tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21594541920769717322024-02-07T03:13:37.251-06:00A Traveler at Home"If you come to a fork in the road, take it." ~ Uncle Jim MillerEmily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-3161347315353941052020-05-03T16:32:00.001-05:002020-05-03T16:34:56.648-05:00Old Landmarks <div>
Today's ride was a tour of Baby Norah's stomping grounds.</div>
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Nana Kim's park.</div>
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The baby house.</div>
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Minnehaha Falls park. From an appropriate distance. Getting any closer to the actual Falls seemed like a not great social distancing plan.</div>
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It was WINDY but lots and lots of fun. </div>
Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-91378375995207511092020-04-21T15:17:00.001-05:002020-04-21T15:17:09.444-05:00New Bike LogI took the new bike out for a spin over the weekend. Nothing too long, but far enough to get to here:<br />
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It is a joy to ride, a joy I had mostly been missing out on since Norah was born. Lots of other people were out biking on the trails along the creek, so I stayed on the road mostly - trails were full of families and the like and it was much easier for me to avoid them than it would have been for them to avoid me.<br />
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Rode back home and returned the bike to a very well secured storage spot in our garage. Bicycle theft is a crime of opportunity, and we're making it way too hard. Plus our garage doesn't have an access door - you need to first open the actual garage door to get anywhere at all.<br />
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Next up: a family ride. The new bikes have through axles so we had to order a <a href="https://www.burley.com/product/thru-axle/" target="_blank">special adapter for our Burley trailer</a>. It arrived today - Norah is very excited to go for a ride as a family. She is not good enough on her bike yet, since she can't stop or turn sharply without falling over. But the trailer will work perfectly.Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-50290092565394301932020-04-11T18:38:00.000-05:002020-04-11T18:38:13.129-05:00Important Bicycle ContentTwo things.<br />
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Thing one: This happened yesterday. She is 4 years and not even one month old.<br />
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Video available via Instagram and Facebook.<br />
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Thing two: This happened today. The whole family has now gotten a new bike in the last two weeks.<br />
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Happy to provide some positivity during the COVID-19 stay-at-home uncertainty.<br />
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A few notes for posterity... I've been working at home since that adorable girl's 4th birthday. Last ate in a restaurant about a week before that. Unprecedented, scary, and no end in sight. Stay safe, all.Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-82459815068969912352016-11-19T16:54:00.001-06:002016-11-19T16:55:43.554-06:00Fall Family PhotosAt more or less exactly this time last year, I shared with all of you the photos our neighbor took for our <a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/pregnancy-photo-shoot.html" target="_blank">maternity photo shoot</a>. This year, on exactly the same date, we had her take some photos of our adorable family of three. Here are my favorites:<br />
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All photos courtesy of our wonderful neighbor, Lisa, at <a href="http://grayduckstudios.com/" target="_blank">Gray Duck Studios</a>. Many more are available, and I can send you a link to the online album if you are so inclined.Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-43870186235908532012016-11-08T12:57:00.004-06:002016-11-08T12:59:12.794-06:00Election Day 2016I felt like maybe I should record this for posterity. The first order of business this morning was dropping Norah off at daycare - they open at 7, but are helpfully only a few blocks from my polling place (which also opens at 7). I was the 91st person to vote in my precinct today, after arriving 10 minutes after it opened and waiting in line for maybe 20 minutes:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got an excellent spot. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woohoo!</td></tr>
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Here we go, all I can do now is wait for the votes to be counted.Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-24515417165948665762016-03-23T19:29:00.000-05:002016-03-23T19:30:26.662-05:00Norah OpalAs you may have noticed, there was no Baby Bump Wednesday last week. That's because Andy and I were at the hospital, waiting for our dear daughter to be born. Sure enough, she arrived about 20 minutes after midnight on Thursday, March 17th. A St. Patrick's Day baby, and we're so glad she's here. I'll do a longer post with a bunch of photos at some point. In the meantime, please enjoy this video of her first bath at home. Credit goes to our excellent cinematographer, Mr. Gzmoohoo:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLSTPqu1EsI?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-73800880159842316362016-03-09T20:01:00.003-06:002016-03-09T20:01:43.215-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 40It's official - BGR is now definitely late to the party. Her original estimated due date was Monday. Today, as you may have noticed, is Wednesday. If I had a dime for every person at work who has said some variation on "What are you still doing here?" at some point this week, I'd be rich! But we are endeavoring to be patient - you can't rush these things and she'll come when she's good and ready. Everything checked out A-OK at my doctor's appointment today and we won't start worrying until she's more than a week late.<br />
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Andy and I are trying not to go too crazy waiting, so we've decided to treat ourselves in some way for each day she's overdue. Today we went out to dinner at one of our favorite Vietnamese restaurants, for example, Tomorrow we'll think of something else. I'm also trying some of the old wives tale ideas for inducing labor. I bought an <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/420676-exercises-with-an-exercise-ball-to-help-induce-labor/" target="_blank">exercise ball and I've been sitting/bouncing</a> on it when possible. It's kind of fun. I'm also eating quite a lot of <a href="http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Pineapple-to-Induce-Labor.html" target="_blank">delicious pineapple</a>. They can't hurt and it's enjoyable for me, so...<br />
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While we wait, here are today's photos:<br />
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<br />The cats are pretty content that it's still just the 4 of us.<br />
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-79884793360850838862016-03-02T19:27:00.001-06:002016-03-02T19:27:35.370-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 39I think I can declare that we have officially entered the home stretch of this whole pregnancy deal. Baby Girl's estimated due date is less than a week away. Andy and I put the finishing touches on the nursery this week, namely we hung a picture frame and installed/set-up our way-too-fancy baby monitor. It has full color video, sound, you can talk to her via a microphone in the camera, and it is wi-fi connected so we can check on her from an app on our smartphones. Truly, we live in the future.<br />
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Now, for this week's photos. Excuse the outfit - I'm in my super comfy around the house clothes. 39 weeks, I think I've earned it. :-)<br />
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Lucy observing this process from her perch on a nearby chair:<br />
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<br />The cats must think we're so odd...<br />
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In other baby-related news, one of my colleagues in Australia sent me something for BGR...<br />
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It's name is Snowy and it's a rare albino Koala bear. So cute! Snowy has found a good home among the rest of BGR's animal friends:<br />
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<br />Ok, I think we're ready now. I may have a post next week, we'll see how on-time BGR decides to be. As I understand it, first babies are usually somewhat late. Watch this space for updates!Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-65094980029000171802016-02-25T21:13:00.001-06:002016-02-25T21:13:22.977-06:00Baby Bump Thursday - Week 38Once again, apologies for the one day delay in posting this week. I bet a few of you wondered if I'd had the baby, right? But no, my excuse is once again that Grandma B and I were having a movie night yesterday. We watched Spotlight last night in preparation for the Oscars on Sunday. It was good but not super impressive, despite all the Best Picture buzz. Mad Max is still my absolute favorite movie from last year.<br />
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Now, on to the photos for week 38!<br />
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The doctor estimated 7.5 pounds at this week's appointment. She's doing well and on track to be born more or less on time, as far as we can tell. 11 days to go!<br />
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I was going to post earlier in the day, but I got distracted by Lucy sitting on my lap and using my hand as a pillow. Getting up from the couch therefore became less of a priority:<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was just too cute to disturb.</td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-36493733479129571782016-02-17T20:59:00.000-06:002016-02-17T20:59:17.032-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 37First, I think I have to acknowledge a not-insignificant milestone. Today's post marks number 300 for this blog. 300! That deserves a little bit of fanfare, I think.<br />
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Ok, and now on to why we are all here - baby bump photos! We have officially passed under 20 days to go until BGR's estimated arrival date. March 7th is only 19 days away! I think I had the same conversation about that seemingly tiny number of days with at least 4 people today, including my doctor. The weekly doctor's visit went well - still all good and normal looking. She estimates that BGR currently weighs about 7 pounds, meaning she should end up being something like 8.5. Seems totally reasonable and excellent to me.<br />
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Now, today's photos. Thanks as always to my loyal photographer, Andy:<br />
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I love that green sweater - so warm and cozy. In other baby related news, Andy and I did some shopping this past week for essentials that we did not receive at our baby shower. Chief among those was this:<br />
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The car seat was a gift from Grandma LR, but the stroller frame is new. It's super handy - the car seat just clicks right in! Calvin also finds it fascinating, apparently. We've also been practicing our labor coping techniques - breathing, positions, massage etc. We had to distract the cats with catnip toys to get them to leave us alone:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carrot is full of catnip. They love it.</td></tr>
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That's all for this week. Here's to only a few more of these posts before BGR gets to meet the world!Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-59333376740662946852016-02-10T21:19:00.002-06:002016-02-10T21:19:41.031-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 36It seems more than a little surreal that I'll probably only have 2-4 more of these posts before our little girl gets to meet the rest of the world. When did time start moving so fast all of a sudden? On a related note, I had a doctor's appointment today, marking the beginning of my weekly visits. Everything checked out OK and as expected. She's even in the right position, head-down like she's supposed to be. This is all good news.<br />
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Andy and I are busy doing the final prep for her arrival - we've been practicing our labor coping strategies and we got the car seat installed in our car. Tonight we even packed our hospital bags. That was a very official feeling step! She has her own bag (the diaper bag, actually) with an adorable little outfit to wear when we take her home. Here's hoping it fits! We just have a few more things to buy for the house/nursery and we'll be as ready as we can be.<br />
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On that note, on to the photos! First, the bump!<br />
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And a status update on the current state of the nursery:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That picture frame needs to be hung above the dresser - we're going to add photos to it as she reaches milestones in her life. I'll add a photo from our <a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/pregnancy-photo-shoot.html" target="_blank">maternity photo shoot</a> for now. I just have to pick one - too hard!</td></tr>
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It's pretty much ready for her, I think, at least once we get rid of all that cardboard. It's so exciting!<br />
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In other news that is perhaps slightly less exciting, this happened yesterday while I was watching TV:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both cats, sitting on/adjacent to my legs. A minor miracle. Granted, that navy blue blanket is heated. Still. </td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-67869361757267867722016-02-04T20:19:00.001-06:002016-02-04T20:21:14.101-06:00Baby Bump Thursday - Week 35Once more, apologies for the delay in this week's post. Grandma B and I had a great time last night watching one of the Best Picture nominees - <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_martian/" target="_blank">The Martian</a>. For the first time ever in her visits here, she was the one who got a cat sitting on her lap, and for most of the movie. It may have had something to do with the heated blanket:<br />
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We had home made popcorn and really enjoyed the movie. Matt Damon was excellent as he can almost always be counted on to be. Two thumbs up.<br />
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In other news from last week, I had my baby shower for BGR on Sunday. <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/UqK6JTqwtWGYv2dH7" target="_blank">All of my pictures can be found here</a>. I had a wonderful time and it was so great to be surrounded by so many people who love BGR already. I was a bit overwhelmed.<br />
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And now, the main event - the bump photos!<br />
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She's definitely taking up more and more space in there. As Andy likes to say, pretty soon she'll decide that mom is boring and come out to meet the rest of the world. We can't wait.<br />
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In addition to all the lovely gifts we got at our baby shower, we also did some shopping of our own this week and got this adorable toy chest to use as under-desk storage. Calvin is a fan:<br />
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Finally, look what I found at work today in the employee store:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's going to be very well dressed. </td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-49323194958828437682016-02-03T22:43:00.000-06:002016-02-03T22:43:22.657-06:00Movie NightMy mom came over for a movie night this evening, so Baby Bump Wednesday will have to get pushed to tomorrow. We had a great time though, and mom even got a cat to sit on her lap. Photos of that and more coming tomorrow.<br />
<span id="goog_260055290"></span><span id="goog_260055291"></span><br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-69252338270007608932016-01-27T20:46:00.002-06:002016-01-27T20:57:23.326-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 3434 weeks! It's crazy to think that there are just 6 short weeks to go until we get to meet our little girl. It seems like we still have so much to do! Fortunately, in aid of that, I have my baby shower coming up this weekend. I am really looking forward to celebrating with my family and friends, plus it should provide some of the essentials we are still missing.<br />
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I had my regularly scheduled check-up today (every two weeks, remember?) and everything checks out A-OK and as expected. I am measuring right where I should be, my blood pressure is good, and Baby Girl Rinderknecht's heartbeat was strong and clear. Yay!<br />
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Now, for today's photos:<br />
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Another loaner shirt, this time from my friend Maren who had her own baby girl, Maja, in July. I am so looking forward to all of our daughters growing up together. Jill has two now, plus Maja, and Adam and Ying's Sabinna and... I am sure I'm forgetting someone.<br />
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In other baby news, we received one of our shower gifts early and went ahead and opened it. BGR's crib now has a mattress. That's a key component, I'm betting:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now we just need some bedding...</td></tr>
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The cats are still mostly oblivious to the upcoming world changing event, which is good. We have even managed to keep them from jumping in the crib. Those empty cans are seriously effective.<br />
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Finally, the most exciting part of the last week - Mom and I attended the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It was a long weekend (we were at skating from 9am to 10pm on Saturday, for example) but we had SO MUCH FUN. Now, a few photo highlights.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top 5 women warming up before their long programs. Go Gracie! She was phenomenal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yySEowELcM/Vql_Jbrmg2I/AAAAAAAARBA/xTvpGkjpY1s/s1600/20160124_160422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yySEowELcM/Vql_Jbrmg2I/AAAAAAAARBA/xTvpGkjpY1s/s640/20160124_160422.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top 5 men warming up on Sunday. Nathan Chen is the future and he was robbed. 3rd place for 4 quads? I don't think so.</td></tr>
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Another personal highlight was when one of the pairs teams skated to a medley of Journey songs. I had to take a video:</div>
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Not the best quality, perhaps, but it was GREAT!</div>
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The cats spent most of the weekend missing me, possibly leading to this very unusual turn of events:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCp8xHIXZ44/VqmAv89nJvI/AAAAAAAARBY/QlsUsYVHDUA/s1600/20160125_212338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCp8xHIXZ44/VqmAv89nJvI/AAAAAAAARBY/QlsUsYVHDUA/s640/20160125_212338.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure that's Calvin's spot. </td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-50042096190994437662016-01-20T21:14:00.003-06:002016-01-20T21:14:28.083-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 33I almost forgot about Baby Bump Wednesday, dear readers! That would have just been sad. So now, without further ado, this week's photos.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vy2tcVtqVsY/VqBMdwf-paI/AAAAAAAAQwo/miDajg7qKns/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vy2tcVtqVsY/VqBMdwf-paI/AAAAAAAAQwo/miDajg7qKns/s640/DSC_0044.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's my super comfy, around the house only sweater. An excellent Costco purchase, if I do say so myself.<br />
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Next week I promise there will be more content. Mom and I have a <a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-about-mail.html" target="_blank">very exciting weekend</a> planned, after all. Expect some photos and lots of excited commentary. :-)<br />
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And now, cats.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QItO2WnSGDk/VqBM9WqJDrI/AAAAAAAAQw4/qGkktmshWOs/s1600/20160116_175935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QItO2WnSGDk/VqBM9WqJDrI/AAAAAAAAQw4/qGkktmshWOs/s640/20160116_175935.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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He's a weirdo.</div>
<br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-87103512933056408072016-01-13T19:52:00.000-06:002016-01-13T19:52:33.251-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 32<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had one of my regularly scheduled doctor's appointments today - at this point, I'm having them every two weeks. In the last month, I'll have them weekly. Fun? In any case, the check-up went very well - I look completely healthy/normal as does Baby Girl R. All good news. Then I came home for the weekly photos:<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bi6ex7wA0nyCL5sj5fv_A9AGjX_mWLrO6xlY0v-D_Ze801TvzqKv45IHVB2Ve20PFJyOu3q_JmwFbCPBpS2jcdK64GRzf6FnXwoMqJEQFN1PZ6QknnTtzslgKZNd0gLV9FDxbWqMIs8/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bi6ex7wA0nyCL5sj5fv_A9AGjX_mWLrO6xlY0v-D_Ze801TvzqKv45IHVB2Ve20PFJyOu3q_JmwFbCPBpS2jcdK64GRzf6FnXwoMqJEQFN1PZ6QknnTtzslgKZNd0gLV9FDxbWqMIs8/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks to my dear friend Jill for the purple shirt - she just gave birth to their 2nd daughter in October and passed all her maternity clothes on to me, now that she's done with them.<br />
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Over the weekend, we also got some more prep work done on the nursery. I put up the decals I ordered a few weeks ago and I think they look super nice! The ribbon holding the curtains back is also new.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TrM-JrLrOo/Vpb25qfQ3BI/AAAAAAAAQs8/bq7KyyNgUlI/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TrM-JrLrOo/Vpb25qfQ3BI/AAAAAAAAQs8/bq7KyyNgUlI/s640/DSC_0011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also of note - the family heirloom rocking chair now has new cushions:<br />
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Finally, someone else had a medical check-up today. It was Calvin's turn to head for his yearly visit to the vet, this time with two shots - distemper and rabies. You may recall that Calvin HATES the car. His carrier is OK with him, however:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv0OOOcpMFU/Vpb4Bzgl-NI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/RhZQy04pPJE/s1600/20160113_172710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv0OOOcpMFU/Vpb4Bzgl-NI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/RhZQy04pPJE/s640/20160113_172710.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">See? He climbed in there 100% voluntarily. However, once at the vet, he pretty much just hid under this chair:</span></div>
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Poor guy. At least he also got a clean bill of health.</div>
<br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-47740460487953269632016-01-06T20:39:00.002-06:002016-01-06T20:39:51.968-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 31Not much new to report in baby prep this week. The only thing of note - Andy and I took our Childbirth Prep Express class this past weekend. It was an 8 hour marathon of all we could possibly want to know about childbirth And some things we maybe didn't really WANT to know, but which we needed to hear. It also included a tour of the place we'll be giving birth - <a href="http://themotherbabycenter.org/mother-baby-center/minneapolis/" target="_blank">The Mother Baby Center</a> at Abbott Northwestern, which is also the hospital where I was born. It was an extremely useful class and I loved how nice the Mother Baby Center is/was. It made everything seem so much more real, and also gave us new stuff to plan/think about before she arrives.<br />
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And now, this week's photos:<br /><br />
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You'll notice (well, maybe not) that we have a new thermostat. It's wifi connected, which means we can adjust the temp of our house from an app on our smartphones, which is super handy. We can turn the heat up on our way home so it's nice and toasty when we get there. Very handy in a Minnesota winter. Plus, the cats seem to like it.<br />
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Speaking of, this happened again last week. Kind of a miracle:<br />
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<br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-30023608065759698832015-12-30T20:44:00.000-06:002015-12-30T20:44:12.541-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 3030 weeks seems crazy. 75% done - only 10 weeks to go! That is... not really all that much time until we get to meet our little girl. She's been kicking and moving like crazy lately, although not yet to the point that it keeps me up at night. I understand that's coming. Andy is pretty excited for her to "come out and meet Dad." :-)<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Here now are this week's photos:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxPEtEWOVzsTpLaqOlabXWkcycgs7xOnNTTKpwdnAmBGIud3LKSXOmheO4ZLE2CKE3N2xeTYPePLos91rZ-A7SB0pFWH1xDlNBA9Iqio72vMGh_zvjcJ1IW3J0wlJN1xU_dxCzBVNtyw/s1600/DSC_0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxPEtEWOVzsTpLaqOlabXWkcycgs7xOnNTTKpwdnAmBGIud3LKSXOmheO4ZLE2CKE3N2xeTYPePLos91rZ-A7SB0pFWH1xDlNBA9Iqio72vMGh_zvjcJ1IW3J0wlJN1xU_dxCzBVNtyw/s640/DSC_0330.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In other news of the week, we had a lovely time celebrating Christmas with our families. Christmas Eve was spent with the Rinderknechts, then Christmas Day my parents came over for a late brunch before we all headed over to my cousin Sarah's house to celebrate with the extended Elvecrog family. Some photos:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rinderknecht tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tree. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy was fascinated. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeS9XoNWOGFEmfCsXQtch5xJO8TOrTGTci1m-mowt8H6l4xjLJ3XEPSRoJt_OJ39wt4m_ohJTmYEr26hVClfq9MghVTEsJffkERmTOH16fnDmkhATwHm7ko0PHTX2batywwESHwffJ0Q/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeS9XoNWOGFEmfCsXQtch5xJO8TOrTGTci1m-mowt8H6l4xjLJ3XEPSRoJt_OJ39wt4m_ohJTmYEr26hVClfq9MghVTEsJffkERmTOH16fnDmkhATwHm7ko0PHTX2batywwESHwffJ0Q/s640/DSC_0315.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our brunch guests. I was enjoying a "Momosa" - ginger ale and orange juice. Not bad, really. </td></tr>
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Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and I have to work. But we'll be heading over to Chez GZMoohoo for the festivities as per our former tradition. Who knows, someone may even blog about it.Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-57487099221532773572015-12-23T21:27:00.000-06:002015-12-23T21:27:11.384-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 29This whole baby bump series has been pretty fun - it's giving us an excuse to actually take pictures of my growing bump, which I think I'll really appreciate in the future. Plus, it gives each week a sort of milestone moment. So, without further ado...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0hHhGaHq_wputX3_7PTIO2Ya-5UMoHCOznX29bSOd3BPdbqkgB_wzUeNymJ70psmMhx1fx5uiom-cL0n1D8XpjoC2zZ_RJ69UnfWAePLDU2dkpfMvzfL2e5RGiX7GsK96ANA8CvVWuc/s1600/DSC_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0hHhGaHq_wputX3_7PTIO2Ya-5UMoHCOznX29bSOd3BPdbqkgB_wzUeNymJ70psmMhx1fx5uiom-cL0n1D8XpjoC2zZ_RJ69UnfWAePLDU2dkpfMvzfL2e5RGiX7GsK96ANA8CvVWuc/s640/DSC_0271.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In other baby-related news, we've made a few more additions to the nursery. As reported by GZMoohoo, we have taken possession of the heirloom rocking chair and it has found its place:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdpDLZ9nXZ_q2ATpWIVL5YiIIchFLRB3dDXMno4aTVC4AjavTuRQZNL_6KAti4PK_gc2-XDFd9CbHYTQ8b4wx3FaFwZrRIqe_h9C4lG5gNN3iW70It2Wfjg_SdItf7s2-3StbzylZ05fH/s1600/DSC_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdpDLZ9nXZ_q2ATpWIVL5YiIIchFLRB3dDXMno4aTVC4AjavTuRQZNL_6KAti4PK_gc2-XDFd9CbHYTQ8b4wx3FaFwZrRIqe_h9C4lG5gNN3iW70It2Wfjg_SdItf7s2-3StbzylZ05fH/s640/DSC_0263.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are going to be ordering new cushions in a dark lavender sort of color.</td></tr>
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Another new addition is this decorative item, ordered from a store on Etsy:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZJz9oIEpp0/VntkehwZttI/AAAAAAAAQgs/8ILxeQY4HA4/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZJz9oIEpp0/VntkehwZttI/AAAAAAAAQgs/8ILxeQY4HA4/s640/DSC_0265.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best color, but it's lavender with pink heart and text. I'm really happy with how it turned out.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">So things are coming along in the nursery pretty well, I think. And Lucy loves the new chair.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZJz9oIEpp0/VntkehwZttI/AAAAAAAAQgs/8ILxeQY4HA4/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYps6qP9TCdf9a97MNHO7ippbFIOhEXROmiJUdF1X2Epi7u-QojNnfx72SSCTn-PONufagOOHlIh8TytYlKRIMWLOIfAnG7qEkPVTeNPrsr-pRN3U1uoTPhMbVq-Wc03nvqJWIidaGp9E/s640/20151220_191034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-11447208754344886932015-12-16T20:52:00.002-06:002015-12-16T20:54:39.096-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 28Welcome to the 3rd trimester! It seems crazy that we're at this point already. I just got back from a wonderful dinner with my friends Jill and Maren who both recently gave birth to their own baby girls. It was great to catch up and to get some advice from them on what is coming my way. Baby Girl Rinderknecht will be here before we know it, I'm sure. Less than 3 months to go!<br />
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Here are this week's bump photos:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lvl0PfY9qw/VnIh348b6TI/AAAAAAAAQV0/tSgMx5_prUE/s1600/DSC_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lvl0PfY9qw/VnIh348b6TI/AAAAAAAAQV0/tSgMx5_prUE/s640/DSC_0256.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sweater is another excellent purchase mom and I made on our shopping spree. We had so much fun.</div>
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This weekend promises to be super fun and exciting. On Friday, we're headed to a 7pm showing of the new Star Wars movies. I was excited before I saw the overwhelmingly positive reviews that came out today. Yay! Then on Saturday, my friends Chris & Elissa are hosting their annual all-day Game of Thrones watching marathon. Festivities begin at 11:30. I look forward to it every year. Andy tags along too, even if he isn't a huge fan of the show. He does like the food, beer, and socializing aspect, however. Hard to argue with that. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ACjzT7d0susb6vrBu0lfCeg9nLR8bA_NUVoE-ckVNlZAh2o6kFZqKUxPTxvuvcG6v-9b0AmiR9TNoPyWwpyPGZnQwLF-g33Vj3QG05TzvbpSSVPE-UTuiqCukeDacXuioiOlo6_uQ28/s1600/20151209_212736_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ACjzT7d0susb6vrBu0lfCeg9nLR8bA_NUVoE-ckVNlZAh2o6kFZqKUxPTxvuvcG6v-9b0AmiR9TNoPyWwpyPGZnQwLF-g33Vj3QG05TzvbpSSVPE-UTuiqCukeDacXuioiOlo6_uQ28/s640/20151209_212736_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy would of course prefer that we stay home and spend all day with her instead. </td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-53990862562608500442015-12-13T19:41:00.003-06:002015-12-13T19:41:33.081-06:00The Hills are Alive... with the sound of music<br />
With songs they have sung for a thousand years<br />
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music<br />
My heart wants to sing every song it hears<br />
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So in case you can't tell, mom and I continued our theater going outings today, with a trip to St. Paul to see The Sound of Music at the Ordway. It's one of those movies that I have seen probably a million times - it never got old as a kid, and it's still good today. How much of that is due to nostalgia is up for debate, but I am not the only who likes it, so... Anyway, we started out with brunch at the fabulous <a href="http://www.meritage-stp.com/" target="_blank">Meritage</a> and then walked across Rice Park to see the show.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnk8TT7wxo56GJuCElDO8Uq_ARP1tydrKrEJ00RMevKNfCawFT8WyQhwkjSCffuvcFreHjSjA6euF7wYk98po2Md7JdIz91TvET6spK1iTJaj2iuxMfRhkuzbEomuObeC2PPf5TgbEtc/s1600/20151213_134551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnk8TT7wxo56GJuCElDO8Uq_ARP1tydrKrEJ00RMevKNfCawFT8WyQhwkjSCffuvcFreHjSjA6euF7wYk98po2Md7JdIz91TvET6spK1iTJaj2iuxMfRhkuzbEomuObeC2PPf5TgbEtc/s640/20151213_134551.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The quasi required photo of F. Scott. I wonder who gave him his scarves?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7L2OM7AKmc/Vm4dbTYJ0yI/AAAAAAAAQSw/Xwigt_z3zFQ/s1600/20151213_153001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7L2OM7AKmc/Vm4dbTYJ0yI/AAAAAAAAQSw/Xwigt_z3zFQ/s640/20151213_153001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother and daughter at intermission.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjh5lR4Gkx4/Vm4dbbs6lLI/AAAAAAAAQSw/KUjEdR2dKCw/s1600/20151213_153210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjh5lR4Gkx4/Vm4dbbs6lLI/AAAAAAAAQSw/KUjEdR2dKCw/s640/20151213_153210.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Staircase</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice Park after the show, all lit-up. It would be prettier with some snow.</td></tr>
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We had a wonderful time, and I was able to resist the urge to sing along. It was interesting to see the changes made from the stage production to the movie - some of the songs are in different places, and a few were left out of the movie entirely.<br />
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Andy got to spend the day at home with the cats. I am sure they were on their best behavior.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v4OMIWoRU5u2e9n8v-TixDtBwW7ToZ0NIKsDBk9AR4RkcM46VxUvWSUvDQQTMf_GZ_Yswjga-z34RR2wHmWCi9YNT6Yk678OIsAQk6CYPKLiFr6eXy360iuJi9S-RKcMkjuU_FB21_Q/s1600/20151212_155939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v4OMIWoRU5u2e9n8v-TixDtBwW7ToZ0NIKsDBk9AR4RkcM46VxUvWSUvDQQTMf_GZ_Yswjga-z34RR2wHmWCi9YNT6Yk678OIsAQk6CYPKLiFr6eXy360iuJi9S-RKcMkjuU_FB21_Q/s640/20151212_155939.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-51487313407893308082015-12-09T20:03:00.002-06:002015-12-09T20:04:15.359-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 27Another week, another baby bump photo! We are fast approaching the 3rd trimester (!), which seems crazy to contemplate. Slightly less than 3 months and baby-to-be will be here!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoswHCtA1P1raQaXtgAgP3Bzn0ozp9bdc68Nue_NOjKntuUsKym-3ecICbqDtcC6be-lbmM2kSI7xvGGqJB0Gx8AoaZruTsyFVauQH09IBwl1FPn4DjpIv5h_n21kcK2US0CZ-Ps5wAQ/s1600/DSC_0245+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoswHCtA1P1raQaXtgAgP3Bzn0ozp9bdc68Nue_NOjKntuUsKym-3ecICbqDtcC6be-lbmM2kSI7xvGGqJB0Gx8AoaZruTsyFVauQH09IBwl1FPn4DjpIv5h_n21kcK2US0CZ-Ps5wAQ/s640/DSC_0245+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both of these shirts are actually pre-maternity items. This may be the last time I wear them for a while.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7J49cDm0Z1Q/VmjcUML4QjI/AAAAAAAAQLg/OlvnygDpKBs/s1600/DSC_0242%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7J49cDm0Z1Q/VmjcUML4QjI/AAAAAAAAQLg/OlvnygDpKBs/s640/DSC_0242%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In other news, we've been preparing for the upcoming holidays at our house. Also, I got a new phone on Tuesday, yay! It takes excellent photos, particularly of our Christmas preparation:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZWF7FoI9yk/Vmjc9BfwXgI/AAAAAAAAQLo/f7VX33muRxI/s1600/20151207_191406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZWF7FoI9yk/Vmjc9BfwXgI/AAAAAAAAQLo/f7VX33muRxI/s640/20151207_191406.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Also, fairly decent photos of the cats in a rare friendly moment:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-szoot1bFDKQ/VmjdKE2U6UI/AAAAAAAAQLw/tAF2c9WkKVk/s1600/20151207_204943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-szoot1bFDKQ/VmjdKE2U6UI/AAAAAAAAQLw/tAF2c9WkKVk/s640/20151207_204943.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">They sat that way for a much longer amount of time than I would have thought possible.</span></td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-64964100949176449722015-12-02T20:08:00.004-06:002015-12-03T08:59:27.005-06:00Baby Bump Wednesday - Week 26It seemed a shame to abandon this series at the end of BEDFAMM, so here now are today's photos of the baby bump. I'm wearing comfy clothes and I've been to the gym, so I'm looking a little less than my usual camera ready, but the bump is still pretty cute on its own:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azza_ME4wcI/Vl-jUNKHNTI/AAAAAAAAQFE/Xf2NrDTLmiQ/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azza_ME4wcI/Vl-jUNKHNTI/AAAAAAAAQFE/Xf2NrDTLmiQ/s640/DSC_0237.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Plus, it's kind of fun to see how much I've changed since the last time I wore that shirt. She's definitely growing in there. </div>
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While he was at it, Andy took some photos of the cats. He "didn't want them to feel left out."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gL3c8rQ_TTI/Vl-kBazfQVI/AAAAAAAAQFY/Xf0Zr6tq0Fw/s1600/DSC_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gL3c8rQ_TTI/Vl-kBazfQVI/AAAAAAAAQFY/Xf0Zr6tq0Fw/s640/DSC_0233.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's in his favorite spot.</td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-62519931637764766032015-11-30T20:49:00.001-06:002015-11-30T20:49:36.836-06:00NaBloPoMo 2015: The EndAnd here we are once again at the end of our month-long blogging adventure. This particular year was bittersweet without my Uncle Jim, but I know that he's glad we continued the BEDFAMM tradition. Ultimately, I still had fun, particularly with all the throwback posts. As per usual, I will be going with my traditional wrap up post, links to my favorite posts from each year:<br />
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NaBloPoMo 2015<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/baby-to-be.html" target="_blank">Baby-To-Be</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/paris-2010-elevator-series.html" target="_blank">Paris 2010: The Elevator Series</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/pregnancy-photo-shoot.html" target="_blank">Pregnancy Photo Shoot</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2015/11/history-of-november-23rd.html" target="_blank">History of November 23rd</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2014<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2014/11/saturday-in-st-paul.html" target="_blank">Saturday in St. Paul</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2014/11/oakies-and-other-stories.html" target="_blank">Oakies and other stories</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2014/11/tj-and-cats.html" target="_blank">TJ and Cats</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2014/11/eight-months-ago-today.html" target="_blank">Eight Months Ago Today</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2013<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2013/11/answers-part-one.html" target="_blank">Answers, Part One</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2013/11/answers-part-two.html" target="_blank">Answers, Part Two</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2013/11/rock-band-with-p-ster.html" target="_blank">Rock Band with the P-Ster</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Wrap-up</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2012<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2012/11/pannekoeken-huis.html" target="_blank">Pannekoekun Huis</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2012/11/70-years.html" target="_blank">70 Years!</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2012/11/1996-ford-taurus.html" target="_blank">1996 Ford Taurus</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-house-part-6a.html" target="_blank">New House: Part 6A</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2011<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2011/11/nablopomo-2011.html" target="_blank">Day 1: Leaves!</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2011/11/calvin-video-star.html" target="_blank">Calvin the Video Star</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2011/11/cat-ownership-20.html" target="_blank">Cat Ownership 2.0</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2011/11/dance-your-cares-away.html" target="_blank">Dance Your Cares Away</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2010:<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-day.html" target="_blank">Turkey Day</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2010/11/family-food-blog-squash.html" target="_blank">Stuffed Squash</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-birthday-grandpa.html" target="_blank">Happy Birthday, Grandpa!</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2010/11/beauty-of-fall.html" target="_blank">Beauty of Fall</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2009:<br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2009/11/turkey-day-part-2-photos.html" target="_blank">Turkey Day, Part 2</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2009/11/old-friends.html" target="_blank">Old Friends</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-5-youtube-clip.html" target="_blank">Day 5 - A YouTube Clip</a><br />
<a href="http://amelie-mn.blogspot.com/2009/11/moon-in-morning.html" target="_blank">Moon in the Morning</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2008:<br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/pasta-carbonara/" target="_blank">Pasta Carbonara</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/a-day-in-the-life/" target="_blank">A Day in the Life</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/yes-we-did/" target="_blank">Yes We Did</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/88-years-young/" target="_blank">88 Years Young</a><br />
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NaBloPoMo 2007:<br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/les-aventures-de-domo-kun/" target="_blank">Les Aventures de Domo Kun</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/sunday-in-france/" target="_blank">Sunday in France</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/a-10-hour-day/" target="_blank">A 10 Hour Day</a><br />
<a href="http://ameliemn.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/a-month-of-posts-day-1/" target="_blank">A Month of Posts - Day 1</a> - The blog post that started it all.<br />
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And of course, it's not a blog post without a photo of a cat:<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pNhFDljnuDA/Vl0KhWMYigI/AAAAAAAAQDs/5_idnYgdFxw/s1600/IMAG1728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pNhFDljnuDA/Vl0KhWMYigI/AAAAAAAAQDs/5_idnYgdFxw/s640/IMAG1728.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little blurry, but I caught him before he ran away. :-)</td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159454192076971732.post-24178342943559958042015-11-29T19:12:00.001-06:002015-11-29T19:12:05.908-06:00Baby Prep: Part 7 of ???Given that today was really our fourth day off work in a row, it seemed like we should at least try to do one productive thing with the weekend. It can't all be eating and relaxing all the time, now can it? In that vein, we had picked up some packages Chez Gzmoohoo yesterday - new window treatments for the office and the nursery!<div>
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Here is the before:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEeRAn1ftPs/VlugmYX9QPI/AAAAAAAAQCA/hF6hmYJu3YU/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEeRAn1ftPs/VlugmYX9QPI/AAAAAAAAQCA/hF6hmYJu3YU/s640/DSC_0211.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">These blinds got mangled during the break-in, so it was time for something new. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6LXVaazbDG8/VlugmM34wkI/AAAAAAAAQB4/gnH1chpA7Cg/s1600/DSC_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6LXVaazbDG8/VlugmM34wkI/AAAAAAAAQB4/gnH1chpA7Cg/s640/DSC_0214.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCNn2Rcy0XAvJ_kmyrI3d7X182Av89zBKQD1c8Zn9VxvZpZtsN3SLyoS2OPQbAgcp1FF5Ux_4uAzgqaYuMzlxHa9_j938LRxVWSJJ31TzQirqI5N6hC3f9is_L2qsIDS9be4i3vvrMxM/s1600/DSC_0215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCNn2Rcy0XAvJ_kmyrI3d7X182Av89zBKQD1c8Zn9VxvZpZtsN3SLyoS2OPQbAgcp1FF5Ux_4uAzgqaYuMzlxHa9_j938LRxVWSJJ31TzQirqI5N6hC3f9is_L2qsIDS9be4i3vvrMxM/s640/DSC_0215.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The transparent curtains and blinds semi-destroyed by cats were just not going to cut it in the baby's room. We needed something relatively cat proof and that would block out more light.</span></td></tr>
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And the after:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-41oPBd4JD94/VlugmwYo38I/AAAAAAAAQCY/9y2jiPmSvb8/s1600/DSC_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-41oPBd4JD94/VlugmwYo38I/AAAAAAAAQCY/9y2jiPmSvb8/s640/DSC_0221.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A huge improvement - cordless blinds that the cats shouldn't be able to mangle. I hope. The set downstairs are a slate gray color.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQPeUHWC5dE/VlugnUOZmKI/AAAAAAAAQCc/FkI-T1awVgo/s1600/DSC_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQPeUHWC5dE/VlugnUOZmKI/AAAAAAAAQCc/FkI-T1awVgo/s640/DSC_0224.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gA6ELMPE2lg/VlugnctEfoI/AAAAAAAAQCU/ItZdFkebPGE/s1600/DSC_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gA6ELMPE2lg/VlugnctEfoI/AAAAAAAAQCU/ItZdFkebPGE/s640/DSC_0225.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The nursery got those same blinds in white, plus some room darkening/heat saving curtains in a pretty gray pattern that goes perfectly with the crib.</span></td></tr>
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The pattern is a bit hard to see on those curtains, so <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/athena-rod-pocket-blackout-window-curtain-panel/3256652?categoryId=12198" target="_blank">here's a link to them on Bed, Bath, and Beyond's website</a>. Pretty, right? Now there's just some actual decorating to be done in there, and purchasing of stuff and we should be all set. Fun!</div>
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The cats were typically lazy today, as is their prerogative. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I0Y085RgQVw/VluiNRggL6I/AAAAAAAAQCs/m_5-AqXAQMs/s1600/20151126_103831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I0Y085RgQVw/VluiNRggL6I/AAAAAAAAQCs/m_5-AqXAQMs/s640/20151126_103831.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes naps. And that blanket, for some reason.</td></tr>
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Emily Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13765923636199127295noreply@blogger.com2