Backing Up Photos.

Parenting and the dynamics and paradigms behind them have consistently changed of the course of humanity.  Do we bottle feed or breast feed?  Do we sleep on a stomachs or on our backs?  Do we smoke cigarettes in the car with the windows rolled up on our trips to Walmart to get beer with our 4 kids unbuckled in the back seat, or do we buckle them in?  All good questions, and all worthy of their own blog post, but the one change I'd like to post about today is how to backup and store all of your photos and keep them safe for free.

Yes, this is supposed to be a blog about my kids, but since kids are the one thing many of us take the most pictures of why not share here?

Photo storage and management was a little different when I was a kid.  My mom would load a roll of 35mm film into her camera, wind it up, and put it in her camera.  Then she would wait until I did something adorable, which never took long, then she would get her camera out, frame things up and snap a few pictures.... about 24 of them because that was about as many as you could get on a standard roll of film.  Wednesday would come around and she'd drop the roll off at Drug Mart (Wednesdays were free doubles) and 8 months later the sales clerk would recognize the name on the check she was writing and remind her that she forgot to pick up her pictures, neatly packed in a paper envelope, complete with the photo negatives that nobody used for anything.  She'd take the pictures home, flip through them, put the 3 best into a photo album and stick the rest in a shoe box to be saved until 2038 when one of them will be selected to embarrass me on the invitation for my surprise 60th birthday party.  (Sorry Teri, but I already know about it)

Now, in the age of digital cameras and SD cards that can hold enough pictures to fill the National Archives the methodology is a little different.  Wake up, pick up your phone or camera, and hold the shutter button down.  15 hours later, release the shutter, then sit at your computer for the next 9 hours sifting through the 27,354 pictures you just took, delete the 3 that didn't turn out right, run them all through filters to make them look like you took a picture of your 6 month old in 1972  and then share them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, CNN, and 17 "cutest baby" contests with the #NoFilter hashtag.  Then, move all of those pictures off of your SD card, save them on your computer, and wait 4 months for your hard drive to die losing all of them.

So.... what's the easiest and cheapest way to manage all of this?  That would be Google+.  For those of you reading this that know me personally, lets face it, you knew this post was inevitable.  If you think you have a better way to do it, you're wrong.  Trust me, I come from the Internet.  Why is it the best?  Because it gives you an easy and FREE way to store all of your pictures online is a safe and easy to access location that makes them easy to share with those people who want to see them.  Plus it provides a full suite of editing tools that can auto enhance any image you share, straighten, crop, or apply Instagram like filters.

First thing we need to do is get a Google+ account.  If you have a Google log in, you probably already have one.  If you don't already have one, I'm just going to assume that you are smart enough to figure it out on your own.  The second thing you will need to do is to install the Google+ Auto Backup application. This is all you really need, but you will probably want to also install the Google+ app for your phone, you do want to backup and share your phone pictures too, right?

Now, we just need to get all of your photos uploaded.

After installing the Google+ Auto Backup application to your computer you will see a new icon in your task tray.

Select the icon (It will probably be gray because you haven't signed in yet) and sign in.

Once logged in you will be presented with the this screen.

Here you are able to tell Google+ which folders on your computer to watch for new images (and videos).  It will upload every thing from those folders and sub folders automatically and will continue to do so when you put new photos in those folders.  Also, something that is pretty important is the "Photo Size" section.  Google+ provides you with unlimited storage of photos and videos, HOWEVER, those photos must be less than 2048 pixels in resolution and the videos must be shorter than 15 minutes in length.  Here you will probably want to specify "standard size".  If you go above 2048px or 15 minutes, it will deduct space from the 15GB of free cloud storage you get with your Google account..  "But I have a 700MP camera!!!! What if I want to print them out?"  Well, a 2048 pixel image equates to a 3.1MP image.  A 3.1MP image will print out a photo quality 8x10" print.  If you regularly print out images larger than 8x10... you're going to need to save the original files elsewhere.  But if you are like 99% of people who have never printed a 30x40" print out, you have nothing to worry about.  The standard quality will suit you just fine.

For the desktop app, that's all there is too it.

Its also easy to use Google+ Auto Backup from your mobile device.  This works equally with Android and iOS.  First launch the Google+ app, tap the "Everything" bar towards the top and select "Photos" from the bottom

The hit the menu options button and select "Settings"

From this screen you can turn on your Auto Backup.  Google will automatically backup from your default Gallery album.  Again, make sure you select to upload at standard size, and you probably also want to specify that you only backup when on WiFi.... it can eat you data plan.  Also, if there are other folders in your gallery you want to backup, you can specify which ones with the "Backup Local Folders" option.

And that pretty much covers the backing up of your photos.  All of your photos will be available from any computer at https://plus.google.com/photos or from your mobile Google+ app.   From here there is a multitude of things you can do with you images, edit them, crop them, and share them with your friends (even if they aren't on Google+).  My favoritte thing about Google+ is how easy it is to share what you want with who you want.  Some other nifty things that Google+ does is what they call "Auto Awesome".  Google analyzes the photos you have and will do various things to them.  For example, if you take a bunch of pictures of a bunch of your friends, it'll automatically go through them and pick out the best smile from each person and put them all in the same shot.  It may also stitch a bunch of sequentially taken images and make an animated gif of of them. But even if you don't do any of that, you at least have all of your photos saved and backed up securely.

Ultrasound 7/25

Its been a long 3 weeks.  Every visit we've made to the doctors has been quite eventful.  The first visit we learned we were having twins.  The second visit we learned that one of the babies had Single Umbilical Artery.... We have been trying to be positive, but its a struggle.  Well finally, today's visit was perfect.  I'm happy to report that the babies are growing perfectly and showing no signs of any issues.

With that said, I do have to apologize for blogging incorrectly about the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).  I had stated in a previous post that the condition was more likely to develop the further along you go.  The Dr. corrected me, its actually LESS likely to develop the further along we go.  This has been a huge relief.  The Dr told us that while its still possible it could develop, for the most part, we are out of the woods and shouldn't worry about it.  The TTTS is for all intents and purposes, a non-issue. 

Moving on, I also got the ultra sound tech to take pictures of the Single Umbilical Artery (SUA) condition twin A has.  I give a lot of credit to these ultra sound techs because she flies right through it and knows exactly what she's looking at it.  Don't feel bad if these pictures don't make any sense to you.... they make little sense to me and it was explained to me by a professional.   Any way the following two pictures are of the two babies umbilical cords where you can see the veins and arteries.  Its a cross section of the vessels.

Here is twin B with 2 arteries and 1 vein

And here is Twin A with one artery and one vein.

Other than that, this is all I have to report.  Very great day in the Beatty household.  Things are moving along well and a pretty significant weight has been lifted off of our shoulders.  So... here are the rest of the ultrasound pictures.

This one is a little hard to see , but the nose and lips are in the lower right

This one is my favorite, Twin A can be seen in the upper left half, Twin B is in the lower right.  You can see how they are snuggled up almost in a spooning position with their legs wrapped around each others.  This picture did lead to a question.  I was under the impression that since the were in their own amniotic sacs that they were isolated from each other.  This is true to an extent, but the amniotic sac isn't like an inflated balloon they live in, its more like a loose baggie surrounding them.  They are still more than capable of snuggling up with each other.

Children ask 288 questions a day

According to this article published by KindyNews.com children ask, on average 288 questions per day. 

This is my Bullshit Flag

And I'm throwing it in.
45 yard penalty, repeat 2nd down.

Yesterday my wife and I took our son to Grandma's house to spend the night.  As we were backing out he asked, "Dad, did you bring my vaccuum"?  "No buddy, we don't need to take all of your toys to grandmas.  She has plenty for you to do there."  I looked at the clock, it was 6:00pm even.  I thought..."You know, I wonder how many questions he will ask in the time it takes to get there."

I sat silently as we drove along: 

"Where are we going?" 

"You already know Ryley, we are going to grandmas".  

"When will we be there?"  

"In about 3o minutes" 

"Is that a long time". 

"Not really"  

"Not really?"  

"No, not really".  

"What does 'not really' mean?"  

"It means it isn't really that long" 

"Hey guys, guess what?" 

"What Ryley" 

"Today at school JJ said that poop plops out of his butt and you know what I told him?" 

"What Ryley?" 

"I told him that those are potty words and it isn't polite to say potty words because when you aren't polite people don't give you suckers"

... and so it went.

After about the first 15 minutes, I couldn't keep quiet any more.  

"Will I get to ride grandpa's tractor?" 

"Twenty One", I said.

"Did you bring my Jake book?"

"Twenty Two", I said.

..... my wife looked at me and laughed... as she knew right away what I was doing.

"What are those lines?" ...23

"What lines?"

"Those lines?" ...24

"What lines are 'those lines?'" (Apparently, just like his mother, he believes that I am some how capable of reading minds)

"The yellow ones in the road?" ...24

"Those mark the lanes"

"What are lanes?" ...25

"Those are where you drive your car"

"Where you drive your car?" ...26

"Yes Ryley, where you drive your car."

"Oh" 

We pulled into Grandma's driveway, the clock read 6:34.  Final tally...... 57 questions.  57 questions in 34 minutes.... 1.68 questions per minute. So lets do some math....

He wakes up at 6:00ish.  Goes to bed at 9:00.  That's 15 hours.  I'll take a very generous 2 hours off for a nap. And I'll also take another 2 hours off to account for the time he is unable to speak due to him shoveling copious amounts of food in his pie hole.  So lets say 11 hours a day he is capable (and very actively) communicating.

11 hours times x 60 minutes x  1.68 questions per minute = 1,109 questions per day.   So if this so called "survey" that said that kids ask on average 288 questions a day was accurate, that could only mean that somewhere there is a massive group of children just sitting there staring off into the wild blue yonder because by my calculations, Ryley has asked his 288th question about 34 seconds into brushing his teeth in the morning (which would explain the tooth paste that's splattered all over the mirror)

Are There Really No "Cons" To Having Twins?

I've discovered a great resource for an expectant parent of twins, Twiniversity.  The site also has a very active Facebook page with lots of followers with great commentary.  Some of its good, some of its garbage.  One article that was just posted titled, The Pros and Cons of Twins.  Now... I haven't even read the article yet.... I probably won't.  What I have read are the comments that were posted to their Facebook page.

" I have seen this several times and think it should be called "pros and challenges of twins" I have yet to find any cons, just challenges. They are both true blessings!"

"There are no cons of having twins!! They are double the blessings, love, smiles, and happiness!!"

"No cons dislike button"

My Comment:
"Common... Of course there are cons, and there is nothing wrong with admitting it.  Everything in life involves balance... With all the ups there are downs, with all the goods there are bads.  You can't appreciate the great things in life if you don't also experience the bad things.  With children, its no different.  Sometimes we have really bad evenings with my son, but bath time rolls around, he calms down, I read him a story, tuck him in, and he falls asleep on my shoulder.  Him being a total asshole to me all night makes those moments that much better."

Let's get this out of the way first.  Yes... I said it.... my 5 year old was "being an asshole".  Lets face it.... if any single one of your friends treated you for five minutes like one of your kids treats you for a whole day, you'd never talk to that friend again and you'd call him things much worse than an "asshole."

And 'yes', I know... someday he is going to find this, someday he's going to read this, and someday I'm going to have to have a discussion with him about sarcasm and the differences between "being" an asshole and "is" an asshole, and then I'm going to have to buy him something expensive.   I just hope that doesn't happen until he's about 20, because that conversation is going to be a bitch if he finds this when he's 7 and that 'something' will be a lot more expensive.

But I digress....

So why are people so afraid to admit that having children.... let alone twins.... have "cons"?  Children are absolutely blessings, and they are absolutely the pinnacle of our existence, but is it really necessary to deny that the one thing that will give you the most happiness with also give you the most frustrations?

Ultrasound 7/8

Along with being my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom), today was our first doctors visit since week 12.  Our primary concern with this visit was Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).  Its a fairly common condition where blood vessels form between the umbilical cords of the twins and one could start taking blood (and nourishment) from the other, essentially starving it out.  To cut to the chase, ultra sounds looked great and showed no signs of the condition, both babies are growing perfectly.   With that said, TTTS can show up at any time, and the closer we get to delivery, the more likely it is to show up. (EDIT** 7/25**  The previous comment is incorrect.  TTTS is NOT more likely to show up the closer we get to delivery)  It is treatable, but the shorter amount of time the girls would have it, the better.  Dr was very positive about it.

Now for slightly not 100% positive news.  The ultra sound did detect a condition called Single Umbilical Artery (SUA) in one of the two girls.  This is a fairly uncommon condition (about 5% of twins, 1% of singletons) in which the umbilical cord only has one artery, where normally it would have two.  This condition in of itself is entirely harmless as one artery is plenty to supply an adequate blood flow to the baby.  However, the condition does have a tendency to parallel other birth defects, about 25% of babies with the condition will have other birth defects.  These birth defects can typically be detected early on via blood tests (which we had done for our previous visit) and through ultrasound tests.  All the blood tests have come back negative for defects and the ultrasounds from our previous visit plus this most recent visit all showed that both babies were doing just great.  In other words, SUA means there is a higher risk of birth defects, but thorough testing has shown there are none and in all probability, there aren't any.  In the Dr's words, its something to keep an eye on, but nothing to worry about.

This ultrasound was the first in a long series of them.  We will be going back about every other week to keep an eye on the development of the girls.  All in all, the doctor is positive, we are positive, everything is business as usual as it could be.  Now, it would be in bad taste if I posted all of this stuff about ultrasounds without sharing their first pictures with you.... so without further ado I introduce to you to Baby A and Baby B (Baby B didn't really want her picture taken).

Things my dad taught me that I can't wait to teach my son

1.  How to be a Browns fan - Some of my best childhood memories with my dad revolve around the Cleveland Browns.  Nearly every football Sunday, he would load me up in the car and we'd head over to one of his friends houses where every Sunday was like Super Bowl Sunday.  I learned to find the bunny that's hidden on every cover of Playboy (I still can't believe how many grown men don't know this), I learned how to throw a "whammy" on a kickers foot, I learned what you are supposed to threaten to do to the ref's mother when he makes a bad call, and I learned that even if the Browns lose, there is still about 4 beers left in the fridge and a room full of guys begging to lose money playing euchre.

2.  How to fish - Now let me start this off by being clear.  "How to fish", not "How to catch fish", very different things.  If you were to ask me about the 10 best times I ever had with my dad, most of them would have been in a boat with a reel in my hand.   For those of you who don't fish...there is something you need to know, fishing isn't about catching fish.  Don't get me wrong, filling up the cooler is a huge bonus, but that isn't why you do it.  There is a serenity to fishing, being out away from all of the bullshit the world throws at you.  And when a father and son are out on the water, something strange happens where dad is no longer a "father" and kid is no longer a "son"... its just two dudes doing what dudes do; smelling like fish, cursing like sailors, grossing each other out by swallowing live minnows and laughing at each other when a wave comes while you are taking a leak and you piss all over yourself.

3.  How to swing a hammer  - If your childhood didn't involve your own special block of wood in the garage that had 200 nails pounded it, 20 screws sticking out, and at least a dozen saw marks on it, you didn't have a childhood.  You get a real sense a pride by looking around your house and seeing all the things that you have personally made or fixed.  Most of the time, it doesn't look quite as good or last quite as long as if I had hired a professional to come out and do it for me .... but I did it, and that feels good. 

Now don't go and put this this joyous picture of father/son bonding with unicorns farting rainbows and topless pixies dancing around in your head, because it wasn't like that.  Teaching kids how to make and fix things is torture.... I know this now.   As a child, there were many of times when my mom would send me out into the garage to "go help your dad"... and there were almost as many times when my dad would send me right back into the house to, "go help your mom".  If he needed to get something done, he knew better then to have me around.  The times I did get a chance to help dad in the garage it usually went along the lines of, "Wait... but don't'.... turn it...no the other way.... stop....okay.... Jesus Christ.... JUST GIVE ME THE DAMN HAMMER"  Truth is, helping dad in the garage wasn't always a fun experience....but for some reason... I would have always preferred to be out there with him rather than sitting behind a video game.  Now that I'm in his shoes, it helps me feel a lot less guilty that I'm the exact same way with my son.

4.  How to say the right word after hitting your finger with a hammer - This one here is just an incredible art form.  Its one of those things that can only be passed down generation to generation, father to son.   Its a skill every man needs to know because you never know when its going to happen and you never know who is going to be listening.  I'd wager a good 80 of my adult vocabulary was acquired in the shop watching my dad build whatever it was he was building.

"Shit" - most effective when you get a grazing blow that doesn't hurt much but your kid saw it happen so you have to say something.

"mmmMMMMHHHH" - This is reserved for the dull thud to a knuckle.  It requires a tightly puckered face with puffed out cheeks.  Start quiet, gradually get louder, shake it off, get another beer.

"Mother Fucker" - This one is a tricky one.  You would think that the f-bomb would be reserved for the blow of all blows, but that isn't the case.  This phrase is set aside for its comedic value... you took your eye off the job, did something stupid, and the hammer reminded you who is really in control here.  Any time you drop a "mother fucker" immediately following it you have to sigh, shake your head, and go back to work.

"Son of a bitch" - Generally a mild mannered curse, when used in the garage, this little bugger is the grand daddy.  Projects have been put on hold for weeks after this one is dropped.  You'll probably get to see some of your dad's dance moves from back when he was courting mom here.   It isn't unheard of to see your father cry for the first time after he says this phrase.

"{long deep sigh} go get your coat boy" - When you hear this it means you are about to go for a car ride with your dad to the hospital to get stitches, a finger nail removed, or an extremity reattached. While you are in the house getting your coat, its probably a good idea to get a zip lock baggie of ice too.

5.  A Ford Ranger will beat a Ford Mustang every time - Growing up in Smallville Ohio there wasn't much to do.  I wish I knew how many miles my buddy Bob and I put on that Ford Mustang of his just driving around town.  I'm glad I don't know how many packs of cigarettes got smoked in it.  Cruising around town one fall evening after a football game, a truck sped by, cut us off and a couple of guys in the back started chucking cups full of pop at us, followed by a few middle fingers out the windows to remind us that we were numero uno.    They took off, we were left dumbfounded trying to figure out what happened.  At that point we decided we needed more time as curfew was closing in.  So we came up with the best idea would could.  We went home, I walked in the house, went up stairs nudged my mom awake as little as possible, told her I was home, walked back downstairs, back out the front door, and got right back into the car.  Now it was time to go get reinforcements and find whom ever the hell it was that was messing with us earlier and kick their ass.  Unfortunately for us, they found us before that could happen.   The truck from earlier pulled up behind us and flashed its lights.  Out numbered by at least two guys, we did the only thing we could do and put that 5.0 to use.  We took off like a bat out of hell, and they followed.  We were gunning through the neighborhood with tires squealing around every corner.  How they managed to keep up was beyond us.  Eventually, we made a mistake and cornered ourselves in a restaurant parking lot.  I was scared shitless.... but not nearly as scared as I was about to be.  With tires still squealing and us trying to make one last maneuver to get by them, I realized what was going on.  "Uh.... Bob.... stop the car.  Its my dad".

Now a lot of things go through a kids mind when he knows he's about to get in trouble.... "what am I going to lose", "how long will I be grounded", "will I be able to call my girlfriend on the phone", but when your dad pulls you over after a wreck less high speed chase after sneaking out of the house the only thing you really think about is who will be coming to your funeral.  I got out of the Mustang , made the trek over to my dad's truck, an approached his window.  "Sorry, dad, we thought you were someone else".  "Get in..... the fucking..... truck".  Welp, can't argue with that?

I tried explaining myself to him... but he wasn't having any of it.  Stone faced and cold, he didn't speak a word the whole way home.  We got home and we both went to bed.  I'm sure there was a punishment involved the next couple weeks, but honestly, I don't remember what it was.  And I don't need too as the fear he was able to instill in me was a much greater punishment than anything else he could have done.  I gladly would have taken a beating that night right there in the street over that drive home.

6.  I will fuck up my own shit to prove a point - One of every boys most prized possessions is his pocket knife.  I had gotten mine from my grandpa, it was a good sized blade with a patriotic themed handle with a bald eagle on it.  Late one night, chewing on my finger nails, probably watching some late night Cinemax on the bootleg decoded cable box (no having to watch a scrambled out Wrestle Mania for this kid), playing with my pocket knife and I started whittling away at the wood frame of the couch.  No idea what the hell I was trying to accomplish because as soon as I did it, I knew my knife and I would soon be parting ways for good.  

The next evening arrived and my dad called me into the living room and calmly asked me what happened to the couch.  Of course I didn't know.  And of course that wasn't the end of the discussion.  "What do you mean you don't know?  Did your sister do it?"  "Well.... okay, I may have done it."  "You may have done it?"  "Well, I was just sitting here and I wasn't really paying attention and I just lightly scratched my knife on it".  In case any of you are wondering if there is a secret pass phrase that will turn you calm and collected father into a raging ape shit crazy lunatic, its "lightly scratched my knife on it".  He pulled his knife out of his pocket, opened the blade and said,  "You mean like this!!!! Is this how you 'lightly scratched your knife on it'?". He then proceeded to go Jeffery Dahmer on that poor couch with wood chips flying every where, some foamed saliva at the corner of his lips, and this look in his eyes that seemed to say, "how in the hell did I raise such an idiot"

That couch was never the same again.  It hung around for quite a few more years, always looking at me with its hacked up gimp arm.  Every time I sat on it, I could hear it say to me, "Thanks asshole.  I hope you're proud of yourself"  You can't be calm and collective all the time.... instilling fear with silence won't work every time.  Sometimes as a father, you need to sacrifice you dignity to get results.