A further look into the womb.

Okay, so we've got some updates today... V had another check up and ultrasound, and everything looks fine so far. Some highlights:

From US

Profile -- the kid is wearing a Halloween costume a bit early.

From US

Kinda squished all in there. This is a closeup of the head and upper torso. If you look closely, you can make out the white triangle of the nose and the darker eyes. Kinda creepily looking into the camera.

From US

FOOT!

From US

ARM!

And now, for the exciting part.....

From US

NEWS!

UPDATED with bonus pictures!!!

So it's been a while since my last post, but we have some news.

Long story short: We're 12 weeks along after our second attempt at IVF. Things look good so far, and we're just now at the stage where we feel comfortable letting the world know.



The three embryos prior to transplantation. One of these took.



Week 6 -- notice the little lump in the dark black sac.



Week 8 -- zoom in. You can make out the head now and the little flipper arms.



Week 12 -- filling up the tummy now.

We'll continue to post updates as we know anything. Thanks so much for the well wishes!

For all those UAB alums out there....

A few weeks ago, I was walking from my office to my parking lot (approximately 0.7 miles for those keeping track) and noticed something that had seemed to have sprung up seemingly overnight in front of the basketball arena.



What the hell? So I got closer.



The next day was the big reveal. It truly is something for everyone in the local community to be proud of.



A completely awesome, not stupid looking or cartoonish, rubbery dragon! That apparently shoots smoke from its mouth! Yay!



Rarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick Scene From My Tiny Closet of an Office

Coworker 1 (middle-aged Chinese woman): Here, try this candy from China.
Coworker 2 (20-something Ohioan grad student): No thanks.
1: No, try, it's good.
2: Ok, just put it on my desk, I'll try it later. I have chemicals on my hands.
1: No, it's good. Try. I'll put it in your mouth. (does so)
2: (making a face) It tastes like fish and beef.

The Apple Dumpling Gang

Been a little while since the last post....can't say too much has happened. I guess mostly we've been working on the house -- new hardwood floors in the office, painted a few rooms, and and set up a garden in the back. But more on that later, I've promised pictures of the new members of the orphanage. I apologize in advance for the cutesiness:


Queenie enjoys socks.


Alli (rear) hates Queenie and has activated laz0rz. Little does she know Queenie is ready.


One of the only shots of Susie with her not digging a hole in my backyard.


Susie doing her best anime face.


Lacey is pretty sure you are being rude and not sharing whatever food you have hidden in your pockets.

So what does Oscar think about all of this?



IT'S GREAT!!!

Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Our new pets (again, 2 dogs and 1 cat) have basically lived in captivity for most of their lives. Well, ok, maybe just slightly more than any other dog or cat. The cat, Queenie, was an office cat, so she was basically in a pen for half the day when no one was working in the vet clinic. So now, in our house she wanders free the entire day, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what to do with herself for most of the time. It's like Brooks in Shawshank Redemption -- he finally gets out of jail and is miserable working at the grocery store. She has also taken to scratching on our sofa. Probably something like "Queenie was here" in LOLCAT. I hope we don't come home one day to find her hanging from the rafters. But hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

The dogs seem to be doing fine so far, but they've been busy digging a hole next to the foundation of the house. No poster or anything on top of it, but I tried to fill it in this morning and there was hardly any dirt around. They're probably taking it to other parts of the yard in their pockets.

On an unrelated note, when I was driving into work today I noticed a guy shaving in his car. That wouldn't have been too odd, but it was 1) with a dry disposable razor; 2) while smoking; 3) using his car rearview mirror (NOTE: He had pulled it off the windshield glass). Just be 5 minutes later to work, please. Thanks.

Mid-February Miscellania

Just a few points I wanted to mention...

1) Not sure who all has heard, but Valerie's dad has officially closed his vet clinic and has begun his semi-retirement. We'd all heard rumors that this was coming, but the reality hit pretty suddenly. As a result, we have come into the possession of one black cat (Queenie) and two elderly mutt dogs (Susie and Lacey). So now we officially have more pets than we can handle. Though I think Oscar is enjoying his new role as pack leader. He leads them in his never-ending crusade against the fat mutt dog who likes to come by every morning. I'll post pics later this week.

2) Why do the Coke and Pepsi products in every grocery store have to be separated by the generic stuff? Do they get into fights at night and the store brands act as mediators? This would make an interesting movie premise for those East Asian Pixar rip-off companies.

3) Not too much going on in our lives right now. We pulled up some gross carpet in our office, hoping to find hardwood underneath. Unfortunately, we found strange wood laminate from the 70s. So the next project is new floors for that room. Woot.

4) Almost time for spring planting season. I think I'm gonna try tomatoes and zucchini again this year, but I think I want to add some new plants. Any ideas? The zucchinis were going great last year until they got hit by a blight, and were gone within a week or two.

I'll continue with some more questions later. My wife has built up quite a few in my absence.