Eric and Ivy's homepage entry log

2006
Wow, I didn't enter anything for last year! Well, highlights included a trip to Hawaii in February for a conference in Kauai. Mom went along, and she and I enjoyed a sailing excursion along the Na Pali coast; very spectacular. It was a very rainy trip, in fact there was flooding right after we left. We all had a lot of fun playing in the surf, but I lost my wedding ring while snorkeling there. In April we visited Philadelphia for a medical conference (ACP) and stayed with Peter and Wendy. Ivy visited the famous Barnes art collection of impressionist paintings, and we both enjoyed looking seeing the Liberty Bell and several other historic sites. We drove down to D.C. for a day and had a nice visit with Betty there. Dad married Lorraine in March and had a nice ceremony at her home in East Wenatchee. Had fun building a milk carton boat with Ren, which we successfully paddled in a race at Green Lake the first weekend of July. We enjoyed the Y-Guides, going to Fort Worden for our spring campout. Ren finished a fantastic 1st grade year with Mrs. Milsap, who was a wonderful teacher. We of course did our annual father-son trip to Camp Orkila in the Fall, which is very special to me. Ivy worked hard, starting her spiritual business, hosting monthly workshops, and doing counseling work as well. Not to mention working on the science fair, which she went on to co-chair, she also is very busy keeping the kids' lives and schedules running smoothly. Sara, Paul, and the girls moved away to Florida in the summer, which was a drag. We missed being able to have the kids spend time together, since they are so close, almost more like siblings than cousins. Mom spent a few days with Ren and Kaya, and Ivy and I went to Ashland, OR for the Shakespeare festival, which we had enjoyed many times before, but not since Ren was born. It was a highlight of the year; a fantastic B+B up on Mt. Ashland, fun plays (especially Two Gentlemen of Verona), and a nice relaxing time soaking in the ambiance of that wonderful town. Later in the summer, Jerry, Sam, Dad and I had a nice kayak trip to the Broken Islands/Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island. It was fun camping out and paddling around the islands. The seals were pretty cool, hanging out on the rocks and swimming all summer (all the way from California). Kaya turned 3 and is so amazing! What a smart girl; we are always being surprised by things she remembers and insightful comments she makes, her intellect and understanding of her surroundings. She started preschool at the Learning Lab, teacher Judy and teacher Nancy which she loves, and also continued at Suginoko. We started doing a little skiing, as it was an early ski season, and she also started Judo. The year finished with the big storm, knocking out our power for over a week, and turning our home into more of a smoky cave (when we could get the firewood) than a house. There were trees down all over the island, and the neighborhood seemed deserted, and the only positives were that the hot water stayed on so we could take baths every evening. It felt so good to be at Mom's house for Christmas! We had to rush back during the holidays when the power came back on so we could check on everything, and get cleaned up for Derek, Eileen, Yoko, and Makoto's visit. Overall, it was a very good year, with lots of growth and personal development for all, many enjoyable outings and family good times, with each other, and with our extended family. We enjoyed getting to know our neighbors better, and feel like we've finally settled here on Mercer Island (joining the tennis club at the end of the year was a nice bonus too)!
2005
7/26/05- Hello! Ivy, Kaya, Ren and I are having a busy but enjoyable summer...we had a very nice time this past weekend in Leavenworth at the Haus Rohrbach. For our 16th wedding anniversary, Grandma Kay watched the kids while Ivy and I had a nice stay at the B+B and then a lovely hike up Chatter Creek in the Icicle Valley. It was spring-like in that we saw numerous wildflowers, such as paintbrush, lupine, columbine, bluebells, (unfortunately didn't bring the camera so no pics) and lunched at the base of Grindstone Mountain, a stunning granite cirque at about 6000 feet in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was a much needed chance at having some 'couple time'; thanks again mom for making this possible!

Earlier this month, we had a nice family trip to Wapato Point, which we had missed last summer due to the Japan trip. It was great to see Ren, Anna, Dana, and Kaya playing together at the house, pool, beach, etc. We saw a nice 4th of July fireworks display over Manson Bay (a bit subdued from last years accident, I think). Sam and Laura joined for a few days, as did Paul. Grant was away on a 3 week long Germany trip; we missed him.

4/18/05- Hello everyone! Sorry, not much time to put in an update at the moment. There is of course a lot of news since my last entry almost a year ago; finishing our stay in Japan, moving to Mercer Island, settling in our new home, Ren starting school, Kaya's development, and more. Unfortunately, I will have to get to all of that later, but I did update the address book and finally have put in the 2005 calendar.

Here is a photo from our recent visit to Wenatchee:

Take care, and send me your news and updated address/contact information. Hope to see or hear from you in 2005!- Eric

2004
5/13/04- Hello from Okinawa, Japan! Eric, Ivy, Ren, and Kaya are about a month into our 'summer vacation' and are having a great time so far. We arrived from Seattle in late April for a two night stopover in Tokyo, and I can highly recommend two days at Disneyland (see photos) as a quick way of getting over jetlag. We have been in Okinawa since then, staying with Ivy's parents, who have been excellent hosts. It is really nice to see them have a chance to get to know their grandchildren, since we otherwise don't see each other very often.

Ren has been having fun with his neighborhood friends at the playground nearly every afternoon, and he takes swimming class twice a week at the neighborhood pool. He has made great strides in just a couple of sessions, and now enjoys underwater swimming. He has also been working on biking skills and can now ride without training wheels! Kaya has been great, and I think she has captured everyone's attention, if not heart. She is a big hit with japanese schoolgirls, who all stop to play with her and say 'kawaii' (cute)! She is now walking more than crawling (she started walking just before we left Seattle), and is saying a few words in English and Japanese.

I have enjoyed the time off greatly, spending time with Ivy and the kids, getting to do some more running 3 or 4 days a week (don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up as the weather gets hotter- the temp is not so bad, but very humid!), and have signed up for Japanese lessons twice a week mainly to try to improve my speaking ability. Ivy has been catching up with her family, and enjoyed her Mother's day outing, taking her mom to a concert and a dinner.

Although we had done some beachcombing and rode a glass-bottom boat, we finally went swimming at the beach for the first time this week. Next week we'll head to Ishigaki Island (beautiful beaches, snorkeling, etc) for 3 nights at a resort. Unfortunately we are now entering the rainy season of May/June, and hope that the weather will allow some water play. We'll finish the month of May with a 5 night trip to the island of Kyushu, visit a national park called Kirishima, stay at the hot springs (onsen) of Unzen, and then visit Nagasaki before returning to Okinawa (thanks Ivy for all the planning, and Yoko and Makoto for the advice!). Later, we'll be in Tokyo for several weeks, and look forward to visits from Laura, Sam, and Grant (and hopefully some of our friends from Seattle as well?). Hope you are all well, and hope to hear from you soon.

5/21/04 update- It's been great to have so much time with the kids, and see them adapt to new surroundings. Ren made friends with the local kids quickly, is getting pretty fluent in japanese, having fun going to the beach, riding his bike, etc. Kaya attracts a lot of attention just for being so darn cute; Japanese people really love kids. She has started walking since we got here, and can now says a few words (mostly japanese). Okinawa is a pretty interesting place; it's a collection of dozens of islands in the East China Sea, just north of Taiwan, and has lots of beautiful beaches, amazing coral and tropical fish, etc. We went on a boat ride on the Urauchi river today (an estuary on Iriomote island) and then hiked a couple of hours through the jungle up to a waterfall. Saw sharks swimming in the river, a 3 foot long eel, mangrove trees, a wildcat, etc. It was great.

2003
2/12/03- Kaya Elizabeth Jaecks was born at 9:20am on Feb 12, 2003. She is now three days old and doing well. She is (in my unbiased opinion) simply adorable! Mommy and Daddy are pretty tired, as may be expected, Ivy is recovering well, and Ren is completely taken by his new baby sister. He has been very cuddly and attentive. We brought Kaya home from the hospital yesterday and are beginning the process of getting to know one another. I'd forgotten how much work it is to have and to care for a baby; guess that's nature's way of assuring the continuation of the species.

By the way, Kaya is Ivy's grandmother's name, and Elizabeth is the name of my great aunt, Elizabeth Olson, who is a very inspiring person. I'm not sure whether either know of their new namesake yet... More later. For now, here are a couple of photos...

2002
3/31/02- I hope you are all enjoying the nice spring weather (it snowed here in Seattle yesterday). We are currently having a visit from Ivy's parents, in from Japan for a few days, and are spending some quality family time with them. We are looking forward to a trip to the Grand Canyon later this year with Makoto, Yoko, and Ivy's sister Eileen and family. I was sad to receive Jerry's email today regarding Aunt Elaine, which I have posted below. I met her a few times, and she always struck me as a very warm, caring, and competent person. I will think of her when we pass through Prescott. Since I last wrote, a lot has happened, as usual. I am now in the transition from working in Tacoma, to working in Seattle, which will shorten my commute from 37 miles each way to 4. Needless to say, I'm quite happy about that, yet a bit sad to be leaving many coworkers/friends made in Tacoma over the past 6+ years. Ivy and Ren are spending a lot of time together, and enjoying many activities, such as the japanese cooperative preschool Ivy helps organize. As a family, we enjoyed many outings to the snow this winter, especially a trip to the Methow valley for 4 days of cross-country skiing, which we shared with Mom, Dad, Laura, Steve, Sam, Grant, Sara, and Anna. The scenery and weather (and the hot tub) were fantastic! Ren and I enjoyed visiting with my Dad for a couple of days after his neck surgery, from which he recovered amazingly quickly. Finally, I'm enjoying a sixth (?) season of tennis with my doubles partner David , as well as the rest of the team, who are as usual and outstanding group of guys.
2001
12/29/01- We hope you all had a wonderful year. Ivy, Ren, and Eric had an eventful year, and enjoyed several trips with family and friends. In May we went to northern Wisconsin to return the ashes of my grandparents, Arch and Joan Jaecks, to their homeland. We next spent Independence Day at Lake Chelan, where we watched the fireworks, played at the beach, and shared some pleasant moments in the warm Eastern Washington sun. In July we had a pleasant trip to Hawaii for a medical conference and visited our friends in Honolulu (it was fun to watch our kids play together). We also celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary there with a balmy torchlight dinner by the seaside. As usual, it was hard to come home! Finally, in September we flew to Tokyo to meet with Ivy's parents for a very enjoyable three-weekend trip that included visits to Nikko by bullet train (shinkansen), Mt. Fuji, and Okinawa. Ren turned two in January, and has largely made the transition from being a baby to a little boy. It has been fun to watch him acquire new skills, like biking, swimming, hiking, and most recently, cross country skiing (a Jaecks family essential). We have noticed a big increase in his vocabulary and he has memorized many stories. Ren started the year with a fun gal named Amy as his nanny/playmate. The two of them were off to the zoo, playground, or swimming class every day and had a ball. In April, Amy and her husband moved away, and we were very lucky to find Yasuko, who took care of him and also taught him some Japanese. In August, mommy decided to stay home, and she and Ren have formed a very strong bond. Ren attends two preschools, a Montessori school and a Japanese preschool. He has really become fascinated with trains lately, and loves to play with his Thomas the Tank Engine set. He has of course memorized the names of most of the engines and other characters. Ivy made a very significant change in her life this year. She has decided to leave the highly stressful life of academic research to spend more time with Ren. She seems very content with her decision and has a new appreciation for the value of caring for children at home. Currently, Ivy enjoys being involved in the development of Tampopo, a new preschool formed by a group of Japanese moms. Eric has had a productive year working in Tacoma for the 7th year, and is gearing up for the switch to a new practice in Seattle. He participated in USTA tennis for the 6th year, including a trip to Portland, OR for the regional playoffs. He had a splendid three-day hike in the Goat Rocks Wilderness with his dad in September. In light of the events of September 11, we are especially thankful for our continued good health, as well as surviving the major earthquake which hit our area in February. Ivy, Ren, and Eric look forward to the New Year, hopefully one with more peace and harmony, and hope to have chances to visit with all of you. We wish you all happy holidays and Happy New Year!

3/30/01- This was the week of the big Seattle earthquake. I took a few moments to put down my experience with it: "The quake was quite something. A very frightening and surreal experience. Sara and I were at Northgate Mall with the kids. We noticed a sudden vibrating sound from a wall of giant glass panels next to us, and we thought that some giant ventilation system had kicked into overdrive. That stopped for a moment, and then the whole shopping mall was pitching about, like a jet going through turbulence, with a lot of violent shaking and vibration (my feet were tingling for some time afterward), the overhead light fixtures swaying back and forth wildly, then gradually as the shaking subsided, you could feel the floor slipping around gently back and forth, giving the impression of being on a raft floating on an unseen body of water. The quake lasted about 45 seconds altogether, but seemed much longer. On another level, it seemed as if someone/something was very angry. We got outside as soon as the shaking stopped (we must have stood there dumbfounded for a couple of minutes, then someone pointed out that the building might be damaged) and encounterd a crowd of people trying to call their loved ones; everyone's cell phones were giving busy signals. I tried mine, and had the same result. The most worrisome part of the whole thing was the lack of ability to communicate with Ivy for an hour and a half afterward. She was finally able to get through to our home phone from her lab. The exterior of the brick building at the mall had a 2 inch wide, 30 foot high crack in it, and we headed home expecting to find major damage. Thankfully the house was basically untouched; a few pictures and books fell off their shelves, no gas or water leaks, no apparent damage to the foundation or anything else. Across the street, our neighbors' chimney is pitched at an odd angle, and you can actually see daylight shining through the crack. Initially the news reports were of little or no damage, but then pictures of collapsed walls, crushed cars, landslides, started filtering in, as well as the casualty reports. As you've probably read/seen, the quake was 6.8 on the Richter scale, and estimates are of $1 billion in damage. I was able to drive to Tacoma without difficulty, and the hospital did not appear damaged. Other commuters were not so lucky; our nanny was stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam trying to come in from West Seattle, as highway 99 is closed (due to the ancient Alaskan Way viaduct being inspected). I really don't know what Ren thought about all this, but he didn't seem impressed. He stayed very quiet in my arms during the quake and while we walked to the car. He fell asleep in the car in about 5 minutes on the way home, and napped for 3 and a half hours! He hasn't said anything about it since. One thing we need to do is develop an emergency kit and plan. I have no idea how we would have coordinated a meeting place with Ivy without cellphones, pagers, etc. If we were unable to get home, or get inside, it might have been difficult to find water, food, shelter, warm clothing etc. to get by for hours, let alone days, without assistance. We need to look into this in the near future." Take care of each other, -Eric

2000
12/31/00- December was a wonderful month for all of us, though not without ups and downs. Sara, Paul, Anna and Dana went to Whistler with us for a week. We all loaded up into a rental van (packed to the brim) and drove up. We stayed at a friend's condo unit, which was quite cozy. It was very cold, but beautiful weather the first half of the week, and the kids had great fun playing in the snow (click here for some photos). We traded turns babysitting, and all enjoyed a couple of days of skiing/boarding. There was also a great community center a mile away, and we all enjoyed the beautiful pools and hot tubs. The second half of the week was a bit rougher, as we each started to come down with some virus, which made our lives a little bit miserable after getting back (both Ren and Ivy had to go to the doctor, Ren for a steroid injection for croup, and Ivy for antibiotics for a sinus infection. They both had fevers for several days). Such is life!

Ren had a nice time visiting various places which were gearing up for the holidays, such as the Seattle center, with its train exhibits (click here). Though I had to work quite a bit after getting back from Whistler, we were able to drive over to Wenatchee for a couple of days to share the holiday with Mom, Dad, Laura, Steve and the kids, Sara, Paul, Dana, and Anna. Ren loved all the presents, especially the teepee Laura fashioned from scratch for him. He also had a great time again sledding, as there were 9 or 10 inches of snow on the ground over there. We enjoyed talking with Peter and Wendy on Christmas, getting an update from the East. We all decided that next year, we're going someplace warm for the holidays!

12/7/00- Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ivy, Ren, and I got together at Sara and Paul's place, joined by everyone from Wenatchee (Mom, Dad, Laura, Steve, Sam, Grant, Evan, et al.) as well as Laurel and Craig (Sara's friends). Sara put on a classic feast, and we all chipped in with various dishes. Ren slept through the first half of it, but that was okay, since he was just interested in playing with Anna and her toys anyway. They had a great time! Ivy created a beautiful collage to commemorate the year 2000. We had many wonderful trips and happy experiences, from our many trips (from Las Vegas in February, Whistler in March, to Japan in June, etc.). It was also a year of losses and sadness, with Grandma Jessen passing away in August. It's hard to believe another year is almost done; may you all enjoy a peaceful and safe holiday season. Click here for Ivy's holiday greeting.

Oct. 29, 2000- Just thought I'd post this photo of the kids in their halloween costumes. Ren is Peter Pan (but refused to wear his hat or hold his sword for the picture), Anna is an alligator, like the one in Peter Pan (her costume is really a big lizard, but hey, close enough!) and Dana is a cute little pumpkin. Ren had a great time, as he was invited to a party down the street. He was really amazed by all the strange and mysterious goblins, pirates, and wizards. He and I went trick-or-treating and tried hard to keep up with the other kids. He actually said 'trick-or-treat' and held out his bag. He didn't want to quit, but he was getting pretty cold and we retired early for some 'hot chokit' (and no, he didn't get to eat his candy- he'll have to wait until next year). Ren also loved reading Halloween stories, especially one that grandma gave him. He got to go to Remlinger Farms twice (once with Elizabeth and once with me) and picked out lots of pumpkins. Whenever he sees pumpkins now he says 'pumkin farm'!

Sept. 2000- Time is flying by! It has been a very enjoyable summer, and it seems unfair that it is already over (yes, it's officially Fall now). I got some photos back from our day at the Seattle center with Laura and kids at the end of August. We spent a few days in Wenatchee after Labor Day while our floors/stairs were being redone (they look great!). While over there, Mom was kind enough to babysit for Ivy and I while we went out to dinner and a movie. We also went to the Chelan County fair, and the kids had a ball; photo here. Ren loves to pet the animals, and had a great time on the big slide. We also enjoyed seeing all of Sam and Grant's campfire projects, which were on display. On Monday, Ivy went to her lab's retreat at the Sleeping Lady in Leavenworth, which she enjoyed, and while Ren and I spent two more days with mom, I took on a little project, digging a trench for a gas line to the hot tub (which has been dead for at least a couple of years). The following weekend was the beginning of swimming classes for Ren (he missed the summer); boy does he love being in the pool. Sunday Ren, Ivy and I went for a hike up Granite Mtn, near Snoqualmie pass. As usual, there were amazing fields of huckleberries in mid September, and we gorged ourselves. The only catch is that it's a 3000 foot climb to get to the berries (try that with Ren on your back!). They were just delicious, and Ren especially loved them. Finally, this past Friday was Sara's birthday, so we got together at the bowling alley near her house, and rolled a few balls.

Hope everyone is having a nice Labor Day. We had a very enjoyable get-together with friends today for my birthday. Sara, Paul, and Anna and Dana were here, as were friends Sharon, Phil, Sally and Anthony, David, Tamis and Evan, neighbors Chris and Fay-chee. As usual it was great fun watching the kids play together in the yard; they all loved the inflatable pool, which was dry, making a nice air mattress. I got a couple of nice photos from Laura by email, which I thought I would post here. It was really nice seeing everyone out here, although the occasion was sad. I did get a really cute video clip of Ren and Skyler on the piano. You can view it here. Ren is still growing fast, and learning new words and skills each day. He knows the numbers 1-10, is starting to put words together, like "mommy's shoes", knocks on doors, talks on the phone, and many has many other talents. He is still the good-natured little boy he has always been (though he does like to tease, as Anna found out today, and he does like to test the limits, as Ivy, Elizabeth and I all know).

June 2000- Japan trip: (I have added a few photos in this section). We left for Japan in mid June; it was a wonderful trip. We flew to Tokyo and spent the first week with Ivy's parents as well as my mother, who came along photo. I couldn't believe that almost 5 years had already passed since our last visit there. Time really flies. Anyway, the highlights included the Emperor's palace, where mourner's of the former empress were paying their respects, then a temple (or shrine?) called Yasukuni-jinja, then on to the Ginza, a busy shopping district. All this was actually quite exhausting, and took several train/subway changes and a lot of walking. Tokyo is pretty much seen on foot, since the traffic is terrible. Mom and I got jammed into a rush hour subway that morning, which was an experience. The next day we went to Kamakura by train, saw three more temples, the best being Hase Kannon-do, with its hillside perch giving an excellent view out to sea, and a 180 degree panorama. Ren loved the giant prayer wheel and the ice cream! He also had a great time feeding (chasing) the pigeons at Hachimangu temple photo. On the way back, we met Makoto at Yokohama, and saw a the sun set over the city from a harbor cruise, then had dinner in Chinatown. On Wednesday, we visited Tokyo's best zoo, Tama zoo, which was pretty amazing. They had a great butterfly house, and Ren was fascinated by the lions, giraffes, monkeys, koalas, not to mention all the little kids. Everyone was pretty interested in Ren too, and seemed to be impressed with how energetic and happy he was (or "genki" in Japanese). It was well worth the 90 minute train/monorail ride to get there. The next day we visited a museum of fine art, which had a beautiful, serene garden where Ren fed the koi, or Japanese goldfish. Other Tokyo highlights included the kodomo no shiro, or Children's castle, Asakusa's Sensoji temple, probably Tokyo's most famous and touristy, as well as the impressive Tokyo Edo museum. After all this activity, we were ready for a restful week in Okinawa. We dropped mom at the Westin, where she caught the airport shuttle to Narita airport and on to Seattle, and we headed for Haneda airport and on to Okinawa. I was prepared for it from my first visit there, but it was still very hot; about 90 degrees and humid every day. Yoko and Makoto took us to a beach hotel, where we cooled off in the water (unfortunately I forgot to put sunscreen on my back, and spent the rest of the week with a second degree sunburn). The water of the East China Sea was crystal clear, and so was the sky; it was gorgeous. Okinawa has the most beatiful waters, tropical fish and corals I have seen, especially on our first visit there, when we visited some of the outlying islands. We went to the beach two more times that week; Ren loved running around in the sand, swimming, and floating on a mattress. I sailed and paddled as all the equipment was included in the admission (definitely a highlight of the trip for me). It was nice to just spend time with the family, and we enjoyed going out to dinner at the revolving restaurant atop the Harborview hotel. The family night at Rotary was fun too; they had a clown doing balloons, and Ren ran wild. He made friends with a little 5 year old girl, who delighted in Ren's coming up to her and saying "kocho kocho kocho" or "tickle tickle" in Japanese (the only word he learned there). Hilarious. Various other events were a date to dinner and a movie, courtesy of Yoko, shopping downtown, an old castle ruins atop a hill complete with view, and checking out Ivy's old highschool/hangouts. We headed back on July 1, exactly two weeks after leaving home, and believe it or not, it was a relatively easy 17 hour trip (two flights and a layover in Osaka). In short, we had a wonderful time; it was a great way to start the summer, and we look forward to going back soon.

May 2000- It truly has been a busy spring: in May, Ivy Ren and I participated in the Mother's day "Million Mom March" here in Seattle in support of gun control legislation photo. We heard some very sad, tragic stories of the victims of gun violence. A few days later, our good friends Laurel Lenz and Sue Sohn came to visit for the AAI annual meeting which was held in Seattle this year. We enjoyed their company the week they were here; had fun going on a hike to Twin Falls, and also had a party at our house in honor of their return to Seattle. They moved away to Berkeley in the summer of 1998, and it was obvious from the turnout that they left a lot of good friends behind! This is a common aspect of a career in science, as there is a great incentive to circulate around the country during the years in training. A few days after Laurel and Sue returned home, we were treated to a visit from Eileen, Derek, and Laurel (Na'chan) photo. They came out from Ottawa for a week, and it was a lot of fun seeing the babies together. Laurel has grown a lot since January, and is a healthy happy baby ("happy girl!" as her dad says). Ren was a little jealous for the attention and didn't quite know what to make of his little cousin for a while. We had Sara, Dana, and Anna over one day, and have a great picture of all the kids. I'm looking forward to seeing all the fun they'll have together over the years. Speaking of fun, we did go to the Children's Museum together, which is a wonderful facility at the Seattle Center. We got a preview of our trip in the Japan section; can't wait to go on a trip there with the two of them!

April 2000- Ivy has been enjoying some time off; she has accepted a position as a postdoctoral fellow at another lab her at the university, and is planning on starting June 1. We have had some very enjoyable trips the past few weeks, including a three-day spree in Las Vegas (stayed at Treasure Island; Ren loved the pool at the Mirage and the dolphins living there). We also had a nice three-day weekend at Whistler, and enjoyed snow boarding in a beautiful and exciting locale. Ren stayed at day care for the first time, and of course picked up a virus, but we came down early each day and had some fun together swimming, etc. We are looking forward to visits in May from our friends Laurel and Sue, as well as Derek, Eileen and Laurel later in the month. Hope you are all having a great spring!

January/February 2000- I hope everyone is having a great year 2000 so far, and without any major computer glitches. When I last wrote six weeks ago (where did the time go), Ren seemed ready to walk. Well he finally did it this week, and it's pretty exciting to see! (click for movie) He has metamorphosized into a toddler at 13 months. Actually, he has been pushing things around but had never let go until now. He takes 8 or 10 steps all by himself with no problem. He also seems to be mimicking sounds pretty well lately, like animal noises and occasionally a simple word. He had four molars come in a couple of weeks ago, and is using them to advantage; still in the 90th percentile for height, 85th for weight (25 lbs)(new Ren photos).We have been pretty busy lately, including visits with our friends (photos), trips to Wenatchee for Thanksgiving and Christmas (some photos from Nov/Dec 99), then the next week visiting Derek and Eileen and their new baby, Laurel, in Ottawa (photos taken in Ottawa). It was a nice visit; they were doing a great job with round the clock feedings every couple of hours, and all the hard work that goes along with being new parents. I had forgotten how intense it is at the beginning. We spent New Year's Eve there, watching on TV from time zone to time zone (unfortunately mostly watching Celine Dionne). They live in a nice suburb of Ottawa (Nepean), which is very family friendly. We enjoyed the daily swim at the Walter Baker sports complex there; it was quite impressive. There was also a great children's museum in Hull, Quebec, just across the Ottawa river. Mostly, though, we stayed home and tried to be supportive and do some of the household chores. Since getting back, we've both been working hard. Ivy has finished and turned in her thesis and is looking forward to some well-deserved time off. She is cleaning out her office as I write this. It is a great relief to her to be done--more on that next time. Ren's first birthday party was fun and very well attended (photos). He seemed unflustered by the large crowd of adults and babies invading his territory. He still doesn't show interest in presents, so Daddy opened them all. We are grateful for all the wonderful gifts. Ren is enjoying a swimming class with Anna, his Gymboree class once a week, and whatever other activities we dream up when spending the day together. I have been trying to play tennis once a week on the USTA tennis team in which I participate, and that has been going well. Dad and I also did a 30k ski race in the Methow valley photos; that was beautiful, and fun to get out on the skis. My training left a lot to be desired, but we both finished and I didn't collapse on the snow. Finally, we have enjoyed getting together with several friends and neighbors over breakfast; this is a fun and convenient way to get to know people or maintain contact with friends. We're also looking forward to some trips coming up soon, so there's really never a dull moment. More next time, and thanks for being patient with these updates.

1999
November/December 1999- Merry Christmas Everyone!!! We enjoyed spending our 14th Christmas together, and Ren's 1st one here in Wenatchee with Mom, Dad, Sara, Anna, Laura, Steve, Sam, Grant, Phillip, Evan, and Grandma Jessen. There were the most presents I've seen since 1986, when we all went to Sun City, AZ! It was fun to see the kids rip through them; it was like a demolition derby. Ren received many fine toys and enjoyed playing with them, but didn't quite understand that there might be something interesting inside the wrapping paper...I bet that'll be different next year. A lot has happened in the last month; first and foremost, on Dec. 17th, 1999 Ivy gave her thesis defense!!! She did a great job and all in the audience were quite impressed. This caps 6+ years of hard work and persistence, overcoming alot of adversity, to obtain her PhD (actually, that will be in a couple of months). Her friends and colleagues threw a nice party afterword and there were many kind words. I am very proud of this accomplishment.Ren continues to grow. He is doing mostly the same things as a couple of months ago; he loves climbing stairs, crawling, looking at the fish at the aquarium, etc. He does look more and more like a little boy than a baby, but still no hair! One new addition to his behavior has been the appearance of some separation anxiety the past couple of weeks. Its been pretty mild, and surprisingly, mostly directed at me (sorry Ivy)! Elizabeth took him to his first basketball game, which he enjoyed. I'm betting he'll be walking by the next update.
9/26-10/26/99
Another month has gone by already! The first weekend of this month we had a nice time with friends at Entro's, a local game place/restaurant to celebrate Ivy's birthday. She's been very busy writing her thesis and plans to defend in mid-December. We have found time to go out to the movies a couple of times, and Ren spent his first overnight visit away from us last weekend! He was with Elizabeth, who had offered to take care of him as a birthday present to me. I'm sure we missed him more than he did us, but we had a very enjoyable evening nonetheless. Ren has been changing quite rapidly this month; he is now repeating one syllable words (occasionally), waves 'bye', claps his hands, and the last few days has learned to crawl. I was very surprised to come home from work one day and hear him say 'up!' as Ivy took him out of the bath. He has 8 teeth and is using them on everything from mashed veggies to pizza! He and Anna continue to do swimming class together which is a lot of fun. They get along so well together now it's touching. This past weekend she gave him a little hug and a kiss, then waved her foot at him and said "kick!", which she apparently learned from her older cousins in Wenatchee recently. Ren loves the aquarium now; he gets very excited looking at fish faces, and seems to be quite impressed with the underwater dome viewing too. That's it for now.
8/25-9/25/99-
We had a nice visit in Wenatchee on Labor Day weekend, which included a hike to Lake Valhalla with Steve, Laura, and Dad, a really pleasant thirteen mile bike ride around the Wenatchee loop with Dad, a birthday party for me (thanks everyone!), a visit with Nancy, who was out from Pittsburgh for the first time in 14 years (long overdue), and a wonderful Swedish pancake breakfast with Grandpa and Carole (thanks for the recipe Carole!). This weekend we had Sara Paul and Anna over for Sara's birthday and (of course) Swedish pancakes (we got it right on our second attempt; we tried it a couple of weeks ago for some friends and ended up eating oat bran pancakes instead). Ren is almost crawling now, and has seven teeth, five of which came in one week! He and Anna enrolled in a swimming class together which they enjoyed greatly. Ren got to go to his first Seattle Mariner's game yesterday; maybe some day he'll be on the team. Jerry emailed a Wenatchee World article that Steve May won his primary election for Wenatchee city council (see bulletin board); congratulations Steve!

7/25-8/24/99
8/4-24/99- August is almost over! It's hard to believe, since most of us here in Seattle don't think we have entered summer yet. It did turn out to be a nice day for our friend's wedding; Tom and Akari were married on 8/21/99. It was a beautiful wedding, and meticulously planned; the ceremony was in Kirkland, followed by a lovely sunset dinner cruise around Lake Washington and through the Montlake cut into Lake Union. A guest at our table was a real estate agent and gave us a guided tour of the shoreline of the homes in the most upscale neighborhoods in Seattle (Kenny G, Nordstroms, etc.). It seemed like another city, like maybe something out of Southern California. Tom, Akari, and I had a nice bike/hike to Twin Falls. (I don't have any photos yet) We haven't been up to much else lately; I've been working too much again. Ivy's also been very busy trying to write her thesis, publish three papers on her research, and graduate. Ivy, Ren, Mom and I did have a nice hike to Lake Olallie (near Snoqualmie Pass) this weekend, though I think the mosquitoes were trying to make up for all the time they were buried under the snow. The Cascades are certainly a beautiful range though. I will miss them when we move. Sara and Paul are expecting again! Anna is due to have a little brother/sister in April 2000. Looking forward to meeting him/her!
7/17/99-7/24/99
We had a wonderful trip to Hawaii with Sara, Anna, Grant and Mom (Kay)photo. We flew directly to Maui from Seattle and found ourselves in a beautiful 10th floor apartment overlooking the ocean and Molokai. It was spacious and luxurious, and we had a spectacular sunset from the picture window every evening. We were in the water every day, from snorkeling near the apartment to swimming in resort pools, to boogie boarding, etc. Ren really enjoyed floating around in his inflatable raft. He also liked seeing his mommy swimming underwater from the glass-bottom boat. Ivy and I (photo) celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, which was the reason for the trip. We had a wonderful dinner at Mama's Fish House on the north shore of Maui. Another event we enjoyed was the beachside luau (though it ended pretty late for Ren and Anna). We moved on to Honolulu for the last two nights, stayed at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider (thank you Joy!) and got together with our friends. It was great seeing everyone again (thanks Mom for babysitting!), and we're looking forward to going back soon, since Ren now has some playmates over there (congratulations Emily and Calvert!).
7/25/99-8/2/99
We've been pretty busy since getting back. Ren is getting so big it's amazing. He's in the 80-90% range in size, and he's changing daily. Lately he's been making a lot more sounds, like "ma-ma-ma, ba-ba-ba", etc. He continues to impress everyone he meets with his friendliness; he's such and easygoing baby! He can now roll over when he wants, and is starting to be able to move forward a little bit (I wouldn't call it crawling yet). He's eating a variety of solid foods too. Elizabeth and Ren are getting quite attached to one another. She's quite a good photographer, and she gave us some great photos [1], [2] of Ren the other day.
7/14/99
Not much new to report (been working too much). Elizabeth continues to take wonderful, tender loving care of Ren photo. He is noticeably happier when she spends time with him, and we are very grateful to have her!
6/20-28/99
Father's Day! We had a lovely lunch with our friends John, Barbara, and Dagny, and Gary, Sabina and Maya photo. Ivy gave me an assortment of neckties, which were sorely needed. We went on our first hike with Ren; to Twin Falls, near North Bend. It was a beautiful day, and the falls were quite spectacular. Ren did well in the backpack! He has started to eat solid foods (here he is getting used to a chair!); we are taking it slow because of my allergies (we don't want to take any chances with Ren). So far it's mostly rice, oats and a couple of vegetables. Finally, we went to Lake Chelan the weekend before Independence Day, and stayed at Wapato point with the family. It was great fun, but we could only stay two nights. Ren got to go swimming for the first time, which he seemed to enjoy alot. I enjoyed a few hands of sheepshead, for old times sake.

6/7/99
Ren's holding his bottle (sometimes) by himself. He's getting pretty grabby (he likes faces-ouch!). He and I helped Sara and Paul paint their house last Saturday. Ivy and I went on our first date since Ren's birth; we saw Star Wars: Episode 1.

5/31/99
Here's a mini-update for the past couple of weeks. We had a very nice but low key first Mother's Day; I made banana pancakes, gave Ivy a heart-shaped pendant/necklace, and we enjoyed a walk together. Ren had his first tooth come in a week ago Friday, his second tooth last Thursday, and consequently has been a little fussy lately. He also learned how to do a raspberry; he just started doing it Saturday during my mom's visit, and then became fixated on it. He's pretty cute! We all had a good time at the Folklife Festival, where we met Sara, Paul, and Anna. Derek and Eileen came for a brief three-day visit weekend before last. It was the first beautiful weekend in quite awhile, and we enjoyed an afternoon at the zoo, a Star Wars party with friends, and a breakfast get-together with Sara, Paul, and Anna. Derek and Eileen seemed quite captivated by Ren, and he enjoyed their company greatly. Elizabeth finished her fourth week, and we are very happy with her; she and Ren have formed a real bond.
5/14/99
It's been another eventful month for us (in some ways a little too eventful), and Ren continues to grow and develop. He can sometimes roll over, he reaches out to grab things, and he smiles and laughs alot. We just got back from his four month checkup and shots :( and he is now up to 16lb. 15oz., 25 3/8 inches! We had a nice visit from Ivy's parents last week, so he got to see baba (grandma Yoko) again and meet jiji (grandpa Makoto)photo. They had a great time together. We drove to Vancouver BC for the day and dropped them at the airport Fridayphoto. We have a new nanny; Angie lasted about a month and we had to scramble to find a replacement in less than two weeks! We were very fortunate to find Elizabeth, who started on Monday and is wonderful with Ren. He has her all to himself, which he seems to be enjoying very much. We had a nice weekend visit with our friends John and Barbara, and Sabina and Gary, from our childbirth class. It was fun to see Ren with a couple of his peers (from left to right: Dagny, Maya, and Ren) photo. Finally, Ren said his first word the other day: "cookie". I know it's hard to believe, but both Ivy and I heard it!
4/5/99
A lot has happened in the last month. We regret missing Makoto's retirement party in Okinawa, but were simply unable to make such a long trip with Ren. It was apparently a gala affair, attended by over 500 guests. We look forward to Yoko and Makoto's visit at the end of April; this will be Ren's first chance to meet Grandpa Suzuki! We went to Anna's first birthday party (photo). Ren is now just over 11 weeks old (photo)! He had his first illness about ten days ago; he developed a fever of 102 F, and then diarrhea. We spent all night in the ER at Children's Hospital (a wonderful facility and staff) where we agonized over whether or not to have a spinal tap (we didn't). Fortunately it all went away spontaneously in about 3 days. On a lighter note, we just hired a nanny to care for Ren. Her name is Angie, and she comes very highly recommended. She has a 6 month old boy (Braxton) who will also keep Ren company; we are looking forward to getting to know them over the next few months. We appreciate all the hard work Sara did, caring for Ren on a temporary basis; she did a great job! Finally, this past weekend was a sad one, as we gave up Genki, our cat of 7 years (photo). With the major changes in our life, we found that we no longer had the time to give him the love and attention he deserves. Fortunately, Ivy's friend Tamar adopted him, and we hear that he is a very happy kitty. We miss him still!
2/27/99
Ren is growing like crazy in every sense; he's 12 lb. 6 oz. now, about 23 inches, and he's becoming much more interactive. He had his first smile a couple of weeks ago, which was very touching, and he's starting to make "baby talk" occasionally. You can tell that his sphere of awareness is gradually enlarging as well. He will be 7 weeks old tomorrow, which is also Anna's first birthday! We are also hosting a reunion of our childbirth class today, so we'll get to see how everyone else did. An exciting weekend awaits.
1/27/99
Ren is doing well, he's now 17 days old and growing. He's up over 9lbs. now, and showing more energy than the first ten days. We're able to take him out for day trips for a couple of hours at a time, and he's sleeping more at night (most of the time). He also continues to work hard at educating his parents on the care of a newborn!
1/19/99
Ren was born on Jan. 10 at 6 pm by cesarian section after a very difficult 24 hour labor. He weighed in at 8lb. 10oz. and was 20 3/4 in. long. Ivy had some problems with the anesthesia, but fortunately that got straightened out in the nick of time. We then spent most of the rest of the week in the hospital, which was pretty torturous, between the upleasant nurses, overzealous lab drawers, not to mention the sleep deprivation that goes with a baby crying all night. We were extemely happy to get home! He was pretty weak (and Ivy too) for the first few days, but since then he has come around very nicely. He's now breastfeeding well, and even sleeping through most of the night (never underestimate the importance of this). It's been pretty crazy around here; Ivy's mom stayed for ten days, my family came over for the birth, then Sara, Paul, Anna, and Dad came back last weekend for more visiting. Things finally are starting to settle down a bit, and we are able to occasionally sit back and gaze at this beautiful baby of ours. He's a very pretty baby, if I do say so myself, and his face is a nice mix of our features, although he seems to look a little bit different every day. It's interesting, because one day he'll look like me, then Ivy, the next time he'll remind us of one of his grandparents. We don't have any good pictures back yet, but I did put a couple on the home page from right after birth. Anyway, despite the above problems, I can highly recommend parenthood. It is nothing short of a miracle to see his little face and realize that we could have produced this wonderful boy. Babies are generally fun to be around, to hold, cuddle etc., but it's hard to describe the emotions and the bond you feel when you look into your own son's eyes.
1/6/99
Well, the holidays have passed, and we are still waiting! We had a quiet Christmas together, and enjoyed opening presents from all of you. It wasn't a white Christmas; it snowed two days before, but all melted off the same day. We are now about 8 days past the baby's due date. Happily, Ivy is doing well, and she passes all the medical checkups, but we are wondering just when this little guy is going to arrive. We are packed and ready to go to the hospital, and today was my last day of work before "paternity" leave. More later.
1998
12/21/98-The holiday season is definitely upon us! Ivy and I finally finished holiday shopping, and are sending out our Christmas cards today (better late than never). It certainly seems like the season, as it's about 20 degrees and threatening to snow outside! Feels like time to make a roaring fire, listen to some holiday music, and have some hot cider (and that's just what we did!). December has been a pretty uneventful month so far; we're just waiting for the baby to come. The baby's room is finished and looks great, and our bags are packed for the hospital. Last week was the final childbirth class, and one of the couples had already given birth! That really brought it home that it could happen any time. We'll be spending Christmas at home (or maybe at the hospital). Seems like we'll be the only ones left in Seattle this year! I hope you are all enjoying this special time of the year.
12/7/98
I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and has a safe trip home! I am currently working on a couple of areas for this website; putting "Grandma's Journey" on the site in it's entirety (currently through 1994), labeling the photos collages Jerry made for Grandma's memorial, and (slowly) getting more of Laura and Steve's wedding photos on the site. Projects for the near future will include baby photos, when our big day arrives (est. 12/29/98), and hopefully a family tree. It has been slow going lately, as Ivy and I have been busy with work, holidays, and getting the baby room set up. Thanks to all who attended the baby shower; it was a great head start, and we feel very lucky to have such a great group of friends and family! -Eric.
September 1998
We have had a very busy 1998! We have been traveling most of the summer for Ivy's interviews. We have been to Portland, Chicago, San Diego, and Minneapolis in the last few weeks. Then we went Wenatchee for Laura's wedding, Sara and Anna's baptism (8/15/98). Managed to squeeze in a weekend on Mt. Rainier, too. In case you don't know, Ivy is expecting our first child at the end of December(ultrasound photo)... Anna, Sam, and Grant are going to have a little cousin. Around that time (it now looks like it will be after) Ivy is planning to defend her doctoral thesis, after which she is planning to take a few months off, and then we'll be moving to San Diego in June for her post-doctoral fellowship. Looks like a busy 1999!
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