So we moved out to the burbs of Chicago eight months ago. Overall, we have really enjoyed living here. We can walk to the park, the train, the coffee shop, the bakery, the library and two local bar/restaurants among other things. However, we do quite a bit of driving too. With my job, I have to drive around the city quite a bit. I am starting to get my bearings but there are still alot areas that I am not familiar with. So in our travels, whether it be business or pleasure, we have asked quite often how long it takes to get from point A to point B. In Pennsylvania, the first thing out of peoples' mouths was a time; ten minutes, twenty minutes, an hour, etc. Here in land of Chicago, the first thing out of everyone's mouth is always the same thing.
It depend on traffic.....
Never in my life have I had to factor in traffic so much as I do living here. It first really became noticeable when we took our weekend trips this summer. In summer's past, we would drive to our house in Maryland and it would take 2 hours and 15 minutes and you could almost set your watch to it. Occasionally, you would hit traffic for part of the trip and it could stretch to 2 1/2 hours or a little more. However, that was more the exception than the rule. This summer, we took trips to Indiana, Michigan (twice) and Pennsylvania. To get out of Chicago, it took us 45 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half and two plus hours. The time it took us over two hours was the 14 hour trip to Pennsylvania. It was followed (after I stupidly announced that it should be smooth sailing from here on out) by our carsick child (most likely from stopping and starting for two hours) projectile vomiting all over the back of the car.
With work, I have found that I am rarely on time for an appointment. I always factor in traffic but there have been times when I factor in too MUCH time. I have been an hour and a half late for an appointment and 40 minutes early for an appointment. It depends on traffic.
The funny thing is that people who have lived here for a while seem to just be used to it. They laugh at my stubborness and insistence that there HAS to be a time when the roads (I-90 aka the Jane Addams aka the Kennedy aka the Dan Ryan aka the Skyway aka the Bain of my Existence in particular) are packed with people. They just have learned to factor in extra time for traffic. I am starting to come around and my eyes have been opened to the beauty of public transportation. But I still think that I should be able to beat the time it says on Google Maps to get from point A to point B rather than have it take 50% longer.
So now when people ask me how I like Chicago and getting around the city, I have one response to them.
It depends on the traffic.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Child #2
I went back and read my first blog post after Riley was born and I wrote it 2 1/2 weeks after he came into this world. I am now sitting here posting my first entry after child #2 almost exactly 2 1/2 MONTHS after she was born. I got up early this morning (my first Saturday at home with no plans in a month) to start writing with a cup of coffee in the quiet of my own house. I am now sitting here next to my son as he watches Curious George and accidentally kicks me in the ribs. I did get the coffee though.
And thus the theme of life with two children.
Ava Grace was born on May 3rd at about 1:00 in the morning. Continuing with the theme of everything new, we debuted a new maternity wing at the local hospital. The nurses and doctors were constantly looking for things and marveling at the new facilities and equipment, even as Missy was in the throws of child birth.
From the moment she was born, she has had me wrapped around her finger. She is gorgeous. I think she has more brown hair than I do. She has her mom's beautiful blue eyes. And recently she has added a beautiful smile to go along with those eyes. She is more mellow than her brother (which isn't too hard to be). However, she lets her opinion be known when necessary. People have told me that "there is just something about girls". And it absolutely true. I don't know if it is all those pink clothes or what. But there is just something about girls.
Our neighbor had a good sports analogy when going from one kid to two. When you have one child, you can double team. When you have two, you play man-to-man. (By the way, when you have more than two, you play zone.) It is true. When we had one child who was up way too early, we could rotate who would get up with him. Now when we have TWO kids who are up way too early, we each have to painfully roll out of bed. Conversely, when we would put one child down to bed, we could enjoy some precious time with just Missy and I. Now, we have to wait until both kids are asleep which, given Ava's stage of life, varies dramatically. Time to ourselves has been few and far between.
And thus the two month hiatus from the blog.
However, that being said, there is something beautiful about seeing your first child interact with your second. Quite honestly, I was a little bit concerned with how Riley would handle having to share attention with another person. He likes being the center of everything (not sure where he gets that from) and now he has to share the stage. For the most part, he has been great. He LOVES his sister. He can be a little rough with her but it is almost always in an attempt to show his affection. The best times are when we walk in and see him talking to her without any prodding by us.
So overall, it has been a tremendous blessing having child #2. It has, of course, caused certain things to be put on the back burner - like blog posts for example. The phrase that I remember thinking when we first had Riley was "beautifully unproductive". The list of things that you want to get done grows while the time you have to accomplish those things lessens. However, it is worth it in more ways than I can list here. Or perhaps I can:
This blog was started at 7:00 this morning. I am finishing it at 10:00 at night. In the meantime, I have (among other things) built a tower of blocks with my son, played catch with my son, washed both cars with my son, played trains with my son, rode various carnival rides with my son at the local "block party", helped my son with potty training, made my daughter smile, put her down for a nap and watched a movie with my wife.
Sometimes the blog can wait.
And thus the theme of life with two children.
Ava Grace was born on May 3rd at about 1:00 in the morning. Continuing with the theme of everything new, we debuted a new maternity wing at the local hospital. The nurses and doctors were constantly looking for things and marveling at the new facilities and equipment, even as Missy was in the throws of child birth.
From the moment she was born, she has had me wrapped around her finger. She is gorgeous. I think she has more brown hair than I do. She has her mom's beautiful blue eyes. And recently she has added a beautiful smile to go along with those eyes. She is more mellow than her brother (which isn't too hard to be). However, she lets her opinion be known when necessary. People have told me that "there is just something about girls". And it absolutely true. I don't know if it is all those pink clothes or what. But there is just something about girls.
Our neighbor had a good sports analogy when going from one kid to two. When you have one child, you can double team. When you have two, you play man-to-man. (By the way, when you have more than two, you play zone.) It is true. When we had one child who was up way too early, we could rotate who would get up with him. Now when we have TWO kids who are up way too early, we each have to painfully roll out of bed. Conversely, when we would put one child down to bed, we could enjoy some precious time with just Missy and I. Now, we have to wait until both kids are asleep which, given Ava's stage of life, varies dramatically. Time to ourselves has been few and far between.
And thus the two month hiatus from the blog.
However, that being said, there is something beautiful about seeing your first child interact with your second. Quite honestly, I was a little bit concerned with how Riley would handle having to share attention with another person. He likes being the center of everything (not sure where he gets that from) and now he has to share the stage. For the most part, he has been great. He LOVES his sister. He can be a little rough with her but it is almost always in an attempt to show his affection. The best times are when we walk in and see him talking to her without any prodding by us.
So overall, it has been a tremendous blessing having child #2. It has, of course, caused certain things to be put on the back burner - like blog posts for example. The phrase that I remember thinking when we first had Riley was "beautifully unproductive". The list of things that you want to get done grows while the time you have to accomplish those things lessens. However, it is worth it in more ways than I can list here. Or perhaps I can:
This blog was started at 7:00 this morning. I am finishing it at 10:00 at night. In the meantime, I have (among other things) built a tower of blocks with my son, played catch with my son, washed both cars with my son, played trains with my son, rode various carnival rides with my son at the local "block party", helped my son with potty training, made my daughter smile, put her down for a nap and watched a movie with my wife.
Sometimes the blog can wait.
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Move
The last time I posted I talked about the background and process in deciding to move to Chicago. I am now writing this sitting in our new house in Chicago. We have lived here now for not quite two weeks. I just started week #2 at my new job.
And it is just beginning to not seem like a dream.
Two weeks ago today, I was in PA. We were just starting the process of getting our house packed into a 26' box truck. From the beginning, it was clear that the road (both figuratively and literally) would not be easy.
Riley picked up a nasty cough that progressively got worse. We took him to the doctor the Saturday before we left when he said his ear hurt (ear infection). It turned out to be a chest infection that was contageous. Naturally, a few days later, Missy, seven months pregnant and fighting in the trenches of parenting a sick child - laying with him at night, wiping running noses, getting face fulls of coughs - picked up the illness in the form a sinus infection. She went to the doctor the day before we left.
Mother Nature also decided to make our path a little tougher. The day before we left, it rained. All day. And blew. All day. Also, yet another PA snow storm was brewing. It didn't look to affect those of us driving out. However, Missy, Riley and my mom were going to fly out on Thursday and that seemed to be in jeopardy. When we woke up early (like every morning before that) on Wednesday, the weatherman predicted enough doom and gloom that we changed their flights to Wednesday. The Delps were now all leaving PA on Wednesday.
The caravan, my dad, my dad in law, my brother in law (who graciously both flew in and both had flights cancelled coming in) and myself left Pennsylvania for Illinois on Wednesday, February 24th. The trip through Pennsyvlania mountains with a loaded truck was slow moving. What would normally take five hours, took seven. However, once we hit the Midwest and flatter roads, we were able to make up some time. That is, until the snow hit. Four different times we drove though white out snow conditions though miraculously none of snow stuck. That is, until we hit western Indiana. Then the snow fell and stuck significantly. To say the last two and a half hours were stressful would be a gross understatement. As we weaved our way through construction and traffic entering Chicago, we drove on packed down snow, witnessed a truck spin out and smack into a wall and prayed that our trip would end soon.
And finally it did. Fourteen and a half hours after it started. And there, waiting for us, just as they been there when we left, were Missy, Riley and my mom. Along with them were my sister in law, Katy would had graciously gotten some food and drinks for the weary travelers.
The next several days were a whirlwind of unloading, unpacking and organizing. Not to mention emotions. Sunday, we very sadly and painfully said goodbye to my parents. Goodbyes are never clean and easy. Especially with those you love the most. We drove away from O'Hare airport towards our new home and our new life. And I confess I was, for the first time, starting to feel a little scared.
Going to work the next day was like the first day of school times a billion. I put on a tie for the first time in a year. I walked into my new job having very little idea of what to expect. As it turned out, what I did expect actually had changed.
So here I was. In a new town. In a new state. In a new job. With a new child coming in seven weeks. When we do change and transition, we don't do one at a time. We do it all simultaneously.
Several times last week, I found myself driving to work listening to the local talk radio station or walking into our new house and thinking, where the heck are we? Is this even real?
The fact is, it is real. We are now living in Illinois. We have, by choice, created probably the biggest challenge of our lives. And it is unbelievably scary. And uncomfortable. And unfamiliar. In a place where everyone around us is comfortable.
However, it is clear that this is where God wanted us. And it is clear that God did not call us to a life of comfort and ease. Though our human desire is to feel safe, secure and comfortable, the fact is we rarely, if ever, grow in those situations. We grow when we face challenges.
So in a strange way, I am excited to see what lies in store for the Delp family. We have (let me list the phrases I have heard that describe our situation) wiped the slate clean, started over, are flying by the seat of our pants, will sink or swim (and my favorite) are like the explorer Cortes who burned his boats when he reached Mexico. There is some truth in each those (though some are more dramatic than others). But God will provide. We have a tremendous support system both locally and across state lines. We have felt tremendous love through this process. Now we have to simply take it one day at a time.
And it can start by someone telling me how to get to the grocery store.
And it is just beginning to not seem like a dream.
Two weeks ago today, I was in PA. We were just starting the process of getting our house packed into a 26' box truck. From the beginning, it was clear that the road (both figuratively and literally) would not be easy.
Riley picked up a nasty cough that progressively got worse. We took him to the doctor the Saturday before we left when he said his ear hurt (ear infection). It turned out to be a chest infection that was contageous. Naturally, a few days later, Missy, seven months pregnant and fighting in the trenches of parenting a sick child - laying with him at night, wiping running noses, getting face fulls of coughs - picked up the illness in the form a sinus infection. She went to the doctor the day before we left.
Mother Nature also decided to make our path a little tougher. The day before we left, it rained. All day. And blew. All day. Also, yet another PA snow storm was brewing. It didn't look to affect those of us driving out. However, Missy, Riley and my mom were going to fly out on Thursday and that seemed to be in jeopardy. When we woke up early (like every morning before that) on Wednesday, the weatherman predicted enough doom and gloom that we changed their flights to Wednesday. The Delps were now all leaving PA on Wednesday.
The caravan, my dad, my dad in law, my brother in law (who graciously both flew in and both had flights cancelled coming in) and myself left Pennsylvania for Illinois on Wednesday, February 24th. The trip through Pennsyvlania mountains with a loaded truck was slow moving. What would normally take five hours, took seven. However, once we hit the Midwest and flatter roads, we were able to make up some time. That is, until the snow hit. Four different times we drove though white out snow conditions though miraculously none of snow stuck. That is, until we hit western Indiana. Then the snow fell and stuck significantly. To say the last two and a half hours were stressful would be a gross understatement. As we weaved our way through construction and traffic entering Chicago, we drove on packed down snow, witnessed a truck spin out and smack into a wall and prayed that our trip would end soon.
And finally it did. Fourteen and a half hours after it started. And there, waiting for us, just as they been there when we left, were Missy, Riley and my mom. Along with them were my sister in law, Katy would had graciously gotten some food and drinks for the weary travelers.
The next several days were a whirlwind of unloading, unpacking and organizing. Not to mention emotions. Sunday, we very sadly and painfully said goodbye to my parents. Goodbyes are never clean and easy. Especially with those you love the most. We drove away from O'Hare airport towards our new home and our new life. And I confess I was, for the first time, starting to feel a little scared.
Going to work the next day was like the first day of school times a billion. I put on a tie for the first time in a year. I walked into my new job having very little idea of what to expect. As it turned out, what I did expect actually had changed.
So here I was. In a new town. In a new state. In a new job. With a new child coming in seven weeks. When we do change and transition, we don't do one at a time. We do it all simultaneously.
Several times last week, I found myself driving to work listening to the local talk radio station or walking into our new house and thinking, where the heck are we? Is this even real?
The fact is, it is real. We are now living in Illinois. We have, by choice, created probably the biggest challenge of our lives. And it is unbelievably scary. And uncomfortable. And unfamiliar. In a place where everyone around us is comfortable.
However, it is clear that this is where God wanted us. And it is clear that God did not call us to a life of comfort and ease. Though our human desire is to feel safe, secure and comfortable, the fact is we rarely, if ever, grow in those situations. We grow when we face challenges.
So in a strange way, I am excited to see what lies in store for the Delp family. We have (let me list the phrases I have heard that describe our situation) wiped the slate clean, started over, are flying by the seat of our pants, will sink or swim (and my favorite) are like the explorer Cortes who burned his boats when he reached Mexico. There is some truth in each those (though some are more dramatic than others). But God will provide. We have a tremendous support system both locally and across state lines. We have felt tremendous love through this process. Now we have to simply take it one day at a time.
And it can start by someone telling me how to get to the grocery store.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Baby #2
April 27th - So I started this blog post on January 7th of this year. Obviously, a few things have happened since then. Now, on the eve of our due date for baby #2, I think it is time to post this blog. Below is what I posted a few months ago.
January 7th - As documented in the previous post, a lot of things have happened over the past months that have caused excitement, nervousness, stress and have moved Missy and I to lots of prayer.
However, one thing that has not is probably the most significant thing that has occurred in our lives over the past several months and that is that Missy is pregnant!
I am not sure if it is because we are so focused on the transition to Chicago or that this is our second go around or a combination of both but the pregnancy of baby #2 has been quite a different experience from Riley.
I remember after finding out we were pregnant with Riley, we immediately called the doctor and set up an appointment. I recall being completely stressed (shocker) that we had to wait a month before the doctor would see us. This time, a week after we found out, I asked Missy if she had called to make an appointment and she responded with "Oh yeah, I guess I should do that."
I think I put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 237,489,479,528,374 blog posts about Riley and being a dad, etc. This is the first I have mentioned on this blog and we are about to enter our third trimester.
The fact that we are going to have a baby has driven our timeline as to when we move to Chicago yet, somehow, I haven't wrapped my mind around the fact our family is going to increase by 25%.
That is until two events occurred. The first was the ultrasound. The ultrasound always gets you because the life growing inside your wife goes from an evergrowing bump to a moving, living person. Our baby, apparently, is a thumb sucker. I didn't realize that was a habit that could form in utero but it is.
April 27th - That is where I ended. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the second thing was. However, I do have a second thing now just keep reading.
Since then we have obviously moved, found a new doctor, found a new hospital and (thank God) found a new health insurance company. Also, our baby has grown. She is moving all over the place. That's right, we are having a girl. Riley is going to have a sister. When we first found out, he called her "baby shmishmer". Now a few months later, he can actually pronounce the word "sister". Both of our kids have grown.
I feel bad that I have gone basically this entire pregnancy without posting anything about it. I have thought about it but not in the same way as Riley. So much has happened since we found out we were pregant. The transition to Chicago has admittedly consumed much of my thoughts, time and prayers. But now.....
Now, we have a room waiting for her. Looking into that room makes me so excited to see her. We have pink curtains hanging in front of the window. We have pink clothes hanging in the closet waiting for her to wear them. We have pink (are you seeing a trend here) pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. There are also the pink letters that spell our daughter's name waiting for her.
We are all waiting her. Our little baby shmishmer. We can't wait to see her.
January 7th - As documented in the previous post, a lot of things have happened over the past months that have caused excitement, nervousness, stress and have moved Missy and I to lots of prayer.
However, one thing that has not is probably the most significant thing that has occurred in our lives over the past several months and that is that Missy is pregnant!
I am not sure if it is because we are so focused on the transition to Chicago or that this is our second go around or a combination of both but the pregnancy of baby #2 has been quite a different experience from Riley.
I remember after finding out we were pregnant with Riley, we immediately called the doctor and set up an appointment. I recall being completely stressed (shocker) that we had to wait a month before the doctor would see us. This time, a week after we found out, I asked Missy if she had called to make an appointment and she responded with "Oh yeah, I guess I should do that."
I think I put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 237,489,479,528,374 blog posts about Riley and being a dad, etc. This is the first I have mentioned on this blog and we are about to enter our third trimester.
The fact that we are going to have a baby has driven our timeline as to when we move to Chicago yet, somehow, I haven't wrapped my mind around the fact our family is going to increase by 25%.
That is until two events occurred. The first was the ultrasound. The ultrasound always gets you because the life growing inside your wife goes from an evergrowing bump to a moving, living person. Our baby, apparently, is a thumb sucker. I didn't realize that was a habit that could form in utero but it is.
April 27th - That is where I ended. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the second thing was. However, I do have a second thing now just keep reading.
Since then we have obviously moved, found a new doctor, found a new hospital and (thank God) found a new health insurance company. Also, our baby has grown. She is moving all over the place. That's right, we are having a girl. Riley is going to have a sister. When we first found out, he called her "baby shmishmer". Now a few months later, he can actually pronounce the word "sister". Both of our kids have grown.
I feel bad that I have gone basically this entire pregnancy without posting anything about it. I have thought about it but not in the same way as Riley. So much has happened since we found out we were pregant. The transition to Chicago has admittedly consumed much of my thoughts, time and prayers. But now.....
Now, we have a room waiting for her. Looking into that room makes me so excited to see her. We have pink curtains hanging in front of the window. We have pink clothes hanging in the closet waiting for her to wear them. We have pink (are you seeing a trend here) pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. There are also the pink letters that spell our daughter's name waiting for her.
We are all waiting her. Our little baby shmishmer. We can't wait to see her.
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