Of Track Suits and Tandem Bikes...

Where's the Bird?

2012-02-10T00:25:00.000-08:00

Dialogue between chatty baby and Jenn, who has a cold and jumps octaves when she is pleasantly surprised:)

Future Doctor

2012-02-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

How's the cold, mama? You should be pushing fluids. Here.
[Stripes and plaids? That's right, it was laundry day].

Allow me to check your lymph nodes...

And your ears.

Treating the panda for RSV.

Good loves.

A Good Wife

2012-01-29T23:08:00.000-08:00

Since Jon and I were married four years ago, I've given a lot of thought as to what it means to be a "good wife."

During our pre-marital days, I used to meditate on the guidance issued in Proverbs 31:

An Excellent Wife Who Can Find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

(Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV)

She sounds awesome, right? Godly, wise, super-diligent, enterprising, fit, skilled, generous, beloved etc. Who wouldn't want to possess all of those qualities?

And so I thought to myself, "I need to mod-podge this to a promenant surface in our house, as a constant reminder of the woman I aspire to be."

But somewhere between the mod-podge, the cross-country moves, the career/school transitions, the additions to our family, I allowed my "good wife" definition to become skewed by the likes of peers, insecurities and platitudes from women like Tyra Banks: "The most important item in your makeup bag is a good night's sleep." Really, Tyra? This is like a modern day "Let them eat cake," statement.

Each day, new sources would tell me:

Good wives are immaculate. They are perfectly groomed and put together each day. Their nails are always done and their elbows are always smooth. They have endless accessories, which they skillfully pair with flattering outfits so as to keep their husbands interested in them. Wives who are not immaculate have their doctor husbands lured away by younger, more immaculate colleagues who are more pleasing to the doctor husband eye. (No joke. Admonition from a co-worker).

Good wives have immaculate houses, all the time. They never have dishes in the sink. They never have laundry overflowing from hampers. Their bookshelves are always dusted. They don't have gold fish crackers under their couch cushions. Their floors are always clean and free from peas because their perfect children are tidy eaters that don't throw food on the floor. They are experienced at organizing life's clutter into little wicker baskets and making their own eco-friendly dish washing detergent.

Good wives get a week's worth of errands done in a day, in between chores, so that they can spend the rest of the week maintaining their perfect appearance, house and children.

Ok, this is getting a little cynical, but maybe you can appreciate the sentiments. All of these notions contain traces of truth, but they are distorted by fear, suspicion, insecurity and unrealistic expectations. Unhelpful and exhausting.

This type of loss of perspective is corrosive.

I want to be gentle as I explain this, because I feel like it's so easy to let your marriage fall prey to negative influences at times when you feel overwhelmed (good wives don't get overwhelmed, right?). I've watched it unfold at times in our own home and 90% of the time it's because I've lost sight of my Proverbs 31 Good Wife definition. This happens when I don't spend enough time talking with God and experiencing him through His word. The other 10% of the time, I struggle with the Proverbs 31 Good Wife definition itself. I'm talking about moments where I feel sincerely perplexed--not about what a good wife is supposed to look like, but HOW she accomplishes all of the things in the Proverbs 31 Good Wife run-down.

Take another look at the list--it is impressive. She can't possibly do EVERYTHING on her list every day, can she? Bits and pieces, maybe, over the course of the month. Does she exist on just a few hours of sleep per night and a few handfuls of wheat berries for sustenance? Does she enlist the help of the fellow good wives in her community of friends, or her children? Does this model wife ever get burnt out and eat an entire sleeve of thin mints?

Perhaps it's that her ability to prioritize her relationship with God that makes all of the other things fall into place. Maybe it doesn't bother her that she noticed oatmeal in her child's hair at the grocery store because that same child rose earlier that day to call her blessed.

Ladies, I know that there are scads of us out there that want to be excellent wives and mothers. If you've ever found yourself far from the qualities in Proverbs 31, please know that you're in good company, but seriously, we should stick this passage to our fridges. Complicated as I find it at times, it serves as a great illustration about how to be a wife that gives life to her family and community.

Thrice Melted

2011-11-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Caution: today's post is intimate and sentimental. I use the word "little" unabashedly. If you're not interested in this sort of post, but still have a yen to read something, try this, it's mathsy and fun.

There are cracker crumbs between the keys of my keyboard. Evidence that my son is an aspiring blogger.

Last night was a long night for Team Pagan. We're all recovering from a very throat-centric and slow-moving upper respiratory virus, and our little boy, who is usually not one to snuggle, wanted nothing more than to be held between coughs. So pitiful to watch him wake himself up, frustrated and coughing, but so sweet to feel him nuzzle his little face between my neck and shoulder and find comfort in the curvatures that I'm convinced only mothers have.

Some time around 2:30 a.m. he finally fell asleep and I was able to rest for a few hours on the couch with him. He kept one hand on my face at all times. It was adorable.

And then around 5:00 a.m. he stirred and sat up (eyes still closed). He sat bleary eyed, waking up and realizing where he was and who he was with--touching his blanket, the couch, my arm...then my face. And then he immediately made his baby sign for "more food." It looked something like this:

If there had been a baby sign for "one million fluffy puppies" or "all the happiness this world can offer," and he had signed it, I would have done everything in my power to respond.

Later that day we had to visit the pediatrician to investigate the lingering virus and get a flu booster. Insult to injury, right?

While we were waiting for the nurse, we were counting items in the exam room, identifying objects and colors, looking out the window, etc. And then I thought I would ask for a kiss, since we had had such a snuggly start to our day.

Ask and ye shall receive--multiple, slobbery kisses. Again, not at all typical of David P., but my heart nearly exploded in my chest.

Afterward, we went home and played/rested until Jon returned from the hospital. We had dinner, then bathed and jammied our kiddo. I read David a story while Jon got milk and medicine ready, and then he came in to say goodnight.

As Jon was telling David that he loved him, David moved his little hand to his mouth and blew Jon a kiss (a skill his cousin Charlotte taught him last week). Both of us were agape.

This is the type of love that makes me ache.

Say What You Will About Work-Related Productivity, Readership is Up in Slovenia

2011-11-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been wonderful, and it's not over yet.

Technically, I'm supposed to be finishing up some work to better posture myself for a short, but intense week. Technically.

Instead, I find myself reviewing my stats on blogger.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with the stats feature that Google offers, but it's kind of great for curiosity and ego, although it has a built-in *reality widget* to help keep things in perspective. For small-time bloggers like me, it's always fun to look and see which twelve people in the world have been visiting my blog.

Illustration:

Oh look! In the past week I've had 17 hits from Slovenia! Is this more significant than work-related spreadsheet? You bet. My boss would probably disagree. And what's going on in Japan? I'm not sure, but I'm thrilled. Japanese friends, I love you and think of you often:)

And in the past month?

Alright Slovenia, you're being edged out by the UK, but there's still a few days left in the month. Germany, France, India, Netherlands, Russia and Latvia, welcome welcome! So nice of you to drop by!

So what could possibly explain the international presence on my tiny space on the internets (*cue reality check widget*)? I'd like to think that people just enjoy watching my son do cute things like wield sticks or brooms. Or that they feel like they can identify with our family. These are potential explanations, but I think a more likely one is that people just really want to find images of Bjorn Borg and cicada killer wasps. Fortunately for you, gentle reader, this blog has both. You're welcome:)

This theory is supported by the "traffic sources" feature that allows you to see key words that people are searching for on the internet that can be found on your blog:

It has been my experience that Bjorn is still provoking a lot of interest out there...

Whatever the reasons, I've really enjoyed watching new countries pop up on our traffic source; even if they're simply looking for action shots of former tennis pros or prehistoric-looking insects. Our international reader-friends are welcome any time:)

Had I Been Live Blogging through Tonight's Workout...

2011-11-15T20:57:00.000-08:00

In an effort to minimize holiday weight-gain, I took the shallow, financial plunge and invested in a work-out DVD and a set of hand weights (also a great excuse to run to Target during my lunch). My, how things have changed since 2008:)

You don't have to have experience with one of these home work-out programs to know that it's impossible to live-blog while you're exercising, but while I was supposed to be focusing on engaging my biceps, I thought, oh how I wish I could be blogging my inner thoughts right now...

They would have sounded something like this:

Workout DVD: Alright, let's get right into it with a warm up...

Jenn: Alright! This feels good! This isn't so bad!

[A few minutes pass]

Workout DVD: Ok! Warm up over...

Jenn: Well that was great for me! Let's call it a night.

Workout DVD: ...let's move right into cardio!

Jenn: (Sigh) Ok, this is what I paid for, and this is what she's known for. Man, when was the last time I did a jumping jack? What is that snapping? Are those my ankles? (Starting to feel winded).

Workout DVD: Ok, now let's make every minute count. We're moving straight into strength...

Jenn: (Panting, even in her thoughts) Ok, this chick doesn't mess around. Right. (Pant). On to strength. Good call on the lighter weights, Jenn. Don't be a hero.

[Several minutes pass]

Workout DVD: On to abs!

Jenn: (Thoroughly winded) WHEN IS THIS THING OVER?!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WOMAN AND HOW CAN SHE CONTINUE SMILING WHILE DOING THIS? I hope my neighbors can't see me right now...

Workout DVD: I know you're tired...

Jenn: What a smug thing to say. You run on a treadmill of lies.

Workout DVD: (workout jargon)... butt kicks! Come on!...

Jenn: Why does it feel like I'm trying to run, waist-deep in sand? Come on, quads! Almost done!

[Several more minutes pass]

Workout DVD: Great work! Now it's time for a cool down...

Jenn: YES! I can't even lift my arms to fix my crazy, Beethoven-esque ponytail right now. I don't care--I made it to the end! Where is my water bottle?

Workout DVD: (calming workout jargon)...legs in extended v....

Jenn: Danger...

Workout DVD: You've just completed session 1!

Jenn: (still lying on the floor next to my embarrassingly small hand weights) Victory! Done!

Until tomorrow:)

The Traditional Birthday Run-Down

2011-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

Still playing catch up from last month, but here is a look at the week leading up to, and including David's birthday (in traditional, pictorial run-down style):

The week leading up to David's first birthday was fun and introspective. Upon realizing he would be turning one, David decided to step up his personal fitness and do some yoga in the park with his dad.

This was followed by lunch with mom and dad at one of our favorite sandwich places. No evidence of a sandwich? The soup and twice baked potatoes are also good.

The next day we went to look for fall decor things at Hobby Lobby. We didn't end up getting the giant pumpkin, but it was definitely fun for climbing and pointing.

Then my mom rolled into town (hooray!) and got to witness David's first haircut. By that, I mean the woman with the scissors trimmed his bangs while I kept him from resisting. I don't think I need to tell you how much he disliked getting his hair cut...

Reigning over his leaf empire with what the National Toy Hall of Fame calls one of the best toys to foster a child's imagination:)

"The yelling will continue until morale improves!"

We met the Hills for dinner at our local pizza place, where Keith and D engaged in a most serious staring contest...

...that was short-lived:) They do have fun together.

The morning of his party, Jon and David went back over to the Hills to put David's wagon (gift from mom and dad) together. Keith outfitted him with the proper tools. David was all about helping.

While the men were hard at work assembling wagons, my mom and I were busy tidying and making food! She is so creative--alien cupcake toppers made out of fondant!

And before we knew it, we had friends over! Meet Nathan, our super-verbal, fellow-med-student-kiddo friend.

Friends helping us open presents!

You had to have been there to really witness the cuteness. I will say that there were a lot of tiny plaid shirts in our house that afternoon. Like a convention for tiny lumberjacks--SO cute!

David's smash cake.

Birthday cake:)

Birthday cupcakes! Success! To go along with our space theme, my mom made spaceship cupcakes (complete with aliens). They were as tasty as they were cute.

Mom and the birthday boy right before cake.

My lovely mom, myself and D preparing for cake.

Cake noms.

Miranda showing David how it's done.

He caught on quickly...

Jon and my mom taking pictures.

I'm not sure where I went, but Jon was kind enough to help clean things up, post cake.

The aftermath...

Our tired little host--he did a great job, though.

Post-nap, playing with his new gift from Grammy and Pop with his dad!

Then we all went for a wagon ride through the neighborhood.

Our happy kiddo:)

I can't believe I didn't do a better job of documenting my mom's visit here. We had such a great time with her and I hardly have any pictures to show for the week she spent with us. This is one of the few pictures that we did get during one of the last days of her visit.

All in all, a wonderful birthday!

On: Science fiction, Stargate SG-1 and my son, David.

2011-11-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, my son and I finished what will be the first of many series enjoyed together when we watched the final SG-1 movie. It was bitter sweet, as finishing a wonderful television series always is, but especially so this time. During the first few months of David's life he was a very particular, nay, fussy baby. He was very specific with his requirements: Up and down bouncing, full stomach, dimmed lights, standing, (wait you thought you could sit?), more standing. I had been wanting to dive into some more science fiction and for whatever reason decided that I would tackle Stargate as my next series. It was then, in the wee small hours of the morning, that David and I began our Stargate adventures.

Over the next 12 months we went through 10 seasons and two movies of Stargate SG-1. When David was really little, his favorite character was Colonel Jack O'neil. Everytime he was on the screen, David loved it.

I'm not really sure what it was about Jack that he loved, I like to think it was charm, and wit.

As he grew he found a new favorite character, Colonel Samantha Carter. With her, he was of course drawn to her mastery of wormhole physics. (Right!) Thats what I like about her. David, on the other hand, loves the blondes.

This explains his current favorite character, Rapunzel from the movie Tangled.

In all honesty in those early months David didn't do as much watching of SG-1 as he did sleep peacefully while I bounced him and watched. However, as he got older he started to enjoy watching with me! (Necessary disclaimer: Jenn had a very strict 15 minute television rule, which we followed to the letter. Most of the time)

I remember when I was young, science fiction was one of the things that my Dad and I shared that I thought was special. When Dad's find out they are going to have a son many things go through their head: playing catch, riding bikes, shaving, etc. etc. For me, add on to that list, watching sci-fi. Its still too early to tell if David will truly be a fan of science fiction. However, I cherish this last year of enjoying SG-1 with him. Twenty years from now when I catch an episode of SG-1 I will instantly be transported back to the first year of David's life, and the time we spent pretending to travel to other worlds together. I love you David, thanks for being a better son than I could have wished for.

I think its appropriate to close with the words of David's favorite character when faced with certain doom:

"Then I suppose now is the time for me to say something profound... Nothing comes to mind. Let's do it."

David pretending to be Jack O'Neil running through the Stargate. (He would of course want you to ignore the help he is receiving from Mom :-)

The Non-Traditional Birthday Post

2011-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we celebrated our son's first birthday.

I've thought for two weeks about how I wanted to describe it on our blog, and, being the indecisive soul that I am, I decided I needed two perspectives: the traditional birthday run-down, and the non-traditional, honest recount of a truly wonderful and significant day with good friends and family.

This post gives you the latter perspective (thanks to Keith, our dear friend and trusty camera man). These are a few meaningful pictures that I don't have the heart to clutter with captions:

I am so proud and thankful for this little boy. I love reflecting on the past year and how he has brightened our family.

It's Just A Virus, Or, Re-Imagine Uses for Your Broom.

2011-10-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Plasma.

Word of next generation iGadgets.

Syria's unrest.

David P.

All things that cannot be contained.

Let me back up for a moment, before I get ahead of myself and start posting pictures of our little boy holding comically large cleaning implements.

A plague fell on the House of Pagan this weekend--striking Friday and lasting through the end of Sunday. It was foul business. And sneaky. Hitting poor David first, on Wednesday, then me, then Jon. The mind really does start to reel once the symptoms start manifesting more aggressively. Is this Cholera? I place part of the blame on the med school experience, and part of the blame on myself for watching too much House.

Don't worry, it wasn't lupus.

In any event, we all survived and had a very mellow weekend. This was helpful.

Call it irresponsible parenting, but when everyone is sick and can barely summon the energy to wear jeans and sit upright, we watch movies. And keep Kleenex nearby.

Eventually, we felt well enough to venture out of the house, which our little boy loved, and in doing so, it was like God flipped some kind of developmental switch. We have gone from zero to multiple baby gates in a mere matter of days.

This is David P. He is a good little boy, and always very curious.

Getting ready to climb into the pantry. David's homage to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Somewhere, in the back of that cupboard, is a family of beavers waiting to befriend him.

Unimpressed with the baby gates. Attempting to break out with the help of his new favorite toy.

But all of this exploring, if left unchecked, can be hazardous:

First owie--the result of a header he took in the driveway as I was walking up to greet him from the mailbox. Too much momentum.

Late Night Stream of Consciousness Before Bed

2011-10-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Late night thoughts as I wind down from work and prepare for the sleep

My attempt to call at least one friend per weekend failed this week. Better luck next week. I realize that being a loyal friend doesn't require weekly phone calls, but it's nice to talk with friends often.
My google reader has blown up... by Jenn standards. Jon's google reader contains zillions of subscriptions to zillions of different sites--techy, newsy, health-related. I think I would go crazy if I had to manage a reader like his--not because of content, but just the sheer VOLUME of content. I'm chipping away at my 42 unread items:)
If I were to decide, one day, to open up my own business, I would open a cozy, lovely little bookstore/fruit market called Nom de Plum, where writers and literature enthusiasts could enjoy good books and fine produce. The two concepts don't really complement each other, but I would hire a clever marketing team to make it sound chic. Of course, I would have access to digital content, for sanity's sake. If you've ever tried to read a classic while eating a nectarine, you know what I'm talking about.
Must clean tea pot. It is quickly becoming tea weather and I need to get my station set back up in the kitchen:)
Jon is sleeping and will rise in about 2.5 hours. David is sleeping, and will rise in about 4.5 hours. Holy goodness, I have got to get to bed.

Pumpkin Patchery

2011-09-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

This has been a great weekend for Team Pagan.

I did roughly 800 loads of laundry on Saturday, Jon and I cleaned and ran a bunch of errands, we got to hang out and relax as a family AND we were able to see good friends that we haven't caught up with in months due to super-busy-third-year-med-student-don't-even-think-about-governing-your-own-schedule schedules.

Three things from this weekend are worth noting:

1. Our son is 11 months old today!

2. Yesterday marked David's first ride in a wagon (video forthcoming). For our little boy, life is sweetest outside, in a wagon, with buddy Miranda, being pulled around the block by Uncle Keith.

3. Today was David's first trip to a pumpkin patch! Cue pictures!

These are our friends, Wyatt, Ryan and Margie. They suggested that we get together at the pumpkin patch--a fabulous suggestion.

There was a corn pit! This was the first time any of us had ever seen one--so neat!

Wyatt showing David how to traverse the corn pit.

David, not as enthusiastic about le corn pit...

"There's corn EVERYWHERE! Will someone please take me out of here now?!"

Oooh, and then we went on a hay ride! Second only to the wagon ride, life is pretty sweet sitting on a bale of hay while getting pulled around by a giant tractor. Plus, Jenn was wearing her most pumpkin patchy shirt. Like being held by a picnic:)

I know he looks skeptical, but he really did enjoy it. Lots of "oooh!" ing and pointing at plants and scarecrows and butterflies.

Change of scenery--sitting with dad, mid "ooh."

There was also a hay maze (next to the corn pit)! Perfect place to explore.

Walking to dad in tiny green cords:)

Practiced some more walking in the grass by the pumpkins. T-Rex posture.

Step...

Step, step, step!

I was quick enough to snap this photo, but not quite quick enough to keep the dirt out of his mouth... He is a little boy.

Ok, I know that two in a row just looks reckless, but he started out by trying to push the wheel barrow, and then discovered that the handles would be perfect for chewing. Too cute not to photograph.

This place was beautiful. By the end of the day it had gotten a little muggy, which is why our son looks discontent, but we all had a great time AND we found the perfect pumpkins to grace our porch!

The Walk

2011-09-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Its funny, everyone tells you that when you have children, "everything changes." Admittedly, I put this in the same column as the wonderful advice of, "get as much sleep as you can now." That is to say, the 'of course' column. Now, nearly 10 and half months later, I can say that I have absolutely been changed by becoming a Dad. For example:

The other day my Dad sent me a song that he said I should listen to as it regarded fatherhood. The song is called The Walk by Sawyer Brown. I wasn't able to listen to it that day, until finally this afternoon while in the midst of hanging out with my son that I remembered the email was waiting for us. So David and I pulled up the song and pressed play.

The first thing that struck me was: Man I've heard this before. Turns out, it is a song that my Dad used to play often when I myself was a kid. I remembered the song well, but had never paid attention to the lyrics. I listened along, and realized how profoundly my life has been changed by my son David. I noticed motion to my left and looked over at my son:

Not only was he listening to the music, but he was dancing along. I want to thank you Dad for sending me this song, it brought back amazing memories of childhood with you. I greatly enjoyed the walk with you, and look forward to the walk with David everyday.

As I watched my son dance, its hard to describe exactly what I felt at that moment. I leaned over, scooped him up, and told him how much I love him. It was at this point that, out of nowhere, a piece of dust flew up and into my eye.

Clumsy

2011-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Fact: I can last about three days on sub-standard sleep before I begin damaging myself.

This is a threshold that I suspected in high school and confirmed in college. Now, as I wife and mom, I just try to minimize the damage.

Our poor kiddo has been sick all week (talk about sub-standard sleep--he has been such a trooper), and Jon has to work nights this week for his OB rotation, so we've all been struggling with both quality and quantity of rest. In the last seven days, I've managed to:

Slice my finger with a paring knife (this is the first time I've ever cut my fingers in the kitchen, ever);
Bruise both hips (I'm still trying to figure that one out... I'm pretty sure there were two separate incidents);
Whack the outer part of my right elbow on a fire alarm at the pediatrician's office;
Whack the inner part of my right elbow on something else angular at home (I can't recall what it was);
Drop the baby monitor on my left foot;
and the piece de resistance--I very nearly crashed into the crib after tripping over the glider ottoman in the baby's room the other night when I went in to feed him...

Nine years of ballet--I'm convinced I would have broken something by now had I not had that kind of training.

All of this said, I don't think I'll need to wear mittens or use circles of paper with safety pencils at work, I just need to move a little more intentionally. A tired, hurried Jenn is a clumsy Jenn, but a tired, deliberate Jenn keeps her fingers intact.

*When I Googled "clumsy" for some inspirado for this post, the first link I stumbled (ha!) upon was a youtube video of Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. I watched for one minute and twelve seconds before deciding three things:
1. That's not the kind of clumsy I'm talking about...
2. The song is like a virus and I'll likely be humming the first minute and twelve seconds of it for the rest of the weekend;
3. I bet she could help it if she too were more deliberate.

Date Night!

2011-08-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I know some of you saw the title of this post and thought of the 2010 comedy with Steve Carell and Tina Fey. Sorry readers, this is not a movie review--it's an actual review of an actual date night.

That's right! Date night (this past Saturday)! One of the few that we've had since the baby was born and one that came right on the heels of the first week of Jon's OB rotation. A much needed time to decompress and have some fun after a 72 hour work week.

It was glorious. For three straight hours:

Jon and I wore our semi-fancies and met our friends at a funky, local restaurant to hear a former colleague and his band perform everything from Dean Martin to Paul Simon to Amy Winehouse. I know it doesn't sound like a complementary line-up, but it totally worked. They were really fun to listen to and watch!

We ate world-famous cheese dip and drank adult beverages.

I hate to focus on the attire too much, but seriously, it was after 7:00 pm and I was wearing clothing that was both clean (free from baby-related stains) AND that had structure to flatter a figure, not a circus.

Topics of conversation on the way to and from dinner included:

The potential pros and cons of transferring your consciousness into a robotic life form if future technology were to permit;
How wild and great that it is that we're married with a precocious child;
The speed at which an adult can metabolize alcohol;
How much we love our friends;
How to locate the best, free parking;
How full we were; etc.

I cannot tell you how much we love the date night. It is such a great investment. We highly recommend it.

Bagelversary

2011-08-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

August 19th is a significant date in the Pagan piazza. It marks the date of our first date--the safe, mid-day, "let's meet for lunch, how about bagels?" non-date of two high school friends reunited after graduating from college.

Bagelversary.

22 year old Jenn wore a casual red skirt and white T-shirt, so as to look cute, but not like a woman who was interested in pursuing any type of romantic relationship. She maintained the same, flippy, retro haircut that she had in high school.

22 year old Jon, wore a relaxed pair of jeans and collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He maintained the same spiky and provoked haircut that he had in high school.

22 year old Jenn would never have admitted it, but she thought that 22 year old Jon looked super handsome and that he smelled really good. They hugged, exchanged pleasantries, ordered food, prayed over food (an act that pleasantly surprised each of them), and then chatted for an hour or so about what they had been up to for the last four years.

And then they parted, agreeing to meet up (Jon, correct me if my memory is failing me) again later that night so that Jenn could attempt to hustle Jon at pool.

They did, in fact, meet up again, but Jenn did not hustle Jon at pool. Frankly, both Jenn and Jon played terribly, but that's not the point. The point is, they navigated through the safe, bagel lunch, then dinner, then three games of pool, AND a late night viewing (at Jenn's insistence) of The Royal Tennenbaums--the movie that she had watched multiple times in college and had taken with her overseas to watch when she missed hearing English.

And now we're married. With a baby:)

Take that, Jenn who attempted to simultaneously date and yet not date 22 year old Jon on the first bagelversary.

Sometimes I think it would be fun to write letters to the Jenn and Jon of five years ago, giving them little glimpses into the future and extending some perspective. Something with the poetic depth of Conan O'Brian's In the Year 2000 sketches, combined with Rilke's wittiness and comedic timing.

Maybe for another post.

The Post With All the Mischief

2011-08-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I'm happy to have a child that is active and curious.

I'd much rather have a busy baby than a baby that didn't like to get into at least a little trouble every now and then. I used to pray about this sort of thing before David was even born without really knowing what type of behavior his little personality would affect. Ask and ye shall receive, right?

Right. Ten-fold.

Sure, our house is baby proofed, but we're still figuring out how to David-proof it.

What I have learned in the process is that sometimes it's more fun to jump in the laundry pile and play in it than it is to fold the clothes in it. Sometimes eating your food and wearing it are equally fun. Let me illustrate:

Have you heard that song, Merry Happy? I'm going to compose a piece inspired by this little boy called, Busy Happy.

Contrary to guidance from the manufacturer, playing under large toys is always more fun.

At any given moment, some part of our house will need to be tidied. I like to think that our kiddo is just a super-accomplished multi-tasker.

Case in point.

Also, the camera lens....

will always be more interesting than traditional toys.

Fairly sure that my son took to heart all of the dialogue he heard in utero while we watched Oceans 11. He works quickly and with much charm and stealth. David Ocean.

The contents of my purse are fair game and will likely end up in his mouth. Although, last night, I saw that he had placed a piece of sausage in my purse. Mischief or thoughtful gift?

Our son is happiest without pants...

while in motion...

while exploring the dishwasher before one of us swoops in and snatches him away from it.

I know it sounds cliche, but striking that balance between organized wife and mother and rested/fun wife and mother can be a challenge. All that said, yes, our house must be tidied. Yes, there will always be domestic banalities. But my latest strategy is to reserve the bulk of those for the weekend during the baby's nap time so that we can play.

Breakfast Noms. Al Fresco, Please.

2011-08-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Recently the South has felt a little swampy.

I'm talking, walk outside from a moderately air-conditioned building and your glasses fog up, humid. So when we can, we try to take advantage of the early morning hours, while it's still reasonable outside. One of our favorite early morning past times? Breakfast on the back porch, where we can watch the bugs, birds, and squirrels! Like a lot of little ones we know, I'm convinced our son could stay outside all day if we let him:

According to David, nothing enhances the flavor of a waffle like the fuzz from a felt blanket.

Right hand is for eating, left hand is for counter-balancing.

Moments before I maneuvered the camera away from the waffly clutches of this happy kiddo:)

The Post with All the Pictures

2011-07-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

I don't think I need to explain how much this boy likes sitting in his dad's desk chair:

Yesss!!!

Music appreciation

Another blissful chair moment

Hey dad, check me out! Wave!

And here is a brief look at June and July happenings:

Always watching

I love the duck bum pants so much, I can't even tell you.

Best mom impression

My son, the fashionista. Tim Gunn, you're looking at your new fall line. He makes the monkey hat work.

On our way to the zoo. Safari hat. Ready to see giraffes (AKA, giant Sophies)

Just In Time for Father's Day!

2011-06-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's official: our son is crawling!

Dear Auntie Em, Thanks for Letting Us Borrow the Bouncer

2011-05-25T18:42:00.001-07:00

Repurposing Junk Mail

2011-05-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

There is a place in the Pagan Piazza for purchased toys, designed to stimulate our son's mind and physically exercise him. Then there are the really fun toys:

"Ing"

2011-05-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

A glimpse of what goes on between father and son while mom is at work:

Napping

Striping

Reading

Moving

Resting

Assisting

Cuting:)

Throw Back Post--A North Carolina Nocturne (In Four Movements)

2011-05-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to transfer the content from our old iWeb blog to this site for a while now. Today I woke up and decided that I would start the process this morning. Keep an eye out for "throw back" posts from time to time--a snapshot of the days when Jon and Jenn were younger, childless, in better shape and living in different parts of the country:)

Here's a post from Wednesday, July 1, 2009:

A North Carolina Nocturne (In Four Movements)

A composition inspired by an evening spent in Charlotte because of a flight delayed by a rogue storm.

Movement One: Le Petit Roche

Jennifer had intended to leave Little Rock on Tuesday at 6:03 PM. She was scheduled to land in Charlotte at 8:53 PM, where she would board another plane bound for DC, where Jon would pick her up at 11:36 PM.

Instead, the heavens opened over Little Rock, making it impossible for her to leave before 7:00 PM. She stood in line to reschedule her connecting flight for an hour (in front of a business man who had had a very challenging day). She was able to book the earliest flight out of Charlotte the following morning at 6:00 AM. Since it wasn’t cost effective to rent a car to drive to a hotel, only to sleep for four hours, Jennifer decided that she would stay the night at the Charlotte airport when she arrived.

Minutes later, her plane was given clearance to land. She boarded it, and landed in Charlotte at 10:25 PM.

Movement Two: Evening Migration

Jennifer sat in terminal E of the Charlotte airport, resting from the flight and reading. She had been sneezing, and did not feel well. Shortly after midnight, a security officer perched on a segway sped around a row of chairs and approached her. He informed her that she would have to relocate to the check-in area if she intended to stay in the airport, that she could go through security again at 4:00 AM. So Jennifer complied and requested that the segway officer escort her to the check-in area. She had no idea the Charlotte airport was so expansive.

Jennifer’s post-flight speed was no match for segway officer, who would continually speed ahead of her and look back impatiently as she caught up with him. Together, they migrated to the other side of the airport, like an inch worm—him speeding up in the front, her catching up in the back. This process took about 10 minutes.

12:00 AM

Movement Three: Nesting and the Posture of Sleepless Jenns

Jennifer arrived at the check-in area to find dozens of sleepy passengers draped over chairs, sprawled out on the floor, and curled up in corners. In an attempt to be strategic, Jennifer settled down on the floor near an outlet, a restroom, the arrivals/departures console, and a 24 hour Starbucks. She was pleased with her spot.

Over the course of the night, Jennifer fought to stay awake. She changed out of her work clothes into the comfy, draw-string khakis her sister had given her, and the pink t-shirt that she thought gave the illusion of a little more color to her face. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. All failed attempts to feel fresher and more alert.

She read.

She surfed the net.

She let her dying phone charge.

At about 3:00 AM, Jennifer decided that she was not only sleepy, she was exhibiting cold symptoms. Thankfully, her husband had packed a powerful combination antihistamine/ decongestant in the overnight bag during their last excursion, and the Starbucks offered tea and honey.

Unable to stay awake any longer, Jennifer built a nest from her belongings, draped her sweater over her carry-on, and attempted to sleep. While she never actually fell asleep, she did feel better lying down.

2:30 AM

Movement Four: Acceptance

At 4:15, Jennifer was awakened by a group of people bemoaning their poorly marked tickets. No gate number. Jennifer had been “sleeping” for about 45 minutes. She could see people lining up to pass through security, so she decided to gather her things and follow suit. But not before eating a defrosted bagel and taking some Advil. In a haze, she made the mistake of buying a small bottle of water at Starbucks from the kind woman that sold her tea an hour before. Upon reaching the security check point, she was asked to either chug the water, or surrender it immediately. How could she have forgotten so quickly? No liquids past the check point.

After passing through security, Jennifer shuffled back across the airport to terminal E. She saw the segway officer drinking a venti caramel frappuccino and talking with his colleagues (also on segways). She felt short and slow of pace. She arrived at her gate shortly before 5:00 AM. She sat at the gate with her eyes closed, waiting to board at 5:33 AM. At that time, nine other people boarded the plane with her.

5:00 AM

At this point, acceptance (that she had not had a restful evening) had given way to despair as Jennifer realized that she would still have to go in to work in a couple of hours to wrap up some last-minute, administrative tasks. The thought was almost enough to evoke tears.

Although the outside air was about 75 degrees, the cabin of the plane was extremely cold. Jennifer knew this would be a quick flight, so she drew her knees up and crossed her arms—a go-to move of hers to preserve body heat and stay warm. She could make it an hour.

She could not make it an hour.

Jennifer rang the call light for the flight attendant, a nice man named Glenn, and asked if he had a blanket on board. Glenn offered to sell Jennifer a blanket for $7 US dollars. Jennifer shrieked on the inside, but declined Glenn’s offer and thanked him for his time.

At 6:50 AM, Jennifer landed in DC – 7 hours and 14 minutes behind schedule. She had been awake for roughly 24 hours and 15 minutes. This fact was not betrayed by her appearance, or her expression.

6:50 AM

Fin

Encore

Later that morning, Jennifer was able to take a glorious nap. She is currently sleepy, and looking forward to going to bed again soon.

*Note to 2009 Jenn from 2011 Jenn--Oh, poor, naive girl. If only you knew how little sleep you will be getting in the future:)*

In the Wee Small Hours

2011-05-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

There are certain things you should never do under certain circumstances; like blogging at 2:30 AM when you don't have all of your faculties about you. It's akin to someone picking up a phone if they've had too much to drink, or shopping while you're hungry, or driving while agitated. Or trying to spell "agitated" correctly at 2:30 AM...

So I'm going to go to bed before I wake up in a few hours to discover that I've diapered our baby with hair sculptor or purchased an as-seen-on-tv cat toilet training kit. Or a German television studio on eBay.

Easter!

2011-04-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right? I know that I'm working in reverse order, but Easter is a big deal and deserves its own post. Also, we captured some pretty sweet moments from the day that we thought you would enjoy:

David woke up early on Easter morning, then decided to nap out on the couch until it was time to get ready for church.

He had no idea that the Easter Mom had come to surprise him with goodies.

But then he arose to find his new car seat accessory, and was pleased:)

And there were more interesting things to look at, like bubbles...

And this suspicious guy...

Things started off well,

and then we're not really sure what happened, but the situation took a turn for the ugly. This is his, "Don't you sass me," face.

And then he took a swing at him.

Let's be honest, it would be Easter without some feats of strength.

Suffice it to say, the bunny was put in his place.

Then I went to Sunday school with my 5th grade ladies and came down the stairs to meet Jon and David for the 11:00 service. Jon had gotten our son ready for his first Easter Sunday--cuteness, thy name is six-month-old in a sweater vest.

David getting his sleeves rolled up like dad's. This made for less soggy cuffs by the end of the service.

My handsome men.

And look at that! There ARE three people in our family (not just a baby and his paparazzi)!

Then we came home and did some reading about what Easter was really about. I suspect that's what instigated the earlier bunny brawl--our kid's up on his theology and the bunny was vying for too much credit.

And we finished the day over dinner with the Hills:) Miss Miranda is getting so big!

Thoughts on Marriage, Family and Med School

2011-04-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Med school can be a thicket.

I say that from the vantage point of a person who is not in med school herself, just part of the unit that is going through the med school experience.

I say that it's a thicket, but if I wanted to compare it to something that I knew, I would say that it can sometimes feel like labor--as in birthing a child. It's incredibly hard, taxing work on all parties involved, requiring all of your energy, all of your focus, all of your patience. All of it.

You look for, and are encouraged by those interim milestones. And in the end your efforts pay off in the form of something that you love, that you're proud of. A gift for which you're responsible. However, no amount of preparation, or discussion, or forewarning can prepare you for the actual process. You just have to give it everything you've got.

If Jon and I didn't firmly believe that we were built to do this, to live this kind of lifestyle, I think our marriage would look very different. If we didn't lean hard on a God that was constantly redirecting our attention toward Him instead of each other's short-comings, I shudder to think how our life would look. The financial stress brought on, in part, by the staggering amount of debt you take on as a student, the physical and mental fatigue that comes with studying/working long hours and investing in the life of a baby and your spouse, the added strain of juggled schedules and exams that determine the type of career you'll have and the location of your next home. All part of the gig, and there are times where we feel these weigh heavily on our family.

Acknowledging this type of stress and forging ahead is part of the privilege of going through the process though. And we're incredibly fortunate. Our marriage isn't perfect, but it's strong, and we have family and friends forging along with us, building us up according to our need.

Jon is incredible--he really is. He does for med school what Olympic gymnasts do for intricate tumbling routines--you enjoy watching him practice his skill because he makes it look effortless. The reality is that it's 9:02PM and he's still on campus studying--he will be the first to tell you that succeeding in med school is not effortless. I could devote an entire post just to his study habits; the point is that I appreciate his hard work in the library and at home.

I think both of us would agree that med school isn't as bleak as I may have just painted it, but I do think that we would agree that it has required us to be so much better as spouses and parents than we ever thought possible. That's where God comes in--we simply don't have the resources to do this ourselves. It's too much.

But when we remember that we've been called to do this, the insecurities fade and we begin being kinder and less frazzled. Its letting your husband sleep while you and your sick baby pull an all-nighter because his little nose is congested and he doesn't understand why he doesn't feel well. It's walking up two flights of stairs with your kiddo to retrieve your wife's car from the parking deck and bring it down to her so that she doesn't have to lug the baby, the diaper bag, the breast pump and her purse the 6 minutes it would normally take her to walk to the parking garage during the mid-day work/baby exchange. It's committing answers to another two hundred questions from your Q-bank late at night so that you can perform well on a test and get a good residency and provide for your family when the very thought of studying more makes you ache. It's not raising your voices at one another when you're at wit's end and you've both been deprived of so much sleep that you can't remember what day of the week it is and you walk out of the house in your work clothes and slippers.

And sometimes we fail. Sometimes we are not kind, but that's just sometimes. And sometimes we look back on a disagreement and laugh ("Did I actually suggest that you jump out of the car and into the bushes?"). For us, med school, like the rest of life, has just been a series of adjustments. And it's been good for our family and rewarding and yes, even fun! The truth is, it feels good to be doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing even if there are some heavy moments from time to time.

Dedication Photo Shoot

2011-04-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

I know that it's taking me forever, but I promise I will post more photos from the last month or so soon!

Until then, how can you be convinced that we actually flew to California last month? That our baby turned five and then SIX months old? That we had a great and relaxing Easter? That we spent part of last night huddled in David's closet with a laptop tracking the tornado that passed us by, then knocked out our power until 1:00am? That I ate an entire 18 oz. bag of those devil Cadbury eggs, unassisted, within 24 hours? It's like the tree-falling-in-the-forest-with-no-one-around-to-hear-it paradox: if an event occurs and you don't blog about it and post pictures as proof, did it actually happen? I think Micci was the original positor (you will not find that word in the dictionary) of that question.

Philosophical deep end.

I'll absolutely own up to the fact that I have been slacking, once again, in the blogging department. To make up for my short-comings, here are some pics of David that I took the other day in preparation for his dedication on Mother's Day! If you're unfamiliar with baby dedications, here is some language that I found that sums up the practice fairly well:

A baby dedication is a ceremony in which Christian parents, and sometimes entire families, make a commitment before the Lord to submit a child to God's will and to raise that child according to God's Word and God's ways. (See 1 Samuel 1:26-28).

Right, so here is our not-so-little bean, being a good sport and letting his mom take more pictures of him before bed:

Baby Dedication Pic

Sitting Happily

Half smile

I love this face:)

Full smile!

Lamb Loves

This is my surprised face

This is my startled face...

This is my, 'Mom, are we DONE yet?' face...

Here, let me help you power that thing down

I will show you

Like Dad

Jesus Vs. Polar Bear

2011-04-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

E-Book Worm

2011-04-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how to feel about how tech-savvy our son is... Meet David P: e-book enthusiast:

Tooth!

2011-03-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

Scene from David's bath time last night:

Jenn: (singing to David while letting him chew on her hand, gasps) JON! (no response--it's hard to hear over the children's music playing in David's room AND the clothes dryer) JON!!! (shouts with more excitement) Come HERE!!!

Jon: (from other room with enthusiasm) Yeah! (enters bathroom and looks at wife holding son's chin and bottom lip with much pride and excitement)

Jenn: Look at our son's new chomper!!!

Jon: Is that a tooth!? How did we miss that?!

Jenn: I think it's a recent development. Like, within the last hour recent... (with a twinge of panic and sadness) Jon, he's growing up so fast!!!

(Jon and Jenn clap and shower their son with praise and affection over his new tooth)

"Mom, I know my new tooth is a big deal, but please let go of my face..."

Double Duty

2011-02-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

Dear spice/baking cupboard,

Thank you for switch hitting as a medicine cabinet this week. My hair and my son's elbows appreciate your flexibility.

Jenn

This has been a week that Real Simple magazine, or MacGyver would be proud of.

It started with our kiddo's legs and elbows--the weather has been really cold recently and has left our little one's skin very dry. After trying every moisturizer known to man, I recalled a household remedy that a dermatologist mentioned on Good Morning America a couple of weeks ago. How much more trustworthy a source can there be? Her solution--Crisco. I know, it sounds kind of gross, but I thought we would give it a shot. Since I only applied it once, I can't say for sure that it made much of a difference, but his skin didn't get worse. I'm not sure that I'd use it again (I've since found an Aveeno product that is doing the trick).

The next dual-purpose (not 'duel-purpose'--although now I'm curious to know what I have in my cupboard that could fit that description) product truly is magical. Forget duct tape, baking soda can be used in anything: muffins, upset stomachs, paper mache volcanos, refrigerators, and now as a shampoo complement. Over the past month my hair has taken a turn for the crazy and unmanageable. There has been some sort of physiological, post-partum shift that has left this once thick and lusterous hair seriously lacking thickness or luster. And my shampoo wasn't helping. So I googled ways to remove shampoo residue and restore shine to hair without buying clarifying shampoo. Enter baking soda. I mixed a palm-full in with my shampoo and it TOTALLY worked! Like leaving-a-salon clean. I definitely recommend this treatment. Your hair, unruly or not, will thank you.

And lastly came the hodge-podge dessert that made Jon and I swoon over its tastiness and cost effectiveness.

Two words: bread pudding.

Normally, I wouldn't think twice about overlooking something like bread pudding on a menu. It's not exotic. It's not really appealing to the palate or the eye (at least this has been my experience in the past). It's like a dessert of last resort--when I'm desperate and there's not an ounce of cake in the house. But I recently found myself in that situation--out of interesting dessert ingredients, staring into the pantry wondering what baking compost I could salvage to satisfy my craving for a sweet. I went back to the internet and found this little gem:

Bread Pudding Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons white or dark rum
Directions
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and stir into the butter. Pour in milk, and cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in rum. Serve warm.

Best. Bread. Pudding. Ever.

Really. I'd eat it over cake (I mean that both figuratively and literally).

Thanks for the recipe, Paula Deen. I'm a reformed woman.

With happier hair.

And a smoother baby:)

Snow Days!

2011-02-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

This past week, the heavens opened up and dumped 6"-8" of snow over all of LR (as well as the rest of the state). What did this mean for Team Pagan, you ask? Snow days! During the last snow we had, Jon and I were both sick, so we didn't take David out to play.

Although, when we did take him to the window to look at our sparkly, white backyard, he just squinted, turned the other way and started sucking on his hands... Underwhelmed.

This time, we decided to venture out with our little one so that he could experience the snow on the other side of the window.

First, we had to work from home for a bit.

Conflicted about this talk of snow play.

Street view--our driveway became a ski slope.

All bundled up.

Taking it all in:)

Still taking it all in... parents behind camera telling him how much fun he's having.

Watching the snow fall. Thinking that things that fall from the sky should make noise upon impact and be less cold.

There's that smile!

Januaryisms

2011-02-12T03:24:00.000-08:00

Oh how quickly the blog falls by the way-side when I have no occasion to dress our son like a tiny farmer.

January passed all too quickly. I'd love to say that it felt that way because of my mastery of the elusive "work-life-balance." But I can't say that. Also, I've never understood that term--"work-life-balance." Isn't work a part of life (for people that have to work)? Shouldn't the phrase be shortened to "life balance"? Even that sounds a little too tidy--like a recruiting pitch I'd see on a piece of corporate artwork.

I digress.

After our Christmas festivities came to a close, Jon started back to school and I started back to work part time. It took a little experimenting to figure out exactly how our schedules would look, but we've been able to work things out so that Jon is home in the morning with David and I'm home with him in the afternoons. I'm so thankful that my employer has been so flexible with my schedule, but I'm really looking forward to the day when I can focus the bulk of my time/energy on our family. Residency can't come quickly enough.

In the mean time, we've set up our respective 'command centrals' around the house:

I know what you're thinking: telecommuting really is this glamorous. Jenn's telecommuting essentials: burp cloths and blankie strewn over the couch, baby monitor, lappy, glass of water sitting on top of Hello Animals book, and baby medicine syringe. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm wearing mis-matched socks in this picture. It's part of my new 'business-super-casual' look.

Jon's temporary command central. Jon's studying essentials: mighty mouse, giant monitor, med school literature, snack bowl that used to contain Crasins, The Office desk calendar.

Jon has since moved back into his office--no room for his massive white board full of things to memorize in the kitchen.

David also had a fun January. Over the last few weeks he's really enjoyed exploring the world with all four limbs and his mouth. Seriously, everything goes in the mouth now. It's adorable and sometimes horrifying. With that, he's developing better hand/eye coordination, the ability to sit in his bumbo for longer periods of time, and he's become more chatty. This kiddo, though small, definitely has a big personality. Initially I thought that he was more mellow, and he was, but now he is so much more expressive! I love it! We certainly never have to wonder how he's feeling:)

So without further ado, here are some pictures/video that are sure to be more enjoyable than anything I could try to capture in words:

Our son, rolling with it.

First bottle. I think his expression says it all.

Early morning nummies with dad while mom was at work.

The beloved 'Hitchcock sleep face.'

Happy baby:)

Church loves from mom.

Literature. Thanks for the assist, Sophie.

Always wanted to be the parent of a tiny, fuzzy bear cub.

Hanging out after a walk.

Tummying.

Chillin' in the bumbo.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Twelve Drummers Drumming

(On his way to becoming a pro, like his uncle matt)

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

2010-12-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Eleven Pipers Piping

(Kilt, like Connery)

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

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)

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Nine Ladies Dancing

(Special thanks to guest ballerina, Miss Miranda!)

On the Eighth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me...

Eight ~~Maids~~ Men a Milking

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

2010-12-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Seven Swans a Swimming

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Six Geese a Laying

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Five Golden Rings

Scene from a Marriage

2010-12-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

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.

Jon: (Car passes) Wow, people are going to think I'm a schmuck.
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.'

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Four Calling Birds

(Plus calling baby)

On the Third Day of Christmas...

2010-12-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Three French Hens

On the Second Day of Christmas...

2010-12-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

Two Turtle Doves

On the First Day of Christmas...

2010-12-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

(moments after this photo was taken, he tried to eat the partridge)

Twelve Days of Christmas

2010-12-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for our Twelve Days of Christmas photo posts!

Thanksgiving Lessons Learned...

2010-12-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

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:

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???

The last several weeks have been much less anxiety riddled than the first. We've had the chance to get to know our son more and adjust to life with a new little person. Jon wasn't drafted to go to the NW campus next year. Our baby is gaining weight like a champ, and our doctor has assured us that he's nice and healthy. I've recovered faster than anticipated, and Jon and I are now swaddling masters. Seriously, we can swaddle anything. And faithful as He is, God has reminded me that David is His baby and that He will continue to take care of him and guide us as parents. Exhale.

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

Welcome David Jeremiah:)

2010-11-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

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.

PS22

2010-10-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

A video originally posted by my friend Beka--these kids are so talented (adjust your volume, you'll want to hear the harmony)!

Thought Fragment Post

2010-10-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

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.

19 days left until you're scheduled to make your entrance, little man! In spite of this stream of consciousness post, please know that we're so excited to meet you!

Babe-E-Shower

2010-10-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

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

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

On: Our son, David...

2010-09-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

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!

On: Playing with my son

2010-08-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

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!!

The Week in Quotes

2010-07-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

"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.

Matt. Geraldo. America.

2010-07-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

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.

So, brotha, I'm sorry that we live in a different time zone and couldn't be there to celebrate with you, but know that we're excited to see you soon! Happy birthday!

The top 5 best movies of all time

2010-06-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

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?

Frogs and Snails and Puppy-Dog Tails...

2010-06-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

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:

Rise and Shine

2010-06-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Setting Sale

2010-06-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

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

I kid, although I think it would be hysterical and redundant to see Bjorn donning a 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!

On: The first of many to come...

2010-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I actually authored a post that I feel as though I am a guest blogger here. I am so thankful that Jenn has been so good about blogging this year while I have been in medical school. So why am I writing? Well, I have a story for you :)

A few days ago I was diligently studying for my neuroscience exam (read: not perusing my e-mail) when, out of the blue I got an e-mail! Occasionally they offer us as medical students discounts on tickets for events around town. Most recently we had the opportunity to get Razorback tickets, but unfortunately I didn't get over to the office quick enough and they sold out, but I digress. The e-mail I am referring to was offering discounted tickets to Wicked at the Robinson Center here in downtown Little Rock. An amazing location, and an even more amazing musical.

It occurs to me now that perhaps not everyone here has seen, or heard of, Wicked. It is a prequel of sorts to the classic Wizard of Oz story. I was lucky enough to see Wicked in Manhattan on Broadway, but unfortunately Jenn has not had the chance to see this amazing musical. We said that as soon as we got the chance we would get her to see it, I mean after all, she already has the soundtrack memorized.

So now we are caught up to this moment in time when I get an e-mail selling discount tickets to see Wicked. Victory is at hand! I was all set to head over to the office to purchase these tickets when it occurred to me that perhaps I should check to see when the show was. It is an evening show on November 11th, 2010. Perfect, a nice winter treat for my wife! Then it hit me. Well two things hit me. Have you ever been so excited about an event that when you purchase a gallon of milk with an expiration date past the event it gets real? Well people, they are selling tickets to a show for AFTER our first child will be born. Woah.

No problem right? That is exciting but doesn't change anything. Oh but it does. For the last few years Jenn and I have been blessed with the freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want to. Dinner? Sure! Manhattan for the night? Absolutely! Everyone who thinks they can go see Wicked in November take one step forward, not so fast Jon Pagan. Thats right people, our expected due date is November 2nd, 2010. A mere 9 days before the show. So alas, we passed on the tickets. So for the first time, our child influenced our life in a very tangible way.

Isn't that amazing? There is absolutely no other reason that I'd rather not be able to take my wife out to a night on the town. My child, will be here in 174 days. My child. So for the first time of many to come, our world has been changed by this little life.

Little one, you rock my world and I can't wait to meet you, and tell you how you've already changed us for good...

Word to My Motha

2010-05-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today I arrived at Sunday school, met by little girls all abuzz with what they had done, or were going to do for their mothers for mother's day.

"We got my mom a camera!"

"We got our mom a chocolate fondue kit!"

"We're taking our mom out to lunch at the club!" I still do not know what or where 'the club' is, but apparently, it's a very big deal.

This got me thinking about some of the childhood gifts I have gotten my mom for mother's day:

The classic butchering of her rose bush to assemble a jam jar containing 3-4 semi wilted roses of varying size, exhausted from being man-handled by an eight year old.

The...well, I'm not really sure what you would call two 4" paper plates hot glued together with the center cut out of one of them to frame a small bunch of dried flowers. Plus bow for the 'wow' factor.

Lunch out with my mom and sister, where we would lecture her about taking time for herself. Sounds relaxing and not at all obnoxious, right?

You get the idea. My mother is a very patient and gracious woman.

So this year, I thought I would take a moment to praise my mother on the interweb, to explain to you all why she is awesome:

My mother used to bust out her sewing machine and make my brother and I super-cool bean bags to toss back and forth at each other.
She endured the aforementioned, poorly planned mother's day gifts.
Somehow, my mother can survive on less sleep than any other person I know. How does a person work five, 12 hour shifts in a row on an average of 5-6 hours of sleep per night? I have no idea. I believe she is part photosynthetic.
She worked tirelessly to sponsor things like music events, flute lessons, ballet, school, internships, wedding. Without complaining.
She always planned (and executed) very creative and fun birthday parties.
My mom cannot insult people, or swear, to save her life. "These chips are funky!" Whoa mom, let's watch the trash talk.
If you were to Google her name in Google Images, she is the fourth image to show up on the first hit page.
She has always been loving and supportive toward her family and friends. She is kind, lovely, funny and compassionate.

I could go on, but all of this is to say that I love my mom and I'm so thankful for her. She really is an amazing woman.

Happy mother's day, mom:)