Sometimes A Thousand Words Are Better

Poop.

You do it. I do it. The birds, bees, and whales do it. "It" happens.

Let's talk about baby poop. Baby poop is a completely different kind of substance than yours and mine. Neither solid or liquid, it somewhere in between. Kind of like quicksand. It can move at incredible speeds when under high pressure. And it always seems to be under high pressure. It can leave indelible stains on clothing, furniture, animals.

For all of the negatives there is a positive - well, at least for right now. Baby poop does not smell. Does not smell BAD.

Since poop is the only thing TJ is actually doing now, it becomes a valid topic of conversation. There are no report cards, recitals, artwork to brag about. Just poop.

I love my little boy. TJ is a pooping machine. You can see it coming. A look of, dare I say, concentration; then his face turns bright red, and then an audible sound that is similar to ketchup being squirted out of bottle. The sound can and will wake you out of a dead slumber. You would almost expect to see the diaper billow just a little. And then, I swear I saw this the other day, a smile. You are amazed and awed, and when in public, a little embarrassed (hmm, must take after the other parent).

For the first two and a half weeks TJ's poop looked like mustard. Golden brown mustard. You think, jeez, what does Lisa eat? How does breast milk turn into, into - this? Then earlier this week something happened. Instead of mustard we got relish. Relish; again what is Lisa eating? Green, speckled relish like material. What is this kid, a condiment dispenser? When he makes salsa, I'm outta here.

You almost want to take a picture and post it.

I can't imagine what cloth diaper families go through, and land fills be damned on this one, I don't mind disposable diapers. Lisa, has purchased a wide array of liquid cleaners, bleaches, and soaps to get clothes, furniture, and animals clean again. It's a full time job.

Have a great weekend! Hope you laughed. (Your baby poop stories are welcome comments...)

Your Weekly Dose Of Awww....

Here are some pictures!

Lisa is reading a book (about dogs) to TJ and Poly.







Aunt Linda comes to town!







Thoughtful sleeper?







Early attempts at humor.

Go, Dad!

Last night was a big night out for us. Last night we all went down to Stewart Park, in Ithaca for the Twilight 5k Road Race. The race began at 7:00 and took a loop through the park, next to Cayuga Lake, and back to the Ithaca High School where the race began.

I convinced my office buddy to join me in this competition with a, "come on, it will be fun." I enlisted two of our brand new officers to come with us with the promise of beers at the finish line. I then turned to Lisa - the last to know - to come out.

This turned out to be no small task. In order to race at 7:00, we needed to be at the track by 6:30. In order to be at the track we needed to be in the park by 6:00. Of course we needed to get Sam, bring Linda (Lisa's sister visiting from Missouri), and run to the car dealership. In other words, our little trip to the park has us leaving the house at 4:00.

Lisa, ever the perfectionist, was just not ready to make such a long, public appearance. And it showed. The baby was hungry, we didn't bring enough food, TJ was fussy. Too much, too soon. Yet, Lisa put on a good face to everyone but me, and went along.

The race began and I got the bug. I have been running in 5k, 10k, and even 15k races for almost 13 years. Nothing exceptional, just fun to challenge myself. In my "prime" I finished in the top 10% of my age group and even place third in my age group - once. Each time I get on the start line I get that same adrenaline rush to want to go. I mean GO! I apologized to my friend and the LTs that I wasn't going to run with them as a group. The gun sounded and I tore off.

In the middle of the race I came through the park and their was my very own cheering section; Lisa, Samantha, Linda, and the Miller family all yelling for me to run. Since I had just been passed by a woman with a few years on me, I felt compelled to move faster. I looped through the park and they were still there waving and taking the above picture.

As I left them for the last mile and a half, Samantha's voice was loud and clear, "Go, Dad!". My family was there for me. It lifted my spirits and my pace for the rest of the race.

I finished a not-too-shabby 21:19 for 3.1 miles - just a smidge under seven minutes per mile (and 7th for my age group). The others finished in their own times and we went back to the park for food, beers, stories, and sweaty hugs.

Go, Dad!

Happy Fathers Day!

Dear Daddy,

I know I can't type just yet. I know that I can't even speak just yet either. But take a moment and imagine if I could, this is what I would say to you on your first fathers day with me in the world.

I am the luckiest boy in the world to be born and have a father like you. In just my ten days in this world I have heard you make funny rhymes, sing me songs, and make changing my diaper as easy as can be. You are a master swaddler. You make me feel safe, loved, and secure.

I have also had the opportunity in the past 10 days to experience the love that you give to my sister, Samantha and my mom, Lisa. Wow! You are an amazing dad and husband to them as well. You have devoted this past week to cooking and cleaning and entertaining Grandma. You have made time for Samantha to make sure that she feels that she is an important part of this family too. You have done so much to make my entry into this world as effortless for my mom and fun for me! Your character and love for your family is truly shining through.

Growing up with you as my dad is going to be an adventure. I can tell. I look forward to the years to come, Dad. I am one lucky guy.

Love,
TJ

Mom Upside Down Is Wow

I know that I have often said that I am a lucky man to have married Lisa, but will you just look at this picture of her? Nine days after TJ was born Lisa is looking amazing getting ready to take the little guy for a walk.

Betty flew home this morning. It was great to have her with us to provide extra support to our ranks. Now it is just "us". By "us" I mean Lisa and I - against the little one. I'm not being mean, but trying to take on all this work alone is tough. Raising children is (and should be) mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing. The news is full of stories where parents cannot provide the basics of love and support for their children. You need to be a team, like wrestling, you need to tag out from time to time...and win. I joke with Lisa that it's us against "him" and that keep our sanity and sense of humor requires us to be successful more often than not in the responsibility of raising our son. That goes for our daughter, too. The fights with Sam are much more sophisticated since she is 9 1/2 years old. Some she wins - like her choice of music. Some we win - like chores and shower time.

Lisa has been amazing with Sam as another parent. Not merely a step parent, but a role model and influence for Samantha. Now she is showing that same grace, love, and patience with TJ.

Wow indeed.

Baby's First Outing

Tuesday marked TJ's first check-in with the doctor and a visit with a lactation consultant. Rich and I had also thought that since we were going to go all the way into Ithaca for this appointment, we could also stop off at Best Buy and Target to get a few "wouldn't it be nice" items.

It was a big day for us all. For the doctor's visit, I had a list of questions I had been keeping in an ever adorable journal that I have decided to keep for notes such as these. I had packed my new diaper bag with all of the things I thought I could ever need to go to the doctor. I had filled out all of the "new patient" forms ahead of time so we would not waste precious time doing that once at the doctors.

That morning, I was determined to do things "right". Rich and I tagged teamed with the showers and I was excited to put on clothes that made me feel "normal" again. I even put on a bit of make up and mascara. I got TJ dressed in his "first outing outfit"-- ok there was never a special outfit designated for this day, but I did take the extra effort to get him into a cute onesie with matching booties and a little cap. And yes, the blanket we used coordinated too.

Needless to say, I felt pretty prepared for this big day. And to top it all off, we left the house on time and got to the doctor's office with time to spare. I was impressing myself with all of this motherhood stuff. I can do this with style, I thought.

Now mind you, I think that my control freak side has manifested in this way because I have experienced a bit of helplessness with TJ. The day before was a very long day in which TJ had some major gas issues and was rather cranky. I was not so confident with how I was breast feeding, if my milk had come in, and if I was doing things right. I was nervous that TJ was not getting enough to eat. He had not not pooped in a day and from what I could tell he did not urinate either. This concerned me greatly and I had no idea what to do about it. All I knew to do was get everything else ready for baby's first outing.

Upon arrival at the doctor's office Rich and I went to check in. Rich was holding the car seat with TJ inside snug as a bug and looking so cute. As he was swinging our child back and forth, TJ let out a large-- well, how does one describe it? Let's just say it was a loud "ppfthhhhhhhhhh" that clearly indicated he finally made his poop we had all been looking for. Rich and I looked at each other and giggled. I remarked, "guess we do not need to ask that question of the doctor today."

We checked in without a fuss and we were waiting for our appointment. We decided it would be best for me to quickly take TJ into the bathroom to do a diaper change and get him ready to meet the doctor. Upon getting him out of the car seat, I quickly learned that the deafening sound we heard moments before was in direct proportion to the quantity of thick substance that was oozing out of his diaper and making a puddle on his lap. Talk about the irony of my next statement, "oh crap!"

I whisked TJ to the bathroom with Rich quickly behind me. It was EVERYWHERE! His cute blue booties, his puppy blanket, his onesie, his car seat, and all over him. Imagine the chaos: parents frantically trying to clean up the mess, baby wailing at the top of his lungs, poop now all over the changing table. Yet through it all Rich and I were laughing up a storm. How could we not? This was downright comical.

We quickly exhausted the handful of wipes I packed in the bag. Rich went out to get more from the nurses. Upon return to the bathroom he asked where the change of clothes was. "Change of what?" I remarked. Was I supposed to bring a change of clothes too? Oops! Lost mom style points on that one. Poor kid had nothing to wear and no extra blanket. Ahhh, experiential learning at its finest. THIS is why you always bring an extra change of clothes. I get it now!

Thankfully, I remembered that I had a pack of onesies out in the car that I was planning on returning. I had thought prior to this day that we just had too many for his first three months of life. Why would we need more? Ha! I laugh at my naivety now. How wrong I was. So Rich ran out to the car, got the new onesies. TJ Brown was not going to be a naked baby after all.

So the moral of this story for me is threefold 1) Things will happen in their own due time and when they do, expect the unexpected. 2) It is so important to find the humor in every parenting situation-- having a good partner makes it so much easier to laugh things off and 3) Shit happens. . . pack a onesie!

Let's Face It - You Just Want Pictures

Sam holds her baby brother.








A proud dad.











Grandma gets a turn.

Classic

TJ: WHAHHHHH!!!!!!

Mommy: Shhh, sweet little baby.

Sam: Make it stop!

The Colors of Pregnancy

(There are many way I could use to describe the wonder of the birth of our son. This is one I hope makes sense)

Tan. The color of hot, fresh, coffee with 2% milk. When Lisa made my coffee the way I like it and brought it up to me I knew that at moment, in the early morning hours of Thursday, that it was time to get up and get going.

Blue. The color of a crystal clear sky looking down upon the waters of Cayuga Lake. From our room we were able to watch the sky turn from its early morning hue of light blue to a rich, full blue of a hot, late spring day.

White. The color of Lisa's knuckles as a contraction came. Lisa, standing and hunched over the bed, grabbed the sheets and breathed through the pain. Its also the color of the crisp, bleached sheets that she was holding on to. As the color returned to her hands I knew that the peak had passed and it was time for her to rest up for the next one.

Gold. The color of Lisa's hair, down and in her face, lost in a contraction. Hair stuck to her forehead that I would wipe away from her ears for her and gently spoke into to give her words of encouragement throughout the day.

Crimson. The color of Lisa's face during the deep breaths and hard pushes as she struggled to get TJ out. Not one contraction was easier than the other and each one brought this deep color of pain, effort, and concentration.

Red. The color of blood that always is associated with childbirth. It is the blood that connected Lisa and TJ for her pregnancy and gave him life while safely in her womb. It is the color that shot from the umbilical cord when the midwife gave me the scissors to cut it.

Light Olive. The color of TJ, who entered the world mercurial and was slightly green from floating in his first baby poop. Or maybe it was the fact that he wasn't breathing right away - for the first 45 seconds at least.

Pink. The color of TJ, about one minute after he took his first breath. The color of health and life, and cute little babies. A color that had it's own glow to it. A color that rose with each breath and cry.

A picture of labor in full, living color.

The First Good Story

There are a lot of great stories when children are born. Here is the first good story of TJ's life.

(This is recounted with thanks to Samantha's mother)

Sam was really excited after she left the hospital last night. She talked about the baby and asked questions until bed time.

This morning her mother unexpectedly overslept. She woke with a start, imagining having to wake Samantha and get her off to school late.

Sam's mom checked the room to find Sam wasn't in it. She proceeded to go down stairs where Sam was in the kitchen. The cat had been fed. Sam had finished her homework. She had made herself breakfast. She was dressed and ready for school.

When questioned about this (wonderful) behavior she replied that now that she was a big sister she had to be more responsible.

I hold Sam in high regard as a daughter and a young adult. Now - as a big sister - she continues to amaze me.

Sweet Sweet TJ Brown and Beautiful Mommy

Here are the first pictures of TJ, just moments after being born.

Welcome to the World Thomas Jacob (TJ) Brown

My son, welcome to the world.

You were born on June 7th, 2007 at 6:50 pm. You weighed 7 lbs 10 onces and was 21 inches long.

Your mom labored for many hours to bring you into this world. We made a great team during your delivery and will continue to be a team for your entire life.

You are handsome. It's fair to say you are a little eggheaded and you one ear is a little, um, squiggly. However, your nose is cute, your eyes are blue(ish), and your face is full and round.

It was a great day to enter the world!

Today was a beautiful day. The room where you were delivered overlooked Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, New York. There were sailboats out on the water as the sun glistened high above. It was warm and the heat of the mid morning sun burned off the cold, cold temperatures from the morning.

You met your sister within the first hour of your life. She was awestruck and a little speechless when she first saw you. Sure, she turned into a typical nine year old within a minute, but you could see that the title of "big sister" became a reality - a reality she seemed to embrace.

You were born 365 days since the passing of your name sake, my father and your grandfather, Thomas Brown. If your mother and I can raise you to be as good of a man as he was, and as good of men as he raised your Uncle Andy and I - then we will truly be blessed. Son, I miss my dad very much and look forward to carrying on both is name and his memory with you.

Today was a great day.

I love you, my Son, TJ.

Off We Go

At 3:30 am Lisa woke me. "How much do you want to be part of this process?" she asked? Without committing to a response I asked why. The contractions were now here - every six minutes or so.

Maybe I can get some more sleep. After all the team is no good if the coach is cranky.

At 3:35 am Lisa woke me. Swear words were uttered. Uh-oh, this is going to be a long day.

I need coffee. Lisa was up and was not going to rest again. She volunteered to make the coffee while I rousted from bed.

At 4:15 am Lisa woke me. "Here's your coffee. Nice job, way to be a coach," her voice laced with bemusement and sarcasm. "I made it extra strong for you. I'm taking a shower."

I need sleep. And if Lisa is off to the shower...

At 5:10 am Lisa woke me. "How was that coffee?" The coffee was now room temperature.

Lisa described her contractions to me. Wow, this is it. It wasn't time to run to the hospital just yet. We were able to get up, shower, eat something, make more coffee, and get ready. There is a calm between us - panic has not set in - although the nerves are tingly.

It's 6:20 am. The mid wives have been called.

Stay tuned.

June Bug

Maybe baby we're having a May baby...

Or not.

May 31st slid by on the calendar with little fanfare but lots of anticipation - but I don't want to belabor the subject of w-a-i-t-i-n-g (alright - that was a bad pun). June 1st came and went. We really hadn't given thought to the baby being born in June. Nope, not at all.

Lisa's mom arrived from Florida thinking that there would already be grandmotherly things to do but alas, she is waiting along with us. The weekend came and went too. I had Reserves and drove an hour and a half in the opposite direction of the hospital. I had a feeling that everything would be okay if I went and sure enough it was.

June bug baby.

June brings up two dates this week that would be interesting days to have TJ. The first is June 5th, Lisa's birthday. Initially she was not too happy to "share" her special day with someone else. Now, Lisa is pretty sure that it would be a great birthday present for her for our son to come into the world. That and the "free birthday dessert" night would be fun down the road a few years from now!

The other date is June 8th, the year anniversary of the death of my dad. Lisa and I went round and round over the baby's name before deciding (begrudgingly on her part) for Thomas Jacob. Thomas is dad's first name. How wonderful in an eerie way would it be for my father's namesake to be born a year after he died? I miss that old man and think of him all of the time.

If I had to place a bet I'd go for June 8th - dad is behind this.

Whatever the day - we are still ready, already!