The Gladstones

Messy Eater

2010-02-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

Crab rangoon anyone? Fox will share.

Into EVERYthing!!!

2010-02-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

I think I left a cookie in here...

Never can find a ziplock when I need one...

He's still not walking really but who needs to walk when you can still get most anywhere you "need" to be on all fours? And don't even get me started on "bed time."

Working from home...

2010-01-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a sample of what I deal with on a daily basis working from home with a 1 year old. Honestly, he's pretty easy to manipulate (yes, manipulate) most of the time, and will let me know when he needs something...like food.

Almost there...

2010-01-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Fox took his first steps. It was a very small yet momentous event that made all present smile and clap and say "Yay," but none as much as the Tink-Man himself. He was very proud. Further attempts to repeat the act have mostly fallen short due to a lack of interest on his part ("Yeah, dude, I've already done that..."), but he's definitely on his way there.

In the meantime, enjoy this video recorded a couple of days ago. Though he's not walking, he was in the midst of a rampage of destruction (notice the fallen vacuum cleaner and general mess) and at the time practicing what will definitely be a future chore for him...using the hand-held sweeper. The music is compliments of Ratt (obviously).

Happy First Birthday!!!

2010-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

So the day has finally arrived. Fox is officially 1 year old! I've had a busy day but wanted to post before it was over. We're busy getting ready for his birthday party and there's still so much to do!

Here's a picture of our 1 year old!!!!

2009-12-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

Fox hopes all you mugs have a super happy Christmas and he'll be catchin' you all at the one year mark in 2010.

Happy First Thanksgiving, Fox!

2009-11-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving elicits many emotions for me. It's my favorite holiday... before the stress of Christmas shopping... but also with Christmas on the horizon. Holidays come and go too soon and time with family is fleeting but I'm thankful for all the memories. I miss both of our fathers around this time. My dad's birthday is November 17th. My birthday is always around Thanksgiving. So, Thanksgiving is laden with many bittersweet memories and emotions.

Fox, as you experience your first Thanksgiving, let me just say that you are what I'm most thankful for. God has blessed me with a happy baby boy and each day is a gift with you. You are my sunshine and I'm excited to see each and every new step you make. Every day you amaze me and you bring such joy to our lives. I'm so thankful that you're healthy. I'm so thankful that you're able to stay at home with your Daddy and form a deep bond each day. You are my perfect sweet little angel boy Tink! To say you make our lives interesting would be an understatement.

I love you and hope you have a wonderful day - I know I will.

Mommy

10 Months!!

2009-11-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 10-Month Birthday!

We love you very much. You light up our lives!

This will be a quick post. It's late and I've had a very busy weekend.

Recent milestones:
11/14/09 - Fox learned to stick out his tongue. Silly Tink!
10/24/09 - Fox learned to wave. Think royal family.
10/06/09 - Fox learned to dance. He loves to "squat" (for lack of a better word) in time to the music. When he can, he waves his arms around. So cute!
10/01/09 - Fox learned to clap. He usually does this with a chorus of yays.

Teef!!!

2009-10-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Guessing these little beauties came in sometime during the day yesterday. It was a chore just getting this shot, but soon enough I guess he'll have a mouthful and it'll be old hat...but for now...ROCK ON FOX!!!

Top 3 Worst Things Fox Has Put In His Mouth (To Date)

2009-10-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

In order of occurrence...

1. A dog toenail (not sure how that happened, it was just there)
2. A dog treat (that one was a saga unto itself)
3. A snail (if this kid ends up being French, I'm gonna...)

Jailbird

2009-09-16T21:03:00.001-07:00

Now that Fox is officially crawling and pulling himself up, he's completely into everything and loves to yank on the cords of my laptop while I'm trying to working...when he's taking a break from attempting to baby-handle all the electronics under the TV set. So, last night we went and bought him a corral. He hates it. I tried to reason with him that it was tons more room than his pack-n-play, and while I was holding him he seemed to agree, but the moment I put him down in there, it was a regular jailhouse riot. My mom says he'll get used to it. Then again my mom says a lot of things...

Somebody get this kid a metal cup so he can run it across the bars...

8 months old today!

2009-09-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 8 months, Fox!

Mommy and Daddy love you very much. I can't tell you how much my life has been enriched with your smiles, laughter, and hugs. I can't wait for many more years to come!

You're my sweet Tink!

Love,

Mommy

Labor Day

2009-09-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile but I'll include a longer post on the fabulous world of Fox very soon! On Monday (Labor Day) we went to Centennial Park where Fox played in the grass. I think he could have sat there all day pulling up grass and attempting to put it in his mouth. Mommy and Daddy kept intercepting it before he could actually swallow it.

He's growing and changing and trying new things. It's pretty awesome and I think I could enjoy it even more if I could get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep (hint, hint Fox!). More later!

Just a few new pix...

2009-08-28T14:09:00.001-07:00

Is there someone behind me?

First ride in the "big boy" seat of the shopping cart.

This is his new favorite face...

My own halo so soon? Thanks!

Latest Tricks...

2009-08-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

He did this with his mouth...

He did this with his mouth too...

Boo?

He flirts...

He enjoys Swedish horror lit...

He's always got a good joke...

And he'll smooch with just about anyone (or anything).

The Tink is a Half

2009-07-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today, at 8:36AM, marked the official six month point for our Fox the baby. We celebrated by taking him to the doctor for his six month check up, complete with three shots. YEA! The good news is that the doc is just as pleased with his progress as he has been every visit since he saw him at two weeks.

Pre Shot & Post Shot

Stats:

Weight: 18.5 lbs (75%)

Length: 27.5 in (85%)

Head: 44.7 (75%)

Tastes like Jet’s Pizza

Tink Feet and Turtle Buddy

As promised, he’s developing and changing rapidly, almost daily. One of his most recent accomplishments has been rolling over to his belly…unfortunately he hasn’t quite gotten the hang of rolling back to the other way, and this frustrates him. And frustration is a bit of a key word here. He’s a very observant little dude, watching every move we make, especially when we’re eating (I’ll get to more of that in a moment), and seems to want to sit up, stand up and run around not now, but NOW. The doc says sitting up on his own is right around the corner, a couple of weeks, a couple of days, we shall see. I think he’s got the strength, but not quite the balance based on a few test runs done under controlled conditions. Get the balance right, Fox! (That was for all you Depeche Mode fans out there.)

Car watching at Noshville in the Village

He’s also become Mr. Grabby. We’ve noticed in the past two or three days alone that his accuracy with his hands for what he wants to get a hold of has improved dramatically. And once he gets it…well, if it’s your hair, best be prepared to lose a few strands. When he gets up in the morning and when he goes down at night, he’s all hands, reaching mainly for your face and smiling or cooing and then digging in with his little fingers (and brother, those nails are sharp). Two or three times during a work day when I’ve tried to put him down for a nap that he was fighting, the only way I could get him to settle was to lay down next to him and he immediately reached for my face, put his hand on my cheek and fell asleep within ten seconds. A very odd way to go down, but highly endearing and just as a good an excuse as any to grab a few quick winks for myself as well.

Oh, hi!

We’ve been treated to a variety of new sounds as well. Two of his favorites seem to be the “motor boat” (with spit at no extra cost) and a quick, high pitched “Ee-yah!” that really does ripple the eardrums. He also likes to take a deep breath when he’s extra wound up and give a big, long sigh, but instead of going “down” like normal, human sighs do, the Tink’s sigh seems to increase in volume and tone as he goes. And finally, there’s the low, drawn out grunt, a similar noise to one my grandmother used to make when she was trying to get up out of her chair, and in Fox’s case, he uses it for any time he’s feeling frustrated, anything from not being able to sit up properly like he so desperately wants, to not being fed fast enough.

Boo!

And speaking of food…let’s get to that right now. We started him on first foods like brown rice cereal, etc around four months and slowly began adding things in from there. At this point he’s tested and approved apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, banana, banana-mango, blueberry-apples and most recently, winter squash. The only thing he hasn’t gone for is peas and avocado. The testing ground is the dinner table, the testing time is just after we eat and Karla is the chief test administrator, while I take note of his reactions and record them for future feedings. At this point he’s eating a fruit or vegetable or a mixture with cereal two or three times a day, along with a bottle or boob (ha, boob) throughout. We’ve also gotten him this little mesh net deal that you stick a piece of fruit in and he can suck out the juice without risk of choking on the pulp, etc. I’m sure all you seasoned parents out there know exactly what I’m talking about, including the proper name (which is not “little mesh net deal”).

Jungle Tink

I guess that’s about it from Tinkville. Check in later on and we probably won’t have posted, but check in a bit after that and maybe we will have.

And oh yeah, he also eats socks.

He rolled over!

2009-07-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Finally!! He rolled from his back all the way to his stomach today (repeatedly). Now he just needs to figure out how to roll from his stomach to his back. As it stands, much frustration will ensue (for all of us) if he doesn't master that part soon. =)

Updates on the incredible Fox...

2009-06-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

William is on a camping trip and I'm home alone with Fox. I don't really get a lot of one on one time so I'm enjoying it. Right now he's in my lap asleep.

Lately he's changing lightning fast -- I feel repetitious saying that. It is worth repeating that the first few months speed by and so many changes happen. It's one crazy ride and I'm trying to savor each moment.

5/07/09 - Fox found his feet.

5/23/09 - Fox has been handsy... reaching, grabbing everything in site, succeeding more often than not.

6/03/09 - Fox started making lip smacking sounds. He sucks and acts like he wants some food... either that or he acts like he has peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth. =) We went to Guido's with Sally and the kids and we gave him more lemon to taste.

6/06/09 - Fox put his feet in his mouth. He discovered that this week but this is the date I documented it on camera. Yummy...

6/06/09 - We also tried avocado. He was not too pleased, even though it's one of our favorite foods. We'll give it another go soon. Pre- and post-avocado photos are below. It looks promising at first... and then, well... er... not so much.

6/06/09 - Wow, so many new things in one day. He also had is first ever 'do - of course he faux-hawked it! Check it out! He's a bit "too cool for school" here.

On another note, I had the best first Mother's Day ever!!! ~~William~~ Fox left really sweet notes around the house for me to find... I feel a bit weird sharing this but felt that I should for posterity's sake - so, so sweet! And being the big, emotional baby that I am, I had tears in my eyes as I found each one. I couldn't wait to read the next one I'd find.

5/10/09

Mommy, this is where you change me and put on all my outfits that keep me both warm and stylish. I’m sorry when I sometimes spit up on them (or worse), but I sorta can’t help it right now. But really, you don’t mind, you love helping me along and that makes me love you!

Mommy, this is where you give me a bath, even when I don’t think I need one. It’s just one of the many ways that you know what’s best for me and I always feel so good and snuggly once we’re done and you wrap me up and dry me off and tell me how much you love me. I love you too!

Mommy, this is where you sit every day. This is your spot. This is where I look when you’re away and wish you were here. When you are here I’m very happy because this is where you play with me and hold me and feed me and tell me you love me, and that’s what makes me such a happy baby!

Mommy, this is where you keep the milk that you pump for me. I know it’s not always easy or comfortable to do that, but I want you to know how much I appreciate all the hard work you put into it. Your milk keeps me healthy and makes me feel safe and it makes me feel loved. Knowing that you put so much effort into making sure I feel this way is why I smile when I sleep!

Mommy, this is where you carry all the things I need to keep me happy and secure when we’re out shopping or having dinner or seeing friends. I’m sorry I can’t always predict or control when I’m going to get hungry or have an accident, but the fact that you’re prepared means you understand all of that and since you love me, you don’t mind…thank you for that!

Mommy, this is where you put me to sleep every night. I know I’m growing and getting bigger and will soon not be able to fit here, but I want you to know that it will always be my favorite place to sleep because when I wake up and I can look over and see you sleeping -- you are so pretty and so sweet and I’m sorry when I have to cry and wake you, but it’s only because I want you to hold me so much (and I’m a little hungry too)!

Mommy, this is your car and I’ve only been in it once. I can’t wait until I’m bigger and can ride in it some more. Please be careful when you’re going places, always wear your seatbelt, always use your turn signal, always look out for those big, mean, scary SUVs and always remember that I’m here with a smile waiting for you when you get home!

Mommy, this is where you sit and eat dinner. I’m looking forward to joining you when I’m bigger, but for now, please eat lots of healthy good foods so that I can get stronger faster and join you that much sooner in my highchair. I promise to only throw foods I don’t like, and never, ever at you…because you’re my mommy and you’re always so good to me!

Mommy, don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing in here when the door is closed and the fan is on. I’ve heard you say you DON’T do this sort of thing, but that’s just you being funny and it makes me laugh. Don’t you wish you could wear a diaper like me and someone could change you? No? Good, ‘cos that would just be silly!

Mommy, this is where you keep some of my neat clothes. Since I can’t read yet I don’t know what any of them say, but I’m sure it’s all nice stuff, right? I love it when you dress me because even though it’s not always fun, you’re always smiling and laughing and trying to make me feel better about it…and that makes me smile and laugh and feel better!

Mommy, this is where I’ll sleep when I get bigger. I sure am going to miss you when I’m in my own bed in my own room, but I want you to know that it’s ok, that it’s just part of me growing up and that I’ll be fine in here, so don’t worry about me. Do you promise? Ok, that makes me so happy!

Mommy, this is what you use to turn on all my favorite shows. I really only have one that I like a lot, but I’m sure there are others I will enjoy too. I can’t wait to get bigger so that we can go to movies together and everyone can see me out with my pretty, sweet, wonderful mommy. They’ll all be jealous ‘cos I have the best one ever!

Mommy, I’m sorta tired of this swing. Ok, thanks!

Mommy, this is where you wash all my bottles and all the things that you need to pump your milk so that I can eat when you’re not around. I just want you to know that I appreciate you getting up extra early and staying up extra late to mke sure that I have the best in everything. I’ll be on solids one day, don’t worry!

So that's what's been going on these past couple of months. I can't believe it will be 5 months on Monday! He's almost halfway to a year! Crazy stuff!

Cha-cha-changes!

2009-05-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

And I ain't just whistlin' Bowie. We've got lots going on here at the Gladstones of Rock. Our Fox the Baby is growing like a weed, making new discoveries daily and, most fun of all, developing a very easy going, fun personality.

Not only has he found both his hands and his feet, he's figured out, at least partially, what he can do with them. With the feet it's 99% kicking...in the air while being changed, in the tub while being bathed and especially in daddy's stomach just because it gets a good reaction. Now his hands have developed a more sensible use...grabbing! His aim is a bit off sometimes, but once he gets it, he's latched. Lucky for Karla he's not getting too much in her hair (yet), but he'll squeeze your finger a-one good time and loves certain little toys that are just the right size and weight for him right now. He also loves his little lion blanket, which is basically his new best friend.

The other day we were at Trader Joe's and I kept putting items in his lap and Karla would have to go behind me and take them out and put them in the cart. Well, she didn't see me put in a pack of chocolate covered mixed nuts (which are awesome btw) and when we looked down, he was picking them up and looking at them. Don't believe me? See below.

I just weighed him earlier and according to my calculations he's 15.5lbs, which explains A LOT...like why carrying him in his car seat is more like dragging him. Not sure he's grown much past the 24+ inches from a few weeks ago, but we'll have all the official stats in about 10 days when we take him in for his (eek) 4 month check up.

As for schedules and sleeping, etc, things have been better overall but last week was a bit rough on the sleep department, especially for Karla who is trying to get up with him as much as she can. But we're bathing him about every night and trying to get him in bed between 8 and 9 and typically he settles pretty well.

He's finding his voice these days, experimenting with different sounds and cries and just general racket, which can get pretty loud at times. He's outright laughed at least 3 or 4 times, which is absolutely awesome and I want to say nearly every or every time has been because of Karla. He definitely loves his mama. When she holds him he always looks over at me and smiles and I'm 100% convinced that it's because his mama's got him and he wants me to notice that. When I hold him it's more of a "Yeah, this dude again...hey, mama, come get me!"

He also had his first jaunt out to the zoo last weekend. It really wasn't the best of conditions what with unexpected heat and massive crowds, but we got some fun pictures.

I have to say that as much as I sorta fought it, I've really enjoyed having the iPhone for candid, by the moment shots, especially during the day, that I can then share with Karla, etc. I believe most all of the pix featured here today of courtesy of said device. Go modern technology!

Well, as I said, 4 months check up next week, which means more shots and more tears from mama and cringing from daddy, but he's our tough boy and after an initial squeal will likely settle back into his normal, mellow self.

Ok, I'd better post this while he's asleep 'cos it's close to his next feeding time and Mr. Hyde comes out more often than not at those times. :-)

3 Months

2009-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the photos from the recent "photo shoot" Fox had (man, he sounds like a rock star). We had pics taken at our home Saturday. While for most folks, the idea of not having to cart a baby to a studio sounds great - for us messy housekeepers, it was a bit of a work-out. We did our best to make our house presentable in time for the photos. Naturally, he was super smiley BEFORE the photographer arrived. Nick Gilbert and his wife Ashton were so nice and great to work with! Here is their website: www.ncgimages.com. Thanks goes out to Jeff and Michelle for letting us know about Nick. We love the pictures!

10 Weeks In...

2009-03-30T21:58:00.001-07:00

Quoting my friend Erin, "So handsome."

Well, we've been as bad about posting post-birth as pre. And so it goes. And it goes well too. Fox is growing and changing daily in ways so subtle and yet overwhelmingly apparent that we sometimes don't realize it until we're already used to it (if that makes sense).

At his doctor's visit last week he was officially 12lbs 11oz and 24 3/4 inches long. He's very tall for his age, I want to say 90th percentile or something. And he gets that honestly from both Karla and myself, so it's pretty much what we expected. He's also a strong little tyke. The doc was very impressed with his ability to hold his head up and his arms/legs out when held in the "airplane" pose.

Aunt Amber

On the home front he's nearly always an agreeable baby. This is my second full week (I think) keeping him on my own while working. He's pretty good with going down or at least being non-fussy and really, he's very independent and enjoys being on his own, though not necessarily alone. If he's in his bouncy seat and smiling/gooing at us, we've had to learn to resist the urge to pick him up and bring that bundle of laughs closer 'cos he inevitably starts to fuss and squirm, "Put me back, man!" Now when he's hungry, sleepy or feeling poorly he's all about snuggles and cradling. And now that he's able to sit up (if I wedge him between some cushions) he really loves to just sit and hang out and watch things around the room. And watching has really been a big change lately. When changing him, he'll follow us around the room while we get him a new outfit, etc, usually smiling the entire time. And that's another thing, he LOVES his changing table. It's definitely his happy place and where I take him when I'm trying to calm him down for whatever reason regardless if he needs changing.

We started "soak" baths about three or four weeks ago and he seems to like them quite a bit. He gets a little squirmy putting most anything over his head, but with most stuff that startles him/makes him cry out, he's usually over it in a second or two and back to cooing or smiling or telling me not to make the diaper so tight this time.

Comfy?

His looks change all the time, even at various angles, but we've pretty much decided that he looks quite a bit like me as a baby (only cute) and a lot like my father, which is amazing in a sad way. We wish both our fathers could have met him down here 'cos they'd have been proud, but we do appreciate them letting him come down here from heaven to be with us.

Ok, I'm gonna cut out the mushy stuff.

I'll be leaving on a work trip on Wednesday and I can honestly say I'm gonna miss the little rascal. My favorite thing each day is when I get him up in the morning, when he's laying there staring at the ceiling and then sees me and smiles. And to me that's a good trade since Karla gets the "get home from work" smile, which is equally good stuff.

Proud mama!

Ok, it's late and I need to go to bed. Holler.

Feet

2009-03-19T11:57:00.001-07:00

Fox just discovered his feet yesterday. He can spend hours (okay, that's overdoing it) minutes looking at them. He just happened to look down and realize "Huh, these two things are attached to me... Interesting!"

That is all. =)

Oh, and he weighs 12 lbs now and is 24 inches long.

Thankful

2009-03-08T22:03:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted - been busy being a new mommy and just soaking it all in. After reading the blog on baby Jonah, I felt like I should update our blog. Please keep them in your prayers - as I can only imagine the fear and heartache they are feeling right now. Through God all things are possible.

Fox just discovered he has hands this week. I guess that's his newest milestone. He usually just lifts one fist up in front of his face and holds it there for awhile - so completely enthralled. I know his arm has to get tired after doing that for awhile.

Sorry for the short post but I just wanted to say I am so thankful for our little one! I feel blessed and so happy to have him in our lives. I feel like he's enriched our lives for the better. And to think, William and I considered never having kids. Even this early on, I can't imagine not having Fox in our lives. Okay, enough gushing. I guess I'm a bit emotional after reading about baby Jonah.

Goodnight, sleep tight!

First time outside!

2009-02-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

Since Sunday was such a fantastic day we decided to go on a walk for our first family outing. Fox slept most of the time but we got a few shots of him enjoying the inside of his stroller. Woo-hoo!!!

It’s amazing how wariness changes with the little one in tow. We were out at Crocket Park in Brentwood and it was loaded with folks with the same idea we had. I’ve jogged out there about a thousand times and I’m always on the lookout for kids on bikes and dogs on leashes and dweebs in general who may not be mindful of me coming up behind them or around a blind curve. Sometimes it’s like a fun obstacle course, you know, keeping me on my toes. But now that Fox is out with us it’s an entirely different game and I found myself getting a little indignant with people on bikes coming up too fast or not getting over far enough. I was convinced that every new approach was going to end in collision. Though there was one instance where we had to sort of skirt off the track, we made it about two miles unscathed and better for the fresh air. But next time I’m bringing my gat.

Glory!!!

2009-02-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

That black thing FINALLY fell off Fox's bellybutton!!!

That's all for now...

First doctor's visit...

2009-01-29T20:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know nuthin' 'bout no pacie...

Well, today was Fox’s first trip out of the house and straight to the doctor’s office. It was close to feeding time when we had to leave and he started to get a bit fussy, but settled down as soon as he got strapped in the car. We thought Dr. Leeper was fantastic – friendly, easy going, funny and, most importantly, he knew his stuff. Fox didn’t cry much at all during the exam and checked out A-OK, is back up to his birth weight and is where he should be in all things important for a two-week-older. The only thing that freaked us out a bit was when the doc was pushing around on his chest and casually mentioned that he was…are you sitting down? You may want to go get a stiff drink. Don’t have access? Ok, at least don’t be sipping anything when you read this…. He’s making his own milk! The doc squeezed a little out of his right nipple. That was a jaw-dropper. But that’s entirely normal, and just him secreting Karla’s hormones, same as what causes the little red acne-like bumps on his face. I’ve since found out that this is called Witch’s Milk. Who knew???

He'p! Dis baby's got me by da th'oat!

Speaking of milk…he’s feeding nearly constantly these days. Or it seems like it, and more to Karla than to me. Poor kid, she’s usually frazzled by about 8:00 and then rallies and carries on again until about midnight or 1:00. She’ll be getting her sergeant’s stripes next week. Fox is still on breast milk and Karla pumps between feedings. We’re using a syringe when he’s not on the boob, which is no fun and a bit airy, but gets the job done. We want to try and hold out at least another week (or two) before trying the bottle, but won’t go past that as the doc told us he may have a very difficult time taking a bottle if we wait as long as two months. Complicated? Yes.

I'm still just a rat in a caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage!!!!!

After the check up we swung by Old Navy and picked up some new outfits for him (well, Karla did, Fox and I stayed in the car and listened to Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” album), and then swung by the store where I ran in and grabbed some more diapers. Right now we’re digging the Huggies N up to 10 lbs ‘cos they fit well and have the little yellow stripe that turns green when he springs a leak. But boy, diapers are expensive!

Speaking of springing a leak… Two days ago whilst changing him, Karla got her first experience with the water monster. Good for her, most of it got on the couch, which isn’t good for the couch, but that’s why they make cleaning supplies. And then yesterday, whilst changing him yet again, he pooped on the couch…twice. Nothing major, but again, thank goodness for modern cleaning supplies. I was at the controls that time and just had to get up and let mama take over. Am I a coward? Yes. I tell ya, all that money for a changing table and I think we’ve used it three times. It’s the American way!

Rock star posin'

Other than that things have been going pretty well. He’s feeding a lot and sleeping a lot…except for at night of course when we’d like to be asleep ourselves. But the past few evenings he’s been better and mainly lets us sleep at four or five hour stretches starting around 1am or 2am. We’re looking forward to that magic one month point when everything “gets better.” But really, he’s a totally great kid and his cuteness makes up for when he’s a little less than agreeable.

Also, while I have you on the horn, I want to say thank you yet again to all the folks who have dropped off food and come to see the critter over the past week or so. You’re the tops and we’re blessed to have you all around.

Ok, have a good one!

Just a few pix...

2009-01-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

Poor lil' monkey gettin' burped.

This is what he's like daily from 6am to 11pm...

...and this is what he's like the rest of the time.

What up, ya'll?

Mix Tape

2009-01-21T09:03:00.001-08:00

As most all of you know, music, for better or worse, is a big part my life, and the same is pretty much true for Karla to a (usually) less fanatical degree. And so it only follows that I would want to share my love of music with my son. Several months before he was born I was already coming up with a “mix tape” for him. I like how “mix tape” has become a common expression for that specific term (even though that medium is woefully outdated), sorta like “a Kleenex” refers to any brand of tissue. There’s a word for that, but I’m tired and don’t feel like remembering it right now. Anyway, with the advent of the iPod I can bypass not only mix tapes but mix cds as well. For this purpose alone we bought him a little docking station for his room and I hooked him up with my old 2-gig iPod. Amongst several artists ranging from Rachmaninoff to the Misfits I’ve also included a play list that is essentially his first mix tape.

Why? Well, of course that’s obvious and already been stated. To me it’s a bit of an education for him. I feel like I listen to a pretty wide range of music from old country & western to Krautrock and I’d love for my son to have an equally open mind which I think will help him to have an open and accepting mind in many aspects of his life. Plus, I wanted to give him a chance to be fortified with good music before his generation’s version of the Jonas Brothers or My Chemical Romance had a chance to derail him without hope. So yes, this is a bit of a selfish move as well.

Here’s the track list…

The Fox In The Snow --Belle & Sebastian
Thursday's Child--David Bowie
Tugboat--Galaxie 500
The Three Shadows Part 1--Bauhaus
Satellites--Doves
A Prophecy--The Close Lobsters
Be Thou My Vision--Pedro the Lion
Crystal Ball--Felt
Once I Was--Tim Buckley
Blue Moon--Damon and Naomi with Ghost
Samson--Regina Spektor
Ocean Rain--Echo & The Bunnymen
Coney Island Baby--Tom Waits
Color Of A Lonely Heart Is Blue--Old 97's
When Company Comes--The Feelies
Who Knows--The La's
Tomorrow On the Runway--The Innocence Mission
Words--Low
Tell Me Why--Neil Young
Two Hearts--Chris Isaak
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight--Bob Dylan
Twilight On The Trail--Michael Nesmith
Asleep --The Smiths
Good Night--The Beatles

I'm a mod rocker!

When making my song selection I didn’t have an overall theme per se beyond trying to keep the tracks fairly low key (though not necessarily “un” noisy), as this is what he’ll be listening to in his crib at night or whilst napping. Some of them, like the first and second songs, are thrown in there for obvious reasons, though the latter was definitely a last minute addition in the hospital when he actually did come to us on Thursday. Unfortunately I can’t (yet) include Brian Eno’s hour-long masterpiece “Thursday Afternoon” as I'd hoped since he was born in the morning, but I guarantee you it will make the track list of some future mix. Other songs are obvious as they imply sleeping or babies or nighttime or love for someone, etc, etc, Peter Cetera (who is naturally absent).

And sorry Amber, I know he’s just a week old and helpless and oh so very impressionable, but I had to put some Smiths on there. Don’t be hatin’.

As I stated in an earlier post, the first song he heard post-womb was Belle & Sebastian’s “Fox in the Snow” and then the rest of the mix. This was in the hospital the first time we really had him for a long stretch on our own without interruption. I think he dug what he heard. Afterward, the first album I played for him was Jonathan Richman’s “Back in Your Life,” which is an album I’d grown extremely fond of while Karla was pregnant. If you’re not familiar with JR (reference the troubadour from There’s Something About Mary), I think you’ll find his open and purposefully wide-eyed-innocent approach towards life and love and songwriting is very fitting in many ways for a young child growing up. In fact, I think he may have a couple of just straightforward children’s albums, but Bill will have to confirm that for me.

Look at me, I’ve posted three times in the past 24 hours. Don’t worry, I won’t go overboard (maybe).

Behind the Name

2009-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

We didn’t get the question so much from friends and family, but in the hospital several of the nurses asked where we got the name Fox and more than one asked if this was a family name. As to the latter: no, not at all. To the former…that’s a bit more involved.

Now Karla might have her own take on this ‘cos we’ve never really worked out an official explanation, though we’ve both riffed one that’s as correct as anything else when asked on the fly and the other just smiled and nodded and went with it. There are several reasons based on certain interests we have. We knew we didn’t want a conventional name. She had vetoed Ernest William Gladstone IV early on (which is good ‘cos I’d have called him Quart) and naming the boy after her father (Joseph Anthony) was taken care of by her older brother. Honestly, we’ve been debating various boy and girl names for years, long before we knew about the baby’s gender, that we were having a baby, that we were planning on a baby or if we’d ever even have one at all. I think I can honestly say that one year ago right now we were just as close to never having children as we were to this little blue bundled button rider lightly snoring next to me on the couch. But that’s getting way, way off the point of this post.

Please don't name me something stupid like Moon Unit.

So, as I said, for a good two years we’d submitted and rejected names to each other. I was dead set on Sailor (for a boy or a girl) and Karla fought it with a bazooka. Also, my suggestions of Simon, Bernard and yes, even Heathcliff, were all swept to the side as invalid possibilities. She didn’t have too many of her own, but I shot down a couple out of spite. There, I said it. Everyone knows I’m a jerk so no big surprise. Anyway, after we knew we were expecting, we took a Sunday afternoon and she sat down with the baby name book “Beyond Jennifer and Jason” and I logged onto www.behindthename.com (both of which I’ve used over the years to find names for characters in my stories) and we just went through the possibilities in both genders. Fox was the only boy name we readily and instantly agreed on. So, if for no other reason, that’s the reason.

But we didn’t want his name to just be a few letters placed just so without any thought to it, especially when it’s something that is unconventional. “Why did you name me Faucet, daddy?” Well, son, because I’m an idiot. So you see, Fox also worked for us for a number of other reasons. The main one is that we’re both very much environmentally minded. We’re members of the NRDC and Humane Society and we contribute what we can when we can to support animal rights and saving the habitats, etc of threatened creatures. And I’ll end my soapbox rant right there. So there you have that and to give it a bit more oomph, there’s a little gray fox that’s been living out in the small wooded area behind our house for at least a couple of years now. I don’t see him very often, but when I do I’m smitten with him and we stare at each other for awhile with what I like to think is a mutual understanding. I throw scraps of whatever I think he might like out in his general direction and tell myself I’m helping him (or maybe just the skunks) out on a cold winter’s night, much like this one (tonight he just got some old moldy bread--sorry, dude).

And that reason right there, or a whittled down/varied version of it, is what we’ll throw out to folks typically….well, if they seem like they’re interested. My family just assumes I'm insane and make decisions at random or for no other reason than to just be different. And that's ok for them to think that, even if it's completely wrong. But regardless, back to topic, our first nurse the night before Karla delivered was from Belize and she was thrilled by our reason. Man, she ruled. Anyway…

There are also pop culture references here. A very glaring one is of course Fox Mulder from the X-Files. Most folks who’ve made an association usually make that one. We’ve been big fans in our time, and while we still enjoy the show, it’s probably the lowest reason on the list right before we get down to reasons why NOT to name him Fox...like Fox News. Again, I’ll set aside my soapbox.

But one pop culture reference that very, very much plays in is the tune “Fox in the Snow” by Belle & Sebastian from their 1996 (really, so long ago???) album “If You’re Feeling Sinister.” If you don’t know it, you should and if you don’t like it, you’re wrong and just so you’ll know what I’m talking about, here’s the link: http://play.napster.com/track/25927884
Points to Kat for being the only person to ask if that was the reference point. Also, this is the very first song Fox heard (post womb), but more on that in my next post.

We’d have possibly used the name Fox even if he’d been a girl, though we also had another name, which I think Karla has now nixed.

Ok, but what about that middle name?

The middle name took a bit longer and was only decided on for sure less than a month ago. In fact, I believe while she was delivering (or rather being delivered) I whispered in her ear, “Is it still Ewan?” She laughed and said yes.

Karla wanted something Scottish because like me she’s an Anglophile and especially likes Scotland. This also follows ‘cos of my heavy Scottish heritage. An early choice was Layne, which may or may not be Scottish, but is family as it was my father’s mother’s maiden name. We stuck with that for awhile before she decided she didn’t like it and I was cool with that. And so the search was on in full and we both spent quite a bit of time looking things up and exploring and pondering and such. We knew we had to throw out any “A” names ‘cos of the initials (you put it together), which is rotten ‘cos we both liked several “A” names like Alister and Aristotle (ok, that’s a joke). Graham was thrown out there and Ivor and Callum, etc, etc but at the end of it all, we sort of whittled it down to Ewan or Ian. Now Ian would definitely have been one of my name choices in college and in my 20s for reasons that are obvious to most of you (and I’m not going to explain it to the rest), and for those very reasons I was very wary of going along with it. For similar reasons Ewan was a questionable choice because of Ewan McGregor, whom we both like a lot. But ultimately, a name isn't owned by anyone, it's just something you call someone who is an individual and it in no way defines them as a person. I told Karla I was happy with either one and so it was Ewan. I dig it. Sometimes I’m not sure I’m saying it right ‘cos the guy applying her epidural kept saying, “Ewing? Like Dallas?” Argh, no! But I do tend to mumble sometimes, especially when I’m tired and my wife is nervous and contracting and having a wire shoved into her spinal cord.

Groovy answers, I'll let you sleep through the night.
Kidding of course!!!

So, for those of you who were interested, there you have it. And for those of you who weren’t, too late, you’ve already read it.

Boo-ya and out!

And now, for the first time online...

2009-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Ok I’ve been politely prodded to update things here and I actually started one back in the hospital around day three but due to lousy connections, that little adventure got sideswiped. So this is an enhanced version of that entry, beginning from the beginning…

We went in for a planned induction at the hospital on Wednesday, January 14 around 7:00pm, got admitted, etc, etc. Karla was still only dilated one centimeter. Around midnight they started the epidural (which was pretty rough) plus the petosen (sp?) for inducing. Around 7:00 on Thursday morning the nurse checked her again and still no change, so they called our doc. Around 7:30 they came in and said, "We're going to do a c-section...at 8:15." Yikes! I'd sorta had a notion in the back of my mind that this would happen, as did Karla, so we accepted it. It was really a quick procedure. They didn’t actually wheel her back until about 7:20 and I didn’t go in (gowned and masked and such) until about 7:25 or so and at 8:36 our boy was born.

Fox Ewan Gladstone
Thursday, January 15, 2009, 8:36am
8lbs, 6 oz
21 inches
Tastes like chicken

The procedure, on top of being quick, was extremely laid back. Dr. Dunn and her assistant and those assisting the assistant, etc, were very chatty and funny and considering Karla was awake for the procedure, this helped set her at ease. About halfway through the deal the gas passer (yeah, I’m getting all M*A*S*H on you there) stood me up and I looked down over the sheet and there’s this little head squalling and poking out of Karla’s stomach. Had I been a wit more alert I’d have been traumatized pretty severely, but as it was I was dazed and confused and sat back down and about two breaths later he was all the way out, the cord was snipped and he was being cleaned up.

An early, day 1 picture and still my favorite.

A few notable events from the past on the day he was born:

• 1559 - Elizabeth I is crowned queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London.
• 1759 - The British Museum opens.
• 1889 - The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is originally incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 1967 - The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles, California. Green Bay Packers defeat Kansas City Chiefs 35-10
• 1986 - The Living Seas opens at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World, Florida.
• 2001 - Wikipedia, a free Wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
• 2005 - An intense solar flare blasts X-rays across the solar system.
• 2009 - US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing into the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. All passengers and crew members survive.

And births:

• 1622 - Molière, French playwright
• 1754 - Richard Martin, Irish animal rights activist
• 1893 - Ivor Novello, Welsh composer and actor (FYI--I'm a big fan of this guy and Ivor was a late running candidate for Fox’s middle name!)
• 1906 - Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate
• 1909 - Gene Krupa, American drummer
• 1913 - Lloyd Bridges, American actor
• 1929 - Martin Luther King, Jr., American civil rights leader, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
• 1937 - Margaret O'Brien, American actress
• 1941 - Captain Beefheart, American musician and visual artist

As those of you who’ve had children know, the next few days were basically tests and nurse visits and doctor check ups and various procedures and lactation training and would you like to have his picture taken (no) and family and friends popping in and the like. All good stuff and much appreciated. I really have to commend Baptist for having an overall knowledgeable and compassionate staff and a couple of the nurses in particular really took their time with Karla, especially with the breastfeeding procedures and were highly complementary and supportive and I daresay appreciative of Karla being so agreeable and obviously eager to learn and do things right, etc. That’s my girl. But as great as all of that is, there’s nothing like getting to go home, and after a false alarm on Saturday we finally got to head out early Sunday afternoon. I swear, every idiot driver in town was out to get us, but we made it without so much as a peep from the little guy.

Those first couple days of his life Fox was super easy going, through his first shots and bath and whatnot, he’d cry out once or twice and then just sorta chill and deal with it. That pretty much continued throughout the hospital stay and even after we got home everything was going quite well until bedtime Sunday when Fox got super fussy and 11:00 o’clock became midnight became 2:00am and we finally got to “sleep” around 3:30. I think we both had our “coming to Jesus” moment separately in those hours. I’ve said this to many folks the past few days: You can memorize the books, you can believe all the stories, you can mentally prepare yourself for what you think it will be like, but nothing really equips you for 1:30 in the morning when you’ve fed, changed, burped, changed, fed, swaddled, cooed, walked, rocked, fed, fed and fed the little tyke and he’s still screaming blue murder in your ear. Part of the problem was in the hospital everything was right there at our fingertips, but back at home we were scrambling around trying to remember where we’d put this and that as much as two months ago.

Relaxin' on the couch.

So with that in mind and an afternoon nap for fortification, last night (Monday), after another docile evening, we were better prepared for what was to come, and with a bit of a feeding schedule already being established, got a tad more sleep broken down into units. He never got nearly as fussy and distressed as the first night, just let us know he was ready to eat, burp, be changed…really, at this point it’s a guessing game or any combination of the three.

Today has been more of the same, feeding and changing and poking at him while he’s asleep to see if he’ll jump or make a face. Karla pumps when she can’t feed au natural and we administer the good stuff with a syringe which tends to give him the hiccups, but as Karla gets more skilled (and yes, it is a skill) and toughens up, his feedings are becoming more one on one. He’s a strong little guy and is already holding his head up and is pretty feisty when he’s waving his arms in the air, especially when we’re trying to change him or feed him (we refer to his left hand as The Hand of Doom, http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/11e/5/AAAAAq62-AoAAAAAAR5dZw.jpg). Also, because of his super lungs (refer to below video) and the fact that he gets red and red-hot when he’s upset, we call him the Human Torch (http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/ArticleImages/VsSystem/August/HumanTorch.gif). As far as a permanent affectionate nickname, nothing has really stuck, but we call him Popeye and Cyclops ‘cos he tends to squint his left eye a bit.

The Human Torch prepares to go home.

Karla is doing well overall. Aside from the lack of sleep, she’s a bit sore from the procedure and with everything going sometimes forgets to keep up with the pain meds, but the incision seems to be healing quite well and everything else has progressed as we’ve been told it should.

My mom is up from PC and of course thinks he’s perfect. When I asked her if she liked him or me more she responded, “I like the nice one.” Great. (BTW, I did the same thing to my father’s mother a few years back and got denied then as well.) K’s mom has been battling the flu so hasn’t had a chance to meet Fox, but her sis and nieces and nephew all think he’s tops, as do my cousins, etc, etc. So I guess he’ll be accepted in the clan. As for the rest of our “family,” last night Avery really discovered him for the first time in a very funny way (video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4KO28b_7dw). The bird is completely indifferent.

We’ve taken lots and lots of pictures and quite a bit of video, which I’ll share a bit here, so more will definitely follow in the next couple of days as I already have a couple more entries in mind.

And of course THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all of your prayers and tips and positive thoughts during Karla’s pregnancy and since Fox’s birth. He’s anxious to meet you guys, so don’t be strangers!

Check back super soon for the reasons behind his name and his first music mix.

And of course he's a rocker.

In case you haven’t heard…

2009-01-12T20:43:00.001-08:00

I can feel it comin’ in the air tonight…oh boy.

Today Karla had her final ultrasound, a rather lengthy process as the technician viewed and measured every square (or rather round) inch of his little body. He’s so big now that it’s hard to really get a “full view” and she was up close on feet and lungs and femurs and etc. We got a couple side shots of the head but nothing you can really identify without some training and a lot of practice. The tech maintained that the due date was the 7th while our doc insists the 12th (aka today), but it’s obvious that whatever the real date, he’s running on his own schedule.

So, with that in mind and because his projected weight was 8 lbs, 12 oz, we scheduled an induction for Wednesday at 7PM. Because Karla still hasn’t dilated much at all, it’s a special type that basically allows her cervix to “soften up” and do its thing before the magic juice is added to kick her into labor. Estimated time of arrival... “sometime Thursday afternoon.” That’s a mighty long time to be in such a state. She’s not to eat anything substantial after noon on Wednesday and I’m concerned about all of that, but I guess she’ll be taken care of in all those areas.

While she was “up there” the doc also “stripped the membrane,” which I imagine is about as painful/uncomfortable as it sounds. That being done, Karla could technically go naturally before the scheduled time and is even having some mild contractions that are roughly 15 minutes apart right now, so we’ll just have to see what is the what with that.

The journey is almost over and now the real fun is about to begin. It’s been an interesting ride and we appreciate all the tips and prayers and encouragement and positive vibes these past 40 weeks. If all goes well/as planned, the next time we post we’ll have some pictures of the wee lad, and the next time you see me I’ll be a dad (yes, tremble).

If you want an update (you got it)

2009-01-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, we’ve been rotten about updates. But honestly, there’s been nothing to tell. Karla has been dilated less than a centimeter without change for about the past three or four weeks. Last weekend we had a bit of a false labor situation, but nothing major.

So, around 1:15 or so this morning, Karla wakes me up and she's like, "I think I'm having contractions," and long story short, by 2:00 or so we're headed to the hospital (that’s me, Karla, my mother and the Stinker). She gets admitted and put in a room and they monitor her for awhile and sure enough, she's having contractions. About 30 or so minutes into this, the nurse is like, "Well, he's not moving around like I'd like to see, so we're gonna hook you up to an IV," and they do and just before they do, he starts moving around like crazy (typical kid) but they went ahead anyway and longer story short, everything looks great, but the contractions are too sporadic and far apart to actually be labor (they’d been about 4 minutes at the house, but were between 4 and 15ish at the hospital), plus she's still not quite dilated a full centimeter. We left around 6:00, got some McDonald's, headed home and were in bed by 7:00. I got up around noon, Karla was soon to follow catching her sister up and my mom just now got up.

Breaking news…Dr. Sally (aka Karla’s sister, who in an RN) says that their concern at the hospital was that he wasn’t responding in turn to the contractions, which means he may have been under stress, etc. Of course he was only foolin’.

I have to say that this false alarm has made Karla feel more comfortable about what a contraction feels like as opposed to Braxton Hicks (see picture below). Also, we totally got our jazz together and out the door in a speedy and efficient manner, so preparation totally pays off (for all of you non-parented folks out there, like all two of you).

This experience has brought about two new slogans, as follows:

If there ain’t no crown, we don’t go downtown.

If he ain’t crownin’, I’ll be a-frownin’.

And that’s that. We have an ultrasound with an appointment to follow on Monday (the due date) and we’ll see what’s going on from there. Will we be having this baby soon? All signs point to yes, but we’ve been saying that for two weeks and we may be another two weeks out. That’s the reality of it.

Holler.

Porcelain Goddess

2008-12-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Just a quick hello and an update. Karla had an appointment on Tuesday and everything is good. Her next appointment is in two weeks and then it's every week, etc after that. Overall she's doing well but has been having problems sleeping the past few nights, mainly due to intense nausea and/or indigestion. The past two nights she's thrown up and it's actually helped her get to sleep.

I'm not sure if she wanted me to divulge that or not, but there it is...

The little guy has been really, really active the past few days and my guess is he's ready to get out here and start mowing the lawn. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

Other than that, we've worked on organizing the baby's room, sorting through clothes and gadgets and gizmos, trying to get everything strategically placed, which means we'll probably rearrange everything after he gets here. But it's all good. We still haven't decorated anything really, but that will probably come in the next couple days or so.

We still have a month plus until the actual due date and it really seems like a million years away, but I know it'll get here before we know and then someone will be pushing and someone else will be sweating and then a little bit o' awesome will grace the world.

So, with that in mind, I'm gonna go listen to The Birth of Cool.

Braxton Hicks in the house!

2008-11-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hello! Well, Karla had a check up yesterday and everything is still a go (as if there were another option at this point). The doc says that the baby is starting to shift into position and will soon begin his descent down into, er, wherever it is he'll be going and stuff to prepare for the great leap forward.

Also, we have a correction to make...we've been telling everyone that the due date is January 7. However, the doc says that was just the ultrasound due date and she's going with January 12. I still maintain that dude will get here when dude gets here and that's my final word. So, there is that.

As I type this Karla says she thinks she's having Braxton Hicks contractions, which I guess makes sense as that is supposed to be an early sign of effacement. Also, it's an inside joke with us and J & KC Smith when she was pregnant with Hayden.

Well, I'd like to tell everyone to watch Pushing Daisies tonight, 1) because it's a good show but 2) because it's not getting good ratings and deserves them. Of course we're doing our part being a Nielsen Family (oops, I'm not supposed to tell people that).

Ok, it's about to come on and we have every TV in the house set to stun!!!

Proof

2008-11-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

Absolutely nothing to report really. I just wanted to prove to myself (and you) that this blog could be updated twice in the same week.

Karla is over her cold pretty much and so feeling good overall. Two nights ago the little dude was squirming enough for me to see him through her belly from across the room. Freaky + Awesome = My Baby. We ordered a book called The Baby Whisperer and it came in yesterday. I have no idea what it's about but Title + Cover = Cheesy Lame. You dig? Maybe Robert Redford will make a movie based on it. Wait, he already did. Ack! (Yeah, I know, not really.)

Today is our second shower and I'm looking forward to getting even more wasted than I did at the last one...wait, I mean, I'm really looking forward to sharing this wonderful moment with friends and family. And yes, even I will have a blood-relation there... (You all thought I was hatched, right?) What up, Amy!

See, this is the kind of stretching it update you get when the postings come this close together. Karla does have a check up on Tuesday (I think), so one of us will probably be back around that time -- or a week later -- with a more worthwhile post.

Squonk!

Late...again...

2008-11-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hello and again, sorry for the lateness of updates. We mean well, we’re even inspired by friends who update theirs so regularly…but alas, what can I say? We don’t suck but we do lag…

At any rate, things are going well. Karla does not have gestational diabetes. It was a bit of a hassle finding out for sure. Apparently if the tests come back negative you’re not supposed to hear from them. Bogus! One never likes to assume these things, you know? No gnus is good gnus? I don’t think so. So, after a couple of irritated calls, Karla finally got the good news. And that was two or three weeks ago…again, our bad…

She had another check up last Tuesday (Election Day) and the doc said things looked and felt great. We asked her about inducing, something we’ve chatted about. Karla doesn’t wanna be hanging out at work or church, etc when her water breaks and deal with all of that. We’re very much creatures of habit and schedule so our OCD would like things to be as orderly as possible…and then after the boy comes out it’ll all go out the window. The doc said within seven days either way of the due date, if things look good and ready, we can plan to induce. And if not…well, I guess she can wear Depends or something.

We had our first of two showers…er, two weekends ago? Man, we’ve really got to get on top of this thing! Ok, anyway…it was a really great time and we again appreciate all the wonderful gifts and time we got to spend with such good friends. We’re truly blessed over here and we love you guys! You all know who you are.

Ok, before I start getting sappy over here…

Karla is actually feeling pretty peppy in the last trimester, and really the only thing holding her back is a rotten cold that she may have gotten from me (whoops). Her only other complaint would be pain in her “swim suit” area, which the doc says is just her body adjusting for delivery. Turning over at night and getting out of bed to hit the head (which she really doesn’t do very often) has become a bit of an involved situation, but luckily I sleep through most of it, so no worries guys. She’s got a cute “little” baby bump going on and looking at her stomach, it almost looks fake, like a big piece of skin colored plastic, which is a bit freaky. She can now stick her tummy through a door before the rest of her comes out, and that is funny stuff. And as for movement, the funny little frog squirms and punches and kicks and even hiccups pretty regularly. She’s seen him moving a few times beneath her shirt, something I’ve not had the nerve to try and check out yet… “Aliens” anyone?

Well, dinner is close to being ready (broccoli cheese quiche!!!), Karla is playing Ms. Pacman on her iPhone and I’m listening to The Stone Roses while typing this up. It’s a perfect 21st century family setting; all we need is the little guy.

Aight, we’ll holler soon!

Man, we're lousy at this...

2008-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

I just realized it’s been a month since our last post, and while not too terribly much is going on, there are some things we can report on.

First off, Karla was tested for gestational diabetes (wow, I had no idea I could spell either one of those words), and the first test came back positive. So, this past Monday she took the three hour test and man, they really did a number on her arms trying to find enough veins to tap for the procedure. No results yet but they should be in any day now. My cousin Amy, due in December, said she got a positive on the quick one and a negative on the long one, so we’re hopeful that Karla will get the same results. So stay posted for those and maybe we’ll put them up before the baby is born.

The baby’s room is now fully functional; we can blow up planets and everything with it. Putting up the curtains was a test in “we’re trying not to use those words any more,” which I got about a C+ and Karla a strong A- (overachiever). The decorations are still in the works, but if the funny little frog decides to make an early appearance, we’ll be able to accommodate at Hotel What Up.

Karla has been feeling better in general lately, possibly/probably due to some iron supplements she started taking a few weeks back. The baby kicks a lot more but never seems to do it when I’ve got my hand on her belly, and believe me, that has been noted and will go on his permanent record (queue Violent Femmes). Also, he’s been responsive to music, so Karla was walking around the house last night with headphones wrapped around her tummy, blasting Travis “The Man Who,” which I’m sure he liked but it’s no Echo and the Bunnymen. Am I right? Anyone?

What else… Oh yeah, we got the glider in. Since the couch is murder for Karla, we’re keeping it downstairs until the baby is born. Getting it upstairs will be another test of words not to use. I know this because I failed said test trying to just get the thing in the house. But it is rather comfy and plush and fit for a Gladstone.

Other than that, things are pretty much normal. I wonder how much different “normal” will be one year from now?

Aight, WG out!

Updates

2008-09-14T14:04:00.001-07:00

We went to my monthly appointment on Monday and everything is fine. Nothing exciting going on. I was pleased to find out I hadn't gained too much weight because I've been feeling so big lately. I just want to be within normal range. I'm not scared of gaining weight as long as I'm not gaining too much.

I've been having bad back pain (in my sciatic nerve) which I have found out is common in pregnancy. The difficulty is trying to get out of bed at 3am without crying out in pain and waking William up. I have to move very carefully which is no easy task when you are surrounded by a huge body pillow that doesn't allow you to move easily. Man, I feel old and fat... but it will all be worth it.

The baby's room is coming along really nicely. We bought a chair on Friday along with a rug. Those are the two final pieces for the baby's room. They won't be in for 4-6 weeks so we're anxiously waiting to see how everything is going to fit together in his room.

Here's a picture of our baby bedding (the colors are a bit deceiving - the grey color is actually a brown and the words "Cole" are not emblazoned on the quilt). :-)

We finally registered on Saturday at Babies R Us and Target. That was an interesting experience to say the least. Babies R Us took forever and it was quite overwhelming. We were there 2+ hours and after going home and doing more research, I worked 2+ more hours going back and changing some of our registry items based on people's ratings. "What does a baby need?" -- that was the question of the night. We registered for some expensive stuff (that we don't expect folks to buy) because we found out you get 10% off on your registry items when you close everything out. Who knew a car seat would be be $170. And that's just an infant car seat - only up to 30 lbs - and after that we have to do this all over again. Yay. Kids are truly expensive. I am just now beginning to learn all of this. Eek. William and I are entering a whole new world (and demographic).

I'll hopefully update more regularly soon once we get the house squared away. The second trimester hasn't been all roses as the books say. Today I went to church and had to walk out before the sermon started because I started breaking out into a cold sweat and thought I was going to throw up. I was really looking forward to being in church too. It was all because the room was a bit warm. I sat in the car with the air blowing in my face and told William to go back in. I just literally "chilled" in the car and listened to my podcast of This American Life. I guess I'll download our pastor's sermon later (thank God for podcasts).

I feel so much like a wuss lately. I also took Thursday off to just rest because I've just barely been able to walk anywhere without feeling completely fatigued and breaking out into a sweat. My heart has been doing the flipflops again and I can't stand for long periods of time. The doctor said I was on the verge of being anemic so I've been taking iron supplements (in addition to all the other vitamins I already take). Hopefully those will kick in soon!

Speaking of kicking, William felt the baby kick for the first time on Friday night. I think he was a bit shocked at how it feels. I've been trying to get him to feel it but he always just misses the window of opportunity when the baby is kicking away. As soon as he places his hands on my belly the baby is like the frog that just ribbits and stops the song/dance performance. (Some of you know the cartoon I'm referring to, hopefully!)

That's it for now!

2008-09-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going to pretend that it's 7:45PM last Monday and I'm dutifully updating our blog complete with scans of the ultrasound and the results of the exam. So, with that in mind… Things went really well and we found out that we're having a little boy, which made us laugh when she told us because about 95% of everyone we know has said we're having a boy and of course we were saying we wanted a girl. But really what we want is a healthy and happy baby and the way it takes a leak is totally irrelevant. So all you gals having little girls in the near future or with daughters within a three year range…game on.

We're going to name him Bono and I think you all know why and if you don't, ask Clay Satterfield and maybe he'll send you his doctoral thesis Bono is Awesome and Here is Why. It's been strange and exiting actually referring to the baby as "he," which gives everything a much more personal and realistic quality, making him feel more like part of the family rather than some abstract idea which may or may not be truly happening.

And now back in real time, it was a busy Labor Day preparing for Mr. Vox (that's Bono's last name) and we FINALLY got everything moved out of his room (well, ok, not the closet…Karla, that's your territory), which enabled us to give it a good vacuuming and a once over with the wet/dry vac as well. Karla decided that all the room really needed was a touch up and not a full scale paint job. I guess we'll go that route and then see what we think. We plan on assembling the crib, etc sometime this week and trying out our first idea for an arrangement. Stay tuned for pix of the progress once we get further with that.

We also spent some time (and money) with getting the new office/playroom/hang out room/studio/disco up to speed and it's starting to take some shape though is still far too chaotic at this point for any photos. Part of the chaos is due to Ikea, who are currently on my "do not trade with" list. I think I've complained most to Sarah about this so go to her for details 'cos this is a happy place.

I'm not sure when Karla's next appointment is but I'm guessing it's pretty soon. She's been feeling much, much better lately. Her cold finally, finally went away (three weeks) and her heart has only acted up in stressful situations (like driving through CRAZY Cincinnati traffic this past Friday). She's had pretty good energy and a pretty normal appetite, no real cravings and not even really a lot of issues needing to hit the can every 20 minutes, maybe once during the night if that. The baby moves around quite a bit she says but not enough where I can feel him yet, though I do put my mouth up to her tummy and sing Bowie, you know, "Ground control to Major Tom…"

Wow, this is really happening. Eek!

I've found a bunch of old, old pix in the rearranging process and your bonus for this session is one of myself and M Andrews at J and KC Smith's wedding way back in June 00…just a couple of 20-something swingers (you did know Michael was a swinger, right?).

Until the next time...

Place Yer Bets

2008-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

So the big question lately is of course, “What are you having?” A chipmunk, yo. I think right now it is about the size of a chipmunk. Seven inches? Something like that. I know that as of this week we begin measuring shim* from head to toe instead of head to rump (and Karla thinks I don’t pay attention). Anyway, right after we tell the asker we don’t know yet, they give us their opinion as to boy or girl. I think I’ve mentioned on here that we’ve both wanted and felt like we’re having a girl. Aside from a couple of online Chinese astrological quizzes that Karla has taken, there is really no scientific or logical basis for the latter, it’s just what we’ve been feeling. However, nearly everyone has told us they think we’re having a boy and considering every other pregnant gal we know is having a girl, the law of the ratio would dictate that we are having a boy. Right? Probably not.

I’m curious to know what YOU think. Some of you have already told us, but let’s get it down on permanent record. So roll some dice, draw straws, flip a coin, consult the stars, do do that voodoo that you do so well or just go with your gut. The results will be in on Monday, August 25 and the winners get bragging rights. Is there anything better? Effrin just told me he thinks it’s a girl, so you folks all pack it in and go with that ‘cos I’ve never known him to be wrong in matters of this kind.

*Shim is a pronoun blend of she/him/her/he, etc. Did anyone else have Dr. Johnson at Lipscomb and if so, do they remember how he’d come up with those unisex pronouns on his assignment instructions? That man was a revolutionary.

Hearts and Paints

2008-08-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Not too much to report that’s directly baby related, and yet some things to speak on as result of the pending bundle o’ joy. So…first off, everything is fine…however, when I was down in FL visiting Thelma Dearest (that’s my mother), Karla was having some heart concerns. Basically her heart beats hard/quickly/irregularly at random intervals. This has happened a bit in the past, but usually it’s every few months. Here it was happening every few minutes. So, I coaxed her into setting up an appointment with a specialist this past Monday who thought it might be sinus arrhythmia and set her up on a heart monitor for 24 hours. We got the results on Friday and basically she has a symptom called PVC where the lower chambers of the heart fill up with too much blood and so have to pump extra hard to get all the blood out, etc, etc (any of you medical jocks out there who want to expand on this please feel free). This occurs about once per minute. However, this is the only symptom she has and she has no other symptoms related to sinus arrhythmia or anything else. So, basically everything is fine and it “should” go away after the baby comes. Thankfully this issue has calmed down the past few days and has made her able to help out with the following…

…Friday and Saturday we painted our bonus room. Few have entered this domain of sweat and cat litter where I had all my work out equipment and the cat had called its lair until making the fateful trip to FL a couple of weeks back (btw, TD, that’s Thelma Dearest, says Pye is doing just fine for those of you concerned). We’ve been trying to sell my treadmill and Bowflex for the past few weeks on Craig’s List and finally this past Thursday a bite came through on the latter and we used the brass in pocket (man, I really hate that song) to purchase the paint for our adventure. And adventure is a bit of an understatement. The famed Lewis and Clark would be hard pressed (and were vastly more qualified in their field) to overcome more harrowing obstacles than the dreaded slant walls, shifting drop cloth, sticky roller, oppressive heat (this room is not very well insulated) and of course the proverbial fumes. But with roughly 11-12 hours of work, some paint in the hair (well, basically all over) and one cd case (that’s about 1500 cds) spilling all over the floor later, we beat the odds and conquered the beast. The color is “silver screen,” which is just a fancy way of saying gray. We’ve spent this afternoon cleaning up and I’ve attached a few pictures to show you the progress thus far. We have an electrician coming in to do some rewiring (more on that later) and other tricks up our sleeves for this room, which will basically become my office (the baby is taking over my current work locale)/a play room (complete with fridge)/recording studio (complete with groupies)/hang out room in general (complete with me).

Oh, I almost forgot, we picked out and purchased our crib/dresser/changing table set at Babies R Us (sorry copyright folks, I can’t make a backwards ‘R’) this past week. We went simply intending to look and, well, you know how that goes. But I’m happy with our purchase for safety reasons especially ‘cos it all has flat corners and nothing that the little tyke can easily bust its little head on…you know, for when it gets to the head busting stage. They’re white, which isn’t my favorite, but will go perfectly with the babies room, etc.

Karla has a baby appointment tomorrow morning. There’s no ultrasound scheduled so there may not be much to report, but anything worth reporting will be (or maybe me simply making random observations because that’s essentially my life).

It’s Doris Day today on Turner Classic Movie’s “Summer Under the Stars” and if you’re not watching that you should be watching the Olympics. Go Sweden! (I mean USA.)

I’m gonna love ya, I’m gonna miss ya…

July 14 Visit

2008-07-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had another doc's visit this past Monday. We were running late and the traffic wasn't helping, but we got there with about a minute to spare. The waiting room was jam packed and I figured we had a long wait ahead of us, however, I was pleasantly mistaken when we were called back about two minutes after sitting down. Dr. D was as perky and pleasant as ever and after a quick peak under the hood and another listen at the heartbeat (which she had to search for...I guess the Funny Little Frog was out for a soda), she answered some of our trying questions about if Karla can get her hair died and eat soft cheeses. I know I was on the edge of my seat. So, everything is still looking good and our next visit is in about a month, with our next ultrasound in about six weeks...where we'll find out the make of this here critter! I'm sure we've told everyone that we're hoping for a girl, so let's all keep our fingers crossed and when it ends up being a boy, we can all laugh at the whimsy of life.

Also, Cocteau Twins' 1996 swan song "Milk and Kisses" really isn't a bad album despite what I thought in 1996. Go check it out. And isn't it funny that the album cover looks a lot like our Funny Little Frog (see previous blogs for reference)?

And finally, I've attached a picture of Pye, our old and cranky cat who is about to be transferred to FL to live with my mom because of the baby (I'm sure you know that cat's will suck the soul out of a baby). She was pouting during her vet visit last week and I just had to share since it's somewhat related.

Do-da...

The results are in...

2008-07-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to say that everything turned out "perfectly normal" with the test results from several days ago. Also, we are fully ensconced in the second trimester, so our risk rate drops considerably. And on a related note, house preparations began in earnest last night. Not only are we converting my office to the baby's room and converting the bonus room to an office/play room, but we're sorting through every closet, cupboard and cranny trying to make space for all things baby. Really, this is something that should have been done years ago, but we'd have probably just filled it with more junk. Three and a half trash bags full later, we're definitely seeing some progress, but the light at the end of the tunnel is basically a firefly.

Happy Tuesday (Weld)!

"High Risk" Exam

2008-07-04T09:28:00.001-07:00

Well, this post is a week after the fact, but better late than never…

Last Friday (June 27) we went for another doc’s visit. Since Karla will be over 35 at the time of delivery she’s considered “high risk,” which makes my eyes roll, but I guess it’s an insurance thing. Regardless, I don’t mind the extra tests ‘cos if there is anything wrong, I’d rather know sooner than later. So…we were up early as this was an 8:30 appointment near Baptist, and listened to the Cars’ self-titled debut on the way (it was just what I needed). After parking in the wrong garage, walking around lost for a bit and consulting some directions on Karla’s iPhone, we finally called the place, which had an automated service giving pretty specific instructions. Good to know…after the fact.

We had the choice of two tests. I’m not even going to attempt the medical terms, but basically one was “invasive” with a “risk” of miscarriage but was more accurate, and the other was simply a blood test and an ultrasound. Invasive??? No thanks!

After the customary paperwork and a bit of a wait, we’re in the exam room with a technician and a nurse practitioner. For purposes of this blog entry I meant to remember both their names but forgot them before we even left. My bad. But both were very nice, very chatty and the ultrasound went very well. I was amazed at how developed the baby looks (I’m not sure I can call it a funny little frog any more -- yes I can). My initial thought was that this was just some generic textbook footage of a baby in profile…and then it moved, a small little hand coming up as if to scratch its head and then going back down and pausing about halfway. I could make out fingers and everything. I kept my cool but was doing somersaults in my stomach. It looked very much like a little girl, quite cute if I do say so, though I know without checking out the equipment it’s impossible to say at this point. The truly amazing thing is that the little rascal is somewhere between two and three inches long. Fully developed and I can stick it in my pocket with my cell phone. Or would that be bad for it? We also got to hear the heartbeat, which reminded me of something like a Brian Eno percussive loop. Too much? Ok, ok...

Anyway, we were told that they were basically checking for two things: the skin fold on the back of the neck “that all babies have at this stage” and the nose. I definitely saw the nose right off and was at first upset about this thinking it had acquired my state-sized nasus, and that it shouldn’t be so freakishly developed at this point. I was wrong. Thankfully this was all “perfectly normal” and one of the ways they confirm that the baby doesn’t have down syndrome (or trisomy 21 for you doctors out there, or three of chromosome 21 for you slightly less educated but not totally ignorant commoners out there). The skin flap was also “perfectly normal” at 1.9, er, feet or millimeters or cubic tons or something.

Afterwards we had a nice talk with the nurse practitioner who, from my perspective, scared the begeezus out of us with all the talk of trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 and what to expect if one or the other should occur, etc, etc. I’ve been pretty laid back with this entire deal so far, but after that pleasant little exchange I needed a serious drink. Unfortunately all they had was water and soda. Again, no thanks.

The blood test was in another area and I waited in the hallway next to this little girl (who just stared at me when I said “Whatcha know, kid?”) whose mother was getting blood taken as well. The technician here was also chatty and Karla said afterwards that it really hurt when she took her blood. Nice one. We won’t know the results until Monday (as in July 7).

So, as we round of the end of the first trimester, all systems are go, all conditions normal, everything is as it should be. Karla has been less nauseous lately but seems to have picked up a cold which is slow in going away, but she’s getting there. She nearly passed out at work earlier this week we believe due to low blood sugar and is trying to be more mindful of eating her snacks exactly every two hours regardless of if she feels hungry or not (thank you Goldleaf Financial for keeping her so busy that she forgets to eat…jerks).

Unfortunately the latest ultrasound pix us are extremely dark and did not transfer well when we scanned them. However, I took some other pictures of the excursion which I’ve posted for your viewing pleasure.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

P.S. I was wearing my new Chucks too, which I'd purchased on a business trip to Frankfort, KY earlier in the week. Awesome, I know!

Other two pix

2008-06-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

For the sake of completion and my OCD, here are the other two shots of the FLF (that's Funny Little Frog for those of you joining us late) from today's ultrasound. Only 10 weeks old and already takes a better photo than me.

Friday the 13th

2008-06-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to the doc for our very first ultrasound. Before actually seeing the baby on the monitor, it was a vague possibility coupled with sleepiness and discomfort. I must say that even after taking the pregnancy test, it doesn't become tangible until you actually see it. I have to admit I got weepy (but most everything makes me weepy these days).

We are 10 weeks & 2 days along. The baby is almost 2 inches long. It's heartbeat is normal - 174 beats per minute. Drum roll.... the due date is January 7th.

Pretty exciting stuff - check back for more fun baby facts/updates!