Other News ...

Well summer is almost over. It has been a crazy couple months here at Castella di DiCecco ... PhD's, baptisms, decks, weddings, and sadly funerals. And now we prepare for the reality of Sophie's first birthday. My fingers cringe just typing that. I think I'd like to stop the world and get off, if only for a few months. It is nothing short of terrifying how quickly that year went by. If there are such things as worm holes and cosmic strings, and for the record, I believe there are, they are active and operating in Wakefield RI. I swear I went to bed on September 15th, 2007 and woke up today. It's almost like waking up from anesthesia ... without the sponge baths. Maura is making the arrangements for a gala event, replete with horses and fairy tales. Maybe I'll just take her to the beach when no one is looking and we can talk about the prospect of never getting older.

It's time to share in the jubilation that is Sophie. It's hard to believe she's nine months old. What's harder to believe is that my wife and I were married one year on May 4th. It's cliched but it really does feel like yesterday. But Sophie keeps us honest. She doesn't let us miss a trick. She's crawling, and walking with hands, and speaking some crazy Japanese dialect - no idea where that came from. But she's wonderful and makes life very simple for us. She really does help keep life in perspective. NEW PICTURES!!!

The deck is done and turned out just beautiful! We really couldn't be happier. Thanks are in order to Mike Jr., Mike Sr., Ryan, McDonald, Mike O., Pete and Pete, and Kenny. View the progress from beginning to end.

I have been waiting a long time to record this entry to the website ... the dissertation is done! I turned in the 165 page final thesis to the graduate school on May 16th. I am officially Dr. John DiCecco. I finished my final course on Thursday, April 24th, a day after my 39th birthday. Sadly, I found out on that day that yet another high school classmate of mine passed away. It was a surreal feeling to be on the cusp of defending my PhD with the thought that schoolmates from days gone by are no longer with us. I suppose that is the nature of things but it's sobering nonetheless. Sorry for the somber tone but I'd like to take a moment to remember Bill "Big Bill" Stinson and Kenny Kallenbach. Some of you might recognize the last name as the infamous Kenneth Keith Kallenbach of Howard Stern fame. I knew him long before those days when Kenny was a very smart junior high student with a world of options before him. The Kallenbach the world knew was a far different creature than the one his high school mates knew. Bill was a much quieter, gentler soul. He struggled with weight and health problems for most of his adult life yet you were not likely to find a more positive and easy going guy. I am eternally grateful for having had the chance to exchange emails with Bill several months ago. He was proud of his life, his wife, and his two girls, and for good reason. Rest easy.

Sorry I haven't been updating the site so much but I hope you can understand that life has been a little hectic lately. We have started to settle into a routine though and I have to tell you it's beginning to feel like normal again. First things first ... Sophie is doing just great. As of 2/22/08, she's 26 inches long and 15 and a half pounds. At 5 months old, not only do none of her 6 month clothes fit, we can't get them over her head! Her melon is 16 and 3/4 inches around! And truth be told, her 9 month stuff is getting a little snug length wise. But she does look great in a wet suit! She's getting ready to head to FL with Maura in March. Dad gets to stay home and enjoy balmy New England. I'm back to school again finishing my last class. I'll defend my thesis in May and finally wrap up the PhD. I've also received word that we'll need to start working on a brother for Sophie sometime in the September time frame. You'll know when I know.

Well, it's been a busy month. We closed on the house on November 29th and have been working on it ever since. New bathrooms, new kitchen, new appliances, new furniture, etc., etc., etc. But the most important thing of course is that Sophie is still perfect! She's getting so big and starting to be interactive. She smiles and babbles and loves to be held and talked to. I have put up a few more pictures here. Christmas is just a few days away and there is still one more full day of work to be done on the house (a few before and after pics of the house). Then, I'm done until next year! And the pièce de résistance, Sophie's first Christmas pictures. Have a Merry Christmas everyone, and a wonderfully happy and healthy new year!

The closing for the house is November 30th. We had been focusing on getting into the house before Thanksgiving but it works out better if we wait until just after. We just bought new stainless appliances and have paint schemes picked out. We found the kitchen table and chairs, the dining room table and chairs, and a sofa and love seat. The appliances will be delivered December 1st, giving us just a day to get the kitchen ready. We don't have a confirmed date for the furniture delivery, but we're hoping it will be the 1st as well. Maura and Sophie are doing great. Sophie is 10lbs., 8oz. as of October 24th. And yes, she is still perfect. It sucks not being able to spend all day with her anymore but it's great when I come home. I do love being a dad! The job is going well and I work with some pretty sharp folks, which is nice. The best thing is that I go in early and get home early so I can spend lots of time with Sophie at night. Here is her Halloween outfit.

So I've received word about the interim security clearance and it came back OK (I know some of you are now rethinking this whole "national security" business.). I'm cleared to start working on Monday, October 15th. It's going to be tough though. I've really enjoyed being at home with Sophie for the past month but it's time to get her a new house. New house = New job ... can't have one without the other. Speaking of which, we are getting very close to making a few offers. If all goes well, we could be in by Thanksgiving, but Christmas for sure. By the way, there are some new pictures of Sophie.

It's a girl!!!!! But we already knew that. Sophia Marie DiCecco was born at 8:42 PM on September 14th, 2007. At birth, she was 8lbs., 1oz., and 21.5" long. By the way, she had a 13.5" head!!! That's probably why she didn't want to come out ... she just wouldn't fit. Mom and baby are doing great and we're all home now. We are just starting to settle into a routine. Her online photo album can be found here.

Here she is

As I sit in the birthing suite tonight, the night before I'll be a dad, I am at once absolutely overjoyed and utterly terrified. My wife is asleep and in about 6 hours they'll wake her to start the process of delivering Sophie. It is an insanely surreal feeling as I watch Maura sleep, knowing that tomorrow she will endure the most painful experience of her entire life to bring Sophie into this world. Strangely, my body feels heavy ... my arms and legs and head just fell like something is pulling them down. I suspect I now know the origin of the phrase "the gravity of the situation" because I know it's due to the fact that in less than 18 hours, probably much less, I'll be a dad. There's a person over in that bed who is inside my wife and tomorrow she'll demand that we surrender everything we've ever known of living and relearn everything. I didn't get the benefit of the sleeping pill so I bet my night won't really end, rather just become tomorrow morning. Our families are in ambush mode at various camps within a few miles of the hospital and it's wonderful to have the support. But for the next few hours, it's just me, the TV and the promise of Sophie.

Just in case you think I haven't updated my website with Sophie news, it's because she still isn't out yet! The little bugger's got herself dug in like an Alabama tick. So the plan is to coax her out on Friday the 14th if she doesn't come out on her own. She's just too comfortable in there. And yes, we have tried EVERYTHING they tell you to try. If there's nothing posted on the website between now and then it's because nothing has happened. I'll update the site with pictures when she's born.

I'm taking a position in October in the defense industry (I'd tell you about it but then I'd ... you know). It's a bit of a departure from my research but not as much as you might think. The processes and algorithms are the same but the applications have changed. This means that I'll be taking a leave of absence from school until the spring (so the PhD will be in May) which will allow me to focus on providing a comfortable environment for Sophie and Maura. Speaking of which, things are progressing well for the house hunt. We've seen a few that we like and the plan is to be in the new house for Thanksgiving. Sophie will be about two and a half month's old by then, maybe a touch smaller than the turkey. By the way, for those of you who are concerned about pictures of Sophie, the hospital has wireless internet in the rooms so I'll be posting pics within a few hours of the birth. Sophie's due date is coming awfully fast! It's September 3rd, just in case you didn't know.

We're getting pretty close now! Three weeks to go (maybe) before Sophie gets here. From where I'm sitting, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to make an appearance any day now. Maura is doing well and will work through the end of the month (August) ... then it's SophieWatch 2007. The check-ups show her to be perfectly healthy. I've been working on my thesis and trying to get ready for the baby's arrival. It's amazing how much has to be done before the little bugger even gets here! We really just can't wait to meet her.

I had a nice trip to the NSF Panel Review for CCLI in Washington, DC. It was interesting to be on the reviewer side of a grant proposal.

Let me try to recap the past 6 months or so and forecast the next 6 months or so...

12/16/06 - Maura graduated from URI with a BS in nursing. 12/25/06 - Maura and I got engaged. 01/01/07 - Maura and I find out we are pregnant while on vacation in Florida. 01/08/07 - Maura started her job at South County Hospital as an ER nurse. 01/23/07 - I start hell-semester. 02/17/07 - Maura passed the state boards on her first attempt. 03/17/07 - I took the PhD written comprehensive exam - passed. 04/25/07 - I took the PhD oral comprehensive exam - passed. 04/27/07 - Project paper due for my filter design course. 05/01/07 - Two project/papers due for my estimation theory class. 05/04/07 - Maura and I got married. Sunday May 20th, Maura walks in the big graduation (commencement). Now for the upcoming ... 05/21/07 - I start teaching my summer course. 07/10/07 - I go to Washington DC to sit on a panel for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to review proposals (grant applications) relating to undergraduate experiential learning. 07/18/07 - Vacation with Maura to see my sister in Florida. Throughout the summer I'll be working on my thesis because 09/03/07, we are expecting Sophie and something tells me I'll be a little busy. I'll be taking a job in October. Did I ,mention we're looking for a house???

It's official, we are now Mr. and Mrs. John DiCecco! The wedding was as close to perfect as we could've ever hoped. The weather was nothing short of stunning, including the giant moon rise at 9 O'Clock. Maura was (is) a beautiful bride. Best of all we were surrounded by friends and family and everyone we wanted to be there was there. May 4th, 2007. A full album can be found here.

Got an A in my estimation class. I found out the morning of the wedding. Those of you who know my struggles this semester know that on any other day, it would have been the highlight, but it had to settle for a close second.

Wedding is a week away. As soon as get through this %$@#&$ Estimation class I'll start to get excited. Until then, the 4 hours of sleep a night that I'll be getting will keep me a little cranky. Here are the preliminary drafts for the TWO projects we had to do for the course. First Second Just in case you're wondering why I'm working on my website if I have so much to do ... it's to prevent me from throwing my laptop through the television. That would be bad.

It's a girl ... probably! They say they're about 90% sure ?! Not sure I understand that but it's ok. She's got all her fingers and toes and looks to be perfectly healthy. We think we'll name her Sophia.

I'm teaching my GUI Based Image Processing Algorithms course again this summer. Don't pretend like you're not excited.

PhD comprehensive exam is over, both the written and the oral. Passed. Didn't do as well on the oral part as the written but in my defense I've been operating on about 4 hours of sleep per night for about 3 weeks now. Comprehensive exams are pass/fail so they really don't keep score. Just as well for the oral, too bad for the written. Here is a copy of the written exam.

Well, it's time we let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. Maura and I are pregnant! We've known since New Year's day but have kept it hush until we reached a "safer" milestone to make the announcement. We're due September 3rd. Obviously everything has changed, but certainly for the better. Here are a few snapshots of the future crumb crusher.

In true URI fashion, it appears that 2 credits that I took at the 600 level (that's the Doctorate level here) are not allowed to be used toward my PhD (BTW, don't let your kids come here.). I could've used them toward my master's and taken two from that plan of study to use toward my PhD, but since I never expected that I couldn't use a PhD level class toward my PhD, I didn't. So now I am taking 6 course credits this semester and they're not the fluffy kind of credits either. Three credits are in Statistical Signal Processing - Estimation Theory and three credits are in Digital IIR Filter Analysis - Forward/Backward Block Recursion. The wedding may be called on account of my impending committal to Butler!

The quest for the PhD continues this semester with 4 course credits and 8 thesis credits. By the book, this leaves me 3 credits to take in the fall ... that's it! I probably could've squeezed them in this semester, but with our upcoming nuptials, it's probably best I keep my schedule manageable.

Maura and I will have our wedding on May 4th, 2007. It's a Friday so we're thinking a sunset wedding on Narragansett Beach. The service and reception will be at the Canochet Club right on the beach.

We (Maura, my mom, and I) spent the holidays with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece in Florida. Weather was nice, about 85F. They live in a development with a very nice community center. I don't mind telling you it was difficult to come back!

Maura was hired by South County Hospital! She'll be working in the ER as an ER Nurse when she is finished with orientation and training ... about three months. Just in time for the summer! I, however, am still looking for gainful employment.

We're Engaged! Maura and I got engaged on Christmas day (I chased her until she caught me). We're thinking we'll get married sometime in May. Needless to say, life has changed irrevocably and my school time table needs to undergo a bit of alteration. We're happy and that's really all that matters. I apologize to those of you I should have called but things have been a bit hectic. I'll call soon I promise.

Maura graduated from URI with a BS in Nursing on December 16th, 2006! She'd like to work here in South County at South County Hospital. It's only a mile away so the commute should be a breeze - except in the summer of course.

The semester wrapped up nicely for me. I did well in both courses and managed to get a little research done to boot. I like my chances of wrapping up the PhD in December.

My paper to Advances in Physiology Education has been accepted. It will be published in March 2007. Advances in Physiology Education is a journal supported by the American Physiological Society.

The semester is chugging along well. My course work is a bit involved but ... it IS graduate school! I haven't been able to spend quite as much time on my thesis research as I would like, but I am supplementing that research with a collaboration with the physics department involving peptides and cancer research.

Maura graduates in December! It's still hard for me to realize that this was the same girl I had to wake up and make her go to class. Now she wants to get her master's. Who can believe it!

The summer course I taught is over. It was in every sense a great experience. I was very fortunate to have a great group of students who put a lot of effort into the class. In other news, I've added another course to my schedule this semester (fall 2006) - Modern Methods in Biological and Medical Physics. That brings me up to a whopping 9 credits. I'm sure I'll still have plenty of time for research. And the best other news, Maura and I have moved out of the graduate housing - we couldn't be happier! We live in Wakefield now in a much cozier apartment. That is to say there is no mold, there is no water seeping up from the ground through the floor, there is nobody outside our windows talking on the cell phone, there is no one making dinner at midnight, there is no delay in maintenance ... there is maintenance, there is hot water for the laundry, there is no fee for parking in our parking space, there is no charge for heat or hot water, there are no ant invasions. Did I mention it's cheaper?

My fall semester academic load is pretty light this year (2006). I'll be taking Advanced Topics in Signal Processing for three credits and thesis research for three credits. Yep, that's only 6 total credits! The upside is, I should be able to focus on my research a little more while still maintaining my teaching load. I only need 24 credits for my PhD, but there's a lot of research that still needs to be done. I suspect I will finish in December 2007. Just as well, it's not like earning my master's degree with distinction is really paying off. So much for the American engineering shortage!

Maura won fifth place at the USBF New England Regional Championships in her very first competition and fourth place at the NPC National Qualifier Fitness & Figure Championships. I don't have to tell you that life with her, and the trophies, is irrevocably changed! Here's why.

Not so great news from the NSF. My proposal was not funded. I was awarded Honorable Mention which they say is a significant academic achievement. I think that's their way of saying "close, but no cigar." You can view the Honorable Mention listing at the NSF GRFP site.

I went to the 32nd Annual Bioengineering Conference with about 10 of my colleagues April 1st and 2nd at Lafayette College in Easton, PA. I won a second place award for my poster presentation on A Sequential Algorithm for Biological Event Detection Using Statistical Nonstationarity.

Maura and I went on a cruise to Mexico, in January this year (06). It was a quick trip but we packed in quite a bit. We saw Mayan ruins in Costa Maya and went SCUBA diving in Cozumel.