Noses and Hands and Butts...Oh My!

Okay, here we go.

Noses - another cold, more runny noses and lots of snot (eewww...).
Hands - Bailey has learned to clap (yeah...and we say yeah with the clapping. It's all very confusing, especially for Bailey). She claps her hands with the most serious expression and sometimes one of confusion. I don't think that she has figured out "why" we clap.
Butts - that butt is still waggling in the air, trying to crawl (sooo close). It is very cute to watch, but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep up with her zooming around the house (hey, isn't that what dog runs are for???).
 
Tammie and I got a much needed "Baby-Free Day" yesterday. We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival with Brad and Katie. (You have no idea what I had to go through to get that picture. I got a "stern talking-to" from the owners of the shop we were in about the "courtesy" of asking to take pictures within their shop. Mind you, I never took pictures of their artwork or jewelry they were selling, nor was this sign even for sale...It was just a sign...a stupid, yet clever sign that I wanted to share with my friends and family...go figure.) Aside from the anaphylactic shock and the "stern talking-to", it was a great day. And in reality, the anaphylactic shock (once we were sure Brad would survive) made for some pretty interesting conversations as well. Brad is allergic to nuts, and without thinking (without ANY of us thinking...we all know he's allergic) Brad bought baklava at the Greek market and we let him eat it. Needless to say, we quickly made our way to the First Aid station soon after. 

Three Benadryls later, Brad was drunk without ever having a drink. He survived (else the story wouldn't be humorous) and proceeded to hold entire conversations in a very sleepy, slurring kind of way. He even stayed awake on the way home (which is more than I can say for either of the ladies...) and we retired to our seperate abodes to get some rest after a great trip (yes...we went and got Bailey from her Grandparents. It was a "Baby-Free Day," not a baby-free weekend. Oh stop complaining...we missed her all day. We bought her presents and talked about having her with us next year, so stop thinking we were bad parents. All of you out there with kids should remember what it is like, and how happy you were when you too had a "Baby-Free Day." 

Sorry for the rant...)

More good news as well. I've finished updating our Picasa Photo Albums. I am still working on pulling the backlog of videos off of the camera, but I have now arranged the photos by the months in which they were taken. I'll try to post the previous months photos on the first weekend of every month (if not every couple of weeks) and I've set myself a schedule of updating this blog every Saturday (or Sunday if I happen to be at the RenFest...or marching competition...or Region Band auditions...or a birthday party...or hungover...). Check back often and please share your comments both here and in the photo album. One day I would like to share these with Bailey so that she can get to know everyone who has watched her grow up.

Take care everyone.

So Close, and Yet So Far

With school in full swing (and my coworker out on maternity leave...yeah), things have been a little busy around here. My apologies for not updating on a regular basis. I am going to try and set up a specific day of the week that I update blogs and photos (but please don't bug me about when...I'll get it when I get it. You'll be the first to know).

Bailey has been growing like a weed and developing a personality that is just too much. We are almost crawling (almost, but not yet. I've made the mistake of "helping" her along...she face planted into the floor...started crying...made me feel bad...). For a baby that hated being on her stomach, Bailey now rolls herself onto her belly and pushes herself up to look over the rails of her crib. She actually sleeps on her stomach most nights, and has developed a habit of sticking her butt up into the air (you would never guess that Eeyore was her favorite toy, would you). We've even had a few times of being up on her hands and knees at the same time, but only briefly.

Solid foods are going well, but are very, VERY messy. We are going to have to start stripping her down naked before we feed her. At least then we can just hose her down (calm down...we're not going to hose down Bailey. We only do that to the dogs...and Max LOVES  it).

Daycare is going well, but I still hate dropping her off in the morning. Bailey does love going to Miss Ruby's, mainly because she now has a best friend. Bailey and Miss Ruby's granddaughter, Alexandra, love to play and talk together. Alex will be 12 months next week, but Bailey is still bigger than her. The two of them are fun to watch together. They talk and smile at one another. The other morning, Alex was in the back room napping with her grandfather. I had picked Bailey up out of her car seat, and it was all I could do to hold onto her. She was wiggling and squirming to look over my shoulder to see if Alex was in her Pack-and-Play. When she wasn't, she looked at Miss Ruby with a "Well, where is she?" look on her face.

The holidays are fast approaching and we hope to see everyone soon. Please keep in touch and I will try to be better about updates.  

Oops...forgot about Halloween!!! 

The Saga of Bathing Eeyore

Old parents and new parents will be able to empathize with this scenario...a favorite stuffed animal, a dirty floor, lots of slobber.

Bailey's favorite toy is her stuffed doll Eeyore, and after almost 9 months he was filthy. The ears and tail were crusty with slobber and goo, Eeyore's nose was turning gray (even more gray than normal), and things were looking rather gross. It was time to wash the doll...the doll that says "DO NOT WASH."  What on earth were we going to do?

Well, we washed her...

And everything was just fine. There really was no "saga" of Eeyore, I just needed a dramatic title since I had not posted in a while. Bailey, mom and dad are all doing fine. Mom and dad are very busy with school so it has been difficult to keep up with the blog entries. Bailey has learned how to roll over and it is now her favorite passtime (pretty amazing for a baby that HATED to be on her stomach just a couple of months ago). She is learning how to get her knees under herself and starting to push herself up into a "crawling" posture (it's only a matter of time now until she driving...Lord help us!). 

Bailey has become a good eater of solid foods (if you can count mashed and mushed fruits and veggies "solid") and she still enjoys going to Miss Rubies for the day. I still hate to leave her in the mornings, but at least I know that she is happy at daycare and is having a good time (except when she gets bit by other kids...only happened once, but that was enough). We are very close to "dada" now...she is saying the word (usually as "dadadadadada," but it's good enough for me), but I don't think that she has associated the word with the person. Soon enough...

More later. I'll try to keep up a little better with the posts. Marching season is almost over, so I should be getting a bit of my life back then. Oh, and we bought her a Halloween costume. You are going to LOVE it!!! 

Long Time, No Post

Wow! It's been a long time since I've been here to post. Lots of things have been happening and there hasn't been hardly any time to update you. So, instead of an uber long post, I'll give you the condensed, "I don't have time to read a long post" version...

Brent:
School has started and the first game is over with. Too many kids and not enough teachers (literally... Hutto was even considering closing the 2nd middle school and combining the two to fix the problem), schedule is a freakin' mess (but will hopefully be fixed soon... I might even get a break this time around) and I'm exhausted.

Tammie:
School has started and she's swamped with learning how to be a middle school teacher. So far, so good! Crazy parents, crazy kids... you know how it goes. Good news: she likes her coworkers and principals (and her classroom ROCKS!).

And now who you're really here for...Bailey:
Bailey met her Great Grandma and Grandpa Burke a couple of weeks ago and took her first trip to California (and the wine country, and San Fransisco... hey, we needed a vacation too). She did very well traveling, aside from the flight over in which a very rude individual in front of her decided he needed to recline his seat right in Bailey's face (bastard!). The flight back was way better, and during our short layover in Phoenix, we discovered that Bailey was getting her first tooth (yeah tooth!).

Shortly after returning home, Bailey started cutting her second tooth (yeah teeth!) and started back to daycare with Miss Rubie. She has been doing great at daycare and getting lots of praise for her good behavior.

Now the rest (in rapid succession...):

1. Bailey got a cold (again...);
2. Mommy and Daddy changed her formula;
3. Bailey gets cranky and constipated;
4. Mommy and Daddy get cranky (but not constipated...);
5. Labor Day weekend approaches;
6. Bailey goes berserk;
• cries at 3 or 4am and can't be consolled;
• cries all day and can't be consolled;
• cries when trying to poop;
• cries when she does poop;
• cries when she goes down for a nap;
• cries when she wakes up from a nap;
• keeps Mom and Dad awake until 1:45am crying;
• doesn't want to be put down in her crib;
• has to cry herself to sleep, because nothing (absolutely nothing) will make her happy;
• wakes up several times during the night to cry for no apparent reason;
7. Labor Day morning, Bailey wakes up unhappy;
8. Has a full bottle and makes a poop (without crying!);
9. Mom and Dad realize that Bailey was probably hungry last night (hence the reason that she was soooooo unhappy);
10. Bailey goes down for a nap (in her crib) without crying once;
11. Mom and Dad feel like a tool (Google it if you don't know what a tool is... it's bad!).

Damn I wish we knew what we were doing...

The End is Nigh...

     Pronunciation:  \ˈnī\

     Function:  adverb

     Etymology:  Middle English, from Old English nēah; akin to Old High German nāh, adverb, nigh, preposition, nigh, after, Old Norse nā- nigh

     Date:  before 12th century 

          1 : near in place, time, or relationship —often used with on, onto, or unto  

          2 : nearly, almost

 

Yes, that time is here...time for summer to end and school to begin. I've actually started summer band (a week and a half ago) and Tammie will start with inservice/training tomorrow morning. That can mean only ONE thing...

 

Bailey is headed to daycare!!!

 

Tammie and I keep telling ourselves, "Things will be okay; this will be good for her; she'll learn how to socialize with other kids and have a good time..." Yada, yada, yada.

 

Truth be told, neither of us really wants to believe this. Life would be so much simpler if one (or better yet, both) of us could just stay home and take care of our little girl. After all, we've spent the most time with her. We know her habits, wants, and needs. We know her routine and schedules. Who better to take care of her?

 

So the call is going out. Anyone with a large disposable income that doesn't mind giving it away so that Tammie and/or I can stay home and take care of the precious and beautiful baby that you all are enjoying, please contact me either through this blog or with a phone call (you've got the numbers). The phone lines are open and operators (Brent and Tammie) are standing by to take your call. Don't wait. This opportunity is going fast (but we'll still take your money even if you aren't the first, or even second, third, etc... to call).   

Green Poop and a Long Car Ride

Strange title? Strange trip. Let's start from the beginning...

We are in East Texas this morning, in Livingston, for a surprise birthday party for my grandmother (boy, is she going to be mad!). Tammie and I left Austin yesterday to begin this long car ride, and it was all that and more. Over four hours in the car with a ticked off baby who didn't want to be in the carseat from the start. We made a couple of stops along the way and actually had to feed Bailey in her car seat as we drove, but nothing would seem to please her. Bailey cried and carried on, and Tammie and I thought she was just tired and couldn't go to sleep. It was a couple of hours past her bed time, so what else could it be?

Well, turns out it was poop... and lots of it!!! (It was green, too. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but Tammie seemed enthralled by it...) Not just lots of poop, but a diaper blowout to boot. (Enter the Parental guilt...) For some reason it didn't occur to us to check. In our defense, it was a backside blowout, so we really couldn't see it. And there wasn't that "pleasant" aroma wafting up from her diaper until we actually took the diaper off (so don't give us a hard time...we feel guilty enough without your help!).

A bath and diaper change later, and everything is okay... yeah right!

Bailey then decided she did not want to sleep at ALL last night. She laid in her crib for a few minutes, screamed. Picked her up and calmed her down, put her down, screamed. Enter the cycle that was Friday night. At one point I put her in bed with me (no, Tammie was not on the outs with me...there were two beds. Note to newly married couples: when there are two beds in the hotel room, DO NOT SQUEEZE BOTH OF YOU ONTO ONE. Enjoy the freedom of a bed to yourself...it won't last.), Bailey calmed down and went to sleep. Stupid me, I then put her back into her crib...screamed! Finally, around 3:45 in the morning, Tammie put Bailey in her bed. Everyone went to sleep and got a least a couple of hours, but Tammie, being a light sleeper, woke up everytime Bailey moved. Apparently she does that a lot in her sleep (she gets that from her dad).

We're awake and getting ready for this party. Oh what fun we're going to have...maybe there will be naptime?   

The End is Here

Went back to work today...

left Bailey at home...

9 am to 5 pm...

major depression...


Swollen little toe...

pain in outside of foot...

gout looming...

uber suck...

Girl About the Town

Well, it would appear that Bailey is already much more popular that her parents (as if you didn't know that already). Bailey was invited to not one, but TWO parties today (with her parents in tow, of course...).

Bailey's first appointment was with her mother's coworkers (former to be precise). The two of them were invited to brunch to celebrate the birthdays of some of Tammie's friends (dad was not invited...humph!). From what I understand, Bailey was a sweet girl (as always) and behaved especially well. The only problem was when she got home...she smelled like bacon! The party was a brunch with what I'm guessing was A LOT of bacon being fried (good thing I love bacon...oh, and Bailey...).

After a quick beauty nap, all three of us headed to Hutto for a gathering with my new coworkers. Again, Bailey was sweet and well mannered baby. Tammie even took her to the pool when her dad and coworkers had to talk shop. Tammie says that she enjoyed looking around the pool and even put her feet in the water (at which point she pulled them straight back up out of the water). After a time at the pool it was time for little Bay to crash, so we headed on home. A bottle later (and quite a bit of talking as well) Bailey is sleeping off a very eventful day.

Must be tough being popular...

Eight Days and Counting

That's it...eight short, short days until I have to go back to work. Tammie has a few extra, but not many. That means just one thing...

Bailey has to go to daycare.

I went and met our daycare lady yesterday. Ms. Ruby is what the kids call her and she is very nice. All of the kids seemed well taken care of and loved on. The entire time we were there she had one of the little kids on her lap and was still serving out hugs to the others.

I don't fear sending Bailey to daycare with Ms. Ruby. We had a wonderful recommendation from someone we trust implicitly, and every parent that Tammie has contacted about Ms. Ruby has sung her praises. The problem that Tammie and I are having is this...it won't be either of us taking care of her for a LARGE portion of the day. I know that I'm lucky being a teacher. I've gotten to spen an entire summer with Bailey at home and I've gotten to love on her all day, everyday. And all that is about to come to an end

They say being a parent is hard. The sleepless nights and the long bouts of crying are hard, it's true. But sending her to daycare is the absolute hardest...

A Genius in the Making

Come on...everyone already knew that Bailey would be a genius, but now we have evidence.

This evening I was feeding Bailey some rice cereal (nasty stuff! Seriously, just taste it...). Towards the end of our feeding session Bailey started to get a little grumpy and started telling me that she had had enough (and I mean telling me. She screwed up her face and hollered). I (being the pushy person and demanding father I dreamed of being) kept at it, determined that she was going to finish. Well, Bailey decided to give in and let me win, but with one little twist...

Bailey actually grabbed the spoon that was in my hand and started to feed herself! No kidding... I mean, I was still holding onto the spoon and kind of directing it so that she didn't hurt herself, but she really was (trying, at least) to feed herself. She would put the spoon in her mouth, close her lips around it, and remove the spoon. I thought that maybe this was just a accident...a fluke. So I loaded up the spoon with some more cereal and she did it again. She still needs to work on the concept that, once you've put the spoon in your mouth and eaten what's on it, then you have to put more food on the spoon (but come on...lets not get ahead of ourselves. At least she was feeding herself). Bailey just kept putting the spoon in her mouth over-and-over again. But at least she cleaned everything off the spoon.

As I said...GENIUS!!! 

It's Nice to Visit, But it's Good to be Home

Tammie, Bailey and I just got back from a visit to Bay City and her Grandparents (well not just back; we got back yesterday, but it feels like just...). The Acuff Family Get-together went well, even if Bailey was a bit fussy most of the day. Actually, Bailey would get fussy after a few minutes of being passed around, then would be happy when I took her back to our room. I think that there were too many people and too much excitement for her (and I can't blame her. There were too many people for me as well. Don't get me wrong, I like my family. But pack 25-30 people in just a couple of rooms and throw in some rambunctious kids, and you'll have a recipe to scramble anyone's brains).

As I said, Bailey did well, but I think was relieved whenever it was only mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa at the end of the night. However, the constant amount of stimulation caused Bailey to not sleep very well that night (and in conjunction, neither did mom or dad), so everyone (in the front bedroom at least) was a little drained (and somewhat cranky) the next morning (I know there are a lot of asides in that last sentence. Forgive me...). There was some good news that came around that morning. Tammie and I have started introducing Bailey to solid foods (if you consider mushy rice cereal solid) with little, if any success. Sour faces and a messy baby were all that greeted us. Until Sunday morning...

I still think that she was just showing off for her grandparents, but Bailey actually ate almost all of her cereal. And I mean ate! There were very little food that actually got on her (well, on her bib. We aren't such gluttons for punishment that we wouldn't put a bib on first!), in fact I would say it was probably less than a teaspoon full. How awesome is that! (Isn't it ironic that for a baby, everyone is excited and think it is funny when they try to eat and fail, ultimately causing massive amounts of food to cover their table, clothes, themselves and even the people around them. But if an adult, or even older kid did the same thing...)

Excitement ensued and soon we were packing the car to head home. Once on the road, another interesting (and for a short time disturbing) incident occurred. Normally Bailey falls asleep as soon as the car starts moving. She did this yesterday, but after about 40 minutes (and a pit stop for gas; $3.79...woohoo!), she woke up. At first there was talking, then screaming (hence the disturbing reference). After a few minutes, Bailey calmed down. Now for the interesting part. For the next two and a half hours, Bailey never fell back asleep, nor did she get real upset either. In fact, we got home at 7:30pm, and Bailey still didn't go to sleep. She had a bottle and a bath, and finally at 8:45pm we put her in bed and she crashed.

And crash she did. That girl slept, without making a sound or waking up, until 7:15am the next morning (insert refrain from the Hallelujah chorus here. You know the one, from Handel's Messiah...best sleep you'll ever get!). Ten and one-half hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Too bad mom and dad came down with insomnia last night...

What Baby Wants, Baby Gets

Who knew that what baby would want is for her dad to be sitting up awake at night...waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Take at look at the time this gets posted. Yup, sometime after 1:15 am (yes, that's in the morning). We had a terrible night last night for some odd reason. Bailey kept waking up every half hour to an hour (if we were really lucky, and hour and fifteen minutes) and screaming. No, I don't mean she was fussy because she woke up...I mean screaming! This pattern continued throughout the day and there was nothing that I or Tammie could do to comfort her. I was a wreck and I hate to admit it, but I was overwhelmingly relieved when Tammie finally got home after running some errands (I know that probably makes me a "bad father," but all of you parents out there remember back to the time that your baby was crying uncontrollably).

Finally (and I'm not really sure how) we got Bailey to calm down enough to go to bed. The poor dear was exhausted and hadn't slept very much since almost six the day before. We swaddled her and put her down around 8:30, and she has been asleep ever since. There was only one time that she woke up and we had to go into her room.

So why am I awake? I'm nervous...I'm waiting for her to start crying again...I can't stop thinking about what made her have such a bad night and day (please don't be teething...please! Tammie and I are worried that this could be the start of her new set of teeth). So here I sit, unable or unwilling to turn off my brain long enough to get some much needed sleep. Everyone else is, the dogs included...

Spamalot...I say Funalot!!!

I...love...Spamalot!

If you are a fan of British humor or anything Monty Python, then you have got to go and see Spamalot. Tammie got me tickets to the show in Fort Worth for our anniversary. We made arrangements for child care (thank you Billy and Tyfanny) and headed up north.

Aside from high gas prices (yikes!) our only other concern was, well, Bailey. So far we have not had very good luck leaving Bailey with babysitters at night (during the day, fine. At night, "no-way-Jose!"). So Tam and I decided to try something new. We drove up earlier in the day and met with Uncle Billy. The plan was to let Uncle Billy play with her for a while and let her get accustomed to someone else taking care of her for a while. The results...

Success! (mostly) After dinner, Tammie and I headed out to the theater (insert bad British accent) and left Bailey with her aunt and uncle. There was just a little bit of crying, probably because she was hungry, then everything settled down. The only other hitch was that she wouldn't go to bed until Tammie and I got back from the theater (again...British accent).

The show was hilarious and Bailey was a good girl. Everything was a success and (I think) everyone had a good time. I'm sorry that Tammie and I didn't get to spend more time with Uncle Billy and Aunt Tyf, but Billy has way too much studying to do (good luck, Bill) and Tyfanny has got too much work to do (try not to get bit by anymore dogs...quick hands, quick hands).

So, my final recommendations...Spamalot is coming to Austin next March. Buy your tickets early (the shows were almost completely sold out before Tammie got us tickets) and have a great time. It is British humor and Monty Python at that, so be forewarned...it can be a bit raunchy at times.

Good God, We're in Fort Worth

I can't believe all of the cr--, stuff that we had to bring with us to Fort Worth. We'll be here for only one night...ONE NIGHT, and we had to pack our car to the gills with things for Bailey. Every time we tried to get out of the door, there was something else that we would think of that needed to go. This baby is only 4 1/2 months old, and she has THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF STUFF!!!

Holy smokes...

Another Doctor's Visit, Another Screaming Baby

Bailey had her "Well Child" 4-month checkup this last Thursday (it should have been a week ago, but Bailey was not a "well child). Everything checked out and Bailey was given a glowing review on her health and her growth. So, here are the numbers. At 4 months and 2-weeks old:

weight: 17 lbs and 11.5 oz (she is OFF the charts...weighs more than 100% of all babies her age);
height: 26 3/4 inches (again, she is off the charts and weighs more than 100% of all other babies her age);
head: 43 cm (yeah...we're on the chart! But it is still the 95th percentile, and we're catching up...).

It may seem that Bailey is a "big" girl, but she is healthy, she is not overweight, and all of her measurements are proportional to one another. In reality, she is just a BIG girl. Tammie and I went to a baby's one-year birthday party last night and were shocked to notice that, while all of the other babies were around 12 months old (at least one was 17 months), Bailey was almost as big as all of them at only 4 months.

I have a feeling that she is going to be a tall, TALL girl...

Bailey also got her second (or third if you count the hospital) set of shots on Thursday. Boy can she scream! At one point, she was trying so hard to scream that her mouth was open as wide as she could get it, but nothing was coming out (if you've ever read those novels in which they write, "His mouth opened in a silent scream...", well, that was Bailey). Poor girl was NOT happy at all, but I am happy to say that she calmed down pretty quickly afterwards. She doesn't like getting the shots and neither Tammie or I like taking her to get them, but if it will keep our little girl healthy, we'll dry her tears and hug and kiss her afterwards.

So That is What Sleep is Like

Bailey had a GREAT night last night. After our company had left for the evening (Bailey's Grandma and Grandpa Burke) we got her ready for bed. Tammie changed her into a clean diaper and I got to read her a couple of books. Max and Rosie joined in on the book reading (actually, they didn't read much. They're dogs, after all...they just joined Bailey and I in the rocker) and Bailey was happy, talking to the books and trying to turn the pages. Tammie put her down in her crib at about 9:30pm and swaddled her. We both then headed off to bed.

Fast forward 9 hours...

Bailey didn't wake up, moan, groan, or make a sound until 6:30am this morning. Both Tammie and I were confused and asked each other if either one of us had to get up in the middle of the night to put a paci back in. Nope! She didn't even get an arm out of her swaddling blanket (which is, of course, one of her favorite tricks to perform in the night). Another diaper change, another bottle, then Bailey and I played for a few minutes (had to give her time to make a dirty diaper). She talked and smiled and had a good time for about 10 minutes, then she wanted a diaper change and to be put back to bed.

I obliged, and she slept again from 7am until just after 9. In reality, the dogs got up before any of us. They let themselves out of their bed at around 9am, and came into our bedroom to let me know that they wanted to go outside. Again, I obliged.

Bailey woke up happy and talking. She actually woke Tammie and I up by talking and singing (loudly) from her bedroom. When I went to get her she was all smiles and giggles and has been that way all morning.

I love happy babies!

We've Learned a New Trick

Actually, the "we've" are my other kids...Max and Rosie. These two have decided over the last couple of mornings that Tammie and I are not getting out of bed early enough for their liking. So now they have decided that they will just let themselves out of bed.

Both Saturday and Sunday mornings, around 9am, either Max or Rosie have unzipped their kennel and both have quietly made their way into our bedroom. And when I say quietly, I mean it. Tammie and I are usually half asleep at that time and only remotely register the sound of little toenails on the Pergo floor in the hallway. Neither one of them barks and they don't run down the hall. They are simple out for a morning stroll and want to check in on us.

This is actually the fourth time that they done this. The first time was Rosie when she was sick and started scratching at the door to get our attention that she needed to go outside (didn't make it...sorry Rosie). The second time, Max was sick and he also scratched at the door to get our attention (again, didn't make it...sorry Max. I guess Tammie and I really need to pay more attention).

So know, one (or both) of the dogs have figured out, "Hey, if they are going to let us out, we'll just do it ourselves..." Neat trick; smart dogs! Now if I can just teach them how to open the door to the outside so that I don't have to get out of bed to let them out.

And by the way, Bailey is on the mend after her bout with a stomach bug and bad case of diaper rash. She is starting to act more like her old self, all smiles and giggles. Her eating and sleeping schedule are still out of whack, which is not really a problem for her, but is a HUGE problem for mom and dad (thank goodness it is the summer).

Returning to Normalcy

Things are starting to get back to normal around here. Aside from Bailey's daily schedule being completely out of whack, she (and mom and dad) are feeling a lot better.

Lots of sleep today helped things out and allowed Bailey's body to start healing itself. Her stomach problems are on the mend as well as her bad diaper rash. There is still the occasional crying and fussing, but I think that this is more about Bailey fighting going to sleep than it is a continuing health problem.

Bailey has played, smiled and laughed (to the great relief of her parents) today, and aside from sleeping a lot (actually, all three of us) and not eating a full bottle at every meal, she is doing better. We are slowly increasing her formula intake back to where she was before she got sick, but things are slow going; I don't think her stomach can handle a full bottle in one sitting, so we just feed her less more often.

Keep sending Bailey (and parents) your well wishes as she heals up and returns to the happy (and usually low maintenance) baby that we all remember.

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Has to Poop

or Tylenol, Butt paste, and Vaseline...What More Could a Girl Want

Tammie and I now realize that Bailey has completely spoiled us up until yesterday. Once we found the right formula for her, we've had no problems. She has slept through the night and even put herself to bed without much (if any) fuss.

Then the diarrhea hit...

Yesterday morning, Bailey came down with a stomach bug and developed a case of the runs. The real problem with this is not the actually stomach problem, but the resulting case of diaper rash! Bailey's butt looks like a candy apple that has split in two. The poor little girl just couldn't get comfortable all night long, so either mom or dad stayed up with her all night holding her on our shoulders (we haven't done that since she was six weeks old). We even took her to the doctor yesterday afternoon, only for them to tell us that it would have to "run it's course." (Thanks doc!)

Today she is doing a little better. Her stomach doesn't seem to be bothering her quite as much and the screaming (my god did she scream last night) has subsided. We've been treating her with children's Tylenol, liberal amounts of butt paste and some Vaseline. Not to mention letting her hang around naked. Makes for some interesting feeding sessions...

Back on the Grid

After a very harrowing weekend, Tammie, Bailey and I are back on the grid. Our computer went down about 6 months ago (PC of coarse), but everything was okay because I had a school laptop that I would use at home.

No more! Since I took a new job in Hutto, the people in Elgin requested that I turn the laptop back in. The nerve! So Tammie foolishly made the deal with me that if I got the job in Hutto , I could get a new computer (she REALLY wanted me to get the job). 

Low and behold, the job is mine (mine...mine...all mine), and yes, we have a new computer. A pretty, brand new, Apple Macbook! (I know, everyone should use a PC, but I say NO! Throw off the chains of your puppet master Bill Gates and join the revolution that is MAC! It may be more money, but dang is it sweet...). I might just even forgive FedEx (this time) for showing up at my door at 7:50 this morning to deliver it.

I'm a Hippo...

Okay, let me explain.

The mascot of Hutto ISD is the Hippo. I have now been hired as a band director in Hutto, henceforth, I am now a hippo. Hurray Hippos!

Actually, I am VERY excited about the change. I will be working with some of the best directors that I have met, one of which was one of my high school band directors (and he is also one of the main reasons that I'm a band director now). I will actually be working under the direction of JoAnn Champion who was able to turn around a struggling program in under a year. Stacy Gist (my former director) is the Head Director at Hutto High School, and he also turned the high school into an award winning band in just under a year. The final director (not including myself) will be Christy Anderson, formerly from CD Fulkes in Round Rock ISD. I have also worked with her in the past, teaching private lessons for her students. She is a wonderful director and I am thrilled to be chosen to work with these wonderful directors. I hope to learn as much as possible from all of them

Now for a rant...

WHAT IS WITH ALL THE FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS?! I guess I can lump "January" in there too. In less than two months there is a total of...1, 2,3,4....9 birthdays! (Harriet Applewhite on Jan. 2nd, Judy Acuff on Jan. 20th, mine and Brett's on Jan. 23rd, Ellie [Tyfany's niece] on Jan. 26th, TBA on/around Feb. 2nd, Bailey Acuff on Feb. 7th, and Billy and Tyfany on the 23rd and 24th of Feb. [respectively]). Oops! Dang...forgot Ann Acuff's! She's in February too, and that brings the total to 10!!!

What's Wrong With You People!

Addendum:
I can neither confirm nor deny the existence in the past, present, or future of a birthday on or around the date of February 2nd. It is not my place to say anything...well, anything more...okay, forget everything I've said. And no...Tammie is NOT pregnant (don't get your hopes up mom).

At Least Bailey Had a Good Time...

Last night was an "exciting" night for us here in Cedar Park. While watching the TV, news reports started coming in about some severe weather headed our direction. The longer we watched, the more the local weather man kept coming on with updates. Then the warnings started...

"If you are in the path of this storm, take shelter immediately..."

Tornadoes reported; softball sized hail; 92 mile-per-hour wind gusts. Fabulous!

Normally I am the squeamish one when it comes to severe weather, but when Tammie told me she was going to start packing pillows and blankets into the middle bathroom, I figured things were getting bad.

"This storm is headed for the Cedar Park area, and the storm indicates strong rotations with possible tornadoes on the ground right now..."

Apparently the weather team has a new "index" which predicts the likelihood of an actual tornado. This BTI was at 8.0 in 1997 when Jarroll, TX was wiped off the map. Last night it hit 8.0 again, and the weatherman was worried.

As the storm approached we loaded the dogs in the tub, even gave them a pillow to curl up under (which they did), packed the small guest bath with pillows and blankets, and loaded Tammie and the baby on the floor. I stayed in the bedroom watching the news reports, trying to see how bad this might be. Every indication coming from the weatherman and radar said the the rotating clouds, 90 mph winds, hail, and tornadoes were going to pass right over us. GREAT!

The winds started picking up and the rain started, so I headed into the bathroom to ride out the worst. Tammie and I were both scared, mostly now because we had to protect Bailey from what was to come.

Bailey, on the other hand, was having a great time! At one point we put a blanket over our heads, and Bailey smiled and laughed. This was fun! She talked to her Eeyore doll and had a bite to eat. Laughed and smiled some more and played with everything she could get her hands on. Guess she knew something we didn't.

For all the doom-and-gloom that was predicted for us we got off with hardly any rain at all. No hail; no wind damage; definitely NO tornadoes (at least not in our neck of the woods). I don't mind preparing for nothing, as long as we've done everything we can to protect our precious little Hope.

As we peeled ourselves off the floor we assessed how things had gone. Everyone did fine, including the pups. They actually kept going back into the bathroom to curl up on all of the soft pillows and blankets piled up. Bailey was wide awake and cooed and talked to us for a while before she finally fell asleep. Mom and dad soon crashed as well. It's exhausting just worrying about what may happen.

Turns out Austin proper had a worse time of it than us...and they weren't even predicted to have tornadoes. Sorry Austinites...

View from 5th Floor of Barbados Hilton

View from 5th Floor of Barbados Hilton
Originally uploaded by TarikB

What I wouldn't give to be there right now! Beautiful...

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to wish all of the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day. Today is Tammie's very first and she got the day off right by sleeping in (daddy on the other hand had to entertain the baby and try to keep her quite).

We just got back from Fort Worth after a couple of days celebrating Uncle Billy's graduation from law school (congrats Billy!). Bailey was wonderful. She rode in the car well both going and coming and was a delight at the graduation ceremony (if not just a little fussy) and all of the lunches and dinners we attended (in fact, Billy's in-laws kept commenting at dinner how well behaved she was being...made me feel all warn and fuzzy inside). Bailey also enjoyed the hotel room (as well as mommy and daddy...nice place!), especially the cushy bed that she got to lay and play on.

While we all enjoyed the visit, it is good to be home once again. Max and Rosie were happy to come home as well, but those feelings were soon dashed when Max realized, "Wait, that baby is still here?!" We are now trying to deal with some doggy depression and get Max a little more acquainted and accustomed to the baby.

Everyone have a wonderful rest of the weekend and a great next week. I get to spend the week at home with Bailey (yeah!) and then the grandparents (both Burke and Acuff) get to share the time for the last two weeks until Tammie is out of school. Cross your fingers that Tammie and I will be able to get Bailey back from either sets of grandparents once they have had some "Bailey Time."

The World's LARGEST Drain!

Ladybower Plug Hole!
Originally uploaded by Craig A Clark

Apparently, dams have a "safety" drain that keeps the water level from getting too high. COOL!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Daddy Day-Care

So I realize that I haven't posted anything in a while (okay...so it's been almost a month. Sue me!). Things have been very busy around here. I've been working hard (at work) and Tammie has been working hard (keeping Bailey alive...).

Things have now reversed and Tammie is hard at work (um...at work) and I am now the designated keeper of all things baby. And I must say that I am having a blast with it. I never realized that I could have so much fun (and work so hard) staying home with a baby. You should try it sometime.

We have had quite a few new things happen over this last month. Bailey got her first shots and we are still not sure who it was more traumatic for, Bailey or mom and dad. Bailey has since forgotten it, but Tammie and I remember all too vividly. The very next morning, Bailey found out that she has a voice (and hasn't stopped talking since!). Bailey will spend an hour with you holding a conversation. Unfortunately, the only thing that you understand is whatever YOU say (still working on forming actual words...).

Bailey has also started giving her parents a wonderful treat...sleeping longer through the night. This morning she actually slept until 6:15. A few other nights she would sleep in until 5:30 or 5:45, and even a couple of times (after having her middle of the night bottle around 4 am) until 9 am!

Tammie is (understandably) a little jealous...Bailey NEVER slept this late while Tammie was a home with her. i guess she is starting to get old enough that she is learning to sleep later. Still in the mind of role reversals, Tammie now understands what I was going through when I was at work. You never want to go to work (because, come on, who wouldn't want to spend all their time with Bailey), and when you ARE at work, all you can think about is getting home in the afternoon.
It has been hard work this past week and I had to learn how to manage my time a little better. Luckily Bailey has been pretty good about taking naps so that I can get a few things done around the house (namely the pile of laundry that neither Tammie or I had time to get to). I realize that I've also neglected the picture and movie files on Picasa as well. I will do my best to get things updated and fix just as soon as I can. But please be patient. Believe it or not, I actually had more time at work to do these things than I've had here at home with Bailey.

Take care everyone. Tammie and I hope to hear from you all soon.

PS -- I know that some of you have expressed that you check the posts often, but I do encourage you to sign up for an email or RSS feed so that you will know for sure when there is new info available. (It's a lot of pressure knowing that there are people checking up on things all the time...).

Gotta go...Bailey's awake!

No, I'm Not On Drugs

I just recently came across this link (actually today). I had not seen this in almost two years. It was brought to my attention by a podcaster that I love to listen to (at least until he stopped podcasting), Evo Terra.

This is slightly (by my definition, not yours) weird, but have fun with it anyway.

Badger Dance

PS -- it will go on forever, so surf away from the website before insanity ensues.
PSS -- there are actual baby onesies of this. I think Bailey might need one...

We've Learned a New Trick

Has anyone ever seen a cat take a bath? (lick paw, lick paw, wipe face, lick paw, wipe face, etc...) Now imagine, Bailey, doing the same thing...

That's right, Bailey has found her tongue and just LOVES it. She will sit there in your lap and repeatedly stick her tongue out at you (or anything else that gets in the way). And because she likes her hands so much, she decided to try putting the two together. If I can ever get some video of this, I'll be sure to post it because it is funny. Bailey's eyes will get big, the tongue starts moving, and then then hands come up. Once she has a thorough soak, Bailey then proceeds to wipe these hands on her face and clothes.

Rinse, lather, and repeat...

By the way, does anyone out there remember what sleep is? Please drop Tammie and me a line and let us know (we oh so miss it...).

Last night was our first time to move Bailey strictly to her nursery for the entire night (well, actually her bassinet was sitting in the doorway of the nursery...so we could see her...every time we go up...the many times we go up during the night...sleep...).

Everything went fine, if you don't count the fact that Bailey slept until 4 in the morning, then was up for the REST OF THE DAY! No nap, nothing! I am actually lucky in the fact that I have to go to work. I can actually get a nap in (come on, you don't think I actually teach all day...do you?). Tammie, unfortunately, gets no such reprieve. If Bailey is up, so is she. I know that she would appreciate some words of encouragement as we work on getting Bailey to (hopefully) sleep a little longer at night (Erin, this "Miracle Blanket" better work!).

Well wishes to everyone and stay safe.

Happy Easter

Yes, I know that most of my posts are late. (I have a 6 week old baby at home...sue me)

I hope that everyone had a great Easter weekend. Mine was fabulous! I had a four day weekend that I got to spend with my favorite 3 1/2 girls (remember that Max makes 1/2). We have switched Bailey to a new formula (again) and everything seems to be working out well. Fewer issues with gas and fussiness, which makes everyone happy.

Tammie and I were given a couple of wonderful presents over the weekend. The first was on Friday when Grandma and Grandpa Burke offered to take Bailey and babysit first thing in the morning until we had caught up on our sleep. It was great, but there was one drawback to the whole situation; that night I actually suffered from insomnia (imagine that! Insomnia with an infant at home...).

Tammie graciously let me sleep in on Saturday (to make up for the lack of it the previous night) and we had a good day hanging out with our favorite little girl. Then we received our other wonderful gift that night when Uncle Billy and Aunt Tyfany babysat while Tam and I went to the movies. And as always, there are drawbacks to just about everything.

Tammie and I handed off Bailey to her aunt and uncle, then rushed out the door to get to the movies. Headed to Alamo Drafthouse (the best movie theater ever!) and...

the movie was sold out...(should have bought them online earlier. Oh well, the best laid plans...)

Everything turned out okay. We had a great dinner at Kobe steakhouse, visited a bookstore, and went out for ice cream. Bailey did great at both of her babysitting outings and Tammie and I caught up on some needed sleep. Bailey made her first appearance at church Easter morning in a pretty new Easter dress and was the talk of church. Easter dinner was delicious and a restful Monday topped off the weekend. I hope everyone else had as much of a good time as we did.

And to finish off this newest post, here are a couple of pictures of Bailey in her Easter Bunny outfit which she thought was the funniest thing ever. Enjoy!

Spring Break is Here

Okay, so really, Spring Break is over...so sue me for not posting earlier.

There have been a few things that happened over the break that I am REALLY excited to tell everyone about. First off, on Tuesday we took Bailey to the movies. Yup, you heard correctly. Tammie and I took her to the Alamo Drafthouse for their "Baby Days" movie times. Thankfully the Drafthouse has Tuesday morning "Baby Days" that is designed to give new parents the opportunity to get out at least once a week. The lights are turned up a bit and the volume turned down some, and parents are welcome to enjoy the movies with their newest additions (and sometimes NOT so new additions). There were three or four infants there (counting Bailey) and at least one older kid (about one and a half). It was great!

The theater was great about posting signs everywhere to let "non-baby toters" aware that there may be crying infants in the theater. Luckily Bailey and all the other infants did just fine (Bailey actually slept through the entire movie...slept, but had to be held by either Tammie or me the entire time. Oh well...). There was only one problem that I had with the whole experience. Apparently the projectionist was deaf as a doormat, because the volume of the movie was way, WAY too loud to start with (it was hurting the adults ears...not really a good situation for sleeping babies). To the staff's credit, the problem was immediately fixed once it was brought to their attention. The Alamo Drafthouse has once again proved that they are the only movie theater that I ever wish to visit. They know how to do things right.

Friday night Tammie and I had some company over for dinner and a movie (hi Brad and Katie!). Bailey was being a little fussy (even though we have talk repeatedly about how she is supposed to behave in front of the guests) and we couldn't figure out what she wanted. I took her into the nursery to check is she had a dirty diaper and laid her down on her changing table. Immediately she calmed down and became the happy baby everyone loves. After a diaper change I picked her up to head back into the dining room...and Bailey started crying again. Then I had a bright idea...

I went back into the nursery and took the pad off of the changing table. I brought it with me into the dining room, cleared a space on the table and laid Bailey in it. You'd never guess that all she wanted was to be on her changing table mattress! For the next hour Bailey kicked her legs, stretched her arms, and was fascinated by the world around her (who knew her "Pee-pee pad" would make her so happy). So we left her on her mattress, belted in (yup, comes with a seat belt installed) and on the couch where she was the happiest baby for most of the movie (until she got hungry and wanted to eat, that is). We tried this again over the next couple of days and it has been proven many times...Bailey loves her "pee-pee pad."

We also noticed that Bailey was smiling more Friday night and seemed to enjoy having her cheeks pinched and her arms tickled. Then on Saturday night, Tammie and I got the best present from Bailey so far...she smiled at us just for being there (and no, it wasn't gas!).

I was holding Bailey up in front of a mirror, talking to her and pointing to her reflection. I then watched as she looked up at me (not the mirror) and gave me the biggest smile. She was looking directly up at me and smiling! It melted my heart. Tammie then came up the hall behind us and leaned up against the wall to watch what we were doing. Bailey looked at Tammie in the mirror, her eyes got REALLY big, and she smiled again, just happy that Tammie was there (man, I love watching her learn new things!).

It was confirmed once again later Saturday night when some friends of the family came over to visit Bailey (hi Smitty and Terry...). Terry was holding Bailey, talking to her and having a great time. Tammie came up to stand behind the couch, and once again Bailey straight at Tammie and smiled at wide as she could, mouth open and eyes wide.

I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone reading this that Bailey is very special to us and is the most precious little baby. I pray that everyone either has had, or very soon will have, the opportunity to share your love with and watch grow and develop. If anyone ever wants to come and visit this precious little person, please give us a call or send us an email. We would love to have you over. Take care everyone. We hope to see you all soon. I do have new pictures and even some movies that I will try to get posted up to the Picasa web albums too. Please be patient with me; if I'm not at school I'm doing everything I can to help out Tammie at home.

PS -- Terry (Teri, Terrie, etc...), if I misspelled your name, my sincerest apologies. Please let me know if I made an error and I will happily fix it for you.

PPS -- Tyfany, I've heard about your promise to babysit this Saturday (3/22/08). I don't know if Billy has agreed to your plans, but I'm holding YOU to it. Bring some t-shirts you don't mind getting dirty...Bailey spits up a lot!

It's Been a Long Wait...Sorry

I present to you the "Many Faces of Bailey..."

"We're going where?"


"Quiet! I'm listening to my tunes..."


"Dad...geez!"


"Hey! Feed me!"


"Ooo...shoes!"

My How Things Have Changed

It is really amazing what you will begin to get really excited about once you have a kid. Take for example the following exciting moments in parenthood:

1. *burp* "Good girl! Did that feel good?"
2. *toot* "Good girl! Did that feel good?"
3. "Wow! You made a dirty diaper. Did that feel good?"
4. "My goodness that's a wet diaper. Did that feel good?"
(is anyone noticing a pattern here?)
5. "You slept for two whole hours! Did that feel good?" (You bet! Mom and dad are in heaven!!!)

Tammie and I have now begun the long (long...) process of becoming accustomed to sleep deprivation. (I honestly never knew that I could function on so little sleep.) Last night Bailey gave us a present. After she ate, we put her down at about 11:30 (No...we did not keep her up until 11. She WOKE up around 10:30, and with her "precise" feeding instructions, we were unable to put her down again until 11:30), and she slept for three and a half hours before getting up at 3 am. Ate again and was put down at 4, then slept until 6. Tammie and I got a whopping five and a half hours of sleep!

The sad part is, we were really and truly excited. We were just as excited over the two dirty diapers in the middle of the night. (Man, we're dorks...)

Sleep? Yeah right! (warning! This one is kind of wordy...)

Another visit to the doctor's office, this time for the mandatory 2 week checkup. Bailey's been having problem with some gas, so we were glad that it was time for a checkup. Once again, a glowing review: perfectly healthy baby (except for the all night crying jags...). We were trying to explain what we were seeing and going through, unable to get our story across when it happened...

You know how you take your car in to the mechanic and spend forever trying to explain that "sound" the car is making? (I swear that it was just doing it; I don't know why it's not doing it now). Well, viola! As we were sitting there with the doctor we heard a little *urp*. The doctor immediately said, "You hear that? That's the acid hitting her vocal chords." (oh yeah, we were talking about acid reflux at the time. Sort of left those details out...)

So now we know that Bailey is not "suffering" from gas (although she still has a lot of it at times), but is actually suffering from heart burn. From everything we've read and that the doctor has told us this is a pretty common occurrence in newborns. Turns out the valve at the bottom of the esophagus is not fully developed and is allowing acid to flow up out of the stomach. She should grow out of it in a couple of months (which is a LONG time if you ask me) and will be perfectly fine afterwards. Until then...

1. lactose-free formula (I didn't know they had such a thing)
2. dairy-free diet for momma (man was she mad about that)
3. smaller feedings, more frequently (how much more frequently is ALL THE TIME)
4. hold her vertical for 30 min after feeding (um, how long? This kid takes 30 min to feed
already, then wants to eat again an hour after that, which means there is a whopping HALF
HOUR in between feedings that we may or may not actually get to sleep...)

There is another option: start giving her an acid reducer (like Pepcid) everyday for the next couple of months. I know there are some out there that would gasp at such an idea ("How can you think of giving that poor newborn medication like that?! And so young!"). Here is how: you don't have to stay up at night, helpless to do anything as this poor little baby cries for hours, pleading with her eyes for you to make the hurt stop. Frustrated beyond belief that there is nothing either she or her parents can do to help. I would rather have a healthy, happy baby who doesn't suffer from the pain of acid reflux, and will not be permanently affected by the short-term medication than to have to sit, helpless as my newborn daughter cries in pain and frustration. She deserves to not have to live like that.

Happier note (sort of...)
Bailey had to have a State screening test done at the doctor to check for "rare" genetic disorders (whatever those are. I think the government is just trying to get a database of everyone's genetic makeup. It's a conspiracy, man!). I know this shouldn't be funny, but it is. Tammie's was holding Bailey over her shoulder so the nurse could prick her heal to take blood samples. I was standing behind her to make sure Bailey didn't drop her pacifier and to help calm her down. She was almost asleep, her eyes just barely awake when *click*, the nurse pressed the button to prick her heal.

We had been warned that she would cry and scream, but that everything was fine. I was prepared for that. What got me was the look on Bailey's face when that nurse pricked her heal. Her eyes, which were nearly closed, shot wide open and the look on her face was one of, "What in God's name just happened?!" It took her a good 2 seconds before the tears actually started. I think she was trying to figure it out. I only wish I had the camera at that moment, because I was the only one who saw her face and it was hilarious. Tammie had a hard time listening to her, but then she didn't see her face when it happened. Priceless!

Luckily for us, the doctor encouraged us to start taking Bailey out for walks and even out to dinner. Simply feed her, burp her (hold her upright for half an hour), put her in a car seat and she should sleep through the entire thing. So the next day we took him up on his advice.

Wow, doctor's might actually know what they are talking about...we had a wonderful afternoon at lunch and running some errands. We'll have to try that again sometime.

We Cry, and We Cry Some More (but now we're laughing)

I has been a pretty rough couple of nights. Bailey has NOT been feeling good the last couple of days (mainly at night...yipee). Actually, last night was the worst. Tammie and I got, maybe, 30 min. to an hour of sleep in between desperately trying to figure out why Bailey was screaming her head off.

Commence the crying...not only by Bailey, but her mom and dad as well. Heck, even Max and Rosie got in on the act. Here is this precious sweet baby who is 100% totally dependent upon you to take care of her every need, and you can't think of anything to calm her down. Hours of tears, red faces, and pleading eyes... yeah, there were tears.

Finally the crying subsided, if only briefly, but enough to set her down to change a diaper. Among all the theories that we had tried to calm Bailey down, one was the possibility that her diapers may be too tight (hey, she's a big baby alright?). In Tammie's desperation she said that we would leave Bailey's diaper off. She said that she would just get a blanket to wrap her in. I, in my infinite wisdom, asked her if she was sure ("This is a baby don't you know?"). Tammie said yes...

Then the pee flew, and Tammie was holding Bailey, so sweetly wrapped in her arms. The crying started again, but this time it was accompanied by laughter of the best kind.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all and Happy 1 Week Birthday to Bailey! And your present is...

GAS!!! (well, gas and a silver James Avery charm for Bailey)

Yep, Bailey has had a rough couple of nights (not to mention mom and dad). And we thought we were doing so good. We were following the doctor's orders and supplementing with formula; we were watching for the cues that said Bailey was hungry and wanted to eat; we totally misjudged it all.

When bottle feeding, Bailey had gotten too much air in her system and we just weren't able to get rid of it all after her feedings. So of course, Bailey's tummy was hurting and making her upset. For her, a hurting tummy means, "I'm hungry...feed me." So she would make the necessary indications that she was hungry and we would feed her again...and again...and again...only compounding the problem to too much gas in her belly. Well, a rough night and day later (poor Tammie had to be there for both, I was at work during the day and missed "all the fun..."), Bailey finally seems to be calming down. We think that we have finally started to get some of that built up gas relieved, and amazingly she would sleep for about two or two and a half hours at night (only in mom's arms though...long second night for Tam).

This morning we were awoken by the sounds of trumpets blaring. Well, trumpets coming from the back end of Bailey (I guess I never even thought about the fact that babies too need to pass a little gas from time to time. Bailey just really seems to enjoy passing a lot of gas...). A dirty diaper later and back to feeding with mom, I was out the door on my way to work (the most unhappy 9 hours of my day...I don't get to be with my 3 1/2 girls...Tammie, Bailey, Rosie and Max, he's the 1/2). Hopefully things will go smoother today and Tammie will be able to get some rest. And I'll be home over the weekend to help out again...YEAH!

Can't Remember the Number for the Nursery When You Need It

Sleep.

Back when I was a human being, I used to remember something called sleep. It's been a while, so I'm not really sure what it was, but I think I remember it being a good thing...

Tammie and I are home with Bailey and everything is going fine (except for that sleep thing). The dogs came home on Tuesday and have been very attentive of Bailey. Max follows us to the nursery when we go back to change her and sits at the foot of her bassinet and wags his tail when she makes noises. Rosie is a little less attentive, but is interested just the same. Both of them love to sniff and lick Bailey's head when she is in our laps and both get very upset when Bailey cries. Them just have to check and make sure she is okay.

Tammie and I have been getting some sleep, although not a lot (gee, surprise!). She is feeding every two or three hours and is finally gaining weight. Just before leaving the hospital a nurse said that she thought she saw a little jaundice, and another nurse thought she heard a heart murmur (thanks ladies. Just what two exhausted new parents need...something else to worry about). So of coarse we scheduled a doctors visit for Monday morning (less than 24 hours after we left the hospital. New parents? How did you guess...)

11:30am, Monday morning: late for the first appointment. The doctor checks her out and gives us the good and the bad. No jaundice; no heart murmur. That's the good news. She had lost almost a whole pound since last Thursday and now weighed 8lbs and 5ozs. Not too good. Obviously she wasn't getting enough to eat, most likely because Tammie's milk had not come in. Apparently with a C-Section it takes quite a bit longer to produce milk. Okay, no problem. We were told to supplement with formula and come back on Wednesday.

11:00am, Wednesday morning: lots of dirty diapers, dirty clothes, sleepless hours and a few tears later, we are back at the doctor's office. Prognosis? (drum roll, please...) 8lbs and 10ozs! Bailey gained about 5ozs over a 48 hour period. Turns out Tammie's milk started to come in Monday evening, so that plus formula supplements have really helped (thank goodness...one less thing to worry about). Now we're back at home. Bailey has a full belly, she bundled up and taking a nap. I think Tammie will be napping soon as well.

I'm sorry that it has taken so long to get things updated, but I think everyone will understand. Here is a new picture of Bailey with her mp3 player and headphones (actually, this is her getting her hearing tested in the hospital. The doctors use these headphones and a sensor on her forehead. She has to be asleep because they are measuring her brain waves and don't want any extra sensory input.) Her hearing test was great; she passed with flying colors, but we already knew that. Her eyes follow sounds and voices everywhere and she will hold your gaze the entire time you talk to her. I love it!

More to come later...

Join Me in Welcoming a Special Lady into the World

I honestly believe that everyone needs a little hope in their lives. Tammie and I have now received ours in the most beautiful 9lb package. Please join me in welcoming Bailey Hope Acuff (yes, she finally has a middle name) to the world. I took her all of 5 minutes in this world to open her eyes and start trying to figure things out.

Meet Bailey Hope just a few minutes after she was born. They let me carry her out of the delivery room and place her in a crib to go to the nursery, and this is the beautiful picture she took. It is also my favorite!

Bailey was born on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 7:30 pm. She weighed in at 9lbs and 3oz and measured a whopping 21 inches long! We have already tried to get her into some of her new born clothes and, as feared, they don't fit. She is not too chubby for them at all, just way too long! Tammie said that a newborn one piece she tried to fit her into only came up under her arms. (So if you were one of the generous people who sent her a newborn one piece, I'm sorry to say, but there probably won't be any pictures of her in it...)

Bailey has been very alert (when awake) and has a very calm personality (she gets that from her furry "sister," Rosie the dachshund). My favorite time is sitting with her in the chair when she is awake because she will watch you intently, furrowing her brow in desperate attempts to figure out just who you are and what you are saying. She loves being held (especially by Tammie...just look at the picture) and LOVES to sleep (just trying to wake her up to eat after 4 hours is enough to exhaust me and Tammie. Don't worry, the doctors and nurses SWEAR that is normal). One thing she does not like is getting her diaper changed. Oh she loves it when you take off the diaper and clean her up, but just try to put that diaper back on... Now the kicking and screaming starts (since when were Tammie and I diaperless hippies?).

Bailey has long fingers and long toes, a trait that she definitely gets from her dad. It looks like pianos and bassoons are in her future (I've already contacted a great bassoon teacher and I'm pretty sure I could con Julie Boltz into piano lessons. What do you say, Julie?). She has beautiful blue-gray eyes that watch you constantly when she's awake. The color is similar to my own and I hope that they stay that way (but of coarse I'll love her no matter the color of her eyes). Pediatrician saw her today and the nurses gave her a hearing test which she passed with flying colors (and I do mean colors. Whenever I get more of the pictures off the camera I post the one with her blue and red headphones...Rock On Austin!).

I know that I'm rambling just a bit (and who wouldn't...just look at those cheeks!) so I'll end with a couple of links. Here is the link to pictures of Bailey, and here are some movies. More to come (I've got a camera and a camcorder and I intend to use them!). Wish us luck; now the REAL work begins...

7:30: Holy Smokes!

There's a baby here...

No, seriously. There is a baby here! Bailey ??? Acuff was born at 7:30 pm, Thursday, February 7, 2008. Weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 3 oz (oops, that should be 3 oz. NOT 8 oz. She's big, but not THAT big), measuring 21 inches. Big, and long, baby.

Baby and Tammie are doing well. Dad stayed on his feet (yeah, Dad) and took lots of pictures and videos. And just like the goober that everyone knows he is, left the cables at home. So until sometime on Friday (actually today. I'm typing this at 12:42 in the morning...yeah team...). I'll get pictures out to everyone just as soon as I can. Until then, keep us in your thoughts.