My Last Day of Sabbatical

Day 56:

Today was my last day of sabbatical, Conor. It's been a wonderful time to take out of work and focus on the Lion Heart; this new start to my life. On the one hand I'm looking forward to it. I do enjoy my work and the camaraderie of colleagues. Though on the other hand, you're far more important to me and I've quite enjoyed spending each and every day with you - watching you grow before my very eyes.

Yes Conor, tomorrow it's back to the grind. Up early, home late, and a slave to my iPhone and the information it brings me for the job that I do. Still, as bittersweet as it is, I will work harder and longer because of you... But I'll play hard, too. I'll play hard for you and with you. I promise. And I'll do it to be sure that you want for nothing (within reason - don't get crazy).

I'm very much enjoying my small projects for you. I love writing to you, I've started writing a new series of books because of you, and I love pairing your pictures with music. It's easy to do and fun to create, so on days when I have a bit of time (I imagine will be getting fewer and fewer), I'll continue to expand upon this blog and include fun little gadgets. As seen in the menu bar on the right...

Anyhow, despite my anxiousness in readying myself to get back on the job, I was all to happy to enjoy some time with family today. Your Great Aunt Helene came for a visit and spent several hours loving on you... Mommy had things to do so she was able to visit for while, but then me and your Great Aunt sat and chatted and laughed...... She fed you twice, burped you bunches, and doted on you and how special you are. It was a fun visit. She has six Grandchildren of her own, and now one more nephew to visit... I imagine you're going to be seeing a good bit of your Great Aunt!

Well Boy'O, I'm due to retire for the night, Son... And so are you. And the Lion Heart needs rest! For you've got a lot of growing to do, and you're going to have to work harder still in being a good boy for Mommy while I'm back to work. And I know you will, Conor. My Conor an Chroí Lion...

Love you, Son.
-Dad

By the way, here's one of those videos. I hope you love it as much as I do

The Big Cat Loves the Water!

Day 55:

Everybody knows that cats don't like water, right? Not true in the Lion Heart's case... Early on today you were as fussy as you've ever been, Son. And not so much 'fussy' as you were unsettled. Nothing seemed to keep you still! I fed you, burped you, you know the drill by now... Nothing seemed to work.

I had another appointment for my janky old knee in the morning so that took me out of the house for a little better than two hours... By the time I'd returned you'd almost completely ruined your Mommy's good mood... She was so frazzled and just needed a break! So I told Mommy to not worry about it and to go ahead and run some errands she wanted to get done... Part of my plan was to give you a bath after a good couple of ounces of food, then swaddle your flailing little arms into knots and put you down for a nap. I can proudly proclaim that my plan worked! After stuffing you full of food I drew a good warm bath and in you went. Boy'O, I actually watched the tension come out of you... As soon as your little bottom got into that warm water your eyes went wide and you went completely limp...

I stayed there with you a good while allowing you to have a little bit longer a bath than normal; Really sap it all out of you... And afterwards you were right as rain. Completely relaxed and ready for a nap. After a good wrap in a blanket, down you went... And if I hadn't woken you up three and a half hours later you'd have easily slept another 2 hours!

When all was said and done the late afternoon and evening were far better than the morning and afternoon- in terms of how you were feeling anyhow... And now, as I write this post listening to some great tunes and watching huge images of you flash across my television via Apple TV (a device no doubt obsolete by the time you read this), and I too am feeling relaxed... For the Lion Sleeps Tonight, Conor. Conor an Chroí Lion. Conor the Water Lover...

Goodnight, Son. I love you.
-Dad

Super Sunday!

Day 54:

Another fun and adventurous day for you today, Conor! The morning started out relatively smoothly, and me and you got some work done while Mommy got some extra Z's. Fitting seeing as how she was up half the night with you... Par for the course I suppose. At least you're consistent!

Yes Boy'O, today is the most bittersweet day of the year for me. Bitter in the sense that it's the end of the football season. Sweet in that it culminates on (pro)football's grandest stage- The Super Bowl!

This year's championship game, as mentioned in a previous post, would see the Giants vs. the Patriots; a rematch from 3 years ago. Personally I can't stand either team, but having to pick one team for the sake of having a dog in the fight I had to choose the Patriots... See, the Giants are in our beloved Redskins' Division, the NFC East - home to the most Super Bowl wins in any of the eight divisions. So that means, the Redskins have to play the Giants twice a season. Once at home, and once away. As it turns out, this season the Redskins had the Giants number beating them handily in both meetings! So to see the Giants go on to win the Super Bowl, in my opinion, STUNK! But, the thing about the NFL, Conor, on any given Sunday the best team in the league can meet a team that's piquing at just the right time and it's like walking into a buzz-saw of explosive hard hits and spectacular plays... In this case, that team were the Giants. Final score, Giants 21, Patriots 17. Can't wait 'til next season to knock the Super Bowl Champion Giants back on their ass... But I digress.

Anyhow, as is tradition with Super Bowl Sunday we would need lots of food and plenty of good company, so you and I spent the better part of the morning with you in a sling around my chest while I readied the kitchen for Mommy to tear it apart! And today was a special effort because we had to cook for Aunt Jen, Uncle Paul, and Big Nate! See, your Aunt Jen, who is normally a splendid cook when we visit their home, has been ordered to take it easy with the coming of their second baby, so the Yerkes were all too happy to help! We did a brisket, home made horseradish sauce, a cream cheese jalapeño dip, fresh pizza rolls, zesty guacamole, and iron skillet brownies for desert. Enough food to feed 12 people! But you know what they say, it's better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it... We brought our Super Bowl feast right to their front door, Conor. Cuz that's what family and friends do for one another - they look out for each other.

I've no doubt you'll be every bit as good to the people you love, Son. Conor the Lion Heart not only is beloved, but he loves his people also. A virtue of any great man...

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, Son. I hope you had as much fun as I did...
Love you.
-Dad

A Day in the City

Day 53:

With your wild "up all night" lifestyle, Conor, sleep is certainly at a premium. Last night was another one of those nights and once again, Mommy and I found ourselves tag teaming in a game of "who can quell the crying baby?"... Honestly it's not so bad... You're getting better every day, though it was particularly noticeable today because we all had to be up and out of the house at 9:00am in order to make it to church on time... That's right, church!

Specifically we were all attending a Baptismal class at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown. It's one of the Nations oldest Catholic churches and the oldest Catholic Church in the District having been built in 1794.

After our church class let out we decided it was time for your first trip to our favorite restaurant, maybe in the whole country, The Old Ebbitt Grill. See, I worked at this restaurant as a bartender and Mommy and friends used to come up and see me on occasion. It's such a fun place, Conor. Great food, great atmosphere, and a living, breathing piece of Washington DC itself. The restaurant was built in 1856 and has seen it's fair share of National historic figures. The old Ebbitt is a restaurant and a landmark and is known the nation over as one of the busiest restaurants in the country. I've no doubt it'll be there when you're old enough to appreciate it, and certainly we'll share many a meal there. And when we do, I'll tell you about some of the interesting and exciting times the Ebbitt has seen... Even some when I worked there!

It was a great day, Conor. Your first day in the city of Washington D.C.; The city of my birth. A city known as the most powerful city in the World. And now, Conor the Lion Heart's city... For you were born just a stone's throw across the mighty Potomac in Arlington, Virginia. Lot's to talk about there... Tons of history. Can't wait to tell you all about it. Many important people have crossed that river Conor; namely George Washington himself. And now you. Conor the Lion Heart. Conor an Chroí Lion...

Goodnight, Boy'O. I love you.
-Dad

Conor the Lion Heart - Conor the Party Animal

Day 52:

So here we are, seven weeks in, you're better than 6 lbs., and let me tell you, Mommy and me aren't afraid to put you in your car seat and go for a drive, grab some dinner, and show you off to your adoring public. I mean, who doesn't like a cute little baby? But you're different I think... You're the Lion Heart, after all. I think people have the opportunity to look at a baby and simply say "congratulations!" and maybe make a bit of small talk around the child, the parents and whether or not this is a first child, the child's name, etc. Everybody's happy. The onlooker, the parents, maybe even the baby, I don't know...

Then there are those who would look upon the baby's face and immediately note how absolutely adorable the child is... I mention this because I believe the general public, as a rule of thumb, will either absolutely gush - because quite frankly you're worth gushing over - or they'll say nothing at all... In your case, they gush... They ALL gush. This tells me it's not just my overwhelming pride and bias as to how handsome a boy you are... Validation is not something I've always needed... Though when it comes to my Son, I'll take it!

After a margarita and some fajitas at a local Mexican joint called "Uncle Julios's", I dropped you and Mommy off at the house, threw on my jacket and vest, and went out to meet the guys. To be sure, riding a motorcycle in February anywhere North of South Carolina can be tricky. It gets cold, FAST. When I left the house at 7:00pm it was about 52 degrees... When I left the saloon I'd met the guys at it was MAYBE 32 degrees. Let me tell you, 32 degrees at 65 mph feels a little like a searing hot knife is being held against your skin wherever it may be exposed to the wind. Not to mention I was wearing only jeans with no leathers or long underwear. So by the time I got home, I couldn't feel my legs and small parts of my face felt like they were on fire! Still, in my opinion a cold day on a bike beats a warm day in a car... Any day of the week...

Now it's off to sleep, Boy'O... And tomorrow it's off to church!

I love you, Conor.
-Dad

40 Weeks Today

Day 51:

Wow Conor... Gestationally speaking this is the day you were 'projected' to be born. Of course you chose to join us almost 8 weeks early. (Thanks for the 2011 tax break, by the way!) Despite your early arrival, stay in the NICU, and whatever other challenges came along with it, the Lion Heart has been as strong as strong could be. My Conor an Chroí Lion. You've overcome each and every challenge presented to you, and you've shown me so much it's incomprehensible. Hard to believe you've been here almost two months already!

To celebrate this no-longer-momentous occasion, me and Mommy decided to pack you full of food, load you into your car carrier, and head off to our favorite little Italian Restaurant. Not only were you sublimely good throughout the meal, but it turned into a true candle light dinner when, after our entrées were served, the whole of Fair Lakes lost power. Of course, this likely only helped you to sleep deeper while Mommy and me enjoyed the rest of our meal via the cheap little candles on the table. Little red wine, little pasta... It's the little things, Conor. You'll see.

Plenty of good times to come, Conor. I intend to bring you a great many places so you can show me a great many things. May as well get started at the local Italian bistro...

Buonanotte, Figlio. Io ti amo.
-Dad

I'd Been Told It Was Only a Matter of Time...

Day 50:

You know Conor, in the grand scheme of things 50 days is really an irrelevant amount of time. I mean, it's not even 2 months! But for some reason the number "50" feels significant to me... Hard to believe you've been with us for 50 days... And if I'm lucky - and I mean really lucky, I'll live to see you turn 50 years old! Aww hell, I'll only be 88 years old... How hard can it be?!

Today was a memorable day, Son. Aside from it being almost 70 degrees outside on February 1st - and for all my years in Virginia I can't recall a time it's ever happened before (not as though I memorize the thermostat on any given day, but to be sure it's rare), you had your very first projectile vomit! That's right! After a three ounce feeding and just a few minutes of rest in the cradle of my arms - BLEHHHHHCH!!!! All three ounces... And then some... Because whatever was in your stomach before the feeding came out too...

I gotta say, it was kinda awesome! I had no idea that much 'stuff' could come flying out of something so small, so fast! And with no warning, too! Truly impressive... One second I'm marveling over how absolutely adorable and divine you are, the next I was dripping in a white milky goo. It was like something out of a Mel Brooks movie... (I'll explain who Mel Brooks is down the road, Son. Blazing Saddles, Space Balls - these are must see movies, Boy'O). In any event, now I can brandish the ever common badge of accomplishment in parenthood for Infant Puke. It's a respectable one I think...

Of course, after a quick bath for you and a hot shower for me, you were starving again. Though this time Mommy only gave you a couple ounces in the hopes it would control the Lion Heart's over active belly. The plan worked... And off to sleep you went.

I do love parenthood, Conor. It's a laugh a minute!

I love you, Son. Puke and all...
-Dad