Shock Family Circus

Personal Space Issues

2012-01-11T15:51:00.001-05:00

The family is growing and the home is shrinking! We have a 3-bedroom condo, which seems like enough rooms for us and two kiddos, but in reality it's beginning to get a little tight around here. Before baby #2 was in the picture, Fletch's room was downstairs. As you may remember, that used to be our office until we transformed it into the awesome jungle nursery. We moved the futon upstairs, along with the office. I even made myself a little sewing nook in the dormer window area.

All was well with our living space.

When Fletch turned 2, we disassembled the crib to make room for his awesome big boy fire truck bed.

We had nowhere to put the crib, so we just put it in our bedroom up against the wall where it was out of the way. We had a plan to install some hooks in the wall of the garage and hang up the crib pieces, but then we found out baby #2 was on the way. So we just decided to keep the crib where it was since we'd be putting it back together soon enough.

Oh baby#2, how you have caused such a stir! We did not know whether we wanted to keep Fletch downstairs in his room or move him upstairs. After realizing I probably will not want to go up and down stairs for diaper changes and feedings in those first few crazy sleep deprived months, we decided to move Fletch upstairs. He will have his own bathroom (perfect for the boy who is currently being potty trained), and the room is already painted orange, which will go perfectly with his fire truck bed.

This all sounds so easy! Ha! Let's see what we have to remove from that room upstairs to make way for Fletch:

- One large white bookshelf containing daddy's numerous LEGO sets

- One desk w/ 19" LCD monitor

- One printer stand

- 2 Floor Torch Lamps (for safety reasons)

- 1 Sewing table and accoutrements (boxes of fabric and notions)

- Fire safe and 2 filing crates

- Coffee table

The only thing staying is the futon and a small tv stand that is going to hold Fletch's books. We figured we'd need some place to sit while we read bedtime stories and we need one last form of accommodations for guests. I have a feeling we may end up finding Fletch asleep on that thing instead of his bed, but as long as he sleeps, who cares right? Luckily, our HOA started renting out the empty rooms on the bottom floor as storage spaces. They are very convenient and actually cost a lot less than the local storage places around the corner. So that is what we are working on right now. Daddy has packed up all the LEGO sets, except for his Eiffel Tower, which needs special accommodations. Now we just wait for our storage space and start moving stuff.

Here is the before:

Stay tuned for the finished product!

Shout Outs

2012-01-11T11:16:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been to Soundzania?

Soundzania is a place that you can go…. Thats how the song goes. But Soundzania is more than a destination. It represents an imaginary world where musical instruments come alive and live and play together. In Soundzania, the instruments play music together all the time. Some children play tag or games like kickball or soccer when they get together, but when you go to Soundzania, making music is the number one game.Soundzania is a way to encourage playing with instruments, not just studying them. Instruments like play as much as children do. So, find your way to Soundzania and have some fun playing with an instrument!

Soundzania was created by our friend Scott Flory back in 2006. Since then three albums, 2006's Soundzania, 2008's Soundzania on Safari and 2011's Soundzania Elementary School, have been released. Each album has it's own theme, as the titles suggest. Mandy Lynn and Ben Joe are your tour guides through the Soundzania trilogy. You can listen to some of the songs from each album on the Soundzania website, www.soundzania.com. You can buy the CDs directly from the website and the albums are also available from iTunes. I'm not a music reviewer, but I can say that the whole family will enjoy it. I encourage you to explore Soundzania!

Who is Soundzania?

Soundzania is a loosely bound group of Dads who were at one time in rock and roll bands. Two years after band-mates Scott Flory, Ken Hougasian, and Lee Parker gave up the late nights and smoky-club lifestyle of a rock band, all three began enjoying the late nights and smelly-diaper lifestyle of fatherhood. During this time, Scott, Ken and Lee each lovingly created music to make their kids smile (or, in some cases, sleep). After rave reviews from their own children, they set out to create Soundzania.

We know Scott and his family personally. We go to church and YFM activities with them. The Florys are awesome!

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My co-worker's wife, Angie Criswell, has her own pet photography business, Magpie Studios. She was recently featured in Fredericksburg, VA's newspaper The Free Lance-Star. If your or someone you know live near Fredericksburg and want professional pictures taken of you pets, then please contact Angie. Contact details are on the website.

2011 Year In Review

2012-01-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Out with the old and in with the new! This post highlights our past year. For more details click on the links throughout. In some ways 2011 will be a year to forget but there are definitely some positives to look back on. Lets review those first. The biggest news is that the family circus has a coming attraction. That's right, the newest member is another boy! Just like the first time, we're keeping the name to ourselves until after he's born. The second biggest accomplishment is that Jennifer finished college in December. She earned her Bachelors in Art Education from Marymount University. We are very proud of her and she's very happy to be done.

Fletch celebrated his second birthday last year. We are Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) members so he visited the zoo a lot. He also went to the RBB&B circus, National Train Day at Union Station, and Yo Gabba Gabba Live! Yo Gabba Gabba is his favorite TV show.

We added two new family members last year. Aunt Lili (Atom's sister Lisa) had her first baby on December 23. Welcome to the world baby boy Max! Earlier in the year Jennifer's sister Donna got married to Craig Straily, a former high school boyfriend. They are happy and living in Oklahoma. A couple of our nephews started the next chapter of their life. Jennifer's oldest brother David's oldest son Josh started college in the fall at Texas A&M. Jennifer's brother Bubba's oldest son John Jr. joined the military. They are growing up so fast. We wish them both success in their endeavors.

We didn't have an official vacation last year, but we did manage some weekend getaways. Jennifer and I spent separate weekends in March on the annual moms and dads retreats respectively. The trips were organized by our Church's Young Family Ministries (YFM). The Moms went to the Delaware shore and the Dads went to a cabin in the Shenandoah Valley. Memorial Day weekend we went down to the Chesapeake Bay to visit friends during which Mom and Dad had a romantic night away to Smithfield Station. We attended the annual YFM family weekend retreat at Shrine Mont in June. It was a great weekend spent doing fun activities and fellowshipping with our friends. We spent Thanksgiving in New York City visiting Aunt Lili and Uncle Steven. Jennifer and I went to the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular show featuring the high-kicking Rockettes. We also went to Macy's Santa Land.

Jennifer started her own Etsy shop selling custom covers for iPads, Kindles, laptops, smartphones and the like. Opening the shop was her 2011 New Year's resolution.

We got a new family truckster.

As for the not-so-good of 2011, the biggest was me being laid off in January and my subsequent five month unemployment stint. I finally started working again in June. We also lost our dear friend, Jeffrey Soderberg. Our friend Chris Wade lost his political campaign bid for Braddock District Supervisor by a mere 42 votes in the Democratic Primary. Jennifer lost her wedding band on the National Mall back in the spring. It was insured so it was quickly replaced, but it was still something worth mentioning. Oh, you might have heard that there was an earthquake in the DC area! It caused no deaths, but significantly damaged the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument.

That's it for 2011. We're looking forward to a less dramatic 2012. It didn't start off well with my maternal grandmother passing away at the age of 93 on January 2. If you believe the Mayan calendar that 2012 is the end of the world then you better make the most of it. God Speed.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

May the Holiday Season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones!

Love,

Jenn, Atom, Fletch & Baby-to-Be

College - Now and Later

2011-12-15T14:26:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we posted. Life's been hectic with me starting a new job and Jennifer student teaching and finishing up her final semester at Marymount University and being pregnant. Not to mention raising a two year old! As Jennifer is closing one big chapter of her life, we start another with Fletch. Although he's still a long way from attending college, in terms of financing we as parents need to start planning for that sooner rather than later. I'm not wishing his life away or anything. It's just I don't want him to finish school in a heap of student loan debt like both his parents did. So we opened a 529 college savings plan for him. We chose to invest in the age-based evolving portfolio. They are designed to take into account the beneficiary's current age and the number of years before the beneficiary is expected to need funds from the account for higher education expenses. The asset allocations of the age-based portfolios shift every three years toward more stable, low risk investments, which is designed to help reduce the risk of principal loss. I set up a modest monthly direct deposit. I know parents have good intentions of consistently contributing to a college savings account over the course of their child's adolescent life, but a lot don't end up sticking with it for various reasons. I hope that we can keep it up for the next 16 years and increase it when finances allow. That, along with contributions from family, should provide a substantial amount to cover the high cost of secondary education. We have plans to set up a 529 plan for kid two after he's born.

I'll send details of how family can contribute to Fletch's college savings account after I get all the details. It makes a great Christmas present. ;) Happy Holidays!

"Try It, You'll Like It!"

2011-10-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

We had an awesome Fall kickoff weekend! Fletch got to experience two of his favorite things-TV show Yo Gabba Gabba and fire trucks-up close and personal. On Friday night, Yo Gabba Gabba Live came to Fairfax. It's the stage version of the popular kids show.

The whole gang was there-DJ Lance Rock, Muno, Foofa, Toodee, Brobee and Plex.

Most of the time was spent dancing but the only picture captured of Fletch at the event was a moment of calm mixed with anticipation:

On Saturday, we went to the Fall for Fairfax Festival. It's the first family event of autumn. Both festivals are held on the grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center, which is walking distance from our house. But the weather was chilly and rainy, so we drove. One of the main attractions is the fire trucks. You get an up close and personal look.

You get to try out the equipment

And get a sense of how big these vehicles really are

Fletch went on his first pony ride:

There was a petting zoo:

And the characters from Madagascar paid a visit:

Despite the weather we had an action packed weekend!

Coming Attraction at the Shock Circus

2011-09-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

Oops! We did it again :) Another Shock baby is on the way! Our bundle-to-be will be arriving some time around May 18th, 2012. Fletch is very excited to be a big brother. When we ask if he wants a little brother or little sister, he says "Sister, OK" or "Brother, OK" depending on which one we say last. In either case, we know he will be a great big brother.

Let me (Daddy) add that I guarantee this will be the last one. :)

Fletch's Nirvana

2011-09-19T11:28:00.000-04:00

This might make you feel old, but the legendary rock band Nirvana's album Nevermind turns 20 this month. If you're familiar with that album, you know there is a naked baby swimming on the cover. In sort of the same vein, below are pics of Fletch, sans clothes, rocking out on guitar. The anniversary and pics are coincidental. I wanted to share them because they are awesome and to give a shout out to on of my favorite bands and to make you feel old. I think the first two would make a great album cover.

Farm Festival

2011-09-19T00:05:00.001-04:00

On Saturday we went to our annual first activity of fall, the Cox Farm Festival. We're so cool, we went on the preview weekend. "Cool" in this context means we're on the mailing list. The weather was great. It was cool and overcast compared to last year when it hot. Like last year,

we went on the slides:

pet farm animals:

go on a hay ride and eat kettle corn:

play on the playground:

and take a family portrait:

See the entire set of pictures here. We look forward to the festival every year. It's become a family tradition. We made it through all the fun without misplacing a shoe this time. :)

Crazy Train

2011-09-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

Fletch on the playground at the mall-

"I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet"

2011-08-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, which in that case you would still know what's going on as you probably would have felt it, there was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on the East Coast centered near Richmond, VA at 1:50pm. We're all fine. This should give you an idea of how it went. I was in my office and Jennifer and Fletch were just arriving home from running errands when it struck. I didn't know what it was, but my first thought was not an earthquake. I thought it might have been a freight train that runs close to my office building. Gridlock ensued and cellphone lines were congested, but a co-worker and I managed to make it home around 4pm. No deaths have been reported in the region. There are no reports of major damage to the nation's infrastructure. The worst destruction seems to be to the National Cathedral, which had its central tower and three of its four corner spires damaged, and to the Washington Monument, which cracked in a few places.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake in its yellow alert category, meaning there was potential for local damage but relatively little economic damage. It was the largest on the East Coast since one of the same magnitude in New York in 1944. It was the largest in Virginia since a 5.9 quake in 1897. The largest East Coast quake on record is a 7.3 in South Carolina in 1886.

A 5.8 earthquake releases as much energy as eight tons of TNT, about half the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. But it released 63,095 times less energy than the March quake in Japan. The USGS said earthquakes like this can happen "anywhere at anytime." There's a lot of unknown faults in the east that are very unlikely to strike, but do strike periodically.

The earthquake didn't stop some Virginian's from voting however. Our friend Chris Wade who was running for Braddock District Supervisor narrowly lost the Democratic primary by only 42 votes! It's too bad because he put his heart and soul into his campaign. I volunteered a few Saturdays by canvassing and making phone calls. It was my first time volunteering for a political campaign. On the bright side, we get our friend back, his family gets him back and he gets his life back.

A-B-C and 1-2-3

2011-08-15T19:23:00.002-04:00

Fletch with Jeffrey

Mom is taking a summer posting hiatus so I'll take over the reigns for the next few weeks. Let me start with the sad news first. We lost a family friend, Jeffrey Soderberg, over the weekend. He died in an automobile accident on Saturday night, August 14. Jennifer worked with him at her last job. That turned into a friendship with both of us.We played poker and went to concerts and sporting events with him. He and I shared similar taste in music. We had a memorable trip to Annapolis, MD last year to see our favorite band, Living Colour, where we were able to get the band's autographs. We both attended numerous Redskins football and Nationals baseball games with him. He described himself on Facebook as "...your typical guy with a few quirks - maybe on the lines of a renaissance metrosexual that likes to burp the alphabet and quote movies." He was an avid rugby player and coach. He was a funny guy with a great sense of humor. Guys wanted to be him and girls wanted to be with him. He is survived by his parents, brother and sister. Rest in peace our friend. Only the good die young.

Onto the happy news. Fletch is constantly counting and learning the alphabet. He can count up to 10 and recognizes letters. He's even reading small words! He learned the word "up" from the growth chart in his bedroom.

Potty training is coming along. Fletch is not yet proactively telling us when he has to go, but we put him on the potty after his nap and whenever he mentions it. He's peeing in the potty frequently and has earned some candy and quite a few stickers on his potty chart. He's not as successful in the pooping in the potty department. We've got lucky twice. He earns a big sticker and more candy for that accomplishment.

Fletch has spent a lot of time this summer at indoor soft playgrounds. He likes to climb, slide, stack, go under, go over, throw, kick and climb.

MEAT!!!!

Jennifer celebrated her [age irrelevant] birthday on Saturday. She got a white iPhone as her gift. The counting video above was recorded on her phone. The poor audio wasn't caused by the phone. We suspect Fletch's voice was drowned out by the vacuum cleaner. We planned on going to a winery for a tasting, but our housekeeper got her dates mixed up and showed up on Saturday instead of Sunday. Also a afternoon severe thunderstorm rolled through our area. We went to a Korean BBQ restaurant for dinner.

Moo at the Zoo

2011-07-25T11:09:00.002-04:00

Up until recently, we had no idea there was a farm at the zoo. It is home to cows, donkeys, goats, chickens, bunnies and alpaca. It was very close to being shut down, but thanks to State Farm, they received a large donation to keep it open until 2016. They still need to raise about $100K. They had an event this past Sunday to celebrate. We are now FONZ members, so we were invited to come enjoy some free food and drinks and hang out with the animals before it was open to the general public.

Unfortunately, they ran out of the free Georgetown cupcakes and the Pinkberry fro-yo before we got any, but we did get some other goodies. It was so hot, I really didn't feel like pigging out on sweets anyway. After Fletch ate his free cookie, we went to check out the farm.

First we saw some Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys. They had the cutest little neighs.

They were the perfect height for Fletch. He got to see them at eye level.

Next up were the cows and an alpaca.

You are allowed to pet any animals that come up to the fence. Lucky for us, one of the cows was within reach!

I love the sweet face of cows. Especially those long eyelashes :) All of the goats were busy munching on grass to come up to the fence for a head scratch.

Fletch got to pet a chicken, but there was such a huge rush of kids I didn't get to take a picture. I am surprised he even got a chance to do it! It's funny to see us city folk get so excited about common farm animals. I got to see and pet them quite frequently growing up in Texas, so I let Fletch and Daddy have all the fun. I did give the pretty black and white cow some love though.

After we were done petting and washing our hands, we went back up to see what kind of free goodies they were handing out. We snacked on Ben & Jerry's, Upper Crust Pizza and delicious peaches from Whole Foods. There was a merchandise tent and the proceeds went to helping the farm. We bought Fletch a panda pillow pal. Atom was skeptical, but Fletch is quite fond of the cuddly critter. I only caved since the money went to the zoo :)

Summa-Summa-Summa' Time

2011-07-15T14:50:00.002-04:00

Well we are smack-dab in the middle of summer! We have been trying to keep busy, but also keep cool. Lucky for us there are tons of things to do around here.

For the 4th of July, we headed to Great Meadows for an Independence Day celebration. We brought along some friends, the Tompkins, to help us tailgate and celebrate. We found out about this place through one of the many coupon sites, so we figured we'd give it a try. Great Meadows is actually where they do equestrian competitions like steeplechase, and they even host the Gold Cup. We got there, parked and ate some yummy food and may have had a few beers. Then we decided to go look at the helicopters that were there (not sure who was more excited, Fletch or Daddy). We also stopped at the petting zoo to say hi to the animals. Along the way, Fletch saw some go-carts and had to investigate.

After checking out all the stands and vendors, we headed back to the car to get ready for the fireworks. We were on top of the hill so we had a great view.

Then the fireworks started. Fletch actually sat in his mini-camp chair and enjoyed the entire show. He was in little boy heaven with helicopter shows and bright, loud fireworks.

Daddy is now back to working a job in an office far-far away, so Fletch and I don't get to see him during the day anymore. We really enjoyed spending time with him in the early part of the summer. However, I have been trying to keep Fletch occupied. I purchased a 5 hour block of play at an indoor soft play area. It is actually a martial arts school, but during the day they have open play with lots of balls, foam noodles, hula hoops, trampolines and soft play stations. Fletch loves running around since we don't have that much space at home. I don't have any pics because I am always in there playing with him :)

We found out that the county libraries have scheduled activities throughout the summer. Some of them are during Fletch's nap time, but we have been to one that was about bugs. We were read some stories about bugs, did some singing and dancing, and then got to color and create. There are some more on the calendar that I hope we can make it to.

We went back to the fountain last week to let Fletch splash around. We did have an ulterior motive though. We now have a Pinkberry less than a mile away! I got to try it on an outing with the girls, but Atom had not tried it yet. So we walked up to Fairfax Corner to let Fletch get wet and then go indulge in some frozen yogurt. YUM! Fairfax Corner now has a little train that drives around the shopping center for a mere $3. We did not ride it this time, but you have to see the name of this train. What the heck where they thinking?

Yesterday Fletch and I went with our DeVoll family friends to do some fruit and veggie picking. We went to Hollin Farms in Delaplane, VA. It was a pretty drive through the Virginia hillsides to get there.

They had a lot of good things for picking, and for the most part things were labeled you so you could find them easily (except the potatoes-which we found after we were all done).

Fletch helped me pick a giant zucchini!

And then threw it on the ground after I took his picture with it! What a stinker.

We grabbed some tools and picked some peaches right off the trees.

In the end, we came home with some summer squash, a giant zucchini, half a peck of peaches, a pint of blackberries and raspberries and some string beans (which I cooked for dinner and they were DELICIOUS). There were a TON of bugs and we had no bug spray :( No bites for Fletch or me, but I did get punched in the lip by a giant grasshopper. RUDE!

Fletch and I went to go explore the National Aquarium that is in the basement of the Department of Commerce building in DC. Before we did that though, we walked over to L'Enfant Plaza where Daddy works to have lunch with him :) We ate at Potbelly's in the underground shopping center. When we were done with lunch, Fletch and I walked over to the aquarium. Actually, Fletch was in the stroller and pretty much passed out right before we got there. He didn't get to see one fish :( I however got to enjoy it and snap a few pics.

It was a pretty small aquarium, but what do you expect when its in the bottom of a government building? It was nice and cool and a great place to escape from the heat for a while.

We went as a family to the Folk Life Festival hosted by the Smithsonian on the National Mall. We have been before, but this was the first time taking Fletch. The 3 representatives this year were: Columbia (the country), Rhythm & Blues and the Peace Corps. Both Atom and I have friends that served in the Peace Corps, so we thought we should go check it out. We ate some BBQ from the Rhythm & Blues section and then wandered over to Columbia for a bit. This picture is of a woman from Africa who is making Shea Butter. They try to empower the women to create businesses of their own to support themselves and their families.

That was my only picture I took the entire time. It was hot and there were a lot of people moving around in the same place. To top it off, I lost my wedding band somewhere that day. Sucks, I know. Good thing it was insured.

We still have about a month of summer before I have to go back to school (my last semester - WOOHOO). We plan on doing more library outings, more indoor playgrounding, some zoo trips and who knows what else the summer holds!

I have a couple of videos of Fletch showing off his agility, language and curiosity.

Here is Fletch climbing up into his high chair. He had been coloring at the table and I put him down to get ready to leave. Well he did not like that one bit, so when I wasn't looking he crawled up into his high chair. When I turned around and saw him in his seat, I was dumbfounded as to how he got in there. So I took him out and told him to show me how he did it, and then I video taped it :)

The second video was taken while I was downloading the first one. Fletch has figured out what I'm doing when I point that big square contraption at him..."PICTURE!" So I recorded him talking a little bit, but then he had to come it for himself.

Fletch's 2nd Year!

2011-06-27T23:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Fun at the Fountain

2011-06-11T16:02:00.001-04:00

We live a little less than a mile from a great shopping center, Fairfax Corner. They have an awesome movie theater, great restaurants and some interesting shops. In the summer they turn on their in-ground fountain and it turns into a wet wonderland for the kiddos. Parents put their kids in their swimsuits and bring a towel and just let the kids run through the fountain.

It has a changing pattern so it keeps the kids guessing where and when the water will come out.

We took Fletch for the first time this week. After about 5 minutes of apprehension and curiosity,

he finally got soaked!

After that he was busy looking down spigots and getting a face full of water.

He yelled at them to try and make the water come out, which was a sight to see. It was a great way to cool off in this crazy heat we've been having. We only have a few full days left until Daddy is back at work during the day, so we're glad we got to go do this with Daddy.

Big Week for Fletch

2011-06-09T16:25:00.002-04:00

I posted on Facebook yesterday that Fletch said his first big sentence (big as in more than 2 words and commanding me to do something), which was "I don't wanna share!" I had given him my cup filled with a delicious smoothie and he did not want to give it back. Good thing my feelings weren't hurt ;) How could they when we started giggling immediately. I'll get cracking on those manners, promise!

We got Fletch a potty seat a few months ago, just to introduce him to the concept. He had been telling us when he went potty and watching us. I figured it wouldn't hurt. The past few weeks, we have sporadically put him on the potty after he wakes up or if he mentions it. He peed for the first time a few weeks ago on Daddy's birthday. He has done it here and there since then. Today was his crowning achievement!

I put him on the pot right after his afternoon nap and we got some pee...HOORAY...but then I saw some grunting action going on. We waited patiently and TA-DA...

Maybe it's the new reward of M&M's that has inspired him to get the job done! We know there is a long road ahead in this process, but we are pretty excited nonetheless.

Family Hauler

2011-05-31T14:21:00.001-04:00

As quickly as it arrived, it was gone. I no longer own my 2000 orange Miata I named "Orangina". The job I bought it to commute for I quit before I even started for a job that is Metro (Washington DC's public transit system) accessible. Despite how much I liked the car, I didn't want to keep it if I'm not going to drive it on a regular basis. We lived with one car for three years before I bought Orangina, so I wouldn't be blazing uncharted territory. But we went a step further. We traded in the Miata and our beloved Xterra, a.k.a. "Ruby" for a "family" car. We bought a 2012 Mazda5 wagon. Known to car enthusiasts as the "minivan for those who hate minivans". And we hate minivans. We're back to being a one car family but with a 6 passenger family car. We've already broken in the car Shock family style by hauling our hairy dog in the back on our holiday weekend roadtrip. He definitely left his mark.

Personality on display

2011-05-21T23:42:00.002-04:00

We enjoy watching Fletch's sense of humor develop. He likes to tickle us and his stuffed animals. He makes funny faces. His laugh is infectious. We also like his displays of affection. He loves giving hugs and kisses, especially to Solace. He emulates us as well. He always wants to help out and participate in everything we are doing. All three of those qualities are on display in this video of him feeding the dog.

More Ketchup

2011-05-01T15:40:00.002-04:00

We hope everyone had a very happy Easter! We got all dressed up for church and Fletch even wore a tie! It made it half way through mass, and then Fletch ripped it off. Good thing it was a clip on :)

Fletch got his first Easter basket :) It was filled with lots of fun stuff like wind-up trinket toys, different types of balls and some coloring books. We also got him a little motorcycle toy and toy guitar; two things he is really into right now. Whenever he sees or hears a motorcycle, he enthusiastically announces "Sickle, Sickle!" Daddy has been watching a lot of Foo Fighters stuff lately, so Fletch would pull out his Leap Frog guitar to try and imitate.

We got him a more realistic guitar with a strap so it will be easier for him to jam-out!

Fletch is becoming more independent. He really wants to do things for himself, especially putting on socks. He hasn't quite mastered putting on his socks yet, but he is having an easier time putting ours on.

He is also very interested in trying on our clothes.

The kid is very entertaining. We have been going on nightly walks, with Fletch on his tricycle that we push along. He saw us wearing our sunglasses and decided he needed a pair, so he grabbed Daddy's and decided they looked better on him.

We went and got him his own pair that fits him properly. All that action leads to some wonderful power naps. I think I'll go take one too!

Shock Family Circus Heads to the Circus!

2011-04-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

The Ringling Brothers and Barnumn & Bailey Circus came to town! We went into DC at the beginning of the month to see their parade through the streets.

The circus started in DC, but then they moved it to the Patriot Center at George Mason University, which is very close to where we live. We cashed in a daily deal coupon for some tickets to go. We went this past Saturday. It was chilly and raining all day, so it was a good day to be indoors enjoying a great show.

OK, this one freaked me out. I've seen motorcycles in a globe before, but not SEVEN ALL AT ONCE! I was holding my breath the whole time!

Fletch seemed to enjoy the show and paid attention 99% of the time. The other 1% he was focused on all of the Circus paraphernalia the kids around us were playing with.

After intermission, out came the elephants!

It was a great time, especially seeing Fletch enjoy himself so much. He called the tigers "kitties" and the motorcycles "sickles." I still remember going to the circus as a kid and this show definitely brought back memories.

Our Cool Dude

2011-04-11T20:54:00.000-04:00

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Cooperative

2011-04-04T08:17:00.000-04:00

I love that I have a son who cooperates when I want to be silly.

Sometimes Fletch takes the lead though.

Exciting News

2011-04-01T12:35:00.002-04:00

We received some exciting news today! Fletch has been accepted to Sidwell Friends School in the fall of 2011! He will be their first 2 year old to be admitted into the Kindergarten program. This is the same school the President's children attend. He earned a full scholarship too!

We haven't really told anyone about Fletch's high IQ because we didn't want to seem like we were bragging or be criticized for the intense home-schooling program we have implemented since he was born. It doesn't take much effort to see that we have a genius on our hands:

For instance his choice of reading material...

and his fine motor skills.

We are very excited to see our little genius excel in Kindergarten this fall!

***In case you didn't notice the April Fools label...Gotcha!

The Time Has Come

2011-03-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

I think you can understand the level of excitement for daddy. We busted out the LEGO Duplo blocks for Fletch today. I see lots of creative endeavors on the horizon. I also see a lot of cursing and hopping around on one foot after stepping on random LEGO blocks left lying around the house. C'est la vie!

If you didn't know, daddy-O is a HUGE fan of the LEGO. He was waiting for a sign of interest in putting LEGO blocks together, and VIOLA! Today Fletch found a random block in his train set and started stacking it. That was the green-light for daddy. So far he likes to go up, up, up!

What's New?

2011-03-22T09:51:00.001-04:00

What really has been exciting around here lately is that Fletch's vocabulary is skyrocketing. We are definitely at the point that we have to watch what we say around here, because little man repeats just about everything we say. It is incredibly adorable how he pronounces every word in drawn out, question form...piiiickle? doggieeeee? His first 3-syllable word so far is strawberry. There are too many things that he can say to list here, but some of our favorites are: pickle, yogurt, nuggets, cheese, Solace (our dog), book, and best of all Fletch!

Fletch mastered walking around 14 months, and has now mastered running. He LOVES to be chased around the living room. This also means he loves to climb like a mountain goat! Our huge ottoman is his favorite place to climb. It isn't too far off the ground, but it still makes Mommy & Daddy nervous when he sits with his back right on the edge. I think I need to sew a bubble-wrap suit in the near future.

When we were in Texas for Aunt Donna's wedding, we did a lot of practicing on the stairs at Uncle Bubba's house. Fletch understands the sit and scoot method of going down, but hasn't quite mastered the technique. We'll have to practice some more at our house. He can get up the stairs faster than a blink of an eye, which we learned first hand when someone forgot to block the stairs. That's our boy, always keeping us on our toes!

Fletch graduated from another swim class in March. In usual Fletch style, he loved playing and splashing his friends in the pool. He is very easily distracted by all the pool toys laying around the perimeter of the pool. But when the instructor brought out the rubber duckies, we reigned him back in. Fletch went all the way underwater 3 times each class! We still have to work on keeping his mouth closed though.

Fletch got a tricycle for Christmas this year! This tricycle has a few stages for him to grow into. Right now he uses the foot rests, while Mommy or Daddy pushes him around with the steering pole. We take him around the neighborhood on his bike and he absolutely loves it. Hopefully we can get a child seat for our bikes so we can ride as a family this spring.

Of course I feel like I'm missing something...but I think that covers all the latest and greatest in the Shock household. Stay tuned for more family adventures!

A Little Love

2011-02-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

Sorry we have not been posting regularly. We hope this Valentine will help you forgive us.

We promise to get our act together soon!

Fun at Wee Play

2011-01-18T23:18:00.000-05:00

We enrolled Fletch in a structured activity class at Wee Play. Here's some of the fun things he gets to do:

Debt Free

2010-12-11T01:58:00.003-05:00

Image via Wikipedia(Cross-posted on Atom's blog.)

My family is debt free! That's the best holiday present money can buy. We paid off our car two years early in August and I paid off my student loan a few days ago. We pay our credit card each month in full, so we don't have any credit card debt. As one of my friends so eloquently posted on Facebook "Congrats! not owing shit to anyone is a great feeling." It is.

We celebrated by spending money! We are going to an exclusive New Year's Eve party in New York City with my sister Lisa (a.k.a. Aunt Lili) and bro-in-law Steven. My company has an office on the 31st floor of a building in Times Square, eye level with the ball drop! We're going to be all dressed up with an awesome place to go. We also booked a weekend getaway to a quaint riverside inn at historic Smithfield Station for just the two of us. Thank you Living Social Escapes.

Shaggy to Short

2010-12-09T11:18:00.001-05:00

The time came when finally Mommy and Daddy agreed that Fletch's hair had gotten out of control. Aside from all the annoying strangers asking if he was a girl, Fletch was always rubbing his eyes since his hair was constantly irritating them. Even if we combed his hair, it never stayed in place. We just were not ready to start shelling out cash for baby styling products. We got a good recommendation for a salon for kid haircuts, Cartoon Cuts, as well as a stylist there.

We headed over this week and Fletch got his first haircut. This is a pretty fun looking place. If I wasn't a Leo and obsessed with my mane, I just might let them cut my hair (just for the opportunity of having an elephant wash my hair). Of course Fletch was super fantastic, and sat there patiently and didn't let out one peep. Having a small television at her station playing cartoons may have had something to do with that, but I will still give Fletch the credit. It was sad to watch all those locks come off, but Abby was nice enough to save them in a little baggie for me. Fletch also got a certificate for his first haircut:

And here is the before, during and after:

What do you think? We kind of miss his shaggy-do. That's the great thing about hair, it grows back! He's still handsome as ever though.

Messy Milestone

2010-12-09T10:19:00.001-05:00

About a month ago (I know...it's been a while) Fletch got a mean independent streak. He wanted to start doing things on his own. This includes using utensils during meal time. He downright refused to let me spoon oatmeal into his mouth one morning, so I decided to let him try on his own. With splat-mat spread under his chair and safety goggles on mama's eyes, I let him go for it...

Give the boy a fork or a spoon, and he will demolish a meal!

Shock Family Circus 2.0

2010-10-16T13:32:00.000-04:00

We have done a little updating on the blog recently. There were a few complaints from friends and family that they could not post comments on the blog. After a little research, it seems that the previous background was interfering with the comments. Stupid html. I changed the template around a little and picked a new background, and voila! Due to those changes, I had to re-do our banner. Since I've had a little practice with GIMP, I think the new banner is cleaner and snazzier looking. We hope you enjoy and feel free to post as many comments as your little hearts desire!

Mini Soda

2010-10-16T13:25:00.003-04:00

Every Fall semester, I get a 2 day break from classes. This year, we decided to head up to Minnesota to see the Hamer Clan. The last time we were in Minnesota was in July of 2007 (right before the bridge collapsed - which we may have contributed to by driving a van full of people across it numerous times). A lot has happened between 2007 and 2010, specifically Fletch. So of course Fletch had to go meet his Great Grandma!
We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather while we were there. Uncle Bill & Aunt Ginger now live on Lac Lavon in Apple Valley. Their new house is amazing and very accommodating. When you look out the back door, you have a fantastic view of the lake. This time of year all the leaves are changing color and the area is beautiful.

Saturday morning, we got up early and headed to Fischer Croix Farms. YES, another farm! We just can't get enough. Before we did anything, we had to get a picture with all of the cousins.

Once the required formalities were out of the way, we got down to business, picking apples. I had never seen an apple tree until that day. I had no idea they were so short. We picked mostly Haralsons and Honey Golds. We even saw some Cortland apples that almost looked purple.

After we picked apples (and ate a few along the way), the kids took a ride on the tractor/train. Fletch has a serious love of trains. He was too small to go on his own, and we were too big to fit with him, so his cousin Emily was nice enough to take him along with her.

After the kids finished the tractor ride, we hitched a ride on the tractor trailer ride to the corn maze. I have never done one of these. We have one at Cox Farm, but for some reason have never done it. We tackled the maze as a family. We lost a few people, but according to Daddy, there is always a 10% casualty rate. In the end, we all made it out alive.
After the farm we headed over to OCB (Old Country Buffet), not to be confused with OCD. I forgot how crazy it can get in a buffet restaurant. Dinner was much more relaxed, and the whole family came together for food and games. Aunt Gail came over and got to meet Fletch and hang out with us. We played Wits & Wagers until it was time for everyone to head home and put kids to bed.
Sunday, Fletch got to meet his Great Grandma.

Fletch is Atom's Mom's first grandchild, but not Grandma Hamer's first great-grandchild. We had a nice visit and dropped off some pictures for Grandma to display in her shadowbox outside her room. Grandma Hamer thought Fletch was a cutie and she giggled at him quite a bit. He is quite an entertainer.
Monday, everyone else had to work. So Uncle Bill, Aunt Ginger, Cathy, Atom, Fletch and I went to the Minnesota Zoo. We didn't stay very long because Fletch got tired and cranky and Cathy and Ginger had other things that had to get done that afternoon.

When we got home we had a yummy lunch and even played dominoes out on the deck in the beautiful weather. I've played Mexican Train numerous times, but never with a gorgeous view of a lake. We taught Uncle Bill and Aunt Ginger how to play. We played with some really old dominoes that belonged to Atom's Great Grandmother, and Aunt Ginger was very kind to give them to us.
Once Cathy's kids were out of school, we all met up at the Mall of America. It's the largest mall in the United States. We had been there last time we visited Minnesota, however we didn't get on any of the rides. Since they had kiddie rides, we took Fletch on those. He had a blast.

Ben, Louise, Fiona and Adele joined us at the mall as well. After we ate some dinner in the food court, Aunt Ginger offered to take Fletch home with them so the adults and big kids could ride the big scary rides. We are so grateful, because we had an amazing time. We rode just about every ride and did the ropes course too. By the time we got home we were exhausted from running around and laughing so hard.
Tuesday was our departure day, so we didn't do much but hang out and pack up. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we headed to the food court to get some dinner. I went to get Fletch a kids meal and when I came back to our table, I saw a blonde flight attendant seated at our table. When I got closer, I realized it was a friend from church. Kristin is a flight attendant for Delta. She wasn't on our flight, but her flight was leaving the exact same time as ours. Talk about a small world!

We got home safely and passed out as soon as we got to the house. We had a great time in Minnesota and had the best hosts and tour guides possible! Having fun with family is always a great time.

Farm Frenzy

2010-10-14T14:16:00.001-04:00

The farm has been a popular destination for the Shock family this fall. Our first farm visit was to Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia. The Poseys are members of the farm, so they invited us out for potato picking and a pancake breakfast. We hitched a ride on the tractor to pick some potatoes first. As usual, Fletch enjoyed the ride.

After our potato picking, we enjoyed homemade pancakes and wandered around the farm. Daddy's allergies started acting up as soon as we got near the farm animals, so we packed up to head across the road to the Bluemont Vineyard. Fletch was exhausted, and before we could get up the hill he was already passed out. Since Fletch was asleep and Daddy wasn't feeling so well, we had to skip the free wine tasting that day. I did snap a picture of the amazing view from the winery patio on top of the hill.

Not bad for a phone-camera, since I forgot to bring my real camera.
Every Fall, Cox Farms has a fall festival. Since we are members we get to go to preview weekend for free. Last year was our first time going, and we had such a good time we decided to make it a yearly tradition. There are so many things to do, and see and EAT at Cox Farms. We saw lots of animals:

We also: did some apple cider tasting, the hay ride, played on some little tractors and played around in the kiddie area.

The most exciting thing was the slides. This year Fletch was big enough to go with Daddy down one of the many slides they have. Fletch had mixed emotions. He seemed a little scared, but also excited.

After we exhausted ourselves roaming around the farm, we headed out and picked up our free pumpkins. It looks like there is no pumpkin shortage this year.

A few weekends ago, there was a Fairfax Fall Festival right by our house. It was held at the Government Center, which technically isn't a farm, but they did have a petting zoo. This was Fletch's first opportunity to get hands-on with farm animals. He had no fear sticking his tiny hands near giant animals and their long sharp teeth. Luckily, we didn't have any accidents and Fletch still has all 10 fingers. He got to pet a llama, goats, donkeys, chicks and bunnies. There was a giant tortoise roaming around, and that was the only animal Fletch was not interested in. I think he prefers fuzzy creatures.

National Preparedness Month

2010-09-22T22:03:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaSeptember is National Preparedness Month. If you haven't created an Emergency Plan, it's not too late. You can take simple steps to better prepare yourself and your family. Review the Family Emergency Plan template and Emergency Supply Kit checklist on Ready America's Web site, ready.gov, and start down the road to preparedness. We have an family emergency kit including our emergency food kit. You can buy ready made kits from Costco or build your own like we did.

Walking and Talking

2010-09-22T16:07:00.000-04:00

Fletch is on his way to being a productive member of society. He can walk and talk on the phone at the same time.

What's next...a bluetooth?

Something's Missing

2010-08-31T22:43:00.001-04:00

Can you figure it out? Something large and colorful is no longer taking up space in our living room. The baby corral has been retired. Now that Fletch can walk, it was getting harder to convince him that staying in the corral was fun. Also, I hosted book club and needed to make room. Once I took it down, and remembered how big our living room looks, we decided to keep it down. However, ever since we took it down, Fletch has lost interest in his toys. Apparently the cord to my laptop is WAY more exciting. All those toys you see laying on the floor are toys that I pulled out trying to entice him away from my laptop cord. I was unsuccessful as you can see.

We did have to make some more safety precautions, now that we have a free-range baby. So we headed over to the super baby megastore with our 20% off coupon and got ourselves a gate for the stairs.

Now Fletch is free to roam around the house. Mamma and Dadda have gotten a few extra gray hairs, but nothing a box of color can't fix.

And we're walking

2010-08-09T10:29:00.000-04:00

Yep...Fletch is officially walking. I guess that makes him a toddler. EEK!

A Month in Georgia Part 5: Back to Atlanta then Home!

2010-08-04T15:10:00.002-04:00

It was another kick-back kind of week, but we did finally make it to the zoo on Thursday. It would be ridiculous if we didn't go since it is walking distance from Scott and Anyess' house. We got up early and started our day. First stop was the Flamingos. They were stinky!

We didn't stay there long, so then it was on to one of my favorites...the elephants! They were being fed while we watched. They were covered in Georgia red clay. I had never seen a red elephant before.

We passed a sleeping wart hog family on our way into the jungle.

Then we saw the giraffes. A baby giraffe had been born about a month ago and it was finally out in the open for everyone to see.

The rhino was being elusive, as well as the lions and tigers. The zebras, however, were glad to put on a show for the camera.

Zoo Atlanta has a lot of gorillas. Growing up in San Antonio, I think we had one. OK, maybe two. However, they NEVER came out of their cave. NEVER! So I was in awe watching the gorillas and their families out in the open. We saw silverbacks:

And we saw a mama gorilla and her baby. The baby gorilla was born on May 23rd, the same birthday as Atom!

Fletch even got to take a picture with a gorilla!

(did you people really think I'd give my baby to a gorilla?)

We saw some smaller monkeys on the way to the bigger primates.

Then we were on to the orangoutangs. They are smart! There is an interactive tree in their area with a touch screen. They can play matching and memory games and they are rewarded with treats. I had a little Planet of the Apes flash back for a moment.

We went in the reptile house to cool off for a bit, but I didn't take too many pictures in there. It's hard to take pictures of animals behind glass. Luckily, I got some great pictures of the Pandas even though they were behind glass too.

I love pandas. Not only are they adorable, but they were the mascot at my first elementary private school, Henry de Oso. Weird animal for a mascot, but we didn't really have any team sports anyway.

On the way out we took a ride on the carousel. Fletch picked the giant gorilla to ride on at first, but then we moved to the manatee because it moved up and down. Again, trying to pry his hands off of that pole was a challenge.

I was able to console him with another pole-gripping opportunity, when we went on the train ride.

After the train ride was over, Fletch made me aware that it was about time to leave. He adamantly demanded we go, but passed out before we even got to the gift shop. I grabbed a souvenir tee for him and enjoyed the air conditioning for a little bit. Considering he was passed out, I figured I'd go check out the Cyclorama. Of course there are no strollers allowed on the tour, but he had a good 30 minute nap before the tour started. There are also no pictures allowed. The only picture I took was of the The Texas, a civil war train that was part of The Great Locomotive Chase. I'd give you details if I knew them. Again, I'm not a huge Civil War buff. But here's a picture...

Well you know I had to take a picture of this, right? wink, wink. The tour starts with a brief history movie about the Battle of Atlanta. Then we were all escorted onto the spinning platform in the Cyclorama. It was an interesting thing to see. Would I be bored out of my mind if I was a kid on a field trip, absolutely.

Friday evening, we had friends come over before we departed the next day. We grilled and hung out all night talking about a wide assortment of things until we all threw in the towel and passed out. Saturday morning we loaded up the Xterra and hit the road back home. We were blessed to have safe travels there and back. It was great to spend a good amount of time with family and friends. As much as we enjoyed traveling for the month, we're looking forward to everyone coming to visit us at home.

A Month in Georgia Part 4: Savannah Weekend Trip

2010-08-04T14:36:00.001-04:00

On Friday, we packed up for a weekend trip to see Aunt Lisa in Savannah. Atom had never been and it was only 4 hours away. On Saturday, we went down to the river front for some lunch and sight seeing. We went to see The Waving Girl statue.

After that we were on a mission to find pint glasses. Considering the loose drinking laws in Savannah, you'd think this would be an easy task. Unfortunately it was not. We walked away with one and it wasn't really specific to Savannah. Oh well, we had some fun and a few beers along the way. Sunday we hit the beach. We went to Tybee Island. First we went to the light house. I had never been in a light house, much less to the top of one. My sister went with me even though she had been before. There were a lot of stairs to conquer, but once we got to the cat walk, the view and nice cool breeze made up for it.

Once we made our way back down, we headed to the beach. This was Fletch's first time at the beach. Since he already got eating sand out of the way, he was more interested in the water. Daddy and I brought him into the ocean for a few minutes, but I was not too comfortable going very deep or staying in too long with him in my arms. So we let him crawl around in the sand for a while.

We packed up, rinsed off and headed to the Crab Shack for some early dinner. We ordered a huge boiled plate that had: shrimp, crab legs, crab claws, crawfish, sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob. It was DELICIOUS...

...and ENTERTAINING

Outside the front door of the Crab Shack, they have an alligator pond. YES...GATORS! You can buy some gator bait to tie to the end of a fishing pole to have them ferociously fight for it, if that's your thing. I preferred the napping baby alligators.

After a great weekend with my sister, we headed back to Atlanta on Monday.

A Month in Georgia Part 3: Atlanta with the Mitchells

2010-08-04T14:35:00.001-04:00

We had some recuperating to do from the weekend, so our week got off to a slow start. It was terribly hot outside, so I took Fletch to the Children's Museum in downtown Atlanta. I use the word museum loosely. I'd call it an educational playground, which is great because I believe in learning through play. It was well air conditioned, so it was a win-win. Fletch had fun playing in the soft play area, the water table and the sand box. The sand was interesting. It was a special sand that stuck together so you could form things from it. Of course, Fletch had to take a taste. Thank goodness it was a nice firm ball of sand that was easily removed from his mouth.

That was really the only exciting thing we did the first week there. The rest of the week consisted of running errands and hanging out with the Mitchell Family and friends.

A Month in Georgia Part 2: Grandpa's in Snellville

2010-08-04T14:34:00.003-04:00

The next day was Sunday and time to move all our belongings to Grandpa's House. So we packed up and dropped everything off before heading out to Stone Mountain for Fletch's second birthday party. We decided to have a birthday party for Fletch in Atlanta, so all of his family and Atlanta friends could help him celebrate. We all met up at Stone Mountain to have a picnic and then roam around the park. We all enjoyed some food and cupcakes.

Some people had to get going to other planned arrangements or to go home and enjoy air conditioning, but the rest of us went to explore the park. Luckily Grandpa scored us some wristbands to enjoy some of the attractions for free. The first thing we did was take the cable car Skyride to the top of the mountain. I didn't take any pictures from the cable car for a few reasons. 1. A very large dude with a huge bulky backpack was in front of me and wouldn't stop squishing me. 2. I wanted to hold on for dear life. 3. Did I mention I'm slightly afraid of heights? and 4. Did I also mention that I've seen that James Bond movie Moonraker, where Jaws bites through the cable and then a fight scene ensues on top of a swinging cable car high above the city below? Needless to say, we got to the top of the mountain in one piece. Stone Mountain reminds me a lot of Enchanted Rock in Texas. I'm glad we took the short cut up the Skyride because I was wearing flip flops that day. It wasn't easy walking around at the top in those with Fletch on my back. It was hazy outside because of the heat and humidity, so I didn't get perfect views of the city. I did however get some other great views.

Here is my hazy view of Atlanta:

After we came back down we decided to take a ride on the scenic train loop. This is no kiddie train people, it is a full size train! The cars are open air, but the engine is a locomotive. Fletch, as usual had to find the nearest pole to hang on to with the kung-fu grip. It's adorable until the ride has ended and you have to pry his fingers off, which starts the pterodactyl shriek from hell. It's worth it to see him enjoy it so much, really it is. The train takes you around the entire mountain and you get a great view of the carving on the mountain.

(The three men are Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Yes, I had to look that up. I am not a Civil War buff, nor a fan of the Confederacy)

After the train ride, we headed back to Grandpa's. There is a laser show at night that is presented on the carved wall. It starts at 9:30, which is past Fletch's bed time. So we went back Thursday night to see it. According to the hubby, it is a must see, and institution of Atlanta and a perfect place for making out. It was a little cheesy, but I wasn't expecting the Pink Floyd laser show.

While we were at Grandpa's, it was a busy week. Wednesday night we went to dinner in the city to celebrate Anyess' birthday, which happens to fall on Bastille Day. Considering she's a Frenchy, it was a double occasion for celebration. We went to Amuse and the food and company were great. We ended the night with a birthday shot, per the birthday girl's request.

Grandpa decided to take a few days off so he could hang with Fletch and me. We went to Chic-fil-A on Thursday for lunch, but not the one he works at. Then on Friday, Grandpa, Gammy, Fletch and I headed over to the Yellow River Game Ranch. They rescue animals that can't be put back into the wild and they have a large assortment. There are deer, peacocks, chickens and other various non-deadly animals that roam around. We were approached by a small deer looking for some corn. We did not have any corn, so he decided to lick Fletch's toes instead. He was nice enough to let us give him a few pets.

Here is a montage of the animals we saw:

Then on Saturday, as a surprise for Anyess' birthday, we all met up to go to the 311/Offspring concert at Lakewood Amphitheatre. I love 311, and back in the day Daddy did too. Actually he and his best friends have seen 311 numerous times in their youth. So this concert was kind of like a family reunion for the boys. We all had a great time, as you can see.

Grandpa and Gammy were awesome for babysitting Fletch three nights while we stayed with them. We don't get the chance very often, so we had as much fun as possible. Sunday was time to pack up and move on to our next stop, Scott and Anyess' house in Grant Park. They live right by the zoo and close to downtown.

A Month in Georgia Part 1 : Cumming to Grandma's in Winder

2010-08-04T14:32:00.003-04:00

Since Daddy works from home, we came up with the brilliant idea of going to Atlanta for an entire month. Daddy can work anywhere there is a wireless connection and a quiet place to concentrate. Since the drive is anywhere from 11 to 12 hours, we had to make the trip worth it by staying longer than a week. We also made this trip a test run, to see if there is a possibility of doing this in the future. After a week of planning and packing, we packed up the car and headed South on July 3rd. We took the scenic route down 29 this time. We drove past UVA and through the hills and valleys of Virginia. It was a much more interesting drive than driving down I95 to I85. Our first stop was at the Miess' House in Cumming, GA. Kim, T-Bone, Joey and Jacob were wonderful hosts. They had a 4th of July party, WITH A GIANT SLIP AND SLIDE!

There were also a few kiddie pools set up for the wee ones to play in.

Daddy wanted to take Fletch down the slip and slide, but unfortunately it's hard to get momentum sitting down and holding a 24 pound baby. So they scooted their way down together.

Luckily no one took any pictures of me going down the slip and slide. I went down quite a few times and it was a lot of fun. You kind of crash into the inflated wall at the end and then get spit out the side. After all the sliding and eating from a delicious smorgasbord of food it was dark outside. Time for FIREWORKS! The kids had a blast playing with sparklers.

I didn't think Fletch was quite ready for the fiery hotness of burning Ferrotitanium. So Daddy held a sparkler for Fletch to admire.

After we burned through all the sparklers, it was on to the fountains, roman candles and the big guns.

The next day was spent recuperating for a bit before heading to Grandma's house for the following week.

Grandma works from home just like Daddy, so it was interesting to watch them work at desks right next to each other (especially on conference calls). I think that Fletch and Mama were a bit of a distraction for them throughout the day, but they both managed to get their work done.

While we were there, we went to the YMCA to swim one day. It was extremely hot that week, so we stayed in the water a lot longer than usual. Friday night, Grandma and Grandpa Neil watched Fletch while we went out with T-bone and Kim to see an Ozzy Osborne ~~cover~~ tribute band. You should have seen those two men get so excited over a ~~cover~~ tribute band. The beer was cheap and we probably had too much considering our plans for the next day. On Saturday, we all packed into the Xterra for a short road-trip to Tallulah Gorge at Tallula Falls. We doused ourselves in bug spray, strapped Fletch into the Ergo Carrier and hit the trails. Tallulah Gorge is the largest gorge on the East Coast. We did the scenic trails, but did not go down the millions of steps to go across the gorge. It was pretty hot and I had a large baby strapped to my back. Side note: Parts of the movie Deliverance were filmed at the gorge. It really is a sight to see. (The gorge and the movie.)

Birthday Celebration

2010-06-29T16:39:00.000-04:00

For Fletch's 1st birthday, we had a small party at the National Zoo on Sunday. His birthday was actually on Monday, but who is going to show up to a birthday party on a Monday? Since his birthday was at the zoo, I made some zoo themed cupcakes: Lions, Tigers, Zebras and Monkeys.

We got to the zoo right when it opened so we could try and score a picnic table for us to set up camp. We lucked out and found a giant white tent with tons of picnic tables available. It was right across from the Orangoutangs and we even got to see them do their rope walk right over our heads. We all hung out and snacked on cupcakes and guzzled water. It was incredibly hot for June, but being under the tent helped tremendously. Fletch got to taste his first cupcake at his party. I shared a lion cupcake with him.

We saved the cake smashing for his actual birthday Monday night. We had a few short video chats with Grandma and Grandpa and Fletch blew out his candle twice so they both could see. We put the computer away for the cake smashing, but daddy recorded it all on video. At first Fletch wasn't too sure what to do, but once we gave him a few bites he went a little nuts. Fletch sends out a BIG THANK YOU for all of his awesome gifts. He is going to be super stylish this summer and fall. And even though Mommy and Daddy are going to go bonkers hearing all the noise, Fletch is having a blast with his new toys. Here is Fletch's Cupcake Demolition Video:

Cupcake Demolition from Jennifer Shock on Vimeo.

A Year in Review

2010-06-28T12:27:00.001-04:00

Fletch,

Today is your first birthday. You've come a long way baby.

Before you were born, I had no idea what was in store for us. I knew we wanted a baby, but wasn't quite sure what to expect. We were warned our lives would be completely different. Some people said to enjoy ourselves before you arrived, because once you were here we would never enjoy ourselves again. Some people told us how hard it would be: sleepless nights, 3am feedings and non-stop crying. Everyone seemed to have some form of warning for our impending parenthood. They were pretty much right. We haven't gone out very often since you were born and you did give us quite a few sleepless nights. However, what you have given us in return is so much more rewarding than a night out or a full night's rest.

Your father can attest that I am not a morning person. However early you may wake me up, as soon as I walk in the room and see you smiling at me I am glad to be awake. Those dimples of yours are a constant reminder that you are definitely my son. Right now you only have two bottom teeth, but you love to show them off. Sometimes you even give me a big hug and a kiss. Those are the days that I will cherish when you are a teenager and refuse to give me even a nod, much less a hug or a kiss.

When they laid you on my chest right after you were born, my first instinct wasn't to cry tears of joy. It was more like, "Holy cow there is a wet, squirmy baby on my chest!" Everything I read in all the baby books was magically erased and I was working on pure motherly instinct. It took you a few weeks to get the hang of breastfeeding, but once you learned you were a champion! Since then you have mastered the bottle, sippy cup, straw and solid foods. You are an eating machine. You haven't met a food you don't like and I want to thank you for not being a picky eater. That may change in a few years, so I'm going to enjoy your zest for variety while I can.

You were an average sized baby when you were born, but no one seems to believe me when I say that. You are constantly mistaken for being older than you really are. You've been called a moose, a linebacker, fat (thanks Aunt Penny) and "healthy." You've always been in the high percentile for length, but never for weight. So don't let anyone make you out to be some huge mutant baby. You are perfect in every way.

When I was young and stayed out late, my mother would tell me that one day I would understand how it feels to worry about your child. (Mom, you were totally right.) I worry about you staying healthy. I worry about you growing up in the crazy world. Sometimes I worry about you getting into a car accident when you are a teenager, and you're only one! You are so precious to me and I will do everything in my power to make sure you grow up safe, happy and healthy. And I also promise to take care of myself and your father so that we are around for you as long as possible and God willing.

You are an amazing boy. You are constantly growing and changing. Your father and I love watching you learn new things. It makes us feel like we are doing something right. In fact, just having you around makes us feel like that. You are a blessing in every way possible. I love you so very much, sometimes I feel like my heart could explode.

I hope you grow up knowing and feeling all of the love that we have for you.

Love,

Mama

Happy Birthday Fletch from Jennifer Shock on Vimeo.

One small step for Fletch

2010-06-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

Fletch has been standing up for quite some time and we were patiently waiting to see when he wanted to take some steps on his own. I saw him out of the corner of my eye one morning trying to walk from his music table to the toy box, but he didn't quite make it. I decided to get in the pen and try to motivate a few steps out of him. I used a book, because he has become quite fond of books. They are the first thing he takes out of the toy box in the morning. He finds a book, sits down and starts to babble like he is actually reading the book.

It is very cute to hear him attempt to read. He actually has some inflection in his voice, so I think he's grasping the English language.
Back to walking...I got in the pen with him and used a book to try and get him to walk towards me. It actually worked! He took some tiny steps toward me. He is no Fred Astaire yet, but he will have us chasing after him in no time.

He still amazes us every day. It's hard to believe it has almost been a year since he was born. We are excited to see what the next year has in store.

Father's Day

2010-06-22T23:23:00.000-04:00

358/365: Father's Day Breakfast
Originally uploaded by chronic-shock

My family made my first Father's Day fun and memorable. We took a road trip to visit my sister Lisa (Aunt LiLi to Fletch) and bro-in-law Steven in New York City. We visited the Statue of Liberty, took a tour of NBC Studios at 30 Rock (we got to sit in the SNL studio!) and went to the Mermaid Parade freak show at Coney Island. We of course had lunch at Nathan's. We also had lunch at Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge. We went to brunch on Father's Day. I recommend the pastrami omelet. Check out all the pics.

My very own parent hack

2010-05-28T13:58:00.002-04:00

my parent hack, originally uploaded by chronic-shock.

I'm not sure if I am the first person to use this hack, but it came to me today before we went on our run. I took one of my rubber bracelets (like the Livestrong ones) and put it around Fletch's sippy-cup. Then I used some of his toy rings and attached the cup to the stroller. It was within his reach the entire time and didn't get dropped on the ground or lost. I had just read that someone suggested using these to keep your cabinet doors shut also. Pretty handy little fashion statements don't you think?

Let's have a round of applause

2010-05-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

What better day to learn to clap than Daddy's birthday? Not only do you get to see Fletch clapping you also get to see his most efficient way of picking up his pacifier off the floor. He skips the step of picking it up and putting it in his mouth by just picking it up off the floor with his mouth. The boy is talented!

Like a monkey in a tree...

2010-05-28T10:27:00.002-04:00

Our boy loves to swing! I searched all over Fairfax for a park with baby swings and finally found one while running errands. Fletch and I stopped by and tried out the swings. He is a natural swinger. I put him in the swing and he immediately grabbed on and enjoyed the ride. Since our first swing adventure, I've found two more parks with swings that are much closer. We brought Daddy with us and took some video. I think we'll be hanging out at the parks all summer long.

He is still not big enough for the playground without someone being by his side the whole time. I have a feeling that time will come sooner than I think. Until then we'll be right by his side.

Swim Class Graduation

2010-05-16T12:01:00.000-04:00

Fletch graduated from his swim class last Saturday. He loves the water and had a blast during all our classes. Not only did he do great, he didn't poop in the pool once! Yay! I'm not sure what I'm proud of most. We are looking forward to our pool opening at the end of the month. By the end of the summer we should have the back, breast, butterfly and freestyle strokes perfected. (Or maybe just blowing some bubbles.)

We found it amusing that he supposedly passed all of the bullet points, yet it is suggested he take the class again.

Solace is now permanently incapable of procreation

2010-05-13T00:13:00.002-04:00

WOOF
Originally uploaded by chronic-shock

Solace was neutered yesterday. He's past his prime, but it was medically necessary. For a while he's had butt "issues" - I won't elaborate on the details. The past couple of months it's gotten really bad- let's just say it wasn't a pretty site. We took him to the vet last month and found out he had an abscess. It was removed and he went home wearing a doggy diaper. The vet recommended neutering because she said his problems were hormonal. We always thought his butt issues were gastrointestinal. But what do we know? A couple weeks later his butt flared up again. This time it was a non-cancerous growth. He went home with no bandages this visit. Then on Sunday we woke up to streaks of blood on the carpet where the dog had dragged his ass. It was time for the neutering. No more putting it off. Over the course of his life his nuts haven't been used much for their intended purpose. There aren't any little Solaces running around out there that we are aware of. ;) But I imagine their removal is still quite emasculating. He may no longer have what makes him the alpha dog, but he's no less a dog in our eyes.

Baby Wrangling

2010-04-27T20:57:00.001-04:00

Diaper changes have just gotten interesting around here. What used to take us a minute or so now takes about 15 minutes. It involves twisting, turning, pinning, wrestling and nudity. At first I tried toys on the changing table. That worked once. As soon as I lay him down on the changing table, he flips over and stands up holding onto the edge. Like so...

We even tried putting on his diaper while he was standing up, but that is very difficult when his legs are squeezed together. Sometimes we double-team him, but even then it is still difficult. The closest comparison I can think of is calf roping at the rodeo. We may have to move diaper changes to the floor for safety precautions. Even though it is frustrating when it happens, I giggle through it sometimes. It's hard to get mad at someone this cute.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-11T21:23:00.001-04:00

Our church decided to do the Easter egg hunt the Sunday after Easter. It was called Sleep-in Sunday. We had the egg hunt at 4:15, mass at 5 and then a charity Italian dinner at 6. It was a nice event and Fletch raked in the eggs!

He wasn't allowed to eat any of the candy inside the eggs. So Mommy and Daddy HAD to eat it for him. Fletch still isn't too sure about grass. It took some coercing to get him to crawl in it, but once he saw the eggs he was motivated.

After dinner, they busted out some fruit-bar popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Since it was 100% fruit, I let Fletch try my grape popsicle. Sweet, grapey and cold...perfect for a teething baby!

He had so much fun he passed out on the way home and went right to bed. Thank you Mister Easter Bunny!

9 Months In - 9 Months Out

2010-04-11T09:08:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe Fletch is 9 months old and quickly approaching the 1 year mark. It was hard for our pediatrician to believe Fletch was only 9 months, even though she had her computer right in front of her. She started talking to us about giving Fletch cow's milk and eliminating bottles. Good thing I know my stuff, so I asked her why I'd be giving him cow's milk at 9 months and not at 1 year. She had completely forgotten Fletch was 9 months old. You see, he weighs 21 pounds and has a full head of hair. It tends to throw people off. Just look at this picture. He is starting to look like a little boy!

He is getting to be such a big boy. He never ceases to amaze us. He is crawling all over the place and trying his hardest to balance standing up on his own. He has the cutest sounding conversations with himself. He has started holding his own bottle. He has two bottom teeth with more on the way. He is awesome. Fletch is doing amazing in swim class. I think he's part fish honestly.

Could we possibly have spawned the next Michael Phelps? A mom can dream, right?

He's on the move!

2010-03-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

Lock your doors and run for your life! Fletch is crawling!
Of course he goes straight towards danger...dog food bowl, water bowl and the grocery cart of doom. Which is why we had to purchase a baby corral.

He doesn't seem to mind being trapped in his colorful contraption. As if crawling wasn't a monumental enough of an achievement, the boy has decided that crawling was so last year and now he is working on learning to walk. He has begun to pull himself up! The toy box is the perfect height for him right now.

The hard part is learning how to get from standing back to sitting. Right now he's mastered the free-fall technique. That consists of him just letting go and falling backwards. Sometimes he ends up on his booty, but most of the time he puts a dent in the floor with his head. I'm seriously considering purchasing some foam padding to put inside the corral. Sometimes he tries the sideways fall. That never ends up well. Usually he goes crashing into another toy or object with that technique, which always ends in loud howling.

Now that Fletch is contained, the dog, cat, daddy and I feel much more comfortable around here. No tails will be yanked and no electrical wires will be stripped from their rightful place causing baby electrocution. Fletch is still a free-range baby since we opted not to put him in a dog carrier.

See, we are good parents :)

Some Bunny Loves Fletch

2010-03-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

We recently took a trip to the mall to visit the DMV so Atom could get a new drivers license. While daddy was in line, Fletch and I roamed around the mall. I completely forgot that the Easter Bunny visited the mall this time of year. It was our lucky day because there was no line! As soon as I sat Fletch down on the Easter Bunny's lap, he looked up at him with a look of "What the heck is this giant fuzzy, long-eared thing my mother just gave me to?" I was waiting for a freak-out, but he didn't cry or scream or whine. He just saw the camera and did what he does best, gave us a grin from ear to ear. I think someone is going to get a fabulous Easter basket from the Easter Bunny in a few weeks. I may or may not have bribed a certain bunny with tasty carrots.

Let's go swimming!

2010-03-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

We signed Fletch up for Baby and Me swimming lessons. There is indoor pool/rec-center pretty close to us and they offer all kinds of classes. I took a lap swimming class last fall, and that is how I found out about the baby swimming classes. The purpose of the class is to get babies used to the water and teaching proper safety. Both parents can participate, so Atom and I took turns throughout the class. There were tons of cute little kiddos in our class, and one little girl was not a happy camper. Fletch however did fantastic. He wanted to splash the entire time. This did not surprise me in the least since every time we take a bath, I end up wetter than Fletch. Depending on how well this class goes, we will probably continue with the program. Who knows, we may end up with the next Michael Phelps! I know he liked to swim around when he was in the belly, so maybe it just comes natural.

Shock Family Tour to Texas

2010-03-14T21:04:00.001-04:00

My spring break was the first week of March. We figured it was an opportune time to take a trip down to Texas to see family and friends. My oldest brother and his family still hadn't seen Fletch nor had any of my close friends. This was Fletch's first time flying. He was given a pair of wings on our flight out of Baltimore. He did really great on the plane, probably better than I did. We didn't get any of "those" looks the entire flight, so I'd say it was a success. (Even if we had gotten any looks, I really wouldn't have cared.) I found out soon after I arrived that I had a ticket to a Spurs game that Sunday. My sister-in-law Penny scored us some excellent seats for the Suns vs Spurs game. It must have been my presence that helped them win the game in the last 9 seconds.

Not only did we go to visit important people, we did some future-home scouting in Austin. We plan to move to the Lake Travis area, so we met up with an awesome realtor who showed us around. We are in love and can't wait to move to Austin.

Thursday night, we went to see our nephew John Jr. at his track meet at South San Stadium. I was a little disappointed that my high school was not at that meet, but it was cool to see all the different schools competing. We only got to see one of John's events because we had to leave to pick up our niece Sarah. We did get to see some hurdling. I have great respect for people that run hurdles. The one and only time I tried it, I landed face first on the ground with the wind knocked out of me.

I scored a pretty cool Groupon for a tasting at Dry Comal Creek Winery in New Braunfels. We paid $10 for a full tasting and a free bottle of our choice. Some of the wines were pretty interesting, especially the Mongrel Bastardo. That wine had a really interesting story to go with it's interesting flavor. We took Bubba and Penny, well actually they were the ones driving, so they took us. After our little wine excursion we met up with David and Angie and all the kids at Clear Springs Seafood Restaurant. They had spectacular catfish. It's hard to find it in our area.

Unfortunately we did not get to see all of my friends that I had wanted to, but we'll be back soon for good. It was hard to believe we hadn't been back to Texas since our wedding in 2007. Time flies! Even after a scary flight experience on the way home, we made it back safely.

Snowpocalypse 2010

2010-02-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Jennifer recorded a video of Snowpocalypse 2010 from our 4th story balcony. We got over 30 inches of snow over the course of a weekend, then it snowed again a few days later. It was the most snow this area's gotten in recent history. We were snowed in for a couple of days. We had to venture out a couple of times each day to walk the dog, which was a challenge for both the walker and the dog. Luckily we went to the grocery store before the storm and stocked up. Jennifer's school was cancelled, church was cancelled and most stores were closed. We didn't lose power so we were able to keep warm and entertain ourselves.

Our Movie Star

2010-02-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

We busted out the video camera to bring you a little Fletch in motion. Our first video is Fletch bouncing in his bounce-a-roo.

Next up are a few videos of time on his tummy.

And last but not least, here is Fletch trying to learn to crawl.

He's getting there! Right now he just rolls wherever he needs to go :)

6 Month Photo Shoot

2010-02-12T20:18:00.006-05:00

We just received the prints we ordered from our last photo session in January. Here are a few of our favorites.

You can see the rest here.

Our Beautiful Headache

2010-02-10T22:37:00.004-05:00

Last year I convinced Atom that we should spruce up our kitchen. At first I proposed adding a glass tile backsplash. I had found a company that did custom mosaic tile. You just choose the colors and they mix them up and send them to you. After I showed Atom my proposed color combination, he was on board.The hubby surprised me when he suggested that we go ahead and get new counter tops as well. I had mentioned them a while back, but since he was getting a nice Christmas bonus it was now in our budget. We actually got the counter tops first. We had a few different companies come out to give us some quotes. We actually got a quote for recycled glass counter tops (which we were absolutely in love with), but they were double the cost of the granite. We decided that we'd get those in our future home, but for now we'd go with industry standards. We are trying to sell this place in a few years so we have to keep the buyers in mind. Once we found the lowest bid, we went to the warehouse to choose our slab. Initially we were going to go with the Santa Cecilia, but once I brought the tile sample and our kitchen cabinet, we decided it was too dark and busy looking. I spotted a beautiful creamy slab and had to investigate. Once we held up the tile and the cabinet, we were sold. We actually chose a marble slab in Crema Marfil. It is absolutely gorgeous. The company came out just before Christmas and installed them in just a few hours. Here is what the counter tops looked like before: Here is what kitchen cabinets look like without a counter top: And here is what our new counter tops look like: Notice that incredibly large sink. I LOVE that sink. It is HUGE. I initially wanted a double bowl sink, then I saw that massive stainless steel beauty. It is 31" long and 9" deep. It is fabulous. OK, enough about my wonderful sink. Next up was our tile backsplash. Once we received the tile, we headed to Home Depot to pick up supplies. They didn't have the color of grout we wanted so we had to special order that from a tile store. We did pick up the other tools needed. We decided to try this wall adhesive called SimpleMat, because the sales associate recommended it. We weren't 100% sold on the idea that it would work with our size tile. Atom emailed the company and they told him it would be perfect for our project. LIARS. I'm not going to go on a product rant, because this probably would be fantastic for larger tile. It is not however perfect for sheets of tiny tiles. Unfortunately, we did not realize this until after we started installing it. That was not our only problem. I apparently do not know how to properly measure square footage, so I did not order enough tile. I had to order 3 more sheets and it cost a little extra because it was a small order. Once we got the 3 sheets and installed them, we began the grout process. I chose a terra cotta grout. I didn't want to drown out the color of the tile with a white or light cream grout. In true Shock style, we ran out of grout. And since that was a special order as well, we had to put an order in for another bag of grout. Luckily it was not as expensive and came much more quickly. So in the middle of the week, we finally finished. So, the million dollar question...would we do it all over again or hire a professional? As great as it feels to do things yourself and save money, we really do understand why people pay the professionals. In hindsight, we would definitely have used the thin-set instead of that tacky paper stuff. It would have been cheaper and easier. So in trying to make the job easier and less messy, it actually made it harder and frustrating. Next time I see that sales associate at Home Depot, I won't be asking him for any tips. The kitchen looks great and we are very happy with the results. The best part is that we are DONE.

Fletch Food Continued

2010-01-30T19:54:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to show everyone just how easy making your own baby food really is.This is a normal size batch for me...for now. You can store frozen baby food for up to 3 months, but I'd rather make smaller batches so Fletch can try a variety of things for now. One medium sweet potato will fill one ice cube tray with a little extra. Whatever does not fit in the ice cube tray, I place in a Tupperware container in the fridge and use that up first. You can keep food in the fridge for 3 days. The best way to cook the veggies is to bake or steam. (Side note: I just ruined my steamer pot and I am waiting on a new silicone steamer insert so I can steam some veggies...PSA - Never leave your steaming food unattended!) Once you've cooked the veggies, you cut them into one inch pieces or smaller and place them in a food processor/blender/immersion blender and puree. You can use the water that you used to steam the veggies (you only need a few tablespoons) or you can use breast milk or tap water. Once you've pureed the veggies, you spoon them into the ice cube trays and freeze. Once they are frozen into veggie cubes, you can pop them out and put them in a zip-lock bag and label them. I try to put the date I made them to get in the habit, even though he will definitely finish all of them within three months. Once I start making bigger batches, it will come in handy. Making meat is not much different. I season and bake the chicken or turkey cutlets. Once they are cooked, I let them cool before putting them in the food processor. You process them until they are chopped into very fine pieces, then you add the liquid. You freeze the meat the same way. Each veggie or meat cube is about one ounce.
When it comes time to feed Fletch, I pull out three cubes to defrost. I like to mix and match and make all kinds of weird combinations. Fletch does not seem to mind the least. It takes about a minute in the microwave to soften and warm it up. If it gets too hot, I add some cold applesauce to cool it off. Applesauce is one of those important staples to keep in the fridge. Some people make their own, but I just buy the big jars of natural applesauce that has nothing added to it. Most of the veggies I make for Fletch are veggies that were already on our menu anyway. It is incredibly cheap. One bag of frozen veggies is less than a dollar and it produces way more baby food than you could get in a jar for the same price.
If anyone out there needs some helpful tips on getting started, feel free to email me and I'd love to help you get started.

We're a Google Family

2010-01-30T11:38:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

We're a hardcore Google Family. All Google applications are free and there is an online app for everything. Check out the list of available apps. You don't have to download software. All Google apps are available online, or to use the parlance of our time, "in the cloud".

We have four Gmail addresses between us -me, Jennifer, Fletch and a family email. Yes even Fletch has his own email address. I wanted to make sure he didn't get some crazy email address like fletchos4987 when he's old enough to use the computer, so we registered a Gmail address early. If you want to email him his email address is fletchshock at gmail dot com. Don't expect a prompt response or it to make any sense. He's a baby for God's sake! Do look for him to post to this blog in the near future. :)

We use Google Calendar to schedule our lives and for reminders. I have a personal calendar, Jenn has a personal and school schedule calendar, we have a family calendar and a bills calendar to keep track of when our bills are due. There are also cool public calendars like sports teams schedules (I subscribe to the Redskins calendar of course), moon phases, holidays and a calendar that will pull all your contacts birthdays and anniversaries. I don't think we could live without it.

We use Google Reader to follow our favorite blogs. It's handy if you follow lots of blogs that span multiple interests. You can use tags like 'personal', 'sports', 'finance' or 'hobbies' to organize your blogs into categories. My favorite blogs are personal (friends and family blogs), the Redskins, personal finance, music, life hacks, beard blogs (there are many), blogs about the movie The Big Lebowski, and Google blogs. Jenn's favorite blogs are family and friends, crafts, The People of Walmart, Cake Wrecks and Awkward Family Photos.

We use Google Docs to create and share our online documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It's like an online version of Microsoft Office. You can create documents or scan and upload. It's compatible with MS Office, Open Office and PDF document formats. Docs has many advantages. It's free and doesn't take up any space on your hard drive. It's green in that you can upload all your important documents and store them in the cloud reducing clutter and improving organization. You can share documents with anyone who has an email address. You can collaborate simultaneously on the same document will all the doc owners. Jennifer's family sends out an annual holiday gift list email. It was hard to maintain among 10 adults and numerous kids. Jennifer turned the gift list into a Google Docs spreadsheet, shared it with everybody and viola! - problem solved. Everyone had access and could make updates without worrying if the they were editing the latest draft.

Our blogs are written and hosted by Blogger, Google's blog application. It's not as robust as Wordpress, but it suits our needs.

We use Google Sites to build and host our our family website, chronic and shock dot com.

Google Maps has replaced MapQuest as the map and directions website of choice. Before we got a GPS, we used Maps to get directions.

You can get Google products on your cellphone with Google Mobile. I can read my email, check my calendar, read blogs, find or create a document, make a call, send a text and get directions on my phone. You never have to leave home without Google apps.

The newest addition to our Google family is Google Voice. It gives you one phone number that can ring all your phones. It also transcribes your voicemail messages and sends you an email when you've got a new message. It links to your Gmail contact list. You can also send text messages from the website or email. I recently transitioned to a Google Voice number. Now when people call me, my cell phone, work phone and Jenn's phone all ring. The flexibility is amazing. You can have different settings per contact. If my mom calls, I can have it ring all my phones. If work calls, I can have it just ring my work phone. If you didn't receive the email with my new number the send me an email and I'll be happy to give it to you.

One Google app we don't use is Picasa, the photo website. We use Flickr instead. No particular reason. Flickr is just the more popular of the two.

Enough with the Google advertisement. I'm not a paid spokesperson. But I don't mind singing the praises of a forward thinking, creative company that has applications to make our life organized and easier. Just call us a digital family. We live in the cloud.

Feeding Fletch

2010-01-27T21:31:00.006-05:00

While I was pregnant and trying to make a decision about all of the various options of how to take care of baby (diapering, sleeping, vaccinations, etc), I thought I had ruled out homemade baby food. That is until I read about how easy it actually is from a mom who considers herself to be pretty lazy (thank you Amalah). Not only is it easy, it is cheaper than buying all those little jars of food. Another benefit is knowing exactly what is going into Fletch's belly. Have you seen the color of some of those jarred veggies? I can't even find those colors in nature. Once Fletch was born, I had a few months to gear up for the process. I purchased a new food processor and some ice cube trays with lids. I found a wonderful online resource Wholesome Baby Food that has everything you need to know about making your own baby food. Initially Fletch started with rice cereal. Considering it only cost $2 for a box, I splurged on that menu item. We realized quickly that Fletch was not a fan of rice cereal. That is when I switched to oatmeal. I didn't get much more enthusiasm for oatmeal. One night I decided to try something else. I pulled out the frozen peas, steamed and pureed them and was ready to experiment. Fletch was very happy to see something new in his bowl and enthusiastically finished all of his peas. That was my jumping off point into the realm of homemade baby food. Since then we have tried other veggies, fruits and even yogurt. I was reading a blog that mentioned an article about avoiding creating a picky eater. There was a list provided of different food groups. In order to avoid creating a picky eater, it is suggested to have your baby try one thing from each group before they turn one. I found the article very interesting and I believe it will not be very hard to accomplish. I do not want to raise a picky eater addicted to macaroni and chicken nuggets. I may be a little optimistic, but here is the list I will be working on until June 28th. Of course, I will be following the normal guidelines as to when certain foods should be introduced. I'm not going destroy my son's digestive tract for my own selfish reasons. Maybe through this process, even I will try some foods that I have been apprehensive towards. I've tried everything I have fed Fletch so far, but I may have to pass on the mushrooms and beets. Those that have been struck through are those that we have already accomplished. Wish us luck!

Mushrooms
shitake
crimini
oyster
portabella

Bromeliads
pineapple

Woody trees
~~banana~~

Cruciferous vegetables
broccoli
~~cauliflower~~

Myrtles
guava
clove
allspice

Umbrellifers
~~carrot~~
celery
cilantro
dill

Heath plants
~~blueberry~~
cranberry

Legumes
~~black beans~~
~~peas~~
lentils

Gourds
~~cucumber~~
~~pumpkin~~
~~squash~~
watermelon

Composites
artichoke
lettuces
sunflower seeds

Sesame
sesame seeds

Lilies
asparagus
chive
garlic
onion

Rosy plants
~~apple~~
~~apricot~~
blackberry
cherry
peach
~~pear~~
plum
raspberry
strawberry

Grapes

Citrus
orange
lime
lemon

Nightshades
eggplant
peppers
~~white potatoes~~

Laurels
~~avocado~~
~~cinnamon~~
bay

Amaranths
spinach
swiss chard
beet

Loosestrifes
pomegranate

True grasses
barley
~~oats~~
~~brown rice~~

Bindwinds
~~sweet potato~~

Our Little Spurs Fan

2010-01-06T20:55:00.003-05:00

Every year I get tickets to see the Spurs play the Wizards here in DC. They only come once a year, and it is usually in February during the "Rodeo Road Trip." This year they came a little early. We took Fletch with us because being so close to the holidays it was far fetched to find a babysitter. We were a little nervous having him out a little late, but he did extremely well and did not get fussy until the last two minutes. Since the Spurs were kicking booty, we headed out a little early. Unfortunately the Spurs gear that Deanne sent Fletch was too big for him to wear to the game, but it may fit for next year's game. Fletch helped Mama cheer on her team and apparently is a good luck charm.

Ba Ba Ba

2010-01-06T20:50:00.001-05:00

Here is a video of Fletch's cute babbling.

What a way to start the year!

2010-01-01T15:20:00.003-05:00

Look who's sitting up!Yep! He has been trying and trying and finally has something to show for it. Fletch has been sitting up with assistance for over a month, so it was bound to happen any day. This is Fletch's way of saying Happy New Year Mom and Dad! His 6-month appointment was on the 30th. He has grown 2 inches and is now 28" tall. Our little butterball is 18.9 pounds. According to Dr. Cross, he is doing amazing. We were even given the go-ahead to add some meat to his diet. Fletch tried some chicken today with his sweet potatoes and peas and had no complaints. Here's to a happy and healthy new year for our baby boy!

Fletch's First Christmas

2009-12-26T14:18:00.008-05:00

With Fletch in the lead for number of presents under the Christmas tree, he was ready to go when he woke up Christmas morning.We all sat down in front of the Christmas tree to prepare for the fun. Fletch did amazingly well at opening his first present.
After the first present was opened, he sort of lost interest. Mommy had to help him out with the rest of his gifts. By the look on his face, he seemed to love everything he received. It was a wonderful day for all three of us, regardless of what was under the Christmas tree. Fletch is our favorite gift this year!

Merry Christmas from The Shocks

2009-12-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Fletch's First Snow

2009-12-09T11:53:00.005-05:00

Fletch experienced his first snowfall last Saturday. I think he is a little indifferent at this point, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it when he can actually play in it. We attended Sammy's birthday party at the clubhouse, so while we walked over I snapped a shot of Fletch with Daddy in the snow: I put the sweater Uncle Chris gave on Fletch. It's pretty darn cute and he'll be growing into it this winter season. I even found some small mittens at BRU that fit Fletch. Unfortunately Fletch doesn't have any fur on his face to keep it warm like Daddy (but I'm okay with that).

Our Little Elf

2009-12-04T16:30:00.004-05:00

I took Fletch to see Santa during the day today, to avoid the catastrophe of holiday weekend mall madness. Santa was on break...er...I mean feeding his reindeer when we got there. However, it was only a short wait until the man himself came "Ho Ho Ho"-ing around the corner. Fletch did great and didn't freak out when I handed him over to the big guy. His-Jollyness was quite fond of Fletch as well. I wonder what Fletch asked for? I'm hoping it wasn't for his two front teeth. Mama is still breastfeeding :) It took us a total of five minutes. I purchased the smallest package, which also included a free ornament for $20. Not bad in these over-inflated times. Hopefully it will arrive in time to hang it on the tree this year. Here is a preview of the ornament:

The Shock Circus Goes to Atlanta

2009-11-14T11:03:00.013-05:00

Fletch, Mama and Daddy went to visit friends and family in Atlanta last week. We decided to drive since Fletch can't have a flu vaccine yet and we don't want him breathing in cooties from sick people on a plane. Yup...we were crazy enough to drive hundreds of miles with a four month old. Luckily, Fletch was amazing in the car (as long as Mommy sat in the back with him). He slept most of the way and was calm while he was awake. I think he handled the trip better than we did. We stayed with Grandma the first few nights:While we were staying with Grandma, we drove into the city to go to The World of Coca Cola. On the tour we saw a ton of Coca Cola memorabilia, some pop art, a short animated movie, and a giant polar bear. The best part of the tour was at the end when you get to try all the different drinks that Coca Cola makes from all over the world. There was only one that I would never sip on again and that's a drink named after my mother, Beverly. It tasted pretty nasty. We got to take a picture with the huggable polar bear: We then moved on to Grandpa's house. This visit was Grandpa's first time seeing Fletch, so he was super excited (as you can tell in this pic): On Saturday night, Grandpa and Gammy Gena babysat while we went out with friends. The previous night, Fletch got to meet his future wife Quinn. I think Quinn rocked Fletch's world: For grown-ups-night-out, we all went bowling. For the record, I won. It wasn't an impressive score, but I won nonetheless. Here is a group shot of the gang: We found out Kim and T-bone are expecting a baby in May. We're excited for them and can't wait to see how T-bone reacts to living with a baby. Congrats again guys! Sunday was game day, the whole reason behind this trip to Atlanta. The Redskins played the Falcons in the Georgia Dome and we gathered everyone together to tailgate and watch the game. We all had fun eating yummy food and drinking tasty beverages. I got a shot of all the Shock boys (minus Uncle Chris who couldn't make it): Too bad the Redskins were beaten by the Falcons, but we all pretty much expected that. On Monday, we went to take a tour of CNN. It was a pretty cool tour. We got to look in on the newsroom floor and where the news is filmed. We got to listen in on the control room. It was very interesting to learn how it all comes together. After the tour we decided to dine at The Varsity. This place is an Atlanta institution. It's a greasy spoon, but it was oh-so-yummy. We dined on cheeseburgers, chili dogs, onion rings and orange freezes. We were on vacation, so a little extra calories are part of the package. We even went to Sonic since we don't have them in our area. I love me a good corndog! We were sad to see our week come to an end and thanks to Tropical Storm Ida, we had rain and wind to drive back in. We had a great time with everyone and hope to get back to Atlanta next summer.

New Menu Item - Rice Cereal

2009-11-02T15:28:00.001-05:00

Fletch's 4 month well baby visit was last Friday. He received his second round of vaccinations, which is exactly like you would imagine it. The good part of the visit was getting the go-ahead to start trying solid food. We are starting off with some rice cereal. Mommy preemptively bought some last time she was at Wegman's, because she was excited to feed Fletch his first solid meal. When we got home from our appointment, we put Fletch in his new high chair and mixed up a bowl of ricey-goodness. Here is the result:

He is getting better at it every day. Once he gets the hang of it, Mommy will be making some veggies just for Fletch.

Baptism

2009-11-01T22:56:00.003-05:00

Fletch received the sacrament of Holy Baptism on Sunday. This also happened to fall on All Saints day as well. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Steven came down from New York city to help celebrate. We also had some great friends come to mass to help us celebrate as well. After mass, we all went out to eat some yummy BBQ.
Here is the video of the baptism:

Home Movies: Fletch's first bath [REPOST]

2009-11-01T22:40:00.001-05:00

We finally got around to splitting Fletch's first bath video into two so that we could upload it and not violate the maximum length of 10 minutes. I embedded both videos in the original post found here: Home Movies: Fletch's first bath.

I...am..BATMAN!

2009-10-27T13:44:00.003-04:00

We saw this in the Halloween store and couldn't resist. That's right...Fletch is BATMAN! Fletcher Owen by day, and Batman by night. Bruce Wayne better watch out!

Baby Talk

2009-10-15T10:55:00.002-04:00

As of yesterday, Fletch has grown increasingly vocal with us. This morning we had a long conversation while he jumped in his bounce-a-roony.

3-Month Photo Shoot

2009-10-12T21:34:00.007-04:00

We purchased a baby plan with the photographer who took Fletch's newborn photos. She will take pictures of Fletch at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. This past Saturday we went into her studio for Fletch's 3 month photos. She emailed us 4 sneak peeks from the session. So far we are extremely happy. Here they are:
(FYI - those are not leg warmers, they are babylegs)

Our sweet baby is getting cuter every day!

1/4 of a Year Old

2009-10-01T08:43:00.004-04:00

Fletch is now 3 months old! Our once tiny newborn is now officially an infant. He has grown by leaps and bounds, both physically and developmentally. I am greeted with a huge smile every morning, which is the best way to start your day (especially since it is usually quite early). Fletch has found his hands and they are now in his mouth 90% of the time. His constant drooling has us wondering if he's going to sprout some teeth a little early. Considering he is still breastfeeding, I am hoping that he can delay that milestone for a few more months. We got our first giggle last Sunday, and we are constantly trying to get more out of him with silly faces and noises. I decided to put the bounce-a-roo together a few weeks ago, to see if Fletch would fit. We have to put a phone book under his feet so he can bounce, but he really seems to love bouncing. He is growing so fast, but still remains the cutest baby ever! Sorry to all the other parents out there, but we are a little biased. His 4 month appointment is coming up at the end of October. I'll give an update then as well as a picture of Fletch in his Halloween costume!

Our Little Sports Fan

2009-09-21T12:02:00.009-04:00

We are planning a trip to Atlanta in November to go see the Redskins play the Falcons, as well as to visit friends and family. The stadium there is indoors, so we are not worried about the elements. As you may know, we are Redskins season ticket holders. We've been contemplating taking Fletch to a home game, mainly because it is an outdoor stadium and we want to avoid baking our child in the sun or turning him into a Popsicle. The weather forecast for Sunday was phenomenal - lower 70s. We decided to take the baby to the game. We dressed him up in his team apparel:Then we made sure he had proper sun protection: Before we left, we had to get a picture of Fletch with Daddy in all their Redskins glory: We used our Ergo baby carrier to tote him around all day. Fletch did great around the crowds and noise. I was actually able to breastfeed him in my seat inconspicuously! It is amazing how portable babies are. We were all exhausted after our long day.

The Amazing Fletch

2009-09-18T23:44:00.003-04:00

As of today, Fletch has now been sleeping through the night for a full week! I don't know how he figured it out, but it just magically happened. The first night it happened and we woke up in the morning, Atom and I both looked at each other and said, "Did he not wake up last night?" Now Atom can get some normal rest, since he doesn't have to pull middle-of-the-night bottle duty.

Fletch is also mastering his hand-eye coordination. He can find his hands and is becoming a champ at putting them in his mouth to chew on. It may be the reason he stays asleep through the night, since he can self-sooth. Watching him develop is amazing. I'm so glad I get to spend every day with him watching him accomplish these milestones. Here is a video of him chewing on his hands and showing his method of getting them to his mouth:

2 Months - Long and Lean

2009-09-01T13:53:00.003-04:00

Fletch had his two month appointment yesterday. He is still growing like a weed. He weighed in at 12 pounds 4 ounces and he is now 23 3/4 inches long. Fletch is long and lean. His percentiles are getting higher and higher (not that those are really even that important). Unfortunately along with the two month appointment came his first round of vaccinations. The first shot only irritated him slightly, but the second shot got his little face beet red and the howling began. It didn't last long once I picked him up. No more poking until his four month appointment, but we also get to talk about starting solid foods at that appointment...EXCITING!

Stayin' Cool in the Pool

2009-08-24T09:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday evening we attended our church's Young Family Ministry's pool party. We enjoyed some pizza and goodies and then we decided to see if Fletch would like the pool. Earlier that day we hunted down some swim shorts for Fletch, but alas we couldn't find anything small enough for his little hiney. We finally did find a cute pair of orange surfer shorts for $1 at Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the rubber pants I bought were too big. When we put Fletch in the water, his super-absorbent diaper filled up quickly! He did actually enjoy the water for the 10 minutes we were in the kiddie pool.

It was a great party, but there were TONS of bugs! The number of flying ants that were out was kind of gross, especially since they all landed in the pool. We didn't stay in the kiddie pool very long because it was starting to look like an ant death-trap. We may do some evening swimming at the pool in our complex where the kiddie pool isn't an ant soup.

Some New Fletch Footage

2009-08-19T15:22:00.003-04:00

Here's a little footage of what Fletch has been up to...

He's holding his head up spectacularly:

Here he is multi-tasking - hiccuping while bouncing in the bouncy seat:

Here he is rockin' the pacifier:

I know this is all too exciting, but its a riot to us :)

Hangin' out with Fletch

2009-08-09T20:36:00.002-04:00

Fletch's Photo Shoot

2009-08-05T17:58:00.004-04:00

A week after Fletch was born, we had a fabulous photographer come out to the house to take his picture. She came with good recommendations and was running a great special, so we splurged. As part of the package, we'll have 4 more photo shoots at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year. I was able to get all the proofs from the newborn photo shoot and I uploaded them to Flickr for everyone to check out. This is the picture we chose for the big print:

Here is a slideshow of all the shots:

365 Days of Fletch

2009-07-30T23:45:00.004-04:00

Last year I had started a 365 project of myself. For those who don't know, a 365 project consists of taking a photo of yourself every day for a full year. I started off strong, but after I got impregnated and my energy levels were at an all time low, I kind of gave up.

Looking at how many pictures I've already taken of Fletch and per a friend's suggestion, I decided to start a 365 project for Fletch. So I'll be taking a picture of him every day for the next year of his life. You can check out our progress HERE

So if you see me slacking off, shoot me an email and chastise me for not keeping up with the project.

Making things easier - www.shockfamilycircus.com

2009-07-30T09:22:00.003-04:00

The Shock Family Circus blog has a new web address! We registered domain www.shockfamilycircus.com. The old web address (aka URL), http://shock-family-circus.blogspot.com, will still work and will be redirected to the new URL.

Our website gets a makeover

2009-07-29T21:32:00.004-04:00

We've given our website, Chronic and Shock dot com, a makeover. It's the one-stop-shop for everything us. It's now powered by Google Sites.

1 Month!

2009-07-29T21:28:00.004-04:00

We have managed to keep Fletch alive for one full month! We had our one month appointment today and learned that Fletch has gained one and a half pounds in two weeks. That's right people...my bewbs work just fine! I no longer have to worry whether or not he is getting enough to eat. We knew he was getting bigger, but we didn't know he was an over-achiever. We're so proud. Fletch has already outgrown some of his outfits and he doesn't look as tiny as he used to when we put him in his car seat. Everyone said to enjoy him while he's small because babies grow so quickly, and they were not lying. So to answer everyone's main question...we are doing great. We have gotten into the groove as a family and every day gets better. If anyone else woke me up at six in the morning I'd be very irritated, but when I look down into that crib and see Fletch's cute little face I completely forget what time it is.

Tummy Time with Fletch

2009-07-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

Our Future's So Bright...

2009-07-24T12:33:00.003-04:00

Just a little Friday fun...

(the cat refused to participate)

Fletch's 1st Bath at Home

2009-07-11T17:09:00.002-04:00

Since Fletch's umbilical cord came off during our second hospital visit, we were cleared to give him a bath. We weren't sure how Fletch would like the bath. He seemed to like the one in the hospital, but that was handled by trained professionals. This time it would be carried out by two rookies, but we were hoping the home field advantage would bring us some luck. It seems like Fletch might be a fan of water! He didn't get too fussy and we were in and out of the bath in ten minutes. He really liked being snuggled up in his hooded towel too. We hope he continues to enjoy bath time, but I'm sure once he gets older we may not have it as easy :)

Our Golden Child

2009-07-03T22:53:00.003-04:00

We got home from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon with our new bundle of joy. It felt so great to be home with baby. Our pediatrician requested we come in for a follow up visit the next day to check Fletch's bilirubin levels, because they were a little high. We had a pretty rough first night, but in hind-sight it was probably because baby was hungry and was not getting enough to eat. So we woke up a little frustrated that day and when we were told at the follow up appointment that Fletch needed to be re-admitted for light therapy for jaundice, it was pretty discouraging.

We decided to look at this time in the hospital as an opportunity. I had a chance to consult with a Lactation Specialist, which I was in desperate need of. Hopefully I can take what I learned and help Fletch get back on the boob without assistance. When people say breastfeeding is not easy or comes naturally, they are ABSOLUTELY correct. It definitely has to be learned, by both mom and baby.

Once I got pumping in the hospital and filling Fletch's belly with the good stuff, he seemed to be able to sleep longer and that means WE got to sleep longer. We are still exhausted, but we've started to get our wits about us. After two nights in the pediatric unit, we were able to come home this afternoon. We'll go back to the pediatrician on Monday to get a final check on Fletch's bilirubin levels and we should be done with all this craziness.

We have Aunt Donna and Aunt Lisa here visiting and helping out, which we appreciate immensely. Daddy is trying to convince Aunt Donna to come be our nanny, but I'm not sure it's in the cards. More visitors are on their way, including Grandma and Uncle Bubba and family. It's gonna be a madhouse!

Home Movies: Footprints

2009-06-30T23:51:00.002-04:00

Inking Fletch's footprints at the hospital nursery for his baby book and all posterity.

Home Movies: Fletch's first bath [Updated]

2009-06-30T23:38:00.003-04:00

Fletch getting his first bath at the hospital nursery.

Part 1:

Part 2:

So Nice, I'd do it twice

2009-06-29T14:29:00.005-04:00

I'm much too excited to sleep right now. So I am going to give all the details about Fletcher's birth now, otherwise it could be weeks before I have the time.

I had been having contractions all last week, intermittently throughout the day. So when I woke up with a few on Saturday, I didn't think it was a big deal. Atom complained about my long razor-sharp toenails and told me to "get thee to a pedicure!" Happily I obliged and had all my claws grinded to reasonable lengths and painted a lovely shade of green. When I got home, I put my pretty little feet up and started reading. Just as I started to relax, I started feeling contractions regularly and these were a bit more intense than any I had before. So around 5 o'clock I had Atom start timing my contractions.

After an hour and a half of contractions that were five minutes apart, we decided to call the doc and see what he wanted us to do. He told us to come on down to the hospital and find out if we're in labor. So we packed up the Xterra and headed over to Fair Oaks Hospital. We left everything in the car to bring up later when I would be put in a labor and delivery room. Well, I never made it there. They examined me when I first arrived and I was still at 1 centimeter! They had me walk around the maternity ward for over an hour to see if we could get things moving. So at 9 o'clock they checked again, and I was still at 1 centimeter. The doc told me not to be discouraged and that I'd still probably have a baby within 24 hours, but I should go home and get some rest. They even gave me two Ambien to help me sleep. I was seeing double and slurring my speech half-way home, but managed to eat some dinner and then tried a warm bath. The warm bath wasn't helping and I figured I'd just try to sleep. I think I was sleeping in between contractions, but by 3 am they were too strong to sleep through. So back to the hospital we went.

We were put back in the triage room and they checked my progress. I was STILL at 1 centimeter. Dr Hodges decided that they were going to admit me and give me something to take the edge off and give me a few hours. Whatever they gave me helped me relax and I got some really great rest. Unfortunately, my contractions slowed down. So at 6 am, they decided to go ahead and break my water and just go for it. Well that got my contractions moving again and holy mackerel they were intense. I got my epidural soon after and then I was sitting pretty and pain free. I was really nervous about having a needle put into my spine, but let me tell you it was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. It didn't hurt at all! Once the epidural kicked in, they hit me up with some Pitocin to get my cervix a-movin'. The doc came back a few hours later and I was finally progressed to 4 centimeters. He said I would probably dilate at the rate of one centimeter per hour and that was just about right. At 5 o'clock I was at 9 centimeters and opening more with each contraction. So we decided it was time to push this baby out!

After some brief explaining of how to push, the nurse told us to expect to push for one to two hours as a first time mom. Apparently I took this as a challenge to break some records! After 20 minutes of pushing, baby was already crowning! It only took me a total of about 40 minutes to push baby out. I felt like a super star. It was absolutely painless and I had minimal tearing (only one little suture - whew). So at 5:44 pm, Fletcher made his way into our life.

Giving birth was an amazing and empowering experience. I had no idea what to expect from this experience, but I can honestly say that I would do it all over again. It was so easy, it must be nature's way of tricking me into having another. Fletcher is truly a blessing in our life and we can't wait to share our blessing with all of you.

He's Here!

2009-06-29T12:19:00.002-04:00