Breaking News

This will have to be a hasty post. I've got a 7 month old tearing into an 8-pack of paper towels like it's Christmas morning, and my wife is inviting me to the 2 hour season premier of Bachelor Pad after making me sit through a 3 hour season finale of the Bachelorette last night. Bliss.

Ever build a sandcastle at the beach? Invest enough time into the sand creation and you'll guard it from any potential threat that may knock it down. One thing you can't defend against is the incoming tide. The waves WILL have their way with the sandy fortress. It's frustrating. All the time put into building the castle now feels like a waste. 

But the next time you build a sand castle, it's always better than the last. That's because you learn from the last castle. The new castle will have stronger walls, better shaped windows, and sturdier bridges. 

That's what I've learned in the last year. 

We had our plan set about how things were going to be - when to buy a house, where to work, weekly routine, etc. - but then we got a shocking surprise with a baby on the way. Plans changed.

Then the baby arrived and we went into a prevent defense. Had to think on our toes and not give up any big plays. We gave up our pre-baby routine for a new one. Plans changed.

We're finally getting comfortable with the baby and how to raise a child. It's a trip. We have our routine set, made financial strategies, and are finally (yes it takes a while, esp. for me) coming to terms with the new baby lifestyle. But then...Plans changed again.

We visited the doctor today to confirm the positive result on that pregnancy test. And we've got a new baby on the way. The Kicker will show his kicking ways to a younger sibling!

The tide came in. The waves wrecked our old sandcastle. All that hard work just to have to build a new one. 

Our plans are like sandcastles. Both get broken down and have to be rebuilt. But that's the best part. They get rebuilt stronger every time they get made over. Here's to new sandcastles and new plans!

"Time To Sit Back And Unwind..."

It took 21 years, but I finally downloaded DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith's 'Summertime' off Amazon to set the tone for the coming months. 


There have always been difficult decisions to make during the summer: Which trail would be the best to run? What day of the week looks best to kayak? How often should sunscreen be applied? And more. 


My favorite summer to-do: sitting on the balcony watching the sky change.

Just give me a call before you stop by. 

This summer, things look different. It's not a decision of which trail to run, but if I'll have time to run at all. Believe it or not, I can't find a life jacket for a 6 month old; let alone anyone to give me permission to take him out on the lake. And my sunscreen is an afterthought compared to making sure the baby has enough on all the time.


I spent a few months  - and still do sometimes - sulking about how I can't run, workout, swim, bike, and watch my TV shows the same anymore. In between my tantrums, I sought out some advice that could help me cope. A few good friends shared their thoughts. 


Sacrifice is what we do out of love. Sacrifice is not saying farewell to the things I enjoy because I was forced to; it's giving up what I used to do and exchanging them for the new experiences because love makes it worth it. And it absolutely does make it worth it. 

We're off to a good start.

The Night It Was Gonna Go Down

Falling asleep is sometimes difficult. After reading and turning off the light, I usually lay awake thinking about my job, workouts, running, projects, things to do, family/friends, etc. Since the baby though, my mind has often been enamored with "what to do" situations. I like to run situations through my head and think about how I would respond. Usually they involve how I would react if something threatening affected my family. I use those thoughts as practice.

On a night a few weeks ago, we didn't need to the baby monitor to know that something was wrong with the baby. As my body and mind both synced into a good rest, I was rattled awake by the most awful and loud cry from the baby room.

I had never heard this cry from him before. It was shrill. It was sudden. There was no build to it, only an immediate high pitched and loud cry. It instantly woke me and my wife. 

We are both constantly on edge when he's sleeping in his crib. We've heard stories of SIDS and of babies being hurt in the middle of their sleep. Sleeping 7 hours with a baby one room over and sleeping 7 hours with no baby are two different 7 hour sleeps. Our bodies physically learned that we have to be connected to the kid.

This alarming scream in the middle of the night put me into protector mode. Let me describe how my body reacted to it.

When the scream happened, my mind woke up before my eyes opened. My mind thought quick: my baby is in trouble and I got to fix this. I immediately envisioned someone lifting the kid out of his crib and either wanting to take off with him, or hurt him. Still before my eyes were open, I decided that someone will be hurt as a result. Either I'm going to be a bloody mess trying to save my child, or some stranger was going to spend the duration it took police to get here as my personal speed bag. Either result, I was OK with. 

Adrenaline surged. My eyes shot open, and I ripped the covers off my body at exactly the same time. I took only two steps from the bed to our door. I peered into the hallway expecting to see a stranger with my baby, but I kept my torso out of visibility and used my off hand to hold my now-track-star wife from sprinting into a potentially threatening situation. 

I used my left hand to feel along the dark hallway walls and approached the door to the baby room. With the same posture, I looked into the baby's room again holding back my frantic wife. I didn't see anyone. But I still wasn't satisfied. Wife tended to the crying child while I busted open closet doors looking for the crazy person who broke into my apartment. 

The whole first cry to being crib-side only took about 3 seconds. We've never moved so fast and smart. We looked like a two person SWAT team moving to take down a target. 

Turns out the Kicker does this in his sleep every so often. He simply breaks out into a horrifying cry and just needs a second to gather himself before he falls back asleep. 

I don't remember past events well. My memory is mostly foggy. The events I remember best in my past are the events when most of my senses were engaged. That cry lit up my 5 senses and then some I didn't know I had. 

This story has more worth than just exchanging at a family party. The moment I heard that cry and decided that I was both fine with being fatefully harmed or reigning down my 156 lbs. of fury on someone for the sake of protecting my family, I felt proud. Not look-at-me proud. But self-reflectively proud that all those times I sat awake thinking about what I should do for my family, I am willing to do for them. 

First Tribe Game

This was a big day for our family. The Kicker made it to his first Cleveland Indians game ever. He was even awarded this certificate in honor of the occasion. 

The Tribe went on to win this game in a fun way. This will be the first of many games I hope. Maybe the next thing Shapiro signs for him will be a contract. 

Dynamic Duo

I've wanted to post this one for a while. There's always an encyclopedia of excuses, so I'll spare those and just move on.


A few weeks ago, me and Wife took our baby Kicker to his first NBA game. We got free tickets for some good seats. The baby is no extra cost as long as he can sit on our lap (he better get used to it too, he'll be sitting on my lap as a 17 year old as long as he's free to games). This outing was going to prove more difficult than other public ventures we've tried. This time, we couldn't take a stroller or car seat. He could only be carried.


We parked far from the stadium where the rates were lower (can you tell I'm cheap yet?). It's a long haul to the arena. I volunteered to carry the kid the whole time while my wife was in charge of the diaper bag. Not that she's insufficient, but I felt more secure navigating him through the downtown crowds.


As we entered the Q (Cavs arena), things got tricky. I had to get my card swiped for our tickets to print out, then grab an information guide, and weave through a crowded team shop. It's difficult enough to do that with keys in your hand let alone a baby. 


There's a strategy to maneuvering through the crowded corridors of arenas. You can either go with the flow, or you can make the flow. We dictate the flow of the crowd in this family. But it requires one person in front blazing a trail, while the others follow close behind in a single file line. Since it was only the three of us - and one was being carried - this wasn't too difficult a task. 


I stepped in front to blaze the trail while Wife secured the back of the line. She remained about 3 paces behind me as we spanned half of the oval hall of the arena. As we were hustling to our seats, I couldn't help but notice all the looks our awake, and very alert baby boy was getting. Many of the Cleveland ladies found him to be worth slowing down for and admiring as he passed. He even evoked a lot of "awwwww" noises as well. 


What can I say, this 4 month old is a stud. 


The game was fun. And the baby managed to stay awake for most of it. The Cavs lost, but there's always next year right?


On the walk out of the arena, much of the same female attention took place. A lot of lingering looks and smiles to the little guy. My concern remained on navigating my family through the flow.


The quite ride home got interrupted by a comment from my wife:
Her -"Did you notice all those girls looking at him tonight?"
Me -"Yeah, he's quite the attention grabber."
Her -"Anything else you notice?"
Let me translate that question for you: I'm thinking of something you're supposed to say, so you better come forth and say it. I respond with the only thing I can think of.
Me -"Looks like the Cavs are in position to get another high draft pick this year."
Of course that's not it, but I'm not into these games.
Her -"Did you see how those girls were looking at you too?"
I'll be honest, I've forgotten what it was to be checked out by the ladies. That sense of  awareness died years ago when we were dating. But I couldn't waste this opportunity...
Me -"Ohh now that you mention it, yes I do."
Her - "Every single time...they look at him, then they looked at you like 'Oh look at this guy with the cute baby.' I tried catching up to you guys but you were going too fast. I was way behind you guys so they didn't see me with you, so they were like, checkin you out."


Maybe that was part of the plan.


In all realness here, is anyone surprised? I mean, you got the most handsome 4 month old on the planet working his stuff. He's being carried by his dad who has what Men's Health calls the "slight scruff" facial hair which is the style most desired by women (http://blogs.menshealth.com/style-news/fashion-for-your-face/2012/04/05/). Deadly combination. A true unstoppable force.


Looks like I've found my new partner in crime. We'll let momma stay at home and relax; catch up on some sleep while we go out and run errands. Maybe me and the kid will hit up the local restaurant scene or explore the parks.