Happy Birthday!!!

Two months old today, and getting older by the minute.  Today, mom took you to your pediatrician and got you vaccinations for your birthday!  I told her we should get you some toys or something fun, but she was pretty adamant that you should celebrate by getting stabbed with a needle until you screamed at the top of your lungs!  I told your mom they they must have been tears of joy for such a thoughtful birthday present, and I suggested that we get you a drink to calm you down after such a rough day...

Also at the doctor, we found out that you currently weigh 13 lbs 8 oz. and are 23 inches long.  Definitely large for your age, but nothing to write guinness about.  The doctor did say that you were in the 99.9999th percentile for hair growth, which is weird.  Mom took you out for your first haircut after the doctor, and personally, I think you are lookin pretty good!!!!!

In all seriousness, you did get your vaccinations today, but you have been taking it pretty well.  You are a little more cranky then normal, but it is not as bad as some of the horror stories we have heard about getting your shots.  Your mom and I are really settling into our roles, and we are pretty good at keeping you calm when you start to get moody.  My swaddling technique is still coming in handy, and I have also added the ability to put you to sleep pretty quickly once you are in full swaddle.

I leave for Seattle tomorrow morning (in the middle of the "worst storm in 70 years").  If I do get to fly out tomorrow, I will be gone for three days, returning Thursday night.  Mom will likely  ave you spend some quality time with Grandpa and Busha Mueller.  I will be back Thursday, and we will get you prepped for Halloween on Friday.

I will miss you when I am gone, and I hope you behave for your mom and your grandparents.

Till the next week...

Dad

Smiles and Laughs...

You are a little over 7 weeks old at this point, and your personality is starting to make an appearance.  What started as little giggles and laughs in your sleep, has graduated into full blown smiles and laughs when you are awake.  There might be no greater feeling on earth than watching you crack the first of, what I hope are, millions of smiles in your lifetime.

Over the past few weeks, you have been in pretty good spirits.  Either that, or your mom and I are starting to figure out what makes you tick.  Regardless, the stress of a perpetually crying baby is beginning to wain, and we have started to really settle into our parenting roles.  Actually, your mom has really started to settle into her parenting role.  I think I still have some work to do...

You have been sleeping really well at night.  Not quite all the way through the night, but you have gone for 6 hours straight at one point.  Granted, while you slept for 6 hours straight, your mom and I didn't, because we were constantly checking to make sure you were still breathing!  We have started to notice that you sleep really well at night after you have a bath, so that has become part of your nighttime routine.  You really seem to enjoy the water, and we have even used it as a method to calm you down during some of your fits.  The flip-side to your enjoyment of bath time, is that you HATE being taken out of the bath!!!

You are also starting to stand for longer periods of time.  Don't get to excited, you have TERRIBLE balance!  BUT, you can put all of your weight on your legs for 20-30 seconds at a time.  I haven't done any research to see if this is normal or if you are some kind of mutant, but it makes me proud anyway.  Next project will be to get you some more tummy time so that you can learn how to crawl.  We have probably neglected your tummy time a bit over the past few weeks, but we will make a concerted effort to rectify that in the next few weeks.

Overall, things are still going well.  There is a bit of debate of your actual size at this point, but you have a doctor's appointment coming up in the next couple weeks, so that should solve that.  Basically, everyone thinks that you are a monster, but the question remains, just how much of a monster are you.  The guesses range anywhere from 11 pounds to 14, which is a pretty big range for a 7 week old. 

Till the next time...

Dad

6 Weeks...

FYI, 1 month, 1 week, & 5 days translates into 6 weeks total...

Your mom and I are in our early 30s, and for the past few years, time just seemed to fly by.  I was 25 when we met, working at a dead end insurance sales job and slinging cocktails at your mom's bar to make ends meet.  It is hard to believe that it has been 7 years since I met your mom.  The past 7 years have gone by so fast, but it pales in comparison to the last 6 weeks (literally and figuratively).  I have previously mentioned how everyone tells us to enjoy our time with you as a newborn, because in the blink of an eye, you will be a teenager rebelling against everything we say.  Its not like I didn't believe these people, but man, the last 6 weeks have FLOWN by!  This issue are likely compounded by a number of other changes in our lives (i.e. new jobs and new cars), but you are surely at the center of it all.

In order to help you understand how you will perceive time as you grow up, I have put together the following handy illustration.  See below for a more detailed explanation of your life expectancy...

• From birth until about 5 years of age, I assumed that time would be passing rather slowly.  I may be completely wrong, but it seems like since you really don't know anything and you can't even control even the most fundamental of movements.  Seems like some weird form of prison, which is why I assumed that your perception of time has got to be REALLY slow right now.

• From 5 to about 15 years of age I assumed that your perception of time would start to pick up for you.  You would likely experience times that seem to really drag on (such as school, homework, chores, etc.), but you would also experience times that seem to fly by (like summer and fishing trips with grandpa).  Overall, good times should far outweigh the tough times, so I expect your perception of time to pick up a bit.

• From 15 to about 18 years of age, things start to get interesting.  These are your high school years, and they can either be one of the best times of your life, or it could be one of the worst times.  Even if you are just middle of the road in the popularity department, high school will likely be a decent time, making these four years pass rather expeditiously.

• Notice a decline in your perception of passing time from 18 to 21.  Once you turn 18, many milestones will be behind you.  You can vote, serve in the armed forces, purchase cigarettes (I will kill you!!), and you will also likely be away at college.  However, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the fact that you STILL won't be able to have a beer in public.  Now, drinking SURELY not the most important aspect of your life during these three years, BUT if you are anything like your mom and dad, you're social life will be an active one, and this milestone will be an important one.

• And then you turn 21, and its all downhill from there.  With the exception of your wedding day and witnessing the birth of your own children (assuming that you are appealing enough to the opposite sex that the latter of these milestones is feasible), there is likely nothing else significant in your life that will slow your perception of time from here on out.  It will likely spiral out of control until you are in a nursing home having someone else change your diapers AGAIN!

There are countless more milestones and important events that you will experience along the way,  but most of these important events will be milestones for YOUR children, like their first words, their first steps, their first ANYTHING! But even these events will likely all seem to blur together after a while.  You will eventually find yourself reflecting on your child's first words or first steps as you watch them receive their diploma or walk down the aisle.  Every day that passes, is a day that you can't get back, so make the most of EVERY day, and you will never live with regret.

I am lucky!  I have never taken anything for granted, and I am proud to say that I have enjoyed almost every moment of my life to this point, with the crown jewel accomplishment being your birth 6 weeks ago today.  Although I know that you will be a moody 16-year-old in the blink of an eye, I am sure to have a wealth of fantastic, meaningful, proud, fatherly memories of you along the way (along with a handful of bad ones!).

Til the next time...

Dad