Friday, June 22 2007

Welcome to MY house!!!

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was our 4 year anniversary...can you believe it?  So much has happened since Dave and I met in May 2001...wow! : )  Here's a quick timeline -

The boys are great and Jamie is growing like a weed. My parents just left after a great visit and we were blessed with some fantastic Connecticut weather.  We did quite a bit of work in the yard (moving plants around, pruning various trees and bushes, clearing out our shed, prepping garden beds for my tomato plants) and my mom also helped us clear up our basement so Dave could get his band rehearsal space in shape for practice.  Many thanks and lots of love for all their much needed help in getting us organized

They also got to spend lots of time with the boys.  We had Jamie every day and there were many strolls around the neighborhood and hanging out in the front yard while yardwork was being done.  Owen went to school most days, but also had lots of fun playing with the hose in the backyard and playing peekaboo during breakfast. 

Monday, May 7 2007

We're in the new house and out of the apartment...yay!  It's been a brutal few weeks, but we've got the basics unpacked and finally were able to hang a few pictures last night.  As soon as I can make it look less refugee-like, I'll take some photos and post them. Here are some nice things about living in a house -

- we can make as much noise as we like

- we don't have to climb 2 flights of stairs to load in groceries, toddlers or infants

- Dave has a much easier time getting Owen in and out of the house...our boy is not a championship stair climber...very pokey.

- we have a fenced in backyard right outside our kitchen door...wow, what a difference

Jamie is really changing.  He's about 3 months now and has started smiling and cooing.  He loves for folks to smile at him and he rewards them with a big toothless grin.  He's getting to be quite a flirt.  He's still flailing around a lot, but has started to try and get at specific things...like the mobiles that jingle and are attached to his car seat.

Owen is making big strides as well.  He loves the new house...mainly going up and down the stairs and playing in his new room.  He's actually skipped a few 30-minute evening TV sessions to go play with his cars upstairs before bed.  He's made a couple of new friends at school and is making big strides in the social area.  He's learning to take turns, play tag and ask the other kids to play with him.  He's really trying to mimic their behavior now which is a big leap forward from just a few months ago.  There is a girl named Elise in his class that has a big crush on him.  Apparently when she gets hom, her mother asks about her day and always gets the same response -

Who'd you play with? "Owen"

What did you have for lunch? "Owen"

What did you do today at school? "Owen"

Dave has finished his regular classes and just has to survive exams to start enjoying the summer.  He'll be working in his lab this summer with a few students, but it will be a lot less stressful than his regular work schedule.  We've got family coming to visit soon...mine in June and Dave's in July and August.  I think we have a Holt coming sometime this summer and we welcome one and all to come see us.  I'll update photos soon!

Love,

V.

Sunday, March 25 2007

Jamie is about 6 weeks today and doing great.  He's eating about every three hours and growing like a weed.  The house renovation is going well even though the project has grown larger than what we first anticipated.  Time and money are becoming an issue as we try to fit everything into a very tight budget and have it all finished before we move in the middle of April.  They are already showing prospective renters our apartment, so we have to be out by the end of April.  Owen is doing great and is starting to take more of an interest in Jamie.  He still keeps his distance, but he's definitely curious...I'll keep you updated.  Check out the new page with photos of the house and I'll try and update everything again soon.

V.

Thursday, February 22  2007

Jamie is ten days old today, and just got back from his first visit to the pediatrician. He's in perfect health! His weight is up to 7 lbs., and he is generally a pretty easy baby so far. Vicki's mother was here to help with Jamie (thank you Meredith!) and has returned home to Florida today.

We close on the new house in one week. Everything appears to be going smoothly.

I'll try to get some new pictures and movies posted soon. That's all for now! 
--David

Monday, February 12  2007

Our new son Jamie was born this morning at 8:10 a.m.! He's a beautiful boy who looks a lot like his older brother. Blond hair, blue eyes. The delivery was by Cesarean section, and there were no complications -- this was a planned procedure, and it went smoothly. Everybody is doing fine!

In other news, we're buying a house in West Hartford! We close the deal on Feb. 28, and if all goes well, our new address as of May 1 will be:

email me at victoria at branning dot org for our new address

We'll get some pictures of the new place up soon -- there are some renovations to be done during the months of March and April, and we'll move at the end of April hopefully.

Thanks to everyone for your warm wishes! It's an exciting time for our family, and we're very happy about it. --David


Monday, January 1  2007

Happy New Year everyone!!!  We hope everyone had a great holiday and that your 2007 is AWESOME!!!  We've all been a little under the weather over the last week or so...a bad cold moved into the Branning house and is just now considering relocation.  Anyway, I realized that I've been a little lax about updating, so here's what's been happening:

September 14th - Our little bug turned 2 and we had a mellow party at home with just the parents.  We let him open his presents over a couple of days and we've posted some photos to show how much he liked them :)

Owen borrowed a frog suit from Lynn and Christoph for Halloween and it was a big hit.  I was worried after the "chicken" disaster last year, but this costume was just like a big fuzzy jump suit, so he didn't mind it.  It also came equipped with mittens and a hood, so it was great for the cold weather.  I wish he could wear something like it every day because it's much easier.  Would it be wrong to dress your child as a frog every day? If you offered some animal variety, would it be better?  Anyway, just something I'm thinking about.

At the end of November, I went out to Portland for my friend Marla's wedding reception while Dave stayed home with Owen.  It was great to spend a few days with her (and her lovely new husband) and to get up every morning and read for a few hours before breakfast.  Of course, I missed my boys horribly and was SO excited to see them when they met me in the airport.  The hug that I gave Owen tried to cram 4 days of missing him into one moment...and then I was loath to let go of him at all.  Oh yeah, Dave got some hugs too : )

The picture on the front page is from a great Christmas party we went to.  It was at the home of one of Dave's colleagues and it was a Wassiling open house.  Come and go as you please from 5:30 pm on and the bonus was that we got to bring Owen and they had a babysitter there who watched everyones critters while the adults kicked up their heels downstairs.  Owen was in heaven because there were legos, snacks and The Incredibles playing on television.  We stayed way past Owen's bedtime, but we changed him into jammies before we headed home (thank Lynn and Christoph for that great idea) and he was ready for bed when we got home.

Okay...enough for now.  I'll continue with details from Christmas, including my first attempt at cooking a rib roast,  at a later date.

Love,
Vicki, Dave, Owen, Kitty and Mr. Unknown (his super secret identity until Feb 12 at 8 a.m....yes, I know the suspense is killing you...me too!)

Sunday, October 22  2006

Hi everyone.  Fall has finally arrived here and the trees are beautiful.  Apparently they aren't "primo" because rain knocked some off the trees, but to a girl from Florida...it's pretty amazing. 

All kinds of fun things have been happening in the last few months, mainly, we're having a BOY!  Yep, I'm going to be even futher outgunned.   It's a scheduled C-section, so barring something strange happening, his birthday is going to be Feb 12 around 7:30 am.  Weird huh?  Our friends Lynn and Christoph just welcomed a new baby boy to join their son Lucas (22 months).  Oliver has this amazing shock of black hair that is so glossy and soft...I'll see if I can score a photo at some point.

In other big news, my friend Marla is getting married.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!  She found her very own wonderful Dave and they are getting hitched in Vegas around Thanksgiving and then having a big reception in Portland.  Since I won't be able to travel after December 15th, I'm going to try and go out to Portland and celebrate her big day before my traveling days are over.  Dave just went to Topeka, Kansas to see another friend of ours get married.  CONGRATULATIONS JOHN AND BUFFY!  The muffin and I decided to stay behind and Dave got to go hang with his D.C. buddies...it was the perfect solution which we'll now be doing in reverse for my visit to Portland.

Dave and Owen went apple picking yesterday and I'll be posting all kinds of fun new pictures from the last few months.  Hugs to everyone and we'll talk to you soon.

Love,
Us

Monday, September 4  2006

Happy Labor Day everyone.  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and no one was adversly affected by the weather.  My friend Shannon came for a visit and it was great.  It's been forever since I've seen her and her other good friend Jen lives here as well.  We all lived in Atlanta at one time which is why we know each other.  You've probably heard me mention Jen (of Jen and Robert fame).  They also have a son named Owen who's about 2 weeks older than our Owen.  Anyway,  we went out for girls night on Saturday to a lovely dinner and to see the dance company Pilobolus. Pretty nifty.  Yesterday we went to the Goshen Fair (pictures to be posted soon) and had fun even though the weather was a little gross...the remnants of a hurricane coming through the northeast. 

Oh yes, I mentioned some big news.  After some tense negotiations with certain members of the Branning household (ahem...Owen and Kitty), plans were made to bring another little Branning into our family.  After a few hunger strikes, walkouts and general crankiness, a compromise was reached.  Daily allotments of extra milk and kibble were used to bribe coerce those family members that were still "alarmed" about the new plan.  Now the "program" is well into it's 4th month and the new addition is expected around mid-February.  Woo-hoo!!!

Hope everyone is well and hugs to all.


Wednesday, August 16 2006

Hello, hello, hello!!!

All is wonderful here in Connecticut and the heat wave has finally passed.  It's still warm (85 degrees) and the kitty isn't really interested in outside time until sundown, but the "walking on the surface of the sun" feeling has passed and now it just feels like summer. 

We've seen many friends and family over the summer and it's been great!  Andy Holt came and spent a few days with us and filled us in on the doings of the Holt clan.  It was wonderful having him here and I think that Dave took him to see Superman or some other summer superhero movie.  The good news is that there were no "rain on bed" disasters like a certain other visit of his in Terre Haute.  Yay!

Not long after Andy left, Dave was off to Corpus Christi for his 20th high school reunion.  I couldn't go because of a real estate closing, but he took Owen along for the week.  They had a great time visiting the Texas Grandparents and Dave's sister Becky and her husband Mike. Best of all, Owen got to spend time with his 6-month old cousin Sarah.  She's a little firecracker and what a smile on that child.  They got some photos taken together, so I'll try and post those ASAP.  Dave had a wonderful time seeing his old high school buddies and I'm jealous that I didn't get to go.  Luckily, many of them still live in Texas, so it's possible we'll see them next time we visit.  I thought I would enjoy my week alone, but I was horribly homesick for my boys.   I was completely useless the entire time they were gone and I was SO glad when I got to go pick them up at the airport.  Owen had fallen asleep on the plane and I just got to sit and hold a sweet, sleepy baby while Dave got the bags. 

No sooner had Dave and Owen arrived home then my mom and dad arrived for a visit.  They were here for a week and then off to Nova Scotia for a week to tour the area with some old family friends.  My dad was VERY excited about the history of the area and my mom was excited about the puffin and whale-watching tour.  Although it was quite a drive from Hartford (12+ hours), I think they found it well worth it.  We also took a daytrip down to Groton, CT to see the area where my dad works one summer while in college.  He was at the University of Florida at the time, but the Griswold (sp?) Hotel recruited cute Florida guys (who happened to be excellent swimmers) to come work at lifeguards.  He said it was a wonderful time and the first time he'd seem much outside of Florida.  Sadly, the hotel has been replaced by a golf course on the water, but you can still see what a wonderful time everyone would have had there in 1956. 

On the Sunday before my parents left, we spent a wonderful day visiting our old friends the Hursts.  There was swimming, eating and exploring the beautiful Connecticut woods..what's not to love.  Anyway, I'm off to put the child to bed...best wishes to everyone.

P.S.  Check out Dave's "Comic Shelf" page.  It's a great primer on a major passion in his life and it's actually a pretty fun read. 

Saturday, July 1 2006

Hi Everyone and happy pre-4th of July!!!

We've had lots of activity in the Branning household over the last few months, so here's a quick update of what's going on...

I'm really enjoying the real estate business and it's definitely keeping me on my toes.  I've had 3 closings so far and 2 more scheduled for next month, so I'm holding my own at this point.  Apparently, August and September are typically pretty slow since everyone's on vacation or starting back at school, but it picks up again in the fall.  I'm still trying to get a listing (where I work with sellers instead of buyers) but I haven't had any luck yet.  They recommend that you have at least a 50/50 mix, but it's not uncommon for people to specialize in just the listing or selling side.  It's certainly been much easier since I stopped trying to work part-time.  With the crazy schedule for showings, inspections, closings etc., I don't see how people can manage to do anything else.

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but when I joined Raveis, I decided to join a team instead of going it alone.  Besides not knowing many people in Connecticut, I always do better when I have a strong mentor, and the team system seems to provide that structure.  Basically, it lets lets new agents join with the most successful agents in an office.  The costs for marketing etc. are defrayed by the seasoned agent (yay!) and they are able to divert some of their business to agents on their team.  This is business that they typically wouldn't have had time to handle, so it's a win/win for everyone.  Seasoned agent gets to handle more business, Raveis gets more sales, new agent gets qualified leads.  So, my team leader (Bill Hill) is one of the most successful agents in our office and he refers many of his buyer leads to me.  Just to show how much help this has been, of the 5 deals I'm working on, 4 came directly from leads he provided.

Dave is doing great and getting lots done in the lab.  He has 4 students working for him this summer and he's been really scrambling to make sure they have enough to do.  Imagine having to fill an extra 24-28 hours a day with important, fulfilling and educational work...yikes!  He's also really looking forward to his high school reunion that that's coming up at the end of July.  He's going to take Owen along so he can see his grandparents, aunt, uncle and new cousin Sarah Beth.  They'll be gone about 5 days and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself.

Owen is doing really well.  He came down with strep on our trip to Niagara Falls (see photos at Niagara 2006).  This was when we went to Buffalo for our friend Daryl's wedding to Meghan (see wedding photos under 2006 tab).  It was beautiful and it was great to finally see Niagara Falls.  Yes, we went to the Canadian side so that we could see the really pretty parts.  This was also my first visit to Canada!

We also started speech therapy with Owen a few months ago.  Connecticut has a great program called Birth23 that provided home visits for children that meet the criteria.  Well, our boy isn't very chatty and has had chronic ear infections that led to having tubes put in his ears.  With all that, he qualified for services.  They started by coming to the house for an hour a week and now they are going to put in some hours at Owen's school - TC4.  It's been very educational, but also frustrating since Dave and I are pretty..."Well, I'm sure he'll talk sooner or later" kind of parents.  Of course, you don't want to ignore problems that might be significant, so we've been trying to really follow the system and see if it has a dramatic impact.  I will say that he's definitely using more words and gestures and has shown much more interest in books than he did a few months ago.  I think Dave and I were both surprised at his complete lack of interest in books, so it's with a sigh of relief that we now see him really enjoying Goodnight Gorilla and The Hungry Caterpillar.

Okay...I hope that everyone is doing well and hugs to everyone.



Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Okay, so I'd written this big, long, wonderful newletter full of great info...and I exited before I saved.  Well, don't worry, the second draft will be FAR superior to the first.  In addition, I make a vow that it will be posted before this Friday...yep, before Friday at midnight!!!  Keep your eyes peeled for it.  Meanwhile, here is the short version:

We're all okay
Dave is excited about the end of the semester
I'm hoping for my first closing at the end of May
Owen has molars
Kitty has gained at least 3 lbs
It's finally warm in Connecticut
Everything is blooming
I'm not working the part-time job anymore
Gas prices are TOOO HIGH
Owen says "Scoo-kel" instead of School...it's deadly cute
Dave has never heard the phrase "out of pocket" to mean "out of touch"...please tell me that I didn't just make this saying up.

Okay, that's all for now and I'll give more info later.  Love to everyone!

Sunday, February 19th, 2006

Wow, it's chilly this morning...11 degrees...YIKES!  I hope everyone is staying warm and cozy today.  All kinds of fun things are happening here in New England...

Okay, so Owen is going to be transferred from the Chickadee to the Kookaburra classroom in March.  The Kookaburra room is a toddler room where some of his friends have already transitioned.  They have a more structured day than the infant classroom where he is now.  Children typically transition around 18 months (he's right on time) and when they are down to one nap a day and can handle self-feeding with no problems.  It's very exciting and TC4 goes to great lengths to make sure that the transition is a smooth as possible.  For about 2 weeks starting in early March, Owen will start spending 1/2 of the day in the new room.  One of his current teachers will go with him each day so that there is a familier, comforting face in case he gets nervous.  Then, after two weeks, if all is going according to plan, he'll be in that room for good.  March 20th is supposed to be his first full day in the new room.  He'll be a Kookaburra until he's around 3ish.

I'm having lots of fun learning about my new career in real estate.  I've joined the team of one of the top producers on the office (Bill Hill) and he's helping me learn the ropes.  Wow, what a difference it makes, otherwise I'd be lost.  I'm also working a few days a week in a property management office downtown.  They manage an office building which includes a number of interesting tenants - Associated Press, Clear Channel Radio, Public TV station, various law offices and the office of the federal defender.  If I understand this correctly, it's like a public defender, but for federal cases.  Hmmm.

Dave is doing well and is completely immersed in the new semester.  He's also doing some book reviews for textbook publishers and they love him because he's so particular.  He doesn't just check for spelling, but also comments on their use of white space, fonts, colors and format in general.  He really gives them their money's worth!  We just had a rare night out on Friday.  We got a sitter for the critter (cute Katie) and went to see The Squid and the Whale on campus with our friend Nick.  It's was a great movie...sad but hopeful.  If you liked the Ice Storm (Ang Lee) than you will find this movie similar but less depressing.  If you hated the Ice Storm, I'd probably skip TSATW...but it's good (and had Laura Linney, Dave's favorite actress).

My book group just finished Shockwave - Countdown to Hiroshima and we all really enjoyed it.  If you are interested in the weeks between the Trinity test and the actual dropping of the bomb, it really helps illustrate the frantic pace of the period.  I was unaware of how polarized the scientific community was about the morality of dropping the bomb and its message seems especially relevant during these tumultuous times.

On a lighter note, Jen, Marcella and I tried Dream Dinners earlier this month.  Where has this fabulous idea been all my life?  You pre-order your various meals from their menu, arrive at the scheduled appointment time and spent 1-2 hours putting them together.  They provide the raw food, spices, containers, labels and cooking instructions...you provide the labor.  Then, you take the prepped food home and put it in your freezer.  They recommend pulling one or two out of your freezer on Sunday, and then there are two meals ready for action during the week.  Most of the meals serve 4-6, so I should have split up the portions, and I definitely will next time.  We're going to try the Herb-Crusted Flank Steak this evening and we've already enjoyed the Shredded Pork Burritos.  I know you're saying "Gee Wiz girl, just make the food and save the $"...but I'm telling you that not having to go to the store, prep the food and do the clean up is worth its weight in gold...GOLD I tell you!!!

Okay, I'm off to get my flank steak started...have a great week and we'll chat with you soon.

Love,
Vicki, Dave and Tiny O

Thursday, January 19th 2006

Hi everyone.  Here is the Real Estate firm I'll be working for...

William Raveis Real Estate (www.raveis.com)

and here is my new photo for cards, flyers etc...

 
P.S. I appreciate your referrals : )

Monday, January 16th 2006

Good morning everyone!  Just wanted to let you know that the newest pictures are under Christmas 2005.  I'll be adding more over the next few days, so keep checking back when you have a chance.

Sunday, January 15th 2006

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a great new year.  We've been WAY too busy and are just now catching our breath.  Here's an overview of what's happening in the house of Potterfield-Branning -

Owen's ear surgery to put in tubes went very well and I think that it was the right decision.  The hospital (Connecticut Children's Medical Center) was wonderful and it went like clockwork.  He was back to normal the next day...which was good since we left for our holiday trip (with assorted plane rides) before the week was out.  Our follow up visit and Owen's 15-month appointment have all indicated that he's a hale and hearty fellow.

Our Christmas vacation was a true test of our traveling skills.  Our itinerary was as follows -

December 18th - Fly to Jacksonville, Florida - Rent car and drive to Tallahasse to visit the Holts for Christmas #1
December 22nd - Drive to St. Augustine, Florida to visit my family and have Christmas #2
December 25th - Fly to Corpus Christi to visit Dave's family and have Christmas #3
January 1st - Fly to Houston to visit Dave's friends and alma mater Rice University (no Christmas here)
January 3rd - Back to Hartford, Connecticut

Okay...I know you're wondering what we did with Conan...don't worry, he was spoiled rotten while we were gone.  Our upstairs neighbor Rebecca looked in on him and even agreed to put him out on his leash when she was able...what a saint.  While she was gone to visit family right around Christmas, my friend Jen (of Jen, Rob, Owen and Miles) brought her two little ones over to hang out with him.  They enjoyed Owen's toys and chased the kitty around, so it was like we never left.  Even our landlord David looked in on him while we were gone.  Everyone is smitten with him, so he gets way more attention than he needs...I'm not sure he missed us at all.

Did I mention that we have a new niece.  She's adorable and her name is Sarah Beth.  Congratulations to Mike and Becky for a job well done.  She was 3 weeks early so that she could meet us when we arrived in Texas on the 25th...what a trooper.  She was 6 lbs 7 ozs and around 20 inches.   It seems like an eternity ago that Owen was that small, but I tried to offer whatever words of wisdom I could...mainly that you keep thinking you couldn't possibly love them anymore than you do right now...and then it's the next moment and you do...you actually do love them more.  It's crazy.  I haven't encountered the top end yet...but I'll let you know if I do.

Okay...there is much more, but I am sleepy and want to watch Ebert and Roeper with my husband.  I'll continue this update tomorrow.  Much love to everyone.

V.

P.S. - It's 9 degrees and I think I'm getting my first real taste of a New England winter.
P.S.S - I got my haircut (it's bobbish) and I'll try and post photos tomorrow
P.S³- I'm a real estate agent now...visit www.raveis.com to check out my company.

Saturday, November 26th 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful time...it snowed here on Thanksgiving day and it was beautiful.  Owen and I decided to walk to the convenience store Thanksgiving morning to test out his new snowsuit.  It seems to work pretty well, but he really needs snow boots to go with it.  He shuffles along, building up a wave of snow in front of him, and it finally falls over into his shoes.  Hmmm, he was ready to go home pretty quickly.

We had a great Thanksgiving over at Lynn and Christoph's.  A beautiful turkey, stuffing, yams, green bean casserole and crescent rolls...yummmmmy.  We ate far more than we should have and then went for a 30 minute constitutional (walk) to perk us up.  Owen and Lucas are getting to the point where they can kind of play together, which takes some of the pressure off the adults. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!



Owen, Dave, Lucas, Lynn, Christoph, Hallie and Joan (I'm taking the photo)

Monday, November 21st 2005

Wow...it's become pretty CHILLY here in New England.  Huge piles of orange and yellow leaves are blowing around the neighborhood and everyone seems pretty focused on getting them out of THEIR yard.  As you drive down the street, a huge leaf cloud will suddenly explode from someone's front yard and you'll see a man armed with a blower standing amid the chaos. 

Owen has finally recovered from his ear infection and we were referred to an ear, nose and throat doctor by our pediatrician.  Our appointment was last Monday and we've decided to get tubes put in his ears to help with this ongoing problem  I'll spare you the details, but it involved negative pressure and eustachian tubes (ohhhh...SAT word).

We're staying in town for Thanksgiving and have been invited to dinner by Christoph and Lynn.  Christoph is a professor in the Physics department and they have a baby just a few months younger than Owen (hi Lucas).  Christoph is a big fan of the grill, so we've had many a wonderful dinner there since we've moved to town.  Of course, I figured this cooking method would be discontinued with the coming inclement weather, but since they moved here from Minnesota , apparently weather is never an issue when it comes to grilling decisions. Apparently Christoph has been seen grilling in sub-zero weather surrounded by snowdrifts.  Hopefully snowdrifts won't be a problem at Thanksgiving.

I know you're probably wondering...where are the pictures of Owen at Halloween.  Hmmm...excellent question.  Well, it's like this.  I borrowed an adorable chicken costume from my friend Marcella.  She has twin girls and they wore them last year.  Anyway, she lent the other chicken costume to the other Owen (Jen and Robert's cutie).  So, both the Owens go to TC4 and they were both going to be dressed as identical chickens.  I mean please, how cute would that be?  So TC4 has a big parade on the weekday before Halloween.  It takes all the costumed kids around the Trinity campus to pander for candy from the teachers and students.  I decided to go along with the parade and arrived about 20 minutes before it started.  I walked into the classroom to find a VERY unhappy chicken.  Yep, my Owen.  The other Owen seems to have no aversion to poultry, but Mr. OB was taking a cue from his Dad (who had been sceptical of the chicken costume from the beginning) and was pitching a fit.  I finally defeathered him and just carried him in the parade wearing his "Monster-in-training" t-shirt..  We got as far as his dad's office and decided to just hang out there and eat graham crackers.  A reasonably successful Halloween, but I'll make sure to pick a better costume next year.

Happy Birthday to Jenny, Annise and Becky!!!  Wow, November is a busy month!  Will update more later...

Love,
V.

Thursday, October 6th 2005

I know, I know...two updates in one week...what is going on.  Well, I've had some comments that no one knows what our apartment looks like.  I can't believe I haven't posted photos, so here it goes -


Living Room - those french doors lead to a small front room which has the doors for the porch and the front door


Office (supposed to be the dining room)


More office area...see Dave's musical equipment on the far left


Kitchen


Ditto


Doorway to the enclosed back porch. The slightly open door is to the pantry.


Owen's room...note the sleeper sofa for guests and the comic book art on the walls


Sleepy muffin central

Monday, October 3rd 2005

Psst...guess what?  I can walk and I've got 2-1/2 teeth up top.  That's 4-1/2 teeth total for those of you that are counting.





Friday, September 30th 2005 - 2nd update

Can you BELIEVE that JD won RockstarINXS?!? I am so distressed by this miscarriage of justice. We think you rock Susie and JD's a big goober! Oh yeah, that new original song was LAME!!!


Friday, September 30th 2005

• Owen turned 1 on September 14th. Happy Birthday Muffin!!!
• Today was the first morning we've needed heat...brrr!
• Serenity the movie opens today, so go see it! I insist!

It's been a busy month for the Potterfield-Branning Clan. Right before Owen's birthday we went to Lyman Orchards to walk through the Corn Maze they have every year. This is a pick your own fruit and veggie farm that has a wonderful produce market and bakery on-site. The corn maze was okay, but I'm still waiting for the maze that really gets me lost and scared (a la The Shining). Of course, this maze is designed for families, so I guess the point is not to have crying, frightened and traumatized children come out at the end. Then they won't be in the mood for carmel corn and candied apples.

Owen's birthday party on the 14th was very small and consisted of just the three of us. I made strawberry muffins (so healthy) and stacked them in a pyramid for his birthday cake. I frosted the bottom layer with regular frosting but Owen's cupcake was frosted with ricotta cheese (Yum!). I decorated it with fresh strawberries and as soon as we put it in front of him, he shoved both hands into the middle of it...so appetizing! He got some wonderful presents (beautiful blocks, tweeting fuzzy birds, bath toys, books, clothes and videos) and he's currently testing their abuse tolerance.

I started my real estate class on the 24th. Yep, I've decided to become a real estate agent. I was interviewing for a variety of sales positions but just wasn't excited about any of them. Also, the time committement required to break into a new industry wasn't going to allow me any flexibility at all and I was afraid that I'd forget what Dave and Owen looked like. (Of course, I'd always have the website). Anyway, after much soul-searching, discussions with friends in the industry and talks with local agents that I might be working with, I decided to go for it. I should finish my class by the end of November and hope to be up and running by the end of January. Please contact me if you (or anyone you know) would like to buy property in Connecticut...it's a lovely state.

Meanwhile, I'm working at various temp jobs to keep from going mad...mad I tell you...hehehe. I've been at the Connecticut Convention Center for the last few weeks (receptionist, light clerical) and it's been most instructive. Mainly, I need more business appropriate clothing. Also, you can find out all sorts of interesting information about Hartford by visiting www.ctconventions.com or www.enjoyhartford.com. The convention center just opened in June and is the centerpiece of the Downtown Hartford revitalization effort. It's pretty stunning and I have a wonderful view from my desk which is three floors up.

I might have mentioned that I helped start a book club and we had our first meeting on September 13th. Our first book is The Time Traveler's Wife which I can't recommend highly enough. It's WONDERFUL, so run right out and get your copy. I've joined www.booksfree.com so these books just arrive at my door for a flat rate per month. It's similar to Netflix and since our local grocery store delivers, I soon won't have to leave the house at all. Perfect! I'll post the rest of our list soon and I'd love to hear everyone's opinions.

Okay...I'm exhausted just by relating all we did this month but I'll try to finish up and add pictures this weekend.

Love, Vicki, Dave, Owen and Conan


Wednesday, September 7th 2005

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Of course, we’ve been thinking of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and sending them our thoughts and prayers. I know that the wonderful people of our nation (and the world) will respond with their usual generosity to help these folks in their time of need. I found out yesterday that 16 college students from Tulane will be arriving at Trinity College this week to start classes. Bravo to the states and schools around the country that are helping these refugees get some kind of normalcy back in their lives. Bravo to those that are opening their homes, hearts and pocketbooks…in the midst of disaster, there is still the wonderful human spirit.

On to more standard fare…we had a very full holiday including Owen’s first county fair. The Goshen County Fair was recommended by my friend Jennifer, so we decided to check it out. Goshen’s about an hour west of Hartford and it gets more hilly and rural as you leave the city. We headed out about 9 am under a beautiful crisp blue sky and 70 degree weather. We got to the fair as the opening ceremony ended and bagpipes were playing…what a beautiful sound on a brisk Connecticut morning. I almost needed a sweater…yay! The crowd was pretty thin at first, so we got to see the chickens, horses, cows and goats with no delay. Then it was off to see the local musical entertainment while I prowled for yummy food at the various stands. After a refreshing early lunch of onion rings, funnel cakes, ribs, corn on the cob and apple fritters, it was time for homemade lemonade…we’re livin’ the dream since I could eat fair food 5 times a week.

Here’s a link to the Goshen fair website and a list of the other Connecticut fairs –

http://www.goshenfair.org/
http://www.ctfairs.org/member_fairs.html

The next day Owen and I went to visit some old family friends that live further west in Connecticut…almost to the NY border. It was quite a crowd with two grandparents, three grown daughters (+ husbands), seven children and three dogs. One was a bulldog named Phoebe that I think I’m in love with. We went swimming and drove through some beautiful wilderness on an ATV…this is what I had always pictured Connecticut would look like. It was a wonderful day for both of us…thanks Peter, Barbara and family for your wonderful hospitality. Dave was feeling a little under the weather this holiday weekend, so he went to the fair but stayed home to recover on Sunday. School has started now so he’s working long days prepping for classes. I’m still interviewing and will give a more detailed update once I’ve decided on a position.

Love, Victoria

P.S.  Can you believe that Ty got voted off INXS Rockstar...it was very sad but not completely unexpected.  I can't wait for JD to go, but I think that Jordis and Mig had the worst performances last night...tonight should be VEEERY interesting.

P.P.S  A certain someone has finally cut an upper tooth.  Watch out chewy food...your time has come!

And finally...my wonderful friend Miss Chapman got married recently.  CONGRATULATIONS Carolyn and Phillip!!!!  Check out Christmas 2004 photos of Owen and Carolyn in the "Owen Tyler" section of the website.

Tuesday, August 16 2005

Hello, Hello, Hello!  Okay, I hope that everyone is watching INXS: Rockstar because it's only getting more exciting.  Okay, our top picks for the new lead singer of INXS are Jordis (hey Andy, she's from Minn/St. Paul!), Mig (very cute Australian) and Susie.  Dave makes fun of me because I have a chart where I keep track of the performances every week and give my odds on who is going to be booted.  Please note that my record is EXCELLENT at this point.

Owen is digging TC4.  That's the cool hip way to refer to his day care center, so get used to it.  It stands for Trinity College Community Child Center.  We're going on a field trip tomorrow to Wolcott park which has a fun sprinkler garden (http://www.west-hartford.com/TownServices/TownDepartments/LeisureServices/RecreationFacilities/ParksPools/WolcottPark.htm)
His two teachers are Mary and Mirelly but apparently he flirts outrageously with anyone and everyone.  They go on walks every day and he's often in the double stroller up front...from this primo position, he tries to lure all passersby into his web of cuteness with his smile...apparently it's working like gangbusters.  He's starting to stand up on his own...usually by accident...and I think that the top two (or four) teeth might be making an appearance any day now.  Putting him to bed has become far less difficult, probably because he's really getting worn out during the day and is grateful to see a soft, cozy bed around 7:30 pm.

Dave just got back from a pleasure trip to D.C where he saw his friends, played pool and mixed music.  Both Owen and Kitty were very depressed that he was gone.  On the second day Dave was gone, Owen started standing by the back door (where Dave usually comes in) and would cry like his heart was broken.  At first I thought he'd taken a cue from Kitty and wanted to go outside, but when I found him crying on his dad's side of the bed, I realized the truth...he wanted his papa.   All was well once dad returned and now Owen looks forward to waking Dad up in the morning by crawling up on his chest and clawing out his eyes with his baby talons : )

We've been to see a few movies recently, so here are our opinions -
War of the Worlds - Awesome...go see it on the big screen
Fantastic 4 - hmmm...don't see it on the big screen and only rent it if you are a fanboy
The Island - We liked it and I'd recommend it on the big screen.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - hmmm...I didn't hate it but I can't actually recommend it either
Must Like Dogs - Oh god...please don't pay money to see this movie...it only encourages them.

Well, I'm going to be changing some things around on the website over the next month or so...trying to make it more timeless and interesting.  So, the page names won't have dates or anything etc.  Let me know if you have any suggestions or corrections.

Thanks!


Thursday, July 21 2005

We're adjusting well to our new life in Hartford.  Dave and I have had some serious quality time with Owen (also known as Mr. Grabby Hands) and have been experimenting with taking him out to eat with us.  The experiences have been pretty positive as long as we surround him with a 2 foot space...otherwise he's a little tornado of destruction. 

We're still working on getting the apartment in shape and I'll post pictures as soon as we find the carmera : )  We've become addicted to INXS-Rockstar which I highly recommend...it's awesome.  We've also joined NetFlix since we don't have cable (gasp!  I know, I can't really believe it either) and have been watching the series Freaks and Geeks.  If you were a geek in 9th grade in the 80's, you have got to watch this show...it's funny and painful...the best of both worlds.

Owen offically starts daycare on Monday and I think he's going to love it.  We've gone a few times to just hang out there (get him used to the space and the teachers) and he's really seemed to enjoy the access to new people, babies and toys.  Dave just dropped him off this morning for a two-hour trial run and I think it's going okay....ARGGGH...my little muffin.

Our friends Donna and Richard are arriving from Terre Haute this weekend and we hope to show them a good time here in our new city.  I'm thinking an evening meal at the Mexican restaurant down the street (with many margaritas) and then a walk home to watch Rockstar...it's a perfect evening.  Drop me a line if you get a chance and I'll try to update again soon.

victoria@branning.org

Saturday, July 2 2005

Well, we finally have made it to Connecticut and into our new apartment.  It was quite a trip and took us far longer than we'd anticipated.  Who knew that driving with a 9-month old and a kitty would be so time-consuming? 

Our first delay was that our 5x10 trailer (we'd installed a hitch on the '84 Buick LeSabre) wouldn't hold all of the stuff that we had after the movers left.  Well, after a brief spot of giving things away in the front yard, our friends Donna and Richard offered to bring the extra stuff to us.  Wow, no way were we going to turn down that offer.  We're expecting them to "visit" sometime in July.  Anyway, after all of these shenanigans, we were finally ready to head out of town, but it was 4:00 pm in the afternoon and we were wiped out...so we postponed leaving until Tuesday morning.

We got off at around 10:00 am on Tuesday and were feeling pretty confident.  At least, until the Buick started overheating about an hour out of town.  To make a long story short, we had to find a U-Haul location, trade in our trailer for a 10' box truck and transfer our possessions from one to the other.  Please note that moving stuff in the blazing noon sun from one stupid container to another is frustrating.  Luckily, the 2 small mammals were happy in the car with the air conditioning running (yes, I know you were wondering what we did with them).  So, after about a 3-hour delay, back on the road again...we didn't even make it out of Indiana that day.

Okay, Wednesday... we got started bright and early.  Oh, don't even get me started about the forgotton antibiotics of Owen's that we had to get replaced, so we didn't head out until about 10 am and we made it to Danville, PA at around 10pm that evening.  Dave and I were both fried and generally cranky because we were STILL about 6 hours away from Hartford and our furniture was arriving the next day.

Thursday...we woke up at 5 am and were on the road by 6.  Have I mentioned that there was road construction EVERYWHERE on this trip?  This morning was no exception and even with 6 hours to get there, we realized that we were going to be late to meet the movers.  Luckily, our lovely friend Jen agreed to wait at the apartment for the movers...she had picked up the keys from the landlords during the previous week.  (She and my friend Shannon from Atlanta, stocked the fridge with the essentials - Pepsi, beer, milk, oj and Cheerios for the muffin.  A million thanks for that wonderful gift!).  I digress...we finally rolled into town about 12:30 pm and as we were exiting the highway, we saw a big blue moving truck broken down in the intersection.  Yep, it was one of ours....luckily there were two trucks, so the other one continued to our apartment to unload while they tried to fix the blue one.  They got it fixed and to the apartment and the movers didn't leave until about 9 pm that evening.  When they left, we had beds and air conditioning, but no hot water.  A certain husband was very cranky...the wife took a very chilly shower in desperation...but she wouldn't do it again.

Friday...so much to do.  Dave went with the movers to the storage facility...oh yes, we needed two units.  I unpacked boxes...still no hot water.  Tried to give the muffin a cold water bath...not a big hit.  Considered giving kitty a cold water bath for fun... decided that I'd like to keep my eyes intact.  We walked to a small restaurant down the street called Effies.  It was good and Dave had some great apple pie...things are looking up!

Saturday...we have hot water and Tivo...life is good.  More updates to follow.  My new email address is victoria@branning.org...drop us a line if you get a chance.

Love,
The Brannings

Monday, June 6 2005
Well, the closing is scheduled for the 27th, so the deed is almost done.  We are going to Champaign this week for our friends Darren and Kim's wedding...Dave is the official at the wedding, so he's going to be a busy bee this week.  We're looking forward to Dave's parents arriving next week and then we're off to New England. 

Thursday, May 26 2005

Happy pre-Memorial Day!  Well, lots of stuff is happening in the Branning household.  My parents just left from a week long visit with their most favorite (and only) grandson.  He loved the long (very long, my parents are BIG walkers) stroller walks to the park and lots of outside time.  Now he's back to the same hum-drum schedule, but good news, the other set of grandparents are arriving in a few weeks and will offer continued fun and excitment.

Our house has been sold except for the actual closing.  A lovely incoming Rose faculty member from Rochester NY heard that it was coming on the market and called for information.  The whole family (wife and 4 kids) drove from NY to take a look and liked what they saw.  So, the planets aligned and we did everything without an agent and it was a Win/Win for everyone!  Our closing date is around the end of June....oops, time for work, I'll update more later...no really, I will.

Friday, April 1 2005

Happy April Fools Day!!!  Hope everyone had a great time today and that no really mean tricks were pulled.  Guess what?  We're moving to Connecticut...Hartford to be exact.  Nope, it's not a joke...it's the real deal. Dave has been offered a tenure-track position at Trinity College in Hartford and we've accepted.  It's a wonderful opportunity that we couldn't pass up, so good-bye Midwest and hello New England! 

Here's what I know about Hartford so far ...Hartford is....the state capital of Connecticut, the "Insurance Capital of the World", very snowy in the winter, midway between New York and Boston (about 2 hours from each), a city with a great airport and a population of about a million in the metropolitan area (about 100,000 in the city) and a city with lots of historical and cultural attractions.  We also ALREADY know a very nice couple that live there (Hi Robert and Jen).  Funny thing is, this couple had a son about two weeks before us and his name is OWEN!!!  Go figure.

http://www.hartford.com/ and http://www.ctbound.org/

Here's what I know about Trinity College so far...it's a small, selective liberal arts college that was founded in 1823. It has about 2,000 students with a student:teacher ratio of about 10:1.  Here are some props from their website

In the 2003 U.S. News and World Report rankings, Trinity was among the top 25 Best Liberal Arts Colleges, and ranked 9th among the nation’s most selective Liberal Arts Colleges. 

In September 2003, The Wall Street Journal ranked Trinity College 43rd as an elite grad school “feeder” college.

In Kaplan’s 2001 Guide to the Best Colleges, Trinity is profiled as “an All-round Gem.”

http://www.trincoll.edu/

Anyway, the pressure is on in Terre Haute as we try to get the house on the market, pack up all our stuff, figure out when we're going to move and where we're going to live, and try to maintain our sanity.  Don't hesitate to give us a call to talk about all the excitment and we hope everyone is doing well.

Love, Vicki, Dave, Owen and Conan

Monday, February 7 2005
Thank goodness it's February!!!!  January was quite an adventure for the Branning household. 

From January 2-8, I was on a business trip to my old stomping ground...Atlanta, Georgia.  I took a few personal days to visit all my wonderful friends and also got to take Owen on his first plane ride.  Wow, I have a new respect for all those poor folks that travel with their kids at Christmas.  Owen was an angel, but I felt like a pack mule with the stroller, lap top, diaper bag, infant car seat etc.  Needless to say, going through airport security was an adventure that I'd prefer never to repeat solo again.

So Owen and I spent our first night in Atlanta at my dear friend Jenny's (+ sweet husband Marty and adorable son Rex).  Then Grandma Meredee arrived to babysit Owen for the week.  My mom's friend Kay (they've been friends since grade school) opened her home to them both (what a saint)...and she's a seasoned grandma (6 I think) who gave the new grandma some crucial pointers. Anyway, it was wonderful for everyone...he was being spoiled rotton in Decatur while I was talking Mathematica in a downtown hotel.  I had many dinners out with Shannon and Jenny...and the icing on the cake was a trip to Target with Shannon.  I miss Target!!!  Please Terre Haute...get a Target store!!!  Can you believe that there are cities without Target...really, there are.

I got home around January 8th and Dave's parents came to visit their new favorite boy that following Thursday.  They got a crash course in baby because they played nanny all day on that Friday, Monday and Tuesday.  Needless to say, the child was cuddled, snuggled, kissed and generally adored beyond measure...all is as it should be.  On Wednesday the 19th, Dave's parents headed back to Indy and our new nanny Mrs. Donna started.  She's wonderful and has restored order to our household.  I'm always afraid that I'm going to wake up...  Sadly, I didn't escape unscathed from this busy schedule...I came down with some lame illness during the last part of Charles and Frances' visit...thank goodness they were here or we would have been in serious trouble.  I'm all better now : )

Okay, the final hurrah of January was a joint 50th birthday party for two of my favorite ladies in Terre Haute, Donna Ourand and Peggy Allen.  Dave and I offered to host and their sweet husbands did most of the backbreaking labor involved...go husbands, go!  So, on Saturday January 29th we had a very fun party for 50+ of their closest friends.  It was great fun...food, drink, flowers, music, photos etc.  Happy Birthday Ladies!!!!

Okay, enough information for now....I'm off to Champaign tomorrow for work.  Hope everyone is well and that we get to chat with you soon.


Saturday, January 1 2005 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hi everyone.  I hope that you all had a wonderful and safe new year.  Dave was supposed to play in Champaign last night, but the gig was called off so I got to spend my first new years with him.  We had our friend Ken over (Math Department at Rose) and watched the Return of the King extended edition.  It was awesome...4 hours of Orc crushing fun...I would HIGHLY recommend seeing the extended version if you liked the original...they added a number of awesome scenes from the book that had to be cut from the original movie because of time constraints (I suppose).  The Mouth of Sauron is a particular favorite...creepy.

Well, since it's been a gazillon years since I've updated this, there is quite a bit to tell.  We went down to Georgia and stayed at a state park with my family to celebrate Christmas this year.  It's the George T. Bagby state park on the Georgia/Alabama state line...near Eufalla, Alabama.  We stayed in little cabins that are very nice and tidy...two bedrooms, one bath and a nice fireplace.  My sister Betsy and friend of the family, Carolyn Chapman, also came to help celebrate...we had turkey, roast beef, stockings and then got to avoid cleaning up by....checking out : ). 

After an early Christmas with my family, we traveled down to Tallahassee (about 2 hours away) to see the Holts in their new abode.  It was a full house with the Holts three kids, a daughter in law, grandmother and aunt and uncle filling out the roster.  You probably heard that there was a big weather snafu in the midwest, so it delayed the arrival of some of the family members (hi Mary and Andy) and our departure which was scheduled for Christmas day.  Since Hwy 41 and 64 were still covered in snow, we "suffered" through a whole other day of eating yummy food, reading, playing with Owen, and Dance Revolution before getting on the road on the 26th.

I must say that Owen was a trooper during our first extended trip away from home...of course, having 26 extra hands to hold, play and sooth doesn't hurt.  He had great fun playing with everyone and it seemed like we could see him developing right before our eyes.  The extra stimulation seemed to make a huge difference in him from the beginning of the week to the end.  My one complaint of the entire trip was that every rest stop, gas station and restaurant should have a DIAPER DECK!!!  These are essential and I never realized what a nightmare it is not to be able to find one.  After a few diaper changes on the bathroom floor, I now highly recommend PILOT gas stations which seem designed with the parent and child in mind. Thank you Pilot and shame on you BP...trust me, I never though that this would become my issue : )

I mentioned in my last update that I was going to a Holiday presentation in Indianapolis on December 5th.  Well, it was amazing.  We received the season tickets from Donna's friend who was unable to attend and they were 8th row center.  It's not a huge venue, so I don't think that there are any bad seats necessarily.  It was the symphony and 16 person chorus that did secular and church holiday music.  There were numerous costume (each more beautiful than the last) and scenery changes...it felt like a Christmas show on Broadway. It really was an all ages show and all the kids were there in their hoiday best.  The tenor Daniel Rodriguez was a guest star and the very funny and witty MC for the evening. I'd never heard of him, but apparently he's well know and even more famous for a rendition for America the Beautiful that he did after 9/11...I think that's  correct.  There also was a gospel singer named Kathleen Murphy Jones that got the crowd on it's feet.  A standing ovation at the end should give you some indication of how awesome it was and I'm hoping that we can go again next year.

Me and Donna

Okay, this is getting entirely too long....final note....I'm going to Atlanta for a week and I'm taking Owen with me.  I'm going to a work conference (Joint Mathematics Meeting) and my mom is coming up to babysit (and spoil) Owen for the week.  I'm excited about seeing all my friends (Atlanta is my old stomping ground) and I'll let you know how it goes.  Dave's family is coming to visit on January 13th so that they can see how the little guy is shaping up...good thing he can never get too many snuggles because he's getting more than his share.

Love,
Vicki, Dave, Owen and Conan

Sunday, December 5, 2004
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We stayed in Terre Haute this year and had a lovely dinner at our friends, the Leaders.  Jeff is a Math professor at Rose and Meg and I have become friends through the Rose Womens Club.  Our dinner consisted of all the fixin's and Meg makes an AWESOME turkey that I'm going to try and replicate at some point...it involves much basting with butter, so it's right up our alley. 

The Leaders                                    The Brannings

Owen is growing like a weed and we're happy to annouce that we have been able to eliminate one middle of the night feeding...that just leaves 1 to go.  Our current feeding schedule is 11 or midnight, 3,4 or 5 am and then again at 7,8 or 9 am.   We've changed our Christmas plans and have now decided to go to Florida for the holiday.  We're going to visit my family at a state park in Georgia and then head down to Tallahassee to visit the Holts (and family) at their new house.  It will be the first overnight trip we've taken with Owen, so it should be interesting : )

I'm going to the Holiday Symphony presentation in Indianapolis this afternoon with my friend Donna.  I met her through the Rose Women's Club and we're also going on a fun shoppng trip to Chicago on December 10th.  The trip is sponsored by Rose-Hulman.  They drive you up on a bus, you shop all day and then you come back late that same evening.  I probably won't do much shopping, but seeing the Christmas lights and the hustle and bustle of a big city will be wonderful.

I'm going to be putting some new photos up on the OTB page, so check it out over the next few days.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Well, Owen went to the doctor yesterday and got an A+…which means Dave and I kinda get an A+ too.  Owen weighs 10 lbs 7 ozs and is over 23 inches long. He also had to get 4 shots which put him a very cranky mood, but who can blame him since I still hate getting shots and I’m 36.

I’ve added some new photos to Owen’s page…someone noticed that most of the photos were just head shots and wanted to see more of the cute little lump.  Okay, okay…here are some cute photos of the critter from head to toe.  Please note the deadly cute UGG booties that are way too big, but I just couldn’t resist putting them on for the doctors office visit…it’s important to look cute for the nurses : )

Please forgive all the wacky formatting changes...I'm still trying to get the hang of this annoying lame useless challenging interface.

Monday, November 1, 2004

Hi Everyone,

Well, today is my first day back at work...what a change.  Mindy is here looking after Owen and I'm trying to remember how to do my job.  It's amazing how quickly you forget things like...passwords, how to generate reports, co-workers names : ) 

The weather is beginning to get cold, wet and nasty and I figure that this time it's for good.  I don't believe that we'll have too many more 80 degree days like we did last week...yippie..I love the fall!!!  We had many cute trick-or-treaters over the past few nights.  Fairies, Spiderman and various animals seemed to be the most popular costumes this year and nothing is cuter than a 4 year old dressed as a bumblebee.  I didn't inflict a costume on Owen this year, but he's not going to escape being something deadly cute next year.

Dave and I are becoming pretty booked up during the evenings for the next few months...I have a ballet class on Monday nights and Dave has homework review on campus, Tuesdays is Cosmic Cinema where he shows movies on campus, Thursdays is knitting night (when I have the energy) etc. etc.  We had a babysitter on Friday night and went to see the movie Ray...highly recommended,

Wednesday, October 13, 2004 Trip to Champaign Owen and I went on our first day trip yesterday and wow, you have to add 2 hours just to get on the road.  Just prepping the diaper bag and getting the stroller into the trunk is a major project.   Anyway, we visited all the Wolfram folks in Champaign and got lots of love and attention (mostly for Owen of course).  It was a fun day and Owen was quite a sport in the car but didn't appreciate the change in feeding schedule.   Today is cold and rainy in Terre Haute...fall has arrived and I couldn't be happier.  Time to bust out the sweaters and boots...yippie!!!  Hope everyone is well and we'll chat with you soon. 10:22 am cdt Thursday, October 7, 2004 Owen is three weeks old He's on my lap as I type this and he's practicing holding his head up...it's not going very well.  All other systems seem to be fine although he's still not very photogenic (check out the OTB page).  Of course, his parents think he's pretty nifty, but we are a bit biased.  2:52 pm cdt Wednesday, September 29, 2004 2nd visit to Dr. Thompson Well, we went to our two week visit and Owen is back at his birth weight of 7 lbs 6 ozs.  This is what the doctor wanted to see, so we've passed the second test/week of baby ownership without any major mishaps.  I'm still working out the kinks of the website, but I have added a few new pictures...keep looking. 12:58 pm cdt Monday, September 27, 2004 First official blog entry Hi everyone,   I just got the blog feature enabled on the website, so here is the first official entry.  Owen is now 10 days old and has his 2nd doctors visit tomorrow.  I just added some new pictures that Dave took last night.  All is well and the leaves are beginning to fall from the trees...fall is on it's way...yippie!!! 11:15 am cdt

2004.10.01 | 2004.09.01

September 21st (Tuesday)

Owen Tyler Branning has arrived!!!  He arrived at 11:34 pm on Tuesday, September 14th...there was some drama involved, but all is well and Owen passed his one week doctors visit with flying colors.  Click on the link at the left to see a photo his dad took in the delivery room...and we'll be adding more pictures and details soon.

 

September 10th, 2004 (Friday)

Still no baby...but we are hopeful that he'll come soon : )  I am eating at the Olive Garden, walking and drinking cranberry juice...so much for old wives tales.

 

September 8th, 2004 (Wednesday)

Well, it's one day after the expected due date....not uncommon for first time mothers apparently.  My parents (Tyler and Meredith) are arriving today having just weathered Hurricane Frances in Florida.  I'm sure they are looking forward to some boring Indiana weather after all the hurricane excitment in the last few weeks.  Dave's parents (Charles and Frances) are scheuduled to arrive on Sunday, so we will have a full house of excited parents and grandparents waiting to see the new arrival.

 

August 29th, 2004 (Sunday)

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Boy Branning (Due on September 7th).  My friend Marla is visiting from Portland and we've had a very fun and relaxing weekend.

here is my test

more test