Insight from Lake Metigoshe Fire Dept

Overheard at the Lake Metigoshe Fire Station regarding Baby Debertin:

1. "Just to let you know, it's fine with me if you name your baby Bill."
2. "Remember, it's fine to have sex."
3. "Oh, yeah, have sex. And then later try to remember what that is like."
   

Mock turtlenecks?

There is only one reason I would wear a mock turtleneck. It's to get paint on it so I can feel okay to throw it away. Don't get me wrong, there was a point in my life when I couldn't get enough mock turtleneck. I believe I could probably find a picture of myself wearing a mock turtleneck with light blue Wrangles.

Anyways, I am down to this last Camp Metigoshe mock turtleneck from 1994. It's 16 years old, so I thought I could finally use it as a paint shirt.

It was a fun day to paint! There was about a foot of snow outside, so it made sense to be inside.

You may say, "Kyle and Betsy decided to go the FFA route with blue and yellow. Well, it's not Corn Gold and National Blue, so technically it is not officially FFA. It is Weathered Blue and Palo Verde. (Palo Verde is actually the official tree of Arizona and means "green stick" in Spanish. Even with all of that interesting trivia, the paint just looks yellow.)

This room used to be our bedroom until we moved downstairs. This rooms used to get real cold - one morning we woke up in the winter and it was 50 degrees inside.

Prior to painting, we added a bunch of insulation. However, Betsy one day mentioned that maybe we should keep it kinda cool. This "baby" spent about 8 months of its life frozen in liquid nitrogen. It may enjoy the cold.

Tomorrow the baby is 17 weeks old. We are getting close to the halfway point. We're hoping that last night's experience at the Firemen's Dance in Bottineau was helpful to in the baby's development. We have been reading that we should be talking to Betsy's belly. I think last night was an important development step in getting used to classic rock music.

Talk to you later.

Never compare weight-gain to huge-ass chickens

Three things that are true:

1. I am taller than Betsy. I rarely remember this, but when you take a side-by-side photo to see who has a larger belly, I am reminded that I am taller than Betsy.

2. Boobs will always be a mystery to me. Why do I have them and what the heck is happening to Betsy's?

3. Telling your pregnant wife that the weight she has gained over the past month is more than the size of the large chickens in your freezer, will get you the silent treatment.

I love my pregnant wife. She glows and has become naturally caffeinated.

"Betsy, why does our basement smell like rodeo"

"Dang, Betsy! What smells in our laundry room?"

"I don't smell anything."

"Betsy, just smell it. It smells like rodeo."

"Alright, I will come and smell."

"Thank you."

"Oh, you're right. It does smell like rodeo."

"Thank you."

After about two weeks, we have finally figured out what smells like "rodeo" in our basement. If you have unfortunately never been to a rodeo, "rodeo" smells like wet dirt, oatmeal, and a tad-bit-of manure.

Betsy got new running shoes for Christmas and they are giving off a western scent. It is so bizarre, but her shoes smell like Valley City's Winter Show Building during the month of March.

For me, I kinda like it. I love rodeos. Some of my first "dates" with Betsy were to rodeos! What I love the most is the sound of the announcers. If I could somehow still live at Lake Metigoshe, where I can be a camp director and play old-man hockey, AND be a rodeo announcer, I would probably do it.

I wish there was a way to describe the sound by typing words. But the announcer speaks as if he has a piece of leather stuck in his right check and talks a bit faster than normal. You also have to say these phrases SEVERAL times:
"We got ourselves a good young cowboy from Mandan/Rapid City/Watford City/New Town"
"Comin' outta the Piggly Wiggly shoot..."
"Let's get ready to rumble...."
"We got ourselves a good young cowgirl from Mandan...." (Mandan is the mecca of 'good young cowgirls."

I would give anything to hear a rodeo sometime soon.

However, today we got to hear something we have never heard before in our lives!! The healthy heartbeat of a 16 week 2 day old baby! 140 beat per minute! That has been the best thing I have ever heard!

Our clown doctor put his science fiction looking instrument up to Betsy's belly and within seconds we heard, "wush, wush, wush, wush, wush, wush..."

(Insert a giggly cry by sweet, glowing Betsy and weepy Kyle.)

Every doctor's appointment we go to we enter with some worries and anxiety. In the past few years we have entered doctors' offices with hopes and left in tears. SO, it's been a bit of an adjustment to go to appointments confidently with high hopes.

So, that is also the reason I haven't written so much lately. I'm a little bit of a worrier, so haven't always been brave enough to give updates.

But today, I can give you some updates. We had a great appointment and will be excited for the next one in a month. We have decided not to find out if it is a girl or a boy. There has been so much science and timing in the process that we are looking forward to a surprise.

Betsy has a good lookin' belly. At community theater practice tonight I looked over at Betsy and she was sporting bigger boobs and a nice baby belly. That's my Betsy!

I've been looking for a t-shirt for her to wear that says, "Don't Tap the Glass."

I promise, I will try to keep you more up to date.

Looking forward to the Baby Bash in Fargo on March 6!