Cheri has done a really good job with teaching Jonathan to communicate through sign language. He has understood what the different signs mean for quite a while now. When we ask him if he is hungry and wants food, he'll get excited as his way of telling us yes.

We went to the doctor for Cheri's first checkup last Monday. Everything looked fine until he started looking for a heart beat and found nothing. To our sorrow, it appears that baby's heart has stopped beating.

We are saddened to think that baby will not join us as part of our family. We know that it's ok and that things turn out the way they are supposed to turn out. But we will still miss our little baby.

Two days ago, Jonathan actually left the safety of the coffee table and took two steps all on his own. Then yesterday, at Bob and Haley's flat, he took 5 steps. At work this morning, I got an IM from Cheri saying that he just took 11 steps. And by the time I got home, he could walk around as long as he wanted.

I knew he could walk once he got the confidence, but that was so quick! I don't know if I was quite ready to say goodbye to my crawling baby just yet. But ready or not, our little man is growing up.

It seems that Jonathan is just determined to grow up no matter how much Mommy and Daddy would like him to stay little. He has been able to walk for a couple of months now; he just lacks the courage. It's really funny to watch him stand all by himself when he is trying to reach something. But the moment he realizes what's happening, he'll either reach for something or go down to his bum. Here is a video of Jonathan playing with his new toy Grandma and Grandpa Tieken got for his first birthday:

That phrase totally doesn't apply here. Since I'm talking about flying, and rain and snow, sleet, as well as dark of night (for now) means that I can't fly.

Well, it was one year ago almost to the minute that little Jonathan David Carlson was born. Wow, I still vividly remember that night... mostly. I mean, he did take almost two full days of labor to finally come, so we were all exhausted. But we were glad that he arrived safe and sound.

One of my favorite quotes that I heard after the election was "Mr. President, I look forward to being disappointed in new ways." A lot of people seem to think that President Obama is going to be the answer to all of our problems. That he is going to fix everything that is wrong.

With all that is going on around us; riots in Athens, war in Gaza, protests pretty much everywhere, unemployment rising sharply, the recession deepening; the world can sure seem like a scary place.

This is my farewell to my closest friend for the past two months: my beard. There wasn't a picture taken of one of us that didn't have the other. Things were rough at first, but you eventually grew on me. You kept me warm on those long, cold scooter rides to work. You shall be missed.

I guess it's fair warning to any and all who would come between Cheri and her Buzz; she'll have you "removed".

I've been noticing a trend lately. Married people seem to feel the need to start blogs. I don't quite know why. I mean, we did it. But we considered it more of a "hey we're moving 6000 or so miles away from our family and friends and want them to know that we still exist" thing.

I remember when I was young it was the family letter. Quite a few of my aunts and uncles would send a periodic family letter (via snail mail!) letting us know what was going on with their kids and themselves. So are blogs our "family letters"?