Rick loves Christine (+1)

Bouncy Ariy

2012-02-02T18:16:00.001-08:00

Ariy learns to bounce.

Resolution Constitution 2012

2012-01-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

[As promised, here are my resolutions for 2012. Since my life has become increasingly busy with the birth of my first child last year, I decided to take it easy this year and focus on four goals, or one for each of the N-Y-M-L categories. And as a treat, I resurrected and updated my original Resolution Constitution preamble.]

RESOLUTION CONSTITUTION OF 2012

Last amended: January 2012

Preamble

The following goals, desires, and/or commitments, henceforth defined as "resolutions," are a product of Richard Allan McNeal, henceforth named the "Resolver." Any reproduction, representation, or rebroadcast of said resolutions without the expressed, written consent of the Resolver is strictly prohibited.

The resolutions herein are constructed in a patented format known as "No, Yes, More, Less" and allow the Resolver to present and express his goals in a simple, clear, and effective voice. The preceding categories are literal and intended to be both ambiguous and defined. The Resolver does grant and encourage the use of his patented formula by the public; however, any such use for personal or corporate profit is strictly prohibited and subject to prosecution in accordance with the law.

Resolutions shall be evaluated quarterly and shall, upon evaluation, be assessed a letter grade concurrent with the success with which the resolutions are being accomplished. The grade received at the end of the resolution period (typically the fourth quarter) will exercise final authority and does not necessarily reflect the success of the previous three quarters. All grades shall be determined at the objective discretion of the Evaluator who is to be named by the Resolver.

Finally, any and all resolutions are subject to change without notice provided the consent of both Resolver and Evaluator.

Resolutions

NO hesitating to serve wife at her request (i.e. the "Whipped Clause").

Brush, floss, and rinse daily, YES!

Drink MORE water (at least 32 ounces/day).

Watch LESS television (permissible on nights and weekends only).

Closing

The aforementioned resolutions are hereby commissioned to be completed and/or upheld throughout the entirety of the resolution period by the undersigned.

Ratified: January 31, 2012

Resolver: Richard Allan McNeal

Evaluator:Richard Allan McNeal

Birthday Bashing

2012-01-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's true. Yesterday was my birthday. I'm now one year nearer death at the ancient age of 28. But that is neither here nor there.

Today, as I sit here nursing a mild stomach ache, I am painfully aware of the rapid degradation of the birthday celebration in the McNeal household. Where it once was merely a day of selfish gain and vanity quantifiable with presents, birthday cards, and "Happy Birthday!"s on my Facebook wall, it has since deteriorated into an annual binge of sloth and gluttony rampant with a severe lack of physical activity and the non-stop eating of "junk" food, both of which are a veritable health hazard.

You see, a few years back Christine and I exchanged the traditional birthday custom of gift-giving for a less recognized expression we call the "Birthday Experience." Basically, instead of tangible presents, we try to provide each other the license to engage in (morally acceptable) pleasurable experiences, the majority of which center around eating. Interestingly, though born out of a need for frugality in the early years of our marriage, the progression from gift to experience seemed somewhat natural as we matured into full-blown adulthood.

Still, take yesterday's birthday experience as an example. The following is a list of foods I consumed, ordered chronologically.

Breakfast: (2) slices of bread, extra Nutella spread
Lunch: (1) bag gummi worms, (1) bottle root beer, (1) Totino's party pizza
Dinner: (1) bowl tortilla soup, extra chips, extra cheese, (1) root beer
Dessert: (2) pieces of chocolate cake with ice cream, (1) chocolate covered strawberry, (2) chocolate covered banana slices, (1) bag peanut M&Ms, (1) bag sour gummi worms, (1) bottle root beer, (2) cups skim milk

(And if you think that's bad, you obviously don't remember my birthday menu from three years ago, a feat that leaves me both proud and disgusted. Seriously, give it a read.)

As you can see, what once started as a frugal and pleasant alternative to birthday presents has spiraled downward into a dark abyss of self-gratification and unhealthy living. Granted, the birthday abyss manifests only once a year, but I would hate for its destructive pattern to creep into the remainder of our days. Allowing it to establish any kind of foothold in our regular lives would be devastating.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I just ate a plate of peanut M&Ms-and-banana pancakes for breakfast, and I think a chilled bottle of root beer will compliment it nicely.

#FatherFail: Potty Humor

2012-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

A sign that your infant son is more aware than you might think:
When he straight up pees on you and then laughs hysterically.

Christine Sings: "Patty Cake"

2012-01-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

[in an attempt to teach the song to our baby boy]

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it...kneed it...and put it in the oven.
Now there's a cake for baker and husband.

Resolving to Resolve

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if any of you noticed, but 2011 was a busy year for RicklovesChristine(+1). So busy, in fact, it was the first year I failed to publish my annual Resolution Constitution, a documented commitment in which I divulge a number of my ambitious and/or ridiculous New Year's resolutions (see link above for an example).

Consequently, my first resolution of 2012 is to draft a new constitution. I've given myself until the end of the month. And I would encourage all of you to do the same.

Over the years, I've dedicated a number of posts to New Year's resolutions, including some that detail practical ways to successfully make and keep resolutions. If you've never been one for making resolutions, or perhaps you've never been one for keeping them, I encourage you to read my following two posts from years prior and join me in resolving to resolve!

New Year's Resolutions: Simply Made (i.e. my patented "No, Yes, More, Less" formula)
New Year's Resolutions: Simply Kept

Remembering 2011

2012-01-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's our annual review of our past year together at RicklovesChristine(+1). In particular, 2011 marked one significant event in our life that changed it forever. Let's see if you can guess which one.

During her pregnancy, Christine (and husband) had to deal with a number of ridiculous symptoms/side-effects. This post from January about Christine's princess-like hip sensitivity is one of my all-time favorites.

February marked the beginning of our very first vlog (that's "video log" for all you noobs)! Also, I would be remiss if I didn't remind everyone of the amazing lengths I went to in order to be a caring husband to a pregnant wife. (And here's the movie if you don't want to read the book.)

In March, we embarked on an epic "Quest for Rest." See all the stages of our journey on video: The Pillow Fortress, The Doghouse, The Pregnancy Bed, The Pregnancy Bed 2.0.

Now, let's see...April. April. Did anything significant happen in April? Oh yeah. We had a baby and named him Ariy Allan.

If you've never heard the entire birth story or want to hear it again, feel free to check our first Baby Documentary released in early May. This was also the month RicklovesChristine became RicklovesChristine(+1), and I promised you a new template.

In June, we launched an intensive ad campaign for Friday Fires. If you don't know what Friday Fires is, we launched an intensive ad campaign in June.

My brother got married in July. I gave an epic best man toast at his wedding. Also, Christine and I fell prey to the magical world of Harry Potter.

Nothing particularly exciting happened in August. See for yourself.

In September, I taught Ariy how to be self-sufficient!

October saw a handful of autumn activities including a pumpkin patch and Halloween costumes.

We issued a formal press release in November about the changing dynamics of our family, and I taught Ariy a dirty word.

Finally, with December came some awesome family photos and Ariy's first Christmas!

In other news, 2011 saw more blog posts than any of the years prior. Here's hoping I can continue the trend in 2012. Enjoy!

New Year, New Template

2012-01-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally got around to designing a new template for RicklovesChristine(+1). I figured the new year was an appropriate time for a new look. The old template featured a picture from our wedding three and a half years ago. Clearly, we've since expanded the family, so I needed a way to highlight the little guy on the homepage. You can thank Photo Macy for the great pic of our handsome lion man (click here to see more).

Let me know what you think of the new look.

Also, stay tuned for our upcoming annual post about the previous year, "Remembering 2011." It's a fun way to recap 2011 by highlighting some of the best (and worst) posts of the past year. I can already tell you there were some really good ones. You won't want to miss out!

Christmas Baby

2011-12-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Ariy knows the true meaning of Christmas: presents! At least, we think that's why he uncharacteristically woke us up this morning at 6:30 a.m by screaming and kicking violently in his crib.

Don't let his cute and festive attire fool you, he wants him some presents now!

Christmas Eve Service

2011-12-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Looking for a place to go on Christmas Eve? Join our family at Portland Community Church!

I'll be singing some classic Christmas carols as well as playing saxophone.

Our service starts at 3 p.m. on 12/24 @ Whitford Middle School.

Hope to see you there!

PEEK-A-BOO

2011-12-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ariy's Six-Month Photoshoot

2011-12-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

A huge thanks to our friends John and Erin (and Sage) Macy for taking these great pictures of our family!

You can also see a few more and purchase our beautiful faces here.

All the Juicy Deets

2011-11-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Some big things are happening in our little family.

The biggest, of course, is that our little lion man continues to grow at an alarmingly fast rate. Christine typically does a great job of chronicling the precious milestones in Ariy's development over at her blog, so I won't bother repeating any of those things here. However, as the primary diaper changer in the house, I will say that the transition to solid foods has been a welcomed one (i.e. what goes in solid comes out solid).

Perhaps the next biggest change is a significant one for our family dynamics. As many of you know, I have been staying at home with Ariy while Christine continues her work at George Fox University. While I love my son and Christine loves her job, our current situation has not been the healthiest for our family (mostly Mommy and Daddy). As such, Christine recently put in her notice to leave her job. She'll be working until the first week of January. The stress of trying to work full-time and be a mother full-time was simply tearing her apart. In fact, she really hadn't been herself since she went back to work. Thankfully, the day she put in her notice she was back to normal -- like someone had flipped a switch. It was both odd and awesome to experience. (And before I continue, I do want to say that this decision had nothing to do with the nature of Christine's job. It was simply the fact she was having to be away from our son. George Fox University has been very good to us, and the only reason Christine hasn't completely lost it is because she actually enjoys the work she does there and has a tremendous amount of support from all her awesome coworkers.)

Of course, with Christine leaving the workforce, the bread-winning baton has now been passed to me. In October, I began working with a church in Portland as their Director of Creative Worship. Basically, I coordinate most of the elements that occur in our Sunday services, the majority of which involve music. I am incredibly blessed to have this position, as it is one that I greatly enjoy. Still, the position in currently part-time, and not quite enough to support our family once Christine leaves her job. Needless to say, I'm looking for another part-time job in addition to this position at the church. You can learn more about the church on our website here and see more about me here. Feel free to check us out!

Finally, we recently had our first family photo shoot with some friends of ours who are professional photographers. We are expecting those awesome pictures (mostly of Ariy) in the coming weeks. You can get a sneak peek here. With that, you can also expect the new blog template I've been talking about for months as well. Well, maybe.

[Editor's note: My apologies for the multiple occurrences of the word "awesome" in this post. I realize this is no longer the 90s.]

Poopy Laugh

2011-11-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

My son is so immature. Seriously.

I ain't 'fraid of no Dad

2011-11-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, I attempted to scare my six month-old. Apparently, I'm not scary.

Grocery Shopping: Last Call

2011-11-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

I just had to make one more quick trip to the grocery store before the wife returned -- you know, for the essentials.

(2) boxes of Pop-Tarts
(1) gallon Tillamook ice cream
(1) loaf whole wheat bread

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Obligatory Halloween baby pictures:

Pea Pod

Pumpkin Pajamas

Grocery Shopping Addendum

2011-10-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

After holding an impromptu budget meeting, Fourth Meal was finally approved as a grocery budget line item by a majority vote of 1. Official measures to partake of this new addition will be taken immediately.

Grocery Shopping Attempts Return!

2011-10-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

With Christine and Ariy away on business, I've been called up and out of retirement to handle the grocery shopping. As you can see, my skills are a little rusty:

(1) box Eggo blueberry waffles
(1) Totino's Party Pizza
(1) can mushroom pieces
(1) bag sliced pepperoni
(1) bag fun-sized Snickers
(1) bag fun-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
(1) [embarrassing personal item]

I'd say that the candy was bought with Trick-or-Treaters in mind but that might not be entirely true. For those of you who remember last year, I will say that I was able to resist the urge to buy a bag of Oreo cookies. It was by far the hardest thing I had to do all day.

For those of you who missed last year's disaster, the following posts will catch you up to speed.

Grocery Shopping: Attempt #1
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #2
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #3
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #4
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #5
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #6
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #7
Grocery Shopping: Attempt #8
Grocery Shopping: Final Attempt

Must Be This Tall

2011-10-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend complete with carnival rides. Ariy isn't quite ready...

Epic Best Man Toast

2011-10-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

After getting married last July in Colorado, this past weekend my brother and his new wife hosted a wedding reception in Washington for all their friends and family in the Pacific Northwest. For those of you who don't know, I was given the honor of being the Best Man at the wedding. Of course, this meant I had to fulfill certain duties, the most notable of which was giving a toast at the reception.

Now, I'm not going to say that I gave the greatest Best Man toast you'll ever see, but I'm not going to say that I didn't either. Both wedding photographers came up to me separately and said it was the funniest toast they'd seen in 8 years of full-time wedding photography. Hands down. So, in case you missed the live version, or the wedding video last weekend, here's my toast in its entirety.

Cheers.

Christine [in captions]

2011-10-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Christine handed this to me and said, "Here's your Allen Ranch."

Christine says...

2011-09-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

[after nonchalantly disposing of her empty plastic water bottle in the backseat]

"What? I won't see it back there."

Woodstock?

2011-09-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bring on the winter.

Hi Mom, I Love Dad

2011-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Made this video for Mommy when she was away.

Christine says...

2011-09-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

[after 4 months and 21 days of being a parent]

"I think it's time for another one."

Four months, two teeth, and one time-out

2011-09-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

We discovered last week that Ariy already has his two front bottom teeth. He's only four months-old! Needless to say, Christine and I were both a little shocked. We weren't expecting to see teeth for awhile. Yesterday the little lion bit me and left a mark on my finger. Don't worry, I'll be fine. But I did have to send Ariy to his room for a time-out.

Final Fire

2011-09-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

The end is near.

Check out the details here: Facebook Final Fire

Laughing Baby 2.0

2011-09-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Finally got the little guy laughing on camera. Pay no attention to his ridiculous father.

Friday Fires: Countdown

2011-09-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

The end is near...

Bottle Time

2011-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

My job as a parent just got easier.

Friday Fires: Priceless

2011-09-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

What's Friday Fires worth to you?

Flying Baby

2011-08-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Christine definitely enjoyed this more than Ariy did.

Friday Fires: Fire of Dreams

2011-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

If you build it, they will come...

Friday Fires Special Guest!

2011-08-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Guess who's making a cameo appearance at Friday Fires?

Trunk Baby

2011-08-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Some people have trunk monkeys...not us.

Christine sings: The Barney Song

2011-08-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I feel about this...

Bringing Friday Fires Back

2011-08-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Friday Fires is sexy. So we're bringing it back.

Laughing Baby

2011-08-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just in case any of you missed this one...

Ariy has been laughing and smiling for over a month now, but he has cleverly eluded our camera. Even in the video below, he shuts down as soon as he notices he's being recorded.

#HusbandFail: Wife is Like a Box of Chocolates

2011-08-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

I love my wife. Just remember that.

Two weeks before we had Ariy (our newborn son), Christine started her maternity leave. Now, three months later, neither of us have worked a single day. So that means we've virtually been together 24/7 since then. And it's been great...mostly.

The other day Christine asked if I've enjoyed our time together since she stopped working. "Of course I have," I immediately responded. Then Christine whimsically quipped, "Wouldn't it just be wonderful if neither of us had to go back to work and we could spend all our time together?"

"Uh, no." I retorted matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?!" she replied. "What do you mean 'uh, no'?!"

"Well, it's just...let me explain it this way."

I knew it would be difficult navigating this particular train of thought, so I attempted to equate my feelings with a similar situation I expected Christine would understand. I proceeded to explain how spending all my time with her was like eating dark chocolate exclusively. The initial parallels seemed solid:

I love Christine; I love dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate tops all other sweets; Christine tops all other women.
Both are extremely tempting (though, in different ways).
Both are well-known aphrodisiacs (again, in different ways).

Then, my analogy took a turn for the worse. "But if I eat dark chocolate all day long, I'm going to get sick," I began. "So..." And I let Christine's mind make the connection here (I didn't dare say what I was implying out loud). I ended my argument by stating that the phrase "too much of good thing", in this case, was true.

Despite my thoughtful metaphor, Christine wasn't exactly appreciative of what I was trying to say or how I was saying it.

"I'm your wife!" she exclaimed in shocked disapproval.

In our few years of marriage, I've learned to recognize that this phrase and tone mean Christine considers herself an exception to the rule, and it's pointless to press the discussion further. (I'm sure it won't surprise anyone she considers herself the exception often.) So I didn't.

I've since amended my official position on quality time to the following:

"Spending quality time with my wife is of the utmost importance. In an ideal world, we would never be separated, even for smallest increment of time. Consequently, I will endeavor to spend as much time with my wife as physically possible and never take the time we have for granted."

Did I get that last part right, babe?

Friday Fires: Canceled?!

2011-08-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Are we really dousing the flames tonight?!

Christine Sings: Grapple Tree

2011-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Some interesting cross-pollination in our backyard. Be sure to listen for Christine's new take on a beloved children's song.

Christine [in captions]

2011-08-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

After seeing this picture in an Ikea instruction manual, Christine asked me for a screwdriver with 2 sides and one with 4.

Friday Fires: The Uncensored Truth

2011-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

What really happens at Friday Fires?

Christine [in captions]

2011-07-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Christine successfully thwarts my attempt to make our life more organized by keeping both sets of keys in her purse.

Friday Fires: Hide and Seek

2011-07-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our Deep, Dark, Magical Secret

2011-07-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Warning: (Very) Minor Spoiler Alert.

Christine Sings: "Down By The Bay"

2011-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

[to our impressionable baby boy]

Down by the bay (down by the bay),

Where the watermelons grow (where the watermelons grow),

Back to my home (back to my home),

I dare not go (I dare not go),

For if I do (for if I do),

My mother will say (my mother will say):

If you ever see a moose la de da coose...

DOWN BY THE BAY!

Friday Fires: A Love Story

2011-07-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight! Watch Christine swoon over her most beloved treat of all time...

Christine says...

2011-07-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

[upon reaching a startling revelation during the MLB All-Star break]

"Oh, so the Home Run Derby isn't a horse race?"

Christine Sings: "Down By The Bay"

2011-07-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

[to our impressionable baby boy]

Down by the bay (down by the bay),
Where the watermelons grow (where the watermelons grow),
Back to my home (back to my home),
I dare not go (I dare not go),
For if I do (for if I do),
My mother will say (my mother will say):

If you ever see a baby something craby...

DOWN BY THE BAY!

Way to Go, Bro!

2011-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Randy & Aubrie

My brother is getting married today, almost three years to the day from when I married my bride. Best wishes on this wonderful day that will continue to bless you in the years to come.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Little Ariy marches to the music and salutes America!

Friday Fires: Take Two

2011-06-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Join us for another installment of Friday Fires. You know when and where to find us.

Christine Sings: "Down By The Bay"

2011-06-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

[to our impressionable baby boy]

Down by the bay (down by the bay),

Where the watermelons grow (where the watermelons grow),

Back to my home (back to my home),

I dare not go (I dare not go),

For if I do (for if I do),

My mother will say (my mother will say):

If you ever see a tiger kissing a liger...

DOWN BY THE BAY!

Christine says...

2011-06-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

[while holding a stuffed monkey, playing with our newborn son]

"Roar!"

Christine's Birthday Recap

2011-06-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Pros and Cons: Fatherhood

2011-06-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

As Father's Day comes to a close, I wanted to share my experience being a father with you. I figured the best way to express my thoughts would be through a trusty Pros and Cons list. Consider this a commentary on the whole of fatherhood as I understand it to be. Granted, I've only been a d-a-d for two months, but I'm sure my perspective can't be that limited...

PRO:

Having another person to blame terrible odors on.

CON:

Having another person to create terrible odors.

Okay. So, apparently I've got a lot more to learn and experience than I thought. But I'm looking forward to it!

#HusbandFail: True Love

2011-06-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

"I love you even when you're annoying."

Karate Baby

2011-06-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ariy practicing his Karate Kid moves. See if you can spot the "Crane" stance.

Friday Fires

2011-06-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Christine and I are hosting a new summer tradition at our place. Check it out:

Ariy at the Beach

2011-06-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Randy and his fiancée, Aubrie, are visiting us from Colorado this week. So we decided to take a trip to the Oregon coast.

Mommy says...

2011-05-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

[after only five weeks of being a mother]

"They grow up so fast."

0 weeks

5 weeks

Can you see the difference?

Burp. Butt. Boob.

2011-05-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Three quick solutions to combating a fussy baby:

1. Burp him.
2. Wipe his butt.
3. Get him some boob action.

The 3 B's never fail.

Can You See Me?

2011-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ariy attempts his hand at the art of camouflage.

RicklovesChristine(+1)

2011-05-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that I've been sporting a slightly altered blog title recently. Well, now that I'm a father and not just a husband, my affection and adoration have become divided. I quickly realized it would be ridiculously difficult to limit the content of this blog exclusively to my wonderful wife now that I have a wonderful son. And since starting an entirely new blog seemed a little much, I'm simply shifting some of the spotlight from Christine to incorporate my newest source of inspiration, Ariy. Thus, RicklovesChristine becomes RicklovesChristine(+1).

As you can see, the new concept I've developed for the blog will allow me to easily adjust the title if we should happen to acquire any more children in the future. Impersonal? Maybe. Efficient? Definitely.

And, of course, with a new title for the blog, there's got to be a new look. Expect a fresh template design in the coming months. Enjoy!

A Baby Documentary

2011-05-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hear firsthand how our son came into the world (uploaded in two parts).

Obligatory Baby Pictures

2011-04-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hours old.

Sleeping peacefully.

Eskimo baby.

Workin' on my "ROAR!"

"Hello? Is it me you're looking for?"

Insanity

2011-04-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Insanity has begun.

Baby Name

2011-04-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our son finally has a name.

Visiting Hours

2011-04-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here's how we'd like to proceed with showing off our little guy:

Mommy had a C-section, so her recovery has been slow and we have been needing our alone time at the hospital. If all goes well, we will be released from the hospital on Saturday. After that, we'd like to keep the rest of the weekend free to adjust to our new life at home.

We think Monday would be a great day to start hosting visitors. Anytime after 10 a.m. for the next couple of weeks works for us. All are welcome to drop by our home in Newberg, but not all at once! Calling ahead would really help us make sure mom and baby don't get overwhelmed.

We are excited to see all of you, so please come over when you have the chance!

A Baby Movie (Trailer)

2011-04-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

A quick taste of the upcoming documentary chronicling our son's journey into the world.

"Wehadababyit'saboy!"

2011-04-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Remember that collect call commercial? If you don't, no worries. I've posted it below.

Oh yeah, by the way: We just had a baby; it's a boy. More details to follow.

Having a Baby: First Attempt

2011-04-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, we were admitted to the hospital in order to induce labor on account of Christine's elevated blood pressure levels.

Midnight Saturday, after more than 24 hours of induced labor, the hospital sent us home because Christine showed no signs of progress.

We are now at home waiting patiently for the baby to arrive on his own.

Watered-Down (And Out of Reach)

2011-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, Christine may be exaggerating the physical limitations of her pregnancy.

#HusbandFail: Exercise

2011-04-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

The following was intended as a joke for my pregnant wife:

"You're looking a little big, maybe you should work out."

Turns out it wasn't funny.

#HusbandFail: The Whale Fail

2011-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Pregnant Wife: "I feel like a big whale."

Husband: "Don't be ridiculous. You're a small whale at best."

Christine says...

2011-04-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

[in an attempt to ask her husband to draw her a bath]

"Will you make me a tub?"

Christeen on Foniks

2011-03-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

"werried"

Rule #90: Why use two words when one made-up word will do? See: weary + worried.

[Editor's note: This was the best "werried" face that Christine could make.]

#HusbandFail: Couch Potato

2011-03-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Christine and I recently visited a local frozen yogurt shop. Inside, there are a pair of couches that give the illusion of being bigger than they really are--a truth you don't quite grasp until you sit in them. Even though I was fully aware of this fact, I couldn't help turning Christine's similar observation into an attempt at humor.

[Christine]: "This couch is smaller than you think."

[Rick]: "Maybe you're bigger than you think."

Oops.

#HusbandFail: Backin' Up

2011-03-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading our blog recently, you know we've encountered some interesting sleeping arrangements as a result of Christine's pregnancy. Currently, Christine is sleeping on a futon mattress that's been laid on top of our queen mattress and leaned up against the wall of our bedroom. It's helped alleviate her sore hips immensely, but it has also presented an inconvenience or two. Namely, Christine can't just roll out of bed anymore. She's sleeping against the wall, and I'm impeding her way to the open side of the bed. In her current physical condition, there's really no way she can gracefully climb to the other side without providing me some serious discomfort. And because of the significant growth of her pregnancy pooch, she can't exactly sit up and scoot toward the foot of the bed -- I think it's actually become physically impossible for her at this point.

This, of course, means the only way Christine can get out of bed is to get on all fours and backward crawl toward the foot of the bed. As you can imagine, while the process is a tad awkward and inconvenient for Christine, the sight is pretty amusing for me to watch. It's so amusing for me, in fact, that the first time I saw her back out of bed I thought it would be appropriate to mark the occasion with a little humor.

So as I see Christine on all fours, butt in the air, and working her way toward the foot of the bed, I start mimicking the sound of a large delivery truck in reverse: "BEEP. BEEP. BEEP." Needless to say, the sound didn't exactly have the desired effect I excepted.

Oops.

#HusbandFail

2011-03-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, as the author of this blog, I've intentionally tried to remain somewhat removed from the spotlight. However, I'm realizing that since I also act as husband to the main character (Christine), it is increasingly more difficult to remain inconspicuous. Consequently, I've decided to start including some of my less-than-admirable moments as a husband in a new series called "#HusbandFail" (yes, non-Twitter users, that's exactly how I want it to look). Here at RicklovesChristine, I like to poke fun at Christine as a means of celebrating her unique and entertaining approach to life (new readers should note that I celebrate her life a lot), and basically, I figure I have no grounds to laugh at Christine if I can't laugh at myself, too.

Suffice to say, watch for some epic fails headed your way this week.

Christine says...

2011-03-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

[from the bathroom to her husband]

"We're almost out of tissues."

[husband responds]: We just bought Kleenex; they're in the hall closet.

"No. Tissues for wiping your butt."

[husband]: Do you mean toilet paper?!

"Yeah. That."

The Pregnancy Bed 2.0

2011-03-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Quest for Rest continues...

The Pregnancy Bed

2011-03-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

We may have reached the final stop on our Quest for Rest. Here's hoping...

The Doghouse

2011-03-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

The second stop on our Quest for Rest. Here's the initial Doghouse post.

The Pillow Fortress

2011-02-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

This was the first stop on our Quest for Rest.

Late Night Snack

2011-02-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Christine wakes up and requests a late night snack. I'm not complaining, seeing as this is only the second time this has ever happened. The first time all she wanted was cheese.

Christeen on Foniks

2011-02-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

"pink penguin"

Rule #5: The correct proper noun doesn't really matter as long as you get its color right.

Our Baby is Camera Shy

2011-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

We attempted to capture the baby's movements on camera, but he completely stopped when I started recording. Instead, enjoy 75 seconds of looking at Christine's enormous belly.

If the Wife is in the doghouse, where does that leave the Husband?

2011-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Let me be clear about one thing: comparatively, Christine's pregnancy has been fairly mild. There's been no prolonged morning sickness, no crazy cravings, and no unprovoked mood swings. However, if there's one thing that's been increasingly trying on us, it's sleeping.

The incessant in-and-out of bed trips to the bathroom haven't lent themselves well to our precious slumber. But everyone knows pregnant women pee a lot (more accurately: they pee a little, frequently). Also, many of you will remember my recent post about Christine's sensitive hips and her mountain of mattresses. Admittedly, I've heard from other pregnant couples that the hips are a common problem and the extra padding is a fair solution. Less common, but still recognized as a symptom of pregnancy, is experiencing painful leg cramps. I was abruptly alerted to this delightful side effect in the middle of the night when Christine started screaming my name a la the Chapstick Incident (she's progressed to the point where her belly is so big she can't reach her lower legs to massage out the cramps). Now, with less than two months to go, our sleep issues have moved from inconvenient and annoying to ridiculous and debilitating.

They say that pregnant women shouldn't sleep on their back. And sleeping on their stomach is obviously out of the question as I'm pretty sure it's physically impossible. Unfortunately for us, the baby hasn't ever appreciated Christine sleeping on either of her sides. Whenever she lies down on her side to sleep, the baby starts violently kicking as if to say he's uncomfortable. Until recently, Christine just managed to deal with his in utero tantrums. That is, until we discovered a near-perfect solution: the couch.

One night Christine fell asleep on the couch and had the most restful sleep of her pregnancy. We quickly realized the couch solved all of her problems. The soft cushions took care of her sensitive hips. By leaning against the back of the couch, Christine was able to sleep somewhere in between her side and back, relieving pressure from her side and making the baby happy. And the increased comfort even led to dramatically fewer trips to the bathroom because she was sleeping better. The only problem? The couch sleeps one.

If you need your memory refreshed, here's an account of the lengths Christine will go to just to sleep near me. Needless to say, she wouldn't have me sleeping in our bed without her. So, if Christine is on the couch (the proverbial "doghouse"), where does that leave me? Yup. The cold, hard floor. And though I managed to squeeze a futon mattress from the other room onto the floor next to our couch, it provides little by way of comfort. During the winter, the floor is degrees colder than the rest of the house, and the five comforters I pile on top of me barely gets me through the night. Then, of course, when Christine eventually does get up to go to the bathroom, I'm kicked and stepped on. As an added bonus, I get to awkwardly bumble the futon mattress back into the other room whenever we have company over (only to reproduce it later in the evening at the unwavering request of my wife).

Everyone is telling me to stock up on sleep now because when the baby arrives I won't get any. You should stop saying those things to me. It's like telling a blind man he should really see the lunar eclipse before it's too late. It's already too late. He's blind. And I'm not sleeping.

Two More Months

2011-02-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

Check out Christine's update on our new Flip video camera.

Christeen on Foniks

2011-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

"quarky"

Rule #76: Vowels make little difference in the meaning of words.
[see "quirky"]

Remembering 2010

2011-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Even though it's now the middle of January 2011, I think it's still appropriate to take a moment or two and remember all the great things that RicklovesChristine chronicled in 2010.

In January, Christine and I lived our first month together debt-free!

In the beginning of February, we found ourselves in Rochester, NY where we visited our friends Tom, Lara, and their four children.

March marked our second move of the year, in which we made Apartment 16 our new home.

Nothing really happened in April.

May marked our third and final move of the year into Morton 204. Christine was also named Employee of the Month!

At the start of June, we headed to Cali to visit some good friends, go to Disneyland (Space Mountain, anyone?), but mostly for this.

In July, the Capuanos returned the favor by visiting us during their road trip across the United States. Christine also competed in her first triathlon and was baptized!

August proved to be the most exciting month when we learned that Christine is pregnant!

September was filled with tons of baby stuff -- like our first ultrasound and pregnancy symptoms.

Christine began traveling in October, and I was left to fend for myself.

In November, we learned the sex of the baby.

Finally, we started a new tradition in December by getting our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Now, on to 2011!

The Pregnant Princess and the Pea

2011-01-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there lived a handsome prince who was married to a beautiful princess. They were expecting their first child, a son. Being pregnant, the princess experienced many discomforts, namely, in her hips. The discomfort grew so great, in fact, that the princess padded the mattress on her bed with a number of comforters and blankets in an effort to make it even softer. After adding an exhaustive amount of extra padding to the mattress, the princess' discomfort was finally eased as she slept.

Some time later, the prince was about his regular duties tending to the castle. The winter months had set in, and the prince was determined to lower his heating bill by weatherizing his drafty castle (a monumental task, as we all know how drafty castles can be). He came upon a particularly drafty window. After he attempted a number of conventional remedies that failed to do the job, a stroke of genius provided an unconventional but perfect solution: a thick, warm blanket. Yes, an expertly placed blanket would do the trick, he mused. But alas! There was not a blanket in the entire castle to be found.

And then the handsome prince remembered his precious pregnant princess -- and her sore hips! Surely, she can't possibly need all of those blankets stacked upon her mattress, he thought. I'll just take one. So the prince craftily removed a single blanket from atop the princess' mattress and skillfully fixed it in the drafty window. Perfect, indeed!

When the princess returned home from her daily bacon hunting, the two enjoyed the newfound warmth of the castle, the princess none the wiser of the blanket taken from her bed. Then the prince and the princess climbed into bed (quite literally, actually, as the stack of blankets atop their mattress was ridiculously tall), and drifted off to sleep without the princess saying a word. Much to the prince's dismay, however, the princess tossed and turned all night. It must've been something she ate, he assured himself. But the next morning would prove the prince wrong.

The prince and pregnant princess awoke from their fitful slumbers just as handsome and as beautiful as ever. The princess turned to the prince and said, "I don't know why, but my hips are killing me again."

The prince sighed, defeated, and confessed to his thievery. Apparently, he really was married to a princess.

And they slept happily ever after.

Christeen on Foniks

2011-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

"pail" of wood

Rule #45: If you don't remember a particular word, just replace it with any other random word.

Editor's note: It's actually called a "cord" of wood.

O Christmas Tree!

2010-12-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

O Christmas Tree?

2010-12-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

Christine says...

2010-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

[as a commentary on the meaning of Christmas]

"Man, I love presents. It's ridiculous."

Pros and Cons: The Grocery Shopping Edition

2010-12-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember my recent fiasco with grocery shopping. I had a pretty good experience, but since my wife has returned home from her travels and reclaimed control of the grocery budget, I'm left wondering if I'm more satisfied now or before. To help me sort through this question, I've decided to compose a list of pros and cons as they relate to my own grocery shopping abilities.

PROS (of Rick grocery shopping)

Buy whatever I want (No vegetables for me!)
Eat less (I'm too lazy to make anything)
Frozen pizza finds its way onto the Food Pyramid (I'll die a happy man)
I'm forced to get out and do something productive (apparently shopping on eBay doesn't count)
Less organic and all-natural foods (so expensive!)

CONS (of Rick grocery shopping)

Buy whatever I want (Lots of stomach aches for me!)
Eat less (I really love food).
Frozen pizza finds its way onto the Food Pyramid (I'll die a young man)
I'm forced to get out and do something productive (Did I mention that I'm lazy?)
Less organic and all-natural foods (my wife disagrees with this being a "pro" so now it's a "con")

Hmm. After sitting with this list awhile, I guess what this really boils down to is whether or not I want to live long (and with a happy wife). It's looking like I should probably hang up my shopping cart, and if I have to eat a vegetable or two as a result, it won't kill me...