Video killed the radio star...

In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
-The Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star"

This week's topic - vlogging.  Sounds like flogging, and frankly that's pretty much how I feel when being subject to the "talking head" style of blogging.  Honestly, it just isn't my thing.  (Neither is Twitter, though I admit I've caved in for the purposes of class!)  I just can't see the value of talk blogging.  Part of what I like about reading blogs and writing this one is the chance to think it out before putting fingers to keyboard, and the chance to skim through to the part(s) that interest you.  With vlogging, it just seems like you'd have to watch the whole thing to get to the interesting part, and I don't have time for that. 

Though I do admit that I recognize the visual power of video over still pics and, at least sometimes, over the written word.  I think back to some of the old videos we took of Jay - where he's learning to roll over, where he's first starting to crawl.  It seemed at the time that those memories would stay in my mind forever.  Though when I look at them now, it seems so foreign - he's like another kid that I hardly know.  For me, memories come in snapshot-style images, rather than video.  Even the most significant times in my life are remembered in snippits rather than in a cohesive story. 

For me, the written word can convey a tone, an emotion, what's going on inside far better than any video or still picture.  So, while there may be room in my blog for more video clips of what's happening in my life, rest assured that you'll never see my mug reading these thoughts to you.  It just ain't me.

Posted at 03:21PM Feb 07, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

You keep me coming back for more...

Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe
We're in heaven
-Bryan Adams, "Heaven"  (Pulling out another cheesy 80's love song!  You know you love it.)

So this week's first lecture was on blogging, how to develop readership, and keep people coming back for more.  I must admit that I'm fascinated by the way that some blogs develop huge readership, while others that I think are really fantastic just don't catch on widely. 

Dooce.com is a great example.  This blog is written by a woman in Utah named Heather Armstrong, and the banner currently reads "Nine years of navel gazing."  She's one of the A-listers of the mommy blog world, and I kid you not, her job ... the way she earns a living ... is writing that blog.  Her blog gets enough traffic that advertisers PAY her (enough to live on, mind you!  And to afford a freakin' nanny!) for ad space on her blog.  What the bleep?  She talks about how wonderful her kids are, she whines about how hard her life is, and she posts funny pictures of her dogs with strange things on their heads.  I don't get it. 

I love her blog - don't get me wrong.  She's funny, she's personal, she's a good writer who can tell a good story and really make you feel like you're there.  But what is it that makes her blog so popular she can live off of it?!

Early on when I was writing this blog, several people told me I should write a book.  (I don't think they considered the fact that me becoming a writer would mean they'd have to pay to read said book.  Pretty sure no one would pay for my ramblings!)  I do love writing, but there's definitely a specific type of writing that keeps people coming back for more in the blogosphere. 

Step 1 - write often.  I really struggle with that.  (Perhaps you noticed?)  I come up with things I want to say, but then the moment passes and I've got dishes filling my sink and one wall that still needs sanding and painting and I'm late picking up Jay from daycare and I need to reply to just *one* more email from a student who's having a financial aid crisis and Mr. Potato head pieces are carpeting my living room and suddenly ... POOF!  It's 10:30 at night and it's all I can do to crawl into bed.  I want to be better about posting, but life just gets in the way.  And yet, that life - that crazy chaos of my life - is what you want to read about. 

So, thank you.  Thank you for coming back for more and continuing to stick with me when I'm posting about grad school instead of telling you what vegetable the Cheeze Doodle is this week (crenshaw melon, if you're curious - no clue what that is.)  Thank you for following along on my life's journey.  I don't need enough readers to make money at this ... because I have you.  You're my people, and having my peeps is what makes this whole life just a little less crazy.

Posted at 07:44AM Feb 06, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

I'm in love with ya baby...

...and I don't even know your name.
-Alan Jackson, "I Don't Even Know Your Name"

Regular readers, I'm happy to report that this blog posting has nothing to do with class, social networking, or organizational communication.  This will be a straight-up old fashioned "What's new in baby-world" kind of report.

So, I have a problem.  It's the same problem I had 2 years ago - we simply cannot decide what to name this baby!  We're leaning toward one syllable names, since that works well with Jay.  Jay has my initials (JMF), so we considered giving this lil' guy Derek's monogram (DMF).  Derek doesn't seem to care about that, but I think it would be kinda cool.  We'd like some sort of family tie-in, either with the first or middle names.  (I'd feel sorta bad that Jay Michael gets a first and middle name that have special family connections, and CheezeDoodle just gets 2 random names we pulled out of our heads.  Or pulled off of the snack aisle at Kroger.)  Boy names are just so much harder than girl names! 

Here are some of the current contenders:
Luke
Benjamin (would call him Ben)
Drew
Greg
Zack
Dylan
Russell (call him Russ?)
Brent
Reid (was in the final 4 when we picked Jay)

Thoughts?  Opinions?  We've only got 5 weeks to decide (and I would sure like it to be less than that!!!).  Help!

Posted at 06:15AM Jan 31, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[11]

Hey, you, get off of my cloud

Hey, you, get off of my cloud
Don't hang around cause two's a crowd
-Rolling Stones "Get off my cloud"

Our second class this week was on social bookmarking.  What's that, you ask?  Well, I assure you that I'd never heard of it before class. (I may be getting the hang of blogging, but I've never been one of those people on the leading edge of technology.  I mean really, my family did not own a single CD or CD player until about a decade after all music was on CD.  My dad kept waiting for digital tape to become the big thing.)   Delicious.com is one of the more popular social bookmarking options.  (Want a demo?  Check out this neat YouTube video.)  It allows you to save your bookmarks in "the cloud" and allows others to view things that you've bookmarked.  You have heard of life in the cloud, haven't you?  It's the concept of storing data on web servers that can be accessed from anywhere, not tied to a particular computer.  I think it's a cool concept, and I really like the idea of keeping my bookmarks so that I can get to them from anywhere.  The social component of social bookmarking is not that exciting to me, though. 

Honestly, that's not how I find cool sites.  Mostly, I find interesting sites from other people's blogs.  Many blogs have a list of "my fave blogs" or something comparable.  A lot of those that I read are medically-related.  We "heart moms" are frequent bloggers, and many of those that I follow are friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's blog.  But it was especially comforting early on to read about others' experiences with heart surgeries for their babies and to read success stories. 

Beyond that, many of the sites I look at often are people who are in real life friends who blog about their day-to-day stuff.  I don't look much at organizational blogs - honestly, I don't care what they're up to (even with my favorite companies and nonprofit orgs).  Just not really my thing, I guess. I find lots of interesting articles from Slate.com, and a lot of cool sites I discover the old fashioned way - word of mouth. 

How about you?  How did you discover my blog?  How do you find other interesting sites?  What websites do you check regularly?

Posted at 03:25PM Jan 30, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

I wanna talk about Pee...

(just a slight adaptation of the Toby Keith song from my last post!)

In my last post, someone commented that reading my blog was like reading my diary.  And it's true - the communication revolution that we're in is all about the blurring of public and private space.  Our class this week was about ethics, and I think that blending of public vs. private is a big part of that.  Maybe other people don't want me to post pics of our cute kids together - I usually don't because I don't want to put others in a place they aren't comfortable.  Maybe friends don't want to be identified by name in my blog - I usually try to use nicknames.  Maybe my dear hubby doesn't want me to talk about our family with strangers - he'll get over it.  So, where do you draw the line?  What information is too much to share in a public forum like this?

Here's a funny story that I would not typically say to a stranger on the street (the same stranger who is completely welcome to stumble upon my blog and read a discussion of our family's bathroom habits).  You decide - TMI?

So, we all know what eating asparagus does to you.  It makes your pee green, and it makes it smell really funky.  Oh, come on - admit it.  You totally know what I'm talking about.  Well we had asparagus for dinner earlier this week, and Jay was all over it.  Like, all over it the way normal kids are all over french fries. (Sidenote - you're wondering how I get my toddler to eat asparagus?  My awesome friend TOJ is a nutritionist and has recommended a couple of fantastic books by Ellyn Satter: Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family and Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. I am a total devotee - Satter says give your kids what you're eating, and they will learn to eat a variety of foods.  And it's totally worked with our kid!  My mom says kid #2 will eat nothing but potatoes and vanilla ice cream.  We'll see.)

Okay, back to the story.  So Derek and I were laughing about how amazingly fast asparagus starts to work its funky smelling magic.  And then we began to discuss what it would do to the little man.  I mean really, 2 stalks of asparagus in a person with a body weight of 33 lbs has GOT to have a stronger impact than 3 or 4 stalks to a grownup!  (No, I am not going to disclose my weight on this blog.  See - why do I draw the line there, when I'm willing to talk about my bodily functions?!)  So, anyway,  we were making bets on how green and how horribly funky the diaper was going to be in the morning. But you know what?  There was nothing unusual about the diaper the next day!  Babies don't get the funky asparagus pee!

So, weigh in:  Too much information?  Or funny story?  Or interesting scientific discovery?

Posted at 08:19PM Jan 27, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[5]

I wanna talk about me...

Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about Number 1
Oh my me my
What I think, What I like, What I know, What I want, What I see...
-Toby Keith, I Wanna Talk About Me

(**grrrr - just wrote a lovely blog post & then got kicked off, and it disappeared!  I love technology, but I occasionally want to chuck my monitor out the window!  Oh wait.  I'm in my window-less office.  You know what I mean.**)

So, why I am I here?  Not "Why I am I here on this planet?" in the existential sense, but "Why am I blogging about my life online?"  Why can I not stop talking about myself?

This blog originally started when I was preggers with my first little one.  A few other friends (especially you, Peggy Sue!) had started blogs, and it seemed like a good way to keep friends & family updated about the pregnancy.  But after Jay was born with a major heart defect and in the ICU, this space became my lifeline.  Your comments gave me encouragement, support, love and really kept me going during one of the most difficult times of my life.  Just writing about the experience was therapeutic, but your comments created the dialogue that I needed most at that time.  I could log in at 3 a.m. and have a conversation with you, or re-live the conversation we'd had earlier that day.  Knowing that you were there and cared about the tough times we were going through was incredibly motivating - it motivated me to keep writing more, and motivated me to keep moving in spite of the fear I faced about my new baby's health.

I think that's part of the reason I've been so slack with blogging lately.  When I don't get any comments, I feel a little like I'm talking to an empty room.  Who (beyond the grandmas) even cares what cute thing my kid did last week?  So, keep those comments coming!  (And not, not because I need to collect comments for my grade - though that's a nice side effect...!) The Web 2.0 phenomenon is all about connecting online - not just pushing information in 1 direction, but having an ongoing conversation about what's important in our lives.  It's not about me talking to you, but about us talking together in this fancy online space.

 I've thought a lot about the phrase "social media" and what it means.  Frankly, this blog and Facebook have completely changed my social experience, and it's easy to see why they are changing the experience of companies & nonprofit organizations.  All organizations are made up of people, and if people are changing the way they relate to each other, organizations by default have to change the way they relate to one another and to the public.

So talk back to me!

Posted at 04:38PM Jan 24, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[7]

It's late September...

and I really should be
back at school.
-Rod Stewart, "Maggie Mae"
(one of my fave songs!)

Hello world - I'm about to re-enter the regularly posting blogosphere.  Why you ask?  Yes, I know I've been the slackest blogger on the planet with my every other week posts.  But I suddenly have motivation to blog (and it's not kid news this time).  And no, it's not my mom's cancer recurring, which many of you are aware of.  You can keep up with her updates on her CaringBridge page, which I'm working hard to keep current. 

It's class.  Huh?  Yep, my Communication class this semester is about how social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are being used by organizations to connect with people.  Piece of cake, right - a class on blogging and Facebook?!  Well, like any grad school class, there's a little more to it than that.  So, I'm going to make every effort to connect my everyday musings on my life to what I'm learning in class, 'cause my grade will depend on it.  (Though I think I may struggle a bit to find PR song quotes to intro with!)  Here's the other thing - I need comments.  Like 100 of them in the remainder of the semester.  (Is it cheating to ask for 'em, Dr. W?!)  So, tell me what you think.  Tell me what you want to know more about.  Tell me that you'd rather me dump the academic info & just see more kid pics.  I will ignore that particular request, but I promise, there will be some kid pics, too.

So, first topic - what is PR?  What is advertising?  What is marketing?  What do you think, faithful readers?  Frankly, I think most people use the 3 interchangeably.  We communication people tend to see ourselves in the PR business as somehow "holier" than those in the marketing business (who just want to SELL stuff) and those in the advertising business (who are willing to *gasp* PAY for airtime to sell stuff).  We're out to manage the image of the organization.  We help the organization relate to the public.  We find effective ways to communicate with stakeholders (employees, volunteers, donors, customers), discovering their needs and helping to match them to what we offer.  It's not about the $$$ - it's about managing the relationship.  Y'all buyin' that?  

Posted at 08:01PM Jan 23, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

So much to say, so much to say, so much to say

Sometimes I find it's easy to be myself
Sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
-Dave Matthews Band

Wow - how in the world did it get to be January already?  2010?  A month since I've blogged?  Wow - I really do have much to say, so I'll just give you the highlights.

CheezeDoodle is growing and growing and growing!  According to my vegetable-loving friends @ BabyCenter, he's currently the size of a jicama.  I'm betting he's WAY bigger than that.  And what's a jicama, anyway?  I'm getting to that foot-swelling, hard to turn over at night, 24-7 heartburn, whiny stage.  Derek is thrilled.

Still no name yet for CheezeDoodle.  We had a few front runners, and a few that didn't make the cut for Jay that are still under consideration.  When we ask him, he suggests "Clifford."  Nothing against anyone out there reading this who might be named Clifford, but I don't think I could name a kid after the big red dog.

Home remodel is 99% done.  Kitchen is fully functional, half-bath is completely done, and the tools have migrated from the pool table into the laundry room.  We're not there yet, but with another couple of weekends, we will be.  Hallelujah!  Pics to come.  Really. 

Christmas was wonderful, though the break was (of course!) too brief.  Jay got a tricycle and promptly fell off and got a bloody lip.  Those legs need to grow just a bit to really reach the pedals.  He also got the whole 'Tato Head family (his pronunciation - adorable!) including Mr., Mrs, and their little ones, Chip and Julienne.  Those names crack me up every time!  From grandparents, he got a new kid-size table which is his new favorite place to put scribble to paper, and a tool bench which has seen more hammering than you can possibly imagine.  He's a happy kid.

Being pregnant at Christmas is really an amazing feeling.  Makes me see advent through a different light - the season of expectation has new meaning.  I whined about Derek putting me in a car (with heated seats!!) for 3 hours.  Can you imagine saying "Sure, I'll throw my pregnant self on that donkey and ride.  No reservations?  No problem!"  I'm not Catholic, but I certainly have gained a new respect for the Blessed Mother.

Ringing in the New Year at the beach is the best way to start a year.  We went with both our families, including Jay's cousin, Camden, who is the same age.  They clearly loved hanging out together, if you judge by the number of times they screamed "MINE!" while ripping toys out of one another's hands.  "My hammer!  My book!  My toy!  MINE! MINE! MINE!"  So, I totally thought they hated each other, except that every morning Jay woke up looking to play with cousin Camden.  The social dynamics of toddlers are still a bit of a puzzle to me.

So, happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all of you.  Here's wishing you all the best in 2010!

Posted at 09:14PM Jan 07, 2010 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

There's gone for good...

and there's good & gone
There's gone with a long before it
Wish she'd been just a little more clear
Tell me - what kinda gone are we talkin' bout here?
-Chris Cagle

When we're talking tonsils & adenoids, we're talking gone for good this time.  Yay!  I am so hopeful that this means that the recurrent croup, congestion, cough, strep, and general sickness that followed our family last winter will be gone for good, too. 

No big news from the hospital trip this time.  Doogie Howser was on anesthesia duty, but decided we could go ahead with surgery this time.  Jay was *frantic* when he woke up from anesthesia (and I mean, screaming out of control like a wild animal!) but the nurse gave him some good drugs that helped him settle down.  He took a few good long naps in dad’s arms, mom’s arms, and now he’s headed back to dreamland in dad’s lap again. 

He seemed to feel pretty good most of the afternoon, flirting with all the nurses while riding around in the cutest little red wagon.  He’s still attached to a pulse ox and an IV, so we just toted the poles and lines up and down the hall of the hospital as we pulled the wagon.  He thought it was great fun – and he’s looking uber-stylish in his Bugs Bunny hospital gown.

Derek and Jay are currently watching basketball.  I must say that watching basketball from a hospital bed brings back some difficult memories of March Madness 2008.  I vividly remember watching the ACC tourney @ Duke and wondering what taking care of a heart baby was going to mean.  I kept thinking, “I guess he’ll never get to play basketball…”  We’ll see – he’s officially clear to do anything he wants and I’m so grateful for that.

But today, I’m just grateful that surgery was as easy as surgery can be and he’ll be headed back to his old self soon.

Posted at 07:27PM Dec 01, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[3]

You just keep me hangin' on

You don't really need me
But you keep me hangin' on
-The Supremes

Faithful blog readers, I must apologize.  My last blog post has left ya hangin' for over a week now, and that's no way to treat you!  Life has been a crazy whirlwind this week of medical issues and kitchen renovation craziness, and I simply haven't made time to blog.  I'll give you the medical update today and will post lots of kitchen pics this weekend.

So, in our last episode, Jay and Derek were happily singing away as I left the hospital.  Jay was joyfully slamming the faux cast/IV line against the bars of his crib and appeared in no way to be as sick as he had been mere hours before.
Lesson #1 - Kids can turn on a dime - one minute seriously sick, the next healthy as a horse.

He needed no oxygen and had no other problems during the night, so the next morning our wonderful pediatrician sent us home.  The next day, Thursday, he had been scheduled for pre-op to have his tonsils out.  (TONsils, Ginger.  Not NOStrils.  I'm still laughing over that one!)  I was assuming that having been so sick, surgery would be a no-go.  But our Ped & ENT both agreed that the hospitalization incident is exactly why he needs the tonsils & adenoids out in the first place.  He has breathing issues so frequently that we really should go ahead sooner rather than later, assuming he continued the upward trend over the weekend.  Okay, we make arrangements to keep him home the rest of the week/weekend to keep him germ free & get ready for surgery on Tuesday.
Lesson #2 - My mom and my AJ are the world's best babysitters, and I owe them BIG time.

Tuesday, we head to the hospital for the big day.  I thought that going without breakfast would make him (and therefore me!) incredibly miserable, but he handled it remarkably well.  Got checked in, got the hospital bracelets, dressed in the gown - the whole 9 yards.  About 3 minutes before he was scheduled to go to the OR, the anesthesiologist (we'll call him Doogie Howser) comes by and decides to call it off.  WHAT?  You're kidding me, right?! 

Yes, without even looking at our child, without listening to his lungs, without listening to our explanation that he's as healthy at this moment as he ever gets, he calls it off just because he'd been sick the week before.  He wanted to wait another 6 weeks.  Yes, he expects the child to be fever-free for SIX more weeks!  Ha ha ha ha ha.  You've never set foot in a daycare, have ya Doogie Howser?

Some of my favorite comments from Dr. Howser:
"Pediatric anesthesia is my training and I've been doing this for a long time."  (Um, that's why we're at a pediatric specialty hospital, buddy, because you've been trained in this.  And I'm not sure how you define a long time, but I've been preggers longer than you've been in practice.)
"I don't think primary care peds really understand what we deal with as anesthesiologists." (You'd best not knock Dr. Nechyba, cause he understands taking care of kids - especially my little heart patient.  He saved my baby's life when the so-called specialists didn't believe that he really had serious heart issues.  Don't you even go knocking your medical colleagues to me.)
"If he were MY child, I wouldn't do an elective surgery today."  (Save me the guilt trip, Doogie.  There's nothing elective about this - we're trying to keep him breathing at night, which is kind of a critical issue.)
Lesson #3 - There are some fantastic, amazing people in the medical profession.  And then there are some arrogant jerks who go into fields like anesthesia because there's big $$ there.  We've now met docs at both ends of the spectrum.

So now we wait for surgery, part 2.  Our ENT has assured us that we can reschedule when Doogie won't be on duty. We're looking at early December, assuming he can stay healthy that long.
Lesson #4 - In the wonderful, awesome world of parenting, you can never, ever, EVER expect anything to go the way you planned.  And that's what makes the adventure so much fun.

Posted at 10:32AM Nov 13, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[5]

I could stay awake

Just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
-Aerosmith, I don't wanna miss a thing

Nice, sweet romantic song, eh?  No, for the last few nights we've been staying awake to hear Jay breathing, but it's not for any romantic notion that we just like watching his angelic little self sleep.  It's because he is so congested that we're scared at any minute he'll stop breathing.

I mentioned a while back that he inherited my huge tonsils and that we'd be looking at surgery to remove them sooner rather than later.  We were hoping said surgery (scheduled for next Tuesday ... ONE WEEK from today!) would help keep him from getting as sick during this winter's cold and flu season.  We apparently missed our window of health for doing that.  He started getting a cold in the middle of last week, and it just got worse as the weekend progressed.  Then yesterday, he went to the doc and was diagnosed with bronchitis & croup.  A steroid hit and some antibiotics - we're on our way back to good health, right?  Apparently not so much.

 He was really doing much worse this afternoon.  I was home by myself with him, and his breathing became really labored.  His fever spiked to 103, he was coughing constantly, and just couldn't catch his breath.  Back to the doc ... then to another for chest x-rays ... and then off to the hospital for overnight observation.  His 02 levels dropped pretty quickly, and given his history of heart problems, we felt it was better safe than sorry.  Of course, just as soon as he hit the doors of the hospital, he seemed to be the picture of good health and was perking right back up.  Why is it that the moment you walk in to a doctor's office or hospital, your kid (who moments before was on death's doorstep!) begins running around like a wild animal?  Poor thing is just pitiful.  I mean really, when I left the hospital, he and Derek were singing "Old MacDonald" while dancing on the bed.  Jay had some potent IV antibiotics rolling in, and was busily using his new "glove" (the IV line is wrapped in major gauze/brace) to practice giving high 5's and knuckles.  Next thing, he'll be banging it on the bars of the crib.

Because hospitals are breeding grounds for all kinds of germs, Derek and I decided it was best for me and  the Cheeze Doodle to spend the night at home.  Babe, I owe you one.  Perhaps I'll make it up to you when we have a newborn who needs to be nursed in the middle of the night... every night.  Maybe then we'll be even. 

 I don't know what to think.  His breathing trouble this afternoon was really scary.  And I would much rather him be there where he's under their care if he needs oxygen during the night or begins to have more serious problems.  But I also wonder why a kid who is capable of dancing on the bed needs to be hospitalized.  Auggghhh!  I'm grateful that we don't have to stay awake, anxious and listening to him wheeze again tonight.  And I pray that both of them get some rest.  But most of all, I pray these stronger drugs kick in quickly and he's headed back home tomorrow. 

Thanks to all our friends for keeping us in your thoughts & prayers!

Posted at 11:24PM Nov 03, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[6]

If the house is rockin, don't bother knockin...

If the house is rockin, don't bother - just come on in. (Cause we could use the help, people.)

Get your mind out of the gutter!  I'm 5 months pregnant.  The only reason our house is rockin' these days is that there has been a never-ending parade of construction activity for the last two weeks.  You may remember that we'd started a remodeling project that will transform my craft room into a half bath, laundry room, and pantry.  We figured while we're at it, might as well follow through with our plans to re-do our kitchen.  And you know, while you're ripping out cabinets, might as well clean up the 1950's wiring while you're at it, right?  Oh and those old cast iron pipes?  Those should probably go too.  And I hear those tankless water heaters are nice.  What?  We we would need new plumbing lines for the entire house in order to accommodate the tankless water heater?  No time like the present! The multiple layers of linoleum representing each decade from the 1950's to the present gotta go.  But I hear those old tiles might have asbestos in them.  Now where to get asbestos testing done?

And so it goes.  We've done a fair amount of remodeling prior to this project.  I can sweat a joint (really!) and Derek has learned some pretty impressive carpentry skills along the way.  And those past experiences taught us one rule ... that a project costs 50% more than you budget for and takes 3 times as long as you think it should.  This project has been no exception.  Plus there's the fun of trying to keep a toddler out of the mess.  I know, I have a very strange sense of "fun."

But it's going well so far.  We passed our electrical inspection, and plumbing/structural inspections should happen this week.  Cabinets have been delivered and are filling our living room (floor to ceiling!).  My favorite part?  The GIGANTIC drill that the electricians used last weekend to drill through the studs.  It looked something like this:

Then, today the plumber brought out one that was EVEN BIGGER!  He used it to drill through the brick to fix our outdated outdoor spigots.  (I'm still wondering how that's connected to the kitchen/half-bath project, but I quit asking questions.)  These dudes do not play around with their tools.  Tim the Tool Man Taylor would be proud.  Arr, Arr, Arr. 

Check back in at Christmas ... the goal was to be completely and totally done by then.  If we can have Christmas Dinner at our house, I'll be pleased.  If that Christmas dinner is another bowl of soup in the microwave & grilled cheese on the George Foreman grill, I will not be pleased.  Cause Jan 1, we got to get crackin' on another nursery. 

Posted at 08:48PM Oct 24, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[8]

You say it best

when you say nothing at all.
-Allison Krauss

Eight years ago today, I married the love of my life.  Can you believe that?  (The eight years part, not the love of my life part.  It's obvious to anyone who knows us that only for true love would anyone put up with my craziness.)  How does eight years go by so incredibly fast? And how can it be that it's only been eight years when I truly can't remember or imagine life before Derek came along?

Since this is an NC State-hosted blog, I'll tell you our how-we-met story.  Short answer, we met at NC State.  But it's actually a little better than that.  For many years, the 11th floor of Sullivan Hall had been all women.  Other floors were co-ed, but the 11th been girls only.  For some odd reason, in the fall of 1996, Housing had assigned one suite of fellas in the midst of the ladies floor.  You should have seen these guys on move-in day!  We'll just say they were pretty pumped about their odds for meeting girls ... 8 of them, 64 of us.  To show their floor loyalty, they participated in all of the girly hall-sponsored activities, including step aerobics.  Now that is desperation, my friends!  (The mental image of my hubby attempting step aerobics still makes me giggle.) 

In all seriousness, they were very good neighbors to us.  They walked us to the library after dark; they put up with a lot of giggling; they helped us carry heavy things down 11 flights of stairs.  In fact, after hauling my laundry basket down the stairs, Derek sat with me on the front steps while waiting for my mom to come pick up me (and my mountain of laundry).  Seeing such a nice boy who waited with me for my ride, she immediately decided that he was the one for me.  I suspect she also checked out his high school grades, given her easy access to his transcript, but she won't admit to that. 

Me, it took a little more convincing than a good GPA and willingness to sit on the steps of Sullivan with me.  He was a great friend, but was he really the one?  He was so quiet!  But sometimes, you don't need words to get your meaning across.  Sometimes, you say it best when you say nothing at all, and that became our first dance song at our wedding.

Turns out, mom really does know best.  We spent some wonderful time together in college and finally decided to get hitched while he was in vet school.  In fact, he actually proposed at the NC State bell tower since (his words) "This is where we met and fell in love."  Awww.  Our Wolfpack roots run deep.

Happy anniversary, babe.  I love you and can't wait to spend another 58 years together.

Posted at 09:26PM Oct 13, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful...

Beautiful Boy

Before you cross the street,
Take my hand,
Life is just what happens to you,
While you're busy making other plans,

Beautiful,
Beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy

-John Lennon

So, the secret's out - we're gonna have another bouncing baby boy!  The most wonderful news is that he seems to be healthy from the top of his head to his 10 tiny toes.  Because of Jay's heart defect, this little guy has double the risk of congenital heart disease than he otherwise would have.  The risk is still small, mind you, but enough that we want to test to be sure there are no heart defects or other problems to be concerned about. We'll have a fetal echocardiogram in another few weeks to get a more in-depth look at his heart.  (I have a crush on Jay's cardiologist, Dr. Milazzo, so I'm stoked that he'll be doing it!)

But all looks fantastic.  His aorta has a beautiful "candy cane" arch and his heart seems to have none of the kinds of problems that would send him to our good friends in the PCICU.  (Not that we don't love those surgeons and docs at Duke, mind you, but we'd rather stay out of there if we can.)  The only slight concern they had is that this lil' guy is already off-the-charts big.  And they weren't tremendously worried about that.  Me on the other hand ... I am tremendously concerned.  Having delivered a 10 lb 4 oz baby the "old-fashioned" way (ahem) is absolutely, positively, most definitely something I do not want to repeat.  Did you hear me docs?!  Induce early, or give me a c-section, but I'm not pushing another 10 pounder!

So, back to the boy thing.  I'm not gonna lie - I was hoping for a girl this time.  Sorry, kiddo.  I know you're gonna read this someday about 10 years from now and say "What?!  You wanted me to be a girl?!"  Yes, son.  I am sorry to confess it to the world, but I was hoping for a daughter.  And it's not just because baby girl shoes are cuter (though they are).  I mean really, have you walked down the baby shoe aisle at Target lately?  Not only are there twice as many girl shoes, but they have sparkles!  Red sparkles and flowers and bows, oh my! 

No, shoes weren't the real reason I wanted a girl.  I want a girl for me.  I know that's selfish, but the most special, the most influential people in my life have been women - my mom and my Appie.  (To those who weren't lucky enough to know her, Appie was my mom's mother - one of the most amazing women I've ever met.  We shared a relationship that is much closer than most girls and their grandmas, and I miss her every day.)  My girlfriends play a hugely important role in my life, and I believe that there is a bond between women that is unique and special, and I selfishly want that for myself and my daughter. 

But you know what?  I never had a sister.  I ended my last post with the phrase "If life doesn't give you sisters, you find them."  And I am pretty sure that the same thing applies to daughters as well.  If life doesn't give you daughters, you just need to look for them.  Every girl needs a "bonus mom" who she can go to when she needs to talk junk about her mother.  (Yes, Mom, I sometimes talk junk about you.)  And I'm pretty sure that my friends would be happy to loan me their daughters to do a little shoe shopping and giggling and dressing up in feather boas for tea parties.

The truth is that there are wonderful things about boys, just like there are wonderful things about girls.  Yes, I wanted one of each so that I could enjoy both.  But I am thrilled that Jay and this little guy will have each other as brothers - because that's a bond that is pretty amazing too. Who knows?  There may even be a third Foster child in store down the road.  But if baby #3 is also a boy, I'm gonna trust that I was just meant to have boys.  (I don't think I could risk being any more outnumbered than that!)

And really - I'm pretty sure I'll never again have to take out the trash or mow the lawn...  Just start calling me "The Queen."

Posted at 09:46PM Oct 06, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[7]

But I know I'm a lucky man...

I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
And last Sunday when the Bengals lost
Lord, it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man

Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call 'em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a mama who I swears a saint

Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
One more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
-Lucky Man, Montgomery Gentry

I don't usually post the lyrics to the entire song, but I heard this on the radio the other day, and it's so true.  We should all remember how truly lucky we are.  Plus, I couldn't pick a favorite line.  Sorry if my last post was a little whiny (some might argue a lot whiny!)  I think I just needed some whine to go with all this cheese I've been consuming lately... 

I spent last weekend with my girls ... a group of women I've gotten to know over the past few years who are truly the best group of friends that a girl could have.  When times are tough, these girls are there, with a meal, a shoulder to cry on, a Chick-fil-A milkshake, a hug, or a crazy mother-in-law story to make each other laugh.  And this weekend, we laughed so much I seriously thought I might hurt myself.  They are some of the funniest people, and I can't remember a time when I had so much fun or laughed so hard.  They helped pull me out of my whiny funk, and I am grateful to each of them.  If life doesn't give you sisters, you find them.

Posted at 04:32PM Sep 28, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[6]