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Pals, hammocks, strollers, and the doctor(!)

Went to the doctor today. Full success. Corbin is already above his birth weight (8 lbs 4 oz!) and he is a model of newborn awesomeness. By the way, "awesomeness" is the word of the post. Look for it.

First time in the stroller, for a walk around the block. He fussed and cried and wailed and then we hit the pavement and the wheels vibrated on the asphalt and there was instant silence. Whoa. Anyway. A very successful walk around the block, seeing as we made it all the way around, and Erin negotiated a steepish downhill quite well, and the Brindzi didn't notice the deer just hanging out in a neighbor's yard.

Erin and Corbin, Becky and Brody

Last night we went to Becky and Kevin's for a BBQ/Kidstravaganza. There was Corbin at 9 days, some other kids at 3-4 years, and everything in between. So lots of kids. I carried Corb around in the Beco for a while, till he got hungry. It worked pretty well. I did that some more this afternoon, except instead of standing around talking and eating we attacked and destroyed several hundred linear inches of morning glory. Hurrah.

As the BBQ wound down, Corbin got up close and personal with some new friends, Brody and Bjorn. Lots of boys around here.

By the way, Skype video calls are pretty much awesome. Here we're talking to Grandma and Uncle NZA. Actually, Corbin is asleep here. But you get the idea. We talked to Grammy Dani the other day. She doesn't have video on her end, but we do, so she could see us but we couldn't see her. Still worked OK. Especially for her, I guess. Anyway, if anyone wants a little video screen time with Corbin, sign up for Skype and then give us a call.

Hammock + Baby = Awesomeness

Baby = Awesomeness

It's been warm the last few days, so we've been outside a bit, which is nice. It's supposed to get danger-hot (that's what the weather service says) this weekend. We'll stick to the shade. As I said before, Corby and I annihilated some morning glory before retreating to the hammock for a snooze. Good to get the kid out working. The sooner he can start picking up rocks the better. Did I say rocks? I meant alien eggs that we must transport to the holding cell before they hatch!

Oh, and

The first outing, and

Nothing but good times here at the Shaffer house. We're definitely enjoying being parents. Erin's finding herself marveling at the idea that this little being came from us. It is pretty amazing. My marvelings have been more along the lines of an occasional "Wait, what is he doing here?" It's fairly wonderful and baffling and magnificent to suddenly have a new member of the family. Corbin was scheduled to arrive today; he's one week old already! We're glad he decided to show up early.

We had our first outing today. Erin had an allergy shot appointment. So we broke out the car seat and hit the road. Corby seemed to enjoy the ride; he slept nearly the entire time. On the way home I stopped and got fitted for a couple of weddings going on this summer, and then we popped into Coldstone Creamery to utilize a gift card I got from one of my students. That's the definition of a successful outing. Erin was pretty tired by the end, but Corbin was ready to go, having snoozed the whole time.

I'm pretty impressed and proud of my family. Corbin's doing a great job being a baby, which is awesome and cute and all, and he's beautiful and , but it's Erin that is the incredible one. Just a week ago she went through an amazing and exhausting production; today she is up and about, upstairs-downstairs, inside-outside, on outings, nursing in the middle of the night, in the middle of the morning, in the middle of the afternoon. All the while looking beautiful and staying cheerful. What a woman! Corbin and I are pretty dang lucky. Probably the luckiest in the world. Ever. In the history of the world. And it's surrounding celestial masses. And such. That lucky. Or more.

A messy eater, just like his mom.

New family self-portrait.

Visits, baths, and a venture outdoors

Whew

Good thing I learned the 5 S's because that was one heck of a scream-attack just now. Love that calming reflex. Sleeping like a...baby. Oh brother...

Probably some more pictures up tomorrow.

Day 3

Day 3 is almost over. Can you believe it? Wow. I have "I am in love brain" right now, so I can't write too much. Being tired might also have something to do with it. All I know is that I am so in love with this little person that Adam and I created. I am so in love with Adam. I am so in love with Corbin Dean. Yep, we finally figured out a middle name. Corbin Dean Shaffer. Dean is a combination of Adam's maternal grandfather Markley Dee Lowmilller and my paternal grandfather, L. Daniel Bulkley. Ha. Dean.

Thanks for all your words of love, beauty, health, goodwill, and friendship that you have been sending our way these last few days. We feel pretty blessed to have such wonderful friends and family to help us welcome Corbin into this world.





Update 6/20/08 10:34 am: So when I said "Day 3 is almost over," I was a little off because Night 3 was really long. Corbin just wouldn't go to sleep, and he wanted to eat every hour from 1 am to 5 am. Adam and I each took a turn just sitting with him so he would stay quiet while the other slept. I think Adam got to sleep longer though. Hey wait, this is exactly how people said it would be!

32 hours of wonderfulness

They told me time would fly by, but it seems like only yesterday I wasn't a dad.

Heh.

Erin and Corbin are sleeping away. They are both beautiful and wonderful and amazing. I love them so much!

Here are some pictures from the last 32 hours. Also, check out Aunt Meghan's blog; she has some nice pictures there, too.

The very first picture!

The grandmas get a look. They have been a huge help! Thanks Moms! We love you!

Our midwife Winni (center) and her assistant Nicole. They were great. Anyone look tired in that photo?

The first visitors.

Oh, really.

See? I told you they were beautiful and wonderful and amazing. And I don't need a picture to prove it. But it's a nice picture, so I'll share it.

Mom and Corby and Grandma and Gryffin and Brindzi

That's what I see right now when I look right. Pretty excellent view.

A boy you should meet

Corbin _?_ Shaffer

Born Tuesday, June 17, 5:15am
8 pounds 2 ounces
20.5 inches

Home and happy. More later.

*Edit: Later:

Hoop 'n' coop

School's out again. Great, yay, but it's come without the excitement of previous years.

Reason 1: I'm part of the Bargaining Team for my district, and we're continuing to negotiate a new contract through the summer. We meet tomorrow and Tuesday. So it's not like I won't see a school until August.

Reason 2: For the first time ever, the last day of school is not the most exciting thing that will happen this month.*

*That's if it happens this month. Could be early July. Hopefully this month. Because Erin really likes ice cream right now. And whenever she has ice cream I have ice cream. I had ice cream three times today. I love ice cream, but I hope this baby's born soon. Ah, I am excited for reasons other than decreased ice cream intake, too. Duh.

Still, summer it is, and with the baby room essentially done, I've turned to other projects in a race-to-see-what-you-can-get-done-before-baby.

Numero Uno

Hoop house and general garden work

I've been wanting to put in a hoop house for a while, even back at the old house. Our poor tomatoes. We always have plenty of fruit, green and big, but then fall hits and they just...can't...ripen. By stopping watering at about the end of August we do pretty well, but still. My peppers and tomatoes need to be warmer longer.

So.

I feel that perhaps it needs to be longer, or that it needs to have plastic over the ends. It is warmer in there, but I don't know if it's enough warmer. Then again, it hasn't exactly been summer-like.

Some say beware of dog. I tell my dog, "Beware of garlic!"



Numero Dos

Chicks-in-coop

You may or may not know, but our move to the new house was not successful on the chicken front. While we never had a problem in the city, our new spot was just too close to the predators. My simple coop construction didn't cut it. Try again next year.

Here we are at next year, and the chicks Paul picked up for me are ready to stop spreading dust and feathers and feed all over the floor of my shop and start spreading it in their own space. That meant I needed to make some safety improvements. So.

You can see just one wall above, but I closed off two sides of the coop with expensive and fancy looking (there's a relationship, I think) T 1-11 siding. Notice how clearly you can see the struggles our shed has with the concept of "square and plumb." I blocked off every place I think the 'coons got in, and buried more fence in a few places I originally thought could slip by unnoticed. I'm in the process of adding some small-hole chicken wire around the inside of all outer fence to create a buffer and a further deterrent to "raccoon grab-and-munch." More than one of our hens last year was killed from outside the pen. In addition to safety improvements, I'm not skimping on the beautification efforts. I added slats to the interior fence wall above, and the siding will get paint, and I'll probably put in a window or two.

Chickens are dumb, and when I went out to check on them after dark they were huddled in a corner with their heads sticking out of the pen, through the chicken wire. Tomorrow I'll add the buffer that will prevent that problem, but I placed them on their roost, safe from harm. Hopefully they'll be there in the morning.

One of those chickens up there is a Hattie. I don't know which one. We haven't decided yet.

We're still thinking about other names.

Kind of like a certain fetus I know.

Work

Summer vacation has begun for me! Yahoo! Yet, this year it brings a whole new meaning. It's not just summer vacation. It's the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Yesterday was my last day of work, until the other work begins. The work of being a parent. It brings very mixed feelings for me. I love my job of being a middle school counselor. I love working around kids; good kids, bad kids, mixed up kids, kids who need love, all kinds of kids. I also love being part of a working team of teachers. I am going to really miss work in some ways. I used to say that I couldn't ever be a stay at home mom. What would I do all day? Who would I talk to? And now, I can't wait! I know my "real" work hasn't even begun, Dweezy is still in the womb, but my outside the home work is done until August 2009! I get to be full time mom for a whole year and 5 months, not a full time counselor. Because this is such new ground for me, I know I could change my mind about what I think about staying home. But one thing is for sure. I know I am really luck and blessed to be able to do so. I am really thankful that Adam and I can make this choice. Even if I decide staying home is not for me, I know I will never get this year back of being at home with my brand new baby. We are also so lucky that Adam has the summer off too, so the bonding between all 3 of us can happen for a good chunk of time. I know it would happen regardless of the amount of time we have off, but it will be somehow different.

So that is my rambling on this new adventure that begins today. Not just summer vacation but a new job. A new adventure.

Ok, now it's time for my pampering. A pedicure at the Chysalis Spa! Yahoo!

Baby poll

Future sister-in-law (less than two months away!) Meghan has set up a little baby guessing poll, with prizes. You can find it at her blog. If you scroll down below the questions you can see others' responses.

Good luck!

Room, belly, box, work

Welcome to the baby room!

Can you guess who's ready to have a baby?

We still like Gryffin.

Whadya make of that, Brindz?

A toy box designed and decorated by the artsy folk at Erin's Seattle Baby Shower.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of what our changing table looked like when we got it. It had two shades of ugly, drippy pink paint. We found it on craigslist, and the person selling it was in our birth class. She had planned to sand and stain. That's too much work. We just planned to sand/strip and then repaint.

Actually, Erin planned, I did. OK, Erin helped a little. A baby-sized amount.

Looks pretty fancy now, though! No pink to be found! Except the underside of the rail, dripping down the back, in the drawers...

Lots of work going on this weekend, mostly by me. Erin was busy with other things. I put a shelf in the baby room closet, which basically finishes that off, except for trim. Mowed the lawn. Ran a bunch of errands. Cleaned the shower. Vacuumed.

The chickens are nearly ready to be outside, but their coop is not. I mean, they could go out there, but they'd just get eaten like the last ones. And I'd prefer that they stay undigested. We still need two more names. For the chickens. Though we need some boy names for Dweezy, too. Anyway, as I was saying, the coop needs defensive upgrades. So I started on that. It shouldn't take too long, and then we can start sending food scraps and weeds to the hens for fertilizer conversion action.

I made a hoop house last weekend, but don't have pictures of it yet. Later. It's got tomatoes and peppers and basil in it. Yay. Yay!

So we're all ready for baby here. It could come tomorrow. Or it could come in a month. Which would suck. I don't think it will be a month, because the baby has "dropped," and is copletely in position for departure/entry. So we'll see.

Popped!

As requested here are some pictures of my popped belly button.

37 weeks. We are a little slow at getting out the belly shots. We have reached the magic number of 37 weeks. Dweezy can now be born at the Birth Center and could come any day, week, or even in a month. I am hoping for a few more weeks. Early wouldn't be bad but I would like a few days without having to work.

Ta-Da!

I might look like I am excited to be getting this picture taking but what is really going on is that I am tired, my hips hurt, my pubic bone hurts, my joints are stiff, and I am really getting ready to be done. I don't seem to be taking it too easy either. I thought that by staying home this weekend and not having guests it would be more relaxing. Oh no. Adam and I tried to go out on a "date" night for dinner and a movie on Friday night. The dinner and gelato were great but then it came time to go to the movie. Even though I had a nap, once we got to the theater I was tired, my feet were swelling, I was uncomfortable, and just wanted to be lying in my bed. So we got our money back. So much for going to a movie before the baby comes.

That is just the way I have been feeling lately. Tired. Uncomfortable. And ready. We are almost completely done with the baby room. As soon as we move the dresser/changing table up into the room and get the clothes put away I will post a new picture. It's looking really good. We almost have everything we need and more! Thanks to all our awesome friends and co-workers who have hosted baby showers. I feel really blessed for what everyone has done for us!

On another note. We got some new chicks the other weekend. Two Barred Rock, one black Sexlink, and a Rhode Island Red. They need some names, so if you have any names, we would gladly take suggestions. Our last theme of naming chicks was obscure women from history or today. So feel free to send us some suggestions. We are somewhat named out...baby names are taking too much of our name power.

Ok. We will keep you posted. Soon we will have pictures of the hoop house, for our tomatoes and peppers, that Adam built this weekend. Only 8 more days of school...less if I take some sick days...