Bits and pieces

One year ago today, I returned to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave with baby Harmon. Those first few weeks were SO hard but I think, a year later, we've all adjusted well. When I came back to work, I came back 80 percent time. I still am doing that and it seems to be working for everyone so I hope to continue with this schedule indefinitely. I always thought it was ironic that I returned to work after the birth of my first child on my Mom's birthday. Maybe it provided a good reminder that I am a Mom first and an employee second – just like my Mom always was for me and my sisters. So, happy one-year-back-at-work-part-time to me and, more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mom!

Speaking of my Mom's birthday, we all took her and my Dad out to dinner to P.F. Chang's on Saturday night. We tried to make it a surprise but that's damn near impossible with my Mom. It was fun anyway and my parents LOVED P.F. Chang's (my sisters and I were a little nervous). My Mom commented that she's never had that much shrimp in an entrée before so I can see return trips to P.F. Chang's in the future – YUM! We all had a great time and had some very chocolaty birthday cake (and I had 1,000 Diet Cokes). Harmon was a little angel, eating all HIS food and lots of ours and being a good sport as he was passed around the table to be played with and tickled. We were there for almost three hours and he was perfect the entire time.

On Sunday, we stayed home to watch the Super Bowl. Since we were home all day, I thought I would give Harmon a special treat and let him play with ALL his Roll-A-Round balls (usually, we give him four or five at a time – and they ALL end up under the couch)! He was confused at first but had a good time.

He seems to say a new word almost every day and here are some of the latest: Harmon, Isabel, Erin, happy, bippy (my Mom and sisters call his pacifier a "bippy" and we call it a "binky"). He'll pretty much repeat anything you say to him and it sounds pretty close.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching so Harmon needs to get to work on his gifts for everyone. Kevin and I aren't sure what we're getting each other (if anything) but we know one of these will be involved.

Kevin's Dad will be here soon to help get our little basement project going. Kevin spoke to him last night to try to get an idea on time and it looks like that visit might occur in the next week or two. Yeah, a basement room soon!

OK, did you see this? Is that even a "real" number? Of course, the next president will spend a large part of his (or her) administration cleaning this mess up (budget should be balanced by 2012 – yeah right – conveniently AFTER "W" is gone) before getting to his (or her) own agenda and then it will appear he (or she) got nothing done. UGH!

On a lighter note, one of my guilty-pleasure shows is "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV. If you like that show, you have to see this! Funny!

Is this one yours?

My Mom watched Harmon today on her usual Wednesday and called us at 5:30 p.m. to see if we wanted to meet her at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Of course we did, so we went there right from work. We all had a great time eating pizza and watching Harmon take his turn on all the rides. He even scored yet another ball at the end of the night! As we were waiting to purchase said ball, there were three little kids in line in front of us. One of the little boys starting groping the little girl and her Mom looked at us and said, “Is this one yours?” We looked at her like, yeah, sure, he’s ours and we thought we would just let him stand there, in plain view, and rough up your daughter! Finally, “this one’s” Mom came over to retrieve him and the little girl and her brother (who did nothing, by the way – nice brother) left. As we walked back to our table to pack up, Mom called the other Mom a “dingbat” and, of course, Harmon repeated it! I guess we REALLY need to start watching what we say and evidently controlling our out-of-control children in Chuck E. Cheese’s.

By the way, make the world a better place, punch Nick in the face!

Pancakes and proposals

Over the weekend, we gave Harmon pancakes. On Saturday, we woke up and thought pancakes sounded good so Kevin dusted off the griddle. He mixed some batter for himself and Harmon and did a separate mixture for me that contained chocolate chips (Kevin makes THE BEST chocolate chip pancakes). Anyway, as Kevin and I were eating, we thought we would give it another go with Harmon. He tried them back during the Christmas break and wasn't at all a fan. This time, though, he loved them! After eating some of his usual breakfast, he devoured four silver dollar pancakes. It was very cute.

Turns out Kevin really needed those pancakes as he spent most of Saturday moving a huge shelving unit from one wall of our basement to another. After taking care of our little water problem (it was a clogged ground water drainage pipe, by the way, and thanks to Mom and Uncle Dave for helping us out with it), it's again full-speed ahead on our basement project. Kevin's Dad is planning on visiting sometime next month to work on it with him. And, I've already completed the most important part of the project – I've picked out paint swatches!

On Sunday, we took another trip to our local IKEA store. This time, we were on the lookout for some table lamps for our bedroom. Kevin has asked about these 1,000,000 times but I've been holding off thinking we might actually get a bedroom set one day. But, seeing as how that's not going to happen for a long, long time (mostly because the basement takes priority right now), I gave in. We found some cool lamps that look nice and they didn't cost too much. Amazing how much thought we put into a set of $14.99 lamps!

Over the weekend, we also finished Harmon's week-long breathing treatments. It's a good thing too because it was getting old for all three of us. He pretty much is back to normal (and back to day care) but, then again, you never really can tell when he's sick anyway. Even though he was feeling better, I think we did detect a food allergy or food intolerance to eggs. On four different occasions, we've given him eggs (straight versus mixed in something else) and he's either rubbed his eyes raw or thrown up or both. So, we'll have to take a look at it with the doctor at his next appointment, which is Feb. 16.

No walking yet but he is cruising everywhere and all he wants to do is walk with you. Sometimes, he even does a spider monkey (see photo above) kind of walk up and down the hall and along the gate that surrounds Isabel's cage. Any day now! The doctor and I both think that he's concentrating more on talking than walking right now and that would explain the almost-one-new-word-a-day pace. He now says "car," "cookie," "cracker," "water," "caca," "poo poo," "pee, pee" and is working hard on "love you." Also, much to my delight, "mama" finally has returned to his vocabulary on a regular basis. I just love hearing it!

OK, now on to the BIG news of the weekend. My little, tiny, baby sister is getting married! Her boyfriend proposed on Friday and she called me (and the rest of the family) and thoroughly stunned us all. Although they've been together for a long time AND have talked about rings and weddings and what not, it still was a surprise. Maybe it's because she just turned 23 in October! But, they are thinking about a late fall wedding in 2008 so she'll be 25 by then. So, congrats to them! And, I can't wait to help with the wedding!

State of the Union

Since I can't stomach a State of the Union Address from someone who still hasn't mastered the English language, I tend to boycott the TV on nights like last night. However, Kevin was watching MSNBC's Keith Olbermann (see, old SportsCenter fans have followed Keith into the mainstream) tear apart, word for word, every other Bush State of the Union Address and forgot to change the channel when the lies, I mean the address, started. So, on my way to the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of the TV screen and saw the following:


While the Pinocchio in the foreground made me want to put my head under a tire, the sight to the audience's right was rather refreshing. It was so awesome to see Nancy Pelosi – a woman and a Democrat – sitting in the Speaker of the House spot. Maybe there is hope!

By the way, do we really need a State of the Union address at this point in the Bush Administration? I think it's pretty well known that we're all screwed (well, unless you're rich)!

OK, one last thing - these cartoons are good!

Talking in your sleep

We know Harmon is a crazy sleeper, if only from where he ends up in relation to where he went to sleep. But, he also talks and crawls in his sleep. On numerous occasions, he’s blurted out his favorite words in the wee hours. At 3 a.m., for example, we’ll hear “ball” or “dada” and think, damn, he’s awake, what the hell is going on. But, he ALWAYS goes back to sleep. I guess he must be dreaming about his Daddy or his beloved balls! This morning, I witnessed this first hand (as opposed to just hearing it through the monitor). I stayed home with him today as he's still not 100 percent and we slept in a bit together. I woke up before he did and watched him sleep and say "dadadadada" in the softest, quietest, little baby boy voice. It couldn't have been cuter! Well, I guess it could have if he would have said "mama!"

In addition to the sleep talking, we’ve also noticed some sleep crawling. Sometimes, like when he might be having a nightmare, we’ll check on him and he’ll crawl from where he is back to his original sleep location. He also does this when we’re napping with him in our bed. He’ll get up on all fours and crawl back to where he started the nap. This sleep talking and sleep crawling usually takes place when his eyes are completely closed so he’s not awake. Who knows what goes on in the minds of babies!

Damn day care germs

On Wednesday evening, Harmon started to cough a bit. He also coughed a lot overnight but we thought it was just another damn day care cold. When we arrived at day care to drop him off on Thursday morning, two of the teachers wanted to warn us about cases of bronchitis and pneumonia. Evidently, several kids were out due to this. When we got him home Thursday night, his cough had worsened and by Friday morning (after another rough night of sleep), it was bad enough for me to call the doctor. Almost every other time I’ve taken him in, they’ve looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears and told me it was just a cold. This time, though, I was glad I trusted my instincts and took him in because he quickly diagnosed with bronchiolitis. GD day care germs! So, while we were in the exam room, we did a breathing treatment and he got juiced up with some steroids. We also were sent home with a prescription for the steroid, prednisolone, which we are to give once a day for three days, and another prescription for albuterol, which we are to give him a minimum of four times per day through a nebulizer. Basically, he has to sit and inhale this misty medicine every four hours or so. So far, we’ve given him five of these breathing treatments and it’s gone OK. It sounds like the cough is moving up in his chest and he seems to be better during the day but the night coughing is the worst. After waking up four times last night, Kevin finally decided to have a slumber party with him and sleep outside in the living room. After this, he was able to sleep until 8:30 a.m. this morning and he had two really good, long naps today. And, as usual, he handles sickness so well. He’s his normal, playful self and he’s eating and drinking like a horse. We put him to bed for the night a little while ago so, cross your fingers.

Of course, while all this is happening, I have to feel like crap too. I’m not sure really what is going on with me. On Thursday night, I had the chills and an upset stomach. Yesterday, the chills were gone but they were replaced with full body aches. Today, what a surprise, I’ve developed a sore throat and a headache to go along with the body aches. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I feel so guilty about feeling sick because it puts such a burden on Kevin and I hate that. It’s just not my nature to sit around and let him do all the work. ANYWAY, here’s hoping Sunday will be a better day for Harmon and me. And, please dear Lord, don’t let Kevin get sick too. Yikes!

What a nice guy

So, a week or so ago we started watching the chick flick, "The Devil Wears Prada." Well, between taking care of Harmon and navigating Noah's Ark through our basement, we finally got back to it last night. Aimee had been begging me for a week straight to watch the ending. Being the nice guy I am, I took one for the men's team and sat through it. I am still searching for my manhood.

The effects of global warmings

Well, death storm 2007 hit Southeast Michigan Sunday and Monday. Unlike in years’ past, it came in the form of ice (and rain). Usually, by mid-January, we’ve had a ton of snow. This winter, however, we’ve had almost no snow. We’ve had a ton of rain, though, which has been a disaster for us because these Noah’s Ark-style rains have wreaked havoc on our basement. We had no problems last winter or last spring, the time when it’s usually the wettest. But, I guess with our plans to finish the basement nearing, it was better for this to happen now than when we get everything all done. I guess these are the effects of that alleged (said with extreme sarcasm) global warmings!

Branches of our lilac bush in the backyard:

Icicles on the telephone wire:

Frozen water droplets hanging from our big "Christmas tree" in the front yard:

Thin ice (with bubbles) on the branch of our Japanese Maple:

Looking through our Japanese Maple out into the street:

A suspicious squirrel in our pine tree:

Pretty

Since before Harmon was born, I have been on a hunt for a piece of jewelry that I liked (and would wear) with his birth stone. November’s stone is a yellow topaz, which isn’t the prettiest of all the gems, so finding just the right thing has been hard. After Harmon turned one, I started thinking about it again and thought a pendant would be nice and, if I got something I liked, I could wear it everyday. So, I started surfing the net but I couldn’t find much and, at that point, I figured I would have to design something myself to REALLY like it. Being that one of the diamonds in Kevin’s wedding ring fell out AGAIN, we were due for a trip to our jeweler. While we waited for Kevin’s ring repair, I decided to design a pendant with one of the jewelers. She was very helpful and we came up with something fantastic. Very simple but JUST what I wanted. And, much to my surprise, they put it all together while we waited. I thought for sure I would have to come back in a few weeks but they did it all right there – I guess that’s one of the reasons we love going there.

Anyway, it’s a round yellow topaz in a white gold bezel setting with a 17-inch white gold chain. I’ve had it on for two days now and don’t plan on taking it off anytime soon as it reminds me of my precious little Harmon. And, seeing as how we don’t have a money tree in the back yard, I made Kevin PROMISE that this would be my Mother’s Day gift, even if it did come four months early.

First trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s

On Saturday, Harmon had his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s. I had a hair appointment at noon back home (I can’t bear to leave my hair dresser so I gladly drive an hour every seven weeks) and Kevin tries to go when I go too. So, we met my Mom and Dad at Macy’s just before noon and they picked up Harmon and decided to take him to Chuck E. Cheese’s. He had a fantastic time, although they no longer have the ball pit, which I thought would be the highlight of Harmon’s young life. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a Chuck E. Cheese’s but evidently they nixed the ball pits for sanitary reasons - yuck. Anyway, after eating for well over an hour straight (he had fruits and vegetables from the salad bar along with his first taste of pizza), he got to go on all the rides. Early on, he had a great time! But, by the time Kevin and I got there (around 1:15 p.m.), he started to tire out and began to cry on every ride. That, and he was not a big fan of the Teletubbies! He had fun watching Daddy play pop-a-shot, though, and he had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa who, of course, spoiled him rotten. Since the first trip went over well, we’ll have to try it again soon!

14 months old

Harmon is 14 months old today. And, my present to him was a trip to our local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store (I’m really sorry, little guy). I needed to find some fancy tags for Valentine’s Day gifts and a friend of mine told me this might be a good place to check. Remind me to never visit this store again! We got there around 3 p.m. and it was nuts! There were crazy-ass women everywhere, in all the same aisles I needed to look and pushing their carts up my back as I walked through this maze of scrapbooking crap. As an aside, I thought after having Harmon that I might turn into the scrapbooking type but it didn’t happen and I’m actually pretty happy about it. ANYWAY, the women in the scrapbooking section were the worst offenders of all. So, with no more than three seconds to look for something before I had to move or be run into, I gave up. Harmon and I left and walked over to Target and I found just what I needed there, thank you very much. It’s no wonder it’s my favorite store! Plus, I was able to walk Harmon through the toy aisles to make up for the ½ hour he had to spend in the scrapbooking nazi store.

Another great gift to Harmon as he was nearing the 14-month threshold was two shots. On Monday, he had a doctor’s appointment to get the second half of his flu shot and his last one-year vaccination. Our doctor didn’t want him to get five shots and a blood draw at his one-year visit so he split them up, which was quite nice of him actually. This time, I did my best to be brave and I stayed near Harmon during the shots (Kevin usually does this as I hide away on the other side of the room and fight off tears). We each grabbed a hand as the nurse did her thing and, although I was looking away, I could tell the moment the needle entered his chubby little thigh as he tensed up so much. But, it was over quickly and he was fine the rest of the day with the usual exception of being a little tired.

Not much else is new this week although Kevin and I have been really bad at taking pictures lately (as evidenced by Harmon’s last photo on Flickr being from Jan. 2). We got a new digital camera for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad) and we’re still learning how to work it. So, we want to use it but don’t know all the functionality yet and we’ve vowed not to fall back into the habit of using the old one. Basically, we just need to get it figured out and take some photos already before Harmon turns 12!

Digging in the dirt

If you were anywhere near a TV over the last few months, you had to have seen a commercial for the new FX series, Dirt, starring Courtney Cox. I swear that during the months of November and December I couldn't watch TV without seeing at least 100 commercials for this thing. I remember telling Kevin that if they just stopped with the ads already, I would watch. Really, I would, so ENOUGH! So, last Wednesday, at 10 p.m., I tuned in. I thought I would give it a try and then maybe flip around during commercials if I was bored. But, FX totally owned me by airing a commercial-free premiere, courtesy of Pontiac (I kind of sound like a NASCAR driving pimping his sponsors). Anyway, I watched it and really liked it. And, when Kevin came upstairs, fresh from his turn on the treadmill, I found out he was watching it too AND he liked it too. So, we set our DVR to do a series recording and we watched the second episode last night. Again, we loved it and we can't wait for next week's episode! I know, we don't get out much!

If you live under a rock and haven’t seen any ads, the gist of the show is that Courtney Cox is an editor of a sleazy tabloid magazine and her best friend is the photographer. There also is a full cast of actors, athletes, etc., that end up in her magazine, one way or another. The acting is pretty decent and the characters are interesting – especially the photographer. And, it's gotten some good reviews from the likes of the Washington Post and the Miami Herald so give it a try.

The only problem so far is that all the pre-premiere commercials featured Peter Gabriel's song, "Digging in the Dirt" and now I can't get it out of my head!

Are you kidding?

Red Jim Tressel sweater vest: $49.99

Payout for being in the BCS championship game: $14-17 million

Maiming your best, and fastest, player on the first play of the game: Priceless!

It's alive!

Yes, Harmon still exists, even though we haven't posted an update in a while. He just turned 18 and will start college in the fall! So, yeah, I wish I could blame my lack of updates on the holidays but it's already Jan. 8 for Christ's sake. ANYWAY, Harmon is doing wonderfully well. He was hopelessly spoiled at Christmas by both sides of the family. In addition to a day care center's worth of toys and books, he received probably two laundry baskets full of clothes, pajamas, shoes, slippers, etc. I don't think I can fit much more in his closet or his dresser drawers. We were in Michigan with my family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (mmmm, turkey) and then spent Dec. 26-30 with Kevin's family in Illinois. I think when Harmon woke up at home on Dec. 31, he was flat-out bored. For a full week, he had no less than four people playing with him and then it was back to just me and Kevin again and we're not the most exciting pair so …

While we were at Kevin's parents' house, something exciting happened (aside from me seeing the new Rocky movie AT THE THEATER); Harmon weaned himself from his bottle. Although he's been without the daytime bottles since his first birthday, he still was getting his bedtime bottle. And, since the holidays are so hectic and we knew we had to travel, Kevin and I decided to wait until after the New Year to wean him off that last bottle. But, apparently, Harmon had different plans. Our first night away, he drank most of his bottle and, the second night, he only drank half. By the third and fourth nights, he wanted nothing to do with it. And, at that point, we decided to just go with it. So, now, at bedtime, we put on his pajamas, wash his little face and hands (which he HATES), brush his 10,000 teeth, read him a book, and then he simply puts his little head down and falls asleep. It almost seems too easy. He has had a few nights with nightmares, especially right when we got back home, but it seems to be going OK. If only potty training can be this easy!

Ah yes, the 10,000 teeth – or so it seems. Right before Christmas (Dec. 17), he cut his first molar and was working on one of his eye teeth (lower right). Well, those are through and two more have followed – a molar on the bottom left followed by another eye tooth (lower left). So, 12 total and the upper eye teeth have almost broken through as well (for #13 and #14). And, I can't imagine what's going on with his upper molars. They may be through for all I know, especially since we can't see up there. All these new teeth and you would never know it. He's been so good while sprouting these things!

OK, I know everyone has the same burning question and, no, no walking yet. He's content to crawl and cruise and that's fine by me. I stressed about the crawling and since that worked out OK, I told myself I wasn't going to stress about the walking. Over the Christmas break, Kevin's aunt told me that once they start walking, it's like you lose your baby so he can take his time. He's stood up by himself and, as I said, he is cruising so I'm sure it will happen sooner than later. I was about a year old and Kevin didn't walk until he was 15 months so he's somewhere in the neighborhood.

Although he's not walking, he is making up for it in talking. He is a blabbermouth, which is cute unless you're in church (like yesterday). Since yesterday was Epiphany, all the Christmas decorations were still up so he had to say “tree” about 23,000 times. And, the little kid sitting next to us had a puppy stuffed animal and that about sent Harmon over the edge. All I heard for a good five minutes was “pup-py,” “pup-py!” So, his vocabulary includes: dada (his favorite), mama, mommy, hi, bye, bye bye, nana, baba, papa, puppy, kitty, kitty cat, ball (his second favorite, although said with much more enthusiasm than dada), pretty, bop, boppy, tree, santa, Harmon (said like armen) and lots of other words I either can't remember or can't understand (this is more likely). He responds to so much too, it's just amazing. We got him this big tiger (about the size of him) stuffed animal for Christmas (his kitty) and we'll tell him to go give his kitty a hug. He then crawls over to it, hugs it while laying his little head on it and then pets it while making the cutest little "awwww" sound. Also, if you say "touchdown," he raises up his little arms like a referee. Unfortunately, he didn't get much practice with this during the Rose Bowl. Well, at least not with Michigan touchdowns.

Ah, let's see, what else. At day care this week, he will start transitioning up to the next group, the waddlers. Although he technically can't make the move until he's walking, he will be sleeping and playing with them throughout the day. So, no more sleeping in the crib at day care. He'll now just sleep on a mat like the bigger kids.

That’s all for now as I have to save some Harmon stuff for his 14-month update on Friday. I can’t believe he’s going to be 14 months old!

Before I go, a blast from the past, “The State” style!

It's a New Year (for everyone but U-M)

OK, first off, Happy New Year to everyone. It was a fantastic 2006 for our family and one in which we received many blessings. Harmon continues to amaze us every day, and our family and friends are happy, and most importantly, healthy.

And while it is a new year, some things never change. And if you have been to this blog before, you know where this is headed. But first a little history. Back in September when Michigan trounced Notre Dame 47-21, we received an e-mail from a friend saying, in so many words, that Lloyd Carr had silenced his doubters and that anyone who criticized him was wrong. Heck, she was practically soaking in the Gatorade bath the team gave Lloyd that day. It was an impressive win, no doubt, but a look at things since then shows that, well, all is not as great as she claims.

Fast forward to Nov. 18 when Michigan went to Ohio State and had the chance to play its way into the national title game. Other fans tried to blame the bad field, Troy Smith's shoe size, the location of the satellites in the sky. Whatever. We lost and did not deserve a rematch. I am down with that and accepted it immediately. But a lot happened between Sept. 16 and Nov. 18, and it shows that all is not well at Michigan Stadium.

So, Michigan finished 11-2 (this is being written as the Rose Bowl is still being played, but is the outcome really in doubt? No.), but after beating Notre Dame on Sept. 16, they reeled off wins over the following: Wisconsin (a legit win, I will concede that, but at home), Minnesota (fired its coach), Michigan State (ditto), Penn State (OK, but still a bad team), Iowa (please, 6-7 says it all), Northwestern (no comment), Ball State (I refuse to acknowledge this game happened) and Indiana (completion of a murderous three-game string).

With our annual loss at Ohio State and the pending Rose Bowl embarassment (32-11 at last count), Michigan is 1-2 in meaningful games since beating Notre Dame. And they will finish with a loss to Ohio State and in the bowl game for the third straight year. And be 0-3 in the last three Rose Bowls. Hopefully, we are not invited back for a while. The smog in LA is our stench.

So, while I wanted to believe 2007 would be different, it isn't, at least on the football field. Maybe we will get like Lions fans and become numb to it. But it hurts to continually be embarassed on a national stage. Remember, we were supposed to come out and show the nation how we felt about being snubbed for the BCS title game. Um, nice stand boys.

So, I will not waste my time checking for e-mail from this "friend." Go ahead and defend Lloyd this time. I can't wait to see the excuses.

32-11. Beauty. (Oops, meaningless touchdown, 32-18). Still a beauty.

Cough, cough, cough

Don't you hate having a cough? It's just SO annoying, that little itch in your throat that ALWAYS strikes right when you're finally freakin' ready to put your head on the pillow. Harmon came home with a cold about two weeks ago, which we've come to expect since he's in day care. And, EVERY time he gets a cold, I usually get it while Kevin goes unscathed. Not this time, though. Not so fast, my friend! This time, the lethal baby germs took down both of us.

A week ago Saturday, Kevin got a wicked case of the chills and went to bed early, which he never does. He said he had a bit of a sore throat, too. And, on Sunday night, I started feeling the sore throat thing. On Monday, my throat hurt so bad and so deep that it was making my ears ache. On Tuesday, we both started developing a cough and, by Wednesday morning, we both had a slight fever so we decided to call in sick. By Thursday, we woke up with a little bit of laryngitis but decided to make a go of it at work. On Friday, we both felt a lot better and were left with just a cough, a cough that won't quit. We're on our fourth bottle of Robitussin after trying some Delsym (which used to work for me before I apparently grew immune to it) and some DayQuil Cough. I'm hoping it's nearing its end but I'm not so sure. I guess I'll have to wait until bed time to find out! Of course, Harmon kicked it quickly, as he always does. But, I have noticed a bit more coughing again both yesterday and today. I hope we didn't give it back to him.

Last night, we were taking some pictures of Harmon and we got a good one of him crying. Normally, I don't like to take too many of those but this time the photo proved to be a valuable shot. We caught sight of his new pearly white – a molar poking through his bottom, right gum. I guess that explains ALL the drool and some recent ear tugging. We're not sure how long it's been there as it is damn near impossible to look inside his mouth. There could be MORE in there, for all we know.

We are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping, although, for some reason, I feel like we should get more for Harmon. I know he doesn't quite get all this Christmas and Santa stuff yet but I can't help it, I want to get him everything. I think I'm going to have to accept that fact that he's going to be a spoiled rotten first child!

Kevin and I took some extra days before Christmas to just hang out as a family as all the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are spent back and forth between families – it can be so exhausting. So, our last day in the office will be Wednesday. We'll spend Christmas Eve opening presents with my immediate family at my parents' house. We'll do Christmas morning at home and then head back to my parents' house as they are hosting the entire family on Christmas Day. The day after Christmas, we'll make the trek south to Illinois to spend a few days with Kevin's family. I'm hoping Harmon in the car seat for 6-plus hours will go OK. The first and only other time he did this trip was back in April when he still was pretty little and slept a lot – who knows what to expect this time. We'll come back on Dec. 30 and then have another couple of days to ourselves before returning to work on Jan. 3. I just can't believe the holidays are here. I look forward to them all year and now we're right smack in the middle of them. I hope everyone's holidays are going well.

Before I go, I had to share this video. My sister, Stacey, sent it to me last week, saying this is what Harmon is going to be like. At this point, I hope so. You see, Harmon has just totally abandoned saying "mama." He pretty much says everything but "mama." And, after ALL I do for that kid. It's just fantastic.

13 months old

Harmon is 13 months old today. I thought maybe time would slow down a bit after the big first birthday but momma’s wrong again. Anyway, he’s so much fun and he's learning new things every day. It’s so true – their minds are like sponges.

Anyway, for his first-year doctor’s appointment and his first-year evaluation at day care (which we still are in the process of trying to schedule), I had to fill out the Ages & Stages Questionnaire. This form basically tells you more about your child’s development. Kevin brought it home back in November (11/14) and I filled it out that night. One of the questions was about pointing, which, at that point, Harmon wasn’t really doing. But, I swear, no sooner did the damn ink dry in the “No” bubble on that form, did he started pointing at everything and hasn’t stopped since.

The night of our sixth anniversary, you know, when we did something so fun and outrageous like ordering our favorite Chinese take-out, Harmon amazed us by standing up all by himself. Kevin and I were sitting on the couch talking and he just stood up next to his toy bin and then promptly fell right on his little, diapered butt. He hasn’t tried it again lately but I sense there are more attempts to come.

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, apparently we weren’t getting Harmon’s dinner and drink ready fast enough so he crawled over to the open fridge, reached in and grabbed his sippy cup, took a big drink and then put it back on the shelf. Kevin and I both stood there, stunned.

This past Saturday, Harmon broke something of value for the first time. Although I bought drawer and cabinet locks a couple of weeks ago, we hadn't installed them yet so Harmon gave us a little reminder. He opened up one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled down my serving platter and serving bowl (that match my everyday china). Although the platter – which I barely use – was spared, my bowl was smashed to bits. I was a little mad because Pfaltzgraff is phasing out my pattern and therefore doesn’t make the bowl anymore (and even those replacement china web sites don’t have the bowl in stock). But, more than anything, I was glad the stuff didn’t fall on Harmon and cut him. So, after that drama, Kevin started putting on the locks (under supervision of the little man).

Lastly, we put up our Christmas tree this weekend and were a little nervous as to how Harmon would react. Much to our surprise, there’s no way he could be less interested! Every once in a while, he’ll take a break from playing with his 1,000,000 toy balls and crawl over to the tree. He’ll point at it, and sometimes pet it, talk to it a bit, and then go back to his baby business. It’s really funny. And, tonight, when we were watching the Grinch, he saw the Christmas tree on TV and then pointed to our tree – GENIUS, GENIUS, GENIUS! Just kidding, but I hope he is!

OK, enough Harmon. We saw a commercial for this tonight. Hilarious. Business in front, party in back! Kevin loves ALL the synonyms for the mullet.

Honeymoon memories

Six years ago today, Kevin and I returned from our honeymoon. Since we paid for our own wedding, we weren’t sure if we could afford a honeymoon. But, we didn’t want to be one of those couples who didn’t go right away yet swore they would go ONE DAY all to never go at all. So, we sucked it up and took on some extra debt. We knew we couldn’t afford something extravagant like an African safari (my best friend Betsie’s choice), but we wanted to go somewhere we probably wouldn’t get to again without some effort. So, we decided on Vancouver. I know, I know, Vancouver in December. We were crazy, right? CANADA + WINTER = COLD. And, and I can’t count how many times we were asked why we didn’t choose some tropical destination. We’re not tropical people, OK!

ANYWAY, we went to Vancouver and it was perfect (and it wasn’t that cold). We flew into Seattle (another place we hadn’t visited before) and spent a day there (doing the usual touristy things like the Space Needle, Pike Place Fish Market, University of Washington, Safeco Field, etc.) before driving up to Vancouver. It was an easy drive and, wow, so beautiful. That part of the country is so gorgeous. We stayed in Vancouver for four days and saw almost all of the sites. One of the many highlights was a day spent at Whistler, although the drive back, down the edge of a mountain with water below, in the blowing snow, aged us about 10 years. We spent lots of time walking in Stanley Park, explored Grouse Mountain, went to the GM Place to see a Vancouver Grizzlies’ basketball game (yeah, remember, before they moved to Memphis) and ate and shopped a ton. Everything was perfect!

We drove back to Seattle on Saturday as we had plans to meet up with one of very best friends, Tim Frank. His Houston Rockets were in town to play the Seattle Supersonics and he got us tickets. Tim was not able to make it to our wedding so this is how he made up for it. And, it was great to see him and fun to see a game at Key Arena.

Early Sunday, we caught a flight back to Detroit where my Mom was waiting for us. We headed back to my parents’ house to open more wedding gifts and try to recover as we both were headed back to work on Tuesday. All in all, it was an amazing time, one of the best – if not THE best vacation we’ve ever taken together. And, I guess that’s what honeymoons are supposed to be!

PS – If we would have had a digital camera at the time, we could have shared some photos. But, all we have are prints and we’re sure all the beauty would be lost in the scanning. Well, OK, here’s ONE!

BS, errrrr BCS

Well, once again, college football (Division 1-A) figured out a way to totally screw up its yearly mythical run for a national championship. In case you missed it, this past weekend former #2 USC lost to cross town rival UCLA. This sent the entire BCS world into utter chaos. Michigan, who was ranked #3, would move up. And, if #4 Florida could keep Arkansas from running one more trick play, it could hold on and win the SEC Championship and move up, too. From the minute USC lost, Kevin and I began thinking there was NO WAY all the pollsters (I use that word loosely – they're really just bitter sportswriters, senile coaches, coaches with grudges and dudes in their underwear sitting in the basement with their computers), would ALLOW Michigan to reach the national championship game and play Ohio State again, this time for the title. And, about 24 hours later, all our suspicions were confirmed. As an end-result, I guess I'm fine with this. It's the PROCESS that is so effed up beyond belief. Yes, Michigan had a chance to take down the Buckeyes on Nov. 18 and pissed it away. Yes, Michigan didn't win its own conference, which I always remember bitching about in the past (see Oklahoma in the 2003 regular season and Nebraska in the 2001 regular season). But, all these things didn't seem to factor into voting and polls and such BEFORE so I'm not sure why Michigan was made to pay the price NOW.

Frankly, I was surprised Michigan didn't drop more after losing to Ohio State. But, I guess a three-point loss in the Horseshoe had gained the Wolverines some respect so they stayed at #2. At USC continued to roll, it was no surprise the Trojans jumped Michigan and I was fine with that. Sitting at #3, Michigan was poised for a Rose Bowl bid but also waiting in the wings in case the unbelievable happened and USC tripped up. After watching the USC game, we flipped over to the Florida game and the amount of campaigning Gary Danielson did throughout the second half was disgusting. And, the minute that god-awful game was over, Florida coach Urban Meyer continued his public lobbying for his Gators to get their shot at Ohio State.

When the "results" came out the next day, via the embarrassing production called the BCS Selection Show, we weren't surprised but were left with many, many questions, thoughts, etc. Here are a few:

1. Why was Michigan ranked higher than Florida most of the season and, then, in the end when it really mattered, the teams were flipped in the rankings? Why was Michigan good enough until it was inconvenient to be good enough?

2. Why didn't the voters drop Michigan after the loss to Ohio State so as not to have to worry about the Wolverines anymore? Why didn't Florida jump Michigan then, you know, since they play in the most criminal, I'm sorry, I mean the toughest conference in America?

3. If Michigan didn't get the nod because it didn't win its own conference, how come both Louisville and Wake Forest weren't ranked ahead of the Wolverines too? They won their conferences and went 11-1 and 11-2, respectively.

4. It's been written that voters didn't want a rematch. And, if that's truly the case, shouldn't that be written into the ever-expanding list of BCS rules so we know what we're dealing with each and every year? Furthermore, why hate on a rematch NOW when it was perfectly fine for Florida to get a second shot at Florida State back in 1996? After #1 Florida lost its regular-season finale to #2 Florida State (by three points in Tallahassee – sound familiar), they were given a second shot in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. In the rematch, Florida won and claimed their first national championship.

5. Why is this sport's national championship based on voting, like say figure skating or gymnastics? And, this voting introduces biases and grudges and lobbying and campaigning – all like an election. At this point, shouldn't we just leave it to the computers? Does Urban Meyer really have to whine and cry and beg for his team to play? Shouldn't Florida's body of work speak for itself? And, why so much criticism of Lloyd Carr for NOT whining and crying and begging for his team to have a shot? I'm stunned since so many reporters and sports writers get on Coach Carr all the time for the whining and crying he does DURING the game.

6. A few years ago, there was an effort to really de-emphasize the strength of schedule factor when calculating the BSC standings. All I've heard about since Saturday at 8 p.m. is how Florida played such a tough schedule. So, strength of schedule must now matter a ton again, especially when pollsters need to come up with a reason to move Florida ahead of Michigan. And, if Ohio State played in the same conference as Michigan, why are the Buckeyes given credit for their schedule and the Wolverines given grief for it? Ohio State played Texas (#2 at the time, #19 now), in Austin, in its big non-conference game and won, 24-7. Michigan played Notre Dame (#3 at the time, #11 now), in South Bend, in its big non-conference game and won, 47-21. The rest of the schedules were pretty much the same with the exception of Ohio State not having to play Wisconsin (who now is ranked #7) during the conference season.

Ugh, there are so many things – I could go on and on. I just wish there was a real system so all this could be handled on the field. And, I'm not going this route because it's my team that got robbed – I've felt this way for a long time. It's just sad that in this day and age, college football can't put together a real system to determine a true national champion.

There is one thing I DO know, I hope Ohio State beats Florida by 10 freakin' touchdowns. Hey, unlike Ron Zook (nice program, by the way), I realize that an Ohio State win will be best for the Big 10 conference and might bring a little more money Michigan's way. In the end, isn't that what college football is all about anyway – money?

Our wedding day

Today is our sixth wedding anniversary. About this time exactly six years ago, we were watching my cousin, Brian, parading around the dance floor in a fur coat, and watching our friends and relatives take over the open bar. We still hear from many of them that our reception was the best they had ever been to, and that still holds true for many of them.

It was the perfect end to a magical day that was filled with many behind-the-scenes details many people did not know. Like how Aimee was being harassed by our wedding coordinator to take a plant leaf down the aisle, instead of her bouquet of roses (which were late, but eventually did arive) ... and how after we left the church in the limo, our first stop was -- McDonald's. Aimee had not eaten all day and was hungry, so prior to heading out for our photos, we stopped for a large fry and Diet Coke. After all of the planning and worries, all went off with few problems, well, except for the flowers.

To make a very long story short, our flowers were more than a half-hour late. They did arrive, and we were able to use some of them, but a few weeks after the wedding, we decided to try and recoup our losses in small-claims court. Well, it took us three appearances in court, and it all came down to a face-to-face meeting with our flower lady, who wanted to know how we could resolve this and not return to court. I will always remember Aimee's straight face as she said, "You can write me a check for $1,200 right now." Everything was settled out-of-court, and we laugh about it now.

But it was a day like today that really made us remember our wedding day. It was a gorgeous, sunny day -- much to Aimee's chagrin in 2000, as she wanted snow that day. Because we only had about 5 minutes to pull off our wedding, we were not allowed to take many photos in the church. They were obsessed about decorating for Advent, and if any of you plan on getting married at St. Thomas in Ann Arbor right before Christmas, if they say no, feel free to thank us for that. So, we went outside to shoot photos, and it was freezing. After our McDonald's run in the limo, we went to the Law Quad for photos. It was gorgeous in there and the highlight of our shoot. I felt so bad for Aimee having to stand there in just a wedding dress.

After our photos, we went to the reception in the Michigan Union. One of our favorite photos (the first photo on this page) came whie we were waiting to enter the ballroom. Everyone was seated and it was just us in the hallway. Finally married and our first chance to just kind of sit back and take a breath and realize that. I can still remember entering the room, with everyone standing and clapping. It was like we were on a cloud. We made our way to the head table, which is beautiful in pictures, even with my brother's Big Gulp drink sitting in the middle of the flowers in some shots.

There are two moments I will always remember from our reception. The first was my brother Steve's best-man speech. He had a hard time getting through it, and I can clearly remember him saying he was happy I had found Aimee because he knew I traveled a lot (in my previous sports information jobs) and he was always worried about me. The second came when the dance floor was opened. A lot of my extended family hail from Illinois and many of them attended the University of Illinois -- a rival (well, in their minds) of our mighty Wolverines. My Uncle Duane is a huge Illinois fan and we made him dance to "The Victors." He was a great sport about it, and arguably the best dancer that night.

But the highlight of the night for me was realizing Aimee was finally my wife. If she hadn't taken so much time deciding if we were going to get married ... (just kidding, honey). She looked absolutely beautiful. I had seen her dress before, but it is true what they say about seeing your bride come down the aisle for the first time. It takes your breath away (like Berlin). The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, and I remember just being so proud and happy when we walked down the aisle as a married couple.

Like any marriage, it has been a roller-coaster, one defintely on its way up now. We realized today that our anniversary for the forseeable future will include this little guy. There are many great memories of that day six years ago, and the years that have come and gone since then.

People often ask why we decided to get married in December. I think it is so I could get an early Christmas present -- my beautiful wife.