Simon's First Year Down.

What a year! Simon has broke Amber and me in the hard way. After 25 hours of labor and then a C-section to boot, Amber gave birth to a 6lbs 14.5oz baby boy. Simon started the new year with a bout of RSV and has had some respiratory issues ever since. Now for the good parts. Simon has grown to be a very funny kiddo. He loves to laugh and play with other kids at daycare. Simon has also developed a good sense of exploration. He loves to checkout new thing around the house and at the park. From crawling, to standing, and even walking (with help) Simon has amazed me over this last year. I am looking forward to spend as much time with him this year as I can. Simon is a great kid!

Here are some pics from his Birthday party. Amber made one of the BEST dumptruck cakes I have ever seen. She is already getting iquires from people to make their kiddos cakes. This woman is amazing!

Simon walking and other updates.

Mark Turner
Aug 6th 1977-Nov 20th 2009

Simon is walking with some help. He has grown so much in just a few months. On the 20th he will be one year old. I have heard many people say it goes by way too fast and now I believe they are right. This time last year I could not wait for Simon to arrive. I was very impatient and wanted everything to work on my schedule. One year later and I feel less worried about how fast things get done, just that they get done.

Earlier this month I lost a good friend while he was running. He had a heart attack as he finished the routine run close to his work. Mark Turner was 32 years of age and in the prime of his life. He served in the National Guard as an E-8. He had served one tour in Iraq and was possibly going back soon. Turner (as we called him) ran 2:50 marathons and 16 min. 5K races. This guy was crazy fast! Turner was an amazing friend and person to boot. The last run I did with him was at the Nature Center with Stokes, Turner, and me. Running with these guys was HARD. They would talk while I coughed up a lung trying to hang on.

Now that Turner is gone I still get choked up talking about him when someone asks. One thing I have learned is that there are no guarantees for tomorrow. I have to live and love every moment I get to spend with Amber and Simon. These are the things I will never regret because they are what makes me who I am. A father, husband, friend, and a teacher. I really love this life I live and feel very blessed to have made my life what it is today. Life is not what happens to us, we are what happens to life. Make it the best you can.

Halloween

Simon has been a few things this Halloween. He was a tiger at daycare and Spartacus for the EC Halloween party and the Springfield Symphony. He was entered into the costume contest with over 200 others. Simon's costume (made by my cousin with recycled fabric) won second place. The Fire Truck that won first was amazing. We did a parade over in University Heights housing area. Simon did well during the whole time. Simon even sat and listened to the music for an hour with no fuss.
Simon amazes me daily. We have done two movies this week and Simon sat the whole time and watched. I know the things he does is no different than another kid, but when others notice how good he is in public it makes you feel great. I have a co-worker who has told me I have no clue because Simon is not old enough and I have a lot to learn. I think she is bitter and too old to realize no matter what Simon does he will amaze me. Simon is a great kid who I will learn from daily, this is how life is suppose to be. An awesome wife who puts up with my crap and a son who I love no matter what he does.

Simon and his dog.

Simon is getting more mobile and into more stuff than before. I LOVE this time! He is soooo much fun to hang with. I am no longer doing the coaching thing because I just do not want to be away from him. For Simon's first Halloween he is going to be Sparticus or a Roman guard I am not too sure, you can be the judge when you see the outfit. I will have a bunch of photos here and on Facebook on that night. The hardest part will be running around all day Saturday with Simon in his outfit and me in my toga and then getting up on Sunday to run my half marathon. What a busy weekend.

Simon! Come on boy.

Simon is sick for the second week. Now it is pneumonia. He is on antibiotics and he has a lot of energy, but he is still sick. I have used 5 sick days of my 9 and Amber's work is giving her a hard time. What ever happened to family first? In an age where bottom dollar is the most important of all, this is truly a sad time. "Kids need nurturing and role models" is what I have heard over and over, but they left out the key element, "after money". I am VERY LUCKY to have a boss who understands the concept "family first" and TRULY owns the notion. I know I am a teacher, but come on! We are all human and when money is a driving force who looses? Family? I know we all need to work to provide, but at what point does society as a whole step in and lift the burden of greedy men who do not understand the true meaning of "FAMILY"? My son first then all else. Am I a minority? Anyone? Anyone? We have to carry our young to a safer and smarter society. Educate them young to be pasionate about what they believe, no matter what that may be. Not to be swayed by the all mighty dollar.

Rant over,
Doug

Fun times "crawling".

Simon is cruising like a low rider. He is not up on all fours, more like an Army crawl. He is growing so fast that I am worried about missing it even though I am with him daily. I don't know if it is normal, but I have trouble doing anything without him. I can truly say Simon is my life. I have heard this before from moms but not too often from a "guy". We (guys) are suppose to stay strong and not show emotion...right? I feel this is a down fall in our society. If a mom does not spend time with their child they are looked down on. but A guy doing the same thing is sad, but accepted. There is a time everyone has to step up and realize life is not about the "ego" but about what we will leave behind when we are gone our most precious resource. This is where parenting comes in to the equation. Kids are our legacy but we treat them as a "job" and something we work into or around our schedule. We all need to take a break and realize the schedule needs to work around the kids.

That's the end of my rant. To whom ever reads this, thanks.

Doug (Dad and husband first)

Last swim of the summer.

Simon and I went to the PTO "Dive into the school year" swim at the Republic Aquatic center. Simon had fun even though it was cold. He even made a friend.
Earlier in the day Amber, Simon, and I rode our bikes from Forest Institute to Phelps Grove park for a picnic. We ended up doing 15 miles! Simon rocked it! We had a great day and weekend.

The weekend is here!

After a tough week (leaving Simon at daycare not school work) the weekend is here. I had some issues with dropping Simon off at his school (daycare) and leaving him there. As a "guy" I should not make a big deal over this minute issue, but it is tough. Simon loves his school and the other babies. His teachers told me he will sit in the exersaucer and belly laugh at the toddlers as they play. His buddy Max and Simon will talk to each other even though no one can tell what is being said. All in all Simon has adjusted well to his new surroundings. I feel lucky to have such a great work environment and friends.
The best thing about the week is the weekend with the fam!

Daycare update.

Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts. As a "guy" I know this type of thing should not faze me, but it did and does.Amber is also having major guilt because she wants to be the one who watches Simon. In our time and economy both parents (in most cases) have to work to provide. I got to feed Simon at lunch on Monday and will do the same on Tuesday, Wednesday. I think Thursday will be our last park day before going to school for real. Our staff daycare is awesome but is still hard leaving your "buddy" behind so I can go to work.

Daycare tryouts.

The fam and I went to the daycare today (EC) to drop off Simon's school supplies. He took to the teachers and other kids like he had known them for months. This kid has a great personality. Tears did not roll (yet) and the visit went great. I am going over to EC at lunch to feed him on Monday and Tuesday, this should make it easier on him (more like me). I am also blessed with great friends who work in the building (EC) who will drop in on him during the day. This just goes to show, Simon is a great kid who goes with the flow and loves to flirt with the ladies. Man I wish I had his people skills.

Simon is getting BIG!

I have been very blessed to spend time with Simon this summer. He has grown so much in more than size. I have grown also :-). Simon's personality is great and it is a joy to work and play with him. He loves to lay in the park and watch the leaves and people move. Sometimes he will nap and I just lay next to him and read. How lucky am I to have Simon and Amber in my life? They do enlighten my life.

Simon's new chair!

So Amber, Simon and I went to a PTO BBQ this evening. Simon did so well setting up during the day that I had to get him his first chair. Enough said....

Simon's new chair!

So Amber, Simon and I went to a PTO BBQ this evening. Simon did so well setting up during the day that I had to get him his first chair. Enough said....

Facebook and Twitter

I was the one who said, "I will never do Facebook" and "Twitter is a waste of time". In the last few months I have found these two social networks to be very easy to update and to follow. With mobile capabilities making easy tasks of taking photos then uploading them to the site, how could you resist. Twitter is a beast of its own! Fast updates and even faster answers to questions I may have. If you are in Chicago and want to know where's a good place to eat? Twitter can help.
I know it is the time we are in and information is at our fingertips with our cellphones and other gadgets, but when I look at Simon and his amazement for the little things (clapping or a game of Peeka-Boo) I realize the technologies we have now are no more cutting edge than the old bag phone I had in the 90's.

This is the first time Simon has stood on his own while holding onto something.

MIA, back for an update on Simon.

Simon is doing well. We took a brake from swim class and the heat has been unbearable for the little one last week. This week we started our swimming class up again along with our weekly/ daily park days. Today we went to Sequiota park for a run and some lounging around. Simon did great in the B.O.B. and I was able to run for 5 miles with no meltdown. This is a big accomplishment for anyone who knows how Simon loathes the B.O.B. After our run Simon chilled with a cold one (Nutramigen) and I finished a half gallon of water. Everything is going great and Simon is a joy to spend time with. I will realy miss this time when school starts. I have 6 more weeks left and I will spend as much of that with him as I can.

The park and swim class.

This has been a great week. We went to the park and Simon is swimming like a fish, maybe a tadpole. Short posting with a bunch of great photos.

Summer with Simon.

Simon is doing well and I am adjusting to home life. When you have a 6 month old baby times can be fun with some minor effort. Simon loves to watch Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, and Sesame Street on PBS. I use the time to run (see pic bellow) and get work done around the house. We also get out to either meet MOM (Amber) for lunch or walk the mall if it is too hot outside (85+). The adjustment has been a little hard. I use to go on 5 hour cycling rides, go to the coffee shop to hangout, or go to Cycles Unlimited (the only LEED "green" cycling shop in SPFLD) for some bike talk. The video shows why it is all worth the adjustment.

The workout room.

Simon's first swim.

Simon's first swim class went well. He went under the water five or six times. Simon did well except for the cold water. He shivered a lot but never full on cried. We sang afew songs and moved in the pool to get use to the water. Amber joined us in the pool so we only have a few photos, but with eight classes we should have a few more to post later. Check out Simon's cool turtle swimming trunks.

Summer is here!!!!!!!!!

Simon and I are embarking on a new adventure. I did get a small crash course over Spring break, but this is for real. THREE MONTHS! I hope and pray Simon takes pity on me and does not revert to his old ways. We have been working on our setting-up and crawling. He is doing well but need a lot of practice. He is growing fast. I am glad I get to take the summer to enjoy him.

The "Ladies Man" Simon.

Simon is doing well. He is rolling over and loves to stand (with help). It is getting easier as parents because Simon is more even tempered. We can actually go out to dinner and enjoy the food. I have one last week of school and the little man and I get the summer to hangout. We are doing the baby aquatics along with other fun things. Thanks to the Kippenburgers for the cute outfit.

Nothin to do with Simon..yet

Here are the photos.

Some are morning personalities, some are not. Simon loves the morning! He wakes with a smile every morning.

Update

Simon is doing well.He is a happy baby in the morning. He smiles and stretches to welcome the new day. I will post soon with some pictures of a GOOD morning alarm clock. Nothing better than waking up to a happy Simon.

Simon's Easter

Simon had a great Easter. He received two baskets, one from Mom and Dad, and one from Grandpa and Grandma. You would think the healthy one came from Amber and me, but that was not the case. The Grand parents got him a cool bunny and chick with one egg full of jellybeans. Amber and I got him a basket full of BAD chocolate and Cadbury Eggs. we thought we should get him stuff we would like, we were wrong. Simon enjoyed th stuff animals more than the candy Amber and I will have to something with.

New video of Simon.

I think he is trying to talk but maybe he's just making noise. Either way he is cute.

Green diapers?

This is not Simon, but I thought it was cute.

Doug

Rockin the Bouncer

Simon on his first Pro Bouncier Seat tryouts!

Spring Break

I was able to spend my Spring Break with Simon. At first
I thought he would be a challenge but to my surprise he only had one bad day out of 7. I will take those odds any day. We woke every day and joined the mall walkers. Simon would drink a bottle of Nutramagin and I would drink a Carmel Machino from Starbucks. Then it was home for a nap. I was able to run on the treadmill every day.
Simon is AWESOME!

The Greek's FAMILY Night Out!

Simon is doing well. Tonight we went to Nonna's for dinner. Then to Mud House for some sweet nectar. Last stop was Lowe's for some spring booty. The important part to all of this was we did all of this as a FAMILY. No melt down and a few Simon smiles to boot! I love to just walk around and hold Simon tight. He just eats his own hand and makes those great baby cooing sounds. We end the GREAT night with a bath.

I LOVE BEING A DAD!

CUTE!!!!!!!

Sleep and Happiness

Happiness: Is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment and or joy.
Webster has his definition. Doug and Amber's definition is: Simon sleeping and not melting down.
Both definitions are the same. They both give joy as an end result. Simon has been sleeping for 10-12 hours each night and the witching hour is not as intense as in the past. Here are some happy pictures that bring us "happiness".

The morning walk.

Simon is doing well. He has started to sleep threw the night 8:00 pm to 6:30 am. This is heaven on earth, but hell in the evening before he goes to sleep. He still has his crying fits from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. If he did not sleep at night we would go CRAZE!

The New Chair

Simon has found a new fun place to view the world. Thanks for the "Bumbo"! The Paniques hooked us up well. Simon loves this chair I wish they made one for adults.

Nature Center

Simon went to the Nature Center for the first time. He looked around at the trees and enjoyed the outing. I hope this means he will be the outdoor type.

Hey ladies.

Car outfit "ready to move" thanks to the Schwetizer's.

Simon is doing better since his bout with RSV. Amber and I decided to up his food intake this week. He is like a new baby. He is happier and interactive. He is smiling and cooing a lot.
He is dressed in his Valentine best, over-alls, and jacket. Ladies look-out Simon is on the prowl, gerrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

SNOW DAYS!!!!!!

One of the perks to teaching is that you still get that feeling when looking at the TV during the news, hoping your school is closed. The best part is I get to spend more time with Amber and Simon. Simon seems to be doing well while watching Baby Einstein. Can you find "The Bill" in this Pic?

Back to work!

I did it!

I have returned to work this week and it was very hard. I love my work and the kids I get to teach, but I would rather be home with my new expanded family. While I have been at work Amber and Simon have been doing yoga. Amber is amazing and has adapted to solo parenting very well. Here are some the awesome photos of YOGA with the little man.
Doug