tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27336178214475349262011-11-27T16:52:09.151-08:00Johnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-27631584938809109672010-06-03T19:54:00.001-07:002010-06-03T19:54:01.457-07:00

Well, you may or may not have noticed the lack of posts around here.  It’s the death-knell for a blogger to take a week off, because then you realize just how much extra time you have… or how much time you don’t have but still blogged…. Anyway, this is a farewell of sorts.  Not completely, not entirely, but this is a farewell to this blog.  It was therapeutic to write in it for the months I did,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-56181890990545403342010-05-14T02:16:00.000-07:002010-05-14T02:16:00.579-07:00

Is there anything harder in the world than a mom going back to work after having her first kid?  After seeing it happen this past week, I would have to say no.  As most of you know, Stunning was offered a job about a week and a half ago and all of a sudden we realized she’d be back to work before any of us expected it.  That day came on Monday and she got all dressed up and after the two month

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-31319085117760853292010-05-13T02:11:00.000-07:002010-05-13T02:11:00.410-07:00

Well, on Monday we took Junior up to get his vaccinations.  I’m happy to report that he’s a wonderful 11 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long/tall.  That’s the 50% for both!!  That means folks that my kid is just average. Of course, the scary part are the shots.  The needles came out and holy crap were they long.  I didn’t think he had that much room for them to go in and not come out the other

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-1033206676879222352010-05-12T02:04:00.000-07:002010-05-12T02:04:00.761-07:00

Mother’s Day is full of pomp and circumstance.  Even moreso when it is the first Mother’s Day for a Mom.  Don’t worry, Stunning made sure I knew it was an important and big holiday.  We didn’t do much special.  Of course, we usually go to church, but our pediatrician suggested not going to church until the two month shots (more on those tomorrow).  We didn’t go to church.  Instead, we marked

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-76235360713157520192010-05-11T01:30:00.000-07:002010-05-11T01:30:01.350-07:00

We got this really cool suit and tie for Jack from our friends in Wisconsin.  Pretty much the classiest outfit the kid owns and I can’t wait for him to wear it around looking all cool and stuff.  Anyway, the following is the thank you note sent to the gift givers: Dear Gift Givers, You guys are awesome.  That suit is Junior’s best outfit BY FAR.  Leave it to the gay men to be sure that Jack

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-33918162018295035442010-05-10T01:18:00.000-07:002010-05-10T01:18:00.322-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I posted a little video by an artist, singer, composer that goes by the name Sufjan Stevens.  He goes by the name… because it is his real name.  Anyway, Stunning and I have tried everything to soothe Junior when he’s going crazy.  This is either in pain crazy or fussy crazy.  The only thing that can soothe him though is me playing music of Sufjan Stevens really loud.  It has

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-17693491553761488542010-05-07T01:31:00.000-07:002010-05-07T01:31:00.227-07:00

There are things in life that are better left never experienced.  Quick sand.  Burning alive.  Being suffocated by a giant snake.  Smelling a baby’s poop when they drink Neocate. You know.  Those sorts of things. Neocate, if you might remember, is that super expensive, super fancy formula for kids with severe milk protein allergies.  My little boy has that and this formula has helped out quite a

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-16691689667266385092010-05-06T01:13:00.000-07:002010-05-06T01:13:00.400-07:00

There are certain things before Junior came that I thought were just ridiculous to have/buy/own/want.  Here’s a few of those things now that I thought were dumb and now I love: Goodness gracious.  If we didn’t have this thing, I think my face would fall off.  It’s good for naps and getting him to calm some.  He’ll sleep longer in it and it’s good for the reflux because he’s not laying down

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-772394431277522272010-05-05T01:28:00.000-07:002010-05-05T01:28:00.151-07:00

We’ve gone through a couple interviews with potential nannies… like most things in parenthood we turned to the internet for some suggestions.  This time we were looking for questions to ask a potential nanny.  We found some good resources.  On one website, we went through multiple questions on this website.  Good stuff like: How do you handle a crying baby? How do you feel when dealing

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-79768124572127168902010-05-04T01:23:00.000-07:002010-05-04T01:23:00.394-07:00

As mentioned, we found someone for May… that’s Aunt Burb.  After that though, we’re on the great search using the interwebs.  It’s www.sitters.com and www.sittercity.com  They’re kind of craigslist of the nanny world where people put out their qualifications and you find someone that you think will match well.  We’ve got a couple interviews planned, but one has to wade through quite a bit to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-24717033154043372222010-05-03T01:35:00.000-07:002010-05-03T01:35:00.335-07:00

Well, it looks like Stunning will be heading back to work soon.  If everything goes according to plan, she’ll start her permanent position on June 1.  She’ll work on a contract/temporary position at the company for the month of May.  Of course, this means we have to find someone to take care of Junior and we have to find them quick.  Really quick.  Like, she’ll probably be working full time at

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-50762146559941345102010-04-30T01:44:00.000-07:002010-04-30T01:44:00.556-07:00

Needless to say, these past 8 weeks have not always been the easiest for me or Stunning.  It’s tough to see your child go through all of this.  However, there’s one thing that I’ve learned and it is that a) my wife is absolutely amazing and b) women have an amazing innate ability to take care of children. I’m not a guy who gets frustrated easily.  In fact, I could probably count the times I got

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-42916116316892656412010-04-29T01:37:00.000-07:002010-04-29T01:37:00.460-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I posted about how as new parents people work hard to scare you sh*tless in order for your baby to be safe.  I mean, if you do something or don’t do something, you’re baby (in all liklihood) will die.  I posted concerning SIDS and the scariness of that.  SIDS is a serious thing and I don’t want anyone to think differently.  You should follow all of the recommendations set

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-38264649023922048482010-04-28T01:59:00.000-07:002010-04-28T01:59:00.503-07:00

I’m not quite sure how to handle this… but I got my first blog award the other day.  It’s not the academy… in the blogging world (which I’m not overly familiar), it is bestowed by other bloggers. The Sunshine Award: The Sunshine Blog Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. This was given to me by a frequent commenter… who frankly probably

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-48745353230618690942010-04-27T01:16:00.000-07:002010-04-27T01:16:00.175-07:00

It’s no lie that a major milestone for a father is the first time he sees his baby smile.  That and the first time he changes the diaper, but the smile is much more interesting and awesome.  (The diapers make my head hurt… more on that another day.)  Well, about a week and a half ago we saw Junior smile for the first time.  I was bouncing him on my knee and there came a little smirk.  I read

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-58889049448287849672010-04-26T01:17:00.000-07:002010-04-26T01:17:00.116-07:00

Many places talk about getting a honeymoon for a baby when they go on a new treatment for acid reflux.  Well, Junior has been amazing these past week dealing with his recovery.  He’s on super expensive fancy formula and taking heartburn medicine twice a day.  (Heartburn medicine at 6 weeks is a sad thing.)  It’s amazing how quickly you forget all the emotions that you dealt with during the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-7077879849634665572010-04-23T01:20:00.000-07:002010-04-23T01:20:00.714-07:00

When it rains in San Antonio, it pours and pours and pours.  Thunderstorms down here are rarely severe, but they dump a lot of rain.  The ground here isn’t the porous dirt I’m used to in Nebraska… instead it’s hard rock.  That means when it pours it doesn’t soak in and it flows.  This past weekend, the water of the entire neighborhood flowed right into our driveway. Here I am trying to get the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-48593370824735284682010-04-22T20:22:00.001-07:002010-04-22T20:22:47.579-07:00

You’ve probably already noticed the little “Like” buttons at the end of posts.  It’s something new I’m trying and I’m not entirely sure it’s working. Nonetheless, Facebook was mad and jealous that Google was taking over the web and all services.  Microsoft was pissed that no one ever talks about them anymore.  And Yahoo! was thinking whimsically about the 1990s.  Anyway, now Facebook is trying

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-45616119767774032222010-04-22T01:03:00.000-07:002010-04-22T01:03:00.211-07:00

You’re here, but you might wonder who else is here.  Well, I love statistics, so I pay close attention to my Google Analytics.  I like to see what countries people are coming from and why they’re coming.  The why is garnered by what they searched for to find this blog.  Therefore, I wanted to share some of those with you and provide the people who will search for these terms in the future some

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-12034721480381085402010-04-21T10:25:00.000-07:002010-04-21T10:25:53.734-07:00

As you read this, I think you might think this is a stretch and I’m not going to argue with you.  However, I wanted to write this and see what it sounds like and if it makes any sense. During our Acid Reflux cry fests, I would just look at my son’s little face which was in pure agony and pure pain and my heart would break.  There was nothing I could to stop it.  There was nothing he did to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-23884659708524863852010-04-20T00:42:00.000-07:002010-04-20T00:42:00.607-07:00

As part of the treatment (or whatever the word would be in this case) for Jack’s Milk Protien Intolerance, we put him on a formula called Neocate.  I put a large amount of the credit for Jack having some Happy Baby time to this formula.  You’ve never heard of Neocate you say?  Well, not many kids are on it.  Most can go to some version of Enfamil or Similac for the intolerance stuff.  Some though

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-80906735626810434112010-04-19T01:54:00.000-07:002010-04-19T01:54:00.512-07:00

This weekend we had a bit of a breakthrough.  We had a happy baby!  Friday night was amazing.  His feedings were like a gift from God.  He was fussy on Saturday, but not the definition of fussy Stunning and I have attached to the word.  Take a look at the differences: From Websters: Fussy: \ˈfə-sē\  adjective  1 : easily upset : irritable Our Definition: Fussy: \ˈfə-sē\  adjective  1 : HOLY

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-46290151921886685652010-04-17T21:42:00.001-07:002010-04-17T21:42:24.365-07:00

If you don’t know who Sufjan Stevens is, you should look him up.  He’s a Christian artist, but truthfully the only christian artist music I like.  You won’t hear him on KLOVE and his lyrics are vieled in mystery, but all come back to religion.  Anyway, I ran across this song of his and think it’s really cool.  (The album version sounds better than this live performance though.) I always knew

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-13501725527330486122010-04-17T15:21:00.000-07:002010-04-17T15:21:00.288-07:00

For more pictures: 365 Junior

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-91347751121573188542010-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:002010-04-15T01:27:00.320-07:00

I hate bees.  I also hate anything that could possibly sting me.  It’s not just a hate, but a fear.  For example, Stunning once called me and said, “There’s a wasp in the apartment.”  As a good husband, my first thought should have been, “I wish I was there to save you and kill the wasp heroically and save you from any chance of being stung.”  Instead my first thought was, “Thanks GOD I am not

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-82202498446987957382010-04-14T01:17:00.000-07:002010-04-14T01:17:00.065-07:00

I touched on this subject briefly yesterday, but there’s major shame involved with not breastfeeding and using formula.  Pamphlets and information across the hospital make it clear what the preference is for motherhood.  As I stated yesterday, I’m not arguing that breastfeeding is awesome and an amazing thing for a baby.  There are a ton of benefits and there’s a ton of shame in using formula.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-85030626489240393012010-04-13T01:58:00.000-07:002010-04-13T01:58:00.621-07:00

Any new parents knows that there’s a lot of people that will scare the hell out of you.  Birthing classes find ways to scare you.  Other parents find ways to scare you.  The internet finds a million ways to scare you.  Basically, it all boils down to the fact that if you do something (or not do something) it will somehow mean an increase chance that your baby will die.  It’s very difficult to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-10921563388492386722010-04-12T01:29:00.000-07:002010-04-12T01:29:00.206-07:00

It was with great surprise that at the age of two weeks, Junior rolled over.  I thought it was a fluke, because he had his arm under his body during tummy time.  Well, a couple weeks later, given another opportunity, he rolled over again.  Then again.  And again.  The final time, I got my video camera and began recording: That’s my wife and I singing in the background. The next day, Junior

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-8589692966980939742010-04-10T22:20:00.001-07:002010-04-10T22:20:45.695-07:00

For more pictures: Junior 365

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-65781954380483912002010-04-09T01:04:00.000-07:002010-04-09T01:04:00.289-07:00

Time for a respite from the depressing posts.  I hope you are excited to learn a bit about man babies.  To learn the most,  you need to visit the site: http://manbabies.com/  Now, I was hoping my submission would appear there before I posted this, but alas it has not..  The point of man babies is to switch the heads or faces of a man and his baby.  I have created two man babies. The first man

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-41494057502775950132010-04-08T01:58:00.000-07:002010-04-08T01:58:00.439-07:00

I don’t want to jinx anything at all, but I want you to know that on Wednesday night Junior had his best night ever.  It was great and we felt like real parents.  He was chill and didn’t cry once after 6pm to this writing (I’m writing it at 8pm)!  Now, I doubt things will continue to go this well, but I wanted to share in the joy that we at least had a few hours of sanity in our house. I want to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-35131521194604556732010-04-07T05:58:00.001-07:002010-04-07T05:59:55.166-07:00

From the wife today: This is a long post—I am hesitant to write it because we have so many friends who are trying to have/expecting babies. I don’t want to scare anyone into thinking that parenthood is dreadful. So I will say that what we are going through, although not terribly uncommon, is not normal. My sister and brother both have babies who are happy and rarely fussy and sleep for hours at

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-18929944621977045742010-04-06T08:09:00.001-07:002010-04-06T08:09:39.922-07:00

Please check out Junior’s photo blog at http://365junior.blogspot.com It’s updated daily and he’s pretty cute.  :)

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-1204749708981259532010-04-05T01:50:00.000-07:002010-04-05T01:50:00.206-07:00

The feeding issues continue in our household.  In fact, this weekend, I feel like they’ve come to a head.  I’m fairly certain Junior is suffering from acid reflux and it specifically gets quite bad from about 5pm to midnight.  Not quite sure why on the timing, but that’s when it seems to bother him the most.  Specifically, the reflux will surface after he eats about 2 ounces, then he will get

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-35638471860183367092010-04-02T17:06:00.001-07:002010-04-02T17:07:02.977-07:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-44135084813407332352010-04-02T05:58:00.001-07:002010-04-02T05:58:45.356-07:00

The parakeet story will have to wait… this post from my wife is just too important.. As you might know, my sister had her little boy just a few hours after Junior arrived. Her son looks absolutely, positively like his dad. It’s actually kind of crazy how much of him I see in Junior’s cousin’s sweet little face. Of course, it got me thinking: who does Junior look like? Frankly, John and I have

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-22649780228224353402010-04-01T06:59:00.000-07:002010-04-01T06:59:20.285-07:00

This post is from another blog that I wrote this past summer... You need this background to understand tomorrow's blog post: Well,  you might remember that we’re proud owners of a pet parakeet.  It’s name is Lou Ferrigno.  For more information about Lou, please see earlier posts about Lou1 and Lou2. You might also remember how I created the most awesomest cage ever for Lou1.  Lou1 flew away

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-88476408921443507802010-03-31T01:44:00.000-07:002010-03-31T01:44:00.291-07:00

There’s a good chance my wife will be in a continual state of wanting pancakes.  That’s because over the next few weeks there’s a good chance she’ll smell like a hot pile of steaming pancakes drenched with maple syrup.  This isn’t some type of strange fat guy fantasy… It’s the truth. Remember adventures in breastfeeding?  Well, the adventures have continued.  After I wrote my last post about it,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-41759014814152798152010-03-30T05:58:00.001-07:002010-03-30T05:58:20.762-07:00

Yesterday was my first day back at work, as you may have read yesterday… if that post yesterday made any sense at all.  I barely remember writing this. You don’t really realize how much work you do at work on a daily basis until you’re gone for an extended period.  Then when you come back, there’s a lot to do!  Needless to say, yesterday was a very busy day and beyond that it made it worse when

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-37340347745615486962010-03-29T01:12:00.000-07:002010-03-29T01:12:00.493-07:00

I’m talking about where you work and what you do.  I mean, you should always love what you do as a matter of hobbies and life.  However, I’m here to tell you to actually love what you do 40 or more hours per week.  Today, I’m headed back to work after the birth of my son.  Today will be the longest time I’ve spent away from him.  Previous to this, I have been away approximately 1 hour on an

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-6438074001007367492010-03-28T08:03:00.001-07:002010-03-28T08:03:29.728-07:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-76624678004150801182010-03-26T01:38:00.000-07:002010-03-26T01:38:00.241-07:00

I’ve started another blog for you to waste your time on.  My goal is to create a book for Junior after his first year is complete.  That will be March 7, 2011.  This book will have a picture of him taken each day of his first 365 days.  I think it will be really cool to see him grow up picture by picture… there are some big changes that happen in the first year.  For instance, take a look -

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-9008967698671407202010-03-25T09:59:00.001-07:002010-03-25T09:59:01.309-07:00

If you’re looking for my wife’s blog… and you’re trying to go to the website using the www address, please try something different.  The domain name expired.  The company I got it through was going to charge me $40 to renew it (which is highway robbery), so I let it expire.  Now, some company is holding it hostage and won’t let me get it through godaddy or another service.  That blog has more

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-58954639550528197562010-03-25T01:31:00.000-07:002010-03-25T01:31:00.624-07:00

If you are around babies or have a new baby, you might be able to identify with the hand-washing obsession.  Of course, it’s good form to keep your hands clean when you’re working with a child.  When you know there’s a direct correlation of your hands being dirty and the amount they get sick, you want to wash your hands as much as possible. However, what you might not want are the after-effects

Johnnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-74042665404370581542010-03-24T01:12:00.000-07:002010-03-24T01:12:00.259-07:00

You hear it all of the time, but I don’t think you realize it until you’re actually buying everything.  A few things that are expensive: Diapers.  I knew we’d go through diapers, but this is ridiculous!  The kid loves to poop.  When he’s not pooping, he loves to pee.  Sometimes he really likes to do both at the same time.  Here’s the thing that drives a cheapskate like me crazy.  I go to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-40858202629355442702010-03-23T01:02:00.000-07:002010-03-23T01:02:00.522-07:00

Almost all kids deal with the thing called jaundice at one point or another.  (Well, I guess it’s usually within the first few days of life that they deal with it, but you get what I mean… it affects a lot of children.)  Junior was one of those kids.  When we left the hospital, the nurses said there were no signs of jaundice.  24 hours later, his nose had a crisp yellow and the whites of his

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-17049945296888620632010-03-22T01:39:00.000-07:002010-03-22T01:39:00.328-07:00

It’s interesting when you look into the eyes of a newborn.  You know they’re looking out and seeing things, but you can’t really figure out what they’re thinking… Are they thinking?  I have no idea as that would probably require a higher degree than my bachelors in Atmospheric Sciences.  That’s Junior.  (And I was so mad when I got the picture on a larger screen and noticed it wasn’t crisp. 

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-80429403834126754732010-03-21T01:03:00.000-07:002010-03-21T01:03:00.238-07:00

We hosted a baby shower the night before Junior came.  Apparently, the stress of hosting is a great way to induce labor!  Anyway, these were the cupcakes for the shower.  We had a ton left over, so we brought them in for the nurses in the post-partum department.  They were very excited.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-46301979293869075732010-03-20T01:51:00.000-07:002010-03-20T01:51:00.141-07:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-602800758274898322010-03-19T01:31:00.000-07:002010-03-19T01:31:00.369-07:00

All girls love at least one TLC show.  Before we got engaged, Stunning loved a show where they’d surprise someone with an engagement.  Many girls love A Wedding Story, a Pregnancy Story, a Baby Story, a Baptism Story…  Anyway, in the vein of TLC, the following is the story of Junior’s birth written by the wife: Junior was two weeks early and it was quite the shock to everyone (including my

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-30336208053526566262010-03-18T01:05:00.000-07:002010-03-18T17:08:12.913-07:00

You need to take 5 minutes to watch this video.  Seriously, I am not joking, you have to watch it… A few things I’d like to review: What the hell?!?  At 20 seconds, the mom tells the child, “If there’s any monkey business, I’ll have to leave.”  Ummm… what monkey business would that be?? How awkward is it to see a giant child at the momma’s nip? If her sister likes it so

Johnnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-72336166557636464712010-03-17T01:04:00.000-07:002010-03-17T01:04:00.545-07:00

Perhaps the greatest challenge in my 11 day old life as a father has been breastfeeding… and no people… I am not the one doing the breastfeeding.  However, that does not mean I don’t have a big role to play.  It’s pretty amazing that each day it seems we’re facing a new challenge.  I’m writing this post on Tuesday morning, so by the time it posts in 24 hours we’ll probably have faced a whole

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-90833006544036334132010-03-16T04:23:00.001-07:002010-03-16T04:30:28.506-07:00

I wrote the previous post on Sunday and set it up to auto-post.  I would like to rescind some of the things stated within that update. Junior has decided he’s not going to be a championship sleeper.  In that, he’s going to wake up constantly and not just every three hours.  That means his parents (that’s me, in case you were wondering) are not getting three hour spans of sleep together.  Instead

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-65076782395089875312010-03-16T01:03:00.000-07:002010-03-16T01:03:00.302-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I discussed my terrible sleep patterns.  The patterns were made by an app on my iPhone and they looked like this: A good sleep pattern looks something like this:   This is not my sleep graph.  This is the sleep graph of my boss, who has the same app, and consistently makes me angry with all of his beautiful deep sleep.  Since he’s my boss though, I try not to let

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-16900197679967109912010-03-15T02:30:00.000-07:002010-03-15T02:30:00.631-07:00

Well, now that I’m a dad, I am pretty sure I know everything now.  In fact, from my knowledge of being a young child I remember knowing that my Dad knew pretty much everything.  Of course, now that I’m in that same situation, I have realized that fathers don’t really know as much as their kids think they do.  In just the first week of being a dad, there have been challenges and unknowns at pretty

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-42610793055155657972010-03-13T21:03:00.001-08:002010-03-13T21:03:24.863-08:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-9376347985373054622010-03-12T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-12T01:03:00.496-08:00

We got everything for Junior that he could possibly want.  However, as we walked through a store the other day, I realized he lacked one thing that every child should have.  And that would be a puppet.   Ok.  I’ll be honest.  When I saw the puppet, I got it for myself.  A baby doesn’t need a puppet… as a child probably can’t even operate one until they’re at least 5 years old.  Anyway, as I saw

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-67114749559104904462010-03-11T01:30:00.000-08:002010-03-11T01:30:00.674-08:00

My wife decided it would be fun to use a little internet magic.  Last week, I discussed what would happen if Junior took after my looks.  Of course, since she isn’t quite as selfish as I am, she naturally wondered what he would look like if he had both of our faces combined.  (I hear that’s actually what happens in children… they take one person and combine it with another and you get this mix…

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-90908654943876699372010-03-10T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-10T01:03:00.705-08:00

I think I did some good reporting in my days in the journalism business.  However, I now know that I never did anything worthwhile. Genius!  Thank you Todd Beaney… FOX8 News.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-20143771020254062042010-03-09T07:45:00.001-08:002010-03-11T14:25:45.557-08:00

I didn’t think it would happen until the due date… maybe even a couple days after.  Neither did Stunning… Neither did the doctor.  However, with all of that said, this blog is no longer about an expecting father, but instead a real father.  CRAZY! He was born Sunday, March 7 at 7:19pm weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 19.5” long. Me as a Father: Junior when he found out I was

Johnnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-87117608134427461462010-03-09T01:30:00.000-08:002010-03-09T01:30:00.480-08:00

You’ve probably heard the old adage: Everything is bigger in Texas.  For example, this is a cinnamon roll at a restaurant here in town: It’s big.  (And in this picture, I look slightly drugged out.) These are a pair of Cowboy Boots in town: They’re big. My wife is a Texan, so when it comes to the pillow she likes to lay her head on at night… she likes a huge, fluffy pillow.  Well, a couple

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-90017359860761615012010-03-08T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-08T01:03:00.170-08:00

Stunning has always had a history of strange dreams.  For some reason, she has dreams where I’m cheating on her and she’s the type of girl that emotions in those dreams spill over into awakedness, to make up a word.  Other times she’ll punch me in the middle of the night.  I’ve been kicked a few times.  She loves to talk in her sleep, sometimes carrying on long conversations where I can’t hear

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-18136164769676114832010-03-07T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-07T01:03:00.655-08:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-54343104393323444522010-03-06T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-06T01:03:00.667-08:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-9808047318839621392010-03-05T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-05T01:03:00.406-08:00

My wife is all but done in baby preparations.  Of course, if she realizes there is something that needs to be done, it will be done within hours… if not minutes.  She’s a planner in normal life.  Imagine taking the neurosis (and I use that word lovingly) and adding on the natural instinct to prepare a baby’s home before his arrival.  Well, you can imagine what’s happened in my life the past few

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-87381097505399537392010-03-04T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-04T01:03:00.619-08:00

You read about my sleep graphs.  Take a look at this one: What you see here is that I slept good from 11 to 1am.   After that things got a little crazy… especially starting at the 3am hour.  Well, I was awake from 3am on because I thought we might be having a baby. Junior is pretty active, with constant movements and kicks almost continuously now.  However, the other night Molly noticed he

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-81078645311238972292010-03-03T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-03T01:03:00.111-08:00

They always say the last trimester is the most uncomfortable and I AGREE.  I’m not talking about my wife, I’m talking about me.  Stunning is not in a good state right now.  She’s got a cold.  She’s got a giant basketball in her stomach: You try and sleep with that in your stomach.  It moves too!! (Very similar to Alien.) The trick for the husband is to find a way to manage his own sleep

Johnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-46258767865340246372010-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:002010-03-02T03:00:08.607-08:00

Hello, Fatherhoody audience. I’m Liam’s Dad, Willy. Liam is a 6-month old baby. He’s perfect. Ever since we brought him home, he has slept through the night (save a single nighttime feeding that has since been phased out), has been a fantastic eater (like his old man), and is just generally the happiest baby I have ever met. This is a post on 5 observations on my boy. Liam and his Dad. 1

Me. Friend of Bamboo.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08784702702223171849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-10078663313144230972010-03-01T01:03:00.000-08:002010-03-01T01:03:00.482-08:00

Babies go through some amazing changes in their first couple years of life.  I ran across a friend’s blog the other day and she’s doing something that I think is really cool.  Every day, she’s taking a picture to document her baby, Georgia’s, life.  She started January 1 and will be going all the way through the end of the year.  http://georgia365.blogspot.com/ Check it out!   It got me to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-788747721398160942010-02-28T01:03:00.000-08:002010-02-28T01:03:00.504-08:00

This hasn’t been a very funny week on Fatherhoody by any means… sorry for those that are coming here looking for a dose of dry humor.  I don’t have any for you today (dry humor), but I do have a couple YouTube videos that will blow your mind. Linky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD5HfM3DZt8  Thank you and God Bless Keyboard Cat.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-68536162096081064642010-02-27T01:03:00.000-08:002010-02-27T01:03:00.106-08:00

1. Someone got to Fatherhoody by googling “Pictures of Anorexic Women”.  I don’t have any pictures here of anorexic women.  However, it made me think about the person doing the Googling.  They were either searching for a project or perhaps they were searching to compare.  That’s something Stunning talked about… Anorexia is not defined by how much you weigh.  Most anorexic girls will get to very

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-43304583077756788132010-02-26T01:23:00.000-08:002010-02-26T01:23:00.434-08:00

Did you know the maker’s of Dove, the people who try to make young girls feel good about their body, are also the makers of Axe Body Spray, the one where guys love super skinny models?  I always find that interesting.  I can’t blame them too much though, it’s the marketing that sells sometimes and not the product.  Anyway, when we got pregnant, I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t scared.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-49087963921553849512010-02-25T05:23:00.000-08:002010-02-25T05:23:09.526-08:00

The weekend before my wife went into recovery we were driving home.  We were having a discussion about going to her first therapist session.  At this point, I didn’t know she was anorexic.  As I said, I knew she had a problem, but I thought it was something else.  She didn’t think she had a problem, because she still ate and as she said, “I’m too fat to be anorexic.”  That’s the amazing thing. 

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-40292386840174662532010-02-24T01:30:00.000-08:002010-02-24T01:30:00.363-08:00

At first, I played a good husband and got excited when my wife lost weight.  It’s what she wanted.  In fact, there was a time where she would refer to her former self as “fat”.  I never liked to do that, because she wasn’t fat then and she wasn’t fat now.  Thinking back on this now makes me so incredibly sad.  However, she once convinced me that it made her feel better if I were to tell her that

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-10246568896398250462010-02-23T01:33:00.000-08:002010-02-23T01:33:00.588-08:00

I mentioned yesterday that I thought anorexia was more of an addiction than anything else.  I think this is a good description for it.  If you asked me if there was an “AHA!” moment where I realized my wife had a problem, I would tell you no.  It was more of a realization across many months.  When she started losing weight, it did become an obsession.  There was one summer I think she could have

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-16924832351645443202010-02-22T01:30:00.000-08:002010-02-22T01:30:00.331-08:00

…no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it…                                               -Ephesians 5:29 It’s National Eating Disorder Week.  My wife wanted to share some of her stories and experiences to raise awareness.  She wrote four posts, but after finishing them she decided she didn’t want you to see them.  Scared that the posts would come across selfish, place

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-67907852198375775172010-02-21T01:55:00.000-08:002010-02-21T01:55:00.129-08:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-68484671648717705202010-02-21T01:52:00.000-08:002010-02-20T14:53:50.480-08:00

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-85130688273843340732010-02-19T01:30:00.000-08:002010-02-19T01:30:01.261-08:00

When we were kids, my sister and I both had a great idea.  YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF BY USING A MIRROR!!!  While, I don’t have the proof to show you, neither of our pictures turned out.  The flash gets in the way. Damn flash. Anyway, sometimes I think back on that and laugh to myself.  I know my sister does the same. Therefore, imagine my surprise when I opened up my camera folder and

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-36229116995260030172010-02-18T01:30:00.000-08:002010-02-18T01:30:00.702-08:00

I only cook once in a great while… so when I do I like to go all out.  I think I’m decent enough that with a recipe, I could make most anything.  I would cook more, but I don’t have much of an imagination to come up with something to eat every night and Stunning enjoys making dinner, so I usually leave it up to her.  However, we’re in an effort to save money right now, because we are a) poor b)

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-71647292885212502012010-02-17T01:30:00.000-08:002010-02-17T01:30:00.348-08:00

Yesterday’s post was a bit philosophical and honestly, I’m not even quite sure what I was talking about.  Today’s post will hopefully be a bit simpler.  Here’s the deal, inside my wife’s stomach is another human being that is squirming around, kicking her bladder, punching her stomach, and making her life less than enjoyable.  I’ve never seen this human being before.  The only thing I’ve done

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-61328563067175166332010-02-16T01:36:00.000-08:002010-02-16T05:40:26.191-08:00

I’ve come to realize that because of my existence, there’s going to be another human being in the world.  Part of me looks at all of the other human beings in the world and thinks it’s not that big of a deal.  Look at a crowded stadium and all those people were crammed into some woman’s stomach at some point.  Quite a few of them (unfortunately, probably not all of them) had whimsical fathers

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-37639089549820080632010-02-15T01:17:00.000-08:002010-02-16T05:40:55.712-08:00

I know… I know… I just talked about baseball on Friday.  If you can’t tell though, I’m pretty excited that a) many of the Cardinals pitchers are already in Jupiter (not the planet – Jupiter, Florida) and b) the date for them to actually report is this week.  By the time opening day arrives, I’ll have run out of baseball topics.  (By the time opening day gets here, I’ll have a kid… WEIRD!!!) I

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-73397014530093015872010-02-14T01:53:00.000-08:002010-02-14T01:53:00.300-08:00

Guest Post From the Wife: Ronald Reagan once quipped, “Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15.” I see what he was trying to get at…but Ronny, I’m a member of the GOP and I don’t see why it’s so bad that every day is April 15.  The closer we are to April 15, the more of these little cuties we get to see: You only need to watch the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-79870908802922941502010-02-13T01:50:00.000-08:002010-02-13T01:50:00.362-08:00

We’ve got people in town this weekend.  Our first “Northern” visitors to come down here to Texas.  It’s a break from the cold for them as they’re from Ohio.  Let’s just say their names are Susie and James.  My wife recently recounted a story about one of her first interactions with James: So I’ll leave you with a hearty “Have a Great Weekend!” John and I have some friends coming into town from

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-63254979506684721842010-02-12T01:00:00.000-08:002010-02-12T10:20:51.872-08:00

February 17.  It’s around this time each year that something amazing happens.  Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training in Arizona and Florida.  Specifically, Cardinal Pitchers and Cardinal Catchers head to Jupiter, Florida to begin preparation for Spring Training Games and for the Regular season. This season is a bit different than normal.  First of all, on opening day, I’m going to be

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-81586954583157011812010-02-11T01:18:00.000-08:002010-02-11T01:18:00.183-08:00

Going off of yesterday’s posts, I thought I would discuss one of my favorite past-times.  I really enjoy getting angry with my wife in a store.  Not really getting angry (I don’t actually get angry about many things, which is part of the reason I find humorous), but acting like I’m a jerk.  This works like we’re walking by a group of people in the store and I say something like: Me: Would

Johnnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-74938190002344005682010-02-10T01:09:00.000-08:002010-02-10T01:09:00.200-08:00

In the 3rd Grade, I was tasked with doing an “All About Me” board on the wall.  I had to bring in pictures and write words that described me.  One of the words I chose was “Weird” (though I spelled it “wierd” and I still spell it wrong most of the time).  Then I chose a picture of me sitting on the toilet reading a book with my pants around my ankles.  I was potty-training in the picture, but I

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-73157509725228519682010-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:002010-02-09T01:00:01.166-08:00

Well, National Weatherperson Appreciation Day came and went last week and I wasn’t appreciated very much.  It’s fine though, because I’m no longer a weatherperson.  However, as I stated on that day (February 5) once a meteorologist, always a meteorologist at heart.  (Although when people ask me the forecast with the idea that I know all forecasts and weather conditions at all times, I tell them

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-49133113677964298072010-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:002010-02-08T01:00:05.118-08:00

While the East Coast was dealing with what has affectionately become known as the “Blizzard of 2010” or as President Obama was reported to have called it, “Snowmageddon”, I was hanging outside in San Antonio, Texas.  We just moved to Texas from Omaha, Nebraska in May.  It’s been quite the change of scenery, especially this winter.  While Omaha or the East Coast dealt with multiple snowstorms, we

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-4112448352583971272010-02-07T13:41:00.001-08:002010-02-07T13:41:27.670-08:00

People said these posts are boring. This is the last one.  I promise. I had it written now for awhile, but I didn’t want to bore people too much.  Anyway… this is the last post.  Enjoy… or please try to. With the primer done, it was time to move on to the actual paint.  This piece of furniture is a little different though, because it has a wicker back.  For that reason, I took some cheapo spray

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-84602588065375858312010-02-05T21:12:00.001-08:002010-02-05T21:12:27.027-08:00

Guest Post from the Wife: I have a good number of creative people in my life. My mom is an artist: My husband loves photography:   And getting pregnant has given me the opportunity to see how many of my friends also possess sweet skills. One friend gave me a homemade bib, stuffed blue polka dotted “J”, and a diaper carrying case.  I’ve received tons of decorated onesies. 

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-19534156904086072852010-02-04T19:51:00.001-08:002010-02-04T19:51:45.301-08:00

His name is Truman.  Truman was one item that I brought into our marriage that wasn’t thrown away.  (That and my rocking corduroy shirt, which Stunning despises.)  Anyway, I think everyone that knows Truman has a love/hate relationship with the dog.  Some, such as my wife, are proportionately on the hate side.  For me, it’s more on the love side. Truman is an amazingly kind dog.  He’s never

Johnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-88394030950861014962010-02-04T07:57:00.001-08:002010-02-04T07:57:50.599-08:00

When growing up, movies would come out and I would hear my dad say, “Oh ya, I saw that movie when they made it back in the 1960s!”  It always meant my dad was older than me… he remembered decades that I didn’t even exist in.  Movie remakes happen, but they seem to be happening at a great pace.  The reason I bring this up is that they’re going to remake Spiderman.  SPIDERMAN… you know the movie

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-10776831898765318942010-02-02T20:11:00.001-08:002010-02-02T20:11:38.821-08:00

I love me some Photoshop. Like the time I went to the Olympics: Or when I got that job with Good Morning America: Or when I travelled the world:       (Funny story about these pictures.  I thought it would be cool to get a couple of them printed and put on my coffee table when I was hanging out in La Crosse, Wisconsin in my bachelor pad.  My landlord came over one day and saw

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-25131962647864999002010-02-01T19:42:00.001-08:002010-02-01T19:42:55.409-08:00

There’s something that I have learned over the last three years and it’s that in marriage, my wife and I own everything together.  It’s pretty much “our car” (though she often claims the nice car as her own) and it’s our room, and our stuff.  However, over the course of the past three years, I have also learned a valuable lesson about items that will quickly become mine. Entering into wedded

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-31073966664085068672010-01-31T19:31:00.001-08:002010-01-31T19:32:35.157-08:00

As mentioned previously, Stunning and I are pretty obsessed with Seinfeld.  As veterans of the show and the ability to spot plotlines in everyday life, we’re certain we are in the top percentage of the population for our Seinfeld knowledge.  I’m not saying there aren’t people out there that know more and can quote more, because there certainly are… but I’m talking about our ability to hold our

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-1493062105188583952010-01-30T11:33:00.001-08:002010-01-30T11:33:04.161-08:00

I was the guest blogger over at Roots & Rings. While i hope you went read this post there, I wanted to get it on here for record keeping purposes.  If you didn’t go over there, here’s a look at what you missed: Good day everyone.  My name is John and I’m filling in today for Chelsea.  She’s out grabbing some lunch and doing her nails while skydiving.  She told me they dry faster that way.  I

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-21099112879929999382010-01-28T19:37:00.001-08:002010-01-28T19:37:38.712-08:00

It’s not by Calvin Klein.  I think my wife invented it and it mostly has to do with her sleeping patterns.  You see, my wife needs noise when she falls asleep.  Usually it’s the television and it has to be on for her to shut her mind down.  Here’s the rub though, it can’t be just any television.  It can only be certain shows that will allow her to enter sleep.  Here’s the other rub, we don’t

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2733617821447534926.post-46430534939248397172010-01-28T06:30:00.000-08:002010-01-28T06:30:01.200-08:00

Hello.  I’m hanging out today at Roots & Rings.  She wanted a little break, so I packed my bags and did a little guest post over there. If you’re checking out my blog for the first time, I suggest reading the following to catch up: Becoming an Unexpected Father New Dad My Son Isn’t Born But He Already Dislikes Me  Tadpole Things Make Babies Thanks for stopping by! 

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0