I'm Back!!!

Thanks to Melanie for re-inviting me to the Blog. I can now make new posts AND comments.

No news, except that I have several very cute goldfinches at my feeders in addition to 3 hummingbirds.

That's all for now.

Where will the Porter's live?

So Traci, I wanted to know if you guys found a new house in Condon. I looked on the local realty website and you are right, there is absolutely nothing there to buy. There were like 4 tiny mobile homes and not much else. So did you find some hidden treasure or what?
-Mel

One interesting thing (from Mom/Janice)

I forgot to blog the one interesting thing that happened this week. As I was coming home from budget committee meeting on Monday night about 8 p.m., I noticed a toddler walking down the sidewalk all alone. There wasn't anybody anywhere. So, I stopped my car and he started to dart out into the street. I got out and got him back on the side, asked where Mama was, where his house was. I think he was too young to do much talking, but he did turn around and start walking back the way he came. I didn't want to just start knocking on doors (this is 2 blocks down from where you would turn to go to 1st avenue toward our house on that street that goes toward Holley). Anyway, I called the local police. As I was explaining the situation, a very frantic young woman came running around the corner from 1st Avenue. She was very happy and very upset at the same time. She wasn't sure whether to hug him or throttle him, but opted for the hugging. She said "He has just learned how to open the door." So he had walked at least 2 blocks along Highway 228 and was starting block 3 when I saw him. I have no idea where they live since she came from around the corner, so it could have been quit a bit further than that. Happy ending, I guess, as long as he doesn't escape again. I mentioned to her about locks that get installed high on the door.

I'm here but boring (from Mom)

Nothing very exciting around here like new grandchildren. Our plants are also responding well to the nice weather. I have pansies in the flower boxes on the front porch rail and they are blooming their heads off now. We officially have at least 3 hummingbirds visiting our feeder on the deck. I'm wondering how long Dad will leave that there when the bird poop begins to appear.

There is a lot of color around the yard right now with the lilacs, pink dogwood, etc. The daffodils and tulips are about gone. The asparagus crop is pretty good this year. WE have had at least 4 pickings and another one will be ready tomorrow. We plan to serve it with salmon when Grandma Far Away comes for dinner on Saturday.

Things are super busy at work and I just got a new grant RFP that is going to take even more time. Guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and go in on weekends. I find that harder and harder to make myself do any more.

Sure has been quiet in the Porter corner of the world and on the East Coast. I hear my sister has lost several clothing sizes and is now petite and strong as an ox. Is this true?

The name of the beach house is the Sea Spirit in Lincoln City. You can view it at:

http://www.horizonrentals.com/city/lincoln_beach/homes/sea_spirit.htm

Who would like to be in charge of weather this year?

XOXOXO
Mom/Janice

What happened to everyone??

I know, it is hard to compete with a new baby, especially a cute one like Noah. But that is no reason not to post.

I have been taking every moment of sunshine to get outside. I have been going for walks at a local park while Greyson rollerblades. We wear Ada out by having her run with Greyson the first lap and then let her walk the second lap with me. If she had a harness she could really pull you along. I have also been trying to get in a bunch of yard work while I can still move and bend over. I am not good for mowing the whole yard any more but I can still get half of it in at a time before I get really tired. I have given up bagging the clippings though, and put the mulcher back on. I also planted some annuals I got from Bi-mart; marigolds, petunias, inpatients, geraniums... My lilacs are all still waiting for more sun to bloom but my evergreen clematis has been blooming for about a month. The birds are back, although I still only have 2 hummingbirds coming to my feeder. We still need to plant the vegetable garden. I bought some peppers, tomatoes and tomitilloes starts that need to get in the ground.

We are leaving on Sunday for San Diego. The weather isn't supposed to be real warm but at least it will be sunny. Regardless I am sure it will be nice to get away and relax. My father is going to come up for a few days to watch the pets while we are gone. I will have to stock the fridge with some treats, like chocolate milk, so that he isn't too miserable up here all alone.

I am looking forward to the coast trip again this year. I hope everyone can make it. It should be quite a different experience with 2 little ones in tow, but I am sure we will get lots of volunteers to help, right? I like how my father said, we are "letting" Mel and Greyson have the separate carriage house. That is because nobody wants screaming babies waking everyone up all night. But we are very thankful to have that space, it looks great.

Hope everyone is doing well.
-Mel

Baby pictures

2lbs and counting

Hello all,
Well I had another doctor appointment and ultrasound. The babies are looking perfect and are up to 2lbs each. They have long leg and arm bones in the Sharp tradition. I do have to admit this last week or two they have really started to wear me out. I went for a brisk 3 mile walk during the weekend and was extremely tired and a bit sore that day and the next. And today I had to sneak a nap in after my appointments and grocery shopping. I don't know how working through to the end of this pregnancy will go. I suppose if it gets to be too much my doctor can put me on sick leave. But I feel pretty wimpy when I start talking that way.

Well we finally got our vacation booked and will be headed to San Diego in two weeks. We have a hotel room booked on the beach. If anyone has visited and has any suggestions for things we should do while there I would love to hear them. We were talking about driving somewhere south but the idea of hours and hours in the car just didn't appeal to me. The flight is only 2 1/2 hours so that shouldn't be too bad. I even went and bought a maternity swim suit just in case it is warm enough to go in the pool. I am looking forward to sleeping in, taking naps and just relaxing.

It is time for me to head up to the bedroom and face the pile of clean laundary that has covered the bed. I can't go to sleep until it is put away.
Hope everyone is doing well.
-Mel

Noah Phillip Wagner

Hello everyone,

What a wonderful time for the Manger family! Our Noah is just a doll; weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz. 19 inches. Stephanie is doing well after her C/section.. So glad medicine has changed some of the incisional closure methods so there isn't as much discomfort. Since they close the incision with staples, moms can take showers and bulky dressings are not needed.

Noah lost weight, as all babys do.. and is working on gaining it back. It's good that Mom's get a home health visit after going home, so a nurse comes out and checks out the mother and baby.. Steph is breast feeding which is so much easier than preparing bottles, but takes a little time to establish a pattern etcs... Nice that there are lactation specialist who work with the mom to give advise and reassurance.


Phil and I stayed in a hotel close by so I could avoid " excessive hovering". Of course, it was soooooooooooo hard to restrain myself. Steph was just great about letting us hold and change Noah, knowing that we wouldn't get to see him again until August. They are coming out to a wedding in California and we get to baby sit him in the hotel and then they will visit us for a week.

Melanie looks so cute!! The Sharp grandparents are in for a lot of new joy, also. What fun it will be..

I'm having trouble sending pictures, so will post this and try to send baby pictures.

Love to all,
Chris/ Little Sis

what I'm working on

Somebody asked what I'm working on. This is it. Got a lot of fine tuning to do (lining up text fields and finessing drop shadows, but it's close, and it accesses a database and images remotely. I drew out the map. I populated the database using a program called PHPmyadmin, I designed and illustrated the interface and layout. I shot a bunch of the pics. I wrote copy for many of the database entries. I did all the footwork for getting the business info. I hired a coder to do some of the database scripting.

If you rollover locations on the map it will identify them. Clicking on them will bring up a pop-up window. Anyways, it's coming to a finish. This is not full size.

G

24 weeks

Here is my belly today. I am just over 5 months along. And notice the pretty paint job in the background that my father and Greyson did.

-Mel

Raining again

We had some spring weather that engendered the urge to plant things, but we didn't find much at the nurseries yet. I did find something at Costco though - they have a set of solar lanterns. We bought a box and Larry hung them from the pergola. They are exactly what I was looking for and I think they look very cute-wrought iron looking, but actually made of aluminum and sturdy enough to get Larry's stamp of approval.

I managed to get good and sick from some kind of gastrointestinal virus last week. Recovered from that in time to come down with bursitis in my other arm (other in that its not the same arm as last time). Fortunately, I knew what it was this time so didn't go down to the gym and try to "work it out." Instead went to resting it and Ibuprofen. Much better outcome.

We haven't heard from the Deans about their trip to St. Louis?????
Surely there is more about Noah like birth weight, etc.
Need a side profile picture of the pregnant lady & update on Greyson's projects.
I think Delaware must have disappeared from the map.
How are the Porters doing with their personal "Design to Sell" project?

Well, gotta get to work. Have a great day everyone.

Mom/Janice

Our little blessing.

This is going to be short because Phil and I are heading out to Chicago. I got in last night at 7 :00 PM; reshuffled the laundry and am ready to see that grandbaby again.

Noah was born after Stephanie went through 12 hours of labor. Steph had a placental abruption ( afterbirth started coming out during labor) and had an emergency c/section. Won't go into the details, but Noah was 8 lbs 1 oz. and is very cute.

I'll post pictures when I get back next week. Maybe your Dad can give you the website for the hospital so you can see the nursery picture.

Love
Chris

Comfy Cat Bed

Very naughty cat.

So is there a new baby??

Just wondering if everything went well with baby Noah? We will expect some pictures soon.

Greyson and my father got our nursery all painted in a nice green color and I got the second crib together. My father also got our garden rototilled and ready for us to plant and did a number of other jobs while he was up here. I guess he is going home to mother who is really sick and then back out to help the Porters finish getting ready for their move.

Well I am going to take my laptop out on the deck today and work in the sunshine today.
Hope to hear a little more from you all soon.
-Melanie

Survival (from Mom/Grandma)

The kids have all gone to their respective homes, and I am still upright and breathing. I did have a little help from babysitters (poolside) and from Grandma-Far-Away (movie theater).
I hired a teenager to stay with the kids at the pool while I took Kalena back to the house. Emma didn't go in the water, but for some reason loved being down there. Even Tucker mastered the rope swing after some encouragement from his siblings and cousins.

Grandma-Far-Away went to see "Meet the Robinsons" with 6 kids while I again took Kalena back to the house. There was also time at the playground, lots of play in the yard and garage and house. There were no major injuries - just a small cut on Nick's leg from a piece of glass - Kalena broke the glass out of a picture frame and I must have missed a piece in the clean up.

I think they found just about everything I had around for them to play with from the small plastic soldiers to the ping pong to color books. The big kids are all big enough to make the pogo stick go now, and Gabe was the champion jumper.

I was a little frantic at first, but found that I haven't forgotten how to take care of children. It must be like riding a bike - you never forget how. And I never had to fish Kalena out of the creek.

The kids were all good eaters and were game for just about all the food I fixed. They were a little perplexed at hot turkey sandwiches though, especially the Porters. That must not be a food they eat at home. Tucker was also pretty upset when we went to the Dairy Queen where he ordered a strawberry blizzard only to find out it had strawberries in it.

Larry and Tim apparently got a lot of work done, and now Larry is on his way to help out the Rudds. He looked like he needed a long nap, which I'm sure will be first on his to-do list tomorrow.