New Arrival in the Giant family...

Jeff and Amber had a baby (ok well more Amber than Jeff. Chara can explain the science behind it all)

At 2:50PM on 2/27/2007, Amber delivered our new little bundle of joy, James William Manning.

After just about 12 hours of labor, James decided that he would enter our world. He was 21 inches long and was a very hearty 9 lbs, 2 oz at birth (effectively beating out his father’s birth weight by 1 oz). The doctors have stated that both mom and baby are happy and healthy, both are resting up.

Thank you all for your thoughts and your prayers during this time,

ouch

i saw my first male circumcision in class on friday.. and wow.. that looks incredibly painful..
my job was to stand there and try to sooth the baby while the doctor was snipping away.. the poor little guy.. he took it like it champ.. but it definitely make me think twice about circumcision.

drunk babies..

today in clinical i went to the radiation department at children's hospital..
this part of the hospitals does x-rays, CT scans - that kind of thing.. some of the x-rays require the babies to be completely still during the process.. in order to keep the babies still they give the babies something called 'versed' - which is used for sedation, anti anxiety, and amnesia... it's kinda like having two or three margaritas.. so when this is given to little kids - it turns them into drunk little kids.. they laugh, and giggle, sometimes they hallucinate.. i cracked up all day long.. drunk babies are pretty dang funny..

sugar.. yumm..

anyone who knows my sister, knows that she is a health freak.. like the worst kind.. and because of this, she limits the amount of sugar her kids get..

but now deoborah goes to school.. and my sister cannot regulate what sugar she gets with snacks at school..
one day deborah comes home from school telling her mom all about the bagel covered in chocolate with sprinkles - and how good it was..
reanna thought it was weird, and she's never even heard of a bagel covered in chocolate and sprinkles.. and then reanna realized what it was.. it was a doughnut.. deborah had her first doughnut.. and because she had never had one before - and it had a hole.. she thought it was a bagel..

all you need is love..

my nephew Isaiah is three years old..
and he is super cute..
this week is valentines - and with the help of his teacher, Isaiah filled out a questionnaire about love, here are isaiah 's answers to some difficult questions..

what is love?
sharing

how do you show love?
a big house

how do mommy and daddy show you love?
they yell at me and tell me to get out of their room

what do you guys do as a family for fun?
mommy and daddy take me over to grandma and grandpas house

yes.. some of those questions might have confused the poor little guy... but they did make me laugh..
happy valentines day everyone..

You've got to check out this video

This guy is great. i'm bummed i missed this show.

Chara just likes him because he's wearing a Dr. Pepper T-shirt.



double click the video screen to go to full screen. its awesome.

More of his videos will be uploaded here: http://stage6.divx.com/Jake

i don't know nothing 'bout birthing babies

last friday i had to watch a video on the 'magical' birthing process.. now i know where babies come from.. and i am more scared than ever..
however.. i took care of a 9 week old today.. and i couldn't help but fall in love.. it turns out that babies are cute.. who knew?

Heath and Rhianon have left the building

and are on thier way to Guam... via LAX this morning

i'm sure they are now still in the airport awaiting thier fun day of travel and still very full from sushi last night.

we will miss them a lot, but hopefully will get to visit them soon.

Ben...

Tip: if you have a regular sushi place that you have been to for years and you know the sushi chef and all the people that work there, don't go there for your last meal before you leave the country. They will feed you way too much sushi and saki.

The big "hole in the wall' project

so we decided our house could use a little more opening up

so we put a big hole in the wall

here is the wall

and from the other side

then i started tearing it apart


and more

then i had this big hole


Then i had to reroute the electrical

and then it was done

and then we threw a big party and put it to good use



more party pictures and movies to come...

i want a new drug

heath and rhianon leave me tomorrow.. and i'm self medicating with dr pepper and red wine..

Holy cow what a weekend...

A big remodel project

an even bigger party

a wiffleball/superbowl party to follow

pictures to come

i'm still catching my breath

now you see me..

i just signed up for another 'mandatory' class this semester.. that puts me at a grand total of 19 units this semester.... so i guess what i'm saying is.. it looks like it's going to be a busy semester..

chara..