If only I had learned to touch type...

Never having learned how to touch type - I hunt and peck with the best of em - means this dinnertable will always a few steps behind our lives. Two days before Sylvia arrived and put a guillotine drop on our free time, Aurelia and I ventured out into our backyard to record the beauty of her pregnancy. I had every intention of posting these images quickly (and some people could question my decision to write about Timber Jim that night instead of my beautiful wife but in my defense how was I supposed to know the due date was "give or take a week") but Sylvia's arrival changed everything.

Now that things have quieted down a little here are a few images of that special spring day.

Yes, Sylvia, your parents are total nerds...

Hot Tamale

The last week went by in a blur. Right after the holiday I flew down to Sacramento California to attend the pre-construction meeting for the building I've been working on for the past two years. The pre-construction meeting is an opportunity for the owners, contractors and design team to sit down together before the start of the project and work out routes of communication and team responsibilities. All in all the meeting went well and I'm excited for the ground breaking around the beginning of next month. Once construction starts I will be travelling down to the project site about every other week for the day.

The days I travel are long for all of us. My absence means Aurelia has Sylvia all day. Ian has been great, taking Sylvia so Aurelia can get a break and cooking meals. Sylvia seems to enjoy the attention.








Her recent fussiness has inspired us to revisit the paraphernalia that didn't seem to appeal a few weeks ago. And..we're happy to report that the pacifier, known as the "binky" (this is Aurelia's term but it has a certain ring to it and will probably stick) , is now something Sylvia seems to enjoy. She happily sucks on it and even - gasp - falls asleep. Anything that inspires spontaneous napping is worth its weight in gold (or crude oil).





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When not napping Sylvia can be found on some sunny Friday evenings at the Broadway Grill and Brewery. While no epicurean fantasy, the pub has generous portions of decent, mostly fried, food that taste good when accompanied by their in-house beer. Ian sampled a beer called "Hot Tamale" and was pleasantly surprised by its crisp spiciness.










On a side note, Portland is starting to see the next generation of small cars on the street. While we were eating a "smart car" pulled up and parked (see bike for scale). It was cute but lacked a back seat so Sylvia will just have to wait.