June 26, 2007 - Scott
Following is a completely accurate description of the nightly routine for putting Odessa to bed. Since I spend so much time with her, I can actually translate her baby gibberish into English. It's kind of like a superpower. Anyway, it happens just like this, every night:
Scott: Okay Odessa, time for bed. Let's feed you and get your belly nice and full so you sleep all night!
Odessa: Sweet, food. Let's do this.
Scott: Sit still, quit squirming. Here you go.
Odessa: Holy crap. This...is...milk! I LOVE milk! This is so awesome I think I'm going to explode.
Three minutes and two fluid ounces later...
Odessa: Jeez, what are you trying to do to me? I HATE milk, get this out of my face. Here, I'm going to twist my head around so my messy chin gets all over your shirt.
Scott: What? I thought you loved milk. What are you going to do now?
Odessa: I'm going to stand up.
Scott: Oh, you think it's playtime.
Odessa: I don't think, I know it's playtime.
Scott: It's not playtime.
Odessa: Yes it is. See? I've got your glasses! Haha I got smudgy fingerprints all over them.
Scott: Okay, fine, quick playtime, but then we need to get you ready for bed.
Odessa: Hey, what are you doing? Who can play at a time like this? I'm HUNGRY. Feed me now!
Scott: But you said...
Odessa: Why are you starving me? Don't you like me? I'm going to whine, wiggle, and quiver my lower lip now.
Scott: Okay, here's your milk.
Odessa: Yes! Milk! My favorite!!
Five minutes and four fluid ounces later...
Odessa: Why are you doing this to me? I told you that I HATE HATE HATE milk! I'm standing up again.
Scott: I didn't mean to make you upset, I just thought you wanted milk.
Odessa: Here, let me burp in your nose.
Scott: Ew.
Odessa: Hey Dad, what's that on your cheek?
Scott: It's skin.
Odessa: I want it.
Scott: You have your own.
Odessa: I want yours and I want it now. Give it to me. I want to eat it.
Scott: Ow! No! Ow!
Odessa: Oh, this isn't as cool as I thought. I'm done with it, here you can have it back.
Scott: Do you want to eat some more milk yet?
Odessa: No, I want to get off the couch and chew on some power cords.
Scott: Not a good idea.
Odessa: Yeah I might choke. How about you chew them up first and then give them to me?
Scott: Won't happen. Hey, what are you doing now?
Odessa: I'm blowing spit bubbles on your pants.
Scott: Great.
Odessa: Hey. I want milk now. Quit being negligent. Do you want me to wither away?
Scott: Here, take some milk.
Odessa: Oh beautiful milk, what a splendid thing you are. I wish everything was made out of milk.
Three minutes and two fluid ounces later...
Odessa: Daddy, I'm done!
Scott: Well you've had eight ounces, so I guess that should be enough. Time for bed.
Odessa: Bed...? You're taking me to bed?
Scott: Yeah, just like last night and every other night.
Odessa: Please... please don't take me to bed!
Scott: It's bedtime.
Odessa: Um, but I'm hungry!
Scott: No you aren't, you've had eight ounces.
Odessa: I swear to you I will puke it all out right now.
Scott: I have no doubt that you would, but I'm going to take my chances anyway. Here, I'm setting you down in your crib.
Odessa: See Dad? I'm smiling at you! I'm giving you the biggest smile you ever saw! Don't you just want to pick me up?
Scott: And now I'm covering you with your blanket.
Odessa: Feet, in the air! Arms, in the air! Get this thing off of me!
Scott: And now I'm kissing your forehead.
Odessa: Hmm, let me put this blanket in my mouth.
Scott: Goodnight, Goober.
June 12, 2007 - Serena
We have been having lots and lots of fun lately. Yesterday and today we went to area State Parks and took Odessa swimming. This past weekend, we drove to La Crosse and spent time with Grandparents and Great-Grandparents.
Two teeth and counting in our little girl. She also likes to shake her head back and forth really fast and has started to growl. Yes, that's right... she growls. Yesterday we went hiking and she kept growling at the people who walked past us.
June
May 31, 2007 - Serena
I added some recent pictures from the last few days. Odessa is getting very good at crawling. She moves so much faster than I expect her to be able to. When Scott or I leave the room, she will often try to follow us.
Last week Scott went upstairs to get her from a nap and found her standing up in her crib without clothes! Apparently she is some sort of Houdini because she removed her outfit without undoing any of the snaps. Or else maybe she closed them back up when she was done.
We have been going for lots of walks. Odessa is getting her first tooth! Also, I have been trying to teach her to call me "Mama." Scott, on the other hand, has been trying to teach her to call him "Batman." Yes, that's my husband.
May
May 21, 2007 - Serena
Britt and Mark took us to the Brewers vs. Twins game in Milwaukee on Saturday for my birthday. Even though the Brewers lost, it was a really fun time!
Here are some pictures from Milwaukee:
May 13, 2007 - Serena
Well, we are officially 100% moved into our new home which we love! Spring semester just ended and finals start tomorrow.
I finally updated the website with a couple of April pictures and lots of ones from May. Odessa is just a delight. She's started sitting up, crawling, and standing in her crib. She's loud and noisy and sweet and special. Giggles have become much more common.
April, May
April 23, 2007 - Serena
Odessa had her six month checkup on Friday. She weighs a whopping 15 pounds, 10 ounces and is 25.5 inches long. That means she has more than doubled her birth weight and added over half a foot in length. Looking at some of her newborn pictures, it is hard to believe she was ever that small!
She is constantly moving. Odessa likes to crawl backwards and roll over. She has started making noises that sound more like words. Her new favorite thing to say is "Nyaum nyaum nyaum" over and over and over. This usually only happens when she is a little bit upset or mad at us.
Yesterday she got her first taste of pureed green beans, which she surprisingly tolerated much better than she did rice cereal. Pictures will be coming.
We are moving to a new home this weekend. I have 3 weeks of spring semester left. And it is already hotter in Wisconsin than it ever was for us in Alaska. Yikes!
April 14, 2007 - Scott
And now I'm sick. Thanks, girls.
April 13, 2007 - Scott
We found a new apartment. We will be moving at the end of April. Hopefully this is the last move we will make in a while because moving sucks.
Serena has a cold. Now, Odessa has one too. This is her first time being sick.
I've been working on adding pictures to the September 2005 image page. There are still some more Denali pictures that need to be added.
March 30, 2007 - Serena
Yes, I have been very, very busy. School, studying, work, Odessa, Scott... Somehow the USB ports on my computer got fried and I have been unable to get any new pictures off of my camera to upload to the website. When my sister moved, she gave me her computer and so now I am finally able to do an update with some new pictures.
There are new pictures with Emily and Bonnie including such memorable experiences as The Melting Pot fondue restaurant and their going away dinner at The Flattop Grill with my parents. There are also pictures of Odessa and her Uncle Dan, as well as many pictures of Odessa just being adorable. Also, there are some pictures of when we gave her some rice cereal for the first time.
She's over 5 months old already! In many ways it's very hard to believe. On the other hand, it does feel like I know her very well.
So spring break starts tomorrow. Scott and I are very excited. We are going up to Northern Wisconsin for a week at my parents' timeshare. Odessa will be spending the week with my parents. Scott spends all day and night with Odessa. She's his little buddy. I think we're both really going to miss her!
February, March
March 18, 2007 - Scott
Serena is in bed this morning, sleeping in. Yesterday we got this in the mail.
March 15, 2007 - Scott
I guess I should put something up here so you will all quit bugging me for updates. It's not my problem that I'm so awesome that you all feel like your day is deficient without a dose of me. After all, this web site is read by literally tens of people. And while no one has actually physically bugged me or sent me any message of any kind, it is my belief that, in spirit you must all be begging me for more content. So here it is.
Yesterday was International Pi Day(3/14). So that's pretty exciting.
The day before that we went to a storm spotter training class. It was pretty neat. Getting ready for our trip to Kansas in June.
Sleep is something that I want.
We just passed the two year mark for this website.
Odessa has been, rarely, laughing. She doesn't do it too often, but it is cute.
Insurance companies are a pain(Sorry Dad. Not yours, anyway).
I may update more. But I probably won't.
But I might.
March 2, 2007 - Scott
Serena got her PCAT score. It is scored in percentiles, in order to show how well you do among your peers. Her composite score put her in the 98th percentile. I could go on and brag about her like I usually do, but I don't think I really need to. If I were to do so, I'd just be saying the same things I always say. Blah blah, pregnant, blah blah labor, blah, working 16 hours a week, still has to be a mother, blah, blah, returning student. But I won't say that stuff this time.
Upon hearing the news, Odessa spoke her second and third words. Again, I swear upon all that is good in this world that I am not making this up. She actually said, "Good job." We both heard it. She said it. Okay, it was a bit muffled. She might've said "Good Jew." And even though Serena really likes bagels, that just wouldn't have made any sense. So we're going to stick with "Good job."
In other news, there is a lunar eclipse Saturday evening, but the weather doesn't look so good.
That's all. Here is a picture of Odessa:
February 23, 2007 - Scott
We have been pretty busy lately. Odessa requires more attention as each day passes. She's not really as prone to fits as she used to be, but she demands being held a lot. Which isn't so bad, except I have things I would like to get done. Sometimes, rarely, she will sleep and give me the opportunity to do so.
She had her four month doctor's visit on Wednesday. She is 13lb, 12oz, and 24 inches long. All of her growth charts put her right at the 50th percentile except her head circumference, which is apparently huge(95th percentile). Brains.
Serena is being worked to the bone. She hates it, but you really wouldn't know it by looking at her. She stays so positive. To make it up to her, I'm going to allow her to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. I'm so generous.
February 12, 2007 - Serena
I finally got around to a massive website photo update. There are new photos on the images page dating back to December. Included in the new images are trips to see family in La Crosse and Minnesota, fun with Bonnie and Emily, and some cute pictures of Odessa and me.
February 11, 2007 - Scott
Yesterday, Odessa spoke her first word. It was, and I am not making this up, "wingnut".
February 7, 2007 - Scott
It's cold. I guess that means Serena will want to dress Odessa up in cute outfits and demand that I take pictures.
January 31, 2007 - Scott
To the jerk(s) who broke into our car and took our stuff:
What you did was wrong. But I want you to know, that I harbor no ill feelings towards you. Well, except for utter contempt.
January 29, 2007 - Scott
This was taken last week. She tends to get pretty excited when she is hungry and something she believes is food approaches her mouth. It often isn't, actually, food. For example, her hand.
January 22, 2007 - Serena
First day back at school. This is going to be one rough and busy semester. Here are a couple of pictures from last weekend when Emily and Bonnie took us out for dinner.
January 17, 2007 - Scott
Added the aurora from October 2005 to the images page. Also, here are some new pictures of Odessa.
January 15, 2007 - Scott
In Alaska, Serena and I drove on the Denali highway, a 135 mile gravel road in the middle of nowhere, twice. Once with my family when they visited, and once afterward. I originally posted four pictures from the second trip. Seems kind of a shame for how beautiful everything was. So here are eight more that I have never posted before.
January 11, 2007 - Scott
Last night we did go out and got a better view of the comet. We left the house just driving and looking for a place which would give us a good view of the west. I did not realize that southwest Madison was so hilly. Anyway, we stopped at the top of a small hill among some houses in Verona. We were running out of time, and it had a clear view where I expected the comet would be.
And then after a few minutes, the police arrived to find out what I was up to. Apparently standing around on a sidewalk in a suburban residential area with binoculars and a 300mm telephoto lens while a couple blocks from a school set off a few red flags. Who would have thought?
I did take some pictures of the comet. However, it was extremely windy. Other than making me cold, the wind made it hard to get a steady shot, even with a tripod. And my only line of sight had a streetlight in the way. The picture here is one I took, though I may have a better one. I'm not sure, I'll need to work with them some more.
The comet was an amazing sight. I love comets.
January 10, 2007 - Scott
Serena's started working at UW-Hospital and has orientation this week. She is excited to start working on a floor there.
Something quite fantastic happened to her yesterday. She got a hand-addressed letter from her Organic Chemistry professor. The professor wrote her a note congratulating Serena in her performance in the class. It went on to note that she finished ninth in the class, out of 349.
That alone is great. But when you think of what people those 349 are made up of it gets better. When I took that same class a long time ago, my professor did a poll the first day and asked how many of the students were pre-med. Nearly everyone rose their hands. Seriously. I imagine Serena's class is the same. These are supposed to be some of the smartest students.
Chemistry isn't even Serena's strong subject. She will admit that she had never been as good at chemistry as she has at other things. And she had been out of school for a few years. And she was pregnant and had a baby. Anyway, I think what she did was awesome.
In other news, we both saw comet McNaught last night near the horizon. That was so neat. Going to try again tonight if weather permits.
January 1, 2007 - Serena
We updated the webpage and archived the old stuff.
Here are some pictures of Odessa I took the other day. She was in her swing and kept smiling at the camera.
