Holiday Wishes to All

To All My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.


To All My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Joy's of Real Food

Our little stinker is a quick learner. She has decided she doesn't like rice cereal so she carefully watches whoever has the spoon and when it comes close to her mouth, she pushes her lips together and plants her chin firmly in her chest to make it difficult for us to feed her. As a result, mom and dad are learning new ways to fool her into sitting up and opening her mouth. I fear she'll catch on to these as well. She might be smarter than both of us already....

Yeah for an ExerSaucer....

Madison's new joy and entertainment is the Jump & Go ExerSaucer. And yes, she really loves to Jump & Go. Again, another toy that needs batteries. So, it may be another trip to Sam's Club for the family pack of batteries. We need to keep Madison happy, as you can see she love to Jump & Go.

Very Busy Holiday

On Sunday, December 21 we had the Bohuslavsky Christmas in Brainard. Madison enjoyed her five new cousins and family. She also enjoyed Santa, okay maybe not that day. Darin enjoyed Sue's kolaches and would really like to get her recipe. I of course loved everything about the meal, because this year I could enjoy it. (Last year I was very nauseous and pregnant)

On Wednesday, December 24 we spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Rezac and Uncle Dana for Christmas Eve lunch. Then we spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Hanson, Great-Grandma J, Great Aunt and Uncle Sharon and Rene and Aunt, Uncle and Cousins- Jason, Marcy, Kylie, Alexandra, Wyatt and Buddy for Christmas Eve dinner. A very busy day for Madison, with a few naps in between. Poor Sonic was at Grandma and Grandpa H's guarding the house.
On Thursday, December 25 we had the Rezac Christmas in Omaha. Madison slept through most of that Christmas. Darin and I both ate too much, but we did not care because we love the food. And of course this year I was able to enjoy the food and not a peanut butter sandwich.
Back to KC on Friday, December 26 we went. It was a good thing we came back on Friday, because today we've had strong winds, lightening, freezing rain and thunder snow. It's a nice Saturday to be inside next to the fireplace.

We had a great time during the holidays, but we're all tucker out! Have a wonderful rest of the holiday and a Happy New Year!

Madison's First Meal

Today Madison had some rice cereal at my parents house. From the first spoon of "curiosity" to the last spoon of "keep that away from me", it was quite the adventure. We were able to get the food into her mouth by sneaking in the bottle after every spoonful. This helped prevent Madison from spitting it up. Most of the time we had tears, fat lips and lots of huffing. We probably should have sat her in her bumbo and bottle fed her a few times before attempting cereal, but for sitting up and eating for the first time, she didn't do too bad. Also,the plastic bib was a great suggestion by a friend. Well worth the investment when spoon feeding. Now, we just need to get her back on her schedule after a long Sunday celebrating the Holidays.

If you double click on the picture, it'll take you to a full screen view and you can see Madison's face much better. I think she gets that from her mom. At least, that is what I'm saying.

Madison's first two days at CernerKids

Madison's Tuesday at CernerKids was not as eventful as it was on Monday. Apparently today, she slept most of the day. However yesterday, she slept a lot and had three different outfits on. The first outfit she spit up on, the second outfit- she had a "blow out"(exact words on her report card) and the third outfit worked until bedtime. I guess for her first day at CernerKids she needed to make a statement. Not only did Madison make a statement her first day, so did I. When I went to exit CernerKids, I forgot to badge out and the alarms went off. I still here the ringing in my ear today. Hopefully I will never make that mistake again!

Many activities including seeing Santa

We had a great, but busy weekend. My parents arrived in KC on Thursday evening. Our neighbors made and brought over a wonderful penne chicken pasta, which was perfect for our Thursday supper. Friday, my parents "ran around" until we got off of work. Friday was Madison's last day at Creative World school. When I arrived to pick her up, they asked me to come back in an hour- they wanted to spend more time with her. I noticed on her "report card" that she did not have a nap since 11am that morning. Her teachers said they held her most of the day. It was a bit emotional as the teachers cried and gave me and Madison lots of hugs. They had also made a portfolio of her accomplishment and pictures of various events. It was a great school, however we're really excited for her to start CernerKids on December 15. Darin is delighted as Madison will be close to her daddy.
Friday night, Darin and I attended a Cerner regional party and had a great time socializing and showing his associates pictures of Madison. I called this our "date" night, we had a wonderful time. Thanks mom and dad for taking care of Madison.
On Saturday morning, Cerner had their children's Christmas party. We went there so Madison could see Santa. It was a wonderful event and we all had a great time. We had to use mom and dad's pictures that they took, because the ones I took you could barely see Madison. I called them my where is Madison pictures. (Instead of where is Waldo?)
Saturday night, we hosted Darin's finance team holiday party. We had Oklahoma Joe's BBQ and enjoyed the conversations and great company. We were also grateful and thankful that my parents were able to help "babysit" and keeping Madison entertained. (Love you!) The weekend is almost over, amazing how time flies.

Busy Weekend

This weekend will be very busy for Jen and myself. It starts Friday evening with a Cerner holiday party hosted by my new manager. It is a nice opportunity to mingle with the new team and a chance for everyone to get to know Jen. Saturday morning we have a holiday party at work for Cerner associates kids. There will be food, prizes and a Santa for pictures. That evening I will be hosting my own party for the Finance team I had most of the year. It will be a nice way for me to say thanks for the hard work in 2008. We decided to cater the event with some BBQ! Why not? We are in KC. Plus, it will take a load off our schedule. We still have to get the house ready. We feel very fortunate that Jen's parents are coming down Thursday night to help babysit, get things ready for our party and hopefully, and visit Santa with Madison.

Disappointing Weekend

I had planned on playing in a poker tournament in Detroit on Friday, December 5th. I left KC Friday morning and arrived in Chicago with no problems. After a 2 hour layover, I boarded my next plane to Detroit. It was one of those smaller planes with 2 seats on each side. We sat on the plane for a bit and appeared to be leaving late when the pilot announced they had some mechanical problems and we needed to leave the plane. Supposedly it would only take 30 minutes. Over an hour later they told us we were changing planes and had to move to a new gate. This flight was suppose to leave at 2:30, almost 2 hours later than my initial flight. At a little after 2:30 they told us our flight was going to be cancelled and we need to call reservations to make other plans. This may not sound that bad, but there was a flight leaving for Detroit at about 2:40 and had space for most of us. All of us on this little plane missed it as a result. I called reservations via their red "bat" phone and found out they couldn't get me into Detroit until after 10:30pm. By the time I'd rent a car and get to tourney it would be close to 11:30. Far too late to play.

I made some calls and got my hotel and car rental cancelled and decided to return to KC that night. My weekend of poker and seeing friends from Michigan was torpedoed. Hopefully, I can make it out for some event this winter.

Madison with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus

Madison had a fun filled morning, she sat with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. The first Saturday in December, the Federal Reserve has their annual Children's Holiday Party for employees and their families. Many activities include: a life size Candy Land, popcorn/treat booth, cookie decorating, fishing for prizes, making ornaments, making snow globes, and pictures with Santa. I was amazed with the turnout, it was a great idea as there was no line for Santa. Thought you'd enjoy as Madison is getting ready for her 1st Christmas.

Can't wait to see everyone during the holidays!

Darin, the chili connoisseur

For the past few weeks Darin has been craving chili and cinnamon rolls. Over the holiday weekend we searched on-line for some chili recipes. We found three that we liked, so we "concocted" a version of our own using all three. It was amazing. Thought we'd share "our secret" recipe with you!

1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of chopped chuck
1/2 pound bacon (chopped up)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 large onion
4 tablespoons of chili powder (plus a little extra, okay not a little, Darin got carried away)
2 tablespoon of cumin
3 cans of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoon of paprika
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
A splash of Worcestershire sauce

Darin fried up the meat and veggies and then cooked it all for 8 hours in a crockpot.

Serves six people..

Oh, the cinnamon rolls were good too..we bought them in your groceries freezer section!

Enjoy!

My first pair of Stilettos.......

We decided it was time for Madison to wear her first pair of stilettos. They have already brought so many smiles to our face. She seems to enjoy them.

On another note, it appears that Madison is teething. She has been "chomping" on her hands quite a bit and drooling like a water fountain. Ahh, the next adventure...Today she seems to be feel a little better, her cough is the same. A few more days of rest will do her good.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Regretably Jen and I won't be back in Nebraska with our families for this Thanksgiving Holiday. Madison is still battling her cough. She hasn't been sleeping and we didn't want it to evolve into something else. It was really a tough decision as we haven't seen everyone in quite some time. I'm also sure everyone wanted to see Madison. Our neighbor invited us over for a Thanksgiving lunch. It was very nice of them to include us. It'll be nice to spend the day with others but more importantly, avoid my famous Thanksgiving frozen pizza. Turkey just sounds better.

Hope everyone has safe travels.

Community HOA

In September I was elected to the Amber Lakes and Meadows Home Owner Association community board. I really hadn’t considered running until my neighbor discussed the possibility of both of us being on the board at the same time. After a few days of thought I agreed to run. It has been over a month now that I’ve officially taken office and I feel like we’ve accomplished a quite a bit in a short period of time. We have reduced our cost of insurance by over 50%, we have reached a resolution to open the second community pool with the developer, we have figured out a way to save money on the lake chemicals to reduce the algae, and we have put out a new bid package for the commons area maintenance, just to name a few things. We are in the process of setting next year’s budget and moving forward with some long term plans for fixing the tennis courts, adding some sand volleyball courts and maybe a pavilion. We also want to do more to pull people together and give them some free options to have some fun with their neighbors. So far, it has been interesting. I was initially worried about handling the new role and being on a board. I also didn’t want to receive calls at all hours of the night. Fortunately, I’ve been able to balance both and the HOA has a community number so the board doesn’t have to share their own private numbers. It’s been very positive in fact. We will see what I think in 6 months.

Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa H

This weekend Madison enjoyed laughing and talking to all of us. My parents could not believe how much she had grown since they last saw her. This is the first time Madison sat in her Bumbo seat. She can hold her neck and head up very well. It was a very nice weekend. We made a roast, put the Christmas tree up, did some shopping and watched football. It was relaxing for us.

Red Day..........

Madison is keeping us busy. She loves to smile, laugh and "talk". Every morning before school, she just "talks, talks, talks." Madison's teachers say she "talks" and laughs a lot at school. She also kicks. Apparently, she was looking at Ainsley (day care friend) and did a 180 turn and started to kick her. The teachers had to make a separate area for Madison to kick (so she does not hurt anyone). Once she gets started it's hard for her to stop. Darin and I came to the realization that we are going to have our hands full.

PARTY...I'm three months old today!

Today is my three month birthday. As mommy got me ready for school this morning, she thought I needed to wear leg warmers. My mommy told me that she use to wear them. Apparently that was a loooooooooooooong time ago. I have a feeling that my mommy has more than just one pair of leg warmers for me. My daddy agrees with me that my mommy is stuck in the 80's. Anyway, it's my party and I'll kick (even with leg warmers on) if I want to. Can't wait to see you during the holidays.

XOXOXO,

Madison

Brrrrrrrrr.....

It's a balmy 30 degrees in Kansas City and the expected high is 37 degrees. Darin headed off to Manhattan, KS for the Nebraska vs. Kansas State game. Game time temperature is projected to be 34 degrees. Go Huskers!

Madison and I decided it was too cold and that we would watch the game on PPV TV. As Darin left this morning, I told him we'll watch for him on TV. Watch for the guy in RED! Might be a bit difficult.

On another note, I am happy to report we are all feeling better, even Sonic.

All I want for Christmas

http://www.gratefulpalate.com/?p=Category_11


It is the perfect gift for a man. hah!

Although I'm no longer going, an interesting article on Dubai

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/11/news/international/dubai_bailout.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008111108

Above is a link to a recent article about Dubai and their new financial troubles. Seems like the we are not the only ones suffering in this economy.

Some Blog Updates

We made some changes to the slide show at the bottom of this blog. Jen has been a little camera happy so we're showing some of her latest pictures. I also changed the music. I figured why not...

Meet the Rezac's.......

Bacterial infection, cold & cough, strep throat and mild depression. (a.k.a. Madison, Darin, Jennifer and Sonic)

Well we've had quite a week. All of us are taking some form of medication, except for Sonic. Madison of course got sick on Monday night and seems to be feeling better. Darin started feeling bad on Wednesday. He was also traveling to Arkansas for business. Apparently Arkansas's peak flu season is right now. I started feeling bad on Friday and then went to the doctor. As for Sonic, his condition is a bit chronic and we're working on it.

Good news is we all seem to be on the mends. We hope next week we'll continue to feel better.

Pink "Bubble gum" so soon...

Runny noses, coughs, matted eyes and saliva filled fingers, oh the "joys" of day-care.
When I picked Madison up from "school" on Monday, her teacher handed me a book Madison made. It was her first Halloween book that she had painted (spiders, ghosts and witches hats) using her hands and feet. We are so proud. What a great keepsakes, I should say the many keepsakes.
We got home from school and I noticed that Madison felt hot and was sweating a little bit. So, we took her temperature a plethora of times. Each time the reading was around 100 degrees. Of course it was after doctors normal hours so we had to page the on-call doctor. Fortunately, the on-call doctor was Madison's regular doctor. We were providing and giving her all the remedies we could, but decided to see the doctor the next morning.
Of course, her appointment included blood work. Not sure where she gets the strength of being poked and prodded. After all of the tests were administered, we found out she had a bacterial infection. As such, the doctor prescribed amoxicillin for the next 10 days. Oh...amoxicillin, "pink bubble gum" as we called it growing up. It brings back so many fond memories. Okay, yes I was tempted to smell the medication. I have a feeling that Madison will need to get use to taking the "pink bubble gum," hopefully not too often.
I am happy to report smiles and a hearty appetite are back. She still likes Cindy Lauper music, mom's singing of Cindy Lauper songs, dads tractor noises, kicking and playing on her ocean mat.

Troublemakers and Halloween

As mentioned below, Madison slept through Halloween. One of our neighbors had a get together and invited everyone over to hand out candy and hang out for the evening. Jen went over for the first half of the night and I hung out the second. There was all kinds of food and desserts. We even made some spiced hot wine which was great while sitting outside on a cool evening. But for some reason trouble started after Jen left the party to take care of Madison. It seems a couple of guys went over to one of the neighbors houses and brought up some fireworks. It seems one neighbor wanted to show them off and another neighbor was willing to help. In fact, everyone at the party shared in this encouragement but me. Everything was "fine" until the cops showed up. (Well, except for the fact Madison woke up due to the noise.) I'm not sure if it was the height of the fireworks or the echoing noise that got the cops' attention, but a KC cruiser showed up asking about fireworks. As the cops were discussing this with a neighbor I was nonchalantly moving the rest of the fireworks into the garage of the place we were having the party. The cops left with giving us all a verbal warning. This was the first time I've ever been lectured on my behavior. It was embarrassing.

I must say, I was disappointed in our neighbors and their teenage actions. I repeatedly have to be the adult in these situations and make sure others don't get out of line. Firecrackers on Halloween. Who would encourage such behavior? Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Halloween plus one day!

Madison, our little tiny turtle slept through Halloween. Therefore, we were unable to trick-or-treat in our coldasac last night. However, we were able to celebrate her 1st Halloween today.

Happy Halloween!

One more day!

One more day till Halloween, can't wait! Madison has been getting ready for Halloween all week. She had fun playing in her black cat onesie. She has now discovered her ocean mat has a fish mirror and she is so intrigued with it. Every time she looks in the mirror she smiles and kicks. This next picture is her right after supper, her shirt says, "Daddy's under my spell", isn't that the truth. He doesn't mind.

Sometimes... nothing more is needed to be said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0


I can't wait to be back in KC and give Madison a hug....

I made it!...Almost...

As I got Madison ready for school this morning I reflected back to that last 10 weeks that I spent at home with her. It's amazing how quickly the time flies by. I remembered telling Darin, I still have five weeks. As I sat her in her car seat, she just smiled and laughed, what I good feeling. I knew today would be a challenge, but I was prepared with pictures. So prepared I almost forgot my laptop, but I had my pictures of Madison and our family. Once I arrived at work, I didn't even make it to the front door of the building before I was greeting by co-workers wanting to see the latest pictures. What a great feeling, of course I "unpacked" them all as any proud parent would. The morning seemed to fly and then it was lunchtime. One of my co-workers had his wife bring in their 16 week old daughter during lunchtime. Okay, that's when it really hit me, when she smiled at me, I knew I needed to smile back then step away and make a call to Madison's school to check on her. A few tears and a wonderful phone conversation with her teacher stating "Madison is such a good baby, she's been playing most of the morning, made my tears dry up." It was nice to be back in the swing of work, but it was also nice to pick Madison up from school and give her hugs and kisses- from both mom and dad.

A report card with no grade....thank goodness!

Okay, I only called Creative World one time today to see how she was doing. However, as each hour past I wanted to call, but I held off until 12:43pm. They said she is such a good baby, she's been smiling and laughing and enjoying the bouncy seat. That make a parent feel good, we'll cherish this moment, tomorrow maybe a different story.
I picked Madison up around 4:30pm today (trying to stay on schedule), however I wanted to pick her up earlier! =) When I arrived, her two teachers provided me with her daily report card. Today she blew bubbles and got to know her other classmates and teachers. It also said she had a great first day and slept a lot. Oh no...does that mean she'll be a girl on the town tonight (up all night). For mom, we hope not as dad is traveling out of state this week.

Oh yes and for those of you wondering about Sonic, we made it to PetsMart. Everyone knew Sonic was there as he could not stop barking. He got some treats and we played fetch. It's interesting, but he did have a little bit of separation anxiety. When I brought Madison home from school, he followed us until I took her out of her car seat, then he sat next to her until it was time to eat.

Hope all goes well tomorrow, my first day back to work.

First day of school

This morning, Darin and I dropped Madison off for her first day of school at Creative World. Over the weekend I was trying to prepare myself for this day- similar to immunization day. They say at her age there is no separation anxiety. However, the separation anxiety has been tough on me. I go back to work tomorrow. Today is a trial run of going through the motions and routine. When we dropped her off this morning, her teacher said you can call all you want and visit if you need to. We'll see how the day progresses. I promised Sonic that I would take him to PetsMart as this is "his day." I'm sure he is feeling a little separation anxiety as well.

Madison was very happy and excited this morning as you can see.

Lunch with Daddy

Today Madison and I visited Darin at Cerner. First we had a tour of CernerKids- which Madison will be attending starting in December. It will be very convenient for Darin and I and Darin (daddy) is so excited to have Madison close. Once we finished the tour, we had lunch in Connections- Cerner Cafe. During lunch, dad got to spend sometime with his little number one, nope not me, I've become number two or a close three.

Just when you think she's found a sleeping pattern

Since Madison's shots on Monday, we've struggled with her sleeping patterns. Prior to that she had a decent routine and was sleeping 5 hours during the night. Lately, she's back to getting up every 3 hours. In fact, yesterday from 6 am till midnight, she only slept 3 hours. She wasn't a big sleeper before but she would take some naps. Now, she just wants to play. Last night, as I was trying to rock her to sleep, she wouldn't stop "talking" and smiling. Each time she yawned, she'd start talking to wake herself up. That is all she wants to do when I'm around her. Don't get me wrong, it is great and I'm having a blast with her, but right now, I'm not sure how to stop her from fighting sleep. I'm hoping this phase turns back to where we were last week.

This weekend I'm going to buy a video recorder. Once I figure out how to post the video's we'll share some of Madison kicking.

Life is good...

Ahhh, the morning after Madison's round of immunizations and she's feeling pretty good...

We made it... she was such a super star

Well Madison's doctors appointment was Monday afternoon. I called the doctors office in the morning to find out how much infant Tylenol I could give Madison and when. I was so nervous for this appointment. About and hour before the appointment, I gave Madison her dose of Tylenol. This dose is suppose to ease the "pain" of the immunizations. She took the dose very well, no spit up or mess...I kept telling her it tastes like chicken.
Late afternoon, we packed up the car and headed to the appointment, she was all smiles. The nurse called us back to the patient room, however first Madison needed to be weighed. She is now 10 pounds 12 ounces. We knew she was an eater. Once we got back to the room the nurse measured her and she is now 23 inches long. We waited a few moments for the doctor. He said she's in really good shape and developing very quickly a lot of the motions and movements that she is doing typically happen at three months. He was very pleased with her progress. He did give us another refill prescription to prevent thrush from coming back. Madison's still has signs of thrush, but it appears to be doing much better. The doctor stepped out for a few moments. When he and the nurse came back, they had all six does of immunizations for Madison. I think I was ready to pass out when I heard six, I think I was just prepared for only a few. However, one of the doses (given orally- thank goodness) took care of three immunizations. Therefore, there were three shots that needed to be administered. All of these shots were in her thigh area. Darin was wonderful- I (We) are so glad to have him. He held Madison as I teared up. I think Darin was worried that Madison will remember that he was the one holding her while she received the shots. I told Darin- I had to hold the dog. Okay maybe that is a little different. As the nurse was administering the shots she said, "the doctor told me I have to do this." Once all the shots were given, there was some screams of terror for a few minutes, we put her in her car seat and left the patient room. Right as we exited the room, she stopped screaming and crying and looked at the doctor (kind of cute). She did not cry at all on our drive back home, just some long deep breaths and the pouting lip. Darin and I just smiled at each other, however Darin told me, she's definitely yours. We made it back home and decided to take a family walk, including Sonic.
Glad we made it through this day.

Preparing for some DRAMA......

Tomorrow Madison has her two month doctors appointment. This two month appointment involves her first round of immunizations. This appointment is one that I have been dreading. I have such a hard time watching the Vet take blood, stool samples or give shots to Sonic, what will it be like tomorrow? Hence the drama will not be from Madison, but from me. I know the immunizations are needed, I just feel for her and she cannot tells us it hurts, she can just cry. I told Darin that he will need to be prepared for comforting, snuggling and holding, not just Madison but me..... Here are a few pictures of Madison today- as she is exactly two months today.. Also these are her pre-immunization pictures...very happy girl.

Some interesting facts

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you would have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you would have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you would have $0.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you would have received $214.00.

Dubai on Pause

As some of you may already know, Jen and I are not going to Dubai. Another position at Cerner was offered to me so we are going to stay in KC. I have mixed feelings about this change. On the one hand it will be great to stay close to family and friends with Madison. I under appreciated their help with the newborn. I also think this new role will be a greater challenge and look forward to the opportunity. We also won't have to worry about moving, finding a new place to live, maintaining our home in KC and everything else that goes with living half way around the world. We also had no idea how Sonic would react to living with somebody new.
However, we are giving up the opportunity to live in a new country, experience a new culture and see parts of the world we'll never get to experience. Plus the role at Cerner would have really given me exposure to the relationship side of our business. The Middle East is a growing area for Cerner and it would have been exciting to be part of it. Finally, we could have lived on the beach. It was a tough choice, but we made the best one for all of us. The best part of staying is actually using Madison's room. I think we would have been disappointed by not using it.

Cell Phone Problems...Continued

It's difficult traveling without your regular cell phone number and capabilities. Darin is still working with Sprint reps to get his phone back in service. His phone number was truly “cancelled” which makes the process much more difficult. Darin found out they were able to re-capture the number internally at Sprint, part of the process is a complex routing table that is external and independent of all cell phone carriers. However, this routing table determines which phone numbers belong to and are routed to the carriers (this could include Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, etc.). It is on that external routing table and his number couldn't be found. So he's still waiting to hear the resolution.....

Cell Phone Problems

Yesterday my cell phone service stopped. Turns out that somebody didn't keep accurate enough records of who had what number at Cerner and my number was listed under somebodies name who no longer is an associate. Hence, they turned off my cell thinking it was not needed. Fortunately I was still in KC and was able to get a loaner, but 24 hours later, Sprint is still having difficulty bringing back my service. Hopefully, they'll get this solved soon.

Crazy Eights- Madison is eight weeks old

It seems that each day Darin and I notice so many changes in Madison as she grows. However, at eight weeks, there are so many special things that we've noticed that Madison can do:

1. Full smile
2. Ahs...Oooos..Das..Mas.. and moving her mouth as though she's trying to talk
3. Kicking (not a surprise)- however we think she is training for the Chicago Marathon
4. Lifting and holding her head upright (flat on her tummy)
5. Turning over (almost- one more inch to go...)
6. Reaching for objects and holding a rattle
7. Following objects with her eyes
8. Expressiveness- knows how to pout- sticks out her bottom lip (not sure where that came from)

Darin and I have come to the realization that Madison is very busy, animated with expressions and will be quite a talker. I guess in this case, instead of like father like daughter, it will be like mother like daughter.

Thank goodness for a swing

Although Darin and I love holding Madison, our arms do get tired. It is wonderful to have an alternative to assist with jello arms, which is the SWING. Madison absolutely loves her Bee swing. She is still a little small for it, hence the towels. I worry about her neck, so we placed towels on each side for additional support. Some friends of ours mentioned that a must buy is the swing, we did not realize how true that is and its has been so handy. Of course, Madison usually falls asleep almost instantly in the swing, another plus.

Sonic's life turned upside down

As you can see Sonic's world has changed. He is very protective of Madison, sleeps in front of her crib during the day, which I guess is okay. However, as you can see his life (body) has been literally turned in many directions. This could be his lack of sleep as he enjoys watching Madison during the late night feedings.

New parents- 1st night on the town

Saturday night, Darin and I attended the Cerner FirstHand Foundation Masquerade Ball which was held at the Midland Theatre in downtown Kansas City. The FirstHand Foundation is an amazing non-profit foundation that has of focus of pediatric healthcare, which is a natural extension of Cerner’s values and presence as a leader in the healthcare industry.

Attending the Masquerade Ball was our first "overnight" stay away from Madison. My parents and aunt and uncle (Jo and John) took care of Madison while we had a night to ourselves. The event was absolutely magnificent and elegant. We enjoyed great company, music, food and beverages. After the event, we with Cerner associates enjoyed the nightclub Blonde on the Plaza.

It was so nice to get "dressed-up" for a night, even if Darin felt like he was "swimming" in his rental.

BTW.. Check out Darin's red socks. Darin forgot his black socks, so he had to wear my Nebraska red socks. However, it did not help with the outcome of the Nebraska game. Guess we'll have to get rid of the socks...just kidding.

Visit to the pumkin patch

On Saturday we took Madison to Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch in Liberty. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, we thought it was appropriate for Madison to experience the activities of fall and start a pre-Halloween tradition. There were tons of things to do at the Pumpkin Patch, such as a corn maze, face painting, pig races, petting zoo, hay rack, tractor and train rides, and etc. However, Madison is a little too young to enjoy those activities, she'll be ready for next year.

Note: for those of you wondering what the heck is on Madison's head, well its a decorative band for her hair with three flowers. Okay, maybe its a little over the top. I guess the band is as big as Madison, she'll grow into it!

Only a few more days....

This Saturday Cerner will be holding it's Annual Masquerade Ball to raise money for it's children's charity organization, the Firsthand Foundation. Above is a little hint of Jen's attire.

New Feature added to our Blog

At the bottom we've added a slide show with some of our favorite pictures. We'll update the show from time to time so occasionally check it out. I also added a growth chart so everyone can track Madison's age. Enjoy.

Ft. Smith Arkansas

Yesterday I spent the day in Ft. Smith Arkansas working on a deal with one of our clients. Another associate and I left Tuesday evening for our 5 hour drive and returned last night. I had never been to Arkansas let along Ft. Smith so it was not only nice to have somebody to talk to during the drive, but also somebody who had been there before. Arkansas is a nice state to drive through. The tree covered hills and deep valleys make for a very scenic drive. Ft. Smith is a town of about 80,000 people located in the Ozark Mountains. It is surrounded by numerous other small towns in Arkansas and Oklahoma which give Ft. Smith a regional presence. They hold an annual blues festival in Ft. Smith as well as a bi-state fair with Oklahoma. It is an old south town that also pays tribute to the old wild west. While I'm not sure I'd vacation in Ft. Smith, the town does have some charm. Regardless, I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Ft. Smith in the upcoming weeks. Not only will I need to get used to the drive (you can't fly into Ft. Smith nor can you fly directly to Fayetteville from KC so driving is actually faster) but also spending time in the Ozarks.

I love my Ocean mat

Not sure what I'd do if I did not have my Ocean mat. From my understanding its like being on a cruise- there are fish, turtles, coral reefs, music, water, starfish and even a blue whale. I believe that I overheard mommy and daddy say they were going to take me on a cruise (Disney?) in the near future. However, the batteries on my Ocean mat "died" and I thought I was going to go on my cruise a little sooner than anticipated. Well, my luck, mommy, daddy and I made a trip to Sam's Club for a pack of batteries. Of all things, a pack of 48 batteries. Guess my cruise will be awhile.....Grandma and Grandpa, could you help?

In Carl we trust

Below is a link to an interview with Carl Pelini about trying to share some of the spotlight with his younger brother Bo and why the Nebraska fans need to talk about the Head Coach instead of Carl. Be sure to click on the video after you click on the link below.


http://www.ketv.com/sports/17525763/detail.html

Help for the Weekend

Jen's parents came out this weekend to see Madison. Leroy helped me with some yard work yesterday and Jen and her mom got their toes done. Jen and I also took some time away to buy some mask for a Masquerade ball we are attending on October 4th. This year, we got masks that did not cover our mouths. Very annoying to continually lift your mask to eat and drink. I really like Jen's choice. It is red and has a touch of feathers, just to be fancy (you'll see why I used fancy below). In all it was a nice relaxing day watching college football, running a few errands and going for a nice walk around the community and our new community pool. Today we are going to go shopping. It will be my first time out with Madison so we should have some fun. At least now when I'm waiting in a store I'll have someone to distract me.

I've also used this weekend to catch up on a couple of things. My cousin Jenny in NY had sent us some baby gifts, including a book called 'Fancy Nancy'. I actually wanted to read it because I assumed Jenny sent us something very unique. We received a lot of great gifts from friends and family, but Jenny nailed my future. The book is about a little girl who wants to be fancy and how you need to dress up fancy, use fancy words and fancy colors. About 3 months ago, Jen's mom was showing me some old letters and schoolwork of Jen's when she was very young. Absolutely amazing the similarities. From the fancy colors to sprinkles on everything, there is zero chance of a tomgirl now.

Another thing I did was read up and talk to friends about Madison's sleep patterns. Basically, she likes to be held all the time. We fell into that first time parents rut really fast. She loves to sleep on my chest. That is the only time she sleeps for hours at a time outside of just being so tired, she crashes. Madison should be sleeping more and without crashing. Plus, she will fall asleep while eating. It is a back and forth tug of war between hunger and sleep that is caused by her dependence to be held. A lot of things to think about and how to get our lives onto a schedule while still being there for her.

Lil Miss Madison is ONE Month Old!

It's really unbelievable, but Madison is One Month Old. We see changes in her on a daily basis. She is still kicking- loves her Baby Einstein Ocean mat, starting to laugh, saying, "Ahhh" and eating very well. Next I think she'll be saying, "Daddy" or "Sonic". Guess Mommy will be #4.

Some Humor for the day

http://perezhilton.com/2008-09-14-must-see-tina-fey-and-amy-poehler-do-sarah-palin-and-hillary-clinton-on-snl


All political opinions aside, this was a very funny impersonation of Palin and Clinton on Saturday Night Live. Fey's impersonation of Palin goes right up there with Dana Carvey's GHW Bush and Phil Hartman's Bill Clinton. While I can't wait for this election to be over, I do enjoy SNL's interpretation of the elections.

Out and About

Yesterday, I thought it was time for Madison and I to venture out of the house. This was one of the first times being out of the house besides going to Dr. appointments and neighborhood walks. The first place we went to was Panera. I've been craving a Panera tuna salad sandwich for over 10.5 months. As many of you know, I am a huge tuna salad eater and I cold turkey stopped (due to the levels of mercury) when we found out we were pregnant. So I am sure after the past 10.5 months Panera's profits have suffered a bit, but I am ready to change that again. =)

After Panera, we went to Babies R Us to get some sleep sacs for Madison. Then we went to Target for some odds and ends and groceries. We were out and about for about two hours. The whole time Madison was asleep in her car seat and did a wonderful job, she's been super.

I was so happy to get out of the house and feel much more refreshed. I think we'll plan on continuing to do things like this on at least a weekly basis.

Madison's First Walk

Well, we took Madison for a walk last night. It was pretty funny how she went from crying to sleep once she hit the fresh air. We walked around our community for about 1/2 hour and then hung out with a couple of our neighbors. When we finally made it inside, it was three hours later and Madison was still asleep. She also didn't want to wake up to eat. In fact she reminds me of myself when I'm tired and trying to get out of bed. And like me, she doesn't like to sleep at night.

We're also learning that she loves to be held. This one is probably my fault. At night I'll hold her as she sleeps but then when we're ready for bed, she still wants to be held. We'll have to fix that in the future, but for now, she's being held. I also think she was smiling at me last night, but Jen says it was just gas. I guess she really is my child....

Feeling Better

Well, Madison has been on her medication (treatment for Thrush) since Thursday. She seems to be doing better. She's much more "perky" and eating better. Darin and I have started to determine her "stable" sleep patterns and her time to stretch her lungs. She's already 19 days old and we see changes in her everyday. This weekend she started to push her legs against Darin's chest. She has been holding her head up when on her tummy. We also found out she has found Mrs. Thumbkin...yes at times she is sucking her thumb.

Husker Volleyball

On Monday Jen and I attended the Husker Volleyball game vs Oral Roberts. It was the first time for us to use our new season tickets and I'm really glad we got them. An hour before the match we had the opportunity to hang out with some University officials and enjoy some food and soda's. They had an area blocked off behind the arena for us to gather. Then we were escorted to our seats which were above the first level, but below the second. Last year they had folding chairs sitting in this space. This year, they added some nice seats with padding. Not only were they comfortable, but we had a great view of the match. In between sets we were able to go back to our reserved location to get more food or beverage. We really enjoyed seeing Diane Mendenhall again.

As for the match itself, the husker team was suppose to be rebuilding but after victories over #2 Standford, #4 USC and Oral Roberts, that label doesn't fit. While the team may not have 4 all-americans like last season, they seem to play more as a team and I think they have a better defense. Larson is an amazing all around player and really can dominate from anyplace on the court. But the real difference on the team is Sydney Anderson. For just transferring in this summer, she dictates the offense and keeps everyone organized. You wouldn't know she's brand new to the team.

I never imagined that I'd enjoy volleyball matches, but Jen was right. When the quality is there, the matches are interesting. Then again, everyone loves a winner.

Thrush

Last night we went to the emergency room because Madison wouldn't eat and wouldn't stop crying. Turns out we have a case of thrush. I guess thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in the mouth and on the tongue. Supposedly, it is quite common. We may also have a case of acid-reflux, but we're not sure. The doctors are waiting to see how Madison responds her new medication.

From my perspective, it was a rough night. I'm still not use to the feeling of not being able to solve a problem. At work I solve issues and help make things happen. With Madison I can't help in these situations. I'm just glad Jen decided to make some calls.

I think Jen was irritated because yesterday she took Madison in for an appointment. Our pediatrician spent her time worrying that we were feeding Madison when she was hungry rather than on a schedule and as a result, in her eyes, Madison was gaining weight too fast. The doctors last night and today all disputed that and said the opposite. I guess we're changing pediatricians.

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..