It's Game Day....

Deep thoughts by Madison Elizabeth Rezac....

As mommy and daddy laid me down to sleep last night, I had thoughts of Nebraska Football, Herbie, Little Red, Valentino's Pizza, Runza and RB Marlon Lucky dancing in my head.
Mommy and daddy have been chanting, "GO HUSKERS," "HUSKER POWER," and "GO BIG RED" all week and I know why.
Today mommy and daddy dressed me in my Nebraska game day gear and it feels soooo comfortable.

We'll as I prepare for game day, I am ready to cheer real loud as the doctor says my lungs are so strong. So for all you Nebraska fans out there...."Let's get ready to rumble" and "GO BIG RED."

Madison's a week old today...amazing

As I reflect on the past week, it's amazing to see all of the changes that Madison has gone through. She's stretching, cooing, looking at and recognizing her daddy's voice (which she did right away) and smirking a little- just like her dad. I believe she still looks like her dad, thank goodness. It has been such a joy and will continue to be as each day passes.

We were happy to have some assistance this week. Grandma Hanson (my mom) has been staying with us since last Saturday and has been a god's send. She has helped around the house, ran errands and has even been our personal chauffeur for appointments and activities. For those of you that know my mom, she hardly drives anywhere, so driving in KC has been an adventure. She says, "I may drive a little slow, but I have precious cargo." I said, "Yes" and that was "Yes" to both statements.

We're planning to head back to Nebraska on Friday. For you Nebraskans, I can't wait for you to meet Madison.

Madison's Homecoming

First, we would like to thank you for all of your thoughts, comments and prayers while we were at the hospital. Yesterday afternoon we brought Madison home from the hospital. She was introduced to Sonic and I think he is still trying to figure out what this object that makes all these sounds is really about.

So last night was our first night "alone" as parents. It was a very sleepless evening, thanks for Darin and our teamwork we survived the first night. We're trying to figure out the schedule and routine, which will take some time. Sonic was very "helpful" and "concerned" as well. So, Sonic shared in the sleepless evening, as we had three visitors today and he didn't even bark, which if you know Sonic that is unusual.

Thought you might enjoy the homecoming picture- many of you were asking where the Nebraska gear was... did you think there wouldn't be a picture in the mix?..of course there is.

More Pictures

Announcing the arrival of Madison Elizabeth Rezac

She entered the world at 1:56 pm weighing 7lbs and measuring 20 inches. Mom and baby are doing just fine.

Jen's most memorable moments about pregnancy

1. During the holidays, December 2007 we told our parents we were expecting. They were so excited, however said, "We 'd given up on the two of you."
2. Hearing the heartbeat for the very first time.
3. Learning to swaddle. I needed practice, so Sonic (our dog) was swaddled a lot.
4. There is never enough bubble gum.
5. Mmmm...Cupcakes- especially at the Cerner shower.
6. Darin's gallbladder surgery and trip to the hospital. This allowed us to ensure all of our information and paperwork was current.
7. Assembling the toy chest (which took 2-3 hours and could survive a tornado) due to the 16+ L brackets and the crib taking only 30-45 minutes to assemble.
8. Feeling her kick for the first time. Sonic growled the first time, then became accustom to Madison's kicking routine.
9. Wanting to spend as much time with Darin, however falling asleep on the couch around 7:00 pm.
10. Being able to have these moments with Darin and sharing them with you...priceless.....

One more night of good sleep

After many extra curricular activities, Jeep ride with the neighbor through the fields, Mexican cuisine, walking- morning, noon and night, swimming- I mean floating, and pretending to nest, the arrival date of Madison is almost here. We had a doctors appointment this morning and they determined that I will be induced tomorrow around 6:00am, unless something happens from now until then or we get "bumped" due to someone elses medical condition/emergency.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Mostly that Darin does not pass out, just kidding- I already had snacks packed for him- even though I forgot about Madison's necessities. We'll keep you posted. Until then, we are going to enjoy our last night of "good" sleep.

Top 10 Comments during Jen's Pregnancy

1. Jen: "I hope our baby has blue eyes." Darin: "If it doesn't, we're going to need to talk."
2. Darin during the 3-D sonogram: "She looks like a Bohuslavsky."
3. Darin: "I'm not sharing my xbox."
4. Jen while looking at our dog sonic: "Guess who's number 4 now?" Darin: "Sonic?" Jen: "No, sonics number 3." Darin: ".........."
5. Jen: "It is exhausting carrying this stomach around." Darin: "Now you know how I feel."
6. Jen: "I want to decorate the room with monkeys." Darin: "Jen, we're having a girl. Let's try ladybugs."
7. Jen during our birthing class: "We have the car packed and we are ready to go." Nurse: "Well, outside of the diapers, bottles, baby clothes and car seat, you are ready to go."
8. Jen: "This baby is being a little stinker tonight. She's definitely a Rezac." Darin: "..........."
9. Darin: "If it's a boy, I like the name Parker Bennet Rezac, or PBR for short."
10. Jen: "I think we're pregnant." Darin: "That's great. Our parents won't believe this."

Daughter like Mother

She's not even here yet, and I don't have a chance..

I'm just too clean

Over the last couple months I've had this slight irritation on two of my fingers. It'll itch at times, comes and goes but nothing serious. Since we'll be moving soon, I figured I'd check it out just in case.

After a few minutes of examining my hand the doctor tells me I have hand Eczema, a common eruption of the skin on the underside of the hands caused by excessive immersion in water and/or cleansers that irritate the skin. Turns out that all the anti-bacterial soap at home and the anti-bacterial lotions at work (every bathroom has one to help stop the spread of illnesses) are actually irritating my skin. I must have had a small crack or break in my skin that set off the irritation and each time it almost heals, it comes back. All this time I thought I was doing the right thing.

I may just stop bathing to be safe.

Late Spring/Early Fall Tasks

On Saturday and Sunday, Darin's parents came down to visit and help us move things in the house, clean out the garage and complete some outside work in order to prepare for our move to Dubai. Unfortunately, I was no help what so ever, so my title and task was Supervisor (a.k.a sit down and drink water).
Darin's parents brought their enclosed trailer- although Darin was teasing me that it was a stock trailer and that we needed to clean it prior to using it. On Saturday morning, items were loaded into the trailer and donated to the Disabled American Vets (DAV). Afterwords, Darin and his dad headed to pick-up some mulch for the front and back yard. The guys had to make two trips, so his mom and I decided to ride along for the second trip. Little did I know this place was just off I-35 (in Kansas) and quite scenic, rough and bumpy. However, as much as Darin tried this "off- road" adventure did not impact or expedite the labor process- DARN. We're still hanging in there and any tips you have would be GREATLY appreciated!
Then on Sunday, the morning was spent cleaning and organizing the garage. Darin was so excited to see and use the third stall garage again that he thought it was time to purchase another vehicle- he laughed as said, "Just kidding, " thank goodness. We really appreciated all of the help, hard work and effort from Darin's parents and we were grateful the weather was in the 80's.

The Men's 4X100 Freestyle Relay

Normally I am a very casual Olympic fan. I'll watch some of the more competitive events, especially those with somebody from the USA in medal contention, but if I walk away from the TV or get distracted, it's not a big deal. Fortunately for Jen and I we had no such distraction last night. We were able to witness one of the greatest races in any sport. Not only did I find myself watching the race but I was yelling at the TV and jumped out of my seat when Lezak touched the wall and beat the French swimmer Bernard, the current world record holder in the 100 freestyle. I don't think anybody watching thought the US had a chance when Benard took off on the 4th leg of the relay ahead of Lezak. Bernard wasn't somebody you caught in the 100 freestyle. The unexpected was quite the thrill.

If you missed the race, below is the link to NBC and the relay. It is all anyone is talking about at work.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0811_hd_swb_hl_l0194

Shower for Madison

Darin's co-workers and friends at Cerner hosted a baby shower for Madison- Baby Rezac today. We enjoyed chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, beverages and great company. We received so many wonderful gifts. We are really getting prepared for Madison's arrival. However, there are a few gifts that I need to keep away from Darin (Pink Husker Blanket and the Exersaucer). I am sure Madison will share, but I think Darin needs to learn how to share. We received some great advice and enjoyed a great afternoon of celebration. I've included a few photos from the shower, enjoy!

First day of fall practice

Yesterday was the first day of fall football practice. Usually at this time you'll hear people comment about who is looking impressive or who is disappointing. I always think these early practices are more about shaking off the rust as they are indicators of the future. Until they get into live scrimmages, we have no idea who can step up and make the plays in a game like situation. Drills provide a lot of information, but it is not a direct correlation to success on the field.

With all that said, I think there are some interesting trends learned from the spring to fall camp:
* Coach Cottons' son is really a work horse. Not sure how much he'll play, but I'd expect his work ethic and drive gets him some minutes as a true freshman.
* Nebraska is very deep at RB. (I know, water is wet...) Not only are they talented runners, but the top 4 can catch the ball. Nebraska fans should see some big production out of these guys, especially with the questions around play-makers at WR.
* Cody Glenn will make some mistakes, but he'll also make some big plays. I look for him to end up being the top play-maker of the LB's.
* I'm still worried about Nebraska's safeties handle the spread. I know some people think the secondary is going to be very good. I hope they're right. The big12 is now a spread conference. Very few teams really run at you. You have to have fast guys who can play in space and limit the yards after a catch.
* The team seems to have a new bounce to their step. I never buy into the "we are working harder than ever" articles or quotes. But I think they have gone from being broken and maybe even wanting out of Lincoln to enjoying football again. I think this is more than just a show. We'll find out for sure when they face their first real test. Will they fold like they did last year or fight through it? I think they have their character back. Bo did it in 2003 so I assume he can do it again.

I think we'll all learn more about the huskers in the upcoming weeks. While the non-conference schedule maybe easier than last year, I think the huskers have a tougher conference slate. I just want Nebraska to beat Missouri. Is that too much to ask?

Below is a link to a video from the Lincoln Journal Star. If you haven't seen the new indoor practice field, there are some good shots of it. Otherwise, you just get to see some drills.

http://media.journalstar.com/videos/?mid=M489797d941a79

60 Minutes on Dubai

Below is a link to the 60 minutes broadcast on Dubai. There is both a written summary and the video of the broadcast. The broadcast was centered around Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and his vision for Dubai. I think it was fairly honest for what they tried to cover. Just another perspective on where we are going to live.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/12/60minutes/main3361753.shtml