One of the first "firsts"

Over the next year you can expect to see documentation related to many of Jack's firsts. Today - one that isn't so exciting, yet still a first.... Jack's first piece of mail. He received his social security card today!



Tomorrow he gets to see his first Georgia Tech and Michigan football games!

Football Season Arrives

We scored a pair of Husker Football season tickets! This years ticket theme is Memorial Stadium through the years, with images from 1925 up to 2007. Of course the standout ticket is the Sept. 15th matchup with #1 ranked USC. They're going for more than $200 dollars each on stubhub. Go Huskers!

Flapjack Signs with Raiders!

The Raiders today signed Jack Tangeman to a 30 year contract after he topped the scale at over 6.5lbs this morning. He already looks like a ferocious middle linebacker with that no-nonsense scowl.

It's Been a HOT August in Sactown

As evidenced by our electricity bill which showed up yesterday :(

Let's hope it cools off a bit in September!

In Which Mullins Cuts the Grass

Mullins visited this weekend and wanted to try the new non-powered grass cutting aparatus, which he did.

Another week...another set of baby Jack pictures

It's going to be largely up to other blog writers to keep this blog from becoming soley a baby blog...as most of what we do is now related to Baby Jack in some way :)

The week began by taking "Granny" to the airport after about a fun 1-week visit.

His Mimi and Papa (as opposed to Granny and Grandpa) then arrived and we had a great time.

Here Papa gets in a little hold time.

Here we are during Jack's first big outing (not counting Dr. visits). We went to the baby store, lunch and into old Folsom. Rick and I were worn out though Jack did just fine. Check out the big book between us - I scored the College Football Encyclopedia at Borders on deep discount.



Now here's a cool picture of Jack visiting his new friend Caroline. Caroline is only 4 days old...and about 2 pounds heavier than the little Flapjack.



Finally, we conclude with a picture of Jack in one of his favorite blankets handmade by his Great Aunt Anne. He likes the color and that it is big enough to really swaddle him tight. He still manages to wiggle his hands out though!

Breaking News! Little Duke crosses the 6 pound mark coming in at 6.1lbs this morning!

Jack is a hand full!

Even at only ~5 pounds Jack is a handfull as evidenced by the following photo:

The Longest, Scariest and Best Day

We arrived at the hospital a bit after 10am on Sunday, August 5 with all systems go. The labor and delivery rooms were huge and we were fairly comfortable as the day dragged on with little activity. That evening Steph began having some more intense contractions though she was still doing well and operating without pain medicine. We didn't really sleep much though and we started Monday morning pretty beat. Steph's contractions were a bit more intense now and she got an epidural around 9am on Monday.

Then, about an hour later, little Duke's heart rate dropped down below the 130-140 beats per minute it had been averaging. I went out to the nurses station, they rushed in and rushed Steph out to the emergency room.

Here's the last recording taken before the quick exit.

The red line represent's the baby's heart rate so you can see it was well below were it should have been.

About 30 minutes after hauling Steph out - Jack was born! Weighing in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces.

Four days later, we packed up the little tike to take him home! We also quickly proclaimed him the best baby in the world. He really is a good baby with little crying and lots of snuggles.

We were thrilled to finally get Jack home in his room.

Hospital Time....!

We received a unique "alarm" this morning and promptly went to the hospital as Steph entered labor! So far so good and Steph is doing great!



Wish us luck :)

Steak Night for the Animals

Erin was kind enough not to eat all of her steak at supper. Jake and Yuki, both of canine persuasion, were the beneficiaries. Here the animals look on attentively waiting for their next bite.

OzzFest 2007

Erin and I went to OzzFest on Monday. We had a fun time listening to some great heavy metal. The highlight for me was when Lordi took the stage. These guys have kind of an 80's heavy metal sound, and the coolest part is they perform the whole show in latex monster suits. There were a lot of pyrotechnics, and a coolest part for me was when the lead singer sprouted demon wings right on stage.


I, of course, had to buy a Lordi t-shirt.


Erin picked up an Ozzy shirt featuring art from his just released album.

Ozzy was, of couse, the final act. One thing we noticed right away...Ozzy has gotten old. His voice was often off pitch, he didn't move too much, and he told the crowd that he'd just been in the hospital for a blood clot in his leg. Doctors told him he wouldn't be able to perform the show to which Ozzy replied "fuck you". It was cool to see prince of darkness in person.

More New Products Tested

With Harry Potter Book 7 in your hands, how can you pass up Harry Potter Jelly Slugs? These slugs come in 5 flavors. Juicy Pear, Bery Cherry, Tangerine, Watermelon, and Banana. Banana is the best, pear is the worst. An acceptable jelly candy, but not worth the price.


The brand new Super Target here in Lincoln has an all out massive Jelly Belly section. Not only can you get the beans, you can also find other candies made by the Jelly Belly Candy Company. I tried the classic candy corn. The corn was smaller than the normal Brach's product, and had slightly better flavor. However, these may not be worth the price difference. In the future, I'll likely go Brach's.

New Product Review Bonanza

A nice thing about being out of the U.S. for over a month is that when you return to the grocery store, you find tons of new products to try. Here's what I thought of them:


This Tradewinds Tea is something Winter the Starbucks guy has loved for quite awile. Winter rides around with cases of the stuff in his car because it is hard to find. Imagine my suprise then, when I discovered the stuff at Walmart. I tried the diet green tea. I have to agree with Winter. This stuff is head and shoulders above any other tea on the market. The lablel claims the stuff is fresh brewed just before bottling, and I believe it. It's a hand crafted small batch tea. I give it high marks. Drink up!


3 Musketers Mint has arrived. This bar comes in 2 pieces each a little smaller than the halloween "fun size" 3 Musketers. The mini bars have dark chocolate and the nugat is mint flavored. It's very much like a York Peppermint Patty, except that the mint filling is fluffier and perhaps sweeter here. Pick it up if you like mint.

Miller Beer has introduced "Chill", a Chelada Style beer. The "Chelada" is a beverage that is created by adding the juice of one or two limes to a full glass of ice cubes and then pouring twelve ounces of a dark Mexican beer into the glass. The rim of the glass is typically salted. This Miller product is not a dark beer. It's essentially Miller light with lime flavor added. It's not bad. The lime flavor is mild, but you can taste it. There is no salt element. Pick it up for a change or if you're a lime junkie.

Finally, we have Russell Stover Toasted South Seas Coconut flavored dark chocolate squares. Russell Stover came late to the dark chocolate square party, but with this product, they emerge as the belle of the ball. The toasted coconut mixes perfectly with the very dark chocolate. This is the best dark chocolate square I have tasted.

Last Word From Mexico

One nice thing about Mexico is the glass Coke bottle. You really don't see it in the U.S. anymore, but the returnable glass bottle still dominates in sombrero land. Here I enjoy the Mexican version of a Diet Coke from a chilled glass bottle.

If you think Burger King sucks here, try eating there in Mexico! I ordered the guacamole jalapeno burger, which sounds fantastic in concept. The execution, however, was horrible. The bun was rock hard and the guac tasted like crap. Plus, they skimped on the jalapenos. Bad news.