tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23943436327688516632024-03-13T10:33:17.262-07:00The BeaudrOwen BlogLife, Liberty, and the Pursuit of SanityNick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-7134975526184291522019-03-23T14:04:00.000-07:002019-03-23T14:04:22.044-07:00It's Been A While!It turns out that raising children takes a lot of time and energy. Shocking, right?<br />
<br />
Anyway, here we are, over 5 years later. Mr V has started elementary school, and he has a little sister who's now two years old. Here they are the day they met.<br />
<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/electoral-math/32697114720/in/album-72157678283542352/" title="20170220-DSC_7947"><img alt="20170220-DSC_7947" height="425" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2464/32697114720_2a87202b3f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
And here they are today, helping Mommy fix the family bike.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</a> <br />
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXFQV7g-Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Top notch pit crew in action.</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nbeaudrot/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Nick Beaudrot</a> (@nbeaudrot) on <time datetime="2019-03-23T18:20:13+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 23, 2019 at 11:20am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<i>Lots</i> has happened in between, but at the moment, life is running smooth enough that I can imagine having time to blog every once in a while!Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-82416805263055618122014-01-26T22:00:00.002-08:002014-01-26T22:00:50.717-08:00Kids' Music For Grownups<div dir="ltr">
There is an entire subgenre of children's music meant to appeal first and foremost to the parents. Particularly when it comes to baby and early toddler music. Kids that age don't really have peer groups they're trying to fit into, and very little in the way of preferences. So, if mom and dad are going to listen kids' songs, why not at least make it enjoyable?</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Children's music is also a great place to reconnect with mediocre pop and soft rock artists from fifteen years ago. The gold standard here is probably Caspar Babypants, who makes grownup music as the lead singer for Presidents of the United States of America (don't lie, you like "Lump" and "Peaches" when they came out), but in his spare time has some hilarious kids' albums. Mr. Babypants is a local celebrity in Seattle, making <a href="http://www.babypantsmusic.com/shows">regular appearances at public libraries and Top Pot Doughnuts</a>.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Other successful nineties acts who've expanded into children's music include Lisa Loeb and They Might Be Giants.</div>
<div class="separator" style="float: right;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2JnNs46eig?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
<a href="http://www.francesengland.com/">Frances England</a>, who I had never heard of pre-baby, has lots of fun original tunes plus a few classic tracks. She's fast becoming a favorite in our house, with tunes like "Bicycle, Bicycle", "Cookies & Milk", and "Jacques Cousteau".</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Adult artists performing genuine kid songs (think "Wheels on the bus") are harder to find. The Muppets <i>Green</i><i> </i><i>Album</i> is pretty good. The <i>For the Kids</i> series has a few decent tracks. <br />
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Last but not least, reconnecting with the children's music of your childhood era can be fun. As an added bonus, you'll already know the words to many songs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/fyMRGeT_SRI/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/fyMRGeT_SRI&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/fyMRGeT_SRI&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
The rise of free and cheap online music makes it super easy to sample this stuff. Give it a try!</div>
Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-67529277510984659302013-09-24T08:19:00.001-07:002013-09-24T08:19:35.267-07:00One Month of VCBThis past Wednesday, V turned one month old. Here's a nice collage showcasing his first 31 days on the outside.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/electoral-math/9829842415/" title="VCB's First Month by niq77174, on Flickr"><img alt="VCB's First Month" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/9829842415_da06db5fe8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
He's become quite the charmer, is beginning to stay awake during the day, and give mom & dad a solid 4-5 hour stretch of sleep each night.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-64494677368317809052013-09-09T07:10:00.003-07:002013-10-04T10:12:28.996-07:00Ideas on How to Organize Your Diaper Changing StationLife with baby is full of incredibly banal decisions that you still have to make and for which you have no real preparation, like<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How do I arrange my diaper changing station?!?!</span></i><br />
<br />
To which the <i>real</i> answer is "whatever, you'll figure it out after two or three weeks of changing 12 diapers a day. Take a deep breath". But let's try to do a little better than that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/9710812024_fd904d5dd5_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/9710812024_fd904d5dd5_z.jpg" /></a></div>
The main thing to think about when considering changing station layout is "how do I make things as quick and easy as possible at 2:30am?" We did this by putting everything that we could possibly use on a regular or semi-regular basis within arm's reach. There's no real right or wrong way to do this. Whether the area to the left of the changing pad holds Purell, Snappis, or wet wipes is up to you. Just make sure that everything close to your arms will be used frequently.<br />
<br />
If you <i>must</i> know, the items seen around the changing dresser, going clockwise from the bottom left, are: diaper pail from <a href="http://babydiaperservice.net/">Baby Diaper Service</a>; step can for used wipes; window sill for extra cloth wipes orphaned clothes that need to find a match in the next load of laundry (single socks, onesies without matching pants, etc.); top dresser drawer stores baby clothes; to the left of the chaning pad are Purell, cloth wipes, coconut oil, and diaper rash cream; changing pad; on the raised platform are snappis, covers, prefolds, and wet wipes; the wet bag is hanging from a drawer that stores the spare pad cover, other rash creams, and emergency disposables; and finally a laundry basket for everything other than covers and really soiled clothing.<br />
<br />
We found our dresser/changing area on Craigslist, and it's <i>great</i> for having lots of stuff accessible during diaper changes. It's similar to the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011BK598/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011BK598&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">Davinci Kalani combo dresser</a>, but you can find others that have the same raised storage section on Amazon, Babies 'R Us, other baby/child furniture stores, and possibly even regular furniture stores.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Keen-eyed readers may notice that in the bottom right-hand corner is a clear plastic tub holding some loose disposable diapers, and a couple of rash creams. The tub will be going to West Side Baby, which collects diapers to give to low-income households. Because diapers aren't food, the two main social support programs for poor children, WIC Nutrition Service and SNAP (aka food stamps) can't be used to pay for diapers. This borders on the criminal. If you have leftover bags of diapers, consider giving them to a food bank or other non-profit that will accept them. Even better, turn your kids' first birthday party into a diaper drive.</i></span>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-35918856654491465542013-09-07T13:49:00.000-07:002013-09-07T13:54:01.447-07:00Our Baby's Favorite Swaddle Blanket is The Summer Infant SwaddleMeThe primary struggle for new parents is getting their squishy newborn to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617750255/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1617750255&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">Go the F**k to Sleep</a></i>. Newborns need to eat constantly, they eat more frequently at night, and they have a terrible time calming themselves down to the point where they can fall back asleep, or at least relax.<br />
<br />
<div style="float: right;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ddRkI5wVIqQ" width="420"></iframe></div>
The latest hotness in newborn-calming techniques is Dr. Harvey Karp's <i>The Happiest Baby on the Block</i>. He's got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553381466/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553381466&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">book</a>, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006J021C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0006J021C&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">DVD</a>, and an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088Y6C0W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0088Y6C0W&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">Amazon Video</a> with tips. Karp's main idea is that newborn babies are calmest when their surroundings are familiar, which to a newborn means that things look, feel, and sound like being in the womb. Life <i>in utero</i> is full of loud swooshing noises, being bundled up, and bouncing around as mom walks goes about her business.<br />
<br />
One of Karp's primary soothing mechanisms is the age-old technique of swaddling a baby. The two keys here are to get your newborn packed up in the blankets very tightly, and also getting baby to keep his arms down. It's this second part that can be tricky; if your baby likes to try sucking his thumb, he'll punch through a number of swaddling blankets.<br />
<br />
The baby industry has made umpteen different swaddlegizmos to try and solve this problem -- the Halo Sleepsack, the Woombie, Aden & Anais giant swaddle blankets, and so on. Which one is the best for you? <i>I have no idea</i>. Which swaddlegizmo your baby likes depends on how well you wrap them with it, how well their body type fits it, and a million other factors that can't be anticipated. Just by a bunch of them from a store with a good return policy, try them out over a couple of weeks, and send back the ones that are no good.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://c4.diapers.com/images/products/p/pj/pj-103_1z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://c4.diapers.com/images/products/p/pj/pj-103_1z.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Summer Infant SwaddleMe has worked<br />
wonders for us. Give it a try, but if it doesn't work<br />
try something else!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For us, at least, the winner is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XL658K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007XL658K&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">Summer Infant SwaddleMe</a>. The SwaddleMe features a roomy pouch to fit baby's legs, plus velcro that sits really high. The velcro makes it easier to keep baby's arms down by his side while still leaving enough room to reduce the risk of <a href="http://www.hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/hip-healthy-swaddling/">hip dysplasia</a>. Thanks to the SwaddleMe, VCB has gone from waking up 3-4 times per night to once or twice. Just as importantly, when we bundle him back up after feeding, he goes back to sleep quickly. Or at least calms down, meaning mom and dad can get some rest themselves.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-47703815440194393372013-08-26T05:02:00.005-07:002013-08-26T05:02:57.634-07:00VCB's first weekTo celebrate his first week of life, we took young Master Valentine out for his first trip outside! Mostly, mom & dad wanted to get coffee. We also posed him for his first of many time lapse photos.<br />
<br />
<object height="600" width="800"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635230823511%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635230823511%2F&set_id=72157635230823511&jump_to="></param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635230823511%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635230823511%2F&set_id=72157635230823511&jump_to=" width="800" height="600"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Here's a "making of" video ... my first attempt to use the GoPro.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="465" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xNMfUCnvhn4" width="620"></iframe>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-62009971963562466112013-08-25T06:57:00.000-07:002013-08-30T10:44:13.781-07:00The Best Clothing for Newborn Babies is Kimonos & Leg WarmersWe are five days into the parenting thing (seven -- <i>SEVEN! COUNT' EM!</i> -- if you count the two days in postpartum recovery), so naturally as a first time parent I have <i>all sorts of advice</i> for the rest of the world. And what is the Internet for if not handing out ill-informed, unsolicited advice? AMIRITE? I know enough about baby-raising to know we don't know everything. But at this point we do know something, particularly about this first few days where mom and dad are just gasping for air trying to keep baby happy and alive and maybe get a little bit of sleep. I thought we might use this experience to help you.<br />
<br />
So here's the scenario: you're gift shopping for that yuppie-hipster (yipster?) friend of yours, who has a baby shower this weekend. Sure, you could get something straight off the wishlist, like diapers or an infant carrier or a Rock n Play. But you want your gift to be <i>special</i>. And <i>thoughtful</i>. To show that you <i>care</i> about your friend's <i>baby</i>. So you get something small off the wishlist -- maybe a pacifier or a stack of prefolds/burp rags -- then head to the baby section of the department store, where you see just the <i>cutest</i> little outfit, maybe with a big ol' monkey face or a turtle on it. Your baby-related emotions overtake everything else in your brain and you rush over to the rack and<br />
<br />
woah. <i>Woah</i>. <i><b>WOAH</b></i>. Eeeeeeasy there, tiger. Let's stop think about this for a second.<br />
<br />
I can appreciate the sentiment. Nothing screams cute like baby clothes. They are engineered by marketers to trigger all the "d'awwwww" receptors in the human brain. But there are a number of reasons why picking the cutest outfit off the rack isn't exactly special and/or thoughtful.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/_images/products_zoom_1600x1600/1340204321Thirsties_Duo_Wrap_Snap_Scottish_Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/_images/products_zoom_1600x1600/1340204321Thirsties_Duo_Wrap_Snap_Scottish_Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/_images/products_zoom_1600x1600/1340204321Thirsties_Duo_Wrap_Snap_Scottish_Storm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is the point of buying this swank diaper cover<br />
if it's just going to be covered by a onesie?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol>
<li><b>Everyone else has the same idea.</b> Well, not everyone. But there will be multiple guests that decide the best gift they can buy is the cutest/hippest article of clothing they can find. Clothing is always appreciated. But there comes a point where the parents might wish they had gotten something else that might see more regular use. This is the biggest reason to be a bit more careful with off-the-registry giftgiving.</li>
<li><b>It's probably too big.</b> The display clothing is usually meant for babies aged 6 months or older, sometimes as old as 15 or 18 months. Now, there are two schools of thought here. One school says that gifts for older kids will be nice when there are fewer people who are in a gift-giving mood. The other says that by the time baby gets to 6 months, mom and dad have got this whole parenting thing at least partially under control, while on the first day home from the hospital it's just 24x7 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv2Hu4pHAFc">CRISIS ALERT!</a> and simple, practical, workaday items will be a godsend. Consider your gift recipients and the other guests when deciding which school to follow. But as you do so, be sure to keep reason #1 in mind. (a third school says not to register for clothes <i>at all</i>, because that's what everyone is going to give you anyway. That, and blankets.)</li>
<li><b>It might not keep baby warm enough.</b> Newborns lose heat very quickly. For maximum comfort and health, they should be dressed roughly one layer warmer than the adults in the room, and/or swaddled with additional blankets. Short-sleeved clothing won't do unless it's summer somewhere warm, or mom and dad keep their house at sauna temperatures. Most decorative/standard baby clothing seems to be short-sleeved.</li>
<li><b>Even if it's newborn-sized, it might be a pain to put on/take off.</b> More on specific clothing types in a minute.</li>
<li><b>It probably hides the diaper.</b> This is only applicable if the parents are considering using cloth diapers. You're probably thinking "cloth diapers? but, poop! in the laundry! EWWW!!!" ... That's not how it works, but that's another post for another time. For now, just understand that one of the reasons to use cloth diapers is that cloth diapers are <i>stylin'</i>. Most baby clothes are optimized for parents trying to hide their kids' Huggies. Nothing wrong with that, but check with the parents-to-be to see if they're considering going cloth.</li>
</ol>
Did you get all that? Yes? So we're going to step away from the display rack? Right? Yeaaaaah. There we <i>go</i>. Now, what to get instead. You want to get something the parents will love, but still want a gift that has a personal touch. Imma hook you up right here.<br />
<br />
First off, sizes. Focus on <b>newborn and/or size 0-3. </b>Most babies will need newborn (typically 5-8lbs) sized clothing for at least a couple of weeks. Larger babies will fit 0-3 clothing at birth. That size will get used for longer, but probably still give the parents that feeling of "zomg your gift totally pulled my ass out of the fire". <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.babysoyusa.com/Uploadpwudfbog/120%20BE%20L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://www.babysoyusa.com/Uploadpwudfbog/120%20BE%20L.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the kind of easy to take-on/off outfit that<br />
mom and dad will <i>love</i> in the early days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now lets talk outfit types. Your first and best bet is <b>long-sleeved kimono shirts <complete id="goog_1120139077"></complete></b><complete id="goog_1120139077">plus</complete><b><complete id="goog_1120139077"> </complete>leg warmers</b>. The shirts should fasten together with snaps. <i>Not buttons. Not zippers. Not ties.</i> <b><i>Snaps!</i></b> Kimonos -- sometimes labeled <b>side snap shirts --</b> are far and away the easiest clothing to put on and take off a squishy newborn, with minimal baby fussing and parent frustration. Place on the diaper changing pad at the end of the change, fold over baby, snap, snap, snap, and <i>done</i>. Leg warmers are similarly easy to put on; you just wad them up, slide them over the feet, stretch them out, and that's it.<br />
<br />
For your kimonos, <a href="https://www.babysoyusa.com/category.aspx?ClassifyID=32&SeriesID=1">Baby Soy</a> has a nice set of kimono tops made out of "natural azlon soybean protein fiber" and, I dunno, crystals and aura and the tears of investment bankers or whatever. They look cute and comfy, so I'll take it. On the budget side of things, Gerber makes <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C2PV5I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007C2PV5I&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">plain white baby kimono shirts</a>, which have the added bonus of fold-over wrist cuffs to keep baby from scratching up his face. "But plain white is so boring!" you say. <span style="text-align: center;">Well, give them a chance to jazz it up. Borrow their ultrasound photo and print it onto iron-on transfer paper, or include a pack of such paper in your gift. Leg warmers can also add additional flair to your clothing gift. You can find nice leg warmers in newborn and other sizes at </span> <a href="http://www.babylegs.com/Legwarmers.aspx">BabyLegs</a> or <a href="http://www.judanzy.com/Newborn_c_31.html">juDanzy</a> or maybe you can find some friends to split a 50-pack from alva baby. Amazon.com carries both BabyLegs and juDanzy, but I found it difficult to search the styles on their website.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Up next is <b>full kimono outfits </b>or <b>side-snap sleepers</b>. These are just like the plain vanilla, center-snap sleeper, only with three or four fewer snaps. They're probably the best choice for parents that plan on using disposable diapers. <a href="https://www.babysoyusa.com/detail.aspx?ProductID=264&ClassifyID=31">Baby Soy</a> and <a href="http://www.littleme.com/giraffe-footie/">Little Me</a> both make side-snap outfits.</div>
<br />
Your third option is the center-snap <b>long-sleeved sleeper or footed pajama.</b> For many parents, the sleeper is the workhorse outfit in baby's first few months. It's suitable to almost all temperatures except blazing hot, keeps baby feeling pretty snug to minimize distressed crying, and you can usually find them with a cute print even in NB/0-3 sizes. Any baby or department store will have a ton of these, just make sure they're the right side, have feet, and a cute hat.<br />
<br />
The fourth best option is the <b>long-sleeved pullover shirt</b>, again combined with <b>leg warmers</b>. The long-sleeved pullover has no snaps, which can be great for robing/disrobing baby. However, some parents are a bit afraid of pulling and stretching fabric around their newborn's fragile little head and hands. NOTE: newborns are way less fragile than most people's instincts tell them. Watch the nurses in recovery as they do diaper changes, burping, or other basic baby maintenance. They're not exactly gentle; they've gots places to <i>be. </i>Nonetheless, pullovers are still more clumsy than the super-simple kimonos or even sleepers.<br />
<i><br /></i>
What you <b>don't</b> want to give is newborn or 0-3 <strike>onesies</strike> one-piece bodysuits (<i>Gerber has a trademark on "Onesie", c.f. Kleenex, Xerox, etc.</i>). Because, it turns out, onesies are a huge pain in the derriere. Very young babies can't sit up, so donning a onesie requires sliding it down baby's back while he wiggles on the changing table. Not fun. And again, if mom and dad want to show off their adorable cloth diapers, you've just become the funcrusher. Let the other guests pick out onesies while you hand over <i>the newborn clothing survival pack</i>, consisting of:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1x 2-pack of newborn Gerber long-sleeve white kimono shirts: $8</li>
<li>2x 2-pack of 0-3 Gerberg long-sleeve white kimono shirts: $18</li>
<li>One nice kimono shirt from Baby Soy: $15</li>
<li>A pack of iron-on transfer paper: $10</li>
<li>4-5 sets of newborn leggings (<i>Note:</i> leggings can continue to be used later in life as thigh warmers, wristlets, or other silliness. Don't worry about overbuying leggings): $30</li>
<li>2 newborn sleepers -- either side-snap or center-snap: $30</li>
<li>2 0-3 sleepers: $30</li>
</ul>
<div>
Okay, so it's a nice shower gift. $150 is a lot. If it feels like too much, stick with just the plain white shirts and the leggings, or the sleepers if they're planning on using disposables. </div>
Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-16815460842392088622013-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:002013-09-14T19:52:25.347-07:00He is here!Valentine Charles Beaudrowen was born at 4:34 pm on August 18, 2013. He weighed 8 lbs 1.5 oz, measured 19.5" tall, and has blue eyes and a full head of hair.<br />
<br />
We are home from the hospital with this little fella. He is quite the charmer.
<object width="640" height="480"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635510580935%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635510580935%2F&set_id=72157635510580935&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635510580935%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Felectoral-math%2Fsets%2F72157635510580935%2F&set_id=72157635510580935&jump_to=" width="640" height="480"></embed></object>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-60378940295173294222013-07-24T20:50:00.000-07:002013-07-24T20:50:24.205-07:00Our Friends Are RidiculousWe finally got around to writing the baby shower name generator, <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/p/baby-shower-name-generator.html">head on over and check it out</a>!Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-84565050426272935812013-07-11T11:18:00.002-07:002013-07-11T11:19:54.721-07:00Baby Shower Photos<b>34 weeks, 2 days</b> <br />
<br />
A few weeks ago we had a fantastic baby shower! Here are some photos of the festivities.<br />
<br />
It's great to see so many people in our lives who are willing to help out!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="480" width="640"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fgreghanson%2Fsets%2F72157634150885850%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F9052783911%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fgreghanson%2Fsets%2F72157634150885850%2Fwith%2F9052783911%2F&set_id=72157634150885850&jump_to=9052783911"></param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fgreghanson%2Fsets%2F72157634150885850%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F9052783911%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fgreghanson%2Fsets%2F72157634150885850%2Fwith%2F9052783911%2F&set_id=72157634150885850&jump_to=9052783911" width="640" height="480"></embed></object>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-5308777304277775642013-05-25T21:00:00.003-07:002013-05-25T21:00:57.297-07:00I Guess This Is Really Happening!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgSIcvYbXQE/UZzQtVxls2I/AAAAAAAAHVA/-aLsqPcGAkE/w433-h674-no/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgSIcvYbXQE/UZzQtVxls2I/AAAAAAAAHVA/-aLsqPcGAkE/w433-h674-no/IMG.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click for full-sized photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Baby Boy Beaudrowen is growing quite nicely. We got some nice 3D ultrasounds from our last research measurement trip. In the top one he's resting his head on his hands. In the bottom one ... well, the ultrasound isn't always perfect.<br />
<br />
We also bought our crib, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DaVinci-Rivington-Convertible-Toddler-Cherry/dp/B0029LH1YQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369532693&sr=8-1&keywords=davinci+rivington+cherry">DaVinci Rivington 4-in-1</a> that converts into a toddler bed and then eventually a full-sized bed. Almost all baby furniture is made of pine, unless you're willing to spend a ton of money. We don't expect it to last forever. Still, the idea of buying something that <i>might</i> last into Master Beaudrowen's tweener years was pretty appealing.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-3754496593203851702013-05-04T20:14:00.002-07:002013-05-04T20:14:48.166-07:00It's Like the Pregnant Husband is Reading My Mind<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/7b31dd273547dd994315d4fb7675765a/tumblr_mglfqla8RA1qzwh1uo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/7b31dd273547dd994315d4fb7675765a/tumblr_mglfqla8RA1qzwh1uo1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it's three days past the due date, the Pregnant<br />Husband and his wife, when talking to the baby,<br />are like this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's no shortage of parenting- & baby-centric memes out there on the Internet, but here at the Beaudrowen household we're particularly partial to <a href="http://pregnanthusband.tumblr.com/">The Pregnant Husband</a> and his post-partum followup, <a href="http://daddy-newbie.tumblr.com/">Daddy Newbie</a>. Be careful, you may find yourself clicking through & reading the entire backlog of both GIF-filled sites.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-37373667248041986402013-04-23T19:40:00.002-07:002013-04-23T19:40:49.799-07:00It's a Boy!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/electoral-math/8592689624/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="yoga 01 by niq77174, on Flickr"><img alt="yoga 01" height="376" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8592689624_6a608fdcb0.jpg" width="500" /></a>Well, I guess we should make everything official here, too.<br />
<br />
The Beaudrowen family will increase in size by approximately 50% this coming August, or, possibly, late September. To the right is a nice photo of Baby Boy Beaudrowen practicing his yoga one morning. This is either plow pose, or happy baby pose, or somewhere in between. Mom- and dad- to be are very excited about these developments. We've already reached the phase in which Master Beaudrowen's daily routine includes frequent kicking & rolling around.<br />
<br />
Beaudrowen product reviews will probably expand to include not just home products but <i>baby</i> home products, possibly including reviews of many of the one hojillion available self-help books for parents.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-70060098659826265112013-03-08T14:29:00.002-08:002013-03-09T07:28:49.317-08:00Beaudrowen Product Reviews : RoombaSince we've got this super-awesome domain name, we might as well use it, right? I've been trying to figure out what to put here for quite some time. For a while I couldn't come up with anything at all. Now that we're homeowners, though, I think we might turn it into a site for reviews of home-ownership-esque products we've used. It turns out that you end up getting a lot of "stuff" when you move into a new house. Some of it's useful, some of it's nice to have, some of it you could do without.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71RTGoOC-OL._SL1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71RTGoOC-OL._SL1000_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So let's get started with one of the first things we bought upon moving in: The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GK3IVW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005GK3IVW&linkCode=as2&tag=electoralmath-20">Roomba 770</a>. Nick figured that having a Roomba would be a good way to make sure the new house stayed clean.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
The Good</h3>
The floors are regularly clean. <i>Cleean</i>! Not spic-and-span clean, but way cleaner than they were at our old place. Nick won a second Roomba in a raffle at work, and now the upstairs is cleaner too! With regular Roomba-ing, you can cut down on professional carpet cleaning bills.<br />
<br />
Roomba supposedly has great customer service, but we've never had to call them.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
The Bad</h3>
The Roomba requires daily emptying of its rubbish bin, and almost daily brush cleaning. It takes a few minutes out of each day. It's a small price to pay for clean floors, but it's worth mentioning.<br />
<br />
Roomba likes to get stuck on things. Rug fringes are probably the worst. But cat toys, wires, and the like can easily get wrapped around Roomba's brushes. If Roomba senses, it will just stop vaccuming rather than damage your stuff any further; however, several cat toys and headphone wires have been sacrificed to the Roomba gods. You have to keep your house "Roomba-proof" for the sake of both the Roomba and your belongings.<br />
<br />
Roomba can very easly shut itself into a room, which can be very unnerving if it's bumping around in the night. Use doorstops to keep interior doors open so that Roomba can roam freely. Of course, if you do this, now you have doorstops on your bathroom doors, which you have to pull out every time nature calls.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
What They Don't Tell You</h3>
You should make sure there are no obstructions between Roomba's dock and the opposite wall. If there are obstacles in the way -- trash cans, fridges, -- the Roomba is more likely to fail to dock. It will line itself up so that it can make a bee line to the dock, but it can't "see" obstacles in the way. Now that we've got this set up right things are working much more smoothly, but it took us a while to figure out what was going on.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Should you buy it?</h3>
Probably. If your house/apartment is small, you might not see much benefit, though a friend of mine with a 1-bedroom likes having it. Also, if you're already vacuuming consistently, Roomba just won't have much work to do. You might start feeling like the daily Roomba maintenance isn't worth it.<br />
<br />
<i>But</i> if you have a two bedroom house/apartment or larger, and you're not vacuuming your carpets once a week, you will probably enjoy having the Roomba. It's not perfect, but it does a pretty good job of keeping the house clean.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-45405918356748124602013-01-26T15:59:00.000-08:002013-01-26T15:59:19.832-08:00More Joys of HomeownershipWe've settled into our new home nicely. And we've even kept it clean enough to have guests over a few times! Here are some photos from our housewarming in September.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="600" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=27363692@N00&set_id=72157631527710409/&text=" width="600"></iframe><br />
<small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-85000789411715506192012-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:002012-07-05T15:48:28.539-07:00Homeownership! Woo!In post-wedding news, the Beaudrowens have bought a house! The Beaudrowen Blog will probably become an occasional source for updates on the joys of home ownership/debt peonage.<br />
<br />
Huzzah! Here are some pics from our home inspection tour, to give you a flavor for the place.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=27363692@N00&set_id=72157630002447298&tags=Cars,Lotus,Exige" width="500"></iframe><br />
<small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-90287109522285295352010-11-19T08:18:00.000-08:002010-11-19T08:23:48.054-08:00THEY'RE HEEERE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5189269166_f56171208c.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5189269166_f56171208c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />That's right, ladies and germs, we have managed to upload the best of our wedding photos to Flickr at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslwn/sets/72157625297603353/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslwn/sets/72157625297603353/</a>. We hold the copyright to these photos; however, we encourage you to print as many as you want, comment on the photos, or share your favorites with others.Ursulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054776892578355166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-46083889995064336352010-10-24T22:00:00.001-07:002010-10-24T22:00:36.739-07:00Vendor ReviewsOur vendor reviews post is very long, and has been pushed deep into the archives. Here's the link: <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/2009/09/vendor-reviews.html">Beaudrowen Vendor Reviews</a>.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-53091813566578660832010-10-18T09:44:00.000-07:002010-10-18T09:44:03.029-07:00Pro Pics are Here! (Sort of)Our photographer has put all 1800 or so wedding photos into an online gallery. We should be getting a DVD-ROM full of photos soon as well! Once we have those, we'll put together a "best of" collection so that folks who don't want to spend two or three hours scrolling through photos can get a feel for what they looked like.Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-73730547169801227272010-09-30T12:38:00.000-07:002010-09-30T12:45:47.655-07:00Photos trickling inSo we've found out that our professional photos may not be ready for a good two months yet. Fortunately, it appears that some of you have your own lovely photos from the church and reception, and are uploading them to our Flickr group at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/beaudrowen/">http://www.flickr.com/groups/beaudrowen/</a>. Please feel free to add your own photos to the pool, or to peruse the ones that other guests have contributed! We hope that these photos, and the photos from our<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslwn/sets/72157624711197063/"> engagement session</a> and Ann Pearl's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greghanson/sets/72157624991969190/">fabulous brunch</a>, will hold you over.Ursulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054776892578355166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-35263993050553444572010-09-19T19:36:00.000-07:002010-09-19T20:05:50.234-07:00Now the party's over...Pictures will be forthcoming as soon as we receive them from the photographer; in the meantime, a few important items: <ol><li>We did a few things ourselves, but the vast majority of decorating, arranging, and general carrying to-and-fro on the day of the wedding was done by family. We want to take this opportunity to thank Ursula's parents and siblings and all the members of the wedding party for donating so much of their time and effort for set-up and take-down and everything in between. We barely knew what was going on where when, but everything happened amazingly smoothly. We couldn't have dreamed of better help.<br /></li><li>Thanks go also to the D.A.R. staff, Pyramid Catering, Kelli's Creations for the cake, D.J. Jeremy Hamel from Sonic Entertainment, and Becky (liturgist) and Rebecca (officiant) at St. Mark's Cathedral. </li><li>Finally, thank you to all of you who were able to make it! We're so glad that people came from out of town (let alone across oceans!) to have a good time with us as we (<span style="font-style: italic;">ahem</span>) take this next step in our lives, and hope that all of you enjoyed the day as much as we did.</li></ol>In conclusion, thank you thank you thank you. Good night and good luck.<br /><br />XOXO,<br />Ursula and Nick<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/electoral-math/5007009350/" title="Last Dance iPhone snap by niq77174, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5007009350_f5eacab128.jpg" alt="Last Dance iPhone snap" height="500" width="375" /></a>Ursulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054776892578355166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-6767345571953220652010-09-18T23:59:00.000-07:002010-07-20T21:52:50.999-07:00It's A Party! And A Wedding! It's ... A Wedding Party!Hello there! Welcome to BeaudrOwen.com, your one-stop shop for information on Nick and Ursula's wedding. We're excited to see everyone on the Big Day! You can <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding/UserViewWebsiteToolRSVP?wid=6a576be53519a8c6&pid=b715fe29b3d68fa0">RSVP for yourself, your date, and any schoolage (or younger) children right this minute</a>! That way, every time you look at the invite on your fridge, you don't say to yourself "oh, man, I need to remember to send in my RSVP".<br />
<br />
<table style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid black; float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 333px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BTt4cJQj7GI/TCjWykgsmHI/AAAAAAAAAFI/ISW1DNjP4us/s400/invite_main.png" /> </td> </tr>
<tr><td style="font-size: 67.5%; text-align: center;">Yes, Virginia, the wedding is actually happening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here are some links that we suspect wedding guests will find useful:<br />
<ul><li>Like we said before, you can go ahead and <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding/UserViewWebsiteToolRSVP?wid=6a576be53519a8c6&pid=b715fe29b3d68fa0">RSVP today</a>.</li>
<li>Take a look at <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/2010/04/shhhh-were-registered.html">our online wedding registries</a>.</li>
<li>Whether you're visiting from far away, or you want to play tourist in your home town, take a look at our ideas on <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/2010/01/fun-in-seattle.html">where to have fun in Seattle</a>. We'll probably update it from time to time.</li>
<li>Visitors traveling from out of town will want to bookmark our page full of <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/2009/12/travel-lodging.html">Travel & Lodging Information</a>.</li>
<li>The DJ is happy to take suggestions, so if you have music that you'd like to dance to (either specific songs or just a genre), <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/2010/04/dance-music.html">add a comment to our Dance Music page</a>.</li>
<li>If you want to keep track of the updates made to our site, you can subscribe to our RSS feed. <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss">This feed</a> has all updates (DIY tips, cries for help, shameless promotions for our totally awesome vendors, etc.), while <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/feeds/posts/default/-/for-guests">this link</a> only has updates that are labeled "for guests".</li>
<li>Did the last bullet point sounded like a foreign language to you? That's okay! Just visit <a href="http://www.beaudrowen.com/">www.beaudrowen.com</a> every so often to see if there are any recent updates. We'll probably have something new to say at least once a week. The wedding info you see here will be at the top of the page up until the big day, so just scroll down to look for the latest news.</li>
</ul>If you have any questions or suggestions, you can send us email at <a href="mailto:info@beaudrowen.com">info@beaudrowen.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Did we mention <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding/UserViewWebsiteToolRSVP?wid=6a576be53519a8c6&pid=b715fe29b3d68fa0">you can RSVP using our website</a>? You can!Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-73318803641648505922010-09-14T11:02:00.000-07:002010-09-14T11:02:38.510-07:00Can We Talk About The Weather?Be sure to pack an umbrella.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://king.bimedia.net/KING/weather/stills/5day_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://king.bimedia.net/KING/weather/stills/5day_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-39911203943759801872010-08-30T10:39:00.000-07:002010-08-30T10:39:16.093-07:00Sports and TrafficFor tourists, this page is a way to know how to avoid losing precious hours of your vacation to getting stuck in traffic. For sports nuts, this page is a way to know when to head to the bar. Here are the major sporting events for Seattle teams the weekend of the wedding.<br />
<ul><li><b>College Football:</b> The Huskies play at home against Nebraska starting at 12:30 on Saturday. The University District, home of Husky Stadium, is not equipped to handle 75,000 tailgaters <i>at all</i>. It is best to avoid the U-district entirely on game day to avoid running the risk of being stuck in traffic.</li>
<li><b>Pro Football:</b> The Seahawks are on the road.</li>
<li><b>Baseball:</b> The Mariners are at home the weekend of the wedding.</li>
<ul><li>Friday 7:10pm</li>
<li>Saturday 6:10</li>
<li>Sunday 1:10</li>
</ul>Despite their terrible record, the M's are a decent draw, especially on weekends if the weather is nice.
<li><b>Soccer:</b> Seattle Sounders FC are on the road. Yes, they're big enough to matter; the Sounders draw 36,000 per game, compared to the Mariners' 27,000 (and a lot of those M's fans come dressed as empty seats).</li>
</ul>Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394343632768851663.post-4233845809099459152010-08-29T15:30:00.000-07:002010-08-29T15:30:20.048-07:00In Which Nick and Ursula Dress a Little Fancier and Get Their Picture TakenHere's a collection of good shots from our engagement photo shoot earlier this August:<br />
<br />
<iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="640" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=8445602@N03&set_id=72157624711197063&text=" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small><br />
<br />
Many thanks to Chris Gendron of <a href="http://www.gendronphoto.com/">Gendron Photography</a>!Nick Beaudrothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.com0