Boo Baby

I think it goes without saying - Gabby is a natural when it comes to pictures. She was quite a trooper as Mommy and Daddy both took various pictures of her in her little Halloween outfit. She won't be venturing out for treak-or-treating this year, but she can at least look cute while we hand out candy to those that do.

It's a good thing I bought the candy this year - I made sure I bought more than would be handed out, thus ensuring there would be leftovers. And since Gabby won't be eating candy either that ensures there will be plenty-o-candy for Daddy! For a minute, I thought this was going to be all about me. Since it's not, I thought I would include a couple more pictures we took today of Gabby in her Halloween outfit. Isn't she adorable? Do I even need to ask...

(you can click on the images to enlarge)

More Buckeye Visitors

Gabby's Great Aunt Sharon and Uncle Rich were weekend visitors at Papaw and SuSu's house. We had made arrangements for dinner as well as some time for everyone to see and hold Gabby. We had fun catching everyone up on Gabby's progress this past week, particularly her frequent eating sessions and facial expressions now that she's more aware of her surroundings. And we didn't even have to talk that much about either - Gabby needed nurishment right when we arrived and her expressions were tested after dinner. We also celebrated Aunt Sharon's birthday (albeit a week belated) as well as Gabby's one month milestone with cake and ice cream. I suppose you might say Gabby's celebration was just icing on the cake... wha wha wha.

Updates Posted

I have added a few new postings. Please make sure you go back as far as last Friday (10/20) to catch up. Particularly, the highlighted posting of our trip to the Worthington's (Moo Goo Kong Poo) posted on 10/21 and the Baby Einstein videos from Thursday (10/26) are must reads.

Holy Crap

Today was a day of hunger. Correction. The last few days have been about hunger. Gabby doesn't even make the two hour mark before she's wanting more food. Eat, eat, eat. And when you eat that much...that's right, lots of diapers. I must have missed this part in the Daddy's Secret Handbook - A Guide to All Things Babies? She's roughly 11 lbs now and is growing by the day or hour more likely. A "growth spurt" you say. At this rate, Gabby will be shaving her legs and driving the Jeep this time next year. You think that's funny? Have you seen me in action after one of her downloads? Now that's funny. Mommy might argue otherwise, especially out of fear that Gabby's first words will either be "Ah Crap" or "Holy Crap." What's wrong with that? Gabby has this phase where she's a constant eater and Daddy has "this phase" where he's a potty mouth. But don't worry, everything I learned about fatherhood I learned from Frank Barone...

Thanks for Baby Einstein

We wanted to thank whoever sent the 2-DVD gift set of Baby Einstein videos that was mailed to our house. Unfortunately, it arrived without a note as to any sender information (other than Amazon.com). So, I thought I would take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation for this gift by posting a thank you. Please read the following:

Dear YOU,

Thank you so much for the 2-DVD gift set of Baby Einstein videos - Baby Beethoven's Symphony of Fun and Baby Mozart's Music Festival. YOU were so thoughtful to send this great gift for Gabby - she even grunted and spit up a little in excitement as I opened it for her. I have no doubt that these videos will be one of Gabby's favorites as she is introduced to music. The bonus giraffe puppet will be quite handy for bathtime play as well. Despite Daddy's best efforts at combining playtime with bathtime, Gabby has yet to make that associate herself. Perhaps the giraffe puppet can help her adjust and make bathtime more enjoyable for everyone involved. If nothing else, I'm sure Daddy will find great uses for the giraffe puppet and the rest of us will find great humor in watching him.

Thanks again YOU!

Love Emily, Kenton, and Gabby

Play Date

Gabby experienced her first play date (to qualify it had to be someone other than Jack) at the house when Jenny Shildmyer and her daugher, Sarah, came over to visit/play. Mommy and Jenny used to sing together in the church choir at Holy Spirit's 5:00 teen mass. Since Gabby's arrival, we haven't been able to take her to church quite yet, but we're looking forward to doing so soon. I know Mommy is anxious to resume singing, so that means Daddy will probably be spending the majority of his time in the cry room. At least we'll have company. Ken and Betsy Golden [noted a couple of weeks ago for visiting and not holding Gabby (thus not making the blog)] are expecting the arrival of their first baby (Charlie) in January, so Gabby will have another friend at church soon(Ken plays bass at the same mass, so Betsy and Charlie will spend some time in the cry room as well). As for the play date, things went well - for the most part. Apparently, Jack didn't like being caged the entire time and thought it best to bark throughout the duration of the visit. It's a good thing Daddy wasn't home as this posting might have been written from a different perspective. Fortunately for him, he lives to see more guests.

Mother/Daughter Nap

I was getting ready for work this morning and had gone downstairs to let out Jack and eat breakfast. When I returned upstairs about 20 minutes later, both Mommy and Gabby had fallen asleep. Of course I couldn't help going back downstairs to retrieve my camera so I could snap a couple pictures before I woke up one or both of them. Fortunately, Mommy didn't stir until after I had taken a few. Can you blame me though...

A Message From Aunt Johnna

Hey Gabby,

It’s your favorite Aunt Johnna. Ok, I guess I am not your favorite since you haven’t met me yet. But you just keep on waiting. By 2009, I am pretty sure I will be your favorite. Trust me - my competition is not that tough. Your Aunt Micki - she has a good heart, but she is not really a kind person (don’t take it personal if she is rude to you). Now I know you have an aunt on the other side, but they are having a baby soon (they probably won’t have much time for you). I guess that leaves ME to be the favorite. I plan on spoiling you when I get home, so don’t pee all over yourself in excitement (just lay there and wait for me). Papaw and SuSu say that you are pretty darn cute too. Oh yeah and the reason I was writing was to tell you to tell your Dad to update your pics - they are sooo last month. See ya at Christmas!!!!

Love,
Aunt Johnna

Margaritas and the Grandparent Paparazzi

Okay, so Daddy is not the only one that can leave postings on this blog. I figured I better add my touch or people would think that all I do is feed and change my daughter (that's not ALL I do, but a good majority of my day now. Who am I kidding? I never knew that a milk buffet could be so appealing. Gabby has been asking to be shown to the chocolate milk buffet...)

We were excited to see Gabby surrounded by many fellow Buckeyes today. First, my high school friend, Sara Grindstaff, stopped by the Smith household on her way back from a mission trip. On her trip, she and two other friends spent time with many orphaned children, taking them on outings and helping paint their dwellings. I'm sure that their work was very much appreciated and something she will never forget. Gabby sure didn't forget her time with Sara. She loved getting held by one of Mommy's best friends. Whenever we get together, Sara and I have a tendency to spend time together at Don Pablo's, drinking cocktails and munching on chips. Surely Gabby has a taste for fine margaritas and Mexican food by now. She got the nutrients of such often when I was pregnant...the mexican food, not the margaritas, of course (well, not any that I am willing to admit to...okay, okay, fetal alcohol syndrome, not funny. I get it! As Bob and Tom say, "there's nothing funny down that road...").

In addition to Sara's visit, Grandma and Grandpa Wilson arrived yesterday after the IU slaughter by the Bucks. They, unfortunately, had to leave this afternoon. I think Gabby seems to believe that she is famous whenever Grandpa Wilson is around because she confuses him with the paparazzi. Her posing abilities are even improving. G-Wilson caught some great yawning shots! Paris Hilton eat your heart out.

Moo Goo Kung Poo

We had so many visitors at our house yesterday, I wanted to include them all in that posting. In doing so, I saved today's posting for our trip out of the house later that evening. We thought it would be fun to take Gabby over to the Worthington's house so Joel and Kristy could see how big she is now. They came to visit us while we were still in the hospital, but hadn't had a chance to see her since then. Kristy has been a loyal follower of Gabby's progress through the blog and has even made a few contributions in the comments. Reese and Ryan are their little ones and we were able to enjoy Reese's medley of hits as we ate Chinese food as well as the comparison of Ryan to Joel's baby pictures. We also spent time with Kelly, Keith, and Grace Weseli (Kelly is Kristy's sister).

The other noteworthy highlight [aside from Holly's (Kristy's other sister) late appearance of course], was Gabby's explosive diaper shortly after the above picture was taken. Sure, Gabby looks all sweet and innocent in it, but little did everyone know what she was working on while our little photo session was taking place. And by explosive diaper, I do mean explosive. The little bomb she dropped was enough to not only soil parts of her own pants, but Kristy's jeans as well. The cleanup project that resulted took three of us. Needless to say, we didn't waste time promptly leaving soon after either. "They" say a picture is worth a thousand words and I will not forget this picture (and what happened just after it was taken) anytime soon. And Kristy, Gabby says she's sorry about that and claims it was the Chinese food.

All Kinds of Visitors

Gabby was quite popular today as she had lots of visitors just to see her. Nancy Strickland and her granddaughter, Olivia, were the first to arrive this evening. They just happened to be in the area and called ahead to see if Gabby was accepting visitors. As you can see in the picture (left), Gabby was looking extremely fashionable by the time they arrived. And Nancy didn't waste any time washing up in order to hold Gabby right away. A few minutes later, our second pair of guests arrived. Danielle, one of Mommy's former students, and her fiance, Matt, stopped in to see Gabby as well. Danielle has been a big help getting the word out about Gabby to fellow classmates / Center Stage alum and has made it known that she is more than willing to babysit any time we need her. Let's see if she is still willing to once she hits those terrible twos. I think even Jack will probably be anxious to stay in his cage when that time comes around.

Our last visitors of the day were Jeff Humphrey and his fiancee, Jennifer. They came bearing food and a presents for Gabby. Well, the food was mainly for us, but the gifts were great. Gabby received a very pretty purple outfit as well as books. Daddy had been stocking up on some books along the way, but no one else had given any as a gift. Needless to say, we can't wait to start reading them to Gabby as part of her bedtime ritual (when she has one that doesn't solely involve Mommy's breast). Anyway, Jeff is a natural as he's had tons of practice being an uncle. We didn't get to see Jennifer in action as she was fighting a little cold and didn't want to spread any germs. Gabby appreciated that too I'm sure. Jack tries to boost her immune system every now and again by licking her hand and she's been fine up to this point. Apparently this isn't on the doctor recommended list of ways to help build your child's immune system. Go figure.

Fieldtrip

Gabby went on her first official fieldtrip this evening. I know she's made trips to the breast feeding classes, doctors' appointments, and the one time she came to visit my work. You know she's done these things (you do read this blog afterall). Those weren't fieldtrips really. The closest was when she visited my office, but there were only three people that she met then (so that didn't really qualify). This official fieldtrip counted because she was out of the house for more than an hour, travelled to a place of gathering, and there were double digit people that saw her. That's how I claim this as the first official fieldtrip anyway.

So, where did you take her - you ask? Gabby went to see Emily's beginning choir perform at the high school and she even had her own seat (see picture). We sat in the back (just in case), but Gabby sat contently throughout the performance. I didn't say she was awake for all of it, come on! Anyway, she really only fused a bit while we chatted with some of the students and parents afterward. We figured this would happen because her feeding time had already passed. Didn't I tell you how grumpy I get when I haven't eaten? Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Luckily, we were prepared and had her pacifier handy. We haven't had to use it that often - just a few times over these past three weeks. I mention this because I laugh every time she's had to have one. She's loud and it sounds like Maggie from the Simpsons. Next time I'll include a clip of her and you will know what I'm talking about. There's always a next time.

That Blows

Mommy was the apparent target of Gabby's projectile vomitose this evening. She had just finished feeding and changing her diaper prior to the incident. We're not sure if Gabby just ate too much or experienced too much jostling while going downstairs. Either way, her little tummy couldn't handle it and out it all came. Notice in the picture that Mommy's shoulder was the primary target. I just missed capturing the extra spit up that covered her chin though. Fortunately, I was able to include Gabby in the background with the remains still intact on her. Hope you didn't read this little entry close to your eating time...

McGabby

Gabby and Mommy went to their second breast feeding class this morning at St. Vincent Carmel where Gabby was born. The one they both attended last week (at St. Vincent Women's Hospital) had close to 20 moms and babies. Luckily, this one was a little more intimate - only 5 or 6 moms total. Gabby was a big hit as the nursing consultant commented on how well she latched on. She later noted the amount of noise she made while nursing as well. I would have to agree with the latter part as I tend to hear this at night particularly well. Anyway, Mommy and Gabby left the hospital a little after noon and headed over to where I work. They arrived with lunch and I was able to enjoy some bonus time with my daughter. Gabby slept through much of it, but I'm pretty sure she was trying to sneak a few of my fries when I wasn't looking - the little McThief! I'll make sure she watches Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me before she attempts that again.

Papaw Roger's Neighborhood

We welcomed the Fall season toward the latter part of September and even had temperatures in the 60s and 70s until Wednesday of this week. Did I miss the announcement of Winter on Thursday. What happened? Buffalo even had significant snow fall yesterday. That's crazy. The good part of all this is we can officially break out the pants, long sleeves, and sweaters now. How fun is that? We're looking forward to the colder weather because we have more than a few adorable outfits for Gabby. You just wait until you see some pictures on here later. Speaking of pictures, Papaw Roger and Mamaw visited us last night. It was Papaw's first visit to see Gabby since the hospital, so I know he was anxious to see her again. Unfortunately for him, Mamaw pushed by everyone to wash up so SHE could be the first to hold her. Apparently, this wasn't the first time she's done something like this. The last time she was here, she held Gabby for nearly two hours before Mommy had to say something to her so Great-Grandma could hold her. She's such a baby hog.

Chunky Monkey

Today Gabby had to go back to Dr. Ferguson for a weight and cord healing check (both have progressed well, especially Gabby's weight). At her first check up, Gabby had gained one whole ounce; she has since gained a full pound. That's right - our little chunky monkey continues to gain weight. I know it's good that she does and thankfully hasn't lost weight.

You're still stuck on chunky monkey, huh? Didn't you ever read the book "The Story of Chunky Monkey?" Play the video game Donkey Kong - one of the character's was named Chunkey Kong? You caught the ever popular movie with the same title, right?You're not alone. Back to our little chunky monkey - she has been eating around the clock, so it isn't too surprising that she's gained a whole pound within the course of a week. If I ate for 30 minutes every 1-2 hours, I'm fairly certain I'd gain more than just a single pound. I have even read where it's healthy to eat several, smaller meals rather than three bigger meals each day. If that's the case, can someone pass me the Chunky Monkey ice cream?

Daddy Think's I'm Chunky :(

It's Been Two Weeks

Gabby is two weeks old today. I celebrated by changing Gabby's diapers and watching her fall asleep in my arms. Although only 14 days into Daddyhood, the latter part of that routine is something that I look forward to the most (especially on my drive home from work). Who looks forward to changing dirty diapers anyway?

In lue (not to be confused with the British word for going to the bathroom) of Gabby's milestone, I thought I would post some additional pictures of her.

Lack Of Brevity Incites Readers

Grass apparently does still keep growing, even after the birth of a child. I had neglected my outdoor chore for exactly two weeks (I just happened to mow the evening before I took Mommy to the hospital) and could not ignore it anymore. It didn't help that everyone in the neighborhood had cut theirs the past two days either. So, I started right around 6:30pm and somehow I don't think there's much savings left of daylight then. I had about a half hour before darkness crept into my cutting - too bad it takes about an hour to cut when you're bagging. I should have just bagged the whole idea of mowing, but I didn't. And how does this all relate to Gabby?

Well, Papaw and SuSu arrived at some point while I was out grappling with the mower. I guess I could have led with that and spared you the mindless details of my lawn cutting, but then you wouldn't have known 1) that I had waited two weeks to cut said lawn or 2) that all my surrounding neighbors had recently cut theirs (and that really made the uncut lawn stand out even more than it already did). How did I get back on this again? Right, we had visitors during this time. As I was saying, Papaw and SuSu returned for another visit with Gabby. If I had just written that in the first place, I could have saved you the trouble of reading two paragraphs when it really could have been reduced down to two sentences. I'll work on my brevity. Here goes - Papaw and SuSu visited Gabby while Daddy cut the lawn.

Monday, Monday

Gabby had a pretty restless night and thus, so did Mommy and Daddy. I found Mommy, Gabby, and Jack all sleeping on the couch when I came home from work today. Apparently the day of rest spilled over a day - even if for a short time.

The Day Of Rest

Sunday is supposed to be a day for rest. And rest we finally did. We watched the Colts game (Mommy and I - not so much for Gabby or Jack) and back-to-back-to-back-to-back episdoes of Flip This House (not to be confused with Flip That House). Needless to say, our day of rest involved spending time in the living room watching quality tv in high definition. Now that's relaxing.

We did have some visitors; however, they are in the witness protection program and that prevents me from letting you know who they are (Ken and Betsy Golden). Since they brought us food (pasta with meatballs and homemade sauce), I will honor their privacy and not post their pictures - really. I have to because I didn't take their picture. FYI: In order to make it on here you actually have to hold the baby.Now that we're all on the same page, I expect some smiling faces with Gabby and you'll like it. Or you'll have to deal with Jack.

Have You Seen My Daddy

Unfortunately, for me anyway, I didn’t have much of an opportunity to spend quality time with Gabby or Mommy on Friday or today. In my attempt to make up some hours I had missed during the week, I had to go into work early. Afterward, I competed in my annual DeCastleton competition (11 events in two days). I enjoy the fellowship, competition, and overall fun the weekend of events provides; however, I have to trade in my personal time. Although my participation in the DeCastleton concluded by 3pm, I had to hurry to load my DJ equipment and travel to Lebanon for a wedding. I’m definitely in need of some R&R on Sunday. I'm looking forward to spending all day with Gabby and Mommy and watching the Colts game with Gabby (or more likely her sleeping through it) .

Although I was away for all but an hour today, Gabby and Mommy weren't without company. Mamaw and Great-Grandma spent nearly three hours with them. I know Mommy appreciated the company and I have a feeling our visitors didn't mind Gabby's willingness to cooperate while they were here. It's great having family in town.

Howdy Neighbor

With the weekend in sight (and first full one since Gabby's arrival), we continue to adjust to life with a little one around. A routine is somewhat (loosely at best) beginning to develop with scheduled feedings. Unfortunately, that hasn't translated into a similar process throughout the night. We're working on that part, but I don't think our nights will be the same for several more weeks. Ugghh...

Scheduled or unscheduled, we have been blessed with continued support and visits from our friends and family. Our next-door-neighbors, Keith and Macey Staninger, stopped by to visit and hold Gabby. She was awake for their visit, but was more than a little fussy - I think she was late for her feeding. Needless to say, that cut the visit short as you don't want to mess with a starved Gabby (a trait I'm fairly certainly she inherited from Daddy). Feedings trump pretty much everything these days.

Who's That Girl

Gabby is officially a week old now. She celebrated her birthday by going to her very first doctor's appointment. What a big girl. No shots were involved, so that helped. She's doing well and even gained 2 oz. over the past seven days. I guess that's a good thing; it's definitely better than losing weight right now.

Check out this picture taken in 1980. Doesn't the baby look like Gabby? Well, it should - it's a picture of Emily when she was a few days old. Thanks to Grandpa Wilson for sending it our way. So much for her taking after Daddy, huh?

Daddy's Girl and Boy

There's nothing quite like holding both your baby girl and good doggie as they sleep in your lap. It's a dead heat as far as which of the two sleeps more these days though. Jack has finally calmed now that Gabby has been around for the past four days. He still whines whenever she cries and, as depicted above, enjoys being close to her. We had hoped he would be protective of her and not try to eat her. So far, he has been very gentle around her. We're still extremely careful and cautious, but these are definitely encouraging signs. Unfortunately, though, Jack had another episode/seizure this evening. He had been outside and didn't seem interested in doing anything before it took place. I had just put up the Pack N Play in the living room when I noticed his head and front limbs in distress. His jaw wasn't completely locked this time, but it otherwise mirrored his first one from this weekend. It seemed to last a little longer than the previous one too. Poor little guy. He and Gabby both have pretty much slept ever since that happened, so things were seemingly back to "normal" again.

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa

Gabby had to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa today before they headed home to Columbus, Ohio. Grandma was a big help with household items (cooking, laundry, etc.) and baby care while Grandpa took on a few projects (hanging a shelf in Gabby's room, taking care of front door squeek, playing the role of photographer, etc.). I know Gabby also enjoyed sitting on Grandpa's lap to watch her first Ohio State football game. Go Bucks! I told her it was okay to root for them during football season, but come basketball season it would be a different Big Ten team. And I have to find a DePauw outfit in time for Monon this year too. Or maybe just a 0-3 Tiger costume.

We also appreciated Grandma and Grandpa staying an extra day today so that Mommy didn't have to stay home alone while I started my first day at work. I know Mommy will have her hands full with both Jack and Gabby until their schedules become more routine. Hang in there, it won't be that long until Thansgiving...

Brother From Another Mother

Today was a relatively low-key, non-eventful day. Jack was seizure-free and Gabby slept 21 out of the 24 hours it seemed. I had the pleasure of changing her first "blow out" diaper which was a special treat. I should have captured it on video (not her production, but my reaction to it). Needless to say, I'm glad she didn't have much time to do anything else but sleep. That will mean another night of restlessness mixed with feedings. I know it will take a while to develop a routine, but I can't wait until she sleeps more through the night than she does currently. Mommy probably wishes that were the case right now since she's the one who has to feed her all the time. Carrying Gabby for the past nine months wasn't enough apparently...

This evening, Russ Newton (aka my brother from another mother and my best man from our wedding), his mom (Rosie - dubbed Grandma Newton and pictured above), and girlfriend (Lindsay) made the trip to our house to visit and see Gabby. Of course, Rosie made a beeline to wash so she could be the first to hold her. I know she was anxious for her arrival, so it wasn't too surprising that she would want to see her right away. Consequently, Russ and Lindsay (pictured at right) had to wait a while until they were able to hold her. Gabby has been pretty cooperative with all the photo ops I think and makes others look good too. Don't you agree?