Last Sonogram

So we had our last sonogram this Monday, and we have officially scheduled a date for inducing labor. If Rachel does not go into labor before next Tuesday, Dec. 4th, we will go to the hospital at 6:00 in the morning to induce her. So, between now and Wednesday the 5th, we will be proud new parents. And we'll be getting a lot less sleep.

At this second to last doctor's visit, we had our last sonogram. They did the 3D thing again, and I was disappointed with the results, again. Typically they show you results like this when they talk about the 4D sonogram:
We weren't expecting results like that (because I know that's just the 4D sonogram companies trying to get eager parents to push Doctor's offices to offer 4D sonogram imaging), but I was hoping to see results a little better than we got:


Now, I don't know about you, but I kind of think she looks like a dog. In fact, when I saw the 4D image pop up I said "She looks like a bull dog!" And I think I offended the lady running the machine. But honestly, I can't look at this picture and NOT see a dog. I'll trace it out in case you can't see it. Because once you do see it, I don't think you can look at that picture and not see a dog.

Although the 4D thing wasn't really great, they were able to take some measurements. They think that Norah is about 8 pounds 2 ounces, and they think her Femur measured off the charts. (Which is hilarious because we are both so short.) So it looks like Norah got some of her Grandpa in her... hopefully she'll stay shorter than us through elementary school, but we'll see.

All in all, it was fun to know that Norah will be joining us in a few years. But as things stand right now, we're expecting Norah to look a bit like this in a few years:


Oh, and it's now officially OK to wish people a Merry Christmas!

RE: Chris Kinglestein

Recently we had a visitor stop by with the following comment:

I would like it if the entire blog was about candy canes and Christmas lights please.

Thank you in advance...

Chris Kringlestein

It's funny Mr. Kringlestein, that you should ask. One, because your name sounds very Jewish, and you want Christmas stuff up. I'll throw in some Channukah for you as well.

But also because it isn't yet Thanksgiving. Every where I look, stores, TV, Malls, everyone has finally completely blown past Thanksgiving and moved on to Christmas. There have been four cities nearby who had lighting ceremonies already. And I am sad. I love Thanksgiving. It has long been one of my favorite holidays, and yet, the holiday is being railroaded by the commercialization of Christmas. Why? Because stores make a heck of a lot more money off of candy canes and stockings than they do off of cranberry sauce and turkey. I'm sad about that. I wish our culture spent more time on Thanksgiving, both the holiday, and the attitude.

I know that this won't change, and I know that this steady pace closer and closer to Halloween will only continue. But I wonder when it will stop. I thought that there would never be a time when Christmas ceremonies took place before Thanksgiving, but I'm clearly wrong. Now, I wonder, will there ever be Christmas ceremonies before Halloween? Is that crazy? Or is that the future?

Here you go Allie.

Our friend (ok. Rachel's friend) Allie told me that my banner was too Autumn, and I need to change it. So, I did. You're welcome Allie.

If anybody ever wants me to change something on my blog let me know. I'll either do it, or I won't.

By the way... we're on our way now with Norah. We could have her any day now... YAY!!!!

Joe Biden... wow...

Just a quick note: I'm a Barack supporter, and in this race I've been swaying between Barack, Edwards, and Clinton. But... I'm sitting in my apartment right now watching Sen. Joe Biden give some GREAT answers. I don't like his position on not giving licenses to undocumented immigrants, but I have been REALLY impressed by his answers throughout this whole debate. Edwards seems to be grasping and raking the grass hoping to hang on, and I seriously heard Clinton say: "No, I"m not playing the gender card. I have talked to so many 95 year old women who say they were alive when women couldn't vote. I want to let them see the first woman President." (Uhhh... wha?) I just want to say it before the commentators do at the end of this debate. Overall, the person winner of this debate? Joe Biden. Hands down.

Joe Biden has impressed me, here are my thoughts on Biden:

• I don't like his position on refusing to give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
• I like his foreign policy understandings. A lot.
• I like his attention to Pakistan, and his knowledge about what's going on there.
• I like his ability to debate according to the rules, and the fact that he never once fought with the facilitator.
• I don't like the way he skirted around the Health Care Reform questions.
• I LOVED what he had to say about Iraq.
• I like how he portrayed himself tonight over all.

I need to look more into him, but after tonight, it's not about Hillary or Barack for me any more. Now, its about Barack or Biden. Hillary sounded rewarmed, biting, and unwilling to listen.

Riding the Train, come on ride the train, choo choo ride it!

Did I ever mention that the trains in Chicago have lots of nice colors associated with them.

Now, if you are intending to go to the south side, and your brother tells you make SURE you get on the green line that says 63rd on the outside, I highly advise looking at your brother like he is nuts, and when he says, it is easier than you think...you figure..."does this guy take me for an idiot or what!?"

So uhhh, yeah take the Harlem one by accident it makes life more interesting.

Oh, and the Brown Line to the loop is on the near side of the platform at the merch mart, in case you were wondering.

Did I mention I love Indian food, and my amazingly awesome brother took me to the bestest Indian place I have ever been in my entire life and we go the special dinner for two and we had tons and tons of Nan and I ate the shrimp right off the top and the chicken was soo goooooood and I then ate lots of delicious rice pudding and farted on the plane the whole way home!

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yipppieeeeeeeee Woooot! PING!!!!

Norah's Blog

Well, seeing as almost all of the Eleks keep in touch over Blog. Norah decided to join the bandwagon, and has started a blog of her own. You can check it out at:

http://norahelek.blogspot.com

Tell her hello!

Halloween Costumes

I know I'm late on this, but I thought some folks might like to see Rachel's and my Halloween costumes.

Here you go.

Rachel was a Furby, I was an old man.

I'm pretty certain that this is what I'll look like when I'm older.

This is the whole group of friends at Katie Tarara's Halloween Party.

Poem and Laughing Baby

I found this video on YouTube and couldn't stop laughing at it. I then spent the next hour looking up videos of laughing babies.



I also found this poem in a journal I wrote. It's no where near as good as the laughing baby, but I liked it, so I'm burying here where it's sure to be upstaged.

The Hymn

In the valley
at the bend of a thin dirty creek
I drove up to a leaning wooden church,
stones popping under under the tires.
The windows were open
the children laying on wooden pews.
Old women in large hats
fanned themselves,
and the old man behind me
shook like the organ music.
The farmer's fingers
thick as toes
gripped the hymnal
like a cold clod of earth.
The man across the sanctuary
sang loudly
while we whispered the hymn.
Outside, through the window,
I saw the mountains
folded on the ground
like laundry.
The clouds made their slow pilgrimage
across the thin blue expanse
all wandering slowly in the same direction.
And as we stood to sing the Gloria Patri
the pews creaked
and behind me, children laughed.
The curtains flapped.
And the organ breathed
an old
slow
hymn.