Fab Five

Waking up with crazy hair: she went to bed with wet hair so we put a towel on her pillow...

So she is five years old and she loves it! She feels so much older and different already, I mean wouldn't you? The last few weeks she has been a lot more into writing and recognizing words and into school-things. But Thursday morning was all about celebrating her birthday so we served her "breakfast" in bed which included some cookies with marmelade filling and chocolate on top and orange juice.
A huge thanks goes to Anna who helped us Wednesday night to get a couple of balloons, Lucia was thrilled to have balloons in the morning and even tried to engage Espen to play with them too. Her first gift was a StarWars encyclopedia of Lego sets, so it shows all the sets that has been made and what figures are in them and their relationships etc. Really cool book, too bad the only StarWars Lego sets in sale these days are total crap. Her other gift was a set of "magne tiles" she used to play with these at OGS and she totally loves them. She uses them to build dollhouses and garages for her cars. Totally awesome!

New Bay Bridge Opening - Maiden Voyage

Late evening of September 2 we were among the very first to go over the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge! When we heard they were planning to open the new bridge nearly 6 hours early we decided to go check it out that night. We got in the car and waited close to one of the onramps and then a few minutes after 10:15PM traffic started slowly moving. The first thing you notice when you drive over the bridge is how nice and clean it is. The pavement is smooth and even the lighting is super even, I think they did a great job setting up all the lights because you are never blinded by them, yet there is plenty light. As you approach the main tower the whole bridge tower fills the view and it almost looks like a cathedral.

Somebody we know didn't last to see the return trip.

One Month Old

Can't believe it, but Espen is one month old today. Well, really if I think back to the last time I slept more than a few hours, yes, it does feel like a very long time ago.

He's about 9.5 lbs now; we went to the lactation consultant on Wednesday and Thursday this week and discovered he was gaining at twice the normal rate, and after reading in our baby books, it turns out we were overfeeding him. Whoops. He was having stomach aches and we thought it was gas. Turns out he's just Thanksgiving-level stuffed. Noted, kid. We've cut back on the milk a bit, but I'll be honest, it's a tricky balance. Today I think he spent most of it hungry and I couldn't figure out what was wrong, until Pete came home and fed him three ounces and he settled right down. 

I know we've done this before, but man it's been a long time and we've forgotten a lot. 

Besides his girth, he's also showing developmental milestones in making more eye contact with us, lifting his head a lot, and cooing. The cooing is the best. He sounds so darn cute. He's also losing his hair, so his hairline looks a lot like Pete's and Farfar's. :) I wonder what color it will be when it grows back in? Strange. His eyes are still grey-blue but I think they're going to be blue. I need to look at Lucia's one-month-old pics to verify my hypothesis. 

We didn't have the best day here, on the one-month anniversary. Babies are a lot of work. But that's OK. We'll post more pictures tomorrow. 

Warm, floppy and squeaky

Day 1 and 2 has been quite intense, in ways I didn't expect.

Day 1 was filled with nervousness and expectations that soon gave way to relief and joy. We are very thankful for the love and support we received, Mimi and pastor Beth was with us and prepared us for the big event and it was clear from the start this was going to be a very different day than four and a half years ago.

The procedure went very much according to plan and I think a great deal of tension was lifted that day through that. It seems like a blur afterwards. 

We were given a new room upstairs with a great view of Redwood City, green and lush from winter rain, and with a steady stream of visiting family and friends we were to busy to be tired. However, on days like this it is easy or difficult to find time to eat, so our good friends Gina and Zack brought us delicious chicken dinner and salad, and even homemade coffee in the morning! 

Magic moment number two on day one that day was when Lucia met her new baby brother for the first time. She was very excited and could not be more happy. She happily washed her hands but was at first a bit hesitant, not sure if she could touch him, or where. Soon she asked if she could hold him, and she loved that too, for a little bit. I think she was surprised to see how floppy and squeaky he was, but she also showed much concern for him, and she jumped to sooth him when he started crying or fuzzing. She will be a great big sister!

The first night was as good as one can expect, none of us got much sleep, but we managed to get a few hours it seems between the fuzzy times. There wasnt much to do besides rocking him or renew his swaddle. And this, turns out, is what day two was much about; getting him to latch and feed. But more about that tomorrow.

The Prius

Remember how the car got dinged back in '08? The picture above shows how it got hit on the rear three quarter panel and bumper, however the door was not damaged and this is where reality diverge from logic. Ever since we got the car repaired (back in '08) there has been this annoying hissing wind sound when we drive above 100kph (60mph). Really annoying when you learn to notice it. 

The body shop has been amazing to deal with. Really stellar service apart from the fact that it took three visits to figure out. They stood by their work and was super helpful each time we went back to try figure out the problem regardless of how long it was since the initial repair. Finally last week, riding in the back seat with the body shop tech driving/speeding I nailed down the problem area: rear end of the rear window where theres a small black triangular plastic cover. You can see it the picture below:. Covering it with my hand the noise went away.

The body shop removed it and found a gasket missing which brings me back to where the logic ends. As the photo shows the door was not dinged, so why was the gasket missing after being repaired? We will never know but we are happy to once again ride in a quieter car.

iPhone case milestone achieved!

Today we finally achieved a major manufacturing milestone, the first prototype cases are now being machined but it has been a long road with many obstacles and delays making todays events very gratifying. The machining is done in a milling machine that is controlled by a computer that receives data from the computer model I have developed, and we are now engaged in the process of fine tuning the tool's cut paths to make sure the aluminum and the plastic band go together precisely fits snuggly around the phone.

Potty Training --3 day recap

I'm not sure I've ever been more excited to go back to work. Potty training, and specifically staying indoors all the livelong day all three days (which had gorgeous weather) was tough, y'all. Tedious and I'm a person who likes to jam-pack the weekend with activities, so staying home and literally watching movies and having tea parties and watching more movies and more Barney and more Yo Gabba Gabba just got so repetitive. Gah. 

For the actual training, day 1 of course, was the toughest. She peed her pants a few times and hilariously/strangely held her bladder for 3+ hours, then finally announced at 9:15 p.m. that she had to go potty. Hooray! She peed, and we cheered and cheered as if she had won a gold medal. She beamed with pride. It was a pretty adorable moment. She was extra helpful and moved her pee into the big potty, then washed her hands and was so happy to pick out her two stickers for the chart. Prior to that, I was super discouraged thinking she'd never get the hang of this. 

Sunday was better; as you see in the picture above, she peed three times but pooped her pants twice. Each time I was fortunate (ha) to be on duty, so I had her put it in the potty to show her that's where it goes. I reminded her that pooping in her pants is yucky. Pete had a different strategy: he told her that if she does that it makes us sad. I stuck with the yucky argument. 

She stayed dry two of the three nights; and dry for today's nap only. After pooping her pants earlier this morning and me explaining again that poop goes in the potty, a few hours later, she announced she had to go to the potty, and whaddya know, there was poop. We again really amped up the cheering and told her how proud of her we were, and how she was such a big girl because she put her poop in the potty just like Mommy and Daddy. You know the drill. She was ELATED. 

We think she might have the hang of this. We're not expecting a flawless week, but man, we're so thrilled with how far we've come in less than 72 hours. We used the 3 day potty training method, in case I haven't mentioned it. It focuses on being extremely positive and letting the child decide when it's time to go. Good stuff. Thumbs up. 

Anniversary

We thought for a while that the video Mary and David made from February 2007 was lost but I found it. And here it is:

Last day before deadline

I have been working long hours on this design project with my friend Ty, and we are looking forward to take a break and resume our fatherly duties.
I cant really discuss the project or show any pictures of the car but I think this teaser can give you an impression of the top surface of the current 3D model rendered on the computer.

Nice weekend

We had a great weekend get away / honeymoon to Carmel and Big Sur. We drove down with the top down and loved every minute of it. I have been to Big Sur several times and was excited to show the sights to Heather.

We headed west up the sinuous mountain road and stayed on HWY 1 all the way to Monterey where we stopped for cookies, then we followed the coast to Carmel which was at its loveliest. Searching Yelp we found a great italian restaurant and had a very memorable dinner before we headed to the ranch.

The Carmel Valley Ranch was a pretty swanky place beautifully located on a golf course. The Suite was so large I wish we had more friends with us to share, but the next morning we headed down the coast to Big Sur all the way to Julia Pfeifer State Park. Here we could have stayed longer, but time was running out and we had to get home.

New street

Our new apartment is the one with the red car parked out side. (Click on the picture)

Last Night's Events

We're not ordinarily the type to post political stuff here, but last night's events were and are too historic to not comment upon.

For the first time in eight years, I'm so excited about where this country is going. I cried and cried as the results came in, stunned and disbelieving my eyes. Could it be that we as a country saw past Obama's race and believed him and his message of Hope and Change? How far we have come. How utterly proud I am of the progress we've made in this country, and that hope for a brighter future -- one where America takes care of its own, perseveres, welcomes diversity, and embraces, nurtures and encourages the opportunity of each and every person to become whatever they want. It's a new day in America, and it began last night.

My vote for Obama was much more than just a vote for a man: it was a vote for change, for hope, for optimism. For America to return to it's international status and respect and honor. For America to turn around and fix its domestic problems. It was a vote for the future. The fact that he is African-American didn't matter to me. His message of hope and change did. I'm thrilled beoynd belief and feel so very proud to be an American.

Fantastic News!!

Lucia has kept down 2.5 of her 3 feedings today of breastmilk. We are out of our heads excited. The doctor started her on Zantac last night (ironically, I started on a prescription-strength Pepcid myself yesterday for wicked, wicked heartburn). The doc thinks she has acid reflux, and while it's not normally seen in newborns, it's likely what she has.

Our fingers are crossed that our Little Girl will be home with us soon. HOORAY!!!