First Steps?

Who's that baby in the mirror?

Thankful Thursday: Kisses & Opinions

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for moms and dads. My mom and dad are back in town and seeing them is awesome. We have so much fun with them and I literally never can get enough. What's more, my mom spent the night at our house on Monday night, and when I woke up, she had folded ALL my laundry. She's so good to me!!

I'm thankful for kisses. Mckenna isn't a big kisser (we'll be thankful for that when she's in high school. Ha!) But she does occasionally give us kisses and when she does they are with an open mouth, and super wet, and I love every second of them.

I'm thankful for texting. I'm not a huge fan of lengthy conversations on the phone. And I'm not a huge fan of having to take for 10 minutes, full of "hi" and "how are ya" to just establish a random meeting time or something of the sort. So texting is perfect!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for my three little cantaloupe that could. In a not so stunning development, the hot Arizona sun has wiped out most of my garden. I still have some acorn and spaghetti squash hanging on as well as melons and tomatoes. I'm mostly interested in the cantaloupe however because just once I would like to walk out there in the morning, cut it off the vine, and then eat it for breakfast. How cool would that be??



I'm thankful for a wife with a different opinion than me on many different topics and issues. Even though I still think I'm always right *wink* it's nice to hear a different side of the story from someone that I respect and trust implicitly. I don't think we'll ever see on to eye on certain political issues, but secretly, deep down, I kinda hope we never do. Keeps things interesting!! 

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I'm thankful for "goodnight" kisses. I put goodnight in quotes as they do not only happen at night, but during the day as well. So I guess they are more like "nappy time" kisses. When I get Mckenna ready for her naps before I hand her off to Mandi to be fed, I always tell her I love her and pucker up for a kiss. In the past, I've had to force the kiss on her. Lately, she's leaning into me for a nappy smooch. Love.

So, what are you thankful for today?

I Didn't See This Coming

While I was cleaning up tonight while waiting for my coffee to brew (yes, I have a cup of coffee with a little tupperware container of dry cereal every night) something funny happened. I really, really missed Mckenna. Such a big part of me wanted to burst into her room, wake her up, take her out of her crib and just hang out with her. I've had similar feelings for the past couple of weeks, but they seem to just be getting stronger. I really miss my daughter when I'm not with her.

Now, many of you are probably thinking "what's the big deal? This doofus misses his kid", but for me, it is a big deal. I've been consistent with the fact that I'm not a baby guy. I like babies. I've always enjoyed playing with babies. I always gooed and gawed them at grocery stores, restaurants and friends' homes. But, I never thought that I would be a big baby guy with one of my own. Yeah, I'd be there for her and do absolutely anything for Mckenna or my wife, but the thought of a baby didn't really get me uber excited. I always found myself fast-forwarding to the "throw the ball in the backyard" stage.

**NOTE: I can see this post getting a little misconstrued, but please bear with me. I'm the most blessed guy in the world and Mckenna was an answer to my prayers. I've been absolutely smitten for the past 8 months and have been given yet another reason to wake up and kick booty every day...as if Mandi wasn't enough already. I'm hoping some of you dads or even moms kinda get what I'm trying to get at in this post**

Well, lately, I'm a baby guy. At least, a my baby girl kind of a guy. I don't know if it's her ever-developing personality or the fact that she makes me feel like I make her day, but whatever it is, she's got me. I find myself eager to fall asleep at night because that means I'm closer to being able to see her smiley face and bright blue eyes in the morning. I find myself waiting in bed like a little kid full of anticipation waiting for Mandi to bring her to me in the morning so we can have our traditional "tug on daddy's oxygen tubing" time. I actually look forward to just sitting with her in the playroom and watching her decide which toy she's going to play with. I never thought that I would fall this fast. I thought I could hold out until she was a bit older.

I have a confession: I've fallen for this little girl and I can't wait to spend every day showing her why God chose me to be her dad.

I never thought I'd be that guy, but then again, I've never had my own little girl before.

Don't Know What You've Got...

...until it's gone.

As of about 6 hours ago, I got my computer back. I have been working from my iPad for the last 10 days, and although it's done a great job and truly been a life-saver, I'm so thankful to have my laptop back. Working on something without a mouse or a track pad can be quite challenging. Thankfully, because of a sweet Christmas present from the in-laws, I was still able to type fairly easily with my case slash keyboard. The only bummer was not being able refer back to emails for specific dates, data and info that were stored in folders on my computer. (If I've been a bit slow to respond to some of your emails, this is why). All-in-all though, it wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it also wasn't something I hope happens again in the near future.

One of the (many) reasons my computer landed in the shop was for a broken off headphone in the audio jack. For the past several months, I've been receiving audio into my left ear only and had earphones dangling from my computer most of the time. I also had to have them plugged in and spun in a certain direction to get any sound, so it was always a little adventure if I wanted to put some sound to lips moving on my computer screen. It's funny how much you come to miss good quality sound when it's not available at the drop of a hat anymore.

With that said, the first thing I did when I got my computer back was plug in my headphones and watched a YouTube video. It happened to be our engagement video (shameless plug) which I happen to think sounds better with sound coming into both ears :) I'll tell you what, I had a smile ear-to-ear when I heard that clean, crisp and loud sound come through my headphones. It's funny how something I never really thought about much in the past is now so treasured once it was compromised and/or taken away.

So here's my question, what's that thing in your life? If you're anything like me, the list can go on and on and on. It's amazing how many things in the past, and still in the present, I've taken for granted. I've taken my family for granted. My education. My friends. My God. My work. My relationships. My health.

The last one was a big one. My health was something that I never really focused on. Yeah, I took care of myself, did my treatments, went to the hospital and did the "CF thing", but I can tell you that others were way more focused on my health than I was. It got to the point however that I started to take it for granted. I was fooled (by myself) into thinking that I could do the bare minimum for the rest of my life and get away with it. After all, I felt great and was able to do anything that I wanted. It all came crashing down in January of 2009. That was the month and the year I realized how fortunate I was to have the health I had been given. That was also the month I realized how much I had taken that gift for granted. It's so easy to do.

I know try to live in such a way that the "small stuff" no longer passes me by without my appreciation. I try to remember that many things I experience are privileges and not rights. I try to remember how I felt when I almost lost everything. Most of all, I try to appreciate everything and everyone that has been brought into my life by a Man who knows me better than I will ever know myself.

Mckenna Monday: Skills and Personality

Well guys, I apologize for my post posting a bit late this morning, I'll blame my mom. I can't get on the computer by myself, even though whenever it's sitting unattended, I try. Anyways, I'll tell you what's new with me because I'm changing so much that even I realize it.

First things first, I'm able to really move now. I am all over the house now, crawling around. I hear a lot of giggles when I crawl, whether it's at home, the gym child care, or church child care, but that's ok, it works for me. My crawl just has style. Mom says she thinks it's because I spend most my time on tile, so I'm saving my knees, but I just do what I do and don't care why. It works for me! I am quick and I get where I'm going, and I LOVE it! I usually like to announce when I'm coming into a room and moving through the halls. I yell and squeal as I make my way places. It's fun to hear my voice echo and then mom and dad know where I am.

I also have learned to pull up on things. I started about 6 weeks ago pulling up for a seated position, but a few weeks back I learned how from laying down, so I can just crawl over to something and boom, I'm up. I LOVE IT. I get so proud when I pull up onto something and mom and dad see me standing there all by myself. I can pull up on couches, toys, furniture, sliding glass doors, my crib, you name it. I love see what I can get up on. Mom and dad say I'm brave all the time. Usually that comment comes before or after I am standing holding onto one piece and turn around and dive for another. It generally doesn't end well, but I try and try again. When I fall, mom and dad say "Kaboom" and usually that makes me feel ok about the tumble and I don't cry. I'm tough. I bonk my head and I get back up. But sometimes it just hurts too much and I do cry. I kind of like when that happens because they scoop me up and then I feel better.

I have had a lot of firsts this last week. I rode on a bike for the first time. WAY cool. I love feeling the wind in my hair...well on my bald scalp. I also LOVE that I can see my dad riding next to mom and I. I wave at him sometimes and he waves back. It's so fun! Also, this weekend I swam in Nana and Papi's pool for the first time. It was SO fun. I have a little lady bug raft that I play in. It even has a little sun shade. And in their pool I did the neatest thing. My daddy took me, and put me UNDER the water!! I was a bit shocked the first time. And then when I came up, everyone cheered and clapped and gave me high fives (yeah, I have mastered the high five. I don't quite get why when you do something good, you hit the palm of someone elses' hand, but I amuse my parents and when they put their hand up and say, "high five," I hit their hand and smile). Once I saw what a good job I did and how much everyone loved it, I smiled really big. So daddy did it a few more times. It's pretty neat. Daddy blows on my face so I hold my breath and then he puts me in head first like I'm diving and pops me right back up. It is SO fun. Each time he did it I smiled bigger and bigger afterwards because I got more comfortable and loved it. It's kind of hard to explain how we do it, but it's fun!!

Lastly, mom and dad say I'm goofy and silly. I don't know what that means, but I do love to make them laugh and do things just to make them laugh. For example, I like to gargle things in my mouth (see video at the bottom), like water and my own spit up. I love the sound and I like that it makes mom and dad laugh. I also like to make funny sounds. I do it for me mostly, but I especially like when one will make mom laugh, and then I just do it over and over til she doesn't laugh at it again. Sometime she then makes the same sound and it makes me laugh!

Oh, and one more thing, we play this game where mom and dad make a sound, and I try to make it too. I sometimes do it perfectly and sometimes not so much, but they say, "Goood try" and so I feel like I'm close so I just keep trying. It's fun.

I'll leave you with me gurgling. Enjoy!