• We have managed to survive several different types of health scares in the past few weeks and months. I continually fight the allergy bug as do Jill and boys, but I also had a pretty serious infection I had to contend with. Thanks to some heavy duty antibiotics, I managed to finally shrink an infected lymph node and now have a normal sized neck!
• Zeke has been the healthiest of us all as he has managed to get by with only a slight earache and the general whininess that accompanies one of those. (Actually the whininess causes more pain for Jill and I than the earache does for Zeke...)
• Zane has done pretty well other than a constant runny nose and the unfortunate habit of throwing up all over the back seat of my car! We assume he got choked on a little phlegm, but I still have the aroma of curdled milk in my car. (Evidently Febreze works on every odor in the world except that!)
• Jill has had the most serious condition to contend with as she was diagnosed with symptomatic anemia. Her iron levels were really low. Low enough that she was forced to spend the night in hospital a few weeks ago and receive two units of blood! She has gotten much better (thanks to the blood and a steady supply of iron pills) and is doing fine. It was a pretty significant scare though.
• Mimi and Papa Glen came down to visit (a short visit) and got to spend some quality time with the boys and had a good time. Zeke and Zane impressed them with a high quality impersonation of their father at their age. (Their father was not nearly as amused as Mimi and Papa.)
• Holly and Brady (and Royce, Debby, and Andrew) also came down for a tractor pull at the HOT Coliseum. Jill and I attended the first night and then took the boys out the next afternoon to check out Brady's tractor. You can see the tractor pics on the Current Events page.
• Jill and I (narrowly) survived administering the TAKS test to our respective campuses Wednesday. Of all the things that we have endured in our years of marriage so far, this has been by far the most taxing (pun intended, if not achieved). There is no room for sympathy when we are both slaying dragons all day in preparation for the test. Unfortunately we both have several more times that we administer the tests. Pray for us both!

11/24/07

My apologies for the long delay in updating the site. I claim the "good intentions exemption" as I have meant to get this done for quite a while. As a result you should have ample new material to peruse, as I have a ton of pictures to load.

As for the family, we have had numerous bouts with sickness. Both boys have had multiple bouts with the throw ups as as a result so have Jill and I. As I type, Jill is again fighting what we hope is a 24 hr bug. We made it into Ropes to see my family and she spent most of the day in bed. For Jill to miss out on family time, I know that she was near death's door. Both boys have also dealt with a persistent cough and Zane has even had the temerity to allow it to settle into his chest, creating a nice wheeze...In the grand scheme of things, though, we are blessed with health.

12/24/07

My "good intentions" went as far as that I typed the above information and did nothing else. I now claim the "Good Will towards Men" exemption as it is Christmas time. The boys are loving the season as they have had a blast over the last several days with various X-mas parties, etc. Zeke unfortunately has learned one other aspect of the season...His new favorite word is "Mine" (right after the ever popular "No", "I don't want to do it", and "No, You stop it"). Zane is beginning to talk. His best words are Da-Da and he waves Bye with the best pageant winners you've ever seen.

Jill is doing well at both jobs, though it is running her ragged taking care of three boys too. My job is still keeping me hopping although I have glimpses of hope that I will survive the year. The boys are both growing leaps and bounds and are proving (thankfully) to have Mama's brains as they are quick learners. Check out Zeke and Zane's pages for lots of new pictures.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chris

Summer Update

Summer is here (at least officially), but it is hard to tell around here. I feel as if I have moved to the tropics in the middle of monsoon season. Unfortunately there is not a lot of relief in sight in regards to the massive amounts of rainfall that we have received lately. What's even more odd is the amount of precipitation that the Lubbock area has received as well. As a West Texas boy, it's always hard to turn down rain, but I'm to the point that "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day" is no longer just a childhood rhyme...

The boys continue to grow and develop a little more every single day. They definitely keep mom and dad hopping. Zane crawls wherever he chooses to go (usually right underneath our feet or under something that he can hit his head on) and pulls up on everything (including tv trays, which resulted in quite a crash...) and can nearly stand on his own. Zeke talks nonstop (can't figure out how that happened with his parents being so quiet and reserved), runs everywhere he goes and fights sleep harder than anyone I've ever met. Guess he's afraid of missing something.

I'm gearing up for the true test of fatherhood, beginning Friday the 29th. I will officially be on summer vacation at 4:30pm Thursday the 28th, so I will take over the babysitting duties performed so capably by Kamie and Grammy. I have about a month off before I begin my 5th new assignment in my 13 years of education. I will be leaving La Vega Intermediate School H.P. Miles Campus and transferring to the La Vega Jr. High George Dixon Campus. I will still be serving as an Assistant Principal, but instead of being in charge of student services (books, butts, and buses), I will be in charge of curriculum and instruction (teaching, testing, and tutorials). Should be quite the challenge. Hopefully this experience will allow me to complete the basic experiences needed to become a campus principal. All of that to say, I will relish my time with the boys at home. I'm just really hoping we can go outside at some point and get wet because we WANT to, not because we have to.

We are preparing for a busy month of July. We will be traveling to Lubbock for the traditional July 4th(ish) bash at Mimi and Papa Glen's and then turning right around and celebrating Zeke's 2nd birthday at Lake Whitney the following weekend. Will be more fun than you can shake that proverbial stick at.

Ok enough with the novella. New pictures on the boy's pages. Let me know what you think of the new page design if you get the chance.

Chris

5/20/07

From the understatement of the year category:

1. This school year cannot come to a close fast enough. It's been a pretty good year at Bosqueville for Jill and at La Vega for me, but spring has sprung and EVERYBODY is ready to be out.

2. I'm not a global warning devotee, but something is a bit weird when Lubbock gets too much rain around planting season.

3. I'm really, really, REALLY, disappointed in the Mavericks.

4. Our boys are precious and precocious, and their main problem is not enough attention.

We did get to take the travel trailer out again last weekend and had a whale of a time. Both boys had fun and since it wasn't snowing, they got to spend lots of time outside the trailer and we avoided the cabin fever that Zeke experienced last time. Our friends brought their boat and camped along side us so we got out on the lake. Zeke had his first ride on the inner tube and loved it. Zane was so excited about being on the boat that he promptly fell asleep. (No mean feat in an infant life jacket...)

For those that follow the boys closely (and you know who you are), you know that we have had many hair cuts for both boys (several for Zeke and about 3 for Zane). Each time, however, "Aunt" Kathy (the greatest hair dresser ever) would just trim it enough that mom and dad could stand it. Yesterday was different. We went whole hog since we waited so long to get it cut. We know that many people will be upset about us trimming the curls off the boys (Zeke, Zane, Z Brothers), but to those people we most diplomatically, sincerely and loudly say GET OVER IT!!!

So with no further ado. Here are the Borland Brothers with theirfresh new hairdos.

Things are great. We miss you (most of you anyway). Drop us a line and let us know how you are!

Chris

4/29/07

Oh the wonders of technology...As I compose the text for this page, we are sitting out on the deck on a picturesque Sunday afternoon. Zeke is running on and off the deck, swinging his golf club (yes his swing is already better than mine) and playing in the sprinkler (and his back yard fort), while Zane is content to play in the exersaucer and pet Diogie as he goes by. All in all a great afternoon. So in order to appease those that demand an update, I am working as I relax...oxymoron anyone?

We are working on getting the house presentable for summer entertaining. Back yard is in great shape, the front...not so much. Large dead spots. We are hopeful that copious amounts of water will perk it up (much to the City of Waco's satisfaction), but should that not be the magic elixir, we will be tearing out the dead spots and re-seeding with bermuda. We'll see how it goes...

Jill's work in her private practice progresses. Scheduling will become more of an issue as her clientele grows, but for now things are working well. Hopefully the summer will provide an even better chance for her to grow her business, while I work on providing quality child care. I anxiously await the scores from my principal certification test as that will help determine my professional life for the 2008-2009 school year. As of now I fully anticipate completing my third year as assistant principal at LVISHPMC (La Vega Intermediate School H.P. Miles Campus for the uninitiated.)

One other note on the home front. Jill and I have purchased a travel trailer and plan to do a ton of camping in the next several months. We have had one trip already (the infamous Snow on Easter weekend...) and have one more planned for sure and several more in the works. The downside to this great experience is that we have realized that neither of us have the time (or enough child free time) to ride the motorcycle. So to our great dismay (and our parents great joy) we are selling Jill's motorcycle. $5300. Pics below.

Hope everyone is having a great spring. Drop us a line and let us know how you are!

1. I've passed my comprehensive exams and will be graduating with my Master's degree in Education Administration. Graduation is at Tarleton State University, Stephenville at 7:00 12/15/06
2. Jill has now gone back to work full time. She is splitting her time relatively evenly between Bosqueville and the Center for Children and Families. It has been quite the adjustment for her as now she is working two jobs and raising three boys. Even more importantly, she is now actually being PAID for her work at the center. I'll be staying home and being Mr. Mom in no time!
3. We are preparing for the boy's first Xmas. I haven't watched this much Frosty, Rudolph, and etc. in a long while. Man, that Rankin and Bass are geniuses.

On to the good stuff. A few teasers here and the rest on the boys pages. Zeke and Zane

10/06

What's New....

New pictures of both boys on their respective pages...Zeke and Zane

Updates on the Vehicle page and great shots of our redesign of the boy's room on the House Info page

A new powerpoint of pictures from our latest trip to Cameron Park Zoo on the Current Event's Page

Comparison photos of our twin boys (seperated by 15 months....) below! Jill is a virtual xerox machine! Zeke is on the left and Zane on the right! Other than the darker hair on little brother, and a couple of pounds that you really can't see, they look A LOT alike...

Zane is Here! See his page for details!

10/15/06

Now that the little fella is here and my family members are working thier way back to the South Plains, I've finally had the time to do a bit of website updating. All is well for each of us with the exception that Zane is a bit jaundiced. Nothing to terribly bad, but enough that the Dr. considered not sending him home and we have an appointment for Monday to double check him. Other than that he is a model child....He is eating well. Jill is nursing him and he takes formula as needed. Zeke is still not sure what has hit him. Having his cousins here to play with him constantly for the last few days has kept him absolutely occupied and he doesn't yet realize that there is a true addition to the family. We are working dilligently on "being sweet" and I am temporarily authorizing Zeke to play with (gasp) a doll in order to work on not damaging the real thing... I go back to work this week for several days in order to make sure that my school can't do without me, but I'll be taking Thursday and Friday off to help Jill start to transition into what will be our new routine. (I sure hope it works...) Thanks again for cards, calls, visits and food. All are welcome and appreciated!

September '06

We are in offical countdown mode. Just a few short weeks left until Christopher Zane should make his arrival. Jill is doing well although being pregnant during the summer when it hasn't rained and the average high is 101 degrees. She is hanging in remarkably well.

It was such a popular feature with Zeke that I've brought back the countdown timer. This is set for the projected due date of October 17th. This of course is subject to change in relation to when the C-section is set.

School has started for Jill, but I still have a week before kiddos get back. It has made for a nice long summer for me, but it sure will stink when we only get a week for Christmas and have to stay in school through the first week in June.

Jill has also been working on preparing/decorating her office at her private practice. It has really come along nicely and she will hold her her first session in the new digs Monday (27th).

Guess who's 1 Year Old!

Yep. Zeke has survived his first year. He is an absolute JOY. Equal parts Michelin Man, power walker, and general charmer. He celebrated his anniversary of arrival both on the Plains with all of his Ropesville cousins, and at home with the Waco family. He had no clue what was going on, but he had a blast nonetheless.

Other items on the news front:
I sold the red motorcycle (I'll leave it on the vehicle page for a few more weeks as a memorial...)
Jill has been offered a position as an LPC at The Center for Children and Families. (This allows her to rent space and recieve all the perks that the name and building provide...)

Check Zeke's page for updated stats and lots of new pics.

Don't forget the Blog. It has more frequent updates and ramblings.

6/8/06

Jill PASSED Her LPC Exam!

How's that for great news! After months of studying and intensive, headache inducing worry, Jill is now an offical Licensed Professional Counselor! As a matter of fact, she has an impressive array of initials that follow her moniker now.

For the record:
Jill Elaine Borland, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

A mouthful for sure, but a great accomplishment. Zeke is estatic about getting his Mommy back. (Now if Dad could just get through with summer school).

On the Ezekiel front, he is doing great although he is sporting a bruised gum (I told him to get away from that table...) and a great little scrape along his right temple from a run-in with my desk at work. Other than that, he is a wonder. He is walking some (more and more) and may be running marathons by the time he gets to Mimi and Papa Glen's for the 4th of July holiday.

Pray for rain. Especially for those on the South Plains.
No rain= No (or very little) cotton.

5/22/06

Well, even after promising to do better...it's still been a month since the last posting. My sincere apologies. I hope to make up for my lack of quanity with quality. So a quick update and then on to the newest pictures.

1. School is almost out. (Can I have a Hallelujah? Thanks.) Thursday the 25th is the last day with kids for me.

2. Zeke continues to be an absolute JOY! He definitely has a bit of his parent's temper and isn't afraid to show it occassionally, but he is stilll one of the most mellow kids I've ever had the fortune to meet. He is pulling up on everything and he wants desperately to walk, but he has the balance of a drunk on a ship. But man is he tough! He has managed (so far) to avoid the permanent knot on his head that I carried as a toddler, but I don't imagine that it is far off.

3. Jill continues to study for her LPC exam. She'll take in early June. This is a huge step for her and she is stressing about it accordingly. Please send her mellowing vibes as she tries to study with two loud boys in the house.

4. I have a full summer of grad school. I'll be taking 12 hours this summer, with two of the classes in Waco and the other two in the Killeen/Copperas Cove area. Sorry Mom, but the bike is a viable option for the Kileen trips.

5. On the bike front, I may be (finally) selling the red bandit. I've got a bite, we'll see if we can hook him.

6. Results from the sonogram are in and our new baby has a penis. For those of you not so scientifically inclined, that means that "IT'S A BOY". Evidently I run low on the old X chromosomes. For those of you wondering why this isn't number1 or 2, all I can say is "That's why you have to read it all!"

7. No, we have not yet decided on a name for our new addition. We have ruled out (much to my father's chagrin) Zorro. We are not totally dedicated to a "matching" Z name (especially since Zeke's real name starts with an E) but will give consideration to any interesting, yet not asinine choices. (ie; Zeus, Zorro, Zoltan, etc.)

Fantastic new Pics of the Family on Zeke's page. Check them out. Also don't forget about the BLOG

4/10/2006

I apologize for the month plus lapse in posting. If you are totally in the dark, that's your own fault for not checking the Blog page! It takes me much longer to update this page and to be totally honest. I've just been flat lazy.

So updates for those of you not in the know!

1. We are pregnant AGAIN. (and yes we know how that happens. If you don't ask your momma.) The newest member of the family is expected in Mid-October. We won't know sex until early May.

2. No, we don't know how we are going to set up the house for two children. We have another bedroom but we cannot use it for a baby's room without destroying Glen and Mary's favorite hotel room..

3. Yes, we are hoping for a little girl. No, we've not decided whether or not to try again if we end up with two boys.

4. No, Zeke will not know what has hit him...We are hoping that he's busy enough being cute that he won't notice the extra body around the house.

5. Jill and I are both too busy for our own good. But we did manage time enough to celebrate our second wedding anniversary! (Saw "V for Vendetta". It is fantastic. Best movie I've seen in quite some time!)

6. Zeke has two teeth, a pot belly, and a smile that could melt the polar ice caps! New pics on his page.

7. First official "professional" photos will be purchased tomorrow evening. Photos will be shared as time and budget allows...

8. Zeke is working on his crawling. He still prefers to roll, but he can if occasion warrants, do a straight line belly crawl...

2/25/06

Hello and welcome back! Great rainy day for Zeke and I today. We have had a traditional "bachelor's" day today. Sleeping late, Playstation2, leftover pizza (just for me...), Mavericks basketball (a thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory), and last but not least, match play golf on TV...What a Day.

Most important is the rain. The Waco area is finally getting some meaningful precipitation. Might get a bit more tomorrow. I'll take all we can get. I was hoping to get some time in at the golf course Monday (we are off for a weather holiday...), but I think it will be too wet. Guess I'll have to catch up on some other pressing needs. (Like laundry, ironing and grad school projects...)

On the Grad school front, it's looking like a May 2007 grad date unless things really come together over the summer. I have four classes plus my internship left to complete my masters and principal's certification. Need to get it done. It's wearing me out!

I know you are wondering...(wonder, wonder, wonder). Where was the lovely and talented Jill during this testosterone fest? She was in the Austin area at a study course for her LPC certification test. She's been working towards this certification for a couple of years now, (she must accumulate 3000 intern hours in addition to passing this test...) and is finally nearing completion. Please keep her in mind as she spends the next few months studying and preparing for this test. (and this in addition to running the family and keeping things going at BISD.

Hope this posting finds you well. No new pics at the moment. Should have some new ones up later in the week.

Hugs, kisses and all that other touchy feely stuff.

Chris

2/11/06

Hello and welcome back! Nothing too terribly exciting since the last posting. Football season is officially over (I don't count the ProBowl because I don't watch it...) and I had been riding high on a 13 game Mavericks winning streak. That of course came to a crashing end as they got throttled in Denver last night. Oh Well.

School continues to keep Jill and I extremely busy. From now until the end of April, there is little time for rest for either of us.

Zeke continues to grow, smile, and charm. He is on the verge of sprouting a tooth (or several) but has yet to do so. Instead he just grins, occassionally whines a bit and continues to produce copious amounts of saliva (that's spit or drool for those of you in Rio Linda).

We did get some rain yesterday, hoping it's a foreshadowing of more to come. Also hoping to send some up Lubbock way ASAP.

New pics of the family on Zeke's page. Most were taken at a good friend of Jill and Kathy's birthday party.

Keep the comments and emails coming! Love most of you and at least like the rest!

Chris

1/28/06

Welcome back! We are enjoying a restful Saturday here in the Waco area. Some really nice rain last night and today. We don't have all we need, but it is a welcome relief. Hopefully we will get some more and maybe even enough to send up to Lubbock. They are really dry up there.

All is well in Borlandville at the present. John Buckner (Jill's Dad) is recovering nicely from some brain surgery he experienced two weeks ago. Everything went well although it was much more extensive than we first anticipated. Too complicated for me to try to explain here, but suffice it to say that he's OK.

I'm dipping my toes back into the therapeutic waters of the Waco Civic Theatre. I'm not getting back on stage as of yet since I still have night classes for my masters and can't commit to rehearsals 5 nights a week, but I will be building the set for WCT's production of "The Fiddler on the Roof". It's been nearly a year since I've done any theatre work other than viewing shows, so it should be a great way for me to reacquaint myself.

Jill has started the great time of year for her titled "Testing Season". This keeps her really busy, thankfully she has some quality people at her school that can assist her and hopefully keep her stress level down. Her work at the Center (sounds like she's friends with Miss Parker and Jerod) is going well.

Zeke is a marvel. Sitting up like a champ and rolling over nearly on command. We are working on other tricks as well, I'll keep you posted. New pictures on Zeke's page. Some of him, some cousins and some great pics of my Mom and Dad posing as Fox News correspondents. For more on my parents see the latest BLOG posting.

1/9/06

Ok. Quit your whining. New pictures up on Zeke's page. My apologies for not getting them up sooner, but the Mavericks have been playing late and I just gotta watch...

Still working on the video uploads as well as trying to get my sermon up for all to hear. Hopefully that will take place this week.

Today marked the first true "Back to Work Day" for both Jill and I. Zeke of course had a great day with Mrs. Sue. My students did well for the most part, but it is only a matter of time until the other shoe drops.

Happy Birthday to my little sis. Whitney turns 29 today. (Is that scary or what?) From what I hear, she got some quality bubble bath time in as well as a party (without us of course...) at mom's.

I know that you guys are visiting, but I'm not getting many comments here or at the Blog. Be sure to drop me a line (cborland@hot.rr.com) so I know who is dropping around and also so I can make any adjustments that are needed.

See ya!
Chris

Chris

12/2/05

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes to all as we have made it through Thanksgiving (although my belt is sorely taxed) and are cruising on towards Christmas. Here is the latest update as there has been LOTS going on in the Central Texas area as of late. For new pictures, be sure to click over to Zeke's Page.

First of all, Zeke has been officially, terribly, horribly sick for the first time. His runny nose turned into massive congestion, a hacking cough, and two bouts of exorcist quality vomiting. A quick trip to the doctor returned a diagnosis (confirmed by the actual tests) of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). This virus is basically a head cold and chest cold at the same time. Makes it very hard for a young one to breathe.

Things ended up not being as serious as we feared (no hospital time), but as newbie parents, it was more than scary enough. Some other kids that Zeke knows did have to go to the hospital and be under the oxygen tent with this virus. The tough part was knowing that it was a virus and we basically just had to wait it out either way. Zeke has been a trooper and is back to his normally happy-go-lucky self.

School and work are running Zeke's mom and dad pretty ragged. I'm in the home stretch of my grad classes for the semester (and the congregation said AMEN!). I have papers due for the next two weeks plus two last week. It will all get done and I hope to be walking the stage with my masters degree next December. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel...just hope it's not a freight train coming the other way.

Jill continues to work hard at her dual occupations. She is even picking up some additional hours at the center doing input work. She continues to collect her intern hours and we are hoping that she will receive her license in early fall.

We are both stressing with family matters right now so keep us in mind and on your prayer lists.

Keep checking back for further updates. Don't forget about the Blog either...

Chris and Jill

11/21/05

Another busy month has flown by. Lots of work and not much play has made Zeke's Mommy and Daddy very stressed out people. The work week, plus the impending holidays are all contributing to that inevitable pounding headache...

Zeke on the other hand is sublimely content to eat, sleep, pee and poop his way through life. Our little bundle of joy has now reached the milestones of 4 months of age, nearly 15 pounds (14 lbs and 13 oz) and over 24 inches long. He (as the young folks say) is "tight". He laughs, talks and generally charms us (and any one else close by) constantly. He has been bothered by a bit of a runny nose lately. Actually it doesn't bother him too much except when his mom and I constantly wipe, suck out or otherwise obsess over it.

We will be heading off to Lubbock for part of the Thanksgiving holiday to visit the Lubbock group.
Should be interesting as most of my family are assisting with the stripping. (For those of you farming uninitiated, that means the cotton harvest. It has nothing to do with the removal of clothing...)

That's the news for now. Please check out Zeke's page for new photos. I'm sure I'll have more as the holidays progress. Also don't forget to check out my blog (Chris's Blog) for my latest ramblings on various subjects. Feel fee to comment!

Hope to see or hear from you soon.

Chris and Jill

• The "Jr. Executive" (as my Dad used to call me...) is just as mellow as he can be. Only problem is that we are having trouble getting the little guy to eat. He's just sleepin'. We aren't worried per se, but....We'll keep you updated.
• How about that Eldrick Woods? Zeke and I sat and watched the whole 4th round today. Well, I watched and Zeke napped...Either way, it was very enjoyable to see Montgomerie get beat. He is the only golfer in the world that I like less than Vijay Singh...
• Jill is rolling through the recovery process. She got her IV and catheter removed around 12:30 and got to take a shower! Add that to the great addition of real food to her diet and she is estatic! We are hoping to go home tomorrow evening though of course that remains to be seen.
• We've had several visitors today including Zeke's cousins Elijah and Jonah. We are in a tiny room now so you can imagine how tight it got in there... We nearly got both boys to pose with me and Zeke for a picture...it was fun!

• Pretty good sleep for me last night. Mom even got some shut eye too. Zeke did great. If we could only have about 6570 more nights like that we will be ok (that's 18 years for those of you in Rio Linda...)
• I've changed several diapers and managed pretty well, didn't even put them on backwards. Takes me about a month to change one, but I get it done. Even managed to change his little shirt and re-swaddle him without major catastrophe.
• Trying to get the little guy to feed. He's rooting around but every time Jill thinks he's about to put the feed bag on...he goes to sleep...
• Tiger is now only up by one shot with 14 to play. I don't like Colin Montgomerie....
• Will try to snap some more pictures and get them up today. Takes for EVER to upload the pictures over the telephone line...
• Expecting some visitors today, but hopefully not too many...Jill is still pretty tired.

7/16/05 (12 noon)

Good thing we aren't in a rush or anything...Senor Zeke is definitely moving at a laid back pace. At this point, Jill has started having (finally) mild contractions, but nothing really to write home about. We visited with the anesthesiologist about the various methods of not hurting so much. Unfortunately for Jill, she is still a ways away from the magic dilation number required to get an epidural started. We still have the balloon and really nothing else is going to happen until it goes away...Hopefully she will be able to rest this afternoon. The Dr. on call has stated that we "will have a baby today". So once again I feel that our chances for C-section have been increased. If Jill continues to progress (or not progress) this slowly, the staff will make some decisions as to the little guys imminent arrival.

7/16/05 (5:20am)

After a night spent trying to sleep in the most uncomfortable positions possible (my skinny little couch and her hospital bed) we are now working on starting the Petosin! I actually managed to sleep a little, between hearing a girl labor next door (she did not have a good epidural...) and all the standard hospital beeps and squeaks. Jill was given a sleep aid and I think she actually got 3 1/2 hours of shut eye.

We have made a friend for life in our night nurse Jennifer. She has taken really good care of Jill (and me too)! She has nursed Jill and I through a couple of scary moments (not scary for Zeke or anything, but plenty worrisome for two idiot parents to be!) She's explained everything that's gone on and kept us up to date.

We will be upping the Petosin every 15-20 minutes. As soon as we get rid of the balloon, Dr. Dunn will break (what's left) of her water and we'll be off to the races...

Updates as events and time warrant....

7/15/05 (9:00pm)

Woof...When things happen they happen! Went to the doctor at 10:30 today...Jill still wasn't dilated any more than last time...Put the baby on a monitor to check the heart rate and all was well. Went to the sonogram room to check the baby some more and discovered that most of the amniotic fluid has evaporated/disappeared...Not too uncommon as Jill's mom experienced this as well. BUT, since we are already over due and the baby doesn't have a lot of fluid to float in, Dr. Bachofen started Jill off with a Balloon induction technique,(I'll have to tell you about it personally, not gonna put that one on the Web for all to read....) and we are currently in the hospital (Providence - Waco) patiently awaiting 5:00 a.m. and the administration of the Petosin to induce labor. If all goes well, the little guy should make his appearance sometime Saturday! (The sooner the better...) Chances for a C-Section are reasonably high, but not an absolute...

Mom, Dad and Grandma are on the way (should arrive by about 10:00pm tonight), John and Joyce are here and Holly Borland, Mike, Amy, and MacKenzie Williams have stopped by to cheer Jill on. More updates and possibly pictures will come as often as I can tap into the hospital phone line...

7/14/05

Still no baby. I'm beginning to think it is a conspiracy. I'd blame Jill except for the fact that I don't think she'd extend her time with her swollen ankles just to irritate me! Jill is planning a mall walking party today. Hopefully walking around and looking at all the things we cannot afford will sufficiently guilt Zeke into making his appearance!

New pictures added to House Info page...

7/13/2005

Good News! (No, not THAT good...Zeke is still not here yet!) I am changing positions within La Vega ISD!
I have accepted the position of Assistant Principal for Student Services at H.P. Miles Intermediate School. This is my last week as Instructional Facilitator of Technology. I'll begin my campus administrative career Tuesday the 19th. Quite a scary step along with anticipating parenthood. I'm planning to transition the two jobs over the next few weeks. I'll still move the Facilitator's office and do the beginning of the year new teacher training, but I'll be doing it with a new title!

Also check out Zeke's page for our first photo!

7/11/2005

Still no baby, but the back fence is finally fixed! The poor cows, llamas and ponies are terribly confused as they no longer have easy access to our back yard. On the wild life theme however, we did have another visitor in the backyard. Diogie (pronounced D-O-G) and Chewy had been acting pretty strange and Jill decided that "something was on the deck in the back yard." Upon investigation, we found this little fella holed up in a corner...Visitor 1 | Visitor 2 | Visitor 3 | Visitor 4 | Visitor 5. Our little nocturnal buddy up and left in the night after helping itself to some of Diogie's dogfood....

Other than that, no news. Jill will enjoy a ladies day out with her mom and sister today, I hope to enjoy a golfing afternoon tomorrow...Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, we love most of you and at least semi-like the rest!

Chris

7/8/2005

Disappointment....No baby today on his expected arrival date....More disappointment, Dr. Bachofen will not induce until the 18th, 19th or 20th.....(She misspoke about the 11,12,13 thing...)So no baby today and probably not for another week and a half! Jill has pleded to walk, clean house and whatever else she can think of to encourage Zeke to go ahead and start the process....But barring a change in what we can already see as a wilfullly stubborn child, we won't join the parent's club until the week of July 18th...See the updated countup for further details....

(7/6/05)

Still no change as far as Zeke's arrival...If things haven't progressed naturally by the due date (see above...). Dr. Bachofen will induce Mon, Tues, or Wed of next week! Jill is walking miles (when she can actually get some shoes on around her swollen ankles...) to convince Zeke to "Come On Down!"

Hallelujah! After hundreds (literally!) of phone calls we should finally have our back fence fixed. The guys started work today. If you are unfamiliar with our fence saga...our lot connects to a pasture that contains several head of cattle, a few llamas, and a shetland pony. The aforementioned guys came to "fix" the fence about 7 months ago and completely tore it down in the back. Since we have had assorted barnyard friends in our dog run...Click the following links for pictures. I'll let you know if they actually fix it, or if they just tear something else up....
Cows 1 Cows 2 Cows 3 Cows 4 Cows 5

Childbirth classes have been conquered...(just getting through some of the videos warranted a medal....)

The baby's room has been finished (for now...)

All in all, (other than the true ramifications of actually becoming parents sinking in...) Jill and I are ready for Zeke's arrival.

Jill is winding things down at the Center and has testing (mostly) under control at Bosqueville.

I'm biding my time awaiting the baby's arrival and my imminent move to a new office area in the next week or so.

• Had a baby yesterday.
• Trying to feed, change and maintain him today.
• We are sleepy.

• Working on the master schedule for H.P. Miles Intermediate School. What a pain! Never really realized as a teacher how stinking complicated it was to get everyone a conference period and still manage to have enough classes for all the kiddos...I may have to shave my head to keep from pulling my hair out.
• Now that we anticipate Zeke being here sometime Saturday (16th), I will not be taking the full two weeks that I've been threatning off of work. I have several responsiblities that must be met from a teacher training standpoint as well as trying to figure out this assistant principal thing.
• Still awaiting the ramps so I can move the instructional facilitator "stuff" to the new area.
• Will be figuring out how to decorate my new office at H.P. Current plan is to go with a "golf" theme. That way the decor will match my attitude when I "tee off" on students...(I only slept 4 hours last night, I"m allowed a bad pun, right?)

• Still awaiting the ramps and electricity at my new office area. New projected move date is Wednesday or Thursday (or Tuesday or Wednesday of the week after.....who knows?)
• There has been quite a bit of turnover in the administrative ranks here at LVISD, still waiting to see what all the fallout will be.
• Big Business meeting at Church this coming Sunday evening. We will be discussing the new Vision and Mission plan with the congregation. Hopefully the "adjustments" (change is too scary a word for church folk...) will be seen for what they are and accepted readily.
• Have registered for my fall semester of classes through Tarleton State University. Hoping that 6 hours (two classes) a new school year and a new baby won't kill me. (Although I am anticipating it coming close.) Jill and I have a tenative schedule that wil allow us to make sure that Zeke gets picked up from Day care each and every day! (And you people keep telling me this parenting thing is hard...)

• Big 4th of July Celebration at our house! John, Joyce, Julie, Randy and the boys all had a BIG TIME! See pictures below!
• Still no Zeke although we tried to set of the "poppers" behind and immediately around Jill in order to "scare" Zeke into starting labor!
• My new office area has arrived and been anchored. I'm now only awaiting electricity and a ramp to the doorway to begin my move.

4th of July Pictures

Updated: 6/27/05

• We (well mostly Jill, although I've gained all the weight...) are pregnant. (in case you coudn't figure that out from the first page of the site....)
• I have been accepted as a Deacon at my church (Northside Church of Christ). I'm not "official" yet, Zeke's arrival will allow me to be formally installed. (I am currently a future deacon draft pick.)
• Jill continues to work at her LPC intern hours. She is currently on pace to finish up the hours in about a year. After that, it's only a matter of passing the test (no small feat) and she will be a Licensed Professional Counselor.
• I am currently (still) working on my Masters Degree and Principal's certificate. At the rate I am progressing, I should be finished up sometime around 2017...(but I'm still carrying a 4.0....GO ME!)
• I'm in the process of packing up my office. I am moving once again to another portion of LVISD. Hopefully the move will be accomplished sometime before July 4th.
• Still trying to sell the Red Bandit Motorcycle. Had a few sniffs, but nothing remotely solid. Will keep trying and riding the wheels off it in the meantime.
• Completed a garage sale at Aunt Frances' house last weekend. Lots of heat and few customers made for a LONG weekend. Fun and frivolity had by all and we even made some money....

More events as they happen or I can remember that they happened!