Snowy days in Seattle

Christmas 2008 from Erik Fadiman on Vimeo

I haven't blogged in a while and during this time of slience Seattle had more snow than it's had in a decade or two. Erik compiled this video of Amelia's excursions in the snow (she's 3.5 years old) and I found it highly amusing. Enjoy.

Christmas shopping ends in snow

Christmas shopping ends in snow by Corinne S.

On Saturday Benjamin and I took Katie with us on a Christmas shopping outing at the U Village. To my surprise, we ended up buying a fair number of things. We also met up with Rob, Steph, and Keston for an unplanned dinner out. When we finally left the village at 9pm it was snowing. It was a long, cold, but fun walk back to the car.

Father-son birthday

Rok & Keston look at photos by Corinne S.

Today we went to a birthday party for Rob and his son Keston. Keston turned 1. Rob is older than that.

To celebrate the birthdays, Rob and Steph rented a photo studio in Pioneer Square for the day and had the party there. Rob rented gigantic lenses and other equipment and seemed to have a blast photographing all of the party attendees. I look forward to seeing the result on Rob's Flickr page.

More baby shower pictures

New mom by sben

S. Ben took some great pictures at the shower and posted them last night. Here's his set on Flickr. None of Benjamin or me in this set, but lots of cute kids. :)

Dashiell photos (belated)

Sweet face by Corinne S.

I just posted a few Dashiell photos I took 3 weeks ago. I'll take and post some new ones soon. You can see all the photos in the Dashiell and Amelia group on Flickr.

Mabry has dinner at the pool

Mabry has dinner at the pool by Corinne S.

I fed Mabry her quinoa dinner at the pool tonight while her mommy swam. She's got the sign for "more" down. ;-)

Dashiell - Day 2

Dashiell - Day 2 by Corinne S.

I went to the hosptial again last night and got some good pictures of Dashiell. You can see them in Dashiell & Amelia's new group on Flickr.

Dashiell - Day 1

Dashiell - Day 1 by Corinne S.

This is a newborn pic Erik took of little Dashiell yesterday. I haven't been using my iPhone for my pics so I haven't posted any of mine yet. Soon.

I visited sweet, quiet Dash last night and I'm here at the hospital again today. So far he's a really mellow, sleepy little guy. I guess with the early delivery and c-section he didn't get the message to wake up yet. ;-) I suspect we'll all enjoy the mellowness while we can.

Claire's baby is here (on the outside)

Claire & Erik's new son Dashiell Alexander was born this morning at 10:10 am via planned c-section after an amniocentesis yesterday to confirm that his lungs were ready for the outside world. The c-section was necessary due to Claire's placenta acretia, but the surgery went quickly and flawlessly and mom and baby are now resting comfortably.

Dashiell weighed in at 7 pounds 6 ounces with a length of 19-3/4 inches. Head circumference was 13-1/8 inches. He cried a little on arrival and has since had his first bath and he's enjoying snuggling with mom on the outside of the womb.

I'm going over to the hospital later today so I'll take pictures and hopefully get some posted tonight.

Too cute

Too cute by Corinne S.

On Friday I went to an unofficial reunion of the Tablet PC team from Microsoft. Lots of folks came and it was people from all different eras of the team's lifespan. I got the see several of my UX colleagues who I hadn't seen since leaving MS over a year ago. It was really nice. One friend brought her adorable daughter along, so I snapped a picture of her in her little Sherrif's hat (blinged-out flip-flops not shown). Little Tate is cute and quite funny, if very contrary (as toddlers are inclined to be).

Mabry and Miller

Mabry and Miller by Corinne S.

Last night the weather was gorgeous. Maple and I met Miller and Mabry at Magnuson Park for a nice walk. We stopped on the waterfront to feed Mabry her quinoa dinner. She was pleased.

Boys

Tonight Alan came over and we barbequed for the first time this year. It was the first time I'd seen him since my bithday party last year. Alan was nice and patient enough to help us get the grill up and running, sweet the porch, clean off the chairs, and even chop onion. What a guy.

The food was yummy and the talk was good. It was really pleasant hanging out in the yard again too.

After cigar time and complete darkness, we moved indoors and the guys talked music. In this picture Benjamin and Alan are both looking at Benjamin's MacBook Pro. See any similarities? ;-)

Sex and the City

Sex and the City by Corinne S.

On Friday night Ola took Steph, Maddy, and me to see the Sex and the City movie. It was an amazing estrogen fest at the theater. The impossibly long lines consisted of 98% women, many of them more dressed up than is normal for Seattle.

During the movie, the theater was filled with gasps, oohs, aahs, and laughter. It was a corny and fairly predictable movie, but an interesting event.

Birthday wish

Birthday wish by Corinne S.

Last weekend Benjamin and I went to Christy's surprise birthday BBQ. I held baby Mia for a while so her parents could eat and socialize. Took Christy's pic instead of Mia's though.

Grin

Grin by Corinne S.

When I visited Claire last weekend, Amelia gave me big smiles. But she's a bit too fast-moving for my iPhone's camera. ;-)

Sunday, lazy Sunday

Mabry, upright by Corinne S.

On Sunday, Benjamin and I went to brunch with Nathan, Miller, and Michael for a much-belated birthday celebration of Miller.

We went to the new South Lake Union neighborhood location of the Portage Bay Cafe. The food was as good as ever, but the atmosphere wasn't as warm and personal as the U District location.

Afterward we wandered over to Guitar Center, I got a latte at Uptown Espresso (too much vanilla syrup!), and we trilled through the merchandise at Antique Liquidators (there were several things I liked, but nothing I needed). It was a nice, warm, plan-free afternoon.

First birthday girl

First birthday girl by Corinne S.

Yesterday Benjamin and I went to a party to celebrate the first birthday of our friend Sylvia's daughter Sabrina. Sabrina generally shoes away from the adoration of strangers and groups. This was a rare moment of near-hamming from little S.

Sabrina's actual birthday was on May 1st, which is also my wedding anniversary. Sunday when we celebrated Sabrina it was the actual birthday of my stepdad Rich and my cute pug Maple (born 60 years apart).

Videos from Maddy's wedding

Bride's Toast and Self-Introduction video by Corinne S.

I just uploaded five videos from Maddy & Mike's wedding. They're of the toasts and the cake cutting. I missed the dances. See the Mike & Maddy's wedding reception set on Flickr.

I couldn't upload the videos straight to Flickr--even though they now support video--because my videos were too long (more than 90 seconds). So sad. And the Vimeo interface is atrocious, especially when compared to the ease of using Flickr.

Another marriage launched

Maddy & Mike kiss on demand by Corinne S.

On Saturday Benjamin and I attended Maddy & Mike's wedding. In fact, Benjamin was the DJ at their reception with assistance from his dad. For my contribution to the event I was the professional skill behind the invitations, with Maddy providing creative direction.

The reception was lots of fun with two lively families in Seattle from out of town and they all stayed on the dance floor until closing. I was tuckered out by the end and slept in very late today to make up for it!

TiVo-lovin' kid

My friend Steph at work sent me this adorable drawing that one of her 5 year-old twin boys made today. I'm sure it says something about how brands pervade our children's lives, but since I'm a huge DVR-devotee myself so I appreciate his excitement on the topic. I asked Steph what Eddie likes about TiVo and she said it's the "Thomas/Phineas and Ferb/Curious George/Between the Lions/NASCAR recording device." It's awesome how tailored it is to each of our needs. :-)

Mabry's new transport mode

Mabry's new transport mode by Corinne S.

Tuesday evening I decided to forego swimming since I'm fighting a cold. Not wanting to miss my chance to see Miller between her trips, I went over there to visit. While I was there Mabry demonstrated her new skill--crawling. Nice work little cutie!

A friend represents women in technology

My friend Connie Missimer was featured on Microsoft's women's history month page last week and I didn't blog it in time. However, you can still get to the page about her: Connie Missimer, User Experience Researcher. It's a nice profile.

Claire's got a little boy on the inside

Claire had her gender-revealing 20 week ultrasound this week and found out they're having a little boy. Pretty exciting! Good work on managing to get one of each naturally, guys.

Sun, grass, ahhhh

Sun, grass, ahhhh by Corinne S.

Here Maple demonstrates the relaxed tenor of our weekend. This is also her vote of approval for Claire's new yard. :-)

Big improvements to my 'hood

My neighborhood is about to get oh-so-much better from my perspective. One of my closest friends Claire and her husband Erik just had their offer accepted on a house only 14 blocks from my house. Whoohoo!!!

This is a crappy photo, but it's a pretty cute house. It's a 1940's house and not super special in its design, but the lot is gargantuan by city standards and the location is prime.

They're bringing something excited with them when they move as well: a bun in the oven. Claire is about 4 months pregnant now with their second child. Very exciting times.

I just can't wait to have them living so close by--I'll be over there so much they're gonna have to kick me out when they want some privacy. ;-) When I told Benjamin about Claire's move he was excited, but had a realization: "We're never moving, are we?" Tee he he.

Asha rainbow feet

Asha rainbow feet by Corinne S.

This afternoon Maple and I met Leanne and Asha Ruby for a walk in the park. Asha likes Maple and alternately calls her "baby" and "arf arf." Asha is fast as lightening running around on her nearly 18-month-old legs.

A thousand words

Baby Mia, daughter of Chris and Graham. I'll meet her on Saturday.

Update on baby Mia

I talked to Chris tonight and confirmed that baby Mia is healthy and happy. Chris went into labor at 35 weeks and Mia was only delivered via c-section because she was breech. She was 5 pounds 11 ounces and 19" long at birth. She had no premie health complications. Despite being less prepared than they'd hoped, the little family is doing well.

Like Harry Potter? Check this out.

One of my best friends, who I've known since I was three, is a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. Piper's entry is a juvenile fiction fantasy novel and it's the first book in a trilogy. Despite being a biased reader, I found the excerpt compelling--I bonded with the main character quickly and I find the premise interesting.

If you enjoy juvenile fiction books like the Harry Potter series or Cornelia Funke's great novels, check out the excerpt of my friend's first novel, The Wall of Pacidral. Customer reviews are one of the ways that the 10 finalists will be chosen, so please take the time to write a review if you can. Piper requests genuine reviews only.

To get the excerpt free from Amazon.com:

1. Go to The Wall of Pacidral page on Amazon
2. Click Download for Free (you'll be prompted to create an Amazon account if you don't have one)
3. To read the excerpt, click View Now for the web page version or Download to my computer for a PDF
4. To write a review, scroll down the Customer Reviews section on The Wall of Pacidral page and click Create your own review

To read and review excerpts from additional Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards semi-finalists, browse the entries by genre.

Baby girl born early

Yesterday morning, 6 days after the baby shower and about 5 weeks shy of their due date, Chris & Graham became parents to a little girl. Baby Mia was born via C-section, but I have no other details. I believe mother and daughter are both okay.

The modern family

Herrling family excursion by Corinne S.

I had brunch this afternoon with Mikler, Nathan, and Mabry. Afterward family Herring-Sherling was off to run errands on this cold bit beautiful day. Miller just reported back that Nathan now has two more holes in his head than he did this morning. He got an "industrial" barbell piercing in the cartilage of his left ear. That's one rockin' daddy. :-)

Wet Saturday

Freezing rain at the farmer's market by Corinne S.

It was a cold and wet day today at the farmer's market. Still, I ran into Meghan N., little Nathan, and their friend. It's a small (local organic foods) world out there. After that, I worked on Maddy's wedding invitations with her. Then swimming (3/4 mile today) and then dinner and chilling with Rob & Steph. Steph and I were going to hit the company party, but we couldn't drag ourselves out.

Pregnant princess

Pregnant princess by Corinne S.

Yesterday I went to my friend Chris' baby shower. Here she is exloring the box of baby clothes I had fun shopping for on Friday.

This baby's gender is a surprise, so that added a new challenge to my shopping. Plus, I tried to fulfill Chris' desire for organic cotton. Thanks Bootyland consignment clothes!

Visiting friends

Family concert by Corinne S.

Yesterday I visited Piper while she was in town staying at Sara's house. We hung out in the kitchen talking and snacking almost the entire time. I got to see Reszi, Kaimi, Joyce and Sara as well (and the boys too). Only sister Suni wasn't around since she was at work. I never broke out the camera. Today I was supposed to go to the zoo with Meghan N., S. Ben, and little Nathan. Claire and Amelia might have joined us too. Unfortunately toddler sickness and bad weather required a rain-check be made on that plan. Instead, I slept late and then trekked up Sand Point Way to visit Leanne and little Asha (and saw Charles just long enough to give his car a jump start--literally). Asha was as cute and fun as ever. I posted the best photos from my visit today and then realized I had a bunch of photos from previous visits over the last year that I had never posted. So my Flickr stream is now dominated by adorable little Asha Ruby faces. You can see them here.

Birthday girls

Urban traveler by Corinne S.

This was a busy weekend for us. TJ and Gabe were in town for an early family Christmas celebration, which happened on Saturday. Then Sunday we celebrated three birthdays--our niece's first, Steph's (not first), and Sylvia's (also not first). Here's Steph packed up and ready to trek home with her birthday flowers on her back. :-)

Mabrysitting

I'm babysitting baby Mabry tonight. I think she likes Benjamin, Maple, and the iPhone. Each holds baby interest for one reason or another. ;-)

(Posted from my iPhone with Mabry en lap.)

Friendly visitors

Circle of adoration by Corinne S.

Sylvia and Sabrina came to visit us Sunday afternoon and they were really great with Maple. I know I'm a dog dork, but it's always nice to see people bond with my furry little beast.

Sabrina's in a mommy-only stage and wary of strangers, but she warmed up to us after a bit. That just means she didn't give us the hairy eyeball anymore and expressed a wee bit of curiosity about us--there's no holding of this one by unfamiliar peeps at the moment.

I couldn't help drawing parallels between Maple and Sabrina--she's the closest thing I have to a baby (and we kinda treat her like one). Luckily Syl is a good sport and an animal lover, so she didn't shoot me. ;-)

Mabry looking cute as always

Mabry looking cute as always by Corinne S.

Here's Mabry looking adorable in her jogging stroller at the swimming pool tonight. We gotta get this girl swimming some laps! ;-)

Our Halloween costumes

Wolf and Piggie by Piper Drake Deardorff

Here's Benjamin and me at Piper's Birthday-Halloween Costume party. You can see Maple with half-shaken off costume in Piper's Pig Mama with Pig-Dog . We were the three little pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately Benjamin already ate the pig that built his house of straw. The good news: I win in the end (see the original three pigs story plotline on Wikipedia).

Annual "freak fest"

Piper and Maple dance by Corinne S.

On Saturday night, Benjamin, Maple, and I went to Piper's 30th birthday party--also our annual Halloween costume "freak fest." It was fun as always, and an interesting twist having Maple there (she was part of our costume).

Piper took pictures of Benjamin, Maple, and me (though not altogether unfortunately) so I'll post a link once she posts them to Flickr. In the meantime, you can see other freak fest photos in our Piper's costume parties group on Flickr.

Visiting Piper in Hellingham

Piper offers me deodorant by Corinne S.

This past weekend Benjamin and I went to Bellingham to visit Piper and family. Maple stayed overnight with her Boston Terrier friend Fanny (plus humans Chris and Graham). In Bellingham we hung out, ate good food, talked, and Benjamin played Final Fantasy XII while Eric coached. Then we all went out "on the town" to a local improv comedy stage, where we saw the improv murder mystery Hellingham. After that we went to Bellingham's gay dance club Rumors and gave it our best boogie. But with a DJ who specialized n train wrecks, we gave up pretty shortly and wandered home. It was a really nice visit and Benjamin didn't even explode from contact with the three kitties.

Welcome another baby to our midst

Keston Daniel Gruhl002 by Rob Gruhl

Rob & Steph's baby, Keston Daniel Gruhl, was born at 10:56pm on Friday, Saturday 28th (he made it here early enough that he and his dad have a full day seperating their birthdays). Keston weighed 8 lbs. 7.2 oz and was 19” inches long at birth. According to the grape vine, everyone is doing great and Steph and Rob are super happy. Keston has been put on a "routine course of antibiotics...due to much poking and prodding in the course of labor" so they'll be in the hospital until tomorrow. Welcome to the circle Keston. We're looking forward to meeting you in person. And happy birthday today to new daddy Rob!

Doggies

Peter & Amy watching their puppy Hank by Corinne S.

And of course I continue to spend plenty of time with Maple, The Adorable. We go for walks and to the dog park when I'm not swimming or working late.

A few Sundays ago I went to the Marymoor off-leash park for the first time with my friends Pete and Amy and their 6 month old lab Hank. Maple has been to that park before on her "Big Dog Walks," but I had never been.


It was also the first time Maple and I met Hank. When we were there, Hank proved to be a serious water dog with a deep love of fetch.


Maple, on the other hand, shied away from the deep water. Instead she found her boy twin (in a darker shade) and they bonded with typical pug-go-round games.

Bumbershooting

Bumber-art by Corinne S.

Benjamin and I met his parents at Bumbershoot on Labor Day for the Sherry annual trek. Monday apparently wasn't the best day to go since the acts weren't all that impressive. But we ran into Natalie, saw some interesting dance, I ate a great Polish sausage (oh how I miss them since Poland), and Barbara and I bought a small fortune in artisan jewelry (here's one pair of earrings I bought). Overall, it was a good time, even if overpriced.

Girls' day

Looking at Eileen's wedding photos by Corinne S.

A few weeks ago, after a Saturday swim, I went to Vashon to visit Eileen and my mom. The pugs came too. We had a not-nearly-long-enough great time together. Benjamin and I are going back for an all-genders afternoon of fun there again in early October.

Where have I been?

End of summer by Corinne S.

Here's an image to capture where I've been spending much of my non-work energy of late. I've been swimming 2-3 times/week, getting in as much as I can before the outdoor pool closes and the dark and rain come in full force.

Miller, Claire, and I have made a standing date now to swim (at the indoor pool) every Tuesday evening. It's been great and the camaraderie and regularity of it is pushing all of us to swim more, further, and faster. Nathan comes sometimes too, and baby Mabry is now a regular attendee.

On weekends I've been going to West Seattle's fantastic Colman Pool as much as I can, usually at least one weekend day. Claire and Miller have generally gone at least one day too.

This past weekend was the last gasp at the Colman Pool this year--post-season. I went both Saturday and Sunday, hung out long after my laps were complete, and worn my bikini to get some sun. It was fantastic. I saw Rob, Steph, and Nancy there, too. Once you go you just want to keep going! And I hear it's nice to take a break from gravity when you're as pregnant as Steph is now (she's due on the 23rd).

Brave new world

I just bought something online from my iPhone for the first time. I
did it mostly in the car while waiting for the Montlake bridge to go
down. ;-)

I got to see Leanne

Leanne takes Asha on the slide by Corinne S.

This afternoon after Rob & Steph's baby shower I met up with Leanne and Asha for a walk at Magnuson. It was the first time I'd seen Leanne since my birthday. As always, it was great to see her and chat about our lives.

Leanne is doing great and Asha Ruby is going to be one year old at the end of the month! I can't believe how fast time is flying by. One thing is for sure, Asha is one well-loved and cared for little girl with an impressive head of hair. Plus, she walked several steps today for the first time! Go Asha go.

Happy parents-to-be

Happy parents-to-be by Corinne S.

Today was Rob & Steph's baby shower. We had a good time and they got great gifts for the little baby boy. Only a month (or so) left until he arrives! Then he can hang out with little Sabrina, Theo, and Mabry.

Great Saturday

Joyful smile by Corinne S.

Saturday afternoon I met Claire to swim some laps (in an outdoor pool!) and then spent the rest of the day at her house. Two delicious meals, several episodes of Harold and the Purple Crayon, lots of play time with the iPhone, a couple of hours of fetch, and 181 photos later, I went home happy. It was a fantastic day.

Another baby is here

I just got an announcement today about another baby in our circle of friends. This little beauty was born to Benjamin's friend since childhood, Jonathan, and his wife Yuka. Their baby girl is nearly 2 weeks old now. And if you're wondering, the answer is yes: we have more pregnant friends. ;-P Felicity Natsumi was born on July 18th at 7:32 pm. At birth she weighed 7lb 6 oz and was 20 inches long. According to her mama, the name Felicity is based on the Roman goddess of good luck and success, and also means happiness. Her middle name, Natsumi is a Japanese girl's name, meaning 'summer beauty'.

Mabry's birth day

Mabry's Birthday (3 of 4) by N. Herring

Okay, so it was wasn't the same calendar day, but it was her first 24 hours on earth. I got to meet her last night. She's very light (6 pounds 10 ounces) and long (20 inches). She was sleeping long and hard while I was there, so I haven't yet seen her eyes in person. But I'll be back to see them again!

New arrival

Miller and Nathan's daughter Mabry Parker Herring was born at home today at 6:28pm. According to Maegan, she is pink and has cried a bit. Nathan says she is cute and well.

Both Nathan and Maegan say that Mabry is still working some mucus out of her lungs. Maegan reports that Miller seems well and is resting on the bed with Mabry in her arms.

We hope to go meet the new arrival tonight or tomorrow, as soon as they're ready to receive us. Pictures to come.

Birthday pictures

Girls' table by Corinne S.

I forgot to mention that I posted some of the photos from my birthday party. More to come when I get around to it.