There was high expectations for Jerry when he was picked by Crispin Porter + Bogusky to headline Microsoft’s $300 million dollar ad campaign this year.  Last night during the NFL season opening, the first Microsoft ad debuted.  Immediately it was copied from DVRs to Youtube and people began to comment - mostly negatively.  I have found the negativity has come from a difference in expectation.  Those who expected to see an ad that looked like the PC vs. Mac ads were disappointed.  Those who thought the ad would have some mention of Vista or its benefits to mankind were also disappointed.  And even still some who thought the ad would be at least funny were disappointed.  This was not the point of the ad.

So what was the point of the ad?  It was the first episode in a new type of sitcom, call it an advertising campaign with an overarching story line, an ad opera. What does an initial episode of any show do, be it LOST or All in the Family? It sets up the characters, defines the rules of the show, and sets a tone.  This ad fit that mold to the T.

Character Setup: We see Bill Gates in a bargain shoe store. This is ironic since Bill is one of the richest men on the planet.  Next Jerry Seinfeld walks up and discovers this irony and is compelled to find out more.  He isn’t friends with Bill before this, but knows who he is, as most of us do.  In the same way, Bill knows Jerry, but is not friends with him before this encounter.

Rules of the Show: Jerry respects Bill, but he’s not afraid to guide him and make suggestions.  Bill is willing to accept these suggestions, but is still keeping his goals close to his vest.  Its now Jerry’s job to slowly pry out what those goals are from Bill.  He allows him to do this by “giving him a sign” so that Bill doesn’t have to break his own personal rules, but still satisfy Jerry’s desire for information - that same desire that sent Jerry into the shoe store in the first place.

Tone: The same running-gag motif (”conquistador”) and seemingly spontaneous interjection of random information (”I shower with my shoes on.”) ala Seinfeld, the television show, set the tone as one of humor - not humor about the differences in PCs and Apples, but in the differences in two millionaires in how they live their life, how they put on their shoes everyday, the same as everyone else ala Curb Your Enthusiasm.

So I shut down my store to customs and hope to open it again by Halloween.  I woke up one morning with the incredible urge to either knit every yarn I have in my stash, or to sell it.  So I sold a BUNCH of stuff and started knitting a bunch of stuff.  If you frequent my Flickr account, you probably see how much stuff is coming off of my needles.

I also decided that I needed to work on a homeschooling room.  It turned out really nice and Magdalena is very excited about it.  I have plans to order the rest of her books for this quarter of her curriculum on the next payday.

We are also excitedly anticipating the local Pork Festival.   Magdalena has been talking about going to parades since the festival ended last year.  It’s also the last thing on her calendar before her baby brother is scheduled to make his appearance.  She’s a very experienced and excited big sister you know.

Carmina is also seems to be understanding that their is a baby in my belly.  And I think she gets that he will want to nurse and that she will have to share. Of course, telling her that the baby will nurse, just makes her want to nurse right away.

Anyway, a busy month.  Hopefully I’ll get better about posting.  And Erich will be posting here and there and will also update when the Dude makes his arrival.

PS. Suzanne is doing good. She is making t-shirts for all three birthday beauties today.

My method of birthing my children does not really jive with my whole outlook on the pregnancy/nursing/childrearing perspective.  But for new time readers I assure you that I tried with all of my ability to make M march out the right way, but it didnt’ happen.  And when C was miraculously conceived, after long debate, it was decided a section would probably be our best route.  And it turns out it was.  So I have no fears in scheduling Little Dude’s section.  In fact, I’m a bit comforted by it.  It’s the only thing that is comforting on a 90* day with 60% humidity in Indiana.  Little Dude will no longer be in me after 10 weeks.  Very comforting.

We had an ultrasound this week and the dude is most definitely a dude.  yay!  Better  yet?  He’s healthy, gorgeous, has hair, and 100% perfect.  He’s measuring overall about a week ahead of my dates (measuring around 29 weeks) and his legs measure 31 weeks! Again, that tall Daddy passes on some really long legs!  They estimate he weighs about 3 pounds at this point putting him in the 7ish pound range at birth.

I refused my 50 gram test (glucose tolerance test) and had an A1C drawn, which came back perfect. No gestational diabetes and no anemia.  I’m cruising past those little pregnancy annoyances and enjoying my time with him in utero, though he’s starting to hurt me a bit more with his constant love kicks.

So that’s all the news.  We’re expecting a DUDE after two beautiful girls. Erich and I feel 110% blessed.

Unfortunately, baby had legs crossed at the ankles, tucked in my bladder with the cord pulled in between the legs.  It was impossible to see gender.  At first they said, oh probably girl, and then something round appeared and they said “well maybe boy?”  It was decided I’d sneak in in June to take another look.

So Monday of this week I went in for another look.  And wouldn’t you know that the first tech when we got in there said boy! It was crazy, but then another tech came in “just to be sure” and she said, no no it’s a girl.  But baby was (yet again!) in another tricky spot and really hard to see anything the way he/she was laying.  So they said come back later.  hahaha.

So on Tuesday of this week I headed back in again feeling a little… frustrated.  I wasn’t worried about not bonding with the baby, but I am not a waiter.  I am not patient.  And I am a knitter! I have lots of preparation to do for this baby! And I find it easier to get the girls ready for a baby if I can give them a name and we can talk about the actual person that will be marching out of me and rocking their worlds, instead of an abstract “baby”, you know?

So on Tuesday, the tech was saying “girl” but honestly, it just didn’t look like a girl *to me*.  I do realize that I’m not a trained ultrasound person, but I’ve stared at my fair share of ultrasounds of friends and family and heck I have two girls of my own.  It just didn’t look like a girl to me.  Baby was again sitting weird in there.  Legs were criss crossed (when I was little we called this sitting Indian Style but Erich has pointed out that that is probably not the most PC term anymore), and the cord was in between it’s legs still (I’m not complaining, better than around the neck!) and he/she just did not want to “give it up”.  Then baby turned and we realized that the “three lines” we were seeing were his little back end and out popped what Magdalena declared “his peenut!” The tech said she is 98% sure it’s a boy and that she is never 100% sure.  And you know, I’m pretty sure it’s a boy too but that doesn’t stop that nagging fear in my head that they’ll pull a girl out in September. hahaha

So see for yourself.

The other thing that is making me anxious is finding out the gender.  I really really don’t care one way or the other, but many people are driving me a bit nuts.  Most say it’s a boy, and I can’t help but feel they may be disappointed if it’s a girl.   I’m just ready for it to be 9:30am tomorrow morning.

We’re a cosleeping family. From the very first night Magdalena was born, I could never imagine having her farther than a few feet from me. She eventually moved on to her own room with her own big bed by her own choice when she was around 2. For several weeks she had slept in her own room for naps, and at night we’d ask where she wanted to sleep, with Mommy and Daddy? Or in your own bed? She almost always chose to sleep with us until one day she decided she wanted to sleep in her own room. And there she has slept for the past 2 years with the exception of a few slumber parties on the floor in our room.

Carmina has slept with us up until now too. My plan has always been that Magdalena and Carmina would share sleeping space, since their room has a double bed. For months I’ve been asking Magdalena if she wanted to sleep with Carmina. Her answer has always been an adament “no!” One night Carmina ended up sleeping in Magdalena’s room, and Magdalena slept in the spare bedroom. I’m not sure why we had such a crazy bed arrangement that night, but the next day Magdalena was asked if it was okay if Carmina slept in her bed again. And Magdalena was thrilled! Carmina seemed to be sleeping as good or if not better in her bed with Magdalena, and hasn’t called out for me at all.Magdalena practically begged for Carmina to sleep with her the next night and Carmina automatically runs into their bedroom now and not mine. The arrangement seems to be working and I’ll admit after a few nights of restless sleep, I’m easing into sleeping in a bed only with my husband, if only for just a few months. Not that I really sleep at all anyway, but that’s a whole other post.

Magdalena, who is four, has lately been really hard to handle. TONS of tantrums and crying and fighting and just really random behavior so unlike her. After about a week of this, I finally figured it out. She *needs* a nap, but has not been napping. I’ve been making her stay in her bed and read books at naptime in hopes that it will help, but I’ve had to focus on Carmina so much because she gets up and walks around, that I’ve really overlooked getting Magdalena to take a nice nap. I have been able to lay both down and leave and everyone goes to sleep. Today I decided that I needed to probably lay down with them. I can’t lay down with them together though because that just does not seem to work. So we go up to take naps, I tell Magdalena I will be in there in a few minutes. I lay down with Carmina, she falls asleep. I slip out and get Magdalena situated and lay down. She was out in literally 2 minutes of just being able to lay still. That little light bulb went off in my head. She’s just been *tired*. She knows she doesn’t want to go to sleep, but she really does need lots of sleep. She’s like her Mommy, we need our beauty rest. Unfortunately, Carmina woke up and I went and laid back down with her where I fell asleep for like 45 minutes. Oops. I lost my nap quiet time!

We have got to get naptime figured out and without me laying down everyday because come October it’s not going to be so easy me thinks. Hopefully Little Dude will be easy going and lay down with me if I need to lay with either girl.