Category: Family

Lane’s first day of school! EEK!

Our little boy's all grown up!
Our little boy’s all grown up!

It seems like only yesterday we were teaching this little guy to roll over. Then we blinked and he was walking. Now he’s climbing on top of the tables, saying words, swimming (sort of), and in school! Wait… what? He’s in school?! Yep, we dropped off our little baby for his first day of “big boy school” today! Whoa! Its so very hard to believe that its been 18 months already. He seems so little, yet so very big! Time has flown by and our wings have ever expanded to support Jr. BLT, but its time for him to branch out and start the next chapter of his life.

As big of a day as it was for us, I can only imagine how big it was/is for him. We’ve been through a million changes. New jobs, new houses, relationships, experiences, etc., we’ve been through a lot. He’s just a little guy and this is so very new to him. New friends, new people changing his diaper and watching him play on the playground. New toys, schedules, shoes, food, everything for him today (for the most part) is new.

Jess and I got him dropped of and, she may kill me for putting it out there, but she kinda lost it. I fully expected it though. I don’t think anyone would expect a mother so loving and devoted to her children to simply drop off her youngest child without shedding a tear. Eventually composure was gathered and off we went. She and I went about our days leaving our baby boy in the hands of teachers who will enrich the next several months of his life. Jess began a new chapter by spending the day with unfamiliar teachers and lesson planning sessions. She kept busy I’m sure, and I feel she’ll want to expand on her new chapter, but it was for the most part, run of the mill for both of us.

I called the school a few hours into the day to check on Lane and his teacher said that he was doing great! He had a good snack, played well with the other kids, and was generally having a good day. As heart breaking as it was for us to walk away, it didn’t take long for him to get acclimated to his new setting. I’m sure he knows we aren’t there, but he also knows that he’s having fun, and for BLT, he’s all about having fun.

Tonight, we’ll give him extra “lovies” and hold him just a bit tighter. Tomorrow, we’ll drop him off again and the tears won’t flow as much. We’ll fall into our new routine and he’ll have a new normal as well. This is our new chapter and I’m going to savor every moment of watching him learn.

Next level productivity

Whether it was the fact that we hadn’t done shit all week or it was some sort of voodoo magic in the air, but man we knocked it out today! This morning BLT was all trying to kick things off as if it were any other day by waking up at 5am. No one wants to be up at that hour on a Saturday. We quickly squashed that by taking him over to my mom’s house. She agreed to watch him for the morning so we could get some stuff done around the house for a change. The goal was lofty, but we were up for a challenge.

Ever since moving in we haven’t had the time or energy or care level to move the rest of the stuff from the basement/garage to the attic. After all, we now live in the equivalent of a three story house. Factor in the trip up the ladder in to the attic and that was not something we wanted to get all up on. Today, however was different and we got everything that was to be stored moved up and that was that. Granted it took a trip to Home Depot for some boards to put down for flooring, but that was a minor setback.

After all that was done, we proceeded to do some more organizing the basement in preparation for the gym equipment that was going in down there. Have I mentioned that we’re doing Tough Mudder in like 4 months?! Eek! We were all getting pretty hungry so we decided to go grab some food and pick up the youngin’ from Grammy’s.

Back at the house and Lane went to bed so we could start in on decorating the rest of the outside of the house. Nothing quite like having the family outside decorating and just having a grand time. Most of it we were able to get knocked out before BLT woke up, but the last piece was a huge ass wreath for the upper middle window on the house. Luckily it was a simple hang out the window two stories in the air and put a nail in the window frame kinda procedure.

Someone had to get out there and hang this wreath!

The day got a little crazy after that and JT kinda went rogue, but we found her.

Mom went crazy

The rest of the day was spent finishing up some other chores like installing the second IP Camera, a trip to Hobby Lobby for some supplies to make Chase’s school play outfit, dishes, etc. Basically, we got shit done.

Oh, and two other things. First off our gas oven can die for all I care at this point. I mean, I love cooking with a gas top range and all but that oven is bajank. Its too small and always burns shit. We’ve tried adjusting the temp and time and all manner of things but no matter what everything we cook is always either burned or not done at all. I miss my electric oven. Secondly, a carpenter I am not, and I am also not the handiest of mans on the planet. But despite that fact, I’ll give it my all. Those boards in the attic are most likely not up to any sort of code or whatnot, but hey, they’ll hold our stuff. And the ice maker line that I installed tonight, despite me doing it exactly correct the damn thing still leaks. Not from anywhere that I connected, but from the actual shut off valve bit. So I’m now going to have to call a plumber and get them to tell me its going to cost a bajillion dollars or tell me that I f’d up and did it wrong… which I’m fairly confident that I didn’t.

Ok, that’s all I had. I’ll most likely post something again tomorrow or at the very least in the next few days. For now I’m gonna go get in the bed with my beautiful and amazing wife. Bam!

Decorating at the Turner’s – 2k12

At the tree farm!

Well, we are not ones to dillydally when it comes to getting stuff unpacked and decorated around the house and this year would be no exception. So despite having only been in this house ONE week, we decided it would be a good idea to go round up a 8+ foot tall tree and decorate that mug with as many lights and ornaments as we could muster.

We headed off to our local tree farm where Chase picked out the perfect tree and helped me cut it down. Mom and Lane sat by taking cute pics of and enjoying the weather. Once we got the tree home it was just a matter of finding the right spot, hauling up all our Christmas decor from the basement, doning our best decorating attire and getting this party started. It wasn’t long before we had the living room decked out and we ready to enjoy the rest of the night longing at our beautiful tree.

As with every year, I made a time lapse video of the festivities. We look a little goofy, but that’s what its all about. Having fun, and just enjoying time with our family. Lane really loves looking at the lights and so far neither of the animals has been tempted enough to tear anything off the tree. Now if we can just keep it watered for the next 30 or so days, we’ll be doing just fine!

Stay tuned for more pics and videos of all things holiday!

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P90x: 40+ days

This post is about 10 days over due. Here’s my 30 day pic for P90x.

P90x - Day 30

As you can see, I have achieved results! On day 30 I had more definition in my arms, legs, back, shoulders, stomach, and smile. I was feeling fantastic and wanted more. This however was short lived. Shortly after my day 30 awesomeness I departed for a 3 day field trip for Chase’s PC class. It’s hard enough doing P90x at home, but it’s impossible to do any sort of exercise while tending to a gaggle of 4th/5th graders and walking around learning about maritime forests and such. So when I got home I was feeling rather bleh. Three days of cafeteria food and sand in my ass had taken it’s toll. However, I was ready to jump back to it on Thursday! I crushed another workout and was back in the swing of things. That is, until the next day when we were invited to hang with some friends at a beach house for the weekend! How could we possibly turn this down?! The beach trip in general is for another post and I’ll let Jess handle that one. I had great intentions and  packed my DVDs and some gear for a few workouts at the beach. Well as anyone who’s ever been to the beach will tell you, that is pretty much a wash and workouts are most likely not going to happen. Tack on a few kids, some wicked sunburn, and a few drinks and I can kiss those days goodbye.

Ouch!

By Tuesday I was feeling dreadful and wanted to either exercise the toxins out of my body or die. Well, I have a family to look after so I decided to exercise. Again, there were obstacles all over the place. From a sunburn that left me itching all of my skin off to a hand that looked like a zombie attack (an injury suffered while digging a trench from our sand castle to the ocean), it looked as if it was going to be another battle to get my routines in. I would do my best to exercise here and there, but it just wasn’t the same. I felt like I had lost my drive. I could feel myself slipping further and further from my goal and the scale was certainly reflecting this.

Then came the wall. The 215lb wall that I was either going to bust through or let stop me. Some how I had gained 3 more pounds that my starting weight. Luckily I didn’t let it stop me. It took some time and a lot of internal struggle, but as of this morning I feel like I’m back in the driver’s seat. I am now at 209lbs and am ready for my next exercise.

Last nights workout was probably one of the toughest ones I’ve done in the past 40+ days. I did not eat well yesterday and certainly did not provide the right fuel for my body to do a great workout. But with the encouragement of my wife (who is also doing daily exercise routines btw) I got out there and did some Plyo X. It wasn’t easy, and I threw up before finishing, but I finished. I got over that hurdle and am so happy I did. I’m not ready to finish the second half of this program and get to that goal fitness level that I have set for myself. I feel great and I can’t wait for my next routine. I know the next 45 days will bring struggles, hurdles, and all manner of things to slow me down, but I am determined to see this thing through. I may be exactly where I am today in terms of weight and muscle or I may be “fit as a fiddle”, as Tony Horton would say. Only time will tell.

Oh, and as I mentioned earlier my wife is now doing her own daily workouts. She’s stuck to it so far and I am exceedingly proud of her and can’t wait to see her awesome results. I have faith in her and know she will bust through it. Stay tuned for more!

The easy part

Photo on 2012-02-25 at 08.42 #2
Morning "coffee"

No one ever said raising or taking care of a baby was easy. Well, I’m sure someone has said that, but at least no one I’ve ever talked to. However, over the past week or so things around the house have just kinda fallen into place. Lane is sleeping 5-7 hours each night. Jess and I are getting back into a routine of sorts, Chase is really taking on the role of a big brother with flying colors, and things are just good.

Certainly we have our days or nights when all we want to do is sleep or finish that load of laundry and Lane has other ideas of how we should be spending our time. Last night for example, he decided that it would be a good idea to stay up until midnight. It would have been one thing if he was up crying or fussing, but not our kid. He was just smiling and making faces and being a happy baby. It’s hard to get frustrated at a baby that just wants to look at you or pull on your shirt (kid’s got a grip) and smile. To keep him happy all we have to really do is make sure he’s fed when he’s hungry, has a new diaper when he’s wet, and get’s some sleep when he’s tired. There isn’t a whole lot of complication around that.

I don’t have the experience of raising a baby and it’s been nearly 10 years for Jess so this is all new to us. We’re figuring it out as we go along. Should we put him down or hold him until he sleeps? At 7.5 weeks what’s the “usual” thing for babies to be doing? Does his poop look normal? When did he last eat? Do you think he’s cold? All these things and more are constantly on our minds, but the more we interact with Lane the easier things become. Take this morning for example. I’m writing this post while feeding him. Two weeks ago that would not have even been a thought of a possibility. Now it is all second nature.

In a few years we’ll look back on mornings like this and remember how “easy” we had it. Then over time that too will become easy. I honestly don’t believe that raising a child is difficult. It’s only ever as hard as you make it. There will always be challenges like “did my son just eat sand?” or “did he forget to pack extra underwear for summer camp?” but we get through it.

Today is easy. My beautiful son is asleep in my arms while my amazing wife is peacefully sleeping in our cozy bed. The pets are fed and enjoying the quiet morning and the sun is breaking through the clouds. How much more could a man ask for on a Saturday morning?

Happy One Month, Benjamin Lane!

Benjamin Lane - 1 month
Benjamin Lane - 1 month

Over the past month I have learned a lot of interesting and fascinating things.

  • Babies can go from zero to 90 in a matter of seconds.
    One moment Lane will be laying peacefully asleep and the next he’ll be crying his head off… only to be cooing and giggling a few seconds later.
  • Poops come in all colors, smells, and can sneak up on you at any time of the day.
    It really doesn’t matter when Lane had eaten, when he’s ready to poop he will. The sneaky thing is, some times it’s just a fart that sounds and smells like he destroyed his diaper.
  • When people tell you that you’re not going to sleep much (or at all) during the first weeks of your babies life, they mean it.
    We have battled with Lane at all hours of the day trying to get him to sleep.  Battling with a baby takes time, and takes away from sleeping.
  • One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to beds, pillows, bottles, formula, etc.
    In the past month Lane has had no less than 4 types of nipples/bottles, 5 different apparatuses to sleep in, and 3 types of formula. In addition to that some 0-3 month onesies fit while others are snug.
  • You can’t spoil a newborn.
    It doesn’t matter how much I hold Lane, if I put him down and he starts to cry or whimper again, I’ll snatch him back up. Holding my son never gets old.
  • You can’t get too comfortable with the way things are.
    Some nights he likes pajamas other nights he doesn’t. One day he’ll love taking a bath the next day he hates it. Just because he enjoyed something once doesn’t mean he will again. He, like his mom and I are constantly learning and changing.

The list could go on and on. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how a child so small can have an enormous impact on my life. Jess and I are all that Lane has. He came in to this world a month ago not having any idea what was going on. He could never comprehend life outside the womb and everything he knows or has learned so far has been by us. I can’t wait until the 2 months, 10 months, 5 years, etc. Just to watch this little guy grow and learn is just a wonderful process. He has changed my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy one month birthday my son!