Fun at the Park

Our sweet little boy has gotten so much fun. He is growing and changing constantly. He wants so badly to crawl. He rolls over onto his stomach and shoves off with his feet as hard as he can while he face-plants into the space in front of him. He can't quite sit up on his own yet but he does have a Bumbo chair which he enjoys sitting in. The other day we took him to the park for some fun on the swing.

Next month's adventure is going to be trying solid foods. Speaking of adventures, we're always having some kind of home repair calamity. This month's project has been re-doing the floors after our bathroom disaster. It's all coming together though and the floors look great.

Successful Introduction to Swimming

Well, we prepared for a week for this moment. We bought swimmers as well as swimming trunks and sunscreen. We just knew Little Man would be ready for the pool. Well, as you can see above, MP2 was not too enthused with the pool at first. You see, he hates more than anything else to have a wet diaper. I guess that the pool = one giant wet diaper.

Once we got through the initial shock and the cries (as well as the checks from CPS), we decided to try again. It was about 128 degrees outside, so we thought the cool pool would be a good idea for Little Man. After some coaxing and some bargaining (yes, bargaining with a three-month-old), Little Man finally did enjoy the pool.

We anticipate many more trips to the pool over the Summer. Hopefully Little Man will remember that he actually likes it. :)

Two Days Alone with Dad

Note the date on the photograph - I am posting this to announce to the world that MP2 and I made it through two days at home alone together. I volunteered to take care of him for a couple of days while his babysitter went out of town. The biggest lesson? Apparently, people out there in Facebook land will jump all over you if you say you are babysitting your own child. Now I understand. I can sit next to my baby all day long, but it is not called babysitting. Fine I get it!

Seriously, we had a great couple of days. I learned that MP2 wants to sleep on my chest and not allow me to move for two hours - it is a good thing. We played and we slept. I cleaned the house and he filled up his diapers. It was actually pretty exhausting.

We both lived to tell the tale, and we will do it again.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mom 2010

Future Dr. Peter

At the end of the day, baby Michael often accompanies me to the clinic to help finish up charting, answer e-mails and flirt with the nursing staff. He's a good little helper. :-)

10 Week Checkup

Yes, we were proven right! MP2 has grown in his first ten weeks of life. Last week, he went in for his 10-week checkup and brought Mom and Dad along as well. He weighed in at a whopping 14 lbs 11 ozs - almost 5 lbs more than his birth weight. He is also now 24 inches long/tall.

Little Man also had his first shots last week. Of course, he tried to weather them as best he could - but felt pretty bad for a couple more days. He has become quite adept at giving us his sad face. Oh, his sad face is so sad.

All-in-all, he is right on track with a healthy weight, nice growth (and a giant head - for all of the brain power), and increasing interactivity. He is fascinated with his own hands and with pulling off Dad's glasses at every opportunity.

We're pretty sure he will be driving next week, so stay tuned.

It Has Been A While

Wow, how time flies! I can't believe that it has been almost two months since we posted anythign on Michael's advetnures - and he has certainly had a few.

During the last two months since his grandmother's visit, he was visited by his paternal grandfather - namesake for the middle name, he was visited by his maternal aunts - Nemo and Pemo, he visited Salt Lake City to meet more of his maternal extended family and to do a little skiing. Ok, he didn't actually go skiing, but he has done many fun things. At different points in these visits, Michael went to the library, the natural history museum, the Newseum, President's Lincoln's summer cottage, two baseball games, and a couple of happy hours. When he was not socializing out and about, he was organizing community cookouts and other get-togethers. We are pretty sure that he has more active social schedule than either of us.

It seems that everyone Michael he meets, he loves and they love him right back. In fact, we are close to proving that he is the cutest baby alive today - the test results should be in soon. Seriously, Michael is very social and is happiest when he is out with the people. When he is at home for a quiet evening, he easily gets bored and just yells - he doesn't really cry - he yells to voice his displeasure. Lately, Christine has determined that he is most entertained by the ceiling fan in our bedroom. He just stares at for long periods of time and delights with laughter when it is turned on. Oh, but we definitley cannot turn it off. That's when the yelling begins.

Just two nights ago, Christine left a sleeping Michael on the bed and he did not utter a peep for a couple of hours! We had no idea what to do with ourselves since he was not with us and taking all of our attention. When we went to check on him, oh yes, he was just staring at the fan and delighting in watching it turn.

Michael has started going to a babysitter during the day and that has actually worked out very well. We found Amy Jo on Craig's List. She is a new mother as well and wanted to stay home with Finn. In order to do this, she wanted to take in one more child to care for during the day. This has worked out very well! Michael has a friend and we get a preview of what is to come in the next few months by seeing Finn grow as well.

Now for the big challenge coming up - I (Dad Michael) am going to be home along with the baby for a couple of days leading up to the Fourth of July. I know I can do it and Michael has agreed that he will be on best behavior. I will try to do the same. I have finally gotten used to the constant diaper changes and perform many of them myself.

One of Michael's favorite games right now is "Poop on Dad." I am not sure what the prize is and who wins, but we have resorted to wrapping his diapered bottom in a towel or blanket before he sits on my lap to watch Saturday mornign home improvement shows. Seriously, where does it all come from? He has caught us by surprise a couple of times with sneak attacks when the diaper is being changed. In addition to being the (soon-to-be-proven) cutest boy alive, he is also quite possibly the most regular person alive. He should be studied. School-aged children could learn something.

We will post more photos very soon as he is growing and changiong every day. He is no longer a newborn - he looks like a real little boy. A little boy who we love very much.

A Visit from Grandma

Little Michael got to meet his Grandma Peter last weekend. They spent many hours bonding. He showed off his many talents including cooing and gurgling. Any other friends and family who want to visit are certainly welcome. Our little guy seems to love having another person around to lavish him with love and attention.

Pictures From Baby Michael's First Week

Here are some highlights from our baby boy's first week. This is a picture of his first Costco outing, happily snuggled in the Baby Bjorn while a proud papa smiles on. 

This is a rare shot of little Michael with his eyes open. It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but he has dark blue eyes. The only other person in the family with blue eyes is his Grandpa Hendricks, so I don't know if they'll stay that way.

Here are Dad and baby getting to know one another the first day.

And here's proof that I did indeed squeeze out a 9 lber. I'm still sort of in shock that he once fit inside of me.

Here he is at his very first party. A baby shower in his honor.

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Stay tuned. We plan on taking lots more pictures

The Magic Happened - Michael Stephen Arrived!

Of course, nothing can be simple with us. That is part of what makes our lives so unpredictable and exciting. The birth of our son was no exception. I think we need to share the birth story. . .

Week of March 29
Based on what we thought was labor progress, we asked Mom to come out a few weeks earlier as we wanted her here for the actual birth. She was originally scheduled to come out on April 16 as our due date was April 20.

Well, Mom was here for the entire week. We waited. Christine worked both at her day job and her night job at the hospital where we were scheduled to deliver. When we were all together, we stared at her belly, trying to will the baby to come. As with all things you watch. . . nothing happened.

Mom decided to schedule a return trip for April 17 and left on a plane back to OKC on Saturday, April 4. We bid her farewell and went about having a nice weekend - taking walks and talking about what it would be like when we brought the baby home.

Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunday was very nice. I surprised Christine with an Easter basket that I put together (it's what I do). We spent the day having a nice brunch and then just relaxing with each other. Christine was feeling some pressure, but did not think she was in active labor. She decided to go to work at the hospital and left about 6:30PM.

We checked in a few times over the evening and she indicated all was well. She still felt a little pressure, but thought she was able to work. I took that as my cue to have a little dinner and enjoy a couple of Pabst Blue Ribbons with my neighbor.

We get to about 10:00PM and I received a text (yes a text) from my wife saying that she was having some mild to moderate contractions and she though she should come home. I took that as a cue that I needed to panic. . . and wait for her to arrive. You see, my wife, Christine, was in active labor and decided she would drive herself home. . . from the hospital where she works. . . and the hospital where she was to have our baby.

Well, Christine arrived at about 10:30 and I was ready with all of my stopwatches and contraptions to help her and to time the contractions. When we were already at 11:10 and the contractions were lasting thirty seconds each and were spaced less than 1.5 minutes apart, we decided we should make our way to the hospital.

Christine put on her dress and heels while I made sure I was wearing clean underwear (very important to me at that moment). We sped as fast as we could back to the hospital and arrived at the front entrance at 11:40PM. We did not have time to park the car, so we just left it with the hazard lights on at the front. With no wheelchair waiting, we made our way up to the third floor and then walked, yes walked, what felt like 18 miles from the postpartum entrance to the unit all the way to the labor and delivery section. Again, Christine was in active labor. . . in heels and a dress.

We went right into L&D room 3 and some nurses who know Christine well were helping us gt everything together. We made it into the room at 11:57PM. When they checked Christine after getting her heels off, she was very clearly ready to go.

Our doctor was not available, so the nurses grabbed a doc who was in the middle of another delivery to come on into the room. We got Christine on the delivery bed at 12:04AM. After three pushes and 17 minutes, our son, Michael Stephen was born at 9 lbs, 3 0zs, 21.5 inches long. Of course, he was and is beautiful. I took a photo of him on the scale to prove his size. . . and to send to NFL scouts who may be looking for a star linebacker.

He was ready to nurse almost immediately. The birth was perfect. The baby is perfect. My wife is perfect. Really, everything was perfect, with the exception of some slightly uncomfortable beds.

Over the next 40 hours in the hospital, Michael slept with his parents, greeted visitors, did everything he was supposed to do, and he even scoffed at the circumcision. He seems to only cry when he is annoyed.

This was an amazing entry into the world. Welcome, son.

The Countdown Continues

Here it is, March 14, 2010. We are more than likely about a month away from the arrival of our new baby! Ok, we just need to let that sink in a little bit. . . Seriously, we feel like we are ready as we can be with the different little physical things that we can do - buying (unisex) clothes for a our baby, purchasing diapers, getting a great car seat (courtesy of Elliott and Heather), etc. None of that took very long, so now all we have to do is imagine how our lives will change.

Last Sunday, we took our tour of the Virginia Hospital Center. Christine works here in the Mother & Baby (Post-Partum) Unit, so it may not have been new for her, but it made things even more real for me. Seeing where we will park, what the rooms look like, examining how the bed converts into a delivery "table" with stirrups, well, this all added to a sense that our baby will be here soon.

We took the tour with about ten other couples. Of course, all of the women were VERY pregnant. Everyone was very excited and nervous. . . especially the husbands. As I told Christine, I am quite sure that I will get lost in the hospital, but I will be sure to leave a trail of bread crumbs leading back to the labor & delivery room.

This weekend, we went shopping for a variety of items - bottles, towels, diapers, burp cloths. Some of these items will even be used for our baby :). Seriously, it was tiring to go from store to store. I know, it is only getting me ready for the tiring days ahead of taking care of baby.

Well, are we ready? As ready as we can be. We still don;t know if we are having a girl or a boy. We will be happy either way and just want a happy and healthy baby. The adventure continues. . .

Wedding of the Century!

This was the moment we had been waiting for. All that mattered was that we were surrounded by our friends who loved and supported us and that we had the opportunity to declare our love and fidelity to each other before everyone.

And so it happened with a lawyer. . . in his office. . . wearing orange shoes (not the bride or the groom, but the lawyer).

We smooched...

And exchanged rings...

Had dinner with friends...

And enjoyed a scrumptious cake, compliments of next-door-neighbor-Erin.

And were married, happily ever after...

Baby Peter

We're having a baby! Here's our very first ultrasound picture, taken by myself at 6 weeks during a slow shift in labor and delivery. At this point, our little embryo pretty much looked like a jelly bean. This week we're 33 weeks, about a month and a half from delivery.

We've gotten the nursery pretty much ready to go. Since we've opted to be surprised about the gender at the delivery we went with a gender neutral chocolate brown paint with white wainscotting with chair rail and crown moulding complete with a chalkboard on one wall. Big sisters Laine and Eve decorated with some drawings for their newest sibling. The pregnancy's been smooth sailing. The baby keeps us entertained with his/her constant somersaults and acrobatics. At this point, we're just eagerly awaiting baby Peter's arrival.

The Adventure Begins (Our New Home)

Alexandria - Before Our Renovations

An Untouched Kitchen. . .

Progress on the Kitchen - Wall of Glass Tile

Master Bedroom - Before the Work. . .

Master Bedroom After Most of the Work

In July 2009, Christine and I purchased a new home in Alexandria. After living in an apartment in DC for a year, we knew it was time and started looking for something that would fulfill all our needs. The wish list included three bedrooms and two baths in a desirable location somewhere in Arlington or Northern Virginia. After looking at a grand total of three houses (and seeing some really strange decorating ideas like mirrors made to resemble horse heads), we kept coming back to this home. It felt right.

Many people tried to actively discourage us from buying in a transitional neighborhood, however, those protests fell on deaf ears. We thought this home would be move-in ready (it essentially was) and that we would not have to spend very much to decorate in our taste (we missed the mark on that one).

Time for closing came and had the keys. . . then the real adventure began. We planned exactly what we were going to do and went about painting, building casements round windows, tiling the walls, more painting, having fences and storm doors installed, still more painting, adding granite counters and cabinets in the mudroom, and still more painting. Through it all we learned that many tubes of caulk could actually be our friends. We should have taken stock. . .in caulk.

We have posted above a few of the photos showing some before and after. Since this time, the entire house has been painted and crown moulding was installed in almost every room. We learned the highs and lows of buying an old home-sold to us by someone who was flipping the property. We had professionals in and out of the house, but we tried to do most things ourselves. We are pretty sure that the house will stay standing and, after our work on and in it, the floors and walls should be pretty stable too.

What have we learned so far? Oh, a lot. We learned that we can work very well together under high levels of stress. We learned that using primer before paint is a good thing - no matter how stubborn some of us are. We also learned very quickly the benefits of moving into this transitional neighborhood.

Many of our neighbors do not speak English and we are all working on how to communicate with each other. At the same time, we have met other neighbors who are also investing in this neighborhood. They immediately went about making us feel comfortable. Within a short time, our neighbors turned to some of the best friends we have. We went from thinking "how are we going to fit in here?" to thinking "how could we live any where else?" When you have neighbors who not only willingly help to fix a leaky gutter, but offer to help lay sod on the hottest day of the year, you know you are in the right place. When you have neighbors you want to see on the weekends and you trust them to keep an eye on your house and your car and your pets, you know you are in the right neighborhood. We know we have chosen wisely.

All of that was just so necessary for us to feel like this could be a home where we could start our own family. Just as we started to feel that, we got some amazing news. . .