well, well, well.

Apparently a boy named "McKay" thinks he has a crush on Maddie. Messengers Sam and Reid told Maddie so. Well I'd like for Sam and Reid to send a message back to McKay: come back in 15 years, buddy. I don't know what's going on in Room 11 @ Royal Oaks, but perhaps Mrs. Rook and I need to have a talk.

No, we do not force the kids to keep a hand on Nicole's stomach - at least not more than a few hours a day. Nicole and the kids will be featured in our local hospital's next magazine/newsletter (my company does the design and most of the writing for it.) There's a feature on the hospital's maternity ward expansion and there's a blurb on how our baby will be one of the first to enjoy it.

PS: Monday (Feb 2) is the big day for the ultrasound! Will it be Chuck or Suzie? Oh, the suspense! Actually, I can guarantee it won't be a Chuck or a Suzie.

dogs.

Fresh from the groomers, Anabelle and Sebastian (Sea-bass) pose for the camera. We have joint custody with Ron and Renee. But it's okay - we're all really good friends. We get along a lot better this way.

Dog profiles:

Anabelle - she is the leader. The alpha male. After all, it's 2009. Plus, President Obama just signed into law that deal on guaranteed equal pay for women who do the same job as men. She is the explorer; she hears the mysterious noises; catches the mysterious scents; she is the hunter. She gets it.

Sea-bass - Ahh, Sea-bass. Sea-bass is a very special dog. We are really looking forward to Sea-bass's brain developing a lot more. He is really good at jumping, barking, and following Anabelle. Sea-bass would not make a good subject for Pavlov's dog experiment. He doesn't get that barking = water bottle spray to face.

Below:
Anabelle, feeling rather awkward and embarrassed by Hudsen's Irish jig dance in the middle of the kitchen, pretends like it's not happening.

anniversary.

Luck would be a reasonable explanation, but the truth is that I am simply blessed beyond measure. The past eight years have flown by and every year, my gorgeous, brilliant wife gets more gorgeous and brilliant. She's my best friend. She's funny. She accepts my faults, and makes me a better person. And what an amazing mother to Maddie and Hudsen (and soon #3)!

I love you, Nicole.

Proverbs 31:10 & 11
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

the ceiling is falling.

Tonight, the kids opted for a campout. This is actually the second night in a row we've tried this method. Last night didn't work, and both kids didn't go to sleep until almost midnight. Here's the background: On the night before New Year's eve, Hudsen came into our room in the middle of the night. He was acting very strange - it was quite clear that he had some kind of nightmare or was experiencing night terrors. (Actually, that wasn't clear because I didn't even know what night terrors were until this whole deal.) Back to the explanation: Hudsen was pointing at the ceiling, scared, acting as if he could see something. Then, he would start crying if we didn't hold him and keep his feet from touching the ground or bed. We thought for a few minutes that he was maybe hallucinating. I even checked his bed for bugs, spiders, mushrooms (ha), etc. to see if maybe something bit him. He lied awake the whole night, staring at the ceiling. Not crying, just staring.

The next day, Nicole had to carry him around so he didn't touch the carpet. She finally convinced him near day's end to wear flip flops.

So, this has been going on for five days, sporadically. During the day, he seems to forget about it. Come night, he begins to convince himself that the ceiling is "going to fall." Hence, we tried the campout-fakeout to maybe take his mind off the falling ceiling. Tonight, he seems to be doing okay.

Anyway - at 3AM that first night, we researched on the web and it sounds like other parents have experienced similar symptoms through "night terrors", but I'm leaning toward a nightmare.

Here's to a good night rest and keep your eyes out for any falling ceilings.

niece 'n' nephews.

Thought we'd show a little love for our niece and nephews. They're the best, thanks to our phenomenal influence.

Jens (Traci and Kurt)

Bella and Diego (Sara and German)

Maddie + ballerina stuff + Littlest Pet Shop + princess stuff = happiness.

Hudsen's toy preference.

Despite the boat load of new toys, Hudsen still prefers his trusty front-loader tractor. I'm thinking about returning his other gifts and getting something for myself. He probably won't even notice.