Where the Wild Things Are

Yesterday we went to the zoo. I was struck by many uncandid similarities between the animals and Connor. The monkeys seemed to jump and run with no discernable pattern, acting wild and silly. Much like Connor at night around 10pm or so.

The pigs splashed in the mud and had no concept of cleanliness. This is Connor when he eats. Each and every meal.

The lion seemed to roar whenever something did not please him. Just like Connor screaming out when he wants to watch Baby Einstein.

After the zoo we headed out for a late lunch. It was a great Austin day where we just randomly decided everything we were going to do.

Today little wolfie got sick. His temp hovered around 103, flirting with a too high 104 which would mean a trip to the ER. I think this family has a one ER weekly trip maximum. He knew we had already reached it this week, gulped down dose after does of tylenol, and is doing a little better. Should pull through by tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I actually have to go to work. It's been like five days since I've been. After I work tomorrow and Friday, it's a three day weekend and my parents and brothers are coming to stay with us. It will be great for them to see Connor. It really seems that in the last week or two he has grown up so much. Usually it's gradual, but something clicked or changed last week.

It's such a joy to watch.

Room to Breathe

Where has the blog been? Seems like it’s been forever, but I guess it’s just been a few days. Turns out I fell on hard times on Thursday when I was poisoned by some evil shrimp at an evil restaurant. So one $150 ER co-pay, a ton of gatorade, and 48 hours of gastro upheaval later, I’m ready to write another blog.

A lot has happened in the last couple days other than my illness. On Wednesday Connor’s great-grandmother Norma passed away. Connor got to visit her on several occasions and spend some quality time with her. Most recently the whole family was able to visit her in Fort Worth about five weeks ago. Connor fell asleep towards the end of our visit and we laid him in her lap and he slept there for a while. We got to give Mamaw hugs and kisses and knew that it would be the last time we saw her. She was the sweetest lady with a wonderful smile and beautiful hair who thought the world of Connor. She always assumed the best about everyone.  There are definitely some traits that Connor and her share. We will always have good stories, especially Becca, to tell Connor about her as he grows up. We will always cherish our memories of Mamaw.

Becca went up to Fort Worth on Friday night with Connor and her parents. Saturday morning our wild child decided that the end of a plugged in iphone charger looked like a good breakfast treat. He put the live wire in his mouth, electrocuted himself, and flew off the bed. I can hardly suppress a smile, much less a laugh, as I type this, because I know it’s something that only Connor would do. Anyway, there were some obligatory tears but he cheered up and bounced back like a champ. It actually makes me sort of proud.

Now he’s been skydiving, kayaking, skateboarding, hiking, riding on a motorcycle, and electrocuted.

Becca came home late last night. We stayed up talking at about 11pm and Connor was so happy to be out of the car and back home. He was literally running in circles laughing and dancing. I thought I knew how much I loved him before they left but now I know it’s even more after being away for two days.

Other than that, life should be getting back on track tomorrow. I’m almost over my stomach bug and Becca was able to spend today recovering from the emotionally/physically taxing weekend. Oh yeah, AND MY KANSAS JAYHAWKS BEAT UNC TONIGHT! Rock – Chalk Jayhawk!!

It looks to be a good week. Tomorrow our old friend from Germany is visiting us, Tue and Wed I’m off, work Thu and Fri, and Friday night my parents and brothers arrive from Ohio for their spring break. Anyway, it’s been a long few days but I feel good and I think we’ve all made it through in one piece, thank the Lord!

 

So, here's a video and a bunch of pictures:

video: Connor Laughing Video


pictures:
Me and little guy....

laughing with mommy....

 

 

 

The hair continues to grow...

 

My team won again tonight!!! Go Kansas, number one seed!!!

St. Patty's Day

Those are some pictures from yesterday. We had a great St. Patrick's Day. As usual, we went to see Ed Miller perform. We even got a picture and talked with him before the show. He's a great singer-songwriter from Scotland.

Later that night Connor and his little buddy had bath time together. They are becoming good friends lately.

Then we took a picture to see who had the bluest eyes. I think I would have won if not for my brown spot!

**

We have a farm behind our house. Here's a video of Connor meeting the donkeys the other night... What a stud!

Video Here

Big Day

Today Connor got to attend his first kickball tournament. It was such a long day... I ended up playing seven games! Connor was a big hit, big surprise.

We headed home and Aunt Anna came over for board games. We've been playing Life for the last hour. Whatever happened to Catan??

Anyway, it's been a busy day and we are looking forward to a children's hippy show in the morning and then off to the pub for Irish music!!

Not sure if I've posted this video yet... Anyway, here it is:

Spin Spin Spin

Smooches Galore

Tonight we headed out to have dinner, hear some live music, and play at the toy store. We had a blast. Connor was SOOOO happy all day/night long. He was handing kisses out like candy on Halloween. I got about 50 smooches. He really would not stop kissing me and Becca!!

Here's a picture at dinner...

Here's another picture at dinner...

And if you're wondering why I have my hand in a cup of ice water, then watch this video of me splashing our baby with water. And we wonder why he's so wild... 

Tonight's Video at Dinner

Just watching the bachelor finale with becca... Looking through recent pics of Connor bear. Man I love this little guy!

Black Belt in Sleep Attacks and Picky Eating

They say that it's harder to train the intelligent dog breeds (read: Bichon Frise, read read: Macy) because instead of blind obedience they think for themselves. Perhaps that explains why Macy has ruined our carpet several times over and eats Connor's toys. At least that's what I'll tell myself.

What I'll also tell myself is that Connor is super smart and therefore hard to train. He has become a master at picking out the exact food he wants from a tray of foods. You can give him a spoonful of food with eight foods on it, and he'll pick out the solitary morsel of food he wants. He's like a hawk when it comes to spotting what he wants.

Watch:

Connor = Smart Eater!!!

What else?? Hmmm... Last night he was OUT OF CONTROL in bed. He has become obsessed lately with karate kicking me when I'm asleep. He pretends that he's still in slumber when he does it, but I know he's not. If there was a martial art of sleep attacks he'd be a black belt. Seriously.

Many Things, Many Days

What a great three day weekend it’s been. We headed out to Katy (near Houston) on Thursday night after I got off work, arriving just before midnight. Saturday we spent the day playing with the grandparents, great grandparent, and aunt and uncle. Connor got his first haircut, jumped on a trampoline, and gave lots of kisses out. Sunday included Catan, bowling, and an awesome dinner. Then we headed back late in the night.

At one point my crazy wife thought it would be a good idea to throw a water balloon on me to wake me up. Not only did her plan backfire, she also got a glass of ice water thrown on her in the shower as a consequence. Her evil machinations know no end it seems. Good thing I'm always on guard.

Today we mostly releaxed and I bought a speed bag for the garage. Connor caught up on some much needed sleep (as did I—slept until noon!!). We went to J-Del for a late lunch and headed home for a Connor-nap. Then it was off to the YMCA at 8, normal bed time for normal babies, to go swimming. Connor is turning into a fish, kicking his legs and paddling. Makes me so proud!!!

Lastly it was time for dinner. He had a hot dog, or as I call them, dot-dog. I tried to sneak something healthy in there too. I'd say, "Close your eyes Connor" and then smash a chick pea in his mouth. Reluctantly, he'd eat it. What a guy.

On another note, is it time for a hair cut??   Na... Not yet.

Naked music time!

Wild Child

Pancake time with Girlfriend Jordan! These kids love pancakes and so do I!

Feeding the ducks. Sort of. The rest of the time he was chasing them with a stick and terrorizing them!

Challenging the ducks! Not scared of any fowl!

Ducks and Geese

Today we had another play day, since I was off work again. We had a late breakfast at Galaxy Cafe (top pic) and just talked and had coffee for a long time while Connor played with his food. From there it was off to the thrift store where I got some new work pants. Then we headed to the park to feed the ducks and geese. There's this little park nestled in a neighborhood right down the street and Connor loves it there.


After all that action it was time to work on the flowerbeds and smoke some more chicken. This time I made a brine with brown sugar and BBQ sauce. It was awesome! After all that action it was time for a nap with little buddy... What a great day!

39 Things

Today I was off work! With my new schedule, I will be getting lots of time off. This week I'm off today, tomorrow, work Thu/Fri, then a three day weekend. It's feeling pretty good!

We had Jordan today with us. Connor, Jordan, and mommy went to the park to meet up with playmate Brynn. After lunch, we hung around the house this afternoon. After Jordan's dad came to pick her up, we went out for Amy's Ice Cream. Connor ran through the place like a wild man and kept eating our ice cream.

Then, since it was late and we were thinking the crazies had all headed to whereever they go at night, we went to (gasp) Walmart. Walking in, we were going for one item and one item only. Becca asked me how many items I think we'll walk out with. I guessed five. I think we ended up purchasing about 39 things. I have no idea how that happens, yet it does, over and over again.

I also smoked a whole chicken for the first time. It took about four hours and was worth the wait. I'm gonna make a brine tomorrow for some chicken breasts and cook those tomorrow. Getting fancy around here!!

Speaking of tomorrow, there are no other babies coming tomorrow. Just me, Beck, and Con Con. It's nice being off during the weekdays... perhaps a trip to the zoo is in order!

Slow Day, Good Day

It’s been one of those days that seems to last forever, but forever in a good way. Time is a strange thing; sometimes it’s slippery and slides away, while other days it’s thick as molasses. I don’t know why today has crept by so slowly, but it has, and it’s been really nice.

I worked from eight this morning until noon. Drove downtown, parked, and jogged out to Zilker Park to meet Connor and Co. The Co part today included mommy, and some friends. It was our first time to go to the kite festival. Unbelievable scene: 100,000 people easy, thousands of kites, bright sun shine, great wind for flying, music, food, sunburns, etc etc. We will make it a yearly tradition if we can keep our nerve to brave the crowds.

Then we headed to Whole Foods downtown for smoothies and lunch. From there it was back home, and I got to work on the flower beds. Talk about a project that has dragged on… but I’m taking my time and enjoying the work. I love home improvement!

 

 

Connor came out after a nap and we played outside for a couple hours. We went down to the pond behind the neighborhood where hundreds of birds and ducks come at night to eat and splash around. It was just us, the country, and the sunset. Connor sat with me and we just watched it all. Now THAT is the best stuff in the world, better than any money or cars or whatever.

He started getting real fussy when we got home. He’s a bit sunburned and super tired from this long lasting day. And it’s only 830pm, three hours until bed time. Guess it’s time to go hit up some Downton Abbey!

A Little Prayer

So each day usually begins with kisses from Connor, which I’ve already written about. The end of the day, however, ends with a prayer for Connor. I was not much of a praying man before little buddy but now each prayer goes like this:

Thank you Lord for every breath Connor had today and every beat of his heart. Please give strength to his guardian Angel tomorrow and keep him safe in every way. Thank you for the gift of this child.

Same prayer, every night. It’s just how I feel.

**

Anyway,  here’s a great video of him getting dizzy and falling down!!

Video Here

 

Close Call...

What a day it’s been!

Wait, I should start with yesterday. Thursday we had Brynn and played with her and Con Con up at Locomotion, a jumphouse place for kids. Connor luuuuuuved the ball pit and was truly in heaven. 15,000 balls in one area! 15,000 is also, incidentally, the number of times he says “ball” in a day.

Then Bec and I had a mini-date and we saw Safe Haven, based on the Nicolas Sparks book. The only thing more painful than watching that two hours of super-lameness was knowing that in the next theatre over Silver Linings Playbook was showing. I’ll have to wait for the DVD. Oh well…

Today we headed to Whole Foods and the park. It was a beautiful day full of sun and good eats. Things took a turn for the worse when some old man tried to break into the car while Bec was sitting in it with two sleeping babies. The police showed up and all was worked out. Luckily I was in Home Depot when it happened. Darn, I’ve been practicing my MMA for years and missed my chance!

We headed home and I did gardening. Connor was running wild today. No nap really, except a brief one in the car, interrupted by aforementioned old creepy man trying to snatch him up… He’s climbing in your windows, he’s snatching your people up… You know how it goes.

Connor got to facetime with the grandparents which was nice. He’s becoming so smart, so big, so strong, so sweet, so funny, so fast. It couldn’t get much better!