Friday, December 25, 2009

Baby Before Baby

Katie, Dan's sister, is a very talented photographer and she blessed us with a short photo shoot down here in Charlotte. She took some wonderful pictures and we had an adventure as we were climbing down here into the ditch/drain pipe area near our house. We made it safely and have some gorgeous photos to show! Enjoy and hopefully, we'll see baby pictures soon!!!





(This is my favorite one because this is how we feel in our situation right now: we cant believe we're having a baby but we are really excited and in love about it!)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Puhleez

Baby Haller: Please stop using my right rib cage as a spring board for your back flips. My uterus is not a trampoline and I'd like to be able to sit without arching my back for comfort.
Thank you and I'll see you soon :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Last Hoorah


Being the adventurous and brave 8-months-pregnant wife that she is, Jenny and I decided to have one last hoorah before baby Haller is born in a month or so(!) Inspired by the movie The Last of the Mohicans, we headed to Chimney Rock State Park to see some of the sights where the movie was filmed, as well as some awesome views from the top of Chimney Rock. After two hours of an uncomfortable ride for pregzilla, we went up winding, steep roads leading to the park entrance. We hiked a few different trails, climbed many steps and boardwalks, and enjoyed views from the top. We concluded the trip by hiking to a waterfall, and left wondering why so many families thought bringing a stroller on a bumpy, steep trail was a good idea!?


Chimney Rock

On top of Chimney Rock, overlooking Lure Lake

8 months beautiful!

Hickory Nut Falls

Overlooking the other side, towards the waterfall and the Blue Ridge Mts.


Jenny wanted to let everyone know that on the way home, I was snorezilla! I look forward to many more adventures with Jenny and the baby in the backpack.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Long Time, No Post


For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some
obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. - Souza

Things are going well here... time is FLYING by and we're preparing for one of the biggest changes of our lives. No, of course we're not ready. Who is? We are prioritizing our way towards January 13th with many conversations we've never had before. It is stressful at times and exciting at times. I think we can both agree that we're nervous. And we can both agree we're thrilled to be having a baby; we talked about having children on some of our earliest dates in college (not the best idea when you then have to wait 3 years to get married).
At my shower, friends and family shared much advice that I really appreciated. Take a nap whenever possible. Don't set yourself on a rigid schedule. Accept help from others. The first month is really hard but it gets better (movie stars who say pregnancy and mothering is easy are ridiculous). Don't worry/stress about educating yourself- those natural instincts will kick in. You CAN do it. You have children of God, don't label otherwise.
Our goals, priorities, schedules, plans, careers will all pause when we'll look into the eyes of our little creation.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Happy Birthday Mom!!


Its (Jenny's) mom's birthday! Yeah! We hope you have a fantastic day and enjoy every minute! If I was there, we would go to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, California Pizza Kitchen for lunch and El Toucan for dinner :):) We'd go to the beach, shop all afternoon and take a nap!

Miss you and see you soon!


Monday, October 5, 2009


Why We Love the Mountains

Written by Dan (for once!)
Sunday we left early for Pisgah National Forest to hike to the top of Looking Glass Rock. We passed it on Blue Ridge Parkway back in May when we were camping and thought it looked fun and challenging to hike. We began hiking around 11:00 with plenty of water and snacks. We passed many streams and switchbacks on our way up, and stopped about half way up for a nap and reading on the first rock face with awesome views. The top was pretty cool, but we liked the first stop better and were able to relax more. After some pictures and a video from the top, we made our way back down and were finished by about 5:00. We had a great time, but were pooped after the 6.5 miles we hiked. I was very proud of my wife for being so tough at 6 months pregnant! Below are some pictures and 10 reasons (in no particular order) why we love the mountains.


1. There are trails everywhere and plenty to keep you busy!

2. It's great exercise!

3. You can go the bathroom anytime, anywhere!
4. Leaving the stresses and busy-ness of the world is a liberating feeling.
5. It's the ultimate relaxation: not a sound can be heard but birds chirping and wind blowing.
6. People of every age can enjoy it...even those not yet born!
7. The views are incredible.
8. It's a supernatural feeling being alone with Creation and God.
9. Accomplishing a goal from start to finish is a great feeling!
10. There are lots of things to talk about while hiking: children, values, playing ABC memory games, etc!


Here's a short video from the top...sorry for the clicking...it's our camera.


Monday, September 28, 2009

You know you're pregnant when...


24 weeks. I feel large but these pics dont show how I really feel!

There's the belly! (and Bauer in the background!)

You know you're pregnant when... (please add more if you think of some!)

-You sneeze and you pee your pants
-You drop something in the car and listen to it roll the entire time because you cant reach it.
-Heartburn is now a common occurrence.
-Dinner conversations include breast milk, strollers and insurance.
-Painting your toenails is painful
-You have a 'shelf' on which crumbs reside.
-You get really upset when the store doesn't have the frosting with the little colored pellets.
-Strangers tell you what gender you're having all because of your size
-Then they tell you what you should name your baby...because their opinion really matters.
-Your husband asks to have ice cream every night and is annoyed that you crave chips and salsa.
-The alarm clock is too bright and must be covered each night in order to sleep.
-You're afraid of toilet bugs and turn the light on 4 times to pee at night.
-The body pillow is the third human in the bed.
-When you burp so loud the dog gives you a funny look (its uncontrollable, I promise!)
-Your belly button is spread out like an Asian Cyclops monster.
-The neighbor's italian sausage feast down the street makes your nose hurt.
-You forget what you're talking about.
-Dinner consists of an english muffin, chips and cheese and chocolate milk.
-You cry during banking commercials.


And theres so much more! But we're having fun in this adventure. Dan and I spend time at night feeling the baby kick inside me and we can now see it in my belly! Its amazing to be building a human!


Thursday, August 27, 2009

This morning

Love is patient. BeepBeepBeepBeep.... The alarm was going off for at least 10 minutes before MY patience wore out and I attempted to awaken the slumbering giant next to me... okay, he's not a giant but without the energy to even make a fist, pushing him out of bed seemed daunting as facing a giant. I tap him lightly on the back, reminding him that his alarm is blaring. After all, love is kind.

I had this morning off... I do not work today and planned to go to the pool, read my book, listen to my new CD and enjoy the sunshine. Dan, however, worked really hard last night at Firebirds, not to mention a second day full of school. Our schedules are different, but we have love. He did not envy, I did not boast.

I gently woke him letting him know what time it was (3o minutes post alarm). Love is not rude. I got up and made his breakfast, lunch and smoothie; a routine I am proud to do out of love of my husband; even if he's late 90% of the time. He's aware of his weakness and we're comfortable with our routine. Love is not self-seeking.

The house is a mess; I mean, a disaster. We've not been home, Bauer is losing hair, cobwebs are thriving and my histamines are NOT blocked making for a 15 sneeze walk down the stairs. I could not stop sneezing, itching, watering, scratching, and sniffling. I tripped on my shoes coming into the kitchen and the garbage smelled like rotten cabbage. My hair was tickling my eyes and the dog kept whining to go outside. The chore chart is collecting dust and nothing has been checked off (by either of us). Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

I put on the kettle for some tea, manage to burn some leftover cheese on the glass stovetop and stink up the kitchen before 8am. I dropped the tea bag in the mug and got shells in Dan's egg in the skillet. While making his lunch, I got mustard on my leggings. The dog is still whining though he is now outside and I can faintly hear the annoying noise. Dan comes down to say goodbye as he rushes out the door, we manage the 'drive safe', 'have a great day', 'I love you', 'call or text me', 'what time will you be home?'

35 seconds later; Dan rushes in, "I forgot my phone." "Where is it?" "I dont know, call it". "Here it is!" Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

I plump down on the couch with my raspberry leaf tea and turn on the news. I left the dog outside. He's an animal, he'll be fine. 2 minutes pass by and I hear pounding on the front door. Bra-less and and still sneezing, I run to unlock it and see my distraught, late, sad husband with smoothie all over his khaki pants. ALL OVER his pants; he peed blueberry. He strips down and I toss him some non-ironed khakis, promise to get the stain out of his new ones and he runs out with towels to clean up his mess...We manage to apologize and promise our love to one another.

Really thats all that matters anyway. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Baby Haller!

Today was a really really exciting today! Dan and I had been waiting till August 20th for quite some time... in fact, I havent slept in a week because I've been so anxious about it! Finally we saw our baby wiggle its fingers and toes, shake its huge Haller head and hear the thumping in all four heart chambers! We saw the spine, the stomach, a pair of kidneys, a healthy flow of blood from the umbilical cord and giggled as Baby Haller squirmed when I laughed. I cannot believe I hold a 9 oz., 6.5 inch baby in my abdomen!! He/She looks super healthy and has all working parts including a moving jaw that we saw chomping away!
Below is Baby Haller squished in my cantaloupe-sized uterus. Super cute!
We were privileged to have my mom and Zachary visit us for the ultrasound and it was amazing to see and hear their reactions. Zach noticed most obvious body parts and asked lots of questions while sitting on Uncle Dan's lap. My mom was thrilled to be able to see such vivid photos and experience her third grandbaby in this way! 19 weeks a thriving! Zach said the funniest things today including watching the baby on the screen he said, "I was on this show when I was a baby."

Dan is such a proud daddy already, taking care of me and taking care of the baby by feeding me and letting me sleep in. I am unbelievably blessed to be married to him and seeing his reaction to his baby on the screen squirming and thriving was priceless and unforgettable. Thanks for all of your encouragement and prayer as we've taken this journey... Exciting step stones to come!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Wedding Weekend 2009!

I write this post with joy and a little bit of bitterness. I am bitter because Dan and I forgot our camera on the desk at the house... which means I was out of a camera ALL WEEKEND at his brother's wedding.  The following pictures were taken by Katie Haller who is a phenomenal photographer and a wonderful sister in law. We were a little busy and did not get ANY pictures of the wedding (obvious b/c we were in it) and none of the reception. There will be many more to come because Mark and Jill's photographers were great!


Here I am airing out in the waiting area before we went out to walk down the aisle!  

Here's Jill with her super cute blue shoes and her dress airing out! She was nervous but they both did wonderful and the ceremony was beautiful at Asbury in Delaware.


The pretty chapel with pews and green accents

Dan and I at the rehearsal dinner!  It was a great dinner with a unique pasta bar and lots of treats.

Jill and Mark had their reception at the same place we did and we helped put up gorgeous lights in the reception hall... it was pretty!

Here's a pic of all the Haller women at a shower.  We had a great time!

The bride and me!  


(The pics are blurry because the quality is so high that they have to shrink into these small blog posts but you can click on them for a closer look!)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Passion for Food


“Imagine what it would be if, as a national policy, we said we would be only  successful if we had fewer people going to the hospital next year than last year?  The idea then would be to have such nutritionally dense, unadulterated food that people who ate it actually felt better, had more energy and weren’t sick as much …  now, see, that’s a noble goal.”  

-- Joel Salatin, owner/farmer of Polyface Farms in Virginia, which lets his livestock graze on grass, the way nature intended.  (pictured above)


As Dan and I have been passionately harvesting our goods from our 8x8 plot in our back yard, we've been thinking hard about how we'll feed our family. We've also been planning to live on local foods in August for at least 2 weeks. We talk and talk about where our food comes from and what kind of waste we use to get it... This inspired us to watch the newest and most inspiring documentary thus far: Food Inc.

"Food Inc exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and worker's rights. "

______________________________________________________________________
Some of the facts from Food Inc. are disturbing, empowering, frustrating, exciting and disappointing.  But, we left there feeling excited to garden, harvest and impact our small section of 28213 and not support big government (something we've been against for years already)...

 Pesiticides are infiltrating our fruits, vegetables and water.  For example, a single apple can be covered with 42 known residues found by the USDA, 5 probably carcinogens, 19 suspected hormone disruptors, 10 neurotoxins, and 5 developmental or reproductive toxicants.  (www.whatsonmyfood.org

Food travels about 1500 miles to get to my grocery store. AND I drive 15 miles to save $2.00!!! 

 Each year, as many people die from heart disease as killed in the September 11th attacks.  Yet, the government spends as little as  maybe 1 committee meeting on how to control the crap thats in our food.  
 

In the 1970s, the top five beef packers controlled about 25% of the market. Today, the top four control more than 80% of the market. 

 

In the 1970s, there were thousands of slaughterhouses producing the majority of beef sold. Today, we have only 13. 

 

In 1998, the USDA implemented microbial testing for salmonella and E. coli 0157h7 so that if a plant repeatedly failed these tests, the USDA could shut down the plant.  After being taken to court by the meat and poultry associations, the USDA no longer has that power. 

 

In 1972, the FDA conducted 50,000 food safety inspections. In 2006, the FDA conducted only 9,164. 

 

During the Bush administration, the chief of staff at the USDA was the former chief lobbyist for the beef industry in Washington. 

 

Prior to renaming itself an agribusiness company, Monsanto was a chemical company that produced, among other things, DDT and Agent Orange. 

 

In 1996 when it introduced Round-Up Ready Soybeans, Monsanto controlled only 2% of the U.S. soybean market. Now, over 90% of soybeans in the U.S. contain Monsanto’s patented gene. 

 

Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas was an attorney at Monsanto from 1976 to 1979.  After his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas wrote the majority opinion in a case that helped Monsanto enforce its seed patents. 

 

The average chicken farmer invests over $500,000 and makes only $18,000 a year. 

 

32,000 hogs a day are killed in Smithfield Hog Processing Plant in Tar Heel, N.C, which is the largest slaughterhouse in the world. 

 

The average American eats over 200 lbs. of meat a year. 

 

30% of the land in the U.S. is used for planting corn. 

 

The modern supermarket now has, on average, 47,000 products, the majority of which is being produced by only a handful of food companies. 

 

70% of processed foods have some genetically modified ingredient. 

 

SB63 Consumer Right to Know measure requiring all food derived from cloned animals to be labeled as such passed the California state legislature before being vetoed in 2007 by Governor Schwarzenegger, who said that he couldn’t sign a bill that pre-empted federal law. 

 

Corn products include: ketchup, cheese, Twinkies, batteries, peanut butter, Cheez-Its, salad dressings, Coke, jelly, Sweet & Low, syrup, juice, Kool-Aid, charcoal, diapers, Motrin, meat and fast food. 

 

Corn, which is the main ingredient in animal feed, is also used as a food additive. Those products commonly include:  Cellulose, Xylitol, Maltodextrin, Ethylene, Gluten, Fibersol-2, Citrus Cloud Emulsion, Inosital, Fructose, Calcium Stearate, Saccharin, Sucrose, Sorbital, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Di-glycerides, Semolina, Sorbic Acid, Alpha Tocopherol, Ethyl Lactate, Polydextrose, Xantham Gum, White Vinegar, Ethel Acetate, Fumaric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Baking Powder, Zein, Vanilla Extract, Margarine, and Starch. 

 

1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes; Among minorities, the rate will be 1 in 2. 

 

E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks have become more frequent in America, whether it be from spinach or jalapenos.  In 2007, there were 73,000 people sickened from the E. coli virus. 

 

 In January 2008, the FDA approved the sale of meat AND milk from cloned livestock.



_____________________________________________________
Here are some quotes from the film that I find staggering:

“Not only do they not want you to know what’s in it, they have managed to make it against the law to criticize their products … In Colorado, it’s a felony if you’re convicted under a veggie libel law.  So you could go to prison for criticizing the ground beef that’s being produced in the state of Colorado.”

“You look at the labels and you see farmer this, farmer that. It’s really just three or four companies that are controlling the meat.  We’ve never had food companies this big and this powerful in our history.” 

 – Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation.” 

 

“All those snack food calories are the ones that come from the commodity crops, from the wheat, from the corn, and from the soybeans.  By making those calories really cheap, it’s one of the reasons that the biggest predictor of obesity is income level.” 


“Cows are not designed by evolution to eat corn.  They’re designed by evolution to eat grass. And the only reason we feed them corn is because corn is really cheap and corn makes them fat quickly … The industrial food system is always looking for greater efficiency.  But each new step in efficiency leads to problems.  If you take feedlot cattle off their corn diet, give them grass for five days, they will shed eighty percent of the E. coli in their gut. 

-- Michael Pollan, author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” which 

bowed in January, 2008 


“The irony is that the average consumer does not feel very powerful. They think that they are the recipients of whatever industry has put there for them to consume.  Trust me, it’s the exact opposite.  Those businesses  spend billions of dollars to tally our votes.  When we run an item past the supermarket scanner, we’re voting.” 

  Gary Hirshberg, founder of Stonyfield Farm.


It SHOULD NOT be cheaper to purchase two 'hamburgers' than purchase a head of broccoli.  Consumer PROFIT should not be priority over consumer health...but it is.  The USDA and FDA are closing their eyes and letting lobbyists live in the their pockets to control the regulation.  See what Eric Schlosser (of Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) have to say about our biggest livelihood: FOOD!
 Dan and I ask that you watch Food Inc. and be a voter at the supermarket!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Weekend in Wilmington!

For our 2nd Anniversary, we went to Wilmington, NC... for beach time, camping time, historical sights, eating at unique restaurants, and a fancy garden... The trip was phenomenal and we connected on many levels since our wedding two years ago. We love each other!



A mansion in historic Wilmington aka, Shelley's new bed and breakfast ;)

An amazingly huge tree at Airlie Gardens.  It is an oak tree estimated to be 400 or more years old!   Yes, thats Dan, really tiny under in the shade of the tree.


A pretty statue in the garden that reminded Jenny of Alice Paul from 1920, fighting for women's votes!

A bee at Airlie garden in the butterfly garden... we saw no butterflies but plenty of bees!

We did not get to go the USS North Carolina and this is Dan longingly admiring it.  We will go next time!

At the BEACH! It was super super windy and actually started raining on us as we were laying out in the sun reading... so we left!  But, we did stop at Fort Fisher Civil War Museum and enjoyed some NC history in the War Between the States!  

Our little KOA Cabin!!  It was inexpensive, cozy and perfect! We woke up to torrential downpour and slept a good 11 hours!

Our Anniversary Dinner at the Little Dipper, a wonderful fondue restaurant!  This was dessert, a dark chocolate and peanut butter blend with sensational dippers!

Our waiter even gave us a free cheesecake and put a cute little sign up that said, "Happy Two Years!" We were so unbelievably full after this 2 hour meal... it was ridiculous!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Signs of Summer (and that we're done hibernating!)


Apologies for the lack of posts. We've had a lot on our minds!  Since we've last posted..
  • We've seen our baby's now 12 week heart beat three times!!
  • Dan finished school!! And started his manual labor job building patios.
  • We had practice parenting Allie (who is now 16 months) for two nights while Rebecca spent time with her family.
  • Jenny's family came and had a short visit, followed by a lot of sicky people.
  • We traveled to Ohio for Jill's shower and family time.
  • We harvested (and still are) a lot of romaine, kale and zucchini.
  • Dan got another job at Firebirds restaurant!
  • Dan got the organizational itch on his week off (I'm rubbing off on him) and bought a filing cabinet for all our junk...and he cleaned out the closet.
  • Jenny laid around pulling the pregnancy card taking naps, reading and sleeping in...

Our little praying friend, Mantis. He lives in the rosemary bush!

Dan's gay feathers... I mean, these are our gorgeous gayfeathers.

Our updated front lawn, with vincas, gayfeathers and dianthus!  

Allie playing in the tub!
Shes a cutie!

Our lush garden! Full of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, squash, kale, collards, cabbage, cucumbers, herbs and more!
A little jalapeno! 

Heres a bowl of our bounty. The reason we have green tomatoes is that our stakes were not strong enough and they kept falling off... dont worry, I'll fry 'em up!