in for a big one.

The next morning we woke up to find the minivan and, well, everything coated with a big, fluffy layer of snow. And it kept coming. The TV weatherfolks (who were remarkably calm - kudos to them) showcased a growing list of cancellations and closures. Our pastor e-mailed that church was canceled the next day, and before long, even Ohio State canceled classes. That's when you know it's bad. Beth and I hunkered down with Maeby in our warm house, and enjoyed a day of watching some DVDs and generally relaxing.

Snow is Maeby's favorite form of weather. Our prissy little pooch, who will tiptoe in the mulch in her backyard, dives headlong into any pile of snow she can find. When I started putting on my boots to tackle the sidewalks, Maeby began bouncing off the walls with excitement. Beth took some great pictures of Maeby and I outside.

Maeby likes to take a bite out of every pile of snow that I scoop. She'll rush up to the shovel and nab a mouthful - more than once I accidentally smacked her in the face (she barely noticed, though, she was having so much fun). She'll also leap in the air to catch snow in her mouth. From time to time I would throw a snowball across the yard, which would send her leaping through snow drifts twice her size to get it.

Here she is catching a shovel-full with her entire body.

One of the coolest things about the blizzard was seeing our neighborhood really come alive. Everyone headed outdoors to shovel their cars out. Because there was no traffic, kids went running up and down the street, digging caves in the snow drifts. Families carried sleds down the street, headed to the park. We even saw some neighbors walk out the front door with cross-country skis! Maeby loved it all - she greeted everyone with her tail wagging wildly.

That night we had a slumber party at our house. Karl, Jacqui, Ryan, Libby, Caitlin, and Morgan all came over. We stayed up late playing video games, then made a big breakfast in the morning. When will we next get the chance to do that?

We're definitely ready for spring, but I'm glad we had some fun with winter, too.

Bag 5: Bumble Bags Jessica Messenger

Overview:
Bumble Bags, although they get the award for world's most annoying website, carries tons of baby bags, accessories, and other stuff. This bag is the Jessica Messenger, and the print is the pretty "buttercup bliss" It comes with a matching changing pad, and can be worn as a backpack, over the shoulder, or across the chest. The interior and exterior are water-resistant and stain resistant. The size is 16.5" wide x 13.5" high x 4" gusset.
First Impressions:
This is a very pretty bag. Karl's reaction was "I think my mom has curtains just like it." I'm not sure if I would go that far, but it's definitely more feminine than I'm used to. The background is a light yellow/white mottled, which is sort of strange, but the blue, brown and green is all very nice. The bag is very floppy- it wouldn't stand up on its own, and the fabric is very soft; I can't imagine it is really stain and water resistant. Seems too good to be true.

Second Glance:
The straps are not very comfortable or sturdy, and the messenger flap is HUGE! There are a lot of great pockets, including a zip-down changing pad/pocket to keep all that stuff separate. The center pocket is huge, as well as the side bottle pockets. There is also a back pocket for mommy stuff, which I like. The cording seems pretty sturdy and durable, but I'm not sure the fabric is durable- it seems like it might rip pretty easily.
Conclusions:
This is a really beautiful bag - I love that it matches my overall color choices in my own life! This is probably my second favorite, after the giraffe bag. The straps are a disappointment, and the durability of the bag is a question. But there is no doubt I would be very happy with this bag overall.

Bag 4: Fanci-Free Kim's Convertible Bag

Overview:
This is the second Fanci-Free bag I wanted to try; same pattern as the other one but a different style. It is a messenger-style bag with the shoulder/across the chest option, as well as a backpack strap system. It has a mommy-pocket in the front, and a large central pocket. It comes with a changing pad, stroller straps and a wet/dry bag. The size is 11.5" high x 14" wide x 5.5" gusset.

First Impressions:
This is a box with a strap. I have the same problem as before with the pattern not being to my taste, but the main thing I'm concerned about now is the impracticality of a box-style-bag that is difficult to get into. There are pockets all over the place, though, and the center pocket is pretty roomy.

Second Glance:
Karl and I both marveled at the size of the over-flap that stays in place with a magnetic strip (which we love)...the flap is HUGE, and completely impractical if you're trying to get into the bag while still wearing it. It would be fine if it were a bit more pliable, but it's 2 stiff pieces of cardboard, so there's nowhere to stash it when you're rooting around in the bag. There's also the problem of the unnecessary padding everywhere, taking up space and making the bag too stiff.
Conclusions:
Like its unfortunate sister bag, it, too, is on its way back to the eBag warehouse. Even with all of the organizational possibilities with the numerous pockets couldn't sway me away from the stiffness and confusing flap...on to the next one!

Bag 3: Fanci Free Edens Carry All Tote

Overview:
Fanci Free is a baby bag and accessories company out of Chicago. This bag is their Edens in "Circles in Motion" print. It's made of water-resistant padded nylon, and has a variety of pockets all over. It comes with a changing pad and zippered wet/dry bag. It can be worn as a shoulder bag or across the chest, and comes with stroller attachments. The size is 11.5" high x 14" wide x 5.5" gusset.
First Impressions:
I apologize if any of you own this bag, but it is so ugly I can hardly look at it. Both Karl and I agree. It looks way cuter in the pictures, but, I assure you, is a clown's nightmare. The fabric is a brown background with red, yellow, blue, and green circles all over. Not a good print. (The only reason I chose this pattern is because it was the lesser of a few evil choices.) The bag is very boxy. It has no movement to it, and wouldn't conform to the body or in tight stroller spaces. There are tons of pockets; 2 on the front, 2 on the side, 3 large ones on top/middle with those spaces sectioned off.

Second Glance:
The bright yellow inside is a happy choice, and almost makes me forget how ugly the pattern is. As we try to get into the pockets, we realize that ALL the fabric is padded, the inside, the outside, and the pockets. There is no real need for this, and it makes for a very heavy bag with much less space than if it had been just double-layered. The cell phone pocket on top is also a bit silly, because it is padded, and even if my iPhone fit in there, I probably wouldn't be able to get it out. Both Karl and I like that it's not a big flap closure on top, and that the big pockets are easy to get to...but you can still barely get your hand in them.

Conclusions:
It's already on its way back to eBags! This just wasn't the bag for me- I had high hopes because Fanci-Free is a good company who has thought through a lot of problems, but simply over designed this bag.

Bag 2: Oi Oi Giraffe Messenger

Overview:
Oi Oi is a Australian-based company that makes stunningly beautiful bags. This one is brown/white canvas outside with water resistant interior. It comes with a thermal bottle bag, a plastic baby wipe carrier, a clear plastic pocket, and a baby changing pad. The two side pockets are both thermal insulated, and would fit bottles on each side. The bottom is studded with 4 nickel stands. The large, durable strap can be worn over the shoulder or across the chest. The size is 14" wide x 11" tall x 5" gusset. First Impressions:
This bag is off-the-hook sexy. FIERCE. To prove this point, we had a lady in the shop try to BUY the bag from us even AFTER we told her it was a diaper bag, and another Australian customer vouching for the quality of the bag/company. It's canvas, so it has a good feel to it, not too stiff. The bright orange interior is good for finding things in the bag, and everything about it is practical- the accessories (a thermal bottle holder!), the size, the depth, and the various compartments inside. Karl was concerned it might be a little too big, but I didn't mind too much. Overall, someone put a good deal of thought into this bag.

Second Glance:
The materials, for the most part are very high quality. We like the wipeable liner, and the bonded canvas, as well as the strap material. We are less thrilled with the imitation leather riveted strap connectors, and the fact that the bag is single-stitched everywhere. However, there is tons of space, and the magnetic closures are just great - easy to use and secure. It also sits very flat and open for ease of baby changing. We also love the side thermal pockets; what a great touch!!!
Conclusion:
This bag is the frontrunner right now! It's going to be hard to beat, even with the very few drawbacks. And it's just so sexy.

Bag 1: Loom Bandicoot with Joey Clutch

Check out the previous post if you're new to the Diaper Bag Obsession!

Overview:
Our first bag is one by a company called Loom, which also makes a variety of family bags. They clearly know what they're doing. This bag is durable; water and stain resistant inside and out with solid nickel buckles and snaps. It has a variety of ways you can carry it: over the shoulder, across the chest, or as a backpack. It also comes with a changing pad and their famous "Joey Clutch," a mommy bag that is easily removable for a quick trip into a store. The Bandicoot is 14.5" wide x 11" tall x 5.5" deep, and the Joey is 10" x 6.5" x 1". (The orange dot in the picture is the removable tag.)
First Impressions:
I wasn't too picky about the color I chose (there are TONS on the website), but I went with the Eggshell/Gray, which is just beautiful! The size is great- it is basically the same size as the purse I am currently using, so that works for me, and I love the different ways you can carry it. I am not sold on the backpack-diaper-bag, but I've heard from so many that's the way to go, so I'm not ruling it out. I like that I have a choice. The Joey Clutch is cute, but WAY smaller than my purse right now...of course, I have things in my purse that might be better suited for the eventual diaper bag anyway. It's totally cute enough to take out to dinner, though, and it comes with a detachable strap!

Second Glance:
Karl and I both marveled at the construction and materials...this bag will be around for a long time!!! The bottom is studded with 4 nickel stands, so the bag stays flat for a quick baby change. We didn't like the main opening, though- it isn't a straight zipper, it dips in the front, which is nice. But the opening it creates is only 9" wide, and the main pocket is oddly small. It's only divided into 4, a large space, 1 medium side pockets, and 2 small ones. With the included changing pad, there's not much room for all the various baby stuff. There are some handy side-pockets on the outside of the bag, which would be good for bottles or food jars, though.
Conclusions
I love the look of this bag, and LOVE the durability of it! It's the perfect size, but might not offer enough storage. Of course, if I were going on some all-day-long outing, I might need a bit more than a normal diaper bag could handle anyway!

Diaper Bag Obsession

In my defense, my tendency towards obsessive-compulsion has not reared its ugly head since I've been pregnant, which has been nothing short of a miracle. With all the baby stuff on the market right now, and companies expertly guilting already-nervous first-time expectant mothers into buying anything and everything for their baby, the air is RIPE for obsession!

But, Thank God (quite literally), I have not succumb to these pressures. Nick and I have bought a few things, mostly because they were on sale, and were what we wanted (thank you, consumer reports!!!).

However...I now need to choose a diaper bag.

I scoured the internets for weeks on every site I could find. I tried to narrow it down. I tried to find stores in the area that carried the ones I was looking at. I tried to stop looking for a while. I tried to settle. I tried to decide. All to no avail.

So I ordered 7.

But, before you freak out, I will be returning 6 of them! They will be arriving over the next week or so, and my trusty in-house Bag Expert, Karl, will be helping me rate them! I look to you, gentle readers, to help me rate each bag as well!

My criteria are as follows:
1. The bag must not scream "I AM A DIAPER BAG!"
2. It must be less than 16" wide, but be big enough to hold a bunch of stuff.
3. It should be able to double as both my purse and a diaper bag or have a pocket/addition to facilitate "mommy stuff." (I'm not about to carry a purse AND a diaper bag all the time...and Nick will have his own baby bag!)
4. It must fit me and my style, and not look out of place hanging off my shoulder.
5. It must be durable. (This will in NO WAY be the last diaper bag I buy, but I like to go for quality and durability in everything I own.)

Check back for the reviews, and please be sure to add comments, positive or negative, to the posts! I crave feedback! Enjoy!

The Calvin Spark Has Been Goosed!

For those of you lucky individuals that receive the quarterly Calvin Alumni Magazine, The Calvin Spark, you'll notice a particularly good-looking group of folks on the cover! That's right! The Spark featured Wild Goose Creative in their Spring issue as the cover story, along with a 6-page article inside! (You will also be able to view the magazine online, when they post it: www.calvin.edu/publications/spark.)
We timed our release of the new www.wildgoosecreative.com with the Spark article, so go and check that out as well!

And, please support our supporters!
Nick Fancher of Shutterthink Photography for the photos: www.shutterthink.com
Robin Oatts of Genre Creative for the website: www.genrecreative.com

Dreamin'

I have always been a very vivid dreamer - most of them are fairly absurd, only sometimes making sense with events of the day. Often, they are very intense with a hopeless, striving feeling throughout (not unlike watching Cloverfield), where I am trying to get to somewhere or someone but am foiled at every turn. I never make it. One of the weirdest recurring dreams I have had since I was very young centers around everyone in the world working inside Cinderella Castle at Disney World, with my mom's office on the very top floor. When my dad and Chip and I finally get up there to visit her, I'm all alone in the room, and I can see my family down on the ground, waiting for me. I have this one 2-3 times a year. Weird.

Well, I would take even the most intense crazy dream I have ever had over the ones I've had since I've been pregnant. The problem with these current dreams are that they are SO real and SO normal that I have trouble differentiating between them and day-to-day life. I have NOT picked up something at the grocery store because I thought I already did, only to remember it was in a dream. I have chosen not to ask someone something because I already know the answer, but then realize it was a dream conversation. It's becoming a downright nuisance.

I have yet to have very many weird baby dreams, except ones about having Baby D sleep in a drawer, so those are still to come! But for now, if I forget to tell you something or start talking to you about a conversation we never had, just let me know it was probably something that happened while I was sleeping. I also apologize ahead of time if I seem annoyed at repeating something that has OBVIOUSLY already happened.

Barefoot and pregnant...

...in the living room. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

We've gotten some requests for pictures of Beth lately, so we thought we'd oblige. Beth has gotten more maternity clothes, and you can see that she's starting to show a little bit. Our little guy weighs just over a pound now, and he's kicking and pushing for his space.

As a guy going through the pregnancy process for the first time, the whole realm of maternity clothes is kinda fascinating. There are all sorts of cool shirts, blouses, and pants available for pregnant women, and many of them are meant to grow with her as the baby grows. It's a little intimidating, but I'll be honest... I think maternity clothes are some of the most adorable ever made. I mean, look at the picture! Isn't she cute?

Now, if I can just get her to stand in the kitchen...

Baby Brain

Most of you have heard of this common side effect of pregnancy, baby brain. I thought I was experiencing it early on when I was a little scattered my first trimester. HA! That was NOTHING!

Usually I function better when I have a million things to do. I know a lot of people say that flippantly, but I really mean it. If I have one thing to do all day, I am an absolute sloth. If I have 300 things to get done in an hour, they'll all be done in 56 minutes. Baby Brain hit hard last week, which was a pretty busy week, but no more than most. We hosted Third Thursdays, we were working on the Wild Goose website, my family was coming into town, it was Abbey, Nick, and Marcia's Birthday, and I was throwing an Oscar party with friends who were coming in from out of town and staying over. These are all things I LOVE, and I'm not complaining.

But my multi-tasking, organizational, event-oriented self has all but dissolved into nothingness. My usual organized brain will put things in neat categories and compare events in tidy spaces...it was all I could do to remember WHO was coming into town and that I needed to take a shower each morning! Work is the same way; I usually have 5 or 6 tasks going on my computer, spanning from Wild Goose stuff to shop things and design jobs. Now I bounce from one to another like an ADHD kid after drinking a gallon of kool-aid. Not one of them gets done, and it's impossible to even envision the end of tasks. And as far as planning and organizing events or time periods, it's just impossible!

Thank goodness for my amazing husband, who seems to always step in and take over at the perfect time, i.e., just prior to my head exploding.

(As the perfect example of baby brain, this blog post took me 3 days to finally publish!)

Echo-cardiogram-ed!

Nick and I went to Columbus' Nationwide Children's Hospital this morning to get a fetal echo cardiogram. Because of my family's history with heart issues, we decided to go for this optional scan. It was - by far - the best experience we have had in a hospital, ever! We were in and out in an hour, everyone was VERY nice and so helpful, and the facilities were just beautiful! I suggest that hospital architects everywhere take a page from the Children's Hospital Design Handbook! Whoever said mauve and teal green were calming to anyone? Bring on the primary colors, local art-filled walls, and wagons to take you from room to room! What adult wouldn't want that!?!?

The scan itself went really well! It was done by a nurse and was basically a standard ultrasound. The main difference was that it was about 30 minutes long, as opposed to 5-10 minutes for the others we've had. But we're not complaining! We got to watch our little boy kicking and chewing and squirming for that whole time! The nurse took tons of pictures and measurements of the four chambers of the heart and checked the amount/direction of blood flow to and from the heart color-coded in flashing blue and red patches.

And everything looks perfect! The doctor did say that we have to remember that they were looking at a heart the size of a grape and that they were unable to see tiny holes and imperfections. However, the blood flow, chambers, arteries and heart beat all look perfect! Praise God!

Also, it looks like we have a little personality forming, too! Baby D was laying with his head on my right and looking up, in the breech position. At one point, the nurse took the wand off my belly to put more jelly on and went to look again, and he had flipped completely over! She said he must have turned because he was annoyed at her poking him all about. Who knows where he gets that defiant, strong-willed streak?

We did get some pictures out of it - a full-body shot showing his head to the left, his arm above his tummy and his legs to the right.And a great profile shot showing his little ear, nose, lips and chin. A few people have said that it looks like he has Nick's nose. I'm worried I see flickers of my Pop-Pop's ears, though!

He's Alive...ALIVE!!!

I felt Baby D move for the first time last night, and was able to catch it so that Nick could actually feel it too. It was wild! My reaction was "Holy Crap! He's MOVING!" I felt it when I was laying on my back in bed; it felt like a little flutter, kinda like (for the Meyer fam) those skates in the surf in North Carolina. All fluttery and soft.

I thought I would only be able to feel him at night at first, or when I was sitting or laying down, but he was jumping around all day! Maybe we have a little soccer player on our hands! Or, he could be acting out a scene from Hamlet. Whatever. No pressure.

Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool...

There's this little hormone that gets released during pregnancy called Relaxin. Basically, what it does is softens the muscles and ligaments in the body, preparing it for the Incredible Hulk-scale expansions in store for it over the next few months. (I personally think this is the least serious medical term ever created.) I can hear those doctors now,

"What should we call this new-found hormone"
"What does it do?"
"Uh...it relaxes."
"How about relaxin?"

Clearly not Rocket Surgeons.

Well, I have started to experience the "relaxing" effects of this creatively-challenged hormone. As you may have known, I am just now recovering from a monster cold unlike anything I have ever experienced. It lasted for 2 weeks, for one of which I couldn't speak, with a cough that must have woken up the neighborhood. It was wild. Well, during one of these coughing fits, I threw out something in my back, thanks to being all chilled out and relaxed by the pregnancy. No biggie, though, pulled muscle...it was almost healed when I coughed again lightly last night and something popped. Now my entire right side is on fire and I fear laughter, coughing, yawning, breathing, and - worst of all - sneezing. I'm not trying to make more out of this than what it is, though - it's just a pulled muscle created by my loose, relaxed muscles, and it will heal.

(An Aside, if you will. I must point out that, while I might be in a bit of back pain, my brother-in-law, Greg is currently suffering from a herniated disc and on two weeks of couch rest and physical therapy before a possible back surgery. I am absolutely convinced that he is way more pain that I will be throughout my pregnancy and into labor and delivery. So, please, keep him in your prayers his way, and pray that his therapists and doctors will be able to provide him with pain relief and a complete and speedy recovery!)

My adamant protest at my current state centers around the fact that a pregnancy hormone called RELAXIN has me now all tight and wound up and fearing breathing. I think those brilliant doctors need to head back to the drawing boards and come up with a better - and more inventive - name for this hormone.

Tummy Time

I am at the uncomfortable point now where people could look at me and think "Oh, she must be pregnant!" or "Hmmm...someone spent way too many Sundays at the Golden Corral!" (To which, I'm happy to say, I have never even been.) So far, I haven't received any presumptuous comments, but, even so, am I going to be mad if someone comes up and asks if I'm preggers? I am!

It's great fun, too, learning how to walk as my center of gravity changes. Baby D is about 1 pound right now, but with all the other stuff that goes with him, and it being in a centralized location, it throws off all hopes of balance!

As someone who has spent her entire natural life attempting to cover up her pouch belly, the idea that I am now purchasing clothes that are specifically designed to SHOW OFF my growing midsection is a bit hard to swallow. I have to say, however, it's WAY more fun showing it off than covering it up!

The Latest on Baby D!

Yesterday Beth and I got a special Valentine's Day gift by way of the 20-week ultrasound pictures of Baby D. The doctor spent some time checking and highlighting thigh bones, fingers, kidneys, stomach, heart, spine, and head ("Although we can't tell if he's a Republican or Democrat!" he joked).

Baby D was kicking and moving. He wasn't as much of an exhibitionist as he was last time, but the doc confirmed that Baby D is, in fact, a Baby He.

We're both at the tail end of colds we picked up last week, especially Beth. Her cold ended with a wicked cough that actually hurt her back. We'd appreciate any thoughts and prayers for healing!

The doc wants us back in a month for another ultrasound, and next week Friday we have an echocardiogram at Children's Hospital. No worries about that - we're just double-checking the baby's heart for the slim chance of any defect. Doesn't hurt to check!

Is He Done Yet?

"When are you due?" I get this question at least a few times a week, and I'm sure the frequency will pick up over the next few months as I start to show even more. I think this is just the most interesting question ever! Not that it's an improper question, or one most people can't easily answer. But it DOES beg an imperfect answer. "Due date" implies that a baby can be under- or over-due, which is odd to me. (Obviously given normal circumstance, and not born dangerously premature.) My kid is not a pasta, and if he decides to come a bit earlier or later than this mysterious "due date," he will not be "aldente," nor will he be overcooked. He will be right on time if he's born within a 30-day period surrounding this "due date." (And, if he knows what's good for him, he will come before his Mama is too miserable! :) Ha!)

This Thursday we have our "big" ultrasound. This is when they bring in the "Cadillac" machine (so named by my doctor) and take tons of measurements and pictures and give us a more "accurate due date" (hilarious).

I'm 20 weeks now, halfway there!

The revealing picture!

Quick update! This is the picture from our January 31st ultrasound that told us Baby D is a Baby He! We had to wait until after the video reveal, because the doc labeled the picture so clearly for us. Next up: the big 20-week ultrasound this Thursday afternoon!

(Not So?) New Finds

As I have stayed pretty clear of baby stuff over the past years, I haven't been keeping up-to-date with what's cool and hip in the baby world. To be honest, it's not that I didn't like baby stuff, it's just that I would break out in hives, chills and a cold sweat when I neared the Target baby aisle. It's getting better, though. Good thing, eh?!

Now that I'm starting to think WAY more about baby stuff, I'm finding some great stuff! I'm sure that everyone has one of these by now, but I just about died when I saw the Weeblock.

Beth Goes to the Store

Today Nick and I stopped by a baby furniture store here in Columbus to check out some nursery bits, then we headed to Trader Tots, a children's, teen, and maternity resale shop. It had tons of almost-new clothes and toys, and we spent a good half an hour oooing and ahhing over all the baby-sized shirts and pants. We couldn't believe how inexpensive things were there! We'll definitely be back, although we're not too concerned that our child will be wanting for clothes and toys...

Then we headed to the mall to price other nursery furniture and I finally got up the courage to head into a Motherhood Maternity store, which was my first time in an actual maternity shop. I had heard horror stories of pushy saleswomen, lines of shirts in a rainbow of pastel, and exorbitant prices. I was ready! I was just going to stop in and maybe grab one pair of jeans (only if they were on double clearance), not talk to anyone, and get out of there.

But I had a very different experience. I walked in and was greeted by a friendly saleswoman (who thankfully did NOT do the all-too-familiar glance-down tummy-check), and she asked me if I needed anything. I told her I wanted to look for some jeans. She asked me if I liked the tummy-panel to ride over my tummy, across the middle, or under it. I let her know this was my first time in a maternity clothes store, so I really had no idea.

Then, for the next 30 minutes, she took me under her wing and explained how maternity clothes worked, a few basics everyone usually likes to have, how maternity underwear works (which, despite having asked no fewer than a half-dozen of my friends, still remained a mystery to me), and helped me choose a few things to try on. I didn't feel pressured, or weirded out, or uncomfortable. (Even when she showed me the velcro-strap stuffed baby-bump that automatically adds 3 months onto your belly so you can try clothes on over it...and that's enough to weird ANYONE out!)

So I tried some stuff on, and liked some and didn't like others. She...Joanne...was there the whole time, making sure I had the right fit for my shape and that I was comfortable in everything. But there was still the issue of price, which of course was going to be over and above anything I could ever afford...but wait! Hold on a minute! $24.95 for a pair of jeans? $6.99 for a polo shirt? That's cheaper than Target or Old Navy, my old standbys! (And, as I've found out time and time again, I'm CONVINCED that those stores' clothing is built to self-destruct and fall apart in about 9 months, anyway.)

I left Motherhood Maternity with a few pairs of jeans, underwear, and some polo shirts, none of which were pastel, and all of which will grow with me over the next 4 months, and then into the post-pregnancy as I lose my belly. I was delightfully surprised! Now, I am sure we will run into many times when we balk at the price of kid stuff, but this wasn't one of them. Babies cost money...this one started racking up bills WAY before conception!...but we knew that when we got into this!

(That said, bring on the hand-me-downs!)

It's a...

Watch the video to find out!

Baby She or Baby He?

Tomorrow, Thursday afternoon, we have an ultrasound where the doctor will check to see if Baby D is a he or she! Hopefully I'm carrying a little exhibitionist and we'll get to find out! Check here tomorrow night to see if we know!

How are YOU doing?

Contrary to popular belief, there have been many cool things about being pregnant so far: an excuse to sleep in, an especially cuddly pooch, tiny baby gifts...the list goes on! But one of my favorite things is the new importance placed on the question, "How are you doing?"

Usually used as a deflection or small talk, this simple phrase is no longer without meaning. I get asked this a lot, and each time, it means more to me than the time before...because people REALLY mean it when you're pregnant. They are genuinely concerned about my and Baby D's well being! It's really quite honoring! And I've noticed (or maybe I'm ignoring the "don't you know what small talk is" signs...) that people want to hear an actual answer. Now, I'm not sure they'd want to hear any gruesome details, but I haven't really had any so far! I've been blessed by a very mild pregnancy and have no complaints so far!

So, if you know any pregnant women, be sure to ask them how they're doing, and mean it! It will make their day! And, if you've asked me, thanks! It made mine!

Oh, the Car (Actually, Van)!

Yet another step in preparing for Baby D! We've bought a minivan. Oh, yes, we bought a minivan. So I guess that seals it: we've got the house, the dog, and now the minivan. It's the American dream!

We've been considering another vehicle for a year or so now, and the necessity of it has grown as we're anticipating having Baby D, and myself looking at other jobs that would require some driving. We knew we wanted a minivan or small SUV. Our good friend Rich Perrine runs an import car dealership in town, and we asked him to keep an eye out for Honda Odysseys, Toyota Siennas, or Chrysler Town & Countries. He e-mailed about a week ago, saying he had a couple that would be perfect! So yesterday morning we went in and signed for it.

The stats: a 2003 Toyota Sienna CE. Five-door wagon. Gold. Cloth interior. 59,000 miles. The Sienna is the top-rated minivan by Consumer Reports, and they're known to run for up to 200,000 miles. The previous owner took very good care of it, and Rich had it serviced completely before he turned it over to us. So we hope that this one will last us a while!

We'll let you know when we come up with a name for it.

Oh, the carnage!

Beth and I have been wondering, as of late, how Maeby will adjust to Baby D. We feel pretty confident that she will get along fine the baby; she's always been great around kids. She's very gentle and loving and protective. So we're not worried about that. We're more concerned about how she'll adjust to not being the center of attention around the house. She's already gotten more cuddly with Beth since she's been pregnant. And lately she's been a bit more demanding for attention. She'll stand and huff at us while we watch T.V., or sit by the door demanding to be taken on a walk. One form her attention-seeking takes is the complete destruction of her stuffed animals. Yesterday I was cleaning up the house, and came upon a graveyard of toys. It seemed like a horror movie: fluffy bunny heads rolling everywhere, stuffed bears without arms, sea creatures reduced to empty shells. So, I had to take a picture.

If this is as desperate as she gets for attention, we're not worried.

A Post From Mama D

It's taken me a while to feel like I'm really pregnant, because I don't really look like it now. I look puffier, and like I had a nice steak dinner (which is the only thing I ever want to eat, if you're looking to take me out to dinner), but not preggers, yet. I'm sure as soon as I do, the novelty will wear off quickly!

I'm in my 16th week, and a few weeks into my 2nd trimester already, and I haven't really blogged at all about my experiences thus far...I promise to keep it PG, kids, and not too gruesome. But, really, I think I've had it pretty easy.

I found out for sure I was pregnant as early as you can; two weeks after conception. We went through a fertility treatment, so I was well-tracked (which satisfied the color-coded daily-planner part of me nicely). The exhaustion hit almost immediately, and naps became a necessity. And those that know me well know that I HATE naps...but I was soon using them as pure sustenance. And, speaking of sustenance, food became an interesting issue. I felt queasy most of the time, but never threw up (until the night I tried fancy prescription pre-natal vitamins), but felt most sick when my stomach was empty. So I pretty much ate a few bites of food every hour of the day. That got old real fast.

I haven't started wearing maternity clothes, other than the Bella Bands, which I still don't really get...although I can imagine getting a lot of use out of them just for support and hiding any stretch-marked skin later in my pregnancy. They're basically a tube of spandex you wear under your shirt that hold up your pre-maternity pants, unbuttoned, so you can wear them for a longer time.

But, now the magical 2nd trimester is here! All the books speak of it as the true pregnancy promised land, where you glow and feel beautiful and have loads of excess energy and grace, where health and well-being abounds and nausea and forgetfulness are things of the past! Why wouldn't we all want to live in Second Trimesterland? Well, because I haven't found it yet. When I do, I'll send you a postcard.

Other than that, we're busy making plans for the nursery, and I'm attempting to practice grace and humility when people (of all ages) give me pregnancy and parenting advice. My friend (and new mom to beautiful baby girl Maddie!) Kim gave me the best advice of all, however. She introduced the phrase "What worked for us..." to be said before any advice-y sounding sentence. Let's all take heed of THAT brilliant advice! I know I will be!

Guess who...?

...it's Baby D! Hey, there, Baby D! Glad to see you again!


These are pictures from our latest ultrasound, this past Thursday. Baby D is measuring about 9 cm long, and beginning to really look like a baby. Check out the pictures below: you can see facial features, arms, and legs. On the video monitor, we could see the heart beating - just a tiny little flashing dot, but it's beating away!

Beth is into her second trimester now. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers over the past three months. Less than six months until Baby D-Day! Keep up the prayers!

What's going on?!

A blog update - yaaaaay! Just wanted to give a holiday shout-out to all our friends and family, and provide some quick updatage. We have returned home after spending some quality time with Beth's family in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and mine in Grand Rapids, MI. It was a relaxing time overall... we watched some movies, opened presents, made food, ate at Yesterdog, Maeby played in the snow, all the good stuff. We only had a couple days in each place, but it was great to hang with our parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephew again.

We headed home from GR this past Thursday night, to prepare ourselves and our home for the (hopefully first annual) Wild Goose Creative New Year's Festival. We've been planning this since early 2007, and it's exciting to see all of our plans come to fruition. The idea for the Festival originated with New Year's last year, when a small party blossomed into a semi-reunion of friends from high school and Calvin. Our thought: why not add some structure to it and show off some of our (and our friends'!) many skills?

You can view the full details of the Festival at our (new!) website: http://www.wildgoosecreative.com. Also, keep an eye on our blog. We opened the Festival with dinner and an improv show last night. The team consisted of myself, Micah Green, Terry Schoone-Jongen, Rachel Zylstra, and Brian Risselada. In other words, it was an amazing reunion of sorts. The Festival will also feature workshops on swing dance, screen printing, puppetry, sushi lessons, jewelry making, and Shakespeare performance, in addition to a chocolate tasting, jazz and poetry, a short play by myself, an art gallery, and performances by our friends Rachel Zylstra and Common Shiner. We're very much looking forward to the Festival, as well as the relief that the new year will bring.

And our most important news is that we're expecting a baby next year! Beth is due July 1st, and so far she's been feeling well. New Year's Day marks the beginning of Beth's second trimester. Below you can see the first ultrasound we got of Baby D. It's a rather early image, because we spent a few months at a fertility clinic in Columbus. So we knew pretty much right away when Beth was pregnant. The top part of the image shows tiny Baby D, the bottom part shows a readout of the baby's heartbeat (the heartbeat!).To answer a couple questions... it'll be about 8 weeks before we can find out the sex, and yes, we will most definitely find out and, yes, we will tell people. And, yes, we have some names picked out, but we'll share them when Baby D comes along.

We hope everyone has had a blessed Christmas, and we wish you a very Happy New Year! Look for pictures of the New Year's Festival and other updates soon!

Circleville Pumpkin Show!

Two new posts in two days! OMG! Anyhow... I realized, in posting about the big family weekend in October, that I forgot one of the many things going on that week: the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show! Beth and the rest of the our friends went earlier in the week, while I had rehearsal, so I went with both sets of parents during the day on Friday. It was our first pumpkin foray during daylight hours, although the place was no less busy. Take a look!

Huge crowds... lots of parents and kids. The town of Circleville mobilizes for the whole event. I'm guessing the local schools shut down.

All these pumpkins are driving me crazy! I'm out of my gourd.

As always, the huge line outside Lindsey's Bakery for fresh pumpkin donuts.Lots of things happen with pumpkins here, including all sorts of carving and funny shapes.With all sorts of delicious foods...

New Post from Summit Street!

Look at that... it's November already! We totally missed posting at all in October. Amazing.

We don't have any huge updates at this moment, so I'll post some pictures from the past couple weeks. We've settled pretty well into the house and have hosted a number of visitors, including Mom & Dad Dekker, the entire Meyer family, Grammie & Pop-Pop Richards (Beth's maternal grandparents), our friend Zach Vicha from Chicago, and most recently our friends Brad & Kimberly Nydam from Grand Rapids. Here's some pics from the big family weekend:

Here's Vitaly trying out Maeby's doghouse.

Making full use of the dining room... and the den.

And a family picture on the porch.

Is this the '07 salsa?

This weekend we're up in Greenville, Pennsylvania with Beth's family. We didn't plan for this weekend to be salsa weekend, but it became it! It's actually been two years since the last batch. While the 2006 tomato harvest didn't give us enough good tomatoes for the famous Meyer family salsa, 2007 crept up on us unexpectedly. The local tomato harvest was good, and when Fanny, the Amish cleaning lady, showed up yesterday with huge bushels of perfect tomatoes, the 2007 batch was born.

All the other ingredients fell into place, such as jars...

...and garlic.
We chopped the onions and peppers the night before. We had to set up fans in the kitchen because of all the onion vapors.
Blanching the tomatoes...
Peeling and chopping the tomatoes...
...until we have buckets of them!
Boiling (these are only 4 of the 6 total pots we made).
Canning in progress...
And the final product! The total came out to about 60 quarts of salsa. The 8 jars at the far end of the line are quarts of tomato juice. We filtered and boiled all the juice we collected from chopping, and saved it for future soups, etc.
Oh, and THEN we started on the chutney...

We'll let you know how the '07 batch turns out!

A fun video for you

This is a short video I made for our good friend and fellow Goose Jacqui Hoke. I found an expert who had met her, so I interviewed him.

What's Going On in There?

Here's Maeby and Lindy (our friends Jack and Christina's dog, who we're dogsitting for a spell) peeking in the back door to see what's happening in the kitchen.

So it's been since late July that we've written anything on this blog, and I thought I'd write a little something. As of August 25th we've been moved into our new house. Expect pictures and/or a video explaining the house soon! The place is looking great overall, and again we have to thank all of our wonderful friends and family who offered spiritual and physical help in putting the place together (we're still tempted to call Ryan to ask where things are in the kitchen - he put it together). Already we've hosted our friend Zach over the Labor Day weekend; he tried out the guest bedroom and dubbed it worthy (hint hint). We were all surprised by the visit of our other friend Morgan over the weekend as well.

Job-wise, I have begun working full time again at Ohio State for the Theatre Department. For those who don't know, I was hired back by the Department as the Administrator and Lecturer for the Introduction to Theatre program. It's a large course (the largest on campus, I think) that involves two lecturers and nine graduate teaching assistants to handle it. In addition, I'm directing a short play called English Therapy for the Department, and may be teaching some extra classes in the winter or spring.

Beth is continuing her work for Paul Robinett's Aromatherapy Candles and Renetto, LLC (the canopy chair company). She's coming off a very busy summer, which saw the candles picked up by Bloomingdale's and the the canopy chair featured on Slate.com and MSN.com. However, she is now aided by our good friend Karl Boettcher, who recently left his job at J.P Morgan Chase to become Operations Manager of the candle shop and canopy chair businesses. Nothing like working with your friends! They're now headed into a busy fall and busier holiday season (to give you a sense of it all... 2007 sales have doubled the 2006 numbers nearly every month, so imagine what these upcoming holidays will be like!).

Right now we're still settling in and tweaking the house: doing some landscaping, organizing rooms, throwing things away, setting up the music room (aka the basement). We're looking forward to cooler weather, when we can turn off the AC and put the screen in the front door. We can't wait for mornings of coffee on the front porch, apple picking, pumpkin everything, walks in our new park with Maeby.

Hope everyone's well!

7 copies of book 7!

Don't worry, no spoilers here!

This is my left wrist wrapped in seven wristbands so I could buy seven copies of the seventh and final Harry Potter. Since Beth and I have a membership to Barnes & Noble, I was the appointed one to buy all the copies of the book for ourselves and our friends. Karl and I lined up at 6 p.m. this past Friday to get a wristband for each copy we reserved. Then at midnight we braved the insanity that was the store to buy the books. Only Jessie, Libby, and I waited in the line, while the rest of our crew waited outside. Everyone around us was amused by the wristbands. Once we had the books, the booked it (get it!) for home, and we all spent Saturday secluded from each other reading the book.

Karl and I put together this genealogy of how to buy the books:
1. I called to reserve the books
2. I lined up to get a card
3. I turned in my card to get a wristband
4. I lined up at midnight
5. I used my wristband to get into my group (group 6)
6. I waited till my group was called
7. I lined up near the register to actually buy the book
8. I bought the book

What cracked us up is how many times we lined up to get permission to line up later.

So that's it. Let us know when you're done reading so we can talk about it!

Our ACTUAL New House!

Above is a slideshow of our actual new house! (The previous post about our new house was actually Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. We stopped there with Chip and Marcia on the way back from the Outer Banks.) The vital stats: built 1918, Arts and Crafts style, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, detached 2-stall garage, living room, dining room, den, awesome kitchen, fenced-in backyard, big front porch. It's in a neighborhood of Columbus called Clintonville. It's northeast of the Ohio State campus, about 3 miles from where we live now. Great family neighborhood. We're two blocks away from a great park, a couple blocks from the highway, and close to grocery stores, restaurants, church, etc.

One quick note: the stuff you see in the house isn't ours - it belongs to the sellers. We took these pictures while doing the home inspection. Our closing date is set for July 29, although our current lease isn't up until September 1st. So we'll spend the month of August packing, painting, and moving in. Should be exciting! We're hiring movers for the big stuff, but if anyone wants to help with smaller boxes or painting or just hanging out at the new place, you're more than welcome! Can't wait for you all to see it!