Last weekend. The good, the bad, and the ugly…

What a whirlwind weekend this past weekend was!  As incredible as it may seem, it was the first weekend with just the three of us together at our house in Knoxville since July 16th!  We were certainly looking forward to spending some quality time together as a family unit.

And we started out doing just that!  Beginning Friday evening, we were all in the living room, smiling at each other, and marveling at just how “right” it all felt and how it was good to be “back to normal”. 

Saturday morning was just as nice.  Doing more of those “normal” things.  Mowing the lawn.  Cleaning the house.  All of the things that most people would not enjoy at all, we were relishing – soaking up every wonderful minute just for its shear normalcy.  With as crazy, topsy-turvey, upside down, crazy, spinning out of control as things have been lately, it as absolutely marvelous to be so “normal”. 

And “the good” continued as the “quad mom” agreed to watch Mike for us while “mommy and daddy” got to go out on a date and celebrate their anniversary!  It was a great night with great food and great wine.  Thank you Jim and Allison for watching Mike for us!!!  Someday (after a lot more practice) we’ll be qualified to watch the quads and we’ll be able to return the favor!!!

As the date drew to a close, so did “the good”.  We went to pick up Mike it just seemed like he was a little whiney.  Not anything that anyone would ever notice – except that Mike is NEVER whiney.  He whimpered most of the way home and his congestion, which had been sounding better just a couple of days before, was now back in full force.  We got home, put on his brace (hopefully we’ll be able to eliminate that from the bedtime routine in another 3 or 4 months!), and put him to bed.  He wasn’t asleep for long before we heard him crying in the monitor.  That’s REALLY uncharacteristic!  Mom trekked up the stairs and calmed him back down.  An hour or so later, he was crying again.  Again, mom trekked up the stairs and calmed him back down and he fell back asleep.  just a few minutes later, he was crying again.  This time, daddy made the trek to Mike’s room.  Three times in one night – something is certainly not right.  Mike doesn’t wake up crying in the night three times in a month!  Three times in a night?  Hmmm – something isn’t right.  And then, like turning on a switch, out pops a fever!

So we start the Tylenol regimen.  That get’s him through the night, but by mid morning on Sunday, it wasn’t keeping the fever down.  We decided to call the “nurse line” since the pediatrician wasn’t open on Sundays (because kids NEVER get sick on Sunday’s!).  The nurse asked all of the routine questions and then asked to hear Mike’s breathing over the phone.  That’s when things started slipping from “the bad” in to “the ugly”…

When the nurse heard Mike’s breathing coming in a raspy pant (and since the pediatrician's office was closed), she felt that we shouldn’t wait until Monday to see a doctor.  Of course, that means a trip to the ER at Children’s Hospital!  We were concerned that the nurse might be over reacting a little – but what kind of parents would we be if we didn’t follow the advice (especially if it turned out to be bronchitis or pneumonia or H1N1 or………).  It’s certainly better to be safe than sorry.  So, off we go.

We get to the hospital and waltz in through the ER doors.  We are whisked from room to room and see several different nurses (who all assure us that it was better to come in than to wait for the doctor’s office to open).  After much poking and proding and taking his temperature a half dozen different times (we assured Mike that when he gets older, there is a better way to take his temperature) we saw the doctor.  He listened to his lungs (“hmmm – they sound a little congested”) and then looked in his ears (“Oh!  That one’s infected.  And looky there – it looks like we’ve got a double!”).  They took some x-rays of his lungs just to make sure nothing serious was going on there (especially since mommy has asthma).  The x-rays looked good – at least there was one little piece of good news!

Now it’s been 24 hours and Mike has had three doses of his antibiotic.  He already seems like his normal little playful self.  And looking back on it all (hindsight is 20-20) – it really wasn’t over reacting.  He ears were bothering him enough that it hurt when he swallowed which is why he hadn’t been much interested in eating.  Every time he coughed, it would bring out this long moaning cry.  And Tylenol had stopped controlling his fever.  I’m sure that by Monday, he would have been beyond miserable.  It’s too bad he didn’t have some of the “classic” ear infection symptoms that everyone has told us to look for – like red ears that he tugs on all the time!

And why is it that pediatrician offices are closed on Sunday’s?  Maybe we just haven’t told Mike that Sunday’s are off limits for sick days…

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear daddy!

Happy birthday to you!

 

Today is my daddy’s birthday.  Happy birthday daddy!!!

Sad news once again…

Sometimes it seems that in the game of life, you can never get over the hump.  Just when things start looking up a little bit – here comes another hit out of nowhere and knocks you back down the hill again.

And so it is again.  The seemingly harmless phone call to let us know that Mike’s “pappy” had suddenly passed away.

The shock is always a little deeper when it is this unexpected.  He hadn’t been sick.  There weren’t any health concerns.  He had even been working out in the backyard just minutes before.

But we have faith that there is a “great plan” and that he has been called home to do bigger and better things than he could accomplish here with us.  And while pushing our grief aside might feel like moving mountains, we know that mountains have been moved before.  And rather than focusing on the pain, we focus on his life and living the way he would have wanted us to. 

Love your family like nothing else – your spouse as your constant companion, your children as if they were your world, your grandchildren as if they hung the moon, and your brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, and everyone else as if there is nothing you wouldn’t do for them.

Love your friends and neighbors as if they were family.  Use your skills and knowledge to promote the greater good.  Realize that helping your fellow man is just like helping yourself.  And when you need a favor in return – people will be knocking down your door to offer help.

Love your country as if it were the best place on Earth – because it is.  Remember that your lifestyle came at a great cost and that there are many people still fighting today to insure that we keep a hold on those freedoms.  A soldier’s sacrifice has given me the ability to sit here tonight and say whatever I want, however I want.  There are many countries that are envious of that – and many other things.  If a soldier ever asks for a hand – lend them one and never ask for anything in return.  They’ve already repaid you.

Every Sunday, there is a particular point during each mass when the priest asks us to “remember those who have died”.  We will remember you, Pap.  We will teach Mike as best we can.  And we’ll make sure he knows that he hung the moon…

 

  

Mike and Pappy telling tall tales…

Another trip and other milestones

Mike and his mom had been talking.  They realized that summer was coming to an end.  Mom was going to have to head back to work soon – the fall semester was quickly approaching.

They decided that one last summer road trip would be the best way to say farewell to summer.  And with mom and dad’s anniversary just a few days away, there couldn’t be a better road trip than to spend a long weekend in Cincinnati with dad!

So, this past Thursday, they loaded up the truck.  Baby clothes, mommy clothes, baby toys, dog toys, baby food, dog food, diapers, and many other things that we can simply call “other stuff”.  Mike was strapped in his car seat.  Foxy was in the back keeping him company.  Izzy was in the front keeping mom company.  And mom pointed the truck up I-75 and “let-r-rip”!

Last Friday was the official anniversary.  Five years.  Before long, we might actually be married longer than we were engaged!  Ahhh – but that’s a different story altogether!  A nice home cooked meal.  Dad even had candles at his apartment!  What a better way to celebrate a wedding anniversary than to be with your family – especially when you have to spend so much time apart.

Saturday was a great day!  It started with a lazy morning.  Everybody slept in – even Mike!  We had a great lunch at Scott’s BBQ – and we topped it off with a piece of sweet potato pie.  Yum!  Then we went back to get ready for the main event.  A trip to the Great American Ball Park to watch the Reds play the Marlins!  We must have brought them some good luck – the Red’s won 5 to 4 and regained the #1 spot in their division!  Since it was Mike’s first baseball game, the Reds gave him a certificate commemorating the occasion.  That was pretty cool – and it will surely end up in the scrapbook…

Sunday was the trip to Jungle Jim’s.  “What’s that"?” you say.  The best way to describe it is an “international grocery store” – but that’s like calling the Olympics “just another sporting event”.  If it can be sold and it’s edible – you can find it at Jungle Jim’s.  Of course they have all of the things a “normal” grocery would have – milk, eggs, bread, ground beef, potato chips, tomatoes, etc.  But they also have things like elk steaks.  Or a cheese aisle that is about 1/4 mile long (no I’m not exaggerating) and has cheese from a couple dozen different countries.  Like wine?  They have everything from Boone’s Farm all the way to a $5000.00 bottle.  I’m pretty sure that I’ll never know what a $5000.00 bottle of wine tastes like – but I’m sure it doesn’t taste like Boone’s Farm.  So – what did we get?  A bottle of wine from the Bordeaux region of France, some Mango’s from Argentina, some cream filled ginger snaps from Yorkshire, and some pasta (chipotle fettuccini) from Italy.  Oh – and some baby food from Pennsylvania.

And there was one additional event, a milestone if you will, that happened this weekend.  Mike officially has teeth!  Two little teeth barely poking through his bottom gum.  He is now continuously shocked (and a little dismayed) that chewing on his fingers hurts a little now.  And let me tell you – they are S-H-A-R-P!!!  Our little baby is getting big!  Cheerios are just around the corner…

 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Candlelight dinners make me sleepy…

Even the dogs got along…

Our seats at the game…

 

 

Dad?  Are you going to let me eat these potato chips?  I’ve got teeth, you know…

 

 

“Baseball games sure are long.  It’s WAY past my bedtime!”

 

Ahhh – a nice bed and a glow-seahorse to pet.  Now I can visit dreamland!

Meanwhile – Back at the Orthopedic Doctors Office…

Haven’t we all noticed that the older we get, the faster time flies by.  And I have come to discover that the passage of time exponentially increases with the addition of kids!  It is almost impossible to believe that we are in the final throes of summer vacation.  School children everywhere are feeling the carefree summer lifestyle slip away with every trip to the store.  No more pink lemonade – now it’s all pencils and paper new shoes and underwear.

Of course, we have a year or two (or three or four) before Mike reaches that stage.  And the date circled in red on his calendar might not have been marking the first day of school – but it was certainly marking an important date.  Another trip to the Orthopedic Doctor for a foot checkup.

As is always the case, the approaching appointment brought with it the nervous unease of impending bad news.  We certainly had no reason to suspect bad news – Mikes feet have been doing outstandingly good.  At least in our opinion.  But who are we but mere parents – and new ones at that!  There may be a doctor in the house – but a PhD does not mean MD.  And we certainly haven’t spent our entire adult lives treating clubbed feet.

And there’s always those nagging early memories.  Those first several trips to see the Orthopedic Doctor.  Before the tenotomy.  Back when Dr. Visit = new cast = more pain for Mike.  Or Dr. Visit = new brace = more pain for Mike.  Those equations are very hard to break.

Realistically, we haven’t had a trip like that for over five months.  And five months is a REALLY long time considering Mike is only 8 months old!  So we don’t have anything to worry about.  Right?

We walked in to the doctors office last Wednesday and it was like we were with a rock star.  Nurses were jumping over the counter in a mad dash towards us.  The first nurse reached us (after a NFL caliber move over and around her co-workers) and said, “Here.  Let me hold Mike for you.”  The other nurses, grumbling in there defeat, finished rolling out the red carpet and dropping rose petals ahead of us as we walked back to the examination room.  A quick x-ray of Mike’s feet (a couple of nurses in the background.  Let me do it!  No – let ME do it!).  Then it was time for the doctor.  He came in – the lights sparkling off of his smiling teeth.  “So – lets see what we’ve got here.”  He took hold of one of Mike’s feet.  A twist this way, a bend that way.  Rotate around.  Pinch in various places.  Mumblings about the pronate of the metatarsel.  Then it was the other foot.  More twisting, bending, rotating, this way, that way, and the other way.  Pinching, pinching, pinching, mumble, mumble, um hum, um hum.

It was about at this point that I realized that my fear of the prognosis that this doctor was preparing to give us had caused me to not draw a breath for the last 23 minutes.  I casually exhale the stale air from my lungs with an “I meant to do that” flair.  The doctor twisting the first foot a little more.  Rotated the second one a little more.  Another pinch.  He turned around to look at us and he said…

Mike’s…

feet…

look…

GREAT!  No changes – and the brace can continue to stay off during the day.

WOO HOO!  The disco ball dropped from the ceiling, Gloria Gaynor (I didn’t know she was a nurse here…) started singing “I Will Survive”, confetti was blowing all around the room and we all danced until the early hours of the morning.

Completely exhausted, we packed up the diaper bag.  Four nurses instantly appeared at our side to help us carry Mike out to the car.  On the way out, I swear that I heard them humming “We Are Family”.  Sister Sledge?  Surely the Sledge sisters aren’t nurses at the same place with Gloria Gaynor.  It was dark after all – but the nurse on the left certainly looked like Joni and the one on the right could have been Kathy…

As we buckled Mike in his car seat, the doctor called out, “see you again in three months”!

Mike’s baptism!

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend!  Full of family and friends (both in person and in spirit!).  All converging on Knoxville to join us in a beautiful celebration…

Mike’s baptism!!!!

It was such a special day.  All of the joy and excitement of watching your son celebrate his first (and most important!) sacrament.  With all of the love and joy and happiness that he has brought in to our lives, it was a true blessing to be a part of this.

So let me welcome you Michael Robert into the Christian community.  The water has cleansed you and given you new life.  You have been marked as one of God’s children by the sign of the cross.  You have been rubbed with oil to strengthen yourself, and chrism has sealed you with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We have given you a candle, lit from the Paschal candle, so that you may use the light of Christ to find your way through the world.  And we have given you an army of people to support you along the way – your parents, godparents, all of your family, friends, and the full love and protection of the Church and Christian community.

And of course there are pictures!  Below are a few – but you can also click here and see the a ton more!  

 

“Mike and Mike” – Mike visits with Father Michael.

  Mike says, “Skip the formalities – I’m ready for the water”!

 

The Baptism…

 Mike, parents, godparents, and Father Michael.

 

The Quad Squad (and the world famous Quad Mom).  And thanks to the Quad Dad for being our designated photographer!

Early Mornings…

“I feel like such a dog before my first cup of coffee…”

Adventures with Fruits…

We have traveled far on the baby food trail.  After a couple false starts, we have successfully navigated our way through the village of vegetables and are now deep in the heart of the land of fruit.

Fruitland is such a different place than vegetable village.  Everything has a wonderful smell that makes you want to inhale deeply.  And oh my – how sweet the taste!

But there are certain things in Fruitland (you could call them “apples”).  They have something else mixed in with the sweetness.    Some call it “sour” but I like to call it “tart”.  There is an instant sweet sensation in every bite – but right on the heels is a wave of tartness.  It causes my eyes to squeeze shut, my nose to wrinkle, and my lips pucker.  Sometimes it makes me shake and shiver.  As quick as it comes, it goes away and I open my mouth waiting for more!

 

The first bite of apples – down the hatch!

Ahhh – the sweetness…

But wait – what is this mixing with my sweet flavor?

 

…then the “tart” hits…

…and makes me shiver…

…and then I’m ready for more!

 

Fun with Family and Friends

It’s not often that we get to see our friends from Evansville.  It’s even less often that we get to see our friends from Detroit.  So it is a rare occasion indeed when all three families can get together in the same place at the same time.

But that’s exactly what happened this past weekend!  The Detroit clan and the Evansville clan made plans to go camping.  They decided that a good “half way” meeting point was Heuston Woods Stat Park – a short 35 minute drive north of Cincinnati!  So Mike’s mom and dad decided on some “role reversal” – instead of dad driving back to Knoxville, mom loaded up Mike and the dogs and headed to Cincinnati…

We all met up at the campground and spent the better part of the day together.  All of the “big” kids (Sara, Nathan, and Edison) swam in the lake and built sand castles.  Even Franklin splashed around in the water with his mom!  And the two boys – Edison and Nathan – were close enough in age that they had a blast playing with each other!  Afterwards, we headed back to the campsite for some burgers, brats, and chicken – all topped off with a slice of watermelon.  Nothing brings back those childhood memories of summer vacation like watermelon juice running down your arms and dripping off of your elbows!

It was such a fabulous time.  We really do need to do it more often!!!

 

Mike eating supper at the campground.

Matt cooks up some chicken over the fire.

Karen smiles (while trying to get Sara and Nathan to eat!)

Sara deciding how much she “really” has to eat.

Nathan plays with some of Edison’s Matchbox cars…

The nearly world famous “Sharpie”.

Rachael and Franklin enjoy some peas and grapes.

Edison planning his next move…

Pay it forward…

We often talk amongst the two of us (Mike’s mom and dad) about how lucky we really are.  Bi-lateral clubbed feet caused us a few weeks of stress in the beginning.  But as far as clubbed feet go, Mike responded phenomenally well to the treatment.  Considering what other parents and children have gone through (or are going through) makes us appreciate how well it’s gone.

And it’s not just the feet either.  Good, happy, healthy, eats anything (without being messy), and on and on and on – it really has been smooth sailing.  And again, we reflect on how well it’s been.

And then sometimes, you hear a story that hits close to home.  And you say to each other “that poor child and her parents – my heart goes out to them”.  This is one of those times…

A little girl from Mike’s daycare was recently (an unexpectedly) diagnosed with a brain tumor.  She had to have brain surgery just a few days before her fourth birthday.  She was allowed a couple of weeks to recover in Knoxville (if you can call two weeks of fairly intensive physical therapy “recovery”) before being sent to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for radiation treatments (which began today…).  The treatments are 5 days a week, Monday through Friday for eight full weeks – and she has to be put to sleep for each one.  And to top it all, she’s young enough that she doesn’t understand how far away Houston is from Knoxville – so she doesn’t understand why her friends can’t come to visit her. 

I think about this little girl often.  And what she and her parents must be going through is absolutely beyond my ability to comprehend. 

I would be surprised if anyone reading this actually knows Madison Haynes.  Even though – you can still appreciate how much it would mean to her to know that people are thinking about her.  So the next time you are out and about, buy a “get well soon” card and a $0.44 stamp .  You certainly won’t have to go out of your way – you can pick one up for $1.00 anywhere from the grocery to Wal-Mart).  Write a short little message on the inside (something like “you might not know who I am, but I thought you would like to know that someone from Knoxville (or Indiana, or Kentucky, or California, or wherever you are) is thinking about you”).  Send it to Miss Madison Haynes, Homewood Suites, 2950 Sage Road, Houston, TX  77056.  For less than a buck and a half, you just put a smile on this little girl’s face.

I can’t think of a better way to “pay it forward” than that…

Spending time with friends…

Not that long ago, we got to spend a couple of days watching Mike’s buddy Giada.  Giada was born just a couple weeks after Mike, and they’ve had several social visits.  But this was the first time that they would get to play all day for two days!

And we were excited about it too!  Our neighbor (Mrs. Maureen) came over in the afternoons after VBS to lend a hand – just in case taking care of two babies turned out to be too much.  After all, we are not nearly as good at taking care of multiple babies as our friends the “quad-mom and quad-dad” (by the way, the quads just recently turned four!).

It turned out to be two very nice days!  There was lots of playing, very little napping, and some pretty good eating.  All followed by more playing and even less napping.  We all had so much fun!  And we were glad to see Giada has made a full recovery and is now fully mobile after her spinal surgery!  Perhaps I’ll post the details of that some other day…

Until then, we are certainly looking forward to the next “play date”!

 

Giada and Mike play on their mats

 

 

  

Giada takes a turn driving the car

 

 

  The two “posers”!

 

 

 

  Mike, Giada, and Mrs. Maureen – Mike has on his best “Hey Baby – you’re looking good!” pose…

Veggie Tales

We’ve had a few posts now concerning our “vegetable saga” with Mike.  Remember that we tried carrots (mom’s favorite!) first and we reduced our son to tears three days in a row.  We tried squash next with the same results.  Then we altered our method and gave him a bite of cereal followed by a bite of vegetables and that seemed to do the trick!  In the end, he would eat a whole jar of squash in one sitting!

So me moved on the sweet potatoes.  No problem with those – he REALLY liked them!  So much that he would bang his tray wanting more!  We got a little adventurous and tried them without the cereal and he ate them like they were going out of style!  Perhaps he was getting used to this vegetable routine.

Next came green beans.  Not as good as sweet potatoes, but he still ate them all up!

That was when we decided it was time.  We had a feeding method that seemed to work.  And Mike also seemed to be getting used to these new, strange flavors.  So, with much apprehension from mom (she REALLY wanted Mike to like carrots!), we decided to try carrots again.

First, we primed Mike with a little cereal. 

Alright!  Cereal!!!

Then we told him it was time to try carrots again…

Ok mom and dad.  If you say they are good, I’ll try carrots again… 

 

And the result?  He liked them!  So much, that he ate the whole jar!

Hey!  Carrots really ARE good!!!

Success!  We officially checked carrots off of the vegetable “to do” list!

Next were sweet peas.  We saved them for “next to last” (we saved corn for last because it is always mixed with something else).  We were a little worried about the sweet peas.  Mike’s cousin (who is a few months older than him) hated sweet peas.  And his buddy (who is two weeks younger than him) was allergic to them.  But we decided that it was time to be brave and give them a try.

We used our same old method (which had become ‘tried and true’ by this point).  We primed him up with some cereal and then he got his first spoonful of peas…

…the first spoonful goes down the hatch…

…and Mike comes back wanting more!!!

 

So we have added sweet peas to the “success” list!  The last thing remaining was corn.  And we opted for the “corn and rice” mix.  And since all of the other vegetables have turned in to successes (even those that started out as failures) – you might be able to guess how this experiment ended up.  It was indeed a resounding success.  And while I don’t have any pictures (sorry, they are still on the camera and the camera is 290 miles away!) – you can look at any of the pictures above and imagine “yellow goo” on the spoon instead of “orange goo” or “green goo”.  Mike ate it up and came back with a smile on his face wanting more!

So, that ends our vegetable saga.  Next on the list?  Fruit!

More “firsts”

One thing we’ve realized now that we are parents is that during the first year of “parenthood” – nearly everything is a “first”. And every day seems to bring about the beginning of some milestone in your baby’s life.

Some are just silly – born from the fairytale notion of parenthood (or more likely – sleep deprivation of the parents!). Things like “the first poopy diaper” (for all of you Bill Cosby ‘Himself’ fans…). Or other things – like his first bath, the first time he peed on you. For goodness sakes – it’s no wonder all parents aren’t prescribed powerful psychotropic drugs when they are sent home with their new baby

Some are more monumental on the development scale – like the first time he slept through the night, the first time he rolled over, the first time he sat up.

Some are more directly related to clubbed feet – like his first casts (at 16 days old), the first night he could sleep without casts, his first brace, the first day he could have the brace off for more than a few minutes.

And then there are the really special ones. The ones that peel back the hardened exterior of adulthood and allow you to see the true wonders of the world through a child’s eye. And we were lucky enough to have TWO of those this past weekend!

They both happened while we were spending our 4th of July weekend camping at Indian Mountain State Park. The first “first” happened on the spur of the moment. We had decided to take Mike and the dogs walking down the little path that winds through a field, along a lake, then past a playground. We stopped at the playground and played! Mike’s dad even took him down the “slicky slide” (and provided some comic relief to mom!). We were almost ready to go when Mike’s mom stopped and looked at the swings. Mike’s dad said “Hmmm – I wonder if he would sit in there”? So we plopped him in and gave him a push. And there it was – that look on his face. The absolute joy of being a kid swinging on a swing at the playground. It made me want to hop in a swing too!

The second “first” happened later that same night. The little town of Jellico (which is where the Indian Mountain State Park is located) was having their 4th of July fireworks! The campground is close enough to be able to see the fireworks, but far enough away to mute the loud “BANG” to a more baby friendly level. We set out in the lawn chairs and watched the display. Mike sat upright and straight as a board on his dad’s lap and watched each firework with absolute wonder and amazement. He sat perfectly still and watched the entire 20 minute display. When it was over, he turned and looked at his mom with eyes as big as pie pans. What he was trying to say was unmistakable - “Did you see THAT? Did you SEE that? Holy cow – did you SEE THAT????”

And what a better way to say “Happy 234th birthday, America”! Watching a small fireworks display in a small town in the hills of Appalachia with your son looking up in the sky at the most amazing spectacle he has ever seen.

Mike on the walking path…

Mike and Dad going down the slide.

Mike LOVES to swing!

All that playing makes a fella awfully tired!

Mike’s first bite of sweet peas – were they a camping favorite or camping flop? Stay tuned to find out!

Sometimes he still looks little…

Already, we look at Mike and are absolutely AMAZED at how much he has grown!  He is so incredibly different – even from day to day - not to mention week to week.  And month to month?  That’s like comparing apples and oranges…

But there are times – when he’s not on rolling around on his mat or bossing his toys around.  Times when the “big” Mike starts to shrink back down.  It’s usually at night when he is getting his last bottle.  Or we’ll see it when we sneak into his room and watch him sleeping. 

We’ll see that “little” Mike.  That baby who is growing up so fast.  The really little one that we get to see less and less.  But he’s still there if you look hard enough…

 

Here’s “Big” Mike…

 

 

Here’s “Little” Mike getting his last bottle of the day…

 

 

…and heading off to dreamland

The pictures are in!

At long last.  The wait is over!  We received our call from Megan that our pictures were ready to be picked up! 

We rushed over to her studio where she was photographing a newborn baby.  The little baby looked so small and tiny next to Mike (our little “Chunky Monkey”).  The parents of the newborn looked over and said “Wow – he sure is a big boy”!  A little chuckle followed by “yep – but the doctors say he’s only in the 10th percentile”.

“Really”, they asked?

“Yep – really”, we answered.

“How big was he when he was born?”

“Only 6 pounds, 12 ounces.”

“Really?  Our baby is bigger than that!”

“Yep – wait until you are getting the 6 month pictures taken!”

And so it is with parents.  I’m beginning to see that parents don’t really know what’s coming down the pike.  And I’m guessing that it’s that way forever and ever.  But we can look at those parents who haven’t made it as far down the path as we have and we can smile and think “…just wait…”

So, back to the pictures.  We have uploaded them to Kodak Gallery where you can take a gander at them.  And again, the photographer was Megan Parker (just off of Callahan in north Knoxville).  No – we don’t get anything for sending people her way.  And you (nor we) won’t get any sort of discount by mentioning that we are clients (although I’ve always wanted to be on that end of the name dropping!).  But we really do think she does great work.  And the way she works with babies is amazing.

Here’s a few to look at – there are many many more!  You can view the rest by clicking http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=992438401408%3A1046498243&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee