one day old!!...

Her name is Finley Joyous Dreyer (and that's about the most beautiful name there is!!!)
8lbs80z 22 inches

Introducing...we don't know yet but SHE'S HERE!!!...

Born May 25, 2007 at 3:07 NY time!
I just can't wait any longer to tell all of you even though I don't know many of the particulars. Craig sent a picture of Cami and the baby nursing and that photo is a heart breaker, I tell you. Can't see much of the baby except for a bit of hair sorta brownish, reddish, blondish and sweet pink cheeks! For now the family is bonding behind closed doors and the cell phone is OFF! (good for them!)
So, I will have to get back to you about name, weight, length etc.
and...
..
Mac says, "hello little newie!"
and to snatch the final paragraph of one of our favorite books 'On the Day You Were Born'..."Welcome to the spinning world, the people sang, as they washed your new, tiny hands. Welcome to the green Earth, the people sang, as they wrapped your wet slippery body. And as they held you close they whispered into your open, curving ear, WE ARE SO GLAD YOU'VE COME!"

we are almost there...(what d'ya mean WE?!!)...

9cm, thinking it'll be time to PUSH ...
I'll keep you all posted!!

birth squad update...

6cm, walking around, feeling good, progressing...
matt asks, "how's it going?"
craig responds, "it takes at least 36 hours to birth the next woman president!"

we are on candle #6...

...we got a text message this morning from Craig saying they are starting it all up again after some rest. Their spirits are up...he used some military language like "Roger Wilco"to sign off...sounds like they are READY to BRING ON that BABY!!

anecdote to lighten the mood...

...so Mac says she likes this certain Pokemon named Hippo-something-or-other and tries a couple of names, trying to remember..."Hippo-cruel? Hippo-cron?
Hippo-crit?"
...and then she covers her mouth and looks at me with wide eyes.
"What?" I ask.
"Sorry, it just slipped out."
I couldn't figure out what she meant. "Do you think the word 'hypocrite' is a bad word or something?"
She says, "Yeah because I heard you saying it about Bush with Lauren and when you guys talk about Bush you say lots of bad words!".........

time to rest...

Cami and Craig are resting up tonight after a stalled labor...they will try pitocin once again in the morning...it's gonna be a long night...so sistas out there send out the good vibes to Cam!!

(I didn't paint this one, by the way, but I like it...I can't find the artists name..)

painting and waiting...

Latest update 12:00 noon...a text message from Craig saying that after the pitocin things are definitely moving along and getting more intense.

Favorite text message so far..."she's moaning in her sleep like a tibetan monk...she's so beautiful...I think I have aged 5 years in 5 days!"

Meanwhile I am painting with my head in another state, literally and figuratively!

tick...tick..tick....

last nights candle which lasted 18 hours!...



and this mornings refresher... with shrine intact...
Cami's water broke at 4 0'clock a.m. NY time and she is in early labor!! Craig sent Matt a great cell phone picture at 7:30 a.m. our time of Cami in a rocking chair on the porch of the birth center doing her thing...Craig's comment was that Cami is doing great but that he can't imagine "transition"...another papa word!!...He writes, "Cami is BRAVE!" Yesturday evening Craig sent a picture of them doing temporary tattoos on her belly HA!...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the colors of May...

When Matt and I were planning to get married we decided on May because we knew we would have a lot of out of town guests and they could come for the long Memorial Day weekend. But for me, the real reason was that all those people flying into San Diego could look out the window of the plane as they landed and see all the jacarandas in bloom. It always amazes me how this shade of lavendar can be so luminous.
I have had similar experiences in Kenya admiring the jacarandas in Nairobi...feeling very surprised how familiar such a far away place could seem.
And then of course there are the lilac bushes on the East Coast. Cami and Craig's wedding was also in May, 6 years ago. I remember cutting branch after branch from enormous lilac bushes on the side of the road to decorate their house for a party.
Anyway, great color, great month and now GREAT DAY....
we got a call from Cami and Craig and they will be going in to induce labor at 4:00 NY time. So, I am lighting the candle, also purple coincidentally...and thinking about NEW LIFE......

after school with the kids...

I realize this looks so orderly and idyllic...next they'll be doing dishes while they recite their multiplication tables, hahaha...
obviously the only reason I was able to take video at all was because it was one of those peaceful moments...
only a few minutes later they were quarreling over boundary lines and green fairy milk (really!)...
but how lovely it is hanging out with these kids ...mine and Carolines!

(by the way, I don't know if you ever have trouble viewing videos, if they are choppy, but it seems to work for me if I hold the mouse click down!)

fathers and their girls...

baby Mac (one month old) and her Papa

wish I had room for one of these...

...it's a bean teepee, looks like

there are some morning glories too...

another idea for next year!

Ribbit!

I found this BIG BOY in Hauser canyon.
No Bullfrogs were harmed in the making of this blog.

new musical obsession...m.ward...

great song, cool animation
and below, the band singing the same song on letterman...

the mystery of reading and writing in English...

Today I read a blog post from friend, Daleth, about her daughter, Bidane, learning to read. English is such a messed up language...so difficult to learn. I realize it more and more as I teach my kids to read, define different words, explain the wiggy rules. Morgan, the worlds best kindergarten teacher, has great techniques and methods of teaching our kids to read. One of them is best-guess-spelling which encourages them to write write write without worry! Here's one of my favorite examples.
Translation: "education shooter it shoots education right into your brain"
Of course what I also love about this is Emmett's attempt to make a gun acceptable to me. The variation of this is "it shoots out LOVE".
gotta love it!

Dad, we are thinking of you!...

On Mother's Day, my dad had a stroke. He's doing ok, staying in St Elizabeths in Lincoln, Ne. I have been talking to him everyday and he's improving. Keep him in your thoughts everyone! Send out some good energy!
Here is a picture of my dad, my brother and me. You can see the Emmett and Silas resemblance!
WE LOVE YOU DAD!

The Tooth!

Emmett's very first Tooth! After a serious incident involving Emmett's chin and Megan's head we were unsure if the newly loose baby tooth would ever come out or just continue to hurt and irritate Emmett...well tonight it came out! Hurray!

And what a tooth it is! We think Emmett is part shark!

just one of the reasons I love my mama...

...she helps me out so much with these babies, even when they spit at her during diaper changes!! (yes, you have to hold him down or it can be a messy situation!)
Happy Mother's Day!!

something for you to meditate on Cami!...look closely...

the miracle of life, agapanthus style...

Resort Time! Thanks Annie!

Annie treated Mac, Emmett, Silas and me to two and a half days at Paradise Point here in San Diego. We stayed in a beautiful room on the bay. We went swimming a lot, we ordered room service, played golf (putters only) and had a great time!




The colorful clan.



Where we spent most of our time....the pool.

what Mother's Day is all about...

thanks Lauren for finding this...

bon voyage...

Aloha to everyone! We are off on our extended tropical vacation to Hawaii. We'll miss all of you. We probably won't be able to call or e-mail or blog due to the secluded nature of our trip but you will be in our thoughts as we hike orchid forests and swim in fern lined waterfalls. Much love...

...actually we will be a the Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay for 2 days...we are pretending...see you saturday. (And Cami, if you go into labor, we brought the candle with...)

cutie Mabel...a.k.a. farah...

so, we went on this fun fieldtrip to the aquarium and I got some great pictures but it seems my camera ate them...so...here's a picture of Mabel our sweet yet smelly dog who is just such a girl in this picture...

extreme games...watch out!

cool yet cautious. he says he wishes they had ankle guards!

the shrine...

Any day or week now my neice will be born and here is the shrine that our family put together...you see, Cami asked us to light a candle when we get word that the labor has started...so, we got into it, as we tend to do...
the shrine consists of...
1) A three wick large lavender candle for "purity and clarity", the lady said. Three wicks for the family of three and large because we plan to keep it burning throughout the labor!
2) Growing and blooming things, including a miniature rose branch with 49! closed buds soon to open. No idea about the significance of the number 49...maybe the labor will be between 4-9hours...that would be good...
3) A pokemon card: Slakoth (first stage of evolution). That is from Emmett, he knows what that means and it is important! Slakoth gives good massages he says.
4) A silver fork from Mac to wish the baby good luck as is the custom in Finland. (we don't have a spoon)
5) A baby faces book from Emmett to give the baby feelings.
6) A bracelet from Mac to wish the baby health and wealth.
7) A pin from Papas uniform that he usually wears everyday.
8) Two "C" encyclopedias for knowledge ("C" for the words cami, craig and child)
9) Two angel cards chosen at random by Emmett with the words "Openess" and "Willingness" (I'm not kidding!)
10) Just peeking out of the frame...a note from Emmett, "Its a Girl!"
11) And, finally, a happy wooden Buddha 'cause that 's all about love!

so we are ready (are you!!?!!)...just waiting for that call...adding things to the shrine daily...
thinking of you!

oh, but Lauren, there are so many to choose from...

but then again...

and if not... at least...

and don't forget...

because we all know...

and remember...

and for gods sake...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there's this face he makes...

It starts as wide-eyed curiousity...

and morphs before your eyes into this. We should have a caption contest for this one!

quote of the day...

From The Sun magazine:

Question: How many Bush-administation officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving everyday. Any report of its lack of incandescence is a delusional spin by the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say about its going out undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

source unknown

up for a chuckle?...

bad video but great audio!

...and check this out while you are at it...

http://www.tellusthemission.org/

legion of doom...cracks me up!...

cynical but funny...

Tales of Mere Existence: How to Break Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfl9e53LX_U

You have to check this guy out. He does a bunch of other little cartoons you can find on you tube easily...all funny! Not so good for kids. And while you're at it, here's another one with an interview of him at some film short festival.

Tales of Mere Existence: Procrastination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPR3sRPK2RY

diarama drama...

Emmett is studying the habitat of the anteater.
Thanks to glitter glue, pipe cleaners, and toilet paper rolls.
And of course, the worlds best kindergarten teacher,
Miss Morgan!!
and its for school of coures. (adds Emmett)

b-ball with pop...

I just love watching these two play outside. Mac, Silas and I hung out upstairs reading Harry Potter #6...again (!) listening to papa and Emmett throw the ball around. They are both so happy doing this...

happy birthday nana!!!

Mac and Emmett painted pictures for Nana! They painted them on wood for
her garden. It was a great Earth Day B-Day!

When the rain comes

While all you people are sitting in your comfy armchairs, drinking hot chocolate and reading cozy books, think of me on some foggy mountain side. On this glorious SoCal day it took me two hours to get down "Batman's Ridge". The water in my boots made it worthwhile...

Basketball

Congratulations to Emmett and Benjamin! Both of these fine young athletes recorded their first baskets in a game today. I think that I was more excited than Emmett, but that is a Pop's prerogative. Emmett told me he is going to be in the NBA one day. I told him that he played a good game.

Matt

peace...

...just wish there was more of it.

spy kids...

emmett chooses BLACK!!

do you know why i chowse black? because of cours you dont know why i picked black
ok that is to hard i will tell the anwesir
it is that emil told me because his backround for his blog is black
go look for yourself

Only One More Month, give or take ...

My awesome sister-in-law has one more month left of this gestation business. Time has flown (speaking for myself!) and this is the home stretch. (literally!)
We Love You Cami! Hang in There!
Wish I could be there to take long get-that-baby-the-hell-out walks with you!

the lights are back on at the studio...just in time...

next was the front door! (poor Matt!)

emmett writes: "etchaskech mania [best guess]"....

[After you finished reading look at the picsure carefole and you will see litil lines]
papa[acshalee matt] brought us a...

etchaskech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it took us 1hour to fill the hole bord with lines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got my teeth pulled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, first we (Nana, Mama, Silas,and I) dropped off Emmett at kindergarden. Then we went home and watched Sponge-Bob Square-Pants. We got in to the car and drove into the dentist place. I got in the chair and they put a mask on my nose it was supposed to make me calm. Then they started talking about the usual like "How is school?" and "do you have any siblings?" They took my blood pressure and stuck little pads on me to see my heart beat. After that they gave me a tooth to squeeze. It was a stuffed tooth and they gave me an..............................................

I-V!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cold crept up my arm and when it was at my shoulder I closed my eyes. Then when the medicine got to my heart I fell asleep. When I woke up I was in a bed facing this chinese woman. She looked like a vampire because she was pale and she had two things sticking out of her mouth to suck up the blood because she had teeth pulled too. Those looked like fangs. I took the things outta' my mouth to say hello when a nurse told me to put 'um back in. I sat up in bed and a nurse pushed me back down. Then my mom took me outta the stupid place.

And that is my story.Thank you

And here is silas getting some pear juice straight from the pear.