Swim party

Last night was spent with Kristin's extended family - cousin Jeanine and family are in from Colorado. The occasion last night was her son Jack's birthday out at a subdivision swimming pool. This function was hosted by her parents (Kristin's uncle Mike and Aunt Jane). I think we pushed the limits of fun because we had to make a quick milk stop for Rowan on the way home in the parking lot of a gas station, across from the malls.
Tonight brings more swimming fun - we've invited Cousin Claire and parents out to our pool. We are trying to take advantage of what summer we have left before the pools close down and school starts up. Yes, this is the exciting life of a daddy of two.
I've included some recent and random photos for your viewing pleasure:

Da Beach part dos

The beach trip almost did not happen this year with the arrival of Mr. Rowan in late June. I think the call of the tide was too strong and last minute plans were put in place. Even later, Kristin decided she and the kids would join the family, and later yet I decided to take a couple of days off work to at least share half the experience. Kristin and the kids drove down starting Friday morning and I took a flight to Raleigh late Friday afternoon (after work) - We arrived at the same time and of course I caught quite a bit of grief over that.
We stayed with the very hospitable Dolberry family over Friday night, and headed for Emerald Isle on Saturday for a 4pm check in. We had a total of 12 folks with us including the Dolberrys, Aunt Kathy and her monkeys and the Grandfolks. The Dolberrys and I cut the stay short, leaving Tuesday morning - everyone else is still having fun in the sun.
Maureen was more interested in the sand than the water. She did not want to get wet at all and opted to make castles instead. I think she remembers a Curious George cartoon about building sand castles. Rowan got a bit of beach time, although he was bundled up so much you could hardly see his face. Our stay included some really yummy meals, a round of putt putt, a couple of rounds on the go-cart track and some nice, old fashioned rest.
It's weird not having the family here and I look forward to their return. I keep hoping for some tears from Mo over my absence, but I think she's having so much fun to notice. She loves being pampered by her MeeMaw! I think that's a fair trade off.
Well, time to go back to work so I can help pay for this trip. See you soon.

Da Beach.

Here are some photos from our recent trip to Emerald Isle North Carolina. Story to come (when I'm not on company's dime!)

July 22 update

Hi ho everybody. All is well in the house. Last night marked a high point at AQUATOTS (to be said as if you had the fanfare in the background) as Maureen was totally submerged, many times and with her permission. No Tears!! The first time was actually a mistake in the baby pool. It was one of those slow motion moments where I saw her fall backwards and I could see her crystal blue eyes still open as she descended. It was only a matter of two seconds that she was under, but it seemed longer to me. She popped up all smiles. I believe that gave her confidence in our class to allow me to take her under. One, two, threeeeee! She also jumped into my arms from a standing position. I feel like we have to be extra vigilant at the pool now that she is even more cocky about her aqua-abilities.
Rowan and Kristin were pool-side, cheering us on. They came straight from a real estate showing. He went with Kristin because we couldn't figure out the logistics of me bringing both kids to the pool. It would have been easy if there was a parking lot at our pool, but it is surrounded by street parking and there aren't too many sidewalks. Maureen is at a point where she will roam, or stop unexpectedly. We'll figure it all out.
My boss is on vacation this week, so I feel like I'll get some things accomplished! Hope everyone is doing well.

Photos

OK - I got a jump start on the weekend and am able to provide the cute shots I promised in my last entry. Here you go.

Blogging lapse

I realize I haven't written much lately. I think I'm getting up too late to get anything written before the family wakes in the morning. All is well in our household. Rowan is gaining weight and progressing nicely - he weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces as of Wednesday at the doctor's office. He received a clean bill of health - Yahoo.
Maureen is still at the head of her class in Aquatots at the pool. We are slowly inching our way down underneath the water's surface and she seems ok with it. She doesn't like being on her back, but seems to really enjoy all of the other aspects of the class.
Other news: we're getting glass block windows in both bathrooms; we have a beach trip in our near future (yee-haw); we get to see Uncle Dolberry and family again this weekend on their way back home; we're looking for a new car. That's all I can think of at the moment.
I'll post some more cute pictures this weekend - I know that's what keeps bringing you back to this site!

Rowan

Asleep

Here's a quick glimpse of what we see quite regularly. He's a good sleeper. If you look back some 21.5 months ago on this blog, you will see how worried we were about Maureen sleeping all the time. Not the case with Rowan (or as some people call him, Mr. Bean). He is a good baby and has a gentle disposition. This weekend, Ro gets to meet his Uncle Dolberry, Aunt KMD and Cousin APD. They are coming in from North Carolina for a quick visit on their way out west, and we get to see them again next weekend on their way back to NC. Again, Dolberry chickened out of taking the Fleetwood Mac bus for this trip, opting for the safe environment of the family car.

Highlight for the weekend (besides family Dolberry visit): High noon, roof-top concert by Lost Cat Reward on Sunday. Email me for more info.

Obsessed with the Wiggles

Aquatots!

Maureen had her first swimming class last night and she was the star student. We kicked, blew bubbles, floated on our backs and practiced entering and exiting the pool. Mom and Rowan were on hand to cheer us on. Well, actually Mom cheered us on and Rowan slept. I'm the bald guy in the foreground.

"How you doin?"

Hospital Photo

Aw! Aint he cute?

Alas,

I have to go back to work today after a week of baby-land. I remember right after Maureen's birth, work was a hard thing to get my head around for the first week. Good news is that we have this Friday off for the 4th so I get eased back into the machine.

Rowan is doing well - he had his first check-up yesterday and he got good reports. We also got some helpful tips (pun intended) on treating his circumcision wound a little better.

Thanks goes out to the friends and family who helped out by keeping Maureen occupied through the week, and for the food and nice presents that were sent. I think we're going to make it! Have a great week - I hope to be writing more soon.

Mo & Ro

Beautiful little boy

Hello sports fans, Sparky's Mojo is back with the whole Rowan story. He was born last Wednesday morning at 8:12 am. He brought many surprises - he was much smaller than his older sister - a full pound and seven ounces lighter, though only 1/2" shorter. Maureen had a full head of brown hair and very pronounced eyebrows; Rowan has no eyebrows, sparse blond hair and white eyelashes. We are trying to figure out who he takes after but are unable to confidently pin him on a relative. He looks like Rowan. It just proves that you can't measure against anyone else - he is his own person - and we are very happy.

Rowan is, for the most part, a very calm baby. He has taken off with the feeding concept and seems to know exactly what to do. We're in the re-learning process about baby-care. The whole circumcision thing is new to us - and a bit daunting. He seems to still ache from the procedure.

Maureen seems to be doing OK with her new baby brother. She manages to get her fair share of attention - last night we were having dinner at home with Kristin's parents and sisters; we were all jabbering about Rowan, when all of the sudden Mojo broke out in song. Immediately she was center stage and all was right with the world.

Here are some more pictures documenting the last week. I'm on vacation and will be home for an extended stay to help while Kristin heals. Feel free to stop by for a visit!

Introducing Rowan

Rowan Patrick

7lbs; 7 oz

19"

Miriam's birthday

We went to a birthday party for 1-year-old Miriam last night. Miriam is the niece of Maureen's future uncle Jeff. The party was held in a really nice neighborhood on the east end - there was a wonderful spread of Asian food (Jeff's family is from the Philippines) and they had a huge bouncy inflatable (we used to call them moonwalks.) Maureen was in heaven. We had to pull her out, much to her disappointment, when the bigger kids took over. But the bigger kids would only be interested for five minutes or so, and then they would leave and Mojo would go back in. She was able to play with her cousin Claire. Because Claire is a year older and more sure-footed than Mo, she was able to climb the ladder inside the bouncy to go down the 10' slide. Maureen was disappointed each time she disappeared to do so, and would yell, "Claire, where are you!" All in all, it was a nice outing. Miriam was cute as a button. It's hard to imagine that she and Mo will be in the same class in school - Maureen seems to be so grown up compared to a one-year-old. But, she's an October child and that's where the cut-off happens. I guess kids catch up quickly.

"Here you go Joby"

As hoped, I received a disk in the mail (yes, the US postal service) this Wednesday with a series of cute videos. Here is Maureen feeding ice cream to her uncle Joe, or Joby as he is know in some familial circles. Thanks for the vid Chrissy!
Baby Dood is getting bigger and bigger and mama bear is getting more uncomfortable and anxious. She is big-time nesting now, preparing for the little guy. We have a full day of chores in store for us on Saturday, and we hope to enjoy the day together on Father's Day Sunday. With this preparation, I am getting pretty jazzed too.
I really think Maureen is putting the pieces together about a baby coming to live with us. The more she realizes, the more she wants to avoid the whole conversation. We're trying to talk with her and prepare her accordingly. We ask if she is going to help take care of the baby and give him hugs and kisses. She agrees quickly, and changes the subject quickly. I'm sure she'll need time and support through this whole process.
Have a great weekend. Be good people, and don't drive like my brother.

Papa Joe's Bday

You are never ready for your propane tank to go out on you. For yesterday's birthday party for my dad, the plan was for a BLT dinner for nine adults and two kiddos. To avoid the mess and smell, I was going to fry the bacon on my two-burner skillet outside. Well, if you are paying attention, you'll know where this is going. After frying up about thirty pieces of bacon in the kitchen the whole house smoked up and the place smelled like a Sunday Morning Cracker Barrel. But soon the guests arrived, the smoke quickly dissipated and we had a really nice party. My sister Chrissy took some fun videos that I hope to post soon.

As for my last post about the baby boy, no need for concern. I am very excited!

More on the Dood

I've been calling Baby Boy Dood lately, short for Maureen's idea of a name: Doodoo. It is becoming more and more of a reality that The Dood will be here soon. Am I ready? Good question.
Was I ready when Maureen was born? Definitely not. We both kind of adjusted to her. I think I'm in the same boat when it comes to Dood. I think we can handle the new baby part, it's the two kid dynamic that makes me uncertain. I'm sure we will just make it work.
It's weird though. Before Maureen was born, I had a sense of who she was. I guess, with the first child, you get so wrapped up in anticipation that you have this bond already in place. This new baby seems to be growing behind the scenes. At one point, I told Kristin that I sometimes forget she is pregnant. That went over well!
I know that I will love this new baby boy more than words describe. Watch this blog as I attempt to profess that love many times over.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND: Papa Joe's birthday party (here) on Sunday.

Happy Anniversary part 2

It was a happy anniversary indeed.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 3rd anniversary! We are celebrating by showing our support for a free Tibet.

Namaste, y'all!

Growing pains

We went to Maureen's Aunt Kathy's birthday party yesterday, and there were quite a few kids there, closer to her kids' ages. Maureen is at a point where she wants to play with other kids, but still needs adult supervision most of the time and can't run as free like the older ones. A and G are great with Mo, but she just can't compete when there's running and throwing and fashion shows and giggling about tooties involved. So poor Mo is stuck with Mom or Dad looming over her. We may be a bit overprotective and could possibly give her a little more rope, but, until she can easily master stairs (a StairMaster?) and become sure-footed, we're not likely to leave her side.
Maureen certainly LOVES* her cousins A and G, talks about them constantly, and longs for any face time possible with them. She gets giddy at the mention of them. We are happy that she will be seeing her cousins often over the summer and hope that they will be very close throughout their lives. I realize though, that A and G are growing as fast as Mo is, and there will always be an age gap. But fear not because Baby Doodoo** is on the way. I hope that Mo is as loving and nurturing for Dood as A is for G.

*Mo also loves her cousin Claire, who is closer in age to her. We look forward to seeing the two of them become close friends as they grow together. And even though cousin APD lives miles away, he is a special entry in her nightly "Godbless-ings".
**DooDoo is Maureen's name for the new baby. I probably should not start with the nicknames (especially nicknames that relate to fecal matter) until he is officially with us.

New hit single

Oh, I just noticed I got the date wrong. Oh well.

Happy B-day GPP

Yesterday was Grandpa Paul's birthday, and Memorial Day (yes, he is a Vet). We spent the day at the track and had some bar-b-que (not bean soup) at our house for dinner.

Movie of the week

Karaoke with the Mojo

We went to a pizza joint with GMK, Kathy, Scott, and A&G tonight where they had family karaoke. A' sang Sweet Caroline with Kristin - a beautiful duet indeed! Maureen and A sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Not a dry eye in the joint!

The addictions of a 19 month-old

We received two Lovey security blankets as presents for Maureen's birth - one yellow duck lovey and one pink lamb lovey. We discussed using something like a security blanket as a comfort tool for Maureen so we immediately started putting Mo to bed with one of the two lovies and she took to it. Soon, she couldn't go anywhere without a lovey.
Once Maureen started to learn her colors, she began to differentiate between the two lovies. Each one developed its own personality and they were no longer interchangeable. She now cannot go anywhere without two lovies, which makes things more difficult for us. When, at one time we had a back-up lovey in the event that one went missing, we now have a situation where every lovey matters. I have become overly obsessive about keeping tabs on the lovies when we go out in public. So much so that I'm afraid my obsessive/compulsive behavior may have rubbed off on little Mo. And don't get me started on pacey.

Great people

I just received this wonderful shot of my mom's siblings and thought it was post-worthy. They are (from left to right) Cathy, Martha, Libby and John.

The Zoo

We went to the zoo this past weekend. I'll write more later.

Best of Mojo Show

Family photo

Update

We have less than a month and a half until baby boy arrives. Yes, he's still nameless.

Mother's Day 2008

Mother's Day this year was a good one (I hope!) It was a rainy cold day yesterday so we spent the day together in the house. The night before was a true test of motherhood (and parenthood in general) as little Mo could not sleep. The side-ways sleeping, rib-kicking monster wound up in our bed and managed to fall asleep around 7am. I think the sleep gods are using Mo as their instrument in preparing us for the arrival of Baby Boy (still no name) in less than seven weeks.

We spent the day playing, dancing to Down by the Bay (this song is part of our everyday life), eating, and napping - with a few chores thrown in for good measure. We picked up GGM Betty and went to GMK's house for further Mother's Day festivities. Kathy was there with her family, and we were able to Skype Carrie and Gabe in Seattle for a nice video conference.

I think I mentioned last year that I wish my Mother was still with us so she could enjoy her grandchildren. That thought was with me all day yesterday - she would have made a wonderful grandparent! I mostly feel lucky to have found my perfect mate, and a loving mother to my children. I love you Kristin!

SIDE NOTE: tonight we are going out on a date. Mo's Aunt Erin is babysitting while Kristin and I are going to see a concert by the Swell Season. Should be a fun night!

Cinco de Mayo

We forgot to celebrate Cinco de Mayo yesterday; no pinatas, no tacos, no sombreros. We did, however take a nice walk down our street yesterday as a family. It's the little things in life that matter.

Last night we lost one of my Aunts to cancer. Aunt Helen was my mother's sister in-law and a very funny, nice and caring person. She leaves behind a large and loving family. We are going to miss her very much!

Well, I need to go up and get Maureen - I hear her waking and singing the ABC song in her crib - she must be in a good mood! Have a great day.

Zoo Pics

Here are some pics from last Friday's trip to the zoo.

The Doll House

Derby afternoon at Grandpa Joe's house.

Wrapping up my birthday week

We had a very nice dinner at our house, again celebrating my 40th. This was my immediate family less one sister (we missed you Chrissy). It was nice and very laid back. Thanks to everyone who brought me something - you didn't have to, but it was much appreciated (consider this your thank you note!) It's nice to see that Maureen and her cousin Claire are starting to interact more. Here's a video showing them using our footstool in a new way.

Saturday we went to Mo's cousin A's first communion and party - A presented a welcoming message to the congregation that was really nicely done - she had her bit memorized, projected well, and made great eye contact. She has a future in Public Speaking for sure!

We also went to another party later Saturday in the evening with friends. I will probably have some photos to post from that party.

PDO Family Fun Night 2008

Last night was the Parents' Day Out family fun night, where the parents band played; Maureen had fun dancing and hanging out with all the kids. I was unable to join the band on stage last night due to scheduling conflicts, but I was able to play ukulele on the four tracks we contributed to their CD project, Treasured Voices. Here's a taste of the music as performed by the PDO Parents' band - if you listen real hard, you may be able to distinguish the Uke!

John was always the funny one

From my brother's blog: click here.

iPod Touch

I'm writing from my new iPod Kristin gave me for my birthday. I am pretty jazzed about the new toy, though its not too easy to blog on. The key pad takes some getting used to.

Birthday week

Birthday week started early this past Friday with the Earth moving; we experienced a 5.2 magnitude earthquake around 5:20 in the morning. Maureen woke up around 5am crying as if she had a bad dream. We finally got her back to sleep, but we were left awake. We began discussing our day and then the windows started to shake and the sound of a freight train reverberated through our back yard. It was a very cool way to start my birthday week (actual birthday is this Wednesday - today.)

I took a half day from work and came home to find out that Kristin planned a night away at French Lick Indiana. We were taken aback as we pulled up to the hotel because of the big KingFish looking casino that had been attached to its side. But once we got beyond the KingFish casino, everything was perfect. I got to play 18 holes of golf at the Donald Ross Course - a beautiful day on a beautiful course with my beautiful wife and hardly a soul in front or behind me. I experienced a we'llcallthat for each hole (we'llcallthat a five, etc.) I was able to fly around the course in 2.5 hours.

The rest of the evening involved dinner at the very fancy schmancy steak restaurant; a thirty minute jaunt in the KingFish casino, where we netted $22.50 playing blackjack; a quick beer in one of the bars; and we were in bed in normal fashion by 10:30 pm. Because I gamble so infrequently, I always forget the rules of the different casino games. Black Jack is the most approachable game table, but I always forget the hand signals and when to stay, when to take a hit, etc. But the folks at our table were super nice and I won some cash and ran fast to the exit.

The next day we pigged out at the grand buffet, and made our way over to French Lick's sister hotel/resort at West Baden. If you ever get a change, go and at least look at this hotel. The rates were too high for us to justify staying there, but it is a sight to be seen. My dad told me it was considered at one time the eighth wonder of the world. I've included some photos that won't do it justice. While wandering around, we came upon a group of women who asked Kristin to take their group's picture. We found out that they were celebrating one of the ladies' birthday, and found out it was her fortieth birthday, and found out her birthday was the same exact day as mine. After they were out of earshot, Kristin whispered that she looked a lot older than I do. Of course men do age better than women (except for meth addicts!)

The birthday continues with a concert downtown on the great lawn tonight featuring the Whigs, Wild Sweet Orange, and Griffin House - I don't really know much about the bands, but love the concert series they have each year. More festivities include a cookout with family on Friday, and another cookout with friends on Saturday. I really know how to celebrate me!!

Google Analytics

Though this blog has been in existence since September 27, 2006, I’ve only tracked visitor activity on Google Analytics for less than a year. Here are some facts and figures from April 25, 2007 to April 17, 2008:

VISITS: 2,574
ABSOLUTE UNIQUE VISITORS: 258
18.03% visited 51 to 100 times
16.24% visited 101 to 200 times
Highest month of activity: July, 2007 with 277 total visits
Lowest month of activity: April 2007 with 58 total visits
(March 08 experienced 231 total visits)
Visits have come from three continents, 3 countries
Japan, Italy and the United States
Within the United States, visits came from 25 states plus DC
These include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.

Commentary: Sometimes I wonder whether I should publish a blog about my family and more specifically about my 18-month-old daughter. There are a lot of bad people out in the world, but no more than in years past – we only hear more about them these days (thanks to the web!!) I try to keep facts vague, and have some privacy settings in place, but all it takes is one emailed link and anyone can have access to my personal thoughts, images and ramblings. Questions arise: What steps do you have to take to keep your family safe on-line? How much is too much information? Who really gives a darn how many times Mo goes to the potty?

The main reason why I blog is to document what’s going on for my kids to read down the road. I also like to keep close friends and relatives up on our current events and to share photos. Ultimately, it is a way to express myself and part of my weekly routine.

I hope people are getting something out of it; if only a few chuckles. If you don’t know me personally, but enjoy the blog, please keep reading. I encourage you to introduce yourself and tell me how you got here, but I understand the confidentiality the web offers and do not want to impose on your enjoyment (or self-inflicted torture.) I am happy to see that people are coming to the site and hope to be able to continue for years to come.

Peacock, the movie

It's not too late

The Shamrock Challenge call for entries to win a very special prize will end soon. How vague was that! Here's a video of Mo coloring.