"Honey, how long since the last..."

Newborns require regular maintenance. I knew that would be the case. However; keeping track of the frequent 'pit stops' was unbeknown to me.

Once upon a time I became certified as a Wilderness First Responder. The biggest part I recall is how to monitor the patient's vitals. It allows you to know if they're fading fast or recovering nicely.



Noah Kai's ins and outs are a way of keeping up with his health. Supposedly we can predict what he will be needing in the near future based on what he's had happen in the past. If only there was an easy way...


Introducing the Itz Been, or as we like to call it, the 'How long has it been since we pushed the button on that thing that doesn't keep very good track of everything?"
That's right, it keeps track of last time we pushed a button for diaper, nursing, sleep, or a bonus button we don't know what to use for. It also has a switch for you to keep track of which boob he fed from last, if you can remember to flip that either.

The best part we've found is an alarm that goes off every few hours you set it to. Oh, and it has a flashlight that will come in handy in a few years when he and I go on ghost hunts in our pillow forts.



I just threw this in as an example of some of the faces he'll make when pooping!

Antsy no more...

Kablow! He arrives...and reminds me what a precious thing sleep is.

These are pictures Emery took this morning. She also has them on her blog here.

Getting Antsy

Think about the last time you had a job interview. It goes well; you smile, leave, and begin to wait.

You wait a few hours, then evening comes and you figure, "Maybe tomorrow they'll call". Then you wake up, going about your day, but still in the back of your mind waiting. Finally, they call back. When you answer the phone and hear the person on the other end, for that first instant, you could care less if you got the job or not, you're just ecstatic the wait is over.

I feel this longing.

Saturday was the due date, or as many consider it, modern medicines best guess at what should be normal gestation. I've been thinking about the 'job' of being a parent for some time now, and even though the position requires 24 hour shifts for the rest of my life with a decrease in pay, I'm ready. I just hope it starts sooner than later.

Ants have shown up in our house during the last few days. As it gets hotter outside, they move indoors. They build condos in our walls and sub-floor. I even installed a pool (jar lid filled with water) for them, right next to the poison buffet. Their determination to eat, drink, and walk aimlessly around our house is a quality I envy. I look forward to summer vacation at the house with Emery, Sesame, and myself. Maybe without the ants.

So whatever scenario you choose, waiting for a call back for a job, from a date, or for a package to arrive, the intensity has never been this severe. At least I know I won't get a call saying, "I'm sorry sir, but the position has been filled".

For those about to roll, mucha salud para ti!

It started with a bike.



Then there was a destination.



Now a passion burns inside, influencing my commute daily. I've been missing this stress relieving, fitness enhancing, community building activity for a while now. I get such a thrill from a short ride between home and work. I see animals like lizards, roadrunners, and coyotes in this urban landscape. Other cyclist share the pathways and bike lanes with the occasional 'ding ding' of bells. Cars, however, often receive the ominous 'ding ding DING' of my bell, accompanied by a scowling skinny guy of course.



I'm looking forward to a future in which the family commutes about Tucson, though I know that is some time distant from now. The world is a great place when we look at the overall big picture. Too bad cars shut out so much of that image behind metal, glass, and annoying morning show DJ's.

A Memory Relived

I just spent a few minutes reading a great essay from Steve about our Grand Canyon trip this last winter. An interesting part of the essay comes when he describes the seemingly mechanical process our bodies and minds adopted when hiking out of the massive void. He shares the anxiety he could no longer ignore when standing hip deep in snow drifts, saturated to the core, with a fleeting sunset dramatically dipping into the Earth.

As I read this, it hit me. I've been experiencing a situation of some anxiety, but running on auto-pilot for the past few days. My life is about to change completely, the sun is setting on an old chapter in the book of Chris. But rather than mechanically functioning due to an act of survival, similar to what Steve and I experienced in January, I have been coasting effortlessly on a cloud of bliss. I know a new day is coming, and I rejoice in anticipation of its arrival.

Peers and co-workers alike have asked if I'm nervous yet. Am I supposed to be? Maybe reality will come out of a uterus and smack me in the head, or better yet firehose my face. Yet I still believe that the anxiety is a product of impatience, and reality is what I long for.

Nights of sleeplessness may come, but so will the days of joy. Firsts for Sesame, firsts for the family. New memories and smiles that last a lifetime.