Misopogon

I'm growing a beard. I'm doing this reluctantly. I've sported a circle beard before, in varying degrees of thickness. I prefer the clean-shaven look, but my facial skin is prone to rashes, especially with shaving. Over the xmas holidays, I was in Socal, on antibiotics, and ran out of shaving oil and aftershave. Since then, my face has yet to forgive me. Every time I take a razor to it, it breaks out into a hive of ingrown hairs and whiteheads. I stopped shaving hoping that the it would clear up (I've tried witch-hazel, hydrocortisone, triple-antibiotic ointment, and lavender face lotion. It still blimps up like I'm fifteen again. The only thing that seems to help it is if I don't touch it. So I'm forgone shaving for a while, and I'll see where this beard takes me.

Gresham Remodel: The plan

Here is a schematic of what we intend to add to our house. If you're familiar with our current house layout, you'll notice that we're adding on past the existing bedrooms a master bedroom, another bath, a walk-in closet, and a small office. What this schematic doesn't show is that the ceiling will be a pocket ceiling. And we intend to decorate the bathroom 1930s style. No decision has been made on what to paint in the new bedroom. Also, we are adding a quiet ceiling fan. If you have any recommendations, let me know.

Gresham Remodel

We're adding on a room to our house! One master bedroom, an additional bath, and a walk-in closet. So far all we have is a dirt pit in our backyard. Here's the photostream where I'll be posting the progress. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22586674@N00/sets/72157627597231165/

Keplervasana

It's been hot here in the Bay Area, finally, and Tammy caught this photo of Kepler and me cooling off and laying low. This relaxing position I call Keplervasana.

Kepler

Kepler Edward Jorgensen was born at home at 4:44pm on August 31, 2011, weighing in at 7lbs 8oz. We are eternally indebted to our midwife, Rosanna, and our doula, Shannon, for their support, patience, endurance, and love.

Tammy's labor started Tuesday night, but it really got going at 2:10pm on Wednesday when her water broke. From that point on, the contractions came fast, and less than three hours later, Kepler was born! He was immediately put on Tammy's chest. By late in the evening, he had already mastered latching even though he's less than a day old.

Though he cried a lot his first night, Viola got a good night's sleep. Mom and Dad, not so much. He has Viola's smirk. We expect to see a lot of it.

Also, Viola is doing superb, despite all the changes occurring at the same time. Today is her first day at Centro Armonía preschool. And this weekend the gravy-train of Grandma attention is going to end. She's thriving, though, and she'll always be my number one girl.

Kepler is named first after the NASA space probe launched in 2009 to search for Earth-like planets in our galaxy. Johannes Kepler is its namesake, and he is the 16th century astronomer who devised the laws of planetary motion.