Connor's Counter

baby

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Some New Year's news

It's still early, but we had such positive news at the ultrasound, we decided to let everyone know that we're pregnant! (yay!) This has been a very long, up-hill journey and we are not out of the woods yet. But, we have reason to be optimistic this time. The first two (possibly three) miscarriages were diagnosed due to a septate uterus (mine, unfortunately). After having surgery to correct it, I then discovered that I also suffered from PCOS & Glucose intolerance, both of which can cause infertility. So, I went to a specialist to treat the conditions, and voila!

Here are the pictures that everyone has been asking about. The first one is a life-size portrait. You can see the black circle in the upper right of the "white fuzz". That is the sac. The little white dot in the black circle is the fetus (only 5mm long). The doctor was nice enough to zoom in for me.


This is slightly bigger....

And this is all the way zoomed in. It looks so cute!!


I am only 6 weeks, 3 days along, but doctor was able to detect a heart beat, beating at 112 bpm. It was SO LOUD on the ultrasound, it sounded like a big, bass drum.

And, here are the first sets of stats for our little person. Everything appears to be stable and well-attached. (Which is good news since it is most likely that the previous pregnancies were not). My blood levels are good, and fetal developement is right on track.

So, since it appears to be a typical, healthy pregnancy, we decided to let everyone know. Ronna made a good point that either way if I lose this pregnancy, I will be devastated again. So, I may as well enjoy it now so I can appreciate this (possibly short) time together. Wise words, Ronna!

Our next ultrasound will be at 9 weeks (so 2.5 weeks from now). I'll post more pictures if anyone is interested. (I'm sure at least our moms would be..... :)).

"Before you were conceived I wanted you. Before you were born I loved you. Before you were here an hour I would die for you. This is the miracle of Mother's Love."
Maureen Hawkins

Happy New Year!!

Just a quick note to say "Happy New Year" to everyone!

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to."
~Bill Vaughn

Saturday, December 20, 2008

O Christmas Trees! O Christmas Trees! How lovely are your branches.....

We finally got our tree decorated last weekend. Here are some shots of it, especially since the weather is too terrible to travel and no one will get to enjoy it with us. Maybe Aaron and Megan if they're not snowed in... We are getting some crazy weather last week and next week. Today we got ~10" of snow dumped on us, and tomorrow's going to be even worse. It usually doesn't snow in Oregon, so this is really difficult for people to deal with. Portland has all of 2 snow plows in the city... they can't keep up with this.





Adrianne spent most of the day trying to help me lick envelopes for our Christmas cards. The problem was that she would lick all of the sticky off in one location, then nothing on the rest of the envelope. Finally, I had to get Ron to do the job when he was home on one of his breaks.


Ron tried to keep Anna out of trouble, but as you can see, she was trying to eat all of the fake garland and fake poinsettas she could get her mouth on. Luckily they were fake... I don't think she ate very much.



Did I mention the snow here? It never snows! this is crazy weather...
Here are some shots of the front yard and street:








And here are some shots of the back yard. Too much snow!!




I'll probably sign in again before Christmas, but if not, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year."
~Charles Dickens

Sunday, December 14, 2008

A little bit about what I do...

So, a few months ago (like 6), my brother Wendel asked me to fix his laptop power plug that was flaking out to the point where it wouldn't charge any more. It's kind of like asking a car mechanic to fix your refrigerator, since I design motherboards for desktop and CE devices, not laptops and not chassis', but I thought I'd give it a try. There were a few delays, but I finally took it apart tonight.

First diagnosis, it looks like someone has tried to "fix" this with tape previously... I know Wendel got it for a good deal, so this seems highly likely. Coupled with the fact that you can see the tape on it, and there are three cracks in the plastic housing.



Second diagnosis: Once I pulled the PCB out of the chassis, I could see that the connector was not usable anymore (no more tape!). You can see both halves in the next two pictures.
The half that came off:

The half that stayed on:


Third diagnosis: I can re-solder a new connector on there, if we can find the right one. I'm pretty sure it's the CQ21516 from Laptop Jacks, but we might be able to find it cheaper.... I'd also like to see a data sheet, but I don't think I'll get that lucky. (Side note, I just found it at DCPowerJacks.net as well, much cheaper!)


And, finally, for anyone who wants to know what a laptop looks like if you're trying to fix "one little piece" here it is. Believe me, I couldn't have done it with fewer parts taken out.... These things are like onions and I'm trying to get to the inner-most bulb.... There were a hundred little screws that I didn't have the right driver for, but I found something that worked. also, there are several connectors and ribbons that I *think* I can remember how to plug them in...


Sorry you had to see that, Wendel... But no worries! We'll get it back together. and hopefully I won't have a bucket of parts left over. :)


"All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness."
~Mark Kennedy

Saturday, December 13, 2008

blurb


Yay! I finally got the book done I was doing for Ashley and Wendel's Christmas present. I think it will turn out really nice. (You can see part of it on Blurb.com). Basically, I took her blog entries and turned them into a hard-bound book so that she can add it to her journal collection. Don't worry, I got her "OK" ahead of time, and she helped me with the final edits. I'm thinking of doing Mamie's blog next year since I have her name for next year's present. (hint, hint, Meagan, if you blog, it will be printed. in two years:)).

We are gearing up for Christmas in a week and a half. We're not quite sure where it will be, but we'll be ready! :) for those not in the Edwards family, we keep playing duck-duck-goose with where Christmas is going to be. Here, California, Malta... I think it's currently tied between Portland and San Fran. If we go to San Fran, I want to get a city go card and see the sights. If it's here, then there's always the summer. :)

Well, I gotta go finish the Christmas tree decorations now. We bought the tree and put it up a week ago. It's been bare for a week, so sad!

"I promise that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations. Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us and as our posterity reads of our life's experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted."
Author: Spencer W. Kimball

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Thanksgiving!

well, I guess it's time to start posting again. It has been a while so there's a lot to catch up on. We're slowly digging ourselves out of this nightmare of a year, with all the trauma and turmoil. (Losing the kids, tax audit, home break-in, among other things that I choose not to discuss here). I can't wait to start a new year in a few weeks.

On a more positive note, I had half my family in town for Thanksgiving! it was very fun, and hopefully I wasn't too stressed about it. Below is a picture of our fancy feast.



and my turkey turned out so yummy! I had a citrus grill rub on it (Thanks Meag for sending it!), and it was perfectly browned, yet still moist. yum.


Plus, beforehand we had a whole table full of appetizers, including Bethaney's yummy deviled eggs and Ashley's yummy red pepper salsa. (You should definitely find the recipe for that, Ashley!)





Anyway, now we're gearing up for Christmas. We've invited Ron's family to come to Portland. We're not sure if they can come yet, but it would be good to see them again.

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."
~Edward Sandford Martin

Monday, October 20, 2008

BIG BIG BUMMER

I probably won't be blogging for a while since our home was just broken into, and they took our computer, along with many other things. I'm currently using a friend's computer, so it might be a while before I get one of my own again. Sorry guys! :(

no quote today.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

busy busy busy


(Picture of dad working on a house in June 1972)

Well, my dad is in town for a week so he can help us plumb and wire our garage apartment in Brinnon. We all went up to see Wendel and Ashley on Sunday and to watch some of the family videos. (Sorry- maybe I shouldn't mention that for people who don't have theirs yet. I really am trying to get them copied as quickly as I can). Anyway, Dad promised to cry through the whole thing (we only watched ~1/2 of the movies), but I didn't see one tear! I got jipped! The good news is that we had a really nice time with Wendel and Ashley. And then I woke up super early to get back to work Monday morning, and I forgot my purse!

Now I'm here in Portland slaving away at work while Ron and Dad are up in Brinnon enjoying the peace and quiet. I'm trying to get my stuff done so I can join them. But there's just so much to do. (I keep telling myself, "I am NOT a work-aholic, I am NOT....).

If I end up going to Brinnon, I'll take some pictures and post them.

"Each of us is carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves. "

Adrienne Clarkson

Friday, October 10, 2008

I found it!

I didn't find the picture, but the negative happened to be in "the box", so I scanned it in! I think meag and I have been looking for this picture for quite a while now.


See if you see a similarity between me and meagan and Ron and JR...

Me and Meagan:


Ron and JR:


It's pretty funny how many "similar" pictures Ron and I have from our childhood. (I'll have to post them sometime). We must be soul mates! :)

And, Finally, some more fun Schultz family pictures to enjoy:
The ruffians that we are (AKA showing our true colors):

Wow! mom has some nice ... cantaloupe! :)


"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."
-Joyce Brothers

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

OH, what fun!




P.S. I do want to say that I did NOT pick which still shots would be put on the cover. The guy just assumed that all were fair game. I'm truly sorry if any are offensive. :(

So, the DVD's arrived in the mail, as I already excitedly told everyone over the phone. I haven't had a chance to watch them yet, but I did scan in the jacket pictures so every one can see. Isn't it awesome! Do you know what would be poetic? at our next family reunion (this coming summer, right?) we should get an air popper, pop a whole bunch of popcorn into some paper grocery bags (we might need two or three now with all the grandkids), pour butter and salt all over it, shake it up and eat it while we're watching these movies! or some condensed version, maybe.

I'm VERY excited to watch these. If anyone wants to come over and watch with, you're more than welcome!!! I promise to make copies and send them out as soon as humanly possible. and hopefully post some snippets on my blog!

"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts." ~Author Unknown

Sunday, October 5, 2008

some fun pics

I was working on a project in the sewing room when I heard Ron calling from the bedroom. I got to a good stopping place and walked in to find a very interesting scene.

Ironically, everyone stayed put long enough for me to tromp downstairs, find the camera, and come back to take a picture. Usually when the cats hear me clomping downstairs, they run after me, especially mine, because she loves to do this when I'm sitting at the computer:

While I'm at it, I'll show you a picture of the project I was working on, for Ronna's new baby. (Ronna, if you're reading this, sorry I spoiled the surprise!) Of course I still have to clean it up and remove the stabilizer, etc... but this is the gist.



"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
-Abraham Lincoln

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Blue is not just a river in Egypt....

I've been kind of down lately, so I haven't blogged. Mostly because of all these dr. appts I've been having lately, getting poked and prodded and diagnosis' like "severe obstructive apnea," "glucose intolerant," "PCOS," and various other female issues that I'd prefer not to rehash... Plus, I'm still fat! So, in an effort to cheer myself up, I'm going to list things that make me happy today:
  • Ron. He's always top of my list because he's so supportive of everything I go through.
  • the cats. You can't get much furrier than that!
  • our weekend away -- we went up to Brinnon last weekend to just relax. It was nice -- we have the windows in and the house wrap up. It almost looks like a real house
  • my new bike. I've been wanting to start riding again, but didn't think they had a bike that would support my weight. We went into REI, and what do you know? They had one! I was all gung-ho to start riding to work (only 6 miles away), and then it started raining. We had a dry spell for 3 months, and the day I get my bike it starts raining! (oh-wait, this is happy thoughts)
  • I actually started cleaning the corner in the basement where I need to paint the last wall downstairs. (Remember the project that I posted that needs to be done -- still working on it).
I'll post pictures of the bike once it stops raining and I can pull it out of the garage. Anyone want to go riding with me? I'm tempted to ride to Target tomorrow to buy a backpack, even if it's raining. I live in Oregon, for pete's sake....

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."
-Mark Twain

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tagged...


Meet Mr. Beta. Aptly named after his own species!

OK, this is my first official tag! (thankyou, ashley!). Here goes,
list 5 Joys, 5 Fears, 5 obsessions/collections, and 5 surprising facts, and tag 5 people.

Joys
1. Ron. I LOVE to cuddle with him. He is the world's best cuddler! For the first 6 years of marriage, we would cuddle all night long, even in our sleep! If one of us turned over, the other followed and thus it went all night long like the sausages at 7-11. Why only the first 6 years? What happened you ask? Well, I got my mask! :( much-needed for my sleep apnea, but definitely a cuddle-killer.
2. My cats. and all their furriness.
3. Cooking. Ron and I have started to spend our Sundays learning how to cook new things. Not just throwing stuff in a pot, but actually making delectable dishes. Things like Chicken Marsala, Salmon with mushroom sauce, pear cobbler, etc etc. It's actually nice to eat when it's good!
4. my health. though it could be better, I'm definitely still able to do most things that I'd like to do...
5. sleeping. It's much more restful with the mask (despite the downfalls of #1).

Fears
1. That I'm missing out on life because I'm working too much. Ron and I see less and less of each other (part of the reason we instigated cooking day).
2. We'll reach the millenium and I won't be ready. (This has been a fear since I was 5 years old... I'm trying to sift through to see if it's irrational or not. :).
3. My cats will never know how good they have it.....
4. stepping in poo... I've done it before and it is gross!!!
5. bugs. I hate hate hate them. If I see a roach, I literally freeze solid in a semi-fetal position. Imagine standing up, bringing feet together, one on top of the other tucked inward, arms cringed together, all twisted up and shaking, and a really awful look of disgust on my face, with lip curled and everything. Literally, I freeze like that for a good five minutes. (I didn't fare too well in Brasil for a year and a half!! eeewww! I get grossed out just thinking about the buggers I saw over there).

Obsessions/Collections
1. Work. I hate that it's an obsession.... I'm trying to replace it with an actual life... :)
2. Organization. You might laugh, given the "projects" that are piling up, but really I have a hard time being productive if things aren't organized.... which is why I don't get much done at home....
3. taking pictures of people, places, things. I'm not very good. My last class was in high school, for pete's sake. and I don't remember what F-stop is. although I think it's about speed of the film or something... anyway, the trick is to buy a really nice camera!! that has an "auto" button! maybe someday I can learn how to really use it!
4. I have a collection of old photos that I stole from my parents because they weren't doing anything with them. My siblings have cleaned me out of some of them, but I'm still trying to archive them onto digital media.
5. Making sure my hands are clean all the time! (This was ashley's, too, I'm just building on it). When I cook, I found that I wash my hands everytime anything gets on them (so, like, 30 times during a typical preparation). I refuse to hold on to the hand rail at work because I KNOW what kind of germs are crawling there. (Ironically, I stopped getting sick all the time once I stopped holding that germy thing). I carry sanitizer in my purse, and use it often. and I always have to get them really dry after washing.... no drips!

Surprising Facts
1. Probably the most surprising thing about me is that I have a tattoo. few people know. fewer have seen it. I don't show anyone any more, so I guess you'll never know if you haven't seen it already... :)
2. I have been sky diving. I was so scared that I don't remember most of it.... silly.
3. I am certified for advanced/nitrox SCUBA diving. My wet suit currently doesn't fit (is that surprising?), so I don't go very often.
4. I hate politics. I hate discussing them. I even hate voting because the options are never very good.....
5. I've discovered that I don't really like ice cream. I still eat it. But I wonder why.....

Now, I tag Christi, Ronna, Wendel, Becky, and Tiffany! (I think I'll be lucky if I see two of those tagged actually write! I'm being ambitious. :)

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle."
Amy Bloom

Monday, September 8, 2008

No pics For You!

(Title is meant to be said in the "soup nazi" tone of voice...)

Well, I don't have any pictures of this weekend. It was mostly chores and catch up. Although,
Ron and I did continue our new hobby of cooking on Sunday. Ron made the yummy salmon with mushroom sauce, I made the baby red roasted potatoes, and we both made the zuchini/squash, and carrots. We've learned that we don't much like leftovers, but we haven't quite figured out how to cook "small" yet... so we try and have friends over to help consume. So far it has mostly been Ron's Brother, Aaron, and his wife (Megan), and their son (Ryan). The dinners have been turning out pretty good, so we're starting to branch out. Yesterday we invited Aaron and Megan, AND Wendel and Ashley. I was pleasantly surprised when they accepted our invitation. They travelled two hours one way! It was so nice. We had 7 people! Ryan didn't eat much, but definitely kept us entertained. It was a fun evening just sitting around, chatting, and eating. At the end, I decided to try and make york peppermint patty shakes, with no previous practice.... big mistake. I won't go into details, but let's just say that smoke-flavored shakes is not fun for anyone.... I'll just stick to smoothies (I've had LOTS of practice with those!). They're probably healthier, too.

For my QOTD, I'm going to borrow Ashley's:
"Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that's why I made works of art." - Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

A Fabulous Weekend, part II

Well, Saturday came all too fast. We woke up at 8am, which is really early for Saturday! I've been wearing "the mask" at night for a few weeks now, and it's starting to work! I can actually wake up coherently before noon these days. Ron took another day off work and we drove up to Washington to our property. No progress was made since the last picture I posted, so we decided to stay in a B&B called The Harbor House, which is just down the road from us.

This is the bedroom we booked:


And this is the view from the balcony:

It's located in a cove called Pleasant Harbor Marina that is just down the street from our property. (Like, literally a block away, if travelling by water). There is currently a permitting process underway for a new golf, spa, and shopping resort (see Statesman Group's Pleasant harbor developement website for details) that we are really excited about. Not just because it will increase the property values of the whole town, but also because it will bring something to do in Brinnon. Don't get me wrong, the serenity is nice. But too much serenity can drive a person crazy... :) I think they're going to start building in 2009. FUN!

On our way up, we stopped off in St. Helens to visit some friends of ours, Julie & Jared & their two boys Evan (3) and Mason (1). We spontaneously invited them with us, and I'm glad we did because we had such a good time. The whole town was booked (not like there's much choice to start with), so they shared our room.... A little bit of drama, but worth it.

The first night we got in pretty late, so we just went to bed. Then next morning, Ron and I took Evan down to the dock to find marine treasures at low tide on the pylons. Let's see, there was a whole bunch of sealife, including starfish, mussels, oysters, crab (in the water), seaweed, little fishies, birds, even a seal that was making his rounds, patrolling the marina. It was too far out to catch Evan's attention, but I think it was funny how it would swim underwater for a bit, pop its head out, check out the perimeter, then go underwater again. It went around 2-3 times while we were there. It stayed an extra long time at the newly-built boat launch (which is a reallly nice one), probably wondering where all the traffic came from.










For lunch we went to the Timber House in Quilcene. The food there is excellent!! If you're ever in the neighborhood, we should go! The clam chowder is the best I've ever had. It was made with ingredients that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but was sooo yummy. I always get the seafood platter. Even though it's breaded and fried, I still get to taste a little bit of everything.

Evan had his heart set on going for a hike over the weekend, so after lunch we went up to Fallsview Falls where there's a short trail to a waterfall. It was fun, although the falls weren't flowing very heavy. Probably the wrong season (after all, we've had a dry summer relatively speaking).

Julie & Jared, Evan & Mason Bradfield

When we went around the whole loop (probably 1/10th of a mile total), Evan decided he wanted more hiking. So, we drove up to Mt Walker view point where there was a nice lookout and another trail head (this time, a 2-mile trail, but we weren't planning on hiking the whole thing.

Actually, when we got to the top, we saw a bunch of birds hanging around. Jared had a granola bar, so he crumbled it up in his hand and helped Evan feed the birds. We have TONS of shots of birds flying in and out. They would take these huge pieces that were almost bigger than their heads, fly away and come right back. You know they weren't eating all of it. I bet they were stocking up for winter.

Here are some of my favorite bird shots:

(4 calling birds, 3 french hens, two turtle doves...... )

And a partridge in a pear tree! not really, but there were a lot of birds.


Are we feeding the boy or the birds??? :)

I like how I captured the bird mid-flight and it's not blurry! most of the flight shots I got were blurry!


The fabulous view


Token shot of me and Ron. Yes, it was chilly 2 miles up in the air....

After hiking came naps. Ron and I went over to the property to fix the other paddle boat while the kids took a nap. It took us 2 hours to saw that solid iron bar out of the boat. It was completely rusted through, and the boat wouldn't paddle anymore. At least, not without making a terrible clicking noise and leaking profusely through the pedals. We fixed it, then took it over to the boat launch (The first boat was already docked at the B&B). When the boys woke up, we all got in a pedal boat (two total) and pedaled over to our beach. From as far back as the B&B is in the marina, it took us a good 40 minutes to pedal over. Jared mentioned that as they were pedaling out, a man in a beautiful 90 ft yacht yelled over his balcony, "No Wake!!" and laughed smugly. hm... mean man! I'm sure Ron and I were getting plenty of stares ourselves as we lowered our 8 foot bright yellow and blue pedal boat into the water and the boat launch.... maybe someday when we win the lottery we can have a nice, big yacht and pay someone to maintain it! :)

I was sad we didn't have the camera to take shots in the boats or at the beach. We've never done a bonfire on the beach before, and it was actually quite fun!! there's always plenty of driftwood to use. I remember when we first bought the place, I had big plans for cleaning up the beach and getting rid of all of the driftwood. That is, until I saw how the tide brought in new loads every day.... not that much, really, but the tide will bring it in, and the tide will bring it out. I was very overwhelmed after the first big storm that we had when there were huge logs all up and down our beach. Until, after the next storm they were all gone. The tide bringeth, and the tide taketh away...

We got a good fire going, and we roasted hot dogs, sausages, and marshmallows. yummy! It got late (and dark) much too quickly. None of us wanted to leave, except Mason was up way past his bedtime. He definitely wasn't happy to still be there. So, since we all paddeled over there, we were trying to figure out how to get back. Luckily, the boys rescued us. Ron, Jared, and Evan all did a super-pedal back to the Harbor House, jumped in the car and raced back to pick us up. Julie and Jared took the kids back to get in bed, while Ron and I finished cleaning up the campsite. Then we pedaled the other boat back over. What a great night!

Jared was SO curious about the oysters. We told him he could take as many as he wants from our beach. We have TONS (360 feet of beachfront with a strip of oysters approximately 20 feet wide. that's alot of oysters. Jared got up really early because he didn't know when low tide was. (We were silly enough not to bring a tide table. oops!). He went over to start harvesting some oysters. When Ron woke up, he got a little nervous since those oysters can be sharp! He told me later that when he arrived at our beach, Jared was this lone man wading out in the water, plunging for oysters. If he had waited another 2 hours, the oysters would have been exposed and no swimming in the COLD water would have been necessary. However, I think he was kind of looking for an adventure anyway, so he was happy to swim. He took a chest full of carefully selected oysters home to enjoy. Ron and I haven't been brave enough to try them yet. Although we're told they're delectable. Jared agrees. He cooked them on the grill, then sprinkled them with lemon and garlic butter. They were very tender, not chewy, and not gritty at all. Jared shared them with all of his neighbors and now he's very popular. :) Who doesn't like fresh oysters? I guess you'll have to try them, too, if you come to visit.

We headed home after lunch and got back in time to relax before going back to work the next day. Well, not Ron. He doesn't work on Tuesdays.

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
Mother Teresa of Calcutta