Dr. Visit

Last week Daniel II had his shots (2 in each leg). I took the morning off work to be there when it happened. Here's the thing, yes they scream bloody murder when they get the shots and for a few minutes thereafter. But what I didn't know was that he would run a fever the rest of the day and his legs were so sore that he didn't sleep the entire day.

The cycle was something like this:
He starts crying
We try to comfort him
Nothing works so we give him some childrens tylenol (he didn't seem to care for the grape flavoring).
After 30 minutes he starts to calm down and get sleepy
He kicks just as he's falling asleep
The leg aches so he starts screaming and kicking even more
He gets louder
We try to comfort him
Nothing works so we look at our watch to see how much longer until we can give him his next dose of childrens Tylenol

Repeat 5x

It was the most exhausing day since his delivery and the circles under Lindsay's eyes are proof of that. The nurse at the Pediatrician's office was more than kind. I'm not sure how sincere she was, but she acted as thought the shots bothered her a great deal (more than it bothered me). Perhaps she knew what the rest of our day would be like and her sympathy was indirectly menat for us....

Venturing Out

Daniel is now becoming more mobile. I'm not sure if this is due to the fact that he enjoys traveling (especially his car seat), or the fact that Linds gets cabin fever more often. His "painful period" is from 6:30 to 9:30. It's the three hours of the day that he seems to be colic (I'm assuming he's not). Make no mistake, he is cute, but he is also extremely feisty. He punches and kicks when he is tired, but refuses to go to bed. Having said that, he does seem to be getting better....he has a beautiful right cross.

New Challenges

This week was a tough challenge. I facilitated a team of 15 for a week long event. This required lots of prep work and the week itself tends to be rather exhausting. It's kind of like going through finals in college, you are focused on meeting the goal and getting through the challenge and everything else is secondary. I still had time to play with Daniel, but I slept upstairs so I wouldn't be up all night dealing with the diapers, feeding, crying, etc, (Which is what Lindsay does). On Wednesday morning my grandmother (and last surviving grandparent) passed away. It was a tough decision, but I decided to stay at the work event as long as I could then fly directly to the funeral in Miami. Fortunately, I was able to get a great deal done by the time I left Thursday evening.

The responsibility on a working father is to provide support (think Maslow's hierarchy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs. First in the form of the basics, food, water and shelter, then emotional support and leadership. In this case, I was only able to provide the former. The challenge of Lindsay's sleep deprivation, combined with my lack of involvement (due to my work obligations and the fact that I technically can't feed him), would be enough to send most new mom's into a frenzy. Add in the fact that I had to leave town for three days unexpectedly and I now have a great deal of making up to do. I have spent no less than two hours a day talking to Linds on the phone (this does not count as making up) and during that time I have made a series of promises.

1: I will put up the Christmas tree the day I get back (It's 12ft tall and 200 pds).
2: I wrote a song for Lindsay on the flight to Miami. I promised to play this song for her in it's entirety within a day of my return.
3: Dinner. I am cooking dinner the night I return.
4: Chores....enough said.
5: Christmas songs, I will learn and play a few standards (I have a loose timeline on this one).

I do feel like I'm having to make up for things beyond my control, but maybe that's the part of the hierarchy that's missing. I have obligations and responsibilities to many people and trying to live up to those responsibilities is part of a father's responsibility. By the way, one of the things I miss the most is the smell of my boy. He can be so cute when he hold his head up and looks around. He also has a lot of willpower and a powerful set of lungs. No less than half of the time spent on the phone calls has consisted of both of us listening to him relate his discomfort for what feels like hours. After a few minutes of silence I end the call only to receive text messages and phone calls to let me know it was a false alarm.

This is exhausting....

Smarter, Faster and Better Looking

When I first saw Daniel II, I had flashbacks of my baby photos. He looks similar, but he is much cuter than I was. When I see my pictures I speculate that my breath would have wreaked of curdled cheese while my son's breath smells like happiness and Joy. To give you an idea of just how ugly my baby photos were, picture a newborn bird being fed a regergitated worm and your pretty close. These are just a few pics I had scanned in for our wedding montage (5 years ago). I will try to get better pictures this weekend.

Wrapping up our First Week

Well, it's back to work tomorrow. Linds will be off for quite some time. Little Dan is sleeping well and thanks to Scott for the cool timer gift (http://www.itzbeen.com/). Lindsay gets up every couple of hours to feed him and the timer helps us keep track of such events. He is showing more emotions and becoming cuter in general. I'm really looking forward to when the circumcision and umbilical cord have healed. Less Vaseline = less leaky diapers and quicker changes. We are truly looking forward to Christmas, and I'm sure this blog will reflect that over the coming month.

First Full day at Home

Technically that's not true as we had to go to the pediatrician today. Daniel couldn't breathe through his nose last night which made it difficult for him to eat which made him cranky and restless and in turn made us cranky and restless. The good news is that he has been breathing great all day and we are looking forward to a good nights rest. By that I mean sleeping in 2 hour increments.

What a blessing, what a joy, what a wonderful toy. I will mention quickly that it was not really love at first sight. My concern during the delivery was with Lindsay. I was releived to have a healthy baby, but I never knew how quickly the little guy would get a hold on me. Today as I was wiping his butt, his circmcised tool shot a laser into the comforter on my bed. I laughed and proceeded with dousing his trig and berries with vasoline. As I looked into his eyes afterwards I'm pretty sure he's was thinking....."This is as easy as getting candy from an adult".

Sweet Dreams Stud

Baby Lucas Has Arrived!!

Daniel Paul Lucas II was born on Monday, November 3rd at 7:50 pm. He is 7pds, 6ozs and 21 inches. What a great experience, so much to say. For now I will tell you that over 95% of the labor time was just Lindsay and myself alone. It was a great bonding experience and I cannot relate just how proud I am to have a wife like Lindsay and a Son like Daniel.

Growing Pains

As the countdown to our first child birth continues, I have noticed that I am suffering from some minor physical ailments. The common assumption and scientifically unproven theory, is that men suffer and in fact contract morning sickness. I have not found this to be the case with me, but many mothers and grandmothers swear that their hubbies ‘contracted’ morning sickness during their pregnancy. Sometimes it’s hard not to laugh when you hear things that are based on common misconceptions, but people react to what their environment and experience encourages. Probably the most common example of this is the ‘cure-all’ elixirs that were sold during the first half of this century. They were supposed to cure colds, headaches, cancer, athlete’s foot etc. People would buy them, drink them and presumably enjoy the effects of the placebo and high alcohol content. The sad part about this is that people never really caught on to the scam, rather during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency he required that the government approve certain foods and their effects. The same crap is still sold today, only on the back of the bottle it will state that it is not FDA approved. I am reminded of how gullible people are when I see things for sale like “High- Definition Sunglasses” which allow you to see the world in HD (http://www.seen-on-tv.ws/hd-vision/hdvision.html).

I don’t think people are dumb for believing or buying wife’s tales and crap products, because in their experience it may have proven helpful. One of my earliest work experiences was as a cashier at a drugstore named “Revco”. I asked the Pharmacist what the difference, (other than price), between a particular generic and the name brand product was. He responded that people often like to ‘feel’ they are getting their money’s worth and that some people ‘believe’ in a particular brand. It didn’t take long for me to understand that when people believe something works, they will find ways to reinforce this believe and perhaps just as importantly, they will ignore many things that imply they are incorrect. A common example of this is when I watch someone root for their favorite college team. It seems that the same call can be interpreted in several ways. Fans will emphasize anything that represents poor conduct by the opposition and darn near ignore the same effects vice versa. After working in a statistical role I find myself always questioning causation. Recently my wife and I returned from the grocery store and the dogs were (as always) very excited to see us. I had bought them a new treat and was looking through the plastic bags that littered my counter for a few of them. Just before I gave it to Dolly (my female dog) she threw up in the kitchen. After cleaning the mess I mentioned that had I given the treat to her a few minutes earlier we may have improperly assumed that the treat had made her sick. In all actuality Dolly had simply eaten too much food too quickly and the excitement of our arrival allowed us to see firsthand, just how much she had eaten. In an unrelated incident, a friend of mine who did not smoke cigars, decided to try one. A few days later he developed Bells Palsy (A mysterious disease which causes half of your face to lose feeling for varying amounts of time). Now, the very mention of a cigar causes him to sweat and panic.

Most likely, the issues that some individuals presume to be morning sickness are in fact the overwhelming issues / reality that accompany the fact that as a man, your role and responsibilities are about to increase dramatically. This realization can surface in a multitude of ways, namely nausea, eye twitching, headaches, vomiting, etc. In my case, I have experienced a change in my demeanor as well as some increased tendencies towards nesting. In terms of my demeanor, I have become softer. I tend to be more emotional about certain things that, in the past, I would have rolled my eyes at. I suppose that the bond I have formed with my unborn child has solidified such that I can now relate to situations I was formerly unable to. This newfound tendency surfaces with that tiny ache you feel between your chin and neck when you experience something that could lead to a highly emotional state or even tears. For obvios reasons we will call this condition “tenderitus” which occurs in the “neckchineus” region. Movies that would have drawn nary a furrowed brow now leave me momentarily exhausted and breathless. I have become the equivalent of a mountain man injected with estrogen in that I am confused by my own reactions. Such was the case when watching “The Lives of Others”, a movie based around the time the Berlin wall fell (Yes, it’s in German). I suppose this revelation is a good thing. I knew that my child would teach me many things; however I falsely assumed the lessons would start after the baby was born. My newfound estrogen may be what helps me to deal with some of Lindsay’s chemical induced moments. They tend to be quick, loud and over issues that would have otherwise been ignored (prior to the pregnancy). The irony here is that due to the pregnancy, Lindsay’s reactions have become more temperamental where as I have become more emotion-full. At the same time, she is increasingly maternal and I have a greater resolve towards being the provider and role model. Oddly enough, in the animal kingdom, only a select few Male’s feel the need to provide for their young. In almost all cases the male moves on to other things while the mother provides, trains and protects her young. With the exception of a cousin of the prairie dog, (due to its enhanced amygdale), no animal strives to maintain a family.

Being afflicted with tenderitus is most likely a new stage of learning that can only come with new experiences. I was thinking last night about what developments the future may hold for my child to experience. In the future, it is ration to assume that people will forget what it was like to be bald or have acne and a muscular frame may be a pill away, but it is unlikely that true confidence and experience can be synthesized. It is these experiences which are the foundation for greater understanding and appreciation for everyday experiences. Five years ago I had no desire to be away from my computer for any more than a few hours. I would contemplate camping with my portable dvd player and a mobile wireless card for my laptop (ahhhh….endless connectivity). Now I find that I have a great appreciation for the simplicity of the great outdoors with as little of modern day conveniences as possible (My Blackberry and I have a very independent relationship). I am changing, evolving and possibly improving. I have learned so much in the last 10 years that even I realize that teenagers are (for the most part) trend following lemmings. As far as the wives tales, don’t give me too much credit. After reading that eggplant parmesan has a high affiliation with inducing labor within 48 hours of being consumed (this of course, on the company’s website), Lindsay and I drove to Provino’s for an eggplant parmesan to-go. At this point the baby weight is estimated to be 7 and a half pounds. The thought of buying a 12$ meal vs the possibility of having to comfort Lindsay while delivering a 10 pound baby (it’s looking like it could be as much as three more weeks) made this an easy decision. Besides, we agreed that if there’s no action by Thursday we’re both drinking Castor oil…….Yuck!

The Need for Structure : Draw the Line, Walk the Line or Walk Home

Who Has the Time?
It seems that our schedule is becoming continuously crowded. For every item we check off of our BB (Before Birth) list, two things are added. Most recently, Lindsay asked me if I was ready to meet the Dr. on Monday. I said, “yes, but that’s next Monday”. “No”, she replied, “That’s our Dr.’s appointment for the ultrasound, we have to meet and interview our potential pediatrician, you remember right?” “Ohhh…that….Ummmmm, No” I replied. My plans for catching up at home and relaxing are once again delayed. People stop me every hour and remind me that once the baby is born, there is no time for anything. “You won’t get any sleep, silence or time to yourself”, I am told. I know this to be true, but at the same time, what can you do? I have already committed to this, we are past the point of no return yet I am reminded of ‘just what I have gotten myself into’ on a regular basis. Our love for our children motivates us to do things we would never have done otherwise, perhaps not even for our spouse. The sacrifices that parents must endure daily are some of the most difficult in that they are never really recognized by anyone.
An Act of Fatherly Love
As a child I lived for candy. The glimmer in my eye when seeing fresh candy and having a dollar in my pocket was something that can only be compared to my uncle Otis walking into a liquor store with his first credit card. My first lesson in finance came in the form of buying gumballs at 3 cents apiece. I would slowly purchase three at a time as to avoid the 1 cent tax that one would incur when surpassing the ten cent barrier. So frugal, so patient, so annoying, my dad would be proud. My youngest brother’s favorite candy was fireballs. My dad would suck the hot part off of them then give then back to him so he could have the equivalent of a sugar flavored jawbreaker. Ever curious, he would suck on the fireball then take it out and look at it and go back to sucking. One day he ran past me and towards dad and yelled “It’s stuck in my nose!! The fireball is stuck in my nose!!”. Dad worked feverishly trying to grasp the ball, but it had worked its way deep into the nasal cavity. After a few minutes of failed attempts, dad seemed to stare into space. I recall the silence which felt like several minutes, but was most likely around 10 seconds. Dad grabbed my brother’s head and held it to the floor, put his mouth over the blocked nostril and sucked…….
Friends of the family would go on to refer to this incident as “an act of true fatherly love”. What most people don’t know is that dad pretty much refused to take us to the hospital for anything. That meant that with very few exceptions, everything had to be resolved at home. I’m not sure if this was because my dad thought all doctors were quacks, or because he was just so cheap; perhaps a combination of the two. Whether or not you agree with your parents is rather insignificant in terms of outcomes. Most parents, and grandparents for that that matter, are going to do what they want with little to no consideration of outside opinions. On the rare occurrence they do not, it is usually out of love. Love can cause one to do what they would have otherwise refused. Parents unfamiliar with this concept are most likely those who opt for convenience and yes, we all know they are out there. Perhaps they are your neighbor who watches passively as their kids engage in mischief then years later complains to you that their kids can’t “seem to stay out of jail for more than a few weeks”. Perhaps it is the executive down the hall who has worked no less than ten hours a day for the last ten years in order to get ahead and “provide a better life for their family and children”. Either way, at some point they prioritized their own agenda over that of their children’s such that the outcome may substantiate in multiple generations. I say this not out of criticism or condescension but rather out of praise for those parents who take the high road.

Drawing the Line
We all know that there is no manual for parenting, but there is common sense and in fact resources that may help you along the way. And you don’t need a manual to tell you that within reason, you get what you give. I say this cautiously because for every parent that neglects their children there is one that “spares the rod and spoils the child”. We all have our soft moments, but there are a number of issues in which wavering can be interpreted as weakness. In my humble experience I have learned that children who do not know boundaries are prone to chaos. How one forms and enforces the boundaries is subjective, the fact that it should be done is not. When there are no boundaries sacrifice is both null and counter intuitive as there is no point of reference for the act to be judged against. Picture yourself offering your child the reward of a happy meal if they do their chores. One thing leads to another, cartoons come on, a friend comes over, etc. and for one reason or another the chores are incomplete. Later that afternoon as you are running errands, you pass by McDonalds and after multiple pleas for food (and the toy that comes with it) you go through the drive through and buy a happy meal (now maybe you can have a few minutes of silence). This is counter intuitive on multiple levels and you are more or less saying that your earlier declaration was in fact, null and void. My parents were not in this boat. My mom would have pulled into McDonalds, ordered a happy meal, and then proceed to eat it in front of me and tell me how good it is.

Walking HomeWe had a White Foods grocery store in our home town. It was about three miles from our house. My brother and I would look at magazines the whole time mom shopped. Mostly we would look through the Beckett magazine to see how much our key baseball cards were worth. When she was ready to go, Mom would check out and leave. If you weren’t in the car, you were left behind. She got past me and my brother one time and we ran into the parking lot. We saw the car, and waited for a half hour before finding out that she had gone to another store in the same parking lot. “Oh hey, I was wondering what happened to you two” she said as she tucked her receipt into her purse. If she was worried, she did a fantastic job of covering it up. There was another occasion where I didn’t catch her in time and I saw the minivan leave the parking lot. I began walking home and about halfway my sister’s sister in law (from her husband at that time) picked me up. She asked me “How did you get downtown?” and I replied that my mom had left me there. She said that she was sure my mother was worried sick and probably looking all over for me and I told her, “Right, ummm, I think she’s probably calling around right now”. After being dropped off at home I went inside and when I tried to ask my mom why she left me, she kept giving me the “Just a minute” signal by holding up her index finger. She was on the phone with her sister in Florida and the conversation had nothing to do with my whereabouts.
This would not be the only time I was left behind or forgot about for that matter. But I always made a mental note to keep an eye on mom after that. If I saw her tilt her cart in the direction of a cashier, I put up my magazine and waited alongside her. What was frustrating about this was that many times she would remember something then go back into shopping mode for the next 20 minutes. One of my favorite things about getting a license was being able to tell my mother “I’ll meet you there”. Today when we are going to the same place, I tend to opt for self transportation (vs carpooling), but at 4 bucks a gallon I’m beginning to wonder, how bad would it be to walk home?

Hire Education

Last Saturday I had the good fortune of attending a breastfeeding class. A great number of things run through my head with that statement. I'm sure the feeling is mutual. I had made a deal with Lindsay that I would go to the class if she wanted me to. Just before we arrived she told me that if there were no other men in the class that I could hang out at Starbucks and work on my blog. Upon arriving, we scanned the room and there was one man. We took our seats and I looked at him and said "Good Morning", but my eyes said "Thanks for coming a-hole". "Good morning" he replied, but his eyes said "I'm missing the game". He appeared uncomfortable during the entire class (2 and a half hours). In fact if there were a male equivalent for labor pains, he seemed to be experiencing them.
Our instructor (Gale) mentioned she was in her 50’s and had been a lactation consultant for many years. Gale began class by asking if we had any concerns about breastfeeding. The first couple said “I heard it hurts”. And most of the questions and replies that followed concerned pain. The one exception being Jane (See the Lamaze story) who asked “How soon can I go back to work?”. I’m not sure how this relates to the topic, but nonetheless Gale handled it quite professionally. There was also an Asian couple who had attended the Lamaze class with us. What English the husband spoke was very broken and the woman never spoke. Given the array of medical terms, I can’t help but wonder how little they understood. When Gale asked them if they had any concerns the husband asked “How do you hold a baby?”. There are a number of things that went through my head at that point. Among them was the undeniable concern that they may not have realized what class they had signed up for. This was reiterated when four hours later in our baby safety class Gale asked the same couple if they had any concerns regarding baby safety and the husband asked “How do you hold a baby?”. Props to Gale for not rolling her eyes as so many of us did.
There was something so simplistic about the act of watching Gale handle the cotton boob and feeding a doll. I could bore you to tears with facts about breastfeeding, but here are two facts you may want to take note of. The average cost of feeding a baby formula for one year is around $1600. The average baby who is formula fed will incur $800 more dollars in medical expenses in their first year than one who is breast fed (this is due to the natural antibodies in mothers milk) making the annual savings over 2000$. The other fact regarded the decreased likelihood of SIDS. I won’t repeat the exact numbers without a citation, but they were so astounding that I asked Gale to confirm the numbers after class and she stated that she had read the study in a Lamaze magazine.
What you want more facts? OK, it can stay in the freezer for 6 months, but must be used within 24 hours of being thawed. If the baby drinks milk out of a bottle and doesn’t finish it within 2 hours, throw it out (this is due to the enzymes in the air bubbles). As far as baby safety, just remember that if it fits in a toilet paper roll, the baby can swallow it.
While all these do’s and don’ts can be a bit overwhelming I recall that my parents had a different philosophy. I think it was something along the lines of “If it doesn’t kill them (and it may) they will be a better person for having learned their lessons early. Two quick stories from my childhood:
1: My youngest brother (still in diapers) would try to stab our unblocked power outlets with a fork. I would freak out and repeatedly yank the fork out of his hand. One afternoon my dad was home and as I went to stop my brother, Dad held me back and said to leave him be. About 20 seconds later there was a scream. My brother ran to my dad crying and dad simply stated “You won’t do that again will you”. The answer could be seen as he was breathing in for his next scream while nodding his head no.
2: During a four hour road trip to a hotel which we heard had a pool, I repeatedly fanaticized aloud to my brother how I would run and jump into the pool and swim across. I could hardly wait to get there and prove how serious I was. There was only one problem, I was 4 years old and couldn’t swim. After what seemed like the longest check in ever, I recall seeing the pool and running towards it. I felt the fear but did not stop. I jumped in and what followed was two minutes of sinking and gasping for air. By the time I had doubled back to the wall I had swallowed my weight in water. I looked up and my dad was staring at me. With one arm he pulled me out and after I had recovered he asked me what I was thinking.
Notice that in both of these experiences, there was no direct intervention, rather dad seemed to believe that the best lessons in life came with a mark. I suppose that’s part of my dna now and most likely why I always prefer to try things just to learn the lessons it will teach me. When people mention their stories and proverbial scars, I don’t follow up by saying “Wow, that’s great”, but rather “What did you learn”, or “How would you do it differently”.
Saturday’s classes taught me some facts and methods, but I am still a believer in tough love. That doesn’t mean I can’t be safe, but at least now I can have a better guess as to when I should interfere.

Lamaze Classes : Daddy’s List

Checking In
Last weekend we attended a six hour lamaze class. We chose this pace as opposed to four weeks of one and a half hour sessions. At 8:30 am on Saturday morning we entered the class room. We signed in and were offered complimentary snacks. Considering the class was advertised as an opportunity to achieve a healthy delivery, I was a bit surprised that the snacks were Little Debbie’s and mini powdered doughnuts. There were about a dozen mom-to-be’s in attendance. Some were mid way, others were due at any time (One was scheduled check in to the hospital later that afternoon).
It’s All Relative
As a supportive husband, it was refreshing to see some of the other men doing the same. Some of the mothers were not married, and had brought their friend or mother. One mom in particular, we’ll call her Jane, would drop subtle hints as to her marital status with comments like “The babies first name is Austin, I’m not sure what his last name should be” and “I don’t care if I am in labor when those papers come, I’m signin em”. Jane’s mom would just look at us with a blank stare and say things like “We can’t wait to have our first grandchild”. When our instructor asked us to elaborate on what we were looking forward to doing with our child Lindsay simply stated that she was dying to “just hold it”. I stated that I was looking forward to playing with baby lucas in the back yard. I often picture a miniature park on my back lawn that we walk through together. When I was a kid, mom put us outside and locked the door. We had trees and a creek within walking distance (no playground). Unsupervised we would construct everything from the most unsafe tree houses ever built to booby traps. We designed these traps specifically to trap anything that could not get out of a 6 inch deep hole in the ground which was cleverly covered with pine straw. ‘No traps’ I wrote on my sheet of paper labeled “Notes for Daddy”. “Tree houses are OK if built to code and no higher than 5 feet off the ground”. Really, what were we thinking? I massage the rib that met with a branch that broke my fall from a tall pine tree.
Kristen (she was there with her masseuse / boyfriend) stated that she wasn’t sure what she looking forward to doing with the baby because it was such a surprise that she hadn’t had time to think about it. I began to wonder if Lamaze was simply a way of attaining affordable group therapy. Jane’s response was that she was mostly excited about not being pregnant anymore, “It’s like there’s a 12 pack taped to stomach”. Again her mom spoke up saying “we have all sorts of toys for the baby, we even have two different high chairs”. Our instructor asked Jane’s mom if the class brought back memories and she responded “No, she’s adopted”.
My Role
The topics ranged from labor pains to special needs infants. When the topic of epidurals came up, we were informed of the risk and hazards of epidurals. Jane asked if she could fill out the paperwork ahead of time. After lunch we went through breathing exercises. Good air comes in the through the nose, pain and bad air goes out through the mouth. To say the videos were realistic would be an understatement. We saw several babies entering the world through…..the birth canal. We saw C sections etc. If anything, the class was a reality check and would make for a good sex education class. The Hollywood version of a baby being born is not in fact the norm. Labor pains do not end when you get to the hospital and the moms aren’t smiling at seven centimeters (Water breaks early only 10% of the time) . “Ouch”, I thought, she’s going to be able to hold this over my head for a while. I made a daddy note that said “wash dishes for the entire week after the baby is born”. Yes, this is good, I am a good person and a great husband. I will have made sacrifices the equivalent of giving birth by doing this chore for a week. I may even reveal this to her at 10 centimeters so that the pain will virtually disappear.
Demographics
While waiting to see our doctor to get our first ultrasound I observed the clientele. It was 9:00 in the morning and I told Lindsay “It’s like someone turned on the lights in a honky tonk bar”. In the case of our Lamaze class, it was more like a dance club. The kind of dance club you usually go to after the cool ones have closed. I noticed that the three women who were single all had tattoos on their lower back. The modern term for this is a ‘tramp stamp’. At a 100% correlation of tattoos to ‘surprise ‘ pregnancies, I wrote in my notebook “No tattoos….none!). To reinforce this point I mentioned it to Lindsay and she agreed. I recline on to my exercise pad and breathe in the positive energy air through my nose. “This is going to be great” I say to myself. I visualize my child sitting on a swing with me as I quiz them.
Me : What happens when you eat cookie dough?
Baby Lucas : It gives you worms!
Me : What happens when you get a tattoo:
Baby Lucas : You get herpes!!
Me: What state is Disneyworld in?
Baby Lucas : There is no such thing!

Baby Songs

I'm looking for songs to play for our baby. One that's a given is "Sexy Sadie" by the Beatles (from the White Album). This is because if the baby is a girl, its name will be Sadie (short for Mercedes). Only, I don't want my daughter to be the town floozy so I will wordsmith the song to "Silly Sadie". This is one of the tacky things that parents do to disguise the fact that we were actually cool at one point. 'Pooh Corner' is proof that Kenny Loggins was never actually cool, but rather he chose to make a career out of trying to be.

We have a few baby Einstein cd's which are basically shortened versions of classical pieces; only they are played on a keyboard set to the 'xylophone' sound effect and cost twice as much as the actual music. I am open for suggestions, but keep in mind I am a one man band.

Lindsay : Our first shower was today. What an experience. You never understand how exciting it can be to receive diaper ointment and teeny tiny socks until its your turn to receive them. It is just as exciting as we found shopping for appliances when we were moving into our first home. We were surrounded by some of the best friends anyone can ask for. We are very greatful in particular to Angelica, Ingrid, Sebastian and Todd for making today such a wonderful experience for us. I had the corsage, diaper cake...the works. It is interesting to watch as our group of friends change. The group continues to evolve from friends to friends and their spouses and now we are at the stage were kids join the fun.

A Rumbly in my Tumblie

For those of you who are unaware, we have made the decision to avoid learning the gender of the baby. I felt this to be one of life's greatest gifts and I wanted to approach it in the traditional manner (pre- ultrasound). Lindsay supports this decision (well now anyway) and initially it was a bit of a debate topic.

Lucky for us Winnie the Pooh is a neutral colored and themed character. It has been quite the nostalgic experience viewing all the characters that now adorn our baby's soon-to-be room. I even went so far as to learn to play and sing the "Pooh corner" song by Kenny (you make the movie, I write the soundtrack) Loggins. I'm not sure exactly when my back yard ceased to be the 1000 acre woods and became something of a chore to maintain, but I feel that in some small way I am beginning to recall. Anytime there are woods thick enough to block direct view of the opposing side, their is room for imagination. I have already begun empathizing the perspective of my child with the conception of an untamed imagination. Now when I see the woods in my back lawn I can't help but wonder if Eeyore and Pooh are just beyond my view and that if I hurry I may catch a glimpse of them on their way to Rabbit's for Tea and Honey.

Changing Gears

The last few weeks have been a proverbial roller coaster. Lindsay and I have finished our MBA's and we can now focus on things like baby showers, crib sets and matching miscellaneous color schemes. The MBA was a fantastic journey that we both enjoyed immensely.



I encourage you to determine and document your goals and layout a plan to get there. Finding your passion may take a lifetime, but take steps towards improving yourself regardless. Do not allow circumstance to interfere with destiny and avoid complacency. My eternal thanks to those family and friends who supported us during our journey towards improvement. This is not the end, but a channel towards new beginnings.

Food for Thought

I have created this blog with the intention of relaying a daily journal of our first born child to family, friends and those who Googled a keyword mentioned in our blog. I look forward to our journey and I hope to relay the joy and lessons I learn to anyone who may feel that they apply.