Is it really a blog if it's only pictures?

Well I guess this is an official "update" but it's just pictures again. July 4th weekend and we were in Clemson, SC with Karen's brother and some friends. Swimming, hiking, cooking out, watching fireworks = very nice weekend. Enjoy.

Blahlum blahlum blahlum was the "new trick" for the day.


Smiling all weekend, serioiusly, all weekend.

"So we hiked to a waterfall... and?" - Jay, he really said that right after this photo.

"I'm baby Jay Monster! ROAR!!!!"

The "Blizzard" of 2009

Well we finally got our one day of snow and it was at least enough to play in (3.5 inches). So we suited up the baby and went out to winter wonderland. Quickly we discovered the 'awesomeness' of our new yard, front and back, and how we'll have to keep a hefty supply of plastic sleds on hand for the next one of these great days. So enough text, on to the photos and videos!

With Mom's hat I'm ready to go!














One baby snow angel coming right up!















Not bad for my first try!



















Are you sure you don't want me to drive?





And that's the one day of snow for this season... and it came in March!?!?!

Two Months and... WAY behind!

Alright, the other two are sleeping and I have about 10 mins before I get to wake them up so here's some "scoop" since last time:

January 11th - Tom and Ali Hallman came down to spend a week with us and for Tom to baptize Karen and I.

Jay was happy -------------------------------->

They also helped Karen out IMMENSELY with laundry, food, relaxing, and rocking out with Guitar Hero World Tour.

We made a small "Brady Bunch" type photo that will be getting developed today (finally):



Jay's Great-Grandparents Cronin, Great Aunt Trisha, Great? / Second Cousin Christian, Great Aunt and Uncle Cronin, and Great "Aunt" Cindy Walsh are all visiting tomorrow for a cookout and baby puke catching contest. Jay will be hosting both events.

Karen's tutoring almost every day now which keeps her speaking spanish, teaching again, and allows her to interact with someone else besides our 12 lb SBJBBBH (Sweet Baby James Blue Berry Bobble Head courtesy of Aunt Morgan).

Time to wake them up with a battle cry from one movie that I can't wait to watch with my son: FREEEEEEDDOOOOOMMM!!!!!

1 Month and Kickin!

I can't even remember the last time that I "blogged" so I'll keep it short and sweet with some pictures.
Look what we found under the Christmas tree! Such a nice early present! So we took him the Georgia to show him off to the Culpepper side of life and still made it back for dinner. The next day Karen and I were able to celebrate 3 years of wearing rings together. Feels like a lot longer but that's just because we've done so much. Marriage is (still) awesome.

Christmas came a couple of days later and just had to get Jay to say hello and Merry CHRISTmas to everyone. (I think his mother likes to hold her pinky up as well but we'll work on his people skills when dealing with the masses later on. Prince James V doesn't have time to learn what his tongue is and that it's not polite to look down his nose, hold his finger in the air, and gently pass wind in front of everyone... yet.)

And now, on January 4th (the last day before returning to work and seeing what being a parent is REALLY all about) we were able to celebrate Jay's 1 month old day... or 4 weeks and 3 days old day since I haven't a clue as to how long a month actually is. So one last picture for all the ladies out there:

Week 40

Well, the due date came and went with no sign of the baby's exit from the womb and entry into the world. Shamus had a soccer game (2, actually) Monday (the due date) and his team got 2nd place! It was fun in spite of the cold rain and ridiculous tackle (Shamus was 2-hand tackled from behind while he was dribbling toward the goal... and the ref decided against calling a foul). I've been going to almost all of Shamus's soccer games since I quit teaching so I've gotten to know some of the players on his team. He made me stay home for one a while ago because it was too cold. But then the end of the pregnancy approached and it occurred to me that he doesn't play soccer with his cell phone attached to him and that he usually leaves his phone in the car. So we talked and decided that I should go to all of his games in case I go into labor. There have been a few cold games but I go wearing lots of pants and shirts and a scarf and gloves and 1 or 2 coats (I own one coat that still zips! It's a ski jacket.) and I have 2 blankets and I almost always have hot chocolate. Sounds pretty miserable, huh? I've had a lot of fun getting to know the other players and the other 2 spouses that show up to the games as fans. Once we get a feel for life with a baby, Shamus will join a team again. I can't wait to hear our son yell what all the other kids yell: "Go, daddy, go! Go, daddy go! Go, daddy go!"
The next night, since the due date passed and some friends of ours said Japanese food encourages labor, we decided to go out to dinner with them. I forgot how fun Japanese steakhouses are. We had a great chef, of course, and he made the fried rice into a cake and asked if it was anyone's birthday. I said, "I hope so!" and pointed to my baby belly. So I ended up with a chunk of rice that looked like a piece of cake with a match in it. He sang happy birthday to the baby and I made a wish (bet you can't guess what it was!) and blew out the match. We had a lot of fun going out with Peggy and Joel - they said that they ate Japanese just before Peggy went into labor with both of her sons! One of her sons came early - but after Japanese, and the other was a little late - but also after Japanese! Joel was guessing that it was the ginger so I was loading that onto my plate. Japanese food did not make the baby come out.
We had an appointment on Wednesday and they did a Non Stress Test. They put 2 round, black "readers" on your belly and strap them on with belts around you. Then they turn on the machine and it keeps up with the baby's heartrate on paper. It makes the zig zags when the heart rate changes. You can also make it zig zag by laughing. For some reason, I thought something was very funny (no idea what) and I started giggling. Then, I saw that I was messing up the test. You'd think that would make me stop. Nope. I laughed harder and harder! I finally quit laughing and calmed down for a few minutes, but then I looked over at the paper with all the crazy zig zags that I made when I laughed and I started laughing again! My doctor came in and I had to explain that the zig zags were me laughing. It took a while to get what they wanted on the paper (a higher heartrate for 15 seconds 3 times) but it was kind of fun sitting and chatting with Shamus (and laughing too much). We're going back on Monday to check on him and if he's not out by next Thursday then they'll induce labor. My doctor will be the one delivering, which is great!
Thanksgiving was tons of fun! My parents and Robby came up and Jim and Judy and Cleggan all came over! We had a ham, a turkey and a bunch of casseroles. Mom decorated our porch for Christmas (it looks so cute and festive!), the ladies cooked and talked, the guys watched some football and visited and ended up exploring the creek in our backyard, and Cleggan went around beggin for attention, decided to go to the creek with the guys, and promptly fell in. If you know Cleggan, you know that he freaked out a bit because he hates water. He was okay, though - just a little wet.
After dinner we played Ticket to Ride (a very fun board game that you may want to buy) and visited some more. We watched No Country for Old Men (at least, Shamus and the Culpeppers did... I knitted in the living room while they watched) and relaxed. Mom and dad and Robby are staying up here for the night and we're finishing up the nursery tomorrow! Maybe I'll go into labor since everyone is already in town! (I doubt it. That would be entirely too convenient.) I guess I'm pretty much fine with the baby not being born yet. I got to "host" Thanksgiving! (I didn't do much cooking, but we did get to use our China and pretty table cloth!)
Hope he comes soon!

Week 39

Bartok is moving quite a bit! It's weird - I can feel his fingers. But also exciting! He has fingers!! :) I was talking to a friend of mine who wants to be a doula (See Week __ to find out what that is) and she asked if he was head down and if his body was on my left side. I know he's head down because the doctor checks but I had to think about the baby on the left side thing. Turns out that only my right ribcage has been kicked for a while now. I can't remember any appendages sticking out of the left side of my baby bump... but I can remember several on the right side! So I guess he's on my left and that means ready for take-off! Other than that, not a whole lot of progress. On Monday, the doctor said it's softer and I'm still at 1 cm. I have another appointment this coming Monday - which is the due date!! I'm hoping we won't have to go to the appointment because we'll already have a baby in our arms by then. I went for a jog yesterday (doctor's orders... kind of...*) and this morning I measured the belly (which isn't an exact science - so don't get too excited) and I think the baby dropped because I was 43 inches around at the button and now I'm only 41!! Also, last night in bed there was some serious moving inside - so much moving that the baby was actually moving me! *"Doctor's orders" means that there's a family doctor in our shepherding group and he advised his wife to "jog around a cornfield" at the end of her pregnancy and she went into labor that night. Later, as we were discussing some prayer requests, he jokingly said about 2 different requests that those people we were praying for should try going to a jazz bar to relax and enjoy some music. He casually added on that I shouldn't go into the smoky jazz bar, but that I should go for a jog around it. (We were praying for me and the baby along with the other requests.) He's a funny guy - and he's a real doctor. So I jogged. Next on the list of things to try: Walking and eating Japanese. We have friends who ate Japanese on their due date and went to the hospital that night. Apparently they met a few other couples at the restaurant who had done the same thing in past years. So Japanese Steakhouse, here we come! Maybe afterward we could all go for a jog on full bellies.

Week 37

Monday we went to the hospital to meet the doulas. A doula is a woman helper trained to help women through childbirth. We're getting one! I'm so excited! A doula does not have special degrees like nurses and doctors and really only know about the birthing process and a little about breastfeeding. They help mom get into the best positions during labor and if the baby needs help turning, they know how to do that. There is a decreased rate of unplanned C-Sections, the use of an epidural, and labor time associated with the use of a doula. They have all kinds of distractors (like cold packs and hot packs and massage techniques) so that mom doesn't think so much about the pain. They tell dad how to help more if he wants input. They translate machine beeps and doctor talk into regular English. They give advice on what to do if there's a problem - even if their advice opposes the doctor's. They make sure that mom and dad are well taken care of and that mom and baby have figured out the breastfeeding stuff. And one doula stays with you the whole time - unlike nurses and doctors who may have to leave if their shift ends during your labor. What could be coola than a doula when I'm in labor?