Baby Sadie Has Arrived

It started slowly with a light contraction just after 4:00 am Thursday October 28'th. By 8:00 am we realized we had to go to pack for the hospital quicky, (last time we stayed at the house for several hours as the contractions progressed). When we arrived at the hospital just after 9:30 Lindsay was in a great deal of pain and the nurse told her she was at 6cm.

To put this in perspective, based on the last delivery, Lindsay would have had 5 or 6 more hours of labor before delivery. The contractions intensified over the next 30 minutes and once we determined we weren't going to be able to wait for our doctor a substitute was provided. With 3 quick pushes baby Sadie was delivered (10:57 am). "It's a girl!" I shouted as soon as the last push reveled it and just like that, Lindsay was back to normal. She is a real trouper as this was her second natural delivery.

Thanks to all the wonderful family and friends who have visited us and sent their letters with words of support (sometimes in the form of Starbucks gift cards). We love you all and we are truly greatful for our new healthy baby girl.

Did I mention that I really, really, really wanted to have a girl this time?

Naked Time and Other Crazy Adventures - by Lindsay Lucas

It never ceases to amaze me what Daniel Paul will think of next. I have recently witnessed him spinning in circles until he is so dizzy he bounces off his crib, the toy box and the door frame before following me out of his room. At this point I insist on carrying him down the stairs…as if that would be in question. Also, he has a new fascination with taking off his clothes and his diaper. He doesn’t have the opportunity often so its usually when I put him down for a nap and or down to bed at night. I went to get him from his nap on Saturday and when I opened his door his was giving me a full moon. Another puzzling moment came after I put him down for bed on Friday. It had been a long and exhausting day for the both of us between going to the pool with a friend and the volunteer party for the triathlon that we attended and which began at his usual bedtime. Needless to say it was not easy for him to just hunker down and go to sleep. After a few minutes he began a small rant which is not uncommon but the way he was ranting was. I went to check on him. It was too dark to see him when I entered his room. As I walked over to his crib and reached in to sooth him, I noticed he had made his way under the fitted sheet with the sheet still tightly intact on his mattress. It was almost like he was trying to find his way out of a collapsed tent. I cannot figure out how he managed to do this but am still working through possible scenarios to help me think of ways to prevent his doing this. I check on him every night before I go to sleep as most parents probably do but made particular care to visually see him sleeping on top of the sheet before I could go to bed myself.

The Next Step

The Next Step


Everyone knows about the major milestones, baby sits upright, baby is able to eat foods other than milk, and of course babies first steps. As a parent you become aware of the cognitive and physical changes that occur on a much more frequent basis. At 18 months, Daniel is fulfilling the stereotype that is so commonly associated with little boys. He is fully capable of emulating the Tasmanian devil for weeks at a time. It starts with a glint in his eye that can signal several things (I’m about to fill my diaper, I am going to break something, I can feel no pain and I wish to prove it or in some cases a combination of all three). He yells a bellowing whale and attempts to hold the note (Pavarotti would be proud) and sprints through rooms grabbing and throwing whatever gets in his way (Mike Tyson would be impressed). There are exceptions; he will sometimes pause if one of his favorite shows is on. He stares at his show like a deer or opossum in headlights then looks back at me with the same glint in his eye and resumes his terror sprints.

Typically no major damage in incurred. If something is stacked, e.g. my eight containers of varying types of protein shakes, he will ensure that they all end up on the floor sideways. One reason that he targets these containers is because I have never laid down the law about them being off limits. I honestly don’t mind until I’m running late for work the next morning and can’t find the darn scoop so I have to stick my arm in the powder till I find it. An hour later I greet my boss as I’m running down the hallway and I get strange looks that seem to suggest “Slow down, dust the cocaine of your arm and act like a rational person”. After three meetings with my HR manager I have agreed to set aside a designated scoop. It will be labeled “In the case of a terror sprint, please use the designated scoop in this Ziploc”.

“Baby Proofing” is a verb. It’s like having a clean house, a good marriage or being in great shape, to get there or stay there you can never stop working. The older he gets, the more we have to adapt our safety strategy. What seems so natural and intuitive to adults is today’s experiment for him. For example, when we went to the beach last week I was focused on ensuring that Daniel didn’t get too close to the ocean without supervision. I sit back, enjoy the breeze and take in the sights. I think to myself, perhaps it’s possible for Lindsay and I to enjoy a vacation with Daniel. Perhaps tonight we can go to a nice din…. Son! Spit out the sand!, No! The next few days of our trip were memorable, and at some times enjoyable, but I would not describe this as a vacation. Perhaps it is more of a distraction from work or everyday life, a very, very big distraction. After 3 days of this I found myself anxiously awaiting Daniel’s mid day nap so I could sit on the couch and read for a few minutes. By the time he went to bed in the evenings I had resigned myself to cleaning or doing a late night walk on the beach.

It is in these quiet moments that I am able to take a deep breath, relax and spend time reflecting on my issues and thoughts. I think to myself, am I truly stepping up to life’s challenges, am I making an effort to be a great husband, will I ever get promoted? With our next child due on Daniel’s second birthday (November 3’rd), I find myself thinking…..this baby had better be the calm one.