Don't Eat The Baby

It Can't Hurt To Ask

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:11:00 +0000

I've learned a lot the past few years about myself, my friends, and my relationships. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that people are willing to go to great lengths to help a friend or a neighbor in need but they are often frightened of overstepping their bounds. I've also learned that not only is it ok to ask for help but it is a brave and noble thing to do. People respond well to directness. So here I am being direct.

On Friday, January 29th I'll be going back into the hospital for another round of surgery. Nothing too scary or traumatic (at least not when compared to what we've dealt with in the past) but still a major surgery none the less. I have a major abdominal hernia related to the previous surgeries I underwent immediately following the accident. In layman's terms, because they split me open from ribs to pelvis, my abdominal muscles are unanchored and coming loose. They will be reopening my abdomen to inset a piece of mesh to help keep my insides in. While in there they will be removing the pieces of Heterotopic_ossification that have formed in my abdominal cavity. This won't be your typical laparoscopic procedure most commonly used to repair hernias these days. I just have too much scar tissue and unknowns involved in my case to do this the "easy way". This will be a done using the old-fashioned open incision method.

They can't say exactly what my recovery will look like but they are estimating that I will need to remain in the hospital from 3 to 7 days following the procedure. Following that I will be home recovering for another week to two weeks with limited mobility and then it will be another four to six weeks before things are back to normal.

To be frank, while the idea of additional major surgery terrifies me, I know I can handle it. I'm most concerned on the impact of this on my family. As we all know by now, Katie is an amazing individual who can shoulder the weight of an army but I never want her to have to go through the stress and challenges she went through before. And now that The Bug is older, there is going to be a whole new set of issues involved. Katie will be hard pressed to keep up with work, The Bug, and our home by herself for a month. Plus there is the emotional strain to consider, especially for The Bug, and if The Bug is stressed we all will be stressed. In many ways this will be hardest on her and I'm looking to you to help keep her occupied and entertained so this time can pass as quickly and as stress-free as possible for her. She will miss her Daddy terribly (and our physical play when I am home recovering) but if appropriately distracted I think she will handle it well. (As an aside, I know some of you may roll your eyes at this. Kids have/can handle much worse but I see no reason to do anything less than everything to protect her, keep her happy, and make sure that she is sheltered from this stressful event). So play-dates and babysitting are at the top of the list of things we need. Even if it is just for an hour, so Katie can go shopping, do the dishes, take a nap or so Junie can get tossed around a little by an "uncle", or even just stay distracted from Daddy so he can rest we need your help. We'll even need some babysitting while I'm home since I won't be able to pick her up for at least a month without compromising my surgery. The last thing we want is to have to go through this all a second time. Baby sitting time will be especially important while I'm in the hospital that first week so Katie can come visit. We won't be bringing The Bug to Harborview. It's just not a good place for kids and I really don't want her to see me like that.

Aside from Junie time, another thing that would be helpful is food. Healthy precooked/homemade vegetarian or poultry dishes will be a lifesaver (especially if they won't require a lot of extra dishes to do!). But feel free to be creative! Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call.

Thank you all again, and in advance. We love you all!

Abandoned

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Blogging is just so much more work than, say, Facebook. I've pretty much abandoned this space. But for those of you still hanging on, here is The Bug giving you the straight dope on what a ____ says.

Happy Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Today is my wife's birthday.

She is the love of my life. We met more than 14 years ago and have had plenty of ups and downs but there is a strength and permanence in our relationship that is more substantial than any I ever known. My love for her has only grown with time. I would move mountains for her and she is quite literally the reason I am alive today. On top of that she has given me the greatest gift in the world: fatherhood, a role I relish and has redefined my entire sense of self. I only hope that I can make her as happy as she makes me.

I love you Katie, happy birthday.

Photo taken by Katie - nap time, June 26, 2008.

The Big Bug's Birthday Bash

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Now a break from our flashback series.

The Bug celebrated her first birthday last week. It was a lot of fun!

There was singing and cake (please excuse my tone-deaf singing close to the mic):

And presents:

We saved a few for quieter moments too:

Many of The Bug's friends were there:

We had an awesome ladybug theme going on:

The Bug made sure it wasn't all cake. There were salads and BBQ too!

And beer for the big kids:

See you next year!

June 16th-19th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:06:00 +0000

We welcome some more visitors, sleep whenever we can, get to know some of her silly faces/diaper discharges, hand out the home-brew, and start to really settle in to this whole parenthood thing. These were really happy days.

June 15th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:53:00 +0000

I kinda like this whole flashback idea. I think I'm going to make it a series.

June 15th, 2008 we introduced her to some of our friends, Katie finally slept, and we took The Bug home.

She settled in nicely.

The Day Everything Changed

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:00:00 +0000

June 14, 2008

I find myself looking back a lot these days. A lot has changed over the past year. But then again, a year ago today EVERYTHING changed.

I don't think Katie cried through all her pain and everything. I, on the other hand, cried like a little girl but what else is new. I changed my first diaper. After three days of labor, Katie finally got a little rest. And a little drink. What? We had a lot to celebrate! I found a new capacity to comfort. And Katie finally got to meet the little person she had grown to know so intimately yet never actually seen. She had a lot to be proud of. And so did I. We finally had our little girl and we were a family now. I fell in love with her immediately. We all fell in love with her immediately.

Juniper Rose Detrano, happy birthday.

Books and Words

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Junebug loves to read. Books are one of her favorite toys. She will often take a book off her shelf and sit and flip through the pages. But best of all, she loves to sit on your lap and be read too. She helps turn the pages and has a few books that she loves hearing over and over. She doesn't always sit still, or wait for the story to be over before picking the next book but still, reading is one of her favorite activities!

Maybe I'm biased, but I think she is a brilliant little girl. For someone who hasn't even been alive a year, she has a huge vocabulary and isn't shy about expressing herself. In the clip above she says "Daddy". How one simple word can bring me to my knees so easily I'll never fully understand. And did you catch her shaking her head "no" when she decided that she was done with that book and ready to move on? So far she has a firm grasp on "hi', "kitty/Titi" - pronounced tee-tee (the name of one of our cats, this also seems to apply to dogs too so...), "Mama", "Daddy", "up", and "apple" (a two sylable word!). On top of that she can shake her head no and yes (although I've never seen her do "yes", the babysitter says she can so I'll take her word for it) and she can sign "more" and "finished".

Here is another short video of Mama reading from one of her "word books". It was shot about a month ago and her grasp of the two words - kitty and apple - has gotten even stronger.

p.s. Mama hates that I always take her picture in the morning. Is it my fault that they are so cute together?

Jaws II

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Jaws!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:37:00 +0000

The Bug has teeth. One upstairs, one downstairs with more on the way! They look small but they are sharp!

p.s. Tofu-Face is soooo 2008. Meet Watermelon-Face.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:42:00 +0000

Sorry about the extended absence. Here is a long distance call from The Bug to catch up. It's just a "rough-cut" but hopefully it will help get you through your Monday morning.

Spring

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Spring is finally here in Seattle and although neither Mom nor Dad were really feeling their best this weekend that was no excuse for not getting out and enjoying a little of the sun before it disappeared until June.

Saturday we braved the hoards and went up to the Woodland Park Zoo. Amazingly it only took us an hour to find parking! Once we were inside though we had a great time. We've taken Junie to the zoo before (we bought a pass so it will be a regular destination) for story-time in the Zoomazium kid's center, but this was our first excursion through the zoo proper. It was great fun and all the animals were out enjoying the sun too, so that was a big plus! We got great views of the tigers, the grizzly bears, the elephants, and many other animals. To be honest, I think Junie was more interested in watching the other kids most of the time but she did seem to be having a great time and was definitely impressed with all there was to take-in!

After the zoo, we all went home for a little lunch and a much needed afternoon nap. When we woke up there was still a little time before dinner so Papa suggested we all go down to the ice-cream parlor for a cone before dinner. What decadence! It was nearly as packed as the zoo! Mama got espresso chip and Papa got cookies and cream. I couldn't resist putting a little on my finger and giving The Bug a little taste. In seconds she was eagerly lapping at that cone like she had been doing it her whole life! We rushed back to the car to get the camera and document Junie's first ice-cream cone!

We then went home and played on the living room floor for another hour, laughing as she bounced off the walls and furniture in her sugar-fueled frenzy. It was more fun than I've had in ages and one of those evenings I'll remember for the rest of my life.

The next day we went to the farmer's market (a highlight of any sunny Sunday). The Bug fell asleep in the car on the way home and rather than wake her up we decided to take a leisurely Sunday drive. We gassed up the car and headed east toward Lake Washington, admiring the amazing views of the mountains in all directions. We explored a couple of NE Seattle neighborhoods that we rarely or never venture over to and popped into a couple of open houses since playing looky-loo is always fun. Meanwhile, The Bug had an epic nap and wokeup in great spirits. That evening we met some friends for a little outdoor grilling and some amazing fish tacos al fresco! Halibut is just coming into season here and the fish was fantastic! The company was good too and Junie loved getting out to see all of her friends!

All in all I would have to say this was a great spring weekend!

On my own two feet.

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:07:00 +0000

Now that The Bug has learned to crawl, all she wants to do is stand up like a big girl.

Tofu-Face Strikes Again!!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Mmmm. See-food.

Tofu- Face: The Movie

Junie's Big Week

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Yummy! My first tofu! I even got some in my mouth!

On my way to the cat food. Race you!

Ok, maybe I shouldn't pull the cat's tail but why does Papa keep calling me Scarface?

Organizing Papa's cd collection.

Whew. That was exhausting! What a week!

Truckin'

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:35:00 +0000

On the weekend of February 21, 2009 The Bug mastered the art of crawling after weeks of butt wiggles and face-plants. Why do I feel like I am going to spend the next 17 years chasing after her?

Snot

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Junie came down with her first cold last week. I think we got off pretty easy. After all, she is already 8 months old and this is her very first time being sick! Mom must have some super antibodies in that boob-juice. Junie handled it all pretty well. It was little more than sniffles and a cough really, but as first time parents we were on red alert. It kept her up a few nights (a little more than usual) and made her pretty fussy but overall she handled it all without too much trouble. I'm sure that in her mind just about the worst part was having Mom and Dad wipe her nose all the time. But even that was better than the dreaded nasal aspirator. This is a suction bulb with a pointed tip that you stick up baby's nose to suck out the snot. Junie saw it as some nefarious form of medieval baby torture. Holding her down while Mama sucked out her nasal passages was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. But it was better than leaving her to look like this all the time.

I guess some of that is food but you get the point.

Oh, btw, Junie learned to crawl last weekend! I am currently working on some video footage to show off her new skills so stay tuned!

And an extra special shout out to our friend Lauren who looked after The Bug last weekend so Mama and Papa could get a few hours out of the house together. It was a much needed mini-vacation! Thanks Lauren!

The Sweet Spot

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:12:00 +0000

We found the sweet spot!

ABCs

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Update!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:12:00 +0000

We got the computer back from the shop again. While I still don't totally trust that we are totally fixed I am hopeful. At the very least here is a recent pic to whet your appetite for things to come.

The weather is slowly starting to improve here in Seattle and my condition is improving to the point where I need to be walking more to increase my strength. On a recent family jaunt we brought Junie to a local playground a few blocks from our house (and conveniently located on the way home from the coffee-shop). We put her on the swings and it was one of those magical moments that you savor as parent. Watching her face go from confusion to panic to elation was beautiful! We have taken her back a few times since then. She get sooooooo excited when she sees the swing-set. She starts bouncing up and down in her stroller and going "Oo, oo, oo!" like a little monkey. Once we get her in the swing she is all smiles. She tries to talk to anyone in eyeshot, especially the baby in the swing next to her, to tell them about this awesome new thing she has discovered. I'm sure she can't wait to tell you too!

Kernel Panic

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Computer is back in the shop again. I guess it wasn't fixed after all. :(

Yum!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Junie is eating solid food these days. At least she is eating whatever of it happens to end up in her mouth.

Remember, you can click on most of these pix to see large, high res versions. If you are looking to download them and print them, make sure you use the big image!

Junie is off to play at her friend Gus's house today since her normal baby sitter is sick and she is way to big to go to work with Mama! Thanks Amy!

Those eyes! I love those eyes!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Back in Business!

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:15:00 +0000

That is right ladies and gentlemen, our computer has been fully repaired (it was a burned out power supply and a corrupted hard drive) and is back in service! So now we are all set to start send out pictures again and putting exciting movies up on YouTube! Stay tuned!

Crash

noreply@blogger.com (First Time Dad) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

No. Not that crash.

After vowing to update more often, I have encountered another set back. Our computer seems to have died. We have a back up machine that will let us check our email and Perez Hilton and stuff but it simply can't handle the photos and video. It is too bad too. I took some video tonight of Junie eating her first solid food that will make you plotz.

Anyway. I guess 2008 is still teaching us to be patient. (Isn't this freaking year over yet??!!!)

Happy half-birthday, Junie. We love you.