The Rainbow Goddess Daily

Fall Greetings

2007-11-08T12:59:00.000-05:00

We've had our first couple frosty mornings, so I guess fall is officially here! For the last few weeks I have been putting pictures into a new photo gallery and just realized that I had not added the link on this page- check out "Iris in the Fall 07" for the latest and greatest..

New Pictures Now

2007-09-23T13:33:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

We've had a big weekend celebrating Iris's 2nd birthday so I wanted to get the pictures out there for family. Our little bear is getting so big! See you in a couple weeks!

Sunny Dada Dog Daze

2007-07-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

Summer is officially here and I've got the pictures to prove it! Check out the new set of pictures "Summer Fun '07" for the latest in Iris's ventures around the oppressively hot southeast and beyond!

Recent highlights include a visit last weekend by our friends at the State of Grace blogsite, who are now proud parents for the second time. It was great to meet beautiful baby Julia and I can't wait to see her new blog! And Iris was reunited with her "infanthood" friend Grace, whom had gone almost exactly apart since the move to Macon. The two had a lot of fun together, not skipping a beat!

On the 4th we grilled out with some local friends and Iris had a great time with some more youngsters, Fin and Pax. Iris enjoyed the bright and colorful fireworks, but it was time to go home when the loud ones started booming. The fact that it was an hour past her bedtime didn't help either!

Finally, our neighbors a few houses down have been kind enough to extend an open invitation for Iris to come and swim anytime. Its a perfect set-up, where the sun only shines directly down on the pool during Iris's nap time- we've spent many afternoons swimming and splashing there! Mama has also been taking Iris regularly to the nearby YMCA pool to beat the heat during the day. She needs to get ready for the mighty cold Lake Superior at the end of the month!

On a somber note, our beloved Baguette continues to struggle with her health since undergoing heartworm "chemo" treatment last November. After getting the seizures under control with meds, she developed diabetes in March and has been getting two insulin injections a day ever since. This week we learned that her kidneys are stressed, perhaps from the meds, and she had to start taking more meds for a urinary infection. Overall she's about 10 lbs. down from her normal weight, but is slowly gaining it back. Hang in there, Baggie!

Stay tuned!

Iris's First Dinner Request

2007-06-26T12:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not quite sure what this is a sign of, but last night Iris demanded her first specific meal to me: oatmeal for dinner. I tried a number of diversionary tactics which I have developed over these last months, but nothing could shake her...

The dinnertime ritual began as usual, asking her to play with some of her toys in the kitchen while I begin sounding off the different foods on the night's menu as I pluck them from the fridge or freezer. But last night after the first speak of peas exited my lips, I was abruptly corrected by a determined Iris, who was not playing with any toys: "Oatmeal". Squash? "Oatmeal!" Avocado? "Oatmeal!" Ba-Ba (Chicken)? "Oatmeal!". I was stumped. This never happened! She never once has expressed any kind of opinion over any meal I've made for her, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so I was left defenseless.

This is where I resorted to the kind of tactics that are normally saved for trying to get her to stop poking Baggie, put away the play doh, or close the one non-child-proofed cabinet door in the kitchen that exposes her to not one but three stacked 13" x 9" pyrex baking pans.

First, I stalled. After being somewhat satisfied at the mere sight of the oatmeal packet being removed from the cabinet, I set it down and began preparing Baggie's nightly fix of insulin and seizure meds. After a few minutes of prep time, I went over to Baggie to give her the peanut butter-phenyl barbitol desert. As though the act of Baggie licking it off the butter knife made Iris remember, she blurted "Oatmeal!"

Next, distraction. I told her I was going to "get her", which I often do, then proceeded to chase her, giggling, around the house. We got to her room and I pointed out to her a few of her animal friends that might like to come into the kitchen. As she was grabbing them, I slipped into the kitchen and pulled out the baggie of frozen peas. She walked in, elephant and bunny in tote, right as I was reaching into the cabinet where the cups used to warm the peas up are kept- "Oatmeal!".

Finally, reasoning. "Iris, we only have oatmeal for breakfast, and this is dinner." "Oatmeal!" "Iris, I don't know what else to give you with the oatmeal- everything else will taste horrible!" "Oatmeal". "I can make you oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow?" "Oatmeal!" And that's when she walked over to the drawer that holds the pyrex measuring cup I use to warm the water in the microwave and began trying to open it with the little leverage she had over her head. She had it all figured out!

It was getting late for her, so I relented and made the oatmeal. Apple Cinnamon w/ reduced sugar. At least she ate every last spoonful of it- also a first. I truly couldn't think of a vegetable that would have been appetizing after all that, but thankfully I had some watermelon, which she also downed rather quickly.

After a bath, a cup of warm milk, two books, and a nice eye-to-eye chat through the planks of her crib as she laid on her pillow and I sat on the floor (another specific request she's started lately), I told her I loved her and 'night-night' and got up and walked out of the room without a peep of protest from her. At least some rituals haven't changed yet!

Dada the Globetrotter

2007-06-20T20:21:00.000-04:00

Earlier today, Dada got back from a busy 10-day trip to Switzerland and Germany. For Work! For Free! Yippee!!

Non-work activities included driving pedal-to-the-metal on the autobahn, sampling multiple variations of 5 main beer families, partying in the late hours with a soccer club, and laying eyes on the Swiss Alps. But I did work, too!

The hardest part was definitely missing my little bear. Tonight when I went to see her after getting back, she was obviously beyond tired- she didn't really warm up to me at all and did not want me to hold her! Tomorrow we'll try again, hopefully with better results!

I'll post some pictures of interest soon!

Being Here Now

2007-06-05T15:20:00.000-04:00

Hello? Is anyone out there? No? Well I can't blame you.. I've been a sparing visitor myself.

Almost 6 months into the new era for our family and just haven't had a lot of motivation to keep this place up. So I've finally caught up on pictures- the rate at which we take them has certainly waned but that is what happens when you can't hand-off the 1 camera and 1 USB cable we share consistently. I also have a ton of movies and will try to get those up someday, too.

In the last few months Iris has gone with her Mama to New York, had numerous visits in town from both Mama's and Dada's extended family, and most recently went with Dada to Dallas over Memorial Day Weekend to visit Grandpa "Nook" and Granny B. The summer months promise more exciting travels as well, so I'll try and keep things updated.

Iris continues to grow into an amazing human being every day. Her gentle demeanor and delicateness make her special to both Mama and Dada and everyone else she meets and spends time with. We're so lucky to have her and for her to be like her!!

And hats off to Mama and Dada, who are doing a heck of a job navigating the foreign, choppy waters we find ourselves in and for not letting Iris go down with the ship..

A Horrible Way To Say Goodbye

2007-04-01T13:14:00.000-04:00

In the days leading up to Iris's departure for New York with her Mama, I got to spend some quality time with her at home. She's such a little skuttlebug now, running laps around the broom closet, up and down the hall!

But she seemed to be not quite herself, coming down with a cold. It was our last dinner together, before putting her to bed and waking up the next morning to drop her off at Mama's.. Half-crazy, she had just stuffed her mouth full of peas and whatever else when all of a sudden she started choking. Bad choking! I was alone, panicking in my brain, but managed to send a cool, collected index finger in there to pulled out all the stuff she wasn't choking on, then sent it in again to try and scoop out the back of her throat. The sounds were horrible- how badly I wanted to hear her cry because that would have meant the airway was clear. It seemed like forever; I swear her eyes were rolling backward.. I wasn't sure if I could perform the heimlich (I could, I know now).. I contemplated calling 911 and was trying to pull the phone out of my pocket when finally something broke loose. A bunch of heaves and it all came out, including some blood from what I assumed was a scratch incurred by my long finger nail. She was crying, I was crying.

I picked her up and she immediately laid her head on my shoulder, exhausted from the most excrutiating 20 seconds of her life. I felt so horrible. And to think- earlier in the meal, I ran upstairs to grab something- not for long- but definitely 20 seconds. I will never do that again! For several moments afterward, I was numb to the world, realizing how simply this human life in my arms means everything to me. And then I was mad- mad that I had to go through this alone, abandoned by my partner when I thought these were the things we signed up for together. But then all that left, and what I most needed was a friend who could understand all of this and listen to me. Fortunately, she was at least on the other end of the phone..

To this day (actually July right now), I have not been able to shake the experience fully, and still experience slight anxiety attacks from it. In my effort to try and catch this page back up, there was no way I couldn't mention it. Its not exactly the most pleasant thing to post about, and it exposes a million ways in which I was/am a bad parent, but hey, parenting is parenting and I'm doing the best I can. All things considered, I'm a better dad now than I ever thought possible.. Iris hasn't choked since, nor have I left her alone with food..

New Pics Finally Here!!

2007-02-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Greetings all-

After a long haitus, this page has finally been updated with pictures of Iris over the last several months. Stories and other goodies soon to come..

Enjoy,

naM

The Best Holiday of the Year (in October)

2006-11-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

Iris and on-again/off-again beau Lauchlan assume the roles of their favorite animals for some innocent pagan fun!

Single Parent Blues

2006-10-26T21:16:00.000-04:00

For most of the week, Dada was up in Green Bay for work.. This left Mama D with a lot on her hands, both at work and at home. Just look at the ruthlessness of our little terror bear:

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Wedding Bells, Not Jason Today

2006-10-13T22:21:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our good, non-tricadecaphobiac friends April and Alan, who were married tonight in a beautiful riverside ceremony, followed by a glamorous reception in downtown Augusta. April taught with Mama D for many years before D left to a different school this year.

Congrats again and best wishes from all of us!

Iris's 1-Year Doctor Visit

2006-10-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

All this fun surrounding Iris's birthday had to end sooner or later. That time was today, precisely when the first of two vaccine-filled syringes punctured her soft, meaty little theigh.

But before that, we got the statistics:
Height: 30" (75%)
Weight: 19 lbs. 9 oz. (25%)

Tall and thin, perhaps skinny following a growth spurt- who knows? She's a little spark plug, a speed demon after all..! Iris was also able to demonstrate her new, limited walking skills for the doctor, going between chairs. Once again, we both felt ackward following a probing comment from the doctor regarding a small bruise on Iris's leg, but this must just be part of the show.

How proud we are to watch our happy, healthy little bear grow!

Iris Goes to the Zoo Zoo Zoo

2006-10-01T21:53:00.000-04:00

After a busy day hosting Iris's party, we decided to get away with Aunt Jackie and Patrick to Zoo in Columbia, SC. We've wanted to go since Iris was born, but it was worth the wait, given how much her awareness and attention have grown in the last several weeks..

The zoo was very impressive- the first animals we saw were, fittingly, Grizzly Bears! Iris immediately spotted them and watched intently as one paced back and forth in front of the crowd. And she continued to be amazed as we worked our way through- sea lions, elephants, tortoises, aligators, penguins... Some highlights:

We brought many of Iris's toy animals along so that she could compare against the real thing- this didn't work out so well for the giraffes who were standing so far away that they appeared to be the same height as the one she held in her hand!!

Towards the end of the day, as we were walking out of an interactive bird exhibit (which was pointless since we didn't have the food needed to actually get a bird to land on us), Iris suddenly started going nuts- Bananas, specifically, as she took heed of two wild, whirling Siamangs swinging from branch to rock in endless pursuit. Iris laughed and laughed, quieting down only for the moments they disappeared behind opposite side of their island.

And then for the last stop, we went through a barn exhibit, where Iris got to put her skills developed from her morning ritual of hand-feeding our pets to the test:

After another long day, with less food and sleep than normal, Iris slept the whole drive home and chowed down before going to bed for the night.. What a big weekend this was for our little bear!

Iris Turns 1 (for party)

2006-09-30T21:55:00.000-04:00

Some 10 days after the actual event, we celebrated Iris’s birthday in style with a neighborhood block party, sans the neighborhood block. Preparation began a month before, when Mama D got the idea to have an underlying theme focusing on the relationship between Iris and Baggie. Plans were set in motion…

Rewind further to early June, when Dada decided to tackle 3 big projects in the home at once, partially inspired by the two week absence of both Mama D and Iris as they traveled to New York: repainting the dining room and kitchen (no more mustard & ketchup), and replacing a wall in the living room that had been ruined by water damage (repairing the leak, too, duhh!).

Fast-forward to the night before the party- Aunt Jackie and Patrick arrive from Greensboro and are immediately put to work (as usual), helping Dada put the finishing touches on all the painting, dusting, sweeping, etc. and helping Mama D prepare all of the food.

We stayed hectic as usual in the morning, but by the time people started showing up, the house looked great, a tasty variety of snacks was on the table, and the cake was displayed in all its glory – we had a party - as you can see:

The cake was Mama D’s big plan, having it sculpted at a shoppe just down the block from our house. In a way, I suppose it was a bit morbid to have Iris watch as Baggie was sliced in to pieces and doled out on plates, but she really didn’t seem to mind. The cake was really good- really really good- Iris didn’t know what to think at first but then had no problem gobbling a little piece down, which made for good video..

The party was well attended by family, friends, friends’ families, and pets. It made for a unique gathering that put people together who otherwise would never have met, united by the bond that Iris has created in all our lives!

Unfortunately, Iris was slow to pick up on all the excitement. Groggy and grumpy from taking two bad naps, she had to go down a rare third time. But all was well after she woke up and she had a ball opeining all of her presents, tearing into the paper and wearing ribbons around her neck.

In the end, the party was a roaring success- our thanks to everyone who came! Happy Birthday Iris, our little bear!

Kyle Comes to Town

2006-09-22T20:15:00.000-04:00

For a very brief evening, we were fortunate to host our good friends Chris and Kelly and the newest addition to their family, Kyle, on their coast-to-coast journey! Chris used to work with Dada before transfering to Seattle some 3 years ago..

They arrived after Iris's bedtime, but we got to play with little immobile lovable Kyle for a few hours before he tucked it in.. The next morning, they got up early with us to spend some time with Iris on her birthday! Unfortunately, Kyle and Iris didn't get to play together much, but they'll get another chance someday!

It was great to see you guys again, and please look us up the next time you come to town! Of course we'd love to head out to the NW someday, too!

Iris Turns 1 (for real)

2006-09-21T21:54:00.000-04:00

Today of course marks a very special day for our little bear, already one year old! Already one year since the crazy days surrounding her birth!! And so much has happened in that time, it really is a wonder what kind of beings we are!

For Iris, today was just another day- Mama and Dada had to go to work and she went to the babysitters and Mother's Day Out, etc.. But for us, today was an opportunity to privately celebrate what has become the most important and wonderful part of our life! We had no big party or activity planned, at least not today..

Last night, Mama D made cupcakes and powdered sugar frosting- ultimately she decided not to send them along with Iris to day care today, but instead bought the whole class a box of banana cookie snacks. It wasn't until tonight that Iris got her first bite of the pure, uncompromised sweetness those cupcakes had to offer... Like all new tastes, she was hesitant at first, but unlike most, she couldn't put it down after just a few bites..

After Iris went to bed, we used the new digital camcorder we just got off eBay to watch the video Aunt Jackie made of Iris's birth. This was the first time watching it since she was two weeks old, and man, did it bring back a lot of emotions and memories! Cliche perhaps, but I don't it will ever be possible to watch that without crying!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IRIS!!

Iris in the 5th Dimension

2006-09-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had a very nice visit to the Charlotte area to visit Aunt Jackie at her father's home- Iris's unofficial 5th set of grandparents.

As usual, Iris did great during the ~3 hour drive, napping and playing with her toys in the back.. When we arrived she was quick to display both her proficiency at climbing stairs and her new skills at "walking". At this point, "walking" consists of standing up, moving one leg, than falling down. But given something to support her, like a couch or someone's hands, she can walk quite well!

That night after Iris went to bed we burned the midnight oil playing games of Cribbage and Taboo...

Later on, after everyone had gone to sleep, Dada made a big mistake that lead to a very rare difficult night- Iris had woken up slightly and made a peep.. Half-asleep himself and not knowing what time it was (3AM), Dada sat up and started talking to her as he normally would following a nap.. Whereas she probably would have just drifted back off to sleep, this acknowledgment managed to do just the opposite.

For the next couple of hours we struggled with trying to balance getting her to fall back asleep with not waking everyone else up. Every time we left her in the porta-crib, regardless of whether we stayed in the room or left, she'd howl! And the damned porta-crib was so low to the ground that no matter how long we tried to rock her back to sleep, she would always wake up just as she was being laid down.. Eventually we bit the bullet and moved out to sleep on the couch as she howled for what seemed like an eternity before she expired.

To say the least we were very happy to learn the next morning that Iris's antics had not disturbed anyone else! Thank goodness for sound-proof walls!!

Before heading back home, we stopped at the big Charlotte mall with Aunt Jackie and picked up a bunch of new clothes for Iris and took some funny pictures of her in various stores and situations.. See the photo galleries for more..

Thanks Robert and Joan for the fun stay- next time we'll sleep in a different room than Iris!!

Iris's First Cold

2006-08-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

Should we consider ourselves lucky to have gone this long, or does the consequence outweigh, that her immune system is now less likely to fend off an illness than another baby's who started this whole 'getting colds' thing months ago?

Two days after her 3rd day of "Mother's Day Out" (see Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes post), Iris came down with the sniffles. Waking up from a nap, she sniffled her nose and made a gurgily sound, followed shortly by a very productive sneeze. "Oh boy". But she managed a good humor and happily got up to play with her toys and continue sneezing.

It wasn't really until that night when we could hear her sleep that we got concerned. A cycle began with her breathing loudly through one available nostril, breathing nasally out of her mouth, then waking up to shift around and clear things out. Rinse and repeat.

We made some calls, acquired and administered some 'drugs', and called a night.

Sunday was not better- although she slept well the rest of the night, she skipped her afternoon despite how tired she was leading up to the time... Her demeanor was pleasant, but mummified. A sun-baked mummy, she was, for her temperature rose sharply. A sun-baked walking mummy, as she took a good percentage of her first steps today, too!

We made some calls, administered some 'drugs', and hoped for the best.

By bedtime her temperature had dropped off and she ate OK. She had a good night with little ado and woke up like a Spring Daisy this morning, all smiles and I could hear her laughing at Baggie as they went outside for the morning biscuits...

We got lucky this time, for all day today she's seemed much better, with no fever and basically no congestion. I'm sure we won't always be this lucky, but this is the kind of thing we're willing to take in small 'doses' (I kill myself!).

HAPPY 11th MONTH BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BEAR!!!

First Day of School

2006-08-14T22:08:00.000-04:00

With all this heat, it's hard to believe that another school year is beginning. I remember when school began in the fall, you know, the real fall! But alas it is on, so a very busy time indeed.

Actually the weeks leading up to today have seen their fair share of action, too. First, Mama D realized the gravity of her new school situation shortly after returning from vacation up north. The cool part was that the visual arts department (her and 2 others) had their own building, but the real part was that it was going to take hours and hours of work to get the building ready for school.

You see, Mama D and another newbie arrived to this building on the tail coats of two 20+ year-career teachers. The departed obviously were wonderful and successful teachers, with a big reputation to live up to, however they shared a common feature among art teachers: they couldn't throw anything away. There were a thousand storage cabinets filled with a million objects, arranged in no logical order what-so-ever (picture shows the clean-up process mid-term). There were many kilns yet none that fired properly due to a voltage mis-match within the building. There were looms hanging from the walls, equipped by a whole caged-off area's worth of stuff, that had barely been touched in over a decade!

Three weeks of muscle, at least a half-dozen filled dumpsters, and several hefty "permanent loans" later, the building finally started to feel navigable, if not homey! Mama D spent a ton of nights and weekend days trying to figure out where everything would go (we basically freed-up a whole 30'x80' area to use as a classroom that had previously served as a broom closet). naM would go on other nights when there was a pre-arranged list of tasks that generally required tools or the lifting of objects over 25 lbs. All was good, for he got to know Mama D's new coworkers, who were also quite busy there, in the meantime.. And then there were nights we hired a babysitter so we could both work! Romance!

But things are looking good- Mama D is ready to begin a new year in a new place and is already feeling the energy after a single Open House session, Iris is taking her two new places in stride, and naM is going "wee wee wee" all the way home!

Mother's Day Trout

2006-08-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the orientation for Iris's Mother's Day Out program, which I mentioned in yesterday's post. Had this been a normal event, I probably would have let this one fly undocumented..

But I digress- I acted as the sole ambassador for Iris- Mama D was up at the school preparing for tomorrow night's first Open House.. Dave, the father of Iris's two new pals, also came along.

The evening began innocently enough, with all of the parents assembled together- I felt like I was in church but perhaps that was because I was in a church (albeit a basement) and there was a prayer led by the church's minister...

The program coordinator (a woman, mind you) then spoke, introducing the program as an opportunity for "mothers to get a break from watching their little ones and go shopping or clean around the home and do laundry or cook dinner". I seriously thought 'were stay-at-home fathers eligible for this?' After some general comments and a terribly long stream-of-conscious concluding prayer, we broke out into groups.

Everyone went to their kids' classroom-to-be, where the two 'teachers' were waiting with big smiles and showing off the cubbies-to-be with each baby's name already affixed. It was genuinely cute and it was easy to imagine little Iris trucking around the square room, pulling up on the baskets and bookshelves.. Each class, it seems, consists of about 10-12 kids within the same approximate age range, although Iris got bumped up one grouping because her's was filled at the time of registration. This means that Iris will be the youngest among babies as much as 8 months older- and one of two kids that cannot yet walk..

So we all sat there, discussing the "rules" and what to bring, a typical day, label everything, etc., and all seemed peachy. It wasn't until the concluding moments open for questions that a european couple decided to make things interesting (as though just having accents alone didn't blow the socks off most of the people there). The euro father started talking (not asking) about being 'really disturbed about the prospect of having their child subjected to 15 minutes of Barney videos while the two 'teachers' cleaned up from lunch'. One of the teachers immediately back-peddled, 'we hardly ever get the TV since there's only one to share for 4 classrooms'. The euro wife counter-back-peddled, 'maybe its because we're european, but..' (they never specified which country after ~10 references), and back and forth.

For 10 minutes I observed some of the most beautifully uncomfortable dialogue I'd heard in a long time, where other parents would suddenly chime in, making some vapid comment about TV or their child without making eye contact with a single person.. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to blurt out one of the best non-sequitors ever that I learned from my college roommate Ryan- 'I have a room to rent', but I held it back..

The whole sequence came to an eerie halt when the euros admitted that the root of their concern was that their 5-yr-old watched TV all the time. Hmm! And that this same child had been involved with the program last year. Hmmm! I was rolling! The one teacher said that this was the first time anyone had complaned about this in her 20+ years and then everyone just stopped talking altogether. After 30 seconds of silence (that felt like eons), we all got up and walked out without saying thanks or goodbye..

None of this should be a problem for the kids though, since they don't possess the linguistic ability to wind themselves up in such a mess..

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

2006-08-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

With the new school year just around the corner, many changes are afoot!

Iris is going to be spending days with our friends Dave and Audrey, with Audrey staying home to watch Iris and her own two daughters, Sophie (8 months older) and Samantha (8 months younger). Look for pictures of them together in the upcoming photo galleries... We are very grateful to have them helping us out- their house is just a few minutes away and basically en route to work for both of us, so the arrangement couldn't be more convenient (other than a Nanny Carole situation!).

In addition to this new environment, Iris will also be attending a Mother's Day Out program along with Sophie and Samantha at the nearby First Baptist Walma- I mean Church- on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 4 hours. Tomorrow night is the orientation, so I'll know more then..

Just as at Audrey's, Iris will be exposed to myriad new social situations (and germs) here while getting to observe her "peers" do "grown-up" things like walk and run and talk! This is going to be a big year for our little bear!

Mama D is also gearing up for the new teaching gig. We've been spending a lot of time at the school cleaning out closets and loading trucks with garbage on top of drafting art supply budgets and lesson plans- it's only a week until the students show up for class! Last week she went to the county orientation seminars and this week there are four teacher prep days with two evening Open House sessions planned..

naM is gearing up for a busy end-of-year schedule at work as well, with 4 major installations taking place before Christmas... There will be some travelling involved and several disjointed weeks of back-shift/weekend coverage.. On the bright side, this may be an opportunity to update this blog! But it is exciting since these jobs will be the culmination of several months of preparation and planning..

There are also changes amongst our friends as well- in-town friends moving out-of-town, and out-of-town friends moving out-of-state! Just days before we headed off on our MI trip, our friends Craig, Ellen, and Grace (see State of Grace) moved to Macon, GA, after Dr. Craig landed a tenure-track position at Mercer University- we wish them good luck! And then within a matter of weeks all three former college roommates of naM's that had been living in Athens departed for Michigan, Michigan, and Virginia, respectively. Now we have nowhere to stay when a cool concert blows through town! Not that we can do those kinds of things easily anymore..

But that takes us pretty current on where we're at and where we're going. As usual, stay tuned for more updates- I don't see myself taking another 3-month haitus anytime soon..

Mothman Prophecy

2006-08-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

A moth I found at work today:

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2006-08-01T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have been sadly late in posting this, but trying to find ways to work all of the news in with other news such that it all reads as a story is not always easy.

We're far enough overdue to show you two beatiful movies that the story aspect need not apply:

Here's a double whammy- something Iris is doing now and her doing it with her favorite toy de jour:

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing

She's pretty much like this all the time...

And here's another thing Iris is doing now:

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing

Lots of bumps and bruises these days as Iris crawls and pulls herself up on just about anything she can, regardless of stability. I must say that she falls with grace, though!

It can't be long until she's walking on her own! Or can it, please?

Iris Goes to Mitchigan, part I

2006-07-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

At exactly half-way through 2006, we family of three found ourselves smack dab in the middle of some kind of party, just as we were at the exact beginning of 2006 and likely will be at the exact end of 2006. Only this party was different- instead of being with friends and loved ones in a comfortable home while Iris sleeps soundly, we were all awake, filling up our loaner minivan at a gas station bustling with hillbilly redneck activity 10 miles north of the Kentucky border just off I-75. This is how we began our vacation.

Iris cried that night until 3AM, that is after we finally found a hotel with a vacant (albeit expensive) room just after 1. 23 miles north of the Kentucky border just off I-75. But the next day turned out fine, stopping through Cincinnati so Iris could meet her only Great Grandparent on daddy's side- Grandpa M, as well as Great Aunt Melanie. The stop also allowed us to get a little rest before the next long haul. After a few hours of visiting, some ice cream from Graeters, and a messy Sky Line chili dog, we were off!

That night we ended up in Grand Rapids so Iris could meet another Great- Uncle Ken, as well as her cousin (aunt) Lisa. Our stay was brief, getting in late and leaving before noon- just enough time for them to see how fun Iris can be, happily crawling around and pulling herself up everything she could!

Trip Note #1: Unlike the NY trip, where new family members were coming out of the wood-work, the first two days of driving contained this trip's only such introductions.

Destination Marquette was reached by midnight that night, after 3 long days of driving- needless to say we were all glad to stop! Iris's sleep schedule had recovered somewhat from our disastrous first night and thankfully managed to fall back to sleep soon after we moved her out of the minivan to her new bedroom.

Trip Note #2: Let me take a time-out to shout-out mad props to our peeps Paul and Susan for loaning us their beautiful silver 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan for the trip. With the variety of the events we had in store, there was no way the ole Camry was going to cut it; a fact that I was too headstrong to acknowledge until after the minivan was offered up to us. Good to know someone else is looking out for us!

So yes, back to Marquette- it didn't take long to catch the buzz of activity going on there. Of particular interest was the new home that Grandma and Grandpa Fitz were having built, with them acting as both general contractor and clean-up crew. From what we could tell from the exposed framework, wires, and ducting, it was going to be very nice and, more importantly, close to the beach! On one day, we observed all of the insulation being installed and on another the dry wall was delivered via hoist!

Despite their busy schedule, we were able to spend a lot of time with them before and after Iris went to bed. On one special night, they stayed home with Iris so we could go out and celebrate our second anniversary! And on another instance, I got to take Mama D alone to do a special activity- cliff dive off the Black Rocks!

But there were many significant events for Iris, too.. Most importantly was her first swim in Lake Superior! Sure it was "cold", but not that cold- we gradually lowered her into the water- it was cute to see her little legs tense up at first and then become more relaxed, eventually to the point that she was laughing and splashing around! This water runs in her blood and she'll be spending lots of time swimming in it thoughout her childhood and beyond, so this was really a formality! Iris also got to walk out on the Black Rocks while being carried in her new backpack. There were also some new people to meet, like Julia, Candy, Amy, and Gabriel, who also shared all his toys with Iris during our stay- they'll be friends for a long time! Don't forget Juliet the Cat! And then there was also the 4th of July Parade down Lake Shore Drive in front of the Fitz's new home, which she enjoyed until the big fire truck blared its loud horn just a few feet away from us.. The list can go on and on!

It is tough to describe a visit there- so many good places to go, food (and ice cream) to eat, and people to see. Our visit there ended with a new focus in life- to find some way to get there! Not just "up north", or Michigan, but there!

With six wonderful days behind us and many things still on our list to do, the Marquette phase of our trip was over. And one ending led to another beginning, as our good friends Tyler, Jenny, Zak, and Fen pulled into town after a long drive from Kalamazoo. That night marked the start of the Camping phase, which I'll write about shortly..

Iris's 9-Month Doctor Visit

2006-06-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

Fresh back from New York, Iris was ready to see what all that vacation milk from Mama D had done for her constitution! And perhaps show off a few NY-style skillz?

As usual, the stats:

Height: 28"
Weight: 17 lbs. 7 oz.

I have a theory now that people either look up or make up their baby's percentiles for weight and height- I think we've heard once or twice such a number.. Or maybe its just that our Ped doesn't focus on such things..?

The stat phase all takes place before the Ped actually comes in. During waiting period that follows before the Ped phase, Iris is typically antsy in her pantsy and we usually try to entertain her with full-bodied versions of the Itsy-Bitsy Spider with some success...

But when the Ped enters, Iris livens up.. And this time, that meant crawling back and forth across the cushioned, sterile examination table... After constant attempts over the few days since her return from NY, it was like she almost got it at that moment in the Peds office! Everything came together- hand followed knee followed other hand followed other knee..

Of course the normal portion of the Ped Phase, with both of us spilling our guts about her diet and poops and firing away nonsequitor questions, was taking place simultaneously to this miracle.. It readlly wasn't until later, leaving the appointment, that we finally were able to grasp what had just happened..

And then there was the third phase, the Shot Phase. The Ped is long gone (they definitely make us wait to give time for the Ped to exit Iris's mind), and Iris is definitely ready to go. Naturally, we forgot to give Iris her Tylenol ahead of the appointment- It makes total sense the day before the appointment! Oh well, she took the shots pretty well considering those tender little nuglets!!

And with that, filtering through all of the information we've just gleamed, we walk out to the car, asking each other if there's anything we'd forgotten..

Fare Thee Well, Nanny Carole!

2006-05-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

And yet another time of change is upon us- whereas months ago we were scrambling around, trying to figure out what to do with Iris when Mama D had to go back to work, today we've finally come circle- Mama D is officially on summer break following this morning's graduation ceremony..

And Nanny Carole, who has been such a great help to our family these last 4+ months, is now unofficially unemployed once again, the result of no more under-the-table monies coming in..

It is sad to see the weekly routine end, consisting of Carole arriving on Sunday night just in time for dinner, leaving Iris with a very groggy Carole every morning before going to work, watching horrible B-Horror movies and syndicated TV shows in the evenings with naM, and celebrating Fridays by going out with the whole family to a restaurant..

So last night we took Carole out for one last Friday night dinner at one of our favorite best-kept-secret-in-town restaurants. Iris chewed a hole in the table cloth, naM resumed his streak of ordering White Russians there and only there, Mama D forgot how to get there, and Carole was impressed by the large fish tank.

We'll remember this period where our lives intersected and ran together- we know Iris benefitted from having the consistency of staying at home and being with Carole during the days, learning about this big world in small bite-sized chunks. And we hope Carole also benefitted by having some income and quiet time away from her other existence that abruptly ended back in December... And we wish her well this summer and beyond with so many big decisions to make..

And sure, when Carole is in town this summer, we'll likely use her help for a day here and an afternoon there... Just as before, our door will always be open to her..

Thank you Nanny Carole!

Iris Crawls - Almost!!

2006-05-18T21:07:00.000-04:00

OK, well, here we are once again behind in updates!! But recent events simply need to be told. Or shown! Check out the new pictures in the 7th and 8th Month links. But first, check out this video shot today by Nanny Carole:

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing

For weeks Iris has been gradually changing her attitude towards laying on her belly. For a while she'd be sitting and then fall to the side or back and after only a few minutes she'd get frustrated and start to grunt and complain. Then she wouldn't complain too much. Then it started taking longer and longer before she'd reach that point. Then she started getting better control and falling less...

But it wasn't until Iris started really showing an interest in objects that weren't within her immediate reach that her track toward crawl-dom caught fire. She'd prefer to lay on her stomach, getting into that position from a sitting position in less time it took her to get frustrated in the beginning. Then she got really good at rolling over, on to her stomach as well as on to her back (which she learned first a while ago), and pushing her head and chest up, locking her arms. And when rolling over wasn't enough, when she needed to get forward, she started flopping and kicking her legs!

Within less than a week, she has gone from having no coordination between her arms and legs to the above video. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened before her 8-month birthday (Sunday)!! We're excited and at the same time eyeing the whole upstairs from her perspective and looking at all the stuff we're going to have to move!

In other updates, I've added a few stories from the March/early April time frame, and more to come soon! Stay tuned if you're not already!

naM

Iris Eats!

2006-05-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

When it came to eating, we jumped the gun. What sounds like a good starter food, something soft and easy and yummy? Why a banana, of course!!

What I haven't admitted yet is that we scandalously introduced bananas to Iris's diet just three days ahead of the 6-month doctor's visit in which it was recommended that she "start" eating cereal and "the orange" foods. We didn't tell the doctor about the bananas..

Iris loved the bananas, which we were very excited about. We thought this whole food thing was going to be a breeze! Since then, however, we've learned that once a sweet tooth is established, the unsweet foods are a slightly tougher sell. Even a sweet potato was a no-go!!

The night of Iris's 6-month doctor visit, we came home and baked a sweet potato and pureed the hell out of it. The next day, Iris wasn't so hot on the whole thing. Despite otherwise being a fast learner, after 4 days of rejection, we moved on to carrots.. At least we proved that she wasn't allergic!

Fortunately, carrots are sweeter that sweet potatoes (go figure) and our confidence was restored when Iris gulped them down, spoonful after spoonful, opening her mouth ready for more. She did the same thing with rice cereal, but was less open to the less tasty oatmeal and multi-grain cereal..

With two good foods and one bad food behind us, the next attempt was something we considered avant garde, yet was highly touted by the books we were now reading for their nutritional value: avocado. Iris hated avocado. Hated it! Her face would sneer and frown and sometimes shrivel up and cry. Her lips would pucker and seal up. I have to admit that the first avocado we tried was slightly bitter and not quite ripe. So we tried another one that was better- no luck.

After 4 days of that (again proving no allergy), with the score even at 2 apeice, green beans stepped to the plate. Swing and a miss! It seemed like no matter how much water we added, or how long we pureed it in the food processor, we still couldn't get all of the chunks out. More puckers, turning away, and general grumpiness in the high chair. After one marathon, monumental failed attempt, I took the above picture..

At least I was able to capture the moment of her victory, when I handed her the empty bowl and let her repeatedly smack it down on the tray in ecstasy. Empty not because she had eaten everything, or even anything. Empty because she had taken all of the beans into her mouth and spit them back out. Everywhere.

Since then, we fortunately have had more successes than failures. She's now eating pears, apples, tofu, peas, squash, and grapes with regularity in addition to carrots, bananas, and cereal. She'll eat sweet potatoes, but we have to mix it with something else.. Someday we'll try avocados again, that is after we've tried everything else in the book at least once!

Mama D's Day

2006-05-15T19:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a special first; not for Iris but instead it was Mama D's first Mother's Day. Although we did consider a year ago to be the real one, this was the first time we could all celebrate together...

By this point in the school year, though, Mama D has just finished one of the most hectic weeks, trying get everything wrapped up in time for the last! So it wasn't a very busy day:

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Okay, so I stand corrected- yesterday was also a special first for Iris after all- first time in a swimming pool!

Progress At Last

2006-04-17T01:05:00.000-04:00

Hey folks... The dust appears to have finally settled from the recent spell of non-occupancy. This weekend was helpful in getting everything unpacked and the house to feel like ours again. Now my attention can be focused on this site (and playoffs) so that you all can see how much our beloved little bear has grown!

And step one in the process is getting pictures uploaded, which I have done thanks to an inspirational discussion with Dutch tonight- check out the new 6th Month and 7th Month gallery links!! Now the rest of the steps can be chipped away at from work, starting with adding commentary to the pictures (the fun part) and then of course the stories and movies...

Stay tuned!

We are the April Fools

2006-04-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! As most of you know (or can read) it has been nearly two months since we've (I've) been able to update this site. Why? A good question.

And to answer all I can say is that we have been BUSY.

You see, the town we live in hosts a week-long professional sporting event of world-wide repute every year, and that week is next week. And by living here as we do, we are both blessed and cursed with the opportunity to rent our home out to parties far more interested in said sporting event, and wealthy, than we. Why do I say that? Well the blessed part is easy: $3500 for 6 nights. The cursed part? That happens when you actually try to picture your own house as a commodity, a whore of square footage for which we are the pimps, if you will, that someone is willing to pay you just that much for.

The bathroom that I had half-way fixed up before we found out that Mama D was pregnant and I had to move on to Iris's room? The torn-up dry wall and unpainted ceiling in the rear entryway from when the small section of roofing was replaced one week after Iris was born? The 15 bags or so of live oak leaves that had accumulated in our front yard since the fall? The weeds and overgrown shrubs covering half of our back yard? The front room that we could hardly walk into because of all the random crap that had piled up there? The carpet in Iris's room decimated from countless burp-ups and spit-ups and Baggie drool over the last 6 months? Taking these and about 100 other odd jobs on all of a sudden became very much a critical part to consciously accepting $3500 from someone to stay in our house, even if for less than a week.

And we're not done yet, no siree. There's about 60 hours (59 with daylight savings time) before I go to work Tuesday morning, leaving behind the house in perfect condition and awaiting our first guests. I assure you, we are far, far from perfect right now!!

I just wanted to take a breather from the exhausting work (Mama D is passed out on our new futon, snoring) and just say a quick hello and ensure everyone out there that indeed Iris is alive and well, growing furiously, and that although we have not been keeping up with this blogsite, we have definitely continued to take pictures and movies and note significant dates and stories so that when the day comes when we are free, we can hammer all this stuff out and give you all a few hour's worth of new material to peruse. I hope to make it all worth it, that is if anyone hasn't given up completely on us yet..

For now, this will have to do (taken Wednesday 3/29 by Nanny Carole):

Soon Later

Iris's 6-month Doctor Visit

2006-03-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

For some reason, we went into this visit thinking that Iris wouldn't get any shots. Wrong! And worse, we didn't give her any tylenol ahead of time.. But she was a champ!

Before they poked and prodded, they weighed and measured:

Length: 26"
Weight: 15 lbs, 7.5 oz (what accuracy!)

Our doctor, upon seeing that Iris's bottom two teeth had come in already, declared that she was now fit to start eating solid foods! Cereal and "the oranges" were her first recommendation: carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash.

And with that, we stepped into a whole new phase of parenting!

naM

Iris's Turns 1/2

2006-03-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

It's cliche I know, but it really is hard to believe how quickly Iris's first six months have passed! She's such a big girl! She has two teeth, sits up and stays there, has tremendous hand-eye coordination, laughs daily, and the worn bald spot on her head is finally filling back in, albeit with thinner, lighter hair... She's outgrown her first tub, her swing, and her jumperoo, and we've already filled a big container with clothes too small... She's been on size 3 diapers for weeks, which make the newborn ones look like a band aid.. She "dances" by rocking back and forth to music when she hears it...

So to celebrate all of the wonders and joy Iris has touched us with these past six months, we threw a little party for her. naM made psychedelic (in appearance only) cupcakes and got party favors with little "1/2" signs written in, since it was decided that he would be in charge of half-birthdays...

Tooth #2

2006-03-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Today Iris second tooth emerged from her small, soft red gums. The biggest relief came with the first tooth, but she has steadily kept teething all week. Viola!

If it keeps going at this rate, she'll have all of her teeth in no time!?

Iris Pops Out A Tooth

2006-03-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

So that's what all of the fuss was!

All of the books we've been reading have been generally hinting at 7 months as being the approximate age when teeth start arriving on the scene. So when Iris started showing signs of a different kind of grumpiness two weeks ago, shortly after beginning her 5th month, we were hesitant to write it off to the teething phenomenon.

Then this past weekend it got really bad, with Iris getting so grumpy during few feedings where she just BIT DOWN. Aside from the extreme amount of physical pain Mama D felt, probably for the first time since the first two weeks of Iris's life, there was other pain. Still hesitant to play the teething card, Mama D couldn't escape her own feelings of inadequacy- that Iris was rejecting her in place of the bottle which she had now been regularly using for two months, that she wasn't making enough milk and Iris was fiendishly starved, and others I'm sure...

But today Mama D put her finger in Iris's mouth and felt something a bit out of the ordinary... Could it be? Yes, it was indeed the very tippy top of a tooth poking out, her right front bottom tooth!! As soon as this was discovered, the tension in the household melted almost immediately, and we threw a teether in the fridge..

All was good with the world again, and our amazing little daughter started down yet another new path..

Rubber Soul Blues

2006-03-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was quite a day. For my feet. After years of living with them, and months of trying to get rid of them "diplomatically", I finally decided to have my plantar warts on the bottom of both heels cut out with a laser.

To anyone out there with such an ailment, I recommend that you get it fixed as soon as possible. I'd also recommend that you stay away from pansy-ass podiatrists who prefer to go about this process using acid/freeze treatments that are repeated every two weeks for months on end. Go with the doctor who greets you with an attitude of "we're gonna cut these suckers out and be done with it!". Trade in tomorrow's discomfort for today's pain, it's worth it!

Pain indeed; getting stuck with the numbing needles in the sides of my heels was no picnic. Realizing that the initial numbing job wasn't sufficient after the stench of laser-charred flesh was already filling room wasn't either. And the 3 weeks or so of recovery will surely have its moments. But at least they're gone.

Here's proof:

(my apologies to those who came across this picture in the Iris photo galleries- I never meant for them to stay in there so long, contaminating the population of otherwise cute pictures)

Mama D Gets Hired!!

2006-02-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

Mama D had a hard time coming to terms with going back to work in January. And not because she didn't want to be back with her students again! But several good weeks with Nanny Carole has done much to ease her concerns. It was while in this frame of mind when, three weeks or so ago, Mama D was 'leaked' information that two teaching positons at the city's fine art magnet school were opening up for next year. Not only is this particular school one of the best in the state for arts and academics, but it is also a 5-minute commute from our home!

I guess with the title of this entry, you can already tell where this is going. But the fun is in telling how those next hectic two weeks played out.

Mama D was quickly able verify that the positions were indeed opening up, and that this information was still considered a "leak"- the sooner her name was tossed into the ring, the better! She had been considering staying at her current school next year and cutting back to 1/2 days, but forget that! Adding on the 30-40 minute one-way commute took away another big chunk of the day, and besides, this new school presented new opportunities!!

Nanny Carole took to the helm. At least while Iris took naps. In under a week, she created an eye-popping resume, conducted a professional photo shoot for many of Mama D's and her students' works, and helped assemble the portfolio. I was just the transporter, picking up picture CDs here, dropping off pictures for development there, etc. And on the final day of this blur of activity, Mama D's had her interview.

Friday night, where else did we go to celebrate but the downtown Red Lobster! For months we had waited for the right time to cash in on the almost $100 in Red Lobster gift cards I had accumulated from my employer, who doled them out for various safety and service rewards, and tonight was that time! And what a special time it was, each with our own little red friend:

For the next several weeks, no news. All of the formalities were handled with the new school system (change in county- red to blue, baby!), and Mama D fought off efforts by her current administrators to get her to sign next year's contract with tight lips until an annoucement came through one way or the other. All the while, the principal to-be was busy interviewing other candidates...

Then finally, something! This past weekend, the new school hosted a state-wide art workshop with a few hundred students coming from over a dozen schools. Being a local event instead of a hundred miles away as it has been most years, Mama D was able to get 17 of her students to attend, with most of them submitting peices for the juried competition. I was again the transporter, bringing Iris between home and the school for naps and feedings, respectively! On top of making several new connections within the school, when the jury results were revealed, Mama D's students racked up the awards, taking 3 of the 5 "places", including Best In Show!! A fine final feather in the cap!

So earlier this Monday morning, Mama D finally got the call that she was in!

Anyone know any babysitters?

The Fitzes Come to Town

2006-02-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had a nice visit from Grandma and Grandpa Fitz. They arrived on Wednesday night, just hours after Iris's doctor appointment.. We were concerned that she'd be under the weather for a couple of days, but like the appointment itself, Iris seemed to rebound pretty well.

Nanny Carole took the long weekend to drive up to Baltimore and survey the life she left behind by coming to work for us, visiting friends along the way. So for a couple of days, Grandma and Grandpa Fitz took over the daytime watch..

Shots and needles aside, Iris had been demonstrating some poor sleeping habits all week, getting up 2-3 times per night and crying until Mama D went to feed her in addition to having a hard time getting to sleep period. We felt bad for our visitors, since the days were long at work and the evenings were long with Iris; we could hardly find the time to sit down and eat dinner together! By Friday night we were both completely exhausted (for further explaination, see the "Mama D Gets Hired" post) and ready to collapse..

But we made it out to dinner that night, where Iris did fine again. I don't think we've had a bad experience taking her out of the house once yet! And then we came home, watched some of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, and crashed.

Saturday was a much different day. At 6 AM, Mama D woke me up, saying that she thought there were fire trucks outside our house. I got up and walked into Iris's room to find it lit up like an obnoxious Chrismas lawn display, flashing red in the pre-dawn hours. Yep, there were fire trucks! Six of them to be exact.

With our neighbors gone, as they have been for most of the last three months, I decided to go out and make sure it wasn't their house that was getting special attention. It wasn't- instead it was the house next to theirs, the "black eye" of the neighborhood with its six apartments and high, shady resident turn-over.. Flames were licking out of the roof as I walked out into the chilly, rainy air. A half-dozen residents stood outside watching the firemen battle, entering and exiting their homes with axes and shovels in hand and a dozen 4" water hoses leading somewhere now wet.

The guy who lives on the other side of that house, who we only seem to talk to when tragedy strikes the neighborhood, was already out there with a cup of coffee, watching the big show. He motioned me over and invited me inside his house to get a cup, which I just realized I needed now that the initial shock had worn off.. We sat on his front porch, which was like front row seats to the blaze being fought. This picture shows where we sat and what we saw:
Our conversation had a funny tone to it- "Anyone hurt?" "Are they going to have to tear it down finally?"

After a half-hour or so, Mama D and the Fitzes came outside. It was starting to get a little lighter out, and there was an asshole fire chief asking everyone to back up 20 feet without giving any updates to anyone, including the slum-lord owner himself who was now on the scene. Mama D went inside and offered coats to several people who had no access to one, at least one that wasn't soaked and reeking of smoke..

By 10 AM everything had finally settled down. The fire trucks and police cars and one ambulance had cleared out, opening the street to traffic once again. The residents headed out to stay with friends or family and the house, which was already dark brown and ugly to begin with, now looked even darker and uglier. It looked dead!

With that episode behind us, we set about our day, casually drinking more coffee and walking around the neighborhood, despite the fact that the sky never cleared or warmed up. One sunny spot was the fashion show that Iris had, trying on an outfit that she had recieved as a gift from one of the Fitz's neighbors back during our FL visit in December.

We enjoyed the rest of the day together, finally able to relax and catch up. The day ended early, it seemed, and by the time I woke up on Sunday morning, Grandma and Grandpa Fitz were already headed back home.. Thanks for coming, and we're glad you got to spend more time with Iris!

Iris's 4 (and-a-half) Month Doctor Visit

2006-02-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

Iris had her 4 month doctor visit two weeks late. The first week was the doctor's fault and the second was ours, after having to reschedule an appointment that we showed up 45 minutes late to.. Better late then never!

The stats:

Weight: 14 lbs. 15 oz. (70%)
Height: 25.5 inches (90%)

Everything was going great until it was time for her vaccinations. Except this time, Mama D wasn't going to be caught midway between the office and the car getting the diaper bag, she was going to be right there!

As it turned out, Iris did cry but recovered much better than last time. Not sure if it was the result of Mama D being there or simply that she had gotten a little more comfortable in the world and familiar with the concept of pain- probably a bit of both.

Sleep well, baby Iris! Your grandparents are coming to see you!!

Auntie J's Birthday

2006-02-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

After a few weekends of hanging around town, we headed out to celebrate Aunt Jackie's birthday up in North Carolina! By the time we had sat through over an hour in accident back-ups and getting lost, the drive up proved to be the longest time Iris had spent in a car. But that was ok- she basically slept the whole time!

We arrived in Greensboro on Saturday afternoon, to Jackie and Patrick's house, where Jackie's Dad and Joan and friends were hanging out.. Tonight we were celebrating Jackie's birthday (a few days early) by going out to a nice restaurant in town. Of course we were concerned about how exactly 4+ hours of extra nap time would affect Iris's condition the rest of the night, but mostly we were glad to be there and see a little more of Jackie's life after countless unanswered visits she had made to see all of us..

But the concerns about Iris hardly fruited! She was an absolute peach, in fact! Iris responded really well to everyone, particularly Robert near the end of dinner after she had started to fall off -ahem- her rocker...

Why is it that since becoming a father, I have not been able to find a single changing table in a men's room? Not Atlanta Metro Airport, not any restaurants at home, and neither of the restaurants we ate at in Greensboro (OK, one of them was indian)? Yet before it seemed like they were everywhere! I've been psych-ing myself up over the last year when I'd see them, telling myself that soon I'd have my equal responsibility to changing diapers when were out, and now that the time has finally come--?

Needless to say, the restaurant we ate at that night was the other of the two restaurants we found in Greensboro without a changing table in the men's room (I said it anyway). So I had to walk her outside to the car. It was cold out. She had a very complicated dress on. With tights. Walking back from the car, I set off another car's alarm- a very loud alarm that Iris became very aware of before we got to the car, but there was no getting to the door without having to walk within 3' of it... And I thought car alarms had gone out of style!

But yeah, Iris hung in there. After more time in the restaurant, she started to slip getting a big, about-to-cry kind of frown and Robert would look over at her, they're eyes would meet, Robert would make a little noise and face, and Iris would literally turn the frown upside-down! Unfortunately, when she reaches this point, the end of the game (read: day's waketime) is pretty much around the corner whether you're in a convenient spot for it to happen or not.. But it made for some laughs while it lasted!

That night we all worked our way to Patrick's mother's house, stopping to get beer only after Iris had fitfully fallen asleep. We slept and woke in the warmth and abundance of our new environment, and Iris spent her first night in the porta-crib we bought months before she was born while we were still under the Baby Preparaton Spell that every new parent inevitably catches yet seldomly contains. Until the second child, I hear..

After a mornng of fine breakfast and visiting, we went back to Jackie's and met another one of her good friends, who apparently is a fan of this site (holla!). With the 4-hour drive home looming (after less than 24 hours in town), we headed to an indian restaurant for lunch. Hold the phone- this was like the best lunch ever! OK, enough boring details! We pulled into the driveway after dark, with Carole already at home laying claim to her throne upstairs, seeped in a program that an alarming number of "children" find "comedic".

All was normal again.

Iris Jumps!

2006-02-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, out of the blue, one of Mama D's good college friends, who is also now a mother, sent us a "Jumperoo". The concept of this thing is pretty simple: seat supported by springs on all 4 corners, with a few obligatory colorful sliding toys and even a few musical numbers triggered by, of course, jumping. When it arrived, we promptly returned the other jumper thingydoo (the one that attaches to doorways) we'd gotten for store credit.. This thing looked awesome! But at the time, Iris was nowhere near fitting into it. I think the seat would have swallowed her whole!

We've been putting Iris more and more into her exersaucer and this jumperoo lately, as she's shown a greater inclination toward standing and putting things in her mouth. However, with the height of the seat so far above the "ground", she's had little to do except flop forward or backward in the seat, suspended only by her butt and lacking the arm strength to do much about it.

Well, all of that changed a little over a week ago. Not only did her feet finally start reaching, but she also started grabbing at specific toys. So we encouraged her some more, trying to lift the jumperoo seat up and down so as to make her, well, jump. And then finally, on Sunday, she jumped! Individual, infrequent jumps, but jumps nonetheless. We took a bunch of pictures, a few of which kick-off the new "5th Month" photo set, but there was no movie material...

Today there was:

Share Video at DropShots.com

Doesn't she seem to respond to the talking? Our neighbor had just visited and was going nuts while we chatted.. Also the grunting was a funny touch.

In just a few days, she's gone from putzing around to stringing 3 or 4 jumps together! We'll keep an eye on this- no doubt that with Nanny Carole's expert guidance, she'll be jumping all day long on this thing soon enough..!

Technical Gulch

2006-01-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

Hi folks-

I was set to wrap up the rest of my catch-up session last night when it hit me that all of the movies I'd been posting lately were without the audio track.

For some this didn't matter so much, like the one with Iris standing, but for others, the audio was exactly the point! So please go back and replay all of these movies, starting with Fen's NYD kiss, and hear them in the originally intended format: un-muted.

-n

Iris's Nannies

2006-01-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

It was a fairly tramatic time when we decided not to take Iris to day care. Not because this was months ago, but because this was just two weeks before the new year and, a day later, when Mama D would go back to work. Mama D hadn't visited the the day care center since before she was born. Nearing the eve of the end of maternity leave, she wanted to go back and check things out with her motherly eyes.

Several observations there, coupled with her gut instinct to not leave Iris behind period, gave Mama D the final conviction to proclaim that Iris wasn't going to be staying there. A few days later, I was able to join her in visiting another school, and we both came away equally dismayed! We couldn't bear the though of our little bear being tossed into a thin-carpeted pit where all the babies had snotty noses and were left to lay on the ground or in the chair unless they had become self-sufficient in the transportation department. And Iris hadn't yet.

We were already planning on Aunt Jackie staying with us for the first week, but beyond that required some scrambling. I checked around my work, but mainly found unsympathetic responses from those who couldn't understand why $100-a-week didn't present a net benefit when placed along the quality-cost axis. In our eyes, there was no such axis. Mama D had a bunch more leads, mainly from fellow teachers who have friends who have a daughter taking classes at the local college and looking for a day-time job who happen to be.... But alas none of those bore fruit, either.

Enter good Carole, a friend of ours and former protege student of Mama D's from way back. Carole was kind enough to split from her masters program and move back to town. Shortly after coming home, around Christmas, Mama D approached Carole with the idea of being a live-in nanny for at least a week since she otherwise had "no immediate plans". Thusly unable to present a better alternative, Carole agreed, and has been staying with us ever since the second week!

And, regrettably, we do not have any pictures of Iris with Aunt Jackie from the one week that she nannied (do you?). What we do have is this picture of a chef from a local sushi restaurant trying to entertain Iris with hand clapping, among other things. The connection, you ask? You see, both Jackie and Carole were with us at the restaurant this night, as Carole had just spent her first day with Jackie learning the ropes, as it were, to being a nanny. Believe me, you don't want to see the pictures of Iris being held by this guy's wife. She freaked her the freak out!

Iris Laughs!!

2006-01-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

Reference back to the post about our Christmas experiences, and you'll recall that it was a hectic time. A lot of Mama D's family in town, a lot of driving, friends coming in for the New Year.. And right in the middle of all that was the afternoon of December 29. Dawn's family had just left and friends from Michigan were set to arrive in a few hours. In this small slice of time, Iris laughed for the first time!

It was a giggle, a short giggle. It wasn't a chuckle, yet it wasn't a coo. And then a few minutes later, she did it again. See if you can catch it:

Share Video at DropShots.com

For the next several weeks, we'd get Iris to laugh more and more, with Mama D having the most luck tickling her and getting her generally worked up. Nothing, nothing I tell you, beats her smile! But then something else snapped.. We were having the most chaotic weekend (of the 3) since Mama D had gone back to work. In the middle of it, we found ourselves rushing around the house trying to get it cleaned up and presentable before one of Mama D's fellow art teachers visited..

Basically, there was more work to do than what both of us could handle while also juggling a sleepy-no-sleeping Iris. So I grabbed the BabyBjorn, threw Iris in (which is a skill we have long since mastered solo), grabbed the broom, and threw us into the bath room. The rest is history:

Share Video at DropShots.com

Cracking up! I mean, seriously losing her shit! She laughed and laughed- the movie provides only a snipit! We couldn't figure it out- was it the way she was being tossed around? Was it the silliness of a black broom handle passing back and forth in front of her face? Is that silly? Was it amusement that her father was having to perform this absurd task so absurdly?

In the end we concluded that it was simply the right combination of internal and external stimuli necessary to generate that response. And that we probably wouldn't be able to understand it much more than that for now...

The next day (today) I went back and tried it again, with some mild success, but by no means like that first day. The first day she in her life that she was strapped to me while sweeping the bathroom floor. On a Sunday afternoon. With socks on. And so on..

Will continue to monitor subject's behavior and report status. Signing off,

-naM

Inspired by Dutch's Tequila-Inspired Dream

2006-01-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

A month ago or so (ok, exactly), my good friend Dutch posted a short blurb about the dream he had after drinking far too much tequila one night. Being a parent and living in San Fransisco, the dream, or rather nightmare, had of course been about letting go of his baby's stroller at the top of a steep hill heading toward heavy traffic.

So that day I had a few errands to run, and felt inspired to walk them. Off we were to the post office and any hills we could find in between.

This one proved to be the longest and steepest of the bunch:

There's a few more in the "3rd Month" photo section, in case you've seen them and didn't know the "Full Story"...

-naM

Iris Stands!!

2006-01-09T20:59:00.000-05:00

More and more over the past week since New Years, Iris has taken to flexing her legs and standing, albeit with much assistance. Carole even got her to stand on her own for a few seconds, propped up against the back of the wall.

Here's what I'm talking about:

Share Video at DropShots.com

So far, there is still little evidence of her getting close to crawling, let alone rolling over. But as these legs grow stronger, and they are definitely getting bigger(!), I'm sure all of that will change..

Later gators,

New Year's New Yearling, pt. 2

2006-01-05T09:02:00.000-05:00

It was amazing how much the energy picked up in the few calm hours that followed. Or perhaps it was the pent-up excitement that finally broke though once the cars started showing up. But it wasn't long before the fog shrouding the end of the previous evening had lifted and the spirits were raised high once again! The keg was tapped and iced again, but for the most part spent a lonely night on the back porch... But that didn't stop Tyler from looking like this:

And the best part about it all was that Iris slept! People congregated in the kitchen around a sumptuous Seb-simmered stir-fry and in the dining room around Carole's confectionary concoction of chocolate cookies and chips, all just feet from the door to the room while Iris lay sleeping. And later, we all assembled upstairs and ushered in the midnight hour as we all have so many times together with laughter, music, and hugs. All the kids slept! Even a late night game of Dutch Blitz that featured Carole yelling "Blitz!" at the top of her lungs couldn't rouse a stir..

So everything was a big hit. Everyone settled into their corner of the rug and bid a fond adeiu to 2005. Mama D and naM kicked back and reflected on a fantastic year, one that saw the arrival of our most prized little bear!! And we wondered what 2006 would have to offer...

The next morning, everyone was slow to get up.. Everyone but the kids! No sooner was the pancake breakfast started on the griddle that naM began preparing the turkey for deep frying! The weather outside was beautiful- way warmer than the New Year's Days we'd come to know in Michigan.. It was a no-shirt day for all the guys, and extra airy for the apron-clad chef! The kids ran about the backyard, climbing about the swingset, and Iris soaked up the love as she was passed around..

Lunch had a southern accent- not only was there a fried turkey, but Dessa and Ryan also chipped in a generous portion of Red Beans 'n' Rice and Collard Greens. We feasted under a Georgia sun. But that sun was setting, as was the time we had with all of our good friends. For most of us, life as usual was about to resume, and for some of us, that meant covering a lot of distance in a short period of time. They sailed in two ships as it were; first the Doz-Bas family set sail, packing all their week's-worth of stuff in the car and shoving off, followed by a parade of vehicles left for Athens, with destinations abound..

Before little Fen left, just days before her 4th birthday, we captured this little gem:

Share Video at DropShots.com

Thanks for all the memories, all the sacrifice involved with travelling to our place.. We'll see you again soon (if not exactly one year from now, I hope!).

-naM, Mama D, and Iris

New Year's New Yearling, pt. 1

2006-01-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

DISCLAIMER: I'll start off with saying that this post will be the first on this site to actually not centralize around our little Iris. We had a crazy few days around New Years Eve/Day with a lot of wonderful people who, for the most part, do not have children of their own. We parents had a lot to juggle, including having fun, as the others looked on, some with indifference, some with gratitude that they themselves haven't gotten to "this" point yet, and very few with envy... As a result, this post is more about the fun we had with them and how well Iris slept..

The 'friend' portion of our holiday fun began before the 'family' portion ended. Our good friends Tyler and Jen with their two turtles Zak and Fen arrived on Thursday afternoon a few days in advance of the New Year. After a long drive from Michigan and a brief stint with family in Asheville, they were happy to finally settle in and stretch out their figurative (and literal) legs.

We had a good night of quiet, calm visitation. Wine. Dinner. This was the eye of the storm, the brief pause before finally succumbing to the tractor beam 'o' fun: Athens. The next night proved to be much more raucous, with many a college friend aggregating for one night of outward bound fun. Men. You know you've crossed some sort of line, whether it be age or maturtity or something completely else, when the kind of night you're looking forward to involves no women whatsoever...

But the night didn't start out that way. Everyone, including women and children, made the initial drive up. We went a little out of the way to drop off Aunt Lorrie halfway to Atlanta and that concluded the 'family' part of the holidays. When we got there, everyone went out for a big thai dinner. Iris, having spent most of the past 3 hours in a car, was groggy and fussy, but managed to sleep through most of dinner, tucked under our table in her car seat.

Shortly after dinner was over, the kids started showing signs of weariness, and the mothers packed up and headed back home. I remember waiving, feeling the pang of separation as they drove off, only to turn back to the house and look forward to the one night in a while where I could cut loose.. As did Drew..

Beer. Koga "The Bootlegger" lived up to his reputation by hauling down a keg of wonderful Bells through seven states. How we miss that! Though the quanitity of beer the keg provided was obnoxiously more than the 10-15 of us could down in two nights, it was just the kind of excess worthy of enjoying once a year. The night in Athens had everything a group of guys could hope for (in addition to said beer)- pinball, a conversion van, shrub diving, soda can soccer, BB gun target practice at 4 AM, and pictures with stuffed animals placed inappropriately on sleeping people.

And a hangover. Breakfast was dreary for most of us, out of the question for others. The 2-hour drive home was trecherous but it felt good to get there. The house was calm and comfortable. Mama D had just calmed down from a traumatic incident (to be spoken of in the next post) and the kids wanted to watch Star Wars. All we had to do now was get some rest before everybody else showed up and maddness started once again. Star Wars it was.

The First Christmas

2006-01-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

Hello once again! And Happy New Year! There are many stories to tell- falling behind is so easy!

Leading up to the big day, we did a thing or two.. First, our good friend Quentin hosted her annual Xmas party on the 19th; a small, casual event with the best assortment of food and drink! And better yet her house is in walking distance of ours! So we bundled up the bear and walked her down.. Second, Mama D and Jackie had an idea around Thanksgiving time to make pajama pants for everyone in the family as their Christmas present.. The fun part was picking out the right (or in some cases, wrong) fabric to give everyone. The hard part was actually making them- 15 pairs of pants in all. They spent the week leading up to Christmas slaving away at them. Of course naM got dragged into the process, too..

More importantly, Iris did get to celebrate her first Christmas with lots of friends and family members. Having spent Thanksgiving and a weekend with folks on naM's side of the family, Christmas was all about Mama D's.. The festivities began on Christmas eve, starting with a visit from our friends the Byrons, just before they left town for three weeks to visit Indianapolis and Paris. We exchanged gifts and let Grace help us open most of them, keeping in mind that Iris will doing the very same thing next Christmas... Ellen made Iris a wonderful soft white blanket! naM got a T-shirt with a picture of Iris ironed on to it! Thanks, guys!

Later that day, Aunt Lorrie came to visit after just flying in from Denver. At last Iris had met all of her aunts and uncles! Lorrie came with Grandpa and Nana Dren, who drove in from Charleston. And then Aunt Jackie arrived. Things were getting pretty hectic, but Iris stayed in a great mood. We hung out and cooked Pad Thai, retiring early.

Christmas morning was magical! Only Jackie had stayed the night; we all had made stockings and gotten gifts for each other which we exchanged lazily on the couch. The Chipmunks and Dolly Parton with Kenny Rogers played in the background. Iris made some noise after a brief morning nap so we got her up, too, and for good reason- she had presents from everyone! She got clothes, clothes, an ornament with her picture in it, more clothes, teething rings, a blanket..!

After our own little ceremony was through, we were all set to go to uncle Tim's and aunt Pam's for the day. That is, until Iris started to cry. And cry and cry she did!! I had the [Byrons'] van all packed up, then unpacked it, thinking we wouldn't go, then repacked it again after Iris finally feel asleep for 30 minutes solid. After we got there (~40 min drive), Iris continued to sleep in her car seat for a couple of hours- she must have been exhausted! In retrospect, we think she was catching a lot of the stress that we were feeling; trying to get the house prepared for company, wrapping presents, and about to face an on-going feud worthy of Dutch documenting some day..

But the day turned out great, even the weather, and we spent the day like most people, snacking away on sweets and eating a nice dinner. One highlight of the day was the simultaneous opening of everyone's pajama pants to see what material they had (Mama D had pants with nothing but "Jesus Loves Me" written all over it in rainbow colors). Also, the big present at the Dren household was a new go cart, which everyone got to ride on except naM, because the drive belt burnt out before he got the nerve.. And then Jackie and Cousin Jessie sang rousing renditions of several Hillary Duff songs on a new karaoke machine.. All throughout, Iris remained fairly quiet and sleepy, getting passed around each time she woke up..

But the celebration didn't end on Christmas... A few days later Grandma and Grandpa Faulkner came to town. naM had to work the night they arrived in town and missed the gift giving celebration (the 4th in 4 days). We resumed a busy social schedule, spending time with everyone in town, going back and forth to Tim's several times, hosting people overnight, etc., etc. It was a great time. One day, we took everyone out to get the best eating experience Augusta has to offer: soul food at Hot Foods by Calvin. Iris was in an especially good mood!

And just as the Christmas fever was starting to settle down, up came the push for the New Year...

To be continued...

Merry Christmas To All..

2005-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family! We're so happy to get positive feedback about this site from everyone as the holiday cards, emails, and phone conversations add up.. There will be much more to talk about and show later, but I wanted to show these now to set the Yule Tide Mood..

First, our tree this year:

Second, a beautiful film we found recently:

Upload Video at DropShots.com

This warmed our hearts when we recently found it, and watched it over and over.. I believe it is the last footage of my grandmother, taken on the day before our wedding. Thanks to Sqebby!

Have a wonderful day,

naM, Mama D, and sleeping Iris J

3 Months Old And Counting...

2005-12-21T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here we are on the last day Fall, exactly 3 months away from the last day of Summer. And Iris's birthday.

It is truly amazing how fast this time flies! And yet so many changes are happening! This past month had several new beginnings:

Iris is starting to feed independently- making the transition from absolutely rejecting the bottle for hours to taking mere moments before sucking down 4 ounces in 5 minutes without stopping... This will come in handy in a few weeks when Mama D goes back to work!

Iris is starting to move independently- she is learning that arching her back laying down can roll her over on her side. As soon as she learns how to get the bottom arm out of the way, she'll be rolling over completely! When we give her "tummy time" she is able to pick her head up an hold it there, looking around. Also, she is just starting to curl her legs under her- how long until she crawls? And her arms are starting to reach for things, not with much coordination, but reaching out nonetheless. She has a little bug tucked on the side of her changing table that she usually tries to grab..

Iris is starting to communicate- Two months ago she started smiling. Now she responds to requests to stick out her tongue.. And sometime around our trip to Florida less than 2 weeks ago, Iris started babbling. A lot. She's discovered that her voice has some middle ground between silence and crying! We've heard her wake up at 4 AM and just babble to herself for an hour and go back to sleep. It is also a sign (we think) of tiredness. She really babbles when she gets the hiccups:

Upload Video at DropShots.com

Iris is starting to sleep- Last night was a new record, with her sleeping from 9:30 PM solid through 5:30 AM. We've tried a lot of different approaches, some nights letting her sleep in her swing for a couple of hours during her last nap, and others putting her straight into the crib and crying for 30 minutes or more.. All I know is that tonight we're going to do exactly what we did last night..!

Soon the holidays will be upon us; lots of family and friends coming from out of town, some to meet Iris for the first time, and staying here through the New Year. We'll try and capture as many of those moments as possible for everyone else to see!

Take care and enjoy the new videos and photos..

-naM

Iris Takes Flight!

2005-12-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

Good news, everyone! Iris survived her first big trip! In fact, these are all of her new firsts:

First time in an airport
First time getting checked through a metal detector
First diaper change in a very unsanitary airport bathroom
First time on an airplane
First time at 35,000 ft elevation (awake and asleep)
First time in Florida
First time at Grandma and Grandpa Fitz's
First time appearing at a shuffle board match with 50 grandmothers present
First time she woke up without at least one crusty eye
First time near the ocean (though she didn't see it)
First time she took a bottle without fussing (and second)
First time she whined
First time she exceeded the capacity of her diaper on two consecutive efforts

As you can see we were all pretty busy. The flight down was in the evening, which is her fussy period that we normally can soothe by putting her in the swing. But alas we had no swing on the plane, so she fought us a little bit and cried some, eventually falling asleep just as we were about to land in Atlanta. She slept well during the brief layover and was ready to battle again by the second flight of the day. For some reason both planes we flew down on kept the bright flourescent lights on the whole time- perhaps this is a new security regulation?

But Iris saved really blowing her top for after we had landed in Ft. Myers and Grandma Fitz finally got to see her. We had to pull over on the drive home and just let her cry! She fell asleep soon enough, but overall it was a long night and none of us made it to bed until 2 AM...

The next couple of days were very nice. Iris quickly found her rhythm, perhaps more because mommy and daddy were relaxed than anything else. We met a lot of neighbors, including a very funny interlude at a shuffle board match one morning where we had to walk past 50 grandmothers (missing their own grandkids) to get to the back corner where Grandma Fitz was. Mama D and I went for a few swims, working out a short syncronized swimming routine, and baked Christmas cookies.. The biggest success of all was that for two straight nights, Iris fed from a bottle without a moment's fuss, while daddy held her in the baby bjorn on the porch, facing out toward the illuminated Christmas tree. Also, she seemed to finally get over her last crusty eye.. More on these things later..

It was our last full day in Florida when Iris decided to be really grumpy. She wouldn't sleep and seemed to be ready to eat again only an hour after her previous feeding. She cried, she whined, and she pooped an awful lot. We figured it was a growth spurt, which for some reason always seem to happen on a Saturday, though it had been over a month since the last one... Without the swing to soothe her, Iris grew more and more inconsolable as the day turned into night. And then finally Mama D got the idea to simply turn her sideways, perpendicular to the swing of the rocking chair, to simulate her swing at home and she slept!

But it was a short sleep, for we had to get up at 4:30 AM to begin the trek back to the airport and, eventually, to home. This time everything seemed to go 10 times smoother- no doubt being relaxed helped (Mama D was about to kill me before the trip) as did Iris's generally more pleasant disposition in the morning.. She slept for most of both flights and the lay over in Atlanta, which was an hour longer than before..

All in all, we had a wonderful trip and I know Grandma and Grandpa Fitz were happy to finally spend time with Iris after we had to bail on the road trip in November.. As with any trip, we were glad to go, but also glad to get back...

Tryptophan Truffles

2005-11-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, almost a full month has passed.. Iris is now almost twice as old as she was when I made the last post!! She has grown so much- she smiles a lot, has ridded most of her fussy period (sleeping from about 7 PM to 6 AM with 3 quick feedings inserted that don't wake her), has gotten a lot stronger in her neck, and gets a lot less boogers from her piercing ebony eyes...

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone everywhere! We've had a particularly busy week with several family members coming to town and hosting a big Thanksgiving bash. Iris met her fourth (and final) set of grandparents, naM's dad ("Nook") and Granny B, who drove all the way from Dallas. Iris also got to meet her Uncle Stephan for the first time, who came from NYC, leaving only 1 more Aunt to go before meeting all of our 'nuclear family', which will happen in a few weeks. And finally Aunt Jackie was able to bring over Uncle-friend Pat.

Our feast featured contributions from everyone in attendance, with special thanks to the Food Network website for once again providing a number of new easy-to-follow recipies:

Creamed Corn Casserole
Stuffing made from toasted bread
Scotch
Homemade Cole Slaw
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Oven-Roasted Parsnips and Brussel Sprouts
Brandy Manhattan
Sweet Potato Fries
Portabello Mushroom Gravy
Canned and Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Martini
And of course, we continued our tradition of making a deep-fried turkey!
Did I mention Scotch?

Here's me pulling a raw turkey out of a cauldron of boiling oil:

Upload Video at DropShots.com

And don't forget the desserts:

Sweet Potato Coconut Ballz
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pie
Mincemeat Pie
Apple Nut Caramel Pie (store-bought)
Scotch
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (also store-bought)

As they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so there are about 20,000 words waiting to be read at the new photo gallery, aptly titled "Thanksgiving Week". Unfortunately, there is not a single one of the feast, which is why I typed it I guess.. Plus there are about 10,000 new words in the "Iris's 2nd Month" gallery. Check them out!!

This will have to do for now.. The daunting task of recounting the events of the last month awaits, so be on the watch for "old" entries to show up soon..

Our love to everyone, with a special shout-out to our friends Drew and Suzannah who spent the day before Thanksgiving in a place no one would be envious of: the Duke Medical Center for chemotherapy treatment. Hang in there, guys, we think of you often!!

-naM

The Second Doctor's Visit

2005-11-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

Technically speaking, this was Iris's 3rd trip to the doctor. But the 2nd trip was an unscheduled event, spurred by the appearance by a yellow-ish creamy substance forming around the base of still-attached belly button. That was a while ago.

And today was the first appointment I've been able to attend, since I have taken the whole Thanksgiving week off from work. It was exciting going there as a family..!

So today Iris had her 2-month check-up. And when I say "2-month", I guess that means we need to make the transition of calling out her age in terms of months rather than weeks, because today she was also 1 day shy of being 9 weeks old. Anyway, the pediatrician's office was set up with both a 'healthy' and 'sick' waiting room. This made a tremendous amount of sense to me, even though I don't ever recall seeing such an arrangement.

The first order of business was to wait. Like burning your tongue on coffee or stubbing your toe on a table, waiting in a doctor's office is an agony that we must all learn to endure eventually... Iris slept the whole time. When we were let into our examination room some 40 minutes later, Iris was getting groggy. I can't imagine all the flourescent lights in the office were helping her condition.. A nurse popped in and asked us to take off all her clothes, leaving only her soft, smooth skin and a diaper exposed. We wrapped her in a blanket, she soiled the diaper, and we waited another 15 minutes for the doctor to come in.

First news: Iris weighed 11 lb. 14 oz. and measured 23". Our doctor said this put her in the 75% percentile. This means she has gained 4 lb. 4 oz., or over half of her original weight, since birth. Just for kicks (since I am at work), I calculated that if she keeps up this growth rate, she'll weigh about 100 lbs. by her first birthday, balloon to over 2,000,000 lbs. and 24' tall by the time she enters kindergarden, and reach the equivalent weight of Earth around her 20th birthday. But she'd always be our little girl!

Second news: Results of the APGAR score were in: 9, then 10. Good and good.

Third news: Blood type A negative, just like her mother.

Fourth news: 3 shots today!

The Tale of Iris's Three Shots

After relating all of the above news, the doctor left and we started another long wait for the executioner (of the shots) to arrive. Though it is probably wise that the doctor him/herself not do the deed to spare negative association, this does little to reduce the overall psychological effect that "going to the doctor" develops into later in life..

As mentioned, while we were waiting earlier, Iris soiled her diaper. About 10 minutes into our third long wait of the day, Mama D decided to run out to the car and grab the diaper bag so we could have Iris changed and ready to go when the appointment was over. It was in this slice of time, these 5 minutes, that suddenly the nurse popped in. I knew that Dawn wanted to be there for the big event, but I had no power to ask the nurse to wait, nor did I want to make anyone else wait any longer at this dreaded place than necessary.

It all happened so fast. The blankets got peeled away, exposing her two fleshy, fatty, delicious legs. Cold alcohol wipes stroked both of her quads and she began to look around, somewhat aroused from her slumber. I softly asked the nurse how babies generally reacted to getting shots, to which she answered, "they usually do OK, no problems."

Before the thought of "wow, maybe this won't be that bad" had circulated, three metal needles were uncapped and plugged into Iris's legs, two the the first leg and one to the other, in rapid fire. With no lag in reaction time, Iris was jolted into a state of awareness I had never seen her, screaming above the tippy-top of her lungs. I thought her head was going to explode, looking more red than it did the moment she was born; her face puckered like it had gotten stuck in a small jar of pickle juice.

And as quickly as the nurse had come in after Mama D left, Mama D returned to find her sweet baby in tatters, now with small purple band-aids affixed to the ground zeros. I picked her up and sang 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' to her over and over, since it was conveniently printed on a framed poster in the room, perhaps intentionally posted just for that purpose.

Fortunately after a few minutes of nursing (since we'd also crossed the 3-hour feeding deadline thanks to all the waiting), Iris had calmed down a bit. By the time we left she was smug in her chair, and she slept a lot over the next two days, thanks to the help of Children's Tylenol. By Thanksgiving, she was good as new, even though she wasn't really very old..

Not Her 2nd Road Trip..

2005-11-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

Despite the success of her relatively short road trip to Athens the weekend prior, we decided not to proceed with the much longer trip down to see Grandma and Grandpa Fitz in Florida. Nine hours is long time for anyone to spend straped down into a chair, confined to the same position! Sure, Iris sleeps a lot, but not like this!

So, thanks for some of the advice and good luck wishes, we'll take our chances next month on a plane..

1st Road Trip..

2005-11-07T11:13:00.000-05:00

..well sort of. We wanted her to get some 'road time' before heading down to Fl next weekend to see Grandma and Grandpa Fitz, so we headed up to Athens for breakfast on Saturday..

I'm not sure if you can predict the outcome of a 9-hour drive based on a 2-hour drive (hey, we drove back, so 4 hours, right?), but we were happy that we all may it there and back sane and in three peices.

Iris didn't get much sleep after getting to Athens, including time at the restaurant and time with friends King, Seb, and Anne (Kurisu was apparently confined to a fiery pit guarded by flaming bulldogs), or even the drive home for that matter. Heck, it took some good cry-time and a bath to finally calm her down from all the over-stimulation and over-tiredness the day incurred.

But at least we came out of it with some confidence that we just might be able to make the drive un Thurday. Wish us luck!

All Hallow's Wed Eve

2005-11-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Iris's first Halloween! Mama D made her costume- she's a soft, cuddly, quilly hedgehog!!

More details to come.. But I wanted to note that we splurged and upgraded our Flickr account so now we can organize our photos the way we want- now there are seven galleries, most with added photos, with the most recent ones at the top of the listing.

Take another look! I promise that everything from the first month and back is locked..

naM

Getting There..

2005-10-28T14:26:00.000-04:00

Today I find myself much more pleased with this blog thing than I was around the same time yesterday.. I've been able to catch up on a bunch of things, with much more to come, obviously. And Mama D has got to get hopping on this, too.. But now I feel comfortable sending out the blog's address to family and friends, knowing that there is at least a few good minute's-worth of material to look at. To make this work, this needs to be a living site, one that inspires us to write and others to read!

Also, last night I uploaded about 40 new pictures, mostly falling into the "Iris Comes Home" category... But others as well, including pictures, at last, of the finished nursery and our extended family (pets). Who knows, maybe I'll go hog wild this weekend and spend the $25 needed to organize more than 3 sets on Flickr..?

So check everything out; only the very first post is 'old material' at this point..

naM

Catching Up..

2005-10-27T09:45:00.000-04:00

Indeed it has been a while since I've had the chance to update this site. There have been noteworthy events on a daily basis, but have been too busy observing them (or working or sleeping) to actually note them.

Our beautiful Iris grows everyday. Stronger, bigger, more a part of this world and less an artifact. I'm looking over at a picture hung on the wall of my cube taken on her third day of life and it already looks like someone else... You can't see what I'm talking about, of course, but that is because I haven't been able to post any pictures of her since coming home from the hospital, which is already 5 weeks in the past..

Hundreds of photos, dozens of visitors, I know I know, we must catch up and maintain in order to retain.

I see below on the post editor that I can change the date/time, so I am excited at the possibility of going back and getting everything straight in chronological order. The reality is I haven't touched this site since Sunday night, October 9, in which I inserted photos of our moms and then intended to add commentary the next day at work but never did (my days at work are quite full lately, which has its pros and cons). So if I have my way, by the time you read this post I will have filled several more in before it and you'll think "what's all this crap he's saying?".

Enough; on to the task at hand. Today is not a busy day at work.

Long Long Long

2005-10-25T00:25:00.000-04:00

Is there such a thing as destiny? Even a little bit? And if you knew your destiny, would you still follow it? Where would you get off the bus and start hitchhiking?

At barely 5 weeks old, few things are set for my beautiful daughter Iris. Perhaps the only thing I can say for sure at this point is: she will be a Beatles fan.

While visiting Michigan this summer, I was able to accomplish one of my nursery goals, which was to purchase a new classical guitar. The luminous timbre that only nylon strings can offer was too much to pass up!

So now, everyday, I try to get in a few tunes while Mama D feeds her, during 'wake time', or whenever. A few days after bringing Iris home, I remember getting up at 3:00 AM and exhausting my repetoire since she wasn't going to sleep anyway..

And in doing this, I am getting re-acquainted with two great things: Beatles music (as if I had forgotten) and the book of complete scores to Beatles music from which I can play the guitar parts (which I had definitely forgotten).

Specifically, we've been focusing on the second disk of the "The Beatles" (or the White Album for you laypeople out there). Its really a children's album, or perhaps that's just the way I'm trying to hear it.. This contrasts greatly with how I used to listen to it, which was primarily with fear. Yep, rarely would I listen to it alone, knowing that "Revolution 9" was always lurking aroud the corner.. And I still might not, and surely Iris won't hear "Number 9" until she's in high school..

But songs like "Mother Nature's Son", "Cry Baby Cry", and "Good Night" are beautifully refreshing; just the kind of thing I'd think a child would like to listen to. But the best of all is a surprise even to me: "Long Long Long". Heavy into his pursuit of trancendental meditation, George created this simple song that, when you listen to it, has way more possible meanings than you'd originally suspect.

To me it speaks of destiny and the temporary interruptions that can occur between ourselves and others along the cycle of life and death, such as the one that just ended a little over a month ago..

Besame Mucho!!

Umbilical Cord-less

2005-10-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today Iris lost her umbilical cord! YAY!

The past few days, Mama D had been complaining of a foul odor. We thought it was the diaper hopper, we thought it was her clothes (Dreft is a P&G product, after all), we thought it was her 3 week old self that had yet to take a legitimate bath... And then we discovered it was the umbilical cord. What else is it, other than dead, rotting flesh? Infected! Yes, the more the cord started to separate from her belly, the more we could see under there, and the more we got concerned.

She hasn't been in the best mood lately, either. She's been having more of her mid-to-late evening fussy periods, sometimes lasting until midnight or so. Just earlier in the day I had been told a word I had never heard before from a friend at work: Mylecon. Why didn't we hear about that before? It not in any book, on any website, or even loosely discussed. But when you say that word everyone gives that 'oh yeah, we would have died without that stuff, but I'd forgot to mention it' shrug. I guess we're a part of that club, that secret society, now..

Getting back to the cord- so Mama D brought Iris in to see Dr. F this morning to have a look at this stinky, iritated hunk of black flesh protruding from her otherwise beautiful, glowing belly. First the nurse took a look, cleaned it, and dobbed the thing with alcohol. Less than 10 minutes later, Dr. F came in and opened her onesie to find the cord absent. Missing. Gone. Vaporized!

Rather, it was hiding in a fold of her clothes. It had fallen off, right then and there, and now it could be treated proper. A healthy dose of silver nitrate and her new chrome stump was ready to stave off infection. Mama D wrapped the decomposed lump in a napkin and brought it home- it joins the positive home-pregnancy test strip in our collection of Iris-related items that Iris will never want to see.

And the best part about losing her umbilical cord? Bath Time!!

I hope this silver nitrate stuff doesn't stain her clothes that bad, or her skin for that matter..

naM

Grandmas Come to Town

2005-10-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

So both of Iris's biological grandmothers have made their first visits.. (More to come)

The First Doctor's Visit

2005-10-05T20:00:00.000-04:00

Iris had her two-week appointment with her pediatrician, "Dr. F", today. Mama D and Iris were accompanied by my mom (Grandma Fitz)- she and Grandpa Fitz had just arrived from Michigan last night..

I'll let Mama D cover the details, but the highlights were: Iris has gained a whole half-pound since birth, up from 7-12 to 8-4, much to our delight! Her umbilical cord was still fairly attached- Dr. F predicted another 5-10 days until it would fall off.. Generally, Iris was in good humor and everyone at the doctor's office thought she was the cutest little bug- Dr. F could tell she was eating and sleeping well, so she gave her the 'all clear'..

Good night for now,

naM

The Rainbow Connection

2005-10-02T19:20:00.000-04:00

Hello! I guess this is where it all begins. And where it ends is a pot of gold! But really - by choosing this blog title, we're not really going for that kind of rainbow legend. And we certainly are not going for the 'diversity' movement the rainbow has come to popularly symbolize in the last decade or two...

Our new daughter- the inspiration for creating this blog as a vehicle to provide e-interaction with family and friends as we begin this 'parenting' thing- would have been named 'Iris' anyway. But the fact that the Rainbow Goddess of Ancient Greek Myth, who served to deliver messages between the heavens and earth for such notables as Hera and Zeus, was also named Iris was something we found out after-the-fact. And we liked that! We like that all of the above meanings can be implied by something as simple and beautiful as a rainbow.

When is the last time you saw one? Have you ever seen two at once, with one towering above the other?

So enjoy reading- we'll do what we can to post stories and updates as they happen. And since Iris is only 10 days old today, the memories of all the events over the last few weeks, months, and year are probably something we could recount for everyone's benefit, since we live oh so far away..

-naM