Miriam at 3 Days

Miriam's first Daddy-Daughter dance

Daddy with his two girls

The Heiss Family - October 28, 2009

Too Much Computer Time, Andrew?

Rachel and I were up before anyone else this morning. We were in the kitchen getting a little breakfast, and Rachel was asking about Mommy and Daddy. I explained that they were still sleeping, and so was baby Miriam. I said Daddy would be getting up soon and asked Rachel what Daddy was going to do when he woke up. I asked, "Is Daddy going to do some homework?" She replied, "No, he's gonna do Facebook!"

The Church is True!

The kind Relief Society sisters in the Cairo branch began bringing in meals tonight. There is just something so comforting to have this kind of service rendered after you have a baby or are sick or whatever. We sat down to eat a wonderful meal of roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, vegetables, rolls, and ice cream, when Andrew sighed and blurted out, "The church is true!" My sentiment exactly.

Miriam

Miriam al-Noor Heiss arrived on Sunday, October 25, at 7:45 a.m.! Andrew woke me up at 5:30 a.m. to tell me they were heading off to the hospital. I was so excited that I couldn't get back to sleep (bad idea when you need to babysit Rachel for the next 30 hours by yourself). Just two hours after arriving at the hospital, baby Miriam was born. You can get more birth details by going to http://www.heissatopia.com.

Sister Pam Cannon was kind enough to drive Rachel and me to the hospital later in the afternoon so we could visit Mommy, Daddy, and baby Miriam. Rachel had been anxiously awaiting the moment she'd get to meet Miriam, and she was totally enamored with her baby sister. Rachel didn't want to leave, but I don't think it would have been a good idea to leave her there!

Rachel can't get enough of the new addition to the Heiss family!

When we got home, we decided to celebrate Miriam's birthday with a few Rachel-drawn balloons and signs from Grandma.

Rachel was sad to hear that Mommy, Daddy, and Miriam wouldn't be coming home until Monday, but she understood. While we were at the hospital visiting, Andrew told her that Miriam couldn't come home until she pooped in her diaper. So late Sunday night when I was trying to get Rachel in bed and she was whimpering about missing baby Miriam, I said that Miriam had to stay at the hospital for the night. Rachel nodded in agreement and said, "Miriam haf to poop in diaper, then come home." I was so impressed that she remembered what her Daddy had told her. Rachel is very bright, and is so prepared to be a big sister.

In case you can't tell, the signs say, "Happy Birthday Miriam."

Hot Stuff

Here it is, the 19th of October, and you'd think that even in Egypt the weather would be cooling off a bit. Not so. I arrived yesterday at about 4:00 p.m., and it was hot. I rode in a taxi to Andrew & Nancy's house, and it was hot. I was welcomed by a loving Rachel, and it was hot. I slept in "Grandma's room" with a fan on, and it wasn't quite so hot. Today we took the metro to see where the hospital is, and it was hot. We stopped at McDonald's for ice cream, and that was nice. We took the metro back to Maadi, and it was even hotter. We bought a cell phone for me to use while I'm here and then walked home, and it was hot. Can you sense a theme?

Marching Band 2009

I just wanted to say how proud I am of my Emily. This is her second year as a member of the BYU Cougar Marching Band, and I enjoy attending football games just so I can see her perform. She loves being part of the group and has made many friends along the way. Thanks, Emily, for all your hard work and enthusiasm. Rah-rah, rah-rah-rah, gooooooo Cougars!

Emily, 2nd from left (wearing glasses)

New uniforms this year!

Family Room - Finally!

Just a couple of shots of the new look in our family room. It's too bad I haven't got any money left for some new furniture, but that will come someday!

Getting There

More of our work in progress!

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Family room - replaced flourescent lighting with recessed lights.

Jacob's room

Paint job in my office

Tile floor in work room

New tub, vanity, sink, and tile floor in bathroom

Diana asked me where everything from the basement was put during this remodel process. Well, it was all transported to our already overstuffed storage room, upstairs to the living room, guest room, and Reid's office, or outside in the garage or on the back deck. In other words, we've been living in a disorganized mess, but we're slowly putting everything back in place.

Progress

These are not really "before" photos; more like "in progress" photos.

Bathroom

Family room

Craft/sewing room

Laundry room

Stairs