August 2009

Happy Birthday Mike!
Year after year we start the month of August by celebrating Mike's birthday. Our tradition is to have a special meal together. We've eaten at the Seafood Company in Ann Arbor, L'Etoile in Madison, and Sushi Tora in Boulder. This year "special" took on a new look: pizza (we splurged and had it delivered) and a movie in. It was the first time in a long while with no plans and it was lovely!

Mike did enjoy his presents. He downloaded a light saber app onto our iPod and we took turns playing with it. He also played with his new infrared thermometer and measured the temperature of pretty much everything in the house. And, lastly, he got fabulous gifts that won't fit him but will fit his son: some cowboy boots and a camo onsie. :)

Back Home
Being back home came with the reminder that "home" means more than a comfy bed. It might also mean that one has to repair a leaky roof. One day after a particularly heavy rainstorm our roof started to leak in three different places. Each skylight was leaking and the vent for the plumbing was leaking. It was a moment that I cursed the "architect" that built the addition to our house (before we purchased it). He clearly cut corners that continue to haunt us.

Projects
In addition to figuring on how to fix the leaky roof, we had a few other projects that needed attention. First, I began work on SchneiderLuck 2008, which is our family yearbook. Second, the crib and bedding arrived and took up residence in the front entryway to await the time when we would have the time to assemble the bed. Until the "yellow" room, or the guest room, was emptied of its contents, the crib would have to wait.

Family News
Two big events occurred in the Uzelac family:
Alex is Engaged! Congratulations to him and to Jenny!
Nichole moved to Chicago! Congratulations on the next step in what I'm sure will be a successful career.

Friends
Back in the swing of being home we were able to visit with some friends. We had our first bonafide guest who came to visit Missoula. Hans came and had unfortunate luck with the weather. It rained the entire hime he was here so we decided to take it easy. We relaxed, went out to eat, and slept late. We missed the Western Montana Fair but we did catch Daschund races that were happening downtown. It was the funniest thing to watch - owners holding their squirming dogs at one end of a 20-foot straight course and the subsequent scramble by the little legs to get the other side. Of course, there were heats separating the dogs by age. :)

We also hooked up with Kimberlee and Ivan for a stroll around the Clark Fork River Market and the people's market. We also got to try brunch at a new restaurant, the Silk Road. It was a lovely and sunny afternoon but Kimberlee's bike had a flat. Luckily, Mike was a gentleman and went home for a new tube and a pump. That same evening we had dinner at Andrew and Sherry's house and met the newest faculty member and his wife: Nate and Erin. And we also got to enjoy and Ethiopian feast at the Jacobs' house.

Last but not least, Mike started mountain biking in the Rattlesnake. One morning, after hitting the trails with Jen and Andrew, I joined them for brunch at Catalyst. Plus, since Mike became acquainted with the Rattlesnake, he was able to take me for a nice pregnant hike in about a mile. And WOW! The Rattlesnake is awesome. I can't wait to continue to explore back there!

Adventures in Pregnancy
As my pregnancy progresses funny new things happen. For one, a parenting "realization" occurred. I imagined myself parenting an infant and thought, "I can do that." I imagined myself parenting a young child and got excited to play. I imagined parenting a teenager and wondered what the "issues" that we will be faced with as parents that haven't been invented yet. And then I realized...all these things have to happen consecutively! There are no breaks in between each day or year or anything! Whatever will I do?! I guess this parenthood thing is going to be even longer than I thought.

The other funny thing happened in the middle of the night. I went to roll over in the bed and I felt the baby move from one side to the other.

Happy Birthday Julie!
To celebrate my birthday, we also go to dinner. For my celebration, we went to another new restaurant called Iza. And, because I'm pregnant, I have a sweet tooth and ordered two desserts: green tea tirimisu and curried carrot cake. They were both delicious.


Media
Film/TV
Huff

Internet
Your Baby is Smarter than You Think

Books
Birthing from Within
Parenting from the Inside Out
The Emporer's Children