Stacy found out that we get a really good deal on YMCA memberships, so we decided to check it out this week. She'd been looking into taking some classes as a non-member, and it's a whole lot cheaper and more convenient if you're a member, anyway. Also, I've basically fallen off the wagon of using the weight room at work, and I think it will be nice to go somewhere specifically for exercising. So, while they're figuring out the paperwork for our membership, we decided to try out their pool yesterday.
There are two pools. One is a bigger pool for swimming laps and has a deep end, and the other seems to be mainly for kids, and is 3 feet throughout, I think. The big pool is about 83 degrees, and the little pool is about 88 degrees. Stacy took Jack into the little pool, and I think he spent the whole time gazing around, wide-eyed. I joined them in there after swimming some laps (15 minutes seems to be my current limit. I think it'll take a while for my body to rebuild that endurance). Jack just couldn't get enough of looking around at the other kids playing. Stacy is going to enroll the two of them in a swim class for parents and children 6 months old, so he'll get plenty of time to learn to enjoy the actual water, I think. He'll already lay back in the water and let it cover his ears, so he's off to a good start.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Keep Putting One Foot Ahead of the Other
I guess the hardest thing about having a blog is actually remembering to update the thing. I'm going to try to add a little something a few times a week, to try to get into the swing of things.
Jeff and Scott came down on Saturday to help me build a new deck. The old one was rotting away, and after looking into stamped concrete and paver stones, we decided to simply replace the old rotten deck with a new one. We discovered that every stone and brick in the neighborhood was buried on the dirt below the old deck. I'm glad Scott didn't know about that ahead of time, or he may not have come down. In the end, we built a really nice deck, to my mind. Check out the photo album.
Jack continues to grow like a weed. I'll be updating the summer album with a few new pictures later this morning. He has started eating some carrots and apple sauce and peaches, and eats a meal of rice cereal once a day at daycare. He still manages to find some room for formula and breast milk, though. When we took him in for his 4 month appointment in July, he weighed in at 18 pounds, so I imagine he's breaking 20 now. He's also left the 6 months size in the dust, and is comfortably wearing 9 month clothes.
Jeff and Scott came down on Saturday to help me build a new deck. The old one was rotting away, and after looking into stamped concrete and paver stones, we decided to simply replace the old rotten deck with a new one. We discovered that every stone and brick in the neighborhood was buried on the dirt below the old deck. I'm glad Scott didn't know about that ahead of time, or he may not have come down. In the end, we built a really nice deck, to my mind. Check out the photo album.
Jack continues to grow like a weed. I'll be updating the summer album with a few new pictures later this morning. He has started eating some carrots and apple sauce and peaches, and eats a meal of rice cereal once a day at daycare. He still manages to find some room for formula and breast milk, though. When we took him in for his 4 month appointment in July, he weighed in at 18 pounds, so I imagine he's breaking 20 now. He's also left the 6 months size in the dust, and is comfortably wearing 9 month clothes.
Monday, June 28, 2004
If it's the weekend, there must be grandparents nearby
Jack continued his tri-state tour this weekend with a trip to Minnesota. Grandpa and Uncle Sam had visited shortly after Jack was born, but this was his first chance to meet Grandma and Aunt Julia. We are incredibly grateful that Jack is good-natured about travelling, since we do a lot of driving, and a foul-tempered baby is not a good traveling companion. [Editor's note -- I was informed by a snarky know-it-all that I misspelled travelling in an earlier entry. Travelling can be spelled with one or two L's, and in order to enjoy the richness of the English language, I reserve the right to use both variations. In fact, I extended the previous sentence, simply to show how nicely that works.]
We went to a Jazz festival on Saturday, because Sam knew some guys who were playing. The band was quite good, and the weather was pretty nice, so it made for a nice couple of hours. We spent the rest of the day hanging around the house, and had some tasty steak off the grill for dinner. All told, it was a nice visit.
We went to a Jazz festival on Saturday, because Sam knew some guys who were playing. The band was quite good, and the weather was pretty nice, so it made for a nice couple of hours. We spent the rest of the day hanging around the house, and had some tasty steak off the grill for dinner. All told, it was a nice visit.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Father's Day
It's our first Father's Day, and I'm living the good life. Stacy and Jack are going to make some cookies, I've already had some taco dip, and Stacy mowed the lawn. I've been watching the Brewer game. Every day should be Father's Day.
Jack made his first trip out-of-state this weekend, for the Henline family reunion in Illinois. As usual, he was the center of attention, and had a great time hanging out in the park all afternoon. I was worried that he would start to get fussy as time wore on, but he seems to be resigned to his fate as a travelling boy, and only began to complain when things were beginning to wind down.
We somehow managed to leave our camera in its case for the entire weekend. How dumb is that? I welcome any photos of the weekend that people want to send. I got some feedback on the choice of "Hambone" as a nickname. I think I'll characterize the reactions as....mixed.
Jack made his first trip out-of-state this weekend, for the Henline family reunion in Illinois. As usual, he was the center of attention, and had a great time hanging out in the park all afternoon. I was worried that he would start to get fussy as time wore on, but he seems to be resigned to his fate as a travelling boy, and only began to complain when things were beginning to wind down.
We somehow managed to leave our camera in its case for the entire weekend. How dumb is that? I welcome any photos of the weekend that people want to send. I got some feedback on the choice of "Hambone" as a nickname. I think I'll characterize the reactions as....mixed.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
The Big Summer Kickoff
Memorial Day weekend was a strange one, in that it rained a lot, but not when we were golfing. That must be some kind of record.
Jack had a good time up at the cabin, but had a hard time getting some sleep with all the action. I finally had to lay him down next to my laptop, and play some Bob Marley. The combination of the light from the screen, and the soothing tunes seemed to do the job. Even without sleep, he was a very happy baby most of the time, and he had a good old time meeting all the nice people. I think that as he gets older and more used to the action, he's going to be a very popular boy up north.
Grandma Linda and Uncle Montana are visiting this weekend, and Jack even got to have a day off of daycare, since they arrived Thursday afternoon. He's handling all this excitement about as well as he handled it last weekend--that is to say, he's trying to stay awake the whole time to take in all the fun. Fortunately, we recognized it earlier this weekend, and he's in the middle of a good long nap right now.
Jack is at a stage where he can't crawl, can't really grab any toys, and pretty much just hangs out and kicks to pass the time. Stacy found a fancy bouncer with a popper built in to it, that he just loves. It doesn't require him to do anything more than kick his feet out to stand up, and stuff pops for him. I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that this is the greatest accomplishment of western civilization.
Jack had a good time up at the cabin, but had a hard time getting some sleep with all the action. I finally had to lay him down next to my laptop, and play some Bob Marley. The combination of the light from the screen, and the soothing tunes seemed to do the job. Even without sleep, he was a very happy baby most of the time, and he had a good old time meeting all the nice people. I think that as he gets older and more used to the action, he's going to be a very popular boy up north.
Grandma Linda and Uncle Montana are visiting this weekend, and Jack even got to have a day off of daycare, since they arrived Thursday afternoon. He's handling all this excitement about as well as he handled it last weekend--that is to say, he's trying to stay awake the whole time to take in all the fun. Fortunately, we recognized it earlier this weekend, and he's in the middle of a good long nap right now.
Jack is at a stage where he can't crawl, can't really grab any toys, and pretty much just hangs out and kicks to pass the time. Stacy found a fancy bouncer with a popper built in to it, that he just loves. It doesn't require him to do anything more than kick his feet out to stand up, and stuff pops for him. I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that this is the greatest accomplishment of western civilization.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
About Last Night...
So, here's the thing about regular updates: Jack doesn't do much. This blog will certainly lose its edge if I resort to listing how long he slept (until 5), and what he's wearing today (a cute Tommy Hilfiger thing). Miss Theresa at KinderCare said he's a much happier boy since we brought a pacifier in to help with his naps.
Many people are aware that the holidays are an awful travel time for us. There are too many places, in too many states, and too few days. Well, this year we're taking decisive action. The week of Thanksgiving, we're going down to Oklahoma for a visit. It ought to be a lot less hectic than Christmas, and since we've decided to drive, that means Ilsa can come, too! I can only assume that Jack will welcome the opportunity for early Christmas (and, um, timely Thanksgiving).
We have a big weekend coming up at the lake. Even if I can't bring myself to update the blog again this week, there should be some pictures and an update early next week.
Many people are aware that the holidays are an awful travel time for us. There are too many places, in too many states, and too few days. Well, this year we're taking decisive action. The week of Thanksgiving, we're going down to Oklahoma for a visit. It ought to be a lot less hectic than Christmas, and since we've decided to drive, that means Ilsa can come, too! I can only assume that Jack will welcome the opportunity for early Christmas (and, um, timely Thanksgiving).
We have a big weekend coming up at the lake. Even if I can't bring myself to update the blog again this week, there should be some pictures and an update early next week.
Sunday, May 23, 2004
Weekend Update (no sign of Tina Fey)
I really should get in the habit of updating this blog every couple of days. It's hard to remember back over an entire week.
Jack's first week of day care went well. It changed his sleeping pattern, now that we're getting him up at 6 am, and so he goes to bed earlier at night. As a result, he's not making it through the night like he was, and usually wakes up around 2:30. He doesn't usually stay up for too long, though. During the day, he likes to sleep in his swing, and protests any attempts to make him sleep in a crib. The poor ladies at day care aren't allowed to let him sleep in the swing, so they've been trying to convince him that the crib is a nice place to sleep.
Jack and I had an unplanned day off together on Thursday, thanks to the incompetence and consumer-unfriendliness of Time Warner Cable. I get my RoadRunner Internet access from Time Warner, but not their television service, and so they install a filter on the pole that prevents the television signal from getting through. They do this even though the signal is scrambled and can't be easily descrambled. This is because they believe in their hearts that Americans are thieves, and that they must be protected from this thievery at all costs. Well, their fancy filter corroded to a point that it killed my Internet access, as well. In order to have it fixed, I had to take the day off from work and wait for a technician to arrive (between 8am and 7pm). I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Congress for the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which guaranteed that cable companies could maintain their local monopolies. Jack and I spent a lovely day together, thanks to that legislation.
A picture of Jack with a big smile is now available on his springtime photo album. He's been smiling a lot in the past couple of weeks. I'd smile, too, if I had a couple of people tending to my every need. Of course, the cat is upset at the loss of her staff.
Jack's first week of day care went well. It changed his sleeping pattern, now that we're getting him up at 6 am, and so he goes to bed earlier at night. As a result, he's not making it through the night like he was, and usually wakes up around 2:30. He doesn't usually stay up for too long, though. During the day, he likes to sleep in his swing, and protests any attempts to make him sleep in a crib. The poor ladies at day care aren't allowed to let him sleep in the swing, so they've been trying to convince him that the crib is a nice place to sleep.
Jack and I had an unplanned day off together on Thursday, thanks to the incompetence and consumer-unfriendliness of Time Warner Cable. I get my RoadRunner Internet access from Time Warner, but not their television service, and so they install a filter on the pole that prevents the television signal from getting through. They do this even though the signal is scrambled and can't be easily descrambled. This is because they believe in their hearts that Americans are thieves, and that they must be protected from this thievery at all costs. Well, their fancy filter corroded to a point that it killed my Internet access, as well. In order to have it fixed, I had to take the day off from work and wait for a technician to arrive (between 8am and 7pm). I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Congress for the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which guaranteed that cable companies could maintain their local monopolies. Jack and I spent a lovely day together, thanks to that legislation.
A picture of Jack with a big smile is now available on his springtime photo album. He's been smiling a lot in the past couple of weeks. I'd smile, too, if I had a couple of people tending to my every need. Of course, the cat is upset at the loss of her staff.
Monday, May 17, 2004
Sunday on the Porch with Jack
Ian and Jack finally got to meet on Sunday, when Grandma, Grandpa, Scott, Maggie and Ian all came to Milwaukee for the afternoon. The weather was spectacular--perfect for sitting around outside. Stacy and I hadn't seen Ian since January, and so it was quite a surprise to see how big he's gotten.
Some snapshots of the day can be found in Jack's springtime album.
Some snapshots of the day can be found in Jack's springtime album.
Thrown to the Wolves
Jack started daycare today. Stacy and I were fortunate that we could afford for her to stay home with him for 10 full weeks, but at some point you have to get back into the swing of things. Stacy has been anxious about this day, but everyone says it doesn't matter if you wait two months or two years--you always feel like it's too soon.
I had the privilege of dropping Jack off for his first day. I am a very staunch believer in daycare, and the benefits a child enjoys by attending a good center, but it was pretty tough to leave him there. I was briefly tempted to take a sick day, so he could have one more day at home as the center of attention. It didn't seem like he'd be hurting for attention, though. Everyone that came in commented on the new boy, and how big he is. It looked like he was going to be held for a good long time, too.
I have a feeling Jack is going to be a very pampered boy tonight.
I had the privilege of dropping Jack off for his first day. I am a very staunch believer in daycare, and the benefits a child enjoys by attending a good center, but it was pretty tough to leave him there. I was briefly tempted to take a sick day, so he could have one more day at home as the center of attention. It didn't seem like he'd be hurting for attention, though. Everyone that came in commented on the new boy, and how big he is. It looked like he was going to be held for a good long time, too.
I have a feeling Jack is going to be a very pampered boy tonight.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Finally, the JackBlog is born
For months, I've been thinking of various ways in which to implement a blog system, so that I could keep interested parties up-to-date on Jack's growth. The photo album site has been very popular, but limited in how much information we can actually convey. I gave up on the idea running my own server, and so this project is finally underway. It burns me up to surrender any sort of control, but I guess I'm growing softer as I grow older.
So, let's have some preliminary Jack news. He had his 2-month visit with the doctor on Monday. Unfortunately, it was time for some vaccinations, and Jack had never before experienced such betrayal. I think we've been forgiven. He now weighs in 14 pounds, 9 ounces and stretches out to 24 and 1/2 inches. Both measurements put him in the 95th percentile of kids his age, which (I think) is a fancy way of saying that he's a big boy.
We had some visitors today. Hopefully, a blog entry about it will not be long in coming.
So, let's have some preliminary Jack news. He had his 2-month visit with the doctor on Monday. Unfortunately, it was time for some vaccinations, and Jack had never before experienced such betrayal. I think we've been forgiven. He now weighs in 14 pounds, 9 ounces and stretches out to 24 and 1/2 inches. Both measurements put him in the 95th percentile of kids his age, which (I think) is a fancy way of saying that he's a big boy.
We had some visitors today. Hopefully, a blog entry about it will not be long in coming.
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