Where have I been?

Civil War Chaplain
Originally uploaded by leestudent.

I have been switching to a new job in a new town and went almost 10 days without internet access. Mix in a sick baby, visiting in-laws, and regular life, and you get no blog. We'll be back soon. Here's a pic of what I'm doing now.....sort of.

The week off

Sorry for the unscheduled hiatus. I know all 1 of you were really disappointed. I have always wanted to try to journal or write about my life, but never kept up with it. This blog is the most consistent I've ever been, so I was a little disappointed that I missed a whole week. Work was crazy and I was too tired to come up with good stuff at night-- I don't want to put up filler crud just so I can say I posted.

We'll get back on schedule this week. We'll talk about some Star Trek for Nerdy Thursday, some baby pictures, maybe some Civ3 and Photoshop fun, and some Henri Nouwen on Wednesday- maybe.

And now....irony

Now for some irony!

A few weeks ago I got in the car to go to work. Jennifer left a banana peel in the car, and oh was it stinky. I parked at work next to an area frequented by crows the size of a small child. So in a moment of weakness, I tossed it out. I figured the mutant crows would eat it, or use it to build their condo.

So the next day, with the insidious peel out of my mind, I come to work on a rainy day. I take one foot out of the car, start to slide, and almost fall flat on my back. I look down, and lo, there is the banana peel in the same spot I left it. I'll never toss a banana peel again.

One Z-pac, no pickles

So this month of February is going GREAT.

Not really.

Little AM has decided that sleeping at night is just so last month, and even if she does sleep, she won't do it unless held, which is really cute until about 3:00am. This is further complicated by my recent AOTC (Attack of the Crud)*, which got so bad I missed work one day and had to get a Z-pac, which is a wonderful antibiotic.

Then my new camera (which I will show later), was not delivered because I missed the Fedex guy by about 20 minutes. Since FedEx is so huge and diverse (read: needlessly overorganized), my package did not go back to the local FedEx facility where I could get it, but 40 minutes away to Chattanooga, where I could gladly pick it up, although no one at FedEx could tell me what time that facility could be open. Let me repeat that: FedEx could not tell me when their own building opens.

Oh, and did I mention my venerable Toyota is leaking antifreeze?

Well now that I have that all out, that's better.

*Not to be confused with Star Wars Episode II: AOTC (Attack of the Clones), although it was crud also.

One month away from being 2 months old

Tomorrow marks 1 month since the birth of our daughter. I am still amazed at her and still amazed at the strength my wife possesses within her to not only carry and deliver the baby, but to love her immensely every day.

From Baby Ladd- th...

We are back at Lee, and while the apartment is familiar, it doesn't feel like home. That feeling, that sense that home is somewhere else, is something I have not felt in many years, and I found myself glad to feel it.

What I am NOT glad to feel is the gunk in my nose and throat. Please pray God heals me or that God uses the Mucinex in my cabinet to heal me, I'm not picky.

Our baby is here!

Baby Ladd- the first month

Tell them what they've won, Johnny

So we are in the process of buying a house. It's a major hassle, getting all the quotes and applications and forms filled out, but it's moving faster than I expected. We found a great mortgage and I'm almost done with the insurance stuff. My dad came over today and we did a walkthrough of the exterior, looking at improvements and little touch-ups that we can do ourselves.

I'll talk more about it later, I'm going to bed.

Rain

Some things are very consistent. I usually like consistency; I grew up in the same house from age 2 to 21. I drove nothing but Fords from age 15 to 26. I have lived in the same 50 mile radius since birth. But I am beginning to hate certain consistencies, things that inexorably march on, not show signs of slowing (the rowers keep on rowing). The consistency of my questions, the confines of money, the fact that you can't spend less than $600 a month on a house unless it's either falling apart OR it's on wheels. Not that we're buying a house, but we window shop from time to time and it's depressing, kind of like never-ending rain. The nagging question of career.

I tried to think these things through last night, but I decided to iron instead. I am trying to improve my slightly wrinkly appearance at work, so I ironed all my pants and 4-5 shirts in an hour and a half of ironing frenzy. I got lost in the mindlessless of it, and it was surprisingly relaxing. I wished I had a better view though.....

LITTLE LADD is HERE!

It is now official, Jennifer and I are pregnant. Or she's pregnant and I'm just here. I digress...
We're 3-4 weeks along, the baby will be due around the end of the year, maybe a Christmas/New Year baby.

More news later...