06-29-2010: Oh to be a baby again...

Being a baby must be great, though I can't claim to know for sure as I don't remember much about my first year of life.  I also don't remember a lot about my early years, a fact that my parents tease me about relentlessly, but that's another story for another day.  There have been many a day over Katie's first ten and a half months where I have looked at her with, in addition to love, adoration, and happiness, just a hint of envy.  Here now, my top ten reasons Katie, and all you babies out there, have it so good:

10) Life revolves around playtime, naps, feedings, and assorted adventures.  No responsibility.  You just have to "be".
9) "No!"?  What does that mean?  I don't even know words yet...  Or do I???  Hahahahahahaha!
8) Someone, be it Mom, Dad, grandparents, or whoever, will cater to your every need.  All you have to do is cry those big, beautiful baby tears…
7) When you're eating and you don't want anymore, it's perfectly acceptable to smash your food, rub it all over the tray, even pick it up and drop it on the floor.  Side note: your dogs will love you forever because of this.
6) Don't like what someone just gave you to eat, spit it out.  That'll teach them to try that again...
5) You can pee and poop whenever and wherever you want and it's O-K-A-Y.  Sure you have to wear a diaper, but oh, the freedom!  Yes, some adults have this benefit too (and I'm not just talking about our more senior friends, think Lisa Nowak), but I'm not going there.  I'm not old yet, nor am I a lovesick astronaut.*
4) Adults, especially parents, are so easily amused.  Smile, giggle, make funny noises, squeal with delight - all of these will get you the attention you want, and deserve!  After all, everything is cute when you’re a baby...
3) If you don't like what someone has done to you, given you to eat or play with, throw it away, cry, wave your arms, scream.  Let them know how you really feel.  I’m going to remember that one next time someone on my team turns in a deliverable that doesn’t meet my standards…
2) Whenever you fall down and bump your head, get a scratch or other serious “boo-boo”, crawl into the nearest lap and all will be right with the world.  Mommy and Daddy rule!


And my number one reason babies have it so good…

1) Everything is new.  I think this is different from life as adults, where we encounter new things on a regular basis but are able to make associations to other things we know.  Babies have no previous frame of reference and there is sheer excitement and exhilaration on a regular basis as they encounter so many "firsts"...
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* Speaking of diapers, a quick funny.  My Dad, when he turned 50, decided that was his limit.  Since then he's begun counting backwards on his birthdays, going from 50 to 49, to 48, ...  We joke that by the time he gets back to 0, it'll be just like he's a baby again, gumming food, wearing diapers, etc.  So when I titled this entry "Oh to be a baby again", I guess we'll all get there someday.  And before you think me a mean son for saying this about my Dad, note that he came up with this all on his own.  I just went along for the ride. 

My Dad, the comedian...

06-26-2010: Home is where the heart is...

Mary and I have been struggling with something for the last few months, deciding where to live.  When we moved to Austin four years ago this July, it was supposed to be a temporary relocation.  Mary would finish her degree in 5-6 years and we would then move to wherever she ended up getting a job.  Maybe a kid would come along in that timeframe, but in 2006 it wasn't on our radar and so was largely a non-factor in our decision-making process.  We didn't worry too much about house size, school districts, number of rooms, etc.  Instead, we picked a house that was convenient for us and which, in 2006, we were able to quickly decide upon during an incredibly hot housing market...

How time changes things...

Mary decided earlier this year that her PhD program wasn't really what she wanted.  And Katie came along, upending everything in the best possible way.  Those two events got us thinking.  No longer tied to Austin for Mary's program, we were now free to move wherever we wanted.  My job still doesn't care where I live, so long as I am willing to travel when needed (though knock on wood there hasn't been much of that since November of last year).  So where should we go?  My immediate family is in Florida.  Mary's is in Louisiana.  We have friends scattered across the country.  And us?  Well we've started to build a life in Austin... Texas of all places!  It's a different age than in the past, where people largely stayed close to family and didn't venture too far from the nest...  But does it have to be that way?

Over the last few months we've talked about it and talked about it some more.  We're not always that great at making the big decisions.  We often miss our close friends who are so far away.  And family is important - we lament the fact that all of ours is so far away.  But when it comes down to it, we've decided to do what we believe is best for us as a family.  And for now, that means staying in Austin.  We've made friends here, we love all that the city has to offer, we're happy with our church, and are largely happy with the climate (though ask me again when we hit the peak summer season and are facing day after day of 100+ degree days).

But we are going to move.  In the coming months we hope to have our house on the market and to begin looking for something a little larger and a bit more permanent.  Lots of features we hope to have in a new place.  I'd like to start a garden.  We've talked about getting some chickens (strange as that may sound).  I'd like to have room for a pool table (a pipe dream, perhaps).  But chief among them, we do plan to have a guest room to ensure we always have a spot for visitors. 

Keep that in mind when you're passing through Austin - we'll leave the light on for you...

06-20-2010: Happy Father's Day

Just a quick shout-out to all fathers out there.  Happy Father's Day!  I hope you enjoyed a special day today.  It was my first Father's Day and little Katie gave me the sweetest card.  Strange how her handwriting closely resembled Mary's, but perhaps penmanship runs in the family...

Funny how when you hit a certain age all of your friends start to have kids.  Makes me smile when I think about a bunch of little rug-rats going to church, playing together, and growing up together.  Our most recent friends to announce that they're expecting are Ryan and Hilary Marchbanks.  They're nice people and if that is any indication, their baby will be too.

Short post today.  I'm going to try to get back into the habit of posting on a somewhat regular basis, though we'll see how that goes.  I've come to the realization that perhaps I'm not really a blogger.  Shocked?  Surprised?  Well don't count me out just yet.  I'll give myself a few more months and see if I really do have what it takes.  To all you folks out in the land of the internets, let me know if you actually read this.  Maybe that'll be my motivation one way or the other...