The Nassau Factory

Fall in California

2009-11-15T11:01:00.001-08:00

Okay, so fall in California consists of a few overnight temps in the 40's, pumpkins, and the changing of the liquid amber. So, when you have liquid amber in your yard, and you are a three year old boy, this is how you celebrate fall...

Halloween

2009-11-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post a picture of Scott in his dragon costume for halloween...

The Eyeball Song

2009-11-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

Scott was at a conference this evening and my parents were out playing Bingo, so I promised I would take Ilan to the play place. Traffic was really bad so we had plenty of time to sing songs. Ilan requested the eyeball song. You know: The B-L-I-E. Yes, that's the girl for me. Stand alone. Word of God. the B-L-I-E. EYEBALL!

It really doesn't matter how many times I tried to tell him it was BIBLE...the boy just loves to shout EYEBALL!

Halloween

2009-11-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

This year we went to the festival at Opa and Oma's church for Halloween and then we went trick or treating. It was pretty hard to get a good picture of Ilan in his Dragon costume because he was too busy playing, but here are a few...

Opa in his "wedding costume" as Ilan called it. Actually he is Charlie Chaplan.

My Tigers

2009-11-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Aitan in the Halloween tiger costume

Ilan in the Halloween tiger costume

7 Weeks

2009-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Aitan turned 7 weeks today. Everyone says it, but it still is amazing how quickly the little ones grow. He's become much more alert when he's awake and started smiling last week. He's very interested by his big brother, but really doesn't like it when big brother places pillows over him and wants to build a cave for him.

Juxtaposition

2009-10-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

I've received a broad spectrum of comments about the boys and whether they look alike or nothing alike. These pictures are taken at about the same point in life. What do you think?

You know what?

2009-10-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ilan and I have a little game we play...it's not really a game, but it's just one of the ways I like to tell him that I love him. It used to be that I would ask him "You know what?" and he would say "What?" and I'd say "I love you."

As he got older it turned into me asking him "You know what?" and he'd say "Yes." and I'd say "What?" and he'd say "I love you."

We haven't played this little game in a while and so yesterday when I asked him "You know what?" he said "What?" and I said "I love you." Then he said "You know what?" and I said "What?" and he said "I love you." I replied "I love you, too." Then he said "You know what?" and I said "What?" and he said "I love baby brother." (who, by the way, goes by brother, baby brother and least often Aitan) He then continued to list all of his loved ones in no particular order...Abba, Nana, Papa, Opa, Oma, Nina...

State of the Factory

2009-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Who needs a Moses basket?

Aitan had his 1 month check up this week. He weighed 9 lbs, 10 oz and was 21 3/4 inches. He's a great eater and sleeper. We're finding these things, in combination with the fact that he does not have health problems and that we're already used to being parents has made the transition a lot easier. Living with my parents we have a lot of support and that makes the biggest difference, I'm sure. I have to admit I feel a little guilty because I'm not really experiencing the chaos that I should be. Don't get me wrong. I am very thankful, but I feel like I am missing out on a rite of passage or something. I know, I need to get over it and just be thankful that I have the help.

The temperature has cooled off and the smoke from the fires has ceased to be an issue, so we've been able to get out to the park and have some playdates, which has been good for Ilan. Some of his regular play-date friends are in pre-school now, so we'll have to find some other ways to fill our time, or make some new friends. Ilan continues to be sweet and curious about the baby and a little ornery when it comes to the rest of us, but I guess that's part of being three. All-in-all I think he's handled the adjustment very well. There have been some rough spots, but we're managing.

I probably tried to do too much too soon (read a Brit Milah and a Birthday Party within two weeks of his birth), but am finally feeling like I am on top of things. Even being in recovery from childbirth and sleep deprived I felt like I had so much more energy than I did when I was pregnant. I don't think I realized how tired I was!

Now I have lots of laundry to do with my extra energy! Aitan is a spitter...he nurses then he spits up. It's a fact of life. I sometimes wonder if my boys are trying to see if we can go for a record amount of laundry done each day. Aitan's skinny little legs leave a lot of room in both cloth and paper diapers for leakage, so we have at least one to two clothes changes due to that each day, spit-up might account for another clothes change or at least a bib change and maybe a burp cloth or two, then usually I get an outfit change due to the spit up. At least laundry is a chore I don't mind doing.

Do babies have teeth?

2009-09-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ilan was born to parents who are never wrong. Hem. Well, at least we never like to be wrong. There have been many an occasion where Scott and I have sought third party confirmation of our correctness in an argument with each other. Of course one of us has to be wrong, but even if we are we have good reason for thinking we were right. If you've been around long enough I'm sure you have experienced such an argument first-hand.

It is no surprise, then, that our older son is also never wrong. There have been occasions when he tells me I am driving the wrong way to our destination and when I disagree with him it ends in him shouting at me that I need to go the other way. So, a couple weeks before Aitan was born Ilan and I ended up in a discussion about whether or not babies have teeth. I told him that babies are born without teeth and they get teeth one at a time as they get older. He disagreed with my answer and told me that babies DO have teeth. As we disagreed further he finally conceded that only some babies have teeth.

It was either the night Aitan was born or when Ilan came to visit us the next morning that he asked me "Does he have teeth?" He saw for himself that his brother was born without teeth, confirming what I had told him. Even though I was right, somehow gloating in my correctness doesn't seem as fun with a 3-year old.

The Birth Story

2009-09-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Childbirth is probably one of the least predictable things that occurs in the life of a woman. There is almost nothing you predict about it, except that at the end you will have a child. I know this. But it is so much in my nature to plan for things that there were some assumptions that I made about Aitan's birth and there were a lot of surprises along the way...as it probably should be.

I felt like this birth was a bit of an experiment for me. Ilan's birth experience was so positive that I couldn't imagine doing it in a different setting with different care providers. I had a wonderful midwife in Texas, that I trusted so thoroughly, and I just couldn't imagine finding that bond with someone else. I researched my options and chose a doctor that supports natural childbirth, even though my first choice would have been the midwives at UCLA. Knowing how I felt about car rides the first time around I didn't want to take that chance with an hour (or longer) drive to Brentwood. Dr. Dwight is a very kind man and I knew I could trust him to take the best care of me, while giving me a voice in my birth experience, but I never could get past the medical model of care that a doctor will provide. It's just different than a midwife and I am not sure I can put all of the differences into words, but when you view childbirth as a medical event or procedure as opposed to a natural process for a woman's body things turn out differently. So, while I knew he would support my choices assuming everything was fine, it was all that belonged in the realm outside of fine that worried me.

My first assumption about this birth is that it would probably happen right on time, if not early. After all, Ilan had been born a day past his due date and second-time moms usually go earlier, right? Well, childbirth myth #1 dispelled. I knew better, but you just want to believe that you'll be early and it didn't help that Dr. Dwight kept telling me he thought I'd be early. Five days after his due date Aitan made his entrance into the world and this is how it happened:

As with my pregnancy with Ilan, around the final month I started waking up really early in the morning. So, on Monday, August 31st, when I awoke at 5:00 am I noticed I was having regular contractions. Because I was "overdue" my doctor wanted me to come in regularly for non-stress tests. I had an appointment at 7:45 so I got up and ready and started putting my things together. I was positive that I was in labor, so Scott and I made plans with my mom as though we would not return home from my appointment. The NST was fine and I saw the doctor, who informed me that I was not in labor. You see, women don't go into labor during the day (myth #2)...after the appointment my contractions would trail off and I might go into labor that evening or the next day...or I may be back for my appointment on Wednesday. I listened to his words and then I followed my instincts which told me, I was in labor, albeit early labor.

Scott and I decided it would be good for me to walk, but it has been so hot and the whole area has been filled with smoke so we decided to go to the Glendale Galleria to walk around. We walked for several hours and the contractions grew in intensity and frequency. They were starting to get to the point that I couldn't look normal through them and I was starting to feel the need for a "base camp." Our options - go back home where my mom and Ilan were, go to my sister's condo that is temporarily without AC, or go to the hospital. None of them really appealed to me. We weren't ready for the hospital, but it would provide a private, cool place to labor. Again, not ideal.

As we checked in I explained to the nurse what our situation was. She put me on the monitor for 20 minutes and confirmed that I was "in labor." She brought me some ice and juice and basically left us alone, except to see if we needed anything once in a while. We spent the first 4 hours in the room chatting, playing cards and breathing through contractions, which were getting stronger and stronger.

My doctor came in at 5:00 to check on us. He did a vaginal exam and I was only 4 cm! What? He didn't think I should go home, but I was very discouraged.. All that work and only 4 cm. This was so different than my labor with Ilan, where I labored at home in peace until I was 6-7 cm. He offered to break my water, but I decided against it. I wanted things to go quickly, but I didn't want to look back with regret.

The doctor left and things intensified very quickly. Contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and really hard...harder than I remembered with Ilan. I was filled with self-doubt. As I labored in the shower I questioned whether I could do it and all the implications that would have on my work as a doula and Bradley Method instructor. But I continued to breath and sway and relax through the contractions. I was on the brink of exhaustion, but just could not handle contractions without moving through them so laying down was not an option.

The doctor came back in around 6:30 to check on me to see whether he should go home for dinner or stay there. I was expecting bad news. He did the vaginal exam and said that I should push on the next contraction. I was completely dilated and the frenzy began. We had been at the hospital for hours, but were not really checked in...the room was empty, we hadn't seen a nurse in two hours and nothing was set up. Things were hectic and all I remember was thinking "I don't have the urge to push!" In my birth plan I was very specific about the pushing part because I knew how calm and peaceful my birth was with Ilan when I was able to push instinctively. I wasn't ready mentally or emotionally and I didn't have an urge to push, but the pressure was on and it happened so quickly. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

With my first push my water broke and there was meconium in the fluid. I knew this meant that they would need to suction him and make sure he was okay before I could hold him. The pressure to push intensified. There I was flat on my back pushing and waiting for them to find a squatting bar, which arrived as Aitan was crowning. He was born at 6:55pm and was suctioned briefly before being returned to my chest. He latched on and breastfed right away. Our families joined us shortly afterward and Ilan was very excited to meet his baby brother.

I think the next morning I was still in shock from how quickly things happened once they got going. It may not have been the calm experience I was hoping for, but in the end we have Aitan and he's healthy. What else could we ask for? The name Aitan means strong in Hebrew. It is pronounced Ai=A (like the letter A) tan=tawn with emphasis on the second syllable. He is a sweet little guy who hardly fusses.

Ilan is adjusting fairly well. I know he is feeling a little left out and I am doing my best to be there for him while attending to the needs of an infant. We are very fortunate to have so much family so close who can give him special attention. He has been very sweet to Aitan and told me the other morning that he couldn't give me a kiss because he was saving all of them for his baby brother. We've had a few bumps in the road, but I am partially attributing that to the fact that we have been cooped up inside for a couple of weeks because of all the smoke from the Station fire.

A birthday note to my son

2009-08-24T06:34:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, sweet Ilan. This year has been full of so many changes for you. I've loved to watch you as a toddler with phrases like "Ima doing?" to a little boy who can hold conversations, use the potty like a big boy and loves to use his imagination! Yet, things are going to change even more for you this year. I am both excited to see you in your new role as a big brother and sad to lose the special relationship that we alone share. I know your little brother will just add to the love in our family and we will do everything possible to ease this transition for you. I'm sure you will do wonderfully.

My prayer for you is that you will continue to grow in compassion for others and that your strong personality will continue to be molded into godly leadership traits. I pray that you grow in the knowledge and understanding of God and that your Abba and I have wisdom and grace (which we need so much) to lead you on the correct path.

I love you so much!

Ima

The time has come

2009-08-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Days away from Ilan's third birthday, and because Ima kept nagging to cut Ilan's hair so I can see his face, Abba finally agreed to a hair cut. For a child that runs and forces me to chase him around the house to brush his hair, he was very calm for the cut. I think it helped that he got to sit on a space ship.

Before:

With it all brushed out. My mom used a ruler to measure how long his hair was the other day: 8 inches.

After. Ilan wouldn't pose for me to take a picture of him so this is the best I have. I'm sure we'll have lots of birthday and baby pictures showing off his new do. I have to admit it is a little short for my taste, but it will grow out soon enough! And at least I can see his eyes!!!

Confessions

2009-08-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Okay...yet another post about poop. You've been warned!

Last week I was at the park with Ilan when a boy of about 5 years walked into the sand box, pulled down his pants and peed right in the middle of it. Amazed and shocked I exclaimed, "Your son is peeing in the sandbox!" ...thinking that the mom might be concerned about her son's behavior. She rolled her eyes and kicked some sand over it and it was business as usual (except that I asked Ilan to avoid playing in the middle of the sandbox). I understand things happen and that as moms we don't always have control over our childrens' behavior, but as I try to put myself in that situation I just can't imagine Ilan, even at almost three years of age, getting off without a time out or some sort of talking to. There was a bathroom 15 yards away for goodness sake!

I should have known that my outrage over the incident would come back to bite me very soon. Just the very next morning on an early walk to see the turtles at CalTech I considered that there probably weren't any open buildings where Ilan could use the potty. As Ilan was climbing on the cannon in front of some of the dorms a security guard walked past so I figured I should ask him about it. "Sorry, ma'am, nothing is open. Your best bet is to let him use the bushes." I saw Ilan's eyes widen. "Ima, I have to go potty." As if he knew there was something really cool about peeing in public...as if it was part of the male birthright. So, into the bushes we trudged.

But the story does not stop here. As you know, poop has been the tough spot in this adventure. My instinct about when it is going to come is pretty flawless and so I made him sit on the toilet for a while before we left to visit Shannon and Josiah on Friday. No luck, but we made the trip to Claremont without incident. We decided to walk to a nearby park with a picnic lunch, but because we weren't bringing strollers and we were carrying food I decided to forgo the diaper bag.

Ilan and Josiah played and ate for a while, using most of the sample pack of wipes I had in my purse to clean up after the cherry mess. Then it happened. Ilan ran up shouting, "Ima! I have to go poopie!" No bathrooms at this park. What do I do? Can he poop in public? Choices: 1. Let him poop in his pants 2. Find a bush. Oh brother. There really is no good side to letting him poop in his pants. It doesn't "reward" him for telling me he has to poop or promote the cause of potty training and it certainly doesn't avoid a huge mess, which would require us to leave so we could clean it up. We ran across the park to the bushes away from all the action and there Ilan squatted and pooped. I wiped his bottom with the last diaper wipe and stuck the "business" into the diaper wipe package so I could throw it away. I mean, if people have to pick up after their dogs, really I should do the same. Right? More unfamiliar territory. Whew! Well, that wasn't sooo bad. A few minutes later..."Ima, I have to go poopie again!" This time big 37 week pregnant Ima isn't running to the other side of the park. Next to the trash can Ilan poops on a bed of pine needles. Using cherry covered, used diaper wipes, I wipe Ilan's bottom and stuff this "business" into the empty edamame container that I will not be taking home to recycle.

I am happy to report that this incident has apparently freed Ilan of his inhibitions and he is now pooping regularly again and even using the potty for poops in the nursery. I suppose the moral of the story is that we shouldn't judge other people's actions until we know the whole story. Because I truly would not want to be judged by the fact that my son has, in recent days, used the bathroom in public several times. Incidently, every time we have passed the spot where Ilan peed at CalTech he points it out and conveniently has to go potty again. Fortunately, we've been able to ask someone to let us in the dorm every time since.

A night at the ballgame

2009-08-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Went to the ballgame last night with all of the bizarre things that happened...guy running on the field, Mota getting a base hit, and a score of 17 to 4. Fortunately it was the dodgers that won. Ilan had a great time eating his way through the game and guilting Abba into the acquisition of a foam finger.

Ilan got a little bored during the game so I let him take some pictures. These are a few of the highlights from his photo shoot. There were also several pictures of bodies minus the heads, water bottles, and the floor and ceiling of the stadium. My dad was given very nice tickets as you can see from the last picture.

Tanaka Farms

2009-08-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

I told my tale of potty training difficulty at Tanaka Farms, but I didn't share how cool it was at the farm. They pull you around the farm on trailers hitched to a big farm tractor and let you sample some of the things they grow that were picked earlier in the day. Ilan ate more vegetables in the space of an hour or so than he usually does in a normal week! We tried fresh radish, onion, tomatoes, carrots (he had 4), zucchini, cucumber, and watermelon. At the end of the tour Ilan got to select a watermelon to take home with him and we selected some items from the farmstand to take home, too. Unfortunately, this wasn't the beginning of a trend for Ilan. We bought a bunch of the carrots with the green still intact so he could snack on them at home, but I guess if he's not on a tractor it doesn't have the same appeal. Anyway, here are some photos from our trip. Thanks, Jen for the great idea!

Ilan with watermelon juice dripping from his face.

I get the fascination

2009-08-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

For Scott's birthday we went to see Fiddler on the Roof live with Chaim Topol playing the role he made famous in the movie version. It was wonderful. While we were out Nana and Papa babysat Ilan. We came home to find the house decorated the next morning:

It's a little surprising to see panty liners posted all over the house, but I have to say that I can understand why they would seem so cool to Ilan...In a way they are like big three dimensional stickers.

Potty Training Woes

2009-07-30T15:23:00.001-07:00

Warning: this post contains content that may not be suitable for non-parents or those with weak stomachs. Included is an in-depth look at the thought process of a potty-training mom.

There is a long list of things that I never imagined would be part of my job detail when I became a mom. After almost three years of semi-regular coverage in slobber, tears, spit-up, vomit and even poop, there isn't much that frightens me, but today I did have a first.

Ilan has been potty-training for just over a month and has done a great job. He's only wet the bed once during a nap, regularly wakes up dry in the morning, and only a few times has had a pee-pee miss when he's in underwear, but poop is another story. My theory is that he doesn't like to take the time to sit down and have a BM, so he waits and waits until he can't squeeze it back in and then it is URGENT! Since we've started potty training he's definitely reduced his BM frequency and this is the area where we have been having accidents.

It has been a couple days since he's pooped and I know he had a good deal of fruit yesterday, so I was a little concerned about our plans this morning and what it might mean for Ilan's BM. We have been planning to visit Tanaka farms with Jen and Sammy and were really looking forward to it. Certainly I can't cancel our plans because Ilan might need to poop and potty won't be available. Can I? No. So, we have an hour drive to Irvine, where the farm is located, and then we'll be on a tour of a farm. The availability of potties would be slim for sure. Before we left I tried to get Ilan to sit on the toilet and go poop to no avail. As I stated before if it is not imminent, it's just not going to happen. So, we had to move to plan B...pull-ups. At least if he has to poop he won't soil everything on him...or at least that how it's supposed to go.

So we arrive at the farm and Ilan is still dry. We check in and then head over to the potties...the porta-potties. As a side note, you have no idea how disgusting porta-potties are or many public bathrooms for that matter until you take a potty-training child who wants to touch EVERYTHING in one. At least as adults we can do our best to avoid contact with the grossness as much as possible, but kids just don't seem to get it. So, I hold Ilan up so he can pee into the toilet without touching. Ilan promises he doesn't have to poop. So, we're waiting for the tour to begin and Ilan declares "I have to go poopie!" Great (read it with sarcasm, as in "Great. I get to try to navigate pooping in a porta-potty with a toddler"...and remember I am 36 weeks pregnant). So we run over to the potty and I put paper-towels down (because I thought I forgot my heavy-duty toilet seat covers bought for occassions such as this) and get Ilan situated, then, nothing. The urge had passed. I made him sit there for a little bit to try again, but no, he didn't have to go anymore.

As the tour began and were making our way to the tractor for our ride around the farm I noticed Ilan was walking funny. As I got closer I noticed the smell. He had gone poopie. As we sat down on the tractor trailer I could see how uncomfortable he was. We started moving and I just couldn't let him sit in it. I didn't know how long it would be until we stopped and so I asked the moms around us if they would be offended if I changed him. Now, you would think that only a month out of diapers I would still have the nac of things, but for some unknown reason I decided to take his pull-ups off from a standing position. It probably would have been okay, but as I mentioned his fruit consumption the previous day was a little high. Things were a mess.

As the tractor made its way down the farm I used diaper wipe after diaper wipe on one of the messiest poops I have seen. It was on his shirt. It was on my hands. It was all over his bottom half. But in the end it was bagged up and sealed just in time for Ilan to try the fresh produce on the tour. Thank God for diaper wipes and hand sanitizer!

Remember the troll dolls?

2009-07-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Opa and Oma thought they'd test Ilan's hair to see how long it is when straightened. The answer is pretty long and the look is pretty funny. I can't tell if he looks like an elf or a troll doll.

Why?

2009-06-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

I knew the day would come when every statement or answer given to Ilan would be followed by the question "why?" And so it has. When I told Scott the phenomenon had betgun he responded, in his lack of experience with whydom, by saying we should be sure to give Ilan a good answer when he asks why. When I gave him a look like he was crazy, it was only because in Ilan's short couple days of whying, I realized that clearly not all why questions have good answers. Sometimes things are just the way they are because that's the way they are. God give me wisdom to know which whys deserve a good answer...and maybe some help with the answer!

29 weeks

2009-06-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I was 29 weeks on Wednesday and it has finally become real that we are going to have another baby around. Thanks, Jen and friends from Shuvah, for the shower and all the fun things that helped me get into the swing of things. It's amazing how different the second pregnancy is. Until I saw all the baby clothes it just hadn't really set in.

Little Derek's (the newest nickname since Manny is no longer an option and Mr. Fisher became the latest sports hero last night) kicks are becoming very distinct. I'm sure I felt a little foot poking out this afternoon. We still don't have a name and we really don't have a list of names that we're trying to decide from. I suppose something will strike us the way Ilan's name did. (Speaking of which, I have just learned a new way that we will have trouble with his name. I received the e-mail confirmation for his swim classes and he was signed up as Ivan. I thought I had heard it all!)

I do wonder what this baby's personality will be like. Will he have the same zest for life that Ilan does or will he be more subdued? Will he be an introvert or an extrovert? We shall see.

All-in-all I'm feeling pretty good when I can get enough sleep. I've struggled with back pain this pregnancy, which was probably no different than pain I felt with Ilan, except that I have found a wonderful chiropractor who has really helped me feel better. Now that I know how good it feels to be pain free, I feel so awful when things flare up.

Giraffe Food

2009-06-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

While we were at the desert a couple of weeks ago we made a trip to the living desert and Ilan had the rare opportunity to feed the giraffes.

M3 Daddy

2009-06-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

I so appreciate that Scott wants to take an active part in parenting. When Ilan was born, Scott practically killed himself to go to school, work PT, write his thesis, and watch Ilan while I was working so that he didn't have to go to daycare. Now that I am home, it is great to know that he is also concerned about instilling in Ilan godly character. This week at the pool I agonized over whether I should interrupt when Ilan and some of the other children had arguments over the pool toys. I felt bad that I always come down on the other persons side...if it's Ilan's toy I tell him he needs to share. If it is the other child's toy I tell him he needs to wait or find something new to play with. Scott reminded me that we don't want to teach Ilan what is fair, but what is going to make him a better person.

Of course there is the fun play, too. I would never think to play with Ilan the way Scott does. It's a good thing God created dads because play time for little boys with mom would never be quite the adventure. I don't think I have ever inspired in Ilan the kind of laugh that Scott can get out of him.

M3 #2

2009-05-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

One of the things I think is absolutely adorable about Scott is his sense of chivalry, defined as: the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, especially courage, honor, courtesy, justice and readiness to help the weak. He is the kind of man who would die for a cause he felt is worthy and I know for certain that he would give his life to protect his family. It goes without saying that Braveheart is among his favorite movies and he is always looking for a story of heroism.

Manly, Man, Mondays M3 (except today is Tuesday)

2009-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Marilee has gathered some of her fellow bloggers to start a group of women blogging about something they love, appreciate or value about their husbands each Monday. When I received the reminder yesterday (Monday), I honestly thought "Oh, good. I'll get this done in the morning." But here I am at my computer and I just realized it is Tuesday. (I'll blame it on the long weekend and our camping trip). So, my first M3 will be M2T.

The first quality I would like to share about Scott is his patience. This is a quality that I possess so minimally that his stands out like a light next to me. In situations where I am impulsive or rush to judgement, he is calm, evaluates things and will make a proper judgement when he is ready. This is true of him in major life decisions and in ordinary purchases. But mostly, he is patient with me and other people. Let's face it, I can be a jerk. Yet, he quietly abides with me and usually only teases me when the situation has blown over. I think this is part of what makes him a good teacher. He doesn't get frustrated when people don't "get it." He just patiently tries and tries again until they understand or can master it (or in my case they give up trying to play tennis). This is a quality I love about Scott and appreciate to see in him when he interacts with others.

To read what other ladies have said about their guys:
www.mishpacha.wordpress.com
http://www.tjandjessie.wordpress.com
http://www.moranandmelissa.blogspot.com/
http://lfamily5.wordpress.com
http://www.beasleyfam.com/
http://kruclan.wordpress.com/