Freelance Father

Summer's Here!

2009-04-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it may as well be. The temperature in the past few days has gone from the high-50's/low-60's to the mid-/high-90's. To say that the difference between the relatively cool weather and the relatively warm weather is dramatic is an understatement. There was no warning, no tentative increase over the space of a couple of weeks, to herald the approach of summer.

My car is covered in a thick coating of pollen. Normally blue, it is now a yellowish-green. Carpenter bees buzz as they fly clumsily around the patio, the stairs outside, and over the crowns of the verdant bushes along the walkway to the parking lot. The only thing missing is the cicadas, but I figure they're coming. Any day now, just wait.

March saw Stephen turn four years old. He's turned into such a big kid, it's amazing to me that he was ever as small as Madeline. Not to mention that Maddy is growing and growing and growing, too. She's huge! And the terrible twos? Let's just say that they've been a lot more interesting with Madeline (and not in a particularly good way) than they ever were with Stephen.

Welcome to Tantrum City, population: Us.

With that preamble out of the way, I suppose I'll post a few pictures for the fans out there (with appropriate commentary, of course). Sit back, relax, and witness the new faces of my pride and joy.

Stephen and Madeline at the Aerospace Museum
For Stephen's birthday, I took him and his sister to the Aerospace Museum to see the planes. They were both relatively well-behaved, but they ran me ragged. Literally. Video below to prove it:

Later on in the evening, we celebrated Stephen's special day with ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins.

Stephen blows out his candle. I wonder what his wish was?
Since Stephen's birthday, we've been out a few times. I've taken the kids hiking at a nearby park. With one of them, it's manageable. With both of them, let's just say it's like herding cats. Madeline would rather play with dirt, and Stephen likes to fill his pockets with rocks. See below for a glimpse of our last expedition:

The kids, hiking. Me, behind the camera, saying, "Come on, guys!"
So that's our world in a nutshell. I'll try to get a picture of my pollen-laden car, because it's unreal. There's so much pollen on my car that it reduces my mileage. Well, not really. But still, it's disturbing.

Photo Update

2009-03-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

A quick photo update!

Maddy's Birthday (Ice Cream) Cake
Maddy blows out her candles (with a little help from Stephen)
She really enjoyed her cake...
...and so did Stephen!

Two Years Ago, Today

2009-02-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

Two years ago this morning, Amy and I were sitting in a hospital room waiting for Madeline to show up. I took a quick video, and here it is. You can hear Maddy's heart beating through the machinery that's hooked up to Amy's belly. Don't worry about what we're saying, it's not all that important.

After she finally arrived, Madeline did her best to keep us worried. Puffy and obviously uncomfortable, she had trouble breathing. They put her under an oxygen hood and I sat with her while the doctors fixed Amy up.

Later that day, Amy and Madeline got a formal introduction. Maddy was tired, and so was Amy. Amy also had a headache from her spinal anesthesia, and wasn't feeling real hot.

By the time we bundled Maddy up and took her home, we were all ready to kiss the hospital goodbye. It was a rough few days, but having Maddy home at last was worth the wait.

Today, Madeline's a very precocious two-year old. She's very much about what is hers and, more importantly, what isn't everyone else's. She has a temper, and she doesn't care who knows it. But much of the time, she's very sweet and I feel that I'm a very lucky father. After all, she's got a wonderful personality, she's beautiful, and she never fails to make me smile with her singing and dancing.

Happy Birthday, little girl.

Wow

2008-10-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here. No excuses.

Everyone is doing well. Virginia is moving on towards winter, and you can feel it in the chilly morning air. Stephen often asks to go down to the playground, but once he feels how cold it is outside he begs to come back inside.

Madeline is in her fuss mode a lot lately. We figure it's just that age; Amy seems to remember that Stephen was fussy around this time, too, but I'm not so sure. Maybe it's just one of those things I choose not to remember. It doesn't help that we're weening her off of pacifiers, a crutch that Stephen never bothered to pick up.

Oh, the humanity!

Yesterday was the annual Mythic Halloween party (for the kids). Employees with small children brought them in for games and trick or treating. Last year, Stephen was terrified of dressing up. This year, he's gung ho about free candy.

Here's a picture or two of the little guy in his Jedi costume!

Bring on the Sith!
At least he believes me when I say, "I am your father!"
More later, when we have the real Halloween!

Stephen's First Movie

2008-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July was hot and rainy. We were invited over to my co-worker Amber's house for fireworks and a BBQ. Only thing was, Amy had developed an earache, and wasn't really up to it. In the end, Stephen and I went and Amy stayed home with Maddy.

The BBQ was a nice social occasion. Amber's husband, Craig, and some of his co-workers set off some smaller fireworks while Stephen watched. When it was dark enough, they started setting off the larger fountains. While the little ones were fine with Stephen, the volume of the larger ones (the bangs, pops, and whistles) hurt his ears. In the end, we decided to go home.

Our arrival home was just in time: seated on our sofa, looking out the sliding glass door, we could see a large fireworks display over the apartment buildings across the way. It had been going strong for nearly twenty minutes, and didn't end for another fifteen.

The next day, Saturday, was a milestone for Stephen. He'd been doing such a good job with the potty training that he earned a trip to the movies to see WALL-E. He was originally going to go with his mommy, but he decided that he'd rather go see it with me. It seems that, lately, he's in a pro-daddy mode.

The movie experience was new for him, and he enjoyed it. He was very serious about being quiet, so much so that he peered around at the other (noisier) kids with no small amount of disdain. It was almost a solemn affair for him. He watched everything, from the pre-show features, to the previews, to the film itself very attentively. He ate popcorn by the handful, and helped himself to nearly an entire soft drink during the film.

As might be expected, he had to pee when the movie was over. Only thing was, he didn't mention it until we were out of the theater and on our way to the car. I asked him if he could hold it until we got home, and he said he could. I even told him he could go in his pull-up if he wanted to, but he replied that he could hold it until we got home.

It was a very quiet, ten-minute drive. He concentrated on not peeing the whole way home. When we did finally get home, he ran to the bathroom and took care of business. He didn't pee one drop in his pull-up. He's turning into such a big boy!

Stephen Loves Lemonade
Today, I bought a bag of lemons at CostCo and Stephen and I made lemonade. Ever since I juiced limes for ceviche a few weeks ago, I've been telling Stephen that we could make lemonade. It came down to eight cups of water to one cup of fresh lemon juice to one cup of simple syrup, and it's very good. Just ask him.

Long Overdue

2008-05-09T09:58:00.001-07:00

It started just before tax day, and it's been going strong ever since. It seems that the typical 24 hour day had been truncated. Some days, it was only 18 hours long. Others, it was 22 hours in length. On average, it seemed to last about 20 hours, give or take fifteen minutes one way or the other.

I can't understand it. What caused it? Who do I blame? Could it be an alien plot? A result of nearly eight years of Bush administration rule? Faulty immigration laws? An Illuminati-driven conspiracy? Or, perhaps, some sinister drug pumped into the Fairfax County water supply? Maybe it's just a side effect of springtime?

I'm still not sure. I don't know if I'll ever find out.

The symptoms came on gradually, and seemed unrelated at first. Bananas seemed to ripen faster than they used to. My beard growth increased. The children's clothes weren't fitting. If a task at work used to take two days to finish, it was suddenly taking three days to complete.

The simple fact of the matter is that I didn't have as much time as I needed anymore. I'd be lucky to see my children for two hours a night before I had to usher them off to bed.

It's something I've had to come to grips with, and despite all the half-cocked theories I've thrown around, I've come to the conclusion that I know what is causing this loss of temporal mass: age. The older I get, the faster time seems to pass me by.

That said, I'm sure that many of you would rather look at pictures of my offspring than hear about my loss of sanity. So I'll bring you up to date on Stephen and Maddy.

Last weekend was the Mythic employee picnic. It took place at the National Zoo in DC. We were given frisbees, fed well, hydrated, and then sent out to look at the animals. The kids were really well-behaved, despite the long bus rides to and from the zoo. It was a sunny, breezy day, despite a weather forecast that called for thunderstorms.

Stephen got his face painted. There was some debate as to what he would have painted on his cheeks: a cat? A bird? A lizard? He wanted a butterfly. I didn't have any problem with that. He's three! It might not be the most stereotypically masculine animal on the planet, but butterflies are boys, too.

Madeline enjoyed the fresh air, too, in her cute little ball cap. She didn't seem to care that we were at the zoo. For all she cared, we could've been at a funeral, and she would have been just as satisfied.

We didn't see much in the way of animals. Elephants, tigers, lions, lots of turtles, bald eagles, seal lions, antelopes. Between you and I, the National Zoo isn't really all that impressive. I've been spoiled rotten by the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Nothing can really outdo either of those places for sheer style and substance.

Developmental milestones: Stephen is practically potty trained. There was that one incident I reported a while back, but that was very much an isolated event (despite our hope that it would continue). Two weeks ago, Amy decided that she was going to put the boy through "potty bootcamp," and she put him in underwear instead of a diaper. The first couple of days were hit and miss, but once Stephen got the idea, he was quick to insist on doing his business in the bathroom.

Madeline is going to be talking pretty soon. She says things that sound like words, and other things that definitely are words ("Go! Go! Go!") or expressions ("Uh-oh!). She's very expressive. Her hair is growing out. She likes to point at just about everything.

As for Amy and I, we actually we able to get out and see a movie recently. Mythic sent the whole company to the opening showing of Ironman, and Karen babysat for us. It was the first movie we've seen in Virginia since we arrived here last July, and the second movie we've seen since the movie (the first being No Country for Old Men, which we saw in CA over Christmas).

My freelance life has been busy. It doesn't help that I'm completely drained of life by the time I get out of work. It should ease up soon, though, once the current projects are put to bed, and then I can rest.

I've even been looking at joining a local Civil War unit, but it would mean buying all new uniforms and gear -- there aren't any Union cavalry units in my area. They're all CSA. Go figure!

Stephen is Three

2008-03-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Stephen turned three years old on Friday. He was fairly excited about it, and he seemed to enjoy all the attention. He even went so far as to tell his mother, "I'm three, mommy. I don't need to take a nap."

He's fallen into a pattern of behavior in the past few weeks that seems to be standard three year-old: screaming. It seems to be based on frustration, because it tends to occur when it's time to shift gears, go to bed, eat ... well, anything, really.

Example: Last night, he and I were playing with his Lincoln Logs, building a little house. It was time for his bath, and I told him so, to which he stood up, screamed, and ran into the corner, all sorts of angry. Nothing really placated him; he was mad because I was making him stop playing with his logs.

Well, we made it into the bathroom (him kicking and struggling the whole way), got him into the tub, and then he was fine. Of course, when it was time to get out of the tub, we had more fussing and screaming. Suddenly, the kid who didn't want to take a bath didn't want to stop taking a bath.

Just about everything is a struggle. I can only assume he's trying to establish some kind of control over his life. We give him lots of choices, and it's not like he gets away with murder. Hopefully, it will pass after a time. Seems that it's a pretty common trope among three year-old kids.

I still love him, of course, and he's good more often than he's rotten. I feel sorry for him, because he's at a point where he's on an emotional roller coaster. He can't control his emotions very well, and that's got to be pretty rough.

Maddy, of course, continues to be cute as a button. She says, "Uh-oh," now, which is pretty hilarious.

She like playing with the Lincoln Logs, too!

Quick News

2008-03-14T13:50:00.001-07:00

I have it on good authority that today, March 14th, 2008, is the day that Stephen used the potty for the first time!

::insert fanfare here::

Hopefully, this will become a normal part of his life. Diapers, as they say, are crappy.

The Weekend

2008-03-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

I took Stephen to the mall to get a haircut yesterday. He was a good kid, and only complained once we'd left and he realized he'd been denied a lollipop. Far be it from me to deny my son a reward for being such a good boy, but I had to endure about twenty minutes of, "I wanna open it! Open it, daddy! Open it!" at the store once we'd picked out a suitable sucker.

Today, we went down to the playground and horsed around. There's not much new on that front. It was very sunny, but also very windy, and cold! On our way back to the car, we discovered a puddle left over from yesterday's rain with a thin layer of ice on top of it. That will show you how cold it was.

Stephen was so impressed with the ice, that he went to a nearby puddle (which was actually a small lake, when compared to him) and jumped into it -- right up to his ankles, getting his shoes and pants very, very wet. He wasn't too happy when I informed him that we'd have to go back in and get him into some different clothes and shoes before leaving, but he wouldn't have it. By the time we got to the apartment, he was in no condition for a drive, and ended up taking a much-needed nap, instead.

And let's not forget the obligatory Maddy picture!

Two Days Off - in a ROW, Even!

2008-03-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I actually got to take the whole weekend off (though it's a temporary reprieve, at best), and I just sort of lounged around and did very little of any importance. I ran some errands, but that was about it. I've got freelance projects that need tending to, but I'm so darn tired right now that I'd do more harm than good if I tried to do any serious writing.

Today was a bright and sunny, mildly chilly day. Temperatures in the 50's, I'd say. Stephen and I went down to the playground so that he could run around and do little boy things.

Speaking of little boy things, see Stephen run. Run, Stephen, Run!

There are four slides out there, and he seems to like them all. I managed to squeeze this shot off as he looked down at me from the top.

I also took Stephen out and tried to teach him the intricacies of peddling his tricycle. He doesn't quite get it; plus, I think his legs are about an inch too short yet. The concept of steering also eludes him. He's not quite 3 yet, so I can give him some slack, especially since he knows his ABC's and 123's.

After playing at the playground, we drove to Target to pick up some diapers. It was a nice drive. Stephen was less than enthusiastic about having his picture taken in the car, so I snapped this one of him in the rear view mirror when he wasn't paying me any mind.

As for Maddy, little Miss Newly-Turned-One is just as happy and chipper as always. Amy swears she said "mom-ma" the other day (in imitation of Stephen), and we've often heard her say what sounds like "hi" when we say hello to her. She waves goodbye now, and uses the baby sign for more (the same hand to mouth gesture that Stephen used when he was her age).

She communicates by babbling, and, as seen here, she also likes to dance.

Madeline: Year One Retrospective

2008-02-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I did one of these for my boy on his first birthday, I reckon it's only fair to do one for my little girl. The only thing lacking are sonograms of Maddy, which we never had scanned.

Enjoy!

Ten Minutes OldMaddy didn't spring whole from her mother's womb, perfect and happy the way that Stephen had. No, sir. They had trouble getting her to breathe at first, and she spent a good time under an oxygen hood (pictured). She was puffy and generally unhappy, and I was worried sick.

One Day OldIt turned out well enough. Maddy was a lot fussier than Stephen, and Amy wasn't feeling so hot after the surgery. I was very much attached to my little girl right from the start, though.

One Month OldMaddy continued to be fussy, but I don't recall it being terrible. Getting used to another baby in the house wasn't as big a transition this time around. After Stephen, we could do anything. It was all old hat.

Two Months OldThis is when Maddy started to smile, when she started to get a personality of her own instead of being just another demanding, crying, screaming, diaper-filling machine.

3 Months OldI'm pretty sure she started getting happier around the 3-4 month mark. Less fussiness, more character. There were times, of course, when she'd just cry and cry (like at our going-away party at Frank & Lisa's), but you could usually attribute that to her being tired, overstimulated, or both.

4 Months OldShe was just about four months old when we moved to Virginia. I remember long stretches of road where she would cry because she was hungry, or (more likely) because she was tired of being in the car seat.

5 Months OldMaddy in our new apartment in Virginia. This is probably the only home she remembers, given how young she was when we left California. She's definitely queen of the roost now. She walks around like she owns the place.

6 Months OldMy happy girl!

7 Months OldThanks to our friends and family, we had a lot of clothes for Maddy to wear. The older she gets, the more I realize that baby girls' fashions are incredibly silly. Butt ruffles are everywhere (though not on this little dress, which is one of her more fashionable outfits).

8 Months OldEight months was pre-crawling. She did a lot of rolling around, and was content to sit on our laps while we ate, or watched TV, or played computer games. Once she learned to move under her own power, those days were history.

9 Months OldFully into the crawling mode now. This picture was taken on Thanksgiving, prior to us driving to visit Amy's grandparents in Pennsylvania.

10 Months OldMaddy's first Christmas. We flew to California and saw most of our friends and loved ones. Maddy was her usual cheerful self. I think she was more or less oblivious to the holiday, but she enjoyed the attention. The plane ride, on the other hand, was quite the adventure. Never again will I fly with a child on my lap, even one as cute as my daughter.

11 Months OldHappy New Year! Unfortunately, photo taking went by the wayside in January 2008. As in, I think I've got two or three pictures of the kids in January, and this is one of them. It's a companion piece to the SS Sterilite photo I posted a week or so ago. By the tint of her rosy cheeks, I think Maddy was suffering from her first bona fide cold at the time. Poor baby!

1 Year OldEnter the now. She's a year old, and she's got an agenda. She walks, she babbles constantly, she's into everything she can get her hands on. She follows Stephen around. He manhandles her, but she gives as good as she gets. The two kids get along pretty well, though he doesn't always know his own strength. Despite the occasional intersibling violence, Maddy has no fear of her brother. At all.

That's my girl's first year in a nutshell.

Happy Birthday to Maddy!

2008-02-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today was Madeline's first birthday. She's officially one year old!

We celebrated by baking and frosting a cake (see above; yes, I know the "1" is backwards in the picture).

Maddy was intrigued by all the fuss, but she wasn't quite sure what we were up to.

While I cut the cake, Stephen helped himself to the frosting at the base of the candle. Surprisingly, he didn't eat any of the wax in his enthusiasm.

Her first taste of the chocolate decadence that had been placed before her ...

... and the sudden realization that, golly, this stuff tastes GREAT!

Touchdown! Maddy shows her appreciation for the sweets! While the cake itself wasn't a huge hit, the frosting was. She thought that stuff was the bomb.

While Madeline took her post-cake bath, Stephen and I horsed around in a futile attempt to work off a portion of his sugar rush.

As I told my little girl when I put her down for bed this evening, "I love you. It's been a great year since you came into our lives."

2008-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes. It's been far too long.

Despite my exhaustion, I'm going out on a limb and posting some pictures of the kids. Not only that, I've got a special movie that is for Grandma and Grandpa's eyes only! So the rest of you, don't watch it!

(Well, I can't stop you from watching it, so go ahead ... just ignore me calling the camera a phone, and we'll get along fine!)

Also, a couple pics of the kids ...

Madeline, TV & French Fry JunkieShe eats solids these days. She's so used to eating what we eat, that she won't deign to eat baby food any longer. Maddy is such a snob.

The Kids, Out for a CruiseThis is just prior to their three hour cruise on the SS Sterilite. Which one is the Skipper, and which one is Gilligan? You decide!

Stephen (Maddy for Scale)Stephen has always been a camera hog. Maddy doesn't seem to care for them. She'd rather watch whatever trash is on the TV (which is, thankfully, off-camera). To tell the truth, we rarely have the television on. I understand that there are a couple of shows the kids watch regularly (Teletubbies, Blues Clues, Comfy Couch). Next time I have an impromptu photo shoot, there will be no TV, and there will be no French fries!

My Son, the HamboneI'm not sure where he inherited his fixation on cameras, considering Amy and I hate having our pictures taken. Maybe when he's old and fat, he'll feel the same way.

More later!

Photos Coming Soon

2008-02-20T05:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being so quiet around here. Work has ramped up on a number of fronts, and so I tend to neglect things (like this blog) that I would normally try to keep up-to-date. I'll see about getting some pics up this week, but I haven't touched the camera since Christmas!

The kids are doing fine. Stephen is working on learning to read, while Maddy is perfecting her walking skills.

More later!

Ladies and Gentlemen ... I Present Madeline!

2007-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, the amazing baby and her kissy face! What a marvel!

Madeline is full of holiday cheer

Christmas Tree 2007
This year, we've got an artificial tree! Gasp! I've probably said it a million times: "I'm never going to buy an artificial tree."

Well, we needed some holiday cheer around the apartment, and since we'll be out of town for a bit, I didn't want to worry about watering (or otherwise caring for) a half-dead zombie Christmas tree, like in years past. Consider it a temporary concession.

Stephen's Menagerie

2007-12-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Stephen has a small collection of stuffed kitties that he shares his bed with each and every night. Here there are, all together:

Top Row, L to R:
Grumpy Kitty, Scoopers, HaHa Kitty, and Huntington
Bottom Row, L to R:
Merlin Kitty, Teega, Murphy Kitty, Hodges, and Paws
He named most of them by himself, though Huntington is one of Amy's old toys (named after the city he was purchased in, Huntington Beach). It's pretty funny to hear Stephen recite all their names. I admit, he has a better memory than I do.

"Where's the snow?"
Unfortunately, the snow is gone. It's gotten a little bit warmer over the past couple of days, but I have no doubt that we'll see more snow by the end of the year. Stephen enjoyed playing in the snow, and here he is bundled up and ready for a snowball fight.

It's Snowing

2007-12-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

We've had our first snowfall, as you can see:

Stephen was hyped! He woke right up and wanted to go outside. Amy will take him out later and let him make snow angels and whatever else.

I drove to work this morning, my first time driving in snow. To see the other folks on the road, you'd think it was their first time, too. It could've been worse. I suppose it will get worse as winter goes on.

Also, some pics of the kids from Thanksgiving. We took these before we left, but the battery in the camera was dying, so we weren't able to take any more.

Maddie in her Thanksgiving best.
Stephen and His Kitty Want Cranberries!
Can't say much now, gotta get to work!

Goodbye, Taarna

2007-11-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

Someone I once knew died last night. She was the daughter of my friends Brant and Katrina. She shared my birthday. I haven't seen her in years, so I'll always remember her as a young teenager with dark hair, an easy smile, and freckles. She must have turned into quite a vibrant young woman. The world is at a loss without her.

The news was quite unexpected, like a surprise gut shot or a slap in the face. Brant wrote to me and a few others to let us know. There's a news story here. I'm sure there are others, but I haven't got the nerve to seek them out just now.

Being a parent gives me a different perspective on the loss of children. I routinely grow irate when I read news stories about child abuse and neglect, because I can look at my own kids and imagine them in such a bad situation. Likewise, hearing about children who have died upsets me. Learning that Taarna is gone has got me more than a little bit tore up inside. However tenuous my connection to her in recent years, I still have many memories of her in my braincase.

I'm sad, and not a little bit angry. This sort of thing shouldn't happen. I keep thinking that it can't be true, but I suppose there's no denying it.

I don't guess I have much more to say about it right now. It's pretty close to the surface at the moment. I think I need some time to reflect and come to grips with it.

Sad News From Home

2007-11-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

I learned yesterday that my stepdad's father passed away on Thursday. As a result, I've been keeping my mom and stepdad in my thoughts for the past couple of days. I wish it were a simple matter to drive over and visit them as a show of support, but we've got the entire country between us. It stinks.

As for us: Amy's come down with a cold, and she's napping at the moment. She probably caught it from Maddie. Stephen is celebrating a renewed interest in Thomas the Tank Engine. As for me, I'm trying my hand at cooking lasagna (quite an adventure). We'll see how it turns out in about 45 minutes.

All for now...

Latest Snaps

2007-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

So here it is, November already. Sheesh. This year is zipping by.

The news: Maddie crawls, she has nigh on ten teeth, and she likes to stand up. She'll be walking by Thanksgiving, or Christmas at the latest.

Stephen has entered an entirely new phase of not wanting to eat. It's a nightly struggle just to get him to eat something, anything.

His new favorite phrase? "I don't like that." He's specific, too, such as saying, "I don't like eating," or "I don't like going to bed."

Amy seems to be getting along fine. I, on the other hand, am suffering from some back pain. Feels like a nerve to me, but then again, I'm not precisely a doctor. I spent today on my back, trying to give it all some rest. If I'm not feeling better by this weekend, I am definitely going to see how good EA's medical insurance is.

For the time being, here are some new pictures of the kids. Enjoy!

Stephen & Daddy Watch TVI don't remember what we were watching. Amy took this picture when I wasn't paying attention. It's the last time I trust the woman with a camera.

Maddie in the JumperWe bought this jumper thing, sort of a bungee cord with a seat, for Stephen around the time he was learning to walk. He hated it. Maddie, on the other hand, thinks it's the best thing since soy formula.

Stephen on the Trail: "What's that?"Stephen and I went hiking again. He tends to point and ask, "What's that?" a lot.

Maddie Meets the Great PumpkinHalloween came and went with a whimper. Stephen, too terrified of his Halloween costume (a Jedi, no less), refused to wear it. No tricks or treats were to be had. Maybe he'll be more in the spirit next year.

Stephen at Helen & Paul'sWe took a drive to visit Helen & Paul a couple of weeks ago. We took a lot of pictures, but here's one of Stephen, quite at home. He loves Helen and Paul, and he likes running around their house (both inside and outside). We're heading up there for Thanksgiving this year. I only hope he'll eat something.

Until next time...

You Want Pictures..? Have Some!

2007-10-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, kid fans. You've been wanting pictures of the kids, so I'm posting some. These are in rough chronological order, so bear with me.

Grandma & Stephen Appraise One Another at LunchAmy captured this moment between my son and my mother while we had lunch at the Museum of Natural History in DC. I'm not sure what sort of communication was occurring, and neither of them would tell me what they were planning.

Grandma & Maddie Get Re-AcquaintedBetween the time we left California, and my mom's visit, Maddie had grown quite a bit. My mom and Maddie got acquainted once more. In the end, Maddie approved of her grandma.

Maddie, Ready for a Sunny DayMaddie was dressed to impress when we went to Washington with Grampa Lee. Here she is, the very picture of cuteness and innocence, all rolled up into a chubby little package.

Stephen Decides That He'd Rather Get Off the CarouselGrampa Lee spotted a merry-go-round across the mall, and he and Stephen went for a ride. After about the first twenty or so revolutions, Stephen decided that he was done. The operator had different plans, considering he was giving his girlfriend (the girl with her back to you, behind Grampa Lee) an extra long ride.

Stephen is Ready To Hit the TrailLast weekend, I took Stephen to the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park to explore the grounds. When we got there, Stephen was dubious. He whined a bit because he didn't want to go, but once we were moving he changed his mind. We decided to take a brief hike, which we both enjoyed.

In the end, Stephen didn't want to leave, and he made sure that I was aware of his protests. It looks like we'll go back to the park soon, especially considering that his new favorite word is "hike."

Maddie Sits Up Like A ProMaddie sits up like a big girl. On top of that, she just started crawling this week. Every day, she gets a little bit better at it. No cat is safe. Amy calls her "the Terminator," because she "absolutely will not stop, ever," until she gets the crayons she wants and eats them.

Stephen Is Quickly Learning to ComputeAs for Stephen, his latest skill is using either a mouse or touchpad in order to make computers do what he wants them to do. Whether this is putting together a picture online, or deleting Amy's latest literary masterpiece, depends on the circumstances.

I hope you've enjoyed this update, and that it will suffice for a little while.

Yes, Yes, Yes...

2007-10-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, Stephen is back.

Yes, I've not posted in a while.

Yes, I will post pictures just as soon as I find a spare moment.

Between two kids and work, I'm finding it hard to work up the time or energy to keep this blog up to date. All I can say is that I'll get to it when I get to it.

We discovered yesterday that Maddie snuck two more teeth in on the top, so she's got a total of six very white and very sharp incisors now. She's also very close to crawling, and will probably be completely mobile within a week. She's got the idea down, she just needs to synchronize her brain with her body.

Stephen is fine, too, getting back into the swing of things after three weeks in California. We're making plans to visit in December.

All for now. Like I said, I'll try to get some photos up soon.

Stephen Has Left the Building

2007-09-11T11:31:00.001-07:00

Stephen's grandma arrived on Saturday evening. We spent Sunday in DC, and she and my boy boarded a Southwest flight on Monday morning.

We've got some pictures of the weekend -- I'll have to post them later -- as well as some good memories. The ride on the Metro was interesting, and not necessarily in a bad way. Both Stephen and Maddie behaved themselves well, even given the exhausting nature of the trip for such small children.

Amy and I were both sad to see Stephen go, even for such a short period of time. He's our son, and we've rarely been apart from him for more than a couple of days at a time ever since he was born. I'm going to miss opening the front door after work each day and hearing my boy announce, "Hi, Daddy!" His spontaneous hugs and smiling "I love you!"'s are also sorely missed.

I know he is in good hands, so I won't worry about him. The apartment is very quiet now, even with the low roar that Maddie generates.

Grandma is Coming

2007-09-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

A quick update.

GRANDMA IS COMING!!

Yes, my mom is flying out to visit us this weekend, staying a day, and then flying back to California with Stephen.

I'm happy to be seeing my mom again; it's been over two months, after all. We'll be heading out to DC to see some of the museums, and I plan to take her out to dinner on Sunday night. I just wish she could stay little bit longer.

The flip side of the coin is that she's taking my son back to California for a three week visit. Amy and I are going to miss him terribly. Given that (outside of work) we only know two people in our area, our kids are an important part of our social network. Maddie will be with us, and I'm sure we will lavish her with attention during Stephen's absence, but I'm still sad to know that I won't see the boy again until October.

So that's the update.

As to not posting more frequently: well, it's busy. Sometimes it's tough to work up the energy to play WoW, much less post meaningful prose on my weblog. The time passes so quickly that I can hardly keep track of it most weeks.

Aerospace Museum & Playground Pics

2007-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Stephen, Chuck, and I went to the National Air & Space Museum (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center) yesterday. It's about a ten minute drive from our apartment, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get out with the guys. Admission is free, but parking costs $12 (ouch). Still, it was worth it to see all the stuff they had on display.

Stephen Poses in Front of a Pod RacerOkay, so it's not really a "pod racer," but it was the first thing that came to Stephen's mind when he saw it. It does look a little bit like a pod from Quadinaro's racer from Episode I. Unfortunately, he's a little washed-out in this picture, but I thought it was funny.

Stephen & his CameraStephen enjoys taking pictures with our digital camera so much, that we bought him his own. It's a Fisher-Price camera with a built-in LCD screen. The picture quality is grainy at best (see below), but it's pretty sturdy and he loves to take pictures all day long.

Maddie, Through Stephen's EyesAs an example of Stephen's camera's capabilities, here's a picture he took of Madeline. It doesn't handle movement well, so both the person taking the picture and the target of the picture need to be relatively still. As a result, most of Stephen's pictures end up as unrecognizable blurs.

Chuck & Stephen Posing by a Black WidowChuck and is wife Karen are expecting a son next month (September). Stephen's two and a half years old, but I'm sure it gives Chuck some idea what he's got to look forward to. A little hands-on never hurt anyone.

Stephen Enjoys McNuggets and BBQ SauceWhen Stephen gets fussy, it's a sure sign that he's either tired or hungry. We decided to go to the McDonald's in the museum, and he consumed fries, McNuggets, and Diet Coke (his favorite). He was still a little bit edgy after lunch, but the food took the edge off.

Space Shuttle EnterpriseIt's pretty neat that they've got the Enterprise at the museum. I told Stephen it was a space ship, but he wasn't real impressed.

The New Playground
Our balcony overlooks one of our apartment complex's "tot lots." When we moved in, the equipment was serviceable, but run-down. Last week, they tore out the old stuff and installed a bunch of brand new equipment: slides, teeter totter, swings. Stephen has been wanting to go play on this stuff ever since they started installing it, but it's been way too hot. I took him out this afternoon and let him take the new stuff for a spin.

"I'm on top of the world!!"It was hot and humid out, but not nearly as bad as it has been. There was a nice breeze that would kick up every so often. Stephen doesn't seem to mind the heat, even though he turns red and sweats just like his parents do.

Stephen Tries a New SlideStephen loves slides. He's loved them since as far back as I can remember, when we used to take him to the little playground at our complex in Vista, and (especially) when we'd go to Stage Coach Park in Encinitas.

Stephen Swings!Stephen wanted to go on the swings, so I loaded him up and pushed him a few times. The novelty wore off pretty quickly, and he wanted to get down so he could go dig in the dirt a little bit. My gosh, does he need a haircut.

Maddie Is Working Up to CrawlingI don't want to leave Maddie out. She's doing real well. No more teeth yet, but she is working on developing some mobility. At the moment, she rolls around and scoots along like an inch worm, but I can tell she wants to go faster. Who wouldn't?

That's all for now. More in a while!

More Kidpics

2007-08-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

I've been at the new job for four weeks now. The time has flown by. Life in general has been busy -- too busy! -- but there's nothing for it. I've just got to try and keep my head above water.

People keep asking me if I like the new job. I do, actually. It's different from any other job I've ever held. There's a lot of work to do, though, which means I've got a lot of overtime in my future.

The apartment is just about unpacked. It's amazing to say we've been surrounded by boxes for over a month, but getting it all unpacked and put away is not quite as simple as it sounds.

Pictures? Did I mention those? I guess I did.

Maddie in the Walker
My Goofy Son in the Walker (w/Pacifier)(And boy, did he think that was funny...he cracks himself up.)
Stephen "Helps" Mommy Assemble Furniture(The term "helps" is entirely relative in this case.)
Stephen Talks to Grandma & Grandpa on the Phone
My Little Girl, Napping w/her Glow Wyrm
All for now, more later!

Picture Monday

2007-07-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

Just a few recent pictures for those who wanted to see them...

Stephen & Daddy
Stephen Hams it Up
Maddie and her Panda
Our Cars from the 3rd Floor
The Office - Another Day at Work
More later!

Pictures, At Last

2007-07-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

I managed to dig the proper cable out of its box today, and I've got a round of photos for those of you who've been eager to see them. They're not awesome, and they're not particularly exciting, but they should serve a purpose.

We Saw Many Trains on our Trip
Stephen At a Rest Stop in New Mexico
The Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere (TX)
Amy & Madeline at our Temporary Dinner Table
Our Living Room, Before Our Stuff Arrived
Our Hallway, also Pre-Movers
The Kids' Room (Stephen for Scale)
Stephen Shows Off the Laundry Facilities
Stephen Shows Us the Potty
The Kitchen
Stephen's Favorite Cupboard
So that's it...for now. I'll be sure to get more pictures of the local area up soon, as well as more pictures of the kids. As we get closer to having our apartment (and lives) organized, we'll be able to take more snaps of the kids in their new environment. Hopefully, these pictures will suffice for the time being.

My First Day at Mythic

2007-07-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

There's not much to say. It went well, I reckon. It's mostly about getting used to what I'll be doing, and meeting everyone I'll be working with. There are a lot of folks in that last category, by the way. I will have to practice my name/face recognition skills, methinks.

Fairfax is a nice enough town, but it's hot here. Not Needles hot, but hot (and humid) enough to make the sweat pop out on my brow within a few seconds of being exposed to it. We're in a nice location, centrally-located to a lot of convenient shopping. Traffic can be a pain, but being a Californian, it's not as much of a nuisance as I might otherwise think.

The movers are coming today to bring our stuff. Up until now, we've been residing in a nigh-empty apartment with little more than our laptops to keep us company. Stephen has been playing with the same handful of Hot Wheels since we got here, but his grandma sent him more in the mail and he was very pleased to get them. It's tough entertaining children without the modern conveniences you normally take for granted.

I'd have posted pictures by now, but we brough the wrong USB cable for our camera. Typical of Murphy's Law. I'll have some up once we find the proper cable in any one of the 300+ boxes that should be arriving today.

(FYI: Post copied from Neuro-Suction.)

Home At Last

2007-07-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

So, we're finally here. We took a little extra time; as Amy says, "You can go all day with two kids, and you can go all night with two kids, but you can't go all day and all night with two kids."

We spent last night in Bristol, TN (on the TN/VA border), and spent today driving to our new home (via Karen and Chuck's place in Manassas).

The new apartment seems nice enough. We're getting some loaner gear from Chuck until our stuff arrives sometime next week. I'll post pictures when I can, but today is looking busier by the moment.

One More Day..?

2007-07-04T05:40:00.001-07:00

We didn't quite make it as far as we wanted to. Blame the getting up late for that. As it is, we decided to stop in Little Rock, both for our own sanity, as well as for that of our children.

In a few minutes, we hit the road. We've got a long way to go yet, but we're starting earlier than usual and we're sick of living out of suitcases.

Leaving Texas, we got to see the "largest cross in the western hemisphere." Talk about odd. Oklahoma was not as bad as we were led to believe, for which we were pleasantly surprised. So far, Arkansas isn't bad, either. In my opinion, it's some of the prettiest country we've seen on the drive; lots of woods and lakes. Humid, though.

Yeah, humid. Let's try and get used to humidity, considering we're moving to Virginia. Gah!

Day Two Behind, Day Three Ahead

2007-07-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we pulled out of Flagstaff around 11am, and we drove until we reached Amarillo (where we are now). The countryside certainly is beautiful in many parts of Arizona and New Mexico, but New Mexico's population centers (especially Albuquerque) left something to be desired. I suppose that with as large as it is, Albuquerque probably has nice areas, but I didn't see any of them first-hand.

As for Amarillo: despite being in Texas, it's civilization. Tucumcari, one of the last stops on I40 out of New Mexico, was practically a ghost town. Where did all the people go? I have no idea.

Every time we pass through a crummy little burg, I can't help but think of Needles for some reason. I mean, what a hell hole. I don't mean any disrespect, but the place was as close to hell on earth as I've ever seen. One-hundred twenty degree heat, and gas prices so inflated that you know it's got to be some kind of gouge. Premium unleaded was $3.99/gallon, with regular a mere twenty cents below that. I guess the place is so terrible that they figure you'll pay anything to avoid being stuck there.

We're having some trouble getting used to the time change. Texas is two hours removed from California time. Hence, we're up later than I'd wanted to be. I wanted to be driving by now, but we probably won't hit the black until 10am local time.

I'd like to make Nashville tonight, but I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure just by mentioning the fact. I guess we'll see where we are ten hours from now.

On the Road

2007-07-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

And so we are...

It's been a while since I posted about my big news. It hasn't been particularly boring, but I won't go into details. Suffice it to say that I've been taking care of all the things that go into a cross-country move. I haven't done it alone, either; my wife, our friends Chuck, Karen, JD, Keri, and my brother-in-law Adam and his gal Allison, have all done their parts to get us on our way.

We set out yesterday from San Diego, and drove until we got to Flagstaff, AZ. That's where we are at the moment, prepping to load the car and hit the road once more. Not sure how far we'll get tonight, but we're hoping to make some good time.

I'll check in again if I can. Not sure how much internet will be available on the way.

Gary

Corsica, RIP

2007-06-11T09:21:00.001-07:00

My '95 Chevy Corsica passed away on Thursday.

Well...technically, it's not dead, but it is in the final stages of life. It's so far gone that I wouldn't feel comfortable driving it more than a few hundred yards. It's only got about 85,000 miles, which is a shame. It was a good car. Chalk it up to a water leak that was confined more to the engine block than to the radiator. I've been nursing the thing for a while now, making sure there's enough water/coolant to keep it at normal temperature.

Over the past couple of weeks, the amount of fluid I've had to put into the car has increased quite a bit. Normally, it was about a gallon every 2-3 weeks. It had turned into a weekly event. Driving to a memorial service last Thursday, a mere day after filling the radiator, it grew hotter than it's ever been, began to steam, and was running rough.

The general opinion: a cracked head.

Normally, I would have been completely upset. However, I saw the writing on the wall a long while back. Given our impending move to Virginia, I had planned to buy a new car this past weekend. I'd planned to trade the Corsica in, but it wasn't having any of that. Likely feeling betrayed and abandoned, it decided to give up its lease on life, instead. In a short time, I will be calling an auto wrecker or a local charity to come and take it away. First, I need to get all the Civil War gear out of the trunk.

Which brings me to the new car: a brand new 2008 Scion xB. Not as boxy as the original Scions, it's also got a bigger engine and more interior room. Like the original, it's got a slew of standard features that I'm really pleased with. I'm still getting used to the clutch (it's a manual transmission). I'll try to get some pictures up here soon.

The planning stages of our trip are underway. We're awaiting a consultation from a moving company at the moment. The apartment application docs will be sent out tomorrow. I don't see any trouble getting approved, but you never can tell. Best case scenario goes something like this:

We ship our belongings and Amy's Hyundai to VA.
Stephen, the cats, and myself drive to VA, leaving on 6/25, intending to arrive on 6/29. It's possible that our friend Robert will be accompanying us in one capacity or another.
Amy and Maddie fly out on or around 6/28, and meet us there.
I start work on 7/2.

I'm trying to keep things relatively open, because we all know that the best laid plans usually break down under combat conditions.

The Big News

2007-06-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

(Originally posted on NeuroSuction -GLA)

Okay, so I reckon I'll post this now, since it's more or less official.

EA Mythic (formerly Mythic Entertainment) has offered me a Content Developer position on their up-coming Warhammer MMO, Warhammer: Age of Reckoning. This means that my family and I will be relocating 2,690 miles, from San Diego, California to Fairfax, Virginia, within the next month.

To say I am happy about this is something of an understatement. I love being an RPG freelancer, but it doesn't pay all the bills. Working for EA Mythic, I'll be contributing to a product/IP that I believe in. Things will never be the same for me, or my family.

In order to follow this dream of mine, Amy and I will be leaving a lot of friends and loved ones in California. It's probably going to be the most painful part of the transition. We may end up coming back to California someday; heck, we plan on it. There's no telling when that will be, though.

So that's that. Wish us luck. We intend to be in our new place by the end of the month.

Brother & Sister

2007-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here we have the kids sharing quality time in front of the television. Yes, sir. We waste no time whatsoever in rotting their brains with quality American programming (in this case, "Mickey Mouse Club House").

The new camera works, but it has so many bells and whistles that I'm not entirely sure what to do with it just yet. We'll have to get some more photos taken, but in the meantime...

It appears as if Mr. Man wants the camera for himself. Oh, dear...

Kid Updates

2007-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Real quick:

Stephen has slept in his "big boy bed" two nights in a row so far. We had one incident of him ending up on the floor the first night, and I'm not entirely certain how it happened, as I put an obstacle between him and the opening in the bed rail to prevent just such an event. I placed him back in his bed, and he slept the rest of the night.

Stephen also continues to potty train. Not a whole lot of progress (and what progress there has been is, well, better left to the imagination).

So yay for Stephen!

Today is Maddie's second month check-up, including her first round of immunizations. Poor baby!

As for the camera, Stephen's grandma bought us a new one. We spent last night messing around with it, and we'll try to snap some more pictures soon.

Enter the Monkey Toddler

2007-05-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Stephen has discovered climbing. And he likes it.

Unsurprisingly, his mother and I do not share his enthusiasm. It's only a matter of time before he hurts himself while attempting to reach something he's not allowed to have. The boy has no fear whatsoever.

His climbing has also extended to his crib. No longer can his nocturnal prison confine him. He's definitely gotten the knack of climbing over the wall, but reaching the ground safely is another matter altogether. Twice now, we've been alerted to his escape attempts by the loud THUMP of his body hitting his bedroom floor.

It's a natural progression, or so I'm told. Children learn that they are more than capable of reaching objectives that were once out of their limited reach. I suppose that, in some fashion, I should be proud that he's grown so much. On the other hand, having Madeline around has given me a whole new appreciation for immobile children.

Madeline, All Smiles

2007-04-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I couldn't help it. Just after getting my little girl in the apartment this afternoon, I glanced her way and she was grinning at me like a lunatic. I got the camera -- yes, the broken one -- and beat on it until it agreed to work for me. I managed to squeeze off a couple of shots, one of which follows:

Baby smiles are soooooo goofy, but they're so damn infectious. They make you live for the next one, and the next one, and the next one. I can't wait until she starts laughing...

Camera RIP

2007-04-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Alas, our digital camera has given up the ghost. We've been giving it the gentle treatment for the past couple of months, given that the lense has a moody habit of not extending or retracting fully. Now, the little shutter that closes to protect the lens from our greasy grimy fingers refuses to open or shut completely.

Hence, no new pictures.

There are a couple still on the camera from when it was still (more or less) functional, so I'll gather those up and post the ones that are worth keeping.

As far as news is concerned, Amy is back to work as of last Monday. So far, she's really happy to be back.

Stephen is talking and talking and talking. He's a little parrot boy. He'll say just about anything you ask him to say. He might not get it right, but it's definitely recognizable. He's also very knowledgeable about lots of things, things I wouldn't expect him to know. Garlic, for example. I showed him a bulb yesterday and asked him what it was. "Gar-lick!" he answered. I was amazed.

He's also able to identify about 99% of the alphabet. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't remember learning my letters until age 5 or thereabouts. I've made him some flash cards with index cards and a magic marker, and I quiz him every so often. He's only familiar with capital letters so far, but I plan to work on lower case letters, numbers, and shapes pretty soon.

As to Madeline, she's growing and growing and growing. She's definitely got some meat on her bones now. She raises her head really well, is very attentive, and she even smiles at us every so often. Her next check-up is later this week. I'll be sure to post her current attribute scores.

There's nothing new in my world, unless you count my haircut. I visited a local salon a week ago, and the girl who cut my hair took a large divot out of my hair. Being that I wear glasses, and being that I wasn't wearing them during the haircut, I didn't notice the imperfection until I was driving away and admiring my hair in the rear-view mirror. Admiration turned to horror in an instant.

I wasn't prepared to go back to the same place and throw a tantrum. God knows, I'd get the same girl, and she'd end up shaving my head completely. I turned, instead, to another hair cutting place on the way home, and they set me up well enough. Granted, they had to cut my hair shorter than it's ever been in order to "repair" the damage. I feel like a shorn sheep. Or Sampson. I should've checked to make sure the girl's name wasn't Delilah before I sat in that darn chair.

Once again, I apologize for the lack of new photos. We'll be buying a new camera within the next month or so, I reckon. We've had one readily available for far too long to give up the convenience of it.

Six Years

2007-04-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, Amy and I have been married for six years. Prior to that, we'd been together for nine. Between our days of sin and married bliss, we've spent nearly fifteen years together.

So, here's to another fifteen years, eh?

Far Too Quiet

2007-04-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I admit, it's been too quiet around here. With one child, it wasn't nearly as hard to get out the old web log and update on a somewhat regular basis. With two, it's much more difficult. When one of them is sleeping or occupied, the other is invariably needy. I can only imagine how it would be if there were only one of us to care for two small children. My heart goes out to single parents, everywhere.

Amy, Stephen, and Madeline at Home
Over the past couple of weeks, Madeline has grown quite a bit. She's well over eight pounds in weight, and is two inches longer than she was when she was born. At the moment, she's going through a growth spurt: a fussy, restless period wherein she demands to be fed more often, and tends to eat much more than usual at each sitting. I expect she'll continue to grow at an increased rate.

Madeline, Awake and Alert
Stephen is reveling in the role of a two year-old big brother. I might be biased, but I think he's pretty well-behaved for a terrible twoist. He still says "no" at just about every opportunity, but it's often more an expression of disdain rather than an outright denial of our demands. He's also picked up the word "mine," which is often second only to "no" on his short list of words to say.

Stephen, Asserting His Authority
Still, it's nice that we can finally communicate verbally. The conversations aren't detailed, but he's putting two and three word sentences together with ease. Samples include, "I got it!" "How going?" "Happy kitty!" and "Clean poopie!" (the latter in relation to my question, "What do you do with paper towels?"). Last weekend, the boy and I went on a day trip to San Diego. After making our purchases, we dropped into a coffee shop and shared a cold drink. It was nice to be out with him, and I think he appreciated being able to go somewhere that wasn't our apartment. Getting outside is important.

"Did I say you could take my picture?"
With that in mind, we drove by Stage Coach Park on the way home. Stage Coach is a nice place to play, though it can get a little bit crowded. Stephen likes to go down slides, so long as they aren't enclosed, and he likes to run around in the sand and meet other kids. On this occasion, there was a family flying a dragon-shaped kite, and Stephen decided that he wanted to be a part of the fun. Well, long story made short, he nearly clotheslined himself on their kite string, and I had to remove him bodily from the area before he made a nuisance of himself. He was displeased, but got over it relatively quickly.

To Stephen, Slides Are a Means to an End
Last Saturday night was game night, and we had some folks over for the fun. Stephen enjoys interacting with everyone, especially his uncle Adam and our friend Alex. Still, it's bed time for him once everyone arrives, which leaves us to watch Madeline while he winds down and goes to sleep. The night was uneventful, with both kids sleeping the majority of the time.

Adam Clowns, Amy Ignores the Camera
This weekend is busy. Today, being Sunday, we've been invited to a baby shower for a friend of mine that I know from a previous job. Karla is due in May, and she's counting on the gender of the baby to be a surprise. As I understand it, her husband knows what they're having, but she doesn't. I don't think I could've handled such a burden.

Madeline Lounges on a Warm Spring Day
Yesterday, being Saturday, was Stephen's cousin Emalee's third birthday. We celebrated at Emalee's grandpa's house. There were a lot of toys present, and Stephen showed a lot of interest in the sandbox and the squirt guns. The festivities included a huge inflatable jumper for the kids to play in, a pinata, as well as cake and ice cream.

His Jumping Done, Stephen Indicates Which Way Is Out
It was nice to see my cousins and other relations, and the weather was gorgeous. Plus, we got to show off Madeline (who got a little too much sun on her chubby cheeks, poor baby). Stephen paid more attention to the squirt guns than anything, but he's a boy...can't say as I blame him for being action-oriented.

"Ah, a phased plasma rifle in the forty watt range."
Well, that's enough for now. More later, I'm sure. I'll try to make the posts more regularly, say each and every Sunday, but I can't make promises until my schedule becomes more predictable.

Fourteen Ounces in One Week

2007-03-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

We were asked to take Madeline back to her pediatrician so that she could have a weight check. The doctor was concerned about her weight: she was 7lbs 2ozs at birth, but she weighed significantly less than that when we brought her home. By the time she had her first exam last week, she only weighed 6lbs 10ozs.

Never fear, for her weight yesterday came in at a whopping 7lbs 8ozs, which is a net gain of 14 ounces in one week. That's almost an entire pound. I'm impressed, frankly. At this rate, she'll be fully grown in about three months.

In other news, Stephen's birthday is next Wednesday. He'll be turning two, officially. I say "officially" because he's been acting like a two year-old for several months now. I'll be going out a little later to do some birthday shopping for the boy, and we'll be officially celebrating his big day tomorrow (along with his grandma's birthday, which is actually today).

So, happy St. Pat's. Everyone be safe, and eat some green bagels...

D Day +15

2007-03-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

Maddie's been in the world for two weeks as of today. I'm sorry my posts have been few and far between, but it's been an interesting ride. She's a good baby, and she sleeps well. Regardless, our schedule has been affected. There are 2-4 nocturnal feedings and/or diaper changes every night, which gets one or both of us out of bed. She had her first check-up, and came through it fine. She's a little bit underweight, but she eats like a horse so I reckon she'll be fattening up in no time at all.

Stephen is getting along pretty well. He's regressed a little bit, in that he prefers to be carried everywhere when we go out. This from the little boy who, a month ago, wanted to walk by himself and complained if you put him in a shopping cart instead of leaving him on his own two feet.

So, for the time being, here are some relatively recent photos of the kids. Enjoy!

Madeline on Her First Day Home
Pretty In Pink
Stephen Cools Off with an Ice Cream Cone

Free At Last

2007-03-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

A brief update.

Amy and Madeline are home as of today. Both are sleeping soundly at the moment. I expect this weekend will be a gauntlet of sorts, but we'll get through it.

More later...

Thursday...I Hope

2007-02-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

As in, that's when Amy will be released from the hospital.

We were hoping she'd be back home by tonight, but the fickle gods of anesthesia side-effects had other plans. It's nothing serious, life-threatening, or long-term, but it was inconvenient enough that they want to keep her there one more day to make sure she's alright.

Madeline in Repose
Madeline is doing fine. According to Amy, who has spent plenty more time with her than I have, she is a pretty mellow baby. So far.

I expect the honeymoon will end once we get her home.

Stephen Splashes in a Puddle
I've only been able to see the baby on three (or maybe four) occasions since she was born. Stephen and I have been a unit for the past few days, which has given me a new perspective on what the lives of single parents must be like.

He's a good boy, don't get me wrong, but I'm almost 34 and he's almost 2, and the difference in energy levels between the two of us is a wide gulf indeed.

Stephen stayed at his grandma's house today for a few hours while I got some things done, and afterwards we went to the hospital to pay Mommy and Madeline a visit. He's asleep now, and I'm about to continue my current writing project (due tomorrow, hurrah hurrah).

Will I make it..? Under normal circumstances, I'd say "Yes," but this week has been anything but normal. I'd like nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep right now, but instead I'm mainlining coffee and staring into my laptop monitor like a zombie.

Brains...

The End of the Day

2007-02-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Stephen and I paid a visit to Amy and Madeline this afternoon. Stephen was thrilled, or so it seemed. He's also starting to understand, on a very basic level, what this means. He wanted to be everywhere the baby was, which I reckon is normal. He doesn't want to feel left out.

Stephen Meets Madeline
Amy experienced some nausea due to the medication they gave her after her surgery, but by the time Stephen and I showed up to visit, they were letting her eat Jell-O and crackers, and drink water.

Daddy's Girl
As for myself, I feel emotionally desiccated. It's been a long, long day. Stephen and I are winding down, watching Finding Nemo (Stephen's favorite movie as of late). I feel like half a person without Amy here, but I'll manage. It will make her homecoming all the more welcome.

Enter Madeline

2007-02-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

Give a warm welcome to Madeline Gale Marie Astleford, born 2/26/07 at around 8am. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 2 oz. She's a grumpy little girl, just like her mommy.

Amy and Madeline
Amy and Madeline are fine and well, resting up after their ordeal. I'll have more news and pictures to post later on, but for now I need to get some sleep.

Opening Tomorrow, Baby: The Sequel

2007-02-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

It's late, and we're still awake. For two people who will be rousing themselves at 4am so that they can go forth and bring a new life into the world, we're awfully cavalier when it comes to not sleeping. Still, there's stuff that needed doing, and...well, we've done 99% of it.

This is the first night that the two of us have been without Stephen. He's spending the night at his grandma's, and I sincerely hope that by now he's fast asleep (as we should be). For the next couple of days, it'll just be he and I under this roof. We can do all the things that guys do without the benefit of their wives/mothers on hand: walk around in our underwear, watch wrestling, burp, fart.

Not like we don't do all that when Amy's around, but it sounded good.

Anyway, we miss him. Terribly.

So that's that. Going to bed soon. Here's a picture of the first-born to tide you over until we can present pictures of the second.

"What do you mean, 'It's a girl'?? Blech!"
Wish us luck.

Insert Pretentious Title Here

2007-02-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

I lack the words for an appropriately silly title which expresses the gravity of our lives, and how much they will change tomorrow. So I'll avoid the overblown title for this entry and get down to brass tacks.

It's official: tomorrow, 2/26/07, Amy and I will be heading to the hospital. We have to arrive at the ungodly hour of 5:30 in the morning. The actual surgery is scheduled for 7:30am. I have no idea what they will be doing to her (us?) in the two hours in-between. More than likely, she'll get all sorts of prep and exam, and I'll get a snazzy set of tiny disposable plastic scrubs to squeeze into.

Those scrubs blow. The best thing about them is tearing them off, like the Hulk, only you don't turn green (unless you're sitting next to the chum bucket that the suction hose empties into, like I was when Stephen was born).

It also seems as if Stephen will be able to visit his mommy and baby sister in the hospital, as long as I can get his immunization record updated at his pediatrician's office tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, he won't get to see his mother until she comes home, which will be either Wednesday or Thursday.

So, how am I feeling today? Well, I feel like time is running out. Nervous. A little edgy. I'm trying to keep a happy face on, but it's all adding up. I've been busy the entire weekend. I've got a project due on Thursday that I need to find the time to finish. I'm sure I can do it, but the planets will need to be properly aligned.

My primary concerns are my wife and our new child. This has been a relatively uneventful pregnancy. No nausea this time around, thank the gods. It's been going so well that it worries me a little bit. I guess that's just me being superstitious. I've seen enough of those maternity/ER shows (or portions of them, anyway) to know that a million things can go wrong (but usually don't).

Odds are that by this time tomorrow, I'll be handing out bubble gum "It's A Girl" cigars and sending out emails to update all my friends and family abroad on the good news. I'm just a worrier, plain and simple. I always have been.

I guess I'll get down to doing some of that writing I need to have done by Thursday. The coffee shop is about half full, and there are few distractions. It's a perfect time to write. If only my mind wasn't focused on tomorrow, that is.

I Feel Something

2007-02-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

Stress.

Five days to go, and I'm starting to get an uncomfortable, anxious feeling in my guts. There's so much left to do, both related to my family and my sideline as a writer/game designer, that the time I have left seems so scant. I've been sick (though not horribly), and every day I feel more worn out than I did the day before.

People at work ask me if I'm taking time off for the baby. "A week," I'll answer. They'll ask why I'm not taking more time off. "Can't afford it," I'll answer. Isn't there some paid family leave thing? "Not worth it," I'll answer.

If I could take the extra time, I would. As it is, I'm only going to be able to get paid for half of my time off (because that's all the vacation time I have at the moment).

It's on my mind today. I figure it will be on my mind for the rest of my life.

Eight More Days

2007-02-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

We've been preparing for our daughter's birth at a slow but steady pace for over a month. All the real big jobs, such as moving furniture and evicting me from my office/Stephen's room, have been completed. Stephen's grandmother bought him a "big boy bed." By the time the baby is ready to sleep in our crib, Stephen should be ready to sleep in his own bed. As it is, he'll sleep there for about two hours or so before rolling out of it, ending up asleep in a heap on the floor.

Stephen Asleep in the Big Boy Bed
Stephen still doesn't have a clue what he's in store for. I worry that he'll feel negelcted, so I intend to try and make the transition as painless as possible. I suppose that some jealousy on his part is inevitable, and likely natural. I would prefer it if he liked his sister from the get-go, because the last thing I want is two children who fight like cats and dogs.

"Big Brother" is Fitting for Stephen
My co-workers threw us a surprise baby shower last week. I knew they were planning one, but I never expected them to trick me into getting Amy to come by work so that they could surprise us both. They were all very generous, and outside of a lot of really cute clothes, blankets, garter belt-like headbands, bottles, and other sundries, we also received a Target gift card with a very healthy balance on it.

All told, it seems like everyone at work pitched in. It's not a small company, either. Amy's response was, "Wow. Your co-workers must like you a lot." I guess they must.

It's On the Nose!
So, yeah. Eight more days, and we'll go from three to four. I'll be taking some time off, about a week, but given that my company doesn't pay employees for paternity leave, and given that I have little in the way of vacation hours available, it's all the time I can really spare. I wish I could take more time off, but I don't have that luxury.

I'll keep everyone up to date here, and in email. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Nesting Has Begun!

2007-02-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

Today, we started to clear out Stephen's room in preparation for our daughter's impending arrival. Prior to Stephen being born, that room was my office (and, prior to that, it was a spare bedroom). The intent now is to take anything that is mine out of that room and find a spot for it somewhere else. Amy seems to think this will be easier than it sounds. Me? I'm the pessimist.

We've been working on this since 10:30 this morning, and we're no where near done. Thanks to Stephen's grandma, he's been out with her and Grampa Lee all day. If he'd been here, the entire process would've taken considerably longer, and we'd both be hoarse from saying "No, Stephen. Put that down, please," over and over again.

It seems each child we have brings Amy and I closer to mixing our belongings. With Stephen, we'd merged our game collections and our music collections. This time around, we'll be putting my clothes into Amy's closet. A monumental undertaking.

The Super Bowl is about to start. Billy Joel (looking considerably older than I remember him looking) is belting out the National Anthem. I probably won't watch much of the game, but it'll be on in the background. At some point, we need to rescue my mom from Stephen.

Out and About

2007-01-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

We went out to dinner with friends last night. Stephen was incredibly well-behaved. Our friends have their own baby daughter, who just turned one this month. Stephen certainly enjoyed interacting with her, and she seemed awed to see another little person play nearby. Yes, folks, it's the start of a beautiful friendship.

Not much is new, really. Same old stuff. I've gone from having one writing project to having four in a matter of days. I can't work on any of them yet, at least not until the details are clear, and they're not all due at the same time, either. Still, it's nice to have work, even though I get the same nervy feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I start in on something new.

Amy's last day at work is Wednesday, January 31st. From that point on, we'll be counting down the days until our new angel arrives. We've got that much time to rearrange what used to be a combination of office and baby room into a full-fledged, no holds barred baby room for two. This means moving hundreds of books, three book cases, and a computer desk, as well as packing away a good bit of extraneous clutter that has accumulated since Stephen came into our lives.

I realize that the last post included no pictures of Stephen. I also realize that some of you in blog land with a vested interest in this site want to see pictures. So I'll post a few recent pictures here, just for you.

All Bow Before King Stephen I
Between Running Us Ragged and Making Messes, Stephen Finds Time To Relax
The Center of Our Universe (Pending His Sister)

My Wife is Famous

2007-01-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe she's not a household name, but she does have her own entry on the Internet Movie Database. That's got to be worth something.

It all goes back to early in our relationship. We weren't married, just "going steady" (as I believe it's called). There was a comic written by a fellow named Jesse Reklaw titled Concave Up, which dealt with people's dreams. Basically, people would send their dreams to Jesse, who would illustrate them and publish them in his comic. He does a similar thing now in a strip called Slow Wave, though in a smaller format.

Amy submitted a dream to Jesse that was entitled Dinner with the Devil, wherein she was invited to dine with Satan himself. While in his graces, she was allowed to look at his library, which contained all the books ever burned by mankind. Being a bookworm, this dream is obviously a manifestation of Amy's subconscious desire to read forbidden lore. No wonder she likes Call of Cthulhu. Jesse illustrated the story and published it in the fifth issue of his comic book.

Somehow, a young Kiwi film maker named Michael Travis got a hold of this comic. He liked the story so much, he wrote and directed a short film of it in 2002, titled The Devil's Library. He and Jesse must have been in contact with one another during the process, but in the time since the comic had been published, Amy had fallen of the face of the earth. Jesse and Michael had little luck finding her.

Somehow, a year or two ago, we became aware of the film's existence. We'd discussed trying to get a copy, but never had much luck. In the end, I managed to contact Jesse Reklaw, who is living in Portland these days, and Michael Travis, who now lives and works in England. My intention was to get a copy of the DVD for Amy for Christmas. Michael was quite gracious, and sent us a copy. It didn't arrive in time for the holiday, but that's not really the point.

If you'd like to see the film for yourself, it seems as if Michael has posted a streaming video of it on his web site. You can page through Michael's site and find it yourself (a worthy endeavor, simply to see the vast amount of work he's done), or you can be lazy and view it by clicking this link. Either way, I won't think any less of you.

So that's how my wife got famous, without even knowing about it. According to Michael, it's not as easy as it might sound to get your work, much less your name, added to the IMDB. With luck, we'll eventually get to see Jesse again, and it would sure be a joy to meet Michael, too.

...And A Happy New Year

2007-01-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

Long time no update, eh? I've promised holiday pictures, and that's pretty much what this entry is for. No long, drawn-out descriptions of holiday events, or detailed lists of gifts given and received. Just photos, followed by a pregnancy update for those of you who give a hoot.

Stephen Enjoys Baking (and Eating) Cookies
We didn't bake a lot this year, which means we definitely baked more than we did last year. Perhaps next year we'll be able to ship cookies out to friends and family again. With the new baby on the way, though, who can say for sure..?

Christmas Morning, Stephen Surveys his Haul
Stephen got a lot of Hot Wheels for Christmas. He likes cars, for sure. Santa also brought him a nifty little track set to tool them around on.

Ebenezer Hastur Sleeps Through Christmas
The cats didn't seem to notice Christmas. It doesn't really matter, since they didn't receive any gifts, anyway.

Stephen & Grampa Lee Clown Around
We spent Christmas morning at my mother's place, and Stephen was showered with gifts (see below). In the time before the unwrapping, though, Stephen managed to socialize with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jimmy, and Aunt Rachel.

Stephen, Intoxicated by Numerous Gifts
After a certain point, Stephen ripped open gifts with no real comprehension of what was inside the wrapping paper. It was as if the opening of the presents was his main focus. His eyes glazed over, and he devoted his being to the singular purpose of exposing any wrapped item within his reach to the rest of the world.

Lord of the Dinosaurs
Along with cars, Stephen likes dinosaurs, and Grandma took advantage of this by getting him several small replicas of the creatures.

A Vintage Candy Apple Red Trike
The final gift from Grandma and Grampa was a restored tricycle. They found the thing at an estate sale, rusty and worn out, but went through the process of restoring it to life. It was sandblasted, powder coated, and painted, then completely rebuilt. He can't quite touch the pedals yet, but it's only a matter of time before he's racing around like a maniac.

As for the impending arrival of child #2, we've got a firm date of February 26th. In a little over a month, we'll be bringing our daughter home. What will Stephen think of his sibling? I'm somewhat worried that he'll be jealous. I'm sure that his initial reaction will be a mixture of interest and amusement.

With all of our possessions, as well as one and a half children, it is becoming painfully obvious that we have outgrown our apartment. We are discussing the possibility of moving into a three bedroom apartment, but this will depend a great deal on how well we can juggle our finances. For the time being, we'll reorganize what we have and make the best of it.

All for now!

Christmas Is Coming

2006-12-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, we've all been bitten by the holiday bug this year. Let me first share a photo of this year's tree. I can't say it's much different than last year's tree, except that it's taller.

Our Tree, Christmas 2006
Speaking of taller, the boy is growing and growing and growing. Someday, I fear, he will be taller than I am, and he will come back to avenge himself for all the indignities he's had to suffer at the hands of his old man.

Here, as well, we have pictures of Stephen. On the left, one year ago. On the right, we have him NOW. Even though the camera frame isn't a perfect replica of last year's shot, you can see that he's obviously grown quite a bit.

By Jove, he's a little BOY now. Where did the year go?

As it is, the apartment smells of pine, and Amy's gone and made brownies tonight, too. How is a man supposed to adhere to any sort of diet in such an atmosphere? I haven't a clue.

More on our Holiday later. We've only got 15 more days until Christmas Day. Two weeks doesn't seem like a lot of time...

A Grab Bag of News

2006-12-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm posting a smattering of things. I have been exceptionally lax in keeping this blog current. So here we are.

First off: this will be news for the folks back in PA. My brother-in-law, Adam, came over for dinner a few weeks back, and he was accompanied by his new significant other, Allison. The five of us (including Stephen) sat down to a dinner of London broil, roasted potatoes, and I don't remember what else.

As proof positive that Allison is more than just a figment of Adam's imagination, I've got photographic evidence of her existence. So Paul, this one is for you:

She's Real!
In other news, my car is slowly taking a dive into its own automotive grave. This, combined with the need for a large, kid-friendly vehicle, has given rise to thoughts of buying a new car. The last thing I want (or need, for that matter) is a car payment. Still, if I can get a good enough deal, as well as some trade-in for the Corsica, I should be alright. If not, I hear the rent on refrigerator boxes is a lot cheaper than apartments, especially in winter.

I'd like to get a small SUV (gasp!) or a wagon. My initial choice is the Scion xB. My hope would be to get a Honda Element, but I'd like to keep the MSRP down in the $15k range.

New topic. Venison. A co-worker gave me a nice amount of venison sausage last week. It seems that his brother is a hunter of some skill, and the man had recently shot himself a deer and had the carcass processed at a local butcher/specialty meat shop. Out of this process came 50+ pounds of various sausage, and my co-worker was charged by his brother to "get rid of it." So, he did, by spreading it around to everyone at the office.

I came away with two packages of sweet Italian sausage, and one package of a German-style sweet onion sausage. We ate the German sausage first, grilled up on the BBQ, and it was quite good and mild. There was a slight "gamey" taste, but this wasn't something we minded. Stephen, especially, seemed pleased with the meal. Then again, so far as he's concerned, if God didn't want us to eat animals, then he shouldn't have made them out of meat.

Stephen Is One Happy Carnivore
Given his appetite (which seems to fluctuate between that of a small bird and a large savannah-roaming predator), Stephen is growing. You can almost see it happen, if you stare at him long enough. He's nearly half his mother's height, and he's not even two yet. Then again, Amy isn't what most people would consider to be tall.

The Incredible Growing Boy-Child
He continues to expand his vocabulary. We're constantly wondering what word will be next. He is also, unfortunately, approaching the two-year mark in his life, and his attitude (which resembles a two-year old's more and more each day) reflects that, in his opinion, he is the bright center of the universe. So long as we bow down and worship him, things will be happy.

Needless to say, we don't worship him (at least, not the way you might worship a god), and we occasionally have differences of opinion. As parents, we tend to stick to our guns, much to Stephen's consternation. He gets over it really quick, though, so I suppose that's good. I'm sure he'll learn to pout by the time he enters his teens. For now, we can easily redirect his mercurial moods.

Stephen's New Word

2006-11-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

"Car."

It sounds a little more like the "caw" noise that a crow makes, albeit quieter and less jarring to the senses. He points at vehicles on the road, in parking lots, or on television, emphatically proclaiming, "caw!" while looking very pleased with himself.

Yes, our boy is well on his way to joining the speaking world. He's got a small parcel of words at his disposal, though they require a little bit of translation every so often. He has words for his mother and I, but he rarely uses them. Also, he seems to have two versions of "no." The first is very definitely "no," perhaps being the first word that's he's uttered that is quite unmistakable.

The second "no" sounds more like "nay," which he repeats endlessly when under duress (such as if he's being chased or tickled by his parents). It is accompanied by much hysterical laughter on his part.

He says "Hastur," though the cat's name is reduced to "Ha-ha" in Stephen-speak. As has been the case since early on in his speech, "ing" is his word for any cat or kitten.

Stephen is familiar with temperature, and is able to express hot and cold by saying, "hah!" and "coh!" like so. When he wants an additional helping of something, he will ask for "moh," typically accompanying his verbal request with his baby hand sign of the same meaning. He also recognizes any structure, no matter how big or small, as a "how" (ie, "house").

Sometimes, he combines gibberish with words into scentences. The other day, it sounded something like, "Blah blah Ha-ha blah!" This was obviously something to do with Ha-ha (ie, Hastur), but we don't have a clue what he was saying.

I was worried for the longest time, because the boy wasn't talking very much (if at all) around the time of his 18 month check-up. Right now, it's almost like we have a new word every day. It's delightful.

As far as the new baby is concerned, she's growing ever larger and her mother is becoming ever more uncomfortable as the unborn burden's mass increases. Lots of kicking going on in there, too. We'd taken to pointing to Amy's tummy and telling Stephen, "There's a baby in there." He's got his wires crossed, though, because when we ask him where the baby is, he now points at his own belly.

What a wierdo.

We Have Big News

2006-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

So, I can hear folks saying...where have you been? Why no updates?

It's been busy, I suppose. Getting back from PA, we had to go back to the business of getting back to our normal lives. Then, there was Halloween. Last year, the boy was pretty oblivious to the holiday. This year, he was totally appreciative of the multitude of candles that his mother lit around the house.

Amy's Jack 'o Lanterns in Action
His grandmother bought him two costumes, seen here. The first is a pterodactyl-like dinosaur. It's a cute costume, but it was a little on the large side.

Ptero-Stephen
The second costume is a frog. While it fit somewhat better than the dinosaur, Stephen hated the hood/head of the thing. He tolerated it for a few photos, and I drove him over to his grandma's so that Uncle Jimmy could take him to a couple of houses for treats. I guess the experience was somewhat unsettling, because Stephen was only able to tolerate two houses before he declared that he wanted to go back to grandma's.

Look out! It's Frog Boy!
Back home, Amy was all ready to give out treats to little ghosts and goblins. Only thing was, we didn't get a single trick or treater. Not one. Since we moved into this apartment (many, many years ago), the number of little ghosts and goblins has steadily decreased each Halloween. Still, I think this was the first time we didn't get a single hit.

Stephen Admires the Goodies at It's A Grind
So Halloween is behind us, but that isn't the big news I mentioned in the title of this entry. The big news is that we've got a second child on the way, due to arrive in March. We've also learned that the newest member of our family is going to be a little girl. Stephen is going to be a big brother.

Stephen and Hastur Relax While Watching TV
I don't suppose there's much more to say beyond that. Wish us luck.

Gettysburg, Day Two

2006-10-16T16:41:00.001-07:00

And here I sit at the end of a long day.

Sure, he's cute... but is he well-behaved?
We started the day simply enough by raiding the hotel's complimentary continental breakfast for bagels and milk. Somehow, we managed to get the baby to go back to sleep, and we dozed until mid-morning.

Stephen Stalks a Fuzzy Caterpillar
Today's activities? Well, we roamed the battlefields some more, which is probably the best part about Gettysburg. There are a lot of really great monuments here, not to mention houses, and historical sites. It's imperative, besides, that we go out and let the boy run about, so that he can expend some of his boundless energy. Otherwise, he complains and whines at having to sit in his car seat for extended periods.

One Of the Many Monuments of Gettysburg
We ended up finding a local grocery store so that we could pick up some drinks and snacks, and then we ate lunch at the Gingerbread Man, a local eatery off of Steinwehr Avenue. The food was mediocre, and the service was quick but it felt somewhat rushed. Like a lot of other places around here, there were both smoking and non-smoking sections in the restaurant. We sat in the non-smoking section, but the scent of smoke was still pretty strong.

Stephen Takes Stock of Confederate Cannons
To be honest, we would have preferred to eat at the Dobbin House, which is a restored Colonial-era house. We didn't, though, since we weren't sure how suitable it would be to Stephen's mercurial moods. In retrospect, we should've gone there.

Stephen Patrols the Confederate Breastworks
After eating, we walked over to the Regimental Quartermaster, a sutler a purveyor of Civil War reenactor gear. We picked up some trinkets: a trio of brothel tokens (which I thought were funny), a couple of wooden swords for the boy, a hat pin for Amy, and a container of Pecard's leather dressing.

A Big Freaking Observation Tower
We went to tour some more battlefield sites, but Stephen nodded off in the car. I decided to climb a massive observation tower while Amy and the sleeping boy remained in the van. After about 100+ stairs, I made it to the top. My legs like rubber bands, I snapped a few pictures before returning to the ground.

"Can we go home now?"
The boy was still asleep, so we made our way back to the hotel room. We didn't accomplish much more than that. It feels like it's been a long day, despite the fact that we slept in. Tomorrow morning, we'll check out of here and begin the three-hour drive back to Ligonier. The forecast says that it will be raining, so it's liable to be an exciting drive.

Wish us luck!

Hello From Gettysburg

2006-10-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

So, here we are. Our first official vacation as a bona fide family. It's had some ups and downs, but overall, we're doing quite well so far.

The View from Helen & Paul's Drive
We started the first leg of our trip in Ligonier on the 12th, just in time to experience Fort Ligonier Days. It was unseasonably cold and windy, with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees most of the day. I'd really only prepared myself for 50-60 degree weather, so it was somewhat chilly. I never thought I'd miss the California heat.

The Bandstand on the Diamond in Ligonier
Friday the 13th, we checked out some crafts, and I loaded up on too much kettle corn. The following day (Saturday, duh), we sat on "the Diamond" (Ligonier's town square) and watched the Ft. Ligonier Day parade. It was a two-hour event, and the place was packed wall to wall with people. It was a good parade. Half of the parade was comprised of Shriners, which I didn't expect. Still, it was enjoyable.

Stephen Plays with Fallen Leaves
This morning, we woke up late and prepared for our drive to Gettysburg. We took the 30 all the way from Ligonier to Gettysburg in a little under three hours. Not bad time, and it was a very pretty drive. Stephen slept for about an hour or so on the road, which was good. He needed the rest.

The Parade is Nothing if not Patriotic
Amy and I had determined to go out for dinner tonight, but the boy was tired and cranky so we're ordering pizza instead. Tomorrow, we plan to walk Steinwehr Avenue and browse the shops. We'll hit one of the restaurants there for lunch, and later in the evening we'll be going on a walking ghost tour.

So that's the news at present. More later.

Two Weeks and Counting

2006-09-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

Our scheduled trip to Pennsylvania is less than two weeks away. There's a lot left for us to do to prepare. We've got the plane tickets (have had them for a couple of months, actually), and I reserved our rental car yesterday.

I guess Dollar was having some kind of special, because the weekly rate for minivans was a tad higher than the weekly rate for a compact car. The way I see it, the extra capacity (and space) of a minivan isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially since we'll be driving to Gettysburg while we're there.

We went over luggage restrictions the other day, trying to decide what we should ship ahead (supplies, mostly, like diapers), and what we should check as luggage (the Pack & Play, which will act as a crib for the boy while we're out of state). Each of us (including the boy) can check two pieces of luggage, which is more than we'll need. We travel pretty light.

I've also got some freelance work to do between then and now, work which is already overdue but which I plan to have done by the time we board the plane.

Speaking of planes: how do we handle our energetic, precocious little boy on a four hour flight? It's one of the questions that is haunting both Amy and I. He's a good kid, but four hours is a long time for anyone to sit in the same spot. We'll be bringing along some crayons and books and other things to try and keep him busy, and there's always the chance he'll sleep (though I seriously doubt it).

Not only that, but Stephen's internal clock will be set to PST. I don't know how we'll manage to get him to go to bed at a decent hour. All this, and more, will be answered in less than two weeks.

Our gracious hosts, Helen and Paul, are really looking forward to seeing the boy (and us, too, I gather). We'll all have a chance to experience Fort Ligonier Days, which is a local festival that includes French/Indian War reenactments at a genuine restored FIW fort. It should be a lot of fun. I don't know what the weather will be like. After living in California, the land of drought, I could do with a little rain, but I'm more interested in seeing autumn leaves.

We've got some errands to run today: grocery shopping, mostly, and then I'm off to the coffee shop for umpteen hours to squeeze several thousand words out of my brainpan.

What Stephen Likes (and What He Doesn't)

2006-09-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Stephen has become very opinionated. His preferences are ever-evolving. Some of the more recent discoveries include:

Stephen Likes:

"Drawing" with crayons. Though it consists of scribbles, it can entertain him for hours at a time.

M&Ms. I suspect that he will feign injury in order to trick his mother or I into giving him a couple of M&Ms.

Plugging in the XBox controllers. Over, and over, and over again. For hours.

Chasing the cats. They, however, are none too fond of the attention.

Water, as in, baths and swimming pools.

Balls. Bouncing ones.

Stephen Hates:

Violence on television. Unless it's on the XBox, in which case, he approves.

Skeletons and skulls. Blame this on a door ornament he saw at Target that told crummy jokes and stuck out its tongue and eyeballs.

Diaper changes. That is, unless he's the one taking his diaper off. In his crib. Right before he decides he has to pee.

The word "No" is not popular with Stephen, especially when it is directed at him and his desire for M&Ms.

Naps are also unpopular with the boy, especially when he needs one.

Recent Photos

2006-09-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some new pictures of the boy, with short hair.

The Artist at Work

"Whaaaaaat?"

The Messy Eater
So, as you can see, he's getting big, even as his hair has gotten shorter. The short hair does tend to get less sweaty, it dries much faster after a bath, and it certainly makes him look like a little boy. Not that he didn't look like a little boy before the hair cut, but...well, I'm sure you know what I mean.

His Ticker is A-Okay

2006-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that Stephen was diagnosed with a heart murmur last year. We went through a waltz of medical tests and the like, after which we were told to treat him like a normal kid, but to bring him back in a year for a follow-up exam.

That follow-up exam was today, and Stephen came through it with flying colors. After an EKG, the specialist listened to his heart, examined the latest round of x-rays, and took his blood pressure. Stephen was calm and well-behaved the whole time.

When all was said and done, the doctor said that the boy is fine. Nothing to worry about here. Move along.

This is a relief. It's a constant worry that we've been living with since we found out about it. Now that it's behind us, we can focus on other things.

In other news, Stephen had his first haircut on Monday. I'll try and get some new photos of the lad up this week.

Trips

2006-08-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, sorry it's been a while since the last update. Life since the old microwave bought the farm has been a little on the hectic side. There are deadlines to meet, and we've had more than our fair share of expenses. Just yesterday, I bought new tires for Amy's car. She had a flat tire while I was in Indianapolis last week, due in large part to the fact that the tire was completely bald on the inside wall.

"Chicks dig me."
"Indianapolis?" you ask. "Why ever did you go to Indianapolis?"

Gen Con, of course, the best four days in gaming (or so I'm told). It was more of a working vacation for me. I ran three events, and spent several hours manning the Green Ronin booth. It was a lot of fun. For a more detailed account of my exploits in Indy this past week, check out my other blog: Neurosuction.

"I need a cape!" says SuperStephen
While I was away, Amy had a taste of what life might be like were she a single mother. "No thanks," she says. It was quite a trial for her, what with the flat tire, my car nearly running out of gas, and Stephen being twice the handful he normally is. I guess I'm not allowed to leave again until he's in college.

To Stephen, French Fries are like Manna from Heaven
Aside from my recent business trip to Indiana, which had been planned for several months, we're also planning to visit Amy's grandparents in October. The tickets have been purchased, we'll be taking off into the wild blue yonder in about two months. The scary part is the thought of Stephen on an airplane for such a long stretch of time. Hopefully, his attention span will be a bit more intense by then.

Microwave R.I.P.

2006-07-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Friday night, our microwave oven broke. It was a Christmas gift that we received right after the wife and I moved in together (we were living in sin at the time). That would make the thing over five years old (counting from December 2000, though it might have been 1999 for all I know...gods, this "getting old" thing isn't easy on the frontal lobes).

I was going to cook a hot dog. I punched in 33 seconds, hit start, and there was a momentary buzz from the oven before it went totally dark and silent. The LED display flickered off.

All things considered, I'm glad it went with a wimper, rather than a roar.

So a new microwave was added to our list of things to buy. I was considering waiting a bit, but after the first night we decided that not being able to heat up Stephen's milk in less than thirty seconds was going to be too large a handicap.

It was Saturday, then, after lunch, when we ventured out to Target to pick up a new microwave oven. Amy had a laundry list of other items on her mind. In no time at all, we'd filled the cart with goodies. By goodies, I mean: a laundry hamper, a new dish strainer, new shower curtains, a shower curtain rod.

Oh, and the microwave, let's not forget that. It's a little 0.7 cubic foot, 700 watt model that is surprisingly heavy for its size (especially compared to the old one). I'm not real impressed with the internal dimensions, but I will make due. For $30, what do you want?

Check-out was the fun part. The girl at the register scanned our microwave's UPC code before delivering an unexpected PSA:

"A microwave? Didn't you know, microwaves are bad for you?"

I wonder what would've happened had I answered, "You know, you're absolutely right. Can you fetch your manager? I want to let him know that I'm appalled that Target would sell such dangerous machines to an unsuspecting public!"

Instead, I replied, "We just use it to heat up milk."

Driving home, I looked to Amy and said: "That girl just made my blog."

I'm working today. Well, not right this second. This is my warm-up web log entry. Gets the juices flowing before the real creativity comes boiling out. Knock on wood.

Pictures of my Boy (As Promised)

2006-07-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Assaulting his paparazzi. This picture was taken shortly after Stephen had awakened from a nap. Suitably cranky, he insisting on crying sporadically as he watched television. I took a series of photos, of which this one was the last. He eventually grew so annoyed by my picture-taking that he decided he'd had enough.

This is what happens when I'm not at home. This picture shows the proud young lad taking up residence in my sock drawer.

Oh, yeah...the Aquarium photos...here you go:

Unfortunately, this is one of the only interior aquarium photos that managed to come out well enough to post. Even then, you can see the camera flash. Eh, well.

Tidepools filled with all manner of marine life were one of the attractions for the child at the Aquarium. Stephen has this thing for water, especially bath water. He likes to splash, splash, splash. Here he is, reaching out to touch the surface of a tidepool.

Here he is, looking for a place to go. Stephen has a disturbing tendency to pick a random direction to go, and he moves fast. It's funny, yeah, but on the other hand, it's kind of worrisome. I try to keep a close eye on him at all times, and I joke about buying a leash to put him on so that he can't get too far.

Stephen likes lemons. Wierd, hm? If we have ice tea at a restaurant, he practically demands that we hand over the lemon wedges so that he can eat them. In this picture, he really looks like a little boy. I mean, heck, he practically looks like he's 4 or 5 years old, instead of only just pushing a year and a half. He's definitely not a baby any more.

Wiped out! After a day watching fishes, running away from his mommy and daddy, and sucking on lemons, Stephen likes to pass out in his car seat on the way home.

Friday Eve

2006-07-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week, low on sleep and high on priorities.

I should have a couple of new photos of the sprout to put up this weekend. Last Sunday, the three of us took a trip to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. This is the boy's second outing to the aquarium, though I tend to doubt he remembers the original expedition.

He seemed impressed by the sharks that were hanging from the ceiling; then, as we entered the aquarium (which is necessarily dim), he began to look around pretty intently at the fish-filled tanks. Looking into the tanks would cause him to smile, which I suppose is a good thing.

It's neat to show him new things and see his reactions to them. Everything is new for Stephen, and to observe his obvious wonder is a true (and vicarious) gift.

So, those pictures will show up sometime this weekend. Stay tuned.

Breakdown

2006-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

No, not that crummy movie with Kurt Russel.

Driving to work yesterday morning, the serpentine belt in my car spun off. The thing had been squeaking and making some silly noises over the past week or so, which must've been the belt fraying. The water pump, either by process of age or the belt flying off, was also demolished.

I spent 1/2 an hour at work before the AAA tow truck arrived to deliver my ailing car and I to my parents' place. My step-father and I picked up the parts, and he put it all back together for me. I even got to wash the car, something I hadn't done in a long time.

We finished with it around 11:30, and I drove back to work to finish my day since my department was down by one other person. I'd've preferred to go home, given that Amy's not feeling well and was home alone with the boy. She needs her rest, and I'll be the first to admit that he can take a lot out of you when you're feeling fine, much less when you're sick.

When I got home, I sent Amy to bed, and the boy and I played and watched Time Bandits until it was time to prep for dinner (something about the little people in that movie catches his eye). I cut up a butternut squash, coated it with olive oil, sprinkled it with kosher salt, and then grilled it. I also coated a kielbasa with BBQ sauce and grilled that, too.

Amy wasn't real hungry, and the squash didn't thrill her overmuch. She's more fond of summer squash than winter squash, anyway. The boy seemed to be able to take it or leave it, though he preferred the sausage over the veggies. After Stephen went to bed, I spent much of the evening reading.

That's pretty much my life yesterday in a blog-shaped nutshell. Not necessarily exciting, probably pretty mundane. All I can think now is TGIF.

Heroes

2006-07-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, my wife's grandfather, Paul, took part in a parade in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He's a member of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, and "each year some of our group ride in a big Army truck and are displayed like we were someone important. We get lots of waves and hand clapping by the parade watchers."

As well they should.

This is one of the photos that Paul sent to me. He's not present in the photo (after all, someone needs to take the pictures, and he was lucky enough to be the one with the camera).

I have a lot of respect for Paul. I've only spent a little bit of time with him -- on a couple of occasions when he and Helen have come to visit the Left Coast, and when Amy and I spent our honeymoon in Pennsylvania (Ligonier, Harrisburg, and Gettysburg, specifically). In the brief time I've spent with him, I've learned a lot about his life. One year, he sent us a printed autobiography that he'd put together which illuminated his life experiences even more.

The photos he sent on the 4th, as well as the remarks he made, really made me think. What would the world be like now if not for men like Paul and the other Veterans who put their lives on the line? What would have happened had America not been drawn into the Second World War?

I'm not going to compare the current conflict in Iraq with WWII; the two wars don't compare, in my opinion. I have the utmost respect for anyone of any gender who wears a uniform and, as part and parcel to their occupation, goes into harm's way, and that includes the men and women of our modern military. Yet comparing the conflict in Iraq to the war that was fought across the globe between 1939 and 1945 isn't possible. At least not for me. I have my own political views to blame for this perception, and I don't plan to delve into them. This isn't the proper forum for that. *

Paul saw a lot in the time he spent in the service, and like many of the men who fought in Europe, he returned home, took up a career, and built a family. He's a humble man who obviously prefers to downplay his participation in the war, and I guess that's another reason that I have a boatload of respect for him.

Yet to guys like me, who have only seen these experiences on the film screen, between the covers of history books, or in the painstakingly-crafted miniatures used in wargames, Paul and the fellows in the picture above are giants. Their contribution to society should not go unrewarded, and they deserve every clap, wave, and cheer that they get. They deserve more, in my opinion.

My grandfather, too, fought in the Second World War. He was a sailor in the Pacific theater. I never heard many war stories from Grampa; I reckon he was just as humble as Paul is, and the memories were probably painful, too. He once told me that his ship shot down a Japanese Betty bomber, but that was probably the most detailed account he'd ever relayed to me about his experiences in the Navy. I wish I could ask him to tell me more, but he's gone now, and all of his experiences have gone with him.

The memories of WWII grow dim for much of the country today. There are lessons to be learned in wartime; lessons of sacrifice, tactical lessons, lessons of both human and economic costs. How much have we learned? How much have we forgotten? People around the world continue to suffer and die daily, and I am constantly amazed (horrified?) by the headlines I read.

I've never served in the military. I've been lucky, I suppose, to have been spared the experiences of the battlefield. I am thankful for the peace that I have known in my life. I am a father, too, and I look at my son and I pray that he is as fortunate as I am.

* Just to note, I've always tried to make a point of steering clear of politics in my posts on this weblog. I may one day venture into discussions of local politics, such as those concerning school board elections or homeowners meetings. As to national politics, it's enough for me to say that I'm fairly moderate in my views. Whether I agree with the current administration or not is irrelevant to the manner in which I raise my son.

Additional Birthday Swag

2006-07-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

I never forget these things on purpose. Honest. But I did get a few more goodies on G-Day than I mentioned, and I want to make sure I single out the folks who put forth the effort to give them to me.

First off was a copy of the Robot Chicken DVD and a new pair of shoes from my brother, Jim. I don't know what to make of Robot Chicken just yet, but I reckon it will be entertaining. As for the shoes: I love footwear, so it's a winner. My son, though, is the king of footwear. He's got more shoes than Imelda Marcos. Of course, he continues to outgrow them, so it's a constant struggle.

Secondly, JD and Keri dropped by on Sunday to give me a gift: an AT-AT miniature for the Star Wars Miniatures game. Amy commented: "It's more of a 'maxiature' than a 'miniature'." What a witty wife I have.

Now, as far as I know, that covers it. All of it.

I Guess I Forgot

2006-07-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that Stephen had been sick, and acted as if I'd get to it later in that same post.

I never did. Shame on me.

Basically, the boy had a reaction to one of the vaccines he was given at his 15-month check-up. His leg swelled up, he developed a light fever, and he slept poorly for about three or four days. Due to the pain in his enlarged limb, he didn't want to walk at all for the first couple of days. Amy stayed home with him one of those days. He was whiny, but nevertheless content to sit and watch television or read books.

As first time parents ought to be, we were alarmed enough to call the doctor and ask for advice. What it came down to was thus: "Keep him hydrated, give him infant Tylenol, and wait for it to pass. If his fever rises above 103, or if he begins to convulse, take him to the emergency room." Toddlers and babies, being small, have higher body temperatures than adults. This is something that never ceases to alarm me. When my wife tells me that Stephen's temperature is 102.6, I get edgy. To the doctor, such a reading is technically a "low-grade fever."

By the weekend (and the birthday party), Stephen was back to normal...more or less. Still a little crankier than usual, sure, and with a slight rash on his torso, he managed to get through the ordeal relatively unscathed. We had a few sleep-deprived nights, but that's the price of parenthood. I guess we'd better get used to it.

In other news...

The dreaded birthday has passed me by. I've been 33 for a day now, with no ill effects. We went to Claim Jumper for lunch with my mother, step-dad, and brother. As far as giftage is concerned, I came away with some new DVDs (The Fifth Element "Ultimate Edition," Ice Pirates, and Underworld: Evolution), a CD (Rob Zombie's Educated Horses), some clothes, and four new tires for my dirty old Corsica.

I'm seriously considering a change in my dietary habits, starting as soon as this week. The pants I wear are a bit tighter than I'd like them to be, and there's no question that I've put on a few pounds since the sprout was conceived. If I'm going to be chasing him around, I'd damn well better get into some kind of chasing shape.

This week is a short work week. Neither Amy or myself have Monday off, but we do get the 4th of July to ourselves. We'll likely spend it with family, and take Stephen to witness fireworks after dark. He'll be up past his bed time, but I'm sure it will be worth it. At three months old, he seemed to enjoy them last year. We'll see what he thinks now that he's forming his own opinions about his life.

Crunch!

2006-06-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, someone backed into Amy's car while it was parked at work. The person left a note, and I gather that they spoke to Amy about it later on, too. She's been in touch with our car insurance company, so I guess it's time for them to earn some of the money that we send them each and every month.

The first thing I said when I saw the picture was, "Crap! Does the gas door still open?" It did, but only after a fragment of the perpetrator's tail light was removed.

Thoughts? Well, annoyed, for one. Relieved, for two...it's nice that the perpetrator left their information, instead of driving off into the sunset with one less tail light. Of course, it's been revealed that the car they were driving is a rental car, so maybe they'd have done it differently if it had been their own vehicle.

On a lighter note...

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite pictures. Here is my little bookworm, asking (nay, demanding) that his mother read him the book that he is presenting. The expression on the boy's face is priceless.

This past weekend was my cousin's son's birthday party. We attended, even though Stephen was still recovering from his ordeal with the vaccinations he'd had the week before (more on that in a moment, for those of you not in the know). The party started at 11am, which is normally Stephen's nap time, and he had developed a rash on his torso, which only added to the child's crankiness.

Despite Stephen's obvious discomfort, it was nice to get out and walk. The venue was Stagecoach Park in La Costa, a place I never knew existed. I plan to take the boy back that way sometime, just so we can throw a ball, have a picnic, or fly a kite. The big hits for Stephen? Well, the sand, for one. Dirt may be cool, but sand (according to him) is "da bomb." Whatever that means.

He also got to eat strawberries hand over fist, which is one of his favorite things to do (next to eating watermelon).

Summer With a One Year-Old

2006-06-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Last year about this time, Stephen couldn't sit up without assistance. A scant twelve months later, he's scampering around like a real pro, getting into anything that isn't nailed down. He's learning to throw, too. Between warming up his pitching arm with balls or blocks, and tossing items absently over his shoulder when they no longer interest him, we occasionally find ourselves ducking for cover.

He's also quite vocal. I don't know if this is due to all the reading we've been doing with him or what. He'd love nothing more than to sit on a lap and force one of us to read the same books over, and over, and over again. I'm happy that he enjoys being read to, and I really hope his interest in books is as keen as his mother's is as he grows older. Being bookish isn't a bad thing, in my opinion. In fact, I think it leads to increased imagination, creativity, and intelligence.

Granted, I don't want him turning into an evil genius or anything, but it'd be nice if he and I would be able to talk shop someday.

We bought ourselves a new BBQ grill this past weekend. It's a hefty sucker, bigger (and fancier) than any grill we've had to date. Our last grill was small, and while it was adequate back when it was functional, it's got nothing on the new one. I'm really happy with the grill and its performance so far. At only $200, I really do feel that it was a bargain.

Plus, Amy put the whole thing together. Bonus! As she did so, Stephen orbited around the structure, occasionally stopping to poke at something or make a comment in his garbled toddler tongue.

The story of the buying of the grill is somewhat amusing.

I'd gone earlier in the day on Saturday, along with Stephen, to the local Home Depot to look at grills. The boy was quite impressed by the large variety of stuff in the store, not to mention the size of the place. In particular, he took a liking to the driving mowers. I think he was more interested in the tires, which he attempted to spin (even though they were firmly on the ground).

The grill I'd picked out seemed to have a large carton, but it wasn't overly huge. I estimated that it would fit nicely in the back seat of my car. The boy and I hit the road and ran the rest of our errands (which consisted mostly of shopping for food) before heading home.

I returned to Home Depot sometime later, alone, and bought the grill. I wheeled it out to my car on an orange trolley. While my back seat was large enough to accomodate the grill, the back door wouldn't open wide enough to admit the elephantine box. My trunk was too small, as well. I called for help from friends and family, and was eventually relieved by my younger brother, Jim, who came to my rescue in a borrowed pick-up truck.

And so, my eyes are obviously bigger than my car doors.

The grill has served well, and I've prepared two meals upon its massive cooking surface. Sunday night it was carne asada, with a couple of curried chicken breasts for kicks. Last night, I prepared yellow squash and pork chops that had been soaking in a jerk-style marinade for more than 24 hours. Tonight, I reckon we'll have some good old-fashioned hamburgers.

Work is fine, I suppose. I'm more or less satisfied with my current position, though I often wonder about the future. Where am I going? I haven't much idea, though I can always make some guesses. As buyers, my co-workers and I will be trained to audit suppliers. This will mean some manner of travel, especially in the case of what we like to term "critical suppliers."

I like travel, but I've never done it in the line of duty, per se (unless you count game conventions). So we'll see.

Oh, one more thing: the pictures.

The first is Stephen in a swimming pool at his grandmother's house. The second is the proud scholar next to his ever-growing pile of books. The third was taken at a friend's house last weekend; she had a box full of tumbled rocks on her patio, and the boy found them to be incredibly interesting. The last photo was taken as I was getting (expensive) gasoline at a local 7-11. Stephen watches me from his seat, and smiles when I look in at him.

June Is Upon Us!

2006-05-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Nearly two months of my son's life has passed since my last post, and where have we been?

Life is busy. Life with a toddler is very busy. All in all, everything has been going well for us. Work is busy, as is my writing slate. Amy just celebrated a year in her current position, and I've been at my new job for going on four months now.

So, how is our little sprout doing?

He's fourteen months along now, and nearly half as tall as his mother is. He walks very well, though he does experience occasional spills and tumbles. Yesterday, after a breakfast of oatmeal, he tripped in the kitchen and fell flat on his face. He bloodied his nose a little bit, which must've been very unpleasant given the bout of crying that ensued. He was none the worse for wear by the end of the day.

Stephen likes reading. To be specific, he likes his mother or myself to read books to him. His current favorite (by Sandra Boynton) is The Belly Button Book, which is a bedtime staple. He'll even venture into his bedroom alone, pull out his books, and leaf through them in his spare time. I guess he likes the pictures.

We get the impression that Stephen will be talking very soon. He's expressive, but I think he'd prefer a more verbal mode of communication than he is currently capable of. As with his other milestones (such as crawling and walking), he'll likely surprise us.

So there's my May update. Sorry for the tardiness. Hopefully, June will be a more active month. Then again, just assume that no news is good news.

I Waved Bye-Bye; He Cried

2006-04-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

I wake up around 5:30 in the morning, but it's rare for me to crawl out of bed until just before six o'clock. I shower, dress, and grab a bite to eat, and then I head out the door between 6:30 and 6:40. The latest I can leave and still be on time (traffic willing) is 6:45am. Beyond that, all bets are off.

At 6:35 this morning, as I was packing my bag, the boy decided he wanted to wake up and fuss a little bit. Hunger, or wetness, or the minimal noise of my preparations, or a combination of the three, had motivated him to wail. I prepped some warm milk while Amy went to rescue him. We fed him, changed him, and I gathered my things to leave.

Standing in the open doorway, I waved to him. He knew I was leaving, and it broke his little heart. His face contorted in sadness, and he started to cry. It made closing the door and walking away an incredibly tough thing to do. I spoke with Amy on the phone a bit later, and the tears didn't last long. I suppose that's good.

I would've liked nothing more than to stay and be with my family this morning, but milk isn't free. The ugly truth is that, until a philanthropist takes mercy on me and sends me a check for several million dollars, I'm going to have to work.

Stephen's Birthday Meme

2006-04-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Note: I got this from Nicole Lindroos' blog, and she got it from somewhere else. I'm going to post it here, using Stephen's birthday (March 21st) as the date in question.

Go to Wikipedia and look up your (child's) birth day (excluding the year). List three events, three births, three deaths, and up to three observances or holidays on your birthday in your journal.

Events
1918 - World War I: Second Battle of the Somme begins.
1963 - Alcatraz, a federal penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay, closes.
1989 - Sports Illustrated reports allegations that tie baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling.

Births
1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer (d. 1750)
1946 - Timothy Dalton, Welsh actor
1958 - Gary Oldman, English actor

Deaths
1556 - Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (burned at the stake) (b. 1489)
1729 - John Law, Scottish economist (b. 1671)
1987 - Dean Paul Martin, American musician (b. 1951)

Observances
Astrology: First day of sun sign Aries.
Earth Day.
South Africa: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Stan! Here for a Year!

2006-03-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

You read that right.

I sent an email to my pal Stan last night, which was part "Hey, how ya doin'? Just touchin' base!" and part "Where's my money?" He replied this morning, and one thing that he mentioned was that he'd been living here in Southern California for a year already.

That got me thinking, because hell if I realized that it had been that long since he'd moved down here. After doing the math, though, I realized that he was right.

You see, it was a somewhat stormy time of the year, and my son Stephen had been with us for about a week since his birth. Stan had driven down to SoCal from Seattle, and I remember him coming by our apartment that evening to say hello and meet our newborn child.

That memory drove it home for me. The most important benchmark in my life up until now was Stephen's birth on March 21st, 2005. We celebrated his first birthday in style, but that celebration didn't remind me of the other benchmarks -- some small, some large -- that I'd put out of my mind in my day to day life as a dad, a husband, a writer, and a buyer.

So, like...wow.

There's another important benchmark on the horizon, which recalls another of my most important days: my wedding anniversary. Next Tuesday, Amy and I will celebrate our fifth year as wife and husband. Previous to that, we'd been together (in sin) since we met in July of 1992. All told, that's fourteen years.

Just consider how many little Stephens we could have running around right now, if we'd been so inclined.

A Chronicle of Stephen

2006-03-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have been disappointingly lax in my attention to Freelance Father lately. That is about to change, as my little boy is having a birthday. I want to take this opportunity to look at him as he has grown, and to share a few interesting tidbits (as they come up).

"We Grew Him From a Bean."

Amy and I had gone to see Spiderman II at the movies with our reenacting friends, John and Jean. It was on the way to the theater that Amy, almost casually, stated, "We might want to pick up a test."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "A what?" I asked.

"A pregnancy test," she replied. "I'm late."

"Okay," I said. I didn't give too much thought to it for the rest of the afternoon, which is surprising. I only started to get worried when we got home. She took the test, and the result came back positive. There was some fretting then, along with trying the test again "just in case," which only confirmed that the number of blue lines on the stick was consistent with a positive result.

We followed that with a doctor's appointment, which occured maybe a week later. They gave Amy a sonogram (pictured above), and explained that our child was about the size of a bean (hence, the phrase). Bean-sized or not, he was waving his little arms and legs around, and you could see his little heart beating in there. At nine weeks, he was a little person.

Ten Minutes Old

Flash forward seven months later. Stephen came into the world via c-section, wailing like most babies do. Amy got to look at him for a second or two before they dragged both he and I away to get cleaned up. Amy was still open, and they were inspecting her innards when I was ushered out of the OR. I averted my eyes; I love my wife to death, but I don't want to see her internal organs if I can help it.

The picture above is probably the second picture ever taken of the boy by a human being. It was one of the first of perhaps hundreds that would be taken over the course of the next twelve months.

That night, still groggy from the anesthesia and starting to get sore, Amy was able to hold the little man for the first time. One thing they don't tell you at the hospital is that they want you to care for the child from day one. They room the little guy with you, and they don't really care if you'd just had your belly laid open like a boned fish or not.

The Day After

Oh, we had visitors, including Stephen's grandma. Being her first grandchild, he was an instant hit. In the meantime, I changed his first poopy diaper (the famous tar-like stuff that I'd heard so many jokes about; tasty!). We learned that he had a milk allergy, and moved him to soy formula so that he could keep his meals down.

Amy bounced back quickly, both because she wanted to go home, and because she didn't see eye to eye with her nurse. Given another day or two, I think she might've strangled the woman with an IV cord. We drove home as a family after only two or three days (which was a record in the ward for c-sections, it seems).

As innocuous as the boy was in the hospital - small, relatively quiet, and (most importantly) sleeping, he changed his tune when we got home. Though he slept a good bit of the time, he didn't do it on any kind of human (or humane, for that matter) schedule. By the end of the week, Amy and I had already had one or two late-night spats which seem to be par for the course for couples with their first newborn.

I was back to work the week following Stephen's birth, groggy and crawling through my days in an exausted, sleep-deprived haze. I endured countless jokes at my expense from men and women who had been in my shoes before, not to mentioned several more digs from folks who had no idea what I was going through (and who, by all rights, had no place to be making such jokes).

All that aside, the first month flew by. In retrospect, it seemed like it lasted forever, but we made it. Somehow.

April 2005 - One Month Down

Like I said, the first month flew by. He remained largely helpless and demanding the whole time. It was hard to enjoy the earliest weeks of being a father. The experience wasn't what you might call "fun." It's nothing, at the time, that I would ever agree to go through a second time.

That said, every day brought new growth and development. He didn't smile when he was awake -- and wouldn't do so for some time -- but he was aware, and took a long look at everything and everyone that came his way.

May 2005 - Two Months Down

I think it was about this time that the little guy had me by the heartstrings. You can't live with someone, serving their every whim and desire, for two months and not feel some kind of attachment. His personality was starting to emerge. You could see it in his eyes, his little expressions. He was starting to smile at us.

June 2005 - Three Months Down

A lot of what happened in the first six months is a blur. We had our share of scares. It turned out that the boy had a heart murmur, and we eventually got him checked out by a specialist, and went through the process of having an ECG. In the end, it seemed like everything was fine with his ticker. Just a bit of narrowing of the vessel going into his heart, something he seems to have grown out of.

We also took him out to his first living history event. He laid around in his Moses basket much of the time, when he wasn't being swapped between all the ladies in our unit. Everyone loved holding him, and he wasn't too objectionable (except for when Frank picked him up; it was then that he decided to fuss...blame the lack of bosoms or whatever).

July 2005 - Four Months Down

I began to interact with him more in his fifth month than I think I did at any other time. My relationship with my son started taking off in his third and fourth months, but I think the fifth was when I really lost whatever reservations I'd had about him. He was a member of the family, and I really enjoyed being his daddy.

He also started eating solids on July 6th, with a bowl of gruel-like rice cereal. Yum!

August 2005 - Five Months Down

Sometime between July and August, the boy lost his hair.

Well, he didn't really lose it, but the dark hair that he was born with fell out and was replaced by a very blond fuzz that continues to grow longer with each passing week. He became ever more interactive and engaging for both Amy and I, though he wasn't strictly mobile. He still had trouble with being on his belly, and hated "tummy time" to no end.

This hatred of all things tummy related doubtless resulted in his flat little head, and the DOC band that he'd be fitted with come October. More on that later...

We also took a trip to Sea World. The boy was frightened by seals and sharks, but learned that lemon ice is yummmmmmy.

September 2005 - Six Months Down

September really melds into the rest of the months, and I can't think of anything that sticks out amongst all the other trivia. Life went on, that's all I can reckon, considering the fact that we're all still here.

It was in September that we took Stephen to Cranial Technologies for the first time, to get his flat little head checked out. About a month later, he'd be fitten with a device that would help his head grow into a somewhat normal and proper shape (as far as baby heads are concerned).

Another highlight: his first midnight illness. He woke up, as some of you might recall, and blew soy formula chunks all over his daddy. What a memory.

October 2005 - Seven Months Down

Stephen cut his first tooth on October 5th. At least, that's when we noticed it poking through his pink little gums. Here we are today, and that one little white eruption has turned into eight sharp little teeth. God forbid he sticks something in his mouth that you don't want him to eat, because you're putting your fingers into the Lord's hands if you dare to stick them into the boy's ravening maw.

The other major event in October of 05 is the DOC band, which you will no doubt notice on Stephen's head in the pictures for the next two or so months. Cute? Sure, and it was harder on us than it was on him. He didn't seem to care too much, so long as it was either on or off. The transition between putting it on or taking it off always seemed to annoy him for some reason.

In case you were wondering, we noticed improvement in his overall head shape after only a week of treatment. Impressive stuff, this science.

November 2005 - Eight Months Down

I called my wife from work on November 17th (or maybe she called me, I can't remember), and she had news.

"Guess what the baby is doing?"

"What?"

"Crawling."

That's right, folks. Mr. "I Hate Being On My Tummy" was ambulatory, crawling around like a little beast on our run-down, stain-resistant (but hardly "stain-free") carpet. It was like someone had flipped a switch, instantly gifting him with quadruped mobility. It had only been a matter of time, given that his ability to push himself up and roll himself over had been improving for weeks.

Prior to that, he'd been sitting up very well. If he needed to move, he'd put his head on the ground and, using it as a pivot, would swivel his lower half around. It was a ridiculous way to move around. Crawling proved to be a bit more efficient.

December 2005 - Nine Months Down

Christmas! The holiday feared by many sane first-time parents. Money was tight, but the baby didn't care. He stared at the lights and the tree until he grew jaded to their novelty. Occasionally, he would attempt to eat a stray pine needle, but beyond that one simple vice, Christmas didn't impress Stephen overmuch.

On Christmas Eve, he got to meet (a) Santa Claus (imposter). His reaction was pretty standard: barely-contained horror. Once that ordeal had been overcome, he was given presents to open. He didn't quite get it, I don't think, but that didn't stop us from loading up the car that weekend with dozens of toys and oodles of clothes.

Since that day of days, our apartment has been swimming in toys. At least he plays with most of them. His attention flits, butterfly-like, from toy to toy. As the months have passed, his attention span has grown along with his ability to get around.

January 2006 - Ten Months Down

Speaking of his ability to get around, Stephen took his first toddling step on January 14th, before falling flat on his butt.

He'd taken to standing up a lot. Between late November and mid-January, standing seemed to be his favorite pasttime. He'd creep around the coffee table or the sofa, walking with support, but until the 14th, he'd never (to my knowledge) put one foot in front of the other with no other support.

This continued on until just recently, I'd say mid-February, at which point he decided that he didn't need anymore stinking support. Toddling ensued, and has slowly been perfected by our hero. He still looks like a tight-rope walker, his arms held out in an amusing characature of a little man keeping his balance.

February 2006 - Eleven Months Down

Like I said, walking. He almost runs. Have mercy, Lord. What happened to our helpless child? You remember, the one that couldn't open cupboard doors, or grab movies off of the DVD rack so that he could contentedly chew on them. As I recall it, he would lay there and wait for us to pick him up.

Now, when I go to pick him up, he runs away, as if to say, "Sorry, pop. I've got other things to do. Leave a message, and maybe you can change my diaper later on. That'll be fun, won't it?" Alternately, we can ask him to come to us, and he occasionally will. I guess it depends on how the baby stock market is doing.

March 2006 - We've Come Full Circle

Birthday time.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Stephen came into our lives. We've been changed in ways we never expected. As scary as the idea of having a child was, I think we've come out of it rather well. That's not to say that our fears were unfounded, just that we've done a good job coming to grips with our roles as "Mommy" and "Daddy."

I've had a lot to think about. I see my son and I wonder how he feels about me. I guess he must like me. It's important that he does, at least to me. I want he and I to get along in a way that my father and I never could. I want my son to look up to me, to respect me, and -- most importantly -- I don't want him to be ashamed of what I am or what I will eventually become (whatever that is).

I realize that what I am, and what I do, will affect Stephen in very important ways as he grows up. I recognize that, past a certain age, he will need to make his own decisions. If he is comfortable enough with his mother and I to ask us for advice, that will be a wonderful bonus, but it won't by any means replace his own need to make his own choices and live with their consequences.

Deep stuff, huh?

We spent lunch this past Saturday at Claim Jumper, and we took the liberty of ordering for the boy. Given his lack of speech, and the fact that reading the menu is a few years off for him, it seemed the best thing to do. His grandma, grampa, and uncle were in attendance, as was his uncle's girlfriend. Oh, and we -- his parents -- were there, too.

March 2006 - Birthday Lunch

How does mini-corndogs and fries sound? The fries were a much bigger hit that the corndogs, I'm afraid. He didn't complain. I'm always pleased at how well-behaved he is on the rare occasion that we go out to eat. So long as he's a part of the conversation, and has something to do, he's a pure joy. Like anyone, though, he gets bored, so keeping him stimulated is important to our sanity.

March 2006 - Birthday Cake!

This last photograph is the cherry on the top of this blog entry: Stephen eating his first piece of cake.

When we gave it to him, he wasn't entirely sure what to think of it. He played in it, smeared it around, threw it on the floor. Once he realized it was edible and (most importantly) sweet, he dug right in. We got a lot of pictures of him lost within this chocolate fever-dream, but this was the one that says (to me, at least):

"I'm happy. I'm loved. And this cake is damn good!"

The First Half of February

2006-02-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

I guess things are beginning to improve around here. In no particular order:

Stephen is officially done with the DOC Band. His head shape is more normal than it once was; in other words, it is now longer than it is wide (when we started with the Band, it was wider than it was long). We're satisfied with the treatment and won't be getting another round. Not that we could afford it, even if we wanted to.

As you might remember, that chapter of Stephen's life started in October. Since then, we've made trips to San Diego every two weeks in order to get his head looked at and his Band adjusted. We won't miss taking these trips, as they were always early on weekday mornings when south-bound traffic on the I-15 was at its height.

On Friday of last week, we rose from our cozy bed and took our last drive to Cranial Technologies. As if to spite us, the traffic was downright light; we managed to get there ten minutes early (which is unheard of with us). Gods only know why, since we weren't leaving any earlier or later than we had usually been doing. Stephen was awake for the whole trip, and was as chipper as can be.

The exit procedure for the program includes a series of photographs from all angles, followed by another casting of the child's head. The original casting was such fun (that's me being sarcastic, by the way) that we fully anticipated a drop-down, drag-out fight with the boy over it.

He proved us wrong. While he fussed a bit in the beginning, and got the volume up near the middle (as the rear of the cast was being applied), we managed to rescue him with a piece of medical equipment which is as versatile as it is tasty: a "Dum-Dum" lollypop.

Stephen, never having sampled the delight of hard fruit-flavored candy on a stick, single-mindedly gnawed and slurped away at the sucker while the final touches were put on the cast. By the time we were done, his head was covered in white smears of dry plaster and blue smears of slimy, tart, sugary candy.

As a parting gift, they allowed us to keep his original head cast, the one that documents his head when he entered the program back in October. If nothing, it's an interesting conversation piece that we can break out when friends and relatives drop by.

Let's see. What else?

Money has been tight lately, given that I haven't had a full paycheck since I left my job at the tooth factory back in January. That changed on Friday, as I got my first complete paycheck at my new job. The pay increase is nice, even when you consider all the additional expenses: the higher cost of medical insurance and my 401k contribution. With luck, the days of scraping by are behind us...for a while, anyway. I plan to take my wife out to eat for her (belated) birthday, considering we didn't have the money for it on the 13th.

There's also the matter of taxes. Last year was the first year we got any kind of money back on our taxes since we'd been married. The '04 refund was due, in large part, to the fact that my wife wasn't working. In the prior years, due to the infamous "marriage penalty," we'd owed as much as $900 in back taxes. Not being made of money, this was always a very sore time of the year for us.

This year, thanks to the presence of a child under our roof, we're going to be getting a slew of cash back from the government. It should just about pay off our credit cards, which is what I intend to do with it. Having those things paid off will be a great big load off of my mind. It's not like we live off of them, but between my laptop and last year's convention schedule, we managed to rack up a couple of largish balances.

Oh, and dare I mention: our cats are fleabags. I have no idea why the fleas are so voracious this early in the the year, nor do I understand why they continue to bleed our pets dry despite regular treatments of Advantage. I need to get some more of the fleabane so that we can keep the little vampires at bay. Of course, treating the cats means that us humans are going to have dying parasites attacking us until they've all shuffled off this mortal coil and gone up to flea heaven.

So, that's about all for now. Sorry to have kept everyone in suspense, but it's been pretty hectic. The child is stirring his crib, and I must arise to rescue him. He's probably wet and hungry and wanting to watch Little Einsteins. Nonetheless, I will leave you with this photograph of him, taken this past week, lounging around watching the infamous (and, some say, insidious) Teletubbies.

A Very Special Day

2006-02-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

Today is February 13th. Aside from being the day before Valentine's Day, the thirteenth of February has another (and much more important) distinction: it is my wife's birthday.

She and I met in the summer of 1992. We started our relationship simply enough, by chatting online through an interface provided by the WWIV BBS software that I was running. Back then, you could only have one caller online at a time, and dial-up connections were the rule, rather than the exception. It wasn't like the globe-spanning internet that we have today, but somehow we managed to find each other and connect amidst the plethora of local BBS'.

In retrospect, it seems like we chatted for months on an almost-nightly basis. Realistically, though, I know that it was only a short time - perhaps a month, at most - before we hooked up in "realspace" at the San Diego Comic Convention volunteer picnic. We sat together at a boat pond and talked in person for the first time, and I guess we both left the meeting different people than we had been before.

It's been nearly fourteen years since those days. In that time, we've continued to stay together. We've moved out of our parents' homes and into a place of our own, we've exchanged vows and pledged our love to one another, and we've brought a wonderful little man into the world. For better or for worse, we've changed one another in ways that we can hardly imagine, unless we peer back through the mists of time at the teenagers we both were back in 1992.

Each year, I am presented with reminders of the past that we have shared with one another, and how those years would have been so very different if we hadn't met. Birthdays, amidst annual holidays and special anniversaries, are always a reminder.

The day that we first met, when we sat on the shore of that little boat pond in San Diego, I knew in my heart that something special was going to come out of our lives together. I wasn't planning ahead, nor would I have believed you if you'd told me that she and I would still be together in another fourteen years. Yet here we are in 2006, a family, and it seems like only yesterday that I saw her walking towards me, the smile on her face saying, "I know who you are," but being too shy to stop and say hello.

So we're together, and I hope we stay that way forever. My life would be far emptier if my wife were not a part of it. I can only repay her in kind for the constant support and understanding that she shows to me, and I can only marvel at the endless patience that she shows for both my son and I.

I love you, Amy. Happy Birthday.

Meat Loaf: It's What's For Dinner

2006-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight, anyway.

As mentioned previously, I've been cooking a lot lately. I make sure to cook enough that we've got left-overs to eat the next day, be it for lunch or for dinner or for snacks. Tonight, it's meat loaf. We'll have a slab or two for supper (along with corn on the cob), with enough to spare for sandwiches tomorrow.

I used to make meat loaf a lot when I was living under my mother's roof, many moons ago. Back then, I'd take a bunch of ground beef, mix it with liberal amounts of crushed garlic, catsup, salt, pepper, an egg, and cracker crumbs (or oatmeal, if crackers weren't available), mix it up, throw it into a dish, and bake it. It would last the family several days, after which time we'd be sick and tired of it.

These days, it's a new story. I got the idea to mix sausage with the ground beef a couple of weeks ago. Some mild Italian sausage was the first experiment, three links (skinned and crumbled) to two pounds of ground beef, with some Worcestershire sauce and pepper for added flavor. It came out great.

The next week, I made an extra large batch, but used uncooked bratwurst instead of Italian sausage. It was quite tasty. Tonight, I'm cooking a small batch using hot Italian sausage. I'd like to try it with some breakfast sausage, too, specifically that terribly tasty Jimmy Dean stuff.

I know, it's probably horribly bad for us, but we're poor! We gotta eat what we gotta eat!

In case you were wondering about the new job, it's going well. I'm at the start of my second week, and will get my first (itsy bitsy) paycheck this Friday. Thank all the gods for that, too! It's been tight around here. I'd like the option of going out for dinner at least once before February ends.

Oh, and then there's Stephen. He's a crack-up. We had dinner at my mom's place last night, and he was really well-behaved. He's especially fond of corn bread, it seems. Here, we have a recent photo of the sprout taking a bath. Note the devil horns sprouting from his head, indicating his true nature. He only wants us to think he's sweet, cute, and loving. When the real Stephen comes out, though, be careful!

Two Days Down

2006-01-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

I've made it through my second day at the new job. I'm feeling a little more upbeat about things.

Not much else to report today. I'm making chicken curry over rice for supper tonight. I was going to make a pot roast, but I've decided to throw that into the slow cooker in the morning, which means we'll eat it for dinner tomorrow. Thursday will be pot roast leftover day, and Friday will be oven roasted chicken day.

There's something to be said for the economy of eating in most of the time. As much as I'd like to go out and plop down $30-40 for a dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant, that's going to need to wait until my first couple of paychecks clear.

First Day on the Job

2006-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, I survived.

It's a purchasing position, so anyone with any kind of experience in that field is going to know what I have to look forward to. Buying stuff, plain and simple. Lots of support activities, like filing and faxing and MRP, too. Oh, and let's not forget basic trouble-shooting, like when the receiving department calls and complains that a package doesn't have a purchase order number, or they don't know who to deliver it to.

The software that is used seems pretty straightforward. Granted, I've only done a few orders, and they were pretty simple ones at that.

Much of my time today was spent being trained by my leadperson. She's patient, has a funny sense of humor, and I think we'll get along pretty well. Training was interrupted by IT-related issues...password issues, server issues, new guy issues. We ironed it out, though.

HR gave me a large amount of paperwork to complete. Joy! So I spent a good bit of time prior to making this post signing my name and filling out stuff.

My feelings about the day are mostly positive. I'm still a little nervous, with a little bit of the old "impending doom" feeling that I always get when I switch jobs. It's the question of the unknown: what will happen? What will I have to do? Will I be able to do it? And, most importantly, will I like what I'm doing?

These questions and more shall be answered in time. For the most part, I think the universal answer will be "yes." After all (and even though I never admit it out loud), I'm smart, experienced, and I have financial responsibilities that must be met. The third reason alone is enough to make me crave strong alcoholic drink and seclusion from humanity.

Just kidding.

So there's your report on the day. Now, let's see if I can manage to survive the week.

My Long Weekend Is Over

2006-01-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I start my new job.

It's amazing how fast a week can pass. Sure, it was less than a week -- six days, to be exact -- and it's probably the only vacation I'll have for at least a year, when my paid vacation days kick in. But it flew by in a flash.

In retrospect, it seems like such a long time ago since I was working at the tooth factory.

Starting over again. I'm all about new things, and new opportunities. Still, starting all over again in a new company is going to be tough. Learning new systems, meeting new people, adjusting to new bosses/supervisors/managers.

Am I nervous? Yeah, but I'm hopeful, too. I'll be sure to post and let the world know how it went, and how I'm feeling about it tomorrow.

Wish me luck.

Me & My Boy

2006-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love these pictures, even though one of them is a bit blurry.

Yesterday, I had a hankering for tortilla soup. So I looked up a recipe online (thanks to Food Network), changed it to suit my own tastes, and made a big old batch. I've never made homemade soup before, and it turned out really well.

Soup: it's good, it's cheap to make, and it lasts a couple of days. In other words, economical. The recipe I used is as follows:

Gary's Tortilla Soup

Diced vegetables (1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded), and 2 small tomatoes).
1 small can of roasted green chiles.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
4 cups chicken broth.
2 cloves finely chopped garlic.
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.
2 large chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded.
8-10 white corn tortillas, cut into strips.
Chopped cilantro leaves, as needed.
The juice of one lime.
Salt, as needed.

Begin with a large pot. Saute the vegetables and chile briefly in about 2 tablespoons of oilve oil over medium-high heat, until limp. When the vegetables are limp, add the broth, garlic, and cumin, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Next, take the tortilla strips and stir them into the soup. They're going to disintegrate, but this makes for good tortilla flavor as well as acting as a thickener. Last of all, stir in the cilantro and lime juice.

I served it with shredded cheddar cheese. I took some of the tortilla strips and fried them until crispy, and then sprinkled them lightly with taco seasoning. They make a good garnish, along with the cheese.

Just Call Me Mr. Mom

2006-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Although I did avoid a very poopy diaper this morning (Stephen's mom was good enough to clean that mess up before she left for work), I have done my fair share of them over the past few days. My wife calls it "baby boot camp," though I reckon it's not quite that bad.

Stephen requires near-constant attention. He's got a good attention span, so he can get busy doing his own thing, but before long he'll come back looking for me. "Hey pops," he says. "I'm gonna hang all over you and make strange sounds as I eat this here bath toy."

His english isn't quite that good, but you get the idea. See the photo to the left.

Right this second, he's fighting sleep. He gets this "nap look," which I can only equate to a "thousand yard stare" of sorts. It generally involves a great deal of staggering around, rubbing the eyes, and fussing over minor setbacks. When I see two of those symptoms present simultaneously, I take the hint and put him down for a nap.

So, some pictures. This is a cute one at right, taken at a recent trip to the San Diego Zoo. Thank God for those annual passes we picked up, because they've paid for themselves and then some. He's not really into the animals, though he does enjoy staring at some of the bigger ones. Stephen is more of a people-watcher. I guess a trip to the store is just as much fun to him as a trip to the Zoo.

We took a ride on the sky cars. Unfortunately, the camera batteries died before we did so, so there's no photos of the boy on his aerial journey, but all indications were that he really enjoyed it. He's not a big fan of the wind blowing in his face, but he does like seeing new things. By the time we were halfway through the ride, he was clinging to the handrail and staring out at the horizon like Christopher Colombus.

Ahh...asleep at last. He'll probably sleep for an hour or so. I guess I'll try to get some rest, too. This is my last weekday as an unemployed bum, so I may as well enjoy it.

More later.

Stephen in the New Year

2006-01-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Look, mom! No hands!

Yes, the child can stand with no visible means of support. In fact, he took his first tottering step this morning, just after this picture was taken. One of the things that I enjoy most about Stephen is watching him grow, learn, and develop as a human being. He's simply amazing in so many ways, and it isn't easy to describe exactly how. It's not just in one way, it's in all ways.

The news of the month is that I'm leaving my current position and moving on to another one at a different company. My last day at the tooth factory is this Monday, after which I've got about a week off before I'm required to report for duty at my new place of employment. It's somewhat sad, because I'm leaving a lot of really great people behind. I've been with the company over two years, and I've gotten to know a lot of folks. It seems as if they will miss me, and I know that I'm going to miss many of them in return.

The good news is that my new position is a step (or two) up from the one I currently occupy. I'm going from a "purchasing clerk" position to a "materials buyer" position. The offer was too good to pass up, so I'm jumping at the opportunity to better my economic situation. It's not all about money, but the money does have something to do with my decision. Wish me luck.

As far as other current events: our good friends, Frank and Lisa, had a baby on January 11th. Amanda Renee (seen here) was 4 lbs, 9 oz at birth. Seeing as she was about five weeks early, this is little surprise. She's a fighter, though, and is doing very well. We dropped in for a visit this morning, which is when this photo was taken.

We drove up to visit Lisa and Frank this morning, via the local gas station. It looks like gas prices have pushed up a tad since Christmas. I must've missed it, because I remember them being about twenty or thirty cents lower a couple of weeks ago. The prices disgust me. Soon enough, it's going to get to the point where $3 a gallon is considered normal in SoCal. Ugh.

On a completely scatological note...

...we drove to our FLGS ("Game Empire") to pick up an item I'd ordered a week or two ago. Every time we drive to Game Empire, we pass this building with a sign that proclaims, "Hemorrhoid Care Clinic by Laser," with a web address of www.hemorrhoid.net. My wife commented, "The scary thing is, that means that 'www.hemorrhoid.com' was already taken."

I couldn't help but snap a photo for posterity. May God have mercy on my soul.

Stephen Meets Santa Claus

2005-12-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

Stephen met Santa for the first time last night:

Let's just say that he wasn't thrilled with the experience, as is evidenced by the classic expression haunting his adorable features in the above photograph.

To be honest, I really wanted to spare him the pain of meeting Mr. Kringle in such a state: surrounded by lots of noisy people (many of them strangers to him), sitting on the lap of a wierdo with a big white beard in a red suit, I think we're lucky that he didn't burst out in maddening screams.

Not only did the boy meet Santa, but he was also able to unwrap his first present, which was a much less traumatizing experience:

All in all, it was a good night. He got to crawl around with his cousin, Robby, and he learned to climb stairs. I even managed to squeeze off a shot of Stephen and his grampa, Lee...

...not to mention another picture of the boy and his grandma!

This afternoon, he has Christmas at his grandma's house. More photos and reporting to follow!

Stephen's First Christmas

2005-12-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Today and tomorrow are likely to be watershed days in the life of my boy: his first real exposure to the consumer fever dream that is the Christmas holiday.

If you thought our apartment was cramped with stuff now, you've got another thing coming. We suspect that the boy will receive a plethora of noisy plastic gizmos, toys, and the like. We do not begrudge the generosity of our relatives; in fact, we appreciate it. We also know that Stephen, being a mere nine months in age, will probably find the wrapping paper and bows a bit more enthralling that whatever they are disguising.

So far, he's seen the decorations. He's marveled at the Christmas lights. He's yanked the needles off the tree, and he's eyed the ornaments the way that a starving man might eye a t-bone steak. Nonetheless, his innocence has been preserved.

Tonight, that is liable to change.

You see, this evening is the annual Christmas celebration at my grandparents' house. My son, as well as dozens of his cousins, will partake of the annual holiday ritual of tearing wrapping paper, throwing bows, screaming, and fussing, as we, his parents, look on in equal combinations of amusement, horror, and helplessness. Will his nine-month-old brain make the connection? Will he fully realize what is happening?

I'm sure that next year will be the really big day. By then, well on his way to two years old, he should be walking and talking. He should also be familiar with several wonderful words, namely "no" and "mine."

I'm shivering with anticipation of this. No, I am. Really.

We're pretty much done with our shopping this year. We didn't have much to spend, so we didn't really devote much to presents. I always have trouble with this; I feel if I don't spend so much that I'm completely destitute by December 24th, that I've done something wrong. I'm not sure where this feeling originates. Merck needs to create a peppermint-flavored pill that takes care of holiday guilt. For all I know, they've got one, they just won't release it for fear of the lawsuits that the department stores will ultimately bring to bear on them for lost holiday profits.

Last weekend, we went to the Wild Animal Park. Yes, again. This time, we met up with my cousins, Jeff and Christy, their spouses, Sarah and Freet, and their children, Emily and Robby. We all managed to have children right around the same time, which I find amusing. It was only a matter of time before we got them all together.

This time of year represents the Festival of Lights at the Wild Animal Park. The park stays open late, and lots of holiday light displays are erected and plugged in. Some of it's very pretty; some of it is just kind of "meh." The best part of the evening, really, was the company. The lights were secondary to the day's enjoyment.

Stephen got to go on the merry-go-round. I stood by, holding him in place. He seemed to be both frightened and interested, but not once did he crack a smile or laugh. He would look to me every so often for reassurance, while peering at the animals and riders behind him the rest of the time.

So...that's that. I'll be sure to take the camera along tonight, in order to capture the chaos of Christmas first-hand. I will likely give my full report tomorrow; lacking that, expect something on Monday.

Oh, I may as well update you on how he's doing physically.

Stephen's a healthy little guy, quite durable. He bumps his head a lot, so thank god for that DOC band. Speaking of his head, it's rounding out very well. They estimate that he'll need to wear the band for another month.

He crawls very quickly. Once he gets a destination in mind, there's no stopping him. Off he goes, like an AT-AT, hands and knees thumping loudly on the floor. He also enjoys pulling himself into a standing position. Recently, he's begun to let go of whatever he's holding onto, balancing on his own two feet for several moments before falling onto his diapered butt. He'll be walking within a month, I reckon.

The boy is also moving beyond the vowel noises of his youth. He's been making "Mah-mah-mah" noises lately, with an occasional "wah" for good measure. He feels like he weighs about twenty-five pounds, but the doctor insists that he's only 19 pounds, 2 ounces. His height? A mighty 28.5 inches.

Soon, he will conquer the world.

Holiday Cheer

2005-12-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's December already. It's been busy! To make everyone feel better, I'll post some pictures of the boy and his antics.

By the way, he crawls everywhere now. He gets into everything. We've been forced to install baby gates in some of our doorways to keep him from eating things he shouldn't be eating...like cat food.

If walking is much worse, I doubt we'll survive the ordeal. Given that he enjoys standing as much as he does, it's only a matter of time before he's walking like a real pro.

We also have a Christmas tree for Stephen's first Christmas. The day we put it up, he stared at it somewhat dubiously before declaring that it was his. He's not as interested in it now as he once was, which is probably for the best. The last thing I need or want is to find him crushed beneath our slowly-dying Christmas tree.

Speaking of the Christmas tree, here's the thing in all its decorative glory:

I've been writing lately, though not as much as I had been earlier in the year. Things looks like they're going to get busy again. I need to pace myself, and try to keep some sort of sane balance between writing, work, and family. It's not always easy. These guys who give me this work, they don't sit down ahead of time so that their projects fit neatly into my calendar. As nice as that would be, it's never been the case (except by accident).

So, back to the boy.

This picture is Stephen (asleep) with his grandma. She's the only person that he'll do that with. Sleep, I mean, while she's holding him. He won't do that with his mommy, and he won't do it with me, either. I guess it's grandma's own special touch that allows her that sort of intimacy with the boy.

I dropped in at my mom's to pick him up this afternoon, since my wife was working a little bit late. He rode home with me, quite happily. He mostly stares out the window, or looks blankly at me while I sing or chatter at him. It's almost like he's thinking, "This guy's nuts."

We also went back to the Wild Animal Park a couple of weeks ago. Heck, we've got the passes. It doesn't hurt to use them. I enjoy pushing Stephen around in his stroller. He's learned to follow our fingers when we point at something, though whether he understands anything past that is beyond me.

We're planning another trip this weekend, but with some of my cousins, their spouses, and their young children. It will be quite the adventure, I'm thinking. These other kids are all older than my boy, but they're his peers. They're the cousins he'll be growing up with, much as I grew up with their parents. They'll be fighting, calling each other names, playing in the mud, and doing whatever else kids do together these days. It's just a matter of time.

I'd also like to share one final picture with you, of my wife. She only posed this way under protest. You might say that I "made" her do it. Still, it's not a really unflattering photo. It's just goofy.

See you next time!

Giving Thanks

2005-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Like many other Thanksgivings before, I gathered together with my family and ate copious amounts of roast turkey with all the trimmings. Unlike other Thanksgiving holidays, however, this one was Stephen's first. Well...first outside the womb, at least.

We dressed him up in some of his finest clothes, sent to us by his great-grandparents who live in Pennsylvania. Here's the boy and his beautiful mother:

Our arrival at my mom's place was somewhat delayed due to Mr. Man having a tooth-related "I really need a nap" fit. We applied children's Motrin and Oragel and let nature take its course. After half an hour of unconscious bliss, we woke him, dressed him, and to grandmother's house we went.

As always, Stephen's grandmother was happy to see him.

Dinner was tasty! Stephen thought so, too. Grandma put some turkey through the food processor, and the little guy chowed it down. He sampled mashed potatos and gravy, as well as cranberry sauce, candied yams, and anything else that caught his eyes.

Not only were we celebrating Thanksgiving, but we also celebrated my brother's 23rd birthday (which is technically today, but it never hurts to kill two birds with one stone). Stephen and his uncle get along pretty well.

When it was all said and done, we packed the boy up and brought him home. He hit the sack early, and stayed down just about all night long. Could it have been the tryptophan? Should we give the boy turkey every night?

By the way, you can find additional pictures of the boy (if you so wish) from our recent trip to Gen Con SoCal in Anaheim at my other web log, Neuro-Suction.

Going On Three Weeks

2005-11-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Stephen is going on three weeks in his ultra-stylish DOC band. He wears it twenty-three hours out of every twenty-four (did I mention that last time?). The only side-effects we've noticed is that he's had some trouble staying asleep at night, but this might also be attributed to teething -- his top two teeth should be emerging from his pretty pink gums any time now.

What follows are some photos from his 10/26 check-up appointment.

Our appointment was scheduled for 7am. I don't know if that was the wisest choice for an appointment, considering that the traffic on I15 is really, really bad at that time of the morning (see below).

After more than an hour, we arrived at Cranial Tech's office. We were ten minutes late; all things considered, I think we made good time. Stephen spent the first half of the drive playing in the back seat (at left), and the other half napping. His mother and I discussed the traffic. Honestly, I think he had the better part of the deal.

After we were signed in and ready to rumble, we were shown to an exam room and they gave his head a look at. After only a week, there was (at least, to us) some significant changes. His head shows a good deal more roundness in the back. It's damn amazing that only a week would make such a difference.

One way to compare his current head shape to his original head shape is by use of a plaster model that they made from his original head cast. Here is the boy, with the cast of his head in hand.

They routed out his DOC band a little on the sides opposite of where his current improvement can be seen. In that way, his noggin will reshape itself proportionally. He played the whole time.

Compared to the drive down, it was a mercifully short appointment. We get to do it all over again this coming Wednesday, though we're heading in a little later than we did the last time. Thank God.

The office is decorated with murals that have been painted with murals depicting various nursery rhymes. You know, "Hey Diddle Diddle" and the old lady who lives in a shoe...whatever here name was. And, of course, Little Boy Blue, complete with horn and DOC band. Since Stephen was sporting his own blue overalls, I snapped a picture of him and Little Boy Blue.

Yesterday, we took a trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It got off to a rough start, with Stephen being a little bit scared of his introduction to the park. It must've been the plants, the people, and...oh, yeah, the birds. Lots of them. We've learned that he's none too fond of my mother's parrots, either.

Some of our Animal Park highlights follow, starting with...meercats!

The little guys, always a favorite of mine, were out in force, and horsing around in front of the glass partition that surrounded their enclosure. Stephen got a close look at them, and he seemed to enjoy watching them. He likes our cats, so I wonder if he's really able to distinguish between cats and other similarly-sized mammals or not. For all I know, he thinks that dogs and kitties are the same thing.

Next...the balloon.

The Animal Park has a big yellow balloon that folks can go up in for the admission price of fifteen American dollars. We didn't go up...maybe next time. As high as it goes up, you can probably see our house from there.

Then again, probably not.

Flamingos. There are lots of stinky pink flamingos at the Wild Animal Park. You see them when you come into the park, and you also see them when you visit the Heart of Africa.

The Heart of Africa (at left) is reached by walking about fifty miles down a winding path. Don't worry, you get to see lots of animal butts on the way down.

We've got a story about animal butts. Our friend Karen used to say that if you go to the zoo, you shouldn't expect to see anything but animal butts. She, my wife, and I went to the San Diego Zoo one day, and her point was proved. So, this following picture of okapi butts is for Karen.

We also got to see the okapis eat, pee, and poop, too. I won't post those photos, though. Once you've seen one okapi butt, you've seen them all...no matter what they're doing at the time.

In any case, they've got a really great new lion enclosure at the Animal Park that they didn't have before. We weren't sure if there were any lions in the thing, until we took a stroll around and found them hanging out...on the roof of a car, no less.

All the while, Mr. Man rode in his stroller. He napped through much of the Heart of Africa, but woke up after a good stretch and was much happier for the rest.

That pretty much covers the highlights of the trip. It was a good time. I've spent so much time writing lately that I haven't seen as much of my wife and son as I would have liked. If only all of my weekends were spent with them in such relaxing surroundings...

...like Mombassa Lagoon. Mua ha ha.

The Cranium People: Follow-Up

2005-10-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since the last post. Gads, I've been busy. Work, home, writing, etc. It's certainly not the way it used to be, back before we had our baby boy.

As the title suggests, we returned to Cranial Technologies today and picked up Stephen's helmet. It was a long appointment, because they wanted to make sure he would tolerate wearing it. I forgot to take the camera with us, so these pictures from tonight, after we returned home, will have to do.

Here's the little man, holding his helmet. It's light-weight, and while not incredibly stylish, he is pretty cute in it (see below).

If there's an ultimate test of "cute," it's whether someone still looks cute wearing something like this. I think the boy passes with flying colors.

Now, while we were at the clinic, we discovered a half-inflated "bouncy" ball with a giraffe pattern on it. I sat across from Stephen, and rolled/bounced it back and forth to him. This was a big hit. He squealed, he giggled, he did his "Chaka" noise and waved his arms. While he has ball-like objects at home, he'd never had a real one until tonight. I picked this one up for him on my way home. It's his eye ball. Nyuk.

Funny that such a simple thing would be so entertaining for him. We sat and rolled the ball for a long while, and he didn't seem to get bored as fast as I did. I just hope the occasional bouncing doesn't disturb our downstairs neighbors.

One other thing he likes: Cheerios. I bought a box of them last night, and I've been giving them to him (broken into halves) all day. He loves them. He opens his mouth like a little bird. I can put them in his hand, but he hasn't worked out how to open his fingers so that he can drop them into his mouth.

And here's a picture of the boy, looking lovingly at his mommy (who is sitting off-camera, of course).

The way I see it, a good many of the pictures of the boy over the next two or three months will include him wearing his headgear. Thus, I won't bore you with too many shots of it tonight. I think that, given time, it will definitely lose its novelty value.

They tell us that we should see some kind of improvement within a week. We go back for a follow-up next Wednesday, and then I think we'll be going in once every couple of weeks to make adjustments and monitor his progress.

That's it. Sorry it's been so long since the last update. Like I said: busy!

The Cranium People

2005-10-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Stephen's appointment at Cranium Central (at left) was relatively low-key, until they put a sock over his head and started coating it with plaster strips. I suppose I should start at the beginning, though. I'll keep it short -- I'm tired, and sleep and I haven't been on good terms for the past week or so.

It took us a half an hour to drive to the place, which is near as can be to Children's Hospital in San Diego (where the boy had his echocardiogram a few months back in an effort to explore a potentially dangerous heart murmur). We'd been there once before, for his consultation. I don't get much of a feeling off the place; it's just an office building for specialist doctors, I reckon.

We hit the elevator and rode it up to the fifth floor. Cranial Technologies must have the honeymoon suite, because the rest of the fifth floor (which we took a brief and unexpected tour of last time, due to turning the wrong way off the elevator) consists of a winding hallway that is punctuated by a single wooden door every so often. Some of them are even marked.

We signed our lives away, acknowledging the risks of the DOC band (there really aren't many, and those that they listed were more like inconveniences than horrible afflicitions -- dermatitis, heat rash, etc.), and then we were escorted to the wrapping room. We had to undress the child and take him in for his pre-casting photo shoot. They took pictures of him in every conceivable position. He was more or less cooperative, being familiar with cameras. He's a camera hog, too (as if you couldn't tell).

Then it was back to the wrapping room, where he got to stand in a walker/bouncer device that made all kinds of frightening noises until it was time to get his cranium cast in plaster of paris. They start with a sock-like piece of fabric that is stretched over the kid's head. They cut a little hole where his mouth is (making him look like a bank robber in a ski mask), and then they get to applying the cast.

I'm very sorry I didn't get any sort of photos of him with the cast on -- I spent the first part trying to keep him happy with a bottle, and the second half (which he spent sitting up) was probably some of the loudest and angriest crying I've ever heard him do. He wanted to reach up and mess with the cast, but we were obliged to restrict his movement. The boy does not like to be restrained, precious. No, not at all. ::gollum::

I do have "after" shots of him, though. This one is one of my favorites. He looks like he wants to slug his daddy for putting him through such a procedure. "Why, I aughta..." Pow! To the moon, pops!

This next picture actually gives a view of the cast itself, once it's been removed in two parts and reassembled. I guess they send it back to their workshop, and the cranium elves make a couple of models of the child's head bone out of it. The first is used in the manufacture of the DOC band itself, while the second is sent back as a reference cast. To think, my son has his very own bust at the venerable age of six months. What kind of underachiever am I? One with a round head, of course.

Stephen got his spirits back relatively quickly. When you consider just how upset he was, I expected him to come out of it with an intense fear of socks or ski masks. He merely stopped his crying (at left), and began to babble at his mother and I about the horrible experience he'd just gone through. Forced to sit still while someone coated his head with plaster! Oh, the agony! The hellish agony!

What next? I'll tell you: a bath.

Being as he was covered in fast-drying plaster (which crusted about his neck, shoulders, and was stuck in his hair in several spots), a bath was probably the best thing for him. He didn't struggle much, and once we had him dried off and dressed, he was back to his old happy self once more.

The drive home was guaranteed to be long and grueling. San Diego traffic isn't exactly the same thing as the infamous Los Angeles traffic, but it's still annoying. We got back on the road at 4:30pm, a very busy hour on I-15. Being as we were both hungry (and the boy was konked out in his car seat), the wife and I caught a quick bite to eat at a small restaurant in Scripps Ranch. The boy woke up halfway through our meal (left), and enjoyed having the waitress smile and coo at him.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig. We had to stop by the store for some necessities (like food, don't you know), but we finally made it home. As I put the groceries away, the kid chewed on the pumpkin his grandma bought him at Nate's Butt Farm last Sunday. He chews on everything these days, and I'll tell you why: teeth!

Stephen's mother discovered that his first tooth had cut through during his pre-casting bath. I guess he got a hold of her hand and gave it a chew, and to her surprise, the bite was a little more painful than normal due to the razor sharpness of his new incisor. We've been waiting for his first tooth to show up for a while now, so it's a relief. It's a new milestone; I guess we'll have to start brushing it now (I'm sure he'll love that).

On a different note, I've decided that I would like to try and begin teaching the boy baby signs. For those of you not in the know, baby sign is a way to communicate with pre-speech infants. I guess you teach them a simple form of sign language (which is based on American Sign Language, AFAIK), much like researchers in Africa teach chipanzees or apes to do the same.

Who knows when the boy will start to talk. He babbles and coos a lot right now, but it's not exactly Shakespeare. Consider how much you might learn from your pre-speech child if he/she is taught a 15-20 word sign language vocabulary. Being that he's six months old now, and can sit up on his own, we reckong that we may as well get moving on it. Besides, I think it will be something fun to do.

In any case, that was our day. The child is asleep in his crib as I type this, and I'm planning to be asleep in my own crib fairly soon, myself.

Special thanks to my grandparents, Betty and Bob, for helping us foot the bill for the DOC band. We couldn't have done it without them. When Stephen is breaking hearts in high school with his handsome smile and winning round head, he'll have his great-grandparents to thank for it.

We've Been Approved!

2005-09-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

By our medical insurance, I mean, for Stephen's DOC band. How much of the service they intend to pay for remains to be seen, but I doubt they will cover more than half of the expense. It doesn't so much matter, since we've got to pay for the thing up front and out of pocket, and then send our insurance company a bill for their portion.

The appointment is next Wednesday. They intend to take snapshots of the boy's head bone, and then they'll be making a plaster cast of it so that they can make a precise helmet to correct his flat little head. Two weeks after the casting date, we'll be the proud owners of a DOC band.

Just in time for Halloween. Still, if things go as planned, the kid should have it off before Christmas.

I'm headed to bed now. I'll add more as it comes up.

New Pictures

2005-09-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Forgive the brevity of this post. It's going to be a lot of photographs of the boy, and not much news. I'll try to get some news in this afternoon. Not that much has been happening lately, but I can at least bore you with trivia.

Now...the photos...

At the risk of getting cited for naughty child pictures, here's one of Stephen going commando just after a shower. Happy as can be.

The boy and I. I'm not real fond of this picture of me (I look all kinds of fat), but he's cute (which makes me look even uglier).

Halloween is coming! The boy, his mother, and I took a trip to Target recently to look at their Halloween accessories. I showed the boy a plastic axe, and he fell in love with it (as you can see). We didn't buy it, but I'm sure the experience has irrevocably warped him in some way nonetheless.

After a hard day of laughing, playing, crying, eating, and pooping, Stephen likes nothing more than to konk out completely.

That's all for now. More later, I'm sure..!

Photographic Evidence

2005-09-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, here it is...proof that the boy sleeps on his side...

I so wanted to take this picture last night, but he was being restless. This morning, he's sleeping like a stone. Zzzzz...