Being 2nd Place...and the hammock.

Ok, ok, ok, it's been a few weeks! That doesn't mean I can't give a thorough update :) Start with current events? 30 minutes ago, Leah stood up by herself for 20 seconds. She was holding onto Julia- and...just let go. Then she stood there smiling so proud of her accomplishment. Self-realization at age 10 months. Love it.

Watching her scoot around the house crawling is a joy. She has a 1st and 2nd gear. 1st is cruising mode. It's the gear used to enjoy the scenery. 2nd gear is movement towards an intended target with a purpose. Vroooooom. Then, of course, there's the joy of seeing little tiny handprints on the bottom edge of my television. It's a foreshadowing of things to come.

Honestly, I can't believe it's almost 10 months. Mid-September. Summer coming to an end. And Leah is rapidly approaching 1 year. I now realize how some people look back and wonder where life went- with each new milestone comes a new degree of time acceleration. SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!!

I feel it's necessary to discuss a huge aspect of being a father. One you can't comprehend and fully understand until you're living it everyday. The concept of being the silver medal: 2nd place. :) To clarify: Momma is favorite...always has been...so deal with it. Because it makes perfect sense. The baby pops out of the womb, she goes right in momma's arms. Momma is the number 1 source of food for the first few months...and the bond just blossoms from there.


Leah loves her mommy. Adores her really. She can be completely happy in my lap and when Lori walks in the house- the level of smiles triples. It's actually amazing to watch- the amazing mother/daughter bond, that is. If mommy is out of the house, Leah knows it. If Leah is in a grumpy mood, she cries when mom leaves the room and in a good mood she releases a saddened whimper. She does play with the rest of us for something to do, but it's more of a content presence until Mommy's return. Eh, I'll accept these people for a short period of time. Then, of course, there are the moments where she's in a raging, crying spell, and daddy tries every funny voice, impression, and method to get her to stop- only to fail. Then the microsecond mommy picks her up- happy baby. It's the same microsecond of father realization.

And that's when a father understands. The silver medal is all yours. Congrats, buddy.

I remember James telling me that I was going to feel like chopped liver the first couple months- just kind of like the servant who gets stuff done. I get it now...and to be honest- the moments are so precious, I can live with 2nd place.

She has two little tiny teeth now, in the front and bottom. One slowly grew in, and then the 2nd just kind of sprang up. But the best part is that she uses those 2 little guys to gnaw on anything she can with conviction. Baby cheetos (which I had no idea existed) are her absolute favorite, but I'm not sure there's anything she wouldnt at least try. I guess if you eat sour apples at 8 months, food doesnt have many boundaries.

Despite being 2nd place, I have found a happy place with Leah. Really the only place that she will contently lay around, chill, and play with me (Without the desire to go find mommy)....on the hammock. It's great...I usually take her out there between 8 and 9pm, and we're joined by Ralphie. It's a joy to watch her head on swivel, soaking up the world...the dogs next door, the trees, Ralphie running, sirens, and the wind. She tries to figure everything out. And when she's done with that, she'll just sit there and babble in front of me. Baby talk is the best. Even if it's just ba, ba, ba, ba, ba. To me its a conversation that I could have all day.


-JRS

Green Sour Apples

I'm not really sure why I haven't started this sooner. I documented my life through high school when I barely had anything to say. Then through college when I'd write just to escape the stresses of university survival. Then my beautiful daughter comes along and I forget my passion for writing- so now I'm back.

I guess you could say I was inspired tonight. I took Leah on the front porch so we could relax and wait for Lori to come home from a bike ride. I brought a Granny Smith apple to munch on, and before long- Leah was sharing it with me. She was wanting her chance at a bite every time I was chewing mine. And with that one tooth, she went to town. So it hit me: how many 8 month-old babies in the world were enjoying the evening munching on a sour green apple? Probably just one: My Leah.

I can't believe it's been 8 months. I'm starting to understand how middle-aged people wake-up one day and wonder where all the time went. Leah was born and the accelerator was instantly tied to the ground. I can still remember November 19, 2010, like it was yesterday, though. Waking up early. The waiting. The more waiting. Dr. Moore not being available when Leah was telling Lori she was coming. The replacement Doctor. and Poof!! There she was....a little bit crusty and a lot-a-bit pink. Hair was matted to her head and it appeared red and curly. She was beautiful, and as soon as the cord was cut, she was placed on Lori's chest and embraced her mama's body warmth as if it was always meant to be. And just like that, the whole world changed in a split second. I was a father. Mom was a grandmother. Justin, Stro, and Caleb were all uncles.


As it turns out, I had my first protective father instincts kick in within the 1st hour when I arrived with Leah to the nursery. When the nurse pricked Leah's foot with a needle as she was laying in the incubator, part of me wanted to kick her ass. Leah was 45 minutes old and didn't deserve to be made to cry. I forgave the nurse, and to be honest- all of the staff was amazing. Even Lori had an anxious mother moment as her wheelchair raced to get Leah back...not even letting the nurses wash her off.

After that, the milestones have just piled up. Everything she has accomplished has been amazing. Mommy and Daddy may have accelerated a few of them, especially when it comes to her taste buds :) We may or may not have started providing teeny-tiny adult food tastes months before we should have...but, ultimately, we knew she was born to love ice cream- especially blizzards. And pretty much everything we have put in front of her, she has gobbled down: fruits, veggies, mixes, milkshakes, and, of course, green apples.



Recent accomplishments have never ceased to impress all of us: pulling herself up like she's born to be a gymnast. Ambidextrous acts of juggling and balance. Crawling her way to any mischief she can find, and through all of it, there is one big commonality every day that reminds me how lucky I am: She is constantly just happy. You say her name: she smiles. You walk into a room: she smiles. She wakes up and sees you: she smiles. And seeing that smile once is enough to brighten my entire week. If the average person smiled 10% as much as Leah, the world would be a 100x happier place....and I'm blessed to have that in my life.

So at 11:55pm, 8 months and 9 days past her birth, I'm finishing up a summary of the 2011 fatherhood whirlwind that I call life. A few paragraphs won't do it enough justice, but it's a start. I'm glad she enjoyed that green apple with me tonight.

~JRS