Back in the Fort

It has been a while since the last post. My apologies! We were in New York City last week. I had to go for a conference for work and it was Mike's Spring Break so he got to came along too. We really had a good time.

We got there on Friday the 14th and took off walking around down to Times Square. Saturday we took a Gray Line tour of the downtown loop. It was on a double decker bus that was covered. We took the entire loop and the hopped off at Battery Park. We got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero and all the stuff down around there. I didn't last very long on Saturday so we got back on the bus and took the rest of the loop and got off at Rockefeller Center. We walked around there and walked up on the live recording of 30 Rock and saw Tina Fey. If only we watched the show . . . but that was neat to be around there. Watch for us in the crowds, you never know. I don't know how they get anything done with so many people around. That night we got our food from the cart outside our hotel that Ashlee and I discovered the first time we went to NYC for the conference. There is always a line and it is really good. Sunday we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral for Palm Sunday Mass. It was very nice. That afternoon we spent with a brother of a coworker of mine who is a professor at a university there. We walked down 5th Avenue and then halfway through Central Park to the Boathouse for coffee (cocoa) and then to the West Side to an Indian Restaurant. He was a really great tour guide.

Need to stop now, more to come on the New York City trip.

Drum roll please . . .

It's a Girl!

So to answer your next question, no, we don't have a name yet and probably won't for a long while.

We were talking the other day discussing all of the recurring questions that we have encountered over the years of our relationship. When you start to date someone and have been doing so for a while people start asking "When are you going to get married?" Then you get married and think (naively) "no more questions!" Ha! We both agreed that we were pretty sure that at the wedding reception we were asked "When are you having a baby?" Ugh! A new question. And people aren't always crazy about your "We want to be married at _least_ two years before we start trying," you know, because we are both old. So now we are pregnant and everyone asked "What is it?" and the question I don't really understand "What do you want" (A baby? Like I'd say if I had a preference? Which I didn't.) So now we know it is now officially a she and we thought once again that we were done with the questions. Oh, not so fast. Here is the conversation - "It's a girl!" "What are you going to name her?" Ahhh!

So now we are trying to anticipate the future questions. Here are the few we have come up with -

"When are you due?"
"When are you going to give her a little brother or sister?"

I'm sure there are more, if you know them, please share the wealth so we can start to prepare . . .

Happy Birthday Mike!

Monday was Mike's birthday. He is the big 3 9. We are going to have quite the party next year so mark your calendars! I think he had as nice a birthday. He was a very good sport, he spent the whole day at clinicals (equivalent to work) and then was drug to my ladies' group at church (Circle) for his evening entertainment and meal (not exactly what he was expecting). It was a lot of fun and he had a much better time than he thought he would. We did sit with his podiatrist and briefly discussed feet (low point for me – feet freak me out!) but luckily not the entire time and he and his wife are really nice. There were performances by Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Chubby Checkers, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sonny & Cher, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. AND Marilyn Monroe personally serenaded Mike for his Birthday. It was quite a treat. He was tickled. I didn't know they were going to do it but he still said I set him up. Oh well, if ever there was a guy that deserved to be serenaded by Marilyn Monroe, I would say it was Mike, as long as that is all she tried. ;) So I think/hope Mike had quite a birthday!

Cultural Weekend

Well the baby had quite a culture filled weekend. German was the main theme but we wrapped it up with some Italian. Friday night we went to see The Producers downtown and it was great. (For those of you who don't know, a large part of it is poking fun at Hitler) I saw it in New York last time I was there but Mike and the rest of the family had not seen it. Thorsen Patrick didn't get half of it (thankfully) but he decided that Ms. Taylor, his science teacher, would fill in the gaps. Good Luck Ms. Taylor!

Saturday morning was an Herbal Adventure on Teas. (the leader of this H.A. was our resident German – more German culture). I made tea the entire time and was exhausted by the time it was over. I took at two and half hour nap afterwards.

Saturday night we went to Taliano's with my folks to one of their "Emmy's" nights. Emmy's was a German restaurant in town that went out of business for one reason or another and they were testing out the cuisine to see what kind of interest there would be if they brought it back. Evidently it was popular but we never went and Saturday night I found out why. I don't believe I am much of a fan of German food. I didn't particularly care for most of it when I was over there as a teen and didn't really care for it Saturday night. We did have a very nice evening of dining but I wouldn't choose that particular cuisine again. The pork sausage in the appetizer was the best part – the whole two bites!

And we wrapped up culture fest weekend on Sunday night at the I.C. Spaghetti Supper. We went with Mom and Dad Hassler and Uncle Gene. It was a nice event as always, more my kind of eats too. Spaghetti and mushrooms. Yum! And an ice cream sandwich for dessert. I think the baby liked this night the best too, not that I can feel it but I can only assume.

Icky Sicky

Not a lot to report on the baby front this week. I have been down with a big dose of an upper respiratory infection. Mike took me to get an ultrasound Friday at school. The teacher couldn’t make it so he did it all by himself. It looks like it is doing a lot of wiggling around in there and we watched when I coughed (I have a horrible cough that is the worst symptom I have) and it just jostled around what looked like all over the place. Poor kid, I know it hasn’t been an easy week for it. The cough has been pretty fierce. I haven’t been this sick since I had Mono in grad school.

Hopefully I will be on the mend by Monday. Mike, Hazel and my folks have been taking very good care of me. Next week or so we are going to try the ultrasound thing again to see if Mike can figure out the gender. Can’t wait!

Wocka Wocka Wocka

We went to the doctor yesterday for the monthly check-up. We got to hear the heartbeat. It was so fast and and furious. We didn't record it because of the static but Doc said that as the weeks go on that it will get louder and more clear. So we will record for all to hear in the future. It sounds a bit like "wocka wocka wocka." Not the Fozzie the Bear "Wocka, Wocka, Wocka," but very fascinating and surreal. I have a little bambino growing inside of me!

We've Created a Monster

Well I have to tell a funny story that is still making me chuckle.

A friend of mine (I guess after this story I should use the term loosely) left me a voicemail the other day. I should tell you she is a bit of a nutter - certifiable even.

So anyway, she left me a voice mail the other day and said -

"I saw something in the bathroom and I got all excited but was ultimately disappointed. But it was a sign that said 'We've created a monster!' and I thought it was an announcement for your baby shower. But I read more and it wasn't, someone was selling cookie dough or something. But I thought what a great idea for a theme for your baby shower. So I thought I would let you know."

So I went over to her desk to see if she had any other brilliant ideas and somehow or another she is now one of the hosts of my baby shower at work. Should be an interesting event. I'd try to get tickets if I were you.