Indie Rock 101

This kid's got more rock paraphenalia than I do.

Well, we're sure trying to enforce our will upon this child. He does seem to love music, even swinging his arms and torso when he hears it. So, in an effort to properly steer him through the murky waters of mainstream music, we've already purchased They Might Be Giants' kid-oriented Here Come the ABCs and the alt-country collection of kiddie songs The Bottle Let Me Down.

Now, all we have to do is take him for an alternative music dance party like Chic-a-Go-Go or Pancake Mountain and we're all set. Then we'll tune into Greasy Kid Stuff on WFMU on the Web. Heck, even Lollapalooza, that GenX bastion of independent music and spirit, has really shown its age by staging a kids' area this year.

As you can see, there's money to be had by marketing to parents who want to feel they're still cool while up to their ears in diapers.

After all, it's all an effort to connect with Colin, and make us feel like we're passing along the gift of music that we love to him.

So, then we'll REALLY be crushed when he rebels by listening to Ashlee Simpson or something.

Give The Baby His Bottle....

The milestones are coming fast and furious folks, try to keep up!
One of the most recent and really, one of the quietest, is that Colin is no longer using his bottles for milk. He's full-on into the sippy cup stage. There was a point when he was about 3 months old where I began dreaming of a time when I would not be a semi- constant state of cleaning, sterilizing and mixing bottles. Now, the top of our microwave is a sort of bottle graveyard.

In other news, we picked out a pumpkin last weekend that weighs just about what Colin weighs!! Daddy will be spending part of this weekend scooping out several pounds of pumpkin guts - not just for fun, but to carve what I'm sure will be a spooktacular jack-o-lantern.

Finally, don't be shy - continue to comment. We've just tried to make it more difficult for random losers in Germany to comment spam us.

Birthday One: The Aftermath

As previously mentioned, Colin turned one year old. The following weekend, we threw a little shindig for friends and family.

We were planning on having people over around 2:00. However, this did make us a bit nervous about arranging his sleep schedule. Colin must have assumed something was up, because he helped us out IMMENSELY by sleeping a full 2.5 hours prior to the party. I don't think he's had a midday nap like that in months. So, thank godness, he was well rested to meet our guests.

We had a great time visiting with everyone, and were so glad that they could share in the day. He got to laugh and play with his grandparents, his Aunt Michele, Amy, Becky, Jeff and his buddy Ben.

Colin also had his first taste of cake, which he really really really liked. In fact, he wore it very well.

After a quick hosedown and change of clothes, he got to open gifts from our guests as well as family who couldn't make it for the weekend. We took some photos to commemmorate the event, in case another (other than us) cared to see them.

Of course, everyone missed the real fireworks.

We were almost certain that he would take his first 4 or 5 steps at his party. He's been teasing us for weeks with taking his hands off of the coffee table, taking one uneasy step and then hanging there for a full second before plopping down on his bottom. However, he tends to respond to an audience, which is why we've dubbed him "The Show Pony" - commanding attention, and giving his all when watched. But, this time, his timing was a bit off. MILESTONE (10/9/05, 5:35 pm): After all the commotion died down, he took his first steps the very next day, in front of a crowd of his boring old parents. We clapped loud and hard, but we couldn't help but think his canter was meant for a much larger congregation.



Upon reflection, I believe that Colin probably held off showcasing his walking until he'd really had a chance to perfect it. After all, ponies have to train, don't they?

Thanks again to all who visited, sent a gift, phoned or simply thought of us around Colin's special day.

1 to Grow On

Colin --

Today, you're officially one year old.

The end of babyhood. On to toddler town. This will be followed by a stopover in youngster village, and the next thing I know you'll be borrowing the keys to my car for a ride to some teenage wasteland. After crashing the car, you'll need a loan for your first place in some adult city, some twenty years away from your old folks, who still remember you as their baby.

All silly geographic metaphors aside, it's all going pretty fast.

A year ago, your mother and I had never held a baby for more than 3 minutes in a row. Now, we can't wait to hold you in our arms every morning when you wake up.

A year ago, we had never changed a diaper on anything but a doll in childcare class. We were so nervous that we wouldn't know how to take care of you. Since then, we've both found ourselves up to our ears in bodily excretions too numerous and yucky to name.

A year ago, we never dreamed we could recite Goodnight Moon verbatim without looking, because we'd already read it to you several hundred times. ("In the great green room / there was a telephone / and a red balloon...")

Several months ago, we never thought you'd crawl and we'd be forced to carry you until you got married. Now, we'd love it if you'd only stay in one place where we can watch you before you fall and gash your head against something Daddy hasn't yet baby-proofed.

A year ago, we brought you home from the hospital, proud as punch but scared to death for what the future might bring. The immediate fear has subsided, because you have taught us how to become your parents. Nothing we could have read in a book could prepare us for the joy we feel every day you're in our lives.

Even though today only marks one year, it ends one of the most challenging and exciting years of our lives. It's wonderful to look back and remember all that has happened so far -- how you looked so tiny, how we felt when you first smiled, how we silently high-fived when you slept through the night, how we jumped and cheered when you first turned over, how we cried with joy at your first "da's" and "ma's" -- but we know it is only the beginning of your story.

So, what comes next? I'm sure you've got some surprises up your sleeve (and perhaps tucked inside your diaper) that we haven't even begun to realize. We look forward to all the new challenges that we'll encounter together.

We never realized how cool it is to be someone's parents until we had you. That is, until we become really uncool...if it hasn't already happened. So, perhaps some people think I'm nuts when I'm making faces at you in public. Like they didn't already. And besides, what's that saying about me being rubber and them being glue? Bring it on, glue-face!

(See what I mean? Totally uncool.)

Well, we hope you have a happy 1st birthday. You may not remember it by the time you can read this, but we hope that someday you can look through the words here and understand just what you mean to us and your entire family.

Stick with us, kiddo. There's plenty of good stuff to come just around the corner. Just do us a favor, and don't split your head open on the corner trying to get there.

Now, who wants some cake?

Love, Ma-ma and Da-da.