Siglerville

Sunday March 27th 2011

2011-03-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was Rachel's birthday party and we held it at the Little Gym. For those who do not know what the Little Gym is - It is a franchise that has a huge huge, well padded room for kids to play in. Within this room, a gym it could even be called, are balance beams, hanging rings, uneven bars, tiny basketball hoops, and all sorts of things that a little kid would enjoy to play with. We had a total of 14 kids come for the party. The kids ranged from 2-5 years old and seemed to all have a blast. These were children from Rachel's daycare and also children of co-workers. Plus some neighbors and their children were invited. Megan was awesome and did not have any real issue in the 90 minutes the party went along. Megan is doing great and has grown a full inch and weighs a pound more since she was born. There is nothing to really report, and that is a great thing. Aunt Jackie, Cousin Jenna, and Grandma Wendy also were in attendance. I am not going to talk much about Ohio State other to say that once again, they broke my heart. Here are some pictures....

Friday March 11th 2011

2011-03-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Lisa and Megan are home and resting. Both are doing well. Rachel is happy that the baby is here and has been an anger so far. We will see how long that lasts...

Here are pictures from both the camera (higher quality) and our iPhones. There are even a few of Rachel thrown in from last week - decked out in her Ohio State gear. She loves rooting for Ohio State and runs around the house screaming Go Hio State - Go Hio State. We also like to play the Wheres Brutus game when they are on TV. When i notice the big mascot on the screen, (usually in the stands and far from the court), i pause the TV and Rachel likes to find him. It is our version of the Where's Waldo.

Wednesday March 9th 2010

2011-03-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

Hello.

So many things....Please welcome into the world - Megan Elizabeth Sigler. She was born tonight at 7:18pm and weighed in at 7 pounds and 14 ounces. The delivery went as well as could be expected and Megan and Lisa are both recovering in the hospital.

Rachel turned 3 today..both her and Megan will share a birth date, March 9th. Exactly one week after me. So that will make it easy to remember for me...

Lisa originally had a due date of March 3rd, so Megan is a week late. Lisa had an appointment to be induced on Friday if our new friend decided to keep hiding. We were of different opinions on whether it would be a good thing for them to share a birthday or not. I feel that obviously it would be easier for the parents (obviously) and that the kids would not know any difference, so they really would not care. Lisa felt that it would make the kids feel less special because they had to share the day. In the end, it really did not matter what we thought because nature did its own thing!

While Rachel turned 3 today, she does not know it. We purposely never told her it was her birthday and because she has not yet figured out how to read a calendar, she was none the wiser. Rachel is aware that her birthday is sometime soon, but just does not know when! The reasoning behind this trick is that we are mean. That is why. Honestly, Rachel wants a birthday party and has been asking for one for months. There was a stretch late last year where it seemed like she went to 5 parties in a 3 week span (i know for a fact she had 3 in one day she went to). She had those fun times stuck in her head and keeps asking - "when my burtday pahty?" She has done this for months. And with Megans due date so close to Rachel's b-day, we did not want to risk having to cancel it. So the plan has been to have it at the end of the month. Aunt Jackie and cousin Jenna are coming for a week during spring break, so we figure to have her party then. We will invite the daycare kids and friends with children out someplace for a little party. Lisa wants something simple like Chik-Fil-A and i have heard good things about the local 'Little Gym' who hosts those kinds of things and lets kids play in a huge area.

I will post more pictures once i bring camera home from hospital. These were taken from the trusty iPhone. If i had to tell you the celebrity that she most looks like, i would have to say the kid from 'Two and half men'. And that is no compliment... Haha, i am guessing that will change.

December 28th 2010

2010-12-28T14:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas came and went and it was a very happy holiday in our household. Rachel sat with us during Christmas eve service (instead of going to childcare) and behaved fabulously. She held the candle and holder and seemed to enjoy herself. She had a blast unwrapping all of her gifts on Christmas morning and loved every minute of it. And once Christmas was over, she forced us to take down all lights and decorations. in her head, Christmas was over, so there was no need to have a tree up or decorations. She sure is opinionated!

All three of us are doing great. We are looking forward to the new baby in March and Rachel is real excited.

Here are some pictures from Christmas.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Wednesday October 13th 2010

2010-10-13T17:57:00.001-07:00

We are having a girl! Lisa and I went to the doctor yesterday and had the latest sonogram. The doctor was confident that there were no boy parts and that Rachel is going to have a baby sister. Due date is still early March. Rachel is excited and keeps telling us that she is going to be a nice big sister. She is awful cute.

Wednesday October 13th 2010

2010-10-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday September 21st 2010

2010-09-21T14:48:00.001-07:00

Hello. Life is wonderful and we are all doing great in Virginia. Lisa has started her new job at LGS Innovations. She seems happier, so that is nice.
Lisa is also pregnant and due in March, so there is also that. We won't find out the gender of the new baby for a few more weeks, but we will let you know as soon as we do. The estimated due date is March 3rd, so that hypothetically puts the new baby right between me (2nd) and Rachel (9th). It should make for a very interesting March.
Rachel is doing awesome and getting bigger, smarter and cuter everyday. There is not a day that goes by that she does not make me laugh, smile and be amazed at her. She is truly a blessing and we love her dearly.
My work is going good. August was my best month (ever) sales wise, so that is nice. It was perfect timing to coincide with the time off (and lack of paycheck) Lisa had between jobs. I know how fortunate we are to have jobs and how lucky we are to be keeping our heads out of water. I know how alot of other Americans and specifically midwestern people are struggling.
Below are some pictures taken with the iphone. Lisa and I have just upgraded to the new 4G and they are fabulous! The video and camera are upgraded and it is really neat talking face to face with the video.
There are also new pictures we took a dew weeks back when we went as a family to the local animal farm. I took better pictures of Rachel on the tractors. We really could not get any good pictures with Rachel and the animals because they are fenced in and she would not really pose by them.

Tuesday September 2010

2010-09-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

August 9th 2010

2010-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, I cannot believe it has been almost 6 months since my last post but time has just been flying by. We have not been taking nearly as many pictures and videos that we should be and Rachel is just growing up so fast. She is almost 2-1/2 years old (she will tell you if you ask her) and is just getting soooo tall. The top of her head is almost to the kitchen counter tops and she is able to reach things off of all tables and counters. Rachel eats and eats but does not put on any weight. She literally is a little ball of energy that just goes and goes. She still only weighs about 31 pounds and is skinny as a pole.

I know i am biased (extremely), but Rachel is one of the smartest kids in the world. Seriously. She remembers everything and can tell you all about colors, numbers, animals, letters, cartoon characters and she is fluent in 4 languages. Ok, i made that last part up. But Lisa and I spoke other languages, i have no doubt she would be talking and learning in 4 languages. You can mention a name or a fact and or something trivial and she will literally remember it a month later. It is amazing how that sponge of a brain is working for her. She is also almost completely potty trained. She still has accidents but she is about 85% of the way there!

The three of us are enjoying life and happy. Work is going great for me (too good. i have to spend a few extra hours each week at night trying to get caught up on quotes and orders for work) and Lisa (by the time you read this) will have quit her job at Ericsson/Ascom. She has been there almost 10 years and it is time to move on. She has been unhappy for a long time. Lisa has a job offer and is going to accept it in the morning.

Lisa and I have talked about some of the pictures I am posting and while some may show a lot of skin, i don't think there is anything wrong posting them. Plus i am hoping that someday it will make her extremely embarrassed. Really hoping. Some of the pictures were taken of Rachel playing in her fort of couch pillows and blankets. Some of them are of a time when she decided to strip her clothes off and run around in her birthday suite. And others are from when she went to a local petting zoo and farm.

Thursday March 11th 2010

2010-03-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

*quick update - Rachel had her 2-year old doctors checkup. She is 34.5-inches tall which puts her in the 75th percentile for girls height at that age. She also weighs 24-pounds and that is in the 10-15 percentile for weight. So to summarize - Rachel is an tall skinny kid.

Tuesday March 09 2010

2010-03-09T16:22:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Rachel! Rachel turned two today and time has just flown by. It is just amazing how much of an adult person she is compared to the baby she was. She communicates with words and actions instead of just grunts and cries. She has her own personality and it is just breathtaking to watch her. I love you Rachel.

Rachel does not fully comprehend what is so special about her birthday but she thoroughly enjoyed the 'bella balloon and the cake and presents. Even though we did not buy her anything of note, she has a tricycle or small bike in her immediate future. We took her to Toys R Us to try and pick out a small wheeled contraption but none seemed perfect. She did not seem to be strong enough in the legs to pedal a tricycle but the 4 wheeled walking bike seemed to be something that would soon be outgrown. We are still looking for the right thing...

Rachel got a small tray of Brownies as her cake. Lisa bought some red 'neon' icing to put on the brownies but it was barely noticeable on it and all it did was turn Rachel's mouth and hands bright red.

Rachel has her 2 year doctor appointment tomorrow, so we will have height and weight posted later.

We are all doing fine. Work for both of us is a bit stressful and while we are thankful to have jobs, there is a reason it is called work and not fun.

Here are some pictures taken from tonight.

Sunday February 7th 2010

2010-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

We are still alive and have survived the snowpocalypse. We received about 20 inches of snow (give or take) and have dug our driveway and car out. We lost power on Saturday for about 6 hours (3:00pm to 9:00pm) but were coping quite well. We had the gas fireplace going for heat and lots or candles and flashlights. Lisa and I were even prepared to actually talk and converse for a whole evening. But luckily that was avoided when the power came back on and we were able to catch up on some TV shows backlogged in our DVR. We do not have any satellite signal and it seems that we will be without Directv for probably a few days. Our dish is on the roof and covered in snow and there is now way to get up there at this time to clear it off. With the weather not expecting to get above freezing at any point until Thursday or Friday, we are going to be TV less for a few more days. Luckily we do have lots of old shows we have not seen yet saved in the DVR, so we have that going for us.

Rachel went out and played some in the snow today and had a blast. Here are some pictures.

Oh yeah, they are calling for 5-10 more inches of snow on Tuesday, so lucky us.

Friday February 5th 2010

2010-02-05T20:37:00.001-08:00

It is 11:30 pm on Friday night and we are upon the snowpocalypse. There is already 7-inches on the ground and the "experts" are calling for 18 to 30 inches by Saturday night. Washington DC is freaking out and people have been on edge all week. Grocery stores are all bare and look like they have been looted. It is actually quite amusing to watch people get so uptight about snow.

The only concern i have is that it is a wet and heavy snow falling and that could be real bad. I already have branches in my tree hanging real real low with all the snow on them and the snowstorm is just beginning. I will not be surprised if power will be lost at some point for alot of this region. The trees are not used to snow and ice hanging on them and there will be down power lines. I just hope we are fortunate here. I foresee having no power for the super bowl on Sunday. It is just my luck. And even if we do have power, my directv is not so good in heavy snow and rain. We have already lost all HD cable channels and i am not sure what my dish is going to do if there is a few feet of snow covering it on my roof. So even if we have power, i might not be able to watch the super bowl. /crosses_fingers

Rachel and I survived this past week with Lisa in Sweden. The two of us laughed alot and played. Rachel surprisingly had very little crying and fits. (crap, our power just flickered and everything went off for a second. i just had to reboot this computer...there is no way i will have power by morning i fear) Rachel is doing great and is healthy and growing. She will be two in a month and it amazes me at how quickly time flies by.

I have to go and start preparing for the power to go out...extra blankets and such. There is a snow emergency declared and people are supposed to be off the streets. I am gonna have to think of a back up plan.

Happy New Year (01-04-2010)

2010-01-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

It has been almost two months since i last posted and there is little excuse. Time just seems to fly by with work and family. We are doing great and Rachel is growing both physically and emotionally every day. She is so smart and amazes me daily. Rachel is awesome! She runs the house and (tries) tells us what to do and how to do it. She has a personality and is so humorous. She will laugh with you and try to make you laugh. Rachel is silly.
Here are some pictures from our visit to Cincinnati at Thanksgiving with Rachel and her cousin Jenna. Lisa and Jackie thought it would be cute to dress both girls up in the football dresses of their daddy's favorites team. So Jenna is a Bengal cheerleader and Rachel is a Browns cheerleader. There are pictures from Christmas morning and Rachel opening presents. There is also a few pictures of Rachel in her Santa dress. We kind of forgot to take a picture with her in it until the end of the day. There is a picture of her and me playing peek-a-boo with the covers.

Sunday November 8th 2009

2009-11-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

Lisa made it back from Sweden safe and sound. Rachel and i survived and had a great time. There were no horror stories or even any significant problems to mention. Rachel had her moments when she cried for her Mommy, but they were far less than i expected. Lisa came home to a really messy house, but other than that, i would give myself an ' A' for the week.

Nothing else of note is going on here. Rachel got her first application of the swine flu vaccine on Thursday and that went fine. Obviously, she did not like the needle in her leg, but other than that, it went well.

Rachel is still not talking clearly but she knows many words and slurs them when trying to speak. If you spend any time around her, you know will easily figure out what she is saying.

Just off the top of my head, she says - ball, teeth, keys, yes, no, crackers, cookies, banana, feet, book, and dora. She understands each of those words and knows their general meaning.

She can also identify numerous body parts and will point to them if you ask her where they are. Among those are eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hair, neck, shoulders, hands, feet, knees, elbows.

Just out of the blue this week, she started wagging her index finger saying NO NO NO. And she would giggle when she finished.

Rachel is awesome! Here are a few pics i took today after church.

Sunday November 1st 2009

2009-11-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Hello from Virginia. Lisa is currently in an airplane somewhere over the Atlantic ocean heading to Sweden and Rachel is sleeping in her crib. Today was the first night in what i expect to be, a very sad week. We dropped Lisa off at the airport around 3:00 this afternoon and it will be Daddy & Rachel until Thursday evening. Tonight went pretty well but she did keep repeating 'mommy' over and over. But there were really no tears about the lack of mommy (yet!). The rest of the week will be interesting for the two of us.

Rachel dressed up as a lady bug for Halloween and I have included some photos from the past few days. There are photos of her dancing (a jig) , some are her licking her bubble making wand (yuck), some photos after she had some chocolate and it is on her face. There are a wide variety of photos. These pictures are from Friday and Saturday. Enjoy.

Thursday October 8th 2009

2009-10-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

When I got home from work tonight, Rachel and Lisa were at the playground at the end of the street, playing on the slide. Here is a video (taken from my iphone) of the 'big' girl. If you turn the volume up, you can hear her say 'Mommy and Daddy'.

Friday October 2nd 2009

2009-10-02T06:30:00.001-07:00

We are still alive and doing well. It has been months since i have posted anything and i apologize for that. Our batteries died in our digital camera and I had to order replacement batteries off of ebay because no one seems to make the batteries any more. Best Buy and Circuit City no longer carried them.

Rachel is awesome and is getting taller and skinnier. She eats and eats and is not picky about any kind of food. She will eat anything you put on her plate.

Rachel is still not talking much. She points and grunts at things she wants. But she does say about 20 words, just not clearly. examples are bah=ball, cacka-crackers, buhb=bubbles (she likes to play with bubbles in the yard). But she does say Daddy crystal clear and that is nice. She also likes to say 'Uh Oh' whenever she see something that does not seem right to her. examples of her saying Uh Oh would be when the TV is paused or shut off or when something falls on the floor.

Rachel knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it. It is great watching her develop a personality and grow up. She is very bossy and will come and grab your hand and lead you around the house to do her bidding.

I will post some pictures soon but as of right now, we do not have any because the camera has been without batteries.

Lisa and I still have jobs and do not see that changing anytime soon, so we have that going for us also.

I will take pictures over the weekend and post early next week.

Friday July 10th 2009

2009-07-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hello. After work tonight, Rachel found (i think Mommy gave her) some pan lids. She was walking around banging them, so i grabbed my iPhone and grabbed a good video spot (on the couch), and here it is. My camera work got shaky towards the end and i apologize for my finger getting on the screen. Hope you enjoy.

Wednesday July 8th 2009

2009-07-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hello. Rachel is feeling much better and Lisa is on her way. Lisa still does not feel the greatest but she is better than she was this weekend. I am surprised that I did not catch the bug because i am usually susceptible.

I have sold me old iphone 3G on ebay this week. I actually sold it for more than i paid for the 3GS and after paying the fees (ebay, paypal, shipping), i actually made about $15. So I would have to say it was a great upgrade for me. If you are curious as to why the older phone is more worth more, it is because you can take the phone and use it with any carrier and not have to have a 2-year service commitment. With my new phone, i paid $299 for it but had to commit to a 2 year service plan and had to use AT&T. The person who bought my phone now can take the phone and use Sprint or Virgin or whomever they want and not be locked in for two years. For some reason (thanks AT&T) my phone was eligible to be ugraded but Lisa's upgrade would have been $499 and we decided that even though we could recoup alot of that selling her old phone, it was not worth upgrading yet.

My work is going fine. Sales are down but it could always be worse. We could be trying to sell construction material in Detroit. I truly do feel for you peeps back in the heartland. Lisa has some potential changes happening at her work and we are keeping our fingers crossed about that.

Tonight before bed, Rachel was in a very playful mood and here is another video of her dancing. I tried to get her at floor level and i think it turned out cute. I promise i will start using the iphone video for better things than Yo Gabba Gabba dancing, just not yet.

Sunday July 5th 2009

2009-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary. Time flies by when you are having fun. My two girls have been sick all weekend and it has been a very quiet holiday.

Friday evening started with a trip to the emergency room. Rachel woke up Friday around 2:00am crying and was hot to the touch. She had a fever around 101 and Lisa gave her some stuff (either children's Motrin or Tylenol - just not sure which). All day Friday she was warm but pretty much acting like herself. But before bed she was not acting herself and Lisa took her temperature again (with a head scanner). It said 103 and we debated taking her to the doctor. I suggested she try the forehead thermometer again and it then read 105. So we decided to do the emergency room right then! Of course, once we get there and check in, Rachel runs to the toys and is dancing and playing and flirting with a 3-year old boy who was there playing. They take her temperature rectally and it comes back roughly 101.5. The test her for flu and strep and the doctor finds blisters in her throat. She is diagnosed with foot, hand, mouth disease and we are sent home. We are told to alternate between Tylenol and Motrin for the next few days and keep an eye on the fever.

Lisa woke up Friday with a sore throat and has been sick and achy all weekend. So my two girls have just not been doing so well. I have tried to do my best but there is only so much when Rachel keeps waking up in the night crying and not wanting anything to do with Daddy.

The doctor weighed Rachel and she was 20-pounds 4-ounces. So she has broken the 20-pound barrier.

Here is another iPhone video i took of Rachel tonight watching her Yo Gabba Gabba show before bed. She is still not completely herself, so there is not as much wiggling and dancing as normal but there is enough...

Wednesday July 1st 2009

2009-07-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody. We are doing fine here in Virginia. We are looking forward to the long weekend coming up. Work has been rough for both of us but at least we both have jobs...So we are thankful for that. I upgraded my old iphone yesterday to the new 3GS mostly because a coworker showed me how great it shot videos. Here is the first of many Rachel videos taken from my new iphone. It is of Rachel dancing and clapping during the map song on Dora the Explorer. Enjoy.

Wednesday June 24th 2009

2009-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I last posted and I have to apologize for that. We have been busy with work and have not really taken many pictures the last four weeks. I will do better about that.
We are all doing great here in Virginia and there is nothing significant to report. Rachel had her 15-month checkup and she is still perfect. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 10% for weight and head circumference. Basically she is a tall skinny kid with a cue ball for a head. But she is a cute cue ball child. Rachel still does not weigh 20-pounds. She is 19-pounds and 12-ounces.

Rachel has fallen in love with a tv show called Yo Gabba Gabba. It is a crazy,psychedelic kids show with strange creatures that sing and dance. It was created by some former musicians and the name comes from a Ramones song. Alot of underground bands guest star and play kids songs. It encourages to get kids dancing and each episode teaches kids new dances in segments. It is a show that is not too bad for a parent. Alot of college kids get high and watch it for the trippy colors and music. Rachel goes wild during the show and dances and thrashes the whole time. It is quote adorable. She also has 4-inch figurines of the 5 main characters and plays with them constantly. We have about 20 episodes on the DVR and Rachel HAS to watch one before bed or there will be hell to pay. When she is not dancing, she likes to crawl into a little laundry basket and get comfy. She giggles and screams and encourages me to pick the basket up and make her fly. There are pictures of her in the basket.

And speaking of dancing, Rachel is a dancer! No matter the time and place or music, if Rachel hears it, she will bust a move. She just loves wiggling around, moving her arms and legs and dancing. I will get some video and figure out how to post it here. We were all at a store the other day waiting in line and 'You can't touch this' by MC Hammer was on the speaker. She was going crazy dancing for all the people. She would quit when she realized people were watching but would soon forget and start dancing again.

Here are some pictures taken in the last month. Again, most were from same day or two. She has only had her hair up in little pigtails a few times. It just so happens that it makes us remember to grab the camera. I will get more pictures to post soon.

Thursday May 21st 2009

2009-05-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

One more work day until a 3-day weekend. I have been looking forward to that for at least a month. Not only is it nice to have a day off from work, but it is another day that we can spend the whole day with Rachel.

During a standard weekday, i see Rachel for 90 seconds in the morning. She usually comes running into my bedroom screaming Daddy and looking for me. At this point I have usually already hit the snooze button a few times. She looks at me, smiles and giggles a little bit and if i am lucky, i get a hug or a kiss. Then Lisa and her are off to go to the babysitters. Then i get home around 5:15 and Lisa and Rachel come in at about the same time. We then have about 2-1/2 hours before she goes to bed. She is usually asleep by 8:00pm. So to total, on an average workday, i get at most 3 total hours of time with my daughter. But on weekends and days off, i get to spend alot more time with her, and i like that. So i am looking forward to the long weekend, not only to recharge the batteries, but to spend an extra whole day with Rachel.

Us three are doing fine. My work is still going strong. Lisa is doing good and she is trying to get adjusted to the new company Ericsson has sold her division to. Rachel is doing great and learning more and more everyday. She is starting to get real whiny and throws fits when she does not get her way. She has massive mood swings. Crying one minute and giggling the next. And she does not like to be told 'No'. This is not a fun stage.

I do not want to talk about that debacle last night with the Cavs. I hope the players slept as poorly as i did.

Here are some pictures of the adorable Rachel playing outside. There are also some pictures of her playing right after she pulled her pants off (still in a diaper).

Thursday May 14th 2009

2009-05-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing new to report here in Virginia. Work is going fine for both of us and Rachel is chugging along splendidly.
These pictures i am posting were taken the same day as the pictures from the last post. We took the rubber band out of Rachels hair and it was crazy. We laughed and laughed at how wild it was. So we grabbed a camera and her two favorite stuffed animals (Grover the Muppet [pronounced 'GroGah'] and Buckeye the Bear [pronounced 'Dora' {alot of things are called Dora}]). Here are those pictures. Buckeye the Bear is actually a teddy bear with an Ohio State hoody on. My co-worker won a basketball shooting contest at an amusement park and there were no 'good prizes', so he saw the OSU bear anbd brought it in to work for me. Or maybe he just loves me. Hmm, we have worked together for 9 years, changed companies together, and everyone says we act like an old married couple. Hmm, maybe he is my bitch. His lovely wife sent me an email today saying she saw the blog and loved the pictures of Rachel. Guess she might see this...=)... I digress...I brought Buckeye the Bear home and Rachel plays with him and Grover all the time.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Saturday May 9th 2009

2009-05-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Rachel now has 4 and a half teeth. Another has broken through and is visible on the top row. She looked funny with 4 teeth and will look even a bit off with 5. Rachel is biting anything she can put her mouth and that includes my car keys. Rachel has gotten taller and now can reach the edges of the kitchen counters, dining room table, night stands, etc. So she will pull down anything that is on the edge or barely hanging over. This includes table clothes, coats, place mats, car keys, wallets or anything else right against the edge. We now have to be even more careful so that she does not pull something heavy and blunt down on herself.
The daycare sitter put Rachel's hair into a band for the first time and here are some pictures. She looked like Cindy-Loo-Who from the Grinch.
In some of the pictures she has gotten my wallet and is rummaging through it. I am sure this won't be the first time...

Monday May 4th 2009

2009-05-04T14:46:00.001-07:00

Today is the 39 year anniversary of the shootings at Kent State and even though I was not born when it happened, I am quite aware of what happened and the circumstances. I have seen several documentaries and on the tragedy and it is quite heartbreaking. I cannot hear the date may 4th without thinking about what happened. My heart and prayers go out to all of the people and families who were involved in the massacre.

On a more happy subject, We are doing fine in Virginia. Rachel is growing more and more everyday. She adds words to her limited vocabulary on a weekly basis and she is just awesome. She likes to shout 'dadda' at the top of her lungs and gets sooo excited to me. It is a great feeling.

Rachel and Lisa usually leave as I am waking up in the morning. As the are getting ready, Rachel will run to my bedroom and push open the door looking for me. I hate to wake up. I truly hate the world the moment i am awakened. I have always been this way. I am mean and angry the first few minutes i wake up. But there is something about a happy giggly little girl screaming your name looking for you that seems to make mornings nicer.

Work is going ok for me. Sales are not what they were the last few years but it could be way worse. People are always building homes and the government is always building offices and buildings. As a result, I am way better off then some of my peers in other parts of the country. We had about 220 employees last week and that number is around 205 now. I am in no danger (job security is nice-knock on wood) of being let go but my company did get rid of some none essential / under-performing employees at the end of last week. That is always sad. but at the same time, almost every single one was a person in a department that was fully staffed and ,well, to be blunt, an idiot. But still, these are all people with families and they need to work to. So it is sad.

Here are some pictures of Rachel playing outside the last few days. She loves to be outside and gets mad and cries when you bring her back in the house.

Thursday April 16th 2009

2009-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

Things are going along nicely here in Virginia. The weather is starting to get nicer and that always cheers up people. I want to thank everyone for their condolences towards my grandfather. It is never easy to lose a loved one and i am still thinking about him multiple times a day. Please say a prayer for my grandmother. I can't imagine what she is going through. They had been connected at the hip for so long and now she is alone. Very sad.
Rachel is growing and growing. I bought her a Grover stuffed animal (much like i had when i was a child) and she carries him around like a rag doll and calls him Grogar. Her childcare must have a TV on while they play because she recognizes Dora the explorer and says Dora whenever she sees her (when we are out and on other kids clothes or toys). So she can say Dora and Grogar on command.
I have also taught her how to fetch. I can throw a ball across the room and she will go and pick it up and bring it back to me. Soon i will introduce shake and sit. And who needs a dog!
I am posting some pictures of Rachel and her first cousin Jenna. They have recently just met and I figured some people might like to see Jackies' daughter Jenna. Jenna was born earlier this year and the two of them are less than a year apart. I will get some pictures for the next post with Grover and her doing something nifty and new. I don't know yet what is next, but i am sure it will be amazing. Also, i am including my favorite picture. If you can't figure it out, it is the one of Grandma Wendy trying to hold her granddaughters and they are fighting to get as far away from her as possible.

Tuesday April 7 2009

2009-04-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Grandpa. Thank You for everything and i will always be grateful for you. My grandfather passed away today and i am currently very sad. I have known for weeks this was going to happen but it does not make it any easier. We even came back to Canton two weekends ago so I could see him one more time and let him see Rachel. He was already in the hospital back then and it was only a matter of time. Please keep my Grandmother in your thoughts and prayers as well. This has been an extremely tough time for her and it has taken its toll on her.
I have many fond memories of my grandfather and he will truly be missed. Some that come to me right now as I cry and think about him...

- The time he helped me build my pinewood derby car for cub scouts. We sanded and painted and molded that car out of a block of wood. We painted it gold and had fun making it together in his basement. I did not win and as far as i remember that car ran last in every single race down the track. But i always looked back fondly of his help.

- Playing old maid in his living room with grandma and my brothers and sisters. They had some over sized cards and we would all have a blast playing. There would be lots of laughter and giggles when invariably grandpa would end up losing and finishing as the old maid.

- Grandpa and i collected aluminum cans one summer from every gathering and event. We would go through the trash and pull out the cans and crush them. We would keep them in garage cans in his garage. I did not go with him when he took them to the recyclers but i do remember him giving me money that he told me i had earned for helping him.

- I remember him telling stories to us about when he was a kid and getting in trouble. He would tell tales of skipping school or other mischievous events. Grandma would always cut him off and tell him to quit putting ideas in our heads. I don't remember the stories but i remember thinking how ornery he was as a kid.

- Watching 'Top Cat' on TV together.

I have alot of other memories but right now Rachel is upstairs calling Daddy down the steps. She seems to be insisting i come and spend time with her before she goes to bed.

I love you grandpa and you will be missed. Here are some pictures taken last year with Rachel and Grandpa.

Wednesday March 18th 2009

2009-03-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well this has not been a good week for the Sigler family. My prayers go out to my family members who have been dealing with their medical issues. I won't go into details but you are all on my mind and we will get through this.

Our little family in Virginia have been doing well and we really have nothing major to report. Rachel is learning words and meaning and is growing more and more everyday. She had her 1 year doctors appointment last week and he gave her a clean bill of health and told us she is perfect. She weighed 19.8 lbs (25th percentile) and is 29-inches tall (50th percentile). She also has a very tiny head which i have been saying all along. Her head size is in the 10th percentile. Seriously, it is like a little cue ball sitting on her body. A cue ball with stringy wild hair and a few teeth. Other than that, she is perfect.... =)

Rachel has learned the word "tickle". She will walk up to people with there feet exposed and try to tickle them and says "tick tick tick tick" when doing it. She has even been known to tick tick her own feet.

Here are some pictures taken from the last week.

Happy Birthday Rachel! 3-9-9

2009-03-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Rachel and her birthday cake. Lisa made the cake and frosted it herself. Martha Stewart she is not! Also, there are pictures of Rachel and her new lawnmower toy that Aunt Jackie got her. She has only had it for a few days but LOVES it and has been pushing it around constantly.

Monday March 9th 2009

2009-03-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Rachel's first birthday. Wow, what a year! It is amazing how your life can change in a year. Rachel is getting bigger and smarter everyday. She walks around babbling and pointing at things. She is perceptive of her surroundings and is learning more and more. She knows how to push the button my iphone to turn it on the screen. She has a toy that plays the ABC song. If you start singing the ABC song, she recognizes it and runs to get the toy and pushes a button on it to start playing the song. She giggles and laughs constantly. She is a very happy baby.
Lisa has made a cake for her tonight and we will get lots of pictures. I do not have any to post right this minute because i am at work. I will post some tonight. I love you Rachel, Happy 1st Birthday!
On another note, my Grandpa Sigler is in the hospital and is not doing well. Please keep him in your prayers. He has been in mine.

Wednesday February 11th

2009-02-11T19:28:00.001-08:00

Rachel has gone past the 11 month mark and is nearing 1 year old. She now has 1 full tooth and 3 partial teeth that you can see if you poke around her mouth. She also clearly says Mama and Dada but not always at the correct times. She likes to point at things and rambles alot.

This past weekend Lisa and I had a stomach bug that hit us out of no where are pretty much ruined our weekend. We were fine Friday night and then we went to bed. It was then in the AM of Saturday morning that the stomach virus hit us like a ton of bricks. This stomach bug hit one of Lisa's co-workers about 2 weeks ago and we all have co-workers who have had it. It lasts about 2 days and was not pleasant. Luckily Rachel did not seem to be affected by any of it, so were were at least lucky in that sense.

The weather around here has been up and down, so that does not help people stay healthy. In the high 60's one day and in the 20's the next.

Here are a few pics that have been taken in the last few weeks.

Wednesday January 8th 2009

2009-01-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Our family is doing fine here in Virginia. We had our first snowfall of the winter and it totalled about an inch and disappeared in a day. Rachel is learning to walk better and better. She no longer stumbles around like a drunken sailor. It is more now like a buzzed college student. She can even walk back in forth between rooms and not stumble or have to grab something for support. She has even increased her pace. She also is babbling more and more. She makes D sounding words when she sees me. She also makes M sounds when she is crying and needs her mommy. Plus she will occassionally say momma and dadda. At least it sounds an awful lot like that.

She still has only one tooth and you might even see it in some of these pictures if you look hard enough. It is on the bottom and in the front. It is not white and really kind of opaque. But she sure can bite things with it. She also had an accident where she somehow bit through her lip and bled (a little) . One minute she is sleeping in her crib and the next she is crying and blood is everywhere. Well, according to Lisa, blood was falling from the walls like in the Shining. Lisa was freaking out about the blood. By the way lisa was reacting, i ran up the steps expecting to see pools of blood and possibly dismemberment. In reality, there was a blood spot on the sheet the size of a quarter (maybe even a nickel) and some blood smeared on the bars of her crib. Plus some on her lip and chin. I literally expect more blood when i order my medium rare steak at a restaraunt then i found in her room. But i digress...

Here are some pictures taken from the last week or so. I hope you enjoy.

There always seems to be something going on around the DC area and this week was no different. You might have heard but if not, the democrats have taken control of the white house and we have a new president. The city was shut down for 2 days and the only way in was by foot and metro. It made for some slow days at work with few customers (union contractors were off monday and tuesday) working. Plus the non-union guys could not report to work if the job was in DC. So there was alot of sitting around and BS'ing with co-workers for 2 days. My company employs 7 african americans and only 2 showed up for work on Tuesday. And they are our truck drivers who are usually finished for the day by 11:00am.

While i am not a person who completely understands the hype and the immediate need to idolize a politician, i am happy that the country seems to have come together and feels hope. I might be a conservative who voted for the old geezer, but things happen for a reason and i think this just might be what the USofA needs. Having hope is a great thing and maybe all of this will eventually lead to our 401k's going up. (nothing better than realizing your personal rate of return in your 401k is negative 32%) Hope > No Hope. The immortal Carl Spackler said "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." It is nice.

Thursday January 8th 2009 - Lisa iPhone (part 2)

2009-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow Rachel will be 10 months old. That is not a long period of time but it sure feels like i have known her forever. She continues to get taller and she continues to try and walk around. We have witnessed her take over 10 "baby" (i crack myself up) steps before falling down. Everyday she seems to get better and better at walking. The cool part is that she does not even seem to know she is doing it.

I have the Ohio State blues. The Buckeyes have been a frustrating football team to watch over the last few years. They beat the weaker teams consistently and struggle (and struggle is putting it kindly) with teams that are their peers. I would never want a different coach the Mr. SweaterVest but come on now, you have spoiled us.

For those who do not know, i spent 2 weeks painting my basement in scarlet and gray before we officially moved in our house. I have 2 Buckeye flags on the walls of my work office (along with a browns and indians). My iphone even plays the 'buckeye battle cry' when it rings. My xbox live user name is buckeye siggy. I live in Virginia and everyone that i work with and all of my customers know that i am a Buckeye. I am tired of all the harassment i get on a constant basis because OSU cannot win a big game. I do not go out of my way hyping THE ohio state, as a matter of fact i kept telling people i did not think we had a chance against texas because it kept the bashing conversation shorter. Yet, on Tuesday morning i got about 10 emails and 5 phone calls from people laughing at me about us losing on monday night. sigh. i cannot hope for us to beat USC in the 'shoe next year more than i already do.

At least i am not a michigan fan! No doubt! The one saving grace about the BS i have taken in the last few years is that we own the wolverines! Like literally, the state of michigan put the university up for sale on ebay and OSU clicked the buy it now button and we now own them. And boy do i let anyone i know from there have it. If i have to take crap for being in the 95% percentile and not being perfect. you bet your sweet ass i am gonna give it to the wolverine faithful.

Anyway, i am done with my rant. Enjoy the rest of Lisa's pictures from her iPhone over the last 6 months.

Happy New Year - January 1st 2009 - Lisa iPhone (part 1)

2009-01-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone reading this a happy and safe 2009. We did not do anything special last night for New Years Eve. The three of us are battling a cold and we stayed in and relaxed on our comfy couch.

Rachel is now taking multiple steps on her own before falling down. She will be full fledged walking within a week is my guess. She also has one bottom tooth completely in place and when she smiles, she looks like a jack-o-lantern. I do not have a great picture of it but i will work on that.

All of these pictures in this post are from Lisa's iPhone and have been taken in the last 6 months. She had over 100 total pictures and these are some of them. I will post the rest of her iPhone pictures later. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas 12-25-08

2008-12-25T09:19:00.001-08:00

Today was Rachel's first Christmas. She slept in until 10:00am and that made the whole family happy. Her "big" present this year was a walking toy that resembles a grocery cart. She can stand behind it and hold on wand walk forward. She has already figured it out and scooting around the rooms. Here are some pictures taken from this morning with Rachel trying to eat wrapping paper. The Christmas tree decoration in the picture was given to us by Lisa's sister Tammy and that is Rachel's first ornament.

We all three seem to have a cold and have runny noses. Unfortunately Rachel does not allow us to wipe the constant stream of wetness coming from her nostrils. She fights and turns away and Lisa has dubbed her a snot monster. By last night, Rachel's cheeks were bright red from being chapped due to all the wiping we had to do. They are sensitive to touch and we have been putting lotion and cream on them. It is amazing that someone that size can produce her body weight in snot.

Sunday December 21st 2008 (iPhone photos)

2008-12-21T17:38:00.001-08:00

Everything is going great in Virginia. We are getting ready for Rachel's first Christmas and there is nothing of major importance to report. The following pictures are all from my iPhone over the last 5 months. I have cleaned out all the pictures from my phone and these are the best of the best. The quality is not great and they ar e a bit blurry but there are some cute pictures of Rachel. There is no date stamp but these pictures range from her being 4 months old to 9 months. You can tell how old she is by the lack of hair.

Wednesday December 10th

2008-12-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

Rachel had her 9-month birthday yesterday. She also had her 9-month check up. She is perfect and is doing great. She is now 28-1/4" inches tall (75% percentile) and weighs 17lbs-9oz (25% percentile). She also has a tooth that has come through and another about to pop. She also is standing on her own for longer periods of time but still no actual walking.

Rachel also is no longer a vegetarian. She had a chicken and apples puree for dinner earlier this week.

Rachel has not been sleeping so well the last few weeks and we attribute it to teething and growing pains. She wakes up multiple times in the night and only wants her mommy. In the night when she is crying, she clearly babbles words that only begin with M and sound like mom. It does not matter what i do, she wants nothing to do with me in the night. But the minute Lisa grabs her, she settles down and falls back asleep. This makes it easy on me and much more difficult for Lisa.

Rachel also waves and claps and points at things now. She is quite developed for her age. She has the motor skills of a 11 & a half month old! (that was a joke for those who could not tell. mostly a joke)

Here are some pictures taken recently.

Monday November 24th

2008-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

It has gotten cold and we all have running noses and a slight cold. Rachel has outgrown her car seat and I have installed the new one that will be used for years. Here are two pictures from a few days ago when she was all bundled up. One is her angry about something and the other is her trying to behave.

Thursday November 20th 2008

2008-11-20T14:57:00.001-08:00

It is now winter in Virginia. Daily highs in the 30's and 40's and very chilly. We still have not had any sign of our first snow fall yet though. Rachel is doing great. She continues to pull her self up and stands holding onto things. She has even been caught standing by herself for seconds at a time. I believe Lisa has counted up to 7 once before she tumbled down. Rachel also continues to babble more and more and she is crawling around like an Olympic champion.
Since I last posted, Lisa had her trip to Sweden. Sort of. She was stuck on the tarmac in Washington for 4 hours and missed the connecting flight in Newark NJ. To make a long story short, Lisa flew from DC to NJ and back to DC on the same day and never went to Sweden. It took her luggage a week to find its way back home. Here are some pictures taken since the last post.

Friday October 31st

2008-10-31T15:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween. It is nice that the weekend is finally here and the long work week is done. Rachel and Lisa dressed up as devils today and they were quite cute. Lisa even took Rachel with her to work for a Halloween party and they won a prize (new Sony Ericsson cell phone). Here are some pictures of the two of them.
Rachel continues to crawl around the house and you can't really take your eyes off of her or she is gone. She also continues to pull herself up onto anything and stands looking around. We have even caught her standing with no help for a few seconds before gravity gets a hold of her. Ah gravity. Rachel is continuing learning all about gravity and its rules. This has lead to some tears and head bumps but nothing major. While standing Rachel looks around and slowly bends her knees and carefully drops her butt before sitting. So she has learned not to plot. She is already ahead of her father.
Lisa leaves for Sweden on Monday and we have no real huge plans for this upcoming weekend. Just cleaning the house and getting Lisa packed for her trip. Nothing else of major note is going on here.

Wednesday October 22nd

2008-10-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

The Indian summer seems to be over here in Virginia and things have started turning cold. This past weekend, Dad & Joey came down to visit and we went to the Redskins/Browns game. We all had a blast and of course the Browns were close enough to win but shot themselves in the foot way too many times. Rachel is doing great and she has officially learned how to crawl everywhere. She only uses her hands and knees. No more belly soldier crawl everywhere. She also developed a small rash on the front base of her neck. You might see it in some of these pictures. It has cleared up on its own and she is fine. Rachel has also learned how to pull herself up onto almost anything and she will stand there swaying until she falls down. It is a matter of time before she is walking. Plus, she babbles and babbles and is starting to mimic. She is a fabulous baby and we are truly blessed.
Lisa is being sent to Sweden in November and i am not sure who is worried more. Her with leaving the baby OR me being left with the baby. Luckily Grandma Wendy is coming to stay for most of the days. So we will be fine. Here are some pictures since the last post.

Wednesday October 8th 2008

2008-10-08T17:21:00.001-07:00

This was a cute picture of Rachel eating dinner tonight. I thought i would share.

Nothing of note to report here in Virginia.

Sunday October 5th 2008

2008-10-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

We are doing fine in Virginia. Rachel had had a slight cold and a cough but she has not really been hindered by this. She has been (for the most part), her normal jovial self. We took her to the doctor about the cough and he told us she had a double ear infection and we have been giving her antibiotics twice daily now for about a week. If the doctor hadn't told us she had the infection, we never would have believed it. She has really been quite the trooper with the slight cough and runny nose. She does not like the antibiotics and it is a twice daily fight to get her to swallow that orange medicine.

Rachel has also started crawling like a fool. It is not so much as crawling as it is body surfing around. she goes from room to room following people and exploring. She also now can sit herself up on her own. One second she is on her stomach, then she rolls over to her back, and then sits up. I have nothing to compare this to, but people tell me that she is doing this months before most children do. She also babbles and babbles and runs her mouth almost as much as her mother does.

Other than all of us sharing a cold and her new found mobility, nothing much else of note is going on. And that is nice!

Wednesday Septhember 17th

2008-09-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

Everything is going fine in Virginia. Our jobs are stable and our health is good. Our hearts go out to those of you who are not as fortunate.

(Too Much Info warning) Rachel has progressed through Rice (more mash like and not the normal rice), Oatmeal, Green Beans and now to Oatmeal with Prunes. She has really taken to eating things not milk. But these new foods have caused her to be backed up and she had not gone for almost a week. The doctor was not so concerned but suggested we add prunes to her oatmeal. So we did and she finally went today. Why am i telling all of you this? Well i really wanted to explain the odd colored food all over Rachel's face in these pictures. It is indeed prunes and oatmeal.

Sunday September 14th

2008-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Life as an Ohio sports fan is rough and frustrating. The Indians are horrible, the Browns suck and Ohio State is what it is. They are like a 3rd grade bully who beats up the small and timid kids. But once a kid its own size comes along and stands up for himself, the bully cries and runs away.

Rachel is doing great. She just had her 6-month checkup and she is developing at an accelerated pace. She weighs 15lbs and 8ounces. She is also 26 inches long. Here are the bullet points from a checklist the doctor gave us about what to expect from a 6-month old baby.
*Rolls both ways - She has been doing this for at least 6 weeks now.
*Pulls to sit with assistance - Again, she has been doing this for about 2 months.
*Sits with support or leans forward on hands - She has been sitting without assistance for over a week. Her unofficial time for not falling is 25 minutes.
*Bears some weight on lower extremities - if you hold her hands, she will walk all over the place and has been for some time.
* Shows signs of displeasure - She gets awful angry and will give you a mean look if you take anything from her.

She can officially crawl now also. She scoots her way forward a few feet to go for toys and even though it takes some effort and concentration, she is moving.

She also babbles and makes noise constantly. She has quite an annoying whine she likes to make for long periods of time. I guess it is just her way of practicing how to talk. I figure once she starts, she will never stop. Much like her mother...

We don't have alot of "great" pictures to post, so i will give you the best of the best.

Wednesday September 3rd

2008-09-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Rachel now has the ability to sit up all by herself for long stretches of time. We are talking minutes. many of them. We can plop her on the floor sitting up, surround her with toys and she will sit there upright playing with them for hundreds and hundreds of seconds. She made it for 13 consecutive minutes tonight before she came tumbling down on her side reaching for a toy. Here are a few pictures of our growing baby's maturing motor skills.

Monday September 1st

2008-09-01T15:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Labor Day everyone. Here are some pictures of Rachel's latest feeding frenzy. Who would have thought rice cereal and milk would be so much fun. I hope you enjoy...

Sunday August 31st

2008-09-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nothing of note going on in Virginia. Rachel has been battling a slight cold and fever but she is doing fine. There is not really anything else going on of note here. Rachel does not like "eating" her rice meal. She tends to turn her head whenever the she sees the spoon. And the times that she does not spin her head, Ala 'The Exorcist', she grabs the spoon and flings it's contents all over. Resembling 'King Kong' grabbing the planes on the empire state building. So yes, my daughter is a cross between a giant gorilla and a head twirling devil possessed child.

Rachel is babbling more and stringing consonants. She also seems to be getting longer and longer. She also doesn't really cry or make a fuss unless she is hungry or wet. She also sleeps most of the night. We truly have one of the best babies and we are thankful.

Here are some pictures that we have taken. Rachel has started to sleep with her butt up in the air. It does not look comfortable but who am i to judge. Here is a picture of her sleeping like that.

Wednesday August 20th

2008-08-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Not much to report on here in Virginia. We have been doing fine and I guess no news is good news. We have been watching a lot of the Olympics and have been cheering on team USA. Rachel doesn't know it yet, but tonight she will be eating "real" food for the first time. Lisa has bought her some rice cereal and an eating chair. We shall see how she reacts to food that does not come from Lisa's hoots. Here are some pictures taken over the last week or so...You will notice some red-eyes in the photos. My new computer did not come with a red-eye remover program, and i have yet to find one that I like that is not expensive. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. And yes, that is her playing with my gorgeous foot.

Friday August 1st

2008-08-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today, Lisa and I upgraded our cell phones to the new iPhone. We have spent the whole evening playing with our new toys. I have created a Benny Hill themed ('yakety sax' is the actual name of the song during the closing credits) ring tone that i thoroughly am enjoying.

Great-Grandpa Joe and Grandma Wendy left today after a week stay with us. Our child care provider was off this week for vacation. The two of them filled in nicely for us and Rachel didn't seem to mind.

Rachel is growing and learning more and more every day. She seems to investigate things by trying to taste them first. I guess that is why she always has drool running down her chin. Here are some pictures taken in the last week.

Monday July 21st

2008-07-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, nothing major of note has happened. My dad and brother came to visit for a weekend and we ended up in Atlantic City with some dude named Bo. I won some $$'s, so i cannot complain. I had a fun weekend with them boys. Lisa's Mom came and took her and Rachel to a family reunion for a weekend while i was with my dad. By all accounts we both had a good time. Rachel is doing great. Her hair is slowly growing and she just drools and smiles a lot. She is a very happy baby. Work is going great for me, and Lisa..still has her job. I was talked into getting NCAA 09 football for my x-box by a few co-workers, so it seems to be taking up the little bit of free time i have. Here are some pictures taken from the last week or so.

Thursday July 10th

2008-07-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Quick update from Rachel's 4-month doctor appointment this morning. She does not like getting immunization shots! Also, she is perfectly healthy and now weighs 13lbs-12oz. This puts her in the 50th percentile for weight. She is also 25-1/2 inches long. This puts her in the 90th percentile for height. Lisa and I already knew she was tall because she is 4 months old and is now wearing one piece pajamas that are sized for 6-9 month old babies.

Wednesday July 9th

2008-07-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since my last post. I am sorry about that. Life is fine for us 3 in Virginia. Rachel turned 4 months old today. She is getting so aware of her surroundings and is developing her own individual personality. It is fabulous to watch her grow. Rachel has her 4 month doctor appointment tomorrow. It will have been her first doctors visit in 2 months. We will find out her new height and weight. I will post that later this week. Also tomorrow, we will be getting a house full of visitors. Grandma Wendy will be arriving in the afternoon. The three girls will be heading off Friday to go to a family reunion for the weekend. Also arriving late Thursday evening will be my brother Joe and Grandpa Siggy. They are also bringing an old war buddy of Joey's and the 4 of us will be spending the weekend together. We will be catching a Nats game in their brand new ballpark on Friday (Washington DC's baseball team for the uninformed). There is even talk of a road trip to Atlantic City for Saturday afternoon and evening. It should be an interesting weekend for the whole families. Here is a bombardment of pictures taken in the last 2 weeks. If you are wondering, i bought the Cavaliers cheerleader dress. And I also bought a cute Cleveland Browns cheerleader outfit for football season sitting in the closet. Obviously we have some Indians gear ffor her but even Rachel is to embarrassed and ashamed to wear it right now. (the only thing missing from her sports arsenal is some Ohio State clothing. She may be technically born in Virginia and a product of the commonwealth, she is not going to escape being taught how to finish a chant when someone screams O-H. So if anyone wants to donate for some Scarlet and Gray clothing for pictures and the early Buckeye brainwashing feel free. If only we knew someone who lived in ohio....)

Also, we have started to use the hd dvd recorder we have. I have installed the movie clip editor and now just have to figure out how to dowload, edit and post these things and i will start putting up videos of Rachel. It just takes time to figure these things out. Between work, Rachel and the X-Box 360 there is not enough hours in the day. But I am almost completely through with Grand Theft Auto and Madden football is a month away, i should have some time to figure it all out.

2008-06-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

My heart is with everyone in Canton today for Grandpa's calling hours.

Rachel had an appointment today at Sears for her 4 month (almost) photos. Here are the pictures. The top 2 pictures are the ones that Lisa ordered and the grandparents will get 5x7's of one or another. Aunts and Uncles will get wallets. If anyone wants different pictures, please let me know and i will get you information on ordering and stuff.

Friday June 27

2008-06-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

RIP Grandpa. He died in his sleep about an hour ago. Thank you for everything you ever did for me. I love you. It is now 4:00am and i can't sleep and i find myself teary. I am trying to cope with the loss of a loved one for the first time in my life. Well, i am coping,not trying to cope. This was not a surprise and we all knew it was going to happen for about 2 months now. But knowing it was going to happen does not mean it is still not sad.
As I tried to sleep earlier tonight, my mind was racing, thinking about all 4 of my grandparents. I was remembering moments with or things about them that made me smile.
These are just some of the ones that went through my head about him:
- Dune buggy. When we were kids he kept a dune buggy in the shed that he would bring out a few times a year and give everyone rides in the park.
- One of my early childhood memories is of him taking me and my brother Joey to the doctor for some sort of shots. We were in his Ford LTD and Joey was still crying about it hurting. Grandpa tried to make us feel better by taking us to Friendlys for some ice cream.
- The cruise he went on with us. I have been on 5 cruises in my life and i can honestly say that my favorite one was the one that he came with us on. Him and I spent alot of time together by the pool and in the casino playing blackjack during that week long trip. We laughed alot and drank more than we both should have.
- Politics. He was a far left wing Democrat. He always watched C-Span and knew about what was going on in our government. I always got a kick out of telling him i was cancelling his vote by voting republican.
- His towel. I lived with him for 10+ years and saw him in his favorite outfit hundreds of times. A towel. I imagine it was extremely comfortable.
- His stash of 70's dirty movies on vhs. Thanks to his collection, there were alot of neighborhood boys who look back fondly at the original Debbie does Dallas and Taboo movies.
- His ability to seem to be able to fix anything. He was very handy with tools and could fix anything on a car, a radio and even a computer. After he retired he took classes on electronics, computers, and many more things. There seemed to be nothing he couldn't rig.
- The barbershop. He would always take me to 30th street plaza to get our hair cut by a guy named Terry. We would sit there and BS with Terry and the other customers for hours sometimes.
- Rodney Dangerfield. He loved Rodney and had all of his standup tapes and movies. He would recite on liners and just laugh at Rodney.
- His swimming pool and the way he could swim with ease. Grandpa was always a bigger man. But i remember him diving and swimming in the pool and the way that it seemed so easy for him to do. I also think about the pool and remember the way he would lay around sunbathing in a speedo and getting SO DARK.
- I will always remember taking Rachel to see him in the hospital. He had been really out of it and wouldn't even open his eyes. When we told him Rachel was there, he perked up and opened his eyes. He put his arms out and we let him hold her. He kept calling her pumpkin and was completely aware of the situation. He tried tickling her and posed for some pictures. After we left the hospital he was in a non-respondent state the rest of the weekend.
- The last real conversation we had, he told me to take care of my girls and that I did not know how lucky i was. Maybe i don't, but I have a real good idea...

These are just some of the things that popped in my head tonight when thinking about him. They all made me smile. Lord please show mercy on him. He was far from perfect and committed many sins. But he was a good man who was loved by alot of people. Goodbye Grandpa. Thank you and I love you.

Thursday June 26th

2008-06-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Early this morning my Grandpa Polsinelli suffered two heart attacks and is barely alive. Both of his kidneys have shut down and he has had some extensive brain damage. He is off the ventilator and barely breathing on his own. The family has asked for him not to be resuscitated when his heart stops again. He will not be alive when the weekend ends. I do not ask any of you to pray for him to get better. He is beyond that. But i do ask you to please pray for his soul. Grandpa was far from a perfect man and perfect husband. I lived with this man for about 10 years of my life and i look back fondly of him. As a child i was scared of him. He was loud and we always seemed to have to walk on eggshells around him. But as i got older, I learned a lot from that man and he treated me very well. After high school, he would take me every morning to my job during the week because i did not have a car. He would slip me $20 bucks so i would have some extra spending money, and he always treated me like a man. I loved that man.

I have been fortunate that I have come from a healthy and lucky family. I am 34 years old and have yet to lose any one close to me. All of my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Parents, Brothers, Sisters and First Cousins are all currently alive. I am very blessed and thankful.

Rachel got to meet her great grandfather for a brief 10 minutes back in May. I am submitting a picture of the two of them together.

Again, please don't feel sorry for my grandfather or family. We are all coping and have had time to come to terms. He has been extremely sick for weeks. I just ask for you to pray to God for his soul and the Lords forgiveness.

Tuesday June 24

2008-06-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, still no number 2. The doctor we called was not worried about it at all and said we should keep trying to give her prune juice with her bottles of milk. She does not seem at all uncomfortable and has been in a great smiling mood. Here are some pictures from tonight. There are pictures of her second bath. She likes sitting in a puddle of warm water and giggles the whole time. There are pictures of her chillin' out in a pile of her clean clothes. And there are pictures of the princess sitting on her throne.

Monday June 23

2008-06-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

All of us are doing fine and there is nothing of note to report. The biggest news affecting us is that Rachel has (as nice and delicate as i can put it) had some issues going number 2. One time in the last 6 days to be exact. We have given her about 8 ounces of prune juice mixed in with her milk but all that has produced in the last 36 hours is some nasty gas. She does stop what she is doing and smiles when she farts. It is quite funny. Rachel does not show any signs of an upset stomach or any discomfort, so we are not fully concerned. If nothing happens overnight, we will call the doctor again in the morning. Here are some more pictures from the last few days.

Tuesday June 17th

2008-06-17T16:38:00.001-07:00

Everything in Virginia is fine. Rachel has learned to roll over from her stomach to her back. She also spins herself around while on her back. One minute she is laying with her head pointing one way, and with a blink of an eye, she is 120-degrees rotated. Rachel is also constantly drooling. There is always spit and slobber hanging from her mouth. She reminds me of that dog in the Tom Hanks movie "Turner and Hooch". You will notice a lot of saliva on Rachel in the pictures i have posted. Nothing of note since my last post. I went to Atlantic City with some co-workers over the weekend and had fun. I came home with more money than i left, so that is always nice. I actually won enough to pay for the new Dell computer i bought 3 weeks ago. That is extremely nice.

Sunday June 8th

2008-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

We had a heat advisory for the whole weekend and temps were in the 90's. Saturday was extremely hot and around 3:00 in the afternoon our power went out. Just when the un-airconditioned house started to get unpleasant, our power came on around 5:15. It then disappeared again at 7:00 and was gone the rest of Saturday. Luckily it vanished in daylight and gave us time to prepare by getting out candles and figuring out how to handle the night. We stayed on the middle level until it got way to warm and then moved to the always cool basement where we all decided to camp out and sleep. The power came back on around 1:00am and that was our not so exciting weekend. Here are some pictures that have been taken in the past week or so.

Saturday June 7th

2008-06-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Everything is fine here in Virginia. We are in a heat advisory for the weekend, so we are going to try and stay indoors as much as possible. I am clearing out the rest of the photos from our Ohio trip. Again, i took lots of pictures. If you do not see yourself posted holding Rachel, it is because the picture did not turn out great. Not because i am ignoring you.

Sunday June 1st - Happy Birthday, Twins

2008-06-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my sisters' Cheryle and Carole's birthday. Happy birthday, Aunts! Here are some pictures of the birthday girl with their niece.

Mouse in the House - May 29th

2008-05-29T16:58:00.001-07:00

Nothing much going on here in Virginia. Before we left for Ohio, we had found little pellets near our stove and on our counters in the kitchen. Not many but enough that were unexplained that I suspected we had a mouse. We had not seen any other evidence (nibbled grocery bags or food or even seen him). We cleaned our kitchen spotless before we left for our trip and when we came home , there were many pellets all over again. So first thing Monday morning (we got home at Monday 2:00am) i went to Home Depot and bought 4 glue pads and put them down around where we found pellets in the kitchen. I even put a small dab of peanut butter in the middle of two of them. I was sure that this would work. Tuesday morning, no carcass but both peanut butter dabs were gone and there were paw marks in the glue traps. This now 100% confirmed we had a visitor. Way to go &^**ing glue traps! After work on Tuesday i went back to home depot and bought 4 "traditional" traps and set them around the kitchen with some peanut butter as bait. I was positive that this would work. Wednesday morning, no traps had gone off but mucho pellets and all peanut butter was gone. WTF! Either i am facing genius mouse or i am an idiot. I am leaning to the idiot part. Trust me all traps were set properly because they snapped when i went near them. So back to home depot Wednesday after work and I buy 4 more mouse traps. So now i have spent almost $40 and have 4 glue pads and 8 mouse traps all over my kitchen. I even put some traditional traps against the glue pads so the bastard would have to go through 2 of em to get the bait. This morning...One of them finally caught the damn thing. What relief. I have literally tossed and turned the last 4 nights dreaming about mice and rats. Little ones, big ones. Some chasing me. Some trying to catch me in traps. People wearing Mickey Mouse ear hats all over. It was really strange. I have truly been turning into captain ahab thinking about this mouse 24/7. I still have no idea where this thing was living, how it got in, and if there are more. I am leaving some traps around just in case, but i think i should sleep better tonight. Here some more pictures of family.

Memorial Day May 26th 2008

2008-05-26T10:50:00.001-07:00

The 3 of us got home early this morning (about 2:00am) and there were no issues. It was a hectic few days in Ohio because we had to be so many places to go and see so many people. But it was quite worth it. This trip reminded us as to how lucky we are to have family and friends who care so much about us. Thank you for taking time out of your schedules at such short notice to see us! I will post some pictures from the trip every few days or so. Not all pictures taken came out so great, so if you do not see pictures of yourself, don't think that i am ignoring you. Just be happy that I am not posting a blurry, eyes closed, unflattering picture of you! We will start out today with pictures of great grandparents.

Sunday May 18th

2008-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting last week. Rachel had her 2 month checkup and she is still doing great. She got some shots and did not take them very well. She was mean, fussy, and cranky the rest of the day. Rachel is now just under 12 pounds and is a tick under 2 feet tall. The three of us are planning on coming back to Ohio this week, so you had better make your reservations early because supplies are limited! The plan is for us to drive back Wednesday night after work and stay until Sunday night or early Monday morning. This will give us a chance to take Rachel around to some of the family she has yet to meet. And this will give me a chance to go and see my Grandfather who is in the hospital. Here are some pictures that we have taken throughout the week.

Sunday May 11th - Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

I want to wish all Moms reading this a Happy Mothers Day! Today was a gloomy rainy day in Virginia. Lisa had an uneventful first Mothers day. She had Rachel dressed up in a one piece outfit that had bunnies for feet. It was extremely cute. I have included a photo showing the feet. Rachel has her 2 month checkup Tuesday so I will be able to update her vital statistics then. Tomorrow morning (Monday 8:00am) my Grandfather is having emergency heart surgery. It is as serious at is sounds and he (along with my whole family) is in my prayers.

Thursday May 8th

2008-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

My little brother AJ is taking his 8th grade class trip to Washington DC this week. My other brother Joe is chaperoning for the trip and they are currently staying at a hotel 15 minutes from where we live. So tonight Lisa and I took Rachel over to the Sheridan in Reston and introduced her to her uncles. It was a nice time and Rachel was the hit of Saint Mikes 8th grade. Here are some pictures of Rachel with her uncles.

Tuesday May 6th

2008-05-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Rachel has now gone 2 days with the babysitter while Lisa and I have both been working. Lisa has had some difficulties but has come out like a champ. Rachel doesn't seem to care. She has acted wonderfully during the days. Here are some more pictures that Lisa took.

Sunday May 4th

2008-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

The weather today was in the mid 70's and sunny and was a perfect day. Grandma Wendy and great-aunt Nancy left today to go visit aunt Jackie in the 'Nati. Here are some pictures i stole from Grandma Wendy's camera before she left. Today is also the 38th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. I may not have even been born when the tragedy happened, but May 4th holds a special meaning to me and i have not forgotten.

Saturday May 3rd

2008-05-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Rachel will be 8 weeks old. She is doing great and her clogged tear duct seems to be almost healed. Monday will be a debacle with Lisa going back to work and us leaving Rachel during the day with the babysitter. Rachel has started smiling all the time now and has also become fascinated by hanging mobiles. Here are some pictures that we took of Rachel. More to come...

Sunday April 27th

2008-04-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Nothing much to report. Rachel, Lisa and myself are all doing fine. Rachel is 7 weeks old today and is a smiling fool. We have not been able to photograph this but it does exist and is quite beautiful. Lisa goes back to work in 8 days and is dreading it. She will have had an 8 week "vacation" so i am not sure exactly what the problem is... I guess i never wanted to go back to school after summer vacation though either. Here are a few photos from the week. I took the stroller pictures before Rachel and I took a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon.