Baby Rimbosity

A Little Update

2011-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Now that school has started, life is just plain crazy at our house! We've been busy as a family on weekends and evenings, and love love love spending time together. We've been to the park, apple orchard, mall, for walks around our neighborhood, and lots of other places.

Here's what our kiddos are up to lately:

OWEN

-is loving preschool and comes home singing songs on a regular basis

-likes to make up stories and giggles at all the funny parts

-uses words like "investigate", "actually", "gloomy", and "cumulonimbus"

-likes to play hide and seek

-loves to jump

-can identify the shape of Minnesota and a few other states

-is looking forward to Halloween

-likes hanging out with his friends Rebekah and Nathen (and Elijah when he's in town)

-only stops talking to eat and sleep

-has a great ear for music and the Beatles, Elbow, and Gungor are his favorite bands

(the other day he was trying to sing "Angels from the Realms of Glory" and it somehow morphed into "Yellow Submarine"- Ha!)

-likes to read the book "Owen" by Kevin Henkes( He says it's the story of when he was a mouse)

ZOE

-is the smiliest baby in the world

-looks even more like her daddy

-is almost 6 months old and is wearing 12 month sized clothes and size 4 diapers

-is one pound away from exceeding the weight limit for her carseat

-sings (Ahhhh Ahhh Ahhh)

-squeaks

-has learned the sign language for "more", "milk", and "all done"

-plays peekaboo- pulls the blanket over her face, then down again

-laughs at silly faces

-loves the mobile over her crib, and pointedly looks at it as we're putting her to sleep to remind us to wind it up

-LOVES her big brother and watches him all the time

-sits up in a bumbo seat and exersaucer

-eats rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, beans, peaches, prunes, bananas, carrots, formula, and milk(not at the same time)

-has hair that sticks straight up in the back

-usually sleeps through the night

When Mommy Has Too Much Time on Her Hands...

2011-07-21T08:17:00.001-07:00

YARRRRR!

Birthday PARRRRty

2011-07-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Owen turned 3 on July 12th, and we celebrated a few days before with a pirate themed birthday party, complete with friends, cake, ice cream, balloons, and treasure hunt! Here are a few pictures of the special day.

First the treasure hunt- did you know that there is a pirate in Arden Hills? He wrote us a message with sidewalk chalk!

Now cake and ice cream!

And friends! We had so much fun celebrating together!

Happy Birthday, Owen!

Serious Cuteness

2011-07-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

Zoe has become very social and smiley lately. She gives big grins to Mommy, Daddy, and big brother Owen. Sometimes she'll even sing with us when we sing to her!

Special Pancakes

2011-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today Mommy tried out a special pancake batter squirter. She made some letter-shaped pancakes and put them on plates to see if Owen recognized them. Here's what he said:

Owen Sings for Zoe

2011-05-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Owen says "Check this out!".

Birth Announcement

2011-04-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

I made a little announcement for Baby Zoe at babycenter.com. You can check it out here.

Zoe

2011-04-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Here she is! Zoe Elizabeth Rimbo was born last night (April 14th) at 8:24 pm. She almost missed seeing Will Ferrell on the Office.

At 8 lbs, 4 oz, She wasn't as big as her brother (9 lbs, 10 oz), but she was still plenty big. Nevertheless, once she was ready to go, it only took ONE push to get her out.

Her big brother loves her very much, and we'll have more pictures up soon, once we get back home where our sync cable and TV is.

Still waiting.

2011-04-14T16:11:00.001-07:00

(See title.)

Waiting.

2011-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Waiting some more. What's that? You've never had a baby before?

There's a lot of waiting.

From the Front Lines

2011-04-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

For fans of the birth of Owen Rimbo, we're bringing you live coverage of the birth of Baby Rimbo #2, from United Hospital in downtown St. Paul.

The long and short of it is this: Angie's OB said, "This baby's getting big. If you don't want a C-section, we might want to induce."

So we are. We checked into the hospital about an hour ago, and we're just about to get Angie onto pitocin to speed up the process.

I'll keep blogging and tweeting and whatevering. Pictures to come soon, once this kid is out breathing oxygen.

Revelations in Cake

2010-11-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that we planned a fun little way to reveal the gender of Baby #2 to family. We had an ultrasound on Monday, but asked the ultrasound tech to not tell us the gender, but write it down and put it in a sealed envelope. We then gave the envelope to Justin's family, who mixed up a white cake, colored the cake either pink or blue (according to the gender of the baby), and baked and frosted the cake. Today Justin and I got to cut into it to find out our precious little secret! Guess what we found out??

It was PINK!! We will be welcoming a little girl to our family in April! :)

A Secret Message from Owen

2010-10-09T07:57:00.001-07:00

Hello friends,

I wanted to tell you something pretty important, but I didn't want to just tell you straight out- I wanted you to have a little fun doing some detective work! All you need is a mirror-just hold it up to your computer screen, and you'll be ready to decode my message. Ready? Here's the secret message:

Did you get it?

How about now?

Couldn't find your mirror? That's okay, I'll just tell you...

I'm going to be a BIG BROTHER!! Mommy is going to have a new baby at the end of April. I don't know if it's a little brother or a little sister, but Daddy says we'll find that out around Thanksgiving. Mommy is pretty tired lately, but she says that will get better in a few weeks. I am so excited, mostly because I'm going to be an awesome big brother!

Singin' with Guitars

2010-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here's Owen and Justin's version of Old MacDonald. Warning: This video is PG because Owen needs to be ready to use the potty at a moment's notice. Don't worry, the guitar is well placed. Enjoy!

"Two in Uhlie"

2010-08-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever anyone asks Owen how old he is, he always says, "Two in Uhlie". We weren't quite sure what he meant by that, until our niece Jordyn figured it out. He was saying, "Two in July". He actually turned two on July 12, but we had friends and family over to celebrate on Sunday, July 18th.

Owen's favorite gift was a sand and water table, which after about two minutes was a mud and mud table. :) Owen, Natalie, and Nathen spent about an hour on the deck playing. In two year old time, that's forever!

Here are some more pics of that fun day!

Lakeside Vacation!

2010-08-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

After driving for a few more hours, we came to Lakeside, Ohio. We were so excited for a whole week of relaxing and visiting with Babu, Bibi, and Aunt Debbie. We stayed in a cute little cottage on Sycamore Street, and were within walking distance of a coffee shop, a bike shop, a beach, and a playground. What more could you want?

Owen's first order of business was the beach.

Babu, Bibi, and Aunt Debbie came with lots of early birthday presents for Owen, and we were less than patient for the actual date. :) Here's Owen playing with some new blocks.

Speaking of birthdays, Babu's birthday was July 6th. We had a small family party, and enjoyed our time together. Owen was was excited about Babu's birthday, but was too enamored by the balloons to be vocal about it.

We even had a chance to visit with our friends the Bredbergs, who live nearby in Ohio. Lucas was almost three, and Isaiah was almost one. It had been too long since we'd seen them last, so it was great to visit.

Lucas was doing his pirate face. This picture doesn't quite do it justice. :)

It was a great week, because we had plenty of opportunities to stay busy, but nothing we were obligated to do. It was the perfect blend of busy and relaxed. Here are a few snapshots of us out and about.

Visit to Illinois!

2010-08-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

In July, all three Rimbos piled in the car for a trip out east. Our final destination was Ohio, but we had a wonderful stop in Lemont, Illinois, which is a suburb of Chicago. We stayed with Justin's cousin Christine, her husband Joe, and their three kids Nicholas, Caitlyn, and Christiana. They have a beautiful pool in their backyard, and Owen hadn't been swimming yet this summer. Last summer he wasn't a big fan of swimming, because the water was too cold for his taste, but this summer was a totally different story! He LOVED the water!

When we were in Illinois, we also had a chance to visit with lots of other Rimbos! Owen was especially enamored with his great Uncle Ricky, because he knew a lot about one of his favorite things- fire trucks! He even made a special phone call to the fire chief in Lemont to arrange a special visit to the fire station- just for Owen!

This is our whole family plus Christiana just lounging on one of the fire trucks. Owen got to sit in the driver's seat of every truck in the station!

The station had a kid-sized pressurized water canister to simulate how fire hoses work. Owen LOVED trying that out!

What is that on my head?

Looks like I've got a little growing to do..

What an unforgettable visit for Owen! Before we left, we had a great lunch with more family. Thanks, Rimbos!

Museum Trip!

2010-06-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my friend Nathen and I went to the Children's Museum of Minnesota. We had so much fun!

First Nathen's Mommy let him drive.

Then it was my turn.

Just hangin' around..

Time to head home!

Road Trip!

2010-06-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Right after Mama got out of school, she decided she wanted to take a long trip in the car, and she decided to take me too! Daddy stayed home from this trip, because he needed some introvert time.

First, we stopped at Gaga and Grandpa's house in Iowa for a few days. It took about 5 hours to get there- I kept very busy in the car. I slept, read some books, drew pictures, and listened to Curious George on CD. Once we got there,we had a fun time! We played with monster trucks, went shopping, and went to church on Sunday.

After church and lunch on Sunday, we took off for another state- Missouri! We met by a big river to have dinner with the Schades- our cousins on Daddy's side. Donald met me in the parking lot to show Mommy and I how to get into the restaurant.

Once we were inside, my cousin Caroline made me giggle...

Then after we were "Ah Doe"(all done) eating, Caroline and Donald showed me around a little more. I love my cousins!

After dinner, we said goodbye, and Mama and I got back in the car to go to Aunt Christi and Uncle Brandon's house. It didn't take very long to get there (Thanks to Mama's GPS. I helped her understand what it said. I told Mama "Turr Righ" and "Turr Leff" too!)

When we got there, we had lots of fun things to do. On Monday, we went to the zoo- it was pretty great, but we forgot the camera. On Wednesday, we went to this place called "Sih Flagg", which is an amusement park/waterpark in Saint Louis. I loved it!

This is my cousin Kendall, who came with me to six flags. She's six.

This is my cousin Jordyn- she came too. She's nine.

Mommy wanted to see if I liked riding rides.We tried out a few different ones, and I liked all of them except for the Scooby-Doo ride. That one was too loud. One of my favorites was the carousel. The horse went "Rou and rou" and "Uh and Doww". I thought it was great!

It was starting to get hot, and so my cousin Kendall and I decided to play in these little fountains that squrted water straight into the air. They looked like this:

Here's a live action shoot, so you can more fully understand how awesome these fountains really were.

What a fun time in Missouri! On Thursday morning, we said goodbye to Uncle Brandon, Aunt Christi, Jordyn, and Kendall. Then we got in the car again to head back to Iowa. We stayed with our friends Gail and Elijah at their seminary house in Dubuque. The next morning Elijah and I and our Mommies went to a cool river museum!

First we looked at the turtles and fish under water.

Then we learned about lizards, and played under their cage.

Then we even decided to pretend to BE lizards! Our Mommies thought we were cute.

Before Mommy and I drove back to Minnesota, Elijah and I played outside on the cool river animal toys too. We had a great time visiting the Brechts! What a fun road trip!

April/May Happenings!

2010-06-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

In April, we moved from our old house in Monticello to our new house in Arden Hills. It was big adventure for me. I was a very good helper.

There's the big truck, Unkie Chad!

The big truck was my favorite part of moving. Mr. Jeromy even let me sit in the driver's seat.

Our new house is pretty great, but my favorite part of our new house is the sliding door to the deck. I am SO good at opening and closing it.

Mommy said that since we moved, we are really close to everything! She got a few free ride passes from school to Nickelodeon Universe Amusement Park, so we visited the Mall of America as a family. I didn't even fall asleep on the way there like I used to when we lived in Monticello.

I loved riding the rides! I saw a few big trucks like Mr. Jeromy drove when we moved into our new house, except they were MY size. They were my favorite.

I also started to explore my new neighborhood, where there are lots of animals. Mommy, Daddy, and I have seen squirrels, ducks, geese, turtles, and tatterpillers..um..caterpillers near our house. Here I am, making friends with the wildlife.

Right after we moved, we flew in a big airplane to a strange place called California to see my uncle Aaron. Here we are enjoying some graham crackers together. I think Uncle Aaron may need a few pointers..

Uncle Aaron lives near a place called Hollywood, so sometimes movie stars are around his house. We were just driving down the street, and we saw this strange looking car, so we stopped to take a picture.

Daddy explained to me that the people that drive this car get rid of scary things like ghosts. They call them Ghostbusters, and apparently anyone who grew up in the 1980s knows who they are- I guess they made a movie about them. After we saw this car, we went into a building nearby, and met a REAL LIVE movie star- His name was Dan Akroyd. I guess he was one of the Ghostbusters. Thanks for keeping Uncle Aaron's neighborhood ghost-free, Mr. Akroyd!

We had a great time in California, and spent lots of time with Uncle Aaron and Mommy's cousin Adam. It was great to see them!

At the end of May, Mommy and Daddy's friends Jim and Kelly got married! I don't really know what that means, but my friend Elijah and his mommy and daddy came to stay with us for a whole week. It was great to play with Elijah. We recorded our first baby band album together,

had a few lunch dates together,

and played with our friend Bri while Mommy and Daddy went to the wedding. It was so much fun! (I don't have a picture of us playing, but here's Mommy and Daddy at the wedding)

Imagine Christmas Wishes . . .

2009-12-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

It's an Owen Christmas!

What's that? You want to see some Christmas-themed pictures of me, Owen Rimbo? Well, ok, but only because I'm feeling merry.

We set up our Christmas decorations a long time ago. My favorite part about Christmas is the tree. For the past month or so, I've been pointing at it saying "Tr-! Tr-!" My second favorite part? Reindeer antlers!

I opened some of my presents on Christmas Eve, before my Babu and Bibi and Aunt Debbie came to visit. Grandma Larson sent me a keyboard . . .

And Mommy and Daddy got me a guitar . . .

So I'm ready to start my own band. I also got a new bath towel, but Daddy was more interested in it than I was:

And that doesn't make noise, either. One of my favorite presents was a computer of my very own! So on Christmas morning I sat down and checked my email with Daddy.

Here's a video of me updating my Facebook status and busting a move.

On Christmas morning, we were ready for visitors. I was looking gooooood.

Before our guests arrived, I made sure I knew where all of the ornaments were, in case they asked.

But just when we were ready to have friends over, we realized that it had been snowing for three days straight! My Unkie Graham and Aunt Haley had to cancel their travel plans, so they came over to our house instead. Thank you, South Dakota, for closing your roads!

As you can see, we got outside to play in the snow and get our clothes wet. Daddy's cousin Eric came down from his farm to build us a snowman (Aunt Haley helped. It was her first snowman ever)!

It was cold outside, so we bundled up . . .

And Unkie Graham sledded down a hill with me on a shovel!

I was so excited that my family made it here safely from New York. We had a great Christmas, and I'll post some pictures of them once I find some . . .

For now, here's a montage of me trying to say "cheese" when people took pictures of me. It's harder than you think.

Success!! Merry Christmas!

Summer Fun (Belated) and A Few Firsts!

2009-10-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we updated this blog, so we need to travel back in time....

Think back to sunny August 2009...
Justin went to a conference at our friend Jay's church in Columbus, so Rachel, Owen and I went to visit our friends Jessica and Dan, and their beautiful boys Lucas and Isaiah. At the time, Isaiah was just 5 weeks old! The boys had fun playing together, and us Mommies and Auntie Rachel loved catching up.
Here are a few pictures from our trip:

When we got back, my car needed a tune up, so we brought it up to our dealership in Milaca, MN, which is about an hour from our house. Sounds crazy, I know, but having a mechanic you trust is worth the drive. We went up as a family because the summer was waning, and we wanted to spend some time together. It was beautiful outside, so we played around the swing set. The owner, Mark, walks out of his office, notices we're playing, and says, "Why don't you take the golf cart and drive back to the pond?" It's what all car dealers and mechanics say to their clients, right? Actually, the dealership is on his land and they built this beautiful little pond a ways behind the garage. (I guess you've got to have something to keep you busy if you live in Milaca!) We borrowed their little golf cart to get back there, and went wading with Owen. He loved it!

Babu and Bibi were in town for Churchwide assembly in August, so we went to visit them at their hotel downtown.

When school starts, things get busy around the Rimbo house, and we take fewer and fewer pictures. However, there was a monumentous occasion in September- Owen started walking! If a picture is worth 1000 words, these must be worth 100,000!

Halloween is right around the corner, so I decided it would be memorable to carve Owen's first pumpkin. This didn't involve much forethought, because Justin wasn't around. So, I attempted to keep things neat by putting a garbage bag on the floor and taking Owen's shirt off. First we drew a face on the pumpkin together.

Next, Owen helped me scoop the guts out of the pumpkin. He liked to put the seeds into a tupperware container, then dump them out again. Good times.

Overall, we had lots of fun!

Pictures!

2009-07-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

We recently did a photo shoot at the Minneapolis sculpture garden. Our photographer is very talented, and captured the spirit of the day. You can see some of them on her blog/website here.

Travelin' Man

2009-07-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Mommy, Daddy, and I got into our car at the beginning of July. All I know is that the car was full of more stuff than usual, and Mommy brought lots of snacks for me!

When the car finally stopped, we were at Grandpa and Grandma's house in Iowa. Plus, Aunt Christi, Uncle Brandon, and my cousins Jordyn and Kendall were there. They liked playing with me, and I thought they were hilarious!

We colored together, and Uncle Brandon didn't even mind if I ate the markers.

Daddy said it was the Fourth of July, so we went to a parade. We had front row seats!

In the end, I wasn't a big fan of the parade. It was too loud. Mom and I hung out in the car until it was over.

Pretty soon we were in the car again. We drove a long way, until we were at a place in the woods. Daddy said it was called Missouri, and that it was something called a family reunion. All I know is that I was getting antsy, and when we got out, there were LOTS of people. I thought I only had two cousins, but turns out Daddy has lots of cousins- and they're related to me too! Plus, Babu, Bibi, and Aunt Debbie drove all the way from New York, and I was very excited to see them.

My cousin Ella was giving me some pointers on my tennis game.

Then she and I read a book together. Turns out, there are a lot of dragons that are not mine, but I can always tell which one is mine because it has squashy wings.

Then someone found this big red balloon and I played with it. It was AWESOME.

There were water olympics for all of us kids, so Mommy thought it might be fun for me too. Aunt Debbie took me into the pool.

Turns out, I wasn't so keen on the pool. I prefer my water warmer.

Since it was almost my birthday again, Babu and Bibi and Aunt Debbie brought me some presents! I got lots of books and some toys.

I even got a funny book called "Yummy, Yucky" from my cousin Noah. It tells me what things are yummy to eat, and what things are yucky to eat. Here's Noah reading it to Babu and me.

Pretty soon the reunion was over, and we had to get in the car again. We stopped for lunch at one of my new favorite restaurants - Steak n' Shake. Babu and Bibi and Aunt Debbie came too. Steak n' Shake is one of my favorite restaurants, mostly because I look great in their hats.

After lunch, we drove all the way to Aunt Christi and Uncle Brandon's house. We went to Kendall's baseball game. I wore my Tigers hat because I love baseball!

Then we went to the zoo. I loved looking at all the animals, and there was even a bug house. Everyone knows that giant bugs are photo opportunities, so...

On Sunday, it was ACTUALLY my birthday. My Aunt Christi and Uncle Brandon were so excited that they invited Uncle Brandon's family over for a party! I've seen birthday cake a few times before, but I guess you don't REALLY know how to eat it until you really turn one year old. Observe:

Pretty soon it was time to get in the car AGAIN.

We picked up Uncle Graham and Aunt Haley at the airport, and started to drive Southeast.

When we got to North Carolina, we met our friends the Gamelins.

They are pretty great. I'd met Jay before, but I got to meet Tia, Abel, Roman, and JUDE! Jude is my age, and he's my new best friend.

When Jude and I rode in the same car, we would hold hands. My favorite part of being in North Carolina was playing with the Gamelins.

On a sad day at the end of the week, it was time to go home. We got back in the car, and drove to a big city with tall buildings. It was a windy city. Some nice guys let us stay in their apartment by a big lake, and then we were on our way home. By this time, I was starting to get a little antsy in the car, so I decided to keep busy by making some calls on my mom's phone.

It was a great vacation, but we were all glad to be home!

It's (Almost) My Birthday!

2009-06-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that on Saturday it was June 27th? Many of you may think this is not a big deal, but it was my birthday!

Okay, okay, it wasn't really my birthday, but since my parents and I are taking a long trip, we'll be out of town for my real birthday, and wanted to celebrate with some of our Minneapolis friends.

My friend Elijah brought his parents over a little bit early to play. We had a great time. First, we played by the windows. Daddy and Mister Josh were playing with the grill outside, and we thought it was HILARIOUS!

Next, I made phone calls with the DVD remote control, and Elijah hid under the ottoman.

By the time my phone call wrapped up and Elijah got unstuck from under the ottoman, more people had arrived. I decided to change into my snazzy birthday outfit (NOT to be confused with my birthday suit, Uncle Graham), grabbed a hat and was ready to party!

I was glad that I got to hang out with some of my friends. My Auntie Rachel was there, along with Aunt Haley and my friend Jen from church.

Mommy even found time to read me my favorite alphabet book.

Pretty soon Aunt Haley remembered that we were at a birthday party, and we decided to get

right to the point- CAKE AND PRESENTS!

For my birthday, I got some new clothes, new books to read, a cool puzzle, and a little backpack full of rhythm instruments. As a future percussionist, I practiced hitting things with sticks right away.

I thought it was a pretty great day! I hope I wasn't the only one....

More Summer Fun!

2009-06-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, this summer has been busy! It's been great having Mommy AND Daddy home, and we've been doing a bit of traveling already.

Right after Mommy got out of school, we went to Iowa to visit Grandpa and Grandma Larson. Aunt Christi, Jordyn, and Kendall were there too! We went to the farmer's market, the library, a Vietnamese restaurant(I found out I LOVE bean sprouts)and church. At the end of it all, my cousins and I were really tired.

I've also been keeping busy with friends. Mommy and Daddy have had people over a few times since the summer started, and I always like the attention. I'm an extrovert, you know. :)

I especially like playing with my friend Elijah. We like to play together, practice yodeling, and have screeching contests. It's awesome.

My friend Elijah and his parents are moving to Iowa soon, which makes me very sad. Here we are playing together at church, and I'm practicing mailing things to Elijah. Apparently, I think he needs to eat more carrots.

I'll miss you, Elijah. We'll have to do lots more playing before you go!

Busy Man

2009-06-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My summer has been pretty busy so far. Between trips to the park to swing on the swings, parties with friends, and getting my diaper changed, it's a wonder I get it all done. I do love the swings by my house, though.

For my friend Miss Hottie's birthday, we went to the Minnesota Zoo! Now, knowing how much I love pounding on windows, can you guess what my favorite exhibit was?

Yup. Salmon. I pretty much anything I could see through glass (dolphins, sea otters, Uncle Graham . . . ) Here's my dad and I snuggling at the Zoo!

For Memorial Day, we went to the Brechts' house, and sat on their back porch, grilled some meat, and drank some wine. Here's me and my God-mommy Rachel.

With all of this stuff going on, I figured I had to find a new way to get around. So, with the help of my handy push-cart, I'm walking!:

Don't believe me? Here I come!!!:

Easter Pictures!!

2009-05-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I know Easter was a long time ago, but I wanted to share some pictures of my visit with my Babu and Bibi, and Aunt Debbie!

But first things first. Let's cut to the important stuff - I met a COW!!

I love him.

More about that later. Before my family came, I had to clean up.

I'm chewing on a toy because I'm still growing teeth. I don't have any yet. Mommy says they're all gonna show up at once.

Next, I kept a lookout for my Babu and Bibi. I like to stand up against the patio doors and bang on the glass like Dustin Hoffman.

Then Babu and Bibi came! Babu read me stories, and I showed him where to touch my feely-books.

Bibi and I played with toys. I'm trying to be as big as her by Christmas.

Babu helped me eat lunch. I LOVE TO EAT!

Then I would get dressed, and help do the dishes. Come here, sharp knives!

On Good Friday we went to church. My mom is so pretty!

On Saturday, we went to visit my dad's cousin Eric on the farm where he lives. Here we are getting ready to go:

My cousin Eric works at a place with people who have special needs. It was his birthday!!

I wrestled with my Aunt Debbie on Eric's bed. I won.

They grow all their own food at the farm, and as you may have guessed, this is where I met the cow. You can piece it together. I didn't let it get me down. I love the farm!

On Easter Sunday, the Rimbos were looking sharp!

After church, we went out to eat at Fogo De Chao, where they serve a lot of meat!

I still had fond memories of the cow, so I just ate my Babu's pectoral cross.

All my friends were at lunch, like my Godfather Graham! He has thumbs.

I had a great time at lunch, and then it was time to relax.

I love my family!

When Mommies Attack!

2009-03-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

Watch out for mommies. They will try to eat your stomach. It seems like fun until you notice you're being filmed, so you crawl over to turn the camera off. This is how it is when you're Owen.

If you are not Owen, ignore the previous memo, and just enjoy this instructional video.

Baby on the Move, Part 2

2009-03-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Owen's been crawling for about a week or so. But he's a fast learner. I tried to film him in secret, but he is also a super-genius:

Mommy and Owen's Fun Weekend

2009-03-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Daddy has been out of town since last Thursday. He's visiting my friend Natalie and Unkie Chad and Aunt Jenn in Florida. So Mommy and I have been having fun and staying busy on our own!

During the weekdays, I've been staying at Auntie Rachel's house, since Daddy usually watches me while Mommy teaches. Grandma Carol and Grandpa Bill and Auntie Rachel have been giving me lots of attention! I love staying with them.

On Friday after Mommy and I went home, a big package arrived from Aunt Debbie- it was my first Christmas round two! I wore my "Baby's First Christmas" pajamas in honor of this special occasion. When Mommy and I opened the pacakages, there were some fun new

toys and new clothes! Here I am enjoying both!

On Saturday, Mom and I kindof bummed around the house. Some people might say we were just chillin'.We went to Miss Haley's house in the evening, but I just went to bed.

On Sunday, something was different than usual here in Minnesota. There was a bright ball in the sky- Mommy said it was the sun! I guess spring IS on its way! Usually, I dress like this to go outside:

But today, I needed to wear my shades! Mommy and I even got to go for a walk to the park!

This afternoon, we went to Costco with our friends Theresa, Josh, Gail, and Elijah. It was so much fun! The cart had two seats in the front, so Elijah and I got to ride together. Here we are discussing the difference between Huggies and Costco brand diapers.

It has been a really fun weekend with Mommy and all of our friends, but I am so excited to see Daddy again! He told Mommy that he and Unkie Chad are going to a baseball game during spring training, since all the teams practice in Florida.

Even though Mommy and I are still in Minnesota, we're cheering for the Tigers too!

On The Move

2009-03-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

Owen is almost 8 months, and he's VERY close to crawling. He can get up on all fours and bounce back and forth, so all he needs is some motivation. And for some reason, the one thing he's more interested in than ANYTHING is this computer.

In this video, Owen starts to show off his clapping skills, but sees the computer and goes after it. And shuts the video off.

Internet Propaganda

2009-02-16T13:56:00.001-08:00

Miss Haley put some pictures of me on the interweb machine without my permission! That's ok. I look pretty cute. There is also a picture of my dad making French Toast. You have to scroll down the page to get past pictures of a dog, and my friend Elijah, who is also cute. Their blog is right here.

Owen vs. Thing

2009-02-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Owen engaged in an epic battle against Thing, from the Addams Family.

My Lunch With Owen

2009-01-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

Owen made a state-of-the-baby video address for everyone.

Holiday Photo Phrenzy!!

2009-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Oh, hello. I didn't notice you standing there as I play on my play mat. Notice how I'm sitting up? Yeah . . . I do that. No big deal. Just sitting up and stuff. Interested in what I did over the Christmas-type holidays? Well, let me take you on a trip through the magic of photography. Come with me, won't you?

WON'T YOU?!?!?!?!?

My Grandma and Grandpa Larson live in Iowa. I've been there before. But this time my parents made me wear a ridiculous outfit.

Then I hung around and took pictures with my Grandma. She knows where my smiley button is, apparently. But here's what I don't get: Why do I have to wear this get-up when my parents get to dress normally?

They should have to wear something festive, too.

Here's a Christmas tree.
Ok, now you're getting into my space. My mom is taking a picture of me on her cell phone, because I am adorable. OBVIOUSLY.

I love my Grandma and Grandpa, and when we were in Iowa, I got to meet my Aunt Christi, Uncle Brandon, and my Cousin Kendall!! (I met Jordyn back when I got baptized. I remember my baptism.)

My cousins loved me so much! They took good care of me, which isn't easy, because I'm still a little floppy. I think my mom and dad liked having other people around to take care of me so they could have a vacation. My dad listened to his iPod a fair amount.

Then we came back to Minnesota, and it was time for another party! We went to our friends Ryan and Laura's house for New Year's Eve. I was ready to party, as you can see:

My Step-godmother Haley knows what's going on. You'd think my Uncle Graham isn't a responsible Godfather, giving me beer and stuff, but check this out:

Here he is talking with me about the Small Catechism. My god-Methodist Theresa was there, so he had some competition. Who's this John Wesley I keep hearing about? Anyway, then there was a DOG!!

I liked that dog. It licked my face. But in case you were worried, my Uncle Graham protected me by putting her in a headlock.

I've still got my eyes on that beer. Then we played Rock Band!!

Actually, I was sleeping upstairs. I missed seeing the ball drop!

Well, that's most of the holidays I celebrated this year. We were busy. My parents didn't even get a chance to dress me in this outfit. I'd tell you more about it, . . .

But I am quite sleepy.

My Friend Natalie's Baptism

2008-12-19T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! I just got back from my friend Natalie's baptism. Here are some pictures from my trip!

We took a plane to get to Tampa, Florida. Let it be known that I am a seasoned traveler. Including this trip, I've been on 6 plane rides, and I've never had a meltdown or anything! I just sleep, or smile at the other passengers. Or poop on my mom.

You might be wondering who this Natalie person is. So, this is Natalie:

We're best friends. Natalie's dad and my dad have been best friends since they were 13, so that makes us automatic best friends. And someday . . . A COUPLE?:

I like the idea of Natalie being my girlfriend, but she's still getting used to it, apparently.

Baby exchange! We had so much fun -- and I love my Unkie Chad! Can you tell?:

He taught me a bunch of new games that make me smile. And then my dad and Unkie Chad decided Natalie and I should kiss each other. We were, after all, bred for mating:

I like the idea of Natalie being my girlfriend, but she's still getting used to it. So, later that night, I put the moves on her while she tried to make a phone call.

Shot down. I like the idea of Natalie being my girlfriend, but she's still getting used to it. She'll come around.

But my dad loves her. She is, after all, his goddaughter now. Oh, yeah -- almost forgot. Natalie got baptized. And Unkie Chad and my dad sang a song. And then there were snacks.

We flew back to Minneapolis, and the temperature dropped like, 70 degrees! I couldn't figure out what was going on. And get this - I was wearing the same clothes as the first flight! . . . ok, so both pictures are from the same day.

Ok, bye.

News Flash

2008-12-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Attention, everyone. Are you listening inside that silver Daddy-box? This just in:

I am bananas. Bananas about bananas:

I've been eating vegetables, and they're ok. I'll eat peas, or squash. If you give me sweet potatoes, I'll probably eat the whole thing.

But if you give me bananas, look out, mister. I'll plow through that thing like a '46 Ford through a time-traveling DeLorean.

I'm also thinking about setting up a facebook account. Don't worry - my computer usage is closely, parentally monitored:

And in case you were wondering, yes, that's me sitting up. I'm pretty good at it.

- Owen

Update

2008-11-18T07:34:00.001-08:00

Hi. I haven't blogged in a while, because Mommy and Daddy can't find their camera. But here's some stuff that I can do:

- Roll over. I'm getting better at this. Usually I can make it from my tummy to my back now.
- Sit up. Sort of. I usually fall over after a second, but I LOVE sitting up, so I stick my legs up in the air and try to do ab crunches.
- Stand up. Sort of. Sometimes my dad leans me up against the wall, and I just stand there, like I'm James Dean or something.
- Hold my bottle. Yesterday I ate 5 ounces, and I held it all by myself!
- Eat solid foods. I've started eating rice cereal. For a while I would just hold it in my mouth, and say, "What am I supposed to do with this?" But once I learned to swallow it, I really liked it.

I'm also growing teeth. It hurts. I love chewing on stuff.

My Babu came to visit this weekend, while my dad was in Wisconsin playing music. I love my Babu. That's all for now.

Owen

Update From Iowa

2008-10-16T08:05:00.001-07:00

I'm at my Grandma and Grandpa Larson's house in Monticello . . . IOWA! Crazy.

We had a long car ride, and when we got here last night, I showed off for a little while, and then we went to bed.

When I woke up this morning, I wanted to show Grandma my neck muscles, so Daddy put me on my tummy. I laid there for about a minute, and then I had ENOUGH! So I tucked my arm under, and rolled onto my back!!! That's the first time I've ever done that.

Owen Takes Manhattan

2008-10-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

My grandparents live in an apple. This is the truth as far as I can determine. I visited the apple, but it looked like a big noisy city, except for the part in the middle, where there are trees, and more sky.

My Babu got elected bishop (again). It's just like last time, except in New York, and I am alive this time, since it is not 12 years ago. So I got invited to the party.

We flew out there on an airplane, and I didn't sleep much, but I had a good time. It was just like a big buzzy-seat. My Babu na Bibi picked me up at the airport.

This is my Babu, before he got bishopped. He's just my regular Babu in this picture.

And here's my Bibi. This is my fancy special-occasion get-up. I am surprised that you are taking a picture of me. Or maybe I'm making my male-model face.

That's my Aunt Debbie. She's my Godmom. Oh, and my parents came on the trip, too, but no one paid attention to them. :)

Like I said, a lotta buildings. My Mom likes to pretend I'm looking at them, but let's be honest. My hand is awesome.

My favorite part was going through the park in the center of New York. If I could name it, it would be called, "Park in the middle." There's a lot of sky there, and I got to ride around in somebody else's stroller. Thanks, somebody else! (PS - "Ey, You lookin' at me?")

On the big day, we had a fancy brunch beforehand. There were a lot of bishops there. Iowa Bishops and New England Bishops, and New Jersey Bishops, and King of the Bishops. Mommy and Daddy got dressed up to meet them.

There was also good food, but I just had milk, thanks. This is my great-great-Aunt Carol. She's great.

And then it was time for a ceremony. I walked into the church in a procession with what seemed like every pastor in New York. My dad carried me. We stopped traffic! I was in a Pastor Parade, just like Nate Houge.

And I was good through the whole service! When it was over, my Babu wasn't my regular Babu. He was a Babu Askofu. But he's still my regular Babu.

We flew home RIGHT AWAY, and rode to the airport with the King of the Bishops Mark Hanson. And I slept on the plane for the whole time. I am a good kid. Mommy and Daddy got compliments from people on BOTH flights.

Since I got home, I've missed the attention. Sometimes I sneeze, and I think that's very funny. But usually I just yell, "HEY! WHYYY AREN'T YOU PLAYYYYYING WITH ME?" Then I laugh at Daddy, laughing at me.

What do you have to say, O?

2008-10-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

by Mommy

I can proudly say, after 12 weeks, life is beginning to be back to normal at the Rimbo house. Not the normal it was before Owen, that phase of our lives is over. This new normal, with an adorable 3 month old son, is pretty great.

I know I'm terribly biased, but Owen is a fabulous baby. He's pretty laid back, doesn't cry much, and has a smile that can melt anyone's heart. Best part? He usually goes to bed between 8 and 9, and usually sleeps until 4 or 5. Awesome.

His weeks are getting pretty busy- lots of playing on the playmat, snuggling with Mommy and Daddy, eating, sleeping, pooping. He does lots of riding around in the carseat- to church, houses of friends, school, and a few other places. Thank goodness he's used to being on the road!

I have to admit, he's pretty cute. He's also awake most of the day now, so we can capture some of the faces he makes. Sometimes, it's almost as if we can figure out what he's trying to say.

"What are you talking about, Daddy?"

"Whoa, it just keeps going around and around...!"

"I'm such a good boy I don't even mind that you put me in this goofy hat."

"...or this one."

"How long do I have to do this?This tummy time stuff is overrated."

"Umm... I know you want me to go to sleep after this, but I have other ideas."

My Lunch With Rockstars

2008-09-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Wednesday) Owen came down with me to the Twin Cities to have lunch with the crew from Churchnoise.com. It was a great turnout -- Tangled Blue, Dave Scherer, The Halulas (Nica, Wes and Charlotte!), Jonathan and Svea Rundman, Troy from Lost and Found, and Micah Taylor. I'll spare you the boring details -- suffice to say the most interesting part of the lunch (for me, anyway) was Owen.

He was absolutely cordial and well-behaved, and we got to sit at the "kids table" with Svea and Charlotte, who are adorable. I think Owen might have a baby-crush on Svea. He seemed to remember her from last weekend. About half-way through the meal, Owen looked at Svea and said ". . . ohhh!" This was cute, but then he said it again. And again. And he carried on this conversation for about 20 minutes. "ohh! Ooohhh! WhoaaaaaaahhhhH!" I think he figured out that HE was the one making these noises, and he found that fascinating.

So, for the rest of the day, whenever he was awake, he was talking. At one point I started talking with him, copying his noises, and he thought that was the best thing ever.

We also went to the Mall of America to kill some time. Turns out, the MOA doesn't have strollers available for young infants. Does this seem strange to anyone else? The largest mall in North America doesn't want people walking around with their babies unless they bring their own strollers or the kid is able to sit upright?

I find it much easier to rail against this cause than to get involved with this whole "economy collapse."

Fall Festival!

2008-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hi. Owen here.

Today was a two-party day for us Rimbos, and I ain't talking about politics (thank God). First we went to the Tietjen-house for breakfast. I was very well behaved, but Mom and Dad decided we should ditch before the group headed for the apple orchard. We knew we had another party to get to, and this one? Had a camera:

We arrived at the Rundman house, and lots of my friends were there, including the Houges, Micah and Caleb Taylor, and the Lindells! When it was time for the cake-walk, Paavo and Svea's mom announced there would be a super-group providing the music. I thought they had lined up the Traveling Wilburys, but it was just my dad, Nate, Micah, and Jonathan:

I can't walk, cake or otherwise, so I hung out with mom while I enjoyed the music. Mommy looks extra-pretty today:

Just call me Ed Rex, but I looooves my mom, and spending time with her on weekends. . . . HEY! That lady's taking a picture of me!:

Hello, lady.

The best part of today was this: I thought the sky was just a little blue thing that appears in the windows of my house. But when you get outside, it's ERRVERYWHERE!!! I just took it all in, and talked, and laughed!

But all things come to an end, and soon I told my parents it was time to go home:

Big thanks to the Rundmans for hosting such a fun time, and to our friend Bethany for great pictures!

News Briefs

2008-09-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Some stuff that's been happening:

- Owen had his 2-month checkup. He's 15 oz. (EDIT: lbs.), and over 25 inches long!!! They charted his progress. He's in the 95th percentile for weight, and for height? Off the chart. Seriously. He wasn't matched up with any of the lines. I guess he's in the 99th percentile, since you can't be in the 100th, right?

He also got shots. Ouch! When the nurse gave him the shots, he cried for about five seconds, and then settled down. I thought he was mad at me afterward, but he eventually forgot.

- He LOVES soft blankets. I'll put one over him, and he'll get a HUGE smile on his face. Then he'll try to eat it.

- He's also sleeping like a champ. The other night he slept for 11 hours straight!!!

More pictures soon!

At the Fair

2008-09-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a trip to the fair with the Petersons and the Brechts. Owen was SPECTACULARLY well-behaved. He slept for the first hour or so, then woke up to smile at everyone for about 20 minutes. Then we walked around the fair and I (Daddy) tried out the Snugli harness. Owen liked it, but was still a little wary. Fortunately, Haley remembered her camera:

Sleepin'.

We decided that this was proof that Owen was at the fair. Because there's a sign in the back that says, "information."

Dubious.

Extra dubious.

Elijah lent Owen his hat. It was sunny!

Dad still didn't trust the Snugli entirely, but we found the assigned area for taking photos.

Owen's pretty happy about the DFL tent.

2008-08-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

There's been a veritable uproar over the lack of Owen-posts lately, so we're back with a massive photo-ridden update covering the past few weeks.

If you'll remember, Owen was last in solitude preparing to be baptized. And . . . .

It stuck! Success! Baptism administered!

There were throngs of people who arrived at our house to celebrate with us, and although sleeping quarters were a bit cramped, we were happy to have them. Owen has four (4) godparents, as we reckon he'll need. His Aunt Debbie, Uncle Aaron, Auntie ("awntee") Rachel, and Uncle Graham did a great job promising stuff. Our friend Jonathan Rundman led worship, along with Colonel Owen's Baptism Band: Josh, Graham, Nate, and Micah. Both Grandfathers were involved in the service, with Babu Rimbo preaching and Grandpa Larson baptizering. After the service, there was a huge shindig at the Rimbo place which featured, among other things, beer, meat, and the Rundmans playing Rock Band. It was such a fantastic day. And the pictures to prove it!:

Grandpas Rimbo and Larson post-service

Larsons

Rimbos

Godparents! (l-r: Aaron, Debbie, (Owen), Graham, Rachel, Mom, and Dad)

We had houseguests off and on for about two weeks after that, including Owen's cousin Jordyn, who was a fabulous baby-holder:

It was also great to have Aunt Debbie here for an extended period of time:

(Yes, that's her arm.)

Our friends the Bredbergs also stopped by to visit with their son, Lucas, who was mildly interested in Owen, but more interested in Debbie's phone.

Angie's already started at her new school, with kids arriving on Sept. 2. So now Justin's a solo stay-at-home dad, and if he needs to get stuff done around the house, he knows there are a few places Owen loves to be:

On his Jungle-Playmat that Babu and Bibi gave him, showing off his muscles . . .

The play-gym (a gift from Unkie Chad and Aunt Jenny) -- sometimes you can hear him laughing at the toys; "Huh-huh-huh . . ."

The trusty buzzy-seat . . .

In this chair (just photo-shop the hand out) . . .

Or snuggling with the Petersons.

I think my favorite part of this past week is that Owen's started smiling responsively. After a long nap or a big poop, when he's in a particularly good mood, I'll pick him up, and he'll register my face, and make a happy noise with a big smile. One of these days I'll catch him in the act with a camera, but for now I need to remember to turn off the flash:

And now, for the first time anywhere, live video footage of Owen!:

Daddy's Back!

2008-07-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I returned from my week-long mission trip to New York with presents for Angie and Owen, and a need for sleep that I'm probably not going to see filled.

It's so great to be home with my family. We're already getting excited about Owen's baptism, which is almost a week away!! Some people send out invitations and stuff, but we're just gonna ask you here. Consider yourself invited to Owen's baptism and after-party. Details:

What: Owen Rimbo's Baptism
When: Sunday, August 10th - 10:30 am
Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, Long Lake, MN
Why: It's gonna be AWESOME!

And then . . . party at the Rimbo house! Until a time undetermined! Food! Drink! Rock Band! Owen!

If you need more details, comment or email me and I'll hook you up! We hope you can make it!

Sleeping / Doctor Visit

2008-07-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Just a brief update:

Owen is doing terrifically -- he's already sleeping much better, and more regularly. Last night he only woke up four times! I can tell that he's sleeping better, because when he gets up and I change his diaper, he doesn't cry. He must be in a better mood.

Yesterday was Owen's first doctor's appointment, and he's perfect. He's in the 90th percentile for height and weight, and everything looks kosher. Especially his circumcision. BA DUM BUM!!

I (dad) am headed out of town tomorrow for a week-long mission trip to NYC, so Angie and Owen will be on their own for a while. I'm looking forward to getting more sleep (weird) and seeing my parents, but that's about it. It's really hard to be away for so long! In other news, unless Angie learns to blog, you won't hear much from this end until next week. Bye!

One Week Old: Visitors, First Bath, and Outings!

2008-07-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

. . . by Owen Rimbo

Man, it has been a LONG week. All sorts of stuff has been happening. I'll fill you in -- don't worry.

My Grandma came to visit this week. I'd never met her before, but she seems pretty cool. Apparently, there's a Grandpa out there (read: Iowa) too, but I'm not convinced.

Grandma liked to snuggle with me and give me attention while my mom and dad caught up on sleep. She also cleaned and cooked and stuff, but I didn't get to eat any of the food. I'm still on milk. And that's fine with me.

On Wednesday I had my first bath, and it was pretty cool. You'd think that, since I cry whenever my diaper comes off, I wouldn't like being naked, but it was great! The water was nice and warm, and it was good to get rid of all of that neck cheese.

I've also been trying out my buzzy-seat. It's this bouncy seat thing, but there's a switch on it that makes it vibrate. Whenever it's on, I zone out. Here's the face I make when my buzzy-seat is turned on:

I also got out of the house a little bit this week. I'm only a week old, and I've already been to Wal-Mart and Target! I like Target better, but that's because I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart's tendency to threaten small businesses and communities. I do really well when I'm in my car seat in a shopping cart. The moving around pretty much knocks me out.

I also went out for a walk with my mom and dad, but it was so humid that the walk only lasted for about ten minutes. Still, it's nice to get outside. And my stroller works! On Friday, we all went up to St. Cloud to help Mommy move to a new classroom. There were a LOT of teachers there that wanted to meet me. I didn't learn much. I think I'll wait five years or so.

On Saturday, my friend Elijah and his parents came over to bring us lunch and good tidings.

Elijah and his parents.

At first, Elijah and I weren't very interested in each other. But when we switched sides . . .

Whoa! Look at that guy! He's like some sort of giant!

In this picture, Elijah is telling me a story about his Grandparents' farm.

But then he punched me in the face! Badooshhhh!!!

Daddy tried to eat my face, but Elijah fought him off.

Finally, we had a dance party. My feet are almost as big as Elijah's!

On Friday night, Grandma watched me and my parents went to see the new Batman movie in between feedings. By the end of the movie (which was nearly three hours long), they were itching to come back and see me. Can't blame 'em.

"I Like To Sleep"

2008-07-15T10:26:00.001-07:00

By Owen.

I really like to sleep.

At the hospital . . .

In my car seat on the way home . . .

In my crib . . .

In my crib AGAIN . . .

With Daddy . . .
But sometimes I wake up and cuddle with my mom . . .
And Daddy takes pictures of me . . .
And then we snuggle . . . back at the hospital?

Mondays

2008-07-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

. . . by Owen Rimbo.

Today was my first Monday, and in case you haven't ever had a "case of the Mondays," here's what they're like (as far as I know):

On Mondays, you feel gassy and fussy. If you're Daddy, you get peed on in the middle of the night when he checks a diaper. I can see why Garfield and people who work in cubicles hate them so much. But then when you wake up, Grandma holds you for like, three hours, and you fart a lot. Then you feel WAY better.

Then, after lunch, your friends come over! Graham, and Haley, and Gail, and Derek and Elijah all come over. Elijah is interested in you, because you're sort of the same size. But then he sleeps in your pack n' play. Freeloader. I guess I can share.

You try to impress Haley by filling your diaper, but she's not impressed, no matter how much you poop. Then all the girls and babies stand in one room and talk about boobs (which is where milk comes from) and the guys go in the basement for guy time and play Rock Band. Unless you're a baby, and your hands are too small to hold the controllers.

But then Mommy gets really happy, because Mrs. Gail shows her nursing tips, and they're great! When Mommy tried them, I latched on right away! And now I'm less gassy when I eat.

Soon your friends have to go home, but you don't care, because you're sleeping. Grownups eat the food they brought for dinner while you take a nap in your crib. Then Daddy goes to Target for alone time and shopping while you sleep. When you wake up, you pee on Grandma. And on the wall. Awesome.

While Daddy's at Target, he realizes how tired he is, because he feels like a zombie. He's so tired that he drinks a Frappucino, comes home, and sleeps for two hours. Sorry, Daddy.

Then, at bedtime, you have some colostrum, and snuggle with Daddy while he watches TV. Then you fall asleep. That's pretty much it.

(Yawn)

2008-07-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's a weird kind of tired -- I'm totally exhausted, but I could function for a while knowing my boy is around.

Poor Owen didn't get much sleep last night, and that means Mommy and Daddy Rimbo didn't, either. He's still learning how to latch on to milk(colostrum)-central, and we think he's getting way too much air, because he is GASSY. Of course, that could just be his genetic makeup, since I'm gassy, too, but we're looking for a practical solution instead.

The worst part is, he doesn't get it. He thinks he's hungry. So he'll cry, and we'll try to feed him, and he eats for a while, and then falls asleep, but when we put him back down, he gets uptight and the gases take over, and he cries again, wakes up and thinks he's hungry. Poor fella.

Grandma Larson is holding him now, and working out the gas - he's been farting non-stop. He's sleeping, so he's either feeling better or comforted to the point of ignorance.

Mommy and Daddy are going to let Grandma take care of him and catch up on naps. Later, the Petersons and Derek are coming up to visit.

Oh, and I love the children's albums from They Might Be Giants. Especially "One Everything" off of "Here Come The 123s".

Homeward Bound

2008-07-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long day, but I get the feelings the days will become much more trying than this one.

Last night Owen was really good about letting the night-nurses know he was lonely every three hours or so, so I would be sleeping hard, and then wake up halfway through a conversation with Angie and the nurses. I've never been so confused waking up as I am here -- where am I? Who's talking? Why am I sleeping on a cot-chair thing? Am I really a dad, or was that a dream? Then I'd see my little man, and have this weird rush of emotion. Then he'd eat, we'd sleep for what seemed like ten minutes, and he'd be back again.

We're glad he's a good eater -- he's also great at pooping, but we're still waiting for another pee. What's the matter? Too much information for you?

Today was a rough day for Owen -- he didn't even want to blog. When he woke up he had a checkup with his pediatrician. The doctor drew some blood from his poor little foot. Then later the nurse did a bath-demonstration for Angie and I, and he does NOT like baths. It's not so much the water as the being naked.

That's right, our child is a snuggler. He LOVES LOVES LOVES being wrapped up, especially if he gets to cuddle with Mommy or Daddy. When you take his blanket off to change him or wash him, he starts crying.

Then Owen's day took a turn for the even worse -- CIRCUMCISION! DUM DUM DUMMMMM!

Actually, it wasn't that bad -- only in theory. Apparently he slept through it, and it wore him out so much that he's been sleeping pretty much since then. About 6 hours or so. We've had a heck of a time waking him up for feedings. He inherited Angie's ability to sleep.

This afternoon we decided it was time to come home. I wish Owen was more excited to see his room and stuff, but he couldn't care less. Just sleeping. It'll probably be more exciting once he can see more than a foot in front of his face.

We took a few pictures of him in his carseat today, and he likes it a lot. I think it's the snug little straps that make him feel secure. We've received requests from blog-aficionados that we take some more pictures with his eyes open, so we'll have to do a photo shoot once he wakes up. Which will be . . . next week.

Grandma Larson also showed up today, and was pretty excited to meet her grandson. We've decided that he looks a little like his Uncle Aaron, with blond hair. But he definitely has the patented Rimbo-nose and head, so I know he's mine. That's pretty cool.

Owen's First Day

2008-07-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

. . . By Owen Rimbo.

Today was my first day, and it was long. I was born very early this morning, and after that everything was all aflutter. I tried feeding with Mommy, and then they took me away to get checked out or processed or whatever. I could have told you that I was healthy, but the doctor confirmed it.

Then it was eating, sleeping, pooping, repeat. I pooped FOUR TIMES today! I'm not sure if you're interested in this information, but I'm the center of attention, it seems, so I can do what I want. I'm also really tired. Daddy thinks I'm having nightmares about certain birth canals. I also dream about roller coasters, like some of my friends do.

The cycle was broken up with my first bath, which I did NOT enjoy. Too cold!!! I like being warm and wrapped up. I don't cry often, but I'll let you know if I'm too cold. It helps keep Mommy and Daddy moving quickly with the diaper changes.

The doctor checked me out again, and he said my body temp is too low. See? What did I tell you? So they're keeping me wrapped up with a funky hat on. I make the look work.

Daddy left to take a shower at home, and on the way he talked with my Unkie Chad. They worked out a dowry for me and Natalie to get married. July 23, 2031. Save the date!

When Daddy came back, some girls came to visit me. It was my friends Rachel and Theresa! They were my first visitors. Rachel is one of my godmothers, and Theresa is my god-Methodist. They brought my Mom ice cream. They brought my dad coffee. They brought me presents, and gave me lots of attention, and took lots of pictures. It took me HOURS to figure out how to upload them. It's not the problem of using my hands, it's just that I'm not used to working with iPhoto. I still can't figure out how to rotate them in Blogger. What do you expect? I'm a newborn!

Auntie Rachel liked to hold me, but Aunt Theresa got confused by a balloon.

She eventually figured it out.

Then she got confused again.

Then the balloon took a picture of Auntie Rachel and me.

Now I'm sleeping (try wrapping your grown-up mind around THAT ONE) and Mommy and Daddy are getting ready for bed. All in all, a pretty eventful day. I'm not sure if coming out was a good decision, but a lot of other people sure think is was. Later.

- Owen.

Meet Owen Robert!

2008-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hey, here's a baby. Baby Rimbo. You may not have known this, but in the past, whenever we referred to "Baby Rimbo," we meant Owen. Apparently.

So Angie won the battle -- she was still only about 2 cm dilated, but they gave her an epidural, and she LOVED IT. They were able to steadily increase the Pitocin, but Angie felt nothing, so we slept. After about four hours we woke up to our nurse turning on the baby warmer. Say what?

The nurse checked, and Angie was TOTALLY DILATED. That's 8 cm in four hours. That peanut was READY.

Angie pushed for about an hour-and-a-half, while Justin held her leg and counted to ten. So, y'know, it was rough for him, too. Angie was AMAZING -- kept the pushes coming and moved that little head along at a steady pace.

Out he came! Gross! Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord, and he went straight to Mommy. This guy is HUGE -- check out the pictures below to confirm. We noticed that he had male genitalia, so we decided to name him Owen Robert.

Owen: After the character Owen Meany in John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, Justin's favorite book. "I know that I am God's instrument."

Robert. After Justin's dad Robert "Once-and-future-bishop" Rimbo. My dad has always been a hero to me, and I'm proud to be his kid (and someday Owen will be proud to be his first grandkid).

And now, 6,000 words.

Owen Robert Rimbo, in all his groggy glory. Fresh outta the oven.

Mommy and Owen, with some immediate bonding time. Check out the massive conehead/bruise on his noggin. Poor guy. All that Rimbo head smushed through a tiny passage.

"Man, Natalie was right. It's COLD out here!"

Mommy and Owen rest up after a harrowing ordeal.

Yes, that scale is correct, folks. 9 lbs., 10.7 oz. No one will question my wife's predictions ever again. How do you know you can trust this scale? Because it is an Olympic Smart Scale. Owen chose to be weighed on this one in honor of the 2008 Olympics. He's hoping to compete in the 200 Meter Squirm.
That's a big guy. 21 inches long! His feet barely fit on the little stamp-card.

News From the Front, Pt. II

2008-07-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Nidya means "Tornado." Abrecan means "Storm." Why do we care? Because right now Angie's contractions are 2-3 minutes apart, and the hospital is under a tornado warning. It's seriously right on top of us.

Fortunately, the delivery room is deep in the hospital, away from windows. We should be ok, but I'm glad we recently updated our homeowners' insurance. All the other poor little newbies had to evacuate their rooms into the hallway.

Flashback.

Angie was contracting a little at a time at first, so I let her get some sleep and I caught up on reading East of Eden, which I would use for name-inspiration if all the characters weren't bastards. When she woke up, we watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, which was most excellent. Then we finished watching the Project Runway marathon on Bravo while her contractions really picked up.

Our doctor came in and broke her water and then the party REALLY got started. I can't speak to Angie's experience, but there has been some serious hand-grabbing during contractions. Once it picked up, Angie was really feeling her herniated disc, so we convinced them to give her some drugs, which is making her sleep in between contractions. Every once in a while she'll wake up and grab my hand, and I'll stop typing to encourage her. Like just now.

Once we're 4-5 cm, we'll get an epidural, but I'm sure it seems miles away for Angie. Here are a few pictures from our stay so far:

The good ol' days.

The most beautiful pregnant lady in the whole wide world.

Future parents!!

It's good to have goals. Even if you have to make them yourself.

More later!

News From the Front

2008-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I've figured out how to use the hospital's WiFi.

We came in last night around 7, had the Servadil insert (Which is supposed to soften up the cervix and maybe get contractions going), and waited all night. Angie got up to pee every half-hour, nurses kept coming in to check the monitor, and I think I got two hours of sleep. Guess I'd better get used to it.

So our doctor checked us this morning, and . . . NOTHING! Not dilated at all!! Angie says she has an "over-competent cervix."

But then Angie started having contractions, and we got a new insert, and an hour later, she was 1 cm dilated. If it keeps going, we'll get on Pitocin, and if it doesn't, Angie is in favor of getting opened up to get that baby out of there.

That's where we're at now. There, and watching the Project Runway marathon on Bravo. Fabulous.

The Baby Cometh

2008-07-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

After ten months of waiting, we're going in after this baby.

Today at 7:00 we're checking in to Buffalo Hospital, and we aren't leaving until we're parents . . . or until I need to run to Target.

Angie gets something called Servadil, or whatever, and it might make her start the labor process on her own, so we have to stay there overnight (I have a book, card games, and I just bought both Bill & Ted movies for $5 on one DVD).

Tomorrow morning, either the baby's on its way, or Angie gets Pitocin, or both, and that's supposed to do the trick. So the baby's probably coming tomorrow, in which case my kid will always get free Slurpees on his/her birthday, or maybe the 12th, in which case . . . it'll be the 12th.

We'll bring this here computer along, so I'm planning on blogging once we have pictures post-viscera. Prayers are appreciated -- see you on the other side.

So Very Close

2008-07-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Babu and Bibi Rimbo (Grandma and Grandpa) were with us for the past week. We're sure they were hoping for a grandkid while they were here, but our peanut wouldn't deliver. We walked, and ate spicy food, and bounced on the exercise ball, and baby Rimbo was still feeling shy.

We're close, though! Angie's been having pretty constant, painless practice contractions ("compractions"), and even a few painful ones. There are a lot of pre-labor signs, and for a while we thought Wednesday was going to be the day. No such luck.

Then last night we had another close call. We thought Angie's water might have broken, so we called the birth center, and they said, "Yeah, you'd better come in to be sure." This was around 10:45, so we headed in, and Angie got strapped to the baby monitor, and there was all sorts of experiments and whatnot.

Long story short, . . . nope. This would have been a very different blog post. HOWEVER, the nurse said the monitor says the baby is doing GREAT, and BIG, and every time Angie drank something cold or I talked to her tummy, the heartbeat went up. Plus, we're a little bit dilated. The nurse also gave us a bit of affirmation, and said we were right to come in. So we didn't feel dumb.

So we got home at around 2 am (there was a lot of waiting), and slept until 7 am, said goodbye to Justin's parents, and then went back to sleep.

And now it's back to the waiting game. We're going in on Thursday night to start the induction process, and unless the baby comes out on its own before then, we'll have a baby on Friday. We'll go walking again today, and maybe do some heavy lifting. Hopefully the next blog post will be the real deal!

Houseguests (but still not the one we want the most)

2008-06-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Angie felt the peanut kicking her in the side, so she touched the foot, and . . . toes! Our baby has toes . . .

Now if it could only use those toes to make an exit.

Angie's sister Christi and her two girls were in town these past few days, and while it was fun having them, it's a good reminder why we're having our kids one at a time. The Larson women have planning in their genes, so Angie and Christi were always on the go, and Angie was feeling it later.

On Wednesday we checked in at the doctor, but Angie still isn't dilated at all, even with all that walking around.

Grandma and Grandpa Rimbo are flying into town today for a week. We're hoping the peanut will make its big entrance sometime this week to meet them, but we don't want to rush it. We like individualized names for grandparents, and we're thinking the Rimbo grandfolk will be referred to as "Babu" and "Bibi," which are the Swahili words for grandma and grandpa, irrespectively. The Bantu words are so basically phonetic, that my mom thinks the baby will say those words before "daddy." She's probably right.

On Sunday I (Justin) am finally graduating from college, ten years (almost to the date) after I graduated from high school. Take that, education. If the baby comes, it's just an added bonus.

I've caught the nesting bug, and yesterday I tried to dust/de-grime the bedroom where our child will be sleeping for the first few weeks of his/her life. I tried to vacuum the curtains, but they were just SO DUSTY that I threw them in the wash. Then I realized that the windows were filthy. So I cleaned those. And they turned the rag black. Yuck. I'm glad I got that stuff out of there before our kid arrives. I think once you're a parent, you have to get better about keeping the house clean . . . that's tough.

T-Minus "Isn't-the-baby-here-yet?"

2008-06-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, baby Rimbo.

Any day now.

We know you're in there.

This morning I leaned over to my wife's belly and said, "Are you sure you don't want to come out today? All the other kids are doing it." And they are. Pregnancy seems to be pretty popular now-a-days, and here's a short list of all the couples we know who have had a baby this spring/summer:

Josh and Gail
Chad and Jenny
Beth and Jeromy
Alex and Jessica
Tim and Laura
The Osmundsons
Jay and Tia

And it seems like there's a bunch more. Our baby, however, does not give into peer pressure. Yes, I realize that our official due date is still two weeks away.

But we're ready -- those last few big-ticket items, namely a dresser and a pack-n-play, have arrived at our house and are waiting to meet the baby. I think the baby might have dropped, too. It's getting pretty hard for Angie to walk around, but easier to breathe.

This past week I was on pins and needles because I was hired by Trinity to help lead a mission trip to downtown Minneapolis. It was a great trip, particularly the work site where we were, but I left my phone on all the time, and kept expecting a phone call in the middle of the night requiring a hasty exit. It didn't come.

Angie and I have also consoled ourselves by buying anniversary presents (today's the big number 5) that were way out of our price range. I got her a diamond ring that's a band so she doesn't have to worry about scratching the peanut once the holding ensues. It fits her now, but we'll have to re-size it once her hands de-swell. She may get mad about me sharing this information with you.

Angie got us a copy of Rock Band as well, so she and I have started a group called Unicorn Vicar, and we're conquering the world with her on guitar, and me on drums as a Swedish eccentric beanpole named Brian. She likes it when I talk in my vaguely European accent. I'm hoping to get her on drums soon so I can show you pictures of a very pregnant rock star.

Hopefully the next time you hear from us we'll have a baby for which to take the pictures of.

T-Minus 3 weeks

2008-06-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Everything is hunky-dory in Rimboland. Our house is steadily filling up with baby "stuff," and Angie is steadily filling up with baby.

It feels like we're kinda ready, or at least we have the right equipment, barring a few big-ticket items here or there. But our kid won't care if we have a dresser, or a rocking chair . . . those things will come eventually if we need them. At this point we aren't avoiding any heavy lifting or exercise. To quote a certain movie, at this point, it can only help us. Bring it on, baby.

We're technically full-term, but Angie looks fabulous for a lady who's 9 months pregnant. She carries the baby so leanly and well-distributed that if you look at her from the front, it's not that obvious:

But then when she lifts up her shirt, and her husband makes kissy faces at her belly . . .

Yup. That lady's pregnant. Call the papers!

Angie's even having some practice contractions, which we call "conpractions." I guess eventually they just keep on coming, and then it's time to head to the hospital.

Speaking of which, here's my packing list:

Clothes (inc. underwear)
Snacks
A copy of "East of Eden." (I hear there may be waiting involved.)
DVDs
Zombie Fluxx

PLUS! Receiving blankets and some coming-home outfits for the baby. No way of knowing how big it's gonna be, so there are various sizes . . . my favorite is one from my parents that says, "I'm New Here," but it's sized at 9 mos. Seems inconsistent . . .

Now Angie's going to make her first attempt at baby-blogging. Hang on to your hats:

Hi. It's me, Angie. I hope your hats didn't get lost between those lines of text. You can probably let go of them now.

So, yep, here we are. Rimbos getting ready for our next big adventure. As Justin mentioned, our house has been taken over by mass amounts of baby stuff, and seeing as I could go into labor any time, we've got to be ready. (Although chances are, it'll be awhile..)

People keep asking me how I'm feeling. Aside from needing an afternoon nap to make it through the day, and trading in my sashay for a slight waddle, I'm physically fine. Also, I've started wearing my wedding ring on a chain around my neck rather than on my finger due to swelling fingers. It's really weird to have strangers at the grocery store see that you are pregnant and not wearing a ring and shoot you dirty looks.

Emotionally, I'm running the gambit right now. Nervous, excited, glad to be out of school, tired, terrified, and constantly lost in thought about the many transitions ahead for us. All the while, trying to stay in the present and be glad for all the blessings I have- a great community of friends, a healthy baby, a husband who is not afraid to be a dork with me, and will be a great daddy. Pretty great.

All for now. 23 days and counting until our due date. We'll keep ya posted.

All Babies Want to Get Borned

2008-06-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here in the last month leading up to baby Rimbo's impending impact, things are relatively normal with Angie and I, but there are tiny signals popping up everywhere that something will change soon.

Par example: There's a car seat in my car. THERE IS A CAR SEAT. IN MY CAR.

I realize that a lot of people wait until . . . later in the ninth month to take up so much space in their backseats. But excitement + boredom + a lot of free time = a car seat. That's just science. I thoroughly cleaned the Ion out with a vacuum and everything, lest our child catch diphtheria from loose change and old french fries. I finally got the thing in -- it was way less complicated than its reputation led me to believe, and I think I over-thought it. Those little anchor things in newer cars are a godsend. After I was convinced it was secure (enough), I sort of stood back and said/thought, ". . . whoa." One month to go. Showtime.

Packing a hospital bag is a whole 'nother animal. I have packed many bags in my time. I travel a lot. But what do you pack when you could be leaving at any moment? How do you get bathroom stuff ready when you still might need to use it every day? I realize that things don't happen like they do in the movies, with panic and drama, but I want to be prepared . . . after all, you never know. One month seems like a long time, but when I say, "we're 36 weeks pregnant," that's totally different. It seems imminent.

And the baby's room is getting crowded, too. Our friends threw Angie a shower last weekend, and we have all sorts of cute clothes and toys and books . . . still a little short on the practicality end, but it is a Rimbo, after all. Still, I'd be ok welcoming the peanut home today, if we had to. (I bet Angie would be ok with that, too, but I'll leave that for her to say.) All this unpacking and opening and arranging is kind of a nesting thing, and it feels good.

We've been going to the doctor weekly now, and everything is looking healthy. The little heartbeat thing says, "wowowowowowow."

So now we're watching Juno, one of our favorites. Sometimes Angie thinks it's funny when I do my Jennifer Garner impression: "Can you hear me baybeeee?"

Welcome and . . . hello.

2008-06-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is it. You have arrived.

A cyber-space-niche for baby Rimbo and his or her exploits.

Birth date? Who knows?!

Gender? Hopefully one of two!

Name? Something cute!

You'll have to check back here and go through this with us. Hoping for:

- News
- Pictures
- Videos
- Etc.

Stay with us.