You Guessed It !!!

Mike and I found out about a week and a half ago that we're expecting our first little one. Baby Morrish will probably be here in late July/early August. I haven't seen my doctor yet because she's been on vacation and is changing offices. Hopefully we'll get to go the week before Christmas. I feel different but not really sick which is nice. However, it was a bummer to have a sinus infection and not be able to take an antibiotic. I'm hoping my health will improve on its own soon. We told our families on Thanksgiving and we have two sets of very happy first time grandparents-to-be. We are moving into a flat above our friends and a couple blocks from my parents on Friday and through the rest of the month. It's really nice and a great arrangement. The only setback is that it's a 45-60 minute drive to work for me. It's funny that after waiting a year and a half to have our own place, that joy is diminished by the amazingness of being pregnant.

Pride and Prejudice

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife...

Fact. I have seen Pride and Prejudice twice since it came out on Wednesday. Without a friend around on opening day, I whined and schemed until my dad (and his tender heart) took me to see it on Wednesday night at 10pm. It is utterly and incredibly amazing.

My New Kitchen

Well, I'm not quite done yet, but here are some pictures of my new kitchen. The floor and some trim work still needs to be done, but we moved everything in anyway. I have now upgraded the status of the kitchen from partially functional, to almost totally functional.

Spooky

Who's that fancy feline? Part of a second string broadway musical? I decided to spice up my Monday and paint my face for work. My director loves cats, which was a nice perk that I had forgotten. She giggled everytime she saw me that day. After work we visited with our friends Tony, Jill and 4 day old Tony Jr. Then we visited my family. You may see Evan is a monk. He made this choice on his own and it is devoid of sequins and other evil - Praise God!

A preview for Cadence

My grandpa LaBarge (as a 16 year old in St. Louis) was told by his best friend, Bob Keany, that the good looking girls were in Holland, Michigan. They hopped in their car, met 2 cute 14 year dutch girls, and eventually married them. In that spirit...

CADENCE-
Here is a preview of the goods in Michigan. We've got blonds, brunettes, redheads... leaders, followers, super shy, super fly... cinderellas, belles, ariels... pink fans, purple fans... athletic, clumsly... roly poly, long-and-lean... dolly lovers, dora lovers, daddy lovers, mommy lovers, aunt missy lovers... Can it get any better (or cuter)?

I made the gym teacher mad...

So yesterday, I had to sub for the gym teacher during my planning period (the class is called "sports"). He left a lesson plan. It said- go to the weightroom and lift weights. So- we play a rip-roaring game of indoor soccer instead. Oh my gosh- it was brilliant. I kid you not-- I was passing, making plays, heading the ball, scoring goals. There were a bunch of hispanic students who actually play soccer-- we had a blast. So today- I said to said gym teacher, "sorry I didn't follow your lesson plan, but I had so much fun". And he lectures me about how disappointed he was in me that I didn't follow his lesson plan, and how weight lifting was important... and how he could have understood if I was a sub-- but (he said to me extremely gravely as he looked at me)he expected more from a full time teacher. Oooops.

So ends an Indian Summer

I think November has finally hit here in Virginia Beach. Yesterday, and for the last couple of weeks, we had been soaking in the warm sun and 80 degree temperatures, only to wake up this morning to thunderstorms and 50 degree temps. The drastic drop in temperature was quite a shock, although the familiar burnt smell of the heater kicking in for the first time of the season brings back memories of colder falls in Illinois and Michigan. Fall is beautiful here in Virginia, although it doesn't usually settle in until late October, usually. The leaves only started to change colors last week. But fortunately the fall, here, lasts clear through December most years, so I'm looking forward to many more days of crunching fallen leaves under my feet. I love the fall!

Blood Flows at 92 East

As you can see from this photo, I've been in the process of completely gutting and re-doing our old spare bedroom in preparation for the arrival of Baby-boy Henderson. This is a shot of the exposed 107 year old lath which was under the plaster which was under several layers of odd wallpaper, which was under some shoddy painted paneling and a horrendous dropped ceiling. Anyway, things got a little dodgy tonight around 10:30pm when I was climbing down from my ladder and stepped directly onto an old ribbed lath nail which went through my tennis shoe and lodged firmly about one-half inch into my big toe. I bellowed out a Homer Simpson-esque "AAAARRGGH" and immediately tried to pull my shoe off but quickly realized this was impossible as long as the rest of the nail was still sticking out of my shoe. I cried out in pain a few more times while I hobbled to the door where my large pregnant wife met me, having been alerted to my distress by my continual howling. Rachel asked me what was wrong, but all I could manage was to motion to a nearby set of pliers and grunt "Pull it out! Do it fast!" while I held up my damaged foot. Rachel, never a squemish woman by nature, immediately grasped my predicament and without hesitation grabbed the pliers and ripped the nail out of my foot and shoe with a single, bold yank. I quickly had the shoe off and began to squirt blood on my kitchen floor until Rachel came dashing back with some alchohol, Neosporin and bandaids. After we got the bleeding stopped, I made a quick call to my Dad for a medical consultation, who reminded me that this wasn't the first time I had managed to get a nail imbedded in my body (thanks Dad) and maybe I should check on how current was my Tetanus shot. After he responded ambiguously a number of times to questions like "C'mon Dad, what are the chances that I would actually Lockjaw from this thing?" and "Every old nail can't be infected with tetanus, can it?", I felt confident I could skip a trip to Prime Care and the resulting co-pay. Within a few minutes I strapped on some work boots (maybe I should have been wearing these to begin with) and got back to work. I'll post some more photos of the room as it progresses. Hopefully this will be the only injury report. My toe is still throbbing. This is much more painful than when I shot myself in the hand with a framing nail gun.

Horah-Horay! What's that you say? It's Lara's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Lara!
If I were in Vancouver, I would take you out for a demi-high tea at the Secret Garden (actual picture from website on left). No no wait- I would take you out for a High Tea- where we would eat all the scones, tea and mini-heavenly-desserts that we please. Why? Because today, Canada and the United States have finally found common ground as they whoop it up on Lara's 27th birthday!!

The Tummy

You've demanded it. Here it is. A pregnant Rachel tummy shot. I swear it looks bigger in person. This is the best I can do for now. Will try again in a few weeks. Short sentences rule.

Mom's Wedding

Who would ever think there would come a time in your life when you would attend two wedding for your mom? Well I was at the second last week in New Mexico. At first I really didn't want to go because I didn't want to be the person on the plane with the screaming baby and also Sienna had more luggage than we did. But, Sienna was a champ and put up with a lot. She hardly cried on the plane at all. She did however, cry through the whole ceremony which took place on Chimney Rock in New Mexico. Jeff took her a bit further away so he missed the ceremony. Here's some pictures. You gotta love a wedding in which the bride and groom wear cowboy hats! Oh dear, why does my mom have to be so cheesy sometimes? Anyway, it was nice to see some of New Mexico, I'd never been there.