8 Months

I can't believe that four weeks have passed already. I feel like the time is going faster each week, faster than we can really keep track of. These last four weeks have brought out more of your personality, your ability to move, your ability to learn and pick things up and your coordination.



You are truly our child as you seem to have a stubborn streak that only your mother and I could bring about. The best example of this stubbornness was trying to get you to drink out of your sippy cup. When we first gave it to you you made us hold it for you which was fine. But when we would make you hold it you would put your arms straight out like a bird and open your mouth with the cup sitting right in front of you. You would start to whine or just keep flapping your arms until one of picks up the cup and puts it in your mouth for you. You have since gotten better about this but every once in a while when you are crabby you refuse to hold the cup.



Your stubbornness is offset by your incredibly sweet moments. Even though you love to see everything that is going on, when you get tired or get unsure of what is going on and you need a hug, you just throw your little hands up in the air in our direction waiting to be picked up and loved. The best moments are putting you to bed, when you are so tired you just cross your arms and lay your head on our shoulders as you stand on our laps after drinking your milk, giving us stories to relay to each other each night.



You are quickly becoming closer to being mobile. You love to have us walk you around the room and your coordination is getting better and better by the day. You are also starting to get up on your hands and knees and rock your little bottom back and forth. We first noticed this when we would get you up in the mornings. We call you our little dinosaur because we'd find you in your crib on your hands and knees and your little back and neck arched looking around like a brontosaurus looking for leaves.

You are very enthusiastic about banging your blocks on other blocks and banging things on your high chair, this seems to be your new thing as you quickly discovered that two things clanging on each other make cool noises. You also like to play with balls and watch them being thrown up in the air or rolled across the floor. You find great amusement in them and laugh and squeal with delight as we toss them your way.



Your personality is starting to shine through bit by bit everyday and we love to watch you grow and progress. Your laughing and squealing brings us such happiness and the best moments are when we all sit in the living room play together.



Your mommy and I can't wait to see what other adventures await as you start to crawl and walk, and as your personality really starts to shine through. You are a rock star, even if only in our hearts. We love you baby boy and cherish each incredible moment with you.

One of those Days

You ever have one of those days where it's barely noon and you feel like it's five o'clock? A day where no matter what you do your child won't stop fussing, not really crying but just a constant hum of malcontent? A day where you want to ship your child to Mexico but you know your wife and the authorities would probably frown upon that decision? Where right when you get to your very wits end your child looks at you smiles and puts his arms around you like he just needs a hug to make it better, and you melt and feel bad for having that thought about sending him to Mexico? You could say I am having one of those days.

Official Diagnosis

Harrison had been a little stuffy and congested the last few weeks. We were afraid that he might be getting another ear infection since the last time he had one he was acting the same way.We took him in about a week ago but everything came back fine. The Doctor told us to watch for sleepless nights, continued runny nose etc. and to bring him back in if any of those things persisted.

Well this week has been all out hell. Harrison has been waking up at least three times a night usually between 2:00 and 5:00 AM crying and screaming. He has been congested in the morning and he hasn't been eating well. He has progressed with his vegetables and cereal but he is still only eating a couple of spoonfuls each time, so when he wakes up at night we have been reluctantly feeding him because he acts like he is a starv'in marvin.

After the fifth straight night of this we decided to take him back in to the doctors just to make sure nothing was wrong.

I took him in today, list of questions and issues from Liz in hand. I sat there explaining to the doctor what was going, reading from my list, trying to answer her questions as best as I could trying to get to the bottom of his "issues".

Me: He wants to eat in the middle of the night when he wakes up
Dr: You should give him more cereal during the day and that will fill him up more.
Me: Yeah, he won't eat more than a couple of spoonfuls
Dr: You might try mixing in some Applesauce
Me: Yeah we tried that and it didn't seem to help much
Dr: OK...hmmm, how is he sleeping during the day
Me: OK, sometimes
Dr: You might try putting him on a routine for naps
Me: Yeah, we have been trying but when he wakes up at night his routine is thrown off
Dr: OK, you can also start pushing back his bedtime to later in the evening and try feeding him before he goes to bed.
Me: Ok, we started doing that a little bit each night
Dr: And he is still waking up?
Me: Yeah
Dr: OK, well his ears are clear and everything else looks good...official diagnosis...Stink Pot!

Great!

Weekend Pictures

Splish Splash

Waking Up


Goofy


Internet Genius in Training

See more pictures

Seven Months

Oh Mr. Harrison, every time we think that things are getting smoother you find ways to keep your mother and I on our toes. It seems like month 7 has been one filled with peaks and valleys.
You are still struggling with your sleep. This month though it was because you decided that you would tumble around your bed like a sleeper in the dryer. We have been awakened at all hours of the night with jolting shrieks. One would think with your shrieks that the crib had fallen down upon you or something crazy, but no, it is because you have woken up and found yourself on your stomach. When we enter your room you look like a baby dinosaur on your hands and knees with your little neck stretched out, looking around trying to figure out what is going on.



The peaks however have been tremendous to watch. You are sitting up now on your own. It only took a few tries for you not to topple over and we were so excited when you got it. You now just like to hang out and play with your toys, though when you do fall over it is pretty cute. Most of the time you fall over, get a look of shock on your face and then just lay there, resigned to your fate.



You are reaching for everything. The sweetest thing is when we hand you off to someone (even between mom and I) and you reach back for one of us with a goofy little grin on your face. You are amazed by anything that moves or shines. You love to look at the pictures that are hanging on the bulletin board or on the fridge. You still like to see where your doggy is, almost to the point where you stop eating just to see where he is.



You are also taking baths in the big boy bath tub and love it just as much as you liked the baby tub. You had one little spill in the tub and caught a mouthful of water. At the time you screamed like crazy but it seems to have had little effect on your bath time fun.



We are keeping our fingers crossed that you will start eating soon and that you will straighten out your sleep schedule. Other than that you continue to warm our hearts with every little smile and every step forward in your development.

Old Time Hockey

I posted this on my other site but figured it might be appropriate for this site as well. If you are interested in reading it just click here.

Watch out below

I have to write about this, mostly because I can't stop laughing about it. I like to think that I am getting this whole parenting thing down but every now and again I get sent back to reality and usually rather quickly.

So I picked Harrison up the other day from the sitter's and headed home, trying to get him bathed and fed as quickly as possible because he was cranky and tired. I rushed home and threw everything in the house and quickly ran to get the bath ready. Because he is now getting his baths in the big bath tub, I have yet to get the water temperature down on the first try. So thinking I had the right mix of hot and cold I went in to get Harrison undressed. As I was undressing him, because he has a tendency to pee on me, I kept singing a little song called, "Don't pee on daddy" an ominous song looking back on it now.

We got into the bathroom to get in the bath and I realized the bath water was a little cool, so I turned the heat up and I started stirring the water to mix up the cooler water. So there I was, sitting on the edge of the tub contorted with one arm in the water trying to mix the hot with the cold and one arm holding Harrison, as he was leaning over trying to play with the curtain. All of a sudden I heard a sound like water hitting my jeans, I started laughing and asked Harrison if he had just peed on daddy. Well, as I looked down I realized it wasn't pee. He barely got my jeans but it was all over the floor and bath mat. So I quickly held him high up in the air, like if I do that it will all go away, anyway, there I am holding him up like Simba in the Lion King over Pride Rock, looking at the floor, not really sure what to.

So I quickly set him in the water, afraid that there was more to come, and started trying to figure out how I could clean it up without letting Harrison drown. I thought about running to get paper towel but the whole time I am thinking, two inches, thirty seconds, two inches, thirty seconds a baby can drown in two inches of water in thirty seconds, so I knew I didn't have time to run to the kitchen. Meanwhile the stench was killing me, so I started trying to get my jeans off. Because our bathroom basically opens up to our laundry closet I quickly grabed some old rags and wiped up the floor. I started the washer and threw the mats in, mind you, I am hedging between the washer and the tub making sure that Harrison is still sitting up afraid to get too far away. I started kicking my shoes off and tearing off my jeans to get undressed and get them in the washer as well. The whole time H is looking at me with his fist in his mouth like I am some kind of crazy man.

I finally got everything in the washer and got Harrison washed, as I am walking out of the bathroom I looked at myself in the mirror, I have a wet baby still looking at me like I am crazy, no pants on, my t-shirt and a blue tooth in my ear flickering a soft blue light, just another modern dad, giving his kid a bath.

Harrison Showing Off

Harrison helping with the laundry



Just playing



The Showdown



Ol' Blue Eyes

A Reprieve

I know most of you come to this site to see updates about Harrison and not to read my rumblings about other things. So, I have launched a new site where I can explore other topics, mostly about how life and sports come together. If you would like, head over to Hockey Skates and follow along. I will still continue to post here about Harrison and his life and of course post all of his wonderful pictures!

Like A Drug

It had been a few weeks since the first time we introduced Harrison to Baby Einstein, the popular baby video series that up until a few months ago was thought to make your kid a genius. We needed to do some major cleaning since the holiday had effectively made our house a disaster area, so we strapped H into his seat and threw on the video, saying a little prayer we would be able to get a few things done before he absolutely went crazy.

Well, it was like drug to the little guy. He started screeching the minute the video kicked on and was leaning so far out of his chair that we thought he might tumble completely out of it. We were shocked and thrilled. We would each stop every once in a while from what we were doing to just stand and laugh as he got more and more excited. We even started it over once and were able to get more done.

The funny thing is that these things look like they were shot in someones basement with a hand-held camera, a slinky, a wire hoop, hand puppets and a bunch of flashing lights. But at least he likes it. Granted we won't be sitting him in front of these very often, but at least we know what keeps him entertained in a pinch.

New Year

A new year, a time for new hopes, goals, and resolutions, but also a good time for reflection and thanks.

Looking back at where we were a year ago it just amazes me. A different job, a new child, a greater marriage, and hopefully a better person. Of course the most amazing thing is Harrison and the laughter and smiles he has brought us, but this year has been pretty awesome and we are very fortunate with all that we have.

I also want to say thank you to everyone; friends and family, co-workers and colleagues. Everyone who is in our lives is special and we appreciate everything that you do for us.

I am excited for 2008, the challenges, the victories, the losses, and the ties. Especially the losses and ties, because after all it is the losses and ties that bring about the greatest lessons, right?

So be great in 2008 and I look forward to sharing more with you here.

Monumental Moments

So on Sunday (December 30th) Harrison discovered that he could sit up by himself! I would like to think that it had to do with me teaching him the intricacies of having a wide base, which I explained will help him in hockey, but I think it had more to do with Harrison having a superior set of Abs, either way he is now upright.



This of course makes mom a little sad because he is quickly growing up and isn't her "little" baby, but we were both very excited when this happened. You can see more pictures of the great moment and other new pictures here.

New Xmas Pictures

You can see more here

Six Months

So I am a little behind on this post but here it goes.

Mom and I were sick for nearly three weeks after Thanksgiving so our Holiday season seemed to be very fragmented. We couldn't believe that it has been (over) four weeks already, this month has flown by. I know I have said that your development has been unbelievable before, but this month it is like none other. You are an entirely new baby.



You got a double ear infection, but after we figured out what it was and the antibiotics kicked in, you have been like a new baby. You are talking like crazy and you still just want to stand up all the time. You are starting to reach for everything, EVERYTHING, especially when mom and I are eating. Which is rather funny because you still won't eat the food that your mother has been making, not even the apple sauce!



We have started giving you water out of a "big boy" glass and you love it. Watching your face is priceless, you get really excited and your arms flutter and if the glass has ice in it, your face gets a shocked look on it once the ice hits your mouth.



We had Christmas at Great Grandma and Grandpa's and you held center stage. You were all about talking and showing of your new found drinking skills. We had a ton of fun, despite your sleep patterns nearly giving mom an ulcer.



You are fascinated by anything and everything that moves. You literally get excited by everything from the dog and his collar to the ceiling fan. I wish that I had your sense of wonder, it is such fun watching your arms flutter and your eyes get huge every time you see something that moves or shines.

I could probably go on and on, but I just want to say that if you are this much fun now, I cannot wait to see what the next few months hold...now, only if you would eat your food so we could cut back on these feedings, but hey, your still so damn cute that we can't help but laugh.

Yummy Foot

A Sure Sign of Trouble

"So when do you want to have our next baby"

"Uh, why don't we get through this whole teething thing first, then we can talk about it...in like 16 months"

"But we make such cute babies"

"We made A cute baby, what if he got all the good genes? The next one is screwed"

A Digression

When I started this, I wanted to of course keep everyone updated on Harrison, his development, his life, and of course our life as a family. However, I also wanted to be able to provide context for his life. Provide snapshots of the times in which he was raised and what was important, defining etc. All that to say that this is one of those context posts, one in which has little to do with Harrison but rather the "news" of the day. A little rant/digression to get my writing fix in, so indulge me a little if you a will.

The Mitchell Report, a report detailing the extent of steroid use in baseball, came out yesterday and it has been greeted with great surprise, evaluation, summarization, explanation, etc. The Mitchell Report, as the former Commissioner of Baseball Fay Vincent has noted, may be the biggest "scandal" since the Black Sox scandal of 1919. I use the word "scandal" in quotes, because for a scandal this sure has taken its sweet time to develop. The report has been 20 months in the making and probably a decade or longer in actual development.

The big news has been the names of players implicated in the steroids probe, most notably Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Clemens being one of the premier pitchers of his or any other time. A multiple Cy Young winner and one the game's highest profile players is one of the named players who stands to lose the most.

The report, in my humble opinion will have little effect on the way die hard or casual fans view the game. I say this because I think in many ways fans are apathetic to this type of news. We have seen grown men continue to grow when all of science says that they should have stopped. We have seen middle age men hit their peaks when many before them were contemplating retirement. Fans have been suspicious but we have watched because as fans, that's what we do. Momentary suspension of belief is critical as a fan, the opportunity to see seemingly ordinary men accomplish un-ordinary feats is part of being a fan, the specialness of sports. So as fans we have turned an eye, knowing that something wasn't quite right, but knowing that we were loving what we were seeing.

The owners, the Commissioner, the players, the union, everyone is complicit in this scandal. Everyone knew that money, and big money was to be made by closing their eyes and pretending that everything was normal, that drugs in baseball didn't exist. And that is why this report as a revelation is hard to swallow. Everyone knew about the problems, but everyone pretended not to know. Nobody wanted to know, nobody, not owners who were selling seats, not players who were making huge contracts, not fans who were witnessing history, and not the Commissioner, who was expanding the game nationally and internationally, wanted to know the truth.

The Mitchell report will serve a purpose. It will force everyone from underneath their eyelids and make them see the world as it really is. It will make fans suspect everything, it will make the parties involved implement policies to help "rid" the sport of illegal drugs, but it will be done in a false light. A light that should have been forced many years ago when the problem was at its peak.

As a parent and as a fan my views of baseball will change little. I will still extol the virtues of America's pastime, explain to Harrison that baseball, in its purest form is a great game, a game that is splendid because of its simplicity. A man with a bat, facing another man with a ball. Nine men playing a game for pay, that you or I would play for free. And yeah, something rotten once happened to the game and many players took advantage of a don't ask don't tell policy, but the game - THE GAME, is still a great game, and one that will continue to grow and prosper, despite what these men tried to do to it.

Santa Baby

Ever wonder what would happen if you left a new mother home alone with a six month old baby and a Santa costume? Here are the results

No Mas!

We have been trying to get Harrison to eat rice cereal, then we moved on to oatmeal, and now we are trying real food. We wanted to try and make our own baby food mainly because we thought it would be good for him to eat "real" food and not the processed baby food, but also we thought the real textures of the foods would maybe help him develop a less choosy palate. Unfortunately the little man likes his new foods as much as a stick to the eye. We first tried squash and now pears.

The little monster ( I use the term lovingly) will actually close his mouth and shake his head and scream until we give up. Sunday mom was at work and got a piece of advice from a coworker to let him try and eat it himself. So I tried it...and as the video below will show you, it didn't quite work out. But what you can't see, because of my sweet camera skills, is that that he actually makes himself gag, not because he actually tried it, no, but because he just looked at it. If it weren't so funny it would be maddening.

Oh Christmas Tree

Yesterday we went and picked out our Christmas Tree with Harrison. It was a cold and rainy day, fortunately the rain held off until we we were done. Harrison wasn't a huge fan of being in his snow suit and more importantly being in his snow suit and his car seat at the same time. Santa happened to be making an appearance at the nursery so we were able to take a photo with Harrison sitting on Santa's lap. It was actually pretty cute we weren't sure how he would react, especially since he had been fussy the whole time we were there, but he just sat there, almost in a daze, I am not sure if he was scared or confused at the big man holding him. Either way we got a pretty good picture of his first Santa visit.

I have put up some pictures here with shots from getting the tree and decorating it.

Quotes

I won't name names but I received this in an email after posting pictures of Harrison:

"Not because I'm his favorite aunt or anything, but I think he's a really beautiful baby."

On our way to do our Christmas Shopping:

Liz: "This is like a date" Me: "I hardly call going to the grocery/Target a date" Liz: Considering our social life the last 5 months I would call this a date!"

Getting Ready for Christmas

More Pictures Here

I Only Hope

This week is Jimmy V week on all ESPN outlets. Liz and I were talking about Jimmy V yesterday as we were watching college football and she asked me who he was. Most people know him as the coach of the NC State team that made a run in the NCAA's and won a National Championship in 1983. So, as I told her about this, I googled his speech at the ESPY's and found it on YouTube. As we watched and I laughed and cried, we got to the end and simply said, That is Jim Valvano.

I kept thinking about the video throughout the day and just thought that I can only hope that Harrison is able to live his life this way. To be able to live with passion and how to live with love. If he can find a way to live this way, then no matter what, his life will be a success.

Take a moment and watch the video, watch all the way to end, and visit the V foundation...and if we can live our lives to Laugh, Think and Cry everyday, we will have full life.

Happy Thanksgiving

Five Months

Five months, your mother and I were talking on our first date since you were born tonight, and she told me that she looked at you today in the rear view mirror and saw a little boy, not a baby, and that made her sad. I must admit I am sad too, but also very excited to see you grow into a little man.

You are becoming more aware of touch now. You like your Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy book and others that allow you to touch and feel things. You love petting Riley and grabbing his fur, which being the good dog that he is, he just sits there and lets you tug at him. You and he seem to be getting along much better now. You are completely aware of where he is, and trying to feed you as he walks around your room is just one of our new challenges as you are starting to become more active. Riley still thinks you are a big lollipop that he can lick at will and still seems to think you are a big toy, especially when you are on the floor kicking. Along with your new found love of petting your dog, you like to grab our faces. It is one of the best things when you stand up after eating and look at us and just pet or grab our cheeks like they exist only for your amusement.

Another interesting thing about month five is that you are starting to figure out to scream. You just sit in your crib and talk and then let out piercing screams, when we walk in you just look at us and giggle like you were testing us.

One of the strangest things is that you love to stand up, but you still don't like to be on your stomach. You seem to have forgotten how to roll over on your own and you are more interested in sucking on your hands than you are pushing yourself over.

Finally, we have started you on Rice cereal, and it is good to see that you inherited your mother's and my stubbornness. For the first few times you loved the stuff, now you purse your lips and won't open them until you finally scream and we are able to sneak a spoonful into your mouth, between breaths and screams. We keep trying and you keep resisting, it's pretty much how I imagine you being a teenager will be like.

We are excited more and more as we see your skills coming along, I still think I can get you on skates by 18 months, but your mom thinks I may be a little crazy! Either way we are having a wonderful time watching you develop and even though you are slowly becoming a little boy with each day, you will always be our little baby.

Who are You

One of my favorite TV shows is Scrubs, and the episode tonight was talking about knowing who you are and knowing your heritage. One of the characters is a Latina women who has had a child and is worried about passing along her heritage to her daughter.

This is something that has been an issue for me personally for a while. If anyone who is reading this isn't family (there might be a few right :) I was adopted from South America when I was a young child. Unfortunately, mostly due to my own neglect, I haven't done a good job of keeping a firm understanding of my heritage and background. For many reasons I was fine with that when I was growing up, but now that I have a child I feel like I have failed. Not that I am failing, or will fail, Harrison, though I feel that I am, but mostly that I have failed my birth parents. I don't remember anything about them, and that hurts, but the fact that I don't know anything them, about where I come from, and can't share that with my son so he can pass it on, hurts the most.

The answer is probably easy, study, learn, speak Spanish, but for some reason reading Este No Es Mi Dinosaurio, doesn't seem to cut it. So how do we pass along our heritage to our kids. How do we learn to appreciate who we are, while letting our kids learn and appreciate it on their own so they take pride and at least know where they come from?

Team Work

It is kind of funny that I am writing this post tonight, because when Liz gets home tonight, I am going to hear about how I might have done Harrison irreparable harm because I failed to follow the schedule that she has painstakingly got him on over the last week. But anyhow, one of the coolest things that I have seen as we have become parents is that we are becoming a better team. We still have our "moments" but being a parent has brought us closer.

It is fun coming home from work and playing on the floor and getting set up for bed and bath time. It is fun heading to lunch, one carrying the baby, the other the diaper bag, or going for a walk, one with a stroller and one with a leash. Liz still does the lion's share of the work, but when we click, we click, and that is what has made this whole experience fun. Our ability to enjoy each other more as we enjoy watching Harrison grow up.

Now, talk to me tomorrow after our "discussion" tonight! :)

Trick or Treat

This Kid is Going to be Just Fine

When I picked up H from his sitters he was giggling and laughing when I first put him in his seat, but once I started driving he started crying and screaming. So, I did what I normally do, I sang to him, tried talking to him, even blew bubble sounds, and got nothing. Well, going down a wet highway with a screaming baby is about the last thing on my fun list, so I finally dipped into the iPod. I threw the first thing on which happened to be Wilco. He stopped crying right away. I thought he was asleep but when we got home little man was just hanging out in the backseat, listening to music.

First Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, now Wilco. Yup, little man will be just fine!

Milk Breath Moments

On the days that Liz works H and I are usually in survival mode. In the mornings it is a race to get out the door, backpack, computer bag, and milk cooler in tow. In the evening it is a race against traffic and time to get home so we can have a few minutes before bath and bedtime to hang out. Usually it is a hurried ten minutes as I get everything out and ready, as we talk and tell each other about our respective days. For some reason his always sound better than mine! Usually, I feed him and spend a quite minute or two as he falls asleep, rocking in the chair, then I put him down and go play a little NCAA Football, check email, or catch up on news and PTI, trying to get a few quite moments before Liz gets home.

I don't know if it was the cold, damp, Indiana fall day, the lack of sleep from last night, or what, but tonight we just sat and rocked away for much longer than usual. I couldn't put him down. I just sat there holding him, his arm splayed across my chest, his deep baby breaths, Mozart playing softly in the room, and we just sat there. The quite house, dark, heating up as the furnace kicked in for one of the first times this fall, and his sweet milk breath, warming my neck.

Milk breath moments

Possibly The Cutest Kid at the Pumpkin Patch

See all the pictures here

Four Months

We can probably say with certainty that this last month has been the best yet, well, until the last week or so anyway. I made the comment to mommy a few weeks ago that you are starting to be fun! Don't get me wrong, the first few months were good, but I equate them more to survival than anything else. Now, you are starting to laugh and giggle so much more. You know who we are and you smile all the time. You also laugh great big belly laughs when you are a happy boy. You can pick things up and hold them in your hands, not for very long, but you are getting better with each day. We are still finding out how to soothe you, but mommy knows that you like it when she "eats little baby belly's"! You also have a new cry now, which we haven't heard until the last few weeks. It is almost like a laugh and a cry. You pucker your little mouth like you are saying "ma ma" and you make a funny little noise, almost like a moose call or something. It is quickly followed by a whine. It is funny and momma is convinced you are calling out for her specifically.

The last week or so has been a little bit of a test. You are starting to teeth and you seem to be the crankiest little thing you have ever been. It is not your fault of course, but you seem to not know whether you are tired, hungry, or both. The good news is the doctor thinks you are ready to get started on baby cereal, and mom is convinced that this weekend will be your first shot, especially if you are still as cranky as you have been the last few days.

You went to the doctor this week and you are certainly growing, though it seems you are growing up and not out. You are only 13 lbs and 6 oz, which is the 25th percentile for weight, but you are 25.5 inches which is the 75th percentile for height.

All in all this has been a great fourth month. Mommy and I are so lucky to have you and are really getting excited for the holidays to come so we can spend them with our little man!

----------------

Our new pictures are up and you can see them here

Some of the Best Things

- The way you sleep, kind of like you are signaling a touchdown
- The way your arms flutter like a bird when you get excited
- The way you make Loon noises when you are sleepy
- Your little giggle when you see mommy
- That you like to be naked when you get ready for your bath, and that you cry when we try to get you dressed again
- The way you blow bubbles
- Your little smile when we walk in to get you out of bed
- Your slobbery baby kisses
- That you open your mouth when mommy and I kiss your cheek

New pictures up on Flickr

Parenting

After an early morning feeding:

"Do you think we will EVER be able to sleep in?"
"I hope not, I love being tired all the time!"

After the dog climbs in bed at 4:00 AM:

"We really have to be more consistent with Harrison than we are with the dog."

Nap Time:

"Babe, I think we broke the Nap Rebellion...you know, instead of the Boxer Rebellion."

Learning to Love America

I heard this poem on NPR's Writer's Almanac, and maybe it was Garrison Keillor's soothing tone, or maybe it was just the wonderfully written words, but I couldn't help but listen and feel a sort of connection to it. I am not an English major, nor smart enough to pull all of the meaning from it, but I couldn't get these lines out of my head:

because he is a strong American boy

because I have seen his eyes redden when he is asked who he is

because he answers I don’t know

because to have a son is to have a country

because my son will bury me here

because countries are in our blood and we bleed them

I know that Harrison will have a country and I know that he will love the opportunities given to him, just like we appreciate the opportunities given us, and I hope that he gets to experience the beauty of this land (and others too) and appreciates that his life, is shaped not by others, but by his aspirations and dreams alone.

3 Months!

OK, so Harrison is three months and one week but close enough, right? It seems like the last few weeks have been a blur and we see little changes almost daily. Harrison has obviously grown so much, but its the little things, like rolling over, kicking his feet up and grabbing his toes, grabbing things, all make for fun "did you see that" moments.

Liz has started back at work and while it has been tough for her, little man has adjusted pretty well to day care. He is still alive and seems to have no ill effects from his two days away from home. :)
The same can't be said for his daddy who enjoyed his first weekend alone with Harrison, I now have a new found respect for mommy especially as we try to get him into his nap schedule!

I have posted some more photos - really does anyone get tired of looking at him? We don't :)!

You can see the photos here!

Touchdown!

If you are a college football fan nothing beats the start of September, unless of course, you are a Michigan or Notre Dame fan :)! Seeing as it was Purdue's home opener (even though it was against Eastern Illinois) we had to get Harrison ready for the upcoming season. We have posted some pics here. You can also watch a quick video of Harrison and mom as they were getting ready for the game on Saturday - just click on the video and it should play.

A Visit from Aunt Laura and More!

Sorry for the delay in posting. We have had so much going on and as it seems less time to do everything we want. We have so much to tell and share - Harrison WAS sleeping through the night. I say was because for about a week he was going down and sleeping until at least 6:00 ish each morning. These last couple of days he has decided that he wants to get up during the middle of the night and test mommy and daddy again.

He is such a little man now. He is growing quickly and starting to learn new skills each day. He can now stick out his tongue to random people at the Post Office (ask Liz, she can tell you the whole story.) He is giggling and laughing and even can endure tummy time for about five minutes until he starts screaming!

We had a great time with Aunt Laura who flew in from Sacramento for Labor Day weekend. It was the first time she met Harrison, she has three beautiful young children of her own but seemed to cherish her time with a baby again. We were able to take in Rib Fest in downtown Indy. We also headed to Bub's Burgers - I seem to take all my family there but it is the best burger you can get (seriously, come visit and we will take you - no better excuse than a burger and beer on a sunny summer afternoon)!

I have posted pictures from the last couple of weeks here there are some cute ones of Harrison with Laura and Mom- I will be trying to post a little more frequently so stay tuned!

Lake Norris and Week 7&8 Pics Now Up

We spent last week at beautiful Lake Norris in Tennessee. We had a great time and got some great photos. I have posted some pictures on Flickr from the lake as well as some very cute shots of Harrison from the last couple of weeks. I will have another post tomorrow on Harrison's first two months.

There are two folders called Week 7 & 8 and Lake Norris. Check out all the pictures here.

How Will He See It?

For those of you who might have not heard Barry Bonds broke the home run record last night. He broke the great Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. As I was thinking about the record I kept remembering when I first starting liking, rather, loving sports and I couldn't help thinking about Harrison and how he will view sports stars of his day, and if he will get the chance to experience sports like I experienced them.

I remember it was about fourth grade when I discovered the beauty of sports. That was the year I read In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson and I Had a Hammer, learning about the greats and appreciating the history of sports and sports figures. That was also about the time when I started watching the NBA. I remember sitting in our kitchen in front of our little gray TV watching the Lakers and Show Time! Magic running the show. I remember the Lakers and Pistons going back and forth and I remember heading out to the driveway to emulate Magic as best I could. I still remember sitting in my dorm room, crying, yes crying as Gretzky took his last skate around the Garden, his 99 painted in his office, behind the net, where he made so many great plays that always made me sit with my mouth open. My childhood idols will always loom large in my mind, heck I still tuck the right side of my jersey just like The Great One used to do. They will forever be ingrained in my head, somewhere between idols and heroes.

So as I sat there thinking about Bonds and his record I wondered if Harrison will get to experience his idols. Will sports still be a pure endeavor where a child can watch on TV and still go outside and play in fascination and amazement at what they just saw on TV. Will he still get goosebumps when he is at his first hockey game and the lights go black and the spotlights come on at center ice right before the line ups are announced? Or have the likes of Bonds, Vick, and $250 million dollar contracts ruined the mystique? I for one will encourage Harrison to dream and see the beauty in sports, to be mystified at what sports can do and what dreams can be. But part of me will also (when he is old enough) help him understand that true hero's aren't the ones who put on uniforms and hit home runs, but the ones who put on regular clothes everyday and do things seemingly ordinary that truly do make a difference...but I will still be standing next to him as we watch the "next" Gretzky make an amazing play, hopefully our mouths open and goosebumps running down our arms.

So what do you think? Will children like Harrison get to experience sports like we did?

Changes

It is amazing how fast Harrison seems to be changing. We have started giving him bottles every couple of days and as I fed him this evening I was amazed at how he would push the bottle away when he was fussy and how he would grab a hold of it to soothe himself. I can understand why mom and baby create such a bond when they breast feed. As I sat there feeding him he just stared and gazed at me for the first few minutes, looking at me as if he knew that I was his daddy and that we were sharing a moment.

I hope that he always looks at me with such amazement and love.

What it all Means

This weekend I had a great opportunity to head up to Northern Wisconsin to my brother's cottage in Hayward. I originally wasn't going to be able to go up but some last minute arrangements allowed me to surprise my grandfather who had flown in from Vancouver Washington to spend a weekend fishing and boating with my brother and father.

It was a perfect man's weekend filled with steak, beer and even a few actual fish. It was an incredible time, three generations of Lucas men sharing old stories of visiting grandpa, hearing stories of when my grandfather was young, and stories about my dad and his brother as kids.

The whole weekend I kept thinking of my own son and how I couldn't wait to share events like this with him when he grows up. How I hoped that he would be able to share in such moments with his grandfather, uncle, and myself. The weekend made me appreciate what life is all about...the little moments with those that you love and love you. Family is what makes you and I can only hope that Liz and I will provide as wonderful a family that our parents and grandparents have provided for us.

So we go back to our daily struggles, but refreshed with the true meaning of family, and what it means to be part of a unit that no matter what happens, you know, will always love and care for you.

You can see some pictures from the weekend here

One Month

Harrison was officially one month old yesterday. Four weeks feels like four days, yet it is truly amazing at how fast he has grown and how many changes we have already noticed. Every day truly is a blessing and a learning experience. Below are some of the things that I have learned through these first four weeks - enjoy!

• Whoever said "sleep is overrated" never had a newborn
• Little boys really do "spray" and the little pee blockers don't work!
• Dressing a baby is like trying to dress a snake
• 40 diapers in a week, seriously!
• Baby monitors are a blessing and a curse
  
• There are no such things as "plans"
• Mothers are saints - especially breastfeeding moms.
• Seeing your little boy when you come home from a busy day puts all your day's worries into perspective
• A baby sleeping on your chest on a Sunday afternoon is as good as it gets
  
• Hearing your child cry and not being able to do anything can break your heart
• Looking into his eyes and seeing an All-American or First Round Draft Pick is inevitable, remembering he has your athletic genes is reality
• As cliche as it is, fatherhood is truly the greatest and scariest experience all rolled into one...and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Technical Difficulties

I have been having some issues lately with our home computer. We are having trouble getting online and posting pictures, etc. I will hopefully have it figured out shortly (yes, I have re-booted and turned off my router :)). I have a few posts I want to write and some updates but need to get the issue resolved first.

Meanwhile, there are few more pictures up on flickr.