last day of SPRING!

Daughter #2 is still hangin' out in her mama's womb...any day now...we keep saying.

This morning...I went for a 3 mi. run...the SF Half Marathon is just over a month away...and to celebrate Father's Day...Meghan prepared strawberry pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast! Mmm...mmm...delicious!

We're about to leave for the zoo! Hannah is very excited!

Maybe daughter #2 will arrive on the first day of summer?

-r

Any Day Anticipation...

We have a feeling that daughter #2 is going to arrive earlier than June 26th; only God knows though.

Meghan has been having contractions off and on since the weekend. She is tired and ready for the baby to be OUT!

Hannah is very excited for the baby's arrival...she loves the baby's name and repeats it over and over with joy!

The last few days Meghan and I have been watching home videos w/ Hannah of her when she was a newborn; she's quite intrigued and loves to watch 'little baby hannah victorya' Aside from the joy that watching these videos brings to all of us, Meghan and I are hoping that it helps Hannah with the transition.

Initially, Hannah thought, 'the baby is going to walk...' as soon as she is born. We've explained in detail what a newborn baby is like and have emphasized that the baby will stay with us in our own and that Hannah will help take care of the little baby.

Hannah is ecstatic; she is so expressive. She smiles, raises her eyebrows, and squeals with joy... "YEAHHHH!"

Any day anticipation...

Ciao. ~r

Wisdom from Hannah

So we're eating dinner last night and Hannah with eyebrows raised and eyes wide open emphatically says:

'Don't ever, ever, ever...put garlic in your nose!!!'

She did this about a month ago...she was crying and fussing...snaught was flying out of her nose. Meghan and I felt helpless...we thought we might have to take her to the hospital...eventually the snaught...we guess...washed the garlic down her throat.

As parents, we've decided that it's not a best practice to give small children small pieces of food that they can shove up their nose.

Thankfully, we can all laugh about it now!

The Long Ride...crazy or courageous?

A week ago I registered for the Tour de Sprout...a bike ride in the East Bay to raise funds for the Little Sprouts Preschool which is in East Oakland. I signed up for the 70 mile ride which included 4000 feet of climbing...was I crazy or courageous? You be the judge...

I have not really been on the bike for the past two months; I've been focusing on my running because I will be running the SF half

marathon at the end of July. If one wants to run a long way, one needs to prepare beforehand by running many miles; likewise with riding the bike. I made the false assumption that because I've been running, the riding wouldn't be a problem. Verdict: crazy.

I'm a real cyclist! On Friday night before the long ride...I shaved my harry legs. Why...you ask? I've seen lots of cyclists with shaved legs and always assumed that it was a fashion statement; a ploy to be more aerodynamic or something...I wouldn't consider it...but then I asked my cyclist friend Nate why he shaved his legs. He told me that he never shaved his legs until he crashed his bike. As his flesh was skipping along the paved road the hair on his legs would bunch up into balls and then RIP...chunks of flesh flew off of his body via his hairy legs.

I decided that since I was going on a really long ride...I'd better shave my legs. Most cyclists say that it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when' you crash...The 70 mile ride gave me incentive to get out the razor and shaving cream...which for the past 10 years I've only used on my face... and apply it to my legs...I like the smooth feeling. Verdict: Courageous.

I arrived at the starting point for the ride at 7:30am on Saturday...had full access to

sunscreen...only put it on my face, neck, and ears...8 hours later...my legs and arms were rosy red and tender...well done I'd say. Verdict: Crazy.

I rode with three friends. They hung with me when my legs were on fire as I climbed the infamous 'three bears' in the East Bay during miles 30-40. They invited me to bow out if I needed too, but I held strong and was able to finish the ride. The fastest I went during the ride: 45mph...the slowest: 5mph. Verdict: Courageous.

I'm not going to go on anymore long rides like that again until I'm more prepared; I'm going to focus on the half marathon training for now!

I'm proud that I was able to finish a 70 mile bike ride...the next long ride will definitely have to be a century!

Chao for now. ~R

Where is Jesus?

Last night, after reading stories to Hannah...I said, 'OK Hannah, time to pray...' I grabbed her foot (she likes this rather than me grabbing her hands) and began to pray, 'Dear Jesus...' She interrupted, 'Daddy, where is Jesus?' with the utmost curiosity in her voice. Hmmm, how do I respond to this question to my two year old daughter? My first answer was, 'Jesus is everywhere...' Hannah looked confused. 'Jesus is in heaven with his daddy.' Hannah responded, 'Where's heaven?' 'I do not know, where do you think heaven is?' She looked up to the ceiling, 'Up there.' Hmmm, I thought. I don't think that Meghan or I had prompted this beforehand. I explained to Hannah that 'Jesus is always present, he is here, but you can't see him.' She responded, 'He won't hurt me?' 'No, he won't...Jesus is very nice...he's fun to be with.' Hannah asked again, 'Where's Jesus?' I replied, 'He's in heaven with his daddy and he's in your heart and my heart.' I proceeded to list family and friends who Jesus was with that Hannah knew of.

This conversation with my two year old daugther forced me to slow down. The simplest questions are often the most profound. My heart has been heavy as I've reflected upon the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Where is Jesus in the midst of this suffering? There is no simple answer. I believe that Jesus is suffering with those who are suffering; he is both enraged and mourning the violence.

More close to home...Oakland is a city that is ridden with violence. Where is Jesus? He is present, even in the midst of great pain and suffering...he is with the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized; he loves them with an unfathomable love...this I believe. More to come. ~R

Transition...

Meghan, Hannah, & I are preparing to welcome the new addition into our family. It is a girl! Meghan and I agreed upon a first/middle name when she was about seven months pregnant...when we shared the news with Hannah...she said 'NO...the baby is Julia.' While we don't think that Julia is a bad name, we were pretty firm with our decision. It took us a month to persuade Hannah that the name we had chosen was a good one. It's been only within the last couple of days that she has endorsed our decision. Through this, we've learned that it is important to consult all family members when making important decisions. It is important for us as parents to ask for our children's input; to hear them out, and validate their perspective...even if we're going to make a decision that is counter to their desires. We've encouraged Hannah to name her doll Julia...she has agreed. So ultimately there is a Julia in the family but the name of our second daughter is still to be announced. We will release the name on the day of the birth!

The due date is: June 26th but Meghan has a 'gut' feeling that the baby will arrive earlier. She's been pretty tired lately and her lower back has been throbbing; all normal things for late stage of the pregnancy. Our goal is to have a natural childbirth like we did with Hannah. We've been reading up on the Bradley Method, doing both physical and mental relaxation exercises together to prepare for the labor and delivery. I'm so proud of Meghan! She's doing so well.

She is in high gear of the nesting stage...organizing clothes, closets, and rooms...cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! I have been assisting her in organizing our apartment. Hannah and her little sister will share a room. I put Hannah's 'big girl' toddler bed together last weekend and raised the mattress for the crib.

I'm savoring each night of sleep and preparing my heart, mind, and body for the sleepless night that await.

The last couple of months I've been the one reading Hannah stories, saying prayers, and tucking her into bed. Before that, Meghan was putting her to bed due to Hannah's preference. The transition from Mom to Dad putting Hannah to bed was rough at first. I would say, "Dad is going to put you to bed." Hannah would respond with loud wales...'Noooooo, I waaaant mommmmy toooo put me to bedddd.' This happened for several nights. Then one night, as we were eating dinner together, I had an ingenious idea. I started explaining the night to Hannah: 'Dad is going to give you a bath, then I am going to help you brush your teeth, then I am going to read you stories, then you are going to give mom a hug, mom is going to go away, and then dad is going to put you to bed. For some reason, Hannah was satisfied with the explanation especially the 'mom is going to go away' part. What we did not tell Hannah was that mom was just going to go away to the living room to take a break after a long day. Hannah then began to ritually recite the night time routine over dinner: 'Dad is going to...'

At work, things have slowed down a bit. Students are gone for the summer and our office is gearing up for the next academic year. CILSA will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. I have the privilege of planning a Student Leadership & Social Justice Conference for the Fall that I'm really excited about. I finished my first year in the Graduate Counseling Program at SMC; I am really enjoying the program; I will take one course during this summer.

Until next time... ~R