Since we took a rather long break posting updates, I’ve decided to go back over old pictures and pull a few out to share. A little over a year ago, I took the two boys and went hiking in a large natural area not far from where we were living at the time. Michael, being two at the time, wasn’t much of a hiker, but had fun when we stopped and he could get down and play around. 
All posts by Peter
Family Pictures
Liz’s aunt wanted some new pictures for Grandma’s birthday, so we went outside and took some. Hope you enjoy. 
Sydney’s Go-Kart Fun
Good things come in threes, so I’ve been told. So when we had spent a few days dealing with Michael getting hives and being up all night itching and Isaac cutting his finger bad enough that I had to glue him back together with Derma-Bond, Liz and I were holding our breath for something else. It didn’t take long.
We were invited over to a friend’s 150 acre homestead for an easter-egg hunt, BBQ and bonfire. The combination of food, fun, and fellowship is hard to resist, so I took the kids and off we went. It was great fun … Read the rest
A Rattlesnake in the Garage
I went out to the garage the other day to look for a tool I had thrown on the pile that has been building since we moved in. As I lifted an old blanket I saw a small snake coiled up just below my hand. As afraid of snakes as I am, I surprised myself by not jumping, starting, or even elevating my heart-rate. Looking at it, it wasn’t totally clear what kind of snake it was, but I decided to pick up a shovel and take care of it either way.
The funny thing about snakes is that when … Read the rest
The Chicken Coop
I had thought I had taken pictures of the chicken coop while I was building it. True to form, I got busy and forgot. So… I guess you get to settle with a picture of Michael doin’ what he spends a lot of time doing: Playing with chickens.
Liz decided she wanted a lot of fresh eggs, which translated into an order of 40 chicks (straight run, so about half would end up in the stew pot as young roosters). The only problem is that you can’t use a standard back-yard chicken coop for those kinds of numbers. To … Read the rest
My Experience with Lumber Liquidators Tongling Strand-Woven Bamboo
This is a stub for me to write about my (bad) experience with the Tongling Strand Woven Bamboo flooring we installed in our house. The quick and dirty version is simple. It scratches very easily, and scratches are highly visible against the dark color. It shrunk enough to separate the joints in the middle of the room and leave a 1/2 inch gap in spite of following their recommended maximum span, acclimation time and procedure, and floor preparation, and is terribly difficult to keep clean. If you are a little old lady who never goes outside, wears felt-soled slippers all … Read the rest
Home Building Progress
The outside of the house is basically finished.
Here is a small shot of the living/kitchen area. The pantry door is the first to the left. The french doors open into the office.
This week cabinets are being stained and installed, tile floor is being put down in the bathrooms and laundry room, and light fixtures and fans are going in. The front door is now on and the garage door will be coming soon. Peter has decided to install the wood flooring in the main area to save us nearly $3000 in labor costs.
I have been looking up … Read the rest
Cute Michael
Michael snuggling up with his giraffe that Sydney and Isaac picked out (hope you’re not offended that he’s flipping the bird).
Michael and Other Things
Peter and the kids showed up for a little while to see Michael last night before going to their TaeKwon-Do class. Being a very hands-on dad, Peter volunteered to change Michael’s diaper and proceeded to get exploded on. Ten points for Michael!
Michael’s update:
- He’s still cute
- Around his feeding times he has been more wakeful
- He poops a lot
- He likes to nurse (he does NOT like the burping process)
- He likes warm water pored on his head
I was able to give him his first bath yesterday; it’s been a while since I’ve done that. He did not … Read the rest
Hurry Up and Wait
Yesterday the realization hit that Michael could be in the NICU quite a while longer; maybe as long as 2-3 weeks. The major hurdles have been met, but now he just needs more time to bake in the incubator while he develops his strength; a job that would have been much easier had he just decided to stay put a couple of weeks more before making his grand entrance.
Although he knows how to nurse, his little body is by no means ready to do it around the clock so today the doctor suggested giving him a break and only … Read the rest