my true love gave to me:
Twelve Drummers Drumming
(On his way to becoming a pro, like his uncle matt)
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...
my true love gave to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping
(Kilt, like Connery)
On the Tenth Day of Christmas...
my true love gave to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
(That's right--he's riding a dog that's chasing a rabbit... We had a hard time getting this little lord to leap)
(That's right--he's riding a dog that's chasing a rabbit... We had a hard time getting this little lord to leap)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
On the Ninth Day of Christmas...
my true love gave to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing
(Special thanks to guest ballerina, Miss Miranda!)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Scene from a Marriage
Scene: Jon and Jenn walking to their car after leaving the home of friends. Jon is walking in front of Jenn holding the two icy root beers she asked him to carry so that her hands wouldn't freeze and fall off while Jenn follows, toting the diaper bag and baby in car seat.
Jenn: Why's that? Because it looks like you're making your wife carry all of the heavy things?
Jon: (Drinking one of the root beers): While I drink soda in front of you.
Jenn: Not just that, you're holding TWO sodas. They'll think, 'who does that guy think he is?! with his two root beers.'
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
On the First Day of Christmas...
my true love gave to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
(moments after this photo was taken, he tried to eat the partridge)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thanksgiving Lessons Learned...
Go easy on the amount of potato skins with which you burden your garbage disposal or risk enlisting your dinner guests for help and eating an hour later than expected...
Why is Jenn Rocking that Hair Dryer?
Our mellow baby has been going through a fussy season over the last week or so. Usually at night, he'll have an extended unhappy period where he will cry... nay, scream, unless he is kept in constant motion where he can see lights or ceiling fan... Then he falls asleep:)
The other day I was attempting to get ready when one such fit monopolized a good chunk of the morning. Since I knew our son was tired and fighting a nap, I took action (which felt like cheating) and turned to my hair dryer for help. It's both comical and amazing how quickly he calms down in the presence of white noise. So I rocked both him and the hair dryer until he fell asleep a few minutes later.
When I tried to set him in his swing, he began fussing again, so I tried another tactic:
(hair dryer turned on full blast on the floor so that I could brush my teeth without juggling it and a baby)
Result:
Success.
After another wakeful night last night, I also discovered this little gem: www.simplynoise.com I can't sing its praises enough. I'm blogging with this site activated right now as my baby sleeps soundly next to me, unswaddled (that's a big deal).
Thank you, white noise. You have saved nap time.
Six Weeks
When did this happen?... It's hard to believe, but our little boy is now working through his sixth week of existence. Crazy talk.
I'll be honest, the first month was incredible and overwhelming--a combination of wonder and adjustments.
I spent the first week of our son's life convinced that he couldn't sleep safely unless I was hovering over him, monitoring his breathing. This is what happens when you're a neurotic new mom whose baby spent his first 24 hours choking on remnant amniotic fluid in his lungs. Fortunately, I have a very patient and helpful husband, and we eventually got used to his little sleep sounds. Really, during the first week I ebbed and flowed emotionally between thankfulness and vulnerability:
Reservations aside, being parents has been the best experience for Jon and I since becoming husband and wife. It's been so fun to watch our boy reach little milestones, to play with him, to comfort him at night, to watch his little personality develop (looking like we're going to have a mellow, contemplative kid on our hands:). We feel love for him that we never knew existed--sometimes it's almost too much. That may sound cliche, but it is very much true.
Also, we're so thankful that we had family (Dave, Debbie and Joy) out to visit and help with the baby, housework, meals, etc. We're also fortunate enough to have an incredible community of friends who have dropped in over the past several weeks with food and words of encouragement. Family and friends, please know how much we appreciate you. Really. You have made our lives so much easier over the past month.
I'll be honest, the first month was incredible and overwhelming--a combination of wonder and adjustments.
I spent the first week of our son's life convinced that he couldn't sleep safely unless I was hovering over him, monitoring his breathing. This is what happens when you're a neurotic new mom whose baby spent his first 24 hours choking on remnant amniotic fluid in his lungs. Fortunately, I have a very patient and helpful husband, and we eventually got used to his little sleep sounds. Really, during the first week I ebbed and flowed emotionally between thankfulness and vulnerability:
- Would Jon get drafted as one of the students who would have to spend their third year of med school at a campus four hours away?
- Was I feeding our baby enough?
- Would we have to take out more student loans just to offset the energy costs associated with the mountains of laundry this tiny person generates?
- How long would it take for me to feel like I did, physically, before our son was born?
- How quickly would Jon figure out that I had no idea what I was doing as a mother and that my ultimate failure to swaddle our kiddo properly would eventually lead him to turn to a life of drugs and violence???
Reservations aside, being parents has been the best experience for Jon and I since becoming husband and wife. It's been so fun to watch our boy reach little milestones, to play with him, to comfort him at night, to watch his little personality develop (looking like we're going to have a mellow, contemplative kid on our hands:). We feel love for him that we never knew existed--sometimes it's almost too much. That may sound cliche, but it is very much true.
Also, we're so thankful that we had family (Dave, Debbie and Joy) out to visit and help with the baby, housework, meals, etc. We're also fortunate enough to have an incredible community of friends who have dropped in over the past several weeks with food and words of encouragement. Family and friends, please know how much we appreciate you. Really. You have made our lives so much easier over the past month.
Post-milk smiles:)
Happy alert time in the morning
The cutest bear ever
Playing with dad
Exploring different textures
Friday, November 19, 2010
Welcome David Jeremiah:)
As you may have heard, Team Pagan is now three strong! It's hard to believe it's been almost a month since our little one made his way into the world, and you better believe that I'm wracked with a certain amount of mommy guilt for not posting about his birth sooner. But our time has been well spent. We've been enjoying the company of family, gazing adoringly at our new little boy and taking millions of photos of him. So I don't feel quite so bad.
Ok, enough stalling, here's the re-cap of David's birth:
On Saturday (Oct. 23rd), Dave and Debbie flew into Little Rock, expecting to have a few days to hang out before the baby was born.
On Sunday I had noticed some fairly consistent contractions, about 5 minutes apart, which quickened to about 3-4 minutes apart after we got to church. So Jon and I stepped out and called the doctor's exchange to get their opinion. They suggested that we go to the hospital, so we packed up excitedly and made our way to labor and delivery. After being hooked up and monitored for a while, the nurses informed us that our doctor suggested that we go home and avoid spicy and greasy foods--consistent contractions, but not intense enough.
False alarm (kind of), so we did what any reasonable people would do and we had Mexican for lunch, then pizza for dinner with some friends that came over to the house to celebrate Jon's birthday.
Around 2:00am, I was having contractions that had awakened me from sleep, so I got up and timed them in the living room for the next hour or so. They continued getting more intense regardless of my position, sitting, standing, lying down, so I woke Jon up to inform him that we may be having another false alarm, but that it could be "go time."
So I was up.
The baby was definitely up.
Jon was up, then we got Dave and Debbie up and left for the hospital.
Again.
We arrived around 4am.
This time, we were better prepared with iPad, laptop (for the long wait expected with a first delivery), etc.
After getting checked into the hospital for a second time and making yet another call to our doctor (now 5:15am), the nurse said that she would like us to walk the halls for an hour with the hope of progressing things.
So Jon and I walked from about 5:45-6:45. And we walked and walked and stopped and breathed and walked and stopped and breathed. And we accepted knowing smiles from kind women and older couples and hospital staff. And I wished I had worn better shoes than the devil ballet flats I was in. And Jon was a champ--always encouraging and patient.
After an hour of waddling we discovered that I had made a centemeter's progress, so our awesome nurse Christa started my IV and informed us that we would not be leaving the hospital without a baby!
Reality time.
Our doctor had surgeries all that morning, but he stopped in before 7am to check in on us and broke my water to further speed the process along.
Next: epidural. God-send.
We waited for the next couple of hours. During our wait, Jon decided to run to the business office and grab a few things from the car since we knew we would be staying at the hospital and that I likely wouldn't have to think about pushing for several more hours. About a half an hour after he left, I began to feel uncomfortable and asked that the nurse check to make sure that everything was ok.
Change in plans--9+ centimeters... I won't repeat exactly what I said to Debbie at that point, but I asked that she call Jon and tell him to get back to our room immediately.
By 10:30am Jon and Christa and I started the pushing process--yes, all three of us were involved. Jon and Christa were phenomenal coaches. The doctor on call was paged a little later and by 11:27am, our David was born! 8 lbs, 6 oz, 22 in. I have no words for the emotions I felt when they handed him to me (which was almost immediately) and I saw and held him for the first time. It was like an out-of-body experience. I didn't just cry, I wept. And I remember feeling incredibly relieved that our baby was healthy, that the pushing was over, and thanking God for such an incredible gift.
That last hour was very intimate--just Jon, the nurse, the doctor and myself, Jon and I were so thankful. It was so incredible to watch our son come into the world in such calm surroundings (with the exception of my breathing and a few primal screams toward the end there...). Unlike our trooper sister-in-law and her miracle birth story, our experience at the hospital was very routine and we were thankful that we didn't experience any complications.
So now, everyone is home and we are blissing out with this kiddo. We may never get anything done ever again.
Ok, enough stalling, here's the re-cap of David's birth:
On Saturday (Oct. 23rd), Dave and Debbie flew into Little Rock, expecting to have a few days to hang out before the baby was born.
On Sunday I had noticed some fairly consistent contractions, about 5 minutes apart, which quickened to about 3-4 minutes apart after we got to church. So Jon and I stepped out and called the doctor's exchange to get their opinion. They suggested that we go to the hospital, so we packed up excitedly and made our way to labor and delivery. After being hooked up and monitored for a while, the nurses informed us that our doctor suggested that we go home and avoid spicy and greasy foods--consistent contractions, but not intense enough.
False alarm (kind of), so we did what any reasonable people would do and we had Mexican for lunch, then pizza for dinner with some friends that came over to the house to celebrate Jon's birthday.
Around 2:00am, I was having contractions that had awakened me from sleep, so I got up and timed them in the living room for the next hour or so. They continued getting more intense regardless of my position, sitting, standing, lying down, so I woke Jon up to inform him that we may be having another false alarm, but that it could be "go time."
So I was up.
The baby was definitely up.
Jon was up, then we got Dave and Debbie up and left for the hospital.
Again.
We arrived around 4am.
This time, we were better prepared with iPad, laptop (for the long wait expected with a first delivery), etc.
After getting checked into the hospital for a second time and making yet another call to our doctor (now 5:15am), the nurse said that she would like us to walk the halls for an hour with the hope of progressing things.
So Jon and I walked from about 5:45-6:45. And we walked and walked and stopped and breathed and walked and stopped and breathed. And we accepted knowing smiles from kind women and older couples and hospital staff. And I wished I had worn better shoes than the devil ballet flats I was in. And Jon was a champ--always encouraging and patient.
After an hour of waddling we discovered that I had made a centemeter's progress, so our awesome nurse Christa started my IV and informed us that we would not be leaving the hospital without a baby!
Reality time.
Our doctor had surgeries all that morning, but he stopped in before 7am to check in on us and broke my water to further speed the process along.
Next: epidural. God-send.
We waited for the next couple of hours. During our wait, Jon decided to run to the business office and grab a few things from the car since we knew we would be staying at the hospital and that I likely wouldn't have to think about pushing for several more hours. About a half an hour after he left, I began to feel uncomfortable and asked that the nurse check to make sure that everything was ok.
Change in plans--9+ centimeters... I won't repeat exactly what I said to Debbie at that point, but I asked that she call Jon and tell him to get back to our room immediately.
By 10:30am Jon and Christa and I started the pushing process--yes, all three of us were involved. Jon and Christa were phenomenal coaches. The doctor on call was paged a little later and by 11:27am, our David was born! 8 lbs, 6 oz, 22 in. I have no words for the emotions I felt when they handed him to me (which was almost immediately) and I saw and held him for the first time. It was like an out-of-body experience. I didn't just cry, I wept. And I remember feeling incredibly relieved that our baby was healthy, that the pushing was over, and thanking God for such an incredible gift.
That last hour was very intimate--just Jon, the nurse, the doctor and myself, Jon and I were so thankful. It was so incredible to watch our son come into the world in such calm surroundings (with the exception of my breathing and a few primal screams toward the end there...). Unlike our trooper sister-in-law and her miracle birth story, our experience at the hospital was very routine and we were thankful that we didn't experience any complications.
So now, everyone is home and we are blissing out with this kiddo. We may never get anything done ever again.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
PS22
A video originally posted by my friend Beka--these kids are so talented (adjust your volume, you'll want to hear the harmony)!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thought Fragment Post
37 weeks and 2 days into the pregnancy--thought fragments: - On paper, I have 11 days of work left. ELEVEN days--that's not a lot of time, and I have plenty to keep me occupied until the end of the month, but I am really struggling to stay focused and compartmentalize all of my thoughts about the baby in order to crank out the products I need to produce in the time I've been given. If only I were paid to take naps and nest...
- Our trip to the doctor's office today managed to ease some of the deep, psychological resistance I've felt in terms of actually thinking about the process of bringing another life into the world. Don't get me wrong, I still haven't really allowed myself to think about it. Instead, I just focus on the outcome: we'll have a baby in 22 days or less:
- Jon is a saint. Really. One example of saintly behavior: his sacrifice of decompression time over his fall break in order to study ahead for his classes, pick up last-minute baby items, install baby items, prepare his presentation for the upcoming symposium, etc. I don't know how single parents do it.
- Pregnancy has really stirred my compassion toward people with overactive bladder...
- I've developed a most sincere appreciation for cheese cake. And by that I mean that sometimes I feel like I would back over someone with our car in order to satisfy a craving for it.
- On an emotional level, if I were being completely honest, I would admit that the idea of being charged with shaping and influencing another little life is overwhelming. The idea of making mistakes as a parent, combined with the pregnancy hormones, has made for some pretty interesting emotional situations whereby I dissolve into tears and Jon reassures me that a) God is taking care of our family, b) children are physically resilient and don't require four different types of helmets.
- On a physical level, if I were being completely honest, I would admit that I love the fact that I get to carry our son around 24/7. I love the gentle reactions people have toward him/my giant belly--it's like it can diffuse even the most tense situations. It's great. Then, I would admit that sleeping is becoming more of a challenge, and that he is starting to feel very heavy, and that I am starting to feel very heavy, and that I cannot wait to hold him in my arms (or in the sweet Moby wrap--thanks Jer and Kel!), as opposed to my belly.
- I'm pretty sure that aqua moms (aqua aerobics class for pregnant ladies--fitting name, right?) has saved my back from much achiness throughout the pregnancy. It's been so nice to feel weightless a few times a week and hang out with other expectant moms--very encouraging.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Babe-E-Shower
Hey everybody! I'm sorry that it's taken several days to post, but here is the video we took for the "Babe-E-Shower":
I appreciate your patience with my ridiculous hand gymnastics, disorganized paper disposal tactics and abuse of the word "items."
I don't think we can convey how thankful we are for all of you. Really, you don't understand how much you have blessed our family through your generosity. This kiddo is SET to enter the world! As you can see from the belly size, that could be any time now:)
Again, thank you for all of your gifts and words of wisdom--more updates to come in the near future!
*Update! A few more gifts/thank-you's that didn't make it onto the video--either because they came super early or came after October 8th, when we took the video:
- Pack-n-Play! From my mom
- Tiny library of children's books--Adrienne and Danial
- Awesome dinosaur/boyish receiving blankets--Ben and Jen
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
On: Our son, David...
As a husband it is a very unique experience having your wife be pregnant. I could write many blog posts about the experience ranging from my 10 pound weight gain to the experience of literally having less room, well, everywhere. However, this post is about the connection that Mother and son experience in utero. I've watched as Jenn has grown to epic proportions (of cuteness) and am constantly amazed at what I now truly see as the miracle of life. I can't help sometimes feel a little jealous. I get to feel him kick a few times a day, but she gets to feel everything: his turns, jabs, hiccups, rolls and slides. Don't get me wrong, I am keenly aware that my wife is the far better choice for this role, but you get my point.
This brings us to today. We were blessed this last week with the opportunity to get whats called a 4-D ultrasound. For those of you wondering what that means, it means that we would be able to see our child in the x,y, z and t :) Put more simply, in three dimensions and in live motion. I'd seen samples online and was prepared, or so I thought, to have Jenn show me the pictures of our son. Truly, I was not prepared. I imagine second to standing in the delivery room and welcoming him to the world in 50 days plus or minus, seeing these pictures was life changing.
So without further ado, here is our son, David.
Isn't he amazing!! As Jenn so humbly puts it, "The cutest baby in the world!!" :)
I wasn't sure how I would feel as a father having the chance to see these pictures, but it did something I didn't expect. It allowed me to connect with him in an extremely visceral way. So yes, I don't feel all the movements, but now I can picture him. I can see that he got his mom's cheeks, a combination of our noses, and my lips. I can spend these final weeks of the pregnancy, picturing him as I pray for him, and as I feel him have the hiccups almost every night.
He is amazing, and I can't wait to meet him. I thought I would close with our personal favorite. Here is a picture of our son smiling. If you look at the left of the screen you can see a wall that represents Jenn. I can't help but think that he is smiling because he is cuddling with his Mom. Well David, she has smiled every day for the last 8 months thinking of you. David, we love you and we'll meet you soon!
This brings us to today. We were blessed this last week with the opportunity to get whats called a 4-D ultrasound. For those of you wondering what that means, it means that we would be able to see our child in the x,y, z and t :) Put more simply, in three dimensions and in live motion. I'd seen samples online and was prepared, or so I thought, to have Jenn show me the pictures of our son. Truly, I was not prepared. I imagine second to standing in the delivery room and welcoming him to the world in 50 days plus or minus, seeing these pictures was life changing.
So without further ado, here is our son, David.
Isn't he amazing!! As Jenn so humbly puts it, "The cutest baby in the world!!" :)
I wasn't sure how I would feel as a father having the chance to see these pictures, but it did something I didn't expect. It allowed me to connect with him in an extremely visceral way. So yes, I don't feel all the movements, but now I can picture him. I can see that he got his mom's cheeks, a combination of our noses, and my lips. I can spend these final weeks of the pregnancy, picturing him as I pray for him, and as I feel him have the hiccups almost every night.
He is amazing, and I can't wait to meet him. I thought I would close with our personal favorite. Here is a picture of our son smiling. If you look at the left of the screen you can see a wall that represents Jenn. I can't help but think that he is smiling because he is cuddling with his Mom. Well David, she has smiled every day for the last 8 months thinking of you. David, we love you and we'll meet you soon!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
On: Playing with my son
So by now I'm thinking that most of you were able to see the video of our son kicking, but just in case here it is again.
Up until now, as a father, admittedly the pregnancy has been kind of surreal and slightly detached. As in, I know my wife is pregnant, but because its not me there is a level of detachment. A couple nights ago I had an experience that changed that. For the first time I got to play with David. Granted it was a rather simple game, but it was one of the more amazing experiences in my life thus far. It was a simple push, push back game. For a good five minutes every time I would push in a certain spot towards either his foot or hand, he would respond by pushing back. I've never had so much fun with such a simple game!!
I think to myself, if playing with him like this is this much fun, how much more fun will it be once he is born? Wow. We are looking at T-minus 3 months!!
Up until now, as a father, admittedly the pregnancy has been kind of surreal and slightly detached. As in, I know my wife is pregnant, but because its not me there is a level of detachment. A couple nights ago I had an experience that changed that. For the first time I got to play with David. Granted it was a rather simple game, but it was one of the more amazing experiences in my life thus far. It was a simple push, push back game. For a good five minutes every time I would push in a certain spot towards either his foot or hand, he would respond by pushing back. I've never had so much fun with such a simple game!!
I think to myself, if playing with him like this is this much fun, how much more fun will it be once he is born? Wow. We are looking at T-minus 3 months!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Week in Quotes
- "I'm tired of English." Jon's final thought after berating the English spelling of "singed."
- "I am NOT forfeiting this cake!" Jenn's declaration to Jon, complete with threatening fork action, after Jon attempted to move the last piece of cake to his plate. Had Jenn been less possessive/reactionary, she would have discovered that Jon intended to share.
- "Those weasels smell." Jon commenting on the stench from the ferret rotunda at the entrance of Petco.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Matt. Geraldo. America.
Today is the 4th of July, otherwise known as the day my mother brought my brother into the world:) Matt, I know you've been slaving away to finish your classes, so when you get the chance to come up out of your books for air here is a post dedicated just for you:
Let me start by first acknowledging that my brother shares a birthday with the likes of Japanese shoguns, Romanian bacteriologists and Flemish linguists/archeologists. Since naming all of them would not add to the value of this honorary post, but because some of them have such fantastic image results on Google, I've listed a few recent celebrities with whom my brother shares his special day:
1. America
As seen from a NASA perspective.
2. Rube Goldberg
Famous for sketching complicated inventions for doing simple tasks (I like to think that his cartoons were the inspiration for modern bureaucracy. Stand in line at any DMV and see if you agree.)
3. Malia Obama
Oldest daughter of President Obama and newest member on the list of celebrity birthdays.
4. Gloria Stuart
The endearing, elderly woman from Titanic who thought her $10K necklace would serve a better purpose at the bottom of the ocean.
5. Geraldo Rivera
Ambitious TV personality, news reporter, talk show host. I don't know what to say about this image, but it is definitely my favorite (insert dialogue bubble near his mouth about bullets whizzing past his head).
6. George Murphy
Dancer, actor and US Senator from CA. Proof that the child who wants to be a ballerina-archeologist-novelist can, in fact, be all three.
7. Calvin Coolidge
30th US president and owner of serious hats.
8. Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers
Twin advice columnists who single-handedly (double handedly?) proved that women of a certain age could look fetchin' in high-collar, long-sleeved dresses.
And of course, you have my brother.
This picture was taken about two years ago shortly after Matt, Jon and I suffered through one of the most violent and poorly written ninja movies of all time.
Here are some important observations that illustrate why he is a cool brother:
- He's a good guy. I don't mean that nonchalantly, I mean that he is a kind, purposeful person that cares about other people.
- He's a bit of an internal processor, which is fun because he can seem quiet at first, but he's really quite friendly (and funny) and usually reserves his comments until he has something meaningful to say.
- He is an AMAZING musician. If you ever have the chance to see him perform live, you should definitely check him out. Here are some pics taken from one of his last gigs: http://distopher.com/Jazz-at-Old-City-Hall/The-Original-Senn-Jazz-Band/11728978_6YodS#827772328_GWBJv
- When we were very small, he once sat for what felt like an hour or more, teaching me how to draw ninja turtles on the floor of his bedroom.
- Talking with him on weekends is one of the highlights of my week.
- Since he's a deaf studies major, we've volunteered him to teach our baby cooler baby signs than those mentioned in our book of baby signs. Also, babies love him.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The top 5 best movies of all time
Have you ever really thought through what your five most favorite movies are? I think because there are so many movies it would be difficult to decide one just one favorite movie, but what about 5? Maybe some of you have played the game where you have to decide which 5 books you would have with you on a desert island? Well, I challenge you to decide, if you were deserted on an island with only a portable DVD player (and a big battery) which five movies would you take with you?
In my down time the last couple weeks I've found my mind going back to this question and I feel like I am finally ready to answer. So without further ado, here are Jonathan's top 5!
1. Contact - I'm not sure what it is about this movie but I can't not place this at number one. It is one of the most scientifically accurate movies ever made, and has some amazing acting by Jodie Foster and Matthew Mcconaughey. However, when it comes down to it, it is number one because it evokes an emotion deep withinme that I actually can't even name.
"I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space."
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Does this even need explaining? This is the ultimate adventure movie. The hero, Indiana, is both brilliant and the luckiest man alive. Throw in a priceless religious artifact, Nazi germans and great female lead and you have Raiders. This excited my desire for adventure when I was a child, and now as an adult I can still watch it and remember what it felt like to want to grow up to bean archeoligist with a whip.
"Asps... very dangerous. You go first."
3. When Harry Met Sally - Wait, what? A rom-com on a top 5 movies list? Yes people, that's right. Arguably one of the best written comedies of all time. Dialouge so fast, and so witty that Billy Crystal is the only actor who could have pulled off the amazing complex character of Harry. Jenn and I have watched this movie dozens of times, and we could easily watch it once a week for the rest of our lives. It is our favorite movie to watch when we are away from home on a trip and want to feel at home.
"Look at that, I said I was going to let it lie and then I didn't."
4. Lost in Translation - This movie is extremely unique. Just like number 1 on this list, this movie makes me feel deeply, and I can't even label exactly what those feelings are. I don't think any other movie has so beautifully captured what it feels like to feel out of place. This is another one of our favorite movies to watch when we can't travel, but wish we could. We love to feel out of place together, and this movie allows us to experience that without leaving the house.
"Well you figure, you sleep one-third of your life, that knocks out eight years of marriage right there. So you're, y'know, down to 16 in change. You know you're just a teenager, at marriage, you can drive it but there's still the occasional accident."
5. Unbreakable - So why not the Sixth Sense? While the Sixth Sense has arguably the best twist ending of all time, I feel like the brilliant dialogue written by M. Night for this film is outstanding. Combined with cinematography that perfectly captures the tone of the film and you get a movie that is the perfect set up for a trilogy. In addition, Bruce Willis really flexed his acting muscle in creating, what I think, is one of the most complex superheroes I've ever seen on film. "Its alright to be afraid, David, because this part won't be like a comic book."
Honorable mention
6. Monsoon Wedding - My favorite foreign film of all time, and arguably just as deserving as the other 5 to be in the top 5. But alas, there are 6 movies. Not being from India it is hard to tell how accurate this movie is, but I loved being able to watch this family go through the emotional roller coaster leading up to a wedding. Being able to experience another culture in such a visceral way is truly an amazing experience. (The Namesake could easily of been up here as well were it not so Americanized, but Mira Nair did an great job with both.)
"These are my children, and I will protect them from myself even if I have to."
(Also as an FYI, number 7 would be Castaway, but I had a hard time putting two of Zemeckis' films in the top 5)
So thats the list!! Even now having written it you remember another movie and start to think that perhaps it should have been on the list. Its funny how truly difficult it is to come up with a list like this! I challenge you to think about it, which 5 movies would be on your list? If you know them go ahead and list them in the comments section! Any movie in your top 5 that I haven't seen, is a must see in my opinion if you would rank it that highly.
For the record, I think Jenn would agree with a few of these, but may object to my top two :)
So, what are your top 5?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Frogs and Snails and Puppy-Dog Tails...
Morse code kicks from Dave: "Mom, this is your son. Send more potatoes." While Facebook has been our baby-update media of choice, I thought I would post an announcement on our family blog as well: we're having a boy!
Everybody, meet David. This image was taken about five weeks ago (16 weeks). As you can see, we caught him mid kata, poised for a front snap kick. (Remember those, Matt? Not from the womb, but from your Dan Verdugo karate days?)
I'm sorry to say that, at this point, this poor child is still without a middle name, but we've discussed some good contenders. I think we should just go with Bronwyn and Jeremy's suggestion (when they were deciding on their first child's middle name) and choose an ASL sign: first name, (super meaningful hand motion), last name.
On a more decisive note, we have registered for baby things! Armed with two books and a scan gun, we inched our way through Babies R Us, scanning items for David's sleeping, bathing, feeding, traveling and playing wants/needs. In terms of the nursery, we're going nautical:
And of course we can't forget about all of the treasures that can be found on eBay and Craigslist:
It's been so fun figuring our how to prepare our nest for this little man! I could write a completely separate, and epic entry about trying to prepare for parenthood, but for now I'll leave you with potential paint colors instead. Those are much easier to sum up in a photo:
Friday, June 18, 2010
Rise and Shine
This morning, for the second time in the last week or so, I am up earlier than expected. This is because the baby is up earlier than expected:) I don't think it's bizarre that there is another person developing within me, but it is bizarre when an internal presence wakes me up... Usually the culprits are external--birds, thunder, the neighbor's dogs. Not so any longer. This morning it was a series of subtle, then not so subtle kick-punches just below my left set of ribs. Jon can tell you how much I value my sleep, but rising and shining for this little person is not so bad:) It's actually a very sweet way to wake up.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Setting Sale
Friends, there are at least three reasons why today is shaping up to be a spectacular day:
1. It's Friday afternoon
2. The World Cup has begun
3. Team Pagan embarked upon their first yard sale and emerged as champions
Were my joy to manifest, it would look something like this. The search result after typing "happy jumping people" into Google Images. I would look like the person in between the blue and green panel, but rounder, and likely lower to the ground.
This morning before work, Jon and I drove to a yard sale that a friend-of-a-friend was hosting. After 20 minutes of browsing, we walked away with the following treasures:
1. Baby Bjorn
The real deal as purchased by us.
2. Lime Bumbo (plus tray!)
3. Complete Set of Baby Einstein DVD's
I know, the recent lawsuit may have indicated that Baby Einstein products won't, in fact, turn our son into the next DaVinci or Mozart, but if they will keep him engaged in his Bumbo while I'm cooking dinner, we'll consider this purchase a win.
All practically new and obscenely discounted! Yes!
I do like the satisfaction that comes from a successful yard sale experience. Great suggestion, Jon!
3. Complete Set of Baby Einstein DVD's
I know, the recent lawsuit may have indicated that Baby Einstein products won't, in fact, turn our son into the next DaVinci or Mozart, but if they will keep him engaged in his Bumbo while I'm cooking dinner, we'll consider this purchase a win.
All practically new and obscenely discounted! Yes!
I do like the satisfaction that comes from a successful yard sale experience. Great suggestion, Jon!
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